Chapter 104

“Everyone, gather here. This protective barrier will break soon.”

“…”

“…”

The people, with bewildered expressions, followed my instructions. Despite their reluctance, they moved diligently as I commanded.

“Before the barrier breaks, we’ll divide everyone into five groups. Those I call out now, step forward. Yoon Jung-hyun, William Smith, and…”

I called out the names of those I remembered. These individuals would act as ‘team leaders.’ From now on, everything must operate under a strict hierarchy.

“Wait, how do you know my name? And who are you to suddenly...”

If anyone voiced their doubts or complaints.

Boom!!!

With a powerful stomp that split the frozen ground, they immediately fell in line.

“…”

“…”

After a brief moment of silence amidst the confusion.

Crack, crack!

“Is anyone there? I am Baron Jorge! We need help...”

“Quickly get inside that castle. There are winter clothes inside.”

“…?”

I swiftly ushered Baron Jorge and the other otherworlders into the castle, then turned to the group of players standing behind.

“Listen up! This place is about to get chaotic. We need to stay organized if we want to survive. Follow your team leaders’ instructions precisely.”

Seeing the players’ anxious faces, I continued, “Our main goal is to survive the next five days. Focus on staying alive and protecting each other. We’ll regroup and reassess our situation every 24 hours.”

“Team leaders, make sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. Coordinate with each other to cover all the bases. We’ll need to be efficient and resourceful.”

As I looked over the assembled teams, I felt a surge of determination. “Remember, we’re stronger together. Let’s do this.”

With that, the players and otherworlders began to organize themselves, preparing for the challenges ahead.

“I understand this must be confusing. You’re probably wondering who I am to be so forceful.”

Having successfully seized control of the situation, I decided to drop the informal tone. Naturally polite, I found it more comfortable to speak formally.

“But there’s no time for explanations right now. First, let’s all move inside the castle. It’s stocked with food, weapons, winter clothing, and other essentials. Once you’ve familiarized yourselves with the layout, we’ll reconvene outside. Oh, and Yoon Jung-hyun, please come over for a moment.”

As I briefly relayed the necessary information to Yoon Jung-hyun, the players moved into the castle in a rush. I deliberately staggered their entry to avoid confusion with the otherworlders.

“...I’ll relay the information as instructed.”

I watched Yoon Jung-hyun walk away with a perplexed expression before finally exhaling a sigh of relief.

“Phew...”

As you can tell from what I said, I have no intention of hiding that I’m a regressor in this round. This also means I plan to use every trick up my sleeve, knowing that I’ll eventually regress again.

Of course, I won’t go around declaring, “I’m a regressor,” but people will likely suspect. I intend to take on the 4th floor with that risk in mind.

My ultimate goal is to return to reality on the second day and prevent Choi Ji-won from entering the 4th floor.

However, the immediate objective is to clear the 4th floor without any casualties and ensure Choi Ji-won’s safety, which is currently uncertain.

Therefore, my plan is as follows:

First, I’ll clear the 4th floor without any casualties. The goal is to collect all the rewards and fully understand the 4th floor.

After gaining some strength from the rewards...

I’ll create a situation where people can survive without me. I’ll train everyone rigorously until the second day, then hide somewhere in the castle to observe.

If there are any casualties, I’ll immediately regress. The goal is to confirm that people can survive until the fifth day without me.

What does this mean? It means that even if I, the top combatant, return to reality on the second day, there won’t be any issues. The 4th floor will manage on its own, and I’ll prepare Choi Ji-won by discussing and planning with her. This is the only solution to tackle both problems simultaneously.

“Hey, what are you staring at? Get inside!”

“Oh, sorry.”

As one can see, the future is incredibly challenging. I don’t have the luxury of taking it easy. Therefore, I have no choice but to proceed forcefully.

What if rumors spread negatively about me? What if people harbor resentment towards me?

Who cares? I’ll just regress. I can handle things properly right before ascending to the 5th floor. For now, the priority is to clear the 4th floor perfectly.

What if they exploit a regressor’s weaknesses? What if I get sealed? I don’t have the luxury to consider such scenarios.

“Alright then, let’s...”

After ensuring all the players had entered the castle, I adjusted my clothes and jumped off the castle wall.

I planned to scour the surroundings during the spare time. There might be something, just like in the tutorial.

I’ll try every possible option. I’ll scrape the bottom of the barrel.

“Let’s see who wins.”

**

The external search yielded no results, but that in itself was information. The absence of anything hidden around the castle meant the interior was the main stage. It proved my direction was correct.

“So, how was the information I relayed through Yoon Jung-hyun?”

In the dark room.

