Chapter 15 : Chapter 15
Chapter 15. This actually works?
Being a developer is a tiring job.
If you fail at balancing the difficulty, you get torn to shreds by the users.
‘…I’m sure I designed it so the Black Whale could be hunted.’
The achievement ‘Hunt the Black Whale at Bronze Rank’ was a sore spot of mine.
…The amount of curses I received in emails back then was probably more than all the curses I had heard in my entire life.
The Black Whale Challenge.
It was a topic that once heated up the ‘Masal’ community.
The topic was whether it was possible to achieve the ‘Hunt the Black Whale at Bronze Rank’ achievement.
After a long debate among the users, the conclusion reached was ‘possible’.
[Guys, I hunted the Black Whale as a Bronze.]
[??? How the hell did you do it?]
[I just beat it to death?]
However, that method was closer to an exploit than a strategy.
It was a method of growing a character to the highest gladiator rank, then de-ranking to Bronze, and then entering the Arena to foolishly hunt the Black Whale.
[…That’s not how you’re supposed to do it.]
[Look at this bastard with no post history. If you’re so salty, why don’t you hunt it and prove it lol]
Because I, the developer, couldn't reveal the undiscovered strategy with my own hands, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and let it go at the time.
There were no users who succeeded in hunting the Black Whale according to my strategy.
‘…Did I make it too absurd?’
A few conditions were needed to hunt the Black Whale.
When I was establishing the strategy, I thought it was no big deal, but…….
Now that I was trying to realize it in practice, I was doubtful if it was even possible.
Jingle—
Hyunwoo fidgeted with his pouch of mana stones.
He had 500 mana stones left.
It was far from enough to get everything needed for the strategy.
‘Still, let’s start preparing one by one.’
I could prepare for the hunt first, and if it didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be too late to switch my strategy to survival.
The setting for the next match, the Black Whale Survival, was the vast sea.
Naturally, a swordsmanship that could exert its power in the water was needed.
‘On top of that, it would be the icing on the cake if it also assisted with movement in the water. I guess there’s only one option, right?’
Hyunwoo immediately thought of a swordsmanship in his mind.
Skirma Swordsmanship.
It was a swordsmanship specialized in piercing that also assisted with movement in the water.
Hyunwoo knew of a being in the market's basement who had mastered this swordsmanship.
‘The Nameless Frogman.’
He was a peddler who had retired from the Arena and now roamed the market streets, selling trash-like junk items.
The Frogman’s habitat was the swamp.
Since there was no way a swamp would exist in the Arena, the place he would be was set.
A polluted and damp sewer.
Hyunwoo headed towards the back alley where the sewer was located.
As he entered the alley between the shopping streets, he felt the surrounding scenery gradually change.
A world completely opposite to the scenery of the relatively well-maintained shopping street.
He had only stepped a little way off the shopping street, but a completely different world unfolded.
‘…It’s gloomy.’
The very air was different.
A damp and sticky energy could be felt in the narrow alley.
The further he went in, the more the narrow and winding paths were tangled like snakes.
“Keuk—”
Sick people leaning against the walls in various parts of the alley were letting out groans.
“……”
It was the ugly true face of the Arena that existed behind the neatly managed market shops.
The back alley was the final destination for gladiators who had repeatedly lost in the Arena.
A place where the abandoned, whom no one sought, stayed.
Ugh—
From miserable figures missing a limb or two, to those dying steeped in defeatism.
Hyunwoo took in their appearances one by one and steeled his heart.
‘…I won’t die like that.’
Leaving the gladiators of the past behind, Hyunwoo continued to wander the alleys.
Vomit left by someone, a rotten corpse left carelessly.
After moving while enduring the smell mixed with various stenches, a small stall came into his sight.
‘Found it!’
He couldn't properly see the face of the person whose head was bowed low.
But through the rags covering him, his coarse skin was faintly visible.
A being with skin that looked more like a toad's than a frog's.
A Frogman.
The longer a Frogman lives, the more waste from its skin covers the surface.
The rugged skin, like a cracked crater, was proof of his considerable age.
Once he thought this was the Frogman he was looking for, Hyunwoo immediately approached him.
On the mat in front of him, a lot of trivial things were laid out.
Items whose purpose was impossible to discern.
They were literally junk items.
Hyunwoo pointed to one of the items with his hand.
“How much is this?”
“……”
The Frogman gestured with his head instead of answering.
Where he pointed, a sign with a single line was stuck.
‘1 mana stone each.’
It was an absurd price to pay for things that were completely useless.
The Frogman still kept his head down, paying no attention to me.
Getting the attention of such an indifferent Frogman.
It was the first step to obtaining the Skirma Swordsmanship.
“I’ll take everything.”
“……”
When Hyunwoo handed over the mana stones first, he silently packed the items into a small bundle.
I looked inside the bundle he handed me.
