Chapter 119: Special Event, Enduring (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: Special Event, Enduring (4)
A crumbling, desolate red wasteland.
In the center of the ruin stood a girl, far too beautiful and pristine for such a wretched place.
Paradoxically, she was the very being who had created this space. She watched Kang Jun-hyeok, letting out one exclamation of admiration after another.
"Oho! I knew I could count on you! Yes! That’s it! You have to at least do this much for me to stay interested!"
"…The Grim Reaper at the end. What was that about?"
He had been told he only needed to endure for one hour. However, even after the hour passed, the event did not end. Not only that, a transcendent being had appeared with the sole intent of killing him.
The Administrator scratched her head sheepishly, her long black hair swaying softly.
"Well, I made the event, but then I realized I forgot to create an exit system. The only way for the event to end was for the player’s health to hit 1. So, I threw the Grim Reaper in there."
A device meant to end the event by killing the player without fail—that was the Grim Reaper. If anything, the Administrator was the one who was surprised.
"I just tossed it in there to end things quickly. But you actually held out for six seconds? That’s seriously impressive!"
[Your jests go too far, Administrator.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke in a low, heavy voice to the exuberant girl.
[The Grim Reaper’s status was far too high. Had it been anyone else, their mind would have shattered just by facing its presence.]
"But it didn't, did it? So what’s the problem?" the Administrator replied dismissively.
Her nonchalant attitude left the Master of All Weapons speechless. Kang Jun-hyeok, however, looked as if he had expected as much.
Everything was centered around her own amusement. Beyond that, nothing else held value or meaning. That was the nature of an Administrator.
Jun-hyeok opened his mouth. "There was no problem."
"See? The person involved says it’s fine. You stay out of this, you big loser."
The Administrator giggled and patted Jun-hyeok on the shoulder.
"But don't worry! I’m not completely heartless. I’ll give you a reward for that!"
The Administrator grabbed Jun-hyeok’s shoulders, her pale face drawing close. Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
Mwah.
The Administrator pressed her lips against his cheek. A soft sensation transmitted through his skin.
The Administrator grinned, her eyes filled with playful favor.
"This one’s on the house! See you next time!"
The world distorted. Jun-hyeok’s body was transported back to Earth.
[The special event has finally ended!]
[It’s the reward time everyone has been waiting for!]
* * *
"Hmm."
[……What was that?]
[The Administrator kissed this boy.]
[I saw it too. Do Administrators usually act in such a manner?]
[It surprises me as well.]
The Master of All Weapons and Eldiria were both bewildered by the Administrator’s final act. Kang Jun-hyeok felt the same.
Administrators were dolls created by the Master of the Universe. They couldn't truly be called living beings. As such, life was nothing more than a toy to them. While they occasionally took interest in a particular toy, it was always just a game they could play with.
And yet, just now, the Administrator had kissed his cheek.
Nothing like this ever happened in my past life.
Was it a sliver of affection for a toy she enjoyed playing with? Or was it merely a whim? He couldn't tell. After a moment of contemplation, Jun-hyeok shook his head.
There was nothing more futile than trying to guess an Administrator’s psychology. One thing was certain: the Administrator had a deep interest and curiosity regarding him. That was enough.
Having organized his thoughts, he slowly checked his rewards.
[First up are stats!]
[Stats will be awarded based on your performance in this event!]
[Calculating……]
[Calculation complete!]
[Health +110]
[Strength +5]
[Speed +6]
[Internal Energy +4]
[Mana +4]
[Feat +2]
Jun-hyeok whistled at the rapid surge in his stats. But it didn't end there.
[Next, your skill proficiencies will increase!]
[If you have achieved significant feats, you may even acquire new skills!]
[Calculating……]
[Calculation complete!]
[Acquired Passive Skill: Boundary of Death Awakening.]
[Observation proficiency has increased from C to B.]
[Charge proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Arcana Gem Magic proficiency has increased.]
[Heaven One Divine Art proficiency has increased.]
[Scale Mental Method proficiency has increased.]
[True Ancestor Awakening proficiency has increased.]
[Sword Ki and Sword Wind proficiency has increased……]
The proficiency of nearly every skill he possessed rose.
The rewards for a special event were incredibly straightforward. Instead of giving unique skills or items, they reinforced the player's existing stats and skills. The value of this was immense. Stats were the foundation of everything. No matter how brilliant a skill or technique one possessed, if their base stats were low, there would eventually be situations they couldn't handle.
Above all, special events allowed for significant increases in stats that were notoriously difficult to raise, such as Internal Energy and Mana.
This is substantial.
In his past life, he had endured for about fifteen minutes. The reward he had received then was Health +30 and Strength +2. Even that had been considered a top-tier reward compared to others.
But now, the stat increase was incomparable. On top of that, he had gained a new skill and increased his proficiencies.
[And finally, Gold!]
[Gold will be awarded according to the opponents you defeated and the time you endured!]
