The Tutorial Is Too Hard

Kirikiri was enchanted by the story Byeoljubujeon. When a Terrapin, ordered by the Dragon King, tricked the rabbit into taking him to the Dragon Palace, she listened with her ears stiff. When the rabbit used his wits to trick the Dragon King and the turtle into escaping to the land, she became so excited. She was more amused than I had expected. Maybe it was because it was a story about a rabbit.

“Then, the keyword is Terrapin?” After enjoying hearing about Byeoljubujeon, Kirikiri asked.

I nodded.

When Kirikiri saw me nodding, she held out her hand to me. Why did she put forward that palm for?

“Now that you’ve decided on a keyword, you’ve got to pay.”

“Information price?”

Kirikiri shook her head to my question.

“No. That’s the price for privacy. This is another thing.”

In the meantime, I had to do business.

I asked again, “What’s the price?”

“Power.”

Kirikiri’s answer was unexpected.

Power. There was no way that she could buy anything by consuming the power of a challenger. This was a Tutorial to foster challengers. Why did I need to pay power?

“Source?”

“Yes.”

The power that had I drew through the contract with the God of the Sky disappeared upon clearing the stage. The power of the source collected from the 59th floor, likewise, was taken away after clearing. There was only one left: the core of the source given by the god of remorse.

I looked up at Kirikiri again. She was still smiling with her palm out.

Let’s think about it. It didn’t matter exactly why Kirikiri wanted the source. The Spirit King had coveted the core of the source, and he felt that it would greatly help in ascending. What I needed to think about was whether Kirikiri’s proposal was reasonable.

Was it a reasonable price to give someone the core of the source in return for constraining information? I had to think about this part.

First of all, I had to consider the danger involved. Although privacy was expensive and cost me many points, it could be recognized anyway. Kirikiri had said privacy was expensive, but it could be found out.

Of course, not many people would try to find out about the 61st-floor stage or my privacy. No one would have that much information. If there had to be someone, it would be the latecomer, Hyung-jin. He was the one who should not get to know. The risks were high.

Next was the proposal itself. It was absurd that the price was the source. This power couldn’t be possessed by a Tutorial challenger in the first place. If I alone had not received a gift from the God of Remorse, I would not have got it either.

This was not a system for challengers. They were targeting challengers, but their main clients were gods or at least apostles. Was this the way to properly coax a challenger who had been nominated as an apostle candidate?

Moreover, Kirikiri was not even trying to explain this information constraint. She repeated only her words and gestures to save information.

“We need a price for privacy settings.”

But until then, information about the gods and their origins had been well explained. There were two possibilities. Was she avoiding answering under the pretext of saving information price? Information beyond the gods or the source was costly.

“What do you want to do?” Kirikiri asked, but I didn’t answer immediately. A little more thought was needed.

“When the trigger* gets activated, I’ll explain to the target* that the 61st floor is a stage where cooperation is needed. It’s a fact. I’m not going to lie, but I can cheat indirectly. The target won’t know that the 61st-floor stage concept is based on sacrifice.”

1* Keyword

2* refers to another Hell Difficulty challenger

Of course, you’ll be able to cheat. Kirikiri was the only informant of the Hell Difficulty challenger. Even if she didn’t lie, it was possible to deceive someone.

Now there was only one thing left to think about. It was about the possibility that information constraints had been applied to myself. Was there any lie in what I had said to Kirikiri so far? Had I ever activated a trigger? Was there a god who could fool me even after paying for the source or my power?

* * * * * *

Kirikiri transferred the power of the source I extracted from my body into a pretty crystal bead. She rolled around with it, a happy expression on her face, eyes gleaming, and I watched her quietly.

About a dozen minutes later, the excited Kirikiri came back to me. There were bits of grass and dirt everywhere on her body. Kirikiri didn’t even think to shake it off and just laughed.

“I’m dying of trouble here, is it that funny?”

“Sorry. Heng.” She didn’t look sorry at all.

“Have you thought about it?”

I nodded. I looked back on the conversation from the first time I met Kirikiri, but there was no doubt that Kirikiri had deceived me.

The reason was simple. I didn’t hear much except for the information on the stage and advice for growth. My goal was formed separately from Kirikiri, and regarding that goal, Kirikiri never interfered, though she had expressed her opinion.

I gave a lot of information about the gods, but it was also meaningless. Even though I gave her knowledge, I judged the gods only as I perceived them. In addition, Kirikiri had never praised most gods. The only thing she ever tried to wrap up nicely was the God of Adventure.

It didn’t seem like anything was at stake right now. I could think about it later, but it wasn’t something to hang on to right now.

Kirikiri smiled back. I should think about Hyung-jin rather than her.

For now, let’s just say that I was going to stop attacking for a while and rest on the 60th floor. I said I’d help Hyung-jin in my spare time. So, even though I helped him in the previous stages, later, I needed his help on the 61st floor. I think it would be better to talk to him. If I asked him to run straight to the 61st floor, he might feel burdened. After thinking about it, I sent a message to Hyung-jin right away.

