Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Promotion Exam (3)
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Guns. That nostalgic name.
Back on Earth, I'd encountered them plenty through various FPS games, and as a Korean man, I'd handled one firsthand in the military. It's a weapon that's plenty familiar to me.
No, actually, guns feel even more familiar than these swords I'm wielding now. My K2 rifle, serial number 666659, the one I treated like a lover for two whole years... how've you been? Probably getting 'loaded' with bullets by some other guy's hands by now.
-Bang! Bang!
"Ah, damn it! Think for a second!"
The first time, when I ran into those dolls in the narrow space and realized [Sensory Block] worked on them, I approached full of confidence. But the moment they pulled out guns from beyond the skill's range, I felt a mad surge of anxiety and PTSD, diving for cover to dodge the bullets.
It was like that time as a corporal during shooting training, when my junior pointed his jammed rifle right at me because the bullets wouldn't fire. That same chilling sense of "oh shit."
The silver lining? The falling bullets looked like simple metal pellets—no gunpowder residue was used. It was not like the firearms back on Earth. If they were real guns, I'd be Swiss cheese by now. Plus, from what I could tell, these things couldn't fire rapidly.
Once the gunfire stopped, I confirmed it and quickly activated [Limit Break] to close the distance. Not sure if it was the guns' range or their detection radius, but we were about 50 meters apart. With [Body Strengthening] already at a decent level, [Limit Break] would get me there in under two seconds.
As I charged back in, the dolls swung their guns toward me again, but once I was down to about 10 meters, I was within [Sensory Block]'s range.
'[Sensory Block]'
-Click.
The moment I cast the skill, the doll pulling its trigger froze. I smashed it to pieces, snatched the gun, and examined it. No stock, no firing pin—a weird L-shaped contraption.
Nothing like the guns back home, but nostalgia hit anyway. I aimed it forward and pulled the trigger. No bang came out, unfortunately.
"Huh?"
-Click. Click.
I'd planned to return fire on the other dolls, but the guns I pulled from the rest didn't work either. Was there some special loading method?
Still, I couldn't let it go. I pocketed a few bullets and the gun, then crept forward low to the ground.
Damn it, not even in the army, and here I am crawling on my belly...
"Gahhh! Fuck!"
I miscalculated. These things detect mana from the start.
My crawl was pointless. As soon as I got close enough to the other dolls, they spotted me and opened fire.
Luckily, plenty of collapsed walls for cover nearby—I ducked quick behind them. Without that, this promotion exam would've been hell; I'd sue for sure. Damn, too many to rush now...
I tried firing the gun a few more times. Still nothing. Tossed it away and drew my bow instead.
I wonder if this is how my ancestors felt countering Joseon matchlocks with bows during the Imjin War. Fuck, who knows how they pulled it off—it was still a mystery—but they won. No reason I can't win here.
-Twang!
Sufficient experience accumulated. Your archery has advanced one step.
[Archery] skill level has risen to 2.
The skill growth message rang out just as my arrow pierced one doll's head clean through.
It didn't go all the way through, but if the core's in the head, that did it—the thing froze solid.
"Yes!"
Riding the momentum, I targeted their heads with arrows during reload gaps when the gunfire paused.
Each time a doll froze, I let out a sigh of relief and stowed my bow.
Wait, other adventurers passed this difficulty? I'm a warrior who can shoot a bow decently, but how'd pure melee types manage? Tank the shots and push? Without [Physical Resistance] or [Regeneration] like me...
I figured it wouldn't be that different, but intermediate adventurers are no joke.
"Holding up well, aren't you?"
Vivian watched Ian triumph over the automatons with delight, continuing to observe the exam hall. She was surprised his skill worked on them too. Those dolls were supplied by the Alchemy Guild when the hall was built—they were not monsters.
She gauged his skill's range from afar as he countered the 'mana guns.' Probably around 10 meters?
The standard way to beat those things is hiding your mana presence. But as an otherworlder unfamiliar with mana, Ian couldn't conceal his at all.
Yet he just powered through anyway...
"Next up, then..."
Feeling genuine enjoyment for the first time in ages at his primitive research into a skill her [Magic Eye] couldn't detect, Vivian checked the pre-set structure of the fourth floor.
"Oh my, with this layout..."
He'll flunk, won't he?
"What the hell kind of traps are these?!"
After breaking through the gun-toting mad dolls, I felt pretty confident. Guns on the third floor? Nothing worse after that, right? And as always, the mouth is the source of disasters.
Right as I entered the fourth floor, I heard a clunk and ducked on instinct—literally just pure luck that I wasn't killed immediately. I hadn't even cast a skill yet, and an arrow whistled over my head, followed by [Trap Detection] screaming warnings.
-Clank!
"Close...! Fuck!"
The fourth floor was some narrow corridor. Wait, it was not all wide-open spaces?
Complaints aside, I grumbled while pulling trap-disarming tools from my pack, inching forward with [Trap Disarm] and [Trap Detection], dismantling them as I went. But low skill levels meant traps kept triggering regardless, so I had to keep gunning for my life.
-Thwack!
"Guh!"
I failed a disarm again—an arrow lodged into my arm. Thanks to [Physical Resistance], it wasn't deep. Lucky, I guess.
I yanked it out; the wound was discolored slightly then it healed. Insane. There was poison too? Good thing I have [Poison Resistance], but how do other adventurers get through?
-Greeee...
