Chapter 48: Regressor in Action (5)

It listed rewards for each rank.

Bronze rewards were trivial consumables or defective potions.

Silver rewards included ‘sturdy’ weapons or armor, along with the lowest-grade potions.

Gold rewards were ‘well-crafted’ weapons and armor, as well as lower-grade potions.

And then, came the Platinum reward; there was a set of ‘Flashlight’ with its evidently cheat-like performance and good elixir that would be useful for anyone.

If one were to overlook the systemic unfairness, it’s undeniable that from the player’s perspective, the second floor was a remarkably generous stage.

With virtually no risk, and rewards guaranteed regardless of their size. Compared to the tutorial stage, rife with blood and death, this was quite literally heaven.

There were no bull-headed monsters out for your life, nor was there a rationing of food. If a player wished to stay on the second floor, they could do so indefinitely, and if they wanted to move on, they could do so in an instant. If one didn’t get greedy and aimed only for the silver rank rewards, clearing the stage was never an issue.

Despite the easy clear right before my eyes, the diamond rewards I struggled so hard to obtain couldn’t help but raise expectations.

Will there be elixirs this time? Or an item with insane performance? Come to think of it, I remember seeing a ‘Magic’ stat on other people’s status screens... Could the reward possibly include the Thunder Mana Technique? Could I, like the master of the city, emit lightning from my body?

I swallowed hard without realizing it and checked the notification that appeared before me.

“...Hmm.”

Elixir is an elixir, but what’s with a ‘lowest-grade’ elixir?

Dismissing useless thoughts, I decided to read the detailed descriptions.

“Tsk...”

The Heart of Lightning. Just by looking at it, one can tell it possesses immense power and has that certain cool factor.

The protagonist, cornered. Loved ones to protect. An overwhelmingly powerful enemy. After contemplating, the protagonist decides and activates the ‘Heart of Lightning’. Wow, how cool.

Moreover, my regression ability itself suits the short-term combat-type traits very well. Like when I decapitated the Minotaur by pumping power into my heroic trait, I just need to amplify my combat power momentarily, grab the reward, and regress.

But since it’s written, ‘the user continues to take damage during the duration,’ it’s all just pie in the sky. I’d regress the moment I activate the trait.

Since I regress upon taking damage, I can’t make use of ‘Endure, my body!’ type traits.

Similarly, the lowest-grade elixir is a consumable. If I could take it back to reality and sell it, I’d make a fortune... but it’s not something I can take with me when I regress.

It might be nice to drink it now, but my body is the epitome of health. There’s no merit in choosing the elixir.

That leaves only one option. The Flash Step.

Should I be grateful that there’s at least one thing I can use from the diamond rewards?

“...How do I even use this?”

I’ve never had a skill like Flash Step that requires direct activation.

The moment I touched ‘Flash Step’ with the tip of my finger, out of a bit of curiosity...

“Uh, ahh...”

A splitting headache assailed me. It felt like all my brain cells were burning up, but apparently, it didn’t count as damage since there was no sign of regressing.

Information forcefully flowed into my mind. How to maintain balance on the tip of my toes. When and where to direct magical power. How to step without straining the feet.

“Huff... Huff...”

About a minute passed in this way. Gradually, the pain subsided, and I could finally lift my head.

Just like how the contents of an entire book can be hammered into one’s head, all the information about Flash Step was now inside mine.

“...”

The movement technique used by knights of thunder. Flash Step.

Isn’t it said that the more you know, the more you see?

The strange movements displayed by the master of the city. The reason why she could appear suddenly as if she blinked into existence. The secret was the peerless movement technique known as ‘Flash Step,’ which I now understood intellectually.

And I realized a very important fact.

“...I need to know how to use mana to utilize this.”

The description ‘using mana’ attached to various items... It wasn’t like in games where mana is automatically expended.

I had to manually move the mana to activate it. And I didn’t know how to use mana.

I’ve obtained an S-rank reward... but I have no immediate way to use it.

“Status window.”

The achievement level that was 13 had risen to 16.

And a sturdy S-rank trait was added. One that I have no use for.

“Well, that aside...”

I was originally planning to experiment with the S-rank reward I obtained this time... but that’s no longer necessary. I’ve realized I can’t use it right now.

Then, I should move on to the next step.

I first opened a portal to reality and moved to the familiar setting of my studio apartment.

Right now, I’ve cleared the second floor and haven’t yet entered the third floor. So, if I take damage, I’ll regress to the point where I just entered the second floor...

But the part that needs attention is that I’ve cleared the second floor.

What does that mean? It means the embargo on the second floor is lifted. Therefore, I can freely enjoy the reviews of others who have already cleared the second floor.

Listening to the stories of others, I could certainly learn something I had missed.

There must be a way to persuade or subdue the stubborn master of the city. I heard that I wasn’t the only one who had tried to change the nobility. It meant others too had attempted to alter the structure of the floor.

I immediately turned on my computer and scoured through various Korean online communities. Having some experience in forum browsing, finding the information I wanted wasn’t too hard, but…

- Got this as a silver reward, is it any good?

- What happens if we hit each other on the second floor? Too scared to try it.

- Really wanna kill all those blocking the way lol

- But why even have bronze rewards? Don’t get it.

“...This is just a mess.”

The problem was that there was absolutely no new useful information. It was all the stuff I already knew.

I had a relatively thorough understanding of the second floor through repeated regressions, while these people had barely managed to get through it once.

Moreover, it hadn’t been long since the U.S. president had announced the existence of the tower.

The number of people who had cleared the second floor at this point could literally be counted on one hand. Whether they were training on the first floor or just messing around, most seemed reluctant to ascend to the second.

“...A waste of time.”

After about two hours of web surfing, I concluded that searching for information online was pointless.

The climbers’ community wasn’t active yet, and there were hardly any who had gone up to the second floor. And most of them probably chose the silver rewards.

Thinking about it, I might be the person who knows the most about the second floor on Earth right now.

“Tsk.”

As I turned off the computer and was about to lie down on the bed to plan...

“...Huh?”

I remembered the large poster of Michael Jeter that was stuck in a corner of the square.

And I recalled the stories of those American middle-aged men. They had mentioned an unofficial player community in the U.S.

“...The American community?”

All the communities I had searched were limited to Korea. Why hadn’t I thought of checking foreign communities?

Quickly, I maneuvered through various major American communities.

The American middle-aged man’s words were no exaggeration; I could see that a few player communities had already formed.

I accessed the largest of these communities and scrolled down swiftly.

It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for. The post was pinned with an astonishing number of recommendations.

“...Found it.”

A familiar username. The exact content I had been looking for.

“My experience on the second floor was quite unpleasant. I almost died at the hands of the city’s master.”

Poster: M.J.

It seems I have found a lead.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

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