WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 012

──────

The regressor is too lazy (4)

“…”

I admit it. I was careless.

She is a woman whose senses are razor-sharp.

She is kind enough to share food with total strangers.

It was only logical to assume she might sprint from the clearing the moment she heard a scream.

Had I realized that, I would have jumped out at once instead of dithering, at least to buy a little time.

I could have raised my standing with Ji-won-ssi and squeezed some information from the fallen woman.

I let a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone chance slip away.

…It is fine, it is fine.

No, really, it is fine.

Why, you ask?

Because I am a regressor, that is why.

If I can endure three more days of hassle I can recreate the same situation.

The thought of hacking grass for days already made my nerves fray, but who else can I blame?

I regressed because of my own mistake.

Oh, right, there was something I meant to do after regressing.

“Status window.”

[Name: Kim Jun-ho] [LV:3]

[Traits]

-Regression [EX]

“What?”

Right after a cycle reset and I am level three. That proves my theory that levels persist across regressions, but…

“Why three?”

Why not two?

Last time I checked it showed two, and I hardly killed any goblins after that.

What made the level rise? I cannot see a reason.

Maybe the bar had been almost full at level two and a few kills topped it off, yet my gut says that is not it. Something else is going on.

“…”

If I am curious, what do I do?

More grinding, of course.

Damn it.

Long ago the sage Siddhartha subjected himself to every torment of the flesh and reached a single insight…

Hurting the body had no meaning at all.

Yes. After all that asceticism he realized asceticism itself was nothing but pointless abuse.

…Damn.

Oh, Buddha, please come cut this grass in my stead.

You, at least, have plenty of experience with hardship. I am no good at this.

I already hated repetitive work, and the act of slicing grass was so boring it drove me mad.

At first, I thought it would feel easier once I got used to it, but…

I reached the same conclusion as Siddhartha.

This is meaningless self-torture. I can feel my willpower draining in real time.

…Was today the third day?

I slept twice, so day three sounds right. If memory serves, I finished cutting and heard the scream on the late afternoon of day three.

Another three hours of mowing should do it. At least, the end is in sight.

Sshk.

…Hm?

The feedback feels shallow, the cut is light.

Sshk, sshk.

After a few more swings I planted my feet on genuine dirt for the first time in ages. It is not that the end is near, it is over—I have escaped the grassy prison at last.

…Hmm.

It was faster than last cycle.

Is this the power of leveling? I see no blatant change but strength and stamina must have risen.

Come on, the Tower could not expect me to beat everything with only regression.

Even if I became a sword master, I could never beat Ji-won-ssi as I am. The gap in strength and speed is dozens of times.

Maybe I can beat her someday after insane grinding.

“Status window.”

[Name: Kim Jun-ho] [LV:3]

[Traits]

-Regression [EX]

Tch.

No increase. I still do not know what actually raises it. The status window could not be more unfriendly.

Anyway, I am out of the brush…

So when the scream comes I will head for—

Ah?

There will be no scream. I advanced the clock by roughly three hours. Right now, she is probably humming merrily, not shrieking.

“…”

So this is a regressor’s privilege.

My chest thumped with excitement. Time to change the future for real.

I reached the place where I heard the woman’s scream last cycle.

Aware that spear-wielding goblins ambushed people here, I searched cautiously, but saw none.

Apparently, they aren't present at this point in time.

Did I arrive too early? Timing is tricky.

I stretched out nearby and waited for something to happen.

…I’m getting sleepy though.

Soft grass.

A warm, gentle breeze.

I forced my eyes open. If I dozed off, Ji-won-ssi might bop me again and I refuse another lawn-mowing session.

Pinching my thigh, I wrestled the drowsiness for quite a while.

…I said I would only watch, all right?

“Hyung, we agreed on this.”

“Do you not trust me? I only want to look.”

Voices drifted close, snapping me awake.

Four men and one woman were approaching.

The men had been too bloody to recognize before, but the woman’s face I remembered. It was the one nearly slaughtered by goblins.

“Come on, hyung, stick to the plan.”

“I cannot trust you now. How do I know you did not stash any?”

Listening quietly, I saw a blond thug locking horns with a guy in glasses.

“Hyung, we said after we’ll swallow all the five marbles together after we find them. We have two, just three more. Please hold out, okay?”

From the glasses guy’s words, I gathered they had agreed to wait until five Golden Marbles were collected before anyone swallowed one. Sensible enough.

If people gulp them down immediately their combat power drops on the spot, leaving whoever is last to hunt alone. If everyone exits, they preserve full strength for whatever comes next, like several dozen goblins jumping out right after.

“…I only want to check if they are safe, yes? I will just look.”

The blond thug offered no real counter, only insisted on seeing the marbles. Anyone could read his mind.

That bastard wants to snatch one and bolt.

“Hyung, you can use telekinesis.”

“So what?”

“You know exactly what.”

The thug stomped the soil in frustration, then held out his palm.

“Fine, maybe I was touchy. Sorry for doubting you.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Jun-woo and I will cool our heads with a smoke. Let us rest then move on.”

He slung an arm around the scrawny fellow beside him and headed my way.

“…”

Fortunately neither noticed me as they lit their cigarettes. Being a non-smoker I had to fight the urge to cough. Ugh, the stench.

“…Jun-woo.”

“Yes, hyung?”

“We really need those trait-less fools tagging along?”

“…The others maybe, but Min-ji, we said we would keep her with us.”

The thug shot a glare back at the glasses guy.

The scrawny one looked unconvinced.

“Look, we busted our butts for three days and got only two marbles. We nearly died more than once. No food, and too many mouths. I rationed these smokes like treasure and the pack is empty. How long can we last at this pace?”

“But still…”

“There are plenty of women in the world. Will you die without Min-ji? No. First stay alive, okay?”

The thug coaxed Jun-woo. From context, Min-ji must be the woman almost killed by goblins.

“We do it now. Specs is already suspicious, we may not get another chance.”

“…”

“If they hide the marbles tonight we will be on a leash. This is our last shot, man.”

So these punks were plotting betrayal.

Two marbles, five people, unstable food supply, without a Ji-won-class powerhouse, betrayal might feel inevitable.

“Hurry back. I will stall them.”

“…Okay, hyung.”

Jun-woo slunk off somewhere, the thug returned smiling to the group.

“…Where is Jun-woo going?”

“Nature calls. Anyway, listen…”

He changed the subject smoothly.

I roughly grasped the situation, but one mystery remained.

Where on earth did the goblins appear?

I saw none anywhere. Yet, in the previous cycle, these people nearly died to them.

I did nothing this time, and merely watched, so it is no Schrödinger’s cat trick. My observation alone should not flip outcomes.

Something else… something more…

While I mulled it over, soft footsteps approached. Peeking around, I saw Jun-woo returning, looking nervous.

…What the hell.

The problem was the dozen goblins tiptoeing behind him, spears slung on their backs, like soldiers tailing an officer.

Utterly absurd, and yet—

“A trait that controls monsters?”

I had almost forgotten.

In a Tower where even regression exists, nothing is impossible.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried