Episode 856: A Choice of Three (6)
After being left alone, my plan was very simple. (Hanho)
Hunker down. (Hanho)
It was something I'd done often, and something I, with my Shield Barbarian class, was best at. (Hanho)
The basis for this judgment was the current time. (Hanho)
It was already well past the eight hours of the guaranteed stabilization period. (Hanho)
If I just held on a little longer, the stabilization period would end, and as soon as the wave started, I planned to ditch this bastard and jump over the dimensional wall. (Hanho)
And after that. (Hanho)
‘If I run around, I'm bound to find a group of survivors.’ (Hanho)
Once I found them, joining wouldn't be difficult. (Hanho)
After all, who would turn down a talent like me? (Hanho)
Ah, of course, if I was unlucky, there was a possibility I'd step on an instant-death trap and get a game over before that. (Hanho)
However, on the other hand, if I was lucky, I might be able to find Misha or the Anabada Clan somewhere out there. (Hanho)
Hmm…? (Hanho)
Yes, that was definitely my plan. (Hanho)
So what in the world is this situation? (Hanho)
…
…
The creature's blue eyeball stared intently at me.
As if it were waiting for an answer to its previous question. (Hanho)
‘Oh…’ (Hanho)
I suddenly realized that my surroundings had gone quiet. (Hanho)
I couldn't hear the sound of the rain, nor the sharp wind that whipped through the canyon. (Hanho)
The reason was very intuitive. (Hanho)
‘It stopped…?’ (Hanho)
A world where everything had frozen as if a picture had been taken. (Hanho)
Join Discord
The only things moving in it were me and that blue-eyed monster. (Hanho)
‘A hallucination?’ (Hanho)
That was the first possibility that came to mind. (Hanho)
If my head had gone crazy again, it would explain why time suddenly felt like it had stopped, or why that monster suddenly started talking to me. (Hanho)
But… (Hanho)
The character’s Mental Resistance is at its maximum.
Special Condition – Equivalent Exchange is met.
As I thought, it couldn't be a hallucination. (Hanho)
The Crown of Anguish was an item that provided an immunity bonus to all harmful mental effects. (Hanho)
Its performance had also been verified through numerous uses. (Hanho)
Not even the Evil Eye, who possessed a Rank 1 Essence, could penetrate this crown. (Hanho)
Therefore… (Hanho)
[An, swer, me………….] (Tetrasea)
This whole moment unfolding now must be reality. (Hanho)
I don't know what kind of harmony this is, but time had actually stopped, and in that stopped time, the creature was asking. (Hanho)
[Why… can you… smile……………] (Tetrasea)
…
How should I answer this? (Hanho)
No, is it even right to answer? (Hanho)
‘Won’t something bad happen if I answer carelessly?’ (Hanho)
That worry made me hesitate to open my mouth, but thinking it over, what more could go wrong from here? (Hanho)
Wasn't I in a situation with no other choice but to hold out alone until the wave started? (Hanho)
Besides, you never know. (Hanho)
During the ‘Dreadfear’ encounter, hadn't a trigger I was unaware of activated, allowing me to converse with a being presumed to be the original? (Hanho)
Therefore… (Hanho)
[An, swer me………….
Wh, y―.] (Tetrasea)
Looking at the monster that tirelessly spat out the same question, I answered in the Ancient Language. (Hanho)
[Well… it's better than bawling my eyes out, isn't it?] (Hanho)
It was my honest feeling, without any embellishment. (Hanho)
It wasn't a bluff; what was I supposed to do when the tears just wouldn't come? (Hanho)
[Anyway, now it's my turn to ask.] (Hanho)
…
…
[Are you the ‘original’?] (Hanho)
The creature just stared at me silently, offering no reply. (Hanho)
Hmph, is it because he’s an uneducated monster? (Hanho)
When your opponent answers a question, it's common sense that it's your turn to ans―. (Hanho)
[W, rong……………] (Tetrasea)
Huh? Not the original? (Hanho)
Just as I thought that. (Hanho)
[The reason, you can smile, is……………] (Tetrasea)
The creature continued. (Tetrasea)
[Simply, because, it is not, that, pain, ful.] (Tetrasea)
What is this bastard talking about? (Hanho)
If you were going to make such assumptions, why did you even ask the question? (Hanho)
My head was already starting to ache from its conversation style, which suggested it had zero friends, but I held back and continued the conversation. (Hanho)
[So what is it you want to say?] (Hanho)
Honestly, I was curious. (Hanho)
Why this creature, presumed to be the original, would go as far as to stop time to try and have a conversation. (Hanho)
The Twisted Pilgrim makes you an offer.
