Chapter 180

– Tutorial 32nd floor
[The God of Light announces it was him!]
…
… Is it over?
I wasn’t sure, so I decided to wait a moment.
…
Hmm…
Seems to be over.
The messages announcing that the Aura Mastery skill was gifted by the God of Light himself finally stopped.
The continuously ongoing messages indirectly reflected the God of Light’s personality.
It wasn’t a very loveable personality.
Since the bombardment of messages finally stopped, I continued with my thoughts.
The 31st floor stage was cleared.
I’ve gathered 1,000 tokens, and by making it through the preliminaries, I’ve completed the clear conditions.
But I haven’t seen the so-called strongest Demon King anywhere.
It was unsatisfying to just take the portal.

Abubu.

[It’s Ahoubuch. Hero.]

Can you go wake the demons dying over there so I can ask them some questions?

Aubutz squealed happily and flew toward the demons.
Holy sword… no, the cursed sword Aubutz likes to keep his enemies just at the tip of death.
He hasn’t clarified, but it’s probably because he wants to relish the warm blood .
Blood goes cold once they’re dead.
So he lets the enemies slowly die of hemorrhaging.
If possible, I intend to fix that bad taste as soon as I have the chance, but for now, it was rather helpful.
None of the demons I’ve dealt with were alive.
I walked over to the holy sword who was applying healing magic to the dying demons and waking the unconscious
demons with various magics.
I could hear the grief-stricken cries with each step I made.
[Hero! It’s all set. Ask whatever you want!]
I pointed out it was an overdone setup and proceeded to question the demons.

So, if you collect a thousand tokens, you automatically get summoned to the 2nd preliminary area?


Yes. Yes. It is so.

The demon answering my questions was fortunately the same demon that brought me here through gate magic.
He had quite the different attitude from his otherwise pompous image he’s been cultivating, but I couldn’t embarrass
him by pointing that out.
Who could keep their calm when there was a cursed sword piercing their left shoulder and humming along to the
beat of their heart?
I carefully took out the crazy cursed sword from the demon’s shoulder.
[Uahuahhhk. Hero! It was perfect! It was a perfect moment! The moments when his heartbeat slowed little by little.]
I casually tossed the crazy sword spewing insanity into the inventory.
Based on the demon’s explanation, you have to pass through multiple gates to challenge the Demon King.
And to go onto the next stage, you must follow the summoning circle that appears after you collect the tokens.
Obviously, there wasn’t a summoning circle in front of my eyes that would lead me to the next stage.
It seemed like this stage ended here.
I ignored the fleeing demon that dashed as soon as I shifted my gaze away, and stepped atop the portal.
I stepped out of the black and red colorways of the space covered slathered in demon blood and into the bright green
field.
The field was green like always, and the bunny was active as always.

Hi! Been a while! It’s been a while!


Yeah, it’s been a while.


Then, cake for commemoration!

The last bit came as naturally as a greeting.
But the expression on Kiri Kiri’s face said otherwise.
Her pursed lips tremored, and the tip of her nose wrinkled busily.
The eyes twinkled with abnormal desire, and I could hear the vigorous sound of nose breathing.
I was certainly later than normal because I had to pass through the residence area of the 30th floor.
Even so, it hadn’t been more than a few days; KiriKiri probably intended to use it as a reason to greet with a long
time no see.
To respond to her rather simple wits, I bought a cake.

So, the next floor is the 2nd preliminary?


Yup.

I left KiriKiri alone, who was completely absorbed in the cake, and thought to myself.
The second area of the gathering of Demon King candidates was the 32nd floor.
Then it means I’ll eventually be able to challenge the Demon King.
If I thought about it positively, it would be so.
If I think about it negatively…

It might be too easy. If I make it higher, there won’t be another like Olphon right?


Nope.

It was so.
First of all, there was no reason to meet Olphon on the 31st floor and take care of him.
It’s much easier to massacre demons on the outskirts and gather 1,000 tokens that way.
In addition, if you get called before Olphon, you could gain his acknowledgement and proceed onto the next area.
Olphon said that there were demons like himself.
To clear the 31st floor, try not to be noticed by Olphon’s underlings.
And once discovered, avoid being summoned.
And once summoned, earn his acknowledgement.
This would be enough for the strategy to clear the 31st floor.
I took out a notepad from the space pocket and wrote it down.
I need to show this to Lee Hyungjin later.
Lee Hyungjin has been recently progressing through the latter half of the 9th floor.
The reports he sent me and the speed by which he was progressing through the level was enough to make me yawn,
but I placed great significance on him reaching the end of the 9th floor alive.
Once he clears the 11th floor, it’ll be a continuous stream of solo stages.
The stages afterwards would be a breeze to pass through.

