A Regressor's Bucket List Chapter 97
“…Therefore, Prisoner Number 4331 is sentenced to 50 years in the Underground Prison.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The predetermined verdict was delivered, and the gavel, shaped like a hammer, struck three times, signifying the end of the trial.
Seated in the dock, U-jin was the very picture of a capital offender.
Not to mention the black-and-white striped prisoner's uniform, the symbol of a convict, but ostentatiously large Mana Restraints were locked on both his hands and feet.
‘…….’
Jilkkeun—
It had already been decided, and as it was the verdict of a retrial, it was now truly irreversible.
U-jin’s trip to the Darkest Dungeon was confirmed.
Eliya, who was listening to the sentencing from her seat in the distant gallery, gripped the railing with both hands.
Though she was brimming with rage, all she could do was console herself by thinking that this was better than a suspended death sentence, that it was all part of a plan.
All she could do was watch the scene helplessly.
“Executioner.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Normally, the trial process would have involved a few more procedures.
But given the wartime situation, and the fact that the punishment was for violating a Commandment Crime, all minor procedures were omitted.
“We will now escort the prisoner, Seo U-jin, to the Underground Prison.”
“……”
Although the judge had not yet given any specific instructions, the Executioner, as if he already knew his role, gestured to the Order’s soldiers assigned to him and replied.
As soon as the Executioner finished speaking, a blindfold was placed over U-jin’s eyes.
Seureureuk—
Next, the soldiers’ rough arms slipped under U-jin’s armpits, and U-jin began to be escorted somewhere.
Teobeok- teobeok- teobeok-
His footsteps followed where he was led.
How long had they walked in that silence?
Cheolkeok—
With the sound of a rusty iron door, the blindfold covering U-jin’s eyes was removed.
Seureureuk—
“…I’m making an exception for you, Sir Button. Since you once saved my life.”
“…I thank you for your consideration.”
“As I mentioned beforehand, you must keep it brief.”
Kkiiik- cheolkeok—
The sound of the iron door opening and closing was heard again, and a familiar face came into his blurry, dark-adjusted vision.
“Long time no see.”
“…It has not been a long time. And… I will skip the greetings. As you heard, Mr. Seo U-jin, we do not have much time.”
Normally, a felon sentenced to a heavy punishment would not be granted a final visit.
As the term implied, a criminal sentenced for a grave crime could act unpredictably at any moment, and the best way to prevent such incidents was not to allow the possibility in the first place.
As a preventive measure against unexpected situations, no visitation opportunities were given after a felon’s final sentencing.
In other words.
This current meeting was a time that Louis Button had created by asking the Executioner for a special favor, ignoring the Order’s procedures and principles.
Pfft—
“See? Connections, cronyism, nepotism.”
“……”
“How convenient is that? Don’t be so rigid. When there’s a shortcut, you should know how to use it flexibly.”
“…Be quiet.”
The reason Louis went so far as to use a shortcut (?), which he clearly disliked, to create this meeting was, of course, related to the ‘deal’ he had previously made with U-jin.
The promise the two had made during the previous visit, over the Indulgence and the Source Stone of Quark.
He felt it was necessary to review it one more time.
“As I mentioned before, what I want from you, Mr. Seo U-jin, is to mine the Source Stone of Quark from inside the dungeon.”
“……”
“I would like to explain in as much detail as possible, but… since we don’t have much time, I have summarized only the important points.”
Getting straight to the point, Louis reached into his coat.
Seueuk—
What he pulled out from within was none other than a pouch.
“…Take this.”
“…This is.”
“Normally, possessing items other than pre-declared belongings is forbidden, but… I thought these would be necessary, so I prepared them separately.”
A pouch slightly larger than the palm of his hand.
Taking it, U-jin opened the mouth of the pouch and pulled out the first thing his hand touched.
The first thing he grabbed was none other than a map.
It was a relatively small map, as if its scale was larger than a typical map.
It was obvious what place was drawn on the map without having to ask.
“A map?”
“It would be more fitting to call it a… sketch map. As you can see, it only contains rough information.”
“……”
“To be honest, I debated this. Given the nature of the Darkest Dungeon, the terrain changes frequently, and since this sketch map is based on rather old exploration data, its accuracy might be somewhat low… but I thought it would still be helpful, so I included it.”
The Darkest Dungeon.
It was a map that contained the topography of that unknown space.
Contrary to his words about it being based on old exploration data, the texture of the paper was smooth, and U-jin, finding this strange, sent him a questioning look.
“Old?”
“…I drew it by retracing my memories of when I entered myself. Don't trust it too much, and if you think it's wrong, discard it without hesitation.”
“Hmm. No wonder.”
Seueuk—
Nodding as he took the map, U-jin reached back into the pouch and took out another item.
The second item was quite familiar to U-jin.
A square, golden cube surrounded by a magic circle.
