Regression Is Too Much

In my hand was a blue ticket—an A-rank Trait Selection Ticket, the reward for clearing [40] difficulty.

“Ah, there’s more. Here.”

And that wasn’t all. From the ‘Elixir of Omnipotence’ you get for picking [10] in the first test, to the random unique trait box for choosing [20] in the second, Choi Ji-won handed over every reward she had received.

“You… cleared everything on the highest difficulty?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“…Yeah, guess it is.”

Of course. Choi Ji-won wouldn’t get stuck on just the 12th floor. I’d completely forgotten something so basic. Ever since she gained control of the “Heart of the Thunder,” she’d surpassed me. And without the penalty of regression after getting hit, the 12th floor probably felt like a piece of cake to her.

“Honestly, even [40] difficulty wasn’t that hard. The ‘Heart of the Thunder’ didn’t even activate. The mannequin’s swordsmanship was decent, but nowhere near mine, and its physical capabilities were way lacking. I think any top-tier player could clear up to [40] with some effort.”

Ji-won shrugged casually. Judging by the subtle vibration of the Bung-bung sitting near the entrance, it seemed to agree with her.

With a bright smile, Ji-won handed me all the rewards. I knew just how much her support meant—how generous and significant her gesture was.

“…”

But I couldn’t bring myself to accept those rewards with a smile.

“Um… Ji-won.”

“Yeah?”

“You might be disappointed hearing this… or maybe you’ll just think I’m pathetic, but…”

Still, I had to say it. I didn’t want to lie to Choi Ji-won.

“I’m… scared.”

“…Of what?”

“I’m scared I’m relying on you too much.”

Even with her unwavering support, I revealed this weak, vulnerable part of me. Ji-won said nothing. She just quietly listened.

“You’ve probably sensed it too… I’m not in a good place mentally. Thanks to you, I’m barely holding on.”

I realized it on the 12th floor. I’m unstable. There were more than a few moments I thought about slaughtering every single one of those troll bastards. If I had actually done it, I probably would’ve already secured all the rewards.

However, this tower was built by a god to judge humanity. No matter what others do, I, at the very least, have to walk the right path. I understand that completely… and yet, I keep falling into the temptation of taking the easy way out.

Aside from the few people I’m close to, everyone else might as well be strangers. When I regress, they all just repeat the same behaviors like programmed machines. No—frankly, if I think about it that way, everyone except Choi Ji-won is basically a stranger. I still don’t know the names of the players I met on the 12th floor. I didn’t care enough to learn.

Just like how some players treat the otherworlders in the tower like NPCs… I’ve been treating everyone but Ji-won like NPCs, too. That’s why I can casually think of murder as an option. After all, no one feels guilty killing a game NPC.

“And my talent… It’s not even close to yours.”

If I set regression aside, I’m still a step behind Ji-won in terms of strength. But Ji-won is, without a doubt, a genius. I might be considered gifted among normal people, but I’m nowhere near her level. Right now, I can keep up only because I’ve regressed multiple times… but what if I hit a wall? What if the gap becomes so large that I can’t even stand beside her?

I have to accept it—Ji-won isn’t the flawless hero I imagined when I first met her during the tutorial, but she’s still a prodigy, gifted in every way imaginable. Meanwhile, Kim Jun-ho? I’m just an average guy who happened to luck out with an EX-rank trait.

And yet here I am, relying heavily on her. Not just emotionally, but now even physically, in terms of power.

Feelings of guilt, gratitude, shame, and inferiority were all swirling inside me. What scared me most was the idea that no matter how hard I tried, I might never be able to repay her kindness.

“So what I’m trying to say is… how about taking a break for like a year before we start training again? Eat good food, forget about saving the world for a while… just relax and goof off. A year might be enough for me to get my head back on straight. I could also use the time to observe the world, gather intel.”

That’s why… I want to run away. I want to indulge in this happiness. I want to savor this moment where our relationship feels equal. With that hidden desire, I made my proposal to Ji-won.

“Jun-ho.”

“Yeah?”

“You know… You said something similar to me back in the tutorial.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah. You asked if we could just stay together and move on to the next stage with our memories intact.”

“…That does sound familiar.”

“We’re lovers, sure. But I also see us as comrades climbing this tower together. Oh—and that includes Bung-bung too.”

She stood up for a moment and came back holding Bung-bung, who had been resting by the entrance.

“And do I really seem like the kind of person who’d abandon a teammate just because they got a little weaker—even the ‘me’ you keep calling ‘amazing’?”

“…No, you don’t.”

“I went through the same kind of doubts once, too.”

