Chapter 134
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Tower of Trials
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Before arriving at the Beast Swamp infested with Lizardmen.
Ryu Min had already detached from the group.
With so many people, it wasn't hard to avoid drawing attention.
'No one will notice if one person goes missing.'
Just to be safe, he stopped to check for any tails, but none were attached.
Reassured, Ryu Min passed the massive twin saplings and slipped into a crevice between rocks.
There, a cave that looked suspiciously obvious came into view.
He plunged into the pitch-black entrance without hesitation, and suddenly a message illuminated the darkness.
[There is a hidden sub-quest!]
└Find the Hidden Portal
└Success ▶ Indomitable Resistance Potion rewarded
[You have completed the sub-quest!]
Along with the completion announcement, a rippling portal appeared before his eyes.
The corners of Ryu Min's mouth lifted in satisfaction.
'Found it. The hidden portal.'
The 9th round sub-quest was none other than finding the hidden portal.
It was a sub-quest available only in the Lizardmen extermination squad, the one with the lowest difficulty.
'That's why I chose the Lizardmen squad. The other extermination squads don't have sub-quests.'
At first, even Ryu Min hadn't known what the sub-quest was.
Not until the angel revealed it during the 9th round tally results.
'Once I learned it was finding the hidden portal, I scoured every corner in each regression. Trying every possible choice.'
He'd gone backward from choice 5 to 1, selecting them in reverse order until he found it.
And what he discovered was this cave near the Beast Swamp where the Lizardmen lurked.
Here, he'd found the hidden portal and completed the sub-quest.
The reward, the Indomitable Resistance Potion, wasn't bad at all.
[Indomitable Resistance Potion]
-Classification: Consumable
-Grade: Legendary
-Effect: Fixes fire, ice, and wind resistance at 95% for 4 hours
-Use Restriction: Regular grade or higher
-Description: An incredible item that maximizes resistance to the three major elements. Upon consumption, you won't sweat even in the height of summer, and you won't feel the cold even wandering shirtless in midwinter.
It was a full-on legendary potion.
A potent effect, but why give this specifically?
There was a reason.
'The reward is meant for use in this Tower of Trials.'
Ryu Min gazed at the shimmering portal before him.
He already knew what lay inside.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Ryu Min's body was sucked into another dimension.
[Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]
[The Tower of Trials tests players' limits from Floor 1 to Floor 99.]
[The tower shares no dimensional ties or time flow with the outside world, so ignore worldly concerns and conquer the tower to your heart's content.]
[Anyone can challenge it, but rewards per floor can only be claimed by one person.]
[If someone else has already claimed a floor's reward, you won't get it even if you clear it.]
[Death in the tower ejects you to your original dimension, with no re-challenges allowed.]
[Now then, by all means! Challenge your limits!]
Just as the scrolling explanations stated, this was a tower that tested players' limits.
'Each floor is packed with traps and trials. And rewards.'
Rewards on each floor could only be claimed by one person.
That was why Ryu Min had kept the sub-quest's existence hidden with prophecy.
'The rewards are all mine.'
To claim rewards up to Floor 99, Ryu Min ascended the tower.
As he climbed, fresh emotions welled up anew.
'It took me a whopping 58 failures to conquer Floor 99.'
Failure meant death, but here, dying just sent you back to the original cave with the portal.
The real regret was no re-challenges.
'But I had plenty of attempts. And on the 59th try, I finally conquered Floor 99.'
After that, he perfectly cleared up to 99 every time, claiming the rewards.
Those rewards weren't the Stealth Rune he'd planned for the 9th round.
'The Stealth Rune is just a side reward from the tower's upper floors.'
The Floor 99 reward was something to counter the angels—essential for anyone opposing them.
'That's why only one person can claim it.'
That was the reason the angels would freak out if they knew.
Ryu Min didn't know why a reward disadvantageous to the angels was given, but...
'Good is good, right?'
This time too, Ryu Min would claim that reward.
Just like always.
Clank—creeeak—
Pushing open the towering doors of the tower brought up a message.
[You have entered Floor 1 of the Tower of Trials.]
