Chapter 19
After a slightly shameful moment passed.
Wakamo checked the information about the 11th floor.
──Something was different from the information she had received about the Incheon Tower.
Forced matching like this wasn’t unheard of, but it wasn’t supposed to happen on such low floors!
[You are currently climbing the 11th floor of the Incheon Tower World.]
- You don’t necessarily have to climb the Tower alone.
- You will be matched with other climbers who meet the conditions.
- If you lack strength, combine your forces!
[Platinum Achievement Condition]
- Become friends with a [Non-combat Occupation] companion (0/2)
- Befriend each other as [Non-combat Occupation] (0/2)
- Together, defeat the [Vernya Monster Tree] as [Non-combat Occupations] (0/1)
Could there be a more difficult condition in life?
The difficulty was so intense that it made everything she had faced so far seem trivial.
Making friends wouldn’t be too difficult. She could just claim that the Believers [Shinja] were her friends now!
But to befriend a stranger, then become close enough to call each other friends?
Moreover, she could sense that the person in front of her was already wary of her. Although the person looked concerned, there was also a gaze of suspicion, as if thinking, “She’s not one of the monsters of this floor, is she?” while keeping a hand near their waist.
From Wakamo’s perspective, it felt as if the Tower was suddenly trying to kill her.
How was this any different from suddenly telling her to team up with a friend?
And look at this ─ just because we’re both [Non-combat Occupations], they’re practically forcing us to become best friends. It almost felt malicious.
But more than anything, what worried her the most was… What if the Tower kept forcing her to do these joint collaborations with girls like the one in front of her?
What if the Tower just kept matching her with people to worship her as the Tower’s Chosen Idol, pairing her up constantly for “collaborations”?
I didn’t even want to imagine that kind of scenario…
It felt like her plan to keep making her Believers [Shinja] happy as the Complete Conqueror had been thrown into the mud from the start.
Some pink-haired lewd VTuber would cosplay as herself, showing her real face. Sure, I could push forward and change direction that way, but─I don’t want to.
I’m the kind of VTuber who hides the Red Pill, damn it…!! This time, thanks to the help of the Tower Countermeasure Association, I managed to take down the Red Pill video, but it’s already circulating overseas.
Not that I can do much about that!
But I don’t want the Tower to keep forcing these collaborations. The only solution is to find an ally.
If that’s the case, I have no choice but to make this girl a VTuber.
That left only one answer.
I had to kidnap her.
I had no choice. The Tower threatened my VTuber status.
As soon as I activated the skill [My Worlds] to create a portal, I grabbed her and pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind us. One of the advantages of a [Spatial] skill was that even moving this way still counted as being inside the Tower!!
I had kidnapped the girl, who had been dragged by force by a giant fox monster(?) and could have put up a fierce resistance, but surprisingly, she remained calm.
The only one panicking was me ─ Wakamo ─ because the girl had just said she was only 17 years old!!
“Waah…”
Regardless of my internal conflict, the girl blinked curiously and looked around the room as if fascinated.
True to the full-option setup, there was a refrigerator and a microwave. There was now even a proper bathroom and shower. Though the lack of windows made ventilation a concern… it seemed that the electricity was being supplied by Wakamo’s mana. Although I hadn’t explained it, it appeared that the water supply was also being maintained by my mana.
Maybe the Tower just told me I’d only need electricity, but it seems they had meant that I’d be using mana for everything else as well.
I pulled out a chair and politely asked the girl to sit at the dining table as she hovered around the kitchen.
“I got a little excited and lost my composure… but I’ll conduct the VTuber interview now. If you pass, I’ll offer you the best deal in the industry (?)”
I still seemed a bit unhinged, but instead of being startled by my words, the girl looked around calmly, as if she had just come to visit a friend’s house. Was this because she had been chosen by the Tower? After thinking it over for a moment, she spoke up.
“I, can go fetch my bag?”
She was cute. Her short-tongued reaction was so endearing that it almost didn’t matter what she said.
This girl had VTuber potential…!!
Could it be that the Tower had introduced her to me to save her from her miserable life as a Climber by becoming a VTuber?! (No, that’s not it).
I had even considered the possibility that she might try to escape through the portal during my internal monologue.
But I didn’t follow her. Maybe because I didn’t chase after her, she interpreted it as me being considerate and earned her trust? Shortly after, she returned with a massive, dirty bag that was almost as big as her, plopped it down, and sat on it. With a relieved smile, she looked at me as if there was nothing to fear anymore.
“My name is Yu Ying.”
The girl introduced herself. I had assumed she was Korean, but to my surprise, she was Chinese.
Climbers didn’t face language barriers, after all. It was hard to distinguish between East Asians just by looking.
