Episode 16 Fix Zone (1)
“You know.”
“uh.”
“Why do you think it’s true?”
“To Song Cheon-hye?”
“huh.”
It’s a positive sign that you’re starting to open up about your worries.
Because it means that you have opened your heart even a little.
That is why it was necessary to deal with it more carefully.
I chose my words for a moment.
“I guess the terrain had a big influence. The arena was narrow and there was no cover. It was disadvantageous for a musketeer.”
The circular arena and deathmatch are environments and rules that practically force a head-on confrontation.
If the game had been played under different conditions, the result would have been different.
Even if the space had been two or three times larger, it would have been extremely difficult to cover with [Lightning Thread].
If there had been cover there, there was a high chance that the hiding would have gone undetected for the entire 5 minutes, so it could have been taken as a decision win.
But the calligrapher slowly shook his head.
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
Rather than blaming external factors, we want a fundamental solution.
As a musketeer, how can I break through Song Cheon-hye’s magic barrier, and even the magic barrier of a more powerful high-ranking magician?
That’s the real question.
The answer was already prepared, but for now I decided to take a step back.
“I thought about it while watching, but I don’t know if it would be helpful to hear it from me. I’m a supporter. My score is lower than yours.”
“Still, I want to hear it.”
I’d like to hear your thoughts, whether they help or not.
If you’ve come this far, I think it’s safe to say that I’m giving advice as a veteran general rather than a supporter.
I showed both palms.
“Now, look.”
A handful of mana rose from each hand, compressed, and formed into a bullet shape.
I intentionally made the shapes of the two magic bullets different.
While one barely retained its shape, the other was so elaborate that it would have been believable if it had been an actual bullet painted blue.
“If you could only use one foot on the magic barrier, what would you take?”
“… … .”
It was a question with a set answer.
The calligrapher’s finger pointed towards the delicate side.
At the same time, he looked slightly surprised. It seemed like this was the first time he had seen such a perfect magic bullet shape.
‘Should I have made it a bit more awkward?’
Come to think of it, this may be basic by my standards, but it may not be by the standards of a first-year student.
In times like these, it’s important not to show it and let it pass naturally.
First, he picked up a clumsy magic bullet and poked his palm with the tip.
The bullet shape quickly disintegrates and scatters away.
“If you try to break through the barrier with a magic bullet that has only a moderate shape, it will become a battle between magic power and magic power. In that case, the magician with superior magic power will inevitably have the advantage.”
Next, he lifts his sophisticated side and pokes his palm with the tip of his hand in the same way.
The tip is destroyed and a little blue energy leaks out, but the shape does not collapse.
“But the reason why the inspector can cut through the magician’s barrier and the musketeer can break through it is because they use concentrated, condensed magic power. So, if you invest more time in magic training and pay attention to the shape of each magic bullet, I think you’ll find the answer.”
“… … .”
The calligrapher listened silently until I finished my explanation.
Then he tilts his head slightly and asks,
“How do you train your magical powers?”
“……what?”
I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.
Asking again to confirm.
“If you don’t know how to train your magical powers, how did you make magical bullets until now?”
“Just do it and it’ll work.”
“What about the [Magic Bullet] skill?”
“I didn’t learn.”
“?”
“?”
He still looks like he doesn’t understand my reaction.
‘This is unexpected.’
The magic bullet I just made was pretty good, but it was really just for show.
The killing power of a plain magic bullet and a bullet with the [Magic Bullet] skill added to it is as different as heaven and earth.
Skills that form the basic foundation of a musketeer.
But he says he hasn’t learned it yet.
Since he doesn’t even know how to train his magical powers, I guess his related skills and characteristics are also close to the bottom.
So in the end, it all comes down to feeling, right?
‘It’s genius.’
Rather, we should raise the evaluation of calligraphers by one level.
This means that Song Cheon-hye was made to struggle without even having a proper grasp of the basics.
I feel the need to see for myself where that talent ends.
“If it’s okay, would you like to take the time to look at it?”
“huh.”
The calligrapher immediately accepted my offer.
I was just thinking about trying a few things out now,
— ♩♪♩♬
A melody flowing from the speakers announced the end of lunch time.
It was time for the offensive to begin.
