Chapter 40
CHAPTER 13: THE MASK (PART 2)
[‘Return by Death’ has activated.]
The last words I left behind were “I want to have sex”… It seems this regressor is finally getting used to looping. Nice to watch. It’s not bad. A regressor who has no regrets about dying will have a much higher chance of reaching the top of the *Tower*. If they start fussing over friendships, love, or memories like some novel protagonist, they’ll lose the ability to loop exactly when it matters. Right now, Yu Dahui is building walls with the major characters and the plan is working. They only become useful when progress gets blocked. So far, Yu Dahui hasn’t been blocked at all. Except Kang Hana, who was raped in the Tower, there hasn’t been much overlap.
“Survive and slay the field boss. Any means necessary allowed.”
The fairies’ explanations were starting to feel redundant. I’d heard every single one of them multiple times. It’s impossible to get sick of something you already know.
“Hey, you.”
The woman in the suit called me over. Even in this loop I had to join the Korean party. When the regressor hasn’t made a splash, you still need to dip your toe in and show off. Without a regressor, there’s no point.
I ignored her and headed south. I was going to pay my respects to Master Pluto. There were just too many things I needed to ask.
At the south gate stele I dripped a few drops of my blood onto it. The stele drank it up and belched out black miasma, swallowing me whole.
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a rotting throne, staring at a Lich who glared back at me.
New crimson eyes. I didn’t even flinch anymore.
“…Human, eh? You carry an aura I know well. Your magic feels familiar. What the hell are you?”
“I am your disciple.”
“Disciple?” I didn’t have any memories of having one… yet the aura was unmistakably mine. A human I’d never seen before wielding my power… Strange.
The red gaze flickered uncertainly. Pluto was struggling to understand something he couldn’t grasp.
“Well, the small stuff doesn’t matter, does it? Spreading the name ‘Pluto’ across the *Tower* is all I need.”
“Khh… You really know what I want. Yes. I want my name spread across the *Tower*. With terror and fear in mind…!”
That was Pluto’s little dream. I was supposed to do it myself, but I wasn’t a player. Summoned at the last second before erasure, I escaped oblivion, but players challenge, while residents only assist. We’re trapped on a floor and only play our assigned role. Puppets.
“As long as the *Tower* remains, I cannot leave this place.”
“Have you tried?”
“Tried… I did once. But thanks to that I finally understood. There exists a power so immense it defies description. The ‘god’ in this novel who casually created the *Tower* is not a Lich I can challenge. Pluto spoke with the voice of one who had let go of the world.
“I lived thinking I was great, but I was always palm of someone else’s hand. It’s laughable now.”
…He sounded like he was pretending to be enlightened. Even I felt a vague unease listening to him. This guy was talking like a protagonist who’d been broken by the final boss of the world.
“So I waited. I waited for someone to reach the end of the *Tower* in my place…”
Black miasma poured from Pluto’s body and was absorbed into mine.
“You already carry my power. It should be fine even if I give you a little more…”
“Aaaah!”
[‘Black Magic Lv.2’ ▶ ‘Black Magic Lv.5’]
[‘Strength Lv.4’ ▶ ‘Strength Lv.5’]
“Wait—!”
I didn’t lose my mind even in the wave of agony. If I fainted I’d be ejected from this space. Could I return? No way. There were still too many things I needed to know.
…It must be excruciating. Truly remarkable willpower. I get the feeling you could fulfill my lifelong wish.
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
I barely held on. Pluto stared at me in astonishment.
“I have something I want to ask you.”
“You said I’m your disciple. You really haven’t learned your manners.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Khh… Fine. Fine. What do you want to know?”
I brought up Elena.
“Do you know Alvheim? Elena Trigard?”
“Elena Trigard…? A slave who swore a Submission Oath to you? You don’t remember?”
“I don’t. There are too many slaves; it’s hard to remember each one.”
“Slaves… many?”
“I wandered the continent before being summoned to the *Tower*. I wanted to turn every beautiful, renowned woman I found into a slave. No shame, because it was a fair contest.”
“The woman you’re talking about is one of the countless slaves. Just one of them…”
Pluto chuckled.
“Since you carry my power, the command of the Submission Oath will transfer naturally. Have fun with them. Using those beauties will make conquering the *Tower* far easier. They’re all beautiful and strong, so the long journey will be enjoyable…”
Miasma began gathering around Pluto.
“Is that all? I could answer even if you asked more.”
“No.”
…Suddenly he went quiet. I left while he was still processing.
“…This place…”
The spot where the stele had been. But the stele was gone. It probably acted like a one-time portal. I didn’t know why it didn’t appear in the novel, but I decided good is good.
