The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 468

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions. Each time the hammer swung down, the dim forge lit up slightly to make the shadow of a woman flicker in and out.

Clang! Clang!

That one shadow was ceaselessly forging on and on, all to create a single sword—

“How many have you made?”

The blunt voice, from a part of the darkness that had twisted and condensed, interrupted the process.

“Tsk.”

Irritated, the shadow hurled the hammer onto the anvil and pulled something from its pocket, bringing it to its lips.

Fwoosh-

Smoke trailing into the air, a small flame illuminated the shadow’s face: Meirin, who glared toward the voice.

“I’m sure I told you not to bother me while I’m working.”

Despite her annoyance, the black vortex—a clone of Doppelganger—was calm.

“You’ve been working for three days and nights yet still haven’t finished a single piece. I asked to check your progress.”

“Do you think just asking will make an unfinished weapon magically appear? Wouldn’t your time be better spent actually training—”

“I’m already done with the training.”

Cut off, Meirin’s eyes twitched.

“As soon as the sword is completed, I can conquer the Tower of Heroes at any time. That’s why I’m asking.”

“…”

“So answer me. How many have you made?”

The voice sounded indifferent, but the tone carried the chilling weight of the threat that she could be cut down at any moment.

“…”

Meirin silently took a drag from her cigarette. Then, only when the ember had nearly reached halfway, did she finally open her mouth.

“The sword you wanted is finished. It’s just not the weapon I wanted, so I’m still working on it.”

“…I see.” Doppelganger’s clone fell silent for a moment at the disgruntled reply. “In that case, do as you like with the time you have left. But when the time comes—”

“I’ll quit on my own, so don’t worry. Anything else? If not, I’d appreciate it if you left now.”

“…”

Meirin’s sharp eyes and the black vortex locked gazes for a while until the latter eventually spoke first. “We only have a few days left. Let the others know where to find us.”

With that, as if that was all she had to say, the vortex scattered and faded into the darkness.

“…” Staring at the emptiness left behind, Meirin flicked her spent cigarette in that direction and bit down on a new one. “What a headache…”

Could she truly break through her limits within the time left? She frowned, unsure of the answer—before suddenly thinking of a possible method.

“…No, that’s not it.”

However, she had her pride. She couldn’t resort to that. Shaking her head, Meirin looked down at the half-finished sword and, with a deep sigh, snapped her fingers.

Click!

The forge was instantly illuminated, revealing the hundreds—no, thousands of swords hidden in the darkness. Each and every single one was a masterpiece that would make any blacksmith widen their eyes, but to Meirin, they were all failures unworthy even of a glance.

Meirin grabbed the coat hanging to the side and walked out of the forge without hesitation.

“…Might as well call him over,” she quietly muttered.

***

The day after the forging of Aria, Jake, and even Kwang-Soo’s weapons all concluded successfully, Se-Hoon walked to his workshop and immediately called Kwang-Soo over. He wanted to examine the newly reforged Celestial Night that was now known as the Celestial Night Blossom.

“Hmm…”

Its blade was rough and uneven, like it had been scraped against stone. The color was faded, as though all its paint had been stripped. The sword was bent right and then left, winding like a snake. Naturally, the balance was completely off.

I wouldn’t call this a sword, but rather a chunk of metal… no, a shackle might be more accurate.

It was a sword so terrible that wielding it would become a disadvantage. If Se-Hoon hadn’t witnessed the reforging process with his own eyes, he would’ve tossed it into the furnace without a second thought: an abomination, that was what it was.

Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.

On the surface, it looks absolutely hideous… but if you look closely, that’s not quite a disadvantage.

Despite appearances, the chipped blade was actually perfect for manifesting the Celestial Infinity Blade. The dull color meant it would emit an antique charm once enveloped in sword aura. Even the warped blade and unbalanced weight would transform—when held by Kwang-Soo—into peak efficiency.

It’s practically a sword made solely for Kwang-Soo.

Of course, since Kwang-Soo had forged it by projecting his own Soul Sword, that was only natural. However, even if that part didn’t particularly concern Se-Hoon, there were still a few lingering questions that did.

