I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER

Chapter 133: a SSSSSSSSSS GRADE REGRESOR BOOK... WHAT THE HELL!

(Or is everyone around me either ridiculously strong... or just straight-up talented?)

The thought lingered for a moment, then faded just as quickly as it came. No point digging into it now.

Si Hon exhaled softly and turned back, opening his own book again as he walked a few steps away, settling back into his spot against the shelf. The pages flipped once more, his focus sliding back into that same steady rhythm, letting the skill sink deeper with each line.

Time passed quietly, the kind that slipped by without asking permission. The air stayed still, the shelves unchanged, Han absorbed in his book like the rest of the world had faded out for him.

Then—

Something shifted.

It wasn’t loud. Not dramatic. Just a faint flicker at the edge of Si Hon’s vision, subtle enough to ignore... but wrong enough that he didn’t. His eyes lifted slightly, attention catching on it without effort— and there, floating just beside him, was the familiar interface.

The Sage of Guide.

But different.

It shimmered.

Not the usual dull glow, but something richer— deeper. Gold. A soft, steady light pulsing through its frame like something beneath it had changed, like it had been upgraded... or unlocked. It didn’t move, didn’t react— just hovered there quietly, waiting.

Si Hon stared at it for a second, his expression flattening just a bit.

"Now what," he muttered under his breath.

The screen responded immediately.

「...... STRATEGY GUIDE

There’s only 2 hours left, and you still haven’t made any progress— same as everyone here. But by "progress," I mean this: you haven’t read the story of the world you’re about to enter.

So here I am! Your lovely Sage Guide. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Find the book titled:

"SSSSSSS GRADE REGRESSOR: I WANNA STOP THIS SKILL! AND I WANNA BE FREED!"

Find it— and you’ll be the only one who can gain true progress.」

Si Hon just... looked at it.

Then his brows pulled together slightly.

"Two hours?" he repeated, the words coming out slower this time.

As if on cue—

A loud voice suddenly tore through the space, echoing across the entire area like a microphone turned up too high.

"GUYS!!! YOU ALL BETTER FINISH READING AND LEARNING THE BOOK YOU CHOSE!" the announcer boomed, the tone sharp and aggressive. "YOU LOWLY INSECTS ONLY HAVE TWO HOURS BEFORE EVERYTHING STARTS! HEHEHEH."

Si Hon’s head turned toward the sound instinctively, eyes narrowing just a fraction before shifting back to the glowing window beside him.

"What?" he muttered, quieter this time.

His gaze dropped again, rereading the title on the screen, slower now.

"SSSSSSSSSS Grade... what?" he said under his breath, lips twitching slightly. "What is that title..."

A pause.

Then a small exhale.

"That’s actually kind of cringe. Probably a sloppy book too..."

For a second, nothing changed.

Then—

The words on the interface shifted.

Not rewritten.

Adjusted.

「Remember: If you want to grow stronger and win...

— or if you don’t want to die— you need this.」

Si Hon’s eyes narrowed.

"Die?" he repeated, the word sitting heavier than it should. "This is just... a roleplay, though."

But something about it didn’t sit right.

Not the tone.

Not the timing.

Not the way everything was starting to line up too cleanly.

And before he could brush it off—

Something in him clicked.

Subtle.

But firm.

His posture shifted slightly as his gaze moved, scanning the comic section around him— rows of books, countless titles, all blending together until now.

Now—

He was actually looking.

"SSSSSSS Grade Regressor..." he muttered, already stepping forward, eyes narrowing with focus. "Alright fine, yeah, yeah. Let’s see where you’re hiding."

After that, Si Hon actually started looking.

Not casually this time. Not half interested.

He moved through the comic section with real focus, eyes scanning shelf after shelf, titles stacking into a blur as he tried to pick out something that ridiculous from everything else. His pace wasn’t rushed, but it wasn’t relaxed either— just steady, deliberate, like he didn’t want to admit he was taking it seriously... even though he clearly was.

At one point, he even pulled up the Sage Guide again, flicking through the listings with a faint crease between his brows.

[Dino versus 100 human]

[A comic about how to be a good father... Hah! Got chu didn’t I?]

His eye twitched.

"Very funny," he muttered flatly, already swiping past it without a second thought.

Still, he kept going.

Shelf after shelf.

Title after title.

And just to be sure, he glanced over at Han once, who was still deeply invested in his own book, flipping pages with quiet excitement. "Hey," Si Hon called, tone casual but carrying just enough intent. "You see anything called ’SSSSSSS Grade Regressor’ or something like that?"

Han didn’t even look up immediately.

"Dad," he said after a second, voice completely serious despite the situation, "I like books... but that sounds too sloppy for my taste."

Si Hon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Fair enough."

He turned back without arguing.

And kept searching.

Minutes passed like that, the repetition starting to drag— until finally, something caught his eye. Not because it stood out in a flashy way... but because the title itself was impossible to miss.

There.

Tucked between two completely unrelated books, like it didn’t belong anywhere— no shit it really doesn’t belong anywhere.

[SSSSSSS GRADE REGRESSOR: I WANNA STOP THIS SKILL! AND I WANNA BE FREED!!!(⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠) — a story about a student trapped in a looping timeline, resetting every November 29th.]

Si Hon stopped.

Stared at it for half a second.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

But there was no hesitation after that.

He reached out, grabbed it in one clean motion, and pulled it free from the shelf without overthinking it. The moment his fingers closed around it, he turned on his heel and walked straight back toward Han, steps steady, expression unreadable.

No commentary.

No complaints.

Just quiet intent.

He dropped down beside him again, the movement familiar now, and without wasting another second—

He opened the book.