At that moment, I had a sudden thought about her identity. It was just a vague guess, but if I was right, she might be quite a pitiful person.
The goggles on her head, the unusually large number of bags, the police-issued gun (which would be useless in the Tower), the gas mask Climbers typically used but rarely carried ─ they all pointed to something unusual. Her clothes and shoes had an unmistakable “picked up” look to them, as if they had been salvaged from trash.
And finally, what cemented my suspicions were her red eyes.
“If it’s the closest location to Korea──are you from Beijing?”
“That’s right.”
She nodded as if there was nothing to hide.
Just as South Korea had suffered from the tower collapses, China was also a country that had experienced the same fate. They attacked the tower that suddenly appeared in the capital and destroyed it, but this led to the tower’s collapse.
Unfortunately, the monsters that emerged after the collapse were of the plant type, spewing spores and dust that caused various strange phenomena, rapidly devastating the country.
As a nation known for monitoring its people through surveillance cameras, China had strict regulations on Climbers. It was common for them to be forcibly taken away, and there were even cases of Climbers forming guerrilla groups out of frustration.
The culprit behind the recent Korean terrorist attack, the Collector, was also a Chinese Climber.
There was no need to explain how many people had died in Beijing 10 years ago when the tower collapsed.
Yu Ying was a Climber who had somehow survived that catastrophe at the age of just 7.
Why was a child like that now obediently listening to me?
Even though she couldn’t use it in the tower, she had a gun for self-defense, likely to protect herself from Climbers or people targeting her outside the tower.
Thinking about the days she must have struggled to survive, alone, in a monster-occupied city, I felt tears welling up, but I had to ask her.
“I feel weird saying this since I kidnapped you, but… why are you so calm?”
“The tower provided a job for me? I can do well.”
Her cute plea not to be abandoned hit me like a blow to the chest. This girl had a talent… an irresistible talent!
However, I couldn’t just accept her right away, so I decided to listen to her story first. Before that, I mentioned that I would give her a job as a VTuber. She didn’t know what that was, but─Yu Ying was more exhausted than I had expected. That’s probably why she accepted the strange offer from the tower.
──People like her are referred to as 【Tower Collapse Victims】.
Those who lost their parents, their children, or anything irreplaceable due to the towers.
It was a global issue that had created countless refugees. And even now, they were still neglected because there was no solution in sight.
Yu Ying had barely survived at the age of seven.
She told me she struggled to survive the tower collapse, and her red eyes were the result of pollution from a monster, which also affected her eyesight.
But the reason she had survived was that, at the age of 7, she had awakened as a Climber.
Without even having time to be shocked at the fact that she was a first-generation Climber. Growing up without parents, she adapted quickly to the situation, obtaining clean water from the tower, gathering supplies from the ruins, and resetting her abilities when necessary to move to other towers, eventually making her way down to North Korea.
North Korea had already collapsed long ago. Let’s just say they bombarded the tower as soon as it appeared.
Yu Ying told me she feared being forcibly taken away as a Climber if she stayed in China.
Despite her young age, she was clever. Over the course of 10 years, she made her way down to the area near Seoul, entering the [Incheon Tower] and surviving not by climbing higher but by staying on the 10th floor, limited by the constraints of her non-combat occupation. She lived in the ruined city until one day, she received an invitation from the tower.
“Would you like to meet an idol who can change your life?” it said.
She couldn’t continue living like that forever.
So she accepted the tower’s invitation, and that’s how she met me.
After hearing her entire story, the conclusion I came to was:
The tower wasn’t messing with me. It had actually made a considerate decision and carefully sent her to me.
A tower that nurtures me with a motherly touch… I had complicated feelings about this.
“…If you work with me and become a VTuber… I’ll provide three meals a day, give you all the earnings from your broadcasts, and even support your debut as an idol. In short, I’ll take care of your entire life!! I’ll also talk to the Tower Countermeasure Association and get you an ID card!!”
“Really? Then can I call you Boss?”
“Are you going to become a VTuber?”
“Yes.”
Even though she didn’t know what it was, the girl signed the VTuber contract. I was basically employing an underage illegal immigrant, which was borderline fraud, but I saw in her the raw talent of a future star.
If this doesn’t go well, the tower is to blame.
“I hope the manager doesn’t get mad…”
There are more illegal residents climbing the [Incheon Tower] than one might think, taking advantage of Seoul being a lawless area. As Yu Ying was not a citizen and would be recorded in the tower’s records, she could very well be wanted by the Tower Countermeasure Association.
“Will they get angry if I ask them to make a 2D Live model quickly…?”
But our Wakamo doesn’t care!! My girl wants to become a VTuber ─ who cares about the rest?!