KiriKiri.

I called KiriKiri who had finished the cake and was proceeding to lickthe plate.

Hmm? Yeah!

Based on Kiri Kiri’s expression peering at me from the side of the plate, it seems as though she expected me to buy
her another cake.
Sorry, but I just had something I needed to ask.

Uhh… that.


Yeah, Seregia.

KiriKiri can read my mind and watch over my performance on the stages.
So, I don’t need to go on and on with explaining my frustration and questions.

The holy sword is correct.


So how does it end?


She probably becomes a sword. A sword with a clear volition.


Shouldn’t you see Seregia as a living sword right now too?

Kiri Kiri whipped her head side to side and explained.

No, that’s not what living swords are. And not all swords with a will are living swords.


Then?

Kiri Kiri put down her plate.
From her rolling her eyes and biding her time, it looks as though she was organizing her thoughts.
Because she knows that this is important to me, Kiri Kiri makes sure that I am able to understand her words by
choosing her vocabulary carefully. I’m always grateful for her considerations.

Houuujaee probably doesn’t know from just using normal swords, but there are notable swords that possess will
every now and then.


Different from living swords?


Yup. Not like talking and using magic through intellect. Just nesting a willpower into the sword. And the will of
the sword synchronizes with the owner and shows its effects that way.


What kind of effect?


Thaaat… isn’t something that’s set in stone. It’s something swordsmen can infer from using the swords
themselves.

Now it was apparent that Kiri Kiri wasn’t being careful; she just didn’t know much about the subject.
You can infer from using swords…

The soul inside the soul sword matches your propensity, possessed the sword while in frequent use , and is friendly
to you, so the effects will probably be positive. What, how, and how much is something that I don’t know.

Upon hearing Kiri Kiri’s words, a new question came up.

So, is that why you suggested the soul sword back then?

Kiri Kiri had suggested that I buy the soul sword when I’ve harvested Seregia’s soul and entered Kiri Kiri’s field.
Did she suggest it because she knew that once Serezia’s soul possessed the soul sword, her soul would be helpful
and have a high rate of synchrony?
That’s what I thought.
Kiri Kiri shook her head.

Nope.

Really?


Yup. I know of things that happen and will happen, but I don’t know much about things that are uncertain of
happening.


That’s how it is huh.

I took a minute to think about Kiri Kiri’s words.
While fragmented, being able to predict the future is probably linked to various information associated with the
Tutorial.
For example, what will appear in the next floor.
She said she isn’t able to predict the future of uncertain qualities.
The variable of Serezia and the variable of me tied together into a soul sword can’t be predicted.
Would that apply only to Kiri Kiri, or every…

It’s the same for every administrating God.


…Yeah?


Gods with power related to prescience can only see fragments of the clues to the future. Although, I don’t know if
the God of Slow can peek into it.

Gods too cannot decide the future.
It was precious information.
What is means is, it’s expensive information

Is that something you can tell me?


Yup.


Explain.


Can you imagine what it would be like for someone to follow a predetermined path?

It was the same question that popped into my head a moment ago.

It would be despairing. It wouldn’t have a positive effect to Houuujaeee, and that’s why I’m giving you advice in
advance. That it’s not so.

I was grateful for those words.

Plus, you don’t need any tips until the 35th floor, so you have room to work with in the information department.

Kiri Kiri softly closed her eyes and held her chin high upon finishing her words.
She was being proud with a smile on her lips.
When Kiri Kiri herself felt that she did a good job, she always seemed satisfied and proud.
Well, it was good advice considering the price of the information.
It was something to be proud of.

Thanks, Kiri Kiri.

