The Regressor Is Kind of Strong (1)
The Regressor Is Kind of Strong (1)
"Urgh... Ugwaaagh..."
I died.
I just died. One hundred percent.
My ribs were crushed, my back snapped, and my head must have been smashed, because one side of my vision turned bright red.
It lasted only an instant, but the sensation is still vivid.
"Ugwaaaaagh..."
I was dead. Truly dead.
Death regressors have to go through this kind of thing every single time?
How do they not go insane sooner?
Get used to dying? Is that even possible?
Can you still call someone who gets used to this sensation a person?
The pain is bad enough, but the instinctive revulsion is far stronger.
That feeling of despair the instant your life flickers out...
It isn't something you can simply brush off.
"Hk... hrrk..."
Yeah, I did think there would be some kind of gimmick in the clearing.
Common sense says the clearing can't be an eternal safe zone.
I figured there'd be a time limit, and that turned out to be correct.
In the form of a giant bull-headed monster attacking the clearing. For now, I'll call it a Minotaur.
Monsters in the Tower always borrow their names from mythology, after all.
The thudding sounds must have been the Minotaur charging, and the loud boom was probably the impact of it jumping.
If the voice I heard along with the boom really was Choi Ji-won's voice, she must have been trying to warn me somehow.
"Huff... huff..."
What matters is the outcome: the Minotaur attacked the clearing.
Given Choi Ji-won's good intentions to protect the clearing where the weak gather, she would have tried to stop the Minotaur somehow.
And as a result, she failed.
Whether she let her guard down, was caught off guard, or something else, it just means Choi Ji-won can't easily subdue the Minotaur.
Even if I repeat the same actions and warn her ahead of time, I don't think the outcome will change much.
I suspect the Minotaur isn't a monster meant to be beaten. It's a time limit of sorts.
A device that drives people to the extreme.
You could just stay in the tutorial forever, hunting weak monsters.
So, while I was sorting out the new information and barely steadying my breathing—
"Cough. Cough. Wheeew..."
"Hey. He-ey~."
A fresh, cutesy voice called out to me.
I barely wiped the vomit from my lips and lifted my head.
"Hihi... You weren't listening, were you?"
The Tutorial Fairy stood there, beaming with its disgustingly sharp teeth on full display.
Drool dripped from its mouth.
"..."
The hesitation was brief, and the decision was quick.
Smack!
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
"Fuck, almost got screwed..."
My head nearly got blown off.
I almost became a victim of the Season 1 Fairy.
While I was still reeling from the aftereffects of dying, too—my head getting popped by a fairy?
That would've been a seriously shitty death. I almost added an embarrassing new chapter to my history.
"Hello! You lowly humans doing such a splendid job of wasting your lives! Nice to meet you!"
This time, I kept my wits about me and quietly listened to the fairy's explanation.
I didn't even glance at Choi Ji-won, and I gave no speech.
My goal was the other side of the brush.
I'd already confirmed that if I sat around in here for a week, I'd die, so I figured I had to get out, one way or another.
Of course, it's true I still have things to learn from Choi Ji-won... but I'm mentally exhausted now. I'll go back once things settle down a little.
Right. So, how was I going to escape this dense brush?
I picked up a large chunk of wood and a stick I'd spotted earlier.
The one advantage humans have over animals: the ability to use tools.
"...Hoo."
I decided to use humanity's old friend: 'fire.'
The method was simple.
Rub the stick against the wood to make an ember, then set this thick, sprawling brush ablaze.
"Shall I?"
It was time to meet the world outside the undergrowth.
And so, thirty minutes passed.
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
"Shit..."
I regressed.
**
My mistakes basically boiled down to two things.
First. This place is practically a jungle.
The weather is warm, slightly humid, and life teems everywhere.
Which meant that even with a dried-out chunk of wood, starting a fire wasn't going to be easy here.
And second.
While I was busily rubbing the stick, Baek Da-hye came over and spoke to me.
"*sniffle* What are you doing?"
"...Trying to start a fire."
"Why?"
"To burn down all this brush."
"I don't think that'll work?"
"Huh?"
The grass surrounding the clearing wasn't dry reeds—it was live, green grass.
It wouldn't catch fire easily, Baek Da-hye explained.
Come to think of it, I'd heard that wildfires mostly happen in spring or winter, not summer.
