Chapter 35

1 We headed straight to the entrance of the hidden dungeon located on B1. Jihye and Huiwon were up front, and Gilyeong and I brought up the rear. I was reading on my phone. …Reeling from a splitting headache, Junghyeok Yu gave up. “This loop is over.” Thus ended Junghyeok Yu’s eighth regression. Surely not. That hasn’t happened yet, right? Damn it. Why can’t he just play it safe? This was only his third loop. If he were more cautious like he was during his second loop, everything would be okay all the way up to the later scenarios. I raised my head to see Huiwon looking at me. “Dokja, what are you staring at?” “I’m checking the calendar… With so much happening, I’ve lost track of dates.” I thought staring at a calendar might actually be more fun than this. Sometimes, even I wondered how I managed to read the entirety of this novel. Huiwon stared at me for a while, clearly suspicious, then turned to Jihye Lee. “Jihye, was it? Are you a sword kinda gal, too?” “Yup, I love swords.” “Right? They’re the best. It’s a nice feeling when you cut something.” “Sounds like you get it, too.” Huiwon smiled, then turned her eyes to Jihye’s sword. It was a shiny and fancy-looking sword. Junghyeok probably gave it to her. “That’s a nice blade you got there.” “Thanks! Master got it for me. And yours…” “Mine is… I-it’s pretty good, too.” Huiwon looked at her sword, which looked shabby in comparison, and quietly moved it to the other side of her waist, away from Jihye’s eyes. Although it wasn’t my fault, it felt like I let her down somehow. I picked on Jihye for no reason. “Hey, how come you’re so polite when talking to Huiwon but not me?” “Um…… You see, I kinda have a thing for badass ladies,” Jihye answered with a hint of awkwardness, and Huiwon playfully put her in a headlock, as if she were her cute little sister. I guess people with the “Demon Slaying” skill have some kind of connection. Jihye managed to squirm out of Huiwon’s headlock and turned to me. “By the way, why are you trying to save Master?” “That’s what friends are for.” “Cut the crap.” “Because he’s useful.” “…You sounded a bit like him just now.” [Constellation Secretive Plotter is curious about your motive.] It was no wonder Jihye and the constellations were puzzled. It must’ve looked like I was rushing to save the guy who was trying to kill me at every chance. [Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is delighted by your determination to reform a comrade who’s strayed off the path of righteousness.] [You have received 100 coins as a donation.] And this one’s writing a whole fanfic. But unlike the expectations of Demonic Judge of Fire…as in, the Archangel Uriel, the reason I was here to save Junghyeok Yu was entirely personal. I was here to prevent his “regression by death.” His stigma, “Regression,” made him go back to the past every time he died. A downright cheat skill befitting the main character’s signature ability. The problem was, this ability caused complications for people around him. Leader, what happens to the rest of the world when you regress? There was a supporting character who asked Junghyeok that question shortly after the tally of his regressions reached double digits. Even though I forgot the supporting character’s name, I clearly remembered Junghyeok’s answer. …I don’t know. I simply choose the world in which I can save the most people. It might sound noble, but what he was really saying was that he didn’t give a damn about the worlds he abandoned. Indeed, there was no mention anywhere in TWSA of what happened to the timeline after he regressed. No explanation, scientific or magical, was given. This was why I felt uneasy. What happens to the rest of the world once the Regressor is gone? Does it reset with him? Or does it branch off as a parallel universe? I’d be less worried if it was the latter. But if it was the former, then my existence would be… “Dokja?” “Huh, yeah?” Gilyeong was looking at me in concern, his little hand gripping my shirt. “It looks like we’re here.” [You are approaching the boundary of the scenario zone. Please be careful not to leave the scenario zone.] A warning message came up. It didn’t matter because the hidden dungeon of Chungmuro was considered part of the scenario zone. As we turned a corner, Exit 1 came into view, followed by the ominously wavering dungeon entrance. [You have discovered a hidden dungeon.] [Someone has already discovered this dungeon. You cannot obtain the first discovery achievement.] [A new hidden scenario has arrived!] <Hidden Scenario - Cinema Dungeon> Category: Hidden Difficulty: A- Mission: Defeat the Master of the Cinema Dungeon. Time Limit: None Reward: 4,000 coins Penalty for Failure:— Jihye staggered back in surprise. “…What’s this? Cinema Dungeon?” Gilyeong looked surprised, too. Well, it was understandable since this was their first hidden scenario. Huiwon had something to add as well. “Cinema Dungeon… Sounds kinda romantic.” “Romantic,” huh? She could only say that because she didn’t know what a terrifying place this was. We entered the cinema. We were greeted by a familiar multiplex lobby. [You have entered the Cinema Dungeon!] Although we entered the dungeon nervously, it was deserted inside. From the basement to the eighth floor, the multiplex had a total of nine floors. “Dokja, the posters are all ripped up. Who’d do that?” “Not sure.” I said that, but I knew exactly what had happened. The Cinema Dungeon was all about those movie posters on the walls. Clear every stage and nab all the rewards—that was most likely Junghyeok’s plan. Apart from the ripped posters, there was nothing of interest in the basement. There were no items or monsters. The only thing of note was that the elevator door had been smashed up. “Is this really a dungeon? Why’s it so empty?” Jihye asked. “There will be stuff once we go up.” “Do you know something?” “I have an idea.” “How? You’re being really sus right now. Is this your second life or something?” That would be your master, not me. In fact, this isn’t even his second loop. He’s already on— Huiwon cut off my train of thought. “It’s because Dokja’s sponsoring constellation is Gungye.” “Really?” Ignoring the two women chatting, I started to make my way up to the first floor, but Gilyeong suddenly grabbed me. There was a cockroach on his head that was flailing its antennae