Chapter 24
As usual, while wrapping up the broadcast, Wakamo was considering a future where she could take a step forward as a VTuber.
You can’t keep doing broadcasts like this forever. Income had increased due to the Complete Conqueror, and along with giving money to Yu Ying, she also needed to invest in the VTuber industry.
It might be fun to occasionally use mods that add VTuber models into games, like today, but it doesn’t quite have the same impact as the Tower climbing content that viewers jokingly refer to as “real-life online VTuber.”
To be honest, some might think it’s no different from the Red Pill VTuber and suggest she should just be shameless about it.
“But that’s wrong! That’s not being a VTuber! Don’t mock the efforts of all the creators!”
Who was this blockhead angry at?
She had become a VTuber herself while being an investor in the VTuber industry. So, she needed to purchase all kinds of equipment, but if she was going to buy things, she might as well create a studio of her own.
The Tower Countermeasure Association could help with personnel, but to equip the best equipment, she would still need money.
She needed money for 3D avatar production, for the motion, facial, and eye-tracking rigging work, as well as for buying VIVE trackers. Fortunately, Wakamo’s slender arms and legs made this part easy.
She also needed a studio equipped with a motion capture space and cameras.
Wait, isn’t there My Worlds? Sure, it could work once it expanded, but since Wakamo had to provide the power, she needed to consider mana consumption.
She couldn’t just place a generator there, could she?
What if, while having a blast with a 3D live concert, she ran out of mana and died, ruining Ichigo’s performance?
She wouldn’t be able to rest in peace, even in death.
Anyway, as usual, she was grumbling about the rewards for clearing the 13th floor, thinking they were subpar, when she suddenly heard a message that she shouldn’t have heard.
She couldn’t stay cooped up inside My Worlds forever, so she had stepped outside, thinking about getting some hamburgers and wondering what might appear on the 14th floor when—
[The 15th floor of the Incheon Tower has achieved the Platinum Achievement Condition and is now open to all humanity!]
“…What?”
Wakamo’s ears perked up, and she expressed her disbelief. —No, if she thought about it, she probably hadn’t considered the possibility that a leading climber could achieve Complete Conqueror first.
What would happen to the stakes if that happened? Wakamo tilted her head.
It’s not like she was particularly greedy, so she didn’t mention much to Manager Won Da-hye, but she had vaguely told her that if you avoid getting hit as much as possible, you could achieve it.
“The Tower considers the climber’s occupation too. I don’t know what Wakamo’s job is, but the conditions are probably different for each climber.”
Wakamo’s Legendary Class seemed like a [Non-combat Occupation] that would be at the very bottom. No matter how diligently she climbed the Tower, her stats wouldn’t rise in sync with the Tower, eventually hitting a critical limit… in many ways, it was a class with less merit compared to other climbers.
But conversely, that’s why the difficulty of the lower floors was like spoon-feeding a meal!
“As you can see, the monsters in the Incheon Tower are categorized on an average basis… If you look at the information on the upper floors, they are classified and divided like this. The conditions for each occupation aren’t the same.”
“Oh, really?”
In any case, that’s what it was like. Reflecting on that time, Wakamo thought that some climber must have succeeded.
There were many who aimed for the Complete Conqueror just because it offered more rewards, but Manager Won Da-hye had warned her that if someone achieved it consecutively, it would open a new floor, causing an uproar overseas. She also told her to take care of herself.
In fact, her mailbox was flooded with all sorts of messages, but since her manager was handling them, she was told not to even think about opening them.
Even so, she was diligently accepting requests from other VTubers for her.
As Wakamo was wiping the corners of Yu Ying’s mouth with a napkin while she focused on eating a hamburger with both hands, her phone rang. There was only one person who would call her, so she worried about what the manager had to say and answered the call.
From the other end of the line came an unexpected and absurd story.
“The climber who conquered the 15th floor is Chinese?”
※※※
“As planned, it seems the [Collector] has done well.”
“……”
“You might doubt whether I’m in my right mind now. It may seem like I’m forcing you to comply by holding your life hostage.”
“N-No, sir.”
“I am the president.”
Inside the private quarters of the Blue House, with the curtains drawn and holding his breath, the president turned to look at the young assemblyman, who was watching him nervously. He was the supreme leader guiding the nation. Or at least, he should have been. But how was the current situation, including his predecessor?
