“Wow!” The halfling did not attempt to hide her surprise. "You are fortunate to have awakened a 'C-' skill..." She paused and shook her head as she observed his trait.

However, he wasn’t looking at the transparent screen. He was frantically looking everywhere as he was trying to find something.

He tried to stop the whispers in his ear with his hand, but he couldn't. He turned towards the halfling, where the noise was the loudest.

“Don’t worry too much about it.” The halfling had no problem understanding the reason for his irritation, “<Resonance> is a passive skill. Anyone who steps foot within ten meters of you will resonate with your primary vibration.

“Primary vibration?”

"It's a skill effect. Even if you are unaware of it, your body is emitting a primary vibration. It might sound like the wind whispering. But, as soon as something gets close to you, it creates a resonance, just like me, and you notice its presence. Simply ask for the skill's name, and it will show you the details."

He paused for a moment before exclaiming, "<Resonance>."

[<Resonance> {Passive Skill} (C-)

Type: Detection Skill

Area: Ten meters.

Detail: Make a strong resonance effect with anything less than ten meters away from the host.]

“Even if it was not as good as B grade spell <Eco-location>, it is still a good skill.” The halfling sighed, adding, “But, your trait...”

“Trait?” he mumbled and checked, “<Leach>.”

[<Leach> {Trait} (Gradeless)

Type: Growth.

Detail: (+) 0.01 random attribute absorption from every enemy killed.

(+) 0.001% chance of trait absorbing from every enemy killed.

(+) 0.001% chance of skill absorbing from every enemy killed.

(-) 100% increase in experience points to level up.]

“Tch…” She made a tongue-clicking motion. “I warned you. A trait can be a double-edged sword. If someone else needs to kill ten enemies to level up, you need to kill twenty. Now you have to work twice as hard.”

"I told you to choose a red ball, yet..." she explained with a shake of her head. She frowned at his lack of focus. "What are you up to?"

"Is that the exit?"

“Huh?” The halfling took a deep breath after staring at him for a moment. "Do you have any idea what's out there?"

"Does talking with you help me? I'm not going to join your mercenary group, and you're not going to help me, so we should say our goodbyes."

“You…” She couldn't think of anything to say. "What weapon do you use?"

“Huh?” It was finally his turn to be surprised.

“What? Don’t you have some kind of weapon knowledge?”

He wasn't sure how to respond, so he just said, "Spear."

“Oh!” She wasn’t expecting it. Still, she flicked her finger, and a white ball appeared. “Take it,” she said.

"It's a gift," she added, observing his hesitation. "Make good use of it. I happened to have one lying around. Although it is not a 'Bronze' weapon, it is still a 'Stone' grade one. It's far superior to the 'Wood' grade one that the others will use in the first few days."

“Thank you.” He grabbed the ball as a list appeared before his eyes.

 

[Agate Spear (Stone grade)

Length: 214 cm

Attack: 27-31

Durability: 38/40

Option: +2 durability recovery every hour.]

 

"Even though its attack is average for a stone-grade weapon, its option makes a good beginner weapon. You may be able to use it for quite some time."

"Hickory shaft," he said softly to the halfling, adding, "Thank you."

"It may be difficult, but try to make it through the entire period. Earn a suitable title and look for me," the halfling said, a little embarrassed. 

"My name is Bloody Mary." And she disappeared into thin air.

He took one last look around the empty room before opening the door. He got his seven-foot spear out of the door frame and...

He collapsed to his knees as dizziness washed over him. Although he had no recollection of eating anything, he emptied his stomach. He frowned as he tasted the bitter stomach juice.

He closed his eyes, placed his palm over his ears, and held his breath. Despite this, he could feel them all.

A man nearly two meters tall stood nearby. A teen was brandishing a sword at the man. Beside the wall, a pair of children were supporting each other.

Another girl stood in front of the door. She was the one farthest from him. He could feel them all, even if he closed his eyes and ears.

He tried everything he could, but the low-frequency vibration was still audible. He felt he could see through his ears because it was so clear.

‘It's the skill. <Resonance>.’

He realized the source of his unease. However, it was a passive skill over which he had no control.

The only good news was that the pain was becoming more bearable with each passing second. 

He focused on the low-frequency vibration, only to realize that he wasn't hearing it. He was actually sensing everyone's presence with his skin.

His sudden appearance eased the twin's fear. While the teenager approached him, the tall man continued to look at him with concern.

The sword in his hand was giving off a damped yellow glow. The adolescent prodded him with his feet, asking, "Hey? What are you trying to do?”

“Huff! Huff” He was still trying hard to stabilize his breath, but he could now stable enough to stand.

“Is it a real spear?” The teenager continued to stare at the deep green stone spearhead, but he didn’t respond.

“Hey! Can't you speak?” The teenager sighed and waved his sheathed sword carelessly. “That elf was correct. This tower is doomed. There was a blind girl first, and now there is a mute. I need to locate members of my mercenary group.”

"Hey," the teen said, turning to face the other. “Which of you had agreed to the defender's quest?”

The twin, who was afraid to speak, shivered in the corner. The tall man stepped in once more. “What exactly do you want?”

"Open the tower door. I'm leaving." He said this while holding his sword an inch away from his face.

"Just leave if you want to. What has it to do with us? ”

"Tch... these amateurs," the teenager said as he moved towards the only wall without a door.

It was far too unlikely to be called a room. It was in the centre of the tower. 

Plank-like stairs protruded from the wall leading to the roof. A chandelier hung from the nearly 10-meter-tall tower roof.

The room had eight sides. There was a large door directly opposite of the only doorless wall. 

Every other side had a door, just like the one he'd come out of. However, there were six steles in front of the doorless wall.

The adolescent approached and touched one of the steles. They could see a transparent screen appear in front of him as it glowed, but they couldn't see what was written on it.

The transparent screen vanished after a moment, and the stele crumbled. 

"Rough?" exclaimed the adolescent. “After abandoning the 'Striker' mission, another mission is given. Good.”

Two chapters on Saturday 12-12:30 GMT