The shitty part? The corridor was trap central, all different types of traps were there. Mostly arrows, but some dropped pitfall floors (spear-wedged into the wall to hold), poison sprays (easiest), flames, electric shocks ([Attribute Resistance] tanked those).
-Greeee...
Plus, not sure what I triggered, but that annoying noise started earlier. Prolonged exposure brought dizziness, it feels like I had a heavy head. Mental attacks too? It felt like they were putting everything against me.
[Mental Fortification] let me endure, but it sucked.
So I blocked my hearing, focused on the sensations on my fingertips, and I concentrated on trap disarms.
[Trap Detection] and [Trap Disarm] levels have risen to 3.
This makes sense, I guess? Not just to 2—straight to level 3. I dismantled a ton, sure, but I tanked against the traps even more. With that many traps...
Blood-soaked everywhere, but I chomped my rations and triggered [Regeneration]. My wounds closed fast. Level 4 is already this good? At 5 or 6, maybe it would reach the level of troll regenaration.
Thinking of that during the exam, isn't the difficulty of the place off? Even with all my resistances and [Regeneration], I'm a mess. Others I will die. Warriors have a chance here maybe, but how will the frail mages deal with this...? Oh, blast them all with magic?
I plopped down on the floor.... Fuck! A spear!
I dodged the rising spear, then sat elsewhere. Blood poured from my ass, but I toughed it out, ate rations and healed back. I was nearly perforated in a dangerous spot.
Originally I planned to use the 'Ring of Nine Lives' for a barrier through the traps, but with the fifth floor being the last part, I was saving it for the finale.
One-third of the traps left. I dismantled what I could, then rest out of reach of the too complex trapos. Beyond them all, is the portal.
My healing is done, I stood and dusted off myself. [Trap Disarm] over. Now just the breakthrough.
"Hoo..."
Deep breath. I inched like a worm, either tanking or disarming the traps. But the last third was impossible for me. I could trigger one-by-one carefully, but no easy food here. I've overused [Regeneration], so my rations are nearly gone. Time to push.
Better to do it while rations still remain: do a breakthrough at once.
"Hoo..."
I sheathed my dagger and drew my longsword. I felt a bit too heavy, so I skipped using a shield for my preparation. I should've brought one for the traps.
"Here goes!"
I shouted, and made my first steps—however my foot sank slightly, arrows from behind. I never imagined a rear attack first; I ducked frantically.
No pause, I made another step—then snap, a spear from the right.
'Arrows not enough, so now spears?!'
My sword swing deflected it reflexively, but the recoil shoved me back. The spear grazed my thigh, and it embedded into the floor.
-Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!
Was that the trigger? Machinery whirred; and arrows rained from ceiling.
"Ngh!"
Arms over head, I rolled to dodge them all. Some pierced my armor and burrowed in my skin. Poison seeped through; but I ignored the vertigo and scrambled up.
-Rumble...
I glanced back at the sound of something collapsing and freaked out. The entrance ceiling was crumbling. No retreat from here!
All-in, I shredded my thigh by pumping everthing to its muscles, I pushed forward with all my might.
-Boom!
"Gaaahhh!"
An explosion trap triggered. After arrows/spears/poison, suddenly there was a blast trap. My foot exploded, boots gone and my sole was shredded. The thick boot cushioned most of the blast—so no toes were lost, but blood gushed out regardless.
-Rumble...
"Fuck!"
The collapsing ceiling waits for no one. I was bloodied from head to toe, so I blocked this Agony via [Sensory Block]. So I felt fine, just gotta make sure to use a potion later.
With my skill on, the pain disapeared, I leaped forward. My foot still mangled, was leaving bloody prints, but my eyes were looking forward.
'The portal!'
Only goal right now is to reach the front of the portal. More traps kept triggering, arrows flew; somehow I shielded my vitals with my arms.
-Thwack! Thwack!
My sturdy armor was shredded like paper, holes were found everywhere. Some hit old wounds, making them deeper, shafts snapped pushing others in. I endured it all and advanced.
-Click.
I felt a sensation from my foot. Like I pressed something similar to the prior blast trap.
It was tactile, and the auditory cues hit; I instinctively tuned my mana flow. Concentrated to my right leg. Not enhancing my muscle/vessels like usual boost—instead, I reinforced my skin overlay.
[Mana Manipulation] skill level has risen to 2.
-Boom!
A blast happened again. My shoe was shredded like before, but...
"Urk..."
It was ragged and oozing, but the form was still intact compared to last time. What did I do? The mana-shielded my body somehow...
-Rumble...
No time to think. The portal was five steps away. The ceiling was at its limit. I need to make my breakthrough now.
'[Limit Break]'
[Limit Break] skill level has risen to 2.
With my skill activated; my arrow wounds start to bled like its fresh again. Doesn't matter, I made an instant burst of speed.
My legs swelled and kicked off the ground. The ground cracked, triggering nearby traps.
From the ceiling above the portal—arrow going for my crown rained down. I was mid-leap, it felt like it was unavoidable.
'[Mana Manipulation]'
Was the first time the hardest? Because unlike before, my mana obeyed. It gathered to my scalp. I pushed in more mana, turning it into a narrower shield than the one for my foot.
-Ting.
The arrow bounced from my skin. It wasn't fully absorbed though—blood still trickled down from my head—but nothing was pierced. I dove through the arrow storm into the next-floor portal.