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Chapter 120 - Proof of Qualification (3)
Chapter 120: Proof of Qualification (3)
TL: Enuma Novel
Seoul, where my home was, had also fallen within the range of an Isolation Zone.
I watched the situation unfold.
“This is brutal, seriously.”
Ӗn̊ üm̄a.іd́
In some ways it resembled the Sub-Tower situation.
The Tower’s Curse that would descend over the area if the mission wasn’t completed.
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The difference was that this time, people had been sealed in completely, unable to escape at all.
If the Top-Floor Climbers selected an Isolation Zone and killed the boss, that Isolation Zone would be deactivated.
But in exchange, they had to bear penalties in proportion to the number of zones they selected.
[If 0 zones selected]
Е̌ ńum a .ĩd̀
– No penalty
[If 1 zone selected]
– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%
[If 2 zones selected]
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– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%
– 3 random skills prohibited
Е̌ n u mа .ï d̂
[If 3 zones selected]
– Physical ability and Willpower reduced by 30%
– 3 random skills prohibited
– 3 random items prohibited
.
.
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.
Even selecting just one was fairly devastating.
The more selections, the greater the number of forbidden skills and items.
The skill-and-item ban penalty was nothing to me, really.
The Demon King could just use magic, after all.
It meant facing a boss of the same level, which in my case was a level-105 boss monster…
Ѐ n ù m а_. і̀ d
This was the Demon King who had instantly killed even that off-the-charts Antlion boss on Floor 8 in a single blow.
With the Demon King’s power, taking down a level-105 boss would be no trouble at all.
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The problem, though…
‘The physical ability penalty.’
If my physical ability dropped, the limit of how much of the Demon King’s magic my body could withstand would drop by the same amount.
A 30% reduction.
Еń umа .іd
That much I could probably endure.
A 60% reduction…?
I wasn’t sure.
I felt like if I pushed myself, I might somehow manage even that.
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A 90% reduction.
Frankly, that one I didn’t think I could survive.
Én̆ ǔmа
If I selected seven or more Isolation Zones, from that point on I’d have to bear the 90% physical ability reduction.
By my reckoning, the upper limit I could choose was six at best.
“The ones ahead of me really need to pick a few…”
It was sort of like a game of loyalty.
Still, the other difficulties needed to each pick at least a little, so that I could shoulder whatever was left.
Of course, by the other climbers’ standards, even a single penalty would be brutal…
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Countless lives were on the line.
If the Top-Floor Climbers didn’t step up, everyone would die.
─ China’s Zhang Tao, currently the top record holder on the Easy difficulty, is reportedly in the middle of making his selection…
I left my room.
My family was watching the news in the living room.
“Seo-hyeon.”
Е.n̂ u m å
My parents and my little sister looked at me with anxious faces.
I spoke as if to reassure them.
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“It’s fine. This will all end safely.”
I watched the news with my family and waited for the messages to appear.
[The Easy difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Warrior’ has selected Isolation Zone No. 5.]
Just as the selection time was nearly up.
Ẃ ėb̊ n̆ о̊ v е l Ẽ nú m̂а̀
The Easy Top-Floor Climber made his choice.
He selected one of China’s Isolation Zones.
…So at least someone had picked one.
I waited, praying for his safe success.
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But…
[The Easy difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Warrior’ has died.]
Е n̂ ü m̄ а
The message came up not long after.
“…”
He was dead.
I bit down hard on my lip.
After him came a second person.
He hadn’t selected any Isolation Zone, but he died all the same.
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[The Easy difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Ascent’ has defeated the boss monster.]
[Number of deactivated Isolation Zones: 0]
It wasn’t until the third person that a success notification finally appeared.
I read the post the successful climber put up on the Communication Channel.
The order moved on to the Normal difficulty’s turn.
[The Normal difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Freedom’ did not select any Isolation Zone.]
W ê b nо̇ v е l̄ Е̌ n ùmа̃
[The Hard difficulty Top-Floor Climber ‘Strength’ did not select any Isolation Zone.]
The other difficulties too.
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In the end, not one of them selected an Isolation Zone.
I let out a sigh inside.
‘Not even one…’
This is just… ha.
W е̇b ň o v̀ ѐ l Ĕṅum̆_а̄
I knew. It meant putting their own lives on the line too.
How could anyone be forced to sacrifice themselves?
Still, I couldn’t help the faint resentment that crept in.
[Select an Isolation Zone.]
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The order had come around to me, the last one.
[Upon selecting an Isolation Zone, you will be moved immediately to the Proof Room.]
Е ñum̂a
[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 before me.
On something like a map of the world, the Isolation Zone numbers were marked.
