Chapter 5
Chapter 5
I picked up the Transcendent Gallery terminal.
What should I do in this perfectly ruined current situation?
First of all, I should take a selfie in front of this unprecedented difficulty called 'Pandemonium'.
I intended to just take pictures of the damn text, but a selfie would be best to inform others of my current situation.
As expected, it has one. The selfie function.
I adjusted the angle so my face and the text 'Pandemonium' would show up clearly.
The screen flickered.
Kimchi.
Ah, what a refreshing selfie.
Oh, come to think of it. Can I never eat kimchi again?
...Or rather, I might not have a 'forever' to begin with.
I should take one with Queen Ansranthrope too before heading up to the second floor.
As I finished climbing the stairs, there was a huge door. I pushed it open.
What unfolded was a rather spacious area. It felt about the size of a high school gymnasium.
This must be the waiting room.
The moment I stepped on the white line, notification windows cluttered my vision.
[Pandemonium Tower #01]
[Welcome to the 2nd Floor.]
[Status - 'Mana' has been added.]
['Mana' stat has been granted 10 points.]
[System - You have acquired the qualification to use the 'Coin Shop'.]
[300 coins granted as a reward for clearing the 1st Floor.]
[System - 'Inventory' has been activated.]
[A weapon has been granted as a reward for clearing the 1st Floor of Pandemonium. Please check your 'Inventory'.]
[Armor has been granted as a reward for clearing the 1st Floor of Pandemonium. Please check your 'Inventory'.]
There were no chairs or desks.
The only fortunate thing was that there was one sleeping bag.
There was a clock on the central wall.
Next to the round analog clock was a square rectangular space.
It looked like an electronic display board.
February 4th.
Time remaining until Tower Exchange Meeting: 21 days.
Tower Exchange Meeting Date and Time: February 25th, 12:00 PM.
I can ask my friends in the gallery what the exchange meeting is.
"Status."
<Player Status>
Name: Han Yoo-seong
Race: Human
Lv.3
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 21
Stamina: 18
Mana: 10
Skills: Pain Suppression Lv.2, Composure Lv.2, Concealment Lv.1, Danger Sense Lv.1, Vision Expansion Lv.1, Focus Enhancement Lv.1
If this is the stat distribution I get as a Pandemonium Climber, I wonder how fast people in the 21st-century Earth on Easy, Normal, or Hard difficulty are progressing.
I wonder if the Coin Shop would just pop out if I spoke its name.
"Coin Shop."
It popped out.
[2nd Floor Coin Shop]
1.
Food 2. Drinks
"...What kind of shop only sells food?"
But my stomach was more honest than my mouth. A growl immediately echoed.
When I pressed <Dishes>, a list appeared in a flash.
1.
Ramyeon, small portion of kimchi - 10 coins
2.
Dwaeji-gukbap - 10 coins
3.
Chaofan - 10 coins
4.
Cream Bacon Pasta - 10 coins
5.
Sandwich - 8 coins
6.
Nuts (peanuts, walnuts) - 6 coins
7.
Dried meat jerky - 6 coins
There's kimchi.
I was dumbfounded in many ways.
My current coins: 300.
If I eat one meal a day, that's 30 days.
Who the hell priced these coins?
I pressed <Drinks>.
1.
Water (1L) - 5 coins
2.
Black Coffee - 8 coins
3.
Cider - 9 coins
Cider is the most expensive.
Anyway, I didn't even feel like buying any drinks other than water.
I think I saw somewhere that a healthy person can survive for up to 8 weeks on just water.
"If I think about just surviving, I'm going to die anyway."
I couldn't help but be terrified by the difficulty of Pandemonium, but surviving on minimal food and leeching off the waiting room was the worst option.
Ultimately, after preparing as much as possible, I'll have to advance regardless of the Pandemonium difficulty.
The last thing to check was the weapon and armor that were supposedly granted to my inventory.
"Inventory."
<Inventory>
A translucent window appeared.
There were two slots occupied by items.
I pressed the slot located in the front.
[Nameless Knight's Straight Sword]
Category - Weapon (Sword)
Attack Power + 30
Usable Level: Level 3 or higher
Grade: C+
[Nameless Knight's Armor Set]
Category - Armor
Defense + 35
Usable Level: Level 3 or higher
Grade: C+
At a glance, it looked better than the sword I used on the first floor.
Now that I've checked everything, it was time to inform the Transcendent Gallery of the harsh reality I was facing.
I took out the terminal and accessed the Transcendent Gallery.
Most of the posts in the gallery were about whether I was still alive.
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If you're not dead, pop out. Quick ㅠㅠㅠ
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Shrine Maiden) Hawaawa, didn't we say that Climber-nim has a long lifespan? Your limbs should still be attached.
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Pioneer) Hmm, if you're crying because it's Hard difficulty, you can come out. There's still a possibility of clearing it, right?
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Secret Room Theorist) It's possible they're hiding because they're embarrassed it's Easy difficulty.
