100 Floors All Master - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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All Master of 100 Floors Episode 048

8th Floor. Labyrinth and Key (1)

“Ooh?”

Kang Jun-hyeok let out an exclamation.

Until now, the rewards for passing tests had been at most a hundred Gold. Even at their highest, they were only a thousand Gold. Kang Jun-hyeok had roughly expected to receive Gold, but who would have thought he’d be given choices.

‘Is this what EX grade is like.’

It was unexpected, but it was a pleasant surprise. Kang Jun-hyeok examined each option one by one.

The first option was Gold befitting the grade. It would be an enormous amount of Gold. At minimum, he’d get tens of thousands of Gold. He could purchase dozens of Lowest Grade Skills with it.

However, Gold was excluded from consideration. The other options were too attractive to settle for mere Gold.

‘The fourth option is also quite appealing.’

Though it wouldn’t be very useful right now, he would encounter them as he climbed the floors.

The blacksmith NPCs who would take materials to craft and enhance equipment.

Thinking about that time, special Material Items would also have sufficient value. The equipment that blacksmiths created was far superior to floor rewards.

However, for Kang Jun-hyeok, the first and fourth options were never really contenders from the start.

‘Unique Equipment and Skills.’

Equipment and skills made only for him, created specifically for him.

Those had value that couldn’t be converted into Gold or materials. Something only for him that could only be obtained right now. They were practically equivalent to Unique grade.

So then, which should he choose between equipment and skills?

Here, even Kang Jun-hyeok fell into deep contemplation.

Either choice had clear advantages. Equipment would likely be an intuitive reward. He would be given equipment of a level incomparable to what he was currently wearing. Climbing the Tower would become much easier.

In contrast, with skills, he couldn’t get a sense of exactly what kind of skill would be given. Passive, active, and among those, Buff Type, Defense Type, Attack Type. There was tremendous variety.

However.

Kang Jun-hyeok made his decision.

“Third option. The Unique Skill.”

Equipment might have excellent stats for the moment, but ultimately it had limitations.

Specifically, the fact that only ten pieces could be worn at once.

No matter how excellent equipment was, as one climbed the Tower, superior equipment would inevitably appear. Eventually, it would all be replaced.

But skills were different. There were no limits on the number of skills one could have. If you possessed them, they were guaranteed to be beneficial in the long term.

[Selection completed.]

[Based on your achievements so far, your current stats and skills, and your process of climbing the Tower, the most suitable skill will be provided.]

[Confirming…]

What would he be given?

Kang Jun-hyeok waited with anticipation. After a moment, the confirmation was complete.

[Confirmation complete.]

[You have acquired the Unique Passive Skill: Ten Thousand Weapons Control.]

“…Hm?”

[Hmm?]

Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened. Manbyeonggi, who had been quietly watching, made a confused sound. The System calmly delivered its message.

[Congratulations on passing the excellent test. We shall meet again in the next test.]

* * *

Kang Jun-hyeok, who had returned to Earth, muttered.

“Ten Thousand Weapons Control?”

[It looks like a technique for handling me. What is it?]

What Kang Jun-hyeok received as a reward was a Passive Skill. It was Ten Thousand Weapons Control. The name seemed to be related to Manbyeonggi.

“Wait. Let me check this once.”

Kang Jun-hyeok opened his Skills window.

[Passive Skill: Ten Thousand Weapons Control]

[Grade: Unique]

[Proficiency: F]

[A technique for handling Manbyeonggi, which can store ten thousand weapons. You have become proficient in handling Manbyeonggi. The speed of the usage process increases and you can draw two weapons.]

“…Hm?”

Kang Jun-hyeok was puzzled. He couldn’t understand it for a moment. After thinking briefly, he soon realized.

“Is it literally what it means?”

[A technique for handling me? Such a Passive Skill is given to you?]

“Let’s experiment a bit.”

Kang Jun-hyeok drew a Great Sword from Manbyeonggi. Then he put the Great Sword back and drew a Dagger.

That series of actions was noticeably smoother and faster than before.

Kang Jun-hyeok then drew a Great Sword while keeping the Dagger out. A Dagger and Great Sword, one in each of his hands.

Kang Jun-hyeok nodded as if he understood.

“So that’s what it means.”

[Is the System forcibly correcting it?]

Manbyeonggi also understood after seeing that movement.

Unique Passive Skill. Manbyeonggi.

This was literally an improvement in the technique of handling Manbyeonggi.

Originally, when putting a weapon back into Manbyeonggi and drawing a different weapon, there was a short time lag.

That time lag had noticeably decreased.

Of course, it was at most a time lag measured in decimal points. At this point, it wasn’t a big problem.

But as he climbed higher in the Tower, he would become stronger, and so would his enemies.

Even time measured in decimal points could change the outcome of battle. Just recently, when facing the Minion of Hunger Growing in the Cracks, he had to act and buy time to throw his Spear precisely because of this time lag.

That wasn’t all. According to the Tower System, only one weapon could be used during combat. But thanks to Ten Thousand Weapons Control, he could now hold and wield one weapon in each hand.

Simply put, he could wield magic with a staff in one hand while striking with a sword in the other.

“That’s good?”

Manbyeonggi was certainly powerful, but it wasn’t without its drawbacks. Not only was there time lag, but there was also the problem that he had to put away his weapon before taking out a new one. Immediate responses during combat weren’t easy.

This Unique Skill could solve all those problems.

It was an excellent Unique Skill.

He could understand getting a skill related to Manbyeonggi. After all, what he had utilized most when climbing the Tower was Manbyeonggi. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had come this far quite comfortably thanks to this one thing.

[A technique for handling me. How strange this feels.]

