The Tutorial Is Too Hard Chapter 159:
[How is it, Warrior? I'm the best, right? Right? I'm the best, right?]
This crazy…
I lifted the chattering holy sword and briefly stood in confusion .
To think it could release this power irrespective of its wielder's will .
What's worse, the intellect behind its will seems to be sharp .
[As I thought, you'd prefer a woman's voice over my performance, Warrior? Please don't worry, Warrior . Until now, whenever I had a chance, I have been practicing . Ah, ah . Tee-hee . ]
[TL Note: I omitted the “tee-hee” thing in a previous chapter . He only said it once in that chapter . At the time, I didn’t really find a good way to depict his attempt at cutesy speech . ]
It didn't have the intelligence of a human, but rather was at the level of an orangutan whose head was hit by a rock .
It also talks .
Though it mostly spewed out mumbo-jumbo .
I can't use this weapon however I wish, so it wouldn't fit into the category of a normal weapon .
If I mishandle it, or if there's discord between us, I could hurt myself with it; but how would anyone be able to use this thing in the first place?
However, despite that…
Rumble-
The lofty rampart is collapsing .
The soldiers under the collapsing rampart were buried under a mound of rubble and wordlessly crushed to death .
After the primary damage caused by the falling rocks, the small hill of debris surged towards the surrounding soldiers like a landslide and likewise crushed them .
The warriors hurriedly moved from their positions, so that they wouldn't be buried as well .
I heard the screams and moans from the warrior whose hand I sliced off, as well as from the soldiers who had lost their comrades .
[Tee-hee?]
This crazy…
You're saying that this is a holy sword?
I feel like it's something that I have to throw into the pits of Mount Doom .
[PR Note: Mount Doom is a Lord of the Rings reference . It’s a big scary volcano with a lava pit at its peak . ]
However, I still have a reason to not roughly throw this sword away .
Bzzzt . Bzzzzz .
I examined the sword that rang out with a sound similar to purring .
I regret that this sword had settled in and found its rightful place in my hands .
I'd like to immediately throw away the sword in my hand .
However, this sword would definitely split even the sky as a result .
The warrior who had lost his hand and was crying…
I now know why the warrior who had lost his hand and was crying had been so confident .
Also, I understood why he was so easily worked up and when he became agitated, why his hand went to the hilt of the sword .
If you were to suddenly acquire this strength overnight, you'd definitely be like that .
If I were to think about that Warrior's level, he must've felt like he had become a **** overnight .
"It's definitely a demonic sword . "
[I'm disappointed, Warrior . I really am a holy sword . In fact, I've received a blessing from the God of the Sky . ]
I have no idea what the God of the Sky was thinking .
The god's blessing may have enhanced the sword's power, but this sword is definitely not a sacred sword .
It was a sword that drove its wielder to his death .
I felt that it was fortunate that this sword had been sealed in the basement of the capital .
If this sword had been dropped in the middle of the continent, there would be a countless number of deaths in that region .
The Empire might've summoned the warriors because they didn't want to give this sword to one of its knights .
It was an absent minded notion , but when I thought of it that way I really felt that it was truly how things were .
[I love you, Warrior . I'm not just saying this because I'm in your hand . When I was in that half-wit's hand, do you know how much I tried to reach you? Tut . That half-wit wouldn't listen to a word I said . ]
"What did you do then?"
[Uh, Oh? Hahaha . It's a secret . I love you . Warrior . ]
Looking at how this guy talks, it seems like he urged that Warrior to fight with me .
I really should throw it into a volcano; I feel like this sword is fit to be dropped into lava .
That's what I thought .
