The Regressor Is Too Weak (3)
The Regressor Is Too Weak (3)
"Haap!"
Shhk!
For a full-power sword swing, the sound was oddly feeble, almost limp.
"...Hmm."
I was testing whether I could cut the grass around the clearing. The result? Completely useless.
Whether it was a lack of strength or skill, the grass just bent over instead of being cut.
The fact that my sword wasn't some razor-sharp masterwork didn't help either.
"Tch."
I remembered that cool scene in a swordsman manga where you swing your sword—shing!—and the reeds come tumbling down in a neat flurry, so I tried to copy it.
But for a beginner who hasn't even held a sword for a full day, that's apparently asking a lot.
"It's not easy. Not easy at all."
The Tower gave me a regression ability, but apparently it didn't bother to throw in any swordsmanship.
Should I give up and start practicing the spear like I overheard earlier?
No. In the end, the highest ceiling belongs to the sword, and the sword is the King of Weapons. Time is the one thing I have in abundance. I can't give up here.
"..."
The sky was turning red, as if the sun were about to set.
The Tower's first night arrived.
**
The Tower's night was cozier than I expected.
It was much colder than during the day, but only a bit chilly, so falling asleep didn't seem like a problem.
The lack of a pillow or blanket was an issue, but I'd have to get used to that.
"...Sigh."
As I lay there tossing and turning, a heavy wave of bitter self-recrimination washed over me.
Why did I have to end up with such a damn useless ability?
If it had been simple death regression, I would've already left this clearing and raised hell everywhere.
Regressing just from getting scratched by the grass—isn't that too much?
I did consider wrapping myself in clothes and heading out of the clearing, but if I moved around bundled up, running into an enemy would still be a problem.
You can't fight properly while bundled up in clothes.
But then it occurred to me: wouldn't just wandering around to gather information still be a net gain?
Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea. I've got nothing to lose anyway. When I regress this time, I'll give it a try. It's warm during the day, so if I ask for clothes, maybe they'll even give me some.
"Um..."
While I was chuckling to myself and making plans, someone tapped my shoulder.
"...What is it?"
The moonlight was bright, so there was no trouble making out a face.
This girl was the short-haired one who'd been crouched in a corner sniffling during the day.
I remembered her because she had a cute face. Pretty girls stick in your memory.
But why was she suddenly talking to me?
Swwk.
The girl politely cupped her hands together and held them out to me.
"Do you... maybe have anything to eat?"
"Ah."
Hearing her words, I realized I was ferociously hungry too.
Now that I thought about it, it made sense. Ever since I was summoned into the Tower, I'd been sweating buckets and swinging my sword without eating a thing.
"...Sorry. I don't really have anything either..."
"Ah... okay..."
The Short-haired Girl walked away with a gloomy face. Judging by how she immediately approached another person, she wasn't just a little hungry.
"...Fuck."
I must've read way too many academy and harem webnovels. My survival instincts are completely dead.
When you're summoned into a tower like this, the first thing you need to worry about is food, clothing, and shelter.
And among those, the most important thing is water.
People can survive quite a while without food, but even three days is impossible without water.
Come to think of it, I was sweating like crazy during the day.
I ran my tongue over the inside of my mouth. Bone-dry.
"..."
Was I so caught up in regressing that I didn't even notice my physical condition?
With the thought that I'd probably end up regressing soon anyway, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
**
Morning came.
"Fuck."
My throat felt like it was being torn apart when I woke up. I must have slept with my mouth open.
If I'd known I'd be thrown into the Tower, I would've gone to the hospital to fix that habit. I deeply regret it.
Clap, clap!
A sudden clapping sound broke my thoughts.
"Alright, alright. I'd like everyone to pay attention here, please."
A man with graying hair was clapping, drawing everyone's gaze toward him.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Cheol-jin, an active firefighter. I don't know if this is someone's prank or if the whole world's been flipped upside down, but this is clearly a real situation. I waited a day, and there hasn't been any sign of rescue."
Park Cheol-jin had the presence of a tiger. He really did have a firefighter's build, all solid muscle.
"If we stay here, we'll all starve to death. I plan to leave this clearing and find a water source. Anyone willing to come with me?"
Park Cheol-jin radiated a powerful charisma. He didn't seem to know much about Status Windows or the Tower, but he was clearly a strong person.
