Chapter 32

[Blink]

Using the last of the 5 charges of my Blink Emblem,

I landed on the objective.

This small patch of land at the peak of the mountain seemed perilous when I first entered the boss room.

But, after crossing kilometres of an airborn bridge, which twisted and turned with determination to drop me off,

the peak felt like the safest place in the world.

Huaaah.

An exhausted sigh fill the air.

My hands and legs have been shaking the moment I finished, and my waist was going limp.

The sweet scent coming from my mouth tickled my nose.

Horrible.

The 3rd Boss Room was just horrendous.

I managed to sc.r.a.pe by alive, but it has altered my thoughts about the Tutorial.

Until now, I have thought the Tutorial was aimed to train the challengers, just as it's name says.

Although the difficulty is just ridiculous.

But, I could sense pure malice in this Boss Room.

I really wanted to just lie down on the floor, but I held on by by putting my palms on my knees.

I can't let my guard down yet.

The message has yet to…

[Congratulations. You have cleared the last trial of the 3rd Floor, h.e.l.l difficulty]

[You have cleared Tutorial, h.e.l.l difficulty Floor 3]

[You are healed of all injuries and status effects]

[You have received 1000 points for clearing the Floor]

[You have received 1000 points for being the first to clear the floor]

[You have cleared 2 floors in a single Round. You have received 1000 additional points]

[Many G.o.ds are pleased with your actions. You have received 5700 points]

[Many G.o.ds are displeased with your actions. 500 points are deducted]

[Additional reward is given according to your performance]

[The G.o.d of Adventures would like to gift some of his powers in place of the reward. Will you accept?]

There it is.

G.o.d of Adventures!

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d who would complain all the time, have finally decided to give me something.

[The G.o.d of Adventures look at you with disdain]

No, I have always believed in the G.o.d of Adventures.

I have never thought he was useless other than sending me weird 1 line sentences!

Never have I thought he was just a stalker with no respect to personal s.p.a.ce!

I knew that one day, he will rise into a respectable being in time.

Why would I refuse a gift given.

I take with with a word of grat.i.tude.

Blink Emblem was an overpowered ability beyond my imaginations, and was greatly pleased with its performance.

I was hoping that I might get something like it again.

[Talaria's Wings (LvMax)]

Description: The G.o.d of Adventures has recently made this power to gift a Challenger of great interest. As it was hastily made, it lacks in certain areas.

Ah…

Ah… this man…

Is it because of the G.o.d of Slowness, that he made this in a hurry.

Even the description says this is poorly made.

Normally, I would get a message like 'The G.o.d of Adventures is fl.u.s.tered', but it's surprisingly quiet.

I was looking forward to his reaction to this description.

I should check it on the extra tab on my Status.

"Status."

[Lee Ho Jae (Human)]

Lv.7

Strength: 19

Dexterity: 37

Vitality: 23

Mana: 27

Skills: Battle Focus Lv.7 Willpower Lv.5 Awakening Lv.1 Night Vision Lv.2 Vision Brightness Lv.1 Charge Lv.2 Natural Healing Lv.2 Improved Senses Lv.4 Increased Field of Vision Lv.1 Toughened Skin Lv.1 Basic Swordsamanship Lv.1 Cut Lv.1 Basic Shield Skills Lv.2 Wind Spirit's Blessings Lv.1 Mental Corruption Immunity Lv.1 Pain Resistance Lv.11 Bleed Resistance Lv.4 Stun Resistance Lv.2 Pierce Resistance Lv.2 Poison Resistance Lv.4 Paralysis Resistance Lv.6 Heat Resistance Lv.4 Burn Resistance Lv.6 Cold Resistance Lv.4 Frostbite Resistance Lv.3 Blink Emblem Lv.Max Talaria's Wings Lv.Max

Extra: The G.o.d of Slowness watches with satisfaction.

The Extra tab which showed the G.o.d of Adventure's thoughts switched to G.o.d of Slowness.

