Episode 714 The cycle of constrained regression (1)
From the top…
…down.
The sword that fell vertically headed towards the top of Jang Bo-kyung’s head.
“You…”
Jang Bo-gyeong swung the needle upward.
Kwaaaaang!
The moment the sword and the wooden needle collided, Cheon Yu-seong’s sword flew away.
Since there were restrictions on cold weapons, no matter how good a swordsman he was, he had no choice but to receive a penalty.
“…!?”
Cheon Yu-seong’s eyebrows twitched.
Even though I could barely stop it with a wooden needle, I felt a much stronger recoil than expected.
“How stupid! “That sword is of no use!”
Jang Bo-kyung smiled in remorse.
but.
[One Rok of the White Night – ‘White Frost’ is activated!]
Pachichichik….
A fierce snowstorm swept over the blade.
A realm that is a sword but is not a sword.
A white world colored with snow unfolded.
Kwaaaaang!
The sword moved once again. A flash of arc-shaped light struck Jang Bo-kyung in front.
“Tsk!”
This time, Jang Bo-kyung took a step back.
This heterogeneous power, completely different from cold weapons, was a type that transcended the scope of restrictions.
Oh oh!
Jinhyuk smiled brightly.
“Wow, it’s pretty. Our swordsman. “Are you here to help me?”
“I was just trying to make you look like you were cornered and struggling.”
“Anyway, have you caught a disease that will kill you if you speak nicely? The picky one is a complete hedgehog. “A hedgehog with a broken personality.”
“That’s it. “Is that woman the culprit?”
“huh. He’s a very naughty boy. “It was so amazing that the hardships were not worth it?”
Jinhyuk groaned.
“You’re saying it’s too much for you to handle?”
“It was a little tight.”
“Heh. It looks like there is a restriction that prevents you from using swords, so even you will have a hard time.”
Cheon Yu-seong’s shoulders rose slightly.
Although it was only about 0.1cm, Jinhyuk’s eyes could clearly sense Cheon Yuseong’s feeling as if he was floating on clouds.
“Whew. That’s right. If we keep fighting like this, things will only go the way she wants. “If someone powerful beyond the sword doesn’t help us, we will be defeated.”
“Heh. Still, it seems like you have a good grasp of reality. good night. A role that is difficult for you to handle. “Let me take care of it.”
“Great. thank god. “Because there is a being called you.”
Jinhyuk wiped away tears.
A piece of chess that is easy to manipulate.
If you give him a little respect, he will ascend to heaven!
In the past, he was so annoying that he almost died from being a stalker, but after learning how to handle him, he became quite cute.
“Then let me ask you a favor!”
Jinhyuk quickly left his seat.
“stop!”
Jang Bo-kyung collected the water droplets.
썄썄죣죣죣…!
Ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!
The water droplets that were flying were stopped by the snow fluttering in the air and froze.
Perfectly shaped crystals beautifully cluttered the view.
Cheon Yu-seong blocked with the same force as Tai-san.
“Your opponent is me. Unlike that guy, provocation won’t work, so stop making petty puns and use your skills…”
“Ha? What is he saying now. “On the subject of being second in command.”
“…kill it.”
The leisurely smile disappeared in an instant. There was only the second-in-command who had lost his mind due to anger.
And thanks to that, the shortest distance to Seongheun was secured.
[The stigmata disappear.]
The stigmata has almost disappeared.
Now we really only have about a second.
Jinhyuk threw himself with all his might.
Quaaaang!
A sprint wearing the ‘Crown of Speed’.
A flash of light passed all the way to where the letters were written.
Pachichik!
0.5 seconds.
All the letters of the stigmata began to evaporate.
Trying to move to another place.
Jinhyuk swung his dagger sharply.
The blade and blades increased and took the form of a plain sword.
0.2 seconds.
The extended blades touched the surface written on the letters.
And that moment.
“ha ha ha! “I got caught!”
Jang Bo-kyung’s laughter rang out.
Immediately, something happened that completely shattered my expectations.
