The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 494

With all of the battles revolving around Baek-Yeon’s legacy coming to an end at long last, the states of emergency declared across the world were lifted one by one.

“What the hell happened?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight this intense in a while…”

The emergency state had lasted not a day or two but entire weeks, three to be exact. To make matters worse, the battle had left more than half of the major cities across the world partially destroyed.

Humanity had just begun feeling as though the decades-long war that stretched over half a century was drawing to a close, only for the recent events to occur…. Everyone was anxious, their hope submerged by the murkiness of dread. All they felt they could do was wait for the official announcement from the Heroes Association.

And two days after the incident concluded, Gregory held a press conference to do just that.

「Due to an attack by Heaven Eye and Tuner, the Ha Sect was left in ruins and the Visionary was killed in battle. After the matter, we immediately raced the Demon Force targeting her legacy and successfully suppressed Heaven Eye…」

Now everyone across the globe knew about Baek-Yeon’s death and the victory over Heaven Eye. Yet even though the worst-case scenario everyone feared hadn’t occurred, the public’s mood was still grim.

After all, how could they celebrate when a significant number of people had been abducted by the black, mucus-like monsters—which had been classified as Chimeras—that appeared during Demon Force’s final assault?

“I had a feeling there might be kidnappings…”

“Hmm… Maybe we should all carry something on us so we can end our lives in case of an emergency?”

“Come on. What if you mess up by accident?”

“Even if you do, you can just be resurrected. Better to die cleanly than be captured by the Demon Force and tortured until rescue.”

Due to the reveal of the Demon Force’s hidden reserves of strength and the vulnerability of the once thought invincible Blessing of the Eternal, the public’s vigilance was reignited and discussions on countermeasures sparked once again.

Likewise, the hero community was swiftly moving.

Naturally, during those discussions, there was a certain topic that came—tentatively but consistently—up: the potential new Blessing.

“Do you think a new one will appear this time, too?”

“Probably. It’s happened every time so far.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t people say the Visionary’s power was close to precognition? If the new Blessing goes in that direction, it could be incredibly useful for us.”

“Yea, maybe… But even if that’s true, didn’t the Visionary fail to see her own death? What kind of half-baked Blessing would that turn out to be then?”

“You’ve got a real mouth on you, you know that?”

Among all of the existing powers, future-sight was the one that inspired large amounts of awe and unease. If anything could be called omnipotent, then it would be the ability to observe and interfere with the future. Everyone knew it—hence the soaring interest in the next Blessing.

With people finding hope again, the heavy, subdued atmosphere slowly began changing.

Meanwhile, as that was all happening…

“You’re still stuck here?”

Upon returning to Babel, Se-Hoon found himself unable to take even a single step outside the dorm.

“You’re back.”

Glancing at Se-Hoon, who sat on the sofa with a clearly displeased expression, Luize set down the coffee and lemonade she’d brought from a nearby cafe before walking over.

“I thought it’d end in a few days, but this is going on longer than I expected.”

Squeeze-

An invisible pressure emanated from Se-Hoon. It was undetectable by the naked eye or by magic, but when one got close, they would feel a strange dissonance—and have thoughts that normally wouldn’t occur.

“I need to confine Se-Hoon here.” The urge would force them into action, compelling them to act with some natural “flow.”

“Hmm…”

Trying to feel it out, Luize gently reached out toward the air—only for her hand to be caught and pushed away by Se-Hoon.

“Careful. Lea got burned pretty badly doing that yesterday.”

“What? Seriously?”

“For real. She tried to get around it with enchantments and got punished.”

Rather than genuine aid, Lea had taken it as a mere experiment and attempted an enchantment on the suppressive force Baek-Yeon had left behind. Alas, the force treated her effort as nothing more than laughable and retaliated immediately with a curse.

“What happened to her?”

“Her brush kept slipping from her hand.”

“…That’s it?”

