135 – The Returner Deceives (2)

“It was good.”

After seeing the players entering the meeting from afar, I slowly lowered my head.

This is the best method I found after repeating dozens of regressions. Playing a crazy killer and making them feel fear.

“I’m really tired, I’m exhausted.”

From the perspective of the player who was attacked, it probably felt like they were literally possessed by a ghost. Every attack you make misses by just a hair, but all of your opponent’s attacks hit the mark. And that only leaves shallow scars.

Am I that strong? Hmm… If you’re just looking at pure skill, I’m at least three levels higher. I’ve honed my ‘fight with superhumans’ countless times on the 5th floor, but those people have been fighting monsters all along. Of course, I have the advantage in a fight.

However, there is a big difference between gaining the upper hand and ‘playing games without getting hit even once.’ No matter how good I am, the players are also top-tier warriors. These are people who have come this far quickly because they are confident in their abilities. It means that they are not people to be taken lightly…

“Regression is a real disaster.”

If only I was given the opportunity to preview, it would be a different story. By repeating several regressions, you learn about the other person’s minor habits. Martial arts used. If I pay close attention to things like physical abilities, I could instantly overwhelm even top players.

Ah, why did you use a sword technique that only causes very shallow wounds?

At first, I wanted to win fair and square with my skills. In fact, at first, I fought with my own skills and won.

‘f*ck! ‘You little bastard!’

But is there a reason why he is a top-tier player? Players also quickly got used to my fighting style. Of course, I still had the upper hand, but even if I received a small wound, I would regress… The longer the fight lasts, the less likely you are to win.

‘hehehehe… Bastards like you deserve to die. Even if I die today, I will take one of your arms.’

In addition, is there any pride or self-esteem that comes from being ‘at the top’? The players I was fighting with did not give up easily. I thought to myself, ‘Please run away! You idiot! No matter how much I screamed, ‘You’re really going to die!’, He kept fighting until the end.

What should I do to make these people give up? After pondering over and over again, I finally found the right answer.

The reason players do not give up is simple. Because I seemed like a wicked person who needed to be punished. Because it seemed like an enemy that needed to be defeated.

“Playing a lot of horror games was helpful.”

That’s right. They resisted until the end because they saw me as the ‘enemy.’

Why are ghosts in horror games scary? It is a fearful being because it cannot be understood and it cannot be fought against.

Isn’t it said that a truly scary opponent is one who doesn’t know what to do? To achieve this, I put a skull on my head, smeared animal blood all over my body, and practiced creepy laughter sounds like ‘kihihihihi’.

The sword technique of gently cutting the enemy’s skin is also part of this. The origin of this swordsmanship is the swordsmanship of the alter ego seen on the 5th floor.

The swordsmanship of the alter ego is specialized in inflicting ‘shallow wounds.’ It is optimized for dealing with regressors who regress when injured, but is generally a very inefficient sword technique. Because people don’t die just because they cut their skin.

However, in terms of causing ‘fear’, there was no sword technique as good as this. A sword technique that persistently cuts into the opponent’s skin? From a third party’s perspective, it would be so bizarre and terrifying.

When I equipped the alter ego’s sword skills, the players instantly lost their will to fight. Even before he could get used to my sword, he got scared and ran away. Thank you, alter ego.

However, if you gain something, you also lose something.

In my current state, I was carrying a fatal penalty.

“… “I never thought I wouldn’t be able to use magical power.”

Why can’t I suddenly use my magical powers? There is a reason for all of this.

“… “

Ssaaah.

When I concentrate my magical power very slightly on the tip of my finger, white frost forms and a chill flows out.

“It wasn’t just a cold…”

That’s right.

I don’t know what happened, but when I use magical power, a chill forms. No, more accurately, a chill was contained in my magic power. As a test, I swung the sword with magic and saw ice crystals fluttering in the air.

Isn’t that a good thing?

“… “Do you think it’s a good thing?”