Just what is the standard for that tab.

When the G.o.d of Slowness gifted her power, it still showed a description of G.o.d of Adventures on the Extra tab.

But as soon as the G.o.d of Adventures gifts his power, it changed to the G.o.d of Slowness.

Hm…

I feel like a landlord who just kicked out his tenant.

And he even gifted me some powers too.

Despite the fact that it is poorly made in the description, it's from a G.o.d, with Max level.

I'm sure it's going to be useful.

I should ask Kirikiri as usual for a thorough explanation.

It's too bad that I couldn't receive a new skill by conquering the boss room.

To be honest, conquering be d.a.m.ned, I'm just glad I managed to make out of this alive.

Uuh, Huaah.

After reading the descriptions, my body lost all its tension.

It's time to find peace in my mind.

Goodbye.

The perilous, tiny mountain peaks. The turbulent, deafening winds.

Let us never see each other again.

"Uwah! You came back so fast! Buy me a cake!"

The white rabbit, no a girl possessed with endless desire for cake, welcomed me.

The gentle winds wrap softly on my cheeks as it pa.s.ses by.

With the ground covered with soft, comforting gra.s.s

The weather is perfect with ideal temperature and humidity.

The sun shines brightly, but not enough to make me squint my eyes.

This world is so perfect that it is unnatural.

I have once slept on the gra.s.s of the national park.

When I woke up, my face was red from the heat, my back was aching, while rash covered my arms and legs.

This was a perfect nap in contrast to my memories.

I have never had such a satisfactory sleep ever since, no even before I've entered the Tutorial.

It feels like all my exhaustion has disappeared.

The perfect nap deserving of all my praises and more.

Except, the one thing which woke me from my sleep. The snores from Kirikiri.

Kirikiri's snores weren't that loud.

Infact, it's very quiet.

Its just that, I can hear it clearly, because she is using my stomach as a pillow.

Actually, I probably woke up from the discomfort I felt on my stomach, not the noise.

The culprit who woke me up from my greatest nap ever, slept with the happiest look in the world.

Was it because of the promise I made, that I will buy her a cake after the nap. She always had a bright look, but it seemed to be br.i.m.m.i.n.g with light this time.

But why is she using my stomach as a pillow.

The nerve she has to use someone as a pillow as.

I raise my hand and pet her ears.

It was softer than I thought.

Well, I thought it would be soft, but it was even softer than that.

I've raised dogs and a hamster before, but I've never felt anything like this.

Even just touching it seems to ease my soul.

As I pet her ear like petting a small puppy, Kirikiri screamed as she woke up.

"Kyaong!"

"Huh? Ah, sorry. Was it because I touched your ears?"

"Don't touch the inside of my ear! The noise rings inside my head!"

Um. I see your point.

"Hmph!"

Kirikiri snorted, folded her arms, and turned her head in 1 smooth motion.

It seems she really hates someone touching the insides of her ear.

"Are you made Kirikiri? Oh dear, and I was about to buy a cake too."

The moment I spoke the C of cake, Kirikiri twisted her head toward me.

"I'm not mad! Let's eat!"

Ofcourse.

I smile back at her, and open the shop.

"Kirikiri. Isn't the last trial for 3rd floor a little weird? The difficulty as well. The theme and method seemed to be different from the rest. Is that also an error during construction?"

She raised her head to reply, which was smeared all over with chocolate.

Atleast breathe while you're eating.

"Ah, that. That's just an illusionary trap."

Huh?

A trap?

Sorry?

I suddenly feel the tilt coming from my head.

"Should I explain more? You've cleared it already you know."

"Yes. If you don't tell me now, I just might get angry."

"It's a type of illusionary trial. Create an environment which forces you to fall off, and when you fall the illusion disappears, with all the traps that were prepared before triggers consequtively."

An environment which makes you fall.

If my growth was even slightly less, or didn't receive the Blink Emblem, I would most definitely have fallen off.