Such a curse was annoying, sure, but did that really qualify as punishment? Unable to understand, Luize puzzled over it with a frown until she abruptly remembered how enchantments worked.

“Wait, even when she conjures her enchantments…?”

“Yeah. It slipped, and to make it worse, Lea said it also forcibly converted everything into explosive enchantments.”

“…”

Luize gaped blankly. Not only did it sabotage the process, it also locked in the most destructive outcome? Although she’d heard what the suppressive force was made of, its impact went beyond expectations.

“So if I get hit with it…”

“Hm. Maybe your incantations will become all garbled… or you’ll bite your tongue every time and fail the casting entirely?”

“Ugh…”

Seeing Luize recoil at the mere thought, Se-Hoon smirked.

“Anyway, how’s your body holding up?”

“Oh… mostly recovered, I think. My tongue and vocal cords still feel off,” Luize said, rubbing the choker around her neck and wincing visibly.

“Let me take a look. Sit down and open your mouth for me.”

“Okay.”

Once Luize nodded, sat down, and opened her mouth, Se-Hoon stepped forward and inspected her tongue and throat for a bit.

“Hmm… I need a better look this time. So try not to bite me, okay?”

“What do you think I a—mrrrf!”

Wrapping mana around his index and middle fingers, Se-Hoon reached into her mouth to physically examine the lingering marks on her tongue.

Woong-

He could feel two distinct forces at his fingertips: Luize’s natural mana, accumulated from repeated use of Incantation Magic, and something more primal… like divine mana or something very much like it.

It seeped much deeper inside than I thought.

The marks—aftereffects from using Divine Speech during the battle against Tuner—were full of the foreign divine mana. The mana had essentially pierced through her tongue and vocal cords like thorns, causing constant pain and discomfort.

Rather than eroding… it’s more like it’s transforming?

Just like Luize’s skills that evolved over the past year to specialize in Incantation Magic, her mana itself was trying to adjust for Divine Speech. And given that Divine Speech was a technique directly tied to the Golden Ring itself in the first place, it made sense that her mana was trying to transform into something akin to divine mana to match it.

This doesn’t seem too harmful, though it’s too early to say for sure.

Because there were still unknowns about the dangers involved in manipulating the Golden Ring, it was best to just monitor the situation for now.

Done with his inspection, Se-Hoon met Luize’s gaze, who was now lightly biting his fingers out of boredom.

“There are still a few things I’m not too sure about, so I’ll just apply a temporary fix.”

Unable to say anything, Luize just silently nodded in response—the go-ahead that made Se-Hoon activate Metamorphosing Dreams.

Woong-

Tapping into the nearly infinite selection of dreams, Se-Hoon skimmed through them as his irises shimmered violet. Then, upon finding one, he plucked it and manifested it through his fingertips.

Swish-

A single strand of Spirit Weaver wrapped around Luize’s tongue, forming a sealing spell in an instant.

Hummm-

A white rune etched itself onto her red tongue, sealing away the remnants of Divine Speech before sinking in and vanishing.

“All done. As long as you don’t use Divine Speech, you won’t feel any pain for a while.”

“Mmm…” Rolling her tongue around in her mouth, Luize then looked at him with clear relief. “It really does feel better. Thanks.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll take it back.”

“…Right.” Speechless, Se-Hoon stared at her blankly.

“By the way, what’s your take on Divine Speech?”

“In what aspect?”

“Combat. Be honest—don’t be vague.”

Se-Hoon observed the serious-looking Luize, pondering what to say. Perhaps her battle with Tuner had given her a lot to think about.

“Well, it’s not a bad technique. After all, it lets you fight Tuner head-on without even activating your Phase Manifestation.”

In contrast to Lea, Se-Hoon hadn’t been worried upon seeing Luize face Tuner for two reasons. First, he simply trusted Luize’s judgment. Second, she still had Phase Manifestation ready. With that enchantment placed on her weapon, she could always temporarily reel up the power of the Blast Dog.

