109 – The Returner’s Efforts (4)
-00:12:22
Sunlight shines through the cracks in the collapsed ceiling. It’s morning.
“Sal… “Did he survive?”
“Haa, haa, haa… “
Players’ voices can be heard sparingly. Sighs of relief come from everywhere.
That’s right. It’s a sigh of relief. Not a shout of victory, but a sigh of relief.
“Minhee… Minhee… “
“Why…” Why are you… “
On the other side of the large room. People are seen crying and clutching the fragments of the corpse. The faint smell of blood stings my nose unpleasantly.
“Whoa… “
When Wave first started, I thought I had succeeded.
The strategy is to crowd the aliens into a large room and block the passages on both sides to enter the room.
Just like the previous day, I decided to take charge of one side and the rest of the players would take care of the other side. It is a strategy that cannot fail unless it is destined to fail.
Yes, if black orcs didn’t suddenly appear.
As if he was being disturbed, a black orc strode up to the fourth floor, killing a group of other monsters with his own hands.
That guy… It was strong. Their natural physical abilities were different. Even though I received the hero trait, it took me 20 seconds to defeat it.
Regenerative power that heals even fairly deep wounds in an instant. He is so tall that his head almost touches the ceiling. The strength to collapse the ceiling in an instant. Even skin as hard as hitting a thick tree.
Although it couldn’t compare to the golem on the third floor, it was definitely a strong enemy. Of course he wasn’t hard to beat. It took 20 seconds, but the reason it took so long was because its neck was so thick and its regenerative power was so excellent.
Yes, he was no match for me.
The problem is that the same entity appeared on the other side.
He instantly wiped out the group of players guarding the passage, entered the room, and massacred the group of aliens.
Of course, I arrived quickly and took him down… The problem is that there was damage.
Less than twenty people died. There are about ten players and ten aliens. Compared to the last episode, the damage was ridiculously low… Attacking the 4th floor completely failed again.
“What…?” “What was the problem?”
Such a monster has never appeared in previous episodes. Although flying monsters may have appeared, there has never been one this strong.
Wasn’t the 4th floor a loophole? Is there something I don’t know about?
No damage for two days? Or was the problem itself the fact that it was regularly blocked on the third day? What is the problem?
Even if you think about it over and over again, there is no conclusion. I tried so hard. I thought I would succeed this time.
While I was wrapping my head and thinking, the timer rang.
-00:00:00
[Settlement]
[Player] 91 / 100
[NPC] 288 / 300 (Main NPC survival success + 20000)
– Whether or not a penalty is given (none)
-Compensation equivalent to 48800 points is given to all survivors.
– [Junho Kim], Who ranks 1st in contribution, receives an additional special reward.
When I came to my senses again, I was on the first floor. I look with vain eyes at the message window that floats before my eyes.
48800 Points. Assuming you save Baron Jorge, the highest score is 50,000 points.
“Whoa… “
I force myself to ignore all the negative emotions swirling around me and move my body. This is because a courtesy ‘reward box’ was placed on the other side of the first floor.
If there is this reward… You may not have to repeat failure.
-Transparent Gloves [B]
-Transparent leather gloves.
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-Meditation [C]
– Provides time to calm the mind and reflect on oneself.
In the existing rewards, the same rewards were given as in the previous round. Is it because it is customized, or is it decided that way? For your information, there is no such thing as combining and evolving just because you acquired the ‘Meditation’ trait twice. All that comes to mind is a meaningless message saying, ‘Your skill level has increased.’
-20000 Points achievement reward: Intermediate potion x 20
Reward for achieving -30000 points: Elixir of All-Purpose [Unique]
The newly obtained rewards are as follows. It’s a potion, it’s a potion that everyone knows… I heard that the elixir of omnipotence is an elixir that increases all abilities by 10 when you drink it, so I drank it right away.
“Hmm… “
I sit on the bed and look back on this episode.
It was good to lead people by actively utilizing future knowledge. There was resistance in the beginning, but by the fourth day, people were actively trying to make a good impression.
But… The problem is the orcs that appeared on the last day. This guy was so powerful that even middle to upper tier players died.
What was the problem? Where did it go wrong? There are several possible causes, but nothing is certain.
“If you don’t know… “
I have to do it again.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 4th floor.]
***
“Let’s just build the wall higher.”
“What??”
“The walls are now… It’s roughly the height of a 4-story building, right? “We are raising this to the height of a six-story building.”
“… It seems difficult… “
“Just give it a try.”
“… “I understand.”
I realized this right after construction began. Baron Jorge was right.
