321 – The Regressor… (5)

– Entered the 26th floor.

The 26th floor, which serves as a store and a mid-point for players. Before, I would look at this chaotic yet vast 26th floor every time I entered, but now that the condition was not good, I looked for Jiwon first.

“… Jiwon-ah.”

“You’re here? Let’s go quickly.”

Choi Jiwon, who was supporting me again, moved. Perhaps because Choi Jiwon was supporting a man she didn’t know so gently, I felt the players’ gazes focused on her.

No, today, the gazes were especially harsh. It seemed like the players all knew Choi Jiwon, so they didn’t pay much attention to her, and instead, there were more people who stared at me.

“Junho, are you using your magic?”

“… No. But I can’t tell if I’m using it or not. I could be using it.”

“Really? Something… My chest feels stuffy. I thought it was because of your magic.”

The number of eyes staring at us increased as time passed. They didn’t seem to want to provoke us, so they didn’t whisper among themselves or make loud noises, but just watched us from afar with their player eyesight.

Some were dozens of kilometers away. Some were hiding in buildings. Some were pretending to close their eyes for a moment. They were pretending not to notice, but… ‘all’ the players were really watching us.

This atmosphere was truly strange. On the truly quiet 26th floor, everyone on this floor was looking at us. Without saying a word, without moving, just looking. It felt like we had become something more than zoo monkeys.

“… Let’s go.”

No, it was an overreaction. My senses must have gone crazy again. It’s common sense that someone would look at us from dozens of kilometers away.

When we arrived at the store, we started looking for items that could help us. Since we had successfully cleared the floor, we had accumulated a lot of contribution points and there were many things to buy. A

medical examination machine that analyzed our body condition in detail, a magnet that showed us the location of a doctor who could cure our illness…

“…”

Of course, none of them were effective. It was natural since the rank was lower than the elixir, but the result was also problematic.

“Am I… healthy?”

All the items I purchased with expensive contribution points showed that I was healthy. My head hurts, I feel dizzy, and I feel like vomiting. My vision is going crazy. Am I healthy?

Rather than interpreting this as me being healthy, it would be more correct to see that the rank of the item is simply lower. Something… something must have gone wrong.

Whatever it was. There was no gain. Nothing else was unusual.

“Please wait a little longer!”

Oh, and an angel from the 28th floor came to visit us. That is, an angel from the floor where the Heavenly Demon was.

He kept thanking us and saying that he would definitely prepare a reward soon. He kept emphasizing that we should wait a little longer before leaving. It seemed that he was a high-ranking angel who could move between floors, and his eyes were filled with determination to make sure that we got a proper reward.

Yes, a reward. Good. It would be even better if it was a liquid that could cure me. If I think about it, I didn’t get the elixir as a reward on the 28th floor, so I guess I should call it a substitute. I’d like to get something.

“…”

Anyway. As a result, we returned to reality without a proper solution. It was a kind of strategic retreat.

“Junho, how are you feeling?”

“It seems to be getting… a little better.”

The warrior’s words were true, as the pain and dizziness were slowly subsiding. My body’s senses were still out of control, but I was still thankful that it was ‘less’ painful. It was only slightly better now, but it might get better later.

“Then now…”

“What should I eat more when I’m tired? I’ll make some porridge first, so lie down for a bit.”

“Thank you.”

From now on, I decided to take my time, rest sufficiently, and observe my body’s condition. I’ll visit Mr. William Smith later, and listen to some advice here and there… I decided to ‘recuperate’ instead of rest. Since my condition was already bad, my eyes automatically closed as soon as I laid down on the bed.

“Huh? Why is it so noisy…”

If I close my eyes, I can hear the original sound better. But now… it was quiet. It wasn’t just our room, but for some reason, it was quiet outside as well. The only things I could hear were the sounds of wild animals. There were extremely few human sounds.

Could it be because it was night? But shouldn’t it be noisier at night in Korea? Jiwon, who had taken out her cell phone, tilted her head, saying that her phone had died. The sound of

someone tapping on the screen. The sound of a bird flying by. The sound of a cat crying. And.

