The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 227

Erika: Can’t contact you for the time being.

Jake: I'll be busy with household chores, so it might be hard to reach me. If something urgent comes up, please contact me through my sister.

“Hmm...”

Reading the two similar messages that arrived at 3:00 am and 8:00 am, respectively, Se-Hoon began stroking his chin in thought.

Are they preparing in advance for next semester?

Since the three Perfect Ones had announced that they were going to work together on Babel's education system, it made sense that they were preparing to reap the most from the opportunity.

Replying to both that he understood, Se-Hoon then sent a message to Sung-Ha: What have you been up to lately?

He’s not going to check right away, so maybe around dinnertime... huh?

Contrary to his expectations, a read indicator appeared almost instantly. And then, the screen indicated that Sung-Ha was replying.

Sung-Ha: Training.

It was short and blunt, a response that exuded utter annoyance.

He responded while training...?

Shocked that Sung-Ha responded, Se-Hoon immediately recalled how the Mad Dog severed all contact once he started training, causing the delay of many operations.

Seems like his social skills have improved a lot compared to before.

Compared to a typical person, there was still a long way to go, but Se-Hoon considered even that as pretty good. Satisfied, Se-Hoon replied with some encouraging words before continuing to browse the news section.

Since there hadn't been any significant incidents recently, the headliners were relatively peaceful. He continued scrolling down, and soon, a familiar name caught his eye.

“S-Rank Hero Ryu Eun-Ha Files Lawsuit to Terminate Contract with the Seraphim Guild.”

It didn’t make headlines, it was still a highly noted story. Opening it, Se-Hoon read through it with a peculiar expression on his face.

She really went through with it.

Though he still remembered Eun-Ha mentioning terminating her contract with the Seraphim Guild during the last meeting, he hadn’t expected her to move so proactively.

Hmm... She’s definitely acting more decisively than before the regression.

Back then, Eun-Ha had only cared about him when their bond had reached level four. So considering that their bond was currently only level three, things were proceeding quite rapidly.

Although, there are some negative emotions mixed into our Relationship this time... I guess the key will be the Dream Demon’s elimination.

He truly wondered how she would react if he told her that he had gone and eliminated one of the Ten Evils despite her asking him to be careful. Before, she would have likely just cautioned him again, but now, there would likely be a much stronger reaction.

Well, let's set that aside for now...

Deciding that getting a rough idea of Eun-Ha’s reaction was enough for now, Se-Hoon checked the time.

Ding-dong!

Immediately realizing who the visitor was, Se-Hoon used a Shadow Thread to press the button on the intercom.

“It’s been a while.”

Emerging from the entrance to the living room, Amir gave Se-Hoon his usual gentle smile. However, something about it made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes.

“...Why are you looking at me like that?”

Noticing the look Se-Hoon was giving him, Amir looked back suspiciously.

But instead of answering, Se-Hoon returned a question of his own, “I’m guessing something has happened?”

Se-Hoon immediately let out a sigh, having caught Amir’s momentary surprise.

“Sit down and let’s talk.”

“...Understood.”

Observing Amir as he sat down in front of him, Se-Hoon lightly scanned Amir’s body with Eyes of Clairvoyance and Ethereal Vision.

Nothing too alarming.

Confirming there was no risk of anyone eavesdropping or self-detonation, Se-Hoon fixed his expression and stared at the stoic Amir.

“Tell me everything about what happened.”

Briefly hesitating, Amir took a deep breath.

“Since this matter is related to my past, I will explain from the beginning. Originally, our family belonged to the aristocracy, but during the war against the Demon Forces, my grandfather...”

Amir’s story lasted for a while. It was the story of the Singh family’s second wind and the subsequent attack by the Dream Demon. The Dream Demon had killed all of the family elders, including his father, who was a lieutenant at the time. She had then taken his cousin, Zayed Singh, who was a strong candidate for the next head of the family, as a hostage.

“Thus, our entire family was subjugated by the Dream Demon overnight. She was probably upset that we tried to withdraw from the underworld.”

