#8 #Regression #Floor 5
Jin So-yul let out a long breath in front of the magic circle, tilting her head back toward the ceiling.
"I'll pour everything into climbing to the fifth floor."
With a twist of her vision, a massive circular stone chamber materialized. Faint beams of light poured down from the domed ceiling, pooling on the floor. And at the far end, opposite her, stood a throne carved from stone.
Seated upon it was a figure twice the size of an ordinary goblin, wearing a crown woven from bones. Iron gauntlets encased its hands, and beside the throne leaned a double-edged greatsword as wide as a grown man's waist, propped at an angle. To top it all off, six hobgoblins stood arrayed around the throne, glaring at her with murderous intent.
"Goblin Chieftain…… To pass the fifth floor, I have to take that one down. It's not an official boss every tenth floor, but it plays the boss role for each theme."
There was no reply, of course. Her constellation was that kind of existence—one that rarely spoke, even in the heat of battle. But one thing was certain: he was undoubtedly watching this moment.
Just the conviction that she wasn't alone eased the tightness in her chest.
"Last time…… it was a real struggle. The hobgoblins guard the Chieftain closely. The Chieftain just issues orders from behind without stepping forward itself. Once you wipe out the guards…… that's when the Chieftain moves."
She swallowed dryly. This was the place where, in her previous regression cycle, she'd come closest to death for the first time.
The Chieftain after its guards were eliminated had been far stronger than expected. The same sequence would play out this time too, but she had no reason to stop here.
Exhaling deeply, she stepped into the chamber.
"……Here I go, my Lord Constellation."
The hobgoblins raised their weapons in unison. The Chieftain waved one hand from its throne.
The command.
And four of them charged forward at once.
First one. She deflected the iron sword of the one lunging from the side with her one-handed sword. As her blade shot toward its jaw, the second blocked the opening.
A feint, a trap.
Mana flowed through her in an instant, red haze blooming sharply. She forcibly twisted her trajectory, spinning her body swiftly, and slashed diagonally under the jaw of the hobgoblin swinging its iron sword from the side.
Since the hidden room reward, the sensation of channeling mana felt on another level entirely. Above all, her body felt light.
She kicked off the ground, widening the distance.
"……One down first."
A hobgoblin with a wooden shield on its left arm and a rusted double-headed axe in its right hand charged. It aimed for a frontal clash—effective given the size difference. Meeting it head-on would be foolish.
Jin So-yul sidestepped immediately, twisting her body. Its two eyes followed her movement.
The axe cleaved empty air, and as its balance crumbled—
Thud—!
She kicked the bottom of the wooden shield, launching herself into the air. Three vertical spins, then channeling her momentum into a cleaving strike.
Crunch—!!!
A chilling sound of bones grinding and brains bursting echoed out. From the throne, the Chieftain let out a low growl at the sight.
"Grrrlll……!"
The remaining two began to sense the danger, forming up. They slowly fell back, trying to guard the Chieftain's perimeter.
Just as she remembered.
She had to strike before they fully assumed defensive positions.
Kicking off the floor and swinging her one-handed sword—
[Constellation Observer of the 0th Dimension points at the Chieftain.]
[Constellation Observer of the 0th Dimension points at the Chieftain.]
All movement froze.
On the third floor, he'd spotted invisible enemies and traps, relaying tactics to turn them against the foes.
On the fourth, he'd pinpointed a space no one had ever found.
Now, from such a constellation, the message pointing at the Chieftain—repeated twice.
As she lunged toward the hobgoblins, no less.
Jin So-yul instinctively grasped the meaning.
He was emphasizing the Chieftain.
If the Chieftain after eliminating all guards had been that strong before……
……It grows stronger the more hobgoblins you kill……?
A shiver spread through her body.
What nine years hadn't revealed, this constellation had read before the battle even ended.
An eye peering at the world's underbelly from unseen heights.
And so all called it, the Observer of the 0th Dimension.
I'll trust you, my Lord Constellation!
She twisted her body instantly, her joints screaming in protest. Forcibly altering the one-handed sword's path, she charged straight for the Chieftain.
Two hobgoblins pursued her from behind. The Chieftain rose from the throne with an anxious air.
Distance: about 20 meters.
The two hobgoblins flanking the throne rushed to intercept.
She parried the left one's axe with her sword, using the recoil to leap over the right one's head.
Distance: about 15 meters.
The Chieftain stood fully from the throne, hefting the double-edged greatsword in one hand with a guttural growl.
Its eyes gleamed red, locking onto Jin So-yul.
Distance: about 10 meters.
The Chieftain slammed the greatsword down vertically.
Boom—!!!
A shockwave erupted from the chamber floor.
Stone fragments sprayed from the cracks, shaking her vision.
Up close, the Chieftain's body matched her memory.
A frame far larger than hers. Iron armor encased its upper body without gaps.
Red haze bloomed over her one-handed sword.
Scraaape—!
She slashed at the iron armor, but the blade skidded across the surface, failing to penetrate fully.
Meanwhile, the footsteps of the four hobgoblins closed in from behind.
My Lord Constellation pointed twice! I can't miss this chance……!
The Chieftain swung the greatsword horizontally. A trajectory heavy enough to bisect a person in an instant—but Jin So-yul kicked off the floor and leaped over it easily.
Another opening.
But the Chieftain blocked with its iron gauntlet, the screech of metal assaulting her eardrums.
Her arm went numb. The Chieftain's raw strength was incomparable to hers.
One direct block, and her bones might shatter.
Counterattack. Target: armor joints.
The Chieftain instinctively bent its arm, covering the gap.
Clang!
The one-handed sword bounced off the iron armor. Shock vibrated from wrist to elbow.
