Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Skill Devouring to the 666th Floor Episode 021

21. Eternal Room

Some have said.

That gods have no interest in humans.

However, when the Labyrinth incident erupted, this proved to be untrue.

Because the Transcendent Beings observed humans and selected them as Apostles.

The same was true for the Three Gods.

[We need to choose talented Apostles to respond to Amon. We can’t just pick anyone.]

Selecting exceptional humans to make them Apostles.

That was the Three Gods’ mission and would become the foundation of the raid party that would deal with Amon later.

However.

[Knowing that, why did you choose such an ill-mannered human?]

Orcus, God of the Underworld, was displeased with the choice of Lee Tae Seong.

[I recall it wasn’t a decision I made alone?]

[That’s right. You shouldn’t shift responsibility to Kairos, Orcus.]

When Harmonion, God of Balance, joined in, veins bulged on Orcus’s forehead.

[I said I didn’t like him from the start! I only agreed because you two pushed for it!]

[What’s wrong with being a bit ill-mannered? Looking back now, it was a good decision. He’s the only Apostle who’s made it down to the 29th Floor in less than a week, isn’t he?]

[So what! Even though I used my Divine Authority to create the Eternal Room, he won’t come in!]

The Three Gods had many questions about Lee Tae Seong.

How he could break through to the 29th Floor so quickly.

Whether he knew the Withered Branch would evolve.

Whether meeting Joshua, Kairos’s Apostle, was coincidence.

And what he discussed with the Specter in the Bottomless Pit.

Questions piled up like mountains.

Among them, there was one thing they most wanted to ask.

[He might be a regressor, don’t you think?]

[Regressor my ass.]

Whether he was a regressor sent from a dimension where they had failed.

They had arranged this conversation to resolve that doubt.

[I’ll try sending another message, so let’s wait.]

[Forget it. If he’s going to refuse, let him refuse.]

Orcus turned away, certain he would refuse again, but…

[The other party has accepted. One soul enters the Eternal Room.]

When Lee Tae Seong entered, the Three Gods’ gazes changed.

‘This is the first time I’m seeing their materialized forms in this life, right?’

A pitch-black space with nothing but a single door.

Three people stood before me.

The middle-aged man with a benevolent smile was Kairos, God of Time.

The one looking at me with displeased eyes was Orcus, God of the Underworld.

The woman with long straight hair reaching her waist was Harmonion, God of Balance.

‘The last time I saw them was before my regression, so it hasn’t even been a week?’

I’d seen these faces so many times I was sick of them, so I wasn’t particularly moved.

Rather, anger welled up more.

These bastards weren’t without responsibility for my comrades’ deaths.

‘But I can’t show hostility here.’

Should I thank them instead for giving me a new opportunity?

Anyway, I won’t be dragged around in this life.

Rather, I should be the one dragging them around.

“Hello, gods. That’s Kairos, that’s Orcus, and Harmonion, right?”

The Three Gods’ eyes widened.

[How did you know? This should be the first time you’ve seen our human forms?]

“Well, because I’ve seen you before.”

[Co-could it be…]

“Yes. I’m a regressor.”

My statement couldn’t help but shock the Three Gods.

“That’s what you were curious about, so you arranged this meeting, right?”

The gods were surprised once more.

They seemed quite shocked that I hit their inner thoughts exactly.

How obvious.

[You, you got it exactly right.]

“Well, if you have any questions, go ahead and ask. As a regressor, I’ll answer everything I can.”

Once I laid the groundwork, questions came pouring out.

[You’re saying we made you regress? Really?]

“Yes. You said it was a last resort and made me regress.”

[Does that mean you failed to reach the 666th Floor?]

“I reached it, but I couldn’t kill Amon. I only managed to cut off one of his arms.”

[Then you must also know that we’re selecting candidates to choose the Twelve Apostles.]

“Of course.”

[How many made it?]

“I was the only one who reached the 666th Floor. The rest all died.”

[A regressor… So that’s how you were able to evolve the Withered Branch?]

[You broke through so quickly as if you knew the strategy. Now I understand.]

I confessed to being a regressor, but there’s nothing to worry about.

‘The Three Gods and I have the same goal anyway. There’s no need to be hostile.’

That doesn’t mean I think of them as complete allies.

They’re just targets to be used.

‘In the past, they gave the orders, but not this time. My commands need to take priority.’

That’s why I revealed that I’m a regressor.

To exert influence over the Three Gods.

“There must have been many things about my actions that you couldn’t understand. For example, pretending to be Amon’s follower, or making contact with Joshua, Kairos’s Apostle.”

[I knew it! It wasn’t a coincidence!]

“Yes. I deliberately made contact. Joshua was talented enough to reach the top even before the regression. Well, I also met him to sell Magic Stones while I was at it.”

[Wait, you’re saying Joshua was at the top but still couldn’t break through the 666th Floor?]

“Yes. Unfortunately, he died without overcoming the wall of the 399th Floor.”

[What rank were you among the Twelve Apostles we selected?]

“11th place.”

I didn’t lie. My stats were actually in the lower ranks among the Twelve Apostles.

‘They must be dumbfounded. The Apostle they chose as 1st place died early, while I, who was in the lower ranks, survived.’

I won’t say that the cause of these results was the Three Gods’ wrong commands.

