《The Boundless Necromancer》 Chapter 0 - Prologue Chapter 0: Prologue Life is cruel. Those who are chosen will be able to achieve anything they want without much effort. While those who aren¡¯t will struggle endlessly, no matter what they hope to achieve. This is the truth in the world of hunters. In a world where hunters must fight off monster outbreaks from gates, talent decides everything. Geniuses can learn all kinds of abilities and rank them up to become a superstar in a near instant. They become heroes admired by all. On the flip side, those without talent may never gain a skill and will not be able to increase their stats no matter what they do. It is an immutable, universal law. But¡­ At that moment, I decided to give up on everything, ¡¸ ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ has selected all suitable candidates from Earth. ¡¹ The seemingly sacrosanct law of the universe reformed itself¡­ ¡¸ Please select your difficulty. ¡¹ I, the failed aspiring hunter, was finally given an opportunity to prove myself. ____ Chapter 1 - Tower of Trials (1) Chapter 1: Tower of Trials (1) ¡°Let me get straight to the point. You don¡¯t have to come to the training center starting tomorrow.¡° I stared vacantly at the manager before I could regain my composure. ¡°¡­Why am I being kicked out? ¡°Han Sungyeun-nim, I think you know exactly why we¡¯re kicking you out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Keeping you here is becoming too much of a burden for our training center.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never missed a single payment and I¡¯m fulfilling all the prerequisites.¡± ¡°Well, of course. Because you¡¯re preparing for the hunter exam. The problem is that it¡¯s already been 7 years since you¡¯ve started preparing.¡± The manager narrowed his eyes and scoured my body. ¡°Even after 7 years of physical training, you weren¡¯t able to learn a single skill or unlock your innate ability. You weren¡¯t even able to raise a single stat point.¡± His harsh response felt like a dagger in my heart. Like he said, I had achieved nothing in the last 7 years of training. I couldn¡¯t unlock a single skill, let alone even raise a stat point. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ And this happened in a center for professional player training. Everyone who awakens as a player must train in one of these centers for a couple of months before they are able to debut as a hunter. But¡­ ¡®I couldn¡¯t get anything done in the years that I¡¯ve been training here.¡¯ Realistically, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that I would never be able to become a hunter. I didn¡¯t have a hint of the fundamental qualifications that even the most basic hunters have. But I stayed calm and asked in a monotone voice¡ª ¡°¡­Is that the reason I¡¯m being kicked out?¡± ¡°To be a little more specific, you give us a bad name. A pretty infamous one at that.¡± I could finally understand what the manager was trying to say. ¡°You¡¯re worried about what people would think of a training center that couldn¡¯t get a trainee to debut after 7 years of training.¡± The manager stayed quiet but nodded with a smirk. Yeah, I knew this would happen one day. God damn it. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, you¡¯re nothing special.¡± ¡°¡­¡° ¡°You have no aptitude for this. Do you think you¡¯ll ever pass the hunter exam?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think something will change just from working hard? That¡¯s not how things work. You¡¯re wasting your time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His words filled with contempt pierced my soul. But I couldn¡¯t dispute his points or even throw a punch. After all, a slightly athletic average person stood no chance against a former hunter. As he said, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call me completely talentless. I didn¡¯t want to repress these feelings, but I had to. Why? ¡®Because I¡¯m weak and I have nothing.¡¯ I¡¯d been enduring this for so long, but it seemed as though there was no need for that anymore. Yeah, it was time to end it. I was exhausted. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not just going to banish you without compensation. We¡¯ll refund you about 50% of the fees that you¡¯ve¡­¡± Why was he still talking? All he was doing was trying to convince me to leave. ¡°Yeah, I got it. Just give me my 50% refund. Goodbye.¡± As his sentence finished, I walked past him toward the exit. ¡°¡­!¡± I thought he wanted to say something, but he ended up not stopping me. Well, there was nothing left to say, and I wasn¡¯t the one who had something to lose by getting angry. Then¡­ ¡°Woah, he¡¯s been here since way before I was, but now he¡¯s getting kicked out like that.¡± Starting with a comment from an onlooker, I was bombarded with stares from all over the room. ¡°But he came in every morning to train non-stop¡­ It¡¯s too bad, huh?¡± ¡°Fuck feeling bad. He¡¯s an idiot for not knowing his place and stopping sooner.¡± ¡°You think so? I guess he is pretty stupid for not giving up.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know he couldn¡¯t increase a single stat point after training for 7 years.¡± Sympathy, scorn, and even ridicule¡­ I didn¡¯t know what I did so wrong to have them look down on me for all 7 years of my training. Whether I heard them or not. They always jeered at the fact that I was essentially powerless as a player. And just like that, my 7 years of training became proof of my foolishness. But¡­ ¡°I guess that¡¯s that. Damn it.¡± I muttered to myself as I stepped out of the center and stared into the sky. 7 years of non-stop training¡­ ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It ended in an absurdly simple way. *** I didn¡¯t always want to be a hunter. It happened during the Great Calamity, when my parents were eaten alive by the hoards of monsters from a dungeon break. And I wasn¡¯t alone in that experience. But even from those people, only a few select people were able to awaken as a player. Even then, I prayed to God to awaken me as a player. Is that why? ¡°I did awaken as a player. Just awakened.¡± The problem came afterward. No matter what I did, my stats wouldn¡¯t increase and my ¡®innate ability¡¯ never unlocked. But I didn¡¯t lose hope and continued to train. Because skills are given to those who are ready¡­ I trained my heart out for 7 years after that. I didn¡¯t even hope to unlock my innate ability. I just wanted to be slightly more capable than an average person. My only hope was that one day, I would be able to avenge my parents. But the world didn¡¯t allow me such privilege. And here is where I ended up. I sat on a snow-covered bench in a park taking a sip from a can of beer. ¡°¡­I guess I was stupid. 7 years¡­¡± Not even the others who lost their families to a dungeon break went this far. More accurately, they weren¡¯t able to. After about 2 years, most people come face-to-face with reality and give up. Either that¡­ or they realize their potential and climb up to the top. I wasn¡¯t able to do either of those. ¡®I didn¡¯t know nothing would change, even after 7 years¡­.¡¯ Heh. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at such an obvious result. ¡°At least I tried.¡± No, I did more than just try. Most people face reality and find a different path for themselves. But not me. I didn¡¯t know what to do with my life anymore. But after 7 years of not giving up, I wasn¡¯t going to start now. ¡®I¡¯m not so weak that I would consider giving up on my life.¡¯ Tap¡­! I placed the empty beer can down on the bench and looked to the sky. To commemorate the end of an era, I decided to ramble to my parents. ¡°¡­I tried so hard. I wanted to avenge you and kill those monsters but¡­ It¡¯s just not going the way I want it to. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m sorry that someone like me is your child.¡± I felt slightly somber but not enough to cry. 7 years was enough to dull my sorrow. As the years went on, the intense pain was subdued, and now I was completely numb to it. ¡®There was a time when I had to train all through the night because the pain and sadness kept me up.¡¯ At age 27, I didn¡¯t even want to train anymore. Maybe it was obvious now that I knew I would never become a hunter. That¡¯s one of the reasons I didn¡¯t put up a fight at the training center. I¡¯d rather end it quickly than hang on pathetically¡­ At least I was able to end it on my own terms before anyone else could force me to. After the end of my rambling, I leaned back on the bench and just stared at the drab sky. I decided to give up on being a hunter, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a lingering attachment. ¡®If I had even a sliver of talent¡­ or even just an innate ability¡­¡± If¡­ If I had even a glimmer of hope, I wouldn¡¯t give up. My eyes slowly closed, as did my wishful thinking. *** Still dazed, I see something like a holographic message in front of my eyes. ¡¸ The ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ praises your unbreaking will. ¡¹ The first thing I saw in this dream was someone¡¯s praise. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ I had questions, but there wasn¡¯t any time to continue with that train of thought. ¡¸ ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ has selected all suitable candidates from Earth. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select your difficulty. ¡¹ ¡¸ The chosen difficulty will be directly proportional to your rewards. ¡¹ Three choices appeared in front of me at the end of the message. ¡¸ Easy ¡¹ ¡¸ Medium ¡¹ ¡¸ Hard ¡¹ I didn¡¯t find anything out of place even though I was looking at a holographic message. A strange feeling of being on a border of consciousness and unconsciousness. Rather than questioning the circumstance, I could only think to make a decision. To make a choice. A choice that I wouldn¡¯t regret if I reached my hand out. Enticed, I reached out as if there was no other choice. Then¡­ ¡¸ You have selected the difficulty ¡®Hard.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ Woosh¡­! The message blew away like a tiny candlelight, and my consciousness grew clearer. I was completely awake. ¡¸ Now entering Tower of Trials floor 1. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± ¡¸ Challengers should now prepare themselves for the incoming trial. ¡¹ I only just realized that something strange was happening, but there was nothing I could do at this point. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 1. ¡¹ My surroundings shifted from a park bench to a desert. ¡¸ The 1st-floor trial is starting now. ¡¹ ¡¸ The following trial is a special trial given as a tutorial. ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®survival.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ At this moment I knew¡­ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Unlocking innate ability ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± If my life had a turning point, this would be it. Chapter 2 - Tower of Trials Chapter 2: Tower of Trials (2) ¡¸ All stats, skills, and innate ability have been reset to initial values. ¡¹ ¡¸ The following challenger¡¯s stats are already equal to the initial values. ¡¹ ¡¸ Halting the reset process. ¡¹ At first, I just stared blankly at the holographic message. But¡­ ¡¸ Starting the tutorial trial. ¡¹ A message about a ¡®tutorial trial¡¯ came out of nowhere. As soon as I saw that message, I felt a wave of heat escape my body. ¡®What¡¯s going on? What is this?¡¯ Starting with the most basic questions about my current state of affairs. ¡®Tower of Trials? Is this the second coming of the Great Calamity?¡¯ I even stipulated what the current situation could be about. The influx of thoughts ricocheted around my throbbing head. But even that was temporary. ¡¸ Providing a weapon. ¡¹ Clack. Following the message about a weapon, a sword fell before me. One with a sharpened edge, unlike the wooden ones I used to use at the training center. The knife spanned about 30 inches. ¡°What is¡­?¡± There¡¯s no way a single can of beer could get me this drunk. Although it¡¯s almost nonexistent, my alcohol tolerance was heightened when I awakened as a player. But¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way that¡¯s making me dream like this.¡¯ I quickly looked around and analyzed my surroundings. The place I was standing was no longer a bench in a winter park, but rather a random desert. No, could you even call this a desert? The place was covered in sand and an occasional row of cacti. Although it seemed normal at first glance, the boundary where the sky met the horizon said otherwise. It was vast and spacious, but clearly synthetic. If this was a dungeon, I would have needed to pass through a gate, so that isn¡¯t a possibility. As I was about to fall into a state of confusion¡ª ¡¸ Sand golem is appearing. ¡¹ Kooom¡­! ¡°What the¡­¡­!¡± The sandy floors quaked, and pillars of sand rose from the ground. Then the pillars started to come together to form a humanoid shape. ¡°¡­¡± The towering golem must have been at least 20 feet tall. My heart stopped when the golem laid its sand-dripping scarlet eyes upon me. At the same time, another holographic message appeared. ¡¸ Survive the sand golem. ¡¹ ¡¸ Time left ¨C 9min 59sec ¡¹ ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± A trial telling me to survive. And all the unanswered questions in my head. Everything seemed to connect as soon as I came face to face with the sand golem. I couldn¡¯t feign ignorance even if I tried. ¡°Damn it!¡± I quickly picked up the sword from the floor and ran as fast as I could. A battle? Impossible considering our size difference. Even a graze from a sand golem is enough to kill a grown man in an instant. A low-tier player like me wouldn¡¯t fare much better. That¡¯s reality. Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! ¡°Kraaaaa¡­!¡± Every hair on my back stood on end as its roar vibrated through my body. I wanted to run faster but I couldn¡¯t. Stomp! Stomp! My feet got buried under a pile of sand every time I took a step forward. ¡°Fuck fuck FUCK!¡± The desert was holding me captive. At the same time, the stomping sound was approaching faster than my legs could move. Even if I did manage to run, the only thing waiting for me was a wall that reached up to the sky. I¡¯d either be killed by being caught up to or by reaching the end of this field. There might not even be an escape from this place. My only hope was the time limit that I could glance at from the corner of my eyes¡ª ¡¸ Time left ¨C 9min 12sec ¡¹ It¡¯s not possible to keep running for 9 more minutes with my stamina. I may have stood a chance if I had slightly higher stats but¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t keep running until the timer runs out either¡­!¡¯ I should have known what they wanted as soon as they provided a sword. Die running or turn around and fight. I kept peeking back to the golem as I ran. ¡®Fuck, how am I supposed to beat that?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t have another choice. There¡¯s no way this sword would do anything to the golem. But¡­ ¡®I have to fight.¡¯ If running away wasn¡¯t the answer, there had to be another breakthrough. I drew on all possible knowledge I had on sand golems. One thing I gained from the last 7 years of training is an abundance of theory matched by even the most experienced of hunters. There had to be at least one method that would apply to this situation. Monsters like golems stop moving when you break their cores. And low-tier monsters like sand golems don¡¯t even hide their cores within their bodies. They are evaluated to be E-rank monsters because they keep their core on the outer layer of their body. I could see a scarlet core bulging from its body. But I didn¡¯t have the confidence to be able to get that close to it. Even if I was able to get close, it was obvious what level of damage this sword would do to that core. No, I didn¡¯t know if this sword would be able to leave even a crack on it. Even so. ¡®I have to go¡­!¡¯ Looking back, it seemed that the golem was about 50ft away from me. Would I be able to run at the golem and dodge its attacks? No, I couldn¡¯t think like that. Contemplating more wouldn¡¯t alleviate this situation. ¡®I have to dodge it!¡¯ Whoosh! I ran toward the golem after I made my decision. 50 feet¡­ 40 feet¡­ 30 feet¡­ 20 feet¡­ The closer I got, the more strongly I could feel the physical difference between us. The gigantic E-rank beast made my heart shrink with a glance. I felt like throwing up, but I kept running. The only other monster I had ever faced was a small goblin in the hunter exam. I had no choice but to succeed now. I kept my eyes on the golem as I approached the base of its foot. Voom¡­¡­! The rough sediment arm ripped through the air and accelerated towards me. An attack strong enough to immediately rip me to shreds. I stared straight at it and jumped in its way. When the colossal arm reached the front of my face, I slid right below it and just barely managed to dodge it. Bang! Sand blasted everywhere as it followed the thundering boom of the impact. Due to its massive size, there were huge delays between each of its moves. By the time I realized this, I was already running. My body knew even before my head. I had to thrust this sword into the golem¡¯s core if I wanted to live. I nimbly approached the core as the golem still struggled to recover its stance from the last attack. Clang~! The tip of the sword rang as it made contact with the golem¡¯s core. Of course. A golem¡¯s core wouldn¡¯t be broken with an impact like that. Crack¡­! The core was left with a slight fracture¡­ Whoosh! ¡°Graaaaaaa~!¡± And the golem was on its way to throw a second attack. When my eyes caught that, I threw my body with no time to react. Shaaaa! Then¡ª Whoosh¡­¡­! The follow-up blow just barely missed the top of my head. Pure luck. There was nothing else that could describe this. I didn¡¯t stop despite the sand scraping all of the skin off my leg. Please¡­ Please break this time! At the moment when the sword hit the core¡ª CRACK! ¡¸ Sand golem¡¯s core has been destroyed. ¡¹ The system message blocked my view as the light in the golem¡¯s scarlet eyes dimmed. As they dimmed, the golem¡¯s body crumbled back into a pile of sand. Shwaa¡­.! ¡¸ Time left ¨C 7min 8sec ¡¹ ¡¸ Tutorial trial over. ¡¹ I collapsed as soon as I saw the message. ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­.!¡± My legs burned as the sand crawled into my scraped skin and my hands couldn¡¯t stop shaking. My lungs felt like they were about to rip open and my leg continued to bleed. But for some reason, I felt a rush of adrenaline I had never felt before. The feeling of victory that I hadn¡¯t experienced in 7 years. I was only able to figure out what really happened after I caught my breath. ¡°¡­¡­I killed a sand golem? Me?¡± Someone who couldn¡¯t even hope to kill an F rank monster¡­ Managed to kill an E-rank monster when his life was at risk. But I became depressed again after looking back at what had happened. ¡®¡­I barely managed to survive.¡¯ If this was a different E-rank monster, I would have died within 3 minutes. Sand golems are slow and have a clear weakness. If this was a slightly stronger player, this would have been an easy tutorial. It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I survived.¡± That was reality. When I was finally about to feel a wave of relief¡ª ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 1. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± The message continued after the congratulations. ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®Unlock innate ability.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®1000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received the skill ¡®Accelerated Regeneration(E+)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®500 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I finally remembered the message I saw when I first entered this field. ¡®It did say that¡­¡¯ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Unlocking innate ability ¡¹ I wasn¡¯t able to process it properly at the time, but there was definitely a reward. And¡­ ¡°An innate ability¡­¡± It was something I couldn¡¯t even imagine unlocking over the last 7 years, let alone an additional reward of a skill. ¡®I couldn¡¯t even increase my stat after training for 7 years¡­¡¯ I was more dumbfounded now than when I first entered the tower. The next couple of messages seemed to confirm what had just happened. ¡¸ Innate ability unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy(F)¡¯ has been imprinted on the player. ¡¹ I won against a monster for the first time in my life and was able to see progress that had been halted for 7 years. There were feelings I couldn¡¯t even begin to describe with words, but that didn¡¯t last long. Almost as if it didn¡¯t want to give me time to wonder¡ª ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ Voom! A blue portal appeared where the body of the golem once stood. I guess I was supposed to go to the ¡®waiting room¡¯ using that. That alone explained a lot. ¡°This is really a tutorial¡­?¡± Dungeons resolve after it has been completed but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case for the ¡®Tower of Trials.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t deny my reality any longer. What I had just experienced was a tutorial. Preparation for what¡¯s to come in this tower. Meaning, I will need to go through trials like this again and again with no end in sight. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I had no idea what to think of this, but that also didn¡¯t last too long. Gasping for air, I got up with a groan. ¡®Damnit, it hurts like hell.¡¯ There was not a single unscathed part on my body. I must have rolled in the sand too much trying to dodge the sand golem. Well, I shouldn¡¯t complain considering that I was still alive. As I was about to pass by the sand pile that used to be the golem¡ª What¡­? ¡°What is this?¡± A scene overwhelming enough to make me forget my pain for a moment. The pile of sand that used to be the golem emitted a black fog. I was hesitant at this unreal phenomenon, but for some reason, I reached out my hand. Then¡­ ¡¸ Activating innate ability ¡®Necromancy(F)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the spirit of the sand golem? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± Yet again, a message I¡¯d never seen before appeared in front of me. ____ Chapter 3 - Tower of Trials (3) Chapter 3: Tower of Trials (3) ¡¸ Activating innate ability ¡®Necromancy(F)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the spirit of the sand golem? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I was initially stumped by the series of messages, but I started to get the gist of it. An ability I never had but others used naturally, as if it was an extension of their body. The realization of my innate ability. I couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion when I realized that my innate ability was unlocked after 7 years. Calm down¡­ Calm down¡­ I shouldn¡¯t lose my composure just because I unlocked the ability. ¡®It¡¯s too early for celebrations.¡¯ I needed to stay level-headed. More than the excruciating pain all over my body, I was mentally exhausted. I just needed to comprehend the basics and move on to the waiting area. ¡®So is this black fog my innate ability?¡¯ Swoosh swoosh. I tried waving my hands over it but nothing happened. Makes sense. If this really was from my innate ability, it wouldn¡¯t disappear with just a wave of a hand. I had to make sure then. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 9 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 9 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 8 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 8 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration(E+) ¡¹ The status window that I hadn¡¯t opened in a while looked almost unrecognizable. A brand new section appeared to display my innate ability. The skill list also displayed ¡®Accelerated Regeneration(E+)¡¯ instead of being empty. Of course, the stats hadn¡¯t changed yet, but the most important part was unlocking the ¡®innate ability.¡¯ I clicked on the ability to display further details. ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead and control them at will. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(1) ¨C Able to permanently increase stats depending on the nature and rank of the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(2) ¨C Able to store souls for later use. Soul storage capacity depends on the ability¡¯s rank. ¡¹ ¡°Holy shit¡­¡­!¡± The reward I risked my life for had proved to be worth it. And the effect that mentioned a ¡®permanent increase¡¯ in my stats¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but curse when I saw that. My stats were something that wouldn¡¯t go up no matter how much I trained. But¡­ ¡®I can finally increase my stats.¡¯ This must be what it feels like to win a lottery. I moved on and clicked into ¡®Accelerated Regeneration.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration(E+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to recover quickly from non-life-threatening injuries. ¡¹ My first skill ever was also not a regular skill. All regeneration-type skills were very rare. Skills that could heal mid-battle tended to have impossible acquisition conditions. I heard only hunters who¡¯d been in countless life-or-death battles could acquire it. But I got it in one fight. If this is the level of reward from the first floor, how much better is it going to get on the higher floors? And¡­ ¡®How dangerous is this going to get?¡¯ I have no way of proving this but¡­ the tower probably isn¡¯t providing these skills out of the kindness of its heart. The only reason I got these to begin with was that I won my fight against the sand golem. The risk I carried for earning these skills was simple. Death. This was stated clearly from the very start in the holographic messages. My innate ability was the reward for passing this trial. The alternative was death. High risk, high reward. This was the system perpetrated by the Tower of Trials. The higher I get¡­ The riskier these trials would get. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± No matter how good the reward was, failing could result in instant death. And unlike a dungeon, you couldn¡¯t escape after clearing a floor. ¡°Pretty inhospitable for a host.¡± It was a crazy risk that no sane person would take. I wanted to become a hunter because I was sick of being powerless and wanted to avenge my parents. ¡®But all that becomes useless if I die.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to continue fighting carrying this risk. Because I also unlocked my innate ability, there was even less reason for me to carry on with this risk. I could become a hunter if I got back with this skill. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll only get to make that choice if I survive.¡± That means I¡¯ll need to learn how to use all the resources I¡¯ve been given. I stood up and agreed to the message about absorbing the soul. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the sand golem. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/5 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 7% ¡¹ At the same time, the black fog flew into my body. Shhhhhh¡­! It was a strange sensation. ¡®I somehow know exactly how to use my innate ability.¡¯ I knew that I could enhance my stats just by wishing for it at any time. This is probably how all the other hunters felt when they unlocked their innate abilities. I was just a little behind. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 0/5 ¡¹ A weight lifted from my shoulders and my entire body felt more energized. An unknown sense of enhancement overtook my body but¡­ ¡®No need to try it out now.¡¯ I was still covered in injuries, so I didn¡¯t want to test it right away. Then I continued to the portal where the golem once used to stand. The moment I reached the portal. ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ My surroundings changed again. *** Voom! The first thing I saw was a rectangular, stone room. ¡¸ You have entered the 2nd-floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Healing all injuries and status ailments. ¡¹ ¡¸ The healing effect is constantly applied in the waiting room. ¡¹ The messages appeared in the air, and my injuries started disappearing. ¡®It¡¯s not even that surprising anymore.¡¯ I guess I was starting to get used to this. When my pain faded completely, I checked up on my body. As the message said, all of my injuries were gone. It was almost as if my battle with the sand golem was nothing but a dream. ¡®No way it was though.¡¯ Just one look at my clothes could show that it wasn¡¯t. As if the tower wanted to do the bare minimum, it left my clothes in tatters while healing me. I shook off the sand stuck to my clothes. I guess some sand got in my mouth because my throat felt scratchy. ¡®At least they heal your body after a trial ends.¡¯ One less problem to worry about. When I calmed down enough, I started noticing more things in my surroundings. ¡®This is really spacious, but it feels so empty.¡¯ Even if this was supposed to be a waiting area, the only word to describe this place was desolate. They did have a bed in the corner though. ¡®It doesn¡¯t even seem like a good one.¡¯ I should be thankful that they even had a bed. Plop. My head filled with thoughts as I stared into the ceiling. ¡®What should I do now? Can I even escape from here?¡¯ My future seemed bleak. Hm¡­ ¡®For what purpose was I called here?¡¯ But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t get it.¡¯ All my questions were answered by ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ or ¡®nothing I can do about it.¡¯ I didn¡¯t even know what was going to happen on this floor, let alone if I could return to Earth¡­ Anything was possible. While I was laying down and letting my thoughts wander¡ª ¡¸ All tutorial trials of every difficulty have been completed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ system. ¡¹ A row of text emerged as the message appeared. ¡¸ You are now able to use these commands. ¡¹ ¡¸ Information, marketplace, community, inventory, trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ Commands will execute as you say them orally. ¡¹ The messages stopped after that. That finally broke my train of thought. ¡°¡­Yeah, I have to get a hold of myself now.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything I could change about my situation right now. I just needed to find out more about this tower and how I could keep on surviving. I pondered my next steps in bed when I finally opened my mouth. ¡°Trial.¡± ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 23hrs 21min ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial cannot be selected at this time. Please wait. ¡¹ As I thought, the trials would continue. I moved on to test the more intuitive commands. ¡°Inventory.¡± As the name suggested, it seemed like a storage unit. A game-like inventory window appeared where items could be stored. ¡®I can¡¯t store a large number of items but it¡¯s pretty useful,¡¯ I had no idea how it worked but it was another useful tool in my arsenal. ¡°Marketplace.¡± This was also an intuitive command that triggered an Amazon-like website shopping window to appear. I couldn¡¯t sell anything, but it looked like I could buy something at any time. From small, useless items to weapons and even furniture. Thousands of items were being sold in the marketplace tab. I didn¡¯t want to use the marketplace before trying out the other commands, so I decided to move on. Only 2 more left. Information and community. ¡°Information.¡± Something I needed the most right now. When I said the command an unexpected window came up. ¡¸ Please ask a question. ¡¹ ¡¸ The administrator will answer the submitted question. ¡¹ ¡¸ Currently available questions ¨C 1 ¡¹ It was just a window to submit questions to the administrator. An administrator. So even if this Tower of Trials is a natural phenomenon, it still has an administrator? I wasn¡¯t sure, but there was nothing I could do about that now. I was wondering what to ask when I saw the fine print. ¡¸ You are able to ask 1 question when entering a new floor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Questions can be accumulated. ¡¹ ¡®Hm, I¡¯ll hold off for now.¡¯ I¡¯d have to be cautious with my question since I only have one. It said it could be accumulated, so there was no rush to ask one right now. I could decide after taking a look at the community. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 2 Community (3971/4321) ¡¹ Lee Seungjin: Can anyone explain what¡¯s going on? Park Jinwoo: Fuck, is this the second Great Calamity? Lee Heejin: All my stats and skills reset. What should I do? Park Chansuk: What the fuck. Give me my stats back. Kim Seunghoon: Stfu. You think you¡¯re the only one this happened to? Hyuk Sukjin: I¡¯m not even a hunter. Why did I get sucked into this? Park Chansuk: You¡¯re not even a player? How did you get here then? Hyuk Sukjin: Why the fuck are you asking me? And they just awakened me at the start of the tutorial. I stared at the onslaught of messages and blinked. ¡®Community is like an actual communication network?¡¯ Most people were posting messages stemming from pure confusion. Chaos. The only word fit to describe what was happening. But there were still things to be learned from them. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one who got dragged in here.¡± More than an insignificant portion of the people were also dragged in here without context. There were also some hunters. They were busy crying about the loss of their stats and skills. My hope that they would be able to save us quickly died. They wouldn¡¯t be able to help anyone being in the same boat. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± A lot of people mentioned not having their skills and stats anymore. ¡®I guess it didn¡¯t apply to me because my stats never changed.¡¯ But to hunters, it was the end of their world. A couple of people claimed that they weren¡¯t even hunters when they got dragged here. It couldn¡¯t be a lie because dozens of people were claiming the same thing. ¡®Maybe this really is the second Great Calamity.¡¯ Otherwise, how would this all make sense? ¡®Not like I could do anything even if it was the second coming.¡¯ There was a variety of information to be found from the chat. But that didn¡¯t last long. Even after some time had passed, the chatting room was still in a state of chaos. ¡®There¡¯s still a lot of people who don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡¯ The chatting room is just filled with random messages about the Great Calamity and curses. Or it was just hunters complaining about the loss of their abilities. Although understandable, it was unrelated to me. I had nothing to lose anyway. It helped me keep my composure compared to the others. ¡°There¡¯s not much to gain from this anymore.¡± As I was about to test the other commands¡ª ¡¸ Administrator àíàíàí has entered the chat. ¡¹ A huge notification arose on top of the community tab. The stream of messages broke and the chatting stopped. ¡¸ Chatting is forbidden now. ¡¹ ¡®The administrator entering and the chat closing¡­¡­¡¯ You never get a lot of time to react to an anomaly. àíàíàí: There is an announcement for all the challengers who passed the tutorial. Messages started to show up on the frozen chatroom. ____ Chapter 4 - The Second Trial (1) Chapter 4: The Second Trial (1) The information the administrator wanted to convey was simple. àíàíàí: I will teach you how to use the points you¡¯ve gained from clearing the tutorial. No mention of how to go back to Earth. Those who may have been disappointed by the lack of that information may not have absorbed the information given just now. However¡­ ¡®I have to remember everything.¡¯ Unfazed, I stared blankly at the following messages. Disappointment? That¡¯s a luxury only those who have expectations could afford. I never expected this tower to let us go so easily. If they had any intention of letting us go, they would have offered ¡®return¡¯ as a penalty instead of ¡®death.¡¯ I fixed my gaze on the community window and concentrated. àíàíàí: Points are the main currency of the tower and are mainly used in the marketplace. àíàíàí: Points can also be transferred and traded over the community. àíàíàí: Within the tower, you will not be allowed a single drop of water without points. àíàíàí: Points can only be earned in the trials. àíàíàí: That is the end of announcements. ¡¸ Administrator àíàíàí has left the chat. ¡¹ ¡¸ Chat is now unlocked. ¡¹ All the people watching the chat started talking at once. Kang Sunwoo: ¡­¡­ That was it? Just how we can use the points? Really? Kim Seunghoon: Fucking shit. I¡¯m gonna climb up and kill him. Lee Seungjin: You got anger issues or something? Stop cursing so much. Lee Heejin: If all their skills and stats got reset it¡¯s understandable. Hyuk Sukjin: Excuse me? Admin? Can you please tell us a way to get back? Park Jinwoo: Does this mean we¡¯re never getting back? I read the flood of messages as I gathered my thoughts. ¡°Like it or not, we¡¯d better get used to it.¡± It¡¯s likely impossible to climb this tower in a short amount of time. We¡¯re probably going to be here for a while. Would it be possible to stay in the waiting area the whole time? Probably not. ¡®Points can only be earned in the trials.¡¯ That means I won¡¯t be able to wait it out here. I can only go so far with the points I earned from the tutorial. After a quick look at the marketplace, 1500 points was clearly not enough. ¡®Within the tower, you will not be allowed a single drop of water without points.¡¯ The only solution was to go through the trials. I sighed as I stared at the sword I laid next to the bed. A well-sharpened longsword that I received from the tutorial. ¡®I don¡¯t know if that can get me through the second trial.¡¯ If the second trial is anything like the first¡­ ¡°I could die.¡± Even with the extra stats from the spirit I absorbed, I was barely an F-rank player. My capabilities hadn¡¯t exceeded those of a normal human¡¯s yet. I needed something that I could use to protect myself. As a lowest-ranked player, I had to rely on equipment. ¡®I don¡¯t think the sword will be enough.¡¯ I¡¯d tried out different weapons in the last 7 years, so I knew how to handle most weapons. There was no real reason to choose a different weapon and throw away this sword. ¡®Jack of all trades, master of none.¡¯ My lack of talent was no exception even when it came to weapons. Same with techniques that just used my body. A spear might be best for a beginner. ¡®But there¡¯s no reason to spend points to get one.¡¯ At the very least, I needed something defensive to increase my chances of survival. ¡®Preferably something that could block or misdirect attacks.¡¯ My body wasn¡¯t built to take multiple hits from monsters. ¡°Marketplace.¡± I pondered for an hour before making a decision. The basic sword was about 30 inches long. Not too short. I had some experience using a sword and a shield at the training center, so I decided to buy a shield. It may sound basic, but it was a good combination that worked well together. Even experienced hunters used either a sword or spear combined with a shield. I browsed for a bit until I found one similar enough to the one I used before. ¡®The closer it is to the practice shield, the more I¡¯ll be used to it.¡¯ I¡¯ll still practice just in case. ¡¸ You have bought a Crude Dwarf Shield(E). ¡¹ ¡¸ 700 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining balance ¨C 800 ¡¹ A little expensive, but it was made of high-quality timber. People might think wooden shields are weak, but that¡¯s not always the case. ¡¸ Crude Dwarf Shield ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ One-handed shield crafted by a beginner dwarf. ¡¹ ¡¸ Surrounded by a layer of metal, it is stronger than it looks. ¡¹ The Great Calamity changed everything. Seemingly fragile shields like this were light and sturdy because of their high rank. It exceeded anything made before the calamity. ¡°This is worth at least $30,000 in real life¡­¡± My sense of money numbed a little. It¡¯s because I just got my hands on something that even officially registered hunters couldn¡¯t get. I guess it didn¡¯t matter because I couldn¡¯t even take it with me. Calmed down, I positioned myself in a stance with my new shield. My posture was pretty decent. I guess the training wasn¡¯t that worthless. The equipment also felt so much lighter now that my stats had increased. This was the best condition I¡¯d ever been in. It helped that I also bought a shield I was pretty used to. After testing it out, I put the sword and shield down to browse the marketplace again. ¡®The admin said that everything had to be obtained using points.¡¯ That means there were smaller items I also had to get. From the looks of it, the marketplace had enough variety to have some of the things I was looking for. If I was a normal civilian, I would have had trouble in choosing what to buy. However¡­ ¡¸ Strength Potion ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F- ¡¹ ¡¸ A special potion that recovers a small amount of strength. ¡¹ ¡¸ Slightly relieves fatigue. ¡¹ ¡¸ Regeneration Potion ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F- ¡¹ ¡¸ A spraying potion that heals injuries. ¡¹ ¡¸ Limited only to light outer wounds. ¡¹ ¡¸ Decrepit Throwing Knife ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F- ¡¹ ¡¸ An old throwing knife with dulled edges. ¡¹ ¡¸ So old that it may be destroyed upon contact. ¡¹ All the items I wanted were in the store, so I didn¡¯t hesitate. I only bought items I needed in an emergency. Ones that could maximize my point use. ¡¸ Remaining balance ¨C 375 ¡¹ I had just enough points left to buy some food. ¡®This should be enough to keep me alive for a bit.¡¯ The strength potion could get me through prolonged fights, and the regeneration potion could take care of emergencies. The throwing knife was for unexpected situations. As someone who¡¯d been looking at hunters for 7 years, this was probably my best bet. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough battle equipment for now¡­¡± Wondering what to do next, I quickly thought of an answer. There was still a lot of time left before the next trial so I should take this time to get used to the weapons. I still wasn¡¯t used to the sword, and the shield was a little different from what I was used to. If I couldn¡¯t get accustomed to them, it would cost me my life in a battle. Both my mind and body were in top shape from the healing effects. And even if I did tire out from training, the waiting area would quickly recover me. The obvious choice would be to warm my body up for the next trial. ¡¸ Floor 2 Community (3928/4321) ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 20hrs 53min ¡¹ I moved the Community and the starting time to the corner of my eyes. I had to keep my eyes on those windows even while I was training. ¡®There might be some useful information.¡¯ After the admin left, the situation calmed down a little and the community seemed to organize itself. But that thought quickly left after seeing the following messages. Kang Sunwoo: Holy shit. I can¡¯t use the sword or the shield because all my skills are gone. Fuck. Lee Heejin: Me too. I¡¯m a magic user and I don¡¯t know what to do without any of my skills. Kim SeungHoon: I don¡¯t care about that. I just hate how low my stats are right now. Lee Seungjin: I got my skill but I have to build up proficiency again. Damn. Oh Choonsuk: At least you hunters know what to do. What are normal people like me supposed to do? Can I even pass the 2nd floor? Kang Sunwoo: I don¡¯t know. But you should buy a sword or a spear with a shield and practice as much as possible. Lee Seungjin: God damn. I wouldn¡¯t have to do this if I had my skills. This shitty ass admin. There wasn¡¯t much difference between the messages. Anxiousness, nervousness, and despair. None of the things they talked about even applied to me. I wasn¡¯t a hunter, nor a civilian. ¡®I guess my lack of talent kind of helped me.¡¯ Because I was no different from when I was outside of the tower. No, I grew within the tower. Maybe this was a blessing I received for suffering the last 7 years. ¡®Let¡¯s think positive thoughts.¡¯ Realistically, the only thing I could do here is train. The playing field was even now that everything had been reset. But there was still a difference. They¡¯d be able to learn previously learned skills and build up proficiency much faster than I would be able to. ¡®If I want to catch up, I need to keep on training.¡¯ My growth will directly impact my survival. I¡¯d have to train two or three times harder than everyone else. That way, I¡¯d at least be able to stand side by side with them. I have to move my body until it can react before my brain can tell it what we do. I was a different person from someone who wanted to give up just a few hours ago. Innate ability, skill, stats, etc¡­ I¡¯d gained so many things in the last couple of hours and lost my will to give up. ¡®If I can adapt, improvise, and overcome, I¡¯ll be able to be a hunter.¡¯ My times of powerlessness are over. If I live, I¡¯d be able to get everything I¡¯d ever dreamt of. No, I¡¯d be able to gain more. The tower wasn¡¯t a place for me to die a futile death. The trials would give me rewards and award me points. That could make me stronger and possibly show me the way out of this tower. My first goal was evident. ¡®Clear the 2nd trial.¡¯ And if that¡¯s what the tower wanted, I¡¯d do it. ____ Chapter 5 - The Second Trial (2) Chapter 5: The Second Trial (2) ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 1hrs 47min ¡¹ Kang Sunwoo: Ayy. I just woke up from the best nap. Oh Choonsuk: Wtf, my body aches from sleeping on this cheap ass bed. Hyuk Sukjin: I mean¡­ You can just buy a nice one from the marketplace. Oh Choonsuk: I¡¯d rather get a nice ass bowl of soup and rice with that kind of money. Hyuk Sukjin: Damn, you¡¯re making me hungry. Oh Choonsuk: Legit. We don¡¯t have any other urges. Why am I still hungry? Kang Sunwoo: Y¡¯all really talking about food at this time. Just go buy some jerky from the marketplace. It¡¯s the cheapest thing you can get. Oh Choonsuk: Tyty. Good advice. Snap! ¡°It¡¯s already time.¡± I stretched while looking at the Community. 20 hours had already passed while I¡¯d been rolling around the waiting area training. I learned a lot during that time. The cheapest food in the marketplace, and how the waiting area works. ¡®I learned the most about the waiting area.¡¯ You cannot feel most biological urges besides hunger in this area. I also learned that the healing in the area isn¡¯t omnipotent. ¡®You can barely call it healing.¡¯ As an experiment, I cut my hand a while ago and the spilled blood went back into my wound before closing. Spilled blood going back to where it came from isn¡¯t normally ¡®healing.¡¯ It¡¯s closer to restoration. However, it does not restore you to a point in time when you were not hungry anymore. That means it¡¯s probably possible to starve to death. ¡®I also learned how to switch the healing on and off.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anything else particularly useful. I have yet to try them out because they cost points. Turning the healing on and off cost 100 points total. Seeing that I only have 373 points, I have to limit my spending. Although when I do gain enough points, I¡¯ll have to try them out. I finished my train of thought and bought a jerky. Chomp chomp. ¡°It¡¯s hard and tasteless.¡± I toiled through the jerky that didn¡¯t even have salt on it. But at 10 points per piece, it was the most efficient use of your points. Anything cheaper could barely be consumed by humans. They said that you couldn¡¯t even chew through the black bread, made from flour and sand, as well as other cheaper foods. It wasn¡¯t really edible. Just something to fill your stomach with. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive on that.¡± So the jerky was the best choice at the moment. Still chewing on it, I bought some water and first aid items. I had to be ready for anything. ¡¸ Points remaining ¨C 40 ¡¹ ¡°I barely have any left.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have had any left if I didn¡¯t get the bonus award. I could tell that was the case from looking at the Community. Lee Heejin: I can¡¯t buy any medical supplies because I don¡¯t have any points; Why are magic items so expensive; Kim Seunghoon: Magic is op in the beginning. Of course it¡¯s expensive. Hyuk Sukjin: Am I the only one who got a bonus reward? I have a decent amount of points from that. Kim Seunghoon: I got one but mine was a skill and not points. What? Oh Choonsuk: I didn¡¯t get anything like that. What? Did you give the admin money or something? Lee Heejin: Huh? I didn¡¯t get it either. Only a small minority received the bonus award. Most people in the Community seem to be hearing about the bonus award for the first time. ¡®Does it depend on how well you did in the tutorial?¡¯ Everyone who got a bonus award said they only received either points or a skill. But¡­ ¡°I got both?¡± Hm¡­ Maybe there were special requirements to unlock the bonus rewards. Like if you killed the enemy when the goal of the trial was to survive. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why I got two bonus rewards.¡¯ That means I had to figure out what those requirements were in the upcoming trials. I needed to figure it out if I wanted any advantage over the other people climbing the tower. The difficulty I chose was also the highest of the three. If an E-rank monster appeared in the tutorial, the chances are, it was only going to get worse. ¡®Good thing I trained nonstop.¡¯ I felt like the sword and shield were a part of my body. At this point, even a sand golem shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem for me. ¡®I have a shield now too.¡¯ Storing all the equipment into my inventory, I checked the time. ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 17min 17secs ¡¹ Quite a bit of time passed while I was training and looking through the marketplace. The messages in the Community slowed down as well. Oh Choonsuk: The tutorial was hard as fuck¡­ How hard is the 2nd floor gonna be? Hyuk Sukjin: I don¡¯t need to awaken or anything. I just wanna go home. Kim Seunghoon: Stop pissing in your pants and get ready to fight. Lee Jinwoo: Fuck, I really don¡¯t wanna go. Why did I pick the hardest difficulty¡­ Can¡¯t I change it? Hyuk Sukjin: Would you let a fish go after it took the bait? Oh Choonsuk: You¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t let that dumbass go. The Community seemed grim as the timer counted down. I wasn¡¯t an exception. ¡®Will I be able to survive? Me?¡¯ My hand shook and my heart beat fast at just the thought of the upcoming battle. If I didn¡¯t fight, the only thing left for me would be natural selection. At the end of that path, all that was left was a nameless, honorless death. That¡¯s why everyone was fighting to survive. ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 10secs ¡¹ 10, 9, 8, 7¡­ As the clock counted down, the community was completely silent. It was calm before the storm. And¡­ ¡¸ Floor 2 trial starting in ¨C 0secs ¡¹ ¡¸ Time up. ¡¹ When the time ran out¡­ ¡°Trial.¡± I immediately uttered the command. ¡¸ Do you accept the 2nd-floor trial? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ I selected ¡®Y¡¯ without hesitation, and the same portal from yesterday appeared. I stepped in without thinking, and the portal enveloped my body. Because if I hesitated now, I might have never been able to take a step forward. Let¡¯s go. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®assassination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ ¡°A forest?¡± A luscious green forest greeted me on the other side of the portal. ¡¸ The 2nd-floor trial is starting now. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 3days ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Killing the orc chief before the timer runs out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or time out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Assassin¡¯s Cloak(D), Obsidian Dagger(E+)¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ ¡°Assassination¡­¡­.¡± It seems that the 2nd floor¡¯s trial is assassination. ¡®I have to assassinate a monster now?¡¯ I¡¯d never done it and I¡¯d never thought about it. I mean, what kind of hunter assassinates a monster? They just walk up and kill them. No one plans an assassination¡­ It¡¯s probably happened once or twice but¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem very common. This didn¡¯t bother me much though. It didn¡¯t change what I had to do. ¡°Whatever they want.¡± That¡¯s how this tower works. Then¡ª ¡¸ Opening the map of the 2nd floor¡¯s trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ Indicating the orc tribe¡¯s location on the map. ¡¹ Following the message, a map popped up in the corner of my eye. I thought the hard difficulty would be merciless. I guess the tower had a smidge of a conscience. After looking at the map, I understood why I needed a map. An obscure location in the middle of the woods. Without the map, it would have taken a week to find them. The tower didn¡¯t see locating the orcs as a part of the trial. ¡°That gets rid of the need to go explore the forest.¡± This was already a huge positive. I had a couple of days worth of food and water in the inventory so I didn¡¯t have to worry about that either. I had some potions for emergencies and a bunch of things prepared. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I moved slowly with the sword and shield in my hands. *** About halfway to the marked location, I laid low and started crawling. I can¡¯t call this a hunter¡¯s strategy, but it¡¯s what I came up with after thinking for a while. ¡®The orcs might notice me if they had any scouts.¡¯ If the trials were mimicking dungeons, that was completely possible. It would be difficult to avoid the scouts unless you had a special item or a skill. Although a normal hunter would be sure to have one of those¡­ Since I had neither, this was my best bet. ¡®I should be cautious if I don¡¯t want to get caught.¡¯ I kept low and crawled forward. ¡°Shiek, shieek.¡± My body froze as the sound landed on my ears. The breathing of an E-rank beast, an orc. ¡°¡­¡­¡± With slight hesitation, I continued to go forward. Farther up ahead, a scene opened up through the edge of the grass. A roughly sharpened wooden fence, and two monsters guarding it. ¡®Orc guards.¡¯ The breath I heard earlier was probably also from a guard. ¡°Shieeek.¡± Covered in leather armor, equipped with a greatsword, they looked tough. ¡°I want to keep observing them but¡­.¡± Since I finished my examination, I should retreat and strategize. If an orc guard discovers me, I¡¯d be forced to fight. And that decreases my chances of survival. I slowly distanced myself from their village and stood up to inspect the nearby area. Now that I had found the orcs, I needed a place to observe them without being caught. ¡®Mana dense enough to host monsters and this humidity¡­ It should be here¡­ ¡® ¡¸ Heavenly Mud ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana-filled mud that¡¯s generated in mana dense areas. ¡¹ ¡¸ Rubbing it on your body prevents you from being discovered by smell and sight. ¡¹ ¡¸ The effect only lasts for 12 hours and has a terrible stench for the duration. ¡¹ ¡­found it. ¡®I guess this is here too.¡¯ I¡¯d only ever heard about mud that was integrated with mana in dungeons. The tower was indeed pretty similar to dungeons. ¡®I can use some of my knowledge here too.¡¯ Scooping mud from the nearby puddle, I covered myself in mud. The scent reminded me of a rotting piece of meat, but that didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t know about other monsters, but this would be enough to get past the orcs. ¡®Monsters like goblins and orcs can¡¯t detect you past this mud.¡¯ ¡®Now, what should I do¡­¡¯ Normally, if orc guards were dispatched in a dungeon, that means there would be ¡®hunters¡¯ and ¡®workers.¡¯ Guards, hunters, workers, and the chief. Orcs had clear and distinct roles. ¡®Orcs that know how to coordinate, at least an E-rank trial.¡¯ It¡¯s not at a level that I can clear easily. I might not be able to beat it even if I risked my life. As long as the orc hunters were stationed, I would never be able to overpower them. ¡®You need an E-rank party to kill an orc hunter, so there¡¯s no way I can do it alone.¡¯ Objectively, because I was physically weak, I had no chance of winning a direct confrontation. One thing that could work for me was my innate ability. But even that wouldn¡¯t activate unless I killed something. ¡®How can I kill the chief?¡¯ At that moment, something crazy popped up in my head. No, there was one way. As long as I don¡¯t limit my target to just the ¡®chief¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­There is a way. To kill all the orcs.¡± ____ Chapter 6 - The Second Trial (3) Chapter 6: The Second Trial (3) Overpowering them wasn¡¯t an option for me. And although the goal of the trial was ¡®assassination,¡¯ that was near impossible with the guards on duty. The heavenly mud wouldn¡¯t really change that fact. Finally, considering the ridiculously short time limit¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t be too picky.¡± Broosh¡­! A lit torch I made from putting together some dry wood from the floor. I stared at the dancing flame nervously before I stored it in the inventory. I didn¡¯t know how the inventory worked, but the torch stayed lit while inside the inventory. But that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that the torch burned. ¡®Having this outside could make me some good money.¡¯ I¡¯d have signed onto a guild and worked as a safeguard for important items or even a transporter. The tower was giving these kinds of skills for free. ¡®Let¡¯s focus on the current situation for now.¡¯ I held my breath from anticipation. Just tossing this torch would set the whole forest on fire. This was the crazy method I thought of. If this was a location that the tower created, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the consequences of setting the forest ablaze. And even if this place existed in real life, it wouldn¡¯t matter to me as long as I went back to the waiting area. Some might say this was irresponsible but¡­ I had no responsibility to care about this place. My life took precedence over wherever this may be. I didn¡¯t even feel guilty. After I caused a fire, I¡¯d have to pick out the separated orcs one by one. Once I raised my stats using the orc souls, I¡¯d have a much better chance against the chief. I could have thought this plan through more but¡­ It wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. ¡°There¡¯s no other solution to this trial. What¡¯s hesitation going to do for me?¡± Although it was strange that the goal of the trial was ¡®assassination,¡¯ the trial made it very hard to do so. The fence seemed very sturdy, and the pure number of orcs made it hard to sneak in no matter the time of day. ¡®I won¡¯t even be able to run away if I fail my assassination attempt.¡¯ There¡¯d be too much risk involved to try to sneak in. But causing a fire was different. ¡®All orc hunters go hunting early in the morning.¡¯ Contrary to their looks, they were a hard-working species. And one characteristic of the orc species is that once they left, they didn¡¯t come back to their tribe until sundown. Looking at the sun, it should be around noon right now. ¡®They should be far away enough from their village now¡­ ¡® I¡¯d be able to fight them without their main source of strength. With a chunk of their military missing, my chances of picking them off increased drastically. It was just a stereotype that all orcs can fight. ¡®Even the same species of monsters have rankings.¡¯ The worker orcs had been designated as workers because they weren¡¯t fit to fight. And the guard orcs are the orcs who weren¡¯t good enough to be a hunter orc. ¡®The number of guards in the front and the scale of the fence suggests there aren¡¯t too many of them.¡¯ Conservatively, there should be two or three guards and just one old orc as their chief. The Hunter Association released an official statement saying that the oldest orc becomes the chief of the tribe, so that information should be accurate. If I could cause a commotion while most of their military might was away, I had a chance of being able to obliterate them. ¡®I just have to stay calm and decrease their numbers¡­¡¯ It would change the tide of the battle. That meant I had to kill at least two or three orcs while they were confused. ¡®I¡¯m not strong enough to fight them at the gate entrance.¡¯ ¡®I need to raise my strength to at least 20.¡¯ If I had enough strength to be able to go head to head with an orc, everything would go much more smoothly. There was a chance that the orcs could group together, but the chances of that were low. ¡®Typically, they would get some water if they think they can handle the fire.¡¯ Then most orcs would head to the nearby river or lake for some water. The busiest orcs would be the worker orcs. And I could take that time to kill them once they were far enough from the village. ¡®If there¡¯s a risk of death no matter what I do, I have to choose the most sure-fire plan.¡¯ That hadn¡¯t changed from the tutorial. Rather than run around looking for an exit that may or may not exist, I chose to fight the sand golem with the given weapon. Because that was more certain. I was the only one who stood to lose anything from being hesitant. I had to kill before I was killed. I kept this in my mind as I took a step forward. Now was the time to act. *** After finishing my preparations, I started moving towards the mark on the map. There wasn¡¯t any time to waste. I laid low on the ground again while I crawled through the grass. ¡®I did cover myself in heavenly mud, but I can never be too careful.¡¯ I¡¯d only ever learned about this in books, so it was my first time putting this into practice. One mistake could end up costing my life. Shieek shiek. After some time, I heard the orcs beyond the grass again. I kept my breath steady while slowly crawling. Occasionally observing the guards with my breath held. No matter how strong these sentry orcs were, there weren¡¯t that many of them. They were just kept near the village as a backup when the hunters were away. ¡®They probably think they can deal with invasions as long as a couple of them stay.¡¯ This was also a characteristic of the orc species. According to the Hunter Association, the guard orcs aren¡¯t always on patrol. ¡®They go back to the village for meals and lunch.¡¯ They don¡¯t stay for too long but it¡¯s still useful information. ¡®There are cases where the workers go on patrol instead due to a lack of guards but that¡¯s not important to me.¡¯ Worker orcs tended to be much weaker than the other types of orcs. If these guards ran to their water source, I¡¯d just have to take care of them secretly from the back. But before then, I had to go unnoticed and stay totally silent. After all, the mud only masked the scent and sight. This was the most important part of the plan. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Every bodily muscle stiffened up as I observed my surroundings. Just as my legs were about to fall asleep¡ª ¡°Shiek, shieek!¡± One of the guards breathed out heavily as he waved to the other. ¡®Did they see me¡­¡­?¡¯ I instinctively opened my inventory to prepare for a battle, but I realized that I was mistaken. Step, step. Looking exhausted, the guards yawned and stepped back into the wooden fence. This was what I was waiting for. I might not get another chance. I quietly got up and chose a location to set on fire. Tall grass and wooden fence, it was perfect for spreading fire. I took out the torch from the inventory. Brooosh! The fire spread itself to the grass as if it had a life of its own. I carried it over to the fence and the nearby trees to spread it further. Brooooshh¡­¡­.! The smoke filled the air in an instant. I tossed the torch on the other side to invoke another fire. I thought this might be too much fire to lead out just an orc or two but¡­ What could I do? Better bigger than smaller. I hid behind one of the unaffected trees and waited for their response. The workers should be coming out soon to take this out. ¡®This should be small enough for them to rush to stop it.¡¯ The spread was fast, but it wasn¡¯t to a point where you couldn¡¯t stop it. After a short wait, ¡°Shiek? Shieeeek!¡± I heard a panicked scream beyond the fence. Following that, an orc ran towards the fire in a rush. ¡®Is it a sentry?¡¯ No. He wasn¡¯t armed. It was a worker orc. ¡°Sh-Shiek? Shiek, shieeeek!¡± He looked in horror as the flames got bigger. Taken back, he stood there, confused as to what to do next. Then. I took my first steps towards it. There would never be a more perfect chance. ¡®He¡¯s not even a guard who can effectively fight back.¡¯ I didn¡¯t give it much thought and moved according to my plan. Running towards his back, I push off the ground and close the distance. Tat, tat, tat! ¡°Sh-shieek¡­?!¡± As the orc turned around in a panic¡ª Stab! ¡°Sh-Shiek, shiek, shieeeek.¡± I shoved the sword I took out of my inventory into its stomach. There was no way he could have reacted to this. Without even being able to let out so much of a squeal, the orc stumbled backward, letting out voiceless screams. Some may sympathize with the monsters, but I was far from it. It was their fault that my life was ruined. ¡°Take that, you bastard.¡± Rather than feeling guilt or excitement, my heartbeat slowed down. I pulled my sword out to thrust it straight through its heart. There was no hesitation. ¡°Sh¡­..iek.¡± The orc let out a weak breath before being enveloped by a black fog. Yes, this was what I was waiting for. ¡¸ Activating innate ability ¡®Necromancy(F)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the spirit of the orc? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ I placed the orc¡¯s corpse down so it wouldn¡¯t make a noise and pressed ¡®Y.¡¯ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the orc. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/5 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 9% ¡¹ I exchanged the soul for stats as soon as I absorbed it. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 0/5 ¡¹ I opened my status window as I felt a rush of adrenaline. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 16 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 11 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 11 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 8 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration(E+) ¡¹ ¡®My strength is nearing 20 now.¡¯ My stamina and agility also passed 10 and are on their way to 20 as well. I should be able to handle an orc in a direct battle now. But I didn¡¯t get long to give myself a pat on the back. ¡° Sh-shieeeeek!¡± This time, it was a fully armed guard orc. But I wasn¡¯t scared like last time. I¡¯d have been unsure if there were 2 orcs, but he came alone. Feeling blessed, I muttered a word underneath my breath. ¡°Inventory.¡± I took out my shield and stood face to face with the orc. Showtime. ____ Chapter 7 - The Second Trial (4) Chapter 7: The Second Trial (4) Surprisingly, it happened in an instant. My strengthened stats played a role in taking him down, but it was mostly because he was in shock from the situation. But¡­ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the orc. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/5 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 7% ¡¹ ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Although I caught him off guard, an orc was an orc. I just barely dodged all his attacks and managed to stick my sword into his neck. ¡¸ Activating Skill ¨C ¡®Accelerated Regeneration.¡¯ ¡¹ The small wounds I got during the process already started to close. ¡®Is this how accelerated regeneration works¡­?¡¯ My energy was sapped from my body as the wounds disappeared. ¡®I didn¡¯t know until now but¡­¡¯ I finally understood the regeneration¡¯s mechanisms. As the name suggests, the skill speeds up the healing process of small injuries by consuming my vitality. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t do much against life-threatening injuries. But¡­ ¡®I¡¯m healed enough to fight again already.¡¯ I don¡¯t have to use any of my potions. At least, not yet. I¡¯d consider using them if I was in a pinch later. Still gasping, I converted the soul into extra stats. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 0/5 ¡¹ Unlike the worker orc¡¯s soul, the guard orc¡¯s soul also increased my stamina. As a weight lifted off my body from the extra stamina, I noticed something. ¡®The rate at which my strength is increasing has decreased.¡¯ But it was pretty easy to guess why this was happening. My stats were starting to reach heights where it wasn¡¯t possible to easily increase them. It was a pleasant surprise. That just meant I was surpassing the limits of a normal human. ¡°Huff, huff¡¯ I panted as I looked around with the sword and shield in my hand. In the split second it took to kill those orcs, the fire spread to the entrance and completely blocked it off. ¡®Good.¡¯ That meant the hunter orcs wouldn¡¯t be able to come in through this entrance. They¡¯d have to take the long way around if they wanted to get here. Of course¡­ ¡°That applies to me as well.¡± I realized that I was also in a position where I couldn¡¯t easily escape now. I got the 2 orc souls going for me though. ¡®I even killed a guard orc so this is going better than I planned.¡¯ I was initially worried that the increased stats would feel foreign to my body but¡­ It felt strangely natural. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because my stats aren¡¯t too high yet.¡¯ Either way, it didn¡¯t feel bad at all. It would cost me the trial if I needed more time to get used to these new stats. ¡°Sheik! Sh-sheik! Sheeeeeik!¡± ¡°Sh-sheik? Sheeeeeik!¡± ¡°Sheeeeeik!¡± A group of orcs poured out from the entrance. There was an old orc in the center of the group, as though he was being protected. ¡®That¡¯s probably the chief.¡¯ They seemed to recognize me as a threat as they were armed with a bow and arrow, stone swords, and spears. ¡®Well, it would be stranger if they didn¡¯t know with all the commotion I caused.¡¯ ¡®Thanks for grouping up for me.¡¯ There were only about 5 enemies. And only one of the five had a battle-related job. The worker orcs weren¡¯t too dangerous even if they were holding a weapon. So¡­ Tatat! While the orcs were still taking in the situation, I ran in to seize the opportunity. With my current stats¡­ I had a feeling I could get through this battle. ¡°Sh-sheeeeeeik!¡± One of the orcs aimed its arrow at me. Whoosh! It was fast. Looking at the speed and accuracy of the arrow, the orc seemed to have some experience with the bow. It wasn¡¯t something I could dodge at my current stats, but my shield wasn¡¯t just for show. Ting! ¡°Sh-sheeeeik?¡± I raised the shield and easily bounced off the arrow. The bow-wielding orc was clearly flustered, but I wasn¡¯t. I swiftly slashed my blade at the bow-wielding orc¡¯s neck and sliced through. ¡°Sheeeeeeeeik!¡± ¡°Sheeeeik!¡± The nearby orcs pointed their swords and spears at me to no avail. It was honest, predictable, and sloppy. Their only target was my heart. I took a step back and held my shield up to my chest. Worker orcs tended to have little to no battle experience and only relied on their natural strength. Tang! On the flip side, although I¡¯ve only just started getting stronger, I¡¯ve been studying battle techniques for the last 7 years. So it wasn¡¯t too hard to block their attacks. ¡°Sheeeik!¡± The orcs seemed surprised that their attacks were blocked. This is what happened to most people who lack fighting experience. Same with orcs. Sket! I swung my sword as their spears and swords bounced off my shield. Unable to react due to the recoil, a vertical red line formed on the orc¡¯s stomach. Puaaak! Its stomach split and vomited out the inner organs. Even this didn¡¯t invoke any emotion in me. More accurately, I didn¡¯t have time to feel anything yet. Although I took care of the spear orc, the sword orc was still standing tall. Feeling something was a luxury I couldn¡¯t afford in battle. ¡®All I have to do is stay calm.¡¯ I took a step back to regain my breath. After wiping the splattered blood from my cheeks, I rushed towards the rest of the orcs. Feigning retreat then rushing back in. The inexperienced worker orc couldn¡¯t even react to this. The guard orc realized this and finally gave up on hovering the chief but¡­ It was already too late. Shing! When I sliced open the last worker orc¡¯s throat, the guard orc let out an anger-filled roar. ¡°Shieeeeeeeeek!¡± It was as if its murderous gaze was saying: ¡°I will slice you in two.¡± He slammed down his greatsword, fully intending to cut right through the shield. My instincts told me that my E-rank shield wouldn¡¯t last this blow. And even if it did, it would break the left wrist that was holding the shield. Would I be able to fight without my left hand? No, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. If I couldn¡¯t block it, I¡¯d have to redirect it. I tilted my shield to have the blade of the greatsword slide off. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull this off, but it was different now. Skkkkkkkt¡­! ¡°Shi-shieeek?¡± As the weight of the sword pulled the orc down to the ground, I stabbed mine into its abdomen. Pshh! The blood stained the pierced leather armor as I pulled the sword out to take another swing. Shuaat! He clutched his stomach as he took a step back. ¡°Sh¡­.ieeek¡­.¡± His knees met the ground as his stuttering cries died out. Boom. He fell face down on the ground and I stabbed my sword into his head again. I couldn¡¯t let my guard down just yet. The guard orc¡¯s muscles finally relaxed as the lifeless body laid on the floor. Now the orc chief was all that was left. Then¡­ ¡°Sh-shieeek! S-sheeik!¡± The terrified chief held onto his staff and continued to mutter under his breath. When the rambling stopped¨C Boosh! A giant fireball appeared in front of the chief. It was only then that I realized what the chief orc was doing. ¡®I was wondering why the guard stayed put till the end¡­¡¯ They were just protecting the chief until he had enough time to finish his incantation. The worker orcs were only there to keep me occupied. Of course, they only did so because they didn¡¯t expect me to kill any of them. I knew that the most experienced hunter orc became the chief but, I didn¡¯t expect this to be the case. ¡®Why would an orc be a mage¡­!¡¯ That didn¡¯t change what I had to do though. Broosh! I crouched my entire body and hid behind my shield as the ball of fire hurled towards me. This wasn¡¯t very effective. Boooom! With the impact on the shield, my vision went red. ¡°Ahhhhh¡­¡­!¡± Every inch of my skin broiled as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Even then¨C ¡°Argggggg¡­.!¡± I stayed put with every ounce of my mental strength. I didn¡¯t realize how painful it was to be burned alive. It was to the point where I¡¯d rather rip the burning skin off myself. In agonizing pain, I slowly stepped forward. It was the only thing I could do at this time. ¡¸ ¡®Endurer of fire¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡®Heat Endurance¡¯ skill generated. ¡¹ A couple of messages popped up, but I had no idea what they said. I couldn¡¯t think of anything besides staying conscious. I did know one thing for sure. Szzzzzzz. ¡°Ugh. U-aagrggh.¡± I survived. I lowered my shield and stared directly at the chief. With as much intimidation in my voice, I mustered ¡°¡­You¡¯re fucking dead.¡± Even as I could barely breathe, I could still say those words. The chief seemed to understand despite the language barrier and stepped back in fear. ¡°¡­!¡± His face slowly paled as he looked at his surroundings. ¡°Sh-sh-sh¨C!¡± He realized there was nowhere to escape as we were surrounded by fire on all sides. Hope fled from his eyes as his chance of escape decreased to zero. I dragged my barely moving body while barely gripping to the hilt of my sword. The orc chief stood there, paralyzed with fear. ¡°Sh¨C¡± Crack! The chief orc let out its final cry as I split his head in half. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 2. ¡¹ ____ Chapter 8 - Growth (1) Chapter 8: Growth (1) ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 2 ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the item ¡®Assassin¡¯s Cloak(D).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the item ¡®Obsidian Dagger(E+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®2000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received the skill ¡®Pain Tolerance (D)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®1000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ My head was spinning. I felt messages pop up, but I couldn¡¯t tell for sure. Accelerated regeneration wasn¡¯t even working because the wounds were too severe. I waved my hand to push the messages aside. I could always look at the messages in the waiting area. But not those. The burning remnants of the orc corpses. All of my attention was focused on the black fog emitting from their burning bodies. I¡¯d be losing out if I didn¡¯t absorb all of them. But I was at a point where it wouldn¡¯t be unexpected for me to just pass out. I had to take some emergency measures. I slowly reached into my inventory to take out a potion. ¡¸ Regeneration Potion ¡¹ An item that heals small injuries when sprayed. I took off the top and poured the potion onto my head. Splash! ¡°Ahhhhggggh!¡± The droplets of the potion dripping down my body left a trail of pain as they fell to the floor. I assumed it was effective because I was slowly gaining my senses back. All I need is to be able to move. I¡¯ll get out of the forest as soon as I absorb the spirits. ¡°Agggggghhhh¡­¡­¡± I dragged my body like a zombie to the fog. I had to do this before I passed out¡­. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the orc. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the orc. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the orc. ¡¹ . . . ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 5/5 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 42% ¡¹ I turned around as soon as I finished absorbing them. I could wait to convert them later. Voom! I collapsed into the blue portal that appeared where the chief once stood. ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ I lost consciousness as a wave of relief flowed through my body. *** ¡°¡­¡­¡± I woke up on the waiting room floor. I was still a bit dizzy when I woke up but I wasn¡¯t mentally or physically tired. I got up and examined my body. All the injuries and burns I got fighting the orcs had disappeared. But¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t use this shield anymore.¡± The shield I was holding was nothing more than a piece of junk now. It was broken and cracked beyond repair. There was no way it could block anything in this state. ¡°Was the impact of the last attack too much¡­?¡± The shield may have been able to block the guard orcs¡¯ attacks, but it didn¡¯t stand a chance against the chief¡¯s magic. ¡®At least it saved my life.¡¯ It did its job before breaking down. If I had taken that fireball directly, I might not be here right now. I returned what was left of the shield to the inventory and opened my mouth. ¡°Trial.¡± ¡¸ Floor 3 trial starting in ¨C 23hrs 21min ¡¹ ¡®Was I passed out for about an hour?¡¯ Not as long as I thought. I had pushed myself beyond my physical and mental limits, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising. ¡°At least the waiting room is pretty effective.¡± Even though my body¡¯s still feeling hot from the phantom pains¡­ I got off pretty easy if you think about it. If it was any more serious, I would have died without even absorbing the souls. ¡®Ah, I did absorb those souls.¡¯ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 5/5 ¡¹ ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t miss a single soul.¡± I thought I would have missed at least one or two of them¡­ I guess I should give myself a little more credit. After checking out the souls, I caught up on all the other messages I missed. All the messages about the heat and pain resistance, as well as all the reward messages. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk looking at the list of rewards. I also had an insane amount of points. ¡°Inventory.¡± An item I¡¯d never seen was taking up the very first slot. ¡¸ Assassin¡¯s Cloak ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D ¡¹ ¡¸ Conceals all types of presence by -10% ¡¹ ¡¸ A cloak specially designed for the assassination guild. ¡¹ ¡¸ While agility is below 50, it increases by +5 ¡¹ ¡¸ While inserting mana, the user can increase their movement speed by 15% for 1 minute. ¡¹ ¡¸ The active ability can be used again after a 24-hour cooldown. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. Even at a glance, I could tell that it was overpowered. ¡°These rewards are insane¡­.¡± It gave me the assassination reward even though I didn¡¯t assassinate the chief. The default bonus was already amazing with the movement speed and presence erasure bonus. That¡¯s already good enough, but the active ability? ¡¸ While inserting mana, the user can increase their movement speed by 15% for 1 minute. ¡¹ ¡°This is the craziest bonus.¡± Even if the cooldown is a little long. That wasn¡¯t all though. ¡¸ Obsidian Dagger ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Reaction speed +5% ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack speed +10% ¡¹ ¡¸ A dagger emitting dark mana, forged from black steel. ¡¹ ¡¸ It is approximately 60cm long and does not dull easily. ¡¹ It¡¯s not as good as the cloak, but it¡¯s still something. It says it¡¯s a dagger, but it¡¯s long enough to be a one-handed sword. No complaints there though. It¡¯s the perfect weapon to be used in a variety of ways. I swung the blade a couple of times as practice. It was reminiscent of the night sky. Whoosh! ¡° ¡­ ¡° I could hear the sharpness of the blade. Incomparable to the sword that I had received from the tutorial. The decision was an easy one. It was time to replace the tutorial sword. The tutorial sword didn¡¯t have a grade attached when I first got it, but the E+ Obsidian Dagger was clearly the higher-ranked weapon. The sword was also pretty rusted and dulled from all the blood. I¡¯ll just keep it in the inventory for now. ¡®That should be it for all the equipment¡­¡¯ It¡¯s time to check the skills now. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Heat Resistance (F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 5% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C All damage taken from flame attacks are reduced by 7% ¡¹ A heat resistance skill that I got from an achievement. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Pain Resistance (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 4% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon a strong enough impact, temporarily reduces all pain felt by 15% ¡¹ And the pain resistance I got as a bonus reward. They weren¡¯t bad but a little disappointing. ¡°I would have preferred a weapon or offensive skill but¡­¡± I¡¯m using the little weapons knowledge I can scrape together, but there¡¯s a big difference between a weapons skill and whatever I¡¯m doing. It¡¯s a bit underwhelming for something I risked my life for. ¡®At least I got the cloak and the dagger.¡¯ Resistance skills aren¡¯t very cost efficient in the beginning. People say that they¡¯re basically useless until you raise the rank to D+. Of course, it might be different from person to person. ¡®They don¡¯t rank up easily unless I hurt myself, so it¡¯s not very compatible with me.¡¯ I can only train it in a life-threatening situation. The only thing usable was the ¡®Pain Resistance.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s because it was a bonus reward, but it¡¯s a D-rank skill. After a while, I started wondering. ¡°Did the others also pass?¡± There were hunters in the mix so I shouldn¡¯t be too worried¡­ I had had a thought in the midst of the 2nd trial. The goal of my trial was assassination. The trial would be cleared after killing the old orc chief. I might have thought it was easy if I didn¡¯t think about it too hard. But¡ª ¡®The seemingly feeble chief turned out to be a magician.¡¯ What if I had entered his room without knowing? Magicians generally fortify their workshops. Assuming that his room was his workshop, he definitely had some sort of anti-intruder measures. That would have definitely ended badly for me. ¡®It would have been more dangerous if I attacked in the middle of the night.¡¯ The orc hunters would have piled on and made the trial impossible. I only survived because I didn¡¯t attempt an assassination, but there was no guarantee that the others followed suit. I opened up the community to see how it went for others. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 3 Community (1977/2531) ¡¹ Kim Seunghoon: Fuck, did they even make these possible? Hyun Sukjin: ¡­Did everyone really die? Seriously? Im Jinwook: Nah, there¡¯s a bunch of people still on the 2nd floor. Kim SeungHoon: What the fuck? Why was there a C-rank Monster on the second floor! Kang Sunwoo: I barely survived using my innate ability. God damnnn. Good thing my arm grew back. Kim Sihoon: The total number of people almost halved. A good chunk of us died. As predicted, the number of people in the community had halved. But the most important part came after. Hyun Sukjin: Wait yall had C-rank monsters? I only saw tons of goblins. Kim Seunghoon: I had a lich summon a crazy amount of skeletons. What goblins? Kim Sihoon: Huh? I just had to survive for 3 days from this orc tribe. Kang Sunwoo: I had to fight a bunch of orcs 1 on 1 in some colosseum. Lee Hayeon: Did everyone face a different trial? I guess everyone went through their own individual trials. But they all seemed to think it was unreasonably difficult. Well, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find any of these out. Kim Seunghoon: What was so great about me that they wanted me here¡­ Kang Sunwoo: I like how fast we¡¯re growing lol, but I was stronger irl though. Hyun Sukjin: idk man. I was a normal dude before this. I just wanna get back. Kim Seunghoon: It¡¯s gonna take sooo long for me to get back where I was before. Lee Changsuk: Sigh, is there even going to be a way for us to get back to Earth? Everyone in the community spiraled into discussing how to get back to earth. Of course, there¡¯s a way to find out. ¡®You just have to ask the administrator.¡¯ I just didn¡¯t want to waste a question. But these people didn¡¯t seem to care anymore. Kang Sunwoo: Isn¡¯t it about time we use our questions? Kim Seunghoon: I think so. We should ask about returning to Earth and getting our powers back. Hyun Sukjin: Let¡¯s all share all the information we find here. I¡¯ll ask about returning to Earth. Kang Sunjin: Good idea. I¡¯ll ask about restoring our powers. Lee Changsuk: I¡¯ll ask about how the rewards are calculated within trials. I thought about joining in but I decided against it. ¡®I¡¯ll just stay put.¡¯ Most people seemed to agree with me and took more of a bystander approach. It¡¯s a smart decision. You have more to lose from stepping up than gaining anything valuable. Hyun Sukjin: ¡­the administrator answered. Lee Changsuk: Really? What happened? Kim Seunghoon: Do we have to climb to the top of this tower? Kang Sunwoo: Sir, please. Share the news with us, good sir. The community was flooded with messages. Hyun Sukjin: There¡¯s a way to go back. And¡ª Hyun Sukjin: Here¡¯s how. A method to return to Earth started to appear in the community. ____ Chapter 9 - Growth (2) Chapter 9: Growth (2) Hyun Sukjin: Basically, you can get back to Earth once you reach the 5th floor. Kim Seunghoon: Is that where the tower ends? Hyun Sukjin: Seeing that they said the system would expand on the 5th floor, probably not. Park Chansuk: An expansion¡­¡­. Hyun Sukjin: I think they¡¯re planning to add more commands and start selling an item called the return stone. It seemed like more things would be unlocked on the 5th floor. I paid closer attention to the chat. Hyun Sukjin: The stone you can buy on the 5th floor will only let you return temporarily. Kim Seunghoon: Did they tell you how much it would be? Hyun Sukjin: Nah. They wanted me to use another question so I stopped. Lee HaYeon: Then we can never go back to Earth permanently? Hyun Sukjin: No, I hear there¡¯s another item for that on the 8th floor. Kang Sunwoo: So there¡¯s no way to go back just yet then, damn. The chatting died down as everyone became somber. I saw this as a huge win though. ¡°So there IS a way to get back¡­.¡± It¡¯s all I¡¯d wanted since I¡¯d entered the tower. Same as everyone else. As long as you reach the 8th floor, you should be able to get back. But why is it that¡ª ¡°¡­¡± The news didn¡¯t make me that happy. Kang Sunwoo: Alright. It¡¯s my turn to spread some knowledge. More information started to pop up in the community. Kang Sunwoo: Basically, it¡¯s not possible to get your abilities back, but you can grow really quickly by climbing the tower. Lee Changsuk: Ah, I asked about how the rewards were calculated. Hyun Sukjin: Eyy let us have it! Lee Changsuk: So everyone gets their own individual trials and you get bonus rewards depending on how special your method of clearing was. Kim Seunghoon: That¡¯s simpler than I thought. Everyone started sharing what they found out left and right. They could be charging points for this¡­ Not a single person tried to sell anything though. They were all too preoccupied with the idea of returning home. Lee Hayeon: I just asked about the expansion and got a response. Lee Seungjin: Ohh that was fast. What did they say? Lee Hayeon: Starting from the 5th floor, they¡¯ll be selling more weapons as well as more items like the return stone. Lee Hayeon: And they¡¯ll even be selling skills starting on the 8th floor. Lee Seungjin: They¡¯re gonna sell skills¡­.? I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Hyun Sukjin: Is that all the expansion is? Lee Hayeon: No, I think they¡¯re also adding a new system called the ¡®divergence.¡¯ What they called the ¡®divergence¡¯ was simple. The narrative-based trial. The battle-based trial. The strategy-based trial. On the 8th floor, you get to choose one of these divergences. Essentially, it would determine the way in which you¡¯d climb the tower. Lee Hayeon: Once you choose a divergence, you¡¯ll get the relevant trial. If you chose the narrative-based trial, you¡¯d play a role within a story. Battle-based trials would be mostly eradication or a raid. And the strategic trials would consist of challenges that could involve the other challengers, like capture the flag. I could picture how they¡¯d all go besides the narrative trials. Hyun Sukjin: And even if you plan to leave on the 8th floor, we still don¡¯t know how expensive the item would be. Kang Sunwoo: Damn, I guess I gotta start saving. Park Chansuk: You might die if you¡¯re too cheap with it. Be careful. Kim Seunghoon: You might have to keep climbing the tower to save enough points. Lee Hayeon: Yeah. I wasn¡¯t able to find out anything else. Lee Jinwoo: I don¡¯t like the sound of having to go against the other challengers. Park Chansuk: They probably won¡¯t let the losing side survive. Lee Jinwoo: I don¡¯t even know why that¡¯s an option. From the looks of it¡­ The administrator didn¡¯t seem to want to give us the whole picture. ¡®I should take this into account when I ask my questions.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t much more to get out of the community after that. Kim Donghyuk: I think I understand the divergence system now. Hyun Sukjin: I think we figured out as much as we could at this point. Kim Seunghoon: I guess everything else is up to us now. Lee Seungjin: Damn, the other difficulties probably already got out. Oh Choonsuk: lmao yeah we¡¯re the only ones still stuck here. I turned the community off when the conversations became irrelevant. ¡°Why aren¡¯t I that happy about finding out that we can go home¡­¡± If I could get back, I¡¯d be a top-class hunter. Using my innate ability, I¡¯d be able to go around dungeons absorbing souls to get stronger. ¡®I can probably even become an A rank hunter.¡¯ But that didn¡¯t sit right with me. I guess human greed knows no bounds. This was the first time I¡¯d been given the opportunity to grow. I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to climb higher. A smile escaped from the corner of my mouth. ¡®Am I trying to kill myself?¡¯ I had to snap out of it. Slap! ¡°Get yourself together.¡± I slapped my face to regain my composure. The 5th and 8th-floor challenges were a problem for the future. I might not even survive the 3rd floor. I had to focus. ¡°I¡¯ll think about those floors when I get to them.¡± The most important thing was staying alive. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 16 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 11 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 11 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 8 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration(E+), Heat Resistance(F), Pain Resistance(D) ¡¹ ¡°This is more like it.¡± It was much better than the time from the tutorial where all the stats were below 10. But¡­ I didn¡¯t know if this would be enough for the higher floors. I needed to get stronger. ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 65% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead and control them at will. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(1) ¨C Able to permanently increase stats depending on the nature and rank of the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(2) ¨C Able to store souls for later use. Soul storage capacity depends on the ability¡¯s rank. ¡¹ My innate ability¡¯s proficiency was getting pretty close to 100%. That meant it was almost time for my innate ability to evolve again. ¡®Once it hits 100%, it should rank up to an E rank ability.¡¯ Then it should gain some extra effects. That was what the other players said when their innate abilities ranked up. ¡®Soon I¡¯m going to need something a little better than just absorbing souls.¡¯ More so because my stats weren¡¯t increasing as much anymore, but I wasn¡¯t too worried about that. I could always find more monsters to fight. Necromancy made the user stronger and stronger the more you fought. I¡¯d be able to rank it up as long as I was well prepared for the 3rd trial. I began by absorbing all of the souls I had. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 9. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 14. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 10. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 0/5 ¡¹ Power overflowed in my body. In the past, I just felt more energetic than before, but this was different. I felt like my body didn¡¯t know what to do with all the surplus power. Satisfied, I opened my stat window. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 27 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 25 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 28(+5) ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 13 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy(F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration(E+), Heat Resistance(F), Pain Resistance(D) ¡¹ The three stats that affected the physical body were all above 20 now. Not only that, but they were also about to hit 30. ¡®My agility is already over 30 if you count the item bonus.¡¯ I could probably kill an orc with my bare hands right now. Tack! I propelled myself against the ground and jumped up as hard as I could. I pushed myself back off the ceiling and landed back on the ground. ¡°¡­¡± After a total of 4 round trips, I wasn¡¯t even phased. It felt more like a warm-up to me. ¡®I¡¯m starting to feel more and more inhuman¡­¡¯ My body was feeling more like a living weapon now. Especially considering that the stats were well balanced. Although¡­ ¡®I¡¯m still not very used to it yet.¡¯ With this much strength, I couldn¡¯t properly control my body. But I should be physically superior to an average orc. As long as I could get used to it¡­ ¡®I can probably 1v1 a D rank monster.¡¯ Either way, I should never let my guard down. One mistake could cost me my life. ¡¸ Floor 3 trial starting in ¨C 18hrs 32min ¡¹ ¡®I think it¡¯s about time I start training again.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t be arrogant just because I won one battle. First, I bought myself another shield. ¡¸ Deadwood Shield (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Cost ¨C 2,100 points ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A shield made by a black magician from a piece of deadwood. Activates a buff when life falls below a threshold. ¡¹ ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ I had enough points to spare. ¡¸ You have purchased Deadwood Shield (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ 2,100 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining balance ¨C 1,275 ¡¹ It cost me a pretty penny but it was alright. I still had a lot left from the 2nd trial¡¯s reward. ¡¸ Deadwood Shield (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D- ¡¹ ¡¸ A violet round shield that a black magician forged for berserker. ¡¹ ¡¸ Made from quality deadwood that does not break easily and absorbs impact. ¡¹ ¡¸ Increases attack speed after losing certain amounts of life. ¡¹ ¡¸ Increases strength after losing certain amounts of life. ¡¹ It said that a black magician forged this, so it made sense that the effects were pretty creepy. The effects should be quite useful in the trials. ¡®Made for a berserker, huh¡­¡¯ I guess that¡¯s sort of what I am now. I had to fight non-stop if I wanted to stay alive in these battles. That was enough distractions for the moment. I put on all of the equipment and started training. Shield and dagger techniques, along with getting used to this new body¡­ I also had to check out the effects of the Assassin¡¯s Cloak. You could only use the active abilities by passing in some mana through it. ¡®I have to get some practice in because I¡¯ve only just started using mana.¡¯ That way, I¡¯d be able to use it in battle more naturally. ¡¸ Floor 3 trial starting in ¨C 17hrs 12min ¡¹ I immersed myself in training with my new shield. There was a lot to learn now that my reach had gotten a lot shorter with the dagger. But the more I trained, the more I found myself enjoying it. I got more accustomed to the dagger and my inhuman strength. I never could have imagined myself like this in the outside world. Just that fact made the training feel enjoyable. Actually¡­ ¡®This¡­ is quite nice?¡¯ Seeing my stats increase shined a new light on repetitive training. It wasn¡¯t like I suddenly became a swordsmanship prodigy or anything, but I was still ecstatic that I¡¯d become this strong. My heart was beating out of my chest and my whole body heated up. I felt alive the whole time. Maybe I was just slowly going crazy. Was it normal to feel like this when I could die at any moment? Maybe it was. You never know what you have until you¡¯re about to lose it. This was also the first time I¡¯d ever had any potential in my future as a hunter. The stats, skills, and innate abilities. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯d never had all the things that the others took for granted. All I had to think about was surviving the third trial. While I got lost in my thoughts and training, a message popped up. ¡¸ Floor 3 trial starting in ¨C 0secs ¡¹ ¡¸ Time up. ¡¹ It was time to start climbing the tower again. ¡¸ Do you accept the 3rd-floor trial? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ Time to test out the fruits of my training. ____ Chapter 10 - Growth (3) Chapter 10: Growth (3) I entered the third challenge as soon as the cooldown of the Assassin¡¯s Cloak was up. There was nothing more I could do to prepare. In order to survive and return to Earth, I had to do this now. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®battle.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ A wet atrium appeared as I stepped into the portal. ¡°¡­¡± It was a seemingly normal-looking cave with small puddles of water. A small hole in the ceiling let a glimmer of sunlight into the center of the cave. ¡¸ The 3rd-floor trial is starting soon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Kill the sentinel of darkness¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Elixir of Steel (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ I looked around my surroundings after looking at the message. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what a sentinel of darkness is. There wasn¡¯t anything with that name in the hunter association¡¯s database. Another thing¡ª ¡®I don¡¯t see anything that could be called a sentinel of darkness.¡¯ That meant¡­ ¡®It could be hiding.¡¯ I held onto my shield tightly as I walked to the center of the cave. I didn¡¯t know where it would be coming out from. My guard had to be up at all times. Then¡ª ¡¸ The sentinel of darkness will spawn in 10 seconds. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I stared blankly at the message. ¡®I¡¯ve seen this somewhere¡­¡¯ I just remembered where I last saw the message. ¡®The Tutorial Trial.¡¯ It seemed like that was forever ago. That meant the enemy hadn¡¯t spawned yet. That was more psychological pressure for me. It would be one thing if it was hiding but¡­ Now it¡¯d be spawning someplace totally random. ¡®This is much more precarious.¡¯ But there wasn¡¯t much I could do about this situation¡­ I kept my guard up and waited patiently for 10 seconds. ¡¸ The sentinel of darkness is spawning now. ¡¹ A shriek pierced my eardrums as the message popped up. Swaah! The sound of air shredding approached from the left. I twisted my body and put my shield up. Crang¡­! The shock paralyzed my arm even through the shield. ¡°Ugh!¡± The attack was strong enough to lure out a groan from me. I panicked for a second, but I got back into my stance. Then¡ª ¡¸ Defeat the doppelganger, sentinel of darkness. ¡¹ The sentinel of darkness that the system was talking about finally showed itself. A dark shadowy figure wavered in the stream of sunlight. Shhhhh¡­ It was similar to a person. ¡°¡­¡± Like a black mass clumsily attempting to resemble a human. And the shield and the sword in its hand¡­ ¡®Is it copying me¡­?¡¯ The figure without eyes, nose, and a mouth creeped me out a little bit. This was the first time I was up against something I had no information on. ¡®That means no other hunter has faced this monster before.¡¯ That alone made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Going up against an unknown enemy was a big handicap. I lowered my body and hid it behind the shield. I would be at a disadvantage if I made the first move. But¡ª ¡°¡­?¡± The doppelganger also stood in place. As if it was not a living being. Is it an intelligent monster? ¡®That¡¯s not good.¡¯ Most monsters act purely based on instinct, but monsters above C-rank start to gain intelligence. ¡°The second floor even had a magician¡­¡± It really hit me that this was the hardest difficulty. After each trial, I could feel myself inching towards death. This must be what it¡¯s like to walk on a tightrope. ¡°Krr, krrrrr.¡± The doppelganger¡¯s dark facial area opened up and revealed a mouth. When its low pitched growl exposed the irregularly-placed fangs¡ª Whoosh! The doppelganger¡¯s right arm extended towards my face. The ability to close off distance without moving a step was frightening. I bent my torso backward in a hurry to have its arm graze over me. Crrrrrrrrr¡ª! The arm scraped the walls of the cave and the crash echoed throughout the cave. An absurd amount of strength. ¡°¡­¡± For a second there, I gazed out into the void. ¡®A battle¡­ I have to kill that monster¡­?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t limited by range and was physically superior to me. This was completely different from the second trial. My strategy of isolating the stronger opponent wouldn¡¯t work here. One-on-one. A one-on-one with no strategy involved. My head filled with despair as I realized this was the only way to clear this trial. But¡ª Whoosh¡­! I didn¡¯t get to revel in my feelings for too long before his arm shot at me again. The attack was too strong for me to block with my shield. I had to dodge this with a minimal amount of movement if I wanted to react to its next attack. I had to shake off my doubt and hesitation. I tilted my head to the side as I barely managed to dodge the attack. Chaaack! As the doppelganger¡¯s dagger darted past my face. Drip. My cheeks burned as I felt my blood drip down. I wiped the blood off my face and ran toward the monster. ¡®I have to close the distance if I want any chance at winning¡­!¡¯ At this rate, I¡¯d tire out just trying to stay alive. If I could close the distance, its shapeshifting wouldn¡¯t be as useful. But¡­ The doppelganger seemed to welcome the close combat. I don¡¯t know why it willingly gave up its advantage, but this was my chance. Taking advantage of the distance, I took a jab at the doppelganger¡¯s heart. However, the doppelganger did not take this lightly. Kunng! ¡°Krr, krrrr.¡± It blocked my dagger using the shield in its left arm. This must be why it allowed me to get so close. But I expected this from a monster taking my form. I didn¡¯t hesitate to take another shot. Whoosh¡­! I made a wide swing, forcing the monster to take a step back. I continued with a vertical slash. Clang! It blocked it again with the shield, but it didn¡¯t matter. The point of the attack wasn¡¯t to get a hit in. Bang! I kicked the doppelganger¡¯s leg while it was distracted by the dagger. Most monsters would lose their balance at this point¡­ The doppelganger¡¯s leg wavered but quickly regained its form. ¡®What kind of bull¡­¡¯ I aimed directly at the joint but that didn¡¯t even matter. I assumed that it might not be the most effective, but I didn¡¯t think physical attacks would be completely useless. This was just unexpected. Clang! After our short exchange, I gave myself some distance and stared at the doppelganger. ¡°¡­¡± Its abilities were crazy, but it was also starting to copy more clearly. ¡®It even has the same stance as me now.¡¯ I guess it¡¯s not called a doppelganger for nothing. The longer this exchange went on, the stronger this doppelganger would get. ¡®I¡¯m already at a disadvantage.¡¯ The ability to transform and strengthen its body parts. And the intelligence to copy their opponent¡¯s techniques. It may have more abilities, but this was enough information. ¡®If this drags on, I lose.¡¯ I had to finish this as fast as possible. I¡¯d have to throw everything I could at it. I swung my dagger again as that fact settled into my brain. Clang! The doppelganger blocked it perfectly again. Seems like it finished learning my shield techniques. But¡­ Clang! Kang! Tang! Clang! I didn¡¯t stop and continued to swing my dagger. There had to be a limit to how much impact it could handle. If I could put continuous pressure on this guy, it could show an opening¡­ Tung! My theory soon proved itself correct. The shield fell back after countless slashes. I quickly stabbed it in the heart as soon as my chance came. A clean jab. Puashh! Muddy liquid poured out from the newly formed hole. The doppelganger stumbled back for a second but regained its stance. It seemed a little shocked but not to the extent where its life was in danger. ¡°¡­¡± The hole in the doppelganger closed itself already. It didn¡¯t seem completely useless though. The doppelganger definitely felt threatened by me now. That means the dagger was effective. And¡ª ¡®It¡¯s not immune to all physical attacks.¡¯ As long as my attack was strong enough to get past its defenses. An attack to the neck or the head might be able to kill it. Of course, it didn¡¯t react as well as I wanted to the attack in the heart¡­ But the neck and head are different. ¡®Not many monsters are unphased by decapitation.¡¯ A doppelganger shouldn¡¯t be an exception. That¡¯s good enough for me to give it a try. ¡®I need an opportunity to get one good attack in.¡¯ That meant I¡¯d have to use everything I had. Concentrating on the energy in my stomach, I spread the mana into my body. I moved my mana with ease, just like I practiced in the waiting area. In the past, doing this took all my energy and concentration. Mana¡¯s my lowest stat after all. But now¡­ ¡¸ Using the Assassin¡¯s Cloak(C)¡¯s active ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement speed +15% ¡¹ ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:59 ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t as exhausting after my mana stat increased. Just the feeling of something leaving my body. ¡®It takes a bit out of me¡­ but nothing unbearable.¡¯ This could shift the tides back in my favor. I moved some mana into the cloak and started moving. Koong! I lightly pushed off my foot and my surroundings dashed past me. An agility over 30 with a 15% boost. A little out of balance. I barely managed to regain my balance while zooming through the air. This was only possible through the fruits of my training. ¡®I just have to do it like I did it in the waiting area¡­!¡¯ I focused all my attention on the tips of my toes and held my shield up instead of the dagger. I wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to aim directly at its neck. Although if I was used to this speed, I would have tried to slice his neck open. Not only was I not used to this speed, but it was also holding a shield. Not to mention that it stole all of my shield techniques. So¡­ This is the best I can do for now. Crannng! When the impact from the crash hit me. Piiiiii¡­ An unfamiliar ringing noise filled my ears and shook my brain up. But I didn¡¯t even have time to scream. Crash! My entire body shook and my vision phased in and out. The recoil was so much worse than I thought. ¡°Uughhh¡­!¡± My vision was blurry and my head was killing me. I couldn¡¯t move my body either. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Pain Resistance¡¯ is activating. ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain induced to the user is reduced by 15%. ¡¹ This skill was the only reason I was still conscious. ¡®Damn it, what¡¯s wrong with me¡­!¡¯ I propped myself up on the cold gravel. Shudder¡­ My arms were shaking and blood was dripping down to the floor. I must have hit something when I crashed. I was too dizzy to even tell where the blood was coming from. The pain seemed to be coming from everywhere. But it didn¡¯t matter. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Accelerated Regeneration¡¯ is activating. ¡¹ The skill activated and I started to gain some clarity back. Although, it felt like time was passing extra slowly. This should have left an impact on the doppelganger. The chances are, it was also debilitated now like me. I hobbled my way up to look around. Then¡ª ¡°This crazy son of a¡­¡± I saw the doppelganger trembling in the corner of the cave. Looking at its formless legs and arms, it took a good beating. Even that seemed to be repaired now though. It was at least still struggling to move around at the moment. I didn¡¯t have a moment to lose. I gripped my shield and dagger and ran towards the monster. It was recovering pretty fast but¡­ I was confident that I could decapitate it before that. ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:27 ¡¹ I still had some time on my buff left. ¡¸ Deadwood Shield(D)¡¯s effect is activating. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2 temporarily. ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack speed slightly increased temporarily. ¡¹ ¡®Nice timing¡­!¡¯ Spending all those points on the shield ended up being worth it. Strength flowed through my body, as opposed to the barely alive doppelganger. It was now or never. Craaaaack-! When I shoved the dagger into the doppelganger¡¯s neck. ¡¸ Congratulations, you have cleared the 3rd floor. ¡¹ Finally. ____ Chapter 11 - Growth (4) Chapter 11: Growth (4) ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®Elixir of Steel.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®3,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received the skill ¡®Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®1,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ The familiar messages appeared as the doppelganger¡¯s body disintegrated. I let out a sigh of relief as my legs gave out and I fell to the floor. Plop. ¡°Ahhhhhhh¡­¡± My stamina drained by the accelerated regeneration. The mana was needed to activate the cloak skill. And the recoil from the tackle. I was physically, mentally, and spiritually drained. If anything had gone wrong, I could have been the one laying there. I thought I had gotten a lot stronger but¡­ This difficulty wasn¡¯t balanced at all. ¡®I would have died if my innate ability wasn¡¯t battle-oriented.¡¯ Same with everyone else. They probably only lasted as long as they did because they used to be hunters. ¡®Most normal people probably died off¡­¡¯ I would be in their shoes too if I hadn¡¯t trained in different martial disciplines for the last 7 years. But why¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Rather than fear of increasing difficulty, a different emotion was starting to emerge. The feeling of victory. The same feeling that overwhelmed me on the 1st and 2nd floor. Deciding to fight and then winning. The feeling was enough to make you forget about the close encounters with death. The feeling was more prominent than ever after clearing the 3rd floor. I tried to suppress the feelings for a while but¡­ Badum. Badum. The fact that I fought and achieved something¡­ Was that something that could make my heart beat this fast? ¡®No way.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something that a normal person would feel. How could you be excited after you¡¯ve almost died? This was different from being relieved that you survived. But¡­ Just knowing that fact didn¡¯t make me any more normal. Maybe it¡¯s because the last 7 years of my life have been so stagnant. Or was I this crazy from the start? Either way¡­ This tower isn¡¯t good news for me. It tests me to my limit and provides a fair reward. Unlike real life where my hard work amounted to nothing. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s also just an excuse.¡± No matter the reason, it was clear that I was abnormal. But that was also one of the reasons that I survived. I couldn¡¯t deny that. Those who were able to adapt survived and those who couldn¡¯t¡­ died. ¡®That¡¯s why the community members go down every floor.¡¯ From that perspective, that wasn¡¯t too bad. I¡¯d completely adapted to this new way of life. But I heard hunters in my situation were in the most danger. It¡¯s easier to get addicted to the thrill of battle and go mad. I heard this was more severe for people with growth-type innate abilities. Then was it wrong to feel these feelings? ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know. It was probably a good thing for now but¡­ Everything would change on the 5th floor. There was a possibility of going back to Earth after that. But for now. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on staying alive.¡± That was more than enough to keep me busy for now. I lifted myself up and walked toward the doppelganger. I stuck my hands into the black mist. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the doppelganger. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/5 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 35% ¡¹ My surprise at the proficiency increase didn¡¯t last too long. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ ranked up. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I really didn¡¯t expect that to happen. *** ¡®It¡¯s going to rank up this suddenly?¡¯ All I could do was stare blankly. I didn¡¯t understand why the proficiency increased by so much and the skill ranked up. But¡­ I had a feeling why. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s a hidden bonus depending on the soul that I absorb.¡¯ Like maybe the proficiency increases more if it¡¯s stronger than me. I¡¯d heard some skills that worked like that. The system was concise and didn¡¯t always explain everything. Of course, this wasn¡¯t a bad thing for me¡­ ¡°¡­I guess I just got lucky this time.¡± That was the only possible explanation. It seemed like my innate ability had pretty high potential. This skill was probably one of the higher-tier growth skills. ¡®I get stronger the more enemies I fight and the proficiency explodes depending on some conditions.¡¯ A dry laugh escaped my mouth as I opened my status window. ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead and control them at will. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(1) ¨C Able to permanently increase stats depending on the nature and rank of the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(2) ¨C Able to store souls for later use. Soul storage capacity depends on the ability¡¯s rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(3) ¨C Able to acquire one skill bound to a soul at a certain percentage upon absorbing that soul. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t hold back a smirk after looking at the added effect. ¡°They say it¡¯s high risk, high return¡­¡± And it was true. Killing the doppelganger was definitely a risk worth this reward. ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of a skill that lets you take a skill from a monster.¡¯ Another sign that this was a top-tier innate ability. ¡®I understand being able to absorb stats but skills? That¡¯s too much.¡¯ No one¡¯s ever heard of something like that. There were also no prerequisites to absorbing skills. ¡®It¡¯s like, if the tower was high risk, high return¡­¡¯ Necromancy was low risk, high return. There wasn¡¯t much to worry about, but the rewards were comparable to those of the tower. Even if there were some unseen conditions, this was still a winning deal for me. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d end up with an innate ability like this.¡± I was different from the past where I couldn¡¯t get any of my stats to increase. All I had to do was fight strong enemies. ¡®Well, they don¡¯t necessarily have to be strong.¡¯ I could just massacre a bunch of weaker enemies to get stronger too. ¡°No wonder why everyone said that your innate ability was the most important.¡± If you ended up with a good one, the value couldn¡¯t be measured in money. I somehow ended up in that group. ¡®Couldn¡¯t this have happened a little sooner?¡¯ It was making me go through literal hell before giving me this overpowered ability. No use lamenting the past now. I was a little salty but moved my attention to the other rewards. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A technique made by hunters for effective hunting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C When using a dagger, the weapon¡¯s cutting force is increased by 1.5 times. ¡¹ I would have preferred a rarer dagger skill but I shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship. I knew it pretty well. There was a time when I would have killed for this skill. ¡®My untalented ass wasn¡¯t able to get it anyway.¡¯ I did end up being able to learn how to use the weapons though. It was one of the skills that were relatively easy to learn and one of the most effective. ¡®I mean the effect is nice and I wanted a weapon skill but¡­ why this one?¡¯ I thought the Tower of Trials would give a different variety of weapon skills. But come to think of it, it made sense thinking about the comments I saw in the community. ¡°They said the way you cleared the trial was important to the bonus rewards.¡± This was a reflection of how I fought during the trial. ¡®I did use the dagger during the whole trial.¡¯ I guess it made sense that this was the skill that I got. I also checked the new item in my inventory. ¡¸ Elixir of Steel ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C ¡¹ ¡¸ An elixir that an alchemist poured their soul into. ] ¡¸ Creates a special stat ¡®Tenacity.¡¯ If the stat already exists, increase it by 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ The stat increase only applies when the stat is below 40. ¡¹ The creation of a new stat caught my eye. It made sense why the grade of this item was so high. ¡®This would be traded at an incredibly high rate outside.¡¯ It was crazy that something like this was in my hands right now. Even if this was selling for a historically high rate, I couldn¡¯t even sell it now and had no intentions of doing so. That¡¯s how important the creation of a new stat was. ¡®It¡¯s time to go back now.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to stay in this bleak and muddy cave for too long. ¡®I want to absorb the soul and rest already.¡¯ The regeneration skill wasn¡¯t enough to bring me to full health. ¡¸ Select a soul to absorb from the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/15 ¡¹ ¡¸ Doppelganger ¡¹ The interface expanded and gave me more choices. ¡°Some things changed after the skill ranked up.¡± I pressed on the text that said doppelganger and tried to absorb it. Then. ¡¸ Absorbing the doppelganger¡¯s soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Able to acquire the following soul¡¯s skill at a certain percentage. ¡¹ The message now said that it was in the process of absorbing instead of showing the increased stats. ¡°A certain percentage.¡± The probability likely wasn¡¯t very high because there was no risk involved. ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯d hit the jackpot on the first try¡­¡¯ I should keep my expectations low so I don¡¯t get disappointed. Then¡ª ¡¸ Absorbed the doppelganger¡¯s soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Acquiring one of the doppelganger¡¯s skills. ¡¹ Jackpot. ____ Chapter 12 - Trial of Competi Chapter 12: Trial of Competition (1) ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the doppelganger¡¯s soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 7. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 7. ¡¹ The same old, same old. Until¡ª ¡¸ Acquiring skill ¡®Physical Resistance (D)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Physical resistance¡­?¡¯ My head emptied for a second. There was no question as to where this skill came from. Dumfounded, I reread the messages on the screen. ¡¸ Acquiring one of the doppelganger¡¯s skills. ¡¹ ¡°Was I always this lucky¡­?¡± My life had been nothing but a series of unfortunate events up until now¡­ It was as if my reality was shattering. When I came to my senses, I checked the details of my new skill. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Physical Resistance (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Gain resistance to all kinds of physical attacks. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know what gaining resistance meant but¡­ I knew one thing for sure. I¡¯d acquired one of the best possible skills from the doppelganger. Physical resistance was probably a property that the doppelganger¡¯s body had. It wasn¡¯t too hard to theorize. Still, more thoughts swarmed my head. ¡®Just how good is this necromancy skill?¡¯ If the E-rank effect was this strong, just what additional effects would it gain later? ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine it. At the same time, a small voice in the back of my head was telling me: It would be a waste to stop here. The impulse I felt when I first chose this difficulty overtook me again. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t let it get to me. Arrogance leads to carelessness and carelessness leads to a mistake. This wasn¡¯t a game so there would be no respawning if I died. I needed to be careful. After checking on all the rewards, I started moving again. Then¡­ ¡¸ Moving to the waiting area. ¡¹ It was time to get out of this damn cave. *** ¡¸ You have entered the 4th floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Healing all injuries and status ailments. ¡¹ ¡¸ The healing effect is constantly applied in the waiting room. ¡¹ The familiar message welcomed me to the waiting area. ¡°The 4th floor, huh¡­¡± I got a funny feeling when I thought about the fact that I had gone through this 3 times already¡­ And how much stronger I¡¯d gotten throughout the trials. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ Ignoring the nostalgic feeling, my body already knew what to do. ¡¸ Floor 4 Community (880/1508) ¡¹ Complaints burst out as soon as I opened the community. It makes sense though. The 3rd trial was crazy difficult. ¡®The 2nd floor wasn¡¯t too bad as long as you knew how to use your head¡­ but not the 3rd floor.¡¯ But the mood in the community wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought. It seems that only the more experienced people were left at this point. People were even sharing some tips. A lot more tips came up afterward. Of course, I already know most of it so I didn¡¯t have to focus as much, but I still learned some good stuff. ¡®Skill proficiency goes up after I turn off the auto-healing?¡¯ Same with acquiring new skills. There was a lot of interesting information. I was wondering what the heat resistance was about. ¡®I guess it¡¯s built into the system.¡¯ A system that rewarded you for achieving something. There wasn¡¯t any detailed information but I still learned a decent amount. Even after 3 trials, the tower still managed to surprise me. ¡°¡­¡± As soon as one person mentioned the 4th trial, the community couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. This is what he said: He¡¯d been using his questions to find out information about every upcoming trial. And as always, he asked the administrator about the 4th trial. Basically, all the challengers on the 4th floor would be going through the trial together. Something unthinkable to the challengers. There was no collaboration whatsoever until now¡­ But the 4th trial would be different. Some people speculated that difficulty would spike because of all the people, while others said that collaboration would make the trials a little easier. The trial was definitely pitting us against each other. I didn¡¯t know if this would be an outright battle royale but¡­ Whether or not the trial made us kill each other or not, anyone who lost would be killed by the penalty anyway. We¡¯d be fighting each other, even if it was just to stay alive. We¡¯d be put into teams of 3 and work towards a common objective. The teams would be formed randomly by the tower. But people stopped talking after that. I didn¡¯t know who would use their questions to find out any additional information but¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way someone would share that information like before.¡¯ Everyone must have figured out the situation by now. I didn¡¯t know why the initial challenger even told us what he knew. Did he not realize what this information would do to the community? ¡®No way.¡¯ Still, there was no point in deliberating on why he told us. It didn¡¯t seem like a lie but there¡¯s no way to tell. ¡®If it¡¯s true, we¡¯d have to fight each other¡­ like it or not.¡¯ This was different from all the other trials where you had to kill monsters. The gravity of having to commit murder weighed down on the community. The losers would die and the winners would move on to the next floor. ¡°¡­¡± I stared at the frozen chat screen and got lost in my thoughts. Could I really kill someone for my own benefit? ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ But that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d lay down and let them walk all over me. In the end, I¡¯d have to act to save my own life. So¡­ I knew what I had to do to survive. I had to review my rewards and prepare for the upcoming fight. Nothing had changed. I had to prepare for and overcome the next trial. That was all. ____ Chapter 13 - Trial of Competition (2) Chapter 13: Trial of Competition (2) The Elixir of Steel. An elixir you could get by clearing the 3rd trial. Normally this would sell for billions but¡­ ¡¸ You¡¯ve taken the Elixir of Steel. ¡¹ ¡¸ Special stat ¡®Tenacity¡¯ has been created. ¡¹ ¡¸ The spirit of steel encapsulates your body. The higher the tenacity, the stronger your body gets. ] That didn¡¯t matter now. The most important thing was whether or not I¡¯d survive the 4th trial. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 34 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 29 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 33(+5) ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 20 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 10 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ Seeing my newly increased stats gave me a sense of pride. ¡®I have to do everything in my power to make sure I win the competition.¡¯ Victory or death. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can win against them in a fight but¡­¡¯ I at least wouldn¡¯t avoid a fight. I started to gain more and more confidence as I climbed the tower. There was no more hesitation. I wouldn¡¯t run from any more fights. And I¡¯d win. More importantly, the effects of the elixir were taking place. ¡°It¡¯s doing its job as a C-rank item.¡± The change was almost immediate. Everything felt hard to the touch. It was as if my skin had turned into steel. I could also tell that my endurance had gone up. I was a little disappointed that the reward was gone already, but it was too late to worry about that. Then it was time to inspect my equipment. I decided to go easy on the points this round. I wouldn¡¯t buy anything besides the necessary food and potions. That was the most efficient use of my points. ¡®Especially since they¡¯re going to sell return stones and skills in the marketplace later.¡¯ It would be more worth it to save up now. I had already determined that I would be safe with my current equipment. Also, it seemed like the objective of the 4th trial was indeed competition. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t, someone would have said something about it when they asked for more details.¡¯ But the community was silent. You could deduce an answer without wasting any questions. ¡°Teams of three¡­¡± This would be the first time meeting anyone in the tower. I was a little excited but still nervous. ¡®Would the other challengers have gotten stronger like me?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t tell how much stronger I had gotten because I had no one to compare myself to. But I did know that I was growing at an accelerated rate. But¡­ I also wanted to know how the other challengers had progressed. No one ever revealed information about themselves, even back when the community was most active. One thing I knew for sure was that they were all strong enough to pass 3 trials. ¡®No matter how much I progressed, I can¡¯t be arrogant.¡¯ I straightened up all of my equipment and prepared for my training. ¡¸ Do you want to disable the waiting area¡¯s auto-healing? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ Using some information that I got before the community quieted down¡ª ¡¸ The auto-healing has been disabled. ¡¹ ¡¸ The body will retain physical stress and injuries will not heal. ¡¹ If that was true, it would prove to be pretty useful. Training was the only thing I could do. Just like always. *** When I was just starting to get used to my new body, a message appeared as if to tell me I was ready. ¡¸ Do you accept the 4th floor trial? ¡¹ Gasping for air, I stared at the message. ¡°Pant, pant.¡± Damn, training was much harder without auto-healing. ¡®I didn¡¯t know having it off would make this much difference¡­¡¯ I had hit my physical limit swinging my sword and rolling on the ground. Every fiber of my muscles ached, and the pain pierced through my bones. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Accelerated Regeneration¡¯ is activating. ¡¹ I had been repetitively leaving cuts on my arms to activate Accelerated Regeneration. The self-harm was also doing a number on my mental stability. But the results were astounding. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration (E+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 27% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to recover quickly from non-life-threatening injuries. ¡¹ The proficiency had been going up as I constantly gave myself small cuts. I couldn¡¯t train the resistance skills by harming myself, so those hadn¡¯t increased. And even if I could raise it myself, the activation condition was the problem. Training that skill would essentially be torture. Though maybe it was a good thing that I couldn¡¯t self-harm my way into training the resistance skills. Otherwise, I would have had to torture myself sooner or later. Most skills didn¡¯t have loopholes you could use to artificially increase proficiency like accelerated regeneration. However, even healing a small wound took a lot of stamina, so I couldn¡¯t raise it all that much. If I overdid it, I could be in danger of passing out. And the more injuries I had, the more likely that the skill wouldn¡¯t activate. I guess I could turn the auto-healing off if things got rough. ¡®I don¡¯t have the luxury of switching that on and off until I get more points.¡¯ But there had been some pros to this. My movements had become more efficient from tiring out, and it was easier to see the effects of the new skills. For example, the effects of my new tenacity stat and the Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship passive. In the beginning, I almost lost a hand from the increased cutting force. I still got chills thinking back to that. But¡ª ¡®At least it was effective.¡¯ Looking at the results, I would be at a loss if I didn¡¯t keep training like this. ¡°¡­¡± After a brief break, I turned the auto-healing back on. My muscles loosened and my stamina was restored. Now that all my hindrances were gone¡­ There was no reason to not accept the next trial. Some people might think that I was rushing into it but¡ª ¡®If I hesitate, I may end up never going through with it.¡¯ ¡¸ Do you accept the 4th floor trial? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ ¡®It¡¯s now or never.¡¯ ¡¸ Queueing the challengers¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please wait until the matching is complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current number of challengers ¨C 18/30 ¡¹ I was wondering what the matching system was. ¡®I kinda get it now.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s simple.¡¯ The Tower of Trials always gave its challengers an intuitive challenge. Almost as if it was trying to show us the most direct path for growth. And then it hit me. ¡®Why is it doing this for us?¡¯ It was only the 4th floor but I was already stronger than most low-level hunters. If you included my equipment and skills, the difference was even more drastic. The higher I went up the tower, the harder the trials got¡­ And the better the rewards the tower would provide. ¡°¡­¡± This was just my gut but, I didn¡¯t think the tower was giving these rewards for no reason. Everything has a cost. ¡®What would the tower even want from me?¡¯ Probably something impossible for an individual, considering the number of people it pulled in. Just as I was about to continue this train of thought¡ª Ting! ¡¸ Current number of challengers ¨C 30/30 ¡¹ ¡¸ Matching complete. ¡¹ A portal opened as if to rush us out of our waiting areas. I stopped my thoughts and walked to the portal. ¡®I¡¯ll think about this later. For now, I¡¯ll focus on the trial.¡¯ ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The following trial is a special trial where 30 challengers enter as a group. ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®competition.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ Voom! The surroundings changed into something I might¡¯ve seen in medieval novels. Decorative paintings in a room surrounded by walls made of brick. There wasn¡¯t time to admire the view though. ¡¸ Choosing the teams. ¡¹ ¡¸ You are in a close relationship with your teammates. ¡¹ ¡¸ Collaborate with them and complete the trial before any others. ¡¹ Voom! The portal I entered disappeared and 2 more appeared in front of me. And¡ª ¡¸ The 4th floor trial is starting soon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 1day ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Killing the goblin chief before the timer runs out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s team¡¯s death or time out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C All stats +4 ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ It¡¯s time. ____ Chapter 14 - Trial of Competition (3) Chapter 14: Trial of Competition (3) ¡¸ The teams have been formed. ¡¹ ¡¸ The citadel¡¯s front door will open in 10 minutes. ¡¹ ¡¸ Finish harmonizing by then and start the trial. ¡¹ Voom¡­.! The two unmoving portals started to vibrate. Teams of three¡­ I guess that information wasn¡¯t wrong, since two people I¡¯d never seen before walked out of those portals. ¡°¡­Competition, this shit is really the 4th trial?¡± A fully armored giant murmured with a scowl on his face. It looked like he just saw the last message that the tower sent. He also probably didn¡¯t know that this was actually the objective of this trial. Conversely, the woman challenger didn¡¯t seem very surprised. ¡°First thing¡¯s first. Shall we introduce ourselves?¡± In fact, she took a look around and suggested that we exchange pleasantries. She seemed overly calm but that eliminated a need for small talk. ¡°I¡¯m Han Sungyoon. Nice to meet you.¡± The woman flipped her hair back and replied. ¡°I¡¯m Lee Hayeon. Likewise.¡± An eye-catching, cool beauty. ¡®Just one left.¡¯ The large man opened his mouth, almost reluctantly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m Lee Sunghoon. Don¡¯t get in my way and we won¡¯t have any problems.¡± Don¡¯t get in his way? It was an interesting introduction but we quickly switched the topic. ¡°Firstly, did anyone look up any information about the trial?¡± Lee Hayeon replied calmly to Sunghoon¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah, I used my questions to find out some extra information.¡± ¡°Good. What did you find out?¡± ¡°¡­I used quite a few questions so I should know all the basics.¡± ¡°Hm, I guess I didn¡¯t completely lose the teammate lottery.¡± I felt similarly. That Lee Sunghoon guy seemed a little arrogant but didn¡¯t seem like a bad guy. These kinds of people are usually the strongest. It would be a pain in my ass if he was a permanent teammate but¡­ ¡®I can take this for a trial.¡¯ Our paths would diverge after we cleared this trial. ¡°Let¡¯s reveal our abilities before getting started.¡± Lee Sunghoon wanted to skip the small talk and discuss our abilities. That seemed like a given for people who need to work together. Lee Hayeon seemed a little hesitant but opened up. ¡°I have an exploration-based innate ability and I can use magic. I¡¯m not fit for close-range combat.¡± Lee Sunghoon¡¯s eyes gleamed when he heard magic. He seemed a little dim, but even he knew how valuable mages were. ¡°Oh, a mage. What kind of magic can you use?¡± ¡°Nothing offensive. I specialize in support magic.¡± A mage who couldn¡¯t use offensive spells¡­ After hearing that, I finally opened my mouth. ¡°But you can use at least one offensive magic right?¡± Even support mages should be able to use at least one attack spell. Although she probably wasn¡¯t lying about close combat due to her lack of weapons¡­ There was no way she got up the tower without any offense. Although I couldn¡¯t say anything if she just said all her trials were some supporting ones¡­ She didn¡¯t look like she had any other way of fighting other than magic. Lee Hayeon¡¯s eyes widened for a second and she admitted it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not much but I can also use some elemental magic.¡± I could tell she was considering hiding it for a bit but she gave in. I understood why she wanted to hide it though. ¡®She probably thought that she might need to use a hidden skill in the worst-case scenario.¡¯ The failure condition is the death of the entire team after all. That meant as long as you were alive, what happened to your team didn¡¯t matter. That also meant you couldn¡¯t do anything to them as long as they stayed alive. ¡®There¡¯s a decent number of loopholes if you want to abuse it.¡¯ She probably wanted to keep at least one thing hidden just in case. After all, anything could happen in the tower. ¡°You said you¡¯re a mage, but you¡¯re probably more fit in a supporter role.¡± ¡­Lee Sunghoon didn¡¯t seem that interested in any of that. I also thought about what I should reveal before speaking up. ¡°I specialize in close combat and I have physical-enhancement-based innate ability.¡± Just enough for them to work with me. I also wasn¡¯t lying about anything because my innate ability actually does strengthen my body. They didn¡¯t seem to doubt it because it matched my appearance. ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m also a close combat specialist with a mana resistance innate ability.¡± ¡°Resistance¡­ That¡¯s a pretty high quality innate ability.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on a different level from the mid-level losers¡± He smirked as he talked about himself. I guess I knew where his arrogance came from. ¡®It¡¯s because he has an innate ability like mana resistance.¡¯ Mana resistance could help you resist all things involving mana like magic or mana-based skills. It synergized very well with those specializing in close combat. ¡°We should also reveal what our hunter ranks were in the outside world.¡± He slipped that in as the corner of his mouth rose. ¡°I was a D rank hunter before I came here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. I was an E rank.¡± ¡°Not bad for a support. You must have been alright.¡± ¡°I must have been.¡± While Lee Hayeon brushed Sunghoon off, his attention now turned to me. I didn¡¯t even have a rank to reveal to them. Just 7 fruitless years as a trainee. ¡°I wasn¡¯t a hunter in the outside world, but I was a player. I was preparing to become a hunter.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t mention that the preparation period was 7 years. ¡°Legit?¡± As expected, his face contorted into a look of disapproval. ¡°I¡¯m still confident enough in my ability to fight.¡± But he didn¡¯t even try to hear me out. ¡°Confident my ass. Just don¡¯t hold us back.¡± He looked like he just lost a lottery. A familiar gaze. ¡°¡­¡± The only reaction I got before coming into the tower. ¡°I guess you can at least be a meat shield if you can strengthen your body.¡± Just his tone said that he didn¡¯t expect anything from me. I stayed quiet and stared at him. He must have taken my silence as acceptance. ¡°Just stay in front of Lee Hayeon and follow my orders if you want to pass the trial.¡± Lee Hayeon carefully opened her mouth. ¡°Well if he came up here, we¡¯re all probably at the same power level.¡± It was almost as if she was trying to calm me down, but I had no intention of replying. All that mattered in this tower was your strength. If he was qualified to talk to me like that, I had nothing to say. My pride was a small price to pay for my life. If he could prove his strength, it would be best to just play along with him¡­ Though if he couldn¡¯t, there was no reason for me to be treated like this. ¡®I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡¯ ¡¸ The citadel¡¯s front door will open in 3 minutes. ¡¹ The trial would officially start soon. And¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s hear the information you found out using your questions.¡± An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. No point in talking back to him now. I wouldn¡¯t let him talk his way out if he ever got in the way or caused a problem. Even if he was a hunter in the past, if we were all reset at the beginning¡­ ¡®We shouldn¡¯t be too far off in strength.¡¯ Some of the rewards and our innate abilities were probably a little different. But even then, we should all be around the same level¡­ More so since I found out how overpowered my innate ability was. ¡°Let me tell you what¡¯s going to happen after the doors open.¡± It wasn¡¯t like anything that we haven¡¯t faced before. We¡¯d be fighting monsters off, same as usual. Also, we¡¯d have to get through the horde as fast as possible and kill the goblin chief. ¡°In these citadels, there are a total of 5 bosses and only 15 people can pass the trial.¡± Only half of the 30 would survive. ¡°Each boss is targeted by two teams so we have a team against us.¡± That¡¯s not bad, there were only 3 people against us¡­ ¡®Six people going for the same objective.¡¯ It was designed to be cruel. We would practically be murdering our opponents. Actually, they were essentially ordering us to take out the other team. Taking out the boss would be much easier if we took out the other team first. But Lee Sunghoon seemed to prefer it. ¡°I like how simple it is. We just have to kill it before they do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to map the area out first.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had an exploration-based innate ability?¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll lead the way so the two of you can just protect me.¡± ¡°You hear that trainee? Just stand in front of her.¡± I just nodded my head. He definitely didn¡¯t like the fact that I didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t point it out. More accurately, he didn¡¯t have the chance. ¡¸ Time up. ¡¹ ¡¸ The citadel gates have opened and the monsters are pouring in. ¡¹ ¡¸ Find the target as soon as possible and kill it. ¡¹ ¡°Stand in the front.¡± Lee Sunghoon dropped the conversation and took out his greatsword. I nodded again and stood in front of Lee Hayeon. ¡°Please just tell me where to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± She followed close behind and Lee Sunghoon guarded us from the rear. As soon as we stepped out¡­ KIEAAAKK! We only just started and this happened already? Monsters made their way through the stone buildings. Seeing an army of fully armed goblins made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Yep. No way the tower would have made this easy. ¡°¡­I can lead the way later. Let¡¯s get ready to fight first.¡± I remembered that I didn¡¯t choose to go on a walk in the park¡­ This was the worst of the three difficulties¡­ hard. ____ Chapter 15 - Trial of Competition (4) Chapter 15: Trial of Competition (4) The battle began as soon as we stopped speaking. A group of 10 or so goblins swarmed towards us. KIEAAAK! A goblin with glowing yellow eyes leaped at me with a shriek. Its body was small, but it had a bunch of things dangling from his body. A poison dart, leather armor, arm guard, backup knife, etc¡­ Crude¡­ but still useful in battle. These goblins were completely different from the norm. They even made the weakest goblin suitable for the hard difficulty. Swoosh! The rusted dagger in the goblin¡¯s hand swung like the crescent moon. Much more refined swordsmanship than what I saw on the last floor. This was also not found normally in goblins. Except¡­ ¡®They have better techniques but still the same stats as a worker orc.¡¯ Without even needing to concentrate, I read the path of the swing. Clang! I bounced its attack effortlessly with my shield. No fancy skill or technique involved. Just an absolute difference in stats. Maybe that¡¯s why¡ª Puaat! The goblin couldn¡¯t even react until my dagger pierced its heart. What was the point of all the equipment he was hoarding? ¡®Well, I don¡¯t have to worry about it now.¡¯ Lee Sunghoon in the back didn¡¯t seem to agree though. ¡°What kind of goblins move this systematically¡­!¡± He was barely blocking the attacks that I saw through. Tu-tu-tung! He was struggling to block the poison darts using his greatsword. His body barely fit behind the sword and his armor was taking the brunt of it. The first thought that popped up in my head was¡­ curiosity. ¡®Is he trying to play with the goblins¡­?¡¯ Of course, he would be idiotic to do something so inefficient. But that was the only explanation for what was happening in front of my eyes. This boastful bastard was struggling to deal with two goblins? My doubt turned into certainty at the sound of his screaming. ¡°What are you looking at? Go fight you degenerate!¡± Hearing him yell without even looking up, I could only sigh at his incompetence. He was genuinely having a hard time with the goblins. I expected all of us to have a similar strength level. My innate ability was growth-based and I did get a lot of bonus rewards¡­ But we all cleared the same trials at the same difficulty, so I assumed that they had something similar. Yet reality wasn¡¯t all like it seemed. Lee Sunghoon wasn¡¯t even at my level, let alone stronger than me. ¡®I know they¡¯re fully armed, but they¡¯re still just goblins¡­¡¯ I wasn¡¯t even sure how they made it up all the way here. At this point, Lee Hayeon let out a strained squeak. ¡°If you can last a little longer, my spell will be¡­¡± ¡°Shut up and use a buff or something! Right now!¡± He must have felt frustrated that he was just hiding behind his sword. I didn¡¯t think any buff was going to be enough to make him useful. ¡°¡­¡± I was flabbergasted but I knew the solution to this. In the end, I¡¯d have to be the one to handle these goblins. Of course, I could just stay put and let Lee Hayeon handle it in a bit. ¡®That would be the safest option.¡¯ Protect her cast while she casts buffs on Lee Sunghoon. Upholding this system should be enough to take all these goblins out¡­ But this trial had a time limit. ¡®And since we have competition, the faster the better.¡¯ We could all end up dying if we got held up for too long in the beginning. We would essentially be asking for them to kill us. Then there was only one problem left. ¡®Can I take care of them before they touch Lee Hayeon?¡¯ I considered it for a bit but came to a swift conclusion. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Even being generous, these goblins were barely as strong as the hunter orcs. I was at least pretty confident that I could take the attention off of Lee Hayeon. ¡°Huh? What are you¡­¡± She had a confused look on her face but I decided to ignore it. I had no intention of explaining myself to her anyway. Kwong! More importantly, I pushed off the ground and hurled myself where the goblins were concentrated. The distance between myself and the goblins closed quickly and. Shuat! The frontmost goblin¡¯s head flew in the air, spraying blood everywhere. The agility stat I¡¯d been absorbing was finally starting to shine. Goblins that noticed me started to shoot their darts at me in a panic. Needless to say, they were all blocked by my shield. The constant darts were annoying but it wasn¡¯t much to deal with. I just had to see the trajectory of the dart and put my shield up. It wasn¡¯t even that hard. Anyone could do it if they had high enough stats. Tu-tu-tung! I slapped away more darts as I swung my sword. The Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship skill made my movements more fluid and sharp. It was almost like I could see the path that my blade should take. All the theories I knew about dagger techniques were happening in front of me in real-time. That alone already made the skill worth it. The goblins tried to resist it by holding up their arm guards. They must use those to halt the blades and use that opportunity to dig into their opponents. ¡®Maybe not for blunt weapon users but they were tough for blade wielders.¡¯ That still didn¡¯t stop the swing of my blade. The guard would normally stop any sharp weapon, but my dagger was a ranked item with the hunter¡¯s daggermanship skill. I could tell that the small piece of steel wouldn¡¯t be enough to impede my dagger with 1.5 times the cutting force. My conviction turned into reality. Slit¡ª! With no resistance, I sliced through both the guard and its arm like butter. Pit! I shoved my dagger into the armless goblin¡¯s neck and headed toward the others. Snip! Pit! Puaat! Goblin blood spurted at all angles with each swing of my arm. They would at least need some decent equipment if they wanted to stand a chance against me. Thankfully they emphasized quantity over quality. Just as I killed four more goblins¡ª ¡¸ ¡®Goblin Slayer¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ A message appeared in the corner of my eye and lightened my body. This was the same system that gave me the heat resistance skill on the 2nd floor. ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ It didn¡¯t give me a skill like last time but it was still useful. There was no need to even track the poison darts and the weapons anymore. The goblins couldn¡¯t keep up with my newly gained agility. I was now taking these goblin¡¯s lives in an instant. Pit! After about 8 goblins, they stopped coming at me. The battle was over. ¡®This should be the end of the wave.¡¯ I caught my breath and observed my surroundings. I don¡¯t know when, but Lee Sunghoon also took care of two goblins. Of course, that was with the help of Lee Hayeon¡¯s buffs. Something was off about the mood. Lee Sunghoon¡¯s face was frozen solid and Lee Hayeon was staring at me with wide eyes. Snapping awake, Lee Sunghoon spoke first. ¡°N-not bad for a trainee. You must have gotten lucky, only facing the weak goblins.¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend what he was saying for a second. Standing behind him, Lee Hayeon scowled. ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t seem right. It wasn¡¯t just luck.¡± Lee Hayeon reluctantly spoke up but Lee Sunghoon didn¡¯t back down. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault he picked out the weaker one to fight.¡± ¡°It was clearly all skill. I don¡¯t think you should talk about him like that.¡± Lee Sunghoon eyed me from the side before opening his mouth again. ¡°What do you mean skill? It was just beginner¡¯s luck.¡± ¡®Beginner¡¯s luck¡¯ huh. Now I knew why he was staring at me so weirdly. Unlike him, who could barely fend off two, I killed eight. His pride must have been hurt. These kinds of people always act like this when they get hit in the face with reality. All the ¡®talented¡¯ trainees reacted like this when they became hunters. They tried to bring down others to preserve their worth. I would have shrugged it off if this was the outside world. A 7-year trainee like me had no right to speak up¡­ But not anymore. ¡°Stop with all this luck and weak bullshit.¡± If he was acting like this even after seeing the difference in our skill, I¡¯d give him exactly what he wanted. If he wants a hierarchy, he¡¯d get a hierarchy. ¡°W-what did you sa¡ª!¡± He tried to respond with a red face but I was faster. ¡°Whatever you were blubbering about, shut the fuck up.¡± ¡°Blubbering, when did I ever¡­¡± ¡°Telling me to be a meat shield because I was a trainee, getting lucky and facing weak goblins.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve been patient enough with you.¡± Honestly, that was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. ¡°Isn¡¯t it laughable that we¡¯re in a life or death trial and here you are arguing with me?¡± ¡°We barely have a day left and our competition is probably making their way to the boss as we speak.¡± Lee Sunghoon¡¯s face darken when I mentioned the wasted time. He must have felt at least a little guilty about it. ¡°If you plan on being a dead weight, the least you can do is shut up.¡± I stomped towards him. ¡°We don¡¯t fail if at least one person in the team stays alive.¡± In other words, I was willing to kill him if he got in my way. Of course, I didn¡¯t really plan on killing anyone, so it was more of a bluff. The threat seemed to work wonders on Lee Sunghoon. ¡°W-wha¡­¡± ¡°Voice your complaints now if you have any.¡± He flinched and stumbled back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t have any problems.¡± I might¡¯ve been going too far, but at least now he wouldn¡¯t look down on me. I looked him straight in the eye and made my final remarks. ¡°Hopefully we can work well together for the rest of the trial.¡± It wasn¡¯t like he had a choice though. Chapter 16 - Trial of Competition (5) Chapter 16: Trial of Competition (5) To Lee Sunghoon, the tower meant a fresh start. Compared to the promising novice he once was, the current Lee Sunghoon was a bird with a broken wing. While the others were facing reality, Lee Sunghoon always looked to the past. With a high-rank innate ability, even aiming to be an A-rank hunter wasn¡¯t a pipe dream. That was the peak of Lee Sunghoon¡¯s mediocre life. But that was a story from a couple of months ago. He had stopped progressing after reaching the D-rank. Of course, even a D-rank hunter earned much more than an average person but¡­ He¡¯d lost all of the perks that came with being a sought-after newbie. The rare mana resistance innate ability had amazing synergy with close combat. However, Lee Sunghoon¡¯s lack of talent for battle was his downfall. Then one day, a strange hologram invited him to the tower. ¡¸ ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ has selected all suitable candidates from Earth. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select your difficulty. ¡¹ Getting through the trials after all of your abilities had been reset. Although he liked that everyone else¡¯s abilities were reset as well, his favorite part was the rewards. The rare innate ability combined with the resources the tower provided? With those, he could get stronger than he ever was outside the tower. Then after reaching 5th, no, the 8th floor, he could return to Earth safely. The hard difficulty was strenuous, but the rewards were worth it. When they said the 4th trial¡¯s objective was competition, he didn¡¯t think there would be anyone who could surpass him. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s happening? Lee Sunghoon sank his teeth into his lips as he stared at the man in front of him. Fear, anger, embarrassment¡­ A whole mix of emotions swirled inside him. ¡®Fuck. You¡¯re just a trainee¡­!¡¯ Contrary to his internal turmoil, Lee Sunghoon couldn¡¯t act on anything. It was obvious. Unlike him, who struggled to deal with just 2 goblins, the man in front of him killed 8. All without getting any support from Lee Hayeon in the back. It crushed them with pure physical superiority. Those armed goblins were at least E-ranked and at most D-ranked. This man just told him that he¡¯d kill him before finishing the trial unless he faced reality. ¡°Hopefully we can work well together for the rest of the trial.¡± *** Lee Sunghoon may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. The more stubborn he was, the more he stood to lose. He also couldn¡¯t ask Lee Hayeon for any help. She wasn¡¯t really on anyone¡¯s side. Lee Hayeon was currently standing back and just looking at the two men back and forth. It was clear that her non-partisan stance wouldn¡¯t play favorably to Lee Sunghoon. ¡°¡­¡± Lee Sunghoon wouldn¡¯t waste their time any longer. He closed his mouth and stayed back. ¡®Well, he probably didn¡¯t have much to say against that.¡¯ That was the only reason I didn¡¯t talk back to him in the beginning. I thought he might act out if he had a big enough ego but¡­ ¡®I¡¯m glad he¡¯s not that stupid.¡¯ In a timed trial, more conflict meant more time wasted. Especially if that trial had your life on the line. He probably also realized that this was a waste of time when he backed off. It also wouldn¡¯t make any logical sense for him to stand up against me after seeing our differences. Now that I was the unofficial leader of the team, it was time to put it to use. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take care of the monsters, so just protect Lee Hayeon.¡± He reluctantly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Okay. Anything else?¡± He had a disrespectful tone as if it was his ego¡¯s final stand. It didn¡¯t matter though. I¡¯d probably never see him again after this trial. ¡°That¡¯s it. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. And Miss Lee Hayeon¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡± ¡°Alright. All you have to do is tell us where to go and support us from the back.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll resume examining the area.¡± Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect Lee Hayeon to be nervous as well. It might be the fact that I just threatened to kill Lee Sunghoon. Well, they¡¯re probably only cooperating because I didn¡¯t actually kill him. They were at least warier of me now. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to be so forceful.¡¯ It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Although I didn¡¯t regret anything I did. If I kept dealing with his shit, it would have gotten out of hand fast. We didn¡¯t know where the other team was, but they probably weren¡¯t having as much trouble as Lee Sunghoon. We would have been at a disadvantage if I left him in charge. At this point, Lee Hayeon raised her hand in a direction and spoke softly. ¡°I just used my ability and I think the boss is near the center of the city.¡± ¡°¡­You already found out where the boss is?¡± ¡°I think so. The goblin king is currently at the center of the citadel. As are all of the other bosses.¡± ¡°Do you think we could cross paths with any of the teams going for other bosses?¡± ¡°Hm, the bosses are all far enough apart that that shouldn¡¯t happen.¡± That meant any other challengers we see would be the competing team. The tower always gave the trials and rewards in the most intuitive way, and this wasn¡¯t an exception. ¡®They want you to kill all monsters and challengers you run into.¡¯ So simple even Lee Sunghoon could understand it. ¡°Can you figure out where the other challengers are?¡± ¡°My innate ability isn¡¯t developed enough to detect other people. I also don¡¯t have enough mana for it.¡± ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be possible to avoid them on our way to the goblin king.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ At least with my ability¡± Lee Hayeon¡¯s face darkened as she started to realize that murder was unavoidable. Lee Sunghoon didn¡¯t seem any more nervous than he already was. It wasn¡¯t a normal response. I didn¡¯t know what he did before he came to the tower, but he might have had some experience with manslaughter. There have been reports that some dungeon feuds end up in death. The law couldn¡¯t do anything about whatever happened in the dungeon. If I was correct, I had to stay wary of him. ¡®He might stab me in the back.¡¯ On the other hand, there was little to no chance that Lee Hayeon would turn against me. She didn¡¯t have much combat potential and didn¡¯t seem to like Sunghoon very much. She wouldn¡¯t betray me if she wanted to stay alive. ¡¸ The inner city monsters have started mobilizing. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please kill the trial¡¯s target quickly. ¡¹ The system seemed to tell us that it wouldn¡¯t wait any longer. It was time to act. ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to avoid murder to the best of my ability, but I wasn¡¯t counting on it. If it came to it, I would have to kill with my own two hands. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving then.¡± But there were some things I had to take care of. ¡°Let¡¯s get in formation and¡­?¡± Lee Hayeon stared at me in confusion while I was in mid-sentence. Understandable. People normally don¡¯t walk up to goblin corpses. ¡°Uh, if you¡¯re trying to collect their cores, you won¡¯t be able to find any in the tower¡¯s monsters.¡± She informed me while still looking puzzled. It wasn¡¯t something I knew but I wasn¡¯t looking to find their cores. If I can¡¯t leave the tower, the cores wouldn¡¯t be particularly useful anyway. ¡°Give me a second. There¡¯s something I gotta do.¡± ¡¸ You have absorbed the souls of the goblin rangers. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 8/15 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 11% ¡¹ Pretending to scalp the knives from the corpses, I absorbed all their souls. I wasn¡¯t able to absorb the two that Lee Sunghoon killed but¡­ ¡®It would be stranger if I could absorb the souls of the monsters that I didn¡¯t kill.¡¯ I guess that¡¯s just how it was. ¡¸ Acquiring one of the goblin ranger¡¯s skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 7. ¡¹ ¡®The skill absorption seems to work pretty well when there are multiple monsters.¡¯ ¡¸ Acquiring ¡®Ranger¡¯s Knowledge (F)¡¯ ¡¹ It didn¡¯t strike me as something too useful but¡­ A skill¡¯s a skill. It should be useful, no matter how low the rank was. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Ranger¡¯s Knowledge (F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Gain a greater perception and more easily notice those who approach you. ¡¹ It was a simple skill, but it had a lot of uses. I didn¡¯t know what it meant to notice those who approach me, but I could definitely see the difference in my perception. ¡®Is this what it means to have a greater perception?¡¯ All the objects in my line of sight were clear and in focus. Good thing it wasn¡¯t one of those skills that required some time to get used to. I picked up the backup knife one of the goblins had on their waist and handed it to Lee Hayeon. ¡°Take this. The quality isn¡¯t all that great but you can at least use it as a throwing knife.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you, but it would probably be more useful in your hands. I¡¯m not very good at throwing anything.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t throw either. Plus, I have no need for it. You might need it while you¡¯re fighting next to Lee Sunghoon.¡± I was essentially telling her to hold on to it in case she needed to protect herself. She didn¡¯t resist any further and took the knife. ¡°¡­Thank you. I¡¯ll try my best to make use of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s not even mine.¡± Well, technically I won it in battle, but it¡¯s better to keep it like this. A supporting mage was an important position. If she died, things would no doubt get worse. Plus, she tried to help me with Lee Sunghoon a moment ago. Besides, I could always just use the knife I bought from the store if I needed to. ¡°Well let¡¯s get going.¡± It was time to finish the trial. Chapter 17 Chapter 17: Return (1) ¡¸ Time left ¨C 14 hrs 37min ¡¹ Late night, inner city of the citadel. The shining stars blended in with the beautiful night sky. Normally, it would be a sight to admire, but now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°Kieeeeek!¡± Puit! I shoved my dagger in the heart of the screaming goblin and twisted my body. Whoosh, tung! A giant club smashed the floor as I felt a cool breeze behind my head. I instantly took out a sword and swung my arm behind my back. Shaack! ¡°Kr, krrrg¡­!¡± Dammit, it didn¡¯t slice all the way through again. The one-handed fighting style wasn¡¯t bad, but it felt wasteful to throw away those long swords in a time like this. I swallowed my regret and finished the goblin off with a slash to the neck. The goblin¡¯s head hit the floor with the sound of the cut. Maybe I¡¯d really become a monster, considering how moving like that didn¡¯t even phase me. ¡®I guess¡­ The goblins are done now.¡¯ There have been two or so battles since then and every single one has been an overwhelming victory. However, Lee Sunghoon and Lee Hayeon didn¡¯t seem like they were having fun. Maybe not Lee Hayeon, who was buffing Lee Sunghoon to the point where he could survive, but Lee Sunghoon looked like he was going to die. ¡°Fuck, what is this bullshit¡­ Goblins shouldn¡¯t be this strong¡­¡± It sounded like Lee Sunghoon was having a hard time just fending them off from Lee Hayeon. Although he did have a point. Goblins weren¡¯t typically this aggressive. ¡®Most people don¡¯t have trouble with goblins during the hunter exam as long as they don¡¯t get too scared¡¯ Tiny body, low stats, almost no intelligence¡­ goblins had a lot of faults. They could barely use their own weapons and weren¡¯t physically strong. They were only bothersome in a crowd. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the goblin warrior. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the goblin assassin. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the goblin knight. ¡¹ ¡­ ¡­ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 8/15 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 12% ¡¹ The goblins of the 4th floor each had a profession and those professions all had different properties. The goblin warriors were larger, the assassins knew assassination techniques, and the knights had clean swordsmanship as if it were using a skill. ¡®They probably do have some related skills.¡¯ The movements were far too sophisticated for them to not have one. Of course, things like that only worked when your opponent had similar stats. The stats I sapped from the goblins made it easier and easier to overpower them. I couldn¡¯t get any skills from them, but it wasn¡¯t for naught. At this rate, I thought we would reach the goblin king before the other team. But the thought remained a thought. The other two were taking twice as long as I was. I could excuse Lee Hayeon because she was casting buffs and examining the area, but Lee Sunghoon was the problem. ¡®One would think that he has some hidden skills from the way he was talking but¡­¡¯ He was basically dead weight. His innate ability was pretty useful, but that didn¡¯t make it special. Even if he were resistant to mana, he was nothing more than a moving meat wall. Unlike most hunters, he didn¡¯t seem to have that many skills. Plus, not having a single weapon skill was a big contributor to his incompetence. ¡®We probably won¡¯t fall behind the other team but I doubt we will get ahead of them.¡¯ That meant I would have to make some preparations. I ignored Lee Sunghoon¡¯s half-dead body panting on the ground and requested a conversation with Lee Hayeon. ¡°Can we go inside for a private conversation?¡± I pointed to one of the abandoned houses as Lee Hayeon flinched. I didn¡¯t know why she was so tense but she even started stuttering. ¡°N-now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think now is the most appropriate time.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know if I can now¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. The trial will go on soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She had a dark look on her face for some reason but I didn¡¯t want to say anything here. The contents of the conversation may irritate Lee Sunghoon. I mean, by the looks of it, it probably seemed like I was going to rob her¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll just explain it when we get in there.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t going to do something like that to a teammate who was pulling their weight. At least, not to a normal person. Hm¡­ maybe if they were like Lee Sunghoon. Lee Hayeon reluctantly agreed and nodded her head. ¡°¡­Okay. But we can¡¯t stay too long.¡± ¡°I know, the trial is still going on.¡± She walked into the building with her head down. I followed her in and stopped in the living room. It was there where I finally opened my mouth. ¡°If we come face to face with the opposing team, can you use your buffs on me?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It may sound selfish but I think it would be the best use of them in that situation.¡± She seemed to be caught off guard. ¡°I¡ª no, it¡¯s just¡­ that¡¯s what you wanted to say?¡± She might be talking about getting robbed. ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t have a conscience. Plus, I didn¡¯t really think I was in great need of items. I had my dagger and the cloak, and that¡¯s been enough. ¡°¡­¡± She took a deep breath and slowly nodded. She looked a little red from the misunderstanding. ¡°Ehem.¡± It didn¡¯t last very long and she turned back into her normal composed self. ¡°¡­Okay but, we¡¯ll only be able to hold on for a little bit.¡± That was something I expected. ¡°I know. All I need is an agility buff. I¡¯ll take care of everything else.¡± Lee Sunghoon and Lee Hayeon wouldn¡¯t last that long against the other team so we had to find another way to gain an advantage. Murder¡ª in the first trial I was clearing with other challengers. Lee Sunghoon wasn¡¯t much help and Lee Hayeon was suited for the backline. Hence, I was the only one who could do it. ¡®I should put as much pressure on them as possible with the buffs.¡¯ That¡¯s the best we could do. Lee Sunghoon probably wouldn¡¯t care for this but¡­ ¡®He¡¯s not here so¡­¡¯ Lee Sunghoon was currently muttering beside a couple of goblin corpses. He wasn¡¯t even attempting to listen in on the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of as many of them as I can while you fend them off.¡± ¡°So all I have to do is buff you from the back.¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have to prepare any offensive buffs if it¡¯s too much. Just the agility one is fine.¡± ¡°I can give you other types of buffs¡­¡± ¡°You can give all the non-agility ones to Lee Sunghoon. He¡¯ll need it to defend you.¡± I couldn¡¯t monopolize the buffs if I wanted them to stay alive. Of course, he probably wouldn¡¯t like how he¡¯s being used right now¡­ But he probably wouldn¡¯t say anything unless something big came up. ¡°Even if Lee Sunghoon complains, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± I threatened him once, I could do it again. She stood there a little dazed, as if she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. ¡°Why are you doing all this? You could just ignore us, but you¡­?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure. I¡¯m not a very calculating person, but I knew one thing. It was foolish to make more enemies for trivial reasons. People like Lee Sunghoon are fine as enemies, but it was best to minimize friction with other types of people. Lee Hayeon was a teammate at least deserving of that. ¡°Just think of it as a consideration for a teammate.¡± She didn¡¯t press any further. ¡°¡­¡± Just a small smile. Good thing she wasn¡¯t as nervous anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care then.¡± I stretched my hand out and she did the same. ¡°Likewise.¡± It finally felt like I was on a proper team. *** We rejoined Lee Sunghoon outside and he tilted his head in confusion. He must have realized we were both gone. ¡°¡­Did you guys go somewhere?¡± ¡°We just had some business to take care of.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t ask any further and just turned the other way. ¡°¡­¡± I opened my mouth after seeing him quiet down. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s continue.¡± Our teamwork had gotten better after fighting off the waves of goblins. We kept our formation and made our way inward. Toward the goblin king that Lee Hayeon detected. I kept my guard up as much as I could, and there was something strange. We were moving pretty fast but not a single goblin came out. ¡®There were goblins coming out regularly till now¡­¡¯ The goblins came in bigger and bigger waves. But it was so quiet that it felt as if that was all imagined. ¡°The other team must have passed by here already.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy, they got here faster than us?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The floating goblin corpses in the fountain caught our eye. Heavily armed corpses lying all around. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ve been dead for too long.¡± I spoke as I crouched down to touch the corpses. It wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out. ¡®It must be fresh because there¡¯s still heat left in the body.¡¯ That meant they weren¡¯t too far from here. We just missed them. ¡°They probably just entered the goblin king¡¯s lair.¡± A message from the tower arrived at the same time. ¡¸ An intruder has infiltrated the tower. ¡¹ ¡¸ All the goblins around the area are being called towards the king. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know how strong the king would be, but we didn¡¯t have any time to waste. It would get worse when all the goblins got here. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± There¡¯s only one correct response to that. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡± The time to hunt just goblins was over. It was time to fight against the other challengers. ____ Chapter 18 - Return (2) Chapter 18: Return (2) A spiral tower stood in the center of the decrepit, partially-destroyed city. Five boss-level monsters reigned over each of their own territories within the city. This tower was special because it was where one of those boss monsters resided. ¡®The 4th trial will end if I take out whatever¡¯s in here.¡¯ Former hunter, Lee Sieon, looked around with a scowl then started to speak. ¡°Hey, trash.¡± A man standing behind Lee Sieon flinched at the phrase. ¡°¡­Y-yes?¡± Another man with glasses grimaced at the slow response. ¡°Fucking trash even responds slowly. If you weren¡¯t even a hunter you should at least know your place.¡± The man who was being called trash, Lee Jinhoo, apologized while cowering. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Sangyoon hyung-nim, It¡¯s my mista¡ª¡± ¡°A mistake? God damn. Do you even realize where you¡¯re at right now?¡± Im Sangyoon raised his glasses with a finger and glared at Lee Jinhoo. It didn¡¯t sit well with them that a civilian who was relying on the hunters to pass the trial was responding so slowly. But the threatening atmosphere didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Whatever, are you sure the goblin king is in here?¡± Im Sangyoon stepped back at Lee Sieon¡¯s question and Lee Jinhoo quietly answered him. ¡°W-when I used my question, it said one of the bosses lived here¡­¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t know for sure it¡¯s the goblin?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, can¡¯t you think before you speak? If the only thing we fought on the way here were goblins, the boss would obviously be the goblin king.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re sure the boss is here.¡± After coming to that conclusion, Lee Sieon looked around the tower. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s pretty damn big.¡¯ The city view was shocking enough but the interior design of the tower was also surprising. An oil painting perfectly suiting the atmosphere¡­ Glowing rocks placed around the tower gave the place a dreamy aura. Even Lee Sieon, who had been a C-rank hunter, had never experienced anything like this. ¡®I don¡¯t know how this tower works, but it sure is impressive.¡¯ The scenes from dungeons couldn¡¯t even compare to this tower. Not only were the monsters in a league of their own, the equipment was interesting as well. Also¡ª ¡®The rewards don¡¯t even compare to what you can get from a dungeon.¡¯ As strong as the monsters were, the rewards made it worth it. If he could take this back into the outside world, it would be possible to get above a C-rank. ¡®Actually, I probably wouldn¡¯t even have to continue to be a hunter.¡¯ The information Lee Sieon could provide would be priceless to the hunter association. He could make enough from the just information to be set for life. Whatever happened, things would work out for Lee Sieon. He felt a little apprehensive when all his abilities reset, but looking back, this was a very good opportunity. Of course, Lee Jinhoo couldn¡¯t even dream of that. ¡®Would keeping him alive complicate things later?¡¯ If Lee Jinhoo went around spreading information, it would lower the value of his own information. Logically, it would make the most sense to kill him and take his items. Too bad he was such trash. ¡®It would have been better if he was a novice hunter or something¡­¡± Lee Sieon thought about what could have been, but he snapped out of it. ¡®Whatever. At least we got here without any problems.¡¯ The good news was that the other team wasn¡¯t here yet. They¡¯d fail automatically once we killed the goblin king. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of the boss and get out of here.¡± ¡°Sieon hyung-nim, what formation should we use?¡± ¡°What else? You and I can stand in the back and the trash can take aggro from the front.¡± ¡°You heard that? Lead the way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lee Jinhoo stared up at the giant door with a depressed look. An all-encompassing eye was engraved onto the door, staring him down. He could sense that the boss battle would start as soon as the door opened. Lee Jinhoo feared another life-threatening battle but¡­ If he resisted, the two behind could kill him. Lee Jinhoo shut his eyes and muttered. ¡°I¡¯m opening it now.¡± And as his trembling hands inched towards the door¡ª Krrrroong. Lee Sieon and Im Sangyoon turned their heads at a sudden sound from the back. ¡¸ The competing team has entered the goblin king¡¯s spiral tower. ¡¹ At that moment, a message they¡¯ve never seen before appeared in front of their eyes. ¡¸ Requirement fulfilled. ¡¹ ¡¸ Special objective ¡®competition¡¯ is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ The boss battle cannot be begun until only one of the two teams is left. It is not possible to leave the current area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Bonus rewards will be calculated at the completion of the special objective. ¡¹ Beyond the holographic message, blurry figures emerged. Lee Sieon squinted to get a clearer view of the man standing in the front. A black hooded figure with a sword and a shield appeared to not be a goblin. And the system had already told him who that figure was. ¡°Damn.¡¯ Lee Sieon cursed under his breath and took out his crossbow. He knew that it had been too easy to be true. ¡°Ha, fuck. Man, this is like the worst-case scenario.¡± The other team had entered the tower. *** ¡¸ Special objective ¡®competition¡¯ is starting. ¡¹ A message appeared as soon as they entered the ashy spiral tower. ¡®Special objective?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a type of message anyone had previously experienced. That means this was inherent to the tower of trials. ¡®What is¡­¡¯ I hesitated for a bit because I hadn¡¯t seen anything like this, even after entering the tower. But the objective of the trial was competition so it made sense. ¡®I knew it wouldn¡¯t be this straightforward.¡¯ The tower blocked off all other options. It was playing dirty, but this still wasn¡¯t something I hadn¡¯t expected from the tower. ¡®There are three enemies and they¡­ have a mage.¡¯ The man with glasses was wearing a luxurious robe holding a staff embedded with a blue orb. No matter how you looked at it, he was a mage. Just the fact that they had a backline was nerve-wracking. Mages were a rare resource after all. There was also a small trembling swordsman and a man holding a crossbow. They seemed to be more balanced than my team. ¡®The center of their team must be the guy with the crossbow.¡¯ He had a more refined stance than the other two and, overall, just looked like he knew what he was doing. At least, he wasn¡¯t afraid to fight. Then¡ª ¡°Ha, fuck. Man, this is like the worst-case scenario.¡± The man with the crossbow muttered under his breath and opened his eyes. The eyes couldn¡¯t be described as anything but those of a reptile. ¡°Yo, trash. Take care of the one that looks like an assassin. Just stall for time and don¡¯t do anything else.¡± The man who was called trash didn¡¯t even have time to respond. That was because as soon as he finished speaking, the challenger with the crossbow took off. Koong. A low-pitched echo rang out as the man with the crossbow moved rapidly. Shik! ¡®A throwing knife?¡¯ He pulled a knife from his thigh and threw it as if he didn¡¯t want to use the crossbow from the start. He must have had a weapons skill because the knife cut through the air with the sound of a hissing snake. However, my stats were at their peak from absorbing all kinds of goblins. I wouldn¡¯t get hit by this even if I wanted to. Ting! A petite swordsman closed in on me as I tilted my shield to block the knife. ¡°A-aaaaah!¡± His clearly scared eyes were rejecting any form of combat but¡­ That didn¡¯t stop him from running at me. No, he swung even more wildly in his tunnel vision. Chang! I didn¡¯t block it with a shield this time and instead deflected it with my sword. ¡®I guess that was just a distraction to let him get close to me.¡¯ I had no intention of letting things go the way he planned. Using the recoil from the deflection, I planned to kill the swordsman and go after the crossbow dude. But his blade flowed smoothly to almost forbid that from happening. Contrary to the fear-ridden eyes and trembling hands, his sword made a sharp and clean arc. He definitely had a sword-related skill. ¡®Damn, this complicates things.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t be delayed with him any longer. ¡°Lee Hayeon, now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡¸ You have received ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing. ¡¹ ¡¸ While your agility is below 50, there is an extra status bonus. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility is temporarily increased by +3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Time left ¨C 00:09:59 ¡¹ For an instant, my body blended into the wind and my vision faltered. Combined with all the stats I¡¯ve been absorbing, I felt almost omnipotent. What the fuck¡­ Lee Sunghoon couldn¡¯t fight off the goblins with this? The swordsman shouldn¡¯t be able to follow my movements anymore. When I was sure, I lightly swung my obsidian dagger. But the enemy blocked my swing as if it was laughing at my assurance. Chang! ¡°¡­¡± The swordsman who couldn¡¯t even keep his hands steady somehow read and blocked my attack. Initially, I thought he was hiding his skill but quickly realized that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Innate ability!¡¯ That was it. Like how I acquired Necromancy, this man also acquired something. I forgot about it because I¡¯d been oppressing monsters with my stats, but innate abilities could change the tide of the battle. I had to figure out what it was. I withdrew my sword and took a step back. Then I felt slightly relieved looking at Lee Sunghoon and Lee Hayeon fight. Seeing that he could block the arrows from the crossbow, it looks like Lee Sunghoon¡¯s ¡®mana resistance¡¯ innate ability wasn¡¯t just for show. Of course, he¡¯s using his greatsword and not a shield¡­ But he was doing better than I thought. The crossbow challenger also couldn¡¯t get in close because he was being wary of Lee Hayeon. ¡®Good thing the other team¡¯s mage is also a support.¡¯ The man had an increased reload speed, shot speed, and agility. But Lee Sunghoon¡¯s ¡®mana resistance¡¯ was able to nullify some of the effects of the skills. He¡¯d been moving fast and kiting from distance, but it didn¡¯t seem to be very effective. They¡¯d come right in if they realized how weak he was but¡­ ¡®They can¡¯t press forward that strongly now.¡¯ There are a lot of elements that could change the tide of the battle and I had the ability to change it. So I turned to the swordsman and focused my attention on him. Chang! ¡®He definitely doesn¡¯t have a buff that lets him keep up with my movements.¡¯ Their mage didn¡¯t cast a single buff to their fragile swordsman. Maybe he was a decoy and they were going all-in on the crossbowman. Then the only thing keeping him alive was his innate ability. Ch-chang! Chang! Once I released a barrage of slashes, he started fumbling. This would be the most effective way to figure out what his ability was. His moves would get simpler if he didn¡¯t get a chance to think about his moves. As I predicted, the swordsman¡¯s eyes moved before my sword did. ¡®¡­?¡¯ That¡¯s when I was able to figure out this man¡¯s innate ability. Damn, that¡¯s why he¡¯s able to block my attacks. ¡®He can see where I¡¯ll attack.¡¯ He¡¯s able to see the trajectory of my blade and can swing his blade even before I start attacking. After figuring out his innate ability, figuring out a way to get around it was instant. If his ability relies on ¡®sight¡¯ then all I have to do is block his ¡®sight.¡¯ Whoosh! I swung my shield like a frisbee and threw it at the swordsman. ¡®It¡¯s a little risky but it¡¯s the only way¡­!¡¯ Flustered, the swordsman flailed to hit the shield away and. ¡°¡­!¡± A ¡®hole¡¯ in his innate ability was exposed. With his line of vision blocked, I stepped in close and took another swing. Shuak! Blood splattered everywhere and in an instant, the entire hall froze. Everyone froze for a second and all stared at me. ¡°W-wha¡­ I don¡­¡± ¡°Wait, he couldn¡¯t even stall¡­?¡± They were wondering what I did to kill him that quickly. Enemies and allies alike looked at me in shock. And amongst the center of it all, I was horrified. It wasn¡¯t that I killed someone for the first time. I had already made the decision to do it and the enemy was also trying to do the same. The most shocking part was the message that appeared in front of me. ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the soul of the player ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯? ¡¹ The black fog over the falling corpse and the message above it was telling me. ¡®Holy¡­¡¯ Necromancy could absorb human souls. ____ Hyung-nim is a formal way for a Korean male to address another Korean male. Also, I think the story is starting to pick up eyyy ____ Chapter 19 - Return (3) Chapter 19: Return (3) It wasn¡¯t that I killed someone for the first time. I had already made up my mind to do it, and the enemy was trying to do the same. Of course, I was still a bit psychologically retracted¡­ But the following message took my mind off of that. ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the soul of the player ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯? ¡¹ Necromancy. The innate ability I acquired after clearing the first trial. That ability was telling me that I could get stronger not only by killing monsters, but also other humans. This fact, combined with my first murder, shook my composure. If I absorbed this, I¡¯d be crossing a line that I couldn¡¯t come back from. But that was only a temporary thought. ¡®I have to calm down. The fight isn¡¯t over.¡¯ The special objective said that no one would be able to leave this area until only one team was left. Any more contemplating could put my life at risk. I dashed past the message and threw myself into battle. Kuang! My body shot out like an arrow as I pushed it off the ground. ¡°Fuck, you fucking fuck!¡± The crossbow challenger had a burst of outrage. Not at the fact that his teammate died¡­ Only because his bait was gone. It would be hard to stop me with a long-ranged damage dealer and a support. In addition to that, Lee Hayeon was in perfect shape, even if Lee Sunghoon was a tad ragged. They would have to use all their cards to change the flow of this battle. Click, thunk. Psst! I raised my left hand to block the arrow but the familiar weight in my hand was missing. ¡®The shield¡­ Oh yeah, I threw it.¡¯ Going to pick up a shield while being focused on would practically be suicide. What would happen if I got hit with an unexpected innate ability while relying on my high stats? If they had a more offensive ability than reading trajectories, it was obvious what would happen to me. ¡®It would be too late to think about this at that point.¡¯ I had to turn this into an opportunity. After the resolution, I thrust forward even faster. It was too late to go for the shield now, I¡¯d just have to trust the sword in my right hand. Shhhft¡­! I tilted my head to narrowly dodge the shot. My heart thundered and my entire body heated up as I realized there was nothing to cover my body. The lack of the shield left me both physically and psychologically exposed. I had to keep it cool. ¡®Calmly, without being too conscientious.¡¯ Being shaken now could lead to my downfall. My opponent also saw this as an opportunity and continued to shoot. Psst! Two staggered daggers darted towards me at an instant. The clearly refined high-tier skill sent shivers down my spine. Maybe it was due to all the adrenaline, but it was as if time had slowed down and my vision widened. Combined with the increased awareness from the new skill, I could see what they were scheming. This was just a ploy to trap me to restrict my speed. ¡®He¡¯s waiting for the moment I dodge the daggers to shoot his crossbow¡­¡¯ If I got shot by an arrow now, it would be critical no matter where it landed. There was only one answer to this. ¡®Precisely deflect the oncoming daggers¡­!¡¯ I slightly raised my sword and slammed the handle of the dagger heading for my abdomen. Tang! In one smooth motion, I also parried the dagger approaching my left eye. Chang! I almost let out a howl of victory as the sound of metal hitting metal rang in the room. ¡®I did it¡­!¡¯ But I had no time to give myself a pat on the back. As I accelerated towards the man with the crossbow, my opponent stretched his hands out to me and uttered these words. ¡°Snake¡¯s Binding!¡± My legs froze as they were about to push off the ground. ¡¸ Due to the effects of the innate ability ¡®Snake¡¯s Binding,¡¯ your movement is restricted for 10 seconds. ¡¹ ¡¸ After 5 seconds, the restriction to your movement will weaken. ¡¹ It was as if a king cobra was squeezing my whole body. As I expected, he pulled out his final resort. But the problem is that this ability was super effective against me. I tried to struggle out of it but it was no use. ¡®A restriction type innate ability!¡¯ It was the worst kind. I expected that he would use one, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this. An Achilles¡¯ heel for someone with my combat style. He seemed to know this as he smirked and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, you bastard! Im Sangyoon, shoot him now!¡± The man who I presumed to be Im Sangyoon pointed his staff at me as an arrow of ice formed. ¡®No casting. It¡¯s another innate ability¡­!¡¯ The arrows made from white ice were emitting a conspicuous aura. It was obvious that those arrows would pierce straight through me. Even with the tenacity I gained from the Elixir of Steel, it wouldn¡¯t strengthen my skin immediately. I pulled on every fiber of my muscles, but it was to no avail. ¡®Dammit, there has to be a way to get out¡­!¡¯ The arrows pierced through the empty void before I had any chance to think. Phing¡­! An attack I couldn¡¯t dodge or block, but all my senses were heightened. 1sec, 2sec, 3sec¡­ My muscles squirmed as I counted the seconds down. When I realized there was no way to get out of this, I gave up on breaking free from this. And instead¡­ I poured all my strength into my legs, waiting for the moment the restrictions weakened. Argghh¡ª ¡¸ The effects of the binding have weakened. ¡¹ The squirming muscles moved all of the sudden and my body fell backward. And in that instant, the arrows flew past my eyes in the space where I used to stand. The system said the effects were weakened, but it was still no joke. It was like a thousand pounds crushing down my shoulders. ¡®What kind of innate ability¡­¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t for my overwhelmingly high stats, there would be a hole through my head already. I finally realized why this was the trial of competition and how important teamwork was. This fucking tower gave a huge handicap to solo players. At the same time, I felt cheated. I mean, the only people on my team are a compass and a meat shield, and they get a whole team with offensive innate abilities? Why did this only happen to my team? If only I had someone to complain to¡­ ¡¸ Using the Assassin¡¯s Cloak(C)¡¯s active ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement speed +15% ¡¹ ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:59 ¡¹ ¡°Wha- Wait! L-let¡¯s talk! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± I was slower than before, so the crossbow challenger had some time to react. But we tried to kill each other and there was no mistake in that. I couldn¡¯t let my guard down listening to his excuses. As he fumbled to load another arrow into his crossbow, I cut his head off. Shuat! ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the soul of the player ¡®Lee Sieon? ¡¹ The black fog and message notified me of his death. Plumph. The man in glasses looked in horror as the decapitated corpse collapsed in front of him. ¡°U-uhh, a-ahhhh!¡± Feebly wiping the blood off his glasses, Im Sangyoon¡¯s entire body trembled. His hands, legs, and even his teeth clacked enough to fill the empty room. I¡¯d confirmed that his innate ability, magic, and skills weren¡¯t a threat to me. He was only strong with a team. I flicked my arm to get the blood off and turned my head. And there, a terrified Lee Hayeon and retracted Lee Sunghoon stared at me. ¡°¡­¡± The battle was over and no one on our team seemed to have sustained any injuries. Maybe the big cut on Lee Sunghoon¡¯s arm, but it¡¯d go away once he was in the waiting area. It didn¡¯t look like something that would bother him in battle. ¡®At least we didn¡¯t lose any power.¡¯ I was worried that he might not be able to pull his weight in the boss battle, but it should be fine. My teammates still seemed to be in shock, but I had to decide¡­ What we would do with Im Sangyoon. ¡°P-p-please let me live¡­ You¡¯re not a murderer right?¡± Maybe he determined that he couldn¡¯t win because he¡¯d lost his last teammate. He begged for his life as he trembled like a leaf. ¡°We, we, we can go back to Earth right? I¡¯ll give you all my money. I-I have a lot of money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I-I was a hunter. You can scrape like $500k from me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°R-really? If you just let me live!¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that.¡± Im Sangyoon¡¯s face crinkled. ¡°The special objective said that no one could get out until only one team was left.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know that. Maybe there¡¯s another way.¡± ¡°No there isn¡¯t. That¡¯s why you tried to kill me too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And even if there was¡­ Why should I let someone who tried to kill me go? He almost killed me and wouldn¡¯t be much help in the upcoming boss battle. ¡®I¡¯ve come too far to feel guilt.¡¯ It was too late to be a saint. ¡°Damn.¡± I didn¡¯t even know what to say. A dirty feeling was swallowing me as if I was in a puddle of quicksand. The lukewarm blood dripping down my arm only cemented that feeling. I wasn¡¯t a saint, but I wasn¡¯t a cold-blooded serial killer either. Standing between that line made me feel shitty. Status window, skills, stats¡­ A lot of things changed after the Great Calamity, but it didn¡¯t affect one¡¯s individual choices. ¡®Kill people for bonus rewards?¡¯ Hunters hunt monsters, not people. Then how would I differ from the monsters that killed my parents? The reason I became a player 7 years ago was to kill monsters. Not this. I wanted to kill monsters and reduce the number of people who would be affected by them. But the tower didn¡¯t seem to care about any of that. Trials, rewards, and growth. I was coming to know what the tower expected and wanted from us. ¡°¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t an evil person, but I wasn¡¯t good enough to let people get in my way. I gripped my obsidian dagger and stomped closer to the panicked Im Sangyoon. ¡°D-don¡¯t come! L-let¡¯s talk this ou¡ª¡± I sliced his neck open without listening to another word. Shhhk¡ª A new message appeared. ¡¸ Congratulations, you¡¯ve cleared the special objective. ¡¹ ¡¸ Bonus rewards being calculated into the 4th trial¡¯s rewards. ¡¹ I stared at that message silently for a while. ¡®¡­The shield, I gotta pick up my shield.¡¯ I grabbed the shield from the floor and re-equipped it. I turned back to face my team. ¡°It¡¯s over. Let¡¯s get ready to fight the boss.¡± Lee Hayeon and Lee Sunghoon studied my facial expression. ¡°¡­?¡± I knew I didn¡¯t have the best expression right now, but they kept flinching for some reason. I didn¡¯t want to show this face to anyone else either but¡­ ¡®I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t hide it even if I wanted to. ¡°Um¡­ are you alright?¡± Lee Hayeon delicately asked how I was. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t. But what else could I say? ¡°¡­Okay. Should we go in now?¡± Lee Hayeon didn¡¯t probe any further. Lee Sunghoon also looked at me and carefully made a suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m not too hurt so we can go in now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine too.¡± We finished our conversation and moved to the giant door with the eye on it. ¡°¡­¡± I hesitated when walking by the corpses with the necromancy message on them, but I¡¯d put that decision on hold. ¡­I had killed some people, but I didn¡¯t have the resolve to absorb their souls as well. ¡®I¡­ still need some time to think.¡¯ Of course, I may not have a choice¡­ But at least right now, I wasn¡¯t psychologically ready for it yet. If I absorbed a human soul right now, what¡¯s left of my mentality would probably shatter. I could always come back after. As long as I didn¡¯t go through the portal after the trial ended. All I needed was some time to calm my nerves. Then I¡¯d be able to make a logical decision. I put my hands on the door and began to speak. ¡°I¡¯m opening it now.¡± And¡ª ¡¸ You have entered the goblin king¡¯s chamber. ¡¹ I could finally see the end of this trial. ____ ____ Chapter 20 - Return (4) Chapter 20: Return (4) Slam! The giant monster wearing a crown staggered while collapsing to the ground. ¡¸ You have defeated the trial objective, the goblin king. ¡¹ The tower informed us of the completion and¡ª ¡¸ Would you like to absorb the soul of the goblin king? ¡¹ The black fog above the corpse confirmed the death of the goblin king. I claimed my victory while heaving for air. ¡°I won.¡± It was underwhelming compared to fighting off the other challengers. The goblin king didn¡¯t have any skills to bind me, nor could he read the trajectory of my attacks. All he could do was swing his club and decimate everything in his way. I was dancing circles around him with the buffs, and was taking all the aggro while dealing all the damage. The only thing you could call teamwork was the buffs that Lee Hayeon gave me. Of course, this was how it was during the entire 4th trial, so I was used to it. And the result was this nonchalant victory. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®unlock innate ability.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, all your stats have been increased by +4. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®5,500 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration (D)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®2,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ My body instantly felt lighter, reflecting the stat changes. In terms of utility, that reward was just as good as a skill or an item. Higher base stats meant being able to do more things. ¡®Rewards are good.¡¯ It was worth going through the damn trial. Voom! A portal appeared in front of the giant throne the goblin king once sat on. Yes, that was it. This was how the 4th trial ended. But¡ª ¡°¡­¡± My thoughts were still jumbled in my head like a tangled ball of wire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ am I free to go?¡± Lee Sunghoon quietly asked an uncharacteristically respectful question. ¡°Why are you asking me that? You can just go.¡± ¡°¡­W-well, I¡¯ll head out.¡± Voom! I guess that was the end of our relationship. There was still another hunter standing behind me without moving. It was Lee Hayeon. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Once I asked, she responded immediately. ¡°¡­I know I may be overstepping my bounds but you did what you had to do.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Yeah. Someone had to do it and if you hadn¡¯t, I would have.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you think that way.¡± It was obvious what she was talking about. Murder, and some morally gray acts of threatening Lee Sunghoon. Looking back, I was a cold-blooded bastard during the entire trial. I was acting with a tiny bit of conscience, but only for my own benefit. Because I didn¡¯t want to resort to murder unless I had no choice. ¡°You¡¯re strong. Even if you were only a player outside, you were probably strong.¡± That stung a little. ¡®Eh, not really.¡¯ I just got insanely strong after entering the tower. Out of nowhere, Lee Hayeon tapped the empty space in front of her. ¡°¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she was doing for a while, but it was soon made clear. ¡¸ Challenger Lee Hayeon has sent you a friend request. ¡¹ It was one of the features of the community. I forgot about it because I thought I¡¯d never have a use for it but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I was speechless for a second. Lee Hayeon noticed this and quickly backpedaled her preposition. ¡°Uh, um, you can ignore it if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°No. it¡¯s not like that. I was just wondering why you sent something like this to me.¡± ¡°Well, you basically single-handedly cleared the trial for us, and I wanted to give you some sort of compensation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you ever get back to Earth, look for Lee Hayeon of the White Silver guild.¡± ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re trying to recruit me¡­¡± ¡°N-no it¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s just if you need anything at all.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her fumbling. She had a stoic face the entire time, so it was nice to see this side of her. ¡°We can help you connect with guilds, merchants, hunters, dungeons¡­ whatever you might need. Our guild specializes in that. And of course, we can do it free of charge.¡± I nodded at her salesman-like pitch. Honestly, it was an attractive offer and I didn¡¯t want to reject her thanks. ¡®And I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s trying to use me or not, but I can figure that out later.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t so thoughtless that I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between good and ill will. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave a message if I can.¡± ¡¸ You¡¯ve accepted the friend request from challenger Lee Hayeon. ¡¹ A bashful smile appeared on her face as she read the message. This one seemed genuine compared to the distanced smiles from before. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now too. Get to the 8th floor safely.¡± ¡°Okay. I wish you a safe climb up as well.¡± Voom! The silence was deafening after the smiling hunter entered the portal. ¡°¡­¡± To be honest, I was thankful to this tower. The tower was the one that gave me, someone with nothing, a second chance. But the tower pushed people to the limits. The life-threatening battles, and now, murder. ¡®Fighting the monsters wasn¡¯t that bad.¡¯ It pushed people just enough for them to survive and grow. I was on a high from the rewards I¡¯d been receiving. But I could finally distance myself from all of this and see everything in a more objective light. I was just blinded by all the rewards the tower had been dangling in front of me. The tower of trials didn¡¯t just make people stronger in a normal manner. However¡ª ¡°¡­¡± After experiencing this ruthlessness, I still didn¡¯t want to stop. For the first time in my life, I wanted something more than to become just a hunter. I wanted to climb the tower. A part of me craved to get stronger, but it was also because this tower was the closest thing to the ¡®Great Calamity.¡¯ Where monsters came from, and why gates appear. I had a feeling that I¡¯d find out more about what happened to the world as I climbed the tower¡­ Above all, it was because I knew that whoever adapted the fastest was the one who survived the calamity. Of course¡ª ¡®There are also other things to be earned from here.¡¯ One merit was that I could get infinitely stronger here. No matter what it was, the tower gave me a chance to grow stronger and I was going to take it. Even if it meant crushing others to do so¡­ And from the 8th floor, I wouldn¡¯t be hesitant to climb up anymore. Because everyone who remained would have done so of their own volition. So first, I decided to absorb all of the souls in the tower. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the goblin king. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Lee Jinhoo.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Lee Sieon.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Im Sangyoon.¡¯ ¡¹ Shaaa¡­! All of the fog spiraled into my palm to be absorbed. I wouldn¡¯t kill just to get stronger, but I would if the situation forced me to. It was too late to have any qualms about that anyway. ¡®I can digest these souls later.¡¯ Once I absorbed all the souls, I headed to the portal. ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ I could always check the rewards later. It was time to heal up first. *** ¡¸ You have entered the 5th floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Healing all injuries and status ailments. ¡¹ ¡¸ The healing effect is constantly applied in the waiting room. ¡¹ The familiar messages greeted me again. But the following messages weren¡¯t something I¡¯ve seen yet. ¡¸ More than a thousand people have cleared the 5th trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ The system expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ A system that ranks trial clears, ¡®Trial Evaluation¡¯ is being created. ¡¹ ¡¸ New categories are being added to the marketplace. ¡¹ ¡¸ More items are now available in the marketplace. ¡¹ ¡¸ You are now able to change your nickname. ¡¹ ¡°A system expansion.¡± Like we figured out previously, the expansion was finally starting. I knew it was going to happen, but it still felt surprising. It felt like it was only yesterday when I was putting my life at risk to kill the sand golem¡­ ¡®I guess I got stronger pretty quickly.¡¯ Slightly nostalgic, I checked out the newly expanded system. ¡°Trial Evaluation.¡± Upon the command, a decorated hologram appeared in front of me. ¡¸ 4th Trial Evaluations ¡¹ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Fairly intuitive.¡± Clicking the name at the top of the board expanded the details. ¡°¡­¡± Is this record humanly possible? ¡®I mean, what? How did he clear the trial in 34 minutes?¡¯ It was a name I recognized from the community, and he was stronger than I had imagined. There was too much coincidence for it to be someone with the same name. ¡®I guess this is the power of actual hunters.¡¯ An existence that C and D-rank hunters couldn¡¯t even fathom. I knew he was a high rank from the way he spoke, but¡­ ¡®I didn¡¯t know this was his level.¡¯ As I continued down the leaderboard, something caught my eye. Originally, you could only use your real name in the tower. So it was obviously unexpected to see a name like that. ¡®Oh yeah, it did say¡­!¡¯ The system had mentioned something about the nickname. I pushed away the leaderboard and connected to the community to see some new text. ¡¸ Name Change ¡¹ A popup window opened as I clicked on the text. ¡¸ Please write your preferred nickname. ¡¹ If I was able to change my name, I had to do it now. In trials like the 4th one where leaked information could be vital, revealing your name could put you at a disadvantage. ¡®And people like Lee Sunghoon can try to track me down.¡¯ That could prove to be annoying. I contemplated for a bit and just wrote the first thing that came into my mind. ¡¸ Your nickname is now ¡®Hunter.¡¯ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t put much thought into it, but I was satisfied with it. There wasn¡¯t any information they could deduce from that. Well, it was perfect for laying low. ¡°Phew.¡± It was time to look at the leaderboard again. ¡®I wonder if I¡¯m also there?¡¯ Slowly, I made my way down the board to not miss anything. And I soon found what I was looking for. It was higher than I thought, but what surprised me was the next message. ¡¸ All challengers in the top 50 are designated as ¡®Pioneers.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Challengers who continue to be in the top 50 until the 8th floor receive a chance to acquire a radiance. ¡¹ ¡°Radiance?¡± I think that means some sort of light? It was very unorthodox compared to all the direct wording the tower usually used. ¡®Is it going to be some sort of skill or¡­¡¯ Or is it something that would make me stand out more? That was the only way I could interpret it. ¡®Hm, I¡¯ll figure it out later.¡¯ It was now time to look at the expanded marketplace. There was only one thing I was looking for. The return stone. I had to know how much it would cost to return to Earth. It was easy to find once I used the search bar. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but flinch after seeing the price. ¡¸ Return Stone (F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price ¨C 500 points ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C An item that allows you to escape the Tower of Trials and return to Earth for 3 days. ¡¹ ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t this a little too cheap?¡¯ Even if the effects were only temporary, the price still flabbergasted me. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t even have to think about this.¡± If it let me return for 3 days, there was no reason to not buy it. I had so many things to take care of since I¡¯d been gone. ¡¸ You have purchased a Return Stone (F). ¡¹ My trip home was faster than I expected. ____ Chapter 21 - Hunter Han Sungyoon (1) Chapter 21: Hunter Han Sungyoon (1) ¡¸ You have purchased a Return Stone (F). ¡¹ The red stone that I expected suddenly appeared in front of me. ¡¸ Return Stone ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F- ¡¹ ¡¸ An item that can only be bought by challengers who¡¯ve reached the 5th floor. ¡¹ ¡¸ It is indestructible and returns the user to their original location when they emit mana into it. ¡¹ ¡¸ The user returns to the floor they were originally on in the Tower of Trials. ¡¹ 3 days can be short or long depending on how you look at it, but the important part was ¡®return.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if I can get back to Earth.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anyone who¡¯d worry about me, but I still wanted to go back. Who wouldn¡¯t? The tower controlled everything from what you could wear to what you could eat. ¡®I can¡¯t even take a proper shower and all my clothes are tattered now.¡¯ I hid it to the best of my ability with my cloak¡­ but I would pass for a homeless man in this state. Also¡ª ¡®There¡¯s a couple of things I have to take care of there¡­¡¯ You could call it preparation. I¡¯d just take care of all the things that could bite me in the ass later. I mean, there was no real reason to not go back. Especially if it only cost 500 points to go back. But I didn¡¯t use the item immediately. ¡®I have to check my rewards.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t miss out on things like that. Ignoring the messages about the points, I looked at the skill I had received as a bonus reward. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Instant Acceleration (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, one can use mana to temporarily accelerate their body. ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s my first active skill, not bad.¡± Besides the items, I¡¯d never used an active skill before. Regeneration, resistances, weapon skills, knowledge¡­ I¡®d acquired a lot of skills recently but they were all passive. ¡®But active skills can only be activated at the user¡¯s will.¡¯ Kind of like the binding skill that the crossbow challenger Lee Sieon used. And ¡®declaring the skill name¡¯ doesn¡¯t just apply to saying it. From what I heard, you could use the skill just by thinking about it once you were used to it. Same case for active innate abilities. ¡®Of course, innate abilities could have wildly different activation requirements.¡¯ Instant Acceleration¡­ it had a decent effect with a pretty high base rank. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure to incorporate it while I¡¯m training.¡¯ It¡¯d also probably work well with my agility stat. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 47 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 44 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 48(+5) ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 32 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 28 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ The stat window quantified exactly how much stronger I had gotten. ¡®The skills aren¡¯t even listed out anymore.¡¯ It was probably because I had too many of them, but it was still cool to see. I couldn¡¯t keep my smirk down at the thought of having too many skills to list out. Most monsters didn¡¯t increase my stats by much anymore, but I made it work with the sheer quantity. ¡®The only thing that needed improvement is the tenacity stat.¡¯ It did increase relatively quickly because of the low base number, but it was still too low compared to my other stats. It couldn¡¯t even surpass my mana, the lowest stat. I was decently satisfied as I activated necromancy. ¡¸ Select a soul to absorb from the souls in captivity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 4/15 ¡¹ ¡¸ Player ¡®Lee Sieon¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Player ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Player ¡®Im Sangyoon¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Goblin King ¡¹ ¡®I was putting it off, but I have no reason to not absorb the human souls I collected.¡¯ These souls were a part of the rewards that I fought for fair and square. If I didn¡¯t use them because of my morals? ¡®That only debilitates me.¡¯ The only reason I was able to compete with any of these hunters was because of my ¡®necromancy.¡¯ To be frank, I was essentially closer to a normal civilian without it. My impressive stats, and all of those skills¡­ They were all from my necromancy. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to be picky here.¡¯ I proceeded to absorb the souls without hesitation. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll get a skill from one of them if I get lucky.¡¯ It was a possibility, like how I got physical resistance from the doppelganger. The highly-anticipated message appeared after a couple of seconds. ¡¸ Acquiring one of the skills held by player ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯. ¡¹ Despite the low odds, another skill absorption message popped up. I wanted to howl with joy, but the changes in my body came first. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 8. ¡¹ Far more effective than absorbing the goblins. ¡°Status.¡± ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 52 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 48 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 51 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 38 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 36 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ ¡®The rewards weren¡¯t bad but it was a little lacking.¡¯ The +5 bonus from the assassin¡¯s cloak had disappeared. My base agility finally went above 50. But you win some, you lose some. ¡¸ Acquiring the skill ¡®Sustain Battle (F)¡¯ ¡¹ Upon seeing that message, I navigated to the bottom of my stat window and pressed ¡®See details.¡¯ From there, I clicked on the newly generated ¡®Sustain Battle¡¯ skill. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Sustain Battle (F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C If appraised to have taken a deathly attack, all restrictions to movement are weakened for 1 minute. ¡¹ ¡®A well-known skill among hunters.¡¯ If you asked any hunter how to obtain this skill, they¡¯d tell you off the top of their head. Since it activated right before death, so it left a strong impression in my mind. ¡®The requirement to obtain it is overcoming at least ten life-threatening battles.¡¯ The number of battles depended on your knack for it, but that was the gist. The effect was astonishing. Whether it was from poison or bound by a skill, all ¡®restrictions to movement¡¯ were weakened. Of course, it didn¡¯t completely counteract those effects¡­ But the higher the rank, the longer the skill lasts and the weaker the rebound becomes. ¡®A lot of people couldn¡¯t learn it because of the harsh requirement.¡¯ Only those who threw themselves into dangerous battles ever saw a glimpse of this skill. There were only two types of people who had the skill. Veteran hunters who naturally accumulated experience, and battle-crazed maniacs who live for battle. It may have not been intentional, but ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯ was probably part of the latter group. ¡®What kinds of trials did he face to have been so close to death?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t been through 10 of those battles yet. That ¡®Lee Jinhoo¡¯ must have had something different. Although, it¡¯s strange that he was so frightened with a skill like this. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not worth thinking harder about.¡¯ Either way, I¡¯d gained more than I¡¯d lost from that interaction. Now all that was left was to use the return stone and buy some equipment. ¡®Hm, can I take the equipment I bought here back to Earth?¡¯ If I cpuld, I¡¯d never have to worry about money again. Just selling an E-grade item would be immense. But when I came to the tower, I lost everything besides my clothes. I¡¯d still hold on to some items in my hand while I went back, but I didn¡¯t know if it would work. ¡®Worrying about it won¡¯t solve anything. I might as well go back to Earth now.¡¯ I at least wanted to clean myself up a bit. Take a proper shower, eat a proper meal, and get some proper rest. I also wanted to get my money back from the training gym. Just because I got stronger didn¡¯t mean that anything changed about the outside world. An incompetent player barely surviving off of part-time jobs. Getting back the 7 years of fees would be important right now. $35,000 wasn¡¯t a small sum. ¡®I have to save as much as possible right now.¡¯ If I didn¡¯t have enough points, I¡¯d have just stayed and forgot about the money. But frankly, I had more than a comfortable amount of points to buy all the equipment I needed. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of the special objective, but it¡¯s a decent amount of points.¡¯ Basically, I had more than enough to go back to Earth. Also¡ª ¡®It¡¯ll be more worth it if I take care of some other business at the same time.¡¯ I pushed some mana into the stone I had been fidgeting with in my hands. ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun, confirming intention to return. ¡¹ ¡¸ Consuming the Return Stone to return to Earth. ¡¹ At that moment, my world turned black. *** ¡°¡­¡± My heart sank as soon as I opened my eyes. A familiar ceiling, and the same old studio as I turned my head. Post-its with all kinds of information stood out from the room. I had copied them down by hand to pound the knowledge into my head. For an instant, I thought I had just imagined the whole ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ thing. A fear that everything I had worked for was nothing but a figment of my imagination. But¡ª ¡¸ Returned to challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s residence. ¡¹ The negative thoughts were pushed aside by the intruding message. And the next few messages prompted me to get moving. ¡¸ Returning to the tower after 3 days. ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory time. ¡¹ I had to take care of all my business within their time limits. ¡®Stingy.¡¯ As I lifted myself off the bed, something bumped into my hand. Tak. ¡°¡­No, wait.¡± I stared blankly at what I just bumped into. ¡°¡­Why is this here?¡± A jet-black knife and handle, clearly a masterpiece. The obsidian dagger I received as a trial reward was laying on my desk. And on the left side, the deadwood I was holding lay there. ¡®No way.¡¯ I snagged at the bedsheets to find another kind of fabric on them. The item I¡¯d been using since the 2nd trial, assassin¡¯s cloak. Contrary to my belief, I was able to carry all of my items back with me. I was flustered for a second, but I decided that it was just a little gift from the tower. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one more thing on my to-do list.¡± There were several things that I needed to take care of. I lifted the deadwood shield and let out a smile. ¡®I thought I might need a little more money.¡¯ Time to make some big bucks. ____ Chapter 22 - Hunter Han Sungyeun (2) Chapter 22: Hunter Han Sungyeun (2) After neatly laying out all the items. I tested the tower¡¯s commands one at a time. I was optimistic that the commands might work since the items I bought with points transferred over as well. But¡ª ¡°Yeah, of course they don¡¯t work.¡± Trial, info, community, marketplace, inventory¡­ Nothing worked so I soon gave up. ¡®Well, it would have been weirder if any of them worked.¡¯ Even if only the inventory worked, the benefits would have been enormous. I cut my losses and picked an outfit from the closet. There was no way I could stand the stench and filth coming from myself anymore. ¡®I¡¯m surprised that I lasted this long.¡¯ It was something accomplished after I set out to conserve as many points as possible. I jumped into the shower and turned the dial to the hottest temperature. Squeezing out every bottle within my reach, I scrubbed my body to get the dry blood off. Even after two hours, the distinct aroma remained. After the wash, I dried my hair with a towel and stared at myself in the mirror. The muscles that were previously hiding behind the layer of fat were now in the spotlight. The changes to my stats manifested into these marble-sculpted muscles. ¡°Hm, so this is what I look like.¡± It was hard to tell since I could never get a good look at myself, but it was bizarre to see it in person. I was already a veteran hunter appearance wise. ¡­Although in reality, it was built with a series of short battles. ¡®At least it looks good.¡¯ I felt a little self indulgent as I dressed myself. It wasn¡¯t luxurious in any way, but this bed was so much better than the one in the waiting area. And frankly, this alone made the 500 points worth it. ¡®Wow, I¡¯ve never been more comfortable in my life.¡¯ Even if it was just taking a shower and laying on a cushy bed. I was never able to relax to this extent in the tower. I¡¯d be satisfied by just laying here and eating all kinds of delivery foods. But this wasn¡¯t enough to break my will. Even if it was dangling in front of me like a carrot on a stick, I knew how to control myself. ¡®Let¡¯s organize everything I need to do first.¡¯ Still laid back, staring at the ceiling, I started formulating a plan. There were three major reasons why I came back to Earth. One, to relieve some psychological stress and take time to charge back up. Two, to get my refund from the player training center. Three, to prove my qualifications as a hunter and get a better standing in life. ¡®Technically, the third one is the most important.¡¯ The third reason I came back was to take the hunter exam. To get the license to go into dungeons and hunt monsters. That¡¯s what I came to get. It was the only thing that drove me for the past 7 years. Plus, just getting the license would be helpful in general. ¡®I can definitely pass the exam right now.¡¯ I beat the challengers who used to be hunters, and the exam shouldn¡¯t be any different. The question was what rank I¡¯d be placed in. In the hunter exam, the highest one could be ranked was C. ¡®I¡¯m also curious to see where I rank¡­¡¯ There were also a lot of benefits that came along with it. I¡¯d be able to officially put my items for sale and get access to gates. If anyone asked if this was important enough to come back to Earth for, I¡¯d answer immediately. ¡®I wasn¡¯t the only one who was summoned to the Tower of Trials.¡¯ There were other players, civilians, and even professional hunters. Since there were more people reaching the 5th floor, more information about the tower would be revealed. It would be nice to be a hunter before all of that goes down. Hunters had access to so much more information in every aspect compared to a normal person. ¡®The association would overflow with applications by then.¡¯ If enough civilians survived, they would all be eligible hunters. That was inevitable. ¡®I need the hunter license to at least sell all my items.¡¯ When ordinary people try to sell hunter items, there tends to be a lot of fees and they get scammed a lot. But hunters didn¡¯t have that kind of disadvantage. Why? ¡®Because no one knows more about these items than hunters.¡¯ To begin with, they were treated differently. If a trainee was to put something up for sale, there was a big chance of getting scammed. And even if they didn¡¯t, the high fees would take away most of the profits. ¡®I¡¯ll apply to the hunter exam online first¡­¡¯ Then I contemplated what to do next. Grrrwl. ¡°¡­.Oh yeah, I have to take care of this too.¡± I smiled at the noise coming from my stomach and got up from the bed. I was sick and tired of eating jerky. Since I was presentable enough, nothing was holding me back from going out. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of things I wanted to eat once I got back here anyway.¡± *** Chicken, soda, pizza, burgers, Korean barbecue¡­ There were so many things I wanted to eat in the tower. Human beings are gluttonous by nature, so it was no surprise that that¡¯s where my attention went. Of course, I forced myself to survive on the beef jerky with pure willpower¡­ But¡ª ¡®There was nothing I wanted more than this.¡¯ I stared at the tender chunks of pork swimming in the steaming clear broth. It was a traditional gukbap* restaurant near my apartment. Chicken and pizza all sounded good, but nothing could beat this. ¡®I¡¯d rather down a piping hot bowl of pork gukbap.¡¯ Stirring the sauce into the bowl, I took a hearty bite of what could only be described as heavenly. When the perfect combination of spicy and hot soup slid down my throat. ¡°Kaaaah¡­.¡± A moan of ecstasy inadvertently came out of my mouth. Once I dipped a spoonful of rice into the soup and put it in my mouth, I couldn¡¯t resist anymore. My head went empty as I shoved down the rest of the bowl down my throat. After two more bowls, I finally felt satisfied. I felt myself slipping into a food coma, but I shook myself awake and took out my wallet to pay for the meal. Oh, and the wallet I thought had disappeared when I was transferred to the tower was on the floor next to the bed. Same with my smartphone. The battery was a little low, but it was still usable. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m so full.¡± My thoughts were finally starting to organize themselves now that my stomach was full. Hm, my next order of business is¡­ ¡®Going to the training center for my refund.¡¯ As big of a name the center was, I poured a lot of money into there. It would be a waste to not get it back. But thinking about it a little harder, it might be more worth it to not get it back. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because of the little pride I had left. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to make use of the gym¡¯s name?¡¯ Players in dedicated hunter training centers got a fast pass to take the exam. This center was no exception. Normally, you could only take the hunter exam a day or two after applying for it. ¡®Then I won¡¯t be able to utilize my time here as effectively as possible.¡¯ But if I applied through a center, I¡¯d be able to skip all the paperwork and the written exam and just take the practical. Of course, you¡¯d still need to show an impressive amount of skill to pass but¡­ I didn¡¯t think that would be a problem for me. ¡°Hm, what should I do?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a good reason to be desperate for the money now that I knew I could sell the items from the tower. ¡®I don¡¯t want to let the center keep my money but whatever.¡¯ Like with necromancy, I was the only one who¡¯d be hindered by not using it. And time was a precious resource at this point. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more of it. ¡®I¡¯ll use everything in my arsenal to prepare to go back to the tower.¡¯ Ring-ring. After I decided my course of action, I acted fast. A couple of rings later, a low voice answered the call. I smirked after hearing the hostility in his voice. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s me, do you remember me, manager?¡± I sensed annoyance and contempt in his tone, but that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I changed my mind. I don¡¯t need that refund anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not planning on it, but I want to ask for a favor.¡± ¡°Help me apply for the hunter exam.¡± For a second, I thought the call dropped. It was like he didn¡¯t even know how to react to that. All of the sudden, Hwang Manho replied in a voice full of laughter. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± He didn¡¯t say it outright, but he was telling me to know my place. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s what I was going to do.¡¯ Technically, he wasn¡¯t wrong. I didn¡¯t know about anyone else, but I was considered to be the weakest of the weakest. But that was a story of the past. ¡°So you can¡¯t do that even if I give you the money?¡± Hearing that I wasn¡¯t aggravated, he calmly replied. It was a little bitter to hear the amount of money I threw down the drain but¡­ I guess that just goes to show exactly how awful I was before the tower. He was being an ass about it, but this was as close to an acceptance as I was going to get. ¡°It¡¯s a deal then. I¡¯d like to take the exam today.¡± He didn¡¯t seem too pleased at my confidence and made a sly comment. A couple of days, huh? To him, it must look like I was full of unearned confidence. But I couldn¡¯t deny that I did get a huge ego boost recently. He wouldn¡¯t understand why I was suddenly acting like I had something other than persistence. It did make sense from his perspective though. Stats, innate abilities, skills¡­ Like Hwang Minho said, I didn¡¯t have anything that a normal hunter should have. But I wasn¡¯t the same person I was when I entered that tower. I knew that for a fact. This isn¡¯t me being cocky or arrogant. It was my rightly deserved self-assurance. So I didn¡¯t let him shove me around and gave a short answer. If I was the trash trainee Han Sungyeun up until now¡­ ¡°Yes, I did.¡± It was now time for hunter Han Sungyeun. Chapter 23 - Hunter Han Sungyeun (3) Chapter 23: Hunter Han Sungyeun (3) The White Lotus training center¡¯s office. ¡°Fucking lunatic, does he think he¡¯s some sort of genius?¡± White Lotus¡¯ manager, Hwang Manho, was annoyed for the first time in a while. This was due to a certain out-of-the-blue phone call. ¡°Taking the hunter exam instead of getting the refund? What the fuck is that?¡± Hwang Manho thought back to the man silently concentrating on training. The man who had been eating away at the White Lotus brand for years. ¡®Han Sungyeun.¡¯ Stats, skills, innate ability¡­ Not one thing was ordinary for this man. Stats comparable to those of an athletic layman, and skills that didn¡¯t form even after completing all of the prerequisites. Yeah, he was a special case. There wasn¡¯t a single player weaker than Han Sungyeun. But¡ª The fact that he was still dedicated to training even after 7 years, and being the living embodiment of hard work not always paying off, had always rubbed him the wrong way. ¡®Fool, why hasn¡¯t he given up even after having no talent?¡¯ To Hwang Manho, Han Sungyeun had no potential to become a hunter in this lifetime. And it bothered him that despite that fact, Han Sungyeun refused to give up. In the beginning, he was satisfied with sapping some money off the lad but¡­ ¡®I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d keep this up for 7 years.¡¯ More than just determination, Hwang Manho felt almost a certain obsession from the man. Like a man who¡¯d die if he couldn¡¯t become a hunter. The obsession didn¡¯t sit well with him, but money was money. And to be honest, he didn¡¯t even really teach him well. After finding out his lack of talent, he basically just left him alone to train. Hwang Manho thought that he would quit after a couple months of that. But Han Sungyeun stuck around to become infamous among the trainees. In the end, Hwang Manho determined that he wasn¡¯t good for the brand and chased him out of the center. And that¡¯s where he thought his relationship with Han Sungyeun ended. But not even a month later, Han Sungyeun called him to make a deal. It was arrogant. He was planning to give back at least half of the money if he asked for a refund. But to ask to take the exam out of the blue? ¡®I didn¡¯t know that this is what he¡¯d call for after all this time.¡¯ Maybe he was just trying to save face for the last time. Normally, you could only take the hunter exam a day or two after applying for it. As long as they were a player. Even if Hwang Manho vouched for him, he¡¯d just be skipping the paperwork and written tests. ¡®But that¡¯s not a good enough reason to give up all that money.¡¯ He was probably just doing this as a ¡®fuck you.¡¯ But he still had questions. How was he expecting to pass the practical exam? ¡®He has no stats, skills, nor has he unlocked his innate ability.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even know what weapon he¡¯d use during the exam. There could be one possibility though. ¡®What if he unlocked his innate ability¡­?¡¯ That would explain his newfound confidence. But no matter how superior the ability was, his stats were still below average. ¡®Whether it¡¯s strength or mana¡­¡¯ It was low enough to completely bury the benefits of a good innate ability. Even if he did unlock his ability, there wasn¡¯t anything he could have achieved with it. Most hunters have to go to a dungeon to get stronger. ¡®There¡¯s no way a mere trainee could develop their skills.¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t even be able to get into a gate. No matter what happened, it wouldn¡¯t change the outcome. ¡°Cocky bastard dug his own grave.¡± Hwang Manho grabbed his coat and prepared to head out. He¡¯d have to accompany him as a supervisor if he wanted to skip out on the paperwork. ¡®What could have possibly changed?¡¯ Those who were meant to succeed were born differently. Some people were meant to be heads, and Han Sungyeun didn¡¯t even have the ability to be a tail. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll make some preparations.¡± Hwang Manho took out his phone and started typing out a text. Exam manipulation, a goto move by famous guilds and training centers. Typically, they donate massive amounts of money to raise the placement ranks of their preferred candidates. ¡®But this should be enough to fail a no-name trainee.¡¯ Hwang Minho had some connections to the Hunter Association and he was planning to use that to get rid of Han Sungyeun. There was no other reason other than that he was annoyed with him. As long as he wasn¡¯t negatively affected in any way, Hwang Manho was fine with these malicious acts. It was a feeling similar to jealousy but something completely different. Hwang Manho realized how unethical this was but he wasn¡¯t very concerned. No one would care about a random trainee with no one to support him. After making the necessary preparations, the corner of his mouth rose. The Uijoenbu city¡¯s hunter association would be the last place Han Sungyeun would act as a player. *** Uijoenbu city¡¯s hunter association. I stood in front and gave off a bitter smile. It felt weird to come back here after almost a year. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± There was a time when I came here with dreams of becoming a hunter. It obviously didn¡¯t work out. ¡®I passed the written exam but my practicals were just not up to par.¡¯ The examiner said that I was competing for the top spot in the written exam but my practical was enough to completely destroy my score. I heard the same for all following exams. The only thing that changed was that the examiners asked why I was so passionate about taking the test. Of course, they stopped asking after I told them about my parent¡¯s death. ¡®It took damn so long to get here.¡¯ I felt all the emotions I had bottled up in the tower trying to spill out. But there wasn¡¯t any time to look back and reminisce. ¡°I see you¡¯ve arrived early Han Sungyeun-nim.¡± I slowly turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. A man with a crew cut, wearing a gray coat, and distinctively sharp eyes stood there. I knew that man. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, manager Hwang Manho.¡± The man, the legend, my fast pass. He rubbed on his luxury watch and faked a smile. ¡°¡­Haha, it hasn¡¯t been that long.¡± ¡°I guess it just feels like a long time because I¡¯ve been through some strange things lately.¡± ¡°¡­Strange things?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hwang Manho seemed curious as to what those events were. I mean, I guess that¡¯s the normal response. ¡°He¡¯s probably wondering why I¡¯m so insistent on taking this exam now.¡± But it¡¯d be way more fun to not tell him. It might sound a little petty but I had no plans to be kind to this man. Especially with all the disrespect I¡¯d been getting the past few years. I knew exactly what kind of person I was. I wasn¡¯t so petty that I¡¯d go eye for an eye to exact revenge on everyone who¡¯s wronged me. But I¡¯m not so compassionate as to pretend that none of it ever happened. That¡¯s the reason I didn¡¯t feel much guilt when I killed those challengers in the Tower of Trials. Hwang Manho noticed that I had no intention of telling him anything and moved on. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s not important right now. You said you wanted to take the exam right?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you help me, I¡¯ll call it even with the money.¡± ¡°Sure. As long as that¡¯s settled.¡± As if he knew the results wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°Ah, and the only part you can override is the theoretical written exam and the interview. That¡¯s okay with you right?¡± That¡¯s the only reason I asked. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go in. I already made the necessary arrangements.¡± He started walking into the hunter association building. ¡°This is Hwang Manho from the White Lotus training center. I¡¯m here as Han Sungyeun applicant¡¯s observer.¡± ¡°Alright. Just a second.¡± I guess he didn¡¯t lie about the arrangements. After speaking to the front desk employee, a middle-aged man in a suit with a deadpan face came out from the back. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Kim Inhoo and I¡¯ll be your examiner for today.¡± A face I¡¯d never seen before. ¡®I guess having him as an observer has its benefits.¡¯ It looked like he was a high-ranking officer and not just a normal examiner. I had heard that the examiners for exams who are sponsored by famous centers or guild executives weren¡¯t ordinary examiners. That they¡¯re veteran hunters who are fit to lead the front lines. Seeing as they¡¯re so experienced, there¡¯s very little room for error in their evaluations. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s not the only thing they might be there to do.¡¯ I guess that¡¯s good though. It¡¯d be shitty to receive a lower rank just because of a bad examiner. Kim Inhoo took a quick glance at me and turned back to Hwang Manho. ¡°Are you here as a sponsor as well? Or just an observer.¡± I knew exactly what that meant. Typically, guild executives can accompany candidates into their exams as observers. And if they decide to be a sponsor, it means they¡¯ll give all the support that candidate needs to grow. Consequently, the hunter association will give them an easier test so they have more room to show off. But none of that applied to me. ¡°No, I¡¯m here purely as an observer.¡± Kim Inhoo nodded and continued to speak in a monotone voice. ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s go to the examination site. Follow me.¡± Upon following the big man in the suit, a familiar scene came into sight. Beyond a giant glass wall, one could see a white, rectangular stone chamber. The examiner and the observers watched from here, and the candidate fought in there. Nothing had changed from the last time I¡¯d been here. Kim Inhoo turned to me and broke the silence. ¡°Do you need an explanation on the practical exam?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need one.¡± ¡°Then please select a difficulty from 1 to 10.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This pearly chamber could virtually emulate a chosen monster. Of course, there were some limitations since this thing runs on a mana device. ¡®But it should be able to emulate up to a D rank monster.¡¯ Previously, I¡¯d only ever taken the exam at level 1. But I lost to the goblin every time. Why? ¡®Because I was weak.¡¯ I failed because I couldn¡¯t even beat a goblin without a life-or-death battle. More accurately, they failed me right before the life-or-death part started. It made sense since they couldn¡¯t let the candidates die. I¡¯d have probably beaten the goblin if I did risk my life to kill him. But¡ª ¡®Someone like that can¡¯t be a hunter.¡¯ You can¡¯t call yourself a hunter if you can barely kill a goblin. Hunters were the kinds of people who¡¯d always be able to maintain a superior position. At least, that¡¯s what they told me the 17 times I failed. It wasn¡¯t like that in the Tower of Trials. ¡®Anything goes as long as you stay alive.¡¯ But thanks to that, I knew the extent of my limits. The tower was cruel but fair to all of its participants. No matter how bitter the trial was, the reward was always sweet. Due to that, the me who beat the sand golem was able to beat the orc. And I was able to grow even stronger from there. I wasn¡¯t the same weak player I used to be. After a brief moment of silence, I confidently stated my answer. ¡°I¡¯ll go with level 10.¡± ____ MC only failed the test 17 times? Those are rookie numbers ____ Chapter 24 - Hunter Han Sungyeun (4) Chapter 24: Hunter Han Sungyeun (4) No regrets. From the start, I thought this was the most appropriate level. But Hwang Manho seemed to express some disapproval. ¡°Sir, are you really going to take the level 10 exam?¡± It was as if he wanted to ask how someone like me would pass an exam like that. Well, I guess I didn¡¯t really have a retort¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I had no intention of changing my mind. I picked this because I had determined that it was the correct level for me. Plus, I wanted to double-check exactly how effective the rewards from the ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ were. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set it to level 10, please enter the chamber.¡± Kim Inhoo¡¯s tone didn¡¯t change, as if he was indifferent to anything that was happening. Almost as if he was a machine. Maybe he just didn¡¯t care since there weren¡¯t any sponsors. ¡®Superficial, aren¡¯t we.¡¯ I mean, there were so many controversies associated with sponsors. This was basically nothing compared to that. Step step. I silently marched toward the glass doors. A pearly white stone chamber, an announcement started as the door shut behind me. Wrrrr. ¡¸ Starting Han Sungyeun candidate¡¯s hunter exam. ¡¹ ¡¸ The following exam is the highest level, level 10, and placement will be at least D-rank upon passing. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please choose any weapon to use on your right-hand side. ¡¹ ¡¸ In three minutes, please prepare to face the monster that will form inside the black circle. ¡¹ ¡®Starting with a D-rank? Not bad.¡¯ You could consider it the best starting placement for hunters because it normally took quite a while to get to that point. Of course, that meant the exam would be that much harder. But I was more excited than nervous. I wondered what they were building up so much anticipation for. ¡®It won¡¯t be something as ridiculous as the doppelganger.¡¯ I could barely bring myself to smile after remembering it¡¯s near-C-rank combat abilities. The 1v1 on the third floor left quite an impression on me. But I think I¡¯d be able to beat the doppelganger pretty easily in my current state. ¡®At least if it¡¯s a one-on-one environment.¡¯ I¡¯d probably have some trouble if there were around 4 of them. They did have a lot of features like physical damage resistance and shapeshifting. On the other hand, I¡¯d be able to handle almost any monster as long as it was around that level. The hunter association probably wouldn¡¯t be able to emulate anything too difficult though. ¡®Now, I just have to pick a weapon.¡¯ I examined the wall of weapons to the right. And ended up picking the most comfortable two. ¡¸ Pure Silver Guild¡¯s Mass-produced Steel Sword ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F ¡¹ ¡¸ A sword manufactured by pouring decent quality steel into a mold. ¡¹ ¡¸ It is well balanced and does not dull easily. ¡¹ First, I picked the item that said ¡®mass-produced.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anything much better than this and it was also the closest to my obsidian dagger. It was almost insulting to compare the dagger sitting in my room to this trash but¡ª ¡®Well, the length of the blade is similar at least.¡¯ Then I picked up one of the shields close by. It was a rectangular steel shield that was weaker than my wooden shield. ¡¸ Pure Silver Guild¡¯s Mass-produced Steel Shield ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: F ¡¹ ¡¸ A shield manufactured by pouring decent quality steel into a mold. ¡¹ ¡¸ It is quite heavy but has no other pros and cons. ¡¹ Even the Crude Dwarf Shield was better than this. I didn¡¯t want to use them even if it was just for the test. Especially because there were at least E-rank items the last time I took the test. ¡®Is this what happens if you pick the 10th level?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t any information on it because I¡¯d never met anyone who had taken a level 10 test. The mechanical voice broke my train of thought. ¡¸ The exam will begin in 30 seconds. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please finish your preparation. ¡¹ 3 minutes had passed by in no time. I guess it didn¡¯t matter. I was confident that I could take on any monster, wherever they came from. ¡®That¡¯s where they¡¯re coming from.¡¯ I let out a smirk looking at the small black circle in the center of the room. Normally, I¡¯d have been so nervous that I¡¯d barely be able to breathe. That¡¯s how I felt on the lowest level exam, but I didn¡¯t feel a thing now. ¡®I guess this is growth.¡¯ ¡¸ The exam is beginning. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please hunt the flame bird. ¡¹ I squinted at the bright burst of flame that appeared in the center of the room. It was a monster I¡¯d seen in the hunter handbook. ¡°The flame bird, a D-rank monster. ¡® Its difficulty varied wildly depending on how you fought it. As the name suggested, the bird had almost no resistance to water and all types of magic attacks. The problem is that it¡¯s impossible to beat with just physical attacks. It¡¯s like telling a child to kill a goblin after giving him a stick. This seemed irrationally difficult but¡­ ¡®¡­I guess level 10 exams are just like this.¡¯ It made sense if they started you off as a D-rank hunter. The flame enveloped bird let out a chilling shriek. ¡°Kwaaaaak¡­!¡± ¡¸ Due to the skill ¡®Predator¡¯s Roar,¡¯ your movements are now 25% slower. ¡¹ My body stiffened like my joints had rusted. It wasn¡¯t as restricting as the one that challenger used in the 4th trial. This skill was a couple of levels below that. ¡®A more direct attack would have been better.¡¯ Then I¡¯d be able to diminish its effects with physical attack resistance. I could ignore it if I tried, but it was still annoying. It was like I was walking through a swamp. I paused for a second to think of a way to deal with this flying beast. According to the handbook, close-range combatants are supposed to beat it using mana resistance but¡­ That wasn¡¯t possible for me because I didn¡¯t have any skills associated with it. ¡°I did want to test out my new skill, this is great¡¯ Crack! I pushed down on the white stone and circulated mana all over my body. This skill could put a lot of strain on my body. ¡°Instant Acceleration.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ As the words left my mouth, I felt my entire body lighten like a feather. The effect was more holistic, and stronger than what you could get from the assassin¡¯s cloak. Then¡ª Kwaaaaang! Stone particles flew from where I had stood as I flew off into the air. About 10m up in the air, the perfect distance to land a blow on the dusty bird¡­ I swung the sword in my hand and¡ª ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Sleeet! The bird was split cleanly in two. The announcements didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡¸ The exam is over. ¡¹ ¡¸ Congratulations. ¡¹ ¡¸ Candidate Han Sungyeun¡¯s final evaluation is C. ¡¹ I spent 7 years trying to pass this exam. And the end couldn¡¯t have been more anticlimactic. *** A man watching through the glass wall was furious. Kwaang! ¡°¡­No, fuck, what the fuck!¡± The man smashing the wall to express his anger was Hwang Manho. He couldn¡¯t begin to even understand what had just happened in front of his eyes. The man who had only been a trainee somehow killed a D-rank flame bird. In the instant that it was summoned as well. Was that possible? ¡®No, it¡¯s not possible.¡¯ Han Sungyeun was the worst player he¡¯d ever seen. Not to mention that he had nothing remotely related to mana resistance. The trash player who couldn¡¯t even unlock his innate ability. That was Han Sungyeun. ¡®Fuck, how did this even¡­¡¯ There was no earthly explanation for what just happened. Hwang Manho directed his anger towards the man standing next to him. ¡°¡­Can you explain what just happened here?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m speechless, is this really a player who hasn¡¯t even debuted?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. I told you to fail him in 10 seconds, not pass him.¡± ¡°Are you accusing me of something?¡± Kim Inhoo loosened his tie at Hwang Manho¡¯s accusation. ¡°We did what we could. As you said, this was designed to be impossible for Han Sungyeun.¡± They were planning to give him a monster one rank above whatever he initially picked. That¡¯s what Hwang Manho requested and they accepted. He was a valuable pipeline that provided a lot of new hunters, so they had no choice but to accept. But the situation had changed. ¡°First, he picked the highest possible level, so the initial plan wasn¡¯t plausible. Then he obliterated that exam on his own. How is that my problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And we even sent out the monster that he was most unsuited to fight.¡± ¡°But¡ª The bastard is¡­¡± ¡°As the announcement said, he¡¯ll receive a C-rank hunter license.¡± ¡°I mean, can¡¯t you lower it a bit?¡± ¡°How do you even lower this? He beat the exam in 10 seconds. If he¡¯d gotten a D-rank evaluation, we would have refuted it.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± He had to swallow his anger because they were right. ¡®He¡¯s going to start off as a C-rank hunter¡­¡¯ Hwang Manho retired as a C-rank hunter back in the day. He¡¯d quit because his talents never took him further, and hard work had never been his strong suit. That¡¯s why Han Sungyeun bothered him so much. It was like looking at all the work he¡¯d never done. And that¡¯s why he¡¯d always left him alone without teaching him properly. ¡®Fucking shit¡­!¡¯ He was officially a hunter now. And a very promising one at that. Han Sungyeun would probably only get bigger and bigger. It was then¡ª ¡°You don¡¯t look so well. Did something happen?¡± The glass doors opened and Hwang Manho turned his head. The source of Hwang Manho¡¯s scowl. ¡°Han Sungyeun¡­¡± He smiled as he looked down on the disgraced manager. ____ Translator¡¯s notes Mans says he¡¯s not that petty and then hits him with is anything wrong? UwU ____ Chapter 25 - Hunter Han Sungyeun (5) Chapter 25: Hunter Han Sungyeun (5) Hwang Manho trembled with his fists closed tight. I couldn¡¯t help but let a small laugh slip at the sight. ¡®He probably didn¡¯t even expect me to pass.¡¯ I completed the exam, at the highest difficulty, in an instant. He was probably as frustrated as he was embarrassed. Kicking himself for his little speech about giving up while I was ahead. But I¡¯d become an entirely different person since I entered that tower. Of course, he couldn¡¯t predict the results. Grit. I heard a small voice through Hwang Manho¡¯s gritted teeth. ¡°Ha, haha. Congratulations Sungyeun-nim, or shall I say, hunter Han Sungyeun.¡± Hwang Manho forced himself to continue while visibly faking a smile. He¡¯d lost the composure to even hide his feelings. ¡®Why¡¯s he even so spiteful?¡¯ I was just curious to know what I did to make him hate me so much. All I did was show up and train every day. Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter now. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll keep seeing him around.¡¯ That gave me a little more peace of mind. ¡°I sure am. Weren¡¯t you also a C-rank hunter before you retired?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Haha.¡± ¡°Then it looks like we¡¯re the same rank now, manager Hwang.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I noticed him squeezing his fists. Not only that, his poker face was completely ruined. So he understood what I was actually saying to him. The trainee that he once looked down on was now at the same rank as him. ¡®That¡¯s exactly what I meant by it¡­¡¯ From the looks of his face, he seemed to have understood it a little too well. I leaned in closer to land my final blow to the aggravated man. ¡°Too bad we won¡¯t be on the same level for too long.¡± It could mean different things without context, but it was clear what I was trying to say. I¡¯d surpass C-rank soon and stand above him at his prime. ¡°¡­Ha, haha. That might be difficult.¡± It was a completely emotionless response, but I smiled even bigger in return. ¡°We¡¯ll see, stranger things have happened. Like a 7-year trainee becoming a C-rank hunter overnight.¡± He dropped the facade and started tightening his muscles. ¡®The taunting is working better than I thought.¡¯ Hm, he might even make a move here. It was then¡ª ¡°That¡¯s enough, manager Hwang.¡± The silent observer attempted to remediate the situation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be gained by escalating this situation.¡± Kim Inhoo dropped the previously robotic tone and continued in a frigid tone. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the Han Sungyeun hunter from now on. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°¡­Are you really going to end our relationship, just to save face for a new hunter?¡± Hwang Manho responded with a similarly low and threatening tone. But¡ª ¡°I suppose so.¡± The examiner didn¡¯t back down. I didn¡¯t expect him to jump in like this, but it wasn¡¯t unexpected. The hunter association would prefer not to have a battle happening within their office. Especially if one of those constituents is a highly-anticipated newbie. If there¡¯s one thing that bothers me¡­ ¡®End the relationship.¡¯ That meant they had some sort of relationship that could be ended until this point. ¡®I didn¡¯t know he had a connection with the examiner.¡¯ It did make sense, considering that he¡¯s a manager of a famous training center. The hunter association only dealt with the biggest fish in the sea. I didn¡¯t know the White Lotus was in that group. Too bad it wasn¡¯t a strong connection. ¡°¡­Fuck all of you.¡± He expressed his disapproval and briskly walked out. Kaaang¡­! He slammed the door shut and the silence filled the room. Kim Inhoo looked as if nothing happened and carried on with the conversation. ¡°Hm, looks like everything¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°¡­I think so.¡± ¡°On that note, there¡¯s something I want to tell you with your hunter license¡­¡± The corners of his mouth raised as his eyes met mine. ¡°Can you lend me a bit of your time?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It was best to get the license as soon as possible. There was some annoyance on the way here, but I achieved what I had set out to do. ¡®Saving time, and getting the hunter license.¡¯ I condensed a 3-day schedule to just one day. ¡°Well let¡¯s get a change of scenery. I¡¯ll give you the license first.¡± I nodded and followed him down a hall. It was finally starting to set in that I was an official hunter. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be hunter Han Sungyeun from now on¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the most satisfactory rank after 7 years but¡ª ¡®It¡¯s not bad.¡¯ I was satisfied to take the first step. *** ¡°This is the license that you¡¯ll be using from now on.¡± I thoroughly examined the small rectangle handed to me. ¡¸ Hunter Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank: C ¡¹ ¡¸ Type: Melee ¡¹ ¡¸ Issued Date: 2026-01-21 ¡¹ It felt good. I was proud that I stuck it through to finally get here. Kim Inhoo interrupted as I was admiring the license. ¡°Now that you¡¯re registered, you¡¯ll be able to act as an official hunter now.¡± I opened my mouth at the good news. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to sell items and enter dungeons?¡± ¡°Yes sir. Of course, you¡¯ll only be able to go into dungeons that match your rank. Same with the items.¡± After a brief pause, he stared at me with a more serious look on his face. ¡°Sir, I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°If you mention a proposal¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you thought it was. Would you be interested in working exclusively as a hunter for the hunter association?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was out of the blue, but it didn¡¯t come as a surprise. To Kim Inhoo, I must be a diamond in the rough. ¡®No associations, completely undiscovered.¡¯ I was probably one of a kind. Most young promising hunters were sponsored by big guilds. So, the hunter association couldn¡¯t poach any of those rising stars. ¡®But I¡¯m not from any guild nor am I affiliated with any group.¡¯ He even confirmed that I had a bad relationship with my only connection, Hwang Manho. There was no reason for them not to try to poach me. And this wasn¡¯t a bad deal. ¡®hunter association hunters receive a salary even if they don¡¯t do anything.¡¯ Unlike most hunters who make their living by scavenging through dungeons, these hunters escort or arrest for a living. Protecting famous celebrities or arresting fugitive hunters, that¡¯s what they did. In reality, you¡¯d do that for extra pay. ¡®You don¡¯t have to do anything as long as you respond to their calls at specific times.¡¯ But even then, their salaries were ridiculously high. I put the license in my wallet and snuck in a question. ¡°Exactly how much would the pay be?¡± ¡°It starts off at 1 million, but you can negotiate for more.¡± That¡¯s fairly high, even in this industry. An incredible amount for essentially doing nothing. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Well, I think you have the potential to be worth it.¡± Kim Inhoo didn¡¯t even bat an eye at that amount. ¡®Hmm, I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t interested.¡¯ It¡¯d be very worth it considering the time I¡¯d spend in the tower. But¡ª ¡®It¡¯s a bit iffy if they previously had a relationship with Hwang Manho.¡¯ The hunter industry is incredibly corrupt. A lot of murders happen within the dungeons. To the point where there are hunters who exclusively neglect corpses in dungeons. If you put a body in a dungeon that needed to disappear, no one could ever track you. And just like how the hunter industry had a dark side, the hunter association wasn¡¯t all clean. There were a lot of instances of candidates paying absurd sums of money to be evaluated at a higher rank. ¡®In that aspect, Kim Inhoo was suspicious as well.¡¯ They probably tried to mess with my test. ¡®It was actually different from the tests I took before.¡¯ To be honest, there was something that felt a bit off about this exam. Everything from the available items to how incompatible I was with the monster. I¡¯d heard that a candidate who took a level 7 exam got D-grade weapons, but I only had F-grade available. And how most melee combatants would never be able to beat the flame bird. I didn¡¯t say anything because I assumed the level 10 test was special but¡ª ¡®There¡¯s a lot to be suspicious of.¡¯ If that was the case, it would be foolish of me to accept this offer. Fool me once, shame on them. Fool me twice, shame on me. Of course, I didn¡¯t have any concrete proof. I still couldn¡¯t say if an immediate response was a wise decision. ¡°Thank you for the offer. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s because of the salary, you can negotiate it up.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Just some personal reasons.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Feel free to call any time.¡± He made a disappointed face and held out a business card. ¡¸ Hunter Association Examiner Kim Inhoo ¡¹ ¡°Give me a call when you feel like it.¡± I took the card and nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head out now.¡± ¡°We hope to keep a good relationship with you.¡± ¡®Exclusive hunter for the hunter association, huh.¡¯ I¡¯d consider it for a bit longer, but there were still things I had to do. ¡®Now that I have a license, I can start selling items.¡¯ I needed to get more out of the 3 days I had. ¡®The return stone is cheaper than expected, so there¡¯s probably a bunch of us here.¡¯ That might affect the market price of my items. The tower would eventually let the challengers go, and they¡¯d all have items with them. Whether that was good or bad, it¡¯d change the market. I¡¯d have to act quickly to prepare for that. ¡°Let¡¯s make some money first.¡± I could probably charge some extra premium for my items. I¡¯d need some money to prepare to go to the tower. This would be the first thing I¡¯d do as a hunter. ____ Translator¡¯s notes ¨C MC: I just broke up a 5 year relationship Everyone: omg are you okay? MC: yeah, it wasn¡¯t mine ____ Chapter 26 - First Move (1) Chapter 26: First Move (1) I¡¯d already achieved everything I set out to do during my 3-day stay. ¡®I finally got some well-deserved rest and passed the hunter exam.¡¯ Looking back at everything I did in one day made me feel pretty proud. I had a suspicion that this might have been a waste of 500 points but¡­ Nothing of that sort even crossed my mind now. ¡®Things have been working out a little too well.¡¯ I initially planned to get a leg up on everyone before the exam criteria changed¡­ But it looked like I¡¯d be able to sell items right away. This might be the best course of action considering the flood of low-rank items that would come. The problem would be all the other challengers who¡¯d be returning to Earth soon. With this pattern, it shouldn¡¯t be too long before the other challengers reached the 8th floor. ¡®I need to use my time more efficiently.¡¯ Even with that thought, I stopped by the corner store and bought a pack of bungeo-ppang*. I thought about holding back, but things like this were the main reason I came back to Earth. My bank balance was telling me no but¡ª ¡®Eh, it¡¯ll be okay once I sell all the items I brought.¡¯ No use in caring about money. I grabbed some more snacks from the store and returned to my room with a full mouth. Click. ¡°¡­This place is the same as usual.¡± The apartment looked exactly the same as when I left it. It was funny to see that a life-changing event just happened in my room. Yet seeing the same room made everything feel like a dream. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯ve been here for quite some time.¡± I received it from the government-funded player support program. Since I¡¯m officially a hunter, I should be able to receive a bigger apartment. ¡®That doesn¡¯t even matter though. I¡¯m going back to the tower soon.¡¯ I won¡¯t waste my time with useless shit. Collapse. ¡°I¡¯ll get some rest for now.¡± I put my head on the pillow and took out my phone from my pocket. I just wanted to get an update on everything as well as release some stress. But. ¡®Nothing¡¯s changed.¡¯ The world is still the same place. I looked up ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ to see if anyone¡¯s posted about it but it was to no avail. The other challengers must not have gotten out yet. 500 isn¡¯t a luxury most players would be able to afford if they weren¡¯t on the top of the leaderboards. ¡®I probably wouldn¡¯t have come out without all the bonus rewards I¡¯ve been getting.¡¯ A couple of days might change the situation but¡­ I couldn¡¯t afford to be that patient. ¡®Let me first sell all the items that I need to take care of.¡¯ It was time to say goodbye to some of my trusted friends. Like the assassin¡¯s cloak and the obsidian dagger. The cloak¡¯s bonus disappeared now that my agility had reached 50. And the buffs on the dagger were falling behind some of the other equipment. ¡®Which ones should I sell¡­¡¯ After pondering, I came to a conclusion. I¡¯d leave the cloak because agility was still my main stat, but the obsidian dagger and deadwood shield had to go. Especially because the effect on the deadwood shield didn¡¯t match my fighting style anymore. I did turn the tide of the battle with this effect before, but it was too risky. Rather than taking damage for some extra buffs, I preferred to take them down with one swift strike. ¡®It¡¯s decided then.¡¯ I¡¯d stop by the hunter market tomorrow to take care of it. After deciding, I realized that I had nothing left to do. I was supposed to rest but¡­ ¡°What was I supposed to do again?¡± The only thing I did when I was home was train. I had no hobbies or interests. ¡®Hm, should I pick up a game or something?¡¯ I didn¡¯t really feel like it. Ah, if this was the tower, I¡¯d just train. Catching myself mid-thought, I smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± I came here because I wanted to take a break but¡­ I think I was more comfortable with training now. Ironic. It did mean that I¡¯d adapted well to the tower. ¡®Funny.¡¯ After the bowls of gukbap and some snacks, my cravings were satisfied. With a nice warm shower, I was completely satisfied. ¡®I wasn¡¯t really the type to splurge even before the tower.¡¯ My head was only filled with thoughts about training. That¡¯s how I lived for the past 7 years. ¡®I¡¯d essentially become addicted to it now.¡¯ It allowed me to survive in the tower. ¡®I¡¯ll only get stronger the more I climb.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how many trials were left, but the rewards could only get better from here. I¡¯d learn more about the tower, and in turn, the new world we lived in. ¡®The questions, administrator, and rewards.¡¯ The tower was much more generous than the dungeons. They gave us access to all kinds of commands to extract information from. But I had no intentions of using any of them at the moment. ¡®I need to wait until at least the 8th floor.¡¯ It¡¯d be the most efficient, seeing that a lot more things would be added to the system. I had an intuition that there would be more to find out the higher I climbed the tower. ¡®But that¡¯s that.¡¯ I cut myself off and closed my eyes. I had to force myself to get some well-deserved mental rest. ¡®It¡¯ll be a while since I¡¯ll get this again¡­¡¯ My senses slowly drifted away as my muscles relaxed. I initially worried about not being able to sleep, but it was all for naught. It was my first deep sleep in a long long time. *** Vrrr, vrrr. My eyes opened wide as I felt a vibration next to my head. I blindly grasped for my phone a couple of times until I finally found it. I fought the gravity of the comfy bed and got myself to sit up. And¡ª ¡¸ 11:30 AM ¡¹ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I stared into my screen, confused. ¡®If this it¡¯s 11:30 in the morning¡­¡¯ It was around 8 pm when I went to sleep, so I slept for almost 15 hours. ¡°Damn, I slept for that long?¡± The longest I slept before the tower was around 8 hours. ¡°I guess I was more tired than I thought¡­¡± Crack! I stood up and gave all my muscles a good stretch. ¡®I guess all that¡¯s left to do is get rid of these items.¡¯ Seeing the items neatly arranged on the floor gave me a bittersweet feeling. It wasn¡¯t a long time, but some of these items saved my life. The sentimental value would be lost if I sold them but¡­ ¡®That¡¯s not a good enough reason to not sell these.¡¯ They could lose all of their value once an influx of items came in from new returners. I put all the items in a bag and put on a hoodie and jeans to look inconspicuous. Since this was a neighborhood designated for players, everything from the hunter association to the whole economy was related to hunters. I didn¡¯t need to waste much time getting to the hunter market. I was never qualified to be in here before but¡ª ¡¸ Please show your hunter license. ¡¹ ¡¸ Hunter Han Sungyeun, confirmed. ¡¹ Not anymore. ¡®Wow, hunters sure have it nice with all this space.¡¯ I entered the lobby of the gigantic building, which must have been at least 10 stories tall. The hunter market¡ª a large mall where hunters go to buy and sell items. There were stalls dedicated to repairing and strengthening equipment, as well as places that just displayed a myriad of weapons. Of course¡­ ¡®None of them are that good.¡¯ The gallery was just filled with F to D-grade trash. I walked past, as I had no use for it. ¡°Welcome, sir.¡± I stepped into the item sale office and a young woman approached me. ¡°What items are you looking to sell today?¡± ¡°Hm, just a shield and a dagger I happened upon.¡± ¡°A shield and a dagger, two items. The grades are¡­¡± ¡°One D and one E.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite high.¡± ¡°I got kind of lucky.¡± She didn¡¯t ask me for any further details. ¡°Okay. Can you show us the items here?¡± I walked to the nearby table and displayed the contents of my bag. The obsidian dagger and the deadwood shield. The woman widened her eyes with surprise as I took them out. ¡°This kind of quality¡­ you really want to sell these?¡± It was as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any more use for it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, you were a high ranker.¡± She nodded at her insight while I opted to stay silent. It wasn¡¯t accurate, but I had no intentions of correcting her. ¡°Hm, I¡¯m estimating that the dagger would sell for $65,000 and the shield $100,000.¡± Shocked, I could barely ask my question. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t E-grade items usually go for like $40,000? The shield would also be worth like $55.000.¡± ¡°No, not all of them. These are both high-quality items.¡± The woman shook her head at the tidbit of knowledge I had. ¡°They both have more effects than I thought and more qualities that aren¡¯t marked by the system.¡± ¡°What do you mean by qualities that aren¡¯t marked by the system?¡± ¡°Just like the ingredient the dagger is made of and the origins of this shield.¡± ¡®They must have seen some value in the explanation about the black steel and that the shield was made for a berserker.¡¯ That completely went over my head. I didn¡¯t really have any experience in this area, so I felt a little lacking. ¡®I should have done some research beforehand.¡¯ The woman continued to talk. ¡°If you want, you can go ask other sales offices.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take care of it here.¡± There¡¯s no real reason for me to go to a different office. Unlike normal, markets where anyone can come and go, hunter markets were very restricted. Most trades were based on trust. There was no need to make unnecessary enemies. ¡®Especially if they¡¯ve mistaken you as a high ranker.¡¯ No market in the world would try to grift a high ranker. ¡°Just write down your banking information. We¡¯ll wire you the money immediately.¡± My phone buzzed as soon as I gave them the info. ¡¸ $165,000 has been deposited into your account. ¡¹ ¡¸ Balance ¨C $172,380 ¡¹ The bank notified me of my new balance. The reality set in and my heart fluttered. ¡®¡­I finally feel like a real hunter.¡¯ I was positive. It was the right choice to use my precious points on this trip. ____ It¡¯s a little slow right now but it gets WILD ____ Chapter 27 - First Move (2) Chapter 27: First Move (2) $165,000. An amount of money I couldn¡¯t even imagine as a trainee. No matter what I went through in the trials, I was only human. My poker face broke for an instant and the corners of my mouth slid up. A thousand ideas popped into my head with all the things I could do with this money but¡ª ¡®¡­What¡¯s the use. It¡¯ll all disappear soon.¡¯ I calmed myself down and organized my thoughts. There were a bunch of things I needed to test out with the tower, and it wasn¡¯t good to obsess over money. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed the deposit.¡± Not a single tremble in my voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and take care of these.¡± She retrieved the items from the table. It was painful to say goodbye, but they wouldn¡¯t be of much use on the higher floors. ¡°We hope you will continue to choose us for future business.¡± ¡°Okay, bye then.¡± I took off and started looking at some of the other shows. There was something I was curious about. The Tower of Trials let me bring out the items that I bought there. Then I wondered if the opposite would be true for items I¡¯d bought here. It was just a theory, but it could be the case. ¡®It could be a two-way system.¡¯ The question was if that only worked with items bought in the tower. And that¡¯s what I was trying to answer right now. ¡°Gotta spend money if you made money.¡± *** ¡¸ Krocken Magic Tower¡¯s Repair Box ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Created by what was once known as the Fools Tower, Krocken Magic Tower. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon placing an item below C-grade, the box restores it to its original form. ¡¹ ¡¸ Only one item can be placed in the box, and the item must fit in it. ¡¹ ¡¸ Can only repair one item. ¡¹ ¡¸ Cleansing Stone ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E- ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon inserting mana into the stone, it cleanses the user¡¯s body and equipment. ¡¹ ¡¸ The cooldown on the item is 3 hours. ¡¹ After coming back to my apartment¡­ I stared at the two items I purchased from the market. ¡®Krocken Magic Tower¡¯s Repair Box¡¯ and the ¡®Cleansing Stone.¡¯ They weren¡¯t too shabby for $97,000. Krocken Magic Tower¡¯s Repair Box was a D+ item. And the Cleansing Stone would be useful in the tower, despite the low grade. I could only tell how terrible I smelt after washing up. Staying clean would be worth the money. ¡°But I lost 100k after two items¡­¡± It was insane but the only logical choice. They were the only items that could help me in the tower. ¡®More accurately, they were the only ones that I could use and also afford.¡¯ I needed to leave a bit just in case. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d never come back to Earth. ¡®And I still need to hunt at least twice a year if I want to keep my license.¡¯ A-rank hunters could become honorary hunters, but the same was not true for the others. Unless you were a special case, like a hunter association affiliated hunter, you¡¯d be forced to retire from inactivity. A hunter¡¯s main job was to take care of monsters and clear gates after all. No activity meant no benefits. ¡®Of course, that won¡¯t be my main reason for coming back¡­¡¯ I¡¯d focus on the tower for now. If I wanted to get to the 8th floor, I¡¯d need to clear three more trials. I didn¡¯t even have an option of returning permanently until I reached that point. The only thing left to do was bring back these items. I guess I¡¯d find out once it was time. Nothing I could do about this now. Maybe I¡¯d spend some time researching. A decent amount of time passed, so maybe someone posted something about the tower. Click, click. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡¸ Any of y¡¯all come from the tower of trials? ¡¹ I stopped scrolling at the new post on the hunter forums. Who¡¯s this crazy bastard? ¡®Like the guy who leaked information about the 4th trial and this guy¡­¡¯ Some of these guys have a screw loose. I didn¡¯t know why these guys were just talking about the tower out in the open but¡­ I was curious. Click. ¡¸ Author ¨C Ex D rank hunter ¡¹ ¡¸ Fuck, I contemplated for a while and finally bought the return stone. Can anyone share some information with me? Please, I¡¯m desperate. ¡¹ I knew that this guy was telling the truth as soon as I saw the post. A challenger who knew about the return stone. I didn¡¯t know what difficulty they were in, but it was interesting. ¡®I wonder what they were thinking when they posted this.¡¯ Interested, I scrolled down further. ¡¸ 4th and 5th floors were manageable, but it¡¯s killing me that the 6th trial is another trial of competition. ¡¹ ¡¸ I used up all my questions, so I can¡¯t get any more information. I¡¯m going to die. ¡¹ ¡¸ I¡¯m even more fucked because I¡¯m on the hard difficulty. ¡¹ The hard difficulty. It was the same as mine. ¡®Is it already time for the 6th trial¡­¡¯ The 5th trial must have been really short if they¡¯re already on the 6th one. Putting my intrigue aside, I kept scrolling. Drr. ¡¸ The fucking admins barely tell you anything even if you ask a question. ¡¹ ¡¸ And ¡®that bastard¡¯ told everyone about the 4th and 6th trial and now everyone in the community is staying quiet. ¡¹ ¡¸ Are all of us low rankers just supposed to die off? ¡¹ ¡¸ People like us have to stick together if we want to stay alive. ¡¹ ¡¸ Post a comment if you have any intentions of sharing anything. ¡¹ ¡°Hm.¡± I think I¡¯d figured the situation out. ¡®The same thing that happened before the 4th trial is happening again now.¡¯ And the ¡®bastard¡¯ he¡¯s talking about is probably the same exact person as before. Surprisingly, this was way more information than I anticipated. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to reply to it. ¡®I don¡¯t have anything to share, nor do I have any intentions of sharing anything.¡¯ I was considered a high ranker, seeing that I was 16th after the 4th trial. I also hadn¡¯t used any of my questions, so I had a lot saved up. Plus, I didn¡¯t want to expose any unwanted information about me. It was then¡ª ¡¸ DancingWithGoblins ¨C What are you even talking about? You got something wrong with your head? ¡¹ The new listing started gathering some attention. ¡¸ ModernOrc ¨C I mean I guess there are a bunch of hunters who retired from going crazy. ¡¹ ¡¸ SalaryLupin ¨C I¡¯m also a D-rank hunter. Am I gonna go crazy also? ¡¹ ¡¸ HonestGamerHunter ¨C Stop sprouting your bullshit about this tower and go play some games. ¡¹ No one seems to believe him. ¡®I mean, who¡¯d even leave a legit reply to somethi¡­¡¯ ¡¸ HurricaneSwag ¨C Same, fuck. Can we talk one on one? I¡¯m also in the hard difficulty. ¡¹ ¡¸ SelfHealThief ¨C Same. I got some info. Can we get together? Also hard difficulty. ¡¹ ¡°¡­I guess there are.¡± You could tell that these people were at their wit¡¯s end. I was surprised to find that even the lower-ranked challengers bought a return stone. ¡®If they were that desperate, they should have just stayed and kept training.¡¯ I didn¡¯t understand why they would waste 500 points like this. Although I probably shouldn¡¯t assume their situations. ¡®Anyways, it looks like more and more people are starting to return.¡¯ I¡¯m assuming that this was because they were finishing up the 5th trial now. ¡°Good thing I came before everyone else.¡± I was satisfied with my choices and kept searching online. ¡¸ Yall know anything called the tower of trials? ¡¹ ¡¸ If you¡¯re a civilian make sure you don¡¯t get swept away by the ¡®Tower of Trials.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Looking for people to team up in the tower of trials ¡¹ There were even posts warning normal people about not accepting the tower¡¯s invitation. ¡®It¡¯s about time since there are probably easy difficulty challengers.¡¯ Simultaneously, the tower seemed to garner a lot of attention. ¡¸ What¡¯s this tower and why is this the only thing people are talking about? ¡¹ ¡¸ I heard there¡¯s this dungeon called the tower of trials that¡¯s even taking civilians, is that true? ¡¹ ¡¸ Is this just a big prank? What¡¯s the tower of trials? ¡¹ I could tell that it was reaching the mainstream audiences at this point. ¡®I don¡¯t know how this will affect anything but¡­¡¯ I knew one thing. I had to climb up higher. ¡®So the 6th trial is another competitive trial and the 5th is probably an individual¡­¡¯ I¡¯d probably have to kill more challengers. That fact didn¡¯t really come as a shock. ¡®If I have to fight, I¡¯ll fight.¡¯ Actually, I was more curious to see the rewards I¡¯d get afterward. I didn¡¯t know if it was because I¡¯d already killed someone or if I¡¯d become too accustomed to the tower. A part of my brain felt missing now, but it wasn¡¯t all bad. I¡¯d stay like this at least until the 8th floor. ¡°The 8th floor¡­¡± Once all the features of the tower were unlocked, I planned to use all of my questions. So until then¡­ All I had to do was keep going. ____ Tag yourself, I¡¯m HurricaneSwag Another slow chapter just preparing for big boi story ____ Chapter 28 - Intrusion (1) Chapter 28: Intrusion (1) I spent my last day on Earth doing more research about the tower. One could look at this as wasting my precious time on Earth but¡­ My initial goal was to get a leg up on everyone else, so I didn¡¯t mind. There wasn¡¯t anything I needed besides the food and sleep I got. ¡®Too much rest is a luxury I don¡¯t need.¡¯ I tried finding out as much as possible about the status of all the challengers on the 6th floor. And¡ª The mainstream media had picked up on the scent. That just helped to show how many challengers came back from the tower. ¡®And that means more people have enough points to spare the 500 on the return stone.¡¯ That also meant I was starting to fall behind compared to the other challengers. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy once I get back.¡± I¡¯d have to clear the 5th trial as fast as possible. A familiar message popped up as I was lost in thought. ¡¸ You will be returned to the tower soon. ¡¹ Return, as though the place I belonged was the tower. ¡­but I didn¡¯t have anything to say against it. ¡®I guess return is the correct term.¡¯ I was returning to become stronger, and to survive. Back to the tower. Badump, badump. My heart raced as my body longed to go back. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not so bad that I¡¯m so accustomed to the tower.¡¯ The tower had changed me. But that allowed me to grow and survive. Maybe that¡¯s why¡­ ¡¸ Time over. ¡¹ ¡¸ Returning to the Tower of Trials. ¡¹ I was looking forward to the next trial. *** ¡°¡­I¡¯m back¡± The large stone waiting area was there, just as I left it. Realizing that I had returned, I searched my body for my items. ¡®I was holding on to it when I was in the studio so¡­¡¯ The tips of my fingers grazed something hard mid-thought. ¡¸ Krocken Magic Tower¡¯s Repair Box ¡¹ A black box with gray engraved stars like constellations, an item I bought at the hunters¡¯ market. And just around the corner¡ª ¡¸ Cleansing Stone ¡¹ An azure pyroxene stone. Another item I bought outside. ¡¸ Assassin¡¯s Cloak ¡¹ And even the item I get from the 2nd floor. ¡°¡­Items are free to travel back and forth, huh.¡± No matter where you got them from, as long as the item had a rank associated with it. I still didn¡¯t have anything like my phone or wallet, but that was fine. Just knowing this information was a huge advantage. ¡®This cleansing stone is gonna take a weight off of me.¡¯ Same with the repair box. Now I know to just go buy items and bring them back if they didn¡¯t have them in the marketplace. It was then¡ª ¡¸ ¡®The First Returnee¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Acquiring the skill ¡®Eye of Truth (A)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®The first returnee?¡¯ I had to read that a couple of times to get a full understanding of the situation. ¡°I must have been the first person to go and come back.¡± It made sense since I used it almost immediately after getting to the 5th floor. It was amazing that battles weren¡¯t the only place you could unlock an achievement from. However, what was more amazing was this skill. Just the fact that it was an A-ranked skill was making me shake with excitement. I collected my breath and opened the status window to see the details. And¡ª ¡¸ Skill ¨C Eye of Truth (A) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C None ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Uses mana to obtain information from a specified object. Can also determine whether or not the target is telling the truth. ¡¹ I got chills reading the description. It wasn¡¯t a battle-related skill, but one could argue it¡¯s even more useful. ¡®Information on the specified target huh.¡¯ What could top a skill like this? I hadn¡¯t heard of anything that lets you obtain information like what the first part of the skill said¡­ Though I could guarantee that the latter effect would be useful. It didn¡¯t have a proficiency so it wouldn¡¯t be possible to rank it up, but it¡¯s a great skill regardless. Especially in the group trials with other challengers. ¡®It isn¡¯t very descriptive but I¡¯ll figure it out in time.¡¯ Most active skills tended to work similarly anyway. I held the cloak in my hand and opened my mouth. ¡°Eye of truth.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Retrieving information on the following object. ¡¹ The activation message was followed by another message. ¡¸ Assassin¡¯s Cloak ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D ¡¹ ¡¸ A cloak-type item that¡¯s specialized in instantaneous acceleration. ¡¹ Mana slipped from my body as I smiled at the message that appeared while ¡°Not bad.¡± Not that much better compared to the original item description but¡­ ¡¸ Waiting Area ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: ? ¡¹ ¡¸ A private area provided by the Tower of Trials for the challengers. ¡¹ ¡¸ Currently being provided to challenger Han Sungyeun. ¡¹ I can even see information like this so it¡¯s probably useful. ¡°No, I actually hit the jackpot.¡± Being able to extract information out of everything was a huge advantage. Though I still couldn¡¯t check the latter half of the skill. ¡®I need someone to talk to for that part to activate at all.¡¯ But this unexpected achievement was a pleasant surprise. ¡®The return stone was so worth it.¡¯ The last three days had been great, and this was just the cherry on top. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡®If I can start using this skill without having to say the skill name out loud¡­¡¯ All of my interactions with other people were going to change drastically. Of course¡ª ¡®That¡¯s a story for after the 5th trial.¡¯ Now, since I finished checking up on all that¡­ It was time to choose a weapon. I¡¯d been meaning to buy a new set since I sold my previous set back on Earth. ¡°Marketplace.¡± Normally, I¡¯d spend some time contemplating what items to get, but there were a couple I¡¯d been eyeing for a while. ¡¸ You have bought a Thunder Blade (C). ¡¹ ¡¸ 5,500 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have bought a Covert Hunter¡¯s Shield (D+). ¡¹ ¡¸ 3,800 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡°This should be enough.¡± ¡¸ Thunder Blade ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack Speed: +12% ¡¹ ¡¸ An azure blade that bears the thunder¡¯s mana. Created by a blacksmith that worshipped the thunder. ¡¹ ¡¸ Attacking with this weapon has a 10% chance to inflict an ¡®electrocute¡¯ effect. ¡¹ ¡¸ Covert Hunter¡¯s Shield ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement Speed: +3% ¡¹ ¡¸ Presence Concealment: +5% ¡¹ ¡¸ A shield that can be attached to the arm. Created with a minuscule amount of mithril. ¡¹ ¡¸ You can conceal your presence more easily and move faster. ¡¹ The thunder blade had the on-attack effect even though it didn¡¯t have a lot of bonus effects. And the covert hunter¡¯s shield was an attachment-type shield fit for my combat style. I invested pretty heavily into the sword, so the shield was a little shabby but¡ª ¡®My fights usually revolve around the sword anyway.¡¯ It shouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem. After making all of the necessary preparations, I checked the community one more time. ¡¸ Floor 5 Community (443/691) ¡¹ ¡°There were over 1,000 people the last time I checked.¡± I guess most people moved onto the 5th trial almost immediately. Maybe some of them only just cleared the 4th trial and came up. Although the chances were pretty slim. I then briefly checked the leaderboard before taking a sigh of relief. ¡®My ranking hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ The most important part was that I was still a pioneer, but it would be a good idea to stay on the higher side just in case. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no use delaying it any further.¡± ¡¸ Do you accept the 5th floor trial? ¡¹ ¡¸ Y/N ¡¹ The waiting period was long gone. I pressed ¡®Y¡¯ without hesitation and the usual blue portal appeared. I put the repair box and the cleansing stone in my inventory and put on the new equipment. I stepped into the portal to find myself transported to a drab cave. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is hunting.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ The objective soon followed. ¡¸ The 5th floor trial is starting soon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 1 day ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Kill the boss of the wolf cave, the werewolf, in the remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or time out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Barbaric Wolf¡¯s Hairband (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ As soon as I finished reading the message, I heard growls begin to surround me. Grrrr¡­ ¡°This is a warm welcome.¡± Muttering dully, I took a look at my surroundings. It should have been too dark for me to see anything but¡­ Maybe it was due to my enhanced stats, but I could see the enemies as clear as day. A wolf-like beast with brown, uneven fur, and scarlet eyes. ¡°Eye of truth.¡± ¡¸ Crazy Wolf ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank: E+ ¡¹ ¡¸ A D-rank beast with a wolf-like outer appearance who usually hunts in packs. ¡¹ ¡¸ Their jaw strength is powerful enough to cleanly sever an ordinary person¡¯s arm. ¡¹ It was a useful yet vicious description. Sever an arm with a bite¡­ Although they might have a harder time with my arm with my tenacity stat. It still wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful. ¡°Grrrr¡­!¡± I squeezed the hilt of my new sword as three growling crazy wolves ran towards me. ¡°Kwaaar!¡± And that was the last thing to come out of their mouths. Stab, stab, stab! I placed a hole in their necks simultaneously while dodging their claws. Their corpses lost all strength and dropped to the floor. Katang. The fight was anticlimactic and didn¡¯t raise any emotion in me. Considering my stats, a D-rank monster wouldn¡¯t really put up much of a fight. ¡°The sword feels pretty good, but the electrocute effect didn¡¯t activate.¡± The description said it had a 10% chance of activating, but it wasn¡¯t as frequent as I had hoped. Though I wasn¡¯t disappointed. ~Grrr¡­ There were more practice dummies left in the cave. And the echoing growls would lead me to them. ____ MC: rest is a luxury i can¡¯t afford Also MC: lemme buy that 50k shower rock Chapter 29 - Intrusion (2) Chapter 29: Intrusion (2) Tsssssk¡­.! Streaks of lightning sparked from the sword as it flowed through the wolf¡¯s corpse. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not a C-rank for nothing.¡¯ This was what it meant by applying an electrocution effect on attacks. Just like the name suggested, lightning flowed out from the blade, killing the crazy wolf immediately. ¡®It¡¯ll be more useful than I expected.¡¯ It was enough to completely take care of all the nearby monsters. After a bit of experimentation, I should be able to incorporate it into my combos. The 5th trial was looking good already. ¡®And¡­¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the only thing I gained. ¡¸ Skill Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E)¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Accelerated Regeneration (E+) ¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Accelerated Regeneration (E+) ¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ A couple of messages popped up after getting rid of about ten wolves. ¡°I can¡¯t complain about the rewards.¡± Progress that had been stagnating flooded in all at once and ranked up two of my skills. It helped that I¡¯d purposely been taking my time with the hunt to increase my proficiency. I avoided killing them in one hit and instead took some non-threatening injuries to get some extra training in. Even then, this growth speed was unheard of. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A technique made by hunters for effective hunting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C When using a dagger, the weapon¡¯s cutting force is increased by two times. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Accelerated Regeneration (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to recover quickly from non-life-threatening injuries. ¡¹ The only difference from the system¡¯s side was the cutting force but¡­ In practice, these skills became exponentially more useful. ¡°The daggermanship is already at E+¡­¡± I could feel myself getting closer to hitting the limit. All skills have a rank where growth completely stops. The case wasn¡¯t any different with Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship. ¡®From what I hear, this skill stops ranking up after hitting D.¡¯ After one more rank-up, I¡¯d be hitting a wall. I didn¡¯t know any information on accelerated regeneration but¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll need to get a new blade-related weapons skill first.¡± Weapons skills in general could be used to increase proficiencies of higher-tier weapons skills of the same family. Once I found a better daggermanship skill, I shouldn¡¯t have any problems. And I knew exactly how I¡¯d get one. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to absorb it from the correct enemies.¡¯ Since I could never unlock abilities just by training, my only choice was to use my innate ability. The only problem was finding an enemy with the correct skill, plus the probability of acquiring it. Whatever, it wasn¡¯t something I needed to think about right now. ¡®I just have to hope for a solution on the higher floors.¡¯ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the crazy wolf. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the crazy wolf. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the crazy wolf. ¡¹ ¡­ ¡­ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 16% ¡¹ ¡®The necromancy proficiency is quite high too.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it ranked up in this trial. I was absorbing more and more souls on every floor of the trial. And my stats and proficiency had followed suit. So¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll have to kill every last one of them.¡± It was time to clear out this cave before heading to the boss. *** Step, step. ¡°¡­¡± I noticed that something was strange as I was walking through the wet cave. The tower called this place a ¡®Wolf Den.¡¯ So why was it that I was seeing monsters less and less as I got farther in? It was to the point of it feeling much easier than the 4th trial. ¡®The tower definitely isn¡¯t giving me a freebie.¡¯ Not the tower that I¡¯d experienced so far. Why? Before I could reason an answer, an object at my feet interrupted my train of thought. Tap. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± The object was nothing other than a wolf corpse. ¡®Was it a fight for territory or something?¡¯ Beasts fought each other all the time, so it was understandable. In situations like these, most hunters would wait until the last second to reap the benefits of all the kills. It was a situation I could understand. The problem was that this was happening in the tower and not a dungeon. Why would they lower the difficulty at this point when it would make sense for them to raise it? ¡°I got a bad feeling about this.¡± Just to make sure, I stopped for a second to more closely examine the corpses. And¡ª ¡°Sword marks?¡± I could see a clean cut right through the wolf¡¯s torso. ¡®Someone stabbed it in the heart to kill it in one shot.¡¯ Clean and precise swordsmanship¡ª it was clearly done by another entity. ¡®This changes everything.¡¯ There was someone else in this cave other than me. It shouldn¡¯t be possible, but it was the only explanation. ¡®Low-tier monsters like goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to make this clean of a cut¡­¡¯ Whatever did this was a human or a monster with near-human intelligence. ¡®There wasn¡¯t an announcement about anything special happening on the 5th trial, nor did anyone mention that it was a group trial.¡¯ Then the possibility that this was another challenger was low. Of course, I didn¡¯t blindly believe the tower¡¯s guidance, but it just seemed unlikely. The only possibility left was a monster who could wield weapons as well as humans could. ¡°¡­If something like that exists, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¯ Just the couple of monsters that popped into my head sent shivers down my spine. ¡®I¡¯ll keep my guard up.¡¯ Something like that could kill me in an instant. Tensing every muscle in my body, I stepped farther into the cave¡¯s depths. One step, two steps, three¡­ Corpses seemed to pile up higher and higher as I make my way forward. ¡®How many did it kill¡­¡¯ The bigger beasts had more cuts on their corpses, and the cave walls were increasingly marked by the remnants of his bladework. The problem was that these marks weren¡¯t rough at all¡­ they were smooth. That meant the walls weren¡¯t just scratched with the sword, but a casualty that came with this wolf massacre. ¡°Eye of Truth.¡± ¡¸ Remnants of Aura ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D- ¡¹ ¡¸ Marks left by a highly proficient aura user. ¡¹ This time, rather than the wall, the Eye of Truth revealed some information about the marks. ¡°Maybe because I was more focused on the marks and not the wall¡­¡± What was more interesting was this thing called aura. ¡®Aura.¡¯ Was it a skill? I wasn¡¯t sure, but this made one thing clear. Whoever was ahead of me was skilled enough to easily slice through stone. It wasn¡¯t something within my reach, even with all my new skills and stats. Well, I could emulate it to a point but not replicate it. ¡®I knew the tower wouldn¡¯t make this easy for me.¡¯ Things were starting to make a little more sense now. This was what I was talking about. I welcomed the challenge. More risk meant more reward after all. This would be a nice way to get stronger before the competitive trial on the 6th floor. And it wasn¡¯t like I could do anything about it at this point. Might as well try to stay positive. I tightened the grip of my left hand and marched forward. I was prepared to react to anything that came my way using my shield. ¡®If I block it with a shield and activate the skill, I should be able to deal with most attacks.¡¯ It was then¡ª Kraaaaaw¡­! My entire body shivered as a beastly scream pierced straight through my heart. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Then a message popped up in front of me. ¡¸ The trial target, werewolf, has died. ¡¹ ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend the message in front of me. ¡®What? The objective of this trial just suddenly dropped dead?¡¯ I stared blankly and as if the tower wanted to reply, another message showed up. ¡¸ Determining the cause¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸ The challenger does not die because they did not satisfy the failure requirements. ¡¹ ¡¸ The time left will not decrease until the proper cause is determined. ¡¹ To my relief, this didn¡¯t count as a failure. Yet seeing that message just made me more nervous. That meant even the tower didn¡¯t know what exactly killed that werewolf¡­ At least I knew that something completely unexpected happened here. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ A primal instinct deep inside of me was urging me to take flight. It didn¡¯t know from what, but it knew I was in danger. As I froze in place, the system sent another message. ¡¸ Interpretation complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ We have found evidence of intrusion in challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s trial. ¡¹ Intrusion¡ª as in, someone broke in without permission. ¡®Wait, is that even possible?¡¯ I knew for a fact that there wasn¡¯t a way to get into any trials that weren¡¯t yours. What could they have possibly done to have this happen? In my confusion, the tower provided an answer. ¡¸ Recalibrating the trial objective. ¡¹ To exactly what I needed to do. ¡¸ A feature not yet available in the Earth dimension, ¡®Intrusion¡¯ has occurred. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please eliminate the invading challenger from another dimension. ¡¹ Just the fact that there was a solution was a huge weight off my chest. No matter what happened, an ¡®enemy¡¯ still existed, and I¡¯d be able to continue after killing them. The only thing that bothered me was the way they said, ¡®another dimension.¡¯ ¡®Like it¡¯s saying that there are more worlds similar to our Earth¡­¡¯ A series of rough breaths echoed from the dark end of the tunnel. Clack, clack. I¡¯d never heard a more terrifying noise as my body froze in fear. Like a prey standing in front of its predator, I couldn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°¡­¡± As I stood there, wary of what was beyond the tunnel, a figure began to form. The revealed figure looked like a knight straight out of the medieval era. Covered from head to toe in black armor, with a bloodied sword to complete the outfit. He didn¡¯t fit into the surroundings, almost as he was photoshopped in. ¡°¡­Hm, I thought you would have died off already. I guess you¡¯re still this trial¡¯s owner huh?¡± It wasn¡¯t important that I somehow understood a language I had never heard before. Every alarm in my body was ringing before I could even think about anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your primitive kind would still be alive. This is gonna be fun.¡± Now this, I didn¡¯t expect. ____ Ayo this is getting lit They abouta go multiverse on this thing ____ Chapter 30 - Intrusion (3) Chapter 30: Intrusion (3) I raised my sword as an oppressive aura slowly took away my breath. How was there another person here without a competitive trial? To be honest, I¡¯d want to complain to an administrator or something but¡­ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you responding, primitive?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The system determined that he would be my new target, so I couldn¡¯t even do that. ¡®I have to find a way to survive.¡¯ I had no intention of giving up¡­ even if I had only a one percent chance of surviving. Looking up and down, I observed the knight¡¯s equipment. A pearly silver sword stood out from the rest of his dark armor; the fight was already leaning in his favor. ¡®The long sword has more reach than daggers, and the armor is wrapped from head to toe.¡¯ All external factors were predicting my loss. The only way I could take a victory was by just being a better fighter. ¡®But that¡¯ll be tough too.¡¯ You could tell that he was highly skilled by looking at the remnants of his fight with the wolves. At my current level, I didn¡¯t have a chance of winning a one-on-one. ¡®Then I have to introduce some volatility.¡¯ I carefully asked a question, not letting my guard down. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an intrusion before. Where did you come from?¡± ¡°As expected of a primitive, they don¡¯t even know what a ¡®Floor Intrusion¡¯ is. Heh.¡± What started as a smirk evolved into a full-blown laughter that you could see through the armor. ¡®Who the hell is this dumbass¡­¡¯ I almost lost my temper at the immature insults, but I quickly regained my composure. He, at the very least, thinks I¡¯m more primitive than him. ¡®I have to use that to my advantage.¡¯ ¡°Floor intrusion¡ª can you tell me what that is?¡± ¡°Is your head as empty as your civilization?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Think about it from my perspective. Would you answer your question?¡± Unlike his childish dialogue, he seemed to think through things. Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t answer such a direct ques¡ª ¡°Whatever, you¡¯re gonna die soon anyway.¡± No, I guess he would. ¡®¡­He¡¯s playing around with me even though he was gonna tell me anyway.¡¯ But that signified just how much he was looking down on me. ¡°One of the features that are unlocked at the 8th floor is called ¡®Floor Intrusion.¡¯ You can buy a pass in the marketplace to interfere with other people¡¯s trials.¡± He continued to speak. ¡°Of course, your primitive dimension could never reach the 8th floor.¡± ¡°¡­Then can I assume you¡¯re from a different world?¡± ¡°Where else would I be from?¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± After responding to him, I muttered quietly. Focusing as much as I could on what the knight had said¡ª ¡°Eye of truth.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Eye of Truth.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The following person is telling the truth. ¡¹ The skill confirmed that he did, in fact, come from a different dimension. ¡®It¡¯s so complicated, damn it.¡¯ I guess it wasn¡¯t too out of the question considering that the Tower of Trials and dungeons exist¡­ ¡®This whole thing is bigger than I thought¡­¡¯ It was then¡ª ¡°You¡¯ve done something insolent. How dare you try to judge me.¡± He must have noticed that I activated my skill. I gave him the biggest smile I could. ¡°What are you gonna do about it?¡± I found out everything I needed from him and he was pretty hostile against me. And it¡¯s not like he¡¯d tell me anything else at this point. As such, there was no need to keep up this charade. ¡°What¡ª what? How dare you¡­¡± The black knight trembled in anger, but I took that time to sneak an attack in. In mid-sentence, I lunged forward with my blade. Pss¡ª kang! ¡°Did you really think that this would work?¡± The knight flared his eyes through his helmet as he parried the blade. ¡®I thought I caught him off guard¡­¡¯ I had to give him some credit for that. He¡¯s not someone I could beat by using some cheap tricks. Kang! I swung my dagger one more time before taking a step back. There were a couple of things I figured out in that brief exchange. ¡®This knight guy¡¯s stats aren¡¯t too far off from mine.¡¯ We both swung with one hand, but I was a tad above him in terms of strength. I could feel that he was pushed back for a brief moment. Though, make no mistake¡­ This man didn¡¯t have a drop of sweat on him after clearing the 5th trial. That alone demonstrated his experience and prowess. ¡®The most dangerous part about him might be his skills though.¡¯ Then I have to be ready to fend him off. Keeping all of the available skills in my head, I stepped back to take a stance. The most useful one in my arsenal was ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡®Sustain Battle only activates when my life is at risk and physical resistance is a passive.¡¯ I had a bunch of others, but they were essentially all passive skills. It was safe to say that the only active skill I had was Instant Acceleration. ¡®Agility is my highest stat, so I have to use that to my advantage.¡¯ I had to¡­ or else I¡¯d be taken out by whatever he was hiding. The knight stood in front of me clanking around, and then he clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, is it because it¡¯s just the 5th floor? The restrictions are so strong.¡± This had been on my mind for a while but¡ª why was he like this? The way he talked to himself mid-battle. Very inefficient. ¡®Is he just a narcissist?¡¯ He could be lying about the ¡®restrictions¡¯ but¡­ I didn¡¯t think he was smart enough to say these things just to throw me off. ¡°I¡¯m getting serious now, primitive.¡± He pulled his blade to his waist and stood it up vertically. This might be preparation for a skill. Koong. His blade strutted forward as he stepped off the floor. A swing from a distance that would never reach me. I¡¯d experienced something like this on the third trial. Koonphh! The tip of his sword extended with a swift noise. I twisted my torso in response, and it barely skimmed past my ribs. Slash. ¡°Khmm.¡± A small moan slipped out with the injury. ¡¸ Activating skill ¡®Accelerated Regeneration.¡¯ ¡¹ The newly ranked-up skill got rid of the scratch instantly, but the aching pain still lingered. ¡®He was underestimating me for a reason.¡¯ I scowled at his sword, which was back to its original strength. There was a reason why the system evaluated him so highly. ¡°Watch carefully, twinkle toes. You¡¯ll die otherwise.¡± The black knight playfully presumed his stance again, as if he was playing a game. ¡°¡­¡± Like a child stepping on one ant at a time. That¡¯s exactly how he viewed me. ¡®Fucking bastard.¡¯ This was what he did after walking into a stranger¡¯s trial? I almost let my anger get the best of me, but I had to simmer it down. Calmly, I had to think of what could rectify this situation¡­ Whoosh! His blade swung at me again before I could finish that thought. I was able to dodge it without being hit this time, but the swordsman was still confident. ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you a speedy one? Not bad for a 5th floor challenger.¡± I couldn¡¯t afford to give him a snarky response. I had to reveal a little more of my strength. ¡®I was saving instant acceleration as a last resort, but I can still use this.¡¯ There was a reason why I didn¡¯t sell the assassin¡¯s cloak at the hunter¡¯s market. ¡¸ Using the Assassin¡¯s Cloak(C)¡¯s active ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement speed +15% ¡¹ ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:59 ¡¹ This was the reason. Koong. The distance between us closed as I pushed off the floor. Of course, the knight seemed to have expected this and didn¡¯t panic. ¡°Closing the distance¡­ Do you think you¡¯d stand a chance then?¡± The sword in his hand followed a clean but destructive path. Ssssp! I was definitely ahead of him in terms of strength and speed, but his attacks were disproportionately fast. The aura surrounding his sword was definitely not an ordinary skill. ¡®What the¡­!¡¯ Voosh¡­! The shield attached to my arm split in half and an extreme wave of pain jolted through it. I pulled back when his sword was about halfway through my arm, before he could get to the bone. Kwang! As he saw me tripping backward, the knight continued to smirk. ¡°Oh no, it would have been less painful if the arm was cut off clean.¡± I ignored the offender and pushed down on the cut as hard as I could with my right arm. The extreme agony made me want to scream out, but it soon soothed itself. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Pain Resistance¡¯ is active now. ¡¹ ¡¸ All forms of pain the user feels will be reduced by 15% ¡¹ ¡¸ The skill ¡®Sustain Battle¡¯ is active now. ¡¹ ¡¸ All restrictions on the user will be weakened. ¡¹ The two skills grounded me from the pain. I had to stay calm, especially at times like these. After pushing the cut down for a bit, Accelerated Regeneration was already starting to reattach my arm. Maybe what was considered ¡®life-threatening¡¯ became more lenient with the rank up. I wasn¡¯t sure but I was regaining my cool after my injuries started to heal. ¡°Haha, you have some interesting skills.¡± As he made light of the situation, my head was clearer than ever. I wasn¡¯t sure what skill he used, but the aura surrounding his sword was dangerous. ¡®¡­It must be a skill related to cutting force.¡¯ The skill probably increased cutting force with mana reinforcement. Those kinds of skills were pretty rare besides the weapon skills but¡­ I had heard that they exist. Although there was never any information about the aura being this ominous. ¡®Whatever it is, it¡¯s not something I can deal with at my level.¡¯ This was the result of me ¡®dealing¡¯ with it. The shield I spent a fortune on was in two pieces and my arm was almost cut off. ¡®¡­I¡¯m only alive because of the cloak.¡¯ If I was any slower, my head would have been the one cut off. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no way around this.¡¯ I wriggled my left arm back and forth and glared at the black knight. His skills were definitely threatening. ¡®But as far as the stats go, I¡¯m still a little ahead.¡¯ Then there was only one way to kill this madman. I moved my hands quickly to activate necromancy. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 7. ¡¹ The knight seemed to notice this change in my body and laughed it off. ¡°Physical strengthening, fun.¡± As though he knew I¡¯d be powerless against him no matter what I did. I checked the time left on the assassin¡¯s cloak and got ready to go in. My left arm was basically healed and my stats were higher than ever. ¡®This is the best I can do¡­¡¯ Only one thing left. ¡°Instant Acceleration.¡± Mana left my body and took the weight of my body along with it. This was on another level from any of the other skills I¡¯d used. The knight also twitched, as if he knew something just changed. ¡°How does a damn primitive have so many skills¡­¡± As he muttered to himself again, the knight got up on the tips of his feet. Like a compressed spring, I exploded forward at a speed as I¡¯d never seen before. ¡°¡­Fucking primitive!¡± The black knight wrapped himself in a red shroud of energy. I didn¡¯t know what exactly he did, but his movements also got faster. Though that wasn¡¯t enough to catch up to me. Not with all the bonuses from the cloak and skills. The knight¡¯s blade passed me at a hair¡¯s length, and I stuck my foot out. CHANG! The sound of the foot and the armor clashing rang throughout the cave. ¡°¡­¡± The knight caught himself right before stumbling to his knee. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sign of his weakness. He also seemed to have lost his playfulness. ¡®That means he¡¯s considering me a threat now.¡¯ If I could take advantage of my speed again¡­ I wouldn¡¯t let him overpower me with whatever aura that was. If I could manage that¡­ ¡®I have a chance of winning.¡¯ I could finally see the light. ____ Yall think he¡¯s abouta bring some aura back to the next group trial? ____ Chapter 31 - Intrusion (4) Chapter 31: Intrusion (4) Just as I was about to take another step, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I underestimated you. I didn¡¯t realize the owner of this trial was a high ranker.¡± I didn¡¯t expect his sudden approval, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. ¡°I¡¯ll admit it. You¡¯re better than all the other primitives.¡± The only thing on my mind was how to take down the enemy in front of me. ¡¸ Time left ¨C 00:00:21 ¡¹ The buff from the assassin¡¯s cloak was about to run out. I had to end this now. I gripped the sword in my hand and lunged forward. Instead of blocking the attack, he opted to swing his sword at me. Seeing that, I folded my torso into my legs to dodge the attack. Whoo-phew-! Kang¡­! It was a one-sided exchange, but the result was disappointing. The black armor blocked my sword and rendered my attack useless. ¡°Did you think you could even scratch my armor with that flimsy sword?¡± As the embodiment of agility, it wasn¡¯t too hard to dodge all of his attacks. The only problem was¡­ ¡®Even if my attacks hit, it won¡¯t get through his armor.¡¯ That was the biggest problem. The enemy had a skill that could split my shield, but I didn¡¯t have anything like that. ¡°¡­¡± Now was not the time to sound weak. ¡¸ Time left ¨C 00:00:16 ¡¹ I was about to lose the upper hand. But it wasn¡¯t like I had nothing. ¡®I didn¡¯t waste all my points on this weapon for a reason.¡¯ There was no time to hesitate since I had no other options. As I was about to pour all my mana into my feet¡ª ¡°Insolent.¡± The black knight¡¯s sword was encased with a red aura. Phuaa¡­! The violently dancing aura was even more dangerous than before. ¡°I¡¯m going to split you in two.¡± Chills spread down my neck before I remembered that I had to keep moving. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Just as he said, his sword could slice through me like a hot knife through butter. I was risking my life to just land a meaningless blow, while a single attack from him could mean the end of me. The black knight also seemed to acknowledge this as he charged in without hesitation. ¡®He was talking about underestimating me before but it¡¯s probably a load of bullshit.; He wouldn¡¯t be charging at me like this if he believed I could get through his armor. That¡¯s why it was more important than ever to fight. Whoosh! Kang! Crack! Voosh! With every swing he made, the walls split and the floors echoed. Thanks to the energy around his sword, even just a scrape of his sword was enough to engrave the walls. ¡®Is this the aura that the Eye of Truth was talking about?¡¯ I had no idea who allowed this, but he was slicing through the hardened cave walls like tofu. I could emulate it if I¡¯d wanted to, but it wouldn¡¯t be as smooth as this. ¡°Hahaha, run as much as you¡¯d like! You won¡¯t last long like this!¡± A monster among monsters. My body seemed to move faster knowing that one wrong move could lead to my doom. The ease at which he seemed to move suggested that he had no problems with keeping this up for the near future. Clang! Chang! Kaang! No matter how hard I swung, the armor didn¡¯t even scratch, and the knight became more and more haughty. He stopped hesitating and staying wary of my attacks, instead opting to use flashier and bigger skills with a lot of blind spots. And that was my only path to victory. One, two, three, four¡­ I landed an increasing number of blows on his armor, and by the time that number hit double digits¡ª Vuaaaa¡­! A blinding ball of light condensed at the edge of the blade and exploded. It wasn¡¯t just light but an explosive ball of electricity. ¡°What the f¡ª!¡± The knight finally realized and tried retreating but¡­ ¡¸ Thunder Blade ¡¹ ¡¸ Attacking with this weapon has a 10% chance to inflict an ¡®electrocute¡¯ effect. ¡¹ It didn¡¯t matter since it was already too late to step back. I was a little nervous because it wasn¡¯t activating as soon as I had expected, but the explosion of lightning assured me¡ª Kraaaang! That I¡¯d be the victor of this battle. *** ¡°G-ghaaaa¡­.!¡± I clicked my tongue as the knight laid on the ground, twitching. Whatever dimension he came from, he wasn¡¯t immune to electricity. ¡®It would have been a pain in the ass if he had any resistance to it.¡¯ I bet my life on that, and I won. ¡°Tsk, I was so close to dying.¡± I swung like crazy and only got the effect to activate once. ¡®I wasn¡¯t that lucky to begin with, but this is a little ridiculous.¡¯ Maybe the 10% wasn¡¯t that accurate. Seeing how little it activated when I fought the wolves, it wasn¡¯t completely out of the picture. ¡°Y-you basta¡­ A mere p-primitive¡­¡± I heard a small mumbling from the floor. The paralysis must¡¯ve been wearing off because he was desperately trying to grasp the floor. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t have gone down this easily if he had something like sustain battle.¡¯ The only skill he really had was that aura. Maybe he wasn¡¯t even that strong of an opponent if you thought about it that way. ¡®If he wasn¡¯t lying, he did say something about his skills being restricted.¡¯ Well, that didn¡¯t matter anymore. Whatever it was, I won my fight fair and square, and he was the one laying on the floor right now. ¡°H-how does a mere 5th-floor challenger have so many skills¡­!¡± Maybe all of his stats reset on the first floor as well. ¡°I should have won¡­! How did a fucking primitive¡­!¡± ¡°Maybe you were just weak. And stupid enough to blindly rely on that aura skill.¡± ¡°No fucking way¡­ a 5th floor¡­ against me¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time we end this.¡± I was also feeling a little tingly from the splash effect of the electricity but¡­ ¡®Not enough to paralyze me.¡¯ I decided to end this while I still had the chance. ¡®I want to keep asking him questions but that could be dangerous.¡¯ I stood above his head, ready to strike my blade down. ¡°W-wait, I can answer any questio¡ª¡± ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t care.¡± I stabbed the blade into his head while his mouth was still open. Clean and swift. After shoving my sword through a space between his helmet and jiggling it around, he finally stopped moving. I felt like I was becoming more and more desensitized to killing someone but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not bad.¡¯ Feeling guilty every time I had to kill someone would pose its own threats. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 5. ¡¹ The popup message confirmed my kill. And¡ª Sssst¡­ The knight¡¯s body completely disintegrated and poured out from the armor. The otherworldly knight had died and couldn¡¯t harm me anymore. A wave of relief flushed over me after confirming my safety. The necromancy mark wasn¡¯t there, but that didn¡¯t disappoint me. My survival was enough of a reward right now. ¡°God damn, that was close.¡± If I hadn¡¯t purchased the thunder blade before¡­ The process wouldn¡¯t have been as easy as it was. I would¡¯ve needed to use everything in my arsenal and would¡¯ve spent some more time rolling in the dirt. Good thing I also increased my stats right then. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, this didn¡¯t get rid of all the entangled thoughts in my head. Everything, from other dimensions to intrusions, was fleeting around my head. It was difficult to grasp these things because I didn¡¯t even realize they had existed until now. But I gave up and put on a smile. ¡°Yeah, it would be weirder if the place was more normal.¡± It would be arrogant of me to assume that I¡¯d be able to understand what this tower was doing. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve been too satisfied recently.¡¯ As dangerous as that was, I still learned a lot from that. Especially that no matter how strong I got, my life would always be in danger. ¡®I thought I was already being careful in my own right, but I better step it up.¡¯ Eh, I guess I got a little nugget of wisdom, if you could call it that. ¡®¡­I have something to ask once I get to the 8th floor.¡¯ Like what the hell other dimensions were and some more details on the whole intrusion thing. The tower is a black box system and the only way to navigate it is through the questions they allow us. Now is not the time to use them yet. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to scope out the situation until the 8th floor before choosing to ask a question. Still deep in thought, I noticed something strange out of the corner of my eye. ¡° ¡­?¡± Where were the reward messages that should be filling my view? ¡°What the¡ª¡± I scrunched my face in confusion at a message I¡¯d never seen before. ¡¸ The difficulty of the trial is not proportional to the reward. ¡¹ ¡¸ Recalibrating the rewards. ¡¹ ¡°What are they saying¡­¡± They were going to change my reward after I went through this whole ordeal? I could smell the corruption from here. There would be nothing worse than the quality of the rewards going down. ¡¸ Recalibrated. ¡¹ ¡¸ Awarding the rewards. ¡¹ Couldn¡¯t they just give me what they promi¡­ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the skill ¡®Triple Laceration (A-).