‘…Real junk. No, just plain trash.’
Completely useless junk items.
Buying all of these was the only way to get his attention.
Rustle—
After selling all his items, the Frogman folded his mat without any lingering attachment and left.
Hyunwoo, who confirmed that the Frogman had glanced at him before leaving, nodded and turned his back.
I had set the bait properly.
All that was left was to wait for it to bite.
Hyunwoo was not in a hurry.
He slowly retraced his steps.
He carefully passed by the past gladiators who were no different from corpses, or perhaps were already corpses.
‘There are 15 days left until the Black Whale match. There are many things I need to prepare for the hunt… but there are gaps in between.’
The matter with the Frogman was the same.
There were a few things in the preparation process that required time.
As Hyunwoo was exiting the alley, thinking about what to do during that free time, someone tumbled in front of him.
“Keoheok!”
‘…You scared me.’
Hyunwoo put his hand on his sword and then took it off again.
Seeing his pained expression as he rolled on the ground, it didn't seem like he intended to attack me.
Cheers erupted from the direction he had rolled from.
Waaaaaah—!
‘Huh? That’s….’
The gathered Demon World residents were exchanging mana stones with each other.
“Ah.”
Hyunwoo let out a short gasp and approached the gathered residents as if possessed.
Slap fight.
Also known as a cheek-slapping contest.
A duel where two opponents hold hands and slap each other’s cheeks with their free hand, and the one who endures longer is the winner.
It was a barbaric duel, fitting for the Demon World.
There were countless guys who were sent flying after being slapped.
There were even some whose necks were broken from the impact.
‘I was already considering participating in a slap fight at the market anyway….’
Hyunwoo watched the scene and began to ponder.
Because there was a trait that could be obtained through the slap fight.
Whatever the trait, obtaining it would help with survival.
In ‘Masal’, there were three main ways to obtain traits.
There was a method of obtaining them through experience, a method of obtaining them as an additional effect of a skill or swordsmanship, and finally, a method of obtaining them through potions or items, like the way Hyunwoo had obtained one before.
Among these, the slap fight before him was a method of obtaining it through experience.
By repeatedly being hit while conscious in a state of extremity, one could obtain the trait ‘Pain Tolerance’.
Pain Tolerance is a trait that, as the name suggests, allows one to feel less pain.
‘If there was no chance of getting it, that would be one thing, but….’
The problem was the opponent's specs.
If Hyunwoo were to participate in the slap fight, his opponent would not be another human, but a gladiator who was a Demon World resident.
Although he had obtained the Physique I trait, could he really endure until he acquired Pain Tolerance?
As Hyunwoo was deep in thought, he felt the surroundings quiet down.
‘…Huh?’
Feeling a strange sense of unease, he looked around and his eyes met with the guy who had just won.
“Hey. Human.”
Hyunwoo looked around.
‘Could there be another human… of course not.’
If there was another human, he would have noticed long ago.
The provocation was definitely aimed at him.
When Hyunwoo looked back, the guy opened his mouth.
“How about a match with me?”
At his words, the gazes of the onlookers focused on Hyunwoo.
Gazes filled with mockery and contempt.
He could just ignore the provocation and be done with it, but….
He didn't like it.
Should I test if I can get the trait?
“Alright. Bring it on.”
Hyunwoo strode onto the platform.
The slap fight didn't start right away.
Now that the match was set, it was time for the onlookers to place their bets.
“Hey! Anyone want to bet on the human?”
“Who do you think you’re trying to trick.”
The murmuring onlookers were pouring their mana stones onto Hyunwoo's opponent.
Being looked down on for being human was something he was already used to.
He ignored the festive atmosphere of the crowd and practiced slapping.
‘The one who gets hit loses if they can’t hit back within 15 seconds, right?’
The rules were stricter than in a real slap fight.
‘So I just have to slap them in this stance….’
He stopped abruptly while swinging his arm, recalling the match rules.
Hyunwoo looked down at his palm with a look of sudden realization.
Thinking that he had stopped because he was scared, his opponent provoked him.
“What? Scared now that you’re actually about to do it?”
As if his words were a signal, the other onlookers all began to laugh at Hyunwoo.
Khahahahaha—
The arena was filled with the sound of laughter.
To Hyunwoo, it had long since become white noise.
He slowly swung his arm once more.
He felt it.
The angle of the swing.
The movement.
The trembling.
Everything was familiar.
This was definitely.
‘…Sabla Swordsmanship?’
Whoosh—
A swordsmanship that uses centrifugal force to generate destructive power.
The unfamiliar movement had the scent of a familiar swordsmanship.
It wasn't certain yet.
In the meantime, the referee called the two, and the match began.
“Both contestants, ready!”
Hyunwoo and his opponent stood facing each other on the platform.
The referee took 10 mana stones from Hyunwoo.
