Nevertheless, many comments were questioning how killing a few orcs led to a score of 1,532 points.
“How many did I kill? Around thirty before I stopped keeping count.”
There was no need to keep track of the exact number.
“Though I’m certain I killed more than the last count. Probably around seventy or eighty.”
– Anonymous: “Not exact, but close to eighty?”
– Anonymous: “Hahahaha, it’s Pantheon class, bro.”
– Anonymous: “In Normal and Easy modes, 15 orcs max spawn on the second level, so this is insane.”
– Anonymous: “Only five orcs appeared for me.”
– Pioneer: “What? Hahahaha, even on Hard mode, forty orcs is the maximum. Eighty? You’re ridiculous.”
– Sorceress: “Indeed, with that many kills, plus the Orc Warlord and Shamans defeated, such a score is understandable.”
– Demon Dragon King: “Beltway—impressive! Seeing the members of the Climber’s Gallery discuss our climber fills me with dopamine.”
A reaction from the Climber’s Gallery.
– Anonymous: “What’s the dominant response?”
– Anonymous: “They’re wary from the start.”
– Anonymous: “Congratulations. For being just a second-floor player, you’re getting a lot of attention.”
– Anonymous: “Dude, this is your big moment.”
– Light Sword: “Regardless, few would suspect it’s Pantheon level. Just doubts remain.”
– Archmage: “Anyway, since you’re alone here during the climb, it doesn’t matter much. Just be careful during the Exchange Meeting. Currently, that’s your biggest variable.”
And indeed, the biggest variable, the Exchange Meeting, was soon approaching.
– Anonymous: “Any special precautions for the Exchange Meeting?”
– Anonymous: “Do you still trust people…?”
– Anonymous: “Be careful of people—both men and women!”
– Sewer Sword Sage: “Don’t believe in people out of sheer loneliness.”
– Anonymous: “Thanks to all of you, I’m not lonely.”
Lonely as I was, the statement was true. Constantly interacting in the Elysian Gallery alleviated most of my sense of loneliness.
– Demon Dragon King: “Huh… Did I just get flirted with by someone?”
– Anonymous: “This climber really knows how to attract attention.”
– Sorceress: “I’ll send a charm of blessing to ensure the girl is never alone. We’ll trade when the interdimensional cooldown is over.”
– Heaven’s Devil: “I’ll be first in line.”
– Sorceress: “Line? There’s no such thing. The choice belongs to the climber.”
– Heaven’s Devil: “Come on! Come on! Come on!”
– Anonymous: “Lord Tianma, please maintain your dignity…”
There were far more proposals for the upcoming interdimensional trade than expected.
– Blade King: “Didn’t you obtain a single-edged blade? I’ll teach you the proper way to wield it.”
– Absolute Monarch: “I can teach the art of lance combat as well.”
– Anonymous: “Uncles, that’s creepy. Cut it out.”
It was somewhat disconcerting, indeed.
– Archmage: “As mentioned earlier, you may be alone in this Pantheon, but others can form ‘friendships.’ And during the Exchange Meeting, they can be summoned together. It’s not wise to completely rule out the possibility of everyone being friends except you.”
Everyone was unanimously cautioning against trusting others.
– Anonymous: “Well, it’s just players from the first ten floors gathering, so nothing serious should happen. These are still newbies, so they’re unlikely to conspire and target one person.”
– Pioneer: “That’s reasonable. It’s too early to expect such calculated moves at these lower levels.”
Though most opinions believed nothing major would happen, there was still the repeated advice to be cautious of others.
This caution, however, held little significance for me since I didn’t plan to trust anyone anyway.
– Anonymous: “Hey, when players encounter each other, can they see each other’s levels?”
– Anonymous: “You can’t see levels, but you can see which floor they reside on. If you meet someone, their status will show as ‘Third-floor Resident.'”
“Third-floor Resident. That means they’ll know I’ve cleared the second floor.”
I closed the gallery for now.
A short while later, an alert popped up.
[You have placed first in the Stage 2 score and will receive an additional reward. Please check your ‘Inventory.’]
Oh.
Because of reaching first place, I’ve earned an additional reward on top of the original second-floor clear reward.
“Inventory.”
Opening the Inventory, I confirmed two unfamiliar items had appeared in the previously empty slots.
First, I clicked on the item on the right.
It was a blood-red dagger.
A reward item for clearing Stage 2 of Pantheon.
[Bloodstain Dagger]
Category: Weapon (Dagger)
Attack Power: +40
Effect: 30% chance to inflict ‘Bleeding’ status on the target.
Required Level: 10+
Grade: B
Next, I clicked the item on the left.
A black bracelet.
This was the reward item for placing first on the second floor.
[Anti-Evil Bracelet]
Category: Accessory
Effect: Maximizes resistance to mid and low-level curse-based attacks.
Required Level: 10+
Grade: B+
At a glance, the bracelet appeared to have a favorable effect.
I took pictures of both items using the terminal and uploaded them.
Title: Two items I obtained this time.
Author: Anonymous
– These are the items I’ve obtained. Thoughts?
Attached File: 788239429.jpg
– Anonymous: “Thoughts? It’s insane.”
– Anonymous: “Are you serious? How does someone on the Third-floor Lobby possess Bloodstain and Anti-Evil???”
