Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Hero's Trial (2)
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“There it is.”
Rokan headed first to the square. More precisely, he sought out the statue standing at the square’s fountain.
The statue, pointing a finger toward some distant place, was known only as a likeness of an ancient hero, but it actually held a small secret.
[1123, L200, 130]
Checking the base of the statue revealed an inscription of unknown markings.
It was a hint discovered by a detective game fanatic afflicted with Conan fever in Rokan’s previous life. “Somewhere in the direction the hero points lies his legacy!” But everyone had mocked him, saying he’d read too much fantasy or mystery novels.
Yet in the end, he found it.
‘That guy lacked the skill, so it took quite a while before it became known.’
But Rokan had no worries. He had confidence in himself.
Confirming the hint, Rokan began moving as instructed.
‘1,123 steps in the direction the statue points. 200 steps left. Then 130 steps back in the original direction.’
Strides varied from person to person, so there’d be slight differences, but since there was only one alley near the designated spot, he just needed to adjust the final position accordingly.
“Where around here...”
Rokan’s eyes narrowed after taking the final step. His eyes gleamed as he searched for the marker that someone in his previous life had found upon discovering this place.
Sparkle!
At that moment, one section of the uniformly identical wall shimmered.
[You have discovered a hidden device due to the Explorer title effect.]
The title effect had activated.
‘Jackpot!’
Rokan, pressing various spots on the wall within reach, immediately pushed hard on that section.
Rumble!
As the pushed part sank in, the wall began to change. The stone wall transformed into a door.
Pushing it lightly and entering revealed an endless staircase leading into darkness.
“Use lantern.”
He lit the lantern, but nothing was visible.
Beyond the light lay only pitch-black darkness.
It was enough to instill dread of the unknown—what might lurk, what might leap out—but Rokan descended the stairs calmly.
* * *
‘It’s about time...’
After descending for a long while, an uphill slope appeared, followed by a downhill. It was designed to disrupt senses, making height and distance impossible to gauge.
Then, at some point, the stairs vanished, replaced by a steeply inclined uphill tunnel-like path.
After walking another ten minutes or so, a not-insignificant vibration transmitted from afar.
Boom! Rumble rumble! Roooaaar!
[Hero’s Trial Stage 1 begins.]
“It’s here!”
At that instant, Rokan dashed forward, even using Dash.
He blocked the massive boulder rolling in to fill the space with both hands.
“Strike!”
Activating the skill that boosted his strength to avoid being pushed back, bare-handed no less, Rokan was shoved back for about ten seconds before halting the rock.
“Whew!”
He’d only blocked it, yet his health had dropped considerably.
Supporting the now-stationary boulder with his body, Rokan caught his breath deeply and applied force again. Then, he began rolling the boulder backward up the way it had come.
“Huff, huff.”
Even for Rokan, with his immense strength stat, rolling such a huge boulder uphill for dozens of minutes was no easy task.
But it wasn’t overly difficult either. By digging the orc champion’s steel boots into the ground and pushing with both hands and his back, he finally reached the summit.
[Hero’s Trial Stage 1. You have passed the Trial of Will.]
‘Trial of Will.’
Originally, it was a test to push willpower to its limits. The rolling boulder’s weight was determined by the challenger’s level and class—a weight hard even to stop, meant to be pushed uphill through sheer will and mental fortitude to overcome limits.
“Simpler than I thought.”
But Rokan was no ordinary level or class entity. To him, rolling a boulder of this weight uphill was merely boring, not painful.
He cleared it effortlessly with pure physical strength, without needing to show mental fortitude. It was the developers’ oversight, never imagining someone with such achievements and stats.
“Now for the next stage?”
[Hero’s Trial Stage 2 begins.]
It was polite enough to announce, but didn’t reveal the trial’s nature. The name itself could serve as a hint, like the Trial of Will.
But Rokan already knew the trial’s content, even without being told.
The ‘Trial of Wisdom.’
Not referring to the Wisdom stat, but testing how well one used their head.
“What a hassle.”
What appeared atop the summit was a narrow passageway. No incline, no peculiarities. Just walk through.
But traps lay hidden here.
“Hmm, even I’d be in danger with this.”
Plop!
Rokan lightly tossed the lantern he held ahead into the path.
From here on, the path was lit, rendering the lantern unnecessary.
Swoosh!
The moment the lantern hit the ground, arrows flew from somewhere, shattering it and turning the surroundings into an arrow-riddled field.
“Whew, brutal.”
Real traps—stepping on or touching specific spots triggered them. Arrows poured, blades flew, flames spewed; all manner of traps filled the path.