"...If he's a firefighter, he's trustworthy."
"...You're serious? He really is a firefighter?"
All the middle-aged men who had stayed in the clearing gathered around firefighter Park Cheol-jin.
Some of the younger guys did too.
"...Let's go. Judging by the damp ground, there's probably a river nearby."
A group of about twenty people noisily departed the clearing.
Those who stayed were a few especially timid women, some oddballs, and me.
Altogether, fewer than ten.
"..."
Come to think of it, the Ponytail Girl who'd been swinging her sword was nowhere to be seen. Had she followed firefighter Park Cheol-jin?
"Might as well do what I can."
The situation was bad. Sooner or later my stomach lining might get damaged from hunger and trigger a regression.
I decided to just get used to the sword until I regressed.
**
I don't know how much time has passed. By feel, it was around lunchtime.
"...Should I just regress?"
The hunger had gotten pretty severe. The thirst was the same.
Just when I was seriously considering regressing.
Sssh-shhk.
I heard the sound of something pushing through the grass toward the clearing.
"..."
The timid women scattered to the opposite side like startled cockroaches. I raised my sword and tensed my muscles.
Had a monster finally come here? Or a wild animal?
Around the time my sword hand grew damp with sweat,
"Oh?"
Pushing through the grass, the one who appeared was the Ponytail Girl who had disappeared that morning.
"...Hmph."
Surprisingly, she was carrying a box of calorie bars and a bundle of thirty 500ml water bottles.
"Uh... Wow! Miss! Can we... can we eat this?"
The Short-haired Girl made a fuss as she approached the Ponytail Girl.
After seeing the earnest look in the Short-haired Girl's eyes, the Ponytail Girl gave a small nod.
The Ponytail Girl tore open the packaging and distributed food and water.
The people who remained in the clearing were able to fill their stomachs and quench their thirst for the first time in a while.
"Miss! Miss! Where did you get this?"
The Short-haired Girl clung to the Ponytail Girl, seemingly trying to use this opportunity to get closer.
"...When I defeated a monster, its body disappeared and food appeared in its place. It was too much for me to eat alone, so I just brought it."
So you have to defeat monsters to get food. That's one of the common clichés in tower-climbing stories.
But that amount... was way too much. In the tower-climbing stories I knew, a single monster only provided enough food for one person.
Whatever the case, the monster she killed must have been pretty strong.
The Ponytail Girl said it casually, as if she'd picked it up off the ground.
She was pretending otherwise, but it was clear she had brought it because she was worried about the people in the clearing.
I thought she was just some crazy bitch swinging a sword to find hidden pieces. Turns out she was a warm-hearted good person.
"I want, I want to help too!"
This is my chance.
I jumped up from my spot and strode over to the Ponytail Girl.
"Please teach me the sword! I want to become your disciple!"
"...Get lost."
The Ponytail Girl snapped her head away and refused bluntly.
But I wasn't about to give up here.
Deep down, she was a good person with a warm heart.
If I begged sincerely, there was a good chance she would take me as her disciple.
"Please, please, I'm begging you! I need the strength to protect everyone too!"
I started acting, shedding hot tears like a soldier enlisting to defend his homeland.
"Right now, I'm so weak I can't even leave this clearing! That's my lifelong regret! I want to become stronger! Stronger, so I can protect everyone!"
My voice was so desperate it made my own heart ache.
It was such a compelling voice that tears welled up in the corner of the Short-haired Girl's eyes as she listened. But—
"I said get lost, didn't I?"
Shiing!
At a speed barely perceptible to the eye, something flashed before my eyes.
"Whoaah!"
I was so startled I fell disgracefully backward, landing hard on my butt. What the—?
Shhhhing. The Ponytail Girl slowly sheathed her sword back into its scabbard.
She snapped at me in a cold voice.
"A disciple? I have no intention of taking one. And I didn't bring food to help you. Don't get the wrong idea. Next time, it'll be your neck."
"..."
The bridge of my nose stung; when I touched it, there was blood on my fingers.
Had she just swung her sword? At a speed so fast I couldn't even see it?
From the words 'next time it'll be your neck', she seemed to have only cut the skin as a warning.
But there was one problem.
[You have taken damage.]
[Regressing to the moment you first entered Floor 0.]
***
"Fuck! Where am I!"
"...Fuck."
The point being, it was no warning at all for me.