Chapter 81

 

The second floor was relatively easy to clear. That allowed frequent visits back to the first floor and the real world as well.

 

However, this was the first time I cleared the third floor. Having tumbled through arrow traps for what felt like ages, it seemed almost half a year had passed in my perceived time before I could return to reality.

 

“Phew, haah…”

 

Indeed, after continuously breathing the damp air of the caves, inhaling the pungent air of Seoul felt like a breath of fresh air.

 

The very first thing I did upon returning to my long-missed apartment was…

 

Tring-tring-tring.

 

…to call Ji-won Choi and Cheol-jin Park.

 

After a beep, it connected through a voicemail…

 

“…Not yet, huh.”

 

I don’t think they would fail in their strategies. Cheol-jin Park might be a bit iffy, but Ji-won Choi had the power to demolish even the floor 3-5.

 

After sending them a message asking how they were, my next action was to scour the internet.

 

-Post-clearing reflections on 3-1.

 

-Barely survived 3-3. Taking questions.

 

-Went into 3-2 with a friend. It seems we were split into different trials. But I still haven’t heard back from them…

 

“…That’s interesting.”

 

As I browsed through the posts, I stumbled upon an intriguing fact.

 

-How did you guys handle the room where five wild dogs appear at the start?

 

-Wild dogs? I encountered goblins.

 

-What difficulty level are you on?

 

-I’m on 3-2.

 

-Huh? Same here!

 

Even though people entered and exited the same difficulty level, the trials they faced were different.

 

Some encountered goblins, others wild dogs, orcs, or slimes.

 

Piecing together the testimonies, it seemed the overall difficulty was similar, but the specifics varied widely.

 

It led me to speculate that perhaps the content of the trials changes depending on who enters.

 

“There’s nothing about the red room.”

 

Despite extensive searching online, there was no mention of a red door suddenly appearing in the last room, suggesting that it might be a unique gimmick only present for the floor 3-5.

 

“...I guess it should be enough...”

 

After a quick search through the internet, including international websites, what I did next was...

 

“...So, what’s this all about?”

 

It was time to check the rewards I received from the third floor.

 

First, I decided to open the box and inspect its contents.

 

<Intermediate Potion>

 

<Intermediate Potion>

 

<Scroll (Empty)>

 

“Potions and... potions and... what’s with the empty? And... what’s this?”

 

Something that caught my eye was then pulled out of the box.

 

“...Hmm.”

 

A thick glass bottle filled with a swishing blue liquid. Its blue color reminded me of mana potions.

 

But, do mana potions even mean anything to me? Considering I can’t handle mana anyway.

 

“...Sigh.”

 

Just as I was about to place the liquid back inside the box, sulking, I noticed something.

 

<Exp. Potion>

 

-Consuming this will grant you a certain amount of experience.

 

-This is a unique item. (Cannot be duplicated.)

 

“...Huh?”

 

My eyes lit up as I read the description indifferently.

 

I can gain experience by drinking this?

 

Hastily examining the rest of the box, I found nine more glass bottles with the same design.

 

“...Hold on.”

 

If I were to check my current status, it would look like this.

 

“...Was Swordsmanship always D?”

 

Anyway, the LV here isn’t a general “level” but an achievement level — Legendary Ventures.

 

In fact, I never gain experience from defeating monsters. The reason was explained in a notification saying ‘the difference in power is too great’, and as a result, my growth has been limited.

 

Even if I want to become stronger, I can’t. One of the regressor’s privileges, grinding levels, is blocked.

 

“But...!”

 

If it’s the Exp. Potion.

 

Regardless of the power difference, if it’s the Exp. Potion that grants experience in a fixed amount...!

 

“…”

 

Gulp. Gulp.

 

Carefully, yet boldly, I gulped down an entire bottle in one go.

 

The taste was peculiar, like boiling a seal in herbal medicine then mixing it with soda... But for my growth, it was bearable.

 

After emptying one bottle, a message finally appeared before my eyes.

 

“Ah.”

 

...Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

 

***

 

Though I had somewhat wasted a bottle of the Exp. Potion, I still had nine bottles left. I could give them all to someone else or exchange them for other items.

 

“...Now, next...”

 

The next item to check was the sheath given to me.

 

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like just an ordinary sheath.

 

It was incredibly durable, perhaps because it was a reward from the tower, but that was it—nothing more, nothing less.

