322 - Regression Is Too Much

322 – The Past (1) These were the early days of the Tower. Truly, the ‘early days’. “I need to be at the center of it all. The newly emerging superhuman abilities are too dangerous. I need to make myself an idol, controlling everyone as someone to be admired and secretly feared. I can achieve this with my power.” Jeter was expanding his influence online. “Marie! Eat up! I made your favorite ravioli. I also got you some bread.” “…” “There she goes again.” “Honey, what's wrong? Is Marie acting strange again?” “She ran away a few days ago, and now she’s always like this. No matter what I say, she just replies, ‘Mom won’t understand.’” “That’s just how girls are at that age. You know.” “No, but she still needs to eat.” Another tutorial where there were no extraordinary strong beings like Michael Jeter. There, a girl who had witnessed countless human deaths groaned from the trauma. “Damn it, didn’t I tell you to take it down? Didn’t I tell you to cooperate? Do you still think you’re a free American citizen?” The US intelligence agencies threatening social media CEOs to hide information about ‘superpowered individuals’. A time when everything was just beginning. A time when the rules hadn’t been set. A time when no one fully understood the situation they were in. “This…” The US President sighed deeply in a secret laboratory hidden in the basement of the National Zoo. “I can’t believe it.” A large ledger hovered in front of him, and he was reading a thick report with his eyes. Although he was a politician known for his love of apple cider and renowned for his ‘mind-blowing’ concepts, he appeared rational and intelligent now. “Is everything here correct?” “Yes.” “Give it to me.” Since the research was conducted in secret, there were only three scientists here, with the rest being intelligence agents. The person who just answered was one of those agents, who pulled a gun from his pocket and handed it to the president. “Wow.” -Bang! Without hesitation, the president shot the book, and soon after, the agent picked up the shattered bullet from the floor and handed it to the president. “… Hehehe.” The US President shook his head. This was... what the scientists referred to. “The Book of Truth.” They said it was a book containing all truths. They claimed it was an object that could alter the entire course of human history. And the owner of such an incredible item… “Ronald… is he alright?” “Yes.” He was a young man with blonde hair, only 17 years old. His name was Ronald. He was the grandson of a senior Republican congressman still active in office, and he claimed he was summoned to a ‘tutorial’ while attending a prestigious high school. “Hah, hah hah…” The reason the president shouted that he must acknowledge all of this was because he had seen a video of a man spewing flames from his hands, a woman outrunning a car while sprinting, and an elderly lady lifting a 300 kg barbell with one hand. The world was transforming in unprecedented ways, and he had the responsibility to respond appropriately as the President of the United States. The Tower might indeed exist, and those who survived could return with supernatural powers. However, if we accept this, we must also acknowledge the contents of this report now. – The reality of the Tower has been confirmed, and the possibility of a deity-like entity has been suggested. – The target object (hereafter referred to as ‘the book’) follows strict reciprocity. The book provides relevant information when equipped with adequate materials, but offers no response if not supplied with sufficient resources. – The physical structure of the book cannot be altered with current technology. – The book is believed to have additional functions beyond merely providing information. However, the available materials do not currently activate these functions. – The reliability of the information obtained through the book has been confirmed. ＞ Senator Hubert dies from a heart attack. ＞ Explosion in a semiconductor factory in China. ＞ Billionaire Robert Kim caught having an affair. – The amount of materials needed to predict the distant future has increased, but its accuracy remains intact. – The book proposes the formation of an ‘association’ centered around ‘resilient climbers’ for social stability. – Further research and analysis are required, as well as an in-depth investigation into the mechanisms and potential applications of this phenomenon. More gold bullion is needed. If this report is true, the book knows everything, and everything is possible. If there's enough gold bullion, the book is omnipotent. Then, is it merely a book in shape? “… Isn’t this God?” Like… isn’t this God? The President. The President of the United States, the most powerful country in the world. Should he acknowledge the existence of a God manifesting before him in the form of a book? He was restless throughout the night. Because humanity rested on his shoulders. ** Once again, time passed. Rather than contemplating the identity of the book, the president decided to use it and eventually ordered the establishment of the ‘Player Association’. Initially, there was significant opposition, but after the Vice President was summoned to the Tower and returned alive, that opposition waned significantly. “No, really?” “Truly.” The Vice President had created ice from his hands, so how could you not believe it? You had to believe it. Anyway, that's how the 'Player Association' was formed. This association wasn't just established in the United States but exerted its influence worldwide. "Uh, we’re forming an association. In your country as well." "Do you think that’s reasonable?" "Here. Do you need this?" "Oh, no… Where did you get this?" "And this. If you look at this picture..." "This photo was taken when…" "Association." "... I’ll cooperate." Needless to say, the 'Book of Truth' greatly facilitated this process. A significant amount of gold was spent to gain the cooperation of politicians from other countries, but it was a fair trade as it ultimately quelled much confusion. Did the book and the gold bars only serve the association? Let me mention that the President's political position was considerably strengthened during