037. 7th floor (2)
“…wasn’t there something like this in the system expansion?”
I carefully looked at the message floating in the air, then narrowed my eyes.
Originally, the ordeal had a waiting time of one day starting from the passage of the previous floor.
However, the fact that the waiting time disappeared without any warning was a serious issue.
‘As the system expands, the waiting time has disappeared even though it has not changed.’
I was a bit puzzled, but soon I got rid of my confusion.
Yes, I can understand the extent to which the waiting time disappears.
It’s not a change that has a bad effect, but rather a change that can help me.
‘If I can challenge the ordeal a little faster, I’ll have that much advantage.’
Of course, in the past, it would have been poison to challenge quickly, but not anymore.
It’s because I’ve completed a certain level of growth and my level stays at the top of the floor I’m on right now.
That fact was confirmed in the trials on the 6th floor.
So it was okay that the waiting time disappeared and I was able to freely challenge the ordeal.
‘It’s probably a more positive variable than the arrival of a challenger from the other world.’
If you think about it, this could be called a positive change in its own way.
In the Tower of Trials, although common sense works to some extent, he clearly realized through the ordeal that nothing can be concluded.
‘It’s not surprising that something changes.’
From the beginning, the world with dungeons and hunters was also not normal in the past.
You must know that change is only something that can come at any time.
Of course, apart from that attitude, others wondered if the waiting time for the ordeal had disappeared.
‘Originally, I wanted to check the community’s reaction, so I guess it’s okay to do both.’
Then I opened a community through the command line.
「You have entered the community.」
「Difficulty – Hard」 「7th
floor
community (1671/2321)」
It was not difficult to see the challenger talking about ‘waiting time’ right away.
I wanted to react, but I didn’t make a fuss more than I thought.
-Manager Gae Gaek Giya: Why are you so slow to realize? I’m going to take a look at the fact that I know everything.
-The Spirit of the Tower: haha; Originally, it’s a bit late to notice…
-Manager Gae Gaek-jae: But I don’t think it’s something to pay much attention to.
-Tower Spirit: ? Pretty important isn’t it? If you challenge the ordeal quickly, you’ll have that much advantage, right?
-Geunjagammanrep: lol That’s what the top guys are talking about. We don’t really care. Unless you’re doing it with the intention of overtaking the top-ranked kids, there’s no big impact.
-Continental scale: What’s the point of waiting for those who only have days to prepare?
– Spirit of the Tower: It hits the bone out of nowhere, but that’s true. Actually, I don’t really care because I’ll stop when I go home.
Everyone seemed to have no idea that the waiting time had disappeared.
‘…Is it because they are low-ranking challengers?’
It’s been like that before, but it wasn’t a normal mindset for everyone.
Well, if everyone didn’t think it was important, it didn’t matter.
If you are not interested in the benefits of being a ‘pioneer’ and most of them just want to go home, you don’t have to worry about competition.
It’s just…
‘everyone has a different atmosphere from the 6th floor.’
That bothered me a bit.
On the 6th floor, everyone was obsessed with killing people, but the waiting room on the 7th floor is a bit different.
-Daddy: By the way, there are a lot of crazy bastards on the 6th floor ordeal. No, what kind of portal are you trying to put a knife through? These kids aren’t crazy.
-Achievement Honey: Ah, that’s probably because of the achievements you get when attacking from a place you can’t see.
-Daddy: Wow, they’re crazy bastards anyway. Do you act like this to get some achievement?
-Gong Mille Gong Mille: lol That’s nothing special. I ended up occupying a tile out of the blue, but I saw that I killed my teammates and also killed people on other tiles in order to get an achievement.
-Jeonggong Hunter: Everyone turned into a dead end because they got the mental resistance skill
.
-Doberman: What kind of concept is here too; But it was definitely scary, so I couldn’t even say it.
-Daddy: At that time, the bastards who were selling the method for acquiring mental resistance got goosebumps. He went crazy with points and turned normal people into homicidal maniacs.
