The 2nd floor was relatively easy to clear. Because of that, I could frequently visit the 1st floor and often return to reality.
However, clearing the 3rd floor was a first for me. Given the incredibly long time I was stuck in the arrow trap, it felt like almost half a year in my perceived time before I returned to reality.
“Phew, haa…”
After continuously breathing in the stifling cave air, the polluted Seoul air felt incredibly refreshing.
The first thing I did upon returning to my long-missed room was…
Ring ring.
I called Cho Ji-won and Park Cheol-jin.
After a few beeps, the call connected…
"… Still no answer."
I don’t think they failed their quests. Park Cheol-jin is a bit uncertain, but Cho Ji-won had the capability to even destroy the 3-5 floors.
After sending a text to check on them, the next thing I did was search the internet.
- Post-clearing review of Floor 3-1
- Barely survived Floor 3-3. Taking questions.
- Went into Floor 3-2 with a friend. Seems like we faced different trials. But I still can’t contact him…
"… Fascinating."
After browsing through posts, I noticed something interesting.
- How did you deal with the 5 wolves that attacked at the start?
- Wolves? I encountered goblins.
- What difficulty are you on?
- I'm on 3-2, you?
- Huh? I'm on the same.
Even if people entered and exited the same difficulty level, the challenges they faced were different. Some faced goblins, others wolves, orcs, or slimes. The testimonies suggested that the overall difficulty was similar, but the specific challenges varied greatly. Perhaps the trials change based on the individual entering…
"No mention of the red room."
Even after extensive searching, including foreign websites, there was no mention of a sudden appearance of a red door in the last room, suggesting it might be unique to the 3-5 floors.
"… That should be enough browsing for now."
After a cursory internet search, the next thing I did was...
"… So, what is this?"
Check the rewards I received from the 3rd floor.
Click.
First, I decided to open the box and check its contents.
< Medium Potion >
< Medium Potion >
< Scroll (Empty) >
"Potions and… an empty scroll? And… what's this?"
Something caught my eye, and I pulled it out of the box.
"… Hmm."
A thick glass bottle containing a shimmering blue liquid. Given its color, it reminded me of a mana potion.
But what use would a mana potion be for me? I can't even use mana.
As I was about to place the liquid back into the box, a description caught my eye.
< Elixir of Experience >
- Upon consumption, you will gain a certain amount of experience.
- Unique item. (Cannot be duplicated.)
"… Huh?"
I read the description in surprise.
Can I gain experience by drinking this?
After a quick look inside the box, there were nine more bottles of the same design.
"... Wait a minute."
Currently, my status looked like this:
[ Name: Kim Jun-ho ] [ LV: 21 ]
[ Traits ]
- Regression [ EX ]
- Flash Bow [ S ]
- Heart of Lightning [ S ]
- Curiosity [ A ]
- Reverence [ A ]
- Hero [ C ]
- Swordsmanship [ D ]
"… Was my swordsmanship originally at D?"
Anyway, that LV isn't an ordinary level but an achievement level. I couldn't gain experience from defeating monsters due to the message 'The difference in level is too great.' This limited my growth. Even if I wanted to become stronger, I couldn't. This was one of the privileges of a regressor – the ability to grind levels was blocked.
"But…!"
If it's the Elixir of Experience…
Regardless of any level gap, it simply grants experience…
Gulp. Gulp.
I cautiously, yet boldly, drank an entire bottle. The taste was strange, like a medicinal brew mixed with soda, but for my growth, it was bearable.
Once I had emptied a bottle, a message appeared before my eyes.
[ As you don't have a level, the experience is accumulated. When your level rises, the accumulated experience will be applied all at once. ]
"Ah."
… Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Having discarded one Elixir of Experience, I still had nine bottles left. I could give these to someone else or even exchange them for other items.
"… Now, next up is..."
The next thing I checked was the sword sheath given to me by the stone statue. Looking at it from all angles, it seemed just like an ordinary sheath. Though it felt exceptionally sturdy, possibly because it was a reward from the tower, there was nothing else special about it.
