How the Regressed Munchkin Chews Up the Tower - H.R.M.C.U.T Chapter 35 (Part 1):

『Isaiah’s Leaves [D]』.

A material item that, when used unprocessed, exerts a sedative effect so potent it can stop the heart.

Yujin, upon receiving Didaskalia’s question, closed his eyes and used it.

Fortunately, since it fell within the category of an item, its effect activated without needing to be consumed orally.

That was the reason.

Even though he spoke a lie, there was no physical change whatsoever.

He had wondered if it would work against the item held by Didaskalia, but thankfully, it took effect perfectly.

The problem came after the Administrator left.

A stopped heart meant death.

That was Yujin’s condition.

The moment his tension eased, the heartbeat he had forcibly maintained ceased.

As Yujin collapsed abruptly onto the ground, Ishia blinked in shock and turned to Park Jihoo.

“What the….”

It was beyond absurd—it was utterly bewildering.

To think he’d been spouting nonsense about killing or sparing, only to suddenly collapse?

“I-Ishia.”

At that moment, Park Jihoo, who had cautiously approached to check Yujin’s condition, called out to Ishia with a pale face.

“What? Did he faint?”

“His heart’s not beating!”

“…What?”

Now that she thought about it, Yujin had mentioned something about CPR before collapsing.

“Move!”

Ishia was an ordinary twenty-year-old college freshman.

Which meant she’d hardly ever had the chance to perform CPR.

But fortunately, she was a MeTube addict. [T/N: MeTube is likely a stand-in for YouTube.]

Spending hours each day watching videos naturally filled her head with all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge.

CPR was one of them.

Of course, she didn’t know it perfectly.

She only vaguely recalled where to press.

‘Here, right?’

Forgetting Yujin’s earlier antics entirely, Ishia immediately stacked her hands and began pressing down hard on his chest.

“Hup! Hup!”

How many presses before artificial respiration?

She couldn’t remember.

No, even if she did, she had no intention of going as far as mouth-to-mouth.

Why would she kiss a guy who’d casually told her to die just moments ago?

It’d be better to just let him croak.

But despite those thoughts, Ishia’s heart raced with urgency.

The thought that Yujin might actually die hit her.

It wasn’t that she was worried about him.

What truly worried her was what would happen to those left behind if Yujin died.

Sure, he was a lunatic with not a single redeeming quality, but at least he hadn’t let them die.

To survive this hellish place with Park Jihoo, Yujin’s strength was absolutely necessary.

“Come on! Live, damn it!”

How many times had she pressed?

Having surpassed level 10, she’d gained strength and stamina far beyond an ordinary human.

After reaching level 20, she’d grown even stronger.

It was around the time Ishia was drenched in sweat that it happened.

Thump-!

A faint vibration pulsed under her fingertips.

A heartbeat.

The heart, which hadn’t stirred, began beating again.

Ishia took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.

“Huuuuh!”

At the same time, Yujin began to breathe.

Coughing violently, he wiped the saliva from his mouth and raised his head.

“Fu*k, I almost really died.”

His first word was a curse.

Ishia, half-relieved and half-furious, raised her fist and slammed it down on the back of Yujin’s head.

Kuuung-!

An attack she’d never have landed normally.

But Yujin, half-dazed from coming back from the brink of death, couldn’t even think to dodge and took the hit.

“Ugh!”

“You son of a bitch!”

* * *

“It was all part of the plan.”

Yujin spoke with a calm expression, his words laced with lies.

“You mean it wasn’t for real?”

“Yeah. I was trying to make it let its guard down. Then, swoosh! You get it, right?”

Get it, my a*s.

Ishia glared at Yujin with a look full of distrust.

“Don’t look at me like that. My conscience is clear.”

But Yujin doubled down with his brazen attitude.

It wasn’t Didaskalia he was dealing with—fooling a newbie like her was child’s play.

“Ugh, how did I end up with a lunatic like this?”

In the end, Ishia had no choice but to give up pressing him further.

At least no one had died, and they’d gotten through it safely.

“If you say that kind of thing one more time, we’re done, old man. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. How many times are you going to say the same thing?”

As he scratched his ear and spoke, Ishia sighed and shook her head.

“Anyway, I won’t say that kind of thing again, so relax.”

“By the way, what on earth is a regressor?”

Despite Yujin’s chest-thumping promise, Ishia ignored it and asked something else.

“Hm? A regressor?”

She couldn’t help but be curious.

After all, someone called an Administrator had gone out of their way just to find Yujin and ask him about it.

And with all that talk of killing or sparing.

“Well, it’s just what it sounds like. Someone who’s regressed. Never read a web novel or something?”

“Oh… I don’t really read those.”

Still, she seemed to grasp the general meaning.

It was a common trope in webtoons and dramas, after all.

“But why would they ask you if you’re a regressor?”

“Because I’m just that awesome.”

“Come to think of it, you do know an awful lot of suspicious stuff. And you got strong way too fast on your own. Enough to make someone think you’re a regressor, right?”

Ignoring Yujin’s words again, Ishia turned to Park Jihoo.

Nod, nod-.

The boy nodded quickly, as if agreeing with her.

Honestly, it’d be stranger if they didn’t suspect him.

They were all summoned as players on the same day, at the same time, yet Yujin alone was far ahead.

And he was using information no one else knew.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Didaskalia to suspect he was a regressor.

“Since we’re on the topic, care to explain? How do you know all this stuff?”

“Trade secret.”

Of course, Yujin had no intention whatsoever of answering.

Would he spill a secret he’d guarded at the cost of his life to someone like Ishia?

“Questions end here. I’m not taking any more.”

He’d only humored her this much because she’d saved his life.

But that was it.

He had no time to waste on unproductive conversations.

Dangun

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