Chapter 169: Nightmare Floor 15 (1)

Level-up notifications appeared.

Because Reject had received more votes, I had been given a level advantage.

[‘Sacrificial Lamb’ has ended.]

All twenty-five people other than me had voted Reject.

...Honestly, I hadn’t expected every single one of them to vote that way.

Feeling something strange that was difficult to put into words, I opened the Communication Channel.

There was a conversation log in the Nightmare Communication Channel, where normally no one except me ever talked.

[Indomitable: We should all vote Reject.]

Surprisingly, the first person to speak wasn’t Taylor or Ye Cheon-wi.

It was a Nightmare Climber with the handle Indomitable, someone whose country I didn’t even know.

[Indomitable: Our thoughts and goals may differ slightly, but I believe all of us chose to challenge Nightmare because, in the end, we share one common cause: humanity.]

[Indomitable: If Person123 is the one who has to bear a 20-level penalty, then everything is backwards. I hope everyone will carefully consider which choice truly serves humanity.]

[Squirrel: I agree. It is obvious what the Tower is trying to accomplish. We can stop it by voting Reject.]

[ThousandWon: That person is entirely correct. If Person123 has to bear the penalty, humanity will have no future.]

Squirrel was Taylor, and ThousandWon was Ye Cheon-wi.

The two of them had immediately voiced their agreement.

[Strategist: I will vote Reject. There is nothing to consider.]

[Dale: I’ll vote Reject as well. We were only able to clear Nightmare because of him in the first place. We should at least have some decency.]

[AdvanceOvercomeVictory: Looks like this is the first and last chance for those of us who came later and have only ever received help to actually help him in return. Let’s give him a 10-level advantage.]

[Pan: Looks like our journey ends here. I assume only the existing Climbers will receive the penalty, so new latecomers will eventually appear. I’ll leave what comes next to Person123 and them.]

[Diligence: Well, if Approve somehow ended up getting more votes, would any of us even be able to deal with what came afterward? Haha. I was already at my limit anyway, so if this can help Person123 in some small way, I’m happy.]

[Savara: That damned Tower probably expects us to press Approve, doesn’t it? I refuse to do what it wants.]

[Watchman: I wonder what Person123 wants... He hasn’t said anything.]

These were the words the Nightmare Climbers had each left before the vote ended.

Of course, their choices were probably influenced to some extent by how the public would view them...

But every single one of them had called for Reject, and that was exactly how the result turned out.

...Honestly, until now, I had paid absolutely no attention to the Nightmare Climbers other than Taylor and Ye Cheon-wi.

I had simply helped them and advised them on clears almost out of habit.

Because I had never once expected that they would ever be able to help me in any way.

Nor had I ever considered that they might feel indebted to me.

That was why the conversation in front of me came as an unexpected shock.

Nightmare Climbers.

In the end, they were people who put humanity above everything else.

I didn’t know why that fact, something that perhaps should have been obvious, struck me so deeply.

They had chosen sacrifice without hesitation.

Thanks to everyone’s sacrifice, I had avoided the penalty.

I didn’t feel comfortable about it, but their resolve and determination had reached me clearly.

I stared at the Communication Channel for a long time before writing something.

There was only one thing I could say.

[Person123: Thank you, everyone.]

***

The Floor 14 rule, Sacrificial Lamb, ended without anyone dying.

Of course, there had still been losses.

From Easy through Hard, one highest-floor Climber from each difficulty received a level reduction penalty.

And on Nightmare Difficulty, every Climber except Person123 received a 10-level penalty.

What surprised people was the choice made by the Nightmare Climbers.

[EyeOfTheTyphoon: Wow, even then, I never imagined literally everyone would vote Reject.]

[Crow: Seriously, that was fucking awesome.]

[PrimitiveMan: Not everyone voted Reject, though? There was one Approve vote.]

[Rocket: lol Isn’t it obvious who pressed Approve? Come on.]

[Raikal: But was it really Person123? He posted a thank-you message in the Communication Channel. What if Person123 voted Reject too?]

