#76
Episode 76
Test of prowess (2)
Pot.
The degree appeared at the test site with a short sound. Jeongdo quickly looked around.
‘It’s a mountain.’
Does it make sense for such a lush mountain to exist at such a high altitude? That thought occurred to me for a moment, but what use are such questions when the island is floating in the sky? Jeongdo took out one item from the inventory.
It was a crystal so large that even if an adult man held it tightly in his hand, it would slightly protrude from the top and bottom. An item given to Jeongdo by Grandel before warping to the testing location. In particular, it was not a tool of conversion prepared by Grandel for Jeongdo, but rather an artifact provided to all test participants.
I slightly infused mana into the crystal.
Pot.
Then a square hologram appeared on the crystal.
The identity of the hologram is a map.
A map of the uninhabited island where the current exam was being held was shown in the form of a bird’s eye view. Jeongdo looked at the map and frowned slightly.
‘As expected, I don’t know my current location.’
If it was natural, it was a natural story. A map is just a picture of the terrain, not something that reflects your current location in real time. However, the problem was that Jeong-do was very accustomed to maps that showed his location in real time. Jeong Do glanced around and looked at another map that only he had.
<Dungeon Map>
It was a skill obtained from Jeong Yak-yong’s dungeon and was a fraudulent skill that reflected one’s location in real time, but now it did not show anything. To some extent, I felt a sense of regret.
‘Well, because the bass was the bass.’
The original source of the <Dungeon Map> skill is ‘Abanggang Yeokgo’, well-known as Jeong Yak-yong’s geography book. It was a book that recorded the geography and stories of the Korean Peninsula. This means that the dungeon map does not work in terrain other than the Korean Peninsula. If the dungeon map worked inside the dungeon, he would have become the world’s best dungeon strategist.
‘But there is something worth trying.’
Jeongdo closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the crystal. And at the same time, I thought of my skill <Dungeon Map> and made a strong wish.
OK.
<Talent <Song-lv.3> discovered the similarity between the map function of <Delaf Crystal> and <Dungeon Map>. Try to communicate. Connection successful! From now on, the map of Sky Island Delaf will be added to <Dungeon Map>. The map function will be deleted from <Delaf Crystal>.>
“Good!”
When Jeongdo saw the desired result, he clenched his fists and shouted lowly. I gave it a try after seeing the similarities between the crystal and dungeon maps, and it was a great success. As if it were a navigation upgrade, Delaf’s map, which had not previously appeared on the dungeon map, began to appear on the map, and his location also began to appear on the map.
In Battle Royale, being able to accurately determine your location in real time is a tremendous advantage. As soon as he arrived at the uninhabited island, Jeong Do gained an advantage over other testers.
“see. Current location… oh?”
Since he arrived late in Delaf, will he have different luck? The random starting position was very good. It was a mountain slightly to the right of the center of the uninhabited island.
‘There is no need to move to avoid falling.’
Grandel explained it as if it was a battle royale without rules, but that was only for fights between challengers, and there were several systems that were applied on the uninhabited island where the test was conducted.
A chronic problem with the battle royale system was that participants had no intention of fighting and kept hiding, looking for opportunities.
The last person standing is the winner.
This simple rule caused most participants to take advantage of the fisherman’s fortune, so in battle royale, everyone hides and watches for opportunities. However, this has the disadvantage of not being able to proceed indefinitely. So, in the battle royale system, there is a device that forces combat, for example, a device that creates a magnetic field and gradually reduces it. It was the same for the test I was participating in just now.
That too was an incomparably violent method compared to the magnetic field.
As time goes by, Delaf’s uninhabited island breaks apart from the outside and falls to the ground!
If you aim for a fisherman’s position without properly determining your location, you will have to dive vertically from thousands of meters high. It was a system in which participants naturally gathered in the center as time passed.
So, if the ground collapses on the outskirts of the test site, should you fall to your death? That wasn’t it again. Jeongdo fiddled with the crystal, which had lost its map function.
Delaf Crystal.
In addition to the map function, this crystal had two other functions. One of them had a built-in magic that allowed it to return to the central island of Delaf once a year.
In other words, the exam held at Delaf was one in which abstention was possible in case of an emergency.
‘Well, this isn’t the only way to increase your rank.’
No matter how good the rewards are, if it were a system where everyone dies except for first place, most people would not participate. Minimal safety measures. Of course, there was the risk of being ambushed or having the enemy destroy the crystal before you knew it, but there is no one who participates in this event who has not taken that level of risk.
High risk, high return.
It was a truth that penetrated the entire universe.
And when Jeong-do finished thinking about it.
Whiiing! pop!
A huge firework flew into the sky of the uninhabited island and exploded with a loud sound in the sky. A signal signaling the start of the test. And at the same time, many notification windows appeared in front of Jeongdo’s eyes.
<Special mission: Delaf’s test has begun.>
<If the mission is successfully completed, the user will be given a special title. Titles have a significant impact on the user’s future growth direction.>
<Additional rewards will be given if you are the last one standing.>
Like the last Kaumka Dungeon, this time the <Communication> and <Game> talent set goals so that the level was easy to understand. Up to this point, everything was as expected.
And this time, an unexpected notification window appeared.
<Start the game! Talent <Game-lv.3> is activated. All abilities increase 3 times.>
<We have reached the limit of our current level. Applies up to a maximum ability level of 99.>
“omg.”
I wasn’t surprised that when <Game> reached level 3, all abilities tripled because I confirmed it in the last promotion test. What surprised Jeongdo was that this situation was recognized as a game.
