Chapter 201
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: The Fifth Trial
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[There is a hidden sub quest!]
[Sub Quest]
└Clear 3 or more trials alone
└On success ▶ Rune Pack reward
[You have completed the sub quest!]
[A rune pack has been delivered to your inventory.]
Ryu Min smiled in satisfaction upon seeing the reward.
‘It’s out. The sub quest reward.’
The reason he had stepped up to clear the trials alone until now was none other than this.
He needed to claim the sub quest reward.
‘Looks like the first trial didn’t count since I didn’t tank it myself.’
He had handled the second through fourth trials entirely on his own.
That was why he could take the reward, but in truth, there was one more sub quest in this round.
‘That’s also why I brought the necromancer along.’
In the final, fifth trial, he planned to use the necromancer to snag the second sub quest reward as well.
‘Not just for me, but for all the party members.’
Of course, the necromancer was excluded from the party members in question.
‘Well then, time to draw.’
Ryu Min immediately manipulated the system to use the rune pack.
[You have used the rune pack.]
[Congratulations! ‘Rune of Reputation’ has been drawn!]
[The acquired rune is automatically engraved onto the player’s body!]
[Rune of Reputation]
-Effect: Reputation gained in other worlds rises one additional step. No neutrals—friendly treatment wherever you go.
Ryu Min didn’t know what rune would come out of the rune pack.
He wasn’t sure if the result was determined the moment he obtained the item or what, but a new rune emerged every regression.
‘So I wasn’t expecting much…….’
But a pretty good rune had come up.
‘Reputation in other worlds rises one additional step, huh.’
It meant neutrals would turn friendly, and friendlies would become very friendly.
Sure enough, after acquiring the rune, his reputations shifted.
[Humans’ reputation of Last Time Regressor has risen from ‘Blood Enemy’ to ‘Hostile.’]
[Demons’ reputation of Black Scythe has risen from ‘Friendly’ to ‘Very Friendly.’]
[Humans’ reputation of Black Scythe has risen from ‘Friendly’ to ‘Very Friendly.’]
[Elves’ reputation of Black Scythe has risen from ‘Very Friendly’ to ‘Eternal Ally.’]
[Dwarves’ reputation of Forerunner has risen from ‘Friendly’ to ‘Very Friendly.’]
………………
…………
…………
Every reputation had risen one step.
Not just Black Scythe, but all his titles as well.
‘Excluding Last Time Regressor, I can get friendly treatment from every race now.’
All neutral reputations turned friendly, and the ones that were already good improved even further.
Especially with the demons, dwarves, and elves.
Since there were things to gain from them, Ryu Min’s lips naturally curved upward.
‘This’ll save a ton of time.’
No need to grind reputation the hard way—getting what he wanted would be much easier.
‘Round 13 is basically a free clear now.’
He had originally planned to visit only the elves in round 13, but now he’d have to stop by the dwarves too.
Having finished his business, Ryu Min nodded to his waiting comrades.
“Let’s head out.”
Thanks to Ryu Min, the party smoothly arrived at the site of the final trial.
“Is this it?”
Before them stretched a path where nothing was visible, like an endless abyss.
Unable to see what lay beyond, no one dared take a step—then, right on cue, a message appeared.
[Fifth Trial]
└All party members must cross the trap-filled corridor and reach the end within 1 hour
└Success ▶ Register as survival team, calculate performance score, and distribute experience
└Failure ▶ All members annihilated
‘All members annihilated on failure?’
Leaving the flustered John behind, the explanation message continued.
[Before your eyes lies a corridor shrouded in abyssal darkness that no light can pierce.]
[Traps lurk throughout the darkness, and any who touch them are instantly annihilated.]
[However, when a target is annihilated, the trap is simultaneously removed and does not regenerate.]
[If all party members avoid the traps and reach the end of the corridor within the time limit, the trial will end.]
[Conversely, if you fail to reach the end by the time limit, it will be deemed a failure.]
[Note: All skills except summoning are prohibited here.]
[Visibility is limited, so rely on each other’s backs and proceed calmly.]
As expected of the final trial—failure meant instant annihilation for the entire party, no exceptions.
And merely touching a trap resulted in immediate annihilation.
It was a tense trial just from the description, but for some reason, John’s lips were twitching upward.
It wasn’t anything else—he had already figured out the strategy.
‘So, to get through that unseeable corridor, you have to clear the traps one by one? Using my summons?’
Realizing this was a trial where he was absolutely essential, John’s expression shifted subtly.
His lips twitched as a sleazy grin spread across his face.
“Looks like this is a trial you absolutely can’t clear without a summoner.”
“Seems that way. What do we do?”
“You guys should count yourselves lucky.”
“Huh? What do you…….”
At Min Ju-ri’s words, John arrogantly tilted his chin upward.
“Conveniently, I’m a summoner.”
His tone and expression had already changed.
And with good reason.
From this moment on, he was the one in charge.
That was why he found the courage to speak to Black Scythe so brazenly.
“Hey, Black Scythe.”
No damage between party members, so there was nothing to fear.
