289 - Regression Is Too Much

Chapter 289 – Battle of the Regressor (8) I have a fondness for animals. I adore puppies, kittens, and red pandas. Basically, I love all creatures that can be considered cute. There are many reasons humans are drawn to animals, but for me, it's their "simplicity" that stands out. This might make me sound a bit like a psychopath, but bear with me as I explain. Animals are straightforward. They don't hide their intentions. If they like something, they show it. If they don't, they make that clear too. They express their opinions transparently, staying true to their own feelings. Consequently, you can place your trust in animals. There's no need to worry about hidden malice or suspect them of pretending to like something they don't. Beyond their adorable appearance, the fact that you can pet their soft fur to your heart's content is a delightful bonus. “What, are you new here?” However, liking the beastmen is slightly different from liking ordinary animals. It's not just because they're larger and more intelligent beasts. Beastmen possess rationality. They are a collective entity. This means you can't trust them entirely, nor can you rely on all of their expressions. Even if beastmen are relatively honest compared to others, there's still a difference between something completely trustworthy and something relatively so. Their appearance... well, one might call them cute, yet there's plenty to find intimidating about them. When viewed as a species, the story might change, but the beastmen that find their way to the arena all carry a fierce demeanor. Sharp eyes, many scars, and robust physiques. It isn't just with the beastmen; I want to convey that I feel a bit distanced from them. Oh, and the fact that I can't just pet them as I please is another minor point. “They're adorable.” “What?” But now, here I stand as a beastman myself. A beastman enthusiast. Embracing love and peace. A true philanthropist. With warmth in my heart, I hold the hand of the furry beastman who’s gazing at me. Hmm~ The charming scent of a beastman. “What, what is this?” The beastmen appeared quite flustered. I offered them a bright smile and said, “I like animals.” “…What?” “That’s why, initially, I was not fond of the beastmen as much. There’s a distinction to be made between beastmen and ordinary animals. But now it's different. You’re more intelligent, stronger, and far more... engaging than regular animals. I truly wish to 'love' you.” “…” “Would you consider calling me... a beastman enthusiast?” A drone hovered above, keeping a watchful eye on me. As I had learned from the previous episodes, this drone recorded my every move. Equipped with various sensors, it could measure temperature, heart rate, and even magical power. Therefore, there's no point in lying. You must act with sincerity. After experiencing regression multiple times, I've become adept at acting. However, mere 'acting' isn’t enough. You need to be genuine. I like animals. Beastmen are essentially large animals. So, I like beastmen too. They're muscular, but they have a subtle cuteness. Charming. Soft. I want to touch them. – Pat, pat. "Soft." "…" When I lifted myself onto my toes and patted the large beastman's head, he looked startled and took two steps back. His friends reacted similarly. Even the burly, bald one avoided my gaze with a weary expression. It worked. I’m not doing this because I'm crazy. Here are my two main objectives: First, image creation. In the previous rounds, I concealed my strength. I performed to the best of my capabilities. I acted weak, played the victim, made things seem difficult. Yet my record of 100% victories led the arena to realize that I was holding back. Acting became meaningless. Top-ranked players hesitated to fight me for fear of losing their ranking. Mid-ranked players avoided fighting me because of the strength I was hiding. The players driven by money didn’t fight because they couldn’t make a profit. You can't keep hiding your power. You have to climb the ranks to reach the top-tier players. But with everyone avoiding a fight, there was no way to get there. That’s why I chose those 'driven by money' as my strategy. I also gathered funds to buy information about the beast killers. Therefore, my goal was to become famous. If I became well-known, money would naturally follow. The number of people wanting to challenge me would increase. Being famous would solve most of the issues I faced in one go. The concept I chose as a means to do this was the 'Beastman Lover' persona. In this world, opinions on beastmen are divided. Some people like them because they're cute, while others loathe them due to their unsightly appearance. Amidst all this, what kind of human would like beastmen? Yet, showcasing talent alongside this? It would definitely attract attention. As I mentioned when