Chapter 68

 

With just a single step forward, a barrage of arrows flew in from all directions.

 

‘Sigh.’

 

It’s apparent at a glance. This corridor must be a trap room.

 

And from the start, such fast arrows are soaring towards us; no one can tell what might spring up as we go deeper. Poison? Spikes? Flames?

 

Regardless of what it is, for someone like me who regresses to the past upon a mere brush with danger, this corridor seems nearly impossible to cross. Clearly, this room isn’t designed to be avoided. It’s made to be endured, even if it means getting hit repeatedly.

 

But it’s okay.

 

“...Chan Hyung.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Because…

 

“Can you destroy this whole corridor?”

 

Now, I too have a cheat key.

 

“...My power isn’t the kind to be used recklessly.”

 

However, Chan Hyung hesitates, showing signs of concern.

 

“Ah.”

 

He seems to be worried about the fragile walls of this cave. After all, there was a precedent where the ceiling collapsed due to a misuse of power against a giant wolf.

 

“I understand your concerns. But in my opinion, it should be fine.”

 

“...”

 

But this time, I felt certain it would be okay. The reason is simple.

 

“The area ahead, it looks like it’s filled with traps, right? Meaning, it must be equipped with sophisticated mechanical devices.”

 

This isn’t like the cave where the wolf had been hiding, which was more of a natural formation.

 

The walls and floors are smoothly cut. Signs of artificial work are evident.

 

Moreover, it seems like the mechanism for launching arrows is hidden behind these walls...

 

“Simply breaking through doesn’t mean the entire cave will collapse. Given the complexity of the hidden devices, they must have designed it with a certain degree of impact resistance.”

 

The word ‘perhaps’ was left unsaid. If it turns out I’m wrong, I can always regress.

 

“...”

 

Despite this, Kang Chan Hyung remains deep in thought.

 

Even though my predictions have been spot on so far, earning his trust, he still seems worried about us getting hurt.

 

“Uh...”

 

Stepping in to provide support was Dok Su-Hee.

 

“I’ve allocated almost all my stats to magic... so I’m really weak against these kinds of traps... If we proceed conventionally, I’ll end up like a porcupine...”

 

Dok Su-Hee looked at Kang Chan with eyes brimming with tears, a stark contrast to her usually sharp gaze.

 

“Is there no way...?”

 

“Please, Hyung-nim...!”

 

Thus, the two who desperately wanted to avoid the arrows clung to Kang Chan.

 

“...Alright. Stand back.”

 

Unable to resist the pleading gazes, Kang Chan took his stance.

 

Hum...

 

Kang Chan’s fist began to glow slowly.

 

As the wind howled through the narrow passageway, Kang Chan’s fist, gradually brightening, finally shone brilliantly. And then…

 

Boom!

 

Kang Chan’s fist exploded into the trap-laden corridor.

 

“Wow...”

 

Though I couldn’t fully witness the punch from my distant position, wary of being swept away in its aftermath-

 

Rumble, rumble.

 

-The violently shaking ground and walls indirectly conveyed the enormity of Kang Chan’s power.

 

As the vibrations subsided…

 

“...It doesn’t seem to have collapsed.”

 

…And when Kang Chan lightly shook his fist, I peeked out to look at what had been ‘the trap-laden corridor.’

 

“Hahaha...”

 

The first thing that caught my eye, more than the various hidden weapons haphazardly embedded due to the malfunctioning mechanism, and the twisted and crumbled stone walls, was...

 

A gaping hole, punched right through the front.

 

“...The hole is shaped like a fist.”

 

I decided then and there:

 

The easiest way to get through the worst floors was…

 

To borrow the power of a protagonist.

 

***

 

“...”

 

Chan Hyung, having just thrown that punch, seemed a bit pale, as if he had expended a lot of energy.

 

After all, if one could freely unleash such power, they would be called a god.

 

“Shall we take a short break?”

 

“...I’m fine.”

 

After passing through the now-chaotic trap corridor, and moving straight for about 5 minutes…

 

“...A fork in the road?”

 

The path in front of us split into two.

 

“Hmm...”

 

To the left, there was a primitive painting of a man fighting a monster, and to the right, a painting of a man clutching his head in agony.

 

The palm-shaped indentations carved into each stone door suggested that the intention was to split into groups of two and proceed.

 

“I’ll go to the left.”

 

At first glance, it was clear that the right path held a mental trial.

 

And I must stress, for a regressor like me, mental fortitude is of utmost importance.