Out of curiosity, I used the 1st floor's function to generate a sword and placed it in the sheath, but... nothing happened.
Was this really given to me as a weapon? Or maybe there's something more to it that's sealed or I'm unable to utilize.
"... Sigh."
I spent a considerable amount of time examining the sheath, but no significant discoveries were made.
After tirelessly studying the sheath, I celebrated my return to the 1st floor by creating pizza, cola, chicken, pork feet, and every other delicacy I craved, eating until I was on the verge of bursting. I hadn't eaten anything in the cave, so my hunger was explosive.
Satisfying my appetite, I lay on my soft bed, watching TV until I drifted off to sleep. It was a simple day, but it felt blissful.
Only then did I realize how exhausted I had truly been.
A day passed.
There was still no contact from Cho Ji-won and Park Cheol-jin. Given that a whole day had passed without any contact, the gimmick of the 3-4 floors seemed to be something that takes a considerable amount of time.
Should I wait for them? But what if this floor, like the previous one, has a mechanism that separates us? Or what if it's a floor that requires solo progression?
What if, in the worst-case scenario, it takes over a week for Cho Ji-won to come out? Time right now is critical.
"Kang Chan and An Gyeong-jun said they'd take a break..."
Kang Chan mentioned he wouldn't be entering the tower for a while due to personal reasons. Though he didn't explicitly state it, I suspect he's waiting for the cooldown or conditions of his 'Fist' ability. He has comrades, but ascending the tower without his ultimate move would be suicidal.
An Gyeong-jun also expressed his desire for a break to train. He aims to freely control his divine power. Given the recent events on the 3rd floor, he had heavily relied on Kang Chan's presence to trigger his divine power. If he could activate it at will, he would become much stronger.
So, what should I do now?
I recalled my time on the 3rd floor with Dok Su-hee, Kang Chan, and An Gyeong-jun. The cave, the monster wolves, the mirror maze, the arrow trap, the golem, and finally... Dok Su-hee's betrayal.
This was the first time I had collaborated with someone other than Cho Ji-won. It was the first time I had regressed so much for a single objective. The first time I was betrayed and the first time I used regression as a form of punishment.
"... Is this really okay?"
Entering the 4th floor means solidifying the past. I won't be able to change the future anymore.
I asked myself, will I regret moving on to the next floor as things stand?
I might regret not finding a better way to persuade Dok Su-hee, avoiding her losing her arm and enlightening her.
But I suspect I'd regret regressing even more. My feelings towards Dok Su-hee are complicated: anger at the betrayer, disgust at her madness, sympathy for her tragic story, and guilt for impulsively cutting off her arm.
If I were to regress and meet an oblivious Dok Su-hee again, I'm unsure of how I'd behave. And I don't know how my psyche would change afterward.
I kept pondering. Weighing the gains and losses of regression. Isn't it just simple? I could regress and redo everything. But the mental fatigue is too overwhelming.
When tired, should I take a break? Thoughts of the feast I indulged in earlier and the warm, soft bed naturally came to mind.
I want to play games. I want to sleep for as long as I wish. Rewarding myself for clearing the 3rd floor isn't a bad idea. Plus, in about a month, the coins I invested in will skyrocket. Even with society in chaos, I could have a good time with the profits.
Enjoy to my heart's content and then regress to redo the 3rd floor...
No, that's not right. Humans are creatures of inertia. Once you stop, getting back into motion is twice as hard. For now, I can endure it. And upon reflection, my punishment towards Dok Su-hee was justified.
Above all, the bond I've built with An Gyeong-jun and Kang Chan is solid. While the situation isn't the absolute best, it's close to it.
Kang Chan. An Gyeong-jun. Cho Ji-won. Dok Su-hee. And most importantly, my own mental state.
After wrapping my head around it and contemplating over and over, I finally came to a conclusion.
Let's move on to the next floor.
"... Sigh."
Taking a deep breath, I hurled myself into the portal.
[You have entered the 4th floor.]