NOVEL NEXT chapter 10
10 – 1st Floor, Forming a Team.
Because of Park Ji-hoon, the error person who couldn’t properly go through the tutorial doesn’t know well.
Most players receive tips and information from the administrator.
You could call it basic education.
Among them, the part that players focus on is the existence of other races.
Especially in dimensions where there are no races other than humans, they paid close attention.
“Earth?”
“The weakest race. They are humans like you, but their body structure is a bit different.”
“I don’t quite understand. How is their body structure different?”
“They don’t have a dantian. They can’t accumulate internal energy. Of course, it’s possible to learn ascending martial arts skills with the help of the soul system.”
Middle-earth people, martial artists, humans, psychics…
There are many races that can be called humans.
If you think about it, it’s just that their home dimensions are different.
They are the same humans as the error person.
But there are no humans as weak as Earthlings.
Other dimensional human races have unique organs that Earthlings like the error person can’t even imagine, such as mana lords, circles, dantians, true pineal glands, etc.
“Are you saying Earthlings can’t form a dantian?”
“Yes.”
There are races weaker than Earthlings.
However, the only species where the entire race, every individual, is weak, is the Earthlings.
“Suddenly want to kill someone? Then look for an Earthling! Suddenly want to curse someone? Approach an Earthling and spit on them!”
“……”
Even the rogue warriors were appalled by such trashy thoughts.
“…Aren’t they also players?”
“They are players, but their potential is infinitely low. It’s okay to ignore them.”
Many of the administrators overseeing the tutorial discriminated against those from Earth.
“If you get tricked by them once or twice, you’ll end up like me.”
The Tower of Struggle does not necessarily force solo play.
There are sections where team play is essential.
“Don’t be fooled by their plausible words. Even if they borrow the power of the Soul System, Earthlings are still Earthlings.”
Was it a warning?
The players proceeded with the tutorial while hearing such words.
Those who were expelled from the team for various reasons.
Lick-.
[Absorbing the soul of Gor (Goblin).]
[Agility increases by 0.01.]
The human named Rude, a mercenary from Middle Earth, killed a goblin and licked his lips.
During the tutorial test, he realized one thing about the Tower of Struggle system.
That is, if you kill a player, you gain stats.
─ Hey! You there! Have you ever killed a person?!
Tutorial.
Practice stage.
Six against one.
Honestly, it was an embarrassingly easy difficulty.
The problem was the words the opponent threw.
Before ripples could form on the calm lake, Rude’s judgment was swift.
He stabbed his teammate in the back.
Killed five.
Gained stats as a reward.
‘Is that bonus only in the tutorial?’
In the tutorial, it was 1 point for each kill.
But it wasn’t the same on the first floor.
─ You killed all your comrades? Since you don’t have a team, Mr. Rudel, there’s no way to avoid crew making.
─ Crew making?
Rudel, who killed all his tutorial teammates, received a whopping 5 points as a bonus.
Based on that bonus, he continued killing players even in crew making.
Although it only increased by 0.01.
Rudel was interested in something other than stats.
In murder itself.
“Kuhahaha. I feel overflowing with power!”
He poured everything into strength.
Rudel’s strength reached 18.
Now, he could probably defeat an orc alone.
‘If only I hadn’t been summoned to the Tower of Struggle!’
He would have gone to avenge the orc that took one of his eyes.
‘I’m liking this more and more!’
Rudel was satisfied with the Tower of Struggle system.
The weak trash is weeded out, and the strong self rises to the top.
Eating the weak trash, the strong self becomes even stronger.
How wonderful.
His eyeball rolled around.
He scanned the field, looking for trash that deserved to die.
“Kukukuk.”
Unless you have a related skill, there’s only one way to distinguish humans from different dimensions.
Clothing.
The human in Rudel’s sight was dressed in Earthling attire.
“Die!”
Without hesitation, Rudel charged at him.
He never thought he would lose.
The opponent is a human.
[Absorbing the soul of Rudel (a being from the Middle World).]
[Strength increases by 0.01.]
“What is this now?”
* * *
Trouble was always brewing.
“Die!”
It wasn’t just any trouble.
It was a life-or-death knife fight.
Had I ever been in such a situation before?
Never.
So it was absurd.
‘What kind of treatment are Earthlings receiving?’
Combat between players, PK, is a duel to the death.
Just because you throw the first punch doesn’t mean you’ll win.
Both I and my opponent die the moment we lose.
But these guys had no hesitation.
As soon as our eyes met, they drew their knives.
‘They can do this because they’re sure they’ll win.’
I killed every single one of those b*stards who came at me.
I didn’t spare a single one.
I learned a lot in the process.
‘The skills of the Soul System are not just simple attacks.’
Attack power, durability, spell power, resistance, and so on.
The way these stats worked was completely different from common sense.
What is gravity?
It’s the force that a planet exerts to attract objects.
That’s what I know.
But now, I can’t trust that common sense anymore.
‘It’s just a metaphor, though.’
In reality, gravity hasn’t disappeared.
There might be changes, though.
What I’m talking about is the physics of the Soul System.
Should I call it the damage formula?
‘Even if you block a skill, your HP decreases.’
It’s less than just getting stabbed, but it’s not a number you can ignore.
Don’t they say that clothes get wet in a drizzle?
‘The way to block damage from skills is to use a defense skill.’
Kaang-!
The opponent raised a shield.
As always, I struck with a heavy blow.
But they didn’t die.
Looking closely, a faint light shimmered on the shield.
It was a skill.
“What kind of damage is this?”
I wasn’t the only one surprised.
The opponent was also startled.
“Are you not from Earth?”
The dwarf asked in a trembling voice.
