Chapter 58

“Make it so I can see additional explanation while I’m at the waiting room . ”

“Okaying~ . ”

With this, I guess that is enough for the power skills .

As for the rest, I can check their performances in detail when I’m at the waiting room and organize my thoughts again .

One thing I am disappointed about is that the skills are not at Max levels .

Perseverance and Focused Effort are both at Level 1 .

I should not expect them to be as high performance as the Blink and Talaria’s Wings that I got with the levels already at the Maximum .

There is potential for growth in the skills, so maybe they might show just as good or greater effectiveness later, but…

Um… Well then…

“Kiri Kiri . Do I still have allowances left?”

I had been saving my allowances since the Sixth Floor . I rarely used them .

I did just get huge amount of information about the gods and being an apostle, but still, I think I have some left to spare .

“A little . ”

A little you say… They were expensive as fuck .

“In that case, do you have any advice for me for the 12th Floor?”

“No . Howjae… It would be a little convenient for you if I gave you advices, but the result will be the same . I recommend that you just don’t hear the advice this time . You will be able to get through the floor with ease . ”

That’s probably the case .

Ever since I cleared the Sixth Floor, I never felt the floors afterwards were as difficult as the Sixth Floor .

I cleared the Six Floor which required five people in a party .

It means I have the strength of five challengers at that floor in the Hell Difficulty .

Actually, if I think about the strength and the roles, my strength is greater than that .

There were more stages since the Sixth Floor that required party plays .

However, ever since I overcame the wall of five people’s worth, I was able to clear them with ease .

It will work out the same this time .

It might get a little tough if they throw a raid stage that requires 25 people or more, but…

That didn’t happen yet .

I purchased food, potions and other simple expendable items and got up .

Looks like I finished everything I need to do .

In particular, I feel refreshed now that I organized the things related to the tests for the apostle .

I had been postponing it for too long, thinking I should decide after getting information first .

“Well then, I’ll see you next time . ”

I waved at Kiri Kiri and headed to the portal .

“Bye! You mustn’t cry when you get lonely!”

… I am not going to cry .

Just wait until I see you again next time .

I got on the portal as I planned petty revenge that involved cakes .

“Good luck!”

Still, looking at Kiri Kiri hopping at the spot and waving at me, I also waved back at her .

It feels great to have someone who always greets me and sees me off with bright attitude .

It is to the point that makes me wonder if I would have lived my life a little differently in my past if I had someone like her .

[You have entered the waiting room at the 12th Floor . ]

This time, beyond just being big, it is a ginormous stone room .

It was unexpectedly big . I looked around the space and promptly opened the status window .

It is time for me to check my power skills performances in detail .

It feels like scratching an instant lottery .

My heart is pounding .

[Perseverance (Lv . 1)]

Description: It is a gift from the God of Adventure .

This power will give you strength when you are facing difficult adversities, especially during the most trying times .

Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to the enemies’ number and strength .

Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to the number of comrades you have standing behind you .

Your combat abilities will increase by a small margin in proportion to your exhaustion and wounds .

The effects can overlap with multiple situations happening simultaneously .

Additional attributes: A certain amount of resistance will be given to you against mental magic attacks and stress .

It is the best .

There isn’t anything I would throw away among the skill’s effects .

There are three situations where my combat abilities will increase .

Moreover, if all three situations applies, I can receive all three boosts at the same time .

Although I still don’t know by how much the effects are when it said in the description that the increase will be by a small margin .

I cannot always have comrades, but I can always satisfy the other two conditions .

This is Hell Difficulty after all .

It is not hard to use at all too .

Actually, using it is too easy .

It is a combat type passive skill with applicability that is very wide and top notch .

Growing this skill is probably not very hard either .

I also like that the increase will be in proportion to danger .

It will be great to have everyday, but it will be like a ray of light in the darkness when I’m in a serious pinch .

Moreover, it is giving me resistances to mental attacks .

