Five Time Regressor Walks the King’s Path - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I shuddered at myself greeting the innkeeper brightly, as if I had known him for a long time.

I felt keenly that the memory of ‘Villager 1’ was seeping into my brain.

“Damn it.”

I kicked open the inn door, and the sun high in the sky was beating down on the village.

Outside, unlike what I remember of Floor 22.5, it had a fantasy-like atmosphere and various races were walking around the village in harmony.

‘Where did it go wrong?’

I frowned and began walking down the street.

Floor 23, ‘The One and Only Warrior’.

As ‘Villager 1’, I was told that my job was to defeat the demon king.

That meant the minute I killed the demon king, the Floor would be considered cleared.

“Hey, you.”

Thinking so, I stopped a man in front of me who was walking on by.

He had an appearance of a punk with a scowling face and hands shoved into his pockets. He gave a delinquent-like shout of ‘Ah?’ when I called out to him.

“What’dya want?”

Even though his mouth stuck out in annoyance and he was acting like he was going to beat me up any second, I questioned him without being fazed.

“Where is the demon king’s castle?”

“Demon king’s castle? Why’re you…?”

He seemed about to answer when he stopped talking and narrowed his eyes.

“You also a warrior wannabe?”

“Wannabe or not, where’s the castle?”

“Let’s see… A guy, who looks like a rando villager at first glance, is asking how to become a warrior. Just give up and follow your destiny like me. I worked my whole life to be a warrior, but my fate was fixed.”

I beat him up a little.

“…So, where’s the castle?”

“Yep, Big Bro, right over there. If you go straight in that direction, you’ll see it right away. Shall I guide you myself?”

“Will you?”

“Yep, I have nothing to do anyway, Big Bro. I spent ten years as an aspiring warrior, but in the end, I received nothing but unemployment. Heh heh.”

“Right, then I’ll have you as the guide. My little brother.”

I patted the punk, who changed into an innocent teenage villager, on the head as I motioned for him to lead the way.

“Heh heh.”

The punk smiled and guided me as I followed from behind

“Um, Big Bro, by the way…”

“What do you want this time?”

He scratched his head and opened his mouth, which annoyed me. He should just focus on being a guide, but I still replied.

“Big Bro probably knows already, but is there any reason to visit the demon king?”

“What do you mean?”

“Huh? Well, he’s only the demon king in name. Isn’t he just a harmless guy that hasn’t done anything in particular?”

I raised an eyebrow from hearing the punk’s words.

What’s he talking about?

Just then, the memories of ‘Villager 1’ flashed through my mind.

People trembled at the sight of the demon king, the king of demons who suddenly appeared ten years ago.

It was because he, the demon king that built the castle, invaded with a look that seemed to say he would conquer the world.

But now look at him. He’s remained inactive for the past decade.

Didn’t people say that even mountains and rivers change in ten years’ time?

Well, that explained why people regarded his existence as nothing more than the king of a neighboring country.

“So even if you defeat the demon king, you won’t gain much fame, Big Bro.”

[You are becoming ‘Villager 1’. Erosion rate: 4%]

As soon as the memory surfaced, the erosion rate rose.

“So that’s why…”

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Stop talking.”

“Yes.”

If this guy continued to blabber on, I think I would even recall memories I don’t care to know.

After a long walk spent cursing at the memory-polluting bullshit, I arrived right in front of the demon king’s castle.

Just like the memories and the punk’s words, I did feel like I was simply visiting a neighboring country.

“This is the demon king’s castle.”

“From here on, I’ll go alone. You can leave.”

“Yes! Do your best, Big Bro!”

After seeing the punk bow 90 degrees and run off, I walked into the castle.

* * *

The demon king’s castle. Originally, the place should be infested with monsters and reminiscent of Hell.

However, totally different from the original concept, there was peace itself blanketing this place. The demon king sat leaning against a chair’s back, enjoying tea time.

Ten years since he ascended to the throne of the demon king.

‘I’ve already heard that the summoning ceremony for warriors has begun in the east.’

However, the demon king remained as still as a statue.

He was an evil being, an existence created by the Constellation.

The demon king himself realized that.

He was fated to die by the hands of the warriors.

However, the demon king did not hold the tiniest bit of desire for death.

That was why he didn’t do a single thing he was supposed to do as the demon king.

After the construction of the castle, he emphasized peace to the demons and did not give the warriors a reason to kill him.

He truly decided to become the demon king in name only.

The demon king had no doubt that, like this, a smooth and peaceful life would continue.

Until a man appeared before him.

“Are you the demon king?”

An ordinary face, casual clothes, and a single sword which was perhaps the only classy thing on him.

Excluding the last thing, he looked like your typical villager who just came to hang out in the castle.

“Who are you?”

The demon king questioned him.

Warriors did not come.

If so, there was even less reason for a random villager to come to his castle.

“Of course, since I’m going to be a warrior now.”

‘Villager 1’, Ha Chun-Sung, lifted the Heavenly Star Sword.

At that moment, the demon king felt a sense of danger from him.

Crack.

The aura of Ha Chun-Sung burned and sparks flew.

The demon lord’s eyes trembled faintly as he gazed at it.

The sensation that the demon king felt from this villager was not something an incompetent extra could manage.

Aware of the danger, the demon king jumped up from his chair.

Shatter. The teacup the demon king was enjoying tea from laid broken on the ground.

First Form—

Electro Epilepsy.

Lightning flashed in that instant.

The demon king could not predict it, so the aura-bearing sword of Ha Chun-Sung pierced the demon king’s heart like a thunderbolt.

