"Make it so I can see additional explanation while I'm at the waiting room."
"Okaying~."
With this, I guess that is enough for the power skills.
As for the rest, I can check their performances in detail when I'm at the waiting room and organize my thoughts again.
One thing I am disappointed about is that the skills are not at Max levels.
Perseverance and Focused Effort are both at Level 1.
I should not expect them to be as high performance as the Blink and Talaria's Wings that I got with the levels already at the Maximum.
There is potential for growth in the skills, so maybe they might show just as good or greater effectiveness later, but…
Um… Well then…
"Kiri Kiri. Do I still have allowances left?"
I had been saving my allowances since the Sixth Floor. I rarely used them.
I did just get huge amount of information about the G.o.ds and being an apostle, but still, I think I have some left to spare.
"A little."
A little you say… They were expensive as f.u.c.k.
"In that case, do you have any advice for me for the 12th Floor?"
"No. Howjae… It would be a little convenient for you if I gave you advices, but the result will be the same. I recommend that you just don't hear the advice this time. You will be able to get through the floor with ease."
That's probably the case.
Ever since I cleared the Sixth Floor, I never felt the floors afterwards were as difficult as the Sixth Floor.
I cleared the Six Floor which required five people in a party.
It means I have the strength of five challengers at that floor in the h.e.l.l Difficulty.
Actually, if I think about the strength and the roles, my strength is greater than that.
There were more stages since the Sixth Floor that required party plays.
However, ever since I overcame the wall of five people's worth, I was able to clear them with ease.
It will work out the same this time.
It might get a little tough if they throw a raid stage that requires 25 people or more, but…
That didn't happen yet.
I purchased food, potions and other simple expendable items and got up.
Looks like I finished everything I need to do.
In particular, I feel refreshed now that I organized the things related to the tests for the apostle.
I had been postponing it for too long, thinking I should decide after getting information first.
"Well then, I'll see you next time."
I waved at Kiri Kiri and headed to the portal.
"Bye! You mustn't cry when you get lonely!"
… I am not going to cry.
Just wait until I see you again next time.
I got on the portal as I planned petty revenge that involved cakes.
"Good luck!"
Still, looking at Kiri Kiri hopping at the spot and waving at me, I also waved back at her.
It feels great to have someone who always greets me and sees me off with bright att.i.tude.
It is to the point that makes me wonder if I would have lived my life a little differently in my past if I had someone like her.
[You have entered the waiting room at the 12th Floor.]
This time, beyond just being big, it is a ginormous stone room.
It was unexpectedly big. I looked around the s.p.a.ce and promptly opened the status window.
It is time for me to check my power skills performances in detail.
It feels like scratching an instant lottery.
My heart is pounding.
[Perseverance (Lv.1)]
Description: It is a gift from the G.o.d of Adventure.
This power will give you strength when you are facing difficult adversities, especially during the most trying times.
Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to the enemies' number and strength.
Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to the number of comrades you have standing behind you.
Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to your exhaustion and wounds.
The effects can overlap with multiple situations happening simultaneously.
Additional attributes: A certain amount of resistance will be given to you against mental magic attacks and stress.
It is the best.
There isn't anything I would throw away among the skill's effects.
There are three situations where my combat abilities will increase.
Moreover, if all three situations applies, I can receive all three boosts at the same time.
Although I still don't know by how much the effects are when it said in the description that the increase will be by a small margin.
I cannot always have comrades, but I can always satisfy the other two conditions.
This is h.e.l.l Difficulty after all.
It is not hard to use at all too.
Actually, using it is too easy.
It is a combat type pa.s.sive skill with applicability that is very wide and top notch.
Growing this skill is probably not very hard either.
I also like that the increase will be in proportion to danger.
It will be great to have everyday, but it will be like a ray of light in the darkness when I'm in a serious pinch.
Moreover, it is giving me resistances to mental attacks.
Since I have the Mental Corruption Immunity Skill and this Perseverance Skill on top of that, I think it will be all right for me to ease my worries on mental attacks.
