CH 12

“I’m doomed…”

There are two reasons why I came to the conclusion that I’m doomed. 

First, I have encountered a fellow that looked like the final boss on literally my first day of regressing back. 

Second…

[‘Lake of destiny’ is preparing for the offering again.]

[While the offering is being prepared, do not let go of the king’s mark.]

[Time left until the offering is presented 60 seconds…59 seconds…58 seconds…]

‘I’m going nuts.’

When the protection shield was destroyed a while ago, my body was pushed backwards and unintentionally I let go of the swords again. 

It was a mistake that makes me angry to think back about it. 

<Interesting. With what confidence did you all, who are not even immortals, step foot into my bedroom? If you have given up on your life, I’m sure there must have been wiser ways to end it.>

I feel a formidable sense of intimidation!

The dragon lord, Fafnir. 

My heart skips a beat every time he speaks. 

“Damn it…”

While I was twitching my mouth like a goldfish daze,

[Guardian deity ‘Sung Hyun-sook’ quickly sends a sponsorship! ]

“Sponsorship.…?”

I don’t know what mom’s intentions are. 

But trying whatever you can instead of staying still and dying is the better option I guess…

Even if mom sponsors me an S-level item right now, my stats are too low to be able to beat that giant. 

“What did you sponsor‥?”

I managed to move my wavering pupils and look at the sponsorship list. 

And,

“………”

I was in awe. 

At mom’s reflex and sense of judgement to give me ‘this’ in this situation. 

At the same time, I was convinced. 

Convinced that I will be able to make it out from here alive!

My mom’s a freaking genius!

“Just hold on for a minute.”

I raised my voice after storing the item mom sponsored. 

Like a fish trapped in a corner, the potato heads that became frozen in front of Fafnir, looked back at me. 

“H-hold on for a minute you say…?”

“You think I’m here doing this for no reason?! I have my plans! That’s why I’m telling ya’ll to stop shuddering and stuttering and just earn a minute for me!” 

The ones who will protect me, who can’t move an inch in the lake of destiny are none other than the potato heads. 

What a turn of events.

If you really think about it, all of this is happening because of them in the first place. 

The potato head who was about to through a fireball at me just now, asked with a terrified face in a teary voice,

“I-if we hold on for a minute then can you really deal with this situation…?”

“Why would I lie in this situation? Just trust me!”

I patted my chest with a nice smile so that I would be seen as reliable.

Anyway, those guys don’t have a choice. 

If they wish to increase their chances of survival by even 1% then they’ll have to believe me whether they like it or not. 

The potato head made a wise decision. 

“Prepare for battle-! You heard him right? We need to hold it out for just one minute!”

Determined to fight, the other potato heads took out their weapons.

The hope that they will be able to survive after holding out for a minute ignited the flame of their bravery. 

But…

Slash-!

The flame quickly died down like a lantern blown by the wind.

<1 minute…?>

What did that dragon head do just now?

I couldn’t even see it. 

But in an instant, one of the potato head’s head disappeared. 

Gush-!

The blood gushing out from the cut surface soaked the faces of the other potato heads whose complexions had gone pale.

The atmosphere, which was almost heated up, cooled down like cold water poured on it. 

<Hold out for a minute in front of me huh…What a pitiful delusion.>

While licking his claws covered in blood, Fafnir smirked. 

Out of all the smiles I had seen so far, this one was the scariest. 

But what I was really paying attention to wasn’t his smirking face. 

It was his eyes. 

<I don’t know why the treasure of my mark is in your dirty hands…>

His vertical pupils like that of a reptile’s glared intently at me.

I couldn’t move at all as if I had been pierced by a skewer. 

<I won’t let it happen according to your wish.>

Whoosh-

Unknown and incalculable energy swirled in a round manner and accumulated around Fafnir. 

‘Please!’

Those cancerous potato heads ruined everything from one to ten. 

But if I were to pick one thing they did a good job on?

“Geuohh-“

It’s the fact that they brought along the skeletons who dropped me off till the dragon head statue!

The skeletons that came in rushed towards Fafnir in a frenzy. 

With the hearts of loyal servants who protect the king!

‘I can’t believe that worked!’

It’s true that I’m the one holding the king’s mark, but the true king of those guys is Fafnir. 

Nevertheless, they acted to protect me.

Is it because they’re just a bunch of bones that they don’t have the senses to judge who the real king is?

Of course, I’m grateful whatever it is!

Even the brainless skeletons are working so hard, but why are those potato heads keep starting like idiots?