Isn’t the true power in the hands of the Association Chairman, the head of those barbaric beings known as climbers?
Even the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chief Justice, and other ministers were all paying attention to the Association Chairman instead of him.
Although he had been the undisputed top climber of Korea, conquering three towers and saving the Republic of Korea from the brink of collapse… now, with the number of climbers rising, he was merely a thorn in the president’s side, acting as if he were a king wielding power.
The young assemblyman thought to himself that the old man had clearly gone senile, questioning why he would attempt such a futile task… but he went along with it, prioritizing his own safety.
“If not for the prime minister, I wouldn’t have a single supporter left.”
Slowly sipping the tea placed on the table, he wanted to rebuild Korea, which was lagging behind other nations in both the number of climbers and their influence. He wanted to be remembered in history as a great figure—that’s why he became president.
“They’ve all been captivated by a mad fox.”
Watching a video of the Fox God, Wakamo Inarizushi, brutally slaughtering goblins, the president shivered with fear. He couldn’t believe that she had truly lost her power, and even if that were true, it was still a problem.
What if she regained her full power one day? What if she decided to swallow the entire country as her own?
Isn’t there a theory that she is actually the notorious Baekmyeon Geummo Gumiho—Daji, the femme fatale who brought down entire nations?
T/n: Baekmyeon Geummo Gumiho refers to a legendary creature in Korean folklore, a nine-tailed fox (Gumiho) with white face and golden fur. In Korean mythology, Gumiho are known for their ability to shapeshift, often taking the form of a beautiful woman.
“I am doing my best for the country!!”
Although the Association Chairman was defending her, he sought cooperation from the United States, Japan, Russia, and even China, aiming to eliminate a being that couldn’t even be considered a climber for the sake of Korea’s future.
Moreover, hadn’t this being given the Association Chairman even more power?
‘Isn’t it just because she didn’t side with him…?’
The young assemblyman thought it was absurd, listening to the passionate patriotism spilling from the president’s speech, responding with “Excellent, sir” while inwardly feeling that the man had lost his mind.
Wasn’t this utterly insane…?
To share such information with a climber who was considered a terrorist, known as one of the [Six Dreadful Calamities]?
‘He’s truly lost it…’
The Tower occasionally provides truly unexpected rewards. Sometimes, it even gives information about other 100-floor towers to those who possess an item with the information.
There are also instances where papers containing strategies appear—like the item called the Incheon 15th Floor Strategy that once surfaced in China.
It was one of the items that the [Collector] had allegedly displayed.
So, the climber who conquered the 15th floor now was likely a follower of the Collector.
‘Which president helps an assassin enter the country…?’
It meant that an assassin from China had come to target Wakamo Inarizushi.
※※※
“The climber’s name is Zhou Yutong. It seems like he gave up on climbing the Tower and reset before climbing the Incheon Tower.”
As soon as a climber enters the Tower and achieves a feat, their name is forcibly revealed, so there’s no way to hide it.
In this day and age, identifying someone’s nationality from just their name can be difficult, but this time, we had some personal information.
“Can this really happen so quickly?”
“There is a way to make it happen quickly. He is one of the followers of the [Collector]. Haa… It seems like he’s hiding inside the Tower.”
“Is there any way to find him once he exits?”
To be frank, the answer was practically no. They had to rely on CCTV and request cooperation from the guilds to search the Incheon area, hoping that he would exit the Tower somewhere. It wasn’t clear where he entered the Tower, and if it was near the border of Seoul, it would become even more troublesome.
“But doesn’t it not matter, since the Tower’s layers are separated anyway?”
“…This situation hasn’t occurred before, so it wasn’t explained… There was an incident where two Complete Conqueror holders accidentally encountered each other while climbing the Tower. Isn’t that odd? The victim climbing a lower floor said the Tower asked if they wanted to engage in a struggle for Layer Takeover.”
“No way…?”
“It means that climbers with Complete Conqueror in the same Tower can fight over the ownership. We don’t know the exact conditions, but since they didn’t think they could win against a climber two layers above, they conceded, and it ended peacefully. But this time might be different.”
The assassin from China might try to kill Wakamo Inarizushi.
Whether he wants her to transfer her Complete Conqueror status or has other motives is still unclear, as the assassin’s intentions remain unknown.
The [Collector] side is still silent, doing nothing. We had to consider the possibility that the recent terror incident might have been a distraction to bring the assassin into Incheon.
