The Regressor Is Panicked (9)
The Regressor Is Panicked (9)
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a hazy glow. It felt like 6 PM.
"Lord Baron, could you check this, please?"
"Hmm... this should suffice."
Baron Jorge carefully examined the sealed stone block.
The hurried work was almost finished. Except for a small side gate facing the mountain range, the castle walls were completely sealed off from the outside.
"Jun-ho. The search of the second floor is complete. We found a room full of 'magic devices'. We plan to test their practical applications once daylight comes."
The search of the castle was also progressing swiftly. Yun Jung-hyun, the slit-eyed man, was remarkably competent. He knew how to deploy the right people in the right places and possessed the charisma to command his subordinates.
"Ah, and tomorrow, we intend to search the third floor."
Brushing snow off his shoulders, Yun Jung-hyun stated it matter-of-factly.
"...There's probably no need to search the third floor."
"...What?"
I stopped the search with a casual, offhand smile. Yun Jung-hyun frowned in incomprehension, then immediately smoothed his expression.
"...Still."
"You've worked hard. Let's head inside. The sun will set soon."
"...Yes."
After my curt reply, Yun Jung-hyun didn't press further and disappeared into the castle. He didn't show it openly, but he was definitely offended. It wasn't my place to give him 'orders'.
We had a temporary alliance, and I was the temporary leader. Without a proper hierarchy, acting like I sat above him turned his stomach.
"...It can't be helped."
Whatever was on the third floor, now that we had found a portal on the fourth, further searching was pointless. No, if anything, finding something else had a high chance of causing a negative impact.
A portal that only five people could pass through. Its utility aside, the first problem was how to handle it.
Should I announce the portal's existence to everyone? Without any means to punish those who entered, everyone would abandon their tasks and rush for it.
Then, should we try to peacefully select five people to enter? No matter how we did it, there would be no way to settle the matter. In a life-or-death crisis, no one would calmly watch a lifeline dangle in front of them. The moment the portal became known, chaos was half-guaranteed.
Considering the fourth-floor portal was like this, it was reasonable to assume something was hidden on the third floor, designed to divide us. The basement, the first floor, the second floor, and the fourth floor all held hidden secrets. It would be stranger if only the third floor had nothing.
"..."
I cast a sidelong glance at the mountain range bathed in orange light, then stepped inside the castle.
Probably... it was almost time for the real discontent to burst out.
**
Just as Kim Jun-ho had predicted, discontent was silently spreading among the players. The complaints varied, but their core could be summarized in one sentence:
"Is this really it?"
People change their tune once the immediate danger passes. At first, out of fear of death, they had cooperated eagerly. But now, on the second night, nothing had happened. The weakening influence of the 'Awe' trait over time was also a factor.
"So... something is supposed to be coming, right...?"
"The mission is survival, but..."
The mind is like a rubber band. The players, once stretched taut, had now snapped back into an unnaturally slack state, and some began to question the entire situation. Since each person was different, their doubts varied, but they could be summed up as follows:
"Looks to me like that crazy-strong bastard pulled a fast one on us. He made us lose focus while he secretly grabbed all the gains for himself."
First. The Kim Jun-ho Conspiracy Theory.
"But what gains did he grab?"
"How should I know? That bastard must've hidden them thoroughly."
"..."
This opinion didn't gain much traction. It lacked evidence from the start.
"No matter how I see it, those otherworlders are suspicious."
"What's suspicious about them?"
"The mission says survive, but there's no sign of any monsters, right? What else could it be but the otherworlders?"
In comparison, the 'Otherworlder Betrayal Theory' had some logical basis. Besides the otherworlders, there was no visible potential threat right in front of them.
"But... it's been two days and they haven't done anything, right?"
"In this castle, disappearing someone is easy... if they were going to do something, they'd have done it by now."
However, this also lacked persuasive power and didn't attract much support.
"The way I see it, there were never any monsters to begin with."
That's why the 'Player Division Theory' received the most fervent response.
"This Tower wants us to fall apart on our own. I think the Tower's intent is for us to doubt each other, argue, and fight. Wasn't the tutorial like that from the start?"
The argument went that there had never been any monsters, and the real threat was division itself.
"The cold weather. The silent old castle. The sudden appearance of otherworlders. The narrow corridors. The small rooms. Everything is perfectly designed to psychologically pressure us. In my opinion, as time passes, an incident will occur that makes us all mistrust each other. That will be the true crisis."
It was a plausible theory. It neatly explained the complete absence of monsters.
"As I thought, I'm not that kind of petty person."
"Ah man, so it was the Tower messing with us, then."
The players harbored frustration and other negative emotions, and this opinion justified them by shifting the blame onto the situation rather than themselves.
Up to this point, perhaps things would have been fine. No one would oppose the idea of 'let's cooperate instead of fighting among players.'
But where there is light, there is shadow. People no longer felt the need to strictly follow control. They just had to stay alive without fighting, so there was no real reason to follow Kim Jun-ho's instructions wholeheartedly.
"...Hey, did you see that otherworlder woman earlier? She was seriously fine."
"...Dude, what are you thinking?"
"They're NPCs anyway. Not even real players."
"Is that right?"
