Throwing nearby rocks for a workout didn't last long. I sensed the presence of intruders disrupting my training.
"Oh ho? Has phase one already begun?"
It felt like less than thirty minutes had passed, but it was already starting...
As expected of a tutorial—it was a tutorial through and through.
The fact that I could sense those presences meant the real deal was underway. No need to step outside and waste stamina.
I'd gotten a bit of exercise in, so I decided to rest in this massive room I'd first arrived in. I sat quietly.
But why were those presences moving so slowly?
And there were so few of them.
Feeling something off, I suppressed my own presence and footsteps to investigate outside.
The sight that greeted me...
"Th-this! Super cowards!!!"
The virtual enemies were creeping through the dungeon, hiding their bodies!
My god! Rage boiled up at these utterly pathetic foes.
Even if they were fakes, did they lack even the basics of a warrior?
A warrior must always be bold, fearless in the face of death!
"Ah, no. Gotta be PC."
Recall your past life memories, Balak!
There were guys in women's world tournaments who ditched their manhood to compete!
My inner energy awakened with Balak's stern shout.
Right, sneaking was a valid strategy.
Among the heroes who would come later, some might try cowardly ambushes on me. I should be grateful for the dungeon's kindness in letting me experience it firsthand.
So, how should I deal with them to feel that satisfying sense of a job well done?
"Aha! A warrior's way!"
Dredging up past life memories, I recalled a comic where they used ripple infused with solar energy for battle.
And that comic taught me an absolute truth for someone like me now.
The smaller the water gun's nozzle, the farther the water shoots!
An obvious law of physics anyone could see, but truth is always right under our noses!
Boom!
Splat!
I leaped high to the ceiling, concentrating my bizarre power at my fingertips and toes, sticking flat against it.
This dungeon had a huge gap between ceiling and floor. The armor I wore was black!
The dungeon lights shone only downward, leaving the top pretty dark.
So, an eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth!
Daring to sneak, huh?!
Then I'd pay them back in stealth!
*******
Jones, who had only recently become a hero blessed by the gods, was cautiously navigating the dungeon with his companions.
"Jones, you sure this is okay?"
"Shh... We have to be quiet."
Unlike bosses in other dungeons, this one's first-floor boss seemed to wander outside its room.
If they hid their presence and moved silently, they could slip through the empty boss room to the next floor!
'Keh... My brain is top-notch. Praise yourself.'
But other heroes had the same idea, so to claim first clear glory, they needed to move fast.
Jones's party pushed ahead faster than others.
But there was something scurrying across the dungeon ceiling like a cockroach...
Unaware, Jones and his group soon met a gruesome end.
"Flying Elbow Drop!!!!"
"Huh?"
KABOOM!!!
A WWE wrestler's finisher slammed into Jones's party, turning them into mice that vanished.
The boss mob, which splatted back onto the ceiling, prowled using top-rope techniques from WWE on sneaking heroes.
KABOOM!!
BOOM!!
Heroes gripped by fear at the approaching roars sensed something was very wrong.
But what could they do?
"Body Press!!!"
"Kyaack!!!"
KABOOOOOM!!
It was just the end for the cowards.
***********
Hearing the screams of those super-coward sneaks lit me up!
And this armor!
Even after slamming my body into the ground repeatedly, not a single scratch or dent!
The perfect armor for a warrior!
"Ahh... Cleared it perfectly again."
Pose struck in clearing joy, I returned to the big room for more training.
Not long after. While training for the next round, I realized something shocking.
Ever since entering this dungeon, I hadn't felt sleepy or hungry!
No need for the bathroom either!
No more struggling to remove this hard-to-wear-alone armor when nature called.
No more worrying about raids mid-relief and needing countermeasures.
It was gone.
A place optimized for training!
Virtual enemies refilled infinitely for testing my power whenever bored.
For a warrior like me, this dungeon was a paradise.
Plus, I was destined to fall to the strongest hero who would come here...
This level of convenience was only natural.
"The perfect death awaits me! Hahaha!!!"
Rumble rumble!!!
Balak released his energy in sheer delight, shaking the entire dungeon.
Those who sensed that massive, ferocious aura...
From the first floor, they'd realize something was wrong.
But the sneaking hero parties had all been ejected outside.
Famous heroes' meeting results weren't out yet, so most waited at the entrance.
Sadly, no one outside detected that huge aura.
"Alright, back to training."
Time for the mountaintop workout routine. But one question arose.
Should I exercise in this armor?
I'd sweated running around plenty.
Some magic kept me odor-free and dry.
So, it auto-evaporated sweat, sterilized, and antibacterial too.
Treating this decently weighted armor like a sandbag for workouts would boost efficiency big time.
Catching sneaks let me gauge the dungeon size.
Paths were wide and long.
Before serious exercise, warm-up run time!!
*******
While Balak dashed energetically through the dungeon.
The famous heroes' meeting concluded.
"So we're just gonna keep challenging it?"
"That's the way."
"Figuring out strategies from the start... This'll be fun."
Though blasted out by Balak in one hit, this challenging difficulty fired up the heroes.
Entering with burning hearts, they...
"Lariat!!!"
"Gaaah!!!"
"Cough!"
Spotted by Balak charging like a mad bull through the dungeon, they got ejected.
But they were indomitable heroes whose spirits didn't break!
They soon gathered opinions for the great Balak strategy.
"A boss running around inside... Never heard of that."
"Yeah. It attacked like it was waiting, so maybe bad timing now."
"Boss changes behavior by time... Intriguing."
"That abyss pit is heaven's trial. This difficulty fits. Other dungeons were too easy."
"Hey! We got new info, listen up!"
Usually fiercely individualistic heroes united for the first time against Balak's massive wall. The lofty heavenly god was deeply moved.
But then saw Balak sprinting full-tilt across the first floor and lost his wits.
'What the hell... Scary....'
Wondering how such a thing got in the dungeon, the heavenly god could only hope his heroes overcame this trial.
Thus, Balak—the being who shocked even the heavenly god...
Oblivious to outside events, just ran laps in the dungeon.
******
Mid-run, phase two started? I bumped into virtual enemies but didn't want to stop, so barreled through.
Kept running and cleared all of them. Missed phase two's theme, unlike phase one's stealth.
Given the numbers way more than tutorial, probably swarm tactics?
Anyway, skip unknowns.
Checked my armor.
"No way... It's not damp?!"
Past life body sweats a lot. No more clamminess, eternal freshness!
The supreme armor!
With armor perks known, time to burn the rest of the routine!
But only rocks for weights... How?
"Ah!! Those things!"
Oh man...
Too focused on the OP armor, forgot them!
Raced back to the first room, spotted various weapons scattered in the corner.