DLC 06

Chapter 6

The 99th Floor (2)

[Regeneration Complete.]

[Attempting the 99th Floor.]

[Objective: Defeat the Demon King.]

The regeneration process finished.

Yoo Jinhyuk had been given a second chance.

Once again, he found himself standing in the barren wasteland before the Demon King’s castle.

“Urgh… ngh… aaagh…”

The moment he returned, a dizzying pain exploded through his abdomen, leaving him unable to think straight.

Am I really going to die like this?

It was pain unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Growing up in an orphanage, he had broken bones more times than he could count.

During his military service, he had fought monsters and seen enough blood to become numb to it.

Because of that, Jinhyuk had always believed he could tolerate pain better than most.

“Ugh… damn it!”

Now, he realized how foolish that belief had been.

Compared to this agony, everything he had experienced before was laughable.

It felt as though red-hot iron needles were being driven beneath every fingernail.

The pain spread from his lower abdomen throughout his entire body.

Just as he began adapting to one sensation, another kind of agony would strike from a completely different direction.

For a long while, all he could do was lie sprawled on the ground and endure it.

Only after what felt like an eternity was he finally able to gather himself and stand.

“M-My body… is it okay?”

Suddenly terrified, he frantically examined himself.

There was no way a body that had suffered such unimaginable pain could still be intact.

Yet not a single wound remained.

The regeneration had been perfect.

Only the sweat soaking his school uniform testified to what he had endured.

“…Phew.”

He took several deep breaths.

The pain didn’t disappear.

Clutching his stomach, he sighed.

Damn it. I had no idea it would hurt this much.

The Infinite Regression Ticket was supposed to return him to his previous state—the moment he first challenged the 99th floor.

He had never imagined that the pain of death itself would linger afterward.

“Ugh… now I understand why the fairy warned me.”

Jinhyuk gasped for air.

The agony centered around his lower abdomen, making every breath difficult.

“So this is what I have to experience every single time?”

Only now did he realize how reckless his decision had been.

The fairy’s warning echoed in his mind.

Infinite regression is a curse.

Your mind will eventually collapse.

Dying cleanly would be a blessing.

Now he understood exactly what she had meant.

“…Well, what can I do? It was my choice.”

Though crushed beneath the consequences of his own actions, Jinhyuk forced a smile.

“Still… I’m alive. That means I made the right decision.”

People said that even rolling around in a pile of filth was better than being dead.

The pain was unbearable, but he didn’t regret choosing survival.

Without the Infinite Regression Ticket, he wouldn’t be suffering right now.

But he also wouldn’t have another chance.

Though… maybe I should’ve just left the Tower when I had the chance.

The fairy had warned him about the existence outside the Tower that hunted divinity.

But who knew if such a being would actually come to Earth?

And could it really be more terrifying than the Demon King standing before him?

“Regretting it won’t change anything. Charging blindly at the Demon King clearly isn’t the answer… ngh.”

Despite the pain and despair, Jinhyuk gradually regained his composure.

Part of it came from his naturally optimistic personality.

The other part came from the effect of the Blessing of Light, earned by clearing the 100th floor without accumulating even a trace of evil karma.

Of course, no blessing could replace the strength of one’s own heart.

Jinhyuk’s courage was genuine.

After finally calming himself, he sat down and reviewed everything that had happened.

The Demon King.

An overwhelmingly powerful existence.

Merely recalling that presence made his body tremble.

“Dragon Slayer… was that what it was called? That’s what killed me.”

Honestly, he hadn’t even realized he’d been hit.

As he thought about it, something felt strange.

I didn’t even notice the attack.

I only realized I was dead after seeing the status window.

There had been no pain when he died.

The pain only appeared after regeneration.

Not a single trace of agony existed in his memory of death.

The suffering came afterward.

It made no sense.

Shouldn’t pain come before death?

Isn’t regeneration supposed to be simple regression?

The death notification had flashed by so quickly that he barely caught it.

Still, he vaguely remembered seeing something unusual during the regeneration process.

“Well… I’ve never died before, so maybe I just don’t know how it works.”

Unable to figure it out, he sighed and dragged his aching body toward the Demon King’s castle.

Unlike before, however, the gates remained closed.

No matter how long he waited, they didn’t open.

Is it because I don’t want to go inside?

He was different now.

He had experienced death.

It would have been stranger if nothing had changed.

Honestly… I’m scared.

He never wanted to experience the Demon King’s fist again.

Worse, he still hadn’t understood the true extent of the Demon King’s power.

The gap between them was simply too enormous.

How many attempts would it take just to stand on equal footing?

Yet despite everything, Jinhyuk wasn’t completely broken.

Maybe I’ll go insane after dying enough times.

But not today.