[Stigmata has been destroyed.]
[‘Eob’s Instability Dice’ – ‘Seed of Remnants’ is activated!]
Damn it!
A huge mouth appeared centered around the stigmata.
Pitch black.
An abyss where nothing could be seen faced Jinhyeok.
“what…?”
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
The feeling of being possessed by something melted my brain.
That too for a while.
Kwasik!
The huge mouth swallowed Jinhyuk whole.
***
dark.
Normally, over time, your eyes get used to the darkness, but here, not even a single ray of light was allowed.
Grumble!
[‘The Flame of the Beginning’ is activated!]
Several fires lit up the surroundings.
Even the brightest light could not completely remove the darkness.
At best, you can only see a few meters ahead.
‘Is it a gap in another dimension, like an arrogant gathering place?’
I don’t know what kind of prank Jang Bo-kyung had planned, but I felt that she had prepared it much more carefully than expected.
Right then.
Jerk.
I heard footsteps in the dark.
“how is it? “Isn’t it quite cozy?”
Jang Bo-kyung approached with a wry smile.
And next to him…
“….”
A senior manager in charge of one axis of the huge world called the Tower of Trials. Hasting, who was vaguely thought to be dead, was standing there.
“Is he alive?…”
Jinhyuk muttered with an expression on his face that showed he had been caught off guard.
Because I never imagined that I would see Hastings here again.
“It’s different from Hasting, right? That’s amazing. I know this big guy. “What about me… I never dreamed of meeting a senior manager until I signed a contract with them.”
“I’ll take care of it from here on out. “Make sure no one from outside comes to interfere.”
“There are also Dominic and other rankers. “They will take care of guarding the entrance.”
“Don’t you see that I gave up an arm because of such a careless response? “The military force you brought with you won’t even buy time for that man’s colleagues.”
“hey! Aren’t you ignoring our kids too much? Even though they know I planted it in them?”
“It seems like you have no idea how dangerous Cheon Yu-seong or the saintess are. Moreover, if time is delayed, Ataraxia’s matriarch or homunculus may intervene.”
“Yep. “Please feel free to come.”
“ha. I can’t understand anything. That’s it. Anyway, I was entrusted with dominion over this space by them. “At least here, please listen to me.”
“Are you going to come out like that?”
Jang Bo-kyung shrugged her shoulders.
He seemed a little annoyed, but he stopped being stubborn when Hasting clearly drew the line between his roles.
“okay. If the great former superior gives such an order, then I must follow it. Is there anything else you can do?”
Jang Bo-kyung turned around without any regrets and went back into the darkness from whence she came.
Now, the only people in the middle of the abyss were Jinhyuk and Hasting.
“He went to my residence.”
Hasting was the first to speak.
I just calmly asked about what happened.
“It was like that.”
Jinhyuk nodded.
“That’s where I found my glasses.”
“that’s right. “I also found the glasses you were always wearing.”
I’ve been through a lot of hardships while playing Tower of Trials so far, but I can count on one hand the times that I’ve been very surprised.
Like when I first met Saeyoung Eonhwan.
When I found out that Belus was an operator of the hostile side.
…etc.
and. His memories, seen through Hasting’s glasses this time, were just as good as the previous ones.
Jinhyuk recalled what happened at the arrogant meeting place.
Hasting’s antique study.
There was a strangely smiling stone statue and numerous tentacles writhing around.
Kukukukuk!
The study room shook violently.
It is not because of the intimidating feeling of the statue or the dense concentration of magical power.
It’s just because everything you stand on is coming to an end.
-You couldn’t prevent destruction this time too. Hasting.
-In this episode, he rose to the position of senior manager.
-That’s it.
-…With your efforts.
-With your power…
-It is impossible.
Various voices flowed from the various faces of the stone statues.
It was the exact same voice that one of the statues had spoken when they found the ‘Book of Darkness’.
Three purple eyes stared down at Hastings.
Yes.
This was not the first time Hasting had been done.
