Chapter 11: Tutorial (11)

There’s a simple way to identify experienced climbers: Observe their skill usage.

During my previous climb to the 99th floor, I had countless opportunities to observe how climbers used their skills.

[Double Slash LV.7]

[Type: Active / Will Activation]

[Description: Consumes 127 mana to perform a two-hit slash. The first attack deals 145% attack damage, and the second attack deals 170% attack damage.]

[Traits: 1. Serrated Blade / 2. (Locked) / 3. (Locked)]

[Skill Points Required for Next Level: 8P]

Skill information was displayed like this. However, the key factor in determining skill proficiency was the activation requirement.

All active skills went through three stages of activation, depending on their level: Vocal Activation, Will Activation, and Reflex Activation.

At low levels, you had to shout the skill name to activate it. As the skill level increased, you could activate it simply by thinking.

And at master level, the skill would activate reflexively in optimal conditions, without conscious thought.

“Hiya! Haap!”

In that sense, Yoo Ha-na’s skill was already evident. She primarily used three skills, and she never once resorted to vocal activation.

“Haa!”

Whether throwing knives and tomahawks for ranged attacks, using Hide to erase her presence, or lunging at the enemy for the kill at crucial moments, she activated her skills silently.

Masterful skill usage could change the tide of battle. Yoo Ha-na played that role exceptionally well.

She created openings with ranged attacks, disrupted the enemy with Hide, and finished them off with Lunge, steadily reducing the number of orcs.

“Squeal!”

But compared to the Revenant Yoo Ha-na of the 99th floor, her current skills were clumsy.

The vengeful spirit wouldn’t even bother with a coup de grâce? The difference between then and now was staggering.

“Stinger!”

I activated my skill without hesitation. Stinger, a newly acquired, low-level skill. As the name suggested, it was a quick thrusting attack.

My target was the orc behind Yoo Ha-na. There was some distance between us, but that wasn’t a problem. Mana-enhanced skills were always precise.

“Squeal! Sq…?”

I closed the distance in a flash, plunging my sword deep into the dying orc’s belly. That was it. It was already near death, so there was no need for further action.

“Th-thank you.”

“Never let your guard down. Always finish off your opponents, even if they’re dying.”

“Y-yes!”

“Huff… Always prioritize your immediate surroundings before assisting others.”

“Y-yes!”

Despite my advice, she seemed unable to focus.

Or rather, she was so focused on Go Hyun-joon that she was neglecting her surroundings.

It was a strange sight, something she had never displayed in her past life. Just then, she threw another knife, aiming for the orc behind me.

The knife flew swiftly, embedding itself in the orc. While it wasn’t a fatal blow, it created an opening.

And I didn’t miss it. While the orc was momentarily stunned, I smoothly spun around and decapitated it.

A terrifyingly precise and swift attack. And he had never once shouted a skill name during the entire fight.

He had used at least nine different moves, which meant he had leveled up nine different skills to the point of Will Activation.

“He’s a monster.”

If Yoo Ha-na was a genius, Go Hyun-joon was a monster. Had anyone displayed such skill on the 1st floor before? At least not before the first dimensional merge, when it was only Koreans.

How could someone so skilled remain unknown? Lost in thought, I watched as Go Hyun-joon cleaved the last orc’s head in two.

“F-finally!”

“It’s… over!”

“…”

[Tutorial Quest 1: Monster Hunt]

[Time Remaining: 4 days 12 hours 27 minutes 19 seconds]

[Hunt the following monsters in the 1st-floor field:]
[Kobold 600/600] [Elite Kobold 30/30]
[Gnoll 500/500] [Elite Gnoll 15/15]
[Goblin 150/150] [Elite Goblin 10/10]
[Orc 60/60] [Elite Orc 5/5]

[Quest completion requirements met. Rewards can be claimed after the time limit expires.]

Thanks to the regressor Lee Han-seong joining our party, we quickly hunted down the orcs, considered relatively strong opponents. Of course, the fact that they were much weaker than I had anticipated also played a significant role.

“We finished earlier than expected.”

“Well, it’s all thanks to your hard work, Ha-na. And Han-seong joining us helped too.”

“Ehehe.”

“Always remember: Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be in peril. If you know what you need to do, who you’re facing, and what preparations you need to make, you’ll be safe.”

“Yes!”

Yoo Ha-na replied energetically. It was good to see her so spirited. She looked much better now than when she was feeling down.

“Thank you for your hard work, Han-seong. We finished smoothly thanks to you.”

“…You’re welcome.”

“If you’re interested, would you like to continue partying with us?”

The regressor, however, seemed lost in thought. If he were an ordinary person, I would have scolded him for his lack of manners. But he was a regressor.

