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Season 2: Chapter 182: The Final Floor (1)

[The memory of an archaeologist]

It was white, blue, and red. One couldn't tell what color it was. It was a festival of intense lights. Although always beautiful, it was hard to be moved more than the first time one saw the light of this sanctuary.

The only thing he was grateful for about his disappearing memory was that he had seen this light for the first time multiple times. This infinite loop of repetition likely wouldn’t break easily.

He continued to record the knowledge he gained about the abyss on his body, but he was still surprised by the first impression of the sanctuary.

Fortunately, thanks to his records or something else, he always managed to reach the sanctuary.

A party member who failed to reach the sanctuary couldn't be seen in the next life. This was also information gained through his records. However, he didn't know when he would be weeded out from this repetitive journey. Any accident could happen.

Therefore, he had to escape from this infinite loop quickly. However, a loop couldn’t be broken with just moderate force. He needed a great force. He needed the help of someone other than himself.

He began to revise his plan from the beginning. He decided to remove all unnecessary records from his body and marked the remaining ones as clearly and simply as possible. He was resetting himself with his own hands.

He currently existed not through memories, but through records. It would be like erasing a part of himself if he erased these records.

However, he couldn't hesitate. He was convinced that he couldn't escape from the loop this way as he looked at the number engraved on his body. Eight times. He had already recorded eight times.

No one knew how many repetitions it took for him to realize the loop or which cycles he failed to record.

He had the luxury of waiting in front of the sanctuary, and the number of cycles marked on him was eight. There could have been dozens more times in between. It was endless like this.

He started writing all over again from scratch. Based on the anomalies he noticed here, he recorded down what he thought was the optimal route for himself. It had to be very simple.

Find a red house

First, find a house with a red roof. Many records of rune boxes were found in houses with red roofs. One would see the boxes and getting a rune box before even entering the leaf level was rare. This was a variable only he knew.

Getting weapons and runes like this before entering would give him the advantage. However, he didn’t opt for those choices.

Drink the potion until you pass out

He chose the potion and drank it until he fainted. This was in the research materials of the professor who took him in before he entered the abyss. The substance called Bluehole in the potion forcibly awakened one’s power.

The potion in the rune box directly received from the sanctuary was the real one and would be much more effective. If he drank the potion until he fainted, he could unofficially become a contractor. No, to be more precise, he could exert the power of a contractor. This was the fastest and most dangerous method.

If an incarnation possessed his body in this way, he would lose his memories. Control of his body would completely transfer to the incarnation. Which incarnation would come was not clear. No one knew what would happen if a rubbish incarnation possessed him, yet he chose this path.

If he stayed as he was, it would be the same as dying. He had to do something.

He decided to leave a separate message for the incarnation.

Incarnations innately desired to find the sanctuary. Once they found the sanctuary, they would try to escape from there. Using that instinct, he just had to provide them with a bit of guidance.

He compiled all his records and delivered the key to this abyss in the simplest sentence possible.

-The End-

***

The archaeologist had written records like "Kill Swift" and "Find Luna" on his body. That was all for the memory playback.

— Wow...

— So this was all designed.

— That's why there were so many potion bottles in the beginning.

— So that's what the rune box was.

—...

— Then is Swift really a bad guy???

Almond felt like he was almost on the verge of understanding the abyss. Now that he interpreted the tattoos on his body and already secured a two star clear, around eighty percent of the story had unraveled.

"I've also found all the memories. Now, I'll go kill Swift."

— Finally!

— Let's go~

— Is Drift finally dying? Lol!

"Ah. Before that, I'll enhance the bow."

Almond took out all the runes and used them to enhance the bow.

Woosh!

The runes emitted a bright light and disappeared one by one.

Although he felt a bit sorry for using up the runes he had collected through much hardship, it was just for a moment.

‘Oh.’

[The Bow of Liberation ?????]

The Bow of Liberation had instantly turned into a five star weapon. Additional abilities were attached.

[Weakness Insight: Finds the target's weak spot.]

[Fireworks: When hitting a weak spot, the arrow will cause a great explosion. The explosion will cause 0.2 seconds of stun.]

[Bounce: Every second shot fires two arrows.]

[Triple Strike: Every third hit will significantly increase movement and attack speed. Duration: 10 seconds. Stackable.]

It could be considered Raina's bow, but the abilities were slightly different. Depending on which runes were obtained for enhancement, it could turn out differently.

— Woah.

— This definitely seems like a bow made from Raina wood.

— Bounce, lol.

— Isn’t that pretty good??

"Now, I'll really go kill him."

Almond stood up and walked to the Swift’s tent. With a weapon of such specs, assassinating Swift would be easy. Thinking so, he entered the tent where Swift was sleeping.

‘There he is.’

Swift was sleeping and oblivious to the world as if he really trusted Almond.

‘Strange.’

Almond felt that it was strange.

‘Swift shouldn’t trust me because of this record.’

Thinking about the written phrase, this archaeologist’s body had tried to kill Swift numerous times. If Swift had memories like Luna, he would never turn his back toward Almond.

It could only be one of two things.

1. Swift has no memories.

2. This is a trap.

“Shit.”

He instantly realized it. The answer was option two.