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®7,500 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received 3,500 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ I froze in place after reading the messages in front of me. ¡°Uh, umm.¡± The reward was exchanged from a C- item to an A- skill. Comparing them was an insult to the skill. ¡°¡­¡± My anger melted away as I saw 11,000 points and an A- rank skill. ¡°¡­This is more like the tower of trials.¡± This was what I wanted to see. ____ MC: May I speak to the manag- Manager: Yes? MC: I just wanted to comment on the wonderful work you were doing Sucks that he didn¡¯t get to suck him ____ Chapter 32 - Capture the Flag (1) Chapter 32: Capture the Flag (1) ¡¸ You have entered the 6th floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Healing all injuries and status ailments. ¡¹ ¡¸ The healing effect is constantly applied in the waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s information is published on the leaderboard. ¡¹ After stepping into the blue portal, the 6th floor waiting room appeared. It was just as empty as I remembered it, but I got a sense of comfort from it now. ¡®Hm, what shall I do first¡­¡¯ I sat on the floor of the stone room, wondering what to do next. I had to go through my rewards, but there was something I had to take care of before that. ¡®I should do this first.¡¯ The Covert Hunter¡¯s Shield that was destroyed by the knight in the 5th trial had to be repaired. ¡®Hm, it feels like a waste because I can only use it once, but that¡¯s why I bought it.¡¯ Better use it now than die saving it. The shield was just small enough to fit in the box. I activated it without giving it any more thought and pushed some mana into it. ¡¸ Activating Krocken Magic Tower¡¯s Repair Box. ¡¹ ¡¸ Uses left ¨C 1/1 ¡¹ The ashy stars on the box lit up gently, notifying me that the repair was over. ¡°I don¡¯t see any changes on the outside.¡± A little doubtful, I opened up the magic box and¡­ There it was, a shield in its perfect condition. I was astonished at the flawless shield. ¡°Damn¡­¡± It was definitely worth the money I spent on it. The Covert Hunter¡¯s Shield was worth more than whatever the box cost. ¡®If I could sell it back to Earth, I could get at least 2 repair boxes for it.¡¯ There was no use in regretting it now anyway. If I could keep repairing these kinds of items and selling them back on Earth¡­ ¡®It could be a profitable business.¡¯ Then I activated the cleansing stone to freshen up. Whooof¡­ A gust of wind wrapped around my body and evaporated the dry wolf blood from my skin. It felt a little lavish to have it just for comfort but¡­ After using it, it didn¡¯t really feel like a waste of money. ¡®There¡¯s a bare minimum of how a human being should act.¡¯ Staying comfortable wasn¡¯t a waste. Now, let¡¯s see what the reward I got was¡­ ¡°This was the only thing I got from that.¡± ¡¸ Skill ¨C Triple Laceration (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Using mana, strengthen a blade for three attacks. ¡¹ ¡¸ Detailed effect ¨C Upon using the skill, the cutting force of bladed attacks increases by 1.5/2.0/2.5 times after each attack. ¡¹ ¡°A skill related to cutting force¡­¡± It must have been similar to the aura skill that the knight was using. Maybe it was because it¡¯s an A- skill, but the system had more details about the skill. The system explained the details almost as if it was an innate ability. More importantly, the proficiency for this skill was 0%. That meant, unlike the Eye of Truth, this skill could be ranked up. ¡®I was wondering what to do after the daggermanship skill maxes out¡­¡¯ This skill could be a good addition to that one. Of course, that was still only a temporary fix. ¡®They said that I could even buy skills after reaching the 8th floor, so I should be fine.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something I should worry about at the moment. After coming to that conclusion, I checked out my stats. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength ¨C 54 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 51 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 54 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 43 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 43 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ ¡®Hm, not much different on this end.¡¯ The numbers did increase, but not by a lot. Of course, it wasn¡¯t completely meaningless. Nothing stood out though, so I opened the leaderboard. ¡¸ 5th Trial Evaluations ¡¹ ¡­ ¡­ I was scrolling down the leaderboard when. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± 3rd, Hunter(S) I saw my nickname within the top ten and. ¡°¡­¡± Then stared at the evaluation. 3rd, Hunter(S) I thought I was seeing things for a second but it wasn¡¯t that. I kept on blinking but the S didn¡¯t move. ¡°S grade¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ ¡®Even after doing all that on the 4th trail, I couldn¡¯t even touch an S.¡¯ I don¡¯t know how the tower evaluated our performances but it deemed me worthy of an S. And what was even more amazing was my rank. ¡°3rd¡­ that¡¯s a little strange.¡± On the 4th trial, even challengers who received a higher rank than this were placed lower. That meant some people were just placed lower in general. The guy with the Headygongdu nickname placed 6th with just a B grade. ¡®And there are a bunch more below.¡¯ B-, C+, C, C-¡­ All the grades were generally low and all clustered together in the same area. There were also a couple of people who were newly admitted as pioneers¡­ ¡®Some of the initial pioneers might have even failed out.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure why, but that was just how the 5th trial handled things. Unfortunate for the people around the edge of 50th place. Of course¡ª ¡°That has nothing to do with me placing 3rd.¡± But this was still a unique situation. Making the grading criteria stricter to balance the system. ¡®That must mean the perk of being a pioneer is that great.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly they had planned, but it must be something worth fighting for. Whether it¡¯s a skill or an item. But¡ª ¡°The better the reward, the higher the risk.¡± Even I knew that. Anyway, there was something else to think about at this point. ¡®The black knight¡ª he said he was from a different dimension.¡¯ There were more urgent matters, so I hadn¡¯t thought about it too much, but this was also a big deal. The existence of a different dimension, and how hostile he was towards me. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t be able to guarantee my survival if something like this happens again.¡± This time, I didn¡¯t die because I failed to meet the failure requirement. But what if this happens again? If they steal my trial objective and I¡¯m forced to meet my failure requirement¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll die for sure.¡¯ That was 100% the worst-case scenario. ¡®I wanted to save my questions until the 8th floor but¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something I could wait to find out. ¡°If it¡¯s information pertinent to keeping me alive, there¡¯s no use in delaying it.¡± ¡¸ Please ask a question. ¡¹ ¡¸ The administrator will answer the submitted question. ¡¹ ¡¸ Currently available questions ¨C 5 ¡¹ I started typing out the words on the holographic keyboard. ¡¸ Amidst my 5th trial, I met a challenger who claimed to come from a different dimension. ¡¹ ¡¸ This challenger stole my objective and tried to kill me. ¡¹ ¡¸ What is a floor intrusion and what kind of being is the man from a different dimension? ¡¹ ¡¸ And under what conditions do these events occur and how can I know if it happens? ¡¹ Others said that the administrators didn¡¯t fully answer questions. I made my question as detailed as possible. ¡°This should be enough.¡± I reread my question and clicked on the ¡¸ Submit ¡¹ button. ¡¸ The question has been submitted. ¡¹ And just a second later. ¡¸ An answer has arrived. ¡¹ ¡°¡­Already?¡± It was unexpected but good news. And who am I to assume the mysterious being controlling this tower abides by time? So I clicked on the little envelope icon next to that message. But something was off. ¡¸ Cannot comprehend higher-level concepts at your current floor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Can only confirm a part of the answer. ¡¹ ¡¸ This does not use your available questions. ¡¹ ¡®A higher level concept.¡¯ Maybe it was because I asked about the floor intrusion or other dimensions but¡­ The tower decided to censor some of the details from me. Honestly, I thought they would answer whatever I was curious about, but I guess there were floor restrictions. ¡®At least my questions aren¡¯t being used.¡¯ If they were, I¡¯d be totally outraged but¡­ I was getting some information for free now. So, instead of getting mad, I turned my attention to the partial answer I got. ¡¸ Floor intrusion is a system that allows challengers to join another challenger¡¯s trial within 10 floors. ¡¹ ¡¸ But, it cannot interfere with special trials like a competitive trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ This system will become available after getting to the 8th floor. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I finally got exactly what that knight was talking about. Breaking the ladder, huh. ¡®¡­Getting rid of competition before they reach the 8th floor.¡¯ Because they wouldn¡¯t know anything about this system or how to deal with it. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, it was unsettling to know that you could interfere with lower-floor trials. I didn¡¯t know the exact benefits you could gain from doing that, but there were already a few cases I could think of. While trying to scroll further down, an alarm rang. Biiii~! ¡¸ The following information is not accessible on the current floor. ¡¹ A message popped up and erased everything on the screen. ¡®¡­I guess it can¡¯t tell me anything extra.¡¯ Considering it didn¡¯t use any of my questions, it couldn¡¯t possibly give anything that useful. A small message popped up after that, but it wasn¡¯t much help. ¡¸ Most challengers from other dimensions will be hostile to challengers in your dimension. ¡¹ ¡°I guess the questions aren¡¯t a be-all-end-all either.¡± Practically speaking, I only learned a little bit about the floor intrusion and nothing else about all the other information I requested. It was as if they were telling me that the information had to be earned. ¡°I guess I just have to keep climbing¡­¡± I closed the question window and opened the community instead. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ Maybe someone else went through a similar experience. But that thought went away as soon as I saw the messages. The community was in a state of chaos. ____ MC: *Worries like hell* MC: But I don¡¯t have to worry about that yet ____ Chapter 33 - Capture the Flag (2) Chapter 33: Capture the Flag (2) Chaos. It was the only word to describe the situation. Each new message coming in was increasingly disastrous¡­ Seeing these people talk so lightly about murder and pillaging was almost chilling. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what happened to cause something like this. I blankly stared at the screen as the messages continued. This wasn¡¯t normal. They were trying to justify whatever they were doing by saying it was efficient or some other bullshit, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡°This is straight-up psychopathic.¡± I scowled at the continued onslaught of messages. Of course, I knew exactly why these transactions consisted of this. The 6th trial must force you to kill someone. And you could probably make a big profit if you had any information related to that. Selling the other achievements might be crazy, but those related to fighting other challengers were eventually bound to be discovered. ¡®¡­This is bad, even if all the high rankers already passed this trial.¡¯ This was beyond killing just to survive. They were trying to squeeze every last thing they could from this. And they were encouraging others to do the same by offering information. ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t look like anyone¡¯s met challengers from another world.¡± And even if they had, I¡¯d be releasing too much information by asking about it publicly. ¡®Nothing worse than getting these freaks¡¯ attention.¡¯ I¡¯ll just observe the current situation. I guess it made sense that that¡¯s what everyone wanted these skills for. Those resistances might sound enticing at first, but it was a double-edged sword. There would definitely be a problem if you constantly pushed your psychological pain off onto a skill. ¡®It¡¯s known to make you more level-headed but¡­¡¯ That could be fatal in a place like the tower, where you have to go through life-threatening trials day after day. The fact that you essentially feel no emotional pain without any choice¡­ It could be enticing to those with a weak mentality, but things could turn out badly if you used it to justify everything that you do. This chat was living proof of that. ¡°¡­¡± I think I finally saw the dark side of the tower. Some people might see this tower as a brand new chance but¡­ To others, the tower has taken everything. The lower-ranked challengers left on the 5th floor were showing me the reality. ¡®I must have never known since I¡¯d always entered the trials as soon as they were ready.¡¯ Maybe the same conversations were repeating on the lower floors. But I had no right to be angry at the tower. If I had never entered the tower and stayed in the outside world instead¡­ ¡®I¡¯d be in a much worse situation than these people.¡¯ The world has always worked like this. The winners take everything, and the losers get nothing. ¡®Who, then, would hesitate?¡¯ If I had to step over someone to get stronger, I¡¯d gladly do so. I wouldn¡¯t sympathize or scrutinize these challengers anymore. Everyone was my competition and I wasn¡¯t here to determine who¡¯s wrong and who¡¯s right. I¡¯d just observe. What these challengers were preparing and how they¡¯d use it. It¡¯d be easier to deal with them if I knew what they were up to. Information is power. *** ¡¸ Floor 6 trial starting in ¨C 1hrs 12min ¡¹ Unlike the other trials, there wasn¡¯t much I could do to prepare for this one. I was past the point of getting used to my stats and equipment. I might¡¯ve kept training in the past but¡­ That was beneath me now. ¡®Once you reach my level of sensitivity, you could instantly get accustomed to higher stats.¡¯ Of course, I wouldn¡¯t waste time doing nothing. I was collecting information. There were people who shared achievements for free, and there were people who revealed information about others. There wasn¡¯t anything too informative there, but this was enough to come to a conclusion. ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone on the 6th trial.¡± There¡¯s a lot of crazy people here, huh? This put that guy I met in the 4th trial, Lee Sunghoon, in a much better light. One thing I found out was more information about this ¡®Headygongdu¡¯ guy. ¡®He¡¯s the guy who ruined the vibe on the 4th floor.¡¯ It must have been someone who stayed behind during the 4th trial to find out about the name change. Of course, I could find out more if I spent some points but¡­ ¡®No point of wasting points talking to these people.¡¯ Especially since all the information being revealed was pretty trivial. Plus, I didn¡¯t want to become a public target like ¡®Headygongdu.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll stay away from saying anything in the chat.¡± Time passed by while I was reading the chat and¡ª ¡¸ Do you accept the 6th floor trial? ¡¹ Of course, I accepted, and the blue portal materialized in front of my eyes. Voom¡­! ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®conquering.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ Shaaa, shaaa. The sound of waves informed me of where I was before my eyes could recognize it. ¡°¡­The ocean?¡± ¡¸ The 6th floor trial is starting soon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 50 minutes ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Capture one of the surrounding tiles before the time runs out. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or time out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Random Box (B) ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ In the middle of an ocean that extended as far as the eyes could see, touching the sky at the horizon¡­ I was standing on a platform formed from tens and thousands of connected tiles. The scene was finally settling into my head. ¡°¡­¡± Contrary to the 5th trial, which was in a cave, the 6th trial was being conducted on the sea. On floating tiles too. ¡®A little out of the blue, but what else could I expect from the tower.¡¯ It was then¡ª Voom, voom. A bunch of portals appeared on top of various tiles as the challengers began walking in. As a message popped up, portals on tiles adjacent to me opened up as well. ¡¸ Teams have been dispatched. ¡¹ ¡¸ Collaborate with your team and clear the trial. ¡¹ Like the 4th trial, I must have teammates on the 6th trial too. ¡®Anyone¡¯s fine as long as they¡¯re not like Lee Sunghoon.¡¯ Just then. Shhhhk! A golden blade popped out of the portal and almost skimmed my nose. ¡®What the¡­!¡¯ I honestly didn¡¯t know how to react when a blade came out instead of the expected challenger. Contrary to my surprise, my body reacted automatically and stepped back to dodge the attack. Tup. I then grabbed the golden blade with my bare hands¡ª Something I learned that I could do after reaching 43 on my tenacity. I found out that if I focused on not grabbing the blade too hard, I wouldn¡¯t get cut by even C-rank items. As such, I was pretty confident that none of the weapons that these lower-rankers had could cut me. ¡°H-huh??¡± I heard a flustered voice through the portal as I calmly yanked the sword and¡­ Also pulled the man attached to it. Foop! ¡¸ ¡®Betrayer¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 1. ¡¹ Blood splattered through the holographic message. ¡°Fucking shit.¡± The 6th trial was off to a rough start. ____ Hands up if you think someone is gonna whoop mc¡¯s ass cuz he thinks everyone is a low ranker ____ Chapter 34 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 34: Capture the Flag (3) I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen so soon into the 6th trial. ¡¸ ¡®Betrayer¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I wondered what that challenger was thinking just now. Was he just a madman? Or was this all calculated? Whatever it was, a normal person definitely wouldn¡¯t have swung a sword through the portal. He definitely had the intention of killing someone. ¡°Damn it.¡± I didn¡¯t let my guard down. Teammates couldn¡¯t be trusted, and there were a lot of challengers equipped with psychological resistance. The problem wasn¡¯t that I let my guard down. ¡®He really just took a stab in the dark hoping someone would die.¡¯ There was no way anyone could assume that something like that could happen from an empty portal. If it was anyone else, their heads would already be rolling on the floor by now. The only reason mine is still attached is because of my overwhelming stats. ¡°¡­Why do I feel like this happens to me pretty often?¡± I scowled at the corpse losing warmth at my feet. The challenger from the other world, my teammates from the 4th trial¡­ Why does it seem like I¡¯m always getting the short end of the stick? I¡¯m already down a teammate for the rest of the trial. ¡®Worst case scenario already.¡¯ Any team with all teammates present would already have a leg up on me. ¡®I should just scope out the other teams.¡¯ And when I turned my head with this realization¡ª I couldn¡¯t believe the sight in front of my eyes. ¡°Heehaaaha! It¡¯s an achievement! My strength really went up!¡± ¡°Damn it, no one mentioned it being on water!¡± ¡°P-please¡­ S-save me. A p-potion¡­¡± Screams of agony came from every direction as blood splattered everywhere. Excitement, rage, surprise, despair, desire, regret, etc¡­ Various emotions echoed throughout an endless ocean in one simultaneous harmony. ¡®¡­I guess I don¡¯t have it that bad.¡¯ It looked like others had it far worse than I did. Like if hell existed, this might be it. ¡°Everyone¡¯s lost their minds¡­¡± They weren¡¯t even looking at the trial¡¯s objective before jumping at each other for the achievements. Each murder was being carried out in its own unique and special way. They¡¯d lost sight of the most important thing. ¡®Conquering one of the four tiles.¡¯ It looked like they were fighting with a goal in mind. There were a couple of people huddling somewhere but¡ª ¡°Damn it! Your stats go down if you fall in the water, be careful!¡± ¡°Th-the tile is moving too much¡­ I can¡¯t balance myself!¡± ¡°Waaaait! S-save me! I-I can¡¯t get up¡­!¡± It didn¡¯t look like they were faring any better either. ¡®Your stats go down when you fall in the water and the tile shifts every time you move.¡¯ I gathered information while watching some of the other contestants move around. Staying faithful to its origins, the Tower of Trials was full of dangers. Of course¡­ ¡®Hey, this is easier than I thought.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t enough to impede my movements. Shaa, shaa! All you had to do was stay away from the water, and the shifting tiles didn¡¯t really bother me. If you took my stats into account, there was no way I could just lose my balance. Even the 5th trial was easier than this. Tap, tap, tap. The shifting movements of the tiles only made it easier to move in a rhythm. Even while I was riding the waves, most challengers still couldn¡¯t take their first steps. ¡®If I reach the tile like this, will the trial just end?¡¯ Tap. I stepped onto the red tile on the edge as I continued to think and¡­ ¡¸ Starting to conquer the northern tile. ¡¹ It wasn¡¯t as easy as I hoped it was. ¡¸ The conquering will pause when another team steps onto the tile. ¡¹ ¡¸ Your progress will not stop as long as another team doesn¡¯t step into the tile. ¡¹ ¡¸ Prevent the other teams from getting into this tile. ¡¹ ¡¸ Time left ¨C 9min 59 secs ¡¹ ¡°Conquering¡­¡± I guess the only problem is. ¡®The conquering requirement is a little fickle.¡¯ Standing my ground for 10 minutes in this chaos¡­ And it¡¯ll be so much harder since I¡¯m alone. The only pro is that other teams have also lost a lot of members. I took a look around my surroundings and confirmed. ¡®It¡¯s not impossible.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t anyone as skilled as the otherworldly traveler I saw in the last trial. Most of them couldn¡¯t even stand up straight. I was only nervous in the beginning because I started without a teammate. ¡®Makes sense considering they¡¯ve all gotten low evaluations on the 5th trial.¡¯ The high-rankers who passed the 5th trial ages ago were probably already above the 6th trial. Of course, there were probably people who used the return stone or had other reasons for coming up late. People like me. It was then¡ª ¡°¡­Go north! The guy there is by himself!¡± I felt the attention drawn in my direction as someone pointed at me. ¡°Y-yeah! And he doesn¡¯t seem to be using any protection magic¡­¡± ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t have a teammate. Maybe he¡¯s just trying to get achievements.¡± ¡°Fuck, what¡¯s the worst that can happen? Death? I¡¯m going in!¡± There was a mixed bag of reactions, but most of them saw it as a tasty treat. The other challengers tiptoed towards me as I stared right back. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t like the way this is going.¡± One person was enough to turn this chaos and direct it all towards me. ¡®I guess there are politicians everywhere you go.¡¯ Just like that guy ¡®HeadyGongdu.¡¯ Just like the guy who turned everyone¡¯s attention towards me and slipped out the back. But I didn¡¯t have that many complaints about it. ¡®Eh, I expected all of this to happen.¡¯ You could solve most problems in this tower with pure force. The five or so challengers in front of me didn¡¯t seem to be part of one team but¡­ They seemed to have recognized me as the common enemy and united to attack. They weren¡¯t even aware of the fact that they were being distracted, but I had no intentions of letting them know. ¡®I needed a way to increase my necromancy proficiency anyway.¡¯ These competitive trials were like a special event for me. An extremely profitable event where I could train my innate ability and maybe even pick up some extra skills along the way. ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I put on a faint smile as they rushed towards me. They looked like some tasty experience. *** To be honest, I didn¡¯t really have to kill all of them. All I had to do was keep them off for 10 minutes. I could¡¯ve let them live if I really wanted to. They were all weak enough that I wouldn¡¯t have had much trouble doing so as well. And that could increase their chances of survival. But¡ª ¡®I¡¯d just be prolonging their misery.¡¯ Even if I send them to another tile, someone had to die. Whether you were defending or invading, only one side could survive. It wasn¡¯t my job to decide what was right and wrong¡­ Nor was it my job to feel pity for these lower-rankers. ¡°Die!¡± The invaders were swift and to the point. One of the men who got nearby lounged at me with a spear. The pursuing challengers took his lead to attack with their respective weapons. ¡°Damn it! If I¡¯m gonna die either way! Heart Solidarity!¡± ¡¸ Due to the innate ability ¡®Heart Solidarity¡¯ player ¡®Kim Jinhyun¡¯ and ¡®Han Sungyeun¡¯s pain will now be shared. ¡¹ Koong¡­.! It felt like a heavy piece of copper fell on my heart and a message popped up. Sharing pain? ¡®Is it another mana-based innate ability?¡¯ Maybe it was because I didn¡¯t have any mana resistance skills but¡­ There was nothing I could do against these types of attacks. I could dodge or block it if it was a physical attack or something¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll have to look into mana resistance stills later.¡¯ Even while my mind was focused on these topics, my body moved on its own. I grabbed the incoming spear with my left hand and jumped up to decapitate the attacker. Slash¡­! ¡¸ ¡®One Punch Man¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡®Contempt for the Weak (F)¡¯ skill generated. ¡¹ A message telling me something appeared, but I had no time to check it. ¡®Three left now.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t be relieved with enemies still in front of me. I quickly stepped off the red tile and stepped to an adjacent one. Thankfully, one of the messages that showed up when I stepped on the red tile was this. ¡¸ Your progress will not stop as long as another team doesn¡¯t step into the tile. ¡¹ My progress would continue as long as someone else didn¡¯t step on it. That meant I could move around freely without having to worry about the conquering progress. The longer they were alive, the more likely they were to try something. ¡®I¡¯ll take care of them now while I still can.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Contempt for the Weak¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ All five of the enemy¡¯s main stats are lower than yours. ¡¹ ¡¸ Enemies are more easily threatened by you and your strength goes up by 1. ¡¹ The skill that I had just received activated and added more energy to my steps. The new skill was interesting, but I almost laughed out loud at the message I just saw. ¡®Not a single one of their stats are higher huh¡­¡¯ That meant they stood no chance against me, other than possible irregularities. ¡°What the fuck¡­ How is he so strong¡­!¡± ¡°Holy sh¡­¡± ¡°Fuck, stop him from moving! Aren¡¯t you a magician! Put up a shield!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up, you think magic is omnipotent! How am I supposed to put up a shield on these tiles?!¡± Tap, tap, tap. Maybe it was because of the new skill, but the challengers were in a state of panic. I almost let out a sigh at how pathetic the challengers were. ¡®If it was me, I would have tried using the water beneath us or moved on to a different tile.¡¯ I might have struggled a bit with the reduced stats but¡­ They were the ones being held down by the water. It was pathetic. ¡®Well, whatever.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t where I was supposed to be anyway. I would have been on the higher floors with all of the other high rankers but¡­ I was just a little delayed from returning to Earth. If I wanted a bit more excitement¡­ ¡®I have to climb higher.¡¯ Where the stronger challengers were, where the harder trials were. I¡¯d never get stronger dealing with these assholes. If the tower rewarded its contestants fairly¡­ There was no way that this massacre would get me anything worthwhile. I had to get back to the front lines. And in order to do that¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll have to end these small fries.¡± I¡¯ve had enough of this trial now. ____ MC is in a bronze game as a challenger wondering why the teams are turning against each other ____ ____ Chapter 35 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 35: Capture the Flag (4) I landed on the tile that the three challengers were on. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The challengers standing across from me were silent all of the sudden. I guess they didn¡¯t have that peace of mind anymore. Step, step. I strutted towards the challengers and they finally started to react. ¡°F-fuck!¡± I couldn¡¯t fully comprehend what the man decided to do at first. Shaak! ¡°Arrrrggghh!¡± He pulled out a dagger and stabbed himself in the hand. All of the sudden, a burning sensation in my left hand. ¡°Ah.¡± I tended to keep my suffering to myself, but a little sound managed to slip out. The sensation I felt on the top of my hand, and the man¡¯s act of self-harm weren¡¯t unrelated. ¡®Is it¡­?¡¯ I just remembered the message that I waved away a second ago. ¡¸ Due to the innate ability ¡®Heart Solidarity¡¯ player ¡®Kim Jinhyun¡¯ and ¡®Han Sungyeun¡¯s pain will now be shared. ¡¹ His actions seemed a lot more reasonable now that I remembered that. ¡®I see, he called it Heart Solidarity.¡¯ I was wondering what stabbing himself was all about but¡­ I guess it was to cause me pain. To warn me that all pain inflicted onto him would be directly transferred to me. He was trying to guarantee his safety by threatening me. ¡®What a fucking annoying innate ability.¡¯ The pain didn¡¯t fade and settled itself in like an unwelcome guest. It wasn¡¯t anything physical, it was purely just the pain. As I was about to take another step¡ª ¡°Stop, stop! Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± The challenger who cast the spell on me threatened me while pointing a knife at himself. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll feel my pain if you kill me. You don¡¯t want that right?¡± What a fucking prick. ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°T-then¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not a reason to avoid a fight.¡± ¡°W-wait. I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, we can just give up on th¡­¡± I started moving before he could even finish talking. He hadn¡¯t even realized that he was revealing all his openings while he talked. I closed the distance in an instant and swung my sword lightly. ¡°Wha¡­¡± That was challenger Kim Jinhyun¡¯s lost words. Stt¡ª! ¡®A misunderstanding, giving up¡­ what a load of bullshit.¡¯ Would he have said those things if he was stronger than me? I could guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Ugh.¡± Pain spread through my neck to a suffocating degree, but I paid no attention. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Pain Resistance¡¯ is active now. ¡¹ ¡¸ All forms of pain the user feels will be reduced by 15% ¡¹ The pain went away as quickly as it came. My neck was still aching and I felt like throwing up but¡­ Grip. It wasn¡¯t enough to affect me swinging this sword. ¡°H-holy shit. This guy is batshit crazy!¡± The people behind Kim Jinhyun started moving as soon as he fell. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, you bastard! Someone¡¯s gonna die here!¡± He held up his giant shield and rushed toward me because he knew I wouldn¡¯t let him retreat any further. His plan was probably to push me off the tile and get me in the water but¡­ That only worked if you could outmaneuver your enemy. ¡®He¡¯s slow.¡¯ The number 54 next to my agility wasn¡¯t there just for show. Fssh! I slightly twisted my body to dodge his blitz and stuck my foot out. Tink. ¡°Wooaah!¡± The challenger tripped on my leg, lost his balance, and fell flat on his face. Dashing forward on a floating tile, especially with those stats¡­ It was like he was begging me to kill him. And so I did. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Maybe it was because he was a big man with a fitting steel armor and shield but¡ª The challenger¡¯s body proceeded to slip straight into the ocean after falling. Ploop! ¡°Bua¡ª aghha¡ª F-fuck! H-help m¡­¡± With the reduction in his stats, he could barely even stay afloat. Crack! I ended his misery by shoving my sword into his barely floating head. ¡¸ ¡®Merciless Murderer¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ ¡°Uh, uuhhhhh¡­¡± The magician in the back inched backward while shaking. He was worse than the two that preceded him. ¡°I-I¡­ to d-different tile! P-please!¡± Skt¡­! The magician¡¯s head fell into the ocean as it slowly sank into the abyss. ¡¸ ¡®Cold-blooded Climber¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have received 1,500 points.¡¯ ¡¹ *** *** Some people did mention that murder was the number one way to unlock more achievements. I just killed only three more people, but I acquired a bunch of achievements. ¡®One Punch Man¡¯, ¡®Merciless Murderer¡¯, ¡®Cold-blooded Cilmber¡¯. I¡¯d already received three achievements from the 6th trial. I could tell why the other challengers were going crazy for it. If I could give up my humanity and just farm achievements¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll get that many more achievements and grow that much stronger.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t want to be that bloodthirsty. I¡¯ll kill the ones who try to fight me but I didn¡¯t want to go any further than that. Because the results of throwing away your humanity were right in front of my eyes. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ It¡¯s their fault for getting killed!¡± ¡°Ha¡­ hahaha, I-I did it! Fuck, I¡¯m alive!¡± ¡°Crazy bastards, they literally just killed their teammates as well.¡± ¡°Look at all these achievements¡­ The trial is already worth it.¡± These despicable emotions were felt throughout the entire stage. The smell of blood mixed with the salty scent of the ocean passed me by in a refreshing breeze. Looking at the corpses on the tiles, it seemed like all the fights came to their own conclusions. ¡¸ Time Left ¨C 4 min 17 secs ¡¹ It hadn¡¯t even been 10 minutes, yet most of the challengers were already dead. This happened earlier than I expected, but that¡¯s that. There was no way a proper fight could occur when most teams started off by killing each other. The teams that worked together ended up taking the win in the long run. Of course, there were still people trying to get the betrayer achievement at the end. The 6th trial brought upon a lot of things to ponder over. Mistrust of others, the reality of low-ranked challengers, the aura of despair throughout the tower¡­ But even after seeing all that, my thoughts didn¡¯t change. No, seeing all of this strengthened my preexisting beliefs. ¡®Let¡¯s not pretend to be innocent. I¡¯ll take everything I can get.¡¯ But I wouldn¡¯t kill people for no reason. If that¡¯s what the tower required from me to climb to higher floors? ¡¸ Time over. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have captured the northern tile. ¡¹ ¡®I guess I have no choice then.¡¯ Even if it forced me to commit the horrific acts that I¡¯d seen just now¡­ I¡¯d do anything as long as my humanity remained intact. Only committing murder when necessary was my answer to all of this. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®Random Box (B).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®8,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ ¡®My head finally cleared up.¡¯ A refreshing feeling of all my concerns disappearing. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Lee Songjoon¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Kim Jinhyuk¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Song Jinook¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Han Sukjoon¡¯. ¡¹ Another message popped up after absorbing all of the nearby souls. ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 12% ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ ranked up. ¡¹ My innate ability ranked up. I had kind of expected this, so I wasn¡¯t too surprised about it. I moved the message to the side and made my way to the portal on the northern tile. ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ Time to go back to my trusty waiting room. *** ¡¸ You have entered the 7th floor waiting room. ¡¹ As empty as always. Well, it wasn¡¯t that important, but as I was about to step away¡­ ¡¸ The system expansion is starting. ¡¹ The following message startled me wide awake. ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t the expansion scheduled for the 8th floor?¡± The unexpected message surprised me, but the system continued to notify me. ¡¸ List Achievements has been created. ¡¹ ¡°Ah.¡± I thought something important was going to happen, but it was just the achievements. Only a notification that I could now look at the achievements in more detail. There weren¡¯t any follow-up messages saying that anything changed. This shouldn¡¯t even count as an expansion. ¡°List achievements.¡± ¡¸ Achievement List ¡¹ ¡¸ S Grade ¨C The First Returnee ¡¹ ¡¸ A Grade ¨C None ¡¹ ¡¸ B Grade ¨C None ¡¹ ¡¸ C Grade ¨C One Punch Man ¡¹ ¡¸ D Grade ¨C Cold-Blooded Climber ¡¹ ¡¸ E Grade ¨C Endurer of Fire, Merciless Murderer, Goblin Hunter, Betrayer ¡¹ ¡¸ F Grade ¨C None ¡¹ ¡°¡­Not as many as I thought.¡± Three of the six achievements are from the 6th trial. Which meant I hadn¡¯t gotten that much before that. ¡®I guess you do get a lot from murdering others.¡¯ But the most important part was the S-grade achievement. ¡°Just as I thought, it wasn¡¯t a normal achievement.¡± I had assumed that it was rare from the fact that it gave me an A-class skill but¡­ wow. I couldn¡¯t believe I got something so good for just returning a little earlier than everyone else. A little sense of pride arose while looking through these achievements. I selected the ¡®One Punch Man¡¯ achievement and looked at the details. ¡¸ One Punch Man ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C ¡¹ ¡¸ An achievement for killing a challenger in one hit. ¡¹ ¡¸ Achievement generates ¡®Contempt for the Weak (F)¡¯ skill. ¡¹ ¡°Ooh¡­¡± I was just guessing how I got these before but¡­ They seemed much less mysterious now that they explained everything. ¡¸ Endurer of Fire ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ An achievement for staying conscious in a painful fire. ¡¹ ¡¸ Achievement generates ¡®Heat Resistance (F)¡¯ skill. ¡¹ ¡¸ Cold-Blooded Climber ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D ¡¹ ¡¸ An achievement for killing at least five challengers. ¡¹ ¡¸ Achievement rewards 1,500 points. ¡¹ ¡¸ Merciless Murderer ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ An achievement for continuously killing challengers with no hesitation. ¡¹ ¡¸ Achievement rewards 1 agility point. ¡¹ ¡¸ Betrayer ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ An achievement for killing a challenger designated to be your teammate. ¡¹ ¡¸ Achievement rewards 1 strength point. ¡¹ I opened all the achievements that I was curious about. ¡°Hm, is that it?¡± I looked at a couple of other achievements, but there wasn¡¯t anything special. There wasn¡¯t anything more to the listing. ¡®I guess all it does is show you more information about the achievements.¡¯ Slightly disappointed, I opened my inventory to check the trial. But¡ª ¡¸ Random Box ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: B ¡¹ ¡¸ A box decorated with a red ribbon that generates a random item. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon opening, you receive an item from F to B-grade. ¡¹ ¡°A random box, huh.¡± The 4th trial increased my stats by a bit, but this reward was just a lottery. I had zero expectations after reading the description. ¡°If it¡¯s F to B, I¡¯ll basically get nothing from it.¡± There was nothing I could do about anything luck-related. ¡®I could probably get a good price for this on Earth but¡­¡¯ If a bunch of low-grade items inflated the market, that would become difficult too. Maybe I didn¡¯t get much because I used minimal effort in this trial. ¡®Eh, I guess it makes sense that the tower didn¡¯t give me any bonus rewards.¡¯ I¡¯d have to go higher to get anything of value. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just use it and then absorb the souls.¡± I pulled at the ribbon from the box. Slip. I still had some hope, but that just made me prone to disappointment. After pulling off the lid from the box¡­ Flash! Streams of bright white light poured out from the box and a message popped up. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡¸ Congratulations! ¡¹ ¡¸ You received the highest possible grade item from the box! ¡¹ I just won a B-grade item. ____ ____ Chapter 36 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 36: 7th Floor (1) ¡°¡­¡± Was this rigged? How did I get the highest possible grade item¡­ I thought that my luck had been better since I entered the tower, but I didn¡¯t think it would work with the gacha as well. ¡®¡­Hm, maybe I¡¯m just a really lucky person.¡¯ I might not have realized it because of all the things that happened in my life. There was no other explanation for this event. ¡°Anyway, this is an unexpected delight.¡± I didn¡¯t know what the item was, but if it was B-grade, it was bound to be good. These items weren¡¯t ranked just for show. ¡¸ Wrought Iron Pendant ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: B ¡¹ ¡¸ An iron pendant that has the spirit of a skilled blacksmith. ¡¹ ¡¸ Metal and blade-related skills are +7% more effective. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon inserting mana, activate ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana must be supplied continuously, but it has no cooldown. ¡¹ Even the description had an air of poise to it¡­ What was more amazing was the description under it. That all skills pertaining or related to metals and blades will be increased by 7%. ¡®Since it doesn¡¯t specify cutting force, attack speed, or anything else¡­!¡¯ It would effectively add an extra 7% to all those effects. ¡°¡­Damn, this is why it¡¯s a B-grade item. These effects are so good.¡± It¡¯s probably one of the best B-ranked items at that. One thing I didn¡¯t understand was the ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing¡¯ effect. Considering that the soul of a blacksmith was in it, it probably wasn¡¯t a normal effect. Especially because most item effects didn¡¯t get a name after them. At most, there were generally just small descriptions of the effect that it had. But¡­ If it did have a named effect, then it tended to be more special than just normal effects. Although I¡¯d never really seen one in real life so I thought it was just an urban legend. ¡®This item is bound to have some flaws, but goddamn.¡¯ It could have a better effect than most A-grade items. My expectations started getting higher and higher. I was pretty sure I hit the jackpot on this one. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even expecting anything¡­ I can¡¯t believe it.¡± I wanted to laugh as loud as I could, but I decided to compose myself. It¡¯s important to stay calm to matter what the circumstances are. ¡®Whoo, let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ I put the pendant over my head and onto my neck. Shlaat. The chain trickled down as the jewel on the pendant came down to my heart. Despite it being a silver jewel, it was light and clear so I liked the aesthetics of it as well. Like an item handcrafted for me. And the effect of Steel¡¯s Blessing was¡­ ¡¸ Activating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your skin adapts a property that absorbs all physical damage by 10% ¡¹ A higher-tier skill of my physical resistance. ¡®Holy¡­¡¯ It was technically more advanced than my physical resistance skill. If that skill allowed me to ¡®resist¡¯ a percentage of physical damage¡­ ¡°Steel¡¯s Blessing completely nullifies a percentage of physical damage.¡± I personally didn¡¯t think much about the physical resistance skill. Because I didn¡¯t have a body like the doppelganger to take advantage of the skill. Even if I was able to resist attacks, it would be useless if my body couldn¡¯t brush the rest of the attacks off. Of course, it would shield me from some of the impacts but¡­ I didn¡¯t put that much emphasis on it. But this was different. Being able to absorb physical damage by 10% was way overpowered. ¡®My skin can now absorb physical damage.¡¯ I wondered if there was a better resistance skill than this. The +7% to all the metal and blade skills might not be that great compared to A and S grade items but¡ª ¡°This effect alone might make it better than that.¡± Even if I eventually grew out of this effect, I could just sell it. This was bound to go for millions. Just the thought of it put a smile on my face. ¡®I didn¡¯t even get a bonus reward, but where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t all fun and games. ¡¸ Mana has been exhausted. ¡¹ ¡¸ Deactivating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°¡­This thing sucks up mana like crazy.¡± In a blink of an eye, enough mana to use instant acceleration twice in a row had disappeared. Well, I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter once I got more mana, but a drawback was a drawback. ¡®I¡¯ll have to turn it off and on only when I need it.¡¯ But if I couldn¡¯t get the activation timing correctly, it could backfire on me. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get some mana efficiency skills later.¡± Why were there so many skills I needed to get¡­ ¡°Sigh, it would be so much better if I could learn skills a little more easily.¡± Apparently, I couldn¡¯t get extra skills no matter how many times I repeated the necessary acquiring actions. It hurt my head to think about all the things I¡¯d need to get somehow. This was the reality of my talents, huh. ¡®¡­Nothing I can do about it now. I¡¯ll just have to wait till I get on the 8th floor.¡¯ They did say that I could buy skills after the expansion. And maybe I¡¯d get the skills I needed from just climbing the tower. *** *** ¡°Now, let¡¯s check all those other things.¡± First, let¡¯s check on the newly upgraded necromancy. ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead to increase or reinforce stats, mana, or something of a similar nature. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(1) ¨C Able to permanently increase stats depending on the nature and rank of the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(2) ¨C Able to store souls for later use. Soul storage capacity depends on the ability¡¯s rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(3) ¨C Able to acquire one skill bound to a soul at a certain percentage upon absorbing that soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect(4) ¨C Able to protect your body by consuming souls. The impact that can be absorbed is proportional to the souls used. ¡¹ There was a new extra effect, but the description of the basic effect had also changed. ¡®Increase or reinforce stats, mana, or something of a similar nature.¡¯ It didn¡¯t just say that the souls would strengthen me or that I would be able to turn them into something that I¡¯d like. If I wanted more mana, I¡¯d be able to get more mana. And if not, I¡¯d be able to increase my stats. Plus¡­ ¡®I got a defensive skill.¡¯ An ability to protect myself by consuming some of the souls I had stored. I was hoping that it would be something to help me steal more skills but¡­ ¡®I guess not.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t bad, but I was a little bitter that my predictions were off. Mostly because I had to solely rely on my innate ability for growth due to a lack of my own talents. ¡®I guess I can¡¯t just rely on the innate ability to help me.¡¯ I had to find other ways to get stronger. And the key to that wasn¡¯t with me, but with the tower. Whatever the ¡®pioneer¡¯ or the ¡®brilliance¡¯ was, if I could get all the benefits and get the skills I needed¡­ Then I wouldn¡¯t have to solely rely on my innate ability. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon. Let¡¯s not rush.¡± As long as I survived the 7th trial, everything would be fine. So I just had to focus on the upcoming trial for now. ¡®And it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t need a way to protect myself.¡¯ It would be dangerous to face an intruder like I did on the 5th trial. The problem was how I could activate the ability but¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t really know how.¡± Typically, I should naturally know how to use it but that wasn¡¯t the case this time. Then. ¡®Maybe this counts as a passive ability.¡¯ I did hear about those kinds of innate abilities. One of the extra effects would be a passive that enhanced the already existing abilities. If my 4th effect was anything like that then¡­ The protection should be working already. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll find out.¡¯ I turned the autohealing off and put my sword right up to my skin. Just in case the autohealing interfered with me testing this skill out. My tenacity was high enough to resist the blade but¡­ Crrrrrk! It wasn¡¯t so hard that I couldn¡¯t cut myself. The thunder blade was a C-grade item with a high enough cutting force, so it only made sense. I had to be careful because of all my extra buffs, but that wasn¡¯t going to stop me. ¡®The extra cutting force, the triple lacerate skill, or the electrocution effect might be dangerous but¡­¡¯ The electrocution effect was only on hit and shouldn¡¯t activate while the blade was already on my body¡­ And the cutting force was a passive skill, but I could control to what point I wanted to push down¡­ And I just didn¡¯t have to activate the laceration skill. So I put a little bit more pressure on my arm but¡ª ¡¸ A soul has absorbed an attack on the user. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of player ¡®Song Jinook¡¯ has been consumed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 3/30 ¡¹ The blade that should have sliced through my flesh was blocked by a black fog of some kind. Where there should have been blood was not even a scar. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± I wasted one of the souls I got from the 6th floor, but it didn¡¯t matter that much. I was more surprised by necromancy¡¯s ability to protect. ¡°¡­It¡¯s better than I thought?¡± ¡®With this, I think I would be okay even if that black knight came at me again.¡¯ It depended on what the next trial would be, but it looked like it could become very useful. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t absorb all my souls then.¡± There should always be some souls just in case. Especially these low-level souls from low-level players. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Contempt for the Weak (F) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C If all of the opponent¡¯s stats fail to exceed yours, your strength increases proportionally to the difference. ¡¹ This was an achievement skill I got from the 6th trial. I knew how it worked, so I was able to skim over it. ¡®Low-rank, but not bad.¡¯ It¡¯d be helpful if I ever had to go against some small fries again. Even more so if I could get the grade up a little higher. ¡®I guess that¡¯s it.¡¯ Now the only thing left to do was check how long I had to wait until I could start the next trial. Then check out what¡¯s going on in the community. That should have been it but¡­ ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡± An unexpected turn of events. ¡¸ Do you accept the 7th floor trial? ¡¹ It seemed that there was no more waiting for a trial to start. ¡ª The 4th effect is kinda disappointing but seems pretty op Also the soul seems like such a waste cuz he could have gotten a skill from it??? Cmon mc Chapter 37 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 37: 7th Floor (2) ¡°¡­They didn¡¯t say anything about this on the expansion.¡± I stared carefully at the hovering message. Generally, these trials made you wait for at least a day after passing the previous one. There might be a serious problem if that rule changed without the system giving us any heads up. ¡®The wait time disappeared without any messages from the system¡­¡¯ It was a little strange, but I was able to shake off the shock. Anyway, I could understand the wait time disappearing. It doesn¡¯t really change anything that I would have done, and it could actually help me. ¡®There might be more benefits if I get through the trials more quickly.¡¯ Rushing into these would have been detrimental to me in the past, but not anymore. I was already used to fighting at my current strength. And I seemed to be pretty strong compared to my peers, as seen in the 6th trial. ¡®This is better than an otherworldly challenger invading my trial.¡¯ Actually, it could be seen as a positive change. ¡®I can¡¯t be surprised every time something changes.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like anything in this world was normal. Change was something that could come at any moment. I wondered if everyone else has been experiencing the same changes. ¡®I was going to check up on the community anyway.¡¯ ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 7 Community (1671/2321) ¡¹ It didn¡¯t take long to find someone talking about the wait times. I was wondering how people were going to react, but they didn¡¯t make it a big deal. I guess no one really cared as much as I did. ¡®¡­Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re low rankers.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think there was anyone normal here. Well, I guess it didn¡¯t matter if no one else cared. No one cared about being a pioneer, and most of them just wanted to go back home after the 8th trial. But¡­ ¡®The vibes are a little different from the 6th floor.¡¯ That was a little concerning. Everyone was so bloodthirsty on the 6th floor, but the 7th floor waiting area was different. ¡°¡­Things are definitely different.¡± There were a lot more conversations going on, and the atmosphere was much lighter. Specifically, the people who have been weighing it down were staying quiet now. ¡®I guess the tension is lower now that everyone passed the 6th trial.¡¯ Because after the 7th trial, we would be in the 8th floor waiting room. ¡°And we should be able to go back home after reaching that¡­¡± Everyone was probably relieved to see that the 7th trial wasn¡¯t a group one. Because now they know for sure that they won¡¯t have to kill any more people. On the other hand, the ones who have been encouraging murder were all quiet. Why? ¡®Because they also noticed that the 7th trial was individual.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t any way to get extra points, and they would just be cursed out by everyone else. And the people who bought skills from them were probably not doing that well either. ¡°¡­¡± However, this peace wouldn¡¯t last forever. If we had to keep climbing the tower and there happened to be another group trial, the same thing would happen again. I couldn¡¯t let them fool me. At the end of the day, everyone here was my competition. ¡°Trial Evaluations.¡± ¡¸ 6th Trial Evaluations ¡¹ *** *** ¡°Hey, I¡¯m in the top 10 again.¡± Though 4th place was a little lower than last time, it wasn¡¯t too bad. And all I need to do to get pioneer status is to be in the top 50. I tapped into my details again, but there wasn¡¯t anything special. ¡®Almost the 8th floor¡­¡¯ It was about time I¡¯d learned what this pioneer thing was. It would probably bring about a lot of changes. ¡®Just one more floor. No need to rush.¡¯ As long as I could stay calm, I should be able to deal with anything unanticipated like that intruder. And I even unlocked a new effect with necromancy, so it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. As long as I didn¡¯t let my guard down¡­ ¡®As for items, I don¡¯t think I need anything new.¡¯ My current set should serve me fine for now. The thunder blade and the covert shield should be enough for the 7th trial. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll get some potions just in case.¡¯ ¡¸ You have bought a Potion of Life (D-). ¡¹ ¡¸ 1,500 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have bought a Poison Eater (E+). ¡¹ ¡¸ 1,200 points deducted. ¡¹ For healing and poison, respectively. I knew I already had accelerated regeneration, but just in case. ¡®Well, no use in staying here any longer.¡¯ ¡¸ Do you accept the 7th floor trial? ¡¹ After agreeing to the message, I stepped into the newly-formed portal. Voom¡­! ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials Floor 7. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®proof.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ ¡­Something was off. ¡¸ The 7th floor trial is starting soon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 40 minutes ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Clear the three trials in the remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or time out ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Grace (A-)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ This was different from all the other trials that I¡¯ve faced. I didn¡¯t hear any monsters nearby, and the clear condition didn¡¯t seem that clear either. Clearing three trials? ¡®I don¡¯t really understand what that¡¯s supposed to mean.¡¯ There weren¡¯t supposed to be more trials within this trial, so how could there be three? What was I supposed to do if an intruder came in? It¡¯s not like I can compete with them for the trial objective, since I have no idea what it is. ¡°¡­¡± First of all, my surroundings were just a normal hallway made of stone. I didn¡¯t see or feel anything at the end of the hallway though. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel especially dangerous or anything.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t have that much time to begin with, so¡­ At that moment, a message popped up. ¡¸ Entering the first trial area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Prove that you have overcome your fear. ¡¹ I was about to react to the message as I was walking through the hallway, but my surroundings started to shift. Shaaaaaa¡­! ¡°This is¡­¡± Somewhere that I definitely remembered. The sand and the cactuses¡ªit was a scenery that I¡¯ve definitely seen before. ¡°The tutorial trial?¡± Yeah, this was definitely the first trial I faced when I came to the tower. The only question is why¡­ ¡°Is this a hallucination?¡± It could be, since they were talking about overcoming fear and whatnot. Maybe it was making me face a traumatic memory. But that theory soon fell apart like the sand I gripped in my hands. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel like a hallucination.¡¯ At the very least, this environment felt real. Overcoming fear, and the changing surroundings¡­ Maybe¡­ ¡°Is it going to recreate my tutorial trial?¡± That didn¡¯t seem out of the question. The tower did just recreate everything else. And then¡­ Kkkrrrooon! The floor suddenly started to quake, and all the sand started to gather itself. Also something that I¡¯ve seen before. ¡°¡­As I thought, I guess they¡¯re going to recreate the golem too.¡± Hm, but the E-rank monsters wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat to me now. ¡®Honestly, I could beat these guys blindfolded at this point.¡± I¡¯ve been going through a rapid growth period during the trials. Why were they even giving me a whole 40 minutes for this? ¡®Is it a freebie before I get to the 8th floor?¡¯ Contrary to my thoughts, I gripped my sword and stared down at the lump of sand that was starting to pile up. Well, I guess there were still two more trials left¡­ Kraaaaaaaang! Then the sand erupted into a desert storm, and my ears began to ring. At the same time, it started to form into a humanoid being as it grew slowly but steadily. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Sand golems were supposed to be E-rank monsters that even orcs could kill¡­ ¡®What the-¡¯ Even at a glance, it was way taller than the original height of six meters. Ten meters¡ªno¡ªit was so tall that I could barely even look at it. An oppressive aura enveloped me. ¡°¡­¡± If the original sand golem was an E-rank monster¡­ The monstrosity that stood in front of me was at least a B. ¡°Grrrrr¡­!¡± When its glowing red eyes met mine, I could instantly tell. Killing three of these in 40 minutes is¡­ ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡ª My least favorite thing is having to come up with translations for these goddamn nicknames These low rankers better die soon so I don¡¯t have to look their names up later BTW sorry for the slow updates before i had covid but i¡¯m better now Chapter 38 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 38: 7th Floor (3) Like in the tutorial, the golem attacked with its fist first. But the power behind it wasn¡¯t anything like what I remembered. Krraaaaaang-! The fist smashed the sand, causing a mini earthquake within a small radius. And the sandy winds blasted off like a storm in an empty field. I didn¡¯t take much damage because I had already taken a step back, but¡­ ¡®Damn, how am I supposed to deal with a monster like this?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but scowl. In such a short amount of time, I couldn¡¯t have gotten strong enough to fight against this monster. Our weight classes were completely different. Making a single mistake could lead to my death, and not making one would just barely increase my chances of staying alive. That intruder was a piece of cake compared to what was going on here. ¡®I don¡¯t fare well against these types.¡¯ Humongous monsters like these are supposed to be dealt with using skills. But I didn¡¯t have anything of that sort. I needed something that could get through its tough outer layer, but my fighting style relied on mobility. Crash! Kraang! Crack! Krrrr! I ran out of the way of its fist before it could crush me. Its range was as big as it looked. ¡®I have to find a way to do something¡­!¡¯ Kraaaaaang! The monster continued its barrage, interrupting my thoughts. I would get blown away even if a single one of these attacks grazed me. I had to stay hyperaware. I didn¡¯t know what accelerated regeneration considered ¡®critical damage,¡¯ but I wouldn¡¯t just end up with a cut on my arm if I took a hit from that fist. I would need to prepare to lose a limb or two. ¡®Accelerated regeneration might not activate then.¡¯ What was even more discouraging was that I had two more trials left. I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed since this trial started. But I¡¯d have to complete this trial in the next ten minutes and figure out what the next trial is. ¡®¡­Wait, there¡¯s still one more thing I can do.¡¯ I guess there was one thing. A skill to split this golem in half. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Triple Laceration (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Using mana, strengthen a blade for three attacks. ¡¹ ¡¸ Detailed effect ¨C Upon using the skill, the cutting force of bladed attacks increases by 1.5/2.0/2.5 times after each attack. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know if the increased cutting force would be enough, but this was not the time to think about that. ¡°Triple laceration.¡± All of my mana flooded into my hands as I muttered those words. And at that moment, an azure aura blazed out of the sword. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your next three attacks are strengthened. ¡¹ Voooosh. It didn¡¯t look very intimidating, but this skill was an A- skill. Whether it¡¯s a skill or an item, these things are ranked the way they are for a reason. And the effect would be fortified by an additional 7% because of the pendant. Cutting through this sand golem wasn¡¯t completely impossible. ¡®No other choice.¡¯ The tower didn¡¯t favor the challengers. If you wanted to survive and get stronger, you had to work for it. Even if it meant gambling your life. Tat! ¡°Grrrrrrrr¡­!¡± I propelled myself as fast as I could toward the growling entity. I didn¡¯t want to use instant acceleration just yet. Mana isn¡¯t an unlimited resource that grows on trees. The triple laceration skill had already consumed most of my mana. Combining that with the acceleration skill would¡­ ¡®I won¡¯t stand a chance in the next two trials.¡¯ This was also to hide my full strength from any enemies that could have been observing me. Having all of your cards countered by the enemy is one of the worst-case scenarios. Of course, my agility was high enough to keep up with the sand golem¡¯s attacks without any skills. Crash! Kraang! Kooorang! Kang! The golem noticed that something had changed and kept up its barrage¡­ ¡®Yeah, keep attacking. Show me an opening.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t stand down. Instead, I took this time to zigzag through the attacks to get closer to the main body. Fwoooosh-! The giant fist rushed past my face, a gust of wind grazing against my cheek. But for some reason, I wasn¡¯t scared. It was a million times harder than the tutorial trial, but I was never calmer. Right as I faced the sand pillar that was its leg, I swung my sword. Sliiiiit! The sword slid right through its leg and sliced it off cleanly. As I did the same to its other leg, the golem stumbled and fell to the ground. Kroooooong. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°Gr-graaaa¡­!¡± Although the entity didn¡¯t seem to feel pain, it realized that I had the upper hand now. The flustered giant tried to push itself up with its arms, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. Slaaaash-! ¡¸ All three attacks complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ Deactivating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ I shifted my eyes as soon as I cut off its left arm. The skill was deactivated, but the sand golem couldn¡¯t do anything to resist now. ¡®This should be enough to destroy the core.¡¯ This monster wouldn¡¯t die just because its body was in pieces. No matter the environment, it would survive as long as its core stayed intact. I scanned him quickly to find where the core might be. ¡®His core should be¡­¡¯ A red stone on its back caught my eye. I climbed onto its back and shoved my sword down into the red jewel. Crack! ¡¸ You have proved that you¡¯ve overcome your fear. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ending the first trial. ¡¹ In an instant, my surroundings reverted back to the dark hallway. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Too bad I didn¡¯t get the chance to absorb the sand golem¡¯s soul. But this was neither the time nor place for that. ¡®I don¡¯t have enough time left.¡¯ I have to finish the other two trials before time runs out. I caught my breath and ran through the endless hallway to get to the second area of the 7th trial. Dash! *** *** Reaching the next area didn¡¯t take very long. ¡¸ Entering the second trial area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Prove that you have overcome your wisdom. ¡¹ The scenery started to change rapidly again. I was wondering if it would replicate a previous trial again, and¡­ ¡°¡­I was right, damn it.¡± In an instant, I was standing in the forest from the 2nd-floor trial. The only difference was that the first trial was replicated from the beginning of the 1st-floor trial. But this time¡­ Crackle, crackle! The nearby trees were immediately engulfed by flames. This was the scene from when I completed the 2nd-floor trial. ¡®Prove that I¡¯ve overcome my wisdom?¡¯ A trial that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to clear if the orc hunters hadn¡¯t left their base. How was I supposed to overcome the droplet of wisdom I squeezed out from that? ¡®What is this bullshit?¡¯ ¡­I wanted to complain, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m gonna go crazy.¡± I tend to refrain from cursing too much, but I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. ¡°Shieeeek¡­!¡± My face twitched as I heard the bone-chilling shriek that echoed through the forest. I knew who it belonged to. ¡°The orc hunters¡­¡± This was why I avoided direct confrontation with them initially. They¡¯re the strongest E-rank monsters. How was I supposed to face not one, but ten of them? ¡®¡­This might be more tricky than facing the golem.¡¯ A cooperating squad of orc hunters could be more dangerous than one B-rank monster. I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t have to face a hoard of them, but the tower didn¡¯t show mercy. ¡°Shieeeeek¡ª!¡± An overly-buff orc came out of the forest with blood-red eyes. ¡°Just my luck, he went berserk.¡± A phenomenon that occurs in monsters that go into a blind rage. I¡¯ve heard that orcs that go berserk can rival even D-rank monsters. However, they use up all their strength and can die just days after that. If a group of them teamed up against me¡­ ¡®It couldn¡¯t get any worse.¡¯ I knew how this would end. ¡°Overcome wisdom my ass¡­¡± As a hunter, it infuriated me that they forced my sneak attack into a direct confrontation. The owners of the shrieks didn¡¯t hesitate to walk over. And more bloodshot-eyed orcs continued to appear behind it. The only thing I could do was laugh at the orcs as they surrounded me. ¡°Ha, hahaha.¡± So they expected me to finish these trials in 40 minutes¡­ My heart wanted to explode, but my mind was calm. ¡°Fwoo, okay. What choice do I have?¡± No matter how much I complained, my reality would not change. My only choice was to clear this as fast as possible. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ I looked at my empty mana and smiled dryly. ¡°It¡¯s you or me.¡± *** ¡¸ You have absorbed the souls of the orc hunters. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 19/30 ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 6% ¡¹ As I absorbed the souls of all the nearby orcs, the burning forest quickly reverted back to the hallway. ¡¸ Skill Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E+)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (E+)¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Instant Acceleration (D)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Instant Acceleration (D)¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ At the same time. ¡¸ You have proved that you¡¯ve overcome your wisdom. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ending the second trial. ¡¹ ¡°Ugh, aghhhh.¡± It felt like a copper anvil was crushing my lungs as I gagged on the air. I knew that wanting to climb the tower wasn¡¯t normal. However, I couldn¡¯t help but curse the harshness of the trials. If I were just a tad weaker, I wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee that I would be standing here now. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± The only good thing about the fight was that I didn¡¯t take a single hit from those orc hunters. I couldn¡¯t test out the new necromancy effect though. It was because I blocked all incoming attacks with my shield or the leftover orc corpses. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t reveal all my cards before the end of the trial.¡¯ Besides that, both my mana and stamina were at rock bottom. ¡®¡­There¡¯s no way I can pass another trial in this state.¡¯ Accelerated regeneration uses my stamina to heal my body. It actually drains my stamina instead of replenishing it. Good thing I prepared for this. ¡¸ Potion of Life ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D- ¡¹ ¡¸ A potion created from special water with concentrated life essence. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon consumption, the potion restores 20% of stamina and mana. ¡¹ Without hesitation, I pulled off the cap and poured the potion down my throat. Glup, glup. ¡°Pheww¡­¡± I finally felt some strength in my body again. I also had enough mana to use my skills once or twice now. To confirm that I¡¯ve recovered to a point, I opened my status window. ¡°Status window¡­¡± ¡¸ Skill ¨C Instant Acceleration (D+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 3.7% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, one can use mana to temporarily accelerate their body. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C None ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A technique made by hunters for effective hunting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C When using a dagger, the weapon¡¯s cutting force is increased by 2.5 times. ¡¹ ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like any of the effects have changed.¡¯ Nothing special. I guess it was interesting that the hunter¡¯s daggermanship skill had reached its growth limit¡­ Nothing unexpected though. ¡°Fwoo¡­¡± I closed the window and forced myself to move again. There wasn¡¯t enough time to get any more rest. Tap, tap¡­ I did my best imitation of running as I tried to predict what the last trial would be. ¡®1st, 2nd, so is it time for the 3rd-floor trial now?¡¯ The doppelganger was bound to return much stronger than before. Seems kind of bullshit, but I can¡¯t complain. But¡­ ¡¸ Entering the third trial area. ¡¹ ¡¸ Prove that you have overcome your hesitation. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I was proven wrong in an instant. Shaa, shaa. The crashing waves and the floating tiles¡­ ¡°The 6th trial?¡± This was reminiscent of the previous floor¡¯s trial. The only difference was that all of the tiles were organized into a neat line. Seeing four gigantic tiles lined up gave off a strange ambience. ¡®Am I not fighting in this trial?¡¯ No matter where I looked, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything special. And the line of tiles went on into the horizon without an end in sight. It was then. ¡°¡­?¡± Splash, splash! I heard something sinking behind me, and the sound got closer and closer. I turned around. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± The tiles started to sink into the water one by one¡­ And the end of the line was approaching me at a rapid rate. I remembered that my stats would be reduced if I touched the water. And I realized exactly what the trial was. ¡°¡­¡± It was the start of a crazy race that would be over with a single dip in the water. ¡ª The orcs were so hard that mc took 0 hits and killed them all Chapter 39 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 39: 7th Floor (4) Tap! I started running as soon as I noticed what was going on. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, this race was a variation of the 6th trial. This environment surrounded by stat-reducing water is threatening as it is. If these tiles sank into the water, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid falling in. And all my stats, including agility, would decrease. Then I would inevitably fall further behind and die. ¡®Damn it, there are already three subtrials.¡¯ As if that weren¡¯t enough, the difficulty was also amped up. The continuous barrage of trials was mentally and physically exhausting. But¡­ There was always a way to pass. ¡¸ Using the Assassin¡¯s Cloak¡¯s (D) active ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement speed +15% ¡¹ ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:59 ¡¹ Kraaaang! In an instant, strength enveloped my legs as I strode forward. ¡°With this much distance between me and the end of the line, I shouldn¡¯t be in dan-¡± It was then. Slaaaaash! The waves split into numerous streams that shot toward me like daggers. ¡®What the f-!¡¯ Normally, I would¡¯ve bent my knees slightly to dodge, but I couldn¡¯t afford to do that now. At my current speed, doing something like that could impede my steps. Ultimately, there was only one way to dodge these streams. ¡°Ugh!¡± I threw myself toward the tile in front without losing my momentum. Crash! A devastating crash echoed behind me. I could tell how destructive the streams were just by hearing that sound. ¡®If I had gotten hit, my head would have burst like a watermelon¡­¡¯ Chills crawled down my neck, and I became hyperaware of my surroundings. After completing six trials, I could already tell what was going to happen. I would die instantly if I lost focus for even a single second. Tap tap tap. ¡°Gasp.¡± I rushed to pick myself back up with my hands. I was still ahead of the falling tiles. There was still room to recover from my mistake. ¡®I can¡¯t hesitate any longer. I gotta get-¡¯ Splash. ¡°¡­?¡± I felt a cool and refreshing sensation on my hands, and I looked down. The tile I was on was slowly sinking into the ocean. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Eye of Truth.¡¯ ¡¹ I activated the Eye of Truth, hoping that what I thought was happening wasn¡¯t real. ¡¸ Trial Water ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: A ¡¹ ¡¸ Water that has been imbued with a stat-reducing penalty by the tower. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stats will only be reduced upon direct contact. ¡¹ ¡¸ This water cannot be taken outside of the 6th trial. ¡¹ It was exactly what I was afraid of. ¡¸ You have made contact with the Trial Water. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength temporarily reduced by 10. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility temporarily reduced by 10. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina temporarily reduced by 10. ¡¹ ¡¸ Penalty time left ¨C 2min 59sec ¡¹ The three stats related to physical ability were reduced instantly. ¡®Why¡­?!¡¯ I was about to flip out in a fit of blind rage. I literally dodged the streams and landed safely. But I fell for this dumbass trap that reduced my stats. ¡®How the fuck am I supposed to pass this?¡¯ I wanted to cry out in frustration, but I couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time. ¡¸ Activation time left ¨C 00:00:29 ¡¹ The assassin¡¯s cloak effect was also about to end. I took my hand out of the water and started to run again, but I was slower than before. That was to be expected. I obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to accelerate to the same speed after losing 30 stat points. I was going to depend on the cloak¡¯s effect to clear the trial, but the falling tiles were quickly catching up to me. ¡®¡­Do I have to use this?¡¯ I was saving my instant acceleration skill for emergencies. The wrought iron pendant I had just gotten also proved to be pretty useless. There was only one way to pick up my pace. The only problem was that I didn¡¯t even have 10% of my mana left, and I didn¡¯t know how much longer the path was. If I didn¡¯t reach the end even after exhausting all of my resources, there would be nothing left to do but die. I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. If I didn¡¯t use the skill, I would get caught by the water traps. I had to at least struggle before I died. Squeezing out every ounce of mana from my body, I muttered quietly. ¡°Instant acceleration.¡± I was activating the skill for the first time after it ranked up to D+. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ Fwoom! My legs felt lighter, and I could tell that I sped up immediately. Just because my stats had decreased doesn¡¯t mean that my skills would be less effective. Of course, maintaining this speed while dodging traps would be difficult¡­ TAP TAP TAP TAP! But there was no need to jump through hoops to dodge the traps anymore. Because by the time the traps activated, I was already gone. ¡®I think they activate after I reach a certain checkpoint¡­¡¯ But it didn¡¯t matter if I cleared the section before the traps even activated. Tap, tap, tap! ¡®It¡¯s alright, I can do this¡­!¡¯ I only had about 7% of my mana left, but clearing the trial was still possible. If I kept this up, I should be able to outlast the stat penalties. And as soon as the penalty time ran out, I could activate necromancy. ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead to increase or reinforce stats, mana, or something of that nature. ¡¹ The newly-upgraded necromancy effect could increase my mana. I absorbed a bunch of souls from the second trial, so I should be able to recover a considerable amount of mana. This trial was as good as cleared once that happened. ¡¸ Deactivating the Assassin¡¯s Cloak¡¯s (D) effect. ¡¹ The effect ended, and I felt heavier again. But this meant that the penalty was much closer to ending as well. ¡¸ Penalty time left ¨C 1min 57sec ¡¹ However, the penalty didn¡¯t seem to be reduced even after I squeezed all my mana into acceleration. If this continued, I would end up failing the trial. Then¡­ ¡¸ Replenishing mana using the soul of the orc hunter. ¡¹ I needed to give myself more time by replenishing my mana. *** *** ¡®At this rate, the penalty should¡­¡¯ It was then. Craaaaaash-! Unlike the other traps that were activated after I ran past them, the tile I was currently on shook and sprang up. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ I was briefly in the air, and I was shocked by the spectacle before my eyes. Tiles were being raised above sea level by streams of water spouting from the ocean. Not only that, but the heights of all those tiles were constantly shifting. Each tile was somehow staying perfectly balanced on a thin stream of water. Like this was all designed by someone¡­ Tap. I could only laugh after landing back on the original tile. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I was tired of reacting to every little thing. Splash, splash¡­! All the tiles behind me were sinking into the ocean, and all of those in front started floating. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the penalty still wasn¡¯t over. I¡¯ve been through a bunch of trials since I entered the tower, but this was definitely the most hardcore one. TAP! All I could do was move forward. If I analyzed the tile height patterns, getting through shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem. ¡®But I don¡¯t have the time for that¡­!¡¯ The tiles behind me were sinking faster and faster. And I only had 40 minutes left to clear the trial. Act first, think later. Crash-! ¡±Ugh.¡± I winced at the impact from dropping down to the next tile. It wasn¡¯t enough for the necromancy protection to activate, but it still hurt. I couldn¡¯t wallow in my pain. Shaaaaang! The tile started to rise as soon as I landed on it. I had been on a shaking tile before, but it wasn¡¯t as severe as this. The tile was unstable enough to shake me off. I was in a situation where I would fall into the ocean as soon as I lost control. ¡®I won¡¯t last too long on this tile¡­!¡¯ Leap! I propelled myself into the air again and landed on the next tile. I reduced the impact as much as possible by breaking the fall. It may not look like it, but I trained for years to be a hunter. Koong¡­! My knees still absorbed most of the impact, but that didn¡¯t matter. I had accelerated regeneration, and my body wasn¡¯t so weak that it would break from this kind of damage. Tung, tung, tung! I predicted the heights instinctively and continued to jump. Of course, the barrage of traps and streams of water didn¡¯t stop¡­ Wssh. But I guess I was finally getting used to this crazy ass trial. Shooosh-! After one final jump, I finally got a glimpse of what I was looking for. Voom¡­! There was a whirring portal above a red tile just beyond the rest of the tiles. I instinctively knew that this was the exit, but I couldn¡¯t get there immediately. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike all the other tiles, there weren¡¯t any tiles leading up to this one. This meant that I had to jump to the portal from my current location. ¡°¡­Zero hesitation.¡± I sighed as I saw the sinking tiles behind me. Those bastards didn¡¯t even want to give me time to think. ¡®Yeah, this isn¡¯t something I could consider doing or not.¡¯ I took a couple of steps back to get a running start. Taaaang¡­! I used all the mana left in my body for this jump, so the issue wasn¡¯t my speed but whether I could land exactly into the portal on the tile. And even if I did land in the portal, I wasn¡¯t sure if my body would stay intact. ¡®I just have to trust my innate ability¡­!¡¯ If my body couldn¡¯t handle the damage, the necromancy protection would. Of course, I still wanted to have a backup plan. ¡¸ Activating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your skin develops a property that absorbs all physical damage by 10% ¡¹ Craaaaaash-! ¡¸ You have proved that you¡¯ve overcome your hesitation. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ending the third trial. ¡¹ The message popped up and black fog spurted out from my body. Shaaaaaa-! ¡¸ A soul has absorbed an attack on the user. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of orc hunter has been consumed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of orc hunter has been consumed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of orc hunter has been consumed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 12/30 ¡¹ ¡°Huff, huff.¡± I knew something like this would happen. I was back to the dimly-lit hallway, but the impact from the fall came with me. Even if they passed the trial, a normal person would have died from the fall. ¡°Fuck this trial¡­¡± More importantly, I had beaten the trial. I collapsed. ¡¸ Deactivating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ The reality that I survived the trial hit me as I sat on the floor gasping for air. ¡®¡­I would have died if my necromancy didn¡¯t rank up.¡¯ And if I didn¡¯t use my growth-type ability to become an all-rounder, I definitely would have died here. This was not the time to reminisce. I forced myself to get up and continued down the hallway. This trial still had a 40-minute limit, and I hadn¡¯t cleared it just yet. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 7. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Grace (A-).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®15,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received the item ¡®Boots of Swiftness (C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ A portal appeared in front of my eyes after the succession of messages. Voom¡­! ¡°I¡¯m finally done with this damn trial¡­¡± Unexpectedly, I almost died from the trial, and there were no surprises like an intruder. But I was still alive, and it was time to end this trial. ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ A message that I have never seen before appeared in front of my eyes. ¡¸ More than 1000 people have cleared the 7th trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ The system expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ You are one of the challengers designated as a ¡®pioneer.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ You are now able to choose a radiance. ¡¹ The expansion has finally begun. ¡ª¡ª Bin: What are the chances he just goes home and the story ends with him as a successful hunter? Phylicia: 0 because it¡¯s only chapter 39. And why does he call everything a trap? It¡¯s as if he¡¯s into them. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 40 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 40: Radiance (1) ¡¸ More than 1000 people have cleared the 7th trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ The system expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Marketplace is opening. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial Crossroads are being formed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Permanent return is now available. ¡¹ ¡¸ Intrusion system is being activated. ¡¹ A bunch of messages started to pop up, but the most important one was at the bottom. ¡¸ You have been designated as a ¡®pioneer¡¯ for the previous floors. ¡¹ ¡¸ You may choose a radiance. ¡¹ Radiance. The perk of being a pioneer finally revealed itself. ¡¸ Radiance affects the challenger¡¯s innate ability and skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please think carefully before making a decision. ¡¹ ¡°Think carefully¡­¡± The tower hasn¡¯t given advice like this before. This meant that choosing a radiance was important, even to the tower. ¡¸ Please choose one of these available options. ¡¹ ¡¸ Conqueror ¡¹ ¡¸ Hunter ¡¹ ¡¸ Monk ¡¹ ¡°Are these radiances¡­?¡± ¡°Hm, I guess I¡¯ll look at the details first.¡± Even if I wanted to make a choice, I didn¡¯t know anything about these. ¡¸ Conqueror ¡¹ ¡¸ A radiance that changes depending on the individual¡¯s abilities. ¡¹ ¡¸ Helps the individual become an all-rounder rather than a specialist and is closely related to their innate ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Potential for battle, growth, support, and creation increases greatly. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power is ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ This is the most fitting radiance for challenger Han Sungyeun. ¡¹ ¡°Hm¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t able to tell exactly what it could do just by reading the description, but I could tell it was a good one. My potential for everything would increase, and it would affect my ability¡­ ¡®This means that it¡¯ll be helpful to my future growth.¡¯ It sounded like a perfect fit. The innate power also seemed interesting. Even the tower determined that this would be the best radiance for me. But I couldn¡¯t make a decision just yet. ¡¸ Hunter ¡¹ ¡¸ A radiance that anyone could easily get used to. ¡¹ ¡¸ Specializes in growth and does not have a significant effect on an innate ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ However, this radiance is closely related to stat and skill growth. ¡¹ ¡¸ It increases the growth rate of skill proficiencies. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power is ¡®Level Up.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ This is an adequate radiance for challenger Han Sungyeun. ¡¹ ¡°This one isn¡¯t bad either.¡± The tower seemed to agree with me. Even if it wouldn¡¯t affect my innate ability, the stat increase would be very compatible. And I had a good idea of what the ¡®Level Up¡¯ power would do. ¡®If this were a game, it would be like choosing your occupation.¡¯ ¡®Hunter¡¯ would be an occupation that allowed you to level yourself up. I assumed that leveling up would directly increase stats and skill proficiency. This radiance¡¯s effect wasn¡¯t bad, but it would overlap with my innate ability. ¡®And the last one is¡­¡¯ ¡¸ Monk ¡¹ ¡¸ A radiance that is greatly affected by talent and hard work. ¡¹ ¡¸ Specializes in growth, but everything is strictly determined by talent and hard work. ¡¹ ¡¸ Becomes stronger the more time you invest and requires a lot of talent. ¡¹ ¡¸ Could be completely fruitless without the required talents. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power is ¡®Path of Training.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Currently not recommended for challenger Han Sungyeun. ¡¹ ¡°Meh.¡± Definitely not the one for me. The ¡®hard work¡¯ part wasn¡¯t an issue, but it required talent¡­ Also, I didn¡¯t have any information about this innate power¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll pass on this and just choose between the other two.¡¯ As the tower suggested, I should think very carefully before making a choice. The radiances seemed to affect innate abilities or skills¡­ ¡®They also have things called ¡®innate powers,¡¯ and those seem pretty good.¡¯ ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to choose Conqueror.¡± I could replace Hunter¡¯s abilities with necromancy, but Conqueror was a well-rounded radiance that would be beneficial in many ways. And the tower said that it would be the best fit considering my innate ability. Plus, I¡¯ve been looking for something like ¡®Skill Combination¡¯ to spice up my abilities. ¡®No matter what, increased potential and the ability to combine skills should make this worth it.¡¯ *** *** Tap. ¡¸ You have selected Conqueror. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability is evolving according to the selected radiance. ¡¹ ¡¸ Displaying choices with regard to the challenger¡¯s ability. ¡¹ Messages kept popping up even after I made my choice. ¡¸ Summoner ¨C Use the absorbed souls to raise powerful undead skeletons. ¡¹ ¡¸ Magic Swordsman ¨C Increases talent in magic and swordsmanship, and related skills can be learned three times more quickly. ¡¹ ¡¸ Creator ¨C Increases talent related to item creation, and related skills can be learned three times more quickly. ¡¹ ¡°They did say it would be closely related to my innate ability¡­¡± As they promised, the radiance was evolving my innate ability. After reading all three descriptions, I came to a conclusion. ¡°They all seem kind of useless¡­?¡± Magic Swordsman wouldn¡¯t really help me since I didn¡¯t have much talent to begin with¡­ Same thing with Creator. ¡®It would have been a different story if it raised my talents by a set value rather than multiplying them.¡¯ After all, zero times anything is zero. So I chose the least of the three evils: Summoner. ¡¸ The Summoner trait is being added to the innate ability ¡®Necromancy.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Existing effects have been slightly altered, and new effects are being added. ¡¹ ¡¸ The innate power ¡®Skill Combination¡¯ is being created. ¡¹ After the messages stopped, I opened my status window. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 55 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 51 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 56 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 43 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 43 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ Some of my stats went up slightly. But more importantly, the radiance and innate power were added. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Seeing them listed so clearly on my window was pretty satisfying. I looked into it a little more. ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Can select two skills to combine. When the two selected skills are different in rank, the higher-ranking skill becomes the core skill. ¡¹ It had the exact effect that I expected. ¡®I can just get rid of my useless skills.¡¯ Or maybe I could combine similar skills to upgrade them. It did say that the higher-ranking skill would be the core, so the innate power had unlimited potential. And my innate ability¡­ ¡¸ Consumes stored souls to raise a nearby dead. The strength of the raised dead will be proportional to the quality and quantity of the consumed souls. ¡¹ The newly-added effect seemed interesting. Now necromancy is finally living up to its name. ¡°All necromancers should have a summoning ability.¡± I assumed something like this was bound to appear sometime soon. Considering the utility of the skill, this should be pretty good. So far, I had zero regrets about choosing this radiance. Too bad I couldn¡¯t test it out here. ¡°The effects are too vague.¡± Like how long the raised dead would last or what actually counted as a nearby dead. There was a high chance that the skill would have unintended effects if I used it here. If I suddenly summoned a deteriorating corpse in the waiting area, it¡¯s not like I could throw it out. And I wasn¡¯t planning to see if I could fit a corpse in the inventory. ¡®I¡¯ll try it out back in the real world or in another trial.¡¯ It was about time that I went back again. But¡­ ¡°Skill Combination is different.¡± I had no qualms about trying that out right now. Similar to what happened for my innate ability, a panel appeared in front of me as soon as I had the urge to use the skill. ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select two skills from the list. ¡¹ ¡­ Seeing all the various skills gave me a feeling of pride. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that I didn¡¯t have a single one. ¡®I guess I¡¯ve grown a lot.¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t be too full of myself because quantity doesn¡¯t mean quality. ¡°Hm, what shall I combine¡­¡± It was harder than I expected. Pain Resistance activated more often than I would¡¯ve liked it to, and Accelerated Regeneration was an irreplaceable skill. I couldn¡¯t combine skills randomly because I didn¡¯t know what the result would be. ¡®What do I not care about too much¡­?¡¯ I went through the list slowly and decided on two skills. ¡®I didn¡¯t use either of them during battle¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t use the former unless my opponent was weaker than me. And I couldn¡¯t use the latter unless I was in serious danger. It was never used because my fighting style revolved around my agility. I wouldn¡¯t miss them too much if they were gone. ¡®Acquiring a high-tier skill would be nice¡­¡¯ But I didn¡¯t expect much. Expectations only brought about disappointment. ¡®I thought I would become a hunter after I awakened as a player.¡¯ But that was when I hit rock bottom. I knew better than to expect anything from life. ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ It seemed that I could choose one of the skills to be the core if they were the same rank. ¡®Contempt for the Weak is probably a better choice than Sustain Battle.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill Combination will start with ¡®Contempt for the Weak¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high-tier skill is 80%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ There was only one answer for that question. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ And as that message phased out, the new message emitted a golden glow. ¡¸ Forming a new skill! ¡¹ ¡ª¡ª Dam i forgot how sadboi the mc was When will he get his confidence ¡ª¡ª Chapter 41 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 41: Radiance (2) ¡¸ Skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough (D)¡¯ has been generated. ¡¹ My pupils widened at the glowing message. ¡®Huh, this is what happens?¡¯ I thought the skill was going to be E-rank at most, but D¡­ As expected from the tower, the rewards were always amazing. Instead of staying surprised, I opened the skill window. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Forceful Breakthrough (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Can break through any restrictions to movement. However, your mana level must be higher than that of your entrapper¡¯s. ¡¹ This was better than what I imagined. ¡®It makes sense that combining Contempt for the Weak and Sustain Battle would result in something like this.¡¯ I can¡¯t say I was displeased with the result, but I was more curious than happy. ¡®Forceful Breakthrough¡­ Is it closely related to Contempt for the Weak?¡¯ The prerequisite for activation was pretty similar. I would only be able to activate it if my mana level was higher than the caster¡¯s. But the effect itself was much more closely related to Sustain Battle. ¡°This is like a perfectly balanced mix of the two skills.¡± Since Contempt for the Weak was the core, it would decide the activation prerequisites rather than the effect. However, I couldn¡¯t be completely sure about that yet¡­ ¡°Maybe I should try this out a couple more times.¡± I needed a skill that was barely used but had some proficiency. ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select two skills from the list. ¡¹ It didn¡¯t take long to select the two least used skills. It wasn¡¯t too hard to decide since they were both F-tier skills that weren¡¯t used often. Ranger¡¯s Knowledge¡¯s widened range of sight was pretty helpful during battle. ¡®And I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever used Heat Resistance.¡¯ The only time it could¡¯ve been useful was in the second subtrial. It was hard to incorporate it into my fighting style, and its proficiency couldn¡¯t be increased easily. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind throwing this away.¡¯ ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ I had to think a bit more carefully this time. ¡®If the activation requirement and restrictions are decided by the core, I should choose Ranger¡¯s Knowledge.¡¯ The fewer restrictions, the better. And heat resistance could only be used in very specific situations. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Ranger¡¯s Knowledge¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high-tier skill is 57%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ ¡®The percentage is lower than before.¡¯ Last time, there was an 80% chance to get a high-tier skill¡­ ¡®Does the compatibility between the two skills matter too?¡¯ There must have been a bunch of unwritten rules that I didn¡¯t know yet. But there was no need to rush things. I could just learn as I went along. Press. I felt the skill disappear as soon as I pressed the button. ¡°Ah¡­¡± My field of vision narrowed instantly. ¡®¡­I didn¡¯t know that a mere F-rank skill was affecting me this much.¡¯ This could make a big difference the next time I went on the battlefield. ¡®Not a problem I expected to run into, but I¡¯ll just have to prepare for it later.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill combination complete. ¡¹ I smiled at the absence of the two old skills and looked at the new skill. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Strengthened Eyes (E-)¡¯ has been generated. ¡¹ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± This had a much lower rank than Forceful Breakthrough. I think I was getting a better idea of how this skill worked. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Strengthened Eyes (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to see even in obscured environments. Also strengthens eyesight. ¡¹ The proficiency didn¡¯t carry over, but the result was similar to that of the previous combination. ¡®The activation requirement and nature of the skill seems to be determined by the core.¡¯ And Heat Resistance added some resilience effects to the skill. ¡®I think I figured out what determines the tier upgrade rate.¡¯ It was probably the compatibility of the two skills. Contempt for the Weak and Sustain Battle were somewhat related to each other¡­ But I could tell that Heat Resistance and Ranger¡¯s Knowledge were not very compatible. Looking back, I¡¯m actually surprised that the rank didn¡¯t decrease. ¡®I guess I should stop messing around with skills for now.¡¯ There was one combination that might have worked well, but I didn¡¯t want to deal with the risks. Worst-case scenario, I¡¯d get a skill that was worse than either of the two I combined. *** *** ¡®Let¡¯s look at the other rewards.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Increases all speeds by 10% upon declaration of the skill¡¯s name. This effect can be stacked up to seven times. When the maximum amount of stacks is reached, the skill receives a one-day cooldown. ¡¹ ¡°So it basically increases all speeds by 70%.¡± An effect that I could only dream of¡­ ¡®I wanted something to mitigate the harsh mana costs of instant acceleration.¡¯ Since Instant Acceleration was a D-rank skill, it took a decent amount of mana to activate. Although it seemed like it would rank up soon, I wanted to stop being so dependent on mana. These trial rewards were always satisfactory. In addition¡­ ¡¸ Boots of Swiftness ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement Speed: +5% ¡¹ ¡¸ Boots decorated with tiny wings, created by magical mechanics. ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement accelerates for a moment after reaching a certain speed. ¡¹ The bonus reward was a cherry on top of this ¡®agility sundae.¡¯ ¡°This is an easy decision.¡± I took off my current shoes and put on the new boots. The only thing left to do was to check the community. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 8 Community (787/1121) ¡¹ As expected, there was generally a very pleasant vibe in the community. The tension eased as everyone was planning to go home. The low price of the permanent return stone also played a big role in easing the tension. But there wasn¡¯t a single mention of ¡®radiance¡¯ in the chat. I guess they wouldn¡¯t throw around important information like that. Anyone who had received one would know how insane the perks were. ¡®Hm, there isn¡¯t much information being exchanged here.¡¯ I thought they would drop little nuggets of wisdom before they left. It was a shame since I recognized a bunch of these names from the rankings. No mentions of radiances or otherworldly beings. ¡°I guess everyone has their fair share of secrets.¡± I pushed the community to the side and opened the store instead. The system mentioned that the Skill Marketplace was opening up. I also had to look into the floor intrusion system. ¡¸ You¡¯ve entered the Skill Marketplace. ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing all available skills. ¡¹ The quality of the skills wasn¡¯t as good as I expected. Most of them were at the bottom of the barrel. The only skills that mattered were at least D-class, but those were expensive and hard to find. ¡®How is Instant Acceleration 8000 points¡­?¡¯ I got it for free, but it was very expensive at the store. It seemed that the skills in the store only went up to D-rank. Anything higher was grayed out, and nothing happened when I clicked on those skills. ¡®I probably have to meet some sort of requirement to unlock them.¡¯ And that requirement was undoubtedly to get to a higher floor. As the admin previously said, the higher you were, the more you had access to. I could probably get a couple of skills to combine. If I could combine a bunch of F-rank skills to obtain higher-tier skills, it¡¯d be 100% worth it. I didn¡¯t have that many points yet, so I just picked the ones I needed. ¡®I¡¯ll need some mana-related skills too.¡¯ I reached into the depths of my memory to recall which two skills I needed the most. ¡¸ You have bought ¡®Mana Circuit (D-).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ 15,000 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have bought ¡®Mana Resistance (D-).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ 12,000 points deducted. ¡¹ I purchased a total of two skills. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Mana Circuit (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C The mana in your body forms a circuit and increases mana efficiency. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Mana Resistance ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Your body becomes resistant to foreign mana. If the user does not have the Mana Circuit skill, the effect is drastically reduced. ¡¹ Vooom¡­! My back lit up like a stove as soon as the purchase was complete. It was definitely because of the circuits. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to unlock the skill after you form the circuits¡­¡¯ But I guess the opposite was true for me. The condensed mana in my body formed lines that intertwined with each other. It was like heated steel wires twisting together. This type of pain was difficult to describe. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± The pain was temporary, and it didn¡¯t take long for the circuits to form. Actually, I wasn¡¯t even sure if the circuits had been formed. Kiiiing¡­! ¡°It¡¯s working well.¡± My suspicions cleared after some mana flowed through my head. Voom. After the mana circulated through my body once, I felt like I was overflowing with energy. I focused all that energy into my right leg and slammed it down. CRASH! ¡®Ooh.¡¯ The entire area shook, and the impact even caused the surrounding air to vibrate. All of the mana in my body could be focused to a single point. This was an effect of having circuits, and it felt good. It was as if I unlocked a sixth sense. The efficiency and amount of mana I could output were crazy. ¡®If this was just the circuits, I wonder what the famous Mana Resistance skill is like.¡¯ In fact, the Mana Circuit skill was known in the hunter community to be a stepping stone for the far superior Mana Resistance skill. But the importance of having a mana circuit couldn¡¯t be overlooked. ¡®Mana resistance is a must-have for any melee hunter.¡¯ It was so difficult to acquire that some people would spend an entire year just to learn the skill. Even then, there was a reason why countless hunters made the effort to learn it. Not only did it reduce the effectiveness of skills against you, but it also made you resistant to magic. Although it wasn¡¯t as effective as an innate ability, I wouldn¡¯t be so easily restricted by innate abilities or skills anymore. ¡®I don¡¯t feel any different, but I¡¯ll have to check later.¡¯ The 8th floor was a checkpoint, so I had to make appropriate preparations. I needed to reach a point where I wouldn¡¯t almost die from whatever happened in the 7th trial. I needed to get stronger without directly entering a trial. And the solution to that problem was¡­ ¡¸ You have bought a Return Stone (F+). ¡¹ ¡°Not in the tower, but in a dungeon.¡± A hunter had to be a hunter. It was time to graduate from being just a challenger. ¡ª¡ª Bin ¨C 42 chaps in and were finally going into a dungeon! Also tag yourself im boomerpatrol Phylicia ¨C I¡¯m CurryRice :> ¡ª¡ª Chapter 42 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 42: Dungeon Incursion (1) Honestly, I didn¡¯t really have to go back to Earth at this point. The tower still provided immense rewards, and I didn¡¯t have to wait to challenge the next trial. Clearing the 8th trial would definitely be beneficial. But¡­ ¡®If it¡¯s as difficult as the 7th trial, I might not be able to pass.¡¯ That was the problem. If the difficulty of the trials kept increasing at the same rate, the 8th trial would be too much for me to handle. It was also possible that I would run into an intruder from another world like last time. There were a lot of things to consider. I would have to get used to all my new skills and get a bit stronger. In that sense, dungeons were much more nurturing than the tower. And I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought this way. It looked like most people wanted to make some preparations outside the tower. We weren¡¯t so different from each other after all. Everyone had different motives, such as earning money or gaining their powers back, but they all decided to climb the tower. ¡°I thought I was the odd one out, but I guess I was wrong.¡± So many people wanted to climb just to get stronger. They saw this as an opportunity to turn their life around. ¡®Just like me.¡¯ Well, that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to fight everyone. The subject suddenly changed to the outside world. ¡®Ooh.¡¯ This was a topic I was interested in, so I decided to pay attention. For once, they were actually talking about something useful. ¡®I guess everyone¡¯s finding out about the tower right now.¡¯ It was strange that even the civilians knew about it. Maybe because that was the only thing the government could do about this situation. ¡®Makes sense.¡¯ There was nothing a mere human could do about something like the great calamity. Just as I expected, the outside world had adjusted to the tower. ¡°Good thing I went back earlier.¡± I finished registering and sold all my items already. ¡®The return stone is paying off already.¡¯ I would have been on the same boat as all of these people if I hesitated any longer. I would¡¯ve had to deal with all the annoying logistics too. ¡°I just have to focus on getting stronger now.¡± ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun, confirming intention to return. ¡¹ ¡¸ Consuming the Return Stone to return to Earth. ¡¹ *** *** ¡¸ Returned to challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s residence. ¡¹ I woke up in my bed with a familiar message. Maybe it was because this was my second time, but returning felt much easier. ¡°As expected, all of my items came with me too.¡± My items were scattered on my bed. The sword, shield, cloak, boots, pendant¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t think I can sell any of them this time though.¡¯ I still wasn¡¯t ready to part with any of these items. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I took a deep breath of the stuffy studio air and planned my course of action. I didn¡¯t need to wash up because I had the cleansing stone¡­ And unlike last time, I didn¡¯t have enough time to rest. The purpose of this trip was to get stronger. ¡®I can¡¯t waste time.¡¯ I needed a meticulous plan. To get stronger, I needed to find my way into a dungeon. But getting into one was harder than it seemed. For your first dungeon, you needed to be accompanied by at least one other person. This rule was set to prevent new hunters from getting into accidents. ¡®The problem is that finding a party is a pretty difficult task¡­¡¯ And there were a bunch of other problems such as distributing the rewards or partying with a malicious hunter. That¡¯s why you needed a strong network to get into a dungeon, whether it was a guild, family, or friends. But it was safe to say that I had none of that. ¡°Damn it.¡± I never thought I¡¯d live to see the day when I would need a network of my own. Even if I solved this problem, I would also need to find a dungeon I could actually get into. There were a bunch of dungeons that were managed by guilds or associations, but that posed a whole new set of problems. Exclusive dungeons were relatively easy to get into. If I were part of a guild, all I¡¯d have to do was sign up for my guild¡¯s exclusive dungeon. But public dungeons were different. Most public dungeons had long wait times and were very inefficient to grind in. This was because most of the good dungeons were automatically claimed. ¡°Just problem after problem.¡± I sighed and walked out onto my balcony. The scenery wasn¡¯t anything magnificent, but the fresh air still cleared my head. ¡°What should I do¡­?¡± It was too late to join a guild and meet people¡­ ¡®Actually, there is one person in my network.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the closest relationship, but it wasn¡¯t nothing. The only person I talked to in the tower. -Please contact Lee Hayeon of the White Silver guild once you get back to Earth. She even added me as a friend. Of course, I never actually messaged her afterwards. She did try to contact me a couple of times, but I never had the time to respond. In one of those messages, she left her number and asked me to give her a call once I got the time. Seeing that her skills weren¡¯t too bad, she was probably back by now. ¡®I did help her with the 4th trial. Maybe I should give her a call.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d normally do, but I was desperate. I took out my phone to give her a call. Vmmmmm¡­! ¡¸ Emergency Text Alert ¡¹ ¡¸ Undetected D-class gates were found in Uijeongbu, Jikdonggeonlin Park. ¡¹ ¡¸ A total of three gates were found, and all three need permanent supervision. ¡¹ ¡¸ All civilians are advised to avoid the park. ¡¹ ¡°No, wait.¡± I was going to try to use my connection with the Lotus guild to get by, but this changes everything. Undetected gates were like clearance sales for hunters. These types of gates were handled not by an organization, but by whoever happened to be nearby. ¡®Unexpected gates are a blessing in disguise.¡¯ If this were a game, it would be like a double exp event. Nearby hunters tended to team up as fast as possible just to get in there. I opened the hunter association app. ¡¸ Looking for a melee hunter with good utility for a party of three. ¡¹ ¡¸ ISO Jikdonggeonlin Park duo. D or higher only. ¡¹ ¡¸ Party of 5 looking for heal/tank hunters. ¡¹ In just a few minutes, the forums were full of people looking for party members. I couldn¡¯t NOT join in. ¡°No reason to miss out on the event.¡± And I could practice my new abilities at the same time. ¡®It¡¯s like a buy one get one free sale.¡¯ It was time to go into my first dungeon. ¡ª¡ª MC usually think of everything BEFORE he goes anywhere except today i guess *ISO: in search of ¡ª¡ª Chapter 43 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 43: Dungeon Incursion (2) I replied to a listing as I walked out of my apartment. ¡°This should be alright.¡± The party I applied to was the one looking for a duo. ¡¸ ISO Jikdonggeonlin Park duo. D or higher only. ¡¹ Since all the rewards and responsibilities were split evenly, duo parties were typically formed by very skilled hunters. There was a little more risk involved, but it couldn¡¯t be that much worse than the 4th trial. I literally put those two in a stroller and rolled them out of the trial. ¡°If I can¡¯t even solo a D-grade dungeon, that¡¯s an entirely different problem on its own.¡± Soon enough, my party request was accepted. He probably saw that I was a C-rank hunter and accepted it immediately. He was even willing to give up any of the special rewards. I guess he really wanted to duo with me. ¡®Pros of being a high-ranking hunter.¡¯ With a smirk on my face, I grabbed a taxi off the side of the road. ¡°Jikdonggeonlin Park, please.¡± I was wondering what I would do if there was an item I really needed. ¡®I guess I don¡¯t even need to worry.¡¯ I could already tell that this was going to be very worthwhile. *** Sitting on a bench in Jikdonggeonlin Park, Lee Cheolwon hastily typed his post. ¡°Holy shit, why are there so many people here?¡± It hadn¡¯t even been an hour since the emergency alerts were sent, but there were already crowds of over ten people by the gates. Lee Cheolwon let out a sigh after seeing the high spec gear everyone had on. ¡®How many hunters were near the area¡­?¡¯ He thought there would be two, or maybe three teams. ¡®It must be because of the damn trial tower or whatever.¡¯ Recently, hunters who were at a place called the Tower of Trials sold a bunch of low-grade items and made it really hard for amateur hunters to make a living. The items weren¡¯t worth what they used to be¡­ All the low-rank hunters nearby probably came here to make a quick buck. ¡°Life¡¯s hard, huh.¡± Despite that, Lee Cheolwon had no intentions of backing down. For a D-rank hunter like him, entering this gate would be like winning a lottery. It was typically much harder to earn big bucks while freelancing in the public dungeons. Plus, the items from those dungeons weren¡¯t worth much anymore. The world was changing again. Even a low-tier hunter like Cheolwon could tell. There were all kinds of rumors about the tower, like how it roped in civilians forcefully. Or how the hunters would lose all their powers once they entered the tower. It was like the great calamity all over again. ¡®At least my partner is supposed to be a C-rank hunter.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like he has much experience, but he¡¯s still a higher rank than me.¡¯ A high-ranking hunter with no experience was way better than a low-ranking hunter with experience. No matter how much experience you had, raw power is what mattered the most. It was then. ¡°Are you Lee Cheolwon? The one looking for a duo?¡± The anticipated C-rank hunter had finally arrived. *** I walked over to the man sitting on the bench after arriving at the park. ¡®Is this the person who was looking for a duo?¡¯ He must be, since this was the location that he specified in his texts. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Lee Cheolwon. Does that mean you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Han Sungyeun.¡± ¡°Ah, nice to meet you. You seem like a promising new hunter.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not like that. You seem to have a lot more experience than me. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± I scoped this Lee Cheolwon person out while we made small talk. A spear engraved with a lion¡¯s face and leather armor with an aura of cool air. His equipment was so well-maintained that I could tell the items were high-quality at a glance. ¡®Better than I thought.¡¯ I guess he wasn¡¯t looking for a duo just to get carried. Most of his items seemed to be above E-grade, which made him seem more trustworthy. Even though I didn¡¯t know the exact effects of his items, he should be an adequate partner to clear this dungeon with. As I was admiring my luck, Lee Cheolwon started to speak. ¡°I know you were already informed, but there are a total of three gates in this park. We will be entering the second one, and I already got the license to go in. And I doubt any other teams want to get into this one.¡± ¡°Hmmm, sounds nice. Can I ask why none of the other teams want this dungeon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit more dangerous than the other two dungeons, and the internal structure is very narrow. A party with more than three people would have a difficult time getting anything done.¡± The hunters around us were all in full parties. This meant that we would have the dungeon all to ourselves. ¡®And that means more rewards for me.¡¯ Lee Cheolwon continued to speak as I stood there and listened. ¡°Yeah, and since I¡¯m a D-rank and you¡¯re a C, this is very doable.¡± As if he had to convince me to not turn back. ¡°I see. I agree with you.¡± I didn¡¯t have any intentions of going back empty-handed. ¡®And this is a prime opportunity to train for the 8th trial.¡¯ That was half the reason I came here. ¡°We don¡¯t have too much time left, so let¡¯s get going. We¡¯ll be distributing all the rewards 50/50 like standard duo parties. And if you want to, we can discuss claiming specific drops from the dungeon later.¡± I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to disagree on. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care now, Hunter Han Sungyeun-nim.¡± He smiled and stuck out his hand. ¡°Likewise.¡± I shook his hand and gave him a faint smile. It was time to start my first dungeon incursion as a hunter. *** *** Voom¡­! The scenery changed as soon as we stepped into the portal at the center of the park. Of course, something like this didn¡¯t surprise me anymore. It was common in the tower. Also, I already knew that these gates generated domains that were completely disconnected from reality. I heard that the most common environments were plains, deserts, or cave-like areas. And this time, it happened to be a cave. ¡°What a shame. Melee fighting styles aren¡¯t very suited for caves.¡± Lee Cheolwon looked around the cave with a frown. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fully swing his spear in an environment that was this narrow¡­ There were other factors as well. ¡°This cave is definitely too narrow for two people to fight side by side.¡± I agreed with the scowling man and started to observe the area. There was just enough room for us to walk side by side. Even though my weapon was a sword, there still wasn¡¯t enough space for both of us to swing our weapons simultaneously. But this was just the entrance, and we didn¡¯t know what was ahead of us. Dungeons could be quite unpredictable. I was sure the area would widen as we approached the center of the dungeon. But that didn¡¯t mean that we could let our guard down. ¡®Monsters can come out no matter where you are in the dungeon.¡¯ They tended to not be near the entrance, but nothing was guaranteed in dungeons. I slowly raised my sword and suggested that we keep walking. ¡°Let¡¯s keep up our guard and start moving forward.¡± He finally snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Just follow me while being wary of our surroundings.¡± He got in front of me and started taking the lead. ¡®Wait, I wanted to be in the front.¡¯ It would have been the ideal way to test out all the new skills I had. I wanted to protest against his decision, but Lee Cheolwon was an experienced hunter. ¡®I guess it¡¯s only right that he takes the lead.¡¯ And I heard that the real hunting started at the center of the dungeon. There was no need to rush into things. Trying out my new skills was important, but observing an experienced hunter would also be beneficial. I reassured myself and followed Lee Cheolwon deeper into the cave. It was then. ¡°Kieeeeek¡­¡± Lee Cheolwon¡¯s eyes widened as the low-pitched growl got louder. ¡°Hmm, lizardmen¡­ That¡¯s not a good sign.¡± Lizardmen were D-ranked humanoid reptilian monsters. The only special thing about them was that they used weapons skills, unlike goblins or orcs. They were actually known to have high-tier weapon skills. ¡°Kieeek, kieeeek.¡± A lizardman holding a long spear flared its eyes as it made its way toward us. ¡°A long spear and weapon skills? That¡¯s gonna be annoying.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be better if one of us takes it down.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take him since I have a longer range with my spear.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I thought about it for a bit, but this was just one monster. ¡®I¡¯ll let him have this one.¡¯ Plus, this was an opportunity to see how an experienced hunter fought. I was about to take a step back until I saw that Lee Cheolwon was just staring the lizardman down. ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ I thought he would end the fight instantly, but they both circled each other. Feigning attacks while looking for opportunities to strike? This was not what I signed up to see. I wasn¡¯t going to waste my three days on Earth like this. Why was he struggling so much against a single lizardman at the entrance? ¡®Stalling like this could be problematic¡­¡¯ Emergency gates were different from normal dungeons in a couple of ways. The only reason they let random hunters into these gates was to stop the monsters from getting out. After some time, the hunter association would either blockade the gate or designate it as a public dungeon. Then the hunters from the association could come and clear the dungeon. I was under not one, but two different time limits. ¡®We can¡¯t waste any more time.¡¯ Change of plans. I was done observing this guy. ¡°Let me lend you a hand.¡± My actions were faster than my words. I propelled myself forward instantly. Crash! Lee Cheolwon stared in dismay as I bolted past him. ¡°What the fuck?! C-come ba-¡± He seemed to be startled at my sudden decision to dash in. ¡°Instant acceleration.¡± But as soon as I activated the skill¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ Lee Cheolwon¡¯s desperate cry was cut short. Slash-! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A mere D-rank monster had no chance of following my accelerated movements. Plop. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± That was enough for its head to drop to the floor. ¡®I guess dungeons don¡¯t make the monsters particularly strong.¡¯ The lizardman felt a little weak compared to the D-rank monsters I faced in the tower, but that was not important right now. I swung my sword to clean the blood off. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m in a bit of a rush. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Ah yeah¡­ I understand. Very understandable.¡± He nodded as he stared into the empty space in front of me. It was as if he didn¡¯t understand what had just happened¡­ This was the perfect time to convince him. ¡°By the way, I have a suggestion. Are you open to one?¡± ¡°S-sure. Anything.¡± I gave him my brightest smile and finally spoke my mind. ¡°I want to stand in the front.¡± I couldn¡¯t waste the whole day on this dungeon. It was time to pick up the pace. ¡ª¡ª I smell an mc simp No waifus tho ¡ª¡ª Chapter 44 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 44: Dungeon Incursion (3) Initially, I planned to stay put until we reached the center area. I was going to observe Lee Cheolwon and learn from his fighting style. I thought that observing an experienced hunter would be a reward in itself. ¡®But I had no idea that it would take this long.¡¯ I was already running out of time. ¡¸ Time left ¨C 68 hours 38 min ¡¹ A holographic message in the corner of my eye told me how much time I had left. This may have seemed like more than enough time, but I had other plans after clearing the dungeon. ¡®I can¡¯t waste all my time here.¡¯ I could contact the guilds or the association or even collect more information about what was going on. Calling Lee Hayeon to help me build my network was also an option. No matter what I decided to do, I would need ample time. ¡®He gives me no choice.¡¯ If he was struggling with something like this, we would take forever to complete the dungeon. I stood in front of him and focused my gaze on the center of the cave. ¡°Let¡¯s change our approach.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Until we find a wider area to fight in, I¡¯ll take care of all the monsters.¡± ¡°Um, okay.¡± He hesitated for a bit before succumbing. At least he wasn¡¯t very hard to convince. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the looting as well.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, I headed toward the lizardman corpse. Unlike those in the tower, the monsters in the dungeon had cores. Even though I never did this before, I knew what to do in theory. Slit! Its skin split in half, and a purple gemstone revealed itself near where the heart should have been. I reached into the corpse to rip the stone out. ¡®This was easier than I thought.¡¯ I used the assassin¡¯s cloak to wipe the blood off my hands. Leaving blood on my hands could be a fatal mistake if it caused my sword to slip out of my hands. I could always just clean off the cloak later. This was why I bought the cleansing stone. I cleaned off the core as well and stood back up. ¡¸ Core ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: D- ¡¹ ¡¸ A mana-filled core harvested from the heart of a lizardman. ¡¹ ¡¸ Could be very beneficial during alchemy or crafting. ¡¹ ¡®Ooh, this works.¡¯ My eye of truth activated to show some details about the core. I purposely tried to activate it without saying anything, and it worked better than I thought. I didn¡¯t think it would be usable in battle because I had to concentrate a decent amount. Activating skills like this required a pretty high proficiency. ¡®I¡¯ll have to learn how to do this for instant acceleration as well.¡¯ Being able to activate active skills at a moment¡¯s notice had its merits. ¡®I¡¯ll save that for when I get back to the waiting room.¡¯ At first, I was excited to see the details on the core since it didn¡¯t have a normal description. Unfortunately¡­ ¡®Eh, nothing special.¡¯ I lost interest pretty quickly. I tossed the core into a bag I was carrying and turned to face the bewildered Lee Cheolwon. ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto this for now. We can decide who gets to keep it later.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ Is this your second time in a dungeon?¡± ¡°Hmm, not really¡­¡± ¡°I guess you just seem very experienced¡­¡± I fought my ass off in the tower and spent countless years studying theories, but that wasn¡¯t any of his business. ¡°I just saw it on Youtube.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± He looked at me inconspicuously but didn¡¯t question it any further. My records did say that I had no experience, and that wasn¡¯t very important right now. ¡®He can think whatever he wants as long as he doesn¡¯t keep bothering me with questions.¡¯ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the lizardman. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.7% ¡¹ ¡®It¡¯s getting harder to increase proficiency with D-rank monsters.¡¯ My face scrunched up as I walked away from the corpse. The only reason I came here was to prepare for the 8th trial, but I was barely making any progress. I guess I could use my innate ability to raise my stats to a certain point, but it wouldn¡¯t even come close to ranking up. Honestly, ranking up my innate ability was difficult even in the tower. It made sense that fighting weaker monsters in this dungeon wasn¡¯t much help. However, quantity was more important than quality. If I could farm every monster in this dungeon, there would be a noticeable difference sooner or later. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± I stared into the dark like a starving kid looking at a buffet. It was time to start the hunt. *** *** Pat! ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the lizardman. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.7% ¡¹ ¡°Three.¡± Snap! Sssp! Chaack! ¡°Six.¡± Squawk! Crash! Taaang! ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the lizardman. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.7% ¡¹ ¡°Nine.¡± Sssat-! Han Sungyeun¡¯s monotone counting echoed through the cave. ¡®What the fuck?¡¯ Lee Cheolwon pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. ¡®His profile said that he was a beginner with no previous dungeon experience¡­¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s with this ridiculous strength?!¡¯ His level of strength was almost concerning at this point. A lizardman was dying every time he moved. All Lee Cheolwon could do was stand still and watch. Han Sangyeun wasn¡¯t using psychological warfare or a fluid combination of skills, but they were all dropping like flies. By the time his sword reached the end of its path, all of the lizardmen¡¯s heads were rolling on the floor. There were no words to describe it. ¡®He¡¯s¡­ on a completely different level.¡¯ This was not how any lower-tier hunters fought. They were meticulous when dealing with monsters that had weapon skills. Some skills could bring the monster¡¯s power to another level. But Han Sungyeun didn¡¯t seem to pay much attention to that. His movements were so fast and precise that he almost seemed bored. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Cheolwon never intended to clear the dungeon. More accurately, he didn¡¯t think it was possible to clear it completely. He was still a low-tier hunter. It would¡¯ve been different if there were more people, but all he planned to do was to take a peek at the center. He didn¡¯t expect to get any special rewards. That was why he offered to give all the special rewards to the other person. But looking at Han Sungyeun fight made him change his mind. His monstrous battle sense could change everything. If they killed the dungeon boss, they could end up claiming the gate. He would have to hand it over to Han Sungyeun in that case, but it didn¡¯t matter. The basic rewards were already worth a lot of money. As excited as he was, Lee Cheolwon was also bewildered. If this was how strong Han Sungyeun was as a beginner, how strong would he be in the future? ¡®He could become the next big name hunter of Korea¡­¡¯ He instinctively knew that this was the birth of a star. *** ¡°Phew¡­¡± Plop, plop. The blood of the scattered lizardmen corpses dripped onto the floor of the cave, forming tiny pools. ¡°¡­¡± Looking back, I realized that I had killed more than I expected. The only problem was that I wasn¡¯t able to test my new ability. ¡®The space is a little too tight for me to summon anything useful.¡¯ Lee Cheolwon already couldn¡¯t swing his spear. The forceful breakthrough skill wouldn¡¯t work either. None of the opponents used any crowd control skills, but that might change soon. ¡°The boss room gate!¡± Lee Cheolwon admired the red portal from the back. The boss room was where the core that formed and maintained the dungeon resided. Suddenly, the reason that Lee Cheolwon couldn¡¯t participate in any of the battles occurred to me. This dungeon was designed for a single person. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that the space never fully expanded.¡¯ Thanks to that, I had to take care of all the enemies. But I didn¡¯t have any complaints since I could take all the souls for myself. Lee Cheolwon seemed pleased but slightly wary of my mood. ¡°Ehem, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize that the whole cave would be this narrow. I won¡¯t object if you decide to take a larger percentage of the rewards.¡± He laughed because he probably realized how ridiculous his suggestion sounded. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can split it 50/50.¡± ¡°I just feel bad that I-¡± ¡°On the condition that I can keep all the boss room rewards.¡± Lee Cheolwon was the one who got the license to enter this dungeon. Even if he didn¡¯t participate in the battles, he still had a right to the rewards. The dungeon was also beneficial to my growth, so I felt kind of bad about taking most of the rewards for myself. Well, I might have taken all of them if he didn¡¯t get the license. ¡°If that¡¯s all you want, I would be happy to concede all of the boss room rewards.¡± Lee Cheolwon replied carefully after considering my proposition. ¡°That¡¯s all I need. Are you fine with going into the boss room now?¡± ¡°I mean, of course¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything. Don¡¯t you need to take a break?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really feel the need to.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± He stared at me like I was an exotic animal in the zoo, but what was I supposed to say? Since the monsters came one at a time, I couldn¡¯t have gotten tired. ¡®It would¡¯ve been tougher if they came at me all at once like the orcs.¡¯ Without coordinated attacks, I wasn¡¯t even close to being out of breath. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t waste time resting. I had to take full advantage of this dungeon and leave as soon as possible. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Let¡¯s get out of here. ¡ª¡ª MC: this tunnel is so tight Me: that¡¯s what she said ¡ª¡ª Chapter 45 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 45: Dungeon Incursion (4) Voom¡­ As we stepped through the crimson portal into the boss room, I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at the monstrosity before me. It was sitting on a roughly chiseled stone chair, and it let out a low-pitched growl. ¡°Krrrr¡­¡± Lee Cheolwon stared at the monster, which was three or four times the size of a normal lizardman. ¡°I noticed that there were a lot of lizardmen here. That must be the lizard king.¡± Seemed fitting. ¡®A lizard king.¡¯ A more evolved version of a lizardman. They usually had a lot of utility skills, and their weapon skills were several times more deadly than normal lizardman¡¯s. They could temporarily disable a target¡¯s movements and even poison them. They might seem like a pain in the ass to deal with, but they actually aren¡¯t that bad. I knew even though I had never fought one. The hunter association said that an experienced B-rank hunter could solo this thing. Lizard kings had a variety of skills but didn¡¯t specialize in anything. ¡®I read that it shouldn¡¯t be too hard as long as you can use some of your skills.¡¯ The skills that I got from the tower should be more than enough. ¡°W-what are you going to do¡­?¡± The innocent D-rank hunter questioned me nervously. He must have thought that the two of us wouldn¡¯t be able to take it on, but that wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡°Just wait here for a bit.¡± ¡°Huh? I-I mean, do you have a plan? I can support you¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Just stay back. You can help me if I look like I¡¯m in trouble.¡± I could finally see exactly how much stronger I had gotten in the tower. Beating this boss with Lee Cheolwon¡¯s assistance would be pointless. ¡®Eh, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯ll take that long.¡¯ Koong. The ground shook as the displeased lizard king stood up from his throne. It was then. ¡°H-he¡¯s going to attack! Be carefu-¡± Craang! I dashed forward before Lee Cheolwon finished speaking. I already knew about the pre-attack signal. ¡°Wind¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 10%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 1/7 ¡¹ The crisp winds cloaked my body, and I moved as if I were immune to friction. ¡°Graw.¡± A strange force rippled through the air as he let out a short growl. ¡¸ You have been exposed to the skill ¡®Roar of Lethargy.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds decreased by 25%. ¡¹ ¡®Another debuff skill¡­¡¯ The past me would have found a way to work around the debuff, but I was different now. ¡®I¡¯ll just ignore it.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡® Forceful Breakthrough.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The player¡¯s mana is more than two times that of the entrapper¡¯s. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ignoring movement debuffs. ¡¹ ¡°Grr?!¡± As I sped up again, I started circulating some mana throughout my body. Not only did it strengthen my body, but it also helped me increase my speed even more. At the same time, I swung my sword at the lizard king. A typical D-rank monster would have dropped dead on the spot¡­ Clang! ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ But the lizard king quickly regained his composure and defended himself. He pulled out a longsword and blocked my attack. As expected, he was more difficult to deal with than his henchmen. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to try a bit harder.¡¯ There was no need to hold back. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 60%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 6/7 ¡¹ I stepped back for a second to buy some time to summon a couple of baits. ¡¸ Consuming multiple souls to summon a skeleton. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 21/30 ¡¹ The souls disappeared in an instant, and my ¡®summoner¡¯ abilities activated. Clack, clack. Dark smog rose from the ground, and a small skeleton appeared as the fog dissipated. Tsss. There were white flames where its eyes should¡¯ve been. The little rock star ran toward the lizard king. ¡®Hm, it doesn¡¯t look like I can control their actions¡­¡¯ Not bad, since I wouldn¡¯t have to split my attention during battle. However, it might not have been worth all those souls. Crack! The skeleton broke after taking one hit from the lizard king¡¯s sword. ¡¸ The summoned skeleton has vanished. ¡¹ It was pretty weak considering how many souls were needed to summon it. But it already did its job. Since the lizard king felt threatened by the speed at which my skeleton rushed toward him, he had taken a large swing. He had left many openings along the sides of his body. ¡®I can take him.¡¯ With six stacks of Wind¡¯s Blessing, I was already pretty fast. ¡¸ Due to Boots of Swiftness¡¯s (C+) effect, your acceleration is momentarily increased. ¡¹ And I felt like I was walking on air after the effect of my new item kicked in. I struck the lizard king with all my momentum. ¡¸ The dungeon boss ¡®Lizard King¡¯ has died. ¡¹ ¡¸ The boss will appear again 14 days later. ¡¹ *** *** Slaaat!! Well that was a bit anticlimactic. Plop. ¡°¡­¡± I wiped the splattered blood off my face and laughed. The boss shouldn¡¯t have been hard to deal with, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy to kill. ¡®The skills I got through combination are more effective than I thought.¡± Strengthened Eyes didn¡¯t do much for me, but Forceful Breakthrough was on a different level. I felt like I had overcome my weakness against restriction-type skills. ¡®Forceful Breakthrough might not work against some opponents, but that¡¯s why I got Mana Resistance.¡¯ Also, the rewards from the 7th trial were crazy. Wind¡¯s Blessing increased all speeds by 60% at virtually no cost, and the boots enhanced that effect. Having Force Breakthrough and Wind¡¯s Blessing was already overpowered¡­ Combined with my new ¡®summoner¡¯ abilities, the synergy was insane. Even though the skeleton got one-shotted, it was still useful for distracting enemies. I was pretty satisfied with the battle overall. The skeleton could have been more sturdy, but I would take care of that later. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I turned around to find Lee Cheolwon gawking at me. ¡°H-how?¡± He seemed very confused, but I didn¡¯t really have an answer for him. ¡®I just did it because I could¡­¡¯ Maybe the battle meant more to him than it did to me. I get it though. It wasn¡¯t every day that you got to join a boss raid. And I was a tad stronger than a typical C-rank hunter. ¡°A-are you a high-ranking hunter who had their slate wiped clean?¡± Lee Cheolwon wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with a half-assed answer. ¡°No, it¡¯s not anything like that. And I¡¯m not a part of an org either.¡± ¡°B-but C-rank hunters usually aren¡¯t this strong¡­¡± ¡°I dunno. I¡¯m not sure exactly how strong I am since I just got stronger recently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was a lie. I had a fairly accurate estimate of my current strength level. In terms of combat skill, I was probably on par with A-rank hunters. I just didn¡¯t want to reveal all my information to him. ¡°Anyway, the dungeon belongs to us now since we beat the boss.¡± I changed the subject of the conversation to the dungeon. ¡°Right, the ownership of the gate¡­ Since this is a persistent gate, you can do whatever you want with it.¡± Best news I¡¯ve heard in a while. I could use the extra cash. ¡®I¡¯ll just sell it if I can.¡¯ Then I would buy some items to take back to the tower. I could just use the dungeon for myself, but that was harder than it looked. I didn¡¯t want to fill out all the paperwork, and it would be annoying to grind the dungeon over and over again. Plus, it wouldn¡¯t really help me grow anyway. ¡°I have nothing to say about the gate¡¯s ownership.¡± ¡°Then you have no complaints about me taking the gate for myself?¡± ¡°Yeah. You basically soloed this dungeon anyway¡­¡± He probably thought he was lucky to have gotten even a fraction of the rewards. ¡°Well, let¡¯s loot the lizard king and get out of here.¡± I headed to the lizard king¡¯s corpse before Lee Cheolwon could change his mind. Looting it was only second to what I really wanted to do. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the lizard king. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 11% ¡¹ ¡®As expected.¡¯ The lizard king far surpassed the lizardmen¡¯s 0.7%. As I approached the corpse to extract the core, I activated necromancy. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the lizard king¡¯s soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 5. ¡¹ I left most of the souls alone just in case I needed them for protection or something, but the lizard king¡¯s soul was worth consuming for the stats. Increasing my stats for the 8th trial was one of the reasons I came to Earth anyway. ¡®Hm, not bad.¡¯ But the messages weren¡¯t over. ¡¸ Acquiring one of the lizard king¡¯s skills. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I had completely forgotten that this could happen. ¡ª¡ª Bin- Go little rock star~ Phylicia- :rseveryonelookingatnankit: I only kept that part so Bin could make this joke :/ Bin- Why the skelly so weak it seems like a waste ¡ª¡ª Chapter 46 - Contract (1) Chapter 46: Contract (1) Sim Woojin, leader of the Uijeongbu Gate Supervision Team, yawned as he stared blankly at the gates spread throughout Jikdonggeonlin Park. ¡®So boring.¡¯ All the other dispatch agents were on guard. Upper-level management seemed to be rattled up about the emergency gates. ¡®Eh, doesn¡¯t look like anything special is gonna happen.¡¯ He had seen similar situations countless times over the last three years. The only difference was that the gates here were perpetual. Perpetual gates remained in place semi-permanently, and they were often purchased at a high price by guilds or the association. ¡®But that has nothing to do with me.¡¯ The association wouldn¡¯t gain anything by clearing this gate They would get neither the rewards nor the credit. All the credit was given to the gate execution team. ¡®At least the gate execution team gets an exorbitant amount of cash¡­¡¯ The gate supervision team got nothing. All they did was stand guard aimlessly until the other teams arrived. It would be a different story if someone showed up and cleared the gate. Smirk. ¡°Only an A-class hunter would be able to do something like that.¡± But there was no way that an A-class hunter would rush to an emergency gate to make some petty cash. It was then. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Out of nowhere, two hunters walked out from one of the gates in the park. Sim Woojin stared at them in confusion. ¡®What happened? There¡¯s no way they finished already. Why did they come out?¡¯ His questions didn¡¯t stay unanswered for long. ¡°Uhhh?¡± The azure gate turned into an ashy color as soon as the two hunters stepped out. As far as he knew, there was only one condition under which this happened. ¡°When the boss room is cleared¡­¡± Also, the boss would respawn after a certain time period. This meant that those two just cleared a perpetual gate by themselves. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter when he realized this. For the first time in his three years of being part of the supervision team, someone had cleared a dungeon. *** I came out of the gate with a huge smile on my face. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Mind¡¯s Eye (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C During battle, you can perceive attacks from outside your range of vision. ¡¹ I had obtained one of the lizard king¡¯s skills. Because of the low probability, I hadn¡¯t even considered that this would happen. My luck seemed to have turned around after I entered the tower of trials. ¡®I seriously can¡¯t believe that I got a skill.¡¯ I would probably get more skills once I absorbed all of the lizardmen. My combination skill would soon come in handy again. ¡®I knew going into the dungeon was the right choice.¡¯ After looking at the unexpected rewards from the excavation, I couldn¡¯t help but be satisfied. As I walked out with a triumphant look on my face, a man in a black suit interrupted me. ¡°Please wait¡­!¡± He sprinted toward me and paused to catch his breath. ¡°Did you clear this gate?¡± Lee Cheolwon turned around to answer that question with another question. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you to ask us that?¡± Taken aback, the man placed his hands on his heart and exhaled. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry about that. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sim Woojin, and I¡¯m the leader of the hunter association¡¯s gate supervision team.¡± ¡°Gate supervision team¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Haha, I didn¡¯t get a chance to greet you earlier because another member of my team was stationed at the gate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looked like he rushed here after noticing that we cleared the gate. ¡®Fine by me. I was looking for a way to sell the ownership license.¡¯ This would save me the trouble of looking for a potential buyer myself. I would¡¯ve sold it to a guild if I were associated with one, but the hunter association was probably the best option right now. Lee Cheolwon was the first to respond. ¡°By any chance, did you want to purchase the rights to this gate?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to offer you two a deal¡­¡± *** ¡°I don¡¯t have a say in that.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The only person who has the rights to this gate is hunter Han Sungyeun right here.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Sim Woojin¡¯s attention shifted to me. ¡°If you cleared it alone, are you perhaps an A-rank¡ª¡± I cut him off before the misunderstanding could grow out of hand. ¡°No, I¡¯m a C-rank hunter.¡± ¡°Oh? I-I see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the important part. Let¡¯s get right to the point. What¡¯s your offer price?¡± Sim Woojin probably didn¡¯t expect me to react this way, but I didn¡¯t want to give any more information about myself. The association was tracking down all the hunters who had been to the tower. I had to change the subject. Thankfully, Sim Woojin seemed to be on the same page as me. ¡°Ehem. To get to the point, my team would like to purchase the rights to this gate at 1.2 million dollars.¡± ¡®Ooh¡­¡¯ It was more than I expected. They were willing to pay 1.2 million for just a D-rank gate. ¡®Is this gate even worth that much?¡± With that kind of money, you could easily buy a C-rank dungeon. Of course I would be surprised. ¡°It seems like a fair price. I¡¯ll take it.¡± I tried to be as monotone as possible. ¡°Thank you for the quick response. The contract will¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little busy right now. Can we do it as soon as possible?¡± ¡°I can prepare the contract right now. Would you like to sign it nearby?¡± ¡°That works for me.¡± I couldn¡¯t stay here for long. Sim Woojin told me that he would meet me at a cafe nearby. ¡°Wow, that was amazing. I¡¯ve never seen someone get an offer on the spot like that.¡± Lee Cheolwon stared at me in awe. ¡°Really? Doesn¡¯t this happen after completing a dungeon?¡± ¡°That only happens to high-rank hunters, not people like us.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s start splitting the loot. No matter what happened, you were still the one who got us into the dungeon.¡± ¡°Okay, do you mind if I sell the cores? I know a guy who would buy it for above market price.¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Why am I trusting a complete stranger with this? Because it would save me the trouble of finding a place to sell them. Plus, I made a lot more money by selling the rights to the gate. ¡°If you leave me your contact information, I¡¯ll give you a call.¡± After we exchanged our information, Lee Cheolwon left the premises. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go finalize that contract.¡± I didn¡¯t have much time left. ¡®I have to make the most of it.¡¯ The chance that another emergency gate would pop up was close to zero. If I wanted to go into a higher-tier dungeon, I would need some sort of connection. I already had a plan for that. *** The contract was finalized without a hitch. ¡°As per the contract, I will send you the money by tomorrow.¡± Sim Woojin gave me a wide smile as soon as I signed. I appreciated how quick and smooth the process was, and I got up from my seat. ¡°Han Sungyeun-nim, if you aren¡¯t tied to any organization, would you be interested in joining the hunter association?¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking if I want to be a hunter for the association?¡± ¡°Yes. I checked your records, and you seem to be a recently registered hunter. We assure you that the association will provide you with the best possible conditions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I considered it for a moment. I would need to join some sort of organization if I wanted to act at my discretion. And I had no qualms about that organization being the hunter association. Plus, this was the second time they had given me a scouting offer. But I was a bit reluctant to get tied to an organization. I would prefer something like a freelance position while still having access to everything I needed¡­ It all came down to how strict the association was with their hunters. And in my head, they weren¡¯t very strict. It was a viable choice, but I wanted to give it more thought. I could always come back to this later, and I already had something planned. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a response right now.¡± ¡°I understand. A skilled hunter like you needs to explore their options.¡± ¡°But let¡¯s stay in contact, and I¡¯ll let you know if I change my mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for me. Haha, I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Sim Woojin left with a grin on his face, and I took out my smartphone to get in touch with the only person whom I could call my ¡®network.¡¯ ¡¸ Hello, this is Han Sungyeun. We met on the 4th floor. Do you have time to meet with me if you¡¯re on Earth? ¡¹ My teammate from the 4th floor, Lee Hayeon. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 47 - Contract(2) Chapter 47: Contract(2) Piles of paperwork were stacked throughout the offices in the White Silver guild. ¡°Hwooo¡­ Aghh, I¡¯m so tired.¡± The team leader of the newly formed ¡®Challenger Supervision¡¯ division, Lee Hayeon, let out a low sigh. How could she not after seeing the unending pile of paperwork on her desk? It had already been three days since she got out of the tower, but she didn¡¯t seem to be faring any better. ¡®Because I¡¯ve been working non-stop since I got back.¡¯ Most people would have been enjoying all the luxuries that they missed in the tower but¡­ Lee Hayeon chose to inform the White Silver guild of the Tower of Trials. ¡°We need a team to identify and recruit the ¡®challengers¡¯ that come home from the ¡®Tower of Trials.¡¯ They will bring about the next revolution.¡± The team was created to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of this world. Lee Hayeon didn¡¯t consider the tower to be a disaster, but another opportunity. The tower had a lot of risks associated with it, but the rewards were just as valuable. And¡ª ¡®The tower isn¡¯t a place for just hunters.¡¯ Any normal civilian could be summoned there for no reason at all. Since only the hunters¡¯ abilities are reset upon the start of the trials, a normal person could see this as an opportunity to awaken¡­ ¡®If those people survived, they must have gotten a lot more powerful.¡¯ There was no question that scouting them would benefit the guild greatly. Same with hunters. ¡®Since challengers receive rewards as they climb¡­¡¯ Hunters could grow to be even stronger than they previously were. No matter what happened, maintaining a friendly relationship with the challengers would prove to be a profitable investment. So Lee Hayeon founded the ¡®Challenger Supervision¡¯ team and became its first leader. She was currently doing all that she could to identify and reach out to those who came out of the tower. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. ¡°I know that they don¡¯t want to be discovered but I didn¡¯t realize how hard this would be¡­¡± The challengers never outright revealed that they were from the tower. ¡®It would be a lot easier if I could just do this when I¡¯m back at the tower, but I still have some time left before I return¡­¡¯ The problems kept accumulating the more she looked into it. And¡­ Besides a handful of people, the number of thoughtful and cautious challengers she¡¯d recruited was barely in the double digits. Even worse, most of them were from the easy difficulty. That wasn¡¯t enough to effectively take advantage of this new world that was the Tower of Trials. ¡°¡­If only we had a single person from the hard difficulty.¡± An ambitious enough challenger would be itching to keep climbing the tower if they had half a brain. Just like that man Lee Hayeon saw on the 4th floor. ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s up to now.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he single-handedly cleared the 4th trial. Not even the more experienced hunters could do anything against his strength. Too bad he hadn¡¯t responded to any of my messages after adding me as a friend. Maybe it was because he wasn¡¯t very talkative post-murder but¡­ ¡®I also didn¡¯t say much.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯d already returned to Earth and gone back for the next trial. ¡®He¡¯s too much of a gem to miss though¡­¡¯ His insane growth was just a part of it, but more than that, he was a trainee without any ties to big organizations. ¡°Should I have tried to recruit him when I had the chance¡­?¡± And while she was swimming in regret¡ª Bzzzt! ¡°¡­?¡± The facedown smartphone got Lee Hayeon¡¯s attention. ¡®What is it? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who¡¯d contact me at this time.¡¯ She reached out to see if it was another spam text and then¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± When she saw who the message was from¡­ ¡¸ Hello, this is Han Sungyeun. We met on the 4th floor. Do you have time to meet with me if you¡¯ve returned? ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± She almost forgot how to breathe. *** I put my phone back in my pocket after sending the text. There was no guarantee that she was back here on Earth or that she¡¯d see the message but¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t something to think that hard about. I already got my most pressing concern out of the way, and I could always think more about joining different organizations. All I wanted to ask was if she knew of any place that may accept the terms that I came up with. ¡®I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if she ends up not responding.¡¯ But¡­ As soon as I stepped out of the cafe. Bzzzt! ¡°¡­?¡± My phone rendered my concerns meaningless as it rang not a minute after my message had been sent. ¡°Wha-¡± ¡¸ Of course! I can meet with you any time! ¡¹ It might have been just me, but I got a cheerful vibe from the message. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡¸ So you¡¯ve returned as well. Do you have time to meet sometime soon? I got the cheapest return stone, so I don¡¯t have much time. ¡¹ As soon as I was about to send that message¡ª Ding! ¡¸ If you let me know where you are I¡¯ll go as soon as I can! ¡¹ I smiled at the fact that she responded to a message I hadn¡¯t even sent. ¡®I guess she¡¯s in a rush too.¡¯ I was wondering if she bought the same type of return stone as me but¡­ That wasn¡¯t that important, so I erased the current message to send her a new response. Not even a second later¡ª ¡¸ Alright. I¡¯m heading there now. Please give me a second. ¡¹ I told her my location and her messages stopped after saying she was on her way. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s closer than I thought.¡± Well, she didn¡¯t tell me exactly when she was getting here but¡­ Judging by her text, I feel like it wouldn¡¯t take that long. I sat back down and leisurely sipped on a drink for maybe 10 minutes before¡ª Di-ring¡­ The doors to the cafe opened and a harsh gasping filled the room. When I turned around to see who had entered, a beautiful lady in a black suit greeted me. ¡°Mister¡­ Huff¡­ Han¡­?¡± It was Lee Hayeon. ¡°¡­When did you get back? I assumed that you returned early because you didn¡¯t respond to my message.¡± It was as though she didn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d still be here. I could understand why she thought that though. I made an erratic move of returning for three days on the 5th floor; there¡¯s no way she could have predicted where I was. ¡®Maybe if I responded to her message but I ended up ignoring that¡­¡¯ She had the right to be a little surprised. ¡°I had to return for a bit on the 5th floor and just reached the 8th now. I actually only just returned today. And the message¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I must have missed it.¡± Of course, I knew about the message. I was just never in a position to send a response. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s nothing to apologize about. But why on the 5th¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go into detail, but it was just some personal business.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Well, that¡¯s not the important part. I¡¯m glad that we both made it out of that tower alive.¡± She started smiling but her face froze once she realized something. ¡°Does that mean you won¡¯t be climbing the tower anymore?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± I didn¡¯t even hesitate to answer that question. I¡¯d already made my decision way before the 8th floor. ¡®It¡¯s too late to take it back.¡¯ As soon as I felt the euphoria of winning and getting stronger¡­ I knew that choice had already been made for me. ¡°I¡¯m planning to keep climbing the tower. Whatever it happens to be, it¡¯s an enticing place for me. And that¡¯s why I wanted to see you today.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have too much time left before having to return so I¡¯ll be direct. I need an organization.