Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1264. Gone with the Wind (4)

Kim Hyun-Sung probably had a great memory, but there was a high chance that he memorized only the significant events. Recalling exact times and dates was probably too much, but surely he remembered who did what, and where. After regressing, he definitely reconstructed the timeline in his mind, and there was no doubt that he had a broad understanding of how his first life had unfolded.

‘If my memories are serving me correctly, he went around hunting down black mages during the revolution.'

When we went to Laios, Kim Hyun-Sung was really busy... but that wasn’t the kind of information I needed. There was a high chance that this was the late phase rather than the beginning or the middle.

No matter how much of a monster Jung Jin-Ho was, there was no way someone from the early phase could stand on equal footing with the current Rafael. It made more sense to assume that they encountered Jung Jin-Ho while the latter was at his peak.

Judging by the timing, it would be the period right before the death of the psychopathic serial killer Jung Jin-Ho, and between that was the arrival of the Outer Gods. Since the exact date of Jung Jin-Ho’s death was unknown, I couldn't say for sure, but it was probably right around the time the Outer Gods appeared back then.

‘I do want to hear the story, but...’

“I’d look really strange...” I mumbled.

I wanted to ask in the most natural way possible, but asking about Jung Jin-Ho out of the blue during a time like this was bound to raise eyebrows.

It was strange enough to bring up the first life, so asking about Jung Jin-Ho would be really off. Even if Kim Hyun-Sung was a fool, there was no way he wouldn’t notice that something strange was going on.

I hesitated. Unsure whether to reach out or not, I unknowingly started toying with the hand mirror in my hands.

“Excuse me... sir,” Miss Kim Mi-Young called out to me from the side.

“...”

“Sir?”

“Ah! Yes, Miss Kim Mi-Young. I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else...” I answered.

“You have a guest. It’s the Friendship Guild and Mr. Rafael...” Miss Kim Mi-Young informed me.

“Ah... it’s already time to meet them. Is everything ready for the expedition?” I asked.

“Yes, we’ve prepared everything you asked for, but...” Miss Kim Mi-Young trailed off.

“Yes?”

“Will you really be okay? Of course, I don’t think Mr. Ahn Ki-Mo, Miss Yoo Ah-Young, and Miss Park Lian are incompetent, but...” Miss Kim Mi-Young trailed off once more.

“Deok-Gu, Alps, and Belier went on an expedition together... and Ye-Ri and Chang-Ryeol are busy. It’s the same for Miss Elena... Ha-Yan and Sora are busy building a new barrier... so there aren’t a lot of people who can go with me,” I explained.

“Miss Jo Hye-Jin and Miss Sun Hee-Young are available...” Miss Kim Mi-Young suggested.

“There’s no guarantee that nothing will happen while I’m away, so someone has to stay behind. Hye-Jin is both the acting guild master and the acting sub guild master,” I told her.

“I see,” Miss Kim Mi-Young said.

‘The problem is that I can’t take them with me...’

I was worried about what could happen on the continent while I was gone, but to be honest, that wasn’t what I was truly concerned about.

‘I’ve got no choice but to take someone with the most unfamiliar face I can find.’

Lee Ki-Young from the first life could be there.

The odds of running into them were low, but if it ended up happening, things would become really messy. Jo Hye-Jin, Kim Hyun-Sung, and, of course, Jung Ha-Yan were all key figures throughout the first life.

It was impossible to say exactly when that fragment found in Laios was from, but either way, I couldn’t just show up with people whose fates, dead or alive, were still unclear.

‘I could affect the start of the second life.’

Elena was also a famous figure in the Elf Kingdom, so I couldn't bring her with me. Hee-Young was a member of the Murder Brigade, so of course, I couldn't bring her with me as well.

I had no idea what happened to Hwang Jung-Yeon, but she was part of the Blue Guild, so I couldn't bring her with me.

