Chapter 39: Introduction to Nightmare Paradise
Lynn shifted his attention and looked at the experience waiting to be redeemed. He clicked on it and immediately felt a surge of energy course through his body.
[Class [Doctor] +1 Level: +1 Attribute Point, +1 Skill Point].
[Your body has been strengthened: Intelligence +1, Perception +1].
The sudden influx of power invigorated Lynn, like liquid vitality flooding his veins. He embraced the exhilarating rush, feeling his capabilities expand.
Before the effects could fade, another notification sounded.
[Class [Doctor] +1 Level: +1 Attribute Point, +1 Skill Point].
[Your body has been strengthened: Strength +1, Intelligence +1].
Lynn marveled at the further enhancement. After redeeming the accumulated experience, his attributes underwent another change.
Clenching his fist, Lynn cautiously threw a punch. A sharp crack reverberated through the air as the wind was being shattered. The raw power behind the blow was astonishing.
The extent of Lynn's evolution from before the trial dungeon to after was radical and remarkable.
"I wonder if there is a rule for attribute enhancement during the leveling process," Lynn muttered to himself. "It seems that the lowest attributes have a greater chance of being strengthened when I level up."
Lynn shook his head, realizing he had drifted into contemplation. There were more immediate matters requiring his attention.
Lynn continued to manipulate his status panel, exploring the new active sections that had appeared. First, he shifted his attention to [Forum].
Tapping on the section brought up a notification:
[Do you want to use Nameless#4984172 as your player code name?]
Lynn paused for a moment, before immediately refusing. As he did so, another notification appeared requesting his new code name, Lynn paused in thought.
His real name was likely not safe to be used there. Revealing one's identity, hobbies, or tendencies could potentially lead to the discovery of personal details by others.
After briefly pondering, he entered: "Wandering Doctor"
With his chosen code name confirmed Lynn found himself entering the forum interface. At first glance, it didn't seem too different from typical forums found on the internet.
He began scrolling through various topics. A large number of posts covered a variety of subjects. What caught Lynn's attention was the division into paid and free posts. He started reading some of the titles to get a feel for the content.
Lynn noticed that the free posts generally had little to no utility. However, most of the paid ones seemed to have some valuable information.
For example, one post titled "The Most Important General Skills to Learn" written by Fishing Immortal cost 20 nightmare coins.
“Nightmare coins,” muttered Lynn.
He glanced at the lower right corner of his panel, where he saw a coin symbol next to the number 3400, indicating the nightmare coins he currently possessed.
"General skills huh? Sounds like it could offer some useful advice," Lynn mused aloud.
Suddenly, Lynn's eyes landed on a title that caught his interest - "Information for Newcomers: Introduction to Nightmare Paradise and more…" written by Captain Torch. It cost 50 nightmare coins.
After a moment of consideration, Lynn decided it was worth the cost. He paid the 50 coins and entered the post.
The first thing Lynn encountered was a warning:
"The following information has been compiled and edited by the player 'Captain Torch' and is relatively accurate, but its exactness is not guaranteed."
Then without wasting any time, the text immediately dived into the important information:
"Nightmare Paradise seems to select talented humans with high potential from various worlds to become players. There are many theories and conspiracies surrounding the reasons behind this selection, but no clear response has been found thus far.”
"The only rule is to clear one dungeon per month. Failing to do so will undoubtedly result in annihilation. Many have attempted to circumvent this rule but have failed.”
"Since there are no strict regulations, players can scam, and hunt down each other during the dungeon, either to obtain more resources or for other reasons. Therefore, it is crucial to be cautious.”
"The mission section now includes a dedicated part for dungeons. Each month, you have four opportunities to conquer a dungeon. You can choose from five available dungeons, which change every week. The dungeons presented are tailored to the player's level. There is a hidden difficulty level that players can’t see which increases over time. So make the most of each dungeon opportunity to improve as much as possible. Otherwise, it will result in certain death.”
"While the class and talent are the only gifts from Nightmare Paradise, we will focus solely on the class since, to my understanding, the talent cannot be changed.”
"Although randomly given like the talent, the class is like a seed that, with the right nurturing, has the potential to grow and evolve into something powerful. In many worlds, this is referred to as 'Profession Sequences'. Through trial and error, a safe path to transcendence has been developed.”
"As players, we have an advantage—the system takes the materials we provide and creates the most appropriate Sequence based on those ingredients and the skills already possessed by the player. This is what is called sublimation."
"When Nightmare Paradise bestows a class upon you, it is merely in its initial form. This stage is commonly referred to as Awakening in many worlds. It marks the first phase of the extraordinary journey, which consists of three stages: Awakening, First Sublimation, and Second Sublimation."
"This is where authority rank comes into play. In addition to providing additional privileges, authority is a crucial factor in gaining access to the sublimation system. To undergo the First Sublimation, one must attain E-Rank Authority, while D-Rank Authority is required for the Second Sublimation."
"As for the post-extraordinary phase, reaching C-Rank Authority is necessary. However, at this level, uncertainty prevails. It remains unclear whether the scarcity of players at that stage, the extreme requirement difficulty involved, or a deliberate agreement to keep it secretive is responsible for the lack of information. Currently, there have been no reports or accounts of players who have achieved C-Rank Authority."
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As he continued reading more information, Lynn's mind was filled with increasing apprehension - this Nightmare Paradise is becoming more and more complex.