Chapter 72: 13th Floor. God of Weapons. Haihimer (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: 13th Floor. God of Weapons. Haihimer (3)
“…So, it’s something like this.”
Shifting the flow of power and turning the opponent’s force against them.
He understood the concept itself. However, until now, it had been nothing more than intellectual comprehension. Instead of his body reacting instinctively, he had been calculating and moving with his head.
But now, Kang Jun-hyeok had gone beyond mere understanding; he had achieved a true realization.
“This is your martial art, then.”
[Indeed. You cannot even handle the first form yet, but you have grasped the basic principles. I shall praise you for that.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke nonchalantly. Jun-hyeok let out a hollow laugh.
The Divine Art of the Master of All Weapons—he had known it would be strong. It was only natural for it to possess a lofty status, considering it looked down upon all other martial arts.
But now, he felt it with certainty.
It was on a different level. Entirely.
Despite only grasping the most basic principles, he had overcome the swordsmanship of someone who rivaled Alessandro.
And above all else...
‘The proficiency hasn’t budged.’
Even after gaining such a profound realization, his proficiency hadn’t jumped a level, nor had it even increased significantly. It meant the depth and breadth of this art were unfathomable. Comparing it to the Wudang Sect’s Taiji Wisdom Sword he had learned before was almost laughable.
“Good.”
Regardless of the difficulty, this was the power he was obtaining and mastering. Jun-hyeok smirked.
Since no more enemies appeared despite his waiting, Jun-hyeok sheathed his sword.
“Is it over now?”
[It seems that was the final test. It was a decent enough warm-up.]
“It was exhausting.”
Jun-hyeok shot a look toward the sky. The final knight had been truly powerful. If not for his realization, he might have actually died.
[Haihimer is a fairly lenient god. He tries to guide Players with mercy. Because of that, his trials are generally not difficult. But it seems things were different for you.]
Instead of a light trial, he had been given a true ordeal—one that required him to risk his life to clear.
[It means he saw that much potential in you. Had you died, he would have simply considered that your limit.]
However, Jun-hyeok had cleared it. He could feel a sense of satisfaction in the gaze looking down from the heavens.
[Haihimer offers you an Apostle's Contract.]
[Will you accept?]
“No.”
[You have declined the Apostle's Contract.]
As if he had expected this, Haihimer did not offer again. Soon, with a rumbling sound, the world began to collapse.
Just before he was sent back to Earth, a thick male voice echoed toward Jun-hyeok.
[I shall look forward to your future.]
At that moment, the floor was cleared.
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Health +50]
[Strength +2]
[Speed +2]
[Internal Energy +2]
[13th Floor Quest Cleared.]
[The reward will be determined based on your performance.]
[Calculating achievement rate…]
[Calculation complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[Title: The effect of ‘Perfect Player’ has been added.]
[5,714 Gold has been awarded.]
[Perfect Clear Reward: You have obtained [Weapon: Spear Blessed by Haihimer].]
[Perfect Clear Reward: You have obtained [Weapon: Infinite Spear Shaft Specially Blessed by Haihimer].]
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 13th Floor: 1.]
[You are the only one!]
[Universal Announcement.]
[Please congratulate him! Everyone in the universe! A Perfect Player of the 13th Floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has ever achieved before!]
[Feat +8]
“Whew.”
Back on Earth, Jun-hyeok caught his breath. After a brief rest, he slowly began to check his rewards.
There were no standard rewards this time; it seemed they had all been integrated into the Perfect Clear bonuses. In such cases, the Perfect Clear rewards were often exceptionally outstanding.
He checked the items with high expectations.
[Spear Blessed by Haihimer]
• Category: Weapon
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Attack Power: +40
• Description: A spear bestowed with the blessing of Haihimer, the God of Weapons. It is a weapon specially given to outstanding believers who serve him.
The attack power was 40. It easily surpassed the 35 attack power of the White Light Sword.
Jun-hyeok whistled.
“I didn’t have any decent spears, so this is perfect.”
As the Master of All Weapons, he needed to possess as many high-value weapons as possible. This weapon filled that gap perfectly.
And the next reward was also a spear. This was likely the real prize. Jun-hyeok gripped the shaft.
[Infinite Spear Shaft Specially Blessed by Haihimer]
• Category: Weapon
• Rank: Unique
• Description: A spear shaft specially blessed by Haihimer, the God of Weapons, for a single individual. Imbued with the powerful strength of a god, it can store a total of three spears and allows for permanent use.
• Equipment Ability: This spear shaft generates a spear with attack power equivalent to 50% of your Strength every hour. Up to three spears can be stored.
“…Wait a minute.”
Jun-hyeok frowned as he read the description. For a moment, he thought he had misread it and checked again.
But no matter how many times he looked, he hadn't seen it wrong. Jun-hyeok let out an exclamation.
“Wow.”
This was a spear that could be used permanently.
Normally, this wouldn't mean much. After all, one can usually only handle one weapon at a time. But for Jun-hyeok, who possessed the Spear Throw skill, the story was different.
[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. Can be thrown directly from the inventory without taking it out.
As the proficiency of his Spear Throw skill reached D, he could throw spears directly from his inventory. It was a special skill even among the lowest-grade ones, extremely useful in combat.
The problem was the consumption of spears.
