The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

[Yuseong turned on the broadcast!]

-Started climbing the 2nd floor.

It took less than a minute for online communities to be flooded with the two characters ‘Yuseong’.

Tutorial EX-Rank.

Even back then, the impact was huge, but perhaps because the channel name was unknown and the climb started somewhat late, viewers didn’t flock in right away.

However, after receiving an EX+ rank on the 1st floor, things flipped 180 degrees.

Shortly after the channel opened, an EX+ rank appeared, and as those who watched spammed posts on communities, many people began to pay attention to ‘Yuseong’.

Since a climber who recorded absurd achievements back-to-back started broadcasting, it was only natural for people to crowd in.

At the same time.

“Awakened Yu Sungwoon has started climbing the 2nd floor.”

As Sungwoon began his climb, Jang Byungjun left his staff behind and temporarily returned to the Association to report to Choi Hyuk.

“I got it. He didn’t feel uncomfortable or anything, did he?”

Choi Hyuk was the one who had ordered intensive security detail.

Even though a Padlock was placed, this Padlock wasn’t omnipotent.

After all, how many people had seen Sungwoon’s face from the tutorial to the Inspection Room alone?

It was merely a supportive measure to assist Sungwoon’s growth.

For that reason, Choi Hyuk had no choice but to reinforce security, keeping in mind the possibility of someone with malice approaching Sungwoon.

“Yes. He didn’t seem to care much about it.”

“Alright. Still, make sure to ask him frequently if there’s anything inconvenient. The line I draw and the line Awakened Yu Sungwoon draws are bound to be different.”

“Understood.”

If the starting point of the 1st floor was a village, the starting point of the 2nd floor was a forest filled with blossoming poisonous plants.

At a glance, its five-colored splendor naturally evoked admiration for its beauty, but one must never touch them recklessly.

Because of getting poisoned?

No.

Since the poisonous gas scattering around doesn’t cause severe harm to the human body, touching these poisonous plants won’t lead to death either.

‘Meaning the clear evaluation score gets deducted.’

While some of these poisonous plants provided elements needed during the climb, the memoirs engraved in his head warned never to touch the poisonous plants with one’s hands.

The reason was unknown.

He was merely following the path laid out for EX-Rank.

Sungwoon took large strides, advancing forward without hesitation.

-No, not there! If you go straight to the right, there’s a cave, right? There are tons of red poisonous plants in front of it. Pluck those.

-Why is he just walking around in circles?

-What’s up with him not being able to go to the cave even when told the way lolol

-This is EX+-Rank?

-What is he doing without following the strategy guide?

However, as Sungwoon showed no intention of escaping the forest and merely kept walking in circles around the area, viewers began backseat driving one by one.

-What’s this? I came out of curiosity because I heard he cleared up to the 1st floor with EX or higher in the tutorial, but was it just dumb luck?

-No wait lol how can he not even escape the forest?

-Please look at the comments here

-I’m out.

-Bye

As he repeated the same action for a full hour, it was noticeable that viewers were gradually leaving.

However, Sungwoon didn’t mind in the slightest and stayed busy walking.

Chwi-i-i-ik-

Right then, a chilling sound reached Sungwoon’s ears.

A goosebump-inducing sound of metal scraping against metal.

As if he had been waiting for it, Sungwoon drew his sword and slammed it straight into the ground.

“Kkieeeeeek!”

Then a sharp scream resonated from beneath the ground.

-What is that?

-Huh?

-What was that sound?

Viewers who had been criticizing relentlessly all spammed question marks at once.

[Ritri, the Master of the Forest, awakens.]

Ritri, the Master of the Forest.

At the same time, the beautifully blooming poisonous plants withered all at once, and black vines soared up from beneath them.

‘The middle boss.’

Ritri, the Master of the Forest, was the middle boss as well as the hidden boss of the 2nd floor.

The process of awakening it was far from easy; one had to move according to the given route immediately upon entry while triggering its weak points.

Sungwoon hadn’t simply been wandering around the forest.

Whenever he reached a destination, he pressed down firmly on the ground with his foot, and upon confirming subtle vibrations faint enough to be detected only by Super-sensation, he followed the next route.

When signs of it waking up appeared, applying a strong shock was designed to make it awaken like this.

‘A creature I couldn’t see in my past life.’

The reason it had never appeared even once despite countless people climbing the tower.

It was because this guy, too, only appeared to the very first climber who entered.

On top of that, one must enter solo, not in a party.

Since it couldn’t wake up even if one strayed just slightly from the designated route, who on earth could possibly awaken it?

For Sungwoon as well, Ritri was a monster he was seeing for the first time.

Of course, to face Ritri’s main body up close, he would first have to conquer the forest that had turned into a maze.

-Woah… fr what kind of person is he?

-Wandering around the forest was all to awaken that?

-Call back the people who left!

-Seriously crazy…

-Set a mission!

-fr gotta set a mission

At the news of Ritri awakening, everyone started setting up missions.

[A mission has been registered.]

[2nd floor evaluation score EX clear – 3,000 gold]

[Would you like to accept?]

The gold accumulated like that was 3,000 gold.

‘What a shame.’

Although it was a large sum of gold rarely seen on lower floors, compared to the viewer count exceeding 10,000 people, it was an absurdly small amount.

But there was a reason.

‘The cap.’

Amusingly, a cap existed for broadcast donations.

3,000 for 1st to 10th floors.

10,000 for 11th to 20th floors.

50,000 for 21st to 30th floors.

Like this.

Once Sungwoon accepted the mission, it hit the 3,000 limit, so he couldn’t receive additional donations until the gold was lost through mission failure.

However, it was just disappointing.

