Chapter 32: Nightmare, 3rd Floor (4)

[Level up.]

[First-ever clear of Nightmare difficulty, Floor 3.]

[Floor 3 Hidden Route unlocked.]

[Transferring to the Reward Room.]

The sensation of falling vanished, and my body was transported to the Reward Room.

My injuries began healing instantly.

My twisted ribs shifted back into place, torn flesh knitted itself together, and every trace of blood vanished.

I had been unconscious after clearing Floor 1, so I had missed this part. So this was how it worked.

The agony that had felt as though my entire body were being crushed disappeared as if it had never existed.

“Haaaaah...”

At last, I could breathe again.

Once I had confirmed that my body was fully healed, I did not bother getting up. I simply collapsed onto the floor and sprawled out on my back.

“...Mission complete.”

I muttered the words to no one and let out a weak laugh.

I survived.

Somehow, once again, I had managed to survive.

[All difficulties for Floor 3 have been cleared.]

[The Tower calls for new Climbers.]

More messages appeared in succession.

When Floor 2 had been cleared, new rules had appeared, so I had half-expected the same thing to happen this time.

But aside from the announcement that new Climbers would be added, no further messages appeared.

So new rules weren’t added on every floor... Maybe it happened every other floor?

I considered the possibility for a moment, then gave up and pushed myself upright.

“I seriously thought I was going to die this time...”

Floors 1 and 2 had been bad enough, but Floor 3 had been a nightmare in the truest sense of the word.

Seriously, what the hell had that boss been?

A house-sized ball of Undead corpses that moved more nimbly than I did.

If my theory was correct, heading underground early and activating the Sun Emblem would probably have caused a much weaker boss to appear.

Even so, clearing the floor on the first attempt with absolutely no information was practically impossible.

How the hell had I even managed it?

It was all thanks to Diul.

Every last bit of it.

I looked up at Diul, who was hovering above my head.

“You’re the best, Diul.”

It had hidden me from the Undead.

It had hidden me from Plligas.

More than seventy percent of this clear belonged to Diul.

God, it was so adorable I could die.

I reached up to pet the little thing, but Diul coolly dodged my hand and drifted around in lazy circles.

What a little tsundere.

It acted aloof, yet still ended up unlocking a new ability the moment things became dangerous.

“But hey... didn’t you get a little bigger?”

I tilted my head and studied Diul more closely.

Originally, it had been about the size of a baseball, but now it seemed slightly larger.

Its form had once been a perfect sphere as well, yet now I could see the edges of its body rippling faintly.

‘Is it evolving or something?’

Perhaps the change had occurred alongside the awakening of its new ability.

More importantly, the mental connection between us felt stronger than before.

“All right. Get some rest. You earned it.”

I could feel Diul’s exhaustion, so I sent it back into the bracelet.

Then I glanced down at the necklace.

‘And then there’s this...’

The system had said that the attempt had been nullified.

The necklace had not been destroyed either, which meant I had gotten one free use out of it without suffering any penalty.

A real bargain.

Plligas...

If I defeated it, I could bind a monster like that as my Familiar?

I had witnessed its power firsthand, so I decided to save that challenge for another day.

I rose to my feet.

It felt almost unreal that I had been on the verge of death only moments earlier. Energy now surged through every inch of my body.

I had gained another ten levels, and my body had become an entire tier stronger.

Pow! Bam!

I threw a few quick one-two jabs at the air, then turned to inspect the rewards.

There was one Skill Stone and one Skill Enhancement Stone.

[Skill Stone: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)]

Upon use, grants ‘Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+).’

[Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)]

Consumes all remaining Willpower and instantaneously amplifies the body’s regenerative ability beyond its natural limits, with the effect proportional to the amount consumed.

Type: Physical

Willpower Cost: All remaining Willpower

Cooldown: 24 hours

Rare+ grade.

Not bad.

Floors 1 and 2 had only awarded Rare-grade rewards outside of Hidden Route clears.

So the quality of the rewards increased once you reached Floor 3.

“A healing skill?”

Judging by the description, it was some kind of recovery ability.

It consumed all current Willpower to dramatically amplify the body’s regeneration.

This was the first skill I had seen that used every last point of Willpower at once.

