[You cleared 15th Floor of Tutorial in h.e.l.l Difficulty.]
[All of your wounds and abnormalities will be recovered.]
[You obtained 3000 points for clearing the stage.]
[You obtained 3000 points for the best clear.]
[Many G.o.ds are showing positive responses to you. You obtained 5300 points.]
[Many G.o.ds are showing negative responses to you. You lost 700 points.]
[Additional rewards are given based on the play record.]
[You acquired Night Vision Lv. 10]
[Night Vision Lv. 10 was combined with Night Vision Lv. 6]
[You acquired Night Vision Lv. 11]
I'm so glad to see the clear message.
Ugh. That took long.
The 15th Floor stage's clear condition was killing all the monsters of an abandoned mining cave.
The monsters were like moles. They turned the mine into a complicated network of pathways like an ant farm. It took over 14 days to hunt them all down.
To find the traces of monsters hiding in strange corners, I located hidden pathways. As I spent a lot of time crawling through narrow pathways, I wondered if I was going to develop claustrophobia.
I never knew that spending a long time at dark and narrow s.p.a.ce could be this grueling.
No matter what I was doing, resting, sleeping or eating, the s.p.a.ce was so small that I couldn't even stretch my arms up all the way. Having spent so long in such confined s.p.a.ces, my arms, legs, feet and hands all felt incredibly stiff.
Unable to satisfy the desire to stretch out and be comfortable, I felt trapped, and I lashed out at the Tutorial frequently.
The clear difficulty itself was not tricky.
I now had Energy Sensory, and my ability to operate mana had developed another level as well. Hence, darkness was not a big hurdle to me.
However, I wondered if I should be training other senses besides the Energy Sensory, so I minimized the use of Energy Sensory and carried out the search for monsters by relying on other senses. This turned out to be a bad idea.
Of course, my efforts were not in vain.
I spent two weeks and tracked down monsters by focusing on just my vision and hearing. My skills on tracking, stealth, and other ones related to sensory leveled up a lot.
As a clear reward, the Night Vision skill's level increased as well.
As a bonus, I became very used to moving around while in p.r.o.ne.
It is just that… I never want to experience this stage ever again.
Let's hurry and go out to Kiri Kiri's field.
"Teleport."
* * *
"h.e.l.lo! Ah hahahahahat! Houjaeeee, you are completely dark! It's a dark Houjae!"
I didn't even get to feel the joy from moving to a open field before Kiri Kiri started to tease me about my experience.
First, I ignored her and focused on being thankful for the s.p.a.ce.
There were fresh wind and warm sunlight.
More importantly, the field was wide and open. It was magnificent.
I stretched my arms and legs as I asked Kiri Kiri,
"Dark? I am?"
Kiri Kiri didn't have a moment to spare to respond to my question because she was busy rolling on the ground and laughing out loud.
Bewildered, I looked at myself found out that even my armor had darkened into shades of dirt.
It seemed a lot of black stuff got on me because I spent so long grinding in the narrow cave.
"Kiri Kiri, you don't like this?"
"Yea! I don't like it! Ah hahahat. Dark Houjae!"
You sure are excited, totally excited.
I quietly opened the store and bought chocolate.
"It's too bad. You don't like dark stuff. You don't like chocolate either then?"
"No, I like it!"
Of course you do.
Kiri Kiri immediately changed her words. I handed over the chocolate to her and brought out a small hand mirror from the inventory.
Kiri Kiri recommended that I buy this before I went up the Fourth Floor.
Now that I think about it, why did she tell me to buy this?
I never even used the mirror in clearing any stages.
Um… It means that it could had been a clue for clearing a stage, but I didn't utilize it.
This proves that Kiri Kiri's advices are not 100% necessarily useful.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I do look dark.
It looks as if I intentionally put on makeup on my face. There is not even a single spot of light skin anywhere. My entire face is covered in a layer of dirt.
I can see why Kiri Kiri was laughing.
