[Blood for Blood, Eye for an Eye : Seek out the hidden dwarf in the forest, then clear Floor 2 using only ballistas]Come forth, beast—the one that tore apart and devoured my family—come, show yourself.
This forest is full of delicious snacks. Gentle creatures with tender meat and succulent flesh wander aimlessly, ready for the taking. All of it is yours.
I’ve prepared everything for you—the large harpoon that will pierce your hide and the massive bow to launch it. Every inch of this forest has been designed with your end in mind.
When you are frantically satiating your hunger, that moment will be your last.
===============================================================
Floor 2 of the Tower of Trials was a dim forest. If you chose to explore, it was vast enough that you could wander for an hour without seeing the end. Unloaded ballistas were scattered throughout.
And the ogre prowledthe forest.
Some students who weren’t used to the forest would sometimes have the misfortune of losing their way on this floor.
In the early days of the Tower, the ogre's movements were thought to be random, so clearing the floor quickly relied on faith—people relied on luck and prayers to find it swiftly.
However, after some analysis, it became clear the ogre's location wasn’t random. The beast was always directly ‘beneath the sun.’So all you had to do was look up at the sky and follow the path marked by the unusually close sun.
There were three ballistas hidden throughout the forest, but only one was loaded. Unfortunately, the ballista’s power wasn’t enough to kill the ogre with a single shot.
Among the Academy students, the standard strategy was simply to follow the sun and beat the ogre into submission.
A more unorthodox approach was setting the entire forest on fire, digging a hole, and holding on for dear life (HOFDL). (If you had a Blue Tower Wizard’s help for this, you could more pleasantly HOFDL).
Still, despite all these tactics, there had never been any stories of meeting a dwarf.
In the Tower’s early days, the forest had been searched meticulously, so any sightings would have been noted—unless the dwarf had been using invisibility magic.
Envers and Selvier crouched down and made a plan to find the dwarf.
“We could invite a Blue Tower Wizard to freeze the ogre so it doesn’t die, then burn down the forest and search thoroughly for the dwarf.”
“That⋯⋯ actually sounds like a good plan. Perhaps I should ask Miss Snow White for assistance?”
“I would rather die.”
"Huh⋯⋯."
But isn’t she the only Blue Tower wizard strong enough to freeze the ogre? I don't care, but if you bring her, I'm gonna be pissed. As they continued their bickering...
Luna quietly raised her hand and said.
“I know. Where he is.”
"You mean to say you knew the entire time⋯⋯?"
“Eung. The core of the strategy.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Luna briefly explained her method for shortening the clear time.
Facing the ogre head-on was inefficient, especially since the ballista only had one shot and couldn’t guarantee a kill. So, Luna also decided to adopt the burn-the-forest strategy.
She needed a spot that would 1) roast the ogre quickly and 2) be easy to dig into. So, armed with a shovel, she wandered the forest just digging.
That’s when she found the underground cavity.
“Underground cavity? You’re saying such a thing existed?”
“No, wait⋯⋯ You went around digging through that entire forest one hole at a time?!”
“Hehe. Yep.”
The underground chamber was quite spacious, and inside it was a dwarf who survived on mushrooms. Upon discovering this hidden piece, Luna had a thought:
If the ogre fell down here, would it die?
So she did it. She lured the ogre to the spot directly above the cavity and provoked it into executing a jump attack. The ogre screamed and fell down as the ground collapsed⋯⋯ and had a 25% chance of dying from a broken neck.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯So, what about the dwarf you said was living down there?"
Luna clenched her fist, then opened it flat. It meant the dwarf had become a pancake.
Envers and Selvier took a step back, putting a little distance between themselves and Luna. Regardless of how the dwarf was discovered, at least now they knew its location.
“First off, I shall go meet this dwarf and return.”
They decided that as Luna distracted the ogre, Envers and Selvier would head down to meet the dwarf.
===============================================================
The dwarf, covered in dirt with a wild beard and hair that resembled a slave miner’s, yelled in a raspy voice.
“Get lost, you filthy humans! This is my forest! You damned dirty and ugly race—spit!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Luna shrugged, as if to say, See?