Seemingly without any regrets, Amir calmly explained the history as if it wasn’t his own family’s. However, Se-Hoon knew that wasn't the case.

“It's been decades now, but I still think about it sometimes. Aren’t I pathetic, Se-Hoon? Even after avenging my family, I still can't break free...”

During that moment, the Frost Dog sounded so bitter as he stared at the campfire in front of him.

Recalling the conversation they once had in the desolate ruins, Se-Hoon came back to reality and looked at Amir.

“That's enough of an explanations. To get to the main point, the current issue is the Projection Project that the Dream Demon is preparing next after the Expansion.”

“The Projection Project?”

“Yes. She plans to create a legion of soldiers by gaining information about humans and demons using dream mana and then manifesting them in reality.”

“She’s gaining information from... dreams?” A hint of incredulity could be heard in Se-Hoon’s voice.

“Exactly. She gets various results by applying various stimuli within the dreams of the test subjects.”

In other words, she was taking advantage of the world of dreams to learn information. In simpler terms, she was having them see an unending dream of learning archery to train someone to become an archer.

It sounded plausible in theory, but it was actually an absurd idea. But since it was the Dream Demon they were talking about, Se-Hoon thought that it might really be possible.

She does happen to be collecting Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices...

If she used the synthetic mindscapes acquired for the Expansion to stimulate other people's dreams... then even Se-Hoon could only wonder about the results. The success rate wasn’t that high, but merely having the potential to succeed made the plan significantly threatening.

“You said the sample she’s using currently is your cousin?”

“Yes.”

Thinking through the brief explanation from Amir about the suspicious plan and the hostage involved, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but ask, “Doesn’t it feel like a trap?”

“...There’s a high chance it is.”

Just the fact that Amir had been told the details of the new project that used Zayed as a sample despite only recently becoming the Dream Demon’s secretary was suspicious enough. No matter how valuable the Dream Demon might consider Amir, it was hard not to sense an ulterior motive.

Did she mention it with a condescending attitude, thinking, ‘What could someone like you possibly do’? No... that’s too optimistic.

He tried to figure out what the intentions of the Dream Demon might be, but it didn’t take long before Se-Hoon gave up. Trying to understand a lunatic's mind would only lead to confusion. Right now, the more pressing concern was how to deal with the new variable that clearly looked like a trap.

I don’t remember there being such a project before the regression...

He could only remember there being a similar counterpart for the Expansion.

The closest thing might be... the creation of the Destroyer of Perceptions.

The specifics of the creation process carried out by Succession of Watchers and Doppelganger together differed, but they both used the synesthetic mindscapes of various heroes and demons.

Even if they might not be related, I know one thing for certain: this shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Considering how similar the method was to the creation of a Harbinger of Destruction, it couldn’t be dismissed. Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon looked at Amir who had gone quiet.

“So what do you think we should do?”

Pausing at the question, Amir slowly began to answer after a moment “Currently, the Projection Project is only being conducted within the Dream Castle. That means that in order to put an end to it, we would have to enter the Dream Castle directly.”

Entering the Dream Castle was essentially entering the embodiment of the Dream Demon’s power—they would be practically giving up on their lives.

“Since it’s still in the preparation stage, it shouldn’t create too significant of a variable yet. Also, the Dream Castle will collapse when the Dream Demon is eliminated, naturally resolving the situation. So for now—”

“We should accept some sacrifices and move forward, even if it means Zayed Singh’s death.”

Finishing Amir’s words, Se-Hoon looked at him calmly.

“That’s what you mean, right?”

“...”

Amir met Se-Hoon’s gaze. Then, he slowly nodded.

“That would be the most prudent decision.”

After all, the opponent was none other than the Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils. It wasn’t a creature that could be defeated with half-hearted resolve.

Zayed would have made the same choice.

Whether the Dream Demon was using Zayed to test his resolve or not, Amir was able to steel himself thanks to that. No matter what, he couldn’t afford to lose the chance he had waited so long for. He reaffirmed his determination.

“That’s not it.”

Amir saw Se-Hoon shaking his head.

“Not it...?”