The chocolate I gave to Kiri Kiri was 98% Cacao, so it was incredibly bitter. Having tasted it, Kiri Kiri was cringing and on the verge of tears. I glanced at her and peeked a smile.
Kiri Kiri looked like an innocent child who experienced the evils of the world for the first time. She looked that shocked. Kiri Kiri looked at me.
I opened the inventory to bring out a towel and water bucket. I wiped the black layer from my face.
It is not coming off easily.
It took a long time just to get it off from my lips and eyes.
Let's wipe off the rest later. It's such a bother.
I looked at Kiri Kiri. She was shedding desperately thick, chicken-s.h.i.t-like tears. She was crying like a small child whose toy was taken, yet she was chipping away at the dark chocolate.
I was dumbfounded. I took the dark chocolate from Kiri Kiri.
What the… If it tastes so bad that you are going to cry, then don't eat it. Just throw it away.
You are making me feel sorry that I gave it to you. Why are you eating while crying?
"Hiiing. Don't take it from me.. Hiiing."
Even though she looked desperately sad, Kiri Kiri was not able to give up on the snack. I felt terrible for some unexplainable reason.
Could it be that a ghost who never tasted sweet treats got attached to you?
I bought a sweet milk chocolate from the store and handed it to Kiri Kiri.
"You don't have anything you think would be worth telling me about the next stage?"
Kiri Kiri was holding the dark chocolate in one hand and the milk chocolate in the other.
"That's right. I got nothing."
I figured as much.
Ever since I cleared all floors that were supposed to required party play, Kiri Kiri had not been giving me any solid information about clearing the next stages.
If I asked specifically, then she did tell me things. However, she usually didn't tell me anything because she judged that I didn't need it.
What was I was going to ask?
First, there are the questions about G.o.d, mana and the tournament, which are the things I am always curious about.
Information about them are incredibly expensive, so I need to collect more allowances.
Other than those…
"Ah, Kiri Kiri. I was thinking about switching to a different weapon."
"Weapon?"
"Yes. I really need a better and st.u.r.dier weapon."
I seriously do.
Recently, I had been really feeling the need for new weapons.
The weapons and armors I currently use: the shield, gladius and backsword, were purchased right after clearing the Fourth Floor.
I had been using the same weapons and armors since then.
Ever since I gained the ability to layer the weapon with mana, I didn't exactly need to find a good weapon. However, I kept contemplating about the lacking performance of the weapons compared to my level.
The weapons looked like they were going to break if I weakened the mana layering on them even by a little bit. Compared to my power, the weapons I had were too light and weak.
If it were not for the fact that the weapons were repaired automatically when I entered the waiting room, the weapons would had become junk a long time ago.
As for the shield, it would have been pierced by arrows that appeared at the First or Second Floors.
Regardless, I developed skills on minimizing impacts because of this, so the shield helped me, but…
"You should change them. Actually, you should have changed them sooner. Wait."
Kiri Kiri pondered about something for a moment and proposed her idea.
"How about opening the Mystery Box?"
"The Mystery Box? You mean the box I won from the tournament?"
"Yea!"
I opened the inventory and brought out a box.
[The mystery box for the winner of the first individual tournament.]
Explanation: The reward for the winner of the first individual tournament. It is unknown as to what could come out of the box. However, it will definitely help the winner.
It was an item that I received as the winning prize from the tournament.
Because I won both the individual and group tournaments, I had two Mystery Boxes.
I had asked Kiri Kiri about the box when I cleared the 14th Floor, but she only gave me information similar to the box's description. She said that I should open it later when I have something I need.
"Honestly, opening the box for a weapon is a little… I don't feel comfortable with that. It is possible that some random, unfitting weapon that I had never used before could come out."
"No. The statement about the resulting item being unknown does not mean the item will be random. It is stated that way because the needs of the user change constantly."
What I need changes constantly.
I am not sure about that. I can think of something I would need regardless of of when.
For instance, let's say a total cheat item that raises all stats by 50 each came out.
Such an item would be useful for anyone regardless of the person's level.
So, the item that could come out of the box is not going to be the best and greatest item that I need.
