Only My Skill Tooltip Is Strange

6 – Floor 0, Tutorial.

Im Sujin wasn’t the only one who survived.

One of the stone gates emitted a blue light, and from there, Park Jihoon emerged.

“Oh.”

Our eyes met.

“…How?”

Park Jihoon looked at us in shock.

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

I wasn’t doing anything inappropriate with the lady, yet he looked at me like that.

It was a bit disappointing.

‘…This messes up my plan.’

It’s a chilling thought, but I assumed all the players who entered had died.

Even Jin Cheolhwan, who kept picking fights with me, and Lee Minji, who flirted like a senior girl.

Even Park Ji-hoon, who received bonus points for moving faster than anyone else, didn’t think he would pass the test.

‘Of course not. It was a tutorial designed for six people to pass by working together.’

I am a special case.

There was an error in the skill tooltip, and I was able to exploit it to pass.

What if I had the same normal skills as everyone else?

Even if I had sweet-talked the knight and landed a hit, I would have faced a disastrous outcome in the subsequent battle.

So, assuming everyone else would die, I made a plan to monopolize the solo clear bonus, even if it was a bit risky.

I could have gone upstairs, but I stayed.

But there are survivors?

Im Soo-jin didn’t enter at all, so she doesn’t know the situation, but Park Ji-hoon challenged the test and even succeeded.

‘Is a 1-point difference in stats bigger than I thought?’

I spent 4 points on agility, but it doesn’t seem to make a noticeable difference.

“…….”

An awkward silence lingered.

Come to think of it, we weren’t close enough to have a friendly conversation.

“Well, that’s great!”

Im Soo-jin clapped her hands and laughed.

“Now that the two students have gained experience, they can easily pass other places too.”

Words that could only be said because she knew nothing.

Im Soo-jin thought the trial beyond the stone gate was a danger to be avoided at all costs.

In fact, it was an opportunity that had to be seized.

‘Park Ji-hoon will think the same.’

Having accidentally learned about the solo clear bonus, he would try to claim it for himself if possible.

‘Or the opposite?’

He might cooperate, thinking it’s dangerous.

As if to confirm my guess, Park Ji-hoon spoke first.

“That’s a relief.”

Park Ji-hoon approached with a sigh of relief.

“It must have been quite dangerous.”

“We barely survived.”

“How?”

“……”

I glanced at Park Ji-hoon.

I felt something unsettling, so I couldn’t readily speak.

Is there an answer that can naturally pass this question without planting my doubts in Park Ji-hoon?

At a timing that couldn’t be delayed any longer, I threw out a rough answer.

“…The opponent let it slide.”

“The opponent let it slide? Why?”

“I don’t know the reason either.”

It was such a nonsensical answer that, honestly, I was very worried.

‘Better watch my back.’

The helper, who I thought was on the player’s side, was actually not on our side.

Likewise, Park Ji-hoon cannot be considered an ally.

Especially since Park Ji-hoon has realized that he can pass the test without the cooperation of the six.

From my perspective, he is a more cautious opponent than Im Soo-jin.

“Hmm….”

Park Ji-hoon scrutinized me.

I responded in kind.

“Solo clear bonus. What do you want to do?”

Park Ji-hoon came out straightforwardly.

“Solo clear bonus?”

Im Soo-jin, who knew nothing, asked.

“What is that?”

“If you pass the challenge alone, you get that much bonus. You get as many as 3 freely distributable points.”

“Really?!”

Im Soo-jin looked at me in surprise.

Her eyes were asking if it was true.

‘What is she thinking.’

I nodded, confirming that Park Ji-hoon’s words were true.

“No. Then you should have told us. Why do only the students get it?”

“Then try it alone.”

“W-what?”

“Aren’t you curious about what happened to those who haven’t come out yet?”

Im Su-jin’s tone grated on my nerves.

Maybe that’s why.

My words didn’t come out smoothly.

‘Some thought they were going to die. But you talk as if you picked it up for free.’

Earlier, she tried to dump the remaining trials on us.

When I glared at her, Im Su-jin flinched and avoided my gaze.

“Honestly, if you can get the solo clear reward, it’s better to take it.”

“……”

Park Ji-hoon was the first to voice his opinion.

“In a way, you could see the solo clear bonus as a perk. There might be players who received this and moved up to the next floor….”

There was no room for rebuttal.

It was exactly how I felt.

‘Still, it’s a shame.’

If it weren’t for Park Ji-hoon, I could have taken the other solo bonuses.

‘It was up to 15 points. It’s not guaranteed to be the maximum, right? It can’t be helped.’

I rationalized my sense of loss that way.

“Both places have changed back to their original state.”

The places Jin Cheol-hwan and Lee Min-ji entered.

In both places, the red light disappeared and darkness took over.

That meant both of them had been eliminated.

“Shall we do it one by one?”

Park Ji-hoon asked me.

Was it my imagination that his tone felt probing?

Once I started seeing him in a bad light, every action seemed suspicious.

But I couldn’t just beat Park Ji-hoon to a pulp.

‘What if he was actually innocent and just struggling to survive?’