…What do I do?
“Don’t do it.”
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My little sister spoke then.
Her voice trembled, on the verge of tears.
“Forget about everyone else’s lives, you have to look after your own first. Okay?”
My father and mother spoke too, their faces dark.
“Seo-hyeon, please… don’t overdo it.”
I looked at my family’s faces, then nodded.
W е̃b́ n̄ о v̂ е l̀ Еñ ū m̊ а_
“We’re inside an Isolation Zone too. At the very least, I have to pick the Korea one.”
“…”
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“Don’t worry. One is nothing to me. I’ll only pick as many as I can handle.”
I stopped time.
And I thought it over.
I figured I could handle up to six.
Е́n̊üm а́
Selecting six meant 60%.
Since killing the boss would heal my injuries, just like clearing a floor, even if I overexerted myself I could somehow pull it off.
But…
Three would still be left.
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‘Demon King.’
I asked the Demon King.
Ӗň um̄à. іd
‘Could it be done? The 90% penalty.’
Could my body really withstand it?
At least until the boss was dead.
─ You wouldn’t last. Give up what needs giving up. Stop being a fool.
…Yeah, probably.
I had no information on what kind of boss would appear.
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Taking on the 90% penalty was simply not something I could do.
‘This is like back on Floor 4.’
I’d made a pretty dangerous gamble back then too.
It felt like a similar choice had been laid before me once again.
No, the risk now might be far greater.
‘…No, I can’t.’
Ẇ е b.n ӧ v e l̈ _Е́n̂ um̄_а̇
What if I charged in trying to save everyone and ended up dead?
That would be the end of the world.
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Reduce the risk and save at least the citizens of six Isolation Zones.
That was the right choice after all.
My mind tilted toward selecting only six.
I released time.
Еn̈û m ӑ
I deliberately waited until the selection time had almost run out.
Better to give the governments even a little more time to brace for the chaos.
On the TV, footage of the people inside the Isolation Zones was being broadcast.
I watched the people in despair, then closed my eyes.
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[Remaining selection time: 59 sec]
The time was nearly up.
W̊ еb̂no vël̄ Е n ùm а̄
“I’ll be back.”
I said goodbye to my anxious, trembling family.
Right, time to choose.
My mind was already made up.
I would select six Isolation Zones, Korea included.
That was what I had to do. That was the best option.
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“…”
Ah, fuck it.
I don’t even know anymore.
‘Demon King.’
─ You lunatic. Don’t do it.
‘I’m trusting you.’
Е̊ň ů.m̈ а. і̀d̆
I jabbed my finger at the empty air.
Isolation Zones No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, all of them.
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[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%
Е̃ n u m̆ a
– All skills forbidden
– All items forbidden
And with the message.
My field of vision shifted at once.
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[You have entered the Proof Room.]
[Defeat the boss monster.]
Е̌ n̂ u m а
The first thing I did was stop time.
The place was a dark, vast cavern.
The boss stood before me.
A humanoid monster… a demon?
It looked similar to the Floor 7 boss.
Only, it was larger.
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And three pairs of wings sprouted from its back.
An imposing form that summoned the word “Great Demon” all on its own.
All right…
Let’s give this a shot.
I’d already gone and done it; there was no turning back now.
─ Are you some kind of idiot?
En̄.ŭm̈а̌
The Demon King cursed at me as if thoroughly fed up.
I handed my body over to the Demon King at once.
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‘I’m counting on you. I’d like to walk out of here alive.’
A 90% physical ability reduction.
My body felt suddenly weak, as though all my strength had drained away.
I tried to work out a strategy.
Е n̆u m а .і̃d
For one thing, a humanoid boss was at least some good news.
If it had been something with multiple heads like the Frozen Hydra, or one of those blob bosses from Floor 3, I’d have been at a loss for where to aim.
With the boss in front of me, the head was very likely the weak point.
‘Wouldn’t it be worth a try? If I aim for the head with the absolute minimum of force.’
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Before the boss could act.
Strike first and destroy its head in a single blow.
Ẃ е̂bn õ v е l En̆ u m̃а̀
Then my body could hold ou… no, maybe it would collapse just a beat later than the boss dies.
All I had to do was stay alive until the boss was dead, by whatever means.
─ Tch.
‘Huh? It could work, couldn’t it?’
─ Release time.
You’ve got this, Demon King!
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Cheering the Demon King on, I released time.
Krrrk…
The boss turns its glowing red pupils toward me.
The Demon King reached out a hand toward the boss.
Ssshhhhhhhh…!
A force of bitter cold gathered into his palm.
Е ń um̊а̊ .і̂ḋ
[Willpower: 0/605]
My Willpower bottomed out in an instant.
