Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Jun-ho. You go in.

Kang Chan spoke calmly from within the barrier.

I can feel the seal weakening. It will probably be released in an hour or two.

He lightly scratched the spherical barrier with the tip of his finger, then shifted his gaze to the fallen Dok Su-hee.

Once the seal is broken, Ill take Su-hee and escape from the third floor. So, you go through the red door.

But...

Its all the same to me. There was a necessity to enter through the red door at some point anyway.

However, I was troubled by Kang Chan willingly giving up the reward. I hadnt revealed my regression to him. I couldnt understand why he was being so generous.

The reason? Its simple.

Turning his gaze, Kang Chan looked at the door mixed with shades of red and gray.

First off, Im not particularly fond of the reward itself.

His eyes were heavy with a solemn depth.

This tower was created to judge humanity. Moreover, this floor emphasized cooperation as its main task. Yet, its designed so that if one person dies, progress is halted, only to induce betrayal in the end.

Kang Chans words were true. The tower induces wrongdoing while threatening judgment for those very acts. Its inherently contradictory.

So, its hard to believe that the reward could be purely beneficial. There might even be a penalty involved.

From the very color of the door being deep red, as Kang Chan suggested, it was unlikely that the reward would be wholly good.

Thats why I wont take the risk.

Kang Chan spoke with his arms crossed.

Im already strong enough. Instead of taking unnecessary risks, Ill settle for the basic reward. You can take the risk.

Outwardly, thats what Kang Chan said, but I could guess his true intentions.

In this regression, Kang Chan hadnt disclosed his abilities to me. So now, he was playing the role of the merciless and arrogant strongman, Kang Chan.

Perhaps, internally, he acknowledged my past achievements and therefore conceded the reward.

Me, I also... think that Jun-ho should be the one to go in. But my reason is a bit different.

This time, it was An Kyung-Joon speaking.

Jun-ho was the first to spot the initial wolf... And it was thanks to Jun-ho that we overcame the strange maze that appeared midway... Most of all, the arrow trap was practically Jun-hos solo show, wasnt it? I think Jun-ho has contributed enough to deserve the reward.

His words were true. In order to speed up our progress through the regression, I used what one could call insight to predict various threats, allowing us to navigate through the third floor with ease.

If we were to measure overall contributions, perhaps mine were the highest.

And...

Looking down at Dok Su-hee, An Kyung-Joon continued.

...probably, Su-hee also thought the same.

Dok Su-hee is a traitor. Shes not an object of sympathy.

Kang Chan spoke with a frown. But An Kyung-Joon could only smile, even as sweat dripped down his face.

...Haha. Its true shes a traitor. But would she have acted this way if the tower didnt exist? After all, its the tower that changed a young student like her...

Sighing, Kang Chan shook his head disapprovingly.

...Better not to talk about it.

...

Looking at An Kyung-Joon taking care of Dok Su-hee, I felt a sinking feeling in my heart.

Only then did I notice Dok Su-hees injuries. Her twisted expression became clear to me.

After seeing Dok Su-hees severe arm, what had I thought?

...See you later, then.

I threw my body into the portal, with a large box slung to one side.

In an instant, my vision was engulfed in darkness.

**

When I opened my eyes again, a giant statue stood before me.

[Warrior.]

I was on a mountain somewhere, and a statue that seemed to be carved in the image of a man spoke to me.

[A warrior needs a fitting weapon.]

It was a voice from my memory. In a room where we had to proceed in pairs, it was the voice that told us to share blood.

Although I could only see the back of the statue from where I stood, there was a solemn weight to it.

...Who are you?

[Warrior. As you passed through the cave, did you conduct yourself as a warrior should?]

The statue, not answering my question, continued with what it wanted to say.

[Originally, this space was intended for the most honorable warrior. It was created with the meaning of evaluating and acknowledging each other in the process of overcoming trials, and conceding rewards to the most honorable warrior...]

The imposing aura of the statue, as vast as a mountain, softened a bit.

[...However, at some point, its meaning was distorted by those who lost their reason to greed.]

...

Indeed.

The red door, which only one person could enter, must not have been red from the beginning. It turned red after being layered and layered with blood.

Such is the way of the world. Exposed to the tempests of life, change is inevitable. Even with the best of intentions at the start... by the time one comes to, things have bizarrely transformed.

The same goes for Dok Su-hee... and perhaps for me as well.

[Apologies for the lengthy digression. The reward shall be given.]

Slowly, the statue began to shine.

The entire statue turned white and, in an instant, transformed into a burst of light.

[A weapon is, in essence, a warriors mirror. To the wicked, a wicked weapon is granted... Have you, in the cave, acted as a warrior should?]

The cluster of light moved smoothly toward me, taking the shape of a sword.

...

But what materialized was not a sword.

Huh?

A sheath.

Literally, a sheath was now in my hand.

...This isnt a weapon.

Moreover, usually, when you stare intently at an item, a status window pops up, but this sheath didnt trigger any status window. It was just like the ring given by the archangel; perhaps hidden items just dont show anything.

[A weapon is, in essence, a warriors mirror. Always bear that in mind.]

The voice did not respond again.

After the solemn voice of the statue, everything went dark in an instant.

You have cleared floors 3-5 Entering floor 1.

When I opened my eyes again, I was on the first floor.

End of Chapter -

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