-Jeonggong Hunter: Those bastards must have survived, but seeing them quietly, it looks like they’re being stabbed. Well, the 7th floor is a personal trial, so you won’t be able to rob it.
“…it definitely made a difference.”
Overall, the number of words increased compared to the 6th floor, and the gloomy atmosphere disappeared.
No, to be precise, people with that tendency must have calmed down now.
‘All of them went through the trials on the 6th floor and the tension was relieved.’
Those who couldn’t chat properly were regaining their energy and talking.
Now, if you break through the trials on the 7th floor, you will be in the waiting room on the 8th floor.
“Well, if you can only go to the 8th floor, you will be able to return to Earth…”
Those who realized that the 7th floor ordeal was not an integration ordeal sooner or later would have eased their minds.
I would have been able to be sure that the next ordeal would not involve killing others.
And on the contrary, the challengers who were sympathizing with the murder from below became quiet.
why?
‘Because they realized that the trials on the 7th floor were individual trials.’
There is no need to come out and be criticized, and there is no way to collect points, so we are quiet.
And most of the people who bought mind resistance skills from them would not be active in the community, such as acting stealthily.
“…”
But that does not mean that this peacefulness will last forever.
If you have to go up from the 8th floor and the unification ordeal comes again, the hellish scene of the 6th floor will appear before your eyes again.
So don’t be mistaken.
In the end, even if everyone pretends to be gentle, the essence is that they are competitors.
“The Trial Settlement.”
「6th Floor Ordeal Settlement Board」
-1st Place Kim Seung-Hun (SS-)
-2nd Place Oh Chun-Seok (S+)
-3rd Place Nickname Change (S)
-4th Hunter (S-)
-5th Hyedi Gongdu (A)
-6 Wee Frog (A-)
….
….
“I was in the top 10 again this time.”
It was a slight drop from the previous 4th place, but it was not a big drop.
To be designated as a ‘pioneer’ from the start is to be in the top 50, and that’s it.
After manipulating the tuk-tuk hologram and viewing the ordeal settlement once, he turned off the settlement board.
It was only natural that there was nothing more to see and nothing important to say.
‘Is it the 8th floor soon…’
It was a time to know what benefits being a ‘pioneer’ of the ordeal settlement system gives.
From then on, more things will change in a flash.
‘It’s one floor ahead, so there’s nothing to be impatient about.’
If you respond calmly, you can easily shed variables like a challenger from the other world.
Even with new abilities blooming, the 7th floor trials won’t be that difficult.
It shouldn’t be difficult to reach the 8th floor if you keep your guard up and keep going.
‘The item… There’s no need to buy more.’
It’s not to the extent that I still think there’s a shortage of items.
I think I can challenge the 7th floor with the sword of thunder and the stealthy hunter’s shield.
Of course, they might change the item after that, but that was the case for now.
“In case you don’t know, let’s buy some potion.”
「Purchased the Potion of Life (D-)」
「1500 points deducted」
「Purchased Poison Eater (E+)」
「1200 points deducted.
」 They were things prepared for the time.
Even if there was a high-speed playback, I saved it in consideration of the situation.
‘Now that the maintenance is over, there’s no need to stay in the waiting room any longer.’
「Are you willing to accept the 7th floor test?」
After agreeing to the message asking if you would like to take the test, you crossed the portal that appeared on the spot.
Whoa…!
「Entering the 7th floor of the Tower of Trials.」
「Difficulty – Hard」
「The subject of the ordeal is ‘Proof’.」
「I hope that the challenger will have a satisfactory result at the end of their choice.」
…But something was strange .
「Starting the 7th floor trial.」
「Remaining time – 40 minutes」
「Trial breakthrough condition – break through three trials within the remaining time」
「Trial failure condition – challenger death or the end of the remaining time」
「Trial breakthrough reward – Skill ‘Grace of Wind (A-)’
「Penalty for trial failure – death」
It is different from the trials I have taken so far.
