151 – The Returner Trains (12)
[Entered the 12th floor.]
“… “
When I came to my senses, I immediately lay down on the bed. Normally, when a person is emotionally shocked, they want to lie down somewhere. Then, if you get too much of a shock, you lie down forever.
No, weren’t you confident? You beat difficulty level 9 easily. But in 25, only the body comes without the neck? Ha, f*ck. Are you unable to judge your own capabilities properly?
And that woman. Flame woman. Is this her first time seeing someone die? I can’t believe I’m being punished for not being able to control one’s mind. Didn’t she see someone die on the 4th floor? It’s been a while since you guys got together. There will be no loyalty anyway.
“No, this is such a stupid idea.”
Control your mind from running wild in the wrong direction. Clearly, I’m in a weird state of mind these days. My thoughts keep wandering in a violent direction. In fact, this started on the third floor, when Dok Su-hee’s arm was blown off. After repeating dodging arrows from traps hundreds of times, people started going crazy.
In times like this, I heard things get better if I spend time with Jiwon… Choi Ji-won is far away. Maybe even more than I thought.
f*ck.
“Let’s organize, organize.”
Yes, now is not the time. Just lying in bed and feeling depressed won’t change anything. You need to organize the information you have obtained and check your future plans.
For the next 11 days.
“… “
Let’s organize the information we obtained. First of all, the man with the mole handled difficulty level 9 quite easily. If he breaks through with only a small scratch left on his armor, it is correct to say that he cleared it with ease. However, difficulty level 25 not only took a long time, but he failed to clear it at all and returned as a decapitated corpse.
The important point here is that it took a long time. The opponent you face on the 12th floor is a black mannequin. I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have played with people or taken too long on purpose. Because it didn’t look intelligent.
In other words, the skill of the man with the 25 difficulty level enemy and the dot was somewhat good… After a 20-minute struggle, it would be correct to say that he was narrowly defeated. In the martial arts world, he would fight for three days and nights, but a one-on-one match against an equal enemy drains his stamina and energy tremendously, so even 20 minutes is quite a long fight.
Didn’t I fight on the 4th floor for 3 days and nights? That had the effect of hero traits, and the enemies were much weaker than me.
“So, 25 is too difficult… “
In other words, the man’s spearman’s skill is slightly below the difficulty level of 25. It would be reasonable to assume it is around 23. Did the guy pick 20 in the first place? If he had just entered 20, he would have lived, but because of my greed, he entered 25 and died.
Three questions derived from this.
First. How strong are those who progress through the 12th floor with me?
“… “
At first, I had no doubt that the guys who were on the 12th floor with me were top-tier players, but… I couldn’t help but feel more and more suspicious.
It is true that I wasted a lot of time, but it is true that I quickly climbed to the top using regression. And all the people I met along the way were outstanding.
Kang Chan and An Kyung-jun on the 3rd floor. William Smith, Yoon Jung-hyun, and Gyeong-nam Gyeong-nam on the 4th floor. Other top-tier players, including Germany’s Felix, whom we met on the 11th floor. In particular, the top players on the 11th floor confronted me head-on and made me regress several times. This means that they were recognizable people who matched the three characteristics of talent, characteristics, and grit.
However, they feel slightly different. He didn’t farm enough on the 11th floor, lacked tension and concentration, and most of all, he lacked the sharpness typical of top-tier players. When I stood next to him, I didn’t feel that strange feeling of my muscles tensing and the back of my neck going numb.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination… Seeing the dead man at difficulty level 25 seemed likely to be no illusion. Of course, there is a clear possibility that difficulty level 25 was too difficult. This will have to be checked later.
The second question follows here. Indeed, what happens to the test if the person conducting the test dies during the test?
If the person playing the game dies, are the points still deducted? The person who scored 25 out of 90 died, so the remaining score is 65? Or does it remain at 90? It happened so quickly that I didn’t even see it.
Another question is, what if all 5 people take the test and still have scores? What if only 80 out of 90 points are processed and 10 points remain? So does this mean the test failed? It may be so, or it may not be so.
＜12Th floor＞
-Pass a total of three ‘tests’. A person may only participate in each test once, and no reward will be given if the final test is failed.
-All rewards are given individually after clearing the 12th floor.
This is the message that appeared when I entered the room on the 12th floor. What we need to pay attention to here is the word ‘failure’.
