The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 245

Chapter 245

Finally freed from hours of Eun-Ha’s nagging, Se-Hoon completed the discharge procedures without additional tests and returned to his dorm. He would have usually undergone a series of thorough examinations upon awakening after three days, but the epitome of the medical field, Pilgrim Karl Anderson, had treated his wounds himself.

Maybe I should just say I got treated by him from now on, Se-Hoon thought, acknowledging once again how important one’s reputation was.

Making it to his room, he entered, looked around it, and immediately shook his head. Its peaceful atmosphere made the battle three days ago feel like a distant dream, so much so that he even momentarily wondered if he had fallen victim to some illusion.

This is always the problem when fighting those kinds of enemies.

He recalled how his fights against those who manipulated dreams always left him second-guessing reality even after the battle had long ended. In fact, it was a common, delicate issue that had claimed many lives because the psychological strain frequently resulted in obsessive paranoia.

People should really learn how to let it go after checking enough times.

Se-Hoon knew very clearly that over-fixation on such matters would do him no good. Shaking off the feeling, he sank into the couch in the living room, letting it completely support him.

“Whew...”

With everything over, he felt relaxed to the point where he could fall asleep instantly if it were a bed. Taking a brief moment to rest his eyes, he began stretching to loosen up his body.

Let’s check my stats first.

[Lee Se-Hoon]

[Strength - B (244) Stamina - B (248)

Mana - A (298) Agility - A (272)]

“Woah...”

Checking his stats after such a long time, he couldn’t help but be amazed. All of his stats were either close to or had already reached A-rank, and his mana was even on the verge of breaking into S-rank. However, the stat that caught his eye the most was his agility, which had grown by almost forty points.

This... must be due to Bond Recreate and the White Night Bow.

Considering that both Amir and Baek-Yeon had quick reflexes and movements, it was likely that borrowing their power had influenced his growth. Pleased that his body was developing smoothly, he turned his attention to the new skill he acquired.

[Metamorphosing Dreams] ?S?

[A transformative skill that allows one to transform dreams into reality by exhausting dream mana. However, excessive use may cause mental contamination or physical dissolution.

*Allows transformation of observed dreams into reality

*The higher the understanding of the dream, the less dream mana consumed

*Physical or mental contamination by these dreams may lead to permanent damage]

“...Wow.”

Se-Hoon was genuinely impressed. It was a reality-altering ability, similar to what the Destroyer of Fragmentation had used. More technically, it was a downgraded version, but its sheer versatility made it impressive, regardless.

I should try using it.

Focusing briefly, he activated Metamorphosing Dream with his right hand and flickers of countless dreams immediately began flying by in his vision. Finding a very familiar one, he transformed it into reality.

Flap-!

A black hammer marked with red patterns now rested in his right hand—his master’s keepsake and the hammer he used the longest, the Ember Hammer.

Staring down at it, Se-Hoon gripped the hammer curiously.

The weight, the texture... even the minor scratches on it have been perfectly recreated.

Its appearance was indistinguishable from the real thing. Continuing his tests, Se-Hoon swung it around experimentally before trying to channel his mana into it.

Woong!

The Ember Hammer gradually turned crimson, heating up as it began to release its stored flame. However, its flames never burst forth.

Poof!

The hammer suddenly disintegrated into a cloud of violet mist. Reflecting on what happened, Se-Hoon rubbed his hands together.

Hmm. At this rate, recreating the equipment with its original functions, like the Demonic Blood Art, will be hard.

Although the skill had an impressive nature, it still had clear limitations. However, its versatility meant that it had many potential applications regardless of them, which left Se-Hoon feeling reasonably satisfied.

Wondering if anything else had changed, he checked the rest of his body.

I don’t seem to have particularly received anything from Ha Baek-Yeon... so I guess this is all that’s left.

[Divine Mana] ?A+?

[Holy power derived from a god.

Its specialty is healing and purifying demon aura.]

His divine mana, which he had completely depleted due to not being able to generate any inside his body, had now risen to A+ rank. But despite the growth, Se-Hoon’s face turned somewhat displeased.

I must have absorbed it from the Pilgrim.

Since the Pilgrim was the one who treated his injuries, it likely happened naturally at that time, meaning that Se-Hoon had unintentionally revealed his ability to store divine mana to the Pilgrim. At that realization, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought.

Hmm... there’s no real downside to that though, is there?

His only concern was that if information leaked, he might become a primary target for the Apostate. However, since the Pilgrim had found out directly, the information wouldn’t likely go public unless Se-Hoon spread the word himself.

I guess he might hassle me for the Divine Mana Conversion Device he requested.

While it sounded troublesome, he had only postponed it due to wanting to focus on taking down the Pleasure District, so it was about time anyway. However, Se-Hoon decided to think about that later and moved on to inspecting his equipment.

