The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 240

RUMBLE-

The world began crumbling even faster after the death of the Destroyer of Fragmentation. For now, it was still holding on thanks to the Dream Demon sharing her power, but it was clear it wouldn’t last much longer with the main source now gone.

“Whew, we somehow managed to eliminate it...”

Se-Hoon glanced up at the collapsing sky. He originally only planned to kill the Dream Demon yet had somehow ended up taking down a Harbinger of Destruction as well.

Although everything worked out in his favor in the end, a lot of it had been due to luck, and there were too many moments where things could’ve gone terribly wrong.

From now on, I swear I’ll treat my pre-regression knowledge as a reference only.

It would complicate things for sure, but it was better than dying an unexpected death. Engraving the hard lesson learned in his heart, Se-Hoon heard the Blast Dog, who had a disappointed look on her face, approaching him.

“Are you actually exhausted from just forging those two spears? I thought you would have regained your youthful energy, but you're already exhausted.”

“Shut up. No wonder people suspect you’re in your fifti—ow!”

Before Se-Hoon could finish, the Blast Dog grabbed his ear and yanked him up, glaring with her fierce eyes.

“Didn’t I warn you about talking about age in front of me already? Do you want me to drag you down to hell with me when I disappear?”

“Ugh... you dirty bitch...”

If she had done that before he regressed, he would've fought back. But now, Se-Hoon neither had his previous strength nor the guts to risk it, knowing the Blast Dog might actually follow through with her threat.

The Blast Dog smirked. She seemed to find the sight of him giving up and just staying still amusing.

“This is fun. I wish I’d messed with you like this while I was still alive.”

“Go away. I need to wrap things up.”

Pushing away the Blast Dog's hands that were inching toward his cheeks, Se-Hoon walked over to the Frost Dog and the Mad Dog.

Woong-

The Frost Dog was crafting a pristine ice orb using Frost Alchemy. Looking closer at the orb, it contained a crimson crystal with a familiar shape that made Se-Hoon's eyes narrow.

“Is that...?”

“Yes, it’s a crystal made of Zayed’s soul and blood. I applied some of his own techniques,” the Ice Dog explained, showing Se-Hoon the orb and the crystal within.

This is going to be tricky...

Having served as the basis of the Destroyer of Fragmentation, Zayed’s soul had suffered permanent damage, leaving only what was little more than a mere trace of his existence. Even Wurgen's power wouldn’t be able to help one recover from such an injury—all the Frost Dog was doing was preserving a corpse in ice.

“This is pointless,” the Mad Dog commented dryly, observing the ice orb in the Frost Dog’s hands.

But the Frost Dog wasn’t offended. He was used to the Mad Dog being bluntly honest, without any malice.

“No, now that I’ve gotten revenge for my past self, he needs a new goal, right? I just thought this seemed like a decent enough one.”

Amir, the Frost Dog's past self, was finally freed from a life solely devoted to gaining vengeance against the Dream Demon. Now, he could live for the sake of reviving Zayed.

While the Frost Dog knew that it still meant his past self had to keep moving without rest, he believed that it was a goal that would help Amir live a better life.

Seeing the Frost Dog gently stroking the orb with a faraway look in his eyes, the Blast Dog placed her arm around Se-Hoon's shoulder and made a concerned face.

“Isn’t that kind of goal a bit questionable, though? He’ll basically be inviting someone to manipulate him. A ‘we’ll help you bring your cousin back, but you’ll have to fully cooperate with us,’ sort of thing.”

Freezing at her words, the Frost Dog then slowly turned to look at Se-Hoon.

“Well, that’ll be up to our boss, wouldn’t it?”

“What?”

“I’ve seen how you used me all over the place to kill the Dream Demon. Doesn’t that mean it’s your responsibility to help me now?”

“...”

Se-Hoon squinted at the Frost Dog. He had already planned to help anyway, but when the Frost Dog framed it so boldly like that, it felt like he was getting the short end of the stick.

Even after all this, these guys are still as annoying as ever.

Feeling both frustration and nostalgia, he couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility and will help out the best I can.”

“You’re not going to take out your frustrations on my past self, are you?”

“...Now where did you put the Harbinger Shard again?”

“Boss...?”

Innocently glancing around, Se-Hoon ignored the Frost Dog’s question. Then, the Mad Dog handed him a small, dark red gem. Its form was unrecognizable due to deformities caused by the heat.

I doubt anyone would believe this was what powered the entire Demon Realm.

It didn’t emit any mana, but the tiny gem could lead to dangers that would be ranked among the highest in the world.

A part of him wanted to study such a thing further, but Se-Hoon quickly pushed it aside.

Kill what you can when you can and destroy what you can whenever you have the chance—countless experiences in his previous life had taught him that lesson.

“Luize, help me break this.”

Since the Mad Dog was almost out of strength due to his last strike and the Frost Dog had used up a lot of power crystallizing Zayed’s soul, the Blast Dog was the best choice.

But the response Se-Hoon was waiting for never came. Confused by the Blast Dog’s silence, he turned around and saw her staring at him blankly, like someone had just slapped her in the face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m... just disgusted by how weak you are, needing help to break something like that.”

Insulted out of the blue, Se-Hoon frowned but quickly let it slide. He was used to it after all; the Blast Dog provoked him like that all the time in the past.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a weakling. Can you help now?”

“Tsk, fine. Hold it out further.”

Obeying, Se-Hoon held it out further and the Blast Dog cleared her throat before starting.

“Ahem, Collapse.”