Then, the creature looked at me and said. (Hanho)
[I will give, it………….] (Tetrasea)
For some reason, with much better pronunciation than before. (Hanho)
[I will give it to you, the pain I possess……….] (Tetrasea)
At first, I thought it was a declaration of war, a promise to torment me severely, but the situation that followed showed me that wasn't its meaning. (Hanho)
Whoooosh~!
A blue orb was being extracted from within the creature's body as if forcibly pulled out. (Hanho)
If I wasn't mistaken, that was… (Hanho)
‘The Essence of Tears…?’ (Hanho)
What in the world is this situation? (Hanho)
Why is it suddenly offering me its essence? (Hanho)
It was hard to follow the development, but let's try to give a quick answer first. (Hanho)
[I don't need it, so cut it out right now!] (Hanho)
Tsk, who does a lord from the measly sixth floor think he is, offering me an essence? (Hanho)
I recoiled in horror, stepping back, afraid that my hand might even touch the essence. (Hanho)
Of course, the Essence of Tears wasn't bad, and it was undoubtedly a good essence for a tank, but… (Hanho)
Still, I strongly refused. (Hanho)
First, you could only have one Floor Lord Essence per character, and once consumed, it was impossible to remove. (Hanho)
And… (Hanho)
‘Why would I take it when there’s a better option?’ (Hanho)
For one, the concept didn't fit. (Hanho)
What a Shield Barbarian pursues is a tank so tough that its HP doesn't drop, but the moment I consumed that, I would turn into a soft-fleshed tank whose HP regenerates quickly. (Hanho)
Well, it wasn't completely useless, so if that essence happened to drop first, I'd usually just take it. (Hanho)
It was a good essence, just with a slightly lower endgame potential. (Hanho)
Besides, that other essence was much harder to obtain, and I'd gotten a game over many times before I could get it. (Hanho)
In terms of cost-effectiveness, this one was much better. (Hanho)
[Hey, hey? I said don't…!] (Hanho)
However, there were two reasons why I was freaking out like this and even stepping back. (Hanho)
Ultimately, I had only reached the Gate of the Abyss when I had consumed that other essence and raised my peak potential, and… (Hanho)
This wasn't a 2D game. (Hanho)
It was a hundred times better to choose tough skin that doesn't get cut over skin that regenerates quickly when cut. (Hanho)
Because that way, it hurts even a little bit less! (Hanho)
[Ah, damn it… Won't you back off? Huh? I said cut it out! I'm not taking it!] (Hanho)
As I stepped back and even shouted, did my sincerity get through to the creature? (Hanho)
Whoooosh—. (Hanho)
The essence that had been extracted from its body and was slowly approaching me stopped moving. (Hanho)
"Hoo…" (Hanho)
Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, thinking I had stopped it, the creature looked at me with a questioning gaze. (Hanho)
[Why, do you refuse………?] (Tetrasea)
[…Because I don't need it.] (Hanho)
[This pain, will, pro, tect, you, more….] (Tetrasea)
Ah, I don't know about that. (Hanho)
If you're going to give me something, I wish it were something else. (Hanho)
You have things like Floor Lord Artifacts, don't you? (Hanho)
A Floor Lord Stone that lets you open a Rift once would also be nice. (Hanho)
[Ac, cept, your, fate………………] (Tetrasea)
Hmph, what fate? (Hanho)
Why are you so clingy when I said I'm not buying? (Hanho)
At this point, I couldn't be nice anymore. (Hanho)
[What are you talking about? I've made myself clear.