The VTuber Mom(?) who picked up a stray girl from the streets was unstoppable.
“From now on, during broadcasts, you’ll use the alias 『Hajime Ichigo』 for public appearances.”
“Yes, Yu Ying will listen to Boss.”
“Now, sit in front of the computer. This is a mouse, and that’s a click.”
The abandoned 11th floor was a bitter sight.
I hammered the concept of a VTuber into her mind, drawing a temporary 2D avatar on a board. It would take some time for her moving model, but that didn’t matter.
Returning to the 11th floor, I set up the camera and lifted Ichigo into my arms.
The height difference was too extreme. I’m 243 cm tall, while Yu Ying is only 156 cm!
“Now, look at the camera and introduce yourself with your name and age.”
“Ichigo, debuting today. I’m a VTuber who listens to Boss well. Hello~”
Bowing her head and waving shyly at the camera, Yu Ying was a striking sight.
Although she looked dignified, even a bit boyish and slightly seductive, her short-tongued manner of speaking made her sound like a chirping chick, and her unique, yet pleasantly distinctive voice had a strange charm.
“PIPIPIPIPI. This is Wakamo Inarizushi, Believers! Today, I’m going to have a tower-climbing collab with a cute, newly debuted VTuber!!”
Since there might be an accident, today’s session is a pre-recorded video!!
“Please understand that it’s a recorded video. I wanted to do a live stream, but something came up, so I got busy!!”
“I’m sorry~”
As Wakamo bowed her head in apology, Ichigo followed suit, bowing deeply. Her eyes shone with determination, showing that she was overflowing with potential.
Yes, just like how I raised that horse girl with effort and managed to make Haru Urara, who had only ever lost, win in the end!
If I’m determined to become the ideal VTuber, then this time, as I nurture this VTuber, I’ll also reflect on myself and train hard!!
That’s right, this is like a master-apprentice relationship of sorts!!
There were even people who founded martial arts by watching falling flower petals. So, Wakamo can do it too.
Since I studied VTubers diligently, it means I’ve acquired enough skills to raise a disciple, right?
“Ichigo’s occupation is [Alchemist]. With this, I hunted well~”
“Ah…”
Of course, that’s why it’s a [Non-combat Occupation]. Wakamo’s eyes teared up once again as she imagined how hard Yu Ying must have struggled to survive.
If she had a combat-related occupation, things might have been easier for her… But because it was non-combat, that’s why 7-year-old Yu Ying fought so hard to escape China, right?
On top of that, she was smart. She had even taught herself to speak somewhat. Although she didn’t know Korean, she learned quickly when I taught her, remembering everything perfectly.
At first, I wondered if she had taken the wrong medication or been poisoned by a monster, causing her speech to be like that. But no, she said that’s just how she always was, which surprised me a bit.
Anyway… [Alchemist] was a profession so poorly regarded that people referred to them as “Pisspants.”
You might ask, “What’s the problem if they can make potions or drugs?”
To learn [Skills], you need to climb the tower. And you also have to fulfil certain [Conditions].
There are cases where people receive weapons, but once they climb, they have no choice but to learn [Attack Skills].
As I mentioned before, the tower is never climbed alone.
The Climbers who ascended first can bring other Climbers to the floors they conquered, allowing them to gather resources. However, in such cases, the new Climbers can only [Exit the Tower] and nothing more.
Sometimes, Climbers on the same floor form a party and cooperate to climb together. In such cases, the content of the tower’s trials changes proportionally to the number of people.
The most critical problem is that the reward diminishes the more people there are.
Unless you find a ‘trick’ of some kind.
Once you ascend a floor, the tower tracks the number of people. However, if you use a unique and rare skill like [Spatial Skill], which allows you to hide Climbers and later join them, the rewards don’t diminish.
The tower is quite generous in turning a blind eye to such clever tactics.
But in the end, this approach can only take you so far before hitting a limit.
Since these Climbers aren’t recognized as having climbed together, they won’t receive any rewards.
You might think, “Why not just take a strong Climber from the start?” But in that case, the tower will impose restrictions.
As you ascend the floors, the tower increases the difficulty proportionally to the strength of the Climber you bring.
Even if you never bring that Climber again, the difficulty won’t reset.
There was even a tragic story of someone who used the [Spatial Skill] they had painstakingly acquired by resetting their tower progress, only to lose it.
Moreover, penalties will be applied, making it impossible to exit the tower, which could lead to death.
Some even forcibly changed their class from [Wizard] to another class, displaying the tower’s cruel penalties.
That’s why people say the tower is imbued with a vast will.
