Yoo Hana’s sobbing continued for about five more minutes before it finally stopped.
Of course, that didn’t mean she’d composed herself.
She had merely stopped crying—her expression still heavy with gloom.
Her eyes were puffy, and streaks of dried tears remained visible on her cheeks.
Once upon a time, I might have been able to truly empathize with her sorrow.
Back when I still clung to the sentiments of an Earthling… back when I suffered from depression and repeatedly chose death—I might’ve held her and cried right alongside her.
But after going through regression over and over again, a person wears down.
Worn and ground away, until eventually… empathy fades into nothing.
If it didn’t, there’d be no way to endure the cycle.
Drowning in an endless tide of emotion dozens of times would break anyone.
So I chose to stop empathizing with others.
Even my own emotions—I relegated them beneath logic and reason.
That was the survival method I came to learn after dying ninety-nine times.
That doesn’t mean I lost all emotion. I still cry when I’m sad. I still get angry when I’m pissed off.
Just… not right now.
“You want some?”
I held out a chunk of ant meat to Hana, who had just lifted her head.
Her face twisted instantly in disgust as she shook her head.
I didn’t press her. She’d eat eventually—give it two days without food, and she’d come around.
I still had more of the ant meat I’d saved. Enough to last until tomorrow.
As for water? I substituted it with the ants’ blood.
It tasted awful—utterly revolting—but the only alternative was to cut myself open and drink my own.
Both were disgusting.
But if I had to drink something foul, I’d rather it be someone else’s blood.
In this place, even a minor wound could become a death sentence without proper care.
By now, the goblin corpses and the ant swarm should have run into each other.
I couldn’t hear anything yet, but based on past experience, now was the perfect time.
If I was going to raid the storage room on the first floor, this was my window.
The guards stationed there weren’t particularly weak—but they weren’t strong either.
My single rusty dagger would be enough.
It might’ve been dull, but it could still claim lives.
“I’ll be back in a bit.”
I rose to my feet and said it to Hana.
We were currently inside a cave on the Tower’s first floor—one of the few places suitable for resting.
For some reason, the scent inside didn’t leak out, and monsters avoided coming in.
No one really knew why, but it made for a decent shelter.
Even if I left her here alone, she wouldn’t be in any real danger.
She’d probably just sit there, staring blankly at the fire next to the ant corpses.
But just like last time, Hana’s reaction was immediate. She jumped to her feet in panic.
“I-I want to come too. Please don’t leave me here.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“B-Being alone is even more dangerous. If I think about how you killed those wolves earlier…”
She’d rather trust my strength and follow me—despite the risks—than stay here paralyzed by anxiety.
For her, staying behind felt like the more dangerous choice.
“Fine.”
I allowed it.
This place was technically safe, but no matter how much I said so, she wouldn’t believe it.
Even if I left her behind, she’d likely sneak after me anyway—happened more than once.
And yeah, she died a few of those times.
Back then, I was ready to scream from the frustration—why couldn’t she just listen and stop dying?
But thinking about it now, it made sense.
How could someone who just got thrown into this world blindly trust a stranger who claimed to be in the same boat?
If it were me, I wouldn’t want to sit around trembling at the sounds of monsters outside either.
I’d rather take my chances with someone who at least had some ability to protect themselves.
Even if that person might abandon me at any moment.
So I understood her.
Even if I didn’t, she’d still follow me.
Might as well keep her close where I could keep an eye on her.
“Stay close.”
“O-Okay.”
She clung behind me like a shadow.
I kept her presence in mind while expanding my senses.
I didn’t have much mana left in my body, but real battle experience mattered more.
Extending my awareness like this was nothing.
The only nearby life form I detected… was a single ant.
The rest had probably gathered where I first killed the goblin.
This one must’ve been a straggler.
The ant was blocking a direct path to the storage. Going around it wasn’t an option.
Not a problem.
I already knew everything about how these ants moved and fought.
“Ugh… urgh…”
I ignored the shaky voice behind me and turned the corner.
There, I saw the ant feasting on a boar-shaped monster.
I told Hana to stay absolutely silent, then slowly approached the ant.
Shing.