[Beast123: Obviously it means he’s grateful for the Nightmare Climbers’ feelings themselves regardless of what result Person123 wanted. Reading comprehension level;]

[Box: As expected, Nightmare Climbers are simply on a completely different level from other Climbers...]

[Phoenix: In a way, it’s obvious. There’s no way they challenged that absurd Nightmare Floor 1 just to make money, and with Person123 already there, there wasn’t even any honor in being the first. They’re all people who risked their lives because of their convictions.]

[GreatWhiteShark: Everyone else should watch and learn, you selfish bastards.]

[HomeRun: Worry about yourself~]

[Dadada: Anyway, thank fuck Person123 didn’t get the penalty; my heart nearly stopped wondering how this would turn out.]

[Cholesterol: Still, it’s kind of sad that all the Nightmare Climbers basically got wiped out...]

Countless people expressed admiration and respect for their choice, and governments around the world even issued statements of gratitude.

After all, preserving Person123’s combat strength was directly tied to humanity’s survival.

“...It’s fortunate. I’m genuinely amazed that everyone voted Reject.”

Max said to Taylor as they left a meeting.

Of course, from the perspective of the U.S. Climber Bureau, Taylor losing 10 levels, when she had effectively become one of the country’s most valuable strategic assets, was a painful loss...

But Max wasn’t unaware of what had to take priority.

Some of the higher-ups, however, apparently found Taylor’s level loss unbearably wasteful. They had spent the entire meeting spouting pointless nonsense.

That was why displeasure was written across Taylor’s face right now.

They said America was still better off than China, or that China’s Nightmare Climber would now be completely unable to clear Floor 7...

Even with the world in this state, were things like that really so important?

For reference, the U.S. Climber Bureau did not know that Ye Cheon-wi had also successfully climbed to Floor 9.

China had not announced it yet, and Taylor hadn’t told them either.

Ye Cheon-wi had said he would reveal his own progress later. If America and China both announced reaching Floor 9 at the same time, anyone would find that suspicious.

There was probably no complicated political calculation involved. It was most likely just a precaution to avoid raising suspicions that Person123 had been involved.

Taylor had come to understand Ye Cheon-wi’s way of thinking to some extent by now.

Taylor sighed and checked the Communication Channel again.

[Person123: Thank you, everyone.]

The single message Person123 had posted after the vote ended.

The only person who voted Approve had almost certainly been him.

Could this result perhaps have gone against his wishes?

Had he not wanted the Nightmare Climbers to take the penalty in his place?

Taylor didn’t bother whispering him directly to ask.

Whatever he thought, the penalty absolutely had to be carried by the other Nightmare Climbers instead.

That was the right choice.

‘Because he is humanity’s hope.’

Because he was the only person who could save the world.

And in exchange for every Nightmare Climber receiving the penalty, Person123 had gained a 10-level advantage.

Judging by his climbing speed, he would probably challenge Floor 15 soon.

A difference of ten levels might be insignificant to him, but Taylor could only hope that it would give him even a little more strength.

Inwardly, Taylor prayed for Person123 to clear the next floor safely.

***

After the Sacrificial Lamb vote ended.

I trained without stopping as I prepared to challenge Floor 15.

[Difficulty: Nightmare]

[Floor: 15]

[Level: 177]

[Willpower: 16,560/16,560]

[Skills: Radiant Incarnation (Legendary+), Elemental Arrow Barrage (Epic+)(+3), Destruction Ray (Epic+), Weakness Insight (Epic)(+4), Hellfire Eruption (Epic)(+1), Subspace (Epic), Air Walk (Epic), Finger Flick (Epic), Life Devour (Epic), Decisive Strike (Epic), Phantom Shift (Epic)...]

With the additional 10-level advantage, I had reached Level 177.

Before I knew it, I was already nearing Level 200.

I had been leveling up at a ridiculous pace over this short period, but each time, I made sure to perfectly adapt to my newly changed Physical Ability by using the Mental World.

It did feel like the increase in Physical Ability gradually became less dramatic as my level rose...

