“Tell the believers, the reward is still a secret!”
– Oh, why?
– I’m curious─
– Emperor, what comes after the horse of Cao Cao?
– The horse isn’t guilty, LOL
– Just obey your master’s commands.
– Didn’t the horse ditch its master to go to Liu Bei?
– That’s it, LOL
– Hey, Captain, why aren’t you using Yi Seong-gye’s bow?
– A Japanese who connects the bonds of Yi Sun-sin and Yi Seong-gye…. My heart is swelling.
– Leader, leader, LOL, did you watch the broadcast???
– The King of Authority appeared, causing a shocking broadcast.
– Showing off his noble lineage with a pedigree book, LOL
– Seriously rich if he had a huge estate in Kyoto even before the tower appeared.
– Wasn’t he a real estate mogul?
– Not just a pro athlete winning tons of medals??
“….What is it?”
Today’s climb ended here. Everyone was injured and tired.
The rewards everyone earned would be revealed in the next broadcast, and for now, they dispersed.
Olga and Ava Harper Eloine complained about feeling like they were struck by lightning, but seeing Adelheid voluntarily burn her arm up to the elbow by sticking it into the lightning, they didn’t get too annoyed.
Usually calm, but when the topic of engineers came up, she’d switch personalities like a light switch, which was quite impressive.
“Why do you dislike engineers so much?”
“As a German genius artist with a promising future, when I became a climber at 19, my life plunged due to the worst Legendary Class, sink to the bottom of life, not even graduating high school, unable to sell works, can’t make money, living miserably with the pity of other members of the Six Legged Beast group, ending up with cancer and a limited time left to live… On top of that, being politically manipulated and constantly compared by an engineer.”
“At this rate, wouldn’t the judge approve if he committed murder?”
“Germany is bad…”
“And on top of that, my parents took the money I earned from success since I was a child and erased me from the family record as soon as I got a failing grade. I later found out they already had a younger sibling raised as a successor, working hard to make them an artist. That’s the small postscript.”
“Ava, why are you pulling out such dark memories? That’s mean.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me if you knew!!”
“You never asked!! Gosh, this is why cops are pointless!!”
“What are you saying, Russian soldier!!”
“For the record, I’m also a victim of human experimentation?!”
“Hey, you too? Looks like we’re best friends from today!”
“Shall we go drink?”
“I saved some Captain Q, should we mix it with absinthe?”
Though she didn’t know what it was, claiming a fan sent it to her as a strong Korean liquor, Adelheid gleamed as she showed the drink. Ava and Olga hesitated for a moment, then laughed off the idea, thinking they wouldn’t die from alcoholism as they’re superhuman climbers.
Discussing about having an adult talk that only adults could feel and empathize with, just between girls— in the meantime, clueless Mei brought up the idea, “like a pajama party?”, only for Ava to scold her feeling a generation gap.
“Have you watched too many teen movies? We don’t do that anymore. That’s an overblown fantasy….”
“Then what do young ladies in America do for fun?”
“Well, go clubbing or hang around here and there… I only know studying as I’m an elite.”
“Boomer.”
“What, what?!”
Though she didn’t want to be called a boomer by a fox who’s lived over 1,000 years, seeing the genuinely teary-eyed Ava, Mei apologized.
Such were the individuals of Wakamou Corporation, as each one was distinctively excessive since all were climbers.
“Sigh… Engineer, like when you brought me down, send your minions to Korea and hindered… Just show your ambition a bit…. The German blood in me is crying…..”Rhineland”, “Anschluss”, “Sudetenland demand”,”To the last man”,”Total mobilization”, “Goebbels’s flight”,”Eastern territorial claim”, “Plague removal”, “Sickle operation”, “Dunkirk”, “Giant’s resolve”─ Engineer?”
“[The Engineer is busy and unable to take your call]”
“Prepare to restore Germany to its glorious past!! Is it because of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact?! Wake up!! It’s time for the fall of Paris!! Please, I’m begging you, create a situation where stabbing with a knife is okay!!”
“[Please, forgive me!! It’s not me, it’s the German government that’s bad?!]”
“The German government is the engineer’s lackey… You confessed!! You nefarious Nazi remnant!!”
“It’s good to see Adelheid looking healthy.”
“As long as she’s having fun, it’s fine, whatever.”