It would be better to say that it will be the best item I will need at a moment.
For example, items that are a little better than the ones I could purchase through the store.
Perhaps the item from the box will be something like that?
In that case, I understand why Kiri Kiri said I should open it later.
"All right. I'll open it."
[Would you like to open it?]
Yes.
[The Mystery Box you won from the first tournament's individual round is disappearing.]
[You obtained the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms of Kangtus]
An item with a strange name popped out.
I stared at Kiri Kiri. She avoided my gaze and bit on to chocolate.
[TL: There is a toilet joke here that could not be translated because it is a play on words of how the Korean word sounds. Because I read further, I realized the name actually means Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms. However, because of how the name sounds, the name also could mean the "Toilet from the Heaven," which does not sound like a weapon at all. MC thought it might actually be a Toilet from the Heaven because he had numerous troubles in the past that involved p.o.o.ping. He thought perhaps an item to help his p.o.o.p troubles came out of the box considering the past history of needs regarding this matter which proved to be critical in some instances.]
Let's check the item.
It won't be too late to take the chocolate from Kiri Kiri later.
The item was a black sphere.
It was very st.u.r.dy and heavy.
[Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms of Kangtus]
It is the weapon used by Kangtus, the weapon master.
It has a thousand different forms.
There is a limit on its size and weight.
The weapon was created by a nameless gold dragon of a high rank.
Nothing is known about the inner workings of the weapon or its composition.
Kangtus, the owner of the weapon, lived for over long 300 years, so there was a rumor about him being half-human and half-dragon.
It was a great item.
First, it stated the weapon was made by a dragon.
That means that I hit the jackpot.
I don't know about the weapon's performance yet, but the fact that I can change its form at will has a huge merit.
I had been using short dagger, spear and long sword. The weapon's trans.m.u.tability was sweet.
It means I could have three different weapons with just this one item instead of buying three different weapons.
Let's test it out.
The Trans.m.u.table Arms was the size of a volleyball. I placed it on top of my hand and visualized the shape of a weapon.
Nothing happened.
I injected mana into the weapon and tried to visualize a weapon again. This time, the weapon wobbled and changed its shape into a gladius.
I injected it with mana again and tried to change it to a long sword.
The long sword was black, and it had a simple design.
It looked a little different from the backsword. However, it didn't feel awkward when I tried swinging it.
The weapon's ability to change forms is quick.
It didn't even take five seconds.
If it is this fast, I think I could even shift the weapon's shape in middle of a battle to surprise my enemies.
Also, the weapon's weight and durability are substantial as well.
As for the weight, it seemed to remain consistent regardless of the weapon shape.
The weapon's weight was heavy enough to be a drawback. However, considering my current muscular strength, heavier weapons are more effective.
I think the weapon is more durable than the other weapons I had been using.
More importantly, this weapon is handling my mana very well.
Layering a weapon with mana is quite difficult.
When I trained in this art at the Fourth Floor, it took two rounds. I continued the training, barely eating or sleeping.
Because the technique was so tricky, it was still somewhat difficult for me to layer a weapon with mana.
However, this Trans.m.u.table Arms handled the mana so efficiently.
Yep. Jackpot. Supersized Jackpot.
After getting a jackpot from one box, I became greedy.
What would happen if I opened the other box?
Are they going to give me another Trans.m.u.table Arms?
Even if it is not that, if it is another item on par with the Trans.m.u.table Arms, I'll welcome it no matter what.
Let's crack open another one. I should do this when I'm lucky.
[Would you like to open it?]
Yes.
[The Mystery Box you won from the first tournament's group round is disappearing.]
[Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms of Kangtus]
It is the weapon used by Kangtus, the weapon master.
It has thousand different forms.
There is a limit on its size and weight.
The weapon was created by a nameless, high rank gold dragon.
Nothing is known about the inner workings of the weapon or its composition.
Kangtus, the owner of the weapon, lived long for over 300 years, so there was a rumor about him being half human and half dragon.
Jackpot…
Another one really did come out.
