The Ophiuchus Gallery
Reason: Both of you, go cool your heads.
In the end, the mod banned me.
Honestly... what am I even doing at my age. Fine. I'll do what the mod said and go cool my head. Closing the gallery while I'm at it.
My back feels soaked through with cold sweat. Should I just sleep? Too much happened today. They say a long think makes a bad move — yeah. Let's rest.
Haaah........
I let myself drop. Nngh.... The second I'm horizontal, my whole body feels like it's melting. You're not supposed to lie down right after eating, but.... My eyes keep... drifting shut.
Huh...?
My eyes open on their own. Damn, I feel good. Like I slept like a rock. Didn't even dream. What time is it? Lunchtime.
Scratching my belly, I head for the kitchen drawers. I've even gotten used to the squishy give of this stomach. The speed at which a person adapts is honestly terrifying. Bathing, of course... can wait a bit.
I click the gas range to life and set a pot of water on to boil. Decision made. Today, I'm eating two packs. Normally I would've rationed even a single one, but that kind of life is over. Effective immediately: the rich life commences. Hahahahaha! Ahem, ahem....
I set the pot down on a thick book and grab a handful of ramen cooked to that perfect chewy bite with extra noodles. Ohhh, that's the stuff. The spicy broth rides up the strands as I slurp. It's good. It's so good....
Normally I would've been browsing the gallery or playing mobile games while I ate. But... I'm scared to go in there.
Scared. What's there to be scared of? I've done high-altitude jumps dozens of times — hundreds! Don't you dare freeze up. Real-man trait: knowing how to enjoy the world's attention.
Hoo.... Buuurp. It's only two packs. Why is getting through this so hard? My belly has ballooned out, tight as a drum. I poke it. Poke, poke. The way this thing's shaped, it looks just like.... Ahem.
In the end, I couldn't bring myself to open the gallery until I'd finished every last bite. You used to lose your mind whenever a post of yours hit recommended. What's with you?
I take one long breath, then turn on my phone. Time to hit the KR Hunter Gallery...!
Still talking about me. If I posted I'm Kim Deokbae, would it hit recommended instantly? They'd just tell me to quit fabricating. Not that I have any intention of verifying myself on a whim. I need to be careful. Money's running low, but I've still got enough to live on for two months. Let's think this through slowly.
I was just thinking of heading over to the Game Gallery when a post caught my eye.
This little shit... pretty sharp. The corner of my mouth tugs up on its own. I tap the upvote.
Over in the Game Gallery, the recommended tab is drowning in pity-hit posts — pickup banner season, I guess. Plenty of full-pity ones too. I never even made it in... damn it. I've read through everything. Nothing else to do, really. Time to climb, I suppose...?
Before that. My constellation gallery. I should at least take a look at the Ophiuchus Gallery. Bound to be a dead board with nobody in it, but—
Ow! That's hot!
A spark jumps off the smartphone. What the hell? I pick the phone back up.
Connection went through fine. Wait. This isn't a dead gallery. Does that mean people actually use this place? I skim the posts, and sure enough, there are users who are genuinely active. Weird.
Most people pick some random constellation at first for the hipster cred, then switch to a major one once they actually start climbing... These folks must actually like snakes. Might as well post something.
Keep the first post casual. Comments'll take a while, I figure.
Haaaah.... Maybe it's the sudden free time, but I feel at ease. How long has it been since I had this kind of peace. Even after I crawled out of the hikikomori life and put on that cheerful, positive smile, I never had a shred of actual room to breathe.
Bzzt. Huh? That's a comment notification. Comments already? I check in a hurry.
Not many people, but they sure post a lot. I'd lurked in the Hunter Gallery for ages and still barely knew anything, honestly. Maybe I should gather some intel here for a while. I throw up another post — a question about what monsters show up on Floor 2. Comments come back immediately, of course.
Awkward question. Better to keep it vague. Not that they'd believe me even if I said Extra.
They don't believe me even when I say Hard. I get it. Every A-rank and S-rank hunter came out of Hard.
Then someone new cuts in.
