ALL NOVEL chapter 7
7 – Safe Zone (2)
“aaargh!! Damn!!”
Kangwoo rushed towards the exit like a madman.
At that moment, with the pure white light right in front of his nose.
Thud!
As if there were invisible barriers, Kangwoo’s body bounced off the air with a dull sound.
“aaargh!!”
Despite the pain that seemed to split his reddened forehead, the agony couldn’t stop Kangwoo.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rising abruptly, Kangwoo swung his fists.
He attacked with all his might, but the intangible barrier remained unaffected.
“So, this is how it comes out, damn it?”
Kangwoo picked up the shield that had been lying on the ground.
“Get lost!!!”
Bang!
A loud noise reverberated throughout the safe zone. However, it was more like the sound coming from the shield itself rather than an impact on the barrier.
Bang! Clang! Kwaaang!!
How wildly did they swing their arms?
“This… damn it…”
Gangwoo slumped down weakly, swearing under his breath.
[Time remaining until relocation: 09:45:12]
A notification window appeared in the corner of his vision.
As the numbers decreased, his blood ran cold.
“That damn fire fist bastard. I must kill him.”
Contrary to his angry words, Gangwoo’s complexion turned pale.
Before killing the fire fist bastard, he ended up being the one who would die first.
To think he had to face that damn ordeal again… What a ridiculous situation.
Gangwoo lay there in silence for a while, then checked the notification window.
[Time remaining until relocation: 08:13:49]
A post that had once circulated as a meme on social media came to mind.
The 5 stages of a person sentenced to death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
Gangwoo’s gaze lowered.
In just 3 hours, 46 minutes, and 11 seconds, Gangwoo reached the stage of acceptance and thought to himself,
Asper’s Fiery Fist, that damn ‘System’ has intervened.
To think there’s a being capable of meddling with the System. Fear complicated the mind, but at this moment, there was one clear fact.
It was impossible for him to leave the tower.
The Safe Zones on every floor, the use of exits in those places became impossible.
There was a fleeting thought that perhaps, in this damn situation, the exit of the Safe Zone on the 3rd floor might momentarily be different, but Kangwoo quickly resigned.
Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem likely that the Safe Zone on the 3rd floor would be any different.
So, how could he leave the tower?
The answer was in the System’s notification.
[Awakened ‘Choi Kangwoo’ cannot give up midway.]
The notification that ‘giving up midway’ is impossible from the System essentially meant he couldn’t leave until he conquered the tower.
Clank.
The highest floor humanity has conquered so far is the 69th floor.
To conquer a tower whose existence beyond a certain floor is unknown…
A frustrating current situation.
Swoosh.
Kangwoo casually rolled up the sleeve of his left arm.
For him, there was still one hope.
Swish-.
The staff gripped firmly in his right hand slashed forcefully through the air.
Whoosh-!
“aaargh!”
The sharp tip of the ornate decoration pierced through Kangwoo’s left arm.
A divine touch. A single question lingered after discovering the hidden strength-boosting effect of this ability.
– … Will my strength increase even if I inflict wounds upon myself?
It was time to confirm this question.
“Uh, ugh-.”
As the embedded staff was pulled out, a stream of crimson gushed endlessly, dripping down from the fingertips.
In between the inflicted wounds, glimpses of bones were visible, perhaps a result of wielding the staff fiercely with the thought of potential self-defense.
Considering his past experiences, this seemed sufficient. Kangwoo immediately activated his ability.
‘Divine Touch.’
A white radiance enveloped the wounds. The torrent of blood, once terrifyingly pouring, diminished.
How long had he waited for this?
“…Damn.”
No notification appeared indicating an increase in strength.
***
“Damn bastard.”
Self-inflicted wounds did not enhance strength.
This result compounded the already disheartening situation.
When causing injuries to oneself, it was possible to control the ‘severity of the wounds.’ Despite the excruciating pain, there was no need to go beyond mere discomfort.