‘Obviously, the increase in <game> talent’s abilities was only applied through mechanical devices?’
As games reached level 3, did not only games using mechanical devices but also things like ‘matches’ or ‘sports’ begin to be recognized as games?
‘If not, have I been dragged into a place like virtual reality without my knowledge?’
No, no matter what, that is a bit too far-fetched. Jeongdo shook his head, took stock of the situation again, and let out a sigh of regret.
‘If I had exceeded the limit now, it would have been applied three times and I would have achieved musou.’
However, those who exceeded the limit in the first place could not participate in this test. In other words, it is a meaningless notification. Soon he forgot about the notification window and started walking quietly towards a certain point.
* * * * * *
About two hours have passed since the test started.
‘You’ve arrived.’
Jeong Do hid behind a tree and calmly observed his target point. There was a large earthen mountain a little far away from where Jeongdo was watching. There were dense trees around Tosan, so Tosan without any trees was very visible.
‘It was probably made like that on purpose.’
Excluding exceptions, the most important things to do in battle royale were securing food and understanding your current location. And the best way to determine the location is to climb up high and look down at the surrounding terrain and compare it with the map.
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Tosan seen in the distance is the highest altitude in this area. Of course, when you climb to the top of Tosan, you can see the surrounding terrain.
And everyone will think that way.
It is said that challengers located near the center of the uninhabited island will definitely come to this mountain.
But the problem is that there is no special cover in Tosan. The organizers’ intentions were clear.
If you want to know your location, be prepared to be exposed!
The existence of Tosan meant that.
‘It stinks very bad.’
However, this was not applicable to those who had a perfect understanding of the surrounding terrain. The reason he came here was not to understand the terrain, but to surprise the participants climbing the mountain. As long as there are no special variables, participants will definitely show up.
‘The problem is that there is that variable.’
Thinking about that, I played with the small stone in my hand. It was a bluish stone the size of a thumb.
‘Floating stone.’
It was similar to a magic stone in that it contained mana, but its properties were very different. According to Grandel, it is because of this stone that Sky Island can exist in the sky.
But more importantly, this floating stone could create a variable.
What differentiates Delaf’s Trial from other battle royales is the floating stone and store system.
Floating stones can be found scattered throughout uninhabited islands, and can be obtained by defeating wild animals or monsters. The floating stone that Jeong-do is holding was also obtained by killing wild deer and goblins he encountered on his way to Tosan.
And these floating stones are the currency that can be used in unmanned stores that randomly exist on uninhabited islands. According to Grandel’s explanation, users can receive various helpful tools and buffs at the unmanned store.
Starting with simple food.
There is even a cheat key effect where the locations of other participants appear on the map when you pay a lot of floating stones.
It was a system that could be a very large variable.
No matter which store you go to, the items sold are basically the same, but there is one thing. It is said that there are special items sold only at that store. Of course, Jeong-do asked Grandel about the item, but Grandel replied that he couldn’t tell him about it because it was against the rules. However, he said that it is a product that can easily turn the game around, so if you have enough floating stones, it is a good idea to buy it.
‘It’s really like a game.’
A combination of battle royale and RPG. I also understood that <Game> was activated. Jeongdo looked at the dungeon map again. Unfortunately, the location of the store was not shown on the map. However, the current dungeon map function alone was enough to destroy the balance of the skill, so I quickly let go of my disappointment.
And then.
<Ah, master. I can feel a presence from over there!>
Ixia said to Jeong Do. The direction Ixia gave was not toward Tosan but toward the forest. In other words, it was a direction that had already passed.
“… that’s interesting. “I don’t feel anything.”
<I’m sure. master! Just trust me!>
As far as I was concerned, I followed Ixia’s lead and moved to kill as many traces as possible. So let some time pass.
“There is.”
Ixia’s <Persimmon-lv.2> was accurate. There, a large wolf was curled up and sleeping. You weren’t a participant. It was a bit disappointing, but I quietly aimed my spear.
Floating stones are found not only in monsters but also in the bodies of animals. You can’t just hand over precious currency. Jeongdo rushed towards the wolf with a light heart.
however.
<Master. It’s dangerous!>
As soon as he heard Ixia’s warning, Jeongdo put an emergency brake on his stance to attack the wolf and rolled to the side. And the wolf’s large mouth bit into the air where Jeong-do was just a moment ago.
Sigh!
If Jeong-do had attacked him like that, he would have been eaten right off the shoulder. It wasn’t a reaction an ordinary wolf could show. Jeongdo used observation reflexively.
Tiring!
Name: Tinia
Level: 92
Mana available: 93
Strength: 91 Stamina: 88 Reflexes: 99 Mana Sensitivity: 89
Talent: <Chiak-lv.2>, <Breaking power-lv.2>, <Sleep-lv.2>, <Indecisiveness-lv.2>, <Mirang-lv.2>, <Magic-lv.1>, … and 4 others.
Possessed skills: <Bloodthrow>, <Body Acceleration>, <Poly Morph>, <Berserk> and 5 more
“… shit. “I let my guard down.”
To some extent, I was mistaken about one thing.
I vaguely thought of the test participants as ‘humans’ or ‘pseudo-humans’.
However, the universe was wide, and somewhere in the universe there were wolves that had reached their limit after countless years.
This is the first participant that Jeong-do met after taking part in the test.
It was a huge black wolf that could be called a spirit beast.
2 hours on the first day of the exam.
Currently 31 survivors.
