129 – The Returner is Tired (4)

[Enter the 11th floor.]

As soon as I opened my eyes, what I saw were tall trees. On the floor, grass that resembles moss is spread thinly like a green carpet, and the cool smell of earth tickles your nose.

Cool sunlight shining through the gaps between the dense trees. Considering that it was morning, there was a light fog, and the grass grazing my ankles was moist with dew.

“Hey. “I have a feeling.”

If we compare it to the Earth… It feels like a Danish forest, warmer than Norway and colder than France. A forest that is moderately chilly, but has a hint of warmth.

“Seup, hahahaha.”

Take a deep breath and enjoy the scent of nature, then look down and check the condition of your body.

“This again?”

The leather armor worn on the body is so familiar that it is almost boring. It seems that this leather armor is provided by default until you wear a separate equipment item and enter the tower.

Other than that, the transparent armor is in good shape, the scabbard is in good shape, and the sub-space is in good condition… Everything was there.

“Seuuu… “

After checking my physical condition, I took another deep breath. However, this time the purpose is different.

“Jiwon!!!”

Jiwon, Jiwon, Jiwon, Jiwon, ji, ji, ji…

A loud voice spreads through the morning air. Since we haven’t even figured out what floor the 11th floor is yet, is this okay? Of course not. It’s literally stupid to act like this because you don’t know what will happen when aggro is drawn.

“If only it wasn’t a returner.”

Yes, if I wasn’t a regressor. As soon as we entered the 11th floor, if we couldn’t see each other, I had arranged in advance to look for Choi Ji-won like this. Choi Ji-won, who has sensitive senses, will hear this sound and come right away.

“Then now… “

Now, would you like to drink the elixir? I opened my own small sub-space and quickly took out the elixir. Now that the 11th floor had just begun, it was the right time to test the performance of this elixir.

I have decided to drink elixir if my cold gets worse, but it is completely unknown whether the elixir will be effective. At this point, when there was no risk, it was necessary to drink the elixir and test whether it was actually effective.

Why do you bother to eat the elixir after entering the 11th floor instead of copying it on the 1st floor?

Do you remember the herb medicine I got as a reward on the first floor? It’s a similar reason.

Even if you copied and ate the herbal medicine using the function on the first floor, its abilities did not increase due to duplication, but the elixir itself could not be copied at all. It appears to have been blocked by the tower for the same reason.

Well, if the elixir had been copied, it would have been a good buy. As soon as one original copy of the elixir was obtained, virtually every player in the world would have been able to drink the elixir. (It is theoretically possible if you leave the original alone and keep copying it.)

“Whoa.”

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

Open the lid of the antique glass bottle and sip the elixir, savoring it drop by drop. The refreshing feeling that starts in the esophagus soon spreads throughout the body, creating a pleasant shiver.

After drinking the entire bottle of elixir, the effect was surprising.

“Hey, is this elixir?”

The remaining cold was completely gone. The itchy neck, the slight heat sensation, and the fatigue that had spread throughout my body all disappeared, and my body returned to its pure state.

After all, is this an elixir? From the force felt in the name, it is on a different level from the potion. Um, okay. It doesn’t work if the elixir doesn’t work. It’s the ultimate cure-all in the fantasy world. This confirmed that if your physical condition is at its worst, you can take an elixir.

As I was nodding my head in satisfaction, I felt someone nearby.

“Junho!”

“Oh, are you here?”

“Yes. “It wasn’t that far.”

The owner of Inkicheok is Choi Ji-won, who arrived just in time. Since the starting location was nearby, it didn’t take long to get there.

“Are you from over there?”

“That’s right. “After I return, you come looking for me this time.”

“Okay.”

We confirmed the effect of the elixir, and also confirmed that the 11th floor is a floor where multiple people participate. Above all, Choi Ji-won is with us. No matter what happens on the 11th floor, I am confident that I will be able to clear it easily.

I bit my cheek with a satisfied smile.

[You have suffered damage.]

[Return to the moment you first entered the 11th floor.]

***

“… “What do you see?”

“Yes. “Can’t you see something like a wall in the distance?”

“… “I can’t see it.”

“It’s okay. “Actually, if Bungbung hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known because I could only see it so vaguely.”

As soon as I returned, I joined Choi Ji-won and we were walking down a bumpy dirt road. According to what she said, there was something at the end of this road, but no matter how hard I squinted, I couldn’t see it at all.

＜11Th floor＞

-Clear conditions: Purchase a passage stone and submit it to the angel.

“Buy?”

A message window pops up at the right time. What is noteworthy is the part that asks you to ‘purchase’ a pass.

