Five Time Regressor Walks the King’s Path - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot rang in my ears.

It rang louder than the K2 I’d used back in the army. The bullets flew toward me, though some were blocked by Bambi’s Telekinesis.

Even so, all the shots from the shotgun couldn’t be blocked. The remainder riddled my body with holes.

My body looked like a honeycomb, the only difference being blood in place of honey. Still, I didn’t stop moving my arm.

Slash!

My sword pierced a hole through the Cactus Bandit holding the double barrel, sending a wave of tremors through its body.

Then, it sprawled on the floor with my collapsing body and met its end. I knelt down, blood dripping from my bullet-ridden, hive-like body.

“Lightning ◼◼◼◼◼◼◼! Ar◼ y◼◼ ◼◼ay?”

Were my eardrums damaged by the shotgun blast?

Bambi’s voice was a small buzzing in my ears. My face high-fived the floor.

‘My, I’m ‘bout to faint.’

I triggered the skill just before losing consciousness.

[Time Reset].

In an instant, my eyes were doused in light.

My body, which had been sprawled on the floor, quickly reverted to its original state and I stumbled to stand up.

I was back to normal. So much so that it seemed like the blood-covered floor was a lie.

[Time Reset].

A skill that can save you by a hair. It returns you to the state of one level ago, and restores your body to a healthy state.

But your level decreases. Because of that worst condition, no one uses it, though at least it saved my life.

“Oho, is it Time Reset?”

Bambi, who caught on quickly, noticed my skill.

But given the dire situation, I had to use my skill. I simply looked uninterested and got up, ignoring Bambi.

‘Igor will take care of the remaining cacti in the cars further back.’

Leaving the Cactus Bandits behind to Igor, I looked around the engine room to find out why the Sahara Worm was chasing us.

The hint given in the stage clear condition was the engine room.

I searched the engine room for a long time until I found a box shoved into a corner. Opening it, I found…

“A baby Sahara Worm.”

“Looks like it.”

Inside the box was none other than the Sahara Worm’s baby.

When I realized why the monster was chasing us, I opened the door and went to chuck the baby outside.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Ha Chun-Sung.”

“If you’re going to address me, pick one.”

He would call me Lightning Emperor when hurried, or Ha Chun-Sung when not. When I warned Bambi, he held up some sort of paper.

Receiving my questioning look, he looked down at the paper and spoke.

“This train seems to be running by using the Sahara Worm’s baby as fuel. If we toss the baby, the train will soon come to a stop.”

“Damn it.”

Thankfully, he told me before I threw the baby out.

“But we’ve got other ways.”

Bambi nervously looked out the window, watching the Sahara Worm chasing the train and kicking up dust.

Seeing he was a bit hesitant, I urged him. Bambi spoke with a smile.

“We can put people in.”

“………In the fuel tank, you mean.”

This psycho-like son of a Constellation.

“Yes, I saw earlier there were a lot of newbies. If you put one of them in, it’s enough fuel to get us to the next Floor.”

Bambi said so with a smile on his face. I stood there speechless.

People. People, he says.

I looked down at the Sahara Worm’s baby.

About the size of my forearm.

Seeing how there was only one, I guess we could get to the next Floor with just this one alone.

“Then I’ll go capture one.”

“Hey. You know how to adjust Aura?”

“Yes, of course. I invested my stats into magic power, so if we’re talking about quantity, I probably have more than Mr. Ha Chun-Sung.”

Bambi puffed out his chest and spoke proudly.

In response, I threw out the Sahara Worm’s baby.

The baby hit the ground and bounced a few times, rolling away. Then it dug into the desert sand, and the mother Sahara Worm stopped chasing us.

That was a relief.

‘One down, one to go.’

I lifted up my long sword and handed it to Bambi.

He looked at the sword and tilted his head.

“Are you telling me to capture one using this?”

“What kind of bullshit are you spouting? Cut it. My arm.”

“Huh?”

He looked at me as if I’d just grown another head, causing me to frown.

“The baby Sahara Worm was the size of my forearm. In that case, an arm of mine should be enough.”

“But why your own arm? Why all the trouble?’

“There’s no need for pointless killing. I can simply use Time Reset and restore my arm.”

Hearing me talk, he looked absent-minded for a while. Then he started laughing, using one hand to cover his mouth.

When I just stared at him without a change in expression, Bambi stopped laughing and took the long sword.

“I didn’t know Mr. Ha Chun-Sung was this kind of person.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you repeated Crown Road five times? I thought people at that point left behind their conscience.”

“I don’t know what kind of a psychopath you see me as, but I don’t kill someone that’s done nothing to me. Well, it’s also true I’m no saint throwing myself out there to save anyone in danger.”

“Yes, I still think it’s amazing how you have that mindset even after five regressions.”

He finds the least amazing thing amazing. Whatever.

“I’m really cutting it, okay?

“Yeah, cut it.”

I answered Bambi’s question with no hesitation, extending my arm forward.

Seeing my extended arm, he had a big grin as a blue aura shone on the blade. Then, he swung.

Slash!

Blood splashed in front of my eyes and stained my uniform.

The arm dropped with a thump and rolled a bit. The overwhelming pain compelled me to scream, but I triggered Time Reset before that happened.