I did not have any healing skills, so naturally, having one would be useful.

But a twenty-four-hour cooldown?

‘Is the effect powerful enough to justify that?’

Especially when it drained all my Willpower on top of it.

It was probably the kind of skill meant to save your life once when you were critically wounded.

Not bad at all.

Besides, even after using up all my Willpower, I could restore it immediately.

I wanted to test how effective the skill was, but I was not about to injure myself on purpose.

Well, the next time I’m on the verge of death, I’ll try it then.

[Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+) acquired.]

Next came the Skill Enhancement Stone.

This one was Rare grade.

Part of me wanted to pour it into Flame Strike and raise the skill all the way to +3, but I decided to hold on to it for now.

And finally, the Supreme Magic Stone...

I tossed it into the corner.

[Difficulty: Nightmare]

[Floor: 4]

[Level: 40]

[Willpower: 1,000]

[Skills: Teleportation (Rare+), Sixth Sense (Rare+), Rapid Regeneration (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare) (+2), Blade Storm (Rare), Exaltation (Rare), Fairy Light Bullet (Normal+) (+1), Minor Poison Resistance (Normal+), Leap (Normal) (+1), Swing (Normal), Thrust (Normal)]

According to the Status Window, my Willpower had increased from 600 to 1,000.

For reference, the amount of Willpower gained per level increased by ten with each ten-level bracket.

Levels 1 through 10 granted 10 Willpower per level, levels 11 through 20 granted 20, and so on.

[Nightmare]

Climbers: 250,152

Time Limit: 1 year, 20 days, 9 minutes, 57 seconds

Current Floor: 4

Once I had finished sorting through the rewards, I checked the Nightmare Time Limit.

“Another year earned, just like that.”

If there was one positive thing about the Tower’s Time Limit, it was that it forced you to live every day with gratitude.

The downside was everything else.

I had somehow scraped through once again, but the thought of what might be waiting on Floor 4—and how much longer I could keep this up—was overwhelming.

Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘What happens if someone reaches the very top of the Tower?’

Would the Time Limit disappear completely?

Or would destruction remain inevitable even after reaching the summit?

No one had yet discovered how many floors the Tower contained, so there was no way to know.

[Would you like to exit the Tower?]

I pushed aside the bleak thoughts about the future and left the Tower.

I had been through enough.

It was time to rest.

***

Since the Day of Upheaval in 2025, Earth had gained what could only be described as one enormous annual event.

Would humanity meet its end that year, or would it survive?

The year 2028 had something the previous two years had not.

Person123, the Climber who had achieved the world-first clears of both Nightmare Floor 1 and Floor 2, had publicly announced his intention to challenge Nightmare difficulty again.

He had even revealed the exact time of his attempt.

True to his announcement, on October 23rd, at the precise moment the Nightmare Time Limit reached exactly twenty days—

[Firetung: Think he went in just now?]

[QuickFlame: Not yet, right? There are still 30 minutes left]

[FlatBread: Didn’t he mean he’d enter once only the 20-day count remained, with no hours or minutes after it? Does anyone know for sure?]

[Yeokcheon: Just shut up and wait, damn it;]

[Hohohu: Ugh, honestly, this would’ve been less stressful if he hadn’t announced anything]

[Phillop: Then you’d be drowning in despair instead. Knowing the result is coming soon actually makes me feel better]

Some were anxious.

Some were desperate.

Others were paralyzed with fear.

Civilians and Climbers alike—people across the entire world—waited for the single result that would determine humanity’s fate.

“I’m curious whether your opinion has changed since last year, Arlo.”

The podcast program The Jude Noise.

A guest who had appeared on the show around the same time the previous year had been invited back.

His name was Arlo, an influencer and self-proclaimed prophet of doom.

Just before Nightmare Floor 2 had been cleared the year before, Arlo had gone on a scathing tirade during the program, insisting that there would be no more miracles.

Then, while the broadcast was still live, Nightmare Floor 2 had been cleared.

The moment had gone viral across social media, becoming equal parts spectacle and public mockery.

This time, the broadcast had been arranged as a special live production, staged like a talk show on a much larger set.

The host, Jude, and his guest, Arlo, sat facing each other, while a massive screen behind them displayed the Nightmare difficulty Time Limit as it steadily counted down.

