I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents-Chapter 21: Tower Exchange Meeting (6)

Title: But Why Would Someone Want to Kill Another Player?

Author: ㅇㅇ*

— There must be a clear benefit if they’re willing to kill, right?

ㄴ Yeah, there is. Killing another player for the first time guarantees a two-level increase.

ㄴ After that, it works just like normal monster hunting—the EXP gained depends on your level.

ㄴ Pioneer Most of the time, people kill for loot or because they’ve completely lost their minds.

ㄴ Some people were just living normal lives, then suddenly got thrown into this weird tower where laws don’t mean anything anymore, so they start killing for fun.

ㄴ Archmage There are quite a lot of them.

***

Han Yuseong recalled what had been discussed in the gallery before he was summoned to the exchange gathering.

Guaranteed two-level increase.

That alone was enough motivation for any player who had yet to commit their first kill to consider murder.

Baek Jin-young kept his sword pointed at Han Yuseong.

"Drop the item you got for ranking first in the exchange gathering, then stand still with your hands ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ up."

Han Yuseong looked him in the eye and spoke.

"When did you two start working together?"

Baek Jin-young smirked and answered without hesitation.

"We met at the last exchange gathering and added each other as friends. That’s why we were summoned together this time."

He continued.

"When neither of us got first place, we decided we'd just kill whoever did and steal their item. That’s what we planned for this gathering. Oh, and if you’re thinking of stalling for time and teleporting back to your tower, forget it. If you get hit while that white summoning circle appears, your return gets canceled."

Baek Jin-young was explaining things Han Yuseong already knew from the Transcendent Gallery seniors.

Seeing that Han Yuseong was listening without reacting, Baek Jin-young tilted his head.

"Are you frozen with fear, or are you just too stubborn to give up your prize?"

His gaze shifted to Sun Haoran.

"Then we’ll just kill him and take the drop. Sun Haoran, do it."

Sun Haoran grinned.

"Yeah, sure."

Han Yuseong knew exactly why they were underestimating him so much.

It was obvious.

< 3 >.

The number floating above his head.

That was the source of their confidence.

"I was aiming for the last hit, you know? But then you just had to throw that damn spear at the end and steal the kill. Why? The damn kobold didn’t even try to dodge. It was already half-dead because of me and the others."

Baek Jin-young clicked his tongue and kept talking.

"And Laura—what kind of Hard Mode player is that useless? She didn’t even realize I was from Hard Mode too. Acting all high and mighty, tsk."

Baek Jin-young failed to notice something.

That, at this very moment, Han Yuseong had already made his decision.

Han Yuseong casually asked.

"So, you're from Hard Mode. What about him?"

Baek Jin-young chuckled.

"He’s from Normal Mode. But that doesn’t mean you stand a chance against him."

Vwoom—

Sun Haoran twirled his spear in front of Han Yuseong’s eyes.

"Just think of yourself as unlucky, 3rd floor."

Sun Haoran stepped forward.

His spear shot out like a bullet.

Slash—!

The spear’s shaft spun into the air.

"...Huh?"

Sun Haoran’s voice came out in stunned disbelief.

A flash of light.

This time, he made no sound.

Blood gushed from his throat.

"Guh... gghhk!"

Sun Haoran dropped his spear, clutching at his neck with both hands.

"Gkkk...!"

But no matter how hard he pressed down, the blood wouldn’t stop.

His body collapsed to the ground, writhing like an insect.

Then, it went completely still.

He was dead.

"......."

Baek Jin-young swallowed dryly, staring at the pool of blood spreading from Sun Haoran’s corpse.

He felt incredibly stupid.

As if his brain had shut down.

A 3rd-floor resident.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

A player who had only just cleared the 2nd floor... had killed a 7th-floor resident.

It was completely irrational.

Baek Jin-young was in shock.

He turned his gaze toward Han Yuseong.

A sword was in Han Yuseong’s hand.

[Greatsword Carnavalt].

The reward he had just received for ranking first in the exchange gathering.

Han Yuseong spoke.

"That was lucky."

He stared at the number floating above Baek Jin-young’s head—8.

"...What?"

"I was lucky to kill Sun Haoran, that’s all."

With those words, Han Yuseong stepped forward.

Baek Jin-young stood in his path.

Something was wrong.

That guy had taken out Sun Haoran in an instant.

But he was only from the 3rd floor.

The number above Han Yuseong’s head, his floor level, and Baek Jin-young’s own background as a Hard Mode climber—those facts dictated his actions.

Kill him.

Mana surged from Baek Jin-young’s Mana Heart.

[Activating Skill: Magic Body Reinforcement Lv.2]

Baek Jin-young swung his scimitar diagonally upward.

A white arc slashed toward Han Yuseong’s torso.

Got him...!

But that certainty twisted into doubt in an instant.

The scimitar cut through nothing but air.

Thud!

"Urgh!"

Baek Jin-young looked down at his abdomen.

The hilt of Han Yuseong’s sword, Carnavalt, had slammed directly into his stomach.

