Chapter 73 14. Saving the Returnee
Saving the Regressor
Chapter 74
I needed to grow stronger than I was now.
Whether it was Park Ha-rin, the Tower, or any other factor—I had to prevent the heroines from dying.
Of course,
'I'm not killing Noona. I'm stopping her.'
It was also about becoming strong enough to subdue my sister if she went berserk.
But doing it alone would be difficult no matter what.
After all, Park Ha-rin was someone no one could have anticipated.
'For that, I'll need forces capable of stopping Noona in the worst-case scenario.'
Powers that could serve as alternatives beyond just the heroines.
And one of them was...
"Gggrrrrk, Aaaargh!"
...A regressor......?
"......."
The regressor was clutching his head, howling in madness.
Well, it made sense.
KOOOOM—!
The true form of Erkwi, as perceived by our optic nerves, radiated a presence so overwhelming it could annihilate even souls. The sheer pressure threatened to reduce not just one's spirit but even their physical body to dust.
Had he not possessed circuits attuned to the Outer Dimension, he would have turned to dust right then and there.
"Ggrrraaahh!"
My attention was briefly stolen by the sight of the buxom woman crumpling to the ground before I turned to Tirpe.
"...."
Her eyes were widened to their limits, and blood trickled from her mouth as she screamed. It was a pitiful sight, but I didn't have the time to deal with her mess.
"Ghk!?"
I struck the trembling nape of her neck. Her massive chest heaved as she collapsed forward, her messy black hair—left untamed for too long—spilling over her thighs.
Confirming she was properly unconscious, I groped her butt.
That was when—
"Huh?"
The unstable mist supporting my footing grew hazy.
THUD!
The ground beneath her gave way. Tirpe... was falling, eyes closed.
Her desolate face, streaked with blood at the corners of her lips, grew distant.
Snap.
Before I knew it, I had grabbed her wrist.
WHOOSH—
Whether due to the shifting terrain, an intense gust of wind blew past. Tirpe's limp hand, caught in my grip, swayed violently in the wind.
If I let go now—
'She'll die.'
The hesitation in my hand holding her didn't fade.
But the image of Tirpe's tear-streaked face flickered in my mind.
If she fell from here, the nature of the Outer Dimension meant she could be flung into any random space.
Tirpe was undeniably a villain. No matter her circumstances, the nature of her crimes wouldn't change.
That was why I had agonized over forming an alliance with her. Even if the Tower was the root cause, I couldn't pin all the blame on Tirpe alone—but her sins were undeniable.
If I saved Tirpe, I'd be making enemies of those who had nearly died because of her.
It wasn't morally right.
'But.'
Compared to that conscience, compared to the condemnation of people whose faces I didn't even know...
The heroines and Noona mattered more.
'I'll save Noona. Even if I have to use everything.'
I knew this wasn't the time to pick and choose—not when I had to stop Noona from going berserk.
I had to prevent more people from being sacrificed for her sake.
It wasn't that I forgave Tirpe.
The others she had deceived would undoubtedly curse this situation.
But even so, I needed Tirpe—the regressor.
Because—
'The heroines' growth.'
From now on, the heroines' growth was crucial.
Relying on coincidental encounters to seize opportunities, like in the game, would be too slow.
Now that monster experience had increased and the heroines' talents were guaranteed as they were in the game, if I could just obtain the opportunities from the story faster—
'We've already grown stronger than in the game, but we can grow even faster.'
But the process was the problem.
'The Tower is vast. It's impossible for me alone to monopolize every opportunity across all floors of <The Tower>.'
What remained unchanged, whether in the game or reality, was—
'I only have one body.'
At best, all I could do was plan routes to gather opportunities.
But following those routes meant missing out on many others.
'The other characters hunting for opportunities aren't pushovers, either.'
In the game, while pouring time into obtaining Opportunity A, Opportunity B would inevitably fall into someone else's hands.
It just depended on probability whether that someone was an ally or an enemy.
'Plus, in the game, I couldn't just tell the heroines where to go to get opportunities.'
That wasn't part of the protagonist's dialogue script.
As the gamer, I knew the future—but the protagonist didn't.
And the heroines had to obtain opportunities strictly according to the story's progression.
But this wasn't the game anymore.
In other words, we didn't have to follow the story's flow.
Therefore—
'I can skip the process of obtaining opportunities.'
The process of gathering clues, stumbling upon them by chance—all of that.
But even so, I wasn't confident that just the heroines and I could monopolize all opportunities.
'<The Tower> is too vast for a small group to roam freely. And variables can arise during the process of obtaining opportunities.'
