363 – Regression (11)

“…”

My head aches. I’m annoyed. Why did he act? Why did he try to be as natural as possible, like he knew nothing?

Hypothesis 1. He just has no interest in players. So he doesn’t care if I’m strong or not.

Based on what he’s shown so far, that doesn’t seem right… So, Hypothesis 2. He knew from the start that I’d regressed, and he didn’t want to get caught knowing about the regression. So he acted.

“This is weird too.”

But there’s a logical flaw here. If the Archangel Raphael really wanted to take the stance of ‘I know nothing about your regression,’ he should have reacted differently just now. At the very least, there should have been a conversation like, ‘How did you get so strong?’ for it to feel natural.

Isn’t it far more unnatural that he didn’t mention it at all? And is the Archangel stupid enough not to notice that unnaturalness? Enough to make such a clumsy lie and expect not to get caught?

No. I think it’s highly unlikely. Then, going in reverse, the Archangel would have known his actions were unnatural. He would also have known I’d sense that unnaturalness.

I felt like I was right up to this point. But the mystery is still unsolved.

“…Why?”

Why intentionally convey ‘unnaturalness’ to me? It’s like sending a secret signal. But usually, when you send a signal like that, you make it easy to understand. This is so difficult to decipher, it’s even more irritating.

Putting the most positive spin on it, the Archangel knows of my regression but has decided to turn a blind eye to it. And he expressed that blind eye by ‘acting awkwardly.’

Putting the most negative spin on it, the Archangel is actually just an idiot, and he tried his best to deceive me but is too stupid and shortsighted.

Why is that negative? The Archangel is managing this tower right now. If such morons are in charge, it’s me who’s going to suffer.

“…My head hurts.”

Anyway, I decided to stop the headache-inducing overthinking here. After all, I’d perfectly cleared this floor, and I’d decided against regressing in preparation for any unforeseen variables. Even when I spammed regressions in previous rounds, the archangels hadn’t interfered, so I’d stick to the same course of action this time.

“Besides, I don’t even know why the archangels disappeared in the first place.”

All the angels, except Raphael, were gone. Without knowing the cause, I couldn’t even speculate further. And why ‘only Raphael’ was here, I had no clue.

Whatever, enough pondering. I still have things to do. One of them is:

“First, to the States.”

That’s where I’m going: the United States.

You might wonder why I’m suddenly going to America instead of climbing the Tower. But you gotta think about it.

What’s a regressor’s biggest advantage? Knowing the future, that’s what. I do plan to change the future, but as little as possible, and in a way that benefits me. That’s the truly wise regressor’s attitude. Those punks who regress and then go all “I’m gonna change this woman’s fate!” don’t deserve to be called regressors.

So, what am I getting at?

“I want to enter the 3rd floor in the most similar environment possible, if I can.”

In the original timeline, I joined Choi Ji-won after waiting two weeks. I ate, got friendly with the residents, all while waiting for her.

But this round, I cleared the 2nd floor super fast. If I go into the 3rd floor now, even if I pick the hardest difficulty, I’ll be experiencing a 3rd floor that’s not the one I knew. More accurately, the people will be different.

So, to enter the 3rd floor with Kang Chan, Ahn Gyeong-jun, and Dok Su-hui, I have to wait two weeks like I did before. I have some issues to resolve there too, so waiting is better.

That should clarify why I have to wait two weeks. So why am I going to America now? Obviously, it’s because of one person over there.

“Jeter.”

Right now, Michael Jeter has been appointed as the ‘Player Association President,’ but he hasn’t officially taken office yet. I can’t prevent him from losing his emotions in the 5th floor, but I can stop him from breaking down even further there.

-Ji-won, Ma’am.

-Uhm, are you Jun-ho, sir?

-Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry, but I have a request.

– A favor?

– Lend me some money.

– …

My funds were short, so I borrowed some cash from Choi Ji-won on the fly, then I hopped on a plane and flew straight to the States. As soon as I got off at the airport, I took a train to Michael Jeter’s place, the one I’d heard of before I regressed. But he wasn’t home. Seems he hasn’t started his association activities yet… He must be inside the Tower.

“Guess I’ll wait.”

I had no choice but to take refuge at Jeter’s place. I grabbed some pasta at a nearby restaurant to fill my stomach and then was just sprawled out, watching TV when…

– *Click.*

“Hands up. Get up, just like that.”

The cold sensation of metal against the back of my head. Michael Jeter was back, and he had a gun pointed at me. Why a gun?

“Ah.”

He doesn’t know who I am. Figuring I could be a normal person, he chose a gun to threaten me instead of using his powers to overpower me with brute strength. He’s still picking the most brutally efficient option, of course.

“Get up.”

“The reason I’m here is…”

“I’ll shoot.”

“Mr. Jeter, I have something to say to you.”

– *Click.*

I stayed sitting on the sofa and continued talking, ignoring him. Jeter actually pulled the trigger. And of course, no bullet came out. I stopped it with my magic.

“…”

“Sit down.”

He stared at me for a moment, then obediently sat on the sofa. A lighthearted family show was blasting laughter from the TV, but the expressions on both our faces were far from amused.

There’s no need to hesitate.

“I’m a returnee. Or more accurately, I should say a time traveler.”

“…So?”

“In the future, you figure out my identity, and you spread it all over the world. Because of that, I was in a real bind. You just dump everything on me because I’m more capable, and the US President even puts my face on the news… Anyway, the two of us got into a whole bunch of shit.”

I carefully explained to Jitter about the things that happened in the future, and what Jitter did. Since there was a lot to tell, the explanation took a while, but Jitter listened silently, without interrupting.

“That’s how it went down.”

After the whole story was over.

Jitter’s expression hadn’t changed. That guy was in a state where his emotions were very muted. But the twitching of his eyebrows made it clear that he was at least half-believing it. After all, it didn’t look like I was lying.

“If you need proof, my strength is the proof. You kinda feel it, right?”

“…”

No answer came back, but the pistol thrown beside him seemed to be the reply. He must have realized that bullets don’t work on me, that I’m a really, really strong player.

There’s a saying, what’s meant to happen will happen. If I don’t take some action right now, Michael Jitter can interfere with me again through the book. He’ll probably already have left his mark on the book, so it’ll be even easier for him to gain certainty.

So, I’ll get the jump on things and stop him beforehand. Michael Jitter was cooperative after he realized the truth, so I figured if I talk to him about it beforehand, I could convince him.

“So by telling me all this ahead of time, you mean you don’t want me to interfere?”

“That’s right.”

“…I see. If that’s the case.”

Just as I expected, Jitter accepted it readily. Now that he’s confirmed I can grow strong on my own, he’s acknowledged that his involvement is unnecessary.

“Anything else you’d like to say?”

“…Not really.”

Jitter looked at me as if asking if there was anything more, and I nodded before stepping back. There were things I wanted to say, but those were things to say to the past Jitter, not to the current one.

Was it because I’m such a self-righteous prick that I screwed up such an easy thing? Just a sigh escapes me.

Anyway, with Jeter’s issue resolved, I returned to Korea. Made sure the rumors about Choi Jiwon were spreading well, checked if Park Cheoljin the firefighter’s wife was doing better, and also gave Choi Jiwon advance notice to sync up our time.

Another week spent solidifying the groundwork like that. It was about time. If I go into the 3rd floor now, the timeline will roughly align with the original history.

“Huu.”

Next is the 3rd floor. There are many things to consider in clearing the 3rd floor itself, but the biggest concern is, of course…

“Dok Suhui.”

If my prediction is correct, the moment I enter the 3rd floor, Dok Suhui will probably have her ‘memories’.