[G.o.d of Nature?]
[Yes! The Trial of Apostle started, and I obtained a new Power Skill.]
[Is that so? Um…]
[Is there a problem?]
[No. It's not like that. It's just that I don't get along with the G.o.d of Nature.]
I left Kiri Kiri's field and entered the 16th Floor's waiting room. As soon as I got there, I tested out the performance of the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms.
It was definitely more durable than the equipment I had before.
I could feel its heavy weight as well.
After doing a light performance test, I checked out its various forms.
It would be hard to utilize all thousand forms in battle.
I will probably end up using a few forms most of the time. Depending on the situations, I might select a few more.
I thought about the long sword that I formed at Kiri Kiri's field, and the weapon immediately changed to the long sword.
Once I had formed the weapon before, it seemed the weapon was going to change shape even if the idea just casually pa.s.sed through my mind.
Of course, I needed to inject it with a little bit of mana.
It even has a favorite mark function. It's the best.
First, I looked for a shield form.
I was concerned about the possibility that the Trans.m.u.table Arms didn't possess a shield form. Fortunately, it included various shield forms.
I found two forms that I decided to use as my main shields.
First one was a relatively small round shield.
I was most used to this shape.
The second one was an inverted triangle-shaped shield.
Its corners were protruding noticeably. I think the corners will be useful for striking down the enemies.
It doesn't look like it was used by a human being.
The shield had the design that made me think of history books or video games.
Actually, because the Trans.m.u.table Arms is so heavy, ordinary humans would not even be able to lift or swing it.
I should just think that the weapon itself was never meant to be used by a human.
… No. The description of the weapon said Kangtus, the owner of the weapon, was rumored to be half-human and half-dragon.
It means he definitely was a human being.
Does that mean he is from another world?
Another dimension, another planet? Perhaps that's what it is.
I wish I could ask Kiri Kiri about these, but this kind of information is extremely expensive.
Once, I tried to find information about Idy before realizing how expensive it was.
I thought information about the G.o.ds were actually cheaper.
I set distracting thoughts aside and focused on testing the weapon again.
Now that I have a shield, next is the weapon.
I tried out the gladius form first.
I was most familiar with this.
It formed a powerful combination with the shield, and the weapon fit me well, so I probably won't be throwing away this combination any time soon.
There were many other short swords that matched the form of Gladius.
There were minor differences in width, length, and handle. Some just had different decorative designs.
I think there are over ten short swords with similar shapes.
Of them all, I picked the one that had similar length to the Gladius I used to use. This one didn't have much decoration. I committed the sword's shape to my memory.
Next, I tried forming long swords and straight swords.
The long sword was for swinging with the shield.
It was closer to the kind of sword that was used on horseback. It was similar to the backsword I had been using.
As for the straight sword, I made it although I didn't really have a specific use for it.
I didn't feel that I needed one, but because straight swords usually looked really cool I decided to remember memorize one form.
Next was the spear.
I learned spear techniques from Idy. Plus, it formed a powerful combination with a shield.
First, I tried forming the most basic shape.
It was straight, and it wasn't decorated with anything.
Because of the unique metallic nature of the Trans.m.u.table Weapon, the entire spear was made of metal. Because of this, the spear didn't bend. Also, it was quite heavy.
The weight of the weapon was constant, but because spear was longer than a short weapon like Gladius, it felt heavier.
Of course, with my strength, I could handle it with ease in one hand.
The next form I discovered was a halberd.
I found many forms with large edges while I was checking them out.
It had an axe-like edge for swinging and a spear tip for thrusting. It even had a hook for grabbing the opponent. The halberd had various methods of attack.
I was sure it would take me some time to get used to the halberd. Still, I liked that it looked cool.
The last form I found was a blunt weapon.
Throughout stages, there were a few occasions where I needed such a weapon.
Blunt weapons were highly effective against st.u.r.dy armor or monsters with strong bones.
In particular, when I fought skeletal soldiers at the Sixth Floor, I regretted not having a blunt weapon and even wished to restart the Tutorial with a blunt weapon.