The demon king, whose heart had just been split, collapsed without even screaming in pain. Ha Chun-Sung sheathed his sword at his waist.

‘Villager 1’ was overwhelmingly stronger than the demon king.

“Does this mean it’s cleared?”

But the stage was yet to end.

* * *

Upon entering the castle, I leisurely strolled through the corridors.

Because the demon king’s castle was quite sizable, it took some time to locate where the demon king was, and due to that, the ones called the Four Heavenly Kings blocked my path.

“Who are you?! This is the residence of the demon king. How dare—”

And they all died by my sword.

After killing the Four Heavenly Kings and walking around the castle, I immediately charged at the demon king once I found him.

And when he died, I sheathed my sword at my waist.

The demon king’s sliced heart was restored.

“Recovery ability?”

If so, I pulled my sword out again to slash the heart into pieces small enough that recovery would be impossible. But there was something that made me freeze.

The eyes of the demon king facing me were devoid of fear.

A face full of confidence, thinking he wouldn’t die.

So I slashed him one more time.

But, of course, he recovered.

Another slash.

“Stop!”

And another recovery.

“I am fated to die at the hands of a warrior. That is my calling. That is why, no matter what you do, I won’t die to anyone other than a warrior.”

He spoke with pride, as if it was the law of the world.

If what the demon king said was true, was becoming a warrior the only way to kill him?

‘Could it be that the clearing condition was not for me to personally kill the demon king, but to raise a warrior who would kill him in my stead?’

In other words, it meant ‘Villager 1’ couldn’t even wound the demon king.

Damn, there just isn’t a Floor that gives me some simple physical work.

I frowned at the rather troublesome storyline, but I was able to come up with a good idea.

As my gaze slowly zeroed in on the demon king, he met my eyes and flinched, trembling.

“You’ve been here for ten years, I believe?”

“Yes…”

“Then you must know where the warrior is.”

The demon king remained silent.

However, for a millisecond, his eyes shook.

When I smiled, the demon king also forced a smile.

“You can go find that person.”

“Wh-What… are you talking about?”

Saying what I needed to say, I sat down on the chair the demon king had been sitting on.

Then, with a bright smile, I pulled out the Heavenly Star Sword.

“If you don’t, I will destroy this castle. You know I can, right?”

The demon king personally experienced that. Remembering the terror, he trembled.

“Quickly, demon king, go search. I’ll be waiting here.”

“Are you telling me to go bring the warrior who will ultimately murder me here?”

“Yes. You are correct.”

“…What? Aren’t you the real demon king?”

“No, you’re the demon king. Quit talking nonsense. You used all the demon king’s army.”

I spoke with a bright smile, while the demon king wore a tired expression.

However, as soon as I pulled out the Heavenly Star Sword, he scrambled outside while screaming.

He probably didn’t want to lose the place he lived in for ten years.

“Is anyone there?! Four Heavenly Kings, where are the Four Heavenly Kings?!”

And after a while, the scream of the demon king rang through the castle. He had just seen the corpses of the Four Heavenly Kings in the corridor.

* * *

I frowned and leisurely drank the tea.

I’ve always felt this way, but I can’t get used to the bitter taste of tea.

I didn’t understand why people drank it, and as I set down the teacup, I flinched at the sight of the teacup.

The demon king was using a teacup made in my hometown.

[You are becoming ‘Villager 1’. Erosion rate: 6%.]

“Damn it”

Fucking ‘hometown’.

My hometown was Seoul. Seoul.

Not a place like Otinu Village.

[You are becoming ‘Villager 1’. Erosion rate: 7%.]

Whatever I saw was triggering the memories of ‘Villager 1’, so I gave up and leaned back into the chair, closing my eyes.

At this point, I thought it was better to just keep my eyes closed.

‘What happens if it becomes 100%?’

I wasn’t sure right now, but as I became ‘Villager 1’, my memories as a regressor seemed to be gradually disappearing.

If so, wouldn’t I become ‘Villager 1’, not Ha Chun-Sung the regressor, and live forever in the ‘One and Only Warrior’?

‘That’s the worst.’

I grunted in displeasure when I felt like I was faced with the final level of mental pollution.

Like that, an hour passed, and then another.

I waited for the demon king to bring the warrior.

“He sure is taking his time.”

Those words were the trigger for the pessimistic thoughts to start running through my head.

Perhaps, that guy…

Ran off?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I jumped up.

What if the demon king hid?

I’d have to spend time looking for him, and in the meantime, the erosion rate would inevitably rise. I’d gradually become ‘Villager 1’ and ultimately get stuck here forever.

That kind of situation was what I had to avoid the most, so I started to run outside.

When I saw the demon king climbing the stairs and looking down, the tension left my body.

Thankfully, it seemed that he chose not to run away.

I mean, he went looking for the warrior because he was afraid his castle would be destroyed, so there was no way he would run and leave the castle behind.

“You’re here! Good job!”

Upon welcoming the demon king, I tilted my head when I saw a large sack slung over his shoulder.

Then, after looking around, I questioned the demon king.

“The warrior?”

“Here.”

He threw the sack onto the ground in front of me.

I stared at the sack for a few seconds. I leaned down, opened it, and peered inside.

There was a corpse inside.

With a sword, hair accessories, a handsome face, and blonde hair. Anyone could tell he was a warrior.

However, the only thing different from a normal warrior was that he was not breathing.

“…Why is he like this?”

“Didn’t you tell me to bring a warrior? So I brought one.”