Chapter 54
—
Wakamo’s other broadcasts caused a massive stir in multiple ways.
The forums were overwhelmed with posts, to the point where even people uninterested in VTubers began complaining about the repetition. But upon checking the content, they inevitably joined the discussions.
In academic circles, the question of “What is the Tower?” has always been a topic of extensive research.
The Tower possesses a consciousness.
It selects Climbers.
Climbers share common traits: they are unafraid of monsters, willing to fight, and possess a strong will.
Of course, Climbers are still human.
Some experience unprecedented pain, falter, and have their spirits broken. A few even develop trauma and phobias toward monsters.
However, the moment one becomes a Climber, they no longer question fighting the monsters within the Tower—they only debate whether or not to climb it.
The hypothesis that the Tower manipulates human perception was long ago debunked. It was established that the Tower selects “those who were already like that.”
The Tower grants Classes tailored to individuals.
It analyzes human civilization to create corresponding Items and Skills, even lifeforms such as Summons for Summoners.
Scholars hypothesize that the Tower does not seek humanity’s destruction. Instead, it desires humanity’s survival, development, and evolution.
Among the many Classes, the Legendary Class stands out.
It is bizarre, distorted, radiant, noble, and incomprehensible.
Only one Climber can possess it.
There are countless Legendary Classes, but the one most scrutinized by scholars is that of Wakamo Inarizushi.
She wasn’t a monster spawned by the Tower. Evidence proves she existed before the Tower’s emergence.
Thus, her race was altered by her Legendary Class.
This theory had widespread support, but everything changed on the 30th floor of the Kyoto Tower when it spoke to Wakamo.
The Kyoto Tower summoned its “Lion” to challenge Wakamo to a duel.
A Class requiring submission through combat was only known among Summoners.
Even then, Summoners typically study monsters they wish to tame, form contracts, and turn them into Skills.
Forcing submission in this manner had never been documented.
Of course, it might simply be that such cases were hidden from the public.
Powerful factions, keen on monopolizing information about Climbers, might know more.
Wakamo and the Tengu engaged in an intense duel of dazzling swordsmanship.
After a fierce battle, Wakamo unleashed her strength, securing victory and achieving Complete Conqueror status.
A screen visible to all viewers appeared.
[The Kyoto Tower grants Wakamo Inarizushi the Idol’s Lion and the Izuna-Class Onnatengu!]
The Tower had rewarded Wakamo with a monster from the 30th floor.
Humanoid monsters are notoriously difficult to tame.
They possess high intelligence and harbor intense hostility toward Climbers, often choosing death over submission.
While taming them isn’t impossible, Summoners typically summon versions with minimal intelligence that function mechanically, following commands.
The Izuna-Class Onnatengu Wakamo fought displayed unparalleled abilities—a first for a humanoid monster from the 30th floor.
Why?
Even ten years after countless deaths caused by monsters emerging from the Tower, humanity continues to fear them.
At the same time, monsters remain objects of fascination and study.
If the Tower created these monsters, what does that imply about its nature?
This duel revealed a fragment of the Tower’s truth.
[“The Kyoto Tower challenges the Idol with its Lion. O Idol revered in Korea, defeat and subjugate it!”]
What is an Idol?
It signifies a being modeled after a deity.
This meant Wakamo Inarizushi was an Idol, a being resembling a god.
She consistently introduced herself as the Fox God.
In essence, she was the last remnant of East Asian mythology and the only living Idol in modern times.
What, then, is the Tower?
Sending its Lion to this Idol, what does this imply about the Tower’s identity?
Some speculated the Tower was an alien invasion, but this moment confirmed its deeper purpose.
The Tower minimizes combat difficulty for non-combat occupations.
Conversely, it intensifies challenges for combat-oriented Classes.
What about Wakamo?
Her overwhelming strength and extraordinary feats defy the norm for Climbers.
She possessed countless abilities beyond comprehension, but one fact was certain:
She belonged to the Legendary Class.
Yet, she often laughed, claiming she had grown weaker.
Transformed into an Idol against her will, Wakamo was climbing the Tower.
Did she know the Tower’s secrets?
“No… I don’t know either…”
“Are you sure you don’t know?”
