The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 475

Woong!

Countless pulses began emitting from Doppelganger’s heart, accompanied by light pouring out.

This is…

Feeling an indescribable sensation through the hilt of the sword, Kwang-Soo’s eyes widened in shock. It was as though the ground beneath his feet had suddenly vanished, sending him endlessly falling into some unknown abyss.

A blaring alarm went off in his mind: if he stayed, he would cross a line he could never return from. The near-certain conviction gripped him.

Swish!

Dispelled, Celestial Night Blossom shattered into black fragments and scattered in every direction. It was now no longer embedded in the Doppelganger’s chest, freeing Kwang-Soo from the bizarre pulse and allowing him to retreat quickly.

Swoosh!

Celestial Night Blossom reassembled itself once more in his hand. Examining the blade, Kwang-Soo could feel each and every shard distinctly reuniting, none missing. And yet, the scene reflected in his eyes defied that truth.

Woong-

Celestial Night Blossom remained embedded in the Doppelganger’s chest. Or rather, more precisely, it was a similar black sword bearing a blurred outline.

That bastard… did she copy my Establishment? Kwang-Soo’s brows furrowed.

Given the principles of the Celestial Infinity Blade technique, copying it wasn’t impossible—but it certainly wasn’t something easily done. Establishment was the culmination of distilling out what was necessary from countless others’ synesthetic mindscapes and fusing it into one realization. It was like selecting a few pieces from tens of thousands of puzzle pieces to create an entirely new, unique puzzle.

To mimic an Establishment essentially required reconstructing the entire thought process that built it. In other words, Doppelganger had practically copied Kwang-Soo as a person.

I guess she, of all people… would be able to pull it off.

She had earned her notorious title as “Doppelganger,” for a reason. Whether it was someone’s technique, appearance, or even their very synesthetic mindscape, she could perfectly imitate it all. And naturally, the ones she had mimicked the longest were Ha-Rin and Kwang-Soo: the very two who had created the composition for Celestial Night Blossom.

What should I do?

Certain that any careless attack would only aid the mimicry, Kwang-Soo’s mind raced for a solution.

Crack-

But as he was hesitating, Doppelganger began undergoing a change. Starting with the two swords impaled in her heart, an alien color began seeping across her entire body. Every element that made up the being known as “Doppelganger”—outline, color, contrast, atmosphere—was transforming into something completely different.

It was as if Doppelganger was isolated, existing in another dimension entirely, making for a bizarre sight. However, in truth, Doppelganger was stepping into another world through the Nameless Sword.

In her eyes, the outlines of the monastery were unraveling into chaos. Even Kwang-Soo, who was right in front of her, and Se-Hoon, who was watching from beyond the arena, felt distant and unreachable.

Doppelganger had entered the gap between dimensions—beyond space and time—escaping from the world she was born into. In a world no longer bound by the Golden Ring, Doppelganger looked down at herself.

“…am…”

To those within its grasp, the Golden Ring bestowed both blessings and curses. For the mankind that conquered the Towers of Heroes, they were blessed with ascension. For demons that fell into the mire, they were cursed to plummet toward the end.

The clear distinction it made was the very force preventing Doppelganger from reaching ascension.

Nobody within its embrace could defy it. However, Doppelganger was now outside the bounds of the world.

Woong-

The dark, murky force that the Golden Ring had defined as “demonic aura” surged into the Nameless Sword that was still impaled in Doppelganger’s heart. At that point, the power should have clashed violently with the Seeker’s Heart—the material used in the sword, which inherently aligned with the laws of the Golden Ring—but no such divisions existed outside of its confines.

Without the separating force, everything just merged as Doppelganger willed—causing it to be reborn as a vessel for ascension.

“I… am…”

The vessel was now ready, meaning only one thing was needed: the enlightenment to fill it.

Woong!

Flowing into the Nameless Sword, Kwang-Soo’s Celestial Night Blossom and Doppelganger’s own Ultimate Singularity Blade clashed for dominance. It was a violent struggle, making the Nameless Sword tremble and seem on the verge of shattering.

Even Doppelganger’s body glitched like noise. She had been liberated from the world’s laws, turning the very concept of herself fragile. With her physical body on the verge of collapse, her synesthetic mindscape, which had been distorted by her inner demon, was also being threatened.

Swish-

Currently, Doppelganger was in a precarious situation where a single step back could lead to her total annihilation. And yet, Doppelganger pressed forward. She continued to force the two realizations to collide.

“I… am… heir.”

Her life, memory, desire—Doppelganger recalled everything that had formed her identity. But instead of embracing it, she began tearing it all apart.