I don't need it, so cut it out.] (Hanho)
As I looked it in the eye and spoke firmly, the creature finally retracted the extracted essence. (Hanho)
Whooosh- (Hanho)
Hmph, it only listens when I speak harshly. (Hanho)
‘Still, I'm glad it wasn't a forced event.’ (Hanho)
As I watched the essence get completely absorbed back into the creature's body and breathed a sigh of relief, the creature's mouth opened. (Hanho)
[Even so, you will not, be able to, avoid it……….] (Tetrasea)
Tsk, has it still not given up? (Hanho)
[Just, as I, could not………….] (Tetrasea)
I felt like it was putting a curse on me, but my refusal seemed to have been clearly communicated, as the situation immediately changed. (Hanho)
You have refused the offer of the Twisted Pilgrim.
Your Soul Power permanently increases by +100.
Along with the sensation of my MP increasing as if I had leveled up. (Hanho)
The Twisted Pilgrim pities you.
The sadness deepens.
The stopped time gradually accelerated. (Hanho)
The rainwater headed slowly toward the ground, like flipping through consecutively shot photos. (Hanho)
Plink. (Hanho)
From somewhere not too far away, I heard the sound of a single drop of water hitting the ground, and with this as a starting point, the flow of time returned to normal. (Hanho)
Swoooosh!
The pouring rain.
The eerie harmony of the flowers.
And on top of that, a single shriek. (Hanho)
[Kieeeeeeek—!!] (Tetrasea)
Seeing the creature screaming as usual, I sensed that the ‘event’ was over. (Hanho)
Of course, questions remained. (Hanho)
What was the trigger for this event? (Hanho)
‘I really have no idea.’ (Hanho)
It wasn't that I had no clues, but that I had too many, which made it more confusing. (Hanho)
Dimensional Collapse. (Hanho)
The fifth floor, not the sixth. (Hanho)
The Tear of the Goddess used during the raid. (Hanho)
The Crown of Anguish on my head… (Hanho)
There wasn't just one, but several settings that had never been met in the game. (Hanho)
Also, not only that… (Hanho)
‘The curse at the end is also unsettling…’ (Hanho)
Something about an unavoidable fate. (Hanho)
Because it contained the wording that bothered me the most, it kept nagging at m-. (Hanho)
‘—nk.’ (Hanho)
Just as my train of thought reached that point. (Hanho)
A jet-black flash burst out from somewhere. (Hanho)
Flash—!
It dyed the entire world black. (Hanho)
—
_ – has cast [Star's Annihilation].
—
My vision was blurry, and the world was tilted. (Hanho)
I could feel the clammy touch of the earth against my cheek. (Hanho)
Like someone just waking up from anesthesia, I just blinked my eyes, and a human shadow fell over the ground. (Hanho)
Beeeeeeep-
Someone came near me. (Hanho)
Not one person, but several. (Hanho)
They seemed to be talking, but I couldn't hear them properly. (Hanho)
Beeeeeeeeeeeeep—!
What, is this situation? (Hanho)
What in the world happened to me? (Hanho)
My head wasn't working properly. (Hanho)
The shattered fragments of my memory were scattered everywhere, refusing to come together. (Hanho)
However, amidst it all, one thing was certain… (Hanho)
Black. (Hanho)
The fierce flash I saw at the end. (Hanho)
I'm sure I'd seen it somewhere before… (Hanho)
"Last hit, ya—!" (Lee Baekho)
My senses were recovering, and the sounds were getting clearer. (Hanho)
As they did, I focused on trying to get my eyes in focus. (Hanho)
A world made only of black and white, as if the organ that distinguished colors was broken. (Hanho)
Slowly. (Hanho)
Just then, my weakly blinking eyes flew wide open. (Hanho)
Not by my will, but by another's. (Hanho)
"Hey, Old Man! Ar- yo- com- plet- ly- go- ne?" (Lee Baekho)
Someone squatting in front of me was pulling my eyelids open with their fingers. (Hanho)
The culprit's identity was someone I knew. (Hanho)
Thanks to him bringing his head close, he came into my field of vision. (Hanho)
"…You." (Hanho)
"Oh, you're coming to your senses now? Yeah, it's me! Hyung!" (Lee Baekho)
"How are you…" (Hanho)
"Here? Hmm, let's just say it's a coincidence! Actually, I found you a while ago, but the situation was so fun I was just watching." (Lee Baekho)
He laughed, looking more joyful than ever. (Hanho)