[Hero’s Ring]

[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Average]

[A ring crafted by Ludwig Schubert, the first Perfect One to conquer a Tower of Heroes.

It allows the user to draw power from the Hero’s Tower, explosively enhancing all latent potentials.

Only Lee Se-Hoon, who has fulfilled the restriction requirements, can use it.

*Automatically deactivates when the user’s body reaches its limit

*Prolonged use may affect the user’s synesthetic mindscape]

Having met the restrictions, the ring's restricted abilities were finally unlocked.

For the conditions to be satisfied after the battle... could it be that defeating the Ten Evils or a Harbinger of Destruction was the condition?

Se-Hoon wore a peculiar expression. He couldn’t believe that Ludwig had set the unlock condition to defeat both a Ten Evil and a Harbinger of Destruction, but regardless, the precise conditions didn’t matter because the fact remained that the ring’s effects were now fully unlocked.

Settling his feelings on that matter, Se-Hoon’s gaze toward the ring became one of wonder.

Drawing power from the Hero’s Tower to enhance one’s potential... it seems I’ve received an incredible gift.

On the surface, the ring merely strengthened the user, but Se-Hoon intuitively knew the ring went far beyond that.

It probably allows me to temporarily possess the power I would gain when climbing the Hero’s Tower.

In other words, it allowed him to tap into a more powerful state of himself. However, that wasn’t even the most appealing aspect of the ring—it was the versatility of the power it gave the user.

That overwhelming amount of power it gave me shifted focus when I pulled out White Night Bow.

Just like how one’s potential could subtly change direction based on the equipment or skill they possessed, if one possessed equipment infused with a Perfect One’s power, the ring allowed them to temporarily mimic the Perfect One themselves.

Though it’s not without side effects.

Recalling the moment the power of Perception had spiraled out of control, Se-Hoon’s expression became complex. He remembered seeing something beyond the horizon, in the depths of the Abyss of Demons. He didn’t fully understand what he had seen, but it was enough to scar his synesthetic mindscape.

If this ring is capable of causing the power of Perfect Ones to go berserk too, it’s probably a good idea to save it for truly desperate times.

Like usual, he felt like everything new he gained came with considerable restrictions. But he still felt content. As challenging as it was, they were all manageable if used correctly, and more importantly, they lessened his fears of dying at the hands of the Ten Evils.

I’m sure the Demon Force will become more cautious after this.

Only a handful of people knew it was actually Se-Hoon who defeated the Dream Demon and the Destroyer of Fragmentation thanks to Wurgen’s regulation of information, but that included Tuner and Puppeteer.

While it was unlikely they would divulge information to their fellow Ten Evils, the prudent thing to do was to anticipate the worst and prepare for potential attacks.

“...Feels like I’ve just added more work.”

Although he had taken down the Dream Demon and the Destroyer of Fragmentation, it was just one of the Ten Evils and one of the Six Harbingers of Destruction. And if he were to include that he had to keep an eye on Watchers on top, it felt like he had only just taken the first step.

Still, every journey starts with a single step.

Se-Hoon, who had struggled against vastly superior foes, now stood on a more even footing. Going forward, any Ten Evil who showed a moment of weakness would be at risk of dying at his hands.

Though that means that there’s a lot more work on my end now...

Sighing, Se-Hoon leaned back and wrapped up his reflection.

“...This is all too tiring to think about.”

Despite the mountain of things to do, he felt he deserved a short break after all he had been through. Tried, he closed his eyes for a nap.

Ding, dong. Ding, dong. Ding, dong-

The doorbell rang incessantly, jolting him from his drowsiness. Annoyed, he begrudgingly opened his eyes and glanced at the intercom to see who had come.

On the screen were Sung-Ha, who was furiously pressing the doorbell, Luize, who stood to the side with her arms crossed, and Amir, who was watching quietly from behind.

“Of all the times they could show up...”

Sighing, Se-Hoon unlocked the front door, and moments later, Luize stormed in.

“Hey, what did you do to me? What the hell did you do, you bastard!!!”

Rushing up to Se-Hoon, she grabbed him by the collar, furious. Gazing at her face, which showed a mix of emotions—anger, betrayal, confusion, and shame—Se-Hoon became puzzled.

What now?

The only thing he could think of was that something had seriously gone wrong due to using those three as mediums to summon the Three Dogs he was more familiar with. Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon tried to figure out the problem, Sung-Ha and Amir walked into the room from the hallway.

“You're being way too loud,” Sung-Ha said bluntly.

“Pardon my intrusion,” Amir said, bowing his head politely.

Unlike the furious Luize, the calm demeanor of the other two brought Se-Hoon a sense of relief.

Amir being calm is normal, but if Sung-Ha is composed, it shouldn’t be a serious issue.

Having grasped a general sense of the situation, Se-Hoon grabbed Luize’s hands, still clutching his collar, and tried to calm her down.

“You should calm down for a moment—”

Smack!

