WeTried Translations

Translator: ZEROSUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

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Chapter 205

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The regressor endures (2)

"Um... angel-nim?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"My laptop keyboard broke..."

"..."

After learning the useless fact that if a superhuman pounds on a laptop at full power, the keyboard breaks almost instantly, we cleared Floor 19.

-You have cleared Floor 19.

The moment we returned to reality, we started gathering information. This was the first time I had faced a situation where a future I knew had changed, so I decided to be more careful. I needed to understand exactly what was happening if I wanted to avoid making the same mistake again, and only then could I decide how to respond.

Choi Ji-won and I split our roles clearly. She handled external work, and I handled internal work.

"Then, I'll head out?"

"Yeah. Keep me posted."

Choi Ji-won ran around nonstop to learn about "the American warehouse and what changed there." She met high-ranking figures in the Korean Association, contacted the Government of the Republic of Korea itself, and sometimes even flew to the United States for meetings.

"You're calling straight from the U.S.? Isn't international calling expensive?"

"We have plenty of money."

"...Right."

Every night, we called and shared what we learned that day, but so far, there did not seem to be any major breakthrough.

"I have a mission for you."

"Yes. Just say the word."

I also secretly ordered the Grim Reaper to gather information. Some information can only be found in the light, and some only in the shadows. I already knew the behavior patterns of the bastards I wanted watched, so there was no reason to leave the Grim Reaper idle.

...

At the same time, I kept thinking about how to handle the Grim Reaper, because Azai Yuuki was dangerously close to the exact type I feared most—a lunatic with immense power. He was still young, and he listened now because I had activated the Awe trait on him... but five years from now? Ten years from now? I could not be sure he would stay cooperative. He was the kind of guy who could snap at any moment and start acting insane.

The Grim Reaper was now part of my "Can people change?" observation list.

I got sidetracked for a moment, but my "internal work" was simple... I was retracing everything that had happened so far and trying to guess where the butterfly effect had begun.

Review everything that happened, then pinpoint where it went wrong.

"...What did I do here again?"

Given the regressor trait, I remembered each scene vividly, but the order was often tangled. So this was not easy either. In the end, I had to rely on pen and paper to organize a timeline, and it took quite a while.

Time flew, and two months passed.

"Well..."

"Same here..."

Choi Ji-won and I... both failed miserably.

"Even the association contact who usually gives me intel said this is weird. They said they have no idea what is going on..."

It was not just the warehouse that had vanished. The whole foundation itself was shaking.

According to Ji-won, the association had been operating strangely lately. The overall atmosphere was chaotic, and she said it felt like the higher-ups were less visible.

And it was not just the association... she said even the United States Government felt unstable. The news criticized the government day after day, and whether it was YouTube or newspapers, people were fighting nonstop.

"Was it always this bad? Even before I regressed?"

"It was chaotic back then too, and the government got plenty of criticism... but it feels worse now. Yeah. 'Worse' is exactly the word."

Had this variable worsened United States Government incompetence and escalated conflict?

Should I have paid more attention to how the real world was moving this whole time? It was too late for regret. I just had to carry it now.

"I also... racked my brain, but I could not find the answer."

I dug through my memories too, but I could not find a "major change that could affect the American Association." If I had to pick one possible lead... it was probably Dok Su-hee.

Say that while I remained in that post-monster period, I accidentally felt a strong emotion toward Dok Su-hee, and because of that, she retained her memories. And since she was originally on Michael Zetter's side, say she knew about the warehouse. Then yes, the inside of the warehouse disappearing would make sense. She could have swept everything away with Inventory.

"But she has no reason to do that..."

Still, that alone did not explain too many things. First, Dok Su-hee wanted my favor. She wanted to become a regressor's companion. She did not seem like the type to do something like this without telling me. Even if she did, she probably would have handed me the items and said something like "surprise."

Also, it was not only the items inside the warehouse that disappeared. The guard force and even their traces were gone too, which made it even stranger. If Dok Su-hee had robbed the place, should there not at least have been experts investigating the traces?

"...Did she cut a deal with the United States Government?"

Just in case, I contacted Michael Zetter's side... but Zetter did not answer. I did not know Dok Su-hee's number. Had she entered the Tower? Or had something happened?

One thing was certain. In this situation, there was nothing I could be certain about. I had to keep every possibility open, and I could not get buried in suspicious information.

"I am not interested in just getting dragged around like this."

In the end, I decided to go back to basics.

"Let's climb the Tower. Fast."

