How the Regressed Munchkin Chews Up the Tower - H.R.M.C.U.T Chapter 30 (Part 1):

The ascent to the second floor was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

The reason was simple: it was impossible to predict how the 【Akasha System】’s enhancement would turn out.

Thirty-two hours.

That’s how long it would take for the enhancement to complete.

‘Something I’ve never experienced before.’

Until he could fully grasp the situation, Yujin couldn’t afford to move recklessly.

As a result, the plan he’d painstakingly put together had gone awry, which was frustrating, to say the least.

‘Still, it’s better than moving in an uncertain situation.’

Yujin brushed it off as no big deal, but the truth was, the dangers of the Tower of Light were beyond description.

In his first run, Yujin had come close to death within the first ten floors nearly a hundred times.

And that was despite possessing talent far beyond that of others.

Of course, having experienced it once, he could climb a bit more smoothly this time.

But that didn’t mean he could let his guard down.

The malice woven into the Tower was not something to be taken lightly.

A single misstep, and even Yujin could end up as a fleeting spark illuminating the Alchemist Guild’s thirteenth floor.

‘So I’ll wait.’

Thirty-two hours.

No, about thirty hours left now?

He needed to wait until the 【Akasha System】 finished its enhancement and he could confirm how it had changed before making a move.

Of course, he had no intention of sitting idly at the [Starlight Wayfarer] until then.

Even if he paused for a moment, there was no need for the other two to do the same.

And so—

“Fight.”

Emerging from Terra’s southern gate, Yujin spoke to Ishia and Park Jihoo.

“…Yes.”

Their faces were still etched with anxiety and fear.

Despite leveling up so much, nothing had fundamentally changed.

Just one day.

It was far too short a time to shift their mindset or perspective.

Compared to the man they’d fed and sent off from the [Starlight Wayfarer], they had far stronger mental fortitude, but that was it.

To survive in this damned Tower, they needed to become far tougher, far more desensitized.

And for that, hunting could not stop.

They had to grow accustomed to blood and corpses as quickly as possible, even if only by a minute or a second.

Meeting Yujin’s cold, steely gaze, the two prepared for battle.

They drew their swords and raised their fists.

Their opponents were, naturally, a Red Goblin scouting party.

A mere group of five.

For the current Ishia and Park Jihoo, these were enemies they could handle with ease.

But they knew.

These creatures were merely the prelude to the hell that awaited them.

“You know to leave one alive, right?”

“Ugh, I know already!” Ishia shot Yujin a glare before assuming her stance.

Perhaps because she’d been put through the wringer for a day, her movements were incomparably smoother than when Yujin had first seen her.

“I’ll go first.”

*Ta-at—!*

She kicked off the ground.

Her center of gravity was impossibly low.

Like a lone cat slicing through the grass, Ishia reached the Red Goblins in an instant.

*Kieeeeek—!*

Only then did the creatures notice her, scrambling in panic to raise their weapons.

But Ishia’s sword far outpaced their reactions.

*Beomjeok—!*

A black flash cut through the air.

It was the swordlight of 『Black Wing [C]』.

A C-rank weapon.

A blade so exceptional it had caused a stir in the first run bared its fangs.

*Jeong—!*

By sheer luck, a crude short sword managed to intercept the path of 『Black Wing [C]』.

But blocking it was a failure.

It was far too fine an item to be stopped by such a thing.

The Red Goblin at the forefront was cleaved in two, along with its short sword.

Perhaps it hadn’t anticipated such an outcome, as it wore a smug grin even in its final moment.

As blood sprayed and the diagonally sliced corpse began to collapse, Park Jihoo stepped forward.

A small, frail-looking boy.

With an appearance that seemed utterly disconnected from fighting, Park Jihoo swung a fist encased in a massive chunk of metal.

There was no hesitation.

Rather, the punch he threw without thought was devastatingly lethal.

Instinct or intuition—whatever it was, he knew exactly how to bring his opponent down.

*Ppudeudeuk—!*

His fist slammed into the neck of a Red Goblin blinded by the spray of blood.

It was an instant kill.

The blow, aimed at a vital point, was far beyond what a mere Red Goblin could withstand.

In a flash, two were dead.

Three remained.

Exchanging a quick glance, the two moved in unison.

Ishia’s sword swept low, grazing the ground, while Park Jihoo leaped above it.

*Seogeok—Kwadeuk—!*

As a goblin’s ankle was severed, causing it to collapse, Park Jihoo’s knee smashed into its temple.

The sheer destructive force, unbelievable from such a small frame, crushed its skull entirely.

Blood and brain matter splattered, but they didn’t flinch.

Instead, they used it to their advantage.

Just like Yujin would.

One of the remaining two goblins didn’t even have time to resist before it was torn apart.

The entire sequence took about fifteen seconds.

‘Slow.’

To other players, this would have been a jaw-dropping spectacle, but Yujin furrowed his brow.

If it were him, he’d have ended it in five seconds.

Even adjusting for Ishia and Park Jihoo’s level, that was the case.

At his current strength, it wouldn’t even take a second.

‘They need to be bolder.’

It looked merciless, but Yujin could see it clearly.

When they cut and crushed the Red Goblins, there was a hesitation in their movements.

If they’d shed that hesitation, they could’ve been twice as fast.

‘Well, can’t be helped.’

Dangun

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