Constrained regression.
Hasting was the being who was trapped in the shackles of this world’s fate, having accompanied the beginning and end of the Tower of Trials several times.
‘It was outrageous.’
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue as he recalled that scene.
One of the questions I kept having.
Most people are born with blood from a special race. Or, people who possess magical power that overwhelms everyone often rise to higher level managers.
However, hasting did not apply to both cases.
Aren’t the goblins the lowest-ranking race in the Tower of Trials?
Most of them lived in dungeons on the 1st or 2nd floor, or if they did well, they could only become low-level managers.
Nevertheless, the reason why it was able to become one of the seven peaks. It was thanks to him having lived through countless episodes.
Jinhyuk thought back on the video he had seen at the Arrogant Gathering Center.
-The tower will collapse…
-…The ancient race will dominate the entire dimension.
-There is no future for those who reject it.
-Next time too. Even then, the results will not change.
Apocalypse ‘covenants’ occurred one after another.
The status window was overflowing, not just once, but to the point where it colored my entire field of vision.
There is no hope or future there.
There is only endless abyss and fear.
The situation was such that not only the great powers at the top, but also the main officials and high-ranking managers of each power were just staring blankly at the approaching apocalypse.
Meanwhile.
The owner of the voice once again made a suggestion to Hasting.
-I will give you one last chance. Hasting.
-As the ‘man’ appeared, the final episode of Tower began.
-Colluding with ancient beings could be one way.
-and.
-Watch out for a person named Kang Jin-hyuk. He will be the key to the beginning and end of everything.
The memory inside the glasses ended there.
‘…So I had no choice but to stick with the ancient beings.’
Actually the last chance.
Hasting would never have been able to refuse a rope that could cut the rails of the hell train that was always heading towards a bad ending.
There were still many questions remaining, but now that I had met the person in person, I would be able to resolve them.
I can also understand why that guy wants to have a private meeting with me.
Hasting looked at Jinhyuk with strange eyes.
And then he continued speaking.
“If you’ve already seen it, there’s no need to explain it again. “Just as I remembered, I lived under the shackles of pharmaceutical regression to prevent the tower from collapsing.”
I even endured it in the labyrinth on the lowest level.
I even worked as a manager for other high-ranking monsters.
After going through several rounds, I became the boss of the ruins and became a member of a higher-ranking force.
Eventually, he rose to the position of senior manager and was able to oversee all matters of the tower.
I thought that this time I would be able to change a lot of things.
but.
No matter how hard I tried, the results did not change.
Even if I tried probably hundreds more times.
“In the meantime, I was informed of my last chance.”
can’t go back
This is really the last time.
That pressure weighed down Hasting’s whole body.
“I’ve been interested in you from the beginning. “I had no choice but to pay attention to the fact that the character Kang Jin-hyuk would be the key to everything.”
At the night dance, he approached Jinhyeok, became acquainted with him, helped him, and watched how Jinhyeok would lead the fate of the tower in the future.
“You were amazing. It far exceeded my expectations. My back hurt a lot. “I tried to understand, but in the end, I was the only one losing money every day.”
A move that cannot be imagined by an individual.
however.
Did you say that an angular stone attracts affection?
An overly flashy achievement instead aroused the ancient beings too quickly.
Enough to completely shatter Hasting’s plan.
“If you had grown up maintaining a certain level of goodness, I would have chosen the path to join hands with you and save the tower. “It’s a tug-of-war between various forces, trying to find the right balance.”
“I did go on a rampage a bit too much.”
“haha. you’re right. In the end, there was only one way left for me.”
‘Calm down the Primordial Being by eliminating annoying climbers.’
That, Hasting thought, was the only way to prevent the tower’s demise.
In fact, the owner of the voice also said that one way is to go under the ancient beings.
“So, are you here to eliminate me to prevent the tower’s destruction?”
Jinhyuk looked directly at Hasting’s face.
Instead of answering, a red spark appeared at the tip of Hasting’s finger.