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Seongja) I am praying. So that Climber-brother does not lose his way.
Seongja.
I see someone I haven't seen before.
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Yeah) There's no way the Climber could get Easy. Looking at the monsters that appeared.
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Heavenly Demon) This venerable one is creating a beginner's martial arts manual after a long time. Hurry and come in and write a post.
Alright.
I'll write one.
I wrote the post and published it.
Title: Hahahaha
Author: Anonymous
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I'm going crazy. Look.
Attachment: 238409122.jpg
[Han Yoo-seong standing next to a giant door with 'Pandemonium' precisely written on it.]
Silence.
It was a longer silence than I expected.
-
?
Only now are comments appearing.
That single question mark seemed to represent everyone's feelings.
I felt the same way when I first saw it.
After that, it was like a floodgate opened, and comments poured in endlessly.
-
-
Huh?
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???
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No, fuck.
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Archmage) What is this? It's not a synthesis, is it? Pandemonium???
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Secret Room Theorist) Hmm - This world is made up of giant secret rooms.
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ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ LOL. Hey, is that a selfie for your memorial photo?
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Ice Queen) ...Frozen. Stay strong.
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How can I stay strong? Hahaha
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Pan, demon, um, um, um...um.
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Yeah, I read your will carefully. Your writing is good. A true master.
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Shit, I rubbed my eyes and looked again, it's the same ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why is that there?
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Wow, our Climber-brother was amazing. Survived the 1st floor of Pandemonium. Sorry for not recognizing you, brother.
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Huh, he's quite handsome?? But why does the photo look like it has a black and white background? Uh... Uh? Breathe, Climber! Banja! Call a doctor!!!
I expected that level of mockery.
It was only a day ago. Just a day ago, I spent most of my day browsing online communities.
I had already thought of that level of mockery as self-deprecating humor.
It was simply amusing.
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Jjuhdak) ...What is it. Is the fact that you got the Chogal gallery in the first place somehow related? I can't tell....
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Great! Chaos!!!!
Hmm.
Although Jjuhdak's comment was rambling, I understood what he was trying to say.
Survival rate: 0%.
I, who was caught in the hopeless difficulty of Pandemonium.
And then, I happened to pick up a terminal on the first floor that could access the <Transcendent Gallery>.
He's probably talking about whether these events were intentionally created by the Tower or not. Well, how would I know?
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Archmage) I don't know. I'm a bit skeptical. Even with the help of the Chogal users, it's still Pandemonium difficulty. A difficulty none of us have experienced? No matter what help is given, he has to risk his life every time. The possibility of completion... Ha, I don't know.
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Absolute Monarch) Archmage, didn't you say yourself not long ago? That all beings summoned to Pandemonium had at least a speck of possibility to conclude that Pandemonium. Even if they died. Are you retracting that statement?
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Archmage) Retracting? Of course, now that the Climber has been summoned to Pandemonium, I believe he has that possibility. It's just incredibly difficult.
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Realㅋㅋㅋㅋ The mage always talks down to the Climber ambiguously, but now that the Climber is Pandemonium, he has nothing to say ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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Archmage) What are you talking about?
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Triggered?
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Archmage) That's enough. Why bother talking to an inferior being? I'm ending my gallery browsing for today.
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Triggered?
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Whoaㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is it Pandemonium? Is it real?
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R.I.P
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Seongja) Not Easy, Normal, or Hard, but Pandemonium... This is rare. I will pray.
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Absolute Monarch) Climber, do not resort to extreme choices even if despair sets in.
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Hey, I'm not doing that. Don't worry. Why would I die?
Not in a cool way.
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Heavenly Demon) Yes, your spirit is good! This venerable one also supports you.
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You've been silent, but now that you seem to have a surprisingly stable mental state, you pop out and write a few words. Are you really the Demon Leader?
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Heavenly Demon) Are you in the same Martial Arts Earth as this venerable one? Where do you live?
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Sword of Light) Take a look at the Transcendent Gallery terminal. See if a new app has appeared.
App?
I pushed the <Transcendent Gallery> screen aside for a moment.
I went to the terminal's main page.
Hmm, something that wasn't there before is visible?
I pressed something that appeared below the camera app. An app with a blue star logo.
『Transcendent Gallery's 'Dimensional Exchange' has been activated!』
『Welcome! New customer!"- Oh, it's here." Dimensional Exchange?
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Jjuhdak) I guess it activates on the 2nd floor.
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Sword of Light) Eat a hearty meal and come back.
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Huh?
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Sword of Light) What weapon do you have now?
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Oh? I came up to the 2nd floor and they gave me a sword?
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Sword of Light) A sword, huh. Good. I'll make sure you don't die.
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Yes*) How?
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How else ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It means train like hell.
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Sword of Light) I should take the position of your first teacher.
The sword fanatic suddenly started pushing himself forward.
What is this?
Did he get more active because I said I was in 'Pandemonium' difficulty?