WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

DAMNED 13TH REGRESSION

Chapter 5: Entering Babel (1)

"Screeeech! Save us, save us!"

"It's a monster! A monster!"

'The monsters are you guys.'

Gong-hyeok swung his steel bat with a full swing, a calm expression on his face.

In the dimly lit dungeon boss room, ferocious beating sounds echoed incessantly.

The screams of the orc scraping metal joined in, creating a mural of blood and bone fragments.

"We surrender, orc surrender! We misunderstood!"

"We misunderstood! Now we understand! Humans are scary..."

Crack!

Regardless of what the monsters babbled, where the steel bat swept, teeth and skull fragments scattered.

The 450th dungeon boss, 'Barbangaru Orc Warriors'

Under the command of Chief Warrior Barbangaru, a squad of ten orc warriors operated with unusual, organized efficiency, infamous among hunters for avoiding engagement.

But absurdly, the orcs lay broken and sprawled on the floor, their skulls crushed and bodies mangled.

Orc chief Barbangaru, swollen-headed and blood-soaked, wailed, clutching his head.

"Humans! Humans! Orcs misunderstood! Barbangaru is stupid! Will not bother humans anymore!"

"Pity yourself. Just a while ago, you were saying 'Humans, even their buttholes are not bad!' as you tried to devour me, right?"

"Bar, Barbangaru..."

Without listening, Gong-hyeok ferociously clubbed the orc chief's temple, like a golf tee shot.

Crack!

The sound of a skull breaking and an eye popping out rang. Blood painted another picture on the floor as the orc chief screamed and buried his face in the dirt.

"Ah, your skull's quite sturdy, huh? It's still intact after three hits."

"Save us, save us, save us, save us!"

The orc chief, abandoning his pride and rubbing his face on the ground, failed to stir Gong-hyeok's heart even by 1mm.

'Sigh, poor bastard.'

Gong-hyeok rested the bat on his shoulder and sighed.

"Fine. I'll ask you a simple quiz. Get it right, and I'll spare you."

"Squeak? I-I'll get it right. Human!"

"Do you know what the red firework, launching in 3 seconds, is?"

"Squeak?"

Caught in the mystery of the puzzling quiz, 3 seconds quickly passed.

[Maul (F) activated]

Crackle

"It's your skull, bastard."

With a mighty swing, Gong-hyeok shattered the orc's head.

In the orc's eyes remained an innocent curiosity.

[You are capable of harming many. You can face 100 opponents alone.]

[You have acquired the title 'One Man Army'.]

[Your fight seems more like a massacre than a battle.]

[You have acquired the title 'Merciless Massacrer'.]

[You have achieved the 'Tutorial Destroyer' 10/10 achievement.]

[You have cleared 10 dungeons in 3 days (67 hours).]

[Achievement rate 322%. A phenomenal achievement.]

[You receive 400 violet coins and 1 blue coin.]

[Excess achievement bonus! All stats increase by 3!]

[You receive 3 blue coins!]

"Oppa, isn't that a bit too much?"

Ha Yeon-si watched the boss slaughter with a slightly nauseated expression.

Gong-hyeok had seen monsters ripping off hunters' limbs and torturing them countless times. And hunters treating monsters like toys, mutilating and even raping them when they half-die.

It's not a tit-for-tat.

But after 200 years, typical emotions become numb.

"You'll get used to it soon. Hurry and collect the items and coins."

Gong-hyeok opened his stats window.

[Titles]

‘Horn Breaker’

‘One Man Army’

‘Merciless Massacrer’

‘A Duelist Between Life and Death’

‘Horn Breaker’ increases damage by 30% against Minotaur-type monsters and increases strength and endurance by 5 points.

‘One Man Army’ boosts all stats by 10% when facing multiple opponents.

‘Merciless Massacrer’ increases the instant death chance by 50% against frightened opponents.

‘A Duelist Between Life and Death’ increases strength, agility, endurance, and willpower by 5 points.

‘Merciless Massacrer’ seems useful.'

