"At last, Ren reached a spot where the steel arrows ceased. Just when he thought the tutorial was over, he was greeted with a barrage of fiery arrows. This unexpected turn of events caught him off guard; he thought the trial was done, but it was merely the second phase.
"F*ck!" Ren could only curse out loud.
Navigating through the onslaught of arrows proved to be a tough challenge for Ren. He got hit multiple times, feeling overwhelmed and nearly losing consciousness. Nevertheless, he clenched his teeth, retreated to the starting point, and surprisingly, no more arrows struck him during his withdrawal.
[After 20 minutes]~
"Huff! Huff!"
Gasping for breath, Ren exclaimed, "What was that? I thought the trial ended, but then came more arrows, this time on fire! It's frustrating!" His voice resonated with frustration.
Despite feeling disheartened, Ren gathered his determination, sighed deeply, and muttered, "Let's give it another shot." With no hesitation, he sprinted back in the same direction, bracing himself for the relentless challenge that lay ahead.
Fueled by unwavering resolve, he sprinted at full tilt. Surprisingly, the darkness seemed to recede slightly, granting him better visibility. His senses sharpened, allowing him to expertly dodge the arrows that had caught him earlier.
"I can handle this!" Ren cheered himself on, pushing forward with renewed hope.
However, the second phase proved even more demanding. Arrows multiplied in number, hurtling towards him with blinding speed. Despite his best efforts, some arrows found their mark, causing painful burns and piercing his skin.
"Gah, it's painful, but I won't yield!" Ren clenched his jaw, refusing to let the agony weaken his determination.
After enduring 20 minutes of the fire arrow onslaught, Ren hoped the ordeal was over. Yet, much to his dismay, a fresh wave of venomous arrows was unleashed, catching him by surprise.
"Not again!" Ren exclaimed, his spirit unbreakable as he steeled himself for the new onslaught.
For another agonizing 30 minutes, he pressed on, resolute not to give in. Though he lost an arm and a leg, his body covered in bloody cuts, his determination remained unshaken.
His tattered clothes and battered body painted the portrait of an unrelenting warrior battling against insurmountable odds. Deep within, Ren knew he had to persevere, whatever the price.
"I can't... give up," Ren gritted his teeth, crawling on the ground, propelling himself forward with a single arm and his dagger.
Finally, the end of the trial appeared before him. Yet, as he moved closer, a sharp electric arrow struck his back, leaving him paralyzed.
"Arrrgh!" Ren's desire to curse was strong, but his strength was fleeting. With most of his body paralyzed, he mustered the last ounce of power in his arm and propelled himself toward the trail's end.
Amidst his body's efforts to heal, Ren's consciousness faded under the weight of his overwhelming fatigue.
[Three Hours later]~
"Yawn! What a terrible dream," Ren mumbled, his voice half-asleep. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around, realizing he was exactly where he'd lost consciousness.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Guess it wasn't a dream at all. I really faced all that in just one day. The third round got me with every kind of arrow β fire, ice, freezing my left leg so I had to cut it, different poisonous ones, and even lightning arrows. Was this challenge meant to be possible?" Ren's voice held a hint of exasperation. He sighed again, then turned to look behind him, spotting a portal that likely led to the first floor.
"Before I go in, let's see how far I've come," Ren said under his breath, deciding to check his progress. He activated his Status window to assess his achievements up until that point.
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NAME: REN DAVIS]
[AGE: 18]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[LVL: 1]
[EXP: 0/100]
[STRENGTH: 10]
[SPEED: 10]
[STAMINA: 10]
[MANA: 10]
[INNATE ABILITY: ENDLESS EXTRACTION & FUSION]
[SKILL: LOW RANK PAIN TOLERANCE(10.5%), LOW RANK HAEMORRHAGE RESISTANCE(3.76%), WILL(7.8%), SIXTH SENSE(5.8%), DAGGER MASTERY(1.28%), LOW RANK BLINDING RESISTANCE(7.52%), LOW RANK DEHYDRATION RESISTANCE(4.36%), LOW RANK PARALYSIS RESISTANCE(6.32%), LOW RANK FIRE RESISTANCE(6.43%), LOW RANK COLD RESISTANCE(3.2%), LOW RANK RADIATION RESISTANCE(4.32%), LOW RANK ELECTRICITY RESISTANCE(6.24%), LOW RANK HYPNOSIS RESISTANCE(4.2%)]
*****************************
"Wow, it's crazy how much power I've unlocked just from this beginner's floor! Most people would've been in big trouble if they had lower stats or less determination, but I pulled through," Ren murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, an audacious idea sparked in his mind.
"Skills usually cap at 100% proficiency, right? So why not max out all my skills and then blend them to make even stronger ones? It might sound wild, but sometimes the craziest ideas pay off." Ren chuckled with a touch of madness, fueled by his newfound strategy. With a renewed sense of purpose, he opted to restart the tutorial.
Time worked differently here; although he spent what felt like ages, just an hour would tick by outside, and it's the same for everyone, so everyone finished their tutorial at the same time no matter how much time they spend here.
Moreover, the starting point's healing properties meant he didn't need to worry about food.
[AFTER TEN DAYS' WORTH OF TIME]~
A young man with tousled brown hair, intense blue eyes, and a well-built frame dashed around without a shirt, smoothly dodging arrows as if he were taking a casual stroll.
This agile figure was none other than Ren himself. The days melded into a blur of constant motion β in the beginning, it was tough to avoid the ceaseless arrow onslaught.
However, by the seventh day, he mastered his resistance and endurance skills to a perfect 100% proficiency. Yet, his Sixth Sense skill lagged at 60%.
With newfound determination, Ren shut his eyes and continued, dodging arrows on pure instinct. What was once a daunting challenge gradually transformed into second nature. By this point, he'd completed the tutorial nearly a thousand times, and now, he embarked on his monumental 1000th attempt.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
A rapid barrage of arrows surged toward him, yet he navigated through them with ease, as if strolling through a park. Finally, after dodging the entire volley unscathed, Ren completed the tutorial. As he did, various messages appeared before him.
[DING...]
[CONGRATULATIONS ...]