Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1527. Chance Encounter, Fateful Meeting (5) [Illustration]

I remembered how those guys, Alex, Kennen, and George, used to say that someone was guiding them and that the puzzle pieces were falling into place. What I was feeling right now was probably the same as what they had felt back then.

No matter how many times I thought about it, it was absurd, but it really did feel like the pieces were falling into place here.

I met him, Park Deok-Gu and Kasugano Yuno were here, and Kim Hyun-Sung was coming... these were the puzzle pieces. We all started from different points in time and aimed for different goals, but in the end, the destination was the same—this shabby inn.

Naturally, my gaze drifted toward First Life Ki-Young. He still looked completely out of it.

“Ahhh, they came down. They’re finally coming down. I was wondering what they were doing, holed up in their room and not coming out...”

“That body of his is seriously impressive, but I can’t tell if he’s just a coward or if it’s because of trauma... What a shame. Really a shame.”

“Hey, bros. Want to come over and have a drink while we talk? We’re thinking of going to hunt some goblins, but we are short on people...”

The repeated murmurs weren't the reason he was acting that way. It was obvious that he could "see" through whatever he had set up here, that Park Deok-Gu was coming.

He knew I was coming, so it wouldn’t be strange if he was watching out for other intruders, too.

There was no will to fight left on his face. The killing intent from moments ago had vanished. He lost all desire to fight. He wasn’t even paying attention to me anymore, even though I was right next to him. For a moment, I thought this was the perfect chance to strike him from behind, but there was no need to do so.

He had already chosen not to fight, after all.

Of course, it was not because he had confirmed that Deok-Gu was coming, but because the moment he heard that Deok-Gu was living a stable, happy life in the second life, he decided to protect that present rather than change anything.

On the surface, it looked like a sacrifice for Deok-Gu, but like I’d said before, perhaps he just didn’t have the confidence to take charge of the second life.

Without Kim Hyun-Sung, he couldn't say for sure whether Deok-Gu would reach the best possible fate in the second life.

‘How can anyone guarantee that?’

The very person who made up most of his reasons for turning back the world was about to get married. How could he guarantee that same future again?

‘If I had known that would become like this... we really fought for nothing...’

If I had just told him from the start that Deok-Gu was living happily, perhaps we wouldn’t have gone through that bloody, embarrassing fight. Of course, I couldn't say for sure whether he would believe me. The reason First Life Ki-Young suddenly believed me and broke down was that he could see Deok-Gu with his own eyes.

He had grown far beyond what he was in the first life, but he was still the same foolish guy. After a while, silence settled over the shabby inn, but it was shattered by Deok-Gu’s voice drifting in from outside.

“No, I mean, you’ve got to at least tell me where we are and what’s going on! I just followed you without thinking, but... where exactly is hyung-nim supposed to be?!”

“...”

“And what’s with that inn? Hey! Are you sure he’s inside there? I have no idea what’s happening right now!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.

“...”

“Man... what’s even going on... Come on, say something! I’m dying of curiosity here...” he complained.

“...”

From the sound of it, he was getting closer to the inside of the inn. I caught sight of First Life Ki-Young freezing up.

“Is it okay to go in?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

‘This bastard... he’s scared.’

“Ah... uh...”

“Hyung-nim? Is that you?!” Park Deok-Gu asked.

‘What a coward.’

I had no choice but to speak up for him.

“Wait a second.”

“Huh?! It’s really you, hyung-nim?! What are you even doing in there? It’s total chaos outside! The sky’s falling and everything! Those pigeon things we fought before are there, and people are killing each other, too! It’s a complete mess out here! No, seriously, this isn’t the time—”

“I said wait, you pig!” I shouted.

“What the hell? Why are you suddenly...”

He was still fidgeting anxiously. It was obvious why First Life Ki-Young was so shaken. He didn’t want Deok-Gu to see him like this. I could tell the difference between the first life and the second life, but he couldn’t. At least, when it came to Deok-Gu, he couldn’t.

Back in the first life, wasn’t it always Deok-Gu who held Ki-Young back? Deok-Gu never wanted to see him fall apart. He wanted him to stay within some kind of line; he wanted him to remain a decent person.

In Deok-Gu's eyes, Ki-Young was a hero, a good man, but the Ki-Young next to me...

‘He doesn’t look like that at all.’

In anyone's eyes, he’d just look like some psychotic axe murderer. Dark circles hung heavily under his eyes, and beyond that, he was in such a mess that there was no need to actually describe it. More than anything, he himself knew that he had come too far and had changed far too much. It wasn’t just about appearances, too.

Hence, it made sense that he didn’t have the courage to face Deok-Gu like this, and on top of that, I was here too. Which meant the choice, ultimately, wasn’t even his to make.

To put it bluntly, I could tell Deok-Gu that this guy was the enemy. Deok-Gu could end up being confused, but in the end, he’d probably realize that I was the real one. One could say that he was being cornered right now.

There was no way First Life Ki-Young could make a rational decision right now. He looked at me like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. It wasn’t even about sympathy. He didn’t have the room for that kind of emotion.

I made a sidelong glance at him and asked, “So what are you going to do?”

“What...” First Life Ki-Young mumbled.

“You should meet him, right? Or at least talk to him... Did you think you could walk away after this?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

I didn’t hear an answer, but it felt like I had. He understood my decision immediately. It was a gesture of mercy on my end. Of course, part of it was because I couldn’t be sure what Park Deok-Gu and Kasugano Yuno would choose, and part of it was because the words “the right choice” that Yuno had once said backstage echoed in my head.

More than anything, it was probably because I understood how he felt right now.