Although I am not getting a feel for the resistance against stress.
[The G.o.d of Adventure is looking at you. He is excited with antic.i.p.ations.]
Excited with antic.i.p.ations, what a load of…
k.u.m. Uuuuhm.
… Wow, G.o.d of Adventure is the best.
[G.o.d of Adventure is proud.]
Had I only been complaining and making fun of the G.o.d of Adventure? You are even saying you feel proud now?
Now, let's check the Focused Effort Skill.
[Focused Effort (Lv.1)]
Description: It is a gift from the G.o.d of Slowness.
It will lead you to greater result when you pursue something with stronger desire for longer.
Mastery growth rate will increase if you focus and work on a particular move for longer than a certain duration.
Additional attributes: Increases focus and mental strength by small margins.
The Focused Effort was not far off from what I thought it was.
The question was how long I needed to maintain the focus for the improved mastery rate.
Also, since it said a particular move, I wondered if it meant I had to refrain from doing anything else.
It probably means I can't occasionally try out mana circulation training while doing swordsmanship training, but what about shield techniques?
Both swordsmanship and shield techniques are under the combat skill cla.s.sification.
Could they be considered same move?
Also, if all other movements are not allowed, does that include breathing?
That probably is not it.
This skill has a lot that I need to find out from now on.
I should check it out whenever I can while clearing the floor. If it is really confusing, I should just ask Kiri Kiri for more detailed explanation.
All right. That's enough of organizing.
[Round 14, Day Six, 17:10]
Shall I head out?
I have no need to rest in the waiting room.
I had plenty of nap at Kiri Kiri's field. I'm already healed of all wounds, and my exhausted stamina is also replenished.
Let's just go now.
[Would you like to enter?]
Um?
The party setting window is not appearing.
That means… it is a solo stage?
I get why I was teleported without any conditions and Kiri Kiri said I'll be able to clear this without much difficulty.
They were probably omitted because they are not needed.
I think I'll be able to get to higher floors pretty quickly if solo stages continue for a while.
While I'm at this, let's try to catch up to the floors that others are at on other difficulties.
Initially, I was at fairly high floors in comparison to other challengers, but I spent too much time at the Sixth Floor.
In other difficulties, there are numerous rankers who are at the 30th Floor, which is called the residential area, and the floors above.
Of course, the stages at the h.e.l.l Difficulty are different, but I don't like that I am behind on floor numbers.
I should go up faster.
I want to check out the residential area too.
"Let's go."
Through the portal, I got to a bonfire room. I activated another portal inside the bonfire room, and I was standing at a lush jungle at an instant.
The landscape is something I had not experienced before.
It is probably better than deserts or ice lands.
It is a little, no… seriously hot and humid, but I can definitely endure this.
Still, if I didn't have the heat resistance, I think I would have been in for a lot of pain.
What's the clearing goal?
[You have entered the 12th Floor's trial.]
Description: Welcome to the Ihaoi Continent, the place that is well known to be the home world of Ihaoi race.
Ihaoi Continent's environment is full of danger to the point that it is understandable why even the original residents abandoned their home world and left.
It is a savage world without any civilization. However, the continent is a prized tourist destination famous for extremely low chance of survival and ferocious predators.
Of course, there are not many challengers who came to test their strength at the Ihaoi's jungle and left the place alive.
Young challenger who just became an adult and wishes to prove your abilities, the value you should possess in this continent is not bravery but cautiousness.
There will always be countless predators that will attempt to take your life. Survive the jungle for 25 days and prove that you are a fully matured adult and a warrior.
[Condition of Success]
1. Survive for 25 days.
It is such a clear cut explanation.
Survive.
[Your inventory window is becoming inactive.]
My inventory window is becoming inactive?
"Inventory."
There really is no response.
I looked at my two hands while feeling hopeless.
I didn't even get to take a shield or sword.
In my pocket… It is empty.
There is nothing there.
Hahahaha. I feel like cursing someone.
