WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 036

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The Earth is changing rapidly (1)

“...”

A bed. A single computer. A mini-fridge in the kitchen. Even a closet.

No matter where I looked, no matter how much I scanned my surroundings, it was identical to my studio apartment.

But I was sure I’d seen a message telling me I had entered Floor 1.

Could it be something like that? Was Earth itself Floor 1 of the Tower? Just as my head started to get complicated with all the thoughts...

<Announcement. The rules of Floor 1 will now be announced.>

A familiar message window appeared before my eyes.

...Hmm.

I tensed the muscles in my body and raised my guard.

It wouldn't be strange for anything to happen from now on.

However, the content of the message that appeared... was quite unexpected.

-There are no specific clear conditions. Please take a comfortable rest. For details, please refer to the guide booklet.

...What?

Just a moment ago, I had come from a life or death battle with savage goblins...

And now I'm suddenly being told to rest comfortably? That there are no clear conditions? And a guide booklet? Am I on a tour somewhere?

The sudden change in atmosphere was utterly bewildering.

Suspecting it might be a trap, I remained tense, and just then, a small box appeared before my eyes with a pop.

Its design was similar to the box that held the Golden Marbles on the tutorial floor.

...It's real.

I took the floating box and opened it... and sure enough, there was a guide booklet inside.

I took out the booklet and immediately checked the title.

On the cover, an angel with a bright smile was holding a placard that read, 'Welcome'.

“...”

The moment I saw the booklet with its overall cheerful atmosphere, my face instinctively scrunched up into a frown.

After throwing people onto an island with the absurd condition that they had to kill each other to survive.

And now what? They're welcoming me?

It felt like I was the butt of a sick joke. Irritation bubbled up inside me. However, I could roughly grasp their intention.

From these guys' perspective, everything up until now was nothing more than a 'test', and now that I've passed, they intend to treat me accordingly. They probably think they are showing me a favor.

But from my perspective, having struggled through multiple regressions to save people, it was an incredibly unpleasant favor.

This isn't even a joke. Am I supposed to be happy that they're treating me well?

But my feelings are my feelings, and the guide booklet is the guide booklet. I clenched my teeth and opened the booklet to check its contents.

1. What was the reason for this Tower's creation?

2. Let's learn how to properly utilize Floor 1.

3. I'm curious about the basic rules of the Tower!

4. Why should we climb the Tower?

The table of contents was written in a soft tone, as if explaining to a child.

When I turned the first page, the explanation the fairy from the tutorial had given was written there with a few more details included.

Something about god being disappointed with humanity's behavior, the time of judgment finally arriving, a merciful god deciding to give humans a chance to survive, and that being the Tower...

Of course, I also admit that the state of humanity is a mess. Lately, it seemed like the number of bastards who weren't even acting like people was on the rise.

But why was this god disappointed? He made them that way, so why is he the one who's disappointed? If he's going to be disappointed, he should be disappointed in himself for making humans this way.

I skimmed through it, but it was all just useless chatter so I flipped through the pages to the next part.

God wishes for you climbers to show the full extent of human potential. After all, you are all representatives of the current human race. To do so, managing your condition is not an option, but a necessity!

To ensure that you climbers can get a complete rest, several functions have been prepared on Floor 1.

First, the form of Floor 1 can be changed at any time, as much as you want. Let's decorate your very own Floor 1!

Second, you can receive any item you want on Floor 1, in any quantity you want! However, you cannot take them outside Floor 1!

Third, do you miss your family? We will open a portal to your hometown at any time! Likewise, we will open a portal to Floor 2 for you at any time.

Once you have gathered your body and mind and finished your preparations, how about challenging the Floor 2?

“...”

I took my eyes off the booklet and looked around my ordinary studio apartment.

To be honest, I had wanted to live in a spacious and clean apartment, not a small studio like this.

...Oh.

The moment I had that thought, my surroundings instantly transformed, changing to look like the inside of a regular apartment.

Looking out the window, I could see the Han River flowing and people walking by.

Click.

