The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 235

Darkness—that was all Se-Hoon saw when he entered the Netherworld with Amir. But then, in the endless darkness, a thin line appeared in the air and slowly opened up; it was Wurgen’s eye.

“What’s your plan now?”

“Block off the area first, in case they try to escape. But try not to engage them first.”

“Hmm... Alright.” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

With no objections, Wurgen's eye promptly faded into the void. Changing his focus, Se-Hoon immediately isolated the space before him with the power of Boundaries and laid Amir down.

“Ugh...”

Seeing that Amir’s face was pale and devoid of color, Se-Hoon placed a hand on Amir’s solar plexus and examined his condition using Soul Honing.

His body’s completely wrecked...

Amir's mana circuits had been shredded by a mana surge, resulting in his organs and muscles being damaged from the shock. However, his most severe injury was his eyes, likely due to glimpsing the inner world of the Destroyer of Perceptions with his Winter Sky Eyes.

At least he still seems curable.

Taking a deep breath to steady his mind, Se-Hoon channeled some Dream Flames into his hand before pressing it against Amir’s solar plexus.

Fwoosh!

His hand gently sank into Amir’s skin. Having smoothly entered, Se-Hoon gently grabbed hold of Amir’s heart and started manipulating Amir’s flow of blood using Soul Honing.

Ba-dump!

Controlled by Se-Hoon, Amir’s heart beat vigorously, sending blood coursing through Amir’s body from head to toe.

Of course, such a thing was risky, being a procedure where one wrong move could lead to severe internal bleeding, but Se-Hoon moved with confidence.

His body is similar to the Frost Dog’s.

Although Amir’s body wasn’t identical to the Frost Dog’s, which Se-Hoon had examined countless times before the regression, their structure was similar enough for his emergency treatment to work.

Crack! Pop!

Section by section, he reconnected Amir's mana circuits, muscles, and bones. As he worked, he gathered all the impurities and incinerated them with Dream Flames. Then, once that entire process was complete, he firmly slammed his hammer down on Amir’s synesthetic mindscape.

Clang!

Amir’s body jolted, falling limp like a corpse. Quickly moving to check Amir’s condition, Se-Hoon placed his hand back on Amir’s solar plexus.

Whew... He’s stable.

It seemed Amir had just passed out from the overwhelming pain. Most of his severe injuries had been healed.

With Amir’s survival, without permanent disability, confirmed, Se-Hoon sighed in relief.

But his brow soon knitted in concern.

How did things end up like this?

Despite all the preparations made using his pre-regression knowledge, something had gone wrong. The greatest variable—the Destroyer of Perceptions—should have been decades away from awakening according to his memories. The battle against the Dream Demon should have been far more straightforward.

Since everything has been going smoothly for Se-Hoon up until recently, the current situation left him at a complete loss.

I guess the biggest factor for this all is... me?

Organizing the series of events that had happened so far in his head, Se-Hoon realized that the Dream Demon had been trying to ascend to a Harbinger of Destruction for ages, using the City of Nightmares and Pleasure District.

However, she had failed before the regression, relocating the Pleasure District away from the City of Nightmares.[1]That must have been how Offering had gotten the Harbinger Shard that they handed over to Puppeteer, a collaboration that resulted in the birth of the Destroyer of Perceptions.

She must have seen a slight possibility of her plan working out after glimpsing my synesthetic mindscape through Awakening Dream....

Though it wasn’t a guarantee, the Dream Demon gambled everything due to the desperate situation—and it paid off. A new Harbinger of Destruction—the Destroyer of Fragmentation—had emerged, one unlike any Se-Hoon had seen before.

“...Wow.”

Reflecting on all of the past events that had been changed due to his regression, Se-Hoon let out a hollow laugh. His actions had ended up triggering a butterfly effect so serious that it brought about the birth of a Harbinger of Destruction much sooner than anticipated.

Still, it's not all bad...

Before the regression, humanity believed that the accumulation of demonic aura in the Six Great Demon Realms led to the birth of the Six Harbingers of Destruction. And now, the sudden birth of the Destroyer of Fragmentation proved that assumption wrong.

It's not about the amount of demonic aura that accumulates, but rather whether one qualifies to become one.

