The Regressor Can Make Them All
Chapter 393

Chapter 393

“I thought it was over since you weren’t calling me anymore. But of course, I’m useful as always, whether alive or dead... huh?”

The Seeker’s voice in his mind abruptly halted, only resuming after a brief pause, except with shock now in her voice.

“Wurgen is... dead? That crazy skullhead really is dead?!”

Finished with her check of the backlogged information that flooded into her, the Seeker couldn’t hide the turmoil that resulted upon learning of Wurgen’s death.

“This isn’t a joke, right? Did he just fake his death because cleaning up his mess would’ve been too much trouble and handed the company over to his son...? No, no, knowing that guy’s personality, he’d rather die for real than pull something like that... ugh.”

The Seeker struggled to accept Wurgen’s death. From her behavior, she clearly seemed like she had an attachment to him as a former comrade or fellow Perfect One. In truth, though, it was because of something else entirely.

“The Demon Force... Even if those bastards struck at the perfect moment, he should’ve been able to counter easily with his power of Boundaries.... Did they exploit some kind of weakness he had?”

No matter how much the Seeker cross-analyzed the known information about Wurgen and the widely circulated reports of his death, the conclusion that he had actually died just didn’t add up. That was why she refused to believe it, repeatedly going over it to try determining whether she had overlooked something or if her analysis was flawed.

Seeing that there’s still no logical answer even after this much analysis...

“Ahem!”

When she failed, the person who raised the most suspicion—the one who likely held the missing information she needed—became her next target.

“No matter how I look at it, you must’ve done something to him.... Would you mind sharing with me?”

The Seeker was being extremely cautious, as if worried about being rejected. Completely unlike her earlier confident entrance, she was now practically groveling.

“I have no idea.”

“Oh, come on. Do you really have to be so heartless to a poor, unfortunate person whose body has been shattered yet is still being exploited? Don’t you know how I rush over every time you call me...”

“Well, to be precise, you tried to control my body but failed, so now you’re stuck being used.”

“I’m behaving myself now! Let’s not sweat the small stuff.”

Se-Hoon momentarily wondered if attempting to erode his brain was really just “small stuff,” but he didn’t dwell on it and instead asked, “Why are you so convinced that I was the one behind Wurgen’s death?”

“Because the idea of Wurgen sacrificing himself for humanity is total bullshit. A much more plausible theory is that you were the one who took him out, considering your whereabouts at the time were unclear.”

“...”

Se-Hoon was at a loss for words. Unsure how to respond, he was deliberating over something when...

“And.” The Seeker spoke once more. “You’re the only irregular capable of altering the laws that we set up. At least, as far as I know.”

“Hm... Do you really believe that?”

“I do. Also, you know I can’t lie. That’s how my power of Omniscience works.”

At that answer, Se-Hoon quietly observed the mana writhing within the boundary where the Seeker was trapped.

So that’s all I can learn in my current state, huh?

Before fully attempting to use the power of Omniscience, he had been planning to test the waters lightly—but it seemed the Seeker had already caught on to his intentions.

It’s a little suspicious... but I’ll let it slide for now.

Just as the Seeker was desperate to uncover the truth about Wurgen’s death, Se-Hoon had plenty of things he wanted to find out as well.

“We can discuss Wurgen later. There’s a more urgent issue at hand.”

“Whenever someone says that, it’s usually a scam...”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Agh... Fine, I’d appreciate it if you disclosed it to me later, at least. Hehe.”

With her acceptance, Se-Hoon released the power of Boundaries bounding her. And as soon as he did, the Seeker immediately switched to a submissive stance, making Se-Hoon shake his head.

“For starters, let me explain the situation...”

For the first time, he meticulously detailed the side effects caused by Blacksmith of Bonds, the advantages and disadvantages of Soul Honing, and his overall condition—a surge of information that left the Seeker astonished.

“W-Wait. You’re really going to tell me all this?”

“I need you to have a full grasp of the situation.”

“Well, yeah, but... haven’t you always avoided doing so until now?”

As she said, Se-Hoon had always concealed information about himself—especially his regression—when dealing with the Seeker. After all, their first meeting had been rather chaotic, and the power of Omniscience’s ability to allow the exchange of knowledge between users had made it a highly dangerous variable for him.

“I used to think it was too risky.”

“And now?”

“Now... I see it as an opportunity.”

Se-Hoon gazed out the living room window at the dark night sky.

“If the enemy finds out about my unique skill... I’ll just kill them.”

In the past, he had been too weak to even consider such an option, which was why he had been wary of feeding information about himself to the power of Omniscience. Now, however, he was capable of fighting not just the Ten Evils but also other Perfect Ones and even the Harbingers of Destruction.