– Anonymous: “When do they usually appear?”
– Pioneer: “Based on Hard mode standards, Bloodstain around Floor 15, and Anti-Evil at least by Floor 20.”
– Anonymous: “That’s based on Hard mode. In Normal or Easy, Bloodstain appears around Floor 18 and Anti-Evil around Floor 25.”
– Anonymous: “And are you above Level 10?”
– Anonymous: “Level 12.”
– Anonymous: “You level up ridiculously fast.”
– Anonymous: “On the second floor? Hahahaha.”
– Absolute Monarch: “Even in Hard mode, this level of progression with some cases but what’s more critical is your stat increments.”
– Archmage: “Correct.”
I re-checked my stats by opening the Status window.
[Player Status]
Name: Han Yuseong
Race: Human
Lv.12
Strength: 71
Agility: 65
constitution: 68
Mana: 44
Skills: Pain Suppression Lv.4, Calmness Lv.4, Concealment Lv.2, Danger Perception Lv.3,
Vision Expansion Lv.2, Concentration Enhancement Lv.3, Projectile Movement Lv.3,
Mana Body Enhancement Lv.2, Doombringer Lv.1
My level had climbed more than I anticipated.
I reopened the Elysian Gallery and posted another update.
Title: My current stats.
Author: Anonymous
– Strength 71, Agility 65, Constitution 68, Mana 44
As soon as I posted, comments piled in rapidly.
– Anonymous: “??”
– Anonymous: “Crazy.”
– Anonymous: “Isn’t the average starting stat for 21st-century Earthlings between 10 and 13?”
– Anonymous: “Correct. That’s where I started.”
– Anonymous: “And you’ve reached this much on the second floor???”
– Archmage: “Pantheon level, I suppose…”
– Anonymous: “I wasted my life!” – This world is made of locked rooms.
– Anonymous: “That’s not ‘life,’ demon race.”
– Light Sword: “With these stats, there’s less to worry about.”
– Anonymous: “Less worry? It’s more like the worries have evaporated. Anyway, you’ll just meet fellow 21st-century Earthlings during the Exchange Meeting.”
– Anonymous: “We should worry about the guys you’ll meet.”
– Absolute Monarch: “Watching you flourish is quite rewarding.”
– Anonymous: “Old man, what have you done?”
By the reactions, it was clear my stats were unusually high for this stage.
After reading a few more comments, I exited the gallery.
Now, let’s check what the shop offers.
[3rd Floor Coin Shop]
1. Food 2. Drinks 3. Potions
The sections for Food and Drinks remained unchanged from the second floor, but Potions had been added.
A great upgrade.
1. Low-grade Health Recovery Potion – 5 coins
2. Low-grade Mana Recovery Potion – 6 coins
3. Low-grade Poison Restoration Potion – 8 coins
4. Pain Suppression Doping Agent – 15 coins
The potions weren’t particularly cheap.
However, as a reward for breaking through the second floor, I had received 600 coins.
My remaining coin balance is 726, which provided me with some leeway.
Let’s purchase.
15 each of Health Potions and Mana Potions.
5 Poison Restoration Potions, just in case.
3 units of the expensive Pain Suppression Doping Agent.
According to the seniors of the Elysian Gallery, more coins will be awarded after safely returning from the Exchange Meeting anyway.
There was no need to worry about what to do in the two remaining days until the Exchange Meeting.
I’ll read the Dragon-Slaying Sword Manual, and the two days will fly by.
I reflected on my fight with the Orc Warlord and the Orc Shaman.
Killing the Shaman was entirely due to my skills.
However, defeating the Warlord involved some element of luck. If I hadn’t obtained Doombringer, I might have died.
After enduring a lengthy battle on Stage 2,
I feel as if my combat sense is finally settling in.
Understanding how to slash with my sword, and how to twist my body for efficiency.
Through this reflection on my battles thus far, I was developing my own fighting style.
Of course, the foundation of my style originated from the Dragon-Slaying Sword Manual handed to me by the “Light Sword.”
I trained in sword techniques and practiced the middle section of the Dragon-Slaying Manual that includes body techniques.
There might come a time when I can’t draw my sword, so preparation is key.
Preparation was essential for every possible situation.
And the “Bloodstain Dagger” I obtained this time held various meanings for that reason.
Between eating and training, the two days passed quickly.
Time has come.
Current time: February 25, 12:00 PM
[Tower Exchange Meeting has begun.]
[Tower Exchange Meeting Server #1298]
[Tower Exchange Meeting Theme: Dungeon]
[Recruitment Number: 7]
[Entrance.]
Whoosh –
Light enveloped my vision.
*
[Language automatic translation system has been activated.]
[Communicate with recruited members to clear the dungeon.]
A man with the number <7> above his head approached me.
“Haha, hello! You must be surprised to be summoned to the Exchange Meeting so soon after entering the tower. My name is Sun Haoran.”
Chinese, Floor 7.
I understood why Sun Haoran’s reaction was natural.
All the people matched with me were on Floor 6 or above.
“Yes, pleased to meet you.”
In contrast, the number above my head was naturally 3, making me appear as nothing more than a pure newbie who had just cleared the second floor and resided in the third-floor lobby.
