Fortunately, the restorative potion was a liquid with a certain degree of viscosity. It seeped into the wound like it was melting into it.
“Hmmmm.”
Though the wound hadn’t healed completely, the bleeding had stopped.
I carefully undressed the dead citizen of their leather armor. Though I definitely felt uncomfortable about it, it seemed better to wear this than just the rags I had on.
Once again, I picked up my mobile phone, the gallery terminal.
Just as I was about to tap the Elysian Gallery app, another app caught my eye.
“…Camera?”
An icon shaped like a lens, just like the camera app from back in the Modern Era.
I clicked it.
It turned out to be a real camera function.
“Huh, there’s no attached lens though.”
The way it worked didn’t seem exactly like a smartphone.
Still, I had an immediate subject to snap.
I needed to let them know how close I came to dying.
I took a photo of the giant ant with human heads on its body.
Thankfully, it didn’t make the “click” sound or anything — it seemed like silent mode was default. If anything strange appeared, I could take a photo from afar and ask the people from the Elysian Gallery about it later.
I entered the Elysian Gallery.
Before I could hit the Post Button, I couldn’t help but glance at the posts on the page.
Title: Could ‘’ this guy really be dead?
Author: Anonymous
– He hasn’t been posting or commenting for about 10 minutes already. Surely not…
n Surely, he’s just unconscious from hunger…
n In the tower, if you’re unconscious it’s game over.
n Just another monster’s meal.
n Light Sword) Judging from his sudden lack of posts and comments, it seems like something bad has happened.
n 天魔) …Isn’t it typical that those who come into the world with such great fortune don’t die so easily? It wouldn’t be right. Surely he’s not dead?
n 魔 clearly seems pretty shaken up ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Worried?
n Ice Queen) Freeze!
n Locked Room Theorist) Could we all just have temporarily fallen under a group hypnosis? Logically, a climber couldn’t possibly enter the elysian gallery – this world is a giant locked room.
n Elf) The idea that a demon controlling the labyrinth is using hypnosis is quite plausible. But really, is something wrong?
n Sewer Sword Sage) As soon as you find out, climber, write a post.
n Yes~, if you’re dead, you can’t write.
n Sorceress) Hahaha, the climber’s lifeline doesn’t seem that short to me.
n Pioneer) Sir, the Hard Mode Floor 40 Climber you pointed out as having a long lifeline died right after Floor 41.
n Sorceress) ,.!;
n Pioneer) He’s really shocked.
n Sorceress) Anyway… climber, without you the Elysian Gallery will collapse…
n Indeed, that’s a fact. Oddly specific high-profile nicknames crawled back in embarrassment ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
It was clear that all the posts were directed at me.
n Archmage) Tsk, I thought it was finally an interesting toy to play with… Is he dead?
…Hmm, toy.
Well, most people would probably think like the Archmage does. Still alive, you brat.
After closing the posts, I pressed the Post Button.
I attached the photo I had just taken.
And then posted the article.
Title: Almost died
Author: Anonymous
– Nearly got killed by this thing.
Attachment: 348593408.jpg
[The photo was of the giant ant, with three human heads attached to its body lying down sideways.]
n Okay ㅋㅋㅋㅋ That ant hasn’t been seen for a while.
n Sewer Sword Sage) Wasn’t that monster’s name Ansroth?
n Correct. But despite that, you’ve somehow managed to survive and kill it. Is this a 21st-century Earthling? Typically, isn’t this type of monster found on the first floor?
n No. In Easy Mode, this thing absolutely does not appear on the first floor. Only little rats pop up there.
n This guy clearly isn’t in Easy Mode ㅋㅋㅋ Likely Normal. If he’s very unlucky, it could be Hard.
n True. In Easy Mode, there are always people around, so you can’t be alone on the first floor, even without NPCs.
n But even in Easy Mode, the ones who should die still do, if they don’t pull it together.
It seemed that the Tower I was summoned into was definitely not Easy Mode. Tsk.
n Someone from Normal Mode here. That monster did show up on the first floor. But I’m not sure, as the one I killed seemed a bit smaller.
n Anonymous. Same thinking as you.
n Sorceress) It appeared at exactly that size on the first floor, and I crushed it with a charm. Banishing the evil with the thumb!
