Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Chapter 39 Kill each other from now on.
After Baal completely disappeared, the reward calculation was also finished.
[You have cleared the Hell difficulty 2nd floor trial of the Tower of Trials for the first time.]
[Rewards are enhanced.]
[You have received complete recognition from your opponent.]
[Rewards are greatly enhanced.]
[You are currently under penalty.]
[Rewards are very greatly enhanced.]
[Rewards have reached the highest level.]
[1st floor rewards are stacked.]
[Will you receive the rewards?]
[Yes / No.]
I naturally pressed No. When a 10-stack reward is waiting for me, why would I stop at just a 2-stack?
'Yeong-min isn't a fool.'
The fact that the number 10 is greater than 2 is common sense.
[You have skipped the rewards.]
[The rewards will stack onto the next floor's rewards equivalent to their value.]
The fact that the rewards I should receive are accumulating steadily. And I'm deeply excited about what kind of rewards will be waiting for me when I burst all of that.
Wondering if I could stay here longer without going to the waiting room, I waited without entering the portal that appeared, but soon the space began to collapse.
I immediately threw my body into the portal. No matter how overflowing my curiosity is, I couldn't stay in a collapsing space.
[Time remaining until next floor opens: 23 hours 59 minutes]
The one-day rest period given again. The first thing I did was organize what I had just learned.
I learned many things, but it wasn't direct education—I learned by following her movements, wasn't it?
Before those teachings and realizations evaporated, I had to make even one more of them clear.
There were so many things that only Baal could teach, impossible for other beings.
'Here... a bit faster, and stronger.'
BANG!
The advantage of the waiting room is that it's larger than expected, comfortable, and even if broken, it repairs itself.
So I could move freely without worrying about the place. The broken wall becomes intact in an instant.
[The level of Intermediate All-Mastery increases.]
I begin to fix one by one the things that had been accumulated like habits, unknowingly influenced by Baal's Avatar.
Since I directly learned the movements of the main body rather than the Avatar, it was time to build new direction points and move forward.
For that, I had stored every single small habit of Baal in my head.
To make even her habits my own.
'They say to follow just one person.'
If I had to follow someone anyway, I thought following her, the strongest in the world, was the right choice.
Aiming for the one at the highest place is the way for me to climb high as well. My mindset was that you should dream big so that even if it breaks, the fragments are large.
When I just started training, I grew stronger targeting Yoo So-eun, whom I thought I could never catch up to in my lifetime, and after catching up to her, Estelle became my goal.
I haven't completely caught up to Estelle yet, but I've at least reached a level where I can somewhat compete with her during her Archangel days.
So now it was time to aim for Baal, a stronger being, and advance to a higher world.
"Phew... it really became a good stimulus."
Training pure martial prowess like this, I obtained the Transcendence Limitless Path in the tutorial, tasted the flavor of divine authority, and realized that I had unknowingly been depending on divine authority.
Rather than the power I had built up until now, I had been more actively using divine authority to face the Avatars.
Because of that, my individuality became blurred, and I almost became a being that depended only on divine authority.
Becoming replicas of transcendents rather than Han Yeong-min.
That wasn't my path. It wasn't what I wanted either.
*'Divine authority shouldn't become the main focus.'*
Of course, the divine authorities of transcendents are powerful. Each one is incomparable to ordinary power.
Even if it's the same type of power, if it's divine authority, it exerts a much more powerful force and can treat other abilities like fools.
It was natural that I was fascinated—it was a very convenient power that could make one stronger quickly.
But does that mean divine authority is so overwhelming that I should abandon everything I've built up until now and choose it?
*'Absolutely not.'*
That wasn't the case. Divine authority is certainly amazing, but what I've built up until now wasn't trivial at all.
Compared to the divine authorities of transcendents, there's still a slight shortcoming, but there existed infinite development possibilities to the extent that I don't know where the end is.
Watching Baal's movements becoming familiar to my body, I became even more certain. This was what she tried to teach me.
That if I just follow her, I can become incomparably stronger than now, so don't turn your eyes elsewhere.
The being you've set as your Heart Method's direction point is a more amazing being than you think. She seemed to be saying that.
And it was actually true.
I was growing more steeply now, receiving Baal's teachings and absorbing them, than the time I spent in the second tutorial.
[The level of Transcendence Limitless Path increases.]
[The level of Intermediate All-Mastery increases.]
[The proficiency of Intermediate All-Mastery has reached maximum.]