¡± ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡± ¡°Something that would help me go in and out of dungeons while still climbing the tower.¡± ¡°I was wondering if you knew of any guilds or had connections that would agree to my terms.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She quieted down after hearing my request. I couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed after seeing her pause to think. ¡®Was it too much?¡¯ I thought I had more expectations of this meeting than I¡¯d realized. ¡®Hunter association hunters have no choice but to respond to emergencies, but guilds are different.¡¯ Guilds are fantastic places where you can add as many arbitrary conditions as you¡¯d like. I wanted to ask Lee Hayeon if she could introduce me to a guild that may agree to my conditions but¡­ Looking at her reaction, that might not be possible. ¡®What can I do?¡¯ It was then. ¡°¡­So what you want is to be able to freely enter dungeons as well as the tower?¡± She continued. ¡°I think I can assist with that.¡± ¡°Can you refer me to a guild?¡± ¡°Hmm, something like that.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently the leader of the ¡®Challenger Supervision¡¯ team at the White Silver guild.¡± ¡°The challenger supervision team¡­?¡± ¡°Our goal is to recruit the challengers that have been summoned to the Tower of Trials.¡± A challenger supervision team. ¡®They already made something like that¡¯ I hadn¡¯t expected that. Even the hunter association hadn¡¯t figured out what they should be doing with the challengers as of now¡­ ¡®No, maybe this makes the most sense.¡¯ This would be the prime time to recruit challengers since the association hasn¡¯t figured out a good way to do so. ¡°If you join my team, I¡¯ll be able to fulfill most of your conditions. Although I¡¯m not sure what I can do about money¡­¡± ¡®What shall I do¡­?¡¯ I didn¡¯t really care about the money. I¡¯d already made 1.2 million from selling that gate. Plus, if I needed any more, I could sell some items from the tower. So¡­ ¡®The conditions they¡¯re willing to fulfill will make or break this deal.¡¯ To what point would they accommodate me and if I¡¯d be regretting it later. ¡®And if neither requirements are met¡­¡¯ I¡¯d stop trying and just go back to climbing the tower. No matter what happened, I¡¯ll be able to prove my worth sooner or later. ¡®I just don¡¯t like waiting too much.¡¯ Lee Hayeon carefully asked me the question as she sat down and stared at me. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 48 - Contract(3) ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to work out the details before I can make a decision.¡± I felt like the Challenger Supervision team was the right place for me to go to. We seemed to share a similar set of goals. It was also in my best interest to get this done as soon as possible. ¡®That way I¡¯d be able to use all the dungeons I¡¯d need once I come back later¡­¡¯ She seemed to understand that very well. ¡°Of course¡­ Then can you tell me some of your demands?¡± Demands¡­ ¡°Well first, I¡¯d like the authority to refuse any call-to-actions from the guild.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That the guild won¡¯t interfere with any of my activities within the tower, and that I would have access to all of the guild¡¯s dungeons.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Being able to refuse calls to¡¯s and not being interfered with is something I can do on my end as the team leader. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the authority to give you access to our dungeons. Of course, you¡¯ll easily get the permission if you have the performance to back up your skills¡­¡± ¡°Ah, and a team leader¡¯s word won¡¯t cut it for something like that.¡± I understood. It meant that only a select minority could reap the benefits of the guild¡¯s dungeons. ¡®Ideally, a promising young prospect.¡¯ But¡­ ¡°If I can prove that I have the skills to use the dungeons, it would be a different story.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re more knowledgable than I thought. Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°How about my other two conditions?¡± ¡°Consider it done. The challenger supervision team was created to support challengers like you.¡± Hmm, the deal sounded better than I thought. ¡®I thought I might have been asking for too much¡­¡¯ Maybe it was because of our brief encounter in the tower, but she seemed to be really accommodating towards me. Like she¡¯d try everything in her power to get me whatever I wanted. I guess that shifted my mind towards joining her team. ¡°If you can give me an opportunity to prove myself for dungeon access, I¡¯ll join your team.¡± She beamed in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to look over the written contract, but yes.¡± This was a calculated decision that I made by weighing all the pros and cons, but Lee Hayeon didn¡¯t seem to think so. ¡°¡­You won¡¯t regret this.¡± She sounded genuinely touched by my decision. ¡°As soon as the contract is signed, can you schedule an expedition for me to prove my performance?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯ll get a gate for you in no time.¡± Satisfied, I let out another laugh. ¡®This is going better than I thought.¡¯ Is it because I achieved almost everything I set out to do in just one day? The second return felt much more fruitful than the first already. *** The next day, I went to the cafe where we promised to meet. ¡®Ideally, I would have preferred yesterday but¡­¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. Lee Hayeon probably had her own things to do during the time she¡¯s back, and finding me a gate within a day wouldn¡¯t have been easy. Typically, they tended to take much longer. The only reason she was able to do so was that she held a leadership position in her guild. I knew that time was precious, but I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so. I still had some time left before I had to go back, so there wasn¡¯t a need to rush her. Plus, yesterday was so productive that I felt like I had some wiggle room. I sat there waiting for a while before someone finally walked in. Di-ring¡­ The woman slicked her bangs behind her ear to reveal herself as Lee Hayeon. She looked around to find me sitting at a table. ¡°Did you, by chance, wait for me?¡± ¡°Eh, just a little bit. I had more time than I thought.¡± ¡°And I thought I was early¡­ Sorry for the wait.¡± ¡°No need for that. I see that you were quite busy.¡± It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. No offense, but she looked terrible. Her eye bags were down to her cheeks and her hair was still wet from not drying it properly. ¡°Haha¡­ Does it look like that? I might have stretched myself a little too thin.¡± She let out a bitter laugh as she took out a folder from her bag. ¡°Take a look. I wrote it up last night. The one next to it is our typical contract just for comparison.¡± I opened up my contract and started reading. Flip, flip¡­ ¡®Wow, what the¡­?¡¯ The terms of the contract were eye-opening. ¡®The base salary is $500,000, and everything I find in the dungeons would be my property.¡¯ I told her I didn¡¯t care that much about the money, but she probably still negotiated up anyway. Most hunters sold cores or whatever they tended to find in the dungeons through their guilds. Because of that, it¡¯s become standard practice for guilds to take a percentage of all loot in the dungeons¡­ But this contract had no mentions of that. Frankly, this contract was unbelievable. ¡®Can refuse any summons by the guild and the guild cannot interfere in any activities within the tower¡­¡¯ Every single one of my conditions was met. I was beyond satisfied, to the point of doubting if this was a real contract or not. Most importantly, the provision about getting dungeon access was included. ¡®If I can clear a C-rank dungeon by myself, I should be able to freely use all of the guild¡¯s dungeons¡­?¡¯ That means¡­ The dungeon Lee Hayeon prepared for me is at least a C-rank. I¡¯d been wanting to go into a higher-ranked dungeon. ¡®Nice.¡¯ After looking over the document, I turned to Lee Hayeon and smiled. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem with the contract.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. It makes my hard work feel worthwhile.¡± She seemed proud of herself as she asked a follow-up question. ¡°By the way, do you have a hunter-license? If not, I can get you a temporary entrance pass¡­¡± ¡°No, I have one. I got registered the last time I came back.¡± ¡°Perfect. It¡¯s currently hard to get one because the association has their eyes out for any challengers they could find.¡± I knew that this would come in handy. ¡®Nothing bad ever came out of being early.¡¯ I signed my name onto the contract and looked back up at her. ¡°Since the contract has been finalized, can we go to the testing dungeon now?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll be going to a recently formed C-rank gate in the area.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there as an observer. Do you mind?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I got up from my seat and gave her a faint smile. ¡®This will probably be my last excursion.¡¯ My second return was already coming to an end. Uijeongbu Nogyang-dong, Chunbo Mountain. ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡± We didn¡¯t go far before getting out of the car. I got off from the passenger side and put my equipment back on. ¡®A gate in the middle of a mountain¡­¡¯ It was a little strange but I decided to not pay attention. Did these temporary gates even count as actual gates? There were a couple of people standing guard near the gates. Of course¡­ ¡°Ah, you¡¯re team leader Lee Hayeon. Please continue.¡± There was no problem getting through. Step, step¡­ ¡°Oh, I have to tell you this before we go in¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Unless something special happens, I won¡¯t be assisting you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just here to observe and nothing else.¡± ¡°Yeah. It would be a problem if I helped and the guild doesn¡¯t accept this as proof of potential.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± It¡¯s not like I¡¯d ever received help to get to this point. Lee Hayeon should know that better than me. ¡°I know.¡± She nodded her head and continued to explain. ¡°The test begins as soon as you get in. It¡¯s a temporary gate so we¡¯ll be killing the boss before coming out.¡± I didn¡¯t think I needed to hear anything else. There was nothing special. ¡°Okay.¡± It didn¡¯t change the fact that all I had to do was kill everything in my way. *** Vooom¡­! Grassy hills greeted me as I stepped through the gate. ¡°Hm.¡± This could be a problem later on. In an open field like this, monsters tended to come at you from every direction. That meant the fight could evolve into a full-out brawl soon¡­ ¡®A bit more difficult if I have to do that while protecting someone behind me.¡¯ Even if she was just an observer, it didn¡¯t exempt her from being one of the targets. And knowing her strengths, this wasn¡¯t a good environment for her either. She noticed my eyes shifting and addressed my unspoken concerns. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I have an artifact that the guild gave me. It automatically protects me from attacks.¡± She showed me a necklace embedded with a cerulean gem. ¡°So I wouldn¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°Protect me at all. It¡¯s an A-class item called ¡®Empress¡¯ necklace.¡¯ and it can absorb a decent amount of impact. It also has a slight concealment effect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news. I can fight without having to worry.¡± ¡°Ah, and I¡¯ll also be staying far away because taking aggro for you could count as helping.¡± It was then¡ª Kieeeeek¡­! I shifted my attention to what sounded like nails scraping down a chalkboard. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± I turned to see a turtle emitting a black fire from its mouth. ¡°Is that a starving flame demon?¡¯ They were a violent breed that some even called the ¡®small devil.¡¯ Unlike their turtle-like appearance, they were very agile and emitted a powerful flame breath. Also, they were typically so sturdy that hunters tended to avoid them, but¡­ ¡®Now they¡¯re just souls to be consumed by my necromancy.¡¯ It was time to get stronger again. Chapter 49 - Administrator(1) The starving flame demons. Some say that they¡¯re monsters who climbed their way up from hell¡­ And some say that this bulky little demon was created only to eat flesh. Those people aren¡¯t entirely wrong. These little guys are primarily found in C-rank dungeons, but a hunter of equal rank would have trouble even surviving against them. They¡¯re a cause for a lot of PTSD in the hunter community. Everyone who¡¯s encountered one all says this: If you ever find yourself in a flame demon¡¯s nest, don¡¯t expect good things to happen. Their shells are too tough for an average blade to slice through¡­ And the black flames surrounding them were a bad omen amongst hunters. They¡¯re fast up close, and breathe fire from afar. That is the starving flame demon. However¡­ Craaaaaaat¡­! ¡°K-kieeek!?¡± Those monsters were being massacred by a single person. You couldn¡¯t even follow the path of the blade with the bare eye. Tzzzzt¡­! ¡¸ Activating Thunder Blade (C)¡¯s effect ¡®electrocute.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The targeted enemy is electrified. ¡¹ The only thing you could see was a bright flash from the leftover courses and the delayed realization that they were already dead. One, two, three¡­ ¡¸ You have absorbed the souls of the starving flame demons. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 9.6% ¡¹ Lee Hayeon was astonished to see three of the little devils go instantly. ¡°No way¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t a display that an amateur hunter could pull off. As one of the elite support hunters of Korea, Lee Hayeon was certain. ¡®This isn¡¯t normal¡­¡¯ The man in front of her was far beyond comprehension. Like a monster slaughtering more monsters? ¡°They¡¯re not bad.¡± From the unobtrusive look on Han Sungyeun¡¯s face, she could tell that he was also not in his right mind. ¡®This is what a hard-mode challenger can do¡­.¡¯ Her expectations were beyond shattered as she saw his inhuman strength slice the monsters¡¯ shells in two. ¡®I knew I was right¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a mistake to do everything in her power to get him the best contract that this guild had ever seen. She would have been satisfied to even keep a friendly relationship with this monster of a man. ¡®He¡¯s going to grow stronger. I have no doubt about it.¡¯ He was someone who had decided to keep climbing the tower. Someone like that would break through their limits to go even further beyond. Lee Hayeon¡¯s eyes sparkled as they stayed glued to every move that Han Sungyeun made. It was the first time in a while that she felt her blood boiling. Almost a nostalgic feeling of when she first started as a hunter. And the sight of Han Sungyeun tearing through everything in his path¡­ ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was enough to light a fire in her heart again. *** Klaaat¡­! ¡°Phew¡­¡± I breathed out a singular laugh as I killed my fifth flame demon. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the starving flame demon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 3.2% ¡¹ Living up to their reputation, these little monsters gave a decent amount of proficiency. ¡®They¡¯re so much more efficient compared to the lizardmen.¡¯ Considering that they increased my proficiency by 3.2%, they were probably going to give me a modest stat boost. Their hard outer shell will be good nourishment for my tenacity stat. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I had a worthwhile hunt like this.¡¯ The sight of their corpses delighted my little heart and I opened my stat window. Just to check up on my innate ability. ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 49.8% ¡¹ ¡®It¡¯s already pretty high¡­¡¯ The tower was a good place to grow, but I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated Earth so much. Having access to an appropriate dungeon could be really helpful. ¡®Are those all the starving flame demons in the area?¡¯ It seemed that way. I closed the window and walked over to Lee Hayeon. ¡°I think that¡¯s it for this area.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s loot the corpses and move on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ ¡°Miss Lee Hayeon?¡± She was out of it. ¡®What is it? Is she surprised I killed them so quick?¡¯ I mean, they weren¡¯t called ¡®little devils¡¯ for no reason. But rather than surprised, she looked more like her soul left her body. I was wondering what else I should do to wake her when¡ª ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­ We should keep going.¡± She finally snapped back to reality and answered my question. Then she continued by taking out a small leather pouch. ¡¸ Dimensional Pouch ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C- ¡¹ ¡¸ A synthetic pouch that is the amalgamation of modern mana-engineering. ¡¹ ¡¸ Can hold up to 500kg of material. ¡¹ ¡¸ Cannot hold anything that¡¯s alive. ¡¹ ¡°A dimensional pouch¡­¡± Infamously hard to obtain. ¡°The guild provided one. This should be enough to collect the corpses.¡± She passed the pouch to me after explaining. I was going to leave the corpses after extracting the core but¡­ ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just collect the corpses whole.¡± We could afford that luxury with the capacity of this pouch. ¡®It¡¯s not as useful as my inventory, but it¡¯s still not bad.¡¯ The inventory was a personal dimension that only I could access, but this was an item that anyone could. ¡°Alright, we got all the corpses, so let¡¯s keep moving.¡± I gripped the handle of my sword and lead the way. ¡®I know it¡¯s a hill area, but all dungeons have an end.¡¯ Of course, the dungeon didn¡¯t tell you where to go like the tower did but¡­ I could find something like that myself. ¡®Is it that way?¡¯ I used my mana circuit to detect the area with the densest mana and walked in that direction. Mostly because boss rooms tended to be wherever the highest mana density area was. And¡­ ¡°Kieeeek¡­!¡± They didn¡¯t disappoint. As soon as I got over the current hill, more starving flame demons came running at me. Of course, I welcomed them with a warm smile. *** Taaaang-! Zzzzrt-! Spaaat-! ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 3.2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficien¡­ ¡¹ And soon enough. ¡¸ Reached the limit for the number of souls you can possess. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 30/30 ¡¹ ¡®I was planning to wait until dungeon clear before I absorbed them but¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh well.¡¯ ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the souls in possession. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 7. ¡¹ I absorbed all of the souls, but I didn¡¯t get to absorb any of the skills this time. The success rate should have been pretty high since I had a bunch of them, but it still failed. ¡®Hmm, was I too greedy to expect two at once?¡¯ It was a bit of a letdown, but the ship had already sailed. Slightly disappointed, I started to move again. ¡°¡­?¡± I turned my head to where the mana was most highly concentrated and saw a crimson portal. It was a portal I had seen before. ¡®The boss room?¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect it to be this quick but¡­ ¡°I think that¡¯s the boss room, what do you want to do¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t even have to think about that. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and clear the dungeon as planned.¡± *** Once again, I collected all of the corpses and headed to the portal. If this was a temporary gate, I should be clearing this as soon as possible. Unlike a persistent gate, temporary gates could cause dungeon breaks if left alone for too long. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ No matter how important my growth was, I didn¡¯t want to unintentionally cause a dungeon break. Especially because it could cause harm to other people. Voom¡­! The entirety of the dungeon changed as soon as I entered the room. Not only did the hills turn into a humid cave¡­ ¡®The mana¡­¡¯ The mana was so dense that it felt like the surrounding mana could condensate into a sticky extract and drip down my body. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a good feeling. ¡®I don¡¯t see the boss¡­¡¯ Slightly unpleasant, but nothing I could do about it. ¡°I don¡¯t see any enemies so be careful.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I will.¡± I told Lee Hayeon to be cautious and got ready for battle. It was then¡ª ¡¸ Activating skill ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I had forgotten about this skill until now. ¡®Isn¡¯t this the skill I absorbed from the lizard king?¡¯ It¡¯s an active skill that only activates during battle¡­ I guess just getting ready for battle was enough to trigger it. ¡®What a unique mechanism.¡¯ As I admired the strange skill. ¡°¡­!?¡± The mind¡¯s eye skill alerted me to an unidentified projectile coming towards my head¡­ I took a step back and I couldn¡¯t help but drop my jaw at what was on the ceiling. KWAAAAANG¡ª! ¡®What the¡­!¡± A humongous fireball appeared out of nowhere and created an impact as it hit the cave floor. Because I dodged it, all I felt was a heatwave¡­ ¡®But if I got hit¡­?¡¯ Chills crawled down my spine to think of what could have happened if I hadn¡¯t dodged that. Especially because I didn¡¯t even have any souls left for protection. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A-are you alright!?¡± I heard Lee Hayeon¡¯s concerned voice through the smoke, but I didn¡¯t have the time to respond. ¡°Kieeeek¡­?¡± An azure starving flame demon was rummaging around the ceiling of the cave. Two of its legs were connected to the ceiling and had almost no presence. It had a very different look compared to the typical starving flame demon covered with black flames. ¡®The boss monster¡­¡¯ Hence, this monster was on an entirely different level from a normal starving flame demon. ¡°The m-monster¡­ Ceiling¡­!?¡± Lee Hayeon finally took notice and was visibly shaken up. ¡°This is an irregular boss¡­!¡± ¡°I know.¡± A boss of this level wouldn¡¯t appear in a C-rank dungeon. Just knowing theories about dungeons were more than enough for me to realize that fact. ¡°Should I use a buff skill? We can always do a skill test again¡­!¡± ¡°¡­No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Yes, I would admit to being startled. But the only reason that was dangerous was that he sneaked up on me. ¡°I just need a minute. Wait here.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me? You¡¯re planning to take that alo¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t stay to listen to her finish her thought. ¡°Instant acceleration.¡± [ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡°Triple laceration.¡± [ Activating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ I began pouring my mana into these skills using my new circuits. The two skills were the most powerful skills in my arsenal. With the addition of the mana circuits, most monsters wouldn¡¯t last a hit against me. But¡­ ¡®Wind¡¯s blessing.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 70%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/7 ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to reaching the maximum number of stacks, a cooldown has been placed on the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t skimp on my skills. And when I propelled myself forward¡­ ¡¸ Due to Boots of Swiftness (C+)¡¯s effect, your acceleration is momentarily increased. ¡¹ SLAAAAAAAASH¡ª! ¡¸ The dungeon boss ¡®Blue Starving Flame Demon¡¯ has died. ¡¹ ¡¸ The boss will not appear again. ¡¹ ¡¸ The dungeon will be expunged in 3 hours. ¡¹ The boss on the ceiling split in two and rained down its guts on me. Plop¡­ ¡°I told you.¡± Covered in the raining intestines, I turned towards my observer. ¡°That it wouldn¡¯t take long.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 50 - Administrator (2) Chapter 50: Administrator (2) ¡¸ The dungeon boss ¡®Blue Starving Flame Demon¡¯ has died. ¡¹ ¡¸ The boss will not appear again. ¡¹ ¡¸ The dungeon will be expunged in 3 hours. ¡¹ I wiped the blood off my face while reading the messages. I was covered from head to toe, but that was the best I could do for now. ¡®Damn it, why did I leave the cleansing stone at home¡­¡¯ The battle was unexpectedly more messy than I thought it would be. Although I guess I should be satisfied that it ended without a hitch. ¡®If I didn¡¯t have the Mind¡¯s Eye, the outcome could have been very different.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t let my guard down just because I had a regeneration skill. If the monster that had snuck up on me was from the tower¡­ ¡®I would have been gravely injured.¡¯ No matter what happened, I needed to review what had just happened and learn from it. I walked over to the boss¡¯ corpse and absorbed its soul. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the azure starving flame demon. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 22% ¡¹ Then I collected the rest of the corpse into the dimensional pouch. ¡®Is that it?¡¯ I didn¡¯t think there was anything left to do now that the dungeon was expunging soon. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± While I was busy cleaning up my mess, Lee Hayeon stood still. Staring into space as if she¡¯d just seen a ghost¡­ ¡°What the hell¡­¡± I shot her a perplexed gaze as she stood there muttering to herself. She¡¯d been like this for a while¡­ All of her reactions felt so exaggerated. ¡®She must have seen something similar while she climbed to the 8th floor¡­¡¯ But the problem was that I didn¡¯t think she was faking it. Why? I thought about it for a moment but decided to satisfy my curiosity. ¡°Aren¡¯t most challengers on the hard difficulty at this level?¡± The person who¡¯d answer all my questions was right in front of me. ¡°¡­No, even in the hard difficulty, there are only a handful of people who¡¯d be capable of something like this.¡± ¡°I know the individual trials are personalized but aren¡¯t they all around this level?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment before answering. ¡°The only people who could replicate what you did here would be fighting for the top spot in the rankings.¡± Really? ¡®I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡¯ The tower wasn¡¯t a logical place. On the surface, it looks like it has a friendly user interface that lets you choose your difficulty level. But in its essence, the tower challenges us. You have to overcome its trials and take on the risk. Those who can¡¯t, die, but those who do, get stronger. That¡¯s what I¡¯d learned in the past couple of weeks. ¡®And only those who do can reap the sweet fruits that the tower provides.¡¯ So it was strange to me that what I could do was an outlier in Lee Hayeun¡¯s eyes. Still confused, I stayed quiet. ¡°Not everyone has the same trials even within the hard difficulty.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I figured that out a while ago from people talking in the community. ¡°And people who don¡¯t do well on their trials don¡¯t get great rewards.¡± ¡°Yeah, they probably miss out on all the bonus rewards.¡± ¡°But even then, those people still survive. That¡¯s not a coincidence.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Once you don¡¯t perform well in a trial, your difficulty level adjusts.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°The information should be pretty accurate since we learned it from interviewing other challengers.¡± She continued to explain. ¡°So basically¡­¡± In essence, this is what she said. In the easy difficulty, challengers who cleared their trials with outstanding performance tended to struggle with subsequent trials¡­ And people who struggled to clear the objective said their trials became progressively easier to clear. Plus, the contents of the trial itself started to change depending on the person. ¡°That¡¯s what happened to me. My trials started out as battles but later became more focused around exploring and finding my way out of a labyrinth.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°On the other hand, if you perform well, the trials would get harder and tend towards battles.¡± ¡°But your rewards would be better.¡± ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a case like that from the easy difficulty mode challengers but¡­ that should be the case.¡± That probably meant my difficulty had been increasing because of my performance in previous trials. That wasn¡¯t all bad though. It just meant that I¡¯d have an easier time getting stronger. ¡°What you just demonstrated should only be possible by the top 50 rankers¡­ and the more trials you go through, the stronger you¡¯ll get. You¡¯re one of the few people who are voluntarily climbing the tower.¡± Most people bought the permanent return stone and left the tower. I nodded my head. ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Of course, it will be that much more dangerous. So please be careful.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I want to stay by your side to see how much stronger you¡¯d get.¡± She smiled with a blush. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you, not as your contractor, but as a fellow hunter.¡± ¡°¡­I think I know what you¡¯re worried about. But don¡¯t worry.¡± I knew the type of people who were left in the tower. And I was just like them. ¡°We aren¡¯t that different.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s a relief. Now let¡¯s get going. The dungeon is going to expunge soon.¡± I nodded and followed her out of the boss room. That was how my second day back ended. *** After completing the dungeon¡­ I spent my day lazing around. ¡¸ The Hunter Association has announced the ¡®Tower of Trials¡¯ as a disaster that¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Tower of Trials, what is it? A turning point for everyday civilians? ¡¹ ¡¸ There are currently many easy and normal difficulty level challengers being confirmed¡­ ¡¹ There was still some to be dug up. And¡ª ¡¸ Bank account ¨C $1,232,630 ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s real¡­¡± All the money I made since I came back was already deposited into my account. ¡®It¡¯s more than I thought.¡¯ Even without the gate, just selling the cores was pretty profitable. Plus, if I kept working as a hunter, I¡¯d be making much more than this. But¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not gonna stop here.¡¯ It would be foolish to throw away an opportunity to get even stronger. And then¡ª ¡°¡­?¡± Bzzzt¡­! The phone I left at the side of my desk started buzzing. There was only one person who would be texting me. ¡®Lee Hayeon.¡¯ My prediction was spot on. ¡¸ All the necessary paper was has been processed. You can now use any White Silver guild¡¯s dungeons at your discretion. ¡¹ ¡°Ooh.¡± Finally, some good news. ¡®Now I won¡¯t have to figure out what I have to do every time I come back.¡¯ I sent her a thank you text with a little addition that I¡¯d be going back to the tower soon. ¡¸ I¡¯ll be waiting, so text me any time you¡¯re back. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t plan on making her wait too long anyway. The ¡®time limit¡¯ for starting trials was now gone. Which meant that I could go in any time I wanted. And I wasn¡¯t planning on taking breaks. Once I feel that I can¡¯t keep climbing with my abilities, I¡¯ll come back. ¡®I doubt that should take long though.¡¯ Of course¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll think about that later.¡± ¡¸ Returning to the tower of trials in 5 minutes. ¡¹ I slowly got up and started packing all the things I needed to take back with me. I put on all my equipment again and waited for the count to hit¡­ ¡¸ Time up. ¡¹ ¡¸ Returning to the tower. ¡¹ My surrounding changed immediately. ¡°¡­¡± Within the blink of an eye, I was back in my eerily familiar waiting area. ¡®It¡¯s not as bad the second time.¡¯ Without a second to spare. ¡°Trial.¡± ¡¸ Do you accept the 8th floor trial? ¡¹ Before I accepted, I decided to examine my equipment one more time. This should be enough for the 8th trial. ¡®Especially because I got a lot stronger from the dungeons.¡¯ I proceeded to click accept. But then¡­ As I expected a portal to appear¡ª ¡¸ Please select a divergence. ¡¹ ¡¸ Narrative ¡¹ ¡¸ Battle ¡¹ ¡¸ Strategy ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± Without warning, I was told to choose between these three divergences. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®They did say that a divergence system was being formed.¡¯ It was one of the 8th floor system expansions. This time, there wasn¡¯t a lot to contemplate. ¡¸ You¡¯ve selected the ¡®battle¡¯ divergence. ¡¹ ¡®Probably best for necromancy.¡¯ ¡¸ All of challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s trials will now be ¡®battle¡¯ focused. ¡¹ ¡¸ Once chosen, a divergence cannot be altered. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever need to. I just wanted to check on my new skills. But then again¡­ ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun possesses the qualifications of a ¡®pioneer.¡¯ ¡¹ Something was off. ¡°¡­?¡± More messages kept popping up. ¡¸ Starting a meeting with an administrator. ¡¹ ¡¸ Searching for a suitable battle divergent administrator¡­ ¡¹ ¡°Administrator¡­?¡± I¡¯d definitely had an encounter with them when I first entered the tower. But meeting one face to face was something I never even dreamed of. A meeting with one of the entities who manage the tower¡­ ¡¸ Search complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ Starting a meeting with a battle divergent administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch.¡¯ ] ¡ª¡ª Chapter 51 - Administrator (3) Chapter 51: Administrator (3) After the message about the meeting disappeared¡­ ¡¸ You have entered the Iron-blooded World. ¡¹ My surroundings changed before even giving me time to process the message I had just read. Like before, my waiting area had suddenly switched into a foreign location. ¡°¡­¡± I was confused for a moment but I gained my composure and began to look around. A cave, plain, field, desert, sea¡­ I¡¯d seen all sorts of stages up to this point, but there was something incongruous about this place. I stood in a snow-filled yard among white swords thrust haphazardly into the ground. It looked like a battlefield where a battle had never taken place. Of course, those weren¡¯t the only things in sight. There was a log cabin beyond the yard but¡­ ¡®Should I go in?¡¯ I was hesitant to go in since there was no guarantee that I would be safe there. ¡®But I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing¡­¡¯ I was unsure of what to do, but it suddenly hit me that there was one skill that might be useful here. ¡®Eye of Truth.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Eye of Truth.¡¯ ¡¹ The Eye of Truth targets whatever I¡¯m focusing on at the moment. It¡¯s something I learned from using it a couple of times. So if my focus is on the entirety of this location¡­ ¡¸ Iron-blooded World ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: ¡¹ ¡¸ A special area where the administrator, ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch,¡¯ resides. ¡¹ ¡¸ Can only be entered with her invitation. ¡¹ I can extract information like this as well. ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡­¡¯ The skill referred to her as ¡®her,¡¯ so they seemed to be gendered. Of course, the description wasn¡¯t very helpful, so I couldn¡¯t extrapolate anything more. But I think I had an idea of where I was. ¡®The place where the administrator resides¡­¡¯ As it finally hit me that I might meet an admin face to face¡ª ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is displeased by someone¡¯s probing. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ wants you to stop wasting time and come in already. ¡¹ A message I had never seen before urged me to go inside. ¡®Can admins express themselves through messages¡­?¡¯ She was even able to tell that I activated my skill. Being able to detect something like that without even being in sight¡­ It served to show how powerful these administrators were. ¡®I¡¯d be dead if she wanted to kill me.¡¯ So I made my way to the cabin. Step, step¡­ I walked past the dozens of swords planted in the snowy field and arrived at my destination. I proceeded to grab the handle on the door and let out a big breath. ¡°Phew¡­¡± No need to be nervous. The tower said this was just a meeting. That meant this wouldn¡¯t be a situation that could endanger me. I slowed down my heart and finally opened the door. And¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ stares at you. ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± I was greeted by a cold but beautiful voice¡­ ¡°Welcome pioneer.¡± I looked in the direction of the voice and found myself staring at a silver-haired woman sitting at a wooden table. ¡°I am the administrator you¡¯ve been selected to meet with¡¯, the Iron-blooded Monarch.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡± I swallowed my words as I stared at the woman in front of me. The woman wearing a snow-white long coat smiled at me as if this was amusing to her. ¡®She¡¯s a beautiful foreign woman on the surface¡­¡¯ But in reality, she was an entity that controlled this tower. I couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. It was then¡ª ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± Her red eyes probed me slowly and she let out a smirk. ¡°Interesting. So you were the pioneer ¡®hunter.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I was wondering what kind of monster you were, but you look quite normal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I glared at her to protest the sudden judgment of my appearance. ¡°¡­Do you know me?¡± Still sitting on the table, she crossed her legs and answered my question. ¡°Of course. You proved yourself worthy on the 4th floor. I¡¯d need to live under a rock to not know about your ostentatious debut.¡± My performance on the 4th floor seemed to have garnered some attention. ¡®Maybe¡­?¡¯ ¡°Have you been watching my trials this entire time?¡± ¡°I knew from the leaderboard. It¡¯s not possible to spectate challengers below the 8th floor.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something here. Administrators aren¡¯t god-like beings. We also don¡¯t control anything that happens in the tower.¡± ¡°What do you mea¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s more accurate to say that those who are bound to the tower become administrators. So don¡¯t be nervous. As long as I¡¯m bound to the tower, I won¡¯t be able to hurt you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She said all this as if she knew that I was nervous. ¡°Well, logistics aside¡­ this meeting is a perk given only to pioneers. Ask me anything you are curious about.¡± I didn¡¯t exactly understand everything but I got the basic idea. Administrators weren¡¯t all-powerful, and they were just bound to the tower. And¡­ ¡®I guess she has no intentions of hurting me?¡¯ I didn¡¯t sense any animosity at all. Maybe even to the point of being friendly. When I realized this, I didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Can you tell me exactly what this is?¡± The finger twirling her silver hair stopped moving and she smiled smugly. ¡°You adapt pretty fast. I mean, I guess that¡¯s how you survived.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I said, the consultation is a perk given to pioneers. You may ask administrators questions without explicitly using your ¡®questions.¡¯¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Well, there are a few more advantages. One is being able to meet an administrator face-to-face, and you can end up getting another ¡®perk¡¯ from the administrator.¡± Might as well make the most of this then. ¡°Then can you tell me what a challenger from another world is?¡± ¡°Did you already run into that¡­? You¡¯ve had quite the experience.¡± She scowled her brows as if she knew something. I narrowed my eyes and continued with the question. ¡°I almost died to one on the 5th trial.¡± ¡°And yet you¡¯re still alive¡­ I guess you¡¯re resilient to misfortunes. Well, it¡¯s not really that big of a secret.¡± Looking pleasantly surprised, she opened her mouth. ¡°You probably found out from the guy you met but¡­ The Tower of Trials isn¡¯t just in this world. Other worlds have the same tower, and the challenger you met is from one of them.¡± She said it like it was no big deal, but it wasn¡¯t news to be taken lightly. ¡®I guess other worlds do exist¡­¡¯ And those worlds also have towers with challengers just like us. It was difficult to accept but the existence of the tower wasn¡¯t logical, to begin with. But¡­ I had a follow-up question. ¡°Then why did he come to me? Shouldn¡¯t he have been able to intrude on someone from his own world?¡± ¡°Yeah, but he chose to come to a different world for a reason.¡± She continued with a light smile. ¡°And that reason is that once you go to a different world, you can steal that floor¡¯s rewards.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°Not only that, they can get an even better reward than the one originally promised to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Those challengers come from a world where the tower has existed for decades. That also means they¡¯re all knowledgable about the immense rewards that the tower provides.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°This world¡¯s tower will merge with those of other world¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as I said. After the 20th floor, trials will tend towards group challenges, rather than individual, and you will meet with challengers from another world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And they determined that killing challengers from a primitive dimension like Earth would be beneficial in future trials.¡± The only thing I could do after hearing that was sigh. ¡®I¡¯ll be competing against other worlds¡¯ challengers after the 20th floor¡­¡¯ It was definitely an idea easier to wrap my head around since I had already met one on the 5th floor. ¡°You don¡¯t look too shocked. Doesn¡¯t this come to you as a surprise?¡± I swayed my head. ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m stunned. I am shocked at the concept of other worlds and I¡¯m dismayed about the fact that I¡¯ll have to face challengers from them later on.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do about it? I have to accept it and prepare for it.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I guess you can think of it like that. I see.¡± She looked at me like an exotic animal, but that¡¯s how I really felt. It wasn¡¯t like anything else that had happened made sense to me. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°I have one last question.¡± Another question I had for a while. ¡°What exactly is the tower?¡± While climbing, I got used to receiving all kinds of rewards from the tower but¡­ That was one question I couldn¡¯t erase. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°And what¡¯s at the end of the tower?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I thought you were bound to the tower. How can you not know something like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible. Seeing that I¡¯m also relatively a newcomer to the tower.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Administrators were all once challengers as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She continued to explain. ¡°At one point, I climbed above and beyond the 20th floor but¡­ I still couldn¡¯t reach the top of the tower. No, not just me¡ª all administrators died before reaching the top of the tower. That¡¯s how you become an administrator.¡± This was the summary of her explanation. After reaching the 40th floor, challengers gained the ability to be resurrected as an administrator after death. ¡°For your information, I reached the 47th floor. And I lost on pure dumb luck. I went against an opponent that countered me in every way.¡± She stared at me as if to ask if I finally understood¡­ And I couldn¡¯t help but nod at her gaze. ¡°Which is why I can¡¯t answer your question. The only things I¡¯m allowed to talk about are my own experiences from when I was alive. That was the extent to which I could answer your question.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything else I was curious about. I couldn¡¯t believe the true nature of administrators¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time we end the consultation.¡± It was time to go back to the waiting area. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s something I want to offer you.¡± ¡°An offer¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, administrators may be bound to the tower, but there are still various things we can do.¡± Her crimson eyes gleamed as she spoke. ¡°Challenger Han Sungyeun, I offer you a discipleship.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 52 - Administrator (4) Chapter 52: Administrator (4) ¡®A discipleship?¡¯ I stared blankly at the Monarch. She then smiled as she finally started to explain what she meant. ¡°Administrators are bound to the tower¡­ but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t provide anything.¡± ¡°Does that mean you get extra perks?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little ambiguous¡­ but yes, I guess they¡¯re perks. There¡¯s a couple of them, and discipleship is the most relevant to challengers.¡± ¡°When you say discipleship, is it a subordination contract¡­?¡± When she was how taken aback I was by the idea, she swayed her head. ¡°A discipleship is just how challengers can receive sponsorship from administrators.¡± ¡°Sponsorship¡­¡± ¡°And when the challenger grows stronger and climbs higher, the sponsoring administrator receives perks from the tower.¡± ¡°Is that it? Are there any other conditions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about on our end, but there¡¯s nothing really on the challenger¡¯s end. Although, there is one condition that we¡¯re both subject to.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Once the contract is complete, neither the challenger nor the administrator can form discipleship contracts with anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It made sense. The tower probably had a reason for the meetings with the admins. Everything she said didn¡¯t seem made up, and she seemed to be telling the truth. There was a chance she was trying to trick me, but it didn¡¯t seem likely. Rather than a trick, this felt more like yet another attempt from the tower to strengthen the challengers. I had my suspicions, but not to the point of disbelief. But I still had to make sure that this wasn¡¯t an elaborate illusion. ¡°First of all, can you tell me what exactly is this ¡®sponsorship¡¯?¡± ¡°Once you finalize the contract, you can unlock something called an ¡®exclusive marketplace¡¯ where you can purchase special skills or powers.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I can sponsor the special points that are used as the currency in that store and you can also get these points every time you clear a trial.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°I guess there might be a couple of details I missed but¡­ That¡¯s about it. Discipleship with other administrators wouldn¡¯t be any different either.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I stood still thinking about the consequences of my decision. Would there be any problems that might arise later? Plus¡­ ¡®Am I on the losing end of this deal somehow?¡¯ I thought about it, but it didn¡¯t seem like there was a way for me to lose anything. And the tower always rewarded risks. ¡®The meeting with the administrator was supposed to be a reward. This shouldn¡¯t harm me in any way.¡¯ After coming to a conclusion, I looked her in the eyes and started speaking. ¡°Would it be possible to meet with other administrators?¡± ¡°No. Well, maybe later but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s basically impossible at my current state.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± We sat in silence for a bit until I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± None of it seemed like a lie, and I didn¡¯t want to miss out on a perk because I was suspicious or wanted to find another administrator. ¡°That was quick. Do you trust me?¡± ¡°You did say that you were bound to the tower.¡± And it was a privilege for only the pioneers. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ You¡¯re smarter than I thought. No, maybe it¡¯s just your instincts?¡± She licked her lips sensually. ¡°I can¡¯t miss out on a competent and gutsy challenger.¡± She looked at me like she was looking at a piece of well-marbled meat for some reason, but¡­ I tried to be as stoic as possible. ¡°Are we agreeing to a contract then?¡± ¡°Yes, from this point on, I will be your sponsor.¡± It was then. ¡¸ Do you agree to enter a sponsorship contract? ¡¹ I clicked ¡®accept¡¯ without hesitation and¡­ ¡¸ The contract has been officiated. ¡¹ ¡¸ The contract exclusive marketplace and SP (special points) have been unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ You are the first party that administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯s¡¯ has contracted with. ¡¹ ¡¸ As the first contractee, all your stats increase by +1. ¡¹ Messages popped up and covered my field of vision. ¡®Is this what a contract is supposed to be¡­¡¯ After scrolling down, I even saw that each of my stats was increased by 1. ¡®She said that administrators couldn¡¯t be in contract with more than one challenger at once¡­¡¯ This probably meant that the contract becomes void once the challenger dies. As I was reading the messages¡ª ¡¸ Confirmed that the meeting with the administrator has ended. ¡¹ ¡¸ You will soon move to the waiting room. ¡¹ The Iron-blooded Monarch glared at the message as the tower cut our time short. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess we¡¯ve run out of time. It was fun, pioneer. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Before I could even respond, my surroundings changed again. ¡¸ You have entered the 8th floor waiting room. ¡¹ *** ¡°¡­¡± I was left with a weird sense of peculiarness as my dream-like meeting ended. The fact that I¡¯d have to fight challengers from another world after the 20th floor sounded like a fairy tale. ¡®Did I really enter a contract with an administrator¡­?¡¯ But¡­ ¡°Exclusive Marketplace.¡± ¡¸ Contract Exclusive Marketplace ¡¹ ¡¸ SP ¨C 1000 ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Skills ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Items ¡¹ ¡¸ Contractor: Iron-blooded Monarch ¡¹ ¡¸ Note: Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯s¡¯ first contractor. ¡¹ ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t a dream¡­¡± The reality of my meeting finally set in as I opened my new marketplace. ¡®I really did get into a contract with her¡­¡¯ It was like an illusionary bubble popped and I was snapped back into reality. ¡°¡­¡± This was all real. The Iron-blooded Monarch, and our contract. And¡­ ¡®The fact that intruders will start invading us.¡¯ She said that intruders could take our trial rewards for themselves. That meant we¡¯d start running into more and more challengers. ¡°God damn it¡­¡± I sighed, but switched my attention to the panel in front of me. My head was filled with thoughts about what I could go through in the future but¡­ Honestly, nothing had changed. I was set on climbing the tower. And I was prepared to face intruders along the way. Then there was no extra decision to be made. ¡¸ Browsing the ¡®Category: Powers¡¯ tab of the exclusive marketplace. ¡¹ ¡®First, I have to get stronger.¡¯ Enough to be able to crush whatever gets in my way. ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing (1/3) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Serenity (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Iron Soul (A+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Winter King (D+) ¡¹ ¡°There¡¯s not as many as I thought.¡± Powers were one of the things that the tower gave us when we got our radiances. Well, what we got were ¡®innate powers¡¯ which might be a little different but¡ª They both seemed to be powers of some sort. ¡®I thought they¡¯d be more useful than skills but¡­¡¯ Most of the powers had a pretty low rank as well. One difference was that the ¡®innate power¡¯ that I got with the radiance didn¡¯t have a rank, but these did. ¡®Is there a difference between the two?¡¯ I wanted to get a look at the other options before I read any details but¡­ ¡¸ You currently do not possess the authority to open listing (2/3). ¡¹ ¡¸ You may browse listing (2/3) starting from the 10th floor. ¡¹ ¡°What the¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t even allowed to look through all of them. And then I finally read the notes on the bottom. ¡¸ (!) You may fill the power listings with administrator¡¯s sponsorship or other deals. ¡¹ ¡¸ (!) Initially, the only powers you can browse are those of your contracted administrator. ¡¹ ¡¸ (!) You currently only have the authority to browse powers in listing (1/3). ¡¹ It looked like there were other ways to get more options in the store. ¡°What do they mean by making other deals¡­?¡± I was curious but didn¡¯t think about it any further. ¡®These questions and powers and whatnot¡­¡¯ They just seemed to be motivators for challengers to keep climbing the tower. ¡°¡­¡± The tower wanted challengers to reach new heights. That was probably why the worlds start merging after a certain point. That made sure that the winners of the trials kept climbing higher. ¡®Why?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t comprehend it. ¡°I guess I just have to keep climbing if I want to figure it out¡­¡± Every once in a while, the tower tried to allure you to climb in this way. Whether you wanted to get stronger or figure out the truth¡­ ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to do but stay optimistic. What else could I do¡­?¡± Before I started the 8th trial, I looked more closely at the powers. ¡¸ Power: Serenity (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,000 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: You are able to make a logical judgment no matter the situation. Status ailments like fear or confusion are reduced during combat. ] ¡®It¡¯s not good or bad.¡¯ It was like a higher-tier psychological resistance skill. In essence, it made you more calculating and made you more resistant to psychological status ailments¡­ ¡®It doesn¡¯t really increase my firepower.¡¯ I also never experienced those types of ailments, so I didn¡¯t know if I needed it. ¡¸ Power: Iron Soul (A+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 6,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: A soul that a few cold-blooded, heartless monarchs are born with. All weapons skill proficiency increases 2.32 times faster. New weapons skills start out at 10% proficiency. ¡¹ ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Now, this was a battle-related skill. The option for the proficiency increase was amazing but the extra 10% on all weapons skills really caught my eye. ¡®My Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship skill recently reached its limit too¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to it knowing that all new weapons skills I created would get an extra 10% proficiency. But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t have nearly enough SP.¡¯ After all, I only had 1,000 in my possession. Regrettably, I scrolled to the next power. ¡¸ Power: Winter King (D+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 800 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: A power found in some leaders of the north. Your stats temporarily increase in the cold and you do not take damage from the cold. ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s umm¡­?¡± The last one didn¡¯t seem that good either. It technically had a battle-related component but¡­ It only activates in the cold? ¡®I guess it¡¯s technically an immunity of some sorts, but it¡¯s not widely applicable.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t really drawn to it either. ¡®What should I buy¡­¡¯ It would be best to buy something right now so I wouldn¡¯t go into the next trial empty-handed. ¡®This might be my best bet¡­¡¯ I finally made my decision. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 53 - 8th Floor (1) Choosing one out of the three wasn¡¯t a difficult choice to make. There was only one that would be remotely useful at the moment. ¡¸ You have purchased ¡®Power: Serenity (C-)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ 1,000 SP deducted. ¡¹ Seeing the empty SP balance reminded me of my past. But I would rather use it than let it sit in my account. I thought I¡¯d have no problem clearing the 8th trial at my current state but¡­ ¡®I have to start being more careful.¡¯ My meeting with the Monarch shifted my views. ¡°Status.¡± ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 61 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 53 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 58 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¨C Serenity (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ ¡°Hm¡­¡± My stats were higher than I expected them to be but¡­ My focus was primarily on the ¡®power.¡¯ ¡¸ Serenity ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C- ¡¹ ¡¸ You are able to make a logical judgment no matter the situation. Status ailments like fear or confusion are reduced during combat and allow for more immersive combat.] ¡®Basically, the same explanation as I saw in the store.¡¯ The only addition was the ¡®more immersive combat¡¯ part. ¡®I hope it¡¯s more useful than some random psychological resistance skills¡­¡¯ I¡¯d find out soon enough. There¡¯s nothing more I could do to prepare against the intruders. And the system did mention that I¡¯d be notified when someone intruded into my challenge. As I was about to enter the trial, something hit me. ¡°I guess there¡¯s one thing that I could do.¡± I haven¡¯t scoured the community for information just yet. ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 8 Community (377/521) ¡¹ SoupBowl: Brooo have you seen everyone wilding out to find tower challengers? The association and guilds are going insane.Not quite what I had in mind but¡­ ¡®Oh?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t disinterested in the topic so I stayed. Crunch: The association asked me if I was in the tower and tried to form a contract with me out of the blue. MapleLeaf: Same. The leader of the guild I was in offered me a team leader position. SoupBowl: Team leader? To poach other challengers? MapleLeaf: Yeah, they wanted to get more people from the hard difficulty. And that they would spare no resources. Crunch: LOL sir¡­ How much are you offering? MapleLeaf: Why would I tell that to rank 800? Cya. Crunch: This bastard¡­¡°Hm¡­¡± Lee Hayeon seemed to be struggling to find people when I was outside¡­ But it looks like the challengers were starting to find out their worth. If Lee Hayeon tried to recruit people here, she¡¯d probably get a bunch of them to sign on. But¡­ ¡®Nothing else of value here.¡¯ Most of the people left were low rankers, probably because all the high rankers had already moved on. As I was about to turn it off again¡ª *** IiIiIiIiIiiI: What do you think the pioneers are doing now? I think they got some special reward¡­ SlimeDemonKing: I dunno. From what I heard they got some second innate ability. NoodleHouseSon: I heard that too. Something with a radiance? And you can level up and stuff. Bald-E: I heard there are people who can combine skills¡­ SlimeDemonKing: That¡¯s not a rumor¡­ Some ranker called Oh Choonsuk was talking about it a while back. Bald-E: I saw that too. He wasn¡¯t a hunter before so he¡¯s a bit free with his information. StinkyTofuLover: Whatever it is, it looks like the heavenly rankers are raking in all the rewards¡­ Man, I haven¡¯t even gotten all my previous skills back.¡®I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡¯ Information about pioneers and radiance was going around¡­ ¡°Are they just careless or are they doing it on purpose?¡± One of the pioneers had to have revealed this information to someone. ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter as much to me¡­¡¯ I don¡¯t know about the leveling up thing and the others but¡­ ¡®Skill Combination¡¯ wasn¡¯t something you could plan a counter against even if you knew how it worked. ¡®Wait¡­ Maybe I can ask Lee Hayeon about some combinations other people have experimented with then.¡¯ Not only that, I might be able to get more information about the other innate powers. ¡®I¡¯ll keep it in mind the next time I go back to Earth.¡¯ Chigeon: You know, most rankers have been dropping at least a message or two but¡­ the ranker who goes by ¡®Hunter¡¯ hasn¡¯t said a single word.The subject switched once again, this time about me. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The constant change of topics was chaotic but¡­ Everyone there seemed accustomed to it. NEEThunter: Legit¡­ I haven¡¯t seen him a single time. And I spend like 12 hours a day looking at the community.¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯ I¡¯d been lurking this entire time. Rolly: He¡¯s probably really careful. And the fact that he¡¯s always on the top 10¡­ He might have something that he doesn¡¯t want to tell others. Laborer: That dude¡¯s a monster¡­ Look at his fucking evaluations, is that even humanly possible? BigBrainMagician: Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s one of the top 10 ranked hunters before he came here. Change my mind. BarkAtCrazy: He¡¯s back at it again with his theories lol. Top 10 is too much. BigBrainMagician: Nah nah, I¡¯m pretty sure. It might be the Lightning Emperor. Look at his clear speed. Also, they did say that he disappeared recently¡­ Pooding: Maybe not to that point, but probably at least a guild leader? Laborer: It¡¯s because of guys like him the rankings all fucked. Can¡¯t he just go back?¡°¡­¡± I was concerned that people might figure out who I was but¡­ Seeing the speculations lifted a weight off my shoulder. ¡®They even thought I was the Lightning Emperor.¡¯ I¡¯m just a no-name C-rank hunter right now. They wouldn¡¯t figure it out. Not unless I handed them a hint of some sort. After listening to some irrelevant conservations, I finally turned the community off. ¡¸ Do you accept the 8th floor trial? ¡¹ And¡­ ¡¸ The 8th floor trial is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Kill the skeleton summoning lich ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C All stats +2 ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ ¡°Is this an endurance round?¡± I frowned at the fragile-looking skeleton warriors. ¡®It¡¯s a bit iffy.¡¯ I don¡¯t think the necromancy proficiency will increase on these weaklings¡­ I doubt they¡¯d be useful in raising my stats. To be honest, this looked like an easy freebie. ¡°It doesn¡¯t benefit me too much though.¡± I was talking down the trial, but there was one thing I was hoping for. ¡®Maybe necromancy would reach 20% by the end of this trial?¡¯ That would be enough to increase the rank of my innate ability. Of course, this all depended on how much the skeletons give me¡­ But with these numbers, I was on the optimistic side. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± I ran toward the skeleton army with a faint smile on my face. The 8th trial had finally started. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 54 - 8th Floor (2) Chapter 54: 8th Floor (2) Crack¡ª! ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the skeleton. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s even worse than I thought.¡± I crushed one of the skeletons in the front with my bare hands and frowned. I didn¡¯t expect it to be high but¡­ ¡®What am I supposed to do with 0.08%?¡¯ Even if I killed 30 of them, that was still only 2.4%. ¡®Converting them to stat points probably won¡¯t do anything either.¡¯ ¡®What should I do with them¡­¡¯ Craaack¡ª! Even while contemplating, I crushed a skeleton that was running at me with my sword. Gone were the days when I struggled with mere E-rank monsters. ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency in¡­ ¡¹ I smashed through about ten of them before I started to worry. ¡®Exactly how many of these are there?¡¯ Unlike the other trials, this one didn¡¯t have a time limit. ¡®The objective was to kill the lich that summoned these things but¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even take a step without facing entire waves of skeletons. Then, upon realization, I used up all the souls I had just absorbed. ¡¸ Consuming most of the souls in possession to summon a skeleton. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of souls in possession ¨C 1/30 ¡¹ I used all but the one ¡®Blue Starving Flame Demon¡¯ soul to summon a skeleton. In theory, I could kill all of them myself but didn¡¯t want to. ¡®I¡¯ll leave it to this guy and go look for the lich.¡¯ I shoved over 10 skeleton souls into this thing. ¡®He may have not been that useful against a boss but¡­¡¯ He was perfect for situations like these. As the skeleton rose from the ground and its eyes lit up¡­ Clack¡­! My new soldier didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately headed towards the enemies. ¡®Hopefully, he lasts at least 1 minute against the skeletons¡­¡¯ Even if he frees up 1 minute, it should give me time to figure out the general direction of the lich. But¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be baffled at the scene that played out in front of me. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Tss¡ª! My minion had picked up rocks from the ground and started hurling them at the other skeletons. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I was impressed at the practicality of his movements. Unlike normal skeletons that moved at the rate of orcs, mine started moving swiftly. ¡®Did it only seem useless in the dungeon because it was against the boss?¡¯ After cracking the enemies¡¯ bones with the first attack, then their skulls, then the spine. It was a simple yet effective method of hunting. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! ¡°He¡¯s¡­ better than I thought.¡± I guess this wasn¡¯t a radiance ability for no reason. ¡°Graawr¡­?¡± The other skeletons noticed that something was off and switched their aggro to my summon. I took a step back and activated a skill. ¡°Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 60%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 6/7 ¡¹ Right to the point of not triggering the cooldown¡­ I ran towards the area where the skeletons were more sparse. I said sparse, but there were still groups of tens. Quantity over quality I guess¡­ ¡®If I was anyone else, this would have been annoying.¡¯ Good thing I wasn¡¯t. ¡¸ Acceleration increased for a moment due to the effects of Boots of Swiftness (C+) ¡¹ Whoooom¡­! I swung my sword at the group as I approached them and¡­ ¡¸ Activating Thunder Blade (C)¡¯s effect ¡®electrocute.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The targeted enemy is electrified. ¡¹ ZZZZZZAT¡ª! The thick streaks of electricity obliterated everything in my path. *** ¡®I thought electrocution might not work because they were skeletons but¡­¡¯ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency in¡­ ¡¹ The skeletons couldn¡¯t withstand the electrocution and shattered to pieces. I continued to swing my blade and hunt down everything in my proximity. No, it was more like a massacre than a hunt. And about twenty innocent skeleton lives later¡­ ¡°Who dares¡­! Who¡¯s causing a commotion in my sanctuary¡­!¡± I turned my head at the infuriated voice. Then¡­ ¡°The lich is here¡­?¡± Holding a matte black book, a skeleton wearing a red robe came into my line of sight. The craziest part was that the lich was speaking to me. ¡®Never did I think that I would see a talking monster.¡¯ I¡¯d only ever heard rumors about the high-tier monsters with the ability to speak. But the lich seemed to be running out of its patience. ¡°How dare a mere human enter my sanctuary! You will pay the price for this¡­!¡± Flap! As the book in its hand flipped open, two undead beings formed behind it. The sizeable undead beings had chunks of rotting flesh coming off of them. ¡®About the size of a sand golem.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t as big as the monstrosity I saw on the 7th trial but¡­ It didn¡¯t look any weaker than that. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, skeleton warriors rose around the undead, as if to protect them. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Seeing I was impressed, the lich let out a smug laugh and opened its jaw. ¡°Heheh, do you finally realize exactly who¡¯s territory you just walked into?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Maybe? Do you have any more?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad, just disappointed.¡± I needed more souls to rank up my necromancy. I didn¡¯t know how much these two undeads would be worth but¡­ ¡®A few more wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡¯ But as expected, the lich seemed to be at its limit. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± I was going to provoke a couple more out of him, but I guess not. ¡°These two guardians are enough to rip your dirty mouth apart!¡± Outraged, the lich commanded its mini-army to attack me. ¡°Graaaaaawr¡ª!¡± Seeing the stocky undead beings take steps towards me, I also started moving. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ Along with the effects of six stacks of Wind¡¯s Blessing¡­ Kraaaaaang-! ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ I cut through both the undead beings in a single swing. ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± The lich was caught off guard, but this was the only outcome. ¡®There¡¯s no way these rotting chunks could block my blade if even a dungeon boss couldn¡¯t withstand it¡­¡¯ Cracacack¡ª! ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As expected, these skeletons were useless too. ¡®The undeads aren¡¯t bad though.¡¯ Even though it wasn¡¯t as nice as the monsters I fought in the dungeon¡­ It was then¡ª ¡¸ The summoned skeleton has died. ¡¹ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®I guess even that couldn¡¯t last that long against the constant barrage of skeletons.¡¯ No matter, I stood steps towards the lich to end it. ¡°Wh-Where did a monster like you¡­¡± Even without a throat, his voice was shaking. Whatever he was saying, I didn¡¯t slow my steps. ¡®Let¡¯s end this.¡¯ I wanted to go back to the waiting area already. But¡­ ¡®Wait.¡¯ If you thought about it, this lich was summoning monsters left and right. And that meant¡­ ¡®Can¡¯t I grind for proficiency here?¡¯ Just to make sure. ¡°Hey, I have a question¡­ This guardian thing, can you summon it again?¡± It was worth an entire 1.2%. And if I could keep hunting those¡­ ¡®I can rank up my innate ability in this trial.¡¯ My eyes sparkled in anticipation as he looked taken aback. ¡°Wh-why are you asking me something like that?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Just answer my question.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± As I raised up my sword and walked up to it, the lich hurriedly opened its mouth. ¡°O-okay okay! I¡¯ll tell you! S-stop walking towards me¡± ¡°So when can you summon this guardian again?¡± ¡°I-if it¡¯s the guardian, I can summon it right now¡­¡± ¡°How long do you have to wait after each summoning?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t remember¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t? That¡¯s too bad.¡± The lich hesitated to answer the question and I gripped the handle of my sword. ¡°I-I remember! I can resummon it a few minutes after the guardian dies!¡± ¡°Then you can summon it now?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. B, But it won¡¯t be effective against you.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Summon it again.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Do you really have to know?¡± He flinched at my question. ¡°N-No¡­ I don¡¯t.¡± Shivering in its robe, the lich opened its book again to summon the undead beings. As soon as they formed, I decapitated them. Snip¡ª! Snip¡ª! In an instant, their headless bodies fell to the ground and¡­ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ Delighted, I smirk slipped onto my face. ¡°I-Is that good¡­?¡± He took a peek at my reaction but¡­ ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t satisfied. What were the chances I¡¯d get to farm like this in the future? ¡®I¡¯m gotta get my money¡¯s worth.¡¯ I continued to order the lich around. ¡°Can you order all the skeletons to come here and summon the guardians again?¡± As if it was used to taking orders from me, the lich nodded. ¡°O-Okay. How long do I have to do this¡­?¡± So I told him exactly what I was thinking. ¡°Until I tell you to stop.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 55 - Skill Combination (1) Chapter 55: Skill Combination (1) The grind was just easy as I expected. While waiting for the guardians to summon, I blasted through the skeletons to kill time. ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.08% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 1.2% ¡¹ It was simple and repetitive. Some might find this tedious but¡­ Just the fact that I was raising my proficiency so easily put a smile on my face. And that wasn¡¯t all¡­ ¡¸ Strength increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 5. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 5. ¡¹ I was also getting a decent stat boost from this. Of course, much of it was due to the ¡®Blue Starving Flame Demon¡¯ but¡­ It was still a sizable boost. Wasn¡¯t there a saying about ¡®slow and steady wins the race?¡¯ ¡®What a perfect saying for this situation.¡¯ And¡­ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ ranked up. ¡¹ I finally got what I wanted. ¡®Finally¡­ Necromancy is C-rank now.¡¯ I felt so proud of myself for coming so far. ¡®I¡¯ll have to check my stats for the new ability once I get back.¡¯ It was then¡ª ¡°Cr-crazy¡­ Ass¡­ B-bastard¡­¡± The limbless lich cried out in frustration. He had just attempted to escape, so I had to break off all of its limbs. ¡°I¡¯ve seen devils more kind than you¡­ I will curse you¡­ Even in death¡­¡± He had cracks all over his body now. I didn¡¯t know if it was me smashing his arms and legs or the cost of summoning guardians, but¡­ ¡®He¡¯s probably going to die soon.¡¯ I clicked my tongue regrettably. ¡°¡­¡± I was hoping to squeeze a little more out of it. Delaying this any longer could mean missing out on his soul. I¡¯d only be able to absorb it if I killed the lich myself. ¡°It was¡­ dreadful to meet you human¡­ I hope to not see you in the afterlif¡­¡± Sensing death, the lich started muttering his last words but¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t really want to hear it.¡¯ So I walked up to it, mid-speech, and stabbed it in the head. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the lich. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 17.4% ¡¹ Kratck¡ª! ¡¸ ¡®Worse Than the Devil¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ As if to signify the end of the 8th trial, the lich¡¯s remaining bones broke down into mere shards. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 8. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, all your stats have increased by +2.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®30,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®700 SP.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®300 SP.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ ¡°The 8th trial is finally over.¡± Because there was no time limit, I stayed for as long as I could. Almost like a bonus stage in a game. All the tangled thoughts I had after meeting the Monarch organized themselves. ¡®So what if the otherworldly intruders come to take our rewards.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t my problem until they came to me. ¡®All I have to do is get as strong as possible, and that hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ So¡­ ¡®Nothing¡¯s changed in my plans.¡¯ ¡¸ Moving to the waiting room. ¡¹ That was my conclusion. *** ¡¸ You have entered the 9th floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ System expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrators can now spectate your trials. ¡¹ ¡¸ Restrictions to questions have been removed. ¡¹ ¡¸ C-rank skills can now be bought in the marketplace. ¡¹ All kinds of messages greeted me in the waiting area but¡­ There was only one thing I wanted to check. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 67 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 66 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 66 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¨C Serenity (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ My stats increased but more importantly¡­ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C ¡®Necromancy (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Able to absorb the souls of the dead to increase or reinforce stats, mana, or something of that nature. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C Consumes stored souls to raise a nearby dead. The strength of the raised dead will be proportional to the quality and quantity of the consumed souls. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect (1) ¨C Able to permanently increase stats depending on the nature and rank of the soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect (2) ¨C Able to store souls for later use. Soul storage capacity depends on the ability¡¯s rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect (3) ¨C Able to acquire one skill bound to a soul at a probability of 20% upon absorbing that soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect (4) ¨C Able to protect your body by consuming souls. The impact that can be absorbed is proportional to the souls used. ¡¹ ¡¸ Extra effect (5) ¨C Able to inherit all absorbed skills¡¯ proficiencies. ¡¹ The new extra effect was absolutely breathtaking. ¡°¡­¡± Being able to inherit proficiencies of absorbed skills. As if the ability to absorb skills wasn¡¯t broken enough, I could now automatically be proficient at it. It didn¡¯t look fancy now, but it¡¯d come in handy in time. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll keep getting more skills.¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t the only change. ¡¸ Able to acquire one skill bound to a soul at a probability of 20% upon absorbing that soul. ¡¹ The ¡®certain percentage¡¯ finally revealed itself. ¡®The probability is¡­ actually really high.¡¯ Considering how overpowered it was, I thought it would be 10% at the most but¡­ This was insane. ¡®I guess that¡¯s it for my innate ability.¡¯ After confirming that there weren¡¯t any more changes, I turned my attention elsewhere. ¡¸ Marketplace ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Weapons ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Defensive ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Skill ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: General ¡¹ I needed new equipment to match my newly raised stats. ¡°I think I can keep using the sword, but the problem is with the shield and the skills¡­¡± I was barely using the shield anymore, and my Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship skill had stopped developing. That meant my fighting style would be changing but¡­ ¡®What should I do?¡¯ The original purpose of the shield was to protect me from unforeseen danger, and it had served its purpose. But I¡¯d grown to the point where I didn¡¯t need it anymore. ¡®And as long as I have necromancy¡¯s protective effect; the shield is effectively useless.¡¯ I was sad to see it go, but that was the reality. Then how should I change my fighting style? ¡®That¡¯s the real problem.¡¯ I needed a skill to replace my weapons skill too¡­ ¡°I guess I have no choice¡­¡± I sighed and tapped on the skill tab of the marketplace. ¡®If I don¡¯t have a skill, I¡¯ll just make it.¡¯ That was for the best. ¡¸ You have entered the skills store. ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills for sale. ¡¹ ¡°Hm¡­¡± My face scrunched up as I scrolled down the listings. There were fewer useful skills than I thought. ¡®No, more accurately, there¡¯s none that are cost-effective.¡¯ Most of the skills in the marketplace were absurdly expensive. Whatever the skill was, they tended to start at around 10,000 points. ¡®If you were spending them irresponsibly in the beginning, you wouldn¡¯t even come close to buying one of these¡­¡¯ I was smart to buy the bare minimum in the starting trials but¡­ Were the other challengers just as careful? I doubted it. ¡®And if you didn¡¯t get all the bonus rewards?¡¯ They probably had to spend every point they had to stay alive. ¡®Well, I guess most people wouldn¡¯t even think of using the skills store¡­¡¯ Just me, who couldn¡¯t acquire skills the normal way. To most people, skills were just something you learned by ¡®repeating¡¯ certain ¡®learning conditions.¡¯ If you couldn¡¯t, it meant you weren¡¯t built for that skill, so there was no reason to forcibly learn it. Of course¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t learn any skill, period.¡¯ I stood there silently, scrolling down the listings. And¡ª ¡¸ Skill: General Swordsmanship (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 25,000 points ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: Swordsmanship that contains the basics of all swordsmanships. You gain basic knowledge about swordsmanship and your cutting force increases by 1.5 times. ¡¹ ¡°This is the best for now.¡± There were a couple of skills that were superior, but I ignored them. Because¡­ ¡®I need something compatible with Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship if I want the combination to work well.¡¯ General Swordsmanship was a skill that most blade users eventually ended up learning. Meaning it was compatible with basically any other blade-type skill. ¡¸ You have purchased ¡®General Swordsmanship.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Deducting 25,000 points. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C General Swordsmanship (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C Swordsmanship that contains the basics of all swordsmanships. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C You gain basic knowledge about swordsmanship and your cutting force increases by 1.5 times. ¡¹ It left a considerable dent in my wallet but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not bad for what it does.¡¯ Then I activated ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select two skills from the list. ¡¹ I already knew what I was going to choose. ¡¸ The two skills are unequal in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡®Is this what happens if the ranks are unequal¡­?¡¯ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 75% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ Of course. I had already made the purchase after all. Then¡­ ¡¸ Skill combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ Generating new skill. ¡¹ The follow-up message appeared basked in rays of golden light. That must mean¡­ I had succeeded in making my new weapons skill. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 56 - Skill Combination(2) Chapter 56: Skill Combination(2) ¡¸ Skill ¡®Demon Slayer (C¨C)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± I stared at the generated skill in confusion. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ This skill had nothing to do with the two skills I combined¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Demon Slayer (C¨C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A fighting style custom made by a hunter to slay demons. ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Basic information about all swordsmanship styles increases and upon using a bladed weapon, cutting force increases by 3 times. However, this effect does not stack with other weapons skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C Upon attacking non-humans, attack speed increases by 2 times. ¡¹ ¡°Demon Slayer¡­¡± Was it the influence of Hunter¡¯s Daggermanship? ¡®It¡¯s like a skill that¡¯s custom-made for killing monsters.¡¯ Especially that attack speed boost when you attack non-humans. More importantly, the skill was C¨C rank but still had a ¡®proficiency.¡¯ That meant it still had room to grow. I wasn¡¯t sure how good the other innate powers were but¡­ ¡®Skill combination is pretty great, huh.¡¯ This skill made up for the downsides of necromancy. Being able to harmonize the random and dissonant skills that I get from necromancy¡­ In that sense, it was the perfect partner for my innate ability. Plus, this way, I could just get rid of the skills that I wasn¡¯t using and keep the useful ones. It allowed me to grow in the way that I chose. ¡®Should I just try combining all the skills I don¡¯t use then¡­?¡¯ The combinations hadn¡¯t failed me yet. ¡°Status.¡± ¡¸ Skill ¨C Eye of Truth (A), Triple Laceration (A-), Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-), Demon Slayer (C-), Instant Acceleration (D+), Pain Resistance (D), Accelerated Regeneration (D), Forceful Breakthrough (D), Physical Resistance (D), Mana Circuit (D-), Mana Resistance (D-), Mind¡¯s Eye (D-), Strengthened Eyes (E-) ¡¹ ¡°Wow, that¡¯s more than I expected.¡± I couldn¡¯t even remember the times when I couldn¡¯t become a hunter due to my lack of skills. ¡®A lot of these passives aren¡¯t very useful anymore.¡¯ Physical Resistance and Accelerated Regeneration were barely doing anything anymore. Part of it was that my fighting style didn¡¯t fit well with those skills¡­ ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select two skills from the list. ¡¹ I chose Physical Resistance and Accelerated Regeneration to get rid of. ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ Physical Resistance¡¯s low mitigation wasn¡¯t very effective but¡­ ¡®I like that it doesn¡¯t have a trigger requirement¡­¡¯ But I didn¡¯t want to put it in as a core and end up with another physical resistance skill. Then¡­ ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Accelerated Regeneration¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 72% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ *** ¡°Ooh¡­¡± The two skills must have synergized pretty well for them to have such a high success percentage. But I canceled the combination and then tried combining Pain and Physical Resistances. Of course, the core was Pain Resistance. Because the core seemed to determine the nature of the skill, as well as the activation requirement. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Pain Resistance¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 68% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®If you think about it, 68% isn¡¯t that low but¡­¡¯ The one that used Accelerated Regeneration was higher. It probably meant the two skills synergized much better together. I chose ¡®Accelerated Regeneration¡¯ and ¡®Physical Resistance again. Like before, the core was still on Accelerated Regeneration. And¡­ ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ I selected it immediately. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Steel Regeneration (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A trait developed by a mutant vampire. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C The user¡¯s regeneration increases proportionally to the user¡¯s tenacity or toughness of their body. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± Tenacity or toughness of their body¡­ ¡®Interesting.¡¯ If your regeneration goes up the tougher your body is, it means you¡¯re specialized for close combat. The skill itself was pretty respectable but not one that I welcomed. Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt to have and I do have the tenacity stat but¡­ ¡®Should I combine this with something else¡­?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t seem like a bad skill, but it was a bit lacking for my taste. ¡®I wonder what will happen if I mix in the Pain Resistance to this.¡¯ But if I get a garbage skill after using Pain Resistance to this¡­ I wouldn¡¯t even get my money¡¯s worth. The only reason I did this in the first place was to get rid of the useless skills. And if I happened to get something useless from that combination, I¡¯d end up with one useless skill instead of three. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ I considered it for a bit and came to a conclusion. ¡®No harm in just checking the percentage.¡¯ If it happened to be under 70%, I wouldn¡¯t go for it. ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ As I selected Steel Regeneration and Pain Resistance¡­ ¡¸ The two skills differ in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Steel Regeneration¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 85% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the combination? ¡¹ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡®No, wait¡­ The success rate is 85¡­?¡¯ Mesmerized by the rate, I forgot to even consider the consequences as my finger pressed the button. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ ¡°Ah.¡± Jaw dropped, I stared at the newly formed skill. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Ashen Blood (B-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C A transcendent trait developed by a mutant vampire. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C The user¡¯s regeneration increases proportionally to the user¡¯s tenacity. The regeneration is increased by threefold when inflicted bodily harm, and up to 40% of the pain is blocked depending on the damage. ¡¹ Jackpot. That was the only word to describe this situation. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± As if the initial effect wasn¡¯t enough¡­ The additional effects were somehow even more mindblowing. ¡®Regeneration increasing by three times with pain reduction?¡¯ Plus, it was only a 15% reduction when Pain Resistance was at D-rank. How did this skill bring it up to 40%? Granted, it did say the rate depended on the amount of damage but¡­ The effects overlapping was impressive enough. And seeing that the proficiency was at 0%, that meant it still had room to grow. ¡®I do have to check how fast the regeneration is though¡­¡¯ ¡¸ The auto-healing has been disabled. ¡¹ After turning off the healing effects of the waiting area, I tested out a couple of things for Ashen Blood. I already absorbed all of my souls, so I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about the passive acting up. As I sliced down my left arm to create a sizable cut to let it bleed out¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 7% ¡¹ ¡°Oh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed at the speed of the regeneration. ¡®This is even faster than when it was just Accelerated Regeneration¡­!¡¯ Of course, the pain resistance wasn¡¯t as effective as before, but I felt that this skill was more advanced in a variety of ways. Sktaaat¡­! I continued to experiment by stacking the cuts into my forearms and so on. The waiting area was a safe haven where I was blessed with infinite healing. ¡®It would be foolish to not take advantage of it.¡¯ Obviously, the pain was still there but¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 28% ¡¹ Even that was being diminished. ¡®The reduction percentage goes up more easily than I expected.¡¯ And thanks to my tenacity, the regeneration was pretty astounding. Ssslkt¡­! ¡°¡­Ugh¡± I found out that even if my arm was halfway detached, it welded back together as long as I held it in place¡­ I tried cutting off some fingers completely and had no problems reattaching them. This is what I learned after a couple of experiments. That even if I completely cut off parts of my body, it can still heal, and that as long as I have the stamina, I can recover from multiple life-threatening injuries. ¡°¡­¡± Ashen Blood. It was broken beyond belief. Chapter 57 - The Murim Challenger (1) Chapter 57: The Murim Challenger (1) Ashen Blood¡¯s effect was simple. Regeneration grew proportionally with tenacity, with an additional three times multiplier at the time of injury. And up to 50% pain resistance depending on the severity of the injury. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± This skill was so much better than I thought. Accelerated Regeneration reattached my almost served arm at D-rank¡­ And Ashen Blood could automatically reattach severed limbs. ¡®What kind of bullshit is that..?¡¯ If this skill was on a monster or another player¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡¯ And if you considered the protection from necromancy, it was even more unbelievable. Absorb most of the damage with the passive then heal the rest with Ashen Blood. That would effectively render any attack useless. In other words, I could use it to turn the tide of the battle. ¡®Would I be able to beat something like this if we had similar stats?¡¯ Could I even be considered human at this point? ¡®It¡¯s hard to tell now¡­¡¯ And my tenacity was only around 60 right now. What would happen if it went up? ¡®I was just planning to throw away some of the more useless skills but¡­¡¯ I somehow won the lottery. Satisfied, I turned on the community. Just to see if the 9th trial was a group trial or not. ¡®A group trial would give me more chance to test out ashen blood.¡¯ And I also wanted to know if anyone else was talking about challengers from another world. ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 9 Community (2315/3498) ¡¹ OhChoonsuk: Bruh, what the fuck is an otherworldy challenger? Who the hell is intruding on our trials? ArmedWithPencil: Lmao¡­ I barely managed to form a contract with an administrator and this is what they do? What the fuck? MaxLevelHunter: I just used my question for it and they said some bullshit about the merging of the tower. Does anyone know what that is? ILoveSoup: Holy shit. Who the hell are these people and why are they merging with us on the 20th floor? I don¡¯t understand anything. ¡°Huh..?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the amount of information that everyone already knew. I thought it would take at least a couple of floors until everyone found out¡­ At least I knew that I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking about this problem. MaxLevelHunter: Basically, there seem to be other worlds and they also have towers. And the challengers from those towers are invading our tower¡­ Wiiiind: Ye, they were just trying to kill me. ArmedWithPencil: Fuck, and we have to start competing with them starting from the 20th floor. What the shit is that? Headygongdu: I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s not like anything else made sense around here. OhChoonsuk: More importantly, that means more and more challenges are going to come to loot our trials. Swordphile: So what are we doing about the fucking intruder? Wiiind: Well, I don¡¯t think the hunter association can help us with this. ArmedWithPencil: lol, of course they can¡¯t. They can¡¯t even stop people from getting dragged in here. Judging by their tone, they seemed to understand the severity of the situation. And like me, they weren¡¯t able to come to a meaningful conclusion. Even after a continuous conversation, they weren¡¯t able to get anywhere. Invincible: Whatever happens, we need to find our own ways to deal with the intruders. ArmedWithPencil: Fuck, I guess so. No other way to protect yourself. Guriring: At least they tell us when there¡¯s an intruder in our trial. MonkSupremacy: Well I guess we should notify the hunter association when we get back. They¡¯ll put out a notice about it if they have half a brain. ¡®Seems like a reasonable call to action.¡¯ Maybe they¡¯ll sponsor us with more resources. If they hear that there was a chance that otherworldly challengers could kill us at any moment. There were other things to be gained from the conversation too. KimSeunghoon: I fought against some knight from Aries or whatever it was called. His swordsmanship wasn¡¯t that great but he combined it with magic. OhChoonsuk: There was some dude from a place called Murim and his swordsmanship was literally insane. Swordphile: Oh same. Their swordsmanship was unmatched but¡­ items and skills were pretty effective against them. Guriring: Hm, I haven¡¯t run into one yet. I¡¯ll take note though. They were all talking about the different challenges they ran into and¡­ *** Besides that, there were no realistic measures we could take against these guys. ¡®I guess we should be satisfied that we¡¯re even aware of them.¡¯ And the different types of intruders would probably be useful to know in the future. ¡®Also, the 9th trial is probably an individual trial.¡¯ I was looking through the chat logs but¡­ I couldn¡¯t find a single mention of a group trial. ¡®Let¡¯s speed through the 9th floor and get to the 10th.¡¯ That¡¯s where more powers become available in my exclusive store. ¡®And the 8th trial was pretty simple as well¡­¡¯ I then examined my equipment to see if I should replace anything. ¡®I think the sword will be useful for a bit longer because of the electrocute. And I¡¯ll just use the shield until it breaks and sell it at the hunter market.¡¯ But I don¡¯t think I can sell the pendant or the boots. They¡¯re too useful to sell at the moment. After careful consideration, I came to a conclusion. ¡®I think I can use them more a little longer.¡¯ ¡®And just in case.¡¯ ¡¸ You have purchased a Recharngable Stamina Potion (E-). ¡¹ ¡¸ 5,000 points deducted. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have purchased a Rechargable Mana Potion (E+). ¡¹ ¡¸ 5,000 points deducted. ¡¹ I got some food with some potions on the side. Why rechargeable? ¡®I might as well if I¡¯m going to buy more potions later.¡¯ I could still see myself using potions a couple of floors later. I could still replenish my stats using my souls. ¡¸ Rechargeable Stamina Potion ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ Replenishes 20% of lost stamina upon consumption. ¡¹ ¡¸ Usable twice before recharging. ¡¹ ¡¸ Takes one full day to completely recharge. ¡¹ ¡¸ Rechargeable Mana Potion ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: E ¡¹ ¡¸ Replenishes 25% of lost mana upon consumption. ¡¹ ¡¸ Usable twice before recharging. ¡¹ ¡¸ Takes one full day to completely recharge. ¡¹ ¡°That should be enough potions for a while.¡± And with the absence of the wait timer¡­ ¡¸ Do you accept the 9th floor trial? ¡¹ And a familiar blue portal greeted me as I stepped into it. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 9. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is tournament.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ It didn¡¯t take long for me to recognize that I was standing under the glaring sun in the center of a colosseum. ¡¸ The 9th floor trial is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 1 day ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Kill all monsters in the colosseum ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Time out or challenger¡¯s death ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Skill ¡®Beast¡¯s Instincts (C-)¡¯ ¡¹ I didn¡¯t have an audience but I was going to have to fight off a bunch of monsters. But¡­ ¡¸ (!) Current challenger ¡®Han Sungyeun¡¯s 9th trial is not safe. ¡¹ ¡¸ (!) Murim challenger¡¯s intrusion has been confirmed. ¡¹ ¡¸ (!) Murim challenger has stolen the trial objective. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t expect such a sharp aroma of blood everywhere. ¡°¡­¡± The tethers of flesh on the ground were connected by a river of blood¡­ leading up to the corpses of three trolls. ¡¸ Recalibrating objective. ¡¹ And¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± I saw an old man standing next to the stacked corpses. Wearing a white gi and holding a white sword¡­ He looked out of place in the bloody arena. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± I knew at first glance. ¡®An intruder¡­¡¯ He gave off different energy from the black knight, but I was certain. ¡°My name is Baek Sunhak, an elder at the Murim Alliance.¡± As the old man combed through his beard and introduced himself¡ª ¡¸ Kill the Murim challenger Baek Sunhak. ¡¹ Looking at the message, I gripped the sword tightly. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ It was my second one. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 58 - The Murim Challenger (2) Chapter 58: The Murim Challenger (2) My brows knitted as I stared at the poised old man. Not only did he steal my objective, but I could tell that he was strong. After spending so much time in this damned tower, I started being able to feel these things. Who¡¯s strong and who¡¯s weak. And the man who called himself Baek Sunhak was part of the former group. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ It felt like I was standing in front of an immovable mountain. ¡®I had a bad feeling about this¡­¡¯ But to face an intruder right at the cusp of the 10th floor¡­ I got myself into a defensive stance to prepare for the impending battle. Whatever the situation was before, my objective now was to fight this man. ¡®I have no choice.¡¯ I had to kill the old man standing in front of me. It was then¡ª ¡°Young man, what is your name?¡± Out of nowhere, the man put on a warm smile and asked for my name. ¡®What?¡¯ Is he just a self-obsessed narcissist like the black knight? But he gave off a completely different impression. He didn¡¯t seem to be taunting me or letting his guard down. As if it was common etiquette to ask for my name. And because I stood there staring at him, without uttering a word¡ª ¡°Even if we die, shouldn¡¯t we at least know our opponent¡¯s names?¡± The old man asked as if he genuinely didn¡¯t understand my actions. It caught me off guard, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a trap. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s up to anything but¡­¡¯ I took a step back to gain some distance before finally speaking up. At this distance, I should be able to block or dodge anything he could throw at me. ¡®Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¯ He might have something hidden up his sleeve like the aura thing that the black knight used. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve also revealed my position and name¡­¡± That¡¯s not what I asked. I don¡¯t know why he revealed what he did but¡­ Just because he did doesn¡¯t mean I had to as well. ¡°I mean, for what purpose did you ask me that?¡± In other words, I know you¡¯re up to something. The man seemed to understand what I meant and let out a sigh. ¡°This is difficult. Maybe because you¡¯re from a different world.¡± Likewise. Looking at how frustrated he was, he didn¡¯t seem to have an ulterior motive but¡­ I didn¡¯t particularly want to tell him my name. It could potentially be a prerequisite to activating his innate ability or something. And¡­ ¡°You probably didn¡¯t intrude my trial out of the goodness of your heart.¡± He was literally here to eliminate me. I had no reason to answer him. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s just simple etiquette¡­¡± The old man clicked his tongue and took out the sword hanging from his waist. I didn¡¯t know what kind of place this ¡®Murim¡¯ was, but it definitely wasn¡¯t normal. Especially if they consider introductions before a duel to be normal. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t force you to be respectful.¡± In an instant, the old man¡¯s atmosphere sharpened and¡­ Shssst¡ª! ¡°Goodbye, nameless swordsman.¡± He swung his sword cleanly at the empty space in front of him. ¡°¡­?¡± My confusion didn¡¯t last very long. ¡¸ Your vision is blinded by the innate ability ¡®Sword Flash.¡¯ ¡¹ The man¡¯s sword flashed with a bright white light and blinded me. ¡®What the¡­!¡¯ As if to undermine my decision to put some distance between us, the flash took away my ability to react to any of his attacks. Of course¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mana Resistance.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The blindness duration has been reduced to 2.5 seconds. ¡¹ My mana circuit and resistance activated and reduced the effectiveness but¡­ It didn¡¯t matter that much against a ridiculous ability like blinding. It was then¡ª ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye.¡¯ ¡¹ Everything changed when the skill I obtained from the dungeon boss activated. I was able to feel his blade rapidly approaching my throat. ¡®Nice¡­!¡¯ I relied heavily on this feeling and tried to react to the best of my ability. Even though I couldn¡¯t gauge an accurate distance or see his body, It was still enough. Slaaash¡ª! ¡°Ugh!¡± I twisted my torso at the very moment the blade tried to pierce my throat and managed to dodge it. ¡¸ Achievement ¡®Blind Evasion¡¯ unlocked. ¡¹ *** I couldn¡¯t dodge it completely and the blade slightly grazed my neck, but it wasn¡¯t something to worry about. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Sword Flash¡¯s effect has concluded. ¡¹ ¡°What¡­?¡± The first thing I saw as I gained sight again was a flustered face. He must have been shocked that his attack didn¡¯t work but¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ I healed the scratch on my neck as I counter-attacked with an attack of my own. Fwoosh¡ª! Ripping the air in front of me, I lunged forward as the old man almost glided back from surprise. ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± I had no reason to answer this either. It was a waste of my breath. I looked him directly in the eye and said the only thing I needed to say. ¡°Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 30%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 3/7 ¡¹ With both the Wind¡¯s Blessing and Instant Acceleration stacked on each other, I leaped forward. I closed the distance in an instant and swung the sword in my right hand. ¡°You evil demon¡­¡±! The old man finally gave up on trying to make me talk and bit his lip as he fended off my swing. Clang! The blades collided and sparks flew out between us. He monotonously nullified my attack with his own. And from the looks of his trembling fingers, the difference in our stats wasn¡¯t very big. ¡®I don¡¯t overpower him with all my stat boosts?¡¯ Even the black knight couldn¡¯t do anything with my stats that were boosted by necromancy¡­ This self-proclaimed Murim elder was different. Even if he did use both of his hands, the fact that I couldn¡¯t push him back meant his stats were much higher than I expected. That wasn¡¯t all. Even though he wasted his breath by asking me useless questions, he wasn¡¯t out of breath at all. Compared to me, I may be the one who was out of breath. ¡®Is it a difference in technique?¡¯ I thought my swordsmanship wasn¡¯t all that bad, especially with my weapons skill¡­ This otherworldly challenger was in a league of his own. ¡®An experienced swordsman with similar stats¡­¡¯ I suddenly felt a lick of chill down my back. The old man exuded bloodlust from his eyes as he muttered in a cold voice. Before I could even process what he had just said, the old man slashed the air once more and¡­ ¡¸ Your vision is blinded by the innate ability ¡®Sword Flash.¡¯ ¡¹ I was blinded yet again. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mana Resistance.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The blindness duration has been reduced to 2.5 seconds. ¡¹ But now, without my sense of sight, my other senses felt more heightened than before. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye¡¯ is currently activated. ¡¹ The Mind¡¯s Eye skill allows me to ¡®perceive attacks from outside my range of vision.¡¯ And because this ability completely blocked my field of vision, I was able to perceive attacks from all directions. Even then, the old man¡¯s attacks were ferocious. Shhhhsst¡ª! He ripped through the air as if he didn¡¯t even want to hide his attacks anymore. I was relying on the Mind¡¯s Eye to dodge, but the attacks weren¡¯t slowing down. ¡®How is his attack speed so high¡­?¡¯ I must have dodged seven different swings but the blindness was still effective. That means the old man swung seven times within a 2.5 second time frame. And all my speeds were increased by 30% with the Wind¡¯s Blessing. That included an attack speed boost, and he easily matched that. ¡®No, he was overpowering it¡­!¡¯ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Sword Flash¡¯s effect has concluded. ¡¹ Claaaang¡ª! The sound of two metals clashing filled the whole colosseum. I instinctually swung my sword at the incoming blade as soon as my sight came back but¡­ The old man seemed to have expected that and used the rebound to counter-attack. It was an insane combo that combined his insane attack speed with increased momentum. ¡®I can¡¯t dodge this.¡¯ After determining that, I raised the shield that was attached to my left hand. Of course, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to block that with just a shield. It was my last-ditch effort to reduce some of the damage. The old man seemed to know this as well and accelerated his attack. But¡­ ¡¸ Activating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your skin develops a property that absorbs all physical damage by 10% ¡¹ I had no intentions of taking the full impact of that attack. Kraack¡­! The shield attached to my left arm shattered into tiny pieces and scattered everywhere. His sword didn¡¯t stop there and pierced through about half my arm before I could pull it away. Slaaaash¡ª! My left arm was completely tattered by the sword but it didn¡¯t matter. The pain was drastically reduced and it had already started healing. I deactivated the pendant so as to not waste extra mana and¡­ I glared at the old man as I hopped back while holding my left arm. ¡®He¡¯s a monster¡­¡¯ He was much more skilled than me and his stats were comparable to mine. And his innate ability was so broken that I couldn¡¯t get a good attack in. I could deal with his attacks but I couldn¡¯t control the flow of the battle. ¡®If the fight continues like this it¡¯ll be my loss.¡¯ Ashen Blood¡¯s healing effect wasn¡¯t infinite. The old man scowled as he saw my arm heal. ¡°You must be using some sort of demon-arts to heal all of your injuries.¡± I didn¡¯t reply and instead moved my hand over to grip my sword with both hands. I might as well since my shield was beyond usable. ¡°I thought you were a decent martial artist but you must be using borrowed powers¡­¡± Was the innate ability that he used not given to him by the tower? If he was using skills to move, was he not using demon-arts? ¡®What a damn hypocrite.¡¯ I had just lost my first line of defense. I still had my pendant, but I couldn¡¯t rely on it completely. ¡®I have to finish this as fast as possible.¡¯ I needed to find a way to completely overpower him. And¡­ I realized that there may be an easy method to do so. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 70%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/7 ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to reaching the maximum number of stacks, a cooldown has been placed on the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ I¡¯ll just stack my wind¡¯s blessing to the max. ¡°Are you using demon-arts again?¡± He stared at me as if he was at a loss for words. But¡­ ¡°A swordsman shouldn¡¯t rely on borrowed¡­?!¡± Fwooom¡ª! Was it because he realized all my speeds had increased again? ¡°What the¡­?¡± The old man¡¯s face froze as the iridescent winds wrapped around my body. ¡°Did you say that these were borrowed powers?¡± I smirked at the old man. ¡°Then die to this rental, old man.¡± It was time to turn the tables¡­ ¡ª¡ª Chapter 59 - The Murim Challenger (3) Chapter 59: The Murim Challenger (3) Murim Alliance Elder Baek Sunhak was stunned for the first time in a while. And the reason? The man standing in front of him, being caressed by the winds. It was unnatural. He was different from all the other challengers that he¡¯d faced before. Fwoosh¡ª! You could tell just by looking at the winds surrounding him. Whatever he was doing was on an entirely different level than before¡­ He had been considering this ¡®Earth¡¯ world as a training ground. Everyone from this place had been abnormally weak. Because they had no previous knowledge of martial arts, they only used the abilities gained in the tower. Before he had lost all his power, Baek Sunhak was one of the best fighters in his world. Seeing the powerless buffoons of Earth, he knew that none of them would last that long. Challengers from other worlds also noticed this and started looting Earth. ¡¸ Activating trial intrusion. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon killing the challenger, you may steal their rewards. ¡¹ But Baek Sunhak had never once failed an intrusion. Not a single challenger had even met his expectations. He¡¯d already killed two challengers from this world and took their rewards. So surely, this one wouldn¡¯t have been any different. His innate ability, ¡®Sword Flash,¡¯ immediately blinded his opponent¡¯s field of vision¡­ He was able to assassinate people simply by silently stabbing their throats. No one had been able to react to that. That was the reason Baek Sunhak was able to keep his composure and ask for an introduction. But¡­ ¡®Who the hell is he¡­!¡¯ The young man standing in front of him was different. With both eyes disabled, he was able to not only dodge but also counterattack. That alone assured Baek Sunhak that not everyone in this world was as weak as he had made them out to be. But that should have been his limit. No one should be able to match him once he had gotten serious. Claaaash¡ª! A loud crash echoed throughout the trial as the young man kicked the ground. And at the same time¡ª ¡¸ Acceleration increased for a moment due to the effects of Boots of Swiftness (C+). ¡¹ For an instant, he was so fast that even Baek Sunhak couldn¡¯t follow him with his eyes. He knew that he was up to something when the winds wrapped around him but¡­ Whatever demon art he used, this speed was nothing to scoff at. But he couldn¡¯t be surprised for too long. Clang¡ª! He had to do something about the young man¡¯s attacks. The increased attack speed made it harder for him to keep up, but Baek Sunhak was a distinguished martial artist. Chaaang¡­! The fruits of his training suppressed the young man¡¯s swordsmanship and countered all of his blows. In his prime, he was once one of the top 10 swordsmen in his world. He caused disruptions to the flow of his blade to form all sorts of sword feints. The seven feints prevented the young man from his barrage but¡­ As if the feints were too slow, the young man just took a step back to remove himself from the range of the feints. Reacting swiftly, Baek Sunhak activated his innate ability. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Sword Flash¡¯s¡¯ cooldown has ended. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating innate ability ¡®Sword Flash.¡¯ ¡¹ In an instant, his sword flashed brightly and blinded the young man¡¯s eyes. But instead of just dodging, the young man started to attack even more ferociously. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye.¡¯ ¡¹ This was the result of him getting used to Baek Sunhak¡¯s innate ability. The young man dodged a jab aimed at his head and got in close. Ch-ch-chang! Whether this was demon arts or something else, Baek Sunhak had to acknowledge him now. ¡®What went wrong¡­!?¡¯ He should have killed him the first time he had been affected by his innate ability. His swordsmanship wasn¡¯t anything special, but Baek Sunhak was starting to fall behind. For starters, their physical abilities were about the same before the winds had wrapped around the young man. ¡¸ The skill ¡®Ashen Blood¡¯ is activated. ¡¹ The young man¡¯s body healed all his injuries as if they never happened. ¡®What kind of monster¡­¡¯ Getting a clean hit was hard enough already, so nullifying it? Baek Sunhak¡¯s techniques were clearly superior but¡­ The main problem was the skill he had to counteract the effects of his innate ability. Baek Sunhak was too proud to use the skills that he had received from the tower but¡­ It was better than dying. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®One Stone Two Birds.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack speed increased by 2 times. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Lighting Blade Ki.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Lightning encases your blade. ¡¹ Krrrrr¡­! Blade Ki, rare even in the murim world, was the telltale the main sign of a top-tier martial artist. That ability was about to be performed by Baek Sunhak but¡­ ¡¸ Trial intrusion penalty is active. ¡¹ ¡¸ All stats are reduced by -8. ¡¹ ¡¸ Certain skills are disabled. ¡¹ The tower forbade it from activating. ¡¸ The skill ¡®One Stone Two Birds¡¯ is forcefully deactivated. ¡¹ ¡¸ The skill ¡®Lightning Blade Ki¡¯ is forcefully deactivated. ¡¹ Kangg¡­! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Baek Sunhak¡¯s wrists vibrated as he fended off another blow. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is astonished by the young challenger. ¡¹ The administrator that he formed a contract with was chiming in all of a sudden. Not only that. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Monster of the North¡¯ predicts your loss. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Tyrant of the Night¡¯ is interested in the young challenger. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Hero of the Black Archipelago¡¯ admires the young challenger¡¯s skill use. ¡¹ The other administrators who had been observing him also showed interest in the young man in front of him. Hence, this man was well beyond a typical challenger. Baek Sunhak felt the sweat drip down his back as he tried to think of any skill he could currently use. Thinking he could still pull ahead, Baek Sunhak pushed more ki into his sword. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to use sword ki, it would still strengthen his sword. Fwing¡­! Seeing a blue fog rise up from his sword, Baek Sunhak went on the offensive. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Sword Flash¡¯s cooldown has ended. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating innate ability ¡®Sword Flash.¡¯ ¡¹ After activating his innate ability, he mustered up the few skills that he could actually use. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Single Cut.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your next ability with a blade has increased cutting force by 2 times. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Fairy Steps.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Increases movement speed by 2.8 times for 1 minute. ¡¹ To prepare for his one, last-ditch effort. He even raised his movement speed to catch up with his opponent. Shaaaek¡ª! The young man didn¡¯t back down from this clash. This was when Baek Sunhak smiled as he anticipated his victory. All he had to do was cut him in half, straight through his sword. ¡®It¡¯s done. It¡¯s finally ov¡­?¡¯ But¡­ ¡°What¡­¡± Contrary to his belief, Baek Sunhak wasn¡¯t able to slice through the young challenger¡¯s sword. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your next three attacks are strengthened. ¡¹ The young challenger¡¯s sword was also overflowing with mana. *** Clang¡ª! I felt chills down my spine after blocking the old man¡¯s latest attack. ¡®Holy sh¡­¡¯ Right before going blind, I saw a blue fog around his sword. Because it was similar to the ¡®aura¡¯ that the black knight used on the 5th trial, I deliberately activated Triple Laceration. And thank goodness that I did. That¡¯s just how impressive the old man was. ¡®I would have died if I didn¡¯t use my skill¡­¡¯ My throat suddenly felt cold after realizing how close I was to death. If he had sliced through my sword, my neck would have followed closely behind. I knew my limbs would reattach with relative ease, but I wasn¡¯t sure about my head. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Sword Flash¡¯s effect has concluded. ¡¹ And as soon as my sight returned¡­ I was greeted by a shocked old man. That was of no concern to me. I knocked his sword aside and took another swing at him. Triple Laceration gets stronger with each attack. Hence, if the first one was just about equal to his blue ki¡­ Skaaaak¡­! My second blow shattered his blade into pieces. He may not have expected my attack to shatter his sword because, as his sword broke, he was unable to pull back in time¡­ And the tip of my sword gouged into his chest. ¡°A-a¡­¡± He stumbled back and coughed up a bit of blood, but I wasn¡¯t going to take pity. The old man had the ability to fend off an attack from my Laceration. If he had anything like that left in his arsenal, I could fall to it. At this point, it was kill or be killed. So I swung my sword without hesitation and¡­ ¡¸ Deactivating the skill ¡®Triple Laceration.¡¯ ¡¹ Shaaaak¡ª! ¡°No, unbelie¡­¡± Split in half, the old man was unable to finish his sentence before he ended up on the floor. And¡­ ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 9. ¡¹ My smile couldn¡¯t be contained as I read the declaration of my victory. After another close fight, the exhilaration of the battle was overwhelming. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 60 - Another Administrator (1) Chapter 60: Another Administrator (1) ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 9. ¡¹ The message cemented what had just happened. ¡®I did it¡­¡¯ I finally killed this damned intruder. But instead of letting out a sigh of relief, I stuck my hand out on top of his corpse. This was very different from what I did the first time I killed an intruder. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the challenger ¡®Baek Sunhak.¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 27% ¡¹ The corpse disappeared as soon as I finished absorbing the soul. The same thing happened the last time I killed an intruder so¡­ As not much of a surprise, the same thing happened. But¡­ ¡°This worked¡­?¡± I was still able to absorb his soul before his body disappeared. I thought it wouldn¡¯t be possible because the black fog disappeared with the body but¡­ That was not the case. ¡¸ Adjusted for the current floor, the restriction placed on necromancy has been lifted. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon killing challengers from another world, you are able to absorb their souls. ¡¹ It looked like the tower had just placed a restriction on me the last time. ¡®I guess I can absorb the soul of whatever I kill¡­¡¯ On the other hand, I wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb anything that I didn¡¯t kill myself. Just seeing the piles of orc corpses on the outskirts of the colosseum proved that. I tried sticking my hand out and activating necromancy but nothing happened. ¡®But I ended up getting 27% in proficiency¡­ Not bad.¡¯ He must have been absurdly strong because that was a very satisfactory amount. It was getting harder to gain proficiency after it reached C-rank. ¡¸ The difficulty and rewards are not proportional. ¡¹ ¡¸ Recalibrating the rewards. ¡¹ ¡°¡­I forgot that was a thing.¡± My expectations were high after remembering what had happened on the 5th floor. ¡®I wonder what I¡¯ll get now¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be as good as the 5th floor because I didn¡¯t have to struggle as much. ¡¸ Recalibration complete. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± And¡­ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®Sixth Sense (C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®35,000 points.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®1,000 SP.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ ¡°¡®Sixth Sense.¡¯¡± It fell a little short of my expectations¡­ There didn¡¯t seem to be that big of a difference between this and the original reward, ¡®Animal Instincts.¡¯ ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter too much¡­ It¡¯s probably better.¡¯ Vooom¡­! I walked over to the blue portal that appeared at the center of the stadium. ¡°¡­¡± The high I got from my victory had already worn off and I was back to my usual self. Maybe it was because the challenger I had just fought didn¡¯t live up to the expectations of being an ¡®elder.¡¯ But I kept calm throughout the battle and made smart decisions. If I had lost my cool, I might have been the one on the floor. The aura around his blade was pretty formidable. ¡®And there was the lighting thing before that too¡­¡¯ But it disappeared like it was blocked by something. ¡®Probably a penalty for intruding on a lower floor.¡¯ There was no way that the tower would let intruders enter lower level floors with no restrictions. The knight I met on the 5th floor was talking about something like that. ¡®I¡¯ll look into it more once I get back to the waiting room.¡¯ *** It was then¡ª ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ has been inspired by your fight. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± A couple of messages popped up out of the blue. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Monster of the North¡¯ is thrilled by your combat. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Tyrant of the Night¡¯ is amused by your achievement. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Hero of the Black Archipelago¡¯ applauds your battle sense. ¡¹ ¡°What the¡­¡± This was different from any of the other messages that I had seen before. Actually, the ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ had sent something like this before. Then I remembered¡­. ¡®That message that popped up.¡¯ ¡¸ System expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrators can now spectate your trials. ¡¹ ¡®I guess they can send me messages since they can now spectate me.¡¯ The Iron-Blooded Monarch did say that it wasn¡¯t possible for administrators to spectate anything that happened below the 8th floor. ¡®It¡¯s strange but¡­ that¡¯s the only reasonable explanation.¡¯ It felt a little unreal that someone was watching me fight, but it didn¡¯t matter that much. No matter what it was, they were impressed with what I had just done. I actually felt kind of proud that I was finally being given recognition. But¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ scowls at the excessive attention you are receiving. ¡¹ ¡®I guess she was looking as well¡­?¡¯ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ instructs you to not be enticed. ¡¹ I guess it felt like being scolded by a girlfriend for eyeing another girl? ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Slightly intimidated, all I could say was yes. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re giving me anything by watching me¡­¡¯ Then¡ª ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ wants to add powers into your exclusive marketplace. ¡¹ ¡¸ Do you accept? ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®What¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect this, but I knew exactly what this was referencing. ¡¸ (!) You may fill the power listings with an administrator¡¯s sponsorship or other deals. ¡¹ That was under the listing on my current exclusive store. ¡®Is this what they meant by sponsorship or other deals?¡¯ This Sword Saint administrator wanted to sponsor me with his powers. ¡®Why?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a deal or anything. What did he have to gain from this? ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ reluctantly allows you to accept the powers. ¡¹ ¡°¡­I can just take this?¡± She was wary of other administrators just before but¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ says that administrators sometimes sponsor challengers to gain their favor. ¡¹ ¡®Favor?¡¯ I didn¡¯t understand. What good was gaining favor from a challenger that had already completed their contract? ¡°Will there be more encounters with administrators like this?¡± But it wasn¡¯t the Iron-Blooded Monarch that responded this time. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ smiles shyly and says yes. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± Well, I guess I could see why he wanted to sponsor me. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ says the SP spent on buying powers goes back to the sponsor of that power. ¡¹ I guess that made sense. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ tells you to not feel pressured because his powers wouldn¡¯t even be that good anyway. ¡¹ Although it was clear that he wasn¡¯t doing this from the goodness of his heart¡­ ¡®I guess I wouldn¡¯t lose anything from having more options.¡¯ ¡¸ You¡¯ve accepted administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯s power listings. ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been added to ¡®Category: Power¡¯ in your exclusive marketplace. ¡¹ ¡®Sword ki master?¡¯ I didn¡¯t understand exactly what that would be but I¡¯ll look into it in the waiting area. ¡°Well, thanks.¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ smiles and tells you to remember this generosity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ tells you that it¡¯s quite useful and to make good use of it. ¡¹ ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Of course, I¡¯ll be the one to decide if it¡¯s useful or not¡­ I wanted to be respectful to the administrator. I waited to see if any of the administrators wanted to join in, but it didn¡¯t happen. ¡®There aren¡¯t any messages from them besides the compliments¡­¡¯ I should be good to go back to the waiting area now. ¡°Well, I¡¯m headed back now.¡± And as soon as I said that¡ª ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ urges you to check the newly unlocked powers as well. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ assures you that they will be useful. ¡¹ ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry.¡± No matter what happened, she was the administrator that I had formed my contract with. I was going to make use of everything she had to offer. And¡­ ¡¸ You have entered the 10th floor waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ System expansion is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ You can now enter the public area. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I wonder if the administrators can see me from here¡­¡¯ Just to make sure. ¡°Are you still looking by any chance?¡± But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± No response. ¡°Ehem.¡± A little embarrassed, I turned on my exclusive marketplace. ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing (1/3) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Serenity (C-) [Purchased] ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Iron Soul (A+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Winter King (D+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Sword Ki Master (C+) ¡¹ ¡°Ooh¡­?¡± ¡¸ Power: Sword Ki Master (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: Sword ki that only top tier masters can use embodied as a power. Stronger than normal sword ki and allows you to strengthen bladed weapons with mana, ki, or other energies. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± A power that lets me strengthen my weapons by inserting mana into them? ¡®It¡¯s better than I thought¡­?¡¯ The fact that I had enough points to buy it made it even more enticing. But it was a little too early to make a decision. Unlike last time, the next page was just a click away. And¡­ ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be shaken by what I was looking at. Chapter 61 - Another Administrator (2) Chapter 61: Another Administrator (2) ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing (2/3) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Bone Reconstruction (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Iron-blooded Sword (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Hand of Death (B-) ¡¹ ¡®Why are all their ranks so high¡­?¡¯ They were all better than the ones I saw on the first page. You could just by looking at the names of the powers that they were more favorable for battle. ¡®I guess this is why she told me to check the store¡­¡¯ And. ¡¸ Power: Bone Reconstruction (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: A power that can turn any bone structure into one suited for martial arts with no regard for the level of martial understanding. All stats increase by +2 during the reconstruction. But, if you have already achieved bone reconstruction or are at a level where you can achieve it at any point, you are not able to purchase this power. ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Iron-blooded Sword (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 5,000 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: A power that allows you to summon an iron-blooded sword made of mana. However, this does not deplete the user¡¯s mana. The quality of the sword depends on the user¡¯s mana and swordsmanship level and can be resummoned when broken. However, only one can be summoned at a time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Hand of Death (B-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 2,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: Necromancy and black magic become twice as effective. Causes slight deterioration of flesh upon injuring opponents with an item in your hand. However, if the opponent has a regeneration skill, the ability will only reduce healing by half. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± My first impressions weren¡¯t wrong. ¡®How are they all so good¡­?¡¯ The bone structure one was probably decent considering the stat increase but¡­ The two others were on a different level. Summoning an iron-blooded sword or deteriorating flesh¡­ All I could do was laugh. They we¡¯re so good that having one of these could make you an S-rank hunter. ¡®Especially this hand of death one¡­¡¯ Iron-blooded Sword simply increased your power level, but the Hand of Death was different. ¡®If I¡¯m going against an opponent with a lot of regeneration, I¡¯ll come out on top pretty easily.¡¯ But there was a dark side to all this. ¡®That means other administrators have skills just as powerful as these.¡¯ In other words, they might possess a skill that would render my Ashen Blood useless. ¡°I¡¯d have to be careful¡­¡± I¡¯d just have to put a little bit more emphasis on being wary of other challengers¡¯ abilities. ¡®Anyway, which one should I pick¡­?¡¯ Currently, I only had 2,000 points at my disposal. That meant I¡¯d only be able to get powers around C-rank¡­ ¡®Hmm.¡¯ I could save up a bit more SP and wait to buy a better power, but I couldn¡¯t risk that. Because I knew exactly how strong these intruders from another world were. Even the old man I just faced on the 9th floor was crazy strong. He did talk like he had a screw loose in his head, but his strength¡­ It was important to buy something so I didn¡¯t die to anyone like that. ¡°I guess this is the only choice.¡± ¡¸ Power: Sword Ki Master (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: Sword ki that only top tier masters can use, embodied as a power. Stronger than normal sword ki and is able to be strengthened with mana, ki, or other energies. ¡¹ Sword Ki Master. Baek Sunhak was able to strengthen his sword enough to block an attack from my Triple Laceration. ¡®That was probably this power¡¯s effect.¡¯ Not only that, I got chills the moment his sword emitted an aura of lightning. Just one glance was all it took to see how much power that packed. Of course, the skill was canceled immediately, but I still needed a way to counteract something like that. ¡¸ You have purchased ¡®Power: Sword Ki Master (C+)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ 1,500 SP deducted. ¡¹ ¡°Phew¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh as I felt all my SP escape from me. ¡®I needed to buy it but¡­ money leaving my wallet¡­¡¯ I really wanted to get the +2 in all stats with the Bone Reconstruction power but¡­ Well, it might be more efficient to buy it when my stats get harder to raise. *** [Translator ¨C Bin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡°Status.¡± ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 67 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 66 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 68 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 63 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¨C Serenity (C-), Sword Ki Master (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ ¡®Nothing¡¯s really changed except for a small increase in my agility.¡¯ And the only reason it went up was that achievement I got for blindly dodging his attack. I then selected Sword Ki Master to see the details. ¡¸ Sword Ki Master ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Sword ki that only top tier masters can use embodied as a power. Stronger than normal sword ki and is able to be strengthened with mana, ki, or other energies. However, mana cost increases with duration. ¡¹ ¡°Hm¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t much added to the explanation. Just that the mana cost increased the longer I had the skill active. ¡®Does that mean there¡¯s no cooldown¡­?¡¯ If that¡¯s true, this power may be better than I thought it was. After reading the explanation, I started to push some mana into my sword. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ Shhhht¡­! A blue fog started to form around my sword with a message that my power had been activated. The blue fog gave it an almost dream-like atmosphere. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Mana flowed into my sword when I used Triple Laceration, but this was different. If a river of mana flowing into the sword was called sword ki¡­ Triple Laceration was more like a wave of mana splashing into the sword¡­? ¡®It feels different though.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t test its power here but¡­ I was fairly sure I knew exactly what they meant by ¡®mana cost increases with duration.¡¯ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 1 minute. ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 2¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 4% ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 3¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 6% ¡¹ A message popped up telling me that my mana cost was increasing by 2% every minute. ¡®So in about 50 minutes, the mana cost is going to be increased by 100%.¡¯ Basically, it was going to eat up my mana like crazy. It was costly enough without the cost increase¡­ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ is deactivating. ¡¹ ¡®Well, I think I that¡¯s enough of that¡­¡¯ And as always, it was time to check the trial reward. ¡®I think it was supposed to be sixth sense?¡¯ I¡¯d check that first. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Sixth Sense (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Your instincts become accurate enough to awaken as a sixth sense. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Basically, my instincts just get better.¡¯ If just that was enough to make it a C+ rank skill, it should be pretty substantial. But there wasn¡¯t much else to see. I then sat on my waiting area bed and opened the community. ¡®I wonder what¡¯s trending now¡­¡¯ ¡¸ You have entered the community. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ Floor 10 Community (721/1321) ¡¹ As usual, the community was in a state of chaos but¡­ ¡®Public area?¡¯ I took a note of all the things that seemed useful. AmHyeji: FUck, I went to the public area and¡­ there were mad foreigners. I think we share it with all the other countries. MaxLevelSwordsman: I just got here¡­ what is this place? Why is this here? OhChoonsuk: Dunno. I think it¡¯s there for challengers to interact. Wildlife: Holy shit, I think I just saw a Japanese S rank hunter. What? Buuush: lol even S rank hunters got in here? Damn I trusted them. MartialOldie: I think I get why it¡¯s there¡­ I started getting hella messages from administrators as soon as I got in there. Buuush: You¡¯re getting messages? Why am I not getting it? MartialOldie: Maybe because you¡¯re a rank 347 scrub? TT? Buuush: You lil shit. Public area¡­ ¡®Interesting.¡¯ The presence of foreigners meant it would be good for networking¡­ But it was important that I could receive messages from administrators there. And¡­ MaxLevelSwordsman: Some foreigner just asked me if I wanted to trade powers with their administrator. ¡®You can trade powers?¡¯ Well, I guess I knew what I was doing next. ¡°Public area.¡± ¡¸ Moving to the 10th floor public area. ¡¹ ¡®Interacting with other challengers and being able to make deals with their administrators¡­¡¯ Sign me up. Chapter 62 - Another Administrator (3) Chapter 62: Another Administrator (3) The public area. An area on every floor that was generated for the purposes of challengers to network. A place that allowed challengers to get in contact with foreign challengers that they could normally never meet. ¡®Being able to network with more challengers¡­ That¡¯s good, right?¡¯ This was the chance to get noticed by all the administrators who¡¯d never run into us in trials. Lee Sungjin thought that just that would be worth coming to the public area. ¡®That¡¯s not all the benefits there are but¡­¡¯ Using his questions with his contracted administrator, he was able to figure out a bunch of uses for the public area. Attending auctions, sports battling, gambling, etc¡­ There were a bunch of facilities that everyone could benefit from. So Sungjin canceled his plans to return to Earth and opted to come here instead. But¡­ Was it because he was summoned vacant alley near the main area where everyone else was? ¡°Aren¡¯t these bastards all Korean hunters?¡± Something strange was going on. ¡°Yeah. These fuckers are all Korean. And isn¡¯t that one an A rank hunter?¡± ¡°Damn, I thought Korea was supposed to be a hunter stronghold or something. I guess even they couldn¡¯t do anything about the tower.¡± ¡°They were talking like they were so much better than China and now look at them. Fuckin¡¯ slimy ass turds¡­¡± ¡¸ Mana cost is increased by 100% due to innate ability ¡®Weakening Light¡¯s effect. ¡¹ ¡¸ All stats decrease by 20% due to innate ability ¡®Territorize¡¯s effect. ¡¹ ¡¸ Parts of your body become paralyzed due to innate ability ¡®Eye of Fear¡¯s effect. ¡¹ The other challengers who were summoned in the alley used all kinds of debuffs to restrict Lee Sungjin¡¯s movements. ¡®What the fuck¡­?¡¯ He was certain that something bad was about to happen. In an area with just 6 people, three of them suddenly activated their innate abilities. Lee Sungjin remembered reading something about having to walk a little bit before reaching the area with all the people in the public area. Hence, no one would know if a murder occurred here. ¡°¡­W-Wait a minute. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Startled, Lee Sungjin interrogated the three challengers but¡­ ¡°Who knows¡­? What do you think we¡¯re doing? Why don¡¯t you think hard about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way someone from the hunter stronghold of the world wouldn¡¯t know, right?¡± ¡°Haha, of course. He¡¯s Korean.¡± The three only mocked him. ¡®Ah, I think I¡¯m fucked¡­¡¯ It was true. Lee Sungjin was an A-rank hunter before he came into the tower. With all the experience he had dealing with other hunters, he knew what was about to go down. ¡®They¡¯re doing this here¡­? Not even in a trial¡­?¡¯ They must be trying to kill or neutralize us before taking what they want from us. ¡°I-It sounds like you¡¯re Chinese from your language but¡­ do you think you can handle it? If we expose you in the community right now it won¡¯t go over well.¡± Lee Sungjin realized that was also an option just then, but that didn¡¯t seem to change their minds. ¡°And how effective do you think that will be? And even if you can get this news out of the tower, why would anyone believe you over us?¡± As if they didn¡¯t mind murder as long as it wouldn¡¯t cause problems in the outside world. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll kill you all.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°If you drop all your equipment and do as we say, we¡¯ll let at least one of you live.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Sungjin couldn¡¯t help but grimace at their crude tone. Not only that¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ is keenly observing this situation. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ tells you to take your hands off their contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ laughs and says sucks to suck. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ warns their contractor to back off. ¡¹ Lee Sungjin¡¯s administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ told the Chinese challenger¡¯s administrator off, to no avail. ¡®What should I do¡­?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure out a good way to diffuse the situation. The woman standing behind him took a couple of steps back in fear as well. ¡°Shall we continue this conversation after you disarm yourselves?¡± As the challenger smirked¡ª ¡°How about we don¡¯t?¡± The man in the black robe who was standing silently the whole time finally spoke up. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t think we should.¡± ¡°¡­Do you know what you¡¯re saying right now?¡± ¡°Obviously. I¡¯m saying that we don¡¯t have to sit here and listen to your dumbass threats.¡± ¡°¡­Ha, hahaha. That¡¯s funny.¡± But his face didn¡¯t look very amused. The aggravated challenger eyed the other two challengers and continued in a cold voice. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ll still think that even after you die.¡± The worst possible situation seemed inevitable, and Lee Sungjin tensed up. ¡®I guess I have to fight¡­!?¡¯ But something unexpected happened. Taaang¡­! ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ Sliiit¡ª! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The agitated challenger¡¯s head was flying through the air in a blink of an eye. *** Honestly, I had had high expectations for the public area. It was finally an opportunity to meet other challengers in a non-trial environment¡­ And that could lead to some proper interactions. But¡­ ¡®More of these people¡­ I¡¯m so sick of it.¡¯ The little expectations I had were completely shattered as soon as I entered. I couldn¡¯t even imagine that challengers from other countries would try to loot items from us. Disappointment aside, I just didn¡¯t like these people. Threatening people to get what they want¡­ One of my main skills, ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing,¡¯ was on cooldown but¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mana Resistance.¡¯ ¡¹ They weren¡¯t even otherworldly challengers. These small fries were a joke at this point. ¡¸ Mana cost increase by 100% has been canceled. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stats decrease by 20% has been canceled. ¡¹ ¡¸ The paralysis effect has been canceled. ¡¹ ¡®Easy.¡¯ I cleansed the debuffs off and I felt like myself again. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ Slaaaat¡ª! After decapitating the one standing in the front¡­ I pushed myself a little faster to run to the other two. ¡°W-What the fu¡­! Lightning spe¡ª!¡± Ssssggt¡­! I sliced in half the guy who was about to activate a skill and¡­ ¡°E-Eeek! D-don¡¯t ki¡­!¡± Thud¡­! I kicked the other one who threw away his weapon and conceded. He flew backward and wallowed in the pain as if a bone had broken. ¡°Aghhhh¡­!¡± Judging from his face, a broken rib must have punctured one of his organs. Seeing the tears drop from his bloodshot eyes disgusted me. He was laughing right before he was about to commit murder but¡­ Did he not think that he had this coming? ¡°Ghughhhh. P-Please¡­ G-Give me a cha¡­¡± But I obviously didn¡¯t and walked over to give him his finishing blow. Tup. Was it because I barely felt anything now? ¡¸ Achievement ¡®Fight Fire With Fire¡¯ unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 1. ¡¹ It left a bitter taste in my mouth that I was so desensitized to death. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is satisfied with their contractor¡¯s audacity. ¡¹ Of course, the Iron-blooded Monarch seemed to like that. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Hyun Moojin¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Lee Chunjin¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Nam Jinhyun¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 6.4% ¡¹ They must not have been that strong if it didn¡¯t raise my proficiency by that much¡­ But just their equipment should make this worth it. ¡®Anyway, I wanted to see how powerful the Sword Ki was but¡­¡¯ They weren¡¯t strong enough to serve as a gauge. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll get another chance sometime soon.¡¯ Whether it¡¯s back on Earth or here. I turned around, putting my regrets aside. Then¡­ ¡°W-Would you happen to be a ranker¡­?¡± One of the people who was threatened with me was staring. Like he didn¡¯t believe how quickly this situation resolved itself. ¡°A ranker¡­ well, I guess you could call me that.¡± I was always in the top 10 during the trial evaluations, so I figured I qualified to be one. ¡°I-I see. It¡¯s an honor to meet you. Thank you for your assistance.¡± After the man thanked me, the woman followed suit. ¡°S-Sorry. I should have helped but¡­ it ended faster than I expected¡­¡± I didn¡¯t do it for them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I didn¡¯t have a savior complex and I wasn¡¯t here to save anyone. They just happened next to me when I was threatened and defended myself. ¡°You can go now.¡± ¡°Yes? B-But as thanks¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can just go.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± The female challenger seemed like she wanted to do something in return but¡­ I honestly didn¡¯t really want anything from her. Besides, I doubt it would have been anything that helpful. As I was about to walk over to the corpses on the floor¡ª ¡°E-Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Are you still here?¡± I stared at the male challenger who hadn¡¯t moved yet. ¡®What? I told him I didn¡¯t need anything.¡¯ The suspicious challenger opened his mouth. ¡°Ah, well, I just wanted to give¡­¡± ¡°I said it was fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°T-Then how about this?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Can you let me have the corpses?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± He didn¡¯t even lift a finger when I was tearing through them. I frowned at the bullshit he called a proposition. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± ¡°In return, I¡¯ll give you a power through my administrator.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± The male challenger widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Oh? R-Really?¡± I was serious. I didn¡¯t care about other things, but a power was something else. A power for three measly corpses? I was definitely not on the losing end of this deal. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ admires your quick change of heart. ¡¹ The Iron-blooded Monarch admired this, but this was how humans are. ¡°I¡¯ll take the power as long as you tell me what it does. I¡¯ll decide what to do after that.¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ smiles at your wit. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ watches this situation with interest. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ is sick of your good fortune. ¡¹ ¡®What?¡¯ The continuous wall of messages shocked me for a second. This was more attention than I expected. But the more eyes I had on me, the more I could get out of it. I pushed down any emotion that I felt and started speaking monotonously. ¡°What do you say?¡± The challenger nodded his head without hesitation and¡­ ¡°Okay. To explain this power¡­¡± My eyes widened as I heard his explanation. I realized I had won a pretty good power as soon as I had walked into the public area. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 63 - Arena (1) Chapter 63: Arena (1) ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ approved the power transfer. ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡®Wings of Steel¡¯ is added to the ¡®Category: Power¡¯ of your exclusive store. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but let a smile slip. ¡®To get another power already¡­¡¯ The purpose of this trip was to interact with other challengers but¡­ I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d get something so quickly. And according to the man¡¯s explanations, this ¡°Wings of Steel¡± power would definitely come in handy. The ability to summon a steel wing imbued with levitation using mana. Hence, it opened me up for aerial combat¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll have a way to deal with any monsters or challengers that have a similar ability.¡¯ Of course, he did say that the mana cost was pretty high but¡­ I could take care of that when the time came. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ I¡¯d already achieved like half of the things I came into the public area for. But¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ tells him to back off the challenger he¡¯s eying. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ is enraged at how ungrateful he is. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is not pleased with all the administrators around her contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ watches these three in excitement. ¡¹ All the administrators seemed to be dissatisfied with something. Looking at these administrators fighting put a thought in my head¡­ They definitely had something to gain from sponsoring these challengers. Especially because the Sword Saint mentioned something about ¡®eyeing me.¡¯ ¡®That must mean he¡¯s expecting something from me.¡¯ Was I going to be meeting them anytime soon? Well, there was no way to check that now. More importantly¡­ ¡°¡­So, can I take these corpses and their items?¡± The man carefully asked for my permission after confirming that the deal was complete. ¡°Yes. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Gluttony.¡± The corpses disappeared into dust and the male challenger¡¯s hand glowed softly. ¡®Is it a power?¡¯ Probably something to do with his administrator ¡®Glutton.¡¯ ¡°Now no one will know something happened here.¡± I didn¡¯t think it would have been a problem even if people did find out, but I guess it¡¯s one less problem to think about. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot to even introduce myself.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an A-rank hunter, Lee Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± I thought we¡¯d be off on our merry ways but he introduced himself out of nowhere. I was considering telling him my name but I decided against it. ¡°Well, I¡¯m off to the public area now so¡­ it was nice to meet you.¡± I started to back out of the conversation. But¡­ ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I can show you around the area since we¡¯re both going there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it everyone¡¯s first time in the public area right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I used a bunch of my questions so I know a couple of extra things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just a few minutes is fine. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be useful.¡± ¡®Should I?¡¯ I mean, there¡¯s nothing to lose¡­ But I didn¡¯t really want to accompany a total stranger that I¡¯d just met. I was about to decline politely when¡­ ¡°A-and, I¡¯ll tell you about the other worlds as well.¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ is shocked at his contractor¡¯s generosity. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ starts to smile. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ tilts his head. ¡¹ After seeing the flurry of messages, I quickly adjusted my reply. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Nothing to lose right? *** Lee Sungjin talked the entire time we walked over to the public area. ¡°The public area is centered around a huge plaza. The areas are largely divided up to be the arena, the auction house, and the casino.¡± Of course, there were a bunch of other buildings and facilities that we had access to but¡­ Those three were the only places to go if you actually wanted to do something. I suppose I could rest in the public area if I was too cheap to buy a return stone but¡­ I didn¡¯t really want to do that. There were things I wanted to ask Lee Hayeon about anyway. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ regrets not having formed a contract with you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ tells him to stay away from her contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ slips the two administrators a look. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ is enjoying this love triangle. ¡¹ Maybe it was also because I was tired of seeing all these messages non-stop. ¡®And the administrators must really want something from challengers from the looks of it¡­¡¯ Powerful ones at that. But I didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to think about that and listen to Lee Sungjin¡¯s explanation at the same time. ¡°The arena is where challengers can battle with one another. The victor takes whatever the loser put on the table, whether it be an item or a skill. And the loser loses whatever they bet on the battle.¡± Besides that, the arena would only match you with someone who bet something of equal value¡­ And dying in the arena just meant that you¡¯d be revived with a couple of penalties. ¡°Most of the challengers there would be from the ¡®strategy¡¯ divergence. People who chose that divergence are the ones who go against other challengers the most often. And that also means there are some nasty people there.¡± And then the explanation of the auction house. ¡°As the name implies, it¡¯s a place to auction something off. You can buy and sell items and all transactions are made through points. Everything you get through the tower is pretty high quality, so you can consider it to be at the same level as the VIP hunter market.¡± After that¡­ ¡°Lastly, there¡¯s the casino¡­ but I heard it was a vulgar place. You can exchange all kinds of skills, points, or whatever into ¡®coins¡¯ and gamble with them. I heard you get not only points but also the ability to strengthen skills and items.¡± That seemed to be all. ¡°I have heard that the casino isn¡¯t a good choice for most people. According to my administrator, you can end up losing everything.¡± Most of these things were common sense but it was still nice to know. ¡®I guess I won¡¯t have to waste any time researching this place.¡¯ Since the explanation about the public area was done, he moved on to an explanation about the other worlds. ¡°So you can separate otherworldly challengers into three broad categories.¡± ¡°From what I know, the three worlds intruders will come from are ¡®Ares,¡¯ ¡®Murim,¡¯ and ¡®Kallian.¡¯ When I asked my administrator, he said that those are the only worlds we¡¯ll be intruded from.¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ nods reluctantly. ¡¹ ¡®My administrator didn¡¯t say anything about that¡­¡¯ No, maybe it was because I never asked her about it. ¡®Maybe they¡¯re also being restricted by the tower.¡¯ ¡°¡­Challengers from Ares are mostly knights and place a lot of importance on chivalry. They seem to be receiving their orders from a huge kingdom. Challengers from Murim are similar, but they belong to a lot of different factions and all have different beliefs.¡± Two challengers came to mind after hearing this explanation. ¡®The black knight and Baek Sunhak were from Ares and Murim respectively¡­¡¯ ¡°There isn¡¯t much known about Kallian but¡­ I heard those challengers are something like elves, fairies, or beastmen. Well, I haven¡¯t met one, but that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. And apparently, they usually operate within their species.¡± That¡¯s also something I had no information about. ¡®Kallian¡­?¡¯ Beastmen seemed interesting but¡­ Everyone I¡¯d meet would be my enemy. ¡°The hardest to deal with are Murim challengers. They usually belong to three factions: the righteous Murim Alliance, the shrewd Dark Society, and the evil Heavenly Demon Cult.¡± The Murim Alliance. ¡®Baek Sunhak said that he was an elder there.¡¯ ¡°Have you ever met anyone from Murim?¡± ¡°No, the only one I¡¯ve met was someone from Ares.¡± I wanted to ask some follow-up questions but¡­ ¡¸ You¡¯ve entered the public area. ¡¹ ¡¸ All injuries and status ailments are healed and fights between challengers are forbidden.¡¹ I was interrupted by a message and¡­ ¡°Ah, we¡¯re finally here.¡± I could see a bunch of people walking around the plaza behind the large gate. People from all over the world, walking somewhere with a purpose. Some of them were even talking to each other with a smile on their face. Was the fight with those Chinese challengers even real? I felt out of place that no one was fighting with bloodshot eyes. I just couldn¡¯t tell because I¡¯ve been meeting scumbags. ¡°¡­I think my role as a guide ends here. How was it?¡± I turned to face him. ¡°It was quite nice. I think it¡¯ll be helpful.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± Lee Sungjin dug through his pockets with a smile and¡­ ¡°It ain¡¯t much, but here¡¯s my business card.¡± I took a glance at it and¡­ ¡°You¡¯re the Challenger Management team lead at the Hunter Association.¡± ¡°Haha, yeah, it¡¯s embarrassing, but that¡¯s my position right now.¡± ¡°Sorry if you¡¯re trying to recruit me but¡­¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Our team just collects information on events that happen within the tower.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± ¡°Feel free to contact me if you ever have questions.¡± ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s not free, right?¡± ¡°Money might be fine but¡­ Ideally, it would be stories about the tower.¡± ¡°Is that why you were looking into the other worlds?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so. I have to report it up to the association.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come to you if I ever need something.¡± ¡°Thank you for even considering it.¡± He smiled and continued to speak. ¡°Well, I¡¯m planning on heading to the auction house from here¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I also have a place I want to check out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Where are you headed now?¡± I satisfied his curiosity with an honest answer. ¡°The arena.¡± I¡¯m going to bleed them dry. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 64 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 64: Arena (2) ¡°The arena¡­?¡± Lee Sungjin asked with his eyes wide open as messages started flooding in. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ is disappointed that you¡¯re not accompanying his contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ is amused at your unpredictability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is satisfied with your decision. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is delighted to see you perform. ¡¹ Mostly positive reactions. However¡­ ¡°The challengers at the arena are mostly assholes. And they specialize in fighting other challengers since most of them chose ¡®strategy¡¯ at the divergence.¡± Lee Sungjin seemed overly worried compared to the admins. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ He genuinely seemed to believe that nothing good could come out of there. But that wasn¡¯t enough to scare me away. ¡°I¡¯m not too worried about it.