Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1288. The Magic Tower (1)

‘Who else could it be but Ha-Yan?’

Of course, there was a high possibility that I wouldn't actually meet her, and I couldn't say with certainty that this was really about her.

However, if we assumed that this phenomenon was centered on key plotlines and characters from the first life, then it'd make sense for it to be her.

She was an iconic figure of the Magic Tower with a huge influence on both the first life and the second life.

'Didn't they say that... she was holed up in the Magic Tower in the first life?'

As far as I know, after escaping the tutorial dungeon not with the raid team but the survival team, she continued living in the Mage Tower. Judging from the situation, it’s likely that she didn’t receive offers from any guilds and only caught the attention of those old geezers in the Mage Tower.

‘Well, at least a few of those old geezers had good eyes.’

In any case, after leaving the tutorial dungeon, Jung Ha-Yan rarely appeared in public.

It was unknown if the Magic Tower kept her hidden, or if she wanted to stay hidden, but she had never taken part in the war against the brigade, the war between players and the natives, the war between nations, and any fights between cities.

She hadn't done anything but continue her research on magic for the sake of the continent's development. She had never really gotten directly involved in any of the fights.

The ones who were dragged into all those were a few individuals led by Kim Hyun-Sung. Whatever the reason, Jung Ha-Yan later regretted that choice deeply. Compared to what I know about Jung Jin-Ho, I had more information about her.

I was not exactly aware of her entire life story, but at the very least, I witnessed her final moments thanks to Kasugano Yuno.

“Whoo... whoo... Oppa will understand. He’ll know how much I loved him. Once he finds out that I died, he’ll remember for the rest of his life, right? Maybe he’ll r-regret it. Maybe he’ll be sad... Even if I disappear, I might live on in his memory forever.

"That’s better than being forgotten. Yeah. Th-That’s better... because we’ll meet again in the next life. That’s what he said. Yeah... right.”

“...”

“N-No, maybe he’ll come to save me. O-Oppa always showed up whenever I was hurting. Maybe he’ll suddenly appear, just like that. Maybe... hiccup... maybe he really will... hiccup... heuk... hiccup...”

It was a memory that would always leave a foul feeling in my chest whenever I recall it.

Of course, I knew it had nothing to do with me since the first and second life were separate, but seeing Jung Ha-Yan in such a miserable state still didn’t sit right with me.

Watching someone take their own life was never something one could easily stomach. It was hard to explain, but it felt like a sting deep in my chest. The current side of Ha-Yan suited her more than her first life version.

“O-O-Oppa!” Jung Ha-Yan called out. She was smiling brightly. Perhaps she was busy catching up on her backlog, as traces of mana were floating around the room.

“Wh-What brought you here so suddenly?” asked Jung Ha-Yan.

Of course, I was here to check on the gate, but there were better things to say than that.

Something that would make her happier.

“Because I suddenly wanted to see you, Ha-Yan...” I answered.

“...”

“...”

As expected, she bowed, and the corners of her mouth curled into a sly smile. And of course, she clung tightly to one of my arms. Her Strength had already surpassed most low-rank warriors, so my arm was screaming in pain.

“He... hehe... he... hehe...” Jung Ha-Yan giggled.

‘Damn it, Ha-Yan... it really hurts.’

“He... hehehe... he...”

‘Feels like my arm is about to snap.’

I remembered it hurting the first time I went through the tutorial, but now, she had definitely gotten stronger. Jung Ha-Yan probably had no idea, but there would certainly be a hand-shaped bruise on my arm at this rate.

“I-If you had told me beforehand... I-I would’ve prepared some things in advance...” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“I just... figured you were busy, Ha-Yan. I didn’t want to bother you. But... how are things these days? You’re handling both the youth center and the continent-wide mana management...” I asked.

“Ah! It’s all fine. S-Sora helps me a lot with that. A-Actually, setting up the defense magic for the youth center... isn’t all that hard. Lately, there’s been a faint mana reaction somewhere on the continent, so... I’ve been monitoring that. A-And... I’ve been helping with Mr. Chang-Ryeol... and Miss Ye-Ri’s case, too...” Jung Ha-Yan replied.

“Ahh...”

“Yes, and th-that person who appeared in the surveillance orb... We still haven’t figured out where they are...” Jung Ha-Yan added.

‘The Six Stars bastard... Right, he was still out there.’

It seemed that they still hadn't caught him.

'A faint mana reaction... that is probably a gate.’

“How’s the case with the mana reaction?” I asked.

“Ah, we’re still keeping an eye on it and trying to stabilize it... It’s not anything to worry about just yet... It really is just a faint reaction, nothing more.... We probably don’t need to freeze it or anything at this point.

"Still, we’re carefully monitoring the fluctuating values,” Jung Ha-Yan answered.

Honestly, I wanted to talk to her more about the gate, but...

‘First, I’ll have to wrap up this matter before even thinking about counseling or whatever.’

After all, if there was a chance of running into First Life Jung Ha-Yan, taking Second Life Ha-Yan along wouldn’t be a good idea. It wasn't like I believed in those dumb urban legends about dopplegangers dying when they meet each other, but I wanted to eliminate any unpredictable variables.

While Ha-Yan’s condition had improved quite a bit, she was still within the risky range. I had no idea what could trigger an unexpected outburst, so I didn’t want to involve her with a gate related to the Magic Tower.

Now that I thought about it...

‘She’s improved a lot.’

Ha-Yan's social skills had improved so much to the point that I briefly considered giving Kim Hyun-Sung his own Han Sora. She seemed to be getting along with the old geezers at the Magic Tower, and she was also engaging in small-scale social activities.

Naturally, she wasn’t doing any of the extreme things she used to do. Of course, she still cast a few creative tracking spells on me, but she seemed to have developed a few personal rules now and wasn’t abusing her power as much.

