Chapter 36: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (4)
In that moment, the heavens trembled. The world buckled as if the very fabric of reality were warping.
What radiated from the sky was a violent, seething rage.
Kang Jun-hyeok could feel that emotion clearly.
The sheer pressure was enough to shatter one's mind. A weak-willed person would have collapsed instantly, their spirit twisted and broken beyond repair.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok simply sneered.
"So what?" He openly mocked the celestial fury. "Is this all you’ve got?"
Now I see why I never encountered this thing in my past life.
Having faced countless Victors before, Kang Jun-hyeok could tell: the "Hunger Growing in the Rift" was on the lower end of the spectrum, even among its kind.
"You gave me a trial. I won."
He had accepted a quest from a Victor and cleared it perfectly. That was the end of it. No matter how powerful a Victor was, they were still bound by the Tower’s system. They couldn't simply break the rules to kill him or flee now.
The sky trembled once more. But just as Kang Jun-hyeok said, it could take no further action. Finally, with a sense of palpable irritation, something twisted descended from the heavens.
[Trial Cleared.]
[You have acquired the Authority Active Skill: Rift Movement.]
"As expected."
The corners of Kang Jun-hyeok’s mouth curled up. It was the exact reward he had predicted. He couldn't be more pleased.
"Well then, see you next time. I hope you prepare a decent trial for me then, too."
Kang Jun-hyeok threw out one last taunt. The Victor retreated, its form shuddering as if in a fit of pique. Simultaneously, the floor clear window appeared.
[5th Floor Quest Cleared.]
[Rewards will be determined based on your performance.]
[Calculating achievement rate...]
[Calculation complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[You have acquired the Helmet: Scalp of the Ferocious Master.]
[An effect has been added to the Title: Perfect Player.]
[2,598 Gold has been awarded.]
[Perfect Clear Reward: You have acquired the Weapon: Gloves Made of Rift Hide.]
[Perfect Clear Reward: You have acquired the Title: Challenger.]
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 5th Floor: 1.]
[You are the only one!]
[Universe Announcement: Please congratulate him! Citizens of the universe, a Perfect Player of the 5th floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has ever achieved before!]
[Feat +7]
[The Victors now harbor intense hostility toward you.]
[The Losers are contemplating ways to approach you.]
"Everyone’s making quite a fuss."
Kang Jun-hyeok chuckled at the flood of system windows. Once the messages subsided, he returned to his home. The Master of All Weapons spoke, his voice trembling.
[You...]
"I know you're in a hurry, but wait a second. Let me check my loot first."
[...Understood.]
The Master of All Weapons fell silent. Kang Jun-hyeok reviewed his gains.
First, his skill proficiencies. Having used various skills while dealing with the hound, his levels had risen significantly. Some had even advanced to the next stage.
* * *
[Active Skill: Spear Throw]
• Rank: Lowest-Grade
• Proficiency: D
• Cooldown: None
• Description: Throws a spear accurately and powerfully at a target. The spear used is consumed. Spears can be thrown directly from the inventory without having to be drawn first.
* * *
As the proficiency rose from F to D, the power of the throw increased, and a major convenience feature was added. He no longer had to physically pull out a spear; as long as they were in his inventory, he could trigger the skill instantly.
"Not bad."
It was more than just "not bad"—it was highly efficient. Spear Throw was powerful, but it previously required a clunky sequence: stowing his greatsword, drawing a spear, and then activating the skill. This change resolved that drawback entirely. While the spear was still consumed, the tactical flexibility was worth the gold.
* * *
[Passive Skill: Observation]
• Rank: Lowest-Grade
• Proficiency: D
• Description: The power to find answers by observing objects. Allows for faster and more accurate deductions. Can identify unfamiliar objects and sense the nature of distorted entities.
* * *
The proficiency of Observation had jumped straight from F to D. It was a marvelous pace.
Next, the titles. The Perfect Player title gained a new effect: Strength +2. He had also earned the new title, Challenger.
* * *
[Title: Challenger]
• A title given to one who stood against a Victor and triumphed.
• Effect: When facing a Victor or their familiars, minions, and slaves, Strength +1 and Speed +1.
* * *
A specialized stat boost for dealing with the Victors. Considering he would be clashing with them incessantly in the future, it was incredibly useful.
Then came the equipment.
* * *
[Scalp of the Ferocious Master]
• Part: Helmet
• Rank: Low-Rank
• Stats: Strength +2, Defense +3
• Description: A helmet crafted from the processed scalp of the Master of the Forest.
* * *
This was the basic clear reward. Solid stats, though nothing extraordinary. Then, he checked the Perfect Clear reward.