That 3,000 gold was by no means a small sum, so if accumulated, it would be enough to buy items held by the Manager lurking beyond the 11th floor.

Sungwoon accepted the mission and focused his gaze straight ahead.

In front of him, black tree vines were woven together, forming a wall that blocked the path.

‘Too easy.’

The maze he faced in the tutorial.

The maze unfolding at the entrance of the 2nd floor wasn’t much different from that maze.

Even so, blindly sprinting to the finish point wouldn’t secure him bonus points.

Ritri’s main body lurking somewhere along the way.

He had to personally slay that main body.

Holding his sword, Sungwoon stepped inside through the entrance.

“Kiyaaaak!”

At that moment, a single black vine yelled and rushed toward Sungwoon.

Bu-ung-

Sungwoon forcefully swung his sword, cleaving the head of the black vine in half.

With his senses heightened by Super-sensation, when it rushed in signaling its attack like that, it became far easier to react.

-That movement just now was insane?

-He didn’t even use a skill, how can he move like that?

Normally, activating an active skill triggers various unique visual effects.

However, no effect of any kind was visible in Sungwoon’s slash just now.

“I’ll keep going.”

This time, Sungwoon pulled out his shield.

Pisyuuuuk!

Before he could even take a few steps, small tree branches shot toward Sungwoon this time.

Sungwoon raised his shield as if expecting it, and the branches boldly attacked the shield, but dropped to the ground without leaving even a single scratch.

The attack power of the branches was absurdly low to pierce through the A-rank Purdof’s Shield supported by the Association.

‘Hit damage taken 10 times or fewer.’

An even more vicious bonus score condition than the 1st floor.

Was it fortunate that poison damage didn’t count towards it?

Even so, he had no intention of slackening his focus.

EX+.

To reach that score, not even the slightest flaw could be permitted.

Several more traps were triggered after that.

Sungwoon evaded the traps perfectly as if predicting them, and before long, a five-way path appeared.

-No, what on earth is this guy?

-Isn’t he f*cking crazy?

-The 2nd floor wasn’t originally a place like this?

Exclamations from the viewers poured out endlessly.

‘What a shame.’

With this level of momentum, he could have earned not just 3,000 gold, but 30,000—no, even more.

Sungwoon stowed his shield, grabbed his sword again, and headed toward the far right path.

‘The concentration is thickest here.’

With every step he took, he felt the poison concentration gradually getting denser.

Traps appeared next.

The black vine that initially appeared as a single strand increased to ten, and branches shot out in every direction.

Despite that fierce attack, the corners of Sungwoon’s lips curled up and showed no intention of coming down.

Because an increase in trap difficulty meant he was getting closer to the main body.

As expected, he was right.

“Kyaaaak!”

A mere 20 minutes after entering the maze.

He succeeded in reaching Ritri’s main body.

A massive tree 10 meters tall.

Slitted red eyes on the tree’s trunk were glaring at Sungwoon.

-Woah…

-He awakened the hidden boss just now, right?

-This is a dream, right? When I climbed, there was no such thing?

-This place was originally a forest full of poisonous plants!

Viewers were astonished at the appearance of Ritri, which hadn’t appeared even once in 10 years.

Sungwoon narrowed the distance between him and Ritri.

Then, black vines surged from beneath the ground, surrounding Sungwoon as if to devour him.

Seogeok.

Sungwoon spun his body, making a wide slash with his sword.

The surging black vines were severed and fell to the ground.

However, as if trying to win by sheer numbers unlike before, black vines surged up endlessly.

Seogeok.

Sungwoon swung his sword once more, clearing away the black vines.

‘Its scheme is to drain my stamina.’

But it was a futile effort.

Sungwoon wasn’t simply cutting down the vines.

Every time he sliced a vine, he gradually closed the distance.

Seogeok.

He continuously approached while slicing vines, and before long, the distance to the main body was reduced to barely around 5 meters.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Realizing it was in a dire situation, Ritri spewed poisonous gas from its mouth along with a roar unlike before.

It possessed a power on an entirely different level compared to the poisonous gas spread throughout the maze.

Jjirit-

The poison entering through his respiratory system began to tear through Sungwoon’s body.

‘The poison is fine.’

His current poison attribute resistance was 45%.

No matter how powerful it was, it was still a hidden boss of the lower floors.

He felt his body screaming, but it wasn’t to the point of being unable to move.

‘It was said that when Ritri spews poisonous gas from its mouth, its defenses are neutralized.’

Sungwoon pulled out a dagger and threw it with all his strength.

The dagger flew swiftly and lodged accurately into Ritri’s right eye.

“Kkyaaaaak!”

Ritri let out a scream, and the black vines surrounding Sungwoon instantly froze.

At that sight, the corners of Sungwoon’s lips curled up.

‘Got it.’

By dealing a direct hit to the main body, the condition of the elixir was met.

[Inflicts Deep Poisoning.]

Since this guy is also poison-attribute like the boss, it would last 1 minute at most, but this much is enough.

“Kgueeee?!”

Feeling an abnormality in its body, Ritri writhed in pain while showing emotions of bewilderment.

“I’ll finish you off quickly.”

Sungwoon sheathed his sword and pulled out the saw.

From now on, he cuts down Ritri.

‘Rotating Blade.’

As he activated the saw’s unique skill, Rotating Blade, it began to spin rapidly like a chainsaw.

However, it was a B-grade Tess’s saw, possessing power incomparable to a regular chainsaw.

Sungwoon pressed the saw against the side with the surface wound and applied force.

Wi-i-i-ing-

The saw rotated, rapidly slicing through Ritri’s main body.

“Kkiyaaaaaaaaa!”

A scream on a completely different level than before burst from Ritri’s mouth.