“We don’t concern ourselves with that.”
[Architect] Jackson and [Professor] Sebastian were happy about her being healthier than before.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1Uk1oK0sya3NRU1YxcUQyKzVnbkpjMTNTcHhGZXh2dWt4UHJpZy9xbVJwUQ
Even though [Engineer] kept changing numbers and avoiding contact, Asuka never allowed that.
Asuka-sensei, a renowned doctor, insisted on allowing Adelheid to vent as stress relief therapy was best, which drove the engineer neurotic, but nobody really cared about that downside so it wasn’t much of a problem.
“I’m actually not fond of the UK either.”
Amidst this, [Grim Reaper] Aidan McIlroy, an Irishman, quietly remarked.
People have things they dislike, but they also learn hatred from living in a country and its history.
Beyond such borders, only the VTuber can ensure everyone respects and loves one another.
Jiang Yeoul was indoctrinating new employees with VTuber gaslighting as usual.
No wonder seniors warned newbies never to say things like “VTubers suck!”
There’s a legend of a fox at Wakamou Corporation taking people to the 【Backroom】…
Even Queen Fubukingdom drags colleagues to the Backroom, and due to fox’s nature, there was a spooky urban legend about creating one somewhere, terrifying it was indeed.
“Is this really how our company operates?”
How can a real company have urban legends starting with gallery rules?
The perplexed newbie was told by the senior that it wasn’t the only one, shaking his head.
The senior, famous for having at least two girlfriends, looked at the newbie with regretful eyes.
“In our company, there are cautionary tales concerning bears and heroic tales. Do you like bears?”
“Nope? I thought the fuss over Fubao was too much, and bears are dangerous to humans. Better to hunt them, no?”
“Try it if you dare.”
“….Uh, Manager Wanda Haye?”
Seeing the man-eating bear drag the newbie away, the senior silently sipped coffee.
In this company, there were actual bears wearing human skin walking around… It was like a horror movie.
A [Grim Reaper] who carried around a head, appearing in the Napoleon Gallery as legendary posts all the time wasn’t surprising.
Starting with the president Wakamou, who’s not even human, could the company stay upright?
The employees were bewildered by the claim that their VTuber colleague was truly a descendant of emperors.
By the side, Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu discussed with the employees about collaboration or ads concerning [Hajime Ichigo], how were they supposed to adapt?
There was fear of actually being beheaded if they misspoke.
……
“Well, that’s roughly what happened.”
“Indeed, Liu Bei truly is a hero!! The horse understands, too!”
“[Neigh]”
“Your sister’s improvement makes one naturally amazed. But it’s a pity you can’t use martial arts.”
“It’s just that the imperial robe is too heavy…”
Liu Ying, along with her companions Liu Wei and Xiao Liang, shared her experiences climbing the tower as an [Emperor].
There were several uncomfortable things, she sighed. Save for the Emperor, Liu Wei panicked saying one shouldn’t sigh, to which Liu Ying retorted, then how about smoking?
“The number of summoned soldiers is overwhelming, but even with the Emperor’s enhancement, there’s a limit.”
For Liu Ying, it was a grievance. The tower’s difficulty increased, but her skills were as weak as a 1st-floor climber’s.
Luckily, all attributes gained were put into charisma, a silver lining amidst misfortune.
Though in Romance of the Three Kingdoms she could summon generals for numerical supremacy, nobody could match climbers’ power levels.
Yet, the [Holy Swordsman] could annihilate with a single swing, and an [Idol] snuffed them out with a natural disaster’s wave, not exactly strong.
The answer lay in gaining [Skills] by climbing the tower, yet Liu Ying lamented to the group how all her choices were [Aura], [Buffs], [Support], and [Command] paths, causing difficulty.
Even receiving a climber training guide from Wakamou required careful choice due to extreme changes depending on selection.
“For an Emperor, command should be most important… but with Wakamou around, there’s no need.”
“With Buffs, considering Forefather’s lack of stats, it seems pointless, right?”
“Even so… Aura has a range, and Support frankly… except for Liu Wei and Sister Xiao Liang, the President covers it…”
“Ahh….””
Ichigo’s dilemma was wanting to be a climber who helps Wakamou, but no matter her choice, she was ineffective compared to her time as an Alchemist.
After all, any support or buffs were useless to Wakamou, who had better versions than Ichigo.