“What are you doing?! Now’s the time! Hurry up and join them!”

“H-huh? O-okay!”

Hoooo-!

The potato heads shouted after building up their courage again and ran to attack. 

Though, they would be nothing but flies in the eyes of Fafnir. 

But, 

<You annoying little things! Get lost at once!>

Not when they’re along with a swarm of bees known as the skeletons!

While Fafnir was flustered by the amazing combination of bees and flies, I quickly glanced to look at the remaining time. 

[Time left until the offering is presented 3 seconds…2 seconds…1 second…]

“Oh, what? It’s over alrea…”

[The offering has been prepared.]

Shaaa-!

An explosive glowing light burst out of the swampy lake. 

“Huh…?!” 

<The lake of destiny is…!>

Not only me, who was immersed in the lake but Fafnir as well, who was busy dealing with the flies, was shocked and raised his eyes. 

The light that swallowed the entire lake decreased in size, and eventually contracted to the size of a basketball. 

And,

Geuohh-!

Geuahh-! 

The black hands that stretched above the water grabbed the small reduced light and slowly pushed it towards me.

As if it were presenting me with the offering.

“This is…the holy sword?”

I carefully took hold of the light held by the black hands. 

How did it feel, you ask?

Ahh. It’s so warm. 

And most of all, I can feel a tremendous power that is difficult to measure its limits. 

‘Finally…!’

If this wasn’t an urgent situation then I would be bawling my eyes out in happiness. 

Every time the amount of light emitted decreased gradually, my heart throbbed like it was about to burst. 

The legendary sword that overturned Lee Chan-hyuk’s life!

It will finally remove its veil and appear before me…!

“…A backpack?”

After being completely unveiled, what was revealed was a black backpack. 

“……?”

I know you might be like what kind of crazy nonsense is that? But I don’t know what kind of crazy situation is this either. 

No matter how much I look at it, it’s a backpack that teenagers, who eat school lunch, carry to and from school. 

Where is the legendary holy sword?

All I could see was an unknown backpack with no meaning and a crappy reality in front of me. 

‘Is there a nuclear weapon inside or something?’

I opened the zipper of the bag with a long heart expecting there to at least be some hay and turned it upside down to shake it off. 

Shake shake shake 

Looking at the heartless backpack from which not a speck of dust fell, my mental state crumbled like a pile of dust. 

<You must be luckier than you look…! Looks like the lake of destiny likes you very much.>

Who is that dragon-headed bastard kidding right now?

<That is the strongest weapon and even I can’t help but be astonished! It’s too much to be held by someone like you!>

The strongest weapon my ass. Isn’t this just a backpack, you freaking reptile. 

<Are you prepared for it? Are you prepared to accept the great power the lake of destiny has bestowed upon you, a lowly human, is what I meant!>

For now, I’m certain that I’m not ready to accept this crappy reality. 

Just then. 

“Hey! I think it’s been more than a minute?! We’ve reached our limit.”

“Ah.”

I forgot about those potato heads for a while because I was quite traumatized.

Just by a glance, there were seven of them and now only three remain. 

Unfortunately, the rest of them died and were currently rolling on the ground.

‘That’s right. For now, what’s urgent is to get out of here alive.’

At least for the potato heads’, who left the world early, sacrifices to not go in vain.

The potato head leader cried desperately while bleeding all over his body. 

“You, have a way to get out of here for sure right?! Hm?! Right?!”

“Of course! Remember just trust me!”

“Ohh! Okay then quickly…”

I took out the item I received from mom as a sponsorship. 

<Return stone>

A diamond-shaped purple crystal. 

As the name suggests, it is literally a lifeline that sends the user out of dungeons and returns them to reality. 

What else do I need to explain more?

“You, you…”

But those potato heads looked as if they needed further explanation. 

Ah. By the way, the return stone is capable of helping only the ‘user’ escape. In other words, it’s for one person. 

After seeing the return stone in my hand, the potato head’s complexion turned pale. 

“D-didn’t you say you knew a way to escape?” 

“I do. It’s in my hand right now.”

“W-what about us?”

“I never said that you guys would be able to get out too though?”

They must have misunderstood something. 

After realizing the cruelty of truth, the potato heads rebelled with rage in their eyes. 

“What about us?! What about us you bastard?!”

“If you defeat like it, then you can ask your Guardian deity to sponsor you too.”

Who made all this happen in the first place? How selfish.

However, I know they are my enemies but isn’t it a virtue to bid them farewell with a smile?

