282 - Regression Is Too Much

282 – The Return Match (1) I believe in the butterfly effect. I believe that the smallest difference in behavior can lead to a vast impact. "What’s wrong?" “NOTHING.” Therefore, we focused on doing everything exactly as we did in the previous episode. We cleared the 27th floor effortlessly. After waiting for a bit while taking a shower, I asked Jiwon to contact the firefighter, Park Cheol-jin. The corporate dinner was a feast, but that was because Michael Jeter wanted to keep his promise to support us. But should we say that boring is indeed boring? Drinking jokes are usually fun the first time you hear them, but when you hear them again, they fail to provide that thrilling, refreshing reaction. Still, I tried. I tried to show the same reaction as in the previous episode as much as possible. “By the way, did I say something wrong?” “Oh no. “NO.” Of course, human concentration has its limits, and consequently, there was a small mistake where Michael Jeter lost focus and frowned while recounting the story. I was able to repeat the previous episode with ease. No variables. The world would proceed in the same manner. And let's talk more about conservation. “Are you conserving your contribution more?” “Let’s get to the 30th floor and think.” “Okay.” I decided to save my contributions a little longer. It's not that I currently lack power, so it's better to use the contributions I’ve accumulated when I'm overwhelmed. The level... remains unchanged. Honestly, I had some expectations after slaying the dragon, but the level didn’t unlock. If killing such a huge dragon doesn’t unlock the level, do I have to kill a deity to level up? I don’t know. Still, I don't immediately feel a lack of power, so I suppose it’s not an issue. "Are you ready?" “Of course!” Preparations were complete. Conditions were optimal. The mentality was sharp. 28. 29. 30. Only three floors remain to the 30th floor. Three steps left to step into the future. “Let’s go.” Perhaps. This won’t take long. -Entering the 28th floor. ** “What. Are you a newcomer?” “Hey, rookie, stand rather than lie down…” -Thunk. “Huh?” When I regained consciousness. I caught a kick swinging towards my head. I think this has happened before. I blocked it this time. “Ah, um. Hmm. “I’m sorry.” “…Why would such a big jerk be lying down? Damn... I wonder if he’s holding his form right…” When I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw a bald man with a long beard slightly bowing his head and several fur-covered creatures staring and whispering. Wait, fur-covered? Looks like some kind of Yeti. They weren’t human. Nonetheless, their bodies were all muscular and well-trained, with weapons nearby. They were warriors. Okay. I could see that right away. They were strong but seemed a bit simple-minded. It was clear from how loudly they spoke behind my back. With these guys, you’ve got to put in more effort to get things done. “Where am I?” With a cold expression, I asked them with a straightforward tone. The bald head shrunk a little, speaking submissively. “Well… Didn’t you come here knowing that?” “I don’t know.” Wooden floors. Pots. A few sofas that looked comfy. A massage chair. A TV. A water purifier. It seemed like some sort of office or a rest area. Yet, the overall design was avant-garde and not of earthly style. The furniture seemed mismatched and out of place. I glared at the bald man again. He hesitated and then replied. "Alright. You might not know." “Explain in detail.” “…What did you tell me?” “Eh.” “…Damn.” The bald, bearded man bit out a curse, turned towards me, and began explaining. Why did his hair grow downward instead of up? “This… This is an arena.” “Arena?” “Don’t you know what an arena is? What is an arena?” “NO. No, more details.” “…Well, this is the largest arena in the universe, and we’re the ones who battle here. Earn money too. And gain fame. If you do well, you’ll get women too.” “Space?” “Yes, space.” So, the setting is on a cosmic scale. “If you fight and win, your ranking improves… As your ranking rises, the prize money for winning increases too… If you lose too often, you’re kicked out… and then…” “I generally understand. Are the fights one-on-one?” “Uh… Yes.” So, it’s like the PvP ranking in a game. You battle one-on-one, and if you win, your rank increases. The fight funds increase too. A place to gain fame. “Try explaining something else.” “Okay…” The bald man wasn’t the best at explaining, but fortunately, I understood clearly. Anyone could