The first person Kim Hyun-Sung recruited upon regressing into his second life was Kim Ye-Ri, so she was excluded as well. Lee Chang-Ryeol was excluded, as he was dealing with important intel.

Colonel Smith, the press officer, had to be excluded as well, and that damn pig... needless to say, he was out.

He left on an expedition together with Belier and Alps, so they couldn’t come back in time.

In that sense, it was a shame not to be able to leave with those two rookies, but there were people in the Blue Guild who remained relatively unknown during the first life.

First of all, there was Ahn Ki-Mo, who used to be with the Red Mercenary Guild. He was a holy knight, but the Red Mercenary Guild had so many members that he probably wouldn’t be easily remembered.

Besides, he wanted to leave that guild, so by the latter half, he was probably wandering somewhere.

‘And... there’s Yoo Ah-Young.’

There likely hadn’t been a demand for production roles during the first life, so it was likely that she never gained much attention.

Considering how Kim Hyun-Sung hadn't paid any special attention to her when they first met, Yoo Ah-Young of the first life most likely died quietly without anyone ever noticing.

‘It’s the same for Park Lian.’

Kim Hyun-Sung was the one who brought her to our side, but I personally selected her as part of my escort, so I had to bring her with me. She could have played an active role in the first life, but people with assassin-type jobs tended to keep a low profile, which was exactly why I chose her.

And then there was Rafael...

‘The Gray Warrior didn’t exist in the first life. He was just someone chosen through the second life’s Hero Contest...’

There was no need to even mention the Friendship Guild. Their sudden rise to fame actually made no sense. They were probably just extras 1, 2, and 3 who were unfortunate enough to get swept away by the masked scum back in the first life.

“Should I tell Mr. Rafael... to wait outside a little longer?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“No, tell him I’ll be right out,” I answered.

After a quick conversation with Miss Kim Mi-Young, I exited my office and saw two people outside.

“I think it’s my first time going on a small expedition with you, sir... Haha, I look forward to working with you. But... sir. Is this... a secret from the other guild members?” Ahn Ki-Mo asked.

“I-I’ll do my best, sir,” Yoo Ah-Young said while clenching both her fists tightly.

Park Lian was probably hiding somewhere.

I had no idea whether Ahn Ki-Mo had realized the seriousness of the situation or not, but he chattered away nonstop. He was relaxed because I lied to them that it was going to be a simple task. Unlike Chang-Ryeol, he could snitch on Jo Hye-Jin.

“But sir... can’t you tell us how long this expedition will take?” Ahn Ki-Mo asked.

“I’m not sure...” I answered.

“Hahaha. Everyone is working hard... so I feel kind of bad thinking we’re going to go off and have fun... Especially when I think about how busy Ye-Ri is... I can’t help but laugh,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.

“We’re not really leaving to have fun. It’s an expedition after all,” I corrected him.

“Still, if it’s an Epic-rank dungeon...” Ahn Ki-Mo said.

“Mr. Ki-Mo, it’s still important not to let your guard down,” I told him.

“It’s not that I let my guard down... It’s just... haha... I’m sorry. Recently, the situation hasn’t been great... I’m kind of excited... but you can trust me in this expedition,” Ahn Ki-Mo said.

When he saw a fully armed Rafael in the reception room along with the members of the Friendship Guild, Ahn Ki-Mo's composure slowly began to fade.

“Excuse me... sir?” Ahn Ki-Mo asked. He had to have realized that this was not going to be an ordinary expedition.

“Is t-the party heading to an Epic-rank dungeon?”

I heard Ahn Ki-Mo mumbling, but I didn’t answer him, as greeting the other party members was a priority.

“Hyung...” Rafael said.

“Yes, Mr. Rafael?” I said.

“A-Are you really okay?” Rafael asked.

“...”

“I feel really reassured when you’re with me... but I feel bad... You’re not in the best condition... and the Blue Guild is really busy... so getting involved in this...” Rafael said.

“Considering what you've done for me... it’s only right that I help you,” I told him.

