Chapter 64

 

“Alright, that’s it!”

 

After holding onto the wolf’s carcass for a long time, Dok Su-Hee deftly tucked the finely chopped pieces of the wolf’s heart into her bosom.

 

“...Why are you keeping that?”

 

“I’m going to use it as enchantment material! Not only can I imbue it with the attributes I desire, but having such ingredients can enhance the effects even more!”

 

“Really? Well, then... Shall we start moving...? I think we’ve rested enough...”

 

“Just a moment... I need to wipe off this blood!”

 

Leaving behind Dok Su-Hee, who was beaming with joy over her newfound materials-

 

“...”

 

-My mind was filled with doubts about Kang Chan.

 

Kang Chan. He is suspicious. Too suspicious.

 

In fact, looking at this iteration alone, doubting Kang Chan might seem excessive.

 

But let’s think back to the last iteration. When I didn’t warn about the monster in advance, Kang Chan didn’t leave.

 

Instead, he diligently searched for the clues, completely oblivious to the presence of the monster.

 

But suddenly, in this iteration, when I say there’s a monster, he disappears somewhere? And then he casually returns after all the fighting is over, claiming he ‘caught another monster’ and showing off his spoils?

 

It doesn’t add up. If Kang Chan really sensed the presence of the monster, he should have left in the last iteration as well. Or at least he should have noticed the existence of the wolf hiding in the ceiling.

 

“...Strange.”

 

In other words, the likelihood that Kang Chan caught a monster and got that red bead as a reward is very slim. That red bead is probably a reward he received from one of the previous floors, and not from killing the wolf as he claimed.

 

Then, what needs to be reconsidered is why Kang Chan ran away in the first place.

 

There are two main possibilities.

 

First, Kang Chan has an unavoidable situation that prevents him from fighting right now, and thus, he had no choice but to leave.

 

Secondly, Kang Chan is actually a complete nobody, just bluffing his way through.

 

And to me, the latter possibility seemed much more likely.

 

Why doubt Kang Chan, despite his overwhelming presence so far? It’s because a similar cliche already exists in creative works.

 

In the genre of creative works, there’s a genre called ‘misunderstood to be OP stories’.

 

In these stories, the protagonist is actually a nobody, but those around him perceive him as an incredibly powerful figure.

 

“Ah, as expected of Mr. So-and-So!” they’d exclaim in admiration, and even renowned strong figures from around the world would come to acknowledge him, saying, “Hmm... quite impressive...”

 

However, the protagonist, trembling in fear, repeats mundane worries like “What should I do now?” This gap in perception provides the humor in such stories.

 

Now, having read the above explanation, let’s think again.

 

What if… Kang Chan’s sole ability is just ‘emitting a killing intent’?

 

What if his subduing of the fairy was just a fluke, a result of a series of coincidences?

 

But because those around him admired him as ’The Great Kang Chan!’, his stock rose day by day, and he maintained his reputation by emitting killing intent to those who doubted him?

 

Then, it would make sense for Kang Chan to run away.

 

He might have fled in fear upon realizing the monster was so close, perhaps cowering in a corner somewhere, crying and thinking, “I’m scared...”

 

Kang Chan. His name alone seemed so powerful. But in reality, he might just be ‘Weakchan’.

 

“...”

 

I glanced sideways at Kang Chan, who was walking expressionlessly.

 

Of course, there’s a possibility that my thoughts are wrong. This is just my speculation, a ‘maybe’.

 

After all, Kang Chan is the first person I meet when I return. I can confirm it then.

 

“Have we arrived?”

 

With that, I sorted out my thoughts about Kang Chan and continued walking aimlessly.

 

Upon returning to where the wolf had been, the stone door that had blocked our way was gone.

 

“Hmm...”

 

What followed was a pitch-dark corridor, devoid of even a single torch. I took down a torch from the wall and thrust it into the darkness, revealing a path, but the atmosphere was eerily unsettling.

 

“...We should go, right?”

 

I absolutely didn’t want to, but there was no choice.

 

Once inside the tower, the only thing to do was to keep moving forward.

 

***

 

Thud.

 

“Ugh...”

 

The pained groan of An Kyung-Joon echoed.

 

Though it seemed like someone should have been concerned, the other three simply walked on in silence.

 

And for good reason; this wasn’t the first time An Kyung-Joon had walked into a stone wall. It must have been the fifth time already.

 

“Sigh...”

 

The reason was simple. An Kyung-Joon, in his ‘Kangshin’ state, had smashed his glasses and now had trouble seeing.

 

What should we call An Kyung-Joon without his glasses? Just ‘Joon’? I pondered this pointless thought as we walked along the damp cave path.

 

So, we walked silently for about 10 minutes.

 

“But, why did the Kangshin soul break the glasses?”

 

Dok Su-Hee’s question broke the silence.

 

“That... He really hates mirrors and glass.”

 

“Is there a specific reason?”

 

“He says he doesn’t like how they distort human appearance... When he possessed me for the very first time, smashing the glasses was the first thing he did.”

 

An Kyung-Joon scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke.

 

“Can I ask something too?”

 

Thanks to Dok Su-Hee opening the conversation, I decided to ask something I was curious about.

 

“That soul? An Kyung-Joon, you can see him with your own eyes, right?”

 

“Yes. I can see him.”