“Phew. Alright.”

He clapped his hands together.

“Let’s go. Shield, block at least one hit this time.”

The floating stone shield continued circling him silently.

The massive gates slowly creaked open.

Jinhyuk stepped inside.

“What an unpleasantly noble light, Hero.”

The Demon King’s voice echoed through the hall.

“You’ve come alone, without even bringing the Goddess’s hounds. Such confidence… hmm?”

The scenery warped and distorted like an illusion.

The Demon King sat lazily upon his throne, radiating overwhelming authority.

Everything was exactly the same as before.

The same castle.

The same dialogue.

The same situation.

Only Jinhyuk had changed.

Whether I hesitate or charge in, I’ll die anyway.

“AAAAAAAH!”

The moment he saw the Demon King, Jinhyuk screamed and rushed forward.

It was less a battle cry and more an attempt to overcome the fear that had instantly resurfaced.

The fact that he could charge at the being that had effortlessly killed him was remarkable in itself.

His courage was extraordinary.

Unfortunately—

His opponent was far worse than extraordinary.

BOOM!

The Demon King’s fist moved lazily.

Jinhyuk exploded into a cloud of blood and flesh.

“Hmph.”

The Demon King snorted.

“You’re slow.”

[You Have Died.]

[Infinite Regression Activated.]

[An Unknown Energy Is Interfering With Regeneration.]

[Climber Trait: Blessing of Light Activated.]

[Resuming Regeneration Process…]

The Demon King gazed down at the remains with contempt.

“I wonder how something so pathetic reached the 99th floor.”

He shook his head.

“I had high hopes too.”

“My fists were wasted on you.”

Nothing changed.

Whether he hesitated or attacked immediately, the result was identical.

If anything, the Demon King’s opinion of him had dropped even further.

[Regeneration Complete.]

[Attempting the 99th Floor.]

[Objective: Defeat the Demon King.]

“AAAAAAARGH!”

The second regeneration finished.

Once again, unbearable agony engulfed him.

Despite having experienced it before, the pain hadn’t weakened at all.

If anything, it was worse.

The first time, the pain had concentrated mostly in his abdomen.

Now, every inch of his body screamed.

It felt as though every nerve had been set on fire.

“Urgh… ngh!”

Jinhyuk dropped to his knees and retched.

Nothing came out.

His body had regenerated perfectly.

Yet the nausea refused to leave.

“Damn it… how am I supposed to beat something like that?”

Eventually, he collapsed onto his back and stared blankly at the sky.

His first death had come from ignorance.

His second death had come from trying to learn something.

Both had been utterly meaningless.

The gap between him and the Demon King wasn’t large.

It was absolute.

“…Now my whole body hurts.”

Something felt different this time.

An alien sensation.

A disgusting feeling that something foreign was crawling beneath his skin.

Something sticky.

Something unpleasant.

Something that didn’t belong.

What the hell is this?

Is regeneration supposed to feel like this?

“Phew… either way, I can’t keep going like this.”

Jinhyuk gritted his teeth.

The Demon King of the 99th floor was impossible.

An enemy he couldn’t defeat even if he died a thousand times.

Ten thousand times.

A hundred million times.

At this rate, his mind would break long before he found an answer.

Smack!

He slapped himself hard across the face.

Despair was beginning to consume him.

Even with the Blessing of Light, surrendering mentally would only accelerate his collapse.

“Get a grip, Yoo Jinhyuk.”

If I can survive even one hit… maybe I can find a clue.

He repeated the thought to himself.

Yet no solution appeared.

With a sigh, he opened his status window.

Not because he expected anything.

Just to waste a little time before facing the Demon King again.

“…Huh?”

Jinhyuk blinked.

Then rubbed his eyes.

Then looked again.

“What is this?”

When he first arrived on the 99th floor, his status window had looked like this:

[Status Window]

Name: Yoo Jinhyuk

Level: 2

Strength: 12

Agility: 7

Durability: 9

Spirit: 9

Luck: 1

Magic Power: 0

Karma: Good 1

It should still be the same.

But now—

[Status Window]

Name: Yoo Jinhyuk

Level: 2

Strength: 12

Agility: 7

Durability: 9

Spirit: 9

Luck: 1

Magic Power: 20
(Cannot be used because the current magic power level is too high.)

Karma: Good 1

The status had changed.

Am I hallucinating?

No matter how many times he checked, the number remained there.

Twenty.

Magic Power, which had once been zero, now displayed 20.

“…Wait a second.”

Only then did Jinhyuk realize the true identity of the strange sensation crawling through his body.

Goosebumps spread across his skin.

His eyes widened.

“Holy shit…”

His voice trembled.

“Don’t tell me…”

“This is the Demon King’s magic power?”