The Regressor Reflects (7)
The Regressor Reflects (7)
Martial arts are the most efficient method devised to achieve victory over an opponent.
Everything from the ready stance, the method of movement, to the specific body parts targeted for attack, is constructed through rigorous calculation.
Throwing an opponent to use their own weight to inflict impact. Delivering a strike with centrifugal force from a trained leg. Using the strength of the waist to aim a fist at a vital point. Colliding body-to-body to rattle them down to the spine.
Martial arts involving weapons do not deviate greatly from this principle.
The spear's greatest advantage is its long reach. Therefore, spear-based martial arts center on maintaining that distance. The sword's greatest advantage is the stability of a balanced offense and defense. Thus, longsword swordsmanship also places defense at its core.
Beyond these are the single-edged blade, the mace, the axe, the javelin, and flexible weapons like the whip. Every weapon has strengths and weaknesses, and the martial art built around it evolves to conceal the weaknesses and maximize the strengths.
But what happens when a superhuman employs those martial arts? The story changes a bit.
There are three major variables. The speed of combat increases dramatically, the constraints of form disappear, and a supernatural force called mana intervenes.
Widen your stance with two legs for a balanced offense and defense? A superhuman can flip their entire body using just the tips of their toes. A fast, agile posture is better than a stable one.
A whip lashing out at speeds impossible to dodge? At the superhuman level, it suffers excessive air resistance and becomes more of a hindrance.
Existing forms of unarmed combat, of weapon techniques, were not devised with superhuman battles in mind. The movements designed to bring maximum utility within human limits become useless once those limits are transcended.
"Come to think of it, that's similar to what I did with the clones."
Choi Ji-won deconstructed the martial art of 'Kendo' that she knew, analyzed it, and then reassembled it. She brought over what was necessary and boldly stripped away what was not.
What was completed was a new swordsmanship unique to Choi Ji-won, similar to Kendo yet different. It's a swordsmanship that makes full use of 'Boongboong-yi,' raising the floor and heightening the ceiling even further... That was Choi Ji-won's explanation.
"So... even if we regress and go back to Floor 16, you can clear it quickly?"
"That's right. My swordsmanship is still incomplete and has plenty of room to develop."
When you think about it, what Choi Ji-won did isn't so different from what other players did. Other players who lacked any foundation usually learned the martial arts provided on Floor 16, and though those arts were considered low-level, their fundamentals were originally tailored for superhumans.
"Is this... a good thing to say?"
Those guys who cleared Floor 16 quickly, either because they were overflowing with confidence or had a low baseline like me, probably never got the chance to look back and reflect on themselves. Personally, I consider that a stroke of luck.
"So..."
In any case, the great commotion that started on Floor 16 concluded with SSR-rank Choi Ji-won evolving into UR-rank Choi Ji-won.
Now, the thing to consider is what comes next.
"To be honest... things get a bit ambiguous from here."
"In what way?"
"Giving you time to grow is a problem, and not giving you time is also a problem."
We regress here, then head straight into Floor 17? What if Floor 17 turns out to be an extremely difficult floor? What if we have to invest an absurd amount of time again? In the absolute worst case... what if I or Choi Ji-won are put in danger?
Considering that possibility, it is correct to give Choi Ji-won time right now to organize her enlightenment.
On the other hand, what if we give Choi Ji-won ample time to grow?
The first thing to worry about is Floor 16. If she grows too much, there's a chance Choi Ji-won's subconscious will think, 'This is stronger? Hmph... Is that all?'
The concept of Floor 16 itself is also a problem. The concept of Floor 16 presents the task of training and growing oneself.
If Floor 16 is like this, what about Floor 17? Won't a similar theme be presented?
"So we have to be wary of becoming too strong, you mean."
If you consider 'growth potential' as a resource, then getting stronger is an act of consuming that resource. Recklessly training also carries risk.
"First... Jun-ho, you're misunderstanding something."
Choi Ji-won shook her head at these worries of mine. She continued speaking while munching on a plate of potato gnocchi delivered through an app.