[Tutorial, Hell Difficulty 26h floor, perfect clear . ]
[All status effects and injuries are healed . ]
[You have received 5000 points for clearing the floor . ]
[You have received 5000 points for being the first to clear the floor . ]
[Many gods react positively to you . You have received 9000 points . ]
[Many gods react negatively to you . 300 points have been deducted . ]
[All of the Gods of the Temple of the Hundred Gods are watching you . ]
[TL Note: Changed White Holy Temple to this . White Holy Temple was an incorrect translation, but I got lazy and copy-pasted the original translation . I’m really unsure when I should change terms that people are so used to, but this one REALLY bothered me . I try not to change the previous translators’ translations . ]
[The God of the Sky would like to gift you a divine item instead of an additional reward . Would you like to accept?]
[Live Voting Results: 20 For . 19 Against . ]
[The God of Light would like you to become his disciple . ]
[Would you like to undergo the test to prove your worthiness to become a disciple?]
Messages started to appear tumultuously .
A perfect clear .
The Demon King had drawn out his true power, but I had defeated him alone .
In the process of getting the holy sword, not only did I not receive the trial of the holy sword, but it cornered the original owner into a deadly situation as well in order to be owned by me .
They were definitely conditions for a perfect clear .
The next thing I have to check is . . . the bonus rewards and the disciple offer .
First I'll check out the bonus rewards .
"I accept . "
[The Holy Sword of the Sky, Ahoubuch has been acquired . ]
. . . Holy sword?
The message appeared and at the same time, the holy sword in my hands disappeared .
I opened my inventory .
It was there .
The holy sword was in my inventory .
[The Holy Sword of the Sky, Ahoubuch]
Explanation: The God of the Sky, in order to punish arrogant humans, gifted this sword to the most arrogant of humans, the Empire's Emperor . The Emperor who had received the present, and the next representing Emperor, and the next representing Emperor, and the next representing Emperor were all swallowed up in a series of incidents caused by the holy sword and died .
As I thought, it's a holy sword in name only .
Its actual effect wasn't very different from the biblical story of God's flood that punished humans .
To have killed four generations of Emperors, what exactly did this sword do?
While that was happening, the Empire could neither discard the sword nor break it .
I don't know if it was due to the sword's overwhelming power or that they didn't want to anger the god, but this sword is definitely a demonic sword .
I should just shove this into my inventory and leave it .
Aside from the sword's heinousness, this sword has an excessively high degree of power .
If I use it immediately, tremendous results would be shown, but I won’t have the opportunity to grow for quite some time .
Of course, if it were a normal challenger, they'll just think of it as a tremendous reward .
I think that the gods fixed the balance so that twenty five people would proceed through the stage .
However, if I draw out the maximum strength of this sword, I won't be able to face any danger that’s actually dangerous for quite some time .
It's an excessive reward for me .
The next thing I had to check was the disciple offer .
The God of Light had offered me to become his disciple .
I pondered briefly and after I made my decision, I put it off .
I hadn't replied to the God of Death's offer to become a disciple yet .
I'll get some advice from Kiri Kiri and carefully make my decision .
Of course, in order to get advice about the gods, as well as information on them, I'll have to wait a long time though .
Rather than lacking in strength right now, I’m actually overflowing with power .
The stage had increased in difficulty and that's what I had wanted, but I didn't have a reason to obsess over possibly getting a new **** skill .
I would first have to improve my own abilities .
Then, I can just receive the authorities after that .
I finished sorting everything out and saw the portal .
Should I depart immediately?
"Warrior . "
Behind me, I heard a voice I hadn't been thinking about .
It was Seregia .
"Ah, Lady Seregia . You have worked hard all this time . Thank you for taking care of me . "
"I'm sorry?"
"I think I'm going to head out now . It seems like this is where we part ways . "
Seregia, who had been behind me, stood in front of me, and said, "Can't you take me with you?"
"Yes . That's a little…"
"Warrior . "
"Yes?"
Seregia spoke with a serious expression .
It seemed that she had her usual expressionless face, but after seeing it several times, I could tell the differences between them .
"You said last time that so long as I don't die, you can't take me with you . "
"Yes… I did say that but…"
That's a bad habit .
It might've been because I've spent so much time alone, but after all the tension is gone, my thoughts just spew out sometimes .