I didn’t come here to fight, but to notify them.

“Don’t ask how someone talentless like me made it that far. It’s already in the past. What matters is the future.”

[Right, the future is more important than a failed past.]

“So from now on, follow my orders.”

The Three Gods’ eyes widened once again.

“I’ll decide who to choose as Apostles and what Skills to sponsor. So don’t recklessly select Apostles from now on.”

[That’s absolutely ridiculous…!]

Orcus tried to object, but I raised my hand to cut him off.

“Since I know the strategy up to the 666th Floor, you need to follow my words. Only then can we cut off Amon’s head, not just his arm. That’s what you want, isn’t it? Amon’s death.”

[Well, that’s true, but…]

“Or do you want to repeat the same past and fail once more?”

[…]

Orcus said nothing more.

The other gods were the same.

They had no words to refute.

“Since I’ve already failed once, I’m confident I can do well this time. Isn’t failure the mother of success?”

Like a congressman running for election, I persuasively said my final words.

“Does anyone have objections to what I’ve said?”

[…]

“No one, right?”

When it comes to conquering the Labyrinth, the regressor holds the upper hand.

‘How dare some gods who can’t even remember the past try to climb above a regressor’s head?’

I realized anew how powerful information can be.

“Then I’ll take it that you all agree with my words. Let’s work together to get through this situation well.”

Grinning, I looked back at Orcus before leaving the room and said:

“Ah, I have something to ask you.”

[You’re asking me?]

“Yes. Do you know what karma is? Since you’re a god of the Underworld, I thought you might know.”

[Well, there are things even a regressor doesn’t know.]

“I don’t know everything either. It’s the same for you, isn’t it, Orcus? Do you know what the mission on the next floor is right now?”

[….]

“See? You don’t know, do you? I don’t know everything either, so there’s no need to be dissatisfied. It’s a pointless waste of emotion. So please answer my question.”

[…Karma is the dark energy that forms when humans accumulate karmic debt. I don’t know anything else about it.]

“What about cores?”

[Cores?]

Orcus looked slightly flustered.

From his reaction, it seemed like there was something there.

Was there some secret he couldn’t tell?

[Where did you hear that word?]

A dark energy called karma had swirled around the corpse, and when I absorbed it, the core’s percentage increased.

That’s why I asked….

‘He’s asking me instead? I don’t know for sure, but this isn’t something Orcus did.’

I thought he would know since he’s a god who governs souls, but his reaction showed he had no idea.

No, since I regressed, is it natural that he doesn’t know?

‘Either way, he’s hiding something else.’

[Tell me. Why are you asking these questions?]

“It’s nothing special. As a regressor, I just had some things to confirm. Well then.”

I left the room with just those words.

[That arrogant human!]

[Please restrain yourself, Orcus. Getting angry won’t solve anything.]

[How can I not be angry? Don’t you see that human daring to talk back to a god?]

Orcus had never looked favorably upon Lee Tae Seong.

It was no wonder his anger exploded.

[Calm down. Isn’t he the regressor we’ll have to serve from now on?]

[Serve? You want me to serve that bastard?]

[What else? Do we have any other options when we can’t even see an inch ahead?]

The other gods fell silent at Kairos, the God of Time’s words.

[I agree his attitude is a bit arrogant. But doesn’t he have the skills to back it up? We must have trusted him when we sent him back in time.]

[Kairos, can we really trust that guy? We’re not even certain if he’s actually a regressor or not.]

[Looking at his actions so far, the fact that he’s a regressor is undoubtedly true.]

[It’s been less than a week since we’ve been watching him!]

Orcus retorted to Harmonion’s words.

As they fumed, Kairos spoke up.

[Whether we can trust him or not, we’ll know by watching.]

When I came out of the Eternal Room, I returned to the real world.

It was the convenience store where I had been eating jjajang ramen.

Though it felt like a long time had passed, in reality it was only an instant.

‘Time flows differently in the Eternal Room.’

Then Joshua’s reply came.

It said he would come directly to Korea.

‘He’s coming all the way here? That works for me.’

After sending an OK reply, I left the convenience store.

I had filled my stomach, so I could go to the sinkhole, but I had a post to upload first.

‘This place looks good.’

In the dark dawn, sitting alone on a park bench, I opened Transcendence Net.

I immediately started writing a post from where I sat.

Tap tap tap, click!

[Amon’s post has been registered.]

I uploaded a strategy guide for Floors 20-29.

‘Most people haven’t even reached the 10th Floor yet, so it won’t help immediately… but someday they’ll see it and be grateful.’

The Three Gods must be watching my actions too.

‘They’re probably debating right now whether I’m actually a regressor or not.’

No matter how much I prove I’m a regressor, believing it or not is a separate matter.

Beyond information, it was a matter of trust.

‘I just need to prove it. By conquering the Labyrinth.’

Time will solve the issue of the Three Gods’ trust.

However, I need to become stronger than I am now.

‘Before challenging Floor 30, I should copy some skills first. I’ll also check if the penalty for Skill Copy disappears.’

I logged into Transcendence Net and wrote another post.

This time it wasn’t a strategy guide.

[Author: Amon]

<Title: Anyone want to meet at Hongik University Station tonight at 8 PM?>

I was arranging a fan meeting.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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