Since the Sixth Floor, I had been clearing the later floors with ease, so I didn't feel a strong need for weapon upgrades. I had been postponing the plan of finding myself a blunt weapon, but I finally got one now.
I memorized another two forms, a mace shape and a hammer shape.
I practiced swinging various weapons before checking the time. Just in time for a meal.
[Round 17, Day 17, 08:10]
It's time for me to go to the Stage.
It won't be too late for me to master the weapons as I clear the stage.
I ate a simple meal with m.u.f.fins and milk as I watched the community.
There wasn't much there.
Should I message to someone?
I already sent a message to Park Jung-ah. Besides,, it was her busy hour. I'll just get in her way if I contact her at this time.
I should contact her again later.
[G.o.d of Adventure is proud of your decision.]
… I'm very close to getting annoyed.
Please show some restraint in watching me, you old man.
I thought about an old man who was heavily panting with blushing face. That was giving me the creeps.
There was no proof that the G.o.d of Adventure was an old man.
[G.o.d of Adventure was seriously hurt by your words.]
[G.o.d of Adventure is p.i.s.sed.]
I don't care.
It is not like this is the first time that the G.o.d of Adventure got p.i.s.sed at me.
Ah, since G.o.d of Adventure is p.i.s.sed, maybe he won't watch me as much? That's actually better.
[G.o.d of Adventure is very disappointed.]
[G.o.d of Adventure is very disappointed.]
[G.o.d of Adventure is very disappointed.]
Oh my… It looks like he isn't going to stop watching me just because he is p.i.s.sed.
I ate the m.u.f.fin as I thought about G.o.d of Adventure, and then I contacted Lee Hyung-jin.
There was no reply.
He said he entered the Fourth Floor's boss room recently. He was probably busy.
The boss room at the Fourth Floor is pretty tough. I wonder if he will do well there.
Of course, considering the theme's special characteristic, as long as he is h.e.l.l bent on remaining hidden, I won't have to worry about him dying in that boss room.
I the rest of the m.u.f.fin into my mouth and got up.
I wiped my hand on my waist and got on the portal.
I went past a familiar looking bonfire room and used the portal that led to the stage.
[Welcome to the 16th Floor's stage.]
Kw.a.n.g! Kw.a.n.g~!
As soon as I entered the stage, violent sounds echoed into the air and the ground shook wildly.
I instinctively lowered my body and maintained balance.
It's dark in here.
I spread mana to check the surrounding area.
It's a sealed s.p.a.ce.
Just now, when the ground shook with loud noise, I think the ceiling collapsed and blocked the exit.
The walls, ceiling and floor are all made of stones.
Am I trapped in here?
There were five other people in this s.p.a.ce.
To figure out their appearances in greater detail, I was about to spread more mana. However, a long message appeared.
[The 16th Floor's Trial will begin.]
Description: Ten years ago, at the west of the Urphan Continent, a nameless dungeon was discovered. Since then, countless adventurers have come to the dungeon.
At the dungeon, some found precious stones, rare mana herbs, disabilities and even death.
Those were daily routine in this dungeon.
Two years ago, holy temples throughout the continent all received the same divine message.
The message said there is a precious treasure lying dormant in the dungeon at the west of the Urphan Continent.
Fueled by greed, numerous forces sought the treasure and sent exploration squads.
Holy knights of a holy temple, adventurers and mercenaries of a guild, knights of a kingdom and mages of a magic tower gathered for the dungeon's treasure.
At the end of their joint search effort, which lasted for one year, they succeeded in finding a narrow hidden pathway that led to the center of the dungeon.
As soon as they discovered the pathway, their collaboration ended.
Each organization sent their best to the pathway.
They were all thirsty with desire to eliminate the compet.i.tion and take the treasure.
The explorers were anxiously searching through the pathway, and they made contact with the Doppelganger, the dungeon's lord who was asleep at the center.
When the explorers were about to attack the doppelganger, someone activated a trap which generated darkness and noise. Taking advantage of this narrow opportunity, Doppelganger disappeared.
Doppelganger is a very dangerous demon that could bring calamity to the human world.
