WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 007

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The pony-tailed girl is way too strong (3)

Securing the pony-tailed girl’s cooperation—I never thought it would work in one shot.

I had expected to switch concepts and try ten times before I barely scraped by.

A swelling joy rose in my chest.

Is this the moment I truly begin to grow stronger? If this were a novel, the line would read, “The conqueror of the Great Tower. His first step had finally begun.”

“Name.”

“Huh?”

“Your name, what is it?”

“Oh, Kim Jun-ho.”

Because I was day-dreaming, I did not answer the pony-tailed girl right away. Come to think of it, why was she using informal speech? What attitude.

I did not show it outwardly. I was the one who needed help, so I had to bow my head.

“Could you tell me yours as well?”

I needed her name too. I could not keep calling her pony-tailed girl forever.

“…Choi Ji-won.”

The pony-tailed girl, no, Choi Ji-won, answered curtly.

Choi Ji-won. A gender-neutral name. Like the scholar Park Ji-won, it could belong to a man, or like the actress Kim Ji-won, to a woman.

It matched her boyish charm perfectly. Choi Ji-won. I would remember it.

“All right.”

Ji-won led me to the far corner of the clearing where she had been swinging her sword.

“Hold the sword in a manner that feels natural.”

“…Okay.”

I gripped the blade in the same awkward way as before.

“Swing.”

Vmm.

The sword produced a sound that was anything but threatening.

“Relax your shoulders. Spread your legs. Again.”

Vumm.

“Your grip is off. Your wrist must not wobble. Again.”

Vvumm.

“Again.”

“Again.”

“Again.”

Each time I swung, Ji-won pointed out a flaw, then said, “Again.” This was not the sword lesson I had imagined, but it was fine.

Whoom.

This time the sound had menace, and my stance looked decent.

Considering it had not even been thirty minutes since my first clumsy swing, it was an incredible leap.

No wonder. Before this regression, I had handled a sword and already knew roughly how to move it.

Hiding my real skill was part of the act.

Ji-won probably was not teaching me seriously, treating it as a way to kill time. But what if, once she taught me, I showed real talent?

What if this guy absorbed techniques at frightening speed?

She might feel the urge to train me properly. In short, I was playing the prodigy.

Marvel at my talent. Teach me with all your heart, I would soak it up like a sponge.

Yet Ji-won’s face twisted, not in admiration but into a strange frown.

“…Is something wrong?”

I asked carefully, but Ji-won did not answer. She tapped her right foot, clearly pondering something.

Did I make a mistake?

“You.”

At last Ji-won spoke.

“Were you acting just now?”

“…Pardon?”

Shing.

She drew her sword and aimed it at my throat.

“The speed of improvement you just showed makes no sense if you are not a genius, yet the way you look now is far too clumsy for a genius. It does not add up.”

“…”

Damn it.

She was far stronger than I thought. Merely by watching, she had seen through my act.

“What is your goal? To get close to me? But knowing about me makes no sense. You must have some other means. A trait ability?”

Ji-won’s sharp eyes gleamed.

Crushed by her charisma, I swallowed involuntarily.

“Uh… well…”

“You are tense. Your heartbeat just got louder.”

“No, the thing is…”

Whack.

A fierce blow struck the back of my head. My vision flashed, dirt filled my mouth. What, did I fall? More importantly, my consciousness…

“I will hear your full story once you wake up.”

[You have taken damage.]

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

“Fuck! Where the hell is this place!”

“…”

So the rumor was true. A solid hit to the back of the head really did knock you out.

I had never expected to verify it with my own body.

My stomach churned and my head spun—a feeling I never wanted twice.

Anyway… Ji-won had instantly noticed I hid my strength. If the gap in level was too big, acting would not fool her.

A peerless master would never fall for a third-rate swordsman hiding a blade behind his back.

I had been arrogant. Trait or not, she was overwhelmingly stronger. I should never have thought I could deceive her at my level.