Crack-

They ripped away the name Sophia Green, their relationship with Kwang-Soo, and even the very essence that made them “Doppelganger.” Everything was stripped bare, leaving only a pure white sword standing firm and tall.

“No… I am Lee Ha-Rin’s heir.”

Slash-

Having redefined itself, the newly ascended being returned to the world. At that moment, the alien color coating Doppelganger was cleanly split apart as if sliced by something. Then, soon after, the once grotesquely distorted form became vividly clear once more.

Visually, Doppelganger looked no different… but both Kwang-Soo and Se-Hoon instantly recognized its transformation.

Woong!

Both men’s eyes immediately fixed on the grey sword resting in Doppelganger’s hand. It was clearly neither the Nameless Sword nor Celestial Night Blossom.

“…I see.”

Doppelganger—no, the ascended being who now defined themself as “the Heir,” smiled brightly.

“So this is the realm my master foresaw.”

Hearing those words, Kwang-Soo’s eyes widened again, and he opened his mouth—

Infinite Genesis: Nirvana Edge

Swish-

Before Kwang-Soo could speak, the Heir unleashed their realization in all directions. Their sword slowly cleaved the air, leaving afterimages that became new swords that spread once again throughout the surroundings. One became three, then three became nine; they were multiplying in folds.

In the blink of an eye, countless sword aura projections filled the monastery and even began extending beyond the building. Stunned, Kwang-Soo gazed at all the swords dancing through the air with wide eyes.

They’re… all the same sword?

The Celestial Infinity Blade technique could come infinitely close, but it could never create perfect replicas of the original. Similar to how Se-Hoon merely mimicked the powers of the Perfect Ones, there was always a limit to powers born from imitation.

Woong!

Yet, somehow, the Heir had done it with their sword, Nirvana Edge. From the one held in their hand to the ones filling the sky, each blade was both the original and a replica. Each contained the Heir’s full power.

That means…

In the sky, there were countless blades on par with the ascended Doppelganger herself. With so many, discussing the magnitude of power was meaningless.

“You… what exactly are you trying to do?” Kwang-Soo muttered blankly, unable to comprehend.

The power the Heir was displaying was undoubtedly overwhelming. But was it hostile to humanity? Not at all.

All the Heir had done was merely flaunt their strength outward; there was no malice, no intent to attack, not even a hint of aggression.

“What I’m trying to do…”

The Heir halted their sword dance and looked at the blades.

“I’m pretty sure I told you already from the beginning. I will finish what my master could not.”

“Which is…”

“The salvation of humanity.”

The Heir looked quietly at the reflection of Ha-Rin’s face within the blade of Nirvana Edge.

“Or perhaps… giving humanity a new opportunity. That was the goal my master pursued.”

There was resolve in their voice.

“And you’re going to do that?”

“Because that’s what I inherited.”

There was no longer any question of what to prioritize. There was no longer a difference between their own feelings and the purpose bequeathed by their master.

“…”

She genuinely wants to save humanity…? Kwang-Soo’s expression twisted in confusion at the sincerity in the Heir’s voice.

What could have happened during the process of ascension for the Heir to change so completely, so suddenly? Kwang-Soo stared at the Heir, in thought, when his gaze was drawn once more to the blades floating nearby.

If I take what she says as true…

Kwang-Soo’s eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. Just what, exactly, did salvation or a “new opportunity” for humanity look like?

“Sophia.”

“…”

“When you say salvation… don’t tell me you’re planning to distribute those swords to all of humanity?”

A sword imbued with essentially infinite power, born by mimicking the Heir. What would happen if such blades were distributed across humanity?

Regardless of whatever hidden trump cards it had, even the Demon Force would find it near impossible to defeat hundreds of millions of ascended beings. In that sense, the Heir’s “salvation” wasn’t necessarily wrong.

However, the real problem came after. From newborn infants to the elderly nearing death, from ordinary civilians to hardened criminals—if such destructive power capable of cutting down stars was handed out freely and without restriction…

Chaos.

A new era of anarchy, more disruptive than even the upheaval brought by the Tower of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons, would result.

Imagining such an absurd future, Kwang-Soo’s expression hardened.

“You… you really think this was Master’s will…?”

“My master believed humanity would choose the right path. That’s why she never resented them, even after dying the way she did.”

The Heir met Kwang-Soo’s gaze directly, their face void of hatred.

“And so I decided I’ll give them that choice.”

Eliminating the Demon Force to achieve peace or a new war—that decision would be left entirely to humanity.