"Actually, I don't have the option to 'train' right now."
"...You don't? Wouldn't it be good to sort out your enlightenment, your experiences, and then move on? Aren't you rushing too much?"
"Hmm... No. It's meaningless."
Choi Ji-won speared a piece of gnocchi with her fork and put it in my mouth. I ate it obediently and listened intently to her words.
"What I'm lacking right now is experience. Practical combat experience. I need to face more situations, I need to fight more people. The growth rate is too slow if I just lock myself away somewhere and polish myself alone."
"...Really?"
"Yes. Do you know how I was planning to get past Floor 16? I was going to have a short sparring match with you."
The swordsmanship Choi Ji-won had created was a style for combat between superhumans. Every possibility she could imagine was already embedded in it, and she said she was at the stage where she needed external experience.
"Rather, I think climbing the Tower quickly will help my growth. Let's head straight to Floor 17 when we regress."
"I see..."
This time, I twirled some of the beef brisket pasta I was eating and placed it in Choi Ji-won's mouth. Boongboong-yi, seated on a chair, trembled slightly, as if raging at the ridiculous display of affection.
"But... we're four and a half months into this cycle, right? Isn't it a waste to regress right away?"
"What do you mean?"
"America. Since time has passed anyway, how about investing some time there?"
Exactly. In about a month from now, that secret warehouse in America will be built.
"How about we check if there's any useful items there... grab some things like spiritual medicine... and secure some gains."
I'm not without guilt about stealing, but I also know that everything will reset when we regress. I'm not planning to keep them for myself. They'll come back anyway, so we might as well put them to good use this time.
"Apart from the warehouse... that book the US gave up on? The research? We should gather some information on that front too."
I also wanted to know more about that mysterious book the president failed to research. Since the cycle has flowed to this point, shouldn't I secure every possible gain?
"Yeah, I think that's right. Since the timeline has been brought to this point."
Choi Ji-won nodded, but she also seemed slightly uneasy about something.
"But the problem is... for now, I only know the rough location, not the precise one."
The warehouse is located somewhere in the Arizona desert. I know roughly where it is, but the desert is vast and its nature as a secret warehouse means finding it won't be easy.
"And since it's a reasonably important warehouse, there'll be security... I need to do a more thorough preliminary investigation. If we get caught there, we'd have to regress immediately."
"That's true..."
"Can you wait just a bit? I'll contact someone now."
"Who?"
"The person in the US I got this information from. They'd know well, right?"
"Okay. Then I'll sort things out on my end as well."
I had already handled urgent messages, but I hadn't yet contacted the Death God. Four months had passed, so the people he was monitoring must have produced some results by now.
What choice did the bastards I'm supposed to kill make? What choice should I make? The connections I built with Kang Chan and other Korean players in the previous cycle have all vanished, but my connection with the Death God remains.
"Where... was it..."
It's been so long since I rummaged through emails that I can't even remember the ID. That's because I made it with an unfamiliar ID on an unfamiliar site to avoid tracking. When you repeat regressions, trivial memories like this get lost sometimes.
"Grgh..."
"..."
Just as I was struggling to find the ID, Choi Ji-won shuffled over hesitantly.
"Oh, Ji-won. What did they say? Did you find out where it is?"
"Uh... well..."
She was flustered, a rare sight. With an expression that said she never imagined she'd be saying this, she revealed the truth to me.
"They said... they can't tell me..."
"...Tell you what?"
"The information."
"...Why?"
This was Choi Ji-won we were talking about. The woman who made the US courts and China tremble, whom Japan envied, and the Association called its greatest friend.
But there was one thing I hadn't considered.
"Well... word got around that I was stuck on Floor 16... It seems people are looking down on me now... Calling me washed up... So they said they can't give me the information..."
"..."
Right. The players on Floor 16 have eyes and ears. And the famous person all of them were watching was Choi Ji-won.
The rumor that Choi Ji-won had struggled for a terribly long time after first entering Floor 16 spread far and wide—naturally. As a result, her reputation had plummeted.
"..."
"..."
The trip to America is on hold...