"More gentlemanly than the dungeon in Egypt?"
If the words I had blurted out a few hours ago had become a flag for this situation, Kang Sihyun wished he could travel back in time to take them back. Gentlemanly, my foot. Compared to the new pattern that started from the 6th floor, the dungeon from the 1st to the 5th floor, which had been plastered with cruel traps, was preferable. Physical injuries could be healed, but what about the mental scars?
"Again?"
The moment they broke through the 8th floor and arrived at the 9th, Igor scowled fiercely at what was before them. His voice was filled with annoyance. Sighs from the group members followed.
Kang Sihyun clenched his fist as he realized that just as the dungeon had progressed with trap types from the 1st to the 5th floor, it would unfold similarly from the 6th to the 10th floor.
The traps might have been harsh and cruel, but they were not dishonorable. However, it was different starting from the 6th floor.
When the group first set foot on the 6th floor, escaping the trap hell, what they encountered were nine human figures that resembled each member of the group.
Or should they be called human?
They were something pretending to be human. To be more precise, doppelgängers imitating the human party that had invaded the dungeon.
There was nothing else to say. The skills they used, their appearances were exactly like Kang Sihyun's group.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined encountering doppelgängers starting from the 6th floor, especially when they had just entered their second dungeon.
Luckily, the 6th floor was relatively easy. Initially startled by enemies in human form, they found these adversaries significantly weaker than themselves, dissolving like slimes once slashed. Except for the discomfort of their resemblance, avoiding traps was much easier. The real problem began from the 7th floor.
The doppelgängers they met on the 7th floor, as if saving their previous fights as data, were several times more delicate and robust. Their skills had also grown, making it difficult for most of the group to breeze through as they had on the 6th floor.
The difficulty seemed to have jumped several levels at once, making even S-Class Awakeners sweat. No injuries were sustained, but the pressure of potential danger on the next floor weighed on them as they headed to the 8th floor. And there, they battled for about two hours.
This meant that the doppelgängers were starting to match their abilities.
Kang Sihyun stopped in his tracks at the center of the 9th floor, facing another nine humans waiting for them. Approaching too closely would trigger their recognition and an attack, so they took ample time to rest and strategize before engaging in battle.
How could this even be possible?
The extent of Gulra and his offspring's influence was unfathomable.
The doppelgänger Kang Sihyun faced on the 6th floor only managed to use healer skills. However, the one on the 7th floor succeeded in using water attribute skills, and on the 8th floor, even archer skills were copied.
If the doppelgänger on this 9th floor successfully copied his class as well, this battle would be exponentially more difficult than the one on the 8th floor.
"I didn't want to feel it this way…"
The realization that he was a troublesome Awakener to deal with, that his class was more threatening than he thought, was something Kang Sihyun had no desire to learn in such a manner. He looked at the Awakeners hesitating to proceed. They all seemed uneasy, having to cut down Irregulars with their own faces more than once.
There was both mental and physical toll. The fact that they were only on the 9th floor felt desperately hopeless.
To lift the gloomy atmosphere, Kang Sihyun slapped both his cheeks with a loud smack. The slap, cold enough to numb his cheeks due to the chill, surprised his companions, causing them to turn their heads. Kang Sihyun smiled at them.
"It looks like we only need to endure two more times, let’s keep our spirits up."
It was only the 9th floor. They couldn't afford to be disheartened or exhausted this early on. Kang Sihyun, trying to sound more composed, then looked past the Irregulars standing in a row in front of him to the staircase behind them.
"It seems they get stronger with the combat data from the previous floors."
"That seems likely."
Uiheon agreed. If he agreed, it was almost certain to be true, so Kang Sihyun felt confident in his hypothesis.
And in the plan they were about to execute.
"Then let’s try to avoid fighting as much as
possible."
"Excuse me?"
"If we encounter another doppelgänger on the 10th floor, it'll be disadvantageous for us. We'll have to fight even more desperately in this floor, and if that becomes the new benchmark for the next floor's adversaries, who here wants to go all out in just the 10th floor?"
After breaking through this floor, they still had another 11 floors to ascend. Naturally, no one wanted to expend their strength mid-way.
Until now, they had focused on cutting down all Irregulars and ascending the stairs, but given the current situation, it seemed best to dash up the stairs while fending off attacks, much like avoiding traps.
"Whether they follow us or not, let's cut through and make our way up to the stairs. It’s unclear if the foes from below can follow us to the next level, but taking a gamble might not be a bad idea."
