Chapter 120: Proof of Qualification (3)

Seoul, where my home was, had also fallen within the boundaries of an Isolation Zone.

I watched the situation unfold.

“This is brutal. Seriously.”

In some ways, it resembled the situation with the Sub-Tower.

If the mission wasn’t completed, the Tower’s Curse would descend upon the entire area.

The difference was that this time, everyone inside had been completely sealed in, with no way to escape.

If a Top-Floor Climber selected an Isolation Zone and defeated the boss, that Isolation Zone would be deactivated.

In exchange, however, the Climber would have to bear penalties proportional to the number of Zones selected.

[If 0 zones selected]

– No penalty

[If 1 zone selected]

– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%

[If 2 zones selected]

– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%

– 3 random skills prohibited

[If 3 zones selected]

– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%

– 3 random skills prohibited

– 3 random items prohibited

.

.

.

Even selecting a single Zone came with a devastating penalty.

The more Zones you selected, the more skills and items became unusable.

The restrictions on skills and items didn’t matter much to me, though.

The Demon King could simply use magic.

That meant I would have to face a boss monster of the same Level as me—which, in my case, meant Level 105...

But this was the Demon King we were talking about.

He had instantly killed even the absurdly powerful Antlion boss on Floor 8 with a single attack.

With the Demon King’s power, defeating a Level 105 boss shouldn’t be difficult.

The problem was...

‘The physical ability penalty.’

If my physical ability decreased, then the amount of the Demon King’s magic my body could withstand would decrease along with it.

A 30% reduction.

That much, I could probably endure.

A 60% reduction...?

I wasn’t sure.

If I pushed myself, I felt like I might somehow manage it.

But a 90% reduction?

Frankly, I didn’t think I could survive that.

If I selected seven or more Isolation Zones, I would have to endure a 90% reduction in physical ability.

By my calculations, six Zones was the absolute maximum I could handle.

“The ones ahead of me really need to pick a few...”

It was almost like some twisted game of loyalty.

Still, the Climbers from the other Difficulties needed to choose at least a few Zones between them so I could shoulder whatever remained.

Of course, by the standards of ordinary Climbers, even a single Penalty would be brutal...

But countless lives were at stake.

If the Top-Floor Climbers didn’t step forward, everyone trapped inside those Zones would die.

─ China’s Zhang Tao, currently the highest-ranking Climber on Easy Difficulty, is reportedly in the process of making his selection...

I left my room.

My family was watching the news in the living room.

“Seo-hyeon.”

My parents and my little sister turned toward me, anxiety written across their faces.

I spoke as reassuringly as I could.

“It’s fine. This will all end safely.”

I stayed with my family, watching the news and waiting for the messages to appear.

[The Easy Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Warrior’ has selected Isolation Zone No. 5.]

Just as his selection time was about to expire, the Easy Difficulty Top-Floor Climber finally made his choice.

He selected the Isolation Zone in China.

...At least someone had chosen one.

I waited, praying that he would make it through safely.

But...

[The Easy Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Warrior’ has died.]

The message appeared not long afterward.

“...”

He was dead.

I bit down hard on my lip.

Then came the second Climber.

He didn’t select any Isolation Zone at all.

And yet he died too.

[The Easy Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Ascent’ has defeated the boss monster.]

[Number of deactivated Isolation Zones: 0]

It wasn’t until the third Climber that a success notification finally appeared.

I read the message the successful Climber posted in the Communication Channel.

Then the turn passed to Normal Difficulty.

[The Normal Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Freedom’ did not select any Isolation Zone.]

[The Hard Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Strength’ did not select any Isolation Zone.]

The other Difficulties were the same.

In the end, none of them selected a single Isolation Zone.

I sighed inwardly.

‘Not even one...’

This is just...

Ha.

I knew.

Choosing even one meant putting their own lives on the line.

How could anyone be forced to sacrifice themselves?

Even so, I couldn’t entirely suppress the faint resentment creeping into my chest.

[Select an Isolation Zone.]

At last, the turn came to me.

The final Climber.

[Upon selecting an Isolation Zone, you will be moved immediately to the Proof Room.]

[If no Isolation Zone is selected before the time expires, you will be moved to the Proof Room having selected no Isolation Zone at all.]

[Remaining selection time: 59 min 59 sec]

I stared at the notification floating before me.

The numbers of the Isolation Zones were marked across what looked like a map of the world.

...What should I do?

“Don’t.”

My little sister spoke.

