Regression is Too Much - Chapter 225

WeTried Translations

Translator: ZEROSUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

________________

Chapter 225

──────

The regressor is mentally weak (4)

The "there is a monster among us" gimmick is an old, time-tested cliché. In horror movies, the monster kills someone, wears their skin, and pretends to be them. In fantasy tower-climbing stories, a doppelganger shows up and stirs up infighting.

And if you look wider, games are full of the same idea. From classic Mafia games to the hugely popular Among Us and its offshoot, Duckmong Us. The process of finding the culprit with limited information is just fun.

I know this genre well. I enjoy the psychological battle, so I played those games often, and whenever it showed up in fiction, I'd grin and think, "Ah, this one again." Of course I also considered the possibility of a floor like this appearing in the Tower I was climbing.

Still, I was not too worried. If anything, I hoped a floor like this would appear. Why? Because I am a regressor.

There's a monster hiding among us? I failed to guess who it was? What a shame. Should we regress and try again? Hah. Right. I have no idea who the culprit could be.

A regressor's greatest advantage is information. And this is a floor where gathering information is the whole point? I could not fail even if I tried. I thought a floor like this would be the easiest one imaginable, the biggest freebie.

"My memory... won't come back..."

"This is driving me crazy."

That was before my memory got scrambled.

A little while ago, the fog that filled the area seemed to blur human memory. It made people unable to recognize someone they had just seen. It was probably caused by mana, and whether it could be resisted needed testing, but if we assume the fog itself cannot be blocked, then this regression of mine means nothing.

So what if I regress and learn who the culprit is? So what if I remember their face? The fog will erase it anyway. I cannot even remember a face I saw ten minutes ago, so what good is regression?

Taking preemptive action before the fog erases memory is pointless too. The monsters do not appear before the fog wraps around everyone, and once they appear, memory is already gone. Would it work if we set some kind of keyword before the fog appears? I do not know. That needs testing too.

So does that mean this is hopeless? No.

If there's one positive, it’s that I don’t need to worry about a twist like "Actually everyone was a monster." There are clearly two monsters here and eight players. The enemy exists.

Some stories go with "The protagonist was actually the fake one and the monster," but thank god there is no chance I am a monster that unknowingly inherited Kim Jun-ho's memories. A monster living without even knowing it is a monster sounds miserable.

I also have a few advantages I can use, but I can try those later.

And finally, as a last resort, I can always guess.

There are ten humans here. Excluding me, seven are players and two are monsters.

The number of ways to choose two out of nine is 36. That is roughly 3 percent, so if I try 30 to 40 times, I can probably land it once by chance. Of course, that would mean stabbing a lot of innocent people along the way. That really is a last resort.

"For now, let's talk."

Before it comes to that, resolving this with words is best, so I started thinking fast. What can we do before we reach the "Daily Mission" the Tower wants? First, a common-sense test.

"Everyone knows the most famous burger brand, right? You know. That really famous one."

"...Yeah, I do."

"Why ask that all of a sudden?"

"What if the monsters don't know it? Let's all say the brand name on three. If you're from Earth, you'd know it, right?"

"Fine."

People exchanged glances. Then one, two, three passed in an instant.

"McDonald's."

Everyone said it at the same time. Nobody hesitated. Perfect unity.

"What the hell, how do they know?"

"Are the monsters reading our thoughts?"

"Then how the fuck are we supposed to clear this? Does that even make sense?"

"E-everyone, calm down... let's talk about ourselves now. If we're all here, shouldn't we all be at least somewhat known?"

Next came introductions: names, nationalities, and so on. There were two major problems.

First.

"What, you don't know me? Seriously? In Turkey, I'm basically a national hero. You don't know me?"

"Even if you are, I told you, I can't remember."

Because everyone's memory was blurred, verification based on Earth memories became impossible. Everyone claimed they were somebody important, somebody famous, but honestly, I had no clue.

Maybe I didn't know because I had focused my investigation on Korean players, but the other players were in the same position. This had to be the fog's effect.

And second.

"All right, now that we've heard everyone's stories... let's vote. Who seemed most suspicious? Whose story sounded made up?"

