262 - Regression Is Too Much

262 – Proven by the Regressor (2) The night was dark, with snow lightly falling. The snow gleamed white under the torches, the only source of light around. The face of the man who opened the door flickered with the fire's glow, giving him an almost surreal appearance. "Follow me! Everyone!" A blonde Westerner shouted loudly, leading the way with unwavering confidence. He nodded at the other Westerners gathered in front of the wooden cabin and began to march forward steadily. His demeanor was such that it seemed only natural to follow him. 〈27th Floor〉 -Assist the warriors in defeating the 'sorcerer who has made a pact with the devil.' A message window popped up just at the right moment. I don't think the bare-chested man you see here is the 'sorcerer'... It's obvious he is a warrior. "They're asking us to help the warriors... “I think it's right to follow, don't you?" "I think so, but..." The players, who had been hesitating, rose from their seats and started to follow the others. Why are none of these men wearing tops? Is this some sort of tradition? "It's a woman! “You have the spirit of a warrior!" "If only it weren't for that strange cloth!" The warriors made jests to the player clad in a bikini as they walked. Initially, the female player hadn't realized they were talking to her, but she suddenly felt embarrassed and changed into a simple leather outfit. "…Why were you wearing a bikini?" "It was a dream… It’s a bit… This. So... ” "...What a remarkable year." "Truly annoying." Perhaps it dispelled the awkwardness? Anyway, there wasn’t much more to do besides walking. "It seems like this is a collaborative layer, so let's consider sticking together." "Well, everyone knows Choi Ji-won. “What’s your name, the one next to me?” "Kim Jun-ho." "Hmm. Korean?" "Yeah." "We're from Italy..." What followed was an exchange of routine introductions. I vaguely remembered that the two men were from Italy and the woman was from France. I'd heard there were many people in France, but I never thought they’d reach the top wearing such bikinis. "That's quite daring." "No, the transparent parts actually have defensive power? It’s a strategy to catch opponents off guard... " "Yeah, yeah. I’m definitely caught off guard." "Oh! Really!" As the two Italian men teased the French woman, the warriors leading the way stopped. "We're here!" The first Santal monster, which hadn’t been in sight for a while, as it had gone ahead, came back. Behind it lay a large village built from logs. The torches flickering among the snow-covered rooftops were quite romantic. "This is our warriors' village! "I'm sure we're tired, so let’s have a good night's rest and set off tomorrow!" "Oh, yes." I wasn’t actually tired since I had just arrived, but when told to rest, I decided to lay low for the moment. They assigned all the players to a large wooden cabin, and soon enough, women came in and left drinks and food. The view outside the window felt distinctly Northern European. The same went for the men with their lackluster blond hair, as well as their custom of walking around topless like real men. And they were full of muscles. Occasionally, we’d spot a muscled woman wearing a top, but every time she came into view, so did the French woman in her bikini. “Opo opo!” “NO.” Children outside were playfully kicking around animal skulls. Men were beating their chests, while women chatted without a care despite their bare chestedness. I felt like I had been transported back to a primitive era. “…” I turned my head and chewed on the bread atop the table. Or at least, I thought I was chewing it. -Crack. The bread made a sound it shouldn’t have, my teeth bouncing back with a clatter. Was this even food meant for humans? Out of curiosity, I nibbled on the meat, and a sharp spiciness, unmatched by anything I’d tasted before, burst through my nostrils and into my body. “…” “…” As I couldn’t exactly complain about the food being inedible when it was provided to us, I quietly set the food aside. The other players who had tried it seemed to have come to similar conclusions, leaving their food untouched and continuing their light conversations amongst themselves. Someone seemed eager to impress by seeking conversation with Choi Ji-won, but she responded with a businesslike demeanor, not giving them much to go on. -Creak! The door swung open again, and the blond man I had first seen on the 27th floor re-entered. Still, no shirt in sight. "Excuse me..." "Call me Captain!" "Right. Captain. So, what’s the plan from here on out?" The eyebrows of the man who called himself ‘Captain’ twitched and