I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents
Chapter 5
2nd Floor (1)
I lifted the Transcender Gallery terminal.
What should I do in this perfectly ruined current situation?
First, I’ll take a selfie in front of this unprecedented difficulty called ‘Pandemonium’.
I was going to take just the text, but a selfie would be the best way to share my current situation.
Sure enough, there is a selfie function.
I adjusted the angle so that my face and the word ‘Pandemonium’ are clearly visible.
The screen flickered.
KIMCHI.
Oh, what a refreshing selfie.
Oh, come to think of it. Can I never eat kimchi again?
…Before that, I might not even have a lifetime left.
I’ll take a picture with Queen Anthransthrop and then go up to the 2nd floor.
After climbing all the stairs, there was a huge door. I opened that door.
What was revealed was quite a spacious area. It seemed about the size of a high school auditorium.
This seems to be the waiting room.
As soon as I stepped on the white line, a notification window cluttered the front.
[Pandemonium Tower #01]
[Welcome to the 2nd floor.]
[Status – ‘Mana’ has been added.]
[10 points of ‘Mana’ stat have been granted.]
[System – You have acquired the qualification to use the ‘Coin Shop’.]
[Granting 300 coins as a reward for clearing the 1st floor.]
[System – ‘Inventory’ has been activated.]
[A weapon has been issued as a reward for clearing Pandemonium 1st floor. Please check your ‘Inventory’.]
[Armor has been issued as a reward for clearing Pandemonium 1st floor. Please check your ‘Inventory’.]
There were no chairs and no desks.
The only fortunate thing was that there was one sleeping bag.
There was a clock on the central wall.
Next to the round analog clock was a rectangular grid.
It looked like an electronic display.
February 4th.
Time remaining until Tower Exchange: 21 days.
Tower Exchange date: February 25th 12:00
I can ask my gallery friends what the exchange is about.
“Status screen.”
<Player Status>
Name: Han Yuseong
Race: Human
Lv.3
Strength: 20
Agility: 21
Stamina: 18
Mana: 10
Skills: Pain Suppression Lv.2, Composure Lv.2, Cover Lv.1, Risk Detection Lv.1
Field of View Expansion Lv.1, Concentration Enhancement Lv.1
If these stat values are possible because I’m a Pandemonium climber, I’m curious about how fast 21st-century earthlings rise in difficulty levels of Easy, Normal, and Hard.
Will the Coin Shop respond if I just say it?
“Coin Shop.”
It popped up.
[2nd Floor Coin Shop]
- Food 2. Beverage
“…What kind of shop only has food?”
But contrary to my mouth, my stomach was honest. A GROWL sound immediately rang out.
Pressing <Cooking> made the list appear with a SWOOSH.
- Ramen, small amount of kimchi – 10 coins
- Pork soup – 10 coins
- Chao pan – 10 coins
- Cream bacon pasta – 10 coins
- Sandwich – 8 coins
- Nuts (peanuts, walnuts) – 6 coins
- Beef jerky – 6 coins
There’s kimchi.
It was absurd in many ways.
My current coins are 300.
If I eat one meal a day, that’s about 30 days.
Who the hell is setting these coin prices?
I pressed <Beverage>.
- Water (1l) – 5 coins
- Black coffee – 8 coins
- Sprite – 9 coins
Sprite is the most expensive.
I never intended to buy anything other than water anyway.
I’ve seen this somewhere before. If you’re in good physical condition, you can survive up to 8 weeks just drinking water.
“If I plan to survive, I’m already set to die.”
I couldn’t help but be scared of the difficulty of Pandemonium, but surviving on minimal food and wasting away in the waiting room was the worst move.
Eventually, after preparing as much as possible, I’ll have to advance forward, Pandemonium difficulty or not.
The last thing to check is the weapon and armor reportedly issued in the inventory.
“Inventory.”
<Inventory>
A semi-transparent window appeared.
Two slots are occupied.
I pressed the slot in the front.
[Nameless Knight’s Straight Sword]
Category – Weapon (Sword)
Attack Power + 30 Available Level: 3rd Level and above
Grade: C+
[Anonymous Knight’s Armor Set]
Classification – Armor
Defense + 35
Available Level: 3rd Level and above
Grade: C+
At a glance, it looked better than the sword I used on the 1st floor.
Since I’ve checked everything, now it was time to tell the Transcender Gallery about the harsh reality I faced.
I took out the terminal and accessed the Transcender Gallery.
Most of the posts were curious about whether I was still alive.
-Anonymous) If you’re not dead, come out quickly!
-Priestess) Hawa, the explorer’s skill is known to have a long lifeline. Your limbs should still be intact.
-Pioneer) Hmm, if you’re crying because it’s a hard difficulty, you can come out. Still, isn’t there a possibility of clearing?
-Millsionist) Maybe you’re hiding because you’re embarrassed about being on easy difficulty.
-Sewer Sword Sage) I am praying. So that the explorer brother does not lose his way.
Sewer Sword Sage.
There’s someone I haven’t seen before.
-Anonymous) The explorer can’t be on easy mode. Looking at the monsters that came out.
