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nChapter 5

nJust as the user Speedwagon said, the top left of the screen did have a filter option.

nEarth, Moorim, Seheranbad, Kylian.

n‘What…are there different dimensions?’

nHe wasn’t sure, but Yoon-seok couldn’t leave any possibility unchecked, so he started to look them over. He searched specifically for the Speedwagon’s messages. Suddenly, the whole messy chat room disappeared, and the messages by Speedwagon came into view.

n– Speedwagon: This place is called The Tower of Heaven, and it has four trials. The one you have chosen is called the Arena, the world of duels.

nYoon-seok absorbed the information that this unknown source offered.

nWe, the challengers, must fight an equal opponent every 24-hours. The basis for equality is based on experience, i.e., the total AP acquired by both parties.

nIn case of victory, you can buy equipment, learn skills, or increase your abilities using the AP obtained as a reward. Just like in a game.

nIn case of defeat, a coin will be used to revive. A challenger can revive themselves till their coin count reaches zero.

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n*Additional information, the price of a coin is 250 AP per unit.

nThe winner of the first duel will be rewarded with 2000 AP, while the loser will receive 1000 AP.

nReturning to your world is simple – one can buy a ticket from the Miscellaneous section. However, to waste your AP on an F-rank ticket right now would be suicidal.

nIt would be better to buy good equipment compatible with your unique skills rather than wasting points on improving the stats.

nThe last bit of information was crucial for Yoon-seok.

n-Speedwagon: That’s it, that’s all I know. I don’t have any other information because I’m just a first-floor loser, too. So, peace out!

nThat was his last message, and with that, the explanation was over. It was just a brief explanation, but for the clueless Yoon-seok, it was immeasurably helpful. He felt satisfied with the results of his curiosity. Now, he had to organize the information he obtained.

n‘At least now, I have some information on this system.’

nThe Tower of Heaven.

n‘And what was the other thing, Arena, was it? The ordeal of Dueling.’

nIf what Speedwagon said was correct, this place had a lot of game elements to it.

n‘But, who made this place, and for what purpose?’

nNo one knew at this point. Perhaps, its existence was divine, something that human beings couldn’t comprehend. Now that Yoon-seok knew how to use the filter, he filtered out the messages from the challengers from Earth.

n-Where_the_**?: Speedwagon! Please answer me. What should I do with my 1000AP?

n-Kimchi dumplings: Ugh…because of kids like you, it’s getting noisy. Try using your brain!

n-Where_the_**?: You idiot, block it if it’s getting loud.

n-Where_the_**?: Speedwagon! Speedwagon!!!

nIt seems there were only 347 participants from Earth. Only a small number of people were talking, and most of the messages in the chatroom were chaotic. Seeing nothing important, Yoon-seok returned to the original screen, choosing the Miscellaneous option next.

nstuff for sale in the Miscellaneous section, including convenience and other household items. It seems that even here, winning comes with a certain level of luxury. Soon, Yoon-seok found the “Return ticket” that Speedwagon mentioned.

n*Re-ticket (Rank C) – Tear the ticket, and you will be able to return to your original world.

nPrice: 200,000AP

n‘The description is too simple – simple enough to make me swear.’

nNo matter what, he had to fight and repeatedly win to earn that much AP. Then, he found the F-ranked ticket that Speedwagon advised not to buy.

n*Re-ticket (Rank F) – Tear a ticket, and you will be able to return to the original world for 24 hours.

nPrice: 300AP

nCurrently, Yoon-seok had a total of 2000 AP. If he wished, he could return to his world at any moment.

n‘But if I want to survive, for now, I’ll have to endure it.’

nEven if he bought a few F-ranked tickets, the outcome would be the same. In the end, he would automatically be teleported back after a few days. Yoon-seok considered buying one F-rank ticket to see if they worked properly, but he decided to postpone it for the next time.

n‘To return to Earth, even for just twenty-four hours? That’s good. But right now, the priority is survival.’

nChallengers had to save their AP to invest in equipment or perhaps to learn a skill. The more AP one had, the higher their chances of surviving. Yoon-seok returned to the home screen and chose Equipment, where another list appeared.

nWeapons

nArmor

nAccessories

nSpecial

nAmong the categories, Yoon-seok chose Weapons. The screen then changed once more, revealing even more options.

nDaggers

nBlunt weapons

nSpears

n‘There has to be something like brass knuckles.’

nYoon-seok defeated a monster with his bare fists, but that was only possible because his opponent didn’t have a weapon, either.

n‘Moreover, I still have no clue how I did that….’

nRight now, Yoon-seok needed weapons. There was a huge difference between fighting with bare knuckles and with equipment.

n‘But what weapon would suit me the best?’

nHe remembered a saying about how the longer the weapon one had, the more advantageous it was. Of course, the first one to stab had the best chance of winning.

n‘If that’s so, should I pick a spear?’

nYoon-seok, feeling distressed, soon shook his head.

n‘No, it’s better to pick a sword or a blunt weapon.’

nTo handle a spear, he had to use both hands. He must not only think about the range. If it were only about range, then a bow would be the best weapon here.

n‘I need a shield, too.’

nYoon-seok imagined himself in a real fight with someone. He shuddered at the thought of wielding blades to kill someone. Also, was it possible to block an incoming sword with another blade, just like in those animated shows he had seen? It looked quite unrealistic. Rather, it seemed more stable to block attacks with a shield and wield a sword or blunt weapon in the other hand.

n‘Well, I’ll look around some more….’

nSoon, he found a sword. He checked the details written on the item.

n‘Is this worth it?’

n*Black Longsword. (Rank F) – Unnamed sword. Hard and sharp.

nPrice: 1000AP

nA weapon with no special features. Magical and C-ranked weapons came with skills, but those weapons cost more than 100,000 AP.

n‘I can’t even access any item that is B-Rank and higher. Does that mean that my level has to be higher just to see them?’

nFor now, Yoon-seok put the weapon purchase on hold and started to explore the other items. Though Speedwagon advised buying equipment first, he couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t malicious advice.

nHe only had 2000 AP. So, caution was necessary to make the most efficient purchase. Yoon-seok, having decided to spend a bit more time looking around, took almost an hour as he skimmed through every available option. Finally, he concluded.

n‘Let’s buy a sword and a shield.’

nTo be honest, he felt scared about buying a sharp weapon. Just a little slip on his part, and he could injure himself with his blade. Also, to wield a sword, he must use a lot of force. Was it possible to wield a sword while holding a shield at the same time? Yoon-seok thought handling both a shield and a weapon might be possible if he was a bit stronger, but…that wasn’t the case.

nAfter scrolling for a while, he finally had a few weapons that he took into consideration.

n*Frantal Court Sword (Rank F ) – Dual-blade used by knights of the Frantal royal family.

nPrice: 1500AP

nThe shape of the sword was similar to that of a common rapier, about 120 cm in length. The sword was for quick slashing and stabbing, but it had a double-edged blade. Right now, this sword was perfect for Yoon-seok, based on its weight and length. It was light and could be comfortably used with one hand, while the length of its blade could grant him an advantage.

nOne flaw was that it wasn’t as durable as the other swords, but Yoon-seok didn’t mind that, as he had a unique skill to make up for it.

nEnhanced Weapon. That skill could make his F weapon temporarily jump a level, making it E . An E weapon costs at least 6000AP.

n「Your purchase has arrived.」

n「Please check the lower part of the statue.」

nJust as the messages popped up, the stone statue’s pedestal opened like a drawer. From it, Yoon-seok took out the sword and a shield. He didn’t even question how such a thing was possible; he wasn’t curious at all.

n‘Since I’ve invested a lot in the sword, the shield came out a bit poor.’

