The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 11

Episode 11

‘First, the NPCs.’

NPCs refer to the people dwelling in the tower, and carrying out their requests raises one’s evaluation score.

Sungwoon walked into a hut in the center of the city that was slightly larger than the typical huts, just as he had done in his previous life.

Inside the hut, an old man appearing to be in his mid-to-late seventies dressed in shabby clothes was cleaning fish caught from the river.

“Eoruesin, are you in?”

As Sungwoon cautiously stepped into the hut, the old man turned his head and stared intently at him.

“A climber?”

“Yes.”

They know about the tower, and they know about the climbers.

However, their memories from outside the tower have been completely wiped.

‘Can I get out of this prison-like place?’

Normally, even their free will is gone, leaving them faithful only to their role as NPCs, but a tiny minority of NPCs continuously long for freedom and look at climbers with eyes full of immense envy.

It was only natural, as they were aware of being trapped within the flow of time.

“Right. But why bother looking for me?”

From here on, he had to speak carefully.

Depending on how he spoke, the evaluation score could rise significantly or barely at all.

Sungwoon slowly opened his mouth.

“I’d like to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

The old man tilted his head.

A flicker of interest surfaced at the sight of someone dropping by out of nowhere to propose a deal.

“Don’t you want to get out of here?”

“Puhuhu, you talk nonsense. Save your breath and go back.”

The old man took his eyes off Sungwoon.

The faint interest in his gaze vanished, leaving only emptiness.

“Then let me rephrase the question.”

“I told you to leave.”

“I will let you die.”

“!”

He would let him die.

At those words, the old man’s head turned back toward Sungwoon once more.

His shaking pupils showed it had definitely worked.

[NPC Information]

-Nickname: Hudin

-Resident of the Village of Beginnings

Resident Hudin.

When he first came to his senses, he was cleaning this hut.

All his previous memories had disappeared, and Hudin was living as a member of the village.

‘What is this déjà vu?’

It was a peaceful life, but Hudin realized that this life was repeating itself.

Once he realized it, satisfaction turned into sheer agony.

‘Get me out of here!’

He tried multiple times to end his life like this, but every time, terrible pain so intense that death would be better overwhelmed his entire body.

And yet he could end this sickening life?

“Don’t want to? Then I’ll look for someone else.”

When Sungwoon turned around without lingering regret, the old man hastily rose from his seat.

“W-Wait! I’ll make the deal! What do you want from me!”

[Bonus points are added.]

Done.

Sungwoon lightly clenched his fist and looked back at the old man.

That person was an NPC through and through.

In other words, as soon as he fulfilled his role, he would vanish at any time.

‘That NPC is precisely the stepping stone to reach EX-Rank.’

To receive EX-Rank on the 1st floor, one had to go through that NPC named Hudin first.

“I understand you’ve made many attempts to escape from this place, is that correct?”

“……Yeah. But it was all in vain.”

Hudin muttered with hollow eyes.

“I need the Goblin Chief’s Headband that controls this place.”

“How do you know I have the headband?”

When he mentioned the item with precision, Hudin’s eyes widened slightly.

Sungwoon smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m someone who has the answer you couldn’t find all this time, so this much is basic.”

A brief silence passed.

“Wait just a moment.”

Having finished deliberating, Hudin went to a corner of the hut and brought out a small wooden box.

It was identical to the wooden box he had seen in his previous life.

Sungwoon took the box while searching his memories.

Inside, a single red headband torn here and there was stored neatly folded.

[Bonus points are added.]

Goblin Chief’s Headband.

Acquiring this headband was merely a plot device.

How could a mere resident possess the boss’s item in the first place?

His role would end once he handed over the headband.

“This is it.”

“Now tell me. What must I do to die?”

“Your role has ended with this.”

Sungwoon answered tersely toward Hudin, who was asking with a desperate face.

“Role?”

“Yes.”

This ought to be enough of an answer.

“……I see.”

As if he understood, Hudin slowly nodded with a smile playing on his lips.

Sungwoon responded with a smile and quietly stepped out of the hut.

Coming out to the entrance of the village, two adult men were engaged in a desperate fight against 10 goblins ahead.

