Chapter 48

[Kurururu… Human, you cannot move anymore . Now I can do as I wish . ]

I felt my heart sink . I was terrified .

That lizard was dying while gushing out blood like that . Still, it seemed her head was filled with thoughts of wanting to do something to me .

“Just kill me! You lunatic lizard!”

[Kuk . Kuk . I won’t kill you . I will take you as my husband . ]

Oh my…

That lizard’s sex drive was… No, her obsession with having a spare husband was just out there .

Idaltaru slowly crawled her way across the floor towards me .

It seemed that it was difficult for her to move as well . She was crawling on the floor using her remaining arm .

When I was in middle school, I was absolutely shocked and terrified from watching a scene from a horror movie where a girl with long hair that covered her face had crawled out of a well .

With that scene stuck in my head, I was scared to sleep every night for the week after .

However, the terrifying sight in front of me at this very moment was… It felt like the memory could never fade even after decades .

Idaltaru was slow, but she didn’t stop . She continued to crawl towards me .

‘What should I do now?

Should I bite my tongue and die to protect my virginity?

No . It was not time to worry about keeping my virginity yet .

I needed to get a grip .

Let’s think about what I can do at this moment .

My head could still think .

My hand… My right hand could still move .

I wasn’t certain about my shoulder, but I definitely can feel up to the elbow at least .

Ways I could attack…

I used all my of Blink allowances .

I still needed to wait until it can be used again .

I still had Talaria’s Wing .

God’s power skills did not require my stamina or mana .

I could use it just fine .

Are there any weapons left…

Damn it… I could almost see the handgun that I had handed over to Park Jung-ah .

I opened the inventory and checked to see if there were any weapons that I could bring out and use immediately .

I had a hook and a heat stone .

Could I use… the hook?

I think the heat stone would be better .

This hook was to be used with a rope, so its tip was too dull .

Lizardman was basically a type of reptile .

It had to be .

Reptiles were cold blooded, so they are weak against changes in temperature .

That’s right . The heat stone was the one .

Just you try to come and touch me .

I’m going to shove this lump of flame into your neck . ’

I brought out the heat stone from the inventory and held it in my right hand to hide in .

It was exuding high temperatures of heat, so I felt pain in my palm . However, I could manage to not bat an eye from the pain caused by a burn like this .

After getting a hold of myself and making a plan, it felt like even my eyesight was clear and focused again .

Idaltaru was still crawling towards me…

[Kururu…]

I realized something that I didn’t know until just a moment ago .

Idaltaru was, even while she was crawling, mumbling something endlessly on her own .

[Kururu… I’m going to make you my husband . ]

‘That’s what you were mumbling about!’

I tightly held onto the heat stone and watched Idaltaru crawl towards me .

Before long, she came near where I was .

While feeling the heat from the heat stone on my right hand, I focused on Idaltaru’s movements .

Idaltaru was crawling toward me at a constant speed . However, all of sudden, her speed decreased, and then she stopped, unable to move her arm .

It seemed she also had reached her limit .

Considering the damage she sustained from my attacks and the stamina she exhausted from running amok until now, it was a miracle that she was still alive and moving like that in the first place .

However, it seemed this was the end .

It was fortunate for me .

[Keruk . Keruk . You said you think I am strong and magnificent . ]

[You didn’t speak badly of me . You didn’t call me a coward . You didn’t say my combat style is underhanded . You didn’t curse me or called me a servant of the devil . You acknowledged me . ]

[I have waited a very long time . I finally met a partner . Although you are a human of short stature, you are a strong male . I most definitely will…]

[I am going to have you as my husband…]

To the very end’s end, she mumbled things that was making my backbone overcome with spookiness and chill . In the end, in that crawling pose, her breathing stopped .

She was so close that she could reach my body if she extended her arm towards me .

‘That runt… Could it be that she had been shunned by her own kind?

She possessed a special ability . She had a defensive tendency that was not typical of lizardmen . Also, she had the title that contained the word, ‘stealthy . ’

I somehow felt that it must have been the case for her .

It must have been the reason why she showed such a big response to my praises and was overjoyed .

I felt bitter . I felt sorry .

Of course, if she was still alive, I would have tried to kill her in any way I could .

Even if she had her circumstances, I didn’t want to mate with her .

I dropped the heat stone that I had been holding in my right hand . I clapped my palm on the floor and dusted it off .

I wiggled my body to crawl a little towards her and then extended my right hand .

She still had her yellow eyes wide open and was looking at me . I closed her eyes for her .