rapidly. Jihye pulled out her sword at almost the exact time I put a finger on my mouth. “Shhh, someone’s here.” As we held our breath, we began to hear a faint noise. It was from the floor above us. I thought it might be Junghyeok Yu at first, but it wasn’t his voice. “…You sure you heard right? This place is supposed to be full of…” “Positive. I paid them a thousand coins for this scoop.” “You mean the Oracles, right?” “Yeah. They’re shady as hell, but their intel is the real deal.” There were different voices. We walked up the escalator step by step and got closer to the other group. We could make out four men gathering in the lobby. Jihye spoke in a whisper. “Who are they? I’ve never seen them in Chungmuro.” “They probably came here through the ground-level entrance.” “Ground-level? But there’s a poisonous fog up there. And the scenario’s still—” “The type and progression of the scenario is different for each station. They probably got through faster than us. And light poisoning can be treated by consuming the meat of a subterranean species,” I explained casually, but I was puzzled as well. …“The Oracles”? There was no mention of a group like that anywhere in TWSA. Junghyeok and I should’ve been the only people who even knew about the hidden dungeon at this point. What unknown variable was causing all this? I needed to find out. “Let’s head in then,” one of the men said. As if on cue, a blue spotlight came on from above. The bright light surrounded the men, and they soon disappeared before our eyes. “What just happened?” I didn’t answer Huiwon. Instead, I scanned the posters on the wall. This one’s ripped. That one, too… When I got to the end of the wall, I finally spotted the only poster that was intact. I read the text on it. A time forgotten by mankind, recreated. Damn it, Junghyeok. Of all the movies to leave behind… On his third loop, he really is— At that moment, the light grew bright again. There was a whirring noise, and a spotlight was trained on us. Jihye and Gilyeong stepped back in surprise, but there was no way to escape it. Because the spotlight was supposed to hit us. I turned to Huiwon at the last moment. “Do you like movies, Huiwon?” “Of course. Who doesn’t?” “Well, you might hate them once we’re through.” “Huh? What’re you—?” [You have been hit by a projector beam.] [The screening will now begin for this floor.] Our surroundings began to change. This time, “The Fourth Wall” did nothing, likely because this wasn’t a simple illusion. The old linoleum floor turned into green grass, and the concession stand with the popcorn maker transformed into a lush forest. The ceiling became an endless blue sky without a single cloud. “Where is this?” Jihye mumbled in confusion. She yelled loudly and hacked at the trees and grass around us, but nothing changed. Gilyeong stayed calm and began to search for bugs. I touched a tree nearby as a test. A hard texture with a hint of moisture. This place was a real rainforest right out of the Mesozoic Era. It felt incomparably more real than the specter’s Illusory Prison. Most likely the power of the master of the Cinema Dungeon, who was waiting on the eighth floor. “We’re inside a movie.” “It’s one weird thing after another…” A novel became reality, so it wasn’t that strange for a movie to come to life. Huiwon, who was quick to adapt, seemed to have already accepted this situation. “What movie is this?” Jihye asked. “You’ll find out soon enough.” “Can’t you just tell us? Hey, kid, what’re you—?” At that moment, a bush nearby suddenly rustled, and something popped out right in front of Gilyeong. It was an enormous insect that resembled a praying mantis. It was about forty centimeters long. Jihye grabbed her sword in panic and yelled, “Hey, kid! Get back! Quick!” But Gilyeong merely looked back at her, as if she were making a fuss over the most natural thing in the world. “This is a Titanoptera, an insect from the Triassic period.” “What?” Gilyeong stretched his hands toward the insect called Titano-something. The creature didn’t avoid his hands. The boy’s and the insect’s bodies were engulfed in a green light. Jihye looked at me with a dumb look on her face. “Who…is this kid?” “Jean-Henri Fabre.” It was a good decision to bring Gilyeong with me. With his ability, we might be able to get through this stage easier than I thought. The huge mantis moved its massive mandibles, and Gilyeong nodded. I guess he’s…talking with it…? This bizarre conversation continued for a while, until Gilyeong suddenly turned pale. …What’s going on? Gilyeong looked back at me urgently. “Dokja!” As soon as he called my name, I felt the ground shaking. Something was bearing down on us at an incredible speed, tearing through massive palm trees in its wake. Kraaah! A towering reptile emerged from the rainforest, its snout coated in blood. In front of the creature, a few men covered in blood were scrambling in our direction. They were the ones who had entered the dungeon ahead of us. “Gaaah!” “H-help!” Jihye slowly stepped back and turned to Huiwon. “I think I know what movie this is.” “Yeah, me too.” It was over ten meters tall and had a powerful, muscular body covered in a tough scaly hide—the most fearsome predator of the Mesozoic Era stood before us. Even at a glance, I could tell it was at least a level-7 monster. This was an absurd level of difficulty for a stage on the first floor of the dungeon, but I was excited. After all, the harder the challenge, the better the reward. I pulled out my sword. “Everyone, get ready.” Junghyeok probably skipped this movie after seeing what it was about. The main rewards of the Cinema Dungeon were tied to each film. He probably thought a movie that just had a bunch of dinosaurs wouldn’t yield any good rewards. But he couldn’t have known—there was a crucial reward hidden in this movie. “Are you serious? We’re gonna fight that thing?” Jihye sounded like she’d already had enough. “We have to defeat it before we can create an exit.” “Create an exit?” “Did you forget we’re in a movie?” Behind the T. rex’s massive frame, which was bearing down on us, I could make out the central lab of the island. And perched on the rooftop was a helicopter, our ticket out of this stage. We were inside a movie recreated by the master of the Cinema Dungeon. Naturally, there was only one way out. “Let’s make it a great ending.”