Han Dae Sung Returned From Hell - Chapter 37
# 37
037
‘I guessed it from the moment I heard the cutoff line was 20 people…’
Kwajik-!
Chwiik…!
Jeong Jin-cheol caught his breath as he crushed the head of an orc that was trying to escape into the swamp.
‘That’s right, really.’
This is the 19th.
If you catch just one more animal, you can break through to the first floor.
It’s not difficult.
But that didn’t mean it was easy.
‘I feel so uncomfortable.’
When I first entered the gate, I thought it was bearable.
However, as time passed, the humidity became more intense, and each time, Jeong Jin-cheol had to control the ‘flow’ in his body.
The ‘fusion’ ampoule that I received from < Hongma > 10 days ago.
Extremely delicate control of mind and body was required to maximize the effectiveness of the ampoule without side effects.
‘I’m glad there are many on the fusion list that lived in swampy environments. If it wasn’t so…’
Rustle –
Something stepped on in Jeong Jin-cheol’s field of vision as he searched for the remaining orc through the bushes.
And it wasn’t an orc.
“Please help me. “My body was paralyzed and I couldn’t do anything…”
The test taker was lying on the ground, lost in thought, and asking for help.
A sharpened arrow was stuck in his shoulder.
Since he said his body was paralyzed, his tip must have been coated with deadly poison.
Eat.
Jeong Jin-cheol smiled even in front of a person who could easily be on the brink of death.
He spoke in his own voice, reciting the thoughts he had just left behind.
In a very low voice so that only the test taker’s ears can hear it.
“If not, I would have been crawling on the floor like a piece of trash like you.”
“yes yes…?”
“You’re trash.”
How would you feel if you finally managed to meet someone who could ask for help, but were told by that person that they were all trash?
Of course, Jeong Jin-cheol is not the type of person to consider other people’s feelings.
Instead, I just use my head in a thoroughly calculated manner.
“Still, it’s not trash that can’t be used. “Recycling is possible.”
If a test taker falls down after only being hit by an arrow, it means that there is definitely an orc nearby who made a surprise attack.
‘In other words, that trash is bait.’
A bait installed to attract other prey.
The proof was that even though the test taker was hit by a poisoned arrow and became paralyzed, no additional damage occurred.
‘Are you saying you won’t show up unless I set a trap for you?’
Swamp orcs are cunning.
They are vicious, but sometimes they know how to be patient.
If you don’t want to show up first, you have no choice but to match the rhythm.
Jeong Jin-cheol approached the test taker who was lying on the floor and bowed down.
“Ah, thank you….”
“Shut up. “Who will help you?”
More than just the test taker who stiffened his expression coldly after hearing those words.
Jeong Jin-cheol’s eyes, as if looking down, were also cold.
“If I don’t pretend to help you like this-” Jeong
Jin-cheol
stretched out his hand toward the arrow stuck in the candidate’s shoulder.
From the perspective of a third party, it may seem like a favor to pull out the arrow,
but “the guy doesn’t show up.”
In reality, it was the opposite.
Kwauk-
“Kwaaaaak!!”
Rather, Jeong Jin-cheol grabbed the tip of the arrow and pushed it deeper into the skin.
The arrowhead, which had already pierced the muscle and cut through the bone, tore the wound even wider.
“Even if it hurts, just be patient! “If you scream, the wound will get even bigger!”
“Kwaaagh! Click-Ah-! ”
He didn’t forget to shout out a good-natured line to the orcs who were watching this situation and the audience watching through the camera.
The candidate screamed as if his vocal cords were about to be shattered, amid intense pain that felt as if his entire brain nerves were being torn apart.
“You said you were paralyzed. Do you know if your shoulder hurts? Don’t be so harsh, you trash. “Because it looks uglier.”
And Jeong Jin-cheol’s words were hard to hear as they were drowned out by the screams of the forest threatening to leave.
Pipit Pit –
That time when fresh blood gushing like a fountain from the candidate’s shoulder wet Jeong Jin-cheol’s face.
Rustle-
Chwiik-!
An orc broke through the thick bushes a short distance away, swinging a club.
Of course, Jeong Jin-cheol did not panic because he expected the surprise attack.
No, it exceeded my expectations and was actually what I had hoped for.
Kwasik-!
Even though the orc jumped out of the corner, Jeong Jin-cheol bent his body at the right angle, grabbed its head, and burst it like a watermelon.