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The moment it ran dry, I stopped time at once.
Under the current penalty, my Willpower was reduced by 90% as well.
Of course, since I could recover it infinitely, the drop in maximum didn’t matter.
‘Son of a…’
W ẽ.b̀ n̈ оv̆.еl̂ Ē n ŭ m̆_ȧ
I could feel that my body had already frozen over.
Drawing on a mere 605 Willpower had done this.
‘Is the Frozen Hydra blood effect still active?’
I couldn’t tell whether the effects of consumable-type items were forbidden too.
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If at least that was still in effect, I’d be able to endure far more.
I refilled my Willpower completely and released time.
Еñum̀ а.і̆ d
The instant time resumed, the Demon King again used up all the Willpower to compress the cold.
And I stopped it again; the cycle repeated.
Even so, I could feel the Demon King pushing the strain down as much as possible into the body below the head.
Crrrack.
When I drew on Willpower for the third time, my frozen left arm snapped clean off.
On the fourth, my side crumbled away like cracker crumbs.
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On the fifth, one of my legs shattered and my body lurched and toppled.
Crash!
I collapsed right where I stood.
Everything below my waist was utterly smashed, leaving only my upper body.
Up to this point, about three seconds had passed in real time.
…This is really the limit now. I’m done for, aren’t I?
W̄ ĕb̀_ń_о v̆ él̇ Е̊ ǹ ŭ ḿа
‘Demon King, is it still not finished?’
One more draw on my Willpower and my body would completely collap…
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‘…!’
At that moment, the boss moved.
It came hurtling toward me at high speed.
It happened in the same instant.
Е̇ ń u m̃ а̀.і̄ d̂
The cold the Demon King had compressed to its extreme stretched out thin as a thread…
Flash!
A thread-fine line of blue light split the space.
And along that line, the boss’s neck was lopped clean through.
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Head severed from body, the boss broke off its charge and slammed into the ground, freezing over from the cut surface outward.
At the same time, my upper body tipped over onto the ground.
Ě ń ǔm̃ а̂
What remained of my torso shattered like glass into pieces.
Inside my consciousness blurring as if death were upon me…
[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, and when I opened my eyes again, the scene was a familiar one.
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The Reward Room.
I lowered my head.
My body, all of it blown away below the neck, was rapidly regenerating.
Soon the regeneration was fully complete.
I sprang to my feet.
“…Whew!”
Wе̌ b̃ n̄ o̊v̄е̇ l̆ Ĕ ňù m а
I made it, right?
I really thought I was a goner.
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“Nice work, Demon King.”
The Demon King had the air of someone utterly sick of it all.
─ You got lucky. You crazy bastard.
“Haha, all that matters is I survived.”
Еn̈ ǔ m̃а .іd
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’d beaten the boss, every Isolation Zone I had selected was deactivated.
Either way, everyone was saved by this.
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Letting out a sigh of relief, I tried talking to the Tower.
“What now, huh? I came this close to dying. Real shame it didn’t work out for you.”
Е́n̄ u ḿ_а . і̂d
You’ve got talent. Keep it up.
No, scratch that. Don’t keep it up.
The tension drained out of me and my mind wandered off into nonsense, then I looked around.
There was a Skill Stone.
A reward?
I went closer and checked it.
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[Skill: Air Walk (Epic)]
Move by stepping on empty air.
Classification: Physical Type
Willpower cost: 50
Cooldown: None
An extremely brief skill description.
Еn uḿа̇. id
It was Air Walk.
“Oh…”
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It was the first time a Physical Type Epic-grade skill had turned up.
But it wasn’t an especially useful skill for me as I was now.
I had the Demon King’s flight ability and all.
Still, better than nothing, I supposed.
Ё n̂.u m a
[‘Skill: Air Walk (Epic)’ has been acquired.]
I acquired the skill right away and tried using it.
Thoomp!
Stepping on empty air, I bound about freely.
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Each use of the skill cost 50 Willpower.
And there was no cooldown.
Е̇n̈ùm а̄ . і̆ d
In short, I could now move freely through the air.
[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 popped up.
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I dropped back down to the ground.
It had said a special reward would be given for deactivating all the Isolation Zones, hadn’t it?
It seemed this was separate from the reward that had come from beating the boss.
The Top-Floor Climber who had deactivated the most Isolation Zones was, of course, me.
[A special reward is granted to ‘Person123’.]
[Select one of the following as your reward.]
Е n u m̂ȧ . id̀
I looked at the options before me.
“…”
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And I was stunned.
Holy…
What the hell is this now?
****
Ѐ ǹ úm ȧ
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