While Envers stood frozen in disbelief at the blatant racism, Selvier—accustomed to such insults—calmly looking around.
The poor conditions made it look like it had been abandoned.
In one corner, a patch of mushrooms had clearly been picked through. That must be his food.
Leaning against a wall were two large ballista arrows. So that’s where they were hidden. Without hesitation, she picked them up.
"Elder, don’t you have something to sa⋯⋯."
"The only thing I have to say is get lost! Hideous race full of liars⋯⋯ And now you're stealing, too? Put those down right now, you human woman!!"
"Don't be so stingy. They’re just arrows. Are they really going to wear out from a little use?"
“They will wear out!”
The dwarf foamed at the mouth and struggled.
But there was no way this malnourished dwarf, barely surviving underground, could stand a chance against a healthy Academy student trained in combat
Selvier remembered an old saying from her hometown:
A dead person’s property is public property .
A variation of this saying was sometimes used: A dying person’s property is public property. Looking at the dwarf’s condition, she figured he wasn’t far from death, so she took the arrows without concern.
Caught between the two, Envers was unsure what to do. Faced with the dilemma of convincing Selvier or reasoning with the dwarf, he chose the latter.
“Look here, elderly dwarf. We may be taking the arrows due to an unavoidable circumstance, but rest assured, we’ll make sure to use it for a good cause.”
"You thieving bastards-!!"
“If we use them to kill the ogre, you, old dwarf, can safely leave this forest. Afterward, you can get some sunlight⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯What?"
The tone had shifted—it was no longer filled with rage but with genuine curiosity.
The dwarf paused, thinking for a moment, then asked again.
“You’re going to catch that bastard with these?”
"By bastard⋯⋯."
“I mean the ogre! The bastard with a scar on his left eye!”
"Hm⋯⋯ as far as I remember, the ogre didn’t have a──"
Crack. Craaack.
Kuuung──!!
Everything happened in an instant. The ceiling caved in, and a massive shadow descended from above, crushing the dwarf beneath it. It was the ogre.
Luna was sitting on top of the Ogre’s lower back.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“Cause you were late.”
"We were just about to make some progress in the conversation, though⋯⋯"
“We just have to do it. Again.”
Envers looked at the ogre's corpse with an uneasy face. It was time to restart. They’d have to dig the tunnel again, find the dwarf, and hopefully get in a little more conversation next time.
He took one last glance before leaving. There wasn’t a scar on the ogre's face, just as he’d .
Floor 2, normal clear.
===============================================================
The mention of hunting the ogre triggered a change in the grumpy dwarf's attitude. He suddenly became cooperative.
“You want to catch the ogre right? And⋯⋯ with my ballista?"
“That is correct.”
"That’s right, even if I have to borrow a human’s strength⋯⋯ if it's my ballista that takes the bastard’s head. That might be acceptable⋯⋯."
It became clear the dwarf harbored a deep hatred for the ogre. He wanted revenge with his own strength and was willing to let the group use his ballista to achieve it.
Thanks to his cooperation, the group earned two ballista rounds.
Now was the time for the attempt. They had a total of three arrows to take down the ogre.
◆First Attempt
Tanker : Luna
Ballista Handling : Envers, Selvier
Luna gave clear instructions with both her fingers and her words.
“I, do the holding. You guys, shoot.”
It was a reasonable strategy, so no one objected. The group agreed to proceed with Luna’s strategy.
“I shall try my best.”
“I’ll handle the aiming, but I’ll leave the heavy lifting to you!”
Luna controlled most of the variables. Using the sun's position and the terrain, she pinpointed the ballista that was closest to the ogre's path.
She instructed Envers and Selvier to load the first arrow while she lured the ogre into the perfect position.
Unlike the orc from the previous floor, the ogre was ordinary. It wasn't twice as tall, nor could it cast magic. Because just that alone was difficult enough.
A strong opponent that required the careful attention of an experienced explorer, like Beauty Mark Guy with full concentration.
The ogre stood around 3 meters tall. Aiming for its weak points, like the neck, was difficult, and its inherent reach was overwhelming. The sheer weight of its thick wooden club made every swing deadly.
