Chapter 2

Chapter 2

[Episode 01] Solo Infinite Tutorial (2)

Flash!

When I came to my senses, a familiar scene was unfolding before my eyes.

A wide stone chamber that looked to be about 30 pyeong.

A blue stone embedded in the ceiling emitting a soft light.

And.

[Sword / Shield] [Bow / Arrows] [Wand]

The three choices on the altar.

It was the exact same scene I had seen at the exact same time yesterday.

‘It’s the Tutorial.’

I was confused.

Of course I was, since I had already finished the Tutorial.

Was I dreaming?

Or had the Awakening itself from the previous day been a dream?

Just in case, I checked the Status Window first.

“Status Window.”

Ding!

[Name]: Kim Jaehyun

[Affiliation]: Korea

[Class]: Mage (Normal)

[Level]: 2

Confirming that the level was not 1, I let out a sigh of relief.

‘Stamina is also 8.’

Fortunately, it seemed yesterday’s events were not a dream.

But then.

‘What on earth is this situation? A bug?’

Even while bewildered, I climbed onto the altar and chose the wooden stick.

The moment I gripped the wooden stick, the altar itself disappeared and erased the other choices.

[Changing class to Mage (Normal).]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Energy Bolt’.]

“······.”

This was also a system message I had seen once yesterday.

With this, it became even clearer.

I was currently progressing through the Tutorial.

‘I don’t know why, but...’

There was no problem.

No, rather, the situation was better than yesterday.

‘Because right now I already have all the basic equipment equipped.’

Leather armor and shoes.

Items I had received from the Explorer Management Center yesterday afternoon.

Since I had been thinking of starting the 2nd Floor clear as soon as it passed 12, I had already put them all on in advance.

If I hadn’t prepared beforehand, I would have had to clear it naked again today as well.

Because inside the dungeon, only things that came from the dungeon could be used.

‘It’s nothing special, but it feels reassuring.’

There was a sense of stability that could be obtained just from the fact of not being naked.

‘Then, shall I go.’

The single exit in the starting room.

I walked down a corridor of about 10m and stood in front of the door.

Rumble—

The door slowly opened.

Inside, there existed a stone chamber of similar size to the starting room.

And.

-Krek?

A single ferocious goblin existing in the center.

-Kyaaaak!

The moment it discovered me, it charged like mad.

Having already aimed the wooden stick at the guy in advance, I cast the skill just like that.

“Energy Bolt.”

Woom!

Blue light condensing at the tip of the wooden stick.

‘1, 2, 3.’

Exactly 3 seconds later, the condensed blue light shot forward, and it hit the crown of the goblin charging in a straight line perfectly.

Thud!

The guy who had been charging collapsed at the same speed, rolled on the ground a few times, and soon after.

Puff!

It evaporated into gray powder.

[You have defeated the Goblin.]

“Huu.”

Fortunately, I succeeded in taking it down in one shot this time as well.

Rumble!

An altar rose from the floor of the stone chamber, and immediately an exit was created in the center.

Woom!

Proof that the dungeon clear was complete.

I immediately returned to reality through the exit.

Then.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (1st Floor).]

[Salvation Points are being settled.]

A familiar message floated up.

But there was one point different from yesterday.

‘There’s no level-up message.’

I had expected it just in case, but as expected.

With a regretful heart, I summoned the Status Window.

Ding!

[Name]: Kim Jaehyun

[Affiliation]: Korea

[Class]: Mage (Normal)

[Level]: 2

[Strength]: 4 (+)

[Agility]: 9 (+)

[Stamina]: 8 (+)

[Mana]: 19 (+)

[Mana Sensitivity]: 15 (+)

{Bonus Stat Points}: 5

[Class Skill]: Energy Bolt (Lv. 1)

{Skill Points}: 0

[Salvation Points]: 2

“Eh...?”

I was speechless.

The level remained 2.

Stamina also remained 8.

But.

‘The bonus points are 5 again.’

I had clearly used them all just now.

I had clearly made Stamina 8 with this.

As if nothing had happened, the points had been refilled intact.

“······.”

Thump— thump—

The sound of the heart pounding roughly noisily struck my eardrums.

It was a little different from the arrhythmia that usually came.

No way.

‘Re-Awakening?’

It was not an actual concept that existed.

However, it was a cliché that appeared quite frequently in novels or dramas.

