Regression Is Too Much

“…”

Inside the elevator, the number [31] was displayed. Outside, it showed [4].

To confirm my hypothesis, I erased the [31] inside and entered [25] instead.

[10]

As if on cue, the number outside the elevator changed again—to [10].

With this, I confirmed one thing: the sum of the internal and external numbers was fixed at [35].

“What are you doing?”

“…”

The Acne Guy tried talking to me, but I ignored him. Running a hand down my face, I gathered my thoughts.

This elevator only allowed one person at a time. And unlike a normal elevator, it had a ‘Confirm’ button.

Which meant…

Just as my doubts turned into certainty, I heard a voice from outside—the girl with glasses.

“Wait a second! Everyone, step away from the elevator!”

“Huh? What?”

“I think I’ve figured out the twelfth floor. Gather around! Sit here.”

With a triumphant smirk, she put her hands on her hips. Then, striding confidently into the elevator, she grabbed both my arm and Acne Guy’s, pulling us out.

Once she’d seated us on the metal chairs, she began her explanation.

“Listen up. I think this is a kind of loyalty game.”

She adjusted her glasses, her voice full of conviction.

“I played around with the keypad earlier. The highest number you can enter is 35. Coincidentally, the number displayed above the elevator is also 35. And we know that only one person can enter per round, and each person gets just one turn per cycle. Do you see what that means?”

“…Nope.”

“We each have to go into the elevator one by one and contribute to reaching [35].”

Surprisingly, her conclusion was the same as mine. So those glasses weren’t just for show.

“My guess is this: every time someone enters the elevator, they input a number. Then, by pressing the Confirm button, they take some kind of ‘test.’ After all five of us have gone, the sum of our numbers must equal 35. The higher the number you choose, the harder your test will be.”

Each of us would pick a number and enter the elevator one at a time. As long as the total added up to [35], we’d clear the floor.

“Oh… Ooooh…”

“Wait, so that [35] might be the sum of the numbers written next to our rewards…”

She was sharp. Too sharp. Maybe I’d underestimated her. Or maybe she was just that competent.

Either way, I found myself nodding in satisfaction.

“Alright. I picked 10.”

I had no reason to hide it, so I stated it confidently.

To reach 35, we needed two 10s and three 5s. That meant one other person must have also picked 10, while the remaining three had chosen 5.

The strategy was simple: each person inputs the number they selected for their reward, takes the corresponding test, and we proceed. Basically, a pay-for-what-you-take system.

“Got it. I picked 5. What about you guys?”

“…Me too. I picked 5.”

“I played it safe and picked 5.”

“Same here. It was my first time, so I picked 5.”

“…”

We had a problem.

There was already a freeloader.

We needed two people to have picked 10, but four people just claimed they all picked 5.

Someone was lying.

“…Hey. Are you serious right now?”

The Glasses Girl scowled, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I remembered that the four of them were supposed to be on the same team. And yet…

“We haven’t been together for long, but we’re still a team, aren’t we? How could you do this?”

“…Wait. You just started working together?”

“Oh, yeah. We met on the 11th floor and decided to stick together…”

“…”

Right.

Floors 6 to 10 were solo stages.

It made sense that their teamwork was shaky.

“I swear, I really picked 5.”

“It’s not me! I swear on my mom!”

“…Same here… I really chose 5…”

The three of them kept insisting on their innocence, their faces filled with genuine distress.

Could it be that Glasses Girl was the one bluffing instead?

No, I couldn’t jump to conclusions.

With my ability to regress, the truth would reveal itself sooner or later.

For now, the best move was to keep the peace and gather more information.

“Alright, let’s not fight. The tower restricts information, so finding the culprit is impossible right now. Let’s drop it for now and focus on what’s important: passing the test.”

“…That’s true.”

“The real issue is that we still don’t know what the test actually is.”

It could be a fight against a monster.

Or a puzzle-solving challenge.

Maybe even something that inflicts pain directly into your brain.

Either way, since we had no idea what kind of test awaited us, recklessly diving in was out of the question.

“So, I have a suggestion. Let’s pick one brave volunteer, have them enter [1], and take the test.”

Since we didn’t know the nature of the test, the safest approach was to start with the lowest possible number. My suggestion was completely rational.

“But…”

However, there was one problem.

