Episode 137
[Infinite Stairs]
The moment I saw the sign with a rather grandiose word on it, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I don’t know the exact reason, but for some reason, it reminded me of the time I descended Yeongsan Mountain before returning… … .
In general, it is easier to go down than to go up.
But will the ordeal of these stairs be harsher than that of Yeongsan?
‘… … .’
I stopped in my tracks due to a sudden thought that occurred to me.
This is because there is a slight difference between confidence and arrogance.
Just like in Yeongsan, the ordeal of these stairs is unknown to me.
No matter how harsh the training at Yeongsan was, that cannot be a basis for belittling the current hardships.
but… … .
‘I want to test it.’
Without strength, without protection.
First of all, I want to encounter this name of infinity with only my body.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to do it.
Tadadat!
I thought as I raced up the stairs.
Even if Alderson is a wizard of seven colors, he would not be able to set the actual number of stairs to infinite.
But why was the staircase named Infinite?
Just to scare the climber?
Or is it because it is so long that it rivals infinity?
‘I guess it’s both, right?’
I concluded with a chuckle.
That’s because Alderson is also a wizard.
You can figure it out just by looking at the seven-color riddle we tasted earlier. That old man’s personality is not good at all.
The shape of the stairs is also bad.
A spiral design that makes it impossible to know how far you have come and how much is left… … .
If you have no choice but to keep going without knowing where you started or where you will arrive, it wouldn’t be nonsense for the stairs to have an infinite name.
‘This part is similar to Yeongsan.’
I had a similar feeling when descending Mt. Yeongsan.
This was because it was impossible to see above or below due to the fog surrounding the area.
At least I was able to see the progress thanks to the FAD that the fourth executioner gave me… … .
Regardless of the level of difficulty, aren’t these stairs the worse quality?
‘I like it.’
But now even those unknown parts have become attractive to me.
I spent 100 days in Yeongsan.
During that time, the gap between mind and body was completely eliminated, and my physical strength also increased beyond recognition. Thanks to the improved Cheil Industries.
However, since my regression, I have never really pushed myself to the limit.
The battle with Juan was somewhat one-sided… … .
The Demon King was not yet an opponent I could overcome.
Because in Yeongdo, there was no one who could be called an opponent.
In that sense, these stairs were a good test.
“… Feel so good.”
I muttered to myself without realizing it.
After running for about an hour and a half, I slowly felt my body warming up.
On the other hand, breathing is still calm.
‘Should I pick up the pace a little more?’
Or should I just wait and see the situation a little longer?
I still don’t know the overall length of the stairs, so I have to be careful… … .
I don’t think running while conserving my strength is what I’m apt for.
I knew this for the first time.
Running lightly, as if taking a walk, is surprisingly tantalizing.
‘Just lightly use your full power-.’
The moment I thought that and put pressure on my front foot, I quickly stopped.
The stairs ended somewhat suddenly and a wall appeared.
“What… … .”
I almost hit my forehead.
And while I was still, an inorganic voice reached my ears.
[congratulations. You have passed the rainbow layer.]
‘Is this the end?’
Yes, as if to say, the surroundings were engulfed in light and the scenery began to change.
The cool, colorful stairs and stone walls have disappeared, leaving a library-like background with an old-fashioned atmosphere.
Anyway, I felt completely out of breath.
‘… It was really over.’
If I had known this would happen, I would have just run with all my might from the beginning.
I quenched my appetite with some sense of regret and looked around.
‘It’s a library… … .’
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For some reason, the tattoo near the nape of my neck feels sore.
Of course, the atmosphere here was completely different from the gloomy underground library at home.
Above all, it is bright.
Although there were no windows in sight, warm light came from a chandelier attached to the center of the ceiling, which seemed to be thanks to that.
[Welcome to the layer of knowledge!]
[※Second rule※]
[There is a penalty if you get a question wrong three or more times.]
There’s a problem here too… … .
Isn’t the way of thinking of wizards surprisingly simple?
Anyway, there is a penalty here, but if you can’t solve it, they won’t cut out your tongue or gouge out your eyeballs.
It might be a bit of a naughty prank, though.
‘It’s unfortunate.’
It may be a coincidence, but it feels like a continuation of the ordeal that I experienced before.
Does it feel like you’ve unintentionally studied?
I didn’t feel particularly guilty, but somehow I felt a little cowardly.
‘Anyway, what problem are you trying to solve? … .’
As I was standing in the middle of the library, a book came flying from somewhere and stopped in front of me.
Sigh-.
Then, the pages of the book turned randomly and a voice was heard.
[This is the first problem.]
“aha.”
It’s like this.
Eventually, the page of the book was fixed, and I looked at the problem.
* * *
Alderson, who was staring at the screen with his eyes glued to the screen, said in a trembling voice.
“Um, what is the name of that Youngdo?”
“So obviously… … .”
Morland answered while looking through the profiles submitted in advance by the two families.
“Blonde hair and purple eyes… … . It must be Luan Badniker.”
“Luan Badniker? “You mean the youngest child of Sanghyeolgong?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“No way. I heard that he was an incompetent child who did not receive any protection… … .”
