The Regressor Takes Action (3)
The Regressor Takes Action (3)
"...Stay away. The smell will rub off."
The beggar was drowning in self-loathing, shrinking back every time I stepped forward.
"...Why. Did you. Call me..."
He shuffled out like a 1/3 Taunt minion from a card game, like the Black Mage.
"...What are you looking at? If you aren't going to give me something to eat, get lost."
He spat on the ground the moment I spoke to him, nothing but aggression.
But once I washed him up, cut his hair, and changed his clothes, he looked just like any other ordinary resident.
No one is born into this world as a beggar. Everyone starts the same. It's only the environment that makes people look different.
I swept through the streets and scooped up all the Bronze-grade Badge Boxes.
I actively helped people regain a semblance of normal life.
I saved people from their suffering, and naturally, the Awe Trait activated. A massive crowd now stood before me in orderly rows.
"What did we do wrong? What was the root cause of us being unable to even eat or sleep properly?"
"That damn box!"
"What was the root cause that created this deformed structure in the city?"
"That damn box!"
"Don't you feel the need to save the residents from the clutches of this box?!"
"We dooooo!!!"
"Let's go! Let's rescue the people!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
With the 'Awe' Trait active, getting these people to do my bidding was a piece of cake.
Following my orders, the crowd swarmed toward the Silver-grade residents.
As previously instructed, each person stuck to their assigned resident and carried out their task.
Phase 1 was persuasion.
"Hey there, Miller."
"Who... Huh? Aren't you that beggar? Your name was..."
"That doesn't matter anymore. More importantly, don't you want to break free from the tyranny of the 'Grades'?"
"...Honestly, I have. I never actually wanted to run a vegetable stand. I... I... wanted to be a singer..."
"Then follow me. You are already one of our comrades."
The idea was to coax them into coming to my location under the guidance of other residents, while the players took care of the boxes.
"Take me with you."
"Let's... let's go together! Where did you say we should go?"
There were more residents who hated the life forced upon them by the system than I expected.
They readily walked up to me, opened up their shirts, and volunteered to hand over the boxes.
But not everyone was this cooperative.
"Get lost."
"Excuse me?"
"I said get lost. I like my life now. I don't have to think, I just do what I'm told. I even like this Badge Box. Isn't it a symbol of the relationship between God and us?"
"..."
Although they were only Silver-grade, I occasionally ran into residents who refused to surrender their boxes, claiming they liked their current lives.
In that case, we had no choice but to move to Phase 2.
"Wait... what are you people doing?"
"Stay still. That person will be here soon."
"No, who's coming? Get out of the way!"
"We can't move. Just wait here quietly."
All it took was about five people surrounding a resident who refused to give up the box.
Essentially, it was no different from what punks do when they block an alley.
They were using the rule that prevents violence to restrict their movement.
Just as violence between players was impossible, violence between residents was also impossible.
The man trapped within the Barrier of Benevolence could do nothing but watch as I, who arrived soon after, took the box he had cherished so dearly.
By the time we had systematically seized the boxes and completely dominated a single street, I gave the order:
"Let's go. To the mansion."
I led the people toward the mansion where the Gold-grade nobles lived.
"...Climber. What is the meaning of this? What are you plotting?"
Baron Licht glared at me, grinding his teeth.
I have to say it again: the nobles are strong.
If we fought without restrictions, I'd probably have a seven-to-three advantage. But with the regression disadvantage, nine times out of ten, I'd be the one to lose.
But no one is stupid enough to fight a fair fight when their opponent has the upper hand.
This time too, I pushed into the mansion using the residents as meat shields.
They might be nobles, but they are still residents bound by the rules. A resident cannot harm another resident. Baron Licht's magic was sealed.
A few butlers tried to use the rules to block the hallway with their bodies, but the moment I confiscated their Badge Generators, the loyal butlers immediately turned on their master, baring their teeth.