 

Out of curiosity, I used the first floor’s function to generate a sword and placed it in the sheath... but nothing happened.

 

Really, was this meant to be wielded as a weapon? No, there must be something about it, either sealed or beyond my ability to utilize.

 

“...Phew.”

 

After wrestling with the sheath for a long while without any meaningful results, I felt exhausted.

 

To celebrate my return to the first floor, I indulged in all the foods I had been craving: pizza, cola, chicken, pork feet, and so much more until I was about to burst. Since I hadn’t eaten anything in the cave, my appetite exploded all at once.

 

Having satisfied my hunger and lying on the soft bed, I fell asleep watching TV.

 

It was a simple joy, but I was happy.

 

And then, I finally realized.

 

I had been more stressed than I thought.

 

***

 

A day had passed.

 

There was still no word from Ji-won Choi and Cheol-jin Park. Considering a whole day had gone by without any contact... It seems the gimmick of the floor 3-4 must involve something that takes a considerable amount of time.

 

Should I wait for them? But what if, like this floor, there’s a gimmick that splits us apart? Or even a floor that requires solo progression?

 

What if, in an extreme case, it takes over a week for Ji-won Choi to emerge? Time now is critical.

 

“Kang Chan said he’d take a break, and so did Kyung Joon...”

 

Kang Chan mentioned that due to some circumstances, he wouldn’t be able to enter the tower for a while.

 

Though he said that, I believe he’s actually waiting to meet the cooldown or conditions for his ‘Fist’. He does have comrades, but climbing the tower without his last line of defense would be akin to a suicide mission.

 

Kyung Joon, too, expressed a desire to take some time to train and overcome his shortcomings.

 

He aimed to freely control his possession power. Even just looking at this third floor, Kyung Joon relied heavily on Kang Chan’s murderous intent to trigger his power. If he could activate his power at will, Kyung Joon would become much stronger.

 

“...”

 

So, what should I do now?

 

Dok Su-Hee. Kang Chan. Kyung Joon.

 

I reminisce about the days spent on the last floor.

 

The cave. The monster wolves. The mirror maze. The arrow traps. And the golem. And finally... Dok Su-Hee’s betrayal.

 

It was the first time I had joined forces with someone other than Ji-won Choi.

 

It was the first time I had regressed so many times for a single goal.

 

It was the first time I had been betrayed by someone, and the first time I used my regression ability to punish that betrayal.

 

“...Is this really okay?”

 

Entering the fourth floor means that the past is set in stone. It means I can never change what happened again.

 

I asked myself. If I go to the next floor now, will I regret it?

 

I probably would. There might be a way to better persuade Dok Su-Hee, to convince her without having to resort to severing her arm.

 

But if I were to regress, I think I’d regret that even more.

 

My feelings towards Dok Su-Hee are complicated right now. Anger towards a traitor, disdain for a madwoman, pity for her tragic story, and guilt for having angrily severed her arm.

 

If I were to regress and meet Dok Su-Hee again, who knows nothing, I’m not sure how I’d act. And I can’t predict how that would change me mentally afterward.

 

I weigh my options, deliberating over and over.

 

The benefits of not regressing versus what I could gain if I did. The mental toll is too great to simply say, “Why not just regress and start over?”

 

“...”

 

If I’m tired... Should I take a break? The various takeouts I had gorged on earlier and the warm, soft bed naturally come to mind.

 

I want to play games. I want to sleep to my heart’s content. Rewarding myself for clearing the third floor doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

 

Plus, in about a month, the coins I’ve invested in are expected to surge. Despite the societal chaos, there’s plenty to enjoy if one chooses to.

 

Enjoy to the fullest, and then after regressing, tackle the third floor again...

 

No, that’s not it. There’s something about human inertia; once you stop, starting again is twice as hard.

 

I can still bear it for now. And upon reflection, the punishment I meted out to Dok Su-Hee was justified.

 

Above all, my relationships with Kyung Joon and Kang Chan are solid. The situation may not be perfect, but it’s close to the best it can be.

 

Kang Chan. Kyung Joon. Ji-won Choi. Dok Su-Hee. And above all, my mental state.

 

After rubbing my forehead and pondering incessantly, I finally reached a conclusion.

 

Let’s go to the next floor.

 

“...Phew.”

 

Taking a deep breath, I threw myself into the portal.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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