The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 254

As usual, Ludwig was seated at his desk in the chairman’s office of Babel, meticulously reviewing documents. But then, all of a sudden, he looked up to stare at the empty space before him.

“Hmm...?”

With a puzzled expression, Ludwig lightly waved his left hand through the air, and moments later, a golden keyhole appeared where he had been staring. Unlocking, the keyhole then rotated ninety degrees, and a voice could be heard from the revealed white void.

“Are you just going to leave him like that?”

“Who are you referring to?”

“That fraud.”

At the mention of the Fraud—the Pilgrim—Ludwig returned his gaze to the documents again.

“If you’re talking about him, there's nothing to worry about. As long as Se-Hoon doesn't deny his God, he won’t cause any trouble,” responded Ludwig calmly.

“You can't be too sure of how he’ll interpret him. Seeing that your research is nearing its end, you better be cautious.”

“Hmm.”

Ludwig raised his head again, acknowledging the voice's clear apprehension about the Pilgrim. Then, with his gaze fixed on the white hole, he questioned, “Are you worried that Se-Hoon might side with the Pilgrimage Church?”

The voice fell silent.

“...As if I am. I’m more worried about the potential for greater threats,” it eventually answered, prompting a chuckle from Ludwig.

“I see. Yes, I could see that there could indeed be such a threat. I understand.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Of course not. I'm just intrigued.”

Not long ago, the voice was warning him about the dangers of keeping the Se-Hoon too close. Yet, its tone had now changed entirely—an unusual but understandable event.

It probably never expected Lee Se-Hoon to eliminate not only one of the Ten Evils but also a Harbinger Shard.

What everyone assumed would take years had been solved in less than a month. It was no wonder the voice had changed its tune.

“We merely determined he was worth the risk. Besides...”

“It’s now even more difficult to eliminate him, correct?”

“...Yes, thanks to you giving him that ring, you bastard.”

“Hearing you say that makes all the effort worthwhile,” Ludwig said, smiling as though pleased despite the scolding.

Though it wasn’t entirely accurate to say that he had personally trained Se-Hoon, having nurtured him within the confines of the academy made Ludwig feel some pride—a feeling he was savoring in his chest.

“Uh, Chairman?”

Hearing the different voice suddenly coming from the white hole, Ludwig's expression shifted to one of slight surprise.

“Who is...?”

“Can you hear me? This place is so confusing... Chairman?!”

Se-Hoon’s urgent voice rang out repeatedly.

“...I thought you were keeping tabs on them.”

“I wasn’t paying that much attention, but... it seems the lad has done something to interfere with my surveillance. We’ll talk later.”

“Sure.”

When the voice faded away, Ludwig set his pen down and focused once more on the special awareness that stretched across Babel. It was a special place different from other spaces, one filled with divine mana, that acted as a barrier against outside interference.

Ludwig lightly tapped his finger.

Woong~

Confirming that the divine mana had receded slightly, Ludwig adjusted the space to respond.

“What is it?”

“Ah, now it’s working.”

Hearing Ludwig’s reply in his ear, Se-Hoon released control of the Whitespace he had been speaking into. When he hadn’t received a response earlier, he began shouting into the void on a whim, and it seemed the sound had finally gotten through.

“It’s nothing major. I just wanted to use the Seed of the Divine Tree I left with you.”

“I see... Just a moment.”

Feeling a subtle shift in a distant part of the room the moment the voice rang out, Se-Hoon looked in the direction and Ludwig appeared. Surprised, Se-Hoon just stared at Ludwig, who had chosen to come directly rather than summoning him to the office.

“You really didn’t have to come in person...”

“Well, if you're planning to plant the seed, I’d like to see it myself. And...”

Ludwig shifted his gaze to Karl, who was standing behind Se-Hoon, and smiled softly.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”

“I’m the same as always. You seem more energetic than before, Ludwig.”

“Do I? Maybe it’s because things have been going well lately, and it’s showing on my face.” @@novelbin@@

“I’m glad to hear things are going well, whatever they may be.”

