The Regressor Reflects (1)
The Regressor Reflects (1)
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of hammering, now familiar. I took a deep breath, then slowly climbed the black mountain step by step.
Had the atmosphere been stripped away to leave that pitch-black, space-like sky? Was the sea of lava covering everything the aftermath of a meteorite impact?
At first, I thought it was just a place designed to create a mysterious atmosphere, but now that I know the truth, climbing it feels entirely different.
"Who is it?"
"Just... well. You know."
"Heh heh, yes. I do know. You're a climber, and I'm an assistant. That's enough, isn't it."
The old man laughed heartily. Truthfully, there was something I wanted to ask him.
The strength of the monsters that appeared in reality was... all over the map.
The dragon that devastated New York deserved the title of 'strongest,' but the giant chicken that appeared in Europe looked so flimsy that even the current me could take it down. The tiger that appeared on Namsan was somewhere in between.
There was some kind of rule beyond simple numbers. I desperately wanted to ask the old man about it, but...
"I'll take this reward."
"Good, a wise choice."
Not only would the old man, whose memory had been wiped, obviously have no answers, but I also wanted to respect his choice to erase his own memories completely.
There were many other things I wanted to ask his advice on, because I was still trapped in my own worries.
Whether I believed people could change. Whether I believed there was a line that must not be crossed. Whether I believed the direction I was trying to go was right.
But all that agony is entirely my own to bear. Otherwise, it's meaningless.
Even if I walk the same path as the old man, it must be my choice. Even if I walk Choi Ji-won's path, it must be my choice.
That way, if I fail, it's my fault; if I succeed, it's my fault. It would be pathetic to blame it on the old man after failing, wouldn't it.
"Then, farewell."
"Heh heh, so polite. Safe travels."
I bowed my head deeply to the old man one last time, then left Floor 15.
I can't stay here forever.
Now it's time to move forward.
**
I relayed instructions to the Death God. I checked in on the people around me. I had a conversation with Michael Jeter.
Actually, the latter two were things I'd already done. And a regressor's specialty is repeating what they've done before.
Speaking as an active regressor, this is a lot like acting. To minimize variables, I have to behave exactly as I did in the previous cycle, which is like following a script.
What if I don't remember a part? I improvise. Imagining how my past self would have acted is a bit like method acting, I suppose.
"...Ugh."
Unlike me, a pro regressor, rookie regressor Choi Ji-won had a hard time adjusting. Even when talking to Michael Jeter, she kept fidgeting.
"Listening to things I already know again... having to listen seriously... it's harder than I thought..."
Choi Ji-won would probably get used to it soon. Patience is a regressor's virtue.
Anyway, we quickly finished our preparations and readied ourselves to climb to Floor 16.
Armor. Check.
Weapons. Check.
Physical condition. Check.
Since something might jump out the moment we entered, I raised my senses to their limit.
"Shall we?"
I opened the familiar portal and stepped toward an unfamiliar place.
To grow.
[You have entered Floor 16.]
**
Falling leaves.
Not just one or two. A rain of leaves fell beautifully. At the same time, the sound of wind brushing through the trees—a soft shhhhh—calmed my heart.
"Ji-won?"
"I'm right here."
After confirming that Choi Ji-won was standing right beside me, I took a proper look around.
We were standing in a forest somewhere. The season seemed to be autumn.
Trees dyed in beautiful orange swayed here and there, and a carpet of fallen leaves crunched softly underfoot, tickling the ears.
But what caught my eye more than the beautiful leaves was the long stone staircase rising right in front of us, and the temple entrance visible at the top.
"...A temple?"
Not some other kind of 'temple,' but a temple—a Buddhist temple where monks live. The kind with dirt floors, tile roofs, and wooden pillars.
"This is kind of out of nowhere."
Choi Ji-won's words perfectly captured how I felt. I mean, isn't this a bit sudden? Until now, everything had a Western fantasy feel—more precisely... and now suddenly a temple.
