344 – Ruin (5)
They say that those who have eaten rice cakes eat well, and those who have experienced regression do well.
“… Yeah.”
I was able to adapt to the increased power much faster and more skillfully than before. I invested all my time in adapting in the previous round, so if I can’t do it again, I’m an idiot.
So, as a result, before the third day, I was able to move my body to a certain extent, and after I adapted, I started seeing things I couldn’t see before.
“her.”
The warrior’s magical power spreads widely across the entire 29th floor. And the hostility that emanates from that magical power.
I guess he wasn’t really trying to kill me, but was just sending me a warning. That’s because the warning was so gruesome.
So, from the hero’s perspective, I gave him a friendly warning and didn’t attack first. Without even knowing that, I went to the hero’s tent, gushing out magical power. From the hero’s perspective, wouldn’t it look like I was picking a fight by saying, “Please kill me.”
“Junho. Does it make sense to kill someone just because they pick a fight?”
“…sorry.”
As my perspective changed, my way of thinking also changed drastically. Anyway, I pulled myself together and cautiously entered the tent. This time, I had my magic power fully concentrated.
“after.”
But, even if I have harnessed my magical power, will the warrior see me as harmless? Rather, isn’t it possible that he might not acknowledge me, saying, “What is this brat?”
I’ve prepared a contingency plan to prepare for this possibility.
“Hello, warrior. Actually, I was forced to become stronger against my will, so I am not good at controlling my strength. I have no intention of fighting whatsoever. If you just admit it today or tomorrow, I will leave the 29th floor as quickly as possible. Thank you.”
In this case, there is no reason for the warrior to pick a fight. This guy is not the type to act first anyway. If he was going to pick a fight even if he bowed down first like this, he would have done so a long time ago.
“…”
Actually, my strategy worked, and a message appeared on my status screen saying that I had received the warrior’s approval. I didn’t receive a separate response, but I think it’s safe to assume that we’ve reached an agreement.
“thank you.”
Thanks to that, a day passed and I was able to come out to reality. Now it was time to go see the president.
**
“I’m sorry…”
“Go.”
“…if.”
“It’s true that you’ve returned. Go.”
“…All right.”
As soon as I returned to reality, I sent back Michael Jeter, who was waiting in front of my house. I was sure I was angry at Jeter in the last episode, but Jeter didn’t return. It didn’t seem to be a problem with my emotions, but rather, as expected, Jeter’s emotions had faded.
Then again, has the president also become less emotional? I don’t think so. The president I saw at the White House was no different from an ordinary person. I’m not saying he was less emotional or that he didn’t understand what I was saying.
But if you didn’t listen to me while you still remembered… how should I interpret that?
“Why would that be?”
To be honest, I couldn’t understand it in my head. It seemed like he understood clearly. Why? Why didn’t the president listen? Why didn’t he listen?
I didn’t say I would forgive you, but isn’t this a win-win outcome for both of us? Since you’ve already earned my resentment, are you going to go all the way? Isn’t that a really stupid way of thinking?
“No. This won’t be it.”
The president of a country can’t be that stupid. It doesn’t make sense logically. So, I guess the result of ‘ignoring the regressor’s suggestion’ came about due to some factor that I didn’t consider…
Well, is there any reason to think about it further?
“Let’s go.”
Rather than worrying about it alone, it would be better to ask him directly.
**
“Oh, you’re here already? I’m not quite ready yet… What a pleasant surprise.”
The White House I returned to was not much different from before. The security guard checked my face and let me in, and the president greeted me with a big smile.
“Are you crazy?”
I don’t understand that. Does this situation seem like a joke to you? Why are you acting like nothing happened?
“What is the reason?”
“yes?”
“What is the reason?”
“…?”
The president looked embarrassed. Only then did I realize that something was strange.
“You don’t remember?”
“…What do you remember?”
“oh my god.”
Is it an act? No. You can’t fool me, who is now stronger, and there is absolutely no reason to act. It means that there is absolutely no benefit for the president to gain.