Bright light enveloped my body, and by the time I came to my senses, my arm had returned.

The pain only lasted a moment, but it wasn’t something I wanted to experience again. I raised my arm to wipe the cold sweat off my forehead.

This feeling. It was unpleasant.

“I made it a real clean cut.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I wasn’t sure if a ‘thank you’ was something to be said in this situation, but whatever. I put my severed arm in the fuel tank.

As if it was waiting for it, the fire blazed and the locomotive released a plume of white steam.

I didn’t understand how the train worked, but the locomotive that engulfed my arm moved forward.

Rattle.

When I tied the long sword back onto my waist, the door to the engine room suddenly opened.

There stood Igor, eyes wide after seeing me. He seemed to have caught on.

“You’re a regressor.”

“Yeah, I deceived you a little. Though it’s not like I earned anything from it.”

As soon as he realized that I was a regressor, he got rid of his hostility.

It was because he knew that fighting amongst the handful of regressors left would do no good.

“Regressor.”

I heard Heo Na-Yeon’s voice behind Igor.

We’d left quite a few train cars untouched, so her appearance was a mess after struggling against the Cactus Bandits.

However, even with Igor next to her, seeing how she came all the way here showed me she was quite a strong woman.

“The clearing…”

“It will all take care of itself when we arrive.”

Igor answered her, and she quietly nodded, sitting down in a corner.

He followed and sat with her, wearing a liberated expression.

I knew Igor had used the newbies for his benefit, but from Heo Na-Yeon’s point of view, someone who knew nothing of his reasons, he was the safest person to stick to.

In other words, she was making a wise decision.

‘Are the other newbies in the first car?’

Heo Na-Yeon was the only one who followed Igor after what he did.

CHOOOOOOO!

The steam rose wildly from the train.

I looked outside and saw the station, which had a staircase leading up to the sky.

[Congratulations. You are the 4022nd to clear Floor 2.]

[The ‘Proprietor of Floor 2’, ‘Arid Wilderness’, rewards you in celebration of your clearing.]

4022nd.

It was quite a low number considering they were only on Floor 2.

That meant this regression had that many newbies, as well as the regressors taken aback by the sudden change of the Constellation.

I sighed with the anticipation of this being a tough regression, in many ways.

* * *

When I got off the train station, I stretched my arm.

My body was all better thanks to Time Reset.

It was a pretty good skill, if it wasn’t for the level deduction.

‘Well, for me, the level deduction is the important part.’

But thanks to the skill, I lost two levels I’d gained from Floor 1, Glass Slipper. It’d take time to regain them.

“What’s your plan now?”

“What do you mean? I’m gonna keep clearing Floors.”

Bambi approached me and asked an obvious question, smiling at my response.

“Then, could I join you?”

A declaration for comradeship.

Hearing that, for a second, I didn’t say anything. But soon, I frowned.

“Don’t wanna.”

“Oh? Weren’t you amongst the newbies because you needed people?”

“That was when I thought the Constellations were still the same. Now, it’s a whole different story. With everything changed, it’s suicide to keep newbies near me.”

“Then wouldn’t it be easier to clear it if I were with you?”

“No.”

When I refused again, Bambi had a look of bewilderment.

Because my original plan was to clear alone, it wouldn’t be smart to hang out with regressors.

What I’ve been trying to do is something no regressor has ever done.

However, once my plan was discovered, anyone could do it. I didn’t want my secret to leak in any way, shape, or form.

“Climb the tower on your own. I’ll go up on my own, as well.”

“You’re very stubborn.”

So what?

“I understand. Let’s do it that way. Then, Mr. Ha Chun-Sung, until the next time we meet, I hope you stay safe.”

Bambi couldn’t win against my stubbornness and climbed the stairs with a farewell.

Seeing him go up, I contemplated for a second if I should also do the same. But at that moment, someone blocked my way.

That person was the office worker, Heo Na-Yeon.

“Mr. Soldier, no, I mean, Mr. Regressor.”

She clasped her hands together and pleaded.

“Please, take me with you.”

I sighed at those words that did not deviate from my expectations.

“I don’t want to.”

Maybe it was because she learned the true nature of Igor, but she was a step ahead of Igor. Now, she must have thought of changing her route to an easy way up. She got on her knees, begging.

“Please, please. I beg you, I’ll do whatever you want me to do. Take me with you.”

Do whatever I want.

I thought for a moment, and…

I smirked. Seeing that, she awkwardly smiled at me.

“Who do you think I am? Don’t wanna.”

I was a man of steel.

When I don’t want to, I say I don’t want to.

A woman who plays both ends against the middle. For what reason would I take her?

Furthermore, was there someone crazy enough to take a newbie through Crown Road? I wasn’t Igor.

I left her there, heading toward the stairs only to hear Heo Na-Yeon’s voice cracking from behind.

“You’ll regret it! I’ll definitely make you regret it!”

With that much resolve, she’ll survive.

But there wasn’t a single decision I regretted. I climbed the stairs, my middle finger raised.

When I climbed to Floor 2.5, a desert city filled my vision.

Walking past palm trees, I exhaled as I stood before the stairs that led to the next Floor.

‘There’s a saying… Strike while the iron is hot.’

Let’s mark the beginning of Floor 3.