The Regressor Can Make Them All

chapter 502

For the first time in her life, the noble lady resolved to run away from home. Accompanying her was her devoted protector, her support in every way possible. It would have all been perfect if not for the assassins—dispatched by her very own family—that were hunting down their tail.

The noble lady’s tale was the kind of setup that was straight out of a storybook; however, there were two key differences when it came to Se-Hoon and Erika.

BOOM!

First, neither was particularly fazed by the idea of running away. They simply went through with it as if it were no big deal.

“Agh!”

“Somebody stop him—!”

And second, Se-Hoon was simply far too strong to even be threatened by mere assassins. With nothing more than a casual flick of the wrist, he swept away everything like swatting away a swarm of gnats. With each motion, he unleashed a colossal wave of mana that rippled out in all directions.

He used not even one proper technique, simply just casting his skills indiscriminately. Yet the Inoue assassins were all on the verge of death from trying to resist just that.

RUMBLE-

Techniques, equipment, strategy—they threw everything they had at Se-Hoon, only for it all to be useless despite not holding back. The tide of overwhelming mana was insurmountable.

Only when they were already collapsing did the assassins finally realize the undeniable truth: the gap was too vast to overcome.

How the hell are we supposed to fight a monster like this…?

Even if we called in every sorcerer in our family, we still wouldn’t win….

Rumble-

Even the Inoue clan’s elite sorcerer corps, deployed before everyone, lasted less than ten seconds before annihilation. They could only watch as Se-Hoon and Erika strolled away casually before reinforcements could arrive.

Eventually, the Inoue family had to accept that everything was spiraling out of control and abandoned their plans to handle it all internally.

「At the beginning of this year, the criminal organization known as the Three Dogs—previously responsible for terrorist acts targeting the Chinese Heroes Association branch—kidnapped Lady Inoue and fled. The suspected perpetrator is believed to be the leader of the Three Dogs, who flamboyantly has shown devastating combat power by neutralizing our elite sorcerer corps in an instant…」

The press conference held by the Inoue family hit the world—that was still overjoyed by the Blessing of Prevision—like a bucket of cold water.

“The Three Dogs? Weren’t they all captured already?”

“I also thought they were dealt with after how they suddenly went quiet.”

“How have they left such dangerous people alone all this time? What the hell has the Heroes Association been doing?”

The threat of the Three Dogs, who had been brushed aside and forgotten under the shadow of Li Kenxie’s death, came back into frame. Their past crimes resurfaced, spreading unease like wildfire.

After all, there were three monsters capable of toppling a Heroes Association branch guarded by high-ranking heroes head-on and an unidentified leader commanding them. On top of that, the previously circulating rumors that their mysterious leader was on par with the Perfect Ones came back in full force.

For those who had already suffered heavily at the hands of the Demon Force, it was inevitable for them to fear their whole life would be torn apart again.

A criminal as powerful as a Perfect One is roaming the world?

If he’s plotting something like the incident in China again…

Another event of global magnitude… just the possibility sent fear through the public, skyrocketing public anxiety. Naturally, the Heroes Association also realized the severity and finally acted.

“Initiate high-alert and form a pursuit squad. Summon all high-ranking heroes who are A-rank and above.”

Listening to the Inoue family, who used the Heaven’s Well to determine Erika’s location, the Heroes Association’s pursuit squad eventually surrounded Se-Hoon and Erika as they were leisurely sightseeing in a popular tourist area.

“Hmph.”

SWOOSH-

“Agh!”

But once again, monstrous torrents of mana just swept through the enemy ranks and wiped them out with the same casual brutality.

“This is just mana! Look for an opening!”

“He’s on a whole different tier! Break through!”

On the bright side, the pursuers had intel from earlier fights and could at last gain a slight tactical edge that allowed a few squad members to hold their ground—only for them to be beaten mercilessly into the ground.