“Of course, there’s not a single healing skill…”
[Alchemist] is a profession that requires a lot of resources.
In Yu Ying’s case, she had five skills: [Scrap Combination], [Toxic Substance Creation], [Deadly Poison], [Sturdy Body], and [Enduring Stamina]. For the remaining five floors, she opted to receive [Materials]. After resetting her progress several times, this was likely the best combination she had come up with.
[Sweet Flame Throwing Bottle]
Grade: Consumable
Contains gum that gives off a strawberry scent.
When thrown, it immediately ignites and explodes. The contents are sticky and tend to adhere easily.
[Sweet Flame Potion]
Grade: Consumable
Contains honey, giving it a pleasant aroma.
Upon consumption, it causes the stomach and esophagus to burn.
[Chocolate Deadly Poison Potion]
Grade: Consumable
A delightful chocolate flavor.
Upon consumption, it melts and dissolves the muscles.
Do not confuse it with chocolate milk.
“Nya, I hunt well with these, Boss.”
These were indeed items designed for hunting mindless monsters.
It maximized the advantage of [Alchemist], which can create anything from whatever materials are available.
I didn’t even want to imagine how monsters died after being tempted by the smell and consuming these items.
“Shall we get going?”
“Yes.”
Leaving her heavy bag at home, Ichigo followed me into the forest. Our strides were so different that for every step I took, she had to take three. But watching her try her best to keep up without falling behind made me certain that the Believers would love her.
An apocalypse survival-themed cute girl… This concept will definitely sell!
I did worry that some Believers might be shocked, thinking we were exploiting a foreign underage illegal worker. But that’s a concern for later!!
This time, the monster we were hunting was called [Vernya Monster Tree].
It’s a known nuisance with a particular gimmick.
You have to cut off its roots to expose its body, and then attack what looks like its core to bring it down. If you had a [Combat Occupation], you could just blast it with powerful magic or break through the body protecting the core with strong attacks and be done with it.
But for two unfortunate souls without combat prowess like us [Non-combat Occupations], this was going to be tough.
“Boss, it’s here!!”
“Huh? What is?”
Ichigo shouted as she jumped in alarm, but I was a beat too late to react.
A tree root erupted from the ground, wrapping around my ankle in an instant and yanking me forcefully.
As soon as she saw this, Ichigo panicked and hurled a flame bottle as hard as she could.
She said her eyesight wasn’t good, but she threw it surprisingly well. Is this the survival expert skill that’s kept her alive?
The bottle flew true, shattering with a loud crash, and fire spread as the [Vernya Monster Tree], which had been camouflaging itself as part of the forest, screeched in pain and leaped out.
We could have just beaten it up right then, but… cooperation was part of the condition, wasn’t it?
We’re supposed to work together… but how? Should we physically combine forces?
It’s not impossible… but would Ichigo die?
… Die?
At that moment, the VTuber God granted Wakamo a sudden flash of insight. Yes, the unexpected moment of action during a live stream!!
“Boss?!”
I snatched the [Sweet Flame Potion] from my waist, downing it in one gulp. Immediately, a burning sensation surged from deep within my belly. Is this what it feels like when magic fuels the fire burning inside you?
As the [Vernya Monster Tree] silently swung its roots closer, I moved Ichigo behind me to keep her safe, took a deep breath, and shouted.
“Wakamo Fire─!!”
With all my strength, I exhaled, and a torrent of flames shot out with a fierce
“Fwoooosh!!”
The [Vernya Monster Tree] recoiled in shock as the flames engulfed it.
But that wasn’t all. With a loud “Boom!” the magic-laden fire exploded, knocking down nearby trees and swallowing everything in a sea of flames.
I had been imagining something more like that fire-breathing technique from a certain ninja anime, but…
“Maybe… I overdid it?”
The aftermath looked like a kaiju had surfaced and breathed fire all over the land. Trees were burning, and in the midst of it all, the monster tree was thrashing wildly in agony.
It didn’t last long before its movements stopped, and the monster tree collapsed as the voice of celebration echoed around us.
[The 11th Floor of Incheon Tower has met the Platinum Achievement Condition and is now open to all of humanity!!]
“Boss, are you okay? You shouldn’t drink strange stuff like that.”
“Don’t worry. Even poison is fine if it’s given by a cute VTuber.”
“VTubers are amazing…!”
It seemed like she misunderstood something, but seeing Ichigo’s eyes sparkle with excitement made me feel like it didn’t matter.
Wakamo’s first collab as a VTuber and Ichigo’s debut stream had gone better than expected.
…Although I started to wonder if it was okay to debut a new VTuber without establishing clear rules for the channel.
But it’s fine.
All of that, everything!! My future self can handle it!!
—
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