(For those who haven't seen the previous episode, please check it out... it has been updated...)
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
" ...! "
Paralyzed, I hastened my steps, rushing towards Dok Suhee.
"Traitor!!!"
Deity Ankyungjun, with eyes wide open, summons a wooden spear. From the looks of it, he succeeded in becoming a deity when Kangchan released his energy indiscriminately.
Out of nowhere, just like the cloth piece I had seen earlier, something formed above Dok Suhee's hand. One was the heart of the monster wolf, and the other was a fragment of the golem we had just defeated. These items turned into light in an instant and merged into Dok Suhee's armor. This was the same light that Dok Suhee emitted when she used 'enchant'.
A sound resonated as my sword swung towards her at the same moment her armor shone.
She quickly stepped back, avoiding my blade.
"?! "
No matter how paralyzed I was, I hadn't expected to miss.
Up until now, I had observed Dok Suhee through dozens, if not hundreds, of regressions. I had studied her movements, her combat sense.
I had once faced off against Choe Ji-won with a blade. Dok Suhee wasn't strong. Her physical abilities were akin to those of an average person.
So then...
My gaze naturally shifted to Dok Suhee's armor.
She had just enchanted the monster wolf's heart and the golem's fragment. It seemed to have greatly enhanced her physical abilities.
"Traitorrrr!!!"
But evading my sword wasn't enough for Dok Suhee.
Deity Ankyungjun threw his spear. It flew at a speed barely visible to the eye, piercing Dok Suhee's side.
She coughed up blood, grimacing in pain. While the enchantment of the golem's fragment seemed to have some effect, preventing her from shattering completely, she was hurled into the air and crashed against a wall. The torches on the wall fell due to the impact, plunging the room into darkness.
"...ugh..."
Dok Suhee gritted her teeth and summoned a low-grade potion. Without a cap, she poured its contents directly onto her wound.
"You think you can heal?!"
Deity Ankyungjun reached out to summon his thrown spear back.
"?! "
However, even as he reached out, the spear didn't return to his hand. In fact, the spear, which had been lodged in Dok Suhee's side, had vanished. All that remained was a bleeding hole.
" ...! "
Though momentarily stunned by the loss of his spear, Ankyungjun immediately lunged at Dok Suhee. I too forced my paralyzed legs to move, not willing to miss this opportunity.
Of course, I could always regress. The moment I do, I'd have a definitive advantage in information. But right now, I felt like I needed to subdue Dok Suhee and hear the whole story. I wanted to understand why she betrayed us, why she started all this mess.
" ...! "
Dok Suhee, her face pale from blood loss, retreated. Even though she had managed to use the potion to stem the bleeding, she was clearly not in good condition. She had been exposed to Kangchan's energy and was hit directly by Ankyungjun's spear.
As she retreated, I and Ankyungjun continued our pursuit.
Suddenly, a glowing dagger flew out of the darkness. It was indeed threatening, but not something I couldn't handle after navigating the trap corridor.
" ...! "
But I quickly halted my sword swing. It wasn't just a simple dagger. It was probably enchanted with 'explosion'. I had seen her use psychological warfare against the monster wolf in the past.
I instinctively twisted my body, trying to avoid the explosion's radius.
But I slipped.
"Damn it!"
The floor had been slippery to begin with, but not to the extent of causing a slip in such a situation. A quick glance at the ground revealed that it was more slippery than usual. Dok Suhee must have taken some measures while retreating.
I managed to land by bending my waist, but the soles of my shoes were already covered in the slippery substance. Judging by the smell, it was oil. My attention had been on the dagger, and with the cave getting darker, I didn't notice it immediately. The sensation was tingling.
And the tingling feeling from the area touched by the oil gradually intensified. It seemed that the oil was 'enchanted' with paralyzing poison.
"Traitorrrr!"
Ankyungjun, too, had been fooled by the oil trick, but he immediately threw off his shoes and rushed barefoot towards Dok Suhee.
No matter how much Dok Suhee's physical ability had improved, she couldn't match the sheer power that deity Ankyungjun displayed. Even the paralyzing poison wasn't enough to stop this man, who roared like a savage.
“...!”
Dok Suhee tried to fend him off with a dagger in each hand, but Ankyungjun, with a strange movement, evaded the daggers and delivered a powerful knee strike to her abdomen.
She spat out a mouthful of blood, her body suspended in mid-air from the force of the blow.
"...ugh..."
Dok Suhee collapsed on the floor, seemingly unable to even summon a potion.
“...huff..”
Ankyungjun too was immobilized. He trembled a bit before falling to the ground, his limbs twitching slightly. It appeared the paralyzing poison had spread throughout his body.
Upon closer inspection, a stream of blood flowed from his knee - the very spot where he had struck Dok Suhee.
"... poisoned blade, huh."
