Absolute Regression - Chapter 10

Slowly, I walked along the passage of the stone cave.

The interior was well-ventilated, and thanks to the light coming in from the top of the cave in various places, the inside was not dark.

One could tell that this place was crafted by a skilled artisan, with intricate designs and craftsmanship.

As I walked slowly through the cave, at one point, I felt a slight ripple in the surroundings.

Ssshh.

I knew instantly. The highest-level technique, perceptible only to masters, had been activated.

It was only natural. Why couldn’t the dead just leave? If the gate was too difficult, they could just give up and leave. But they couldn’t leave because they couldn’t break through the gate. When entering, it was easy to walk in comfortably, but if you couldn’t break through the gate, it would transform into a hellish place which you could never escape from.

How far had I walked?

A fairly large square emerged.

At the entrance of the square, there was a monument explaining the first gate.

一, Cut down all enemies without using sword qi or sword vigor.

二, If unsuccessful within the time limit, another opportunity will be given ten days later.

三, Those prepared shall stand in the red circle.

“Ten days later? What will I eat until then?”

Looking around, I saw jars filled with food pellets stacked against the wall.

“I’ll go crazy if I eat this tasteless stuff for ten days.”

Without hesitation, I stood in the center of the square marked in red.

Shortly after, with a clanking sound, dozens of wooden doll figures shaped like humans rose from all directions. The parts to be cut were painted red. Some dolls had their necks painted, some their arms, and some their legs.

My body reacted reflexively.

As those dolls rose, I leaped into the air, instinctively deciding which part to strike first.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

The wooden dolls were cut down one by one.

The dolls were not fixed in one place. The floor panels began to move, changing their positions.

In the midst of the chaos, some dolls started descending back down.

“No!”

I could tell. If I missed those descending dolls, they would not rise again, and it would be a moment of failure.

So, I cut down the descending dolls first.

However, other dolls quickly moved to hinder my path.

With a leap, I wielded my sword.

Swish!

A doll that I almost missed was cut down.

The movements of the dolls became faster and faster. Initially, I thought this gate was testing martial arts skills, but it wasn’t. This gate tested judgment.

What should be cut down first?

Swift and accurate judgment took precedence, and martial arts came second.

The gate was complex and difficult, but my instincts and skills were not sophisticated enough to surpass it easily.

In this way, I cut down all the dolls and safely passed through the first gate.

One thing was certain. If my skill level before regression had been the same, I would never have passed this first gate. No matter how much I ran, rolled, flew, or caused chaos, I would have failed.

Now I understood why the test resumed ten days later.

Many challengers would have failed this first challenge, and at least ten days of careful study and practice would have been necessary to succeed.

Moreover, only those who remembered exactly how the dolls moved and which ones descended at what time would be able to devise a strategy. Dull-minded challengers would have had to repeat their attempts many times.

Seeing the first gate, I also understood why the average time to pass the first gate in the Little Heaven Cave was said to be three years.

Dr-r-r-r-r-r.

As I passed the first gate, the stone door to the second gate opened simultaneously.