242 – The Returner Is Convinced (1)
Return. And ‘the center of the world.’ What is the relationship between the two, and how do they influence each other?
“… Umm.”
Even in the SF genre, a uniquely headache-inducing narrative is when a narrative related to ‘time’ appears. Parallel universes, multiple dimensions, the time difference between black holes and white holes… Even while watching it, the question ‘What does this mean?’ Comes to mind.
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To sum up what is certain, once something at the ‘center of the world’ is destroyed, it cannot be brought back even by regression. It disappears forever regardless of the passage of time.
“… I think I saw something similar. Was it the fourth dimension?”
I’ve seen an article like this before. The first dimension is a line, the second dimension is a surface, the third dimension is space, and the fourth dimension is time. Two-dimensional beings can see everything in the first dimension, and three-dimensional beings can see everything in the second dimension. Therefore, the gist of the article was that the existence of the fourth dimension means that the past, present, and future of all three dimensions can be seen.
What if the ‘center of the world’ is 4-dimensional? If something disappears in the 4th dimension, it makes sense for it to disappear in the past, present, and future…
“My head hurts.”
Since I am not an expert in this area, I cannot go further than this. Normally, when I read a science fiction novel, whenever an unfamiliar word appears, I just say ‘Ah~’ and move on, without really understanding the concept thoroughly.
Still, I understand one thing.
The return above the tower and the archangel. And the equivalent of that return is ‘the center of the world.’ The two have some kind of relationship.
The return is above the tower. On the 17th floor, the tower mistakenly thought I had not entered… Regression worked fine. This is evidence that the two decisions are slightly different.
Even the archangels do not easily notice my return. Otherwise, the regression would have been discovered on the second floor.
So then, this power of return is a power given by something higher than the Archangel…
There is only one being that comes to mind.
“… God.”
The god who is said to have created this tower. With that guy, it’s possible. The center of the world is probably related to God in some way.
Of course, a bit of a question is that regression is God’s work, and the tower is also God’s work, so why does regression act like a higher power? I don’t know this yet. There is not enough information.
Also, it is questionable that the archangel can access the ‘center of the world.’ If you can keep the monsters there, you can access them to some extent, so why doesn’t they notice my regression? This is also a secret that has not been revealed right now.
“Ugh… “
I don’t know. My head feels like it’s going to explode.
For now… Let’s do what we have to do. Clearing the 24th floor is confirmed.
**
-Reaper. There is something for you to do.
-Just tell me.
-I would like them to investigate the dispute between the U.S. Government and the association’s president, Michael Jeter.
-Yes.
-I put useful items in the storage room of the Korean subway. It’s a notebook that automatically catches fire if someone tells a lie, so you can tear out each page and write it down. To put it to good use.
-Yes.
The notebook given to the Shinigami is the notebook I chose as a reward for this episode. Since I was planning to return after collecting information anyway, I chose this item to give to the Shinigami from the beginning. (For reference, Choi Ji-won chose the mask.)
“This, but the world may be messier than I thought.”
“Yes.”
I’m only thinking about it now, but the rewards on the 24th floor are items that can have a significant impact on reality. You can pretend to be someone else, catch a liar, and spy on enemy intruders.
Right now, the number of players who have reached the 24th floor is not that large, so it is okay, but in the distant future, when the majority of players reach the 24th floor… Wouldn’t it be quite confusing?＜ Br﹥
“How long will I wait this time?”
“About two weeks?”
“Will two weeks be enough?”
“Uh. Just make sure Michael Jeter is fighting well. Going to the end… 30th floor? Let’s do it after we beat the 30th floor.”
If you beat the 30th floor, you will be stronger than you are now. That’s enough… We could secure enough force to change the future. It is said that Michael Jeter has reached the 29th floor. We are moving toward the future, just one step ahead of Michael Jeter.
“When that time comes, the tiger… Usage… “You can win, right?”
“The first time was on the 15th floor. Of course you can win. Just look at how strong you have become.”
It is true that even though I did not have a level, I have achieved great growth technically and mentally.
30th floor. I set the 30th floor as my goal. After reaching the 30th floor, I will stop climbing the tower and wait for the future.
“Then until then… Shall we take a break? How about Japan? Japan.”
“… It’s Junho. “If I want to leave the country, I have to contact the government.”
“… “Oh.”
Anyway, I contacted my acquaintances while waiting for the messenger to contact me. I had meals with players I was close to, including firefighters Kang Chan and Park Cheol-jin (I also became acquainted with the tutorial community that Ji-won Choi belonging to), and chatted on the phone with acquaintances from before the tower was created and talked about old times.
-Hey, do you remember that from back then? It was really fucking funny.
“Uh, uh. I know, I know.”
While talking on the phone, I realized that my memories of the past had become a lot blurry. Perhaps because there is a lot of information accumulating in the brain, it feels like the things that can be called memories have faded. Will my memories with Choi Ji-won become like this someday? It’s a bit scary.
“Dok Soo-hee… “
And Dok Soo-hee still has no contact. I’ll have to meet him in person to find out if he’s truly converted, or if he’s just acting, or if he has other intentions. Since I can’t contact you, there’s no way to check.
Maybe I remember the number wrong? That probably isn’t it.
Dok Soo-hee. He probably didn’t die while climbing the tower. Probably not. We met and talked safely in the future.
Lastly, I sent a text message and also contacted Michael Jeter just in case. I thought I might not be able to confirm because I was busy, so I contacted a person named Martin whom I had seen before…
“What about Michael Jeter?”
“There is no reply.”
Michael Jeter is busy, so I haven’t heard from him.
“What about Martin?”
“That person… I don’t know. “It’s the first time I’ve heard the name Dok Su-hee.”
