Chapter 2: 2- Tutorial (1)
Chapter 2- Tutorial (1)
Written By Ss_FirstMaster
If you desire to become a god, climb up the Tower!
* * *
[You have now arrived at Floor 0, the Tutorial Hall.]
Swoosh!
Sung-Hoo frowned as the bright light pierced his eyes, making them tingle. His vision shook violently, and he felt dizzy, as though he were on a high-altitude flight.
[Your skill, Combat Will has helped you maintain composure.]
[Your skill, Breathing has helped you maintain composure.]
He felt something wriggling inside his body, steadying the spinning world around him. The motion sickness soon subsided, and Sung-Hoo could look around more comfortably. He found himself in a passage that ran straight ahead. The walls were made of rock, and the ceiling was studded with stones that glowed with light at regular intervals. However, the light was dim, and he could only see two meters ahead of him, and the rest of the way was dark.
"I'm really in." Sung-Hoo clenched his fists, as he ready himself.
The Tower served as a gateway and as a test to assess participants who wished to become a god. The Tower didn't accept just any player, so candidates had to prove that they were worthy. The Tutorial location where players were tested was often called "Floor 0".
Just by closing his eyes, Sung-Hoo could recall the scenes from his memories and picture the faces of his parents. "Just wait a little mom and dad I'll find a way to see you again"
To enter the Tower, he had to pass the Tutorial with a high score, and not just any high score. "It must be so high that I'll be in first place." Of course, it wasn't going to be easy.
The Tower was connected to numerous dimensions, spaces, and worlds. Only the most capable could participate as players. Sung-Hoo could only be considered a lucky among those from Earth. After all, the universe was vast, and there were many other candidates. Compared to the other players, Sung-Hoo had many weaknesses, since he focused only on physical abilities and instinctual skills. He would be dead without even taking a few steps in the Tutorial.
"However, the Tutorial is also the place where I can obtain the qualification." Since this floor is called tutorial it will teach and train participant as they climb the Tower. Since he currently possess a weak body he needs to find something that will help him get stronger.
The Tutorial didn't only test physical abilities—it also assessed other aspects, such as players' talent, judgment, agility, resourcefulness, and decisiveness. It rated the players after summing up all of these aspects. Of course, there were always deaths during the process. Many candidates were overconfident in their insignificant abilities and rushed into the Tutorial heedlessly, only to end up dead.
Fortunately, Sung-Hoo was wasn't aware of the dangers of the Tutorial, as well as its value. "Maybe there something like hidden dungeon or like that because this look like a game." Sung-Hoo's status window was displaying "Incomplete Strong Body (5%)", Sung-Hoo intended to refine his vessel as much as possible in order to replace the word "incomplete" with "complete".
"I'm going to focus on making my vessel as complete as possible for now." After organizing his thoughts, begun to walk the narrow path.
* * *
He didn't know how long he'd been walking when a blue glow suddenly appeared in the air. "Ohyohyohyo! A guest at a time like this? I almost missed you and let you pass." A portal opened, and someone dropped down from it.
In an a slow process, Sung-Hoo instinctively stepped back and took a combat stance, crossing two daggers in front of his chest. The stranger's appearance was bizarre. It was short and only reached to his waist, and it had bumpy, scabrous skin. It had long, slanted eyes and glistening fangs that poked out of its thick lips.
The mere sight of the creature filled him with disgust. It was a monster called a goblin. However, it had a different demeanor from the goblins he'd seen in the diary. Unlike ordinary goblins with low intelligence who only followed their instincts, the goblin in front of him wore a strange monocle over one eye and a fancy-looking tuxedo. His polite behavior gave him a dignified air.
"Despite my easygoing nature, your behavior hurts my feelings. So, why don't you put down your daggers?" In contrast to his words, the goblin smiled in delight and winked. Only then did Sung-Hoo lowered his guard a little when the goblin said "Greetings. I am the Guardian of Floor 0, Yvlke. It's our destiny to meet like us. Why don't you give us a round of applause? Ohyohyohyo." He was one of the Guardians who managed and oversaw each floor and trial in the Tower.
Sung-Hoo lowered his daggers. The goblin explain that the Guardians belonged to the Tower and were responsible for leading the players throughout the trials. There was no reason to be wary.
"Ho, you trust me?"
"Sorry I don't trust you completely, but I should hear your explanation it might help me."
"Oh my. I guess you have a trust issue. But since your sincere I I wouldn't minding it, Anyway, it should be much easier to talk now." Yvlke began explaining with some light jokes. "The Tutorial is divided into seven sections, from A to F. Each section has a different environment and a different challenge. You will be scored according to how you perform the challenges within a restricted amount of time. At the end of the Tutorial, all your scores will be added up, and the results will be announced."
Sung-Hoo already had a rough idea of the rules thanks to Yvlke explaining but to avoid suspicion and confirm his information, he asked, "Do I have to pass all seven sections?"
"Not quite. You simply need to prove you possess the minimum qualifications in the Tutorial. If you think your score is high enough, you can simply stop. Of course, it's good to pass every trial to get a higher score."