Ironically, the most objective point from which to gather information about the past was the future.

And why were we hesitating to move toward that future? Because we lacked power.

To move proactively, we needed strength. To get stronger, we had to climb the Tower.

"Let's go."

The more tangled things became, the simpler the original solution was. We headed back to the Tower.

[You have taken damage.]

[Returning to the moment of first entry on Floor 19.]

After about a week of checking whether anything had changed, we finally decided to enter Floor 20.

-You have entered Floor 20.

Floor 20 looked like a quiet villa. Peach trees were scattered around, a scenic mountain stood in the distance, birds chirped, warm sunlight poured down, and amid all that, a serene Eastern-style building stood with a pavilion floating on a pond.

"Ji-won..."

Choi Ji-won was not there. It seemed this floor was entered alone. I had nowhere else to go, so I slowly walked toward the pavilion.

"Congratulations."

Inside, an angel was drinking tea. Purple hair. Androgynous features. A faint pressure I could not identify.

"...archangel?"

"Yes. I am called Raguel. More precisely, this is my thought-form. My true body is currently occupied elsewhere."

Raguel drank tea in calm silence. Compared to Raphael on Floor 2, who radiated obvious holiness at first glance, this one felt still and composed.

...

The elder's advice flashed through my mind. Too many regressions, or intense emotions, could trigger regression. At most two or three times. That was probably the upper limit allowed to me. I calmed myself and sat across from Raguel.

"So... what do I do on Floor 20?"

"Please read this out loud."

I did not want small talk, so I went straight to the point. Raguel immediately pulled out a sheet of paper from their robe. I took it and skimmed it. It was short and simple.

"...An oath?"

"Read it exactly as written."

"I swear. As a climber chosen by god and as a representative of humanity, I swear to use my power in the right place and to do my best to protect justice."

"Good work."

Raguel took back the paper with the strange oath. They lightly flicked their right hand, and a blue portal appeared beside me.

"That is the end of Floor 20. If you return to Floor 1, there will be a small reward."

"...Does this paper have some kind of effect?"

"It is just paper. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Or is it some kind of soul contract where I am doomed if I break it..."

"It is not that either. It depends entirely on your conscience as a climber."

"..."

"It is simply a floor that carries a wish for you to use your power in the right place. You may think of it as a resting floor. You have worked hard."

Raguel finished speaking and took another sip of tea. They truly looked like they had no attachment left.

...

I knew I should not get entangled with archangels. I also knew the right move was to leave Floor 20 for now, return to reality, and start analyzing.

"Can I ask one thing?"

"Go ahead."

Still, I could not hold this question back.

"From Floor 16 to Floor 20, the Tower consistently guides players to become stronger. No, not just from Floor 16. It has been like that since Floor 11. Why was the Tower designed this way from the start, to make people stronger as they climb? I do not understand."

What did this whole process mean? If the point was to judge humanity, why design floors that actively helped people grow stronger? I was too curious to let it go.

Sip. Raguel drank tea and looked me straight in the eye. They said this was not their true body, only a thought-form... but there was something in their gaze I could not put into words.

"Scholars on Earth often call democracy the most stable social system. Do you know why?"

"...Roughly."

"For the same reason. You might call it intentional instability. If humanity is mature enough, nothing will happen."

Raguel left out a lot. Still, I understood exactly what they meant.

Why democracy is stable. Because power is spread among many people. Democracy is a system where one pie called power is torn apart and scattered around. In exchange, radical change is practically impossible, and sometimes people do foolish things as a group... but it is stable.

Dictatorship, by contrast, is unstable. It can achieve radical change that democracy cannot, but a nation's fate swings wildly depending on the leader's ability. If that leader's brain suddenly rots and he starts doing insane things, an entire country can collapse.

What if I applied that to the real world? Players were stronger than ordinary humans. They would soon enter a realm that guns and knives could not control, and the banner of "equality" rooted on Earth could collapse at any time. That was what happened when the capacity of a single human increased.

What if one of those powerful people was a deranged psychopath? Or if age made them unstable?

"...Haha."

This was not the first time I had thought about this. I had worried about this exact scenario over and over for a long time. It was one of my central fears about social collapse.

Which meant... this fragile instability had been intentional, set up by the angels. It was not just my personal paranoia. It really was a "trial" imposed on humanity.

"Hahaha."

Realizing this was intentional made me feel calmer instead. Humanity was not bad. The angels had simply exploited humanity's weak point.

But it would not go the way they wanted.

"We'll see."

Before society collapses,

I will conquer the Tower.

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