Chapter 98
“Kyyaaaaah!”
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“Help me! Someone! Save—Aaaahhhh!”
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The agony of death, just hearing it, was enough to take your breath away. It was even more so for me, as I couldn’t see what was happening behind me. I could only imagine the horrors unfolding.
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“No, no…”
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I had to push the monsters away with all my might. No, this was already my best effort. I had been swinging my sword until my arms felt like they would fall off, and now, risking everything, I was using my entire body, including my elbows and feet.
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“Keck!”
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“Grrrrrr!”
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With every swing of my sword, flesh was split apart, and when I kicked, chunks of meat burst. Death lingered wherever my body touched, and a golden aura filled the space.
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It was a literal divine presence. A state of awakened consciousness forged from desperation and focus. The monster would turn into a cloud of light the moment it entered my sight.
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And yet.
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“Why, why!!! Why won’t you help!!!”
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Still, it was not enough. I was advancing step by step, but the number of people I needed to save was in the hundreds. This pace was woefully insufficient.
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“Get out! Come out! Fight, you damn bastards!”
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I shouted until my throat hurt, but no one answered anymore. Even William Smith, who had been trying to get out of the room, was no longer visible.
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“Can’t you hear these screams? People are dying right now, damn it!”
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“At least!!!”
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A woman’s voice, torn and desperate, rang out from somewhere.
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“…At least we have to try to survive… Do you really think breaking through to the second floor makes sense in such a situation?”
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“Then what about me? I’m telling you it’s possible! Just help a little bit…”
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“That’s… that’s just you.”
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“…”
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Even amidst the fierce battle, I hesitated for a moment.
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“We… we’re not as strong as you… If we join such a plan, we’ll all die…”
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“Aaahhhh!”
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“Save me! Save me!”
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“I know this is wrong. I know it goes against human decency. But… there’s no other choice…”
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The voice trembled, filled with a mix of self-loathing and the desire to survive.
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“I’m not someone great enough to die for others…”
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The other rooms were silent. But that silence was a tacit agreement.
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A firefighter who jumps into the flames, prepared to die, is noble. But the essence of that nobility is based on the premise that not just anyone can do it. Those who can risk their lives for others are heroes.
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And… the people gathered here were ordinary citizens, not heroes.
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“…”
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I wanted to rebuke them, but I couldn’t think of the right words. Essentially, I was the same as them. It was just that, thanks to my ability to regress, I was free from the threat of death, allowing me to act like this without a second thought.
I couldn’t help but empathize with their cowardice.
“Jun-ho! Jun-ho! Are we there yet?”
“Help me! Help me!”
“Mom, Mom…”
But even in this brief moment of hesitation, people from another world are dying. There’s no time to think. Action must come first. I have to do what needs to be done.
“Everyone, follow me!”
I swung my sword widely, scattering the monsters around us. In that gap, I pulled out a magical tool from my waist and threw it roughly to the ground.
Woong!
A protective barrier instantly blocked the right corridor. It’s too early to use it, but there’s no choice. We had to clear the path to the stairs immediately.
“Damn it, damn it!!!”
It’s frustrating.
I’ve tried. I’ve tried so hard, repeating regressions. I’ve gained the strength that ranks among the top players.
But it’s still not enough to save people.
I have to watch as people die behind me.
What do they want?
Why are we dragged into this tower, given powers we didn’t ask for, and thrown into this harsh environment?
It’s not rational. This doesn’t make sense.
I’m angry. I’m so angry, but what infuriates me the most is that there’s nothing I can do about it.
“Get out of my way!”
I didn’t even know who I was shouting at. I just poured my anger into my sword, swinging it wildly. There was no time to check if the otherworlders were following me. I just cut down the monsters in front of me.
In this crazed advance, when I finally reached the stairs…
Clang!
With a metallic sound, my sword broke in two. The blade had worn out, and I had been swinging it like a club.
Normally, I would take a step back and calmly assess the situation. But not this time. I didn’t want to. Even if I had to regress again, I wanted to vent this pent-up emotion.
“Ahhhhhh!”
I charged at an orc with my bare hands. Regression? Consequences? I didn’t think about that. It was pure anger, frustration, and self-loathing.
Woong-
At that moment, I felt a heavy, hot sensation at my right waist. It was where I had hung the scabbard I obtained on the third floor.