It would be perfect to use one for the shield on one hand the other one as the weapon on the other hand.
I can also shift the shape of the shield at will into various forms. I could even wield weapons with both hands.
It seemed that the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms could not change to a form that is not predetermined. However, since there are thousand different forms, this is enough.
"Kiri Kiri."
"Yep, yep! Yep!"
Eyes sparkling, Kiri Kiri looked at me.
Based on the past experience, it seemed she knew what my next line was going to be.
"What kind of cake would you like me to buy for you?"
"Ice cream cake!"
While Kiri Kiri was rushing at the ice-cream cake, I decided to check out the community forums.
There wasn't any new information there.
Lately, useful information went to the Order of Vigilance first, so I didn't end up getting new information from community as often as before.
My main goal in visiting the community was just watching people playing with each other.
Lately, the hottest topic was guessing who would become the first one to clear the Tutorial.
If it was like before, people would have picked Lee Chan-yong, the one at the highest floor.
However, the public's opinion had slightly shifted.
It had been many rounds since Lee Chan-yong got stuck at 89th Floor. He was unable to clear the stage.
Has it been five or six rounds?
On top of this, the situation was that he couldn't even make an estimate on when he would clear it.
It seemed Lee Chan-yong had become lethargic because he was stuck behind a wall.
He was a challenger who had put his life on the line to focus on clearing the Tutorial.
Because of his determination, he was able to clear through the floors faster than everyone else, and became the challenger at the highest floor. However, his rapid progress had come back to hurt him as a poison.
Unlike me, he didn't care about growth at all.
He merely focused on clearing the stage faster and faster.
Even when he had opportunity for growth, he chose to clear the stages faster, even if it was just a day or an hour sooner.
Honestly, the choices he made were stupid.
Plus, the Order had been sending him items and information to support him, so he progressed through the stages more rapidly.
Back then, it looked like Lee Chan-yong was going to be able to leave the Tutorial in a few short rounds. Now that he was facing a stage that truly tested his abilities, he had no choice but to stop his march to the top.
I thought about how he looked when I saw him at the tournament.
In the past, he obsessively charged toward the goal he set for himself. Now, he was lacking in drive, and he looked empty.
If it was like before, he would not even have come to the tournament.
He was not interested in it.
Recently, Park Min, a challenger in Easy Difficulty at 83th Floor, was being discussed as the possible first challenger to clear the Tutorial.
He was slower than Lee Chan-yong. However, he had been forging his abilities as he progressed through the floors. Also, he made it to 83th Floor despite not having received any support from the Order. He was a challenger who made it to where he was on his own.
Even the people inside the Order sometimes talked about if the Order should support Park Min instead.
I suddenly wondered what Kim Min-hyuk's thoughts were on this matter.
He was aware of this problem.
He was the type of man who always recognized problems well before they became apparent in the community, and he had been preparing for them.
Should I contact him?
I was about to send him a message, but I turned off the message window.
Since I'm going to ask, I'm going to ask Park Jung-ah.
Keeping that thought in mind, I started to write a message to her.
[G.o.d of Adventure is smiling while watching you.]
… That G.o.d…
Since the tournament, the G.o.d of Adventure had been showing such responses whenever I thought about Park Jung-ah or communicated with her through the messages.
The G.o.d of Adventure was acting like an uncle who was more than happy to watch the nieces and nephews play. It was quite unpleasant.
Especially when I think about what happened during the night with Park Jung-ah…
[G.o.d of Adventure is excited in antic.i.p.ation.]
[G.o.d of Adventure is eagerly watching you.]
[G.o.d of Slowness is smacking the back of someone.]
Because of such responses, now I'm past being a little annoyed. It is awkward.
Pervert…
G.o.d of Adventure is always watching me.
Honestly, I never tried to hide anything, and I never let it bother me. I thought they could go ahead and watch if they wanted.
However, thinking about the fact that they were watching what I was doing with Park Jung-ah too…
[G.o.d of Adventure is blushing out of embarra.s.sment.]
Ugh… That voyeurism patient…