Chapter 81

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.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com

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 dont 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 havent heard back from them

Thats 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?

-Im 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.

Theres 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, whats 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... whats with the empty? And... whats 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 cant handle mana anyway.

...Sigh.

Since you have no level, experience points will accumulate. Once you level up, the accumulated experience points will be applied all at once.

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, theres 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 hed take a break, and so did Kyung Joon...

Kang Chan mentioned that due to some circumstances, he wouldnt be able to enter the tower for a while.

Though he said that, I believe hes 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 Chans 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-Hees 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 Id 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, Im not sure how Id act. And I cant 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 Im 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 hearts content. Rewarding myself for clearing the third floor doesnt seem like a bad idea.

Plus, in about a month, the coins Ive invested in are expected to surge. Despite the societal chaos, theres plenty to enjoy if one chooses to.

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

No, thats not it. Theres 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 its 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.

Lets go to the next floor.

...Phew.

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

Entering the 4th floor

End of Chapter -

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