-Heavenly Demon) The master is making a beginner’s martial arts manual. Come in quickly and write.
Okay.
I’ll write.
I wrote the post and then published it.
Title: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Author: Anonymous*
-I’m going crazy. Look.
Attachment: 238409122.jpg
[Han Yuseong standing next to a huge door precisely written with 【Pandemonium】.]
Silence.
It was a silence longer than expected.
ㄴ ?
Comments are finally coming in.
That single question mark seemed to represent everyone’s thoughts.
I felt the same way when I first saw it.
After that, as if the floodgates had opened, comments kept pouring endlessly.
ㄴ ??
ㄴ ???
ㄴ No, damn it
ㄴ Archmage) What is this. It’s not photoshopped, right? Pandemonium???
ㄴ Millsionist) Hmm – This world is made of a huge room
ㄴ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Is this a funeral photo selfie?
ㄴ Ice Queen) …Freeze. Frozen. Hang in there.
ㄴ How can I have strength HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ㄴ PAN-HA-DEMON-HA-NIUM-HA…HA.
ㄴ Yeah, I read the will carefully. Good writing skill. A famous writer.
ㄴ Damn, even rubbing my eyes and looking again, it’s the same HAHAHAHA why is this here
ㄴ Wow, our explorer brother is amazing. Surviving the 1st floor of Pandemonium. Sorry I didn’t recognize you, bro.
ㄴ Oh, he looks handsome?? But why does the photo look like a black and white background? Uh…uh? Breathe, explorer! Banji!! Call the, call the doctor!!!
I expected this level of mockery.
Just a day ago. Just a day ago, community sites were most of my daily life.
I had already anticipated such level of mockery as self-deprecating humor.
I was just amused.
ㄴJudak) …What. Was there something related to you getting the initial gallery from the beginning? Can’t tell….
ㄴ TOTAL! CHAOS!!!!
Hmm.
Although Judak’s comment was disjointed, I understood what he wanted to say.
Survival rate 0%.
Useless difficulty Pandemonium I’m stuck in.
And me, who just happened to find a terminal that can access the <Transcender Gallery> on the 1st floor.
Are these situations created intentionally by the tower, or not? That’s what this is about. Well, how would I know?
ㄴ Archmage) Well, I’m not sure. I’m a bit skeptical. Even if we assume the initial gallery members help, it’s still the Pandemonium difficulty. A difficulty we haven’t even experienced? No matter what help is given, he always has to bet his life. The possibility of completion… ha, I don’t know.
ㄴ Absolute Monarch) Archmage, didn’t you say just recently that all beings summoned to Pandemonium would have at least a speck of possibility to complete that Pandemonium? Even if they died. Are you withdrawing that statement?
ㄴ Archmage) Withdraw? Of course, since the explorer is summoned to Pandemonium, I think he has that possibility. It’s just incredibly difficult.
ㄴ LOLOL Wizard always used to talk down to the explorer ambiguously, but now that the explorer is in Pandemonium, he’s out of words HAHAHAHA
ㄴ Archmage) What are you talking about?
ㄴ Scratch?
ㄴ Archmage) Forget it. Why waste words with a lowly bastard. I’m ending my gallery browsing for today.
ㄴ Scratch?
ㄴ WHAT HAHAHAHAHA Pandemonium? For real?
ㄴ R.I.P
ㄴ Sewer Sword Sage) Not easy, not normal, not hard, but Pandemonium… this is honorable. I will pray.
ㄴ Absolute Monarch) Explorer, do not make extreme choices even if you feel desperate.
ㄴ Anonymous*) Hey, I won’t do that. Don’t worry.
Why would I die?
Not stylishly.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Yes, that’s a good spirit! The master also supports you.
ㄴ Suddenly appearing after staying silent because his mental state looks surprisingly okay. Are you the Demon Lord?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Are you in the same martial arts world as the master? Where do you live?
ㄴ Light’s Sword) Take a look at the Transcender Gallery terminal. See if an additional app has appeared.
An app?
I moved the <Transcender Gallery> screen aside for a moment.
Entered the terminal’s first page.
Hmm, something new has appeared?
I pressed something that appeared beneath the photography app. It was an app with a blue star-shaped logo.
『The ‘Dimension Exchange’ under Transcender Gallery has been activated!』
『Welcome! New customer!』
ㄴ Anonymous*) Oh, it’s here. Dimension Exchange?
ㄴ Judak) Looks like it’s activated on the 2nd floor.
ㄴ Light’s Sword) Eat a good meal and come back.
ㄴ Anonymous*) Huh?
ㄴ Light’s Sword) What’s your weapon now?
ㄴ Anonymous*) When I came up to the 2nd floor, they gave me a sword.
ㄴ Light’s Sword) A sword, that’s good. I’ll make sure you don’t die.
ㄴ Anonymous*) How?
ㄴ How? HAHAHAHAHAHA Probably means train like crazy.
ㄴ Light’s Sword) I’ll have to take the position of your first master.
The sword demons suddenly started pushing in.
What’s this?
Seems like they’ve become more active since I mentioned the ‘Pandemonium’ difficulty.