[20 days, 15 minutes, 56 seconds]

“Do you believe Person123 can clear Nightmare Floor 3? What’s your opinion?”

“Heh. It seems you’re simply dying to make a fool of me again, Jude.”

“Ha ha, not at all. I merely want to hear your honest opinion, Arlo. The viewers do as well.”

In response to Jude’s question, Arlo showed no sign that his position had changed.

“Of course, I pray more fervently than anyone that Floor 3 will be cleared. However, I believe it is only right to separate such vague hopes from reality.”

“I see. And what does that reality look like?”

“As I have always said, the probability that it will not be cleared is far greater than the probability that it will.”

Arlo crossed his legs and rested his hands on one knee.

“Let us say that you roll a die twice and get a six both times. Jude, how much of your personal fortune would you wager that the third roll will also be a six?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure I would want to bet even a single dollar.”

“And that is perfectly rational. Nightmare difficulty is not even an ordinary die. It is more like a die with sixty sides. Just because the number sixty appeared once, and then miraculously appeared a second time, I have no desire to expect it to appear a third.”

Jude nodded with a smile.

“So your position remains unchanged. But Arlo, Person123 is an extraordinary individual. He achieved the world-first solo clears of both Floor 1 and Floor 2. Couldn’t the belief that he possesses the ability to continue climbing Nightmare difficulty be based on more than vague hope?”

“Two successes can easily be dismissed as coincidence. But more importantly, the true problem lies elsewhere. Every Nightmare Climber other than Person123 is still struggling merely to follow in his footsteps. And that is despite every last piece of strategic information being made public!”

Arlo shook his head.

“I do not say this to belittle those heroes who sacrifice so much for humanity. Nightmare difficulty is horrific. It is so absurd that one cannot help wondering whether it was ever designed to be cleared at all. It feels deliberately malicious.

“How in the world is Person123 managing to clear something like that? In the end, he is only human, just like the rest of us. Perhaps we have already placed far too heavy a burden on the shoulders of one individual who may very well have reached his limit.

“That is what it comes down to. Earth has long since become a sandcastle that could collapse at any moment. What is the point of clinging to the hope that the next wave will be slightly weaker? One sufficiently large wave, and humanity will be finished.

“All I want is for everyone to accept that the end may come in the very near future—perhaps even today—and to live without regrets...”

At that moment, a staff member came rushing toward them.

Arlo froze in the middle of his speech.

He stared at the approaching staff member and muttered,

“...Why does this feel like déjà vu?”

“Floor 3 was just cleared!”

YEAAAAAH!

Nightmare difficulty Floor 3 had been cleared.

News outlets across the world immediately began broadcasting the story as breaking news.

[ReaperScythe: It’s done, it’s done... We’re alive!]

[Toyo: Earth’s subscription has been renewed for another yeaaaar! Never doubted him for a second!]

[BaekDohyeon: Is Person123 actually a god???]

[IceWall: He has to be. If this isn’t a messiah, then what is?!]

[WokDirigShon: But seriously, it’s awe-inspiring... How is he so far above everyone else?]

Cheers erupted in the streets, and some cities descended into outright celebration.

People clinked glasses and raised toasts in bars.

Families silently pulled one another into embraces.

Commuters checked the result on their way home and released long sighs of relief.

And some people...

“He has delivered salvation unto us once again.”

A cathedral-like hall.

A solemn gathering of the faithful.

“Behold! After resolutely declaring that He would stand against that wicked Tower and protect our world, He has once again kept His promise!”

“Ahhh...”

“Dare not doubt any longer. Simply believe, and He shall grant us another year. For it is unmistakably clear that He is the angel sent to redeem humanity—the messenger of God.”

“Person123! Person123!”

At the words of the man standing behind the pulpit, the crowd erupted in cheers or bowed their heads in prayer.

Some wept openly.

In the end, everyone celebrated and found relief in their own way.

The world had been granted another year of reprieve.

***

“I’m home.”

“Oh, Seo-hyeon! Welcome back. Did you have fun?”

I smiled as I changed my shoes by the front door.

“Yeah... I had a great time.”

If I had that much fun twice, I would actually die.