‘I am sorry .

If I knew about this, I would not have tried to talk to you at all .

Actually, this sense of guilt was meaningless .

I knew that, but I still felt sorry .

Her way was wrong to begin with, and it was a relationship that could never be .

[You have cleared Tutorial, Hell difficulty, Fifth Floor . ]

[You are healed of all injuries and status effects . ]

[You have received 1000 points for clearing the Floor . ]

[You have received 1000 points for being the first to clear the Floor . ]

[You cleared more than one floor during a round . You received 1000 points as an extra reward . ]

[Many gods are pleased with your actions . You have received 4700 points . ]

[Many gods are displeased with your actions . 3200 points are deducted . ]

[An additional reward is given according to your performance . ]

[Many gods would like to gift you with a skill instead of an additional reward . ]

[Votes: 74 yes, 3 no]

[Would you like to accept?]

‘Something feels off . There was definitely a trick hidden here .

A gift from many gods was different from the power skill from a god .

Last time, the gift I got through this was the knowledge of the time before Babel .

It certainly was a useful skill, but the intent of the gods that gifted me with the skill must have been…

It is obvious that it was to test the skill .

Could it be they were just curious about about I would respond to it? Perhaps they did it just for fun of watching me use it?

I could not figure out their true intent . However, it seemed the skill was not given to me with intention of wanting to help me .

Moreover, because of the gods who were displeased with me, the deduction in my points was 3200, which was staggering .

Also, 74 gods voted yes for this skill gift .

When I received the knowledge before the time of Babel, 12 gods voted yes . Considering that, this means many gods wanted to give me this exact skill .

I didn’t feel safe about this .

Still, it would be awkward to refuse the gift as well .

Refusing the gift feels like it will lead to more gods being displeased with me . Also, what if it was a good skill?

Let’s just get it for now .

“Yes . ”

[You acquired Dead Summoning Lv . ???]

I was both anxious and excited with anticipation . Both sensations were rising up .

‘Let’s check what it is first . ’

“Status Window . ’

[Lee Ho-jae (human)]

Lv . 10

Strength: 24

Dexterity: 39

Vitality: 28

Mana: 28

Skill: Battle Focus Lv . 11 Willpower Lv . 5 Awakening Lv . 1 Night Vision Lv . 2 Bright Vision Lv . 1 Charge Lv . 2 Sneak Lv . 4 Natural Regeneration Lv . 2 Improved Senses Lv . 7 Increased Field of Vision Lv . 1 Toughened Skin Lv . 3 Basic Swordsmanship Lv . 7 Basic Shield Skill Lv . 4 Basic Hand to Hand Skill Lv . 3 Basic Throwing Skill Lv . 1 Wind Spirit's Blessing Lv . 2 Knowledge of the Time before Babel Lv . 5 Mind Corruption Immunity Lv . 1 Pain Resistance Lv . 11 Bleed Resistance Lv . 5 Faint Resistance Lv . 3 Pierce Resistance Lv . 2 Poison resistance Lv . 4 Paralysis Resistance Lv . 6 Heat Resistance Lv . 4 Burn Resistance Lv . 7 Cold Resistance Lv . 4 Frostbite Resistance Lv . 3 Blink Emblem Lv . Max Talaria's Wings Lv . Max, Dead Summoning Lv . ???

Extra: God of Slowness has concerned look .

[Dead Summoning (Lv . ???)]

Description: This is a power of a nameless god . This god refused to reveal the name to the challengers .

Using an item that contains a part of the dead’s soul as the medium, you can summon the dead for a fixed duration .

This power has a limit imposed by the god .

Number of times it can be done (5/5)

An incredible skill came up .

‘To think I can summon a dead being back to life…

This goes beyond being a skill that was similar to one from a video game . This belonged in the realm of miracles .

Was it alright to have a ridiculous skill like this show up in this place?

Also, this skill had nothing to do with the Fifth Floor .

Just what were they thinking…

Before long I realized and I looked at Idaltaru’s corpse .

Her corpse was fading and disappearing, and there was a green stone that appeared above her corpse .

[Lizardman Idaltaru’s Soul Stone]

Description: Of all lizardmen living in the Iden swamp, she is the strongest and unluckiest warrior . This is her spirit stone .

You can sell this at the store .

‘It’s not that they gifted me this skill to revive Idaltaru, right? If I revive her, she will charge at me and say she will want to make me her husband .