Baron Jorge, William Smith, Yoon Jung-hyun, and I. Those who stood out in the previous round were gathered once again in a cramped room.

“As for the food, it seems like distributing it as I mentioned should work. Did you find all the weapon rooms I told you about? Good. We’re off to a good start.”

The difference this time was that we had established a foundation within three hours of the 4th floor beginning. Knowing the future left no reason to hesitate.

“…”

“…”

The others’ gazes were understandably puzzled. It was normal to find it strange that I not only knew their names but also understood the structure of the 4th floor, despite meeting them for the first time.

Nevertheless, they didn’t question me... because they knew I wouldn’t answer, and there was no time to dwell on such matters when immediate survival was at stake.

“As you all know, survival is our priority. Each of you has been briefed on your roles and the resources available. Stick to the plan and communicate any issues to your team leaders.”

I took a deep breath, looking each of them in the eyes.

“We’ll train hard for the next two days. Use this time to get familiar with your groups and build trust. Remember, our goal is to survive without any casualties.”

The room was filled with a mix of determination and unease, but everyone understood the gravity of the situation.

“If there are no questions, let’s get to work. We have a lot to prepare for.”

With that, we dispersed, each person heading to their designated tasks. My mind was focused on the ultimate goal: ensuring everyone’s survival and preparing Choi Ji-won for the challenges ahead. The path was daunting, but failure was not an option.

“Hmm, well... I’ve been thinking. How about we tear down the 4th floor and use those stones to block the castle gate? It would be a great help if enemies appear from the outside.”

Baron Jorge, always resourceful, proposed blocking the castle gate with stones, just like he did in the previous round.

“Alright. But let’s block only the main gate and just reinforce the side gates.”

“That might leave us vulnerable...”

“It’s fine.”

Knowing the future, I needed to tweak his plan a bit. Blocking all the gates would be a waste.

The monster waves are like tides. The frontal assault is the most intense, while the pressure from the sides is comparatively less. No monsters would be able to breach the side gates when the front is under constant attack.

“Instead, let’s make the main gate as strong as possible. Can you get it done in a day?”

Our effort to block the gate wasn’t futile. The monsters couldn’t breach the castle walls during the day because we had fortified the gate.

“Monsters? They’re coming?”

“Yes. They’ll appear at dawn on the third day, in vast numbers, almost covering the horizon.”

“…”

“Now, back to our discussion.”

Consider the situation of others on the 4th floor who didn’t prepare at all, let alone block the gate. Monsters would pour in through the gates, filling the castle with creatures. It would be a literal hell on earth. Survival would seem impossible.

Yet, survivors did exist. Even if they holed up in rooms, some managed to make it.

The reason was simple.

“The monsters’ aggression has a cycle.”

When people hid in the basement or the third and fourth floors, the monsters didn’t bother moving up and down.

The survivors never said that the monsters attacked relentlessly. They mentioned there were occasional lulls, and they rested during those times.

What does this imply? It means there are periods when the monsters’ aggression wanes. Thinking inversely, the answer is simple.

It’s night. Night is when the monsters become aggressive.

My experience confirms this. During the day, monsters don’t exhibit aggressive behavior. Strong monsters don’t appear, and the monsters can’t breach the walls, providing us with breaks.

If I didn’t know this, we would be caught off guard. But knowing it, we can use it to our advantage.

“I’ll explain how to use this information later… for now, otherworlders, please start blocking the main gate.”

“Understood.”

Baron Jorge stepped back, stroking his beard.

“I have a suggestion as well.”

It was Yoon Jung-hyun’s turn.

“I believe we need to search the castle. There are rooms with weapons, and rooms with food. It’s not surprising if there are hidden rooms. Also, the monsters you mentioned might come from within the castle.”

Yoon Jung-hyun wanted to search the castle just like in the previous round, possibly to find the hidden piece on the third floor.

“No, that’s not necessary.”

But I already knew where the hidden pieces were. I could simply go and retrieve them.

“Then…”

“There’s something else I need the players to do. We need stones for the gate construction, don’t we?”

I handed him a large hammer I had brought in advance. Yoon Jung-hyun accepted it with a confused look.

“What is this…”

“Are you good at hammering?”

I learned from the last round that the safest place in this castle is inside the rooms.

The narrow entrances prevent monster intrusion. The rooms are magically fortified against corrosion and wave attacks, making them immune to special monsters.

The only downside is that the rooms are small, holding no more than ten people each...

“From now on, we will dismantle the internal walls of the 4th floor.”

“...What?”

“Let’s connect the rooms.”

If the interior is cramped, we’ll just make it spacious.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

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