NOVEL NEXT chapter 9
9 – 1st Floor, Forming a Team.
Confidentiality Agreement.
I looked through it, and there was nothing particularly strange.
Rather, I was surprised that there was no content at all.
Chirak’s demand was simple.
Keep what happened in the tutorial a secret.
─ The agreement is linked to the soul system of the erroneous player.
I asked just in case.
Could this bind me in a negative way?
─ Are you talking about toxic clauses?
Chirak answered with a hearty laugh.
─ Don’t worry. The soul system isn’t that sloppy.
Park Ji-hoon and Mori.
As long as I don’t reveal what happened with those two bugs.
─ It’s not a difficult task, right? In exchange for promising that, the erroneous player can have anything they want.
Smash and Hatchling Breath.
From my perspective, where I didn’t want to give up either, Chirak’s proposal had to be accepted unconditionally.
So I signed.
─ I’m glad we understand each other. It’s not much of a reward, but I should show my sincerity.
Chirak’s sincerity was none other than a bonus point reset.
It wasn’t the 1-point reset that was originally promised, but a 19-point reset.
How should I distribute them?
I spent quite a long time pondering.
I spent a whopping 2 hours on the 0th floor.
Originally, I had distributed 7 points to agility and 6 points to stamina.
When I faced Park Ji-hoon, who killed Im Soo-jin, it was the result of instinctive distribution.
Now the situation has changed.
【Wisdom 19(＋1)】
‘First, 9 points to wisdom.’
The illusory ancient book provides 1 point each to intelligence and wisdom.
Thanks to that, I saved 1 point.
I hit 20 in wisdom.
Then the skill slots expanded.
【Skills in possession – (2/2)】
【Smash (F)】【Hatchling Breath (C)】
Hatchling Breath safely took its place.
A C-rank skill, just looking at it makes me feel reassured.
‘Though I can’t use it due to lack of mana….’
10 points left.
‘This is predetermined.’
From what I felt in the tutorial, the most important stats are agility and stamina.
At least, it was for me.
【Agility 15】【Stamina 15】
So, 5 points each.
‘Unless I secure a defense skill. For now, I must raise agility and stamina unconditionally.’
Attack power is sufficient.
Strength or intelligence wasn’t even a topic of discussion.
Honestly, it’s overflowing.
Therefore, I focused on survival.
‘I did ponder over luck a bit.’
Since it’s an area I can’t control with my will, it drew a different kind of interest compared to other stats.
If I hadn’t held onto my reason at the end, maybe stamina would have decreased by 1 and luck increased by 1.
Anyway, I meticulously distributed 19 points.
Preparation is complete.
[0th floor, choose]
To those who challenge the throne, do not cease the struggle.
I calmed my trembling heart and ascended to the upper floor.
* * *
A vast field.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing there.
Nearby, I saw players who seemed to be in a similar situation as me.
If we measure the distance, it was about 50 meters.
They also noticed my presence.
‘The clothes are unusual.’
Seeing an orc in a suit, I wondered what they were admiring.
“Wow.”
Looking again, bizarre fashion was nothing.
‘It’s a real monster?’
I know they are a species from another dimension.
I know, but I didn’t want to admit it.
‘Are there more monsters like that in other dimensions?’
In the deep sea, there are many ugly fish.
Just as their existence is hard to believe.
I couldn’t believe that there were more of these unknown species.
‘It feels real.’
The Tower of Struggle is an unbelievable place.
「Hello, players!」
While I was admiring the appearance of other species.
A lively voice was heard.
Looking up, a winged speaker was floating.
Unlike the tutorial, it didn’t seem to use messages.
‘…Chirak didn’t use messages either. He showed himself and communicated verbally.’
The tutorial helper only used messages because Mori couldn’t show himself.
「I’m glad you passed the tutorial safely. Congratulations!」
Clap clap clap.
The sound of clapping echoed through the speaker as if clapping in front of a microphone.
「Some of you have just cleared the tutorial and are in a daze, while others have had enough rest and are fully prepared…. Anyway, everyone is in different states. Right?」
“…….”
「So let’s get to the point.」
Snap!
The sound of fingers snapping.
At the same time, a message appeared.
[1st Floor, Form a Team]
You are not the only one aiming for the throne.
Far more players than you can imagine are aiming for the top of the Tower of Struggle.
As such, the form of struggle changes.
To respond to tens of thousands of forms of struggle, sometimes you will need to form a team.
If you are not going to face all the players alone.
“…….”
I already knew what the mission was, having heard it from Chirak.
‘I half didn’t believe it. He really told me.’
I need to reassess my evaluation of Chirak.
“You can form a team of three. You are free to find team members, but there is only one way to form a team. Two people must agree to form a team.”
Find team members you like in the vast field and gather together.
It was a simple mission.