Who should I curse?
… I should curse myself.
I let my guard down and entered this place without proper armaments.
I should reflect on this to never let it happen again in the future. Let's hold out and think of this as a punishment.
I looked at the clear condition again.
Survive for 25 days huh…
By any chance… I need to be here for 25 days no matter what? That is not the case, right?
Right?
Uh? That isn't the case, right?
"Kiri Kiri!! You should have told me about this!"
I am done for.
There is no condition for failure.
Moreover, there is no return portal.
I looked everywhere over and over, but I don't see any portal.
In other words, unless I die, I need to stay in this jungle for 25 days no matter what.
However, now is…
[Round 14, Day 6, 17:15]
Considering the time, I cannot stay here for 25 days.
There is only 24 days before the round ends.
In other words, I need to stay trapped here for the next 24 days, and then I'll get teleported to the waiting room.
After that, during the next round, I need to survive 25 days from the beginning to clear this place.
I have never seen a stage so s.h.i.tty like this.
If I cleared the 11th Floor just a day sooner, just a day… This foul luck would have been avoided.
Uuuuaaaaa. f.u.c.k.
Ugh. Let's get this straight.
What should I do from now on?
I need to try to be content while living in poverty for the next 24 days.
I need to make a place to stay.
I need to make complete safety as my uttermost priority and procure food.
It is like being on a vacation at a South American jungle. Holla!
Still, making a camp and procuring food won't be easy.
This is the 12th Floor at the h.e.l.l Difficulty.
Just like how wild animals declare their territories, should I select a territory and let that be known to the natives of this jungle?
Um… Since I still don't know what kind of enemies I'll be meeting, I am not sure yet.
They could be similar to humans or they could be wild animals evolved closer to monsters.
They could be something else completely unexpected.
Let's think about this later.
One remaining method is clearing the 12th Floor in 24 days and getting outside.
Through the conquest clear.
The clear condition is 25 days of survival.
In that case, what if I eradicate all things that are threat to my life?
For now, I should explore this place and get a feel for the difficulty. If I see a possibility for success, then I should aim for the conquest clear.
[Kiaaaaaaa~]
An unpleasant high pitch roar was heard from somewhere.
Also, a giant shadow darkened the area.
When I turned around, what came into my field of view was a house sized… No… It was a building sized dinosaur.
A dinosaur that looks like that… What was it called?
I saw one in a picture book when I was a kid.
Brachiosaurs?
At that moment, there was another dinosaur of similar size that was charging at the one that I thought might be a Brachiosaurs.
Of the two dinosaurs fighting over there, none of them is an herbivore.
They are both carnivores.
It looked like they had been chewing on meat jerkies ever since they were hatched.
Along with loud roars, claws that were just as gigantic were swung, and soon incredible amount of blood was spread to the air.
It looks like water coming out of firetruck's hose.
I think I could make a swimming pool if I collected all that blood on a crater.
[Kwaaaaaa!]
A roar exploded out again, and this time, red flame started to linger around a dinosaur's mouth.
With that, the dinosaur was…
What the, what is that? By any chance, is that it?
It is not the time to just sit here and watch.
For now, it's time to bounce.
The amount of mana being focused at that dinosaur's mouth is no joke.
I'm far away from it, but even I can feel it.
That is extremely dangerous.
Kwaaaaang~
While I was running, I could hear colliding sound from my back, and the ground shook.
I slowly looked back to see. It seemed like it was a shockwave from the fire breath from one dinosaur colliding with the barrier of the other dinosaur, the one that I thought was a brachiosaurs.
It was the real fire breath!
Seriously, why the f.u.c.k is there a dragon on the 12th Floor?
I need to run.
Dinosaur blood was raining down from the sky like heavy summer rain. I ran through the bushes to avoid the blood rain. I diligently rolled my brain while running.
What should I do?
I don't even have any information. Aiming for the conquest clear at a Jura.s.sic Park with berserk dragons running around is not a sane decision.
I need information.