Unlike a mere transmigrator like me, who had only read five chapters, he had a lot more to consider. It was understandable for a regressor to be preoccupied.

“I’d like that. However, due to certain circumstances, I won’t be able to join you for any social gatherings. Please understand.”

“Privacy is important. I understand. We’re both too busy to socialize anyway.”

“Busy? With what?”

“Training. We need to learn skills at the vocational training center and acquire other necessary life skills. If there’s nothing to learn, we might as well learn a trade in case we become crippled.”

“I see.”

The regressor looked genuinely surprised. Not everyone could rely on the status window and hidden pieces to become stronger. If that were all it took, this would be a game, not life.

What made me and Yoo Ha-na stronger was the struggle, the relentless effort. There was no time to rest. As a certain rapper said, to rise above the surface, you have to give up the surface. We couldn’t afford to rest.

“Then I’ll see you again in four days, when the 2nd floor opens. Goodbye.”

The regressor gave a brief farewell and left.

He was probably busy searching for hidden pieces on his own or hunting down some promising villain.

“He seems… overly serious.”

Yoo Ha-na offered a blunt assessment as we watched Lee Han-seong walk away. Overly serious? That was a harsh judgment of the protagonist, coming from the heroine.

“Anyway, oppa, now that we have some free time, why don’t we explore the town? We can grab some food, do some sightseeing, and have some drinks tonight.”

With the protagonist gone, she was shining a green light on me.

Wrong target, girl. Don’t go all-in on a delisted coin.

“Did you not hear anything we just talked about? Are you sleepy at this level? If you have free time, go learn some skills at the vocational training center!”

“Okay…”

Her mood swings were as rapid as Udyr’s stance changes. She went from cheerful to dejected in an instant. Seeing her so downcast made my heart soften.

[TL Note: Udyr is a champion from League of Legends known for rapidly switching between different combat stances, each giving him unique powers. The comparison highlights how quickly her mood shifted—just like how Udyr can instantly change fighting styles.]

“B-but, you know, keep the last day free. We need to visit the market to check our equipment.”

“Woohoo!”

…Good girl.

“Haha! Come on, give me your best shot! What happened to your fighting spirit?”

“Ugh!”

Park Joon-ho, the party leader and main tank, was struggling. His party wasn’t fighting monsters, but other climbers.

“Ugh… I heard PK-ing (player killing) has been rampant lately… The blond one and the guy with the slitted eyes and glasses… Are they part of that infamous trio?”

“Word travels fast, huh? Woohoo! Yang Yong-hyun! We’re famous!”

While Park Joon-ho struggled to defend, Yoon Jae-ho, the blond thug, casually chatted with his slit-eyed companion, displaying a relaxed demeanor.

“Haha, of course, we’re famous. You’ve killed over thirty people already. In the real world, this would be a major serial killer case.”

“Hahahaha! That’s why I love the Tower of Proof—no damn cops to stop us from doing whatever the hell we want!”

Yoon Jae-ho shouted like a madman, his eyes bloodshot. As if to prove his madness, a red aura flickered around him.

“Come on, come on! Struggle some more! Entertain me!”

“Ugh!”

He swung his Dane Axe wildly, like a berserker.

Park Joon-ho blocked the attacks with his shield, but he was having trouble withstanding Yoon Jae-ho’s increasingly powerful blows.

The skill, Berserk. A skill Yoon Jae-ho acquired along with the Berserker class after choosing the Dane Axe. It drastically increased his stats for a duration.

“Gah! Ugh! Aaagh!”

“Yes! Scream louder! Louder! Louder!”

Yoon Jae-ho’s attacks were still being blocked by Park Joon-ho’s shield. But the tide of battle was turning in his favor.

He was tireless thanks to Berserk, and he relentlessly pounded on the shield, determined to break Park Joon-ho’s arm.

“Aaaaagh!”

Finally, unable to withstand the repeated impacts, Park Joon-ho screamed in agony as his arm broke.

“Yeon-ji! I can’t hold on any longer! Shoot him!”

“A-alright!”

Responding to Park Joon-ho’s desperate plea, Im Yeon-ji hastily raised her bow and aimed. But Yang Yong-hyun, who had been observing the fight, was faster.

“Don’t interfere.”

“Eek! What? Why?”

Just as she was about to release the arrow, a dark arrow flew towards her. Startled by the sudden attack, she squeezed her eyes shut. The arrow, however, didn’t harm her.

Despite the apparent lack of effect, Yang Yong-hyun smiled.

“Mind Break.”

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

A skill of the Dark Priest class, granted by the black bible. As Mind Break took effect, Im Yeon-ji screamed and thrashed about, her mind shattered.