It could lead to the disaster of facing both 9th and 10th floor Irregulars at once, but that might be better. At least, the foes’ abilities would be inferior to theirs. However, if they engaged in a proper fight here, they would definitely face an Irregular with equivalent abilities on the 10th floor.
Better done than perfect.
Misha nodded at the proposal.
"It’s partly my fault that things have turned out this way, let’s do this, Igor."
Misha persuaded Igor, who looked as if he wanted to say that was nonsense. Kang Sihyun calmly corrected Misha's self-blaming words.
"It's not Misha's fault. If we’re pointing fingers, it's mine for not realizing it from the start."
The appearance of the doppelgängers meant that Nonus had succeeded in probing their minds. Perhaps the reason why powerful Irregulars did not appear from the 1st to the 5th floor, and only traps did, was to collect information. It was to understand which skills the Awakeners primarily used and how they dealt with traps.
Based on this information, Nonus placed a trial avatar on the 6th floor, but they had faced it honestly without deciphering Nonus's intentions, thereby handing over additional data. The 7th floor was no different. They realized too late that this was Nonus's trickery, only catching on by the 8th floor.
Lucia mentioned that the Irregulars’ movements had become more detailed, not just imitating but perfectly copying them, which provided a clue. Based on this, they could deduce Nonus's plan.
Nonus was obtaining information about humans through battles with the Irregulars he created. Moreover, he was exploring their minds amidst the chaos to gauge their abilities. Misha, realizing this too late, tried to block the attempts to invade their minds, but managing the mental states of the entire group during battle had its limits. If things continued this way, their strategies would be completely exposed soon.
If Nonus learned about the power they had when defeating Decumanus, it was unpredictable how things would unfold. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Kang Sihyun frowned as he looked at the ceiling of the ice castle.
Gentlemanly, my foot.
To think they were being tracked in real-time for information updates on avatars.
It was disgustingly eerie.
Kang Sihyun would have preferred dealing with Decumanus, who could make their thoughts transparent, a hundred times over. Jerked back to the present by a touch on his shoulder, he straightened up to find eight people looking at him.
"What are you thinking, getting lost in thought in a dungeon?"
Chang-sik chided Kang Sihyun for letting his guard down, his eyebrows furrowed. After a brief apology, Kang Sihyun discussed the plan again, seeking the group's consensus.
Everyone knew it was a gamble, but with no better option, they decided to make for the stairs. Kang Sihyun’s warning that the Irregulars could gain information about his copy class, making the battle even harder, was the final persuasive blow.
"Then, let’s go."
Run!
At his shout, everyone kicked off the ground. Moving more than six steps, the Irregulars too drew their weapons to attack Kang Sihyun’s group.
Flames burst forth.
Ice shot up from the ground.
Swords slashed through the air everywhere. How the Irregulars managed to copy the Awakeners' skills remained a mystery, but there was no time to ponder as they twisted and dodged the attacks. Kang Sihyun, having not exerted his full speed on the 8th floor, eluded the Irregulars, who could not match his agility, and made for the staircase.
"Kiieeek!"
The Irregulars, unable to mimic human speech, were taken aback not to engage in a fierce battle but to see humans avoiding combat and fleeing towards the stairs. Realizing
the situation too late, they followed in pursuit. From behind, blades and flames flew towards them, which Igor deflected, but suddenly, a black liquid surged from the ground.
Squelch!
The viscous liquid grabbed the group's feet. A doppelgänger had copied Lucia’s binding skill. Kang Sihyun struggled to free himself, but it was difficult as the skill was copied from an S-Class.
"Lucia!"
As the Irregulars drew closer, Kang Sihyun called out. Quick to catch on, Lucia countered with a binding spell and used a debuff removal skill on Kang Sihyun and the group. Brilliant light sparked inside the ice castle, and the restraints vanished.
"Faster!"
Igor urged the group to increase their speed. The Irregulars writhed, starting to escape the binding, prompting Kang Sihyun to speed up, finally reaching the staircase. They quickly overcame dozens of steps, not looking back at the rising tombstone, and arrived at the 10th floor.
The ice castle trembled as if about to collapse, with a thunderous noise. No Irregulars were visible in the newly arrived hall. As Kang Sihyun and the group stood puzzled in the empty castle, the floor shot up.
"…!"
"What’s this…!"
"Look up!"
Lucia exclaimed in horror. The distance between the ground and the ceiling was rapidly closing. With no escape, they were about to be crushed. Kang Sihyun, eyes wide, read the words on the ceiling that had approached to within less than a meter.
‘Cheating will invariably have its consequences.’
Could it be.
Kang Sihyun swallowed his curse.
It seems the clever Irregulars were quite angry.
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