Her voice trembled, as though she was on the verge of tears.

“Forget about everyone else. You have to worry about your own life first. Okay?”

My father and mother spoke as well, their expressions dark.

“Seo-hyeon, please... don’t push yourself too far.”

I looked at my family, then nodded.

“We’re inside an Isolation Zone too. At the very least, I have to choose the one in Korea.”

“...”

“Don’t worry. One is nothing for me. I’ll only choose as many as I know I can handle.”

I stopped time.

Then I began to think.

I was fairly sure I could handle six.

Selecting six meant a 60% reduction.

Since killing the boss would heal all my injuries just like clearing a Floor, even if I pushed myself past my limits, I could probably make it work somehow.

But...

Three Zones would still remain.

‘Demon King.’

I spoke to the Demon King.

‘Could I do it? With the 90% penalty?’

Could my body really withstand that?

Even if only until the boss died?

─ You wouldn’t last. Give up what needs to be given up. Stop acting like a fool.

...Yeah.

Probably.

I had no information whatsoever about what kind of boss would appear.

Taking on the 90% penalty simply wasn’t something I could reasonably attempt.

‘This is like Floor 4.’

Back then, I had made a dangerously reckless gamble too.

It felt as though a similar choice had been placed before me once again.

No.

The risk this time might be far greater.

‘...No. I can’t.’

What if I rushed in trying to save everyone and ended up dying myself?

That would mean the end of the world.

Reduce the risk.

Save the people in six Isolation Zones.

That was the right choice.

My thoughts gradually settled on selecting only six.

I released time.

Then I deliberately waited until the selection timer was nearly exhausted.

It was better to give the governments even a little more time to prepare themselves for the chaos to come.

The television was showing footage of the people trapped inside the Isolation Zones.

I watched their despairing faces.

Then I closed my eyes.

[Remaining selection time: 59 sec]

Time was almost up.

“I’ll be back.”

I said goodbye to my anxious, trembling family.

Right.

Time to choose.

I had already made up my mind.

Six Isolation Zones.

Including Korea.

That was what I had to do.

That was the best choice.

“...”

Ah, fuck it.

I don’t even know anymore.

‘Demon King.’

─ You lunatic. Don’t do it.

‘I’m trusting you.’

I thrust my finger into the empty air.

Isolation Zones No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Every single one.

[The Nightmare Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Person123’ has selected Isolation Zones No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.]

[The following penalties will be applied.]

[If 9 selected]

– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 90%

– All skills forbidden

– All items forbidden

And with that message—

My surroundings changed instantly.

[You have entered the Proof Room.]

[Defeat the boss monster.]

The first thing I did was stop time.

I found myself inside a vast, pitch-dark cavern.

And there, directly ahead of me, stood the boss.

A humanoid monster...

A demon?

It resembled the boss from Floor 7.

Only larger.

And three pairs of wings spread from its back.

Its very appearance made the words “Great Demon” spring naturally to mind.

All right...

Let’s give this a shot.

I had already made the choice.

There was no turning back now.

─ Are you some kind of idiot?

The Demon King cursed at me, sounding completely fed up.

I immediately handed control of my body over to him.

‘I’m counting on you. I’d really like to walk out of here alive.’

A 90% reduction in physical ability.

My body suddenly felt weak, as though nearly all the strength had been drained from it.

I began working out a strategy.

For one thing, the fact that the boss was humanoid was at least good news.

If it had been something with multiple heads like the Frozen Hydra, or one of those blob-like bosses from Floor 3, I wouldn’t even have known where to aim.

With the monster standing before me in human form, its head was almost certainly a weak point.

‘Wouldn’t it be worth trying? Use the absolute minimum amount of power and aim directly for the head.’

Attack before the boss had a chance to move.

Destroy its head in a single blow.

Then maybe my body would hold togeth—

No.

Maybe it would collapse one instant after the boss died.

That was enough.

All I had to do was remain alive until the boss was dead.

By any means necessary.

─ Tch.

‘Huh? It could work, couldn’t it?’

─ Release time.

You’ve got this, Demon King!

Cheering him on, I released time.

Krrrk...

The boss turned its glowing red eyes toward me.

The Demon King stretched one hand toward it.

Ssshhhhhhhh...!

An intense, bitter cold gathered in his palm.

[Willpower: 0/605]

My Willpower dropped to zero in an instant.

The moment it emptied, I stopped time again.

Under the current penalty, my maximum Willpower had also been reduced by 90%.

