I enjoy battles.
At some point in my past lives, I ended up becoming a battle junkie. I dont exactly remember how and when, but I think it was when I first fought to death with my "friends" which had once betrayed me and I had come to take revenge.
Because of this disposition, I ended up enjoying flights, and over time, I was smiling whenever I fought. I've been told that my battle smile is completely maniacal.
It has given me the benefit of inducing fear, confusion and doubt in my opponents.
And even now, while killing the passengers in this compartment, I'm smiling– even if it's only faintly.
Although this is more of a massacre than a battle, I still can't help but smile. They must think I'm the demon that has come to take their lives.
They're all dying in one hit, the passengers in this compartment.
The average human is too weak. I might be stronger that a normal human, but dying in one hit is a bit too much. I'm not even using any mana either. Of course their heads aren't exploding like the previous young model, but still it's too easy.
It's a little saddening, but even then, I still cant stop smiling.
It's bad habit of mine. If I my family or friends saw it, they would be absolutely frightened. I should restrain myself a bit more.
"You levelled up."
"You levelled up."
"You levelled ...."
"You levell..."
Notifications kept piling up in my view but I put them aside for now and continued to kill.
With each level up, a foreign yet harmless energy seeped into me. It's a derived and extremely diluted version of neutral divine energy, neither holy nor demonic.
I know how to use this energy. I just may be able to use to more efficiently than others since they'll just rely on the system.
An unexpected benefit, but not an unwelcome one.
Anyways, back to the current situation, people were dying too easily.
They were screaming. Their eyes were filled with terror.
I was killing them as if I was swatting flies.
I crushed one's thigh bone and tore off another's arm.
My punch twisted one's neck and crushed another's skull.
I pulled ones arm off and bashed another one with it.
I stabbed one's eyes with my bare fingers and they popped.
I bit into another's jugular vein and ripped it out.
Some tried to resist, but their fate was the same.
Some tried to escape to other compartments but an invisible wall prevented them. It must've appeared when the trial started. Those people were slaughtered aswell.
I killed and killed. This was the first time, in this life that is, that I killed normal humans. Humans without mana.
Before now I had never killed a creature without mana. Wait–now that I think about it, I have killed manaless creatures.
It was in my first past life. That planet hadn't awakened mana either. It was very similar to Earth, except the fact that it was full of Lesser Demons.
But in the end, whether creatures had or didn't have mana, it didn't matter.
Or atleast I just don't care. Death comes to everyone.
And here, they are just sacrifices for my growth.
* * * * *
<
And so he killed and he killed.
His eyes, dark as an abyss glinted with life, with joy, sadness, all kinds of emotions— especially madness.
He was a strange human.
His gaze was fear striking, as if death itself was looking down at the others.
And the whole time he was smiling.
Like a demon, horrifying and ruthless.
Like a reaper, calm and indiscriminate.
Bringing death upon people, bringing end to life.
Old and young, man and woman, all were equal infront of him. Just a stepping stone for growth.
He's very weird indeed. He seems sane, he is thinking calmly and intelligently. But at the same time his heart and eyes show an immeasurable madness.
He doesn't show fear, yet he doesn't seem foolhardy either. As if he had completely gauged everyone's capabilities in this compartment. Including mine.
Putting aside his mentality and his possible observation abilities, he is quite strong for an ordinary human just brought from a Zero-tiered planet.
This is another strange characteristic. To be from a world without mana or monsters, he has too much mana and hidden physical strength.
He brought forth such a massacre with bare hands. He didnt even use mana despite having so much of it.
He knew how to use it. He has been circulating it since the warp had started, he even gave some to 3 others in another compartment.
He wasn't even just waving his fists around either, nor was he just using brute strength. He is systematically controlling his movements and the force of his blows. As if he was a veteran fighter seasoned by countless battles.
It even seems that he was using some movements from martial arts of other worlds and races. But it doesn't actually look like he's using those martial arts. It's like a completely new method of fighting.
A completely new martial arts.
Its seems as if its just random and wild movements at a first glance, but its very systematic and ordered aswell. Combining both order and chaos in a single art?