Strength, five senses, reflexes, dynamic vision, durability, and everything else—by now, even calling my body superhuman didn’t come close to describing how far beyond ordinary limits it had gone.

‘Though it’s all still the Tower’s power.’

Lately, that thought had started crossing my mind from time to time.

The Demon King and Seri hadn’t become strong through the Tower’s power. They had simply been powerful beings to begin with.

Of course, the world and environment I had been born into were completely different from theirs, so there was nothing I could do about that.

Still, fundamentally speaking, my power was dependent on the Tower.

The only ability I could truly call entirely my own was Time Stop.

The Demon King had once said that it was a power even the Tower couldn’t understand, and that the Tower feared it...

Honestly, I didn’t know.

No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like such an incredible ability. Not compared to the Demon King’s or Seri’s power.

After obtaining Pankera’s Crown, I had become able to use it in more useful ways, but that was about it.

Well, all I could do was keep training without stopping, just like I was doing now.

Even after meeting Seri, my swordsmanship had continued improving little by little.

Time passed.

“I’ll be back.”

Before entering Floor 15, I said goodbye to my family.

Then I stared into empty space.

[Would you like to enter Nightmare Difficulty Floor 15?]

Just as I was about to enter, the Demon King suddenly spoke.

- Thou wouldst do well to steel thyself for Floor 15.

‘...What?’

What did he mean?

He was saying something similar to what he had said back on Floor 10.

‘Why? Is Floor 15 different from the other floors too?’

- Thou shalt understand once thou enterest.

The Demon King said nothing more.

...What had Floor 15 been like in Seri’s world?

I tried searching my memory, but I couldn’t remember.

There had been many parts where the scenes jumped rapidly from one moment to another, so I had no memory of directly seeing Seri clear Floor 15.

Well, like he said, I’d find out once I went in.

‘Let’s do this.’

The scenery before my eyes changed.

.

.

.

[You have entered Nightmare Difficulty Floor 15.]

As always, I stopped time the instant I entered.

About ten meters ahead.

Someone was standing a short distance away.

‘...?’

A monster...?

I couldn’t tell whether it was a monster or something else.

Because it looked almost human and was even wearing perfectly normal clothes. It held a spear in its hand.

The differences from a human were its turquoise skin.

Its vertically slit pupils like those of a beast, the tail extending from its body, and the red stripes drawn across its face like tattoos.

So rather than a monster, it felt more like another race.

Like the demons or aliens I had seen in the Floor 2 and Floor 6 hidden scenarios.

More importantly, no one had ever appeared right in front of me the instant I entered a floor before.

...The place itself was strange too.

Black, blue, and white colors were mixed together in every direction, spreading across the surroundings like smeared paint.

It almost looked like a nebula in outer space, and the phrase rift between dimensions also came to mind.

I released Time Stop.

The moment I did, messages appeared one after another.

[Two challengers are required to begin clearing Floor 15.]

[If no other challenger enters for one year, Floor 15 will automatically be cleared.]

[Current Participants: 2/2]

[Required number of participants has been reached.]

[Beginning in 10 minutes.]

[9:59]

I stared at the messages in confusion.

‘Two challengers?’

Wait.

What the hell does that...? Huh?

“Kyak-kya-kya! So you finally came!”

At that moment, a booming voice rang out.

It was the one standing ahead of me.

The turquoise-skinned being strode toward me.

My body trembled instinctively.

Feeling the strength of the opponent through Sixth Sense, I raised my guard and immediately prepared for battle.

The other person ignored that and approached with an openly delighted expression.

“You’re a Nightmare Climber too, right? So am I! I’ve been stuck on this damn Floor 15 waiting forever!”

“...”

“What, you can’t understand me? Say something!”

What the hell... was going on?

I barely managed to understand the situation, but it was something so unprecedented and completely beyond anything I had imagined that I couldn’t hide my shock and confusion.

The one standing in front of me appeared to be a Nightmare Climber from another world.

...Floor 15 wasn’t single-player.

It was multiplayer.