"It's evident at first glance.
A long hallway.
Just taking a single step, arrows come flying from every direction.
Arrows flying from the very start, it's hard to imagine what will jump out as we venture deeper. Poison? Spikes? Fire?
From my perspective, where a mere graze would cause regression, it's nearly impossible to pass this trap. This room isn't made to be avoided. It's designed to endure the blows.
But it's alright.
"... Chan-hyung."
"What is it?"
"Can you break what's ahead?"
I have a cheat key after all.
"... My power isn't meant to be used recklessly."
However, Chan-hyung seemed hesitant.
"Ah."
He seemed worried about the fragile cave wall. After all, there was a precedent where the ceiling collapsed because he misused his power against a giant wolf.
"I understand your concerns. But in my opinion, it should be fine."
But I was confident this time. The reason is simple.
"Looking ahead, can't you tell traps are set? Meaning, there's a sophisticated mechanical device."
It's not like the natural cave where the wolf hid before.
The walls and floors are smoothly carved. There are traces of artificial work.
Moreover, since devices that shoot arrows seem to be hidden behind the walls...
"If we simply break it, the entire cave won't collapse. Given that they've hidden such a complex device, it's sure to be designed to withstand some impact."
I left out the "probably". If it's wrong, I can just regress.
Despite all that, Gang-chan-hyung kept pondering.
Even if I've gained trust by proving my predictions correct so far, he still seemed worried about us getting hurt.
"Um..."
Dok Su-hee joined in the conversation.
"I've invested almost all my stats into magic, so I'm really weak against such traps... If we proceed conventionally, I'll end up like a hedgehog."
Contrary to her sharp eyes, Dok Su-hee looked pleadingly at Gang-chan.
"How could it not work...?"
"Please, hyung!"
With the two of them clinging to Gang-chan,
"... Alright. Stand back."
Unable to resist their gazes, Gang-chan took his stance.
Whooosh.
Gang-chan's fist started glowing.
A gust of wind surged through the narrow corridor, and as his fist shone brightly,
Boom!
Gang-chan's fist exploded in the trapped corridor.
"Whoa..."
I couldn't fully see the punch, thinking the aftermath might make me regress.
Rumble.
But through the violent shaking of the floor and walls, I could indirectly feel Gang-chan's power.
As the vibrations subsided,
"... It doesn't seem to have collapsed."
When Gang-chan brushed off his fist, I peeked into the 'trap corridor.'
"Ha, haha."
Before the various devices and crumbled stone walls, what first caught my eye was...
A hole in the shape of a fist.
"... The hole is shaped like a fist."
The easy way to pass through the worst traps?
Borrow the power of an overpowered character.
Gang-chan seemed to have used up a lot of energy with that punch, his complexion slightly pale.
If he could exert that kind of power at will, he'd be more a god than overpowered. After all, a descended god on Earth isn't swinging his power recklessly, right?
"Should we rest a bit?"
"... I'm fine."
After passing the destroyed trap corridor and walking straight for about 5 minutes,
"... There's a fork in the road?"
The path ahead split into two.
"Hmm..."
On the left, there was a depiction of a man fighting a monster in a primitive art style, while on the right, there was an image of a man holding his head in agony.
There are two palm-shaped indents on each stone door, suggesting that two should proceed together.
"I'll take the left."
At a glance, it's obvious that the right will have some mental challenges. And I must emphasize this repeatedly: for a regressor, mental management is the most crucial aspect. While physical pain can be overcome, psychological pain remains the bane of a regressor's life because the mind carries over with each regression. Hence, I won't willingly walk into the right door. I'd rather regress multiple times and clear the left door. Why on earth would I deliberately choose the right door?
"Um, I'll go through the right door with Gang-chan!"
Despite his hesitation, Angyeong-jun insists on going to the right door with Gang-chan.
"But why with Chan-hyung...?"
"Because Gang-chan has a life-saving ability... He can forcibly strengthen me in emergencies."
It makes sense when I think about it.
While Chan-hyung can perfectly protect his own body, Angyeong-jun is very vulnerable to external surprises without being strengthened. In emergencies, having Gang-chan, who can prepare Angyeong-jun for battle, as a partner is the most logical choice.
"So..."
"We're going together, aren't we?"
Dok Su-hee nodded slightly and placed her hand above the left door.
Following her lead, I too placed my hand on the stone door.
Rumble.
The floor began to descend slowly. Unlike a sudden trapdoor, it felt more like a gentle elevator.
"Let's meet when it's over!"
Around the time Angyeong-jun's voice was drowned out by the noise,
The scene in front of me had completely changed.
I saw a small room carved from a cave wall.
"There's a door ahead, but..."
There's a stone door right in front, but no visible mechanism to open it directly. Meaning, we need to do something in this room to unlock it.
"Hmm."
In the center of the room was a stone pedestal. On it lay a small box and a bottle of liquor emitting a fragrant aroma.
Upon opening the box, I first saw two stone cups, and in the center was a sharp needle.
A needle? Suddenly?
"What's this..."
Before I could finish, an unexpected thought came out.
[A warrior is not just about killing. Their essence may lie in defeating enemies, but their true purpose is to protect. A warrior without something to protect is nothing more than a murderer.]
A mysterious voice, not heard by the ears, but directly piercing the mind, spoke.
[In the broader sense, a warrior fights to protect their nation. On a smaller scale, they fight to protect their family, and fundamentally, they fight to protect themselves. Thus, a true warrior must know how to protect themselves.]
A voice arguing that a warrior's existence is not about killing but about protecting.
[If you take it a step further, a warrior should also protect their comrades in arms. When both are willing to protect each other, that's when the true strength of a warrior shines.]
"Hmm...
This makes sense. And now, I understand the concept of this room.
Is it testing our willingness to protect each other? It seems logical to pair people up, suggesting that they will face challenges requiring cooperation.
Fine, I'll protect Dok Su-hee.
As I was subtly nodding in agreement,
[Drink from the cup filled with shared blood, and look straight into your comrade's eyes. Understand your comrade shoulder to shoulder, and then the real test will begin.]
Upon hearing the continuation, I was left speechless.
Now I understood the purpose of the needle in front of us.
Prick a finger, bleed into the cup, mix it with the liquor, and drink it.
Yes, I've heard of such customs. Phrases like "blood brothers" are familiar.
Yes, I 'knew' of it. But I never dreamed I'd be in a situation to do it.
"Done."
Nonchalantly, Dok Su-hee pricked her finger, dripped a drop of blood into the cup, and poured the grain alcohol.
"Here you go."
The needle she lightly placed on my palm felt as heavy as a log.
Does this tower really not intend to let me pass easily?
"Sigh..."
I softly closed my eyes and pricked my fingertip with the needle. [ You have taken damage. ]
[ You will regress to the moment you first entered the 3-5th floor. ]
"I'll go to the right."
"... Are you sure you're okay? Holding your head like that doesn't look like it's just a minor pain."
"Of course, I'm fine."
Obviously, I'm not.
For a regressor, where mental management is crucial, there's no way that psychological damage would be bearable.
But what can I do?
"Really... I'm really okay."
There's no other choice...