 

While physical pain can be overcome, mental anguish is something a regressor’s life cannot surmount. After all, the mind is the same even after a regression.

 

Meaning, there’s no way I would choose to walk through the right door myself. Why bother with the right when I could just repeat the regression a few times and clear the left door?

 

“Then, I’ll go with Kang Chan through the right door!”

 

An Kyung-Joon stammered, insisting on going through the right door with Kang Chan.

 

“But why with Chan Hyung...”

 

“Because Kang Chan has a killer instinct... In case of emergency, he could forcibly invoke my possession.”

 

Hearing this, I realized there was logic in his words.

 

While Chan Hyung could perfectly protect his own body, An Kyung-Joon was extremely vulnerable to sudden attacks when not in his possessed state.

 

In an emergency, it made sense for Chan Hyung to be paired with An Kyung-Joon, as he could ready him for combat.

 

“So, this means...”

 

“We’ll be going together?”

 

Dok Su-Hee nodded slightly and placed her palm above the left door.

 

I looked into Dok Su-Hee’s eyes for a moment, then did the same, placing my hand above the stone door.

 

Rumble, rumble.

 

The floor began to descend slowly. Unlike a sudden trapdoor, it lowered like an elevator.

 

“Let’s meet up after it’s over!”

 

An Kyung-Joon’s voice was drowned out by the rumbling as the vibration ceased.

 

“...”

 

The scene before my eyes had completely changed.

 

The room that came into view was small, its walls carved out of the cave itself.

 

“There’s a door, but...”

 

There was a stone door right in front, but no apparent mechanism to open it intuitively.

 

In other words, something in this room needs to be done to open that door.

 

“Hmm.”

 

In the center of the room stood a stone pedestal. On it lay a small box and a bottle of alcohol, exuding a fragrant grain aroma.

 

“...”

 

As I silently opened the box, two stone cups caught my eye first, and in the center of the box, a sharp needle stood out, almost menacingly.

 

A needle? Suddenly?

 

“What is this...”

 

The moment my confusion led me to speak my thoughts out loud…

 

{A warrior, what is he? His essence lies in killing the enemy, but his purpose is in protecting. A warrior without something to protect is merely a murderer.}

 

…A mysterious voice seemed to flow from somewhere.

 

It wasn’t a voice heard with the ears, but rather one that felt like it pierced directly into the mind.

 

{On a grand scale, they fight to protect a nation, but on a smaller scale, they fight to protect their family, and fundamentally, they fight to protect themselves. Therefore, a true warrior must know how to protect themself.}

 

“...”

 

The voice expounded that a warrior exists not to kill, but to protect.

 

{If we go a step further, a warrior must be able to protect their comrades-in-arms. The true strength of a warrior is manifested when they desire to protect each other.}

 

“Hmm...”

 

A plausible story. And now I understood the concept of this room.

 

Is it a test to see if we can protect each other? The reason for splitting us into pairs must be because the trial requires cooperation between two people.

 

Okay, so I just have to fight while protecting Dok Su-Hee.

 

Just as I was about to nod absentmindedly.

 

{Drink from the cup of wine mixed with blood, and look straight into your comrade’s eyes. Understand your comrade, shoulder to shoulder with you. Only then will the true trial begin.}

 

“...”

 

Hearing these words, I was left with no choice but to remain silent.

 

Finally, I understood the purpose of the needle laid before us.

 

The intention was to prick our fingertips, draw blood, and then mix it into each other’s cups of alcohol.

 

Yes, I was aware of such customs. I knew about the expression ‘blood brothers’.

 

Yes, I ‘knew’. But I never dreamed I would find myself in a situation where I’d have to do it.

 

“Okay, I’m done.”

 

Dok Su-Hee nonchalantly pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood fall into her cup, and then poured the grain alcohol with ease.

 

“Here.”

 

The needle she lightly placed on my palm felt as heavy as a log.

 

“...”

 

Really, does this tower intentionally make my journey anything but easy?

 

“Sigh...”

 

I closed my eyes gently and pricked my fingertip with the needle.

 

 

 

***

 

“I’ll go to the right.”

 

“...Are you sure? That image of a man clutching his head looks excruciatingly painful...”

 

“Of course, it’s fine.”

 

It’s definitely not fine.

 

As a regressor for whom mental management is crucial, the prospect of enduring mental damage is anything but welcome.

 

But what can I do?

 

“Really... I’m really fine.”

 

When there’s no other choice...

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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