Chapter 3: The Waiting Room (2)
I was surprised to find myself alert and levelheaded—essentially free from any alcoholic fuzz. I glanced around and saw a stark white room devoid of furnishing or decoration.
A disembodied voice abruptly spoke, narrating a notification window that had blinked into existence. It sounded emotionless and cold, lacking even an ounce of kindness.
[Welcome. You have been selected as a climber under law G-14823. To prepare for future battles, please choose one of the weapons before you.]
When did these appear?
Various weapons had materialized out of thin air while I was focused on the cryptic message. Scattered around the room were longswords, daggers, bows, crossbows, maces, staves, and a collection of ornamental pieces with strange engravings.
As if predicting that the participants would feel confused upon seeing the items, message after message popped up in front of me.
[The Tower of Ordeal will provide you with one free piece of equipment. The talent you’ll awaken will be determined by the type of weapon you’ll select.]
The voice continued reading the messages.
[The content of this message has been simplified for the residents of zone C-66432. You will be categorized as a warrior, archer, mage, or priest based on the weapon selected. Since you will only have one chance to awaken your talent, it is highly advised that you choose carefully.]
Ha Hee-Jeong had lamented that I had chosen a wand, not a melee weapon, which suggested the decision was irreversible.
According to Ha Hee-Jeong, I should pick something like a sword or a spear...
That was when I saw a beautiful wooden wand with three elegantly carved stems at its tip. They curved around an amber-colored jewel, affixing it to the wand.
[Old Magic Wand]
- Aids with magic use.
- Ornate.
- Appears so old that it can break at any moment.
My mind filled with visions of the amber-colored jewel shimmering as I cast powerful magic, raining down Hellfire upon legions of enemies. The thought of wielding this wand just seemed so natural to me.
I’ve always dreamed of becoming a mage…[1]
However, Ha Hee-Jeong’s angry outcry suddenly echoed in my mind.
“You couldn’t use magic, so you ended up bashing enemies in the head with your wand!”
Although accepting that I was a mage with no magical talent would fill me with regret, the thought of smashing enemies’ heads with a wand was too unappealing.
Fine, I’ll pick a melee weapon like Ha Hee-Jeong suggested.
Worried that I would go back on my word, I quickly shifted my focus to the other weapons.
Hmm, what should I choose?
I turned my head and stared at the numerous weapons all around me. Although Ha Hee-Jeong had instructed me to choose a melee weapon, she hadn’t specifically stated what kind it had to be.
She could have at least told me what to pick. This is such a tough decision to make!
Considering how much Ha Hee-Jeong regretted that I hadn’t picked any of the melee weapons during our first run, she clearly believed that I had an aptitude for them.
Although there were maces and flails among the options, I decided to choose between the three examples she specifically mentioned—a sword, an axe, and a spear.
Sigh.
Honestly, I was scared to choose a melee weapon. After all, I was just an average Joe. Although neither Ha Hee-Jeong nor the messages from the Tower of Ordeal had given me a detailed explanation, I was sure that climbing the tower would require me to go through many battles, and if I selected a melee weapon, I would have to face enemies up close. The fear I felt inside grew as my resolve weakened.
Should I pick a bow instead? A bow is still a weapon...
No, I had to stick to the plan. Ha Hee-Jeong had told me to choose a sword, an axe, or a spear. I shook off the fear growing within me and centered myself.
Remember what Ha Hee-Jeong said.
I had to be willing to put my life on the line to conquer this tower. If I put my survival first but couldn’t clear the hundredth floor, I would die anyway. Giving up wasn’t an option.
It certainly helped that I was in good shape, standing at 187 cm tall and weighing 81 kg. I also hit the gym regularly, and when I reached adulthood, I took up boxing as a hobby for about two years. All in all, I was confident in my athletic abilities.
Objectively speaking, there’s no reason for me to be scared.
I would be fighting for my life in this tower, but based on physical ability alone, I probably ranked in the top five percent of the participants. Besides, Ha Hee-Jeong had said that in the future she had come from, I climbed the furthest even though I was a wizard with no aptitude for magic.
In short, I had talent.
Thinking about my circumstances from an outside point of view helped me feel a little less scared. Calmed slightly, I turned my gaze back to the weapons.
Sword, axe, or spear. It was time to decide.
Like most people in the modern era, I had never wielded these weapons. Still, I felt a little bit more familiar with a sword than an axe or a spear. Every movie’s main character seemed to carry one, after all…
Let’s go with a sword, then.
After a bit of deliberation, I decided to follow my intuition. There was no point in pondering for too long when I didn’t even know how to handle any of these weapons.
Sword it is, then. Which one, though?
There were different types of swords in the room—longswords here, shortswords there, thin rapiers in between, and broadswords galore. Since I didn’t know how to properly use any of them, choosing the simplest-looking one struck me as the best option. Hence, I went and lifted the nearest ordinary-looking sword.
When I thought of a sword, this was the image that came to mind. It was just over a meter in length, and it wasn’t too heavy.
[Chipped Longsword]
- Plain looking.
- Appears so old that it can break at any moment.
- Sharp enough to kill something.