But now, it seemed impossible.
“Damn bastard. Son of a b*tch. He’s probably still watching me. Perverted bastard. Show yourself in my eyes, no matter what. I’ll drag you to hell, even if I have to use every trick in the book. You bastard.”
Mumbling, mumbling, mumbling.
How long has it been since Kangwoo mechanically applied healing to his left arm every time magic surged, cursing with fiery words?
Glimmer, glimmer.
Suddenly, amidst the flickering, Kangwoo, who was muttering like a beggar, snapped back to reality.
[Shop! Special Sale in progress!!]
“?”
The idea of the Safe Zone shop having a sale was as surprising as losing one’s hair.
What’s this?
Glimmer, glimmer, glimmer, glimmer.
Unable to ignore the irresistible shimmer, Kangwoo reluctantly opened the shop.
[Special sale items not available every day]
[‘Son of a b*tch’ recommends Beef Jerky, 1 pack for 15 points → 3 packs for 21 points]
[‘Damn perverted bastard’ recommends Sturdy Dagger, 150 points → 80 points]
[‘The guy talks too much’ recommends Slightly Tough Backpack, 60 points → 25 points]
[‘Take off the chili, damn it’ recommends Water, 500ml, 3 bottles for 8 points → 4 points]
“…??”
It was thought to be just a few points cheaper for the sale, but this was a complete half-price sale.
Why is the system acting like this? Kangwoo, pondering, suddenly sensed something strange.
“No way, the Fist of Asper…”
Freaking bastard, or a damn pervert. No matter how you look at it, it was the swearing he muttered to himself.
Kangwoo’s eyes narrowed.
“That guy’s got a mouth on him… ‘Take off the pepper,’ huh…?”
Snick.
It was clear. This absurd half-price sale was Asper’s rough way of doing things.
For a moment, even irritation turned into doubt.
“Why…?”
Why would that dog-like guy help himself?
Calculating annoyingly twinkling items, he ended up buying clothes with the remaining 130 points.
Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.
‘It really seems like he wants me to buy that…’
Even a momentary instinctual hesitation arose towards the fire fist that pushed him to buy it.
Kangwoo, a member of capitalist society, quietly clicked on the items.
[Purchased 3 packs of jerky.]
[Purchased a sturdy dagger.]
[Purchased a slightly tough backpack.]
[Purchased 3 bottles of water (500ml each).]
[A total of 130 points will be deducted.]
Click, click, click. The purchased items lay on the floor.
Curious, he checked the dagger, but it was an ordinary sword with no additional abilities.
The short sword was carefully tucked into the bosom, and the belongings were neatly organized in the backpack.
Kangwoo chewed on the jerky he had taken out separately.
[Time remaining until relocation: 04:02:59]
There really wasn’t much time left now.
***
When the trial began, time that didn’t seem to pass quickly suddenly flowed as if taking a break.
Kangwoo, who had stayed up all night for a long time, checked the notification window.
[Time remaining until relocation: 00:03:41]
He double-checked the short sword in his bosom and securely fastened his backpack.
With a shield in his left hand and a staff in his right, Kangwoo reminded himself of a dog being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
[Time limit has ended.]
[Proceeding to the second trial.]
“…Damn.”
Blinding light enveloped him. When the light disappeared, he was greeted by a forest with lush greenery.
[Mission: Collect five blue stones.]
[When the mission is achieved, the trial will end.]
Sunlight passing through the dense foliage blurred his vision, and the scent of grass carried by the mountain breeze tickled his skin.
A forest with towering trees that seemed immeasurable in height.
[The trial begins.]
Kangwoo realized why “Asper’s Fist of Fire” had recommended such items.
In the endless forest where the end is uncertain. The system imposes the ultimate rudeness, urging to find the Blue Stone.
No time limit is set, and one cannot escape unless the stone is found.