Accompanied by the Chairman of the Japanese Association and the Fist King, Wakamo answered awkwardly during an interview.
The last living Idol!
The Fox God modeled after a deity!
A revered being climbing the Tower to save humanity!
“Does that mean you are the Idol?”
“Yes, indeed! I, the Idol, stand here!”
“I knew it! Disciple, bring sake to offer at the shrine!”
“Yes!!”
“No, that was a joke! Please don’t take it seriously!”
No matter how much Wakamo insisted, nobody believed her.
To make matters worse, the Kyoto Tower had unilaterally dumped the Idol’s Lion on her, leaving her deeply troubled.
Through the broadcast, it was widely announced that the Tower itself had declared, “We challenge Wakamo Inarizushi as the Idol!”
And to top it off, Wakamo was sobbing her heart out, crying, “Why would they give me something like this as a reward?”
“This is so difficult! I’m just a regular Climber, not a god or anything like that—I’m just an Idol!”
“Such a modest person…”
“Shouldn’t you open more VTuber collabs, Chairman?”
──Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone.
Why did this line flash through Wakamo’s mind?
She wanted to sit down and bawl her eyes out, saying, “I’m just a VTuber,” but she held back.
Her worth as a resource had probably skyrocketed, and while attacks targeting her life were tolerable, people threatening her as a VTuber might resort to using her personal information to blackmail her.
To Wakamo, it felt like the Tower was merely checking if she was worthy of handling its Lion before passing it on.
“……”
Dumbfounded──
Even when brought outside, the Izuna-Class Onnatengu, who had concealed its wings, didn’t say a word.
It was as though it had no self-awareness. No matter what Wakamo asked, it didn’t respond at all.
“Uh, Chairman… if it’s not too much trouble, is this how it feels when a Summoner tames a humanoid monster?”
“That’s usually the case. Additionally, Summoners often develop a sense of equivalence with their tamed monsters. There are even Climbers who ascend the Tower solely to tame beautiful humanoid monsters for their own… desires.”
“I really didn’t need to know the last part….”
Wakamo sighed heavily.
Reporters threw various questions, but the Onnatengu showed no reaction to any external stimuli.
“Can you smile?”
Upon hearing this, the Onnatengu gave a faint smile.
Although it said nothing, it tilted its head slightly, as if trying its best to comply with Wakamo’s command.
Despite the smile, its eyes reflected no emotion, exuding an overwhelmingly mechanical and inorganic impression, like a lifeless doll.
Its blue hair and outfit with blue sleeves leaned toward bold exposure, emphasizing a revealing design.
Especially shocking was its underwear—a thong. Wakamo couldn’t help but wonder, “Is this the Tower’s preference?”
Her skin was so pale and white that it seemed almost translucent.
Rather than looking human, the Tengu gave off the impression of a doll—or rather, something that merely resembled a human.
Swaying her hips playfully, she exuded an over-the-top sense of cuteness.
The decadence of her charm was so excessive that it felt like it might even trigger restrictions on the broadcast.
“….[Idol’s Lion]”
[Idol’s Lion]
[Name: None]
[Origin: Kyoto 100-Floor Tower]
[Owner: Wakamo Inarizushi]
[Class: Idol (VTuber)]
[Skills Held]
-[None]
[Stats]
Health: 1
Mana: 1
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Stamina: 1
Intelligence: 1
Wisdom: 1
Charisma: 1
‘Damn it, Tower…’
Sure, a VTuber being an Idol makes sense, but this is just ridiculous…
No joke, she looked like she would die if lightly tapped. Sweat trickled down Wakamo’s face.
With a sense of resignation, Wakamo grudgingly checked her subscriber count.
[Wakamo Inarizushi]
Subscribers: 2.45 million
‘Just hold on for one day…?’
If this thing happened to fall and die, even a functional skill would disappear permanently.
The Tower seemed to be laughing at her, as if mocking her with a “Hehe, I’m saving the good skills for later, and you’ll just have to deal with it!” kind of vibe.
