Chapter 5

005. The Second Trial (2)

"Time until the second floor trial begins - 1 hour 47 minutes"

- Kang Seon-woo: I woke up after a good sleep, really lol

- Oh Chun-seok: Damn; the bed is so cheap, my body feels a bit sore;

- Hyun Seok-jin: If you're uncomfortable... you know, buy a high-end bed at the store.

- Oh Chun-seok: If I were to buy something like that, I'd rather just have a hearty bowl of rice soup.

- Hyun Seok-jin: Oh, but talking about rice soup makes me hungry.

- Oh Chun-seok: I don't even experience physiological phenomena, yet I don't know why I'm hungry. Really.

- Kim Seung-hoon: You guys are crazy, can you even joke in this situation? Stop talking nonsense like rice soup and buy some jerky from the store, it's the cheapest.

- Oh Chun-seok: Oh, great tip, thanks!

Clack!

"Already this much time has passed."

I looked at the community and stretched my body.

After rolling around on the waiting room floor hundreds of times, it was already this late.

During that time, I learned a lot.

Like the cheapest food sold at the store, or the nature of the waiting room.

'The most I learned was about the nature of the waiting room.'

Most physiological phenomena other than hunger cannot be felt in this waiting room.

Well, I could get that kind of information.

And I also learned that the recovery effect of the waiting room is not all-powerful.

'Actually, it's ambiguous to call it a recovery effect.'

I experimented by cutting my hand with a blade, and the blood that flowed from my hand returned to the wound and healed.

The blood returning is not a typical 'recovery.'

It's more like a restoration effect.

So, if hunger becomes severe, I might starve to death.

Since hunger continues, it won't revert to the past.

'In addition, I learned that the recovery effect can be turned on or off.'

There weren't many functions that were actually helpful or that I had used.

Because it consumes points.

It takes a total of 100 points to activate and deactivate the recovery effect of the waiting room.

With only 375 points left, I had to avoid pointless point wastage.

Of course, if I get more points later and think it's worth checking, I'll do the test.

After finishing my thoughts, I opened the store and bought some jerky.

Crunch, crunch.

"Tastes bad and is hard."

The jerky, which had no salt, was a chore to eat.

But jerky is the most cost-effective food, costing only 10 points per piece.

There's nothing edible among the cheaper foods.

The black bread made by mixing flour and sand can't even be chewed, and other cheap foods are similar.

It's not something you can eat, but something to fill your stomach.

'I can't survive by eating that.'

Jerky is better than just trying to fill my stomach.

Even if it tastes bad, I have to eat this to save points.

While munching on the jerky, I also bought water and bandages.

I don't know what trials will come, so I have to be prepared.

After buying various items, the remaining points were:

"Remaining points - 40"

"Really, there's not much left."

If I hadn't received additional breakthrough rewards, I probably wouldn't have any points left.

That's evident from the community's chatter.

- Lee Hee-jin: I can't buy medical supplies because I have no points; why are magical items so expensive;

- Kim Seung-hoon: In the early stages, magic is overpowered, so if magical items were cheap, the balance would be off.

- Hyun Seok-jin: But I'm the only one who received additional breakthrough rewards? Thanks to that, I have a lot of points.

- Kim Seung-hoon: I also received something, but it was a skill, not points. What is it?

- Oh Chun-seok: ? I didn't receive anything? What's going on? Did you bribe the admin?

- Lee Hee-jin: ? I didn't receive anything either.

Only a few people received additional breakthrough rewards.

Most people in the community who heard about additional breakthrough rewards are confused.

'Do you have to show outstanding performance in the tutorial to receive them?'

Everyone says they received either points or a skill.

However,

"I received both?"

Hmm...

Perhaps there's a formula for calculating additional breakthrough rewards.

If you kill enemies in a survival-themed trial, the rewards might increase.

'So, I might have received two rewards.'

If that's the case, I'll need to break the mold for the second floor trial and the ones after.

To climb this tower with an advantage over others, I need to do that.

Especially since I chose the highest difficulty level among the three options.

If E-grade monsters appeared in the tutorial, the subsequent trials are likely to be even more intense.

'I'm glad I trained non-stop.'

Thanks to that, my sword and shield feel like they're part of my body.

I think I could beat a sand golem if I met one again.

'This time, I have a shield too.'

After preparing, I checked my inventory and the remaining time.

"Time until the second floor trial begins - 17 minutes 17 seconds"

A lot of time passed while training and buying items from the store.

The community's chatter decreased as people became tense.

- Oh Chun-seok: The tutorial trial was already hell, what will the second floor be like... It's ridiculous, really.

- Hyun Seok-jin: I don't need any awakening; I just want to go home, really.

- Kim Seung-hoon: Stop stalling and start preparing for the fight. Who knows what will happen.

- Lee Jin-woo: Damn, I don't want to go. Why did I choose the difficult difficulty... Can't change the difficulty?

- Hyun Seok-jin: If you were me, would you let a fool who walked in on their own go easily?

- Oh Chun-seok: Now that you mention it, I wouldn't let go of such a black cow either.

As the time to challenge the second floor approached, everyone started to feel gloomy.

I was no exception.

'Can I survive? I wonder.'

Just imagining the battle makes my hands tremble and my heart race.

But if I don't fight, I'll be eliminated.

At the end of the path of elimination, there's only the stigma of defeat and death.

