Chapter 34

034. Capture (3)

I never expected something like this to happen right after the 6th floor trial began.

“Achievement ‘Traitor’ unlocked.”

“...”

I wonder what the challenger who just died was thinking.

Was he just a madman, or was it a strategic attack?

Either way, it wasn’t a normal thought process that led him to stab the portal.

He must have intended to kill someone.

“Damn.”

I wasn’t complacent.

I was aware that team members could betray, and there were quite a few challengers with high mental resistance.

However, this kind of tactic isn’t about being complacent.

‘Just stabbing anyone with a knife.’

The mere fact that the portal appeared late and he assumed someone would be on the other side.

And the act of stabbing based on that assumption was impossible to counter.

If it had been another challenger here instead of me, they would have been skewered for sure.

The only reason I wasn’t was because my stats were overwhelmingly high.

“...Why do I often find myself in these situations?”

Seeing the body of the challenger who had been stabbed through the heart, I frowned.

Whether it’s the challengers from the other world or the team members in the 6th floor trial.

I fully realized what it means for misfortune to follow one after another.

To have a team member die right at the start of a team trial.

‘This is the worst possible scenario.’

If any of the other challengers have a team member who is still intact, they have an advantage.

‘It’s best to try to restrain the movements of the other challengers as much as possible.’

Just as I made that judgment and turned my head, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the scene in front of me.

“Haha! An achievement! My strength really increased!”

“Damn, I’ve never heard of a water battle!”

“P-please... s-save me. P-potion...”

Blood splattered everywhere, and at the same time, screams like a chorus of wails echoed from all directions.

Excitement, anger, confusion, despair, desire, regret...

Dozens of emotions mixed together and spread like music.

‘...I guess I’m in a relatively good position.’

The others were in a much worse situation than me.

It felt like this place could be hell if it existed.

“Everyone’s lost their minds...”

They didn’t focus on the trial’s content but killed their team members just to get achievements.

And they did it in various ways, so gruesome that it was hard to watch.

It felt like they were completely blinded.

They forgot what was truly important and prioritized achievements over the trial.

Most of them were too focused on the immediate benefits, but there was something else that mattered.

‘One of the four tiles must be captured.’

That’s the condition to break through the trial, and I didn’t expect them to fight like this.

Of course, I could see some people moving hastily from tile to tile.

“Damn! Falling in the water decreases your stats, be careful!”

“The tile is shaking... I can’t keep my balance!”

“Gah! Save me! I can’t get out of the water...!”

They didn’t meet a good end either.

‘Falling in the water decreases your stats, and the tiles shake when you move.’

By observing the other challengers, I got a sense of the terrain.

Indeed, the trial tower’s challenge is filled with dangerous elements.

Of course...

‘What, this is surprisingly easy.’

It wasn’t enough to hinder my movements.

Swish, swish!

I just needed to avoid touching the water, and the shaking tiles couldn’t shake me.

Considering the combined stats of strength, dexterity, and constitution, I couldn’t lose my balance.

The physical stats of the other world’s challengers were weaker than mine, so it was natural.

Even the 5th floor trial felt more difficult in comparison.

Thud, thud, thud.

On the contrary, the shaking tiles made it easier to find a rhythm.

While moving from tile to tile in rhythm, most of them were still unable to move.

The process of breaking through the trial was going smoothly, despite the tension from the team member’s death.

‘If I reach the tile, will the trial end immediately?’

Thud.

With that thought, I stepped on the red tile at the end...

“Capturing the southern tile is in progress.”

It didn’t end as easily as I thought.

“If another team enters the tile, the capture process will be interrupted.”

“Prevent other enemies from capturing this tile.”

“However, if no other team enters the tile, the capture process will not be interrupted.”

“Remaining time – 9 minutes 59 seconds”

“Capture...”

The meaning of the ‘Capture’ theme of the trial became clear.

It’s just a modified version of siege and defense.

However, there is a problem.

‘The capture conditions are quite strict.’

To hold this tile for 10 minutes in this chaos...

Unless there’s a significant power difference, it would be impossible to hold.

Especially if you’re alone, it would be even easier to lose the capture point.

The only fortunate thing is that the other challengers have lost quite a few team members.

After a quick glance around, I was confident.

‘I can hold out.’

It didn’t seem like there were any other world challengers of my caliber nearby.

Most of them couldn’t even cross the tiles properly and were wandering around, trapped by the terrain.

The tension from the start, where team members were killed, was unwarranted.

‘Most of them received low grades in the 5th floor evaluation, so it’s no surprise.’

The top-tier challengers who immediately took on the trial are probably beyond the 6th floor.

The others who challenged this 6th floor trial late...

Of course, there are a few who used return stones or had special circumstances that made them late.

People like me fall into that category.

Then, someone shouted.

“...Go south! The guy on the southern tile is alone!”

I could feel the gazes of those around me turn to me.

“It’s true. He can’t even use siege magic...”

“No, he might be doing this to stack achievements since he doesn’t have a team member.”

“Damn, what’s the worst that can happen if we fail? I’m charging!”

