Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Shift in Perspective
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It was incredibly frustrating and unfair, but with no proof shot in the midst of it all, not a single person believed me.
Instead, they slandered me like this.
Title: So Ruthless lol
Author: Anonymous
Up until now, you've always brought ironclad proof, but this time 'coincidentally' there's no proof and 'coincidentally' it's a puzzle floor that you need to use your head well to break easily. No matter how you slice it, it looks like you brute-forced it, but you're pretending to be smart by not posting a single proof shot and acting like you solved the puzzle lmao.
Bro... If you'd come out after a month, we'd at least pretend to believe you, but coming out in a week and pulling this? Straight-up bullshit, right...?
Hard 30th floor climber learning from TOPKING's destructive moves lololol.
"Ugh."
My teeth ground together painfully.
On top of that, the guy who wanted to take me as his master was mocking me relentlessly.
I hadn't seen him that way before.
It was the moment my respect for Hard high-floor climbers crumbled.
"Fine, don't believe me!"
Fuming, I closed the Climber Gallery.
I had too much to do; no time for gallery nonsense.
D-rank promotion, 5th floor climb, cognitive skill, training facility, clone potential ability—way too much on my plate.
First, to cool off, I looked around.
The waiting room, now spacious enough to feel like a small house, was starting to look lived-in.
The furniture had been rearranged to fit the expanded space, and I headed straight for the training facility I'd been most curious about.
Clunk—
The door opened to reveal a wide open field outside.
Looking around, there was nothing there.
"Isn't this a bit too shabby?"
As I wondered if it would improve once I climbed higher floors, a screen popped up in front of me.
"Oh, so that's what it is?"
That changed things.
No matter how much real combat experience you could gain in the tower, risking your life every time wasn't ideal.
Practicing in a safe environment like this wasn't bad at all.
And it was perfect for testing what I'd gained so far.
Orcs were around F-rank top-tier, which I could already slaughter, so no need to repeat that.
So I summoned a Lizardman, F-rank absolute top-tier.
Lizardmen were lizard-like monsters with high intelligence, large builds, and good weapon handling.
- Grrrrowl.
- Graaahhh.
Spread across the vast training ground were twenty Lizardmen.
Massive bodies covered in reptilian hide, sharp yellow eyes gleaming.
They scanned their surroundings with guttural calls until they spotted me, then bared their monstrous ferocity.
- Kihihihik...
The Lizardman let out a metallic screech, apparently deeming me mere prey as it lumbered forward without caution, aiming to rip out my throat in one go.
Ah, this feels familiar.
The Black Death Bear, a D-rank low-tier monster, tried the same and died.
But you, a mere F-rank top-tier?
Of course, the reaching hand was sliced off in an instant.
Slash—!
- Kraaaack!!!
The Lizardman clutched its severed arm, screeching in agony.
Blood coated my sword, drawn at invisible speed.
- Kraaack!
- Keeeack!
The others grasped the situation and charged to kill me.
But in an instant, everything around me slowed.
The power of my C-rank skill, Cognitive Acceleration.
I could speed up my thoughts enough to slow my surroundings whenever I wanted.
Of course, my own movements slowed too, so it wasn't enough to cut down every enemy in that moment...
"Magic's fair game, right?"
Computing nonstop in my head, I raised one hand.
Cognitive Acceleration aided magic use too, and with mana upgraded to D-rank by my ribbon headband, I gathered it into a growing red orb above my hand.
I wanted to use Combination to boost Elemental Magic to D-rank here, but I lacked materials.
Blind combinations were meaningless; skills with skills, items with items, proficiencies with proficiencies.
And synergy was greatest with similar types.
I'd only learned one magic proficiency, so mixing in life skills wouldn't advance it.
Whoosh—
My body slowed, but mana flow remained swift.
Before the Lizardmen could close in, a massive orb formed before me, and I hurled it right in front of my face.
If it exploded, it had enough power to sweep away the charging foes.
What about me?
Of course I could block it—that's why I detonated it up close.
BOOM—!!!
The moment Cognitive Acceleration ended, the overcharged fireball erupted at the center, fueled by all my mana and computations.
Everything was engulfed; skin melted, bones exposed.
I, struck point-blank, merely swung my sword.
As I said, my sword deflects even magic.
Parry activated, leaving me unscathed where I stood, while farther Lizardmen were half-melted by the blast, gasping.
A casual swing finished them off, wiping out all twenty in seconds.
Damn, that felt good.