Crackle.

The sleeping Swift made a crackling noise and twitched before disappearing. It was an illusion. A fake, so where was the real one?

"Hey, did I ever tell you that runes are useless?" Swift's voice echoed from somewhere.

Whoosh!

Almond looked around quickly, but couldn’t spot him.

"That was a lie, you bastard."

‘Shit.’

It was a rune of invisibility.

Whoosh!

Another rune flew into the air and the familiar letters glowed a fierce red.

[Rune of Explosion - Ahemos]

Woosh—

The rune was about to explode.

‘Over there.’

Even so, Almond fired arrows toward where the rune came from.

An explosion occurred.

Boom!!!

The view turned blindingly white.

Beep...

A ringing filled Almond’s ears as tinnitus set in. Could this be death?

[Warning! Remaining health: 10%]

No, he was still alive. He was almost as good as dead though.

[Abnormal Status: Stunned]

[Abnormal Status: Exhausted]

[Abnormal Status: Blind]

His entire body was covered in status effects. The rune of explosion was that strong.

Using it as an enhancement material could make use of it forever, but Swift chose to detonate it. Such an ability was expected.

'If Swift comes now and just scratches me, it's over.'

Almond sensed his death.

With the current status effects applied, his 10% health would disappear in the blink of an eye if Swift came and merely scratched him.

'Ah.'

[Achieve a 3-star clear without dying]

[200,000 won]

The mission text flickered in the corner of his vision. He wanted to clear it without dying out of spite, but...

[Time passes]

Time passed.

*

— ??

— What's this?

— Still the same?

— ???

The game said time passed.

'It's still the same...'

Almond was still in the same place as before. His injured body remained the same too. Swift didn’t come and the status effects had all worn off. He could move his body again.

"What’s this?"

He kept his guard up and looked around, but didn’t spot Swift.

"Did I survive?"

— Almond revives like a dog, LOL.

— Why is he still alive?

— Lol.

"Let's move carefully just in case."

He moved slowly without letting his guard down. Being fooled once, he was inevitably cautious. Slowly, he checked his surroundings and leaned against a tree trunk.

"..."

Shortly afterward…

"!"

Boom!

Something caught Almond's attention and he shot an arrow toward its direction.

"Arghhhh!"

"?"

It wasn’t Swift’s voice, but someone else.

"Luna?"

"Why are you shooting all of a sudden!"

A blue arrow had pierced Luna’s arm. It seemed she barely blocked it from hitting her head, but the pain of an arrow lodged in her arm felt indescribable.

"Uh? What's wrong with you?"

Luna was more surprised by Almond's appearance than her own and rushed over.

‘Is there a transformation rune or something?’

Almond still couldn’t shake off his suspicion. Swift could be disguised as Luna to kill him. However, viewers were more suspicious of Almond's survival than suspecting Luna.

— How did he survive?

— What kind of plot is this?

— He survived again…

— Wow.

Why were they reacting like that? The answer came through a donation.

[InformationMan has donated 3,000 won.]

[Just trying to kill Swift right away like that, 99% of first-time players die lol]

[YesYes has donated 1,000 won.]

[It seems like the last moment of locating Swift and shooting worked in your favor. That guy also got injured and ran away.]

The explanation continued through donations.

— Thanks InformationMan!

— That makes sense, lol.

— Oh…

— Did he survive before the rune explosion?

"Almond. What happened to you!? I don't have any potions..."

Almond got up and explained the situation, "Swift got me."

"Swift? Where did he go then?"

"He ran away. He must have been seriously injured."

— ??? I ended up like this. Imagine how he would be right now.

— I can do this all day!

— He ran away, what are you talking about Luna? smh.

"Injury? I see. Ugh. It's a pity. Should have killed him."

Luna sincerely regretted it.

— Typical Luna, lol.

— That personality, lol.

— LMAO

Almond was now curious. Why did Luna want to kill Swift?

"Why does Swift need to die?"

"I find him suspicious. It seems like he’s also aware of the regression."

Regression? That reminded him that Luna still thought this was a regression. Actually, it was just a loss of memory.

"Oh, Luna. But this isn’t regression..."

"Uh? Wait!"

Luna suddenly pointed to the sky.

"Oh no. Another one died. Now there's only one left!"

"What?"

"The entrance! Didn’t you see the rules?!"

"Rules?"

"Did you not…?"

Luna turned around in shock.

"Were you unconscious and didn't see the new rules?"

It seemed new rules had come out in the meantime.

"What rules?"

"When ten people remain, everyone moves to the next floor!"

Swoosh...!

As if on cue, a pink aura enveloped them.

"Huh...?!"

Luna was flustered. It was supposed to be a good thing to move on to the next floor. Why was she so panicked?

"You, how will you manage!? If you go in that state—"

Right, that was the case.

[HP: 10%]

Almond was in a dire state. However, the abyss didn't wait for him.

Flash!

In an instant, Almond and Luna were transported to the last floor.

In the dark, this message appeared.

[You have stepped one foot onto the last floor (?).]

The last floor was too different from the abyss so far.

*

[Beginner Tip: In places where the light of the sanctuary directly touches, unpredictable things can happen.]