Chương 117: Chapter 122: Back to work

"A regressor!" shouted Quinn. The boy had trouble staying still during my recounting of the letter's contents and the merchant's words. He was practically vibrating in his chair, and he wasn't even the only one. The common room was filled with hushed conversations as people from both our group and the others listened in while speculating.

"Do you know what that means, aside from the obvious?" I asked the teenager. I was hopeful he could shed a bit of light on the matter somehow. It was strange to rely on a fourteen-year-old for this, but time and again he had proven that his gaming and fantasy knowledge was surprisingly accurate. From the beginning he had planned his build and was faithfully following it with great success. Now he knew about this too.

"Well, I read stories," he started.

"In nearly every story about a regressor, the person with that kind of ability becomes super powerful in a short time, at least short compared to anyone else. He can spend years repeating the same things over and over, gaining knowledge and finding the best way to do things. Then he goes for a perfect run and reaps all the rewards." He stopped, thinking.

"But usually there is a catch." That was interesting, and expected. I didn't believe a power like that could be unlimited. Otherwise one would be immortal and impossible to defeat. In the worst case, he could trap everyone in an endless loop where nobody could really win. Quinn looked around, enjoying the attention.

"This kind of power either comes at a cost, like consuming lifeforce or something like that, or it has some pretty restrictive conditions."

"Like?" Alya asked, tired of the pause.

"Like he can only do it once a day, or a week, or a month. Or he has to sacrifice something, like his memories from before the tutorial, or a part of his body. Or maybe he made a deal with some eldritch god and has to fulfill certain conditions. The possibilities are endless, but there has to be a catch. For sure." That wasn't much to go on. I wanted to know more, but expecting Quinn to identify the exact condition was absurd. Still, he gave me something useful.

It might be good to make people aware and have them watch for clues.

"But this guy seems like the good kind," Quinn continued.

"I mean, in the letter he tells you things to help you, right? More than that, he gave you a hint for fixing the contract. And he said we're friends. It doesn't look like he's trying to deceive you or anything. He gave us the location of another safe zone, and he knew things that only you could have told him. That means in the past we interacted with him, and we were on pretty good terms too. Actually, this is great news, guys!" He was getting carried away by his own reasoning.

It was amusing in a way, but we needed to plan our next move.

"We don't have that kind of power ourselves, but even just being allied with him would give us a ton of information about the System, about the Tutorial. Hell, we already have a rough map to follow. There could be a thousand other things we can take advantage of with his help. Like… I don't know… another shrine. A ton more points for everyone if we find more!" People were starting to talk animatedly about how this person could be their savior, especially since he signed as the Hero of Humanity.

Was that a real title? An achievement, maybe? The source of his ability? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Everyone was speculating, but nobody had real answers.

"Thanks, Quinn. You're right, we have much to gain by meeting this guy. And if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you for some advice on my build later," I said with a smile. I genuinely wanted his input, but more than that, I needed to move the conversation forward before he launched into another round of praise.

"Yeah, of course, man. Always happy to help." He gave me a thumbs-up. I turned toward Tom. The man was clearly troubled, and it wasn't a light concern. He had grasped the core of the problem, just like I had. Not only him, others were brooding over the possibility that we might be reset again.

"Tom." The big man turned to me. There was steel in his eyes, more than I had seen recently. He looked like he had on the first day. I really hoped he had finally gotten his head in the game. I could use the help, especially since I would be busy resolving that stupid contract. I needed someone to manage the group, to keep people in line and stable enough not to start causing trouble. Trouble I would be forced to deal with.

"How's the situation between the two groups? Assume the contract doesn't exist. If we have to move to another safe zone, do you think it's feasible with our current forces and the map?" He held my gaze. Whatever thoughts I had interrupted were still lingering, but after a moment he answered.

"Most would probably follow us. Nobody here has any real sympathy for the aliens. With the map, we could avoid the worst of the monsters, and the shop would give us the chance to power up enough that even the non-combat classes wouldn't be easy targets. But we need time and preparation." I considered that. It could actually fit perfectly with what I had in mind.

"Would two or three days be enough?"

"It would be tight, but it could work. It mostly depends on the people here. But I have an idea. I'll see if it works by tomorrow, then I can tell you more. Actually, to make it work, I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to help me with this." I had no time to spare. My schedule was already full. But my curse immediately disagreed, opening that gnawing pit of emptiness in my chest. I was already being pushed into helping free people, already stretched thin. What more did they want? I kept my expression steady.

"Yes, of course. What do you need?" He looked surprised for a moment, then continued.

"I was thinking about how to create a better formation for the crafters, and I remembered something from high school. My history professor was obsessed with the Roman Empire, especially their military. He used to go on about their testudo formations and phalanx maneuvers." Get to the point.

"I know a bit about them. Do you want to recreate something like that here?"

"Exactly. But with the addition of skills and magical items." That meant points. Points those people didn't have.

"I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to remove curses from shields and spears. Armor too. They're much cheaper than normal items, and we could save a lot of points. I'm willing to cover the cost myself if needed." The people around us were now openly excited. Even our group was looking at Tom differently. What had gotten into him? Either way, this was something I could do. It would even be good training for my Curse Rebinding skill, which I hadn't used much lately.

"I can do that. But why go this far, if you don't mind me asking?" He hesitated.

"I don't want anyone else to die…" So that was it. Guilt and trauma, wrapped together.

"I understand. I'll do it. We should also test whether we can generate points by reselling the items after removing the curses. I don't know if the System will allow it, but it's worth trying. In the meantime, gather some people and do a full sweep of the store. Find the best items and skills we need. Don't do it alone, more heads are better, especially with how massive that place is." He gave me a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll find people and get to work. What about you? Snake hunting?"

"Later. First I need to fix the contract. After that, I'll visit the store myself. But let's not waste time. I need to find Chloe."

"Why Chloe?" Alya asked.

"She's helping me go through law books, and she's actually pretty good at it. Now that I have a direction, finding a solution should be quick, especially with her help." She looked unconvinced but didn't push further. I still had to talk to Alya about her training with Vix. I knew she had been spending a lot of time in the training hall. But right now, I had too much on my plate. Interpersonal matters could wait. Better get back to work.