moved. "What, you came without knowing what we’re doing?" "Yes." "Okay! All you need to do is follow my lead!" Bang bang! The Captain, pounding his chest, suddenly threw open the window and pointed outside. Cold air rushed in, snuffing out the candles inside the wooden cabin. "Excuse me! Can you see that?" "… “What is that?” I mean the mountain, the mountain! The Captain, full of fighting spirit, pointed toward the mountains in the distance. Hard to discern in the night, the vague shape could still be seen. "Our mission is simple! Head to the sorcerer hiding there! Kill him!" "…" "It’s simple! Even a child could understand it! Ha ha!" The Captain fished a fire starter from his pants pocket and relit a candle. At that moment, the French woman who preferred her bikini hesitantly raised her hand. "Excuse me... "May I ask something?" "Very well, go ahead!" "When we first met... "Didn't you ask if I was ready to die honorably?" "That's right!" "But this seems easy... Why prepare for death..." "Did I ever say it’d be easy?" The Captain tilted his head, broke off a piece of the hard bread on the table, and ate it. "I might die. Still, it’s okay to be here?" "...?" "It’s an honorable death, and I’m sure God will be pleased! God is kind if we die honorably, and it’s great if we can eat, drink, and play as much as we want after we die!" This time, the Captain grabbed a handful of meat with his hand and devoured it hungrily. "Today’s my last day as Captain! It's been painful until now! Doing the grunt work of a captain! I envy you! "You get to die as soon as you arrive!" "..." "..." The narrow wooden cabin was filled only with the Captain’s ramblings. After consuming everything in his mouth, he burped and exited. "I guess I'm not sane." "I suppose so." It was only at that moment the players admitted to themselves that this was madness. "No, maybe I'm not mad." It was Choi Ji-won who said this. "It’s just... I feel like I have a headache. Should we say the civilization is different?" This wasn't meant as an insult like the typical 'you're uneducated' line used in modern society. As the saying goes, education seems quite lacking here. This is what I meant when looking at these primitive humans. "Hmm. Indeed." "Rather than feeling contempt... Why can't I grasp such a simple thing? It feels like that. Should I say common sense is different?" The other proactive player agreed with Choi Ji-won's words. "But isn't this strange?" "What is?" "Just this village." Come to think of it, the situation was indeed strange. "Ji-won is right. These people... Seem a bit foolish. It’s so cold, yet they walk around bare-skinned, eating meat raw despite its strong smell, confidently claiming they’ll die…" Saying that, I tapped the glass window beside where I was sitting. "But these people even fitted glass windows in their wooden cabins... That strikes me as very odd." "...!" Indeed. These people speak, behave, and act like barbarians. Instead of judging them, they truly act like uncivilized humans. But what about these wooden cabins and glass windows? How much effort goes into creating glass? Though difficult, how challenging is it to make bread? How do they procure wheat in this cold place? And what about the candles? Are these not just animal fat, but genuine wax? They are strange people. And a seemingly proper village. This gap continued to unsettle my mind. "If… Maybe they took over the village because they are cannibals…" "I don't think so... Hmm..." As if my words made sense, the expressions of the players suddenly darkened. "But... Didn’t the status window say to help the 'warriors'? "Is there anyone around here more warrior-like than them?" 〈27th Floor〉 -Assist the warriors in defeating the 'sorcerer who has made a pact with the devil.' Here, Choi Ji-won countered once again. In both context and appearance, it was clear that the 'assistance' referred to in the status window was meant for these people. So, it's right to see them as allies, not enemies... But where does this gap in civilization come from? "…" "…" Help the warriors, face the sorcerer. What the 'Captain' mentioned before was to kill the sorcerer. The obvious answer was to follow them. I understood, yet this inexplicable reluctance lingered in my mind. What. Why? As I pondered this, time slipped by. The darkness outside slowly brightened, and the floor where footprints once stood was replenished by a fresh layer of snow. Morning had arrived. "You're up! Let's go!" The Captain knocked on the door and handed over a large piece of meat. "Eat while we walk! "It's delicious!" "…" Heading toward the towering mountain. The journey had begun.