Since I have the Mental Corruption Immunity Skill and this Perseverance Skill on top of that, I think it will be all right for me to ease my worries on mental attacks .

Although I am not getting a feel for the resistance against stress .

[The God of Adventure is looking at you . He is excited with anticipations . ]

Excited with anticipations, what a load of…

Kum . Uuuuhm .

… Wow, God of Adventure is the best .

[God of Adventure is proud . ]

Had I only been complaining and making fun of the God of Adventure? You are even saying you feel proud now?

Now, let’s check the Focused Effort Skill .

[Focused Effort (Lv . 1)]

Description: It is a gift from the God of Slowness .

It will lead you to greater result when you pursue something with stronger desire for longer .

Mastery growth rate will increase if you focus and work on a particular move for longer than a certain duration .

Additional attributes: Increases focus and mental strength by small margins .

The Focused Effort was not far off from what I thought it was .

The question was how long I needed to maintain the focus for the improved mastery rate .

Also, since it said a particular move, I wondered if it meant I had to refrain from doing anything else .

It probably means I can’t occasionally try out mana circulation training while doing swordsmanship training, but what about shield techniques?

Both swordsmanship and shield techniques are under the combat skill classification .

Could they be considered same move?

Also, if all other movements are not allowed, does that include breathing?

That probably is not it .

This skill has a lot that I need to find out from now on .

I should check it out whenever I can while clearing the floor . If it is really confusing, I should just ask Kiri Kiri for more detailed explanation .

All right . That’s enough of organizing .

[Round 14, Day Six, 17:10]

Shall I head out?

I have no need to rest in the waiting room .

I had plenty of nap at Kiri Kiri’s field . I’m already healed of all wounds, and my exhausted stamina is also replenished .

Let’s just go now .

[Would you like to enter?]

Um?

The party setting window is not appearing .

That means… it is a solo stage?

I get why I was teleported without any conditions and Kiri Kiri said I’ll be able to clear this without much difficulty .

They were probably omitted because they are not needed .

I think I’ll be able to get to higher floors pretty quickly if solo stages continue for a while .

While I’m at this, let’s try to catch up to the floors that others are at on other difficulties .

Initially, I was at fairly high floors in comparison to other challengers, but I spent too much time at the Sixth Floor .

In other difficulties, there are numerous rankers who are at the 30th Floor, which is called the residential area, and the floors above .

Of course, the stages at the Hell Difficulty are different, but I don’t like that I am behind on floor numbers .

I should go up faster .

I want to check out the residential area too .

“Let’s go . ”

* * *

Through the portal, I got to a bonfire room . I activated another portal inside the bonfire room, and I was standing at a lush jungle at an instant .

The landscape is something I had not experienced before .

It is probably better than deserts or ice lands .

It is a little, no… seriously hot and humid, but I can definitely endure this .

Still, if I didn’t have the heat resistance, I think I would have been in for a lot of pain .

What’s the clearing goal?

[You have entered the 12th Floor’s trial . ]

Description: Welcome to the Ihaoi Continent, the place that is well known to be the home world of Ihaoi race .

Ihaoi Continent’s environment is full of danger to the point that it is understandable why even the original residents abandoned their home world and left .

It is a savage world without any civilization . However, the continent is a prized tourist destination famous for extremely low chance of survival and ferocious predators .

Of course, there are not many challengers who came to test their strength at the Ihaoi’s jungle and left the place alive .

Young challenger who just became an adult and wishes to prove your abilities, the value you should possess in this continent is not bravery but cautiousness .

There will always be countless predators that will attempt to take your life . Survive the jungle for 25 days and prove that you are a fully matured adult and a warrior .

[Condition of Success]

1 . Survive for 25 days .

It is such a clear cut explanation .

Survive .

[Your inventory window is becoming inactive . ]

My inventory window is becoming inactive?

“Inventory . ”

There really is no response .

I looked at my two hands while feeling hopeless .

I didn’t even get to take a shield or sword .

In my pocket… It is empty .

There is nothing there .

Hahahaha . I feel like cursing someone .