Its green hide was dense and tough, making it hard to cut through with a blade. There was no point even talking about blunt attacks. With near-flawless specs, the ogre ruled the forest like a king.
“Uuuuoaaa──!!"
“Simple.”
And yet, Luna lightly danced with the king of the forest.
※ SYSTEM_INFO -----------
[Lost Ogre]
Vitality : Average
Mana : Does Not Use
Strength : 4 / 10 (High-Mid Tier Student)
Agility : 2 / 10 (Low-Mid Tier Student)
Intelligence : 1 / 10 (Low Tier Student)
Trait : Bloody Hide
=> The ogre’s hide becomes stronger as its HP decreases.
※ ---------------------------
To maintain her agility, Luna wore only light, form-fitting clothes, making it easier to dodge and avoid restricting her movements.
She moved with dizzying speed, dodging the ogre's club as it whooshed through the air. The card Luna pulled out in response to this was flexibility.
She slid down into a perfect split, hugging the ground, her waist bending flexibly to evade the ogre’s massive swings. It blatantly revealed the curves of her body.
Her elegant movements reminded him of a ballet dancer.
While Envers watched, momentarily captivated by the way Luna's graceful curves cut through the battlefield, Selvier kicked him in the shin, snapping him out of his daze. He fumbled for an excuse.
“I-I was examining her movements. Her movements, I tell you.”
“Just shoot.”
“Luna, once you give us the signal I shall fire!”
Luna nodded and tried to whistle, but only a faint hissing sound escaped her lips—the success rate of her whistles was 50%.
She moved into the ogre’s next attack pattern and called out the signal instead.
"⋯⋯Beep."
Ting! Whoosh──!!
The ballista was fired, and just as Selvier had calculated, the large arrow pierced straight through the ogre's head. The massive creature staggered, then fell backward.
“We did it!”
“Bullseye!”
Envers and Selvier ran to check the results.
As they checked the ogre’s pulse, it became clear—the ogre was dead. They had succeeded. While waiting for the final result, Selvier helped Luna into the outer garments she had taken off so that she could move better.
When they completed the challenge task on Floor 1, they had witnessed a strange phenomenon.
A bright light leaked from the orc's corpse, and a glowing sphere floated up into the sky── then burst fabulously like fireworks, celebrating the achievement.
When they went outside afterwards, a ★ had appeared on the ranking board. They expected something similar this time.
However…
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
“No. Star.”
“Did someone touch the ogre by any chance?”
But there was no sign of anything. The group looked confused until they heard a rustling sound from the nearby bushes. It was the dwarf who lived underground.
The dwarf, putting away a telescope, and said.
“This doesn’t count!”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
"If you just shoot while someone distracts the ogre, even an idiot could land that arrow. That⋯⋯ that I can't accept! You should have killed the ogre using only my ballista!"
As the dwarf vented his anger, his chest faintly flickered with light.
“No, what kind of bullshit is──."
Selvier began to argue, but the world went dark with a bright flash of light.
Floor 2, Normal Clear.
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“We only used the ballista, didn't we?! Are you kidding me⋯⋯?!!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Selvier stomped repeatedly on the innocent ground at her rising anger.
Envers, marveled at how fitting it was for a Red Tower wizard to have such a personality. Meanwhile, Luna calmly analyzed the gimmick.
“Light. Dwarf. Attainment of Buddhahood.”
"⋯⋯What exactly do you mean?"
When they defeated the orc properly, they had achieved the challenge task, and saw the light sphere emerge from its corpse.
The same flickering light appeared on the dwarf’s chest right before they had failed their 1st Round.
The dwarf had clearly wanted to take revenge on the ogre using only his equipment. Luna pieced it all together.
The < Challenge Task > of Tower of Trials… it was about fulfilling someone's wish on that floor.
“If we grant, what they want. Probably will succeed.”
"⋯⋯So you're saying we have to kill the ogre with accordance to the dwarf's stubbornness?"
“You mean no distractions, no luring, no traps—just⋯⋯ purely with a ballista?
“Sniping. Probably.”
Luna held up three fingers and waved them. She was lamenting 'No wonder he gave us three arrows'.
Floor 2 was turning out to be more complicated than they had expected.