And it seems that he's not giving it his all either.
Who is this challenger?
He cant just be a random newbie.
He has too much bloodlust for greenhorn.
She had seen many powerful challengers and had witnessed, even partaken in, many wars. But they were all fought with experienced warriors.
Those warriors had been smelted by time and ordeals into gold.
But the one in front of her was not such a person. Today was his first day in a new world, the tutorial even, atleast it should've been.
It should've been his first encounter with such a dangerous world.
Yet he was showing great control over his body, like seasoned veteran.
Such talent and skill was amazing, truly extraordinary. He has much more potential than any other person she had seen yet.
How much could he grow?
How powerful can he become?
She was smiling as much as Jin-woo, if not more.
Her eyes filled with curiosity and interest. This was the first time she had seen such a challenger on the first trial.
He was very strange. He was an anomaly.
But he had great potential. He had will.
A diamond in the rough.
She knew for sure, that this round of the Tutorial would be completely different.
It would be very interesting.
* * *
<
Something like 5 minutes passed– everyone else was dead.
Only I and the fairy were alive in this compartment now. My clothes were stained with blood but I didnt care, I've been doused in much worse fluids before.
The fairy started clapping and cheering.
Well done! That's the best performance I have seen yet in the 1st trial of the tutorial!|
She was very optimistic and cheerful. She seemed to be in a good mood as compared to before.
This was best result any one has ever achieved, yet, in the first trial. Short time, brutal deaths, no unnecessary moves– you were flawless. And you didnt even flinch while killing your fellow people. You can expect your reward to be great!!|
She snapped her fingers, and I recieved a new notification.
"You have Conquered the first trial with astonishing talent."
"You killed 31 people in the same compartment as you. You also lead to the death of 7 people in an adjacent compartment."
"You obtained 3,700 points."¹
"1000 additional points awarded"
That's alot of points.
I also checked the messages that appeared before. It seems that I have become lvl.17.
I wonder if I can check my status, like in games or as in those webnovels that I read ages ago.
Ofcourse you can. Just think of it and you'll see it.|
Its seems that the fairies can read our minds.
We can only the surface thoughts. It also depends on our authorities and ranks.|
"Hmm...."
This wasn't the first time someone has read my mind either. Alot of it has happened during my time in the horror world and in my past lives. Eventually, I learned to protect my mind and conceal my thoughts.
Some even tried to consume my mind by instilling madness first. Alas, they failed. You can't consume a mind that's too far gone or is too erratic. Trying to consume a mind that has witnessed too much causes a backlash instead.
Besides, it doesn't matter much if my surface thoughts are read. I'll just hide the thoughts I want to.
Hmm....|
"?"
You really are an interesting challenger.|
Ignoring her remarks, I asked her some questions.
"What does 'challenger' mean?"
That's what we call those who fight and survive in the Tutorial, the 5 Zones and the Ruined World. Because you challenge the trials to survive.|
Well that makes sense.
"Who set up these trials?"
The Gods and Devils. They are ones that brought you here too. Especially the 'God of Trials'.|
Of course it's the "Rulers".
"So we're just a source of entertainment for them."
Um... yes, but no. The main reason for the trials is to test challengers and to select those who are worthy to be Apostles and such. If a god shows interest in you, you'll receive a notification. Another reason is to prepare challengers against "The Great Ruination". But yeah, the process eventually becomes a source of entertainment.|
"I see. What's 'The Great Ruination' that you mentioned before?"
Its a bit too early for you to find out.|
I wonder if the Great Ruination is what I think it is.
"Is it the Corruption of Ruin?"
Her eyes widened, but she didn't reply. I must've caught her off guard.
Her reaction means I am correct. The Corruption of Ruin, or the Great Ruination I guess, is the corruption of worlds caused by the "Vagrant of Ruin", a "Lord" instead of a "Ruler". He must've consumed many worlds by now.
How... do you know that name?|
She seems curious and a bit angry too.
"I have my ways."
I answer.
She continued to stare at me with a slightly angry look for a few moments.
But then sighed and shook her head.