¡± The Chinese challengers I just went up against didn¡¯t put up much of a challenge. Lee Sungjin rubbed his chin while listening to my monotonous response and finally nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, if you say so.¡± It seemed like he¡¯d seen enough to know better than to worry for me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m heading out then.¡± ¡°Ah, okay. I¡¯ll be going to the auction house then.¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Glutton¡¯ says he¡¯ll be back to spectate later. ¡¹ I guess he was going back to looking after his contractor. ¡®I was hoping to get something more out of it but¡­ oh well.¡¯ But the other administrators didn¡¯t seem to agree with me. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ smiles graciously and tells Glutton it¡¯s okay to not come back. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ nods in agreement. ¡¹ ¡®They don¡¯t want to share me, huh?¡¯ I¡¯d have to ask why in more detail once I got back to the waiting area. *** *** The arena. One of the establishments of the public area where users could challenge each other for rewards. First impressions¡­ ¡®Stranger than I thought¡­?¡¯ It was not at all what I¡¯d expected. ¡°Ah, goddammit why did he lose again¡­! Why the fuck is he so weak if he¡¯s a high ranker?¡± ¡°Why the fuck are these Korean players so damn strong? How the hell does a rank 300 win against 100?¡± ¡°FUUUUCK! I lost again! Holy shit! Stop fucking losing!¡± All the fiery passions of an illegal horse racing arena. People from all over the world came together to curse out their fates while staring at a scoreboard. ¡®This is the arena¡­?¡¯ You couldn¡¯t even see the fight itself. Everyone sat in their seats and just furiously tapped on their screens. But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t think I accidentally came to the casino¡­¡¯ ¡¸ Welcome to the arena. ¡¹ At least not according to the system message. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ smiles nostalgically. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is disgusted at this sight. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is exhilarated by all the excitement. ¡¹ Even the administrators were calling this place the ¡®arena.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ I took one of the empty seats to figure out what was going on. And then¡­ ¡¸ Activating the arena system. ¡¹ ¡¸ Click on the screen to choose ¡®betting¡¯ or ¡®battle.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ For additional information, please click the ¡®help¡¯ button. ¡¹ Tat! The black screen turned on and a couple of messages popped up. And I finally figured out what all the rage was about. ¡®Betting and battle¡­¡¯ ¡¸ Help ¡¹ ¡¸ 1. The arena is made up of a ¡®betting¡¯ and ¡®battle¡¯ system. ¡¹ ¡¸ 2. Upon choosing ¡®betting¡¯ you can bet points on other challengers¡¯ battles. ¡¹ ¡¸ 2-1. Upon placing the bet, the result of the battle determines the number of points you get back. ¡¹ ¡¸ 2-2, It is also possible to lose all the points depending on the result of the battle. ¡¹ I can see why they would be so enraged. But this wasn¡¯t what I came here to do. ¡¸ 3. Upon choosing ¡®battle,¡¯ you can place an item to bet and challenge other players. ¡¹ ¡¸ 3-1. The challenger¡¯s name and rank will be revealed to the challenged player, and the challenged player¡¯s name and rank will be revealed upon the acceptance of the battle. ¡¹ ¡¸ 3-2. All battles are one on one and do not start unless both players bet a ¡®skill¡¯, ¡®item¡¯, or ¡®power¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ 3-3. If the two rewards aren¡¯t equal in value, the battle may be canceled. ¡¹ ¡¸ 3-4. Upon the start of the battle, the two challengers fight in the colosseum. The battle ends if a player surrenders and both challengers return to their seats. ¡¹ ¡®High risk, high return.¡¯ I could keep fighting as long as we had something to bet. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Of course, it¡¯s still a 1v1 so there¡¯s a limit to how much you can get but¡­ Change starts one step at a time. I clicked into ¡®Battle¡¯ and found someone to challenge. And¡­ ¡¸ Katheryn Benett ¡¹ ¡¸ Server ¨C America ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank ¨C 6th ¡¹ ¡¸ Reward ¨C Skill ¡®Gust Blade (C+)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Wins ¨C 17 ¡¹ ¡¸ Losses ¨C 0 ¡¹ It didn¡¯t take long to find an appetizing opponent. *** Katheryn Benett. The A-rank hunter once referred to as the ¡®Blaze Witch¡¯ stared into space with her red hair draping down her pouting face. ¡°Is it my number of wins¡­? Why is no one challenging me anymore¡­?¡± She sighed as her eyes stayed fixed on her unchanging screen. It¡¯s not like nobody was challenging her but¡­ Everyone who challenged her put up a pretty useless reward. And she didn¡¯t even count those as a challenge and rejected them immediately. ¡®Why do they even have to show the wins¡­¡¯ ¡®And they can also see that I¡¯ve had 0 losses.¡¯ Hence, she was undefeated¡­ With the addition of her rank, there was basically no one coming in for a decent battle. They must already know that the ¡®Blaze Witch¡¯s real name was Katheryn Benett. Not to brag but she was easy enough on the eyes to grant a couple of media appearances and¡­ She even had a fan base in other countries. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Fire Sovereign¡¯ smirks at their languor. ¡¹ ¡°Yeah.¡± Katheryn silently agreed with her contractor. ¡°Damn scaredy cats too scared to take a risk¡­¡± She believed that you always had to take risks to gain anything. When she was a hunter she always took those risky battles and ended up becoming an A-rank hunter. Those who don¡¯t can¡¯t get stronger. But she couldn¡¯t stay angry for very long. ¡®I guess it¡¯s about time I head out¡­¡¯ She was getting bored of waiting around anyway. She had tried to challenge other people, but they always ended up refusing her after seeing her rank and win streak. And then¡ª ¡¸ You¡¯ve received a challenge. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± And¡­ ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Server ¨C Korea ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank ¨C 3 ¡¹ ¡¸ Reward ¨C Skill ¡®Demon Slayer (C-)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Wins ¨C 0 ¡¹ ¡¸ Losses ¨C 0 ¡¹ ¡°He just got to the arena¡­?¡¯ Her opponent had neither any wins nor losses. ¡®And he still picked me¡­¡¯ Korea was one of the countries with the highest amount of her fans. There¡¯s no way he couldn¡¯t think of the ¡®Blaze Witch¡¯ after seeing the name Katheryn Benett¡­ But this challenger didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ He was probably the most reckless player she¡¯d seen since she entered the tower. Even if his rank was high, it took guts to send her a challenge like that. ¡®Han Sungyeun¡­¡¯ She¡¯d never heard the name before. Korea may not be her home country but she did know a decent amount of A-ranks¡­ But she couldn¡¯t even get close to recognizing the name. ¡®I¡¯ll have to look them up once I go back.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know who this was, but the fact that he challenged her was extra points in her book. So Katheryn accepted his challenge and¡­ ¡¸ The battle has been established. ¡¹ ¡¸ Moving to the colosseum. ¡¹ In a blink of an eye, she was transported into the middle of the colosseum. And¡­ She was joined by a man covered in a black robe. Katheryn flashed a smile at her challenger and started speaking. ¡°I admire your courage for choosing me for your first battle but¡­¡± ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun vs Challenger Katheryn Benett ¡¹ ¡¸ Battle starting. ¡¹ ¡°You should have done a bit more research. Think of this as a lesson learned.¡± ¡¸ Activating power ¡®Creation of Fire¡¯. ¡¹ Explosions erupted from her hands as soon as she stopped speaking and spread fire all around her vicinity. KWAWKWAKAING¡­! ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ This fire was a ¡®power,¡¯ unmatched by normal magic. She was so sure that the ¡®Victory¡¯ message was going to pop up¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Sssst¡ª! Until she saw the blue sword ki splitting her flames in half. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Seeing someone fend off her attacks shook Katheryn for a bit, and¡ª ¡°A lesson, huh?¡± Fzz, fffft¡­ The challenger tossed off the half-burnt robe and finally said something¡­ ¡°It¡¯s definitely nothing to scoff at but¡­¡± It was then that she realized who controlled this battlefield. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like something I can¡¯t deal with.¡± The Korean challenger had already taken over the pace of the battle. ¡ª¡ª Let this be a lesson for yall Korean servers are op ¡ª¡ª Chapter 65 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 65: Arena (3) In a calm, serene, traditional home¡­ Sitting on the wooden awning, a white-haired woman let out a muted smile. ¡°To think that he can already use sword ki to this extent¡­¡± It was all due to the challenger being reflected in a small pond in her backyard. ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun ¡¹ He seemed to know exactly what he was capable of doing with his ki as he sliced through the hurling fireballs. She felt immense satisfaction in the fact that he was so masterful with the sword ki. It was a feeling that she hadn¡¯t felt since becoming the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t think that this was a mere 10th-floor challenger by looking at him.¡¯ In some aspects, he even surpassed her previous contractor, Baek Sunhak. ¡®I mean, I guess that¡¯s how he killed him¡­¡¯ Of course, Sungyeun¡¯s powers were pretty effective against Baek Sunhak¡­ But it was still unexpected that he was able to overpower him. Even if she didn¡¯t consider Baek Sunhak as a real contractor and just as someone who gave him a couple of powers, he was still a formidable challenger. ¡®This challenger is definitely going to get stronger.¡¯ And in just a bit, he¡¯d pass the 30th floor and gain the ability to be an administrator as well. She knew that the moment he beat Baek Sunhak. And that¡¯s why she gave him the ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ power. ¡°Maybe¡­ If it¡¯s him¡­¡± He¡¯d be able to fulfill my ¡®desire.¡¯ Her black eyes gleamed just at the thought of that. ¡®I have to gain more favor from him.¡¯ If not, I won¡¯t be able to ask him to fulfill my ¡®desire.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll come up to the 11th floor soon.¡¯ She mumbled to herself staring at Han Sungyeun¡¯s reflection in the pond. ¡°I¡¯ll have to call him here soon.¡± *** *** After splitting Katheryn¡¯s flames with my sword ki¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ I had to keep jumping around the arena without a second to even catch my breath. After deflecting her first attack, Katheryn completely changed her tempo and started a barrage of attacks. ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 1 minute. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 2% ¡¹ KRAAA¡­! ¡®She¡¯s not even conversing with me anymore.¡¯ There didn¡¯t seem to be an end to the blazing balls of fire that kept following him around. Even deflecting them with sword ki had its limits. Dodging her attacks was tough even with Instant Acceleration activated. ¡®I was gonna use the cloak since Wind¡¯s Blessing was still in cooldown but¡­¡¯ The first thing she did was burn down my cloak. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ looks at the fire with interest. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ has high expectations for you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ bursts out into laughter. ¡¹ These fireballs that were following me around seemed to be a ¡®power¡¯ and¡­ The fact that they didn¡¯t stop chasing me until I cut it down was bothersome. It was then¡ª ¡¸ Skill Instant Acceleration (D+)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill Instant Acceleration (D+) ¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ ¡°¡­?¡± Was it because it was one of my main skills? Instant Acceleration ranked up to D+ and I suddenly sped up. ¡®Nice¡­!¡¯ It was just a slight improvement, but it was a massive relief. With the couple extra seconds, I finally took this time to absorb Baek Sunhak¡¯s soul. If I allow an attack from her, it could get consumed as the passive protective ability. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the Baek Sunhak¡¯s soul. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 1. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 2. ¡¹ As energy flowed through my body with the stat increase, ¡¸ Acquiring one of Baek Sunhak¡¯s skills. ¡¹ ¡®Oh¡­?¡¯ ¡¸ Acquiring the skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki (B)¡¯. ¡¹ ¡®Lightning sword ki¡­?¡¯ I thought back to the moment when Baek Sunhak¡¯s sword was enveloped in lightning. The skill seemed to have been canceled at the time, but it looked like I had absorbed it. KRAAANG¡ª! I checked the skill as I jumped away from another fireball and¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Lighting Sword Ki (B) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C The Flickering Lightning Clan¡¯s signature ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Lighting imbues itself onto your sword ki. This effect cannot be activated by those who can¡¯t use sword ki. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C Upon activation, your ability to control the sword ki increases greatly and also allows you to discharge the sword ki. ¡¹ As soon as I read the explanation, I knew. ¡®I can discharge the sword ki¡­?¡¯ I found a way to get out of this inferno. It was then¡ª ¡°You still have time to get distracted?¡± Katheryn¡¯s eyes flared as she let out another explosion of fire through the palms. VRRRRRRR¡­! Seeing the smoldering waves made the hairs on my back stand up. ¡®Can I do this¡­?¡¯ I was wondering if this lightning ki would be able to get through this fire but¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Lighting Sword Ki¡¯. ¡¹ Well, I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. I could only run for so long. Pzzzzt¡­! The sword ki instantly started thrashing with lightning. ¡®Is this what it means to have it imbued with lightning¡­?¡¯ Not only that, the sword ki now felt as if it was an extension of my body. And¡­ I finally realized what the second half of the skill meant. That this overwhelming control of the sword ki would allow me to project where I wanted to. When I swung my sword toward the engulfing flame wave¡­ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Szzzztt¡ª! ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is surprised at the use of your sword ki. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ giggles at her contractor¡¯s accomplishment. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ cannot believe their eyes. ¡¹ The swing cleanly split the wave of fire in half and it didn¡¯t just stop there. It would have reached Katheryn if it hadn¡¯t just¡­ KRAAA¡­!! Been nullified by the second wave of fire. But that was enough to test the power of this new skill. ¡®It matches Triple Laceration in terms of pure firepower¡­¡¯ There¡¯s no way I could lose with this new skill that upgraded my newly-gained power. ¡°No way¡­! How can you even do that with¡­!¡± As Kathyrn Benett¡¯s blue eyes started wavering, I sent out a barrage of sword ki into the air. Shshshshtt¡­! Seven separate stands of ki branched out like the roots of a tree and¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Katheryn reacted by releasing more flames from her hands. Kwakwakwkaing¡ª! As the ki soared through the air, I followed close behind. And¡­ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 2 minutes. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 4% ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 3 minutes. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 6% ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 4 minutes. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 8% ¡¹ My mana circuit was starting to overheat from the overuse of my mana. There was barely any mana for anything else after pouring everything into the sword ki. And if you calculated the amount I was spending on instant acceleration, I wasn¡¯t going to be able to last much longer. ¡®I have to finish this faster.¡¯ I closed the distance as soon as I finished my calculations. ¡°Uh¡­!?¡± Katheryn noticed and tried to step back to send out another explosion but¡­ Clack¡­! ¡°At this range?¡± My blade was already on her throat. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to slice her neck off, but I decided against it. The arena wasn¡¯t a trial and I felt like I could win the battle without actually killing anyone. ¡®The help text did say that the battle would end if one party surrenders.¡¯ So I wanted to give them an opportunity to give up. ¡°¡­¡± I stared straight into her eyes and saw that she also accepted her loss. She let out a big sigh while shaking her head. ¡°The ability where you threw that projectile¡­ were you hiding that the whole time?¡± Did she think I was hiding my full power against her? She scowled at the thought of being ridiculed by me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I happened to stumble upon it mid-battle.¡± ¡°Did your skill evolve while we were fighting?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± ¡°Sighhh¡­¡± Of course, that wasn¡¯t exactly what had happened but¡­ I don¡¯t think I had to explain that to her. It was then¡ª ¡°I lost, so I¡¯ll surrender, but¡­ can I ask you something?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Why was I the first one you challenged in the arena?¡± ¡°Because I thought your skill looked useful.¡± There was no other reason. I wanted the ¡®Gust Blade¡¯ skill that she put up. I was pretty sure it¡¯d be a good catalyst for skill combination. ¡°T-that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then do you not know who I am¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I scrunched my face in confusion but finally realized what she was talking about. This blue-eyed beauty was probably a famous hunter in another country. ¡®A high-ranked one at that.¡¯ Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable about foreign hunters. I didn¡¯t even know all the A rank hunters in Korea¡­ So there was no chance I¡¯d know anyone below an S-rank in other countries. ¡®And I was busy training all those years.¡¯ Of course, all that hard work was basically for nothing but¡ª ¡®Kathryn¡­¡¯ Maybe I¡¯d look her up once I got back. ¡°I thought you knew who I was and had an ability that would be effective against me or something¡­¡± She let out a scoff and just stared at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t think someone would just challenge me just for the reward.¡± Her stare morphed into a semi-glare and continued to speak. ¡°You said your name was Han Sungyeun?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go find you later. Just you wait.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± But before I could finish, she muttered something about surrendering under her breath and¡­ ¡¸ Challenger Katheryn has surrendered. ¡¹ And she disappeared instantly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡¸ Victory. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the skill ¡®Gust Blade (C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ The battle has ended. You are now being transported back to the 10th-floor arena. ¡¹ ¡°She came and left like a hurricane¡­¡± Not only that. ¡®Come find me soon¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t think there was any malicious intent there but¡­ I guess it was more like she saw an interesting animal? Basically, the same emotion that I was feeling right now. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡®Interesting.¡¯ I guess this skill wasn¡¯t the only thing I gained from this battle. ¡ª¡ª Mc starting a harem now? ¡ª¡ª Chapter 66 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 66: Skill Acquisition (1) I was soon transported back from the colosseum. There was essentially no difference from before I¡¯d left. The arena was still filled with challengers going wild over placing bets on the battles. But¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Gust Blade (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Activates upon rushing forward with a sword and increases the attack speeds of ¡®thrusting¡¯ attacks by 3 times. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C Upon activation, there¡¯s a 30% chance that a ¡®thrusting¡¯ attack is imbued with the wind element and greatly increases movement speed. ¡¹ But that didn¡¯t mean I had nothing to show for it. As I sat there reading the explanation for the skill I had just obtained, my face got darker and darker. I thought it was a sword-related weapons skill at first, but the explanation didn¡¯t match my expectations. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a weapons skill¡­?¡± I mean, it was for purely ¡®thrusting¡¯ attacks. ¡®I can¡¯t even grow it because it doesn¡¯t have a proficiency.¡¯ It was the only one actually worth fighting for but¡­ ¡®I guess there was a reason she put it up as collateral.¡¯ And Katheryn Benett was a magician who didn¡¯t use a sword. Hence, it should have been a great skill that she wasn¡¯t very compatible with, but¡­ It wasn¡¯t quite what I had expected. But a skill of this rank had to be at least somewhat useful. ¡®C+ is higher than what my Instant Acceleration is at now.¡¯ And I could potentially use it as a movement skill. ¡®I guess that depends on how much my movement speed increases.¡¯ Well, at the very worst, I could use it to combine with other blade-related skills. That made me feel a little better about not getting a weapons skill. ¡°¡­¡±It was then that I remembered what Katheryn had said in the colosseum. ¡®She said she was gonna come see me later.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what that meant but¡­ ¡®There wasn¡¯t any malice in her voice so¡­¡¯ I should just let it be. ¡®I can also look her up once I get out too.¡¯ She seemed really adamant, so she must be pretty famous¡­ Lee Hayeon would probably know too. I decided to push that off to later and turned my eyes back to the screen. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Server ¨C Korea ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank ¨C 3 ¡¹ ¡¸ Wins ¨C 1 ¡¹ ¡¸ Losses ¨C 0 ¡¹ There was a slight update to my profile. ¡®1 win¡­¡¯ The number was a little too low at the moment. And it wasn¡¯t yet time to leave the arena. Why would I walk away from such a great opportunity to grow? I wasn¡¯t that foolish. Katheryn Benett was definitely a strong enough opponent who was worthy of her ranking but¡­ I still would have ended up winning the battle even if I hadn¡¯t learned the Lightning Sword Ki mid-fight. And I was sure that I wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone weaker than her. So¡­ ¡®Time to farm some skills.¡¯ ¡¸ The battle has been established. ¡¹ ¡¸ Moving to the colosseum. ¡¹ *** *** ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun vs Challenger Owaki Yuji ¡¹ ¡¸ Battle starting. ¡¹ Unlike Katheryn, who was from the American server, this challenger was from Japan. ¡®Owaki Yuji¡­?¡¯ The shoulder armor and the long spear gave away that he was a spear user, but¡­ ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem like a very good one.¡¯ Maybe it was because I¡®d just learned Demon Slayer, but I could tell that he was full of blindspots. That meant his weapons skill wasn¡¯t even a C- rank¡­ ¡®This is what 11th is like in the Japan servers¡­?¡¯ It was almost ridiculous. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ predicts a boring match. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ critiques his stance with the spear. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ smiles slyly at the thought of a total massacre. ¡¹ The administrators seemed to share a similar sentiment. But my opponent didn¡¯t seem to realize and put on a haughty face. ¡°I was excited to go up against the 3rd ranked Korean challenger but¡­ my expectations might have been too high.¡± When I heard that, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°¡­Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have the exact same thought.¡± He seemed to take offense to that comment and glared at me. ¡°You think you can reach my level with that equipm¡­!?¡± Then¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration¡¯. ¡¹ Kwaaaang¡­! I activated my skill instead of letting the conversation continue and¡­ I kicked off the ground and dashed forward while thrusting my sword toward Yuji. And at the same time¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Gust Blade (C+)¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Gust Blade (C+) imbues wind element into the blade. ¡¹ Not only did the skill activate, but the 30% chance for the extra wind effect had also activated. Fwooosh¡­! ¡°What the¡­!?¡± When Yuji realized this battle could be over in a single blow, he started to move more rapidly. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Shield of Origin¡­!¡± He raised his empty left hand and shouted those words. Fwuaa¡­! A thin yellow barrier spread out in a circle and covered the challenger¡¯s body. That¡¯s probably the skill he staked as his penalty, ¡®Shield of Origin (D-)¡¯. But¡­ ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki¡¯. ¡¹ Kwaaaaaaang¡­! The lightning combined with the wind, pierced through his barrier easily, and¡ª ¡°A-aghhh¡­!¡± The best he could do was give up his shoulder. He stumbled a couple of steps back with a pierced shoulder. ¡°S-surrender¡­!¡± ¡¸ Challenger Owaki Yuji surrendered. ¡¹ His body disappeared as soon as he surrendered and¡­ ¡¸ Victory. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received the skill ¡®Shield of Origin (D-)¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ The battle has ended. You are now being transported back to the 10th-floor arena. ¡¹ I had another victory reward in my hands. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Shield of Origin (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, you can summon a shield formed with mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. ¡¹ I had already gotten my second win in the arena. *** I continued to challenge a bunch of people and won battle after battle. America, Japan, Russia, China, Germany¡­ I challenged people from all over the world non-stop. Of course, not everyone accepted my challenge, but I still got a lot out of them. After winning 3 more times¡­ ¡¸ ¡®Battle Meister¡¯ achievement was unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 2. ¡¹ The 5th win even gave me an achievement. After getting back to the arena, it was time to check my spoils of war. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Silent Step (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to move without making any noise. ¡¹ This was the skill I got on my third win but¡­ There wasn¡¯t really a good explanation nor was the ability that special. And it didn¡¯t even have a proficiency. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not that bad of an ability but¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that helpful to me. I¡¯ll hold onto it and maybe use it to combine it with something later. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Chaotic Onslaught (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect- Upon declaring the skill name, you can increase your attack speed by 2 times. However, if this effect is stacked with another attack speed buff, it is reduced to 1.35 times. ¡¹ ¡®This one seems better than others.¡¯ Any sort of attack speed increase worked really well with my fighting style. Of course, this skill would be weakened when I used it with my other abilities, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Unrelenting Barrier (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, you can form a shield in the direction you are looking in. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C Attacks that come into contact with the barrier are weakened by 15%. ¡¹ The last skill was pretty similar to the ¡®Shield of Origin¡¯ skill that I got before. ¡®But none of these skills have potential to grow.¡¯ That was probably the biggest letdown. Well¡­ ¡®I guess that¡¯s not too important since they¡¯ll just be combination material.¡¯ The problem was not with the quality of skills but the quantity. ¡®I¡¯d like more similar skills so the chances of it ranking up goes up but¡­¡¯ I haven¡¯t gotten enough skills and they didn¡¯t seem that great to be combined together. I was planning to collect more, but people kept rejecting my challenges now¡­ Even while taking the risk of exposing my rank and identity, no one wanted to fight me. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Maybe it was finally time to leave the arena. ¡®Wait, maybe¡­?¡¯ Either I was the dumbest human alive or I¡¯m a genius. ¡®If I have to expose my name and rank anyway, why would I do it one at a time?¡¯ People like Katheryn Bennett and Owaki Yuji were receiving challenges. I can just put something up as collateral and wait for the challenges to start flooding in¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll have to entice them with something.¡¯ I clicked on the screen and¡­ ¡¸ Serenity ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C- ¡¹ ¡¸ You are able to make a logical judgment no matter the situation. Status ailments like fear or confusion are reduced during combat and allow for more immersive combat.] I put up a ¡®power¡¯ unlike anything else on the listing. My name and rank would be posted but¡­ ¡¸ Victory reward ¨C Power ¡®Serenity (C-)¡¯ ¡¹ People would pay more attention to the reward I put up. And the effectiveness of this bait was¡­ ¡¸ Challenger ¡®Mochiyama Yachiha¡¯ challenges you to a battle. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger ¡®Carol Vega¡¯ challenges you to a¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger ¡®Lee Jincheul¡¯ challen¡­ ¡¹ Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Nice.¡± Far more effective than I had hoped. ¡ª¡ª Mc is a¡­ master baiter ¡ª¡ª Chapter 67 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 67: Skill Acquisition (2) Murim. A place where those whose interactions begin and end with martial arts resided. Or is it more accurate to say that they convinced others of their virtues through their martial arts? A world where people conveyed information or proved themselves using simple martial strength. Each individual trained to survive in the world where the weak fall prey to the strong. But no matter which world you¡¯re in, there¡¯s always someone who stands out. Even the martial artists who cared for nothing except strength had organizations and respective leaders. The three most notable ones were the Murim Alliance, Dark Society, and Heavenly Demon Cult. The Murim Alliance was not a small organization and was made of dozens of different factions. It was supported in particular by the pillars¡ª the Nine Clans, One Sect and the Five Great Houses. But¡­ The pillars that supported the Murim alliance were starting to fall apart. It was due to the fact that one of the elders of the Murim Alliance had disappeared. The news of his disappearance spread like wildfire. The Namgoong House of the Five Great Houses was not an exception to this. ¡°Grand elder Baek Sunhak seems to be untrackable at the moment.¡± A man wearing a teal gi reported. And¡ª ¡°From the Flickering Lighting Clan?¡± The successor to the Namgoong family, Nam Goonghyuk, questioned back inquisitively. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I recently heard he was attempting an ¡®intrusion¡¯ in the tower.¡± ¡°And he hasn¡¯t come back even though he was supposed to have been back a while ago.¡± ¡°Is his ranking in the tower gone now?¡± ¡°Yes, grand elder Baek Sunhak¡¯s ranking completely disappeared.¡± After hearing the report, Nam Goonghyuk narrowed his eyes and started to tap the arm of his chair. ¡°Hm.¡± Knowing that he only did this when in deep thought, the man continued to speak. ¡°We can never be 100% sure, but the other elders believe that he may be dead as well.¡± ¡°Makes sense. That¡¯s the only reason his name would be gone from the rankings.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense. Where could he have intruded to lose his life like that?¡± ¡°Considering how careful he is, he probably didn¡¯t intrude anyone from Murim as it could have political consequences.¡± ¡°We think so too. He probably went to a different world.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not sure which world he went to, but it¡¯s interesting that he ended up dying on a lower floor.¡± The man seemed to hesitate for a moment and started talking again. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I guess this isn¡¯t bad news for us. Since one of the representatives of the Flickering Lightning Clan died, we might be able to submit someone we sponsor as a replacement.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°But I am a little curious.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Baek Sunhak may be petty, but he rose to the ranks of a grand elder on pure skill. Even if he did lose all his power, isn¡¯t it interesting that he lost to a challenger of a lower floor?¡± ¡°Maybe. The tower does provide dark arts-like skills to all the challengers.¡± ¡°I guess he could have let his guard down. Well, that¡¯s probably not wrong but¡­¡±He trailed off and smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see who exactly killed Baek Sunhak.¡± ¡°Meaning¡­?¡± ¡°Spare no resources to find the person who killed Baek Sunhak and bring him to me.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± The man in the gi bowed his head to show respect. At the same time, the man felt a little sympathy for this mystery killer. Nam Goonghyuk was a true martial artist who felt joy from destroying other martial artists. This mystery challenger from another world would obviously peak his interest. He couldn¡¯t easily kill people from this world because of his position in the family and the political discourse it would create but¡­ ¡®Challengers from another world are a different story.¡¯ The man mumbled to himself as he walked out of the office. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the last bloodbath.¡± Heavenly Azure Dragon, Nam Goonghyuk. The dragon of the Namgoong family was making his way back into the tower for the first time in 5 years. *** The victories were non-stop after the power was up for grabs. Players saw the power and challenged me in hopes of maybe being able to win it. As a result, I ended up stacking up quite a bit of a collection to combine with. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Of course¡­ ¡®Now that my name is pretty well known, people are shying away from challenging me again.¡¯ They probably realized that I wasn¡¯t an easy target. ¡°Too bad.¡± I even revealed my actual name for this. To be fair, I did squeeze every possible drop I could from this. And I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought this way. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ wants more out of the arena. ¡¹ The reason was clear. The number of skills I had obtained here was comparable to the ones I¡¯d gained my entire journey here. I walked out after determining that there was nothing more to be gained here. And¡­ ¡°Interesting.¡± I stared at the darkness covering the sky and admired it. Who would have guessed that ¡®night time¡¯ existed in the public area? The stars shone through the darkness as if they were trying to appeal their existence to me. ¡®I guess this is better than it always being day.¡¯ With a smile, I started walking away from the arena. Since my business with the arena was done, I wanted to check out some of the other things I could do here. The auction house, casino, marketplace, etc¡­ There were still a lot of things I hadn¡¯t experienced in the public area, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to go visit all of them. Obviously. ¡®How could I not be tired after spending all day fighting in the arena?¡¯ My body was about to give out after the dozens of battles I¡¯d just been in. ¡®I¡¯ll just go see what¡¯s there.¡¯ I didn¡¯t really have a plan so I first strolled around the plaza. As I took a look around, I noticed that there were a lot of challengers talking to each other and exchanging information. Using the public area for what it was actually intended for. ¡®I guess I¡¯m the weird one for spending the whole time fighting when we¡¯re not even in trial.¡¯ In the middle of my walk, I came across a sudden thought. ¡°My name being revealed might become a hassle back on Earth.¡± Just the thought of my name being brought up in the community was already annoying me. But¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not like they can use it to harm me.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t scared of anything they could do, nor was I weak enough to take it lying down. Not after everything I went through to get here. ¡°¡­¡± Thinking back, I sure had gone through a lot since I got to the tower. I killed another human being for the first time and found out what it meant to get stronger. My life that stagnated for 7 years faced rapid growth as soon as I entered this tower. And now, I knew who I was and why I wanted to get stronger. I was tired of being looked down upon. I knew how it felt to be powerless in the face of true strength. Whether it was in real life or the tower, the weak always get trampled on. In conclusion? ¡®I have to get stronger if I want to survive.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t climbing the tower to blindly get stronger. If I was strong as I am now when the dungeon break happened, my parents would still be alive. I was weak then, and paid the price for it. And¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is confused at the silent walk. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ enjoys this aspect of you as well. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Black Devil¡¯ yawns at you being deep in thought. ¡¹ I had to learn what exactly these administrators wanted. The more administrators that took a liking to me, the more powers I¡¯d be sponsored with. First¡ª Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll have to go back to the waiting area.¡¯ It was time to make use of the skills I got from the arena. ¡ª¡ª Mc almost done going through puberty ¡ª¡ª Chapter 68 The Boundless Necromancer Chapter 68: Skill Acquisition (3) I came back to the waiting area after saying farewell to the administrators that were watching me. ¡¸ You have entered the 10th floor waiting room. ¡¹ But it wasn¡¯t yet time to start combining skills. ¡°Contract marketplace.¡± ¡¸ Contract Exclusive Marketplace ¡¹ ¡¸ SP ¨C 500 ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Skills ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Items ¡¹ ¡¸ Contractor: Iron-blooded Monarch ¡¹ ¡¸ Note: Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯s¡¯ first contractor. ¡¹ I first wanted to check the details of my newly received power. ¡¸ Category: Powers ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing (2/3) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Bone Reconstruction (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Iron-blooded Sword (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Hand of Death (B-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Wings of Steel (C+) ¡¹ I was able to find it after navigating to the second page. ¡¸ Power: Wings of Steel (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: A power that allows you to create wings of steel using mana. The steel wings give you the ability to fly at high speeds. To sustain the wings, you need a constant supply of mana, and the wings automatically disappear if you run out of mana. ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s cheaper than I thought.¡± I thought it would be more expensive since it gave you the ability to fly¡­ ¡®I guess they didn¡¯t give me that good of a power.¡¯ I¡¯m sure the abilities would work exceptionally well since it was still a power, but the fact that it needed constant mana concerned me. As if sword ki master wasn¡¯t already draining enough. ¡®I guess fighting in the air won¡¯t be possible.¡¯ Even if it was, I¡¯d only be able to support it for a short period of time. I only have so much mana and a limited number of ways to recharge it. Of course¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t even have enough SP to buy it yet.¡¯ I had to be satisfied with just being able to see the explanation for it. No matter the mana cost, being able to fly had its merits. The explanation mentioned that you were able to fly at ¡®high speeds.¡¯ That could potentially help you get out of range for certain attacks. It would definitely come in handy someday. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a way to get more SP on the 11th floor.¡± Or else I wouldn¡¯t be able to get any of the powers that the Iron-blooded Monarch gave to me. ¡®I¡¯ll get the wings first, then the iron-blooded sword.¡¯ Since the sword I¡¯d summon would get stronger as I got stronger, it would eliminate the need for me to keep buying better swords. ¡®That alone makes it deserving of the A- grade.¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t something I could get right now. ¡®And I probably won¡¯t be able to afford it even after I clear the 11th trial¡­¡¯ Since that was a problem for later, I shifted my attention to something else. *** *** It was time to start combining some of the skills I got from the arena. One of the ways I chose challenges to accept was by seeing how compatible the skills were to some of my existing ones. That way, I¡¯d be able to combine similar skills together and actually get something I¡¯d use. A lot of the skills didn¡¯t look very enticing on their own due to growth penalties or low ranks but¡­ ¡°Hm¡­¡± That wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t solve by combining them though. I think I¡¯ll start out by combining all the defensive skills. ¡®I can¡¯t just rely on the necromancy shield forever.¡¯ And I didn¡¯t want to accidentally consume a soul because I couldn¡¯t block an attack. I needed some sort of frontline defense in case I couldn¡¯t use up all my souls. I decided to use the shield skill I got from the Japanese challenger ¡°Owaki Yuji¡¯ as the core. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Shield of Origin (D-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, you can summon a shield formed with mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. ¡¹ The evocation and effect couldn¡¯t be simpler even if I wanted ¡®And that¡¯s what makes it a great base.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ I already knew which one I wanted to start with. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Boulder¡¯s Form (E) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Natural tenacity of your body increases and allows you to further harden parts of your body. ¡¹ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The effect does not apply if your tenacity is already higher than that of a boulder. ¡¹ I initially liked the sound of the skill but was disappointed to find out it was a trash skill. But it was still in the realm of defensive skills and should work well with the shields. ¡®Even if it¡¯s not necessarily a shield skill¡­¡¯ And¡­ ¡¸ The two skills are unequal in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Shield of Origin¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 75% ¡¹ ¡®Not bad.¡¯ ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ ¡°Oh.¡± And I smiled at the result of the combination. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Boulder Shield (D+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Evoking the skill name creates a green shield using mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. After a certain amount of mana spent, the shield is strengthened by 1.25 times. ¡¹ There were a couple of changes, but the nature of the skill didn¡¯t stray too far from the Shield of Origin. And¡­ ¡®It took on the extra defensive capabilities from Boulder¡¯s Form.¡¯ Not just that, the proficiency was now 0%. That meant this skill now had potential to grow. ¡®I was correct to choose this as my innate power.¡¯ There were a couple of F- rank skills that I couldn¡¯t even use to combine with this, so I had to organize my list. Most of the F- rank skills combined into decent E rank skills. ¡®And they¡¯re mostly defensive skills still, so I¡¯ll just grind them into each other again.¡¯ ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ And the process was smoother than I expected. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Purity Shield (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Evoking the skill name creates a shield of light using mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. After a certain amount of mana spent, the shield is strengthened by 1.2 times. ¡¹ Sometimes it was a slight change of name and proportions. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Mirror Shield (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Evoking the skill name creates a mirror shield using mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. The created shield can reflect 10% of the taken damage. ¡¹ Sometimes an entirely new effect replaced an existing effect. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Counter Shield (B) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C Evoking the skill name creates a red shield using mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield depend on how much mana you put in it. The created shield can reflect 25% of the taken damage and as long as the shield doesn¡¯t break, you can store that taken damage and release it all at once.¡¹ Sometimes an additional effect was strengthened. ¡°This might be the best one yet.¡± I stared at the explanation of the newly formed skill and thinned my eyes. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem as efficient as Ashen Blood but¡­¡¯ They were about the same rank, but Ashen Blood seemed to be much superior. Of course, being able to reflect 25% of damage taken was a huge perk. ¡®Ashen Blood can only be used defensively, but this works both ways.¡¯ I decided to rationalize it by thinking that they both served different purposes. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯. ¡¹ I focused slightly and the skill activated. Keeng. ¡°Ooh.¡± The skill activated easily without me having said the name out loud. It was like the times I activated the Eye of Truth without saying the skill name. ¡®I should be able to do it with other skills with enough training too.¡¯ It would take some time before I could use it like this in battle but¡­ This kind of quick casting had its merits. I determined that the best course of action now was to start training, and I stared at the shield hovering in front of my palm. The shield had a faint red light around it and was emitting a fluorescent red fog of mana. ¡®I guess it does seem worthy of being a B rank skill.¡¯ Toong. I lightly tapped the shield with my right hand, and the hardness was impressive. Like it would be able to last a couple of genuine punches from me if I put a little more mana into it? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only After examining the skill, I came to a conclusion. ¡°I think I should be good for the 11th trial¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª I hope mc activates his trap card ¡ª¡ª Chapter 69 - Skill Acquisition (4) Chapter 69: Skill Acquisition (4) Initially, After returning to the waiting room, I pondered about whether to return for a while. In any case, I obviously had to keep them posted that I was alive, and I was curious if they recognized people like ¡®Challengers from another world¡¯ in the outside world. ¡®But I don¡¯t think I need to do that.¡¯ However, when I saw the newly acquired skill, the desire to return completely disappeared. It seemed like it could be decided after challenging the 11th floor without having to go back right away. That thought became firm when I directly checked the ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ acquired through skill combination. Pow. Pow. ¡°Its solidity isn¡¯t so bad, and to be able to release the absorbed damage is pretty good.¡± Of course, I had no intention of using this ability at this place, so I immediately deactivated Counter Shield. It seemed that the abilities for protection were sufficient enough with this, so now it was time to combine all the skills I had collected. Skills to be combined could be classified into two broad categories. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Silent Step (E-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Able to move without making any noise. ¡¹ The first was the ability to fundamentally silence the noise from footsteps. Silent step(E-) was quite worth strengthening through skill combination. Basically, it could be said that silencing the noise of footsteps is useful, but what¡¯s more important is that this was a ¡®footwork-type¡¯ skill. That was most important. ¡°They said that there are quite a lot of useful skills that fall under the footwork category.¡± Silent step (E-) simply silenced the sound, but other footwork-type skills also had effects such as increasing the movement speed, among other things. In other words, if you could combine well, it¡¯d be a pretty good skill. It was inevitable that I would be interested, as there could be quite useful ¡®acceleration-type¡¯ skills, such as Instant Acceleration. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Chaotic Onslaught (D) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect- Upon declaring the skill name, you can increase your attack speed by 2 times. However, if this effect is stacked with another attack speed buff, it is reduced to 1.35 times. ¡¹ And this attack speed increasing skill called ¡®Chaotic Onslaught¡¯ was the second. Fundamentally, there was nothing as important as attack speed since I was using swordsmanship skills. The fact that I could wield my sword more times than in a fight where I should¡¯ve exchanged a single blow originally had that much merit. Moreover¡­. ¡®Discharging a Ki sword seems to have something to do with the attack speed, too¡­..¡¯ Now that I could discharge the Ki sword into a slash with the Lightning Sword Ki, the attack speed had to become more important. ¡°Anyway, both of them are pretty good as a base for new skills to learn.¡± Of course, I couldn¡¯t raise the Proficiency of both of them, and their performance isn¡¯t that good, but¡­¡­ I knew the way to overcome all those shortcomings. ¡°Skill Combination.¡± It was none other than a skill combination. The power of pioneers to raise the skill rank to a higher level by combining low-rank skills existed to be used in this kind of situation. ¡¸ Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Listing the available skills. ¡¹ I immediately looked at the skill list and slowly started combining the skills I had learned. ¡¸ The two skills aren¡¯t identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Silent step¡¯ will become the core of the combination.¡¹ First, I continued combining, starting with Silent Step, which was closely related to walking. Basically, it was important to add a usable ability based on footwork that could silence the sound. I had a skill in my mind in advance for what kind of skill I should be adding to it. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Escape (F-)¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect- Footsteps are accelerated by 1.5 times when HP goes below 50%. ¡¹ It was a skill that was surely useless, as well as it being such a bad skill. However, if these kinds of abilities were also considered a skill, I could use them effectively. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Silent Step¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 75% ¡¹ ¡®Pretty decent.¡¯ I immediately proceeded with skill combination at the skill combination probability that appeared. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ And¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Hermit Step (E+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C The user¡¯s presence disappears from the footsteps, and when moving in a dark place, the user becomes slightly faster.¡¹ I smirked at the result of the skill combination. As expected from a footwork-type skill, an additional ability saying ¡®When moving in a dark place, the user becomes slightly faster¡¯ was attached to it. ¡°I need to raise the rank a bit higher.¡± With this, it couldn¡¯t be used in actual fights, so I decided to raise the rank a little more. There were quite a few skills that I had acquired from the public area on the 10th floor, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to choose a useful skill among them. To the point that I didn¡¯t even have to do that much skill combination. *** ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ Once¡ª ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ Twice¡ª ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Three times¡ª ¡°The footwork-type skill is now complete with this.¡± The finished result after three skill combinations was quite pleasing. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step(C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C The user¡¯s presence completely disappears from their footsteps, and the way the user walks is effectively restructured. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C Movement speed is increased by 30% when walking in dark places, and when stepping on the shadow of a creature, strength is amplified by 3. ¡¹ First of all, I liked that it increases the movement speed by 30%, but what caught my attention was the fact that the strength stat was amplified when stepping on the shadow of a living creature. ¡®It basically means my attacking ability becomes stronger when I catch them with their back turned.¡¯ Of course, the situations in which it could be used were limited, but it was surprising that the strength could be amplified by 3. Because an increase in strength meant that attack power would become stronger. All that was left was the skill related to attack speed that could be activated based on ¡®Chaotic Onslaught¡¯. I immediately activated the skill combination, and in addition to Chaotic Onslaught, I selected all the skills to be combined. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Light-emitting Sword (E+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C N/A ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, attack speed increases by 1.25x and the sword weapon shines. ¡¹ It was a skill of a slightly higher rank to recklessly use for combining, but it didn¡¯t feel like a waste. Typically, I wouldn¡¯t have used it for combining if this skill¡¯s ¡®sword weapon shines¡¯ had any special effect¡­ It was only an ability to simply decorate the weapon, so I had no choice but to use it for skill combination in the end. ¡¸ The two skills aren¡¯t identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Chaotic Onslaught¡¯ will become the core of the combination.¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Chaotic Onslaught¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high tier skill is 93% ¡¹ ¡°Oh, it looks like the compatibility of the skills is good.¡± After seeing the messages that were displayed, I immediately proceeded with skill combination. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ New skill generated. ¡¹ Seeing those messages, I immediately checked the skill I had acquired. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Chaotic Sword-fighting Play (C+)¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C When swinging a sword, the blade glows red and attack speed increases by 2%. This effect can be stacked up to 10 times in total.¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C When the attack speed of the sword increases until the last stack, the attack speed is additionally increased by 5%. However, if the user doesn¡¯t immediately link the attack, the gathered stacks are initialized.¡¹ A type of skill that could stack like Wind¡¯s Blessing(A-) had been generated. As I looked at the description of the skill, I soon admitted it. ¡°Should I say, as expected from Skill Combination¡­?¡± The skills I had just acquired were great enough that it wasn¡¯t a waste to combine all the skills I got from the public area. Even now, the ability to frantically increase attack speed by stacking like Chaotic Sword-fighting Play was inevitably useful in many ways. ¡®The higher the skill proficiency, the better the ability will become.¡¯ Moreover, this was true not only for this Chaotic Sword-fighting Play, but also for the Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step I had just generated. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that both of them had an overwhelming ability compared to their skill ranks. Of course¡­ ¡°Thanks to that, I almost lost all the skills I had won from the arena, though.¡± It took quite a lot of skills to combine to attain such an excellent skill. Excluding the Gust Blade skill that I got from Katheryn Benett, the skills I¡¯d acquired in the public area had been synthesized into three. Counter Shield. Chaotic Sword-fighting Play. Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step. All of them were rare skills that exceeded C+ level, so it wasn¡¯t a waste to consume quite a lot of skills. So I had to make a decision soon. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to delay going back to the real world.¡± It was the same when I checked Counter Shield by myself, but after combining all the remaining skills, I think that I¡¯ll definitely be able to clear the 11th floor. It wasn¡¯t a groundless idea. I acquired a whopping two C+ rank skills, and even Counter Shield had a higher skill level than the Ashen Blood skill I¡¯d previously acquired. In other words, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be difficult to go to the 11th floor, as not only had my abilities increased that much, but all of them were also of a high level. In the end, after giving it some time to think, I came to a conclusion. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if I get to the 11th floor as quickly as possible.¡± I changed my mind. Instead of returning immediately, I decided to go up to the waiting room on the 11th floor and then return to the real world. Having decided like that, there was nothing to think about and prepare for. It was because I didn¡¯t think I needed to buy more items at the moment, and even if I didn¡¯t have such things, I figured that my skills were enough to cover them. ¡¸ Do you accept the 10th floor trial? ¡¹ Without thinking about that matter more, I immediately responded to the trial on the 10th floor and stepped into the portal that appeared in front of me without hesitation. And¡ª ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials 10th floor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®cooperation.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ ¡®Cooperation, huh¡­..¡¯ Seeing the next message that appeared, I clenched the sword in my hand tightly. ¡¸ The 10th floor trial is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 3 hours ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Subdue the boss monster cooperatively within the remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Teammate¡¯s death or end of remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Skill Proficiency Potion (B+) ¡¹ Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ After reading this far, I understood what the structure of the trial of the 10th floor was. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I did a combined trial.¡± It was a combined trial with other challengers. Chapter 70 - Trial of the 10th Floor (1) Chapter 70: Trial of the 10th Floor (1) ¡¸ The 10th floor trial is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 3 hours ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Subdue the boss monster cooperatively within the remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Teammate¡¯s death or end of remaining time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C Skill Proficiency Potion (B+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ Seeing the messages flooding the air, I immediately began to look around. The moonlight was shining brightly on the area, which reminded me of an empty field. Seeing that there¡¯s no enemy despite it being a trial of subjugation, I instantly noticed that the enemy would appear only after the team members appeared. And¡­ ¡¸ Team members are assigned according to the evaluation rankings. ¡¹ ¡¸ You¡¯ll get a 30-minute grace period after the team members are assigned. ¡¹ ¡¸ During this grace period, the remaining time won¡¯t pass and you can have an extended time to meet between the challengers. ¡¹ ¡¸ In the meantime, please prepare as much as possible cooperatively and subdue the boss monster. ¡¹ ¡°Turned out just as I expected.¡± A system message popped out as though what I thought was the correct answer. It was then¡ª ¡¸ The team members are now assigned. ¡¹ ¡¸ Evaluation rankings of the assigned team members will be listed. ¡¹ Whirrr¡­¡­.! Three portals were created a short distance away, and challengers appeared from there. ¡¸ Evaluation Ranking 1st, Kim Seunghoon ¡¹ The first to appear was a challenger wearing a black mask and putting a hammer on his shoulder¡ª ¡°Another combined trial, huh¡­ What a pain in the ass.¡± ¡¸ Evaluation Ranking 2nd, Oh Choonsuk ¡¹ The second person was a challenger with a skinny physique and a unique sullen face. ¡°Huh? Why, Seunghoon Hyungnim, you were also climbing the tower?¡± ¡¸ Evaluation Ranking 6th, Headygongdu ¡¹ The third and final person to appear was a bizarrely-dressed challenger in a red suit. Perhaps all the team members appeared since no portals appeared after that, and Evaluation Rankings also stopped listing. ¡°¡­¡± I looked at them and narrowed my eyes in surprise. ¡®Team members are assigned according to the Evaluation Rankings, I see¡­¡¯ To think that all the challengers at the top of the Korean server Evaluation Ranking appeared. As I was feeling surprised, Kim Seunghoon opened his mouth while fiddling with his black mask. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to say during the 30-minute grace period.¡± He had a slightly arrogant attitude, but I figured at once that his words contained various meanings. Since we¡¯d all come this far, there was probably not much we needed to know about each other, and we just needed to clear the trial properly. As expected from the first of the Evaluation Ranking, he quickly grasped the situation, and he knew how to draw the line appropriately. Wearing a black mask and holding a hammer¡­ Needless to mention about his combat power, I had an impression that he¡¯d be on the top of the challengers of the current tower. ¡®Well, I mean, that¡¯s probably why he can proudly present his real name even if he¡¯s the number one.¡¯ Just then. ¡°Uh¡­ I also agree with Seunghoon Hyungnim. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to talk about.¡± Belatedly, with Kim Seunghoon¡¯s words, Oh Choonsuk also agreed and lightly stepped back. ¡®He doesn¡¯t really look like second place in the Evaluation Ranking.¡¯ Should I say he looks slightly more naive contrary to his looks? Not befitting the Evaluation Rankings, he seemed to be unable to assert himself at all, and he had a somewhat more timid impression. Occasionally, I saw them fussing about the only ranker who was originally an ordinary citizen in the messages, and I thought that might be the case. And¡­ ¡°Well, since you guys are all rankers, you can probably act on your own. I have no objections.¡± Finally, the challenger who uses the nickname Headygongdu also meekly accepted the word. ¡®Surprisingly, there are a lot of people with common sense. Maybe it¡¯s because of the high Evaluation Ranking.¡¯ I thought that there might be some people who¡¯d like to go on a rampage like in the 6th floor or in the public area¡­ But it was a pretty good situation for me because no one seemed to have their personality worn out to that extent, and they only had one goal in their mind, which was to clear the trial together. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ tilts her head at the surprisingly easy-going situation. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ pouts at the unnecessary peace. ¡¹ Of course, the two administrators who immediately started observing me as soon as I entered the Trial didn¡¯t seem to like it. It was then, when I was about to agree with his statement while feeling a sense of relief¡ª ¡°By the way¡­ Apart from not having any objections, I have something I want to ask you all.¡± All of a sudden, HeadyGongdu cut me off and started talking about something else. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you guys will all stay still just because the theme of the trial is [Cooperation]?¡± It was Kim Seunghoon with a black mask, who was the first to respond to those words. ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± HeadyGongdu smiled and continued talking, as Seunghoon was looking at him as though he was asking for further explanation. ¡°I¡¯m meaning it literally. The theme of the Trial is definitely [Cooperation]. All we have to do is team up along with the challengers and defeat the boss monster¡­ Yes, it¡¯s a theme that¡¯s not a competition. But does that mean that the next trial will be the same?¡± With those words, Oh Choonseok rubbed his chin and then answered while shaking his head. ¡°Mm¡­ Probably not. Since the theme of each trial changes in the Tower of Trials.¡± ¡°Exactly. Did you see the message that just appeared?¡± ¡°It mentioned that the team members are assigned according to the Evaluation Rankings. This means that from now on, the level of the combined trial will change according to the Evaluation Ranking. Don¡¯t you get it? This means that everyone is also a potential competitor.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°What are you¡­¡± At the same time, as Oh Choonseok frowned, Headygongdu said as though assuring him. ¡°Ah, of course, that probably doesn¡¯t apply to you, Oh Choonseok-ssi. As well as Kim Seunghoon-ssi. You two seem to be friendly with each other, making it even more so. There¡¯s no need for you guys to fight, as you¡¯ll cooperate to some extent in other trials too. But however¡ª¡± HeadyGongdu said so, and then continued with a fishy smile. And¡­ ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a little different for ¡®Hunter¡¯, 3rd place in the Evaluation Ranking?¡± After he finished speaking, I had no choice but to stiffen my face. *** For Kim Seungjun, deceiving others was a daily thing. To provoke a fight with others with the fact that¡¯s not deceiving was the best way for him to survive. His way of life didn¡¯t change from when he was young until he worked as a C-Rank hunter. He falsely divided the team so that someone couldn¡¯t receive the reward that was supposed to be shared for him to get a bigger share. When he found a way to join a good guild, he drove his fellow teammates to another place and even went in by himself. Don¡¯t they say that by nature, humans are more prone to being deceived by the lies they hear from others than the truth in front of them? Others¡¯ fighting had always benefited him. And it could also be used in a foreign place called the Tower of Trials. After starting to use the nickname HeadyGongdu, he prevented information from being shared by encouraging quarrels between challengers as much as possible through the community function. Thanks to this, Kim Seungjun took advantage of the lack of interaction between challengers for a long time and benefited greatly from the combined trials and personal trials. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Deceitful Clown¡¯ smiles with his lips torn off at the contractor¡¯s deception.¡¹ HeadyGong, no, Kim Seungjun enjoyed the atmosphere that turned cold and laughed inwardly. ¡®I can¡¯t stop doing this because of this.¡¯ The pleasure rushed in to see the hardened face of everyone as though they had never thought of it. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Master of duel¡¯ frowns at your speaking skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Deception¡¯ Looks at your deceitful act with pleasure. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The one gazes at darkness¡¯ Comments on your actions as a unique survival technique. ¡¹ Even the administrators who had been watching began to have an interest in him. Of course, there was one administrator who didn¡¯t really like him, but¡­ In any case, seeing the ¡®Deceitful Clown¡¯, the administrator that Kim Seungjun signed a contract with, was having fun, so it wasn¡¯t a bad reaction. ¡®Maybe I can get a new power if I make the situation a little more interesting?¡¯ Thinking those made him excited and even made Kim Seungjun¡¯s mouth lighter at once. He glanced at the messages floating in the air, then turned his head to look at ¡®Hunter Han Sungyeun¡¯ on the other side. ¡®Looking at his face stiffened up, he must be bewildered.¡¯ King Seungjun knew him well as he recently acquired his skills through all kinds of duels while revealing his name in the public area. He was a person who took out powers in the public area and acquired numerous skills through all kinds of duels using it as bait. He felt more hostile towards him because he had seen the scene in real-time in the public area as well as in the chat room. ¡®This bastard will become insanely strong if I let him be any longer¡­¡¯ If he climbed the tower a little more, Han Sungyeun could become stronger and later come up as a threat to Kim Seungjun in the combined trials. Therefore, Kim Seungjun thought that he needed to get rid of Han Sungyeun as soon as possible in this 10th floor combined Trial. Of course, if he was alone, it would¡¯ve been different rather than provoking a quarrel with Han Sungyeun, but¡­ ¡°The ¡®Hunter¡¯, who always hid himself without even chatting, is quite famous these days. Not only did he gain skills by betting his power in the arena, but he was always part of the rankings in the trial evaluations, so I always observed him with interest.¡± Currently, in this combined trial, in addition to ¡®Kim Seunghoon¡¯, the first place in the Evaluation ranking, ¡®Oh Choonseok¡¯, the second place was also here. Which meant? That Kim Seungjun could kill Han Sungyeun depending on how he played the game. ¡°You must¡¯ve acquired quite a number of skills already¡­ I don¡¯t know about the cooperative-themed trials, but what about other trials? Can you guarantee that you won¡¯t be a threat to Seunghoon, or Choonseok? No, right?¡± Kim Seungjun used exaggerated gestures as much as possible, acting as though they had to get rid of him immediately. However¡­ ¡°So you were the one who was acting up on the 4th floor combined trial.¡± ¡°Was it Kim Seungjun or something, who said that competition was essential for the 4th floor combined trial?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you like moving your mouth that much, I recommend you do it in front of a mirror.¡± ¡°Haha, how could you put it like¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you kill the other challengers or not, but you¡¯d better not involve me in it.¡± When Kim Seunghoon finished his words to that point, Oh Choonseok said as though adding to it. ¡°Uh, mm¡­ I agree with Seunghoon Hyungnim¡¯s idea. I don¡¯t really want to fight that much.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If we can get rid of the hunter here then¡­!¡± ¡°But in the end, I don¡¯t think that has anything to do with me.¡± ¡°¡­What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ultimately, I think you just don¡¯t have to climb the tower if you¡¯re not even sure of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kim Seungjun then felt that something was going wrong and started to drip cold sweat. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Deceitful Clown¡¯ clicks his tongue at the contractor¡¯s clumsiness.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Master of Duel¡¯ laughs at your speaking skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Deception¡¯ Enjoys the result of your deceitful act with pleasure. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The one gazes at darkness¡¯ scoffs at the result of your unique survival technique. ¡¹ ¡®Fuck¡­ I think I¡¯m kinda fucked.¡¯ But he somehow kept his composure and continued his words. ¡°I have a special skill. I¡¯m sure we can kill him easily. When we kill him, I¡¯ll give up all the remaining equipment. How does that sound? In addition, I¡¯ll share with you all the information that I have gathered through questioning the admin.¡± It was to somehow make them agree to kill Han Sungyeun together. But at those words, everyone remained motionless and stared at Kim Seungjun silently. And¡­ Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Then, are you done talking?¡± A man who had kept his mouth shut till now opened his mouth in a silent field. ¡°You were blabbering something quite interesting¡­ I wonder how you¡¯ll take responsibility for that.¡± It was Han Sungyeun. Chapter 71 - Trial of the 10th floor (2) Chapter 71: Trial of the 10th floor (2) I looked at the bewildered man with a cold smile. This man, who was ranked 6th in the evaluation rankings, was the one I saw when I was in the waiting room on the 4th floor. ¡®I¡¯m sure his real name was Kim Seungjun¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t forget that he was also the one who suddenly froze the community by emphasizing that the theme of the 4th-floor trial was ¡®competition¡¯. Of course, thanks to that, I was able to prepare for the shock of homicide a little, but¡­ ¡®Now I understand his purpose in telling the theme of the trial.¡¯ The challenger right in front of me didn¡¯t tell us about the trial of competition with pure intentions. It must¡¯ve been just to create a situation where he could gain the most benefit by actively forming a competitive structure. What prepared me for homicide in the process was simply the additional factor I had obtained using his constructed situation. In other words, there was no reason for me to be silent about Kim Seungjun¡¯s asshole behavior. And¡­ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is furious with the one who tried to harm her contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Gluttony¡¯ tilts his head, wondering what¡¯s going on. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is looking forward to your refreshing move. ¡¹ Even the administrators who started watching me all of a sudden seemed to dislike Kim Seungjun, so I had no reason to hesitate anymore. ¡°¡­¡± I glared at Kim Seungjun, who looked at me with his mouth tightly shut and smiled softly. ¡°Kim Seungjun-ssi.¡± I continued watching Kim Seungjun flinch and step back at my words to him. ¡°The things you were blabbering just now were quite interesting.¡± Although it was a cooperative theme, the statement he said that they should cooperate and kill me because we could become competitors in the future was interesting. It was even more interesting since, for one moment, it pressured me to the point that I had to ponder over whether I could kill all three of them together. ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­.. I can explain it through conversa¡­¡± ¡°No, No. How could you explain it through conversation at this moment.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you blabber it that way since you had enough strength to handle what you¡¯ve said?¡± But how could you talk like a bitch there, saying things like explaining it through conversation? When I added those words, I could see Kim Seungjun¡¯s eyes shaking rapidly. It was understandable. Most of the challengers¡¯ combat abilities got stronger in proportion to their Evaluation Rankings. But Kim Seungjun¡¯s Evaluation ranking was 6th, and I was in 3rd place, which was higher than that, so¡­ It was easy to predict that the pressure Kim Seungjun felt right now would be severe because of the two challengers who had declared that they wouldn¡¯t interfere. However, just like a bug that acts desperately when they¡¯re cornered, Kim Seungjun was no different. He looked at me slowly approaching him and opened his mouth as though frightened and began to speak. ¡°P-Please wait a minute¡­! Calm down and think about it! It¡¯ll be a loss for both of us if we fight against each other!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Are you really sure that the two behind us won¡¯t attack!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even if I look like this, I¡¯m also 6th place in the Evaluation ranking. I won¡¯t just stay still if I¡¯m attacked, which will damage you, Han Sungyeun-nim.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that If they take the advantage and break in to kill both of us, there¡¯s no other ending that¡¯s worse than that.¡± At those words, Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonseok frowned as though they were dumbfounded, but¡­ Kim Seungjun glanced at them and continued his words with a sullen smile as though he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Even if we fight and waste our strength, we¡¯ll have to endure the trial of the 10th floor, so there would be nothing good for you, Hang Sungyeun-nim. There¡¯s a chance that those two might attack you. Even if that¡¯s not the case, the trial of the 10th floor might be harder than you think, and you could be fatally injured from the wounds accumulated on your bo¡­¡± It was just all disgusting words to hear. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re talking about this bullshit for so long.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°In the end, I think you¡¯re speaking under the assumption that I¡¯ll receive a lot of damage¡­¡­ But that¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°To take a lot of damage from a guy who¡¯s just all talk, and to get marked by other challengers because of that.¡± It was a story that would make even a passing dog laugh. A book that spread purple energy suddenly appeared in the empty air. He took an item out from the inventory in preparation for a fight. Flutter! The book held in Kim Seungjun¡¯s right hand opened by itself and began to spread out intense energy. He started shouting only then, wiping out all the manners he had while making a bloody smile. ¡°You fucking bastard¡­ It looks like you don¡¯t understand because I¡¯m saying it nicely, but it¡¯s not just you who¡¯s known for something, but I¡¯m also¡­!?¡± *** However, Kim Seungjun¡¯s words couldn¡¯t be continued further and had to be cut off, as if he was in shock. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ This was because I activated the Instant acceleration that ranked up in the duel with Katheryn Benett and began to seriously rush toward him. Of course¡­ ¡¸ The wind of the swamp spirit wraps around the user¡¯s feet.¡¹ ¡¸ Temporarily sealing the acceleration that uses mana.¡¹ As Kim Seungjun didn¡¯t just climb the tower for nothing¡ª he sealed off my feet, which he judged as a threat. But even if he did, I had already prepared for such weakening abilities a long time ago. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Mana Resistance¡¯.¡¹ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡¸The wind of the swamp spirit completely disappears.¡¹ Without even having to use a skill such as Forceful Breakthrough, I immediately regained my speed by the Mana Resistance only. ¡°No way, what kind of insane Mana resistance is th¡­!¡± At the same time, while Kim Seungjun was spitting out his complaint, I was able to reach right in front of him and¡ª Crunch. The moment I arrived in front of him, I kicked Kim Seungjun¡¯s stomach without hesitation. The reason why I didn¡¯t use my sword right away was to see the hidden card that Kim Seungjun was hiding. Just in case, since there would be nothing more complicated than getting attacked during that gap after him blocking my sword. Slam¡­! A loud sound echoed from the place where my feet were stuck, and Kim Seungjun¡¯s body flew backward, but¡­ ¡°K-Kuhughh¡­!¡± Seemingly, he looked slightly shocked, but it didn¡¯t seem like he had received that much damage in reality. Well, since Kim Seungjun was drooling a little bit, it didn¡¯t feel like a threat even if I received those glares. I had a sensation on my feet, clearly piercing through and destroying something, but seeing that he was in good shape, he seemed to have done something. ¡®I wondered why he was wearing a red suit, but I guess it was an item after all.¡± It was within my expectation, so I wasn¡¯t bewildered. It looked like a protection-type of an item, but it didn¡¯t seem to alleviate the direct impact. Judging from the fact that I felt I was blocked while piercing through something when I attacked, it seems like an item that absorbs the shock by creating a shield when attacked¡­ ¡®If I used the sword right away, it might have been blocked by the shield for a while.¡¯ Even better, since I attacked briefly and backed off, I could see what kind of hand the opponent was holding. Regardless of the opponent being weaker than me, since he was a challenger who was on the top leaderboard of the Evaluation Ranking, it was important to figure out Kim Seungjun¡¯s ability. However¡­ Naturally, I didn¡¯t hesitate any longer after realizing that he didn¡¯t have a lot of skills to protect himself. I didn¡¯t pull my kick just now, but I did it with an intention to at least break his ribs. Getting your bones fractured in a battle is like death, so all means of defense must¡¯ve been used by him. That being said, the protection-type ability that was used to block the attack he just used must be the only means of Kim Seungjun protecting himself. ¡®If this is all of your defense, then I can¡¯t lose even if I wanted to.¡¯ At that, I immediately activated the skill with a deeper smile. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 40%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 4/7 ¡¹ Whoosh¡­! The Wind¡¯s Blessing that was activated instantly accelerated my feet a little more, and my body moved like a breeze. The reason why I didn¡¯t go all out was to prepare for the second battle if it occurred later on, as Kim Seungjun said, as there were two challengers watching me from behind. I could prepare for an emergency by making them think that this speed was the best I could pull off right now. However, Kim Seungjun, who was in front of me, immediately unfolded all of his powers as though he didn¡¯t even care about that matter anymore after getting struck once. ¡°Fucckkkkkkkk¡­! Die, you son of a bitch¡­!¡± The moment when he clearly revealed his malice and held out his left hand while holding a book in his right hand while drooling. A chain of a lightning bolt from Kim Seungjun¡¯s left arm began to rush in at a violent speed as though wrapping around his front. ¡®He was saying stuff like if I¡¯ll be alright after fighting each other, but I guess he deserved to say that.¡¯ As I watched the blue chains rushing in as if they were swallowing up the space, the words Kim Seungjun said didn¡¯t seem to be a complete bluff. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ advises not to touch the chain of the lightning bolt. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Gluttony¡¯ Spectates your battle with interest. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ expects you to show off your swordsmanship. ¡¹ The administrators who watched also threw messages to me as they knew that. But even seeing such a lightning bolt, I didn¡¯t feel that much sense of danger. That was because¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯. ¡¹ I prepared for this kind of situation in the waiting room in advance. Whurr! As I extended out my left arm and activated the skill, a large shield with a reddish glow spread over the palm of my hand. And¡­¡­. Claaaaaaaaaaaang! The chain of lightning bolt released by Kim Seungjun loudly crashed into the shield and dispersed, and in the meantime, I felt the lightning partially being absorbed by the shield. Of course, since it was pretty powerful, it consumed quite a lot of mana to increase the toughness of the shield, but that much shock was stacked up on the shield. Counter Shield was a skill that absorbed a certain amount of damage received and then reflected the accumulated amount of damage the other way round. In other words, this shield that blocked the skill that Kim Seungjun had just fired with all his might had some part of Kim Seungjun¡¯s power. ¡°Wh-What is this¡­ You blocked this skill that easily¡­!? It was clear what to do now. I made the size of the shield small enough to fit my hand¡¯s palm, looked at Kim Seungjun in shock, and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you back just the amount I have received, so try your best to block it.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only And at the same time¡ª ¡¸The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ releases the accumulated damage at once. ¡¹ Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaam¡ª! A lightning bolt flashed from the small shield floating in the palm of my hand, and a circular beam of light poured out. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 72 - Trial of the 10th floor (3) Chapter 72: Trial of the 10th floor (3) Once upon a time, there was a man called the Lightning King. An unidentified hunter who belonged to the group of one of only seven S-rank hunters in Korea. Since he always wore a mask, no one knew his face, and his voice was never appropriately revealed. Therefore he reigned as a transcendent existence. He never showed himself, but whenever a gate suddenly appeared like a disaster, the Lightning king always destroyed the gate, revealing his god-like power. And after clearing the gates easier and faster than anyone else, he always reproached the hunters, who were busy running away. ¡®I didn¡¯t know how scums who couldn¡¯t even settle these things could call themselves hunters.¡¯ It may sound arrogant at first, but even though the forcibly conscripted hunters ran away for various reasons, he alone fulfilled his responsibilities. He was entitled to say that because he was that kind of person and not anyone else. Moreover, no hunter could refute the Lightning king. But that was no surprise. This was because it was difficult to find a strong hunter at the level of the Lightning king in the current hunter industry. The Hunter Association even said this if you asked how much it was¡ª ¡®In the future, a hunter of the Lightning King¡¯s level won¡¯t appear easily in the hunter industry.¡¯ He released and poured out lightning on rampaging monsters out of control¡­ After that, the sight of him scolding hunters who only coveted their rights while abandoning the duties they should¡¯ve always done made the Lightning King into an S-rank hunter. However¡­ Ever since the Tower of Trials appeared, the activity of the Lightning King, who had always handled all kinds of gates, had ceased. It was because he was also helplessly dragged into the Tower of Trials just like everyone else. What was worse was the difficulty he was dragged into wasn¡¯t easy or normal, but Hard, which was known for being the worst. Nevertheless, the Lightning King grew stronger and faster. The more he broke through all the trials, the more he began to regain the ability he had before, and in the end, he was ranked Number 1 in the Evaluation Rankings. The Tower¡¯s trial may have troubled him, but it didn¡¯t kill him. It was also the same for combined trials. For the Lightning King, and Kim Seunghoon, who was currently playing an active role as a top challenger in the Tower of Trial, most of the other challengers were like a backdrop. Only Oh Choonseok, a talented challenger who was said to be an ordinary person, was recognized as a challenger-like challenger for him, though¡­ Other than him, he felt that they were no different from the Hunters who had given up their responsibilities from the outside. Until he saw Han Sungyeun in the trial on the 10th floor of the Tower of Trials. ¡°K-Kuhuuuugh¡­¡± ¡°This is different from what I expected¡­¡± Originally, Kim Seunghoon thought that Han Sungyeun would get quite a few injuries, too, when the fight between Kim Seungjun and Han Sungyeun was about to break out. Or, it would be a fight that had to waste a lot of time or put out quite a bit of the skill they both had. However¡­ ¡®He overwhelmed Kim Seungjun in just a few minutes, huh.¡¯ Kim Seunghoon¡¯s expectations based on the Evaluation rankings were immediately shattered. It was because Han Sungyeun suppressed Kim Seungjun immediately without showing all his skills, even though he expected him to spend quite a bit of time to achieve victory. It wasn¡¯t even a kill. He suppressed him. He completely suppressed him by returning some of the damage accumulated by Kim Seungjun¡¯s attack. Han Sungyeun was quite relaxed even though he showed more strength than Kim Seunghoon had expected. In other words, Han Sungyeun didn¡¯t go all out. Oh Choonseok, who was standing next to where Kim Seunghoon was sitting and watching the fight, also asked a question as though he was dumbfounded. ¡°Seunghoon Hyung-nim. Do you know Hunter¡ª no, who that challenger named Han Sungyeun is?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I had never seen such a person among the high-ranking hunters before.¡± Kim Seunghoon, who had a reputation for being the Lightning king, had never seen such a strong person before. It was the same for Oh Choonseok, who was originally an ordinary person. ¡°I mean, what kind of¡­ crazy skill does he have? He blocked magic with a shield made of mana instantly and even absorbed some of the blocked damage, accumulated it, and released it as is. On top of that, he¡¯s not a mage but a melee swordsman. ¡°It¡¯s even scarier that he didn¡¯t fight with all his might.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that wasn¡¯t all of his power. He was just toying around.¡± ¡°He¡¯s good at fighting, I¡¯ve never seen his face before, and his skill set is odd. Skills that aren¡¯t originally obtained from the tower can only be obtained if you have the aptitude. But all his aptitudes are lacking in unity. Shield skill is close to the mage, but swordsmanship and movement skills are close to melee combat classes.¡± Before the Tower of Trials appeared, [Skills] weren¡¯t easily obtainable. Innate talent had control over everything, and depending on whether or not you had an aptitude, it determined your possibility of acquiring it. It wasn¡¯t just that. Even if you had an aptitude for combat skills, the process of effort would vary depending on how much of that attitude you had. Some people could only acquire the skill by repeating the same skill acquisition method by doing it hundreds of times, but others could acquire it in less than ten times. The world of hunters was completely driven by talent. That was until this Tower of Trials, which allows you to acquire skills, appeared. Then that means¡­ ¡°Then it means that an ordinary person who was hitting rock bottom like me developed in the tower and became that strong.¡± Moreover, when watching him fight, he had developed to the point where he was no different from Kim Seunghoon. At that fact, Kim Seunghoon looked at Han Sungyeun and smiled softly. ¡®An ordinary person who developed to a level similar to that of a top-ranked hunter, you say¡­¡¯ Kim Seunghoon¡¯s smile was full of surprise, as well as interest. This was the second time that one of Korea¡¯s top hunters, Lightning King, had had an interest in others. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] ¡°Ku-Kuhuuugh¡­¡± Seeing Kim Seungjun crawling on the floor like a bug, I slightly frowned. It was because I realized that the damage of the lightning bolt released by the Counter Shield was stronger than I expected. I reduced the size of the shield in a moment and concentrated the energy on a small area to maximize the attack efficiency, but¡­ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡®I was just going to inflict moderate damage and restrain his movement for a while¡­¡¯ Be that as it may, I never imagined that I¡¯d be able to take him down him this easily at once. It was a pretty surprising result, perhaps because it was an attack done by Kim Seungjun with a do-or-die attitude. ¡®Well, anyway, it looks like he¡¯s gonna die soon looking at him crawling on the ground.¡¯ Kim Seungjun was dragging himself with a hole in his stomach, somehow trying to get away from me. Some people may feel bad at the sight of Kim Seungjun¡¯s spiteful will to survive, but¡­ There was no other sight as refreshing as this for me, who was almost put in a situation on the verge of death just now due to Kim Seungjun playing politics. And that was the same for the administrators who were watching me. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is inflated with pride at her contractor¡¯s great performance. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Gluttony¡¯ is astonished by looking at your overwhelming battle. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ enjoyed your performance but feels a little sullen for not using the Ki sword. . ¡¹ The Iron-blooded Monarch was even acting conceited, as though she accepted my victory as her own situation. Meanwhile, the White Cran Sword Saint was getting sullen because I didn¡¯t use the Ki sword, the power he supported. Well, actually, I was going to use the Ki sword as well, but Kim Seungjun had lost even before that, so I didn¡¯t have much to say. If I had known that Kim Seungjun would be this easily defeated, I¡¯d have cut off his head by using Ki sword directly, without having to test the water. ¡°I-Inventory¡­¡­.¡± Kim Seungjun, who was crawling on the floor, suddenly opened his inventory and took out a potion from it. Looks like he took out a healing potion to heal his hole in the stomach, but¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m allowing you to do that.¡¯ As soon as I saw it, I quickly moved and trampled on Kim Seungjun¡¯s hand, which was holding the potion. Smash! ¡°Ku-Kuaaaaaaaagh!¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better for you to stop struggling, you know.¡± ¡°P-Please¡­ L-Let me use the potion¡­¡± As though he was driven to the point of death, Kim Seungjun flailed around his arms in the air and made a sound close to begging. It was hard to believe that he was the one who had just tried to kill me by playing politics. But I couldn¡¯t feel any kind of pity looking at that sight. It was obvious. ¡°You probably thought everything¡¯s gonna be alright if you beg after trying to kill someone, but¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t a saint, but I wasn¡¯t an absolute villain either. My will was clear, as much as I had a mindset close to an ordinary person. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little bit too late to survive?¡± Fighting fire with fire. The right response to someone who tried to control others with power was to control them with power. ¡°Challenger Kim Seunghoon-nim, and Oh Choonseok-nim.¡± I spoke to the two challengers with a cold smile, looking at this situation. ¡°I want you two to cooperate to not help challenger Kim Seungjun, even if something that¡¯s not nice to see happens. Would that be okay?¡± At those words, Kim Seunghoon quietly nodded his head as though he wouldn¡¯t interfere. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even have to mention it. After all, he¡¯s a scum who tried to survive by using his silver tongue. Do as you wish.¡± After that, it was a little bit later, but Oh Choonseok nodded his head in the same way and told me to do as I wished. ¡°Y-Yeah, please help yourself. Whatever the outcome was, I was going to kill him anyway.¡± In the end, they agreed more willingly than I thought. Perhaps both of them were trying to get rid of Kim Seungjun eventually. Normally, if it was the usual challengers I¡¯d seen in the Tower of Trials, they would¡¯ve been making a fuss about taking some of the items Kim Seungjun was equipping, but¡­ Rather, it looked like they would¡¯ve helped me if I had been cornered. Of course, it was because Kim Seungjun was such a vicious challenger, so I was able to receive their consent easily. Now that I have received their consent, there was nothing to hesitate for. Craaacck¡­! ¡°K-kuhuughk! My hand! My hand is broken¡­!¡± I immediately smashed Kim Seungjun¡¯s hand bones, picked up his potion that fell to the ground, and read the description window. ¡¸Rapid Regeneration Potion¡¹ ¡¸Rank : C ¡¹ ¡¸A regeneration potion made with special alchemy by grinding a troll¡¯s magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸When the potion is consumed, the [Troll¡¯s blood] temporarily flows through the body, and the body regenerates at a rapid speed.¡¹ ¡¸However, the concentration at which [Troll¡¯s blood] is activated varies depending on the amount of potion the user takes. ¡¹ ¡°You were trying to use a quite good potion there, huh.¡± After reading the phrase that the concentration of [Troll¡¯s blood] activated varies depending on the amount of potion the user takes, I immediately pulled out the top of the potion and spilled some of it on Kim Seungjun. Fizzle. Kim Seungjun, who was on the verge of death as he was slowly stopping to move, twitched and started to move again as I dropped a few drops of potion on his pierced stomach. ¡°W-Why¡­¡± Kim Seungjun muttered to himself as though he couldn¡¯t understand it, but I didn¡¯t do this because I felt bad for Kim Seungjun or wanted to take him as a team member. ¡°Kim Seungjun-ssi, I have an offer for you.¡± The reason why I used a little bit of potion on that bastard was because¡­ ¡°Even now, if you take out all the items in your inventory and hand them over, I¡¯ll use this potion to save you.¡± Just like how he offered Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonseok to kill me and share my items afterward. I was also paying him back in the same way. Of course, in fact, this was just an option that only delayed Kim Seungjun¡¯s death. Even though he probably knew that I wouldn¡¯t have to keep this promise¡­¡­ Kim Seungjun had only one option to choose from. ¡°Please decide.¡± Kim Seungjun, who was nothing but a loser, wasn¡¯t given a choice from the beginning. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡ª¡ª Chapter 73 - Trial of the 10th floor (4) Chapter 73: Trial of the 10th floor (4) By natural law, the world revolves around those who own things. Whether money, talent, or anything else, those who didn¡¯t own things couldn¡¯t beat those who owned things. Just like me, who couldn¡¯t walk the path as a hunter due to a lack of skill aptitude. However, after I started climbing the Tower of Trials, I was able to have what I couldn¡¯t have. The rewards I got from overwhelming, insane trials of life and death gave me a lot of things. Thanks to that, I was able to acquire strength I never had before. Well, I couldn¡¯t really feel it because I had suffered hardships by meeting challengers from another world before I even got to feel the power I had in my hands¡­ But not anymore. ¡¸The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: A- ¡¹ ¡¸A special tailcoat worn by one of the vampires of Callian when he was young.¡¹ ¡¸When the user is attacked, the user can arbitrarily consume their stamina or blood to create a bloody barrier. ¡¹ ¡¸The level of the shield is determined according to the amount of stamina and blood consumed at this time.¡¹ Looking at the red tailcoat I got from Kim Seungjun, I slightly raised the corners of my lips. To think that I could get an item with an astounding A-rank without paying any price. No, It¡¯s probably not that I didn¡¯t pay for it at all. If I had lost the battle just now, it would¡¯ve been me who was putting out all the items by now, not Kim Seungjun. ¡®So it¡¯s the law of high-risk, high-return, huh¡­¡¯ As much as I took the risk of death, there were quite a few things I could gain this time. ¡¸Amplifying Tome ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: C+ ¡¹ ¡¸A tome dedicated to amplifying mana that one of Ares¡¯ court mages used when they were young.¡¹ ¡¸Mana concentration and mana properties are strengthened when the user casts magic with the book in their hand. ¡¹ ¡¸However, if the user drops the tome from the hand while in use, all of their stats will decrease by 1. ¡¹ As well as that chaotic magic tome that Kim Seungjun used while holding in his hand during the fight. ¡¸Necklace of Thunder God Worshiper ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: A ¡¹ ¡¸A necklace that can change the user¡¯s magical properties into the thunder attribute when worn for a long time.¡¹ ¡¸It can change up to three people¡¯s magical properties, and this effect only applies to those who don¡¯t have any magical properties at all. ¡¹ ¡¸Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: B+ ¡¹ ¡¸Reaction speed +7%¡¹ ¡¸Attack speed +10% ¡¹ ¡¸A fine sword that was once one of the treasures that have been passed down from the Blood Demonic Cult of Murim.¡¹ ¡¸When used by someone with a swordsmanship skill, blood ki flows around the blade, and the flow of magical power through the blood sword becomes smoother. ¡¹ I was also able to obtain a sword that he didn¡¯t use during the battle, as though it was acquired by killing someone else. Other than that, I was able to get different items, but there were no items that caught my attention except for these three. The rest of the items were good enough to be disposed of somewhere if I returned to reality soon. I tried breaking his recovered hand bones and restoring them repeatedly in case there were any items Kim Seungjun was hiding, but¡­ Crash! Crash! Crash! ¡°Fuuuuuuckkk¡­.! You, son of a bitch! This is all! Everything! I gave you everything that I got¡­!!¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡® Eye of Truth.¡¯ ¡¹ Everything that this person says is true. He seemed to be hiding no items at all. Only then did I remove my feet that were on Kim Seungjun¡¯s body and put the acquired items into the inventory. Of course, I didn¡¯t store the [Necklace of Thunder God worshiper] in the inventory and wore it right away. ¡¸Currently, Player Han Sungyeun doesn¡¯t have a unique mana property.¡¹ ¡¸The mana property begins to develop under the effect of the Necklace of Thunder God Worshiper (A).¡¹ It was because I thought that it wasn¡¯t so bad to get a property for someone like me who didn¡¯t have a mana property at all. When I asked Kim Seungjun, I was able to find out that he only used it once, and It still had about two uses left. ¡°Please, stop it already¡­ I-I¡¯ll do anything if you spare me, so¡­¡± In the process, his bones were broken and regenerated several times, and Kim Seungjun turned into a gruesome sight, but¡­ I didn¡¯t feel any sense of pity or anything because of that sight. He made his bed, it was time for him to lie in it. He was just paying the price for his own evil deeds. As I looked at his not-even-pitiful figure, I soon smashed the potion in my hand. Crack! Seeing the glass shards smashed on my hands and the potion inside dripping onto the floor, Kim Seungjun¡¯s eyes widened and he gnashed his teeth. ¡°Fuck¡­!! I gave you all the items in my inventory as you wanted, but what¡­!!¡± ¡°Why would I keep a promise¡­ that I don¡¯t even have to keep.¡± I answered with an unmoved voice even after hearing his cry and approached Kim Seungjun. Kim Seungjun was frightened and tried to run away from the place somehow, but he couldn¡¯t. As I didn¡¯t even use 30% of the Rapid Regeneration potion, Kim Seungjun was barely surviving. ¡°Fuck, Fuck, Fuck¡­!! Please, somebody help m¡­!¡± Kim Seungjun somehow crawled with both arms and asked help from Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk, but¡­ Crash! I immediately stomped on Kim Seungjun¡¯s head as hard as I could and cut his voice off cleanly. ¡°¡­¡± After a neat finale with no feelings of guilt, regrets or anything left¡ª ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the player ¡®Kim Seungjun¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 12.7% ¡¹ Again, only the message of Necromancy that informed me I had absorbed the soul floated up. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** When I absorbed the soul of Kim Seungjun after he died, a new message appeared in front of me. ¡¸10 minutes left until the start of the trial.¡¹ ¡¸All challengers, please prepare for the upcoming trial of the 10th floor.¡¹ It was none other than the waiting time for the trial of the 10th floor ending soon. Well, it took quite a while to kill Kim Seungjun, but I gained a lot of worth from that. As I was feeling satisfied with it, Kim Senghoon and Oh Choonsuk approached me. ¡°Looks like you have completely finished him.¡± Kim Seunghoon spoke to me with a calm attitude, and I responded to it without any emotions. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t tend to leave the source of possible troubles.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Well, that¡¯s not a bad choice either.¡± I was nervous for a while, wondering if it was to activate some kind of skill, but¡­ ¡¸ Challenger Kim Seunghoon has sent you a friend request. ¡¹ The tension dissipated immediately with the friend request message that arrived suddenly. ¡°You may contact me in the future if you have any questions or concerns.¡± Before I could even be bewildered by his voice that seemed satisfied, Kim Seunghoon immediately turned his back and walked away from me with those words. ¡®¡­What was that?¡¯ While I was feeling a profound sense of wonder about what in the world was going on¡ª ¡¸ Challenger Oh Choonsuk has sent you a friend request. ¡¹ Then, the friend request of Oh Choonsuk, who was next to him, also arrived. When I looked at Oh Choonsuk, soon he opened his mouth embarrassedly. ¡°Haha¡­ I might be a little bit shameless, but I want to contact you in the future.¡± It seemed that the fact that he didn¡¯t help me in the fight with Kim Seungjun made him feel quite uncomfortable. But even if I was in place of Oh Choonsuk, I wouldn¡¯t have risked helping others. And it looked like he was going to kill Kim Seungjun no matter what. Then if he really thought that I was in danger, he would¡¯ve intervened. ¡°Not even close. Well, you can always contact me if you want to.¡± There was nothing wrong with having a means of contact with the top challengers. ¡¸ You¡¯ve accepted the friend request from challenger Kim Seunghoon. ¡¹ ¡¸ You¡¯ve accepted the friend request from challenger Oh Choonsuk. ¡¹ I accepted the two friend request immediately. Only then did Oh Choonsuk smile. ¡°Ah, Thank you. I was wondering what I should do if you don¡¯t accept it¡­ Thank goodness.¡± Oh Choonsuk said so, and then he glanced at me and continued. ¡°You must¡¯ve chosen the conqueror when choosing the radiance on the 8th floor.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes in response. ¡°¡­!?¡± When I looked at Oh Choonsuk as though surprised, he scratched his head, embarrassed. ¡°When I saw you using the skill a while ago, it looked like you summoned something like a shield made out of mana¡­. But it¡¯s unlikely that melee-type hunters would learn such a thing. It seems like a skill with a fairly high rank, but it¡¯s difficult for melee-type hunters to acquire such skills. Well, not only that, but there are other reasons as well.¡± ¡°What would that other reason be¡­¡± ¡°Radiance¡ª I also chose the conqueror, you see. So I was sure. Well, I couldn¡¯t combine skills with such a high rank like you did, Han Sungyeun-ssi. It looks like you acquired your skills by integrating all the useless skills you¡¯ve acquired so far, but honestly, I feel envious.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± Just as I was starting to think so, Oh Choonsuk opened his mouth again as if he was going to explain it. ¡°Originally, skills were easy to acquire when you have the aptitude you know¡­ Each skill requires different aptitudes, and there are also aptitude levels that make it almost impossible to get one.¡± I couldn¡¯t deny that what he was saying was true until the towers appeared. Because I couldn¡¯t also get any skills due to that damn aptitude back then. ¡°Of course, things changed a bit after the tower appeared, but the points acquired through clearing the trials weren¡¯t enough to use to get the skills that can be used for skill combination, and even skill combination seemed to have to be done with similar skills. Otherwise, it¡¯ll result in some strange skills.¡± That was true too. I wanted to know what would happen when different types of skills were combined, so I realized it after I combined Heat Resistance with the skill called Ranger¡¯s Knowledge. It was then that I clearly realized that combining useless skills didn¡¯t produce better results than before. ¡°But it seems that you made a lot of gains from the skill combination, Han Sungyeun-ssi. Well, I haven¡¯t tried many things yet since I don¡¯t have many skills, so I was wondering if there¡¯s another way to use the skill combination.¡± Then I realized just how big the difference in conqueror radiance was depending on a person. Due to my innate ability, Necromancy, I was able to absorb the stats as well as the skills. In other words, I had a perfect innate ability for using the conqueror radiance¡¯s innate power, [Skill Combination]. On the other hand, Oh Choonsuk, didn¡¯t have an easy way to acquire the skills, so it was difficult to use the innate power in many ways. And because of that, he guessed that the skill I was using was obtained through the power of the radiance, and then questioned me. However¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a hidden function in the power of radiance.¡¯ There was no hidden function in skill combination, only a slight rule on combining the skills. Other than that, most of them were practically meaningless, so I thought about it for a while, but¡­ ¡°No, I was just lucky to have it by combining the skills so¡­ instead, I think I¡¯ll be able to tell you what I learned while combining the skills.¡± Soon, I taught him the basic laws of Skill Combination while hiding my innate ability. Like how the activation method was determined when combining skills and how the core content of the skill changed. Well, actually, these were all parts you could get a sense of when you did quite a bit of combining, but even that seemed to be quite helpful for Oh Choonsuk. ¡°Oh¡­ so those kinds of things existed too huh, there were quite a few features that I didn¡¯t even know.¡± Oh Choonsuk lightly admired and tried to open his mouth as if he had more to ask, but¡­ ¡¸ Time over. ¡¹ From the moment he saw the message that popped up, he couldn¡¯t. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡¸ The trial of the 10th floor will begin. ¡¹ ¡¸ The remaining time will begin to decrease, and monsters will appear. ¡¹ The trial of the 10th floor began without even having time to talk. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 74 - Trial of the 10th floor (5) Chapter 74: Trial of the 10th floor (5) ¡¸The trial of the 10th floor will begin.¡¹ ¡¸The remaining time will start to decrease, and monsters will appear.¡¹ ¡¸When the number of monsters decreases by more than a certain amount, a boss monster will appear.¡¹ The moment the messages saying that the trial of the 10th floor would begin floated up¡ª Crumble¡­! The floor of the field began to shake, and soon the dirt began to rise up from here and there, taking the shape of a snake. The size of the snakes that looked like a few meters was also trouble, but the number of dirt snakes being generated was not a joke either. Grasping the situation right away, I immediately took out the Thunder Blade and took my fighting stance. It was then¡ª ¡¸Conditions have been met.¡¹ The message suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. ¡¸Special task, ¡®contribution¡¯ will begin.¡¹ ¡¸When you defeat a monster that appears in the trial on the 10th floor, each entity will grant you contribution points, and additional points will be given accordingly.¡¹ ¡¸However, the amount of contribution point accumulated at this time varies depending on the strength of each entity.¡¹ ¡¸According to the accumulated contribution points, the level of the trial reward may be upgraded, and the reward level is determined by each other¡¯s contribution rank.¡¹ ¡°¡­!?¡± I was bewildered by the message of a special task that I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time¡ª since the trial of competition ¡ªbut¡­ ¡°It looks like¡­ it¡¯s not a trial that only involves cooperation as we thought.¡± At the words of Oh Choonsuk from the left, I had no choice but to erase those feelings. ¡°¡­Looks like it. Since this is also some kind of competition.¡± Whether it was a special task or whatever, this was no different from a competition that had begun. Considering that all challengers in the 10th floor stage were listed in the contribution rankings, there was no room for hesitation. Perhaps Oh Choonsuk also knew it too, he scratched his hair and opened his mouth. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t really give way to each other anyway¡­ Let¡¯s do each other¡¯s best.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I was gonna do so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that we¡¯re on the same page.¡± Having said that, Oh Choonsuk immediately took out an old-fashioned cone hat from his inventory, pressed it on his head, and smiled. ¡°Well then.¡± Lastly, with that short ending statement, Oh Choonsuk ran forward and started spewing flames from his fingertips at the monsters of dirt that looked like snakes. I thought he might be a mage at first glance, but as I expected, Oh Choonsuk seemed to be a challenger specializing in magic battles. Baaaang! Overshadowing those worries, the dirt snakes that touched Oh Choonsuk¡¯s fire exploded to pieces. Seeing the flames that spread wherever they passed by and indiscriminately killed monsters, it appeared to be a combat method specialized in mass killing. While I was feeling that his evaluation ranking wasn¡¯t just for a show, Kim Seunghoon who¡¯d been standing still, began to move with his large hammer. However¡­ ¡°What¡­ is that.¡± As soon as Kim Seunghoon¡¯s battle began, I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Bzzzzzzzzzt¡­.! The moment when the lightning started to flow from Kim Seunghoon¡¯s body and scatter in all directions, it created an unusual sight. Whiish! Kim Seunghoon¡¯s figure soon started moving at such a high speed while smashing the floor that only a blurry afterimage could be seen. And at the same time¡ª Pow! Pow! Pow! The dirt snakes around Kim Seunghoon got their heads exploded just as his afterimage left on his path disappeared. Looking at this overwhelming sight, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder. So this is¡­ ¡°A top challenger.¡± It was the pure strength of the top challenger, the so-called ranker. I wondered if they were worse than the challengers from another world, but¡­ Watching the battle of Kim Seunghoon, and Oh Choonsuk, that thought completely disappeared. ¡°Interesting.¡± This kind of trial boiled my blood even more than the competition with lower-ranking challengers such as Capture the Flag. Feeling my blood boil after so long, I also moved my body while giving a tight grip on the Thunder Blade. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 40%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 4/7 ¡¹ Whooosh¡­! In a moment, I arrived at the center where the dirt snakes gathered while cutting through the wind. With a deep smile, I moved to the place where their shadows stretched out. And¡­ ¡¸ You¡¯re stepping on the shadow of a living creature. ¡¹ ¡¸ Your strength temporarily increases by +3. ¡¹ I activated the newly acquired skill and quickly moved the sword in my hand. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ I activated the sword ki sponsored by the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Lighting Sword Ki.¡¯ ¡¹ In addition, I mixed in the Lightning Sword Ki I acquired by absorbing the soul of Baek Sunhak, the elder of the Murim alliance. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡® Chaotic Sword-fighting Play.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Sword attack speed increases by 2%.¡¹ ¡¸Number of stacks ¨C 1/10¡¹ Raising the attack speed, I immediately cut the snake¡¯s neck neatly in front of me. ¡¸You have defeated the earth snake.¡¹ ¡¸You gain 1 contribution point.¡¹ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡¸Currently, challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s contribution ranking is last place.¡¹ A message appeared in front of me that I had earned a contribution point, but it wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about that. Slash! I didn¡¯t stop there. I went behind the snakes trying to attack me with fleet footwork and swung my sword while activating the ¡®Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step.¡¯ Smash! Slash! Pow! I twisted the corners of my mouth while repeating that series of processes several times in less than 10 seconds. This¡­ This isn¡¯t enough¡­ I couldn¡¯t be satisfied with this. ¡®This won¡¯t do If I want to take the first place.¡¯ Faster and more efficiently¡­ I had to hunt without any breaks, like flowing water. Only then could I be first in the contribution rankings. I repeated that in my mind as though to imprint it and then smashed the floor. It was the start of an earnest hunt. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] *** Faster and more efficiently¡­ Seeing Han Sungyeun muttering without realizing it, the Iron-blooded Monarch smiled softly. ¡°Should I say, as expected from the contractor I chose¡­..¡± Like a fish in water, Han Sungyeun was smiling more as he got rid of the snakes beyond the hologram screen. As if he was really enjoying it. Looking at the scene, the Iron-blooded Monarch realized again what kind of existence Han Sungyeun was. He was one of the few top-ranked challengers in the Earth dimension, where it¡¯d been just a few months since the Tower of Trials settled in. She understood what that meant as she had spent quite some time as an administrator. ¡°He¡¯s a man of talent that can¡¯t be easily seen in other dimensions.¡± Those who realized the structure of the Tower were afraid of death and eventually stopped climbing the Tower and gave up their path as a challenger. Or, even if they did climb, they climbed it only after spending endless time preparing themselves to the point where they wouldn¡¯t take any risks. That was the most standard reaction of those who had just entered the Tower of Trials. However, Han Sungyeun, seen through the eyes of the Iron-blooded Monarch, was fundamentally different from them. The desire to grow. Even though he was from a dimension where the Tower of Trial wasn¡¯t known yet, he climbed up the Tower knowing nothing, with only the desire to grow. It could be said that he was a monster that only looked forward to growth. And that was still the same even now as he went through the trial on the 10th floor. Even though he had just taken all the items of Kim Seungjun, as though that wasn¡¯t enough, he was trying to clear the special task in first place. In order to win the special reward that¡¯s given only to the one with the highest contribution points. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say Han Sungyeun¡¯s image was like a ghost blade, slashing around with the Sword Ki of Lightning on his blade. The Iron-blooded Monarch looked at Han Sungyeun and thought to herself. That he¡¯s a strange challenger she hasn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°This¡­ reminds me of the old days.¡± There was a time when the Iron-blooded Monarch also fought in pursuit of strength like that. Those days when she overtook everyone who climbed the Tower and fought like a madman with a sword in her hand. At that time, she was literally an Iron-blooded Monarch that no one could lay their hand on. Of course, that also came to an end as she approached the end of the Tower and met her death, though¡­ She thought that Han Sungyeun might be different. ¡®Should I say I was lucky that I¡¯m his first contractor¡­¡¯ But¡­ ¡°To think that this challenger with such insane growth potential is my contractor¡­¡± In the end, the Tower transferred Han Sungyeun¡¯s contract to the Iron-blooded Monarch, and thanks to this, the Iron-blooded Monarch was able to sign a contract with Han Sungyeun. The Iron-blooded Monarch was thankful for that part. For the challenger, the [First contract] was more important than one could imagine. It¡¯s a system that unlocks starting from the waiting room of the 11th floor, and you could receive support in earnest from the contracted administrator. And one of the functions that is expanded at that time is that the contract between the additional administrators to the challenger can also be interfered with by the Iron-blooded monarch to some extent. Of course, that was only to a certain extent, and the decision was made by the challenger, so the Iron-Blooded monarch was also nervous at this point. ¡®As a matter of fact, The White Crane Sword Saint seemed to be interested in Han Sungyeun¡­¡¯ Even if you were the first administrator to be contracted, the importance may vary depending on the choice of the challenger. As the administrator received benefits from the Tower according to the growth level of the contracted challenger, if the manager was pushed out of the challenger¡¯s importance, the benefits obtained by nurturing the challenger decreased. Therefore, She had no choice but to worry about what happened in the waiting room on the 11th floor. To the challengers of the Murim world, the White Crane Sword Saint was almost like a legend, and even Gluttony, who was snooping around these days, had quite a lot of followers in Callian. She was the first administrator to have a contract, but compared to other administrators, it could be seen that she didn¡¯t bring a lot of advantages. At least for Han Sungyeun, who had a great desire for growth, might feel that way. Which had made him form a contract with other administrators to acquire powers and become stronger based on them. In particular, the powers of the Iron-blooded Monarch were all so great that they were difficult to obtain despite their excellent utility. For sure, even if he broke through this trial, he wouldn¡¯t be able to buy quality powers with the SP he obtained. However¡­ ¡°It¡¯ll be a little different starting from the 11th floor.¡± Whether it¡¯s Murim, Callian, or Ares¡­ No administrator of any dimension would be able to keep up with the gift she had prepared for him. This thing she prepared for Han Sungyeun by enduring great restriction from the Tower was a sponsor that other challengers couldn¡¯t even dream of at this point. So¡­ Obviously, Han Sungyeun, who only pursued growth, wouldn¡¯t prioritize other administrators if he saw her prepared [Gift]. ¡°Try your best, White Crane Sword Saint, Gluttony, or whoever it is.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Whether he contracted with the second, or even third, administrator, it didn¡¯t matter to her now how many more administrators he¡¯d have a contract with. ¡°In the end, Han Sungyeun will choose me.¡± He¡¯d surely do so to make himself stronger. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 75 - An oddball (1) Chapter 75: An oddball (1) Smaaaash! ¡¸ Acceleration speed is increased by the effect of Boots of Swiftness (C+) ¡¹ The one-sided massacre continued as I earnestly began to hunt. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting play(C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Sword attack speed increases by 14%.¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/10¡¹ I increased my attack speed, which has been increased by various effects, once again through the Chaotic Sword-fighting Play skill and¡ª ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step (C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re stepping on the shadow of a living creature.¡¹ ¡¸Your strength temporarily increases by +3.¡¹ I immediately took the flank of the entities that I felt I couldn¡¯t kill with a single strike, stepped on their shadow, cut its body in half, and killed it. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the Earth Snake. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 0.07% ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the Earth¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the Ea¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased ¡­ ¡¹ Of course, while moving around, I didn¡¯t forget to immediately absorb the souls. It was to raise my stats, but it was also because both my mana and stamina were being consumed little by little from moving so fiercely. I wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 6 minutes. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by 12% ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 7¡­¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases by ¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ has been active for 8¡­¡¹ ¡¸ Mana cost increases¡­ ¡¹ As the power of Sword Ki was strong, the rate of mana consumption increased frantically as I used it. In order to replenish the mana I consumed in an instant, I had no choice but to use the insignificant Earth Snake¡¯s soul to make up for my mana. An opponent of this size was only difficult to deal with because there¡¯s a large amount of them. Even if I absorbed them, my stats wouldn¡¯t improve much. For that reason, I didn¡¯t feel like I was missing anything by using their souls just to replenish my mana. Rather¡ª ¡¸You have defeated the Earth Snake.¡¹ ¡¸You gain 1 contribution point.¡¹ I decided to focus on the fact that I could get more contribution points like this. Such a realistic judgment made a path that led directly to the result. ¡¸Currently, challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s contribution ranking is 2nd place.¡¹ It was because I stole the rank of Oh Choonsuk, who was carrying out a mass slaughter using magic. ¡°I mean, how can your hunting be faster than magic¡­!?¡± Looks like Oh Choonsuk also noticed that fact. He consumed his mana more and tried actively hunting the Earth snakes, but¡­ ¡¸Using the soul of the Earth snake to replenish mana.¡¹ ¡¸Using the soul of the Earth snake to replenish stamina.¡¹ Stamina and mana weren¡¯t infinite, but finite resources. And since I could refill those resources right away, it was inevitable for me to have better durability than Oh Choonsuk As a result, even though Oh Choonsuk¡¯s hunting speed was gradually slowing down, I could keep the pace without getting tired and continued the slaughter. ¡¸ ¡®One Man Army¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸All stats increased by 1.¡¹ Thanks to that, I was able to obtain an achievement that increased all my stats by 1. However¡­ While Oh Choonsuk was falling behind, Kim Seunghoon was still smashing the heads of Earth Snakes at an insane speed, leaving his afterimages of lightning. Pow! Pow! Pow! As if bombs were exploding, a loud deafening roar could be heard from here and there. If it weren¡¯t for the stats that I trained with Necromancy, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I lost my hearing immediately. It gave me goosebumps, and I couldn¡¯t help but admire him. A sky beyond the sky. Kim Seunghoon displayed overwhelming strength to the extent that everything I had experienced so far felt silly. Should I say it was like watching a wild beast with its pretty in front of it? It was surprising that he could make such agile movements even with a weapon like a hammer. To think that his attacks contained power that most challengers would be driven to the point of death to use, and in addition to that, he was so fast. ¡®I¡¯m even doubtful if he¡¯s really the same kind of human like us.¡¯ I was even consuming the souls that allowed me to permanently increase my stats to keep this pace¡­ Without anything like my power, Kim Seunghoon right now was in a state of continuing his insane hunting skills purely with his ability¡­ ¡¸Contribution ranking¡¹ ¡¸ 1st place, Kim Seunghoon (196) ¡¹ ¡¸ 2nd place, Han Sungyeun (147) ¡¹ ¡¸ 3rd place, Oh Choonsuk (122) ¡¹ I had caught up to some extent, but now the gap wasn¡¯t narrowing at all. Even if I increased my contribution points, Kim Seunghoon¡¯s contribution points also went up as much as I raised them. Despite the fact that he had already accumulated so many contribution points, Kim Seunghoon was maintaining the gap between us without getting tired. ¡®If I continue to compete with quantity like this, I¡¯ll end up losing.¡¯ It was a competition in which the starting line was completely different. No matter how much power I drew out to the limit, I couldn¡¯t turn the tables with the contribution points in this state. Yeah, this should be natural. The Evaluation Ranking wasn¡¯t absolute proof, but it was an indicator of combat power to some extent. How could I beat the person who was first place in the Evaluation Ranking? There was no way to get ahead of him as I was being pushed by his durability, which was my only advantage. However¡­ ¡®The system said that the contribution points of this special task are given differently depending on the strength of each entity.¡¯ In fact, the larger Earth Snakes gave some additional contribution points. Recalling that fact in my head, I began to wait for that one moment. The point at which the strongest monster appeared in the trial of the 10th floor. Which was¡­ ¡¸ Half of the monsters on the 10th floor stage have been removed. ¡¹ ¡¸ The dungeon boss ¡®Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯ has appeared. ¡¹ The appearance of boss monster¡ª that¡¯s the condition for clearing this trial of the 10th floor. ¡°Now I¡¯m finally starting to feel like I can win a little.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks It was the moment when the light in the tunnel finally appeared. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Kim Seunghoon continued to observe Han Sungyeun¡¯s movements, even while killing all the Earth Snakes emerging from the ground. It wasn¡¯t because he had enough energy to observe him, but because the scene he was watching was purely unbelievable. Crash¡ª! With the speed that made even Kim Seunghoon flinch for an instant, Earth Snakes were brutally slaughtered by Han Sungyeun¡¯s sword. One, two, three¡­ Several small snakes were killed in a single strike, and large snakes died while being split in half by the sword as their backs were caught. In addition, his attack speed increased the more he swung the sword. Watching this scene, Kim Seunghoon felt astonished and a little caught off guard at the same time. ¡®To think that kind of a monster wasn¡¯t originally a hunter but an ordinary person¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even thought that such a crazy monster could be hiding among ordinary people. His pure talent was quite high, and he had an unpredictable number of skills, and the power of those skills was outstanding. That wasn¡¯t the end of it. Even though he was spamming his skills like that, he didn¡¯t show any signs of exhaustion. Rather, he was fighting with the corners of his lips slightly raised. Unlike his cold-hearted appearance a while ago, the current Han Sungyeun felt like a predator with a sword. An oddball. Han Sungyeun was a challenger that Kim Seungyun had no other words but to describe him like that. Of course, Kim Seunghoon felt like he had a long way to go to match with him, but¡­ Originally, Kim Seunghoon was one of the top hunters in the Korean hunter industry. Even if he lost most of the power he had when he entered the tower, that fact didn¡¯t change. The fact that he was showing the signs of keeping up with Kim Seunghoon meant that his potential was completely different. ¡®A monster like him is appearing because of the tower¡¯s appearance, huh.¡¯ He was surprised as he thought that only some kind of scum was increasing their numbers. Kim Seunghoon was skeptical about the fact that Kim Seungjun or those who were worse than that bastard claimed to be hunters, but¡­ ¡®Han Sungyeun is a challenger who¡¯s a completely different class from those guys.¡¯ For this time, he couldn¡¯t deny the beneficial effect created after the tower appeared. It was the moment when Kim Seunghoon began to have an increasingly strong interest in Han Sungyeun. ¡¸ Half of the monsters on the 10th floor stage have been removed. ¡¹ ¡¸ The dungeon boss ¡®Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯ has appeared. ¡¹ ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, such a message came up, and the ground began to shake rapidly. Instead of panicking at the vibration that seemed like an earthquake, Kim Seunghoon immediately grasped the situation. The trial had already progressed enough for the boss monster to appear. By the time he fully embraced that fact, a huge Earth Snake was already in the middle of the field, flapping his earthen tongue. Darkness Devouring Snake. A dungeon boss, one of the monsters of all monsters that often appeared in field-type A-rank dungeons, materialized right in front of his eyes. ¡®Are you saying that a boss monster this strong is appearing¡­?¡¯ Darkness Devouring Snake was a notorious high-ranking monster even in A-rank dungeons. Despite its huge body being reminiscent of a dragon, the problem with it was its skill in narrowing the field of vision of all living things around it. It was safe to say that there was almost no way to counter it, as it was none other than an ability to seal off the sense of sight. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like there was no way to handle it at all. You could break through the reduced vision with a high level of mana resistance skill or an anti-magic skill comparable to that. However, as well as the mana resistance, the comparable resistance skill had to be higher than that of Kim Seunghoon¡¯s right now. Why? Because Veil of Darkness was an A-rank skill, and for that reason, it had amazing skill detection. With Kim Seunghoon¡¯s B+ Mana Resistance skill, it was difficult to overcome the skill detection of an A-rank skill. ¡®Cooperation or whatever, we might all die if I don¡¯t hurry.¡¯ Kim Seunghoon stormed across the ground under the pressure that he needed to resolve this situation somehow. However¡­ Kieeeeeeeeeeegh¡ª! ¡¸ Due to the skill ¡®Veil of Darkness¡¯, your vision starts to narrow down. ¡¹ ¡¸ In proportion to the amount of mana used, the field of view also continually gets smaller. ¡¹ The moment the Darkness Devouring Dnake immediately activated a special skill, Kim Seunghoon stopped moving. He had no choice but to do so. As the movement was loaded with mana, the amount of mana used increased, and the field of vision reduced. Therefore Kim Seunghoon had no choice but to stop using his mana and stare at the Darkness Devouring Snake. The Mana Resistance skill immediately activated, slowing down the reduction of the view, but¡­ ¡®From now on, I need to continue the battle with a super sense rather than sight.¡¯ That didn¡¯t mean that the situation of the battle had gotten better. Oh Choonsuk was bewildered as though he couldn¡¯t see anything because he uses quite a lot of mana. Han Sungyeun was also standing still, staring at the Darkness Devouring snake. In other words, everyone wasn¡¯t so familiar with these kinds of enemies. If he had a bit more mana resistance, he wouldn¡¯t have been pressured by skills like Veil of Darkness at all, but that was a useless thought. Currently, Kim Seunghoon had lost all of his immense mana resistance by entering the tower. Of course, after climbing the tower and repeating battles, he acquired a B-rank mana resistance skill, but that wasn¡¯t enough to overcome the A-rank hit detection skill. Kim Seunghoon clenched his teeth and activated his mana throughout his body more and more strongly. Bzzzzzzt¡­!! Accumulate damage to the Darkness Devouring Snake as much as possible before he completely becomes out of sight. And after that, deal with the Darkness Devouring Snake alone. Even if he was driven to the point of death with a lack of senses. Hunting monsters has always been the hunter¡¯s duty. That didn¡¯t change under any circumstances. Leave all the small monsters to Oh Choonseok and Han Sungyeun, and finish this stupidly strong monster by himself. That was the ideal solution for Kim Seunghoon in the current situation. However¡­ That plan of Kim Seunghoon was shattered the moment he raised the mana of the lightning. Slam! ¡°¡­!?¡± It¡¯s because there was someone who kicked off the ground faster than Kim Seunghoon. The challenger that Kim Seunghoon admired throughout the trial. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It was Han Sungyeun. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 76 - An oddball(2) Chapter 76: An oddball(2) The moment the Darkness Devouring Snake used its skill, I immediately rushed out. Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk were unable to move due to the sight reduction and binding skills. I was the only one who could move without any problem in this place. ¡¸ Due to skill, ¡®Veil of Darkness¡¯, your vision starts to narrow down. ¡¹ ¡¸ In proportion to the amount of mana used, the field of view also continually gets smaller. ¡¹ The skill used by the Darkness Devouring Snake? It wasn¡¯t even worth caring about. My field of vision was temporarily reduced by the skill that the more mana is used, the smaller my vision becomes, but¡­ ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Mana Resistance¡¯.¡¹ Reducing the field of vision was meaningless to me, who had gotten insanely stronger with Necromancy. I smirked as I watched the light come back into my vision which was about to turn into darkness in an instant. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough (D-)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough (D-) ranked up. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Circuit (D-)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Circuit (D-) ranked up. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Resistance (D-)¡¯s proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Resistance (D-) ranked up. ¡¹ Three of my skills ranked up at once just by breaking through the skill that was used by Darkness Devouring Snake just now. I could feel the overheated magic circle widening the meridians and delivering the mana more quickly and concisely. It wasn¡¯t just that. With the growth of Forceful Breakthrough and Mana Resistance, it became easier to resist the skills used by the Darkness Devouring Snake. Now, binding-type skills didn¡¯t affect me anymore. As soon as I realized that fact, the pleasure of growth spread all over my body. And at the same time, other emotions began to rise up like a small spark in the corner of my chest. Competitive spirit. I let out a bitter smile at the fundamental desire to become stronger. To think I was feeling a sense of competitive spirit even in front of a notorious monster, even in an A-rank dungeon? At this point, I had no choice but to admit it. I wasn¡¯t forcing myself to throw myself at the borderline between life and death to survive like in the past. But now, not because someone told me, but with my own will, I was jumping into the pit of fire to become stronger. Not only the soul to be obtained by defeating the Darkness Devouring Snake, but also additional rewards to be acquired through the contribution system¡­ After feeling this, I thought I couldn¡¯t think rationally as I was becoming addicted to fighting. But I wasn¡¯t. It was perfectly normal to jump on the borderline between life and death to become stronger. Avoiding challenges and hoping for a safe victory was just a shortcut to falling behind. As long as I didn¡¯t risk my life, the only reward I could get was just the level of not risking my life. Rather than taking the easy path and gradually losing the will to challenge, It was better to take the difficult path and grow myself to the limit. Kieeeeeeegh¡ª! Meanwhile, the Darkness Devouring Snake cried. Perhaps it was annoyed by the fact that I was rushing in after lifting up the veil by myself. Of course, that cry wasn¡¯t just for threatening. ¡¸ Due to skill ¡®Gaze of Darkness¡¯, all stats are decreased by -3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to skill ¡®Mana Resistance, the effect of the -3 decrease in all stats is canceled. ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to skill ¡®Touch of the Swamp¡¯, movement speed is decreased by -30%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to skill ¡®Forceful Breakthrough¡¯, the effect of the -30% decrease in movement speed is forcibly canceled.¡¹ If it hadn¡¯t been for the Forceful Breakthrough and Mana Resistance, I¡¯d have become a cold corpse by now. As expected from a notorious boss monster that appears in A-rank dungeons, it had insane binding skills. Moreover, the skills activated at a distance to test the waters were at this level. Which meant? It meant that the Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯s skills at close range would be more threatening. ¡®There¡¯s no need to let it run wild like that.¡¯ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 10%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 1/7 ¡¹ The Wind¡¯s Blessing was activated instantly, and I became like a gust of wind. Whiiiiiiiish! Passing through the gap between Earth Snakes, I reached right in front of the Darkness Devouring Snake. Then, I jumped up off the ground without hesitation and swung the sword as hard as possible towards its jaws. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡® Lighting Sword Ki.¡¯ ¡¹ Baaaaaaang¡­!! The Sword Ki formed on the blade was shot forward in a slash with lightning, resounding a huge impact sound. Would it receive damage to some extent because I used the Sword Ki? It was noticeable that its jaws made out of black mud had a few cracks. Even if it was an A-rank monster, it was no different in that it was helpless against Sword Ki. [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** However, the Darkness Devouring Snake didn¡¯t just stand still and take it, as though it felt the danger of death. Whoosh! The Darkness Devouring Snake immediately swung its tail at me to take the initiative, but¡­ If I was that weak to be affected by such an obvious attack, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand here. Baaaaaaam! ¡°Kugh¡­¡± I felt a thrill after immediately raising my leg and blocking the tail with one foot. To think that I blocked the attack of an A-rank monster with just one foot! Even if it wasn¡¯t a skill, but just a normal attack, it wasn¡¯t normal. ¡®I guess I can no longer be treated like a regular human being anymore.¡¯ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks It seemed like I had already surpassed an ordinary hunter¡¯s standards long ago. It was then¡ª Kieeeeeee¡­! Strange waves rang out from the Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯s tail, and my head began to throb. ¡°¡­?¡± Pow! With that strange phenomenon, I immediately kicked its tail away and stepped back for a moment¡­ ¡¸ Due to power ¡®Resonance of Darkness¡¯, you¡¯re slowly being corrupted by the status effect: madness. ¡¹ At the same time, I opened my eyes widely when I saw the message that the Darkness Devouring Snake used its power. A power? ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of monsters being able to use a power.¡¯ Skills could be used by monsters as well as by players. That¡¯s why I¡¯d been able to absorb skills from monsters so far. However, power was the ability that challengers who belonged to the top ranks in the Tower of Trials acquired by contracting with the administrators. In fact, I¡¯d never heard of a monster using power in real life, and I¡¯d never seen it even after climbing the tower and having several fights. However¡­ The Darkness Devouring Snake used its power to shatter such common sense. Of course, I could understand immediately why it used its power. Should I say, as expected from Tower of Trials? They strengthened the monster to bring out a monster suitable for the hard difficulty level. I knew it from the moment I met the challenger from another world, but there were so many factors that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I died suddenly like a mola-mola. Of course¡­ ¡¸Due to power ¡®Serenity¡¯, The status effect: madness is lifted.¡¹ I, who had prepared in advance for that factor that could¡¯ve resulted in my death, wasn¡¯t normal as well. Status effect? ¡®I don¡¯t know if it was poison, but I wouldn¡¯t get affected by this kind of thing.¡¯ Even though it was a variable I had never heard of or seen, I wasn¡¯t an ordinary challenger. I was a ranker who even signed a contract with an administrator with the right of a pioneer. I was able to overcome the factors that I had never experienced before adjusting to the situation. After immediately lifting the status effect through the power of Serenity, I quickly closed the distance I had increased for a moment and ran toward the Darkness Devouring Snake. Perhaps it was quite a prudent attack by the Darkness Devouring Snake, it was visibly bewildered, but that was only for a short while. Maybe the Darkness Devouring Snake realized that I was a great threat to its life? It started attacking immediately without even trying to poke around with debuff-type skills. You could see that it was trying its best, unlike a while ago, as it had a completely different force. And that prediction turned into reality in the next moment when the Darkness Devouring Snake made a full-fledged attack. Bwaaaaaaaaaaa! It opened its gigantic mouth and then shot a dark beam of light as if it were vomiting. Of course¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯. ¡¹ ¡°Well, this is even better for me.¡± Even after seeing that destructive beam, I immediately activated the skill without panicking. I could¡¯ve shot one more slash to stop it from shooting the beam at all, but¡­ I didn¡¯t do that because I had a deep thought that I could use its skill in reverse. Bababababababang! The dark beam struck the Counter shield and made a great impact, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Of course, 80% of my mana was consumed to withstand the impact, but¡­ ¡¸ Using the soul of the Earth Snake to replenish mana. ¡¹ Even that returned to its original state after replenishing the mana by absorbing a soul that I had. Whiirrr¡­ A message popped up at that moment when the power of the dark beam was diminishing. ¡¸ Charging complete. ¡¹ It was a message that I could now start striking back. With the Counter Shield placed on the palm of my left hand, I immediately went to the back of the Darkness Devouring Snake. Of course, all the monsters nearby swarmed on me as though they weren¡¯t planning to just let it happen, but¡­ ¡¸ The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ releases the accumulated damage at once. ¡¹ Baaaaaaaaaaang! All the monsters that were swarming me were eliminated by the dark beam emitted from the shield on my left hand. Despite that, the Darkness Devouring Snake wasn¡¯t showing any movement. Did it get a rebound from using a skill that¡¯s quite powerful? Even until I wiped out all the Earth Snakes, it didn¡¯t show any proper movements. Seizing that opportunity, I stepped on its shadow, immediately activated the Lightning Sword Ki, and thrust my sword. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re stepping on the shadow of a living creature.¡¹ ¡¸Your strength temporarily increases by +3.¡¹ First, my strength increased by +3 as I stepped on a shadow. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Gust Blade¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Gust Blade¡¯ imbues wind element to the blade. ¡¹ Even the wind was mixed with the blade by activating Gust Blade. And when I thrust the sword as it was, a streak of wind lightning was fired. Boooom! When the slash shot through the thrust touched the back of the Darkness Devouring Snake, the center of its upper body was completely penetrated. ¡¸ You have slain a Darkness Devouring Snake. ¡¹ ¡¸ Calculating the contribution points¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ You hunted the Darkness Devouring Snake alone without anyone¡¯s help. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun has a 100% stake in hunting the boss monster. ¡¹ ¡¸ Calculation complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ You gain 278 contribution points. ¡¹ A clean finish. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡¸ Special task, ¡®contribution¡¯ will now end. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger Han sungyeun took 1st place in the contribution ranking. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger Han sungyeun will receive an additional reward after the trial is over. ¡¹ And it was a clean turnaround. Chapter 77 - An oddball (3) Chapter 77: An oddball (3) ¡¸ Skill ¡®Demon Slayer (C-)¡¯s Proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Demon Slayer (C-)¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ Skill level-up. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the Darkness Devouring Snake. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 9.7% ¡¹ Absorbing the soul. ¡¸ Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 10. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, ¡®Skill proficiency potion (B+)¡¯ has been sent to your inventory. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®60,000 points¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a reward, you have received ¡®1,000 SP¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a bonus reward, you have received ¡®1,000 SP¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please move to the waiting area. ¡¹ And¡­ ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun has proved his contribution more than anyone else in the special task ¡®Contribution¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a special task reward, you have received ¡®10,000 points¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a special task reward, you have received ¡®1,500 SP¡¯. ¡¹ Lastly, the additional rewards that I got by clearing the special task¡­ After glancing at the four messages that popped up, I soon looked around. Before I knew it, all the earth snakes were gone, and only Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk remained in the field. Kim Seunghoon was staring at me quietly, and Oh Choonsuk opened his mouth as though he was dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Just how?¡± I think he was asking what kind of trick I used to break through all the debuff skills of the Darkness Devouring Snake, but¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t really answer him because I just broke through with the skill I acquired from the skill combination.¡¯ Since the point when I was held back and almost died for nothing in the 4th floor trial due to an innate ability, I was prepared in advance for debuff-type abilities. A special way to break through? There was no such a thing. ¡°I had a skill that I could use at times like this.¡± Therefore, I answered that it was because I had the skill, without beating around the bush by making excuses. Only then, Oh Choonsuk scratched his head in surprise and admired it. ¡°Huh¡­ So there¡¯s a skill like that? I don¡¯t think even Seunghoon-hyungnim had anything like that¡­¡± Of course. Forceful Breakthrough was an original skill created by combining Sustain Battle and Contempt For The Weak. Sustain Battle, as well as Contempt For The Weak¡ª their ranks were low, but the value of these skills was greater than that of other useless skills. Of course, It didn¡¯t match well with me, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to throw them in a combination, though. ¡°¡­Did you perhaps acquire that skill through skill combination, too?¡± ¡°As expected from someone who has the same radiance as me, you know it well.¡± ¡°Even if the difficulty is on hard, the Tower doesn¡¯t give you such insane skills, you see.¡± ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire that skill in any way.¡± I wonder what this meant? Wouldn¡¯t be able to learn this skill in any way¡­ Not because I wasn¡¯t telling him how I got it, but he sounded like there¡¯s no way to learn it at all. At that, I opened my mouth after thinking for a while. ¡°What do you mean by you can¡¯t acquire the skill?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s an original skill created by skill combination.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the same result be obtained using the same combination method?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Oh Choonsuk smiled bitterly and continued his words. ¡°You can¡¯t create the same skill created by skill combination twice.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°Looks like you didn¡¯t ask the administrator anything?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Skills created by skill combinations exist as originals. Skill acquisition methods and aptitudes don¡¯t exist, and there¡¯s no way to make it twice.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°In a nutshell, even if I use the same combination method, I can¡¯t make that game-breaking skill combined by you, Han Sungyeun-ssi, no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So¡­ According to those words, the ¡®Forceful Breakthrough¡¯ I combined was an original skill, so it had become a unique ability that couldn¡¯t be made twice. And it also meant that I couldn¡¯t learn the skill by following the combination method of other skills. At that, I closed my mouth for a moment, then opened my mouth with a feigned smile. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a system that only the challengers who¡¯re active at PvP would like.¡± Player vs. player. Those who specialize in battles between challengers would love this system. In any case, this would mean that not all potential competitors would acquire the same skills they had acquired. Perhaps Oh Choonsuk thought so too, he smiled bitterly, and Kim Seunghoon, who was next to him, shed a bloody laugh. ¡°Not really. Not many people would be able to properly utilize skill combinations so¡­ It¡¯s just an ability that doesn¡¯t matter whether it exists or not.¡± At his words, Oh Choonsuk let out a helpless laugh and nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s also true, too. In fact, if you don¡¯t have a lot of skills, Skill Combination is an ability that can¡¯t be used properly. Just like me right now.¡± Oh Choonsuk, who was speaking in a tone that left a trace of slight regret, mumbled a little bit, and¡­ ¡°However¡­¡± Soon he turned his head and looked at me as though there were people who aren¡¯t like that. Following that gaze, Kim Seunghoon also turned his head to look at me, and he opened his mouth after being silent for a moment. ¡°¡­But there are exceptions wherever you go.¡± I let out a bitter smile at the gaze that seemed to be looking at some kind of different race, and Kim seunghoon let out a sigh. ¡°And that¡¯s what we call an oddball.¡± *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** The three of us chatted for just a while. At the end of our Trial, we didn¡¯t have anything special to say, so we decided to talk lightly through the friend function and returned to the waiting room. It was natural. No one who climbed the Tower of Trial would be negligent or delay checking the rewards. I also entered the waiting room right away to check and use the rewards obtained in the Trial of the 10th floor. And¡­ ¡¸ More than a 1000 people have cleared the 10th Trial. ¡¹ ¡¸ The system expansion is starting. ¡¹ Upon entering the waiting room, the system began to expand after a long time. ¡¸ ¡®Dimension Shifting¡¯ is being added to the marketplace category. ¡¹ The first expansion was a ¡®Dimension Shifting¡¯ function out of the blue. Looks like it was made to allow traveling to another dimension, but¡­ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡®That¡¯s a meaningless expansion.¡¯ I wonder how many people would like to move from the Earth dimension to another dimension? Dimension Shifting in a situation where a lot of people were dying due to challengers from another world. In fact, it was a feature that even suicidal people wouldn¡¯t use. ¡¸ The [Observation Territory] of the administrator of Earth dimension is expanded. ¡¹ ¡¸ The [Interfere Territory] of the administrator of Earth dimension is expanded. ¡¹ The second expansion was the [Observation Territory] and [Interfere Territory] of the administrators. ¡¸ Due to the expansion of the Earth dimension administrator¡¯s [Observation Territory], it is now possible to communicate with the administrator who has consistently shown interest and supported the power even in the waiting room. ¡¹ ¡¸ Due to the expansion of the Earth dimension administrator¡¯s [Interfere territory], the challenger will be able to have additional contracts with the administrator and move to the administrator¡¯s territory. ¡¹ In short, communication with administrators will be available even in the waiting room, just like in trials. And the main content was that challengers could make additional contracts with other administrators. Of course¡­ ¡¸ However, at this time, the additional contract with the administrator can be made only once, and thereafter, the additional contract will be limited. ¡¹ Restrictions existed regarding additional contracts. ¡°So in short, the additional contract is literally an additional contract, unlike the previous contract.¡± I wouldn¡¯t be able to cancel the original contract with the Iron-blooded Monarch since it was my first contract, but¡­ I could end the relationship at any time if I had an additional contract with other administrators. ¡®But wouldn¡¯t it just be the administrator¡¯s loss in this case?¡¯ I mean, it was good for me, but I thought that only the administrator who was going to sign an additional contract would undergo a loss in this case. However, since the administrator is also being employed by the tower, there must be some kind of benefit. For that reason, I immediately cleared my doubts about those and opened my inventory. ¡¸ Skill Proficiency Potion ¡¹ ¡¸ Rank: B+ ¡¹ ¡¸ A special potion specially brewed by the Tower for those with skills. ¡¹ ¡¸ Upon consuming it, you can arbitrarily increase the Proficiency of one of your skills by 20%. ¡¹ Insane. I smiled softly at the effect that I had no other choice but to say so. A potion that increases skill proficiency? As a matter of fact, this potion was no different from a welcome rain in a drought, as I was suffering due to the slow growth of skill ranks. ¡°Status.¡± ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 72 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 70 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 70 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 67 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 66 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (C) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¨C Serenity (C-), Sword Ki Master (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ Would it be because there was not a single day where I neglected becoming stronger? Originally, the numbers of my stats weren¡¯t this high, but now I¡¯d become like a monster. Even the skills I had in the combined Trial on the 10th floor had grown quite a bit, so in fact, my strength was greatly enhanced. However, I didn¡¯t open the status window to check that, but¡­ It was to check the Proficiency of the current skills before using the Skill Proficiency Potion. Putting aside all the small skills, I opened the description window of only the skills with high power. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Triple Laceration (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 31.7% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Using mana, strengthen a blade for three attacks. ¡¹ ¡¸ Detailed effect ¨C Upon using the skill, the cutting force of bladed attacks increases by 1.5/2.0/2.5 times after each attack. ¡¹ Triple Laceration had high power, but it had low Proficiency, perhaps because I didn¡¯t use it that much. It could be said that the Proficiency was raised well since the Proficiency of an A- rank skill that wasn¡¯t used well is 31.7%, but¡­ ¡®But that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it¡¯s a skill that I¡¯ve developed well enough for me to use the Skill Proficiency Potion.¡¯ I decided to pass on the Triple Laceration skill and moved to another skill. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 83.2% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, increase all speeds by 10%. This effect can be stacked up to seven times. Upon reaching max stacks, the skill receives a one-day cooldown. ¡¹ It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the Wind¡¯s Blessing was my main skill since I used it so often that my Proficiency had already risen this much. ¡®Moreover, if I use the skill proficiency potion, it¡¯s a skill that it¡¯ll immediately rise up to A rank.¡¯ However, it felt like something had gone undone, so I checked out the other skills a little bit more. But in conclusion, my options didn¡¯t increase. It was understandable. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Lighting Sword Ki (B) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 7.3% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C The Flickering Lightning Clan¡¯s signature ability. ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C Lighting imbues itself onto your sword ki. This effect cannot be activated by those who can¡¯t use sword ki. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C Upon activation, your ability to control the sword ki increases greatly and also allows you to discharge the sword ki. ¡¹ The skill proficiency of Lightning Sword Ki hadn¡¯t risen much yet, as it was obtained by absorbing the soul of Baek Sunhak in the arena. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Ashen Blood (B-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 47.8% ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation ¨C An transcendent trait developed by a mutant vampire. ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C The user¡¯s regeneration increases proportionally to the user¡¯s tenacity. The regeneration is increased by 3 fold when inflicted bodily harm, and up to 40% of the pain is blocked depending on the damage. ¡¹ Ashen Blood had a pretty high level of Proficiency, but it wasn¡¯t possible to achieve a rank increase with a Proficiency increase of 20%. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Counter Shield (B)¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 2.8% ¡¹ ¡¸ Basic Effect ¨C When you cast the skill, you can summon a red shield formed with mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C The size and strength of the shield can be adjusted in proportion to the amount of mana you pour, and the generated shield can reflect 25% of damage received. At this time, as long as the shield isn¡¯t broken, damage can be accumulated and released at once. ¡¹ Most of the newly combined skills, including the Counter Shield, didn¡¯t surpass 5% of their Proficiency. ¡¸ You have consumed a skill proficiency potion (B+). ¡¹ ¡¸ Please choose a skill to increase your Proficiency. ¡¹ ¡°Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡¸ Confirmed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s skill proficiency of ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-)¡¯ increases by 20%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-)¡¯s Proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-)¡¯s ranked up. ¡¹ ¡°Oh¡­¡± Since it was an item obtained as a reward for breaking through a trial, the effect was certain. I opened the status window with anticipation at the message that Wind¡¯s Blessing had risen up to Rank A. No, to be precise, I was going to open the status window. However¡­ The two messages that popped up forced my finger to stop opening it. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ I was invited by an administrator. Not one, but two at the same time. Chapter 78 Chapter 78: Earnest Wish (1) ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the two messages in front of me. I saw that the administrators¡¯ Observation territory and Interfere territory had increased, but¡­ Now I could feel how powerful it had become. An administrator territory? It was quite surprising to be able to move a challenger to a place other than the waiting room. Of course, even if I didn¡¯t give permission, it¡¯s been thanks to the Tower that the challenger has been able to move to a space other than the waiting room. Whether it was a trial area or a common area, it was the same. Most of the teleportation was made by the challengers themselves or the tower forcibly moving them. But now, the administrators could autonomously offer it to the challenger. ¡®Looks like I can decline it, but I guess that¡¯s almost pointless.¡¯ For the challenger, the contract with the administrator takes a huge weight. Starting from the fact that you can acquire this transcendent ability called power that¡¯s completely different from skills, and¡­ You could get some information or advice from the administrators, so you can¡¯t treat it lightly. So, in reality, it was safe to say that there was no option of not accepting these kinds of invitations. Therefore, I had no intention of refusing the administrator¡¯s invitation. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s a bit awkward if I get invited at the same time¡­¡¯ I had no choice but to be lost in thought as the Iron-blooded Monarch and White Crane Sword Saint sent invitations at the same time. Even if I had a contract with the Iron-blooded Monarch, the White Crane Sword Saint was an administrator who showed great interest in me. Since the additional contract function has been activated this time, some talk may be related to the contract. ¡°¡­¡± After thinking about it for a moment, I closed my eyes tightly and made my choice. ¡¸You have accepted the invitation of Administrator, ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯.¡¹ It¡¯s the reality that even if there¡¯s a prey called additional contract right in front of you, you can¡¯t ignore the existing contract. Therefore, it¡¯d be right to respond to the invitation message from the Iron-blooded Monarch first, putting aside the White Crane Sword Saint. I took my action quickly as I¡¯ve clearly decided, and¡­ ¡¸ You have accepted the invitation and are being teleported to the administrator territory. ¡¹ As soon as I accepted the invitation, the surrounding scenery changed in an instant. ¡¸ You have entered the world of Iron-blood. ¡¹ I moved on as I watched the sight of dozens of swords stuck out randomly in the white snowy manor. It felt quite fresh even though it hadn¡¯t been that long. If I walked through the manor nervously in the past for a sudden meeting with an administrator, now I was walking with some expectations. I didn¡¯t know why she called me, but she probably didn¡¯t call me to say something silly. Then it would mean that there was some reason to summon me, so I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. With that thought in mind¡ª Creaaak. After arriving, I opened the door to the hut without hesitation. And¡­ ¡°As expected, I knew you¡¯d choose me.¡± There was the Iron-blooded Monarch who was smiling for some reason. *** The hut¡¯s interior hadn¡¯t changed much from what it was before. Deer decorations hung on the wall, and the table that gave off a feeling of an office was the same. Should I say it felt like a reproduction of the atmosphere of the middle ages? But if you asked me if there was anything different from before, there was. ¡°¡­Why are you smiling like that?¡± It was the attitude of the Iron-blooded Monarch towards me. It gave me a bad taste when I saw her smiling with that cold face that didn¡¯t suit her. Even more so when I saw the snacks on the table, she didn¡¯t serve when I signed a contract with her. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice but to smile if the contractor is only doing cute things, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve acted that much to be treated like this, though¡­¡± ¡°You did. Well, should I say you made such a choice?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± After thinking about what I did for a moment, the answer immediately popped up. ¡®Is it because of the choice I made when I was invited to the administrator¡¯s territory earlier¡­?¡¯ She might have liked that I chose her after contemplating which one to choose between the Iron-blooded Monarch and the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡°Thanks to you, I won the bet with the other administrators, and well, I don¡¯t feel bad in many ways.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to ask what she was betting on and who she was betting with. ¡°¡­¡± Because somehow, I felt like I knew the answer. ¡®I was wondering why they sent the invite at the same time, so it was for something like that¡­¡¯ Now I seemed to understand exactly why the Iron-blooded Monarch was smiling. To think that she made such a foolish bet and was so happy about winning that bet. I could even feel a sense of cuteness in the behavior that was far from her first impression, which was a cold-hearted beauty. ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me with that kind of eyes?¡± ¡°No, I was just looking at you.¡± ¡°Your eyes were a little disquieting¡­¡± ¡°Must be your imagination.¡± As I somehow made excuses to the Iron-blooded Monarch, she stared at me for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders. ¡°¡­Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, let¡¯s put aside the things that don¡¯t matter and talk about the main point.¡± As soon as I heard the word, the main point. I immediately looked at her with my eyes shining. ¡®So she did have something to talk about.¡¯ What kind of administrator would summon a contractor just for a bet? The bet she was talking about was only a secondary factor, and she had a separate main point. Having felt that, I intuitively asked her. ¡°Are you finally telling me why you called me here?¡± ¡°So you did assume that I called you because I had a separate business with you.¡± ¡°To some extent. We aren¡¯t close to calling each other out to talk about useless things.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit sad to hear when we even signed a contract, but¡­¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch made a disappointed face for a moment but soon smiled and changed her expression. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the correct answer.¡± ¡°You know that the system expanded when you reached the 11th floor waiting room, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. That¡¯s why I was able to come here.¡± I was pretty sure it was the Dimension Shifting function and expansion of the Observation and Interfere territories of the administrators¡­? I was able to come to the administrator¡¯s territory thanks to that, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know. ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s nothing to explain further.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch made a satisfied face and then continued. ¡°The expansion of the administrator¡¯s Interfere area wasn¡¯t made just to include functions such as invitations to the administrator¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The real purpose of the expansion of the Interfere area is to allow administrators to properly nurture the challengers.¡± ¡°Please explain in more detail.¡± ¡°Instead of explaining it, it¡¯s something like this.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± The moment I was bewildered, the Iron-blooded Monarch snapped her finger without hesitation. Snap! And¡­ ¡¸ The administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is gifting power to their contractor using [Interefere Territory]. ¡¹ ¡¸ You can acquire one of the powers sold by administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ at random. ¡¹ At the same time, a gift I couldn¡¯t have imagined was poured out on me. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** I couldn¡¯t come to my senses and stared blankly at the message that appeared in front of me for a while. ¡¸ The administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is gifting power to their contractor using [Interefere Territory]. ¡¹ ¡¸ You can acquire one of the powers sold by administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ at random. ¡¹ I can acquire a power at random? This was like a bolt out of the blue for me, who had been collecting SP like a madman by breaking through the trials. ¡°¡­Can you actually give people powers like this randomly?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my question and immediately asked the Iron-blooded Monarch in the end. If this thing called power was something that could freely be given at the administrators¡¯ discretion¡­ ¡°Not a chance.¡± But what came back wasn¡¯t the answer I was expecting. ¡°The Tower never lets you give anything for nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, as the nurturing of the contractor returns as a profit of the administrator, there¡¯s no way that the administrator could give power casually in terms of structure.¡± ¡°Which means¡­?¡± ¡°It means that I¡¯ve already paid enough price to the Tower to be able to gift a power randomly.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand. If it wasn¡¯t that easy to give powers, then why was she giving me a power like this? Curiosity arose about that, and I couldn¡¯t help but let that question come out of my mouth. ¡°Why are you helping me this much?¡± I just couldn¡¯t understand why she was paying such a price just to give me power. For the Iron-blooded Monarch, even if I was her first contractor, my value wasn¡¯t that high. If you looked at the challengers from another world, their potential was much higher than those from the Earth dimension. But why was she paying such a price to give power to me, who couldn¡¯t even take first place in the earth dimension? ¡®It might be better for her to find another challenger since the additional contract function has been added.¡¯ As I was lost in thought with those, the Iron blooded Monarch opened her mouth. ¡°¡­I see. For you, his kind of treatment would be shocking. ¡°To be honest, your power isn¡¯t bad, Iron-blooded Monarch.¡± ¡°Although the price is high, the powers are quite useful, and there are many aspects that should be better than other administrators.¡± None of the challengers I¡¯d ever seen had the power of an administrator so strong. Even in cases such as Katheryn Benette or Kim Seungjun, their powers weren¡¯t that strong. Of course, even though they seemed to have combat-related powers, their strength wasn¡¯t as strong as a skill. On the other hand, among the powers of the Iron-blooded Monarch that I could purchase, many abilities were several times better than the skills, as they were specialized in combat. In particular, it was hard to estimate the value of the powers, such as Serenity, which removes a penalty-related ability. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why such a person is willing to go this far for me.¡± Then the Iron-blooded Monarch let out a deep sigh and spoke. ¡°¡­Looks like you won¡¯t accept it even if I said you¡¯re the first contract that I signed a contract with in decades.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch continued talking while twisting her long silver hair as if there was nothing more to hide. ¡°I saw a possibility in you, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m investing like this.¡± ¡°Possibility¡­?¡± ¡°The administrators receive additional rewards according to the level to which they nurture the challengers, but they¡¯re never nurturing challengers for that purpose. Everyone invests in the challenger to achieve their own earnest wish. It¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯m no different on that matter.¡± Her eyes suddenly became serious as though she had a wish to be fulfilled. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you right now because it¡¯s not yet the right time for it, but one day you¡¯ll know.¡± Although the conclusion wasn¡¯t clearly made, at least I felt more comfortable. Because, after all, the favor that the Iron-blooded Monarch provided me wasn¡¯t without reason. There was no such thing as free in the world. For that reason, I thought there was a possibility that I was being used, but¡­ Seeing the Iron-blooded Monarch get serious for an instant, it seems like she had high hopes for me. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the hell she means by that earnest wish, but¡­ I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ The Iron-blooded Monarch did tell me that I¡¯d find it out later and¡­ More than anything else, it took a huge part that she saw me as an equal trade opponent. Give and take. If there¡¯s anything she wants as much as she gives me, it means I have the initiative. Ultimately, that earnest wish she wants to achieve will be achieved only when I become strong. Therefore, I silently accepted the system message without saying a word. ¡¸ You¡¯ll randomly acquire one of the powers sold by the administrator ¡®Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯. ¡¹ The Iron-blooded Monarch saw me as a legitimate trade partner and a contractor. Then there was nothing to hesitate for. Whaaaaap! ¡¸ A new power is being engraved on your soul¡­! ¡¹ I¡¯ll take what I need to take and achieve the things that need to be achieved and continue to grow. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 79 Chapter 79: Earnest Wish (2) The moment when the dazzling system message disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± A new message appeared in front of my eyes along with a feeling of a lead being placed on my heart. ¡¸ Power: Sword of Iron-blood (A-) has been engraved on your soul. ¡¹ Sword of Iron-blood. I¡¯d obtained the power to summon a sword made of mana at any time. The power that I obtained, Sword of Iron-blood, was a power in which the ability of the summoned sword was also determined by the swordsmanship skill and mana level. As such, it¡¯d have taken quite a long time to buy it if I was going to buy it at the exclusive contractor shop, but¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not that happy.¡¯ Even though I had obtained a better power than I expected, I was surprisingly calm. It was the same as well as in the trial of the 10th floor. It was probably because I had obtained many rewards several times. Let¡¯s say, just a fine feeling that I got a good card in my hand? I had no other feelings than that. Would it be because of that? ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you got the most useless power?¡± The Iron-Blooded Monarch, who was sitting down and observing me, widened her eyes and asked me that question. Of course, I didn¡¯t get as bad of a power as she thought, so I immediately shook my head. ¡°I got the power I thought I needed at this point.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve obtained the Sword of Iron-blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Amazing.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch continued speaking as though she was relieved. ¡°Sword of Iron-blood is an ability that I enjoyed using before. The higher the level of the swordsmanship skill, and the higher the mana is, the stronger the sword becomes.¡± The ability to grow stronger according to the caster¡¯s growth. And other than that, there were a lot of pretty good options when I read it before. ¡°Plus, the necessity to purchase an item related to the sword disappears too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. You can pretend not to use a sword and suddenly summon it to make a surprise attack.¡± In fact, no other ability was as important as this for someone who uses a sword. After exchanging a conversation, the Iron-Blooded Monarch smiled as if her mood lightened up. ¡°I guess it was worth it to use the points I¡¯ve accumulated so far to give you the gift.¡± She was clearly expecting something from me in her tone, emphasizing that she had made a loss by granting me power. I immediately realized what it was and opened my mouth. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯ll definitely be a power that¡¯ll aid me forever.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch twitched the corners of her mouth and curled her eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t have to mention it¡­ doing this much is nothing for my precious contractor.¡± After saying that, the Iron-blooded Monarch picked up the snack on the table and chewed it. Following that, I also took a bite of the snack and chewed it, and she soon opened her mouth again. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve given you the power that I wanted to give, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m going to talk about now will spend your rights to your questions. Would that be alright with you?¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°Unlike other information, the tower will impose sanctions on me if I tell you these without any cost.¡± Information important enough that the tower could impose sanctions on her? I answered while nodding my head as it definitely wouldn¡¯t be some kind of nonsense. ¡°Sure. I didn¡¯t really have anywhere to use it, so I just kept on stacking it.¡± It was just then when I answered so¡ª ¡¸ All question rights held by the challenger, Han Sungyeun, will be consumed. ¡¹ ¡°¡­!?¡± I was bewildered by the message that all of the question rights I had were used up instantly. ¡®¡­Just how important is this story going to be?¡¯ I had a lot of question rights left since there had been very few cases where I used the question. However, as soon as all the question rights were used, I noticed that the story from now on wouldn¡¯t be anything ordinary. ¡°¡­¡± At that, as I looked at the Iron-blooded Monarch with a serious expression, she soon opened her mouth. ¡°Previously, you must¡¯ve killed a challenger from another world on the 9th floor.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. It was the first time I met a challenger from a Murim world, so I had a hard time too.¡± I could still clearly remember the name of the challenger I encountered at that time. Baek Sunhak. The old man who introduced himself as the Elder of the Murim alliance was a challenger from another world who appeared on the 9th floor. ¡°¡­But why are you mentioning that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It seems that the title of the old tiger became a problem.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Because of his title, Elder of the Murim Alliance, a person is looking for you from the dimension of Murim.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°It must be so-called revenge.¡± He just died because he failed on an intrusion to a floor, but an act of revenge? I scoffed, aghast at those absurd remarks. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the Murim alliance is some unpeaceful organization?¡± It could be if it was made up of unscrupulous people like gangsters, Yakuza, or Mafia. However¡­ ¡°No, in fact, they¡¯re rather a group of moderates in the Murim, though¡­¡± I spit out curses to the response of the Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯s begrudging answer. ¡°How can those sons of bitches be¡­¡± To think that they¡¯re making a fuss pointing a blade at me, blabbering things about payback or whatever. Moreover, the ones doing this act were moderate organizations in the dimension of Murim. All kinds of cuss words came to my mind in an instant, but I put up with it and opened my mouth. ¡°¡­So are you saying that the Murim alliance is after me to kill me?¡± In conclusion, she said that someone was searching for me, so I thought it was the Murim alliance. And as much as they were making a fuss about paying the grudge back, I thought they¡¯d send me a tracer to kill me. But that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The Murim alliance is rather unsettled, and I heard that they¡¯re just busy trying to take the place of the man in power.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Murim alliance will search for you and remember you, but they¡¯ll not make a huge movement to eliminate you right now.¡± In short, it means that they¡¯re more busy acting to occupy the vacant place of Baek Sunhak than killing me. After hearing that, it became even harder to figure out who was trying to kill me. ¡°Then who the hell is trying to kill me?¡± I asked the question without hesitation, but the answer that returned was an answer I couldn¡¯t have imagined. ¡°The Namgung noble family.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The Sword Dragon of the Namgung noble family is looking for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Someone I¡¯d never met was looking for me. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** I wonder how much time had passed? After the Iron-blooded Monarch gave some explanations, I could grasp the situation. ¡°¡­So, to sum things up, a noble family that¡¯s like a pillar of the Murim alliance recognized me, and they¡¯re running wild to kill me, huh.¡± ¡°To be precise, the only aristocratic family doing that is the Namgung noble family, and even within them, only Namgung Hyuk, the young master, is looking for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± It was really ridiculous. To think a guy who had nothing to do with me was looking to kill me when the Murim alliance wasn¡¯t doing anything¡­ ¡®How in the world does the way of thinking work in the people of the Murim?¡¯ I was getting goosebumps at this point. I was on the verge of death due to Baek Sunhak¡¯s preemptive attack, but I had a narrow escape from death. But the fact that Murim still had justification to kill me was surprising. However, the Iron-blooded Monarch spoke as though that was natural. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s looking for you¡­ but when Murim searches for a person, it doesn¡¯t really end well.¡± In those words, the experience of having heard of numerous incidents was on it. ¡°Then that means I won¡¯t have a good ending like the countless precedents.¡± ¡°Something like that. I think you should be prepared for a battle of life and death at least.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, are you acquainted with that young master of the Namgung noble family?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if that¡¯s true. The young master of the Namgung noble family is a greenhorn who¡¯s just twenty years old.¡± The Iron-Blooded Monarch scoffed and brushed her frizzy hair backward. ¡°I¡¯ve been an administrator for several decades. The years I¡¯ve lived from him are completely different.¡± ¡°Then how do you know about the young master of the Namgung noble family?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to know everything. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter, so let¡¯s move on¡­.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch evaded the point all of a sudden, narrowed her eyes, and said. ¡°The young master of the Namgung noble family is probably several times stronger than you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He must be a fairly-high level challenger since he has reached the 20th floor in the Tower of Trials.¡± ¡°20th floor? Then don¡¯t I have a chance at winning?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± When I tilted my head at her confident denial, quickly, she answered. ¡°The challengers of the Murim dimension are at an entirely new level in terms of the strength of their own body. It¡¯s a world in which only those who¡¯ve been insane about martial arts have lived for hundreds and thousands of years. As it¡¯s a world full of people who have honed their strength and become godlike, no other world can look down on the effectiveness of their method for enhancing their strength.¡± Hearing that, I had no other choice but to keep my mouth shut. A world where hundreds and thousands of years have been devoted to martial arts. How strong would the ones who grew up in such a world be? ¡®Even Baek Sunhak, although his physical abilities and skills were limited, he still overwhelmed me.¡¯ What was worse was that it was after defeating that black knight I met on the 5th floor. I was prepared, and I had the confidence that I wouldn¡¯t be as helpless as before. But I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at an old man¡¯s unbelievable strength. He tried to give me death till the very end by increasing his speed to impede my movement. On the other hand, I was almost defeated even though I was equipped with a strength that didn¡¯t match the floor level with an ability that specializes in growth. That difference was huge, and I quickly accepted it calmly. ¡°Then he¡¯s on a completely different level from me, huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for you to survive if you face him directly on a floor.¡± It was only for a moment that I laughed bitterly at the death sentence I had not heard in a long time. ¡°But it¡¯s not entirely impossible, so I¡¯ll give you the information I know for now.¡± As soon as she started talking about the young master of the Namgung noble family, I started to concentrate. The words that followed were something to be listened to carefully. Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky. He¡¯s a person who uses the grand nickname, which meant dragon of the sword that rules the blue sky. At the same time, he was the next master of the family who¡¯d inherit the Namgung noble family, a famous family in Murim. And his real name is Namgung Hyuk, and there was no one who wouldn¡¯t know his name when you mentioned it to any challengers from the Murim dimension. His swordsmanship would surpass A-rank in terms of skill level, and so on and so forth. A lot of talks were exchanged. Only after devising a plan against him did the conversation¡¯s heat cool down, and the Iron-blooded Monarch gave permission to leave. ¡°¡­It seems I have told you everything I can, so you may leave now.¡± I nodded at the voice that seemed to have achieved all her goals. Originally, I was in the middle of checking the rewards in the waiting room, so I didn¡¯t have time to stay any longer. ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll see you in the waiting room on the 12th floor next time we meet.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch responded with satisfaction to my brief words¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to your future.¡± ¡¸ Moving to the 11th floor waiting room .¡¹ Then, a message appeared in my sight, and the place changed instantly. From a medieval-style hut full of gloominess to a desolate waiting room. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, I was quietly adapting to it and was going to continue what I had to do, but¡­ Ring! Ring! Ring! ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the admini¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to¡­ ¡¹ At the invitation messages that popped up in an instant, I had no choice but to stop what I was about to do. The administrator White Crane Sword Saint had sent me an invitation. Not just once, but countless times. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 80 Chapter 80: Earnest Wish (3) ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the admini¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to¡­ ¡¹ It was only a brief moment that I was bewildered by the countless invitation messages pouring in. Soon, I realized why the White Crane Sword Saint sent out so many invitation messages. ¡®Is this because I didn¡¯t accept her invitation when she invited me at the same time as the Iron-Blooded Monarch?¡¯ It was just a speculation, but perhaps the White Crane Sword Saint thought I had no intention of accepting an invitation. So I wondered if that was why she was restlessly sending the invitation message out of impatience. In any case, even with the system expansion this time, they said that the [additional contract] can only be made once, so it couldn¡¯t be helped for him but to be anxious as an administrator. After assuming up to that point, I immediately opened my mouth. The administrator¡¯s observation territory had now been expanded, and they said that the administrators could watch the challengers not only on the trial stage but also in the waiting room. Which means? ¡®It would mean the White Crane Sword Saint is also looking at me.¡¯ It was also an opportunity to tell the White Crane Sword Saint that I had a will to sign an additional contract as well. White Crane Sword Saint. The power this administrator has isn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. Even the power of Sword Ki mastery was already overpowered, what else could there be if it¡¯s the other ones? Although there may not be that many powers that are at the level of Sword Ki Mastery, there would be quite a few. Therefore, I concluded that there was nothing wrong with signing an additional contract with the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not planning to accept the invitation.¡± There was no need for me to tell the White Crane Sword Saint all this and that. Such as why I prioritized the invitation sent by the Iron-Blooded Monarch or didn¡¯t accept her invitation immediately. The White Crane Sword Saint wasn¡¯t that foolish for me to explain all of that one by one. ¡°I just need a little time to prepare, so please wait, and I¡¯ll accept the invitation soon.¡± Perhaps the White Crane Sword Saint became aware that I was willing to sign an additional contract? ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ puffs out her cheeks and replies that she understood it. ¡¹ Such a message came up, and finally, the invitation messages pouring down like rain became silent. I didn¡¯t feel so comfortable looking at the message of an administrator who seemed to be quite elderly, inflating her cheeks, though. Seeing that administrator messages aren¡¯t popping up, I guess she understood the meaning of what I said. ¡®Actually, I could¡¯ve just responded to the White Crane, but¡­.¡¯ I didn¡¯t immediately accept the invitation of the White Crane Sword Saint on purpose. This was for me to take the front foot in dealing with the administrator. Those who didn¡¯t know their own worth must¡¯ve responded to this invitation and signed a contract immediately, but¡­ After meeting Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk this time, I clearly realized how absurd I was as a challenger. ¡®Except for Kim Seunghoon, there¡¯s no one that can be compared to me on the Korean server right now.¡¯ At least among Korea¡¯s challengers, probably no one had achieved growth as well as I did. Therefore, I¡¯d be a pretty attractive contract partner for an administrator who trains challengers and gets rewarded by the Tower. The first contract was arranged by the Tower, but additional contracts could be made under the agreement between the challenger and the administrator. For that reason, the White Crane Sword Saint, who had been watching me since the 9th floor, felt impatient and sent me an invitation as soon as the [Interfere Territory] was expanded. ¡®It would mean that the White Crane Sword Saint is quite interested in me.¡¯ Then I had to make use of it. By establishing that I was the one who was taking the lead in terms of additional contracts and moving to the administrator territory. And at the same time, make the White Crane Sword Saint think I was already caught in her fishnet so she couldn¡¯t take me lightly. In this way, I¡¯d be able to maintain my value for a longer period of time. It was simple psychological warfare. By nature, human beings tend to be more obsessed with jewels that are about to be reached than the jewels held in their hands. Of course, such a reason was the basis for not accepting the invitation right away, but¡­ That didn¡¯t mean I turned down the invitation when I had nothing to do. I had to properly check the Wind¡¯s Blessing, which I couldn¡¯t previously because I was talking to the Iron-Blooded Monarch. And I was also going to convert the soul that the [Darkness Devouring Snake] left in the trial of the 10th floor into stats. As I knew clearly what to do, I opened the skill window of Wind¡¯s Blessing without wasting any more time. And¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Wind¡¯s Blessing (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Upon declaring the skill name, increase all speeds by 10%. This effect can be stacked up to seven times. Upon reaching max stacks, 1% of total mana will be consumed every minute.. ¡¹ Upon seeing the skill window of Wind¡¯s Blessing, I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The cooldown given as a penalty for the final stack had disappeared. To be accurate, the penalty of the final stack didn¡¯t disappear but was changed to a penalty of consuming 1% of total mana power every minute, though¡­ At least I felt satisfied that I wouldn¡¯t experience as many troubling situations because of not being able to use the Wind¡¯s Blessing. ¡®Well, for mana, I¡¯ll just have to make an alternate method to replenish it anyway¡­¡¯ Obviously, in this case, 1% of the total mana would be consumed every minute, so the regeneration amount would be more important than the amount of mana pool. While thinking about that, I absorbed the soul of the Darkness Devouring snake. This was to prevent it from being consumed by Necromancy¡¯s passive shield by any chance. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats by absorbing the soul of Darkness devouring snake. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 4. ¡¹ As a bunch of stats went up, the pleasure of growth rose up all over my body. Considering the difficulty of hunting the Darkness Devouring Snake, which was surprisingly easy, it was a pretty good reward, but¡­ ¡¸ Acquiring one of the Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯s skills. ¡¹ Maybe I was lucky this time. The rewards didn¡¯t stop there this time around. ¡¸ You have received the skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯. ¡¹ One of the Darkness Devouring Snake¡¯s skills was acquired through skill absorption, which is activated with a certain probability. It was a whopping A- rank, not just a random mediocre ranked skill. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Mana Operation (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C With regards to mana operation, you have stepped into the realm of natural talent, and most of the restrictions related to mana management will be lifted. However, skill proficiency increases only through independent realization, and the frequency of usage doesn¡¯t affect Proficiency.¡¹ ¡°¡­I was really lucky.¡± No way¡­ to think that I was able to acquire this kind of skill by absorbing the soul. A- rank skills were rarely dropped, even as a reward for trial, but acquiring it through Necromancy? Currently, I could say that it was like I won a lottery. ¡®Every time this happens, it sinks in that Necromancy is an overpowered innate ability.¡¯ When it comes to growth, other innate abilities wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with it. While feeling satisfied, I slowly read the description of the Mana operation skill. And as soon as I finished reading the explanation, I raised the corners of my mouth. -With regards to mana operation, you have stepped into the realm of natural talent, and most of the restrictions related to mana management will be lifted. What this sentence meant was simple¡ª I can wield and perform mana operations like a person with great aptitude. Moreover, most of the restrictions related to mana operation are lifted, which means I can use mana the way I want to. Of course, there had to be a penalty that the Proficiency wouldn¡¯t rise at all if there was no independent realization, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t get that independent realization, there¡¯ll be a way to increase my proficiency as I climb the tower.¡¯ Just like the ¡®Skill Proficiency Potion¡¯ acquired as a common reward for the trial of the 10th floor. It was more important to establish a foothold for growth based on the rewards of trials rather than talent. The higher the growth power, the more opportunities I¡¯d be getting to raise my skill level. And it¡¯s the Tower of Trials that makes it possible. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡°¡­¡± Soon, I got up from my seat and began raising the mana in my body. As stated in the mana operation skill, I had now been freed from most of the restrictions related to mana operation. Which means? ¡®It would mean that in terms of mana abilities, my skill would be in a different league.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take that long to confirm that fact. The moment after concentrating the mana into my right foot and stomping it. Slaaaaaam¡­¡­..!! The wind pressure created at the point of impact was so intense that it left a graze on my cheek. It was completely different from the simple strengthening of the body through the mana circuit before. ¡®It¡¯d be safe to assume that my physical ability has increased several times.¡¯ It was then¡ª ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯ activated, and the mana circuit inside the body is greatly affected. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Circuit (D)¡¯ is forcibly upgraded by the skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯. ¡¹ The skill rank of the mana circuit changed as its Proficiency rose significantly due to Mana Operation. Due to the growth of the skill level, the mana circuit inside the body also started to grow rapidly. ¡°¡­!?¡± Crunch¡ª! As the branch of the mana circuit multiplied and became bigger, it felt like the path through which the mana flows was getting wider. And after a while, the pain subsided, and a message appeared in front of my eyes. ¡¸ The rank of skill ¡®Mana Circuit (D)¡¯ has been forcibly adjusted to C+. ¡¹ I felt dazed looking at the skill level that had risen several ranks at once. ¡°¡­This is different from what I expected.¡± Killing two birds with one stone. In fact, I didn¡¯t even think about the increase in the performance of the mana circuit, but the skill rank was forcibly increased through the mana operation. ¡®Then maybe?¡¯ As a result, I immediately started to activate other skills through mana operation one by one. Most of the skills can¡¯t be used unless the caster¡¯s capability matches the condition. Therefore there¡¯s this thing called skill aptitude which exists, and the method of acquiring the skill is defined. ¡®Of course, thanks to the Tower of Trials, you could learn skills even by ignoring the skill aptitude, though.¡¯ If you don¡¯t directly use an ability that¡¯s comparable to the effect of the skill once, you¡¯ll never be able to acquire the skill. On the other hand, what if you didn¡¯t know how to use the ability of that certain skill, but still acquired the skill? It was simple. Just like how the mana circuit within the body grew as the rank of the mana circuit increased. I¡¯d be able to use the skills I had in stronger abilities that match my current self. Therefore, it was a little difficult, but I was able to activate the skills once by using mana operations one after another. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Triple Laceration (A-)¡¯s proficiency is increased by 8% by the skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯. ¡¹ I made the skill effect to work to activate the mana explosively every time I swung the sword. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Instant acceleration(C-)¡¯ is forcibly upgraded by the skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ The rank of skill ¡®Instant acceleration (C-)¡¯ has been forcibly adjusted to B. ¡¹ I upgraded Instant Acceleration, which made my whole body light as a temporary body strengthening. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Counter Shield (B-)¡¯s proficiency is increased by 7% by the skill ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯. ¡¹ Based on the skill composition, I condensed the mana on the outside and reproduced it by myself. Through that process, I raised my skill proficiencies and even their ranks. ¡°My speed of growth is really insane.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at my skills which should¡¯ve taken months to rank up. However, I was quite surprised that I could easily bring out the effects of skills by myself. ¡®I thought it¡¯d be quite difficult to bring out its effect without using a skill.¡¯ Since I had acquired the skills without any aptitude at all, it was an attempt with a thought in my mind that I could manifest them only in theory, and I may not be able to pull it off at all. But I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised looking at the skills growing smoothly. Although I soon figured out where the cause of this smooth activation laid. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of that A- rank skill, Mana Operation.¡¯ To think that there was this kind of ability that said most of the restrictions related to mana operations are lifted. As I was laughing in vain because of this, two administrators who were paying attention to me sent me a message. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯ once again marvels at the growth potential of the contractor. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ praises your marvelous idea. ¡¹ Both of them were surprised as though they were looking at me, activating the skills, but¡­ In fact, even if I knew how the skill worked, my original self wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring out the skills. ¡®I was just able to somehow cause the skills to change thanks to the Mana Operation skill.¡¯ Knowing that, I felt my guilty conscience prick a little, but I tried my best to ignore that feeling and continued the confirmation. However¡­ The skill didn¡¯t activate as easily as before. Because the ability I was trying to activate right now was ¡®Sword Ki¡¯. It was to raise the skill proficiency of the Lightning Sword Ki, but it wasn¡¯t easy to bring out the effects of power. ¡°¡­¡± For some reason, even if I tried to follow the skill diagram like when I was activating Triple Laceration, I couldn¡¯t. The Triple Laceration skill simply needed the mana placed on the sword to be activated when it was striking the enemy. So, I thought it would work if I placed weaker mana into the blade of the sword compared to Triple Laceration and covered it up with a coating. But that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°It¡¯s lacking.¡± The Lightning Sword Ki didn¡¯t activate, perhaps because there was no sense that the sword felt like my own body. ¡®How come?¡¯ I thought I had placed enough mana on the sword, and the coating was perfect. But ultimately, I couldn¡¯t bring out a Sword Ki with high lethality power like the Sword Master¡¯s Ki power. At that, I constantly asked questions and closed my eyes while holding my sword firmly. ¡°¡­¡± Let¡¯s assume that the Sword Ki is activated under the premise that the Sword Ki can only be used when I recognize the sword as my body. Then, why did I have to recognize the sword as a body and apply mana to it to bring out Sword Ki? To make a magical blade, just applying mana would be enough. But¡­ ¡®That¡¯s not a Sword Ki.¡¯ Moreover, it doesn¡¯t maintain a strong power like Sword Ki at all times. Even though it uses lower mana than Triple Laceration, it produces a strength on par with it. Mana coating could never keep up with the ability of Sword Ki. As I was contemplating with my eyes closed on the reason why, at some point, a thought came to my mind. When I used the mana operation earlier, my physical ability improved several times when I condensed mana on my right foot. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s a similar principle to that?¡¯ If it stops at the level of coating, even if I condense mana on my right foot like a while ago, that kind of power won¡¯t come out. Only the external solidity would become stronger and stop at the point where the body won¡¯t take much damage. So I thought that no matter how much mana I put on, it wouldn¡¯t become like a Sword Ki. Then what makes a sword like a body and allows us to use it like a body? It¡¯s mana. ¡®Then how can I use that mana to make the sword feel like my body?¡¯ It was simple. Connect the sword and myself with the feeling of connection rather than an infusion of mana that was no different from the body. Instead of inserting mana and disconnecting the connection, keep the line after inserting the mana. Just like putting your left-hand fingers and right-hand fingers together¡­ In this way, I could seize the sword with my mana and strengthen the sword¡¯s ability from the inside. And then¡­ ¡¸ Instead of using the Sword Ki through skills and powers, you used Sword Ki through independent realization. ¡¹ ¡¸ The Tower of Trials compliments Han SungYeun, the first challenger on earth dimension to use Sword Ki by themselves. ¡¹ The moment I opened my eyes, there was a sword emitting a splendid beam of light that was completely different from before. ¡¸¡®Body and Sword as One¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ Because the user already owns the power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯, an alternate reward will be given instead of the power. ¡¹ ¡¸ The power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ is now wholly owned by the challenger, Han Sungyeun.¡¹ ¡¸ The mana cost penalty of ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ will now disappear. ¡¹ It was indeed a perfect Sword Ki. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 81 Chapter 081: Earnest Wish(4) Whirr¡ª! The sword ki emitted a dense energy utterly different from the previous ones. After that, I was able to get the desired result after a few system messages rang. ¡¸ Proficiency of skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki¡¯ has increased by 30% due to independent realization. ¡¹ Lightning Sword Ki. Originally, the reason why I wanted to materialize the Sword Ki by myself was to increase the Proficiency of the skill. Because there was nothing bad about upgrading the ability to shoot out a slash and support the power in any case. However¡­ ¡¸ Proficiency of ¡®Mana Operation (A-)¡¯ has increased by 8% due to independent realization. ¡¹ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to end up like this.¡± Currently, I was experiencing growth several times greater than I originally expected. ¡¸ ¡®Body and Sword as One¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ The mana cost penalty of ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ will now disappear. ¡¹ Body and Sword as One. The sense that the Body and the Sword becoming as one materialized into an achievement, and the penalty of Sword Ki disappeared as a reward. It wasn¡¯t just that. Through independent realization, even the Proficiency of Mana Operation increased. It meant that it was enlightenment to the extent that the skill proficiency of Mana Operation, which stepped into the realm of natural talent, went up. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is extremely excited about your materialization of Sword Ki. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯ is astonished that the contractor has stepped into the stage of Body and Sword as One. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ wants to test your talents a bit more. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯ trembles at her contractor¡¯s talents, revealing her greed. ¡¹ So I could somewhat understand why the administrators were sending messages frantically. Moreover¡­ ¡°The first materialization of Sword Ki from the dimension of Earth, huh¡­ That¡¯s not a bad title.¡± The Tower of Trials praised me as the first challenger to materialize the Sword Ki in the dimension of earth. Getting praise from the Tower is rare. I wonder how many times the Tower praised me? I was only praised after I was called to the Tower, and after winning a fierce battle against the Orcs. I couldn¡¯t even remember the Tower of Trials praising me after that. While enjoying the praise I had received after such a long time, I quickly put away the Sword Ki and stopped. I¡¯d finished everything that needed to be done. Therefore¡ª ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the administrator territory. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to the admini¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ invites you to¡­ ¡¹ There was no need to hesitate further. *** As I accepted the White Crane Sword Saint¡¯s invitation, moving to the administrator¡¯s area happened literally within the blink of an eye. ¡¸You¡¯re being teleported to the administrator territory as you¡¯ve accepted the invitation.¡¹ ¡¸ You have entered the forest. ¡¹ The moment I blinked my eyes, at the same time, a system message popped up. ¡°¡­¡± The landscape around me was changed, and a mansion with a small pond in the middle of a bamboo forest caught my attention. I was intrigued for a while by the atmosphere reminiscent of ancient China, but¡­ Apart from the intrigue, it didn¡¯t mean that I was surprised. Just like the Iron-Blooded Monarch, this territory is also nothing but an area allocated to the White Crane Sword Saint, after all. Now, rather than this territory itself, my interest was focused on the White Crane Sword Saint, who was named as the owner of this realm. Judging by the title used as an administrator, I thought maybe she was an old person like Baek Sunhak. It was pretty plausible when I recalled the content that had been delivered to me through system messages. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ eagerly awaits your visit. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ hopes that you had no change of heart. ¡¹ However, guessing the identity of White Crane Sword Saint was cut off by a message that soon came up. ¡°¡­¡± It looked like an elderly person living alone was anxious that their grandson, who didn¡¯t visit for a long time, would leave, but¡­ Contrary to the message of White Crane Sword Saint emitting anxiousness, I had no intention of taking a step back now. ¡°No worries. I have no intention of beating around the bush anymore.¡± I just reaffirmed and became certain of the effectiveness of the Sword Ki through the independent realization. Clearly, administrator White Crane Sword Saint was someone who¡¯d give me benefits rather than cause a loss. An administrator from Murim could bring me great benefits in terms of combat power. Therefore¡ª Having come this far meant that there was no option to turn back. I immediately moved forward, held the doorknob of the Chinese-style mansion, and went in. Then¡ª ¡°¡­Finally, you¡¯ve come this far.¡± I could see a white-haired woman standing on the floor overlooking a small pond beyond it. She soon turned her head and smiled at me, putting the sword on her lap. And then¡­ ¡°I have been waiting for a challenger like you to appear for a really long time.¡± Soon I opened my eyes widely as I saw her faint smile while she fluttered her white hair. Originally, I speculated that the White Crane Sword Saint would be an old man with a gentle impression, but¡­ Despite that speculation, White Crane Sword Saint wasn¡¯t an old man, nor even a man. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m administrator White Crane Sword Saint.¡± The White Crane Sword Saint was a beautiful young lady with an elegant impression. *** ¡°¡­¡± At first, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be so bewildered when I met the White Crane Sword Saint. But that was a complete misjudgment. The identity of the White Crane Sword Saint was completely different from what I had imagined. A fluttering white martial arts uniform and fine, white hair showed that the White Crane Sword Saint was an old person. But on the contrary, I was bewildered because wherever I looked at her body, she only looked like an adult who had just turned 20 years old. Could all administrators keep their bodies young like this? ¡®It seems that the welfare of the tower is quite formidable even though they died and became subordinate to the tower.¡¯ To think that they give you a body that never gets old, never gets sick, and as well as an individual territory. I thought that it seemed they have even better welfare than the level of the Earth. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** It was then¡ª ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong? Is there any problem?¡± The White Crane Sword Saint tilted her head as she looked at me, standing still. Only then I stopped thinking about her and opened my mouth. It¡¯s because it¡¯s not good to stand around thinking about things while you have an important trade opponent in front of you. ¡°¡­I was just amazed to see the administrator that I only knew through messages.¡± To be precise, I was surprised by the appearance of the White Crane Sword Saint, which was completely different from what I thought. ¡°Ahaha¡­ you might feel that way, too.¡± White Crane Sword Saint smiled a little and agreed with me. Then she tapped the seat next to her with her palm while looking at me. ¡°It¡¯d be difficult if you just stand there and talk. Please come over here.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. Excuse me then.¡± I replied to her call briefly and quietly sat down next to her. I could only then understand why she was sitting on the floor instead of on a chair. It was refreshing. ¡°¡­¡± The wind flowing through the forest reached the floor, delivering fresh air. And in a small pond seen over the open floor, fish were swimming freely under the lotus flowers. It felt like I was gradually being inspired just by looking at it. The White Crane Sword Saint spoke to me as I stared blankly at the scene. ¡°It feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She smiled as she hugged her fluttering martial arts uniform down to her ankles, along with her knees. ¡°I¡¯ve always been here, watching you.¡± ¡°¡­Since when?¡± ¡°Since you started the duel of life and death between Baek Sunhak on the 9th floor.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been watching me since the time when trial spectating became possible.¡± Moreover, that was the time when the White Crane Sword Saint sponsored me a power. Which meant that after seeing me achieve victory in the duel with Baek Sunhak, she immediately sponsored me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think it was a waste to sponsor a power to a challenger that you¡¯d only seen once?¡± At those words, White Crane Sword Saint shook her head with a cold face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a waste at all. You really need to know your worth.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Great Elder Baek Sunhak was a swordsman who used to be called quite a strong man in Murim, even though he didn¡¯t reach the level of Sword Ki Supreme.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even though he lost most of the strength he had after entering the Tower of Trials, defeating such a challenger is enough to call it an achievement.¡± She blabbered as though it was something great, but I couldn¡¯t really accept her words. Baek Sunhak must¡¯ve been much stronger than me at the time when he hadn¡¯t entered the Tower. And that fact wouldn¡¯t have really changed even before the floor intrusion penalty weakened him. It was then that I was about to dismiss the topic, saying I won out of luck. I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked with my eyes wide open at the words of the White Crane Sword Saint that followed soon after. Because¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it, because it¡¯s from me, who once signed a contract with Baek Sunhak.¡± It was because the truth that I couldn¡¯t have imagined was revealed with her words. *** The atmosphere became heavy in an instant. I had already noticed that White Crane Sword Saint was an administrator from Murim. However, it was my first time knowing that she was the administrator who had signed a contract with Baek Sunhak. I wondered if she had a big grudge or something against me, but¡­ She dismissed it as though she realized that I was having such thoughts. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a good relationship with Baek Sunhak.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°He was just a good challenger for me to earn points even though he didn¡¯t have any growth potential.¡± ¡°I had never met him in person. He knew it too, but he stayed still since he wanted my powers.¡± After saying that, the White Crane Sword Saint said with lamentation as though she felt bitter. ¡°I have signed many contracts with challengers, but I have never called a challenger here so far.¡± From those words, I could tell that she had spent many years by herself. ¡°Until I saw you through Baek Sunhak.¡± Before I knew it, the eyes of the White Crane Sword Saint were sending me an intangible pressure with seriousness. ¡°You¡¯ve probably expected it to some extent, but I¡¯ll tell you clearly.¡± At that, I narrowed my eyes and looked at her. ¡°Please sign the [Additional Contract] that was formed along with the expansion of the Tower system this time.¡± I opened my mouth while keeping my expressionless face at her suggestion. ¡°What exactly are the advantages I can get from doing that?¡± ¡°I can make you a disciple of the administrator White Crane Sword Saint.¡± ¡°¡­What would be good if I become White Crane Sword Saint¡¯s disciple exactly?¡± ¡°In the tower, a discipleship means a challenger with a special contract that each administrator can appoint only one person in his or her lifetime.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When the discipleship contract is signed, the challenger who became a disciple can purchase all the powers possessed by the administrator.¡± ¡°Then you mean that contracts that aren¡¯t discipleship contracts can¡¯t purchase all the powers?¡± ¡°The power of an administrator is an ability that can break nature. There are bound to be restrictions.¡± In short, it meant that if I became her disciple, I¡¯d be able to buy all the powers of the White Crane Sword Saint. But if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d only be able to attain limited powers. I felt very lucky in this situation. The Iron-Blooded Monarch was the first contractor I made, and I was also the first challenger brought to the administrator¡¯s territory by the White Crane Sword Saint to make me her disciple. And it didn¡¯t stop there. ¡®White Crane Sword Saint recommended me to be her disciple even though it¡¯s an additional contract.¡¯ The Tower of Trials specified that the [Additional Contract] is a contract that can run out at any time. However, she gave me the position of a disciple, which can only be given once in a lifetime as an administrator. I wondered if there could ever be any situation that would be good for me, but ironically, my doubts arose because of that. ¡°Why are you even offering me the seat of a disciple?¡± I wondered what the White Crane Sword Saint expected from me that she was even willing to give me the seat of disciple even though it was just an additional contract? I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity about it, and she easily answered right away. ¡°I just chose you to make my Earnest Wish come true, just like that woman.¡± As though there was nothing to hide, White Crane Sword Saint said quietly while looking at the pond. ¡°I need the sharpest Sword than anyone else. The best Sword that will never be broken and will never be dulled.¡± Sword. ¡°You have the potential to be sharper than any other sword I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± White Crane Sword Saint said that she chose me because she thought that I¡¯d become a sharper sword than anyone else. Then, where did she want to wield that Sword, which is me? ¡°You obtain the sword because you have somewhere to wield it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then what is that Earnest Wish of yours?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± But she tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. Then she approached me, dragging her fluttering martial arts uniform to the floor, and opened her eyes wide like a rabbit. ¡°Have you not heard from that woman what the Earnest Wish is?¡± Hearing her say that woman, she seemed to know the Iron-Blooded Monarch, so I wanted to ask her if she knew her. But rather than the relationship between the two of them, I focused on her words, asking if I didn¡¯t know what Earnest Wish is. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that she can¡¯t tell me about the Earnest Wish yet.¡± ¡°What do you¡­? She hasn¡¯t told her disciple about the Earnest Wish yet?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Whatever. It¡¯s something I can tell if she hasn¡¯t told you.¡± White Crane Sword Saint clenched the fluttering martial arts uniform with both hands and opened her mouth as though she was sighing. ¡°Earnest Wish isn¡¯t a personal wish of an administrator without compensation for you.¡± And¡ª Earnest Wish is a right that Tower bestowed on the administrator. Like the trial of the Tower, the administrator can give the challenger a trial. If they accomplish it, the challenger gets a reward. I couldn¡¯t help but open my eyes wide as she continued speaking. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 82 SunWoon14-18 minutes 10.09.2021 The Boundless Necromancer [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] Chapter 82: Dimension Invasion (1) Originally, when I heard the words Earnest Wish, I thought it was simply some kind of desire. Just like how I desperately wanted to acquire an ability to slaughter the monsters. Since the Iron-Blooded Monarch and other administrators all died once, I assumed they¡¯d have a complicated relationship of favor and spite. I wondered if the Earnest Wish was a grudge that they couldn¡¯t fulfill during their lifetime or that they deeply kept. But that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°¡­Are you saying that the Earnest Wishes aren¡¯t just an administrator¡¯s wish but a trial?¡± ¡°To be precise, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll climb the tower just because you grant the Earnest Wish, but to some extent, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When the Earnest Wish is granted, the tower rewards the administrator and the challenger.¡± ¡°So, in a nutshell, it¡¯s a trial where the floor doesn¡¯t go up even if you clear it.¡± I felt disappointed when I realized the truth of the Earnest Wish that the Iron-Blooded Monarch had told me. Not to mention that it¡¯s a trial in the form of an administrator materializing the Tower of Trials. Why do they call something that is almost no different from the Tower of Trials their own wish? Curiosity about that fact crept up my throat, and I couldn¡¯t help but open my mouth and ask. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t see it as the administrator¡¯s wish, so why do you call it the Earnest Wish?¡± I thought it¡¯d be better to clearly state that it¡¯s just a derivation of the trial. However, the White Crane Sword Saint shook her head and denied what I had said. ¡°No. Earnest Wish should be called Earnest Wish. It¡¯s much deserved. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know why the administrators are subordinated to the tower even though we all died once?¡± ¡°It must be because you don¡¯t want to die. No one wants to die.¡± ¡°There must be some administrators like that. But we didn¡¯t become subordinated to the Tower because we feared death.¡± As if sinking into the abyss, the eyes of the White Crane Sword Saint has become endlessly serious. ¡°We have a wish that needs to be granted no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°An Earnest Wish is fulfilled on behalf of us through the disciple.¡± ¡°But you mentioned that the Earnest Wish is a trial. Then it¡¯d be meaningless.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Because the trial is the stage of growth that the Tower prepared for the challengers, obviously.¡± Trials existed only to grow the challenger. Literally, it was about giving the challengers trials and making them stronger when they endure them. I didn¡¯t think that overcoming the trial would solve the administrator¡¯s emotional baggage. ¡°Since I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anything that could grant the administrator¡¯s wish out of the trials I¡¯ve seen so far.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re correct. Right. A trial is just a reenactment of a situation, and it¡¯s just a stage for the challengers to grow.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t that make it meaningle¡ª¡± ¡°But it¡¯s worth it in terms of achieving that recreated situation.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± White Crane Sword Saint looked at me vacantly and slowly continued her words. ¡°Most of the administrators¡¯ Earnest Wishes come from their past regrets.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Some may not, but most are. But with the passage of time, no one can change the history of the past.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Unless you become a God or something.¡± ¡°But if you can grant the Earnest Wish, it¡¯s possible to change the past. By intervening in my past in the form of a trial to give it a change.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At what White Crane Sword Saint said, I looked at her blankly while blinking my eyes. Can you change the past? ¡°There¡¯s no way such nonsense would be possible.¡± ¡°You should know it since you¡¯ve gone through the Tower of Trials so far. Whether what I¡¯m saying is true or not.¡± She was right. The Tower of Trials had out-of-standard abilities and brought more serious changes than the Great Calamity. Therefore I, who had a disastrous failure and should¡¯ve given up my dream to become a hunter, was able to reach this point. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the Tower could change the past. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the other administrators, but I want to change my past.¡± She said in a gloomy tone that didn¡¯t suit her. ¡°But just because you fulfill the Earnest Wish, it doesn¡¯t mean that the past will change immediately.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Conditions are added depending on how serious the administrator¡¯s Earnest Wish is.¡± ¡°Then it must be the disciple challenger who fulfills that condition.¡± If the administrator could resolve the necessary condition independently, there would be no restriction on needing a disciple to resolve their Earnest Wish for them. ¡®It must be difficult since the challenger has to fulfill that condition.¡¯ And the White Crane Sword Saint immediately agreed as though what I had said was correct. ¡°You¡¯re right. A challenger with discipleship must fulfill the conditions on behalf of the administrator.¡± As expected, it was a system in which the challenger had to complete additional conditions, not the administrator. ¡°There are basically two conditions that a challenger must fulfill.¡± The White Crane Sword Saint slowly extended her index finger and said. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s a certain number of floors you have to climb as a condition.¡± Then, soon she stretched out her middle finger and continued talking with her two fingers up. ¡°Secondly, there¡¯s a condition that the difficulty of all personal trials will be harder when you get past the 20th floor.¡± I opened my mouth at those words while feeling my body stiffen up. ¡°¡­Can I ask you one thing?¡± Changing the past is basically a miracle that defies the flow of time. It meant that the number of floors that I had to climb and every personal trial after the 20th floor would be ridiculously intensified. Then, how many times would I have to repeat those insane trials before achieving the Earnest Wish of the White Crane Sword Saint? I felt uncomfortable holding on to that question, so I decided to ask the question right away. ¡°How far do I have to climb up to grant your Earnest Wish?¡± White Crane Sword Saint smiled bitterly at that question, then scratched her cheek and turned away to avoid my gaze. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uhm, I believe the waiting room on the final floor of the Tower of Trials should be enough?¡± *** Final floor. I¡¯d figured out that the goal I had to reach in order to turn the administrator¡¯s Earnest Wish into reality was the top of the Tower, but¡­ Just talking about the results, in the end, I accepted the proposal of White Crane Sword Saint without being able to turn it down. ¡¸ Contract has been made.¡¹ ¡°Splendid choice! You definitely won¡¯t regret this!¡± At the same time, the system message informed me that I had become a contractor of White Crane Sword Saint¡­ She smiled brightly, grabbed my right hand with both hands, and shook it. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t really a bad sight because she had the appearance of a short maidenlike girl; it feels like a lie that she once challenged to the Tower as a challenger. However, even if it was a decision for growth, hearing that I had to reach the final floor made my shoulders heavy. It didn¡¯t change the fact that I was responsible for climbing up to the final floor. Of course-. ¡¸ You have been recognized as the true disciple of Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a perk of the discipleship, the power and skill efficiency based on the Murim dimension is increased by 10%¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸As a perk of the discipleship, the power and skill efficiency based on the Murim dimension is increased by 10%¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a perk of the discipleship, mana is increased by +3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Currently, challenger Han Sungyeun has been recognized as a disciple by two administrators. ¡¹ ¡¸ As a perk of dual discipleship, agility is increased by +3. ¡¹ ¡°I don¡¯t think the day will come when I¡¯ll regret this choice.¡± Be that as it may, too many rewards were given to me to regret this contract. It was unlike the time with Iron-Blooded Monarch, since I wasn¡¯t her first contractor so mana had only increased by +3, but¡ª The effect of increasing the efficiency of Power and skill of the Murim dimension by 10% as a perk for discipleship couldn¡¯t be underestimated. As a matter of fact, my Sword Ki became stronger as I reached the level of the Body and Sword as One. Adding on to that, the 10% increase in the efficiency of Sword Ki was no less than an increase in combat power. It wasn¡¯t just that. Perhaps the Tower thought of it in a good light that I was designated as a disciple of two administrators? When the message popped up that the agility stat increased by 3, I had no regret left. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you think you won¡¯t regret it.¡± White Crane Sword Saint smiled innocently and then waved her hand to say goodbye. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to the trial of the 11th floor.¡± ¡¸ Moving to the 11th waiting room. ¡¹ Instead of a peaceful forest, I returned to the desolate waiting room. ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to take a rest since I ended my additional contracts and all, but¡­ I suppressed my fatigue and immediately opened an exclusive contract marketplace. ¡¸ Contract Exclusive Marketplace ¡¹ ¡¸ SP ¨C 4,000 ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Skill ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Power ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Item ¡¹ ¡¸ Contractor: Iron-Blooded Monarch as well as White Crane Sword Saint ¡¹ ¡¸ Remarks: The first contractor of the administrator ¡®Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯ and the disciple of the administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ ¡¹ I could see the changes right away. In addition to the 4,000 SP obtained by breaking through the 10th floor trial, the White Crane Sword Saint had been added to the description of the contractor and remarks. To be honest, I wanted to be immersed in the feeling that I had grown this much, but my body moved like a machine. ¡¸ Category: Power ¡¹ It was then that I called out the list of powers by pressing the Power category. ¡¸Please select a list of powers to view.¡¹ ¡¸ 1. Iron-Blooded Monarch ¡¹ ¡¸ 2. White Crane Sword Saint ¡¹ ¡¸ 3. Sponsored Power ¡¹ ¡°¡­Does this mean that the list of powers has grown enough to have a classification now?¡± Previously, the Power list was uncategorized, but now it was clear that the Power list was separate for each administrator. I¡¯d been thinking that it¡¯d be cumbersome to check the list of powers if it¡¯s mixed up, but it was a good change. ¡¸ Power List ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ has been selected ¡¹ ¡¸ Category: Power (White Crane Sword Saint) ¡¹ ¡¸ List (1/3) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Power Combination (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Desire for battle (A+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Power: Path of Ghostblade (S) ¡¹ I let out a laugh seeing that S rank powers were clearly stated on the list from the start. I was totally convinced that the choice I made was the way to the final floor of the Tower. ¡¸ (!) You can only view the powers on the list (1/3). ¡¹ ¡¸ (!) You can view the list of powers (2/3) starting from the waiting room on the 20th floor. ¡¹ Of course, the second power page hadn¡¯t been opened yet, just like the Iron-Blooded Monarch¡¯s was. As always, nothing was unlocked, so I silently looked at the powers that were there. ¡¸ Power: Power Combination (A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price : 5,000 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: It¡¯s a power that embodies the footsteps of White Crane Sword Saint, combining all of her skills for decision and focus from when she was a challenger. You can develop new powers by combining powers that you currently have, or you can consume a power to raise the rank of the existing Power. ¡¹ Starting with the ability that just looked like a power version of skill combination. ¡¸ Power: Desire for battle (A+) ¡¹ ¡¸Price : 7,500 SP¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: The desire for battle is the origin of the species for predators. It¡¯s a power that is often obtained by those who only see life as a battle. When fighting an opponent stronger than you, the increasing rate of all skill proficiency increases by up to 300%, and it makes it easier for you to feel the joy of battle. ¡¹ I also looked at an absurd power that aids your growth. ¡¸ Power: Path of Ghostblade (S) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price : 10,000 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: It¡¯s a power often obtained by those who wield swords that fall into the contradiction of living in order to become strong instead of becoming strong to live. When it comes to swords, you can develop your own skills, and it becomes easier to embody a self-realization. ¡¹ Finally, the first S rank power is listed in the power list. All the powers were astonishingly good, but there was nothing I could buy. ¡®The minimum requirement for the power of the White Crane Sword Saint is high.¡¯ Since there wasn¡¯t a power that I could purchase right away, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like these were just a pipe dream. But regardless, these powers were abilities that I¡¯d eventually acquire if I completed the trials a few more times. Instead of feeling disappointed, I immediately changed the list of powers and browsed the sponsored Power. ¡¸ Power: Wings of Steel (C+) ¡¹ ¡¸ Price: 1,500 SP ¡¹ ¡¸ Explanation: The Power to create steel wings with mana. High-speed flight will be possible through the wings of steel generated by mana. At this time, it is necessary to continuously inject mana to maintain the wings, and when the mana is insufficient, the wings will automatically be removed.¡¹ It was none other than to buy a Power that made air combat possible. I thought I could buy the Power of the Iron-Blooded Monarch, but I didn¡¯t. ¡®I need to choose the power that will be useful without using as much SP as possible.¡¯ As expected from an administrator of the Murim dimension, all of the powers of White Crane Sword Saint were excellent. Therefore it¡¯d be better to save SP as much as I can and purchase at least one of her powers after breaking through the 11th floor. As I reached a conclusion, there was nothing to hesitate about. ¡¸ You¡¯ve purchased the ¡®Power: Wings of Steel (C+)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ 1,500 SP will be deducted. ¡¹ At the same time, I purchased the Wings of steel, and I decided to check the exact abilities of this Power. ¡°Wings of Steel.¡± It was then¡ª ¡¸ Activating Power, ¡®Wings of Steel¡¯. ¡¹ Wooosh! I felt something sharp coming out of my back, and then a new sensation arose. ¡°¡­!?¡± It was the sensation of the wings on my back. I reached out, touched behind my back in bewilderment, and immediately felt the wings. I could even understand that the skin and the Wings of Steel were naturally connected. ¡°Huh, to think that it¡¯s completely connected to the back.¡± It was a power sponsored by the Tower¡¯s administrator, so I thought it was composed of magical fundamentals. But it wasn¡¯t anything like that, and it looked like I could fly just by putting the mana into the wings that protruded from my back. My body immediately floated into the air as I injected mana into the steel wings and fluttered them. ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, it was easy to float in the air, and there was no need to flap the wings that much because it flew by magic. I also wanted to see how much I could fly or move quickly, but the waiting room was too small for that. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡± In the end, I had no choice but to deactivate the Wings of Steel and descend to the ground. ¡¸ Deactivating Power, ¡®Wings of Steel¡¯. ¡¹ It was difficult to check the Wings of Steel¡¯s capability in this place. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to change the stage.¡± I immediately opened the shop window and purchased the same lowest-grade return stone as before. ¡¸ You¡¯ve purchased a Return Stone (F+). ¡¹ I had broken through more trials than the initial plan and completed an additional contract with the administrator. Therefore¡­ Now, it was time for me to be active on Earth, not the Tower. Chapter 83 Chapter 83: Dimension Invasion (2) Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It¡¯s one of the three main sub-centers of Tokyo and was also called the largest sub-center at the same time, but¡­ Currently, not a single person had passed by¡ª as if it was a lie that Shinjuku ward was called the largest sub-center of Tokyo. It wasn¡¯t surprising. Because a gate outbreak wavelength had been detected in Shinjuku that was large enough to gather all the A-rank Japanese hunters. All ordinary citizens were evacuated, and only the seven A-rank hunters were there waiting for the gate to occur in the center of Shinjuku. Among them, Oozuchi Kunishi, who had just been recognized as an A-rank hunter in Japan, felt irritated. ¡°Why a gate in Shinjuku out of all places?¡± He was one of the ten A-rank hunters in Japan, and he should¡¯ve been in a dungeon now slaughtering monsters to clear the dungeon. However, he was here because of the gate outbreak wavelength detected in Shinjuku. ¡®For real, I realize that Japan is a weak country in terms of hunters whenever this happens.¡¯ At the moment, the gate outbreak wavelength detected in Shinjuku, Tokyo, could be solved by one S-rank hunter. Judging from the detected gate wavelength, the level of the gate to break out would only be A-rank. It meant that even if the country called for a hunter, it wasn¡¯t an agenda that needed to be dealt with by calling so many A-rank hunters. But Japan had to call this many hunters to deal with the gate. Not because the country is pretending to be alright, like Shinjuku had a floating population and it needed to be dealt with quickly and surely. The cause lies elsewhere. This is because only one hunter had surpassed A-rank in Japan. And even that one person was clearing a dungeon right now, trying to get some useful equipment. Because of that, A-rank hunters from all over Japan, including Oozuchi Kunishi, gathered in Shinjuku. To cope with this situation where the only S-rank hunter in Japan was absent. As such, Oozuchi Kunishi had no choice but to be dissatisfied. ¡®If it were Korea or the U.S, instead of gathering up all A-rank hunters like this, they would¡¯ve called an S-rank hunter and dealt with it.¡¯ As he recalled that fact again, Oozuchi Kunishi felt a sense of displeasure creeping up his body. Perhaps the other hunters around him were no different, so lamentations also poured out from their mouths. ¡°Fucking hell! It¡¯s pissing me off. Why the hell are gates breaking out so much in Japan when there aren¡¯t enough hunters?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re gonna shove us around like this, they need to at least give us a high pay. But they¡¯re an awful miser.¡± ¡°Whatever, fine. Has the Japan hunter association ever done the right thing? It¡¯s a fucked up country, you see.¡± They were all like dogs to Shinjuku with poor pay. Just by the Japanese government¡¯s word that all hunters must obey the laws of the country. So it was inevitable that complaints were breaking loose. But that was also just for a while. Whirrr! The moment soon came when a blue rift started to appear in the middle of the streets of Shinjuku. ¡°This fucking son of a¡­! It¡¯s a rift! Prepare for battle!¡± Hunters grumbling on the street changed their spirit and prepared for battle. Even if they were all dissatisfied with the situation, they were veteran hunters who had enough strength and gained enough combat experience to climb up to an A-rank hunter. As such, the hunters, including Oozuchi Kunishi, quickly straightened their posture and glared at the gate but¡ª ¡°¡­What?¡± No matter how hard they stared at the blue rift, no monster came out. Originally, at least a monster at the dungeon¡¯s entrance should appear if a gate is freshly generated. Even more so in the case of a high-ranked and sudden gate like this one. But not a single monster, even an ant, was coming out of it? ¡°Hey, this seems a bit stra¡­¡± It was that moment when Oozuchi Kinishi opened his mouth, he felt a deep sense of oddness. ¡°¡ªWhy are there so many bugs swarming around?¡± A vigorous sound was heard in his ear as though speaking to Heaven and Earth from beyond the gate. Soon, a young man in a blue martial arts uniform walked out of the gate where nothing had appeared. The dragon pattern is engraved with gold thread on the blue martial arts uniform or the curved sword on his right waist. And a neatly tied ponytail at his back hinted that this young man isn¡¯t just an ordinary person. The young man looked at Oozuchi Kunishi as though he were looking at a bug. Then he scratched his chin with his left hand and frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you just now? Why are there so many bugs swarming around?¡± Was it because of his absurdly arrogant tone, as if he was really talking to a bug? The people who couldn¡¯t even speak because they were bewildered by the fact that a person came out of the gate soon came to their senses and made dumbfounded faces. And soon after, the hunter behind Oozuchi Kunishi frowned and shouted in an angry voice. ¡°¡­Huh? What the hell do you mean? Hey, stop blabbering nonsense and explain how you came ou¡ª.¡± And those were the last words of that hunter. Crush! Oozuchi Kunishi recognized the sound of something being crushed at the same time as some hot liquid was getting on his back. It didn¡¯t take long for him to figure out that it was the blood splattered from the crushed head of the hunter who was just talking. Tremble¡­ Just like a watercolor dripping into a glass of water slowly spreading its color. Starting from the blood-soaked back, the whole body began to tremble like an aspen leaf. Oozuchi Kunishi immediately understood why. Because this feeling was a familiar thing to a hunter who was thrown around in the dangerous places of the dungeon. ¡°¡­¡± *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Fear. It was the emotion felt by the prey in front of an infinitely powerful enemy. Usually, a prey in front of a predator like this will show a total of three behaviors. ¡°You son of a bitch, how dare you kill Shimura¡­! I won¡¯t forgive y¡­!¡± The first is to deny the feeling of fear and rush toward the predator. Crush! ¡°No way¡­! I-I don¡¯t want to die! S-Save m¡­! The second is to run away from the predator, dominated by the emotion of fear. Crush! ¡°¡­¡± The third is to give up their lives because they know how powerful a predator is. ¡°It¡¯s finally quiet now that there¡¯s only one left.¡± Oozuchi Kunishi was the third among them. Now he wasn¡¯t just trembling, but also chattering his teeth, showing extreme fear. He couldn¡¯t help it. The young man who appeared before him instantly killed all the hunters behind Oozuchi Kunishi. Oozuchi Kunishi had never seen the young man move. He couldn¡¯t figure out why the hunter standing behind him had his head crushed to death. He may have been using the sword that was on his waist, or he might have killed them through another skill. He just then noticed the sounds of corpses falling behind his back. Six of the seven A-rank hunters gathered in Shinjuku were all killed within a few minutes. ¡°Now that there¡¯s only one bug left, I shall ask you politely, too.¡± The young man smiled softly, as though he had changed his mind and showed mercy. ¡°Deliver this message to the challenger, Han Sungyeun.¡± And so, the predator in human form, that you could never resist, demanded of Oozuchi Kunishi¡ª ¡°That the Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, Namgung Hyuk has come to avenge Baek Sunhak.¡± To bring new prey. *** After purchasing the Return Stone, I immediately took out a large number of items from my inventory. I had to dispose of the items stolen by killing Kim Seungjun in the trial on the 10th floor. In addition to that, It was necessary to confirm the ability of some newly acquired items. As such, I activated the Return Stone with all the items to dispose of and items to confirm the abilities of. And then¡­ In the blink of an eye, I wasn¡¯t in the waiting room of the Tower, but in a different place. ¡¸ You have turned to the residence of the challenger, Han Sungyeun. ¡¹ It was none other than the studio apartment I lived in. ¡°I¡¯m finally back.¡± This was already the third return, so the feeling of returning wasn¡¯t new. I got up from the bed and smiled bitterly at the items scattered around me. I was lost as to where to start and how to organize these as I looked at dozens of items. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take some time to clean this up.¡± Originally, instead of just disposing of the items, I¡¯d have to look at the performance of the item and find out the marketplace, but¡ª Those were the days when I was a hunter with no affiliation, and now I¡¯m a person that enjoys a high level of freedom in a guild while receiving all the benefits. It meant that the time when I had to deal with everything by myself was over. ¡®I guess I can contact Lee Hayeon and ask her to prepare for disposal of the items in bulk¡¯ I looked for my smartphone in the scattered pile of items and powered it on. And as soon as the smartphone screen turned on, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Because¡ª [132 Missed calls.] [87 Messages.] Because the smartphone informed me that there were countless calls while I was away. ¡°What is this now¡­¡± I frowned and quickly checked the person who called or texted. And soon, I immediately figured out who was looking for me. ¡°Lee Hayeon?¡± There were phone numbers that I couldn¡¯t recognize, but most of them were filled with Lee Hayeon contacting me. Moreover, it was a call that started just yesterday. In other words, it means that something urgent enough to find me happened in that short time. So I quickly started checking the text that Lee Hayeon had sent. [Lee Hayeon: Sungyeun-ssi, are you still in the Tower?] [Lee Hayeon: The Hunter Association has ordered all the challengers on the Hard difficulty to gather up.] [Lee Hayeon: Almost all guilds are forcibly sending out challengers who have signed a contract.] [Lee Hayeon: If you don¡¯t gather, you may be subject to a violation of the law, so I think it¡¯d be better for Sungyeun-ssi to come as well.] The Hunter Association was gathering all the challengers of Hard difficulty? It was difficult to understand, but as soon as I read the text below, I could recognize the seriousness of the situation. [Lee Hayeon: ¡­Please contact me as soon as possible if you come back from the Tower. It¡¯s really urgent. ] [Lee Hayeon: It¡¯s something related to a challenger from another world, but the content is being kept confidential.] [Lee Hayeon: It seems like something big happened in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan.] Looks like an incident related to a challenger from another world has occurred. However, the challengers of another world were the ones who mainly did floor invasion inside the Tower. And what did they have to do with the Shinjuku ward in Tokyo, Japan? The moment I had my doubts, I felt a ray of light passing through my head. ¡°Is it because the dimension shifting function has been activated?¡± I recalled the message that said the system had been expanded as I arrived at the waiting room on the 11th floor. ¨C ¡®Dimension Shifting¡¯ is being added to the marketplace category. -Interdimensional movement is now possible. That was it. Interdimensional movement wasn¡¯t necessarily just from Earth to another dimension. It meant that even someone from a world such as Ares, Murim, or Callian could now come to Earth. As soon as I speculated to that point, I immediately called Lee Hayeon without reading any further. Thankfully, I could hear Lee Hayeon¡¯s voice after the bell rang for a few seconds. -¡­Han Sungyeun-ssi? Are you finally back? Her voice was full of fatigue, but it also conveyed a faint sense of relief. I answered her quickly. ¡°Yes. I have just returned.¡± -Sigh, I don¡¯t know where to start and how to explain this, but¡­ ¡°A challenger from another world must¡¯ve appeared in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.¡± -How did you figure that out? Even the Hunter Association said this was labeled as top secret! ¡°That doesn¡¯t really matter. You can go straight to the main point.¡± -¡­R-Right. Cutting to the chase, the Hunter Association has gathered all the Hard difficulty challengers in Korea. ¡°Why?¡± -The Korean hunter association also decided to prepare for the incident in Shinjuku, and at the same time, the Japan Hunter Association asked the Korean side for help. ¡°¡­?¡± -Currently, the challenger from another world is still staying in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Are you saying that they couldn¡¯t kill the challenger from another world?¡± -As you know, Japan is a country with weak hunters. There¡¯s only one S-rank hunter and 40 A-rank hunters. ¡°¡­¡± -But the challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku killed the six A rank hunters who were there in a matter of seconds, leaving only one alive. Therefore, the Japanese side requested help from outside due to the extreme difference in power. But there was something I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Then why did the association assemble the challengers when you can just send a Korean S-rank hunter?¡± -That¡¯s the most important part. The challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku spared one A-class hunter and sent a message. ¡°¡­?¡± That survivor was told to bring an unknown Korean challenger and said that he mentioned this. Lee Hayeon took a deep breath through the phone and continued her words. And I couldn¡¯t help but be so shocked that my heart almost stopped upon hearing her words. -Namgung Hyuk, The Sword Dragon of Blue Sky has come to avenge Baek Sunhak. -Sword Dragon of Blue Sky Namgung Hyuk. The Murim challenger whom the Iron-blooded Monarch warned me about came to Earth, not the Tower. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 84 Chapter 84: Dimension Invasion (3) The moment I heard that the Sword Dragon of Blue Sky, Namgung Hyuk, appeared in Shinjuku Ward by traveling through the dimension¡­ I took the items I could use right away from the items scattered on the floor. ¡¸The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: A- ¡¹ ¡¸ Movement speed: +8%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana regeneration: +10% ¡¹ ¡¸ A special tailcoat worn by one of the vampires of Callian when he was young.¡¹ ¡¸ When the user is attacked, the user can arbitrarily consume their stamina or blood to create a bloody barrier. ¡¹ ¡¸ The level of shield is determined according to the amount of stamina and blood consumed at this time. ¡¹ ¡¸ Heavenly Blood Demonic Dword ¡¹ ¡¸ Grade: B+ ¡¹ ¡¸ Reaction speed +7% ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack speed +10% ¡¹ ¡¸ A fine sword that was once one of the treasures that had been passed down from the Blood Demonic Cult of Murim .¡¹ ¡¸ When used by someone with swordsmanship skill, blood ki flows around the blade, and the flow of magical power through the blood sword becomes smoother. ¡¹ In addition, instead of the Thunder Blade, like The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat, I also held the sword called the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword, which I obtained from Kim Seungjun. To be honest, if it was to face a typical challenger, this would¡¯ve been quite an unnecessary preparation, but¡ª Right now, I wasn¡¯t going to face an ordinary challenger. ¡®Honestly, even this isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ The Iron-blooded Monarch said that there was no chance of surviving if I met Namgung Hyuk. Namgung Hyuk had been accustomed to killing people since he was young and trained the sword to the extent that he used such a grand nickname as Sword Dragon of Blue Sky. And as one of the most talented in the Murim dimension, he also expanded his position as an expert swordsman with a knack for swords. So even if he was weakened by the penalty of floor intrusion, Iron-blooded Monarch was sure that I¡¯d hopelessly get killed without being able to do anything if I met Namgung Hyuk. That was the Sword Dragon of Blue Sky, Namgung Hyuk. But moreover, he appeared in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan, not in the Tower. It¡¯s just my wild guess, but there was a possibility that Namgung Hyuk wasn¡¯t weakened. ¡®He mustn¡¯t be receiving any penalties for floor intrusion since he appeared in Shinjuku ward of Tokyo.¡¯ Not just because it¡¯s a fight taking place outside the Tower, but¡­ It was because of the news that Namgung Hyuk killed six A-rank hunters within seconds. To be honest, it might be possible for me to fight and win against six A-rank hunters right now. However, it was impossible to completely kill strong hunters in a matter of seconds. In other words, it was safe to say that he had the strength of at least an S-rank hunter. After finishing my preparation in the blink of an eye, I was able to draw one conclusion. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can handle by myself.¡± That is, there was no way to deal with Namgung Hyuk alone. It was beyond the scale I could handle to ignore the Hunter Association¡¯s call for challengers and go straight to Japan. So¡ª For now, I should go to the Hunter Association so that I can come up with the correct way to deal with him. Having concluded that, I immediately went outside and departed to the Hunter Association. *** As soon as I got out of the studio apartment, I went to the roadside and tried to grab a taxi, but¡­ For some reason, no people and cars were passing by. So I had no choice but to call a taxi with my smartphone and got in the back seat of the taxi that arrived. ¡°To the Seoul Hunter Association, please.¡± Where I was heading was none other than the Hunter Association located in Seoul. The taxi driver looked at me like a crazy person in a tailcoat from broad daylight but¡ª He soon changed the way of looking at me after hearing where I was heading and replied okay. While on the way to the Seoul Hunter Association, which was designated as the destination for the Challenger¡¯s summons, I could immediately see that there were strangely no people on the street. Noticing that there was no one on the side of the road since a while ago, I asked the taxi driver, feeling bizarre. ¡°Why are there no people on the street? Did something happen?¡± Then the taxi driver glanced at me and said with a face that he couldn¡¯t understand me.¡± ¡°Looking at you going to the Seoul Hunter Association, aren¡¯t you a hunter summoned to the association?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But you still haven¡¯t heard the news?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an uproar because a gate has been opened in Tokyo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you summoned for that too?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but what does that have to do with no one in the street?¡± To that, the taxi driver responded with a bit of annoyance, kicking his tongue. ¡°Rumors are spreading that the Tower of Trials caused the gates in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo these days.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°They say that the gate that appeared in Tokyo was not a normal gate, but was caused by the Tower of Trials.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t an officially confirmed matter, but seeing them gathering the challengers of Tower and hunters, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely wrong either.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why there are no people on the street. It can be dangerous if the gate opens unexpectedly like in Shinjuku ward.¡± So in short, it meant that the taxi driver driving a taxi like this right now was the weird one. And most of the citizens currently didn¡¯t even walk around the streets in fear of gates opening up like Shinjuku ward. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t be afraid when there are rumors that even ordinary people were also being dragged to the Tower, and the Tower was the cause of opening a terrible gate? ¡®I thought the challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo was top secret.¡¯ Although it¡¯s top secret, there seemed to be some information leaking to the public. Even the taxi driver casually used the term Tower of Trials. It meant that quite a bit of information about the Tower was revealed. ¡®Did the ordinary people find out about the Tower of Trials in the meantime?¡¯ While I was climbing up to the 11th floor, society seemed to have undergone many changes. As if to prove it, the taxi driver poured out his words to me as though he was complaining. ¡°Let¡¯s say that normal people are being dragged to the Tower of Trials. That¡¯s still understandable, but to think that it¡¯s now affecting even the real world¡­ Tsk, the world is coming to an end.¡± *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Hearing those words, I looked outside the window without showing any reaction. I smiled bitterly at the words the taxi driver said, about the world falling apart and all. ¡®The world was already ending since the gates and monsters began to appear.¡¯ Since when was it a normal world if people without talent could never become strong even if they risked their lives? Just because you didn¡¯t have any aptitudes, you couldn¡¯t acquire even a single skill even if you risked everything and trained. Despite losing my entire family, there was nothing I could do. I lived in such a world. I survived 7 years in such a world. I finally began to see the light in such a world So¡­ Just because the world was a little more twisted didn¡¯t mean it was declining. In the end, I always knew the kind that survived in such a turbulent world. Survival of the fittest. Those who couldn¡¯t adapt to the new world were slaughtered. And those who adapted to the new world¡­ ruled as top predators. ¡°¡­¡± Recalling that fact calmly, I thought of Namgung Hyuk, who appeared in Shinjuku, Tokyo. I was just confused and scared right now, but I decided to consider that I¡¯d be able to get over it soon. Just like when I was summoned to the Tower in the past. Now, it was time for me to adapt again. *** Upon arriving at the Seoul Hunter Association, I immediately contacted Lee Hayeon. Under the current circumstances of the challengers¡¯ summons, she was also included in the call. As a result, she was also in the Seoul Hunter Association in advance, so she came to pick me up. Lee Hayeon, who ran to the entrance of the Seoul Hunter Association, saw me and ran up to me with a smile, but¡­ ¡°¡­Sungyeun-ssi, what¡¯s that outfit?¡± Soon after, she looked at the clothes I was wearing and asked a question as though she couldn¡¯t understand them. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s talk while going in.¡± Lee Hayeon immediately asked for an answer while guiding me to the inside of the Hunter Association, and I responded briefly. ¡°It¡¯s a useful piece of equipment that I recently acquired from the Tower.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m asking why you¡¯re wearing it¡­¡± ¡°I heard that the gathering order for challengers has been dropped, but isn¡¯t it because they wanted to support the Japanese Hunter Association?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Japanese Hunter Association also said that the challenger from another world mentioned the name of a Korean challenger, so we wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the call for help.¡± Looks like they don¡¯t know the details, as though they didn¡¯t hear the name of the Korean Challenger properly, though. But at least, since my name was mentioned, the Japanese Hunter Association would say that Korea was responsible for this. Then it was obvious that at least the Korean Hunter Association would have to support the Japanese Hunter Association by sorting the challengers, even in all conscience. ¡°¡­You sure you were in the tower without knowing anything until now?¡± Lee Hayeon said so as if she couldn¡¯t believe it after hearing what I was saying. It was easy to guess since I knew a lot of things, but I really didn¡¯t know. ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t have been in the tower so relaxed.¡± If I had known that Namgung Hyuk had actually appeared in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, I¡¯d have looked for a solution right away. Anyhow, if you looked at the reason why he appeared in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku ward, it was because I killed Baek Sunhak in the Tower. ¡°As you speculated, Sungyeun-ssi. The Korean Hunter Association seems to be planning to assign a few challengers and support the Japanese side.¡± ¡°Are there no objections?¡± ¡°Of course there is. There are quite a few coming out such as why we should apply to help Japan just because a Korean challenger was mentioned.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Someone also insists that we need to find the exact Korean Challenger that was mentioned, find out the truth, and hold them accountable¡­ It¡¯s pretty troublesome.¡± ¡°So currently, they aren¡¯t sure about that Korean challenger mentioned by the challenger from another world?¡± ¡°Apparently, yeah. They said that the A-rank hunter that survived at the time didn¡¯t hear the name of the Korean challenger properly.¡± While I was feeling a sense of bitterness at the news, that was a happy feature of a misfortune. Before I realized it, I found myself in the meeting room of the Seoul Hunter Association. ¡°¡­¡± Inside the meeting room, about ten people were seated in their respective seats. Perhaps because my sense of Ki also improved as the skill level of my mana circuit went up¡­ I noticed that those sitting inside the meeting room were quite skilled challengers. I sat down next to Lee Hayeon and told her the questions that came to my mind. ¡°Lee Hayeon-ssi, isn¡¯t the summoning order for challengers given to all challengers on hard difficulty?¡± ¡°Yeah. So every challenger with difficulty stopped by the Hunter Association at least once.¡± ¡°But why are there only a few challengers in this meeting room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because, in this meeting room, only the top 40 of the Evaluation Rankings were gathered.¡± As I tilted my head at those words, Lee Hayeon opened her mouth as if she would explain to me. ¡°The challenger on the hard difficulty who¡¯s below the 7th floor didn¡¯t even get to pass by the meeting room.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t count as a combat power, and they don¡¯t have much information, so we only gathered top-ranked challengers who have encountered challengers from another world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I mean, what¡¯s the benefit of summoning even the lower-ranking challengers to the meeting room? However, when I looked around, Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk were nowhere to be seen. Of course, there was a possibility that they hadn¡¯t returned from the Tower yet, but that was unlikely. Because they told me that they were planning to return to Earth after finishing the trial on the 10th floor. They probably wouldn¡¯t have spent time training like me to raise the skill level and even implement Sword Ki. And they should¡¯ve already returned to Earth, even if they were late because they had to sign an additional contract with another administrator. ¡°Are there any challengers at the top of the Evaluation Rankings who didn¡¯t attend here?¡± ¡°To some extent, there are people who couldn¡¯t be reached or have already moved.¡± ¡°What do you mean by moved?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Those who said they have no intention of supporting the Japanese Hunter Association and only provided information, or those who already went to Japan.¡± Went to Japan? I stared at Lee Hayeon as I wondered what that meant, and soon her explanation followed up. ¡°As you know, the Japanese Hunter Association requested help from the Hunter Associations of other countries.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At that request, one of the hunters, who became a challenger in the United States, said that they would go directly, and two people from Korea also went to Japan in advance.¡± ¡°Could you please tell me who those two challengers from Korea are?¡± At that, Lee Hayeon nodded her head and revealed who those two were. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk? The 1st and 2nd place in the Evaluation ranking went to Japan together.¡± As soon as I heard her words that followed, I felt that a glimmer of possibility had entered my hand. It was none other than the possibility of breaking through Namgung Hyuk through the cooperation of Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 85 Chapter 85: Dimension Invasion (4) Originally, I was going to get some help from the Korean Hunter Association to deal with Namgung Hyuk, but¡ª After hearing Lee Hayeon¡¯s words, there was no need to borrow the hands of the Korean Hunter Association. Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk were challengers on a whole new level among the challengers in Korea. ¡®If I fight along with them, I think I have a winning chance against Namgung Hyuk.¡¯ I could guess as to why they had gone ahead to Japan in response to the request for support from the Japanese Hunter Association. The two had a style where they clearly weighed their gains and losses, and as such, they didn¡¯t move without enough compensation. Moreover, the Korean Hunter Association seemed to be quite free in recruiting challengers, despite the Japanese Hunter Association¡¯s request for support. Just like how they left the low-rank challengers as it was when they didn¡¯t agree to join, although they were sufficient enough to be recruited. It seemed that they had no intention of spending manpower calling challengers to the Japanese Hunter Association. Nevertheless, the fact that the two quickly moved to Japan meant that they thought they could earn a commensurate reward in Japan. Where did the reimbursement come from that they risked going straight to Japan when these people didn¡¯t even get stronger like me by absorbing souls? It was something obvious that you didn¡¯t even have to see. ¡®The Japanese Hunter Association must¡¯ve offered them a reward.¡¯ It¡¯d also be a reward worth moving the two of them. Some challengers may have moved to deal with this situation themselves, even from overseas. In addition, it was clear that the existing S-rank hunters would¡¯ve stepped in to prevent the situation in Japan. They must¡¯ve thought like I did that if they all gathered together and attacked all at once, there was no way that Namgung Hyuk couldn¡¯t be killed. At that moment, when I was about to ask Lee Hayeon if any more hunters had moved to the Japanese side. Click. The meeting room door opened, and a man who appeared to be an employee of the Hunter Association stepped in. Then the eyes of the challengers who were sitting in their seats doing their other stuff moved their gazes to him. ¡°Hello, challengers.¡± Looking at him, continuing to speak calmly as soon as he glanced around the conference room, I laughed. ¡®I knew it was a face I¡¯ve seen somewhere before¡­¡¯ I never imagined that we¡¯d meet here like this. ¡°My name is Lee Seungjin, the leader of the Challenger management team of the Korean Hunter Association.¡± The leader of the challenger management team at the Korean Hunter Association was someone I knew. He was a challenger who once introduced himself as an A-rank hunter in the Tower, and I immediately remembered him because he was the one who showed me around the public area. After mentioning that he dealt with information, we parted ways, telling me to look for his services often¡­ but to think that we met here again. ¡®If you look at it this way, the Hunter industry is quite narrow.¡± As I felt dumbfounded and chuckled, Lee Seungjin soon started talking. ¡°Thank you to the challengers who have gathered here in response to the call.¡± He kept a serious expression and glanced around the challengers once. As though he was trying to figure out the level of the challengers in this conference room. ¡°Everyone must have a rough guess about what¡¯s going on. Since an emergency summons was issued due to a challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo.¡± The challengers in the meeting room frowned in displeasure at his words instead of responding. It was an attitude that they didn¡¯t understand why they had to gather here because of that incident. However, Lee Seungjin continued to speak fluently. ¡°As you all may know, the challenger from another world who appeared by moving through dimensions¡ª without any penalty of floor intrusion ¡ªhas been stirring up the downtown area of Shinjuku ward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In response, the Japanese Hunter Association concluded that it was impossible to subdue the challenger from another world with Japan¡¯s power and requested support.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s Korea also among them.¡± When he finished that sentence, the middle-aged challenger sitting in the corner of the meeting room showed irritation with a husky voice. ¡°So what are you trying to say? Are you telling us to go to Japan and kill that crazy bastard who killed six A-rank hunters in a matter of seconds?¡± ¡°The Japanese side insisted so. Since the challenger from another world mentioned the name of the Korean challenger, the Korean challenger is also responsible.¡± ¡°Bullshit. How do you even know if that¡¯s true? Are you driving people to the edge with things that you don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s true?¡± Some of the challengers frowned at the reckless words and actions of the middle-aged man, but he wasn¡¯t wrong in general. The levels of the challengers here were too low to subdue the challenger from another world who appeared in the Shinjuku ward. Even if they got a high rank in the Evaluation Ranking, their skills were just a little higher than that of an A-rank hunter. Because they all knew about it, the backlash was fierce, and Lee Seungjin nodded as though he knew it. ¡°The Hunter Association is well aware of that fact. The reason why everyone has gathered here isn¡¯t to unilaterally notify the challengers that everyone will be sent to Shinjuku-ward.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There are only two reasons why the Hunter Association has even issued an emergency summons and gathered all of the challengers on hard difficulty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Seungjin slowly lowered the screen in the meeting room and continued his words. ¡°First, to show the battle video secured of a Chinese S-rank hunter who went to support Shinjuku-ward, and¡­¡± The meeting room became rowdy as a video appeared on the screen that was lowered, but¡ª ¡°Second, to raise awareness to you people by showing the video of that challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku ward.¡± Lee Seungjin didn¡¯t waste time and immediately played the video, and soon the meeting room became quiet. It was understandable. ¡°¡­¡± *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Because in the video that appeared on the screen, a drone flying in the sky began to record a young man sitting in the middle of the street. The Chinese-style young man, whose eye-bags emphasized his decadent beauty, was sitting quietly with his legs crossed. ¡®So that¡¯s Namgung Hyuk?¡¯ It was for a short time that I was a little surprised by his unexpectedly ordinary attire. -¡­I don¡¯t know why only the insects keep on bugging me one by one, instead of the one I called. Namgung Hyuk, who was sitting down quietly, muttered and looked up at the sky. To be precise, he frowned as though he was displeased as he looked at the sky where the drone was flying. I expected the drone to be destroyed, watching Namgung Hyuk get up from his seat. But¡­ -I never thought that you¡¯d welcome me this fiercely, you know? Contrary to what I expected, the situation where the drone gets destroyed didn¡¯t occur. Instead of destroying the drone, Namgung Hyuk turned his gaze to the middle of the streets of Shinjuku Ward. And walking towards him, a black-haired man with explosive muscles stood out. ¡°The person walking over there is Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, who was acknowledged as an S-rank hunter in China about a month ago.¡± In short, it means that he was no different from being the main character of this battle video. ¡°¡­¡± However, I realized that Lee Seungjin¡¯s intentions for showing this video weren¡¯t good. I was able to predict what would happen to the hunter named Feng Z¨« w¨¦n, who appeared in the video. However, all the challengers inside the meeting room looked at that scene with a nervous look, as though they couldn¡¯t predict like me. [email protected]#%&[email protected]##¡­ Then they frowned as they saw the sight of Feng Z¨« W¨¦n grinning and muttering. It seems like the language wasn¡¯t interpreted because he was an ordinary hunter from a foreign country, not a challenger from the Tower. Back in the Tower, anyone could understand the language, but since he wasn¡¯t a challenger, they couldn¡¯t understand each other¡¯s language. However, Namgung Hyuk nodded his head as though he understood what he was saying. -I got it. It seems like you aren¡¯t the type to listen to me. Perhaps he has a separate ability to interpret languages? I didn¡¯t know what Feng Z¨« W¨¦n was blabbering about, but he seemed to realize that Feng Z¨« W¨¦n was hostile to him. Soon he stood up, let out a bitter smile, and placed his hand on the hilt of the curved sword on his waist. -Well, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to achieve my goal right away anyway. Namgung Hyuk drew his sword as soon as he finished his words, and at that moment, an unbelievable situation happened. Slaaaaaaaaash! The buildings around him all started to cut and fall down without any warning, and¡­ Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, who was approaching Namgung Hyuk relaxedly, was startled and stepped backward. -Pathetic. Consider it a shame that you attacked me with such trivial skills. With those words as last, Feng Z¨« w¨¦n rushed toward Namgung Hyuk while screaming out of spite. And after that, a battle that could only be called truly transcendent began to take place. Feng Z¨« W¨¦n swung his fist with all his might and clashed with Namgung Hyuk, but the result wasn¡¯t good. Feng Z¨« W¨¦n was the one who got injuries, although it was a battle in which the ground cracked and the air burst whenever they exchanged an attack. Rather, Namgung Hyuk parried all of Feng Z¨« W¨¦n¡¯s attacks and slashed his whole body, gradually accumulating damage. The battle was concluded after only a few minutes had elapsed. -You were worth seeing for a person who can¡¯t even wield Fist Ki. You may die in peace. Slaaash! The moment Feng Z¨« W¨¦n¡¯s body split in half and spilled blood and organs. Namgung Hyuk turned his back as though he wasn¡¯t interested and sheathed his weapon. A complete defeat. Then, the challengers in the meeting room were shocked by the result that could only be described as such. -If you make me waste more time, this city will experience something more terrible. Namgung Hyuk looked at the drone floating in the air, muttered coldly, and then drew his sword again. Bzzzzzt! After that, the drone showed a black screen with noise, unable to capture anything. ¡°¡­¡± He¡¯s strong. ¡®It¡¯s not simply just a high level of physical ability or such.¡¯ Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, who fought Namgung Hyuk just now, wasn¡¯t a weak hunter either. If I fought Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, I wouldn¡¯t lose, but that didn¡¯t guarantee I¡¯d win against him. ¡®And he killed such a skilled person in less than a few minutes, huh.¡¯ I was feigning a smile at the strength that could be called a monster among monsters. ¡°Did you see the challenger from another world without the floor intrusion penalty?¡± Lee Seungjin, who was looking at the video on the screen, looked around the meeting room and opened his mouth. ¡°This is the reality. The Tower of the Trials is definitely not a place to compete.¡± Lee Seungjin narrowed his eyes and continued his words calmly. ¡°We all need to disclose all the hidden information and prepare to prevent this kind of situation from happening again.¡± Only then do the challengers inside the meeting room frowned as if they had grasped Lee Seungjin¡¯s intentions. He was basically telling the high-ranking challengers, who were reluctant to disclose information, to disclose all information. They didn¡¯t gather only the challengers on a high rank of the Evaluation Ranking for nothing. As the atmosphere inside the meeting room died, Lee Seungjin opened his mouth again. ¡°We¡¯ll only send the people who wish to go for the current request of the Japanese Hunter Association.¡± At those words, the faces of the challengers in the meeting room brightened up evidently. They thought that they¡¯d be forced to be driven out to a deadly place where even an S-rank hunter died helplessly. But they had the right to choose. There would be no other good news for them at the moment. ¡°But if you don¡¯t respond to the request for help, please at least disclose the information.¡± Of course, Lee Seungjin firmly confirmed that choice wasn¡¯t completely free. If you wanted to ignore the request of the Japanese Hunter Association, you had to provide some information. However, it seemed like most of the challengers had no intention of opposing that now. Perhaps it was the same for Lee Hayeon. She smiled softly, pushed her face towards me, then whispered silently in my ear. ¡°Things are better than I thought. We won¡¯t be assigned if this goes on.¡± She seemed quite anxious because she was also selected as a high-rank challenger, but¡­ Contrary to what Lee Hayeon thought, my dissatisfaction was filling up. Even though Namgung Hyuk was strong, she said that Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk went to Japan. They didn¡¯t conclude that there was no chance of winning at all, even in this situation, and that was the same for me, too. Although it was slim, the odds of winning existed, and it felt like I could at least inflict fatal damage on him. ¡®I didn¡¯t wanna stand out, but I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ In the end, I prepared myself to stand out and raised my hand in the toned atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, following the request of the Japanese Hunter Association.¡± Not only the challengers who were sitting in the meeting room but also Lee Seungjin stared at me as if they were dumbfounded. All the gazes looking at me seemed to tell me this at once. They didn¡¯t know that crazy bastard who would go into such a deadly place on their own actually existed. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 86 Chapter 86: Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky (1) All the challengers in the meeting room looked at me like a crazy bastard. ¡°¡­I must¡¯ve heard it wrong, right? Sungyeun-ssi?¡± Lee Hayeon even lifted her toes from the chair to come up and whispered in my ear. She asked me to say that what she just heard was something she misheard, but¡­ Unlike her, who doesn¡¯t want to fight Namgung Hyuk, my head was full of thoughts about wanting to fight the challenger from another world. Namgung Hyuk in the video was stronger than I thought, but that didn¡¯t mean I was going to completely be defeated. My limbs might be torn off a few times, but it wasn¡¯t a level where I¡¯d die, considering it¡¯s a situation where the other challengers would be present. Therefore¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not a slip of the tongue nor a thoughtless word.¡± Without further denial, I firmly conveyed my intentions, even by putting mana into my voice. Only then, Lee Seungjin, staring at me blankly, frowned as if he had come back to his senses and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡­ remember you, Han Sungyeun-ssi.¡± He soon stared straight at me and said he knew me. ¡°And the fact that you¡¯re always in the top 3 of the Evaluation Rankings.¡± I didn¡¯t recall telling him about the Evaluation rankings, so it must be information Lee Seungjin found out. I didn¡¯t really care as to why he knew the rankings. I was prepared for my ranking and name to be revealed since the time I had repeated battles with my real name in the arena anyway. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. Why would someone as talented as you would say that you want to help Japan?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the path where I can grow.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You mentioned Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk went to the Japanese Hunter association, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. They said they¡¯d go even if they didn¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°My reason is in a similar vein.¡± Hearing what I said, Lee Seungjin narrowed his eyes and bit his lips. ¡°I see. You¡¯re thinking about the reward that the Japanese Hunter Association will provide you.¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s a cause, people won¡¯t gather if there¡¯s no reward after all.¡± ¡°Are you planning to go there just to get a Skill Proficiency potion?¡± ¡°A Skill Proficiency potion, huh? So that¡¯s the reward offered by the Japanese Hunter association.¡± ¡°You were saying you¡¯d go even if you didn¡¯t know about it? Even if it¡¯s a Skill Proficiency potion, it¡¯s a potion that only increases proficiency by 10%.¡± Lee Seungjin stared at me as though he was asking if it was really worth risking my life for, but¡ª That didn¡¯t mean I could tell him I changed my mind and not go. This was because, apart from my justification, Namgung Hyuk was a challenger from another world that appeared because of me. Moreover, A-rank hunters died because of that, which had a huge impact on the city too. And just because the risk is high, I should save myself and run away from it because the reward doesn¡¯t seem like much? I couldn¡¯t tolerate that. And at the same time¡ª ¡°If you let go of it just because the reward isn¡¯t much, you¡¯ll end up being eliminated one day.¡± The Skill Proficiency potion wasn¡¯t an item that could be underestimated. To think that you can arbitrarily increase the proficiency of one of your skills by 10%? Although its performance was slightly lower than the Skill Proficiency potion obtained as a common reward for the 10th-floor trial¡­ It wasn¡¯t a reward that could easily be ignored, so my desire to fall back further disappeared. ¡°Now I understand why you became a ranker, Han Sungyeun-ssi.¡± Lee Seungjin looked at me, opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, and then he said as though he was dumbfounded. ¡°You are¡­ not normal.¡± At those words, I giggled and replied casually. ¡°I¡¯ve known that for a long time.¡± Because I already knew that I wasn¡¯t normal. *** I went straight to Incheon Airport and immediately departed for Japan through the ticket that Lee Seungjin had booked. It seemed like Lee Seungjin didn¡¯t want to let me go, but¡­ In fact, there was no way for him to forcibly ignore a request for support from the Japanese Hunter Association when I was willing to go. I could easily guess why he didn¡¯t want to let me go. ¡®It should be uneasy to see three Korean ranker-level challengers responding to the summons of Japan.¡¯ The challenger from another world that appeared in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo is currently a monster among monsters. From the point where the video of Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, who was said to be China¡¯s S-rank hunter, helplessly getting killed was released. It¡¯d be complicated for them to send a challenger who may not have been trained properly yet. ¡®The Korean Hunter Association must be afraid of the worst-case scenario.¡¯ The worst-case scenario. That would probably be a situation in which Kim Seunghoon, Oh Choonsuk, and myself all get annihilated all at once. Among the challengers belonging to the Tower of Trials, we were listed in the highest ranking in Korea. The damage that Korea would receive would be enormous if we die, so they would¡¯ve rather wished for me not to go. However, how could I not respond when Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk responded to it? Surprisingly, Lee Hayeon didn¡¯t deny my decision, unlike Lee Seungjin did til the end. She let me go, saying there was no use stopping me if it was my decision, and I believed it was the right thing to do. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Of course¡­ [Lee Hayeon: Please give me a call when you arrive at the Japanese Hunter Association.] [Lee Hayeon: If it seems dangerous, you must run away immediately.] [Lee Hayeon: And if you have an item you need, request them from the Japanese Hunter Association no matter what.] [Lee Hayeon: Also, request for a recovery potion as a basic support item. Got it?] [Lee Hayeon: And¡­] On the contrary to letting me go easily, she nagged me constantly through messenger. There was a hint of anxiety in her words. While reading her messages, I smirked and turned off the screen of my smartphone. ¡°¡­She does really seem worried about me.¡± Even my mother, who died a long time ago, wasn¡¯t this extreme. However, I honestly couldn¡¯t really understand Lee Hayeon¡¯s behavior. In fact, I only belonged to the White Silver guild by contract, and I wasn¡¯t a proper guild member. The White Silver guild was just a supplier for the dungeon or a middleman for me. And it was clear from the contract alone that we weren¡¯t building any further relationship. However, Lee Hayeon was always kind, asking if there was anything she could do to help me. Even when the White Silver guild placed a condition on me to clear the dungeon, she always prioritized me. Should I say it felt like she was actually showing care for me, not just a contractual relationship? ¡°¡­¡± That was the problem. She cares about me, not by a give-and-take structure. It complicated my mind so much that I wondered if I should change how I treated her. Even more so because there was nothing I could do for her right now. However¡ª That complicated feeling soon faded as the plane I rode landed in Japan. I slowly stood up from my seat as I listened to the announcement from the plane that followed. Now, the time had come to put an end to other thoughts and really head to the Japanese Hunter Association. *** Just as I was about to leave the airport, a Japanese woman approached me at the airport entrance. ¡°Are you perhaps the challenger, Han Sungyeun?¡± Looking at her speak fluent Korean, I soon opened my mouth. ¡°Are you from the Japanese Hunter Association?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m here to pick you up, Challenger Han Sungyeun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My name is Arie Chika. Nice to meet you.¡± Surprisingly, they were pretty low-key for those who claimed the Korean hunter Association was responsible. I thought they would¡¯ve been raging at the fact that a Korean challenger was mentioned from the mouth of a challenger from another world. But Arie Chika, who was currently looking at me, was polite rather than rude. I definitely liked that. ¡°Nice to meet you too. Arie-ssi.¡± I asked her to guide me to the Japanese Hunter Association immediately, and she quickly picked up my luggage and escorted me to her car. There wasn¡¯t much to talk about, so I closed my eyes and waited until we arrived at the Japanese Hunter Association. ¡°Challenger Han Sungyeun, we have arrived.¡± As I heard Arie Chika saying so, I got out of the car and looked around the building. People were unusually crowded in this area, unlike on our way here and at the airport. Judging from the fact that I could sense most of them having mana, it seemed that hunters or challengers were moving in and out. ¡®Looks like only the hunters and challengers are busy because of the Shinjuku ward incident?¡¯ The civilians didn¡¯t even appear on the streets due to the incident in the Shinjuku ward. I was somewhat also disturbed by the sight, as though an apocalypse was actually upon us, but¡­ ¡°Challenger Han Sungyeun, please follow me. Others are waiting inside.¡± Following Arie Chika¡¯s guidance, I soon turned my head and entered the building. And¡ª I knew immediately who the people waiting inside were that Chika Arie was talking about. There were two familiar faces that I¡¯d seen before inside the meeting room, which was the destination she had led me to. ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen each other since the trial of the 10th floor.¡± I greeted them right away as I sat down in front of the two of them. ¡°Kim Seunghoon-ssi, and Oh Choonsuk-ssi.¡± They both looked at me and soon greeted me. ¡°Yeah. I never thought I¡¯d see you here.¡± Oh Choonsuk spoke to me as if whispering with a stiffened face, and¡­ ¡°You arrived later than I expected.¡± Kim Seunghoon said so while still wearing a black mask that didn¡¯t reveal his face. He acted as though he knew I was coming here, but it wasn¡¯t surprising. Because I also knew that Kim Seunghoon would definitely come here. However¡ª ¡°Is this all the people who gathered at the request for support from the Japanese Hunter Association?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment as soon as I looked around the meeting room. Because no one was sitting in this meeting room right now other than the three of us. ¡°¡­They said that an additional challenger will arrive from the United States soon.¡± Kim Seunghoon stayed silent for a moment and answered, but it wasn¡¯t really great news. I was ridiculed for the situation where the four challengers were the only forces. Of course, it was safe to say that we three had the skills of an S-rank hunter, but¡ª The challenger from another world who was currently in Shinjuku ward was an opponent that it¡¯d be uncertain if we¡¯d be able to hunt down, even with the three of us. ¡®Moreover, I don¡¯t even know how strong the challenger who¡¯s arriving additionally from the US is, so¡­¡¯ I thought that it¡¯d be better without them if the challenger who would arrive soon was weaker than I expected. But while I was lost in thought, I turned my head to the sound of the meeting room door opening. I could see a red-haired woman walking in through the meeting room door. And¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± As soon as she entered the meeting room, she looked at me and muttered as if she were dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± At the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but look at her and say this while making a hollow smile. Who would¡¯ve thought she was the American challenger who¡¯d be arriving last? ¡°¡­That¡¯s my line, you see.¡± Katheryn Benett. She¡¯s a strong person who wields the powers related to the fire that I once fought in the arena. And a challenger who left a loaded statement that she would visit me in the future, just before she was defeated in the battle. She was the American challenger who had arrived at last. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 87 Chapter 87: Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky (2) Katheryn Benett looked at me as if to ask why I was here, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I was so bewildered to the point that I thought I should be the one sending that gaze. I never imagined that Katheryn Benett would come from the United States, not anywhere else. However, It looked like she was also greatly bewildered, as it was pretty evident that she seemed perplexed. ¡®I thought it was intentional as she said she¡¯d come to visit me later on in the arena.¡¯ But it turns out that she had a face that she didn¡¯t even know I¡¯d be here. It was a moment where the awkward silence passed between each other because of that. ¡°Finally, all the challengers have gathered.¡± Following her, Arie Chika, who had guided me to the meeting room, politely bowed and introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Arie Chika, the president of the Japanese Hunter Association.¡± I opened my eyes wide at those words and looked at Arie Chika. ¡®She¡¯s the president of the Japanese Hunter Association?¡¯ Since she came to pick me up at the airport, I thought she was simply an employee of the Association, but to find out that she¡¯s the president of the Japanese Hunter Association, I couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. I was even more surprised as I didn¡¯t expect a president of the Association to personally come to pick up a challenger whose name wasn¡¯t really known, too. ¡°Thank you very much for responding to the Japanese hunter Association¡¯s request for support.¡± Of course, I regained my composure after a while and looked at her. And soon, Arie Chika looked at Katheryn Benett and me with a serious face and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± I pondered for a while on that question and came up with an answer immediately. ¡°To some extent. We met briefly at the Tower.¡± Well actually, we met briefly and fought in the Colosseum close to death, but Katheryn Benett didn¡¯t deny what I said either. She just bowed her head and came to the left of my seat, and silently sat down. Just then, Arie Chika nodded as if she understood it and opened her mouth again. ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s great. Since I had to introduce her to everyone anyway.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Currently, no further support will come from the Japanese Hunter Association.¡± Oh Choonsuk, sitting still, was the first to react to her words. ¡°W-Wait. Wait a second. What do you mean by that? Are you saying there are no more supporting challengers or even hunters?¡± ¡°To be honest¡­ there¡¯ll be no more hunters and challengers coming here. The situation has become worse than they thought, and it seems that they are restricting the support of challengers as well as the hunters.¡± Oh Choonsuk kept on opening and closing his mouth as if he was speechless at that, but¡­ Katheryn Benett, who sat on my left side, and Kim Seunghoon showed no signs of agitation. And that was the same for me. ¡°¡­¡± All unreasonable situations in the world derive from a lack of ability. If Japan hadn¡¯t been a weak country in terms of hunters, other countries would¡¯ve actively supported their hunters. Since it would be a country that holds that much value, there won¡¯t be much to lose since it¡¯s a fight with a high chance of winning. However, Japan is a country with only one S-rank hunter and 40 A-rank hunters. Moreover, six of those 40 A-rank hunters have already died, and the S-rank hunter from China was also killed. In this situation, no country would allow further aid to Japan, which has been labeled as a weak country in terms of hunters. There was no reason for other countries to help Japan while bearing the huge loss. ¡®That¡¯s the reality.¡¯ There would be no hunters or challengers who¡¯d volunteer to go either. To be frank, I had to say that the four challengers gathered here are abnormal. Because normally, no one would respond to a request for support even if they were told that it wouldn¡¯t be necessary for this situation. ¡°As of now, no one is willing to help Japan.¡± Arie Chika revealed a little bit of gloom and continued her words. ¡°I understand that all of you are perplexed. Since the monster that appeared in Shinjuku-gu of Tokyo certainly has an out of standard power.¡± But she soon erased the gloom and spoke with power in her voice. ¡°But we have a winning chance.¡± As she spoke those words, she looked at Katheryn Benett and said confidently. ¡°With the ability of Katheryn Benett, we can turn the tables of this fight.¡± That she¡¯s the one who could bring the initiative to our side in this fight. *** In an instant, the gazes in the meeting room began to focus on me. To be exact, it was towards Katheryn Benett sitting right next to me. ¡°¡­Among the powers I have, there¡¯s a power called ¡®Suppression of Fire.''¡± Just then, she broke the silence and opened her mouth to explain her ability. ¡°If I can make the flame triggered by this power reach an opponent stronger than me, at most, the opponent¡¯s max stats will drop by -10, and some skills will be sealed randomly.¡± I could see why Arie Chika looked at her and said she could be the one to turn the tables in this fight. ¡°¡­You must have a great administrator. To acquire such an overpowered power.¡± The ability that Katheryn Benett had was truly overpowered To the extent that Kim Seunghoon, who had rarely opened his mouth so far, spit out a word as if it was ridiculous. ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± Katheryn Benett also kept her proud face and responded so. Then she glanced and smiled softly at me. Should I say her eyes shone brightly like a puppy waiting for a compliment? ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± I felt burdened by the look in her eyes, hoping for a reaction, so I had no choice but to say something. ¡°I know, right?¡± Then I made a smirk as I watched Katheryn Benett nodding her head in satisfaction. At first glance, her outward appearance is arrogant, but I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d act this way just because she heard a word of praise. Although her behavior felt childish, I just accepted it and turned my head. ¡°Anyway¡­ with her powers, we can seize the chance to victory.¡± Then, Arie Chika cleared her throat and began to continue. ¡°However, the condition under which her ability activates is important.¡± *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Conditions for power activation. I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth at those words. ¡°So the fire must reach the challenger from another world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Otherwise, the ability called power won¡¯t activate, apparently.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no way the challenger from another world will willingly get struck by that fire.¡± ¡°So, in short, we¡¯ll have to create a situation where Katheryn will trigger the ¡®Suppression of Fire¡¯.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wise. Exactly.¡± Hearing that, Kim Seunghoon threw a word as if it were nothing. ¡°If It¡¯s just that, I can make that as much as you want.¡± After that, Oh Choonsuk hesitated as though he was worried, then soon nodded his head. ¡°Mm¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible. But well, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t seem confident in his voice, but I knew Oh Choonsuk¡¯s capability. He was the one who swept the army in battle, probably because he had mastered magic-based skills professionally. Of course, he couldn¡¯t beat me because I supplemented my mana and stamina through souls. Even so, Oh Coonsuk was clearly a strong person to say that he¡¯s weak because of that. There wasn¡¯t much to worry about. And¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more to discuss now, so let¡¯s get going.¡± I didn¡¯t have anything else to quibble over. Since I even learned how to properly use the Sword Ki in the waiting room. In fact, I had concluded that there would be no situation in which I¡¯d be a hindrance to the party. Arie Chika also looked at me and then nodded in agreement to some extent. ¡°¡­If there¡¯s no one who wants to come up with a more specific plan, we¡¯ll do so.¡± Of course, none of the four wanted to plan out a specific plan. Assessing each other¡¯s capability was a kind of trick that we acquired while climbing the Tower. Everyone instinctively knew that none of those who came here were unskilled to strategize and fight. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your decision. The helicopter is waiting on the roof right now, so let¡¯s depart immediately.¡± Arie Chika immediately led us out of the meeting room, and I followed. It didn¡¯t take long to get to the roof and hop on the helicopter. As soon as I got on the helicopter, I felt it moving, accompanied by noise, and the helicopter departed for its destination. We didn¡¯t even talk to each other properly, and most of us just waited for the arrival without moving, with our eyes closed. Even Oh Choonsuk, who had been nervous and perplexed earlier, had a calm face as if waiting for the upcoming battle. Only Katheryn Benett looked outside and glanced at me from time to time. It seemed like everyone didn¡¯t think that this battle would be that difficult. Would it be because they all had a history of encountering a challenger from another world many times? It was then that I had a flood of thoughts regarding this. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t originally plan to meet like this.¡± Katheryn Benett, who had only been glancing at me, said so out of the blue. ¡°Actually, I wanted to meet in a little bit more ordinary way.¡± ¡°How can we meet normally when we didn¡¯t meet normally from the beginning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, true. Our first meeting wasn¡¯t ordinary either, hah.¡± Soon, Katheryn Benett accepted the fact and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to know¡­ Are you like a newcomer with experience?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I did a search for you on the Korean Hunter Association website, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, only one record appeared on the website of the Korean hunter Association.¡± ¡°I must¡¯ve appeared as a C rank hunter there.¡± Well in fact, to Katheryn, I might look like a hunter who retired and came back to the field. Aside from getting stronger in the Tower, I became a C-rank hunter through the hunter exam. And I didn¡¯t have a lot of records of being active as a hunter since then, after all. ¡°But whatever you may think, most of it is probably wrong.¡± ¡°Because before I entered the tower, I wasn¡¯t a hunter.¡± ¡°What do you mea¡­¡± It was the moment when Katheryn was about to ask a question as if she was dumbfounded. Smaaaaaaaaaash¡­!! With the sight of a building collapsing down with the sound of an explosion, I got startled and, at the same time, looked at Arie Chika, who was in the same helicopter. ¡°¡­It looks like the challenger from another world is running rampant.¡± She looked at the situation outside and soon said so while muttering. ¡°Ever since the death of Feng Z¨« W¨¦n, who responded to the request for support from China, he¡¯s been destroying the city like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He started running rampant at the same time when we started moving in a helicopter. Now you have to prepare for some battle.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As expected from a challenger from Murim dimension, his doings were far out of the expectations. I never imagined that he¡¯d cause such an uproar for not having brought me. I frowned at that fact, then made a decision, stood up, and spoke to Katheryn. Seeing the situation was worse than I thought, I couldn¡¯t just stay still. ¡°Katheryn, can you land from the air?¡± ¡°¡­What? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a good idea. If this works, you¡¯ll be able to cast your power on him right away.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I believe I¡¯ll be able to land somehow if it¡¯s this much height?¡± ¡°Then that should be enough.¡± I immediately wrapped my arm around her waist and headed out of the helicopter. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°Excuse me for a second.¡± ¡°W-W-Wait, what are you planning to¡­!?¡± ¡°What do you mean by what?¡± ¡¸Activating Power, ¡®Wings of Steel¡¯.¡¹ ¡°We¡¯re gonna fly.¡± And at the same time, I went out of the helicopter while controlling the wings extending from my back. Whiiish! Like a bird, I spread my wings and flew to the city¡¯s center where the roars were breaking out¡­ At a speed that could only be called transcendental. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 88 Chapter 88: Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky (3) Flying. Everyone born in this world must¡¯ve dreamed of flying in the infinitely wide expanse at least once. Only creatures born with wings can fly and move freely in the sky. I also longed for it when I was young to the point that I could barely remember it. Of course, after realizing it was a dream that could never come true, I immediately gave up on it. However¡ª Currently, I had acquired wings and flew in the skies of Tokyo. It was a skill I had used once in the waiting room of the Tower, but the feeling of using it outside was completely different. The flight in the waiting room was just to see if I could really fly. The only feeling I had at that time was that it was just amazing that a lot of mana was consumed, and I could fly without flapping my wings a lot. But now, it was different. Flying in the skies of Tokyo gave me a sense of omnipotence, as if I had truly become the ruler of the sky. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for the buildings collapsing with the roaring from all over the place, I would¡¯ve been laughing out loud. In fact, I felt the corners of my lips slightly rising up. ¡°Why are you smiling carefreely after bringing a person as you please¡­!¡± At this, Katheryn, hanging on my left arm, said something while getting mad, but I couldn¡¯t help it. She was a challenger who could restrain Namgung Hyuk, who was going rampant without any penalty. ¡°Smiling was my mistake. I just thought it was amazing to be flying in the sky.¡± I couldn¡¯t leave Katheryn behind when the full-scale fight with Namgung Hyuk would be starting soon. Because of Namgung Hyuk, who had begun to indiscriminately destroy buildings in Shinjuku ward, I had no time to explain. Of course, we could¡¯ve fought Namgung Hyuk after waiting for the collapse, but the goal wasn¡¯t just to defeat Namgung Hyuk, but also to protect the city. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and I was flying with my wings straight out like this. Perhaps she noticed that fact. She became quite calm, unlike a while ago, struggling for me to let her go. ¡°In all honesty¡­ you¡¯re insane. You must have a screw loose somewhere. Who in the world would agree to fly without explanation in that situation?¡± ¡°Needless to say, the grunting was still there, but I could obviously bear with it.¡± I responded to Katheryn¡¯s words while pouring some more mana into the wings and increasing my speed. Whiiiish¡ª! ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t explain one by one and fly in a situation where the city was being destroyed.¡± ¡°¡­I know. I¡¯m just saying, so don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Katheryn said as though she was fed up, then raised her head and looked at me. ¡°So, what are you planning to do now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking? We¡¯ll go to Namgung hyuk.¡± ¡°No, not that. I¡¯m asking about the battle plan.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any? You left everyone else behind and just brought me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously because you¡¯re a person who can¡¯t be taken out in this battle.¡± But she frowned frustratingly and then let out a deep sigh. ¡°Right now, only the two of us came here, and everyone else is still in the helicopter. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then you or I will have to create an opening for that monster to activate the power, right?¡± ¡°Is that the reason why you asked if I had a battle plan?¡± Then Katheryn nodded as if she was tired of me, and I quickly fell into my thoughts. That¡¯s because I wondered if the bare minimum of a battle plan was necessary like she said. But¡­ ¡®But there really is no such thing as a battle plan.¡¯ I immediately concluded that there was no such thing as a battle plan, and there was no need for such a thing. Because¡ª ¡°You said you can land properly even if you fell from the air, Katheryn.¡± From the moment we came out of the helicopter, I had already decided on how to unleash the strongest attack on Namgung Hyuk through this flight. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°That should be enough. Because there¡¯s no need for other battle plans.¡± ¡°No, honestly. Are you making fun of me¡­?!¡± ¡°How will you be landing?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a skill. It¡¯s called a leap of purity, and the bearer becomes immune from all fall damage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great skill. I guess there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Even when Katheryn was mad, once she was asked a question, she stopped her tantrum and answered. At that, I lowered my head and gave a bitter smile after looking into her eyes for a moment. I couldn¡¯t help but send her a little bit of pity. Because she had to land on the ground without anyone¡¯s help from now. ¡°Katheryn.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the battle plan has already been set.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll slam Namgung Hyuk with my wings while I drop onto Namgung Hyuk.¡± ¡°Wh-What are you talking about!? You might die if you do that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t die. At most, it¡¯ll probably be about breaking a few limbs plus a fracture on my entire body.¡± I wouldn¡¯t die easily because there was the tenacity stat that I¡¯d raised with Necromancy so far. As long as I didn¡¯t hurt my head or heart, I probably wouldn¡¯t get into that much of a serious situation. I wasn¡¯t worried that much because the Ashen Blood skill would shut off the sense of pain and recover quickly. But Katheryn looked at me while opening and closing her mouth, dilating her pupils in disbelief. ¡°B-But that¡¯s¡­ why would you go that far¡­¡± ¡°I wonder. These are the only things that I can do, so.¡± I couldn¡¯t win if I didn¡¯t risk my life in even a single battle. In the Tower, where defeat means death, I could only risk my life in the beginning. I could survive only by risking my own life and doing nonsensical things. And it continued while climbing the Tower and fighting countless monsters. But Katheryn looked at me like a person who was about to commit a supreme sacrifice and¡ª ¡°You¡¯re really out of your mind.¡± She chewed on that word and gazed down with vacant eyes. I couldn¡¯t really say anything back, so I just said one statement. ¡°See you later.¡± She¡¯ll understand the situation when she actually sees me alive. I freed Katheryn from my left arm and fell to the center, where roars could be heard. It was the center where the building was currently being destroyed, so Namgung Hyuk was probably right down here. In an instant, the speed of the fall increased transcendentally, and soon the air resistance began to push the body away. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** It didn¡¯t matter. ¡¸Using the soul of the Earth Snake to replenish mana. ¡¹ ¡¸Using the soul of the Earth Snake to replenish ma¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Using the soul of the Earth Snake to replenish¡­ ¡¹ By converting all the remaining souls obtained in the trial of the 10th floor into mana, and replenishing all the mana scraped right down to the bottom, I accelerated to the limit. ¡¸ Activating Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s (B) effect ¡®Steel¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Your skin develops a property that absorbs all physical damage by 10% ¡¹ I even activated the Wrought Iron Pendant¡¯s property of absorbing physical damage after a long time. ¡¸ Creating a barrier by consuming blood with the unique effect of The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat (A-). ¡¹ At the same time, through the Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat, I wrapped myself in a pretty good barrier. I didn¡¯t stop there. I protected my brain by wrapping my head with the Wings of Steel. And¡ª Slaaaaaaaaaaaam! Then I fell to the ground with a deafening noise. *** The Namgung noble family. It¡¯s a family with such strong prosperity that it¡¯s called the best among the five noble families in Murim. And at the same time, it was a huge group where the sword master, who¡¯s respected by all martial artists, was present as the previous head of the family. However¡­ -To think that a person born as a young master of the Namgung noble family is dull-witted. What should we do about this? Namgung Hyuk, born in that high-powered Namgung family, had a poor childhood due to the prestige of his family. When he turned six years old, Namgung Hyuk was insulted by his father for being a dull-witted bastard. Dull-witted. In an era where the value of a person is determined only by the talent of their martial arts. The evaluation that Namgung Hyuk had heard from his father could only be said to be disastrous. He was weak, and he couldn¡¯t speak properly, unlike other kids. Seeing him, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s father despised him until he reached the age of ten. -Your rise of skill level in martial arts has already stopped at this point? At one time, his father persecuted his mother, asking if he was really his son who inherited his blood. And each time, Namgung Hyuk had to listen to his father and mother fight with an empty look. Why is a child, who will be active as a rising star in a few years, like this? Namgung Hyuk¡¯s father treated him harshly and persecuted him like that every day¡­ But he wasn¡¯t talentless for martial arts or inferior to other children. -Why doesn¡¯t everyone understand the sound of the sword? Namgung Hyuk was born with the ability to hear the sound of the sword. It¡¯s not that the sword actually speaks, but he just hears the sword ringing. But through that process, Namgung Hyuk was learning martial arts with the sound of the sword. Such as where to swing the sword and where to draw the sword to cut the enemy. Or where you should point the sword to parry the enemy¡¯s attack and lead to a counterattack. He could figure it all out through the sound of the sword. Genius. Namgung Hyuk had a talent that can¡¯t be stressed enough, even if labeled as a heaven-sent gift. However, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s talent was useless to his father, who thought that only the technique of martial arts was everything. -I¡¯m not interested in inferior children who can¡¯t even follow a specified movement. At the age of ten, he was branded as an inferior child and regarded as a burden. -You¡¯re carving the path of the sword before even following the specified movement. You¡¯re a true genius. Until he met his grandfather, the former head of the Namgung noble family and called the swordmaster of that time. From that moment on, from an inferior child who simply couldn¡¯t follow a set movement, Namgung Hyuk was raised by his grandfather as a genius of a sword with innate qualities that no one could match. Namgung Hyuk¡¯s grandfather respected him, saying that learning a martial art isn¡¯t just about following specific techniques. No, to be more precise, he respected Namgung Hyuk¡¯s talent. His talent itself, which could only be called violent. The result was simple. -Sword Ki at the age of thirteen, huh¡­ Your achievement is higher than when I was young. Namgung Hyuk reached the level of a Sword Ki Master at the same time a sudden realization overwhelmed him. It was an achievement that he achieved only three years after he began to learn martial arts properly. At that instant, for the first time, Namgung Hyuk felt a taste of freedom. Blue sky. The fluttering blue Sword Ki resembled the flow of the sky and ran freely. But even if so, he was only at a level where he could hurt people with Ki. Namgung Hyuk was greatly disappointed by that fact, but his grandfather soon turned his disappointment into expectation. -Martial art isn¡¯t a path that exists only to kill people, but a path to transcendence. The sword master showed that Namgung Hyuk¡¯s Sword Ki wasn¡¯t just for killing people. Acquiring god-like abilities through endless self-training is what martial arts are. And he generously informed Namgung Hyuk that the state he had now reached was just the beginning of that path. Originally, Ki was a law that existed in a world so small that it couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. A small perceptive world. After condensing the existence of the small world¡¯s Ki into the body, which is so small that it can¡¯t be observed at all¡­ And twisting the laws of reality by bringing it to the observable realm called the large perceptive world¡­ -The starting point of that is Sword Ki. Twisting the laws of reality so that you could pierce through steel like tofu was the true nature of the Sword Ki. It was around then¡ª ¡¸The Tower of Trials is selecting the right person from the Murim dimension.¡¹ Namgung Hyuk was summoned to the Tower of Trials that he heard as a rumor. And he climbed the Tower faster than anyone else and finally made a splendid achievement of climbing up to the 20th floor. It was an incredible feat accomplished at the age of only seventeen, but¡­ -I don¡¯t know why there are so many boring people in the world. Namgung Hyuk rather fell into a feeling of boredom because of this, and he didn¡¯t climb the Tower and only passed the time. In the meantime, he realized that an interesting element called ¡®floor intrusion¡¯ existed in the Tower. Since then, he has been fighting challengers from minor dimensions who won¡¯t cause trouble even if he fights them. In the process, Namgung Hyuk felt that the boredom he began to feel while climbing the Tower was slowly recovering. He felt like the blood that had cooled after a long time of boiling. The challengers of a dimension that wasn¡¯t even properly registered in the Tower were weak. However, there were learning opportunities among them, and Namgung Hyuk grew stronger and stronger. Because of that, Namgung Hyuk didn¡¯t even climb the Tower properly and only slaughtered challengers from minor dimensions. He found out that the felon that killed Baek Sunhak, the elder of the Murim alliance, was a challenger belonging to a minor dimension. And without hesitation, Namgung Hyuk moved to the small dimension to fight the challenger and caused a bloody slaughter. But this time, something was odd. ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Hyuk, who was destroying buildings in Shinjuku-ward of Tokyo, was puking out blood from his mouth. ¡°Kohough¡­.¡± He was quite damaged by the unidentified object that had just fallen from the sky. His internal organs of the body were quite damaged, and the flow of the Ki flowing through his body was also greatly disturbed. Still, in the midst of that, Namgung Hyuk kept his eyes open and looked at that something rammed down on the wreckage of the building he was destroying. What had just fallen from the sky slowly recovered its shape from the shape that wrapped itself in its wings and soon turned into a human. And¡ª A man in an old red tailcoat stumbled out of the wreckage of the building. Soon after, he spat out the blood that had gathered in his mouth and muttered to himself as if he was fed up. ¡°¡­I swear, falling from the sky is something you can¡¯t do twice.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chapter 89 Chapter 89: Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky (4) The first emotion I felt after the transcendental speed drop ended was regret. ¡¸ A soul has absorbed an attack on the user. ¡¹ ¡¸ A soul has absorbed an attack on the user. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of Earth Snake has been consumed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of Earth Snake has been consu¡­¡¹ ¡¸ Soul of Earth Snake has been con¡­ ¡¹ Even after all remaining souls had been consumed for passive shield after replenishing the mana. My vision was so red that I had no idea what was happening. I could only assume that my brain wasn¡¯t hurt that poorly from the fact since I could still think. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 40%. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t feel anything, as though I didn¡¯t have any sensory system. But one thing was sure, I wasn¡¯t in a normal state right now. I couldn¡¯t see anything, hear anything, and my sense of touch was so dull that it seemed almost non-existent. To that extent, I could see for sure that I was seriously injured. It almost felt like a lie that I protected myself by the Wrought Iron Pendant and The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat. I was naive. I didn¡¯t think of the after-effect with the thought that I had really become a being that transcended a human being. Of course, seeing myself still alive and activating skills, I didn¡¯t think I was totally wrong there, but¡ª ¡®I¡¯ll have to think about after-effects from now on.