“If we do that… wouldn’t that person be entering 1 instead of the 5 or 10 they originally selected?”

“That’s true.”

“Then how do we make up for the missing points?”

Exactly.

In any kind of team effort, if one person slacks off, the rest have to carry the burden.

But there was a simple solution to that.

“In that case, I’ll enter [19]. No—actually, I’ll take on the entire [34] myself. I can handle it.”

I would simply carry the weight myself.

In fact, this was how I had been clearing floors all along—using my regression-strengthened body to shoulder the burden that others would normally have to bear.

This method had worked flawlessly so far, and I had suggested it with that same confidence.

But then—

“Wait.”

The Mole Guy walked up to me.

“I don’t think that’s the right approach.”

“…?”

“If you do that, you’re robbing us of our chance to grow.”

“…”

“We came to this tower to get stronger. But if you take on all the challenges yourself, aren’t you just stealing our opportunities? Experience, combat training—all of it.”

His words were blunt, almost rude—but they weren’t wrong.

This was something I had struggled with back in the tutorial and on the fourth floor as well.

If I steamrolled through every obstacle, then others would never get the chance to fight and improve.

The fourth floor had been a prime example.

The people I had saved there had survived and even obtained a rare elixir.

But because I had done all the fighting, they had missed out on valuable combat experience.

It wasn’t entirely wrong to say that they had suffered a loss because of me.

But at the same time…

Was I supposed to just let people die?

Just because they willingly entered the tower, did that mean I should stand by and let them die?

Back in modern society, if someone tried to jump off a building, police officers or firefighters would try to stop them—out of moral duty.

But I wasn’t a police officer. I wasn’t a firefighter.

And this wasn’t modern society.

Was it even right to apply those moral principles here?

“We’re not people you need to protect. If you really want someone to test the waters, then you do it.”

“…”

I see.

He had a point.

Maybe I had been acting selfishly.

I thought I was the one making sacrifices, but maybe I had actually been the one taking something away from others.

Maybe I wasn’t the overly generous fool I had believed myself to be.

Instead of losing something, I had been the one denying them an opportunity.

Of course, that didn’t mean I should let them die.

But it was clear that me clearing everything alone wasn’t the right solution either.

I needed to find a balance.

…Huh. I guess this was a moment of personal growth.

Fine.

I’d go along with their way this time.

“Alright. I’ll enter [1] and check it out myself. Everyone okay with that?”

“Yeah, sure…”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright.”

I looked around once more, then stepped into the elevator and pressed [1].

With a low mechanical whirr, the elevator began to move.

About 30 seconds later, it stopped.

When the doors slid open, I found myself standing in an entirely white space.

Walls, floor—everything was pure white, devoid of any sense of distance.

It felt like I was stranded in a vast, empty void with nothing but the elevator behind me.

“…Hmm.”

–The test will now begin.

As soon as I stepped out, an emotionless voice echoed through the space.

At the same time—

A shadowy figure staggered to its feet.

A pitch-black, mannequin-like shape.

…This felt eerily familiar.

“…This is just like the fifth floor.”

The mannequin had a massive [1] stamped on its head and gripped a wooden club, something like an old baseball bat.

Slowly, it approached me.

Its movements were sluggish, and its limbs trembled slightly—like it was pretending to be afraid.

“…”

Slash!

There wasn’t even a fight.

I swung my sword, slicing straight through its head.

The mannequin didn’t even have time to react.

–The test has been completed. Please return to the waiting area.

“…That was easy.”

Even though it was just a 1-point test, I hadn’t expected it to be this simple.

Honestly, this was easier than the mutant goblins in the tutorial.

Now that I thought about it…

The people trapped on the 11th floor hadn’t been stuck because the floors were too hard.

They had been stuck because they couldn’t afford the passage fees.

From a top player’s perspective, these lower floors were actually too easy.

In fact, many of the players currently active were far stronger than these floors required.

Even the guys I was with earlier—sure, they were cocky, but they were likely top-tier players.

Which meant…

If we played our cards right, we could clear the twelfth floor smoothly and without any issues.

And once we cleared it, I could finally return to Earth and rest for a bit.

Ji-won would probably be worried.

I should think about how to explain all of this to her.

At least, that’s what I thought back then.

– – End of Chapter – –

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