A total of 20 mana stones.
The winner takes all.
The order of attack was decided by a coin toss.
Spin—
The coin the referee tossed up fell.
It was heads.
It was Hyunwoo’s first turn to attack.
Hmph—
The opponent snorted.
“You’re a lucky one.”
Hyunwoo had no time to pay attention to his opponent's words.
Hyunwoo's eyes were sharp as he stared at his wrist.
‘This is a sword.’
A self-suggestion that what he was about to swing was not an arm, but a sword.
As he raised his arm, a strong force was applied to his wrist.
Throb—
‘Ugh….’
His wrist throbbed slightly again.
This much was bearable.
If I just strike the opponent down in one go—
SMACK—!
“Keoheok!”
The sound from the opponent who was hit seemed to get stuck in his throat.
For a moment, he thought something was wrong, and then he collapsed in a daze.
He could feel the strength leaving his opponent’s hand in his grip.
“Huh…?”
Slump—
The opponent, who had collapsed as if sliding down, had his pupils roll back.
And then,
⌜Sabla Swordsmanship (2-Star)―66%⌟
The swordsmanship proficiency had increased.
“……”
A silence fell among the onlookers at the anticlimactic end of the match.
‘This actually works?’
He hadn't expected this much of an effect.
He had only hoped to imitate the swordsmanship to some extent….
The effect was too good.
“Hah, a cocky human bastard is acting up.”
After that, 2 more gladiators challenged him.
“Keoheok!”
With two sounds of air escaping, Hyunwoo's mana stones increased by another 20.
‘Is this… talent?’
The situation was taking a strange turn.
Perhaps he was lucky today, as it was his turn to attack first every time.
As a bonus, every opponent fell in one hit.
No one was given a chance to hit Hyunwoo.
‘Should I just keep farming mana stones here?’
Just as Hyunwoo’s ego was soaring to the sky, a new opponent appeared.
“How about a match with me too, little human boy.”
The newcomer’s neck was as thick as Hyunwoo’s waist.
‘…A rhinoceros?’
The creature, with a huge horn growing where its nose should be, was reminiscent of a rhinoceros.
Among the Demon World residents, those who had manifested their individual traits could have a part of their body transformed, like the rhinoceros before him.
“Ready!”
Spin—
The fallen coin was heads.
It was his turn to attack first again.
‘…Four first attacks in a row. My luck is too good.’
A slight sense of unease crept in with the continuous good fortune.
Hyunwoo shook off his anxiety by rotating his wrist.
No matter how much he came here to get Pain Tolerance….
Getting hit by that guy's pot-lid-like palm was terrifying.
Hyunwoo swung his arm more seriously than before.
‘This time too, in one go…!’
SMACK—!
‘Ugh!’
The palm that hit ached in return.
The rhinoceros just tilted its head once and seemed perfectly fine.
“Is that it? You’re nothing special.”
Gulp—
‘…Right. I have to get hit at some point….’
After all, Hyunwoo's goal was focused on acquiring the trait rather than mana stones.
As if cutting off Hyunwoo's thoughts, the guy's palm immediately swung.
KABOOM—!
“…Keoheok!”
As soon as he was hit once, he couldn't breathe.
He barely held onto his fleeting consciousness and somehow managed to stay on his feet.
The impact was so great that if he hadn't had Physique I, he would have fainted on the spot.
‘No. I might have died….’
As his consciousness faded, he heard the referee’s count.
“…5, 4, 3.”
There wasn't much time left.
He reflexively raised his arm and swung it at the guy.
SMACK—!
The rhinoceros didn't even turn its head and just grinned.
It seemed to have even less of an effect than before.
Seeing the guy clenching and unclenching his fist, fear crept in.
‘How much do I have to get hit like this?’
Do I have to keep doing this?
Before Hyunwoo, who was frozen in fear, could react, the next attack flew in like a surprise attack.
WHOOSH—!
It sounded like a hornet flapping its wings by his ear.
With the sound of the wind, the palm and his cheek met.
KABOOM—!
The sound of an explosion that felt like it would burst his eartrums was Hyunwoo's last memory.
This time, he completely lost consciousness.
“Hahk—!”
Gasping for breath, he opened his eyes to see the rhinoceros staring down at him.
The corner of its mouth curled up.
“Don’t go around acting up when you’re just a human.”
The guy left with just those words.
“……”
The cheek he had been hit on throbbed.
But, Hyunwoo grinned.
‘Just you wait.’
⌜Sabla Swordsmanship (2-Star)―67%⌟
He was slowly getting the hang of using Sabla Swordsmanship with his hands.
He could increase his swordsmanship proficiency and gain Pain Tolerance through the slap fight.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
‘No, three birds with one stone. You’re dead, you rhinoceros bastard.’
Furthermore, if he could just land one good hit on that rhinoceros bastard, it would be perfect.