She could summon as many [Fox Spirits] as there were subscribers and make them explode for damage.
Moreover, each one could use a [Skill], and even if individually weak, with millions of them, no ordinary climber could withstand.
Even if the holy swordsman was immensely powerful, even a mere handful of that number is burdensome.
“You’re saying you’d like a useful situation to employ the [Mask of the Pharaoh], but it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Isn’t there a good artifact out there? My sister ponders deeply like this.”
“Don’t we have any artifact items? My younger sibling is so troubled.”
“There aren’t many useful things for the Emperor, and even the summoning-type items aren’t perfect…”
“Besides, even if there’s a summoned creature—it’s compared to Asuka and Inari Fox Deity…”
“Ah…”
Lucia was also a key to conquering the latest tier, but the overwhelming MVP was Asuka.
Climbing up the flowing electricity backward, she wrecked the whole system and even destroyed the core within the facility, thanks to her.
A unique feat possible only because of her special status as the “Idol’s Apostle,” something no other climber could do!
Not to mention, it was Inari Fox Deity who refused to be summoned just because “Wakamou is too strong.”
Remarkably, even against Jiang Taigong, she could hold her ground while protecting Wakamou despite being weakened—what more explanation is needed?
The generals of the Three Kingdoms were never weak; they could crush ordinary climbers like insects.
Yet, even so, they would naturally appear dim next to those rarefew playing in the real Celestial League.
“China Tower got me promoted to Emperor, but they don’t give me anything… Liu Ying is sad.”
“Hmm, they said there’s a ‘Tower Coin Shop’ in ‘My Worlds.’ Wasn’t there any special item?”
“Hmm… I’ve never tried it, come to think of it.”
All potions and consumables were prepared by the Korean Climbing Association and Manager Wanda Haye, so no one else really used them besides Wakamou.
Sadako, having a class that doesn’t need equipment, had gear with such great performance it was almost excessive.
Meanwhile, Liu Ying now held a profession where “gear advantage” was more crucial than anyone else.
As an Emperor, she had to carry a bunch of accessories and keep her retinue with her.
“Come to think of it, didn’t you create a 【Partner】? You must have received a ticket from the Russian Tower Lord, right?”
Xiao Liang recalled what Liu Ying had said before and cocked his head curiously.
Didn’t she say she would create the best partner?
However, during the climbs or the Vatican Tower incident, he had never seen her use 【Partner】.
Blushing red with embarrassment, Liu Ying could only tremble.
“Well, I’m going through adolescence… Please be considerate…”
“Oh…”
The two adults looked warmly at the adorable young Emperor, only 18 years old this year.
Yet the two adults felt somewhat bittersweet, as their lives had been rougher than hers.
Come to think of it, Liu Ying had the roughest life of all.
“Live the way you want, sibling!”
“Then should we do it Jojo style?”
Xiao Liang’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s at Liu Wei’s fiery remark, and he turned to see Liu Ying almost dying from embarrassment, realizing something about youth… and looked off into the distance.
……
“Listen well, my daughter. Since Korean items keep coming out, I got the family registry from your grandfather.”
“Isn’t that for my brother? Not for me, right?”
“Well, I heard from his disciples that your brother has given up on men.”
“My brother… crossed the river, huh… In this day and age, we should respect it… Anyway, so our brother-in-law would be his friend and Dad’s favorite student.”
“What if it actually happens?”
“Our family is ruined. Let’s just have another sibling.”
“They say it’s twins.”
“I didn’t want to hear that…!!”
With the marital bond strong, there was no worry about divorce, but Sadako was haunted by an unspeakable discomfort.
Isn’t it bad for the body to have children so late…? Sadako considered asking the Captain and Inari Fox Deity for a blessing just in case.
Anyway—now was the time to hear about the family secret that seemed more astonishing than a secret birth.
“Well, it’s an old story from at least 1,000 years ago. We descend from the Soga clan. Honestly, the blood’s so diluted it might as well not exist. Our daughter could be a Baekje!”
“Baekje lineage…? Me…?”
“About 0.001% inclusion, maybe?”
“Why even measure it like some snack!”
“Would Korea Tower give something like that to a daughter just because they have nothing else to offer?”
Surprisingly, the King of Authority’s guess was right.
Having nothing else to give, they just gave whatever they could.