You must not let the doppelganger leave the dungeon.
Fortunately, the exit is blocked by the collapsed ceiling.
Defeat the doppelganger and escape from the sealed dungeon.
[Clear condition]
Survive for seven days until the rescue party will arrive. Find and eradicate the doppelganger.
When I finished reading the long message, a quiet voice reverberated across the s.p.a.ce.
"Light."
The man was wearing a big coned hat and wielding a wooden staff. Bright light was coming from his hand.
With the light, now I could clearly see the inside of the dungeon.
Including myself, there were six people.
As the message said, there were a holy knight, a knight, a mercenary, an adventurer, and a mage. Including myself, there were six.
"Doppelganger! The doppelganger is gone! Did it escape!?"
A big mercenary shouted.
I was not sure if he was the mercenary, but he was the only one in mercenary getup.
He sure has strong vocals.
He isn't just making the dungeon shake. I feel like my head is shaking too.
"The doppelganger is still here. Be careful. My holy object is warning me that the demon is still in this place."
That old man must be a holy knight.
Each of these people had strikingly unique getup, so it was easy to tell them apart.
"Could it be using a transparency magic? Doppelganger is a type of demon, so it must know how to use magic."
That one must be an adventurer.
He has all sorts of items packed in the pockets and the bag.
He head is covered by a long hood, so I cannot see his face.
I could use the mana to check his face, but he is definitely a man, so I don't feel like doing that just to check his face.
"Detect Invisibility."
The mage had been quiet after casting the light magic. Now, the mage used another spell.
Invisibility detection. So, there is such a spell too.
It must be convenient.
After a moment, the mage shook his head.
It meant he didn't detect anything through the spell.
My senses were telling me the same.
"There are just the six of us here."
Having heard my words, the holy knight lifted his head and expressed his doubt.
"But my holy object definitely… Ah, I see."
Why are you stopping in middle of the sentence?
What's 'ah, I see.' Instead of keeping it to yourself, why don't you share it with me too.
However, the holy knight's mouth was shut. It didn't open again.
There was a knight on the corner. It seemed he hurt his back. He was rubbing his back in the corner. Fortunately, the knight resolved my question.
"According to the records, the doppelganger takes on the subject's form after killing the person. When the quake happened and the ceiling collapsed, it appears one of us was done in by the doppelganger. Everyone gathered here are all powerful warriors, yet the doppelganger managed to do with such a narrow opportunity. It is no wonder why it is a high demon."
It seemed the knight liked to act like a smart-aleck. The sn.o.bby looking knight explained it step by step.
He is good at explaining it in a clean manner, however annoying he is.
I see his talent in explaining things.
To organize it, he was saying there is a doppelganger among the five, other than myself.
Also, I need to defeat that doppelganger before the rescue party arrives. I need to survive and escape the dungeon. These are the 16th Floor stage's theme.
This is fun.
The clear condition and message didn't say anything about the lives of the other four.
In other words, if I killed them all, which will include the doppelganger, then I will be able to clear the stage for sure.
I could be certain of clearing the stage if I did it that way, but I want to stay away from that idea as much as possible.
How long has it been since I entered the Tutorial?
For the first time, I met other humans in the Tutorial who were not challengers.
It was possible they were not really humans. However, they were at least from humanoid civilizations.
There is no need for me to set the direction that way from the start.
Doppelganger is not the important part.
It is their information that matters more.
Their world, culture, technology, magic, and holy power… I have so many things I want to ask.
In particular, my study of magic had hit a roadblock lately, so I am in desperate need for information, especially the mage's knowledge.
I should set the plan toward having conversations with them and resolving this doppelganger situation together.
[G.o.d of Adventure is satisfied with your decision.]
[G.o.d of Slowness is unhappy with it.]
The mage had his eyes met with mine by chance. The mage panicked a little and turned his head away.
Actually, it was not by coincidence. I was glaring at the mage.
Why is he acting that way?
Is he shy?
[G.o.d of Adventure is highly entertained.]
Two men looked at each other, and one of them avoided the stare. What's so entertaining to watch?
Ugh…