The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 484

“I-I’m sorry… I couldn’t even endure something like that…”

Seeing Seon-Woo pitifully lowering his head in shame, his face pale with guilt, Se-Hoon waved the Warhound’s hand.

“There aren’t many people who could endure something like that. We should’ve taken better care of you…”

“Why should we?”

“No matter how I think about it, it just seems inefficient…”

The moment Se-Hoon’s words resounded, Jason commented indifferently while Terra muttered her disapproval. They both had unapologetically brazen responses, leaving Se-Hoon exasperated.

It’s my fault for trusting these guys…

He had thought there’d be no issue since they were both obedient, but clearly, he had been too careless. Making a mental note that he needed to stay alert for the next expedition, Se-Hoon changed the topic.

“Let’s talk about this later. First, we need to check the legacy.”

He moved the Warhound toward the newly discovered legacy of Baek-Yeon, which Jason had found, and carefully surveyed the area. From their point at the edge of a cliff, with a full view of the mountain below, Se-Hoon hoped to spot something himself and pushed the Warhound’s vision to its maximum—only to see that nothing had changed.

If I actually came here… no, even then, probably nothing would change.

Still, despite rationalizing it, Se-Hoon was tempted to take a closer look personally. Alas, the high-priority task of neutralizing Heaven Eye with the Heavenshrouded Eyes of the Netherworld held him back.

No matter what, it would have to wait for later, so Se-Hoon activated a skill preloaded into the Warhound instead.

“Metamorphosing Dreams.”

Flutter-

A violet butterfly bloomed from the Warhound’s fingertip. Seeing it, Seon-Woo and Jason fixed their gaze on it and activated their abilities, Enhanced Vision and the power of Premotion, respectively.

Swish-

In the gaps revealed by the power of Premotion, Enhanced Vision could spot the traces of the Visionary. Adding Metamorphosing Dreams to the mix, the forcibly stitched-together located traces were subtly twisted into something plausible.

Woong!

The remnant of Baek-Yeon became visible at the previously spare cliff edge.

“Hmm. This must be the second time… no? Is it the seventh? That guy’s influence is making things way too complicated,” Baek-Yeon’s remnant muttered, stroking her chin with a vague expression.

It was but a casual murmur, yet even Se-Hoon was left in disbelief.

She even saw the order we’d find her in?

If she could see so far into the future, taking out the Ten Evils should’ve been easy. Why hadn’t she done it?

Just then, as though to respond to that very question, Baek-Yeon’s remnant spoke once more. “Well, the reason’s simple. There’s a difference between chasing the future and being caught by it.”

“Chasing the future and being caught by it…?”

“Let me give you an example. Before I became a Perfect One, I had a unique skill called ‘Foresight.’”

With her unique skill, which basically provided imperfect precognition, Baek-Yeon was able to glimpse into the future—from a few seconds ahead to several months—at random. Despite the passive skill drawback, though, it had saved her multiple times by showing her critical turning points in vivid detail.

“One day, while preparing to carry out a sniping mission as usual, Foresight showed me my husband being murdered.”

Hearing her dive into a personal story from decades ago, both Se-Hoon and Seon-Woo’s eyes shot wide open. It was a story that neither the regressor nor the family member had ever heard before.

“The cause of death was friendly fire. I couldn’t see the culprit’s face, but the arrow that pierced his head was unmistakably one of the custom arrows I crafted personally and used.”

“…”

“Also, I was the only one who ever used those arrows—so it was obvious who the culprit was. That’s why I began eliminating every cause that could lead to his death.”

First and foremost, she destroyed every single one of her custom arrows. Second, she implemented an even tighter cooperation system when they were on the battlefield. Then, on top of those, she took every other precaution imaginable to prevent that future. Even if someone found one of her arrows by chance, she had already taken precautions.

“Several months passed, during which I’d seen countless futures, and I thought I had averted the crisis…. But just as I had that thought, the vision I’d seen with Foresight came true.”

That day, the battlefield was so chaotic that Baek-Yeon ended up on the front lines instead of commanding from the rear. She had exhausted all of her arrows, forcing her to hurl or shoot anything she could get her hands on. Eventually, she even started creating arrows from mana thanks to a sudden epiphany.

