Chapter 57

Chapter 56: The End of the Third Floor, The Army Without Hearts (2)

Rumble!

When the darkened vision returned, the entire landscape before his eyes had completely changed.

A place reminiscent of a traditional Eastern temple, with its vibrant autumn leaves.

This was the end of the third floor, the main battlefield for this raid.

[A new challenger has appeared in the domain of the 'Army Without Hearts' on the third floor.]

The status window that appears when entering the boss monster's room.

Seeing this, I began to realize that the time to meet 'those guys' was finally approaching.

'It’s going to be a busy few days.'

I was confident in my solo battles, but this raid required more than just that.

Thud.

Jinhyuk slowly moved his steps towards the outskirts of the temple.

Before entering the enemy's territory, there were tasks that needed to be addressed first.

***

'As expected, the autumn leaves here are said to be the best in the tower.'

This place was truly a scenic wonder.

The vast maple forest stretching for tens of kilometers was breathtakingly beautiful.

However, he wasn't just wandering the outskirts to enjoy the scenery.

'They were definitely here somewhere...'

Jinhyuk's gaze moved quickly.

The trees all looked similar.

But among them, there was a special tree that stood out.

'Found it!'

Jinhyuk stopped abruptly.

The tree, known as the 'Face Tree' (人面木), had a human face instead of knots, and it was quite famous among players, having been featured several times in community posts.

Just as Jinhyuk was about to approach the tree,

['HakkoExploration' has entered.]

-HakkoExploration: I was lured by the title. What kind of sucker came to a boss room that isn't even on the large guild's raid schedule?

The first viewer had entered.

But upon recognizing Jinhyuk's face, the viewer immediately started cursing.

-HakkoExploration: Ha, this guy is wearing a mask and trying to draw attention. Why are there so many players with the same concept these days? I’m out, b*stard.

['HakkoExploration' has left.]

Hmm...

It seems the number of players wearing masks has increased recently.

The sharp reaction suggests as much.

Of course, I understand.

Drawing attention is a necessary skill for new streamers.

And a masked player who has cleared the corridor is definitely a character that everyone would be interested in.

It's not hard to find a similar mask, either.

Then,

['GimbapIsTheFuture' has entered.]

['FreeloaderAboveAll' has entered.]

Two more viewers entered.

They seemed to be the type who stick around for a while.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Haha, what's the YouTube algorithm? Is this related to the third-floor raid?

-FreeloaderAboveAll: I came because of that. Definitely KingTube!

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Wow, but I've never seen someone solo challenge this. Smart! Hey, are you crazy, human? Even a 100-person raid struggles here, you know?

-FreeloaderAboveAll: If you're a lost young fawn, shake your butt! I'll show you the way.

The conversation was filled with mockery.

'Cute.'

Jinhyuk's lips curled upward.

Seeing the viewers chat like this reminded him of his days as a streamer, and he felt a sense of nostalgia.

'Yeah, this is what streaming is about.'

Viewers tease the new, unknown streamer.

The streamer then wins them over with their skills.

That's why he was already looking forward to it.

To see how their attitudes would change.

Ignoring the two, Jinhyuk approached the Face Tree.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Hey, that's the Face Tree, right?

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Yeah, they still exist occasionally. Some players try to solve the tower's quiz for a chance at a lottery.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Does he not watch YouTube? If he saw what other players did, he'd know it's impossible.

To get the reward, one had to answer all three quizzes correctly.

But so far, no one had managed to answer more than one question correctly.

Even explorers who enjoyed exploring the tower's interior more than climbing it had failed.

Thus, the tree was thoroughly ignored.

Until today.

Creak!

The Face Tree stirred at that moment.

"Krrr! A human, at last."

The tree's eyes, colored like pumpkins, stared directly at Jinhyuk. At the same time, a voice, ancient and twisted, emerged from its grotesque mouth.

"Have you come to solve my quizzes?"

"Something like that. How about giving me a good question?"

Snap.

Jinhyuk lay down on the soft pile of fallen leaves.

It was so comfortable, like being buried in a natural mattress.

He propped his chin with his right hand and scratched his ear with his left.

The Face Tree let out a scream.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"How dare you take such a disrespectful posture in front of me! If you upset me, I might give you a question you can't even touch!"

"Ah... this? Sorry, I concentrate better when I'm comfortable. Just ignore it and give me the question."

"Ugh!"

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Haha, what a unique concept.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: I've never seen the Face Tree get so angry at players.

['PizzaTangSuyukDelicious' has entered.]

-PizzaTangSuyukDelicious: What's this stream about?

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Oh, a new viewer. This is a goldmine of entertainment.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: It's pretty unique. The player has a 'do-it-my-way' concept.

['NewHeroAlwaysWelcome' has entered.]

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Oh, another one.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Wow, this stream is doing well. But what does your username mean?

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: A new hero is always welcome!

-PizzaTangSuyukDelicious: What's this concept? Did you have a drink before coming?

The number of viewers was gradually increasing.

A good start.

Most importantly, the viewers who had entered were staying, which was the most positive sign.

It meant the stream was worth investing time in.

Then,

"Fine. If you answer all three questions correctly, I will give you one of the maple leaves I possess."

The Face Tree answered, trying to suppress its anger.