What was the original Celestial Night made of?

Before he regressed, he had always assumed it was crafted from rare metals, being a memento from his master. After seeing Kwang-Soo’s past, though, he no longer thought the same.

The Celestial Night that Ha-Rin first forged resembled a technique, something formed from sword aura. But after the Seekers’ bombardment ended, it had been reforged into a physical sword…

Naturally, one would assume that the sword was the result of partial demonification, or, put simply, her body’s transformation had stopped after becoming a blade.

But that theory had flaws. Weapons made that way always retained traces of organic matter, yet Celestial Night had none.

Ha-Rin had kept her sanity until the very end. It’s unlikely she made a weapon through demonification.

Back to square one, Se-Hoon lightly flicked the surface of Celestial Night Blossom with his finger.

Cling-

A pure, clear note resonated like a struck bell. The feel at his fingertips made him widen his eyes slightly.

…It’s not an alloy?

Celestial Night Blossom was created by fusing fragments of Celestial Night, Se-Hoon’s sword aura, and Kwang-Soo’s Fatestone. Yet it didn’t show any signs of being an alloy—implying the materials shared nearly identical properties throughout its composition.

That means… the original Celestial Night was made of something similar to Fatestones?

Just like how Se-Hoon, through his unique skill Blacksmith of Bonds, could materialize fragments of his and others’ souls… perhaps Ha-Rin had, in her final moment, forged Celestial Night from her very soul.

Having come up with a theory that felt far more plausible than the last, Se-Hoon let out a breathy laugh before he even realized.

She really was all-powerful…

She was the first to define the synesthetic mindscape, to wield sword aura, to glimpse the summit of the Tower of Heroes, and even in materializing her soul. Her talent was so absurd, it almost felt unfair she wasn’t a regressor.

“…You don’t like it?” Kwang-Soo asked in concern, having watched Se-Hoon stare at it in silence for a while.

Se-Hoon shook his head. “No. It’s a perfect fit for you, Professor. I don’t think there’s anything I need to fix.”

While there were a few areas that weren’t perfect, they were clearly left that way deliberately by Kwang-Soo, so it was best not to interfere.

Hearing Se-Hoon’s favorable assessment, Kwang-Soo—who had, in truth, been slightly nervous—let out a relieved sigh.

“That’s good to hear.”

“If you were that worried, you should’ve just finished it cleanly. You’re making yourself anxious for no reason,” Se-Hoon jabbed, teasing Kwang-Soo as he handed back Celestial Night Blossom.

“Says the guy who can’t even meet his deadlines.”

“…”

Recalling how he had been mercilessly hounded last night by his friends and ended up signing a written promise to finish six months’ worth of overdue commissions, Se-Hoon’s eyes twitched.

“Technically speaking, they were being unreasonable. I would’ve finished everything on time in the end. Tsk, why set this arbitrary deadline…”

“If it bothered you so much, you should’ve just told them that yesterday.”

“…”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, Kwang-Soo slid Celestial Night Blossom into the sheath at his waist before becoming more serious.

“Don’t procrastinate on things in your life, no matter what it is. Live like that long enough, and you’ll end up a messed-up person.”

“…That advice sounds a little too heartfelt to be theoretical.”

The curt reply made Kwang-Soo chuckle.

“Because it is. I’ve lived that way myself.”

“…”

“I think you’ll manage just fine on your own… but still, remember this. Otherwise, if you keep running away, you’ll end up like me.”

Se-Hoon gave him a strange look. His words sounded like typical nagging, but there was something in Kwang-Soo’s tone… that made it feel like a parting message.

Tsk…

Scratching the back of his head, Se-Hoon stood up.

“Yeah, I’d rather not become someone like you. Just bringing something like that up darkens the mood.”

“Ahem. Here I am, trying to give you some heartfelt advice…”

“No one said it wasn’t appreciated. Now come on, go warm up. We’ve only got a few days left, so let’s make sure we’re ready to the very end—”

“A message from Doppelganger has arrived.”

Hearing Ludwig’s familiar voice, Se-Hoon halted just before stepping out and looked toward the area of space shimmering faintly.