Well, I couldn’t be sure what she could be doing in ways I hadn’t noticed yet, but at least, the Jung Ha-Yan in front of me was almost normal. Whenever Han Sora and I weren’t around, though, she would still revert to her old habits.

‘Still, it’s a huge improvement.’

Jung Ha-Yan was still cheerfully chattering away, clearly in a good mood. I wanted to pat her head while she was nodding, but the distance between me and her head felt oddly far.

When I casually stretched my hand toward her, I saw her subtly lean in and nudge her head closer into my reach.

“U-Um... Oppa... you’ve grown a little,” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes, you definitely have. Maybe around... 0.5cm? No, more like... 0.6. Your fingers got a little longer too...” Jung Ha-Yan answered.

“I can’t really tell,” I said.

“You’re definitely growing! It’s fascinating. It’s like... I’m watching your growth process up close...” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“I’d like to see that, too,” I said.

“I-It wouldn’t be that interesting. When I was younger... I wasn’t really—”

“Why? I bet you were cute back then, too. And now, you’re so pretty,” I interrupted her.

‘Ha-Yan... my arm hurts, damn it.’

My other arm was about to get a bruise, too. Anyway, that was enough small talk. Originally, I wanted to check on the gate right away, but with all the back-and-forth, a bit of time ended up flying by.

Just then, Han Sora stepped in by opening the door, seemingly on cue

“M-Miss Jung Ha-Yan... the Tower Masters are asking to see you for a moment... Would now be a good time?” Han Sora asked.

“Ah! Sora! I was just about to—”

“It seems urgent,” Han Sora interrupted her.

“I-I’m with oppa right now...” Jung Ha-Yan mumbled.

“Ah, then should I let them know you’re unavailable?” Han Sora asked.

She looked like she was making a life-or-death decision, but the answer came surprisingly quickly. Perhaps she thought showing her hardworking side would boost her charm, but she nodded, trying to act the role of a cool, career-minded woman.

I-It can’t be helped. O-Oppa just wait a moment...” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“Okay.”

“I-I’ll be right back. T-The Magic Tower literally falls apart without me,” Jung Ha-Yan said, running her fingers through her hair.

The moment Jung Ha-Yan left, Han Sora leaned in closer to me, saying, “We need to check it now, sir.”

“Where is it?” I asked.

“Tenth floor. I told Miss Jung Ha-Yan that something happened in my lab. Please hurry up and check it,” Han Sora informed me.

“What’s your take on it, Miss Sora?” I asked.

“Honestly, I tried to study it myself, but it’s still beyond me. For what it’s worth, even the researchers here haven’t made any real progress. They’re all scratching their heads. Why would a poorly made magic circle be capable of forming a gate that is connected to another dimension?”

“...”

“You’ve probably guessed it already, but in my opinion, I think this is beyond our continent's level of magic. Actually, I’m not even sure we should call it magic. It feels more like a natural phenomenon than a deliberately made spell,” Han Sora continued.

“A natural phenomenon?” I asked.

“Yes, a natural phenomenon. This wasn’t drawn by anyone. It just appeared one day... like how rain suddenly falls from the sky. That’s the only way I can explain it. Of course, if Miss Jung Ha-Yan were to assist with the research, we would be able to reach a better conclusion, but...” Han Sora trailed off.

“...”

“...”

‘She doesn’t seem to be interested in that either.’

Still, calling it a natural phenomenon... made some sense. The gate behaved like a system that simply dropped rain onto a drought-stricken dimension.

Han Sora seemed anxious, but perhaps it was because she knew that it wouldn't take long for any tricky mystery to eventually grab Jung Ha-Yan’s attention.

Leaving her behind, I made my way to the tenth floor and sure enough, I saw it—a large hexagram. It was etched clearly into my eyes. A few mages from the tower stood nearby, maintaining a distance from it while trying to conduct experiments.

They stood up and bowed upon seeing me.

“Is this what you’ve been looking for?” Han Sora asked.

“Looks like it,” I answered.

“Um... sir,” Han Sora said, looking alarmed.

“Hm? What is it, Miss Sora?” I asked.

“Y-Your bag... it’s glowing,” Han Sora remarked.

‘Huh? What?’

For a moment, I stood there dumbfounded, not understanding what was happening. Then, I remembered that I stored a small amount of that catalyst in my bag. I hadn’t cast a spell, and I never really thought about going anywhere, but the so-called natural phenomenon was already pulling me in.

“Sh-Shit!” I shouted.

“What’s wrong, sir? What’s going on—”

“Just—Miss Sora, get over here!” I shouted.

“What? N-No, I don’t want to!” Han Sora yelled.

“Come here! Now!” I demanded.

“N-No!” Han Sora shouted.

“It’s nothing serious, so just come here already!” I told her.

“It doesn’t look like it’s nothing!” Han Sora argued.

“Just come here!” I said.

“I said no!” she yelled.

“Damn it, Miss Sora! Hurry!” I urged her.

“I said NO, you bastard!” she cursed.

I sprinted toward her, but she was backing away just as fast.

I couldn’t get dragged into this alone, as that was a death sentence. I took off my bag and was about to throw it at Han Sora as if I were throwing a grenade.

Just as I was about to throw it.

“Don’t throw that thing at me! No, don’t throw it! You bastard!” Han Sora yelled.

“Ah!”

“I don’t even know what that is, but don’t throw it! You psycho!” Han Sora shouted.

The scenery peeled away just then.

“S-Shit...” I mumbled.

I looked down from the tower and—

“...”

‘Kyaaaaaaaah!”

‘What the hell...’

—I saw the denizens of Lindel fighting what looked like demons.

“...”

“...”

“I’m so fucked..."