275 - Regression Is Too Much

275 - A Return Forward (1) The life of one who returns can be considered truly unique, but the lives of their companions who also return are quite special. At least, that's how Choi Ji-won sees it. “Shall we go?” “Let’s go.” Choi Ji-won always paid close attention to Kim Jun-ho's expression before entering the tower. As he clasped his hands tightly, strengthening his resolve, she memorized every detail of his facial muscles. Anticipation. Heart pounding. A touch of fear. Confidence at the same time. Trusting. Hesitant yet again. Conflicting emotions intertwined, yet everything directly related to the impression of ‘vitality’. Yes, Kim Jun-ho was full of life before entering the tower. [Entering the 27th floor.] But after just enough time to blink. “… Ah.” Kim Jun-ho's expression… It died abruptly. This time, it didn’t seem like there’d been much regression, so his skin remained unblacked, but it seemed as if more than half of his vitality had been drained. A wealth of information could be inferred merely from his facial expression. As for Kim Jun-ho himself, when he'd just experienced regression, he couldn't control his expression at all. By the time Choi Ji-won spoke to him, he'd returned to his usual demeanor, but right after regressing, his emotions were laid bare. Thus, she could conclude a lot of information. Since his eyes weren't clouded, there wasn't much regression. Staring blankly into the air, the residual feelings lingered. With his heartbeat slow, this wasn't a happy ending. It was clear something unpleasant had happened. It was evident that refreshing progress hadn't continued. It seemed like things hadn't gone according to plan. ‘Bungbung, do you remember anything?’ ‘I don’t have any.’ ‘I guess they intentionally don’t allow me to retain my memories.’ What's unusual is there were no memories imparted to Choi Ji-won. Normally, at such times, she'd be overwhelmed with memories that wouldn’t surface all at once, causing her to switch to Bungbung, who could tolerate it better. Either it remembered nothing, or it intentionally withheld its memories. “Jun-ho?” “Uh, uh.” “Did you regress?” “Yeah. I figured out the strategy. I’ll explain it to you slowly.” Kim Jun-ho, having quickly regained control over his facial expression, composed his voice and entered the wooden cabin. “Hello, everyone?” A bit disappointed, and slightly curious. “… “ For now, I just followed. ** The 27th floor concluded smoothly. The sorcerer perished in an instant. The players were delighted, but Choi Ji-won was not particularly pleased. The amount of effort required to make this strategy successful and the hardships they faced were immeasurable. [Clearing the 27th floor.] Upon returning to the real world, Kim Jun-ho began his explanation. Hearing about his own actions from someone else’s mouth, actions he himself wasn’t aware of… Should I say it was always fascinating? Or was it strange? It stirred peculiar emotions. “So, we caught that Bingryong thing. Have you already taken the special potion given as a reward?” “Yes. My health stat increased by 30.” “But I think preserving the potion is more crucial than obtaining it again. Did you just complete it this time?” “Yeah. My stats still increased, and I think it’s better to save the potion than merely boosting a stat a little more.” “Certainly. The elixir is vital, isn’t it? Memories... Do you agree with me on not keeping them?” “That’s true. I also thought the potion was pointless, and you mentioned you were reluctant to use my emotions…” “Uh… Really?” ‘Bungbung, doesn’t it seem like there’s a hint of falsehood mixed in?’ ‘Possibly.’ Choi Ji-won is Kim Jun-ho’s lover. One of the people I've observed for the longest. Even if they're just ordinary lovers, when they date for a long time, they come to understand each other's feelings. There's no way Choi Ji-won, who possesses common sense, would miss this. Kim Jun-ho was hiding something. Something was holding him back. Perhaps, it had to do with the consequences of defeating Bingryong. And it undoubtedly connected to the sorcerer. “Wow, this is hard. My head aches.” “Then, can we take a short break?” “Yeah, yeah. That’s perfect for me.” There might be a way to uncover the slip here, but Choi Ji-won decided to overlook it. She was sure Kim Jun-ho would tell her if it was truly important information, and she thought there must be a valid reason for him not retaining the memories. What Choi Ji-won valued most was the mental fortitude Kim Jun-ho himself possessed, not anything else. She trusted Kim Jun-ho. As long as he reached the end, she believed Kim Jun-ho would succeed. “How about going here? A friend sent it to me…” “Let's go tomorrow…” For the world. And for my beloved. ** As I explained to Ji-won earlier, the reward for defeating the dragon was incredibly valuable. Perhaps as compensation for an impossible achievement, the level of achievement shot up, and you were given an elixir that could boost a selected stat by 30. I invested the potion in the health stat, and with this, I felt like I was one step closer to activating the ‘Heart of Cold.’ And then… “… “ To be honest, I felt despondent. It was because I didn’t quite enjoy the conclusion of the 27th floor. Perhaps I too was hoping for an ending as sweet as apple cider. In truth, the sorcerer was an unsung hero; the world was saved due to his sacrifice, and in the end, the sorcerer repented and apologized to the captain… I imagined such a beautifully wrapped-up conclusion. But reality was grim. The sorcerer was a livestock bred by his ancestors. Whether by luck or skill, he overcame his progenitors and survived, but he was a madman who projected that hatred back onto his own clan. The group led by the ‘Captain’ was a clan of sorcerers… a scapegoat. If someone who sacrifices himself for the world feels joy while tormenting the souls of his own blood… Should we laud his bravery? Or should I accuse him of being the most deranged person ever? Even for a moment, considering that ‘the sorcerer might not be guilty. He might be innocent,’ made me feel sick about myself for thinking such a thing. But was it solely the sorcerer’s fault? In the end, the captain became a one-sided victim. The sorcerer transformed from victim to perpetrator. Was it the fault of the family and the world that made the sorcerer this way? Or was he simply born mad? What about the souls offered to the demon? What were they to do? I guess I didn’t want to share this filthy story with Jiwon. I think that's how he felt. With Choi Ji-won herself saying, ‘I don’t think the experience against the dragon was very helpful,’ my guilt was somewhat alleviated. And at the same time, I realized. There are stories in this world that are better left unknown. If I hadn’t revealed this until the end, I might have been seen as the noble hero who defeated the evil sorcerer and saved the captain. But knowing the truth… I don’t know. It just left a sour taste in my mouth. -Reaper. -Yes. -What happened with the ones I asked you to ‘monitor’? A thought crossed my mind, and I contacted Shinigami. That's when Jiwon went to the restroom. In the past, I had asked Shinigami to keep an eye on two criminals. After issuing them a warning, I asked for their behavior to be monitored. From a future standpoint, they did not cause any major incidents. -No movements. They only engage in minimal social activities. -Okay. Thank you. -No. It is my honor. The future remained unchanged. The two criminals did not act after my warning. Suddenly, I wondered what this was all about. “Ha.” The rewards were obtained. I became stronger. If you look at whether the 27th floor was a profit or a loss, it was clearly a profit. Still, I felt uneasy. It was bitter. The person I assumed to be the villain turned out to be mad, and with the dragon committing suicide, I couldn’t glean any information. Indeed… it felt all in vain. Should I have tried to prevent the dragon from dying? Even that was beyond my control. “Ah.” It hit me. Which part made me feel so uncomfortable? The sorcerer’s actions undeniably helped the world. Even if he failed, he was a hero in the eyes of the overall world. It’s safe to say so. But from an individual standpoint, he was trash. A psychopath. Mad. Even his ‘helpful actions’ could be seen as mere willful acts. I think I've faced this dilemma before. I’m unsure how to handle the ‘villains who help.’ Isn’t there a saying about a necessary evil? A useful evil. Scum that maintains social order. Even if it’s useful, should I just let it be? Or should I abandon it? The souls sacrificed to the demon were fundamentally innocent of any sin. Their only crime was being born with the wrong blood. It’s nonsensical. It’s impossible to ignore their suffering ‘for the sake of the world.’ Physiologically, there’s a strong sense of rejection. But what if the world is on the brink of collapse? What if the last option given is to buy time at the expense of innocent humans? What choice should I make? “Damn. To hell with it.” What grand worries do I have? To put it mildly, I’m a regressor. If it means sacrificing myself, I’ll throw it away because it’s just my body. It’s not my place to consider the sacrifices of others. At that moment, I sighed, continuing to mull over my worries. “Tsk. Don’t swear.” “Oh, right. I’m sorry.” Jiwon returned before I knew it and playfully smacked my mouth with her palm. She blinked her eyes a few times and then showed me her phone screen. “Look. How do you feel about this?” “Huh? What?” An event that didn’t occur in the previous episode. “Uncle Cheoljin wants to grab a drink. How do you feel about that?” I received a call from firefighter Park Cheol-jin, who was connected to the tutorial.