"Haap!"
Thwack!
Although I swung the sword with all my might, the resulting sound was somewhat weak.
"...Hmm."
I tried to see if I could cut through the surrounding grass, but it was a futile effort.
I couldn't determine if it was due to my lack of strength or technique, but the grass simply bent over instead of being cut. The fact that the sword wasn't as sharp as I hoped added to my disappointment.
"Damn."
I recalled scenes from comics where swordsmen would gracefully slice through reeds with a single swing. It seems unrealistic for a novice like me, who has held a sword for less than a day.
"It's not easy."
Apparently, the tower granted me the ability to regress, but not swordsmanship skills.
Should I give up and practice with the spear I picked up earlier?
No. The sword is ultimately the superior weapon, and it's said to be the cure-all. Time is what I have in abundance. I can't give up now.
The sky was tinged with the colors of sunset, suggesting nightfall was imminent.
Night in the tower was cozier than I had imagined.
It was notably colder than the day, but the chill seemed bearable enough for sleep.
The lack of a pillow or blanket was a drawback, but I guess I'll have to get used to it.
"...Sigh."
Lying down, I fell into deep contemplation.
Why did I get such a ridiculous ability?
If it was just a simple death regression, I would have already left this clearing and explored the surroundings.
Isn't regressing just by getting a tiny scratch from grass a bit too much?
I considered wrapping myself up in clothes and venturing outside, but then there's the issue of encountering enemies.
It would be impossible to fight effectively wrapped up in layers of clothes.
However, wandering and gathering information might still be beneficial.
Thinking about it, it's not a bad idea. I have nothing to lose. If I regress again, I'll give it a shot. It's warm during the day, and they might even give me some clothes.
"Excuse me..."
As I was hatching my plan and chuckling to myself, someone tapped my shoulder.
"...What can I help you with?"
The moonlight was bright enough to recognize the face.
It was the woman with the bob haircut who had been sobbing in a corner during the day. I remembered her cute face; after all, it's natural to remember pretty women.
But why is she suddenly speaking to me?
She held her hands together politely.
"Do you... have anything to eat?"
"Ah."
Hearing her words, I realized just how hungry I was.
Come to think of it, it makes sense. I hadn't eaten anything since arriving in the tower and had been sweating profusely while practicing with the sword.
"...I'm sorry. I don't have anything either..."
"Oh... okay..."
The woman with the bob haircut left looking dejected. Judging by how she immediately approached someone else, she must be starving.
"...Damn."
I've been reading too many academic papers and novels; I've lost touch with reality.
When summoned to a place like the tower, the first thing to worry about is basic necessities.
And the most crucial among them is water.
Humans can go quite a while without food, but without water, we can't last more than three days.
Come to think of it, I had sweated a lot during the day.
Licking the inside of my mouth, it felt parched.
Was I so engrossed in the idea of regressing that I neglected my physical condition?
Considering I might have to regress soon, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
Morning dawned.
"Damn."
When I woke up, my throat felt like it was tearing apart. I must have slept with my mouth open.
If I knew I'd be summoned to the tower, I would've visited a hospital to correct this habit. I deeply regretted it.
Clap, clap!
The sudden clapping interrupted my thoughts.
"Alright, everyone, please pay attention here."
A man with sporadic white hair was drawing everyone's attention with his claps.
"Hello. My name is Park Cheol-jin, a current firefighter. I don't know if this is someone's prank or if the world has turned upside down, but this seems very real. We've waited a day, and there's no sign of rescue." Park Cheol-jin, who had an imposing presence similar to a tiger. True to his claim of being a firefighter, his body was covered in solid muscles.
"If we stay here like this, we'll all starve to death. I plan to leave this clearing to find water. Who wants to come with me?"
Park Cheol-jin exuded a powerful charisma. He might not know much about the status window or the tower, but he seemed inherently strong as a human.
"...If he's a firefighter, he's trustworthy."
"...Really? He's a real firefighter, right?"
Most of the middle-aged men and women in the clearing flocked to firefighter Park Cheol-jin's side.
Some younger folks did the same.
"...Let's go. Judging by the moist ground, there should be a river nearby."
About 20 people left the clearing in a group.
Those left behind were a few overly cautious women, a couple of eccentrics, and me.
Together, we weren't even 10 people.
Come to think of it, I don't see the ponytailed woman who was swinging the sword earlier. Did she follow Park Cheol-jin?
"Let's do something."
Things aren't looking good. I might regress soon from a hunger-induced wound.
I decided to familiarize myself with the sword until I regressed.
I don't know how much time passed. Roughly lunchtime?
"...Should I regress?"
My hunger intensified, and so did my thirst.
As I seriously considered regressing,
Swoosh.
I heard a noise approaching from the clearing.
The scaredy-cat women scattered like startled beetles, and I tensed my muscles, gripping my sword.
Is it a monster? Or a wild animal?
Just as my grip was getting sweaty,
"Huh?"
Emerging from the bushes was the ponytailed woman who had disappeared in the morning.
"...Hmph."
Surprisingly, in her hands were a box of calorie bars and a bundle of thirty 500ml water bottles.
"...Wow! Miss! Can we... Can we eat this?"
The bob-haired woman rushed to the ponytailed woman, making a fuss.
Seeing the desperate look in the bob-haired woman's eyes, the ponytailed woman gave a slight nod.
The ponytailed woman began distributing the food and water.
Those remaining in the clearing were able to fill their stomachs and quench their thirst for the first time in a while.
"Miss! Miss! Where did you get this?"
Trying to get close to the ponytailed woman, the bob-haired woman asked.
"...When you defeat a monster, the corpse disappears and is replaced by food. I just brought what was too much for me to eat."
Defeating monsters to get food? It's a common cliché in tower-climbing stories.
But that amount... it's too much. From what I know about tower-climbing stories, one monster usually provides food for one person.
Though I might not know the full details, the monster she defeated must have been a powerful one.
The ponytailed woman spoke nonchalantly as if it was no big deal.
Although she acted indifferent, it was evident that she brought back food out of concern for the others.
I thought she was a crazed swordswoman chasing hidden pieces, but maybe she was a kind-hearted person after all.
"I want to help too!"
This is my chance.
Jumping to my feet, I briskly approached the ponytailed woman.
"Please teach me swordsmanship! I want to be your disciple!"
"...Get lost."
She sharply turned her head, coldly rejecting me.
But I wasn't going to give up so easily.
Her true nature was that of a kind-hearted person.
If I sincerely pleaded, she'd likely accept me as her disciple.
"Please, please, I beg you! I need the power to protect everyone!"
I began to act, tears in my eyes, as if I were a soldier enlisting to protect the nation.
"I'm so weak right now that I can't even leave this clearing! That's my biggest flaw! I want to become strong, strong enough to protect everyone!"
I spoke with such desperation that it moved the bob-haired woman beside me to tears...
"Didn't I tell you to get lost?"
Whoosh!
Something whizzed past me at an incredible speed.
"Whoa!"
Startled, I fell over, landing hard on my buttocks. What was that? Swoosh. The ponytailed woman slowly sheathed her sword.
With an icy tone, she addressed me, "A disciple? I have no intention of taking one. And I didn't bring food to help you. Don't get the wrong idea. Next time, it'll be your throat."
I felt a sting on the bridge of my nose. Touching it, I noticed blood on my fingertips.
Did she just swing her sword? At a speed I couldn't even see?
Judging by her words, "Next time, it'll be your throat," it seemed she had just grazed my skin as a warning.
However, there was a problem.
[You've been injured.]
[You'll regress to the moment you first entered the 0th floor.]
"Damn it! Where am I?!"
"...Damn."
To me, it was far from just a warning.