…Eh hey.
What are you Normal fellows talking about so creepily?
I thought I was definitely in Normal Mode with this terrible luck. But why such ambiguous words?
And why does the Sorceress keep saying things that increase the possibility of me being in Hard Mode? Annoying.
n Light Sword) Seeing that this thing has three human heads, it’s clearly not just an NPC but has killed three people. You did a good job killing it.
n Archmage) Phew, you’re still alive. Don’t die.
n 天魔) I see you’re still alive. Have you gained any stages or new skills?
n Translation: Did you level up or gain any new skills?
Ah, right.
n Anonymous) The level hasn’t gone up yet. But I’ve gained three skills: Pain Inhibition, Calm Mind, and Concealment.
n Archmage) Pretty average.
n Average? I can count on one hand the times I’ve obtained more than one skill in a single battle?
n This commoner is on Easy Mode, of course~
n I’m from Normal Mode too. You’re garbage.
n Sorceress) Hahaha, it is indeed common in Hard Mode, but rarely on the first floor. It’s quite amazing.
Again, the possibility of Hard Mode stacking up.
n Sewer Sword Sage) Check your status window once. Then, you must reach the entrance to the second floor at the very least.
n Light Sword) Once you reach the second floor, I’ll teach you spear skills if there’s a spear training room in the stairwell.
n 天魔) ??? Are you trying to force a fixed nickname into using a sword and learning spear skills?
n Light Sword) Look at the pierced skull structure on the ant and you’ll see it’s a spear. If you’re holding a spear, I’ll have to teach you how to wield it since obtaining a sword isn’t certain at this point.
n Light Sword) First priority after clearing the first floor should be determining the difficulty level.
n ㄷㄷㄷㄷ The dignity of a climber converting the Sword Master back to normal.
n The gallery was losing interest, so the focus shifted to sword talk ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
n Light Sword) Of course, if the climber gets a sword, it’s confirmed that they’ll specialize in sword skills.
n 天魔) Hmm… Even I could teach you some basic punches. If you can understand them.
n Archmage) You need to accumulate even a tiny bit of mana before I can teach you anything. Hmm.
So two people were volunteering to teach me. I appreciate their offer, but I’m not sure if I’ll understand it.
n Anonymous) Thank you, thank you.
For now, I gave a very passive response.
I wrote down what I was curious about before Ansroth came out.
n Anonymous) Why are all fixed nickname users from Hard Mode?
n People like us from Easy or Normal Mode cannot have a fixed nickname due to the system itself ㅇㅇ
Then why isn’t Pandemonium included? It’s a higher difficulty than Hard Mode.
n Anonymous) But isn’t there also Pandemonium difficulty, which is higher than Hard?
n Heavy Boots) There is no finisher in Pandemonium yet.
n Everyone who climbs and dies. Therefore, it’s impossible to have Pandemonium fixed nicknames.
n Archmage) The clear rate there is 0%.
Ah, that’s right. All of them fell behind.
Another fundamental question came to me.
n Anonymous) Then what are the criteria for dividing Easy, Normal, Hard, and Pandemonium?
n Heavy Boots) The Tower System has not directly revealed anything. It’s just speculation.
n Archmage) The existence that’s summoned to the Tower has even the slightest chance of clearing the relevant difficulty. That’s how we speculate.
But there was one that didn’t fit that speculation.
n Archmage) But you think Pandemonium doesn’t fit that theory, right? Well, I can’t confirm it… But I believe that even if everyone who was summoned there eventually died, the people summoned there had the potential to end Pandemonium.
Even if people with potential were summoned, it’s a Tower with a 0% survival rate.
Just thinking about it gave me a sense of repulsion.
First, I would need to confirm the difficulty level after clearing the first floor, as Heavy Boots and Light Sword suggested.
I must gather all the possible information before setting out.
My hands worked quickly.
Title: Is every floor of the Tower just about fighting monsters?
