Chapter 123
His mind felt hazy.
Even through that sensation, Shaka's words kept echoing inside Suhyeok's head.
‘Lee Seha’ is waiting for you.
It made no sense.
No.
It should've been impossible.
Lee Seha had never been dragged into this Tower.
Except for Bong Taesu, none of the other raid members had appeared here either.
They weren't supposed to exist inside this Tower.
What the hell is going on?
Suhyeok tried to consider every possibility.
Even Bong Taesu had ended up here with him.
Maybe...
He had simply failed to notice Lee Seha.
Yes.
Variables always existed.
Unlike before the regression, perhaps Lee Seha hadn't distinguished himself much during the Tutorial.
Maybe the reason Suhyeok hadn't seen him among the top-ranked Players early on was simply because he'd fallen outside the rankings.
Hey, Lee Suhyeok! Training alone again?
A familiar voice echoed from somewhere in his memories.
When Suhyeok closed his eyes, a scene surfaced.
It was from shortly after he'd joined the raid party.
Back then, Suhyeok would always remain alone in the training hall and train long after everyone else had left.
Seriously, I knew you'd be here.
Is training by yourself really that fun?
Training is supposed to be done together if you actually want results, you know.
Got it, Mr. Prickly?
Suhyeok wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and immediately resumed training.
When Lee Seha kept talking to him, Suhyeok glanced over in annoyance.
Don't you ever get tired of this?
Why are you acting like it's something new?
Your hyung is doing this for your sake.
Lee Seha grinned.
So, in that spirit...
Want to spar?
...Then I'll ask you for a lesson.
He had been a strange man.
Lee Seha was strong.
For several years, Suhyeok had lost to him over and over again.
His swordsmanship had swept forward like a storm, perfectly fitting his title.
Storm Sword.
There were generally two types of people considered strong in the Tower.
Madmen who could explode at any moment.
And people destined to become those madmen eventually.
By that definition...
Suhyeok himself was a madman.
He had chosen regression.
And because of that decision, he was now climbing this Tower all over again.
But Lee Seha had been different.
He hadn't belonged to either category.
He was...
Ordinary.
What are you gonna do when you get out?
They said they'll grant a wish, right?
Don't you have any dreams or anything?
When Suhyeok answered that he didn't, Lee Seha had chuckled as though he'd expected it.
Me?
The moment I get out, I'm opening a barbecue restaurant with my parents.
Or maybe fried chicken.
Anything's fine, really.
That ordinary nature was precisely why...
Unlike the rest of them, madmen obsessed with climbing the Tower no matter the cost...
...Mr. Seha is dead.
He died.
Leaving behind only a short note saying he was sorry...
He took his own life.
He died because he was ordinary.
Unlike the others, who had grown numb to death and to the loss of human life...
He couldn't.
The real problem is how Shaka knows any of this.
More specifically...
How did Shaka know about Lee Seha's relationship with Suhyeok?
How could he know Lee Seha was waiting to reunite with him?
There was no way Shaka could've said that unless he knew Suhyeok had regressed.
[You have entered Hidden Dungeon ‘Atlantis’.]
[All Players within Atlantis temporarily gain the ability to breathe underwater.]
Rustle.
His hazy thoughts cleared.
Suhyeok opened his eyes.
Before him stood a colossal underwater city made entirely of gold.
Long strands of algae swayed across its structures.
[Clear Condition revealed.]
[Clear Condition: Kill ‘Prolios,’ King of Atlantis.]
Hummm. Hummm.
The bracelet on Suhyeok's wrist vibrated again.
He raised his head and searched for the direction from which the pull felt strongest.
He could sense it instinctively.
The bracelet was pointing toward the enormous citadel visible beyond the golden lake and central plaza.
...For now, focus on clearing the Hidden Dungeon.
I'll deal with Lee Seha afterward.
Step. Step.
The four slowly made their way through the massive golden city.
Bong Taesu looked around in amazement.
"I never imagined a place like this could exist."
"Everything really is made of gold."
Lee Yumi scanned the streets as they walked.
"Judging from what we've seen so far, this place must've been abandoned for a very long time."
"I don't think anything has lived here in ages."
She paused.
"More importantly...."
With a displeased expression, she raised her head.
Outside the enormous bubble dome enclosing Atlantis...
A gigantic grotesque eye stared directly at them.
It belonged to one of the enormous sea monsters swimming around the city.
"That sea monster..."
"Hasn't it been acting strange for a while?"
"It's definitely swimming around the city."
"But even when its body changes direction..."
Lee Yumi narrowed her eyes.
"Its eye stays fixed on us."
It looked like surveillance.
The Constellations noticed the strange behavior too.
It is weird. Aren't those things supposed to have no intelligence?
Yeah. They live entirely on instinct, so maybe we're imagining it? Its eye looks dead anyway.
Probably just our imagination. Even if it isn't, there's no way to check right now.
They can't attack us anyway, right? We have that Trait.
True. Still, no harm in being careful.
Suhyeok also looked up at the sea monsters.
Their pupils were completely still.
He couldn't sense hostility.
And thanks to Poseidon's Blessing, sea monsters wouldn't attack him anyway.
So that much was natural.
"Hyungnim."
Bong Taesu pointed ahead.
"Looks like we've arrived."
The streets.
The buildings.
Even the citadel itself...
They all resembled the architecture of the Merfolk Kingdom they'd visited earlier.
Could that really be coincidence?
Suhyeok doubted it.
The similarities were far too precise.
Then he remembered what the Merfolk King had said.
The theory that sea monsters were actually ancient Merfolk.
Creeeak.
The citadel doors opened.
The four stepped inside.
They climbed the staircase.
When they reached the highest floor...
The final door opened by itself.
Someone was already waiting inside.
[Boss Room entered.]
[Boss - ‘Prolios,’ King of Atlantis.]
A statue sat upon the throne.