Before they could even launch a proper counterattack, Se-Hoon waved his hand again—Smack!—and Three Dogs, reimagined through the Metamorphosing Dreams and Silver River, finished the job.

“W-Who are those…?”

“This… can’t be real…”

Less than thirty seconds for the first wave of the Heroes Association’s pursuit squad to be completely obliterated and only able to watch as Se-Hoon and Erika once again casually walk away unharmed.

And unlike the Inoue assassins, who moved in secret, their encounter occurred in a tourist area. In other words, it was a guarantee that civilians nearby had recorded everything on their devices and would spread the footage everywhere.

“They didn’t even last a minute…?”

“What kind of squad was that? Wait…! Wasn’t that person recently promoted to S-rank?”

“This can’t be real…”

Although there had been a surge in S-rank hero promotions recently, the status of S-ranks hadn’t diminished. And yet the pursuit squad seen in the videos blatantly made it look like it had. They looked just like novices being wiped out by a high-tier villain.

It was no wonder public anxiety, already high, exploded across the globe.

“Governments from multiple countries are asking whether the Perfect One could step in.”

“We’ve told the summoned heroes to wait and observe until we gather enough strength for now.”

“Mr. President, I suggest we declare a state of emergency and launch an extermination campaign against the Three Dogs!”

“Haaaaaah.”

Tired from the flood of suggestions, Gregory pressed his fingers against his temples.

“Enough. Let’s move on to the actual issue,” he declared with exhaustion.

In an instant, the noisy meeting room fell dead silent until one of the council members glanced at the others before cautiously speaking up. “…Shouldn’t we begin by contacting Lee Se-Hoon?”

“…”

“Whether it’s bringing in the Perfect Ones or dealing with the Three Dogs, we need to persuade him first.”

Although the Association’s influence over the past year had undeniably grown tremendously to usher in a new golden era, the truth behind it was complicated for them. After all, Lee Se-Hoon was the man who had actually orchestrated most of the operations credited to the Heroes Association; he, solely, was the linchpin of them all. It was he who secured the support of high-ranking heroes and the participation of Perfect Ones.

In other words, without Se-Hoon, there was nothing the Association could do against someone of a Perfect One-level threat.

“And… there are some unsettling rumors spreading, due to how neither Lee Se-Hoon nor those around him have made any moves yet—”

“The rumor that Lee Se-Hoon is actually the leader of the Three Dogs.” Gregory looked directly at the council member. “Is that what you want to say?”

“…”

The council member clamped his mouth shut. No one dared to say a word. If the Perfect Ones were merely standing by because they knew Se-Hoon truly was the leader of the Three Dogs, then there was genuinely nothing the Association could do.

“Whew…”

Gregory let out a long sigh, feeling the heavy atmosphere that settled over the room.

“I’ve already contacted Lee Se-Hoon. He said he’s unable to help with this matter.”

“N-No way…”

“Don’t tell me… the rumors are actually true…?”

The room, which had briefly fallen into a silence, erupted into murmurs once again.

Tap- Tap-

“Refrain from spreading baseless rumors. If that kind of talk reaches Lee Se-Hoon, it’ll only put us in a difficult position,” Gregory said, knocking on the table lightly.

“…Are you saying there’s another reason he can’t help us?”

Gregory glanced around the meeting room, reading the doubt in the council members’ expressions, then lowered his voice to say, “He seems to have taken significant damage to his synesthetic mindscape in the last battle. It’s affected his ability to use both his powers and skills.”

Letting the explanation sink in, the council members were stun locked. Though they had guessed after finding it strange that Se-Hoon hadn’t attended Baek-Yeon’s funeral, they never imagined the injury to be that serious.

“He’s recovering thanks to the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern, but apparently, his power is so vast that the healing is progressing extremely slowly. He’ll need at least a month of rest.”

“Then the reason Ryu Eun-Ha and others refused the summons is…”

“To protect Lee Se-Hoon while he recovers.”