[Intermediate All-Mastery is promoted to Advanced All-Mastery.]
The source that makes me grew one step further. It feels like the being called Han Yeong-min, which had become blurred by being eroded by the divine authorities of transcendents, became a little clearer.
Just by copying Baal's movements, even the Transcendence Limitless Path grew, and my ability to handle divine authority advanced as well.
'As expected, you were the correct answer. Mama...'
Of course, I don't mean I'll give up divine authority. Their power has sufficient value to be utilized.
But divine authority should become assistance, not the main focus. I should use it in ways that help me, never letting it eat away at me.
It was right to make fattening my very existence the top priority while using divine authority appropriately.
"The time is already up?"
I was so absorbed in absorbing Baal's teachings that I didn't notice time passing.
After finishing training, I slowly caught my breath. I reflected on myself once more and finished preparing to move forward.
[Time remaining until next floor opens: 0 hours 0 minutes]
A portal opens before my eyes again. Deep red. Ominous, but already a familiar color.
*'What kind of trial will be waiting next?'*
Since I already firmly believe in myself, no matter what trial I face, I won't be intimidated.
Without a trace of fear, I stepped into the red portal.
"Oh. This time it's outside?"
All the trials so far were conducted inside buildings like labyrinths and coliseums, but the 3rd floor trial led me to a field that reminded me of the tutorial.
[Tower of Trials Hell difficulty 3rd floor trial.]
[Endure against endlessly appearing enemies.]
[During the Tower of Trials, the use of Limit-Breaking stats, divine authority, and manifestation is restricted.]
[Trial rewards are further enhanced due to penalties.]
[Remaining time: 2 hours 59 minutes]
The first trial tested my quick reflexes, the second trial tested my martial prowess.
And the following third trial seemed to test my stamina.
A collection of all kinds of monsters that could be called a monster wave was pouring toward me.
No matter how weak the monsters were, with that level of numbers, it wasn't something I could ignore.
I immediately took stance to face them.
'But something's strange...?'
I don't see hostility in their eyes. Rather, they seem to fear me. And the ones who approached first were bowing their heads to me.
"Ah..!"
The effect of Demon King from my S-rank trait Myriad Fierce Beast was being demonstrated here too.
Since they were monsters created for the trial, transformation into retainers wasn't possible, but being monsters, they couldn't even think of resisting me.
[Everyone in Pantheon and Pandemonium looks at you in shock.]
This is acknowledged even if they're shocked. Even I, the person involved, am surprised, so how shocked must those watching me have been?
The newly summoned monsters also joined this procession, all prostrating themselves.
'Mama... just how far do you...?'
The reason I could obtain Myriad Fierce Beast was thanks to Predation. Being able to get Predation was thanks to Dawn Divine Art.
Then thanks to whom was I able to create Dawn Divine Art? Baal existed as the background of all that.
Now, beyond teaching me, she was even spoon-feeding me to get through trials easily.
"Bbu-bba... Bbu-u-bba-i bbu-bba-bba u-bba-ya!"
It felt like I had really become a baby. Earth's trending words naturally flowed from my mouth.
I don't know how the monsters understood what I was saying, but they were banging their heads on the ground, hoping I would calm my anger.
'This really isn't Hell difficulty but Heaven difficulty...?'
The 1st floor provided a training ground so I could train my resistance, the 2nd floor prepared a master so I could sharpen my skills.
The 3rd floor was just casting 'Free Reward Rodriguez' telling me to take it easy.
At this point, I'm getting excited about what kind of event they've prepared for me on the 4th floor.
"Hey. All of you get up. And... kill each other from now on. I'll spare whoever wins."
Of course, I thought catching monsters would give better rewards than just leaving them alone, so I was planning to catch them.
Though not with my own hands.
They showed expressions of fearing me but eventually started attacking each other because they didn't want to die. I could realize that this kind of command was also possible.
Just as not all monsters are the same, the hierarchy between them was clear. Naturally, monsters that were being pushed back appeared, and eventually monsters that went to the brink of death appeared.
That's when I stepped in.
"Wait! That's enough!"
Hope lit up in the loser's face. It was an expression as if they knew I wouldn't kill them since they were thoroughly submitting.
Of course, my words completely shattered those expectations.
"I'll do the killing. You guys just beat them until they're about to die. Okay?"
I have to kill them directly to absorb them with Predation, you little ones.
It was truly a character that even a Demon King would learn from and take notes.