register at the arena. After registering, if you wait a bit, a suitable fight is set up, and if you win, your rank goes up. Money is deposited into the account you provided upon registration, and if your rank is high enough, the matches are broadcast live, for which you get broadcasting fees... That’s how it was explained. “Is it possible to die in a fight?” “Well, in principle, you could get killed… But since they’re partners, not many deliberately kill. If bad rumors spread, opponents might refuse to fight.” “Hmm.” Isn't the fact that I just tried to kick someone’s head considered a part of the camaraderie spirit? Or maybe they're trying to intimidate me since I'm new. I don’t know. Either way, the atmosphere isn’t as menacing as I thought. Should I call this a bit of ‘entertainment’? Or maybe it’s just sporty? Perhaps the purpose of this floor is linked to this arena. I should register first. “So, where do you register?” “…This is the waiting area. The fact you’ve made it this far probably means registration is complete…” “Aha.” “… “ Registration was indeed complete. As I barely made sense of it, I noticed a TV flickering vigorously on the other side of the wall. On one TV, numbers reminiscent of bank queue numbers flashed, while on another, people were gearing up to fight. The crowd was enthusiastic. 〈Floor 28〉 -You can clear the arena when you reach the top 100. -Your identification number is 67271711. “The 100th place.” It was only then that a message window popped up discreetly. All you had to do was rank within the top 100. “Bald guy. What’s your rank?” “…Ranked 241,104.” Gazing into his eyes, I felt his magical power, but it wasn’t significant. Even judging his soul, it didn’t shine brightly. A man approximately in the top class for a normal human was ranked at 240,000. “What rank am I?” “Why do you ask me…” “As a beginner, he might surpass rank a million.” “Okay.” If he’s within the top 25%... I understood roughly. How does it actually feel? I nodded, thinking I had grasped the situation. I opened the door, and a spherical drone-like machine flew out, analyzing my face. Instinctively, I almost dodged it, but sensing no danger, I allowed it. “Rumput Laut. Juni. Attention. It’s your turn now.” After scanning my face, a smiley emoticon appeared on the surface of the aging drone. It seemed it was my turn and the drone was there to guide me. “May I follow you?” “Yes.” “Great.” I stood up, gave a pat to the furry yeti-like creature by the exit, and followed the drone out of the waiting lounge. From afar, I hadn’t noticed it, but up close, the Yeti had a strong animal odor. It was quite filthy. Nevertheless, as I opened the door and stepped out, I was greeted by the blackness of space. The corridor walls were transparent, and the universe and its twinkling stars were vividly on display. It seemed an implausible setting even for science fiction. “Are you new?” “Oh.” “It’s a human.” The corridor was packed with non-human entities. A slime-like figure glanced at me with a grin, a fish-like being widened its eyes, and a cat-like person made a ruckus. I felt as though I wasn’t on Earth, and a part of me wanted to stir the scene, but… Since I was about to fight, I maintained my composure as best as I could. “This is the place.” “Okay.” How long did we walk? The drone stopped in front of a small door. Without hesitation, I opened it and stepped inside. There was no reason to delay. “Hoo.” Inside the door was a room resembling a playground with a dirt floor. Isn't that right? It was somewhat cramped for athletic equipment. It felt roughly like four school classrooms merged into one. The walls and ceiling were made of iron. The dirt floor. There was a small door on the opposite side, designed similarly to the one I had entered through. It seemed like a space meant for others to enter as well. “It’s a bit different.” What I had seen on TV before was an expansive room with spectators and numerous cameras. Perhaps because this was my first fight, there was nothing but the drone hovering in the air. “Hah.” Well, this wouldn’t take long. This floor. -67271711. Entry complete. I wasn’t worried about losing. No matter who was the opponent. I intended to climb into the top 100 as swiftly as possible. It trembled. The door on the opposite side opened. I took a deep breath and prepared for combat. This would be over in a single round. -67271710. Entry complete. “…Huh?” “Oh?” Just as I expected. “…Jiwon?” Until I realized that the woman standing there was Choi Ji-won.