Manbyeonggi’s tone was lukewarm. From his perspective, having a technique for handling himself given as a reward wouldn’t feel good.

Kang Jun-hyeok cheerfully opened the Shop.

“I’d like to purchase one Intermediate Skill.”

[Intermediate Skill…? You’ve already earned fifteen thousand Gold…?]

“There was a good opportunity.”

Kang Jun-hyeok said with a bright smile.

He had dueled with a total of eight top-tier Players in the Rest Space.

In return, he received all the Gold they possessed.

Some of them had spent all their Gold to pass the test, but some had been saving Gold to purchase Low Grade Skills.

As a result, he was barely able to exceed fifteen thousand Gold. Pixie muttered as if dumbfounded.

[…On This Planet, there probably isn’t even anyone who’s bought one Intermediate Active Skill yet, but you already have two…]

Kang Jun-hyeok purchased an Intermediate Active Skill Box from Pixie. Then he looked at Pixie with a strange expression.

“Aren’t you curious?”

How he passed the test.

What he obtained as compensation.

How he could possess fifteen thousand Gold.

Pixie’s eyes wavered for a moment.

[I don’t… know!]

But Pixie shrieked and ran away.

“She’s more stubborn than I thought. I figured it would work by now.”

[She’ll give in gradually. Species instinct isn’t something that can be easily overcome.]

He just needed to wait patiently. Kang Jun-hyeok opened the box.

[Active Skill: Sword Energy Wind Blade]

[Grade: Intermediate]

[Proficiency: F]

[Cooldown: 60 minutes]

[Swing a weapon to launch sharp sword energy. The type of sword energy changes depending on the type of weapon used.]

“Sword Energy Wind Blade?”

Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes lit up.

It was an Attack Type Intermediate Active Skill.

Its effect was launching sword energy.

Like most skills, it was incredibly easy to understand. He just had to think of sword energy from martial arts novels.

As befitting something called sword energy, its effect was tremendously powerful. If it hit directly, it could even wound the bull-headed monster he had faced in the test. Manbyeonggi let out a bitter laugh.

[I knew it, but this is still absurd.]

What was sword energy?

Among countless martial artists, it was a technique that only those born with talent and who had undergone endless training to reach a certain level could handle.

Moreover, projecting sword energy was possible for only some among them—it was nothing short of a manifestation of talent and effort. And Kang Jun-hyeok had acquired such a thing just by opening a single box.

[What an utterly selfish system.]

“It’s an intermediate skill, after all. This much is only natural.”

In contrast, Kang Jun-hyeok maintained a calm attitude.

Skills were incredibly selfish things. They trampled mockingly over external techniques, abilities, and talents. What mattered was how well one could utilize such skills.

‘Well then.’

Quite some time had passed since he cleared the test.

By now, penalties would have been given to the Failed Participants. There would be all sorts of reactions.

Kang Jun-hyeok opened the Community.

[Kang Ji-an(3rd Floor) : …What? This is the penalty?]

[Luton Oliver(2nd Floor) : No way. What’s this? This pathetic thing is supposed to be a penalty?]

And the reactions that appeared were strange.

Those who received penalties weren’t despairing or feeling depressed, but rather bewildered.

However, Kang Jun-hyeok wasn’t surprised. Rather, he had an expression that said he expected this.

“This is still the same as always.”

* * *

“Ah, ahhh! Ahhhhh!”

A few minutes before that.

A man was wailing in his room.

He was someone who had just entered the 4th Floor, one who had given up on the Tower.

Naturally, he had failed to pass the test.

He was half having a panic attack, terrified of what penalty might be given. And finally, that moment arrived.

[Hello. Upon confirmation, you have failed to pass the first test. What a regrettable and disappointing result. An appropriate penalty will be given accordingly.]

The System Window was extremely rigid. Terror arose on the man’s face. The System Window calmly delivered the penalty.

[You cannot climb the Tower for one month.]

[Additionally, you are excluded from the second test.]

[However, you may participate in the third test if you prove your worth.]

[This is the penalty given to you.]

[Quite a terrifying penalty, isn’t it? Do you understand! Well then, reflect on yourself and climb the Tower diligently after one month!]

And the system window ended.

The man who had been in despair opened his eyes wide.

“…Huh?”

* * *

And back to the present.

The Failed Participants who saw the penalty were leaving all sorts of relieved posts in the Community.

The penalty is nothing.

It only prevents them from climbing the Tower.

It even automatically excludes them from the next test.

With such a minor penalty, there’s no need to climb the Tower at all, is there?

[Kang Ji-an(3rd Floor) : Isn’t this a benefit rather than a penalty?]

Someone’s words. That was the main opinion of the Failed Participants. An air of relief spread throughout the entire Community.

But anyone with even a little bit of brain would be able to tell.

The first test existed.

Information had been passed down that it didn’t end there, and that second and third tests also existed.

And the System said that being unable to climb the Tower for a month was a very terrifying penalty.

Why is that a penalty? What’s the reason the tests continue one after another?

If they thought about it even a little, they should be terrified rather than relieved.

But no such person was visible. Everyone was just relieved that they didn’t have to climb the Tower.

“Tsk.”

Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue.

In his previous life, he had realized the meaning of the penalty and tried to enlighten people.

He tried to persuade them and get them back on their feet, saying they needed to climb the Tower even now.

But it had no effect. Nothing was as meaningless as other people’s words.

That’s how he had wasted meaningless time in his previous life.

“They’ll have to figure it out themselves.”

He had no intention of doing that this time. Those who failed to grasp the situation would simply be weeded out.

What he had to do was climb the Tower.

Kang Jun-hyeok calmly began entering the next floor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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