As the scenery before Soohyun’s eyes transformed, a dull voice was heard.

Colors were added to the previously white scene. It was one of those precious scenes not visible from outside the Tower of Ordeal.

The chilly air tickled his skin.

The setting for the trial was a Colosseum.

Growls and shrieks echoed—

Though the Colosseum appeared empty, monster cries could be heard from somewhere.

Truly remarkable sound effects.

The backdrop from the first floor looked impressive.

First floor, tenth floor — he knew the theme.

From the second floor onward, the trials varied, but the first floor’s trial was determined by the difficulty level.

Few had cleared the first trial.

Soohyun too faced internal conflict.

Was this the right choice? Would choosing a harder opponent not result in worse outcomes?

However, his dilemma didn’t last long.

Without a difference, nothing changes.

Change does not come without one’s own will. Expecting positive change while doing nothing is as foolish and selfish as it gets.

“Choose your weapon.”

Around Soohyun appeared an array of weapons.

Swords, spears, katanas, axes, hammers, bows, and more.

There were hundreds of weapons to choose from.

And Soohyun knew how to use more than half of them.

But he didn’t need to ponder which weapon to choose. Although he knew how to use more than half of them, there was only one he intimately knew.

Click—

Soohyun picked up a sword.

The best weapon prepared to face Fafnir, the Balvung.

A sword-type weapon, it was the one Soohyun had used for the longest time.

In terms of skills, no other weapon was equivalent to the sword.

[“Silver Longsword” selected.]

[Check your status.]

As Soohyun’s level increased, the descriptions became less friendly, and the difficulty increased. Compared to that, the current description was much more approachable.

“Status.”

[Name: Kim Soohyun]

[Strength: 11] [Agility: 12]

[Stamina: 10] [Reflex: 14]

[Fatigue: 10]

The overall stats weren’t bad.

Considering the average stat to be 10, he had no stats below average.

Especially, his reflexes were above average.

“Why did I get beaten up so badly with such stats?”

Perhaps Soohyun’s personality was the biggest factor.

“My magic level and usage haven’t been evaluated, but…”

This level wasn’t bad.

All preparations were complete.

Until then, nothing had happened in the Colosseum.

It seemed like the newcomer was given time to check his status and adapt to the new environment.

As far as Soohyun could tell, the system had treated him quite well so far.

Of course, Soohyun didn’t need this kindness.

Standing in the middle of the Colosseum, Soohyun looked up at the sky.

“Don’t waste time and start now.”

[Would you like to start now?]

The system here felt vaguely game-like.

It understood all intentions like a meticulously crafted AI, providing the correct answers.

A convenient point.

“Yes.”

[The trial begins now.]

[Fight for victory.]

Simple and straightforward.

There’s no need to complicate things. Soohyun knew exactly what to do as soon as he saw the monsters appear before him.

Boom, growl—

A red-furred wolf growled at Soohyun.

If there was one unique feature, it was its third eye.

He wasn’t sure where it came from. It wasn’t from the sky or the ground.

For those startled by the suddenly appearing monster. But Soohyun knew the trial in advance and recognized the beast standing before him.

Vampire wolf.

Among all monsters, the vampire wolf was considered the weakest and lowest-ranked.

Physically and ability-wise, it wasn’t much different from a regular wolf.

But the tricky part was its ‘vampiric’ trait.

“The ability to drain blood can help strengthen itself. However, if its teeth contain a small amount of poison, it reduces the movement speed.”

Boom!

The vampire wolf charged at Soohyun.

That moment.

Bang!

Crack!

Soohyun swung his sword at the charging vampire wolf, cutting off half its head.

It was a masterpiece executed at the right moment with a fully prepared stance.

Although Soohyun couldn’t completely sever the head due to lack of strength, he knocked the vampire wolf to the ground, leaving it gasping for air.

Squish!

Soohyun swung his sword in the opposite direction, completely severing the wolf’s head.

The breath stopped.

[You have gained 10 achievement points.]

[You have killed your first enemy.]

[You have gained 1 stamina point.]

The initial reward was substantial.

It was a tremendous kill that gave Soohyun statistically valuable points.

Could there be more rewards?

In the Tower of Ordeal, clearing each floor resulted in rewards based on the outcome, granting permission to advance to the next level.

In some cases, clearing a floor also offered rewards, but these were sporadic instances.

Growl—

Boom, boom!

The body of the slain vampire wolf vanished, and two more vampire wolves materialized.

Two more.

It was still manageable.

Soohyun lifted his sword again.

This time, Soohyun made the first move.

Sliding in—

Soohyun thrust himself between the two newly appeared vampire wolves.

He wasn’t very fast. This was the limit of Soohyun’s newly discovered body’s movement.

