Chapter 5 : Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Since We’re Here, Let’s Go to the 10th Floor (2)

The remaining summon time was about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

After talking with Chun-sik, eating chicken skewers, and doing various other things, time had already passed like this.

For an ordinary player, it was far from enough time to clear up to the 10th floor, but.

‘Who cares.’

[The 1st floor has been cleared.]

The 1st floor was cleared in 2 seconds, so. There was no need to worry at all.

“Shall we go to the 2nd floor right away?”

Chun-sik approached with a sword in one hand and a magic crystal in the other.

“We should.”

I said as I put the magic crystal into the bag I had brought. To think making money was this easy.

Drawing a single illustration could take from a few hours to a few days. But to think I had earned the value of several illustrations in just 2 seconds.

This was why people were dying to become players.

‘This is crazy.’

Now that some time has passed since the appearance of Avalon.

Several types of players have emerged, one of which was the ‘grinder.’

They would decide on a floor that had the least risk and could be cleared stably, and then climb only up to that point every day.

Quite a lot of players would grind like that.

It was because it took little time, but the money earned was quite substantial.

Of course, there were players who craved power and had ambitions who would challenge higher floors, but they were in the minority.

Currently, Avalon has been cleared up to the 60th floor. There were definitely more floors remaining, but.

It did not go berserk just because they did not clear them, so everyone was content with that.

In fact, I also think that the majority of players were currently complacent. No, that they had fallen into a sense of mannerism.

What were they going to do if a major berserk state suddenly occurred.

But that was a job for the S-Class players to handle. I just had to do my own thing.

“My lord. I am telling you this just in case.”

Suddenly, Chun-sik’s eyes blazed and he opened his mouth.

“Wh-what?”

“You must never become complacent, my lord.”

“What’s with the sudden talk.”

“You must always aim for the high ground and pursue strength. Only then are you my lord.”

I wondered what he was going to say. This guy, he was a Sword Master.

A Sword Master who was always devoted to training and pursued strength. A battle maniac who was always looking for an opponent.

“That is why I am training you, my lord.”

The guy gave a warning that was not quite a warning and then turned his body.

“Then we will go to the 2nd floor.”

“I’m the one who decides whether we go or not, you know?”

“Are you not going?”

“……I’m going.”

“Let’s go then.”

What a jerk. He just called me lord, lord, but did he really think of me as his lord?

[Do you wish to enter Avalon’s 2nd floor?]

I immediately operated the system window and entered the 2nd floor of Avalon.

When I opened my eyes drowsily, Chun-sik was already gone.

But before I could even properly check the scenery of the 2nd floor, a message window appeared and blocked my view.

[The 2nd floor has been cleared.]

“Hmm. It took 3 seconds.”

Was it difficult because it was the 2nd floor?

A moment later.

[The 3rd floor has been cleared.]

Not long after that.

[The 4th floor has been cleared.]

…….

Soon after, I broke through to the 5th floor in an instant.

‘What is this. Am I dreaming.’

When the number of magic crystals reached five, the bag became quite heavy. A smile naturally formed on my face.

To think that making money was such an easy thing.

“So this is how people grind.”

“Do not be content with reality. Look to the future.”

“……I know. I get it.”

Chun-sik would tackle me as soon as I opened my mouth. I really did not know who was the summon and who was the master.

“If you become even a little lazy, I will not clear the floors. All of this is for you, my lord. Please forgive this rudeness……”

“Agh! I get it!! Just clear it. I have to clear them to go to higher floors or whatever!”

“As expected, you are admirable. I will learn from your great mindset by your side.”

I really needed to sew that cunning mouth shut. I wonder when would be a good time.

‘Will the day ever come when my strength surpasses his?’

On that day, I would slap that smug mouth and sew it shut. It was the biggest goal of my life that I had just created.

Before I knew it, we reached the 10th floor.

It was the last floor for today. Seeing Chun-sik’s strength, I felt like we could go further, but I was not mentally prepared yet.

SHWING!

“Here, I too will cast aside my rudeness. O, boss of the 10th floor.”

Chun-sik, who had cleared a whole 9 floors with just a magic storm, finally drew his sword.

“Ooh……! Are you finally showing your skills?”

“I have no doubt that just watching will be of great help to you, my lord. My movements, the use of my muscles, the trajectory of my sword, and so on. See and absorb everything. If you do so, I will gladly raise my sword for you, my lord.”

