#55
55. Reporting Ceremony (1)
evening a few days ago.
Jenna and I were waiting on a bench in the plaza.
The master was connected, and the three-colored stones were rotating in the item synthesis window.
[Start item synthesis!]
[Optional Materials – Lesser Fire Attribute Stone, Lesser Water Attribute Stone, Lesser Wind Attribute Stone]
[Complete Item – Lesser Attribute Stone]
[Success Probability – 87%]
[Synthesis Method – Automatic]
[Do you want to synthesize?]
[Yes / No]
When Amkena touched ‘Yes’, the rotation of the attribute stones became faster and began to gather in one place.
White light colored the composite window with the sound of fireworks exploding.
System messages and control windows moved wildly in my field of vision, but I was the only one who could see them.
Jenna sat awkwardly on the bench and poked at me before saying,
“It’s a promotion, right?”
“okay.”
If you can see the status window, the description of the grade cannot be omitted.
He told me that there is a limit to growth depending on the grade, and that the promotion is what allows you to break through. If you dig into the stars and ratings a bit more, it won’t be 100% correct, but that’s enough for now.
After the strike, Amkena steadily went back and forth between the 8th and 9th floors to train the 1st party.
I reached level 12, Iolka reached level 8, Aaron reached level 9, and Jenna reached level 10. Level 10 is the watershed of promotion. I was able to try to upgrade right away without wasting experience points because I kept collecting materials from the daily dungeon.
[Kudang-dang-dang-dang!]
[Fairy Power!]
[Fail!]
[Synthesis failed!]
[The material disappears.]
‘Does that fail?’
Attribute stone is not an easy material to obtain.
Rare monsters are not always there, and the drop rate is not high. Still, in preparation for such a case, he had collected extra attribute stones.
Amkena opened the synthesis window again and tried to combine.
[Good!]
[Synthesis complete!]
[You have acquired ‘Low Attribute Stone’.]
A success message popped up.
After a while, Isel came out of the warehouse holding the upgrade seat.
[You are also a 2 star. Time is free.]
Isel threw the upgrade seat with a sad expression.
Jenna took the upgrade seat and looked outside.
“It looks strange.”
[Master, promotion begins!]
rattle.
The door to the synthesis was opened.
Jenna stared into the synthesis with a stiff face.
“You’re not going to die, are you?”
“Okay.”
I don’t know what will happen during the promotion process.
I couldn’t see it when I was a Master, and what I actually experienced was a bit special.
“Anyway, I’m coming!”
After saluting me, Jenna approached the synthesis center.
As soon as Jenna entered, the doors to the promotion center and synthesis center were closed at the same time.
While Jenna was getting promoted, I looked at the statue of a war horse adorned above the fountain.
I left the statue here and forgot it, but it seemed that someone had made a pedestal and decorated it.
‘It’s boring.’
I didn’t have to come to the promotion site.
It was because he said he was worried about Jenna and asked her to come with him.
Tired of looking at the statues, I organized my thoughts.
If you complete the promotion to Aaron, you will go up to the 10th floor. In other words, it meant that the 15th floor challenge was right around the corner. It was time to slowly prepare to attack the 15th floor.
Unlike the 10th floor, the 15th floor does not trigger a linked quest, but it is partially affected by the previous stage. Even if not openly, a little bit of information that can infer the mission to some extent is given. In order to survive, even a small hint could not be ignored.
I was organizing the information briefly, but the message was updated.
[The hero’s forgotten memories awaken.]
[‘Jenna(★★)’, promotion complete! 2 stars.]
The synthesizer’s door opened and Jenna walked out.
His complexion was unusually pale.
“What’s going on?”
Jenna slumped down next to me and said,
The voice was quiet.
“I had a strange dream. The forest where I lived was on fire.”
“It’s a dog dream.”
“That’s it… I’m… somehow…”
“Forget it. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Jenna, who had been depressed for a moment, smiled awkwardly.
“Ahaha, right? I mean, there are bad dreams too.”
“What else?”
“Um, and that’s it. Feeling like something’s punctured? Nothing else.”
Apparently, the normal promotion process seemed to end with seeing memories.
In my case, something unlucky intervened.
‘It seems that he recovers his memory while going through promotions.’
If so, it means that the current heroes are in a state of amnesia.
Perhaps by reaching 4 stars, or even 5 stars at the latest, the heroes will know the general truth.
How were they summoned? what was their world like?
As the case was a little different from mine, I thought it would be necessary to ask if my memory came back.
The next day, Jenna regained her original vivacity.
Shortly thereafter, Aaron also finished his promotion. I didn’t accompany him this time, so I didn’t know what kind of dream he had. However, it seemed that the will to go back was much stronger than before. Aaron didn’t stop training until late at night.
midnight.
The clock points to dawn.
Aaron is staring at me with a tired face. There were dark spots under her eyes. Since she did not rest from morning to night, it was a natural change. said Aaron.
“Is your brother not going back?”
“I have work to do.”
“You’re worse than me. I need to work harder too.”
“If you overdo it, you will ruin your body. Do it in moderation.”