"So, is the setting martial arts this time?"
In other tower-climbing novels, they often pretend to be fantasy at first and then introduce martial-arts-based stories later, so I decided to accept it with an open mind. Besides, it doesn't have to be only dwarves, elves, and orcs. There are plenty of fun works that mix both.
"Shall we go up first?"
Since there weren't many players at this point, no one else was climbing the stone stairs besides Choi Ji-won and me. Would this temple be bursting with people later? If Michael Jeter's plan went ahead, we might even have to line up just to climb the stairs.
We slowly climbed the stone stairs to the top, and saw the temple entrance with the door slightly ajar. It wasn't locked, so I guess we could just go in.
I carefully pushed the wooden door open and the full view of the temple filled my eyes. The first thing I saw was a large dirt courtyard, a wide open space. Surrounding that courtyard, the temple halls were arranged in rows. In the corner, I could see some kind of stone pagoda, and other temple halls connected by side paths. I'm no expert on temples, but this looked massive.
But what overpowered everything else was the massive boulder towering in the center of the temple. The rock, covered in gouge marks, radiated a sort of mysterious atmosphere. It also made me wonder why it was there.
"...It's Choi Ji-won."
"For real? If she just entered, she's on a lower floor than I thought."
A group of Western players who had changed into distinctly Eastern-style clothes passed by and murmured when they spotted Choi Ji-won. Judging by their language, they were definitely players, and they had changed into the clothes provided here. They must have gotten armor on Floor 11; they probably just took it off for convenience.
<Floor 16>
-Scratch the stone in the center of the temple to clear the floor.
A message window appeared in front of us as we looked around. Scratch that stone to clear the floor?
"...Isn't this way too easy?"
In ten months, she'd be dismissed as yesterday's news... but at this point, both Choi Ji-won and I are unquestionably powerhouses. And all we have to do is scratch this rock? Isn't this too easy?
"Should I go first?"
"No, I'll do it. Watch closely."
Right. If there are floors that screw you over, there have to be floors that favor you to balance things out. I rolled my shoulders and strode toward the boulder with confidence.
The deepest mark on the rock... was this one. It looked like a spear had pierced it quite deeply—about the depth of a pinky knuckle.
"I'll go deeper than that."
I tightened my grip on my sword, took a deep breath, and relaxed all my muscles.
"Hah!"
A simple, but genuinely powerful strike. I could now call myself a 'swordsman,' and this single blow was a decisive attack infused with the know-how I had built up through repeated regressions.
Clang!
The huge boulder easily deflected my strike. The recoil was so strong that my palm would have been cut if I hadn't been wearing the transparent gloves.
...
...
Choi Ji-won and I, feeling extremely awkward, stared at each other sheepishly. I mean, why won't it cut?
"What is a human being?"
A beautiful voice that made us both flinch. It came from above.
On top of the great boulder, an angel now sat meditating with closed eyes.
"What makes humans different from beasts? What makes a human truly human?"
The angel spoke while sitting in the lotus position. Their voice was childlike, but carried a strange, dizzying quality.
"The Archangel who designed this floor found its meaning in 'training.' Then, what is training?"
The angel slowly descended from the top of the boulder, still in the lotus position, as if sliding down gracefully.
"Training is a battle against oneself. It is the process of tempering, tormenting, and honing one's existence to a sharp edge. The patience required in that process. A sense of purpose. And growth. These things clearly prove a human to be human."
The angel slowly opened their eyes and looked at Choi Ji-won. From those eyes, a light leaked out where the pupils should be, a brilliant gaze.
"This boulder is not an ordinary boulder... Jun-ho?"
But the light vanished in an instant, and what remained was a startled angel who had jumped to their feet.
"It is Jun-ho, isn't it!"
"...Anael?"
This angel who had been putting on such a grand display...
...was none other than Anael, the Sign Angel I had rescued on Floor 2.