“Uh. Yeah.”

I had said something unnecessary. It was obvious what Chun-sik would say anyway.

From the 1st to the 10th floor, it was like……. a feeling that the worldview was connected.

If weak and shabby skeletons appeared on the 1st floor, then slightly less weak skeletons appeared on the 2nd floor.

In this way, the monsters that appeared were all similar, but the difficulty increased little by little.

Which means, the 10th floor.

“My lord, prepare for an attack. Although it is the 10th floor, it is too much for your current self, my lord.”

“Uh, of course! I’m already running, so don’t worry!”

A boss appeared.

CRACKLE CRACKLE.

A wide plaza with a cave as a backdrop.

An ominous magic power was gathering at its edge. It was ominous just looking at it. It felt like something was about to come out.

SHWING!

Just like when Chun-sik was summoned, a black longsword shot out from between the mist.

Its lower body was a horse with 4 legs, but its upper body was human. In one hand was a sword, and in the other hand was a skull with burning eye sockets…….

“Wow, it’s really a Death Knight.”

[10th Floor Final Boss.]

[The ‘Death Knight’ that does not fall no matter how many times you cut it has appeared.]

[You can defeat it by breaking the gimmick.]

“A poor soul who still seeks the crumbs of honor even after becoming a wraith.”

Chun-sik looked at the guy with his sword in hand.

“Kuaaaak!!”

When the skull he was holding let out a scream, a powerful magic storm swept through the plaza.

SHWAAAAAK!

“Keuk.”

Damn, it. It was strong. I was not even the one fighting, but my body became rigid.

Was this the ‘Fear’ I had only heard about.

The reason the guy was tricky was that he used Fear during battle to stiffen the body. That was why many newbie players who had not accumulated experience had died.

“Your cry is mixed with anger.”

On the other hand, Chun-sik moved his body freely as if nothing was wrong.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

“My lord! Get out of the way!!”

As the guy started to rush in, Chun-sik urgently shouted. As I said before, I had already run. I had already found a rock to hide behind, and I could only hope that it was sturdy.

‘Wow……. How on earth do other players catch that thing?’

Of course, they would form a party, but I still could not do it. I was scared just looking at it.

‘I can’t do it yet…….’

The appropriate level for conquering the 10th floor set by the Association was 2. On top of that, it was a situation where they recommended that only experts who were properly equipped or had at least one sub-skill should enter.

To sum it up in one sentence, conquering it was ridiculously hard.

SHWING!

Chun-sik’s sword flashed. The guy’s right arm that was holding the skull was cut off powerlessly.

‘Huh. They said its defense was high.’

Conquering it, was it really hard……?

“Kuaak!”

The Death Knight raised its sword. The black longsword rushed towards Chun-sik’s head.

“I cannot understand your heart with just one battle, but!”

Chun-sik never rested his mouth even while fighting. It was to the point where his voice was louder than the Death Knight’s screams.

“I have no doubt that you will regain your honor someday!!”

WHOOSH!

A small, red contrail was left in the place where the sword strike passed with a mighty roar.

Chun-sik swung his sword without resting. Numerous contrails left in the air surrounded the Death Knight.

“Rest. Even for a moment.”

SHWAAAAAK!

His attack was not aimed at the Death Knight, but at the arm he had just cut off. Chun-sik’s sword strike split the skull in half.

At the same time as the skull was split in half, the Death Knight stood still.

‘That Chun-sik fellow…….’

He already knew the strategy.

I had not told him. Since it was impossible for a summon to have used the internet, it meant he had known from the beginning.

CRACKLE.

Chun-sik muttered as he looked at the disintegrating skull.

“You too may achieve nirvana if you are lucky. I hope you do not lose hope.”

“Grrr.”

“Me, you ask? For now, I am simply offering my life for my lord. But isn't that the same for you? We simply have different lords.”

I could no longer hear Chun-sik’s voice.

However, where the Death Knight had fallen, there was only a larger magic crystal than the previous ones.

Chun-sik approached, holding the magic crystal that had fallen to the ground.

“As commanded, I have cleared up to the 10th floor.”

“Alright.”

Chun-sik’s expression was quite dark. To the point where I, who was trying to greet him cheerfully, flinched without realizing it.

“Are we going back right away, my lord?”