Thanks to Luize, he realized there was no longer a reason to hold back. And just like her, he decided to utilize the Seeker to her full extent.

“...”

The Seeker fell silent. Then, after a brief pause, she let out a light chuckle.

“Just a few months ago, you were still a greenhorn.... You’ve grown a lot in such a short time. I guess Wurgen’s death taught you a lot?”

“That’s part of it. I also got some advice from a friend.”

He had already been aware to some extent, but if not for his conversation with Luize, he might have taken much longer to accept it.

The Seeker smirked. “Sounds like a good friend. So then... I guess I’m just going to be used as a tool now? This kind of makes me feel a little sad...”

Se-Hoon didn’t bat an eye at the Seeker’s melancholy.

“But you’re still going to do it.”

“Huh?”

“Because that’s what you were created for.”

Even with their owner dead, the Seeker’s corpse and magic continued to analyze and learn—the essence of the power of Omniscience. No matter how much the current Seeker mimicked a human personality, that fundamental nature wouldn’t change.

“...Heh. That’s true.”

The tone of the Seeker’s mutter was oddly devoid of emotion, yet strangely intricate. Then, like nothing happened, she shifted the topic.

“Anyway, how do you plan to address the problem ahead?”

“I’ll keep all the pros and eliminate all the cons. Otherwise, what’s the point of going through all this trouble?”

“Wow... You’re one greedy person.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. I love it.”

To explore something, one needed something to pursue—the sight of Se-Hoon having grown to truly understand the concept made the Seeker grin as she prepared to start her calculations.

“I’ve checked all the conditions. Let’s get started.”

“Let’s do it.”

Without hesitation, Se-Hoon activated the Dream Storage and retrieved a Void Box, something commonly seen everywhere, which he had stored within.

Upon closer inspection, the surface was tightly wrapped in the power of Boundaries, reinforcing the seal.

But with a light brush of Se-Hoon’s index finger against it...

Click-

The boundary dissipated, and the box’s lid naturally popped open.

Se-Hoon then reached inside to pull out the object within: a thin left arm adorned with gray chain patterns and embedded with crimson acupuncture needles.

“You really didn’t want it to leak, huh...” muttered the Seeker in disbelief.

Despite his control over the power of Boundaries growing more refined than before, making it even more difficult to undo, Se-Hoon had still gone multiple steps further. On top of the power of Boundaries, he had used not just the power of Grace but also his Demonic Blood Art to secure the arm.

It was a complete departure from the past, when he had sealed things using only the Ascension Ring or the Pilgrim’s Incense Burner.

He really has changed so much.

Just how much effort did it take to create something like that? The Seeker was filled with a burning curiosity over secrets that couldn’t even be guessed based on the prior information she had.

Before she could dig deeper, though, Se-Hoon declared the start. “I’m beginning.”

Releasing every seal restraining the Seeker’s left arm one by one, Se-Hoon immediately activated Metamorphosing Dream when the last one was done.

Swish-

The boundary that had contained the Seeker’s mana within the arm vanished, and the severed left arm, held in Se-Hoon’s grasp, began melting like dawn’s first light and seeping into his body.

Woong!

Crimson mana flared up around Se-Hoon, swirling like an aurora. At a glance, he appeared as though he recklessly sped up the erosion to amplify the power of Omniscience. But within his body, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Swoosh-

The fire mana of Sacred Flames, the darkness mana that filled the Netherworld, and earth mana that touched upon the divine—the different elemental mana within Se-Hoon, enhanced and fortified by the powers derived from the Perfect Ones—were suppressing the Seeker’s mana from all directions.

And as a result, the Seeker’s power—which had always run wild unless tightly restrained by boundaries—finally settled stably within his body, joining the rest.

So this... is the Seeker’s true power.

Unlike before, when he had merely accepted the erosion when using the power of Omniscience, he now wielded the power purely as his own. Even the executives of Dawn, who had long harbored the Seeker’s flesh, had never achieved such a feat.

Akashic, Distorted Law: Universal Assimilation

Branching out like tree limbs, crimson horns that bore the mark of the power of Omniscience embedded themselves within Se-Hoon’s mind.

Boom!

The horns instantly shattered, releasing countless thoughts that surged through his consciousness in an instant. It brought an immense amount of pain, as though his brain was being torn into dozens of pieces.

Even Se-Hoon, who was accustomed to agony, couldn’t help but grimace at the sheer intensity of it.

This... is a bit excruciating...

As expected of the power of a genius among geniuses, the strain placed on the brain while using the power of Omniscience was beyond imagination. If not for the preparations he had made beforehand, he would have been completely incapacitated instead of just being in pain. They were the sole thing protecting his brain from being permanently damaged, protecting him from becoming a mindless husk.