“I’m from Earth.”
I answered firmly and delivered a second heavy blow.
The opponent quickly raised the shield to block, but couldn’t withstand the damage.
“Kuheop…!”
[Absorbing the soul of Grimnir (Dwarf).]
[HP increases by 0.01.]
If you can’t protect your life force, you die.
No matter how intact your body is, if your life force reaches zero, it’s over.
That’s why there were relatively intact corpses around me.
‘Other guys are bleeding and making a fuss.’
I left the dwarf’s corpse and moved on again.
Staying in one place for too long was a bad choice.
‘I’m not invincible. I need to keep moving, even if just a little.’
Even with an extraordinary strike skill, it doesn’t mean I’m invincible.
‘Unless I had gotten a defensive skill instead of Hatchling Breath.’
Letting my guard down just because things seem to be going well would be a big mistake.
I have to keep reminding myself that, aside from the strike, I’m no different from any other Earthling.
‘A 150-life Earthling. I am a 150-life Earthling.’
Someone is approaching me again, targeting me.
“Oppa. Your face is my type.”
Confidently, click-clack.
Holding a whip stained with flesh.
“I am….”
“I’ll go easy on you. This place is too exposed.”
“I am, a 150-life.”
“Huh?”
“…….”
That confidence, thinking they’ve won before it even started, is so annoying.
‘I won’t go easy just because she’s a woman.’
I infused my longsword with a strike.
“Trying to resist?”
The woman swung her whip.
Whirr-! Crack-!
The whip struck the dirt floor, and a sharp sound echoed.
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
‘It would hurt if it hit, right?’
But it’s okay.
[Absorbing the soul of Gracie (a being from the middle world).]
[Agility increases by 0.01.]
The soul system smiles at me.
“…….”
Still, a shitty thing is a shitty thing.
They were running at me from all directions, ignoring me, and I couldn’t feel good about it.
What should I do?
‘What if I show them a really strong side?’
I looked back at the players I had knocked down.
It was closer to something grotesque than strong.
‘…I don’t think they’ll be scared.’
Most of the players currently forming teams on the first floor could be called troublemakers.
For some reason, they were abandoned by their teammates during the tutorial.
To make those guys’ heads change, I had to show them something shocking.
Never underestimate a human again.
…Though that’s not exactly my cause.
‘At least I need to make sure they don’t look down on me.’
The method.
The weapon I have.
【Hatchling Breath (C)】
‘If only I could use this.’
The cooldown doesn’t matter.
Just use it once, and wait 24 hours.
The problem is mana consumption.
‘It’s 1,000. 1,000. To fire this once, I need to raise my Wisdom to 100.’
Right now, my mana is 200.
That won’t even be close.
Then, a message appeared.
[The Illusory Old Book detects the activation of ‘Dragon’s Eye (A)’]
[‘Block Lv.1’ is activated.]
[20 seconds until it can be dispelled.]
“What is this?”
Someone is watching me.
By the time I realized that, it was already too late.
Flap-!
A chilling sensation gripped my body.
“You. What are you?”
A girl descended gracefully, her crimson hair fluttering.
Flying seemed natural to her, as if she was used to it.
‘Small.’
One punch would be enough.
But I couldn’t.
The enormous wings sprouting from her back captured my eyes.
‘A d-dragon…!’
I couldn’t muster the courage to move.
I was frozen.
She was different from the riffraff I had encountered so far.
A true strong one.
I was breathless.
“A dragon hunter?”
Her reptilian vertical pupils stared at me.
‘If I make a mistake, I’ll die.’
Strength or whatever, it didn’t matter in front of the real thing.
“I won’t ask twice.”
[‘Block Lv.1’ is broken by ‘Dragon Eye (A)’.]
“A dragon hunter?”
[‘Illusion Lv.1’ is activated.]
[The ancient book of illusions edits the owner’s information.]
The girl frowned.
She muttered, puzzled, as if something had changed.
“…What? Why did the soul suddenly…”
I hurriedly checked the status window.
I examined what the ancient book of illusions had done.
【Race – Black Dragon】
‘Is there any point in changing my status window?’
Surprisingly, there was.
“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you in that form?”
The girl, who had been ready to kill me at any moment, softened her attitude.
That didn’t mean the situation had improved.
‘Still hostile.’
The probability of a battle had decreased from 100% to 90%.
It was practically unavoidable.
“If you betrayed our dragon race, you must pay the price. Abyss Spell.”
“……”
It was a checkmate.
‘You asked earlier if I was a dragon hunter, right?’
If I claimed to be human, I’d be mistaken for a dragon hunter and killed.
If I claimed to be a dragon, I’d be mistaken for something called an Abyss Spell and killed.
A dilemma.
‘Should I use a strike to resist?’
While pondering that.
A sudden question arose.
‘Why did the Book of Illusions manipulate me into a Black Dragon?’
A growth-type artifact.
Something similar to an ego sword.
Though it couldn’t speak, it had a will.
‘Why on earth.’
In a very short time.
Just in case, I checked my skills.
[Hatchling Breath (C)]
The breath of a newborn Black Dragon. Exhales breath forward, dealing 『51,003%』 dark attribute damage.
Cooldown: 3 hours
Mana consumption: 200
《Racial Specialization – Black Dragon》
Attribute Conversion, Mana Consumption Reduced by 80%, Cooldown Reduced by 80%.
It felt like a lightning bolt struck my head.
‘Wasn’t it just the skill tooltip that was a mess!’
The hesitation didn’t last long.
I threw the first punch at the Red Dragon in front of me.
Puhwaaah!
A jet of pitch-black darkness spewed fiercely from my mouth.