“Brother…”
“I’m fine.”
Aaron smiled bitterly and left the training center.
I toured the camp.
The training ground, which was busy with people half a day ago, is empty.
I approached the wooden doll with my sword drawn. A doll that imitates the human body. As the training center reached level 2, practice items also evolved from scarecrows to wooden dolls. I activated a switch in my head.
[‘Han (★★)’ has entered a berserk state!]
My brain instantly became hot.
A sense of omnipotence, as if he could do anything, ran through the nerves of his body. After I got into a position, I started sculpting. right eye. left shoulder. heart. lower abdomen. rib. groin. calf. Every time the blade danced, the wood was dug up and sawdust scattered.
after about 3 minutes.
The wooden doll was broken everywhere.
This wooden doll is not scratched even with a tolerable knife. Aaron had to insert the stab with maximum power to cut it slightly. However, now it had lost its human form and had been reduced to a mere piece of wood.
‘The power is definitely getting stronger.’
Even looking at the status window, the change is clear.
All stats except intelligence increase by 5.
I got closer to the wooden doll and examined it closely.
It is to make sure that the sword is well inserted in the intended place. Inserting a weapon exactly where you want it was one of the basic skills I learned the most faithfully. But after a while I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of disappointment.
‘Is it still incomplete?’
The sword attack is slightly out of line with what I intended.
accuracy is inferior. If it is normal, there should be no deviation.
Even if you activate berserk, you won’t lose your sanity due to composure, but there is a penalty.
When I turned off the switch in my head, the fever subsided. Instead, a lukewarm dull pain ran through her body.
‘If it’s a skill that creates synergy with each other, it’s normal to combine them into one.’
Just as the low-level swordsmanship and low-level shield skills were replaced by the low-level swordsmanship, if the two skills are properly harmonized, they should be combined into one skill. I did an experiment just in case, and it worked just fine.
‘If you activate berserk, your body will become stronger, but your skills will deteriorate and you will lose your composure.’
Light radiated from the wooden doll that had been cut into pieces, and it began to recover.
I activated Berserk once more and started practicing again.
While suppressing the heat in my head, I do not lose control of my body. The goal is to combine skills. Until the two skills merge into one. I wanted to complete it at least until I reached the 15th floor.
It wasn’t a sight to show others, so I practiced alone, but after a while I realized that someone was watching me.
“…”
It stopped working.
I turned around and saw Edith leaning against the wall, looking at me.
Edith made eye contact with me and waved her hand.
“You have a lot of trouble late at night.”
“What’s going on this morning?”
Unlike Aaron, who is a training fanatic, Edith often finishes her training quickly. It was not uncommon to stay until late in the evening. Edith removed his body from the wall and came slowly towards me.
“I have something to say.”
“What to say?”
“We’re going to the 12th floor soon.”
“I guess so.”
Edith’s basic affiliation is Party 2, but temporarily belongs to Party 1.
At first, it was a little futile, but after battle after battle, he was now paying more than his wages. Edith hesitated for a moment, then he spoke in a firm voice.
“Have you ever killed a person?”
‘This sounds ridiculous again.’
I sheathed my sword and turned to Edith.
“Why are you asking that?”
“I heard you weren’t from the combat profession. Jenna was a forest ranger, Aaron was a hunter, and you were a farmer? I don’t believe it.”
“so.”
“Killing people is different from killing monsters.”
Edith lost focus.
It was like recalling a distant memory.
“From the twelfth floor…”
“You mean the enemy is a human.”
Edith silently nodded.
‘is it.’
The 2nd party attacked the 12th floor first.
On the 12th floor, Usher and Dicka went to the brink of death, which became the decisive reason for the 2nd party to join the strike. The reason they struggled was not the level of difficulty.
“Are you asking for determination?”
“Yes, to survive.”
“You know the answer better.”
I smiled and replied.
My life here was already established by the death of another person. Shay. Toby. Avant. There are only three of them synthesized by me. will increase in the future. Edith smiled bitterly.
“That’s true too. It’s as if you killed the maned wolf.”
“Do you want to criticize me?”
“No, I just… ha, I don’t know what to say.”
“No matter what comes out, no matter what they look like, they are monsters.”
“You’d think so, but your party might be different.”
“It won’t be different. If it’s different, you’ll have to save someone else.”
Humanoid monsters definitely exist.
A lot of it too. There were also many enemies who were not humanoid, but just human.
I didn’t expect to go from a skeleton on the 11th floor to a humanoid at once, but it was something I had to go through at least once anyway. I continued.
“In a word, it’s useless worry. Did you get an answer?”
“……okay.”
Edith hesitated a little and then disappeared outside the camp.
‘Murder.’
It is considered the worst crime in modern society.
Judging from Edith’s reaction, it seemed that the treatment was no different in Taoni.
‘It’s funny.’
Hundreds of goblins were slaughtered, and many things in human form, such as the black priest on the 10th floor and the walking corpse, were cut into pieces. I was tired of seeing people die. The color of the blood, its scent, and its heat remained vivid.
“…”
I drew my sword.
There was still a lot to do.
