The Regressor Trains (6)
The Regressor Trains (6)
Contrary to Kim Jun-ho's imagination, the people controlling information about the "Elixir" online didn't put in much effort.
Mentions of the "Elixir" weren't common to begin with.
The vast majority were just wish-fulfillment posts like, "Don't they give out Elixirs as rewards?" and only one or two fools wrote seriously about the Elixir.
The reason was simple. The Elixir was far too precious.
-Lowest-grade Elixir [S+]
'Unless you are extremely unlucky, this will serve as a spare life.'
Upon fully consuming one bottle, heals all physical defects. Also has some effect on curses and mana imbalances.
Unless you're a complete idiot, reading that item description tells you everything. This is on a completely different level from any potion that's appeared so far. In practice, the acquisition methods were nearly impossible—getting a Platinum reward on Floor 2, or saving every player and NPC on Floor 4. Especially Floor 4... it wasn't even a reward the angels intended for anyone to obtain.
200 bottles. In antiques or collectibles, 200 might sound like a lot, but for consumables it's a different story. Only 200 humans on Earth could ever drink this. Overwhelmingly, impossibly precious.
"Wouldn't people kill us if they found out we have this?"
"...Laying low seems like the right call."
And because it was that precious, those who possessed it were careful.
Treasure only holds value for those with the strength to protect it. As the Tower rose, the power gap among humanity only widened. Simply owning an Elixir could get you murdered.
Eight bottles of Elixir surfaced in an underworld auction... but their original owners were no longer in this world. The Elixirs sold for astronomical prices, making it far cheaper to just kill the person, dispose of them, and swallow the reputation loss.
Back to the beginning. The people controlling information about the Elixir didn't put in much effort. They simply added a few commands to existing surveillance systems and assigned a handful of personnel.
But this one thing must be remembered.
There exists a faction keeping an eye on Kim Jun-ho.
**
Floor 11. The path leading to the dwarven fortress.
"So, I just clear Floor 11 like last time?"
"Exactly."
I was explaining the plan to Choi Ji-won. Her memories hadn't been preserved.
Why didn't we preserve them? It wasn't my choice; it was Choi Ji-won's request. Usually, when we decided to safeguard memories, we'd go on something like a date—to an amusement park or an aquarium—but this time we regressed right away.
The reason... I don't know. She didn't bother to tell me, so I just went with it. If it's important, she'll tell me later.
"Alright, I'm off then?"
After the explanation, Choi Ji-won used Boongboong-yi to slice shallow cuts across her body to fake wounds, then set off for the fortress. I walked to a clearing I remembered, picked up a dead animal's skull, and settled it over my head.
"I am the Death God."
In this cycle, I would call myself the Death God.
**
The Death God uses daggers. I use a longsword. The two weapons have completely different applications, and even by the most generous stretch of the imagination, you couldn't call them similar.
"H-hiiiik...!"
"You're a wretch who deserves to die at the hands of this 'Death God.'"
To bridge that gap, I only used the dagger after completely subduing an enemy. I didn't primarily use the dagger, but I left the rough impression that I also wielded one.
What came after was identical. I herded people into groups, appeared in the distance to instill fear, and maintained that tension by leaving traces behind.
KABOOOOOM!!!
Then I met a flashy end at Choi Ji-won's hands.
[You have cleared Floor 11.]
As soon as I returned to reality, I booked a same-day flight ticket and hotel, then collapsed onto the bed and passed out. Sleeping rough in the forest is something I never seem to get used to.
"I'll be going. Don't forget to contact the Association."
"I'll be waiting."
The next evening. I waved to Choi Ji-won and left for the airport.
In the previous cycle, Choi Ji-won and I went to Japan together, but this time I boarded the plane alone. It just seemed like going solo would be more effective.
Wondering if I don't speak Japanese? No need. I won't have to use it.
-Ladies and gentlemen, our aircraft will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts...
I closed my eyes for a moment, and we were already in Japan. This cycle, I headed for the hotel I'd booked instead of the Death God's house.
"Ah, now this is what you call a hotel vacation."
I lounged around for a good while, savoring the comfortable room temperature and the soft hotel blanket. Once the sun set, the streetlights came on, and the clamor of drunken people died down, I left the hotel and headed for the Death God's apartment.
"Let's see..."
It was 3 a.m. The lights in the Death God's apartment on the fourth floor were off.
"Doesn't seem to be any CCTV..."
The moment I confirmed no one was passing by—
"Alrighty."
I began climbing the exterior wall of the apartment, gripping small grooves and air conditioner units. I haven't done this type of climbing often, but for a superhuman, this level of exercise is a piece of cake—or mochi, rather.
"Hoo."
I reached Yūki's window within seconds and gently pressed my palm against the glass. As expected, the window wasn't locked. People rarely lock their outer windows.
"..."
I slipped into the Death God's room without a sound. Casually turning my head to check the bed, I saw the Death God dead to the world, sound asleep.
"...?"
No. That bastard just flinched. He's figured out the situation and is playing possum to lower my guard. His left hand is twitching suspiciously too... looks like there's a dagger there? He sleeps with a dagger hidden? Is he insane?
Whatever the case, as soon as I realized he was awake, I strode over and settled into his desk chair. From here on, seizing the initiative is key. Ahem. I pitched my voice low and kept my gaze sharp. My image template... Kang Chan. I'll go for a heavy, boss-like vibe.
"Death God. Asai Yūki."
"..."
"It's me. Kim Jun-ho."
Just as this guy assumed I knew who he was, I acted as if he naturally knew me too. In reality, I already did.
"..."
The Death God stayed silent, twitching. Then, the moment mana rippled across his whole body beneath the blanket—
"Die!"