Fittingly, the longsword’s description in the notification window was quite unremarkable. Compared to the beautiful wand from earlier, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat deflated about the sword’s appearance.
I considered switching to another sword, but I quickly realized that the others were in even worse condition. In fact, upon closer inspection, the Chipped Longsword looked top-of-the-line compared to the others.
The translucent notification window updated.
[Would you like to choose the 'Chipped Longsword'?]
“Yes.”
To my surprise, all the other weapons in the room vanished without a trace. Their disappearance was as much of a mystery to me as their sudden appearance earlier.
Seeing what could only be described as magic, the desire to be a mage surged within me again, but there was no turning back, nor should there be. I had chosen my weapon.
The notification window changed once again. At the same time, a calm and detached voice spoke to me.
[Please open the status window next. To open the status window, say 'Status Window' aloud.]
The voice spoke as if this was the natural next step.
Following Ha Hee-Jeong’s instruction, I remained silent.
After about ten seconds, the message changed.
[The status window provided by the Tower of Ordeal is a critical tool that greatly aids climbers.]
[Climbers can enhance their abilities through the status window.]
The message swiftly changed as if urging me to act quickly.
[Opening the status window now will grant you five attribute points. Attribute points can be used to enhance your abilities.]
[Moreover, the status window allows climbers to monitor their stats and progress as they climb the tower.]
[Without the status window, acquiring and using skills will be restricted.]
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 5 minutes 0 seconds.]
The messages made not opening the status window sound like a huge issue. I would have opened the status window immediately had it not been for Ha Hee-Jeong’s advice. She had stated that opening the status window at any point would render climbing to the hundredth floor meaningless. She also specifically mentioned it was like signing a slave contract.
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 4 minutes 20 seconds.]
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 3 minutes 57 seconds.]
Will I be able to survive without opening the status window? The message said I can raise my attributes through the status window, but does that mean I won't be able to grow stronger without it?
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 3 minutes 20 seconds.]
No, I was not supposed to waver. Ha Hee-Jeong came back from the future to warn me. She must have a plan and a reason for telling me not to open the status window. I trusted her to lead the way.
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 1 minute 13 seconds.]
I stood there dazed, watching the time on the translucent window dwindle. With each passing second, my anxiety grew, and more tension built within me.
[Please open the status window. Time remaining: 20 seconds.]
When only twenty seconds remained, I suddenly felt scared. I wouldn’t die immediately if I refused to open the status window, would I? Even if I didn’t die, my ability to acquire and use skills would be restricted!
Reminding myself of Ha Hee-Jeong’s warning, I barely managed to shake off my fear.
“No matter how much you are tempted—even if there’s only one second left—don’t open it. Opening the status window renders any progress or regressions meaningless. Got it?"
[Time remaining: 0 minutes 04 seconds.]
[Time remaining: 0 minutes 03 seconds.]
[Time remaining: 0 minutes 02 seconds.]
[Time remaining: 0 minutes 01 second.]
[Time remaining: 0 minutes 00 seconds.]
[You have chosen not to open the status window. You will be transferred to the first floor of the Tower of Ordeal to begin the tutorial phase. We commend your spirit and wish you good luck.]
An exclamation involuntarily slipped from my lips. “Huh?!”
The message’s voice now sounded warm and sweet, completely disparate from its earlier emotionless tone.
The moment I heard the voice… everything turned white, and I returned to feeling like I was floating in an expanse of nothingness.
***
「Invisible Message: Climber Kwon Su-Hyeok has not opened the status window and will thus assume the ‘Challenger’ status.」
「Invisible Message: As a result, Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok will not be subject to the disadvantages of the attribute enhancements that come with the status window. 」
「Invisible Message: Following law G-14823-1, the Tower of Ordeal’s difficulty level will be adjusted to the original 'Challenger' stage for Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok.」
「Invisible Message: From this point forward, gods are requested to enter the Tower of Ordeal using pseudonyms. The deity’s original name can be used from the sixth floor onward.」
***
[Welcome to the first floor of the Tower of Ordeal. The first stage of the tutorial will now begin.]
The warm voice earlier had vanished, which disturbed me a little. Instead, the messages now carried the same bland and unemotional tone as before.
[Eliminate all enemies. Time remaining: 17 hours 59 minutes.]
I frowned at the message I received. Although it gave me my first task, it didn’t really provide me with any other information or instruction. Couldn’t they have at least given me my opponents’ identity or size?
In front of me was a long and fairly spacious corridor. It was about five meters wide and four meters high.
Torches hung sporadically on the walls, faintly illuminating the corridor. They were firmly affixed to the wall, making it impossible to take them. Moreover, due to the considerable distance between them, they left some areas in complete darkness.
Could enemies be hiding in that darkness?
It would have been nice if I could see a bit better.
Looking behind, I found a dead end, which left me no choice but to go forward.
Hence, I took my first step, causing the dirt floor to crunch under my feet. I gripped the handle of the Chipped Longsword tightly, prepared to swing at the smallest sign of movement.
I took a deep breath to steady my shaking.
Calm down. Just calm down.
Perhaps due to the deep breaths, I felt my tension ease a little as I took another step forward.
1. Editor’s note: He kept saying that mages were supposed to be men ☜
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