It was ridiculous, even to me, to say I understood him, even though we had just been trying to kill each other, but there was no helping it. That was just how I felt.

It could be because the heat in my head had cooled down, or it could also be out of simple pity. Perhaps it was the last bit of mercy a winner would give to the loser, or perhaps it was because I knew that he had no other choice left.

There were many things that didn’t sit right with me, but I was certain that this was the best option.

“So what are you going to do?” I asked.

“You meet the pig; I’ll meet Kim Hyun-Sung,” I suggested.

“What’s your goal?” First Life Ki-Young asked.

“Same as always. Protect what’s mine. I’m just being rational. I’m sure that if you meet him using my appearance, you’ll be able to let go. And Kim Hyun-Sung is probably looking for you, not me, so it makes more sense for me to wait for him in your guise.

"In this situation, we just meet the people we’re supposed to meet. There’s no other reason. I’m not setting a trap or anything. There’s no need for that,” I answered.

“...”

“It might look like I’m making a deal that favors you, but you know better than anyone that it’s not like that. The pieces have come together, so we’re just doing what we each have to do,” I added.

“W-why would you let me meet the pig? I don’t understand...” he muttered.

“That’s not something you need to understand. I’ve decided that this is the right choice,” I told him.

“You sure?” he asked.

“I am,” I answered.

“...”

“...”

“Then... how are you going to turn this back? No, what are you going to do? Altanus isn’t here. I know the Sage’s Stone you have isn’t perfect. How are you going to fix all this?” he asked.

“There’s no such thing as a Sage’s Stone, idiot,” I replied.

“...”

“Something that conveniently grants miracles like that doesn’t exist. No matter what happens, that’s my problem to deal with. You don’t need to worry about it. What matters right now is whether you can let go or not. Actually, I don’t even need to ask,” I added.

‘Looks like he has already decided.’

“...”

‘He’ll figure the rest out after meeting the pig anyway.’

“Give me the mask,” I said.

“Okay.”

“The clothes, too,” I added.

“Okay.”

It was kind of ridiculous to change clothes in a place like this out of nowhere. The clothes were already in tatters, and it didn’t seem to matter much at this point. Perhaps he felt just as awkward as me about the sudden turn of events, as the whole scene felt a little stiff.

We were both too exhausted to keep fighting, but somehow, we ended up talking like nothing had ever happened, which was a bit funny.

The one thing that caught me off guard was how well his clothes suited me. I had expected them to be too big, but they fit perfectly. I stared at my reflection in a cracked mirror, and I realized that I had fully grown. I had known I was changing, but now, it felt like I had completely returned to my old self.

‘Is this some kind of symbolic “you’ve grown” moment or something?’

I couldn’t tell whether it was a coincidence or not. The moment I decided to give way to myself and the moment I managed to understand him just a little, I realized that I had fully grown.

I even paused to wonder if I was reading too much into it, but when I saw how completely shaken he became the moment he heard Deok-Gu’s voice, I couldn’t deny that I could see a bit of myself in him.

“Clean up the dolls. You’ll scare the pig,” I suggested.

“Okay.”

“Where’d you put that thing you called the Sage’s Stone?” I asked.

“In the basement,” First Life Ki-Young answered.

‘You seriously need to get it together.’

“Hyung-nim! What are you doing in there?! Seriously! Who else is in there?! If you don’t answer, I’m breaking the door down!” Park Deok-Gu threatened.

“I said wait, you pig!” I shouted.

“Ah... why are you yelling... Fine, fine, I got it!” he shouted back.

“...”

“...”

“I’ll head down first. Bring the pig and Kasugano Yuno upstairs. Talk if you want. Ask whatever you want. I need to get ready to meet Kim Hyun-Sung,” I suggested.

“Okay...” he muttered.

‘This guy’s completely out of it.’

His eyes darted around, and his breathing was ragged. It looked like he had forgotten how to breathe, and it was like he was at his limits. He looked like someone about to reunite with his family after being separated for years.

At this point, there was probably nothing in his head except the fact that he was about to see Deok-Gu. There was no way he could think about what to say, how to react, or what he could hear.

“Ah, come on, I can’t wait anymore!” Park Deok-Gu complained.

“...”

“You open the door,” I told him.

“Uh... okay...” he said.

“I’m going in,” I said.

“Okay...”

Just as I stepped toward the basement, the door creaked open behind me.

I watched them through the Telescope. First Life Ki-Young looked tense, more than he had all this time. In his eyes, he was probably seeing Deok-Gu exactly as he had always been—easygoing, dumb, ridiculous, and grinning like an idiot.

“Uh... ah...”

For a moment, he stopped breathing.

“Hyung-nim?”

His face twisted. He looked like he was trying to hold himself together, but more than anyone, he knew it was pointless.

“Deok...”

The second he tried to speak, it looked like he broke down completely.

“What’s wrong? You look thinner! And what’s with your eyes?! Why are you so beat up?!” Park Deok-Gu asked.

His arms, his legs, and even his jaw were trembling like an aspen tree.

“Uh... ngh... Deok-Gu...?” First Life Ki-Young mumbled.

“Come on, say something already. Yuno noonim, is hyung-nim...” Park Deok-Gu mumbled.

“Heuk... uh... ngh... kgh... nghh... nghh...” He groaned.

“Huh?”

“Ah... ngh... huh...”

“Hyung-nim?” Park Deok-Gu said.

“So... heuk... I’m... ngh... sorry... heuk... I’m sorry...” First Life Ki-Young mumbled.

He collapsed right there, and Deok-Gu caught him.

“I’m sorry... heuk... I’m sorry... I’m sorry...” he repeated.

At that moment, he looked somehow smaller, like he had become a kid again.