I did not expect her to smash my skull for lying, but at least I knew now.

Again. I will try again.

“Everyone, I don’t know whose scheme this is, but in a crisis we must stand together!”

I gave the same passionate speech and despaired at the same cold reality. The only difference was that this time I swung without hiding my skill.

“Hold on, where do you think you’re going?”

Whether I hid my power or not, she still saw me as a bug, and Ji-won blocked my path again.

She offered to teach me, and we exchanged names.

“Swing the sword.”

At last we reached the same point as the previous cycle.

Fine. Hiding strength gets me caught, does it? Then I will show everything.

“Huup.”

Whooosh.

Focusing, I unleashed a blow containing all my experience.

Wow. Even I had to admit, the arc of the blade was clean. Regression after regression made me better.

“…Have you ever held a sword before?”

Ji-won felt the same and asked cynically.

“…Ha ha. Back in high school I was in the kendo club. My form’s not bad, right?”

I gave the excuse I had prepared, but…

“Lies.”

Again Ji-won’s face contorted.

“The bamboo sword in kendo and the real blade you hold differ in balance and feel. Yet your stance is optimized for a real sword. You are hiding something.”

“…Ah.”

So that mattered too…?

Wham.

[You have taken damage.]

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

“My relative is a swordsman, so I took a few private lessons.”

“What is your relative’s name? I have memorized everyone in Korea who can handle a sword. Speak.”

“…”

Wham.

[You have taken damage.]

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

“I learned in the army.”

“I might believe knife or bayonet drills, but I have never heard of the army teaching real swordsmanship. Do I look stupid because I’m a woman?”

“…”

Wham.

[You have taken damage.]

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

Fine. I admitted it.

In sword lore, that woman knew far, far more than I did.

No clever lie would fool her.

She was an expert among experts, while I knew only the vague fantasy sword arts from wuxia and RPGs.

In the end, I chose my last resort.

“…Have you ever held a sword?”

“Nope.”

Shameless mode.

I could not win a verbal wrestling match. I had to brazen it out. Please, just drop it and teach me…!

“…Lies. That posture is not that of a raw beginner.”

Yet she still eyed me suspiciously, hand creeping toward her scabbard, so I hurried on.

“But it’s true. I shouted Status Window a moment ago and suddenly could do it. It must be my trait…”

“…”

Ji-won fell silent at once.

She too had gained superhuman strength through her trait, so my claim sounded plausible.

“…What is your trait called?”

“Come on, that’s a secret. Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.”

Curious about my trait, but unwilling to reveal hers, Ji-won sealed her lips.

After a long silence, she said,

“…Just grip the sword.”

In the end, she let it slide.

Only after real instruction did I realize it.

I had known nothing about swords. I had dipped only a toe into the wide ocean of swordplay and thought I had improved.

Three hours of training raised my skill more than swinging alone for tens of hours. Changing my foot angle infused power into the blade, shifting my elbow reduced strain on my arm.

The subtle mechanics of the body, a golden tower of knowledge built by geniuses.

“Hoo.”

Feeling good, I wiped the sweat from my brow. Rapid improvement flooded me with confidence.

Was I a genius?

“…Of all the people I’ve taught, you seem to have the least talent.”

Apparently not.

Ji-won spoke with a delicate expression.

“It would take you three years just to manage your own body… I didn’t expect you to be this talentless…”

She seemed to regret volunteering to teach me. Was I really that bad? It stung.

“Forget whatever swordsmanship you’ve picked up. Using it might be worse than not.”

She flatly declared, do not use a blade.

However,

“…Would three years be enough?”

Letting it end like that shredded my pride.

Was I truly that hopeless? Really?

I wanted to see her flustered.

I wanted to hear her praise me.

I wanted recognition.

Thud.

As a vow I punched my own chest hard.

I set my next goal.

Until Ji-won acknowledged my sword, I would never stop regressing.

[You have taken damage.]

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

Footnotes:

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