In order for me to fight with all my might, I needed to spread magical energy to every corner of my body. And now, if I spread the magical power throughout my body… Take damage and return.

No, what kind of ‘cold magic power’ does this sound like? I don’t know how the 10th floor works, but it seems like something went terribly wrong there.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s a waste to drink halibut elixir… “

If I have to, I will have to use elixir… I decided to wait and see for now. Because it was a situation that could be easily overcome by using regression.

As I was muttering to myself, I could see players talking to the dwarves from a distance. It looks like they asked the dwarves for help.

Up to this point, everything is as planned.

“I guess we can move on to the next step.”

Now it’s the dwarves’ turn.

Through the past few regressions, we have confirmed that dwarves are not easily scared. No matter how much I tried to scare it, it wouldn’t cooperate with the players.

So, against the dwarves…

“You have to threaten.”

They will hold a knife to your throat and threaten you.

**

As the sun slowly sets.

Inside a large wooden building, about ten dwarves were sitting around a round table.

“I believe everyone is aware of the situation.”

The person leading the meeting is the pass-through store owner. The other people seated were also elderly people who could be called representatives of the dwarves.

“The climbers asked for help. “They say a crazy climber got into the 11th floor.”

“… So, how can I help you?”

“They asked if I could let them stay inside the fortress and stand guard together. “It looks like you’re really scared.”

So far, we haven’t specifically prevented players from entering, but giving them space inside the fortress is another story.

“They seem like shameless bastards.”

A dwarf frowning while stroking his black beard.

“You were so blinded by greed that you killed your own people, and now you ask me to come and help you. Why not just kick them out? They say they will reduce the number among themselves, which is beneficial for us. “It would be better if they all just died.”

“… “

Other dwarves thought Blackbeard Dwarf’s remarks were excessive, but did not actively stop them. This is because he was particularly close to the murdered dwarf.

“Take it easy. “You’re so excited.”

It was the white-bearded dwarf who stopped the black-bearded dwarf. He was the eldest person in the village, and was the person some dwarves followed and called ‘father’.

“How about letting climbers in only until the funeral is over? “Once the funeral is over, we just give them a pass and kick them out.”

“Uhm… “

“It seems like the most reasonable thing…” “

There were three days left until the dwarves’ funeral. They were truly disgusting, but considering they would disappear in three days, there was nothing I couldn’t give them a place in the fortress.

“Then, we will give the open space to the north to climbers. “Do you all agree?”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

With that, the agenda regarding the treatment of climbers was settled, and the discussion about the dwarves’ migration began.

No, the moment it was about to begin.

“Wow, we’re in big trouble!”

A dwarf opens the door and comes in panting. Judging by the relatively short length of the beard, it appeared to be a young dwarf.

“Hey, can’t you see the adults are talking right now…” “

“The warehouse, the inside of the warehouse… !”

“What?”

“The inside of the warehouse was destroyed… ! The beer and water containers were smashed, food was lying around on the dirt, and there was an animal skeleton in its place… “

“… ?”

The warehouse was destroyed? That can’t happen.

The dwarves’ fortress looks like a roughly built wooden fortress, but it actually contains complex magic engineering technology. The wooden barriers are stronger than steel, and the main facilities are fully equipped with magical traps. Moreover, there were guards constantly patrolling.

Of course, if the players join together to invade the fortress, it won’t be impenetrable… In other words, it means that there is a level of protection that cannot be breached unless the players work together. This is also the reason why all the dead dwarves died in the forest.

But the warehouse was destroyed? Which warehouse is the most elaborate?

“Uhm… “

The store owner instinctively thought of the various defense facilities installed in the warehouse. Most of them are not dangerous if you know, but if you don’t know, they are designed so that you have no choice but to fall into them.

If he had secretly penetrated it with pure physical ability so as not to be caught by the guards…

“This…” “I wonder if we might be in danger too.”

Just as the climbers said, there was no doubt that an enormous monster had entered.