A castle wall was not something that could be built in an instant, even by mobilizing superhumans.
Even though the night of the third day soon approached, the walls of the castle were not raised much.
“Seup… “
The plan to raise the walls was a failure.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 4th floor.]
***
“You, you, and you. “Come here.”
“… ?”
“I appoint you as the ‘5th Day Special Forces.’ The mission is simple. Soon a black orc will appear in the night, all you have to do is hold on and not die. “It’s easy, right?”
“Oh, yeah, well…” All right.”
Only the strong were selected and made to hold on to the orcs that appeared on the 5th day. The effect was certain; although they were seriously injured, they were not attacked by the black orcs, and as a result, I was able to buy time to deal with the black orcs.
My mercenary skills were successful.
“Krrr…” “
After a while, until the black wolf appeared.
“Oh, oh!”
“Going there! “Run away!”
“Is there a place in the room to escape to…” aaah!!!”
The black wolf did not fight with the players. It moved cleverly, passed between the players’ legs, went straight into the room, and bit off the backs of the otherworlders’ necks.
This time, everyone failed to survive.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 4th floor.]
***
A trap was laid.
We changed the personnel arrangement.
The order of preparedness measures used was mixed.
We actively used future knowledge, but it all failed. The number of victims gradually decreased, but never converged to zero.
I thought I didn’t have enough strength, so I tried to train my mana by holding each leg for one episode.
Lock yourself in a room and use the ‘Meditation’ trait while concentrating on the sensations within your body.
As one day, two days, and a week passed, I started to feel something mushy inside my body.
I did not learn martial arts or sword techniques from novels, so I could not bring about dramatic changes, but I felt that my physical abilities increased just by spreading mana throughout my body.
Of course, it failed nonetheless. Nothing would change just because I became a little stronger.
I knew it at this point. It’s not that I don’t have enough strength, but that this 4th floor is a floor where you have to see the victims somehow to be relieved. This is a floor where someone has to die.
The enemy changes depending on the way you block the monster? Yes, that much is true.
But we should add ‘if no one dies, the monster becomes stronger’. If the aliens do not die, the monsters become infinitely stronger.
It’s like playing a game that adopts the ‘level scaling’ method. The more I work hard and prepare thoroughly, the stronger the opponent becomes. My efforts are not really felt.
“Ha…”
This episode. Three aliens and two players are dead. People were a little sad, but mostly happy, and most were grateful to have survived.
In fact, there is no doubt that this is an enormous achievement.
Is there any need to save everything? There were only 5 victims? If it’s not a miracle that all but five people were saved while everyone else was dying, then what is?
The word compromise comes to mind again. At the same time, the unpleasantness of the word ‘compromise’ whips me to not compromise.
Is there the answer I want on the 4th floor?
What if I was wrapping my head around a problem that had no answer? What if he was a clown who danced according to unreasonable rules as if scribbled by a child?
What if all this effort I put in was meaningless?
Just… What if the right answer is to give up at this point and put more effort on Choi Ji-won’s side?
“… “
But that cannot be done. I already know why it can’t be done.
After completing the first regression. The number of victims decreased dramatically. The maximum is twenty, the minimum is five. It has never gone beyond that range.
But… Just because the number of people dying was the same, it did not mean that the same people died.
Sometimes this person. Sometimes that person. Sometimes it’s people I’m close to, sometimes it’s people I don’t know very well.
Whenever the variables change, the number of deaths also changes. Just like spinning a slot machine, different combinations come out.
“… If I give up here… “
Someone will definitely die.
And the moment I go up to the 5th floor, the result is fixed forever.
In fact, it is no different from choosing who will die. I am killing people.
In the end, we come to the conclusion that everyone must be saved. But if it continues like this, there will be no end. Because I’ve done everything I can think of.
“Let’s do it.”
With the situation pushed to this point, I have to take a gamble.
“The name is…” “What was it?”
A risky gamble that may result in great sacrifice.
But before that, there is someone to check. Maybe this person holds a clue.
I chewed my tongue to steady my shaking mind.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 4th floor.]
***
A middle-aged man preparing food with leisurely hands. As if they were going shopping, they hummed a tune and picked up food, including beef jerky.
“You can just drink water… I’m looking forward to it. hehehe.”
Although her eyes are slightly open, her expression is one of pure happiness that is not appropriate for her age. What are you trying to do that makes you so happy?
“Um… Mr. Hongjun.”
“Uh, do you know my name? Beyond that, who are you?”
“I have something to ask you.”
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After the first day, Eom Hong-jun always disappeared somewhere.
I have to find out this man’s secret.
The key is the portal, right?