Weird way of talking, but the intel's useful. If Hard has three, Extra would have five? That won't be easy. Durability way higher than Floor 1. A bullet through a vital punched straight through; the dagger took some force to sink in. I didn't really notice it at the time, but thinking back, there was something loaded into those rounds....
A Trait represented what a hunter would look like at the end of their growth. Which also meant it symbolized a hunter's ceiling. A B-rank Wandering Swordsman Trait meant a B-rank sword specialist. An A-rank Master Archer Trait meant an A-rank bow specialist. There were cases of a Trait's rank going up... but I'd heard those were vanishingly rare. Which is probably why I get some extra edge when I use guns, thanks to my Trait.
Will they punch through? Only one way to find out. Make it work, even if it doesn't. Been a long time since I shouted that one.
Even with a name on the rankings, that alone isn't enough to track a hunter. Meaning as long as I don't do anything stupid, my identity isn't getting out. For now, focus on climbing the tower.
I shove my chair back and stand. I open my hand, and a pistol and a dagger bloom into existence above my palm. Looks like the magazine refills itself. That's a relief, as far as it goes. Still need a plan, though. Can't spend the rest of my life running around with ten rounds.
I turn the gun over, checking it from every angle. Firearm: condition good. I reach below my waist and confirm the existence of pants as well. Attire: condition good.
Five enormous king-sized goblins. Good. Having fewer of them might actually work in my favor. I draw a long breath.
"Hoo........"
Prep's done. All that's left is to execute.
"Tower entry."
A soft whoosh swallows me whole.
I'm even getting used to this floating feeling. Same space as the tutorial zone. A white barrier splits the battlefield from the waiting area.
You have been granted 5 minutes of waiting time. Prepare yourself.
I study the battlefield, calm. Like Floor 1, it's thick with brush and trees. I still need to research how to use the second round type, Jacobson's Organ, but the first one — Snake Eye — should come in handy again this time. I check the gun one more time. The pistol's fine, but I wouldn't mind a rifle. No, two. Three. A sniper rifle while I'm at it. I'll sell the mana stones later and go shopping. Heh heh heh....
I'm lost in that happy little fantasy when I realize the timer's already down to a minute. I pull the tension tight again. I got careless in the tutorial. I will not make the same mistake twice.
The white barrier peels away. Same strategy as before. Cover, then fire. I sprint for the nearest tree, tuck myself behind it, and watch the entrance.
THUD!! THUD!! A roar rips through the interior, loud enough to shake the air. The vibrations climb, getting more violent by the second. Those pounding footsteps feel like way more than three. Five, then, like I thought?
The first goblin finally shows itself. I go straight into the fight. I lean out and hold my breath. Sight alignment. Aligned. Trigger.
BANG!!
I can see it. I don't know why I can see it, but I can — a red aura wrapping the bullet. I knew there was something. The game-like slow motion is over in a blink.
THUNK!! A hole punches open in the forehead of a goblin that has to be a good three meters tall. Huh? It just... went through?
BOOM!! The hulking goblins that had been charging in behind it all freeze at once. The bizarre roaring cuts out with them. I might be able to clear this easier than Floor 1.
Hoo.... Three rounds left. I'd only been going for the head, so I hadn't noticed — even body shots punch clean holes. The penetrating power is insane. Truly the GOAT of martial arts. Gun-fu. One little click from way over here and it's done. How easy is that. I was confident in my shooting even back in special forces. Maybe my marksmanship is finally about to have its moment.
Settlement complete.
Good, good. What am I getting this time? My chest is pounding.
Guess levels go up now that the real climbing's started. I got it, I got it — show me the rewards!
Rainbow light starts gathering in the air. Ohhh! Look at that color. It swells into a huge sphere, spinning, throwing off light like it's lost its mind. WHOOOOSH. This is... this is a full-on UR gacha animation!! Can I actually get my hopes up? Am I allowed to?!
◈ Choose one Trait Skill
◈ 110g
Oh.... A selection ticket? Last time was basically a random roll. And a selection ticket beats a random ticket. Alright, alright. I'll use it right now.