< You have achieved the clear conditions for the 1st floor. >
< The coordinate number of the warp gate heading to the 2nd floor will be transmitted. >
< Enter the number into the keypad of the notification board. >
I did not shout in joy.
Of course I felt good, but I didn’t show it on purpose.
“I couldn’t pull out all the arrows, but I was able to at least stop the bleeding with this! Ah… I really want to ask for first aid, but you say you don’t want to do that, so I have no choice!”
“Now wait a minute. Wait a minute, hey….”
“I know! i know! How can I not know the passion you have there! I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful than this! I’ll just go now! Please, good luck!”
Because there were cameras everywhere, he needed to somehow continue pretending to be a good Samaritan.
Jeong Jin-cheol played the role of someone who really wanted to save the person, but had no choice but to leave because he respected the other person’s decision, and quietly whispered into the candidate’s ear.
“You can’t do it anyway, you’re trash.”
After leaving only those words, Jeong Jin-cheol headed to the second floor.
Leaving behind the test takers who were covered in tears and swallowing their pain.
‘If you look at this, it’s number 1 in mana.’
Jeong Jin-cheol laughed bitterly after checking the time recorded on the notice board.
‘Well, if I don’t get first place even though I sucked at the Stimpak so much, then I’m an asshole.’
Jeong Jin-cheol, confident and without any doubt, checked the updated clear conditions for the second floor on the notice board.
And as soon as I could see it, as soon as I passed through the gate, a bloody snowstorm hit me like a wave.
“Fuck you.”
Jeong Jin-cheol chewed and spit out a thick curse and then adjusted the ampoule injected into his body.
Woe!
Then, heat began to rise in my body, as if a hot briquette had been inserted in place of my heart.
The warmth spreading throughout my body helped me endure the bitter cold.
At that time, Jeong Jin-cheol took a breather and turned his gaze to the towering snowy mountain through the snowstorm.
“huh?”
There was someone else standing in the direction of the view.
The view was blurry because of the snowstorm.
But anyway, the very fact that there was someone one step ahead of him made him feel uncomfortable.
‘Are you the person responsible for the explosion that occurred earlier?’
In the midst of a war of nerves with Shin Cho-young, a huge explosion occurred on the other side of the forest.
It did not appear to be an accident caused by the organizers.
If so, this means that the identity of the explosion was an auror technique performed by one of the test takers.
Unlike Shin Cho-young, who was not interested, Jeong Jin-cheol, who was very interested, ran straight to the center of the explosion.
And there was nothing there.
‘From then on, I thought it felt a bit cheap…’ Jeong Jin
-cheol
wrinkled his eyebrows and approached the being beyond the blizzard.
‘If that explosion was someone’s Auror technique, for me it is the biggest challenge of this test. In fact, he is probably the one who should be eliminated first, even before Shin Cho-young.’
To avoid being overtaken by that guy.
It may be a little early, but perhaps we should take action now.
Jeong Jin-cheol pledged to do so and confirmed In-yeong’s identity.
And his already wrinkled eyebrows frowned even more grimly.
“Shin Cho-young?”
The identity of the silhouette that arrived one step ahead of him was Shin Cho-young.
At that moment, Jeong Jin-cheol felt the blood rushing to his head.
“Why are you here before me?”
While she caught three orcs, he caught five.
There must have been a small gap, so why did Shin Cho-young get to the second floor first?
I couldn’t understand. Anger soared beyond my confusion.
“Oh yeah. I know what it is. “She must have been so determined to get rid of me even if she died soon.”
“….”
“Yes. So how does it feel to win? Does it look like it’s going to break? But what can I do? “You must have been exhausted from all the fuss on the first floor, but the conditions for clearing the second floor are different.”
Although he was smiling and being sarcastic, pretending like nothing was wrong, Jeong Jin-cheol’s left hand was trembling.
What I couldn’t bear any longer was.
It was true that Shin Cho-young had been chewing on his words since a while ago.
“No, but when someone talks to you, you have to say something in reply-”
In the end, he broke down in tears and tried to make eye contact with Shin Cho-young, who turned his back, but froze slightly.
It was worth it.
“Why do you look like that?”
I thought he must be acting arrogant and putting on an innocent face.
But it wasn’t.
She was astonished.
With both eyes wide open like a flower lamp and mouth slightly open.
I was looking ‘up’.
“Is food falling from the sky? What on earth-”
Jeong Jin-cheol also turned his gaze in the same direction where Shin Cho-young was looking.
OK.
“…What is that again?”
Soon his expression changed to be no different from Shin Cho-young.
There.
