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Chapter 170
“Of course, when I say ‘the era of Players,’ I don’t mean we should rule over ordinary people. I’m American—I value the freedom of everyone more than anything else.”
Michael Jeter’s voice remained flat, emotionless, as he spoke.
“But right now, humanity isn’t investing anything into climbing the Tower. Governments pick a few individuals, slap a heroic title on them, and wash their hands of responsibility. ‘That person will take care of it.’ You understand what I mean, don’t you, Choi Ji-won?”
“…”
Choi Ji-won—Korea’s star Player.
She’d been awarded a presidential medal, and everyone in the country knew her name.
And yet… she’d never once received meaningful financial support from the government.
Whenever help was discussed, the excuse was always the same:
“Due to the lack of specific legislation, we cannot provide support at this time.”
But when they needed her?
They’d say, “You have to be there. The people need reassurance.”
They must’ve realized she was too kind-hearted to refuse.
The lack of a legal framework didn’t help, either.
“This isn’t just a problem in Korea or the U.S. No country in the world has taken the Tower seriously. All their focus is on how to use the Players, not on actually conquering the Tower.”
He pulled a phone from his pocket and placed it on the table.
The screen displayed a flurry of messages and documents.
“These are transcripts from conversations I had with governments around the world. Since becoming Chairman, I’ve argued that we need to support Players more aggressively. The responses were cold.”
He swiped the screen.
Now it showed a map, overlaid with Player distribution data from the Association’s internal records.
“I believe every person who clears the Tutorial should continue climbing the Tower. They must grow stronger. Even the term ‘Player’ was chosen with that in mind—To make it feel like a game. To reduce the mental burden and spark the urge to challenge. Didn’t work, of course.”
“…So what are you trying to say?” I asked. “I get that you want to raise stronger Players to deal with incoming monsters. But how do you plan to get people to climb the Tower in the first place?”
“Money and fame. Those are the two incentives that matter. The first floor already satisfies every base human pleasure. We need to offer something more.”
He sent a heavy document to Ji-won’s email.
“This is a draft of my plan. Look over it when you get the chance. It’s not hard to understand.”
“…Alright. Fine. I get what you’re trying to do. I get the motive behind it.”
But the conversation was sliding entirely in his direction.
It felt like he was steering everything.
So I decided to cut in.
“But what exactly do you need us for? Didn’t you say you needed help?”
“I did.”
“Then what do you need from us? You’re already the head of the Player Association. If monsters really do show up, your influence is going to skyrocket anyway.”
“…That’s actually addressed in the document I sent you. But I don’t mind explaining now. I want you two to lend your support to the Player Association. Or more accurately… to the new Player Association I intend to create.”
“Be specific.”
“I plan to introduce a ranking and grade system for Players.”
“…Grades?”
“Yes. S rank will be the highest. F the lowest.”
“Players in the top ranks will be treated like celebrities— and compensated accordingly. Players at the bottom? They’ll receive no special treatment at all. The goal is to create a system where everyone wants to reach the top… and to do that, they have to climb the Tower.”
“…”
“The Player Association will function both to regulate Players and to support their climb through the Tower. The ultimate goal is to redirect all of Earth’s tax money currently wasted on defense spending into Player-related efforts.”
…This is just like the Hunter ranking systems you see in web novels.
Stuff like “F-Rank Hunter Becomes an SSS-Rank Hunter!”
It’s that kind of ranking system.
“Beyond that, we also have plans for each government to purchase Tower items at a premium, and to establish formal education institutions to teach combat. The rest, you’ll understand by reading that document.”
Bzzz.
Michael Jeter’s phone vibrated, and he naturally stood up from his seat.
“I hope you two will trust me. Working together to prepare for the future would be ideal, but even if you won’t, I ask that you at least don’t stand in my way. If there’s a better idea, I’ll listen. But for now, I believe this is the best we’ve got.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. I have another appointment.”
Standing in the exact spot where he first appeared in our living room, he gave us a slight bow.
“I’m acting for the sake of all humankind. That’s all. If you have suggestions, please send them to that same email.”
The moment he finished speaking—fwip! Michael Jeter vanished.
The living room fell into silence, like a storm had passed.
“Hmm…”
“Yeah…”
Ji-won and I sat in silence, staring at the table.
We needed time to process everything.
Michael Jeter’s plan was simple:
Create a world where being a Player meant being respected and rewarded—Where becoming a Player means your life turns around.
But where’s all the money for that going to come from?
Presumably, the governments.
But will the governments of the world really pour in that kind of funding so easily?
Wouldn’t they rather stick to the missiles and guns they already have, instead of investing in Players?
I may not be a political expert—
But even I could tell that wouldn’t be easy.
“…In the end, he’ll probably stir up public opinion or launch a show of force.”
Though Michael Jeter never said it directly,
It was clear—he was preparing for a power struggle.
He said it himself: he intended to reshape the era.
So what choice was I supposed to make here?
Would monsters really appear?
What exactly was Michael Jeter planning?
The future had never been more uncertain.
At this point, the best choice is to wait for the 10 months and see how the world changes.
“So what I’m saying is—why don’t we just take a 10-month break? Watch how the world shifts. See if the monsters really appear… or if it was all a misunderstanding. Isn’t that the reasonable approach?”
Honestly, I was pretty exhausted myself.
You could say I was tired of it all.
Crushed by the weight of this massive boulder called responsibility.
“I’ve been worn down lately, too. Haven’t you? Let’s just take this chance to do all the things we’ve been putting off. Because if the monsters do appear… we might never get to rest again. People will die. Think of this as our last vacation—”
“Jun-ho.”
“…Yeah?”
Choi Ji-won cut me off mid-sentence. There was something unusual in her voice—an edge that wasn’t normally there.
“Jun-ho. I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t want you to stay in reality for ten whole months.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“What were you planning to do while resting?”
“Well… I just wanted to let go of my responsibilities for a bit. Play some games, eat some good food. I know I can’t completely drop everything, but… I thought I’d take it easy, treat it like a little vacation.”
“And I’d be there with you too, right?”
“Of course. We’re partners, aren’t we?”
Saying that made me feel a little shy, but it was something that needed to be said. I even considered going with a more sentimental line… but that felt a bit too cheesy.
“That’s exactly what worries me.”
But unlike me, who was blushing, Ji-won gently bit her lip.
“I… I don’t think we should be spending so much time together.”
“…Do you even hear how weird that sounds?”
“It’s not what you think. What I’m worried about is… the regression.”
“Regression?”
“I can only stay by your side because of the regression, right?”
She clutched Bung-bung tightly and spoke while staring at the floor.
“The reason we regress together is because you feel something strong for me. And I feel the same. It’s because we love each other.”
“…So then?”
“I’m happy too. Sleeping together, waking up together, eating delicious food, going out to fun places… all those moments are precious to me. I’d rather see you happy than struggling or broken. But…”
The once-steady hands of Choi Ji-won began to tremble slightly.
“What if… after repeating the regression so many times, all those precious moments just become routine? What if they stop feeling special?”
“…”
“What if it’s no longer a heart-racing kind of love… but starts to feel more like the warmth between family? What if we become so familiar with each other that we’re just… always there? Would I still be able to regress with you then? Would your regression trait still recognize that feeling as a ‘strong emotion’?”
Choi Ji-won…
She was afraid.
Afraid of the day when our shared regressions… would come to an end.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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