If there were no water and food, what would have happened…
Even if he had regained consciousness and managed to make a purchase when his mental state was in disarray, it was certain that he wouldn’t have been able to buy a single one.
‘A dagger…’
Kangwoo checked the dagger in his embrace.
It was like a dog’s paw, recommending only the most urgent item.
So then…
‘Does this mean a situation has arisen where a dagger is needed?’
Thinking only of the dog’s paw still made it seem like a dog, but for now, survival was the priority.
Kangwoo cautiously took steps, calculating the worst-case scenario where a dagger would be needed.
One step. Two steps. It was when he took the third step.
Whoosh!
“Ugh…!!”
With an alien noise, the sky and the ground flipped, and his field of vision instantly elevated.
‘Darn it-.’
Hanging upside down in the air, Kangwoo organized the situation.
Due to hanging upside down, blood rushed to his head, making his judgment faster than usual.
This situation, experienced to the point of nausea in the practical combat subject of the Association’s training course. An unforgettable situation in terms of being clumsy, absurd, and annoying people.
He would never forget that damn thing!
“Goblin’s Lair…”
The monsters who engage in such behavior are goblins. There was no one else.
Kangwoo sighed and used a healing spell.
In his panic when caught in a trap, he could taste blood from his chewed tongue.
Paat-.
Confirming that the pain had subsided, Kangwoo released the staff he was holding and felt around his chest.
He had been worried that it might have fallen, but luckily, the dagger was still in place.
…
He really hated it, but he had no choice but to admit it.
If it hadn’t been for the discounted sale on fire fists, he wouldn’t have been able to buy the dagger with the points he had, nor would he have been able to escape the trap so easily.
As he cut the ropes with the dagger, Kangwoo’s body thudded to the ground.
Pweok-!
Without feeling the pain, Kangwoo rose from his spot after landing on his back.
In his right hand, which had now inserted the dagger, the staff was tightly held.
Goblins.
Having personally experienced them, Kangwoo knew their habits well.
“I need to get out of here…!”
If those perverts who set traps and lurk around periodically were still around, someone somewhere must be waiting for them to fall into a trap even now.
Short stature, weak strength.
He was confident that he would easily win in a fight, but currently, he was not in the middle of completing the association’s training course.
In a word, the goblin in front of me refuses to engage in a fair one-on-one duel.
Swoosh!
Two poisoned stingers flew in from somewhere and stuck into both thighs.
Realizing he was a step too late, Kang Woo raised his shield to cover his upper body.
“Damn it…!”
Goblins revealing themselves beyond the shield.
One, two, three… a total of five goblins appeared, and involuntary curses spilled out.
Despite the crude poison, his legs were already starting to feel numb.
Facing five goblins in this condition.
hehehe.
Those who trust in anesthetic spells don’t think twice about charging in.
Even though he didn’t like the idea of being treated as captured prey and torn apart, there was nothing Kang Woo could do.
“These bastards…!”
It was impossible to dash toward the stiffening legs.
If that’s the case, the only way to attack is by throwing the staff and dagger…
Even if he threw them, it was uncertain whether they would hit, and even if they did, facing the remaining three with just a shield was risky.
hehehe.
At times like this.
Kang Woo opened his mouth with the thought that he had nothing to lose.
“Sacred touch.”
There was no anticipation. Since he had never heard of a heal that could even cure abnormalities.
However, judging by his knowledge so far, his own heal was already exceptional.
Pah-.
A cluster of light enveloped his body.
‘…!!’
Kangwoo opened his eyes wide.
The previously numb legs had returned. Even without trying to move, he could tell.
The paralysis was lifted.
Kiki-kiki-kiki.
Whether they thought this was enough or not, the goblins approached with disgusting laughter, slowly closing the distance.
Watching the approaching figures, Kangwoo smiled a triumphant smile.
“It’s all over.”
Goblins without paralysis poison were no longer frightening.