‘This is where it starts.’

Starting by helping them out, the goal was to clear out the first wave of goblins.

[Lv. 2 Goblin]

Sungwoon pulled out the Asgard Sword from his inventory and bounded forward.

[Swordsmanship Mastery]

-Type: Passive

-Grade: E

-Max Growth Grade: SS

-The sharpness of your swordsmanship deepens significantly.

-Sword Attack Power increases by 2%.

-Upon hit, 1% chance to seal healing for 10 minutes. (Excludes user)

Swordsmanship Mastery acquired through the Book of Swords.

While boosting Attack Power by 2%, inflicting a sword wound carried a 1% chance to seal healing for 10 minutes.

‘This will also become an overpowered skill once leveled up.’

It was already an overpowered skill right now, but later on, it went without saying.

“Kerureuk!”

Goblins, which he had hunted countless times in the Minor Tower and tutorial.

The target was the same, but the hunter had changed.

Unlike when he slashed through them with only a self-defense dagger, in Sungwoon’s hands now rested an A-grade weapon, the Asgard Sword.

Seogeok.

Sungwoon swung his sword, mercilessly severing the goblin’s head.

“Kereuk?!”

When their comrade’s head dropped in a single clash, the goblins panicked in unison.

That was their mistake.

They should have been defending without time to panic if they wanted to survive even a little longer.

Sungwoon moved a few steps and slashed the waist of the next goblin target, slicing it in two.

“Kerureuk!”

“Kereuk!”

Belatedly, the bastards tried to step backward, but it was already too late.

By the time they reached a judgment, 7 goblins had already been killed.

Sungwoon leisurely ended the lives of the remaining 3 goblins and finished the battle by flicking off the blood staining his sword.

“Wow……”

“What the?”

The men who had been confronting the goblins marveled at Sungwoon’s martial prowess.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you so very much.”

Unlike Hudin whom he met earlier, there were no shadows on the men’s faces.

Naturally so, since Hudin was an NPC placed specifically to progress toward EX-Rank.

Unlike him who longed for freedom, the NPCs before his eyes did not chase after freedom.

‘That might actually be better.’

Not realizing that they were trapped meant they wouldn’t suffer.

“Since these goblins have died, the chief will notice before long.”

Sungwoon gazed far off down the forest path.

While exterminating the goblins, he had seen a few goblins hiding up ahead.

Even so, Sungwoon concluded the battle, because recklessly chasing after them and wiping out goblins didn’t mean one would get EX-Rank.

‘The clear condition for the 1st floor is exterminating 100 goblins.’

The 1st floor was designed so that clear status was automatically achieved upon exterminating 100 goblins.

Of course, there was a way to reach the chief without exterminating 100 goblins, but that way, one couldn’t get EX-Rank.

“Th-Then what should we do?”

“First, do you know the reason why those goblins are trying to enter this village?”

“I don’t know. One day out of nowhere, they suddenly started attacking the village.”

It must be because of the headband.

They were repeatedly invading to reclaim the headband Hudin had taken.

Therefore, to reach EX, one had to actively utilize this headband.

-No, what in the world is going on?

-Isn’t he a beginner? Why is he so naturally fluid, like water flowing?

-It’s true that the channel was opened just now though?

-Could this guy be the person who finished the tutorial with EX?

-I think that’s right?

Before he knew it, the viewer count had soared to 102.

As expected, the effect of the tutorial was tremendous.

After all, a whopping 102 viewers had entered the channel of a novice climber who had just stepped onto the 1st floor.

“My responses are a bit late, aren’t they? I can’t help it since I’m focusing on climbing.”

Sungwoon reacted with as friendly a smile as possible.

-Greeting received! So what’s your tutorial evaluation score?

-Hurry up and talk!

At their urging, Sungwoon switched to a sly expression and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well? What do you think?”

-What’s with that, tell us. If you tell us, I’ll donate 10 gold yup

“EX.”

-LMAO Can you prove it?

“Donate the 10 gold first.”

Sungwoon made a motion of holding out his hand.

-Double down let’s go. If it’s true, I’ll donate 20 gold.