In a subconscious act, I reached out and grasped the hilt. With a satisfying grip, I drew out a red sword from the scabbard.
Rage.
The moment the status window told me the name of this sword, I was already slashing.
It was rough, destructive, and hot.
“Kweeeh!”
“Kyaaaah!”
Whether it was just my imagination or not, the monster I cut began to burn. No, it was burning even without being touched.
“This…”
The moment I realized that, I knew what I had to do.
“You damn bastards!!!”
I charged towards the stairs.
To kill even one more monster.
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***
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I’m frustrated.
Despite my best preparations, these monsters persistently exploit every gap, and it infuriates me.
I’m angry.
I loathe these monsters charging at me with wild eyes.
I’m sorrowful.
The weight on my shoulders is painful, and I’m ashamed of my inability to bear it.
I’m sorry.
I promised to protect them. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep that promise.
I poured all these complex emotions into my sword, cutting through without thinking, just focusing on destruction.
Is this a sense of liberation? A cool feeling spreads from my chest, and energy surges through my body. Right now, I feel like I can do anything.
I slashed in a state of utter focus. It felt like playing a game. When I swung my sword in anger, the enemies before me burst into flames.
First slash, then second slash, and finally, when no more monsters were in sight after countless slashes, the sword named ‘Rage’ disappeared. At the same time, my head spun, and my vision blurred.
“Huff, huff, huff…”
Without realizing it, I collapsed on the ground. The frozen earth pricked my cheek. This was the courtyard in front of the castle. How did I get here?
A deep sense of fatigue. A tearing hunger. And other such feelings gripped me.
Since I started regressing, I had never felt like this before. It felt like my body was completely empty.
“…”
My mind finally cooled down. I naturally looked down at the scabbard hanging from my waist. The feel of the red sword I had been holding a moment ago was vivid.
Did this scabbard create the sword in response to my intense anger? Or did I meet some condition as soon as I got angry? The causal relationship is still unclear.
-00 : 35 : 11
Thirty-five minutes left. I realized why I couldn’t see any more monsters. I had killed them all, so there were no more left.
“Ha, haha…”
Only then could I laugh quietly. I won. No matter how much this damn tower tried to screw me over, I endured. Regression? It will probably happen. This event will be erased.
But even so, the fact that I won now doesn’t change. No matter how much that angel bastard throws a fit, I overcame it.
After lying on the ground and emptying my chest for about five minutes…
“Phew…”
I got up and started stumbling towards the castle. A win is a win, but there’s still cleanup to do.
***
“Junho-nim. Are you alright?”
First, I headed to the basement, where Yoon Jung-hyun greeted me with a smile. When I nodded, he continued.
“We’re… okay. Three people lost an arm, and four people lost an eye, but… no one died. It’s thanks to Junho-nim’s plan.”
The atmosphere in the basement wasn’t bright, but it wasn’t dark either. Everyone had done their part, and they endured the ordeal admirably. We achieved a satisfactory result.
“How is the third floor? Have you made contact?”
“We also had our magical tools malfunction during the battle, so we’re not sure…”
“…Understood. Rest up, and I’ll see you on the first floor.”
“Yes, understood.”
After roughly sorting out the situation, I headed to the second floor. Quite a few otherworlders were wandering the corridors. Just a glance showed there were well over a hundred.
“…Thank goodness.”
Honestly, I hadn’t been worried about them a moment ago. I was just focused on killing the monsters in front of me.
But seeing this sight, my heart felt a bit at ease. I never thought I could save everyone from the beginning.
Their expressions were gloomy, but this was enough. Even if it wasn’t a perfect success… I had succeeded. At least, that’s what I had thought.
“…Junho-nim.”
“…Sir Thomas?”
“…You need to come… I think…”
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***
?As soon as I opened the door, a strong smell of blood hit my nose. A sense of foreboding crept up my skin.
The first thing I saw was William Smith, leaning against the wall.
William Smith looked completely exhausted, staring blankly at the floor with vacant eyes.
“…”
My gaze slowly moved from him to the center of the room.
“…Baron?”
“You’ve… come…”
Baron Jorge greeted me.
His side had been torn open roughly, his entrails exposed.
– – – End of Chapter – – -
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