Thud. Thud. Thud.
While silently walking through the cave, my mind was racing furiously.
Let's reevaluate our party.
Firstly, there's me, the Regressor. In terms of combat ability, I'm top-notch. However, due to the penalty of regressing upon the slightest touch, my effective combat capability is the weakest.
Second, Dok Suhee with her enchantment ability. The 'Explosion' enchantment she grants is incredibly useful. The last memory I have of her was her trying to do something with a piece of a wolf's heart. We needed to further understand the potential of her ability.
Thirdly, there's Angyeongjun. Although he trolled in the mirror room, he seems to have considerable strength. The wooden spear he throws carries a terrifying force, and when facing the golem, he wielded a uniquely designed spear.
Lastly, Kangchan. He can use the immense ability of 'Fist', accompanied by an intense aura.
"... This is intriguing."
Three out of the four members were hiding their true abilities.
I concealed my regressor status, Angyeongjun hid the spirit that fights on his behalf, and Kangchan concealed the true nature of his power. It wouldn't be weird to title this as 'Players hiding their strength.'
Objectively, we're not lacking in firepower. Kangchan's ability, although conditional, is almost cheat-like. Suhee is akin to a versatile supporter, capable of long-range attacks and defense. And Angyeongjun, once he transforms, is incredibly strong, albeit a bit lacking in intelligence.
So, I decided to implement the obvious plan anyone in their right mind would consider.
That is, to confront the golem head-on.
"Now, everyone. Would you listen to my plan for a moment?"
The wolf, just like in the previous round, was swiftly dealt with by the transformed Angyeongjun. We passed the mirror maze with our eyes covered and Kangchan easily crushed the arrow trap.
"Krrraaah! Krrraaah!"
The real challenge was the 'Room of Fear.' Having already experienced the unending regression, I was quite numb to it. The nightmare changed to one where I crazily massacred my acquaintances. At first, it was agonizing, but at some point, I could regain my composure. Perhaps subconsciously, I believed 'this is just a test.'
"... Have you woken up?"
"... We cleared it simultaneously."
When I got up, I met eyes with Suhee, who was shedding tears. Considering she woke me up in the previous round, this was a significant improvement.
"This metal... when subjected to a certain level of impact, it reflects the force back."
Finally, we were once again in front of the room containing the golem.
"... Get ready. I feel a strong energy up ahead."
"Is it really that strong?"
"Beyond what you can imagine. According to my 'Insight' ability, it might be stronger than all of us combined."
The difference now is that we're fully prepared to face it.
I bluffed about having an 'Insight' ability and kept emphasizing how strong the golem was. Initially, the others were skeptical, but they eventually believed me.
"Kangchan, you take the rear..."
Knowing that Kangchan was a pushover, he stepped back.
"Suhee, please prepare the wolf's heart..."
I instructed Suhee to standby with the finely sliced wolf's heart.
"And, Angyeongjun, please get ready for battle. Seriously."
I urged Angyeongjun to wield not the old wooden spear but the previously seen, intricately designed one.
"... Alright."
Lastly, I stared forward with a shield in both hands. There's no point in me attacking. I need to focus on blocking the aftermath of the attack.
Finally, with all preparations complete, the four of us swallowed hard as we stared at the motionless metal behemoth.
"Haahp...!"
Suhee's hand, holding a piece of the monstrous wolf's heart, began to glow blue. The heart piece slowly melted away like melting ice cream, leaving only blue flames dancing above her hand.
Whooosh.
Suhee carefully caressed the flames and slowly placed them onto Angyeongjun's spear. The flames touched the spear, immediately turning translucent and then fiercely burning along the blade of the spear. Interestingly, despite the various feathers attached beneath the blade, they remained unburned by the flames.
"... Hmm."
Angyeongjun, in his transformed state, nodded in satisfaction. He swung the ornately designed spear around, relaxed his shoulders, and smacked his lips.
"Ha!"
He threw the spear towards the metal monstrosity.
Clang!
A deafening sound echoed as the spear instantly returned to Angyeongjun following its trajectory, a manifestation of the metal golem's reflective properties.
Thwip.
But Angyeongjun reached out calmly. The spear, which was hurtling back towards its owner, was suddenly back in his hand. If one can summon a spear from thin air... then recalling a thrown spear isn't out of the question. The crucial point here was that we had a means to counteract the metal's reflective nature.
Boom!