“...Phew.”

Activating Soul Honing, Se-Hoon steadied himself as he tried to ease his overloaded mind and organize his thoughts. Then, when the pain finally subsided somewhat, he immediately sealed the Seeker’s mana within the boundary once more.

“Damn... So that’s why you were so confident. I can’t believe you completely overpowered my power even while absorbing my left arm...”

The Seeker couldn’t help but voice genuine admiration upon assessing Se-Hoon’s condition. Blocking the erosion was one thing, but to connect to the Akashic and still completely control the power alone?

Even the Seeker herself hadn’t predicted he could do such a thing.

“How’s your consciousness keeping up?”

“Not good. So keep it short.”

“Alright, let’s get straight to the conclusion, then.”

By asking the power of Omniscience itself, Se-Hoon had discovered two major ways to improve Soul Honing.

“The first method is to incorporate the power of Anatta and use Akasha to back up your synesthetic mindscape. This is the most efficient option.”

He already had the framework for integrating the power of Anatta, and backing up his synesthetic mindscape with Akasha was a simple process.

If he wanted immediate results, that was the way to go. However, there was one critical flaw.

“...That’s assuming the stored synesthetic mindscape remains secure.”

One of Dawn’s executives, Left Arm—whom Luize had defeated in the past—had used a similar method. By storing their body’s data in Akasha, they could regenerate it repeatedly. But it had been completely countered when Se-Hoon just erased the stored data, rendering the technique useless.

And that meant there was no guarantee the same thing wouldn’t happen to him.

“True, there’s always that risk. But let’s be honest—there’s no one else in this world who can use Akasha as freely as you.”

Even the Regions, who had implanted the Seeker’s flesh within themselves, could only access it indirectly, or at best, at great personal risk. Aside from the deceased Seeker herself, Se-Hoon was the only person who could directly manipulate Akasha.

“Realistically, no one can beat you in that area. Are you sure you want to pass up such an effortless method?”

“...Hmm.”

While the Seeker wasn’t wrong, Se-Hoon couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t analyzed Akasha deeply enough to trust it completely.

Sensing that, the Seeker sighed.

“Then I guess you’ll have to go with your specialty. It’s infinitely more difficult, though.”

The second method Se-Hoon had found involved the HW Project—bioweapon technology that the Seeker had researched in the past.

“You have to create a bioweapon that can mimic yourself, then store your synesthetic mindscape inside it. Normally, this would come with the risk of distortion—but by applying the HW Project’s technology, that issue can be resolved.”

The Homunculus Weapon Project, originally designed to replace high-ranked heroes, had been abandoned due to their lack of growth potential. But for Se-Hoon’s situation, that so-called greatest flaw was actually a key advantage that could prevent his synesthetic mindscape from corrupting.

“But the real issue is whether you are able to replicate yourself.”

Both Se-Hoon’s physique, refined through Soul Honing, and his elemental mana, imbued with remnants of the powers of the Perfect Ones, needed to be faithfully replicated—a task that was practically the same as creating a clone.

“You might be able to replicate your body, but your elemental mana? That’s another story. The fragments of the powers you’ve absorbed require materials that can endure them in the long-term. Where are you planning to find things like that?”

Finding materials that were compatible with such limitations was one thing, and finding substances that could withstand them indefinitely was another entirely. In the past, he could have easily created such a thing, but now...

Just as he was pondering over the issue, a certain phrase flashed through his mind.

“The Five Element Equipment...”

“What?”

“I might be able to make it work with the Five Element Equipment.”

By using the Gold Origin Armor as a base to store his powers and the Verdant Lotus Spear’s growth effect to enhance them, he potentially could fully replicate his synesthetic mindscape with some additional materials.

“With the Five Element Equipment.... That might be possible, but you’d need a ridiculous amount of supplementary materials. Can you handle that?”

While Se-Hoon’s status had risen significantly since she last talked to him, the materials needed for that kind of research weren’t just a matter of money—it was more about whether they could be found in the first place.

To that question though, Se-Hoon just gave the Seeker a simple answer: “The Chairman’s personal vault and Wurgen’s storage vaults. I have access to both of them.”

“...Seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously.”

Using Ludwig’s was slightly questionable, but since he had told Se-Hoon to use them only when necessary and didn’t place any limits on quantity, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Settling on that conclusion, Se-Hoon waited for the Seeker’s response.

“From today on, you can call me your assistant—no, just call me your slave and work me to the bone!”

“...”

“Please! Just let me work under you!!!”

The Seeker was so enthusiastic that it was almost unsettling.