Twang-

Staring at the first mana arrow soaring through the air, Baek-Yeon felt a burst of fulfillment—

Thwack!

The mana arrow, which had turned out to look identical to her custom old ones, pierced an ally’s head.

“What…! That’s absurd…”

Seon-Woo couldn’t believe his ears. His great-aunt had destroyed all her handmade arrows to avoid that future, and yet the first mana-forged arrow she made just so happened to have the exact look of the one that killed her husband in her Foresight?

That was no coincidence—it had to be intentional—and the outcome was as artificial as it was repulsive.

“This event brought up two things I was forced to consider. Did Foresight merely show me the future, or did it pull me toward a specific one?”

Looking down the cliff, Baek-Yeon’s remnant’s voice became quiet. “If it were the former and I had been chasing the future, it would’ve been easy to avoid. That’s the most common type of precognition, after all.”

“…”

“But the latter—being caught by the future—is different. The infinite potential of the present is drawn by gravity to a fixed outcome, cutting off all other possibilities.”

Her attempt to avoid that dreaded future had ironically ended up locking her into it instead. A self-fulfilling prophecy triggered by foresight itself. Even now, Baek-Yeon still didn’t know which category her Foresight fell under, but there was one thing she now did: precognition wasn’t some easy or convenient power.

“Now you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with why I couldn’t freely kill the Ten Evils. As for that explanation…”—she glanced at Se-Hoon and Seon-Woo—“let’s save that for next time.”

Whoosh!

Before anyone could respond, Baek-Yeon’s remnant vanished.

“…”

Seon-Woo stared blankly at the unfilled space. Even if she wanted to conceal things from Heaven Eye, splitting her messages up to such an extent was surely excessive.

“Um… Se-Hoon, do you have any thoughts?”

“Hard to say…”

For all that long talk, the key issue was still the same: why the power of Perception couldn’t fully work against the Ten Evils.

Assuming that demonic aura somehow resists the power of Perception isn’t impossible… but it just feels off the mark.

If that truly were the case, he should’ve felt as though there was something off during the times he used the power of Perception in battle against them. There had to be a deeper, more fundamental difference between humans and the Ten Evils.

Mulling it over, juggling various hypotheses in his head, Se-Hoon turned toward Jason.

“Does anything come to mind for you?”

“Come to mind?”

“Yes. Just speak freely—anything you say might give us a clue as to why the Visionary wasn’t able to prevent her death with the power of Perception.”

Considering that there was most likely a common thread between Baek-Yeon and Jason’s powers, even vague comments could help stimulate related factors. Of course, ideally, Jason would gain clarity and define his power himself—but if that were possible, it would’ve happened long ago.

Thus, the next best option was to gather data while sorting through Baek-Yeon’s legacy.

“A clue…”

Falling deep into thought, Jason went silent.

“…I’d have been faster.”

“Sorry?”

Although he had heard the bizarre response that had slowly come out of Jason’s mouth, it was so bizarre that Se-Hoon just blinked, confused.

“If only she had been faster than the arrow, she could’ve blocked it before her husband died,” Jason elaborated, turning toward the cliff where Baek-Yeon’s remnant had disappeared.

“…”

“That’s what came to my mind.”

It sounded offhand, like what a child would say while throwing a tantrum—but something about it made Se-Hoon think differently.

Speed, huh…

Jason was someone who spotted the gaps and always arrived first, ahead of anyone else. Thinking about it now, Se-Hoon realized that there had to be a reason Jason had become known as the Trailblazer upon becoming a Perfect One.

I want to ask more, but it’d take too long right now.

It would only be when they’d recovered all of Baek-Yeon’s legacy that he’d have time to sit down with Jason for a longer talk.

“Okay. That’s enough for now. Let’s get moving.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for your effort!”

“Y-Yeah…”

In stark contrast to the two who responded as usual, Seon-Woo seemed dismayed by just the thought of what was coming.

I really should do something about this… Se-Hoon thought, rubbing the metal beneath the Warhound’s head.

The simplest option would be to just have Jason slow down to match Seon-Woo’s physical limits… but that would only create resentment and, more importantly, inhibit the investigation.

A way to support Seon-Woo’s body then… ah!

While mentally reviewing the list of equipment he’d gathered so far, a solution popped into Se-Hoon’s mind.