“Ah…”

In unison, the council members let out sighs of resignation upon finally understanding everything. If all of that was true—and even if it wasn’t—just the fact that Se-Hoon conveyed his stance as such meant the Heroes Association could no longer ask for his help.

Regardless of resurrection having become possible after death, no one could demand an injured person to fight and possibly die.

Maybe it’s not just a cover. Maybe the leader of Three Dogs is really dangerous enough that even Lee Se-Hoon is approaching this cautiously.

Either way, if we can’t get his help, public sentiment toward our Association is going to plummet…

With the option closed, each council member started trying to puzzle their way out of the tangled mess—until Gregory continued with a grave expression.

“But this doesn’t mean Lee Se-Hoon refused to help entirely.”

“Really?”

“He said if the Three Dogs cause casualties, he’ll persuade the Perfect Ones and his allies to join the pursuit squad.”

The number of deaths caused by the Three Dogs’s attacks had been minimal so far, with most of the dead having shown signs of collusion with the Demon Force. Because of that, opinions of the Three Dogs were divided even within the Association.

All Se-Hoon did was simply point that out.

“He said the Three Dogs have been operating deliberately along a line that avoids intervention from himself or the Perfect Ones. That’s likely why he judges the situation as not yet urgent.”

In short, he would focus on recovering from his injuries unless there were innocent casualties involved.

“…Under those conditions, I suppose it’s understandable.”

“But what about the backlash from the public?”

“We can keep sending pursuit squads and emphasize that there haven’t been deaths. Then we can float the idea that we’re negotiating with the Three Dogs—”

“What nonsense. If we’re not careful, we’ll destroy the Association’s entire reputation!”

“That young man is recovering from serious injuries, and you’re worried about reputation? Do you have no shame?”

“W-What? Are you hearing yourself right now?!”

Seeing the meeting room fall into disarray again, Gregory couldn’t be bothered to calm them and just sighed instead.

I can’t tell what he’s really thinking…

Unlike the skeptical council members, Gregory was certain: Se-Hoon was the leader of the Three Dogs. The leader’s staggering strength aside, there was just simply no way—from what Gregory had seen of Se-Hoon’s personality—that he would let his own people stay close to someone as dangerous as the Three Dogs’ leader unless it was himself.

Whether it’s him or someone close to him, it’s all the same. The only question remaining is what exactly he’s trying to achieve from this….

Just what was Se-Hoon planning to do with the Inoue family? Falling silent, Gregory soon realized there was nothing the Heroes Association could do regardless—neither help nor stop him.

For now, we can only follow the current and act accordingly.

Convinced it was the best plan of action, Gregory opened his mouth to wrap up the meeting—

“May I say something?”

For the first time, the low voice of the Tokyo branch director, who had remained silent until now, rang out. He was, for all intents and purposes, the de facto representative of the Inoue family at the table.

All eyes turned to him.

“What if the Inoue family has already successfully recruited a Perfect One?”

A mysterious smile crept across the branch director’s face.

***

“Your o-order of… lemon… uh, I mean…”

Holding out the lemon soda and matcha latte, the cafe staff member was trembling so hard they almost looked pitiful. Gazing at the poor person, who looked like they might burst into tears at any moment, Se-Hoon shrugged under his flickering haze of distortions and casually accepted the drinks.

“Keep the change.”

Passing by the frightened customers and exiting the cafe, he headed over to the pyramid of collapsed bodies—what remained of the Heroes Association’s eleventh pursuit squad—which Erika stood in front of.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

Accepting the matcha latte and holding it with both hands, Erika looked over the human pile before her.

“Their strength keeps declining.”

At the beginning, several S-rank heroes had been dispatched, but with each successive battle, their numbers had dropped. Now, aside from a few Heroes Association members, there was hardly anyone left.

The public had been told they all withdrew due to injuries, but having witnessed the battles firsthand, Erika knew that was a complete lie.

