Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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"Unbelievable."
"Cough."
The legends who had forged myths gazed down at the blackened earth with faces full of utter disbelief, along with the human standing at its center.
"To think you'd come this far alone against us. No one, not even us, saw it coming."
The man flapping his white wings touched the shallow gash across his forehead.
At least the wound ended there. Lucky.
Right behind him, their comrades were in far worse shape—one missing a limb, another permanently stripped of their divinity. Not a single one was unscathed.
"Pitiful one who has lost the light..."
"Nice way to wrap up 'blind bastard.'"
Crackle.
"Get out of the way. Before that guy croaks on his own, I need to kill him myself."
The blond man stepped forward, cutting off the winged one named Michael.
He glared with fury at the emptiness where his right arm had been, lightning crackling all around him.
"...Zeus. I wasn't done talking, so put that lightning away."
"Who the hell are you to order me around? Lost one arm and suddenly think you're above me?"
The girl glanced up at the monsters bickering noisily in the sky above while checking her own condition.
Her mana circles and dantian were shattered beyond repair.
All her muscles were torn, and her senses were far from normal.
'Completely done for.'
Chance of breaking through in this state?
A flat zero. Not even a possibility.
'This sucks.'
It pissed her off to no end that the story would end like this.
After all that effort.
Scraping by with a body inferior to everyone else's, clawing her way up here.
Why did the world have to torment her like this?
On Earth, and now in the tower.
'This really sucks.'
The idea of dying like this.
It infuriated her to the point of madness.
Drip.
Something warm trickled down her face from her eyes.
Was this... tears?
She wiped at the liquid running down her cheek with her trembling hand and realized it wasn't ordinary tears.
Drip.
A voice echoed somewhere.
Not in her ears, but directly in her mind, as if speaking to her spirit.
Hallucinations now that death was near?
The voice even urged her on.
But if she had to answer, yes. She wanted to live.
'Go back? To where exactly?'
Did that mean climbing the tower all over again?
The girl recalled it all.
The countless injustices she'd faced while ascending.
Back to that hell of her own volition?
If she didn't like it, she could refuse.
She hadn't said it, but it felt like that's what it implied.
'No, I'll go back.'
Going back meant reliving that hell.
But even so, the girl didn't want to die here.
No matter how pathetic or painful, she wanted to finish this story.
And to that resolve, the mysterious entity muttered in a voice too soft for her to hear.
With that, the girl's time rewound to the past, and in the process, an external guest was invited into the tower.
"Now, as you saw in the video just now, this equation..."
'I'm really back.'
It wasn't a lie.
Just as the mysterious voice had said, she'd turned back time to right before entering the tower.
She'd become a regressor, like those boys had chattered about.
'But no time to dwell on memories.'
She'd be pulled into the tower soon enough.
And like before, the tutorial zone—Floor 0—awaited, with its test.
Grip.
She clutched the foldable white cane hidden under her desk, bracing for the anomaly to come.
Come on. This time it'll be different!
Thud. Thud.
"...?"
But the tower that was supposed to come didn't, and instead something weird flew at her?
Giggle. Giggle.
"Hey, hey. Throw it harder. No reaction."
"Crazy bitch."
"Yet you follow my lead."
"True, no reaction."
Voices from behind—a girl and boy bantering.
And then something flew at her again, right on cue.
She grabbed it off the desk and felt it: a balled-up eraser chunk mixed with paper scraps.
'Oh right. I was getting bullied.'
The tower events had been so intense she'd forgotten for a moment.
As she recalled, it started from jealousy by some delinquent girl.
'What's so special about my face they've never even seen?'
If you were just a bit better than average—talent or personality—people got jealous naturally.
But if it was 'overwhelming'?
Then it sparked awe and admiration instead.
Yes, her looks should have inspired awe, not envy.
But her innate trait got in the way... and she became a target for the so-called delinquent girl.
Even though she'd never seen her own face.
'Back then, I was scared and miserable, swallowing tears at home alone.'
Really, her life—Earth or tower—was always painted in pain and suffering.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
"What's that? Someone didn't hand in their phone?"
"No! We all did, teacher! Isn't that yours?"
"Mine's on silent, no vibrate."
The class halted as vibration rang out mid-lesson, teacher and students freezing.
Everyone except one assumed it was a phone.
'It's starting now.'
The tower was on the move.
Not some phone buzz—this was the prelude to its summons.
Next, the invitation text would appear before everyone.
Ding.
"Wh-what is this?!"
"Eek?!"
"Invited to the tower?"
"What the..."
"Isn't this straight out of a novel?"
Unable to see, she gauged the situation from the students' and teacher's reactions.
Invitation shown meant the final phase: transfer.
Once that hit, the real climb began.
"Everyone."
Originally, she'd planned to stay quiet and face the trials alone.
Everyone here except her was doomed anyway.
"Soha?"
"Don't be stupid and pick a staff just 'cause you wanna use magic. Without mana, it's no different from a weak wooden club. You'll learn spells climbing floors later, so go safe with sword and shield. Or spear."
"What're you talking about?"
"First time hearing Soha say that."
"No, seriously, what is this?!"
But now, on the cusp of entry, her mouth betrayed her intentions, spilling info.
Risky—leaking tower secrets could make her a target later—but a lingering wish they not die pointlessly kept her going.
"Don't piss off the Floor 0 guides. They grant requests as long as you don't outright insult them, so there..."
"You bitch! You—you know what's going on, don't you?!"
Grip.
Rough hands yanked her hair back.
Pain flashed across her face as her head jerked, but fury at this idiot classmate wasting precious time hardened her expression. She drew her hidden arm from under the desk.
Shwick.
"Le-let go right n..."
"You're wasting my precious time."
Thwack.
"Argh!"
"Yerin!"
"...Get used to killing as much as possible on Floor 0. Guides refill monsters if you ask, so adapt fully. Floor 1 has no mercy."
Loosening her hand with just that one hit.
Don't screw up like this idiot once inside the tower.
"And last thing. Tell the others too."
The basics were nearing their end.
Timing the transfer, one final line should do it.
And this last one? The info she valued most personally.
"On Floor 1, don't contract with any constellation."
Flash.
Thus, the regressor, Isoha, entered the tower once more.
"Keehehehe. Welcome, guest."
Meanwhile, at some spot deep within the tower at that very time.
A massive imoogi lay coiled, facing a goblin dressed in a sharp suit.
"Of course. I heard a very special guest was coming, so I prepared accordingly. Oh, and to suit this place's vibe, I readied the prefix title 'Traveler of Space-Time' for the guest. Like it?"
"Keeheeek?! Th-then how about 'Sage Who Pierces All Things' or 'Ancient Unknown'!"