 

“What does he look like?”

 

“Um...”

 

As An Kyung-Joon walked slowly, pondering.

 

“He has dark skin... and he wears something like a feathered ornament on his forehead. He’s shirtless, and I can’t really tell about the lower half since it’s not manifested in his soul form. Oh, and he carries a spear with a very ornate design on his back.”

 

“...”

 

Based on the description, an image akin to a native of the jungle comes to mind. The use of a spear for throwing also seems somewhat reminiscent of African elephant hunters.

 

However, African natives don’t have the ability to summon wooden spears out of thin air. Having encountered a Noble who used magic on the second floor, it seems more rational to assume that it’s a spirit from another world.

 

“It must be tough.”

 

I inadvertently spoke my thoughts out loud - An Kyung-Joon, fragile in nature, accompanied by a rough spirit.

 

It’s always painful to stick with someone who’s your polar opposite. Just think how quickly people break down in the military when they encounter a tough senior. And An Kyung-Joon has to be with that spirit even until the moment he falls asleep... A feeling of sympathy welled up for him.

 

“...It’s hard, but I’m okay.”

 

But instead of bowing his head, An Kyung-Joon faintly smiled.

 

“I may not be doing much myself... but just lending my body is helping, right? In conquering the tower.”

 

“...Yes?”

 

“Ascending this tower ultimately contributes to humanity... I’m satisfied with that.”

 

“...”

 

I didn’t respond but turned my gaze forward.

 

You can tell by listening to him talk. This man is kind and good-hearted.

 

But that’s exactly why I shouldn’t get too close to him.

 

As we progress through floor 3-5, anyone can die.

 

Seeing a kind and friendly companion die over and over would rapidly wear down my heart.

 

I quickened my pace to distance myself from An Kyung-Joon.

 

“Now that we’ve heard my uninteresting story... I’m curious about yours, Ms. Dok Su-Hee?”

 

“Oh, me?”

 

“Yes. You seem like a student on the outside... May I ask how old you are?”

 

“I’m in high school...”

 

Thud.

 

The ground shook suddenly, interrupting Dok Su-Hee mid-sentence.

 

“Up ahead...”

 

At the end of the dark path, illuminated only by a single torch, a familiar stone door blocked our way.

 

“...”

 

The door was unmistakably marked with four palm-shaped indents.

 

Exchanging glances, each of us placed our hands on these indents.

 

Rumble...

 

Slowly, with a vibration, the stone door began to move.

 

“Hmm...”

 

The door disappeared, revealing a surprising sight.

 

“...Mirrors?”

 

Mirrors. Mirrors. Mirrors.

 

A space filled entirely with mirrors unfolded before us.

 

The floor, ceiling, and walls, all made of mirrors, formed a path.

 

It reminded me of the mirror mazes at amusement parks. Was that just my imagination?

 

The dim space, lit only by the torch’s flame, distorted our reflections and flickered eerily, while ominous winds howled like the soundtrack of a horror film.

 

“Hmm...”

 

These couldn’t be just simple mirrors. This was a mirror maze on the floor 3-5. It was rational to assume there might be traps or unique gimmicks involved.

 

Would touching the mirrors transport us to another world? Create doppelgängers? Or unleash assassins leaping out from within?

 

As I mulled over the possibilities,

 

“Jun, Jun-ho!”

 

Dok Su-Hee urgently tapped on my shoulder.

 

“What’s up...”

 

Snapped out of my reverie, I turned to look at Dok Su-Hee.

 

“No... No...!”

 

Behind Dok Su-Hee, An Kyung-Joon was clutching his head, groaning in agony.

 

“There are too many mirrors...”

 

An Kyung-Joon, drooling from the mouth, his face flushed red with heat, was gripping his head in pain.

 

“Ah.”

 

I remembered what An Kyung-Joon had said earlier.

 

The spirit... He hates mirrors and glass to the extreme.

 

From that moment, it felt as if the world had gone into slow motion.

 

The three of us, including me, hurriedly turned and began to distance ourselves from the mirror maze.

 

“...Tiring me out yet again, trying to deceive me!”

 

An Kyung-Joon, his eyes completely crazed, summoned his old wooden spear.

 

Crash!

 

An Kyung-Joon’s spear, flying at the speed of light, shattered the mirrors.

 

The terrifying force scattered mirror shards everywhere, stitching the air with their deadly dance.

 

“Ugh!”

 

I tried to run as far away as possible, but it was too late.

 

No matter how I twisted my body to avoid them, I couldn’t prevent the tiny shards of glass from embedding into my exposed skin.

 

 

 

Slowly, my vision began to blur.

 

***

 

Sorrow. Anxiety. Despair. Fear.

 

It’s all so frustrating.

 

I love a refreshing story.

 

I adore stories where the protagonist coolly shatters the obstacles before them. That’s more satisfying than anything.

 

But what is this? Why do I always have to face such absurd challenges?

 

What? The soul possessing the body of a person I’m with hates mirrors, so he shattered the mirror maze, and I got hit by the fragments and had to return?

 

I’m furious.

 

I can’t contain this anger.

 

“...Get up, greenhorn.”

 

Maybe it’s the rage clouding my vision.

 

“...Hey.”

 

“...?”

 

“Let’s fight.”

 

I lunged at Kang Chan.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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