It was the object Louis had taken out when he first showed him the Quark.
“As you’ve seen before, this is the cube we Exorcists use to store Quarks. If you succeed in mining the Source Stone inside, you can store it in this cube here.”
“Okay.”
“You’ve used it yourself, so I won’t explain how it works a second time.”
Nod—
“And finally……”
The third item he pulled out was a card slightly smaller than his palm.
It was an item he was seeing for the first time in his second run, but U-jin had intuitively recognized what it was from the moment he touched it inside the pouch, even before seeing it with his own eyes.
“…This is the first time I've made one myself, but it is a device that allows you to send a signal.”
A Signal Card.
A piece of mana-storing paper, sometimes called just a ‘Signal’ for short.
It was an item used by members of the Suicide Squad on missions to confirm each other's survival and exchange simple signals.
As Louis said, it was the first time this item was made in the second run, but for U-jin, who had already lived through life in the Suicide Squad in his first run, it was an all-too-familiar object.
“How to use it is simple. If you run into trouble, or as soon as you mine the Quark, just tear the card.”
“……”
“Then I will use the Indulgence and get you out of the dungeon, Mr. Seo U-jin.”
Nod—
U-jin nodded at the explanation, which was not much different from how he remembered using it.
Right on cue, a voice came from beyond the iron door.
Cheolkang—
—Come out now. Time is up.
Though the tone was flat, a hint of anxiety was laced at the end of the Executioner’s voice.
It was clear that he hadn't allowed this meeting with a peaceful mind either.
Fortunately, there wasn't much left to say.
Louis, who nodded as if that was the end of the explanation, left a final warning before heading to the iron door.
“…As you can see from the map, the area in the Darkest Dungeon where Quarks mainly grow is a mine located in the dungeon's outermost region. Our exploration team named it the ‘Madman’s Mine.’ The Source Stone will be located in the deepest part of the cluster within that mine.”
“……”
“And, I debated whether to say this, but seeing your track record, I will.”
Huu—
Louis paused for a beat before muttering with emphasis.
“…Do not approach the areas outside the map. The Darkest Dungeon is a realm that has not yet been fully explored.”
Pfft—
“…Okay.”
“…Then I will be waiting and praying, Mr. Seo U-jin.”
“See you again.”
Kkiiik- cheolkang—
With U-jin’s reply, Louis opened the iron door and left.
At the same time, as if in a baton touch, soldiers entered and once again wrapped a cloth around U-jin’s eyes.
“…Let's hurry it up.”
At the Executioner's single word, the soldiers' hands became urgent.
Roughly pulling U-jin's arm, they exited the iron door and continued down the stairs they had been descending.
Tak- tak- tak- tak-
Teobeok-
Only after descending the endless flight of stairs for a good while did their pace slow, as if they were somewhat relieved.
The pouch Louis had given U-jin seemed to have been pre-arranged, as they didn't point it out, even though it was held plainly in U-jin’s right hand.
Jeobeok jeobeok—
Jeobeok jeobeok—
How many times had the warm heat of a torch brushed past his right cheek?
Teok—
The Executioner, who was walking ahead, stopped, and the endless stairs finally reached the bottom.
“Uncover him.”
—Vanquish the Demons!! Uncovering him now.
—Vanquish the Demons!!
The command was followed by a formal response.
The cloth tied around U-jin’s eyes was slowly unwrapped.
What was revealed along with it was a giant, dark purple oval that seemed to be about twice the height of a person.
An oval-shaped barrier of mana, shimmering as if it weren't quite solid.
This was the entrance to the Darkest Dungeon, buried beneath the Order, which had swallowed countless felons over eons of time.
…And even now, numerous convicts who had yet to complete their sentences were trying to sustain their lives inside.
“The restraints.”
At the Executioner's word, the soldiers unlocked the restraints on his feet.
Cheolkeok—
Chalkak—
The restraints fell to the floor with a *thud—!*
As U-jin lightly shook out his feet, the Executioner, who had been watching silently, muttered in a low voice.
“…I won’t give a long explanation. It seems you anticipated this to some extent, and I judge that Sir Button has already told you something himself, even if you don't know the exact details.”
Nod—
“…The Darkest Dungeon is the wild. Inside, there is no net of the Order’s law that has kept you alive until now, no social system, no morals, no ethics.”
“……”
“A state of war of all against all.”
Cheolkeok—
“Just remember that.”
“……”
“That inside, no one will protect you, and it is a place where survival itself is the punishment.”
“……”
“And.”
The Executioner, who had approached and inserted a key into the restraints binding U-jin’s hands, pushed him on the back.
“That surviving while atoning is how you will pay for your sins.”
Seueuk—
Pushed forward, U-jin’s body disappeared into the giant mana barrier.
[Warning! An unknown mana is at work.]
[You are entering the special area, ‘Darkest Dungeon’.]