"...No one."

"Honestly, they all sounded plausible."

The stories made up by the monsters were polished. Two people here were definitely monsters, yet we could not tell from story alone. They knew every previous floor, had plenty of Earth common sense, and were fully informed about their claimed hometowns.

"At this point, maybe the monsters don't even know they're monsters."

"...Fuck."

If the monsters are not acting, then simple mind games cannot expose them. If they believe they are legitimate, what is the point of setting traps?

So the discussion returned to square one. How do we expose the monsters?

"..."

A sticky silence settled over us.

"Everyone."

The man who claimed he was Turkey's hero spoke up.

"...Gather around."

-Shring.

A longsword came out with a harsh sound. He drove it into the dirt and looked around at us.

"Use this and cut your arm."

"...What do you mean?"

"I saw a similar movie once. The monsters had different blood colors. So everyone, show your blood color. Let's see if it's red or green."

That was true. Some stories have transformed monsters with different blood colors. Others only reveal their true form once wounded.

"All right."

"Should I go first?"

The other players seemed to have no objections. One by one, everyone made a small cut and confirmed red blood flowed from their body.

"..."

Right. Everyone except me.

All eyes turned to my arm. The pressure of those stares was intense enough that I swallowed without realizing it. What now?

There is no point in cutting my arm here. I will regress anyway, and this same situation will repeat next cycle.

"Everyone except me already bled. What does this prove now?"

"What are you talking about? Stop dodging."

"No, think about it. There are two monsters. Nine people have already shown blood. Other than me, everyone has red blood. Doesn't that already prove this test means nothing?"

"...Hmm."

"And I have a trait that makes me weaker when I'm injured. It's for emergency situations, so please understand."

About half seemed convinced by my rational explanation, but the other half still looked suspicious.

"Sure, next time you'll stab someone and call it a trait too, right? Convenient excuse."

"Well, what you said might be true. There is no clear logical flaw. But I hope you understand that our suspicion of you is also logically reasonable."

"..."

I understood their side too. Everyone except me had cut their arm. If only I refused, I looked suspicious.

No, that was not the only issue. I wanted to lead this discussion. I wanted to expose the monsters. But I was the one under suspicion. Someone under suspicion cannot lead a conversation. There is no trust.

"In games..."

In moments like this, games have a concept you can use. Confirmed town, or conftown.

To use Mafia as an example, imagine a Politician role that does not die even when voted out, so they deliberately draw votes to themselves. If everyone votes for that person and nobody dies, that person is confirmed as Politician, and everyone can trust what they say.

In other games, there are missions only civilians can complete. If another player witnesses someone doing that kind of conftown mission, that player's sincerity is no longer questioned.

So then... how do I prove I am a civilian? How do I prove I am innocent?

There is actually one simple method.

"Hoo."

I closed my eyes and focused my mana. I circulated it rapidly, right up to the point before it affected my organs, right before regression.

Then outward.

-Whoooosh!

I blasted it out.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"You crazy bastard...!"

Pure white fog spread at high speed.

The startled players tried to respond by drawing weapons, but we were too close together and my ambush was much faster. In the first place, this chill has no physical form, so cutting at it with weapons is useless.

Once directly exposed to the chill, their muscles stiffened and their mana snagged, leaving them unable to move properly. At superhuman level, it was fair to say they were completely neutralized.

"Urgh...!"

Still, maybe that is why they are top-tier players. Even while their bodies locked up, they protected their vital points as much as possible and forced mana through to regain control. Even after losing initiative, they made the best decisions they could.

Of course.

"..."

I had no intention of taking any further action. I just stared blankly at the immobilized players.

When the stiffened players regained movement, there were no sounds of brutal combat, only the sound of eyes shifting side to side.

"...What exactly are you trying to say?"

One player asked. That was the question I had been waiting for.

"Just from this, isn't it obvious I can't be a monster?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I am too strong for the monster role. If I were a monster, nobody would clear Floor 23."

"..."

Some players' faces twisted strangely, but no one argued.

That was how I was accepted as human.