The Regressor Can Make Them All
Chapter 390

Chapter 390

Inside a lecture hall devoid of students due to Kwang-Soo’s leave of absence, the sharp sound of air being torn apart echoed without rest.

Whoosh!

In the center of the room, Jake continued to swing his fists. His attacks were swift yet steady, following a straight path. However, without ever taking a step from his spot, Se-Hoon deflected all of the attacks with a flick of his hand.

Bang!

The deflected fist punched through empty air before being drawn back.

Then, the same pattern repeated over and over. And over time, Jake’s punches did increasingly grow faster, yet Se-Hoon effortlessly parried them still.

Like that, a meaningless sparring session—other than to make Jake sweat—dragged on.

Woong-

Suddenly, Jake’s pupils began glowing blue.

His previously brute-force attacks, which had done nothing but push forward, suddenly sharpened. Once merely fast, he now also struck with pinpoint accuracy, targeting every opening.

Clang!

His fists created a piercing strike—more like a sword than a punch.

The sharp sound, as if a blade had been swung, rang out as mana concentrated at the tip of Jake’s fist, honing it to a razor edge.

But Se-Hoon was unfazed, calmly conjuring White Light in his palm.

Clang!

Fist and palm clashed, scattering sharp shockwaves through the air.

Jake’s glowing blue pupils darkened even further. Now, his movements no longer resembled those of the fighter he was before. His speed increased and his sharpness was honed and honed until the moment both finally reached the threshold to pierce through the wall which blocked his progress.

Now!

Jake’s fist surged forward, defying causality itself, aiming straight for Se-Hoon’s heart.

ROAR!

A shockwave erupted from his fist, shaking the training ground as if it were about to collapse. The barrier around the arena was now full of cracks.

Yet, at the end of a blow that Jake thought was totally impossible for him to generate in the past, was Se-Hoon still in the same position, despite having taken it head-on.

“Hmm. Not bad.”

And that was also when Jake noticed his fist had been caught, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“...Yeah, I figured this wouldn’t work on you, Se-Hoon.”

“Wouldn’t work? Hey, I actually blocked that seriously.”

He had been able to react purely by sight until that last strike—which he had to use Metamorphosing Dreams and the power of Perception to just barely block. In other words, for a fleeting moment, Jake had used the power of Premotion.

I know I wanted him to gain some insight, but... I didn’t expect him to get this strong.

All Se-Hoon had been expecting from Jake was him breaking through the power of Premotion and awakening his own synesthetic mindscape. But instead of stopping there, Jake had successfully grasped the power of Premotion itself.

And as a result, his skills skyrocketed. In the opening moments of battles, he was now exceptionally dangerous.

If he times this right, he might be able to kill an S-rank in a single hit.

Whether Jake could consistently find and precisely strike the gap of an S-rank hero was uncertain. Regardless, just the fact it was possible now marked a significant shift.

“You were serious...? Hm... I see...”

Despite falling into thought, the corners of Jake’s lips were twitching, showing that he was quite pleased.

Se-Hoon reviewed the spar in his mind.

“Do you think it’s possible for you to strike a little faster? It took a bit too long to prepare back there.”

“I don’t think I can do that at the moment. Compressing my senses to such an extent isn’t an effortless feat.”

“Then don’t rush it. Techniques that mess with perception can be dangerous. Take your time and train carefully.”

“Don’t worry.”

Acknowledging Se-Hoon’s advice, Jake nodded. Then, glancing around the empty lecture hall, Jake hesitantly asked, “Um, any word from Professor Ma?”

“Hm? Oh. No, nothing.”

Upon returning from Jason’s Orchard to Babel, Kwang-Soo had immediately shut himself inside his house, just as before. The only difference from before was that he had quit drinking, though, that alone still wasn’t enough to say his condition had improved.

In some ways, he might’ve gotten worse.

Se-Hoon’s brow furrowed as he recalled the jet-black sword in Kwang-Soo’s hands—Celestial Night. Even before the regression, Celestial Night’s condition had been poor when Se-Hoon first saw Kwang-Soo wield it.

But now, it was on the verge of breaking at any moment, which was why Se-Hoon had suggested getting it repaired.

Yet, for some reason, Kwang-Soo had shut him down instantly.

If it were before I regressed, he would’ve asked for repairs without hesitating. ...There’s something different about him.

Was it another butterfly effect? Or had Kwang-Soo always had such an issue around the current time? Se-Hoon didn’t know. Even before his regression, they had only been acquaintances—not close enough for deep conversations.