So what’s the problem? Emotions? Well, I think my emotions were strong enough. Why?
“Something… something is wrong?”
As I looked serious and thoughtful, the president also seemed to realize that the situation was complicated. In fact, the situation was complicated to begin with, but it would be more accurate to say that it was ‘more’ complicated.
What is the reason? Where did it go wrong? What is it? What is the problem? If there is a problem…
“Mr. President.”
soul.
“Book, let’s go look at that together.”
There is no other reason than that.
**
This was my first time seeing the actual ‘Book of Truth’. It looked incredibly old-fashioned and large, like a book… If this book were displayed in a museum, it would look like it would not be out of place.
“So. How do you use this?”
“That is…”
The President was still confused as to why I was acting like this, and I was confused as well, because even though I had become this strong, I didn’t really feel anything from the book.
I heard that this book can really answer ‘anything’. So, rather than saying that this book is nothing special, it would be more correct to say that I don’t feel it because my level is too low. Well, I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s the best.
Anyway, I followed the President’s instructions and held up a large gold bar and shouted.
“Book. Why didn’t the return of companions work on the president?”
Jeter said the book was extremely generous when it came to basic rules, so he figured something like this big gold bar would be a sacrifice.
“…”
“… Hey, why aren’t you answering this?”
“That is…”
For some reason, the book didn’t give any answers. The large book suddenly opened with a bang, revealing pages with writing on them. The book didn’t seem to want to budge.
“Is gold not enough?”
I didn’t like the picture because it seemed like I was persecuting an old politician, and since this person didn’t even know why I was angry, I didn’t feel like getting annoyed. So I was just making my own guesses.
-Clang!
□He belongs to me.□
A book that opens late. It boldly says, “The President is mine.” He didn’t even take the gold bars I was holding. What, you could answer without a sacrifice?
“What do you own? Your soul?”
□Yes.□
“…”
So, the president’s soul has already been dedicated to the book. That’s why ‘return together’ did not take effect.
To begin with, my companion return isn’t an ability written in the status window, and I figured out the conditions the hard way, so I don’t really have any complaints…
“What does that have to do with your soul being yours and my companion return being activated…?”
At first, I didn’t really understand what this book was saying. I looked at the book with such questions as, “That’s that, isn’t this this?”
□It is because the roots are the same.□
“…they have the same roots?”
□Yes.□
“Roots… roots…”
By the way, the book said that it wasn’t affected by my regression. Now that I think about it, it seems like it has an ego too… There were ghosts on the 23rd or 24th floor that weren’t affected by my regression. Is it the same context?
“So then?”
-chin.
There was something else I wanted to ask, but the book closed as if it had told me everything it needed to know. No matter how much I tried to talk to it or coax it, it showed no signs of opening again. It wasn’t affected by regression, so there wouldn’t be much point in coming back.
“Oh, my head hurts.”
Anyway, I understand the current situation. It’s not that the president didn’t listen to me, but that his memory didn’t connect in the first place. I confirmed that my companion return doesn’t work on people whose souls are devoted to books.
So what should we do from now on? Actually, there is still a way.
“… You just have to make someone else regress.”
If the President himself is unable to do so, another trustworthy person can be brought back to convey my intentions to the President. However, whether that person can reach the President is another matter.
A person who is trustworthy and can somehow reach the president…
“… Dok Soo Hee?”
Well, I don’t know. I don’t know if I can trust Dok Soo Hee, and Dok Soo Hee doesn’t come out in reality in the first place. That means she can’t satisfy the conditions for return.
Someone else… A messenger? Thanks to the hiding, he could reach the president, but whether he can be trusted is another matter. Or Park Cheol-jin? Kang Chan?
If you choose a companion for the return now, you must go with that person until the end. Even if you block the president’s plan, the memory will continue. You must be careful.
“…”
Yeah, let’s leave that as a last resort. There are still a few cases that we can try.
Let’s go back for now. And.
“Hero.”
“…”
“Are you willing to tell me some secret or something?”
Attack the warrior.