WeTried Translations

Translator: ZEROSUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

________________

Chapter 211

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The regressor endures (8)

"Awaken! Awaken!"

-Isn't that the girl from this morning's news?
-No clue lololol. She's speedrunning her own arrest.
-Oh... she's kind of my type...
-You into kids?
-No;; I'm talking about the oppa;;
-?

The live viewer count had already passed 5,000. It started with barely ten people, but someone stirred up attention in a community, and the audience exploded in an instant.

"The government must apologize! Pay compensation!"

"...I didn't teach her the compensation part."

Areum had even taken off her ribbon and was passionately shouting for apology and compensation. It did not look like she genuinely wanted compensation from anyone. She just seemed to be having fun with the whole situation.

Anyway, thirty minutes had passed since the stream began. Someone had definitely reported us to the police, and the "government" I was trying to draw out had probably noticed me by now too. They were likely looking into what kind of person I was. Unfortunately, I was an illegal resident.

-So what exactly are they supposed to apologize and compensate for? Stop yelling and explain.

A productive question popped up in chat right on cue. It was exactly what I had been waiting for.

"Everyone. Didn't it strike you as strange that a missing child's face got plastered all over the country's media? Have you ever seen anything like that in your life?"

-That's true.
-I did think they were making way too big a fuss.
-What, is she some government official's daughter? And you're the kidnapper?

"No. If that were the case, detailed personal info would have spread too. Does anyone here know who this little girl is?"

-How would we know
-So what's your point

"This girl is... the government's shame. No, she's a child carrying a truth that must never come to light. Aren't you curious?"

-??
-Is this a bit or for real?
-I'm recording this for now
-So what is that shame?

"That is..."

-That is?
-That is?

"I'll tell you once we get a few more viewers."

-This dude's insane lololol
-Ah come on lol
-Bro's about to get hauled off by cops and he's still playing hard to get lol

To the people watching, it probably sounded like a joke, like I was dragging things out for attention. But this was a message to the government.

I know the truth. I am blackmailing you. Get here fast. If not, I'll expose everything.

Of course, I knew nothing. Truth, secrets, whatever, I was the one who had to dig up information. But on the surface, I kept a poker face and acted like I had leverage.

More importantly, how long did I have to keep this up? The police would be here soon. It would be nice to get a bite already...

"Wait a second!"

The moment I thought that, I saw a woman who had just stepped out of a taxi running toward us in a hurry. She was clutching a large document bag, and with her glasses, she looked sharp and professional.

"A reporter! I'm a reporter! I can help..."

"Wait."

But plainclothes men surrounded me before she could reach us. I recognized their faces. Were they the same people who arrested me at the amusement park?

"..."

"..."

Even with those burly men surrounding me, I did not flinch. I calmly worked the pad, turned off the stream, and handed it to one of them.

"The stream is off."

"..."

"I want to talk... is that possible? Ah, one condition. Areum and I stay together."

"...Wait."

The man received instructions through an in-ear so small you would miss it if you were not looking closely. His expression was blank at first, then gradually twisted. After a long sigh, he gave me a short nod.

"...Please come this way."

"Wait, wait! You people! Can you really do this? I'm a reporter, a reporter!"

The man guided us to a black van. Beyond the wall of people, I could faintly hear that reporter's voice, but this was more urgent right now.

"O-oppa..."

Areum tightly gripped my hand, clearly anxious.

"Trust me."

From here on, I had to stay completely sharp.

The moving van came to a stop. An armed soldier checked the people inside, then stepped away with a salute.

"..."

I recognized this mountain. More precisely, it was the mountain Areum and I had fled to together in my first run. So in my first run, I had jumped straight into the tiger's jaws. The sniper was probably because they mistook me for an intruder.

"From here on, you'll need to wear blindfolds."

"I already saw the route here."

"We're relocating this facility anyway. This is about protecting our members' identities."

"...Is it approved for me to stay with Areum?"

"Yes. Let's go."

I held Areum's hand tightly and stepped out of the van. Even with my eyes covered, mana meant I was not completely helpless.

After being led through a dizzying route for a while, they removed the blindfold. They had even made us walk in circles on purpose. Soon, I saw a room where an elderly man was waiting.

"Please go in."

"...Oppa."

"It's okay. Let's go."

The room was furnished like a normal home. More accurately, it looked like someone had taken just the main bedroom from a house and built it as a set.

The elder, who had been reading a thick stack of papers, noticed us and immediately threw out a question.

"Who are you affiliated with?"

"...?"