Who should I curse?

… I should curse myself .

I let my guard down and entered this place without proper armaments .

I should reflect on this to never let it happen again in the future . Let’s hold out and think of this as a punishment .

I looked at the clear condition again .

Survive for 25 days huh…

By any chance… I need to be here for 25 days no matter what? That is not the case, right?

Right?

Uh? That isn’t the case, right?

* * *

“Kiri Kiri!! You should have told me about this!”

I am done for .

There is no condition for failure .

Moreover, there is no return portal .

I looked everywhere over and over, but I don’t see any portal .

In other words, unless I die, I need to stay in this jungle for 25 days no matter what .

However, now is…

[Round 14, Day 6, 17:15]

Considering the time, I cannot stay here for 25 days .

There is only 24 days before the round ends .

In other words, I need to stay trapped here for the next 24 days, and then I’ll get teleported to the waiting room .

After that, during the next round, I need to survive 25 days from the beginning to clear this place .

I have never seen a stage so shitty like this .

If I cleared the 11th Floor just a day sooner, just a day… This foul luck would have been avoided .

Uuuuaaaaa . Fuck .

Ugh . Let’s get this straight .

What should I do from now on?

I need to try to be content while living in poverty for the next 24 days .

I need to make a place to stay .

I need to make complete safety as my uttermost priority and procure food .

It is like being on a vacation at a South American jungle . Holla!

Still, making a camp and procuring food won’t be easy .

This is the 12th Floor at the Hell Difficulty .

Just like how wild animals declare their territories, should I select a territory and let that be known to the natives of this jungle?

Um… Since I still don’t know what kind of enemies I’ll be meeting, I am not sure yet .

They could be similar to humans or they could be wild animals evolved closer to monsters .

They could be something else completely unexpected .

Let’s think about this later .

One remaining method is clearing the 12th Floor in 24 days and getting outside .

Through the conquest clear .

The clear condition is 25 days of survival .

In that case, what if I eradicate all things that are threat to my life?

For now, I should explore this place and get a feel for the difficulty . If I see a possibility for success, then I should aim for the conquest clear .

[Kiaaaaaaa~]

An unpleasant high pitch roar was heard from somewhere .

Also, a giant shadow darkened the area .

When I turned around, what came into my field of view was a house sized… No… It was a building sized dinosaur .

A dinosaur that looks like that… What was it called?

I saw one in a picture book when I was a kid .

Brachiosaurs?

At that moment, there was another dinosaur of similar size that was charging at the one that I thought might be a Brachiosaurs .

Of the two dinosaurs fighting over there, none of them is an herbivore .

They are both carnivores .

It looked like they had been chewing on meat jerkies ever since they were hatched .

Along with loud roars, claws that were just as gigantic were swung, and soon incredible amount of blood was spread to the air .

It looks like water coming out of firetruck’s hose .

I think I could make a swimming pool if I collected all that blood on a crater .

[Kwaaaaaa!]

A roar exploded out again, and this time, red flame started to linger around a dinosaur’s mouth .

With that, the dinosaur was…

What the, what is that? By any chance, is that it?

It is not the time to just sit here and watch .

For now, it’s time to bounce .

The amount of mana being focused at that dinosaur’s mouth is no joke .

I’m far away from it, but even I can feel it .

That is extremely dangerous .

Kwaaaaang~

While I was running, I could hear colliding sound from my back, and the ground shook .

I slowly looked back to see . It seemed like it was a shockwave from the fire breath from one dinosaur colliding with the barrier of the other dinosaur, the one that I thought was a brachiosaurs .

It was the real fire breath!

Seriously, why the fuck is there a dragon on the 12th Floor?

I need to run .

Dinosaur blood was raining down from the sky like heavy summer rain . I ran through the bushes to avoid the blood rain . I diligently rolled my brain while running .

What should I do?

I don’t even have any information . Aiming for the conquest clear at a Jurassic Park with berserk dragons running around is not a sane decision .

I need information .