Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Answer
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I opened my eyes, and once again, I was standing at the entrance to the boss room in the Demon Dungeon.
My right hand gripped the sword that I had clearly confirmed was broken, now perfectly intact.
“What the hell.”
What just happened?
I was definitely killed by Barhatan.
Yet, as my consciousness faded, a girl I’d never seen appeared, and when I opened my eyes again, I was back before the battle began.
‘Was it a dream?’
I turned my head and realized it wasn’t.
“The door’s gone.”
There had originally been two doors at the boss room entrance.
One led to the boss, the other back to the waiting room.
But now, for some reason, the door to the waiting room was gone.
I’d had the option to turn back without opening the boss room before.
Now, I only had two choices left.
Go forward and fight, or die.
The reality that I could no longer turn back made me acutely aware of my dire situation.
I examined the Abyss Core closely, and two blue gems shimmered brilliantly atop it.
[Unique Ability - Action Rewind 1 / 3]
“Action Rewind? You mean turn rewind?”
In SRPGs, turn-based strategy sims, a single character action could decide the entire battle.
There were plenty of unpredictable variables due to RNG, and poor positioning or strategy could lead to irreversible situations.
Sometimes, one mistake meant restarting the whole game from the beginning.
To prevent that, some games had a ‘turn rewind’ feature.
Turn rewind did exactly what it said: invalidate a mistaken action and let you choose again.
That feature had become my Unique Ability outright.
I didn’t know why. Rene was clearly a mass-produced core, confirmed and all.
Click.
I opened the Abyss Core, and the shard swap function, disabled during battle, was now active.
“So I can reconfigure shards, huh.”
Meaning, based on the previous battle, I could strategically reselection my shards.
It wasn’t just about rethinking actions—it was telling me to overhaul the entire strategy.
This chance probably came three times total.
I instinctively felt that when the gems on the core vanished completely, my opportunities would end.
So, I had to maximize my shards within three chances and find the worldline where I defeat Barhatan.
I immediately reviewed my memories.
Fortunately, Barhatan’s special patterns were just the roar.
I recalled the cutscene and movements as best I could, but nothing else seemed particularly threatening.
I double- and triple-checked just in case, so it should be solid.
‘Kick into roar—that’s the pattern chain. Gotta dodge the kick no matter what.’
As I traced my memories, crucial info for me now surfaced.
‘Right, there’s the groggy state.’
When Barhatan’s HP dropped below half, it froze for a set time.
The state games called groggy.
I had to exploit that to win.
I began battle prep.
First, I swapped out all fourteen shards except the efficient Red Shard II and Black Cloud for yellow ones.
Attack power would drop a bit, but this was an all-in defense strategy.
The core was to tank with bulk, drag out turns, and prevent its ultimate.
Not sure if I could withstand the spin attack, but it was the best plan I had.
‘Here goes nothing.’
A golden opportunity. Couldn’t waste it, but no reason to hesitate either.
With faint hope that I might win this time, I stepped into the boss room.
But that hope shattered all too easily.
“Guh… Cough…!”
After a drawn-out exchange, Barhatan’s spin attack tore my back to shreds.
‘Can’t block it even with 14 defense?’
Confirmed.
Barhatan raised its leg again.
Boom!!
My body flew, vision darkening.
“…Back here again.”
I opened my eyes, returned to the boss room entrance.
The waiting room door still gone.
No escape, as expected.
[Unique Ability – Action Rewind 2 / 3]
One more gem gone from the core.
“…Ha.”
Can’t tank Barhatan’s attacks with defense alone? Way harder than I thought.
Yellow was wrong, then.
Exclude it boldly.
If defense is wrong, offense must be right.
‘Start with Break this time.’
When Barhatan throws a probe, hit Break first and overwhelm in a flash.
Lightning war, pure and simple.
No chance for its ultimate.
I reset shards to 15 Red and Black Cloud, then entered the boss room.
As soon as I faced it, I slammed Corner Slash, then triggered Break next turn.
Craaack!!
Kwaaaargh—!!
With a chilling scream, a deep gash scarred Barhatan’s chest.
Seeing the wound, I was certain.
‘This is the answer.’
Slash over half HP with Break to induce groggy, then finish with a second Break.
I figured two Breaks were essential to conquer Barhatan, not optional.
‘Groggy, come on?’
Kwaaaang—!!
No groggy.
Damage fell short, unfortunately.
Attack 16 couldn’t halve it in one Break.
Confirmed.
‘…Then what the hell am I supposed to do?’
Before I could finish thinking, the spin attack shredded me.
“Fuck.”
Back at the boss room entrance again.
By my calcs, one Break should’ve halved it.
But failed. Even maxed attack wasn’t enough.
[Unique Ability – Action Rewind 3 / 3]
‘Screwed.’
I lay spread-eagled on the floor, staring at the gray ceiling.
Phantom pain lingered oddly, mind emptying.
“Ha…”
Confirmed.
Barhatan was stronger than I thought.
Halibal Belder was weaker.
That was it.
“If I were the protagonist, I’d have won.”
Lying there blankly, demonic energy began seeping from the boss room.
To prevent infinite stalling, probably.
Scared? Die cleanly, then.