And as soon as I do, a trap h.e.l.l filled with arrows would of started.

I realised that it is similar to the black and white stone trap in the 3rd floor.

Show an obvious solution at start, deny it and force the challenger into the trap.

It was a trap which required concentration, composure and thoroughness to doubt all they see from the challengers.

"I'm sure none of the G.o.ds would of guessed that a challanger would clear it without falling in the 2nd Round, heh."

I understand now.

But it still p.i.s.ses me off.

I thought I was going to die this time aswell!

d.a.m.n it.

I ask another question, as if grasping for straws.

"Kirikiri. If the person who designed the tutorial exists, I would like to send some insults to him. Is there a way?"

"Nope."

Ofcourse not.

I wanted to ask for better descriptions on my new skill, and some recommendations on items which will help in clearing the 4th Floor, but Kirikiri went back to shoving her head onto the plate and eating the cake.

I'll ask once she's done.

Personally, I liked the cream cake more than the chocolate one.

I should buy a white cream cake topped generously with fruit.

And, well, I think Kirikiri looks better with white cream instead of brown chocolate on her face.

"Community."

I decided to browse through the Community while I wait for Kirikiri.

Now, is there any new informations out?

Most of the threads are patterns and walkthroughs on how to be easy and normal difficulty traps.

That's the advantage of numbers.

More information can be processed, a.n.a.lysed and answered.

Hard difficulty was a little slower.

The highest rankers were on the start of Floor 2, or just reached the halfway to the floor.

Casualties were similar to h.e.l.l aswell.

Ofcourse, h.e.l.l difficulty had much fewer people in the first place, and since everyone died except me, it's a little difficult to compare between the two.

It seems they are having a bad time.

Not as much as me though.

it was hard to find any information worth while for me.

As I continue to browse with disappointment, I've found some strange comments.

[Kim Sang Sik, Floor 4: Those Representatives. Are they really alright? Can we really leave them like that?]

[Lee Gee Jun, Floor 3: I know it leaves a bad taste, but what can we do. We have no proof as to what they are doing. We can't even intervene on it aswell. What can we do to those who don't even come out of Waiting Room. Not like we can go down Floors either]

[Lee Myoung Sun, Floor 2: They sent me a message too, but I just ignored it. I should of accepted and atleast find out what they are even upto]

It was a short conversation.

It seems, the chat room conversation was leaked into the threads momentarily.

I can't find earlier or later threads about it.

Representative Confederation.

Since I've received their invitation aswell, it felt wrong to leave everything as it is.

Representative Confederation.

Just saying it's name felt like it was leaving a bad taste.

Let's clear things up.

Representative Confederation.

What are they representing.

Just by looking at the earlier threads and their accounts, it doesn't seem to involve the higher rankers of the Tutorial.

My previous prediction that it was a meeting for high rankers in the Tutorial was a miss.

Just what, who can you represent.

I began to think Community as a group.

Since the only way I can communicate with others is through Community.

But, with h.e.l.l excluded, most people gather in Waiting Rooms, not Community.

An isolated, unnatural environment far from reality is the Tutorial's Waiting Room.

It's not just a bad taste now.

Among the comments, the phrase 'What can we do to those who don't even come out of Waiting Room.' gets me the most.

Once they enter the Tutorial, after the first Round, All meat jerkies and water which were provided for free disappears.

Afterwards, they have to use points to buy food.

Infact, after 24 hours of staying in the Waiting Room, they are kicked out of it.

Since I heard it from Kirikiri after the 1st Round, this information holds true.

If you were to make a confederation out of everyone in the Waiting Room.

How can you maintain the confederation without leaving the Waiting Room.

How will that confederation manage itself.

No matter how I think about it, it can't be normal.

d.a.m.n.

All the joy I felt from clearing the 3rd floor plummeted down to depression.

Just as that comment says, outsiders cannot find out, nor interviene with what is happening inside.

What do I do?