Chapter 5: Tutorial (3)

After walking for a while,

Yeonwoo eventually realized that there was a pattern to the traps.

'The way I deal with the iron arrows affects the stats that increase.'

For example:

If I knock the iron arrows to the side, my strength increases.

If I dodge them, my agility increases.

If I get hit, my health increases.

Of course, this pattern didn't always hold true.

However, the stats that were stimulated seemed to differ based on how I dealt with the iron arrows.

Moreover,

'Some of the arrowheads had different colors.'

As my stats steadily increased and my senses became more acute, I eventually gained the ability to see the flying arrows.

At first, I thought I was seeing things.

Very small, but different colors were painted on the tips of the arrowheads.

However, the lighting was too dim to distinguish the colors, and with multiple arrows flying from different positions simultaneously, it was hard to confirm them all at once.

Most of the arrowheads were just ordinary, which made me think I was imagining things.

But as my vision improved,

And my dynamic vision ability increased, my doubts gradually turned into certainty.

They were definitely there.

The arrowheads with different colors.

'The ones I saw were... red, blue, yellow. Was that it?'

Yeonwoo fell into thought.

'What are they? What's the difference between these colors?'

Then, he remembered something from the diary.

Although it was a thought that came to him much later, nothing in the tutorial was created without a reason.

Everything had some meaning.

So, what he was most curious about was the strange colors on the arrowheads.

'Jungwoo couldn't figure out this secret either. Is it some kind of hidden piece?'

His younger brother had barely passed Area A with team play, but Yeonwoo was passing it solo. This difference made it seem like he had found a hidden piece that no one else had.

Yeonwoo decided to test it out and resumed his movement.

Swoosh!

Just then, one of the six arrows that flew had a blue color.

'The only things I can check immediately are stats and skills. So,'

Yeonwoo dodged the other arrows and knocked the blue one to the side.

Clang!

[Strength increased by 1.]

[Proficiency in 'Enhanced Senses' skill increased by 4.2%.]

Messages indicating that his strength stat and skill proficiency had increased.

Clearly, it wasn't ineffective,

'But this isn't it.'

Yeonwoo shook his head.

'There must be something else. A noticeable difference compared to other arrows.'

After a while, a red arrow flew this time.

Yeonwoo turned his body to let the other arrows pass and stabbed the red one precisely.

A heavier weight than usual was felt in his wrist.

[Red arrow deflected.]

[Strength increased by 3.]

'This is it!'

Yeonwoo felt a sudden clarity.

A significant increase in strength.

It was a big difference from the usual gradual increase of 1.

'Status screen.'

[Player: Cha Yeonwoo]

Trait: Cold-Blooded

Strength: 19 Agility: 19 Health: 14 Mana: 21

Skills: Dragon Eye (0.0%). Enhanced Senses (4.3%). Time Prediction (0.0%).

Yeonwoo smiled faintly.

Although the rate of stat increases had gradually slowed down over time,

He had found a way to boost his stats again.

'These arrows, each color must increase a specific stat. Red increased strength. What about the others?'

When he knocked the blue arrow aside, there was no noticeable difference. This meant that the required actions for each color were different.

Once he had a rough idea, Yeonwoo moved faster.

Swoosh!

The blue arrow was faster than the regular ones.

This time, he narrowly dodged it.

[Blue arrow dodged.]

[Agility increased by 2.]

The yellow arrow was sharp.

Since the actions of knocking it aside or dodging were already known, he tentatively extended his left arm.

Thud!

[Yellow arrow hit.]

[Health increased by 2.]

"Damn, ouch."

Yeonwoo grimaced in pain, feeling as if his left arm would fall off, and barely pulled out the arrow.

Even though he had exposed a part of his body that wouldn't damage his bones or joints and tried to block the pain as much as possible, it was still an action that a normal person wouldn't do.

Dizziness hit him again due to the excessive blood loss.

He was only holding on because his health stat had increased; otherwise, he would have collapsed already.

Then,

"Cough."

Yeonwoo spat out blood. Blood dripped from his palm, which he had twisted to block his mouth.

Blocking the pain didn't make the symptoms disappear.

The pain was spreading from his left arm's nerves throughout his body.

He felt nauseous.

His mind was about to give in.

His body was warning him that it couldn't take any more.

Just the fact that he had held on this long was insane, and if he didn't rest immediately, he might really collapse.

But Yeonwoo gritted his teeth again.

'This level of pain. Compared to what Jungwoo went through.'

Yeonwoo knew well the pain his brother had endured, having read the diary multiple times.

If he couldn't endure this as an older brother, he wouldn't be able to do anything for his brother in the future.

Yeonwoo forcibly pulled out the yellow arrow embedded in his left arm.

Although his body had reached its limit, he had achieved his goal.

Red increased strength. Blue increased agility. Yellow increased health.

It seemed that he just needed to take the appropriate action for each color.

'The only thing that bothers me is the lack of a way to increase the mana stat. But if I can steadily increase the stats I want using this method,'

There was still a long way to go before the passage ended.