I’m not telling you to ask for it, I’m not telling you to look for it, I’m telling you to buy it. The word purchase has the prerequisite of transaction, and transaction is based on exchange between intellectuals.

“Isn’t there an alien person who acts as a store?”

Choi Ji-won lightly shrugs his shoulders. As she said, purchasing implied the appearance of a store or merchant. Or maybe something like a vending machine exists.

“Ah, now I can see it too.”

As we walked aimlessly while exchanging opinions, something like the wall that Choi Ji-won mentioned appeared. No, to be exact, it is a wooden barrier.

“Oh… “

Logs with the upper part cut into sharp points are closely connected, forming a menacing wall. The word that comes to mind as soon as I see it is ‘fortress.’ I wonder if a fortress in the Middle Ages would have been created like this.

“I see you are looking for a ‘passenger seat’ here?”

Not only did the message window mention ‘trade’ earlier, but also because there was a path through the dense forest, there was a clear scent of civilization on the 11th floor. It seems like I’m somewhere in another world, like the second floor.

“… “Where is the entrance?”

“It will come out if you walk.”

As I walked along the outskirts of the fortress in search of the entrance, a large wooden door appeared. Of course, as usual for fortress gates, the main gate was closed, and people were coming in and out through the side door next to it.

“Wow.”

No, it is not a person. He is short enough to fit around my waist. The beard is thick. However, the whole body is lumpy with muscles.

“It’s a dwarf.”

The dwarf that I had seen so many times in creative works was alive and breathing right before my eyes. She was amazed when she saw a Yeti or a Goblin, but the Dwarf impressed her even more.

“Kkeunkeun, hello?”

I had just come out of the tree fort and spoke to a dwarf carrying a large bag. Since he could communicate with goblins, he calculated that he would also communicate with dwarves.

“… “

However, the dwarf coolly ignores me and goes on. I walk indifferently and chicly, as if I was invisible.

“… Hey?”

What is it? Are you deaf? Or am I really invisible? I thought this might be TOP’s gimmick, so I grabbed his arm.

“… !”

Understand!

A dwarf strongly shaking his arm away as if something dirty was on him. He glared at me briefly, then went on his way again.

“… “Why is it like that?”

“I’m embarrassed.”

What is it? I didn’t expect this kind of reaction when I first saw it. Is something bad happening? Or are all dwarves like that?

I tried talking to other dwarves to see if it was just the dwarf who was like this, but what I got in return was a cold, cold reception. This makes it clear. Dwarves hate us.

“… Hmm.”

“… “

The atmosphere is quite unusual. There is something missing. Choi Ji-won was biting his lip lightly, and I was sobbing.

“There.”

“?”

“Did you just come? No, you must have just arrived.”

Near the main gate and the road leading to it, we heard a voice calling us.

“… Shall we go?”

“Then.”

As we headed toward the source of the voice, we saw a group of people wearing leather armor crouching together. If I had just been sitting, I would have thought I was just resting…

“… “Why are you doing this?”

They looked to be in very bad condition. The cheeks are thin, the body is covered in grime, and the head is hard and hard. The word ‘beggar-like’ suits this appearance very well.

Judging by the fact that they are wearing the same armor as us, they are players. But when they say they are players, things get very strange.

Although 3 months have passed since the first tutorial began, it is now at the top level, reaching the 11th floor. Choi Ji-won, Korea’s strongest player, had just entered the 11th floor.

Even if he had been summoned to the tower during the first tutorial or something similar, and had a month more time than us… The fact that I’m here now must be proof that I’m not of average skill. This means that these people are not meant to be like this.

“… Choi Ji-won?”

One of the group seems to have recognized Choi Ji-won, and his eyes widen. It seemed like he was the leader of the group, and he stood up, patting his butt.

“Nice to meet you. “My name is Felix Hoffman.”

The man who introduced himself as Felix Hoffmann was a handsome Germanic man with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Of course, that ‘handsomeness’ is a description assuming there is no stew.

“This is Choi Ji-won.”

Felix and Choi Ji-won lightly shaking hands. After shaking hands, Choi Ji-won’s gloves are covered in black soot.

“… “

Felix Hoffman. I remember seeing it on the internet. I heard he’s probably the best player in Germany. Why is such a talented person doing this here?

“… “I think you might be wondering why we are doing this.”

Felix seems to have read the questions in our eyes, and brings up the topic I was thinking about.

“First of all, various things happened… To summarize, it’s simple.

In Felix’s calm voice.

“… “The 11th floor has become impossible to clear.”

There was a deep sense of despair.