Regression is Too Much - Chapter 17

WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 017

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The status window is way too unfriendly (4)

“Phew… relax…”

I may have respawned in the stupidest way imaginable, but what is done is done.

A regressor has to keep their head on straight, no matter what.

A regressor can do anything with their mental strength intact, but the very moment that mindset collapses, they tumble into an endless personal hell.

Besides, I have read too many success stories in novels and webtoons to forget that lesson.

Instead of blowing my top and screaming till the veins in my neck pop, I should always stay calm and gather information. That is what a regressor does.

And there is one thing I need to check right away.

“Status window.”

[Name: Kim Jun‑ho] [LV:5]

[Traits]

‑Regression [EX]

‑Awe [C]

As expected.

Both traits and level stay with me even after Regression.

Good thing I chose carefully. Had I picked something like Revulsion, I would have become the world’s first Regression Hater.

Now there is one more item to confirm.

“The system will handle the explanations… tutorial, start!”

Right after the fairy dropped its weapon and vanished, I rose to my feet, still a little unsteady.

“Everyone, could I have your attention for a moment?”

Are you asking if I am trying to win Choi Ji‑won’s favor again?

No.

This time I plan to try something different.

“I cannot give you the full details, but I am actually a former secret agent of the government, and naturally the Korean government has some idea of what this forest is.”

The words came out so shamelessly that my own face felt hot, but I pushed through and kept talking.

“I have a rough idea how to escape. I need twenty volunteers. When I point at you, please stand up.”

With a solemn expression I pointed at a guy wearing a dazed look.

“Please rise. The two people beside you as well.”

“…”

“I said, stand up?”

“…”

The chill that swept over the clearing felt like someone had cracked a rotten joke at a drinking party.

Everyone clearly thought I was an idiot.

“…Damn it.”

The experiment failed.

Trying to cool my burning cheeks, I slapped myself, hard.

Smack!

[You have taken damage.]

[Returning to the moment of first entry on Floor 0.]

“Hmm…”

What I just tested was the new trait, Awe.

Tapping Awe in the status window brings up this description:

‑Awe [C]

‑Praise for your greatness. Fear of what cannot be understood.

Awe is, roughly speaking, the feeling of admiring someone’s greatness while also fearing them a little.

Yet the people in the clearing just now were thinking, What is with this clown, do we have to listen to him? That is not how someone acts when they respect and fear you.

If Awe had affected them strongly, they would have hesitated but eventually stood up, swept along by the mood.

Since they did not, either the trait did not trigger or its grade is too low to matter.

“What condition changed…?”

Let me recall the survivor trio and the scrawny kid before I regressed.

The three survivors were so tense they could barely breathe, yet when I gained a trait they relaxed and cooperated.

The scrawny kid, who had been lying on the ground shaking in terror, calmed down and practically obeyed my every word.

What is the difference between those people and the current crowd?

“…Emotion?”

I still do not know exactly which requirement I met to get a trait, but I definitely earned it from the scrawny kid.

He had three emotions toward me, and I received one of them as a trait.

“Ah.”

My guess is that this trait amplifies emotions.

His feelings of Revulsion and Fear faded, while the emotion called Awe grew stronger. That fits.

The survivor trio must have felt some Awe after watching my swordplay as well.

The clearing crowd stayed indifferent because they had no feelings toward me, they were meeting me for the first time, and my speech was not some legendary address that forced Awe upon them.

So the trait does not make everyone worship me, it only boosts Awe that already exists.

“…Time to test that.”

Since all of this is still a theory, I decided on a quick experiment.

“A spear is better, look at the reach.”

“Nah, everyone knows the king of weapons is a sword.”

A group of guys stood before the weapon pile, debating what to pick.

They were the same bunch who had brought me a coat before, so I walked up.

“Hello.”

“Oh, hi there.”

“Want me to show you how to use a sword?”

I casually snatched a blade from the ground and spun my wrist with practiced ease.

My Legendary Venture is five now.

I am not sure which feats raised it, but killing that thug bumped it from three to five, which means my physical abilities are clearly higher than before.

Swish, swash!

My sword tore through the air, scattering sonic ripples, tracing brilliant arcs as I slashed full force in every direction.

Chak!

I ended with an exaggerated flourish for maximum cool factor. I am certain it looked insanely impressive.

“O‑oh…”

“Wow.”

Maybe Choi Ji‑won would dismiss it as clowning around, but to ordinary eyes it must have been stunning.

Thwap!

I drove the sword into the ground like a spear and clasped my hands behind my back like a lofty immortal.

“Well?”

My face stayed perfectly blank.

Nothing looks cooler after a super play than acting unfazed. If the performer starts yelling, “Did you see that, huh?” all the coolness vanishes.

“That was incredible, really incredible.”

“Could you teach us swordsmanship too? We will repay you somehow!”

Their eyes glittered, utterly captivated by my performance. They definitely feel Awe now.

“All right, I can teach everyone, but I have one condition.”

“…What is it?”

They shrank a little at the word condition.

“Tell me your traits. That is the only price.”

“…Uh.”

The mood died instantly, like people expecting a pop idol but getting a middle‑aged trot singer instead.

“That might be…”

“In webtoons they always say you should hide that stuff… sorry…”

The atmosphere turned painfully awkward, but I still learned what I wanted.

Their faces changed for a moment, proving Awe had taken hold, yet they refused to reveal their traits right away.

Think back to the scrawny kid in a previous cycle. Even when I dragged him off and told him to copy his entire status window onto the ground, he did not resist.

His Awe toward me must have been much stronger, so the trait worked more forcefully. These guys do think I am amazing and a bit scary, but not enough.

My hypothesis seems correct.

Curiosity satisfied, it is time for the next step.

Whack!

[You have taken damage.]

[Returning to the moment of first entry on Floor 0.]

I could wander inside the Tower again, searching for the boss and the Minotaur’s lair, but first, I chose to grow stronger.

Now that I know a mutant goblin exists, this power is not enough to guarantee safety. If I fought to the bitter end, I would win, but I cannot afford that kind of drawn‑out battle.

I have to become stronger.

Right now I have three main paths.

First, somehow raise my Level, though I barely know the requirements.

Second, learn swordsmanship from Choi Ji‑won.

Third, acquire more traits.

I intend to focus on the second.

My next plan is to figure out exactly how to gain traits… and bother Ji‑won‑ssi for more information.

She is the benefactor who taught me the sword, but the instant she sees anything suspicious, she kicks first and asks questions later.

She is already absurdly strong, yet instead of exploiting that strength, she protects a clearing full of losers—hardly normal.

Whether she is a psychopath or a zombie‑lover, I do not care. What matters is that she is the strongest human I have ever met.

If I want power, I must make use of her somehow.

I could keep regressing and learning the sword bit by bit… and if traits really come from other people’s emotions, I might even draw a new trait from Ji‑won‑ssi.

Even the scrawny kid’s feelings turned out handy, so how powerful would Ji‑won‑ssi’s emotions be?

Whatever the case, to use her I first need to understand her better.

Her family background.

Why she became a head‑first, punch‑now‑ask‑never berserker at the slightest hint of suspicion.

Where she learned the sword, what traits she owns.

Choi Ji‑won,

I will unravel everything about you.

Whoosh!

Fwoosh!

As always this cycle, Ji‑won‑ssi was in a corner of the clearing, swinging her sword.

What words will make her flustered?

What actions will pry information from her?