Cognitive Acceleration synergized perfectly with magic.
I could complete a spell mid-fight.
Detonating it point-blank and parrying? The ultimate finisher.
Curious about the constellations' reactions to my artistic combat, I glanced sideways.
What rave reviews would they give?
Title: No way he thought to use Parry like that...?
Author: Anonymous
Detonates magic right in front of him to sweep everything, then blocks it with Parry? You could think of it, but actually doing it?
But isn't it kinda dangerous?
Good.
"Phew."
I smirked familiarly at their praise and turned away.
Closing the Constellation Gallery, I brushed off the soot on my clothes and left the training ground.
I was curious how it'd fare against D-rankers, but while 1v1 might be fine, multiples would still be tough right now.
Shaking my head, I'd checked my full power; now for the most important part.
Resources, info, prep, time—all ready.
Time to prepare to overcome the biggest wall.
D-rank promotion time.
I knew all the methods.
The constellations had spoon-fed them; only an idiot wouldn't know.
I just needed to secure plausibility.
Suddenly promoting solo would look suspicious no matter what.
Sure, admitting I could see the Constellation Gallery would convince them.
But I couldn't risk it.
What if the tower factors in that I see the gallery and ups the difficulty, or blocks it?
Could I handle that fallout?
My greatest fear.
Anyway, back to the point.
How to promote to D-rank.
The "true" D-rank promotion the constellations harped on—the orthodox, standard method—what was it?
The answer was shockingly simple.
Referencing the constellation comments promising to reveal it even postmortem:
Honestly, to promote, you gotta make a circle or aura. Craving that constellation message click...
Mages form circles.
Swordsmen form auras.
Too anticlimactic?
I agree. They whispered about it like top-secret info, but nah.
This was how NPCs did it.
Climber Gallery searches showed tower NPCs all formed circles or auras for D-rank.
Then used cultivation methods, magic tomes, secret arts for C, B, A-ranks onward.
But what shocked me most: climbers never used this NPC method.
Gallery reactions were mostly "That exists?"
Bro, I tried this; not worth it;; Even asking NPCs, I don't get what it is.
Even Hard high-floor users with talent knew but couldn't.
I know, but can't do it, Master.
His rigid concept was amusing—even in private replies, he used honorifics calling me Master—but he answered kindly.
Conclusion: simple reason no one tried.
Normal/Easy lack talent; Hard timing mismatch!
Hard has chances, but gallery fixates on elixirs, so no one thinks to try.
Pearl hidden in weeds.
Easy to find if searched, but untried.
Climbers didn't know it was best.
But I do—no reason not to.
Thud.
With the D-rank promotion elixir before me, I spoke.
"I've been thinking hard about this."
Every constellation tensed at my words.
Their recent messages urged against drinking this elixir.
If clueless, ignoring a rank-up item might feel unfair.
So easy and sweet.
Swallow and surpass human limits.
Even they saw it as normal to drink.
How to make this "normal" abnormal, so skipping common breakthrough for standard promotion feels natural?
The idea wasn't hard.
I'd always shown it: 2nd, 3rd, 4th floors, squeezing extra rewards relentlessly.
Not following the beaten path.
Same here.
Remind them, and they'd accept naturally.
C-rank rare item.
Save it for Combination instead?
I opened my eyes wide.
My point was clear.
"Do I really need to drink this promotion elixir? Better to save it, right?"
So I'd promote without it.
"NPCs learn circles or auras for D-rank. I think I can do it. Plus, wouldn't the tower reward that?"
The Constellation Gallery exploded.
Title: This is coincidence, right? Gotta be??? Otherwise it doesn't make sense.
Author: Hobby Magic User
Yoojin always squeezes extra rewards, we're used to it. Says elixir's wasteful, self-promotion might give hidden rewards, so gonna do circle/aura??? Mind blown. Idea makes sense. But results don't. Insane, actually starting standard promotion like this. Was worried, but resolved so cleanly.
Yoojin always makes the best call with simple thinking. Even 100th floor puzzle—if no time attack, could've been stuck, no biggie.
Promotion needs secret arts. Probably got from Climber Gallery??
No need to pity.
I'd diligently learned all their compiled secret arts.
Compared to what Yoo Seung-gil shared, theirs were incomparable top-grade.
Smiling inwardly, I closed my eyes and sat.
I deftly circulated mana through my body.
My already D-rank mana yearned for its proper place.
Circle or aura.
Time to answer its call.