The Dreamer's POV

Chapter 41: Ground Floor

[00 Months: 00 Days: 00 Hours]

A bright light surged through me as I finally found a footing for my feet.

Within a second, I felt completely settled, though the blinding illumination around me forced my eyes to remain closed.

But then the light dissipated, and the cool fragrance of the wind forced me to expose my vision to the new world that surrounded me.

"W-whoah..."

I was currently on a tall hill, with a large tree serving as a shade right beside me.

However, that wasn't even close to the true reason why I gawked the moment I took in the wonders of this new world.

As I stood atop the tall hill, my heart pounding in my chest, I couldn't believe my eyes. The landscape before me was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

It was as if I had been transported to a different world altogether. The air felt different, tinged with a hint of unfamiliarity and a touch of adventure.

The gentle breeze tousled my hair, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and a sense of anticipation.

I gazed out at the expanse before me, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the exotic land.

Rolling hills stretched out in every direction, their vibrant green hues merging seamlessly with the deep blue sky.

The sun, a radiant orb of golden light, illuminated the landscape, casting long shadows that danced across the grassy plains below.

It was a scene straight out of a fantastical painting, an artist's rendering of an untouched paradise.

"It's... beautiful." I smiled, genuinely touched by how vast and incredible this new world was.

However, my sentiments didn't last very long.

"It's beautiful, but... I don't have time for this."

As much as I was enamored by the stunning nature around me, my mind couldn't help but remain focused on the gravity of my situation.

'First of all, I'm stranded. Second of all, this new world is full of dangers, so I'm definitely going to be struggling for my survival again...'

The Seraph mentioned how the Ground Floor was relatively safer, compared to the Upper Floors, but she also mentioned how it would be helpful for our growth.

'That means there are still challenges to be found here!'

Of course, this wasn't necessary a bad thing. I needed to Level Up and grow stronger, which meant I needed those dangers.

'The issue is... I have no information about this place.'

"... And the last problem is the strange girl I met back then. She might be aware of my abilities, so I have to be very careful."

It didn't seem like she wanted to harm me, but it wasn't like people wore their hearts on their sleeves in these kinds of situations.

I had no idea what her intentions were, so I could only prepare for the worst.

~DING~

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

<Welcome To The Ground Floor Of The Tower Of Trials!>

{You are among the few chosen ones who have made it this far. As a result, other than your 500 Currency for your monthly allowance, you will be given an additional 300 Currency, for being in Rank 6 in the final Leaderboard Rankings}

~Make sure to use <Shop> at your convenience, so as to obtain items and abilities that will aid you on your journey~

[GOOD LUCK!]

So I shot up from Rank 9 to Rank 6 at the final moment. If I had to guess, I would say the three who were ahead of me either didn't participate in the Special Event, or they died there.

'Either way, it seems like those who are at the top get special privileges, and it's also easy to fall behind.'

The <Ranker> Title I obtained must have had something to do with that.

"More Currency, huh? Thank goodness. I should be able to get a couple of things I'll need for myself."

Now that I thought of it, all the drugs that I left behind in the original world went to waste, didn't they?

'Even after all my efforts, they still didn't play a big role in the end.'

I thought I could use them later on to my benefit, but was I just being too optimistic? Besides, what was the guarantee that those kinds of drugs would work anyway?

'In this fantasy-like world, most of the dangers I'll encounter aren't going to be helped by some local drugstore medicines.'

I should have known that.

'Looks like that was a bust, after all.'

More importantly, I now had 2,950 Currency with me.

The first things I needed to secure were food, shelter, and most importantly... Information.

'The tree here doesn't provide food, but I'm sure I can hunt something around. I can also see a clear stream from this point. The tree provides nice shade, and I can just get a blanket to protect myself, reducing cost.'

As for information... I would have to buy it from the <Shop>.

It seemed I would still have to spend my Currency, huh?

'There's no helping it. Let's do what we have to do to survive, Mikey.'

That was the goal, after all.

**********

[00 Months: 00 Days: 03 Hours]

"Status Window."

- Name: Mikey Rael

- Race: Human

- Level: 20

- Life Force: 5/5

- Energy Level: 8/8 (+2)

- Combat Ability: 8/8 (+3), (+15), (+5)

- Stat Points: 35

- Currency: 2,500

- Role: <The Dreamer>

- Authority: <Dream/Nightmare>

- Titles: <Visionary>, <The One Who Saw The End>, <Chosen One>, <Survivor>, <Ranker>

- Skills (Exclusive): <Dream>, <Nightmare>, <Visualize>

- Skills (Non-Exclusive): <Sprint>, <Focus>, <Fallen Foe>, <Language

- Items Equipped: <Energy Rock>, <Enchanted Speedo>, <Energy Recovery Necklace>, <Invisibility Cloak>, <Tower Pass (F1)>

- Alignment: Neutral

[Additional Information]

You can see the future and past by living it. It is a coveted power worthy of desire, but a scary one to possess.

"Haaa... looks like things aren't so bad now." A smile formed on my face as I stared at my Status Window.

I finally checked out the functions of my <Ranker> and <Survivor> Title, and it seemed they were just as I expected.

<Ranker> made me privy to more privileges with the System and rewards.

<Survivor> was literally just a badge of honor. Kind of like the <Chosen One> Title. It simply meant I managed to survive the Tutorial, and that I was eligible for the Tower.

I was pretty sure everyone had it.

<Language Comprehension> allowed me to understand the words of any intelligent being, as well as communicate fluently with them.

This would be incredibly helpful if I encountered a native, so I supposed it wasn't just for decoration.

Still, everyone was sure to have it as well.

'Out of the Currency I had in my possession, I've used 450 to purchase essentials.'

First was a camouflage blanket that blended well with the shrubbery beneath me.

'That way, even if I'm asleep, no one will be able to tell that I'm really here unless they move really close.'

Even though I couldn't see or sense anyone close by, I still couldn't take any chances.

The blanket didn't really cost much. What actually took most of my Currency was the Information I bought.

'A whole 400 Currency, just to get two different pieces of information.'

The first information I bought was concerning my current vicinity. It was worth only 100 Currency.

Apparently, this was the Lyma Region in the East, and I was currently in the Wild Lands.

The information told me a great deal about the  topography of the Lyma Region, including the local species—edible plants, the location of the water supply, hunting grounds for food, and the general gist of the area.

I would say 100 Currency was a reasonable price to pay.

'It also mentioned that this area has a couple of monsters around, so I should be careful...'

The other information I purchased was about the places known as 'Dungeons' in this world.

It cost a whopping 300 Currency, so I could only surmise that the returns would be good.

Apparently, Dungeons were hidden locations where high concentration of energy formed, causing Demons to spawn.

Demons were essentially this world's version of monsters.

'There are many Dungeons in this area, but without the information showing me their locations and telling me their contents in great detail, I would probably have taken a while before finding them.'

I mean, the information on the Lyma Region mentioned there were Dungeons here, but it didn't go into much detail.

As much as I thought the price for the Dungeon Information was exorbitant, it was at least valuable to me.

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[A/N]

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