“……”
Of all places, China.
Listening to Manager Won Da-hye, Wakamo thought about China’s oppression of VTubers and the cyberbullying and terror that had plagued them.
How many VTubers and companies had suffered at the hands of China? Even domestic Chinese VTubers faced the same.
The sadness of the Red Pill VTuber who had their identity forcibly revealed. Their lives turned into a joke.
Wakamo wanted to be satisfied with a life of climbing the Tower and doing broadcasts as a VTuber… but this power, wasn’t it something the Tower gave me, for the sake of VTubers?
“I have to protect it…”
If the Tower heard this, it might think, “This guy is truly insane,” and even Manager Won Da-hye might consider him a lunatic if she understood Wakamo’s true intentions.
From now on, Wakamo would continue to affirm the value of being a VTuber.
She would use his power for VTubers, in addition to climbing the Tower and doing broadcasts.
Should she resort to… force?
‘As I thought, she shows no fear at all.’
And Manager Won Da-hye wasn’t too surprised by Wakamo’s cold(?) and calm attitude while discussing the assassin who came to kill her.
They had lived different lives! How many people had sought out Wakamo’s existence to hunt her down?
There were rumours that she was Daji, or even Baekmyeon Geummo Gumiho, but Manager Won Da-hye didn’t believe them.
Even if it were true… there was no definitive proof that the old records were entirely accurate, was there?
“Will you go? We can provide any support you need.”
“Then how about a VTuber studio… It would require a considerable amount of money.”
“…Understood.”
Such composure! It seemed like he wasn’t worried about the assassin at all!
Facing an opponent who might be equipped with all sorts of high-grade items from the [Collector], she acted like she needed nothing.
In reality, Wakamo just thought it was an opportunity and made a request that she believed was quite demanding when she said they would do anything for him.
“But, can I stream this too?”
“Pardon? Well… how about recording it and editing it later…?”
They decided to post a notice to the Believers, explaining that a live broadcast wouldn’t be possible.
It would be too cruel to watch the assassin appear on the 15th floor live, right?
The Believers were baffled by the absurd notice, but they were left speechless by Wakamo’s mental state, using it in such a way.
This VTuber… she doesn’t think she’s going to die at all!!
※※※
[The 14th floor of the Incheon Tower has achieved the Platinum Achievement Condition and is now open to all humanity!]
[Rewards have increased due to the Platinum Conquest of the Tower.]
“Haah, that was tough.”
[Status Window]
[Climber: Wakamo Inarizushi]
[Occupation: VTuber]
[Age: 1,000 years]
[Stats] Mana: 12,574
[Currently climbing the Incheon Tower 14th floor World.]
- The difficulty increases according to the achievements of the climber, [Wakamo Inarizushi]!
- Defeat the [Elite Monster]!
- Defeat the [Ferocious Guillotine Taurus]. [Platinum Achievement Condition]
- Do not take damage from the [Ferocious Guillotine Taurus] (1/1)
- Destroy the guillotine of the [Ferocious Guillotine Taurus] (1/1)
- Defeat the [Ferocious Guillotine Taurus] (1/1)
To be honest, it was incredibly nerve-wracking, to the point of wondering what the heck this thing was.
I wanted to conserve consumables as much as possible, but how much mana did I have to burn through to beat it up?
On top of that, my fingers or arms got severed by the guillotine. There were no end to terrifying moments.
Facing a monster much bigger than myself using Taekwondo—maybe it’s time to rethink my strategy.
Was I hitting my limit due to my job? Is it getting too tough?
[The [Video Recording] skill gains the [Summon Additional Cameras] function.]
[The [Mana Manipulation] skill gains the [Increased Mana Efficiency] function.]
[The [My Worlds] skill is upgraded to a [Large Full-Option Two-Room Size].]
[The number of registerable assets for [VTuber Asset] increases.]
“Not bad, I guess.”
It seemed like they stuffed the rewards into one package and upgraded my skills all at once, but there still wasn’t an [Attack Skill] in sight. I had some worries, but—the opponent didn’t seem to fully grasp my abilities, right? I thought I could take advantage of that blind spot and find an opening to win.
In the future, it’s likely that assassins like this will show up more often, isn’t it?
I’m always with Yu Ying, so there’s no worry of being kidnapped. I always notify my manager whenever I go out to ensure my safety. The base where we live constantly moves based on my location, and if needed, I could retreat into the Tower and rest in my room as usual.
