Chapter 232: The Tutorial Floor (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: The Tutorial Floor (4)
Before long, Lucifer returned.
She sat down by the campfire without a word and sipped the hot chocolate I had cooled for her.
Lee Serin watched her cautiously, but Lucifer didn't give her so much as a glance.
I knew this was a form of tacit acceptance, so I said nothing. Trying to talk to her to soothe her anger would only be counterproductive.
In the awkward silence, I planned our next steps. The most urgent matter, by far, was acquiring WP.
I might be receiving sponsorship from a Constellation, but I couldn't delude myself into thinking it would last forever.
It was like sponsoring a streamer you like, only to suddenly lose interest one day and stop watching their broadcasts. I had to constantly remind myself that attention gained so suddenly could be lost just as quickly.
Lucifer had called the Constellations the most capricious beings in the universe.
I believed her.
‘A minimum of 1,500 WP per day. The goal is 10,000 WP per week.’
It was noon when we arrived in this forest.
In the half-day since, Lucifer and I had each gathered about 700 WP purely from hunting, excluding sponsorships.
At this pace, 1,500 WP a day seemed possible.
I planned to add one more thing to our schedule.
“Serin, have you checked your status window?”
“status window?”
That was to help Lee Serin grow.
And for that, there was something I needed to know.
“Try thinking ‘status window’ in your mind.”
Player candidates summoned to the Tower each receive exclusive skills. Usually, it’s one or two.
Only a few possess exclusive traits.
To help Serin grow, I first needed to know what exclusive traits or skills she had.
I just hope it’s not an ability for handling melee weapons like swords or spears.
It was no easy feat for a beginner to master such weapons.
You had to swing your weapon until blisters formed on your palms, burst, and hardened into calluses.
Could Lee Serin, a woman, endure a process that even men found difficult?
There was a reason for the saying: a hundred days for the saber, a thousand for the spear, and ten thousand for the sword.
“Oh?! A screen just appeared in front of my eyes.”
“Now, think of me and imagine showing me your status window.”
“Just a moment…”
Tiring—
「Name: Lee Serin
Age: 25
Contracted Constellation: -
Affiliation: -
Authority: -
Exclusive Trait: Heavenly Tone (S)
Exclusive Skills: Composition (C), Harmony of Life (D+), Echo of Purification (D), Echo of Confusion (D), Mental Resistance (E)
Traits: -
Skills: -」
As I examined the screen, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
…An S-rank exclusive trait?
According to Lucifer, an innate S-rank trait or skill was so rare that you might find one in a hundred thousand people, if that.
And Lee Serin had one?
Judging by her traits and skills, she must have worked in a profession related to singing, but the System wasn't kind enough to elevate mediocre talent into traits and skills.
…Is she a genius?
For now, the most plausible explanation was that she possessed overwhelming talent.
Still, something didn't sit right.
That rabbit doll had clearly looked at the people gathered in the clearing and called them duds.
Lucifer and I might be exceptions, but was there any reason to evaluate Serin that way?
Perhaps…
A plausible hypothesis flashed through my mind.
If I thought of it that way, the rabbit's reaction made sense. There was no clear evidence, but I could verify it later—
“U-Um…”
At that moment, a timid voice broke through my thoughts.
I turned my head to see Lee Serin looking at me with slightly trembling eyes.
“Is… is something wrong?”
“Huh?”
“It’s just… you look a little grim…”
She was fidgeting with her fingers, clearly anxious about something.
I suddenly remembered what Iris had once told me.
—Hyun-woo, you frown whenever you concentrate, don't you?
I must have done it again out of habit.
Now I understood Serin’s reaction.
She couldn't survive in this forest teeming with monsters without my help, so her life was effectively in my hands.
In such a situation, it was only natural for her to be wary of my mood, growing anxious at every small reaction.
An S-rank exclusive trait? Handing a gun to someone who has never fired one doesn't make them a hero on a medieval battlefield of swords and shields.
It was far more likely they would just panic.
There was a reason the mortality rate for high-level Awakeners was highest during their apprentice phase.
“It was for a good reason, so you don’t have to worry, Serin.”
“Really…?”
Only then did Lee Serin’s bright smile return, as if a weight had been lifted.
I gave her a small smile and stood up.
“Shall we get going then?”
“Huh? G-Go where…?”
“Where do you think?”
I pointed a finger toward the forest.