Of course, since I could restore it infinitely, the reduced maximum itself wasn’t a problem.

‘Son of a...’

I could already feel my body beginning to freeze.

Just drawing on 605 Willpower had done this much damage.

‘Is the Frozen Hydra blood effect still active?’

I couldn’t tell whether the effects of consumable-type items were prohibited as well.

If that effect was still active, I might be able to endure considerably more.

I completely restored my Willpower and released time again.

The instant time resumed, the Demon King used every last point of Willpower to compress the cold even further.

Then I stopped time again.

And repeated the process.

Even so, I could feel the Demon King deliberately directing as much of the strain as possible into the parts of my body below the head.

Crrrack.

On the third draw of Willpower, my frozen left arm snapped clean off.

On the fourth, my side crumbled away like dry crackers.

On the fifth, one of my legs shattered.

My body lurched sideways.

Crash!

I collapsed where I stood.

Everything below my waist had been completely destroyed, leaving little more than my upper body intact.

Only about three seconds had passed in real time.

...This really is the limit.

I’m done for, aren’t I?

‘Demon King, is it still not ready?’

One more draw on my Willpower and my body would completely collap—

‘...!’

At that moment, the boss moved.

It shot toward me at terrifying speed.

And at the exact same instant—

The cold the Demon King had compressed to its absolute limit stretched into a line as thin as a thread.

Flash!

A thread-thin streak of blue light sliced through the space between us.

And along that line—

The boss’s neck was severed cleanly.

Its head separated from its body.

The monster’s charge came to an abrupt halt, and its body crashed to the ground as ice spread outward from the severed neck.

At the same time, my remaining upper body toppled to the floor.

What was left of my torso shattered like glass.

As my consciousness began to blur, as though death itself were closing in—

[The Nightmare Difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Person123’ has defeated the boss monster.]

[Moving to the Reward Room.]

I saw the messages.

My consciousness cut out for an instant.

When I opened my eyes again, I was somewhere familiar.

The Reward Room.

I lowered my gaze.

My entire body below the neck had been destroyed, but it was already regenerating at astonishing speed.

Soon, the regeneration was complete.

I sprang to my feet.

“...Whew!”

I made it.

Right?

I seriously thought I was a goner.

“Nice work, Demon King.”

The Demon King looked utterly sick of everything.

─ You got lucky, you crazy bastard.

“Haha. All that matters is that I survived.”

Operation Outlive-the-Boss-by-Even-One-Second—

A success.

[Isolation Zones No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 have been deactivated.]

Since I had defeated the boss, every Isolation Zone I had selected was deactivated.

Either way...

Everyone was safe now.

I let out a long sigh of relief, then spoke toward the Tower.

“What now, huh? I came this close to dying. Shame it didn’t work out for you.”

You’ve got talent.

Keep it up.

No.

Actually, forget that.

Don’t keep it up.

As the tension finally drained out of me, my thoughts wandered into nonsense.

Then I looked around.

There was a Skill Stone nearby.

A reward?

I walked over and checked it.

[Skill: Air Walk (Epic)]

Move by stepping on empty air.

Classification: Physical Type

Willpower Cost: 50

Cooldown: None

The description was unbelievably brief.

Air Walk.

“Oh...”

It was the first time I had seen an Epic-grade Physical Type skill.

But for me, as I was now, it wasn’t particularly useful.

I already had the Demon King’s ability to fly.

Still, I supposed it was better than nothing.

[‘Skill: Air Walk (Epic)’ has been acquired.]

I acquired the skill immediately and tried it out.

Thoomp!

I stepped against empty air and bounded freely through the Reward Room.

Every use cost 50 Willpower.

There was no cooldown.

In other words, I could now move freely through the air under my own power.

[The ‘Proof of Qualification’ has ended.]

[Number of deactivated Isolation Zones: 9]

[All Isolation Zones have been deactivated.]

[A special reward will be granted to the Top-Floor Climber who deactivated the most Isolation Zones.]

Then another message appeared.

I dropped back down to the ground.

Hadn’t it said there would be a special reward if every Isolation Zone was deactivated?

Apparently, this was separate from the reward I had received for defeating the boss.

And the Top-Floor Climber who had deactivated the most Isolation Zones was, naturally, me.

[A special reward is granted to ‘Person123’.]

[Select one of the following as your reward.]

I looked at the options before me.

“...”

And froze.

Holy...

What the hell is this now?