The Player that Can’t Level Up

Chapter 166: The Three Tests (3)

Its that stupid mace. Wasnt looking at it when it attacked me again and again for a week enough? Gi-Gyu muttered as he studied the mace. It was a giant weapon. Gi-Gyu was a fairly tall guy himself, but the mace was three times his size. Gi-Gyu grabbed the handle and tried to raise it.

Ugh he groaned, barely managing to lift it off the ground. Not only was it big, but it was cumbersome too.

What is this made of? wondered Gi-Gyu. Just what could make this weapon so heavy? No metal Gi-Gyu knew of could weigh this much despite its size.

Lou answered,

-A corpse.

What? A corpse?

-Before I came to be the king, you know seven kings ruled hell, right?

Yes, replied Gi-Gyu. He remembered hearing about it from Lou before; a bulb went off in his head.

It felt like new information suddenly entered his mind. Gi-Gyus eyes became unfocused as he mumbled, The Seven Kings Belphegor was one of them; his nickname was the King of Sloth The other six kings also carried their own sins

Gi-Gyu remembered the information he had never heard before.

This is he mumbled while organizing his thoughts. Your memory, isnt it?

This must be Lous memory, Gi-Gyu thought in surprise. This made sense since he had gained Lous data from the first test.

-Thats right. It could be a piece of the memory I erased, a piece of what I remember, or even a piece of what the Tower remembers about me.

Lous voice sounded uninterested as he continued,

-Anyway, its definitely my memory.

Gi-Gyu shook his head. It seemed that the new information he had gained wasnt something he could access at will. Perhaps it could be remembered if he heard something relevant.

Gi-Gyu asked, So? You were saying that this mace is actually a corpse? Explain it to me.

He had to hear more to wake up the new information lying dormant in his head.

-Hmph. Anyway, I suddenly appeared in hell and began killing demons, aiming to be the next king. You see, I wanted to become the true master of hell.

Gi-Gyu listened with interest.

-I defeated them, ate them, and became the strongest. And at some point, I challenged their kings. Even though I was ridiculously powerful, I couldnt defeat all seven of them together.

So? Again, the light bulb went off, and new information popped up in Gi-Gyus head.

-I challenged the strongest king.

Ah For some reason, he understood who was the strongest king.

-The King of Wrath

Gi-Gyu and Lou simultaneously said,

-Satan.

Satan.

Before Lou, Satan was the closest to being the sole ruler of hell. Being the strongest of the seven, Satan, the King of Wrath, reigned but not ruled.

-I succeeded in defeating Satan and eating him. I then used his leftovers to make weapons. After killing and eating the most powerful king, I became even more powerful. So, the other kings swore their loyalty to me, and I gifted these weapons to them.

Lou finished his story with a bitter whisper.

-Of course, they were as loyal snakes.

Awkward, Gi-Gyu turned to look at the mace again. So youre saying this is a part of Satans corpse?

Lou didnt reply, but Gi-Gyu could tell he was right about it. So what should I do with it?

The mace was too big to be used as a weapon, so he knew he couldnt use it effectively. And his two hands were usually occupied by Lou and El.

But Gi-Gyu also couldnt give it to one of his creatures; the other option he thought of was selling it.

Or perhaps

Wait! Gi-Gyu yelled, suddenly remembering something he had overlooked. His priority shouldnt have been thinking about how to utilize the weapon.

Lou!

-I applaud you.

Lou replied sarcastically. Gi-Gyu felt annoyed, but controlling his emotion, he asked, Why are you laughing at me?

-Im only congratulating you on becoming smarter. Im surprised you figured it out.

It appeared that Lou had read Gi-Gyus mind. Lous words were flattering, but he couldnt help feeling like Lou was being condescending.

-Werent you about to ask me if this is really Belphegors mace?

Yup, thats right, replied Gi-Gyu. Before him was Belphegors mace, but the test he had just passed was only a simulation created by the Tower. Gi-Gyu certainly didnt go back in time to fight the real one.

In real life, Lou couldnt kill Belphegor. He almost did, emphasis on the almost, so the real Belphegor should be alive. Then, this mace

Are you sure this is the real thing? Maybe it just looks like one, Gi-Gyu wondered out loud. The original mace had to be with Belphegor. And a weapon made with Satans corpse had to be a legendary item. Given that there were no two same legendary items, this one was bound to be a copy. Unless, of course, the Tower could make another original. If it did, then

It would mean the Tower is like a god.

But this couldnt be possible.

-Youre right. Even the Tower cant recreate Belphegors mace since thats impossible.

Lou continued firmly,

-But the thing in front of you is definitely the original mace.

What?

-...

After thinking long and hard, Lou explained,

-I think Something happened in hell since the last time I was there. They may have faked their loyalty to me, but they arent stupid enough to throw away the weapons made of Satans corpse. I can think of two possibilities that explain this.