[Overcome the prepared trial to receive a reward.]
[Clear Floor 1 ▶ Strength +1]
As the message said, every floor in the Tower of Trials had rewards.
99 rewards in total, essentially.
To Ryu Min, it was no different from treasure chests.
'But no room for carelessness.'
Each floor brimmed with high-difficulty traps.
'First-time players would struggle quite a bit.'
Before Ryu Min stretched a passage shrouded in darkness.
With no clue what might come, tension was inevitable.
'Not for me, though.'
Ryu Min charged ahead in one breath.
Whoosh—
Iron spikes shot from the left wall, but he dodged as if he'd predicted it.
Immediately, more spikes thrust from the right wall, but he evaded those lightly too.
Next came spikes rising from the floor.
He leaped over them effortlessly, as if expecting them.
All this life-or-death action unfolded in mere seconds.
It felt like a trap designed to kill, but it was easier than expected.
'If you go slow, you could hear the mechanisms turning and sense something off ahead of time.'
But for Ryu Min, who knew every trap's position, there was no reason to dawdle.
He just broke through fast, like now.
[You have cleared Floor 1 of the Tower of Trials.]
[Strength +1 permanently as reward.]
[Moving to the next floor in 10 seconds.]
Ryu Min smiled at the message.
To him, who'd conquered Floor 99, this was nothing.
'Floor 2 is arrow traps next.'
Ryu Min's form vanished in an instant.
* * *
Whoosh—!
Clatter—!
Chains and arrows assaulted Ryu Min simultaneously.
He dodged with fluid movements, flipping through the air.
The floor clunked open, revealing a bottomless pit.
Clank—
Grabbing a swinging chain in midair, Ryu Min seized the next one and crossed.
Landing on solid ground beyond the pit, he dashed onward without pause.
Having tackled it dozens of times and memorized everything, the trap positions were vivid in his mind.
[You have cleared Floor 19 of the Tower of Trials.]
[Agility +2 permanently as reward.]
[Moving to the next floor in 10 seconds.]
By Floor 19, Ryu Min had permanently gained Strength 7, Intelligence 7, Agility 7, and Luck 5.
An enormous haul already.
'But for first-timers, Floor 9 would be the limit.'
Difficulty spiked with each tens digit change.
From Floor 10, traps made it tough for average players.
'You'd need Agility over 150 and level 50+ to maybe reach Floor 20.'
So even reaching here was impressive for ordinary players.
Of course, Ryu Min wasn't ordinary.
'Floors 20 to 39 will have monsters.'
Monsters tough enough that you needed level 50+ to reach Floor 20.
'Minotaurs as the baseline says it all.'
Just good EXP fodder for Ryu Min, though.
'And a chance to stack the Massacre Rune.'
He hadn't killed enough monsters yet, so his Massacre Rune stacks were at 0.
At 100 stacks, all stats doubled—he wanted that buff ASAP.
"Grrr."
A monster's growl echoed from the dark passage.
But—
Ryu Min grinned instead.
Scythe in hand, he charged laughing.
A chance to stack.
* * *
"Kwaaagh—!"
Thud.
The ogre's headless body crumpled limply to the floor.
[Ogre defeated!]
[Title effect increases EXP by 1.5x.]
[EXP +5.7%]
[Gold +12,000]
[Current kills: 200/100]
[Massacre Rune effect: All stats +100%.]
[Demon Ring effect: Damage +15%.]
Having just cleared Floor 39, Ryu Min checked his status window.
His level had already hit 85.
He'd stacked the Massacre Rune buff and gained 2 stats from the Orb of Eternal Rest.
'Plus rewards from clearing each floor.'
From Expert-grade rares to Uniques, a variety.
[You have cleared Floor 39 of the Tower of Trials.]
['Necklace of Trials' rewarded.]
[Moving to the next floor in 10 seconds.]
Ryu Min examined his reward.
[Necklace of Trials]
-Classification: Necklace
-Grade: Unique
-Effect: Strength, Intelligence +39
-Durability: 5,000/5,000
-Use Restriction: Master grade or higher
-Description: A necklace obtainable only by conquering the Tower of Trials somewhere in the world. Possessing it means you've cleared Floor 39.