With a soft smile, Ji-won gently placed Bung-bung on her lap.

“I always thought I was pretty talented… but my dad was on another level. People from all over the world used to come just to see him. He was really famous in the kendo world. You know what I was most afraid of?”

“What?”

“I was terrified of disappointing him. Everyone else would call me a genius, say I learned fast even though I started kendo late, but I couldn’t feel proud of it. I was scared it wouldn’t be good enough in my dad’s eyes. That pressure… it made me consider quitting kendo more than once.”

“…”

“Of course, my dad would’ve loved me even if I wasn’t talented. I was just scared on my own. And I think it’s the same for you. Just give it a shot. Even if you fail, there’s no reason I’d stop caring about you.”

“What if I completely fail? Like, no matter how hard I try, what if I just can’t control cold-type mana, no matter what method I use?”

“Then you give up. And find another way.”

Ji-won talked about giving up like it was no big deal.

“You must think I’m some kind of invincible superhuman… but did you forget? I failed on the 4th floor too.”

“…I remember.”

“Back then, I was sad, and yeah, I felt worthless… but I didn’t regret it. I gave it everything I had. I poured in my all, so even if I failed, I could still stand tall.”

Even if you fail, you can still hold your head high. Sure, being a regressor, the threshold for what counted as a “failure” was way higher for me, and the meaning of “giving my all” was absurdly different… but I got the message Ji-won was trying to give me.

“Honestly, whether we rest for a year, ten years, or just take it easy until we’re old and gray—it doesn’t really matter to me. As long as we live each moment with sincerity and do our best, that’s enough. We’ve got all the time in the world thanks to regression, right? No one can push themselves 24/7. Sometimes, you have to rest. But even while resting, I think our eyes should still be on the goal.”

“…”

“So, let me ask again. Do you really want to rest? Or were you just scared that I’d be disappointed in you?”

“…It’s both, but I think… yeah, the second one mattered more.”

Ji-won was right. Even if the road winds, even if I trip along the way, as long as I keep doing my best, it’ll be okay. If I can’t handle cold-type mana? Then I’ll fight without magic. If I lack talent? I’ll make up for it with traits and items.

Ji-won wouldn’t be disappointed in me for not being talented. What would truly disappoint her is if I gave up before even trying—if I let fear stop me.

And I didn’t want to disappoint Ji-won. I didn’t want to disappoint myself.

“…Thanks, Ji-won. I think you may have helped me clear my head.”

“What are you thanking me for? It’s normal. And when I need help someday… that’s when you’ve got my back. That’s what being a couple’s all about, right?”

Ji-won smiled warmly at me. Come to think of it, she was also my teacher—I learned my swordsmanship from her.

So she was my teacher, my comrade, and my lover. That combination sounded oddly poetic… or maybe just odd.

“But hey, Ji-won.”

“Yeah?”

“How about… we take just two weeks off?”

“Pffft. Seriously.”

With a dry laugh, Ji-won agreed—and just like that, we took a full, restful two-week break.

“…I’m heading out now.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

I had made all the necessary preparations.

You have been injured.

Regressing to the moment you first entered the 12th floor.

“…Hoo.”

A room decked out entirely in white—The starting point of the 12th floor.

By now, it was so familiar that I’d almost grown sick of it. If I had to describe it… It felt like returning to a military dorm after a long vacation.

I rolled my neck gently from side to side, then rotated my shoulders in slow circles. After a long stretch through my spine—

Crack. Crack-crack.

—I popped every joint in my fingers, signaling I was ready to go.

I used to avoid doing this, afraid it might trigger a regression, but now? I had nothing left to lose.

‘Even this didn’t send me back. Huh. Guess it’s safe.’

Mentally prepared, I reached into subspace and pulled out an elixir. No hesitation—I drank it down in one go. A refreshing surge of energy swept through me, and even the cold lingering near my solar plexus seemed to ease.

What I had to do now was clear.

Use the cold-type mana. Circulate it through my body. Infuse it into my weapon. Discharge it outward. Do everything and anything possible with this mana. Regression would come—it was inevitable. A predetermined future.

But just because I regress… doesn’t mean I’ll give up. As long as my willpower holds out, I’ll keep pushing forward until I can wield this mana properly.

Because I have a goal.

To reach the top of this tower—

—and save all of humanity.

At first, it was just because it sounded cool. I had been given this absurdly overpowered ability to regress, so I moved out of a sense of duty. But now… It’s different.

“Let’s see who wins.”

I fight now to stand tall in front of myself.

So I can hold my head high.

And I’ll keep going until I conquer this mana—completely.

– – End of Chapter ––

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