“Yeah. I’m tired, and I don't think going further would be the right thing to do to you either.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Let’s go back.”

The bag was full, so I had to hold the 10th-floor magic crystal in my hand.

With both hands full, I headed to the Avalon lobby. Today’s schedule ended like this.

“Even after I am dismissed, please be sure to train. And take a video. I will check it.”

“Agh, I’ll do it. I’ll do it! I just have to do it, right!”

“As expected of my lord. You are very reliable.”

Before the summon was dismissed, Chun-sik nodded his head in satisfaction.

***

“……He's registered.”

The unnamed player who had been showing up as Unknown was officially registered as a player as of today.

[Level 1Lv Park Si-hoo.]

He was a player they had been eagerly waiting for to register, but in fact, his achievement was only one.

Clearing the 1st floor. And in a mere 2 seconds at that.

Baek Sang-cheol could not take his eyes off the computer screen displaying the player’s information.

“Park Si-hoo……. It’s a name I’ve never heard before, but it’s definitely this person. The timing of his magic power activation, and everything else. It all fits perfectly.”

When registering a player, a part of the subject’s magic power was required. Also, they registered the player by comparing it with the magic power detected by the Association, and he was definitely the same person from yesterday.

“……My god. Was yesterday just a warm-up.”

Baek Sang-cheol’s jaw dropped without him realizing.

It was because an even more shocking fact than yesterday was displayed on the monitor.

A truly unconventional move. There had never been a player like this before.

TAP TAP TAP.

Just then, with urgent footsteps, the door burst open and a middle-aged man approached Sang-cheol.

“Unknown! The Unknown has been registered!?”

“Yes, Team Leader! Look at this.”

“Is it the same person?”

“Yes. You will be astounded when you see it.”

“Did he clear the 1st floor in 2 seconds again today?”

“It's more than that…….”

“More than that?”

The Team Leader, who tilted his head in confusion, stood next to Sang-cheol and looked at the screen.

“……It’s on a level that can’t even be compared to clearing it in 1 second. It’s not a computer error, right?”

“Absolutely not. I’ve tried turning it off and on, and I’ve refreshed it dozens of times. It’s real.”

The person who had registered as a player today had cleared up to the 10th floor. The meaning of this was clear.

A newly awakened player had to clear their way from the 1st floor to climb to the desired floor.

In order to clear the path, whether by forming a party or whatever, they had to be in that spot at the moment of clearing.

The fact that Park Si-hoo had cleared the 10th floor meant that he had cleared the path from the 1st to the 10th floor.

“Does that even make sense? Even the currently active S-Class players weren’t like this at the beginning.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“It took a total of 10 minutes to reach the 10th floor. Are you sure he went alone? Maybe he cleared it with an A-Class player?”

“……Absolutely not! If that were the case, I wouldn’t have called you, Team Leader.”

“That’s true. But it’s just unbelievable.”

At Sang-cheol’s words, the Team Leader tore at his hair. Sang-cheol pondered for a moment before carefully opening his mouth.

“Team Leader, perhaps this player.”

“You think he has S-Class potential?”

“No.”

At the firm denial, the Team Leader looked at Sang-cheol.

“I’m thinking higher. Even the current S-Class players weren’t this good in the past.”

“You’re saying that we’re the only ones who know about a player who might become even stronger than the current S-Class players?”

The Team Leader silently looked at the screen. After clicking around with the mouse, he opened his mouth in a low voice.

“Sang-cheol. Bring this person in immediately. Before he becomes famous and gets snatched up by another guild. Especially, Tae-yang!”

“Are you saying we should make him a member of the Association?”

“Of course.”

At the Team Leader’s words, Sang-cheol urgently took out a piece of paper and a pen and asked.

“What should the contract terms be?”

“……Contract terms.”

The Team Leader, who had been contemplating deeply, opened his mouth after a long while.

“Start with the contract level of an A-Class player. If that’s not enough, add more. I agree with you too. This player might……. become even stronger than an S-Class.”

The Team Leader placed his hand on Sang-cheol’s shoulder. Grabbing both shoulders firmly, he shook Sang-cheol and said.

“So you must bring him in. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand……! I will form a team and visit him immediately.”

“Hurry. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes famous. We’ll recruit him before that.”

“Yes, sir!”

“I’ll make a report and get it approved right now. You prepare the contract right away.”

Starting with those words, the Association was busy until dawn. All because of just one player.