I couldn’t hear the monster’s cries, and that doesn’t mean the conditions for breaking through the ordeal were clear.
The condition is to break through three trials.
‘I don’t understand exactly what that means.’
There may not be another trial within the trial, but three trials.
Only like this, even if the challenger from the other world comes again, I will not be able to respond.
Since I don’t know what kind of ordeal it is, there is no way to do anything if the goal is taken away.
“…”
First of all, the surroundings were a stone chamber in the form of an ordinary stone corridor.
But on the other side of the hallway, no presence was felt or seen.
‘I don’t feel like it’s just as dangerous as I thought.’
It was embarrassing because there was nothing other than the three ordeals they had been talking about.
“…I’ll have to go to the end of the hallway first.”
Staying still in the same spot wasn’t a good idea, so I moved on.
In fact, I was afraid that the challenger of the other world would take away the conditions for breaking through in my ordeal.
If that guy came again, it would be difficult.
‘I guess I can’t stay still.’
Also, I don’t have much time left, so I can’t wait any longer.
It was then.
“You have entered the first trial zone.”
“Prove that you have overcome your fears.”
As I was walking down the hallway and was about to respond to a message that came to my mind, the scenery changed.
Aww…!
“This is…”
It was definitely a place in my memory.
In addition to the sand that is rampant around, the cacti growing everywhere are a sight I have seen before.
“A tutorial ordeal?”
Yes, this is definitely the place I saw when I first entered the Tower of Trials.
But the question is, why are you seeing it right now?
“Is it hallucination?”
It was a plausible guess, considering that he had done something rather than prove that he had overcome his fear.
It could have been to create a sense of fear by bringing up old memories.
It was because the environment of the tutorial ordeal, where he felt threatened for his life at the Tower of Ordeal, was shown as a hallucination.
However, such speculation soon became meaningless as it touched the sandy floor.
‘Seeing the texture of the sand, isn’t it hallucination?’
At least this environment could be said to be all real.
‘Are you saying that I’ve really reproduced all of the environment of the tutorial ordeal?’
The evidence of fear and the surrounding scenery that changed in an instant made my head spin.
If that’s the case…
“Isn’t the trial of the tutorial also reproduced?”
It didn’t make any sense at all.
In fact, the surrounding environment now perfectly embodies the tutorial ordeal.
That was the moment.
Koo Goo Goo Goo!
The ground suddenly shook, and soon the surrounding sand began to gather in one place.
This is also a phenomenon we have seen before.
“…As expected, the enemy of the tutorial ordeal seems to be implemented.”
The sand golem began to materialize into sand.
Hmm, but I was afraid of the sand golem, which was an E-class monster at that time, but it doesn’t matter much now.
‘Honestly, now I can beat the sand golem even with my eyes closed.’
To that extent, I had grown rapidly in the Tower of Trials.
I wonder why they gave me 40 minutes to complete this ordeal.
‘Does that mean that I should go over the 8th floor as fast as possible?’
While thinking so, I squeezed the sword of thunder in my hand and glared at the place where the sand golem was created.
Well, there are still two ordeals left, so we’ll have to wait and see…
Quaaaaaang!
Then the whirlpool of sand exploded and made a roar.
At the same time, the grains of sand solidified and soon began to take the shape of a golem.
However, the appearance of the sand golems that began to form gradually became more and more heterogeneous.
“…uh?”
Even though he’s an E-class monster, he’s worse than an orc. That must have been a sand golem…
‘What is this?’
At first glance, he was well over 6m tall.
10m No, it’s bigger than that, so it’s hard to even look up properly.
An overwhelming feeling of heaviness enveloped the entire body.
“….”
If the original sand golem was narrowly classified as an E-class monster
.
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…!
I felt it the moment I made eye contact with the sand golem looking down at me with red eyes.
Having to clear two more trials like this in the remaining 40 minutes is…
“Damn it.”
It was as if an ordeal of the highest level of difficulty had come to me.