¡¯ Even so, I didn¡¯t want to keep moving like this to the point where I¡¯d destroy my body. ¡¸ By having a narrow escape from death, Skill Ashen Blood¡¯s proficiency went up by 20%. ¡¹ Well, seeing my proficiency increase like this, I think I could move a little bit more recklessly, too. In the midst of complicated thoughts, I soon felt my vision slowly coming back. At the same time, the sensation of my stiffened body, as if they were paralyzed, soon returned with the excruciating pain. ¡°¡­¡± I wondered why I couldn¡¯t feel anything, but my situation was more severe than I thought. Fortunately, I wrapped around my body with steel wings, so I didn¡¯t allow any external attacks. But my legs were completely crushed that their shape couldn¡¯t be recognized, and perhaps my left hand flew somewhere. It couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere. Of course¡ª ¡®This actually regenerates, huh.¡¯ Injuries that would¡¯ve been difficult to regenerate even with a regeneration potion began to heal within seconds. The skeleton of the crushed leg was newly created, the flesh was added, and the lower body returned completely. And for the missing left hand, flesh began to wriggle from the wrist and then immediately reproduced the shape of the hand. I moved my hand, truly feeling relieved about the fact that I had combined the Ashen Blood skill in the waiting room before. Thanks to my hand being intact, I was still holding the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword safely. And the Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat didn¡¯t look damaged either. At that, I stood up, slowly spreading the steel wings that covered my body. Crumble. After standing up from the remains of the building, I dragged my trembling legs and stepped out of the remains. Soon after, I spat out the blood that had gathered in my mouth and muttered to myself as though I was fed up. ¡°¡­I swear, falling from the sky is something you can¡¯t do twice.¡± It was then¡ª ¡°Who are you?¡± I turned my head in the direction where those words were heard. And I was shocked to see the young man in a blue martial arts uniform standing there. ¡°¡­¡± Contrary to what I expected, Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, Namgung Hyuk, wasn¡¯t seriously injured. Of course, there was blood running down his lips, but he didn¡¯t appear seriously injured as I did. ¡®How come¡­¡¯ The charge that just happened along with the drop was, frankly, the most lethal attack I could make. Even if it doesn¡¯t have an infinite amount of usage like Sword Ki, it was certain that it¡¯s the best I could do in terms of killing. However, looking at him having not even a proper wound, I couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered. But as soon as I saw his swollen right hand and the sword in his hand. I was able to understand why Namgung Hyuk was fine in a way that I wouldn¡¯t even want to imagine. ¡°¡­You, struck me away.¡± He struck me, dropping while wrapped in steel wings, away in that instance. As I wrapped myself in wings of steel and dropped, he struck me away with his sword at that instant. No, to be more precise, he must¡¯ve parried me away with his sword. But that fact alone made me extremely nervous. The charge that I just did was the one that gathered up all my mana in the body and slammed it into Namgung Hyuk. However, Namgung Hyuk recognized this surprise attack and immediately parried it away with a sword. But¡ª ¡°¡ªDidn¡¯t I ask you a question? Who are you?¡± There was no time for me to feel shocked about it. Claaaaaaang! ¡°¡­¡± I had no choice but to frown while blocking the sword that rushed towards me with Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword. He was strong. Namgung Hyuk wasn¡¯t only skilled in swordsmanship, but he also had considerable physical abilities. Even though we had just exchanged a single attack, my hands were shaking, and it felt like it was about to break. But, I bluffed even more for that and said while staring straight at Namgung Hyuk¡ª ¡°You searched for me so eagerly, yet you can¡¯t even recognize me when we meet, huh.¡± The moment when Namgung Hyuk frowned and opened his mouth at my mockingly spat words. ¡°¡­What do you¡ª¡± ¡°You might figure it out if I do this.¡± I immediately injected mana within my body into the sword and raised the corner of my mouth. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki.¡¯ ¡¹ Bzzzt! The moment he witnessed the torrent of thunder that raged like a whirlpool around the sword. Namgung Hyuk¡¯s eyes changed, and he opened his mouth as if he was in shock. ¡°Sword Ki¡­!?¡± And¡ª ¡°I¡¯m challenger Han Sungyeun.¡± I roared at that moment, pushing Namgung Hyuk¡¯s sword like a storm. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Facing an opponent I could never win, I squeezed out all my strength. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ Movement beyond the limit caused my bones and sinews to creak and damage my body. And with the skill¡¯s effect, the mana that flowed through my body ran wildly, and the veins were torn apart. My body rang an alarm and shouted that I wouldn¡¯t be able to come back if I crossed the line any further. To the warning that was given to me by life itself¡­ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 70%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/7 ¡¹ I ignored it even without giving it any attention. Baaaaaaaang¡ª! Even though we both didn¡¯t yield an inch. Just a clash of pure power broke down the asphalt road. Of course, in the midst of that, Namgung Hyuk just raised his eyebrows slightly as if he was surprised. ¡°Lighting Sword Ki?¡± He wasn¡¯t bleeding from his mouth or shaking his arms as I did. Moreover, before I knew it, the sword in Namgung Hyuk¡¯s hand was filled with Sword Ki. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you stole Baek Sunhak¡¯s swo¡­¡± Ignoring Namgung Hyuk, who began to raise his voice, I twisted the sword I was crossing against his and aimed at Namgung Hyuk¡¯s neck, as though stabbing that opening in the moment. Namgung Hyuk leaned his upper body back to avoid the sword that was slowly slipping like a snake and clicked his tongue. ¡°Full of unnecessary will to fight, this is why challengers from minor dimensions are¡­¡± Clang clang! However, Namgung Hyuk counterattacked my sword attack even with his swollen right hand. ¡°Such poor swordsmanship you have.¡± What he said was true. Namgung Hyuk¡¯s swordsmanship skill, which the Iron-Blooded Monarch guessed, was rank A. But the swordsmanship skill I use is only a C-rank, so it¡¯d be natural for him to be unsatisfied. Nevertheless, I had the skills to make up for the lack of swordsmanship skills. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Attack speed with sword increases by 20%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current skill¡¯s number of stacks ¨C 10/10 ¡¹ Just like playing a sword-fight play, where you set a script and act it out. Namgung Hyuk blocked all the attacks I did as if they were ridiculous. With minimal movements, he blocked all the attacks that threatened his body, and he even occasionally parried the blades. ¡°Looks like Sword Ki is the only thing that you¡¯ve stolen from Baek Sunhak.¡± There was an absolute wall that couldn¡¯t be crossed. But I didn¡¯t think I could defeat Namgung Hyuk with a sword from the beginning. The reason why I was passionately attacking was just for this one moment. Whirrr! ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, a fire erupted behind Namgung Hyuk, and it spread around him. ¡¸Due to the power ¡®Suppression of Fire¡¯, the stats of those who touch the flame will greatly be reduced.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the user of power ¡®Suppression of Fire¡¯, you¡¯ll temporarily be immune to this flame.¡¹ Looking at the two system messages that popped up, I looked away. ¡°The power has been activated¡­! Don¡¯t die until other challengers arrive!¡± Soon after, I noticed Katheryn, who came through the remains of the building, shouting at me not to overdo it. Then, Namgung Hyuk became extremely irritated, as though he realized I wasn¡¯t attacking him without any plans. ¡°Filthy little worm, I¡¯ll make you regret interrupting my fight.¡± Namgung Hyuk irritatedly turned around and immediately moved to kill Katheryn, but¡ª He couldn¡¯t match me as I reached the level of transcendental mobility by activating all my skills. Claaaang! Sparks burst from the swords clashing, and we both once again assessed each other¡¯s gap. At that moment, I was sure that Namgung Hyuk had weakened and spoke sarcastically. ¡°Did you ask if I had stolen Baek Sunhak¡¯s sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll soon be using your Sword Ki, too.¡± ¡°How dare a mere minor dimension challenger fool me with your fake martial arts¡­!!¡± It was then¡ª ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t think that you could be defeated by that mere challenger from a minor dimension.¡± Slaaaaaaaaaaam! Kim Seunghoon, who appeared with a bolt of lightning wrapped around his body, immediately swung his hammer at Namgung Hyuk. Namgung Hyuk frowned at that attack, but he immediately backed away from me and took a defensive position. Baaam! Perhaps the impact was huge, Namgung Hyuk was pushed back, and he had to quickly focus on keeping his balance, but¡­ As though to prevent even that, a stake made out of ice was shot at Namgung Hyuk like a cannonball. Bababang! ¡°I¡¯ll assist, too.¡± It was a skill activated by Oh Choonsuk, with a magic book spread out in one hand. After even blocking the bombardment of ice, Namgung Hyuk gnashed his teeth as though he was displeased and then opened his mouth. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really annoying that the numbers don¡¯t decrease no matter how much I kill.¡± In an instant, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s eyes split open like the eyes of a reptile. And the moment he began to emit out the bloodlust¡­ As an unknown chill engulfed my body, I sensed a crisis approaching. Intuition. A conclusion reached only by sheer instinct whispered to me. That a ruler of the blue skies, which no one could handle, had awakened. But¡ª ¡°It must be suffocating to keep wearing a mask, so I shall blow you away in advance.¡± Before I could even respond properly to that intuition, Namgung Hyuk moved faster. Just as Namgung Hyuk stretched out his feet, his image appeared in front of Kim Seunghoon¡¯s eyes as if the space was folded. Namgung Hyuk accurately struck Kim Seunghoon¡¯s black mask with his left fist to destroy it. Slaaaaam! Ignoring Kim Seunghoon, who flew to the remains of the building, Namgung Hyuk changed his target immediately. To none other than Katheryn, who was putting restrictions on him. Of course, Oh Choonsuk hastily activated the magic skill and unfolded an ice barrier, but¡­ It didn¡¯t work for a person who could blow Kim Seunghoon away even with restrictions. Clink clank! At the same time, as he destroyed the barrier of ice, Namgung Hyuk stretched out his sword as though to kill Oh Choonsuk. But I moved right there, striking away Namgung Hyuk¡¯s sword, and I shot him with a Sword Ki in the form of a slash. Clang! ¡°Okay, I might as well take care of you first.¡± Namgung Hyuk easily blocked the Lightning Sword Ki with lightning properties and made a bitter smile. Then he reached out and grabbed the air as if he had grabbed me. ¡°Force duel.¡± And¡ª ¡¸ A duel area is formed within a radius of 30m due to the innate ability ¡®Force Duel¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸ Entry into the duel area is prohibited except for Challenger Han Sungyeun and Challenger Namgung Hyuk. ¡¹ ¡¸ The duel area lasts for 10 minutes and cannot be destroyed. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± Then, the moment when the ¡®Duel area¡¯ was formed by the curtain of light, only Namgung Hyuk and I were left. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use it¡­ but since I¡¯m also carrying a restriction, let¡¯s just put it as both of us carrying the same restrictions.¡± He muttered so, dissatisfied, and said while looking at me. ¡°I shall teach you that everything you use is nothing more than an imitation of martial arts.¡± It was the beginning of a battle without any escape. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 90 Chapter 90: Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky (5) I had to recall. A fact that I had forgotten for a moment. That every challenger awakens an innate ability upon entering the Tower. Therefore, challengers who were just ordinary people had an innate ability, and Baek Sunhak from the Murim dimension also had an innate ability. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same with Namgung Hyuk, too. -A duel area is formed within a radius of 30 m due to the innate ability ¡®Force Duel¡¯ Recalling the message that had just appeared, I soon looked around. And I feigned a smile at the semicircular light barrier around 30 meters tall. ¡°What kind of ridiculous innate ability is this¡­¡± Perhaps the barrier of light completely cut off the space between the outside and the inside of the duel arena? Katheryn was yelling something from outside, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. I turned my head to look at Namgung Hyuk, who still had flames wrapped around his upper body. And he looked at me while smirking and then soon said. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t want to rely on this kind of skill¡­ I had no other choice.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. You just wanted to kill me one-on-one because you thought you couldn¡¯t handle everything.¡± I didn¡¯t need to provoke as much as a while ago, so I toned down my sarcasm. However, Namgung Hyuk frowned as if even that bothered him greatly. ¡°¡­How vulgar. It seems like you lack a sense of pride.¡± Do all challengers from the Murim dimension have at least one wrong thing in their heads? I scoffed at Namgung Hyuk as I felt the irritation I once felt with Baek Sunhak. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have anything like that, either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you had such a thing as pride, you wouldn¡¯t have destroyed the city looking for me.¡± ¡°Be quiet. How dare a bastard like you who steals others¡¯ swords dares to speak o¡­¡± At that moment, I immediately activated the Lightning Sword Ki and fired a slash at Namgung Hyuk. I was planning to start by at least successfully striking him once while he was heating up with the conversation, but¡­ Clang! ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± Namgung Hyuk effortlessly blocked that Sword Ki and even fired a slash at me in return. Klaaaang! I canceled out the slash by making a huge swing with my sword and then gave it a tight grip to suppress my hand trembling from recoil. ¡®To think that he¡¯s this much even if some of his skills are sealed off because of the suppression of fire¡­¡¯ Even until now, seeing Namgung Hyuk¡¯s upper body engulfed in fire, the Suppression of Fire must be activated. But Namgung Hyuk¡¯s power was stronger than I thought. He was holding on firmly even though he was restricted. I¡¯ve realized since the moment he blew Kim Seunghoon into the remains of a building in a state of being cast with suppression of fire. But Namgung Hyuk is still a difficult opponent for me, even though he¡¯s not in the best condition right now. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to fully handle Sword Ki when you don¡¯t even know what real martial art is?¡± However¡ª ¡°False Sword Ki won¡¯t be able to catch up with the true Sword Ki.¡± I didn¡¯t get discouraged by that and immediately drew the mana from my body. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ While maximizing the effect of Instant Acceleration by using the mana to the limit. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 80%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/7 ¡¹ I also activated the Wind¡¯s Blessing, and I immediately ran out, kicking off the ground. ¡¸Due to the effect of Boots of Swiftness (C+), the instantaneous speed increases.¡¹ Paaang! I had to admit it. I couldn¡¯t fold space and run like Namgung Hyuk, and I didn¡¯t have many great skills, either. However, the essence of this fight is to endure until the moment when Namgung Hyuk¡¯s [Force Duel] is lifted. There¡¯s no reason to surpass Namgung Hyuk at this moment. As I ran while ripping through the air, I dashed to a shadowed space made from the leaned building. Then¡­ ¡¸Skill ¡®Clandestine Shadow¡¯s step(C+) has been activated.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re moving while stepping on the shadowed space.¡¹ ¡¸The user¡¯s movement speed is increased by +30%¡¹ One of the abilities of Clandestine Shadow¡¯s Step (C+) was immediately activated. The ability to increase the movement speed when walking in dark places with the efficient restructuring of the walking method. Allowed me to catch up with Namgung Hyuk¡¯s movements through synergy with other skills. I ran towards Namgung Hyuk at a speed that could only be called transcendental. ¡°It seems you have some cards up your sleeve, but¡ª¡± But before I could even realize it, Namgung Hyuk kicked off the ground, leaving a blurry image, and appeared where I was. In the form of throwing a slash right in front of me, expressionlessly. Kakaklang! ¡°If all you¡¯re doing is trying to imitate a martial art, you¡¯ll soon die.¡± Namgung Hyuk seemed to be telling me this. That the hell-like 10-minute duel had just begun. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Witchcraft. An ability that relies on external factors rather than the ability to perform with one¡¯s discretion. Originally, Namgung Hyuk encountered this kind of special ability quite a few times in Murim. Most of them were just the inferior abilities of the martial arts, and there were hardly any such great witchcraft. Therefore Namgung Hyuk obviously thought that witchcraft was weaker than martial arts. It was understandable. -It¡¯s not even an ability you could use on your own. There¡¯s no way an ability relying on external factors could be stronger than martial arts. As his grandfather, the sword master, said, martial arts is the only path to transcendence. By controlling the Ki of the invisible world, gradually twisting the laws of reality, and eventually becoming a transcendental person. That was a martial art. There was no way that the kind of ability that wouldn¡¯t endure such a process, and supplemented it from an external source, could be anything good. However, Namgung Hyuk had doubts about its existence after being selected for the Tower and learning a skill for the first time. -It¡¯s an ability that you can¡¯t implement on your own, but you can activate it¡­? Initially, abilities that depended on external factors were mostly poor or high cost. However, a skill had no such thing, and it was easily activated when the user wanted to use it. Namgung Hyuk was confused by the abilities that denied everything he had built up so far. And while learning the transcendent ability called a skill, Namgung Hyuk came to a realization. There¡¯s no self-development in just acquiring and using the skills. -So it¡¯s just an ability bestowed by a transcendent being called the Tower¡­ Namgung Hyuk realized that it could be used even if it¡¯s impossible to implement on your own. That this was just an ability bestowed by the Tower, and that it was just a fake that¡¯s different from the real martial arts. Skills weren¡¯t activated by self-controlling the Ki, but were forcibly activated by the system of something incomprehensible. Namgung Hyuk, realizing that, scoffed at everyone who used skills. -What¡¯s the value of those who depend on fakes that can¡¯t match the real ones? A fake. It was a fake that didn¡¯t have the strength to do anything of its own will. It may look like it could become strong on its own like a martial art, but in reality, it¡¯s just like offering a handle of an invisible leash to the Tower. Therefore, Namgung Hyuk considered skills as witchcraft that are inferior to martial art and an ability that has no possibility of development. What goes up even if you use a skill is an imaginary number called proficiency, and what changes even if the rank goes up is only the content of the ability. So he thought that skills were fake and martial arts were real. ¡°¡­¡± Until he saw Han Sungyeun right in front of him. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 31%. ¡¹ The man in front of him, whose whole body was full of slashes, was different from the others. He wasn¡¯t still at a level where he could just conclude that something was different, but¡­ ¡®His eyes are different.¡¯ Even though he was driven to the brink of death, Han Sungyeun shone his eyes even more. As if there was still a chance for him to turn the tables in this hell-like situation. Of course, in reality, almost one-sided violence continued, so Namgung Hyuk also thought it was just his imagination. There was nothing special about this man, and he just came this far by relying on fake powers like traits and skills. But that wasn¡¯t it. ¡®Why¡­? Why is he not dying¡­?¡¯ He suffered several fatal wounds, and he should¡¯ve lost his will a long time ago. But Han Sungyeun was struggling to react to Namgung Hyuk¡¯s Sword. As Namgung Hyuk felt annoyed about this, he further maximized his swordsmanship and fired an attack from a blind spot where Han Sungyeun could never react to it. Skills are mostly just inferior abilities of martial arts. Namgung Hyuk tried to overwhelm Han Sungyeun with his swordsmanship under such an extremely Murim-like mindset. In order to drive Han Sungyeun to the point where he wouldn¡¯t be able to recover, even with witchcraft, using an attack that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see. Then something surprising happened. Claaang! ¡°¡­!?¡± Han Sungyeun easily blocked the Sword Ki that flew from the blind spot instantaneously. Namgung Hyuk immediately realized how he did it. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye.¡¯ ¡¹ Han Sungyeun had a skill that could be used in this situation. ¡®This is ridiculous¡­¡¯ But what was even more ridiculous was Han Sungyeun, who blocked the Sword Ki flying from the blind spot. He immediately blocked the Sword Ki and fluttered as if he was lost, and he slowly closed his eyes. Namgung Hyuk realized it was an opportunity and collided with Han Sungyeun while scattering around his Sword Ki. As Namgung Hyuk felt it, Han Sungyeun, with his eyes closed, was driven toward death with more wounds than before. Until then, Namgung Hyuk thought Han Sungyeun had made a foolish choice because he relied on his skills. But starting from some point, things suddenly started to change. ¡°¡­?¡± Before he knew it, Han Sungyeun blocked Namgung Hyuk¡¯s sword as if he could read it while closing his eyes. And as time passed, his movements were unrestrained, as if he had attained enlightenment, moving like he was dancing. Even more serious changes occurred around the time when Namgung Hyuk began to feel impatient. Pssshk! In an instant, Han Sungyeun¡¯s sword bent and made a piercing wound on Namgung Hyuk¡¯s arm. This wasn¡¯t only related to skill but clearly an improvement in skill as well. ¡®How can an imitation of martial arts do up to this extent¡­?¡¯ With Namgung Hyuk¡¯s common sense, he couldn¡¯t accept the current situation. As to why this man could endure his sword and his movements were getting better while getting wounded. As to why this man could grow so fast while relying on the witchcraft called skills. As to why this man could match a real power with his fake power. None of these were things that Namgung Hyuk could accept. Because this wasn¡¯t a skill but closer to the realm of martial arts. Enlightenment. Han Sungyeun has reached the realm of some kind of growth acceleration experienced only by those who have reached the realm of martial arts. And¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Namgung Hyuk recognized Han Sungyeun, who was making an arc with the corners of his mouth. This man wasn¡¯t just someone who depended on fake things, but he turned fake things into real ones. A ghost blade. *** The world was dark. As though walking on the road in a hazy state, my body was heavy, and my sense of balance was breaking down. It was natural. Not only did I consume a lot of stamina with the Ashen Blood skill, but I also pushed my mana to the limit. Moreover, I had to keep my eyes closed to activate the Mind¡¯s Eye skill, causing more dizziness. But there was nothing I could do. The Mind¡¯s Eye, which allowed me to perceive attacks flying from out of sight, could perceive all directions if I closed my eyes. I couldn¡¯t survive without relying on my Mind¡¯s Eye skill. I didn¡¯t know that just 10 minutes could be this painful. But¡ª If you were to ask me if this time was just all about pain for me, it wasn¡¯t. ¡¸ ¡­You¡¯ve realized what the true Mind¡¯s Eye is. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mind¡¯s eye(D-)¡¯ ranked up to B. ¡¹ Was it because I was closing my eyes to block Namgung Hyuk¡¯s bizarre swordsmanship? At some point, I could use the Mind¡¯s Eye skill as though I really had a third eye. The ability allowed me to recognize attacks from invisible areas. Now I could see the barrier of light within thirty meters and the remains of buildings scattered in it. That wasn¡¯t the end of it. ¡¸¡­You purely relied on your senses to fight for your life.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Skill ¡®Sixth Sense (C+)¡¯ ranked up to B.¡¹ As the Sixth Sense skill that I had almost forgotten existed ranked up, the senses became clearer. ¡¸¡­In the decisive battle with the one who has mastered the Sword, you succeeded in enduring their sword without dying.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Skill ¡®Demon Slayer (C)¡¯ ranked up to B.¡¹ And my swordsmanship, which I thought felt shabby, grew unbelievably in a short period. ¡¸¡­Your body has experienced regeneration beyond its limits through numerous crises in a short period.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Skill ¡®Ashen Blood (B-) ranked up to B+.¡¹ While sensing that most of the skills I mainly use had grown, I opened my eyes. ¡°¡­¡± And soon, I could see Namgung Hyuk staring at me while quietly holding his curved Sword with both hands. ¡®What?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure how much time was left for the duel, but I was certain that it¡¯d be over soon. But Namgung Hyuk didn¡¯t use his sword anymore. He just looked at me while holding his sword with both hands. It was then that I narrowed my eyes as I tensed up. ¡°Do you think you can surpass martial arts¡­ when you¡¯re just borrowing the power from the Tower?¡± Namgung Hyuk said so all of a sudden and then raised his sword upwards. I was startled when I saw Namgung Hyuk, who was calm although he was in a situation where he should be impatient. It was understandable. Unlike a while ago, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t see me as a simple opponent to get rid of. A whole different level of hostility was revealed in his eyes than when he was talking about vulgarity or such. ¡°Your tenacious will, and even that borrowed ability that¡¯s nothing more than a fake, I¡¯ll put an end to it right here.¡± And¡­ Soon, I could see why Namgung Hyuk was able to declare an end to me so calmly. Before I knew it, the fire that covered Namgung Hyuk¡¯s upper body visibly decreased. What that meant was simple. ¡®The duration of the Suppression of Fire is about to end¡­!?¡¯ But even before I, in shock, could prepare myself. ¡°This is the true Sword Ki that can¡¯t be caught up with fake Sword Ki, and¡­¡± The fire on Namgung Hyuk¡¯s upper body was completely extinguished. And¡ª ¡°This is the realm beyond Sword Ki, Sword Flame.¡± The Sword Flame, which surpassed the Sword Ki, swept over me. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 91 Chapter 091: A longing (1) Sword Flame. Namgung Hyuk called the Sword Ki that swayed like heat-haze a Sword Flame. In addition, he said that it¡¯s a level beyond Sword Ki and a level that can¡¯t be reached with fake Sword Ki. I wondered what would be so different just because the sword fluttered like flame, but¡­ It was only after I blocked Namgung Hyuk¡¯s curved sword with my Sword Ki that I realized the true meaning of it. Claaaaang! A level that couldn¡¯t be achieved with Sword Ki had no other meaning. ¡®My Sword Ki is being eaten up¡­!?¡¯ Like a predator, the Sword Flame began to greedily eat the Sword Ki I formed. The Sword Flame was overwhelming the Sword Ki, not because the Sword Ki¡¯s power is weak, but rather, it was like it had met an enemy you can¡¯t ever beat in terms of compatibility. Just by letting the blades touch each other, using the Sword Ki became meaningless. A deciding move. In an instant, I realized that this Sword Flame is a technique that exists to break the Sword Ki. And to me, who can only use the Sword Ki, it¡¯s like a natural enemy. ¡°I shall end you along with your fake Sword Ki.¡± Namgung Hyuk coldly announced the end and completely destroyed my Sword Ki. Clank! As though a glass window was broken, the Sword Ki shattered, and Namgung Hyuk swung his curved sword with the force to cut even the sword I was holding. But¡ª ¡¸Blood Ki is being infused on the blade due to the unique effect of the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword.¡¹ To talk about the result, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s curved sword that was swung in an instant couldn¡¯t cut the sword I was holding. It was because reddish energy lingered on it at the same time the Sword Ki disappeared from the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword in my hand. ¡¸When used by someone with swordsmanship skill, blood ki flows around the blade, and the flow of magical power through the blood sword becomes smoother. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t really understand what the Blood Ki flowing around the blade meant in the past, but¡ª As the Sword Ki coated on the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword disappeared, its true potential was revealed at that moment. Moreover, the Blood Ki lingering on the blade was just being slightly pushed back by Namgung Hyuk¡¯s Sword Flame, but not destroyed. In short, Blood Ki is the kind of ability that can¡¯t be consumed by the Sword Flame. ¡®Nice¡­!!¡¯ It was the moment when I was quickly retreating, uttering yells of delight inwardly. ¡¸The duration of the unique trait ¡®Force Duel¡¯ has ended.¡¹ ¡¸The duel area formed within a radius of 30m will be lifted, and interference from outside is now possible. ¡¹ ¡°I can¡¯t control the firepower. Try your best to avoid it¡­!¡± At the same time, Katheryn¡¯s voice is heard from outside. A fire was rushing in from the right side. Looking at that, I quickly distanced further from Namgung Hyuk, but¡­ ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll fall for this kind of trick again?¡± Namgung Hyuk, looking at that fire, stopped on the spot, unlike me, and raised his spirit. ¡°Flying Sword of Blue Sky.¡± Namgung Hyuk stated as if he was going to put everything in one sword. For a moment, I thought that Namgung Hyuk had activated skill or power, but soon I changed my mind. How can someone who hates skills or traits proudly utter those words like that? I quickly judged that there was no way that it was a skill or power and stared at him. And soon, Namgung Hyuk whirred up his Sword Flame to the limit and started swinging his sword as if dancing. Bababababang¡­¡­!! Like the sky that burns in the sunset, the Sword Flame overwhelms the power of fire. At that moment, I stepped out, anticipating that Namgung Hyuk would run wild if this continued. I had to stop him. I can only survive by thrashing him within an inch of his life while he¡¯s not running wild any further. That idea didn¡¯t leave my head, and I moved my body forcibly. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t the only one who got that strong intuition. Whiiish! Kim Seunghoon, who came out of the remains of the building, dashed towards Namgung Hyuk frantically with a hammer in his hand. He must¡¯ve thought he couldn¡¯t just sit by idly when the skill seal and the stat debuff on him were taken off. Namgung Hyuk was still using the Sword Flame to erase the fire, so there was a chance. Shiiiiiiing! Under that one thought, I shot Namgung Hyuk with my Lightning Sword Ki thoughtlessly at my maximum output. However¡­ ¡°Rolling Sword of Blue Sky.¡± The moment Namgung Hyuk, who erased all the Fire before anyone knew it, uttered so and rotated. Craaaaaaaaaaaaaash! Not only the slash of the Lightning Sword Ki, but the Sword Flame that cuts out everything around it rushed in like a storm. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Horizon. The scene that can only be said as such unfolded before my eyes. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 60% ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± After my left arm blew up and my right eye was wholly blinded, I looked at the newly-made horizon. It was a horizon created by the gorgeous Shinjuku¡¯s disappearance as the whole area¡¯s buildings were destroyed. I felt dispirited by the fact that this scene was created by only one man. In fact, Namgung Hyuk was a monster who was far beyond my powers. The Flying Sword of Blue Sky and Rolling Sword of Blue Sky weren¡¯t even skills or powers, but purely his technique. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t stop Namgung Hyuk and was barely holding onto my life. ¡°¡­¡± ¡¸The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ was destroyed, and the release of the accumulated damage became impossible.¡¹ The only reason why I was alive was thanks to the Counter Shield and the Ashen Blood. I instantly took stock and blocked the Sword Slash by wrapping around everyone with Counter Shield, putting myself in the center. ¡®¡­No, I can¡¯t say I blocked it properly looking at this.¡¯ All I did was cancel out a single attack by exhausting all my mana. I couldn¡¯t even utilize the true effect of the Counter Shield, which was the reflection of the accumulated damage. Perhaps I couldn¡¯t even cancel the attack out properly. The result was horrible. Kim Seunghoon, who had just escaped the remains of the building, was rammed into a building again, and Katheryn and Oh Choonsuk were knocked out from only the shockwave that passed through the shield. ¡°Shit¡­¡± It was a complete defeat. On the other hand, Namgung Hyuk¡¯s condition, which caused this devastation, didn¡¯t look as severe as mine. Although he was gasping for breath and the hands holding the curved sword were trembling, perhaps his stamina was running low, but¡­ He wasn¡¯t on a level like me, where some body parts were completely damaged. Of course, I was also recovering my body through the Ashen Blood, but there was no way that it could recover properly. Maybe my body wasn¡¯t regenerating well because all my stamina was depleted. However, Namgung Hyuk seemed to have no Ki left too, so the situation was somewhat similar for now. I lost my left arm and right eye, but Namgung Hyuk was in a state where it was hard to even hold his sword. I thought to myself that it was one hell of a time and soon tightened the grip on the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword in my right hand. As I tightly grabbed the handle of the sword, red energy flew on the blade immediately. Of course, it¡¯s weaker than when the Blood Ki was greatly activated by flowing in the mana, but¡ª ¡®Even if I can¡¯t win, I guess I can inflict some fatal wounds together.¡¯ At least the minimum amount of means to fight with Namgung Hyuk was prepared. If Namgung Hyuk rushes in to fight more, I¡¯ll fight at the risk of my life. That was the conclusion I made. It was at that moment when I was trying to fight again, as I pointed my Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword at Namgung Hyuk¡ª ¡°¡­Looks like it¡¯s not yet the time to settle our fight yet.¡± Namgung Hyuk silently narrowed his eyes and forced himself to say it in a strained voice. ¡°¡­This time, I¡¯ll admit my defeat. But next time, it¡¯ll be different.¡± I frowned, as it was hard to understand the words that Namgung Hyuk spit out, but I could read his true intention as he took out a blue stone from the burnt, blue martial arts uniform. ¡°Interdimensional movement¡­¡± ¡°Will you stop me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If so, one of us will die here.¡± He was right. Even though Namgung Hyuk was tired, I lost my left arm and blinded my right eye. I lost my sense of balance from the lack of my left arm, and my sense of distance would¡¯ve completely disappeared since one eye went blind. ¡®I¡¯ll die.¡¯ Neither of us would get each other killed easily, but if we clashed properly, I couldn¡¯t guarantee my life. Well, Namgung Hyuk wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee his life too, but I didn¡¯t want to gamble. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll admit my defeat and withdraw, but you and I will face each other again.¡± Namgung Hyuk barely kept his footing while staggering; he grabbed the blue-colored stone tightly, and¡ª Whirrrr! ¡°Farewell, Ghost Blade.¡± Namgung Hyuk disappeared by stepping into the blue portal that appeared behind him. ¡°¡­¡± It was only after seeing the portal closing like a light turning off that I turned my eyes away. The buildings of Shinjuku were all cut into half with the sword of Namgung Hyuk. ¡°Admit defeat, my ass¡­ this is no different from my defeat at this point.¡± I couldn¡¯t protect anything. Like how I lost my parents with the group of monsters pouring out from the dungeon break seven years ago. This time too, I said I¡¯d defend the Shinjuku by killing Namgung Hyuk, but¡ª What I achieved was barely sending Namgung Hyuk back to his original place. To that fact, I felt a pain rising up as if my heart was being twisted. But¡­ Before I could even feel the heartache, the aftermath of the battle came up all over my body. The absence of my left arm, loss of eyesight in my right eye, and other small and big injuries slowly lowered my consciousness. Thud. ¡°¡­¡± I fell to the ground and closed my eyes without any resistance. *** ¡°¡­You finally woke up.¡± After opening my eyes, I saw the face of Katheryn, a beauty with red hair. She had a surprised face, as though a terminal patient had woken up miraculously. ¡®No, I must¡¯ve been a severe patient.¡¯ Since my left arm blew up to the shoulder, and my right eye went blind¡­ Realizing that, I moved the exhausted body immediately to energize my senses. Then, I could feel the senses of my fingers on the left side and my arm. In addition, the right eye, which was blinded, was recovered to the point where it was possible to distinguish things properly. ¡®Looks like the Ashen Blood did activate properly.¡¯ As a matter of fact, the rank of Ashen Blood skill, which had a solid regeneration ability, went up in this battle. There was no way that a skill that originally could regenerate a damaged body couldn¡¯t fix this much of the damage. Feeling a sense of relief at that fact, when I slowly rolled my eyes to look around, Katheryn opened her mouth. ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital near Tokyo.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you have to get treated, Katheryn?¡± ¡°Are you saying that knowing what happened to you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your left arm entirely blew up, and your right eye went blind.¡± ¡°I know .¡± It was a problem that I didn¡¯t really mind since it would be recovered by the Ashen Blood skill. But perhaps it wasn¡¯t for Katheryn. She continued her words while tearing up. ¡°We were all safe thanks to you blocking it with the shield, but you¡¯re the only one in this shape.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I would¡¯ve died if it weren¡¯t for you. I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± ¡°But you need to learn how to take care of yourself. If you keep fighting like that, It wouldn¡¯t be enough even if you had multiple lives. ¡°¡­¡± At her words mixed with emotions, I stared at her for a while and nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I smiled bitterly at the advice given purely from someone¡¯s favor after a long time. Only then she realized that she was getting emotional. She blushed and cleared her throat. ¡°¡­Anyways, the doctor said you need to take a rest, so please focus on recovering. You are, no, only you deserve to do so.¡± With that word as an end, Katheryn took out three small potions from her pocket and handed them to me. ¡°It¡¯s the skill proficiency potion that the Japanese Hunter Association promised as a reward.¡± It was a reward that anyone would have to covet, increasing a skill¡¯s proficiency by 10%. ¡°¡­But why are there three?¡± ¡°One is yours that was promised to be given to you by default, one is my share of the reward, and one is the potion I originally had.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s heavy, so please take it already. To be honest, if I don¡¯t do this at least, I¡¯d be ashamed to see the face of my savior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, I wondered what was left for her if she did this much for me, but¡­ Seeing her blushing up to the tips of her ears, it was awkward to refuse it, so I soon accepted the three bottles of skill proficiency potion. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Then Katheryn stood up as if she had finished her job. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going. See you soon.¡± With those words as the last, she quickly left the hospital room, and I put three potions in my hand on the table and raised my upper body. ¡°Urk¡­¡± I¡¯m sure the injuries were all recovered, but should I say it felt like my whole body was somewhat sore? I could understand why the doctor said that I needed a rest. I walked to the room¡¯s window with the slippers that looked like they were given by the hospital. Creaak. ¡°Pheww.¡± I felt the cold winter air flowing in from outside as I opened the window. But contrary to the cold wind, the beating of my heart became hotter. I could figure out right away what this feeling was. A longing. Currently, I was frustrated that I couldn¡¯t beat Namgung Hyuk and wanted a stronger power. The heat of my body wouldn¡¯t subside, as if a fuse that couldn¡¯t be stopped was set on fire. My heartbeat changed repeatedly, as though the different emotions crossed. It beat as if I wanted to go through the intense growth that I achieved in the battle with Namgung Hyuk. It beat from the guilt that I couldn¡¯t protect anything this time too, just like how I lost everything seven years ago. It beat purely from the desire to grow to reach the state of Sword Flame that Namgung Hyuk reached. My heart has been beating excessively, but I just looked out the window to soothe its heat. It¡¯s not Spring yet, but like this Winter in Tokyo, which will soon pass¡­ Soon the time will come when I¡¯ll be able to quench the thirst of this longing. It was time to prepare for growth by using this longing as fuel. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 92 Chapter 92: A longing (2) Two days had passed since I was admitted to the hospital. I was told to take an absolute rest, as I had prevented the incident that caused a stir, not only in Japan but also around the world, but I couldn¡¯t do so. Politicians, including the Japanese prime minister, visited me to say thanks in the hospital, which was understandable. However¡­ The real problem was the phone calls ringing on the smartphone and journalists rushing to the hospital ever since. My smartphone buzzed non-stop as people I didn¡¯t even know contacted me repeatedly. The journalists who set up a camp outside were gathering near the window to take a picture of me at least once and pointed their cameras as though they were stalking me. Of course, I immediately covered the window with a curtain to avoid getting pictured, but¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t even head out of the hospital like this¡­¡± Should I say that the merit of resting in the hospital had disappeared? I put on slippers and dragged my feet to the rooftop of the hospital, under the radar. Since I was always in the hospital room, I felt suffocated if I didn¡¯t breathe the outside air like this. Perhaps because of the chilly weather, there was no one on the hospital¡¯s rooftop except one patient. But the problem was that the patient was a person that I knew. The man wearing a black mask and on crutches was a challenger I had seen many times. ¡°Kim Seunghoon-ssi.¡±¡® ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Han Sungyeun.¡± ¡°Ah, the Ghost Blade is here.¡± Kim Seunghoon looked at me and soon said so with a giggle. ¡°¡­Ghost Blade? Now, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nickname they¡¯re addressing you as in Korea and Japan these days, but it looks like you don¡¯t seem to know.¡± ¡°¡­Ghost Blade, This is my first time hearing it.¡± ¡°Well, You probably didn¡¯t have the time to find it out since you were busy with the politicians and the Japanese prime minister paying a visit to you.¡± As though telling me I did well, Kim Seunghoon took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed me a cigarette. ¡°Would you like to have one?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t smoke or drink, you see.¡± In the past, there was a time when I stopped drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes, as well as food that wasn¡¯t good for my body to increase my physical ability. ¡®Of course, no matter how hard I tried at that time, there was no change in ability in the end, though.¡¯ Because of the habits of those days, I tried not to consume alcohol, cigarettes, or anything else bad for my body. ¡°So you take good care of your body, huh. I wish you could do that in battle, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s harder than I thought.¡± ¡°No matter how strong the body of a hunter and good regenerative power is, there are limits.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter what skill you have, if overdoing becomes your habit, you¡¯ll eventually die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying the same thing as Katheryn.¡± ¡°If you see people overdoing themselves around you, you¡¯ll also end up saying the same thing.¡± I mean, when I was fighting Namgung Hyuk, I felt that I¡¯d die quickly if I overdid it like that. I almost died several times in that one battle, so it must be shocking to others. ¡°Well, seeing that you¡¯re still in good shape, it seems that you barely didn¡¯t cross that one line, though.¡± While saying so, he soon took off the black mask with one hand and placed it on the railing. There was a crack that looks like a spider¡¯s web on the mask as it received the first strike of Namgung Hyuk directly, but¡­ I smirked at Kim Seunghoon¡¯s face, which I saw for the first time. Should I say he looked like a handsome middle-aged man with an impression of cheerfulness? ¡®I guess I understand why he¡¯s covering his face with a mask.¡¯ To think that he has outstanding looks, as well as the highest level of skill among hunters? He¡¯s getting less attention because he¡¯s covering his face like this, but if he goes around without the mask, it¡¯ll attract the attention of people around him, either good or bad. ¡°¡­Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something wrong?¡± Of course, Kim Seunghoon didn¡¯t seem to be reading what I was thinking, though. ¡°I was just surprised that you look pretty fine after getting struck in the face by Namgung Hyuk.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­ Although it looks like this, this mask is a good item, you see.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s almost destroyed, so I think it needs to be repaired, but¡­ well. It should be fine. I got quite a few repair items anyway.¡± After finishing his sentence, Kim Seunghoon lit the cigarette in his mouth with a lighter. The movement was awkward as it was quite cumbersome to move with only one hand with crutches on. ¡°¡­You seem to have been quite injured in this battle as well, Kim Seunghoon-ssi.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Since we had to fight such a monster. Honestly, Namgung Hyuk was on a whole different level from other challengers of the Murim dimension.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At least none of the challengers from the Murim dimension I¡¯ve seen could do ridiculous things like Namgung Hyuk.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Since I was told that Namgung Hyuk is a challenger who had reached the 20th floor of the Tower and, at the same time, had a far greater strength than the challengers on the 20th floor. Although we couldn¡¯t actually win, sending him back to the Murim dimension was almost like a miracle. As though Kim Seunghoon was vaguely aware of that fact, he had a calm look although we couldn¡¯t take him down. And after standing for a while in silence, Kim Seunghoon put out his cigarette and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­So, what are your plans from now on?¡± ¡°I wonder. Actually, I don¡¯t really have a clear goal yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll return to the tower soon.¡± ¡°Sounds pretty dull. You don¡¯t plan to take a break even a little bit when you¡¯ve just experienced a near-death crisis?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine now, after all. By the way, what are your plans from now on, Kim Seunghoon-ssi?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, we have the same idea. After recovering from my leg injury, I¡¯ll return to the Tower immediately.¡± I giggled and changed the topic. ¡°Do you know anything about Katheryn or Oh Choongsuk-ssi?¡± At those words, Kim Seunghoon narrowed his eyes and said. ¡°Regarding that woman, I don¡¯t know a single thing since we never really had a proper conversation, and Oh Choonsuk¡­ yeah, it seems like he¡¯ll only focus on growth for a while in the dungeon of the guild that I run.¡± The guild he runs¡­? ¡°¡­I mean, you had a guild that you run?¡± I just thought of Kim Seunghoon as a high-ranked hunter¡­ But seeing that he also runs a guild separately, he seemed to be a really high-ranked hunter to run a guild. Then, Kim Seunghoon nodded his head as though he understood my question properly and continued his words. ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I didn¡¯t tell you who I was.¡± Kim Seunghoon introduced himself really casually. ¡°I¡¯m the S-rank hunter in Korea, Lightning King.¡± Soon after hearing his introduction, I couldn¡¯t help but be terribly surprised. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] Lightning King. Among the 30 or so S-rank hunters in Korea, that title belonged to a different league. Although he¡¯s a hunter who acted without revealing his identity, the fame of the Lighting King was spread regardless of whether to a hunter or a civilian. It was understandable. Unlike the hunters who only cry for their rights, the Lightning King destroyed the disaster-like gates that appeared by himself. It couldn¡¯t be helped for him to be famous as he destroyed the gates at a speed that even other S-rank hunters couldn¡¯t match, and always kept his identity hidden. Currently, the hunter named Lightning King was no different from a hero of Korea. However¡­ ¡®To think that Kim Seunghoon was the Lightning King.¡¯ After coming back to the hospital room from the rooftop, I feigned a smile as I looked at the business card in my hand. -You may contact me if anything comes up that you need to get in touch for. The business card I was holding was none other than Lightning King, Kim Seunghoon¡¯s, contact information. -I¡¯ll be honest. You can consider it as a scout. You may contact me for personal matters or something that isn¡¯t. ¡°A scout, huh.¡± As a matter of fact, the guild of the Lightning King was nothing more than an exclusive guild composed of a small number of elites. Enough to call it a guild created solely for Lightning King¡¯s sake to act. It¡¯d most likely be great in many ways if I joined the guild of the Lightning King. But¡­ ¡®I guess I don¡¯t have to decide hastily.¡¯ The contract with White Silver was ongoing, and I wasn¡¯t feeling much dissatisfaction. So I decided to think about this matter later, and I started checking the equipment in the corner of the hospital room. The Japanese Hunter Association immediately repaired the Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat, which was damaged in the fierce battle with Namgung Hyuk. There was almost no damage to the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword to begin with, and I didn¡¯t have much to worry about the rest of the items. The real problem wasn¡¯t the items here but a large number of miscellaneous items in the studio apartment. ¡°I came here to dispose of all of them, but¡­ I guess I have no choice but to return.¡± Currently, I had returned to Earth using the lowest grade return stone. In other words, I¡¯d have to return to the Tower today, which was the third day. Now that there were only a few hours left until my return, I was determined to enjoy the relaxation on Earth as much as possible. Ah, of course, there¡¯s also the option of using the return stone right away as soon as I returned to the Tower, but¡­ I didn¡¯t want to return to the Earth to the point where I¡¯d purchase the return stone right away. ¡®Wandering around the dungeon and filling the souls wouldn¡¯t be a bad option.¡¯ However, I currently longed for growth so much that even that time felt like a waste. I knew better than anyone else that the only thing that could satisfy this longing was the Trial of the Tower. And therefore, I thought of returning to the Tower immediately, taking the Trial, and growing through the reward for clearing the Trial. I laid on the hospital bed with all my equipment equipped and turned on my smartphone. I started surfing the web, ignoring my smartphone screen covered with missed calls and unread messages. This was because I was bothered by the fact that Kim Seunghoon told me that Korea and Japan were using the title of Ghost Blade towards me. And¡­ ¡¸Are all challengers this insanely strong?¡¹ Soon I could see why Korea and Japan started calling me Ghost Blade. Scenes of me fighting Namgung Hyuk were all over the internet. Then I thought for a moment if there was anyone who could film this scene, and¡­ Soon I found out where the source was, through the captured video or photo angle. ¡®Ah, it was filmed from the helicopter.¡¯ I figured it out right away when I looked at the angle as though taken by zooming in from above. I was wondering who in the world would come to the battlefield and shoot that scene. The Japanese Hunter Association published an article along with the filmed content, which seemed to have a huge impact. Most of the articles related to me had nothing but similar content. ¡¸Who the hell is this hunter and why is he so good at fighting?¡¹ ¡¸The other challengers don¡¯t stand a chance and are knocked out, but he¡¯s the only one who¡¯s fighting well. ¡¹ ¡¸Hard carried by himself DD: As a matter of fact, isn¡¯t he the only one who settled the case this time?¡¹ ¡¸Does anyone know about this hunter named Han Sungyeun? Who the hell is this person?¡¹ ¡¸Usually, when a bigshot like him makes a debut, even their debut will be published in an article, but Hunter Han Sungyeun has no record at all. Fuck.¡¹ Half of the articles were about asking who the hell was Hunter Han Sungyeun and why he¡¯s so good at fighting. When I looked at the comments, most of the comments were actually the same as the posts. ?I think I know who that person is. There was a player-only gym called Baekryeon, and he only did training for 7 years. ?Right. Cap. He never went to a dungeon because he was training for 7 years, and never obtained a license with Hunter exam. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say? ?No cap, dude¡­ He¡¯s a non-talented player, and was neglected even in the gym. I heard that he had been training for 7 years, but he couldn¡¯t raise a single stat. ?Does it make sense to you that a talentless bastard who has been training for 7 years and can¡¯t even raise a single stat is now competing one-on-one against a monster that can easily slice dozens of buildings? Surprisingly, people on the internet guessed my identity, and my identity was almost revealed, but¡­ Most of the reactions from people were about how an incompetent guy who couldn¡¯t raise any of his stats properly couldn¡¯t become as strong as me. ¡®Actually, I¡¯m also surprised that I¡¯ve become this strong.¡¯ I didn¡¯t deny it. ¡¸He¡¯s indeed a Ghost Blade judging from the way he fights. He really fights like a ghost.¡¹ ¡¸Does an average person think of falling from the sky to ram a target with the risk of being crushed?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s really damn good at fighting. We gotta admit if he¡¯s called Ghost Blade, he¡¯s this much for real, Lol¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s said that they couldn¡¯t film a video around the end of the fight with Namgung Hyuk. That¡¯s the biggest bummer.¡¹ ¡¸One hell of a GOAT battle happened in Japan. Why couldn¡¯t they capture it on camera?¡¹ Looking at the articles written about me, it seems that the Japanese Hunter Association couldn¡¯t leave a video of the latter part of the battle. ¡®Well, I couldn¡¯t handle it either when Namgung Hyuk went wild after his restrictions were lifted, so¡­¡¯ To be honest, I thought I might die too when he cut down dozens of buildings with one slash. Just by surviving on that battlefield and bringing this video, I felt that the Japanese Hunter Association was quite courageous. ¡°Other than that, I¡¯m well-known to people now.¡± Ghost Blade, huh¡­ I honestly thought it might be a title that challengers from the Murim dimension would use. But soon, I was able to let out a grin as I pondered that title. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad feeling, but I felt I wasn¡¯t good enough to use the title of Ghost Blade. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be stronger than this if I¡¯m going to be called a Ghost of the sword?¡± Therefore¡ª ¡¸Time over.¡¹ ¡¸Returning to Tower of Trials.¡¹ Now was the time for me to become strong to suit the reputation I had built up. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 93 Chapter 93: A longing (3) ¡¸ You have entered the 11th-floor waiting room. ¡¹ I felt a strange sense of coziness and smiled when I finally returned to the waiting room. To think I was more familiar with this waiting room than Earth now¡­ I realized that I really had changed a lot every time something like this happened. Of course, aside from that realization, I opened the shop window as soon as I returned to the waiting room. This was because there were a few things I learned from the battle with Namgung Hyuk. Ashen Blood. It¡¯s a regeneration skill with an overwhelming performance among the skills I own, but¡­ After a fierce battle with Namgung Hyuk, I realized that this skill also has a limit. That is, unlike the skill of pain resistance, the ability to regenerate doesn¡¯t activate properly when you¡¯re running low on HP. I realized this when I lost my left arm and right eye at the end of the battle. Originally, even if both my legs were crushed, it started the regeneration starting from the bones, but later, my left arm or right eye showed no sign of regeneration at all. ¡®It probably means that the bigger the injury, the more HP it takes to regenerate.¡± In fact, the lack of HP was the main problem of the skill ¡®Accelerated Regeneration¡¯, which was the ability before it was combined into Ashen Blood. And because of that, I¡¯ve been carrying a regeneration potion and replenishing my hp with abilities of Necromancy, but¡­ ¡®Now, even this isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ I was sure that it was time for me to acquire a new serious HP regeneration ability. Some abilities looked quite useful as I explored the skill shop. ¡¸Skill : Auto HP Regeneration (D-)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 15,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: Automatically recovers 0.07% of total HP every 180 seconds.¡¹ The skill that I had wished for, the skills related to HP regeneration, stood out. I thought it¡¯d be somewhat okay when I read the description that says it recovers HP automatically, but¡­ After thinking about it, even if it recovers based on total HP, not lost health, it¡¯s only about 0.07%, and on top of that, it only regenerates every 180 seconds. ¡®That¡¯s not going to be enough.¡¯ Considering the HP consumed by Ashen blood, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a very useful skill. Of course, I had the ability to combine the skills, so I roughly committed it to my memory and looked at other skills. ¡¸Skill : Moonlight Absorption (E-)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 10,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: When exposed to moonlight, basic HP regeneration is increased by 100%¡¹ Since it¡¯s stated as basic HP regeneration, there was no possibility that it could be linked to automatic HP regeneration. Automatic HP regeneration is the ability to recover from skills, and the basic HP regeneration would just be the user¡¯s basic HP regeneration ability. Of course, when the ability to maximize the basic HP regeneration appears, its value will increase. ¡¸Skill: Sunlight Absorption(E-)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 10,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: When exposed to sunlight, the basic HP regeneration is increased by 100%¡¹ This skill was no different from the skill Moonlight Absorption. It¡¯s just that the condition for skill activation changed from moonlight to sunlight. I thought I could counterbalance the skill activation condition to some extent if I had both, but¡­ In fact, they were abilities that wouldn¡¯t activate in places where there¡¯s neither sunlight nor moonlight. Should I say that these had quite a number of flaws to utilize both of them? ¡®That¡¯s iffy.¡¯ When I looked at the skills a bit more, I found two more abilities worth using. ¡¸Skill: Overgrowth (C-)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 20,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: In proportion to the HP stat, all HP regeneration abilities and basic HP are increased by 70%.¡¹ ¡¸Skill: Call of Blood (C-)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 20,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: When the user absorbs the blood of a creature they killed, the user¡¯s HP and vitality are greatly restored in proportion to the amount of blood absorbed.¡¹ They were quite expensive skills, but their abilities were pretty useful. ¡°¡­¡± I stared at the shop window for a while and then came up with the answer. ¡®Then I can just do this.¡¯ The answer I just came up with was a fairly simple but reasonable choice. It was to purchase all of these skills. There were three main reasons for making such a choice. ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Automatic HP Regeneration (D-)¡¹ ¡¸15,000 points deducted.¡¹ First and foremost, I must purchase Automatic HP Regeneration because it recovers my HP even when idle. ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Moonlight Absorption (E-)¡¹ ¡¸10,000 points deducted.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Sunlight Absorption (E-)¡¹ ¡¸10,000 points deducted.¡¹ Secondly, Moonlight Absorption and Sunlight Absorption were like twins. It¡¯s just that their conditions were different. They¡¯d have good compatibility when used for skill combination, so it was clear it¡¯d result in a pretty good ability. ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Overgrowth(C-)¡¹ ¡¸20,000 points deducted.¡¹ The third and last remaining reason is¡ª though I say it myself ¡ªbut¡­ ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Call of Blood(C-)¡¹ ¡¸20,000 points deducted.¡¹ ¡°¡­I really did a great job saving up these points, huh.¡± It was because I had enough points for myself even if I purchased all these skills. That was the biggest reason. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡¸Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Listing the available skills.¡¹ ¡¸Please select combination material from the skill list.¡¹ After purchasing all the skills, I immediately activated the skill combination. It¡¯d been a while since I did a skill combination, so I was also quite excited. Should I say I¡¯m excited to see what kind of skill I would acquire in this combination? I continued and started the combination with a pleasant sense of excitement. The skills that I started with were ¡®Sunlight Absorption¡¯ and ¡®Moonlight Absorption¡¯. Both skills only slightly differed in condition, and the skill effect was almost the same. And there was not even the slightest difference in the skill ranks. ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ Well, because of that, I was confused about which of the two to choose as the core of skill combination, but¡­ ¡®Is there a point in thinking about this?¡¯ As a matter of fact, I thought that no matter which one becomes the core, the outcome wouldn¡¯t be very different. After pondering for a while, I finally decided to proceed with a skill combination with Sunlight Absorption as the core. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Sunlight Absorption¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high-tier skill is 100% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the Combination? ¡¹ Maybe because it¡¯s a skill like a twin with almost no difference? ¡°Probability of 100%¡­ That¡¯s incredible.¡± I never imagined that the skill combination probability would be 100%. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ I proceeded with the skill combination, and the result was revealed. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Photosynthesis(C-)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ However, contrary to the high-ranked result, the name was quite bizarre. I didn¡¯t know how it turned into Photosynthesis when Sunlight Absorption and Moonlight Absorption were combined. ¡®¡­Photosynthesis, huh.¡¯ ¡¸ Skill ¨C Photosynthesis (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C When exposed to moonlight or sunlight, the basic HP regeneration rate increases by 200%, and mana can be absorbed through the light.¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s not a bad ability.¡± It felt like it mixed only the strengths of Moonlight Absorption and Sunlight Absorption, plus additional abilities. However, I had no intention of stopping here, so I then activated Skill Combination again. ¡¸Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ I had already thought about which skill to combine in my head. Call of the Blood. I decided to combine Photosynthesis with this skill I just bought from the skill shop. If you asked me why, it¡¯s because the ranks of these two skills became the same. ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ ¡®The rank of skills used for combination are identical, so I can decide the core for the combination.¡¯ To be frank, Photosynthesis is a good skill, but it doesn¡¯t suit me. I thought the ability to kill living things and absorb their blood suited me more, like Call of the Blood. And in the end, I narrowed my choice down to maximizing the Call of Blood by using Photosynthesis as a sacrifice. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Call of the blood¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high-tier skill is 70% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the Combination? ¡¹ Without further ado, I pressed confirm. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ And¡­ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Blood-red Contract(C-)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I frowned after looking at the message that popped up. ¡®It failed.¡¯ The probability of Skill Combination decided whether it¡¯ll result in a higher rank skill or not. However, in this combination, it didn¡¯t result in a higher rank skill, so it meant that it failed. When I looked at the skill description, the thought that I failed grew bigger. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Blood-red Contract (C-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Vitality, HP, and mana can be extracted from the blood of living things, and this only applies to living things that the user killed.¡¹ There was even a phrase saying that mana can now be extracted, but all the advantages of Photosynthesis had disappeared. In a nutshell, this skill is no different from failure. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, I guess.¡± However¡­ ¡¸You¡¯ve purchased Call of Blood(C-)¡¹ ¡¸20,000 points deducted.¡¹ A single failure was just good enough to be used as a stepping stone for success. After purchasing the same skill from the skill shop, I immediately activated Skill Combination and selected the Blood-red Contract and Call of Blood. ¡¸ The two skills are identical in rank. ¡¹ ¡¸ Please select the core skill. ¡¹ The ability to be the core of skill combination was the Call of the Blood this time again. ¡¸ Skill combination will start with ¡®Call of the Blood¡¯ as the core. ¡¹ ¡¸ Current probability for a high-tier skill is 98% ¡¹ ¡¸ Start the Combination? ¡¹ The probability of skill combination has increased a lot. I was able to realize quickly that the cause was none other than the ¡®Blood-red Contract¡¯. Due to failing Skill Combination once, it became a slightly better rip-off skill for the Call of Blood. And thanks to that, the compatibility with the current Call of Blood has improved considerably in skill combination. ¡®That¡¯s a surprise. The failure of Skill Combination can also work well like this, I see.¡¯ This was the first time I failed to combine skills, so I wasn¡¯t feeling very good, but I benefited from it unexpectedly. ¡¸ Combination complete. ¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸ A new skill is being generated¡­! ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but open my eyes wide at the system message that appeared. As there¡¯s a proverb that goes¡ª failure is but a stepping stone to success. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood(B)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ The Skill Combination that followed after one failure had come up with a really successful result. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 94 Chapter 94: A longing(4) ¡¸ Skill ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood(B)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ The rank of the skill completed through utilizing the failure was considerably higher than I expected. ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood, huh¡­¡¯ I opened my status window and checked the skill effect right away. ¡¸ Skill ¨C ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood(B)¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸ Effect ¨C Vitality, HP, and Mana can be extracted from the blood of living things, and the user will awaken a powerful blood control ability.¡¹ ¡¸ Additional Effect ¨C All the blood that flows out of the user¡¯s body and is consumed is automatically regenerated little by little at regular intervals.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± The condition where Vitality, HP, and Mana extraction was only possible from a creature I killed had disappeared from the effect. And on top of that¡­ ¡®Blood control ability?¡¯ Just like a vampire, a mysterious ability was also added, so I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The blood regeneration ability added as an additional effect had great compatibility with items that consume blood to create shields, such as the Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat. Of course, the usefulness of the regeneration ability could only be judged after I actually felt the efficiency of regeneration ability, though. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not that bad, I guess.¡¯ Should I say that spending a huge amount of points was somewhat worth it? I immediately disabled the recovery of the waiting room and inflicted a long wound on my left arm with Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ Drip. At the same time, blood poured down from my left arm, and the Ashen Blood healed the wound. Seeing the blood flowing down my left arm, I narrowed my eyes and concentrated my mind. ¡®Move, move, move¡­¡¯ It was then. ¡°Woah.¡± Slide. In an instant, the blood that had flowed down my left arm began to rise upward as though defying gravity. It didn¡¯t even stop at that level, and blood quickly flowed through my left arm and floated into the air. ¡°¡­¡± In that state, I got the hang of the ability by controlling the blood that flowed out. And as soon as I formed a sharp blade with the blood, I let out a laugh and convinced myself. ¡°This¡­ is truly a powerful ability.¡± What if this ability could affect not only the blood that flows out of my body, but also the blood of other living things? A pleasant chill ran down my spine as I questioned that to myself. It was the ability to extract Vitality, HP, and Mana from the blood of living things and control the blood without having to kill them. ¡®Well, there must be some restrictions, but there would be no other ability as good as this.¡± Thanks to Necromancy, the battle against numbers that were originally good would now become stronger thanks to the Truth-seeker of Blood. And one-on-one fighting, which can be called my weakness, will be made up with this ability. I realized that the blood restoration ability was quite useful when the battle was a long-term one once I checked it. ¡°It¡¯s simple, but it¡¯s certainly easy to use, thanks to that.¡± Now, I felt like I understood the composition of the Truth-seeker of the Blood, so I turned to another skill. ¡¸Skill ¨C Overgrowth(C-)¡¹ ¡¸Price ¨C 20,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect ¨C In proportion to the HP stat, all HP regeneration abilities and basic HP are increased by 70%.¡¹ It¡¯s a shame that it was a skill with no proficiency, but it¡¯s a skill that can be put into use just fine. ¡®The fact that it increases your base HP and the HP regeneration ability is quite useful.¡¯ Even more so because the effects were applied in proportion to the HP stats. Of course, there was a chance that I could make a great ability if I kept trying to combine it while bearing the failure, just like the Truth-seeker of the Blood, but¡ª ¡®I can¡¯t afford to spend more points right now.¡¯ Even if I saved enough points to the point where I¡¯d be able to use them abundantly, more than this was impossible. Not unless there was another skill that I could combine separately. If I randomly combined skills that weren¡¯t even proper, I¡¯d be in trouble. Even more, I had a history of mixing skills randomly and acquiring a skill that was basically pointless. It was then¡ª ¡®¡­Come to think of it, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have the skills to combine at all.¡¯ Suddenly, I thought of ¡®Strengthened Eyes(E-)¡¯, a skill I neglected after combining. It was a skill with low rank, and the effect was lame, so I didn¡¯t really care about it. However, since then, I¡¯d gathered enough abilities to attempt the combination, such as ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯ or ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye¡¯. ¡°Hm¡­¡± But, to blindly combine the skills, the Eye of Truth and Mind¡¯s Eye were quite valuable. The Mind¡¯s Eye allows the user to perceive everything around the user, and the Eye of Truth allows the user to see through lies and information. ¡®It¡¯s a gamble.¡¯ I knew it. That this is actually a gamble among gambles that shouldn¡¯t be done. But at the same time, I was well aware of the value of the success of this combination. ¡°¡­¡± As I continued to ponder, I suddenly thought of a great idea. ¡°Shop.¡± As soon as I opened the shop window, I went into the skill shop and browsed through the skills that were being sold. And-. ¡¸Skill: Mind¡¯s Eye(F)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 10,000 Point ¡¹ ¡¸Effect: Perhaps you might start feeling things that you can¡¯t see..¡¹ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for this to be here.¡± Soon, I was able to find out that the Mind¡¯s Eye was on sale. ¡®Of course, the rank was lower than I thought, though¡­¡¯ In the battle with Namgung hyuk, I figured out its usage while frantically raising the Proficiency of Mind¡¯s Eye. Even if it was an F- rank skill, I was confident to instantly raise it into a higher-rank skill. ¡¸Activating the innate power ¡®Skill Combination.¡¯ ¡¹ I immediately selected Mind¡¯s Eye and Strengthened Eyes and combined them. Obviously, Mind¡¯s Eye had a higher skill rank, so the Strengthened Eyes was pushed out of the core of Skill Combination And just like that, the Skill Combination proceeded with Mind¡¯s Eye as the core. ¡¸ Skill combination complete. ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¡®Mana Eyes(A-)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ The Strengthened Eyes and Mind¡¯s Eye disappeared, and Mana resided in my eyes anew. ¡®I think I can tell what kind of ability this is without even having to read the skill description.¡¯ Basically, it can be used like Mind¡¯s Eye, but the ability to detect Mana has been drastically improved. Should I say that it has mana detection that¡¯s a few times better than the kind that relies on the mana circuit? Even if I used this as it is, it¡¯s an ability that¡¯s close to the higher tier than the Mind¡¯s Eye skill, but it felt lacking by a step. Instinct whispered to me like a demon. That a proper skill would be born only when the Eye of Truth is also combined. A truly splendid skill, that I wouldn¡¯t be disappointed with. ¡¸Skill ¡®Sixth Sense¡¯ is strongly activated.¡¹ As if to support that thought, a phrase that even the Sixth Sense was activated popped up. Then I activated the Skill Combination, and soon the skill was combined. ¡¸ Skill combination complete. ¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸ A new skill is being generated. ¡¹ As if that intuition wasn¡¯t wrong, the skill generated afterward was a result beyond my imagination. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Soon, I opened my eyes wide as I saw the system message that appeared in front of me. ¡¸ Skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes(A+)¡¯ generated. ¡¹ Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. The grand name was one thing; its rank was quite high. Its rank could be one of the highest among my current skills. ¡®To think everything worked out well like this.¡¯ I was able to reach this point thanks to not failing a single Skill Combination. ¡¸Skill ¨C Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes(A+)¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 0% ¡¹ ¡¸Effect ¨C The power of Fire Dragon dwells in the eyes, allowing the user to see the things that they normally can¡¯t see.¡¹ ¡¸Detailed Effect ¨C Through the Dragon¡¯s Eyes, you can see the information of things, and it becomes possible to determine whether your opponent is lying or not.¡¹ There were no flaws in the skill effects, and only the strengths were kept intact. I suppose the only definition that changed is that the power of the Fire Dragon dwells in the eyes. ¡®The power of Fire Dragon, huh.¡¯ It was amazing in many ways, but it was difficult to tell the difference only with the changed definition. ¡®Still, some things must have changed or improved.¡¯ Since the rank had risen this much, it must be so. Whatever it may be, there must be some strengths, so I immediately activated the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes(A+)¡¯¡¹ It was none other than to confirm the ability inherited from the Eye of Truth to grasp the information of things. There may be some changes in this ability or such, so I planned to check it out carefully. And¡ª ¡°What in the world is this¡­?¡± Soon I was able to understand the true meaning of the sentence of Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes that said, ¡®Allowing the users to see the things they normally can¡¯t see.¡¯ ¡¸Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword ¡¹ From an item that was stolen from Kim Seungjun before and had now become my favorite sword. ¡¸¡­When a user who has reached the level of Sword Flame activates the exclusive effect, Blood Ki, to the maximum, the true ability will be unlocked.¡¹ A phrase that I had never seen before was revealed. ¡°¡­¡± It was an ability that was practically useless other than by directly checking the item, but¡­ Now, not only could it completely check the item performance, but it could also check the new phrases. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ I was dumbfounded. I thought it¡¯d have been slightly enhanced by combining the Mind¡¯s Eye and Eye of Truth. But I didn¡¯t expect it to evolve into such a useful skill. And when I opened the item description window directly, not from the skill, it became clearer. ¡®The phrase that can be seen through the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes doesn¡¯t appear in the item description window.¡¯ Realizing that fact, I then checked all the other items as well. ¡¸The Vampire Count¡¯s Old Tailcoat ¡¹ The hidden phrases were everywhere. ¡¸¡­When the user consumes blood to form a shield, additional toughness is added to the shield.¡¹ There were miscellaneous facts that I didn¡¯t know well at first. ¡¸ Boots of Swiftness ¡¹ And new phrases were discovered in items I didn¡¯t care much about. ¡¸¡­When the user applies Mana on the boots, the duration of Instantaneous Acceleration is slightly increased.¡¹ It was also content that would be helpful even a little when used in battle. Well, other items didn¡¯t really display any special phrase, and it wasn¡¯t at the level that it¡¯d be helpful in battle. But even so, it was by no means negligible. ¡°¡­¡± After looking through this and that, I soon realized one thing. This Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes was much better than I thought, and its true value hadn¡¯t yet been fully revealed. The Eye of Truth skill, which wasn¡¯t even used properly, was inherited and strengthened to this point. How strong would Mind¡¯s Eyes¡¯ inherited abilities have become if I directly checked it in battle? Reaching that point, I couldn¡¯t help but raise the corners of my lips even if I tried not to. In the end, instead of thinking about it, I immediately activated the command. ¡¸Will you attempt the trial of the 11th floor?¡¹ Without considering any other options, I clicked accept to that question. And soon, I entered the portal that appeared in the center of the waiting room. ¡¸ Entering Tower of Trials floor 11. ¡¹ ¡¸ Difficulty ¨C Hard ¡¹ ¡¸ The objective of the following trial is ¡®Proving of the spirit¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ We wish the challenger a satisfactory ending to their choice. ¡¹ The two new skills that have appeared, Truth-seeker of Blood and the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. I¡¯ll soon be able to see their true value even if I don¡¯t want to know it. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 95 Chapter 95: Proving(1) ¡¸ The 11th floor trial is starting. ¡¹ ¡¸ Remaining time ¨C 7 days ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success condition ¨C Break through the seventh hurdle within the remaining time.¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or depletion of remaining time.¡¹ ¡¸ Trial success reward ¨C A Worn Out Mirror of Proving(S-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Trial fail penalty ¨C Death ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± As the trial began, I narrowed my eyes and looked around. I was now in a spacious, square-shaped room with nothing inside. It was a space similar to the waiting room, but the difference was that the waiting room was always alone, but there was another person here as well. On top of that, it was a middle-aged priest. ¡®To think that there¡¯s a person¡­¡¯ Clearly, the Tower of Trials informed me through a message that this wasn¡¯t a combined trial. It was then that I circulated my mana to my whole body, thinking if a challenger from another world had appeared again. ¡°Welcome to the Temple of Proof.¡± The middle-aged priest suddenly spoke his words. ¡°Temple of Proof¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll go through trials led by the God of Proof, which will continue until you die from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll not hear complaints from you. Since you came this far on your own. You agreed that you¡¯d be tested by the Gods even if you¡¯re nothing but an adventurer, so you¡¯ll have to fully bear the consequences.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Looks like there was a behind story on this 11th-floor stage. An adventurer entered the temple of proof, thinking he¡¯d receive the Trial by God without knowing his place. And because of that, he had to break through the seven hurdles and clear the Trial of God. That was the situation I was in. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be Murim or Earth. It should be a story from another dimension.¡¯ It must be so since there are many interesting fantasy worlds, such as Callian or Ares. Now that I knew what the story was, there was nothing more that I had to understand. ¡°So, how do I get through the first hurdle?¡± ¡°Do you not even know the law of trials led by the seven gods of Ares?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not all adventurers would be ignorant, but¡­ you do seem like one.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± The middle-aged priest made sarcastic remarks at me as though he was dumbfounded, but¡­ Aside from his confusion, I was neither a challenger from Ares nor an adventurer who actually came to this temple where this story has happened. Therefore, of course, there was no way that I¡¯d hesitate to ask questions. ¡®Other than that, so this is the Ares dimension, huh.¡¯ I remembered the challenger from another world I met while climbing the tower. That damned black knight who appeared on the 5th floor and almost drove me to death flashed through my head. I heard that most of Ares¡¯ challengers value chivalry and are composed of a unified nation. Aside from that characteristic, I was currently doing a trial that had nothing to do with knights. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help it. Let me explain.¡± While thinking about this and that, the middle-aged priest started his explanation. ¡°The trials conducted in the Temple of Proof are simple.¡± I immediately pushed aside my thoughts and focused on the middle-aged priest¡¯s words. ¡°Proof of the body, proof of the belief, proof of the spirit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It starts with proof of the body and eventually goes to the most difficult one, proof of the spirit.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Breaking through the hurdle is simple. There¡¯ll be a high priest in each of the trial rooms, so do whatever it takes, either persuade them or kill them and move on to the next room.¡± ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t make it a trial.¡± It¡¯s no different from me having to move on to the next room at will. But then I wondered if that does anything or even counted as passing through the hurdle, but. ¡°How could an ignorant person like you understand the will of God?¡± ¡°Proving literally means proving. Each path you choose is proof.¡± ¡°In a nutshell, it doesn¡¯t matter what I do or how I break through the hurdle.¡± ¡°Well, something like that. So, stop asking silly questions and come at me.¡± I paused for a moment at what the middle-aged priest said while taking a stance of Kenp¨­. But soon, I looked into the eyes of the middle-aged priest and understood the true meaning. ¡°¡­¡± He said it¡¯s a proving of the body¡­ But to think that it¡¯s this kind of proving. ¡°The first hurdle begins now.¡± He talked as if telling me to come at him if I had the courage to do so, but¡­ When I actually heard that, I couldn¡¯t help but smile in a sardonic way. I fought with a knight of Ares and with the elders of Murim. I repeatedly fought until I almost died. And what he presents as proof of the body is just a battle with a priest? ¡°Then here I go.¡± At this point, it was no different from an easy difficulty rather than a hard difficulty. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Unexpectedly, the middle-aged priest wasn¡¯t weak¡ª he was quite strong. Should I say that he¡¯s as strong as the challengers in the earth dimension who achieved the qualification as a pioneer in the hard difficulty? I never imagined that a priest who served God would be such a strong master of a Kenp¨­. But what¡¯s unexpected remains unexpected, and a trial is a trial. Bang! While dodging the Kenp¨­ of the middle-aged priest as if observing him, I immediately kicked him and rammed him into the wall. ¡°Kuhugh!¡± The middle-aged priest vomited blood as he slammed into the wall, then fell to the floor. Looking at him wriggling intermittently, it seemed that he still had consciousness, but¡­ I thought that the battle would be practically impossible now. ¡°Thank you for the explanation.¡± I finally thanked the middle-aged priest and thrust the sword into his body. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the priest ¡®Johann¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 5.8% ¡¹ Because he was a stronger opponent than I expected, the proficiency I gained was pretty sweet. ¡®If the proficiency increases like this two more times, the rank of Necromancy would go up too.¡¯ It was then that I felt somewhat satisfied inside. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Seven Gods¡¯ is appalled by your shocking behavior that they happened to come upon.¡¹ Such a message came up, conveying someone¡¯s shocked feelings towards me. That wasn¡¯t the end of it. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®God-slaying Swordsman¡¯ nods at your cold-blooded action.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ looks at you and praises you for being a pretty interesting fellow.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ tells you not to worry, as you are proceeding with proving yourself properly.¡¹ Out of nowhere, some administrators even sent me a message to express their feelings. Never before had this many administrators tagged along with me, even in the public area. It was refreshing to see so many administrators sending messages to me. Judging by the names of the administrators, it seems that they were interested because the trial I¡¯m undergoing has something to do with ¡®God¡¯, or because it¡¯s related to someone from Ares dimension. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is perplexed to see you undergoing trials without any warning.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ feels disappointed as you entered the trial without saying anything.¡¹ After some time passed, the two managers who had made a contract with me also arrived quickly, probably through word of mouth. They seemed to be bummed that they couldn¡¯t spectate right away as I entered the trial immediately without saying a thing, mentioning things like they were perplexed or disappointed, but¡ª ¡®I can¡¯t help it since I don¡¯t have any means to contact the administrators.¡¯ I smiled bitterly at that and searched the belongings of the middle-aged priest, Johann. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Seven Gods¡¯ is watching your actions without saying a word.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ admires your greed.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®God-slaying Swordsman¡¯ nods as though they understand all of your actions.¡¹ Perhaps it felt quite greedy. It evoked messages from administrators. Of course, I didn¡¯t care whether it did feel greedy or not and took out the small mirror from Johann¡¯s body. I could feel unknown energy from the small mirror, the only thing he had on him. ¡®It¡¯s an item.¡¯ And. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes¡¯. ¡¹ I immediately used Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes to inspect what kind of item this small mirror was. ¡¸Mirror with the Divinity of the High Priest¡¹ ¡¸Rank: C+¡¹ ¡¸The mirror that high priest ¡®Johann¡¯ placed his divine power without missing a single day.¡¹ ¡¸You can spread a divine shield only once by consuming the divine power towards the God of Proof.¡¹ ¡¸When you spread the divine shield, mind contamination is also restored to some extent.¡¹ After that, there was a phrase revealed through the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. ¡¸¡­Perhaps the divine power of the God of Proof filled in the mirror may lead the bearer to prove their fate by themselves.¡¹ It was none other than just a single-use shield item. ¡®I didn¡¯t understand what the phrase meant that says the bearer to prove their fate by themselves, too.¡¯ It¡¯s not like it can certainly allow me to prove my fate. It¡¯s uncertain. The existence of its hidden phrase didn¡¯t make any difference, so I got up from my seat after putting away the mirror filled with the divinity. ¡®I wish there were more proofs of the body.¡¯ While thinking nonsense, I opened the door and walked to the second hurdle. A second hurdle appeared when I opened the door at the end of the narrow hallway that only one person could barely walk through. It was still a square-shaped room, but there was no dryness, nothing like the previous room. The space where the second hurdle existed was a room with a bizarre sight¡ª a broken mirror was attached to the wall. ¡®I wonder what in the world the God of Proof is to have this many mirrors.¡¯ It was then¡ª ¡°¡­To think that a nameless adventurer from outside would reach up to here.¡± At the second hurdle, the blonde beauty sitting quietly in the middle of the room opened her eyes and muttered so. ¡°It seems that Johann is no longer able to be in service.¡± ¡°Are you the priest of the second hurdle?¡± ¡°Yes indeed, adventurer. I¡¯m the priest of the second hurdle.¡± ¡°The proof of the body didn¡¯t end with the fight with Johann.¡± ¡°Then that means this must be the proof of the body again.¡± ¡°Correct. So there¡¯s nothing more to talk about.¡± She answered unaffectedly, got up from her seat, and fluttered her nun¡¯s habit. ¡°I¡¯m high priest Jane. Nice to meet you.¡± Contrary to Johann, who was gloomy, she had a cheerful atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m Hang Sungyeun.¡± I wondered how important it would be to say my name in the midst of trials when I¡¯m in a world of trials, but when I saw Jane¡¯s eyes demanding my name, I answered flatly. ¡°You have no intention of putting any mercy in your hands, are you?¡± ¡°None at all. I¡¯ll kill you and move on.¡± ¡°I expected it from the moment Johann¡¯s presence disappeared, but you¡¯re pretty aggressive, huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s true that I¡¯m aggressive, but I can¡¯t just wing it when it¡¯s a trial and all. There would be additional breakthrough rewards the more I certainly do things. It was too good to give up those. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is satisfied with your sobriety.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ smiles and says that such a thing is your charm.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ is advising you to beware of those crazy bitches.¡¹ And to go with killing, the rise in proficiency of Necromancy is also quite high. ¡°Are you thinking of having me or something like that?¡± The administrators observing me reacted immediately to what Jane spitted out while grinning. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ waits patiently for your answer.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ looks at you with squinted eyes.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is restless at questions she couldn¡¯t have imagined.¡¹ Jane throwing this kind of question was also shocking, but the response from the administrators was also quite something. Even White Crane Sword Saint was bewildered to the point that she even sent a message saying that she was restless. But it was no different for me, so I immediately answered her question with a sense of perplexity. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have such a disgusting hobby, you see.¡± ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s a huge relief.¡± And at the same time as her words ended, messages from administrators flooded in. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ strongly agrees with Jane.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is sending trust to you, saying that she had believed in you.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ fascinatingly observes your choices.¡¹ I skimmed those messages, then turned my attention away and looked at Jane. ¡°Moreover, why are you asking that when we¡¯re in a temple? Who in the world would do such a thing?¡± ¡°There is. People like you who come in occasionally do.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Ok. I see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty innocent for an adventurer. Judging from the fact that you even beat Johann, you¡¯ve got good skills and looking at you being merciless, you seem to have spent some time on the battlefield.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the adventurer who came this far would look like someone out of a fairy tale.¡± An adventurer who says he¡¯d kill someone without hesitation is like someone out of a fairy tale. ¡®It¡¯s a crazy world, for real.¡¯ The thought that the Earth dimension is at least quite normal is firmly engraved in my head. ¡°Let¡¯s end the chatter here.¡± With those words as an end, she pulled out her sword from the scabbard on her waist. And¡ª ¡°The second hurdle begins now.¡± The moment when pure white Sword Ki erupted from her rapier. I immediately felt the corners of my lips, that weren¡¯t budging an inch, rise straight up regardless of my will. It was a smile that came from the expectation that I might be able to learn a new type of Sword Ki skill after a long time. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 96 Chapter 96: Proving (2) Clang! ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Sword Ki Master.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating Skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki¡¯ ¡¹ The shock created by the sword¡¯s collision flows through my fingertips. Bzzzt! I pushed the blade while activating the Lightning sword Ki, and Jane was greatly confused by that. ¡°Aura¡­!?¡± Maybe the Sword Ki is treated the same as the Aura in the Ares dimension? The Aura that the black knight I had met before used was actually a kind of Sword Ki, now that I thought about it. It must be that the Earth dimension is the only dimension where Sword Ki or Aura didn¡¯t exist at all. I felt a sense of bitterness toward that fact, but Jane seemed to feel a greater shock than me. Claaaang! After exchanging a blow and backing away, Jane opened her mouth in disbelief. ¡°To think that a mere adventurer can wield an Aura¡­¡± Then, she nodded as though she understood the Sword Ki I had used on her own. ¡°So you were an adventurer from a fallen noble family, huh¡­ I see. That¡¯s why you said you¡¯d take the trial of the God of Proof. Interesting.¡± I wasn¡¯t from a fallen noble family or anything, but I decided to stay silent for now. And I don¡¯t have to say anything back since the other person is misunderstanding it, too. ¡°Is it that surprising to you that I¡¯m using an Aura when you¡¯re using one too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re an adventurer, and I¡¯m a high priest.¡± She said so as if there was a gap of status that couldn¡¯t be filled between the two. ¡°And technically speaking, I¡¯m not wielding the Aura.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I just manifested the divine power given by the God of Proof with power.¡± ¡°So you mean it¡¯s not the official way of using the Aura.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you could put it that way. It¡¯s some sort of an expedient.¡± In short, it meant that it¡¯s the same as the Sword Ki I used before I manifested the Sword Ki by myself. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± To that, I had no choice but to look at her with massive disappointment. It was a pity that I had nothing to learn and that the sword Ki she had wasn¡¯t even skill, not allowing any possibility to absorb it. The fact that I had nothing to learn and the fact that there was no possibility to even absorb her Sword Ki as it¡¯s not skill was disappointing. Should I say it felt like a single drop of water falling into the ground while feeling a burning thirst soaked right away? However¡ª Instead of being frustrated by that fact, I used my disappointment as nourishment and adjusted my grip on the sword. And at the same time, I looked at Jane catching her breath and asked her a question. ¡°There¡¯s something that I want to ask.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Was that the end of the proof of the body?¡± ¡°¡­Do you think you¡¯ve already won? Even if I¡¯m not a formal Aura user, my skills are as good as one, you see?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not going to tell me?¡± ¡°I wonder¡­ I don¡¯t know. If you want to know, try defeating me fair and square like a formal Aura user, and then perhaps I might tell you.¡± Judging from her sullen tone, she must¡¯ve thought that I was looking down on her. She must¡¯ve even thought she was despised for not being a formal Aura user. Of course, she wasn¡¯t wrong that I thought I won, but I have never despised her for not being a formal Aura user. But I shone my eyes at the condition she attached at the end of her sentence rather than her being angry. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough. If I win, tell me what other proof will be there ahead of me.¡± ¡°Hah! I¡¯ll do that if you win, adventurer. But isn¡¯t it too early to think that you¡¯ve won?¡± As soon as I saw the veins rising up on Jane¡¯s fine forehead, I smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll find out soon.¡± And¡ª With those words, I immediately kicked off and rushed to Jane. *** Clang! Claaang! Claaaaaaaang! The battle with Jane was getting far longer than I expected. At some point, I didn¡¯t even know how much time had passed. The cause of this long battle was because of the divine power that Jane had in her body. Perhaps claiming that she was a priest wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. She was constantly replenishing her stamina, recovering her wounds through divine power, and holding out against me. On top of that, her physical ability was pretty high, so she wasn¡¯t an opponent I could defeat without any damage. But soon, while fighting with Jane, I noticed she had less combat experience than I thought. Should I say it seemed like she had no experience in having a long fight against a strong opponent? It looked like she had never sparred with someone like me who could tenaciously keep up with her. ¡®Then I¡¯ll have to make use of that too.¡¯ For that, I slowly loosened the strength of my right hand holding the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword and started pretending to be a little exhausted on purpose. To prevent Jane from thinking that this was acting, I purposely loosened concentration on my eyes, clenched my teeth, and forcefully swung my sword. At that very moment, Jane took the bait. Claaaaaang! With the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword that was deliberately wielded poorly, Jane made a big move and blew my sword away from my hands. And soon, her face began to turn bright as though she had just won. ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Iron-blooded Sword.¡¯ ¡¹ Without noticing that it was the result of my plan. ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword disappeared, I immediately summoned the Iron-blooded Sword in my right hand. Then, an antique-looking Iron-blooded Sword tinged with frost was attached to my empty right hand. At the same time, a look of bewilderment fell on Jane¡¯s face, which had guaranteed her victory. However, Jane, who struck my sword with a huge movement, wasn¡¯t yet given freedom of action. I used that moment to strongly parry the rapier on Jane¡¯s hand in reverse. Kaaang! *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ How did it turn like this¡­¡± ¡°Just think of it as your lack of practical experience.¡± At that, Jane opened her mouth as though it made her go off the deep end. ¡°Lack of practical experience, my ass¡­! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s the adventurer that¡¯s strange when I¡¯m recovering several times with divine power!?¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®God-slaying Swordsman¡¯ says, now that you mention it. She¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ affirms the priest¡¯s words, saying that what she¡¯s saying isn¡¯t entirely wrong.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ sympathizes with Priest Jane¡¯s anger and tells you that you¡¯re the strange one.¡¹ ¡°Doesn¡¯t the fact that you¡¯ve never competed with such an opponent equate to your lack of practical experience?¡± ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is inflated with pride and says this is her contractor.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ scoffs at a woman saying why is an administrator who signed the second contract is the one acting pompous.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ feels interest and pleasure in your sophistry and is satisfied.¡¹ ¡°What kind of logic is that¡­?¡± ¡°Either way, I won.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± ¡°Then let me know what you promised.¡± Of course, Jane could say no, but I thought she wasn¡¯t a person to do so. Even if she doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s just a matter of where I can finish her off and move on to the next hurdle. But Jane didn¡¯t bother to say no, and immediately let out a deep sigh, and she began to explain. ¡°There are now two proofs of the body left, and the proof of the belief will begin at the fifth hurdle and will end at the sixth.¡± ¡°Then do you mean that the proof of the spirit is only in the seventh hurdle?¡± ¡°But you might wanna consider giving up once before trying the seventh hurdle.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°No one has ever passed the seventh hurdle, you see. Everyone who went through it had gone insane or died bleeding all over their body.¡± I immediately activated the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes to check if what she was saying was true, but. ¡¸The skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes¡¯ detects that there are no lies in the words of the opponent.¡¹ Jane was just relaying only the facts to me. ¡°Then do you know the content of the proofs that¡¯ll happen onwards¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either.¡± ¡¸The skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes¡¯ detects that there are no lies in the words of the opponent.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I realized this only after asking Jane this and that through the Fire dragon¡¯s eyes. Those in charge of each proof barely interact with each other, and only properly know about the proof they¡¯re in charge of. At that, with a sigh, I picked up the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword that had fallen in the room and deactivated the Iron-blooded Sword. Come to think of it, even though it had been a while since I acquired the Iron-blooded Sword, I haven¡¯t been using it properly. ¡®The performance of the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword is too good, so I can¡¯t really find a situation to use it.¡¯ Originally, I thought that the sword I was using would be destroyed or disappear soon. But as I was using it, I couldn¡¯t really use the power that much because perhaps the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword was better than I had imagined. At this point, I felt like I couldn¡¯t even make use of the power properly. I thought of maybe learning dual wielding of a sword after completing the trial on the 11th floor, and soon looked at Jane. ¡°I¡¯ll be over soon, huh. My last words are¡­ well. It¡¯s been a while since I had a good fight. That¡¯s about it.¡± She didn¡¯t look like someone who knew she was going to die soon. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you scared of dying?¡± After I killed Jane, I¡¯d absorb her soul. Nevertheless, Jane didn¡¯t seem too afraid. When I wondered why and asked her, Jane answered calmly. ¡°Because the soul of a high priest is bound to God.¡± ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll just be returning to the side of God.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the reason why you don¡¯t have any fear of death.¡± ¡°I may look like this, but I¡¯m a priest who dedicated everything to God in my own way, so I¡¯m free from all the worldly desires.¡± I didn¡¯t ask further if she really didn¡¯t have any regrets and if it was okay for her to die like this. Anyway, I was longing for growth, and she wouldn¡¯t feel devastated even if she died. Knowing that asking more like this would just be a disgusting act, I silently swung my sword. Slaaaaash! ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the priest ¡®Jane¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 8.8% ¡¹ It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt my mind becoming a bit dull. We fought properly, knowing that we were going to die, and Jane was defeated and lost her life as a result. It was a battle that risked life. If I had been weaker, it would¡¯ve been me who died, not her. That¡¯s all, and in reality, she¡¯s a person that I wouldn¡¯t be able to remember once I overcame the trial. And yet, currently, I was feeling some kind of guilt for killing her. ¡°¡­¡± For an instant, I felt a chill seep through my body. I once swore to myself. Which was, to climb the tower, I¡¯d kill everyone who tried to kill me. In doing so, I¡¯d climb this tower without escaping from fighting and abandoning my humanity. However, that was to preserve the minimum amount of humanity, and I didn¡¯t hesitate to kill people like this. Was I confused about my feelings this much because she didn¡¯t have any malice towards me unlike the people I¡¯ve met so far? However, Johann, whom I encountered at the first gate, was also similar if that¡¯s the case. He didn¡¯t have much malice towards me. He just quibbled about the trial. Even when killing him and taking the items from his pocket, I had no other feelings except for being a little sorry. For the first time, I began to feel fear. What will happen if this feeling doesn¡¯t end with a simple whim but also overlaps with self-contradiction? The feeling of being defeated by Namgung hyuk was like firewood intensifying the fire called longing for growth. But it¡¯d be the worst if this precarious feeling blocks that longing and takes away my will. As I got to that thought, I felt my hair rising and frowned. ¡°No wonder why it¡¯s called the proof of the spirit¡­ It¡¯s actually making me think about the subject of the trial.¡± Perhaps this trial itself might have this kind of tendency. This space was prepared by the tower, and at the same time it was called a trial of the gods. There may be a factor that influences me without affecting the mana resistance and forceful breakthrough. I drove that fact in my head as though imprinting it, and immediately left the room and walked to the next hurdle. Unlike a while ago, there were broken pieces of glass attached to the hallway connecting the room. And it increased in numbers as I got closer to the next hurdle, till it looked like a single broken window. Should I say it connected and continueed as if a new mirror was being completed from the pieces of glass? That feeling became certain as soon as I entered the room where the third hurdle was. The walls, ceilings, and floors were lined with pieces of glass like broken mirrors. In the center of that foreign room was a priest with his eyes closed and a scabbard in his left hand. He was a man of great size, and his stout physique was conspicuous even from the outside of his fluttering robes. ¡°¡­An adventurer who can truly wield the laws of the invisible world, I see.¡± He murmured so with his eyes closed, then raised his right hand and placed his hand on the handle of his sword. And at the same time. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®God-slaying Swordsman¡¯ tells you that you should be careful now.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ says he uses a genuine Sword Ki, not a fabricated one.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is sending a small admiration, saying as expected from a priest who serves the God of Proof.¡¹ While messages were flooding in from the administrators, the man grabbed the handle of the sword and¡ª ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll become a sword that the God of Proof will wield, Resillian.¡± Soon he gradually opened his eyes, slowly pulling out a straight sword from his scabbard. Then, as Resillian held the sword fully in his right hand, flames erupted from the blade. It was an imperfect flame that seemed like it could be extinguished by a gust of wind. However¡ª ¡°Prove your mastery of arms here.¡± It was a technique that had to be acknowledged, even imperfect. ¡°Sword Flame¡­¡± The worst technique that existed only to devour the Sword Ki appeared in front of me again. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 97 Chapter 97: Proving (3) When I reached the third out of the seven hurdles, its level rose drastically. On the first hurdle, it was a fight against a priest who couldn¡¯t even materialize fist Ki. And on the second hurdle, it was a duel with a priest who only used the Sword Ki by using a power. However, the high priest of the third gate, Resillian, was already on a different level than the other priests. Sword Flame. For me, who could only use Sword Ki, it was a technique that wasn¡¯t much different from the bane of my life. Its level is higher than Sword Ki, and it was a technique developed with an emphasis on thoroughly destroying Sword Ki, that¡¯s weaker than itself. Sword Flame itself isn¡¯t a technique that increases physical power, but it feels more like it shatters the mana that forms the Sword Ki. I don¡¯t know why it worked that way, but it was clear that he was a formidable opponent. It was then¡ª ¡°Flame of the Sword, huh¡­ Looks like you¡¯re aware of this level.¡± As if he had heard what I had just murmured, Resillian said so with a heroic smile. ¡°I was severely stung by it once.¡± I responded so and then placed more strength into my hand, holding the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword. This was in order to be able to react even if Resillian, who had reached the level of Sword Flame, attacked me at any point in time. ¡°That must¡¯ve been a good experience. Thanks to that, you would¡¯ve been able to wield the law that can¡¯t be seen.¡± A law that can¡¯t be seen? I frowned at that foolish word and opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure what that invisible law means.¡± Only then did Resillian nod his head as though he had realized that he had misunderstood something. ¡°¡­It was my misunderstanding. You don¡¯t seem to be able to use the Sword Flame yet.¡± At that the moment, when I was about to ask him what the invisible law was¡­ Martial arts are the proof of life and the only path to reaching God. Resillian slowly raised the sword imbued with Sword Flame and said so, and¡ª ¡°You¡¯ll have to realize how great the path you¡¯re walking is.¡± Soon, his eyes flashed while warning me with a voice full of vigor. And¡ª ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll die at the third hurdle without being able to do anything.¡± At the same time, Resillian swung his sword like lightning and rushed in. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All speeds increased by 70%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Number of stacks ¨C 7/7 ¡¹ At that, I rushed in the same direction, using all the acceleration abilities I could use right away. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯¡¹ It was the beginning of the third hurdle. *** Clalalalang! The Sword Ki and the Sword Flame clashed against each other, and the white flame of the sword destroyed the Sword Ki. At that, I couldn¡¯t help but think that the Sword Flame is truly an overpowered ability. I didn¡¯t understand how it easily destroys the Sword Ki since it¡¯s not like its physical power became stronger. At least, since it¡¯s an incomplete Sword Flame, I could endure for a while, and exchange blows. If Resillian had been able to wield the perfect Sword Flame, I would not have been able to fight properly. Claaaang! After exchanging an attack once, we entered a calm state. Using the Wind¡¯s Blessing, I was accelerating to a realm that even Resillian, wielding the Sword Flame, couldn¡¯t keep up with. In short, we were in a difficult situation to settle this duel. While I sharpened my mana and put my brain to work. ¡°Wielding things that are invisible to make a sword that cuts through heaven and earth.¡± Resillian spoke out of nowhere as if he was going to help me. ¡°By doing so, it creates a fictitious blade called Aura with absolute physical power.¡± Before I could even question him for those words, Resillian swung his Sword. And adjusting to that, I instinctively fired a slash with my Lightning Sword Ki. And¡­.. Kaboom! ¡°That¡¯s a fancy aura. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve experienced an aura that utilizes lightning, so my eyes are in delight.¡± Resillian looked at me while maintaining a stance that unleashed a slash. ¡°¡­¡± He was a stronger opponent than I had imagined. I was unleashing the Sword Ki through the skill Lightning Sword Ki, but¡ª Resillian casually deflected the Sword Ki from a distance, as if it was the basics of the basics. ¡®The world that we¡¯re perceiving must be different.¡¯ On top of that, the words he threw during the battle affected me more seriously. Just like throwing a stone into a calm water surface and causing a big ripple. Every time I heard his explanation that felt like nonsense, my mana squirmed and swayed. I clearly felt it was a change for the good, not the bad. On that, I had no choice but to speak to Resillian with strong doubts. ¡°Why are you throwing out words that might give me enlightenment like that?¡± The third hurdle is the proving of the body, and defeat means death. However, Resillian gave me good words as if he wanted me to grow. I had strong doubts about that fact, and when I asked, Resillian answered with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s because I want to see you prove it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The important thing in the path of martial arts is to prove each other¡¯s martial arts and exchange them.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°I want to see the martial arts you will prove. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Even if nothing will remain when you die¡­ can you really do that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? That¡¯s the path and proof of martial arts.¡± I felt a hot gaze as if there was a flame in Resillian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Prove the body, Prove the belief, and prove the spirit.¡± I didn¡¯t like it. ¡°But what¡¯s at the end is the proof of martial arts.¡± The tip of my sword was shaking. ¡°You can¡¯t prove your martial arts properly yet.¡± It¡¯d be better if he treated me with malicious intentions. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯ll let you prove everything about yourself right here.¡± I could see why I felt guilty for killing Jane on the second hurdle. She didn¡¯t approach me with malice, and she came only to provide me with the hurdle. It was the same for Resillian. He was inducing growth in the hope that I¡¯d properly prove my martial arts. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ feels the contractor¡¯s edge of the sword trembling slightly.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ pities your trembling Sword yet sympathizes with it.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ feels your mind slowly crumbling.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ tells you that you don¡¯t have the spirit as a martial artist yet. ¡¹ Just like what the administrators said, I was slowly falling apart. I was fully prepared to kill a person with malicious intentions, but¡­ As a single martial artist, I wasn¡¯t prepared to compete purely in martial arts. As soon as I realized that, I felt confused and my hands started shaking. ¡°Every person has a time when they die.¡± It was then¡ª ¡°Much more for the battles between the same martial artists. Death is closer.¡± Resillian looked straight at me and continued his words slowly. ¡°Some people fail to prove their martial arts, and some succeed in proving their martial arts.¡± He said it with a determined face that didn¡¯t suit him, as if it were the truth of this world. ¡°Proving is struggle and survival. Hesitation is nothing but a luxury.¡± With that phrase, I could hold on to my mind breaking down. This fight wasn¡¯t just a fight against each other but a duel and struggle for survival. Since when was it possible for a weak bastard like me to fight with hesitation while dividing good and evil? ¡°¡­¡± I admitted it. I almost paid the price for climbing the tower with a half-assed determination just now. However, the moment I realized this fact, I immediately gave up my foolish attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss the proving of a martial artist as a frivolous murder.¡± It¡¯s natural to fight each other and win, and it¡¯s the process of building one¡¯s own life. There was no right for me to classify it as a flow of good and evil. Even if that¡¯s the path that I¡¯m on myself. When I started to think so, the sword that had been shaking at some point stopped shaking. Resillian looked at me as if he was satisfied with that and then smiled broadly. ¡°Yeah¡­ just like that, you just have to slowly build up your belief.¡± Before I knew it, my heart turned to steel as though it had never been shaken. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ laughs loudly as he senses that your spirit has grown. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ smiles happily that you¡¯ve entered the path of martial arts. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is confident that you¡¯ve set a new direction for growth and has high expectations of you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ is pleased with the birth of a new belief and eagerly watches you. ¡¹ Is this the belief held by those who walk the path of martial arts? ¡°Now, the time for proving has come. Adventurer.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, but one thing was clear now. That is, through the fight with Resillian, I needed to learn the technique called Sword Flame. I held my breath while holding the sword, and immediately began to circulate mana through my body. And¡ª ¡°Prove your life through the martial arts you have.¡± Soon, I stretched out my foot, changing my momentum like steel. *** -Do you think you¡¯ll be able to fully wield Sword ki when you don¡¯t even know what true martial arts are? For a moment, what Namgung Hyuk said ran through my mind. Why did Namgung Hyuk say that the powers, skills, or innate abilities don¡¯t match up to martial arts? Martial arts simply has abilities that are no different from skills. It¡¯s nothing more than having a systematic structure by circulating mana throughout the body and putting energy into the sword. Nevertheless, Namgung Hyuk despised skills and called them fake abilities. -A fake Sword Ki won¡¯t be able to match the true Sword Ki. He even said that the Sword Ki used through power is inferior to the Sword Ki learned through enlightenment. Considering that those words are true to some extent, the things that Namgung Hyuk said aren¡¯t meaningless at all. It must¡¯ve been because there was something in the martial arts that was enough for him to despise skills. -Wielding things that are invisible to make a sword that cuts through heaven and earth. Resillian told me that the invisible thing would form the Sword Ki. Then I wondered if that invisible thing meant mana. However, if it was just simply possessing mana and wielding it normally, neither Namgung Hyuk nor Resillian would¡¯ve said this to me. -By doing so, it creates a fictitious blade called Aura with absolute physical power. Resillian addressed the Sword Ki that is used by achieving the Body and Sword as One, as an absolute physical power. Isn¡¯t Sword Ki just treating the sword as if it were your body and using it just like strengthening your body with mana? But why did Resillian speak as though telling me to understand the essence of Sword Ki? As I was thinking about it, a hypothesis suddenly popped up in my head. -That must¡¯ve been a good experience. Thanks to that, you would¡¯ve been able to wield the law that can¡¯t be seen. I remembered what he said about being able to wield the law that can¡¯t be seen. It was a hypothesis that the sword I was using wasn¡¯t really an ordinary strengthening of the sword¡­ But forming a law that creates a kind of absolute physical power. So, if the law of the invisible world is called mana, how is Sword Flame formed? I forcibly let the mana perceive that the sword is just like my body and accomplished the realm of Body and Sword as One. The conclusion was immediately drawn. ¡®It was the will.¡¯ According to the will of the owner, the mana changes its form from moment to moment. Not just pouring the willpower into the realm of Body and Sword as One, which is strong enough to form a Sword Ki, but pouring it into other areas. However, if I put all my willpower into other areas, the Body and Sword as One won¡¯t be maintained. ¡®That¡¯s why I felt like the Sword Flame didn¡¯t have a stronger physical power than Sword Ki.¡¯ It didn¡¯t increase its physical power, but focused on creating the power that destroys the Sword Ki with willpower. At that moment, I realized why Resillian said martial arts was the only path to God. When you apply willpower to mana, it affects the laws of the real world by twisting them. What else can I call it other than becoming a God when you reach the end of it? Fwwaaaaap! ¡¸ ¡­¡®Path of the warrior¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡­Power ¡®Sword Ki Master¡¯ grows into Power ¡®Realm of Sword Flame¡¯.¡¹ It was only for a moment that the ecstasy of becoming like a god enveloped my body. The sense that was hazy at the moment when the sword was wrapped in flames through enlightenment was awakened in an instant. And I swung my sword as I saw Resillian rushing in with his imperfect Sword Flame. And¡ª Kabzzzt! At that moment, Resillian¡¯s imperfect sword Flame was eaten by me, and even the blade was destroyed. Slaaaash! Soon, Resillian, in the path of the sword I wielded, was hit by the sword and was greatly pushed back. I opened my mouth without fully understanding what was going on, but¡­ After a while, I was able to fully grasp my own realm. Realm of the Sword Flame. I had stepped into the supreme realm I longed for so much. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 98 Chapter 98: Proving (4) Drop, drop¡­ I stared straight ahead, holding the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword drenched with blood in my hand. Resillian, leaning against the wall made out of broken mirrors, bleeding harshly, jumped to my eyes. The Sword Flame in the broken sword that he was holding had disappeared long ago. Resillian glanced down at the deathly wound on his chest and then laughed loudly as though something was funny. ¡°Hahahah¡­ so this is the real Sword Flame, I see¡­¡± Yes. I had just miraculously entered the realm of Sword Flame and overwhelmed Resillian¡¯s sword. I broke his blade in half and, at the same time, cut into his chest. It was a wound so huge that everyone would be convinced that no one could ever survive it, and Resillian seemed to be aware of that fact to some extent. ¡°¡­¡± But Resillian didn¡¯t obsess with life, nor was furious about his defeat. Rather, he smiled happily as if he had something to learn, and thanked me. ¡°It was a big help for me, who couldn¡¯t use a real Sword Flame. Thank you, adventurer¡­¡± At the words Resillian had uttered, I shook my head with a face as though absurd. ¡°The help you gave me would be greater. If I hadn¡¯t understood the principle of how the Sword Flame works, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it properly.¡± It was true. I couldn¡¯t imagine that Sword Ki wasn¡¯t just a skill that came out as a result of the Body and Sword as One. Body and Sword as One was simply a matter of how far one could handle their mana to the limit with willpower. By recognizing the sword as a body, allowing mana to permeate the sword, and then transferring the willpower along with the mana to form a blade that cuts through everything. That was the principle of the Sword Ki. And the decisive move called Sword Flame is the technique of Sword Ki developed by interpreting the principle of Sword Ki at a higher level. I could see why Namgung Hyuk told me that skills are just an imitation of martial arts. To think that you could affect the laws of reality if you reached a certain level¡­ An overpowered skill like this couldn¡¯t properly be implemented even with skills, and its value was quite considerable. However, in the process of realizing the Sword Flame, I had no choice but to have one doubt. Sword Ki is one¡¯s will that greatly influences mana and twists reality. And Sword Flame is to maintain Sword Ki with willpower at a higher level and to instill in the mana the nature of destroying Sword Ki. ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you use a proper Sword Flame until the end?¡± But it wasn¡¯t clear why Resillian had used an incomplete Sword Flame. He was the one who taught me how to activate Sword Flame, as well as the real principle of Sword Flame. Resillian was enlightened enough, and he probably had the same level of willpower to wield Sword Flame as I did. However, he couldn¡¯t reach the level of true Sword Flame in the end. The fire fluttering from the blade was weak and wobbly, as if it could be extinguished at any moment. As though he couldn¡¯t properly transfer the will to the mana¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve noticed. I can¡¯t move my mana with willpower properly.¡± ¡°What do you¡ª¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t control my mana since birth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to walk the path of the sword and become an imperial knight¡­ but I couldn¡¯t. Hahah¡­ I may have had the talent for swords, but I didn¡¯t have the talent for mana.¡± Resillian continued speaking as if it was just his memory of a time. ¡°I wanted to prove myself.¡± I stood still and listened attentively to the voice that I would¡¯ve previously ignored and decapitated right away. ¡°I wanted to strike a heavy blow to those who laughed at me for not being able to control my mana.¡± ¡°So I mourned and prayed loudly. That I¡¯d become their faithful sword if anybody gives me the ability to handle mana.¡± ¡°¡­And the God of Proof gave you the strength, huh.¡± ¡°Yes. They allowed me to move my mana through divine power. It was a really tiny amount of power to control, but that was enough.¡± ¡°I was able to materialize the aura, and on the way to the next level, I manifested the flame of the sword.¡± ¡°But you couldn¡¯t use the Sword Flame properly because your ability to control the mana wasn¡¯t enough, I see.¡± At those words, I slowly blinked my eyes and opened my mouth. ¡°¡­You were the greatest warrior I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I meant it. Even among the challengers of the Murim dimension, there was no one who walked the path of true martial arts like him. Not just the skills, but even in terms of the character, he was a real martial artist. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Adventurer, you were great too.¡± Resillian smiled and forced himself to say it in a squeezed voice. ¡°You¡¯ve proven your martial arts and put your own belief right.¡± At that, I wanted to tell him that he told me everything, but. Resillian raised his hand to prevent me from opening my mouth. ¡°When you win against someone and prove your martial arts, don¡¯t carry any regrets about it.¡± Gradually, the energy disappears as though the soul is leaking away from Resillian¡¯s voice. ¡°The path of martial arts is to shoulder the karma of the vanished warriors.¡± His voice became timid, and soon after, Resillian slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Win, Win again, Keep winning¡­ and prove your path without regret¡­¡± After he mumbled those words as though he was dreaming, Resillian showed no signs of moving. At the same time, black energy slowly rose from Resillian¡¯s body, and that¡¯s when I realized it. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the priest ¡®Resillian¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 14% ¡¹ High priest Resillian was no longer alive. ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯s¡¯ proficiency reached 100%. ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¡®Necromancy¡¯ ranked up. ¡¹ *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Resillian gave me enlightenment when I was shaken, and even became a support for my mental state. Hesitation on the path to prove one¡¯s own martial arts is nothing but a luxury. I shouldn¡¯t tell what¡¯s right from wrong. And it was inevitably sad that a good man who gave me such realization died. Even if this world was materialized by the Tower of Trials and had no effect on the real word, that fact didn¡¯t change. It¡¯s because it was Resillian who gave me enlightenment and taught me the path of martial arts. So it was natural to feel sad, and it was natural for guilt to seep into my heart. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t tremble more or have any confusion. I just calmly accepted his death and soon laid his body, which was leaning against the wall, on the floor. Resillian was dead with a light smile, as if he was satisfied. I looked at his corpse, and after a moment of silence, I brought out the words I couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Like what you told me¡­ I¡¯ll win, win, win again. And prove my martial arts.¡± Currently, I had received so much from Resillian that it was difficult to put a price on it. As well as the beliefs of a person walking the path of martial arts, I came to understand the true principle of the skill called Sword Ki. Therefore, if I don¡¯t do this at least, I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®God-slaying Swordsman¡¯ gives a faint smile at your actions.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ stays silent while watching your actions. ¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ reminiscences the past in your actions.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ feels the qualities of a lord in your actions..¡¹ I left the room made of broken mirrors, silently receiving the stares of the administrators. On the way to the fourth hurdle, I could see the broken mirror gradually changing from its broken form to its normal form. The mirror that continued, as though it was gradually becoming a normal mirror, felt like myself changing form as I pass through this hurdle. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the soul of priest ¡®Johann¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the soul of priest ¡®Jane¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the soul of priest ¡®Resillian¡¯. ¡¹ As soon as I reached the end of the hallway, I absorbed all the souls just in case. Because these souls were too good to just spend it as a passive shield. ¡¸ Strength increased by 8. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 6. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 7. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 8. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 9. ¡¹ I felt vitality all over my body and the pleasure of growing up, which I couldn¡¯t feel easily recently. And. ¡¸ Acquiring one of the skills of Priest ¡®Resillian¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Acquiring skill ¡®Iron Will¡¯. ¡¹ I immediately moved my mouth and opened the status window. ¡¸ Han Sungyeun ¡¹ ¡¸ Radiance ¨C Conqueror ] ¡¸ Strength ¨C 86 ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina ¨C 84 ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility ¨C 85 ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana ¨C 79 ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity ¨C 81 ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate ability ¨C Necromancy (B) ¡¹ ¡¸ Innate power ¨C Skill Combination ¡¹ ¡¸ Power ¨C Serenity (C-), Realm of Sword flame (A-), Wings of Steel(C+), Sword of Iron-blood(A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Skill ¨C See details ¡¹ I had confirmed once again that I was truly becoming a monster now. All stats were rising toward triple digits, and they weren¡¯t far from that. I immediately checked the new detailed effect of Necromancy, which had ranked up by absorbing Resillian¡¯s soul, in the status window. Other than the skill rank, the description written below hadn¡¯t changed, but¡­ ¡º Detailed effect (6) ¨C When absorbing the soul of an opponent stronger than the user, power can be extracted depending on the judgement. ¡» The sixth detailed effect created by increasing the rank of Necromancy was a pretty fair ability. To think that I was allowed to extract power when I absorbed a strong opponent¡¯s soul¡­ Even though that alone was already surprising, I was excited at the fact that this innate ability was at rank B. ¡®I wonder what kind of abilities will be available when it ranks up a bit more.¡¯ Soon after, I opened the skill window and checked the skill description for the newly acquired ¡®Iron Will¡¯. ¡¸ Skill ¨C Iron Will(A-) ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency ¨C 27% ¡¹ ¡¸Definition ¨C A symbol of one who doesn¡¯t give into despair and challenges the impossible until the end.¡¹ ¡¸ Basic effect ¨C When you encounter an opponent stronger than the user, physical stats greatly increase overall, and your concentration goes up.¡¹ ¡¸ Additional effect ¨C When the skill is activated, it becomes easier to gain enlightenment, and the mental protection ability is greatly strengthened. ¡¹ It was a skill that had better abilities than I thought. To think that the physical stats and concentration will greatly increase when dealing with powerful enemies? It was a skill that was like a ray of light to me, who always had to fight against strong opponents. And it didn¡¯t stop there. When the skill is activated, it said that it becomes easier to gain enlightenment, and the mental protection ability increases significantly. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll be using it often since it also has a series of abilities in regards to growth assistance.¡± With that, I felt satisfied and soon turned off the status window. Now that I had somewhat checked the things I had acquired, it was time to move. Creak¡ª I slowly opened the door leading to the fourth hurdle, and soon I was able to see the room made of mirrors. Although there were still cracks in the mirror, it was better than the room made out of broken glass in which Resillian was standing. ¡°Uh¡­ Seems like Resillian died. This is a bit out of my expectations.¡± The high priest in charge of the fourth hurdle was a little boy. ¡°Are you really an ordinary adventurer who¡¯s challenging the hurdles¡­?¡± The boy, who seemed like he had just turned 10 years old, asked that question as though he was dumbfounded. I didn¡¯t answer that question right away but first looked at the boy who was the guardian of the fourth hurdle. The boy held a small blade made out of a mirror in his hands and was dressed in a loose-fitting priest robe. Seeing that the vibe he gives off is different, he really did feel like a real priest of God. I stared at the boy silently, then spoke with a tired voice. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to have a conversation. Please start the fourth hurdle.¡± At that, the boy looked at me, and then said with a cold smile. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­ You, do you know that? You¡¯re out of your mind right now.¡± To the boy¡¯s tone as though he had become a psychiatrist, I answered flatly. ¡°I know.¡± But despite my answer, the boy continued to speak like he was giving me advice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that guy Resillian, who¡¯s crazy for martial arts, told you, but you¡¯re slowly being consumed by the madness of martial arts.¡± Maybe he can see through my current state? ¡®To be consumed by the madness of martial arts¡­¡¯ Perhaps the boy¡¯s words are the most appropriate expression for my current state. It was amazing, but that doesn¡¯t mean I paid close attention to what he said. ¡°So?¡± ¡°The madness of martial arts isn¡¯t something that ordinary people can handle. Give up the trial, go outside and focus on resting your mind and body for a while.¡± ¡°Then what would change?¡± ¡°At least you won¡¯t be killed in vain by me here. Stop thinking that you can defeat me by only using martial arts.¡± In short, if I believed only in the martial arts I had and attacked him, he¡¯d be killing me. After understanding the hidden meaning right away, I immediately shook my head and opened my mouth. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, so it¡¯d be better for you to start the trial of the fourth hurdle.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while since I saw someone purely crazy about martial arts like Resillian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kairan, a preliminary apostle who serves the God of Proof.¡± Preliminary apostle. When I narrowed my eyes at the name of his position, that seemed strong just by hearing it. ¡°Starting now, according to the law of proof, you¡¯ll have to prove your flesh to me.¡± Kairan soon announced the beginning of the fourth hurdle and his eyes lit up. And¡ª ¡°Come forth, adventurer who has surrendered himself to madness. Your body will end all the proving here.¡± After finishing his sentence, small wings sprang up from Kairan¡¯s back that somehow felt divine. They were wings that seemed impossible to fly with, but the energy you could feel from them was enormous. I could feel the flow of a slightly different energy from mana, but that was probably divine power. ¡®He¡¯s amplifying the energy through the wings.¡¯ Just like I used the mana circuit to strengthen my body, he was doing something similar. It seems as though he¡¯s strengthening himself through the energy transmitted from his wings. Having such a powerful ability, it seemed right for him to call himself a preliminary apostle. However¡ª ¡¸ Activating the power ¡®Realm of Sword Flame.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Blessing.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration.¡¯ ¡¹ I wasn¡¯t a real warrior who came here only with pure martial arts. ¡¸ You¡¯ve encountered a strong opponent for you to handle. ¡¹ ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Iron Will.¡¯ ¡¹ Now, it¡¯s time to finish this damned proof of the body. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 99 Chapter 99: Journey¡¯s End (1) The first impression I felt during the clash with Kairan, a preliminary apostle who was serving the God of Proof, was simple. It was that he uses his power better for dog fights than I expected. Shiiiiiing¡ª! From the fragments of the broken mirror held in Kairan¡¯s hands, a pure white ray of light rampaged wildly. During that process, the light rays bounced off the mirrors in the room, and then rushed toward me. The beam of light was shot at me from a blind spot, but nevertheless, I immediately twisted my body to dodge it. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ ¡¹ Kairan took advantage of the room¡¯s features that were made out of mirrors to attack from a blindspot. To that, I activated Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes, avoiding and deflecting all rays, blocking Kairan¡¯s attack. And soon, I jumped off as though smashing the ground and swung my sword at Kairan¡¯s neck at once. However¡ª Next, as the little white wings on Kairan¡¯s back moved, a gust of wind blew around him. A fierce gust of wind slowed my movement, telling me it wouldn¡¯t allow me to draw near him. And Kairan used that moment to stop emitting rays from the blade and immediately use another skill. I was well aware of the Sword Ki swinging like flames on a broken mirror blade. It was the Sword Flame. Claaaang! Both of our swords clashed, and we were pushed back, but Kiaran immediately moved the blades of the broken mirrors in both his hands. Unlike me, using a single sword, Kairan attacked many times with two blades held in both hands. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play(C+).¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸Sword attack speed increases by 12%.¡¹ ¡¸Number of stacks ¨C 6/10¡¹ Of course, I had some abilities that could increase my attack speed, but¡­ Essentially, Kairan had two swords in his hand, and I only had one. Because of that, I was pushed back while receiving Kairan¡¯s fierce attacks as though parrying them. Soon after, Kairan fluttered his wings again and created a gust of wind, and another ray of light was emitted from the two broken mirrors. It was then that I realized why Kairan said that pure martial arts could never defeat him. A sure-win strategy. The power that Kairan owned had no other way to describe it. ¡®It¡¯s a very consistent pattern, yet a fucked up one that I can¡¯t really come up with a countermeasure.¡¯ He bounces the ray to a blindspot, then attacks unexpectedly, and when the enemy blocks it and approaches, he creates a gust of wind with the small wings on his back and pushes the enemy away. Even after pushing through that extreme offense, he overwhelms the opponent with high-level swordsmanship and creates a gust of wind when near. Then, if he succeeds in pushing the opponent away with a gust of wind, he starts attacking again from the beginning. It¡¯s at a level where it can be called a sure-win combo that can never be breached. In fact, Kairan still had a confident smile on his face, as though he was aware of that. He was probably hoping for me to become tired and move slowly or end up with reckless actions. If I just keep on blocking it, I¡¯ll die of exhaustion, and even if I attempt to do new things, I¡¯ll die if it¡¯s not certain. Priest Johann, who I encountered first, was already an absurd trial for the hard difficulty but¡­ Now, I wanted to ask if he was really an opponent that can appear even if this is a hard difficulty. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Dark Demon¡¯ is bewildered by the level of the preliminary apostle in battle.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Confession¡¯ can¡¯t help but be astonished and asks if he¡¯s really a preliminary apostle.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Ruler of the Sky¡¯ is starting to question the difficulty of this trial on the 11th floor.¡¹ Quite a number of administrators were bewildered, as though they knew that the enemy I was dealing against was strong. The situation was quite serious, seeing that even those who had never sent a proper message gave a reaction. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of the Seven Gods¡¯ says, he has quite a lot of divine power for a preliminary apostle.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ enjoys watching this dog fight while chewing on snacks.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ says that the skill of the preliminary apostle is quite suitable to be an apostle.¡¹ However, the administrators who used to constantly send messages didn¡¯t show much of a response. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is annoyed by the needlessly time-consuming preliminary apostle.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ shines her eyes while looking forward to your actions.¡¹ Even the administrators who contracted with me were no different. I felt a little disappointed at that, but soon I erased those feelings and looked at Kairan. He was a high-level swordsman who even used Sword Flame, and at the same time, the strength of his powers was formidable. However, I confirmed that the wings on his back had no other ability than to create and release a gust of wind by amplifying the divine power. In addition, the blade of the broken mirror in Kairan¡¯s hands had no other function other than emitting rays. ¡®These should be the only powers that Kairan can use.¡¯ When I saw the administrators¡¯ reaction, there were a lot of people who said this was a lot of power. And that means even if he had more powers, it would be just one or two more. I should be able to respond properly by analyzing the pattern a little more if it¡¯s just that. Therefore¡ª ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Counter Shield.¡¯ ¡¹ It was time to put an end to this fight. Kaboom¡­!! With the Counter Shield summoned above the palm of my hand, I blocked the ray shot from the side. ¡°¡­!?¡± At that, Kairan, flustered quickly fired a larger amount of rays, with both rays, but¡ª The value of this Counter Shield wasn¡¯t limited to just blocking attacks. ¡¸Charging complete.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ is in a state where you can reflect the accumulated damage.¡¹ After using quite a bit of mana in my body to block all of Kairan¡¯s rays, my eyes lit up. And¡ª ¡¸The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ releases the accumulated damage at once. ¡¹ Soon, a single ray of light shot from the shield penetrated Kairan like lightning. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Pshhh¡­! Surprisingly, the wall of the room made of broken mirrors couldn¡¯t bounce off the ray I had shot. The wall of broken mirrors melted in the rays of light, and the glass shards melted by the heat. I didn¡¯t know if it was because it bounced only the power that Kairan used, or because the ray I shot was powerful, but now one thing was certain. ¡°Keheugh¡­ Wh-What the hell is this¡­.¡± Kairan was incapacitated. ¡°N-No way¡­ Th-There¡¯s no trace that you¡¯ve learned any magic, but how¡­¡± There was a fairly large hole around his small body¡¯s heart. I wondered how he could speak so normally when his heart must¡¯ve blown away. But apart from that question, I answered dying Kairan¡¯s question straightly. ¡°That¡¯s because everyone at least has a card up on their sleeve.¡± Of course, Kairan didn¡¯t accept what I said and moved his lips. ¡°Why does a man crazy about swords know how to handle such bullshit magic like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s like how you¡¯ve reached the state of Sword Flame and yet know how to fire a ray of light.¡± Kairan¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me, you also have the power of god¡­¡± ¡°No, It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± I really didn¡¯t have the power to fire rays randomly like Kairan. If I did, then I would¡¯ve killed Kairan by now without analyzing the pattern. However, perhaps it didn¡¯t sound good enough for Kairan. He soon squinted his eyes and said as if he was tired of me. ¡°Asshole.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When I looked at him in stunned silence at his words, Kairan soon spoke condescendingly. ¡°According to the law of proof, you¡¯ve completed the proof of the body¡­¡± As if conducting a completion ceremony of some sort, Kairan continued his words firmly, even if he was dying. ¡°You didn¡¯t run away from the fight nor lose. I approve of your proof.¡± Kairan spoke up to that point and then changed his attitude and looked at me, and gestured with his head. ¡°So, get, the fuck off¡­ First of all, what kind of proof does a monster like you need to prove anyway.¡± Before I could even reply something to those words, Kairan¡¯s breathing stopped. ¡°¡­¡± And at the same time, dark smoke rose from Kairan¡¯s body and approached me. ¡¸ You have absorbed the soul of the priest ¡®Kairan¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Proficiency increased by 13% ¡¹ It was then¡ª ¡¸The judgment of power extraction begins by absorbing a soul stronger than the user.¡¹ The new Necromancy ability that I had forgotten was activated, and the judgment of power extraction began. ¡¸Judgment complete.¡¹ I didn¡¯t know what the basis for the judgment was, but the judgment was successful. ¡¸ It has been confirmed that a power exists in the soul of priest ¡®Kairan¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸ Extracting power from the soul.¡¹ And¡­ ¡¸ The power ¡®Divine Power (C+)¡¯ is being engraved on the soul of user Han Sungyeun.¡¹ At the same time, I felt a new aura in my heart, and I frowned. ¡°Divine power?¡± For some reason, it left a bad taste because an unexpected aura entered me. Should I say that it felt like I accidentally swallowed a candy while holding it in my mouth? I didn¡¯t know how to use the aura that suddenly settled in my heart, and even when I tried to move, I couldn¡¯t move it. I stood there for a moment and tried to activate the divine power, but I soon gave up on the activation. It could be that I didn¡¯t have talent or such, but essentially, it felt like there was a separate way to use this aura. ¡°It¡¯s completely different from utilizing mana.¡± Originally, I thought of mana as something driven by the strong will of the user. In fact, even before entering the tower in the past, I moved my mana that way. And at that time, of course, I didn¡¯t know if I was handling it properly because I had such a small amount of mana that I doubted whether it really existed. I could confirm it by using it in a state where my current mana had grown significantly. Mana was the energy that responded sensitively to the user¡¯s will. That¡¯s why it¡¯s more difficult to handle, and it¡¯s tricky to deal with because you have to clear your will out, but it can be dealt with. However, no matter how much I tried to use the divine power, it was immovable, as if it wouldn¡¯t move unless the proper procedure was followed. ¡°¡­¡± While on it, the administrators noticed that I got divine power and sent a message. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of the Seven Gods¡¯ is bewildered by the divine power felt from your body.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ is intrigued by the divine power that was generated even though you¡¯re not serving a god.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Confession¡¯ is terrified after seeing the divine power suddenly generated in your heart.¡¹ But everyone¡¯s reaction was a bit strange. I frowned at their reactions such as ¡°bewildered¡± or ¡°terrified.¡± Perhaps they didn¡¯t know that I extracted divine power using my innate ability? ¡®Does that mean that even the administrators don¡¯t have the ability to detect that far¡­?¡¯ But other than that, administrators were freaking out about other facts too. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ wonders why divine power has entered your middle dantian.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is perplexed as she realizes that there¡¯s no trace of god in the divine power that dwells in your heart.¡¹ They were all confused by the fact that I generated divine power even though I don¡¯t believe in a god. Is it so strange that I don¡¯t believe in god, yet I have divine powers? I thought about it for a while, but it was impossible to properly discern about this with my current knowledge. ¡®I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ In conclusion, there was nothing I could do, so I moved on. ¡¸ Permanently increasing your stats using the soul of Priest ¡®Kairan¡¯. ¡¹ ¡¸ Strength increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Agility increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stamina increased by 3. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mana increased by 4. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tenacity increased by 5. ¡¹ At the same time, I also absorbed the soul of Kairan right away so it wouldn¡¯t be consumed by the passive shield. Then, after leaving the room of the broken mirror, I entered the hallway towards the fifth gate. As I walked down the hallway, the cracks in the mirror gradually disappeared, making the mirror completely intact. I wondered if there was any connection with the fact that the cracks on the mirror disappeared just as the proof of the body ended. Of course, as soon as I reached the end of the hallway, I erased that thought and soon opened the door. And¡­ ¡°You passed.¡± The fifth hurdle announced my pass as soon as I arrived. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 100 Chapter 100: Journey¡¯s End (2) As soon as I entered the room of the fifth hurdle, I couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed. I had no choice but to feel so. ¡°You passed.¡± It was because of the words uttered by the old man sitting in the middle of the room as soon as I opened the door. At that, I stared at the old man in the priest¡¯s robes blankly for a moment, and then opened my mouth. ¡°What do you mean by¡­ passed¡ª¡± ¡°It means that you¡¯ve passed the fifth hurdle.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Please proceed to the sixth hurdle.¡± ¡°I mean, Why¡­¡± I was dumbfounded. Even the priest of the first hurdle properly focused on giving the trial of the proof. And all the hurdles that followed, I continued to prove my body fiercely in the fight against the priests. But to think that I passed immediately after finishing all the proofs and entering the proof of the belief? I couldn¡¯t understand the current situation, no matter what, so I asked the old priest for an answer. At that, the old priest looked at me flatly and then said there was nothing he could do. ¡°I watched you e all the way here to the fifth gate from the first hurdle.¡± I had doubts about why I couldn¡¯t notice his gaze from what he said, but¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t ask why you couldn¡¯t detect it. Think of it as a power given by God.¡± As though to cut off such thoughts of mine, the old priest¡¯s words continued. ¡°Originally, the fifth hurdle begins with contemplation of imagery.¡± ¡°But why am I not doing it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously because you¡¯re already at a level where you don¡¯t have to contemplate your imagery.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Just like what Kairan told you, you¡¯re crazy. You¡¯re caught up in the madness of martial arts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re swallowed up by it. You¡¯re governed by the desire to grow and the endless longing from your wretched past.¡± The old priest said so, and then let out a sigh as if he was annoyed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your goal to win, win, and win again, to grow infinitely and bee the strongest?¡± I never directly thought that I wanted to be the strongest, but¡­ Just like the old priest said, I longed to be stronger through continuous growth. It seems like an excessive interpretation to judge that desire as wanting to bee the strongest by growing infinitely, though. ¡°It¡¯s not an excessive interpretation, but just a conclusion you¡¯ll reach in the end, you see.¡± ¡°¡­Do you also have the ability to read people¡¯s minds?¡± ¡°To some extent. I have no experience with fighting, but thanks to that, I have some other powers.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± He was a priest with more amazing powers than I expected. ¡°By the way, if you¡¯re planning to kill me, kill me quickly and go on.¡± I opened my eyes widely at the words that the old priest suddenly uttered. ¡°I can feel the desire to kill this old man and bee stronger from the consciousness deep inside you.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°Whatever decision you make, it won¡¯t affect your proof, so just do whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I paused for a moment at those words, but then shook my head and said. ¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± It was simple. ¡°Because it¡¯s against my belief.¡± Casually killing people is an area that corresponds to the loss of humanity. Killing a person when there¡¯s no will to fight against each other is just a homicide without cause. I decided not to set foot in this area a long time ago. It was a separate matter from recognizing each other as dueling opponents and fighting without malice. ¡°Oh¡­ This is unexpected. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been okay if I gave you the trial of the fifth gate.¡± But the old priest didn¡¯t seem to want to give me any trials. ¡°Well then, farewell. I wish you the best of luck in your proof.¡± I bowed my head silently at his calm farewell, and then walked straight to the next hurdle. But in the hallway leading to the sixth gate, I sensed something strange. ¡°¡­?¡± It was because the more I walked down the hallway, the more the reflection in the mirror began to turn black. At that, I touched it directly, wondering if the material changed from a mirror to a black stone, but¡­ Surprisingly, the black walls of this hallway were made of glass like a mirror, not stones. ¡°¡­¡± The changes that occurred as I moved on to the next hurdles weren¡¯t entirely meaningless. From nothingness to fragments of the broken mirror gathering to form a plete mirror. It must be an expression of the progress of the proof or the growth of the person who¡¯s taking the trial. But to suddenly see the reflection in the mirror turning black, it felt quite leery. And that leery feeling became stronger as soon as I opened the door to the sixth hurdle. ¡°¡­¡± In the room of the ominous mirror, where all sides were reflected in black, I looked towards the center and. ¡°Hi.¡± Soon, a beautiful woman with black hair who had her eyes covered with a black eyepatch in the center came into my vision. ¡°You¡¯re the first one to e all the way to the fifth hurdle without a break.¡± She smiled as she stared at me as if she could see everything, even with the eyepatch on. ¡°You can start the sixth hurdle whenever you want.¡± ¡°¡­Then can I start the sixth hurdle right away? ¡°Really? Are you fine without taking a break? I¡¯m not sure about your body, but I¡¯m sure your mental fatigue must¡¯ve accumulated quite a bit, though? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I also wondered what kind of trial proof of belief was too. Moreover, I was indeed mentally exhausted, but it wasn¡¯t on a level where I could recover it by taking a little bit of a break. Therefore, It was better to start the sixth hurdle right away since I had to face the music some time, so it might as well be now. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, then sure.¡± The beautiful woman with black hair continued with a smile. ¡°In the name of Aileen, a saintess who serves the god of proof, I announce the beginning of the sixth hurdle.¡± It was a slightly more serious voice than a while ago. And¡ª ¡°You should be able to properly face the state of your mind.¡± With those words, I fell into the endless darkness, losing all sensation in my body. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** For a moment, I couldn¡¯t hide my bewilderment and felt my head go blank. It was understandable. I was falling alone in the pitch-black darkness where I couldn¡¯t see anything. The black-haired saintess who just introduced herself as Aileen was nowhere to be found. And I was the only one in a state of drowning without knowing anything with a feeling that I¡¯ve lost my body. If this was real, it¡¯d be the worst, and if it wasn¡¯t, it¡¯d be really dangerous. Simply because if I was hallucinating to the point where I couldn¡¯t feel my body this much, it meant that my death was near. There was no guarantee that Aileen wouldn¡¯t attack me, and I didn¡¯t know how far I had to fall, losing every sense like this. I felt a strong enough fear to stop thinking for a moment as I was placed in a situation where I could die, but¡­ ¡¸The power ¡®Serenity (C-)¡¯ stops you from losing your posure and weakens the limitations of State of Mind .