"We searched the entire government database. We even had AI analyze every CCTV recording we could obtain. As a result, you... have never appeared in any record. As if you sprang out of the ground. That is impossible without professional expertise. So again, who are you affiliated with?"

"..."

When I remained silent, the elder slowly shook his head and stood up. Startled by the scrape of the chair, Areum pressed herself slightly against me.

"Frankly, I am not interested in who you are affiliated with. Since our weakness has already been exposed, asking the identity of the one who exposed it is meaningless. But I want to tell you that Korea is willing to join forces. No, to be precise, we are willing to share the results."

The elder handed me the paper he had been reading.

"Since you traced Areum's escape route so accurately... you must have had your eye on this base for quite some time. I do not know how much you already know, but we will tell you everything first. I hope you understand that this is how sincere we are."

The title read, "Methods for Utilizing 'Zeta,' a Naturally Occurring Force Inside the Human Body."

I skimmed through it quickly, and this report dealt with a power I knew very well.

"...Mana."

"So your side calls it mana."

People researching mana. A confined girl. Carefully, very carefully, I infused mana into my eyes and examined Areum. I could see a tiny amount of mana drifting around her heart. No, it was not that the amount was small. She did not know how to store mana, so newly generated mana kept leaking out.

"Isn't it remarkable? Depending on how it is used, this force can become blazing fire, flowing water, or crackling electricity. Just as stem cells are the source of all cells, this unknown force may be the source of all matter. This force... will become humanity's future lifeline."

"...What did you do to Areum?"

"We did nothing. Truly nothing. We are merely collecting small amounts of this unknown force that leaks from her. For that... we have kept her identity under restricted confinement. But as you can see, we provided proper facilities. Similar to the outside."

There were no wounds on Areum's body. She was thin and pale, but it was true that there were no signs of abuse.

"If all you did was keep her locked up, why is she afraid of this place? And are you really proud of locking up a child?"

"We did give her sleeping pills regularly because her Zeta output is higher while she sleeps... that did increase her stress. And yes, I know it is not something to be proud of."

The elder looked at Areum with warm eyes.

"My heart hurts as well... Seeing a girl like that live only in a laboratory, like an animal in a cage, pains me. I, too, have a granddaughter around her age. Whenever Areum cried, she reminded me of my granddaughter."

"And you still do this?"

"Because it is necessary."

The professor spoke flatly.

"Earth, no, let me correct that. Humanity is on a confirmed path to destruction. Because we rely on fossil fuels, nature keeps deteriorating, and progress in eco-friendly energy is slow. Every scientist has seen the future called 'human extinction,' yet none dares to announce it."

"..."

"Even if nobody presses a nuclear missile button, humanity will still die out soon. Our generation will be safe. Perhaps the next one, and the one after that, too. But after that... we cannot be certain. If we fail to discover a new energy source, we will all die."

"And in the middle of that, you found Areum."

"Yes. We discovered an infant with unknown energy sleeping inside her body."

The professor clenched his fist with resolve.

"I know this is an act worthy of universal condemnation. I will never be forgiven, and I may be cursed for generations. But someone must do it. For humanity's future, this must be done."

"..."

"But... this is still too much for us alone. I do not know what organization, no, what nation you belong to... but we need help. The amount of Zeta Areum produces is absurdly small, and we lack the research capacity to make full use of it. Please deliver our proposal to join forces for humanity's future. That is our condition."

Why Areum had been able to find me. Because she sensed mana from me. Why she had outside knowledge. Because similar facilities existed inside this lab.

"...Who was that reporter I saw on the way here?"

"...You do not need to concern yourself with that. We will handle her soon."

I could see the rough outline now. A typical player would live with Areum, then she would be kidnapped back to the lab. A mysterious reporter would approach the furious player. She would have already gathered quite a lot of information and ask the player for help.

Then one day, while the player agonized over what to do, the reporter would die a mysterious death... and the truth of this world would remain only in the player's hands. The moment they exposed it, they too would have to fear the same "mysterious death."

Or... for the greater good, they could cooperate with the lab. They could even offer themselves as a test subject. Either way, as long as they did not die, Floor 21 would clear. Endure for one week, and the Tower would grant a reward worthy of that courage.

But what came after that? After the player cleared and left? If they exposed it, what would happen to Areum's life afterward?

I did not know what part the Tower meant when it told us to show "courage." As far as I was concerned, neither option was the right answer. Both were fake courage, closer to hypocrisy.

"My answer is..."

I knew what I had to do.

If I disliked both the path to the right and the path to the left,

"I'll tell you after I regress."

I would carve out a new path straight ahead.

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