Too Good at Grinding (2)
Too Good at Grinding (2)
"The system will give you the detailed rundown... Tutorial start!"
The Fairy scattered the weapons and vanished.
"Hello there, Mr. Anchovy?"
"Uh, hello... What did you just call me?"
I approached Anchovy and asked for a handshake.
This was the Anchovy who had given me the incredibly useful trait, Awe [C], in the past.
And I was about to experiment to see if I could extract a duplicate trait from this guy.
"Well, there's something I'd like to show you. Would you follow me for a moment?"
Anyone would be wary if a suspicious stranger approached them right after being summoned into the Tower and asked them to follow him.
A stranger suddenly asking you to follow them in an unfamiliar environment? It's only natural to be suspicious.
However.
"...Shall I?"
Anchovy pondered for a moment, then obediently followed behind me.
The reason was simple.
- Curiosity [A]
- Opposites naturally attract. People feel a strange curiosity from you and instinctively pay attention.
It was thanks to the Curiosity trait I received from Choi Ji-won.
Traits named after emotions basically amplify that specific emotion.
And on top of that, the trait rank was a whopping A-rank? It was more than enough to magnify a tiny hint of curiosity into something massive.
Thus, by the time Anchovy followed me to the weapon pile...
Shwip!
I drew my sword with incredible speed and unfolded my own Sword Dance.
As flashy, cool, and sexy as possible.
It was on a completely different level from the swordsmanship I'd shown the group of men at the weapon pile before.
Because I had grown much stronger since then, and my skill with the sword had also improved.
...!
People nearby recoiled, overwhelmed by my presence. My Swordsmanship Trait was a mere F-rank, but by ordinary standards, I was a master of the sword.
It must have felt like watching a martial arts movie. I know exactly what that feeling is. It's what I feel when I look at Choi Ji-won.
"...That's!"
I saw Choi Ji-won's eyes widen in the distance, but I didn't particularly care. I was planning to regress soon anyway.
"So, what do you think?"
I asked Anchovy after finishing the Sword Dance.
"..."
Anchovy couldn't answer, sweat streaming down his face.
His eyes darted around, avoiding my gaze, and his mouth was gaping so wide a fly could have flown in without him noticing.
"Well... that was incredible. It was fast, fluid, and most of all... it was cool."
Anchovy's mouth was pouring out praise, but he was unconsciously backing away, one step at a time.
It seemed the 'Awe' trait had activated. But I didn't feel any emotion flowing into me from him.
So, getting the same trait from the same person is impossible.
Well, let's just leave that aside for now.
"How about sticking with me? Even outside this clearing."
I extended my free hand—the one not holding the sword—toward Anchovy.
"I can tell just by looking. You have a good trait, right? I'll protect you."
"..."
"I promise you. I'll do my best to protect you. What do you say?"
Reassurance. Or relief. Or elation.
Any emotion was fine. Those kinds of positive feelings were all meant to serve as nourishment for the 'Hero' trait.
Come on, Anchovy. Take my hand.
This is a lifesaver for you. I believe you're not a fool who would throw away an opportunity like this...!
"...Alright."
Anchovy gently took my hand.
His face was flushed red.
"...?"
Why was his face red?
"I feel... incredibly safe. I was a bit of a delinquent myself back in the day, so I've seen plenty of guys who thought they could fight... but compared to you, they were all just a drop in the bucket."
Anchovy spoke with his head bowed low, his face bright red.
"Please... take good care of me from now on, boss."
"Uhh, ugh..."
That last word, 'boss,' was so spine-chilling I accidentally let go of his hand.
"Ah..."
Anchovy reached out to me with desperate eyes.
This is wrong. Absolutely wrong...
Before I knew it, I slapped myself hard across the cheek.
Crack!
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
The process was a little weird, but I confirmed that you can't get a duplicate trait from the same person.
I hadn't gotten 'Awe,' and although I had managed to draw out the emotion of 'Relief,' there was no sensation of absorbing it.
So, what was next on the list?
Taking down the Minotaur and practicing my swordsmanship at the same time.
You ask if there's a way to do both at once?
There is.
"I came from the future."
"...What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden? Who are you?"
"First, just watch my swordsmanship."
All I had to do was roughly recreate the cycle where I lost to the Goblin Shaman.
The only difference was that this time, I started out by revealing my regression to Choi Ji-won.
I saved the people, practiced swordsmanship with Choi Ji-won, and waited patiently for Firefighter Park Cheol-jin to find us.
The events that unfolded afterward were the same.
Sploosh!
"Guoooooh!"
The Minotaur sank into the swamp, and the exhausted Goblin Shaman trudged toward the tree stump.
Slice!
I sliced off his head from behind.
You backstabbed me once, so I backstabbed you once.
Let's call it even now, Goblin Shaman.
"Th-That's... a portal?"