Without thief-class trap detection and disarming skills, avoiding them was tough, but this trial urged using one’s wits to do so.
“Well then, shall we go?”
But even so, one or two mistakes meant game over. Carefully pondering like a rat didn’t suit Rokan’s style.
“Still, no fall traps, they said...”
Recalling the last bit about the Trial of Wisdom, Rokan prepared to sprint.
‘Three, two, one...!’
“Berserk! Dash!”
The next moment, Rokan sheathed his weapon and sprinted at full speed.
Arrows and projectiles flew, spears and blades raked his body, flame magic scorched his flesh—but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
Repeating Dash the moment its cooldown ended, he poured everything into escaping the trap zone in minimal time.
[Hero’s Trial Stage 2. You have passed the Trial of Wisdom.]
In the end, he broke through the trap area in just seven minutes.
“Whew, cancel!”
[Health is insufficient. If you fail to recover at least 10% of max health within 5 seconds, you will die.]
“Tch.”
Berserk’s backlash drained his health in an instant, but Rokan didn’t panic. This was expected.
He downed a prepared intermediate health potion and sprinkled a basic one on his wounds, rapidly restoring health.
Intermediate potions were pricey but reliable. Unlike lower ones that healed over time, they provided instant recovery, boosting health in one go.
His flickering vision cleared, health stabilizing.
“Expensive stuff really is the best.”
One gold per potion—an exorbitant price at present—but since it saved his life, it wasn’t so bad.
Of course, only because he completed the trial.
“Now, shall we go?”
Rokan used First Aid on his remaining health to raise its proficiency, waiting out Berserk’s full backlash before proceeding. He knew no combat awaited the next stage, but entered in peak condition just in case.
[Hero’s Trial Stage 3 begins.]
Finally, the last trial. Passing the door to Stage 3 amid thick smoke brought the start notification.
Stage 3 was the ‘Trial of Temptation.’
Powerful mental magic tempted the challenger; only by resisting and finding the true path could one succeed. In a way, the most terrifying trial.
‘I wonder what’ll appear.’
This time, even Rokan steeled himself.
According to a past-life interview from someone who passed, it could be a near-nude woman, treasures or amazing items, or a table of delicacies.
It deluded not just sight, but hearing, smell, touch, taste—demanding clear-headedness.
‘Gulp.’
Staring ahead with odd anticipation, an unexpected notification appeared.
[You have resisted negative mental effects due to the Unyielding Will title effect.]
“...What?”
What was this? As Rokan blinked in confusion, the obscuring mist cleared, revealing a log bridge over a cliff-like chasm.
“So that’s what it was.”
Slip while flailing against temptation, and it’d be instant death down that abyss.
“Tch!”
Feeling a strange regret, Rokan crossed the log bridge. Narrow enough for one person, but he had no trouble balancing.
[Hero’s Trial Stage 3. You have passed the Trial of Temptation.]
Boom!
Crossing brought the immediate pass notification.
The opposite wall, previously sealed, opened, leading Rokan somewhere.
But he didn’t proceed right away.
“Summon Bell of Truth. Is that path the real one?”
[False.]
That door was the final test.
He’d tried it on a hunch, since his past-life self glossed over Stage 3 in the interview—and it hit the mark.
“As expected, it wouldn’t be that easy.”
Instead of entering, Rokan groped other walls. No new door appeared, and Bell of Truth was once-per-day, so now it was down to instinct.
“Here?”
Boom!
Pushing a spot that felt off, a revolving door swung open to a space inside.
Whether real or not, he had to try.
[You have passed all Hero’s Trials.]
Entering brought a pleasant notification. A large room appeared, with an altar at its center bearing a single helmet.
Picking it up triggered new notifications.
[You have acquired the Sealed Helmet of the Lion King.]
[You have acquired the quest ‘Seek the Lion King’s Armaments.’]
[Seek the Lion King’s Armaments][Quest]
Gather the sealed armaments of Lion King Gaokan and inherit his power.
Success Conditions:
-Sealed Helmet of the Lion King acquired (Complete)
-Sealed Breastplate of the Lion King 0/1
-Sealed Pants of the Lion King 0/1
-Sealed Pauldrons of the Lion King 0/1
-Sealed Boots of the Lion King 0/1
Reward: Unseal Lion King Set
[Sealed Helmet of the Lion King][Set][Sealed]
The helmet used by Lion King Gaokan in life. Currently, most of its power is sealed.
-Defense: 530
-Durability: 3,000/3,000
-Strength +50
-Vitality +30
-[Lion’s Roar] effect: All shout skills gain 50% increased effect