“You’re right that it’s the most prudent method at the moment. But that’s not what I’m asking, is it?”

“...”

“I’ll ask again. What do you think we should do?”

For the first time, Amir let his emotions show. His eyes wavered, and his fists trembled slightly. He tried to suppress them, but the emotions within him were uncontrollable.

In the end, Amir let out a hollow laugh and let go of everything. “Of course, I want to save my cousin. Why are you asking something so obvious?”

“Then why didn’t you say it?”

“Why didn’t I say it?”

Normally, he would have suppressed his emotions and rationalized the situation, but this time, he let his feelings speak for him.

“Because it’s impossible.”

“...”

“Entering the Dream Castle, which is practically walking inside the Dream Demon’s belly, to save someone whose location we don’t even know and escaping... do you really think that’s possible?”

His words dripped with cynicism, but Se-Hoon simply stared at him, silently urging him to continue. He looked so serene that something stirred within Amir.

“Why are you making me say this? Is it because you think I’ll blame you later? That I’ll say, ‘My family died because of your plan, so you should take responsibility’?!”

“...”

“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. I may be an opportunist, but I’m not that foolish. So please...”

Unable to contain his continually swelling emotions, Amir gritted his teeth and desperately pleaded with Se-Hoon.

“Please... please don’t make me feel any more miserable... please...”

Even if it was the most logical choice, the mere thought of sacrificing someone who had once saved him just for the sake of revenge was unbearably painful for Amir.

Having finally faced his true emotions for the first time, Amir felt himself sinking into a deep sense of helplessness.

“Okay, I understand.”

In contrast to Amir, who was losing his mind, Se-Hoon was perfectly calm.

“If it was that difficult for you, you should’ve said so. I was just asking in case you had another plan in your mind.”

“...”

Bewildered by how casually Se-Hoon was taking this situation, Amir could do nothing but stare at Se-Hoon. For a moment, Amir even wondered if Se-Hoon was trying to provoke him, but the emotions he could see through his eyes were as clear as a cloudless sky.

What... is he...

Feeling as if he had been played, Amir couldn’t find the words to respond. And it was at that moment that Se-Hoon spoke again, this time in a disinterested tone. “Well, in any case, if we sum it all up, saving Zayed is the better option, right? Then let’s go with that.”

“What... do you mean?”

Thinking he must have misheard, Amir asked again. And again, Se-Hoon’s response was the same.

“We’ll storm the Dream Castle and save your cousin.”

“...”

Amir blanked in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how Se-Hoon could be so confident; this wasn’t like raiding a neighbor’s house, it was a fortress of nightmares.

Again, he suspected he was being provoked, but like before, the expression on Se-Hoon’s face made him discard that doubt.

“Why would you do something so reckless...?”

“You said there were no significant variables yet, but that bothers me. I wouldn’t have cared if I didn’t know, but now that I do, I have to poke around a bit.”

Considering it was a variable that wasn’t present before the regression, he had to do some probing even if it was a trap laid by the Dream Demon.

“But still...”

“And you said it yourself, that you want to save him.”

Seeing Amir still struggling to comprehend, Se-Hoon added, “We’re on the same boat. The least I can do is help your family out. Don’t you think so?”

In truth, if Amir had genuinely meant that he didn’t care what happened to Zayed, Se-Hoon would have just proceeded accordingly. After all, Zayed was someone he had only heard about, someone who didn’t matter to him in either timeline.

“Zayed should have lived instead of me. It would’ve been better that way. I’m sure of it.”

But even as the world was ending, he still clearly remembered how the Frost Dog had regretted Zayed’s death till the end. And if that regret was what had twisted Amir into the dog he had become, then saving Zayed was essential for Amir’s redemption.

And this is also what I decided to change this time around.

To prevent both his and the Three Dog’s regrets—the resolution he made after regressing.

Se-Hoon looked at the dazed Amir.

“Well, is there anything else you want to say?”

“Huh? Oh, no, nothing more...”

“Then stop spacing out and go and get ready.”

Standing up, Se-Hoon’s eyes began gleaming with determination.

“We’re going to hit the Pleasure District in two days.”