The story of a protagonist who was an ordinary Explorer re-awakening and becoming a hero.

But.

‘...For that, I was Normal grade this time as well?’

An extremely small minority among Explorers.

The chosen ones were different from the start.

Unlike Normal grade dungeons where only the three choices of Warrior, Archer, and Mage existed, they started with special classes.

‘How did this happen?’

It could simply be a bug.

So confirmation was needed.

Whether these bonus points really showed effect or not.

I immediately tried investing bonus points into Stamina.

Just 2.

[Stamina value has become 10.]

At the same time, a refreshing sensation sweeping through the whole body.

The average value for an adult male, 10.

Although it was merely a trick, the fact itself of standing on the same line as others was deeply moving.

I tried taking a deep breath.

“Sseup, haa.”

There is no stuffiness.

Completely open breathing that I had never felt even once in my life.

Adding a little exaggeration, it was to the point where I felt the illusion that just breathing recovered fatigue.

‘Is this an ordinary person’s breathing...?’

Had everyone been living in such a refreshing world like this.

With this, I confirmed that the newly obtained bonus points worked properly.

While worrying about where to invest the remaining 3 points, I made a decision not long after.

‘...Let’s invest the remaining ones into Mana according to the standard method.’

[Mana value has become 22.]

If it were up to my heart, I wanted to invest everything into Stamina, but for me who was a Mage, any further Stamina investment was a loss.

‘Because there is also the possibility that this opportunity is the last one.’

This kind of thing was something unheard of.

Since it was an unprecedented thing, it was hard to think that such luck would come again.

For efficiency, investing in Mana was the answer.

‘Because I have no intention of staying in the lower floors and being content.’

I wanted to earn more money.

Even for the sake of Mom and Dad who had suffered because of me until now.

‘I will go up.’

It was then.

Ding!

[Will you challenge the Normal Dungeon (2nd Floor)?]

A system notification appeared before my eyes.

“······?”

At first, I could not understand.

Because challenging the dungeon was possible once a day.

Since I had performed the Tutorial as soon as it became 12, originally I should only be able to enter the dungeon at noon tomorrow.

Then.

“!”

Soon after, one idea flashed through my mind.

‘I performed the Tutorial twice.’

In other words, the dungeon clear of the one from yesterday’s Awakening was still in a state of not having progressed.

Then it made sense that I could immediately challenge the 2nd Floor.

Just in case, when I thought in my mind that I would challenge the 1st Floor.

[Will you repeatedly clear the Normal Dungeon (1st Floor)?]

Bingo.

The words ‘repeated clear’ were proof that it was an opportunity continuing from the Tutorial performed yesterday.

Then there was no need to hesitate.

‘I will challenge the 2nd Floor.’

The moment I made a clear expression of intent.

Slide—

In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed.

A wide stone chamber that looked to be about 30 pyeong.

A blue stone embedded in the ceiling emitting a soft light.

It was the inside of the dungeon once again.

***

Clearing the 2nd Floor was not difficult.

Because, just like the Tutorial, information was scattered on a national level.

The theme of Normal Dungeon 2nd Floor was ‘Maze’.

As long as you memorized the answer sheet, it was a place no different from the 1st Floor.

‘Left left right left.’

Every time a fork appeared, I chose only the correct answer without hesitation.

Eventually, a familiar door appeared at a dead end.

Rumble—

From here, it was a repetition of the Tutorial.

-Kyaaaak!

The goblin charging toward me and.

“Energy Bolt.”

Thud!

[You have defeated the Goblin.]

After about the third one, I became quite accustomed even to the murderous gaze of the goblins.

‘Huu. It’s even more nothing special than I thought.’

If I hadn’t known the way, I might have encountered two or three more goblins.

However, there was nothing easier to clear than a maze whose answers you knew.

Rumble!

An altar rose from the floor and an exit was created.

Meaning the clear was complete.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (2nd Floor).]

[Level has increased.]

[Salvation Points are being settled.]

Having returned to reality, I checked the Status Window first of all.

The level had risen to 3, 5 bonus points had appeared, and Salvation Points had also increased by 1.

I immediately invested all of these into Mana.

[Mana value has become 27.]

Woom—

There was no dramatic change like when I raised Stamina.

It was just to the degree that the existence of the unprecedented energy inside my body was felt more intensely.

