The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 264

“The Birth of the Youngest S-Rank Hero!”

“Aria Myers writes a new chapter in the hero industry!”

“Aria Myers follows right behind Ryu Eun-Ha! Who will climb the Tower of Heroes first?”

“Hmm...”

Scrolling through the latest news articles on his phone, Se-Hoon paused when he saw a photo of Aria just after her promotion at the Hero Association. She was smiling brightly, like usual, with her new sword—the repaired Glare—hanging from her waist.

Looks like everything worked out, he thought with a smirk.

Aria had a unique trait: no matter what equipment she used, her assimilation rate with it would always be zero percent. Simply put, regardless of whether it was Legendary equipment or a branch picked up off the ground, they felt the same to her.

Dull senses, the uniqueness of her mana, or perhaps a distortion of her synesthetic mindscape—he had been speculating the cause for a long while. And just recently, thanks to a spar with Jake, he finally narrowed down the case.

The sword in her heart.

For heroes who trained in swordsmanship, it was what they called the Soul Sword, an internal manifestation of their ideal weapon. Typically, it had no definite form, but Aria and Jake had been wielding exceptionally vivid ones ever since they first awakened their mana.

And that had influenced their synesthetic mindscapes as well.

Jake kept breaking his swords because his Soul Sword was difficult to manifest, forcing him to reattempt diligently. But Aria has been able to manifest hers from the beginning. It’s just... hers is so perfect that it inadvertently rejects all equipment, preventing any from assimilating with her.

Both of their problems originated due to their Soul Sword, but they had developed in completely opposite directions. And upon realizing that, Se-Hoon figured out what kind of weapon Aria needed.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect recreation—just something similar.

Like how a friend with similar interests made one feel instant warmth, the idea was to create a weapon that could mimic Aria’s Soul Sword. The problem now was that her Soul Sword existed only in her heart, making it difficult to determine its form.

However, thanks to the White Tiger’s power lingering in Glare, Se-Hoon had been able to come up with a solution.

By mixing my blood with the power left in Glare, I revived it with the power of Boundaries...

The process was similar to reviving the Seeker, except instead of bringing back the White Tiger’s powers in their entirety, he had only brought back the effect of its hide, the West Gold Skin.

I managed to mimic sword auras by applying the skin's ability to read and neutralize the mana structure of external ones, but...

Objectively, the sword was inefficient, as it would consume excessive mana to generate unnecessary sword auras. However, for Aria, that was outweighed by the sword having the potential to replicate her Soul Sword, albeit imperfectly.

And just as Se-Hoon had aimed for, her assimilation rate increased for the first time in her life, allowing her to wield a much stronger sword aura and more powerful techniques.

This should be the way to address her problem... but I’m not sure how long it’ll hold.

He was certain his master had also realized that if he had, and if Aria's problem persisted, then Aria’s synesthetic mindscape was certain to change as she grew stronger. If he failed to adapt, future events could unfold the same way they did before.

Well, I’ll just deal with that later...

Shelving the problem as too complicated to think about right now, Se-Hoon moved on and checked the public's reaction to the news articles.

Hmm. The response is even better than I imagined.

The public’s response was intense, and Aria’s promotion was spreading like wildfire across the globe. But that made sense. Unlike before the regression, when world affairs were more stable, the current era was marked by unrest and the public’s interest in powerful heroes was higher than ever.

And with Aria reaching S-rank even faster than before due to his influence, the ripple effect ended up massive.

It’s not a bad thing... but the issue is how the Demon Force will react.

With the death of the Dream Demon which came with the loss of their stronghold in the Pleasure District, the Demon Force had fallen into chaos and was currently in a bad spot. It wouldn’t be surprising if they were preparing something in return.

An assassination attempt seems the most likely.

Just as Se-Hoon had eliminated the Dream Demon, the Demon Force could be planning to gang up on a high-ranking hero or a Perfect One to shift the situation. They had done similar things before the regression, so it was entirely possible.

If they’re after rising stars, I’d be their first target.

However, it would be difficult to attack him directly with so many eyes on him. Still, they could use him as bait to lure out other Perfect Ones.