As long as I am in the right mind, that’s never going to happen again . '

[God of Slowness is relieved . ]

[God of Adventure is disappointed . ]

[God of Philanthropy is resenting you . ]

[God of Destruction is bored . ]

[God of Duel is strongly criticizing you . ]

‘… Let’s just ignore them .

As I thought, even these gods are not normal . ’

I forced myself to ignore the messages and put my hand on the portal, and before long, I was teleported .

I arrived at the green plains that made my heart feel at ease as always . As soon as I got there, I could hear Kiri Kiri’s voice .

“Hmp! This time, you were so mean! Howjae!”

‘Give it a break, will you guys . ’

“Hey! What else could I have done? Should I have mated with the lizard there then?”

“Hmp!”

* * *

Kiri Kiri was refusing to talk to me . To ease her anger, I needed to use a piece of cake .

I handed her a piece of cake . Although Kiri Kiri looked pissed, now she started to smile big again .

“The gods suddenly showed interest because it was a very rare event in the Tutorial . ”

Kiri Kiri said as if it was obvious . She said it with cake creams around her mouth .

‘Event? You guys consider that an event?

Putting my virginity in danger is an event for you guys?’

“Heng . You are probably the first one ever to be proposed by the gate keeper of the Fifth Floor . ”

‘Sure . It probably is rare for a warm blooded to be proposed by a cold blooded .

Damn it all . ’

… Anyway, I had something I was curious about .

I had been curious about this for sometime, but I was more sure about this after having fought Idaltaru and other lizardmen .

“No . ”

‘You… You are reading my mind now?’

“Uum . That is something I am not supposed to let you know . ”

Having said that, Kiri Kiri pressed down her large ears and then tightly closed her eyes .

‘It is not like you are not going to be able to hear things by doing that . ’

“There probably are other dimensions or planets besides Earth . Both goblins and lizardmen had their own civilizations and societies . They actually exist in the real world or used to exist . Their entire regions have been brought to the Tutorial, or their worlds have been copied into Tutorial . Also, there are other Tutorials in other dimensions . That’s probably why a comment like ‘this is the first time’ or whatever came up . Attitudes that you managers and gods have clearly show that Earth is not where the very first Tutorials showed up . Also, the monsters that have appeared on Earth are also…”

Kiri Kiri wasn’t moving at all . She was completely petrified .

She was like a stone statue . She was like a drawing on a painting canvas .

She was not showing any response .

It was enough to make me wonder if it was possible for a living being to stay absolutely still like that .

“… Tsk . Nevermind . I’m sorry . ”

Kiri Kiri moved immediately .

“Heng . You merely told me your guesses, so it does not matter . However, you must not seriously try to gain information from me based on my responses . If you try it repeatedly, my attitude towards you will change . ”

“All right . I won’t anymore . ”

There was an incident like this before .

I asked her what happens to the people who died in the Tutorial . Back then, she gave me the answer with the same look on her face .

That response was not because Kiri Kiri was not good at hiding her emotions or expressions .

As always, it was a bonus out of consideration for me .

Kiri Kiri had always been trying her best to give me useful information and help me .

I felt like I threw away her good will .

“I am sorry . ”

‘I am sorry towards many today . ’

* * *

“Still, think about it again . ”

“Are you being serious?”

“I am not saying you should do as she wants . You can talk to her . If you are successful in convincing her, she might become a good ally for you . ”

‘Honestly, I am not confident about convincing Idaltaru . Let alone convincing her, just calming her down would be impossible . ’

“I’ll get going now . As for the items, I’ll buy them next time after collecting points . ”

I wanted to change the shield into something a little better .

However, because of negative responses from the gods, I lost a lot of the points .

I could purchase a little better shield only if I collected more points by clearing the Sixth Floor .

I was about to head to the portal, but Kiri Kiri grabbed me .

“Buy some potions at least . ”

“Potions? I still have plenty of them?”

“Ah… You may not have enough?”

I opened the inventory and checked the number of potions I had .

I had plenty .

So far, I have never ended up regretting buying things that Kiri Kiri recommended .

I was sure it would be the same this time .

‘She said I’ll need a lot more potions… I wonder what the theme is for the next floor . ’

I was going to learn about it when I got there .

As Kiri Kiri asked, I purchased potions using all of the points I had .

“Be careful! Come back soon! No, you won’t be able to come back soon, but still, come back soon!”

Her words felt ominous somehow . Listening to her escort me on my way out of the green plains, I got onto the portal .

* * *

[Before you enter the Sixth Stage, please select the party members . ]

[Your current party members (1/5)]

1 . Lee Ho-jae