“Especially this time—the Seeker’s eye that Tuner used was completely incompatible with your Incantation Magic. Even with your Phase Manifestation, you probably could’ve done no more than run.”

It wasn’t just a matter of power, but also of compatibility. In truth, Se-Hoon had expected her to fall back almost immediately, which she hadn’t.

“Divine Speech lets you ignore that disadvantage and fight on equal footing. That’s why I can confidently say that alone proves its worth.”

It wouldn’t be just Tuner either. Against any enemy who had prepared counters for Incantation Magic, Divine Speech would enable Luize to stand her ground. The recent battle had only confirmed that.

And considering how much power had manifested despite Luize not having properly mastered it, the potential was most certainly limitless.

“Hmph… So basically, you’d be an idiot not to use it.”

“It’s not that extreme, but yeah, it’d be a waste. Still, until we figure out the side effects, it’s better to hold back.”

Actually, Se-Hoon didn’t think someone like Luize even needed to cling to Divine Speech. He had only laid it out because she had asked. Even with Divine Speech, Luize was still ways away from the Blast Dog. In peak condition, the Blast Dog could have easily killed Tuner at that moment.

There’s no need to rush in a situation like this.

If she did choose to use Divine Speech, then it should be done with care and tailored to the situation—not out of desperation.

“Hmm… alright. I’ll restrain myself until then.”

“Good. That’s a smart choice.”

Meeting Se-Hoon’s gaze—and seeing his satisfied smile—Luize paused briefly before clearing her throat.

“Anyway, how long do you have to keep sitting around like this? Aren’t we screwed if the Demon Force attacks again while you’re stuck here?” As she said that, she poked lightly at the suppressive air around Se-Hoon with her fingertip.

Se-Hoon turned to look out the window. “It probably won’t be much longer. I think—”

Buzzz-

Cut off by his phone just as he was about to share his guess, Se-Hoon pulled it out and read the incoming message.

Seon-Woo: Thanks to your consideration, we were able to send my grandaunt off peacefully. I’ll be at Babel soon, so please wait just a little longer.

At the same time that Baek-Yeon’s funeral had ended, the suppression that tightly gripped Se-Hoon began unraveling and flowing outward.

“…It’s shifting.”

Sensing it, Luize turned her head. Together, both of them followed the force with their gazes beyond the living room window toward the white tower that came into clear view: the central landmark of Babel.

The suppression that had once bound him in place was now tugging him outward instead.

Se-Hoon smirked faintly and stood up.

“Looks like the preparations are finally done.”

***

“Sorry I’m… huff… late…”

Seon-Woo arrived five minutes after sending the message. Having run straight here without resting after the funeral, he was slightly out of breath with sweat dotting his face.

“You really didn’t have to rush.”

“No. You were stuck inside for days because of me…”

A few days ago, when Se-Hoon explained the suppression phenomenon to him, Seon-Woo had intuitively understood: it had formed because of him. Why else was the suppression that even Jason couldn’t see crystal clear to his own eyes?

“To be precise, this is all because of the Visionary. You don’t need to beat yourself up.”

“Even so…”

“Enough. More importantly, how’s it look now?”

“I’ll check right away.”

Steadying his breath, Seon-Woo activated Enhanced Vision to the fullest and looked up at the Tower of Pristine in front of him.

Woong-

A white ring encircled the Tower. Immediately, Seon-Woo nodded, confirming for Se-Hoon that it was indeed the suppression that had bound Se-Hoon.

“It’s fully gathered.”

“That’s a relief.”

“So… are we going to start right away?”

“I should. Who knows how long the window the Visionary prepared will stay open?”

Realizing that her final will might be lost forever if they missed the opportunity, Seon-Woo nodded despite the tension flickering across his face.

“Okay. You can begin whenever you’re ready.”

With his eyes glowing blue from Enhanced Vision, Seon-Woo focused on the white ring.

Then Se-Hoon, seeing the same, raised his hand.

“Here I go.”