¡¹ Soon, I felt the tactile sensations of my whole body return, and I twitched my arms. It was then¡ª -Wow¡­ You¡¯ve got quite the willpower, huh? I didn¡¯t expect you to react by moving your body when you¡¯ve fallen into your State of Mind. I was startled by the unpleasant sensation of words being written directly in my head. -Oh, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Your State of Mind is where you are right now, and you¡¯re fine. I was perplexed for a while but soon realized that this was Aileen¡¯s power. Just as the old priest read what I was thinking, this saintess must have the power to municate with me. -Of course, although I was almost in danger of being killed by your sword, I¡¯m fine too. Aileen was almost killed by my sword¡­ What a relief. Even if I lost consciousness, I instinctively resisted, and it looked like Aileen was almost killed because of that. This meant that I had reached a level where I could defend myself even in unconsciousness. I assumed it was the result of the accumulation of experience by repeating countless battles. -No, can¡¯t you just worry about me a little bit and not say it¡¯s a relief? Rather than that, I quickly pondered what the term ¡®State of Mind¡¯ meant. Perhaps it meant that this space where I am is not an ordinary hallucinated space, but I was looking at my State of Mind as a hallucination? -It¡¯s not the correct answer, but¡­ well, I guess so. It¡¯s a conclusion that¡¯s close to the correct answer. As Aileen spoke as if she heard what I was thinking, I immediately realized that she had the same powers as the old priest. -Old priest? Ah, you¡¯re talking about Henir, huh? I¡¯ll consider that as a correct answer too. Other than that, please tell me what this has to do with proof of belief. -Mm¡­ Your thoughts changed quite politely. Did you bee conscious of talking to me? Let¡¯s put it that way. So now please tell me how I should prove my belief. -It¡¯s simple. The space you¡¯re in is the world of your State of Mind. You just have to see the world of your State of Mind. Then the sixth hurdle will be over. And what does it mean to be able to see the world of my State of Mind? -A person¡¯s State of Mind is constructed and is hugely influenced by that person¡¯s belief. But no one can see it. Just as you only see a black scene when you close your eyes, so is the world of State of Mind. So this black hallucination meant that I had entered the world of State of Mind. ¡­And now I just need to be able to see the essence in this void world of my State of Mind? -Ahaha, you know it well already. While you¡¯re in there, your sense of time may be quite out of joint. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m observing your body from the outside. No, that worries me more, though. -Stop joking around. Do you think a saintess who serves God will harm you? That saddens me a bit. I think it¡¯s very possible since you people made me fight a monster like that preliminary apostle for the proof of body, you know. -Huff! That¡¯s one way to look at it! If so, wouldn¡¯t you be dead meat? ¡­Is this woman perhaps making fun of me right now? -For a moment, your rude thoughts were revealed. You were being polite all the time, but your thoughts aren¡¯t, huh. I¡¯m really sorry about that. But if you touch me more, wouldn¡¯t my body react on its own? -I know. Don¡¯t worry. I have no plans on touching you as my head almost flew away by your sword. That¡¯s good to hear. I thought as if saying so and then fumbled, concentrating on the touch I had just felt. While doing so, I was able to bee aware of my own body and regained my sense of touch. I still couldn¡¯t see my hand, but when I fumbled with my body, I could definitely feel the touch. -¡­What? No, how can you possibly be aware of your body already? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll take some time as nothing can be felt in the State of Mind? I didn¡¯t really know how. ¡­I heard that the limitations of the State of Mind were weakened by the power of Serenity, so it may be because of that. -Serenity? Did you also have divine powers? Woah, this is really surprising. It¡¯s not divine power, and it¡¯s none of your business, so please be quiet. -That¡¯d be difficult. You might go insane in the meantime, you see. It¡¯s a power that has the effect of shifting the sense of time, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to be insane. ¡­A power that has the effect of shifting the sense of time? -It means the time in the real world is passing so fast while you¡¯re thinking in the world of State of Mind. Don¡¯t tell me, did a day or around that much time already pass? -Not that much, but two hours must¡¯ve passed already. This was quite dangerous. Currently, the time I spent breaking through the five hurdles was one day at most. However, I might spend most of the remaining time of 7 days on this sixth hurdle. And what¡¯s even worse is that there was a possibility that I¡¯d die by consuming the remaining time in this space. I need to be able to quickly see through the State of Mind. -7 days? Remaining time? What¡¯s that? I quickly put my brain to work without answering Aileen¡¯s question. Systems exist even in this world of State of Mind. That was just confirmed through the activation message of Serenity. I can¡¯t hear the administrator¡¯s messages, but that doesn¡¯t mean the system messages are gone too. That means the system also exists in this world of State of Mind. -You really use many terms that you only know, huh? Are you perhaps just messing around with words like a secret code? Status window. -Status window? I see. Not even the status window could appear. -I¡¯m slowly starting to worry about your mental state¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to go insane this quickly¡­ But I wondered if the skills could be activated. I immediately focused my consciousness and activated Instant Acceleration. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Instant Acceleration¡¯.¡¹ It worked. -Wh-What¡¯s this? How did you do it? Woah, you¡¯re in the world of State of Mind, and you circulated mana in your body? Now that the skill activation message has popped up, the following is important. What can I do with this system, and how can I get through this situation? -I don¡¯t know what it is, but I get that you¡¯re crazier than I had expected. Before thinking about it, I decided to settle this feeling of falling down. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Wings of Steel¡¯.¡¹ -¡­I have a question, are you a human? Why are wings made out of steel appearing on your back? Fortunately, even I, in the world of State of Mind, immediately gained steel wings, and I was able to fly. As soon as I resolved the feeling of falling, I felt the answer run through my mind. The fact that power is applied to the body in the world of State of Mind, means that the skills are also applied in the same way. Then, wouldn¡¯t I be able to fully perceive this world of State of Mind using my skills? Thankfully, I had the skill to perfect this State of Mind. -¡­Y-You already found the answer? No, other than that, what in the world is that skill you¡¯re talking about? Ignoring those words, I immediately activated the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ ¡¹ Then, the darkness around me was slowly lifted, and I smiled at the unfolded scene. I did it. -¡­There¡¯s no way! Wh-What in the world is this!? Why is the area of the State of Mind entirely revealed!? I felt satisfied with Aileen¡¯s astonishment, which quickly came into my head. It looked like I passed the sixth hurdle with ease. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 101 Chapter 101: Journey¡¯s End (3) I felt bewildered as I looked around the world of State of Mind that I could see through the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes. It¡¯s good that I passed the sixth hurdle right away, but my State of Mind was more twisted than I had expected. Whirlpool. Only whirlpools existed In this small, black universe where heaven and earth did not exist. A small sword was stuck in the center of the numerous whirlpools, and it was shining softly. Aside from the fact that countless whirlpools had swords stuck on them, their rotational speed and luminous intensity were different. Among them, the brightly shining whirlpool only existed above. The whirlpools were scattered up and down, left and right, but as though there was a gap even between them, the size of the whirlpool grew bigger and brighter as it went up. In contrast, the whirlpool became smaller and smaller as it went down, and its light was faint, to the level of a dull lightbulb. ¡®I can¡¯t even guess what it means¡­¡¯ Is this really the world of my State of Mind? -¡­You¡¯re the first to break through the sixth hurdle immediately like this. I collected my mind to Aileen¡¯s voice, which I totally forgot about. Come to think of it, the more time I stay in this world of State of Mind, the more time is consumed outside by the power that tweaks the flow of the time. I had to leave as soon as possible since I passed the sixth hurdle, too. -No, I lifted the power that tweaks the flow of the time¡­ So, is the time flow between the outside world and the world of State of Mind the same now? -Precisely. So there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I don¡¯t know what that 7 days you thought were all about, but you probably have plenty of time left. As a matter of fact, I wanted to know what this world of State of Mind was. That¡¯s great to hear. What in the world do these whirlpools mean? Why is it that the world of State of Mind that I was suddenly able to see is full of whirlpools with swords stuck in them? And why are these whirlpools different in size and light intensity, as though they have differences from each other? -That¡¯s probably because¡­ your desires are materialized as these whirlpools¡­ Could you please be more specific about what that means. -I suppose the sword symbolizes your obsession with martial arts, and the whirlpool symbolizes your endless desire? It somewhat sounded like she was guessing it, but it was plausible. If so, does that mean that this world of State of Mind is the materialization of my desire for growth? The fact that the whirlpool gets bigger as it¡¯s placed on the upper part and smaller as it¡¯s placed on the lower part must be a secondary symbolism. -I didn¡¯t just guess it! Do you think I can¡¯t even interpret this properly when I¡¯ve seen dozens of worlds of State of Mind as a saintess? But will this count as proof of the belief? It wasn¡¯t difficult except that I had to see the materialized symbols of my desire to grow, though¡­ -It pisses me off a little that you¡¯re trying to change the topic, but¡­ I¡¯ll let you know. The proof of belief is the way to admit oneself. ¡­A way to admit oneself? -Believe it or not, People don¡¯t really know their own beliefs, and they don¡¯t even know what they believe and think. The goal of this hurdle was to face the state of the world, that is, the materialization of the entire process of believing, thinking, and acting. It¡¯s unexpectedly a trial that only thought of the beliefs of the person who¡¯s being tested, huh. -Isn¡¯t that obvious? The proof of belief is to admit one¡¯s weaknesses, ugliness, and to prove oneself. The trial ended by acknowledging oneself, discarding all the contradictions that acted as a protective mechanism, and ultimately proving oneself pletely. Then doesn¡¯t that mean I haven¡¯t passed the trial yet? Even if I could see the world of State of Mind, there might be contradictions that act as self-recognition or protective mechanisms. -There¡¯s none. You¡¯re just being true to your own desires. You want to overe your pitiful past and bee stronger. But you don¡¯t want to throw away your humanity. So, with the new mindset, you decided to fight based on that belief. ¡­Somehow, I was embarrassed as I felt like everything was exposed to a stranger, but it wasn¡¯t wrong. During the fierce battle against Resillian, I decided to fight with this mindset and belief. This was a trial that required quite an honest proving to the extent that I doubted whether this was the same trial of proof that had urged me to fight a monster like a preliminary apostle. Being this kind all of a sudden even makes me rather anxious. -¡­I¡¯m sorry, but you didn¡¯t have to kill everyone on the proof of the body. You could¡¯ve just run away and get through the door of the room. Please don¡¯t hold grudges that you happened to kill everyone without knowing the intention of the trial. -¡­Now that you¡¯re done facing the world of State of Mind, I¡¯ll bring back your consciousness from the world of State of Mind. At those words, I felt a sense of drowsiness kicking in and soon closed my eyes. Now, it was time for me to return to reality and head to the seventh hurdle. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] Join our discord for updates on releases! *** ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is glad that you¡¯ve awakened.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ lets out a sigh of relief that you¡¯ve regained your consciousness.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ is bewildered that you woke up faster than expected.¡¹ As soon as I opened my eyes, I ignored the administrator¡¯s messages and checked my own condition first. I¡¯d been unconscious for a while, losing control of my own body, so it was only natural that I was worried about my body. ¡°¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t lying on the floor, but I was standing there just like I was before entering the world of State of Mind. Moreover, my body didn¡¯t have any signs of wounds or being restricted. However¡­ ¡°These are the traces of what you did¡­ What do you think?¡± The black mirrored room was quite different from before entering the world of State of Mind. There were signs of swords being swung everywhere, and there were even traces of Sword Ki being used. At that, I looked at Aileen sitting in the corner of the room with her lips pouted and opened my mouth. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, did I do this?¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought you were about to fall, so I tried to hold you and put you on the floor, but you attacked me.¡± ¡°Then you stood there firm and entered the world of State of Mind while holding the sword.¡± It seemed that I went berserk more violently than I had imagined. ¡°I couldn¡¯t approach you since I was scared, so I was sitting in the corner like this.¡± ¡°If you had told me in advance, I doubt this would¡¯ve happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said I was going to begin the sixth hurdle. That should be enough.¡± Aileen grumbled and then took off her pose, where she was hugging her knees, and stood up from her seat. ¡°Anyways, you passed the sixth hurdle.¡± ¡°Then, can I move on to the seventh hurdle now?¡± ¡°You can do that if you want to. But I wouldn¡¯t remend it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No one has ever passed through the seventh hurdle alive.¡± I giggled at her words and soon approached the door to the seventh hurdle. ¡°I¡¯ll be the first one to get through it alive then.¡± ¡°¡­I do understand that you have excellent martial arts and skills. But this is a separate issue from that. You might die.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like talking to myself, Seriously. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as purely insane about growth as you are. The reason why you went through the trial of proof was probably because you wanted to grow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite Aileen¡¯s fed-up gaze, I smiled and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going. Take care.¡± Aileen let out a deep sigh and limply waved her hand to say goodbye. ¡°Alright¡­ farewell, inhumane adventurer.¡± With that sight at last, I walked down the hallway after closing the door. The mirror dyed in black soon began to crack as I passed through the hallway. It was ominous. The sixth hurdle presented a more bizarre trial than I had imagined. And this meant that the seventh hurdle, which would be at the end, wouldn¡¯t be normal too. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of the Seven Gods¡¯ advises you that everything is in your mind.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ looks at you with sympathy as they think of the trial you¡¯ll soon be facing.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Confession¡¯ is looking forward to seeing the sins you¡¯ll encounter.¡¹ Among the administrators watching me, those who seemed to be related to God were quite talkative. They even seemed to know to some extent what the trial of the seventh hurdle was about. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ feels saddened because she couldn¡¯t follow the story of the administrators who serves God.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ anticipates that a serious situation will soon occur and glares at the administrators who serve the God.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ is angry, telling them to put away the stories that only they know and say it the way they could understand it.¡¹ But on the contrary, the other administrators didn¡¯t seem to know what the seventh hurdle was. It wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary trial, judging by the other administrators who serve God. ¡®Anyhow, I¡¯ll find it out when I get there.¡¯ I calmed my anxiety down, telling myself that there was nothing to worry about, and opened the door to the seventh hurdle and stepped forward. And¡ª ¡¸You¡¯ve reached the seventh hurdle, and the God of Proof is watching you directly.¡¹ Craaack! For an instant, I froze as I watched the empty air split open. An eye appeared above the large full-length mirror in the center of the black-dyed mirrored room. This wasn¡¯t a parable or a joke or anything. The air truly split open, and an eye with a red pupil appeared from there and stared at me. I was bewildered by that bizarre sight, but what was even more bewildering was that my body wasn¡¯t moving. As if encountering something absolutely irresistible, my body gave up on survival. ¡¸Power ¡®Serenity¡¯ is sealed by the gaze of the God.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. ¡¸Power ¡®Serenity¡¯ is sealed by the gaze of the God.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of the Seven Gods¡¯ is shocked that the God of Proof is watching.¡¹ Hot blood was flowing down from my eyes like lava. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ is amused by the appearance of the God of Proof. My insides felt like they were being turned over, and I felt like vomiting. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Confession¡¯ feels an irresistible fear and pity for your situation.¡¹ Only the thought that I¡¯d be killed filled my mind. ¡°K-Kuhugh¡­¡± The pressure and anxiety that I might die soon threw me into a daze. I was nothing but an ant in front of God¡¯s gaze. My brain properly recognized the fact that I had bee such an insignificant existence that I had no choice but to explode and die, even if I was lightly pressed with a finger as to kill the boredom. Starting with that, my body gave up on surviving on its own and prepared to face death as it was. ¡¸The God of Proof recognizes the existence of the challenger Han Sungyeun..¡¹ As that message appeared, the pressure intensified, and my body lost balance and was about to collapse. However, I exerted my will and stabbed my palm with the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword held in my right hand. Stab! ¡°Kugh¡­¡± ¡¸ Activating the skill ¡®Ashen Blood.¡¯ ¡¹ ¡¸ All pain inflicted on the user is reduced by 17% ¡¹ My palms were torn, and the pain relieved by the skill permeated my head. But it wasn¡¯t enough. I immediately shook the blade in my hand, tearing through my palm, even more, increasing the pain. Then I slowly released myself from the pressure through the pain and stared into the eye in the air. I sent my anger to the being that could kill me, turning me into a piece of meat in an instant. Even if it¡¯s a God, he had no right to give me death. Even if I died here right now, I wouldn¡¯t give up resisting. I didn¡¯t want to be helplessly trampled on by someone, even if that¡¯d cost my life. Ignoring any emotions, such as confusion or fear, I focused only on my anger. Otherwise, it¡¯d be impossible for me to keep my sense. ¡®Dammit¡­ I¡¯m losing¡­ consciousness¡­¡¯ I was planning to cut his eyes right away, even if I had to move my body forcibly if the God of Proof didn¡¯t close his eyes just like this. In any case, this situation was a trial related to the God of Proof. The Tower of Trials doesn¡¯t give trials that can¡¯t be passed at all. I wasn¡¯t sure if the seventh hurdle had already begun, but a breakthrough existed. The Tower of Trials must¡¯ve designed it that way. Because the Tower wants the challenger to e up to the upper level ardently. With that thought imprinted in my head, I gazed into the eyes and pulled out the Heavenly Blood Demonic Sword stabbed into the palm of my left hand and aimed it. It was to kick off at any time and slash those damn eyes in an instant. But talking about the results, the situation in which I had to cut off the eyes of God didn¡¯t e. ¡¸The God of Proof appreciates the spirit of challenger Han Sungyeun.¡¹ ¡¸The God of Proof is delighted to see a challenger with such high mental strength after a long time.¡¹ ¡¸The God of Proof tells you to prove yourself while looking at your confident eyes.¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸The God of Proof remembers the existence of challenger Han Sungyeun.¡¹ Then, the eyes that floated in the air smiled with his eyes, as though he liked me. ¡¸The God of Proof announces the beginning of the seventh hurdle.¡¹ Soon the message came to mind, and he immediately disappeared simultaneously. At the same time, I soon had a hunch, looking at the mirror in the center of the room that was shining brightly. ¡¸The proof of the spirit begins now.¡¹ ¡¸From now on, all skills and powers that interfere with the spirit .¡¹ That the seventh hurdle is a real trial that could lead me to death. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 102 Chapter 102: Journey¡¯s End (4) ¡¸The proof of the spirit begins now.¡¹ ¡¸From now on, all skills and powers that interfere with the spirit will be sealed off.¡¹ I immediately fell on the floor, looking at the system message. I tried to hold on somehow by putting strength in my legs as they told me that the proof of the spirit would begin soon, but that was completely impossible. ¡°Huuuff¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to lose consciousness anytime now, but¡­ For some reason, I was maintaining my consciousness with superhuman willpower. I had just been shown the gaze of a being I wouldn¡¯t dare to even lift my eyes up to. I was able to figure out what it was right away by looking at the log of system messages. It was the God of Proof. The 11th-floor stage was said to be a temple where the God of Proof was served and, at the same time, a trial of proof. But I never really thought that God existed. I just wondered if God really exists because there was an unknown ability called Divine Power. However, when I directly encountered the God of Proof, I could understand why the priests worshipped the God of Proof. More like it¡¯d be strange not to develop faith even after seeing such a thing in person. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a situation to come where I should be glad that I didn¡¯t go insane.¡± I gave a hollow smile and pushed my trembling body up. In any case, the God of Proof didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to kill me directly. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be strange that he didn¡¯t have any intention of harming me. The God of Proof sealed the power of Serenity that I possessed and knew that I was having a hard time. However, as if the God of Proof rather wanted it, it said that he thought highly of my spirit through the message. It had no spite, but the God casually drove me to the point where I could die. It was dangerous. The tower wants the challenger to climb, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t give challengers a risk of death. It only prepares a breakthrough, and if the challenger¡¯s skill is just around the level to die in the trial, it just lets them die. Standing face to face with the God of Proof just now was a situation in which it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to die. But I survived even in that atrocious situation. ¡®The God of Proof mentioned that it¡¯ll remember me or something¡­¡¯ It was even delighted and sent a compliment to the fact that I resisted till the end not to die. That would mean that the choice I just made was close to the right answer. But on the contrary, it meant that I would¡¯ve died if I had made even just one mistake. The nape of my neck felt the chills at that fact, but I slowly regained my composure and caught my breath. But it didn¡¯t matter. Either way, I survived, and I just needed to become strong enough to not be intimidated by the gaze of God. Thinking that was all there was to it, I felt relieved. ¡¸A most suitable test of proof will be given to the challenger Han Sungyeun.¡¹ ¡¸Prove that your beliefs won¡¯t change in the future as well.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± The surface of the large mirror in the center of the room waved at the same time the system message came up. Prove that my beliefs won¡¯t change in the future, huh¡­ When I was frowning, wondering what kind of proof would be going on. ¡¸The proof of the spirit begins now.¡¹ A video began to play in the large mirror in the center of the room, resembling the screen of an old television. And¡ª ¡¸The assimilation level of you and yourself in the mirror is slowly increasing.¡¹ After that message, I stopped breathing while watching the video playing in the mirror. Before I realized it, I was being projected on the huge mirror in the center of the room. However, my figure in the mirror wasn¡¯t completely the same as mine. ¡®Is that¡­ really me?¡¯ It was clear that it wasn¡¯t the current me just by looking at the long, straggled hair¡ª as if I had rolled around the battlefield dozens of times ¡ªand the posture with swords in both hands. But¡ª Even so, I could immediately tell that it was me. But till now, I had never grown my hair like that, nor had I ever learned dual swordsmanship. Well, to be accurate, I was thinking about whether I should learn it or not, but¡­ Just as I was about to feel the sense of difference, a sharp pain pierced my heart like a flash of light. ¡¸The assimilation level of you and yourself in the mirror is forcibly increased to 10%. ¡¹ ¡°¡­!?¡± My heart was beating like it was about to explode. ¡®What¡­? Is this pain?¡¯ As if I had committed a great sin that couldn¡¯t be washed away, my heart was beating furiously, without stopping even for a moment. I focused on the screen in the mirror while feeling guilt, or a feeling close to insanity, seeping into me. -¡­If I had known it¡¯d be like this, I should¡¯ve crossed the line a long time ago. Then, watching the focus of the screen in the mirror gradually expand, I opened my eyes wide. Myself, in the mirror, was looking down at the city from the roof of a large building. A scene where dozens of buildings collapsed and sparks flew everywhere, full of fire. And¡ª ¡°Wh-What is this¡­¡± I was horrified, looking at the scene in the mirror that was being projected, and at the same time, I realized why I was feeling guilt and insanity as though my heart would explode. -¡­Nice. My stats have gone up quite a bit. I guess I won¡¯t have to worry about my skill combination for a while. In the mirror, I was absorbing the black smoke rising from the city center with my fingertips. At first, I thought it was a cloud of smoke from the conflagration, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°¡­¡± The black smoke flowing into the fingertips was a sign of soul absorption through Necromancy. And what that meant was very simple. ¡¸The assimilation level of you and yourself in the mirror is forcibly increased to 20%. ¡¹ ¡­Myself in the mirror committed something that no one could ever forgive. ¡¸Due to the unbearable mental shock, you¡¯re now under the status effect ¡®Ki-Overflow¡¯. ¡¹ A ridiculous atrocity called a large-scale massacre. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Baaaaaarf! Even after throwing up everything inside, the spasms throughout the body wouldn¡¯t stop. The mana circuit inside my body was overheating as if scorching my entire body with a steel wire¡­ At the same time, my heart was still beating, unable to escape from guilt and insanity. I was confused. ¡®What the hell¡­ is this¡­?¡¯ Myself in the mirror and I, standing here, are just separate people. Even if I, in the mirror, committed a massacre, this is just some sort of illusion. Since they mentioned that this is proof of spirit, they might be testing the unfaltering mental strength. But as if that wasn¡¯t the case, I was receiving the emotions that myself in the mirror was feeling. Not only the guilt that ran down my spine, but also the insanity that filled in the pleasure of growing up. As though this disgusting feeling was entirely mine, I couldn¡¯t wash it away. In the torrent of emotions that pierced both of my hearts as if it really existed, I realized one thing. At least the scene shown in this mirror wasn¡¯t just an illusion. On top of that¡­ -Prove that your beliefs won¡¯t change in the future as well. The system message also told me to prove that my beliefs wouldn¡¯t change in the future. If so, perhaps the one in the image in the mirror can be regarded as ¡®myself in the future¡¯. ¡®If it¡¯s an existence with great power like the God of Proof¡­ it should be able to show such a thing, too.¡¯ However, I was more confused after realizing that the image in the mirror wasn¡¯t just an illusion. On why I was using Necromancy to absorb all of the souls created in the city center through the massacre. Even if I always thought I wanted to become stronger, I shouldn¡¯t be that reckless¡­ But I wasn¡¯t given time to ponder about that. ¡¸The proficiency of skill ¡®Mana Circuit¡¯ is decreasing by 0.01% due to the status effect of Ki-Overflow.¡¹ ¡°Dammit¡­¡± I was currently being penalized for the ¡®status effect¡¯ that had just formed. ¡¸If you can¡¯t relieve the status effect ¡®Ki-Overflow¡¯, the proficiency of skill ¡®Mana Circuit¡¯ will decrease by up to 10%.¡¹ Due to the overheating of the Mana Circuit and the decreasing proficiency, I had no choice but to feel extreme pain. However, as if not giving me a chance to overcome the pain, soon, a change happened in the image of the mirror. Clang! The iron door on the roof of the building flew away as if it was being crushed, and a man appeared. Even though his body was covered in blood, I knew who it was as soon as I saw the hammer in his hand and a black mask. A challenger who¡¯s said to be the best S-rank hunter in Korea, and at the same time, a challenger that I happened to build friendships with in many ways after meeting on the 10th-floor trial. -Did you think you¡¯d be alright after causing bullshit like this, Han Sungyeun? Lightning King. -Let me listen to your will as well as excuses now that you¡¯ll be dying soon. It was Kim Seunghoon. Even though he was an opponent that even the current myself wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid fatal wounds from if I faced him head-on, but¡­ In the mirror, I looked at him with a face full of boredom and scoffed. -I don¡¯t have anything such as¡­ will or excuses. Well, if I had to mention one, then¡­ And at the same time, I, in the mirror, raised my twin swords, letting my straggled hair flutter around. -I just thought that they were useful for my growth. There¡¯s no more or less value than that. As though I regarded the people in the city as mere stepping stones for my growth. At that, Kim Seunghoon looked at me in the mirror for a moment and then opened his mouth. -¡­Why are you trying to become stronger even by killing innocent people? -You should know better about that. -¡­ -No, it¡¯s no use talking to each other at this point. ¡¸The assimilation level of you and yourself in the mirror is forcibly increased to 30%. ¡¹ -Because there¡¯s nothing that can be undone after coming this far. Due to the forcible increase in the assimilation level, I received the emotions I felt in the mirror and realized something. I was feeling intense fury, forgetting about feelings of guilt or insanity. An unstoppable fury that wants to tear apart everything I can get my hands on. ¡¸The proficiency of skill ¡®Mana circuit¡¯ is decreasing by 0.07% due to the status effect of Ki-Overflow.¡¹ Because of that, the skill proficiency of the Mana Circuit dropped even more, but¡­ ¡®How come?¡¯ More than that, I wanted to know why myself in the mirror was so furious. It was natural since I realized that this was the kind of situation I¡¯d face in the future. -Even if you do this, the dead won¡¯t come back. It couldn¡¯t be helped back th¡­ But before I could find out the source of that anger, myself in the mirror roared. -You better keep that mouth shut. It¡¯s too late for you and me to go back now. -¡­Now that you¡¯ve done this, the International Hunter Association will be making a move. Are you saying it doesn¡¯t matter even so? -It doesn¡¯t matter. Since I was planning to destroy the International Hunter Association soon, one after another. -¡­ -There¡¯s nothing to worry about as challengers or hunters from the Earth dimension aren¡¯t a threat to me now. As if myself in the mirror didn¡¯t want to have any more trivial conversation, I raised the two swords. Then, a transcendental battle occurred where the two hunters, who had reached the pinnacle, fought with all their might. The building where the two were standing was split in half with a single slash, and all the buildings in the area were devastated. On top of that¡ª ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is that Namgung Hyuk¡¯s swordsmanship¡­.?¡¯ As if I copied the swordsmanship Namgung Hyuk used, myself in the mirror unleashed a technique that resembled his sword. It wasn¡¯t a skill or power but sharp techniques that seemed to have been fully learned on my own. A scene that reminded me of the battle against the Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, Namgung Hyuk, was played, but¡­ The difference from that time is that the technique I used in the mirror was more flashy and powerful than Namgung Hyuk¡¯s technique. As though I had surpassed Namgung Hyuk¡¯s swordsmanship, which I had fought in the past. Of course, Kim Seunghoon also fought desperately, parrying those techniques not so badly, but it didn¡¯t lead to victory. It was understandable. Because of the souls I absorbed through the massacre, I wouldn¡¯t get tired using the shield from Necromancy or stamina replenishment, but¡­ On the other hand, Kim Seunghoon was thoroughly pressured without any time to recover. The battle of the hunters who had reached their pinnacles eventually ended with a disappointing result in the area of endurance. Soon, Kim Seunghoon, who was completely deprived of the initiative in the fight, exposed his vital point, which led to his death. Kim Seunghoon, who was stabbed in the heart, fell to the ground without being able to resist much. Then, while watching the mark of Necromancy flowing out from Kim Seunghoon¡¯s body, I muttered calmly. -As a matter of fact, I was wondering what skills and powers the Lightning King would give¡­ I guess I¡¯ll be finding it out now. With those words at the end, the mirror screen made a static noise. And soon, the fog-like noise dissipated, and another scene appeared. However, the background this time was the center of a building that seemed to reproduce the appearance of medieval China. Dozens of Murim people gathered at the center of a building in medieval china. With their weapons pointed at a single man. -I don¡¯t like wasting time. A man in a black uniform with his ponytail neatly tied back spoke. I immediately noticed that the man was me. And¡­ -Call the leader of the Martial Artists¡¯ Alliance right now. Looking at the video in the mirror, I soon realized one thing. -Then I shall spare everyone in this place at least. Final stop. The image in the mirror dealt with the future I was about to reach. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 103 Chapter 103: Divinity (1) Murim Alliance. I¡¯d heard about this organization once from the Iron-blooded Monarch. That it was a large moderatist group in the Murim dimension, and at the same time, it¡¯s said to be related to Namgung Hyuk, the Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky. Of course, I hadn¡¯t heard about them other than that, nor had I ever tried to find some information. Finding out about another dimension right away came with restrictions and conditions in many ways, and there was no guarantee that I¡¯d benefit from it even if I attained the information through hard work. I didn¡¯t have any good feelings about them from the fact that they¡¯d made the Namgung family, the family of Namgung Hyuk, to be the pillar of the Alliance, and I almost got killed by Baek Sunhak, the elder of the Murim Alliance. However. -I¡¯ll give you some period of grace. But fooling around will only lead you to an annihilation. My self in the mirror went beyond that level of emotion and was even saying words such as annihilation. -If the leader of the Murim Alliance doesn¡¯t come, everyone here will die. I even went so far as to intimidate them, spewing formless bloodthirst at those around me. However, the level of that bloodthirst¡­ was wilder and more violent than I could¡¯ve imagined. A level that could easily kill a person just by pressuring the person. ¡¸The proficiency of skill ¡®Mana Circuit¡¯ is decreasing by 0.04% due to the status effect of Ki-Overflow.¡¹ But¡­ I also felt that the overheating of my mana circuit was getting worse due to that violent bloodthirst. This was because emotions were shared with me in the mirror to some extent by the current assimilation rate. Although the loss of proficiency is still continuing to decline from 0.01% to 0.07%¡­ If this small loss accumulates, it may turn into a big snowball and turn into a failure. -K-Kuhuuugh¡­ S-Somebody has to¡­ Somebody has to call the leader¡­! -D-Don¡¯t be fooled! It¡¯s no use listening to what the wicked demon is saying¡­! -D-Do you think you can return intact even after turning the Murim Alliance into an enemy¡­! Of course, even in the midst of this, the screen in the mirror didn¡¯t stop, and a commotion was uproaring. But it wasn¡¯t bad to the point where I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it like a while ago. ¡®I need to come up with a solution before it¡¯s too late.¡¯ Due to the Trial of Proof, all skills and powers that interfere with the spirit were sealed. I had to remove the state of Ki-Overflow through other means. As I was thinking of a solution, I suddenly remembered the existence of a mirror in my pocket. Come to think of it¡­ It¡¯s not like there was no way out of this situation at all. ¡¸Mirror with the Divinity of the High Priest¡¹ ¡¸Rank: C+¡¹ ¡¸The mirror that high priest ¡®Johann¡¯ placed his divine power into, without missing a single day.¡¹ ¡¸You can spread a divine shield only once by consuming the divine power of the God of Proof.¡¹ ¡¸When you spread the divine shield, mind contamination is also restored to some extent.¡¹ If the skills and powers are sealed off, then I just have to use the items. ¡¸¡­Perhaps the divine power of the God of Proof filled in the mirror may lead the bearer to prove their fate by themselves.¡¹ I felt relieved as I took out the mirror from my pocket and immediately activated the item. ¡¸The exclusive effect of the Mirror with the Divinity of the High Priest(C+) is activated.¡¹ ¡¸A holy shield surrounds you and removes all mind contamination of a certain level.¡¹ Woooosh¡­! In an instant, the mirror I held in my hand formed a protective barrier and then expanded its size. After a while, the size of the shield became large to the point where it could envelop me. And¡ª ¡¸Status effect ¡®Ki-Overflow¡¯ is removed.¡¹ I felt the overheating of the mana circuit stop as the Ki-Overflow that was gnawing my whole body was lifted. ¡¸ ¡®Steel Spirit¡¯ achievement unlocked. ¡¹ ¡¸Stamina increased by 1.¡¹ An achievement was unlocked by lifting up the Ki-Overflow. However, this wonderful chain reaction didn¡¯t end there and continued one more time. ¡¸The user of this item is a challenger who¡¯s undergoing the trials given by the God of Proof.¡¹ ¡¸Due to the hidden exclusive effect, the trial is being adjusted to make the proving easier in trials.¡¹ ¡¸The rate of assimilation with you in the mirror won¡¯t increase anymore.¡¹ A hidden exclusive effect¡­ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me, is this the effect of the hidden message that I saw with the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes?¡¯ -¡­Perhaps the divine power of the God of Proof filled in the mirror may lead the bearer to prove their fate by themselves. The hidden message seen through the Fire Dragon¡¯s Eyes was clearly written so. Since it was said to be a hidden exclusive effect, it was probably the effect of the message I saw. The mirror obtained from the pocket of the first priest I encountered gave me more than I could¡¯ve imagined. ¡®The assimilation rate that has risen so far isn¡¯t that high.¡¯ Of course, even with this number, I felt quite mentally shaken, but¡­ The assimilation rate, now up to 30%, couldn¡¯t have a greater impact on me. It¡¯s just that I was also quite shocked when myself in the mirror caused a large-scale massacre a while ago. This level of assimilation can be said to be similar to a sense of empathy or immersion. In fact, while myself in the mirror was frantically exuding bloodthirst, I was completely unaffected by it. ¡®If the assimilation rate won¡¯t rise, that much of a dangerous situation shouldn¡¯t be happening.¡¯ Perhaps my guess was correct. The messages from the administrators came up. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ feels a sense of relief that her contractor has passed a critical hurdle.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®The Hero of the Collapsed World¡¯ laughs, saying that they couldn¡¯t have even imagined the expedient that you¡¯ve used..¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ rejoices that the condition of the contractor has stabilized.¡¹ Maybe most of them realized that I had escaped from a dangerous situation¡­? ¡®I guess the administrators really feel that I¡¯ve escaped from danger.¡¯ Since the administrators felt that danger had passed, it was time to focus on one thing. -¡­Recently, I heard that there¡¯s a madman called Ghostblade in Murim. Those who were wavering at the bloodthirst that my self in the mirror was emitting made a way to those words. A middle-aged man with a disquieting expression in a gray martial arts uniform walked through the divided crowd. It¡¯s like he was holding back his irritation, or he¡¯s barely restraining some kind of urge. The middle-aged man continued with a smile on his disquieting and precarious face. -Looking at you like this, I can feel that you can really be called a Ghost of the Sword. And¡ª -Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the leader of the Murim Alliance, Lee Jin-hwan. So, what is your na¡­ At that moment when those words were about to be finished, my self in the mirror kicked off the ground without opening my mouth anymore. *** [Translator ¨C Ramen ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** Through the screen in the mirror, the scene where Kim Seunghoon and myself in the future fought was repeated again. This time, not a duel with a strong person from the earth, but from another strong man in another dimension called Murim. He was a head of a group that even the Namgung family, which is said to be the family of Namgung Hyuk, the Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, is nothing but a pillar. He would never be weak, and his strength was felt even in the insane battles that took place inside the mirror. However, it wasn¡¯t only the process that was repeated but also the result. -¡­Cough. I don¡¯t think even the Heavenly Demon was this strong, But you, you¡¯re truly a monster. At the end of the battle that wiped out the whole area, the Murim leader Lee Jin-hwan fell flat on one¡¯s face and puked out blood. On the other hand, my self in the mirror casually brushed off the blood on the two swords. There was no sign of injury nor a disturbance in breathing. Of course, my self in the mirror was strong, but he didn¡¯t have the pure skills to corner Lee Jin-hwan to the point of not getting tired at all. However, not showing signs of injury at all was another matter. ¡°¡­¡± My self in the mirror once mentioned that I¡¯d spare the members of the Murim Alliance. But it was a lie. As soon as the Murim leader Lee Jin-hwan arrived, my self in the mirror killed all the members around him. After that, I retrieved all the marks of soul absorption with my fingertips and used them in battle. So, despite the identical skill level, it led to a one-sided victory. -¡­How absurd. Killing even the members that you said you¡¯d spare. Are you not even conscious of what you said? The Murim leader Lee Jin-hwan, who was lying on the floor and bleeding, also said so as if he was dumbfounded, but¡ª -If the people who listened to it disappear, you¡¯ll be able to take back what you said needlessly. On the contrary, my self in the mirror responded with a smirk. And¡ª -All my sickening ill-fated relationship with the sect of Heavenly Demon, Heishehui, and the Murim Alliance. It all ends here. -What? What do you¡­. D-Don¡¯t tell me, the mad beast who killed the Heavenly Demon and the Lord of Heishehui was¡­! Slaaash! Then, the neck of the Murim leader Lee Jin-hwan, who distorted his face in shock, soared into the sky. It was a monster-like move that didn¡¯t show any humanity, but¡­ Even then, as if my self in the mirror was used to it, I turned around after absorbing the soul of the leader of the Murim Alliance. As though this level of genocide wouldn¡¯t stir up my emotions. Bzzzt. Immediately after that, the perspective of the screen in the mirror changed, and I saw myself fighting in countless dimensions. Slashing down dozens, hundreds, and thousands of enemies and growing stronger without end, I was in a state like a monster, soaked in madness, yearning only for growth. Over dozens of times, the screen in the mirror changed, and appearance also changed in the mirror. But there was one thing that didn¡¯t change. ¡°He¡¯s a damn insanely strong bastard¡­¡± In the mirror, my self in the future, who commits an endless massacre, was never defeated. It didn¡¯t just apply to fights between individuals. Religion. -¡­I¡¯ll curse you! To all the Gods of Ares, I, the Pope, will pray for your death! Nation. -P-Please stop already¡­ Didn¡¯t you kill all the people of mine, the King¡­? Please, spare me at least¡­ Dimension. -N-No way¡­ Why is a bastard who has conquered the Murim dimension coming to such a small dimension like th¡­.! The stronger the opponent, the stronger I¡¯d become after defeating them. But as time passed, the madness my self in the mirror felt grew thicker and deeper. Before I knew it, seeing the scene of endless battles and massacres made me feel goosebumps from the fact that such an insane slayer was my future, and I somehow understood the purpose of the trial. ¡°If it was the way it was originally, does that mean I should¡¯ve completely assimilated with this madman¡¯s spirit¡­?¡± I could see why this was a trial with the grandiose title of proof of spirit. Even just the assimilation that had only risen to 30% made me feel great pain welling up. And if this assimilation rate increased as time passed, at the end¡­ ¡®I¡¯d go insane.¡¯ I¡¯d never be able to face the end of the trial in a normal state. Perhaps it could be called worse than the trial of fighting for one¡¯s life. Because it meant that what remained at the end of this trial was either the death of the physical body or the death of the spirit. However, I escaped the Ki-Overflow and even suppressed the rise of the assimilation rate by using the ¡®Mirror with the Divinity of the High Priest(C+)¡¯ What¡¯s painful is painful, but either way, I was able to endure this much to some extent. ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Seeker of Divinity¡¯ is bewildered that you¡¯ve passed the trial in an expedient way that they never thought of.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Priest of Confession¡¯ expresses surprise at the fact that you¡¯re maintaining the state of not becoming insane.¡¹ ¡¸ Administrator ¡®Gluttony¡¯ complains and expresses frustration, saying he wants to see what you¡¯re looking at in the mirror.¡¹ It looks like even the administrators didn¡¯t imagine that I¡¯d pass the trial like this. And on top of that, the administrators didn¡¯t seem to be able to see what I was seeing in the mirror. ¡®Unexpectedly, looks like the administrators have a lot of limitations in observing the trials, too.¡¯ Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want to show all of this scene, so it was to my advantage that it wasn¡¯t revealed. I collected myself, ignoring the administrators¡¯ messages, and glared at the scene in the mirror. Because I thought maybe I could find out why I became such an insane bastard. However, as time passed, perhaps the stimulating content ran out already, it only showed evil deeds that seemed insignificant, unlike a while ago. Such as killing an unknown street delinquent and absorbing their soul¡­ As such impactless killing scenes continued, it became easier to collect myself. Now, the key would be how well I can manage my mental strength and endure it. However¡­ ¡®If the sights the trial show is just at this level now, there wouldn¡¯t be any big surprises.¡¯ As a matter of fact, the outcome of this endurance battle was pretty obvious. *** I wonder how many trivial scenes have been played on the screen in the mirror? ¡¸You¡¯ve proven that your beliefs didn¡¯t change.¡¹ The trial was over as I was looking at the screen in the mirror, trying to remain calm. ¡¸The proof of the spirit ends now¡¹ For a trial that caused alarm in regard to my life, it ended more blandly than I expected. It¡¯s not like I wasn¡¯t suspicious if it¡¯s actually over or not, but¡­ This time around, I passed because I was really lucky, so the fact that I passed didn¡¯t feel completely unrealistic. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t picked up the mirror in the beginning, I¡¯d have died abruptly, honestly.¡¯ I only survived because I brought the mirror of the dead priest at the beginning of the trial. If I had met the proof of the spirit without any preparation, I would¡¯ve died in all probability. It was then that I slowly forced my body to stand up from my seat, which had reached its limit. ¡¸The God of Proof feels satisfied with the Proof of challenger Han Sungyeun.¡¹ ¡¸The God of Proof wants to see the challenger Han Sungyeun in person.¡¹ ¡¸The God of Proof forcibly summons the challenger Han Sungyeun to the Divine Sanctuary.¡¹ ¡°¡­!?¡± Instead of the message saying that I¡¯d cleared the trial, the message that the God of Proof was summoning me came up. I went to the point of death just by making eye contact once, and now I wa being summoned to the realm of God? ¡®What kind of nonsense is this¡­¡¯ I felt a strong reluctance and immediately readied myself, but¡­ ¡¸The God of Proof consumes divine power on the Tower of Trials to obtain temporary authority.¡¹ ¡¸Observation of the trials by all administrators related to challenger Han Sungyeun will be forcibly stopped.¡¹ As if all of that were meaningless, I immediately felt my body floating up. I tried to resist it, but soon the divine shield that was spread around me tightened me, as though pressuring me. Yes. This entire shield of Divinity was created by the divine power bestowed by the God of Proof. Since I didn¡¯t create it myself, I obviously couldn¡¯t control it. ¡°Huff.¡± It was when I was feeling a sense of despair at that fact¡ª ¡¸The Tower of Trials permits the summoning of challenger Han Sungyeun as long as his personal safety is secured.¡¹ I opened my eyes widely as I saw a message I hadn¡¯t even thought of. ¡®Personal safety?¡¯ Could it be that they can ensure my safety against a God? Not to mention that I saw the message that the God of Proof just obtained temporary authority¡­ As of now, there were not many messages that I could understand properly. But. ¡¸The Tower of Trial delivers its will that it¡¯s looking forward to the challenger Han Sugnyeun. ¡¹ From the message that followed up, I realized one thing for sure. ¡®The Tower of Trials¡­ recognizes me¡­!??¡¯ The Tower of Trials wasn¡¯t something that even Gods could easily deal with. And now that I was the one that the Tower of Trials was paying attention to. ¡¸Entering the Divine Sanctuary of the Proving One.¡¹ With that thought in my mind, the surrounding environment changed in an instant as if it was spinning. [Hmm¡­? What? Are you? Why do I feel Divinity in you?] And soon, I felt my throat burn at the majestic voice that resounded in my head. There was no pressure, and unlike before, it wasn¡¯t conveying the meaning through system messages, but¡ª ¡®I can feel it¡­ This is the God of Proof.¡¯ I could see that it was the God of Proof that was talking to me right now. ¡­I was really forcibly summoned to the realm of God. Dammit. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 104 Chapter 104: Divinity (2) The fear of having been summoned into a God¡¯s territory only lasted for a few moments. -The Tower of Trials has accepted challenger Han Sungyeun to be summoned as long as his safety is guaranteed. According to the message I just got, the Tower of Trials had accepted me to be summoned as long as I remained safe. That meant the God of Proof wouldn¡¯t be able to harm me, probably. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ I turned my head and began looking around. The sky seemed very light, as if I were right under the clouds. The floor, which was made of a mirror that reflected the sky, created a scenery that looked as if two skies were touching each other. Should I say that it really felt like a God¡¯s territory? But I wasn¡¯t given time to look around in more detail. [You look more foreign in person. Are you also a pseudo-divine being created by the Tower?] The God of Proof, who had been silent, started talking to my head again. ¡®Pseudo-divine?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about, so I expressed my doubt. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what a pseudo-divine being is¡­¡± [Pseudo-divine beings are the ones who are called¡­ let me see. Administrators? I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re a being who has obtained Divinity after making a contract with the Tower.] I wasn¡¯t sure why he was saying the Administrators were pseudo-divine beings, but¡­ If he was asking whether I was an Administrator or not, the answer was simple. ¡°I¡¯m not an Administrator. I¡¯m still a challenger who¡¯s climbing up the Tower.¡± [You¡¯re definitely¡­ different from a pseudo-divine being. Your Divinity inside is wholly yours.] ¡°¡­?¡± [It seems like things have become quite interesting while I wasn¡¯t looking at it. Has it finally learned that it couldn¡¯t create a ¡®real¡¯ one with a pseudo-divinity¡­?] ¡°¡­¡± [Making someone a disciple of a pseudo-divine being to create a ¡®real¡¯ one¡­ So that¡¯s what happened. I understand. So you weren¡¯t a normal being, challenger Han Sungyeun.] ¡°What does that¡­¡± It seemed like the God of Proof had misunderstood a few things. He was saying something about Divinity or whatever. But, in short, it seemed like the Divinity I had was a problem. ¡®The Divinity I¡¯ve obtained after killing Kairan is so impressive¡­?¡¯ It seemed like the power of the Divinity I¡¯d obtained after killing a reserve disciple was quite significant. But I didn¡¯t know how to use that Divinity, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was that important. After thinking about it for a while, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Can I ask you something¡­?¡± [¡­?] ¡°What¡¯s Divinity, and why are you talking as if it¡¯s so important?¡± [I thought you¡¯d ask about your future self you¡¯d seen through the Trials, but you ended up asking something strange¡­ You¡¯ve obtained Divinity on your own, yet you don¡¯t know what that is? Didn¡¯t you finish the process of eliminating the traces of a God because you know what that is?] I didn¡¯t eliminate it because I knew what I was doing. It was a side-effect of a power. So I obviously didn¡¯t know anything. I silently complained to myself, but I ended up learning that the Divinity I had obtained from Kairan was pretty significant. I wasn¡¯t sure what not having the traces of a God meant, but it might be useful once I learned how to use Divinity¡­ ¡®The disciples that used Divinity were quite strong.¡¯ I was thinking that when the God of Proof said in disbelief. [It seems like you don¡¯t know what Divinity is¡­] ¡°I just ended up acquiring it¡­¡± [You just ended up, huh¡­? Was it a coincidence that you erased the traces that a fake God created by the Tower had given to its Disciple and absorbed it?] ¡°¡­¡± [Even if you weren¡¯t aware of it, you taking out Kairan¡¯s Divinity wasn¡¯t a coincidence. I can feel a causality.] Causality? ¡®What¡¯s he talking about¡­?¡¯ Divinity and causality. Something not being a coincidence¡­ I was frowning while thinking about those words when I heard the voice again. [I made a mistake¡­ Seeing the Tower get angry, it seems like this was something I shouldn¡¯t have revealed to you.] ¡°Huh? What does that¡­?¡± [This is a goodbye. Challenger Han Sungyeun, I¡¯ll be following your doings from the outside.] ¡°Can¡¯t you give me more details¡­?¡± After seeing the space around me get distorted, I realized the answer to that question. ¡¸The God of Proof has used all of the Divinity selected, so he has temporarily lost his power.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re going to return from the territory of the Gods to your original space.¡¹ The God of Proof couldn¡¯t keep me here any longer. I still had things I wanted to ask. But to make me return now¡­ To be honest, I had barely been able to talk with him. But if I had to return now, rather than getting answers, I would go back with more questions. I wanted to ask why my future self had become like that, what Divinity was, and what he meant by causality. [Yes. It doesn¡¯t matter what God is. The Tower is a being we can¡¯t easily deal with. So there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.] I was about to open my mouth after my surroundings became blurry¡­ Even if I moved my mouth, there wasn¡¯t any sound coming out of it. [If you come to the ¡®Temple of Proof¡¯ that¡¯s in Ares, I might be able to answer some of your questions.] It was as if someone was blocking me from asking any questions. [Ah, let me give you one last piece of advice¡­] And¡­ [Don¡¯t trust any God that¡¯s in Ares. They¡¯re going to think of you as their enemy now.] After hearing those words, I returned to the original place where I was. I returned to the weird space that was made with a black mirror and had a huge mirror in the middle of it. ¡¸Congratulations. You¡¯ve completed the Tower of Trial¡¯s 11th floor.¡¹ I had returned to the Tower of Trials. *** [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** After returning to the Tower, I felt a complex mixture of emotions. It was a sense of heaviness because of the curiosity I was feeling. It wasn¡¯t a negative or positive feeling¡­ I sighed at those emotions. The 11th floor¡¯s trial made me achieve progress that couldn¡¯t be compared to before. But what was left after the 11th floor¡¯s trial was an endless amount of questions. ¡¸Congratulations, you¡¯ve cleared the 11th floor¡¯s trial.¡¹ ¡¸As a reward for clearing it, you¡¯ve obtained the ¡®Rusty Mirror of Proof (S-).¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained ¡®70.000 points¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained ¡®3.000 SP¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained ¡®1.500 SP¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸Move to the waiting room.¡¹ Before I could answer those doubts, the trial of the 11th floor reached an end. ¡¸When you return to the waiting room, the Administrator¡¯s limited capacity to observe is going to be restored.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± I stood thinking while ignoring the system messages. God. Someone who seemed beyond everything had appeared beside me and said to me¡­ That it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that I was able to take out the reserve disciple Kairan¡¯s Divinity; he also said he¡¯d felt a clear causality. After thinking about what causality meant, I was able to find an answer. It was the Tower that had let me get a unique attribute. And the power extraction judgment was also something that was a part of the system. That meant the Tower could manage the system. Me having extracted the Divinity and obtained a power was something that happened because the Tower wished so. ¡®That¡¯s probably why he said he could feel a causality.¡¯ Of course, I still wasn¡¯t sure what Divinity was. I understood that the Tower made me extract Divinity from Kairan¡­ But I wasn¡¯t sure why it had made me use a power to obtain Divinity. Not only that, but the God of Proof said that me becoming a disciple of an administrator was something the Tower had intended. Let¡¯s say that those things happened because the Tower intended so. ¡®Then, what¡¯s the goal of the Tower¡­?¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why the Tower would do such a thing. After wondering about that for a while, I began thinking of the main keywords of what I had just heard. Maybe thinking about the keywords could help me find an answer. ¡°Pseudo-divinity¡­ Divinity¡­ Administrator¡­ Making a ¡®real¡¯ one¡­¡± The Tower was an entity not even Gods could tamper with. The administrators had the alias of pseudo-divine beings. No, maybe they were called pseudo-divine beings, and administrator was an alias created by the Tower. Then, what did it mean that the Tower was trying to create a ¡®real¡¯ one¡­? ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t think of anything. But I couldn¡¯t be sure yet. But¡­ ¡®At least I know the Tower isn¡¯t trying to harm me.¡¯ Of course, I¡¯d been close to dying while doing the trials. But it wasn¡¯t that the Tower had deceived me or had done something to exploit me. It had just induced me to climb up the Tower if I wanted to get answers and become stronger. When the God of Proof forcibly summoned me, the Tower prioritized my well-being first. ¡®The Tower probably wants to use me to achieve something, but¡­¡¯ Even if that were the case, I didn¡¯t think it would be detrimental to me. After finishing ordering my thoughts, I walked toward the portal that had appeared in the middle of the room. There was nothing free in this world anyway. Just as I wished to climb the Tower to get stronger, there was something the Tower was expecting from me too. The more I climbed the Tower of Trials, the more higher-level answers I got. I also thought that these were things I could get an answer to from the administrator by using the right to ask a question. ¡®I guess I could get an answer to these kinds of questions by climbing the Tower.¡¯ But there was still one doubt I couldn¡¯t grasp the reason. ¡®Not to trust the Gods¡­¡¯ He said that other Gods were going to consider me an ¡®enemy.¡¯ I thought my only enemies were the challengers from other dimensions I¡¯d met while climbing the Tower. They weren¡¯t. ¡®The God of Proof said I should think of the other Gods as my enemies.¡¯ After clearing the 11th floor¡¯s trial, I gained a positive opinion of the God of Proof. ¡®It probably won¡¯t be permanent¡­ but until just now, he had a positive opinion of me.¡¯ Through a short conversation, the God of Proof taught me many things. Most of the things about pseudo-divinity sounded legitimate, so what he said about other Gods feeling animosity toward me was probably true. Ah, but that didn¡¯t mean I completely trusted his words. ¡®It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t trust him at all. But¡­¡¯ He hasn¡¯t told me why Gods I¡¯ve never met before felt animosity toward me. But it was hard to trust what the God of Proof said completely. Even if I trusted him, and it was true that there were Gods that felt animosity toward me, nothing would change for the moment. ¡®Even if they don¡¯t like me, as long as I have the protection of the Tower, they won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¯ The God of Proof had to get the permission of the Tower to summon me, so I was sure of that. I knew that I didn¡¯t need to tremble while fearing a God. So that¡¯s why I decided to stop thinking about complex things for a while. ¡¸You¡¯ve entered the waiting room of the 12th floor.¡¹ I must stop thinking about these things. It was now time to prepare to face a new trial. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 105 Chapter 105: Divinity (3) ¡¸Entering the waiting room of the 12th floor.¡¹ ¡¸Challenger Han Sungyeun¡¯s trial observation restriction has been lifted.¡¹ ¡¸The system is expanding.¡¹ ¡¸Earth has been registered as an official climbing dimension of the Tower of Trials.¡¹ ¡¸As a benefit of being registered as an official dimension, it will be partially protected from dimensional invasion.¡¹ ¡¸Now, beings from other dimensions will have a penalty while moving to Earth.¡¹ ¡¸As a benefit of being registered as an official climbing dimension, other people besides the challenger can obtain a halo.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± As I returned to the waiting room, I received numerous messages saying the system had expanded. ¡°Registered as an official climbing dimension¡­¡± Did that mean it was now at the same level as Ares or Murim? Anyway, the system expansion was, for me, a huge benefit. ¡®Since it¡¯s a small dimension, it was quite bad in terms of invading other dimensions¡­¡¯ Now, challengers from other worlds like Namgung Hyuk wouldn¡¯t be able to come to Earth easily. Up until that point, there wasn¡¯t any penalty. But now that it had been registered as an ¡®official climbing dimension,¡¯ it would start being protected from invasions. I was feeling relieved when new messages began appearing. ¡¸Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ looks at the contractor that has returned and asks if he¡¯s safe.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ¡®White Crane Sword Saint¡¯ is checking out the contractor¡¯s state with teary eyes.¡¹ This time it wasn¡¯t dull system messages but ones from the administrator. It was at that moment when what the God of Proof had said passed through my mind. -Pseudo-divinity. I mean, according to the language of the Tower¡ª ¡®administrators¡¯? I wondered if they were beings that had obtained a pseudo-divinity after making a contract with the Tower. That¡¯s right. The administrators that were worried about my status were some kind of Gods. Although according to the God of Proof, they weren¡¯t real gods, but rather beings that had obtained a pseudo-divinity¡­ But still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the administrators had a kind of divinity inside them. According to what I¡¯d heard in the Temple of Proof, the system that let me buy the powers, which were the administrator¡¯s abilities, was most likely ¡®God¡¯s Power.¡¯ ¡®Taking that into consideration, what the God of Proof had said about the administrators being entities with pseudo-divinity isn¡¯t a lie.¡¯ While I was at the Tower¡¯s beginning, I wondered whether the administrators were really Gods or not. ¡®But the situation has completely changed from that time.¡¯ Now I know that the Tower is a kind of high-conscious entity. Even if they were pseudo-divine beings, to think they could resurrect the challengers with their divinity¡­ Not even Gods could easily deal with this Tower. Why had this Tower created the administrator, and why was it raising challengers? And¡ª ¡®What is it trying to do by making the challengers reach the top of the Tower?¡¯ I began wondering about why the Tower of Trials was making the challengers try to reach the end of the Tower. Of course, this wasn¡¯t something I could find an answer to, no matter how much I thought about it. So¡­ ¡¸Administrator ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ is inviting you to the territory of the administrators.¡¹ I will figure out the truth, little by little. For the Me that¡¯s going to reach the end of the Tower. * * * What I saw as he opened my eyes was a white sword graveyard. One of the two invitations I¡¯d just received was from the administrator, ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch.¡¯ The Iron-blooded Monarch was the first being who¡¯d made a contract with me. She was also the administrator who had made an apostle contract with me. If there was something I wanted to know, I should ask her first. Probably. ¡°¡­¡± ¡¸Entering the Iron-blooded World.¡¹ I¡¯d gotten used a bit to the territory of the administrators, but now I found it weird. ¡®Maybe the territory of the administrator is, in theory, similar to the territory of God?¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯d learned that administrators are pseudo-divine beings¡­ But I¡¯d started associating everything related to the administrators with God. I stopped thinking about those things and walked through the garden full of snow and entered a hut. And¡ª ¡°Han Sungyeun!¡± The moment I entered the hut, the ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯ came walking toward me. The ¡®Iron-blooded Monarch¡¯, who came with her hair fluttering, was in an excited state. ¡°Are you hurt¡­?! Didn¡¯t the God of Proof put a curse upon you!?¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch was someone who always looked calm¡­ But it seemed like after hearing that someone who¡¯d made a contract with her had been forcibly summoned by God, she¡¯d been worrying. After seeing her reaction, I felt my doubts become diluted. I thought the Iron-blooded Monarch would interrogate me. But seeing her worried this much about me made my negative emotions blur out. I was feeling confused after seeing an unexpected side of her. ¡°Ah¡­ Something like that didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­Are you telling me the truth? You aren¡¯t hiding anything from me?¡± ¡°No, why would I hide something like that?¡± There wasn¡¯t even time to be cursed. The God of Proof just talked to me without even showing himself. Not only that, but the meeting only took a short time. I told that to the Iron-blooded Monarch. ¡°The God of Proof just talked with me.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I guess not even the God of Proof can do anything to a challenger inside the Tower.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch calmed down after I explained things to her. ¡°Ehem¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t hurt.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch blushed. Then she turned around and sat in the chair in front of the table. ¡°You¡¯re probably going to have a hard time explaining things while standing up, so take a seat and continue.¡± The office resembled a cabin from the middle ages, so it went very well with the Iron-blooded Monarch. ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded and sat on the sofa that was next to the table. As I did that, the Iron-blooded Monarch frowned and looked at me in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve shown a scarily impressive growth rate¡­ but to think that a God would show interest.¡± I opened my mouth after seeing her reaction, as if she really hadn¡¯t expected the God of Proof to intervene. ¡°Do Gods not intervene in the trials?¡± ¡°In most cases, yes. It¡¯s just that this was a special case.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Usually, Gods from other dimensions have a hard time trying to see what¡¯s going on in the Tower.¡± ¡°Then why did he summon me to God¡¯s territory after analyzing me?¡± ¡°Because the place of the trial was the temple of the God of Proof¡­ Although it was a replica, that doesn¡¯t mean that a God can¡¯t exercise his strength in his own temple.¡± ¡°I see. So he was able to exercise influence because it happened in his temple.¡± *** [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** With that, I was able to solve most of the doubts I had. A God interfering in a trial, like what happened on the 11th floor, was a special case. Gods probably wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere in future trials. I nodded and looked at the Iron-blooded Monarch. ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to ask¡­ Is that okay?¡± I had answered a few doubts I had, so I decided to talk about the main topic. ¡°Obviously¡­ You¡¯re quite careful, considering we made a disciple contract. You can treat me more comfortably¡­¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch agreed while making an expression that made it seem like she didn¡¯t like that. ¡®What should I ask¡­¡¯ To be honest, there were numerous things I wanted to ask. Why did the Tower of Trials send me a message saying that it had high hopes for me as if it were an intelligent being? Why did the Tower of Trials create the administrators¡ª pseudo-divine beings ¡ªto raise challengers? Why did the God of Proof say that other Gods would start having animosity toward me now? There were many other questions I had¡­ But among all those questions, there was something I had to ask first. ¡°Did you know that the Tower is trying to make me achieve something through you?¡± * * * At the end of the 11th floor¡¯s trial, the God or Proof had said to me¡ª -To create a ¡®real¡¯ by becoming a disciple of a pseudo-divine being¡­ So that¡¯s what happened. I see¡­ Challenger Han Sungyeun, so you weren¡¯t a normal being. The God of Proof said that as if I were a special being who was being raised through an administrator. I wasn¡¯t sure what the ¡®real¡¯ I heard that time meant¡­ But if there¡¯s something I became sure about was that the Tower was trying to make me achieve something through an administrator. Because of that, I thought of a certain possibility. ¡®That something is if the administrator Iron-blooded Monarch and the administrator White Crane Sword Saint aren¡¯t deceiving me.¡¯ Of course, both administrators had a good opinion of me. But thinking that maybe the reason behind that was because of the Tower¡¯s intentions made me a bit uncomfortable. So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate and asked them directly. If they knew about the Tower¡¯s intentions and had been acting dumb until this point while deceiving me. And¡­ ¡°Are you asking if the Tower is expecting something from the challengers through the administrators?¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch narrowed her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t understand my question. ¡°It isn¡¯t something grand like that. I just wanted to know if there¡¯s something it wants from me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. No, in the first place. There¡¯s no way the Tower wants something from an individual challenger.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°No one knows the intentions of the Tower. That¡¯s also the case for me, an administrator.¡± ¡°Then, the Tower wanting something from me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be true. Up until this point, the Tower has never revealed its goals to a challenger.¡± After saying that, the Iron-blooded Monarch kept talking while touching her soft chin. ¡°So there¡¯s no way the Tower is expecting something from a certain challenger.¡± But I definitely felt that there was something the Tower wanted from me. ¡®There¡¯s no way all of that was a lie.¡¯ The Tower had said it had high hopes for me, and the God of Proof had reacted as if he found that funny. Most of the things the God of Proof said were probably true. It seemed like the Iron-blooded Monarch read my expression, so she opened her mouth again before I could say anything. ¡°But seeing you talk like that¡­ I guess you¡¯ve heard something from someone.¡± ¡°Yes. The God or Proof said that it thought the Tower wanted something from me.¡± ¡°God¡­! As expected, so that¡¯s why you¡¯ve asked me that¡­!¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch looked at me with her eyes wide open. ¡°Leaving aside the intention of the Tower, I didn¡¯t receive any indication as an administrator¡­¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s something the Tower wants from me?¡± ¡°Yes. After all, most administrators just follow the Tower¡¯s indications silently. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I know why you¡¯re asking me that¡­ I¡¯m also a subordinate of the Tower. But that isn¡¯t something I know.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I was relieved and a bit disappointed at the same time. If administrators knew more about the Tower, I might have been able to answer my doubts easier. Of course, I left such disappointments behind and asked other questions I had. ¡°Now that I think about it, the God of Proof said that administrators are beings that have signed a contract with the Tower and have obtained pseudo-divinity. What does that mean?¡± ¡°Pseudo-divinity¡­ It¡¯s some sort of immortality. You use the title given to you by the Tower as your God name and become an entity similar to a God.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s used to revive the challengers that died. Although it¡¯s called pseudo-divinity, it can¡¯t be compared to real divinity.¡± ¡°Then, could I also get immortality?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to say you can¡¯t. The divinity inside you doesn¡¯t have the requirements to obtain immortality. Unless you sign a contract with the Tower, you won¡¯t be able to get it.¡± After hearing the explanation from the administrator, I realized that the pseudo-divinity wasn¡¯t actually that impressive. ¡®Leaving the immortality factor aside, it doesn¡¯t seem to have much difference from a normal challenger.¡¯ Of course, being immortal by itself is a huge merit, but¡­ The God of Proof had almost killed me just by looking at me. Not only that, but he had used his divine power to summon me to God¡¯s territory. Considering those things, I realized there was a huge difference between real divinity and pseudo-divinity. I nodded and opened my mouth while making a serious expression on my face. ¡°Then, there¡¯s one last thing I wanted to ask¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s a wish you wanted to realize?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°The administrator White Crane Sword Saint said that¡¯s something the Tower gave administrators.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He said that administrators can achieve through the challengers what they wish.¡± ¡°I see¡­ so that guy has already talked about this.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch smiled bitterly while looking at me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about that?¡± Unlike the questions I asked before, this was just because of curiosity. Why had the Iron-blooded Monarch had hidden it from him, unlike the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡®Seeing her reaction, it seems like she didn¡¯t intend to hide it from me¡­¡¯ After a short silence, the Iron-blooded Monarch explained it to me. ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t tell you about that is that I was afraid¡­¡± She said while smiling bitterly. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. Afraid? ¡°What does that¡­¡± ¡°You underestimate yourself too much and are obsessing too much about growing.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I thought you might fly like a fire moth to the trials to grow forcibly.¡± ¡°You were scared about that¡­?¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch nodded while blushing, which wasn¡¯t something that suited her. ¡®Even if I obsess too much about growth, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ It seemed like everyone saw me as a crazy person obsessed with growth. But I didn¡¯t think I was trying too hard to achieve growth. I just did enough so I wouldn¡¯t get killed. And the fact I was here without having died was evidence for that. When I said my honest thoughts, the Iron-blooded Monarch frowned and denied it. ¡°That line of thought is dangerous. Saying that it¡¯s okay because you¡¯re only trying enough so you don¡¯t get killed. Unknowingly, you¡¯ve been pushing yourself to the edge.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree with those words. But still, I didn¡¯t agree with everything. ¡°That might be true¡­ but I don¡¯t have talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I try hard enough only within safe parameters, I won¡¯t grow fast.¡± ¡°You thinking that is the problem. You don¡¯t have talent? Out of the question..¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I had to wonder, what was she talking about while frowning like that¡­? ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you think talent is but¡­ soon, you¡¯re going to realize that you¡¯ve underestimated yourself too much.¡± The Iron-blooded Monarch said with a sharp voice. ¡°Because¡­¡± She even¡­ ¡°The trial of the 12th floor is a fight against yourself.¡± ¡­told me details about the trial of the 12th floor. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 106 Chapter 106: Real Talent (1) ¡¸You¡¯ve entered the waiting room on the 12th floor.¡¹ I was standing still with my eyes narrowly open after returning from talking with the Iron-blooded Monarch. It didn¡¯t matter how much I thought about it. I couldn¡¯t believe what the Iron-blooded Monarch told me. ¨C You have talent. And one that¡¯s strong enough to make your ambitions come true. I¡¯d used the right to ask questions to obtain more details about the 12th floor. And that¡¯s what the Iron-blooded Monarch told me when I was about to return to the waiting room. ¡°¡­¡± Talent. Talent was something given to you by the heavens that couldn¡¯t be obtained even with effort. Skill acquisition aptitude. Stat increase aptitude. Attribute bloom aptitude. After awakening as a player, people obtain these 3 aptitudes. People often call these the 3 qualities of a hunter. Other things weren¡¯t considered a talent. Your physical capabilities or battle sense could be covered with a skill or an attribute. You could even obtain battle techniques with skills. If you left these 3 things aside, the other things weren¡¯t at a level that could be called talent. Talent is something you cannot overcome with effort. It¡¯s something that¡¯s decided from the beginning. And¡­ ¡®I wasn¡¯t born with any of those.¡¯ Before coming to the Tower of Trials, I was a player who didn¡¯t have those qualities at all. I wasn¡¯t able to obtain a skill, my stats didn¡¯t increase, and I wasn¡¯t able to obtain an innate ability. If we took aside that I had awakened, I didn¡¯t have any trait that would make people consider me a player. Someone like me has talent¡­? There¡¯s no way that was true. ¡®The Iron-blooded Monarch has probably misunderstood something. And that¡¯s why she thinks I have talent.¡¯ If I had something like that, I would¡¯ve probably been able to become a famous hunter without coming to the Tower. But the reality was harsh. I was able to obtain those only after I came to the Tower. And that was possible because the Tower awakened those inside me as a reward for completing the tutorial trial. Taking those things into consideration, the correct thing to say was that I didn¡¯t have talent¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Up until this point, the Iron-blooded Monarch hadn¡¯t said anything that could harm me. I¡¯m sure she hadn¡¯t said that just for the sake of saying it, but I couldn¡¯t understand why she said I have talent. I thought about it for a while but ended up reaching the same conclusion. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how much I think about it. I¡¯m going to reach the same conclusion.¡¯ But¡­ Now, it was time to prepare for the trial of the 12th floor. According to what I heard by using a question right from the Iron-blooded Monarch, the trial on the 12th floor was a fight against yourself. This wasn¡¯t something said metaphorically. The Tower really created a copy of yourself, and you had to win a fight against it. Was it going to be something more similar than the doppelganger he¡¯d faced in the trial of the 3rd floor? It would be a fight against someone with the same unique attribute, skills, and stats. But¡­ The copy wouldn¡¯t stop there. But it would also copy his experience. That meant¡­ ¡®My copy will know all of my possible strategies.¡¯ Not only that, but the Iron-blooded Monarch said that it was also going to copy my talent. To make things worse, he would be able to use effectively talent he didn¡¯t even know he had. While fighting, it might learn a skill through an awakening, or his stats might increase. ¡®If that happens, the difficulty would increase and become horrible.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t have a talent for learning skills or stat increase. I probably wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my clone becoming stronger during battle. The Iron-blooded Monarch said it would copy only one of my items, and its rank would go down by 1. ¡®Not having item advantage will probably be the decisive thing that will let me have an easy win.¡¯ It was obvious that I would think I¡¯d be able to overcome the trial of the 12th floor easily. But this trial was to test my strength rationally. Going up floors without doing much because of fear of your copied self? That was like not using the 12th trial correctly. It was the perfect opportunity to get an objective view of your fighting capabilities, usage of skills, and other things that could help you grow. So trying to clear it as easily as possible was dumb. Most people would avoid choosing the hard difficulty and choose the easy one while doing the trial of the 12th floor. ¡®I¡¯m going to take this opportunity to get a more realistic view of my fighting capabilities and improve them.¡¯ I took out the inventory and took out the potions that increased the skill proficiency rate. ¡¸Skill Proficiency Potion¡¹ ¡¸Rank: C+¡¹ ¡¸A special potion created by the Tower for those that have skills.¡¹ ¡¸After using it, you can increase the proficiency of a skill by 10%.¡¹ Catherine gave me in total three skill proficiency potions. Each increased your proficiency rate by 10%. So I could increase it by 30% in total. ¡®Using it separately wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice¡­ But it isn¡¯t effective.¡¯ The potion didn¡¯t increase the proficiency a lot, so using it in different skills wasn¡¯t very effective. After deciding that, I opened the status window and picked a skill in which I¡¯d invest the skill proficiency potions. *** [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** ¡¸You¡¯ve consumed a Skill Proficiency Potion (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Choose the skill you would like to increase the proficiency of.¡¹ Then he picked the skill he would invest the skill proficiency potions. ¡°Mana Management.¡± ¡¸Selection finished.¡¹ ¡¸Challenger Han SungYoon¡¯s skill ¡®Mana Management (A-)¡¯ skill proficiency is increasing by 10%.¡¹ ¡¸Challenger Han SungYoon¡¯s skill ¡®Mana Management (A-)¡¯ skill proficiency is increasing by 10%.¡¹ ¡¸Challenger Han SungYoon¡¯s skill ¡®Mana Management (A-)¡¯ skill proficiency is increasing by 10%.¡¹ This skill he had obtained after hunting the Darkness Snake in the 10th floor¡¯s trial was very important. The sword techniques were techniques that used mana management. And this skill lets you use them more effectively. ¡®If I increase its efficiency and its rank, maybe I¡¯m going to be able to use mana management in a new way.¡¯ Of course, I still hadn¡¯t achieved that realization, so I couldn¡¯t increase its ranking yet¡­ Either by obtaining more skill proficiency potions or reaching a realization, I thought I¡¯d be able to increase its ranking. ¡°¡­¡± I silently made the mana run through my body. ¡®The mana runs more smoothly now.¡¯ After feeling that the mana management had become smoother, I opened my eyes, satisfied. ¡¸The level of Mana Management has increased, and mana attribute blooming has been generated.¡¹ ¡¸Because of the influence of ¡®Necklace of Thunder God Worshiper (A)¡¯, a thunder-type mana attribute is blooming.¡¹ At the same time, the effect of the ¡®Necklace of Thunder God Worshiper¡¯ activated. Bzzt¡­! As if it were announcing to me that a mana attribute had blossomed, lightning bolts started to bounce around my body. I laughed in disbelief at the unexpected mana attribute blooming. ¡®Something like this can happen when you improve the mana management¡­?¡¯ I had forgotten that I had an item like this. You were able to unlock a mana attribute, but there was no way to know when you¡¯d unlock it. So I hadn¡¯t been caring about it too much. ¡°That was lucky. There¡¯s nothing bad to getting a mana attribute.¡± Of course, using it correctly would take some time. ¡®I guess it¡¯s a huge achievement for the moment, having been able to unlock a mana attribute.¡¯ While thinking about what I should do, I remembered the reward of the trial of the 11th floor. ¡°Was it called Rusty Mirror of Proof¡­?¡± After thinking about it for a while, I took out the Rusty Mirror of Proof. Although it had a minus, it was the first S-rank item I had obtained. I thought that I should at least check out what effect it had. ¡¸Rusty Mirror of Proof¡¹ ¡¸Rank: S-¡¹ ¡¸A mirror that can be received only by those that have correctly fulfilled the trial given by the God of Proof.¡¹ ¡¸If you put mana in the mirror, you can use its unique effect, ¡®Residual Thoughts,¡¯ once.¡¹ ¡°What? Is that all¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe what I was reading. To think that the reward I¡¯d obtained after so much effort was something like this¡­ I felt disappointed, but I realized not everything was as it seemed at first glance. ¡®No, I can¡¯t be sure yet.¡¯ There might be some hidden message in the mirror, so I activated the Fire Dragon Core. ¡¸The skill ¡®Fire Dragon Core¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸You can use the skill inside ¡®Residual Thoughts¡¯ once¡­¡¹ ¡¸But the user cannot choose the skill inside ¡®Residual Thoughts.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸The God of Proof has especially changed its effect for one challenger¡­¡¹ I sighed in relief after seeing the hidden message. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what the effect of Residual Thoughts is, but it¡¯s probably a good one.¡¯ Not only that, but it said that I could obtain a skill inside ¡®Residual Thoughts,¡¯ so it was a satisfying result. I could fuse skills, so the more skills I obtained, the more my possible selection choices would increase. Even if I faced myself on the 12th floor, that wouldn¡¯t change. I used mana while looking at the old and rusty Mirror of Proof, which looked like a handheld mirror. ¡¸The effect of Rusty Mirror of Proof (S-) ¡®Residual Thoughts¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ I could see the blurry look of a certain man passing through the mirror. It was someone I¡¯d seen at the last part of the trial of the 11th floor¡¯s trial. It was the person who¡¯d tested the limits of my mental capabilities and caused a massive annihilation inside the mirror. ¡®Me¡­?¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me that the Residual Thought that¡¯s inside the Rusty Mirror of Proof is¡­ ¡¸The skill of Rusty Mirror of Proof (S-) ¡®Residual Thoughts¡¯ has activated, and you¡¯re going to obtain a skill that¡¯s inside the ¡®Residual Thoughts.¡¯¡¹ Is it the future me I¡¯ve seen? ¡®What kind of nonsense is this¡­¡¯ But before I could keep thinking about that, my reflection inside the mirror disappeared. ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained the skill ¡®Battle Concentration (A+).¡¯¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve gained the battle experience of the skill ¡®Battle Concentration (A+)¡¯ from inside the Residual Thoughts.¡¹ I just kept looking at the system messages. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t see myself in the mirror anymore. I tried to put in mana one more time, but there was no difference from before. Not only that, but now, I couldn¡¯t see the hidden message anymore. ¡®The God of Proof changing part of its effect¡­ Was it referring to this?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what its original effect was. But this Residual Thoughts were definitely mine. It was probably related to my future self I¡¯d seen at the last part of the trial of the 11th floor. I kept thinking while silently looking at the mirror. ¡°¡­¡± Maybe this was like an invitation the God or Proof had left for me. He¡¯d even asked me to visit the ¡®Temple of Proof.¡¯ He¡¯s waiting for me to go and visit the Temple, so he left me an invitation like this. As if he were saying that if I¡¯m wondering about my future self, I better go and meet him. ¡°How fun.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why, but it seemed like the God or Proof was interested in me. But I didn¡¯t know his goals, so I had no intention of accepting that invitation. He was able to summon me to the God¡¯s territory forcibly. So if I went to the Temple, I could be in danger. ¡®I should go once I get enough strength¡­ When I¡¯m at least able to resist a God¡¯s actions.¡¯ This was just an intuition, but I thought the answer was related to Divinity. The God of Proof and the Administrators thought of this power called Divinity as special. That means that inside the Divinity, there might be a way to resist pseudo-divine beings or even a real God. ¡®I should try to study more about the Divinity¡­¡¯ Of course, right now, I couldn¡¯t properly use it. I opened the status window and checked out the newly obtained skill. ¡¸Skill ¨C Battle Concentration (A+)¡¹ ¡¸Proficiency Rate ¨C 11%¡¹ ¡¸Explanation ¨C When you¡¯re in battle, it gives you the power to exercise extreme concentration.¡¹ ¡¸Effect ¨C It automatically activates when you enter battle, and you can temporarily increase your concentration. At the moment, you can only increase it to 10 times. If you reach a concentration beyond that, you¡¯ll get a recoil.¡¹ Increasing your concentration in a battle was a simple effect, so I didn¡¯t need to check it out any longer. ¡°Nice timing.¡± I had obtained a skill like this when I was about to face a battle. I was going to be able to find numerous ways to use that skill in real-life situations. ¡¸Will you accept the 12th floor¡¯s trial?¡¹ Now, it was about time to challenge myself. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 107 Chapter 107: Real Talent (2) After I stepped inside the portal that led to the 12th floor¡ª I thought the 12th floor might have an unexpected stage background like the 11th floor. ¡¸Entering the 12th floor of the Tower of Trials.¡¹ ¡¸Difficulty ¨C Hard¡¹ ¡¸The topic of this Trial is ¡®Go beyond your limits.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸To stop advice messages, administrators won¡¯t be able to send messages temporarily.¡¹ ¡¸May the challenger find a satisfying result at the end of the selected asceticism.¡¹ The reason why I thought that¡­ ¡¸Starting the trial of the 12th floor.¡¹ ¡¸Remaining time ¨C 48 hours¡¹ ¡¸Trial Breakthrough Condition ¨C Kill your clone within the time limit¡¹ ¡¸Trial Fail Condition ¨C Challenger¡¯s death or no time left.¡¹ ¡¸Trial Breakthrough Reward ¨C (Ancient¡¯s Emperors Gray Crown A-)¡¹ ¡¸Trial Fail Penalty ¨C Death¡¹ The stage of the 12th floor that I could see behind the portal was a ruin that emitted an evil aura. ¡°¡­¡± I frowned after looking at the unknown letters on the mural. It was such an evil-looking mural that just looking at the letters made you feel unpleasant. ¡®This doesn¡¯t look like the stage of a normal Trial.¡¯ But after looking at the runes with more detail, I realized it wasn¡¯t something that impressive. I walked toward the circle drawn with blood that was in the middle of the runes. The sticky mana gathered around the area made it hard to breathe. ¡¸The blessing of the God of Darkness has detected infiltrators and has created protecting soldiers.¡¹ As if it were doing storytelling, the Tower sent me messages. And¡ª ¡¸Now, the infiltrator must think about how much he knows about himself.¡¹ I frowned after reading the message sent by the Tower. I immediately understood what kind of story this was. I had currently reached the middle of the runes of an ancient palace, and it had activated to eliminate me¡­ In the 12th floor¡¯s trial, rather than the story, I was more worried about the being that had given a blessing to this ancient palace. ¡®I wasn¡¯t expecting to get involved with another God.¡¯ God of Darkness? Was this floor related to a God, just like the previous one? ¡®I hope there isn¡¯t a huge variable in this floor¡­ but I guess I¡¯ll have to figure that out later on.¡¯ They¡¯d even blocked messages from the administrators, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to overcome it by listening to any advice. Previously, the administrator¡¯s ability to look had been canceled because of the God of Proof. So it was true that I was feeling reluctant. But before I could finish that line of thought, the circle in the middle of the runes began shining. In an instant, darkness began gathering and took a form. And¡ª ¡¸The item ¡®Vampire Count¡¯s Rusty Tail Coat (A-)¡¯ has been cloned.¡¹ ¡¸Kill the other you that the God of Darkness has created.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± The Dark figure that had appeared on top of the circle¡­ has perfectly copied my outer appearance. Mildly messy hair. Emotionless eyes. A battle stance that had been perfected with diverse skills. That was the image I knew of myself. With my eyes wide open, I started to look at my clone. ¡®It really looks like me¡­ It¡¯s a real-looking fake.¡¯ To think that he had recreated me so perfectly gave me chills. But this replica had only one item from the ones I have. ¡®Just like the Iron-blooded Monarch said, it seems like only one item was copied¡­¡¯ Not only that, it didn¡¯t have any weapon in his hand. Taking these things into consideration, it was clear who had the advantage. After finishing checking out the replica, I quickly stomped into the ground and activated my skills. ¡¸The skill ¡®Instant Acceleration¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Battle Concentration¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ ¡¸The concentration of the user has doubled.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Wind¡¯s Grace¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ ¡¸Your speed has increased by 70%.¡¹ ¡¸Current skill overlap progress ¨C 7/7¡¹ The moment my body began accelerating to the limit, the flow of time became slower. ¡®So this is Battle Concentration.¡¯ It felt as if I was watching a slow-motion video. But it didn¡¯t seem like a skill I would have to get used to. ¡¸The user¡¯s concentration rate has increased by 1.7 times.¡¹ Now, I could instantly learn how to use and control a skill. It was probably something that happened after I reached Sword Flame status, and my thoughts became stronger. ¡¸The power ¡®Sword Flame¡¯ has activated.¡¹ I had used all of the skills I could. Not only that, but I had poured Sword Flame into the Blood Demon Sword. I was expecting that even though it was a replica, it would be pushed back by my items and the advantage of being the first to attack. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll just have to push forward and analyze myse¡­¡¯ But¡ª Clang! The replica had summoned in his hand the ¡®Iron-blooded Sword (A-).¡¯ I wasn¡¯t expecting the power I received from the Iron-blooded Monarch to be used this way¡­ ¡®As expected from a power, the Iron-blooded Sword¡¯s capabilities seem good.¡¯ I was satisfied with the reaction of the replica. After all, the Iron-blooded Sword was a power I had. The replica was just a copy of me. Later on, I was going to be the one using this power. So it was natural for me to be satisfied. At the point when I could no longer use the Blood Demon Sword, this power would be very useful to me. But I couldn¡¯t keep that line of thought for much longer. *** [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** FWOOSH! It was because the replica pushed me back with an attack. I minimized the recoil, and I looked at him in confusion after sliding back. How could he push me back so easily with a sword¡­? We were both holding a sword, but the results were too different. ¡®What? I feel like I¡¯m being pushed back in terms of strength¡­¡¯ Was it that the skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯ I had absorbed from Resillian had activated? There was a chance that was the case. ¡®Is that why its physical strength is higher than mine?¡¯ I could understand that because I have the advantage thanks to the items¡­ ¡¸You¡¯ve encountered an enemy you¡¯re going to struggle to face.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯ is being activated.¡¹ ¡°¡­?!¡± But those thoughts were canceled by the message that said the skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯ had been activated. There¡¯s a huge difference between our items. Yet I encountered an opponent hard to handle¡­? Then that meant the replica had pushed me back without the buff of the skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯¡­ I couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®No way.¡¯ Our physical specs might be the same. But the difference of the numerous buffs received from items was hard to overcome. Items were also recognized as specs. And the higher-rank items you obtained, the stronger you would become. But¡­ ¡®Why did the system consider me to be at a disadvantage?¡¯ If Indomitable Will had activated, that meant the skill considered the replica had an advantage over me. How? But I couldn¡¯t think of that question any longer. Because¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± In the hands of the replica, another sword had appeared. After seeing a red color float around the blade made of mana, I realized what that was. Because, after all, the other sword that had appeared in the replica¡¯s hand was another skill I had. ¡°¡­¡± Counter Shield. It was a defensive skill that let you save the received damage and then use it later. The shield had changed shape and took the form of a sword. It was hard to maintain the Counter Shield if you changed its shape. That¡¯s why I could only use it as a counter for big techniques like magic or power¡­ But a sword? I couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d chosen such an ineffective way. If things went on like this, not only I wouldn¡¯t be able to analyze myself. I would just have to look at a self-destruction process. That¡¯s why I left behind the possibility of using the 12th floor to get a neutral opinion of me. According to the information I received from the Iron-blooded Monarch, this replica was made by copying my ¡®experience.¡¯ I had never used double swords. So that meant that this should be his first time using double swords¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe it. To think it would use double swords, a technique not even I, the original, had been able to use yet. Not only that, but it was a sword that was created by using a technique that used a lot of mana. This was stupid. Leaving the Blessing of the God of Darkness aside, it was a fight against a fake that couldn¡¯t even think on its own. ¡®I should use as many skills as possible and end things quickly.¡¯ ¡¸The skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ The moment a blue thunderbolt surrounded the Blood Demon Sword. ¡¸You have thunder-characteristic mana.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Lightning Sword Ki¡¯ is fortified.¡¹ BZZT¡­!! The Lightning Sword Ki was fortified because of the mana¡¯s characteristics and became fortified. As the Lightning Sword Ki got added on top of the Sword Flame, it was obvious the attack outcome would get stronger. While holding the trembling blade, I swung it down. ¡¸Skill ¡®Storm Sword¡¯ is being activated.¡¹ ¡¸Because of the skill ¡®Storm Sword¡¯, wind attribute is being added to the sword.¡¹ Pang! As I swung the sword, the sword became covered with the wind. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ I was sure the trial was about to end soon. Clang¡­! ¡°¡­?!¡± Until I saw the replica brush away my Blood Demon Sword. ¡®He brushed off this away¡­?¡¯ Of course, the attack trajectory was obvious. Not only that, but stabbing was a normal attack form. But the Storm Sword skill was so fast that not even the replica should be able to catch off. More so if it was created with my experience as background. After all, I haven¡¯t used Storm Sword that much before. But the replica brushed it off as if it were nothing. I quickly understood the reason. ¡®Battle Concentration¡­!¡¯ After using it once, I became sure of its effect. So I didn¡¯t need to think that deeply about what he¡¯d used. It was a technique that increased your concentration for a short while and made time flow slower. You felt the world move slower¡­ I could understand what had happened if he¡¯d used that skill up to a limit and figured out the stabbing. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I still have the advantage.¡¯ A calmed down while telling myself I just had to seek the next opportunity and then swung my blade again. If I couldn¡¯t deal with him with a single attack, I just had to take some more time. But¡­ Clang! Clang! Clang! As the number of clashes increased, the replica¡¯s sword movements became smoother. The rusty double-sword movements now resembled the wings of a butterfly. And before I noticed, I the original was the one being pushed back. And¡ª I realized something after our swords clashed more than thirty times. I¡­ was being pushed back by the pure ability of the fake. And¡ª ¡®How crazy¡­¡¯ I understood why the Iron-blooded Monarch had said that I had talent. And the reason for that was¡­ ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see that sword technique again in this situation.¡± It was because of the fake¡¯s double swords, an energy similar to a strong opponent I¡¯d previously faced was flowing. A blue Sword Flame that reminded me of the blue sky. I¡¯ve only seen it once, yet it had left a deep impression in my mind. ¡®It¡¯s that guy¡¯s sword definitely¡­¡¯ The sword of the monstrously strong person who¡¯d blown away numerous buildings in Tokyo. Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, NamGung Hyuk¡¯s sword was being replicated by the replica¡¯s dual swords. ¡ª¡ª Chapter 108 [] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] Chapter 108: Real Talent (3) Flying Sword of Blue sky. I could still remember the technique NamGung Hyuk had shown in Shinjuku while mumbling the name. Was it because I had erased the flames that were generated with a power? Although I had only seen it once, I was sure it was the Flying Sword of Blue sky. It was something that wasn¡¯t a skill, a power, or a unique attribute. Just like NamGung Hyuk said, that technique could overcome skills. But the Flying Sword of Blue Sky wasn¡¯t a skill, and it wasn¡¯t something that I could learn. That¡¯s why I had concluded that the techniques NamGung Hyuk had used weren¡¯t ones I could learn. But¡­ ¡®Was the Flying Sword of Blue Sky a skill¡­?¡¯ As if the Replica were saying I was wrong, he was using NamGung Hyuk¡¯s techniques in both swords. Not only that, but it wasn¡¯t exactly the same as NamGung Hyuk¡¯s. It had some unique characteristics. I was surprised yet, at the same time, couldn¡¯t help but notice that the Replica¡¯s double sword abilities were poor. ¡¸The skill ¡®Sixth Sense¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ I realized that because of the Sixth Sense skill I activated while fighting. Thanks to that, I realized that the Replica¡¯s sword style wasn¡¯t that polished yet. But still, his sword techniques were stronger than NamGung Hyuk¡¯s. The Flying Sword of Blue sky I saw was a technique that swung the sword at a really high speed. It was usually a technique that was used to defend. But the Replica¡¯s Flying Sword of Blue Sky was mostly offensive. Maybe it was a change of thought. As if it were saying that the best defense was a good offense, it wasn¡¯t giving me space to dig in. In reality, I was able to get used to it after increasing my Battle Concentration three times. So it wasn¡¯t the wrong way. ¡®Same level as me¡­? He¡¯s just a monster¡­!¡¯ Seeing how he was pushing me in terms of strength, not skills, it was hard to call him a replica anymore. He was a swordsman comparable to a challenger from Murim. ¡®A copy of myself? How did they copy me to get such a monster as a result?¡¯ Was it because of that? The Replica still couldn¡¯t use the skills properly. ¡®I still have a chance. I need to kill him before his growth speed increases¡­¡¯ If I can use the skills up to a limit, it shouldn¡¯t be impossible for me to reverse the situation. I clenched my teeth and was about to brush off the dual swords attack. Pang! ¡°¡­?!¡± The moment I hit the dual swords, the Replica¡¯s arms seems to explode. I was surprised by it, so I slid back down and analyzed the situation. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what technique that is¡­¡¯ After getting a safe distance, I could analyze the situation better. Looking at the blood that had exploded and returned to normal made me understand what had happened. When we were close, the Replica used the skill ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood¡¯ to make its arms explode. ¡®He used the blood-controlling ability to make his arms explode and make me back off¡­? Why?¡¯ Truth-seeker of Blood was an ability that let you control your blood. Not only that, but it also allowed you to recover the lost blood automatically after a certain number of hours. But that only allowed him to gain a few hours. Furthermore, recovering your blood took quite some time. ¡®If he wanted to create an unexpected variable by making both arms explode, that¡¯s a mistake for sure.¡¯ After analyzing the situation instantly, I held the Blood Demon Sword tighter and was about to charge toward him when¡­ I realized his emotionless eyes were chillingly glaring at me. It was as if he¡¯d planned everything out. I couldn¡¯t help but stop and open my eyes wide. I realized my suspicions were right after looking at the attacks that ensued. KLIINNGG¡ª! You could see the ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ shining in the hands of the Replica. He had dismissed the Iron-blooded Sword, as though he wanted to restrict the recoil. ¡®Had he used a defensive skill like the Counter Shield as a sword for this¡­!¡¯ The Counter Shield had absorbed a lot of damage thanks to all the clashes we had¡­ Its damage output couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. I was forced to use a Counter Shield in the same way as him. ¡¸The skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ I used half of my mana and put it in the Counter Shield and was about to jump into the air and attack when¡­ The Replica twisted his waist, and his sword followed as if he were drawing a line. And¡ª CLANG¡ª! Flying Sword of Blue sky. The attack that had destroyed part of Tokyo hit me. *** [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** At that moment. The moment the Counter Shield was destroyed, my thought process accelerated because of Battle Concentration. In the hunter¡¯s world, talent allowed you systematically grow. Your ability to acquire new skills, how easily your stats improved, and your capacity to obtain new attributes. These three things combined made your talent. I soon realized that systematic talent was just your aptitude. It seemed like, in Murim, your talent wasn¡¯t determined by the system. If the talent determined by the system were everything, people from Murim wouldn¡¯t hate relying on them so much¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the case for Baek SeonHak and NamGung Hyeok. For people from Murim, the system was something they used because they had no other choice. Then what was talent for challengers from other dimensions? The answer to this question was in techniques that weren¡¯t skills. How well you could use ¡®techniques that weren¡¯t skills¡¯ like magic, martial arts, or a unique trait from your race. Your talent was decided at first by how well you understood those. Then the most important thing was how freely you could use such techniques. That was how most people from different dimensions thought of talent. But challengers from Earth weren¡¯t interested in the talent from techniques that weren¡¯t skills. It was understandable. A skill was specialized knowledge and a miracle of the system that even gave you the technique. Challengers from Earth probably didn¡¯t understand why they had to obsess more about techniques that weren¡¯t skills. Even I tried for a few years to obtain weapon-related skills by training. I had no intention of using my weapon without the necessary know-how. I had no other choice. There was no point in using weapon techniques that had no skill effects. That line of thought solidified while going up the Tower. That¡¯s why I had never thought about why people from Murim hated skills. But¡­ ¡®I finally understood.¡¯ Through this trial, all of the doubts that had been stacking up inside my head were solved. I now understood why Baek SeonHak hesitated before using a skill. Or NamGung Hyeok said the skill was fake. Unlike skills, they were used to using real techniques. To them, the system miracle was just a chain. Thanks to the fight with the Replica, I realized how important the techniques that weren¡¯t skills were. And¡ª ¡®The Replica is just a being that copied my experiences and talent.¡¯ From the point of view of a being from another dimension, I had a ridiculously incredible talent. ¡®Then, I can do it too.¡¯ The reason why the Replica had an advantage over me in the battle was that I didn¡¯t obsess about techniques. I never thought of trying to replicate the techniques of the Replica. And I tried to deny that I had talent. So¡­ ¡¸The Skill ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ has broken. You cannot reflect the damage received anymore.¡¹ Now, it was about time to face everything I¡¯d been denying. Not skill, but real techniques. ¡®Battle Concentration.¡¯ ¡¸The skill ¡®Battle Concentration¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ ¡¸The user¡¯s concentration has increased 10 times.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve reached a concentration state that¡¯s beyond your limits.¡¹ ¡¸If the skill is dismissed, you could receive a huge recoil.¡¹ While looking at the broken Counter Shield, I increased my cognitive ability. I needed some time before I could use Counter Shield again, so I had to gain some time. Of course, I got a message that said I¡¯d suffer a recoil later on. But I brushed off that message and looked at the Replica approaching me slowly. It seemed like he¡¯d been heavily inspired by NamGung Hyeok. It had copied his movements so much that it felt totally different from before. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d obtained a skill related to it. But to think that he¡¯d be able to use the same techniques in such a similar way. It didn¡¯t make sense to me¡­ But from now on, I would have to think differently. ¡®I must stop relying on skills so much.¡¯ The world had become slower. I grabbed the sword tighter. And then¡ª ¡®I have to empty everything and apply them in new ways.¡¯ I slowly started to empty everything that was in my mind. ¡°¡­¡± Throw away the common sense. ¡¸Because of your independent realization, the proficiency rate of ¡®Mana Management¡¯ has increased by 10%.¡¹ Throwing away my stubbornness. ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained the achievement, ¡®Enlightenment.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Your HP has increased by 1.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained the achievement, ¡®Trance.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Your Mana has increased by 4.¡¹ I felt like it took me a lot of time to throw away my reliance on skills. But in reality, only a few seconds had passed. Finally, I felt that I was standing at the same starting point as the Replica. And the reason for that was¡­ ¡®I¡¯m finally starting to understand.¡¯ I began to understand how his techniques worked after stopping trying to look at everything from the perspective of skills. And at an incredible speed. Maybe it was because my thoughts were still accelerated, the Replica still hadn¡¯t been able to touch me. Because of the two newly obtained achievements, my mana had increased. ¡®I recovered a bit of HP, and my Mana went up considerably.¡¯ It was as if I didn¡¯t have the penalty of being on the defensive anymore. Realistically, I had a good affinity with techniques rather than skills. Of course, I still had a bit of suspicion. But then, the Replica made absolutely no sense¡­ I probably had it. A talent similar to that. ¡®Let¡¯s not doubt and think about it slowly.¡¯ If I could reduce the distance between the Mana and HP, I felt I could quickly copy the Replica¡¯s techniques. Looking at the Replica after getting rid of my preconceptions made me understand many things. From the way of grabbing the sword and in what direction he was going to move it¡­ It was easy to understand after the knowledge that was inside the skill, Demon Slayer (B+), got fused with my thinking skills, which I guess was my talent. After I understood the theory of it, I realized that the Replica¡¯s movements lacked polishing. He hadn¡¯t used Sword Flame so that he could look very similar to NamGung Hyuk. ¡®He also hadn¡¯t mixed the Lightning Sword Ki.¡¯ After thinking about it for a while, I reached a conclusion. The Replica had put a great emphasis on imitating NamGung Hyuk. But unlike the Replica, I thought that fortifying the sword with the Sword Flame and Lightning Sword Ki wasn¡¯t a bad decision. Putting the attribute to cut everything in the Sword Ki. And the capability to destroy the Sword Ki in the Sword Flame. The Sword Ki would crumble at the Sword Flame. And I¡¯d be able to deal with Sword Flame with another Sword Flame. That was the basic theory behind Sword Flame. The more attributes you put into Sword Flame, the weaker its effects would become. That was because the mental capability of the user was limited. ¡®If he imitates NamGung Hyuk¡¯s Sword Flame, its innate nature would get lighter.¡¯ If the Replica¡¯s mental capabilities were similar to mine, that would become his weakness. If I added in the Sword Flame, which had the destructive characteristics of Sword Ki, and added Lightning Sword Ki which was generated with the support of the system, I would be the one who had the advantage. Of course, this was all in theory¡­ ¡¸The user¡¯s concentration rate is set to 2.8 times.¡¹ This is something I¡¯ll learn the answer to after both swords clash. I didn¡¯t hesitate and set the cognition again to fast and¡ª ¡¸The skill ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ Paf! I made the Replica¡¯s blood soar as it scattered away. The Replica used the blood-controlling abilities to dismiss it, but¡­ That was enough to make him lose concentration. Bam! I stomped on the ground and got close to the Replica. I swung the blade at him. Just like the Replica had swung the double swords at me without hesitation. Slash¡­! The Replica still had emotionless eyes. While his hands were bleeding, he generated a new set of blades. After he got another pair of twin blades, he tried to use them to defend against my attacks. Clang¡ª! But unlike before, the Replica¡¯s swords were pushed back while his hands trembled. It seemed like the Replica was astonished for the first time¡­ Slash! He backed off, even though it made him receive a wound. Even that small emotion he¡¯d just shown had disappeared. He had monstrous regenerative capabilities. So he probably thought that wouldn¡¯t stop him from obtaining victory. But after this clash, I felt that I had finally found the answer to defeat the 12th floors challenge. ¡®As expected. Even though he has copied me, it isn¡¯t that everything was set to be as effective as possible¡­¡¯ They had put focus on the techniques rather than the skill. But there wasn¡¯t that much difference from me. It¡¯s just that the Replica had been faster than me at understanding my talent and learning how to use it. Was it because of that? ¡¸You¡¯re facing an opponent you can perfectly deal with.¡¹ ¡¸The skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯ has been deactivated.¡¹ Even the skill thought the Replica wasn¡¯t a menace anymore. A smile appeared on my face. ¡®Finally, the situation has reversed.¡¯ Now, it was a matter of time before I won. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª CH 109 [] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] Chapter 109: Real Talent (4) Clang¡­! I narrowed my eyes and fell into deep thought after blocking Replica¡¯s dual swords with the Blood Demon Sword. I began wondering why the fake relied on duel-wielding swords. He should be able to deal enough damage output with one sword. I couldn¡¯t understand why he insisted so much on dual wielding. Of course, I understood that it was good to get the upper hand in the battle, but¡­ ; ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good enough to learn how to use it properly.¡¯ After overwhelming the Replica¡¯s attacks, we exchanged numerous blows. While doing that, I summoned the Iron-blooded Sword and began also duel-wielding swords. By duel-wielding swords, I tried to understand the Replica, but I couldn¡¯t find a meaningful answer. The Replica only knew how to do one-sided attacks. The Replica didn¡¯t mind getting hurt if that could let him deal a critical hit damage. As if that were the answer. It was the same for the Replica and me, but we couldn¡¯t keep having the Ashen Blood skill on forever. With the HP as the base, it allowed you to be a bit freer from wounds and other limitations. But there was a limit to it. He probably knew that. ¡®If he¡¯s attacking like this despite knowing that, it probably means he had other goals.¡¯ And¡ª I could more or less guess what that other goal was. Should I say that it¡¯s a frostbite strike that¡¯s mixed in skill combos? This was my guess, but the Replica was probably trying to earn some time before he could use the Counter Shield again. ¡®He¡¯s probably waiting for the cooldown time of Counter Shield to reset.¡¯ The Counter Shield, fused with NamGung Hyuk¡¯s Rolling Sword of Blue Sky, was definitely strong. And close to the damage output of NamGung Hyuk¡¯s attack. The Replica probably realized that technique was like my natural enemy. So he was likely forcibly trying to imitate NamGung Hyuk¡¯s attack. But that strategy didn¡¯t work against me anymore. Because¡­ ; ¡¸Deactivating the power, ¡®Iron-blooded Sword.¡¯¡¹ If the Replica could do it, now I could imitate him. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Counter Shield.¡¯¡¹ The Iron-blooded Sword in my hands had disappeared, and the Counter Shield in sword form appeared in my hand. ¡°¡­¡± The expression of the Replica, who¡¯d been attacking me like a crazy person, hardened. I could feel his eyes trembling a bit. Should I say this was the result of the strategy of earning time? I could increase my ability to dual-wield swords, so it was similar to the Replica¡¯s abilities. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve misunderstood something¡­¡± Unlike his hardened face, I was smiling. ¡°If you can do it, I can do it.¡± I was just playing with him because I wanted to see if he had another hidden trick. Slash! I didn¡¯t say anything else and swung the dual swords at the Replica. Clang¡­! I could see him blocking my attack with an anxious expression. His emotionless face was now full of astonishment. ¡®Now I¡¯m finally satisfied.¡¯ It was payback time. Clang¡ª! After our positions changed, the Replica began moving faster than before. As if he¡¯d crossed his limits, he was now attacking while moving smoothly like a fish. It was the Dragon Sword. His stance of only caring about attacking was nowhere to be seen¡­ ; Just like a fish trying to go up a waterfall, the Replica¡¯s dual swords were trying to reduce the damage received. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh in disbelief. The reason was¡­ ; ¡®I wonder how much he¡¯s going to try to imitate.¡¯ After NamGung Hyuk¡¯s Rolling Sword of Blue Sky, he imitated the Flying Sword of Blue Sky. But unlike before, he was trying to make the sword brush off everything. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine why he was doing that. ¡®He¡¯s probably trying to reduce the clash between the swords so the Counter Shield won¡¯t save up the impact.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t complete like that guy¡¯s move. After all, he¡¯d been able to extinguish the flames I had created in Tokyo with a power. Was it because he had to move the two swords smoothly to maintain calmness and softly deflect the attacks? The Replica now was only focusing on swinging the sword. If he kept resisting like this, he would be able to summon the Counter Shield again. It was as if he were trying to say he could also block the shock just like I did. Of course, that was a fake hope. ¡¸Activating the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play (C+).¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Increase the Attack Speed by 25%.¡¹ ¡¸Current skill stacking progress ¨C 10/10¡¹ Clang! Because of how much I swung the sword, I had completed stacking the ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play.¡¯ Holes were starting to appear in his movements. It was understandable. There was no way a copy would be able to block an attack even the original would struggle with. Because of that, the Counter Shield quickly saved up attacks, and the Replica knew that. That¡¯s why he tried to increase the patterns. FWUNG! He quickly moved his legs and targeted my stomach. Whish! Just like I¡¯d done before, he used the skill Storm Sword (C+) to increase the movement speed and try to stab me. Slash! After that, it seemed like he¡¯d made up his mind. He used the Truth-seeker of Blood, and blood thorns began pouring out from his body and tried to repel me. Of course, I dealt with those perfectly. ¡¸You¡¯ve activated the skill ¡®Truth-seeker of Blood.¡¯¡¹ Not only that, but his last move had been beneficial to me. ¡®We have the same level of Truth-seeker of Blood¡­ so there¡¯s no way it would work.¡¯ I took control of the blood thorns that were trying to attack me. It was as if the blood thorns that were pouring out of the body of the Replica had recognized me as their owner. I didn¡¯t miss that opportunity and absorbed those with my Counter Shield. BOOM¡ª! ¡¸Charging complete.¡¹ ¡¸You can reflect as an attack the damage saved up in the skill ¡®Counter Shield.¡¯¡¹ Of course, while making sure the impact hadn¡¯t diminished. Just with this, I was almost sure that I had won¡­ ; ¡®But I¡¯m going to make sure of it just in case.¡¯ I didn¡¯t stop there. I used the blood-controlling ability to grab them. I used part of the blood to fortify the blade, and then absorbed the rest with my body through the sword. BZZT¡­! The electricity of the blade got mixed with the fire and red thunder started to pour out. It seemed like the Replica felt he was about to lose, so he lept toward me like a beast. ¡¸The user¡¯s concentration increase rate has been fixed at 10 times.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve surpassed your limits.¡¹ ¡¸If dismissed, you could receive huge recoil.¡¹ But those beast-like movements felt slow to me. Was it because the world felt slow to me, thanks to the skill? I slowly lowered my body, twisted my waist, and rotated the sword. And¡ª The red thunder hit very precisely. ¡¸The damage saved up in the ¡®Counter Shield¡¯ is being emitted all at once.¡¹ While using all of the damage that I had saved up to that point¡ª ¡¸The skill ¡®Battle Concentration¡¯ has been deactivated.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re soon going to receive the recoil for having concentrated beyond your capabilities.¡¹ BOOM! The newly optimized Rolling Sword of Blue Sky swept away everything in front. ¡¸Congratulations, you¡¯ve defeated the 12th floor of the Tower of Trials.¡¹ ¡¸As a reward for clearing it, you¡¯ve obtained ¡®Ancient Emperor¡¯s Grey Crown (A-).¡¯¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained ¡®80,000 points¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve obtained ¡®3,500 SP¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸As an extra reward for clearing it, you¡¯ve obtained the skill ¡®Last Stand (B-)¡¯ as a reward.¡¹ ¡¸Move to the waiting room.¡¹ I looked at the Replica, who had collapsed on the floor of the ruins. After seeing that most of his waist had been blown away, I thought that not even I would be able to survive in such a situation. ¡®Is he really dead¡­?¡¯ I felt relieved after thinking that I¡¯d killed such a monstrous clone. ¡¸The proficiency rate of the skill ¡®Counter Shield (B)¡¯ has reached 100%.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the skill ¡®Counter Shield (B) has increased.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency rate of the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play (C+)¡¯ has reached 100%.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the skill ¡®Chaotic Sword-fighting Play (C+)¡¯ has increased.¡¹ Not only that, but while fighting, the proficiency rate of two of my skills had reached a 100%. The Counter Shield reached B+, and the Chaotic Sword-fighting Play, B-. The corner of my mouth went up after realizing I¡¯d gotten stronger. But that only lasted for a short while. I soon realized my body wasn¡¯t in a good state. My eyes and ears hurt. Blood was pouring out of them as if it were raining. Seeing how dizzy I was feeling, it seemed like I would have to enter the waiting room as fast as possible if I wanted to recover. ¡¸The skill ¡®Ashen Blood¡¯ has been activated.¡¹ The skill Ashen Blood activated, and I felt that my body was starting to get better. After all, Ashen Blood had an incredible capability that allowed him to recover even his arms and eyes if blown away. It was understandable that such little damage wouldn¡¯t be considered impossible to recover. ¡°Oof, haa¡­¡± I tried to get hold of myself and tried to control my breath. Was it because of the last attack? Or that I had dismissed the Battle Concentration? Or maybe because of both reasons¡­ ; But I was sure of something. ¡®I can¡¯t handle this crazy technique yet.¡¯ Rolling Sword of Blue Sky. No, how should I call this technique? I wasn¡¯t sure anymore. From how it looked, it seemed like I should call it Light Sword. The Rolling Sword of Blue Sky was so hard to use that I had to take my concentration to its limit. If I added more skills on top of it, I would receive a huge recoil. ¡®If I ever want to use it in a real-life battle, I will have to think about it carefully.¡¯ I used Truth-seeker of Blood to absorb blood and turned my head around. I looked at the corpse of the Replica, which was lying on the floor on top of the runes. No, to be more precise, I was looking at the Necromancer skill¡¯s effect on top of the Replica¡¯s corpse. ¡®The spirit of another me, huh? Interesting.¡¯ It was an enemy with the same stats, skills, and powers. The Replica had lost to me because of a small difference. I wasn¡¯t sure what I would be able to get by absorbing the spirit of such an opponent through Necromancy¡­ ; ¡¸You¡¯ve absorbed the soul of challenger ¡®Han Sungyeun.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Proficiency rate has increased to 28%.¡¹ But that was something I was about to learn. ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª CH 110 Chapter 110: Interim Closing (1) ¡¸The messages from Administrators that had been blocked have been reactivated again.¡¹ The moment I retrieved the Replica''s soul with Necromancy. "...?" I remembered the messages that had appeared at the beginning of the Trial. ¡¸To block helping messages, the Administrator''s messages have been blocked temporarily.¡¹ Now that I think about it, that was the reason why I hadn''t received any messages while doing the Trial was because of the Tower. Now that the Trial was over, that restriction would be lifted. But... ¡¸87 Administrators have looked at your Trial.¡¹ ¡¸All the messages that had been restricted will appear at once.¡¹ Unlike the previous floor... An overwhelming amount of messages appeared in front of me. ¡¸Administrator ''Knight Who Lost his King'' is impressed by your talent.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Right Arm of the Vampire Lord is looking at you with curiosity. Asking from where a monster like you has appeared.¡¹ There were some who were impressed by my talent or said that the difficulty of the Trial was monstrous. ¡¸Administrator ''The Hero Who Died Seven Times'' is looking at you in disbelief. Asking if monsters like you still appear on a floor like the 12th one.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''The Assassin Who Killed the Emperor'' is wondering if you''re really someone who has just finished the 12th floor''s trial.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Hero of a Fallen World'' says that he isn''t surprised anymore by your monstrous growth.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Fallen Heir of the Blood Demon Cult'' is interested in you.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''The Only One Who Serves the Holy Knight'' has great expectations of you.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Seeker of Divinity'' is looking at you cautiously.¡¹ There were some who looked at me with great interest as if they wanted me. ''Even if you have interest in me, you won''t be able to get anything...'' Of course, I''ve constantly been receiving interest from different Administrators. Maybe the Administrators could get something from a challenger they hadn''t signed a contract with. ''I''ll have to think about that later on.'' I found it entertaining looking at these messages. But once I realized most were impressed or greedy messages, I stopped being interested. ''Just acting like I¡¯m interested in Administrators like these should be enough.'' After a while, the messages finally stopped. Lastly, messages from Administrators I knew very well appeared. ¡¸Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' is smiling. She says that her eyes weren''t wrong and is happy to look at the talent of her contractor.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Iron-blooded Monarch'' says you''ve just recovered what should have been yours from the beginning.¡¹ Unlike others, the ''Iron-blooded Monarch'' and the ''White Crane Sword Saint'' have reacted as if they were expecting this to happen. Of course, that meant that they had that much trust in me... But after thinking about it carefully, I thought that the reaction of these two Administrators was the result of numerous calculations. The Iron-blooded Monarch had recognized in me a talent for martial arts. And even the White Crane Sword Saint had reacted as if she wasn''t surprised. ''Maybe it was a correct guess.'' From the point of view in terms of effectiveness, it might be better not to consider the Administrator''s comments as simple praise... ¡¸Administrator ''The Only One Who Serves the Holy Knight'' is looking at you.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Fallen Heir of the Blood Demon Cult'' is staring at you.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Seeker of Divinity'' is looking at you as if he is expecting something.¡¹ "..." The messages from Administrators that followed cut short my thoughts. It was as if they were looking at me, expecting something from me. ''I''m not sure why they''re doing this... But it seems like they definitely want something from me.'' Later on, the system would probably expand, and other Administrators would start asking me for things. I became almost sure of that. The main reason was how intensely the Administrators were looking at me. I couldn''t stand still if they wanted so much from me. I wasn''t sure what they wanted, but considering the Tower''s tendency, it probably wouldn''t be anything that could harm me. So that''s probably why the Administrators were looking at me in such an intense way. At that moment, I felt an idea shine. ''If the Administrators are showing their interest in me for the future, could I also ask them things first?'' Up until now, there weren''t that many Administrators interested in me, so I''m not sure, but... If they were expecting so much from me, it would be more effective to answer them. Trying to receive attention just from messages didn''t seem very effective. I felt too disappointed by going back just like this, with empty hands. So... "It seems like the system will expand in the future. And even non-contractual Administrators could receive benefits." I didn''t hold myself back and calmly opened my mouth. "Everyone, don''t you think you can do better than just send messages? As if you were testing the waters?" I said it as if I didn''t care about the results. "If you want something from me, give me a Power. If you do so, once the system expands, I will take you into consideration." And¡ª ¡¸Administrator First Dragon Slayer Born in a Thousand Years'' seems surprised.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Fallen Heir of the Blood Demon Cult'' snorts and says there''s no way.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Hero of a Fallen World'' asks if you aren''t being too egocentric. And says you should cam down.¡¹ As expected, he was hearing the Administrators complain. But I wasn''t too worried about that. Because... "Oh, by the way. I just want 3. First come, first serve." After I said that, the Administrators stopped caring about how they looked in front of others. ¡¸Administrator ''Fallen Heir of the Blood Demon Cult'' wants to add Powers to the contractor-exclusive shop.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator ''Hero of a Fallen World'' wants to add Powers to the contractor-exclusive shop.¡¹ ¡¸Administrator First Dragon Slayer Born in a Thousand Years'' wants to add Powers to the contractor-exclusive shop.¡¹ * * * ¡¸You''ve entered the waiting room of the 13th floor.¡¹ ¡¸The system is expanding.¡¹ ¡¸All the communities of Earth that had been divided by countries have been unified.¡¹ ¡¸Now you can use the community of other difficulties.¡¹ ¡¸Now the teammates assigned in the trials won''t be divided by countries.¡¹ ¡¸All the rankings that had been divided by countries are going to be unified.¡¹ ¡¸Now you can see the difficulty ranking of other countries.¡¹ After returning to the room after receiving different Powers as support, I began reading messages that had newly appeared. ''It''s a system increase that has nothing to do with me.'' It had been a while since I¡¯d used the community. Not only that, but rankings from other countries had nothing to do with me. The only thing that caught my attention was that the group Trial members wouldn''t be selected by country. ''But I also don''t care about it that much.'' Though it seemed like that wasn''t the case for other people. ¡¸You''ve entered the unified community.¡¹ ¡¸Difficulty - Hard¡¹ ¡¸13th Floor Community (2182/3121)¡¹ - TeokRamyeonMandooStew (Korea): Fuck... What kind of nonsense is this? Why unify a perfectly good community? - Grieff (U.S.A): Everyone, calm down. The communities being unified isn''t that much of a big deal. - Maymay (China): I have a lot of complaints about using the community with inferior people like you all. - Radin (Russia): Stop saying bullshit. You''re probably the useless one. Seeing people like you talking high and mighty makes me want to give everyone a good punch. - Maymay (China): LOL? If you''re mad, come to the common area. Sending off a guy like you is probably going to take only one hit. - Radin (Russia): Okay. Wait for me there. If you escape because you''re scared, I will beat your ass off if I meet you in a future Trial. - Maymay (China): I''m also going to beat you in a Trial. So I''m not sure what nonsense you''re saying. - TKP1870 (Netherlands): Woah. So there are people that still fight in the communities even at this point. It seemed like most people hadn''t gotten used to the unified communities. After looking at that, I realized what would happen later. ''Don''t tell me... Is the community going to get mixed with one from another dimension from the 20th floor onward?'' It seemed possible. It seemed like before inter-dimensional issues happened, they were testing the waters by fusing the communities of different countries. I didn''t think it mattered that much, so I turned off the communities and opened the inventory. Instead of things like that, I should put more effort into personal growth. ''There''s still a lot of things I need to take care of. So I have no time to waste.'' Of course, leaving the community''s issue aside, I became interested in the unified rankings. I was wondering how many people as strong as me there were on Earth. I couldn''t resist the urge to see the rankings and opened it. And¡ª "...?" I looked at the rankings with a blank expression. The reason was... ¡¸12 floor''s Trial ranking board¡¹ 1st. Hunter (SSS) 2nd. Great Sorcerer (SS+) 3rd. Kim SeungHoon (SS) 4th. Katherine Bennet (SS-) 5th. Bloody Lightsaber (SS-) 6th. Clock Tower''s Magician (SS-) 7th. Andrei Tarkaposki (S+) "What the..." It was because the nickname I had selected was on top of the list. "..." After looking at the ranking board for a while, I accepted reality. That''s right. I had come closer to becoming the strongest challenger from Earth. ¡ª¡ª CH 111 Chapter 111: Interim Closing (2) Strongest. This was probably the reason why I was climbing the Tower. To become the strongest one across all dimensions, so no one could restrict me in any sense. I realized that I had gotten a step closer to achieving my goals. ¡¸12 floor''s Trial ranking board¡¹ 1st. Hunter (SSS) 2nd. Great Sorcerer (SS+) 3rd. Kim SeungHoon (SS) 4th. Katherine Benet (SS-) 5th. Bloody Lightsaber (SS-) 6th. Clock Tower''s Magician (SS-) 7th. Andrei Tarkaposki (S+) "..." No one across all countries had gotten a better result than me in this trial. I laughed in disbelief after seeing my name on top of the leaderboard. To think that I would be at the top of the leaderboard that had gathered all countries around the world... ''It seems like Earth really is weak compared to other dimensions...'' Maybe the result would''ve been different if they''d put all S-rank Hunters across the world... But if I was the challenger with the highest points, I could easily understand the level of others. Not only that but in the top rankings, there were some familiar names. But most of the challengers who were in the top rankings were probably at a similar level to an S-rank Hunter. I shook my head and stopped thinking about these kinds of things. From what I''ve heard, in worlds like Ares, Kallian, or the Murim Dimension, the Tower of Trials has existed since long ago. ''I guess it''s inevitable for Earth''s strength to be weaker.'' What mattered in this situation wasn''t the strength of Earth or the rankings. Now that it was officially registered as a climbing dimension, challengers from other worlds wouldn''t invade Earth. Earth was probably weaker compared to other dimensions. I became sure of that after completing the 11th and 12th floor trials. ''Earth is at least weaker than Murim and Ares.'' That''s why Earth was seen as a lower dimension from beings of other worlds. So there were many people who tried to get advantage of this and try to invade. For example, a few floors ago, I was treated as a savage by a knight from Ares. And because of that, I almost died. After that, I faced challengers like Baek SeonHak and NamGung Hyuk. ''If I keep going up through the Tower, I guess I''ll inevitably become a target.'' That''s why I shouldn¡¯t concentrate on Earth''s weak forces... And instead becoming strong enough to face the challengers from other dimensions who, after seeing how weak Earth was, tried to take advantage of it. "Inventory." I checked out the reward I received for clearing the 12th floor trial. ¡¸Ancient Emperor''s Grey Crown¡¹ ¡¸Rank: A-¡¹ ¡¸Charisma +30%¡¹ ¡¸A grey crown used by an Ancient Emperor that served the God of Darkness.¡¹ ¡¸While using, your mind becomes unstable, and the durability of the item goes down every minute.¡¹ ¡¸But in exchange, you can freely use the <+Spirit Magic (B+> that''s embedded in the crown.¡¹ ¡¸As long as the item isn''t destroyed, its durability will slowly recover.¡¹ Spirit Magic... It seemed like an ability that resembled more a Necromancer than the Unique Ability Necromancy I had. I fell into thought while looking at the crown that was shining with a grey jewel. ''If wearing it makes your mind unstable and its durability goes down, it doesn''t seem to be a great item.'' It seemed like you should only wear it while fighting. I decided not to make a conclusion about the Grey Crown and started to check out the other things. First, I decided to check out the B- ranked skill, ''Last Stand.'' ¡¸Skill - Last Stand (B-)¡¹ ¡¸Proficiency Rate - 0%¡¹ ¡¸Normal Effect - During the battle, you can dismiss a ''Critical hit damage that''s going to lead you to death,'' but once you use it, it will consume 88% of your HP. Also, it will be a week before you can use it again.¡¹ ¡¸Detailed Effect - If Last Stand is activated, your senses get sharper, and all your skills will get a boost. The proficiency rate of Last Stand increases by 7% every time you use it.¡¹ "Nice." There wasn''t an unclear side to its effect like the ''Ancient Emperor''s Grey Crown (A-).'' To think I could overcome a situation that would''ve led to my death. ''I''m not sure what it means to dismiss critical hit damage... but it''s definitely a good skill.'' It had penalties like consuming 88% of your HP and a long cooldown time, but they were penalties that didn''t feel like a penalty. The reason was that... If I can use skills like Last Stand without any restriction, that would make me almost immortal. Not having any penalty after stopping you from dying would be the abnormal thing. Not only that, according to the description, after receiving the penalty, my senses would get sharper, and my skills would get a boost. ''Taking those things into consideration, this doesn''t feel like a penalty at all.'' Last Stand was definitely going to save me from a dangerous situation. * * * After checking out the details of the rewards, I changed the center of my thoughts. ''Although I''ve finished checking out rewards, there are still things I need to check.'' It was time to check the Powers I had gained by applying pressure on the Administrators. "Exclusive Store." The shop window opened as I mumbled the command words for the contractor exclusive store. ¡¸Contractor Exclusive Store.¡¹ ¡¸SP - 10,500¡¹ ¡¸Category: Skill¡¹ ¡¸Category: Power¡¹ ¡¸Category: Objects¡¹ ¡¸Contractor: Iron-blooded Monarch and White Crane Sword Saint¡¹ ¡¸Note: First contractor of the ''Iron-blooded Monarch'' and Apostle of the ''White Crane Sword Saint''.¡¹ A crazy amount of special points appeared before my eyes, but... I didn''t hesitate and went directly to the Power category. ¡¸Enter the Power list you want to open.¡¹ ¡¸1. Iron-blooded Monarch¡¹ ¡¸2. White Crane Sword Saint¡¹ ¡¸3. Sponsor Power¡¹ And¡ª ¡¸You''ve selected the ''Sponsor Power.''¡¹ ¡¸Category: Power (Sponsor Power)¡¹ ¡¸List (1/2)¡¹ ¡¸Power: Sword Aura Merchant (C+)[Acquired]¡¹ ¡¸Power: Steel Wing (C+)[Acquired]¡¹ ¡¸Blood Demon Hole (C+)¡¹ As I entered the Sponsor Power category list, I saw new Powerss. ¡¸List (2/2)¡¹ ¡¸Power: Hero''s Protection (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Power: Quick Mana Charge (C+)¡¹ I didn''t stop there and entered the second list. Then I returned to the first page and expanded the description of each Power. It was to make them easier to read. ¡¸Blood Demon Hole (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 3,000 SP¡¹ ¡¸Description: It''s a Power only the successors of the Blood Demon Cult can learn. You can change mana with ki and inherit the characteristic mana of the attributes. The energy changed to Ki will react more sharply. When you begin fighting, your battle senses will get stronger.¡¹ ¡¸Power: Hero''s Protection (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 3,000 SP¡¹ ¡¸Description: A Power that is given only to those chosen by Gods. Those who have obtained this Power, regardless of the time in which they were born, acted as the world''s saviors. However, the subject''s contract with God has been cut. So the only effects they can get from the Power are Divinity Control and Increased Luck.¡¹ ¡¸Quick Mana Charge (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Price: 3,000 SP¡¹ ¡¸Description: When your mana drops to less than 50%, you can absorb and recharge your mana from nature. However, if you over-recharge, your magic circuits or blood veins could be damaged.¡¹ They were all good Powers. The Blood Demon Hole seemed like a vision technique people from Murium used to change Mana to Ki. Hero''s Protection allowed me to control the Divinity inside me. Quick Mana Charge allowed me to recharge mana. These three were quite good, considering they were C+ Powers. Of course, they were expensive, taking into consideration these were C+ Powers, but they were worth it. "Hmm." After stroking my chin for a bit, I made a decision. "I should just buy these." I couldn''t help but be tempted by these great Powers. Although they weren''t as good as higher-ranking Powers, these were still quite good in terms of price and quality. Among the Powers of White Crane Sword Saint, there were some A- or even A+ ones that tempted me quite a lot. But... But seeing how fast I got special points, I thought I might not need to buy higher-ranking Powers yet. ''I guess it will be okay if I buy it on later floors.'' Not only that, but they also gave me special points as an extra reward. So it probably doesn''t matter. I left these useless thoughts behind and chose the more effective ones. ¡¸You''ve bought the Power: ¡®Blood Demon Hole (C+).''¡¹ ¡¸You''ve spent 3,000 SP.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve bought the Power: ¡®Hero''s Protection (C+).''¡¹ ¡¸You''ve spent 3,000 SP.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve bought the Power: ¡®Quick Mana Charge (C+).''¡¹ ¡¸You''ve spent 3,000 SP.¡¹ These three were sponsored Powers. After buying the Powers, I felt my body changing. But I didn''t stop there and did a ceremony with the remaining rewards. I wanted the effect of the Blood Demon Hole and the Hero''s Protection, but... I decided to leave those behind and checked out the last remaining reward. The reason was... ¡¸You''ve absorbed the soul of the challenger ''Han Sungyeun'' and increased your stats permanently.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve absorbed one of the skills the challenger ''Han Sungyeun'' had as a reward.¡¹ There was a more interesting reward left than the three Powers I had just bought. Not only that, but¡­ ¡¸Challenger Han Sungyeun''s soul matches the challenger Han Sungyeun''s soul.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve satisfied the conditions for the Power ''Divinity,'' so it has activated.¡¹ ¡¸Trying to absorb Divinity.¡¹ I received a message that had something written that I wasn''t expecting. ¡ª¡ª CH 112 Chapter 112: Interim Closing (3) ¡¸You''ve absorbed challenger Han Sungyeun''s soul, and your stats have increased.¡¹ ¡¸Your Strength has increased by 10.¡¹ ¡¸Your Agility has increased by 10.¡¹ ¡¸Your Stamina has increased by 10.¡¹ ¡¸Your Mana has increased by 10.¡¹ ¡¸Your Tenacity has increased by 10.¡¹ My stats had increased by double digits, which was something I hadn''t experienced for a while. ¡¸You''ve absorbed one of the skills challenger ''Han Sungyeun'' had.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve absorbed the skill ''Lightning Sword Ki (B).''¡¹ ¡¸You already have the skill ''Lightning Sword Ki (B),'' so both proficiencies are being fused.¡¹ ¡¸The proficiency of the skill ''Lightning Sword Ki (B)'' has reached 100%.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the skill ''Lightning Sword Ki (B)'' has increased.¡¹ I was shocked that the rank of Lightning Sword Ki had increased, but... I left those small improvements aside and focused on the messages that were underneath. ¡¸Challenger Han Sungyeun''s soul matches the challenger Han Sungyeun''s soul.¡¹ ¡¸You''ve satisfied the conditions for the Power ''Divinity,'' so it has activated.¡¹ ¡¸Trying to absorb Divinity.¡¹ The Divinity Power, which had never been activated before, was activated. I never expected for something like this to happen. ¡¸The Divinity extraction has been successful.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of ''Divinity (C+)'' has become ''Divinity (B-).''¡¹ ¡¸Through ''Divinity (B-),'' you can transform Divinity and myth accumulation.¡¹ "..." It was full of words I couldn''t understand, but... I could feel the change in the Divinity inside me. ''Don''t tell me, can I use Divinity...?'' In reality, I was planning to ask either the Iron-blooded Monarch or the White Crane Sword Saint about how I could use this Divinity that was inside my heart. But there was no need to do that anymore. "Status Window." As I mentioned the simple command, I could see the status window, which had undergone changes. ¡¸Han Sungyeun¡¹ ¡¸Radiance - Ruler¡¹ ¡¸Strength - 100¡¹ ¡¸Stamina - 97¡¹ ¡¸Agility - 98¡¹ ¡¸Mana - 93¡¹ ¡¸Tenacity - 96¡¹ ¡¸Unique Ability - Necromancy (B)¡¹ ¡¸Unique Power - Skill Combination¡¹ ¡¸Power - Calm (C-), Sword Silhouette Border (A-), Steel Wing (C+), Iron-blooded Sword (A-), Divinity (B-), Blood Demon Hole (C+), Hero''s Protection (C+), Quick Mana Charge (C+)¡¹ ¡¸Skill - Detailed List¡¹ My strength stat had reached triple digits, but what got my attention was the increase in the number of Powers. Divinity (B-), Blood Demon Hole (C+), Hero''s Protection (C+), Quick Mana Charge (C+). While looking at the newly added four Powers, I fell into thought while frowning. ''Among these, the only one that could give a change to Divinity is Hero''s Protection...'' It was the first time a Power had grown after using Necromancy''s soul absorption, so I was surprised. I was trying to wonder about what had triggered the extraction of Divinity. But... I realized that there was no conclusion I could currently reach. It was understandable. ''It''s the first time this has happened, so there''s no way I''d be able to find out something.'' According to the description, Hero''s Protection just helped you control the Divinity. There were no traces of Hero''s Protection being active while the Divinity was being extracted. So it probably wasn''t something that had happened because I had obtained more Powers. "If I keep thinking about it, I''ll just probably end up reaching useless conclusions." I wasn''t sure what condition I had fulfilled so that I was able to extract the Divinity inside a soul. But that was something I could always figure out later on. And¡ª ''I''m going to leave the Divinity aside and check the Powers I''ve bought in more detail.'' Instead, I began checking out the Powers I had just learned. *** Reaper Scans [Translator ¨C Daniel Shin ] [Proofreader ¨C DVN-L ] *** The Powers I had to check were Blood Demon Hole (C+), and Hero''s Protection (C+). The effect of Quick Mana Charge (C+) was obvious just by reading the description, so it was pointless to revisit it. After reaching that conclusion, I started to look at Blood Demon Hole (C+) in more detail. ¡¸Activating Power ''Blood Demon Hole.''¡¹ BZZT...!! As I replaced Mana with Ki, just by leaking out mana, red thunder poured out. Not only that, but the level of body fortification couldn''t be compared to before. "Woah..." That wasn''t all. The mana always heard its owner''s orders. That meant that the level of transmitting the will through Sword Ki or Sword Flames had reached a new high. Sword Ki was a basic command that allowed me to cut anything. Sword Flame was a more complex command of that. That''s what I realized after learning Sword Ki and Sword Flames. But as mana turned into ki, the speed of transmission of the commands improved. ''There was a reason why the challengers from Murim were stronger.'' The only negative thing was the effect that happened while activating Blood Demon Hole. BZZT¡ª! "Ugh..." My sight became red, and from my body, red steam started to come out. I felt that I couldn''t control the blood that was boiling. Of course, it wasn''t that I couldn''t control it, but I couldn''t help but get a bit angry. I couldn''t do anything about an excited voice leaking out. It wasn''t that my mind was starting to feel unstable, but I couldn''t help but feel a bit uneasy¡­ "This could be called a downside." While restricting the blood from boiling, I deactivated the Blood Demon Hole. As expected of an expensive power; although it was just a C+ rank Power, it had a strong effect. Besides its side effects, there wasn''t any problem. Although it might look unstable at first glance, it wasn''t bad enough to call it a side effect. ¡¸Activating the Power ''Hero''s Protection.''¡¹ The effect of Hero''s Protection wasn''t that impressive. I just gained the ability to control the Divinity inside my heart, which allowed me to move it. The other effect, luck increase, was hard to test. So I decided to stop researching it. Instead, I began thinking about how to control the Divinity and use its strength. And¡­ "What''s this...?" I couldn''t help but frown after making the Divinity move through my body. Paf¡ª! A bright light started to come out of the body. I had made the Divinity go around my body for body-fortifying purposes, but something unexpected happened. I could restrict it according to my will, but there was nothing special to it. The only effect was that my body started to shine¡­ I couldn''t do anything like healing or fortifying, just like the priests I saw on the 11th floor could do. I stopped trying to investigate it and fell into thought. ''Seeing that I could control it, but it doesn''t have any effect, it seems like there''s a special way to use it.'' If I couldn''t use Divinity, it was because I didn''t know how to use it. Judging from the system messages, that seemed to be the case. After all, the system had never lied to me up to that moment. If the Tower said I could do it, I could probably do it. But¡ª ''I guess I have no other choice...'' Since I couldn''t reach any conclusion, no matter how much I thought about it, I decided to stop thinking about it. But it wasn''t like I had given up on Divinity. "..." Divinity wasn''t my area of expertise, but I had ways to learn about it. ''I could probably learn it from either the Iron-blooded Monarch or the White Crane Sword Saint.'' Administrators were Pseudo-divine beings. So they had Divinity inside them. I currently have a contract with two strong Administrators. To become a master, you have to learn from a master. Maybe I should learn how to use Divinity from the Iron-blooded Monarch or the White Crane Sword Saint. ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' says she will teach you how to use Divinity!¡¹ ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' says she can teach it to you better than the Iron-blooded Monarch.¡¹ ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' has invited you to the Administrators territory!¡¹ After seeing that I couldn''t use the Divinity properly, the White Crane Sword Saint sent me a message. I thought for a bit about what I should do, but I ended up refusing. "I don''t want to." ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' seems shocked by your refusal.¡¹ ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' asks why are you refusing. She says if you come, she will teach you how to use it.¡¹ There were two reasons why I had decided to refuse help regarding learning using Divinity. The first one was that I thought that over-relying on Administrators could end up creating a bad habit. The second one was that I didn''t know how much time it would take to learn to use Divinity. I''d already tried once to use it, so I thought I kind of knew what Divinity was. ''It isn''t something I can learn at once.'' Of course, there''s a chance I''m wrong... ¡¸Activating skill ''Sixth Sense.''¡¹ I activated a skill that sharpened my senses. "Wouldn''t learning to use Divinity take a lot of time?" ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' says she can help you learn it fast.¡¹ "It isn''t that I need to learn it right now, so I''m going to learn it later on when I have time." ¡¸The Administrator ''White Crane Sword Saint'' says while shrugging, if that''s what the contractor wishes, that''s okay.¡¹ After reading the White Crane Sword Saint''s messages, I realized that my intuition was right. Right now, I could do the techniques that required Divinity. I could replace the mana restriction or healing capabilities with skills or powers. After facing the Replica on the 12th floor, my capabilities had improved. ''I don''t have time to waste on things I don''t need that much.'' Because¡­ ''I can''t stop until I become strong enough to kill NamGung Hyuk.'' Sword Dragon of the Blue Sky, NamGung Hyuk, still hadn''t appeared. When we parted ways in Tokyo, he said let''s meet again in the future. To me, that sounded like he was planning to visit me soon. So I couldn''t ignore it. So... "I should move on to the next floor." For now, I planned on leaving the waiting room and moving on to the next Trial. * * * Srrr¡­ "..." I grabbed the red long-sword on my waist and concentrated. Blood Demon Sword. It was to check the capabilities of this sword that had been able to block NamGung Hyuk''s Sword Flame. Its true capabilities will unlock when the user that has reached the Sword Flame plane can optimize the blood to a maximum. Its blood effects were similar to Sword Flame. It could resist a Sword Flame that had the shredding and cutting capabilities of the Sword Ki. Of course, I hadn''t been able to show the true capabilities of the Blood Demon Sword because I hadn''t optimized the other things properly. ''But I can''t stand still and ignore its capabilities.'' This time, I wanted to check out the real capabilities of the Blood Demon Sword. To activate its unique effect, ''Blood Ki,'' I had to infuse a bit of mana. That meant that to use its capabilities fully, I had to use quite a lot of mana. ''Then it''s easy.'' I slowly flowed mana into the Blood Demon Sword. Red energy started to pour into it, and it began shining with intense light. I didn''t stop there and began pouring more mana into it. And¡ª ¡¸It''s been checked that the effect ''Blood Ki'' has been fortified by a user that has reached the Sword Flame plane.¡¹ Letters started appearing in the Blood Demon Sword and began to shine. ¡¸You''ve fulfilled the condition. The real capability of the Blood Demon Sword has been unlocked.¡¹ It was as if everything, until now, had just been a bare minimum of what it could do. ¡¸The name of the item has changed to True Blood Demon Sword.¡¹ ¡¸The rank of the True Blood Demon Sword has become A-.¡¹ ¡¸The ''Blood Ki'' effect of the True Blood Demon Sword has been improved.¡¹ ¡¸The effect ''Blood Eat'' of the True Blood Demon Sword has been generated.¡¹ ¡¸An exclusive slot for Blood Eat has been created.¡¹ It was quite a good change. ¡ª¡ª