After talking to Rafael...

“H-Hello, sir!”

“Hello, Father Lee Ki-YOung... the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival!”

I greeted the members of the Friendship Guild, and they were full of energy.

‘Lee Chul-Woo, the master of the Friendship Guild... and his friend, Kim Tae-Geon... and Gook Minji, who liked Lee Chul-Woo. There were also three women back then. This was my first time seeing the rest of the members.’

At first, I couldn’t remember their names, but as I carefully looked at each one with Mind’s Eye, the small incident involving Lee Ki-Yeon came to mind.

Back then, they had poor-quality gear, but now, it seemed like they were covered in luxury items, and even the supplies they carried were of top-notch quality.

‘Wasn’t it something like they made a fortune from selling books. Then, they invested that fortune, and it blew up?’

If my memories were serving me correctly, they obtained the unedited version of "How the Alchemist and the Genius Swordsman Loves."

I saw them once during the Mole Saint incident, and it was clear that their skills had improved as much as their gear. The sight made me nod in approval. Of course, rather than judging them outright, expressing gratitude had to be done first.

“I can’t express how happy I am that you’re willing to help,” I said.

“O-Of course, sir!” Lee Chul-Woo answered.

“It’s my first time seeing all of you, but it doesn’t feel like it,” I commented.

“It’s an honor!” Lee Chul-Woo shouted.

‘They’re energetic as well.’

“I apologize for how I look right now. I wanted to meet you all in a more presentable state...” I said.

“Mr. Rafael already told us what happened. You can rest assured that we won’t disclose any details about your appearance,” Lee Chul-Woo reassured me.

“I’m truly grateful that you have made the decision to do so. Shall... we get going?” I said.

“Yes, sir!”

Everything that we needed was ready...

‘I also got the catalyst...’

Except for Ahn Ki-Mo, who looked like he was being dragged to the slaughterhouse, our preparations for this expedition were nothing short of perfect.

Although their overall strength fell short compared to the full lineup of the Blue Guild, the party’s balance was solid. Rafael would be at the center, and Yoo Ah-Young had stepped up her game as the vanguard.

She looked like she would form a strong duo with Kim Tae-Geon from the Friendship Guild...

Lee Chul-Woo from the Friendship Guild also seemed fully competent as a priest.

Except for Sun Hee-Young and Elena, who were unusual cases, his level was high enough to be considered top-tier on the continent. Any gaps would be filled by Ahn Ki-Mo, the holy knight, ensuring our offense and defense were both well covered.

For now, our plan was to go to the warp gate and start our march from there.

‘It’s been a while since I did this.’

It was said to be a short distance, but it was actually a march of over four hours, so I decided to climb into Ahn Ki-Mo's bag and do what I was planning to do earlier.

‘I’m sure we’ll see it soon.’

Pretending to sigh from exhaustion, I closed my eyes and started activating the Regressor Instruction Manual. Immediately, I sensed everything about Kim Hyun-Sung. I could tell how bored he was and that he was waiting for his session with his doctor, but that wasn’t what I was curious about.

‘The first life... Let me see the first life.’

I was curious about the first life stored in Kim Hyun-Sung’s mind. It was so deep inside his mind that I felt like I was searching for a specific book in a massive library.

‘Why is it so disorganized, damn it?’

His mind was such a mess that retrieving memories was incredibly difficult. Just as I took another step forward to sift through things about Jung Jin-Ho and Laios, I flinched, realizing that someone was pushing me away.

I reached out once more for memories of the first life, but with a hollow sound, I felt my thoughts being blocked. I was startled, but I soon realized what was really going on.

“Huh?”

“...”

“What the... How come I can't see it?” I mumbled.

“What’s wrong, sir?” Ahn Ki-Mo asked.

Kim Hyun-Sung was blocking entry. More specifically, he didn’t want anyone digging into the memories of his first life, and perhaps he was doing that... unconsciously.