214 – The returner is too strong (1)
When I returned to my room, Choi Ji-won came back first by a narrow margin.
“… I’m here?”
Choi Ji-won welcomes me calmly. Usually she is like this, and when she came back from a lot of regression, she was surprised to see my face, but this time she didn’t seem that surprised.
“I slightly expected it. I don’t think she’ll just fall for your personality. “It seemed like there was a huge regression.”
Since we entered at the same time, we would have cleared at the same time. She also means that she experienced the same 21st floor as me.
“What did you do? 21St floor. “I’d like to hear your story.”
“… At first, there were a bunch of people who were like secret agents or something. So I drove them all out. We deliberately held a sit-in protest in a crowded city center. “This happened about three times, so he asked first if he wanted to talk.”
“Professor Kim?”
“… “I don’t know if his last name is Kim, but I did talk to someone who looked like a professor.”
Choi Ji-won defeated all the approaching agents with excellent force. Thanks to their clever survival in the city, the lab was unable to use dangerous weapons such as guns, and since ordinary experts cannot withstand Choi Ji-won’s force, it is inevitable that it will lead to a ‘conversation’. There is no penalty for returning if hit once, and Choi Ji-won has strong physical strength, so this is a possible method.
“Then I also heard about the research institute… I don’t know. I know it’s not right to sacrifice Areum, but I don’t think it’s reasonable to ignore it when there is a path to the future… “
“So what did you do?”
“I decided to volunteer and become a test subject instead. I also left behind a few potions. “I’m not going to touch anything on my body anyway, so I just need to stay still in the designated area.”
“Hmm… “
It is true that if Choi Ji-won volunteered as an experiment instead, the need for Areum would disappear immediately. The magical power coming from Choi Ji-won’s body is dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of times that of Areum. The research institute may have welcomed this.
“What about after you leave? “What happens next?”
“… I liked that too… I couldn’t think of a better solution. So I thought you might have regressed.”
“Hmm… “I guess I won this time.”
“Junho, what did you do?”
“Areum has completely lost her magic.”
“… I think that’s the right solution, but the direction seems a little strange… No no, wait a minute. “Is that possible?”
Choi Ji-won is surprised with wide eyes. This is the new strength gained through repeated regression, so it is not unreasonable for Choi Ji-won to be surprised.
“But it was also difficult to write for someone as weak as Areum. “If I’m going to use it on players, I think I’ll have to become much, much stronger than I am now.”
However, it is difficult to use because it is still considered practical. It took a lot of effort to use it on someone as weak and feeble as Areum, but I will have to become extremely strong in the future to succeed in using it on people who are much stronger and tougher than that.
“But it ended well. Thank god.”
“I did a lot of regression, but… I feel fortunate too. Ah, how did other people clear it?”
“Should I ask now? “I’ll contact the association.”
Ji-won Choi is tapping her cell phone at high speed. During that time, I opened the status window and checked the newly acquired characteristics.
[Name: Kim Jun-ho] [LV:73]
[Characteristics]
-Regression [EX]
– Flash beam [S]
-Heart of Seomjeon [S]
-Curiosity [A+]
-Awe [A+]
-Hero [B]
-Meditation [A+]
-Swordsmanship [A+] [Specialization recognized]
-Cold Affinity [A]
– Strange atmosphere [D]
-Fast reflexes [C]
-Excellent cardiorespiratory endurance [C]
– Passion [C]
-Girl’s cheering [A]
“Wow, there are a lot.”
I feel dizzy, but I still concentrate and look for differences. First of all, the achievement level has risen. Last time, I think the first digit was 6, but it changed to 7. Also, his sword skills changed to A+. If we go a little further from here, it becomes S.
“Someday, I too will be able to become an SSS-level swordsman.”
Oh, and now I see that the Strange Atmosphere trait, Awe trait, and Curiosity trait have each risen in rank. No, the hero characteristics have also increased? Was it originally possible for attribute grades to grow like this? Or maybe I just got stronger that quickly.
Originally, I had the awareness that I was a superhuman, but now I feel like I am slowly moving beyond that. Should I say that I feel like I am on the verge of evolving from fighting at the level of Hawkeye and Captain America to slowly evolving to the level of Hulk and Iron Man. I also don’t really feel how strong I am.
“Let’s check out the newly acquired characteristics.”
Stop thinking about random things and click on the feature that says ‘Girl’s Support’.