The trees grew so densely that sunlight barely penetrated, making it as dark as if night had fallen. An ordinary person would surely get lost in no time.
The waist-high undergrowth was the perfect environment for small monsters like goblins to lie in ambush.
The snakes and spiders crawling underfoot were silent assassins.
“We need to get some real combat experience before it gets too late. What do you think, Lucy?”
For the record, Lucy was Lucifer’s alias.
“…”
She didn’t answer. She silently picked up her sword and walked off into the forest.
I didn't try to stop her. My plan was to explore the forest with Serin anyway.
The three of us sticking together would only fuel Lucifer’s resentment.
“…I’m sorry.”
After Lucifer left, Lee Serin glanced nervously at me, then in the direction Lucifer had gone.
“For what?”
“You fought with your girlfriend because of me.”
“Ah.”
A dry laugh escaped me. Girlfriend? If Lucifer had heard that, all hell would have broken loose.
I had a good idea of what she had misunderstood.
“Am I wrong…?”
“No, you’re right, she’s my girlfriend. She gets jealous easily, so please try to understand.”
As I felt Lucifer’s presence fade into the distance, I opened her status window.
「Name: Lucy
Age: 21
Contracted Constellation: -
Affiliation: -
Authority: -
Exclusive Trait: Ghost Swordsman (C)
Exclusive Skill: Swordsmanship (C), Close Quarters Combat (D+)
Traits: -
Skills: -」
This, for the record, was a fake status window created by the Mask of Illusion.
Though temporary, our contract allowed us to view each other's status windows at any time. Of course, this wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't become a player candidate.
Still, isn't putting her age as 21 a bit shameless?
But seeing that she had set her age to be the same as mine, I found it rather cute.
「Name: Lucifer
Age: ???
Contracted Constellation: -
Affiliation: -
Authority: Black Flame (C)
Exclusive Traits: Fallen Angel (S), Master of the Black Flame (A-)
Exclusive Skills: Heavenly Sword (A), Black Wings (B+), Flower of the Battlefield (B+), Observation Eye (B), Offense and Defense as One (C)…
Traits: -
Skills: Sixth Sense (B), Lie Detection (B), Search (C+), Mental Barrier (E)」
As befitting a former Constellation, her status window was magnificent.
But even this was the result of having most of her power stripped away when she lost her status.
The System had said her rank had fallen to its absolute limit, so this was probably not even a fraction of the power she originally possessed.
On top of that, her physical abilities had plummeted.
The sense of disconnect she must be feeling would be immense.
I decided to comfort her tonight after the hunt was over and grabbed Lee Serin’s wrist.
“Let’s get going, too. We need to be back before it gets too late.”
There was no time to waste. I knew what Serin needed right now.
“W-Wait…! I’m not mentally prepared yet…!”
I dragged the stiffly frozen girl and headed straight into the forest.
*
Once inside the forest, I immediately used mana detection to locate the monsters.
“H-Hyun-woo…? Don’t you think… real combat is a bit too soon…?”
“They say seeing is believing. And I’ll protect you no matter what, so don’t jump to conclusions and get scared before anything happens.”
“…”
Lee Serin reluctantly nodded.
The trembling in her hand subsided, suggesting she had relaxed a little.
“But how long are you going to hold my hand…”
“Shh.”
Found them.
Sixty meters to the southeast. A pack of goblins.
Six goblins and one hobgoblin.
A suitable first opponent.
Whoosh!
I picked up a stone from the ground and threw it in their direction. The stone flew at a considerable speed and soon hit something.
—Kieeeek!
A cry of pain and rage echoed through the forest.
True to their nature, the goblins had an excellent sense of smell and were now rushing straight toward us.
“W-Was that…”
The shriek sent a wave of fear across Lee Serin’s face, which turned pale. She must have been remembering being chased by the goblin pack.
I pinched her cheek. It was incredibly soft.
“Serin, snap out of it.”
Our eyes met, so close I could feel her breath.
Her face was a little flushed, but a healthy amount of tension was necessary for battle.
“Goblins are going to pop out of that bush over there any second. You remember those green-skinned monsters that were chasing you, right?”
“…”
Her shoulders began to tremble slightly.
Well, it was a bit much to expect a civilian to overcome the fear of death so quickly.
But this was the most crucial moment for her.
“Serin!”
“Y-Yes?!”
The loud call of her name seemed to momentarily calm the ripples of fear in her eyes.