“Actually, wait a second. There’s something that’ll help him, so I’ll send it over right away… and there it goes.”

With that, Terra naturally took back control of the Warhound.

I should’ve spent more time training… how embarrassing.

Seon-Woo smiled awkwardly. Had Baek-Yeon trained him so harshly just to prepare him for today? Recalling the conversation he had just heard, Seon-Woo waited while contemplating the future-realization capabilities of the power of Perception with a serious expression.

Whoosh!

Seon-Woo looked up not long later, seeing two items dropping into Terra’s hands from a black hole that opened in midair.

“Those are…”

One was a spine densely engraved with spells, so dark it looked like it had been painted pitch black. The other, a sword brimming with the darkness of the Netherworld.

Even at a glance, both were clearly extraordinary, making Seon-Woo’s face tense at the sight.

Oblivious to him, though, Terra began relaying Se-Hoon’s explanation in a cheerful voice. “This is the Spine of the Dead, a Legendary-tier equipment once used by the Eternal Nocturne. By injecting the Netherworld’s mana into this spinal cord, it grants partial immunity to physical phenomena and expands sensory perception. Though… there’s a slight side effect—it slowly turns the user into an undead…”

“…”

“Ah, but you don’t need to worry about this! If you use it with Abgrund, a Legendary-tier weapon forged personally by the Administrator, the side effects are neutralized and the effects are enhanced further! With this setup, he says you can be carried on the Trailblazer’s back for a whole week with no issues at all!”

Midway through Terra’s explanation, a sense of foreboding had crept over Seon-Woo. And once she finished, he slowly turned toward Jason.

“A whole week, huh.”

Jason wore a satisfied expression, as if he had never been irritated to begin with.

“That’ll do.”

Thus, Seon-Woo’s fate was sealed. For the next week, he would be carried on Jason’s back, without rest, as they traveled around the world. Despairing, Seon-Woo was suddenly reminded of a conversation from a few weeks ago.

“You really think someone like Lee Se-Hoon is fine?”

That time, when his grandaunt had bad-mouthed Se-Hoon in passing, Seon-Woo found himself defending Se-Hoon. However, that simply made his grandaunt scan him from head to toe and sigh.

“Don’t come crying to me later.”

What had she seen back then? Seon-Woo didn’t know. However, there was one thing he now did.

She wasn’t wrong about a single thing…

Only now did Seon-Woo learn that anyone who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Perfect Ones couldn’t possibly be normal.

***

Se-Hoon had assumed Heaven Eye would act with extreme caution. Aria had come so close to killing him that it just made sense Heaven Eye would cautiously watch for an opening.

Yet, contrary to expectations, Heaven Eye went beyond aggressive instead and was even charging recklessly.

“Heaven Eye’s been spotted in northern Thailand! Dispatching the intercept team now!”

“Thought he’d lie low for the day—wait, no! He’s shown up again, this time in southern India!”

“His body was split in half last time, so this time for sure… Sweden?!”

Even after Aria severed his limbs, Eun-Ha blew away half his body, and the Three Dogs nearly took off his head in a pincer attack, Heaven Eye regenerated and appeared again almost immediately.

A relentless advance that bordered on madness—there had to be another goal entirely. And after battle after battle, Se-Hoon’s group finally grasped what that was.

“That bastard… He’s clearly fighting us to gain new Cursed Eyes.”

“He awakened two new Cursed Eyes again this time.”

“It seems he’s even getting used to the Visionary’s Cursed Eye… Brother, are you really okay with this?”

Like when he had stacked dozens of Cursed Eyes during his first fight with Aria to open a time-based one accidentally, Heaven Eye was opening new Cursed Eyes with each battle. From hundreds down to dozens, and from dozens to just seven—the Cursed Eyes he’d hoarded were consolidated, reshaped for survival and victory.

Guess it all started with the Cursed Eye of Perception.

In the past timeline, Heaven Eye had done something similar—but more cautiously, trying to maintain a stable number of Cursed Eyes. In contrast, Heaven Eye was now moving as if he were trying to merge them all into one…?

Feeling things clicking, Se-Hoon realized what Heaven Eye was aiming for.

He wants to be reborn as a Harbinger of Destruction.

Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed. All things pointed to the fact that Heaven Eye had gotten a glimpse of that destiny—of reaching the final destination, the end of the path that led to the world’s destruction—through Baek-Yeon’s Cursed Eye.

But if that’s what he wants, he should be focused on fighting us, not obsessing over her legacy…. So why?

Even in the middle of battle, Heaven Eye repeatedly risked his life for the slightest chance of claiming one of Baek-Yeon’s scattered legacy fragments. However, for someone seeking to become the Harbinger of Destruction, the powers of the Perfect Ones should be meaningless—possibly even poisonous, akin to forbidden knowledge.

And yet, Heaven Eye seemed obsessed.

I don’t know yet… but we’re almost there.

Baek-Yeon had scattered her legacy into fifty parts across the world with the White Night Bow. Including the one on the first day, Heaven Eye had secured five; Se-Hoon’s group had secured forty-four.

Only one remained. Neither had located it yet, but Se-Hoon was sure the final showdown would take place there.

I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing.

While Se-Hoon wasn’t certain, he prepared for the final battle all the same. Likewise, someone on the other side of the world was doing the same.

“Huff… Huff…”

Hooked up to dozens of IV lines inside a dark recovery chamber, Heaven Eye gasped for breath. Black cracks writhed around his eyes like living creatures, and if his body stopped regenerating for even a moment, his skin tore and bled.

The very first Cursed Eye he had recently created—the Eye of Regression—already required significant stabilization. But then he had created six more of similar magnitude in succession, leaving his body on the verge of collapse.

“Ugh…!”

A grotesque, melting sensation flooded his brain, as if it were liquefying and oozing down. The clash between the seven condensed Cursed Eyes and the Cursed Eye of Perception intensified, forcing Heaven Eye into a desperate bid to maintain control and putting him on the verge of unconsciousness.

“Tsk, tsk.”

A voice echoed from the darkness.

“I told you, didn’t I? You’re not ‘versatile.’ You’re just half-baked trash who can’t commit to anything,” Tuner mocked.

“…”

“The only reason you’re still alive is because of my procedures. You’ve done absolutely nothing on your own.”

Without Tuner’s help, the two incompatible powers—the way of the Perfect Ones and the way of the Harbingers of Destruction—would have exhausted his body’s demonic vitality and led to death within moments.

Still, there was nothing left to pay for further growth. Now, Heaven Eye was simply staggering toward the end.

“You should’ve either gone full lunatic like Doppelganger or just embraced becoming a Harbinger of Destruction. Why’d you have to be greedy and try both…”

“The last one…” Heaven Eye murmured weakly. “Once I recover the final legacy… I’ll know then…”

With the last piece, he’d know what path to walk and what future to chase. Just like Baek-Yeon, he would seize the future with his own hands.

Even his body withering away couldn’t shake his conviction.

Hearing Heaven Eye’s tone, the tendril of darkness shook its head in disbelief. “It’s always the clueless ones who want the most…”

“…”

“Whatever. Do as you like. I just want to collect the data I need while I watch.”

There was no response. Heaven Eye had focused all his attention on restoring his body.

Silence returned, as if Tuner had vanished—

“Ah, right. I almost forgot. I received a proposal for you.”

“…What is it?”

“Transcendence said they want to help you. Help you get the power you desire.”

“…”

“Of course, they’re not doing it for free. You know what happens to most people who get involved with them.”

Heaven Eye’s eyes narrowed. The madmen who sought to surpass humans, demons, Perfect Ones, and Harbingers of Destruction alike… they had extended a hand to him?

Is that… what I want?

Heaven Eye remained silent, considering it.

“I’m not particularly interested in watching you die meaninglessly… but if it means helping their experiments, that’s a different story. That kind of data is valuable to me,” Tuner continued, his voice calm and coaxing.

A single eye appeared within the darkness, swirling with countless colors. Then it curved into a crescent—a smile.

“If you decide to join hands with Transcendence, I’ll back you fully. I’ll even drag in Puppeteer to help. So… what do you say~?”

Tuner stared at Heaven Eye through the Seeker’s left eye. The monster that had taken control of the remaining Demon Force after Doppelganger’s death awaited Heaven Eye’s decision.

And in a low voice, Heaven Eye soon chose his final path.

“…I’ll do it.”