I reversed my grip on the dagger sheathed at my waist.
Its chipped blue blade shimmered under the glow of the glowing stone.
The ant hadn’t noticed me—my steps completely silent.
I thrust the blade deep into the narrow seam between its thorax and abdomen.
—! Screeech! SKEEEE!!
It shrieked in pain and reared its head, but I was already moving.
Before it could react, I sliced through its waist—cleanly separating chest from belly.
Even in the original version, that section of the ant had always been thin.
Even if the ant was bigger now, the anatomy hadn’t changed.
A single dagger was all it took to split an ant into two ants.
Screee…
It didn’t last long.
The ant lay in two twitching halves, lifeless.
I motioned to Hana, who was hiding behind the corner.
She crept forward hesitantly and resumed her spot behind me.
“A-Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you…?
“No.”
I flicked the ant’s bodily fluids off my dagger as I answered.
Yoo Hana shrank back in horror at the sight of the green blood and glued herself to my back.
The soft weight of her ample chest pressed against me, the sensation spreading across my entire body—but unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to enjoy it.
I gently nudged her away and resumed my walk toward the storage room.
I twirled the dagger in my hand like a juggler performing a trick—tossing and catching it with casual ease.
As I walked, I reviewed the plan in my head.
Two guards. One with an axe, one with a spear.
Neutralize the spearman first—he’s got longer reach. Then take out the woodcutter.
I’d raided this storage more times than I could count.
Dealing with these two was nothing.
Their movements were so mind-numbingly predictable that even the slightest variation in approach was enough to get in and slit their throats.
That was the defining trait of the dagger technique I’d learned from the Clown.
That guy had all sorts of strange talents—his self-made dagger style was eerily effective.
Even now, with barely any mana left, I could still mimic the core of it.
“Um… Si-yoon, can I ask what you did back in society? Before you came here?”
I was walking and sorting through the plan in my head when Yoo Hana suddenly broke the silence with a question.
What did I do in society?
That was a first.
Usually, people were too intimidated by my blood-soaked appearance to speak properly.
But maybe because I’d taken out that ant so quickly, her fear had diminished compared to previous regressions.
Whether that was a good sign or not, I didn’t know.
But I had no reason not to answer her, so I gave her the truth.
“I was just a regular college student, fresh out of the military.”
“…A-and someone like that can stay this calm…?
“A fair question. Yoo Hana’s confusion made sense.
I replied without hesitation.
“There’s a manual in the military for situations like this. Helps you keep cool.”
“W-What? Seriously?
“No reason to lie about it.”
“I-I guess not, but… that still sounds a little suspicious.”
“It’s just classified. The military has all kinds of manuals. There’s even one on how to respond during a zombie apocalypse.”
“You’re serious? Wow… that’s incredible…”
She bought it. Hook, line, and sinker.
Pyeong-gyeongjang Teacher, you were right.
While we chatted, we reached the outskirts of the storage room.
Just past the corner on our right was the entrance.
I gestured for Yoo Hana to stay put, then leaned just slightly past the corner to peek ahead.
[……]
[……]
As expected, two guards stood motionless in front of the dilapidated storage—one gripping a spear, the other an axe—like statues.
The moment I laid eyes on them, I smiled faintly and spun the dagger between my fingers in a quick flourish.
I hid the blade behind my back and strolled forward casually. As I approached, a glimmer sparked in the guards’ eyes.
They said nothing, but both slowly raised their weapons, their presence turning hostile.
The first floor was essentially the Tower’s tutorial zone.
Most monsters here were weak enough that even normal civilians had a shot at surviving.
But these two were the exception.
The fact that just two guards were posted to defend a valuable storage room in a monster-infested area said everything.
It meant they were strong enough to handle whatever came at them.
That’s what made this place a jackpot.
A lucky break, a hidden reward—what they called a serendipity.
But one that no newly transferred Earthling could ever hope to obtain.
Only those who came from Murim, fantasy realms, or cyberpunk dystopias—people already strong—could claim the treasures hidden here on the first floor.
It’s unfair.
But when was the world ever fair?
And if we’re talking about unfairness, nothing beats the infinite regression I’d been cursed with.
