194 – The Returner Eats Raw (2)

“Perhaps… Have you ever experienced dimensional travel?”

“… No?”

“If not that… Rebirth? Or regression? An unknown characteristic that I don’t know about? No, this can’t be possible… “

An angel spinning around me, speaking gibberish. His arrogant expression became distorted, and his hands nervously touched the air.

“What is it? There’s some variable… “

“That… “Angel?”

“I have to concentrate, so shut up…” Yes, climber.”

An angel who looks down at me and gets very annoyed, but instantly regains his senses and looks back at me with a smile.

“Can I ask you something?”

“If that’s something I can answer.”

“Is it any surprise that I now know how to manipulate magic power?”

Actually, I didn’t really understand why the angel was making such a fuss. I learned how to manipulate magical power a long time ago on the 4th floor, and Choi Ji-won was also able to control magical energy skillfully. Above all, future players were all people who were basically familiar with magic, so ‘magic power’ did not feel that special to me.

No, is it the influence of the 17th floor that will allow future players to control magical power? Anyway, you probably get my point.

“Uhm… “I don’t seem to understand why this doesn’t make sense.”

The angel nods his head a couple of times and then brings his palms together like a thread to create a beautiful shape.

“It looks like this. Of course you can see it, right?”

“… Yes. “I can see it.”

“Seeing this means that the climber’s soul has adapted to the power called ‘magic power.’ Actually, depending on the world, this isn’t that strange. “In a world where magic is abundant, even newborn babies can feel magic.”

“But the reason you say you don’t understand… Is it because I’m from Earth?”

“That’s correct. “Magic power is something you feel, not something you learn.”

According to the angel’s words, ‘magical genius’ does not exist. There are geniuses who demonstrate minute control of magical power that others cannot, and there are geniuses who process magical energy in new ways to create unprecedented uses… There is no genius in magic power itself. This is the law.

“If I were to give a similar example, I could use ‘alpine adaptation’ as an example.”

When an ordinary person climbs a high mountain, they may experience dizziness, difficulty breathing, or even lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen. This has nothing to do with whether the person was always healthy, exercised a lot, or was a genius. There is not enough oxygen in the first place, so what does it have to do with being a genius or anything?

“However, if you stay in a high mountain for a long time, your red blood cells increase, your breathing deepens, and your body automatically regulates your blood pressure. Just… Time solves the problem. Do you think there will be talent involved in this adaptation process?”

“… No.”

“The same goes for mana. If the soul is not given enough time to adapt to the unfamiliar power of magic… The instinct unit rejects it. And now, less than half a year has passed since the tower was built on Earth. Now do you understand why I was surprised? “I mean, that’s normal.”

An angel pointing to other players lying unconscious on the floor.

So, I have lived with magic power for a long time by repeating many regressions, so I am dealing with magic power… Is that really not common?

Yes, after going through all that trouble, there should be some kind of reward. I feel somewhat confused, yet happy and proud.

However, as I listened to the angel’s words, a natural question came to mind.

“But… Well, my friend is also incredibly good at manipulating magic. “It’s because I have a unique trait, but why is he like that?”

Choi Ji-won. How did she manage her magical powers?

Let’s say that’s the case up to activating the ‘Heart of the Demon War’. However, Choi Ji-won’s level clearly extended beyond that. She’s just not as good as me, but she’s well-versed in her magic.

“… There are two special cases. Could you please tell me what characteristics he has?”

The angel asks, tilting his head as if his interest is piqued. Contrary to his haughty appearance, he seems to be full of interest in his field of interest.

“So… Should I say that my body changes like a sword? Anyway, that’s the characteristic.”

“My body turns into a sword…” It may vary depending on the material of the sword, but in general, metal is a material that has no resistance to magic. Special metals amplify magical power. “Given that its body is made of metal, it is not surprising that it can handle magical energy well.”

“Aha… thank you.”

So, thanks to ‘God and Sword Unity’, you can handle magical power early on. After solving my curiosity, I expressed my gratitude to the angel.

“Thank you. “If you really appreciate it, I think you could tell us what your characteristics are as a climber.”

“… “That’s a bit much.”