‘Should I wait here?’
I’d test the newly leveled Black Magic and wait for my elf friends. After chatting a bit with them, I’d wait for the third-rate, no, second-rate friends. At my current level I felt I could beat them easily. Back then my specs were weak and the combat flow was terrible. How dumb had I been?
The elven trio approached.
“Human…?”
The elf knight pointed his sword at me. His eyes burned with disgust. He must have known exactly how they’d end up. That pitying look was just sad. Of course, the moment I saw the elven princess my sympathy vanished. That shameless body barely covered by milk-soaked rags? Anyone with a brain would know she’d be eaten alive.
“You! What are you doing here?!”
“I felt a foul aura.”
“Eloin, stay alert. That human is a black mage…”
The elves’ reaction was completely different from before. The knight readied himself for instant attack. The princess and the scholar hid behind him, eyes full of contempt as they glared at me.
‘Oh…’
Elena had realized I was a black mage only after I used Black Magic. These guys seemed to recognize it the instant they saw me. Were black mages especially sensitive, or was it because the level had risen to five? I had no idea. Anyway, I pulled out my sword and shield.
“You’re a black mage and you still swing a sword? Fine. I’ll show you an example.”
The knight infused mana into his blade. Only a week had passed, yet the feeling was completely different. I didn’t think I’d lose. Not to second-raters.
[‘Life Force’ is being absorbed.]
I sucked up the black miasma clinging to the elves’ weapons. I wondered where the black miasma even came from, but no good answer popped up. On the first floor it had been hard to see, so I figured it probably only appeared on weaklings.
The elf knight, princess, and scholar staggered. Life force drained away, leaving a heavy, unbearable weight.
“Th-this body…! Princess!”
“A black mage… Uck. How dare you violate the laws of nature! We must deal with you immediately! Eloin!”
“I understand, Princess!”
Passionate elves.
Suddenly, the Life Force absorption stopped.
The black miasma vanished.
‘…What?’
This was the first time. I could end it myself, but never by the opponent’s will. There had to be some mechanism I didn’t know.
‘Maybe I should ask next time…’
I’d actually been stupid enough to ask “Do you know Elena?” when I needed information. Embarrassing. I wanted to die.
[‘Body Reinforcement’ activates.]
Using the absorbed Life Force as material, I raised my stats with Body Reinforcement.
‘Black Magic’ level rose too.
“Fufu…”
Seeing the numbers on my info screen, I laughed. I couldn’t stop smiling. Truly, Strength Lv.8! Agility Lv.6! Even though the Life Force I’d absorbed was roughly one human’s worth, it was still inefficient, but what could I do? I wasn’t actually risking my life for it. Besides, if I died I’d just loop again. Elena would regain her virginity too. This loop I’d be the one to take it.
“Do not look at the princess with such vulgar eyes! What are you scheming?!”
The knight charged at me. Mana-drenched, glowing black sword. Even a clueless player would find it terrifying. But…
BOOM!
“Eloin!”
“I-I’m fine…!”
At my current level it wasn’t even threatening. The knight rolled on the dirt from a simple shield swing. The moment he heard the princess’s voice he twitched and stood.
For a worthless guy like me, specs were the only way. Skills? I didn’t know any.
“Is there a connection here?”
“Yes.”
Then a familiar voice came from behind the elves. Their heads snapped around.
“The scent of someone hiding in the corner is coming from this direction.”
A near-second-rate swordsman and three second-rate swordsmen appeared.
“This can’t be… Humans came? Were they a party?!”
“Not a party.”
The startled knight couldn’t hide his despair. He’d seen his own future. Even though he’d been framed, it barely hurt. The real threat was the princess who took time to straighten her clothes.
My judge, brother.
The warriors grinned when they spotted the elves. Lust bubbled in their eyes as they looked at the princess.
“Oh? There was already a guest?”
“That body is worth drooling over.”
The warriors proudly displayed their bulging crotches. They were excited by the negative emotions they could sense from the princess—disgust, fear, everything.
I felt the same. I wanted to wear a mask. Only then could I play.
The strongest warrior in the party spoke to me.
“Hey, dude. Run now and I’ll spare you. We already drooled on that woman.”
Smarmy tone, lecherous eyes. The elf party trembled and slowly retreated. A three-vs-four formation formed.
“Running? Who’s running?”
“We’re confident too.”
The warriors drew their swords. People who lived off steel all carried terrifying pressure. Of course, it was just pressure.
‘They’re total trash though?’ With my new specs they looked pathetic. Like a kitten meowing.