Looking between the two exchanging friendly words and smiles, Se-Hoon listened with an intrigued expression.

Is it because of what the Pilgrim said? It really does feel like they’re just exchanging empty pleasantries.

They didn’t seem to be telling any white lies, but their conversation just strangely didn’t hold any real weight.

“We’ll leave the rest of our conversation for later. So? How do you plan to grow the seed?” Ludwig asked, turning to question Se-Hoon.

“I was thinking of growing it into a tree specialized in divine mana. It might be useful for creating the Divine Mana Conversion Device.”

“A Divine Mana Conversion Device... you mean something that converts mana into pure divine mana?”

Se-Hoon nodded.

“Yes. I haven’t finalized the design yet, but I have a rough idea. I just figured I’d secure the materials before beginning to get into the details.”

“Hmm... divine mana, huh?”

Pondering Se-Hoon’s explanation, Ludwig turned to Karl.

“How much support do you intend to provide him?”

“I plan to offer all the support the Church can muster.”

“Sounds like you believe there’s a possibility of success, then.”

Having confirmed what he wanted, Ludwig nodded in agreement and then scanned Babel’s scenery before focusing on a particular spot.

“That place looks good. Let’s move there.”

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the view before them had become an empty, vast ocean.

This is... the southern sea of Babel.

Confused by their location, Se-Hoon stared at Babel’s distant silhouette until his attention turned to Ludwig upon hearing his voice.

“You can plant it here,” Ludwig said, pointing downward.

“...Here?”

Se-Hoon frowned in confusion. He had expected to plant it somewhere within Babel, not in the middle of the sea.

On the other hand, Karl seemed to have understood from how he expressed his admiration.

“Ah, I see... So that’s your plan.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

“Yes, I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

Left out by the two conversing in agreement, Se-Hoon gave them a skeptical look.

“Sorry, but can you guys explain it to me as well?”

“Well...”

“No, we can't.”

Stopping Karl from explaining, Ludwig firmly told him, “My apologies, but this is part of a classified project. You’ll find out soon enough, so try to be patient.”

“...”

Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. What sort of project could be so secret that even he, who had defeated the Dream Demon and the Destroyer of Fragmentation, couldn’t be told about it?

Of course, just because he had defeated such foes didn’t mean he had any say in how Babel was run, but as a student who had produced such achievements, surely the Chairman could offer some recognition.

This old geezer... I swear, if I get a better offer somewhere else, I’ll leave your damn academy in a heartbeat, Se-Hoon inwardly fumed.

A silence fell, but then, with an awkward smile, Karl asked, “Apologies, but could we plant the seed already? I need to head back to the Pilgrim’s Path soon.”

“...Fine.”

Since Ludwig wasn’t going to share any more details, he just grumbled and decided to focus on the task at hand.

“Hand me the seed.”

“Here you go.”

Taking the seed Ludwig handed over, Se-Hoon quickly inspected it.

[Seed of the Divine Tree]

[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Awful]

[A seed from a giant tree that tried to engulf an entire forest.

Because it was formed hastily before the giant tree completely succumbed to death, its powers are imperfectly mixed, lowering its quality.

However, holding this still grants resistance to spatial-type skills, and its properties change according to the type of nutrients absorbed.

*Grants resistance to spatial-type skills

*Properties transform depending on the nutrients absorbed]

The seed, a crimson fruit about the size of a fist, still exuded a faint, mysterious shimmer, not much different from before.

The seed seems okay... but the key is how I’ll direct its growth.

If nurtured with divine mana, the seed would grow into a tree specialized for divine mana, but that wasn't quite what Se-Hoon had in mind.

If it becomes too specialized in one aspect, it’ll be a pain to process it for a different purpose later.

What he wanted was the right balance between divine mana and mana. Considering the options, Se-Hoon came up with a solution.

“Let me process this for a moment.”

Drawing upon the power of the Boundaries, Se-Hoon had it flow into the seed, splitting it along a fine line into two distinct sections. Externally, it still looked like one piece, but internally, it was now divided.

