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Chapter 342: Balak (2)  

Tudor and Bianca.

Vikir looked at the two, who had both grown up by now, with a strange gaze.

"...."

Memories of the time before the regression came flooding back.

The true intentions of the two heroes, who had been bickering for a lifetime, were revealed during the Fifth Battle, when humanity was at its most vulnerable.

At that time, the arch-demon Amdusias, who was leading the Demon Tree Legion, used the roots of countless demons to hinder the human alliance.

Among them, the one that hindered humanity the most was the Blood Daylily.

Growing in any terrain with water, this terrible monster was a great threat to human soldiers in combat, but many times more dangerous to those retreating after losing a battle.

There was a moment when Vikir was retreating with arrows piercing his body, only to find his path blocked by a river swollen by a sudden rain and the blood daylilies that were everywhere, waiting to kill him.

The heroine who stepped forward in the midst of this dire situation was the Usher family's Usher P Bianca.

She fired an arrow of fire with all her might, exploding all the dense blood daylilies and giving the survivors a last chance to escape.

However, after saving countless soldiers, Bianca herself was trapped by the roots of the many daylilies and was unable to escape.

...And. As she was about to give up her life, her last shield appeared in front of her, and he was Don Quixote La Mancha Tudor.

'Run, you're in danger!'

'... But how can I go when you've been captured!'

'Go! Go and call for backup!

'No! I can't go!'

Just like the conversation just now, the two heroes were bickering with each other back then as well.

In the end, Tudor's efforts to save Bianca and the other survivors cost him his life as he tried to block the explosion with his body.

Bianca clutches Tudor's charred body in her arms.

Vikir can still see the dazed look on Bianca's face as she was left alone.

The death of a man she had known her whole life as an adversary, a childhood friend, and a lover.

An eternal goodbye, one she'd never spoken to, one she'd never whispered her love to.

None of the survivors could speak of the rain showers that poured down over the burned earth, or the image of Bianca sitting in the rain with her arms around Tudor.

And Vikir had watched it all from behind.

'...Then, it was from the point of view of a mere soldier 1, watching the great heroes from afar.'

But now, Tudor and Bianca stand here.

Facing Amdusias, who separated them before the regression, much earlier than expected.

And this time, the reliable veteran Vikir stood before them.

'Fear not. In this life, Amdusias will die by my hand.'

That way, Tudor and Bianca would not face a tragic future.

Vikir sincerely hoped so.

"Ouch! Why didn't you run away earlier, when I told you to!"

"I was just pissed off!"

"Then be a good girl, you only grabbed my ankle!"

"That's ridiculous! You're the one who got grabbed by the neck by Vikir!"

"You think I got caught because I'm weak! Vikir is stronger! And you would have been caught too!"

"Are you a bowman or a spearman? I can't take one of those crap!"

"In the future, go when you have to."

"It's up to me!"

They'll continue to bicker like they do now, affirming each other's preciousness. Together, perhaps forever.

"...."

Vikir stroked his chin in silence.

It was time to analyze the reality at hand.

Vikir realized that Tudor and Bianca had changed a lot since he had seen them.

They were taller, with more bone and muscle.

In Tudor's case, his jaw has thickened and his voice has deepened, making him look more mature.

Bianca's body shape has also changed in many ways.

Most importantly, their auras have increased to a level that is unparalleled.

"...How long have you guys been on this floor?"

Vikir asked, and Tudor shook his head.

"I think we've been here for over a week. It feels like it."

"By the feel of it, yes. If you count the sun rising and setting, it's exactly 2,555 days today. Seven years."

Bianca had the right answer.

She had only been on this floor for a little over a week, but in the time of this floor alone, seven years had passed.

The ever-positive Tudor hissed and swung the spear at her back.

"It's good that a little bit of training here is worth a whole day's training, seven years' worth in one go, right?"

"On the other hand, don't you realize that you'll grow old just as fast?"

"What the hell, I'm still young."

"Hey, you burn out, who knew how much longer I would be trapped on this floor...."

"That's a question for another time. Right now, the answer is to train hard!"

Tudor could only smirk at Bianca's tangy words.

Vikir nodded.

From what he'd seen earlier, Tudor and Bianca's skills had improved tremendously.

They've adapted to the harsh conditions of the jungle, and they've practiced tirelessly in between.

Add to that the passage of time, and their progress must have been swift.