Talking to myself was bad in various ways .
Let's fix that soon .
"If that's really the case, I'll die and follow you . "
"… Lady Seregia . "
"Warrior, look at that . "
The moment I was going to try to convince the insisting Seregia, Seregia pointed behind her .
The fortress had collapsed and the soldiers were dying .
Using the pretext of helping the soldiers, the warriors were running away from us .
Rather than saving the soldiers, it looked like they were running away from me no matter who saw it .
"You said that if I wanted to follow you, I had to die, Warrior, but even if I don't follow you, I'll die . Even if I somehow escape from here, I'll be chased . "
That's probably the case .
If Seregia is left alone like this, she will be pursued by the Empire .
Also, she'll harbor the crime of destroying the fortress and stealing the holy sword all by herself .
She'll definitely die, 100% .
I was scratching my head and Seregia took out a dagger from her chest .
"As I said, I'll die and follow you . "
And she forcefully stabbed her chest .
Blood spurted out from her chest .
I sighed .
I thought she would die because she was so bold .
Seregia didn't die .
Although it may look like it, the dagger hadn't pierced her heart .
I didn't need to use my elixir . If Seregia just uses the health potion that she has, she can sufficiently treat the wound .
Of course, if she just left it alone like that for a long time, she could die from excessive bleeding .
"Warrior . "
Seregia may have thought about it like this:
My path is too dangerous and that I couldn't bring her along .
So, if she didn't have the resolve to die, I couldn't bring her with me .
So she showed that she was prepared to die if need be .
However, that's not it .
I really can't take her with me unless she dies .
"Lady Seregia . Are you really prepared to die?" I asked abruptly .
Honestly, I didn't think it'd be much of a problem .
Personally, there was only a faint boundary between life and death .
Whether that line actually existed was the question .
That's why I was ready to take her with me if she wanted to .
That's why I could ask her so easily .
If she would really die .
"As I had said, even if I stay here, I'll die . "
So that I could progress the conversation quicker, I gave her a clear explanation .
"Lady Seregia . If you go with me, it won't be that it'll be so dangerous that you'll die . For starters, if you want to go with me, you have to die . "
"… Is it necromancy?"
"No . Rather than that, it's closer to the art of death . "
[TL Note: Korean doesn’t really have a lot of proper “fantasy” words, so they borrow terms from other languages . In the previous sentence, the author uses the borrowed Korean term for necromancy while in Seregia’s dialogue, ‘necromancy’ is spelled out how it would be pronounced in English . ]
Seregia briefly stood wordlessly, all the while the dagger was still lodged in her chest .
"Think about it slowly . I can at least give you enough time to think about it . "
While Seregia was thinking about it, I also thought about it .
About what decision she'd make .
She'd probably stab herself .
If I were her, that's what I'd do .
With a soft squelch, the dagger lodged in her chest wedged all the way in until the hilt .
She pierced her heart .
[Soul Siphon]
I wanted to reduce her pain at least a little so I activated Soul Siphon .
After she had pierced her heart, Seregia was exposed to Soul Siphon and quickly died .
[Soul Collect]
I verified that Seregia's soul had been collected and I tried summoning her soul .
Seregia's form appeared in midair .
Compared to the other small palm-sized souls, Seregia's soul was as big as a forearm .
If we exclude the fact that she looks slightly blurry, she looked exactly like she did when she was alive .
"How do you feel?"
[I feel great . If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have hesitated and I would've died sooner . ]
Seregia moved her body here and there and started to drift around as if she were swimming .
She adapted really quickly .
I looked at Seregia, who was muttering some nonsense while flying around her surroundings, and stepped atop the portal .
"Teleport . "
I left the 26th floor stage and moved to Kiri Kiri's field .
As usual, it was a peaceful and beautiful field, but there a few things that caught my attention .
To be exact, two things .
The first was that Seregia, who had been floating in the air beside me, disappeared .
The second was that I didn't see Kiri Kiri .