‘I unconsciously judge by appearance.’
I was pondering what kind of team member would be good.
I hoped it wasn’t the monster race I saw in the distance.
I was surprised at how blatant I was, feeling it was too much.
‘Teamwork is important.’
I can’t help it either.
“How you form your team will determine the difficulty of the subsequent missions. So you need to find team members who are better than your standards.”
Look at that.
Even the administrator says you need to find good team members.
“We will start soon.”
With those words, the countdown began.
“5.”
The players standing around me each took up their weapons.
They exuded a menacing aura as if they would swing them at any moment.
“4.”
‘…Why?’
It’s a mission where I need to gather team members.
But why the hell is it that they’re glaring at me, licking their tongues, and running their lips?
「3.」
Suddenly, Chirak’s words came to mind.
─ If the exam had been conducted normally, the crew-making process with the hometown dimension players we met in the tutorial would’ve been skipped.
「2.」
─ It’s because of my mistake that I ended up participating.
If I interpret Chirak’s words in a different direction, it means that players who’ve gone through the tutorial abnormally will arrive here.
‘Crew-making. 3 people per group.’
Assuming we all survived and finished the tutorial successfully, the number of people would be 6.
I’m not sure how to differentiate between the normal and the abnormal.
「1.」
There must be a reason why the abnormal are abnormal.
I gripped my longsword and kept a wary eye on the nearby players.
Screeeeeeek—!
The whistle blew.
「Now, let’s start the crew-making!」
With the administrator’s words, it began.
“Khahaha! I love garbage!”
“I’ll kill that Earthling!”
Crazy b*stards who destroyed the tutorial and climbed up now came charging toward me.
“…This is really fucked.”
The only relief is that they don’t seem to have very high agility.
“Kekekek! Become my food!”
I didn’t even notice when it got so close, but a goblin suddenly leapt and thrust a dagger at me.
The goblin’s dagger was covered in thick, greenish fluid.
The moment I’m stabbed or slashed, I’ll take more damage than just physical harm.
‘It’s slower than I thought.’
Is it arrogance to say I can see the goblin’s attack trajectory?
‘No.’
Visible.
Felt.
The goblin’s agility stat is lower than 15.
‘I can dodge it.’
Easily, I could counterattack.
I gripped the longsword tighter.
It felt as if an intangible energy was seeping into the longsword.
Wooong-.
The Smite skill could also be used with a blade.
I swung it towards the goblin.
“Keck?!”
The difference in length between the dagger and the longsword.
And my significantly higher agility stat.
I chose to slash instead of stab.
Shraaak-!
My skill reached the goblin’s body first.
“……”
The goblin, which had been rampaging like a madman, fell weakly.
It died from my single strike.
The players who had been rushing towards me hesitated for a moment.
Their faces showed confusion.
“Why the hell are they attacking like this…?”
In that moment, I realized why they were focusing on player kills rather than crew making.
[Absorbing the soul of Gosh (Goblin).]
[Agility increases by 0.01.]
“…What is this.”
Killing players increases stats?
‘Then why.’
Didn’t it increase when I killed Park Jihoon?
“……”
Is it because of the illusory ancient book?
Or is it because Park Ji-hoon’s very existence is treated as a bug in the tutorial?
‘That doesn’t matter.’
What matters now are the players who think of me as prey and have come looking for me.
“…These b*stards.”
Come to think of it, it’s really annoying.
‘It means they saw me as a pushover.’
Before the death that flickered before my eyes, an unpleasant anger drove my body.
“Bring it on.”
Killing the same player increases your stats.
The trash who wouldn’t feel guilty even if they killed me, the nasty players who are trying to kill me, have gathered just in time.
Is there any need to hesitate?
‘If only I could use Hatchling Breath.’
I would have burned them all clean.
‘It’s good that Smite is an F-rank skill.’
No cooldown, no mana consumption.
As long as my stamina allows, I can use it as much as I want.
‘If Smite were a C-rank skill?’
It would have had a cooldown or mana consumption like Hatchling Breath.
It would have been more powerful, but…
‘Power doesn’t mean anything to me.’
I activated Smite and struck the nearest black-clad man.
Kaang-!
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The black-clad man skillfully blocked my sword.
But he couldn’t absorb all the damage from Smite.
[Absorbing the soul of Yang Maeng-san (Martial Artist).]
[Strength increases by 0.01.]
By the way, the players gathered in front of me are not friends.
They are meeting each other for the first time too.
“Die!”
“Screeeech!”
“You b*stard!”
If you think everyone will only look at the Earthling, who is just a weakling, that’s a big mistake.
“Sweet! Hahaha!”
“aaah, aaah!”
A player bursts into wild laughter.
A player shows off a trick, getting hit by an axe and spewing blood from his head.
A player runs away in a hurry.
In the chaos, I struggled to survive.