WeTried Translations

Translator: ZEROSUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 105

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The regressor is under maintenance (6)

The vast report that Joong-hyun had handed me, when summarized to its key points, was as follows.

First, if you do not try to protect the otherworlders, the difficulty does not get any harder.

Second, the moment you try to protect the otherworlders, the difficulty skyrockets.

Third, even if you prepare for the monsters' appearance in advance, a new type of monster appears the next day to nullify those preparations.

The first and second points were not things I could do anything about. Since I had decided to save all the otherworlders anyway, the increase in difficulty was something I had to accept.

But the core issue was the third point. The fact that even if we prepared in advance, it would be nullified the next day.

“So, what you’re saying is, we need to prepare in advance but we can’t use it all at once.”

The way I saw it, the 'joint room' gimmick had enough potential to be used on the very last day. It was the defensive method recommended for the fourth floor, and it had produced good results in the last cycle as well.

“Since it’s the highest floor, the fourth floor, it probably won’t collapse just because we break a few walls. If we’re really worried, we can leave parts of the walls and break the rest. The key point is that we are creating a space.”

What was there to hide? I explained everything about what was to come. That monsters would appear at dawn on the third day, and that the difficulty would rise each time we tried to stop them. (I did not mention that the otherworlders seemed to be the target.)

Therefore, my design was this. On the third day, meaning the first wave, we would block them by utilizing our individual abilities as much as possible. With a few tricks, we would do the best we could.

Would it not be difficult? Of course, it would be difficult. But thinking about it the other way around, the third day was the most manageable day. If we prepared thoroughly and used everything we could, including magical tools, we would be able to defend without necessarily blocking the passages.

After getting past the third day like that, it becomes easy.

The fourth day. We block the castle's passages. Just like the third day of the previous cycle, we block as many passages as we can and then hold our ground in the remaining ones. Since it was an already proven method, there was no way there would be casualties.

But if we waited until the fifth day like this, a slime that melts broken bricks would appear and catch us off guard, just like before. This is where the 'giant room' we were preparing now comes into play.

Unbroken bricks do not melt from the slime. If we could connect the rooms to make a giant room and block just its narrow entrance, we would surely be able to hold out easily.

Does it seem simpler than expected? It is simple. But it is a strategy that could only be derived in a situation where all the gimmicks have been figured out in the first place.

I was in a position where I had experienced the future and then regressed. But was my own experience the only thing I knew? Thanks to Joong-hyun's report, the number of samples reached several dozen cycles.

It would be incompetence to not be able to prepare perfectly. Would it not be foolish to know the future and still get defeated?

“Then, Joong-hyun-ssi and William-ssi, please have the players get ready with hammers. We won’t start right away.”

“I understand.”

“Very good.”

“And Baron George-nim… since we haven’t destroyed the fourth floor, we don’t have materials, so for now, please do what you can. You just need to block the main gate by tonight.”

“I understand.”

After quickly giving out the instructions, I gave them the order to leave. The three people exited the room.

Only after confirming they were sufficiently far away did I let out a sigh of relief.

“…This is better than I thought.”

I had been observing their reactions the entire time I was talking. I was curious about people's reactions when I spoke openly about future knowledge with a definitive tone.

And from what I saw, the current reaction was exactly half and half.

Half were thinking, ‘I don't know what that crazy bastard is saying, but judging by the display he showed earlier, he seems incredibly strong, so let's just pretend to listen for now!’

The other half were thinking, ‘Hmm… but does he really have something? Does he know what he’s talking about? It’s too detailed for a simple bluff. He’s brimming with confidence too. Just in case…’

I never thought they would believe me completely in the first place. When I was suddenly ordering them around with knowledge from the future, would it not be foolish to believe me right away? The fact that I was being suspected was also proof that they were not fools.

Anyway, as long as no major problems arose, an atmosphere where everyone would follow my words was formed. If things went on like this, their suspicions would explode on the second day, then on the third day the monsters would appear, and the public opinion would shift to me being right. Everything was according to plan.

“Phew, but that feels so refreshing.”

A strange sense of pleasure tickled my chest.

It was the first time in my life that I had laid out my knowledge of the future so openly. I had always been wary of the fact that I was a regressor getting out, but now that I had done it, it felt liberating.

Things are so much easier when you act like you know everything, maybe it would be better to just reveal that I'm a regressor from now on and then just regress later? It felt foolish to have hesitated until now.

Well, if you read things like webnovels, there are developments like 'a transcendent being is watching, so you must never reveal the fact that you regressed,' but I had nothing like that. In the first place, if such a condition existed, something significant would have appeared and informed me long ago.