Even the cheapest spear cost around 100 Gold, and consuming one every time was a significant burden. Furthermore, since their attack power was low, it became harder for them to remain relevant as he climbed higher floors.
But with this spear shaft, the situation changed. It meant he could trigger Spear Throw up to three times without consuming any actual inventory items.
Even the attack power scaled with his Strength. Since Jun-hyeok’s current Strength was 55, the attack power would be 22. It was by no means low, and since it was half his Strength, it would remain useful in the future.
It was equipment truly worthy of the Unique rank. He suddenly felt a surge of respect for Haihimer.
The effect of the Perfect Player title was a flat Attack Power +1.
After finishing his check, Jun-hyeok called Pixie.
[You’re back?]
“Yeah.”
Jun-hyeok immediately held out his hand. Pixie smirked and took it. The memories of the 13th floor began to flow into her.
[Mmm. Mmmmmm.]
With a nasal hum, she slowly pulled her hand away. Her eyes sparkled strangely.
[Haihimer. That half-heartedly merciful guy gave you a trial like that? That’s unexpected.]
“I had a pretty hard time because of it. By the way, a ‘half-heartedly merciful god’?”
[Isn’t he? He usually only gives trials that can be cleared without risking one's life. But you can’t change anything with rewards of that level. You just climb the tower a little further and then die.]
Pixie grumbled. It seemed she had quite a few complaints about Haihimer’s methods.
[Still… he overhauled his thinking this time, didn’t he? He handed you a real trial. I’ve known Haihimer for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen this.]
Pixie smirked.
[Yes. That’s how it should be. That’s what makes it interesting. And… the Master of All Weapons. You’ve realized a bit of that guy’s technique, haven’t you?]
Pixie asked with a suggestive look.
[How is it?]
“It’s vast,” Jun-hyeok replied. “And deep. So deep I can’t see the bottom.”
[I bet. That guy is arrogant, but he has the power to back it up. He never passed his martial arts to anyone else and intended to disappear quietly from the tower, keeping it all to himself. Honestly, I thought it was a waste. His techniques are at a level even I have never seen before.]
[It is not your place to interfere.]
The Master of All Weapons replied indifferently. Pixie chuckled.
[I wonder how far you’ll reach. I’m curious. Here, take this.]
[200 Starlight.]
Jun-hyeok frowned. “Is that all I get this time too?”
It was far too little to buy what he wanted. Pixie put a cigar in her mouth.
[My Starlight is special. Your realization and Haihimer’s unusual behavior were interesting, but… not enough to earn a fortune.]
Pixie tapped the ash off her cigar.
[I am a fairy. A seeker of the world. How much of this world do you think I’ve seen?]
Pixie’s eyes glowed like starlight. The currency and treasures she possessed were special—things even Jun-hyeok couldn't easily come by. She had literally explored and collected everything in the entire universe. Satisfying the curiosity of someone like her was no easy task.
[If you want more Starlight, try clearing a special floor that can satisfy my curiosity.]
“I guess that’s the only way.”
This made the next floor important. Jun-hyeok nodded.
“Fine. Then I’ll buy a Mid-Rank Active Skill.”
[You already saved up fifteen thousand Gold? That was fast… Here.]
[You have obtained a Mid-Rank Active Skill Box.]
[You have obtained Active Skill: Repulsion.]
[Active Skill: Repulsion]
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Proficiency: F
• Cooldown: 60 minutes
• Description: Unleashes a shockwave proportional to your attack power in all directions.
“Repulsion, huh.”
A skill that erupted a wave from the body to push enemies away. He had used it frequently and effectively in his past life. It was a useful skill that ranked high among mid-rank abilities.
“Then, see you.”
[Sure. Is the 14th floor next? That might be somewhat interesting.]
Pixie left after leaving those cryptic words.
Next, Jun-hyeok headed to the training center. He needed to organize the realizations he had gained regarding the Divine Art.
Standing in the training center, he took a light breath and moved his internal energy.
The power to move his arms. The power to stand firm on his legs. Even the power to breathe. He shifted and gathered the flow of all that power. Then, he clenched his fist and lunged.
BOOM!
The air detonated. The training center shook violently, and the lights flickered.
“Whew.”
He caught his breath.
In that attack just now, almost none of his own physical strength had been used. He had purely shifted the flow of all existing forces and erupted them through his fist. Yet, it produced power rivaling his full-strength strike.
Above all, he could control not just his own flow, but the opponent’s power as well. In fact, it was a martial art that was nearly omnipotent.
The problem, however, was the difficulty.
“It’s tough.”
When facing the knight, he could handle it freely through a momentary realization, but now only fragments of that remained. He struggled significantly just to move the flow of power using internal energy. It wasn't at a level he could use in actual combat yet.
[The system only helps you take the first step. The rest is for you to train and master yourself.]
“I know.”
That was why he had come here. Since there were three days left until he could enter the next floor, he planned to continue training until then.
Jun-hyeok caught his breath and moved his internal energy.
By continuing his training without even sleeping, he became able to handle it a bit more freely than at first. Thus, three days passed, and it was time to enter the tower.
Jun-hyeok immediately entered the 14th floor.
He arrived on a small island—a patch of sand with only a few lonely palm trees. Before him stretched a vast ocean. A great sea where only the horizon was visible, no matter which way he turned. It felt liberating.
Soon, the quest window appeared.
[14th Floor Quest.]
[Calm the chaos of the great sea.]