Chapter 45: Regressor in Action (2)

 

“That seems easy.”

 

This was my impression after successfully climbing the 2nd floor.

 

But is it really that easy?

 

To succeed, one must gather intel about how to overpower the nobles, acquire the actual strength to do so, change outfits to avoid the players’ gaze, and, in the end, use violence against the thugs blocking the path, and reach the angel within 3 seconds.

 

One might wonder how anyone who isn’t a regressor could know this all... but judging from what the thugs said earlier, there indeed were people who managed to advance through the 2nd floor this way.

 

Alternatively, you could stock up on about four gold grade marks in advance and head straight for the angel, along with the three guys blocking the path. Excluding the fact that one using this method would gain the same benefits as those who tried to screw them over, this is arguably the most logical choice. That’s how unreasonable the structure of this floor is.

 

“Sigh.”

 

Using the characteristics of the 1st floor, I imagined a soft bed to appear and immediately lay down on it.

 

It’s been a while since I felt this sensation. It’s therapeutic. It feels so comfortable that I don’t want to ever get up.

 

“... Guess my mental strength has diminished.”

 

During the tutorial, I regressed far more frequently, and each time, even though I failed a lot, I relentlessly regressed and tried again.

 

There were various reasons. There was a clear objective to clear the tutorial, the obstacles were obvious, and my willpower was overflowing.

 

But now, my mental strength has become as soft as this comfortable bed.

 

There might be thugs blocking the path, but they aren’t the enemy. They’re just freeloaders trying to reap where they haven’t sown. If there is an enemy, it’s the god who made this irrational system.

 

Clearing the 2nd floor? That’s also easy. But the moment you decide to properly clear it, it becomes infinitely difficult. The rules are twisted so complexly.

 

Moreover, I’ve already extensively experienced the comfort of modern civilization. Trying to plunge back in, it’s inevitable I’d feel the fatigue.

 

Despite my wariness, the comfort of the 1st floor has slowly eroded my spirit without me realizing it.

 

“...First, let’s get the rewards.”

 

When I thought I wanted to see the message window that was discreetly tucked in a corner of my vision, the message box slowly expanded, filling my sight.

 

“Hmm...”

 

 

Having skimmed through the reward list, I could narrow down the appealing choices to three major options.

 

 

 

 

All of them are great items.

 

The Flashfoot Boots specialize in instantaneously closing or creating distance. No matter how skilled in combat one might be, predicting an opponent suddenly moving at super-fast speed for about 2 meters is challenging. It’s practically a lethal strike. Personally, I think it’s the highest-valued equipment.

 

The Flashlight Blade also possesses a broken ability. A lightning bolt out of nowhere? Avoiding it would be nearly impossible. Especially for me, it’s almost a perfect counter-weapon. If someone else gets that sword... I would never stand a chance against them. I’d regress before I could even react.

 

Lastly, the Flashfist Gauntlet is also a compelling choice. I’m not sure exactly what effects the lightning enchantment has... but just imagining lightning striking with every blow is damn cool. There’s always been a certain romance to lightning. I might not know its practicality, but its allure is undeniable.

 

The items in the platinum rewards might only be graded B+, but given they are rewards from the 2nd floor, their performance is exceptionally high.

 

Or maybe the B+ grade itself could be an item nearly impossible to obtain from the lower floors. After all, the platinum rewards are limited in quantity, being a rare reward. Only about 30 people across all of humanity can receive these rewards.

 

All of them are great items... truly great items... but the problem is that they are items.

 

I can’t take them with me when I regress. And since I’m not moving on to the next floor this round, they are, in essence, pies in the sky.

 

 

“...Another elixir?”

 

In the end, what I chose was yet another elixir.

 

Among the rewards listed, the elixir was the only one that would retain its effects even after regression.

 

I had faintly hoped to see a magic tome on the reward list, since the nobles were using magic, but my expectations were betrayed.

 

The items on the reward list were all either doping-type consumables or high-performance items.

 

“Gulp...”

 

 

After swallowing the tingling elixir in one gulp and confirming the message that my agility stat had increased, I threw a punch into thin air. I could distinctly feel my body had become more agile.

 

“It’s good.”

 

Yes, what remains in the end are stats, and a regressor’s best friend is always the elixir.

 

I can always acquire such flashy items another time; it wouldn’t be too late.

 

I felt a burning desire to relax further on the soft bed, but I knew well that if I succumbed to the temptation now, I would lose the motivation to move forward.

 

“This time... shall I stir up some trouble?”

 

There was one more thing I wanted to try.

