Ch. 3 Where Am I? (3)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 3 – Where Am I? (3)
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[Board Rules and Announcements]
- Main Admin
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Out of curiosity, I checked the very first post on the board, which was written by the main admin—my Constellation, Serpina.
The lengthy posts were typical board rules and announcements, things like “follow the rules” and “cross the line, and you’ll be banned.”
‘So, even the people here don’t know about me before I met Serpina.’
Through this, I confirmed one very important fact.
No one knows about me before Serpina created my fan gallery.
In other words, they skipped over the most tumultuous and hellish part of my early days as a beginner, when I was first transported into this world and this body.
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[Wow… Did anyone see Reina’s 33rd-floor raid video today?]
[Reina’s fighting style is so intense.]
[She made a good contract. She’s the real deal. Where did she even come from?]
[Honestly, she’s too polished to be a rookie… It’s not as fun watching a newbie.]
[I just finished watching the 15th-floor raid. Isn’t this the fastest time record in that Tower?]
[She’s already achieved 5 milestones. She’s definitely getting a title. What will it be?]
[Her combat skills are impressive, but her decision-making is insane;;]
[What’s different about the protagonist’s Tower raid route compared to the existing ones?]
[The 50th floor is the Wall of Lamentation, but looking at her track record, she’ll probably clear it in one go, right?]
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The impact of this was evident just by reading the titles of the early posts.
They don’t know the struggles I went through to adapt.
They only started knowing about me from the point where I began to grow, using my knowledge as a transmigrator to progress efficiently and quickly. So, they were purely impressed by my abilities and insights.
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[Here’s the video of Reina clearing the 50th floor in one try. Hey, you bastard I fought yesterday, pay up the sponsorship like we bet, okay?]
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I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the post Serpina, the admin, wrote when I cleared the 50th floor.
It was a tough fight, but when I finally won and went to the sanctuary, all she said was, “Good job.” That was it.
And yet, behind the scenes, she was this excited.
As the creator of the fan gallery, Serpina was the most active.
‘Ignorance is bliss, I guess.’
I was initially worried that my secret might be exposed due to the appearance of events not even mentioned in the original work, but now I’ve calmed down a bit.
Even Serpina, the admin of my fan gallery who knows me best, doesn’t know that I’m a transmigrator or that I was once a completely different person. So, that’s the end of that.
I’ve become so accustomed to living in this body that the memories of my past life, which lasted just over 20 years, have started to fade.
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[Why does this girl act like such a dude? lol]
ㄴ“That’s what makes her great, you don’t get it.”
ㄴ“People like her always end up being the most feminine later.”
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…Well, I’m not completely used to it yet, but at least my identity as Reina Frontier, a challenger climbing the Tower from the Floria Continent, is no longer shaky.
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“Lady Reina. I heard you’ve fully recovered, so I came to see you.”
“You should be resting too. You’ve been through a lot.”
Just as I was preparing to be discharged, Kim Ji-eun showed up.
With her signature wavy brown hair swaying, she ran over and jumped into my arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I instinctively patted her head, which only reached my chest.
Her big eyes and cute face made this behavior feel like a habit ever since we first met on the 14th floor.
“From what I’ve heard from other factions, the next expedition might take even longer.”
“Can’t be helped. This is the first time we’ve failed more than 10 times in an expedition.”
Despite her childish behavior toward me, Kim Ji-eun is the backbone of our guild.
She handles managing personnel, coordinating schedules with other factions, and mediating conflicts—essentially, she’s the second-in-command handling all the core tasks.
I’m just the fighter.
“Let’s take a break this time.”
“Then should we go on a trip? The Forest of Night Mist on the 75th floor was beautiful last time. It’d still be pretty if we went again.”
“No, I have something else to do.”
Kim Ji-eun brightened up at the idea of taking a break and begged to go on a trip, but I shook my head with a bitter smile.
I had seen various analysis posts on the community.
Among them, there was something that caught my attention, something I could try on my own right now.
“You’re going down to the lower floors to start over?”
“It’s not exactly starting over. It’s more about revisiting what we might have missed while climbing. We’ve done everything we could so far. If we still can’t break through the 150th floor, then there’s something else wrong.”
