# 35
35. Preparation for battle (2)
Start breathing.
Inhale deeply and exhale lightly.
"Whoa."
Next to the bed in my room is a brazier with firewood. Heat rose from within. I don't even know how many times it's been already. I put the clump of cloth into my mouth and put my hand into the furnace.
"β¦!"
All sorts of curse words repeated automatically in my head.
10 seconds. count 10 seconds
Now, beyond the pain, I started to lose my senses. Instead of the burning pain, a strange feeling flowed through my fingertips.
['Han( )' has learned the 'Fire Resistance' skill!]
Is it finally?
I immediately removed my hand. A sore burn mark came into his eyes. As I turned my head and waited, my paralyzed senses were restored.
Finally, it's time to test before and after gaining fire resistance.
This time I was able to last more than 30 seconds. He threw a bucket of water next to the brazier and immediately put out the fire. I don't even want to see it. As the fire died down, a new message came to mind.
['Aaron( )' has learned the 'Fire Resistance' skill!]
'Succeeded.'
Aaron is very patient. It was expected.
However, the remaining one has a slightly different problem. After a while, Jenna came to my room. eyes were wet
"I can't. Put your hand in the fire."
"There's also a way to ask Iolka to give you a ride until you die."
"You don't have to do it. If I'd known this would happen, I should've picked that guy!"
"β¦I'll help you."
The fire in the hearth was rekindled.
Jenna came to me crying. Sit on your lap and cover your eyes. To avoid chewing on his tongue in pain, he rolled up a piece of cloth and put it in his mouth. Jenna whispered softly before her mouth fell shut.
"why me."
why me.
They are brought here without knowing why and are forced to fight. Perhaps the one who is synthesized as soon as he arrives here without knowing why is happier than us. On the other hand, at least there is no pain.
After fainting several times, Jenna was able to acquire the fire resistance skill.
next day.
Edith Party entered the ninth floor.
Kurrrrr.
The entire waiting room shook slowly. A little more heavy vibration than when the facility was created. It is the shaking that occurs when the number of floors goes up.
Not long after, two parties came out. Edith's complexion is not good. Dicka and Usher staggered with grim faces. I said with a smile.
"Are there any limbs cut off?"
The two vomited without answering. Roderick helped the two of them and took them to their quarters.
"So, what kind of mission was it?"
"It was to subdue the goblin village. There are about 50 of them."
"What else?"
"Usher and Dickaβ¦"
"Other than that. Was there anything unusual about that place? If there was anything unusual, tell me."
Edith narrowed her eyes and answered.
"The floor was muddy. Like after it rained."
"Muddy water. Is that all?"
"Other than that, I don't know."
"I get it."
Edith went into the inn looking tired.
It seems that the battle was fierce and there was no energy to train.
As soon as the 2nd party left, Issel called the next member.
[Han Jenna Aaron Iolka!]
"I already have it."
[Is that so?]
All of the 1st party gathered.
I entered the gap of space-time.
'Am I not going to fill the 5?'
The 10th floor is soon, but I don't know Amkena's intentions.
If you are going to fill it, fill it in advance. I don't think I'll be able to adapt to the new recruits from the training center now.
I said as the mirror on the left began to envelop the room.
"Iolka!"
"What happened?"
"Did you hear what I said last time? Until I tell you, only use step 1."
"Butβ¦"
"But and what. Did you understand? Did you not understand?"
"Oh, okay!"
"good."
Through the interview with Iolka, I was able to learn the approximate usage of her magic.
Currently, the class to which Iolka belongs is said to be the 3rd class of fire magic.
The first layer is the stage of ignition that brings a flame.
The second layer is the stage of scorching that explodes flames.
Layer 3 is the stage of sublimation that rotates the explosion into an updraft.
It was said that the higher the hierarchy, the more intense the consumption of magic power.
[Floor 4.]
[Mission Type β Subjugation]
[Goal β Exterminate the enemy!]
[Goblin Lv.4 X 3]
[Harpy Lv.6 X 2]
This is a familiar forest that I have been to many times.
"To the location."
Following my words, the party members dispersed. I'm ahead. Aaron is on the left. Jenna on the right. Iolka is the center. It was a triangular formation that emphasized escorting the person in the middle.
Goblins and harpies are watching us with a wary eye.
It seems that the other side instinctively noticed that the difference in power was so great. I was slowly pulling my butt off.
I stood still and watched with my sword and shield hanging down.
"Kiaa!"
Before long, two impatient harpies rushed at me. I looked behind me as I removed my claws with my shield. Casting for Iolka is underway. The flames that rose from the toes rose to the top of the head.
'now.'
γExplore it!γ
It slipped sideways.
The waves of fire engulfed the two harpies in an instant.
The two remaining goblins were killed by Zena's arrows.
'I can't even practice.'
[Stage cleared!]
['Iolka (β β β )' level up!]
[Reward β 2000G Iron Ore (C) X 1]
[MVP β 'Iolka (β β β )']
Iolka reached level 4 in the previous battle has become
It was the limit level that could be raised on the 4th floor.
'I'm level 10, Jenna 8, Aaron 6, Iolka 4. 2 lower.'
The level was raised enough to raise it.