But more than that, what made my mood good was precisely.

[Salvation Points]: 3

‘It feels more rewarding than I thought.’

Since 2 points were added, it meant I had earned 200,000 won in one day.

To receive the settlement I would have to go to the Explorer Management Center once more, but it was an amount that could be received anytime.

‘...Should I have stopped by the other rooms and caught all the goblins on the 2nd Floor? There was still room in Mana.’

To the point where even such thoughts arose.

The goblins that would have been waiting for me somewhere in the maze all felt like bundles of money left on the roadside.

It was then.

Knock knock

The sound of knocking on the door.

“Jaehyun, are you sleeping?”

It was Mom.

I hurriedly took off the equipment and changed into a tracksuit while answering.

“No! I’m up!”

“Let’s eat.”

“Yes, I’ll be right out.”

After hiding the equipment deep in the closet, I came out to the living room.

On the dining table, warm doenjang-guk and braised mackerel were set.

‘Looks delicious.’

As I sat down with a broad smile, Mom’s voice was heard.

“Kim Jaehyun.”

“...Yes?”

Was I caught?

My parents still did not know that I had become an Explorer.

If I told them, they would obviously worry, and they would not let me clear dungeons at all.

So I was thinking of telling them after earning as much money as possible.

If I showed them a bankbook with an amount of about tens of millions of won stamped on it, my parents’ thoughts would change a lot as well.

So.

‘I must not get caught already.’

While I was tense at that time, Mom smiled as if in a good mood and asked.

“You look like you’re in good condition today?”

Huu.

Thank goodness.

It seemed it was not that the basic equipment in the room was caught or something.

“I’ve been exercising these days.”

“Exercising?”

I answered toward Mom who immediately sent a worried gaze.

“Walking. Walking. Since I walk often, my stamina seems to be gradually getting better too.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

It was a lie.

The reason I looked in good condition was probably because I raised Stamina.

‘The effect is good.’

It was only to the degree that the body did not droop or drowsiness did not come over me, but to me it was no different from a revolution.

Were ordinary people all living like this?

I envied them.

‘Should I raise Stamina more?’

To the point of seriously having such worries.

While peeling the mackerel flesh and putting it on top of rice to eat, I asked.

“What time are you going to work today?”

“Evening. I have to go to work soon now.”

Mom was a nurse.

Originally she was an ordinary housewife, but since I was so sick from childhood, she studied and even changed jobs to a nurse.

“Shall I buy chicken for the first time in a while? Later at night.”

“Really?”

“Su~re. What chicken should I buy?”

“Golden Olive!”

And so that day, I ate a late-night snack for the first time in a while and fell asleep.

The next day.

I could not put down the smartphone.

‘This is fun.’

The Explorer community I entered to look for the 3rd Floor strategy.

It was a community bulletin board opened inside the Explorer-exclusive app that could only be downloaded after receiving certification at the Explorer Management Center.

[Definitely get insurance before entering the dungeon]

[Eungae I’m a beginner Warrior, recommend a weapon]

[Reason Explorers smell bad]

From helpful tips to simple aggro.

I lurked the community without noticing the passage of time.

‘I already memorized the 3rd Floor strategy.’

If my hypothesis was correct, today I would be able to clear the 2nd Floor and 3rd Floor at the same time.

The Awakening that started the day before yesterday and the Awakening that started yesterday.

If both were valid, it meant I could challenge the dungeon twice a day.

‘In that case, the bonus points obtained today alone will be 10.’

It was gradually 12 o’clock.

It was time to prepare.

I was thinking of first challenging the 2nd Floor to obtain bonus points and then challenging the 3rd Floor.

‘This time, don’t clear in a straight line, catch all 4 on the 2nd Floor and come out.’

It was the moment I finished equipping the basic equipment while having such thoughts.

[You have received an invitation from the Dungeon.]

[Tutorial is starting.]

“?”

Along with the familiar notification.

Whoosh—

The light swallowed me.

And.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (1st Floor).]

[Salvation Points are being settled.]

Having finished yet another Tutorial and come out, my hands were trembling.

It was not fear or anything.

Expectation.

I immediately checked the Status Window.

{Bonus Stat Points}: 5

“······.”

If this was not a coincidence,

If it was that I could perform the Tutorial every time at noon.

‘It means I can raise stats unlimitedly, doesn’t it.’

© Araman#1683j