Wouldn’t even the Korea Tower be shocked at a truth they couldn’t imagine?!
And Sadako wondered about the relationship between Baekje and Joseon.
Aren’t they totally unrelated…? Maybe with Silla.
“Silla did have relations with Japan; Baekje and Silla’s blood might flow together!”
“Dad, what exactly are you trying to declare about your daughter’s lineage? We’re already caught between anti-Japanese and anti-Korean groups!!”
“What are you supposed to do when those folks confront you?”
“Beat them up?”
Nod—
Sadako, knowing violence was the answer, nodded with a smile at her father’s teachings, which only knew violence.
Yet the question of whether the Korea Tower really analyzed such pedigree to give gifts persisted.
“Well, it’s like that, Captain.”
“Let’s not name the twins Aqua and Ruby.”
“Don’t say crazy things.”
“The thought that our Sadako is of Baekje or Silla descent swells my heart.”
“Well, until it’s confirmed, isn’t it like Schrodinger’s Pirate? The crew will have a field day.”
Boom, boom—!
Wakamou comforted Sadako, saying such things weren’t important and she shouldn’t care.
Given it was an era where bloodline could lead to a change to a [Legendary Class], it was hard not to care as she explained.
“But would the Korea Tower really pay attention that meticulously? It seems they just handed out random Korean artifacts. They gave me whatever, too.”
Not even going far, Wakamou himself had received a [Dalki] related item for no particular reason.
He pointed to Gale’s Fishing Rod, gathering dust.
Saying so made Sadako think there was no need to pay further attention, laughing it off.
“Probably, the problem isn’t how they’re linked to the Soga clan in the first place. Considering the Asuka era, it’s intriguing how Sadako’s ancestors were divided at that time.”
“It wouldn’t matter since she’s not ascending the Japanese Tower, right?”
“Funny thing, the Japanese Tower is a subcontractor to the Korean Tower.”
“Damn it.”
Sadako took out some booze from the fridge and laughed it off, thinking about the funny stories she could tell the crew today.
Who cares about the past; it’s the present we’re living for that matters.
She hadn’t caused significant trouble, nor was there anything to be ashamed of.
Just a life filled with booze and pachinko!
Boom, boom—!!
“So, Captain, what are you up to now?”
“Uh, practicing?”
Wakamou was pummeling the [Gear Wheel Golem] he brought back from [Floor 56] like a sandbag.
Although [Mana] didn’t work on it, [Chi] and [Sacred] had normal effects.
Using the general equipment made by blacksmiths from the [Russian Tower], Wakamou beat it till it no longer retained form.
“They pushed me to use the [Idol’s True Form] anyway, right? Seems the Tower can’t obtain data if not used internally.”
“Ah… So?”
“Climbing with restrained power. Like a restricted playthrough, kinda?”
“Ah…”
Finally, the term [restricted playthrough] slipped out of Wakamou’s mouth.
Even though the [Idol’s Body] had a significant penalty, it seemed it was boring without it.
Because crushing with overwhelming power was virtually the only means in the early days.
Now with leisure, Wakamou was researching, experimenting with various things.
Bang—!
“Sadako.”
“Hmm?”
“Looking at the description of the job-specific skill 【Motion Capture】, it says ‘captures motion’ and then ‘outputs’, right?”
“Yes, so?”
“This doesn’t seem like a [Mana] effect.”
Being deep in the golem’s engraved punch, Wakamou shrugged.
It consumes Mana to output motion.
Not an illusion, it was something real and tangible.
To compare, it was closer to psychic power like what [Pipkin Mami] used.
“……It feels like I could exploit this?”
“How?”
“Sadako, I’ve got a good idea.”
Wakamou always gave great [Skills] to the Pirate.
Though the captain eyed the experiment table uncertainly, asking this is okay, the mad VTuber Wakamou felt confident.
“Listen carefully, Pirate.”
“Yes?”
“I will make you the pride of Japan!!“
Though [VTuber Model] and [Model Control] skills were already excellent—the [Motion Capture] would be revolutionary for her.
“Time to upgrade the Pirate to version 2.0!!!”
The Pirate wondered, why me? but…
All of Wakamou’s skills consumed an enormous amount of [Mana].
After all, she was basically the only [Wizard]! There wasn’t anyone else to teach!!