The Tutorial Is Too Hard Chapter 56:
[You have cleared Tutorial, Hell difficulty, 11th Floor . ]
[You are healed of all injuries and status effects . ]
[You have received 2000 points for clearing the Floor . ]
[You have received 2000 points for being the first one to clear the Floor . ]
[Many gods are pleased with your actions . You have received 6000 points . ]
[Many gods are displeased with your actions . 1100 points are deducted . ]
[An additional reward is given according to your performance . ]
[Would you like to accept?]
“Yep . ”
[You acquired great poison resistance Lv . 1 . ]
[Poison resistance Lv . 4 was combined with great poison resistance Lv . 1 . ]
[You acquired great poison resistance Lv . 2 . ]
‘Oh… great poison resistance…’
I already have seen my pain resistance getting upgraded to the great pain resistance before, so I was aware that a higher rank existed beyond the regular skill rank .
Poison resistance skill was definitely difficult to grow .
Other than the poison on the Second Floor’s traps, most of the poisons available were either on enemies’ weapons or inside their bodies .
Although this was obvious, getting hit by them on purpose for the sake of increasing poison resistance was like committing suicide .
So, my poison resistance had not changed a lot since I increased it on the Second Floor, but I ended up with the great poison resistance skill . This was great .
I felt like the effort I put into before to raise the poison resistance was wasted . That was too bad . However, I obtained level 2 version of the great poison resistance, so it was not bad .
For now… I plummeted on where I stood .
“Ugh . ”
I was tired .
It was a bit too much this time .
It was not about the difficulty . The amount of effort needed to clear the floor was seriously too much .
The clear condition for the 11th Floor was stealing a treasure chest in middle of an underground city that was most valued by all monsters residing in the city .
The problem was that I could not find the treasure chest no matter how many of the monsters I slayed .
There were so many chests .
Beyond several hundreds, it was in order of several thousands .
I had no idea which of them was the most valued one among all underground city monster people .
First, I tried to use the knowledge before the time of Babel and tried to interrogate a monster man for information .
It was a waste of time .
Instead of giving up information to the enemy, apparently all monster people chose suicide without hesitation .
It was as if they could do it at a flip of a switch somewhere inside . At will, they could instantly kill themselves . Their special ability was incredibly annoying .
My interrogation skills had improved in a short while recently, but they were useless against these monster people . I was not able to get any information out of them .
In the end, searching every inch of the gigantic city was my only option .
I dug the dirt on the garden of the underground city’s castle where its king resided, and I found a hidden underground passage .
I found a key at the end of that passage . When I put the key inside the gap at the engraving of the handle on the king’s throne, a treasure room appeared behind the throne .
‘… How is anyone supposed to clear this?
If I did not turn the king’s palace garden upside down out of pure frustration, I probably won’t have found this .
Perhaps I should have intuitively realized that there is a treasure room behind the throne after seeing the engraving and just break through the wall? Maybe that is the right answer?
Perhaps…
This reminds me of the time when I was young . I played the English version of the Tomb Raider . I played it while frequently searching the English dictionary .
I remember one time where I had to find the hidden place by following the sound of the clock ticking inside the mansion .
Um… I got motion sickness from the stress and frustration . Because of dizzy spells, I couldn’t play 3D games for a month .
I’m definitely weak against these kind of clearing methods .
If I am to claim that I need a partner, I need a partner who can cover me in this kind of tasks .
In RPG games, there are classes like thieves or adventurers .
They can install or disengage traps and find hidden enemies or places .
They can never be the main character, but for the sake of making the main lead’s story to progress smoothly, such an extra character is absolutely necessary .
I do have a **** who I could call as a comrade, but that one is similar to me, so that brat would be of no use in this situation just like me .
Ugh .
I guess I’ll just have to play the cards I was dealt .
Instead of aimlessly taking on these kind of challenges, I should get used to deduction, search and etcetera .
I think there will be more of this kind of missions . ’
Having organized my thoughts, I placed my hand on the portal .
* * *
“It’s been a while, Kiri Kiri . ”
“Yep . You came alone this time . ”
“I think the time limit expired . It just disappeared . As you said before, the memory will be maintained, right?”
“Yep . ”
“Then it is all right . ”
“Hehe . This time, it took a while, didn’t it?”
“It sure did . ”
It was a ridiculous mission . I had to find a hidden treasure chest . I had no choice but to get here late because I had been digging around everywhere .
I replied with a few words . Out of frustration, Kiri Kiri turned her lips to look like a duck .
“Heng… Your reactions are boring now . ”
‘Now what’s up with her?’