this period. Nonetheless, the president and his research team never ceased their investigations of the book. They increased the amount of gold available by involving other countries, even conducting light experiments on the owner of the book, "Robert." Their understanding of the book and the sacrifices required slowly grew, and some scientists even envisioned world peace achieved through the book. The world was changing. However, the changes occurred in a somewhat 'orderly' manner. The existing social order remained intact and controllable. All thanks to the President, the Book of Truth, and, in part, Michael Jeter. The "Status Window" granted by God opened a new world. There was more to learn, and humanity progressed. "Mr. President! A family was murdered in Massachusetts!" "Mr. President! There have been three bank robberies!" "All police stations nationwide are nearly paralyzed! Police power has exceeded its capacity!" Yet, the emerging 'Status Window' and 'Players' had more darkness than light. "Your Excellency. There have been over 900 unidentified murders." "Initially, I thought it was just gang conflicts over drugs… But they say the cause of death wasn’t gunshot wounds, but burns. It must be the work of someone with power." They formed the association as instructed by the 'Book of Truth' and tried to suppress the chaos as much as possible… But the President did not have many means to halt the crimes committed by the players. Although firearms were effective, criminals could hide on the first floor. Unless you were a sharpshooter who could take down a player from anywhere, you couldn't kill an escaping player, and the number of trained snipers was woefully inadequate. In the first place, how would you know when and where a player would commit a crime and deploy snipers? "Mr. President!" "… What is it?" "It’s about the next presidential candidate…!" The chaos reached its peak when a politician was murdered. A politician known for making extreme statements to gain recognition and public popularity was killed in a hotel, but the perpetrator left no trace. At least, not a trace that could be captured by any current science or technology. "Aren't our lives no better than flies?" "Even movie stars and famous influencers are being killed or kidnapped. It's no different than walking around with your head on the chopping block." This led world leaders to convulsions of fear. No matter how much money you spent, how many people you employed, or how well you defended yourself, the fact that you could die left them terrified. This was especially true for leaders who generally felt they were a privileged class set apart from others. "We need a plan. Please, use that book..." "Isn't America the powerful one? Please, save us!" It was almost embarrassing to see individuals, who were supposed to represent the face of their nation, pleading with the American president, yet it was also true that no other country could come up with such a plan. Their plight was understandable, but America had its own concerns, too. "… We can't use the book. The amount of sacrifice needed is unfathomable." America had poured resources nearly to the brink, but the Book of Truth didn't answer the question, “Please tell us how to prevent the murder of politicians.” It was clear that the sacrifices made weren't enough, but it seemed like the question itself was too broad and involved the private lives of players. "China could provide test subjects. If they sacrifice people..." "Don’t cross that line, Chairman. Let's think of another way." The Chinese representative spoke nonsense, but the president firmly refused. There’s a line that shouldn't be crossed. Of course, the situation remained hopeless. "Players should remain heroes. They need to climb the tower." Meanwhile, the president of the player association insisted on something like, ‘The darkness of the players shouldn’t be highlighted too much.’ He argued that the government should step in and assist the players since they lacked incentive to climb the tower. His stance was understandable, but it made the president's head throb. Abilities weren’t fixed. There were no specific categories, no commonalities. It was truly a matter of abilities that could be 'just used', so how do you stop them? Metal detectors? Ineffective. Face recognition? Players who weren't part of the association from the start would commit crimes. Watching people with disabilities? It would be discrimination against the disabled. During a meeting with senior government officials, crime experts, and various scholars, the president suddenly realized what he lacked. "…Imagination." The situation itself was unreasonable, so why should he be bound by common sense? That night, the president discreetly invited successful novelists. They were all writers renowned for their rich imaginations. "Your Excellency, what's the point of inviting novelists?" "The situation is absurd. If that's the case, we need to respond in absurd ways." By inviting the authors, the president engaged them in discussions about "the most deadly superpowers." Initially, the writers believed they were there for some illicit purpose, but as the discussion went on, they genuinely became engrossed. "If someone had a powerful mind-control ability, we wouldn’t know how to deal with it. The first target would likely be the president. If he could control the president’s mind and then expand his influence throughout the US government, he would quickly become the ruler of the world." Mind control. "What about someone with teleportation? If he had just one gun, bang! You could just shoot and escape, simple as that." A teleportation user. "Invisibility could also be fatal. No evidence would be left behind." An invisibility user. "What if someone could infiltrate computers? Today’s computerized systems wouldn’t stand a chance." An information-manipulating user. "What if they are too strong and too fast? What if even the greatest halting force of humanity—guns, missiles, and nuclear weapons—proved ineffective?" A body-enhancement user. "Perhaps someone who could stop time and move only themselves." A time-stopping user. And then. "What about the ability to go back in time?" A time traveler.