Pondering over all of the possibilities, Se-Hoon fell deep into thought.

Bam!

A loud noise erupted from the training grounds.

Thud-

And a moment later, the sound of something heavy falling followed.

Jolted out of his thoughts, Se-Hoon turned his gaze forward and saw Jake collapsed face-first on the floor while Kwang-Soo loomed over him, resting Jake’s sword on his shoulder. It was a scene he’d witnessed more than ten times already, but Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smirk again.

“Did you knock him out again?”

“It’s more like he knocked himself out. Tsk tsk...”

Clicking his tongue, Kwang-Soo wiped the sweat from his face with a towel as he came down from the training ground.

“If he tries to maintain his power output, he can’t dodge. But if he tries, then he can’t maintain his power output. It’s like he’s just fumbling around.”

It was the third day of Jake’s training under Kwang-Soo. On the first day, Jake succeeded in controlling his power output and maintaining his sword aura, so Se-Hoon thought Jake would master the manifestation of his Soul Sword quickly as well.

However, Se-Hoon soon discovered a critical flaw: Jake couldn’t move properly while maintaining that state. So, he came up with different methods to fix this issue, but each was like plugging one hole only to create another.

“He’s moving better than before, though.”

“If you call sluggishly walking around like you’re out for a stroll ‘moving better,’ sure.”

“Well, getting started is the hardest part. He’s getting used to it little by little.”

The main issue Jake had was overthinking due to lack of experience. Without a structured understanding of what to do in different situations, he overthought every move, and consequently, his actions became disjointed.

Fortunately, since Jake was naturally talented, Se-Hoon believed the problem would resolve itself.

“...You’re the one who gave him the assignment and asked me to train him, yet you talk as if I’m the bad guy here,” Kwang-Soo accused, squinting his eyes at him.

“Ahem. I’m just saying he’s trying his best. Not that you’re the bad guy.”

“Tch, all you do is sit there watching and run your mouth...”

Grumbling to himself, Kwang-Soo threw his sweat-soaked towel to the side.

“So, what do you think?” Se-Hoon abruptly asked.

“About what?”

“Jake’s skill level.”

Glancing back at the training ground, Kwang-Soo thought for a moment.

“Attack: S. Defense: A+. Stamina: A. But when he tries to utilize them all at once, he can’t manage, so I give him an A- overall.”

“That’s about what I thought.”

Although Jake’s stats were impressive, he still had too many gaps in his skills that left him vulnerable.

He’s not ready for real combat yet.

More time was needed before he could take Jake to a real fight.

Revising his plans, Se-Hoon stroked his chin in thought, and upon seeing that, Kwang-Soo asked, “So, what have you been up to these days?”

“Huh?”

“Before, you seemed like you were just trying to get stronger. But now... it feels like you’re set on doing something with a clear purpose, as if you’ve completed your preparations.”

While Kwang-Soo hadn’t asked the Perfect Ones about Se-Hoon’s contribution to the Dream Demon’s elimination, he had a gut feeling it was far greater than what was publicly announced.

It wasn’t backed by evidence, just based on the talent and personality Kwang-Soo had observed in him. In Kwang-Soo’s eyes, there was no way Se-Hoon had played a minor role.

Hmm... Is it about time I tell him?

Up until now, Se-Hoon had kept many things hidden, fearing the potential misunderstandings that could arise. Now, however, Se-Hoon realized they could be of more help to each other with them being on a more equal level than before.

In the end, after recalling the personality of the Kwang-Soo he knew before regressing, Se-Hoon decided to tell him.

“Actually... I wouldn’t say I’m fully prepared, but I’m getting to the point where I can handle other things.”

“Prepared for what?”

“The elimination of one of the Ten Evils. Like what I did for the Dream Demon.”

Kwang-Soo’s eyes widened. But almost immediately after, they quickly returned to normal. He had half-expected something like that already.

Briefly organizing his thoughts, Kwang-Soo became somber and asked, “Have you chosen who to eliminate already?”

“Not yet. It’s pretty difficult to pinpoint their location, and I’m sure they’ll be on guard after the recent events.”