The vampire wolves started running towards Soohyun simultaneously.

At that moment, Soohyun deeply ducked to the ground.

Simultaneously, he swung his sword upwards.

A long gash—

Slash—

The belly of one vampire wolf was ripped open as it flew over Soohyun, sustaining a large wound.

The other vampire wolf, missing its target, landed lightly. The injured wolf writhed in pain on the ground, howling agonizingly.

Dash!

Whether driven by the death of its companion or an instinctual hunger for blood, the remaining vampire wolf charged at Soohyun tirelessly.

And then…

Rip!

Soohyun’s sword tore through the mouth of the charging vampire wolf.

Thump!

The two injured vampire wolves hadn’t died immediately.

Of course, left alone, they would gradually succumb to their injuries.

Soohyun, wiping the blood off his sword, murmured, “I see… I’m not yet accustomed to it.”

It had been a month since he was hospitalized, but he was still not used to fighting with his new body.

Had he exerted his full strength, he might have been able to decapitate the vampire wolves.

“But it was pretty good at the beginning,” he added, mentioning how he used the opponent’s charging momentum for a counterattack.

This was the best strategy Soohyun could devise given his current reduced strength and agility.

To utilize counters, Soohyun needed to continuously observe his opponents’ movements and lure them into action.

“I guess I need to get used to it bit by bit.”

The trial on the first floor had been excellent so far.

As the theme was a Colosseum, only simple battles with lower-tier monsters had taken place.

There couldn’t have been a better way for Soohyun to adapt to his new body.

Stab, stab—

Soohyun didn’t forget to finish off the vampire wolves lying on the ground.

[You have gained 20 achievement points.]

The thought of a second reward crossed Soohyun’s mind.

Unfortunately, this time there was no increase in stats.

What was the difference?

Continuing the battle was the only way to test the hypothesis he had formulated.

Growl—

Boom, boom!

Another two vampire wolves appeared before Soohyun.

But this time, it wasn’t just vampire wolves.

A being closer to a real monster, different from the vampire wolves, appeared.

Growl—

A beast with crimson fur, smaller in stature than the vampire wolves, appeared.

Though its two eyes were closed, its third eye was wide open, seemingly drooling over Soohyun as its next meal.

“Mad Wolf.”

Also known as the Feral Wolf.

The reason why the trial at level 10 was so challenging was precisely because of this creature.

Of course, vampire wolves were no easy opponents for ordinary humans, but they were manageable with a weapon in hand.

However, the creature before him was the real deal.

It wasn’t supposed to appear on the first floor.

It was a monster that even well-trained soldiers could not capture.

“So this is level 10.”

He smiled, revealing his teeth—

It took quite a long time.

Soohyun felt as if he had returned to his past life.

His physical senses from his previous life seemed to have been restored.

But Soohyun remained vigilant.

“I am Soohyun.”

He couldn’t afford any delusions.

Even a minor fantasy could have significant consequences.

Setting aside his emotions, he needed to view the situation objectively.

And objectively…

“Now.”

Step—

Soohyun took a step towards the Mad Wolf and the two vampire wolves.

“I am stronger.”

Boom, boom!

Growl—

The vampire wolves and the Mad Wolf growled threateningly at Soohyun.

But Soohyun made no sound in response.

He had fought monsters for years in his previous life.

And now, he instinctively knew that the monsters feared him.

Then…

“Let’s go.”

There would never be a better time than now.

The Mad Wolf charged at Soohyun.

Simultaneously, the Mad Wolf, as big as a tiger, swiftly extended its claws towards Soohyun. The vampire wolves were no different.

Sliding in—

Rip—

Soohyun didn’t go in deep.

Instead, he dodged the Mad Wolf’s claws, leaving a long cut on its side.

At the same time, his body flew past the sharp claws and teeth of the vampire wolves, avoiding them narrowly.

A swift dig and an immediate retreat. Soohyun’s lack of agility was compensated for by high concentration and a wide field of vision.

This was Soohyun’s strategy.

But that was only for a moment.

Growl—

Boom, boom!

The two vampire wolves reacted differently this time.

The vampire wolves, previously snarling at Soohyun, now turned their attention towards the Mad Wolf.

“One trait of vampire wolves is that they don’t unnecessarily spill blood.”

They cannot spill the blood of their own kind. Unfortunately for the Mad Wolf, it was not considered family to them.

Their focus had been on Soohyun by coincidence.

But since the vampire wolves had sensed blood…

Boom, boom!

They started charging towards the Mad Wolf.

Soon, the fight between the two vampire wolves and the Mad Wolf began.

It wasn’t 3 against 1 but rather 1 on 1 against 2.

No, to be more precise…

“Only the winner comes this way.”

The victor of their fight would face Soohyun next.