While he couldn’t be sure what those qualifications were, he had a vague idea based on the unique characteristics of the Harbingers he knew.

With a newfound understanding of the Harbingers, his expression hardened.

“So you’ve managed to keep the boy alive,” Wurgen said, reappearing beside him. He stared down at Amir with curiosity.

Se-Hoon turned to him.

“What’s the situation outside?”

“I’ve secured a perimeter of three hundred kilometers around the City of Nightmares. The enemy didn’t show any significant resistance.”

It seemed the Dream Demon was focused on stabilizing the Destroyer of Fragmentation instead of figuring out a way to escape.

At least this is working in my favor, Se-Hoon thought, sighing in relief.

If the Dream Demon had immediately tried to escape, Se-Hoon would have had to take her on with only Wurgen’s help. They would have had a chance of winning, but it would have been the worst possible scenario given their current options.

Now the question is, how should we fight them once we get out of here...

Pondering his next move, Se-Hoon fell silent. And upon seeing that, Wurgen impatiently interrupted.

“Brat.”

Wurgen’s eye was full of annoyance.

“When do you plan to explain what’s going on to me? Do you expect me to figure it out myself?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

“Forget the apology, just explain already. Things are already looking dire as it is.”

“Understood.”

Recalling the events fresh in his mind, Se-Hoon briefly recounted them. And after hearing the full recount, Wurgen narrowed his eye.

“Though I now understand the situation, there’s still one thing that doesn't make sense.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you letting that Harbinger creature roam free?”

Wurgen's gaze filled with suspicion.

“Didn’t you say it’s still in its incomplete state? While I’m not sure how strong it’ll be after absorbing the demonic aura in this Demon Realm, I do know for a fact that it’s dangerous to leave it alone.”

“...”

“So why didn’t you engage it right away?”

Wurgen’s suspicion deepened upon seeing Se-Hoon remain silent.

He had begun to suspect Se-Hoon of deliberately planning for it all along, given how the Destroyer of Fragmentation was born from a convergence of the City of Nightmares, the Dream Demon, and Se-Hoon’s mana.

He’s definitely going to kill me on the spot if I say something wrong here...

Se-Hoon took a deep breath.

“Can I ask you to possess my body for a moment?”

“Why should I do that?”

“Well, if I just explain it verbally, you might not believe me. But if you possess my body, you’ll know whether I’m telling the truth or not.”

“...”

Hesitating, Wurgen considered it. Then, a brief moment later, his eye vanished.

Swish-

Wurgen’s eye had now settled on the back of Se-Hoon’s right hand.

Relaxing slightly, Se-Hoon spoke again. “The reason I didn’t fight it immediately is because someone would have died if I did.”

“You?”

“No.”

Shaking his head, Se-Hoon looked down at Wurgen.

“It was you, Wurgen, who would have died.”

Wurgen’s eye widened in shock. He could clearly sense that Se-Hoon was telling the absolute truth, making such a declaration all the more astonishing.

“Me? Die?”

Wurgen found this hard to believe, considering his position as one of the strongest Perfect Ones. Suspicious, he examined Se-Hoon again, wondering if he was possessed or something, but there was nothing particularly odd about him.

“What makes you think I would die?”

While sealing the City of Nightmares, Wurgen had observed the Destroyer of Fragmentation himself. Even if it were in its complete state, it didn’t seem much stronger than the Dream Demon.

“In terms of raw power, the Destroyer of Fragmentation is only a bit stronger than the Ten Evils. Under normal circumstances, you would easily win.”

Alone, the Ten Evils were no match for a Perfect One like Wurgen, so it was obvious who would emerge victorious if the Destroyer of Fragmentation and Wurgen were to fight.

However...

“But what worries me is the strange force I sense within it. It feels like... it has the power to manipulate the laws of the world itself—the power of compulsion.”

“Compulsion?”

“Let’s say an adult and a child fight. What if their match had to be decided by rock-paper-scissors, and both of them were instructed to pick their moves in advance?”

Realizing what Se-Hoon was getting at, Wurgen’s eye narrowed.

“Are you saying the outcome has been decided before the fight has even begun...?” Wurgen couldn’t believe something like that was possible.