Now, looking back on the plan again, the design is perfect. All that is left is to execute it.

“…Ah, right.”

I almost forgot.

There was one last thing that needed to be prepared.

“Heave, ho! Heave, ho!”

When I arrived at the main gate, demolition work was in full swing. Since they had not yet started the construction on the fourth floor, there were no materials, so they were breaking down the door first.

“Baron George-nim.”

“Philip, if you throw the fragments like that, someone else will… Ah, what is it?”

Baron George, who had been giving instructions, cycled to look at me. It was a bit sudden, but I decided to get straight to the point.

“The people of the barony summoned to the Tower. Are they all people you know?”

“I know them well. They are my people, after all.”

When the otherworlders had died, Baron George had mentioned each of their names and buried them in the ground. It was proof of his immense interest in the people of his barony.

“In that case, among the people currently summoned, is there anyone you feel ‘must be saved’?”

“…?”

Suddenly? Baron George could not hide his expression, but a proper answer still came back.

“…There are about three people.”

Luke, a young man with exceptionally good dexterity. Phil, a boy who was scheduled to enroll in the academy. Milia, a girl with a natural talent for predicting the weather.

The three people Baron George picked were all boys and girls with bright futures ahead of them. Anyway, three people.

“I need five people. Please pick two more.”

“…If I must choose…”

“Ah, and please bring them here right now. I plan on having a very important conversation.”

“I understand.”

The five otherworlders were chosen like that, and they were lined up in a row in front of me.

Of course, every single one of them had an expression that said, ‘What is this situation right now?’. Well, it was understandable.

Suddenly they were summoned to the Tower, told to enter a castle, and given winter clothing. After that, they were suddenly mobilized for work. But now they were told to stop working and come here? It must be a series of incomprehensible situations.

“Now, let’s talk as we go. Baron George-nim, you should come along too.”

“…I will.”

Leading a total of six otherworlders, I walked into the castle and climbed the stairs. As we walked, my mouth felt itchy, and I unknowingly struck up a conversation with Baron George.

“Baron-nim. Let’s say an apple so delicious that all the people of your barony would covet it has grown. It’s an extremely rare variety, an apple that you don’t know when it will grow again.”

“…And?”

“The apple is so sweet that everyone wants to eat it, but there is only one. If the situation is that the barony is not functioning properly because everyone is coveting that apple… how would you handle it?”

“Hmm…”

Baron George fell into thought while climbing the stairs. By the time we reached the 3rd floor, his mouth finally opened.

“I would feed that apple to the livestock.”

“Such a precious apple? Why?”

“If it's an apple that precious, a fight is bound to break out no matter who eats it. No matter how fairly it’s handled, dissatisfaction will build up in secret. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to just feed it to the livestock and be done with it. It would be a shame, but there would be no dispute.”

“I thought so too.”

Saying that, I led the six otherworlders to a small room on the 4th floor. The players’ construction would begin soon. There was no time.

“But, why are we here…?”

Baron George asked with a slightly trembling voice. It seemed that although he followed because he had no choice, now that the situation was upon him, ominous imaginations were flashing through his mind.

“Well, it’s nothing special…”

I kicked the thin wall hard as if pushing it with my heel.

Crash!

The wall surface collapsed with a sound.

“Hi-hiiik!”

“W-waaah!”

The people of the barony cowered as if they thought I was staging a protest of force, but only Baron George was watching what I was doing.

“Th-this is…”

“I’m planning to throw it away too. The apple.”

Vwoom.

As the wall collapsed, a blue portal revealed its form. The portal was shimmering, emitting a strange light.

[Great Achievement Notification.]

-You have discovered a hidden escape route.

-Passing through the portal before you will clear Floor 4. (5 people remaining)

“Oof.”

I did not hesitate and threw one of the otherworlders into the portal.

"W-woooooh!"

The man disappeared into the portal with a strange scream. His name was probably Luke.

"Wow, this actually works."

Since players could pass through the portal, I did it wondering if otherworlders could too. So it really works.

Relieved, I threw the remaining four otherworlders into the portal.

[Five people have passed through.]

[The escape route is closing.]

Only after swallowing a total of five people, the portal slowly disappeared.

I dusted off my hands and looked at the dumbfounded Baron George.

“It seemed like a precious apple would just cause fights if it was around.”

In the previous cycle, a fight had broken out because of this portal. I heard that people were actually injured.

But ta-da? The portal was gone. Therefore, there was no reason for the players to fight amongst themselves.

It's good for me, and it's good for the players. Isn't this a good deed?

Footnotes:

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