The same goes for the 2nd party that Edith belongs to. In particular, Edith, unlike when she first lost to me and Jenna, was on her way up quickly. He raised his low-level dagger skill to level 4, and now he was able to win 6 out of 7 dagger fights out of 10 fights against Jenna.
The 10th floor was slowly approaching.
The intensity of training has been greatly increased. from morning until late at night. There are no exceptions. Also reduce rest. Except for eating and sleeping, I invested all my time in training.
"Shoot."
Arrow blocking training as always.
At first, I used a shield to block it. At some point, I abandoned the shield and added more and more conditions to it.
"β¦"
I rarely do sparring these days. I'm mostly focusing on arrow defense training.
If he had focused on training in weapon skills, he would have been able to raise his low-level swordsmanship to level 6 much earlier. But don't. Awakening a new skill is more helpful in increasing power than acquiring a 1st level skill.
Skills I need to acquire this time. No, there is a skill I've been trying to acquire from a long time ago.
above and below. Two arrows are fired from different directions.
I could instinctively know where it was going the moment it was fired. Naturally, the sword rotates in the direction of the arrow.
['Han( )' has learned the 'Throwing Defense' skill!]
['Han( )"s 'Lesser Swordsmanship' has risen to Lv.6!]
'Throwing Defense.'
It is a skill that gives a large correction to the defense of throwing weapons, including arrows. It belongs to a skill that is difficult to obtain, but I have been training it steadily since before, and I have already almost caught on. Rather, it should be regarded as a belated awakening.
In addition, since throwing defense is a type of weapon skill, it is possible to raise a low-level swordsmanship skill at the same time. If you add a few skills here, you can evolve low-level weapon skills to intermediate.
"Your brother seems to be getting better every day."
Jenna muttered in a tired voice.
"I don't need compliments. Did you learn how to switch?"
"Um, you mean this?"
Jenna shot a bow at a wooden doll 10 meters away and at the same time cut down the scarecrow right next to her with her dagger. The change of weapon was as smooth as flowing water.
Looking at the status window, the skill called switching is properly attached.
It was one of the most useful skills for thieves who value flexibility according to the situation.
Even so, it does not change that the speed of learning is abnormal.
This guy is a 1 star, but has tremendous potential.
If I had been brought here without knowing about Pick Me Up, I would have been far behind Jenna. If it's a normal 1 star, it's about Aaron. I raised my low level spearmanship to 3, but that was all.
Aaron hasn't come to the training ground for a while.
You'll be locked in your room learning the pain tolerance I talked about.
Iolka was training magic at the exclusive training ground located inside the magic hall.
What I asked for was that, in addition to reducing firepower, mana consumption was also reduced. It's easier to handle using multiple shots than firing single shots.
Edith's 2nd party occupied the left side of the training ground and were conducting formation training.
Wherever you go, fighting is similar, and it is a similar type to Geunjungwon. Usher and Dicka sweated profusely under the experienced Edith and Roderick.
And there are those who train in the corner without being either one or the other.
The posture is not good, and the power contained is weak. They were first-stars who had just arrived. I've leveled up on the lower floors a few times, but my skill level isn't high.
'Am I going to include those guys?'
After all, there are only two people.
Amkena doesn't seem to have any intention of picking a new hero.
I've used up all my gems to create magic halls.
It seems that Amkena is also starting preparations for climbing the 10th floor in earnest.
With the equipment workshop in operation, the party's overall equipment improved. The flimsy leather armor of E rank has been strengthened to D rank. Iron plates were added to the leather armor. Aaron and I were also given daggers as secondary weapons.
Then, two people from the training camp joined Edith's party with me.
The name of the first star who joined our party is Shurn. I tried somehow to join them in formation practice, but there were many cases where they couldn't keep up. I couldn't even acquire the fire resistance skill I requested.
If there was a lot of time given, I would have forced them to learn, but judging from what Amkena is doing, the 10th floor is not far away. It would be better to train the four main players during that time.
If possible, I wanted to upgrade before departure.
Just in time, it was the weekend when all dungeons were open, so I stopped by the mine, but I couldn't find any rare monsters.
That night, Aaron also acquired Pain Resistance.
The preparations are over.
Sitting at the desk in the room and analyzing the dungeons from the 6th to 9th floors, the sound of flapping wings tickled my ears.
It was Issel.
"What are you doing? Come find me."
[no! I wonder if the preparations are going well. So how about Loki? Is the mission prediction over? Can you get rid of it with a good thief?]
"If I can do that, I'll be a god."
[It's a godsend!]
"If I did that, I broke through the 100th floor once upon a time, dude."
Master of Masters.
There is no lie in the fact that I am the top user of Pick Me Up.
However, despite having this nickname, I couldn't completely clear Pick Me Up. I only managed to get to the 88th floor in two years. Dozens of parties were annihilated by unpredictable random patterns and heinous trap designs.
The master of pick me up grows through defeat. Neither did I.
Amkena still knows no defeat.
If I go on as I am now, the moment I know defeat will be my death. The more I thought about it, the more I was dazzled. To say that he had to succeed in all missions up to the 100th floor without a single failure.
'β¦'
Anxiety is an extravagant feeling.
I have no intention of giving up just because the odds are low.
I erase miscellaneous thoughts and get rid of it. I calmed my mind.
My guess is that the 10th floor will be climbed tomorrow.
It's tomorrow.
It was the second boss stage to meet here.