I haven’t seen any Tower clear conditions with time limits so far.
“Let’s go.”
As Wakamo was about to head up to the 15th floor, the Tower asked her whether she wanted to engage in a struggle for Layer Takeover with regard to the Complete Conqueror.
—Is this the 15th floor where the assassin is waiting?
To be honest, it’s scarier than I thought.
But VTubers constantly deal with invisible antis and trolls wearing the mask of fans.
In comparison, a single assassin coming to kill me?
There’s no need to even put them on a scale!
Compared to a stalker who persistently pursues me, an assassin that I can beat up with my own hands is nothing!
“I do not avoid fights that come my way─!!!”
[Currently climbing the 15th floor World of the Incheon Tower.]
A duel between holders of Complete Conqueror regarding Layer Takeover will take place.
Decide the outcome without needing to take each other’s lives.
If you lose, your ownership of the Complete Conqueror status will disappear.
As soon as she entered the 15th floor, a window appeared before her. This time, it seemed to be visible to the opponent as well.
A climber on a higher floor can take everything from those below!!
It was a terrifying, top-down penalty that aimed solely at climbing higher.
But struggle is always like this. The one who loses, simply loses everything.
For VTubers who strive to grow their dreams through broadcasts, sometimes just because they aren’t liked, or even without any reason at all, they are harassed, their personal lives are invaded, and baseless rumours are spread about them.
But the most malicious of all is broadcast terror. What could be more painful for a VTuber than cyberbullying while streaming?
“Wakamo Inarizushi!! Our master desires the [Imperial Seal] that you possess!! Hand it over quietly and retreat!!”
“Is that what you’re after? In that case─ there could have been smarter ways. Insisting on this method… it means you just want to take what others have achieved, doesn’t it?”
“Our master has grand ambitions. It’s only natural for this small country to become part of our great nation. Isn’t that what history teaches us? You, having lived as long as you have, a monster that survived so long, should understand.”
“Dreaming of a unified China?”
“Unification of the world!!”
With no need for further words, the assassin Zhou Yutong drew his weapon.
“Quite the loyalist, aren’t you?!”
Watching him draw the sword from his side─ regrettably, even Wakamo couldn’t identify the item.
What’s the opponent’s occupation? Judging by the light armour and the shield in his other hand, he seemed to be from the [Fighter] class. But there was always the possibility of a disguise.
From the helmet to the shoes, belt, necklace, and rings on his fingers.
There was no way to know how many items he was equipped with, but Wakamo could tell that the opponent was overestimating her.
“[Dance of the Blades]!!”
The ring flashed. Wakamo deflected the shooting blades with a knife hand strike, but they clearly came from the ring. What kind of item is that classified as? As the deflected blade lodged into the floor, nine more blades shot out simultaneously.
Could it be that all ten rings are the same?
Before she could even process the strange choice, the camera showed floating blades that had appeared.
As Wakamo dodged to the side to evade an ambush aiming for his back, the trajectory of the flying blades precisely adjusted and aimed at her again.
“[Strike of Certainty]!”
And the moment Wakamo stepped forward, Zhou Yutong swung his sword from a distance of about 5 meters, and with a slicing sound following the path, one of Wakamo’s leg was cut off.
Since there was no leg where she was supposed to land, she naturally lost her balance.
“Even if poison doesn’t work, a beast still dies when its vital point is struck!”
The confident assassin shouted. As his necklace emitted a glow, the floating blades accelerated even more, embedding densely into Wakamo’s body without giving her a chance to react. As Wakamo tried to rise on one leg with blades piercing her body.
“[Step Leap]─[Cunning Ambush]!”
In an instant, the assassin slid closer, seemingly defying physics, and the shield-like object in his hand released spinning blades that pierced into Wakamo’s neck and deeply into half of his face.
And then, the red blood burst out, splattering over the assassin’s face.
“Hmph.”
Although she had lost her abilities due to the reset, the assassin, armed with various items from the [Collector], had replaced all the skills he gained from the Tower with those specialized for fighting humans. Using the artifacts he possessed, he pressed on and deceived his opponent until the end, striking the vital point to finish them off.
“The blood of a pig, how disgusting.”
The skilled assassin, who had killed many climbers in this manner, wiped the blood from his face and looked down at his work.
The sword embedded diagonally into her face, nine blades stuck into her body, and a severed leg.