In truth, Se-Hoon actually knew little about Kwang-Soo.

I should just wait and see for now.

Bringing up the past he heard from Doppelganger would let him dig deeper immediately, but Se-Hoon knew that if he wasn’t careful, that could drive Kwang-Soo further away.

So, until their bond deepened or Kwang-Soo made a move first, Se-Hoon thought it was best to wait.

With that decision made, he turned to Jake. “Just leave him be for now. He’s probably got a lot on his mind.”

“Hmm...”

“Unless you’ve got a better idea?”

Jake thought for a moment.

“...Maybe we should exhaust him physically?”

“...?”

“When training, I get so tired that I stop thinking about useless stuff. So, I just figured...”

Jake trailed off, belatedly realizing what he was suggesting.

Was he seriously saying that they should brutally train an elderly professor until he couldn’t think anymore?

“...Hmm. That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“W-wait! That’s not what I meant—!”

“Relax. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“...Really?”

Jake knew Se-Hoon could be ruthless, but surely, he wouldn’t go overboard with their professor... right?

“Don’t worry. I won’t cripple him or anything. Can’t have training causing problems before the next fights, after all.”

“...”

Jake despaired. Unfortunately, he could no longer take back his words, able to only watch Se-Hoon leave the lecture hall.

Whoosh!

Immediately upon walking out, Se-Hoon easily dodged a hand reaching for his arm before turning to face the person waiting for him.

“Are you trying to grapple me?”

At his sharp remark, the blonde woman—Aria—smiled softly as always.

“Of course not. I just wanted to link arms.”

“Why...? Actually, you know what, never mind.”

Knowing she’d only say something meaningless, Se-Hoon let out a sigh and got straight to the point.

“So, what do you want?”

Since she had come without notice and even concealed her presence from Jake, it had to be something important.

And from how Aria glanced toward the lecture hall and smiled, it seemed his suspicion was right.

“Let’s head somewhere else first. This isn’t something we should discuss in public.”

“Hmm. Where to?”

“The villa would be best.”

Recalling the location of the villa on Babel’s outskirts where he and Jake had visited in their first semester, Se-Hoon took Aria’s hand.

“Then let’s head there.”

Whoosh!

The lecture hall hallway vanished. In the blink of an eye, they were now in the front yard of the Myers Family’s villa.

I’m getting too good at everything. Se-Hoon smirked at his seamless spatial teleportation attempt.

Combat, healing, teleportation, even logistics—he could handle everything. Feeling completely satisfied with his near-universal skill set, he turned to Aria.

“Let’s go in.”

“...Sure.”

Looking up, Aria—who had been fidgeting with the hand he had just let go—casually walked into the villa as if nothing had happened.

They headed to a familiar small garden, and Se-Hoon and Aria took seats at the same table where they had talked before.

“First, I should thank you for helping Jake.”

Thinking of her troublesome little brother, Aria sighed.

“He was sulking over such a trivial thing, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. But everything worked out thanks to you. I really appreciate it.”

“...”

While her words were sincere, Se-Hoon thought she sounded like it was a relief that an annoyance had been dealt with. He found it strange.

Aria’s the type to have ignored such a thing completely.... Who would’ve thought she actually cares about Jake?

It wasn’t strange for family members to take care of each other, but Aria had always had an innate tendency to be alone. Because of that, every time he saw such displays of familial affection from her, he found her somewhat intriguing.

Ah, damn. Did I get lost in thought for too long?

Noticing Aria’s questioning gaze directed at him, Se-Hoon quickly responded. “Well, Jake’s own efforts aren’t something I should be thanked for. Besides, he was seriously injured this time. ...I should formally apologize for that, actually.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. The Ten Evils interfering was more like an accident. Especially considering where they showed up this time.”

Who would have ever thought that a demon of the Ten Evils would suddenly invade a Perfect One’s residence—let alone that of the Trailblazer? If the event had happened in a Danger Zone or along the Pilgrim’s Path, that would be one thing, but for such chaos to break out inside a supposedly safe area?

In such a place, just the fact everyone made it out alive was something to be praised.

“Speaking of which, how is the incident being handled?”

“You haven’t heard? They decided on keeping it classified from the public, just like before.”

The Ten Evils had ambushed a Perfect One and barely escaped with their lives. If the news got out, it would boost morale and ease public anxiety—a fantastic story for sure.

