276 - Regression Is Too Much

276 – Advancing Once Again (2) A little after 5 PM, a time difficult to categorize as evening. The sizzling sound was loud. "Being a firefighter. It's a job without holidays or days off. It's rare for me to get a break like today." Park Cheol-jin poured soju with a wide grin. He deftly wrapped a piece of pork belly and popped it into his mouth in no time. When he first saw me, he spoke with an awkward semi-formal address because it's been so long, but now he seemed comfortable talking with me. "If I had fallen when I was still in my prime." Something went wrong. Thanks to the status window, right? "Still soaring." After finishing a fight in one go, he tightened his arm to emphasize his bicep and then slapped the muscle hard with his free hand. It was surely a huge muscle that couldn't merely be considered middle-aged. "Weren't you saying you’d climb the third floor harder than anyone?" "No, that... Hah." At that moment, Choi Ji-won laughed and found an opening. Firefighter Park Cheol-jin avoided eye contact, which didn’t match his tiger-like appearance. "Well, I forgot for a moment when my wife got sick... After she recovered, I scratched my head so much... I just couldn't win." "Phew, uncle. What's that about?" "I get it." "Hey! Kim Jun-ho!" Firefighter Park Cheol-jin no longer climbs the tower. It seems he's heard that he hasn’t ascended past the third floor. There might be several reasons for that. Perhaps the biggest 'practical' reason is because he is a family man and a firefighter responsible for others' lives. (He cured his wife of cancer with a potion.) "The real reason I stopped climbing is for another reason." Firefighter Park Cheol-jin picked up a piece of meat and placed it on Choi Ji-won's plate. "When we reached the third floor... There was a fire in my jurisdiction. Three people died." "..." "..." "At that time, I suddenly felt empty. If you try to save the whole world, aren't you saying you can't even save the people dying right in front of you? I guess so. Even if I don't climb the tower anymore, saving someone from dying in a fire is enough." He raised a shot of soju, proposing a toast. "Younger people much better than me are rushing to save the world." "Ha ha ha." "Toast?" "Toast!" Clink! Due to his powers, he doesn’t get drunk easily, yet the atmosphere was uniquely captivating. Now I just enjoyed drinking and eating. "... Ah." Yeah. That was nice. "Excuse me... You're Choi Ji-won, right?" "If... Take a picture..." Unlike his fierce, tiger-like appearance, Firefighter Park Cheol-jin had a very down-to-earth demeanor. Naturally, the place he invited us to was just a typical local barbecue restaurant, with the advantage of being lively but cozy. "What, is that really Choi Ji-won?" "I saw this on Twitter. Is this for real?" "Her name has changed." Suddenly, the area outside the restaurant became crowded, and I noticed a woman—who I assumed was a patron—walk in with paper and pen in hand. "... Sorry. I seemed to have underestimated things." Firefighter Park Cheol-jin genuinely apologized. Even knowing Choi Ji-won was a celebrity, he probably didn’t predict it would escalate to this extent. But it was fine. "It's still early, but would you like to go for a second round?" There was a place I reached out to, anticipating such an outcome. It was Choi Ji-won's suggestion, but it seemed perfectly fitting now. ** Players usually band together. This is partly because ordinary people can't relate to their experiences, and there's also a synergistic effect when they're united. Among them, there are groups that name themselves, rent offices, and even establish corporations. The names they choose are varied. The Guild. It’s the steel alliance run by Kang Chan. Kang Chan was sitting in front of the office, with players who seemed to be executives standing behind him. Welcome to the Steel Guild. Kang Chan, dressed in a neat suit, greeted us calmly. His hair was also neatly styled, unlike his previous sporty cut, and his unique, dangerous aura lingered, making it feel as if a beast was trapped within that suit. His face was as expressionless as ever. "... What's this?" No, I just moved my eyebrows. I noticed the box of soju in my hands and Choi Ji-won's. I merely said, 'I’ll drop by once,’ without mentioning I'd bring any alcohol. "... Junho Kim. And Choi Ji-won. This is his office. I do want to build camaraderie in my own way, but abruptly..." "Well, haven’t we seen each other before?" "Yes! You're right! In the tutorial!" "Oh right! That's right! I think he was beside me when everyone gathered and waited!" Kang Chan was about to say something when Ahn Gyeong-nam and Firefighter Park Cheol-jin recognized each other. Ahn Kyeong-jun also waved his hand happily from the back without saying a word. “That... Brother Chan. Do you know Choi Ji-won?" "As expected, you’re my brother." "May I ask for your permission to take a photo with you?" "...” And the crowd causing the commotion were the strong individuals who had followed Kang Chan since the tutorial. These were the people I remembered. They later helped propel the influence of the Steel Guild to become Korea's top guild. Every one of them was exceptional. I recalled them clearly because I had researched Korean players. His face was intimidating, but his playstyle was endearing. "Wow." Kang Chan noticed the atmosphere and took a long sigh. He must have realized it. The mood had completely transformed into one of enjoyment. "... Just a little." Thus began a friendship. Clearly, it started as a means to make friends. Everyone wanted to be friends with Choi Ji-won, everyone wanted to be friends with me, and Firefighter Park Cheol-jin also had people who followed him. We had a blast chatting about everything from tower stories to personal interests. "Wow, I'm thirsty after all that talking..." "I know..." "Is there something to drink?" "There's soju right next to us, but..." "..." "..." Yes, up to a certain point, it was indeed like that. Except for a few weaklings, these people were essentially warriors at heart. (Or perhaps they were just people who enjoyed drinking.) "Do you want just one drink?" "Brother Chan. Isn’t one drink alright?" "... It's just one drink." Everyone knew. That it wouldn’t end with just one drink. One drink became two, then three, then a bottle, and eventually, I ended up buying more boxes... "Junho." "Yes?" "There are some tutorial survivors who want to come meet you. Is that alright? They want to join to express their gratitude..." "Ah, sure. What. If Kang Chan says it's okay." "Okay? Then, should I call them?" Firefighter Park Cheol-jin called more people over. "Sister Ji-won! Then, may the women who admire Ji-won join us? They're all players!" "Why are you calling me sister..." "If you're strong, you're my sister! Brother Chan is younger than us in terms of age!" "Ah, yes..." "Thank you!!!" Kang Chan's executives invited more people. "Drink!" "Drink and be merry!" The atmosphere was vibrant. "..." Kang Chan remained expressionless throughout. "Ha." With a light smile on my face. Those who are strong beyond a certain level have a magical resilience, so their alcohol tolerance is greater than that of ordinary people. "Could we be this loud?" "We rented out this floor!" The atmosphere. That uniquely joyous vibe. "Ha ha!" It made people smile. ** The night was deep. The snacks had gone cold. No one was drinking anymore. "Whew, whew... Hmm." "Kuhhh... Phew... Hehe... Phew..." The people Firefighter Park Cheol-jin had brought over were passed out. (Most people gave up climbing the tower.) "Phew, kid. My brother. How can you believe it? Are you saying this because I saw you for the first time today?" "Because it's real. Can I show you the pictures?" Even those who remained awake chatted and looked at their phones rather than drinking or eating more. The heat of the drinking party had subsided, and light conversations were taking place. So, this could be considered a sort of respite. "…" If you ask me, I preferred this quieter atmosphere to the heated drinking party. Primarily because, thanks to my magical powers, I had a body that wouldn’t get drunk if I didn’t let it. I have to say that the serious exchanges in this calm setting were quite nice. Still… it was enjoyable. It was fun. It’s a pity that if we return, this kind of drinking party might never happen again. I’m also aware that even if I were to return and drink again, I wouldn’t be able to feel this joy once more. "Ji-won." "Hah? Oh. Just a moment." I took Choi Ji-won, who was chatting with the female players, and led her to the emergency stairs. The cold air felt refreshing. As I looked outside through the small window in the emergency stairwell, I spoke carefully. "Thank you." "What?" "It was you who got in touch with Firefighter Park Cheol-jin." Something unprecedented. It was clear who took the lead. "Do I look that weak?" "… Yes." Choi Ji-won admitted with a shy smile that she was the culprit. As she said, I felt a slight comfort. "Well, the tutorial folks said they're very grateful. Thanks to you, I survived." "Right…" "And Kang Chan too... At first, it felt a little awkward because I hadn't seen him in so long. Then he spoke seriously. He said he saw potential in me and asked if I would join the guild." "Really?" "Yeah. I declined, but it still felt nice." Choi Ji-won was concerned about my mental health. That's why, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't seek to increase the number of ‘close people’ around me. It must have truly appeared distressing. I felt my head, which was once filled with troubles and worries, become lighter. Yes, the number of people who befriend me increased, but most of them were individuals I already knew and wouldn't die later. We were aware that they even survived in the future. "Everyone tells me I'm remarkable. How much effort did you put in to become this strong?" People agreed with me. They acknowledged that my method wasn’t wrong. They told me I did pretty well. A cold reasoning asked, ‘So what? Has anything changed because these people praised me?’ Yet, sometimes people find comfort in seemingly meaningless things. "Thank you." "As long as you understand." Choi Ji-won smiled sheepishly. "Let's go back. It's fine for Mr. Cheol-jin, but it might be embarrassing for the others." "Right." I quietly returned to the office and joined in on the conversations happening around. "What are you talking about?" "Ah, Junho. No, this guy…" Let's enjoy this moment. Whether I return or not, what happens on the 27th floor, forget the world, the future, the past, everything. Let's just savor this atmosphere now. That's what I decided. "May I join you?" "...Huh?" "Oh?" Until someone wholly unexpected appeared. "...Anxiety?" It was Michael Jeter.