"...!"
In a split second, a moment within a moment, barely 0.1 seconds in real time.
My brain feels like it's being tortured.
Desperately moving eyes quickly assess the situation.
Chan Hyungnim is only now turning his body, Dok Suhee is reaching into her pocket, and with his already pale face, Angyeonjun's complexion has turned even paler.
It was a perfect surprise attack. I never dreamt that the scattered metal chunks around us could combine and transform into an enemy.
The situation is very, very bad.
Because I was watching our front, not expecting an attack from behind, our formation is now scattered. Moreover, the speed of the golem's assembly was incredibly fast. Turning around to dodge might not even be possible.
The material of the golem is also a problem.
This mysterious metal reflects physical force. My weapon is a sword. Against such a sturdy opponent, it's at a severe disadvantage. Considering the properties of the metal, before I could even slice the golem, my hands might be torn to shreds.
From what I see, I absolutely cannot defeat this golem.
However.
What about Chan Hyungnim?
If not just mere physical force, but something beyond that could be unleashed by Chan Hyungnim's fists...
Whooosh.
The metal golem, preparing to strike with its arm raised, moves abnormally fast, almost as swift as the giant wolf that ambushed us from the ceiling.
Boom!
The golem's fist comes crashing down. It's too late to dodge.
Seemingly realizing the impending danger, Chan's face contorts in distress.
In that moment.
"...!"
Whoosh!
An immense surge of energy erupts from Chan.
Just as the golem's fist is about to hit Chan, an overwhelming aura, like nothing before, bursts from him.
Crash!
With a loud noise, dust fills the air.
"Ugh...!"
The ground shakes violently, and the dust obscures our vision.
I can't see exactly what happened, but judging by the sound, Chan's punch might have shattered the golem.
Yet, Dok Suhee's face is unusually tense.
"...Wind!"
"Was such an enchantment even possible?"
She throws her dagger, and a fierce wind emanates from it, blowing away the dust.
"Hyungnim...!"
I hurriedly step forward to help the staggering Chan, but...
"...Huh?"
Both Chan and the golem had vanished from the cleared space.
How? Where?
An unthinkable event occurred, and I stood frozen in place.
"Snap out of it! Wake up!"
Dok Suhee shakes me by the shoulders, while...
"Hmm!"
Angyeonjun, with a more ornate spear than his usual worn-out one, stands guard.
"No, no..."
I knew I had to move, but I was lost on what to do.
Where did Chan go? And the golem? Such a large creature, where could it have disappeared to?
Yet, as if sensing something, Dok Suhee, with a pale face, hurriedly reaches into her pocket.
"Damn it!"
She pulls out a wolf heart with urgency.
"Dodge!"
Only then did I realize the ground was shaking differently.
Boom!
A metal golem emerges right beneath us.
"Ah!"
Thud!
In my surprise, I reflexively swung my sword at its head.
Clang!
The centrifugal force from my waist to my shoulder, the strength of my arm, the weight of the sword, and the intense physical force were all reflected back, tearing my hand.
"...!"
Even as blood splatters, my eyes remain fixed on the golem.
The golem, emerging from the ground and swinging its arm at me, had a significant amount of blood on its fist.
Did Chan... run away?
I couldn't finish the thought.
My consciousness began to blur.
[You have taken damage.]
[You will regress to the moment you first entered the 3-5th floor.]
"...Wake up, kid." Translation:
"…Hey."
"...?"
"Let's talk for a moment."
Kangchan.
My suspicions began when this man suddenly left to hunt another wolf.
When I hadn't informed him about the wolf's presence in the previous episode, he obediently followed. But after I told him about the lurking monster, he disappeared. Even a naive three-year-old would find his actions suspicious.
But after witnessing Kangchan's overwhelming strength, I believed him. I believed that there truly was a second wolf and he had fought with it.
There was a consistent wound on his forehead after the fight, but I still trusted him. I thought someone as powerful as him wouldn't need to lie.