I became the Beastman Slayer, negative attention is still attention. And attention equals money. I plan to get rich with this 'Beastman Lover' concept. My second plan involves establishing a connection with the 'human killer.' For some reason, this individual harbored hatred toward all human species. He massacred humans in the arena who didn’t need to be killed. In order for a regressor to confront their enemies, information is crucial. I needed a way to meet that killer. What if I became a beastman lover? What if a beastman enthusiast and a human killer were to meet? The chances of involvement would be extremely, extremely high. Involvement means information. As I mentioned earlier, money is just a bonus. “Bubble, bubble.” “…” I'm not insane. Everything is strategically planned. Besides, beastmen are genuinely adorable. The texture of their fur is addictive. If only they didn’t smell so bad, it would be quite soothing. “…” “…” “How about a scratch under your chin? Hmm? Do you like it?” I stroked the beastman for quite some time, reminiscent of petting a friend’s dog. "Now it's Kim Jun Ho’s turn." “Hey, I’ll see you later.” When the drone arrived to escort me, I left calmly. At that moment, I thought rumors would spread about me being the ‘crazy person who treats beastmen like pets.’ I half-expected to be known either as someone who discriminates against the water people or as a deviant who fancies them in odd ways. “Hey, are you alright?” “… You’ve all settled now. Out in public, stroking my chin like that… I was so nervous I couldn’t move. Can you even be human…” And later on, I found out that this water person was apparently a female. People in this world seemed able to tell the difference, but as a person from the outside, I couldn't. All that fur made it hard to distinguish. The drone had captured my every move. It turns out, touching the chin holds special significance among the water people. I ended up aligning with Choi Ji-won without knowing this fact, and as I continued to assert that ‘I want to fight the water people. I like the water people,’ the rumor… veered into a rather strange direction. “Him?” “Oh. He likes women who fancy water.” “They’re touching each other’s chins, yet they don’t even pretend to be accountable.” “They say he’s no longer satisfied with human women, so he’s chasing after beast women.” “They claim he impregnated a noblewoman and fled to the arena?” “And moreover, he even brought a woman with him.” Unavoidably, the rumor spread in a slightly unintended direction. “That... Junho?” “…” “No, right?” “NO!!!” The result was a success. I gained enough fame even before the executioner appeared. I made a great deal of money in just three days, and my ranking rose swiftly. “Uh… hello?” “…” Other players avoided my gaze. The aliens whispered as I walked down the corridor. Except for the constant awareness of their eyes on me. Except for the fact that my dignity… was significantly diminished… I was successful… I was the enemy… There are various types of crazy people. There's the kind of crazy you dislike, and then there's the kind you inexplicably find yourself drawn to. For the beastmen, I clearly fell into the latter category. “I… lost.” “Thank you for your hard work. Here, have a drink. Oh, may I touch your fur?” “…Do whatever you like. I’ll have your drink.” I never harmed the beastmen I faced. While clearly demonstrating my superior skills, I also offered them drinks and snacks after our bouts. This was a strategy devised by Choi Ji-won, and it seemed to work, enhancing my image considerably. “Hey, fight me this time.” “Come to me. Lover.” Perhaps because of this, there were many beastmen eager to challenge me. Not to mention numerous members of other races vying for a chance to defeat me. “Hey, you furry bastard. Stop embarrassing humans.” In such cases, I wouldn't let them off easily. I'd pour my heart into the fight and take them down decisively. This too added to my fame. People began to say that I showed favor only to beastmen. My fame and riches grew far beyond my original expectations. I invested the earnings back into the beastmen, thereby gaining even more renown, and a beneficial cycle emerged. The positive cycle continued to build momentum. "This... suddenly... but... I will... make... a proposal..." There was a minor incident where Jake, the angel who suddenly appeared, avoided making eye contact with me. The situation was overwhelmingly positive. How much time passed like this? “Junho.” “Did he die?” “Yes.” The Brazilian player had died. The killer had yet to come near me. As before, he appeared at some point, targeted the Brazilian player, and killed him. He acted as if he were merely completing an assignment. However, the difference from the previous round was clear. “I’m going to buy some information.” This time, I had plenty of money.