221 – The regressor is too strong (8)

Changes in the association. This is an issue we were already aware of. To be more precise, it should be called ‘a change in the American situation.’

In the past, on the 15th floor, when I encountered the old man. We waited almost a year to find out if the monster would really appear and, if so, how strong it would be.

The U.S. Government at the time failed to conduct research and sank miserably, and in return, the Players Association rose to prominence and became a hub of power. It was at this time that I heard rumors about a secret warehouse in the United States.

So, it was a year of layoffs for the U.S. Government and a year for associations to rise.

This trend took a bizarre turn recently when I personally visited a secret warehouse in the United States. The secret warehouse that was said to exist was empty, and upon returning, the situation in the United States was completely twisted.

Suddenly, both the association and the U.S. Government entered a downward spiral. To be more precise, it seems as if the command staff on both sides are preoccupied with something else.

But the cause is… That thing called the ‘Book of Truth’?

Martin looked around and carefully put it on.

“Anyway, is there anyone around? “I heard that Jiwon has very keen senses.”

“Yes. “There is no one.”

Except for me, who is hiding here and listening to the story.

“Whew, that’s a relief. It’s ironic that the tower is safer than reality. Then… First, let me explain what the Book of Truth is.”

Only then did Martin, who looked a little relieved, begin to talk in earnest.

“The Book of Truth… It’s a characteristic. Rank is unknown. The holder of the trait is a blond white young man, and it is presumed that he is a high-ranking government official or his child. “The only thing that is certain is that the owner of the ‘Book of Truth’ is one of the first players like you, and is friendly to the government.”

“What do you mean a book is a characteristic?”

“When you activate a trait… It is said that a very thick and large book is summoned. “I don’t know because I’ve never seen the real thing, but I heard it looks like an encyclopedia used by giants.”

“… Please continue.”

“Yes. Anyway, the book doesn’t open in the normal way. No, it doesn’t even hurt. Whether a talented person uses force or brings a machine… I haven’t tested it, but the book would probably be fine even if a bomb exploded. Even in the tutorial, it is said that it survived by utilizing this characteristic.”

Martine opens her arms wide, as if the book actually exists in front of her eyes.

“But these are all just additional factors. The point is… If you sacrifice a book, you can get information in return. “The paper turns by itself and stops at the page with the desired information.”

He suddenly bent down on one knee and began drawing on the dirt floor with his fingers.

“The early days when all this happened. “Have you ever thought that America’s response was too quick?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t know what it is like in Korea, but establishing a new government agency in the United States is not easy. Moreover, it makes no sense to establish an external organization sponsored by the government. However, this organization called the ‘Players Association’ was created only two months after the first tutorial. “It was a hastily constructed project, but the organizational structure was solid and the personnel arrangement was neat.”

“No way… “

“Yes. I think it’s probably the influence of ‘The Book of Truth’. “You must have received some advice.”

“Does that make sense?”

Choi Ji-won tilts his head and asks. That’s exactly what I want to say. That such a f*cking trait exists? I guess it’s better than regression?

“Perhaps you are overlooking the ‘offering’.”

But Martin calmly points to the graffiti on the floor.

“I don’t know the small questions to verify authenticity, but the first question officially asked in the ‘Book of Truth’ was ‘Is the tower really real?’ Of course, we know it’s real. “You’re doing this here right now.”

Martin’s fingers, digging on the dirt floor, stop. What was drawn on the floor…

“The price for this question was 10 tons of gold bars. “Even though it’s a simple question that can be answered by asking just one player.”

“If it’s 10 tons… “

“You can think of it as roughly 1 trillion won. “One trillion won has evaporated.”

He scattered the gold bars drawn on the floor with his palm, frowned, and made eye contact with Choi Ji-won.

“Afterwards, several more questions were asked, and each time, new facts were revealed. Offerings do not necessarily have to be made in gold; for questions about the further future, the amount of sacrifice required increases, and for questions about a person, the price increases depending on that person’s trait level. Questions about the general public were almost free, and the cost of investigating players with B-class characteristics was said to be over 40 tons of gold bars… “You can say that it is impossible to ‘ask for information about players with good characteristics’ in the book.”

“That means… “

“Yes. “The U.S. Already has all the information on people who are ‘non-players’, or at least people they think are important.”

“… “

“The fact that all major countries joined the Players Association was a result of utilizing this information. “Isn’t it strange that there was no conflict at all as the association spread around the world?”