But, reconsidering the last scene I witnessed:
Kangchan disappeared soon after encountering the golem. The golem's fist was drenched in blood.
There was no dazzling light that usually precedes Kangchan's punch, nor were there any large holes in the ceiling or walls.
He just... vanished.
From what I observed, there's a high chance that Kangchan was killed by the golem.
Naturally, questions arise. Why? How?
He's the person who could throw a punch even I couldn't react to.
The one who, unable to kill a wolf, destroyed a cave.
The one who could clear a booby-trapped corridor with a single punch. Why couldn't he resist the golem? Why didn't he even react in time?
There's one hypothesis that comes to mind.
"Kangchan."
"...Do you know me?"
"Your punching ability has a time limit, right? A very severe one?"
It makes sense if Kangchan didn't resist, but 'couldn't' resist.
That after releasing that powerful punch, his combat ability drastically drops.
If this hypothesis is true, it explains a lot:
Why someone capable of delivering such a powerful punch moved so sluggishly while dodging.
Why, despite being so strong, he always tried to avoid a fight.
Why the powerful Kangchan was easily defeated by the golem.
Why Kangchan hesitated so much before punching me.
Though he seemed confident on the outside, internally, Kangchan must have been quite flustered.
"Where are you going?"
He began to walk away, but I wasn't going to let him go. I persisted and spoke to him.
"You. Your punch ability has a damn long cooldown, right? So you can't use it recklessly, right? Am I right? Huh?"
"...You're crazy."
Whoosh.
Kangchan, feeling cornered, began releasing his intense aura towards me.
But I've felt this aura multiple times before, so I didn't back down.
"Show me."
"If you think what I'm saying is a lie and not worth listening to, then show me your power."
"...I assume the structure of the 3rd floor requires the cooperation of four people. I have no intention of causing unnecessary chaos."
"Really?"
I sat down right there.
"I won't cooperate. Not until you show me your power."
"You can threaten or torture me. But I won't move until I see your strength."
Even as Kangchan's aura intensified, I remained unfazed.
He continued to escalate, but seeing that I wasn't budging, he spoke with a frustrated expression.
"...What do you want?"
"I want to know about your ability."
"What will you do once you know?"
Here, I provide a reason for him to cooperate.
"...I'm a regressor."
"And recently, on the 3rd floor, I saw you die to the golem. At this rate, we might never clear the 3rd floor. The golem is unnaturally strong."
I briefly explained to Kangchan what had happened after I entered the 3rd floor.
"...You expect me to believe that?"
"You have an ability to emit an aura like a red bead and a punch ability with a very long cooldown. Two abilities, right? What do you think?"
Kangchan's expression turned incredibly stern. He must have instinctively felt that I was telling the truth.
"...Yes."
This text seems to be a part of a fantasy or RPG-themed story where characters have unique abilities and engage in battles. The protagonist appears to be questioning Kangchan about the true nature of his abilities. Translation:
"If you want to kill me, then do it. I can just regress."
"... Why say this? Or, was that a foolish question? Are you planning to regress after gathering enough information?"
"... Sigh."
"... Is it because it's the highest difficulty? The moment we entered, such a ridiculous situation arose."
"You have one, right? Brought it to bluff when monsters appear? Let's say... an item?"
Closing his eyes and pondering for a moment, Kangchan...
Shhh.
Let out a soft, sarcastic laugh.
Simultaneously,
The intense aura emitting from Kangchan's body ceased. The fierce demeanor, which felt like it could kill dozens, disappeared in an instant.
"... You're right."
His face, which was emotionless yet stiff, gradually relaxed.
"I'm not the monster people think I am."
The man, leaning against the wall, looked worn out.
Upon closer inspection, his face might look fierce, but the unapproachable feeling had vanished.
Kangchan slowly bowed his head. It felt like this was his true self.
"I intentionally acted like an overwhelmingly powerful person."
With his head lowered, Kangchan spoke calmly.
"To survive."
The story he shared was quite shocking.