Morland closed his mouth.
Because he also heard similar rumors.
Badniker’s youngest child.
It is said to be a bloodline that is so unanswerable that even Sanghyeolgong, who values blood ties, rejects it.
I don’t know anything else, but the rumor that he was a crazy person who sold the family’s treasured sword was something that could not be easily forgotten.
‘When they found out that it was Badniker’s treasured sword, the merchants who bought it at a low price ran all the way to Badniker’s territory… … .’
Some even claimed that it was a trap sold by Iron Blood Ball to merchants, but no one would know the truth.
Alderson looked at the screen with confused eyes.
“Uhm… … . Since she didn’t receive any protection, it seems like she focused on training her body. “Seeing you again, you have such an amazing body.”
A slightly calm Alderson moistened his mouth with tea, then sank into the backrest again and said:
“It’s a great body, but… If you just trust in the flesh and go out, you will be severely punished. What [Tower of Training] requires more than anything else is the challenger’s versatility… … .”
Alderson nodded and smiled evilly again.
“On the contrary, the face of that courageous Yeong-do, who easily broke through the stairs, is colored with despair… … . Tsk tsk tsk!”
“excuse me… “Dean?”
“What else?”
“Luan Badniker broke through the second floor… … ?”
* * *
[congratulations. You have passed the layer of knowledge.]
The inorganic voice reached me again.
It probably took less than 30 minutes.
I cleared it much faster than the first floor, but to be honest, I felt a little strange because it felt like I had taken a shortcut this time.
‘Isn’t this the god of martial arts and not the god of martial arts?’
When I spoke in a slightly tired tone, Musin laughed and said.
[I’m just lucky. The past that today’s people recorded as history is engraved in me as memories and relationships.]
‘… It seems like you have a very broad perspective, not just limited to the past era.’
[is it? I’m not sure.]
This time too, I received help from Musin.
Even if you are a history professor at an academy, wouldn’t it be enough to have a conversation about martial arts and history?
The breadth of Musin’s knowledge was deep and wide enough to make such a thought.
For example, one of the problems I solved… … .
[Generally, the level of magic is determined by the type of color that can be handled. So what is the most recommended order for learning colors in today’s magic arts?]
It’s clearly written in a language I know, but I have no idea what kind of bullshit this is.
Unlike what Rise presented, the question of [Layer of Knowledge] was subjective… Most of them were outside of my interests.
At this moment, I also learned for the first time that the level of magic science is divided into colors that can be handled.
Of course, I was pausing because I had no way of knowing the answer, but Musin spoke in a calm voice.
[You can choose between red and purple, whichever suits your personality. From then on, it goes back sequentially. After learning all seven colors, choose one color and focus on it, or move on to the mixed color stage.]
Musin seemed to be well-versed not only in martial arts, but also in past history, mythology, heroic figures, and even magic.
As a result, I was able to break through the [layer of knowledge] without much trouble… … .
[Welcome to the training floor!]
[※Third rule※]
[Protection is prohibited on this floor.]
[Penalty for violation.]
Along with the inorganic voice, the surrounding scenery changed again.
What greeted me this time was a gray room. Similar to the starting point, there were three doors on the wall.
And as expected, our sign was stuck in the middle.
At first glance, it looks like the longest text of any sign I’ve ever seen.
I read the content slowly.
[You have endless stamina and vast knowledge! We sincerely congratulate you on coming to the 3rd floor!]
[On the 4th floor, there is a huge reward prepared by the great archmage – Purple Alderson!]
[Of course, not just anyone can set foot in such a precious place, right? To enter the 4th floor, you must now pass three tests!]
[Test your ‘strength’, ‘speed’ and ‘accuracy’! If your total score exceeds 150, you can advance to the next floor!]
Strength, speed, agility.
I saw red, blue and green doors respectively.
[Room of Power.]
[Room of speed.]
[Room of quickness.]
“hmm… … .”
Are you measuring physical ability this time?
I got quite interested.
I instinctively tried to enter the [Room of Power] first, but changed my mind and decided to enter the [Room of Agility] first.
This is because agility – that is, reaction speed – is most deeply affected by physical and mental state.
On the other hand, strength and speed are less affected by physical condition than agility.
Dalkak-.
I opened the door and entered the [Room of Quickness].
It is a spacious room.
It was my first time entering the tower and seeing such a large space, so I was a little dazed.
There was only one sign stuck in the middle of the empty space.
[Welcome to the room of quickness!]
[The trial in this room consists of a total of four stages.]
[Use all means to avoid the thrown objects.]
“Throws?”
The moment I asked a question, I heard a voice.
[Begin step 1.]
Slam!
At that moment, something like a black hole appeared on the wall in front.
It’s big enough to fit my head.
Just watching quietly.
Tu-tu-tu-tung!
With a dull sound, the ball poured out of the hole.
“… … !”
It’s pretty fast.
I immediately twisted my upper body to avoid the flying ball.
Pretzel Gwang!
The balls hit the wall and made a loud noise. If I get hit, I don’t think it will end at the level of ‘ouch’.
[Start step 2.]
This time, holes appeared in both directions and arrows flew out in bunches.