A Master-grade Unique this time.
Ryu Min smirked.
Perfect for use when skipping the Orb of Eternal Rest.
"Now Floor 40."
Tension colored Ryu Min's eyes.
What came before was just warm-up. Now the real thing began.
Upon reaching Floor 40, he pulled out the Indomitable Resistance Potion from the sub-quest.
From here, it was essential.
'Use.'
[Using 'Indomitable Resistance Potion.']
[Fire resistance fixed at 95%.]
[Ice resistance fixed at 95%.]
[Wind resistance fixed at 95%.]
From now on, traps impossible without the potion's aid would appear.
'Like passages turning oven-hot, corridors with gales too fierce to walk against, or floors testing mental limits with extreme frost.'
No matter how high your stats, elemental attacks would overwhelm without this.
The environment was designed to force reliance on the potion.
"Whew, shall we go again?"
Steeling himself, Ryu Min stepped forward once more.
He needed at least Floor 80.
* * *
Trap concepts varied per floor, so did the rewards.
[Fire resistance +5% permanently as reward.]
[Ice resistance +5% permanently as reward.]
[Wind resistance +5% permanently as reward.]
Floors 40 to 59 featured elemental traps.
Hence, permanent elemental resistance boosts as rewards.
After finishing Floor 59, Ryu Min checked his new resistances.
'Fire resistance +35%, ice +35%, wind +30%.'
Resistances came in two types.
Standard resistance against status ailments, and elemental resistance against attacks like these.
The Rainbow Effect's 50% boost was standard resistance.
Distinct from these new elemental gains.
So Ryu Min was thrilled.
'Elemental resistance isn't easy to raise.'
Items boosting it were exceedingly rare.
Most gave up and relied on potions.
Permanent increases like this were an incredible boon.
'Time to tackle the 60s?'
Floors 60 to 79 brought back monsters.
Not stronger ones, but paired with traps, requiring caution.
'Can't rush like before.'
Ryu Min advanced carefully, scythe at the ready.
* * *
Ryu Min targeted Floor 80 minimum for a reason.
[You have cleared Floor 79 of the Tower of Trials.]
['Stealth Rune Fragment' rewarded.]
[Moving to the next floor in 10 seconds.]
Stealth Rune Fragment.
Finally, the item he wanted.
Ryu Min used it immediately, imprinting it on his body.
[Stealth Rune]
-Effect: Stealth hides breathing, footsteps, clothing sounds—completely conceals presence.
Undetectable by search skills, presence detection, or any external factors.
Successful attack after stealth resets stealth cooldown.
A smile spread across Ryu Min's lips.
With the Stealth Rune, perfect stealth was now possible.
'But can't stop here. The real prize awaits.'
Reaching Floor 80, Ryu Min caught his breath before proceeding.
Ahead lay a brutal gauntlet—every trap type so far combined.
'Still 2 hours left on the elemental potion. Plenty for Floor 99.'
Easier said than done.
Monsters of all kinds, storms, typhoons, blizzards, fire pits.
He pushed through myriad traps, ascending floors.
[You have cleared Floor 83 of the Tower of Trials.]
[You have cleared Floor 87 of the Tower of Trials.]
[You have cleared Floor 92 of the Tower of Trials.]
……………………
………………
…………
'Whew. No matter how many times, the path to 99 is treacherous.'
Wiping sweat from his brow on Floor 98, Ryu Min reflected.
Countless ordeals to reach here.
The previous Floor 97 had even tested his mind with hallucinations.
The Mental Barrier Rune let him breeze through illusions effortlessly, though.
'97 and 98 are the easiest floors so far.'
Floor 98 was similar, cleared by simply walking.
But the final Floor 99 wouldn't be so easy.
[You have cleared Floor 98 of the Tower of Trials.]
[Resistance +10% permanently as reward.]
[Moving to the final floor in 10 seconds. Good luck.]
At last, Ryu Min arrived at Floor 99.
The ultimate trial awaited him.