-Thump. Thump. Thump.

The regular sound coming from the front door. There was no chance to rest. Someone was knocking on the front door. A delivery? No way. Delivery? She hadn’t even ordered yet.

“I’ll go.”

“… No, I’ll go.”

At first, Jiwon said she would come and see me. But I felt that I had to go out myself, so I dragged my aching body to the front door.

-Squeak.

The door opened. It was pitch dark outside the house. Usually, the streetlights and the hallway lights were on, but the hallway lights were broken and not on, and the streetlights were off.

Combined with the strange silence outside, there was a dreary atmosphere outside. No, you could call it ominous.

And in the middle of all that ominousness.

“… Mr. Junho.”

Michael Jeter was standing there. Michael Jeter, the president of the Players Association and one of the most important people in America. He

was standing there in shabby clothes, with unkempt hair, and a stern expression.

“…”

Jeter glanced at me and behind me with trembling eyes.

-Nod.

He soon lowered his head so that his crown was visible.

“No, no. Why are you here all of a sudden…”

“By any chance. Did you check your cell phone?”

“…No. I need to check it…” ”

“I hope you haven’t checked. And before that, I want you to listen to me. Can I come inside?”

“…”

I opened my mouth blankly, even though I was sick.

Up until now, Michael Jeter’s visits were always announced. We made plans in advance through emails and such, and Jeter would arrive at the appointed time and place exactly. It was

different this time. He never made any appointments in advance, and he never even contacted us in the first place. Is that all? We had just returned from the 26th floor. When we arrived at this studio, I meant ‘just now.’ We

‘just’ came back, and the president of the world’s largest organization just arrived at my studio? Do you think that makes sense?

Besides, I had never told Jeter where my studio was. We always met at Jiwon’s house, and I had never even mentioned my studio.

Yes, he was the president of the Players Association and a major figure in the United States, so he would have known. I don’t think the president of the United States or the president of Korea wouldn’t know where my studio was. Since Choi Ji-won was coming and going, I thought he must have figured it out. The reason he didn’t bother us was probably because he was considering the aftermath. (They also don’t know that I’m strong.)

But if that was the case, if he didn’t want to provoke Choi Ji-won and me, he shouldn’t have come to me like this. This is incredibly rude, and it’s also an act of breaking trust.

“Please come in.”

I thought it must be important enough to endure such rudeness. At least I trusted the man named Michael Jeter. I trusted his words about serving humanity, I trusted the way he showed me, and I trusted Jeter as a person. That’s why I willingly allowed him to have space in my studio.

“Thank you.”

Jeter came right in. He didn’t even take off his shoes. He wasn’t wearing shoes in the first place.

“Whew.”

His feet were dirty with dirt and all, but they were instantly cleaned as he passed through the front door. It seemed to be an effect of his trait.

“I don’t know how to… tell you.”

“No, why are you telling me not to look at my phone?”

“… Let me explain. Everyone, I will explain.”

“Instead.”

“There is one condition.”

Michael Jeter spoke with an attitude, voice, and expression I had never seen before.

“This is a notebook that you can get on the 24th floor.”

“Uh, if you lie, you will be burned…”

“That’s right. Everything I’m going to say from now on is the truth. There is no such thing as a lie.”

“…”

“So… please, listen until the end. Until I finish speaking. Please focus on what I say. This is my only condition.”

Jiwon nodded at me. It was a gesture that left it up to me.

My condition was also getting worse, but Michael Jeter. The president of the players’ association. This was the first time he had come to me in such an urgent manner and rudely, so I nodded. I thought there must be a good reason.

“Thank you.”

Michael Jeter bowed his head again.

“From now on, I will… a little. No, it was quite a while ago.”

Jeter’s voice, which possessed the ability to ‘adapt’, was.

“I think I need to talk about the past.”

Fear. Regret. And he was trembling with regret.