"...Right. That makes sense."
I'd made the simple mistake of thinking in Pokémon type matchups.
You know, Grass is weak to Fire.
Now I understood why the news always warned about game addiction. I was mixing up games and reality.
Or am I just an idiot? Overcome with sudden embarrassment at that thought, I smacked myself hard on the back of the head and regressed right away.
"..."
In the end, I had two choices left.
First. Wrap myself in extra clothes and throw myself into the brush again.
Second. Cut through as much grass as I could with a sword.
This time, I picked the second.
Choi Ji-won called me below average, but even a below-average moron can manage to cut grass, right?
I habitually grabbed a sword and stood in front of the grass.
I sharpened my focus. Centered it on the tip of the blade.
Contracting every muscle in my body.
I swung.
"Haah!"
Slice!
With a crisp sound, the grass parted right at my waist height.
"...I did it."
I did it.
I finally did it.
Remember how it was the first time I swung a sword?
Far from cutting, the grass just bent over, but now...
I'd reached a level where I could at least cut grass.
All that time rolling around under Choi Ji-won's tutelage wasn't a waste.
Because my frame of reference was Choi Ji-won, who was overwhelmingly strong, I hadn't felt it...
But I was slowly getting stronger.
My emotions surged, and I clenched my fist.
"...Yes."
This step may look insignificant at a glance, but... to me, a regressor, it's a huge stride.
Just keep at it, Jun-ho. You can do this.
All right. Motivation time over.
Now it was time to face reality.
Being able to cut grass was encouraging, but... there were two problems.
First, cutting grass was fucking exhausting.
As you could tell from that grand description earlier, I had to focus completely and swing with full force just to cut it.
Which meant the drain on my stamina and mental energy was enormous.
Just cutting a single sword-length worth of grass was this hard?
I had no idea where the brush ended... but it was going to take a while.
"..."
On top of that, the cut height was a little below my waist.
I'd tried to cut as low as possible, but... I just couldn't put any force lower than that.
Of course, this alone was an encouraging result.
It meant I could now cross the brush as long as I wrapped my lower body tightly in clothes. Being able to carry a sword easily was a bonus.
But conversely, it still meant my lower body had to be wrapped, which would seriously hinder my mobility.
Because I'd still have to force my way through thick grass.
"...Tsk. But what can you do?"
Not that I had any other choice, so I resolved to keep cutting.
Even if it's annoying, what's the alternative?
Let the Minotaur trample me again?
**
What followed was a long, tedious grind.
For the clothes to wrap my lower body, I made do by secretly stealing the jacket from the guy digging in the dirt.
Cut. Rest. Cut. Rest.
The thing I hate most is repetitive work, but I'd better get used to it.
Repetition is the fate of a regressor.
Sometimes, Baek Da-hye, with her short-cropped hair, would come talk to me.
"...Hey. What are you doing?"
"Cutting grass."
"Why?"
"I want to get out of the brush, but I'm allergic to grass."
"...Ah-ha."
We didn't exactly have meaningful conversations.
I cut grass all day, exhausted myself, and fell asleep. When I woke, I cut again, and at some point I ran into Choi Ji-won returning with food.
"...Eat."
Choi Ji-won, who looked at me with pity, was kind enough to toss me a water bottle and a calorie bar.
She probably thinks I'm insane... well, nothing I can do about that. Not like I can explain.
I gratefully ate the food and kept cutting grass.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Just when I was getting thirsty again after going through a whole bottle of water—
"Kerrrk! Kieeeek!"
A familiar cry came from nearby.
I softly set down the sword that had grown dull from cutting grass and lightly gripped a fresh one I'd kept ready.
I'd done plenty of practice on the grass, but...
You don't know the true value until you try it in real combat, right?
"...Hup."
I murmured quietly.
"Kieeeeeek!"
Two goblins sprang out from the sides, aiming for my neck.
Their filthy nails, meat-clogged teeth, and gleaming eyes all stood out vividly.
"...Ah."
Is this what Choi Ji-won felt when she looked at me?
Without altering the cutting stance I'd been using on the grass, my sword flashed out like lightning.
Slaaash!
Green blood sprayed like a fountain celebrating my debut stage.
The two goblins grabbed their necks and crumpled, not knowing what had happened.
"Too slow."
Small fry like this were no longer a match for me.