A man was flapping his dragon wings.
***
The condition for clearing the second floor is conquering the summit, not climbing.
This means that it doesn’t matter as long as you get to the top no matter what.
Therefore, the method Daesung took was very simple and clear.
[Item Information]
Name: Annihilation Dragon Knight Balark’s Armor
Category: Equipment
‘This is the armor worn by Annihilation Dragon Knight Balark on the battlefield. You can inherit some of the Annihilator’s powers and use the abilities of a half-human, half-dragon.’
Unique Performance 1: Increases defense by 40% from all attribute damage.
Unique Performance 2: Half-man, half-dragon ability special skill < Flight > can be used.
It was flying right away.
‘I didn’t think I’d ever need to fly… ‘Something I could use unexpectedly arose.’
The reason Valark was implemented through Pantheon was because of its first unique performance.
There will be many different types of fields and monsters in the test, and the armor’s ability to provide resistance to all attacks regardless of attribute will definitely be of great help.
So, < Flight > was just there, but I thought it was just a side dish.
That is, until I heard the clear condition of climbing a snowy mountain.
Flap-!
‘It’s a little noticeable, but it’s nothing special.’
Valarc’s armor was loaded into the test armor and was not visible.
Flap flutter!
However, the dragon’s wings extending behind the armor were not hidden due to < Flight >.
Just as the skill effect of < Rage > could not be hidden even if the Fire Flame Greatsword was hidden, the same goes for the special skill < Flight >.
Wedge-!
Daeseong flapped his huge wings and flew up into the sky.
20 seconds was enough for the distance of 5km to be narrowed to within 100m.
However, the test prepared for another challenge.
Wow!
Birds with pieces of ice instead of feathers were wandering around the summit.
‘Frost roc.’
Daesung recognized the identity of the birds at a glance.
These guys mainly appear at gates in cold areas!
Wow!
A swarm of Frost Rocks flew in, widening their hook-like sharp beaks.
“Thank you for coming together in one place.”
Hwareuk-!
Flames blazed from the fireworks greatsword held in his hand.
Daesung’s bright red eyes flashed as he
lightly extended his sword swing
towards the group of Frost Rocks flying like bullets.
That was enough.
There was no need to swing hard or fight among them.
[The second special skill of ‘Inflame’ mode is activated.]
[Special skill: < Breath of the Flame King >]
Hwaaah-!!
Hell fire filled with extremely high heat spewed out like a flamethrower along the sword stretched forward.
Wow!
Kaaaaak-!
As the baptism of fire struck, they disappeared without even leaving behind a single ice feather.
Daesung flew across the clear sky in an instant and flew toward the top.
The moment he reached the summit, he folded his wings and stepped on the ground.
Beep –
The notice board was updated and coordinates to the 3rd floor appeared.
As Daesung moved his finger to input the coordinates, a blue vortex appeared at a close distance.
Warp gate leading to the last 3 floors of the test. At the same time that
Daesung
took a quick step and crossed over the warp gate.
“It’s dark.”
A world of darkness unfolded.
Literally everything was pitch black and I couldn’t see anything.
‘The guardian’s blood won’t be of much help here.’
If it were just heat or cold, the guardian’s blood would be useless in this dark space.
It’s not just dark.
It was like I couldn’t see anything at all, as if someone had covered my eyes with their hands from behind.
‘I don’t know what it is, but the field itself has been coated with something.’
It was his vision that allowed him to accurately gauge the altitude of the distant snowy mountains even in the midst of a blizzard.
The fact that you can’t see beyond the darkness even with that kind of vision is probably evidence that the organizers have done something wrong.
‘I guess they’re asking you to become blind at least once.’
Are you asking me to awaken my mind’s eye like a blind swordsman?
Beep-!
< From now on, we will reveal the conditions for clearing the 3rd floor. >
< Be prepared for the onslaught of monsters as you move through the field. > < Accumulate points by defeating monsters. >
< The point required for clear is more than 1000 points. >
< Each monster has different points. >
This means don’t let down your guard even when you can’t see anything.
Not only the fine sense of detecting the son-in-law, but also the quickness and courage to overcome fear even in the extreme darkness.
As expected, it seemed like it was going to test overall capabilities as the final hurdle.
‘There may be a way to expand one’s senses with magic…’
Considering the purpose of testing the senses rather than sight, that would be the standard.
‘There is no need to quietly follow the rules.’
There was an easier way for him.
“Eyes of Death.”
That moment.
Jiing-
Daesung’s pupils turned purple.