'This tower is not called the Tower of Opportunity for nothing.'

The trials thrown by the demon were certainly harsh, but humans have the ability to use them to build upon themselves.

That's why mankind survived that terrifying battle of destruction.

Just then, Tudor tapped Vikir on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's get to the lair. I have more friends for you to meet."

"Who else is on this floor?"

"Of course. Don't freak out! Piggy and Sancho are with us! Hahaha! They'll be so happy to see you, they might even faint. We've saved up a lot of food, let's have a barbecue party today!"

Tudor patted Vikir on the back and headed into the bushes.

He grinned from ear to ear in anticipation of the tearful reunion to come.

"That's it. On the previous stage, Sinclair was also there... Well, the mission didn't go well, so I only sent Sinclair down. The remaining four of us fell into this forest due to a penalty or something, but the daylilies outside don't attack you unless you get close to the water, so we're okay. Well, the real problem was 'somewhere else'... hmm!?"

But Tudor didn't finish his sentence.

The color drained from his face and the smile vanished.

He was right, for all that remained of the wide-open plain beyond the bush were ruins.

A hut, apparently made of stones and logs, was completely destroyed.

In what appeared to be a warehouse, broken sacks were rolling around, and grains and fruits were rolling around.

And in the center of it all, two men sit, looking dejected.

They had grown beards and were taller, but Vikir recognized them at a glance.

Sancho and Piggy. The two men guarding the lair looked up at Tudor and Bianca.

"...eh!?"

Their helpless gazes suddenly came alive. "Vikir!"

Sancho, now much taller, and Piggy, now looking quite grown up, ran over.

"Uh, how did Vikir get here!"

"Are we the ship owners this time?"

They grabbed Vikir's hand and shook it wildly, unable to contain their excitement.

Meanwhile, Tudor and Bianca were looking around with serious expressions on their faces.

" ...Is this what 'those guys' did?"

"They stole all our food. While we were away."

Sancho nodded.

"We tried to fight them off, but we were outnumbered. And their individual strength was superior. We were barely able to hold on for our lives."

Sancho and Piggy were covered in wounds, as if the battle had been quite intense.

Tudor gritted his teeth.

"Shit. This is the 'other problem' I was talking about earlier. This is far more troublesome than the blood daylilies. Here we are, meeting Vikir, and we can't even have a barbecue."

Then.

Vikir noticed something strange.

The color of the blood oozing from Piggy's wound.

"Piggy. Is your blood naturally black?"

"Huh? Aaah, it's always been like this, huh? I'm not demonized or anything! It's been like this since I was a kid! The doctors said it's because there's a lot of iron in my blood... but it seems like it's gotten a little darker since I've been in the Hell Tree?"

"Hmm."

Bianca, who had come back from surveying the damage, spoke up just as Vikir was showing interest in something other than food.

"That's not the point right now, we've lost all the food we've been saving, and at this rate, we won't even have enough to eat tomorrow, let alone complete the mission, let alone ... the barbecue."

"What's the mission?"

Vikir asked, and Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca simultaneously popped up a status window above their heads.

<Mission> – Die and Kill!

※Each and every one of the ship's owners possesses powerful powers! Living is inherently difficult~

※ Recognized only if everyone clears the mission!

Apparently, Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca were fighting the shipowners who had arrived on this floor first.

"We don't know who they are either. We're guessing barbarians, but we're not sure."

"It is clear that we are hostile towards each other. We are competing with this side for food."

"They are incredibly fast and strong, and we've lost all the food we've gathered."

"They are skilled with the bow, perhaps rivaling the archery of the Divine Archers...."

Apparently, the force of the ship owners attacking this way was considerable.

The arrowheads embedded in large boulders and thick logs proved it.

Holes that spiraled in circles, as if a tremendous rotational force had been applied.

Shots twisting and turning in every direction, front, back, left, right, and center.

And Vikir knew people who shot arrows this way.

"...I have a hunch."

Vikir began to walk in one direction, retracing the tracks of the battle.

"Huh? If we go that way, we'll be in the territory of those shipowners."

"Head-on combat is dangerous, Vikir."

"But I feel strangely confident, why?"

"Well, it's only been the four of us so far, and with Vikir on board, who knows?"

Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca unwittingly followed Vikir's lead.

Towards the base of seasoned ship owners who have lived on this floor for a very long time.