Wouldn’t I be the only bad guy then?

“First, let’s grab the solo clear bonus.”

They decided to clear each place one by one and discuss the remaining one later.

* * *

The half-human, half-beast, Kuhul Tan, who killed the challenger Jin Cheol-hwan.

He was waiting to be sent back to his original floor after finishing his promise with the administrator.

“Other challengers… probably none.”

In the tutorial, the mission given to players is to cooperate with six existing players with fixed stats to win.

The fact that Jin Cheol-hwan entered Kuhul Tan’s room alone means that the newcomers challenged each trial one by one.

There was a misunderstanding in understanding the mission.

Then the probability of players surviving is zero.

Even if you can’t be one hundred percent sure, it’s true that the possibility is slim.

“How boring.”

Time passed, but the transfer did not happen.

Only then did Kuhul Tan feel puzzled.

“What?”

Why am I not being transferred?

“Ah.”

Kuhul Tan’s lips curled up fiercely.

“Is there someone who passed the mission alone?!”

Or did Jin Cheol-hwan enter alone, and the rest are challenging the mission together?

It didn’t matter.

As long as it could relieve this boredom.

Kuhul Tan waited for his turn in the vast cavern.

Unlike the new players, he wasn’t fighting for his life, which was a bit disappointing.

Watching the newcomers struggle to survive was quite entertaining.

This tedious wait wasn’t unbearable.

And then the time came.

A player appeared in the corner of the cavern.

“Have you come!”

Kuhul Tan hurriedly greeted his opponent.

“Ah.”

A familiar face.

A familiar face, but the name escapes him.

Kuhul Tan was a man who didn’t bother remembering the names of those weaker than himself.

“What was your name again?”

“Kuhul Tan. Of all places, you had to be here.”

Park Jihoon spoke as if he knew Kuhul Tan.

Of course.

Kuhul Tan was one of the famous Seven Strong on the fifth floor.

For Park Jihoon, this was the worst-case scenario.

“…It would be hard to persuade you with words, wouldn’t it? Ah, what a chance I’ve caught…”

Watching Park Jihoon mutter to himself, Kuhul Tan frowned.

“Are you plotting another cowardly trick?”

Kuhul Tan and Park Jihoon had never been together before.

But there had been quite a few incidents with Earthlings who looked like Park Jihoon.

Unpleasant memories lingered faintly.

“Earthlings are all cunning. They exploit their contracts with the administrators like this…”

In plain terms, a trick.

Park Jihoon was not a new player.

Therefore, the position where Park Jihoon should be was the same as Kuhul Tan’s, a pioneer.

But he had taken the position of a challenger instead.

By colluding with the administrators.

‘Is that even possible?’

Kuhul Tan’s question did not last long.

“No matter how strong you are, if it’s here…”

Park Jihoon was the first to charge.

* * *

The man who called himself a helper, Mori.

He anxiously waited for Park Jihoon’s grand task to end safely.

‘The plan was good.’

Mori was skeptical at first.

“Is that even possible?”

─ “It is. With this.”

Park Ji-hoon pulled out a mysterious item, the origin of which was unknown.

─ “Could it be a hidden piece?”

─ “It seems so.”

The item, which took the form of an old book, had excellent performance contrary to its appearance.

[Phantom’s Ancient Book][S]

After confirming the information, Mori was convinced by Park Ji-hoon’s words.

─ “If we combine your ability with the power of this artifact, it’s possible. We can challenge again and get all the rewards. Bonus points and rare equipment.”

It might actually be possible.

Though it was a bit sloppy.

They half succeeded in reality.

Mori entered the 0th floor tutorial as an assistant in place of the administrator, and Park Ji-hoon disguised himself as a player with the Phantom’s Ancient Book.

Now, they just needed to clear the 0th floor mission, collect the rewards, and return.

Then they could escape this damned 5th floor and move up to the 6th floor.

But the plan went awry.

‘What the hell is that guy?’

The error, who should have died as a result of challenging the trial alone, survived intact.

‘Should I have killed that guy earlier?’

To strengthen control, the administrator can eliminate one of the new players.

Mori sent back the man who had been barking noisily.

What if he had used that authority on the error?

‘…It’s fine. Even if that guy survives, nothing changes.’

The ability points the guy took?

Honestly, it’s a shame and a waste.

But it’s not Mori’s share.

Mori has something more important.

The rare equipment that can be obtained by clearing the six trials solo.

Park Ji-hoon wants the ability points, Mori wants the rare equipment.

Since they decided to share it.

Losing the points didn’t mean much to Mori.

Oryuin and Park Ji-hoon entered different stone gates.

Under the pretext of securing the solo clear bonus first, they chose to continue the trial for now.

‘…If only I could see inside.’

That was too much.

The moment Mori tried to look inside the joint, the administrator would notice the anomaly and inspect this side.

‘That would be the worst.’

Therefore, Mori entrusted everything to Park Ji-hoon.

‘It will be uncomfortable because you have to suppress your power. But you can still use your skills moderately.’

Park Ji-hoon would not lose to a mere newbie player.

Mori sent a message to control Im Soo-jin appropriately.