“Well, it’s okay if you keep it a secret. Because there is more to research with this. Would you like to leave the 17th floor right now?”

“No. “I plan to stay a little longer.”

“I understand. “Then, I’ll take a moment.”

An angel who is busy manipulating something with his hands. Judging from the movements of his hands, it looked like he was writing something down. Judging from his behavior, he appears to be a researcher type, so he may have been staying on the 17th floor and studying the correlation between humans and magical power.

Leaving behind the busy angel, I went into a random empty house and lay down. Choi Ji-won will probably be waiting for you when you return to reality. I don’t know why he’s not in the same room as me right now, but the task he’s given is probably the same.

“Hmm… “

I think of other players vomiting and writhing. Their unconscious appearances are still vivid.

“… “

Could it be… If only I didn’t know how to manipulate magic.

If I had come here in ignorance without knowing anything… Didn’t I regress as soon as I entered this floor?

In fact, looking at the other players, they seemed to have lost consciousness from shock as soon as they entered the floor. The reaction causes drooling, tears, snot, and other dirty things… So far. In any case, it is clear that I was greatly shocked. What would have happened if ‘regression’ had recognized it as damage?

“… “

The fact that I was so close to being ‘trapped in time’, which I was so wary of, sent shivers down my spine. A man is talking about something in his head. Going back. The man is talking again. Going back. It’s an infinite loop.

There was probably no way to deal with it normally. Is it possible for the soul to adapt to magical power in a short period of time? Perhaps he was trapped in time without even knowing what was happening and slowly withered away and died.

“Really… I’m so glad… “

After realizing that fact, a magical feeling tingles in my heart. It’s as if he’s warning you, ‘You’re going to get screwed, man.’ Okay, thank you.

“… ?”

But no matter how much I calm my mind, the tingling in my heart does not go away. It’s not a pain, it’s just a tingling sensation… It seems like it lasts a little too long to be called phantom pain.

“Ugh… “

“Ugh…” “

Now that I think about it, the other players who are concentrating and meditating are also making noises and breaking into a cold sweat. Am I the only one who feels this pain?

To answer the question, I approached the angel who was still busy processing something.

“That… “Angel?”

“… “What’s going on?”

An angel who doesn’t pay attention to me and is still knocking on the air.

“Hey… The area where I have magical powers is a bit sore. What disease is this? Or is this floor the problem?”

“Ah. “You might feel that way.”

Only then did the angel stop knocking and begin to explain with a smile.

“Usually, people who live without magical power do not even recognize the magical power within their bodies. “The climber is a special case.”

“Ugh… “Isn’t that right?”

“So the 17th floor is located here. “This is a special place.”

An angel tapping the ground with his toes.

“This place was originally… Oh, sorry. This is information I can’t tell you. Anyway, the land here has the property of absorbing magical energy.”

“Suck up magical power?”

“Yes. The power is so strong that if you leave a full magic stone on the ground and wait for a day, it will become empty. The Archangel wanted to use this property to make climbers aware of their magical power.”

“So… “It is said that this pain helps people who don’t even know they have magic power to become aware of it.”

“That’s correct.”

An angel clapping his hands like a professor seeing a student who answered a question correctly. But questions usually lead to other questions, and my curiosity has not yet been satisfied.

“Then…” What is this feeling you get when you enter this floor? “They said I felt dizzy and didn’t feel well.”

“That is also the Archangel’s arrangement. A magic circle is drawn on the ground here to exert magical pressure on ‘a creature that has just entered the 17th floor.’ “An ordinary person would be safe, but climbers with magical powers inside their bodies would feel the shock.”

“Ah… Then, a video of someone asking a question is played in the brain… “

“Yes. That is also one of the ways to use magical power. “Unprotected magical power cannot resist external stimuli.”

“Oh… “

If you handle magical power well, is something like that possible? I definitely feel like there are some areas of expertise that I don’t know about.

But when I heard the word magical pressure, why did a very impure plan come to mind?

“… “I’ll give it a try.”

If we repeat the regression from now on.

If you repeat entering the 17th floor.

Someday… Wouldn’t it be possible to respond to that ‘magical pressure’?

No, what can I say?

“Let’s do it.”

I have already decided to return.