* * *
[Gloves Made of Rift Hide]
• Part: Wrists
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Stats: Strength +2, Speed +1, Defense +3
• Equipment Ability: 10% chance to nullify incoming damage.
• Description: Gloves made by tearing the hide of the hound that travels through rifts. They contain a portion of distorted Authority.
* * *
"...Heh."
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a short, dry laugh. A 10% chance to nullify damage? That was an absurdly powerful effect for this stage of the Tower.
"This really is ridiculous."
However, there was one reward that made even these gauntlets pale in comparison. This was the true highlight of the 5th floor.
* * *
[Active Skill: Rift Movement]
• Rank: Authority
• Proficiency: F
• Cooldown: 10 minutes
• Description: Allows instant movement through rifts within your line of sight.
* * *
"..."
Kang Jun-hyeok was momentarily speechless.
I expected something good, but...
He hadn't expected the effect to be this literal. Movement through rifts within his line of sight meant he could move anywhere instantly, provided he could see it.
Kang Jun-hyeok activated the skill as a test. His target was a small tear in the wallpaper at the far edge of his room.
Rift Movement.
Zip.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s body vanished into a fold in space and reappeared at the edge of the room instantly. No delay, no lag.
"...Ha."
He burst into a hollow laugh. It was truly broken. To obtain a space-leaping skill, one usually needed a high-level spell like Blink or an Esper ability like Air Jump. Those were Mid-Rank at minimum, carried massive resource costs, and had monstrous acquisition requirements.
In contrast, Rift Movement had no resource cost and few restrictions. Even the 10-minute cooldown was generous for such a powerful utility.
As I thought.
The rewards obtained by entangling oneself with Victors or Losers were on a completely different level.
Having finished his inventory check, Kang Jun-hyeok addressed the Master of All Weapons.
"I'm done. So, what was it you wanted to ask?"
[If...] the Master of All Weapons spoke slowly. [If you didn't have Spear Throw... if you didn't have me... how would you have cleared it?]
"Ah." Kang Jun-hyeok smirked. "You were curious about that?"
[I know it is a foolish question.]
The reason Kang Jun-hyeok had won was the guaranteed hit of Spear Throw combined with the Master of All Weapons' ability to provide infinite ammunition. Could he have cleared it without those advantages? Was it the man who was great, or just the tools he held?
Kang Jun-hyeok understood the entity's insecurity. He answered readily.
"Then I would have found another way. For example, by changing the environment."
[Changing the environment?]
"That thing wasn't moving through space freely. It was strictly moving through the rifts of physical objects. You can tell by the fact that it never appeared directly in the air above my head."
If that was the case, the countermeasure was simple.
"I would have eliminated every existing rift in the vicinity. I would have leveled the entire clearing into a perfectly flat plain."
"Of course," he continued, "the opponent wouldn't just stand by. It would try to interfere and create its own rifts. But those rifts created by the enemy... I can manipulate those, too."
Beyond just reading patterns, he would force the enemy to leap out exactly where he wanted. He would have boxed the hound into a position where it couldn't avoid his blade.
[...]
The Master of All Weapons fell silent, calculating if such a feat was possible. The answer came immediately: Yes. If it was Kang Jun-hyeok, he certainly had the precision to execute it. It would have taken much longer, but it wasn't impossible.
In that moment, the Master of All Weapons burst into laughter.
[Ha... Hahaha! Hahahaha!]
It was the sound of pure, unadulterated relief—the laugh of someone freed from a lifelong curse. The laughter went on for a long time before stopping abruptly.
[I had given up. In the final war, I poured everything in, and I failed. In the end, I let go. I lost the will to do anything. Even when given this second chance, I thought nothing would change.]
If even he had been defeated, what could weak players possibly change? To him, the Tower was merely a game for the Master of the Universe. Since the future was destined to end in defeat, why bother? In his despair, the Master of All Weapons had intended to rot in that 1st-floor cave until the end of time.
[But you dragged me out.]
Kang Jun-hyeok had cleared the "impossible" condition and pulled him back into the world. Since then, the boy had proven the entity's judgments wrong time and time again.
And finally, Kang Jun-hyeok had demonstrated a feat great enough to change the Master of All Weapons' very soul.
[You gave me a quest.]
A quest to do his part if Jun-hyeok passed the Victor's trial.
[Arrogant brat. To think you dared to make a proposal to me. If I were still alive, I would have torn you apart for your insolence.]
Despite the harsh words, the Master’s voice sounded joyful.
[Still, you stood by your word and fulfilled your promise. Fine. You presented a quest, and you cleared it. Therefore, I shall fulfill my end. It should serve as a decent enough diversion.]
[Hidden Quest: Earn the Recognition of the Master of All Weapons.]
[Hidden Quest Cleared.]
[Reward: Everything of the Master of All Weapons.]