Author: Anonymous
– Seemed like it on the first floor though.
n Heavy Boots) The first floor is like a warm-up, a tutorial. From the second floor onwards, it alternates in progress. There are just combat types like the first floor, quest types with narratives, and defense types with time attacks. The types are quite varied. Mostly, fighting is the basic premise.
n Sorceress) Hahaha, getting too absorbed into the story of quest NPCs can be dangerous. I’ve seen several cases where people lost their judgment by being swept away by their emotions.
n Elf) My friend died because of it…
n Anonymous) Especially don’t believe anything the pointed-ear NPCs say. Their race is known for betrayal.
n Elf) In the name of nature, I sincerely curse you.
n Yes~ pointed-ears aren’t scary~~
“Pointed-ears” seemed to be a derogatory term for Elves.
What is this?
No one spoke up for the Elves, so there must be something about them.
Anyway, regarding quest types.
Experiencing one myself would give me a better grasp of what everyone is saying.
If I survive and make it to the second floor, I’ll inevitably get to experience it.
Title: Are there people who encountered Ansroth on the first floor?
Author: Anonymous
-I don’t know the difficulty of the Tower I’m in yet, so everyone list all the monsters you saw on the first floor of your respective Towers.
Include any features.
Oh, and share other information as well.
A flood of information came in.
After summarizing the information, it boiled down to this:
In floors where only monsters appear without any narrative, there is inevitably a boss monster.
If you can defeat that monster, you have a high probability of clearing the first floor.
The climbers from difficulties above Easy Mode have all encountered “traps” one way or another.
Be careful of the pressure panels on the floor that trigger downward-pressing iron chains.
Watch out for iron arrows that spring out from the walls.
The direction these iron arrows come from is usually marked by a sudden faint breeze.
…But would I be able to notice that?
There are about two types of monsters that appear probabilistically. Watch out for goblins and mad hounds.
Since two Ansroths appeared, there’s also a possibility that a boss monster relevant to that species might appear.
The most memorable were the comments by “Light Sword.”
n Light Sword) Even though I should maintain tension, there’s no need to be overly scared. Anyway, the fact that you killed two Ansroths is true, so I think you’ve gained the sense of how to survive the first floor.
It’s true that my first kill was mostly due to luck. Still, I need to think positively.
n Light Sword) How many potions do you have left?
n Anonymous) Half?
n Light Sword) When iron arrows charge, hide behind cover to dodge what you can. Block what you can’t dodge.
This all sounded pretty reasonable.
The problem was what came after.
n Light Sword) If you’re going to get hit, just endure it. The Pain Inhibition skill’s level will also rise. You need to adapt to the pain.
n Those who have been hit endure better.
n Light Sword) Levels might rise, but if parts of your body are injured, they will regenerate. After clearing it, you will revert to your original state. Hence, there’s no need to worry about your body.
n Pioneer) That guy is being too positive. Even with recovery or anything, if you don’t clear the Tower, you’ll ultimately die for real ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
n Sorceress) Hahaha, if you get too positive, you might die unexpectedly.
A fleeting thought that it might be doable crossed my mind from the short message written by the Pioneer.
That’s right. This is reality.
You die at the slightest misstep.
But it was also a fact that all the comments by Light Sword were valuable advice.
I committed them to memory.
“Status window.”
[Player Status]
Name: Han Yuseong
Race: Human
Lv.1
Strength: 12
Agility: 13
Stamina: 11
Skills: Pain Inhibition Lv.1, Calm Mind Lv.1, Concealment Lv.1
When I touched the skill with my finger, an explanation appeared.
Pain Inhibition is a skill that suppresses the “pain” received from physical harm.
Calm Mind is exactly as it sounds — a skill that helps maintain composure in any situation.
Concealment is a skill that dampens one’s presence while under cover.
I reopened the gallery and placed my fingers on the keypad.
Title: Returned after clearing the first floor.
Author: Anonymous*
– Let’s see each other alive and well.
I will check the comments on this post when I return.
Exiting the Elysian Gallery, I placed the terminal firmly in the pocket on the back of my waist.
Aggack—
The food found in the citizen’s pocket — nuts like walnuts and peanuts, a little dried meat — I nibbled on them as I walked.
Let’s go.
I, Han Yuseong.
I have no intention of dying in such a bizarre place.