[The title ‘A Duelist Between Life and Death’ has been dismantled.]

[The title ‘Merciless Massacrer’ has been equipped.]

Gong-hyeok easily instilled fear in monsters with his incomprehensible strength and skill. He often faced multiple opponents alone in 3 to 4-person parties.

He had no intention of leading medium-sized raid parties of 5 to 12 hunters.

Until reaching Babel's 15th floor, a large number of comrades only caused disputes and leaked preemptive information. Those who followed Gong-hyeok for gain could be led to their doom or used as shields.

"Achievements"

[Fight of Destiny (3) 44/40] Achievement rate 110%

Reward - 240 violet coins, 1 blue coin

Excess Achievement Bonus - 1 blue coin

[Bloodthirsty (3) 800/800] Achievement rate 100%.

Reward - 400 violet coins, 1 blue coin.

[Tutorial Destroyer 10/10] Achievement rate 322%

Reward - 400 violet coins, 1 blue coin.

Excess Achievement Bonus - 3 blue coins, all stats increase by 3.

Current Coin Holdings.

7 blue coins.

1,548 violet coins.

These were the coins Gong-hyeok diligently collected over three days of dungeon crawling.

Gong-hyeok flicked a blue coin, and the Observer behind him swiftly consumed it.

Observer, gleeful with the ingestion of 5 blue coins, emitted a neon light.

"Observer. Activate Mind's Eye."

[The unique skill ‘Forced Awakening (SSS)’ has been applied.]

[The final seal ‘Mind's Eye’ has been unlocked.]

A strange lens appeared on the Observer's forehead.

The Mind's Eye in itself didn't bring significant abilities or skills. At best, it revealed more of the enemy's stat window hidden until now and slightly increased the accuracy of the Predict skill.

However, the Mind's Eye, capable of seeing the essence of the world, had effects beyond its systematic abilities.

With it, Gong-hyeok of the past learned the true nature of dungeons and could harness the power of boss monsters.

"Oppa, I've gathered everything. Let's go home."

Ha Yeon-si handed over 60 coins with a smile, and Gong-hyeok gave back 20 coins to her.

He had been giving a third of the coins to Ha Yeon-si. Though her contribution was minimal for now, observing battles was also a learning experience.

Once they reached Babel, long-range attack skill coins would drop. With Ha Yeon-si's high mana and mind stats, she could trample most enemies if she mastered long-range attacks.

And as for Babel, as mentioned before...

"No, we can't go home today."

"Why can't we go home, Oppa?"

"Didn't you notice we have more stuff than usual today, Yeon-si?"

"It’s a few days' worth of food and supplies, but that's because you told me to prepare them..."

Gong-hyeok took out a pipe he had prepared earlier.

Rolling paper cigarettes in Babel was tough. A pipe, which can be smoked if only tobacco leaves are substituted, was more suitable.

Gong-hyeok named the pipe 'Ebonne.' He filled it with tobacco and lit it. He savored the aroma, combining the gunpowder-like smell from the shooting range with the cigarette smoke.

As Gong-hyeok enjoyed the fragrance, inhaling the smoke into his nose and mouth, Ha Yeon-si cautiously asked.

"Are we going somewhere like this place?"

It was right after she spoke.

A sinister red magic circle appeared under Ha Yeon-si's feet.

"Oh, Oppa, what is this!"

The same magic circle appeared under Gong-hyeok.

Yeon-si knew all too well what this magic circle signified.

The start of Babel's 7th mass summoning.

Right now, Babel's shadow must be casting a mirror-like reflection over the entire world.

Gong-hyeok slowly exhaled what might be his last smoke on Earth.

"Yeon-si, listen carefully. In the dungeons of Babel, there is no good or evil. You just need to make choices based on your goals."

"What do you mean by that..."

"I will clear Babel and save the world. I can do anything for that. Don't forget what I said."

Gong-hyeok's muttering ended as he stepped closer to Yeon-si, overlapping their magic circles. The light from the magic circle soon engulfed them both.

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