Grip-

Kwang-Soo’s fingers clenched tighter around Celestial Night Blossom.

I have to stop her.

Though the Heir had reached ascension, they had done so through irregular means. Because of that, Kwang-Soo believed that the power had to have some flaw. After all, the fact the Heir hadn’t duplicated his sword was proof.

Establishment won’t be enough.

The fourth stage of the Celestial Infinity Blade technique was Genesis Break—a level conceptualized by Ha-Rin and completed by the Heir. Only by reaching that very realm—the domain of ascension—himself could he match the Heir blow for blow.

But how would he reach it? As Kwang-Soo strained his mind to find a clue, something strange began happening within him.

Woong!

An overwhelming omnipotence and fullness surged from deep within his soul, spreading throughout his entire body. He felt as though he was reaching a new realm, causing Kwang-Soo to freeze.

What… is this…?

Why was a sense of enlightenment flooding him all of a sudden? Kwang-Soo sank into confusion from the unnatural nature of it, but in contrast, the Heir smirked slightly at the sight.

“You weren’t completely unprepared, I see.”

To eliminate or bind alien laws that had formed outside its reach, the system created a new challenger. Behind Kwang-Soo, a golden ring radiating an infinite amount of power from somewhere beyond began taking shape.

But this changes nothing.

The Heir narrowed their eyes. If anything, if they could defeat Kwang-Soo—newly chosen as a challenger—it would be a sign that they had surpassed the Golden Ring’s interference. Before delivering Nirvana Edge to all of humanity, the Heir saw Kwang-Soo as their final trial to fulfill their master’s will.

Resolved, the Heir raised their sword in challenge to the world—

Thump!

Kwang-Soo slammed his chest with the full force of his might.

“!”

Not expecting such a thing, the Heir’s eyes widened in surprise.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Continuing his self assault, Kwang-See hammered his chest with blows charged with mana. Each strike was with full force, as if trying to destroy his chest, causing his bones to crack, muscles to tear, and blood to spray.

Boom!

Yet Kwang-Soo didn’t stop. He kept hammering his chest again and again, until at last, the golden ring behind him suddenly reacted in panic.

Woong!

His wounds healed quickly. Seeing that, Kwang-Soo stopped his fists and then, as if he had been waiting for that very moment, he gripped Celestial Night Blossom in a reverse grip.

And before the golden ring could act again, he plunged the blade into his own chest.

Splurt!

The black blade pierced his heart and exited through his back, causing blood to spill from his chest.

“He clearly said it wasn’t anything special…. What a damned thing…” Kwang-Soo mumbled through a clenched jaw, staggering back.

He looked down, feeling the searing pain spreading from his heart throughout his body. The blood continued to cascade down as the foreign power tried to regenerate the wound—trying to grow him.

Kwang-Soo’s face twisted into a grimace as he whispered, “You thought I’d gratefully accept it… just because you handed it over when things got bad…?”

“…”

“This fight is between me and that bastard… so whatever you are, this isn’t your place to butt in… Just…”

Clench-

With a growl, Kwang-Soo shoved Celestial Night Blossom deeper into his heart.

Splurt-

“Get out of my body. Right. Now.”

“…”

A heavy silence fell over the dueling ground. Then, a beat later, the blood cascading down and staining the floor slowed to a drip before coming to a complete stop.

Then, like time was reversing, Kwang-Soo felt his wounds not healing but rather being undone. It was as though the injury was being removed from existence.

“Whew…”

Taking a deep breath, Kwang-Soo yanked Celestial Night Blossom out in one swift motion.

Swish!

And once the blood around the blade splashed out in a single gush, the wound through his heart vanished without a trace.

…It’s all gone.

Brushing his upper body, Kwang-Soo could tell. The injury, the enlightenment, the overwhelming power—all of it was gone.

And yet, he didn’t look disappointed in the slightest.

“Why… did you do that?” the Heir questioned, in complete disbelief.

Had he accepted the realization gifted by the world, he could’ve become an ascended being and fought on equal footing.

“…Beats me.” Kwang-Soo let out a small laugh. “Maybe I just felt like I didn’t need it.”

The Heir’s eyes widened at that reply—but it was for a brief second before, just as quickly, they settled. With impassive eyes, the Heir glanced at the trial that had willingly chosen to become absurdly weaker, at the trial that was more unpredictable than before.

“How cocky of you.”

“I know.”

The two once again raised their swords, aiming them at each other and bracing their stances.

High in the air, at the tip of Celestial Night Blossom, a single drop of blood trembled before…

Drip-

The two disciples, bound by fate, charged to bring their bitter ties to an end.