While there were negative reactions, most seemed to view me as a tempting target.

Seeing the challengers slowly approaching, I frowned.

“This is not a good trend.”

Someone’s incitement had turned the chaotic battlefield’s attention to me.

‘No matter where you go, there are always those who stir things up.’

Like ‘Hedi Gongdu’ who consistently stirred things up during the 4th floor trial.

There was a male challenger who claimed the southern tile was a trap and quietly slipped away.

However, I didn’t feel any resentment.

‘This is within my expectations.’

In the trial tower, most things can be resolved by force.

The five or so challengers didn’t seem to be from the same team, but they approached me as a common enemy.

They didn’t realize they were being incited, and I had no intention of wasting time by informing them.

‘This is a good opportunity to increase my necromancy proficiency anyway.’

Whether it was a special trial or a combined trial, to me, it was just an event.

An event to increase the proficiency of a unique characteristic and, if lucky, gain a skill.

“Now it feels more like the trial tower.”

Looking at the approaching challengers, I smiled faintly.

It felt like I would finally make significant progress.

***

Actually, I don’t need to kill them all.

As the trial tower stated, if I can hold the tile for 10 minutes, I pass the trial.

So, if I wanted to, I could let them go.

The challengers in front of me are all weaker than me, so I could send them to other tiles.

Perhaps doing so would increase their chances of survival.

But.

‘It would just be hypocrisy anyway.’

Even if I send them to other tiles, someone will die.

Whether it’s the challenger who originally captured the tile or the one who invades, it’s the same.

One side will be driven off the tile and fail the trial, dying.

So, if they decided to fight, there’s no need to harbor any emotions.

As I judged in the 6th floor waiting room, it’s not my role to judge right and wrong...

And I felt deeply that there’s no value in sympathizing with lower-tier challengers.

And it’s the same for the other side.

“Die!”

The actions of the challengers aiming to capture the southern tile were swift.

A male challenger lunged at me with a spear, and the others followed with hostile actions.

“Damn, it’s all or nothing! Heart Bond!”

“Due to the unique characteristic ‘Heart Bond,’ the pain of player ‘Kim Jin-hyun’ and player ‘Han Seong-yun’ is shared.”

Thud...

A sensation like a lead weight on my heart, followed by that message.

Pain sharing?

‘Another unique characteristic that uses magic power.’

Without a skill to resist magic, I was hit by the unique characteristic.

If it were a physical skill, I might have been able to block or dodge it...

But with this type of attack, there’s no defense, so I couldn’t help but frown.

‘I need to learn a skill related to magic resistance later.’

While thinking this, my body moved skillfully.

I grabbed the spear with my left hand, kicked off the tile, and leaped up to slash the enemy’s neck.

Swoosh...

“Achievement ‘One Hit, One Kill’ unlocked.”

“Skill ‘Contempt for the Weak (F)’ created.”

A message appeared, but I had no time to feel anything.

‘Three left, I guess.’

With enemies still in front of me, I couldn’t relax.

I quickly moved to another tile while the capture was in progress.

When I stepped on the tile, one of the messages that appeared was:

“If no other team enters the tile, the capture process will not be interrupted.”

If no other team enters the tile, the capture won’t be interrupted.

So, moving to another tile won’t stop the capture process.

There’s no point in letting them do more, so it’s better to take the initiative.

‘It’s better to finish quickly.’

“Skill ‘Contempt for the Weak’ activated.”

“The enemy has lower stats in all five abilities compared to the user.”

“The enemy is more likely to feel intimidated by you, and your strength increases by 1.”

As I made this decision, the skill I gained from the achievement activated, and a surge of energy filled my body.

I was interested in the new skill but laughed bitterly at the floating message.

‘An enemy with all five stats lower than mine...’

Except for certain aspects, they aren’t even worth being considered opponents.

“Monster, how can you be so strong...!”

“What...”

“Damn, block them! You’re a mage! Cast a shield!”

“Damn brat, do you think magic is omnipotent? How can you cast a shield in this terrain!”

Thud, thud, thud.

The enemies were in a panic, whether because of the ‘Contempt for the Weak’ skill or for other reasons.

It was frustrating to see them fighting while I was crossing the tile.

‘If I were in their position, I would have moved to another tile or used the water below.’

The water below the tile reduces stats when touched.

Some have fallen into it, and I don’t like the stat reduction either.

If they had used it, I might have been restrained.

But they are using these elements to tie their own feet, which is pitiful.

‘Whatever.’

I shouldn’t be here on the 6th floor in the first place.

I should be in a higher tier with those who immediately participated in the trial...

But I was just delayed in climbing the tower because I returned to Earth to secure various things.

Perhaps it’s natural to face lower-tier challengers.

If I want a higher level of combat...

‘I need to climb higher.’

To a place with stronger challengers and more dangerous trials.

It’s hard to become significantly stronger just by facing these people.

If the trial tower has a proper system, there’s no way to get good rewards from such a massacre.

To grow, I need to return to the front lines with them.

And to do that...

“I need to finish these first.”

Only then can I see the end of the 6th floor trial.