Since it had pierced the heart and head, there was no need to confirm his death.
“It doesn’t matter if I left behind the [Imperial Seal].”
The assassin, who had even brought a scroll enchanted for [Seizure], prepared to use it on the corpse, feeling assured that no one could stop the grand plan of the [Collector].
Now that he had become the owner of the Complete Conqueror status that held the greatest influence in Korea, he felt confident that he could ascend to a high position, and a broad smile remained on his face.
He believed he could now escape the dangerous life of infiltrating countries and risking his life.
While he laughed, preparing to tear the scroll, a strange realization struck him.
His sharp assassin instincts were trying to warn him to stay alive.
“I don’t like what you do, but… Facing me head-on as an assassin, I respect that. It means you had that much confidence, huh?”
A slender hand gripped both of the assassin’s wrists.
Then, with a loud crack, his hands broke and hung limp.
He tried desperately to widen the distance, but a severed leg flew from behind, delivering a kick to his chin, and the assassin, feeling his strength leave his body, stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Wh… what…”
Wakamo, now standing, casually pulled out the blade embedded in her face.
One by one, the blades lodged in her body began to push themselves out and fall away.
“Seems like the smell of pig’s blood is pretty distinct, huh?”
Dozens of empty pouches fell out of the hole in his stomach with a thud.
“…Fake blood..?”
As the severed leg was reattached and seamlessly fused back, the assassin’s expression turned pale.
But even then, being a professional, he broke the potion vial in his chest pocket with a strong blow to begin healing his arms.
However, the flow of the battle had already shifted to Wakamo.
Moreover, what could be more pathetic than an assassin who lost his nerve against his opponent?
“Facing me head-on and coming alone, I respect that, so… I’ll respond as a duelist!”
With a clink, a duel disk popped out into Wakamo’s hand.
With an unnecessarily flashy startup sound, it clicked into place, unfolding with a dramatic swoosh, momentarily freezing the assassin in place.
“You just challenged me, the world’s strongest duelist─!!”
“Wha…?”
“The Tower’s duel declaration has already been made! My turn!!”
Without giving him time to regain his senses, Wakamo, spouting nonsense (?) or fox chatter, pulled out a VirtualLive TCG game card collection from her pocket.
The card had the highest rarity level, carefully placed inside a card protector—Wakamo’s treasure!
“I summon Alternative Yakuza Dragon!!”
Showing what a rule-free duel (?) really means in a rule-less Tower.
“ROAAAAR!!!”
As the character card was placed into the duel disk, a gigantic dragon emerged behind Wakamo with a blinding light, casting an overwhelming presence over the assassin.
“I don’t particularly have a grudge, but… I have no good memories of Chinese people trying to kill VTubers!! This is for the Chairman’s revenge!! 『Dragon Fire』!!”
A direct attack with no concept of turns!!
The enormous flames spewed out by the dragon’s open maw engulfed the assassin, who hurriedly deployed a barrier to protect himself—but realizing too late that there was no actual impact, by then, Wakamo was already closing in on him.
“T-Tower Exit─!!”
Just before the assassin could utter his exit declaration to flee, a card depicting a cute dragon girl pierced into his mouth.
“A card infused with mana hurts, doesn’t it…”
The thrown card was genuine. It was infused with a full 200,000 mana, hurled using [Mana Manipulation].
And as such, Wakamo’s punch landed squarely on the assassin’s face.
The helmet crumpled, and the force was enough to knock out teeth and break his jaw.
Grabbing the legs of the assassin, who was now floating like a balloon from the impact, Wakamo shouted.
“You scratched my rare card because of you!!!”
With full force, she slammed the assassin into the ground, causing him to spurt blood and scream in pain while writhing.
Watching the assassin’s limp body with arms flailing freely and his jaw unable to close, Wakamo posed, holding up the card she recovered during the attack.
“Gotcha.”
Tossing aside the bloodstained card protector and checking the state of the card wrapped in the clean 200,000 mana she had infused, Wakamo smiled.
“That was a good duel.”
Like a celebration for Wakamo’s victory, brilliant fireworks burst in the sky above the 15th floor.
Filming the scene, Wakamo pondered about how she should edit it and rubbed her chin.
Perhaps an invincible undead monster-like concept could work?
With such trivial thoughts, she gathered up the assassin and exited through [Tower Exit].
—
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