#1
The video had caused a bigger stir than expected.
Organizations that had quietly been gathering information through their contacts all surfaced at once.
Sigrul was a Korean national, but he belonged to the [European Union].
Just as esports teams had once recruited players based on skill regardless of nationality, the age of Climbers was no different.
The “associations” in each country recruited Climbers regardless of nationality, promising vast sums of money, equipment, and skill books to support their tower climbs.
These days, powerful Climbers were directly linked to a nation’s wealth.
As long as the new material [Lux] existed, international competition over resources and profits was inevitable.
“That’s an insane ability. How many do you think he could summon on his own?”
“Well, I believe he could summon more with a higher Mana stat. Items and skills that dramatically increase Mana would probably give us a good chance of winning him over.”
“You want to develop him as a trainee?”
They were in a conference room at the Korean Climber Association.
The association’s president was a legendary figure who had once attempted Everest and reached its two-hundredth floor.
Now retired and leading the association, he had come close to becoming a World Ranker.
He questioned his secretary as he read a concise report.
“Yes. I believe he has more than enough potential. He could become a one-man army, couldn’t he?”
“If his summons have a clear ceiling, he could end up being less useful than a single well-developed avatar. You know that, don’t you?”
“An avatar’s potential is limitless. Still, I agree that we should move quickly to recruit him.”
The president set down the report as he spoke.
The Climber market was already stagnating.
Given how unprecedented this ability was, it was certainly worth developing.
The associations in other countries would be making their moves, too, wouldn’t they?
Competition would be fierce.
More funding.
Better weapons.
More powerful skills.
Those would be the only things that could sway him.
“I’m curious how the other associations will respond. Look into it.”
“Understood.”
“He’s Korean, so we should accommodate him as much as possible for now… Keep an eye on him, too, so he doesn’t get taken for a ride and end up in some dubious Climbing Club.”
“I’ll do my best. However…”
Her voice trailed off cautiously, as though she were trying not to offend him.
The president, Kang Taejin, knew perfectly well what she was about to say and what concerned her.
He nodded.
“Of course, getting his personal information won’t be easy. So take your time approaching him. Unless he comes from a wealthy family, I think he’ll start streaming soon.”
“There have been cases like that from time to time.”
“This could be the biggest recruiting war in history. Secure as much funding as we can, and trim all the deadwood.”
“Yes, sir.”
The association had begun to move.
Would the associations in other countries be any different?
No. They were taking the matter even more seriously.
The American, Chinese, and Middle Eastern associations in particular intended to overwhelm the competition with money.
“You may invest an enormous sum. Just make sure you recruit him.”
“Understood.”
With an irresistible amount of money on the table, what did nationality matter?
The towers were a source of resources and an immense flow of capital.
If so few people could wield so much influence, the initial investment would be money well spent.
And so, countless scouts boarded planes and began arriving in Korea, one after another.
#2
“Wow. That’s seriously expensive.”
Meanwhile, Hwanung, the man everyone was talking about, was getting a brutal reality check as he browsed streaming equipment.
He had thought he’d made a tidy sum running towers over the past few days, but the prices of streaming drones, computers, and all the other equipment were even crazier.
He came to the conclusion that even spending everything he had saved wouldn’t buy him a decent setup.
“Seriously, did all the other Climbers go into debt to buy their gear?”
He meant it as a joke, but plenty actually had.
Human technology couldn’t produce streaming drones that could be taken into towers.
The only way to get one was to supply materials to someone with a crafting avatar and have it made. Their prices were in an entirely different league from ordinary electronics.
‘I’ll have to grind for a few more days.’
He needed more starting capital to launch his stream properly.
Suddenly, Sigrul’s offer came to mind.
Contracts, transfers, signing bonuses…
Those thoughts swirled through his head, but he soon shook his head.
Investment was another word for debt.
People only handed over that much money because they wanted something from you.
Stocks, funding, and every other kind of investment worked on the same principle.
‘In the long run, debt will get in my way sooner or later.’
He knew he could make steady progress, even if it took a little longer.
If he reached out to someone for help, he might have to repay twice what he received.
He would live with endless interference and restrictions.
Already sick to death of such contracts from his life as a Sherpa, Hwanung decided to stand on his own.
“My summons will get it done.”
He had reliable allies, didn’t he?
Beings who looked only to him, would never betray him, and didn’t even cost anything to maintain.
Hwanung resolved to put his faith in them alone.
They would be far better than the humans he had to rub shoulders with.
‘Having all my summons unsummoned leaves a bigger gap than I expected. All this time to spare, and I can’t summon them.’
Tower climbing was a competition. Everyone had the same amount of time, and how they used it determined how fast they grew.
How rewarding were the towers they could climb in that time?
How many towers could they climb in that time?
They had to keep at least one of those up consistently.
Of course, exceptions like Hwanung existed, but among Climbers at similar levels, fights sometimes broke out over who climbed higher first and secured fans.
With that in mind, Hwanung considered keeping some summons in reserve.
‘Those flames really were ridiculous.’
How could he have known that an avatar who had been unable to do anything would unleash enough fire to roast an entire boss room?
A hollow chuckle escaped him.
“As for the streaming gear… I’ll just have to put in a little more work.”