“Don’t worry. You won’t get hurt. You saw your exclusive skills on the status window earlier, right?”
Lee Serin slowly nodded.
“When I give the signal, all you have to do is use a skill.”
“B-But how?”
“Just think about using the skill in your mind.”
I wanted to explain in more detail, but there was no time.
Fwoosh!
“Kihek!”
“Kit!”
“Keeeek!!”
A pack of goblins burst out from behind the bushes.
I drew my sword and stood in their way.
To be honest, I didn't even need a sword for a few goblins. A couple of kicks would have been enough to kill them, so why bother?
But I had to create a sense of crisis for the training to be effective.
What Lee Serin needed right now was real combat—battle experience.
I pretended to be in a desperate fight against the goblins.
Of course, I wasn't hit even once.
Getting cut by their blades wouldn't have even left a scratch, but it was a matter of principle.
The thought of a rusty knife or axe touching my body gave me the creeps. Besides, I didn't want my clothes to get torn.
Clang!
I toyed with them, feigning a few clashes of my sword.
Soon, as if they realized they were being played with, their expressions twisted into vicious snarls.
At the right moment, I created some distance.
“Now!”
I shouted at Lee Serin, turning to look at her.
An unusual flow of mana emanated from her as she squeezed her eyes shut.
[Lee Serin uses ‘Harmony of Life (D+)’.]
At that moment, a gentle, light-green wave spread out in all directions, and a beautiful melody filled the air.
—♩♪♬
Her voice was so captivating that I found myself momentarily distracted.
The same went for the goblins.
They stopped their attack as if entranced by something. And this was from goblins, known for being among the most ferocious of low-level monsters.
…But is that it?
It was certainly a beautiful song, but that was all.
There didn't seem to be any other effect.
“H-Hyun-woo…?”
No, when I focused my senses, I could feel the skill’s effect.
My health was recovering, albeit very slightly. It was a skill that healed allies.
But I was already at near-full health, which was probably why I hadn't noticed much of an effect.
“Try using a different skill this time!”
“Ah, okay!”
[Lee Serin uses ‘Echo of Confusion (D)’.]
This time, a more intense melody spread out.
It was an uplifting song, but I didn't feel any other changes.
“Kiik?!”
“Keek!!”
“Ki-kiiik…!!”
The goblins, however, were different.
They collapsed to the ground or staggered about as if drunk. None of them looked normal.
Is it a skill that debuffs multiple enemies?
Healing and debuffs. Her role was becoming clear.
I slowly walked over and severed the goblins’ tendons. As if jolted awake by the pain, they began to shriek and thrash about again.
“Serin.”
I handed a sword to Lee Serin.
She was panting heavily, having used a significant amount of mana.
“You’ve probably figured it out by now, but in game terms, your position is a healer or a supporter. Your role is to support the party from the backline.”
Healers and supporters, like mages, were considered a noble class of profession.
They were rare and thus highly valued wherever they went.
I didn't know if the same held true in the Tower, but people were people everywhere, so it was likely similar.
“But being in the backline doesn’t mean you’re always safe. And you can't be sure you'll always be able to stay there.”
I, too, was a mage, a backline class, but I had rarely had the luxury of just casting spells from the rear.
Just as no one can predict what the world will throw at them, a moment would come when she would have to kill an enemy with her own hands.
Even if that weren't the case, this was an essential process for maintaining her composure at all times.
“You kill them.”
“…”
What she needed now, more than real combat, was the experience of killing a living creature.
You get used to blood the more you see it.
The same goes for the sensation of killing an opponent with a weapon, be it a sword or an axe.
Of course, there were ways to kill enemies using skills without getting one's hands dirty, but she had to discard the notion that she could always rely on mana.
Gulp.
Lee Serin took the sword with a trembling hand.
Aside from a few calluses, her hands looked like they had never cooked a proper meal in her life.
It was clear she had been raised with love and care.
But even she had to learn how to take another’s life with her own hands to adapt to this world.
I carefully reached out and touched her face.
It was small, soft, and warm.
Only then did Lee Serin’s gaze meet mine.
“Serin, you trust me, right?”
“…Yes.”
The trembling in her eyes subsided.
With a look of resolve, she walked toward the goblins writhing on the ground.
“Kieeeek!!”
“…I’m sorry.”
She raised the sword high.
Her form was clumsy as could be, but there was no tremor in her hands.
Plunge—