“Last time, you cried like a baby, saying it’s been a very long time since you saw me . It was fun . ”
‘… This girl’s attitude is growing more and more annoying .
Well, what she said is true, so I can’t really talk back .
All right . I decided . ’
“No cake for you today . ”
“Ahhhhhhh . NOOOOOOOO!”
Kiri Kiri threw a tantrum and rushed at me . I pushed her away and assumed my position to take a nap .
I was tired .
‘Let’s sleep for a bit and think after I wake up . ’
“I’m sorry . I won’t! I was wrong! Buy me a cake!”
I told her I might buy her a cake if she kept quiet while I slept . Like that, I made her close her mouth and went to sleep .
* * *
“Uuuaaaaaam~
How long did I sleep?”
[Round 14, Day 6, 16:30]
‘I didn’t sleep for long .
Actually, should I consider this as having slept long?’
I had been having a hard time sleeping lately .
There was no need to sleep in the waiting room, so I didn’t think too much about this fact .
Meanwhile, inside the Stage, because I was exposed to danger, having the sleep time reduced was not a bad thing .
Time passed like that for a while, and I could no longer fall asleep even when I wanted to .
In the past, I was worried that this might happen, so I had regular sleep and meals even when I was in the waiting room .
Out of anxiousness, I focused on clearing the Sixth Floor while eliminating the time for sleep, meals and even rest . It seemed my regular daily rhythm was gone after doing that .
Thanks to the waiting room’s recovery effect, I could handle the stamina issue . However, mental recovery through the sleep could not be replaced by anything .
So, I had been making up for the lost sleep by taking a nap whenever I visit Kiri Kiri’s plain .
Still, I felt fortunate that I could sleep comfortably at Kiri Kiri’s plain .
It would have been really difficult if I couldn’t even sleep here .
As for Kiri Kiri…
Well, as usual, she slept using my stomach as her pillow .
I stroke Kiri Kiri’s head between her large ears .
Kiri Kiri was sleeping soundly like a child . I looked at her face .
She had such an adorable face .
She acted like a kid often, so I thought of her as my little sister or cousin .
‘When a friend in middle school raised a rabbit at his home, did he say rabbits don’t like being touched on the nose or like being touched on the nose? I don’t remember .
Actually, this lass has the face of a human being, so maybe it won’t matter?’
I just realized that I had many things to ask Kiri Kiri this time .
Since the Sixth Floor, I had been saving the chances for asking her questions so I could ask her a lot later .
‘For now, let’s organize my thoughts so I can ask Kiri Kiri right away when she wakes up . ’
From when this troubling thought started and when I saw the clear message after completing the long conquest of the Sixth Floor around when the Round 12 was coming to an end…
[You cleared the Sixth Floor of the Tutorial in Hell Difficulty . ]
It was long . Very long .
I could still remember clearly how I felt back then .
The experience through the Sixth Floor was something I never want to go through again .
I liked moving forward .
Being stuck at a place due to inadequacies in my abilities was a really horrible experience .
The broken man’s life that I led after retiring from the professional gaming came to my mind while I was at the Sixth Floor . With that memory overlapping with the stress through the Sixth Floor, it was mentally traumatizing .
I wondered if I was going to spin the wheel here forever .
I was at the mental limit .
I might have lost my mind if there was another boss after that squid looking boss and delayed the conquest of the floor further .
Anyway, things worked out well at the end since I got through it at the last moment .
However, I got a new thing to worry about since I cleared the Sixth Floor .
[God of Slowness would like to bestow the destiny of apostle to you . ]
[Would you like to receive the test to prove your worthiness to become an apostle?]
[God of Adventure would like to bestow the destiny of apostle to you . ]
[Would you like to receive the test to prove your worthiness to become an apostle?]
‘What should I do?
If just one **** proposed the test for the destiny of apostle, I would not be agonizing over it like this . ’
I was worried that the **** I refused would retaliate out of anger if I chose one .
From what I experienced at the Fourth Floor, I knew gods could blind my vision and teleport me .
It meant they could kill me in middle of battle if they wanted .
I had to be very careful .
‘When I finished the Sixth Floor conquest, as soon as I met Kiri Kiri…
Wait, perhaps it was not immediately . . . ’
Thinking about what happened during the meeting with Kiri Kiri after clearing the Sixth Floor made me feel a little embarrassed .
‘Let’s forget about it . That’s the best answer . ’
Kuhum…
I asked Kiri Kiri about the proposals made by the gods .
Of course, she was not able to answer my questions .
It was because information about gods were expensive, very expensive .