How are success and failure determined? In general, you can think of the 12th floor as a team battle. However, what must be remembered is the vicious design of the 11th floor. You have to think about how the trolling of one crazy person is designed to harm everyone else.
If we assume that this floor is an individual match, not a team match… Success and failure may be limited to individuals. You can selfishly choose 1 point, easily clear the test, and then be rewarded even if you don’t know. This also requires further investigation.
If it were Hana’s solo exhibition… In the worst case scenario, there is a possibility that I will have to cover all the points by myself. I also have to keep in mind that all other players might betray me.
Now, the last question that follows here. How much can I handle if I can’t use my magic properly?
I didn’t know because I hadn’t used my magical powers with all my might since I got the ‘cold energy’ on the 10th floor… Right now, I am in a position where if I use too much magical power, I will take damage and regress. Considering that I am currently the most familiar with magical power among the people on Earth, this is a huge penalty.
“… Hmm.”
Gulp.
After thinking for a moment, I took out a bottle of elixir from the subspace of my fingernail and drank it straight down. Unlike the ‘lowest grade elixir’ I drank before, this one feels more delicious because it is a ‘lower grade elixir’.
I waited until the elixir’s unique refreshing energy spread and slowly tried to move my magic power. The existing ‘cold energy’ has not completely disappeared, but it still feels much weaker. As a result of putting magic into the sword, the cold power radiating from the outside was the same. It seems that the elixir has alleviated the penalty unique to magic power.
But since I already drank the elixir, I have no intention of stopping here. This time, while drawing up magical energy throughout the body, the magical energy is also contained in the sword and a stream of magic is released. He performed the ‘magic swordsmanship’ he learned from his clone on the 5th floor with all his might.
“Huh… “
A creepy atmosphere fills the narrow room. Frost begins to form on the bed, bookshelf, and microwave, and steam filled with chills flows out of my body. It is the law of nature that inhalation is cold and exhalation is hot, but right now, even my exhalation is cold.
But the mind remains clear. My whole body was overflowing with power, and it felt as if the sword was tightly clenched in my hand.
Just before I, who was in perfect condition, concentrated all my concentration and swung the sword.
“Wow… “
A squeezing pain felt in the chest again. I fell from my seat while holding the sword.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 12th floor.]
***
“Okay.”
It was confirmed that the side effects of ‘cold magic’ were much less severe when drinking elixir. However, my true intention is to save the elixir unless the worst happens. If you can beat the 12th floor without having to use elixir, wouldn’t that be a better direction?
Anyway, this is all sorted out. Now all you have to do is wait and do nothing for 11 days. As anyone who has served in the military knows, ‘doing nothing’ is quite hard work. It’s bearable for now, but if this continues and accumulates, it will come back as a huge mental burden.
“… “
You must clear the 12th floor with minimal regression. While repeating this sentence, I slowly fell into sleep.
**
11 Days later.
“Wow, what is here? “Is there a microwave?”
“Guys! “Where are you?”
“Hello?”
The people who had been waiting finally arrived on the 12th floor. After washing and shaving my face in advance, I quickly led the group of people and went for a ‘test.’
-Okay, before we start the first test, let’s choose our own rewards.
[1] Lesser Potion x 10
[5] Custom item box (B~D)
[10] All-Purpose Herb – Increases all abilities by 3.
“Hmm.”
In the last round, I chose [10]. But this time I decided to choose [1]. This is a kind of build-up.
When the selection was completed and the shield disappeared, other players were seen sitting on chairs, probably having made their selections at a similar timing. Oh, the glasses girl is still being chosen.
-All climbers have been selected.
Soon the glasses woman’s protective shield disappears, and an inorganic voice echoes through the space. Above the elevator, the number [26] Floats brightly. This was 35 last time, right? There is a liar this time too… There must be a basic score of 5 points.
“Now, listen. “I think this is some kind of loyalty game.”
Just like in her last episode, it was time for the glasses woman to share her guesses and the rewards each person had chosen. Ah, when I said I chose number 1, the men looked at me with a bit of a sneer.
Except for those minor differences, almost everything was the same as the last episode. He passed the first test without any major injuries.
But we cannot continue like this. If things continue like this, the man with the mole will die. I will be swept away by the flames and return.
“Come on, everyone.”
I slowly stand up from my chair and attract attention. My current goal is not a good reward.
“Could you please listen to me for a moment?”
Even if it means receiving trashy compensation, I plan to go for reality in this episode.