Chapter 70: The 13th Floor. God of Weapons. Haihimer (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: The 13th Floor. God of Weapons. Haihimer (1)
[Title: ...The 13th Floor. What is this?]
[I mean... does such a being actually exist?]
[What on earth is this Tower?]
[What lies at the end of all this?]
* * *
[Mmm...]
Pixie let out a low groan as she processed the memories. After a moment, she exhaled and opened her eyes, a peculiar expression crossing her face.
[...Other Players were shocked or panicked when the robots suddenly appeared, but you don't show any sign of that at all. It’s as if you already knew what was coming.]
"Is there really a reason to be surprised? If internal energy and magic exist, why not robots?"
[That’s not how the average Player sees it. They’re usually consumed by the prejudices they call 'common sense.']
Pixie grinned broadly.
[You’ve become able to use the abilities of a True Ancestor without even being a vampire. Eldiria certainly made you special. How interesting. I suppose this much should do?]
[120 Starlight has been awarded.]
"120, huh."
It was a fairly small amount—not even enough to buy anything significant. Pixie spoke as if it were obvious.
[Clearing the 12th Floor wasn't exactly groundbreaking. The vampire abilities were somewhat entertaining, but that was about it.]
"Hmm."
She wasn't wrong. Since he had simply crushed the robots with brute force, it probably wasn't very exciting from her perspective. Pixie smirked.
[It’s fine. There are still plenty of floors left to climb. Are you going to use the general Shop? It looks like you have plenty of Gold.]
Kang Jun-hyeok currently held around 9,000 Gold. It was enough to purchase not just Lowest-Grade skills, but Low-Rank ones as well. However, Jun-hyeok shook his head.
"No. I'll put it off for now."
[I guess you're planning to save up for a Mid-Rank skill. Got it. See you next time, then.]
Pixie departed. Jun-hyeok then began checking his rewards for the 12th Floor.
[Unfinished Mechanical Helmet]
• Category: Helmet
• Grade: Mid-Rank
• Strength +4
• Defense +8
• Description: A helmet from a mechanical robot that was under construction. It is in an incomplete state, and most of its functions have not been implemented.
An unfinished helmet.
The robot hadn't been in a complete state.
He already knew that. He had seen many robots of that type in his past life. A robot in its completed form was a cosmic weapon in its own right.
The helmet itself was useful. The Strength bonus was decent, and the Defense was high.
Next was the Perfect Clear reward.
[Laser Rifle]
• Category: Weapon
• Grade: Mid-Rank
• Equipment Ability: Can fire a laser with 1,000 Damage.
• Cooldown: 5 minutes
• Description: A laser rifle used by the robot that was under construction. Most functions are not yet implemented, but the most basic function can be used.
"Not bad."
Jun-hyeok’s eyes gleamed.
It was an equipment-ability type weapon, similar to the Fireball staff. The robot's Laser Rifle had an incredibly long range—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it spanned several kilometers. On top of that, its speed made it difficult to react to.
The damage was also substantial, making it a useful tool for climbing the Tower. It was a satisfying reward.
Following that, the Perfect Player title granted an additional +2 to Defense. Jun-hyeok let out a short, dry laugh as he looked at the title.
"This is getting ridiculous."
[Title: Perfect Player]
• A title given to one who perfectly cleared the 1st Floor, the start of the Tower.
• Current Effects
* All Stats +1
* Passive Skill proficiency gain slightly increased.
* Active Skill proficiency gain slightly increased.
* Defense +4
* Strength +2
* Speed +2
* All senses are enhanced.
* Internal Energy +1
* Stamina +30
• The effects of the title increase as the number of perfectly cleared floors grows.
With new effects added for every floor cleared, the description had grown this long.
Individually, the bonuses might not seem like much, but once they stacked to this extent, the meaning changed entirely.
Above all, he was only on the 12th Floor. There were still mountains of floors left to climb. He looked forward to seeing what level these bonuses would reach once they all accumulated.
After finishing his check, Jun-hyeok turned on the TV to browse the news during his remaining time.
