Chapter 107

“What kind of aura is this...?”

“You’ve been hiding your power all this time...?”

Ah, this cold yet heavy sensation. I can feel the strength surging through my body.

But I wasn’t particularly happy or excited about it.

The Hero Trait doesn’t activate randomly. It triggers when those being protected recognize, ‘This person is protecting me.’

In other words, it means they trust me. This power wasn’t just given, it was granted out of necessity. Realizing that made me feel the weight of responsibility.

“As you can see, monsters are coming our way. We need to survive.”

But this burden is the driving force behind success. There is no room for the thought of failure. One must always give their best. That is the least respect one can show to potential casualties.

“I have selected five team leaders in advance. There are six passages in total, so the leaders and their members will defend each passage.”

“Then what about the remaining passage?”

“I’ll handle that one.”

There is a reason why I selected exactly five team leaders. There are six passages in the fortress, and with five team leaders, it’s logical for me to guard one passage alone.

“Yoon Jung-hyun will inform you of the team member assignments. The balance should be well-adjusted.”

The team member assignments were based on the room allocation map Yoon Jung-hyun prepared in the previous round. There were no complaints about the allocation last time, so it should be satisfactory this time as well.

“...It’s fine.”

“This seems appropriate enough...”

As the players were divided into their respective teams, there was a general sense of agreement. As expected of Yoon Jung-hyun. He really has an eye for people.

“Now, let me inform you of the precautions. There’s no need to worry about the goblins... Ah, the wolves and orcs will come mixed together. Their target priorities differ... And occasionally, there’s a monster that looks like a black cat...”

Next, we moved on to the battle strategy. Drawing from my past experiences, I explained in detail what to be cautious of.

“I’ll be fighting alone, but you all are in groups. Always be careful not to hurt your comrades, and if there are any injuries, retreat to the back of the passage. William Smith, who has healing abilities, will be patrolling the first floor. As long as it’s not an instant kill, you’ll survive. Sacrifice a limb if you have to, just stay alive.”

In simple terms, there are twenty players per passage. Defending a passage with twenty players? It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.

“While we fight, the otherworlders will handle weapon procurement and check on the wounded. Protecting them is part of the fourth floor’s duties, so don’t complain needlessly. That’s all. Understood?”

“…”

The players didn’t respond, their faces blank.

“No response?”

“Yes, yes!”

When I demanded an answer, they snapped out of their trance and responded quickly. It’s understandable to be shocked when someone who was considered a madman suddenly takes charge like this.

“Alright then...”

Snap!

I snapped my fingers.

“Move out. What are you waiting for?”

***

“Gurururururu!!!”

“Kiieeeek!”

The monsters’ piercing cries echoed through the mountains like a dreadful chorus. The aura of death settled over the fortress, causing the faces of the people to turn pale. Such unilateral killing intent was truly terrifying.

But for someone like me, who had grown used to it, it wasn’t a big issue. No, the real problem lay elsewhere.

“There’s a missing person?”

“...Yes, sir.”

“Hmm...”

After organizing the teams according to the roster, it turned out one person was missing.

His name was Eom Hong-Joong. A middle-aged man with graying hair.

“He was here just until the first day...”

Now, when we searched for him, he was nowhere to be found. It looked like a large stash of food had disappeared too, suggesting he might have headed outside the fortress.

“So, he didn’t run away after seeing the monsters?”

“No...”

I remembered hearing a similar story in the previous round. Someone said they saw someone packing up and disappearing outside the fortress.

“One person missing is manageable. Just make sure the word doesn’t spread. We can’t have foolish ideas circulating that everyone can escape and survive.”

Eom Hong-joon had already left the fortress. Whether he went towards the monsters and got devoured in an instant, or ventured the other way trying to start his own adventure, I didn’t know. But in my view, leaving the fortress was a suicidal act.

The weather was unbearably cold, and the monsters were far from slow. Even if he ran in the opposite direction, he’d likely be caught before the fifth day was over. Ultimately, there would be no escape from death.

“So, aside from that... Eom guy, everything’s in order, right?”

“Yes.”

“Got it. Now go. They’re coming soon.”

I twirled the sword in my hand and cracked my neck from side to side.

“Just don’t die...”

Aside from the issue with Mr. Eom, everything was set up as I wanted. From here on out, all I could do was give it my best. If I failed, I’d either come up with a new strategy or try again under different conditions.

“Uh, uh-oh!!”

A frightened man’s voice echoed from the passageway. Turning my gaze toward the wall, I saw a wolf standing atop the fortress wall.

“Awoooo!”

No, not just one. Two. Three. Ten.

The monsters were crawling up the walls and dropping down inside.

Many died upon impact, but many more survived, cushioned by the falling bodies of their comrades. Their burning eyes were fixed on the fortress.

“Gurururururu!!!”

“Growl! Growl!”

A pack of wolves charged at me. Their eyes gleamed, saliva dripping from their mouths. The primal killing intent aimed straight for my throat.

“Come on.”

The blazing sword I used before my regression is gone. I haven’t mastered that yet.

But even without that, I can handle this.

I’ve done this before, so what is there to fear? The weight on my shoulders is far too heavy to falter in a place like this.

I gripped the sword with both hands, my legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Standing straight, eyes forward, moving more with my shoulders than my wrists…

Slash!

In an instant, four wolves were cleaved in half. A feat like that, splitting four in one strike, is beyond human capacity. It also proved that my strength and agility far surpassed that of an average person.

“Not bad.”

Using the scattering light particles as a spotlight, I checked my condition. I could manage this even in previous rounds. The key difference now is that it feels less burdensome.

At the optimal timing, finding the optimal path, I swing with optimal efficiency. It’s the instinctive power control I honed from fighting day and night for three days straight.

The status window acknowledged my growth, upgrading my swordsmanship from C to C+. But there’s no time to celebrate.

The wolves reached us first because they’re the fastest. Behind them, orcs and goblins and many other monsters are rushing toward us.

For the next five hours, I have to keep this up. Now, I truly feel that I’ve regressed to the fourth floor.

“Kiieeeek!”

A goblin, wielding a blunt dagger, threw itself at me. It snapped me out of my thoughts.

“I’m not the Kim Jun-ho who regressed after getting cut by grass.”

Without even using the blade, I struck the goblin’s head with the pommel.

Repetitive tasks are what I despise the most.

But a person can’t live doing only what they like, can they?

***

The morning sunlight sparkled.

Seven swords lay scattered on the ground. Using, discarding, and repeating throughout the night had created a small pile.

“Whew...”

My body was still energetic, but my mind was exhausted. I felt a strong urge to collapse onto the ground, but the presence I sensed behind me kept me from doing so.

“Incredible... You really did it. You defended an entire passage on your own...”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Yoon Jung-hyun approached, clapping lightly. He looked quite tired, but much more composed than I had expected.

Now, it was time to see if I had managed to avoid having to regress again.

“Is everyone safe?”

“Ah, I’ll give you a report. We have twelve seriously injured... William is treating them now...”

Twelve. Considering there were a total of a hundred players, that number was neither too high nor too low. But more importantly...

“What about casualties? Are there any? Or none?”

Yoon Jung-hyun’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“None.”

“...”

The morning sunlight bathed my back. The cold leather armor gradually warmed up.

The perfectly balanced teams. The familiar combinations of monsters. The fact that I took on the hardest passage and defended it flawlessly.

There were plenty of reasons to be confident that we could get through the third day without any casualties. The probability was over 70%, after all.

Yet despite all that...

“That’s good.”

Success always brought a smile to my face.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

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