Chapter 4

004. The Second Trial (1)

The information the administrator was to convey was simple.

-■■■: I will inform you of how to use the points you obtained by overcoming the tutorial trial.

There was no mention of how to return to Earth.

Perhaps those who had been thinking only of a way back would be greatly disappointed and might not even properly read the information.

However,

'I have to remember everything.'

I looked at the administrator's chat as calmly as possible, without feeling disappointed.

Disappointment?

That only happens if you had expectations in the first place.

I didn't expect this tower to let us return so easily.

If they intended to send us back, the penalty for failing the tutorial trial would have been 'return' instead of 'death.'

Since they didn't, it means they don't intend to send us back easily.

I focused on the administrator's continuing chat while keeping my eyes on the community.

-■■■: Points are the common currency used within the Tower of Trials, mainly in the shop.

-■■■: Additionally, points can be transferred to others or received from others through the community.

-■■■: In the Tower of Trials, you won't be allowed even a sip of water without points.

-■■■: Points can only be obtained through trials.

-■■■: This concludes the information to be conveyed.

「Administrator ■■■ has left the room.」

「The chat ban in the community has been lifted.」

As soon as the administrator's chat ended, a flood of messages poured in.

-강선우 (Gang Seon-woo): ...So, that's it? Just telling us how to use the points? Really?

-김승훈 (Kim Seung-hoon): Damn it. There's a bastard waiting for us upstairs. I'm going to find him.

-이승진 (Lee Seung-jin): Is the person above us just having anger management issues? He's been like that since earlier.

-이희진 (Lee Hee-jin): Well, with all our stats and skills reset, it's understandable.

-현석진 (Hyun Seok-jin): Excuse me, Administrator? Please tell us how to return! Please!

-박진우 (Park Jin-woo): So, they're not going to let us return easily.

I observed the situation while looking at the flood of messages.

"In short, we have to adapt to this tower somehow."

Whether I liked it or not, that was what I had to do.

It was a given fact that escaping this place in a short time was impossible.

It was clear that we would have to stay in this tower for a long time.

Then, is it possible to stay in the waiting room without going through any trials?

No, it isn't.

'Points are only given through trials.'

So, staying in the waiting room indefinitely isn't an option.

The points obtained from the tutorial have clear limits.

Just by briefly looking at the shop, I could see how the system worked.

'If you don't get points, you won't even be allowed a sip of water.'

So, ultimately, we have no choice but to challenge the trials to earn points.

I took a deep breath and looked at the sword next to my bed.

A well-polished longsword provided during the tutorial.

'I don't know if this will be enough for the next trial.'

I don't know what the second floor's trial will be, but if it's something like a sand golem...

"I might die."

Even with the stats boost from the sand golem's command, I'm only at the F-rank player level.

I'm just at the point of barely surpassing human limits.

At this stage, I need at least one way to protect myself.

To increase my chances of survival as a player with the lowest stats, I need to have that.

"A longsword alone is not enough."

Having handled various weapons over the past seven years, I can use most of them decently.

So, there's no need to switch from the longsword to something else.

'Of course, I'm only at the level of just getting past the beginner stage.'

My desperate lack of talent as a player applies to skills as well.

The same goes for unarmed combat techniques.

I can do them decently, but only at the level of just getting past the beginner stage.

Of course, with such proficiency, a spear might be better.

'But I don't need to spend points on a spear.'

However, my conclusion is that I need a way to increase my safety besides the longsword.

'I need a way to deflect or block enemy attacks.'

My body is weak, so if I get hit once, I'll fall right there.

"Shop."

After about an hour of deliberation, I reached a conclusion.

The basic longsword has a blade of about 80 cm, which is quite long.

I remember using a similar long wooden sword with a shield in the player-exclusive gym, so I decided to buy a shield.

Swords and shields are commonly used because they are both common and have good synergy.

Even experienced hunters use swords and shields, or spears and shields, to prepare for emergencies.

After browsing the shop, which is like an online mall, I bought a shield similar to the one I used in the gym.

'I need to be familiar with it to use it better in real combat.'

Still, I should practice a bit just in case.

「You have purchased the Dwarf's Clumsy Shield (E).」

「700 points have been deducted.」

「Remaining points: 800」

It's a bit expensive, but it's a one-handed wooden shield made by a beginner dwarf.

Although it's made of wood, it's not weak.

「Dwarf's Clumsy Shield」

「Rank: E」

「A one-handed wooden shield made by a beginner dwarf.」

「It is reinforced with special steel on the outside, making it quite sturdy.」

After the Great Cataclysm, all common sense was turned upside down.

Even a shield that looks weak is lighter, stronger, and more durable due to its high rank.

A shield made before the Great Cataclysm would be far inferior.

'Getting a shield that would cost over 30 million won in reality...'

It felt like my sense of money was numbing.

It's natural, considering I obtained equipment that even officially registered hunters can't easily get.

Of course, it's a meaningless calculation since we can't leave this place.

I quickly regained my composure and started to assume a stance with the shield and longsword.