The Death God, now fully transparent, threw off the blanket and swung his dagger.
"...!!"
"You're slow."
But his wrist was easily caught by my hand. This guy's attributes aren't particularly high. Did he dump points into mana to extend his stealth duration? That explains why his mana reserves seemed a bit large.
"Death God. I've been watching you for a long time."
Ignoring his wide-eyed shock, I calmly recited my prepared lines, voice deeper than usual, unhurried.
"I understand your intentions. There are people in this world who deserve to die."
"No, no."
The Death God, who'd been speechless with confusion, mumbled in a sleep-roughened, cracked voice.
"You've really, really been watching me? You have?"
"Yeah."
"...Wow."
"And I've been quite disappointed."
The corners of the Death God's mouth, which had just started to rise, plummeted straight down.
"Your methods are far too crude. Killing civilians especially was a major disappointment."
"...B-but... there was no way to know a person's true worth until they were tortured..."
"That's exactly what I mean by crude."
I released his captured wrist, then laced my fingers together and covered my mouth the way he'd done in the past. To his eyes, I probably looked like a coldly calculating mastermind.
"Death God. Don't you feel guilt?"
"..."
"Aren't you sorry for the civilians who died because of you?"
"I-I had no choice..."
The Death God turned his head away, avoiding my gaze. I didn't miss the opening and pressed him harder.
"Could you accept it if you yourself became an innocent sacrifice? If your family had to die? Would you still have no choice then?"
"..."
It's true that he'd just woken up and I was pressuring him without giving him a moment to breathe. But in this instant, the Death God was overwhelmed in the truest sense. The fact that my 'Awe' trait activated and copied his stealth trait was proof of that.
The Death God's eyes wandered aimlessly, he gulped, and his hand trembled faintly. My words were the undeniable truth. He had no way to refute them.
"So what... what do you want me to do about it..."
In the end, unable to withstand my pressure, the Death God whined, voice cracking with tears. People whose mental state has completely shattered inevitably enter the "so what do you want me to do about it" mode.
"I'll figure that out. You wait. Until I've prepared a role as a 'hero' for you."
"...Me, a hero?"
"You have the aptitude. Trust me."
I don't know whether he has the aptitude or not. But it seemed like the right thing to say at this moment, so I just blurted it out.
Ultimately, the Death God's actions stemmed from a hero complex. It's the manufactured result of a desire to "positively change the world." If I can satisfy that desire in an appropriate way, I might be able to rehabilitate this guy. While incidentally benefiting myself too.
"I've prepared a suitable stand-in on Floor 11. And I plan to spread a rumor through the Association that you've died. You'll stop your activities and just lend credibility to that rumor."
"..."
"I'll contact you again. Wait."
With those parting words, I coolly jumped out the window. I'd implied a connection to the Association and also hinted that I was a big shot who could easily arrange a death stand-in. I didn't bother checking the Death God's reaction to my bluff.
I could just watch how he acts from now on and decide later.
**
A week passed. Whether the Death God followed my orders or had a change of heart, he really did stop his activities. And the moment he stopped, the Association broadcast the news far and wide: "The Death God is dead." It was the result of Choi Ji-won reporting to the Association, "I killed the Death God," combined with my active performance as the Death God.
Only this time, maybe because the Death God's idolization hadn't spread as much, the public reaction was considerably less intense. Just "Choi Ji-won took down one evil villain," more or less?
Well, compared to the live-broadcast destruction of a whole family's life, this kind of news is just bland. Especially since the person in question was already dead. Anyway, the news of the Death God's death spread far and wide over the course of the week.
What were we doing that whole week?
For the past week, I poured my energy into gathering information. It struck me that I'd been far too sloppy lately. Blowing past things I should've verified without checking properly just because I was mentally exhausted. It's not like me.
What I set out to learn this time had two parts. First: the changed nature of my mana. And second: the changes resulting from the Death God's social death. I wanted to observe the butterfly effects, but...
First, my mana has taken on a completely cold nature. I tried using my mana in various ways after drinking the Elixir as an experiment, but when I used too much, my hands and feet grew so cold I thought I might regress, so I stopped. This is something I'll likely have to grow accustomed to gradually over time.
And second. Despite having invested "an entire" week, the results of my information investigation were disappointingly slow.
"Jun-ho. I seriously can't find anything..."
Choi Ji-won, who'd been busily typing at the keyboard, leaned her chair far back and sprawled onto the desk. Until just moments ago, she'd been searching through online communities.
The internet is still flooded with talk of the Tower. Floor 2 this, Floor 3 that, Floor 4 is too hard, whatever... But mentions drop sharply from Floor 6 onward, and the stories of players truly considered "top-tier" never appear online. Information-gathering just doesn't mean much.
"...Should I build up a network?"
The reason is obvious. The top-ranked players have formed their own closed community. They're circulating the truly valuable information among themselves.
And come to think of it, how long could I really expect to keep finding information on the internet? That was far too optimistic a thought.
Should I try joining an inner circle? Even now, aside from someone like Kang Chan, our player network was practically nonexistent. Should I have Ji-won build up some connections on Floor 11? But that would muddy her mysterious-hermit image...
"...Yun Jung-hyun?"
If I contact Yun Jung-hyun, I could probably get some quality information. But for some reason, I haven't been able to reach him this cycle. Did something change because he heard about the Death God's death first? Sigh, I need to figure that out too.
To sum it up... we're suffering from a critical information shortage. We don't even have a grasp on the state of Floor 11, which we already cleared.
Of course, I can repeat a few more regressions and gather more information, but...
At this rate, banging my head against Floor 12 seems like the only answer.