-Girl’s cheering [A]
-Five seconds before a threat strikes, you can perceive something ominous. ‘Be happy always!’
“Oh.”
So, you have obtained a danger detection sensor? It is an unconditionally good ability, but there is a condition of 5 seconds. The scope of ‘threat’ also depends. I think I’ll have to experiment for more details. There is more work to do.
“Oh, I just got off the phone with another player.”
“Uh, what did they say there?”
Choi Ji-won returns just in time. According to her, the behavior of other players was broadly divided into three categories.
First. Just abandon Areum.
Second. After failing to protect Areum, she cooperates with a reporter to expose the crime.
Third, Areum takes her place and claims to be the test subject.
“No one really deviated from expectations.”
Well, how many people like me can think of the option of ‘erasing the magical power itself’? Even if you think of it, executing it is another matter. Unless there is a regression, it would be considered impossible.
“Ah, Jiwon, what characteristics did you get?”
“Characteristics? I received the item… “
“Aha.”
Perhaps this trait was Areum’s last gift. Somehow my heart felt warm and I nodded at her without even realizing it.
“But Junho, there is one thing that bothers me.”
“… Suddenly?”
“Yes. “I kept wondering.”
Choi Ji-won suddenly asks me a question as I am filled with emotion.
“Our world… Why are there no concrete results related to ‘mana’?”
“… I know?”
When I think about it, it’s strange.
The world on the 21st floor was not much different from the reality I currently live in.
This does not mean that research on magical power is not being conducted. As far as I know, most universities and companies are continuing research on magic power and items. However… The results are minimal.
Now that I think about it, I felt very uncomfortable about this part. Is it because there are no outstanding researchers like Professor Kim? Or is it because the research direction is different? I will have to investigate this separately later.
“Let’s worry about that later.”
Choi Ji-won hugs my shoulder tightly.
“If I just get a little stronger here… You can create variables when monsters invade. You just have to climb the tower a little more. It’s not too late to go and research the information then. Yes?”
“… Right.”
Okay, let’s just think about becoming stronger for now. I mean the tower… 25Th floor. If we climb up to the 25th floor, we will be able to fight against monsters when they appear half a year later. You will be able to save people.
We need to go beyond Hulk and Iron Man and become as strong as Thor. We can’t stop here. We must move on.
“Shall we go right away?”
“… “Let’s take a day off and go.”
After a good night’s rest, we headed to the tower without delay. There was no time to delay.
-I entered the 22nd floor.
**
Around the time Kim Jun-ho entered the 22nd floor. On the other side of the world, in Switzerland, an international conference was held to prevent environmental pollution caused by mana. It wasn’t a particularly noteworthy meeting, and it was an opportunity to formally call for measures to be taken.
No, it was that kind of place. Until, ‘by pure coincidence’, leaders from around the world gathered in Switzerland, and ‘coincidentally the schedule coincided’ and they had dinner together in a secret bunker 300 meters underground.
“… “
“… “
The food on the table was very appetizing, but no one lifted a spoon. It is a rare sight to see leaders whose faces appear on the news on a daily basis just looking at each other and swallowing their saliva like this.
“Then…” “I understand that everyone has agreed.”
The President of the United States is the only one speaking here. His face was also pale, but he was spewing out words out of a sense of responsibility.
“We… I didn’t know anything. Just forget everything and go back to your daily life. The ‘Book of Truth’ is… Now let’s not touch it.”
“… “
“… “
“If you agree, please start eating.”
As soon as the words are finished, the sound of dishes moving fills the air. The leaders all looked like corpses and were stuffing food into their mouths. They have made their choice. Rather than disturbing the hive, I decided to just pretend I didn’t see it.
“Whoa… “
The U.S. President sat down and chewed a piece of the delicious tenderloin steak. I can’t feel any taste. Still chewing. Because I felt like I would turn around if I didn’t do something.
But there was one fact that everyone here overlooked. Basically, the more people who know a secret, the more difficult it is to keep it. A fact that only one person knows can be kept a secret forever, but as the number of people who know increases, the difficulty of keeping the secret doubles or even squares.
“I’m just going to let this go…” “
In addition, the thoughts of primates called humans are truly diverse, and they are beings who can come to different conclusions even after acquiring the same information.
“I don’t think that will work.”
Everything can change due to variables that are considered trivial.