I was slightly taken aback by her wide-eyed reaction.
Honestly, what worried me the most was how the community users would react if they found out I was suddenly going down to the 30th floor to try their suggested strategy.
I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if they found out I was secretly observing them.
“It’s not unheard of, but are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“It’s just a slight drop in stats. No big deal.”
“Ugh… I kind of want to go with you, but…”
Kim Ji-eun groaned and sighed after hearing my plan. No matter how much she thought about it, there was no real reason for her to follow me.
In the end, my trip to the 30th floor was decided. And I was going alone.
The reason I accepted the advice of the community users was that I finally acknowledged that I’m different from the protagonist, Jung Chan-soo.
He’s the true protagonist, someone I can’t hope to match no matter how hard I try. In the end, he’s the hero who will climb to the top of the Tower and save the worlds on his own.
‘That bastard.’
Thinking about him made me laugh bitterly.
As a regressor, it’s only natural that he’d be wary of someone like me.
If I hadn’t handled our first encounter well, he probably would’ve snapped my neck right then and there.
But since he’s well aware that he’s a regressor, he eventually accepted me, and we’ve been fighting together when necessary.
Or maybe it’s because he saw that I’m useful but will never be able to catch up to him no matter how hard I try, so he felt relieved.
Like a typical web novel protagonist, he’s ruthless but has a soft spot for those weaker than him who can still be of use.
“Reina.”
“…You scared me. Why are you here?”
But as they say, speak of the devil. Just as I was thinking about Jung Chan-soo, he actually appeared in front of me.
I was at a small vending machine where fairies were busily making coffee under the commander’s orders. Seeing him, I was so startled I almost dropped my coffee.
“I heard the news.”
He spoke in his usual blunt manner, his dark eyes glancing at me.
This guy, despite having a lot going on inside, speaks as little as possible, almost like it’s a form of PTSD.
“I heard you’re going to the 30th floor. For new rewards and training.”
“You already heard about that? Ji-eun wouldn’t have gone around blabbing.”
“I asked her first, and she told me.”
“Oh?”
It was surprising that he had inquired about my whereabouts and even came to see me in person.
Why go this far?
“You’re essential for the 150th-floor raid. I’m against you being away for too long.”
Of course, there’s only one reason. Jung Chan-soo is someone who lives and breathes Tower raids even more than I do.
With his social skills in shambles, he twists people and situations to fit his needs. He wouldn’t say something like this out of concern.
“You think I’m running away? Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not retiring.”
I smirked and flipped him off.
He became ridiculously strong through regression, but the point he regressed from was the 150th floor.
Unlike me, who knows what’s coming, he must be feeling a bit impatient.
“You should try to relax a bit. We’re making progress, even if it’s slow.”
“…”
I turned away from his blank stare and waved my hand dismissively.
In the original story, Jung Chan-soo failed 50 times at the 150th floor.
Many side characters died in the process, and his already fragile heart was wounded once more.
The fact that we’ve made this much progress in just 10 attempts is largely thanks to me.
So, with a little more effort, we’ll definitely break through.
‘I wonder if there’s a Jung Chan-soo fan gallery.’
Suddenly, I felt curious.
There’s no way I’m the only one with a fan gallery created by Constellations.
After spending so much time observing the community, I noticed that there are users with all sorts of interests, from fans of celebrities to sports stars, but a significant number of them are drawn to strength.
In fact, they might even be the majority. The people in my fan gallery like me because I’m strong.
So, it’s only natural that there would be fans of rankers higher than me.
Especially someone like Jung Chan-soo, who’s at the very top. In terms of strength and smooth progression, he’s essentially an upgraded version of me.
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[Please, you bitch, stop teasing us.]
ㄴ “Ugh, they’re invading again, damn it.”
ㄴ“Princess complex!!!”
ㄴ“Jung Chan-soo was the one who came first. What are you even teasing about?”
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And that night, as I was about to sleep in the hospital for the last time, I unintentionally discovered the truth.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
So… wasn’t she supposed to be the only DPS? Oh well, the constellations are dumb I suppose.
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