‘This is how it ends? Feels unfair.’
Gazing at the gemless core, meaningless what-ifs arose.
‘Might as well give more chances. Let me try more. Blind rushes would luck into a win worldline eventually…’
That’s when it hit.
‘A win worldline… eventually?’
I bolted up.
“It’s win once, right?”
Better try and die than die without trying.
Die either way? Gotta try.
╔═════════╗
◈Abyss Core - Rene◈
╠═════════╣
▸ Equipped Shards: 16/16
◆ ◎ ◎ ◎
◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
╠═════════╣
◎ = Green Shard 15
◆ = [Black Cloud]
╠═════════╣
▸ Stat Bonuses
Critical Hit 15
Agility 8
╚═════════╝
All-in crit gamble setup.
Until now, Corner Slash into Return Light meant no crit on final Break.
But if crit procs on Break?
It’d cover the damage shortfall. Maybe the only way.
Problem: no crit means instant death.
Way riskier than attack deficiency—pure gamble. Needed even higher crit than now.
I looked at Black Cloud embedded in the core.
Black Cloud’s effect: Agility 8.
Secure first turn, and it’s done.
After, it’s dead weight.
‘Drop Black Cloud?’
Securing first turn without it meant outpacing Barhatan’s reactions with raw body alone.
Possible?
Seemed tough no matter how I thought.
But that +1 crit was crucial to boost success odds.
That 1 could decide life or death.
Miss first turn? Plan crumbles, death confirmed.
Heart pounded.
In the silence, I closed my eyes, reflecting.
6 years in this world.
What had I done?
Over 15 hours daily, training to near death.
That accumulation made today’s me.
So why distrust myself, discard what I’d grasped?
Expectations always fell short not from time, but me betraying them.
“Whew.”
Removed Black Cloud, slotted Green Shard.
Crit 16.
6 years in this world.
I’d lived as Halibal Belder.
Halibal Belder was an extra.
So my 6 years extra time?
‘Bullshit.’
Hand everything to protagonist, honey up quietly behind?
Would’ve quit long ago.
In my 6 years, I was never anyone’s backdrop.
Not a single day I wasn’t protagonist of my life.
Every moment I lived here was my turn.
And that turn hadn’t ended.
Creak.
Grrrrr…
Sword vibrated in hand, I reaffirmed will.
“Come on, Barhatan.”
Kuaaaaaah—!
It charged.
Blue or red?
What’s the answer to my choice?
That instant, vision flickered.
Flash.
Blue gem floated above head.
Lips curled faintly.
Why hadn’t I trusted time I’d built? Why preemptively fear betrayal?
Time never betrayed me once.
Secured first turn without Black Cloud.
My turn.
Blue flash exploded from Rene.
Crackle!
Ears rang like space tearing, pocketwatch hands spun wildly.
[Abyss Core - Rene grows.]
[New Arts unlocked with growth.]
‘New Arts?’
Arts silent for 3 years, why now?
‘Use it?’
Arts usually cost a turn.
Useless one hands first turn to it.
But if this is the answer?
No hesitation.
“Chronodive.”
Blue gem split, one vanishing above head.
[Chronodive]
[Activation: No turn cost]
[3 turns: 100% Critical Hit guaranteed]
Turn-based battle is strategy game core.
Some blitz early, some defend for counter timing.
I was always buffer type.
Stack all enhancements, strike when certain.
Wondered sometimes: no buff system here?
But no.
I had one.
Not absent, just unreached.
[No turn cost]
Time I granted myself.
Buff via Arts.
First Break condition met.
I kicked off, leaped at Barhatan head-on.
“Corner Slash.”
Craaang!!
Shockwave sent it flying back from direct hit.
Corner Slash normally marks weakness, secures turn—not for lethal damage.
But this Corner Slash crit. 16 Greens poured full effect.
Second condition met.
“Return Light.”
Cascading gray flash sliced its upper body shoulder to diagonal.
No scream time, it crashed into wall.
Now, Break’s final condition.
Raised sword sky-high.
“Halibal Break.”
Kwaaaaang!!
Gray storm from blade engulfed its flesh.
Arms, legs, shoulders, chest—tore wildly, carving wounds.
Finally, Barhatan’s huge body crumpled in place.
Groggy at last.
But my turn wasn’t over.
Break chains to next Arts.
“Corner Slash.”
Craaaaang!!
Corner Slash pierced heart this time.
X-shaped wound near heart.
“Return Light.”
Blood and magic exploded from wound center.
Finally, I raised sword high.
“Halibal Break.”
Single silence bolt-striked its heart.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!!
Dungeon screamed.
Massive body collapsed from heart outward, blood veins spraying everywhere.
Amid fountain blood, I looked down at Barhatan’s ruined flesh.
Blue gem gone from above me, no red gem above it.
Golden glint mixed in blood pool.
[Adamant]
I snatched it quick.
[Special Shard: Adamant]
[Special Ability: Reduction]
[Reduction - If user parries foe’s attack on their turn with precise timing, reduces damage]
“Fuck… Drops this after all that.”
Gazed at raised sword.
Blade shattered.
Mourning Sword, Halibal Belder.
Humanity’s first to conquer the first Abyss.