"What are the benefits of getting a higher score?"
"Players are given rewards according to their score. After all, shouldn't there be some motivation for players to get better results? The Tower and the Guardians are very thorough in that regard, ohyohyohyo."
"How long does the Tutorial last?"
"Players have thirty days. It's up to you to allocate the time for each section. However," Yvlke smiled as he adjusted his monocle, "this round started a week ago, and there are only three weeks left. What do you want to do? Do you want to wait until the next round?" On the surface, a week didn't seem like a long time, but it was already one-fourth of the whole Tutorial period. "The frontrunners have already used this time to run far ahead, and perhaps latecomers won't be able to catch up at all."
The higher the score, the better the reward and the better the chances of passing the Tutorial. Since Sung-Hoo was planning to complete his vessel first, it was a very disadvantageous start. However, a slight smile appeared on his lips. "That's what I was expecting, anyway."
Yvlke was indifferent to his reaction and continued explaining. "Although this place is called a Tutorial, it's still quite difficult. We usually advise players to organize a party of three to five people when going through each section. It increases the chances of proceeding smoothly."
"That means I get a higher score if I pass a section alone, right?"
"Yes, but it will be much harder."
"If a late individual player catches up with the leading parties, are there any benefits?"
Yvlke's eyes glittered as he realized what Sung-Hoo was thinking. He smiled broadly, making his fangs stand out even more. "The Tower grows according to the players' achievements. The score will be adjusted according to a player's individual achievements, so you don't have to worry about that."
"Understood." Now that he'd confirmed everything, Sung-Hoo started to warm up lightly. Krak! As he start to get ready Krak. His muscles began to tighten, his blood circulated faster, and his mind grew lucid.
Yvlke took a step back. He had already noticed that Sung-Hoo wasn't likely to listen to any more advice. There had been players like him before, and they ended up facing one of two possibilities: rushing forward overconfidently only to get fucked or doing something that was truly a sight to behold. Either way, Yvlke thought it would be fun to watch, so he did not stop Sung-Hoo. "If that's what you want."
Snap. Yvlke lightly flicked his fingers, making a huge panel appear in the air.
[Beginning the trial of Floor 0.]
[Trial: you, a participant who aims to become a god, must prove yourself worthy of climbing the Tower. Within the time limit, you must pass through 7 gates and 7 challenges.]
[Requirement: achieve a high score within the time limit.]
"Let the trial begin." Yvlke said goodbye with a dignified look as he disappeared like the wind. A timer appeared in his place.
[549:37:88_96]
[549:37:88_95]
······
"There are about twenty-two days and twenty-one hours remaining?" Sung-Hoo clenched his dagger and stepped forward. "Let's do this." A new message popped up as he crossed the line dividing the starting zone from Section A.
[You have entered Section A.]
[Either break through or deactivate all the traps in this section.]
There was another straight passage ahead, and he felt like the darkness was beckoning him. Sung-Hoo carefully took a step forward, keeping his senses alert. However, nothing happened even after a considerable amount of time passed, as though there were nothing there at all. An ordinary person would have relaxed, but the farther Sung-Hoo went, the warier he became. Yvlke said it would be easier to pass through in small teams, and if this advice was accurate, then he shouldn't underestimate the potential danger. After all, it always appeared without any notice, wiping out everything like a raging storm.
Like right now.
Swish! An arrow shot across the darkness, and Sung-Hoo instinctively turned his body aside. The arrow brushed past his left forearm, leaving behind a scorching pain. His clothes were torn, and blood splashed.
Twang. "A steel arrow!" He came back to his senses, frowning at the arrow with the metal shaft that was deeply embedded into the wall. It would have torn off his arm if it had managed to hit him. He would be dead by now if it had hit his head or abdomen.
Yvlke had warned him about the various dangers, however, the location of each trap changed each time and they were randomly activated, so his experiences weren't of much help. All he could do was stay alert and find his way through.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More steel arrows flew towards him one after the other, all from different directions. It was impossible to track them. Sung-Hoo crouched low and rolled forward, grabbing his backpack. It was thick and filled with clothing and equipment, so he could use it as a shield, which was why he had brought it in the first place.
Puck! Puck! Puck!
Three steel arrows struck which is aim in his left arm with such strong impact that it felt as though his arm would come off each time an arrow hit. One managed to fully pierce through his arm and manage to dodge the other two, Sung-Hoo feel the antagonizing pain he felt when he was awakening.
[Your skill, Combat Will has helped you maintain composure.]
[Your skill, Breathing has helped you maintain composure.]
He managed to straighten himself up and stuck closely to a wall. Since he didn't know where the attacks were coming from, he had to decrease his exposure as much as possible—something that he'd learned the hard way.
However, some traps had also been set up behind and below him. Snikt! Before he even realized what was happening, an arrow had pierced deep into his left thigh. "Ugh!" Yeon-woo felt as though fireworks were exploding right in front of his eyes. He gritted his teeth and tried turning around despite the terrible pain.
Puck! Puck! Puck!
Once again, arrows ripped through his backpack. This time, they penetrated his left shoulder, forearm, and ribs.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone