CH 5

Chapter 5: Ponytail Girl is too strong (1)   

The plan is simple: Spend as much time as possible in the vacant lot to get closer to the Ponytail Girl.

Fortunately, I will have plenty of time since unlike the other cowards, even though the Ponytail Girl has enough strength, she doesn't leave this vacant lot.

I don't know why; 

Is she really trying to keep swinging her sword until she finds a Hidden Piece, or does she have a noble cause to protect the weak…?

Anyway, that doesn't matter.

What matters is that she wields the sword well.

“So, God created this tower to punish you, foolish humans.”

While the fairy was babbling about something, my gaze was fixed solely on the Ponytail Girl in the corner.

With a cold but slightly anxious look, the Ponytail Girl gently caressed the scabbard that housed her sword.

Wait…

“…What?"

As I quietly stared at her, I felt a sense of discomfort. 

Something was off.

Like... I was missing an important fact...

"Well, since I’ve roughly finished explaining the background… Grab whatever you like here..."

Finishing the explanation, the fairy dropped various weapons in the middle of the vacant lot, and-

"Ah."

-I realized the reason for the discomfort.  

The fairy had not distributed the weapons at that time, so why the hell did that woman have a sword?

I was summoned to the Tower only with what I had on my body: Clothes, a wallet, and a food coupon stuck in my pocket. 

I had left my phone charging next to my bed, and when I was summoned to the Tower, it was nowhere to be found.

In other words, you are summoned with only the items you had on you right before being summoned...

Which meant that woman… She was a lunatic who carried a sword even on Earth.

"...No. Let's think differently."

Rather, it's better… right?

To carry a real sword around… You must have a gun permit? Or perhaps a sword permit, right?

Anyway, I heard that you can only carry a real sword if you get permission from the government.

I may not know the details, but I instinctively feel the process is probably not easy... Yet, despite that, a young woman carries a real sword?

It was reasonable to assume that she was someone who knew how to handle a sword professionally.

It meant that she didn't just suddenly become good at using a sword after entering the Tower. She must know all the basics and techniques.

Choosing to learn swordsmanship from her seemed a correct decision.

Like that, I was staring at the ponytail girl for a while now.

"Status chaaaaange!!!!!!"

Now was the important part.

When most people were shouting about their status screens, how would she react?

Since the Ponytail Girl always had a stoic face, it was very difficult to read her expressions. However, because I was solely focused on her expression, I was barely able to read it.

At first, she seemed startled.

Her eyes slightly widened, like she wanted to say, ‘Really?’ 

Afterward, she seemed concerned.

Her gaze lowered, and there was tension in the hand holding the scabbard.

Lastly, she seemed determined.

She moved slightly to the outskirts of the vacant lot, looking somewhat embarrassed, and mumbled something under her breath.

Perhaps she was calling the status window to appear again.

Right after that...

"!!!"

The Ponytail Girl's eyes widened, and she turned her head around in surprise.

"...What is it?"

It was quite an unexpected reaction from the usually cold Ponytail Girl.

What was on the status screen that made her so startled?

No, more importantly, were the status screens of other people the same as mine?

There may be different functions like stats or shops, not just ‘traits’ like mine.

But I may not have those in exchange for the fraudulent ability of regression.

Due to the sudden speculation, my head became complicated.

In that moment, when my gaze momentarily shifted away from the Ponytail Girl...

"You."

"...Yes?"

A cold woman's voice came from behind.

No way. It can't be, right?

With desperate hope that it was not the case, I slowly turned my head.

Smack!

With a powerful impact, my field of vision forcibly turned about 80 degrees.

"You perverted bastard."

The Ponytail Girl walked away, brushing her hand, and returning to her spot.

Did she just slap me? 

My eyes widened in disbelief.

I slightly moved my tongue, and the taste of blood spread in my mouth.

Wait, blood?

Status: Injured

Regressing back to the time when you first entered the 0th floor.

***

"F*ck! Where the hell am I?"

"F*ck..."

As soon as I woke up, I started swearing.

Why did I get slapped? Was it because I look like a pervert? 

I really don't understand.

Throughout all the regressions I've experienced so far, I've never been slapped like this before.

Alright. Let's think rationally.

There must be some difference between then and now. Something must have changed, and that's why Ponytail Girl's reaction has changed as well.

The only difference between then and now is that I observed her passionately...

"Ah."

The great Schrödinger said this.

‘Just by observing, the outcome can change.’

Maybe, because I was observing her intently, that's why I got slapped.

"...Let's try it."

Repetition is the basis of experiments.

And time is on my side.

After about six regressions, I was finally able to be sure.

Ponytail Girl did hit me because I was staring at her. 

But the important thing is that the moment she noticed that I was staring at her was always after she checked the status window.

What exactly is her trait?

Could it be something like extrasensory perception? An ability that activates by pressing on/off in the status window.

Finally, I decided to try to experiment once more.

At this point, people were starting to leave the vacant lot in pairs or groups of three or five.

The firefighter Ahjussi hadn't left yet, and Ponytail Girl was vigorously swinging her sword.

I cautiously changed my footsteps while keeping an eye on the surroundings.

"Hello?"

The person I spoke to was a short-haired girl I had seen before. She had a cute face, and I remembered her asking if I had any food to spare.

"What's going on?"

She seemed slightly suspicious of me.

"Well, it's nothing important. I just wanted to talk for a moment."

I felt sorry for the short-haired girl, but she had to become my experimental subject.

Because the place where the short-haired girl stood was exactly opposite to where Ponytail Girl was swinging her sword. It was the farthest spot.

"It's something important... Can you lend me your ear for a moment?"

"Is it really important?"

While hesitating, the short-haired girl cautiously leaned in to listen.

I whispered in a very low voice.

"Your... they seem like milk cartons."

"...yes?"

The short-haired girl opened her mouth in disbelief as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Moreover, your waist is perfect for delivery. You can give birth to children easily."

I used the crudest form of sexual harassment I could manage.

Just before the astonished short-haired girl could scream-

Smack!

“Quaaaaagh!”

-With a powerful impact, my body flew into the air and crashed into the bushes.

-Thud!

My back f*cking hurts. 

I can't feel anything below my back.

When I turned my head to look behind me, Ponytail Girl was slowly folding her outstretched leg.

"To trash like you, even my sword is a luxury."

She said with a face full of disdain.

Status: Injured

Regressing back to the time when you first entered the 0th floor.

***

‘Please, regress me quickly.’

My back still hurts. 

Is this phantom pain?

After actually getting hit, I thought that death regression might not be such a great ability after all.

Just getting kicked like this was so painful, so if I were to die, the aftermath wouldn't be a joke.

“But still, I'm certain now because of this."

It was a whisper so quiet that even an animal with good hearing, let alone an ordinary person, wouldn't be able to hear.

The distance between us was quite far too.

However, Ponytail Girl flew over in an instant, kicked me away, and called me trash.

It meant that she'd indeed heard what I'd said to the short-haired girl from that distant place.

What does this mean?

It means that after checking her status screen, Ponytail Girl can perceive all the movements at least on this vacant lot...

Even while swinging her sword endlessly.

She has such a monstrous ability as soon as she enters the tower… Wouldn't it be at least an SS-grade trait? 

That aside, the riddle was solved.

The reason she refused when I asked her to teach me how to use a sword was because she had known all along that I was pretending.

She must have been able to monitor my every move all this time, so she already knew that I wasn't a diligent young man sacrificing myself for others as I acted to be.

Thinking about it this way, it's not unreasonable for her to reject me.

Smack!

I slammed my hands forcefully, as if blaming myself.

Status: Injured

Regressing back to the time when you first entered the 0th floor.

***

This time, I didn't look at Ponytail Girl. I listened to the fairy's explanation passionately. 

I had to be extremely careful in my actions, so I exercised extreme caution.

Tutorial Stage

-Clear condition 1: Swallow the 'Golden Bead' hidden somewhere in the forest to proceed to the next stage. However, there are only 50 Golden Beads in existence.

-Clear condition 2: Defeat the boss, Goblin Shaman, to create a portal to the next stage.

While people were busy reading the announcement, a momentary silence settled over the vacant lot.

Clap clap!

"Everyone!"

I stood up and clapped twice to gather everyone's attention.

"My name is Kim Jun-ho! Please, listen to me for a moment!"

Ponytail Girl.

Do you have a preference for nice guys?

If so, this time, let me show you what a nice guy I am.