The Regressor Makes an Effort (3)
The Regressor Makes an Effort (3)
"That bastard—no, wait. It's become a habit. Jun-ho is definitely a regressor. Am I wrong?"
Fourth floor of the castle. Inside a large room where the construction work had finished.
A man was talking passionately, face flushed, jerky crumbs flying as he chewed.
"You see this kind of thing in webtoons all the time. The world's already ended once, and the strongest survivor from the finale regresses to set things right... eh? You know what I'm talking about?"
"Hey, man. Does that even make sense?"
"Does the Tower appearing make sense? Do Status Windows make sense? Wake up. Nothing about this situation makes sense. If you wanted to question what makes sense, you should've grabbed a goblin in the Tutorial and asked."
"Well, that's true..."
As the others looked more convinced, the man grew even more animated.
"When we were reinforcing the gates, everybody cursed him out, called him a lunatic. But I thought to myself then: Huh? It felt like he knew something. I figured even that weird construction on Day 2 had a reason. And thanks to that, we all racked up a ton of experience and pumped our stats sky-high. Am I wrong?"
"...Didn't you, uh, call Jun-ho a son of a bitch who should be torn to pieces on Day 2?"
"When did I say that? You little punk, trying to frame an innocent man?"
The man raised his voice to hide his embarrassment.
He wasn't the only one. Among every human on Floor 4, the hottest topic by far was Kim Jun-ho.
Was he just a lucky madman? Or was he actually a regressor, or even a prophet? The general opinion leaned toward regressor.
However, the "regressor" they talked about differed somewhat from Kim Jun-ho's true nature.
Overwhelming combat power. Self-righteousness that crushed all opposition with force. A cold, aloof attitude.
People naturally pictured "the mightiest warrior who regressed from a distant future to prevent destruction." That was also why they didn't worry about things like "What if Kim Jun-ho regresses again?"
"Jun-ho!"
"...Yes?"
"I'll give it my all!!! By the way, my name is..."
"...Right."
As people's perceptions shifted, their behavior naturally changed too. Kim Jun-ho now commanded support among the otherworlders that rivaled Baron Jorge's.
"Um... I have something to tell you... would it be alright to speak privately?"
Enough that female players were even subtly sending flirtatious glances his way.
When he was seen as a simple madman, no matter how strong he was, people had been utterly repulsed. But now that they viewed him as a regressor hardened by a tragic past, he seemed rather appealing.
"..."
Of course, Kim Jun-ho himself had never experienced a situation like this and was thoroughly bewildered. He had begun to see people as "NPCs repeating set behaviors," but anyone would be flustered if NPCs started acting unpredictably.
"...Still, it's a relief."
Though Floor 4 was taking a strange turn, there was one upside.
"Hey! Move those stones faster!"
"Didn't you do your military service? No sense for work, none at all!"
"Let's finish before the sun goes down!!!"
Faith in Kim Jun-ho had blossomed among the people. As a result... the construction speed had become staggering.
Because they believed this wasn't pointless busywork.
**
"I'll be blunt. Blocking all the passages is impossible."
Baron Jorge spoke while munching on something resembling dried bread.
"No matter how much we prepared in advance... construction doesn't happen overnight. And most importantly, my mana reserves are insufficient."
The mortar that held the stone fragments in sturdy structures wasn't something that dried in a day or two. In weather this cold, with flurries, it would take even longer. But Baron Jorge's magic hardened it instantaneously. In other words, if the core—Baron Jorge's mana—ran out, the construction would grind to a halt.
"If I really squeeze out every last drop... I can block four places. Beyond that is impossible. That's my best."
As in the previous cycle, two passages would have to be defended directly. That was what Baron Jorge was saying.
"That's enough."
One passage, me. The other, the players. I didn't think a hundred people couldn't hold one passage. Day 3 had been the critical point; I was certain Day 4 would be easy.
**
Late at night. Just before the monsters scaled the walls.
"What do you think? Are there any?"
"Hmm... I looked around thoroughly, but there don't seem to be any."