‘Pluto, long live! Beautiful slave, free power! Thank you, Master Pluto!’
I readied my stance and spoke.
“Just come. You idiots. That woman is mine to— ”
“Khh, why did you stop speaking?”
“Did you wet yourself from fear? Khahah!”
“You can’t do that! You’re a man, you have to keep your pride, but you don’t want to die!”
I couldn’t finish because of the woman who appeared behind the warrior party. The second-raters immediately provoked. The warriors laughed heartily at their own words. Behind them stood a woman in a mask.
“Kim Jinwoo-ssi, nice to meet you.”
‘Yu Dahui?’
[‘Return by Death’ has activated.]
My mind cleared. As if I’d slept deeply. The effects of heat or medicine vanished. ‘Park Cheol-eon and Mask Man, those bastards were together.’
Yu Dahui recalled the events of moments ago. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being dragged along and toyed with.
The backstabber Soo-yeon, the Park Cheol-eon crew who forced the issue, and the spoon-lifter Mask Man behind them…
‘Kim Jinwoo…!’
Mask Man was her same regression axis. They’d met on the 0th floor. But that Mask Man hadn’t died and had reached the first floor. There were only eleven humans who had reached the first floor. Among them, only one matched Mask Man’s build. So of course Mask Man was Kim Jinwoo.
‘But that ending was ambiguous…’
They had been in the same place. In the end Jinwoo ambushed Mask Man. From Yu Dahui’s 99% sure conviction that Mask Man = Jinwoo, her mind grew complicated.
Was there something that could deceive even her own senses? Even though Jinwoo had learned that trick, he hadn’t told her and was hiding it?
She didn’t think of something as stupid as excluding Jinwoo from the suspect list. She simply didn’t show her suspicion until she caught Mask Man red-handed. She embraced both her anger at Mask Man and her affection for Jinwoo. She couldn’t give up or lose anything.
“Survive and slay the field boss. Any means necessary allowed.”
“Hah…”
My head hurt. Every time I thought “How?”, my head started pounding. Since we were in this mysterious space called the *Tower*, I knew far too little. So Yu Dahui decided to focus on “Why?” instead of “How?”.
Why? Why was Jinwoo trying to rape her by force?
When Mask Man first appeared they had been close. Yu Dahui hadn’t had no feelings for Jinwoo. If more time had passed and emotions had deepened, they would have felt warmth for each other soon. They could just spend more time together and role-play whatever he wanted. Since it was his request, she probably would have gone along. But it didn’t make sense. Why wear a mask?
‘…Mask?’
Anyway, this loop’s Jinwoo knew nothing. All relationships had reset upon regression. Memories could transmit information, but it was unreliable. And with a mask over his face, he wouldn’t even know she was Yu Dahui. Trying to rape a clueless Jinwoo? What was Mask Man thinking? Retribution? Knowledge is power.
“Ugh…”
Why was her womb starting to throb? Thinking of Jinwoo sobbing beneath her, the sweet excitement rose.
‘I have to get the mask.’
This loop I’d play with it. Getting used was boring, so once in a while I could make her suffer, right?
***
“Kim Jinwoo-ssi, nice to meet you.”
It was Yu Dahui. Even wearing a mask and different clothes, it was her. The scent of Yu Dahui came from the stranger.
“This woman again?”
“Mask? Hahaha, the world has fallen into the end times. End times.”
“So what if it’s the end times? The important thing is that a new woman appeared.”
The warriors sneered at Yu Dahui and laughed lecherously. Seeing their lecherous faces sent goosebumps across her skin.
“…How pretentious.”
Yu Dahui let out a hollow laugh at the scene. Even I didn’t understand it, but how much worse must it have been for the people who just arrived?
“My goal is that man. Do not get in my way.”
Yu Dahui pointed at me. Black blouse, black leather pants, and a contrasting white mask. Her declaration felt sinister because I knew her strength.
“Whether it’s your goal or mine, it doesn’t concern us.”
“What can you even do right now except take off your pants and lie down? Khahah!”
“With that ugly bitch!”
The vulgar remarks from the warriors made Yu Dahui back away while warning them. The three-vs-four formation became four-vs-four.
“Hey, human girl! Ally with us!”
“Ally?”
The elven princess schemed. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The men who got hard looking at her were enemies, so she made an unrelated masked girl an ally. To survive.
“Fine.”
The masked girl didn’t refuse the princess’s proposal. There was no need to refuse.
“That woman…”
“If we all gang up, what will change? It’ll just make us all horny!”
The formation switched from four-vs-four to three-vs-four again.
