"Ahh!"
I woke up in shock, but the pain that I was supposed to feel wasn't there.
The middle-aged man didn't yell this time, he probably got shocked by me screaming.
Lee Min-ho also didn't ask me a question this time and went to other people.
I really did die, I tried to calm down my beating heart which was just another reminder that i am alive.
The last regression did give me good information.
First information: I can regress even if I die.
This is really good, as I don't need to injure myself severely to regress.
Second information: The goblins have the ability to make traps.
This is really bad, because this means that these goblins have intelligence. Therefore, clearing this stage will be much more difficult.
Ripple!
The immense pressure and angel appeared again.
He told his speech, dropped the weapons, and left. This time Lee Min-ho didn't ask if I wanted to join the group.
This honestly makes sense; I also wouldn't ask someone who screamed like a crazy person.
Now that I know that I can regress even if I die. Let's make a plan on how to complete this stage.
[Announcement]
[1st floor]
- Clear condition: Kill 1000 monsters [0/1000]
The announcement came again.
First step of my plan. I am simply too weak. What do I mean? Well other players already start with a skill that enhances their stats or give some of ability. I don't have anything other than this skill.
[Name: Taeho Kim] [Level:1] [GA:0]
[Age: 21]
[Stats]
Endurance: 5
Agility: 5
Strength: 5
Magic: 0
Mana: 0
[Skills]
- Perfect Clear[X]
[1st floor]
- Clear condition: Kill 1000 monsters [0/1000]
My stats are a pitiful 5, and I still don't know if my stats will also reset when i regress.
Back to my first step, I need strength. I need to at least try to kill one goblin.
There is also one issue, I have never survived past day 1.
I have always regressed before I could see the night. So, today's objective is to survive the day and see the night.
Looking at the angle of the sun it must be around 11 am. That gives me at least 7 hours before it gets dark.
I went to the pile of weapons and took out a sword.
The 7 hours will be used to swing the sword, so I can get more familliar with it.
I saw the girl with the sports jacket, do the same thing again with the weapons.
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She equipped a sword, daggers, bow, shield and in her hand a spear around 180 cm and went inside the forest.
I started swinging the sword. After one hour i stopped to look around the field.
A lot of players were still here, around 50, I think.
I looked around to see that the same girl was still sitting cross-legged.
Has she been doing that for 1 hour now?
I am really getting curious of what her skill is. I approached her.
"Hello."
I said with a friendly tone.
"..."
There was no answer.
"Hello, can you hear me?"
I asked a little louder.
"..."
I tried to touch her shoulder, and she opened her eyes and stared at me.
"What do you want?"
she said in an annoyed tone.
"I was just curious why you were sitting cross-legged?"
"It's because of my skill".
she answered.
"Do you mind telling me your skill?"
"I don't want to tell my skill to strangers."
She closed her eyes and kept doing the meditation thing.
Thats fair enough, that she didn't want to tell me her skill. It is a strange thing to ask about, and everybody knowing, what your skill is can be very disadvantageous. But with time I would probably find out what her skill was.
Likewise, I wouldn't tell my skill to anyone either.
If i perfectly clear this stage, while saying stuff like "Look I know everything that is about to happen, cause i have the ability to regress".
I have no idea what the consequences would be, and I don't want to think about it.
I moved away and started to swing the sword again.
*****
The sun was finally setting.
I didn't swing my sword for 6 hours straight, I did take breaks.
The result was, that I became a little more comfortable in wielding the sword.
Rumbling.
The sound of my rumbling stomach, made me realize that I haven't eaten for the whole day.
I looked around to see if there was food. The only thing I could see were other hungry players like me.
There was around 20 people, mixed with elderly and people my age.
As I was wondering how to get food. From the forest a group of 10-20 middleaged people appeared.
They were holding boxes with food and water. They came to the middle and the leader had a well-groomed beard that framed the jawline. He had sharp features and gave a commanding aura.
"Every person who is hungry come here!"
The leader shouted. The elderly people and kids approached the group.
They started eating the food and a nice cozy atmosphere appeared.
I also approached to get some food, and inside the box were beef jerky, energy bars and water bottles.
"Why did you stay here? When you could have fought the monsters."
The leader approached and asked me.
"My skill is too weak to fight monsters upfront, which is why i stood behind."
I answered formally.
"Is that so, you will enter the forest with us tommorow. Your task will be to carry the boxes."
He answered in a commading tone and walked away.
A strange attaction made me want to follow him.
'Is it a skill?'
I went to eat my food, when I saw a kid with her face buried in her knees. She was probably around 9 years old.
I got closer to her, and faint sounds of crying could be heard.
"Hey what's wrong?"
I asked in the most gentle tone i could.
"Nothing go away."
She answered tearingly while still having her face buried in her knees.
I tried to think of something to say. That's when i thought of a distant memory.
***
It was a rainy day and the skies were cloudy.
The playground was empty, except for under the slide, a kid was crying with his face buried in his knees.
An elderly man with a black suit approached the slide.
He was now so close to the child, that his breathing could be heard.
Except for the rain and the kid's crying sound, it was silent.
"Taeho, It's not your fault."
The elderly man said with a gentle tone, and sat next to the child.
He was getting soaked by the rain, because the slide was not big enough to cover both of them.
"It's nobody's fault... it was an accident."
He muttered.
"I told them I didn't want to go to grandpa's house."
The kid said while crying.
"So they let me stay home, I should have died with-"
"Taeho!"
The elderly man interrupted the child, and hugged his side tight.
"I am so happy that you are still alive"
"If the accident also took you... I don't know what i would've done"
The elderly man said with emotion.
"Grandpa?"
The kid looked at the elderly mans face. Rain was dripping down his face, and his eyes were red.
"Taeho"
The elderly man nudged the kid and locked eyes with him.
"Always remember that the world sometimes takes people from you, but the world can never remove those people from living in your memories".
***
I sat next to the kid.
"We all cry, some people show it and some people hide it very deep inside".
"But we all cry, and sometimes it's better to let it out".
I started talking.
"I lost my parents when i was young."
The kid got quiet.
"I used to cry a lot back then".
"Therefore i also know the method on how to stop it"
I said and looked at the kid.
"If you want to know how, you have to look at me"
The kid looked at me, and I did the most funny face I knew back.
The kid started to laugh, but she soon got quiet again.
"What is wrong? You can tell me".
I said with a gentle tone.
"I miss my parents".
"I am scared that I will never see them again".
She said with tears showing up again.
"You will see them again."
"As someone who have lost his parents before, I will make you see them again".
I said strongly.
"What is your name?"
I asked while staring at the kid.
"..Yon"
She answered with a small voice.
"I kim Taeho, promise to protect Yon, so she can safely get out of this tower and see her parents."
"But promises can be broken". Yon said back.
"That is why we will make one of the best promises that I know..."
She looked at me with expectation.
"... A pinky promise" I said confidently.
I made a pinky promise with Yon. That was my first promise.