Chapter 3 - Life in Hell Mode Begins (Part 2) & Into the Unknown.
Life in Hell Mode Begins (Part 2) & Into the Unknown.
Translator : Elizabeth
30 goblins are rushing at me, drooling, inside a gate I was forcibly kidnapped into.
What is the capacity of the inventory?
How far are the storage and ejection ranges of the inventory?
“10m. 200kg. No problem.”
Crunch!
The neighborhood mountain back home.
A giant boulder was torn out.
A mark looking as if something had taken a bite out of it was reproduced on the rock. The cut surface felt clean, as if sliced by a martial arts master.
My brow wrinkles into a grin.
I tend to put force into my brow when I feel good.
And I can assert, there has never been a day when my brow wrinkled as much as today.
Ah, correction.
Since becoming a girl, wrinkles don't really form.
Just the corners of my eyes curving like they're smiling is all.
I wonder if this would have been normal originally.
I have decided.
I will climb the Tower.
There is a curse risk, but ironically, another ability has been revitalized because of the curse.
The Inventory that became ??? Grade.
Honestly, I don't know what ??? Grade is, but looking at the effect, there is a high probability it is S-Rank or higher. In other words, isn't it an unmeasurable grade?
“Is 20m the limit?”
Crunch!!
I used the ability once more.
Far away, the ground was gouged out, creating a pit.
The Tower opens tomorrow morning. I must properly master this sensation before then.
Mistakes are not tolerated.
Because a single mistake will come back terribly.
I need to be perfect from the start.
But who am I? Am I not an office worker with double-digit years of social experience who values efficiency?
Compared to pulling all-nighters for work, this is nothing.
Rather, I'm excited to the point of fluttering.
Now, let's research a bit more.
Can I put monsters or people inside and carry them around?
How does time flow inside the inventory?
“Living things do not enter, and time inside the inventory is estimated to be slower than reality.”
Scratch scratch.
I took a notebook out of the inventory and took notes.
I could take notes with my phone, but this analog method remains in memory better.
Information I have to memorize anyway.
No, I have to learn it with my body too.
I continued to test the ability.
“21m. The growth of the ability is not blocked.”
Had about an hour passed?
I succeeded in increasing the range of the inventory.
There is a strange sensation felt when storing and ejecting with the inventory. By consciously using that sensation, the efficiency of the ability increased.
“The skill can be refined. If I can use the ability intuitively without shouting 'Inventory' inside, my reaction speed will go up.”
Scratch scratch.
I noted the information I found out right away.
People are good at coming up with amazing things but strangely tend to forget them easily.
That's all because they don't have the habit of taking notes.
There probably isn't another prepared member of society like me.
Flip.
Turning the notepad, I checked the checklist I wrote down at home.
[Is there a difference between the ejection distance and storage distance of inventory items?]
[When ejecting inventory items, can they be launched in a desired direction?]
Items not yet tested.
Based on the written checklist, I checked and marked the abilities one by one.
I practiced my abilities until dawn like that.
Thud~
When I returned home, I was exhausted.
I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
The Tower opens tomorrow morning. Let's remind myself in advance to wake up before then.
People are truly fascinating creatures; if you think about when to wake up before sleeping, the probability of actually waking up at that time increases.
That is ingrained in my body, so I don't need an alarm.
So um… let's wake up around 7.
[Only Seoul opens a day late, right?][Poster: Rice-Daughter-Daddy]
Because of Burp-zwa (Burp-Lord), what is this. There won't be any disadvantages because it's a day late, right?
OO: Instead, you can know in advance what comes out.
Rice-Daughter-Daddy: Is that a good thing?
[What gate is everyone going to choose this time?][Poster: SteamedBunPecker]
I'm going Hard Gate. Surely there are no Hunter-bros going Normal or Easy, right?
OO: You really going Hard?
SteamedBunPecker: Last season was Hard too. Can: Any empty spots in the party? SteamedBunPecker: Fixed party, sry.
[Anyone taking a porter?][Poster: Mayfly]
I have a C-Rank Inventory skill, can also draw aggro with a shield to some extent.
OO: Isn't Inventory a skill you get from failed gacha while climbing the Tower?
Mayfly: No no, those are all D-Rank. I got C-Rank through natural awakening. Unlike D-Rank, I can store multiple monster corpses too. OO: Fr? LightningCraftsman: Sent you a DM.
8:30 AM.
Wearing a hoodie and mask at Seoul Grand Park, I browsed the gallery on my phone.
Everyone was in the middle of gallery-ing (posting) while waiting for the open run.
Looking at it for a while, an Inventory ability like mine was receiving a bit of attention.
It seems it's quite useful from C-Rank onwards… but I was a natural awakening and it was a whopping F-Rank. Just how trash-tier was my ability?
I put my phone away for a moment and walked around the park.
Because I trained until late yesterday, my dark circles have gotten darker. Since there is some time left until the Tower opens, I need to wake up from sleep with a walk.
“What's with that kid?”
“Surely she isn't a Hunter?”
“Would a kid looking that young be a Hunter? Shouldn't we report this and have her sent out?”