However, before he could finish, Luize slapped his hand away and stepped back, her expression stiffening.

At the sudden change in demeanor, Se-Hoon inadvertently sighed for the umpteenth time.

“Why don’t we sit down and talk it out?” he suggested.

Guiding the three to the sofa, he took a seat facing them.

“So? What’s the problem? Can someone explain it to me step by step?”

The three exchanged glances.

“We all started having strange dreams three days ago,” Amir began.

“...Dreams?” Se-Hoon slightly tensed, wondering if they had been influenced by the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s power.

With a nod of his head, Amir continued explaining. “Yes. Although each of our dreams is different... we all meet ourselves in our dreams, but they’re stronger than we are now.”

“Ah...”

The pieces immediately fell into place for Se-Hoon.

So the remnants of the Three Dog’s synesthetic mindscapes are manifesting in their dreams.

He had expected some residual influence, considering they were used as mediums, but he hadn’t anticipated they would meet their future selves in their dreams.

Curious, Se-Hoon began with Amir.

“What kind of dream are you having?”

“Well... I’m receiving private lessons at my old family home. The lessons cover everything from organizational management to information categorization and combat techniques.”

“I see...” Se-Hoon nodded, thinking how befitting it was of the Frost Dog.

He then turned to Sung-Ha.

“What about you?”

“I meet myself in a ruined place and fight to the death. I wake up when I die,” Sung-Ha replied matter-of-factly.

“That’s it?”

Hearing Se-Hoon's curiosity, Sung-Ha slightly frowned.

“Every time I die, he tells me I’m weak like a maggot.”

“...I see.”

Once again, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but think it was a fitting dream for the Mad Dog.

Turning, he finally looked at Luize, who was still visibly upset.

“What about you? I’m guessing you were yelling at me earlier because of your dream.”

“I meet her in a hospital room. She’s the one paying the visit, and she usually teaches me about theories of Incantation Magic.”

“That’s it? You can’t be serious.”

Considering the fuss she made, there had to be more to it.

Luize’s eyes instantly wavered.

“Well... uh... she said if I don’t do it properly... she’d... take away...”

“...take away?” Se-Hoon’s eyes widened.

Is the Blast Dog really trying to exploit her past self?

After his honest confession, he hadn’t expected betrayal. Alarmed, Se-Hoon rushed to Luize’s side, gripping her shoulders tightly.

“What exactly did she say she’d take away? Did anything seem off about what she told you?”

“No, wait... stop...”

“I get it if you don’t remember every word, so just tell me—”

“Enough already, you bastard!!”

Boom!

Luize’s mana surged, violently pushing Se-Hoon back onto his sofa.

But rather than anger, Se-Hoon felt astonished by the force of her Incantation Magic.

Even without her mask, her incantations are so strong.

It was as if she’d almost fully awakened her unique skill, Mana Assimilation.

Facing the astonished Se-Hoon, Luize’s face turned beet red.

“Just tell us what happened back then already! Do you know how much we’ve suffered because of these dreams?!” she yelled, voicing her frustrations.

By her side, Sung-Ha and Amir nodded in agreement. It seemed continuously learning or fighting in their dreams had mentally exhausted them.

“Hmm...”

Se-Hoon glanced at the three in deep thought.

Telling them the whole truth... probably isn’t the right decision.

Even though they had become quite close, he still needed to be cautious about who he revealed his regressor identity to. So, after some careful consideration, he gave them a simplified explanation.

“So... using the power of that Destroyer of Fragmentation, you briefly summoned future versions of us based on your imagination?” asked Luize, processing the explanation.

“Yes.”

“And their leftover synesthetic mindscapes are affecting our minds, allowing them to appear in our dreams?”

“Exactly.”

“...”

Seeing Se-Hoon’s calm nod, the three exchanged awkward looks. Although a part of them appreciated Se-Hoon’s belief in their potential, one thing bothered them.

“How do you not understand yet? Hmm... Was I really this dumb in the past? Oh! Just forget what I just said, never mind.”

“Your skills befit a toothpick more than a spear. No. Even a toothpick would be a waste to you, so just go kill yourself.”

“But I just explained how you should use this. Do you not get it? Ugh... No wonder your brain is completely occupied fiddling with that ring. Tsk.”

Their future versions were merciless, spewing insults at the slightest mistake. However, those jerks, who could only be described as dogs even when being generous, somehow bore an eerie resemblance to their current selves.

“Ahem. I guess their personalities must have been tainted by demonic aura,” Luize said, clearing her throat in an attempt to rationalize the discrepancy.

“Huh? But they were exactly like you guys to me,” Se-Hoon replied innocently in confusion, unintentionally sealing their suspicions.

“...”

“...”

“...”

Exchanging silent glances, the three instantly understood each other’s thoughts. Then, without a word, they all rose from their seats.

“Squash him!!”

At Luize's shout, the three charged at Se-Hoon together.