And yet the higher-ups in the Association were keeping it under wraps. But on second thought, that made sense. Given Jason’s infamous reputation, they couldn’t predict what kind of disaster might unfold if word got out. So, they just opted for complete silence.

“That’s a wise decision.”

While Jason was living as an ordinary farmer, tending to his orchard, that didn’t mean he was safe. Whether it was for self-defense or a mere warning, the power he wielded—if used thoughtlessly—could lead to a devastation beyond imagination.

The scariest part is that he doesn’t hesitate.

Most conversations about the orchard remained peaceful. But whenever the topic of power or war came up, Jason would always stop to consider whether he should just kill the person in question. He was relatively mild-mannered otherwise, but if he ever snapped, he could be even more dangerous than other Perfect Ones.

Dealing with him required caution.

“Hm... Sounds like quite a troublesome person.”

“Well, yeah. Maybe kind of like—” Se-Hoon stopped mid-sentence, suddenly noticing Aria’s expression.

“Hm? What’s wrong? Continue.”

Aria smiled sweetly.

Nothing about her face was different from before, yet the chill in the air made Se-Hoon feel as if a blade was pressed against his neck. Sweating, he swiftly changed the subject.

“Nevermind, they’re actually complete polar opposites. Anyway, it’s best if you don’t cross paths with him.”

“Hm... I see. Then I’ll be careful.”

Aria gave him a soft smile.

“You know, sometimes when similar people meet, they end up fighting even more. Don’t you think so?”

“...”

Seeing the obvious annoyance in Aria’s eyes, Se-Hoon racked his brain, searching for a way to smooth things over.

“Well, let’s leave it at that for now.”

In the end, though, it was Aria who was the one to change the topic first, her tone becoming more serious.

“There are some things I’d like to ask—a personal one and one on behalf of my family—regarding the upcoming Silent Volcano subjugation mission.”

“What is it?”

“My personal request is that I would like you to forge me a new sword to replace Claire.”

Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.

“Did you break it?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve been taking good care of it, so it’s still in decent condition.”

“Then why—”

“Because it won’t last much longer.” Cutting him off, Aria spoke firmly. “The stronger I get, the less Claire will be able to withstand my synesthetic mindscape. It’ll wear down little by little and eventually break.”

“Hm... So that’s why you’re saying you need a new sword?”

“That’s right. At best, Claire will last another month.”

From her words, Aria was completely confident that she would become that much stronger within a month. It seemed absurd, but considering she became a Perfect One in the future, it wasn’t an empty boast.

Huh... What should I do?

Right now, Aria’s bond with him was at level three, and she had high expectations for him. If he gave a half-hearted excuse, she might be deeply disappointed, which could strain their Relationship.

Wanting to avoid that, Se-Hoon thought it was best to be honest instead of beating around the bush.

“To be completely honest... I’m not in the best condition nowadays.”

“Oh? You seem fine to me.”

“It’s not my body, but my synesthetic mindscape. My skills have clashed with each other recently, causing side effects. Until I resolve this issue, I won’t be able to forge anything properly.”

With Aria’s sword especially, he couldn’t afford to leave a single flaw, so he didn’t want to forge it at all if he wasn’t in his best condition.

For a moment, Aria studied him, ruminating over his words, before sighing in disappointment.

“If that’s the case, then there’s no helping it. I’ll wait.”

“Thank you.”

Surprisingly, she accepted without much resistance, probably because she already had a certain level of trust in him.

Feeling relieved, Se-Hoon was about to relax when Aria continued.

“And finally, the request from my family. Our family head wants to know if you can arrange for our forces to be stationed at the front lines of the operation.”

“...The front lines?”

Se-Hoon was visibly taken aback.

Since it was related to Silent Volcano, he had expected a request about deployment, but he hadn’t expected them to want the front lines.

“Why do they want that?”

“I wasn’t told. Apparently, it’s something they need to discuss with you personally.”

“Hm...”

If even Aria wasn’t allowed to know, there was a good chance some kind of restriction or binding magic was involved. In turn, that meant that the situation wasn’t something to brush off lightly.

“I understand. I’ll meet with them when I have the time.”

With those words, Se-Hoon rose from his seat, signaling the end of their conversation.

“You’re leaving already?” Aria narrowed her eyes unhappily.

“I have another appointment after this. I’ll be going now.”

“Hm... Alright. Take care.” There was a subtle coldness in her tone, perhaps because of their earlier conversation.

But just as Se-Hoon was about to teleport away...

“Oh.”

A sudden thought made him pause. He turned back to Aria.