“Exactly.”

However, Se-Hoon knew for a fact that it was an inherent trait of the Harbingers of Destruction. Before his regression, humanity had painfully discovered their characteristic of disregarding power differences and turning battles into pure contests of compatibility.

That was how the Six Harbingers of Destruction had managed to take down all the Perfect Ones.

“...”

Wurgen’s eye looked down in thought. Normally, he would have easily dismissed such nonsense, but he had felt a strange sense of unease while observing the Destroyer of Fragmentation.

The degree of compatibility ignores power differences...

If what Se-Hoon was saying was a fact, it was a characteristic that could only be best described as the direct counter to the Perfect Ones.

However, even Se-Hoon had it was just speculation, meaning there was no need for Wurgen to take it as a confirmed fact. But given how impressive Se-Hoon's achievements had been so far, Wurgen couldn’t possibly ignore the possibility.

Falling into a long period of contemplation, Wurgen fell silent until he managed to gather his thoughts. When he had, he looked at Se-Hoon.

“If your guess is correct, shouldn’t we have done something sooner? Won’t things only get worse if that thing becomes stronger?”

“That’s not really true. What I’m actually worried about is the situation where my power over the boundary is nullified in close combat. But as long as you provide support from a distance, facing the Destroyer of Fragmentation head-on won’t be a big issue.”

“Hmm... So that’s what you were concerned about.”

Wurgen had finally begun to understand why Se-Hoon had said he might die if he had faced the Destroyer of Fragmentation himself. With what he knew now, he could accept it, but one thing still bothered him.

“There’s still a problem with your plan.”

“A problem?”

Seeing Se-Hoon’s confusion, Wurgen explained. “The Demon Force is carrying out terrorist attacks across the world. It seems like they’re trying to prevent any reinforcements from reaching here.”

Though Wurgen was able to help somewhat through the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx, the other Perfect Ones were busy fending off the Demon Force’s attacks, making it hard for them to assist Se-Hoon’s plan. Without them, they had no one to deliver the final blow when Wurgen subdued the Destroyer of Fragmentation.

“Well, now I know what to be cautious of. Before we let it stabilize any further, I’ll—”

Interjecting calmly, Se-Hoon declared, “Oh, I’ll take it down myself, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Wurgen was speechless. He could tell Se-Hoon was being completely serious.

“You’re going to take it down alone?”

“Not alone. I’ll bring another person along with me.”

“And who might that be?”

“Well...”

Se-Hoon hesitated to answer. But he eventually pointed to Amir, who lay sprawled out on the floor like a corpse.

“Him.”

“...”

Incredulous, Wurgen stared at Amir. From what he could tell, Amir was barely an A-rank, let alone an S-rank. He could understand how easily the Destroyer of Fragmentation could dispel his power over the boundary, but not why Se-Hoon was leaving him behind for support and taking the bantling to battle instead.

No matter how Wurgen looked at it, it was just too reckless of a plan.

What is he thinking...?

Rationally speaking, there was no real reason for Wurgen to follow Se-Hoon’s orders. He had only promised to help hunt the Dream Demon, not fight the unknown entity called the Destroyer of Fragmentation. The current situation was never a part of the deal.

Risking leaving such a suspicious demon alive by just supporting doesn't sit well with me.

Though Se-Hoon seemed crazy, he had managed to exploit the Dream Demon’s weak points and bring down the entire Pleasure District by himself. If someone like that played a part in the creation of the Destroyer of Fragmentation, he must also understand its nature to some extent.

But, he’s definitely not someone who would throw his life away in a fit of anger.

Taking Se-Hoon’s past actions and achievements into consideration and weighing his options, Wurgen came to a decision.

“If you die out there, I’ll take your soul and leave immediately. You have no objections to that, right?”

“As long as you promise me you’ll fight with all you’ve got until then, you can do whatever you want.”

“...Fine.”

Taking in Se-Hoon’s unwavering determination, Wurgen’s eye gleamed.

“This time, I’ll play along with your plan. Do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

Relieved, Se-Hoon let out a sigh. If Wurgen had refused to cooperate, the situation would have become much more difficult.

Now, all that’s left is...