Anyway.
For an average Earthling, this treasure was unobtainable.
But I wasn’t average.
I’d slipped into this place plenty of times before.
Killing those two? Nothing new.
“Hello there.”
I toned down my killing intent and stepped in closer. As expected, the guards raised their weapons to my face and growled in low, gravelly voices.
[Leave.]
[This is no place for a lowly wretch like you.]
Their voices echoed inside their heavy helmets, adding to their intimidating presence—but it still wasn’t enough to stop me.
I casually leaned to the side, slipping past the tip of the spear.
The instant the spearman’s face twisted behind the visor—
Shnk!
I tossed the dagger into the air, caught it with my off-hand, and slashed upward in a single, clean motion.
The blade slid between the eye slits of the helmet and gouged out the man’s eyeball.
It all happened in a blur.
So fast he couldn’t even register the attack. Crude swordsmanship, powered by experience in place of mana—but brutally effective.
[Aaargh!!]
He screamed in agony as blood and ocular fluid spurted out in a messy arc.
At the same time, the axe-wielder swung his weapon at me with the force to cleave a body in two.
I slipped behind the spearman, fluid as water, and plunged my dagger into both of his armpits.
A sickening crunch followed, blood spurting. Severed tendons robbed him of all strength—his arms dropped like dead weight.
I stepped back and twirled the dagger once more over the back of my wrist, just for show. The axe soldier’s face twisted in fury as he shouted:
[Are you mocking us?!]
“Force of habit.”
I shrugged off the question, ignored the now-disabled spearman, and charged straight at the other one.
Screeeeeech!
I dodged the swinging axe by a hair’s breadth.
The attack was so straightforward it bordered on honorable—too easy to read. I slipped into the opening and slashed at the exposed elbow joint, right where the armor ended.
Crunch.
Bone and muscle snapped with a sickening sound.
[Graaaagh!!]
The soldier howled, swinging the massive axe with his remaining arm.
But this time, it was even easier to avoid. I merely shifted my body to the side, and the blade cleaved nothing but air, slamming into the ground.
Boom!
The impact sent a cloud of dust into the air. Bits of stone and dirt peppered my cheek.
I stepped on the lodged axe blade, pinned it down, and drove my dagger up under his jaw.
Schk.
The blade tore through his windpipe and pierced the nerves at the back of his throat.
[Grrrk…!]
He gargled blood, his body shuddering. I yanked the dagger free and immediately ducked as the spearman—half-dead but still trying—lunged at me with a desperate kick.
“Khak!”
As he stumbled, his helmet flew off, revealing his face.
His arms dangled like wet noodles, utterly useless. The only thing keeping him going was his legs.
So I took those too.
I slashed the backs of his knees—easy, since he was already facedown.
He collapsed with a groan.
[Aaaagh—]
I didn’t enjoy watching others suffer.
Never have. So I ended it cleanly, plunging the dagger into his temple.
That final thrust came at a cost. With a sharp snap, the blade broke in two.
I tossed the useless hilt to the ground and wiped my blood-slicked hands on my clothes.
“Hana, it’s safe. You can come out now.”
I called out casually.
Unlike before, Yoo Hana came trotting toward me with noticeably more confidence in her steps. But when her eyes landed on the corpses lying in front of the storage room, she gasped in shock.
That only lasted a moment.
From the way she’d reacted to the ant’s body earlier, I’d suspected it—but now I was sure. Yoo Hana had an unexpected knack for adjusting to corpses.
Her fear dissipated far faster than most.
It was… strange. A kind of talent I couldn’t quite make sense of.
Getting desensitized to dead bodies?
When I saw my first corpse, I had nightmares for a week.
Yoo Hana, meanwhile, just went “Ugh, gross!” and moved on like she was stepping over a squashed bug.
A weirdly natural gift—one she’d never have discovered if she hadn’t entered the Tower.
“Uwah…! You’re covered in blood! A-Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine. None of it’s mine.”
Leaving her concerned voice behind me, I turned toward the storage room.
The gatekeepers were dead.
Now, it was time to reap the rewards.
Wait for me, hidden piece.