“What if she's just short?”
“Hmm… maybe. Didn't see her face properly so I don't know.”
Is it because I'm too short?
Surrounding Hunters glanced at me.
I prevented trouble from spreading by covering my face with a hood and mask, but walking around with this small physique certainly stood out.
Since you are automatically entered if you are near the rift during the open run, entry is forbidden for non-Hunters.
If caught, naturally I'd be kicked out.
Same for civilians or kids.
Because there were many people, I could sneak in avoiding inspection, but if I keep staying here, I'll be suspected.
Furthermore, I don't even have an ID card?
Isn't this undeniably a minor?
In reality, I was a full-grown old man… The future where I get kicked out without a squeak is clear.
Helplessly, I slipped out of the park.
If someone talks to me for no reason, only I get into trouble.
Besides, aren't I in a cursed state? If the opponent harbors unknown hostility towards me, I don't know how the situation will flow.
Once things go wrong, it's already too late.
I must be careful from the start.
Because there won't be a second time for me. I will avoid the Humiliation curse somehow.
[Season 16 is beginning.]
9:00 AM.
Finally, the time has come.
I walked moderately, hid in the crowd, entered the park, and was swallowed by the light.
[You have entered Tower Floor 1.]
[Please select a Gate.]
The Tower is usually climbed by forming a party.
Few as 2 people, moderately 4 people, many as about 8 people.
If you form a party, you automatically meet upon entry.
Since stable play is possible with more people, forming a party with Hunters who have ability and trust is most important.
Then what about solo play users?
Obviously, they are an endangered species.
They say there are more than one or two who participated solo and were erased from the Hunter registry without a mouse or bird knowing (without a trace).
“Maybe I should have looked for a party after all.”
Honestly, I'm a little scared.
To enter solo while climbing the Tower for the first time in my life.
Maybe if it was Season 1, but now is the era where the climbing system is fully established. It is very hard to find someone soloing from the start in these times.
But I am forced solo.
How would I find a party with this body?
Starting with 'Where are your parents?', all sorts of lecture times would follow.
No, that much would be fortunate.
What if a party member harbors hostility?
They say crimes where party members are 'cleaned up' inside the Tower happen quite often. If I get picked wrong, I'll get hit in the back of the head at some point and it'll be a Humiliation Ending.
As expected, this is the only way for me.
To live, I must earn money, and the only means to earn money is the Tower.
I have no choice but to crawl up even if alone.
I steeled my resolve and looked ahead.
[Please select a Gate.]
When entering the Tower for the first time, you see 3 gates.
They are gates representing difficulty, and once chosen, you cannot choose again during the season.
Green Gate, which is Easy difficulty. Blue Gate, which is Normal difficulty. Red Gate, which is Hard difficulty.
And….
“Huh?”
What is that Rainbow Gate?
I surely did all the preliminary research, was there such a gate?
A beautiful and brilliant aura tempts me.
To the point where I shudder just looking at it.
This is definitely dangerous, right?
But why….
Tap.
Why is my hand resting on this gate?
I think my thoughts cut out for about 3 seconds just now.
[Entering ??? Gate.]
Uh oh.
Uh ohhh.
Wait a minute, this isn't it.
Swaaaaah!!~
A brilliant five-colored light pulls me in.
Helplessly dragged away, I fell into an unidentified place.
You can only choose a gate once.
You cannot change the difficulty again during the season.
Thanks to that, there are heaps of people who chose Hard difficulty and gave up climbing not long after.
Therefore, I am Easy difficulty.
I had definitely made up my mind like that.
Fwoosh!!
Somewhere in a burning medieval village.
summoned to a place that looked ominous at a glance, I looked around blankly.
“Kerk!!”
“Kerk, kerk?”
Hooked noses and pointed ears.
Small stature and sly impressions.
Guys commonly called Goblins, more than 30 of them, were surrounding me.
No matter how you look at it, this is not Easy difficulty.
“Is this really real life….”
Clearly hostile eyes.
Eyes coveting me while drooling.
[Humiliation Curse is strongly activated.]
Those eyes become more ferocious.
Eyes of obsession that will eat me no matter what.
If I get caught by them, what kind of things will happen? My legs came together again at the ominous imagination.
Shiver.
This is impossible even for me.
Consumed by fear, even the thought of running away-
Slap!!!!-
I slapped my own cheek.
Again, it must be that my thinking became strange due to hormones as I became a girl. I am the style to devise a solution rather than get scared.
That is the attitude of an efficient salesperson.
There's nowhere to run anyway.
Now it's a bit better.
My head is spinning fast.
Efficiency has been created in my thoughts.
“Kerk!!”
“Kerrrruk!!!”
Just in time, the goblin horde rushes in.
Scattering saliva like rabid dogs, they reach out with the single-minded determination to take me first.
“Right… you guys must be serious too.”
So am I.
Flash.
I gritted my teeth and opened my eyes wide.
Raising veins on my frowning brow and temples, I glared at the goblin rushing in at the very front.
Since it's come to this, I have no choice but to crawl up dirty.
Let's see who gets eaten.