By the time the mansion's corridors were packed with residents, even Baron Licht, who had locked himself in his room and held out, had no choice but to be surrounded.
"Why! Why are you doing this! You must have a reason!"
"Isn't your job to mediate violence between players and residents?"
"..."
"You neglected your duty. You were only interested in lining your own pockets, weren't you?"
Still having some sense of shame, Baron Licht's face flushed red.
Well, he's only like that because of the badge's influence, so I should probably cut him some slack.
Using the residents' bodies as shields, I approached him, jabbed his vitals with the scabbard to knock him out, and grabbed everything I needed to take.
I finally saw a noble I despised taken down, and I had to signal with my hand to calm the people down before they screamed for joy.
"Don't celebrate just yet. We've only cleaned up one street. There's still a long way to go."
It was just one street. There must still be countless Badge Generators left.
"Let's go. To smash this irrational system."
The flames of the revolution were not yet extinguished.
"Are there any more?"
"No. From the gold badges down to the bronze badges. We double-checked the list of names, and no one was left out."
"Phew... Good."
How much time had passed?
Thanks to a considerable investment of time, I had completed the collection of all the 'Badge Generators'.
Except for a close call where I almost missed a noble who could fly, everything went smoothly according to my plan.
Now, there were no grades assigned to people. There was no system interference forcing them to act, and they could simply live however they wanted.
I had, so to speak, brought true equality to this city.
But that was only how things looked from the residents' standpoint.
Since I am a player, I still had to do my job.
With the help of some residents, I dragged a heavy sack toward the square.
Players, intimidated by the massive swarm of people, backed away. I could feel the emotion of 'Awe' flowing in from some of them.
"..."
When I finally reached the center of the square, I came face-to-face with the Angel, who was staring at me with a stiff expression.
The Angel's eyes darted around as if unable to comprehend the situation.
"Hello there?"
Ignoring the reaction, I looked at the Angel and grinned broadly.
"...What are you thinking, Climber? What you are doing now seems to have absolutely nothing to do with self-improvement."
"Well, you don't need to know about that..."
With complete confidence, I shoved the Platinum Badge in the Angel's face.
"I brought the badge. Let me clear the floor."
"..."
"Oh, this sack? This is just... the spoils of war? I'm allowed to take it, right? You never said I couldn't take this outside, did you?"
"...It is possible, but I recommend that you do not."
"...Huh? Why not?"
I wrinkled my nose as obnoxiously as possible and leaned into the Angel's face.
"Is there a rule in this stage that says that? There isn't, is there? Why do you recommend against it?"
"...If you take all of those, no one will ever be able to clear Floor 2 again. Humanity will take a step closer to destruction, and this city will become a giant prison."
The Angel raised an eyebrow, as if asking if I was still okay with that.
It seemed Archangel Raphael's supposed love for humanity wasn't a complete lie, considering even this angel was worrying about humanity's future.
"That's none of my business. Well, I might leave them behind if there's an appropriate reward..."
But I just shrugged my shoulders, as if the future of humanity meant nothing to me.
The Angel was right.
If I took all the 'Badge Generators' and moved on to the next floor, no one would ever be able to clear Floor 2 again.
Everyone who climbed up to Floor 2 would be trapped here forever, forced to endlessly pray for someone to clear the Tower's Floor 66.
You're asking if I'm basically pushing humanity toward destruction?
Yes. If the Angel just processes my clear now, humanity will edge closer to ruin. Every latecomer would be weeded out.
But I was certain.
There was someone who wouldn't want this current system to break.
Someone who personally offered this city to God and brought about all of this.
A rules fanatic who hadn't intervened because everything I'd done so far hadn't broken any rules.
"You're listening, aren't you?"
She was probably listening.
Since she was holed up in some invisible place, watching over the entire city.
I braced myself and shouted with all my might toward the sky.
"City Master, come out!!!"
It was time to face the City Master.