"Uwahhhhhh!"
This time, I could confirm that the people were entering the portal normally.
It would've been nice if I could've seen this sight in the last cycle too.
One disappointing thing was that even though I killed the Minotaur again, my Achievement Level didn't increase.
It seemed that you couldn't gain Achievement Levels twice from the same feat.
If so... that means there's a limit to how strong you can get on each floor.
I don't think this is good news. It means that grinding levels and then smashing the upper floors is impossible.
"...Kim Jun-ho."
"Go."
"...Alright."
After confirming that Choi Ji-won had passed through the portal, I regressed immediately.
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
The next thing to do was trait grinding.
I knew that I couldn't get the same trait from the same person twice.
But that didn't mean I had gained trait experience from everyone.
In other words, my collection had more holes than a sieve.
I memorized people's faces one by one, distinguishing between those I had saved and those I hadn't, and proceeded with the trait grinding.
Saying it out loud makes it sound like it requires an insane amount of grinding, but I was able to get traits from everyone just by repeating the regression 4 times.
Since I'd already gotten traits from over 100 people when I pushed back the Minotaur... it wasn't that hard to extract traits from the rest.
For the record, all the emotions I gained were classified under the 'Hero' trait, but the rank didn't go up even after finishing the grinding.
It's a bit disappointing... but well, there's nothing I can do about it.
And lastly, I decided to experiment with the trait's effects.
Which trait?
-Hero [C]
-In moments of crisis, people think of you. You become stronger when fighting to protect someone.
This one.
Actually, I had never once activated the 'Hero' trait up until now.
Because I hadn't fought to protect anyone since obtaining this trait.
Right after getting it, I chased after Choi Ji-won's heels to hunt Mutant Goblins... and when we took down the Minotaur, I was in charge of keeping the Goblin Shaman in check.
So, I wanted to clarify the condition: 'You become stronger when fighting to protect someone.'
What do you do when you're curious?
You experiment.
"U-Uwaaaaaaah!"
As I wandered the forest, the moment I heard a piercing scream, I sprinted in that direction.
A man who had fallen, gripped by terror, and a Mutant Goblin drooling while holding a huge club.
A familiar scene.
If I were to step in between the two...
[The Hero Trait effect activates!]
"Oh..."
I could feel my physical abilities slightly improve.
Slice!
"Kreeeeck!"
The moment I sliced up the Mutant Goblin, the trait's effect vanished like melting snow.
I see. It seems the effect only persists as long as an enemy exists.
"Th-thank you..."
"Kyaaaaaah!"
Another scream sounded from afar.
Without even answering the man's gratitude, I ran toward the source of the scream.
"...Oh."
This time, the conditions changed.
Two women were running frantically, and a single Mutant Goblin was chasing them.
If I were to step in here...?
[The Hero Trait effect activates!]
[The Hero Trait effect activates!]
Just as I expected, I confirmed that the trait effects stacked.
"...Nice."
With this...
I could defeat the Minotaur.
Quite a long time passed.
I kept grinding until I was on the verge of thinking, 'I'm so sick of this I want to drop everything and quit.'
I gained traits from every single person in the clearing.
I scoured every nook and cranny of this island until its layout was burned into my eyes, and concluded that there were no Hidden Pieces I had missed.
Maybe there were some... but I didn't want to search anymore to find them. I feel like I might throw up.
I completed all the possible groundwork.
Now, all that was left was to throw myself into the actual fight.
If my plan succeeds... it will be possible to take down the Minotaur solo.
Everyone in the clearing would survive.
And the Minotaur would die.
By my hand, and no one else's.
Slap!
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
"..."
Even though I regressed, I didn't act rashly. I didn't even talk to myself.
It was because of the Curiosity trait.
My minor actions could attract unnecessary curiosity and ruin the plan.
"Fuck! Where the hell is this!"
I calmly waited for the right moment.
"Hello! You lowly humans doing such a splendid job of wasting your lives! Nice to meet you!"
I held my breath and simply stared down at the dirt floor.
"The system will give you the detailed rundown... Tutorial start!"
Finally, the Tutorial Fairy left the clearing.
A bewildering silence settled over us.
I slowly got up from my spot and picked up a sword from the weapon pile.
A familiar weight. A familiar grip. A familiar texture. Holding the sword made me feel stable.
After that, I turned my head to find Choi Ji-won. I already knew where she would be summoned.
"...?"
Choi Ji-won stared at me with eyes that contained a hint of puzzlement.
Watch carefully. This is what I do.
"Everyone."
I began to speak with a voice calmer than ever before. I knew what I had to say.
Because it was a speech I had repeated countless times in the past.
"My name is Kim Jun-ho. Please, look here for a moment."
Choi Ji-won.
"I don't know whose trick this is... but in a crisis like this, we need to stick together."
This is my answer.