How the Regressed Munchkin Chews Up the Tower - H.R.M.C.U.T Chapter 14 (Part 2):

For now, she needed to meet more people.

Not every player could be cowering in fear, right?

There had to be at least a few bold ones out there.

Instinctively, she touched the sword at her waist.

■ 『Crimson Lotus [E]』: A sword roughly forged from a red lotus. It contains a faint trace of fire attribute energy.

Just reading the description screamed low-tier starter item.

But having it made her feel at ease.

It felt as natural and familiar as if she’d held it for years.

Of course, swinging it revealed how shoddy it was.

‘Which way should I go?’

After a moment’s thought, Ishia headed toward Terra’s entrance.

It was likely the first place new players would see.

If she hung around there, she might spot someone with a decent expression.

Once she set her destination, her steps felt surprisingly lighter.

“This way, right?”

As she retraced her memory and walked, a commotion broke out ahead.

“Hand it over!”

“No, I won’t!”

“You wanna die? Want a hole in your gut first, or you gonna hand it over nicely?”

As she got closer, harsh curses reached her ears.

*Twitch-.*

Ishia frowned and pushed through the crowd of onlookers.

‘What’s that?’

Three burly men were surrounding a small, frail boy, intimidating him.

‘Tch…’

Their clothes marked them as players.

One side trying to take, the other refusing to give.

“You think something like that suits a runt like you?”

One of the men pointed at the boy’s hand.

‘Gloves?’

No, they were too large and crude to be gloves.

Made of black metal, they looked like they could kill someone if swung.

They were far too menacing for a small, frail boy to wear.

And the faint glow they emitted suggested they were a pretty good item at a glance.

‘So that’s why they’re trying to take it.’

None of the three men had any visible items.

Either they hadn’t gotten anything from the tutorial floor, or their items weren’t weapons.

So they were trying to rob the weak-looking boy.

“I said I’m not giving it up!”

Despite being visibly intimidated, the boy didn’t yield to their threats.

Instead, he bared his teeth and glared back at them.

‘I need to step in.’

The boy was clearly at a disadvantage.

No matter how good his item looked, there was no way he could handle three burly men alone.

Ishia was about to intervene.

Hiding in the shadows and watching injustice unfold didn’t sit right with her.

That’s when it happened.

“…Those guys are dead.”

A middle-aged man watching nearby muttered to himself.

“What?”

He’d clearly said *those guys*, not *that guy*.

Did that mean the ones in danger weren’t the boy, but the men?

“Those dumb thugs are gonna die.”

The middle-aged man shuddered, as if recalling something.

“What do you mean?”

“That kid. He came from the same place as me. Something like this happened there, too.”

When Ishia asked, he sighed and continued.

“There were five of them back then. And it was still during the treasure hunt, so he didn’t even have that vicious gauntlet.”

“…And?”

“All five died.”

What?

“Not a moment’s hesitation—he stabbed their eyes, bit off their noses, tore their ears, twisted their necks. It was gruesome.”

The man shuddered again at the memory.

“In the end, it was a fight to the death, and the kid survived. Barely, but he did.”

Ishia instinctively turned to look at the boy.

Not a single scar was visible.

He looked far too unscathed for someone who’d been in such a brutal fight.

“A monster called Didaskalia took a liking to him and healed him. Thanks to that, he got that item and a few other things before coming up here.”

If that was true…

“Just die, you little punk!”

One of the threatening men, unable to hold back, threw a punch.

It looked like the boy’s face was about to be smashed!

But the scene that unfolded defied everyone’s expectations.

*Kraddd-!*

A mere Level 1 player’s body couldn’t possibly withstand solid metal.

As expected, the boy’s gauntlet-clad fist shattered the man’s arm.

“Arghhh!”

The man clutched his completely broken arm, screaming like a madman.

“What, what the hell! Kill this kid!”

The other two, startled, charged at the boy.

But the outcome didn’t change.

*Krack- Thuddd-!*

One man’s face lost its shape, and the other’s chest caved in.

Blood poured like a waterfall, and agonized screams erupted.

As Ishia stood dazed by the shocking scene, the middle-aged man’s voice reached her again.

“That’s why they call that kid the War Demon. A ghost crazed for battle.”

Dangun

I'm currently Translating the following novels: "Labyrinth Exploration 101" & "The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring " If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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