He thought about whether there were others besides Amir that he wanted to bring.

Thinking of certain people, he turned to Wurgen. “I’d like to bring two more people here. Can you help me with that?”

“There’s no problem with that, but... who are you planning on dragging into this mess?”

Considering Se-Hoon was taking Amir, a barely capable student, Wurgen deemed that the others he had chosen wouldn’t be ordinary either.

But at Wurgen’s skepticism, all Se-Hoon could offer was an awkward smile.

“Ah, about those two...”

***

WEEEE-OOOH!

Woken up by the piercing siren ringing from her phone, Luize frowned. She had been peacefully sleeping in after studying magic all night. Annoyed, she read the incoming message.

Heroes Association: Widespread terrorist attacks are occurring, and we are detecting suspicious activity from the Demon Force. Please evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately.

“What...?”

The content of the message woke up Luize completely, and she hurriedly sat up. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that the message was a disaster alert sent out to the entire world, not just a specific region.

Luize immediately checked the global news on her phone.

“Battle between the Pilgrim and Ten Evils near the Indonesian Pilgrim’s Path. Enemy has been confirmed to be Demon’s Edge and the Apostate.”

“Mysterious Explosions Occurring in Skies Worldwide! Likely the Result of the Battle between the Visionary and Heaven Eye.”

“The Black Sea, one of the Six Great Demon Realms, is moving north toward Babel from the South Pacific. Tuner and Beast King also spotted in the region.”

“Multiple terrorist attacks by demons reported across China.”

.

.

.

“What in the world...”

Luize’s face hardened at the articles reporting simultaneous events erupting all over the world, involving even Perfect Ones.

Is this... an all-out war?

Given the increase in clashes with the Demon Force recently, it wouldn’t be surprising if the situation escalated to a full-scale war. Realizing how dire the situation was, Luize immediately tried calling Se-Hoon.

—The person is unavailable...

“...”

No matter how many times she tried, all she got was a busy signal. She grew tense with worry. If it were anyone else, she would have just assumed they were simply preoccupied with something else, but Se-Hoon was exactly the kind of person who would dive into the thick of the chaos.

“Ugh, forget it!”

Grumbled in frustration, Luize decided to activate her Ascension Ring to summon Akasha. But then—

Woong!

A ripple tore through the air, and Se-Hoon abruptly appeared in her room.

“How did you...”

“There’s no time for explanations! Let’s go!”

Though Luize was flustered, she let herself be pulled along when Se-Hoon grabbed her hand, recognizing him as the real Se-Hoon.

“Where are we...”

The world around them became pitch black, and a massive, eight-legged skeletal beast with glowing blue eyes appeared standing before them.

“W-What the hell is that?”

“That’s Sleipnir, an S-rank beast Wurgen killed a while back.”

“...What?”

Still unable to make sense of the situation, Luize suddenly felt Se-Hoon wrap his arm around her waist, carrying her as he leaped onto the creature’s back.

“Eek!”

“I’ll explain everything when we get there!”

Kicking Sleipnir’s ribs, Se-Hoon had the giant skeleton horse sprint through the Netherworld at full speed. On it, something came into view in the distance before long, and Sleipnir came to a halt.

“We’re here.”

Dismounting with Se-Hoon, Luize soon noticed two others standing in the shadows.

What... are they doing here?

Furrowing her brow, she observed Sung-Ha, with an expression of disapproval on his face, and Amir, who looked extremely nervous. She was completely baffled by the strange combination.

“Alright, listen up.”

Se-Hoon clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll keep it brief. The Dream Demon has created a monster stronger than the Ten Evils, and we’ll fight it with Wurgen’s help.”

Whoosh!

With a wave of his hand, the boundary around them dissolved, revealing the landscape outside the Netherworld. The ground was overrun with red flowers and trees, and at the center of it all stood a massive bud, radiating an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

Staring at the ominous scene, the others all tensed.

Meanwhile, Se-Hoon calmly continued.

“Our mission is simple.”

He glanced at the three people—the triad of companions he’d chosen.

“We’re going in there to kill that thing.”

1. The raws say into the City of Nightmares, but that directly contradicts the end of 231 which says the Pleasure District was in Argentina ☜