I had a rough idea. She probably summoned the paralyzing blade onto her armor right before being struck. Thanks to enchanting the golem's fragment, the blade didn't penetrate her armor, but it seemed to have dug deep into the softer flesh of Ankyungjun's knee.
Dok Suhee panted, converting a potion into light and applying it to herself. The previously shimmering armor now seemed to have lost its glow.
I, too, struggled to my feet, clutching my sword. I felt numb all over, my head dizzy.
Without warning, I turned my gaze to Kangchan, who was trapped inside the barrier.
"... My status window is sealed."
Kangchan seemed to be in no position to do anything either.
The two, battered and bruised, locked eyes.
Without breaking eye contact, I asked indifferently,
"... Do you have an inventory because of your ability?"
She took a brief pause in her breathing before continuing.
While she didn't answer directly, I was certain I was right.
The cloth, the wolf's heart, the golem's fragment, the potion, the oil, the paralysis poison - it was all clear. An inventory is a common cliché in games. You take out weapons, store items, and use them in real life.
It wouldn't be strange for Dok Suhee to have an inventory or a storage space.
"... Do you have two abilities? Inventory and enchant?"
"... The inventory is a feature that comes with the ability. It's not a separate ability."
Dok Suhee responded readily. Though they were conversing, their underlying intent was the same: to buy time and recover stamina.
"... Why didn't you apply the paralyzing poison to Kangchan?"
"... He would have noticed."
To Dok Suhee, Kangchan, even in his current 'nerfed' state, would have been the most formidable opponent.
Therefore, she aimed to neutralize Kangchan first and then deal with me and Ankyungjun. She likely believed that with the wolf's heart, the golem's fragment, and her inventory ability, she would have the upper hand.
By not applying the poison to Kangchan, she ensured he wouldn't notice it immediately. She probably applied the poison in the slot where she placed her hand on the stone door. That was the start of it all.
Moreover, she orchestrated the entire situation, ensuring that Ankyungjun and I were forced into close combat after she took his spear and stored it in her inventory. The wound was healed with a potion, and Ankyungjun and Kim Junho were forced into hand-to-hand combat.
I don't know when she came up with it, but it was a highly refined plan. And she almost succeeded.
I had many questions.
Why did she have the protective shield that seemed to be from the goblin shaman tutorial? Did she store the oil and cloth in her inventory from the real world? Was her cheerful demeanor all a lie? Why did she try to incapacitate us rather than kill us? But above all, there was something even more important.
"... Why are you doing this?"
Why?
That was the most pressing question.
We had been collaborating well, progressing smoothly through the third floor.
We could've just laughed it off and shared the rewards.
Why betray at the last moment?
What reason could there be to trap Kangchan using a valuable item and engage in a bloody fight with me and Ankyungjun?
"... Because I have to."
After a brief hesitation, Dok Suhee gave a distant reply.
"... I don't expect understanding. I know what I did was wrong. I also know how extraordinary the three of you are."
"... But why?"
"... Because I, and no one else, must clear the tower."
"I need to monopolize the rewards, to become stronger. That's why I betrayed, even knowing the risks."
Dok Suhee spoke calmly. As her trembling hand touched the chest in the middle of the room, it vanished into thin air.
"Haha..."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of her reason.
"For now... you're cornered."
Though I felt a surge of anger, I restrained myself. Killing her outright wasn't an option.
"I'm coming."
I took cautious steps toward Dok Suhee, forcing my paralyzed body to move while keeping my eyes wide open and focused.
The difference between us was clear. Thanks to my achievement level, my stats were considerably high. Even paralyzed, I could somewhat control my body and recover quickly.
But Dok Suhee seemed to have pitifully low stats. Hence, her recovery was slow, and she still couldn't control her body.
Even though Dok Suhee used her inventory to spread oil on the ground, set up spikes, obstruct my view with cloth, and even erected a stone barrier with the golem's fragment...
"... It won't work."
Such strategies wouldn't work on me. As long as I knew something could suddenly appear from thin air, there was no reason for me to fall for it.
Step by step, the distance between us shortened.
"Don't you have something like a tank in your inventory? Seems like you'd need that to block me."
Another step.
"Blocking my view with cloth was a novel idea... but why cloth? Something like a thick mattress would offer more resistance. Is there a capacity limit in your inventory?"
Another step.
"Let's start with a little skirmish. We can talk after."
The moment there was only one step left between Dok Suhee and me.
"... Kim Junho."
"... What?"
"... Look up."
A shadow loomed over me.
"... Ah."
When I looked up, a large wooden chest floated above my head. The same chest Dok Suhee had stored in her inventory earlier.
With my paralyzed body... there was no way to dodge.
"Damn."
Thud.
[You have taken damage.]
[You will be returned to the starting point of floors 3-5.]