Kiri Kiri didn’t show it but she was really happy.
And became a step more arrogant.
Both her nose and shoulders went up about 5 centimeters.
Kiri Kiri’s heavy nose-breathing reached my face.
Like the breeze from a fan, it was enough to flip my hair back.
Finding Kiri Kiri amusing, I laughed by myself for quite a while.
[Welcome to the 32nd stage.]
[The 31st floor stage beings.]
Explanation: You have entered the demon realm ?? ???. The ?? ??? has been known for producing strong Demon
Kings through a special tradition of placing all demons in this area into one space every hundred years in a battle
royale. Only the victor may challenge the Demon King.
The current Demon King of ?? ??? region has been ruling for four hundred years and is evaluated as the strongest in
the ?? ??? region.
Prove that you are the strongest challenger in the ?? ??? region by winning the contest.
Lastly, prove that you are the strongest demon in the ?? ??? region by defeating the ruler of ?? ??? region.
[Clear Criteria]
Make it through the ??? ?? region’s 2nd preliminaries.
Based on what I heard from Kiri Kiri, the 32nd floor’s theme is no different from the 31st floor.
It will be run the same way.
Only the number of tokens I have to collect has changed
The number of tokens I have to collect now in total is ten thousand.
The number is absurdly high, but the demons that have made it through the 1st round and have reached the 2nd
round all have over a thousand tokens each.
If you think about it, it makes it easier.
While the method was similar, the 32nd stage was constructed differently compared to the 31st floor.
Unlike the 31st floor layout of small rooms and connected pathways, the 32nd floor was one enormous
interconnected area.
It seems to have been unified into one space because the number of demons in the 2nd round was small.
And the demons driven into the space were making a very desirable atmosphere.
Even though I appeared, none of the demons were paying any attention to me.
It wasn’t indifference.
They were just too busy.
Their bodies weren’t busy.
Having killed a thousand demons and entering the 2nd round with their thousand tokens gathered, the demons were
busy examining each other with an air of hostility.
It felt good.
This was exactly what I wanted.
It was easy to notice.
There’s no group here.
Each of the hundreds of demons here are each other’s enemies.
What I couldn’t feel from Olphon, who had a massive amount of mana, I could feel it in each of the demons here.
Tenison, spirit, intent to kill, fear, apprehension, excitement, delight.
The violent emotions shook, and they hid their evils schemes behind the emotions.
They monitored each other and were preparing for an imminent brawl.
The demons’ standoff was maintaining an exquisite equilibrium.
How did this come to be.
How long has this been going on for.
Maybe I was summoned right after a vigorous brawl, and everyone was taking a breather.
Everyone was fired up, but nobody was moving.
Everyone knew.
In such a tense situation of hundreds of demons keeping an eye on each other, whoever makes the first move will be
the primary target.
So, they’re waiting for their chance.
For someone to make a move.
For this standoff to break.
While sharpening their intent.
I was summoned into an amusing situation.
The only one that can move in this situation is me. Only me.
Slowly and in a carefree manner, I moved my feet.
And I approached the middle of the space.
Every time I took step, the demons jittered.
My movemets hid the targets from others’ lines of sight.
The demons debated whether to move on the blindsight I created, or to wait until the blind spot I created
disappeared.
The mana that were competing for control of the space were shaking because of my movements.
It wasn’t just disturbing sight and mana.
The small speculation weakens concentration.
And the gap created like that, appears to be a giant hole to the enemies confronting each other with spirits raised.
Large enough to easily take the opponent’s life.

Kuaaahk!


Kyak!


W,Wait! Kuk…


Kek. Phuaa… this can’t be. Because of one crazy newbie. Ugk…


Kyaaa!

Every step lead to the shattering of paused confrontation, and battles began.
Several demons died off.
It was a good feeling.
It felt as though I had become an eye of the storm.
I had soon reached the middle of the area.
I stood there for a moment.
The area was quiet again.
The demons showing openings have become consumed, and the demons who showed an opening by consuming
those demons were consumed as well.
The only demons that were left were those unshaken by my movements and with an eye on their surroundings.
And me.
I had no intention of keeping this standoff.
Rather, I wanted to splendidly shatter it.
I took out the space pocket from the inventory.
The tens of millions of tokens gathered from killing Olphon and his underlings.
I tired of collecting them and casually shoved them into the space pocket.
Standing on the middle of the area, I flipped the space pocket in my hands.
The red-black tokens started to fall onto the ground.
The tokens on the ground soon surpassed tens, hundreds, thousands, and reached ten thousands.
And even so, the tokens kept on pouring out.
What is the goal of the demons here?
To gather ten thousand tokens and make it to the next area.
The mounds of tokens falling to my feet like a waterfall gripped their eyes and heats for a moment.
The ambition brought about by the agitation created giant divisions incomparable to before.
The stance of demons was shaken for a moment, and the demons all aimed for each other’s openings.
The simultaneous battle made more openings, and more battles.
The cries and screams of demons could be heard from every direction.
Greed and fear
The most desperate emotions collided and as a by-product blood and death trickled down.
From the midst of the extremely satisfying situation, I quietly smiled.
[Hero, Hero. Me too! Me too! Let me in!]
Like a child jumping up and down begging for candy, the holy sword whined.
Pulling out the holy sword from my waist, I ran into the raving waves of battle.
[You have cleared the 32nd floor.]