‘Fine, I’ll permanently invest my mana… I, Wakamo, bow before the Tower… Please, have mercy…’
[Status Window]
[Climber: Wakamo Inarizushi]
[Class: VTuber]
[Age: 1,000 years]
[Stats]
Mana: 700,000
Idol’s Lion: 1,750,000
[Additional Stats: 154]
‘Is it normal for the pet to be stronger than its owner…?’
[Additional Stats: 1,750]
[You can now use additional stats to enhance abilities.]
‘Oh no…’
“I’m working hard to gain subscribers, and the Tower is scamming me!!! Everyone, I’m being ripped off by the Tower!!!”
Wakamo swallowed her sorrow since there was no one she could complain to.
‘…Wait, what kind of stat increases what again?’
Pathetically, Wakamo had never once used additional stats before in her life, so she didn’t even know what to allocate to increase what.
Moreover, since the boosts differed by class, she didn’t know how the stats for an Idol—her own class—would change.
‘Can I reset my stats…?’
[Stats]
Health: 510
Mana: 1
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Stamina: 51
Intelligence: 1
Wisdom: 1
Charisma: 1
Additional Stats: 1,700
“……..”
She boldly invested heavily in the most important stat—health. Was it about ten times more?
How about mana?
[Stats]
Health: 510
Mana: 5,100
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Stamina: 51
Intelligence: 1
Wisdom: 51
Charisma: 1
Additional Stats: 1,650
“…?”
Why was her mana stat increasing so dramatically?
She decided not to touch charisma for now… Or should she just balance them all out?
[Stats]
Health: 510
Mana: 5,100
Strength: 51
Agility: 51
Stamina: 51
Intelligence: 51
Wisdom: 51
Charisma: 51
Additional Stats: 1,450
‘Hmm… Skill purchase screen?’
[Available Skills for Purchase]
-[Learning Ability]: 10 stats.
-[Exceptional Thought]: 10 stats.
-[Izuna Style Spellcasting]: 10 stats.
-[Kuzunoha Style Spellcasting]: 10 stats.
-[Internet Connection]: 50 stats.
[Video Recording]: 10 stats.
She almost burst into curses out of frustration but realized something. If stats were available, she could normally use [Skills].
Why could this thing use skills when even the owner couldn’t?
[Body of the Idol] was the culprit…
Feeling a pinnacle of unfairness, she couldn’t even begin to describe, Wakamo trembled in frustration.
She closed her eyes tightly and burned through 100 additional stats, purchasing all the available skills from the list.
‘Wait, I can’t even read the skill descriptions, can I?’
Should she ask the Chairman to check with the Spellcasters’ Association for more information on the skills?
Even after boldly investing her stats, no dramatic change seemed to occur.
“So, it’s basically like your ‘Familiar’ now, isn’t it?”
“Why not give it a name? Its blue color… Aoi… The name… hmm…”
“Aoi Asuka.”
Wakamo quickly caught onto the Fist King’s murmured surname and added the name herself.
She didn’t feel like agonizing over it. Besides, it was once the top girl’s name in Japan.
Even though VTuber names tended to be quirky and unique, a simple name like this could be refreshing.
“Explanation.”
“Huh?”
“The name ‘Asuka’ originates from Asadal, the first capital of Gojoseon. While ‘dal’ refers to ‘mountain,’ an old term, ‘Asa’ is associated with Japan’s ancient capital, Asuka. In ancient times, ‘Asa’ meant ‘next morning.’ It carries complex meanings in both ancient Korean and ancient Japanese.”
“…Did you just say that?”
“Asa (あさ) could also mean ‘morning’ in Japanese. In Korean, it could even translate to the exclamation of joy, ‘Assa!’”
Suddenly, with increased intelligence, the Tengu began to spew unsolicited trivia.
And that last part seemed like false information, didn’t it?
The Tengu’s robotic-like speech left Wakamo unnerved.
When a reporter approached and thrust a microphone forward, they asked, “Can it speak? How did it learn? Is it an intelligent monster?”
“It speaks because its owner, Wakamo Inarizushi, granted it intelligence. Using Wakamo’s abilities, I am now connected to the internet, learning and responding. I am a form of bio-AI. Rather than being a monster, I am a Lion serving an Idol. In Japanese culture, I would be comparable to a Shikigami.”