Now that he had a short-term goal, it was time to work hard.
Hwanung considered his next tower.
Even if he kept the spirit out of action…
“Yeah. I’ll clear all the Sobaeksan-grade towers next.”
If he worked his way up from the easiest ones, he would eventually be able to climb Everest-grade towers.
How powerful would the summons at his side be by then?
By simple calculation, he needed a thousand N-rank summons for an SSR-rank.
Ten thousand minutes, in terms of time.
His strength could grow without limit, but getting there would take quite a while.
That made every passing minute and second precious.
Hwanung chose the [Tower of Madness] as his next destination.
“Now that people know my face, I’ll have all sorts of weirdos swarming around me.”
Just look at the people who already streamed.
Still, what could he do?
Given enough time, they would all be looking up to him anyway.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
With that remark to himself, he called it a day.
Then his cramped studio apartment suddenly caught his eye.
It was about time he put an end to living in this miserable little place, too.
#3
The next day.
There was something strange in the air around the Sobaeksan-grade towers.
There weren’t many of them, but a few conspicuous figures kept looking around, clearly searching for someone.
Tete, whose “Catching Up to Lord 93” content had been getting a good response lately, watched them and spoke to her drone.
“I guess Lord 93’s video brought all the scouts out. His avatar’s face wasn’t even blurred…”
- Yeah.
- The atmosphere’s pretty intense.
- Something’s definitely going on. lol
- But if he really is a summoner, climbing solo makes sense.
- True, true.
- Lord 93, are you watching? I’m ready to be your doormat!
- Is he hiring a Sherpa? lmaooo
Tete chuckled at the chat.
Would a summoner need a Sherpa?
He would probably act as both his own Sherpa and commander.
The tower she had come to today was the [Tower of Madness].
A tower where enemies swarmed in like mad, and where Objects could also be activated.
Eight teams entered each session.
The first team to reach a set number of kills could drop special monsters into another team’s area.
“Let’s take first today!”
“Tete’s average stats are at 35 now, and her Overall Stats are around C, so it should be getting manageable.”
“Let’s hurry up and hit 50.”
An average stat value of 50 without equipment.
That was essentially a prerequisite for becoming a Named Climber.
Having Lord 93 as a target kept them motivated, which made them curious about what he was up to.
Still, getting too excited over another Climber wouldn’t look good.
“All right, all right. Enough of that—focus on your streamer, please. Honestly, as long as Lord 93 isn’t here, we’ve got a perfectly good shot at first place, you know?”
“Exactly. Let’s do this.”
- That’s fair.
- Tete’s been on fire lately.
- Clear Sobaeksan, then on to Taebaeksan!
- I want you to run into Lord 93 so damn badly lmaoooo
Interacting with her viewers was always fun.
With that thought, Tete entered the Tower of Madness lobby.
A few people recognized her, and she saw avatars approaching.
“You’re Tete, right? Hello.”
“Nice to meet you!”
“Have a good climb!”
“Thank you!”
Simple, casual greetings.
Occasionally, someone asked for a picture, and she posed for a screenshot with them.
In the midst of it all, a shout rang out that she couldn’t possibly ignore.
“It’s Lord 93!”
The man whose video had reached 1.5 million views less than a full day after it was uploaded.
Avatar No. 19930211.
Someone had recognized him and shouted.
Tete and her crew whipped their heads around.
“L-Lord 93?”
“Where? Where is he?”
“Lord 93! Could you spare a moment?”
The tower lobby descended into chaos in an instant.
Then a tower message appeared before everyone.
[The game is starting now.]
[Press Join Game to enter a session.]
Tete reflexively pressed the Join Game button.
She wanted to see Lord 93’s actual avatar, but instinct had taken over.
The moment she saw her crew enveloped in light, she thought, ‘Oh, crap,’ but they had already been transported.
“Ah…”
Her stunned voice rang out.
- “Ah,” my ass.
- Take us back take us back take us back!
- Down
- Fall
- Ri
- Ot
“Aaaaaaaagh!!”
“Tete? Tete? Tete!?”
“Why did you do that?! Why?! Why did you press it?!”
Her crew and viewers rose up together.
Public outrage had exploded, and there was no undoing it.
Tete’s eyes went blank.
She couldn’t even resist as her crewmates grabbed her roughly and shook her back and forth.
‘I wanted to see him… Lord 93.’
‘Why did I do that?’
“…Let’s clear the tower first.”
“Yeah. We’ll hold her accountable later. We still need to farm.”
“Exactly. Everyone, cheer for the rest of us. Leave Tete out.”
- Okay.
- Yep.
- Yeeep.
- We’ll deal with you later. Grrr.
- Sentence suspended for now. Bang, bang, bang!
If the stage hadn’t been starting—and if it hadn’t been for someone assigned to their session—the uproar would have only grown worse.
[Session]
[Team 1: Tete and 4 others]
[Team 2: Avatar No. 19930211]
[Team 3: Babgon and 3 others]
[…]
“Huh?”
“Oh!”
“No way! Lady Tete pulls it oooooff!”
The public was simpler than one might think.
Tete and Hwanung.
The two would face off in the same session once again.
0 Comments
Sign in to join the discussion
Sign In