The longer Martin continues, the more I feel like I am becoming more and more distraught.

So, America was actually acting as Big Brother? Are you saying that the reason why international organizations came together was because of one trait of crazy fraud? For some price you can get information about the future?

They say they can’t get information about the player, so Jiwon and I’s detailed information will be safe… This was a pretty shocking situation.

“Wait, wait. “There are some parts I don’t understand.”

As I was clutching my forehead from a mental headache, Jiwon Choi asked a question.

“According to what you’ve said so far… “The ‘Book of Truth’ is owned by the government, right?”

“That’s right.”

“But you said the association has changed… Wasn’t there a confrontational relationship between the association and the U.S. Government? Are you two related?”

“It would be accurate to say that the association president and the U.S. Government have a confrontational relationship. “The association’s core executives are all government officials.”

Knock knock. Martin pounding the floor.

Certainly, I remember Michael Jeter saying in the past, ‘The executives of the association seem to be distracted somewhere.’ In that case, the object that one is preoccupied with is the ‘Book of Truth’. The experiments that the U.S. Government was conducting were also probably related to that book.

“But a week ago, the president of the association called me secretly. “All the information I just told you is what I heard from the president of the association.”

“… “A week ago?”

From our point of view, quite a long time has passed, but in reality, only about a month has passed since we cleared the 15th floor. About four months have passed since I entered the tutorial, and five months have passed since the first tutorial.

For reference, the monsters appear 9 months later. The point in time when America’s secret warehouse should have been built was five months later.

It was a month ago that Michael Jeter visited us. But a week ago?

Whether my head is busy or not, Martin’s words continue.

“I don’t know if you knew, but the president of the association was secretly recruiting and nurturing talented players. “They are all known to possess extremely dangerous abilities.”

“… Please continue.”

“But it is said that not long ago, there was a conflict between one of them and the president of the association. I don’t know if it was a real fight or if it ended in an argument… “It is said that that fight changed the mind of the association president.”

“What do you mean by changed?”

“The president of the association is trying to overthrow the association. “In the past, you would have waited slowly for an opportunity, but now you have decided to take action.”

Martin spits and chews on the executives of the association.

“Now, the executives of the association and the U.S. Government have no choice but to use the ‘Book of Truth.’ I believe that if I just follow what the book tells me, a golden future awaits me. If I had at least pretended to work before, now my whole mind is focused on my books. Instead of being an independent organization, it has turned into an agency of the U.S. Government.”

“… “

“But sooner or later the U.S. Government will run out of resources. To obtain more important and further-in-the-future information, the amount of sacrifice required increases dramatically. “There are limits to secretly siphoning off budget.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Yes. It’s possible. As I mentioned earlier, offerings that can be made to books are not limited to gold. “They say that things that have magical meaning are held in high esteem.”

“… No way.”

“Yes. The U.S. Government may commit human sacrifice.”

The government, which had been preparing for the future by relying solely on books, ended up in a dead end… Offer people to look into the future. It is quite possible. Maybe it’s something that has already happened in the future that I experienced.

“Therefore, the president of the association wants to respond preemptively. First, they plan to intentionally suspend the association’s functions to create critical public opinion, and when the time comes, they plan to completely take control of the association politically and physically. “You are also considering securing and isolating players with the ‘Book of Truth’ trait.”

Martin slams her fist into her knee and looks up at the sky.

“I… I plan to leave the association soon and help the president with all my might. There are some things that can only be done internally, but there are also some things that can only be done externally. “I intend to devote myself to condemning the corrupt American government and the association’s executives.”

The originally prosperous association suffered a rapid collapse, and the U.S. Government declined further… Was it all related to the ‘Book of Truth’? I feel like I was hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

However, there are still parts that are not explained. Why did Michael Jeter’s behavior change? Why did America’s secret warehouse disappear? The only reason that comes to mind is…

“… Doksuhee?”

If. Really, what if?

The last time we met, I had strong feelings for Dok Soo-hee without even realizing it…

As a result, what if Dok Soo-hee, who retained the memory of ‘human sacrifice’, leaked information to Michael Jeter in order to prevent a disaster? What if there was a fight in the process and Michael Jeter changed his mind as a result?

Dok Soo-hee…

“You were actually a good guy…? ?”

It may have changed in a positive direction.