I asked Baron Jorge to check whether the "Stone-melting Slime" had appeared. We'd never blocked the passages on Day 3 before, so it was worth checking, just in case.
Fortunately, he said there were no slimes. That meant the blocked passages were absolutely safe.
"In that case..."
We just had to carry out our assigned roles. Surely everyone else could hold one passage.
But that complacent thought.
"Huh?"
The moment I cut down a charging wolf, it shattered immediately.
"Grrrrr... Kraaahhh!!!"
Fast.
Tough.
Sharp.
Even as I cut them down, the unsettling sensation was intense. The monsters had become incredibly strong.
Not enough to threaten me. If I focused seriously, they were opponents I could dispatch in an instant. The reason I hadn't been able to push the monsters back in the previous cycle wasn't lack of strength. It was because the sword, as a weapon, lacked mass-destruction capability.
As long as I maintained focus and didn't let my guard down, I wouldn't take damage. Without the 'Hero' trait, maybe, but right now I was superhuman.
But I wasn't the only one here.
"Jun-ho! This... it's not easy! Casualties are pouring in!"
Yun Jung-hyun's urgent voice crackled through the communication magic device.
"Dammit, right after I put together the whole cycle plan..."
"First, put the strong fighters up front. We have no choice. Pull the weaker ones back and let the strong ones handle it."
There might be pushback, but we couldn't help it in the heat of the moment. Better the strong suffer a bit more than watch anyone die.
"Hey! Move forward! Fight! You say it's not your turn yet? Jun-ho's orders, you bastard!"
Yun Jung-hyun immediately began driving people forward.
For now, this was the best option. If problems arose... there was no choice but to regress.
Shaking off such idle thoughts, I refocused on cutting down the monsters before me. It would be putting the cart before the horse if I regressed while worrying about everyone else.
**
The sun rose.
The interior of the castle, which had been filled with cursing and screaming, regained its silence.
"..."
Twenty swords lay strewn across the floor—I'd used nearly all the spares I'd prepared. I had pushed my strength beyond what was necessary to slice through the tough enemies.
"...Are you alright?"
Yun Jung-hyun trudged up from behind. He looked incomparably more exhausted than yesterday.
"I'm fine. What about the others?"
"It was rough. The fighting itself was manageable, but concentration was..."
The reason for Yun Jung-hyun's grim expression became immediately clear.
In combat, a single small mistake can determine life or death. You can't release the tension throughout the entire battle, and the longer it drags on, the more fatigue piles up exponentially. You can only endure with the hormones secreted in your brain for about three hours. After that, unbearable irritation and frustration set in. How do I know this so well? Because I've already been through it myself.
"More importantly, what's the damage situation?"
"There are many with light or serious injuries... but as expected, not a single death. It's all thanks to you, Jun-ho, and William."
Despite the hardship, Yun Jung-hyun offered congratulations with a faint smile.
That's a relief. So far, things were proceeding according to plan.
But... the difficulty this time was far higher than I'd thought. On Day 4 of the previous cycle, only slimes, hippos, and cats had been added—mostly monsters that caught you off guard. The overall monster quality hadn't spiked like it had this cycle.
"...Strange."
I felt an ominous sensation for no clear reason. Was it just my imagination? No, it couldn't be.
"Once the players have finished resting, tell them to assemble in front of the castle. It seems we'll need additional preparations."
"Ah... is that so?"
"Yes. We can't continue like this."
It might just be my imagination. But there's no harm in being as thorough as possible. I'll do every preparation I can think of.
And so I gathered the players and delivered a lengthy speech about the "ways to survive" that I'd formulated on my own. If someone was using a sword, I corrected their stance. I sparred lightly with the stronger ones to sharpen their real-combat instincts. I also sharply rebuked those who had grown complacent, thinking that being with a regressor meant "he'll handle it somehow."
"Everyone, you must not let your guard down. This is the Tower. You must always remember that."
When I spoke with a serious expression, the buoyant mood of the players settled into something calm and solemn. That should prevent anyone from getting caught off guard out of carelessness.
"Hoo..."
Every possible preparation had been completed.
-8 : 45 : 11
The final night approaches.