When I opened the window, a cool breeze blew in.

...This doesn't work.

I tried to stick my hand out the window, but it wouldn't go through, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Then this time, I imagined a luxurious mansion.

My surroundings warped again, changing into the interior of a lavish mansion that a Dubai royal might live in.

I went up the stairs and into a room in the center of the second floor, where I was greeted by a massive bed big enough for ten people to lie on and a magnificent chandelier.

When I imagined a delicious pizza, a pizza from my favorite brand appeared on the table next to me, and when I imagined a cool drink, a drink bottle with a straw in it appeared in my hand.

I took a sip of the drink and threw myself onto the plush bed. I sneakily took out my phone to check, and the connection was working too.

...I want to go back to Earth.

As I said that, a blue portal immediately formed next to the bed.

I rolled my body and went into the portal... and I was standing inside my familiar studio apartment again.

...Cola.

I imagined a cold cola, but nothing happened. I opened the window and stuck my hand out, and it passed through without any resistance.

...Hah.

I let out a dry laugh and threw myself onto the musty-smelling bed. It's uncomfortable. I miss the feel of the plush bed from before.

...I want to go back to Floor 1.

A blue portal appeared as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Instead of going through the portal, I waved my hand and closed it.

“...”

If I assume that the other people were given the same Floor 1 as me...

We're screwed.

Humanity is now on the verge of extinction.

Let me say this in advance, the tutorial I experienced and the tutorial other people experienced are quite different in feeling.

First of all, I went through most of the tutorial in a state of being quite familiar with the situation by repeating regressions.

Thanks to the swordsmanship I learned from Ji-won and my achievement level, I gained considerable martial strength, and aside from the Minotaur, I never felt my life was in danger.

Even for someone like me, lying on the bed made me feel drowsy.

After sleeping curled up on the dirt floor all this time, I couldn't resist falling asleep when lying on a plush bed.

But what about the people other than those who went through the tutorial with me?

The tutorial must have been a continuous series of stress for them.

Food was scarce, so they must have always been starving.

Even when they slept, they must have felt the threat to their lives and only managed to get a light sleep.

They might have even stabbed a loved one to death to get a marble, just like the angel said.

Just when they thought they had barely survived the tutorial, an angel suddenly appears and yells at them to pay a proper price to enter the Tower.

Stress. And more stress. Most of them were probably pushed to the brink of insanity.

If people like that... were to face Floor 1 that I just experienced?

They would probably think something like this. 'Do I really need to go up to Floor 2?'.

On Floor 1, you can get everything you want materially.

It is said that humanity will perish if they don't climb to the 66th floor... but it's highly likely they'll expect someone else to do it rather than go through the hardship themselves.

Besides, the fairy in the tutorial only said that humanity would perish, it didn't specify the deadline to climb the Tower.

There's no motivation.

No motivation to risk their lives to climb this Tower.

If god intended this... perhaps the intention is to test things like human will? Or the spirit of sacrifice?

I think it's a very sophisticated way to destroy humanity without killing a single person.

First... What's today's date?

I checked my phone, and thankfully, the date hadn't changed.

I guess it's probably because I cleared the tutorial in an instant.

As soon as I unlocked my phone, a flood of KakaoTalk notifications poured in.

The vast majority of the Ka-Talks were telling me to go to a portal site right now and check the news.

...What is this?

As my friends said, I opened a portal site and checked the news section... it was a complete spectacle, literally.

『 Video of a psychic, deleted immediately after being uploaded to YouToob, revealed to be not fabricated! 』

『 [Breaking News] The United States acknowledges the existence of the Tower! The official title for returnees has been decided as 'Player'! 』

『 South Korean government officially admits to concealing information. States, 'It was hidden because it could cause social unrest.' 』

『 Players hiding information about the 'Tutorial'... Is it selfishness, or something supernatural? 』

“...”

All the tower-climbing stories I've seen were set in a society where the changes had already ended after the tower appeared.

Maybe that's why I had never seen a scene like this anywhere.

The Tower... was changing the world.

Footnotes:

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