Moreover, some players cast vulgar glances at the otherworlders. If there had been a common enemy, they would be seen as allies... but right now, they were just tempting pieces of meat.
**
And naturally, we were aware of this situation.
"Let's just kill a couple of them. Make an example. What's the big deal? Their lives are wasted anyway."
"Hoo. Don't say such gruesome things. There are lines humans shouldn't cross."
"Then what do you intend to do, William?"
"If I just beat some sense into them with my fists, they ought to learn."
"Hmm, a bit of a waste..."
Yun Jung-hyun, the slit-eyed man, twirled a dagger in his hand as he spoke, while William Smith, the middle-aged white man, covered his forehead as if he had a headache.
I, Baron Jorge, Yun Jung-hyun, and William had gathered in a small room to discuss our future plans.
"Actually, William, more importantly..."
I cautiously called out to William.
"Yes?"
"Beat them into shape... with your fists?"
"Yes."
"...Earlier, you healed the injured people, so isn't your trait healing-related?"
"Correct. In fact, I run a small church in California. Ah, for the record, I hold the position that the lunatic who made this Tower and the Lord are separate beings."
"..."
I was at a loss for words. I had wondered how a healer made it to the fourth floor, but William Smith's forearms were far from ordinary.
"More importantly, I think there is some credibility to this 'Player Division Theory'."
Baron Jorge interjected at an appropriate moment.
"Aside from the fact that the aimless blades will eventually turn toward my territory's residents... it's quite plausible. And no monsters have appeared."
"To be honest, I thought the same."
If something was going to happen, it should have by now. This naturally brewing conflict almost made one suspect that it was the true task of the fourth floor.
"Assuming the situation continues like this, if we can manage the players... we should all be able to survive intact. So, let's now discuss regulatory measures to prevent aberrant player beha..."
"Um... Jun-ho?"
My words were cut off by a woman's voice.
Baek Da-hye, the buffer I had seen in the tutorial, was peeking just her face into the room.
"Can't you see we're in a meeting?"
Just as Yun Jung-hyun's expression twisted with annoyance,
"Gyeong-nam said he found an important clue..."
From Baek Da-hye's lips came words that absolutely couldn't be ignored.
"..."
"..."
The four of us exchanged wordless glances. She wouldn't have used the word 'important' lightly.
The deliberation was brief, and the decision was quick.
"Let's go."
We immediately rose from our seats.
**
An ordinary corridor on the first floor. But when a specific stone block was pressed firmly, the wall naturally slid aside, revealing a hidden room.
The revealed space was cramped, barely the size of a walk-in closet. The floor was covered with old, worn books. In the center of this 'secret study', Ahn Gyeong-jun's brother, Ahn Gyeong-nam, was deep in thought.
"...Ah, you've come."
He must have been concentrating deeply. Belatedly realizing we had arrived, Ahn Gyeong-nam rose from his seat and greeted us quietly.
"So... what did you find that made you call us?"
"Ah, would you look at this?"
In response to my question, Ahn Gyeong-nam held out an old book. It was an unremarkable-looking book, but something was scribbled in red ink on the inside cover.
"What do you think? I went through every book in this place to find it."
Ahn Gyeong-nam wore a smugly confident smile.
"...I can't tell. Isn't this another world's language?"
However, my reaction was lukewarm. How could I assess it if I couldn't read the language?
"...I don't know it either."
"..."
When Baron Jorge also shook his head, our gazes toward Ahn Gyeong-nam grew a bit hostile.
"Ah, um, I'm sorry. My trait lets me decipher this..."
As if realizing his mistake, Ahn Gyeong-nam scratched the back of his head vigorously.
"So... the red text says this."
After casting a glance around the room, Ahn Gyeong-nam swallowed hard and haltingly read the passage.
"...At the moment the lingering past and the oncoming future become the same, you shall once more realize that you all perish."
"..."
"..."
Right after Ahn Gyeong-nam finished speaking, a brief silence fell. Everyone was mulling the sentence over in their heads.
"...Memento Mori?"
Yun Jung-hyun, the slit-eyed man, murmured unconsciously.
"The tone is too hostile for just that. It seems to directly reference 'death' itself."
Hearing that murmur, William Smith, the middle-aged white healer, gently countered. Memento Mori—remember you must die. Originally a phrase reminding one not to be arrogant and to honor God, but in this passage, as William said, it carried a menacing nuance, closer to 'prepare to die.'
"Indeed..."
"Hmm... So the 'Player Division Theory' was wrong, then?"
"No. If monsters actually appear, the division will only intensify, not lessen."
"Wait."
However, while everyone nodded, Baron Jorge still seemed to have an unresolved question.
"I understand that something terrible will happen. But how should we interpret the first part?"
"The lingering past and the oncoming future are the same. Doesn't that indicate the exact midpoint in time?"
This time I answered. Upon understanding my words, Baron Jorge's expression stiffened.
"Surely not..."
"Yes. That's right. We must survive here for five days. That's 120 hours. Which means..."
I quietly murmured 'Status Window,' and naturally, a message window appeared before my eyes.
-83 : 12 : 00
The moment the remaining time became 60 hours.
Something... a disaster would occur.