[ TWATF ]

Chapter 4: Millions of Stabs (3)

Chapter 4: Millions of Stabs (3)

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No way to go back in time?

“What do you mean? There must be an item that sends you back in this tower…”

Then Jaehwan realized.

Beastlain said that there were no items that could send anyone back in time. He also explained that Jaehwan could start from the beginning. It didn’t make sense. But there was one thing would allow all of this to make sense.

66th Floor.

Jaehwan had fought Succubus, the lesser version of [Nightmare].

The team had spent a lot of time to defeat the monster. The illusion that made by Succubus caused weak-minded Walkers to fall. The floor had become an orgy. Walkers who were trapped in the dreamland created by Succubus raped each other time and time again.

Jaehwan knew its power first hand. He almost raped the female Walker next to him because of it.

“Stone of Nightmare.”

Beastlain narrowed his eyes.

“How do you know that item? That’s the information you can’t get.”

“The Frost Dragon told me.”

“Oh ho! That’s troubling. You should not know about it yet!”

Beastlain mumbled quietly.

“…This is why AI algorithm needs the best considerations! Those stupid <Creators>. It’s because they made a stupid number of those monsters without thinking!”

Jaehwan spoke as he watched Beastlain mumbling to himself.

“So those who used the [Returning Stone] did not go to the past.”

Beastlain turned to Jaehwan and paused. He then answered.

“Well, I guess since you are the first Walker to clear the tower alone, you have what it takes to know. Yes, you are right on that.”

Beastlain snapped and the screen changed again.

“The one you found on 77th floor was not a [Returning Stone] but a [Stone of Nightmare]. It’s a stone that traps you into a dream created by the Nightmare itself. It’s a very special item.”

The screens showed countless Walkers. Sword Panic Hwang, Inchan… Science teacher Sakamoto… Everyone who had traveled to the past were there. They were living in a never-ending dream world, within their fantasy. Beastlain seemed to be amused by it.

“But I did not lie. You can consider that they really did go to the past… In a certain way.”

Jaehwan couldn’t speak. What Beastlain said was right. They were those who gave up on the present and went back. They were the ones who easily cut ties with others for themselves. They were the ones who only valued the world they wanted to see. It seemed like the same end that they might have wanted.

“Well, but you all in this World 294 are a weird race. You were all great until the 77th floor, you know? Many challenged this tower from various worlds, but none were as successful as you. It was like all of you had tried this kind of game for a long time.”

It sure was. Until they arrived at 77th floor.

“I even thought that if this progressed, the tutorial game would be cleared too easily. It was almost frightening! But the results were unexpected.”

The screens showed people using the [Returning Stone] at once.

“You, the humans are probably the only race that wishes to travel back in time.”