"By the way, your friends were amazing too, Hyung. Even the last ones who stayed. They acted all loyal, but when you told them to go, they just scurried off, didn't they?" (Lee Baekho)
This is my chance. (Hanho)
He's off guard. (Hanho)
Even though he could harm me right now, his characteristic arrogance is granting me time. (Hanho)
So… (Hanho)
"Hyung, is this right? You told me to live properly. Shouldn't you be the one living properly first?" (Lee Baekho)
I must quickly come to my senses. (Hanho)
To survive. (Hanho)
Just like that day I opened my eyes during the Barbarian tribe's coming-of-age ceremony. (Hanho)
"Hey, can't you hear me?" (Lee Baekho)
First piece of information. (Hanho)
[Hmm, let's just say it's a coincidence!] (Hanho)
His presence here is not a coincidence. (Hanho)
Of course, I have no idea how he could have pinpointed my location during a Dimensional Collapse. (Hanho)
But let's judge that part later… (Hanho)
"Why aren't you answering? Ah, are you wracking your brain trying to figure out how to survive? Well, that's like you… but it'll be tough." (Lee Baekho)
"…" (Hanho)
"You know how good my old man is, right? While you were out cold, my old man completely wrecked your insides." (Lee Baekho)
Second piece of information, my body is currently completely wrecked. (Hanho)
No, at least Lee Baekho believes so. (Hanho)
‘It's not the worst.’ (Hanho)
As a tank who has been beaten and injured countless times, I can say for sure after checking my body's condition. (Hanho)
It's a pretty serious situation, that's true. (Hanho)
But not to the extent that Lee Baekho could speak so confidently. (Hanho)
‘He probably underestimated my HP or something.’ (Hanho)
Slowly, my thoughts became more coherent, and the sensations of my body also recovered. (Hanho)
The background, which had been blurry because my eyes couldn't focus, gradually came into sharp relief. (Hanho)
‘Well, I did wonder why the rain seemed to have stopped…’ (Hanho)
Third piece of information, the Lord of Tears is already dead. (Hanho)
You have defeated the Lord of Tears, Tetrasea.
EXP +100.
Floor Lord Defeat Bonus.
EXP +15.
I couldn't tell if there was any other loot. (Hanho)
However, the creature did drop an essence, and… (Hanho)
"Alright, it's done here." (Old Man)
It was even contained within a vial. (Hanho)
The old man of ruin appeared from behind Lee Baekho, holding out a vial swirling with a blue light. (Hanho)
Just then, a voice came from another direction. (Hanho)
With my limited field of vision, I couldn't see the face, but having spent some time with them, I could tell just by the voice. (Hanho)
"Sir Baekho! Can't you really give it to me? I've been doing a great job so far, haven't I? If you give it to me, I'll do even better in the future!" (Rek Aures)
Lee Baekho's team's main tank, Rek Aures. (Hanho)
"Ha… I've been telling you for days, yet you're whining again." (Lee Baekho)
Lee Baekho frowned and gave his refusal. (Hanho)
And he received the vial from the old man of ruin. (Hanho)
No, to be precise… (Hanho)
"I told you, I have other plans for it." (Lee Baekho)
"…" (Hanho)
Just as he turned his shoulder and was about to reach out his hand. (Hanho)
Dash. (Hanho)
Pretending to be dazed with my eyes unfocused and lying flat on the ground, I dashed forward as if sliding and reached out my hand. (Hanho)
Crash~! (Hanho)
The shattering vial seemed like my future. (Hanho)
An essence I had persistently refused even when its owner offered it directly. (Hanho)
Perhaps, someday, when I look back at this moment, a moment of regret might come. (Hanho)
But… (Hanho)
‘I don't know what you were planning to use it for.’ (Hanho)
Looking at Lee Baekho's wide eyes, seemingly very flustered, I cleanly erased even a trace of regret. (Hanho)
Yes, let's not doubt it. (Hanho)
This is the right thing to do. (Hanho)
No matter what hardships may unfold hereafter. (Hanho)
"You son of a…!" (Lee Baekho)
Damn right, I can't stand to see this bastard succeed. (Hanho)
The [Essence of Tears] deeply permeates the character's soul.
Natural Regeneration increases by +1,500.
Pain Resistance decreases by -150………
…
… (Hanho)