Referring to his memories, he could only reliably pinpoint two of the Ten Evils: Heaven Eye and the one trapped in the Forest of Repetition. He was just as in the dark as everyone else about the rest of the Ten Evils.

“...”

Noticing Kwang-Soo hesitating to say something, Se-Hoon immediately understood.

“I know you’re familiar with Doppelganger, but aside from Puppeteer and Tuner, it’s one of the hardest to track. It’s an incredibly cautious being.”

As Se-Hoon spoke, Kwang-Soo’s expression darkened bit by bit. But before Kwang-Soo could grow too disheartened, Se-Hoon added to his words.

“But, if you can provide any information or data on the Doppelganger, I would say that it’s not impossible to find them.”

Before the regression, Doppelganger had teamed up with Succession and consumed a Harbinger Shard in the City of Nightmares, becoming the Harbinger of Oblivion. And as long as the Harbinger Shard remained, there was no way they would give up their plans entirely, even if Se-Hoon’s actions had altered the course of events in the present timeline.

Therefore, by focusing his investigation on Succession, Se-Hoon thought he might be able to encounter Doppelganger sooner than expected.

Of course, this all depends on how much Kwang-Soo helps.

While Kwang-Soo knew much about Doppelganger's past, he had never once spoken about it.

Normally, Se-Hoon wasn’t one to pry into personal matters, but with Doppelganger specifically, its history could be crucial to detect its transformations, making Kwang-Soo’s cooperation essential.

“...”

He understood. Knowing why and the extent of the information and materials Se-Hoon was asking for, Kwang-Soo hesitated, thinking deeply.

“I’ll... think about it.”

It was slightly frustrating that Kwang-Soo was reluctant to reveal his past even in the current situation, but Se-Hoon knew better than to rush him, so he simply nodded.

“Take your time. There’s no hurry.”

Glancing at Se-Hoon, who nodded as if he completely understood, Kwang-Soo softly muttered, “...Thanks.”

Then, as if embarrassed by saying something he shouldn’t have, Kwang-Soo immediately fled to the training ground, leaving Se-Hoon watching in bemusement.

For a man his age, he sure is making a big deal out of this...

Though even if it felt a bit awkward, Se-Hoon preferred him like that over someone who was entirely closed off emotionally.

Wryly smiling, he moved on and began thinking about what he could tackle during the rest of his summer break.

Forging a Divine Weapon from the materials received, organizing the items I obtained from storage, and... ah.

The face of someone he hadn’t seen since the start of summer break came to mind.

Vrrr-

His phone vibrated in his hand. Curious as to who it could be, he read the message.

Erika: Want to come over?

***

Se-Hoon: Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Meet me at the terminal by 11:00 am.

Erika stared at the message on her phone. Despite not contacting him for weeks, Se-Hoon responded like nothing was out of the ordinary. And while some would find his casual attitude detached, Erika actually preferred it that way. @@novelbin@@

Causing too much of a fuss would be... a bit overwhelming.

She continued to look at the message, not sending a reply. Then, after a brief moment, she heard the soft whispers of women with their faces covered by white veils beside her.

“It’s time, miss.”

“...Okay.”

Setting her phone down, Erika rose from her seat and looked straight ahead.

Gurgle-

Within the massive pit, sealed tightly with golden ropes and talismans, before her, a black swamp pulsed like a living creature. And without hesitation, Erika walked straight into it.

Splash, splash-

As if she were walking on solid ground, Erika had easily reached the center of the swamp, and the calm surface immediately began rippling violently before surging upwards.

Caw, caw-

Swelling into massive wings, the black swamp slowly enveloped Erika in its embrace.

Yet Erika didn’t bat an eye, staring calmly at the dark mire closing in.

In fact, her thoughts had even drifted to the spell pattern she had shared with Se-Hoon.

“...”

At the time, she had thought the complex spell she had written for him when she had visited him in the hospital was too difficult for him to mimic. But since some time had passed, she thought that perhaps he had solved it by now.

She slowly closed her eyes, thinking about meeting Se-Hoon tomorrow.

“I hope he figured it out...”

With that quiet yearning, she was submerged into the black swamp, disappearing into its depths.