The training I did just a few days ago wasn't in vain, as I could assume a proper stance.

Moreover, with my stats increased, holding the sword and shield in each hand was only slightly heavy.

In terms of condition, it could be considered unprecedentedly optimal.

I chose a familiar type of shield, which helped reduce the sense of unfamiliarity.

After confirming this, I put down the sword and shield and opened the shop window again.

'All items must be obtained by spending points, right?'

Then, there were quite a few other items I needed to get.

The shop sells all kinds of items, so I would find what I needed.

If I were a regular person, I might have struggled with what to buy, but I didn't need to.

「Potion of Health」

「Rank: F-」

「A special potion that restores a small amount of health.」

「It also has a slight effect of reducing fatigue.」

「Potion of Regeneration」

「Rank: F-」

「A potion that heals wounds when consumed or applied to the injured area.」

「However, this effect only works on minor injuries.」

「Worn Throwing Dagger」

「Rank: F-」

「A very short and worn-out throwing dagger.」

「It is so worn that it may break immediately upon contact with a proper blade.」

Fortunately, all the items I had in mind were available in the shop, so I bought them without hesitation.

I only bought the items I needed for critical situations.

I chose the most efficient items while trying to conserve my points as much as possible.

「Remaining points: 375」

Thanks to this, I could get useful items while preserving a significant amount of points.

I left enough points to buy food, so it was a reasonable purchase.

'At least with this, I won't lose easily in battle.'

Even in a prolonged battle, I have the Potion of Health, and if I get many injuries, I have the Potion of Regeneration.

The throwing dagger can also be useful in unexpected situations.

With the hunter's perspective I've developed, I'm confident this is the best choice.

"With this, I can stop buying combat-related items for now..."

Now, what should I do?

Since there's nothing to do until the trial, it's better to get used to the weapons.

I'm still not familiar with the sword, and the shield is a bit different from the one I used before.

If I don't adapt, I won't be able to fight properly in real combat.

The fatigue recovery effect has improved my mental state.

Even if I get tired from training, the waiting room's effect will quickly eliminate the fatigue.

It's natural to move my body to prepare for the upcoming trial.

「2nd Floor Community (3928/4321)」

「Time until 2nd Floor Trial: 20 hours 53 minutes」

I moved the community and remaining time to a corner of my vision.

I need to check the community and remaining time while practicing.

'There might be useful information.'

After the administrator left, the situation has somewhat settled, and the confusion has subsided.

However, that thought quickly disappeared as the chat continued.

-강선우 (Gang Seon-woo): I'm going crazy. All skills are gone, so swordsmanship and spear skills are difficult. It's a mess.

-이희진 (Lee Hee-jin): Me too. I used to use magic, but without skills, I can't use it properly.

-김승훈 (Kim Seung-hoon): I don't know about the others, but I'm annoyed that my stats have decreased. It's hard to adapt.

-이승진 (Lee Seung-jin): I learned the skills, but I have to build proficiency from scratch. I'm going to go crazy, really.

-오춘석 (Oh Chun-seok): Hunters are at least better off; regular people don't even know what to do. Is it possible to clear the 2nd floor?

-강선우 (Gang Seon-woo): I don't know. But you should quickly buy a sword or spear and a shield and practice.

-이승진 (Lee Seung-jin): Damn it. If I had my original abilities, I wouldn't be doing this. Administrator, you bastard.

There was no significant difference from before the administrator conveyed the information.

The chats were filled with anxiety, restlessness, and a sense of loss.

There was no useful information in the ongoing conversations, so I had no interest.

I wasn't a hunter, nor was I a regular person.

'In this situation, my miserable talent is helpful.'

I'm almost the same as I was before entering the tower.

No, rather, I've grown within this place.

Could this be the moment when my cursed talent, which only added to my suffering for seven years, is finally helpful?

Thinking about it positively, there's nothing bad about it.

'Think positively, positively.'

Realistically, the only thing I can do now is to work hard.

Now that my stats and skills have been reset, I can finally start from the starting line.

Still, there is a difference.

I will quickly relearn the skills I once acquired and grow faster than before.

'To catch up, I can't be lazy with these small training sessions.'

Growth is directly linked to survival.

When others work hard, I need to work twice or three times as hard.

Only then can I reach a similar level.

I need to move my body a little to prepare for the fight and repeatedly think about how to tackle the trial.

Unlike a few hours ago when I had given up on everything, I didn't feel discouraged.

Unique traits, skill acquisition, and stat increases.

In a short time, I saw quite a bit of hope, so the thought of giving up disappeared.

'If I can adapt and survive, I can become a hunter.'

It's different from the time when I couldn't do anything.

If I can survive and get out, I can aim for what I want, or even something higher.

The tower doesn't just want us to die pointlessly.

If we overcome the trials, we get rewards and points.

With that, we can become stronger, and perhaps a way out will become visible.

The immediate goal is simple and clear.

'Overcoming the second trial.'

If that's the task given by the tower, I will find a way to overcome it.