* * *
A hill that is neither too high nor too low, taking up one section of Dungeon Island.
That mountain is not a place for people to come and go.
This is where you go in.
And if you go inside through the huge tunnel in front of you, you will come across a magical realm with countless dungeons intertwined and extending endlessly underground.
This is the Dungeon Hall, the place where the students of Yongsal Academy fight battles.
“Brother Kim.”
I met Go Hyun-woo near the tunnel.
When we met again, Go Hyun-woo’s expression brightened significantly.
He asked, handing me the sandwich.
“Are you feeling a little better?”
“Thank you. Thank you again.”
“You don’t have to be thankful for everything. Just friends.”
Go Hyun-woo took the lead, finishing the sandwich in the blink of an eye.
“Then let’s go and finish the placement test.”
* * *
All the dungeons on the ground floor of the Dungeon Building are artificial dungeons built for the purpose of educating or testing students.
A good example is the multiple teleportation portals gaping open next to the water cannon.
“Everyone is here. I will explain the strategy.”
Lee Soo-dok opened a small window next to him.
MAP:[Foggy Forest]
RULE: [High Score], [10 Minutes Limit], [Fix Zone]
“You go through the portal one by one and take the test. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the high score rules.”
High score.
The number of monsters killed during the 10-minute time limit is added up and converted into points.
Higher grade monsters also have higher points per monster.
For example, orcs and trolls give more points than goblins.
The goal is to kill as many quality monsters as possible within the time limit.
“I will give you time to ask questions.”
“I… … . teacher.”
A student cautiously raised his trembling hand.
I’m afraid to ask questions because the other person is a human being, but
It’s even more frightening to take the placement test without resolving the questions that have just arisen.
“Um… …. What are the rules for the Fix Zone?”
After asking that question, he looked at the other students as if asking for their consent, and judging from the similar expressions on their faces, it seemed like they had the same question.
Lee Soo-dok answered as if he was asking an obvious question.
“Fixed Zone is a fixed ability zone. Literally, everything is ‘fixed’ to the lowest level of performance. The [Cores] that most of you have are also limited to F-rank, so be careful. Those who normally use magic without any shortage will regret it if they mismanage their mana.”
“… … !”
“… … !”
It was a sound like a bolt from the blue.
The performance of equipment, skills, and characteristics that have been treated as if they were your own body will decrease significantly.
The only things that remain the same are the skills that have been ingrained in one’s body over the years.
Go Hyun-woo lowered his voice and asked me.
“Are you saying that in this place called Fix Zone, any famous sword will be no different from this iron sword?”
“That’s right. It’s not that you can’t use high-grade items or skills at all, but their power just doesn’t come out. It might be better to swing your sword one more time during that time.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
As he says that, he slowly strokes the newly brought iron sword.
However, only a few people in our class, including Ko Hyun-woo, found this situation interesting.
Most of them looked at a loss, their expressions filled with confusion and worry.
I glanced over and saw that Song Cheon-hye had also not expected this kind of test content at all, and a look of bewilderment was clearly visible on her face.
– What the hell is this fix zone all of a sudden?
– I heard that you have to be in the second year to get that.
– Hey, is that really difficult?
– I don’t know, but my seniors really hated it.
– Really? I’m screwed… … .
“stop.”
At Lee Soo-dok’s one word, everyone shut their mouths as if they had made a promise.
It was Lee Soo-dok who spoke with a spit-like expression.
“It is very common for the contents of the dungeon to differ from the information you have investigated. Are you going to continue to flounder around like you are doing now, unable to figure out what to do? You should think about how to deal with the rapidly changing situation.”
The reprimand was very effective.
Everyone began to harden their faces and make their resolutions.
With the mindset to use everything I have, no matter what awaits me inside.
“Then get ready. Students, starting with the name called, enter one by one. Choi Jeongpil.”
Choi Jeong-pil stepped forward with a nervous look on his face.
I took a few deep breaths and stepped into the teleportation portal, and soon the dungeon closed its mouth.
After checking up to that point, Lee Soo-dok called out the next name.
“Han So-mi.”
“yes!”
Han So-mi smiled pleasantly and entered the dungeon with light steps.
There was absolutely no sign of nervousness in his appearance, so Lee Soo-dok’s eyes took on a strange look for a moment.
Soon, he looks away and moves on to the next thing.
“Park Kyung-ah.”
Each time a name was called, the number of students waiting decreased by one, and the teleportation portals closed one by one.
When the dungeons were half full,
“Khuuuk!”
With a single scream, a student was ejected from the portal.
The rule is to kill as many monsters as possible in 10 minutes, but this guy has only been in for about 3 minutes, let alone 10.
Mid-term retirement.
The dungeon’s safety device determined that the test could no longer proceed for some reason, and kicked the participants out.
“Eww!”
The portal spit out another student.
This one held out for 2 more minutes, so 5 minutes.
Of course, the point of retirement is the same.
‘I guess it was as usual.’
You don’t even need to look to see what happened inside.
As usual, I would have tried to sweep away the monsters by using my skills like usual.
Ignoring the fact that the skill’s destructive power has dropped to F-class.
The monsters that should have been swept away in a heap were alive and running at you, so you must have been beaten up pretty badly while you were at a loss.
After being beaten like that for so long, he was eventually kicked out.
“100 million!”
“Whoa!”
There were a lot of dropouts.
This also means that the number of students crawling on the floor has increased.
The students waiting for their turn became even more nervous as they watched the scene.
I decided I would never do that again.
“Ugh… … .”
“Stop it, stop hitting me you motherfuckers… …!”
The dropouts continued to groan and roll on the floor after being kicked out of the dungeon.
Although there was no physical harm as it was an artificial dungeon with multiple safety devices in place, the experience of being lynched by a mob of monsters swarming around must have been enough to cause mental breakdown.
Then, 10 minutes passed since the attack had finally begun.
The first person in our class to fill 10 minutes was
It was Choi Jeong-pil who first entered.
He looked mentally exhausted as he staggered out, but he managed to get his feet on the ground.
[Choi Jeong-pil, 530 points, 20%]
A little away from the portals in the battlefield, there is a large holographic window the size of a poster. This is the leaderboard.
[Name, score, ranking] is displayed in real time based on the entire grade.
Soon after, Han So-mi, who entered after Choi Jeong-pil, and Park Kyung-ah, who entered after that, also finished their exams and walked out.
[Han So-mi, 928 points, 1st place] New!
… …
[Park Kyung-ah, 543 points, 40%]
[Choi Jeong-pil, 530 points, 45%]
Successful students began to emerge from other classes as well.
Each time, names and scores were added to the leaderboard, and rankings were continuously updated.
Choi Jeong-pil’s ranking, which was in the top 20%, has fallen sharply.
– Wow, look at Han So-mi’s score.
– Almost double, double.
– Is that the difference in skill?
– If you get to know him, he’s a really scary guy.
– It looks really cute.
The audience’s attention, which had been focused on the eliminated contestants, quickly shifted to the leaderboard.
As I started talking about rankings, I started getting more and more motivated.
[Fix Zone] I’m still nervous, but I think I’m motivated by the desire to rank high on the leaderboard that everyone sees.
“Calligrapher.”
It was the calligrapher’s turn.
Finally, he gave a brief piece of advice to the calligrapher who was checking two pistols.
“It would be better to use a rifle. If you feel like it’s getting difficult to manage your mana, just use it to headshot those who get close.”
“huh.”
The calligrapher accepted my advice without asking any questions.
The pistols were quickly disassembled and reassembled into rifles.
He glances at me with expressionless eyes, and somehow it seems like he’s asking, ‘Did I do well?’
When I nod my head, he nods in return and enters the dungeon.
“… … .”
When I turned around with a stinging feeling on the back of my head, I saw Song Cheon-hye looking at me with a displeased look.
From his perspective, he must be wondering what kind of advice I have for his topic.
When our eyes met, he suddenly turned his head.
“Kim Ho.”
As I waited, my name was called.
As I put one foot into the portal, my body was sucked into somewhere.
The next moment I was standing in the middle of a foggy forest.
A forest that retains the darkness and dampness of dawn, before dawn.
[A monster will be summoned soon.]
[10:00 remaining]
I curled the corners of my mouth as I looked at the notification message.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’
At
A factory that produces S-class characters, ranked #1, and the strongest supporter.
And one more thing.
God of the Fix Zone.
The supporters ate it all