The world was still in chaos, but less so than before. People who had cooled their heads were starting to sense the danger and had begun climbing the Tower.
The pace was noticeably faster than in his past life. It seemed the responses from Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon were having a clear effect.
While browsing the news, he saw some familiar names.
[Ms. Olivia Turner has successfully conquered the 45th Floor!]
[Mr. Yoo Jin-ha has successfully conquered the 44th Floor, ranking within the top 30 in the world. A phenomenal pace! He is the pride of South Korea!]
"They're climbing hard," Jun-hyeok muttered.
Three days passed after that. Without delay, Jun-hyeok entered the Tower immediately.
[13th Floor Quest starting.]
[Prove your qualifications.]
And then, Jun-hyeok arrived.
Before a massive altar where countless weapons were embedded.
[You have discovered the altar of Haihimer, the God of Weapons and a Loser of the Great War.]
* * *
As Jun-hyeok approached the altar, Haihimer’s presence began to weigh on him.
A God.
This wasn't the first time a Player had encountered such a being. On the 7th Floor, Yulsir had been watching the Players.
However, Yulsir had merely observed. He did not intervene or reveal his presence. Players only perceived that some immense being existed; they knew nothing beyond that.
In contrast, the 13th Floor was different. Here, the presence of a God could be felt directly.
Something vast. Something like the universe itself. A presence that demanded one kneel and offer praise. In fact, the majority of Players had been unable to withstand that presence and had collapsed to their knees.
The floor where a Player first truly faced a God—that was the 13th Floor.
[It’s been a long time, Haihimer.]
The Master of All Weapons murmured. As if the massive presence had noticed the Master of All Weapons, a wave of emotion could be felt. It was an emotion that felt peculiar, as if the situation were somehow humorous.
And soon, that gaze turned toward Jun-hyeok.
Contained within that gaze were surprise and interest. And expectation.
Soon, a system window appeared.
[13th Floor Quest]
• Pass the trial of Haihimer, the God of Weapons.
The clear condition for the 13th Floor was to pass the trial bestowed by the God.
[Haihimer proposes a trial to you.]
[Condition: Pass the trial.]
[Condition: Active Skills forbidden.]
[Reward: Undetermined]
"Hmm?"
Jun-hyeok tilted his head.
Forbidden Active Skills? He had never seen such a condition in his past life. It was puzzling, but he had no particular reason to refuse.
"I accept."
Vroom.
A powerful surge of energy radiated from the altar. Soon, the space began to restructure itself. Jun-hyeok waited, drawing his sword.
'I wonder what will come out.'
He wasn't particularly nervous. The Losers of the Great War held various emotions toward the Players. Some were furious, others were contemptuous. However, most of them shared a single will: to support the Players.
They sought to find "unpolished gems"—talents capable of changing the future—and by supporting them, they hoped to change the predetermined conclusion of the universe.
That was one of the primary goals of the Losers.
Haihimer was one such classic Loser. He sought to help Players, and accordingly, the trials he set were not overly difficult. They were at a level a Player could reasonably clear, and he bestowed the greatest rewards he could give.
To put it simply, not a single Player had ever died while challenging the 13th Floor. He was a God who was remarkably kind.
As such, it shouldn't be too difficult. Just as that thought crossed his mind, an enemy appeared.
It was a warrior.
The figure wore thick leather armor and a helmet that concealed his head, holding a longsword in one hand. After staring at Jun-hyeok for a moment, the warrior lunged.
Boom!
In that instant, Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
He was fast. Considerably so. To the point where it would be dangerous if he didn't react immediately. Jun-hyeok raised his sword.
Clang!
The moment he blocked the warrior's blade, Jun-hyeok’s body was pushed back. It meant the warrior possessed enough strength to repel him.
The warrior didn't stop. Stepping forward, he thrust his sword. Jun-hyeok moved his hands rapidly.
Clang!
Sword met sword, ringing with the sound of steel. Jun-hyeok’s expression turned serious.
