Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

...!

I hasten my paralyzed steps, rushing towards Dok Su-hee.

Traitor!!!

With eyes wide in fury, An Kyung-Joon manifests a wooden spear. It seems he has successfully summoned his spirit in a moment filled with indiscriminate murderous intent.

...

Just like the piece of cloth I had seen before, something materializes out of nowhere above Dok Su-hees hand.

One is a lump from the heart of a monster wolf, and the other is a fragment of the golem we just defeated.

These objects transform into light in an instant and merge into Dok Su-hees armor. This light is the same as what Dok Su-hee has shown when using Enchantment until now.

- Whoosh!

Gasp!

And as Dok Su-hees armor shines, my sword, swung with a reclined posture, cuts through the air.

- Tadat.

Quickly stepping back, Dok Su-hee dodges my sword.

?!

Even though I was in a paralyzed state, I did not expect my strike to miss.

Throughout hundreds of regressions, I have observed Dok Su-hee. Ive watched her movements and her combat sense.

This is me who crossed swords with Choi Ji-won. Dok Su-hee is not strong. Her physical abilities were close to that of an ordinary person.

So then

Naturally, my gaze shifts to Dok Su-hees armor.

She had just enchanted the heart of the monster wolf and the golems fragment. It seemed her physical abilities had dramatically improved because of that.

Traitorrrrr!!!

But merely dodging my sword was not enough for Dok Su-hee.

An Kyung-Joon, empowered with spirit energy, throws his spear. It flies at a speed barely visible to the eye, embedding itself into Dok Su-hees side.

- Crack!

Gah!

Dok Su-hee grimaces, coughing up blood.

Though enchanting the golems fragments seemed to have an effect, preventing Dok Su-hee from shattering completely, her body is thrown into the air and smashes against a wall. The impact causes a torch hanging on the wall to fall, plunging the space into darkness.

Ugh

Dok Su-hee clenches her teeth, and soon after, a minor potion appears in her palm. With no lid to begin with, Dok Su-hee pours it directly onto her wound.

Think Id let you heal!

Seizing the moment, An Kyung-Joon extends his right hand, intending to summon back the spear he had thrown earlier.

?!

However, despite stretching out his hand, the spear does not return to him. Rather, the spear that had been stuck in Dok Su-hees side is gone. Only a bleeding hole remains in its place.

!

Temporarily flustered by the loss of his spear, An Kyung-Joon rushes towards Dok Su-hee. Not wanting to miss this chance, I forcefully move my paralyzed legs.

Of course I could just regress. The moment I regress, I am given an absolute informational advantage. Yet, I felt a pressing need to subdue Dok Su-hee and uncover the full story.

I needed to hear why she betrayed us and started this whole mess to clear my conscience.

!

Dok Su-hee, her face pale from blood loss, steps back. Although the potion quenched the immediate fire, her condition was far from stable. She had been directly exposed to Kang Chans murderous intent and struck by An Kyung-Joons spear.

Dok Su-hee retreats, with me and An Kyung-Joon in pursuit.

- Swoosh!

A dagger glowing in the darkness flies towards us. Though certainly threatening, it wasnt something I couldnt block after having passed through a trap-filled passageway.

!

I stop my sword abruptly. It couldnt just be a dagger. Likely, it was enchanted with Explosion. Hadnt I seen her use psychological tactics against the monster wolf before?

I reflexively twist my body, trying to escape the blast range, but...

- Slip.

My foot slips, sending me airborne.

Damn it!

The floor was already slippery, but not to the extent that I should have fallen in such a critical moment. Glancing at the floor, I notice it gleaming more than usual. It seems Dok Su-hee took some sort of action while retreating.

Moreover, she conducted a meeting in our seated positions to prevent us from noticing the spread of poison. As a coup de grce, after An Kyung-Joon was hit by the spear, she stored it in her inventory. The wound was healed with a potion, forcing An Kyung-Joon and me into close combat.

Im not sure when she thought of it, but it was a plan of high completion. It almost succeeded too.

There were many questions.

Why she had the protection shield of a goblin shaman, presumably acquired in the tutorial. Whether items like oil or fabric pieces were brought from reality into her inventory. If her bright demeanor shown so far was all a lie. Why she didnt try to kill us but instead aimed to subdue us.

But more importantly, there was something else.

Why are you doing this?

Why.

That was the most burning question of all.

We were cooperating well, progressing through the third floor.

We could have just laughed and shared the rewards.

Why betray at the last moment?

Why lock Kang Chan away using precious items and engage in a bloody battle with me and An Kyung-Joon? What reason could there possibly be?

Because it had to be done.

After a moment of hesitation, Dok Su-hee gave a detached response.

I dont expect to be understood. I know Im in the wrong. And I know how remarkable you three are.

Then why?

Because I, and no one else, must clear the tower.

To monopolize the rewards, to become stronger. Thats why I betrayed you. Even knowing it was a gamble.

Dok Su-hee spoke calmly. As she tremblingly placed her hand on a box in the center of the room, it vanished into thin air.

Ha, haha

I couldnt help but burst into incredulous laughter. The reason was just too absurd.

For now we have fallen behind.

A murderous impulse flashed through me, but I calmed it down. Killing her outright was not an option.

Here I go.

I took careful steps towards Dok Su-hee, forcing my paralyzed body to move while making sure to keep my eyes wide open and focused ahead.

The difference between us was simple. Thanks to my achievement level, my stats were significantly higher, and even now, paralyzed, I could somewhat control my body. My recovery speed was naturally faster.

But Dok Su-hee seemed to have pitiful stats. Therefore, her recovery was slow, and she still couldnt control her body.

Dok Su-hee tried using her inventory to spread oil on the floor, place needles, obscure the view with cloth, and even set up a boulder using golem fragments, but

It wont work.

It was a strategy that couldnt affect me. As long as I was aware that something might suddenly appear out of thin air, there was no reason for me to fall for it.

Step by step, the distance closed.

Dont you have something like a tank in your inventory? If you wanted to stop me, youd need at least that.

One step.

Using cloth to block the view was clever... but why cloth? Something like a thick mattress would have resistance, right? Guess theres a limit to your inventory capacity?

One step.

Lets start with you taking a few hits. We can talk after that.

The moment only a single step remained between Dok Su-hee and me.

Kim Jun-ho.

Why?

Look up.

A shadow cast over me.

Ah.

When I looked up, a large wooden box was floating above my head. The very box that Dok Su-hee had put into her inventory earlier.

And with my body paralyzed I couldnt possibly dodge it.

Damn it.

- Thud.

Youve been injured. Regressing to the moment you first entered the floor 3-5.

End of Chapter -

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