Sensation vanished for a moment, and wind whistled from behind—a hobgoblin had arrived, slashing down with its iron sword.
"Ngh……!"
She felt the heat, but clenched her teeth. Pulling away from the Chieftain now meant she couldn't approach again.
Whipping her arm like a lash, she swung—but aimed not for vitals, the ankle.
As the hobgoblin faltered, she dropped low and dove back into the Chieftain's front.
Clang—! Scraaape—! Clang!
The exchange continued relentlessly. Her combos chained into more combos, but the Chieftain was starting to match her speed.
Wounds appeared on her body. Her vision reddened. Yet she swung like a woman possessed.
Definitely easier than memory……!
She could win. That was enough.
Her eyes darted, assessing wounds on the Chieftain.
One gash on the armor surface. One split metal seam at the waist joint. No fatal blows.
Meanwhile, she was cut on her back, shoulder, and thigh.
Disadvantageous. But the reason she couldn't retreat was clear.
The Chieftain raised its greatsword diagonally into a defensive stance. The flat of the blade served as a shield.
Fighting a monster using both armor and sword as shields—where to strike for damage?
Memories of the previous cycle overlapped with the present, yielding the answer.
Calf.
Bottom of the armor, below the knee. Thinner plates for mobility.
She abruptly lowered the sword's arc, grazing the floor to target the calf.
Slice—!
The blade cut flesh beneath the armor. Not deep, but dark red goblin blood trickled down its calf.
Screeeee—!
The Chieftain screeched in agony. Its leg buckled, balance crumbling.
Seizing the gap, she rose and struck the armor seam a second time.
Scraaape—!
It pierced even the leather lining at the waist joint.
Flesh tore, but shallow—the Chieftain twisted away.
Its left hand pressed the waist wound as it lifted the greatsword with its right alone.
The undiminished weight remained a threat.
Clang!
She blocked with her one-handed sword. Both arms shoved back, sliding her rearward.
Claaang!
She barely deflected the second swing, but sensation fled her sword-grip fingers.
Scraaaape—!
The third attack rode her blade downward.
No room for counter. The Chieftain's swings came with inhuman speed.
Less than a second between blocks and the next assault.
Yet she endured, and the Chieftain roared, raising the greatsword high.
Another combo rained down.
Attack and defense, over and over. In the endless flurry of blades, she spotted the gap.
"……!"
The Chieftain's greatsword plummeted straight down. Vertical. Jin So-yul kicked sideways to the left.
Rumble—!!
The floor split again. Fragments pelted her legs.
The instant the greatsword embedded in the floor. Time to pull it free: one second.
Perhaps less, but the longest opening in this fight so far.
Jin So-yul slammed every ounce of remaining mana into full throttle. Thick red haze enveloped her body.
She slipped past the greatsword, diving inward. Target: the one exposed flesh between armor and bone crown.
The head.
The Chieftain discarded the sword, spreading its arms to grab her. Iron-gauntleted hands closed from both sides.
Her eyes blazed red as she hurled herself under the arms.
Knees and shins scraped over floor cracks, passing the Chieftain's flank. In that motion, she raised her one-handed sword upward.
Slaaaash—!!!
The blade tip emerged on the other side, hot blood pouring over its arm.
Screeeeeeee—!!!
Bloodshot eyes glared murderously at Jin So-yul as the Chieftain slowly extended one hand.
At the same time, clatter. The bone crown rolled across the floor, the greatsword toppling atop it, followed by a dry crunch.
Thud—!
With that, the Chieftain dropped to its knees. The four hobgoblins froze, then dissolved into dust in unison.
Jin So-yul gripped her trembling legs and cautiously rose.
Looking at her palm, it was drenched in blood.
"……Cleared."
How grueling had it been last time to break this floor?
After wiping the guards, a desperate struggle against the freakishly empowered Chieftain—victory only after brushing death's door.
This time, she'd felled the Chieftain first with only two guards down, even as the other four swarmed behind.
But one certainty: facing it the old way, she'd have lost. Last time she'd prepared meticulously before entry; this time, barely at all.
No matter the rush to reach the boss floors…… No, that was just an excuse. Had regression gone to her head?
Jin So-yul slapped her cheeks lightly. She'd prepare more thoroughly next time.
In the end, what made the difference in slaying the Chieftain? Just those two messages.
"My Lord Constellation. The guards dying makes the Chieftain stronger, right? That's why you emphasized it twice?"
No answer.
"Honestly, I just thought it was a naturally tough boss. Without your message, I might've ended here on the fifth floor."
Jin So-yul gazed at her dripping one-handed sword, then lifted her eyes to the ceiling.
Light beams still poured from the high dome.
Truth be told, her contract with the constellation was recent.
Yet this being knew things her nine years of experience couldn't grasp.
Even now, he was surely watching.
For some reason, that alone warmed a corner of her heart.
"……Thank you. I know I say this every time, but truly."
[Constellation Observer of the 0th Dimension smiles.]
"My Lord Constellation?!"
Jin So-yul's shoulders jerked once. Was there some intent behind it?
But she quickly shook off the thought, composing her expression. She needed to report the situation.
The constellation might already know. But this was all she could do.
"The fifth-floor reward…… You'll see it faster this way. You might already know, my Lord Constellation, but……"
Her words barely ended when the entire world resonated.
System messages flooded Jin So-yul's vision.
Congratulations on clearing Floor 5, Earth-Branch 7—South Korea.
As of now, the influence of the constellations is projected onto Earth-Branch 7—South Korea.
"Constellation…… Not a good memory. Ah! I don't mean you, my Lord Constellation…… Just……"
She trailed off. Her gaze drifted to some distant point.