Since then, in order to hear Kiri Kiri’s advice about the gods’ proposals, I had been saving my chances on questions .
I asked her back then about when I would be able to hear the answer . She said she will be able to tell me when I clear the 11th Floor .
[God of Adventure is anxious . ]
Messages like that appeared occasionally . However, I didn’t let them make me rush into making the decision .
I felt fortunate that I could postpone making a decision until I confirmed the information first .
‘Things for me to check are…
If I can accept both gods’ proposals .
If there is a penalty for doing so .
If I can accept one side and refuse the other side .
If there is a penalty or benefit for doing that .
Finally, if I should choose just one side, which side Kiri Kiri recommends .
Did I cover everything?
If I end up with some allowances left for more questions, I should ask about the God of Adventure’s preference . ’
Other than that the God of Adventure was a fool and acted a little like an idiot, I knew nothing about the god’s personality or preferences .
‘Just like how I heard about the God of Slowness’s personality and principles, I should hear some about the God of Adventure .
If I still end up with some allowances left after that, I guess I should ask about information on 12th Floor .
Now, that’s enough organizing .
I just need Kiri Kiri… to wake up .
This lass is sleeping way too soundly . ’
She was snoring rhythmically . She was sleeping with such a happy look on her face . I couldn’t wake her up after noticing all that .
‘For now, just a little while longer . I’ll let her sleep just for a while longer . ’
[Lee Ho-jae, 11th Floor: Did anything happen?]
[Kim Min-huk, 30th Floor: Yes . Something big . ]
‘Something big…
Is there going to be another day of great harmony?
[Kim Min-huk, 30th Floor: Uh… I heard it is going to be held again before this round ends . It’s happening almost every other round now . ]
[Lee Ho-jae, 11th Floor: What is it this time?]
[Kim Min-huk, 30th Floor: That’s the most serious problem . I have no idea why it is happening again . ]
‘That is a big problem . ’
[Lee Ho-jae, 11th Floor: Well… Keep up the hard work . ]
‘I am sorry to say this, but I cannot help you on anything .
Not only am I on a different difficulty, I am no good at finding hidden problems and solving them .
It would be best for you to assign that task to someone else and let me do what I do best during the day of the great harmony . ’
[Lee Ho-jae, 11th Floor: What about Park Jung-ah?]
[Kim Min-huk, 30th Floor: Well, she is causing a ruckus again . She is thinking really hard about how to punish the members of the Order who failed to hunt down the people who committed crimes in their areas . ]
‘That’s not good .
Causing a stir inside the Order of Vigilance is a serious problem .
If the members of the Order get divided or even decide to turn against each other, the Order could get disbanded like that .
Also, from the outside, the Order of Vigilance has to look strong .
The Order is in charge of judging and delivering punishment to all criminals .
They have the power rivaling that of a country’s justice system . ’
Also, the source of this power was standing on a very shaky foundation .
The authority given to the Order was based on the power demonstrated by the rankers during the very first day of the great harmony, my own power to be exact .
Also, there was the charisma and ruthlessness of Park Jung-ah, the one who executed the members of the Representative Federation .
Objectively speaking, we were oppressing the people with strength and fear .
We could not afford to let the outsiders see that the Order was faltering inside .
‘If the Order of Vigilance loses the public’s trust, their judgement and punishment would also lose people’s support .
Without people’s support, we are nothing but just a violent organization that forces our rules to others .
If people made up their mind and stood up to oppose us, there won’t be anything we could do . ’
[Kim Min-huk, 30th Floor: I know, you rascal . I bet Park Jung-ah knows that too . She is doing that because she’s just upset . She also needs to do that . ]
[Lee Ho-jae, 11th Floor: Anyway, watch her closely so she doesn’t cause an accident . ]
Kim Min-huk said he got it . With that, our conversation ended .
‘Judging from what he said, it does not look like the problem will be resolved before the day of the great harmony happens .
In that case… It looks like I might end up with something that I will need to do .
Um…
Anyway, Kiri Kiri… This lass…
It’s about time she woke up . ’
To wake her up, I pushed in my pinky into her nose that was making snoring sound so well .
“Kiiiiaaaong!”
Along with her unique shouting, Kiri Kiri was revived . She threw a punch .
Of course, its power was pathetic .
* * *
“There is no problem if I accept both?”
Kiri Kiri had cream on her lips . I asked her again .
“Yep!”
‘… Why are you telling me this now…’
“It’s because you said you will make the decision after hearing all relevant information . ”
‘I did say that .
Um…’
“Kiri Kiri . ”
“What is it?”
“Stop eating that . Hand over the cake .