The metal golem began to reassemble itself instantly upon impact. There were visible cracks in its right arm - the marks left by Angyeongjun's spear.
"... Hmm."
It was still insufficient. There were cracks in the metal behemoth, but the damage wasn't significant enough, and the pieces of the wolf's heart weren't infinite.
If there had been something like a 'core' in the golem, maybe we could have tried something else... but this sleek golem had none. Even Kangchan's aura was ineffective. The combined strike of Suhee and Angyeongjun didn't inflict meaningful damage either.
As for me... well, it goes without saying.
It was clear: our offensive power was lacking. We needed an offensive capability that could shatter that golem.
I shook my head, biting my lip gently.
[You have taken damage.]
[You will regress to the moment you first entered floors 3-5.]
The fact that Kangchan's 'fist' was essential to defeat the golem was once again proven. Perhaps, if we confronted it head-on, through sheer perseverance, bleeding, and gritting our teeth, we might have been able to overcome it in the end.
If it weren't for my condition of regressing upon the slightest touch. Practically, with both me and Kangchan being almost useless, defeating the golem would be quite the challenge.
Thus, to defeat the golem, we needed to reach it without using Kangchan's power. If we could leverage the explosive power of his punch, we could potentially obliterate the golem in a single blow.
Whether defeating the golem would mark the end or if there were more trials waiting beyond, I wasn't sure. But one thing was certain; to defeat the golem, we needed Kangchan's strength.
However, the 'Arrow Trap Corridor' also required Kangchan's strength. Excluding the transformed Angyeongjun, everyone else was fragile, especially me, who would regress upon being grazed by an arrow.
To summarize the problem: Kangchan's strength was needed in two places, but he could only use his punch once.
And for such straightforward problems, there's usually a simple solution.
"Haah... 'Iron Wall!' It's ready!"
"... Phew."
Taking a deep breath, I took a bold step forward.
Thump.
The moment my foot touched the smooth stone floor, a metallic sound echoed, and five arrows shot towards the exact spot I was standing on. In the previous round, I had jumped back to avoid them. It was the beginning of the trap corridor, and behind was a safe zone. There was no reason not to retreat.
"Ha!"
Yet, I gritted my teeth and twisted my body. I held up the two shields I had acquired from the initial weapon room, deflecting arrows from the left and right. Simultaneously, I lifted my left foot to dodge the arrow aiming at my ankle, rotated my body 90 degrees to avoid the arrow targeting my ribs, and turned my head to dodge the one aiming for my face. It was a peculiar posture to deflect the arrows, but... the crucial thing was that I dodged them.
"... Ha."
I carefully stepped back onto the ground I had just left.
Because I had observed the direction of the incoming arrows during the previous round, I could avoid them with ease. It was a promising start, and I could celebrate the swift progression, but...
"... Damn."
Having dodged the arrows, I could instinctively understand: If I hadn't known, I wouldn't have dodged them. It wasn't something I could've reflexively avoided. The speed of the arrows was incredibly fast, their trajectory cunning, and their sound was almost silent. Even someone with animalistic senses would struggle before this trap.
"Damn, damn..."
For someone like me, who regresses upon a mere graze, this is the worst challenge. Nevertheless, I take another step forward.
Thump.
There's a sound of something locking into place, and simultaneously, six arrows are shot. I deflect two, instinctively dodge another two, but completely miss the remaining two.
Whoomp!
But I was lucky. Thanks to quickly twisting my body, the spot hit was covered by the 'Iron Wall' enchanted leather armor. Since the arrows only grazed rather than hitting directly, the armor held up against the damage.
"Heave, heave, heave..."
Momentarily pausing, I mentally trace the path of the arrows and take another step. The step wasn't random; it was according to my own calculated pattern. It was a measure to reduce variables.
"... Hmm."
This time, no sound was heard. Am I in a safe spot? Just as the tension in my heart started to ease slightly...
Whoosh!
"Argh!"
A delayed arrow from behind pierces my back, and I fall forward, screaming in pain.
[You have taken damage.]
[You will regress to the moment you first entered floors 3-5.]
"... Get up, rookie."
Without responding to Kangchan's words, I slowly rise from my position.
By now, one could deduce what I aim to achieve.
Kangchan's strength is needed in two places.
He can only use his ability once.
Thus, one challenge must be overcome without relying on Kangchan's power.
Therefore... I will surpass this damned arrow trap.
I will navigate through the arrow-riddled corridor without getting hit even once.
Even if it means repeatedly facing regression.