Confirming that he succeeded, Se-Hoon pricked his thumb and let a drop of his blood seep along the line he just created.

With this, the power of Boundaries dividing the seed will be maintained longer, and any potential interference can be blocked.

Factoring in the fact that Tuner or the Demon Force might try to meddle with the seed by using Wurgen’s lost body parts, Se-Hoon was especially cautious when using the power of Boundaries.

Double-checking that the seed was properly prepared, Se-Hoon handed it to Karl.

“Could you cast Divine Magic on the top of the seed? Something to help it absorb divine mana more effectively.”

“Hmm... for that effect...” Briefly mulling over his options, Karl cupped his hands together.

Sanctuary Baptism

With his hands acting as a cup, Karl’s palms began giving off a warm golden glow, the light gradually overflowing and scattering like grains of sand. Observing the mystical display with interest, Se-Hoon watched as Karl tilted his hands forward, letting the golden light spill on the top of the seed.

Woong!

Bathed in the golden light, the seed vibrated, its once dark crimson surface slowly brightening. And when the last of the light had spilled, Karl withdrew his hands, revealing the now-transformed seed.

The seed looks white... no, more like pale gold?

The top half of the seed had become a soft white color tinged with gold, starkly contrasting with the lower half that remained a dark crimson.

“I imbued it with the Divine Magic used to create Stigmata. It will ensure the seed absorbs divine mana effectively.”

“Perfect.”

Satisfied with the preparations, Se-Hoon handed the seed to Ludwig.

“Can you plant it in a way that it won’t be affected by demonic aura?”

“Of course.”

Taking the seed, Ludwig vanished and Se-Hoon sensed the movement of space below them moments later. From what he could tell, Ludwig had cast a powerful spatial barrier around the seed, likely to filter out any impurities that might try to approach it.

With this location’s proximity to Babel, it shouldn’t be easily disturbed.

With that, the seed was successfully planted, so Se-Hoon turned to Karl and Ludwig, who had reappeared.

“Everything is set. From now on, whenever you have time, Pilgrim, please infuse it with divine mana.”

“Hmm... do I need to do it regularly?”

“There’s no set schedule, but the more often you visit, the faster it will grow.”

Though Karl’s duties always left him with little to no free time, he understood that the growth of the seed was crucial to escaping his current predicament.

“I’ll do my best to stay on schedule. Anything else?”

“Nothing much... oh, right, what about this?”

Remembering the Stigmata, Se-Hoon pulled it out of his void pocket and handed it to Karl. The materials used to create Stigmata, Holy Artifacts granted only to archbishops, were valuable, but there was always the risk of being branded a heretic if misused. Therefore, it was better to proceed cautiously.

“Ah, feel free to use it as you wish. You’ll need to conduct a lot of research with it to create the Divine Mana Conversion Device, anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Also, if you need more materials, just let Archbishop Jane know. I’ll make sure they’re delivered promptly.”

Hearing Karl’s generous offer of support, Se-Hoon felt it was a refreshing contrast to someone else’s petty behavior.

“I’ll put it to good use.”

“I wish I could offer more help, but I’m unfortunately running out of time.”

“Don’t worry about it. Soon, time won’t be an issue.”

Se-Hoon’s firm declaration, brimming with confidence in his ability to create the Divine Mana Conversion Device, drew out a smile on Karl’s face.

“I’ll be praying to God for your success.”

With a respectful bow, Karl vanished in a golden flash, heading back to the Pilgrim’s Path.

He’s exactly as I’ve heard.

As long as his actions didn’t conflict with God’s will, the Pilgrim was a man who devoted himself to protecting humanity and generously gave back to those who helped him—all of his actions were for humanity’s benefit.

I still shouldn’t let my guard down, though.

Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon fell silent, only wrapping up when Ludwig, standing nearby, inquired, “Is there anything else you need help with?”

Se-Hoon shook his head in response. “No, nothing more for now.”

“Very well. Then about what I asked before—”

“If it’s not urgent, could we discuss this later? I’d like to examine the materials I received from the Pilgrim.”