“50 gold.”

-?

“If you give 50 gold, I will finish this 1st floor with EX-Rank as well.”

50 gold.

Even if it wasn’t an astronomical amount, 50 gold was a substantial sum on the lower floors.

-50 gold is too steep. How about 30?

Sungwoon smiled internally.

“50 gold. You have to deposit it in advance as a mission before I can proceed.”

Mission.

It was created to prevent bastards who lied about donating and ran off.

When a mission was set with an advance deposit and the climber accepted it, the tower acted as an intermediary, judging success or failure to pay out the gold.

If it failed, 100% went back to the person who set the mission, so it could be seen as a pretty good system.

-OK let’s see you try.

-Look at that confidence LMAO

-Since that guy is betting, I’ll just watch

-Bullshit LMAO You probably just don’t have enough gold to bet that much. I’ll pitch in 20 gold.

-OK 30 gold added.

-Me too, 30 gold.

A comment section boasting power unbelievable for a novice climber’s channel.

[A mission has been registered.]

[1st Floor Evaluation Score EX Clear – 580 Gold]

[Would you like to accept?]

The amount Sungwoon suggested was 50 gold, but before he knew it, the reward amount rose to 580 gold as additional bets piled up.

‘Very good.’

Sungwoon accepted while smiling internally.

“Could I trouble you to guide me to the Village Chief-nim?”

He refocused on the NPC.

“May I ask the reason you wish to see the Village Chief-nim?”

[NPC Information]

-Nickname: Jayden

-Resident of the Village of Beginnings

At Jayden asking with a polite attitude, Sungwoon grinned and replied.

“I know a way to eradicate the goblins root and branch.”

“Is that really true?!”

“Yes.”

“Understood! Then please follow me!”

Jayden guided Sungwoon to the village chief.

The area in front of the hut was bustling with noise.

“Hmm? Why is everyone gathered in front of Halabeoji Hudin’s house?”

Jayden, who was guiding Sungwoon to the chief, tilted his head.

“Is something wrong?”

Sungwoon asked, feigning ignorance.

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go first.”

Nodding, Jayden led him to the hut where the chief stayed.

Inside the hut, which was three times larger than an ordinary hut, voices could be heard conversing. Sensing an unusual atmosphere, Jayden hesitated with his hand raised to knock.

“Is something wrong?”

“P-Please wait just a moment.”

“Yes.”

Sungwoon quietly stepped back.

“Thank you.”

Jayden expressed his gratitude and carefully placed his ear to the door.

And before long, his expression froze in an instant, and he quickly approached Sungwoon and whispered softly.

“I’m sorry, but it seems like it will take a little while.”

“Why?”

“Well… it’s because one of our village residents passed away…”

It must be Hudin.

An NPC prepared to advance to EX-Rank.

If Sungwoon failed to wrap things up with an EX here, it would repeat all over again.

-Huh? What’s going on here?

The viewers who were quietly watching also seemed bewildered.

Because a storyline like this had never unfolded on the 1st floor before.

“I will wait.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Had about 30 minutes passed?

As if signaling that the conversation had ended, the residents opened the door and came out.

Jayden, who was reading the room beside him, rushed inside and emerged with the village chief shortly after.

“I am sorry for keeping you waiting so long. Did you wait much?”

The chief’s face was filled with remorseful feelings.

“It is fine.”

“What a relief. Then, won’t you come inside?”

Sungwoon went inside with the chief and took a seat.

“I heard a bit about it. Someone in the village passed away.”

“That’s right. I hear he took his own life, wondering what could have been so hard on him.”

“I see.”

“……So I heard you came to help us.”

He quickly got down to business, striving to erase his sorrowful emotions.

It was welcome, if anything.

“Yes. I heard you have many worries because of the goblins.”

“That’s right. So you say you have a way to eradicate the goblins root and branch?”

“Yes. Simply put, sweeping away the goblins and cleanly decapitating the chief.”

“……That is not such a simple matter. Because the chief hides deep inside.”

The chief does not easily show himself.

“We just need to make him come directly.”

“Make him come?”

“Yes.”