Nevermind.|
"Ok. What's the reward you mentioned earlier, the ones we gain after trials."
She smiled.
Skills.|
"Skills?"
Yes, for the reward, you can obtain skills and additional stat points. The rank of the skills or the amount of the stat points, depends on how great your performance and contribution was. This then becomes the 'Quota' with which you can receive rewards.|
Since you 'Conquered' the trial with ease, you have quite alot of Quota that you can receive.|
I thought about all that I heard.
I asked the fairy, "Can you tell me about the ranks of skills."
Ofcourse, it's not a problem. Besides, you would have found out about them anyway after the 3rd trial.|
The summary of what the fairy told me is that skills, talents and equipment are ranked into 10 ranks. F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS and EX. With F rank being the lowest and quality increasing with each rank. EX is exceedingly rare such that it's only seen in the Ruined World.
She also added that Traits are rare and may or may not be unique. Traits define the characteristics and dispositions of the challenger, but some traits can be obtained as secret rewards.
There are also "Talents". Talents are abilities which one develops other than skills. They are not as flashy as skills but are equally important. All talents start as 'F–rank' and can grow in rank with experience, unlike skills.
This is because skills rarely evolve, and when they do, they evolve with high difficulty.
She said that average weapons from earth, like a simple gun or swiss army knife would be F rank, extremely average and weak compared to what we will face in the future.
And so with the Quota you have, you can get a D ranked skill or two D ranked equipment pieces|
"Hmm...then does that mean I can get more than one E rank skills."
Technically, yes. But I wont recommend that as there is a huge difference in quality between ranks.|
I contemplate a little more.
"You did say its possible to evolve a skill to a higher rank."
She smiled at my question.
Although it is possible, like I said, its extremely rare. But if you do somehow evolve it to a higher rank, theoretically, the new skill should be more powerful than another skill of same rank.|
Hearing this, I couldn't help but smile.
She raised an eyebrow at my behavior.
What are you thinking?|
I looked at her. It seems that my thought concealment is working properly.
We maintained eye contact for few minutes before she started sighed.
You really intend to do it, dont you?|
"You did read my mind, didn't you?"
She sighed again.
I ignored her and took another look at the powers hidden within me. I should get skills according to these powers.
I look at her once more while thinking of the kind of skills I needed.
"Please give me the requested skills."
The ones you're thinking of? As you're asking for more than one skill, they'll be of lower ranks.|
I nodded my head.
Are you really sure, even after choosing these 2 skills, you'll still have some Quota left after this.|
"I'll use it later."
Well, suit yourself.|
She snapped her finger and two thumb sized stones landed in my hands. They were covered with runic symbols.
I could understand the runic, hence I could confirm that these were the the skills I asked for.
Immediately windows of the system opened up describing the rune stones. They only affirmed me.
It seems the system identifies skills and equipment and gives their description too.
Of course, it's only logical that the system will describe the skills and equipment the challenger gains. We're not that cruel.|
That's good to know..
Besides, if they wanted us dead, they would have killed us instead of putting us through trials.
There may be other reasons that they are keeping us alive, but they dont matter to me as long as these trial masters or gods dont try to trick me or get in my way..
You're quite cold-hearted you know. You should trust us a little more, atleast trust me. I won't hurt our special challenger Jin-woo~|
I ignore her remarks. And it seems like she only knows my old name– the name of this life atleast, not the name I choose to go by.
Can't she read my mind to check my current name?
Putting this aside, I pay attention to skills in my hand. An option comes up for each of them.
"Will you accept this skill?"
"Y/N ?"
I select yes. The stones then disappeared from my hands. They dematerialized to mana carrying runes and entered my body.
I got messages showing I gained the said skills.
I can feel them in my soul too. They're active, unlike my sealed abilities. I might fuse them at later time, but I'll keep them as is for now.
I smiled. My growth will be made easier this way.
Author :
¹– These points are points from the trial itself. They are not points from killing individuals. Meaning he already had 3,200 points from killing.
Note:
The changes of tenses may be confusing. Sometimes it's a mistake, but mostly I'm keeping actions as past tense and thoughts as present tense.