“What now? If I don’t cooperate, this is a trial you can never clear.”
“So, what’s your point?”
John’s lips curled mockingly.
“You still have points left, right? Hand over 10 million points to me. Then get on your knees and beg me to spare you. Who knows? I might show some mercy.”
“Hey, John Delga-do! What are you…….”
“Fuck off, you buffer bitch! I’m talking to Black Scythe right now!”
After snapping at the innocent Min Ju-ri, John turned back to Black Scythe.
“What? Can’t do it? Then you all die here.”
“Does that mean you’re ready to die too?”
“Yeah. I’d love to charge ahead solo, but then you lot would follow me like chicks, right? Better we all just die together.”
“You’re throwing away your life over some petty grudge?”
“Petty grudge?”
John’s eyebrow twitched.
“You cut off my limbs and call it a petty grudge? This fucker still doesn’t get it, huh? Guess you’ll only learn after you’re actually annihilated. Right?”
Venting all his pent-up rage, John declared with resolve.
“10 million points and a sincere apology. If you don’t give me those two things right now, I won’t cooperate. Then you and the entire party get annihilated. Me? I don’t care if I die. As long as I take you with me.”
That’s what he said, but in truth, it was nothing but an empty threat he didn’t mean.
Who in the world would throw away their own life just to kill someone else?
He desperately wanted revenge, but John wasn’t that extreme.
‘But I have to act tough like this for him to accept the deal, right?’
To make Black Scythe kneel, he had no choice but to come on strong.
The guy’s lifeline was in his hands anyway—no need to worry.
‘With 10 million points, I’ll buy an experience pack and hit max level in one go. Then I can stand toe-to-toe with Black Scythe now.’
He even had a plan for after the clear, when the party disbanded.
The 10 million points weren’t a random demand.
‘You have no choice but to accept. Why? Because your life—and everyone else’s in the party—is on the line. Heh heh.’
The guy was human too; he couldn’t possibly feel no guilt.
To save his party members, he’d have no choice but to bend the knee.
Or so he thought.
“Get lost.”
“Got it. I’ll accept the deal…… What?”
The unexpected response left John’s mind blank for a moment.
“What did you just say?”
“I said get lost. We’ll handle it ourselves.”
“Ha, this bastard’s still delusional. Didn’t you hear the explanation? Touch a trap and you’re gone instantly. No way to light the darkness either. You think you can dodge the traps and make it through? Even a hotshot like you will have to rely on my summons.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“What?”
Stunned by the baseless confidence, John sneered with all his might.
“Fuck, fine, give it a shot. Planning to rely on gut feeling like a retard? If you get zapped, that’s on you.”
Ignoring John’s advice, Black Scythe positioned himself at the entrance to the corridor.
An abyssal corridor where up, down, left, right—all was darkness, no matter where you looked.
It would be terrifying just to step into that space, but Black Scythe took his first step without hesitation.
‘Huh? He’s fine?’
Standing perfectly steady as if on solid ground, Black Scythe turned back to his comrades.
“What are you waiting for? Everyone follow.”
“Ah, right!”
“Line up single file and follow. Don’t fall more than three steps behind the person in front. One wrong move and you’re annihilated on the spot.”
With that, Black Scythe took the lead and walked ahead.
Walking through darkness was no challenge for him.
* * *
‘He’s panicking.’
Glancing back at the necromancer standing there alone, Ryu Min let out a smirk.
‘Can’t blame him. Walking through this hellish abyss without any summons.’
By the standard strategy, summons were essential for this trial.
You’d lead with summons, and if one hit a trap and got annihilated, you’d reroute using another.
That was the core method to find the path in this trial.
But for Ryu Min, the regressor, summons were unnecessary.
‘Because I’ve memorized the path.’
He knew where it was safe and where the traps were, even without seeing them.
He had learned and committed it all to memory through experience.
‘Five steps ahead, there’s a trap.’
Ryu Min sidestepped two steps to avoid the trap.
Then, like a train ride, the party members followed right behind in a neat line.
‘No risk of annihilation this way. No need for a summoner either.’
Truth be told, the trial’s cavern was something Ryu Min could clear solo.
The party members were just gathered out of necessity to proceed with the trial.
No matter who they were, clearing it was a given.
‘Some might wonder: if you could solo it, why bother including the necromancer?’
The reason was simple.
To trigger the second sub quest.
‘The condition for the second sub quest is [Overcome the trial without the summoner’s help].’
In other words, let the summoner bring up the rear, while the rest reach the end of the corridor first, and the second sub quest completes.
‘Then everyone except the summoner gets the sub quest reward.’
So what happens to the summoner who arrives last?
Not only no reward, but a permanent debuff as well.
That was the reason for deliberately including John Delga-do in the party.
To achieve the second sub quest and slap him with a permanent debuff.
‘If you try to assassinate me, you pay the price.’
Smiling, Ryu Min stepped onto the final patch of ground.
Thud.
As Ryu Min, followed by Min Ju-ri, Jeffrey, and Joo Seong-tak safely reached the end of the corridor, a message appeared.
[You have completed the sub quest!]