nThe F Ranked shield, purchased for 500 AP, was a simple round shield made of wood. Only its outer surface was lightly covered by iron. Because it wasn’t fully made of iron, it wasn’t particularly strong in defense, but having a lightweight shield brought him a mild sense of comfort.

n“It’s lighter than I thought.”

nYoon-seok took both the shield and the sword in his hands and began moving and swinging them around. Was he able to adjust because of his F- Ranked body? He knew it would have been quite difficult to move around if he was in his original body, but he didn’t feel any restrictions on his movement due to their weight.

nUnlike the other challengers who lost their strength due to being delegated to F-rank, Yoon-seok was originally weaker than an F-rank. Thus, it felt like a level-up.

n“Just in case, I should look at the chats.”

nHe looked at the ongoing chat while his arms moved non-stop, practicing with his sword and shield. If he wanted to fight properly, he couldn’t waste any time getting used to the sword and shield until they were like an extension of his limbs.

n‘Block, thrust.’

nYoon-seok needed to perfect the basics. He had a shield to protect him and a sword he could use to attack. He needed to be accustomed to using them.

nAs time passed, he realized something new.

n‘There’s a reason why there are no toilets around here.’

nHe didn’t feel hungry. Also, no matter how much he sweat or how tired he grew from practicing, he would return to his normal state after waiting a bit. In other words, he could train as long as he wanted in this waiting room.

n“Next duel in 21:31:46.”

nLooking at the clock, Yoon-seok thought to himself.

n‘I think this is the reason why the challengers are given twenty-four hours was to prepare for the next duel.’

nHowever, not all challengers thought like him.

n-Wind_Wind_Wind: Oh God, so bored. Isn’t this waiting time so annoying? Don’t waste time. TIME IS GOLD~

n-JWH904: There was a game machine in the miscellaneous items. Just bought it.

n-Wind_Wind_Wind: That was 900AP. I’d rather go home for three days than buy that.

n-Snow White: Does anyone know what’s happening on the Earth? With so many people going missing, they will surely investigate it, right?

n– Wind_Wind_Wind: Do you think the government could save us? There’s a whole bunch of other dimensions dragged into this.

n-JWH904: Can’t we change our skills? Mine’s a total mess.

n– Wind_Wind_Wind: What is it?

n-JWH904: I won’t tell you.

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nYoon-seok filtered the chat room, limiting the users to only those who were from Earth. However, there was nothing helpful in the conversations that were happening. Some whined about the current situation, while others randomly talked about their lives on Earth. And a few of them talked about their last battle as if it was some sort of an epic saga.

nInside that stone chamber, without a smartphone, it was their way of killing time. But Yoon-seok was different.

nWoosh-! Woosh-!

nAnd after some point, he stopped looking at the chatroom altogether.

n‘Thrust, cut, block…’

nYoon-seok concentrated on repeating those three actions.

n“Ha… Ha…”

nYoon-seok was breathing heavily. Through an unknown process, his body recovered to its normal state every ten minutes or so. However, the amount of sweat on his body continued to increase. More and more drops of sweat started to swell up and drip down.

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nSlowly yet steadily, Yoon-seok’s movements started to change.

n‘The shield isn’t just for blocking; I can also use it to attack.’

nHe was currently exploring different ways to use his shield and the sword, determined to learn and prepare for the upcoming duel.

n‘While slashing, the center of gravity must be on the lower half of the body.’

nYoon-seok was getting used to this unfamiliar sword. Muscles that he had never put to use since he was born were all revealing themselves, one at a time. People used to say that every human had a gift, but only a few had the opportunity to make it bloom. If so, was this Yoon-seok’s gift?

n‘Breath slowly, let it out.’

nDespite having no one to teach him, Yoon-seok repeatedly slashed at the air. His clumsy movements gradually became sharper, more graceful.

n– Wind_Wind_Wind: I want to go home. I’ll go next time!

nIn the chatroom, people were laughing, chatting, and spending their time senselessly. Meanwhile, a man who had lived his entire life without knowing he had talent was about to transform by honing his skills.

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