21. A Huge Misunderstanding

* * *

Watching Reina and Suji’s performance compared to my uselessness gave me a reality check.

“Maybe it’s time I let you go. Go forth and conquer.”
“Huh?”
“I mean keep fighting hard.”

Why am I so weak? Every battle drives it home. Forget lesbianism – at this rate I’ll just become their pleasure doll. Si-woo said he trained Reina and Suji, meaning they’re stronger than in the original.

Honestly, I still suspect regression. The Ancient Relic fits too well. Maybe they don’t need me? Maybe being weak is fine if Si-woo’s strong enough to protect me?

“What’s on your mind?”

Fading into the background among heroines is an option. Right now I’m just trash mob cleaner. If you’re gonna isekai me, at least give decent abilities. Steam packs are ridiculous.

“Hiyah!”

Reina’s spirit arrow struck a golem’s eye, freezing it momentarily. Suji’s flaming spear followed up, incinerating it.

*CRACKLE*

Yu-jeong conserved her EW for the boss after dismantling all traps. Who knew a C-rank dungeon could be this easy? Original me struggled here.

A fork appeared.

“Which way?”
“Right has a mega golem. Left leads to boss.”

Mega golems are dungeon mini-bosses. The guidebook said defeating them grants good cores but makes the boss harder. Unless Si-woo helps…

“Eun-ha!”
“Si-woo?”

The noisy bastard finally appeared.

“Oh, it’s Mr. Naggy.”

How would heroines feel being called that?

“Let’s kill the mega golem. Eun-ha can handle it.”
“Want to see me as ground meat?”
“Magic-immune swords can kill it easily.”

Really? Why tell me now?

“How do you know? No guides exist.”
“Divine Sword users know all.”

Definitely a regressor. His lack of romantic interest suggests past life burnout. Should I ask directly? Better wait.

But from which timeline did he regress? Original Eun-ha’s world or mine?

“Why kill it?”
“It drops relics.”

Ah right – some villains powered up using mech dungeon relics. Though endgame Si-woo crushed them anyway.

“This path’s trapped.”
“No need for EW. Just destroy the red dot above.”

*ZAP*

Yu-jeong destroyed the indicated dot.

“Amazing, Divine Sword user.”
“Please, you’re embarrassing me.”

Why’s he blushing like a schoolgirl? Disgusting. Should I castrate him?

[Intruders detected. Eliminating.]

“Wow, ugly golem.”

A massive wall-sized construct with minigun arms and missile pods. Now this feels like a C-rank dungeon.

*BRRRT*

Missiles rained down. My acceleration showed their trajectories clearly. Dodging while Reina and Suji intercepted.

“Infinite missiles?”
“Magitek ammunition – it regenerates until mana depletes.”

So we exhaust its energy. With traps disabled, its supply should be limited. But dodging forever sounds tedious.

“Yu-jeong sunbae.”
“Hm?”

She severed the missile pods’ core connections. Stream viewers might want more drama, but with our cheat characters, why bother?

[Warning: Missile systems disabled. Switching to kickboxing.]
[Warning: Kickboxing risky. Joint damage likely.]

The golem twitched like a broken toy. So this is “crowd control.”

“Still resisting with arms.”
“Won’t help.”

Mech enemies trade speed for defense. Slow enough that tactics trump strength. Reina and Suji handled the sphere drones while I stabbed its neck.

*CRUNCH*

The core shattered, leaving only loot.

[Golem Crafting Manual]

Ancient golem-making knowledge. Useful, but not for me. Yu-jeong could use combat puppets though.

“Fascinating.”
“You take it, sunbae.”
“Agreed. Fits your EW.”

I handed it over.

[S-rank Golem Core: Can animate life or enhance creations]

“Eun-ha should have this.”
“Really?”

Si-woo insisted I take it.

“You defeated it. Could sell for good money.”
“I see.”

Can’t rely on Jin-seok forever. The core might help.

The boss chamber appeared – a dome with a Gundam-esque mech that assembled additional parts into a monstrous form.

*CLANK* *WHIRR*

[Targets confirmed. Commencing extermination.]

“Trap leads straight to boss.”

Normally terrible, but we have regressor Si-woo and Yu-jeong. Original Si-woo got humiliated here – beaten to pulp by the “Golem of Chaos” that specializes in humiliation.

His reaction now will confirm regression. Personally, I’m thrilled – fighting a real Gundam! What boy wouldn’t be?

“Sunbae, can you use EW?”
“Mm.”

An epic boss battle awaits!

“No need for EW.”

“Huh?”

*SLASH*

His synced Divine Sword bisected the Gundam instantly.

“NO! MY GUNDAM!”

My childhood dream! My romance!

[Si-woo!]

“Don’t stop me! Remember what it did to me!”

He ignored his sword’s protests, pulverizing the mech. Definitely regressed. Original Si-woo suffered horrific humiliation here.

The wreckage revealed a glowing orb – the Ancient Relic.

[Ancient Relic (SSS): Contains lost knowledge. Bound users gain ancient wisdom.]

The item that empowered the Black Dragon Society to rival Cheonsan Group. Honestly, we don’t need their help – Yu-jeong’s genius surpasses her easily manipulated sister.

“Insane loot for a C-rank. Why was this untouched?”
“Newly discovered, I think.”

Reina and Suji reacted appropriately. SSS-tier from a C-dungeon?

“Mech dungeons have terrible ROI. Deadly traps, tanky mobs, maze layouts, crap rewards.”
“But we got so much here?”
“Mecha Land’s unique. Others aren’t worth it without S-rank hunters.”

Per original lore, mech dungeons are death traps without EW. With Yu-jeong, we could farm them easily.

“If mech dungeons are abundant, we’ll need sunbae’s help.”

The profits from first clears could be massive. Not bad.

“What about the relic? Too valuable to sell.”
“Eun-ha should take it.”

Si-woo pushed it toward me.

“Eat it?”
“Yeah. It’ll help.”

What’s his game? Trying to raise affection points? Wants to taste what he missed last timeline? That sly bastard.

Well, free stuff is free. The relic might boost my survival odds.

“What about sunbae and the others?”

SSS-items shouldn’t be decided unilaterally.

“Selling seems best.”
“We usually split boss drops equally.”
“Don’t pressure Eun-ha.”

The heroines reacted differently, glaring at Si-woo. He looked wronged, gathering them to whisper.

“Not what you think…”

After hushed discussion, they pushed him aside.

“For Eun-ha, we’ll allow it.”
“Take it humbly.”
“I don’t mind either way.”

Protagonist persuasion at work. That bastard’s courting me with gifts post-regression. Should I wear a chastity belt?