Of course, it’s much faster and more threatening than the ball, but is it because I was nervous this time?
I avoided it more easily than in step 1.
‘If step 2 is two-way, step 3 is… … .’
[From level 3 onwards, there is a risk of injury and even loss of life.]
[Would you like to continue?]
Even in steps 1 and 2, if you got it wrong, you could end up in trouble. The remaining two steps seem to be much more dangerous.
Of course, I have no intention of quitting here.
I briefly responded to the sky.
“go.”
[Begin step 3.]
Slam!
As expected, holes appeared in all directions, front, back, left, and right along with a loud noise.
What’s next for the ball and arrow?
As I stood by with my senses raised so I could react immediately, an unexpected object flew by.
Squirt-!
It was a disc.
It’s also a disk as big as a sewer cover.
This disc even had a bloody blade attached to it… If you get hit by that, you won’t be injured, you’ll just be cut in half and die.
The disc was incomparably faster than a ball or arrow, and it did not fly irregularly.
The discs flying from all directions seemed to have predicted the path I would avoid.
It’s difficult to avoid them all.
It may be possible to defend, but there is something that bothers me.
– Avoid throwing objects by any means possible.
The voice told him to avoid the throws.
This means that defense may be the wrong response.
There is no time to think further.
The moment I saw the disk approaching right in front of me, I pulled out the Seven Deadly Sins sword from my waist.
Then, tap the nearest disk with the tip of the knife.
Kigeek.
The path of the disc that collides with the sword is distorted.
The disk that rotated to the left collided with the closest disk, and such collisions continued.
Kakakakang!
As a result, the discs that were attacking me collided with each other, bounced in all directions, and became embedded in the wall.
‘Is this safe?’
Still, I didn’t stop it by hitting it myself.
I wait a little nervously for a voice… … .
[Begin step 4.]
“Whoa… … .”
In fact, the pass sign was dropped.
No, this is not the time to be complacent.
Where will stage 4 come from and what will fly in?
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … !
At that time, a loud noise was heard from above.
When I looked up at the sound of dust falling, I saw the strange sight of the ceiling wall turning over.
The overturned wall was filled with hundreds and thousands of holes.
The moment I had the strange idea that it looked like a honeycomb, something like cool metal seemed to flash inside the hole.
The moment I thought, no way… … .
“… … !”
All kinds of weapons – swords, swords, daggers, spears, axes… came out of the hole immediately afterward. … . In any case, a torrent of weapons poured down like a torrent, several times more than all the weapons I knew.
Quagagagagagagagag!
“… … !”
How the f*ck can I avoid this?
If I wanted to avoid getting hurt, I would have to react immediately by swinging the Seven Deadly Sins Sword, but for some reason, I felt like I would fail in step 4 if I did that.
Of course, there is no way to completely avoid the heavy rain of that weapon.
It is not a matter of physical ability, but a matter of spatial density.
This means that you have to use an expedient method like in step 3, but now it is impossible to forcefully change the path of the thrown object like back then.
So what should I do-.
“… … !”
At that moment, my eyes fell on the disk stuck on the wall.
When I looked closely, it looked like a shield rather than a disk.
And the shape of the throws falling from the sky is, of course, a weapon.
fault!
My body moved faster than I thought.
I immediately ran to where the shield was and then slipped under it as if sliding.
Then, support the shield with your hands as if pushing it out.
Tou-doo-doo-duk!
It seems like a torrential rain of steel is pouring down.
The sound of hitting the shield fiercely struck my ears.
After the shock that made my wrists stiff… Finally, the surroundings became quiet.
[congratulations! You have cleared all the trials prepared in the Room of Quickness!]
[…] Calculating score… … .]
[Please wait a moment.]
I sighed and crawled out of the tattered disk.
Meanwhile, the fragments of the weapon scattered everywhere soon turned into particles of light and disappeared.
Now I understand.
Neither the bladed disk nor the rain of weapons falling from the sky were as dangerous as actual weapons.
This was probably made with magic, and it wouldn’t have killed him if he actually got hit. I don’t know if it hurts enough to kill me, but I don’t know.
And somewhere, you can see a turtle screaming as if it had been hit by a real weapon.
‘It’s a really bad taste.’
The moment I sighed, a small screen appeared in front of me.
Before I could be surprised, I saw a text floating on a translucent screen.
[All-time rankings of the Room of Quickness.]
As for the historical rankings… Are you talking about the records of those who cleared it?
As I moved my finger, many names passed by.
Of course, what I’m curious about is the top rankings.
When I reached the end of the list, I soon found a familiar name.
[1st. Delac Badniker. 94 points.]
[2nd place. Leone. 87 points.]
[3rd place. Hyde Woodjack. 85 points.]
[4th place. Caela epiphysis. 84 points.]
[5th place. Glenn Scarlett. 81 points.]
“… … .”
Now that I think about it, Iron Blood Prince was also a graduate of the Cartel Academy.
Although I completed all courses and graduated in just one year.
I’m a little dazed.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to make a direct comparison with Sanghyeolgong in a place like this.
[Score calculation has been completed.]
So, what is my level now?
fantasy,