He extended his hand toward Seon-Woo’s eyes and activated Metamorphosing Dreams—or rather, a step beyond the skill.

“■■■■”

A strange whisper brushed past Se-Hoon’s ears. Although he had clearly heard the words during the fight with the Observer—Dream Manifestation—they were now distorted and unintelligible. Naturally, it failed to activate and scattered into fragments.

Woong!

However, even if the words weren’t comprehensible in the slightest, a violet shimmer still bloomed in Se-Hoon’s eyes. The next moment, a small butterfly unfurled its wings and revealed itself on his outstretched fingertips.

Flutter-

It dissipated like a mirage before Seon-Woo’s eyes.

Woong!

And immediately, the white ring engraved within Seon-Woo’s Enhanced Vision—Baek-Yeon’s true legacy—was drawn out.

“This… is Grand-aunt’s…”

Seon-Woo stared at the legacy floating above Se-Hoon’s palm with a conflicted expression. Such power had been resting inside his eyes all along, and he hadn’t sensed a thing.

He felt his own inadequacy more than ever before.

“…What should I do next?”

“First, we need to retrieve it.”

Se-Hoon extended the legacy toward the Tower of Heroes.

Swish-

Returning from the Tower, the suppression that surrounded him before converged on his palm and combined with the legacy into a single knot. Then, after confirming that the combination had fully finished, Se-Hoon closed his hand around it.

Woong-

A white light gathered in front of the Tower’s entrance, forming a new white door that was separate from the existing entrance.

“That’s the Diverging Path…” Seon-Woo muttered, instantly recognizing it.

“Yeah. Exactly.”

Each time Se-Hoon had engraved a Perfect One’s power into the Tower, a new path had been formed. Unlike those times, though, Baek-Yeon’s legacy was the key to unlocking her path.

Her true will must be hidden inside.

Not even Heaven Eye, nor any other Perfect One for that matter, would be able to access it easily. Only he could step through and hear her final words.

…or it’s all just a cleverly crafted trap.

It wasn’t a path he created himself, meaning there was an inherent risk. However, because there was a way back if things went wrong, following the flow was the best choice in every way.

Preparing himself, Se-Hoon took a breath and turned to Seon-Woo, who was quietly staring at the door.

“Anything you want me to pass on to her?”

While the Baek-Yeon he would meet beyond the door wouldn’t be “her,” she was close enough once one considered the nature of the Perfect Ones.

“I…” Trailing off, Seon-Woo hesitated—only to ultimately shake his head slowly. “No. I’ve got nothing to say.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I gave my farewells already.”

Looking at him, Se-Hoon realized the funeral had most likely brought Seon-Woo closure. He respected that, so he simply nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be back then.”

Clutching the knot, Se-Hoon reached for the white door’s handle and turned it.

Whoosh-

His view changed. Above him floated the Golden Ring; below was a sea of clouds stretching endlessly; in the center was a lone white stone platform. Observing them all, Se-Hoon knew exactly where he was from the familiar texture and form of the stone.

No way… is this the top of the Tower?

Every previous Diverging Path had led to the Perfect One’s final trial. How did he end up here? Narrowing his eyes at the ominous signs, Se-Hoon considered retreating—

“…Who are you?”

An icy killing intent that could pierce his whole body saturated the voice. Se-Hoon turned his head slowly… and saw someone both familiar and foreign.

A striking beauty in her early thirties, tall, with long black hair braided neatly and a sharp, cold aura. It was obvious who she was; taking a breath, Se-Hoon was about to introduce himself cautiously…

“Wait.”

Her eyes, which looked ready to kill, flickered with subtle change. Emotions then passed across her face in a rapid storm, too swift and intense for normal people to perceive or comprehend.

“…I see.”

Having processed everything in the blink of an eye, the woman collected her emotions.

“You’re Lee Se-Hoon, aren’t you?”

The young Baek-Yeon greeted Se-Hoon with a gentle smile.