That’s why I smiled brightly while using the return stone. 

I even shot a salute at them, as a sign to wish them good luck, health and peace at the same time.

“Then good luck! I’ll get going first.”

“W-wait! Wait! Wait! You crazy- Kyaaaa?!”

The last scene I witnessed while returning back to reality was,

Slash-!

The bodies of the potato heads were being sliced, like an A4 paper thrown in a shredder, by Fafnir’s claws. 

I think I’m going to throw up, but it’s nice. 

***

Shoong!

“Bleghhh.”

I didn’t know I’d throw up for real. 

After safely returning back to reality by using the return stone, I had to deal with the nauseating feeling first. 

The sight of the potato heads being slaughtered made my stomach upset I guess?

No. It’s because my insides became twisted due to changing dimensions all of a sudden. 

Ugh, damn it. I feel like I’ve been on a rollercoaster ten times on an empty stomach. 

“This damned backpack!”

My stomach is upset as it is but the weight of the backpack on my shoulders, made my stomach feel even worse for no reason. 

After all that hardwork, the reward I’ve earned is an empty backpack with not even a speck of dust in it?

Is this a sign telling me to quit being a player and go back to school?

“Please tell me this is a dream…hm?”

“Huh?”

I, who stood up while denying the reality, met eyes. 

With bulky men who were relaxing on the floor and enjoying tea time.

…Damn it. Right. There were more guys left right?

This is still the first day of me regressing back right? Why is the day so long…?

“You bastard?! Why did you come out from there? What about our members?!”

Is he disappointed because he didn’t get to see the scene of the first team he sent to return with my head as he expected?

<Bolt>’s head glared at me in anger. 

However, as they say, a soft answer turns away wrath, I decided to smile and kindly answer his question even though I felt like shit. 

“They all went to America.”

“America?”

“Ah, maybe you’re too old to understand a joke? I meant they all died.”

“…‥…”

Perhaps he didn’t like my kind answer, but the expressions of all the big guys became distorted.

“I’ll think of it as a rather good thing. Because now, I can kill you with my own hands.”

Only then, after grasping what happened to the potato heads, did the big guys begin to start taking a step closer and taking out their weapons.

If things went like I expected, then I would be killing these bastards with the holy sword right now. 

But the reality was a backpack.

“I’m going to lose my mind.”

Even if I recklessly swing it and beat them with it, it won’t even cause an itch because it’s made out of unnecessarily soft leather.

Just as I glared at the backpack with resentful eyes. 

Flash!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a dazzling glow burst out of the backpack with its zipper wide open.

[‘Pandora’s box’ will be opened!]

[A weapon that can be used most effectively against the ‘enemy’ recognized by the user will be summoned!]

Shaaa-!

A steady stream of light particles gathered in my hand. 

It was as if countless fireflies had gathered.

At the sudden situation, the approaching guys also paused for a while and were on high alert. 

‘Pandora’s box!’

It was the official name of this backpack. 

Though I don’t know why it’s called a box when anyone can tell it’s a backpack…

Anyway if what the system said is true then…This might not be too bad?

‘To be able to summon weapons in real-time considering the enemy’s compatibility means I can cope with a variety of variables!’

I know I said about a legendary holy sword or whatever but that was just a somewhat exaggerated expression from my side.

To be honest, It was too much to say that Lee Chan-hyuk’s holy sword was absolutely invincible.

For example, what if there’s a super liquid monster or a monster whose whole body is covered with a harder material than an alloy?

Even if it is a holy sword, it will be difficult to overcome such conflicts. 

‘But it’s this bag, it might be possible?’

Sha sha sha sha-!

The group of lights circling round and round on my palm shifted from a spiral to a straight line.

Soon, I could feel something cool and hard, as if I was touching iron, through my hands. 

Finally, calculation of the variables was done, 

“Oh, ohhh…”

“Gasp…!”

An exclamation of awe left my mouth.

A gasp of astonishment left the mouths of the bulky guys. 

It was obvious.

I don’t know if it’s about a monster with an invisible core who always goes around wearing a shield. 

But if it’s facing ‘humans’ like them we’re talking about then there’s only one weapon that is the most effective. 

“He has a gun!”

“Where did a machine gun of that size suddenly pop out of nowhere?!”

A gun.

And that too, a machine gun with a long black barrel.

I don’t know what the name is because I don’t have much military knowledge.

But I’m sure about one thing.

Click-

“You’re all dead.”

Soon.

Loud noises of gunfire echoed through the mountain.