Isn't your voice trembling a bit too much for someone trying to act cool?

It's so obvious that you're boiling inside.

"If you change your mind later, I'll hold you to it. You clearly said you'd give me the leaf I want."

"What do you take me for! I, a tree spirit, will honor my word with my honor!"

"Hmm. If you say so, I'll believe you."

With the spirit's oath, there was no chance of him going back on his word.

"Then, I'll give you the first question. Answer the optimal depth and temperature for the marine creature 'Kelgorn' to inhabit. Of course, there should be no margin of error."

The marine trench on the seventh floor of the Tower of Trials.

That's where the Kelgorn lives.

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Wow, the first question is insane. I've heard of Kelgorn, but how would you know the depth and temperature?

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Correct! It lives in very deep waters.

-PizzaTangSuyukDelicious: It's probably cold, like 5 degrees? Or -5 degrees? I don't know.

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: This is a question meant to be answered incorrectly, isn't it? Haha.

The viewers expressed their frustration.

But,

"Depth: 175 meters. Temperature: 1.5 degrees."

Jinhyuk answered immediately.

'How could I not know, after snorkeling there so many times?'

He had been deeply impressed by Disney's The Little Mermaid and had done free diving countless times in a mermaid costume.

So he knew it well.

Not just the depth and temperature, but also the constantly changing currents.

"..."

The Face Tree's pupils dilated rapidly.

Its mouth opened as if it had lost the ability to speak.

"Next."

"It hasn't said it's correct yet."

"I know it's correct, so just give me the next one. Use your head."

"...Alright. Then, the second question. How can a player consume the sponge body of the Pelian?"

"Put 'Sun Desert Salt' and 'Holy Water made by a Priest who completed the second food quest' in a pot and cook it for 5 hours using white wood from a winter cave as fuel. Use a very low flame, very slowly."

"..."

It was correct again.

The Face Tree's face hardened even more.

He had thought he had selected the most difficult questions, but the opponent was answering them so easily.

Now, there was only one chance left.

The Face Tree's range of questions extended to the tenth floor of the tower.

But this was not the time to worry about fairness or rules.

The pride of the greatest ancient tree on the third floor, and the repository of vast knowledge, was at stake.

"Last question! The Giant Eagle on the 'Heavenly Plateau' mates only once a year. On what date does this happen?"

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Heavenly Plateau? It exists?

-GimbapIsTheFuture: I've never heard of it. Or the Giant Eagle.

-PizzaTangSuyukDelicious: Wow, Face Tree. It seems like he'll get them all right. Why did you give such strange questions?

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: From what I can tell, this isn't a lower floor area. This is it.

That's right.

The Heavenly Plateau is on the 15th floor of the tower.

And it's located at the highest point of the 15th floor, a place even the most seasoned veterans haven't seen.

There was no way he could get this right.

Like all the players before him, this arrogant human would be frustrated and despair.

It was a natural and inevitable outcome.

But,

It had to be that way...

"November 17th. When the first snow falls on the tower."

An answer that should never have been given.

"How... How do you know? Who are you? How do you know all of this?"

The Face Tree shook violently.

Creak!

The branches swayed, and countless maple leaves scattered into the air.

"I'm not special. Just an old player who likes to explore the tower."

"Don't... don't joke. No mere human could answer all my questions."

"Stop getting excited. If you stay calm, I'll tell you something you don't know."

"Something I don't know?"

"Yes. It seems you believe the Giant Eagle mates only once a year, but that's not true. If the population of Giant Eagles decreases, they can mate twice after a special meal to replenish their nutrition."

"Is... is that really possible? What do they eat... No, wait. Cough! Cough!"

The Face Tree quickly tried to compose itself.

But it was too late.

The true thoughts inside had already spilled out.

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Damn! I've never seen anyone break through the Face Tree's quizzes.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Is this real? It's like he knows everything. He's got it all down pat.

-PizzaTangSuyukDelicious: This is completely unexpected. It's amazing. Coming into this stream was a stroke of luck.

-FreeloaderAboveAll: Agreed. Thanks to this, we might see someone get a reward for the first time.

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: I wonder which one he'll choose.

If Jinhyuk passed the Face Tree's quizzes, he would have the right to choose one of the special items the tree possessed.

The red leaf granted fire attributes.

The yellow leaf enhanced defense.

The green leaf increased movement speed.

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Obviously, the red leaf that boosts attack. The raid teams tried to get that leaf to clear the fourth floor.

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: I'd rather choose the yellow leaf. Defense is essential to withstand the enemies.

-FreeloaderAboveAll: No, no. Increase movement speed with the green leaf. If you can avoid attacks, that's enough. Speed! Speed! Speed! Unknown bro, go for speed!

-GimbapIsTheFuture: Men go for attack! Attack! Attack!

-NewHeroAlwaysWelcome: What are you talking about! Defense is the pride of a real man!

The chat was in chaos.

With the expectation of a legendary moment,

Their excitement was understandable, as their chat would likely be publicized.

"Hurry up. Which one do you want?"

The Face Tree urged.

The viewers' attention was also focused.

The choice would completely change the dynamics of the third-floor boss battle.

However,

"The lousy leaves are only good for hiding your head. Do you have a black leaf? Give it to me."

Jinhyuk's words once again defied everyone's expectations.