“Stop talking…”
Asuka began speaking fluently without any hesitation.
It felt like things would spiral out of control if she kept going, so Wakamo hurriedly spoke up. Asuka immediately shut her mouth.
However, people were now looking at Wakamo as if she were some godlike being capable of granting intelligence to a Shikigami. Tears welled up in her eyes.
But seriously, is she really learning from the internet? Is that even possible…?
She hadn’t given much thought to the available skill list, but now she realized there was such malicious intent hidden in it.
“…Fist King, for now, I’ll just add a Companion buff and return to Korea…”
“Then, would it be alright to use a Fox Orb or Inari Dew?”
“That’s impossible.”
Just as Wakamo was about to check the Companion section to make a purchase, Asuka suddenly spoke up.
She hadn’t even pressed the button to buy anything yet, but Asuka turned to Wakamo and firmly criticized her with words.
“As Aoi Asuka, Wakamo’s Shikigami, I have been designed by the Kyoto Tower with an appearance suitable for a VTuber and the ability to broadcast 24/7. My purpose is to guide and engage with Believers through learned knowledge, making me the perfect proxy. Hence, investing in [Attack Skills] is meaningless, as none of the listed items you just mentioned can be purchased.”
“Wha… wha… wha… why… why didn’t you tell me that?”
“The Tower likely did not account for Wakamo Inarizushi’s lack of intelligence.”
Should I hit her? No, hold back…
Wakamo’s fists trembled with anger, but she calmed herself down with superhuman patience.
She couldn’t afford to curse out loud in front of reporters, right?
She’d already cursed plenty on her broadcasts, but there were trainees here this time.
When she checked the price of the items she wanted, each required 60 stats.
If she hadn’t purchased any Attack Skills, she could’ve bought one of them! But she didn’t realize that!!
I was so desperate for [Attack Skills] that I made this mistake!!
‘Should I destroy the Kyoto Tower…? No, hold back. Suppress your inner rage, Dalki…’
Hugging her collab merchandise, Wakamo decided to return home. She no longer wanted to stay in Japan.
She promised the Fist King she’d add the Companion buff next time…
Then, boldly opened her wallet, only to realize she had no money, creating a humiliating situation.
This is so embarrassing…
“Well, this worked out! Having a beauty promote something also has its own charm! How about advertising the merchandise with your Shikigami? Here’s the Wakamo Tail Pillow!”
When Wakamo returned to Korea, what greeted her was her manager, tirelessly working without a moment’s rest.
The fluffy and luxurious tail pillow was expensive to make, with almost no profit margin, but Wakamo didn’t mind since she was wealthy.
It was a gift for her fans, so she had no choice but to sell it cheaply!
Meanwhile, the community was filled with viewers eagerly anticipating when the Shikigami would stream.
There’s nothing as fascinating as a talking monster(?), after all.
Wakamo announced that it wasn’t a monster but a Shikigami-style VTuber.
The Believers simply laughed, responding, “Ah lol I see lolol.”
“I’m giving you your first mission… sell this product. Understand?”
“Understood.”
“Alright, study how to market products online and give it a try.”
Half anxious, half hopeful… Still, it was a Shikigami given by the Tower.
It was the [Idol’s Lion] directly bestowed upon Wakamo by the Kyoto Tower!!
A custom-made Shikigami(?) designed to help Wakamo operate as a VTuber!!
I believe in you, my Aoi Asuka!!
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have intruded upon this broadcast to introduce to you a product that I believe is truly essential.”
As the screen lit up, a blue-haired woman with an expressionless face held up the tail pillow and started spouting nonsense.
“Now, let us examine this product. A pillow with fur. This is what professionals call merchandise. Made in Korea. It doesn’t matter if it’s from the North or the South. A truly reasonable price. At a mere 39,800 won, one can be yours.”
“Get out.”
Wakamo smacked Asuka on the back of her head with a folding fan.
How could I have trusted an internet-taught Shikigami VTuber… I’m an idiot.
This one won’t be debuting… I’ll just add her to my streams as an extra…
“I’ll try again.”
“Go ahead.”
“Lowly creatures, purchase this.”
“Get out.”
—
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