 

The structure of the 2nd floor was very much like a hierarchical system.

 

What would happen if I completely destroyed this hierarchy here?

 

I bit the inside of my mouth, rolling my tongue over the wound, and closed my eyes.

 

 

 

***

 

Despite the monotony of daily life, it’s still a prosperous city.

 

From the beginning, this city was blessed by the gods. The moment one crossed its walls, the Garden of Eden sprawled before them.

 

Clothing was abundant. The amount of food discarded due to spoilage exceeded the amount consumed. Everyone had a roof over their heads.

 

Although recent climbers stirred troubling rumors, those whispers quickly subsided once the residents formed their own vigilante groups.

 

Compared to the times before joining the Tower, when it was dubbed the “City of Constant Screams,” the city now radiated tranquility. Divine blessings could be found in every corner of its alleyways. The people, though they had minor grievances, were largely happy.

 

“Uh, ugh...”

 

Except for this beggar, huddled in the gaps between buildings.

 

Wearing clean clothes felt like being infested with hundreds of bugs crawling over him. Consuming delicious food felt and tasted like chewing on waste. A soft bed felt more agonizing than lying on thorns. Due to the chills he felt whenever water touched him, he couldn’t even bathe.

 

He never wanted to become a beggar.

 

He simply kept choosing the less painful, less agonizing options until, eventually, those choices led him to this state.

 

He knew the cause. The bronze-colored box inside his possession. It was what forced his actions.

 

But merely knowing did nothing to change his situation. He remained a groaning beggar in the shadows, as discarding the box, rather than someone accepting it, would breach the city’s rules.

 

“Ugh...”

 

As he lay groaning on the ground, a man wearing leather armor and carrying a bucket full of water approached. The beggar instantly rolled over, lying flat with his hands stretched out.

 

“P-please, some food... I’ll give you a mark if you wish...”

 

His plea was rooted in experiences from the past.

 

For reasons unknown, the food thrown by the climbers tasted like regular food. It didn’t have the foul stench of something scooped out of a sewer but exuded the aromatic fragrance of delicious cuisine.

 

Therefore, whenever a person in leather armor approached, it had become routine for the beggar to lie flat and stretch out his hands, begging for food.

 

“Please, please...”

 

Yet, there was no response.

 

Was the indifferent climber too busy to spare a moment? In that affluent street, was there not an ounce of mercy to even bring a morsel of food?

 

“Get up.”

 

Unexpectedly, the climber grabbed his filthy arm, pulling the beggar to his feet.

 

“Wha, what...”

 

Before the startled beggar could react, the climber reached into his belongings and retrieved the familiar bronze-colored box.

 

“Step back.”

 

BANG BANG BANG!

 

Wielding a hammer from seemingly nowhere, the climber repeatedly smashed the box. With a click of his tongue in disappointment, he stashed the now-brown box into a pouch by his waist.

 

“...”

 

The beggar was left dumbfounded amidst the swift succession of unexpected events. As he was still piecing together what happened, the mysterious climber looked at him, flashing a self-satisfied grin.

 

“How do you feel?”

 

“...Pardon?”

 

“Your body. How does it feel?”

 

“...Even if you ask how it feels... Ah!”

 

The climber suddenly poured the water from the bucket over the beggar’s head.

 

Knowing water on his skin felt piercingly cold, the beggar instinctively braced himself...

 

“Huh?”

 

But surprisingly, the water wasn’t freezing. It was refreshingly cool.

 

Pressing a finger against his skin, he relished the rare feeling of pleasant moisture.

 

“How... How did you...”

 

“I took it, didn’t I? The box. You’re free now.”

 

“...”

 

“For now, take a shower... fill your stomach... change your clothes, and get a haircut. Don’t you have things you wanted to do?”

 

That’s right.

 

How many desires had he suppressed?

 

Being forced to live as a ‘beggar’, how much had he sacrificed?

 

“In return... Once you’re done with all that, please help me.”

 

The climber smiled gently.

 

Due to the beggar’s small, malnourished stature, the radiant sun, aligning perfectly with the climber’s head, cast an almost halo-like glow around him.

 

‘He figured it out.’

 

The climber had figured out the rules of this city.

 

That this box... compels the actions of its citizens.

 

That residents can’t willingly let go of the box.

 

That if someone takes the box, the resident gains liberation.

 

Tears welled up in the eyes of the beggar... no, of Thomas, making him close them.

 

“Then come, and follow me… Viva la Revolution.”

 

Thomas instantly understood-

 

“...Viva la Revolution.”

 

-That this climber was the hero he had been waiting for.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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