From his firm tone, it was clear Se-Hoon wanted to be left alone for now, so Ludwig nodded.

“Very well. If you insist.”

“Thank you.”

Sighing internally, Ludwig sent off Se-Hoon after his quick, dismissive bow.

Whoosh!

Now alone above the sea, Ludwig’s face revealed a hint of disappointment.

I hoped we could talk a bit more after...

Thinking that Se-Hoon was just eager to examine the new materials, Ludwig shook off the disappointment and was about to enter his office. But then, he suddenly paused.

“...”

Ludwig realized something about Se-Hoon’s attitude had struck him as oddly cold. Replaying their conversation in his head, Ludwig frowned slightly.

Could he really be upset over that single secret?

But just as the thought seriously crossed his mind, Ludwig chuckled.

“No, that can’t be it.”

After all the time they’d spent together, Ludwig believed that Se-Hoon wouldn’t sulk over something so trivial. If anything, admitting he had such a thought would offend him even more.

Shaking off the idea, Ludwig returned to the academy with a lighter heart.

***

That damn old man.

Se-Hoon plopped onto the sofa in his dorm room, his expression sour.

He hides his own secrets but wants to know everything from me. This is why you can’t trust anyone, even regulars.

Sure, Se-Hoon had his own mountains of secrets, but at least he wasn’t petty enough to tease others about them. Fuming, Se-Hoon thought that if Ludwig’s secret turned out to be insignificant, he would seriously consider kicking him out of Babel.

Maybe I’ll just install Wurgen as the Chairman... no, that won’t work. Karl would be a better option.

Getting more into it, Se-Hoon mulled over multiple ways to oust Ludwig and take control of Babel until his phone buzzed.

[Jake Myers]

“Hmm?”

Seeing an unexpected name flashing on his phone, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.

I thought he said he’d be too busy to contact me. Is he already finished?

Curious, Se-Hoon answered the call.

“Hello—”

—Se-Hoon, are you busy?

Jake’s urgent voice cut him off, his breathing rough like he’d just been in a fight. Worried, Se-Hoon immediately straightened up.

“What’s going on? Just give me the core details.”

—Right, the core... Oh! Did you hear about the engagement?

“Engagement?”

At the mention, Se-Hoon recalled his conversation with Aria before the school break.

Right, she did mention an engagement was coming up.

Aria had said she’d contact him soon, so it sensed that the time was approaching.

“Yeah, your sister mentioned there would be an engagement soon.”

—Then I don’t need to explain much. I want to ruin that engagement. Can you help me?

“...”

Se-Hoon’s expression twisted into confusion.

This guy... did he care for his sister all along?

Jake had always seemed scared of his sister, begrudgingly following her orders. However, hearing that he now wanted to ruin her engagement, Se-Hoon was about to ask when—

—Found you!

Aria’s voice rang out over the phone.

—S-sis!

Smack!

...It seems he’s been caught.

Quietly listening to the rustling on the other end, Se-Hoon waited until Aria returned.

—Hello?”

“...Hello.”

—Sorry about that. My brother was acting like an idiot.

“No problem. But, what’s going on...”

—It’s nothing serious. He just threw a tantrum because he didn’t like the engagement date being set. Don’t worry about it.

“I see.”

From the sound of it, Se-Hoon assumed Jake was probably just upset on behalf of Aria’s fiancé.

—We just made the announcement public, so it should be posted in the news soon. I sent you an invitation, but feel free to come early if you’d like.

“I’ll check my schedule.”

—Alright, see you soon.

Hanging up, Se-Hoon stared at his phone, still confused.

Aria’s getting engaged, huh...

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of man would be crazy enough to get involved with her. Then again, it was probably just a typical alliance betrothal.

I might as well check who it is.

Intrigued, Se-Hoon searched for the news.

“BREAKING NEWS: Jake Myers and Raphael Oppenheimer’s Engagement Announced.”

“...Huh?”

His jaw dropped at the unexpected headline.