Jinwoo and the warriors exchanged glances, but we couldn’t mix our penises. We had to fight separately.
Yu Dahui scanned the warriors and me.
“Then, for now, I’ll help.”
Even if I was taken down first, there were still warriors left. It wasn’t efficient. Killing the warriors first, then me, was the perfect route.
“You useless woman, what do you mean help?!”
Yu Dahui’s sword swung toward the warriors. The warriors split up and charged at the elven knight, Yu Dahui, and me.
“Khh… I’ll handle this woman!”
The warrior leader engaged Yu Dahui. He was ranking her above the elven knight. That once-weak Yu Dahui had grown so much. My chest swelled with pride…
“What are you looking at?!”
CLANG!
One warrior swung at me. I raised my shield to block. The sensation of mana flowing through the shield was too light. I could knock him down easily. But I couldn’t.
‘Ah, Yu Dahui…’
A regressor was in front of me. I had to pretend to be a weak human in front of a regressor. Not even a full day since the tutorial began. A modern Kim Jinwoo beating warriors who ate steel every day? Ridiculous.
“Huaap!”
“Khup…! This guy’s strength…”
Ah, acting weak. Just a little more, let me hold back.
I clashed with the warrior in front of me while glancing at Yu Dahui. She was overwhelmingly pushing the warrior leader.
“Kyaaak…!”
“So weak.”
Yu Dahui’s sword pierced the warrior leader. The blade exited as it sliced through his body and splattered blood across the weeds. Fatal. Even if left alone, he’d die from excessive bleeding shock.
“Hah… Haaaaah!”
The two warriors who had been fighting the elven knight fled. Their sense of brotherhood wasn’t that strong.
“You. Your friends all wet themselves, didn’t they?”
“Fuck… You bastard, why are you pretending to be weak when you’re strong?!”
“Shh. I’ll give you a chance.”
The warrior’s eyes changed strangely. ‘What kind of bastard is this guy?’ He looked at me that way.
In this situation, I could let Yu Dahui catch him, but it was better to just let him go. Catching him at my level would look weird.
“Now. Push and run.”
“Aaaaah!”
Under pressure is pressure.
The moment I spoke, the warrior pushed me aside and fled.
Yu Dahui had no intention of catching the warrior. She was staring at me alone as if my purpose was him.
In front of those eyes, my body wouldn’t move strangely.
The elven princess approached Yu Dahui and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Yu Dahui smiled awkwardly at the sincere thanks.
“Thank you for helping…”
“Not at all. I’m glad I could help. It was dangerous.”
Yu Dahui showed her rape sensitivity. She glanced at me slyly, and in that fleeting look anger appeared. Anger and twisted excitement. It was over.
She was going to rape me. I could feel her will.
The princess continued.
Yu Dahui listened while staring at her.
“They harassed us even in the village. I never thought they’d follow us all the way.”
“Ah… You have to be careful. The *Tower* has no rules, so players… they’re violent.”
The princess hesitated, giving an ambiguous look as if she wanted something.
Only after Yu Dahui softened the mood did she finally gather courage.
“So, um… Would you be willing to accompany us?”
“…”
A request, but it was rude. It meant you wanted to leech off me. Same as saying it.
“We realized it was too dangerous for us alone. I don’t know why, but Eloin and I have become much weaker than before… I can barely protect my own body right now.”
The princess pouted like a pitiful, fragile woman.
The elven knight remained silent. He used to blabber away when talking to me. The elven scholar was always composed.
“I wonder how much worse it will get like this…”
Looking at her trembling, old memories of myself surfaced.
Yu Dahui thought for a moment and accepted the princess’s request.
“…All right. I’ll go with you.”
“Really? Thank you!”
“But, could you wait just a little?”
“…?”
Yu Dahui, no, the masked girl stared at me. The princess asked in confusion.
“For what reason…”
“Because of that man, Kim Jinwoo-ssi.”
Expectant answer. The masked girl was excited. Why? I had no idea. She must have remembered Jinwoo’s last words “I want to have sex” before he looped. Or was it just because of heat and medicine that he was horny for sex?
“Kim Jinwoo-ssi, nice to meet you?”
The masked girl stepped forward confidently.
I stepped back awkwardly and answered.
“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you.”
“Your reaction is a little flat. You don’t know what kind of shape you’ll end up in, right?”
I appeared naked for Mask Man’s debut. Back then Yu Dahui had trembled and fled. Because my reaction was a little different, the masked girl laughed sarcastically.
She stroked my head and caressed my cheek.
“It’s fine. If you suffer too badly, even a scream won’t come out of your mouth?”