That's why everyone is preparing to fight.

"10 seconds until the second floor trial begins"

10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds, 7 seconds...

The community chat became quiet as the time ran out.

The calm before the storm.

As the inevitable disaster approached, everyone became solemn.

And then,

"0 seconds until the second floor trial begins"

"Time's up."

The moment the remaining time completely ran out,

"Trial."

I immediately spoke the tower's dedicated command.

"Would you like to participate in the second floor trial?"

"Y/N"

Without hesitation, I pressed 'Y', and the portal I had seen before appeared.

Without a moment's hesitation, I stepped into the portal.

If not now, I might never be able to move forward.

Then,

"Entering the second floor of the Trial Tower."

"Difficulty - Hard"

"The theme of this trial is 'Assassination.'"

"May the trials of the chosen one lead to a satisfactory result."

"Forest?"

On the other side of the portal, a green forest awaited me.

"The second floor trial begins."

"Remaining time - 3 days"

"Trial breakthrough condition - Assassinate the orc chieftain within the remaining time"

"Trial failure condition - Death of the challenger or the end of the remaining time"

"Trial breakthrough reward - Assassin's Cloak (D), Black Iron Dagger (E+)"

"Trial failure penalty - Death"

"Assassination...?"

It seems the theme of the second floor trial is assassination.

'Do I have to assassinate now?'

I've never done it before and have almost no knowledge about it.

Not to mention, how many hunters try to assassinate monsters?

They just kill them.

Of course, there might be such cases, but...

At least, I don't know of any.

But it didn't bother me too much.

The tutorial was the same; I had to do whatever it took.

"Well, if I have to, I have to."

This tower's trials are about doing whatever it takes.

Then,

"Opening the second floor trial map."

"Marking the orc tribe's base."

A large map appeared in the corner of my vision.

I thought the hard difficulty would be merciless, but it seems the tower has some conscience.

I understood why the map appeared after seeing the orc tribe's location.

It's a complicated place in the middle of the forest.

Without the map, it might have taken a week to find the orc tribe.

At least, this tower doesn't set impossible goals.

"Anyway, I don't need to search the entire forest."

That's a significant gain.

My inventory has enough food and water for a few days, so there's no need to worry.

I also have potions for emergencies, and I've prepared a lot of things.

So, I can move without further preparation.

"Let's go."

I gripped my sword and shield tightly and slowly moved forward.

Into the forest where the orc village was located.

***

While crossing the vast forest, I started to crawl from halfway.

It's not a basic hunter skill, but the result of some thinking.

'There might be orc scouts or sentries who could spot me.'

If this tower perfectly simulates a 'dungeon' structure.

That's a possibility.

Without special skills or items, it would be hard to avoid the scouts' eyes.

Of course, a proper hunter wouldn't lack such skills, but...

I don't have them, so I have to do this.

'At least, I need to be careful from now on to avoid being spotted.'

While maintaining a prone position and crawling through the bushes,

"Chirp, chirp."

My body froze instantly at the sound from somewhere.

The unmistakable breathing of an E-grade orc monster.

"..."

After a brief moment of thought, I knew what to do.

Move forward and minimize my presence.

Moving to a farther bush, I saw something I couldn't see before.

Sharp stakes and two monsters guarding the entrance.

'They must be orc sentries.'

The breathing I heard earlier must have been from the orc sentries.

"Chirp, chirp."

The leather armor and greatsword in their hands made them look strong.

'I want to observe more, but...'

Now is the time to retreat.

If I'm spotted by the orc sentries, a forced battle will start.

And my chances of survival would be almost zero.

After slowly moving away from the orc village without being spotted, I stood up and started searching the area.

Now that I know the orcs are there, I need a way to observe them without being spotted.

'If it's a place with high humidity and enough mana for monsters to live, there must be...'

"Heavenly Mud"

"Grade: F"

"Special mud containing mana, formed in high-humidity areas."

"Applying it to the body makes it less likely to be detected by some monsters' senses and vision."

"However, the effect only lasts for 12 hours, during which the body emits a foul odor."

...It's here.

'This is here too.'

Seeing the mana-infused mud that usually appears in dungeons, I smiled.

The tower is different from but similar to a dungeon.

'I can use my existing knowledge.'

Thinking that, I scooped up the mud from a nearby puddle and smeared it all over my body.

The putrid smell of rotten meat rose, but I didn't care.

At least, I can deceive the orcs' senses with this mud.

'This mud is enough for goblins, orcs, and trolls.'

They all die from this 'Heavenly Mud.'

'Now, what should I do?'

In a typical dungeon, if there are orc sentries, there are also 'hunters' and 'workers.'

Sentries, hunters, workers, and the chieftain.

Orcs divide roles and perform tasks.

'Orcs that can perform group tasks, a trial at the E-grade dungeon level.'

At my level, I can't easily clear it.

I might not even be able to clear it even if I risk my life.

With orc hunters around, I can't overpower the orcs.

'At least, E-grade hunters need to form a party to kill the hunters, and I can't do it alone.'

Objectively, I'm not that strong, so a direct confrontation is impossible.

The only variable I have is the necromancy ability.

But it requires killing something to absorb the command.

'How can I kill the chieftain inside?'

At that moment, a crazy idea popped into my head.

No, there is a way.

If the target isn't limited to the chieftain...

"There is a way to kill all the orcs."