“Do you think they’re all scared?”

Pitiful was the only word to describe the recent “fights” between Se-Hoon and the pursuit squads. No matter what strategies the squads prepared, the moment Se-Hoon released his mana, more than half of them were blown away.

Even those that weren’t were then helpless before the following appearance of the Three Dogs. With barely any extra effort, Se-Hoon could’ve killed them all—or worse. It was no wonder Erika would think the pursuit squads had finally realized that and were now paralyzed by fear.

Yet, for some reason, Se-Hoon shook his head.

“No. I don’t think that’s it.”

“No?”

“If it were the old days, maybe. But people are tougher now—both physically and mentally.”

Death could be reversed by the Blessing of the Eternal, and the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern could guide even twisted minds back to the right path.

Thinking of the blessings, Se-Hoon glanced at the unconscious figures in front of him.

“It’s probably the Heroes Association that scaled them down.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know either.”

Maybe they were gathering intel and troops for a final showdown? Maybe the Inoue family had come up with something and the Association was going along with it? If he really wanted to know, Se-Hoon could honestly just ask Gregory.

But he didn’t.

There’s no better time to test the Revelation.

With Erika staying by his side, the Inoue family’s options were limited. That made it a perfect opportunity to test how far the Revelations could foresee.

It’s still quiet now… but something might come soon.

Se-Hoon glanced up at the sky before turning to Erika, who seemed deep in thought.

“So, where do you want to go next?”

“Hmm…” Thinking for a moment, Erika gave her answer: “The sea.”

“Alright.”

With the destination decided, Se-Hoon placed a hand on her shoulder and immediately teleported them both to the nearby coastline.

Swoosh-

The sound of calm crashing waves along a wintry shore surrounded them. Since it wasn’t tourist season, the area was nearly empty. And as for the few visitors who recognized Se-Hoon and Erika, they fled without looking back.

Just like that, they had the beach to themselves.

As Erika stood silently on the sand, gazing out at the sea as her hair fluttered weakly in the wind, Se-Hoon studied her blank—unreadable—expression from behind his veil of distortion.

Something’s changing about her… but I can’t tell the direction it’s going.

During their travels, Se-Hoon refrained from saying too much or probing too deeply into Erika’s thoughts. She had developed a clear sense of self—strong enough to establish genuine bonds—and he didn’t want excessive interference to do more harm than good.

It’s important to do everything in moderation.

If he forced his views onto her, the chains that her family put on her would just turn into chains from him instead. For Erika to truly change, she had to decide everything on her own, even the small things.

Well, things seem to be moving in the right direction, at least.

The girl, who used to be unable to decide anything for herself, was speaking up and choosing where she wanted to go. The budding sense of agency that was trivial to others was a promising sign for Erika.

At this rate, she might reach a decision soon.

What choice would Erika make once she had her own will? And what should he do in response? As they stood side by side, watching the sea and lost in their respective thoughts, Erika suddenly turned and held out her left hand.

“…Again?”

“Yeah.”

Making an awkward expression, Se-Hoon extended both hands and gently took her hand in his. Ever since he had scanned her body with Spirit Weaver, Erika started asking him to hold her hand every chance she got.

Is she feeling something through it…?

While Se-Hoon pondered her intentions, a sharp jolt abruptly pierced both of his eyes. The changing Metamorphosing Dreams—which had been evolving into something new since his battle with Heaven Eye—was now warning him.

This is…

Trusting his instinct, Se-Hoon’s gaze snapped up to see something tearing open the sky—a phenomenon that not even S-ranks could produce.

Realizing the Inoue family had finally played their hidden card, Se-Hoon immediately pulled Erika into his arms and braced for battle.

Clang!

Not a moment later, a blaze of orange light spread like dawn across the world as a colossal wave of mana surged forth. It was a sign of the arrival of the Inoue family’s secret weapon before them: the Seeker had arrived.