"Okay, that's enough!"
Dok Suhee, who had been fumbling with the wolf's corpse for quite a while, tucked a finely cut piece of the wolf's heart into her pocket.
"... Why are you taking that?"
"It's for enchanting! I can imbue items with properties I desire, but with ingredients like this, I can achieve even better effects!"
"Really? Then... should we get going? We've rested enough, haven't we?"
"Just a moment... I need to wipe off this blood!"
With Dok Suhee cheerfully smiling about her newfound ingredient,
I was filled with doubts about Gangchan.
Gangchan... he's suspiciously too suspicious.
If we look only at this chapter, it might seem excessive to doubt Gangchan.
But let's think about the last chapter. When I didn't warn about the presence of the monster, Gangchan didn't flee.
He even actively searched the cave and appeared unaware of the monster.
But now, when I mention the monster, he suddenly disappears and comes back at the end of the fight, showing off his trophy?
It doesn't add up. If Gangchan really sensed the monster, he should have acted similarly in the last chapter. At the very least, he should have noticed the wolf hiding on the ceiling.
"... Something's off."
Thus, there's a high probability that Gangchan's story about defeating the monster is a lie. That red bead is likely a reward from a previous level.
The question then becomes: why did Gangchan run away?
There are two possibilities:
First, Gangchan had some unavoidable circumstances that prevented him from fighting, forcing him to flee.
Second, Gangchan is all talk and is now just putting on airs.
I felt the latter was more probable.
Despite Gangchan showing such overwhelming prowess, why doubt him? Because a stereotype already exists that fits him.
There's a genre in creative works called 'Delusion'. The protagonist is actually weak, but everyone perceives them as strong.
If... Gangchan's only real ability is "emitting an aura of power"?
And the only reason he overcame the fairy was due to sheer luck?
Then his fleeing makes sense. Out of fear, he might have run and hid somewhere, shedding tears, thinking "I'm scared..."
Perhaps the name Gangchan, which sounds strong, is a misnomer, and he should be called "Weakchan" instead.
I glanced at Gangchan, who walked expressionlessly.
Of course, my speculations might be wrong. After all, these are just my hunches.
Anyway, I'll find out once I encounter Gangchan after regressing.
"Have we arrived?"
Lost in thought about Gangchan, time passed, and we returned to the cave where the wolf was. The stone door that had blocked our way was now gone.
"g..."
What lay ahead was a dark corridor without any torches. Although the path became visible when we lit one of the wall torches, the atmosphere felt ominous.
"... We should proceed, right?"
I didn't want to, but we had no choice.
Once we entered this tower, our only option was to move forward.
Thud.
"Ouch..."
The pained voice of Angyeongjun.
One might expect someone to show concern, but all three of us just continued walking silently.
After all, this wasn't the first time Angyeongjun had banged his head against the stone wall. It must've been the fifth time by now. "Tch..."
The reason was simple. Angyeongjun, in his 'Gangshin' state, couldn't see well because his glasses were smashed.
What should one call Angyeongjun without his glasses? Should we just call him 'Jun'? I pondered on this trivial thought as we walked through the damp cave.
After silently walking for about 10 minutes,
"By the way, why did the 'Gangshin' spirit smash your glasses?"
Dok Suhee broke the silence with her question.
"Well... the spirit really hates glass and mirrors."
"... Is there a reason for that?"
"It dislikes things that distort the image of humans... The last time I was in the 'Gangshin' state, it first smashed my glasses."
Angyeongjun spoke, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Can I ask something too?"
Thanks to Dok Suhee's question, I decided to ask something I was curious about.
"That spirit? Can you see it with both eyes, Mr. Angyeongjun?"
"Yes, I can see it."
"What does it look like?"
Angyeongjun walked thoughtfully for a moment.
"It has dark skin... It wears something like a feathered ornament on its forehead. It's shirtless, and I don't know about its lower half since it's not manifested. Oh, and it carries a lavishly designed spear on its back."
Based on his description, I pictured something like a tribal native, maybe someone who would hunt elephants in Africa with a spear.
However, African natives don't have the ability to summon a spear out of thin air. Having met a wizard on the 2nd floor who could use magic, it's rational to assume this spirit is from this world.
"It must be tough for you."
I inadvertently voiced my thoughts.
Being with a rough spirit while being a gentle person like Angyeongjun is painful. Seeing a kind and friendly friend die over and over would erode my spirit quickly.
I quickened my pace to distance myself from Angyeongjun.
"Now that I've shared my story... I'm curious about yours, Ms. Dok Suhee."
"Me?"
"Yes. You seem like a student... How old are you?"
"I'm in high school..."
Suddenly, the ground shook, interrupting Dok Suhee's response.
"Ahead..."
At the end of the dark path, lit only by our torch, stood a familiar stone door.
As always, there were four palm-shaped indents.
The four of us exchanged glances and placed our hands on them.
With a grinding noise, the stone door began to move.
"Hmm..."
Behind the stone door was a surprising sight.
"... Mirrors."
Mirrors. Everywhere.
The floor, ceiling, and walls were all made of mirrors.
It reminded me of the mirror mazes in amusement parks.
In the dim space lit by our torch, our reflections distorted in every direction, accompanied by a chilling wind that sounded like background music from a horror film.
"Hmm..."
It's not just a simple mirror. This is a mirror maze on the 3-5th floor. It's reasonable to assume there's some kind of trap or gimmick.
What if touching a mirror transports you to another world? Or creates a doppelganger? Or an assassin jumps out of the mirror?
While I was pondering the possibilities,
"Jun, Junho! Look!" Dok Suhee urgently tapped on my shoulder.
"Why are you...?"
Snapping out of my reverie, I turned to look at Dok Suhee and saw,
"No... No...!"
Behind her, Angyeongjun was holding his head in pain, groaning.
"There are too many mirrors..."
Drool dripping from his mouth, a flushed Angyeongjun held his head.
"Ah..."
Earlier, Angyeongjun had mentioned the spirit he channels has an intense aversion to mirrors and glass.
From that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
The three of us, including me, quickly turned away and began to retreat from the mirror maze.
"...Do you tire of trying to seduce me again and again!"
With his eyes completely rolled back, Angyeongjun summoned an old wooden spear.
With a flash!
With lightning speed, Angyeongjun's spear shattered the mirrors.
Due to its sheer force, shards of broken mirror flew in all directions.
"Ugh!"
Although I tried to flee as far away as possible, it was already too late.
Despite my desperate attempts to dodge, I couldn't prevent the tiny shards from embedding into my skin.
[You've been injured.]
[You will return to the moment you first entered the 3-5th floor.]
Gradually, my vision blurred.
Sadness. Anxiety. Despair. Fear.
This sucks.
I love a refreshing storyline.
I enjoy nothing more than seeing the protagonist effortlessly breaking through challenges.
But what is this? Why do I always have to endure such misfortunes?
What? The spirit inhabiting someone I was adventuring with on the 3-5th floor hates mirrors, so it shattered the mirror maze, and I got injured by the fragments and had to return?
I'm furious.
I can't contain my anger.
"... Get up, weakling."
Was it due to my blinding rage?
"... Hey."
"...?"
"Let's fight."
I charged at Gangchan.