[Calculating……]
[Calculation complete!]
[15,000 Gold has been distributed.]
"So enduring for an hour was worth fifteen thousand gold."
Jun-hyeok let out a short laugh. In a single event, he had earned the amount of gold one would get from four Perfect Clears. But that wasn't the end.
A system window appeared. It was a special window that appeared only to Kang Jun-hyeok, invisible to other players.
[And this is a special reward for you, who endured for an additional 6 seconds!]
[12,000 Gold has been distributed.]
Jun-hyeok paused.
[And unfortunately, the bottom 10% are eliminated!]
[Now, everyone, work hard to climb the Tower!]
* * *
Standing dazed, Jun-hyeok muttered to himself. "……It was 2,000 gold per second."
He had endured for 6 seconds. The math lined up perfectly. It was an extraordinary reward.
Maybe I should have held out a bit longer.
The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Surviving for 6 seconds against such an opponent was already a miracle.
[Kang Jun-hyeok]
[Level: 29]
[Health: 1100]
[Strength: 75]
[Speed: 70]
[Internal Energy: 25]
[Mana: 20]
[Feat: 106]
[Attack Power + ? + 4]
[Defense +61]
His Health had finally surpassed a thousand. Not only that, but his Strength and Speed had reached the 70s.
"I might actually hit 100 before the 30th floor."
It was a thought that made him chuckle, but at this rate, it wasn't impossible. In his past life, one of the benchmarks for a top-tier player was reaching 100 in a stat. He could already see the path to that benchmark.
Furthermore, he had acquired a new skill.
[Passive Skill: Boundary of Death Awakening]
[Rank: Mid-Rank]
[Proficiency: F]
[The awakening of a life brought to the brink of death. In a crisis of death, the mind awakens and senses are enhanced. Consciousness expands, and all speed and power increase.]
A skill that awakens in the face of death. Boundary of Death Awakening.
Skills in the Tower were acquired based on a player's actions. Boundary of Death Awakening could only be obtained by reaching the brink of death multiple times and responding perfectly. It was a skill that the vast majority of even the highest-ranking players failed to obtain.
That was how powerful it was. It was a skill that had saved him from crisis countless times in his past life. Its Mid-Rank status immediately spoke to its value. This skill alone made those 6 seconds worth it.
[Passive Skill: Observation]
[Rank: Lowest-Grade]
[Proficiency: B]
[The power to find answers by seeing and observing all things. Not just the answer, but the reason, the process, and the operating principles. Allows one to see the essence of objects.]
[Active Skill: Charge]
[Rank: Low-Rank]
[Proficiency: E]
[Cooldown: 30 minutes]
[Charges powerfully toward an opponent. Influenced by Strength and Speed stats, it delivers a strong impact upon collision.]
Two of his skills had reached a higher proficiency level. Additionally, the proficiency of almost all his other skills had increased.
And then there was the Gold.
To be honest, the greatest reward from this event wasn't the stats or the proficiency, but the Gold.
27,000 Gold.
That was the reward for the event.
"Ha."
The amount was enough to make him laugh in disbelief again. 27,000 Gold. It was an amount of gold that only players who had surpassed the 50th floor could hope to gather. Adding this to the gold he already had, he now possessed over 50,000 Gold.
If that's the case...
He could obtain it much faster than he had calculated.
Jun-hyeok spoke. "Shop."
Space opened, and Pixie appeared. Upon seeing Jun-hyeok, her expression turned to one of surprise.
[What? You. Something about you has changed. It doesn't look like you climbed the Tower, though?]
"There was a whim of the Administrator. I just finished an event."
[Huh?] Pixie made a bewildered face. [An event? There shouldn't be anything like that on the schedule.]
"There wouldn't be. It was an event held only on Earth."
[……Ah.] Understanding his meaning, Pixie clicked her tongue. [Your planet's Administrator held an event on her own authority. Administrators have that kind of autonomy, but it's rare for one to actually use it. You've been caught by a very troublesome Administrator.]
"She is troublesome. But the rewards are certain."
Jun-hyeok had grown stronger through the event. Strong enough that Pixie could feel it immediately. Pixie gave a thin smile.
[Troublesome and dangerous, but rewards follow if you succeed. It looks like you've achieved quite a lot. Congratulations. So, calling me means you have a request?]
Jun-hyeok nodded. Pixie opened the shop with an excited face.
[What do you want? You have 730 Starlight. You can buy a decent skill or some materials.]
"I'm not using Starlight."
[Then you're using Gold? That's fine too. With the Gold you have now, you should be able to buy a Mid-Rank skill.]
"No." Jun-hyeok shook his head. "A High-Rank skill."
Pixie froze. [Uh... I understand the sentiment, but right now, that's too expensive for—]
"A High-Rank skill costs fifty thousand gold, right? I have it."
[What?]
Pixie’s eyes went wide. Jun-hyeok spoke calmly.
"I want to purchase a High-Rank skill, Shopkeeper Pixie."