Chapter 118: Return

How did this even happen?

The excruciating pain I had experienced just moments ago still felt vividly real, as if it could be touched and felt.

As I examined my surroundings, trying to make sense of it all, I saw Luna flying toward me in the distance.

“Hey! Friend!”

Luna.

What in the world had happened?

Had she also experienced a time regression?

“Wow! I just had the most amazing experience! Listen, listen!”

She continued to shake me, but I couldn’t focus on her words, distracted by the same question that had plagued me earlier.

‘The townspeople’s actions are exactly the same as before. What about Luna? How does she know I’m here?’

As if providing an answer to my questions, Luna spoke up.

“Just a moment ago, I went outside the city and entered the fog, but I ended up right back where I started! Isn’t that strange? Don’t you think?”

“Ah.”

So that meant…

Luna had also experienced a time regression?

“Luna.”

“Yeah! What is it?”

“I just spoke with the townspeople a little while ago, asking for information, and then I went to the inn to meet you. And suddenly, it became night.”

“Huh? Night? What are you talking about? I just left and came back in a moment.”

“Luna, it’s not confirmed yet, but it seems like this city is stuck in a time loop.”

I explained everything I had experienced to Luna the townspeople turned into black smoke, the escape, the noise, Evan von Orleans, and even my own death.

Luna, who was usually scatterbrained, quickly grasped the situation and nodded in understanding.

“Time reverse!”

“Yes. It seems like that’s what’s happening.”

Given the scene I had witnessed earlier, with children passing by and familiar faces, it was almost certain that this city was stuck in a time loop.

“So, the name of the dungeon, ‘Repeating Nightmare,’ is quite literal.”

The problem was that we had no hints about the cause, conditions, or how to clear it.

Having confirmed that even death couldn’t let us escape, our lives weren’t at risk. However, if we couldn’t find a way out, we might be trapped here for eternity.

Considering the twisted nature of this sinful world, such unrealistic scenarios were entirely possible.

“Then Evan must have experienced the time regression as well.”

Of all people, the worst possible entity had appeared here.

It was already challenging enough to solve this dungeon, and now an uninvited guest had joined the mix.

“He was strong.”

My words came out of nowhere, but Luna nodded as if she understood.

“Yes, Evan is strong. My mom couldn’t fight him easily; she had to avoid conflict.”

“But you shouldn’t underestimate him. We don’t know how many times regression is possible until we understand the structure of this place.”

Luna’s words were correct.

We couldn’t assume that time regression would be unlimited; we needed to act cautiously.

“So, what should we do first?”

We had to find out where Evan had started.

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“Phew…”

Evan von Orleans, who had been standing still in a daze, looked around.

Having dealt with the black smoke that wouldn’t disappear even after killing Barry Sanders, he had decided to walk out of the city, fearing that staying put would lead to an endless loop.

He had thrown himself into the unknown fog, and before he knew it, he found himself back in the same place where he had started, with the sun in the sky, as if time had reversed.

“This is quite… peculiar.”

Evan, who prided himself on having gone through countless experiences, needed some time to gather his thoughts as he looked at the unusual scene unfolding before him.

“Wow! It’s the knight!”

“Knight!”

The children who had been standing in place ran over to him. Evan was taken aback by their pure innocence and looked at them with a perplexed expression.

“You…”

It seemed like the events he had experienced earlier were repeating themselves. Evan had to hide his confusion and lowered his stance to hold the children’s hands as they introduced themselves.

“Samuel, Stevenson, Robert.”

“Huh? How does the knight know our names?”

“Wow, how do you know our names?”

Evan chuckled, remembering their names from their previous encounter.

‘Well, this is… quite a headache.’

Time had reveresed.

Evan had been a part of the Holy Knights of Cashion, experiencing various mana anomalies throughout his career. However, this phenomenon was overwhelming, even compared to all of that.

The city was by no means small, and for the entire city’s time to be repeating itself was beyond ordinary means.

‘So, Luna Pendragon and Barry Sanders. Have they also experienced time regression?’

One question remained.

If that were the case, had Barry Sanders, whom Evan had killed just moments ago, also returned to life?

A clear goal had been set.

First, they needed to find Luna and Barry.

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This time, Luna accompanied me as we searched for Evan.

The immense force that was affecting the city made it unnecessary for us to take separate risks.

“If Evan has also experienced time reversal, then maybe he continued his activities after killing me and then regressed.”

While Luna had regressed earlier than me, she was now in the same loop as us, indicating that Evan would likely be in his second loop when we met him.

“Look over there! They’re performing!”

As Luna and I searched for Evan throughout the city, we stumbled upon a small theater performance taking place in a square with a clock tower.

The play depicted a group of characters defeating a man dressed as a red dragon, and I immediately recognized it as the story of the Red Dragon Krivmaher from the book I had.

“Wow!”

Seemingly forgetting our mission to find Evan, Luna watched the play with fascination.

It seemed like she had never experienced anything like this before, as she marveled at the play despite its simplicity.

“Hey there, stranger. Haven’t seen your face around here before. Are you a mercenary?”

Around the time when Luna’s attention was captivated by the play, someone who had been watching the performance approached me.

Even though my memories from the previous loop were still vivid, it felt awkward to be questioned by a townsperson who had turned into black smoke. Nevertheless, I nodded in response.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Ah, are you here to join the Dragon Expedition? If so, you’re too late. The expedition left several days ago.”

“The Dragon Expedition?”

This unexpected information made me question further. The man who had approached me with a strange look in his eyes gestured toward the play with his chin.

“Our city is located near a dragon’s territory, and we’ve recently had to deal with its presence. I assumed that mercenaries like you would have heard about it and come here. Anyway, if you’ve just become a mercenary and missed out on the news, it doesn’t matter.”

“Are you going to confront the dragon?”

“That’s right. Our city’s guardian deity, Lady Lethe, personally requested the expedition. While we haven’t had any major issues so far, having a dragon nearby could cause problems. Even though it’s a great honor to be personally requested by Lady Lethe, I guess it doesn’t matter if you’ve just become a mercenary.”

With each word he spoke, more pieces of information fell into place.

The ancient era.

A time when gods and mythical creatures existed.

Giants and dragons had lived during that era.

Considering the connection between hidden dungeons and ancient relics in the book, my speculation seemed plausible.

‘Is this city from the ancient era?’

The entire city’s time repeating itself.

But why?

“Anyway, the results will be revealed soon. Even though dragons are fearsome creatures, with three high-ranking knights and the protection of Lady Lethe, there shouldn’t be any issues. It might be disappointing for you if you were hoping to join this prestigious expedition and add to your achievements as a mercenary.”

As the man finished speaking, the play came to an end with applause. The actor portraying the red dragon fell to the ground as if struck by a knight’s sword.

“It was fun! I’ve never seen a play before!”

Luna, who had been watching from the front, returned and expressed her excitement.

She seemed to be genuinely fascinated by the experience, despite the simplicity of the play.

“Hey, friend, who is this?”

“Who?”

Luna, who suddenly asked me about the man next to me, received a curious look from him.

“Oh, I apologize for my manners. Looking at your appearance, I thought you might be a priestess of Nyx. The silver hair and opalescent eyes are not common.”

Were all priests from the ancient era known for their distinctive appearances?

Did that mean Luna had ancient priestess blood?

While it was just a speculation, I couldn’t help but incorporate this new information into my thoughts, as I had done when playing games.

As the actors left after the play, the people in the square dispersed. Thomson, who had been chatting with us, soon returned to his fruit shop, leaving only Luna and me in the square.

“Luna.”

“Yeah?”

“Did your mother have a similar appearance to yours?”

“Yeah, she looked exactly like me!”

If that were the case, then maybe her lineage had descended from the ancient era.

Could it be that she possessed unique abilities awakened in her as a descendant of the priestesses who served the gods?

Without realizing it, I was collecting and analyzing information, just like in the days when I used to play games.

It felt like I had entered gamer mode after a long time.

“Friend.”

In the midst of my deep thoughts, I heard Luna’s voice calling me with a slightly frozen tone. The emotions underlying her voice were unmistakable.

As I looked up, her voice clearly conveyed surprise and confusion.

“Wow, it’s truly astonishing. Have you come back to life, or is it just me who’s returned? Do you remember anything?”

His voice was cheerful, and his steps were confident.

In the distance, a knight bathed in sunlight was approaching, dazzlingly white.

“You were the one who died at my hands.”

“Evan.”

Evan Von Orleans.

I considered myself quite strong, but even I felt helpless in front of this overwhelmingly powerful figure.

He smiled brightly as he looked at us.

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