Skreeee!
He blocked a downward strike, letting it slide off his blade. The warrior's momentum drove his weapon into the ground, leaving him momentarily vulnerable. Jun-hyeok immediately poured strength into his sword and swung toward the warrior's shoulder.
Crunch.
The leather armor didn't break. Jun-hyeok’s strike left only a shallow laceration. Seizing the opening, the warrior slammed his shoulder into Jun-hyeok.
Thud.
"Ugh."
Jun-hyeok groaned as he was pushed back. He thought as he parried the warrior's lunging blade.
'The blade isn't biting?'
Given his current Strength stat, the warrior's body should have been sliced in half. And yet, he couldn't even pierce a single layer of leather armor.
His mind raced. Why? It wasn't a matter of Attack Power. Attack Power purely determined how much damage was dealt. It was meaningless if he couldn't bypass the defense in the first place.
Was the leather armor itself special? No. If that were the case, the sword shouldn't have left a mark at all. But a laceration had been made.
Then it was likely a matter of the Strength stat. It was highly probable that he simply lacked the raw force required to pierce the armor with a blade.
In that case... Jun-hyeok sheathed his sword and pulled out an axe.
Clang!
He swung, parrying and deflecting to create an opening. Then, he stepped forward. Combining his strength and momentum, he brought the axe down.
Crack!
The axe blade bit through the leather armor and buried itself in the warrior's shoulder. The warrior's body staggered.
This attack confirmed it. He hadn't been able to pierce the leather armor because he lacked the necessary force with a sword. By using an axe, which could deliver more power than a sword, the leather armor was breached.
In this situation, an axe was the correct choice over a sword. The sword and axe clashed violently. Jun-hyeok put immense power into every single blow. Wounded in the shoulder, the warrior was unable to defend properly.
And finally.
Crunch!
The helmet shattered, and the warrior's body collapsed.
[Axe Technique proficiency has increased.]
"Whew."
Jun-hyeok caught his breath. The warrior had been quite strong—enough that he had to fight seriously. On top of that, the special armor had made his sword ineffective.
"What's going on?"
Haihimer’s trial was supposed to be quite simple. Just as he thought that, the space suddenly began to shift.
Rumble!
The world collapsed. In the empty void, two platforms appeared about one meter apart. Jun-hyeok stood on one, while a warrior appeared on the other.
This warrior was holding a spear. Gripping the weapon tightly, the opponent thrust the spear.
Whoosh!
"Hup!"
Jun-hyeok twisted his body to evade. He hesitated as he tried to swing his axe. Between the two of them was a gap, with only enough space to stand on their respective platforms. The distance was roughly one meter.
An axe could never reach. Jun-hyeok pulled out a spear.
Clang!
Spear met spear. The shafts flexed as they both aimed for each other's vitals. Like the previous warrior, this was no easy opponent.
Jun-hyeok’s expression darkened. The opponent pulled back his spear and then thrust sharply. Jun-hyeok didn't dodge; he thrust his own spear in return. The shafts collided.
Screech!
The opponent's spearhead grazed Jun-hyeok’s cheek. But Jun-hyeok’s spear accurately pierced the opponent's chest.
As the opponent's body collapsed, the world changed once again. And what appeared this time was a giant slime. A monster made of liquid.
Jun-hyeok thrust his spear. With a squelching sound, the spearhead sank in, but it dealt no damage at all. Quickly retracting his spear and widening the distance, Jun-hyeok muttered.
"Right. You have no intention of letting me off easy like the others."
Haihimer, the God of Weapons, was speaking to him now.
Show me the true power you possess.
Show me the ability worthy of the Master of All Weapons.
Otherwise, you will die here.
This wasn't a trial of moderate generosity like those given to other Players. This was a true trial where he had to fight with his life on the line, with everything he had.
"Just what I wanted."
The corners of Jun-hyeok’s mouth curled. He stowed his spear and pulled out his Combat Gloves. Stepping forward, he threw a punch.
Splatter!
The slime exploded upon impact with his fist.