“How did it come?”

“A letter was addressed to that friend of yours. I’ll send it through now, so make sure you catch it properly.”

At those words, the space in front of Se-Hoon parted slightly and a pure-white envelope dropped through.

Tap-

Snatching the envelope midair, Se-Hoon glanced at the sender’s name written in the top-left corner: Sophia Green.

Well… no way to be confused about this.

Was it written by Doppelganger herself, though, or did Meirin just jot it down based on past stories? Thinking the latter seemed more likely, Se-Hoon handed the envelope to Kwang-Soo.

“It came from Doppelganger’s side, apparently.”

“…”

Taking the envelope, Kwang-Soo checked the sender’s name and, without hesitation, tore the end open to pull out the letter.

Muren Monastery.

Reading the only two words written right in the center of the letter, Kwang-Soo’s eyes widened. Then, as though something clicked, he furrowed his brow.

“She wants us to go to Muren Monastery.”

“The Muren Monastery?”

Like Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon’s eyes also widened at the name. After all, it made sense in hindsight—the Muren Monastery had always been deeply linked to the Doppelganger, whether it was before his regression or now.

That’s where Doppelganger slaughtered everyone after becoming the Destroyer of Perception…

Recalling when he had gone there for investigation with Mad Dog, only to get his heart pierced, Se-Hoon frowned. He had a string of bad memories from that place.

Narrowing his eyes, Se-Hoon wondered, “Could it be that Doppelganger has joined hands with Muren Monastery?”

It was an accusation that would have made some scoff: why would a renowned martial sect like Muren Monastery ally with a Ten Evil? However, Se-Hoon saw it differently. The Muren Monastery, as its name suggested, wasn’t a group that chased after wealth or fame. It was a sect that revered martial prowess itself.

If Doppelganger has conquered the Tower of Heroes and demonstrated strength that the entire Muren Monastery could respect…

Thinking along those lines, it wouldn’t be unrealistic for them to have aligned with Doppelganger, regardless of whether she was part of humanity or the enemy. In other words, the possibility of another human faction joining the enemy just grew larger, making Se-Hoon’s gaze grow cold.

“…No. I don’t think that’s it.”

But that was when Kwang-Soo shook his head and denied it.

“No?”

“Yeah. The reason she went there is…” Kwang-Soo briefly paused, thinking about how to explain. “The head monk there was… a friend of our master. A companion? No, hmm… anyway, someone with a certain level of familiarity. She probably used that to sneak in.”

That explanation just confused Se-Hoon even more. They weren’t friends nor comrades, yet the monk welcomed a former—corrupted—acquaintance in secret?

He couldn’t even guess what kind of relationship made that possible.

The monk’s name… was it Tenzin? I remember he used to be an ordinary S-rank hero before my regression… The muscular monk who never missed a single Association meeting came to his mind.

“I see… Then what do we do now?”

“Well, we’re done preparing, so I don’t mind going right away… though you don’t seem too eager?”

“I just want to be thoroughly prepared before heading anywhere.”

Even if Meirin and Doppelganger fought fair, there was no guarantee that the others—like Tuner or the rest of the Ten Evils—would stay put.

I’d like to get a feel of that place before we head in…

Was there anyone who could visit the Muren Monastery without arousing suspicion? As Se-Hoon went through his memories, one name came to mind.

Ah. Manuel.

The man who had been known as the Weapon Master before he regressed and was now called a prodigy of the Muren Monastery. If he asked the top-ranking second-year student of Ur, Se-Hoon thought he might be able to learn something about the Monastery’s inner workings that outsiders never could.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since he got crushed by Sung-Ha in the tournament. Has he been training in isolation?

Remembering how they’d trained together over the last summer break, Se-Hoon figured that if Manuel was having a difficult time, he’d eventually reach out. However, there hadn’t been a word from him yet.

Well, it doesn’t really matter either way.

If he was still sulking over that loss, Se-Hoon could just help him out first and then ask about the situation inside the monastery. But first, he had to find out where he was from Ludwig.

“Hmm? That student dropped out a few months ago.”

“…What?”

Once again, an unexpected butterfly effect had struck.