Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

EP.85 Tutorial

The armor is made of easy-to-move cloth or leather.

Among them, I chose leather, thinking that it might have slightly better defense than cloth.

[ Your weapon is a sword, and your armor is leather. When you equip the chosen gear, your stats will increase. When you equip other types of gear, you will receive penalties. ]

“…Stats?”

At the mention of stats, Lee Hyunsoo tilted his head.

When they say stats, do they mean the ones that appear in games and frequently in novels these days?

[ Name: Lee Hyunsoo ]

[ Weapon: Sword ]

[ Armor: Leather ]

[ Strength: 10(+2) ] [ Agility: 10(+2) ] [ Stamina: 10(+2) ]

[ Magic Power: 10(+2) ]

[ Skills ]

[ Leather Mastery (Level 1) ]

[ When wearing leather armor, all stats increase by 1. When wearing armor of a material other than leather, all stats decrease by 1. ]

[ Sword Mastery (Level 1) ]

[ When equipped with a sword-type weapon, all stats increase by 1. When equipped with a weapon that is not a sword-type, all stats decrease by 1. ]

“Oh…”

As the stat window and skill window really appeared before his eyes, he forgot about being tense and marveled at them curiously.

[ Then we will move on to the next step. ]

Perhaps there was no need for a special explanation about stats, as the tutorial moved right on to the next part.

Well, it didn’t seem to matter anyway.

The names of the stats themselves were very familiar and intuitive.

Strength would be related to pure muscle power and physical attack power, while agility would be about dexterity and reflexes.

Stamina would be about stamina and defense.

Lastly, magic power would be used for special skills or casting magic.

As for skills, everything was written in the descriptions anyway.

[ Next is a mock battle. Be careful. You may lose your life. ]

“……”

A mock battle.

This must be why they said earlier that you could die while going through the tutorial.

Most of the trials that appear in the tower would probably be related to combat.

So it felt natural to have a life-threatening real battle in the tutorial.

Those who would die here would die as soon as they went up anyway.

[ Defeat the goblin. ]

“Keeeeek!”

As soon as the tutorial’s guidance ended, a grotesque monster with dull grayish-green skin appeared before his eyes.

Its height was around 130cm, looking about the size of an elementary school student.

But its nose and ears were grotesquely large and twisted, and its bright yellow eyes were horizontally slit, glistening as they stared at Lee Hyunsoo like prey.

Its drooling teeth were sharp triangles, and in its hand was a worn dagger meant to kill humans.

“……”

A goblin.

It was a monster that was always treated as a mere mob in novels and games.

But seeing this small monster full of killing intent right before his eyes, trying to kill him, sent chills down his spine.

‘This is supposed to be a tutorial mob…?’

The moment their eyes met, his body trembled as if he had encountered a wild beast.

He felt like he couldn’t move.

It seemed like he would lose his life to that thing.

“Huff, huff…”

His breathing quickened.

It’s dangerous.

I need to run away.

‘No.’

Lee Hyunsoo shook his head.

He shouldn’t run away here.

He must defeat it and move forward.

Otherwise, he would lose his life to that small green monster before he could even escape this place.

‘I have to face it and fight.’

Gritting his teeth, he somehow managed to calm his trembling.

Fortunately, the creature was observing him.

Perhaps it judged it dangerous to rush in recklessly since he was holding a weapon.

He thought it was truly fortunate.

As he calmed his mind, he recalled his past memories.

Kendo.

He had used a real sword before.

Just once, when he cut straw for a performance.

He remembered that even then, the sword felt much heavier than its actual weight, with the thought that it could kill a person.

This time, it was a sword to cut a real life, not straw.

It felt even heavier.

But he lifted it.

‘If I don’t kill, I’ll be killed.’

He steeled his resolve.

The resolve to take a life.

The resolve to face and fight the creature.

The trembling stopped.

He pointed the sword forward.

“Huuuu…”

He steadied his breathing and slowly distributed strength throughout his body.

“Kieek?”

The goblin, seeming to realize something was off, visibly flinched.

But then, perhaps thinking that he was still just its prey after all.

“Keeeeek!”

It began to charge with its worn dagger.

“Hup…!”

At that moment, Lee Hyunsoo, who had been concentrating all his nerves, advanced towards the charging goblin and swung his sword.

Thwack!

“Guk!”

The sword accurately struck the goblin’s head, and with a short death cry, the goblin collapsed to the ground with its head split in half.

Splat!

Brain matter oozed out of the split head.

The sword Lee Hyunsoo held dripped with the goblin’s copious blood and brain matter.

“Huff, huff…!”

He had taken a life.

There was no guilt or fear about it.