Had there been no regressor who had cleared up to the 66th floor, I would have boldly given up on the remaining opportunities.
'Many have died because of you. But I will save even more people who are destined to die in the future.'
I didn't let go of Tirpe's hand and pulled her up. Some might never forgive this outcome.
Still, I carried Tirpe on my back.
#
Tirpe felt the rhythmic swaying of a body moving up and down and slowly opened her eyes. Someone was carrying her on their back, walking. Her hollow eyes squinted, then blinked rapidly.
'Park... Si-hyun?'
Park Si-hyun was walking through the Outer Dimension with her on his back. Tirpe's gaze wandered in slight surprise before she slowly lifted her head. The monotonous gray landscape of the Outer Dimension came into view.
A treacherous wasteland where distortions in space formed unpredictably, making it impossible to know where one might disappear.
"...So it wasn't... a dream."
"...Huh? Oh, yeah. We're in the Outer Dimension."
The moment she heard his reply, Tirpe's face darkened rapidly.
She had remembered.
The colossal monster she could never hope to oppose...
Thud, thud, thud.
An overwhelming terror, impossible to resist, seized her mind.
The choice she had made was—
"P-P-Please... c-can you... give me back... my ability? Please, I beg you..."
Avoidance.
Even after resigning herself, she instinctively clung to her power.
"Nah... can't do."
"Please, please...!"
Tirpe clawed at her head as if she might tear it apart. She pressed her forehead against Si-hyun's shoulder.
She could have strangled him if she wanted to, yet all she did was plead in a tear-choked voice.
"Not giving it back."
Anger, triggered by fear, clouded her vision.
But then—
"From now on, I don't think you'll need Regression anyway."
"...!"
His unwavering voice, his warmth, the way her body gradually steadied against his—
Tirpe refused to acknowledge the subsiding tremors and muttered self-deprecatingly.
"...Then, this must be our grave."
He didn't answer. He had no intention of comforting her.
Unable to suppress her anxiety, a prayer spilled from her lips.
"O, O holy goddess of the Radiant Glory Orthodoxy, please watch over your lambs—"
Even that—
"Prayers don't reach here. This place exists beyond all laws. And why are you reciting the liturgy of a Sacred Power sect when you wield Black Magic Power? Now you're even tapping into the Outer Dimension's Records..."
Si-hyun replied coldly.
"......."
He's Satan.
At the same time, she was puzzled.
Why... had the despair and terror she felt before that giant—the kind that made the world seem like it was collapsing—disappeared?
No, could it be that Park Si-hyun simply hadn't felt it?
After hesitating, Tirpe finally parted her lips slightly.
"Aren't you... afraid? Of dying. If we die here, everything... ends."
Si-hyun let out a short laugh. Yet, with an oddly detached air, he gazed at the sky and answered.
"Terrified out of my mind. But what can I do? All I can do is struggle like hell to survive."
"...In the Tower, death is inevitable. A monster like that... even if we reached the 100th floor..."
"We can win."
Tirpe's eyes widened.
"Even now, that so-called goddess of light you rely on, even the Lord of Corpses—I can beat them all in the future."
A laugh of sheer disbelief escaped her.
Who were they?
In the Tower, they were worshipped as gods.
How could anyone defeat beings who had accumulated power over countless ages?
"Don't... lie to me. That's... impossible."
"There are no gods in this world. No being possesses divine perfection. Meaning, even those who seem like gods can be defeated."
Tirpe was left speechless, her lips slightly parted.
Before she knew it, she found herself asking—
"Who... are you...?"
"A Seer."
Si-hyun turned his head slightly and grinned at her.
"I've seen futures you couldn't even imagine. So just shut up and sleep. That'd help me more."
"......."
Now that I think about it, he's just a rude bastard...
Yet, Park Si-hyun didn't waver. Why did someone like him feel so reliable?
For someone like her, who had punished countless frauds claiming to know the future, he was an anomaly.
Without realizing it, Tirpe buried her face against his sturdy shoulder.
Even though—
"..."
The movement of his steps pressed her chest uncomfortably against his back...
And even though his hand was shamelessly groping her buttocks...
He didn't let go of her.
Her eyes stung inexplicably.
'After committing so many sins, after believing that even I would one day have to be judged...'
I...
......About five minutes later, Si-hyun glanced at the face resting on his shoulder.
Tirpe had wrapped her arms around him as if clinging for support, her eyes closed.
Her dark circles were still deep, but for now, she had fallen into a peaceful slumber.
For the first time in centuries, she was truly asleep.
And then—
『[Female Corruption] has been activated on Tirpe.』
Her womb engraved a sigil upon her.