The number of traps he could sense was also overwhelming. There were many stats he could increase.

Even though the blood had risen to his jaw,

Yeonwoo swallowed it and moved.

His eyes burned like flames.

One step. Another step.

Yeonwoo hurried his unsteady steps.

* * *

"Oho, what a truly remarkable participant. I've never seen a character like this before."

In front of Manager Evilkey were thousands of screens floating simultaneously.

All the players currently participating in the tutorial.

Their appearances were varied.

But Evilkey's gaze was fixed on a screen in one corner.

There, Yeonwoo was walking unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing.

'He wouldn't have attracted much attention under normal circumstances.'

In fact, this tutorial was full of interesting sights.

Not just the promising siblings from the Blue Ram clan, but also the reckless duo targeting the rankers, and the Marcus faction's swordsman.

Each of them was a formidable player who could hold their own even in the top ranks.

They had all entered Area E early and were already on missions.

Some had even entered Area F.

So, the top players were always curious.

Who would record the highest contribution points in the tutorial?

But strangely, Evilkey's eyes kept being drawn to Yeonwoo, who had been stuck in Area A for days.

At first, he thought Yeonwoo would die after a few steps.

He thought the guy would die from overconfidence, given his lack of skill.

But the kid defied expectations.

While others struggled to pass Area A even in team play or were wiped out, Yeonwoo was making progress alone and had even discovered the hidden pieces in the arrowheads.

He was using his relentless mental strength to steadily increase his stats using the hidden pieces.

Despite his body being on the verge of collapse.

'This guy is the real deal.'

Having been a manager for a long time, Evilkey could tell instinctively.

While the other leading players were doing well, the one who would truly turn the tutorial upside down was this guy.

"Even if he passes this area, many dangers will remain, but if he continues to pass them as wisely as he has been."

Evilkey adjusted his monocle.

Yeonwoo had already reached the final point of Area A.

"This tutorial will be full of interesting scenes. Oho."

* * *

[Player: Cha Yeonwoo]

Trait: Cold-Blooded

Strength: 29 Agility: 33 Health: 30 Mana: 21

Skills: Dragon Eye (0.0%). Enhanced Senses (8.3%). Time Prediction (0.0%).

Throughout the passage,

Yeonwoo clenched his fist, checking his progress.

'Overall, my stats have increased sharply, except for mana.'

Compared to when he first entered, his total stat sum had increased by 55.

'To increase stats, you need to train that specific area regularly or push it beyond its limits. Even passing solo, raising this much in just a day is a good achievement.'

Actually, it wasn't just good.

It was a remarkable achievement.

There were hardly any regular players who could raise their stats this much in such a short time.

'Not only that, but my strength, mobility, endurance, destructive power, and overall abilities have all improved.'

Physically, it was exhausting, but mentally, he felt proud.

He was a bit disappointed that he couldn't increase his mana stat, but since he didn't immediately need it, he pushed that thought aside.

Smiling,

Yeonwoo pushed the iron door in front of him with one hand.

Creak.

[You have reached the final point.]

[Your wounds are beginning to heal.]

The endless passage ended at an iron door.

Yeonwoo was already exhausted.

His body was covered in blood, and a few arrows were still embedded in him.

His senses had been continuously focused, making his head feel like it was on fire.

He didn't know what traps lay beyond the iron door,

But Yeonwoo opened it without hesitation and stepped inside.

A room of about 10 square meters appeared.

At the same time,

Whoosh!

White light rose along the wounds covered in pus and blood.

The wounds slowly healed, and the pus subsided.

His exhausted health also recovered.

A checkpoint designed to allow players to rest after passing Area A.

Yeonwoo, feeling a sense of satisfaction at his growth and finally able to catch his breath,

Slid into sleep.

* * *

'Did I fall asleep?'

Yeonwoo felt his body was stiff.

As he had read in the diary, the final point could heal status abnormalities and restore health.

He had tried to rest his eyes, relieved to see his body healing,

But he must have slept deeper than he thought.

Just as he was about to open his eyes to check the time,

"Peek-a-boo?"

Suddenly, a man in a robe, whose face was hard to see, waved at him with a cheerful smile.

Yeonwoo, startled, jumped up and leaned back, quickly bringing his hand to his waist.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

'Who is this guy?'

Why hadn't he noticed someone was there?

His Enhanced Senses skill was definitely active.

It was scanning the entire 10-square-meter final point room, but it was avoiding this man.

As if he was isolated from the world.

Then, he remembered something from the diary.

Occasionally, merchants would appear at the final point, selling things players needed in exchange for a price. From ordinary food to potions, skill books, and various artifacts, they sold everything.

"Mysterious Merchant?"

"Hehe!"

The robed man laughed lightly and clapped his hands.

Snap!

Then, shelves filled with various items appeared behind the man, as if the space had rippled.

"It's a relief that you know me. I love you, customer, no, patron. Let me introduce myself. I'm a passing merchant, A."