“Aria, may I ask you something?”

“Hm?”

“What would be a good gift for a woman?”

The fruit basket he had prepared for Luize had been ruined, leaving only the cherries intact. He needed to find a replacement gift, yet nothing he thought of had seemed quite right.

Aria might not be an expert in this either... but she got to be better at it than me.

Expectant he looked at Aria, who looked a little surprised.

“Well, if it were me, I’d like a sword,” she gently answered after missing a beat, her surprise turning into a sweet smile.

“That’s just something you like.”

“So?”

“This isn’t a gift for you, so your answer doesn’t help here.”

Se-Hoon’s response had no malice, but for some reason, it felt cold. It immediately drained the warmth from Aria’s eyes, though her smile deepened.

“Then why not give her something you like?”

“Something I like? But giving that out of nowhere would...”

“It’s about sharing interests—learning about each other. That’s not a bad thing, right?”

Of course, that only worked if the recipient had at least some interest in the giver’s passion. But Aria didn’t mention that part.

“Gifts that you’re familiar with are much better than gifts that are completely random. And the more special they are, the more memorable they become.”

“Hm... That makes sense.”

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable her answer seemed.

Satisfied, Se-Hoon bobbed his head. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep that in mind.”

And without another word, he teleported away, leaving Aria staring after him with a frigid expression.

What an idiot...

Giving a gift that meant nothing to the recipient—who would like that? If someone did, it would only be because they liked Se-Hoon himself, not the gift.

Aria turned toward the garden, thinking about how he might end up offending someone with his gift choice.

“...He’s so annoying.”

***

At his workshop located halfway up an artificial mountain, Se-Hoon waited for his guests to arrive. And in the meantime, he struck up a conversation with Eun-Ha, who had gotten there ahead of him.

“I think it’s a great idea.”

“Really?”

Seeing Se-Hoon’s uncertain expression, Eun-Ha nodded firmly.

“Yes. If I received a gift that reflected what you liked personally, I would be very happy.”

Eun-Ha, too, strongly agreed with Aria’s idea, which made Se-Hoon rub his chin thoughtfully.

Hmm. Did she really mean it?

At first, he had been wondering if Aria had just been messing with him because he refused to make her a sword. But if even Eun-Ha supported the idea, then maybe there was some merit to it.

“Even if it’s a rough, lumpy piece of ore?”

“Yes.”

“A book on refining techniques?”

“I’d even be willing to write a book report on it.”

Eun-Ha’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, as if she were the one receiving the gift.

And that made Se-Hoon drop his doubts about Aria’s advice.

Alright, it seems worth trying.

Se-Hoon made up his mind. He’d gift Luize some refining materials and a book on processing them—

“Ahem.”

Just as his thoughts reached that point, Eun-Ha cleared her throat and gave him a meaningful look. Unlike before, when she had been expressionless, her face now subtly revealed anticipation.

It was a look Se-Hoon immediately understood.

“Oh. How thoughtless of me. Of course, I have something for you, too.”

“...!”

Eun-Ha’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she watched Se-Hoon reach into his void pocket and pull out a neatly wrapped package.

“These are some weapons I forged in my spare time. Eat them when you’re hungry.”

“...Thank you.”

Although she accepted it, Eun-Ha took out a dagger and quietly nibbled on it with a slightly disappointed look.

And upon seeing her reaction, Se-Hoon frowned.

Are they not satisfactory enough?

As he made a mental note to try crafting them differently next time, the last figure he had been waiting for finally appeared, walking up the mountain path below.

“This place is too damn far up.”

Though she didn’t seem physically exhausted, Meirin’s expression made it clear she wasn’t pleased about the climb.

Her appearance made Eun-Ha, who had been quietly munching on the dagger, shoot her a wary look.

“Professor Ryu, what brings you here?”

“I’m here to work. I’ve been hired as an assistant by Se-Hoon.”

Eun-Ha turned to Se-Hoon for confirmation.

“She’s right. The work I’m about to do is too much for one person.”

“Hmm... If that’s the case, then I suppose I can’t object.”

Eun-Ha didn’t look thrilled, but she wasn’t about to interfere with something work-related.

“So, what exactly are we working on?” Meirin asked, finished with her brief look around.

She seemed intrigued. Why had Se-Hoon gone out of his way to gather the both of them?

Before answering that, though, Se-Hoon looked at the two women individually in turn before looking at both of them.

“I plan to dismantle the Sacred Craftsman’s power of Anatta entirely.”