Crack!

His head snapped back.

Han Yuseong’s fist had struck him square in the chin.

Baek Jin-young barely clung to consciousness and immediately swung his sword horizontally.

Han Yuseong’s eyes gleamed as he tracked the trajectory.

Even after taking a hit, Baek Jin-young quickly regained his stance.

His counterattack was swift—like lightning. It was definitely threatening.

Clang!

"Your combat sense isn’t bad."

Baek Jin-young’s scimitar went flying into the air.

His right arm was raised high against his will.

"But you’re far too weak."

Crunch!

Han Yuseong’s low kick sent Baek Jin-young’s leg crashing to the ground.

"Arghhh!"

Baek Jin-young clutched his left leg and writhed on the floor.

Han Yuseong stepped closer and twisted Baek Jin-young’s right elbow upward.

Snap! Pop!

His shoulder joint was dislocated.

"AAAAARGH!"

His grotesquely bent arm hung limply at his side.

His shoulder was completely out of place.

Han Yuseong crouched down, gripping his right arm, and locked eyes with the trembling Baek Jin-young.

"Do you see this?"

To Baek Jin-young, it just looked like Han Yuseong was moving his hand through empty space.

He shook his head frantically.

Han Yuseong was testing something—whether Transcendent Gallery could be seen by other climbers.

Han Yuseong spoke again.

"Answer with words. Not actions."

At this point, Baek Jin-young had no thoughts of resisting.

"I-It just looks like you’re waving your hand in the air..."

Fear had completely settled in.

"What’s your level?"

Han Yuseong started asking questions, one by one.

Baek Jin-young’s voice quivered.

"S-Sixteen..."

A 21st-century Earthling, huh?

His level had risen quite a bit, just as Han Yuseong had expected.

"Tell me your stats. Strength, Agility, Stamina, Mana—in that order."

Baek Jin-young’s lips trembled violently.

"If... If I tell you, will you let me live?"

"That depends on how you answer."

Baek Jin-young bit his lip, hesitating, but eventually spoke.

"Status window... Strength 38, Agility 36, Stamina 49, Mana 21."

His stats were about half of Han Yuseong’s, except for Stamina.

Considering that Han Yuseong had just gained two levels from killing Sun Haoran, the gap was even wider.

"When clearing floors, did you also form parties of at least six people?"

"...Obviously. Why even ask?"

Han Yuseong stored that information away in his mind.

Meanwhile, Baek Jin-young was thinking.

This bastard isn’t going to let me live.

He had killed Sun Haoran without hesitation.

And now, he was just standing there, looking up at something in the air—completely defenseless.

I have to kill him.

The decision was made in an instant.

Fwoosh!

Like an insect writhing for its last chance, Baek Jin-young suddenly jerked up.

His left hand grasped the scimitar he had dropped on the ground.

Swish!

He stabbed forward.

That damn 3rd-floor bastard.

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

But once again, his certainty was shattered.

Like a ghost, Han Yuseong dodged his killing intent.

A dagger—one he had never seen before—was now in Han Yuseong’s right hand.

Shnk.

The blade pierced Baek Jin-young’s throat.

His body collapsed to the ground.

Blood poured out.

He was dying.

As he lay there, Baek Jin-young thought carefully.

Who the hell is this guy?

His mistake was obvious.

< 3 >.

He had been too fixated on that damn number.

A 3rd-floor resident who had just cleared the 2nd floor.

And yet, someone terrifyingly strong.

At the very moment when his life should have been flashing before his eyes, something else appeared in his mind.

A ranking board.

《 2nd Floor - Score Rankings 》

1st place - Anonymous: 1,532 points

The same 2nd-floor leaderboard he had scoffed at just before entering the exchange gathering.

"...1532?"

The words barely escaped his lips.

Han Yuseong heard them.

"You’re too late. It doesn’t matter anymore."

Baek Jin-young opened his mouth to speak again.

But no more words came out.

His breath stopped.

Tsk.

Han Yuseong clicked his tongue.

***

Title: What Do You Do If Another Player Tries to Kill You? You Just Kill Them, Right?

Author: ㅇㅇ*

ㄴ Heavenly Demon Why are you even asking something so obvious?

ㄴ Sword of Light Kill them.

ㄴ Archmage Find out whatever you need first, then kill them.

ㄴ Shrine Maiden Kill!

ㄴ Ice Queen Frozen, frozen! Make sure there are no loose ends! Everything must be done thoroughly!

ㄴ Dragon King Beltui—unanimous agreement, very nice. Kill them!

ㄴ Pioneer Yeah... You pretty much have to kill them.

ㄴ Absolute Monarch That’s the tower. That’s the world. Forget about staying pure.

ㄴ Room Conspiracy Theorist Sigh, old man, the word is ‘pure,’ not ‘noble.’—This world is just a locked room—

ㄴ It’s a meaningless dilemma, for real.

ㄴ Trust NPCs more than players. At least some NPCs are capable of loyalty.

ㄴ Damn, every single comment says to kill them lmao.