Instead, what settled in his heart was relief at having survived.

He gasped for breath that had stopped.

[ You have completed the mock battle. ]

[ You have achieved an accomplishment. ]

[ Victorious against the tutorial goblin without being attacked once. ]

[ All stats increase by 1. ]

[ You have achieved an accomplishment. ]

[ Defeated the tutorial goblin with one attack. ]

[ Strength stat increases by 2. ]

[ You have completed the tutorial and will receive the tutorial reward. ]

[ All stats increase by 1. ]

[ You permanently acquire the weapon and armor currently equipped. ]

[ Tutorial Sword ]

[ It’s an ordinary iron sword. ]

[ Durability: 50/50 ]

[ Special Ability ]

[ None ]

[ Tutorial Leather Armor Set ]

[ It’s an ordinary leather armor. It consists of upper and lower garments and wrist guards. ]

[ Durability: 30/30 ]

[ Special Ability ]

[ None ]

[ Name: Lee Hyunsoo ]

[ Weapon: Sword ]

[ Armor: Leather ]

[ Strength: 14(+2) ] [ Agility: 12(+2) ] [ Stamina: 12(+2) ]

[ Magic Power: 12(+2) ]

“I even got additional rewards.”

He gained an additional 1 in all stats and 2 in strength stat for achieving the accomplishments.

He had only desperately done what he could, yet he received additional rewards.

Lee Hyunsoo was able to finish the tutorial in quite a good mood.

[ Now the tutorial is complete. You will be teleported to the first floor of the tower shortly. We wish you good luck. ]

“……”

Now he leaves this dreary stone room and finally enters the first floor.

What terrible trials await him there?

‘Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I will definitely survive.’

He had lost kendo and lived a trashy life.

Now he grips a sword again, and this time he’s determined to survive and climb the tower.

A wish?

He’ll think about that as he climbs.

Right now, he was more full of vitality than ever before.

‘Maybe I’m a battle maniac.’

He recalled the past when he lived fiercely competing and fighting while learning swordsmanship.

He feels more energetic and motivated now than back then.

Perhaps he had chosen the wrong era to be born in.

His sword master used to say that if he had been born in the old days, he would have become a great general of the age.

He had that much talent, and his fighting spirit and desire for improvement were tremendous.

This tower was the perfect place to fulfill that.

It even showed numerically how much stronger he was becoming.

Lee Hyunsoo was starting to quite like this place.

‘I wonder what’s waiting next.’

With a mind half expectant and half worried.

His body disappeared from the cave room.

Whoosh─!

#

The place where he reappeared was in the middle of a forest.

A dense forest where the trees were so thick that the surroundings were barely visible.

This must be the first floor of the tower.

As he was cautiously surveying his surroundings, not knowing what trials awaited him,

[ The trial of the first floor has not yet begun as not all participants have gathered. Please wait a moment. ]

“Hm?”

Such a message appeared before his eyes.

‘Come to think of it, it feels like the surroundings are enclosed by a transparent membrane.’

After seeing that message and thinking about it, he had a strange feeling that there was some kind of barrier around.

He moved a bit forward and reached out his hand.

Thud─

“As I thought, it’s blocked.”

All around was blocked by transparent walls.

It seemed to mean that he should wait here and not leave until everyone had gathered.

‘Everyone gathering… Come to think of it, didn’t they say that 20-30 disappearances occur simultaneously worldwide?’

About 30 disappearances occur periodically.

Perhaps all of them had to go through the same tutorial as him and wait until they reached the first floor.

‘Then it shouldn’t take long.’

After all, the tutorial was just listening to explanations and fighting a goblin.

He thought it wouldn’t take that long.

However, an hour passed after that.

“…What’s going on? Why hasn’t it started yet?”

Lee Hyunsoo was dumbfounded.

What kind of explanation could possibly take this long?

Or were they fighting goblins for over an hour?

‘Is most of the time spent on people unable to decide what to do and just pondering?’

Ordinary people would naturally spend a long time deliberating when told their lives were at stake.

He understood that.

But waiting without doing anything was unbearably boring.

‘Kendo.’

During that time, he tries to focus for a moment, recalling the kendo he had learned before.

A 7-year gap.

But the head strike he had used when fighting the goblin came from a level of concentration that more than made up for that long gap.

‘But it’s not enough.’

Considering it was a real sword, if it had been in the past, he could have moved more sharply and quickly.

‘I’m still lacking. I need to get back to my peak form to have any chance.’

Thinking this, he spent a moment trying to raise his concentration.

[ All participants have gathered. ]

[ The trial for the 25th round of selected individuals will now begin. ]

At last, the bell of commencement rang.