Martin said he did not know anyone named Dok Su-hee at all. Dok Soo-hee herself said, ‘I work with Michael Jeter,’ and Michael Jeter also confirmed it, so it must be true that they are on the same side. Why doesn’t even Martin, who works at the association, know?
The reason was revealed by the Shinigami two weeks later.
-The investigation is over. The notebook was a great help.
-Thank you for your hard work. Put the information on a USB and leave it in Korea.
-Yes. However, the situation is very confusing and each person speaks differently, so the quality of information is low. Please read through appropriate filters.
-Okay.
-With this, we are one step closer to a better future for humanity. Please call me anytime.
“… Wow, that’s cringy.”
I brought Choi Ji-won the USB that the envoy had left behind, saying, ‘There is information I received from a mysterious collaborator.’
“Is this it?”
“Uh. Let’s see together.”
The information contained within the USB was truly surprising.
“The fight between Michael Jeter and the government is one of a kind… The battle itself has gone into a lull, and they are fighting over each other’s wits?”
“… “There must have been a reason why I couldn’t contact you.”
At first, Michael Jeter tried to reclaim the association politically. It is said that the attempt failed, and now an armed conflict has begun.
Here, it is said that Michael Jeter and the U.S. The government are surprisingly fighting on equal footing. Of course I thought Michael Jeter would crush it.
First, Michael Jeter’s private organization was revealed to the surface. Its name is ‘Alpha,’ and it is said to be an organization so shrouded in mystery that even players with intelligence characteristics did not know of its existence. In addition, as they tried out their activities, many strange abilities that had not been revealed before were exposed.
From those with the ability to teleport long distances (I’ve seen this often) to those with the ability to transform into animals. He even has the ability to infiltrate computers by converting his body into electrical signals. In addition, the true nature of all kinds of abilities was revealed during the conflict, and what they had in common was that they were abilities that were good to use in modern society rather than abilities that were useful for climbing a tower.
They appeared openly and attacked major U.S. Government facilities, but most players assumed that there were more people with hidden abilities. (There was no mention of the Prophet player who actually guessed the monster invasion.) There are all kinds of predictions on the deep web, and there is so much information that it is becoming more difficult to sort out the truth.
There was also a rumor that Choi Ji-won was actually from Alpha, but it was ignored. He wrote down some ridiculous information.
Also, although there was no mention of Dok Su-hee at all, it is clear that the unit Dok Su-hee belongs to is ‘Alpha’. Why was Dok Su-hee’s information not obtained even after repeated regression? This was because this organization called ‘Alpha’ was good at controlling information and did not reveal itself.
“This guy really dived.”
If Michael Jeter, who is at war, cannot mobilize, it seems that Dok Soo-hee does not really come out of the tower. I won’t be able to contact you for a while. I think we’ll have to wait a little longer to determine whether he’s become nice or not.
Next is the power of the U.S. Government. Their forces mainly consisted of the top players of the anti-Michael Jeter faction, players dispatched by governments of each country, the military, and the media. As the governments gathered their strength, they were very good at playing the media. (Similarly, there was a rumor that Choi Ji-won belongs here. Choi Ji-won is everywhere.)
The reason this dispute only floats around on the deep web and does not come to the surface is because the media is tightly controlled.
However, the people mentioned above are all just bridesmaids, and the real key is a man named ‘Mr. X’.
This man was said to be a key member of the ‘experiment’ that the United States was pursuing and a top player, and that if the government felt pushed back, Mr. Michael Jeter’s faction was originally a small elite group, but there are also quite strong people on the government side, so Jeter’s side is avoiding an all-out war and is leading the situation into a guerrilla war.
Of course, it is added that you should listen carefully. It seems better to just refer to it rather than completely trust it.
“What does that book say?”
What is the ‘Book of Truth’ that causes these two powers to wage war? How should we respond now?
“Uhm… “
“First of all, should I worry about it after reaching the 30th floor?”
“I guess that would be better.”
Let’s think about it after reaching the 30th floor. If Michael Jeter loses, then let’s help him. The moment Choi Ji-won and I get involved, it gets politically complicated, and it’s not a good idea to throw a spoonful in a fight that was originally winnable.
“So, what do we do now?”
“We have to go back.”
For more detailed information, I can get it when I jump in. The important thing is to climb the tower quickly. Once I gained strength, I decided to deal with the real problems at once. Dok Soo-hee, the U.S. Government, people around me, and healer William Smith who must be thinking somewhere in the U.S.
With enough force and regression, I can do anything.
[You have suffered damage.]
[It returns to the moment when you first entered the 24th floor.]
***
The 24th floor was equally desolate. The number of monsters has been noticeably reduced, and as a result, the difficulty level has become significantly easier.
“Is it over already?”
“Uh. “I was running around a lot.”
Is it because I ran with purpose this time? Likewise, I cleared it faster than Choi Ji-won, who I remember. It took only about an hour. Considering that I spent a week on the 23rd floor, I am moving up at an incredibly fast rate.
Ah, I chose a mask as a reward.
Afterwards, take a day’s rest to manage your physical condition.
“Do you have all the equipment?”
“Of course.”
After getting ready.
“Shall we go?”
We entered on the 25th floor.
-Girl’s Cheering [A]
-5 seconds before a threat strikes, you can perceive any ominousness.
-The characteristic is activated and removed from the status window.
“Ahh… “
“Joo, is it Junho? “What’s wrong?”
No, just before entering. I couldn’t enter the portal because my head felt instantly throbbing.
“Cow… A girl’s support?”
This is definitely a trait obtained by clearing the 21st floor. I liked it when I got it because it was a grade A trait, but I forgot about it because it hasn’t been activated until now…
Why is this happening now?