Gi-Gyu guessed the possibilities before Lou continued,

Belphegor either got another weapon thats more powerful than this mace or

Gi-Gyu added, He died.

Tilting his head in contemplation, Gi-Gyu decided, Well, either way, I think I should keep this mace. Ill give it to Old Man Hwang for now. Maybe hell figure out a way to use it. This isnt something I or my other Egos can use. And I have plenty of money already, so it doesnt make sense to sell it.

Lou, El, and Brunheart agreed.

-Good idea.

-Thats an excellent idea, Master.

-I dont know what youre talking about, but I love it, Master!

Gi-Gyu opened Brunhearts gate and pushed the mace inside. He sent a telepathic message to Old Man Hwang, Please take good care of it, Sir.

-Dont worry. I understand what you want me to do with it.

Gi-Gyu could now telepathically communicate with Old Man Hwang since he was now Gi-Gyu's Ego. He was sure Old Man Hwang would learn everything there was to know about Belphegors mace, just like the Paimons inheritance.

The next thing I need to do is Gi-Gyu murmured, realizing it was time to check on his body. He could feel some changes after he had obtained Lous data.

I dont want to admit it, but Gi-Gyus brain was definitely working better and faster. He could now devise better solutions, which was a huge improvement. He could tell that his ability to process given information had also improved.

And most of all

My shell feels more stable now, Gi-Gyu said after noticing the shakiness disappear from inside him.

-Meditate and have a look at your shell.

Just as Lou suggested, this was his priority.

***

I am certain. My shell has stabilized, Gi-Gyu declared. In the Gangnam Gate, Lou had descended into his body. The descent made Death flood and shatter his shell, making it unstable. According to Lim Hye-Sook, it also broke a seal he never knew he had. Lim Hye-Sook had to use every ounce of her strength just to place another seal over it, and Gi-Gyu had no choice but to take the 50th-floor test in his unstable condition.

Yet

Its still not perfect, but my shell has definitely calmed down. Death has relaxed a little too, Gi-Gyu explained in relief. Even Lim Hye-Sooks seal failed to do anything about Deaths hyper-activeness, so he was surprised to find it so much calmer now.

Why was this happening?

Gi-Gyu could come up with only one guess. I think it might be because I obtained your data. You were the original master of Death, so

-I agree. I had no idea this was possible.

In the past, Lou was the only one who could use Death, his pride and power source. Gi-Gyu had experienced its true power during the first test, and he had to admit its destructive power was unreal.

However, using it is incredibly difficult, Gi-Gyu thought in wonder. Death was a double-edged sword. If he wasnt careful, it could kill him. Gi-Gyu hadnt mastered Death yet, but still

Using it feels so much smoother now.

Initially, Gi-Gyu was planning on not using Death because of his unstable condition; now, summoning and utilizing Death felt much easier.

And Gi-Gyu murmured. The physical changes he felt were welcoming. Absorbing Botis had already given his body much improvement; now, he felt even stronger.

But all in all, his favorite change had to be

I must say that becoming smarter is the best thing that has happened to me so far.

-I agree.

Lou replied. The difference was obvious. Gi-Gyu tested his new brain against Lou, El, and Brun, confirming his intelligence had improved.

Gi-Gyu commented, I guess you were pretty smart, huh?

He had become smarter after obtaining Lous data, which meant Lou was very intelligent.

-Of course, I am. If all I had was brute strength, I couldnt have become the King of Hell.

Lous arrogant voice was a little annoying, but Gi-Gyu had to admit it was true. After going through the rewards and changes, Gi-Gyu summarized the findings.

So I got Belphegors mace. And my shell became more stable, my body became stronger, and my brain is working better. To top it all off

Gi-Gyu paused before adding, I can now access your old memories, Lou.

Gi-Gyu now had Lous information and experiences. However, he couldnt peruse them like his own memories; he had to search for them as he would search for something on the internet. He needed to think of relevant terms to access the newly given information.

So, is this the secret to the 50th floor everyone kept talking about? Gi-Gyu mumbled. Many people had told him he would find all the answers after reaching the 50th floor. Was this what they were referring to?

Gi-Gyu shook his head, uncertain of this guess. The other people didnt have Lou or El, so this explanation didnt make sense. Gi-Gyu could come up with some other possibilities, but he decided not to come up with any conclusions yet.

After all, I still have two more tests to go. He had only passed the first test, so it was too early to conclude.

Gi-Gyu announced, Im ready.

Immediately, two cards appeared before him.

***

The first card, the black one, led Gi-Gyu to a recreation of Lous past. Gi-Gyu had passed that test and was happy with everything he had gained. Now, there were two more tests left. So, Gi-Gyu promptly chose his second card.

[The test area will be established based on Els date.]

[The player will be transferred to the test chamber.]

[The player must get ready.]

[The test shall begin.]

A similar system announcement was heard after Gi-Gyu picked the white card.