[Lee Ho-jae, 60th floor: Hyung-jin.]

* * * * * *

“Are you going?”

“That’s right,” I answered Kirikiri’s question.

“You can stay a little longer,” Kirikiri said, pouting, with her cheeks puffed up.

This was enough. I think I’d have to wait a long time on the 60th floor anyway. No matter how intense the training was, I’d have plenty of time to spare.

“Ah, Kirikiri.”

“Yes?”

“You said it was normally impossible to clear it alone, right?”

Kirikiri nodded. That meant there was an abnormal way.

“It can be done with a vote, right?

Vote of the gods.

The God of Adventure had forced me to move from the fourth floor. Whenever I got too close to the source, the gods had forcibly cleared the stage. On the 61st floor, the gods would be able to do the same.

“Yes, but they won’t.”

I guessed so. Most of the gods in the temple wanted me to be an apostle, but I had no intention of becoming one.

“On this stage, there are gods who think that you will face limitations and bend.”

For the gods, it was not a significant loss to keep me on the 61st floor for years because the concept of time was different for them.

Someday when I was anxious for the gods’ help, I think it’d be great if you could step up and convince them.

“I think it’s possible.”

What possibility was there? The possibility of me becoming an apostle of the gods and escaping from the stage through a vote?

“Would you like to make a bet?”

“Yes, I will!” Kirikiri liked to bet. I usually lose.

“Then, let’s bet that I’ll clear it normally.”

Kirikiri nodded. She didn’t even ask what my wish was.

“I’ll bet you can’t clear it normally. Buy me a cake if I win!”

Cake? She’d get that even if we hadn’t made a bet. I smiled and climbed onto the portal.

“See you next time! You must buy me a cake!” Kirikiri hopped and waved.

The usual greeting to buy her a cake sounded different from usual. It seemed like a cheer to clear and come out. Answering that I knew, I got moved to the 60th floor.

* * * * * *

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[Welcome to the 60th-floor residential area.]

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I remember stopping by the 30th-floor residential area, so I wasn’t stunned. The 60th-floor residential area was a scene similar to the one seen in the second Tournament. A road lined with suitable buildings, neatly arranged, and there was a reasonably spacious square in the middle. At first glance, it seemed like an excellent European neighborhood to live in. It was a pity that I was the only one here.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. This quiet space annoyed my nerves. I felt a chilling and sharp pressure, like being drenched in cold water when you’re incredibly sleepy. I didn’t know how long it would take to be completely free from this pain. Should I become a god?

Wouldn’t I feel lonely if I become a god? It was a good question. After arriving on the 60th floor, I felt more suffocated than before. I didn’t know if I could get through it. But it was not about reaching the final goal; it was about the process of reaching there.

Again, I clicked my tongue and opened the inventory. Seregia, Ahbooboo, and the frog were summoned.

[I’m the Dragon Warrior!] As soon as Ahbooboo got out of the inventory, he shouted.

[Warrior, hurry up and get those… Huh?]

Perhaps Ahbooboo did not recognize what time it was currently, after being stopped by the God of the Sky.

[Warrior, 59th floor?]

“I cleared it.”

[Oing?]

Ignoring Ahbooboo, who made a strange noise, I saw the frog. The frog, of course, croaked and greeted.

“Keeeeek!”

“Yes. Sorry, it’s been a while. I didn’t get a chance to get you out in the last stage.”

“Keeeeek!”

“Okay. I’ll leave you like this for a while.” After talking with the frog, I turned to Seregia. Naturally, she said nothing.

I told them that they had to stay here for a while. The frog liked it, and Ahbooboo was calm. Seregia, who had been quiet, seemed to be shocked.

[So I’m unemployed from today?] she asked.

“I won’t be able to clear the 61st floor, but I’ll be able to challenge it. I don’t think you’re unemployed.”

[Let’s get going, then.]

It was difficult right now. The information from the 59th floor should be sorted out. Most of all, it would take quite a while to sort out the magic theories from the sorcerer.

[I thought you said you’d have a lot of time left anyway. Let’s do that later. Let’s go.]

I had a lot of time left, so I went to the 61st floor later and cleaned up first. Seregia wanted to do the opposite. Since it was necessary to proceed directly with the 61st floor, Seregia decided to do as she wanted.

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[Entering the 61st-floor stage.]

[Participating Challengers (1/50)]

– Lee Ho Jae

[The 61st-floor stage begins.]

Explanation: Challenger who wants to take a short break and start a journey, here are two roads. One is a trail, where you have to walk on a burning desert, and the other is to climb a mountain with snow-storms. Both roads are full of dangerous enemies and difficult challenges. Conquer both paths, and reunite with your colleagues at the end.

– Clear condition.

Conquering the first course of asceticism.

Conquering the Second Passage.

3.?

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