Woong-

The incantation penetrated deep into the shard, starting the disintegration of its structure with a faint tremble. But since that wasn’t enough to completely destroy it, Se-Hoon used Incantation Inscription to activate an incantation he had prepared in advance for support.

“Chain Collapse.”

With his help, the Blast Dog’s incantation could spread more easily throughout the shard.

Confirming that the last potential danger had been eliminated, Se-Hoon let out a sigh of relief.

“...”

Noticing the Blast Dog staring at the crumbling shard with the same strange expression as before, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.

“What now? Are you going to criticize me for my incantation?

Recovering at his words, the Blast Dog glanced at Se-Hoon with a faint smile after a brief pause.

“Nah. You did well. Been practicing, huh?”

Se-Hoon blinked in surprise; her praise was completely unexpected. Before he could say anything, however, the bodies of the Three Dogs underwent a change.

Crackle-

They had started slowly turning to dust, disappearing piece by piece. In truth, it had been happening all along, just now accelerated with the destruction of the shard.

“Hmm. Looks like it’s almost time,” the Mad Dog commented nonchalantly.

Staring at the three continuing to talk as if nothing was wrong, Se-Hoon believed they were the Three Dogs he knew. He chose to ignore the fact that they were merely recreations based on his memories.

After all, they’re exactly how I remember them.

They were nasty, infuriating, and stubborn. And yet, they were also his loyal comrades and rivals until the very end. Watching them about to disappear again, Se-Hoon hesitated for only a moment before deciding on something.

“Do you guys have any last requests?”

The three turned to look at him at his sudden words.

Glancing at each other, the Frost Dog spoke first. “Can you make sure my past self doesn't stray from the right path, never losing all hope? I’ll forgive you for working me like a slave if you do that.”

Seeing how the Frost Dog was already fine with Se-Hoon treating his past self like a tool, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you start calling me ‘Master.’”

“Haha, you’re joking, right?”

“What about the other two?”

“Uh... Boss?”

Deliberately ignoring the Frost Dog's call again, Se-Hoon looked at the other two.

Pondering what to say upon feeling Se-Hoon’s gaze, the Mad Dog fell into thought before starting off by saying, “So you’re saying we’re currently in the past.”

“Perhaps?”

“Is my master still alive, then?”

“His condition didn’t seem too good the last time I saw him, but he’s alive, yes.”

“I see.”

Hearing those words of confirmation, the Mad Dog’s lips quivered.

“Make me stronger to the point that I’ll never break, no matter what challenges I face. That’s all I want.”

His straightforward answer hinted at something deeper, but Se-Hoon didn’t pry. If the Mad Dog didn't want to explain even now, it was probably best not to know.

“I’ll do that.”

“Then that’s enough for me.”

With the Mad Dog’s request heard, Se-Hoon turned to the last one—the Blast Dog.

“...”

The Blast Dog remained silent, staring silently at her fading body.

“What if I stayed here?” she eventually said, breaking the silence.

“What?”

Surprised again, Se-Hoon blinked in surprise at the Blast Dog, who met his gaze directly.

“With the way things are set up here, I could probably twist things around a bit and remain in this timeline. It wouldn’t be that hard.”

Woong-

As if to prove her words weren’t a lie, the Blast Dog’s disintegrating body began to reform, dropping open Se-Hoon’s mouth in shock.

“But... if I do that, the other me in this timeline will be gone forever, since I’ll use her as the foundation to recreate myself here.”

“...”

“Now knowing that, what do you want me to do?”

The choice seemed clear. Choosing the Blast Dog, who could easily handle even S-rank opponents, was undoubtedly more advantageous than choosing the current Luize, who was barely an A-rank.

He was truly tempted. Recalling the time they spent together, Se-Hoon was very clear on the usefulness the Blast Dog could provide in the future.

“...”

However, he hesitated.

And in the end, he shook his head.

“No, I don’t want you to stay here.”

“Why not?”

The Blast Dog’s eyes were full of betrayal, her gaze piercing. But Se-Hoon just endured it, deciding to honestly tell her the reason that had come to mind earlier.

“Because I don’t want to watch you live with the same regrets any longer.”

The Blast Dog’s regrets were all scars etched deeply inside her heart, constant reminders of the terrible trauma she experienced. But would killing Dawn again, as she had done before, erase those regrets? Would it heal those wounds?

Se-Hoon didn’t think so.

“So then you’re telling me to just disappear quietly because all I’ll be doing is regretting the past?”

Changing from betrayal, the Blast Dog’s expression turned into one of outright anger. However, Se-Hoon stood firm, not backing down even though his exhausted body was on the verge of collapsing.

“You’re not going to disappear.”

“Huh...?”

“Because I’ll remember you forever.”

Even if he resolved all the regrets from before his regression and the time came when he no longer needed his memories of them, Se-Hoon vowed never to forget. That would be his penance for escaping into the past to avoid destruction... and his responsibility as their comrade.

“...”

The Blast Dog just stared at Se-Hoon’s sincere face in silence. Then—

“Pffft!”

She suddenly burst into laughter.

“Wow, when your body got younger, you really grew soft. I never thought I’d hear something so heartwarming from you of all people.”

“...”

“Come on, can you say it again? What was that about remembering me forever?”

Amused, the Blast Dog chucked and played with Se-Hoon’s cheek, watched by the other two dogs who were similarly amused and smiling quietly in the background.

For Se-Hoon though, his heartfelt confession becoming their source of amusement made his eyes twitch in frustration.

I should’ve just told her to shut up and die peacefully...

But just as he had that thought, the Blast Dog, who had been pinching his cheek, slowly let go, her expression softening a little.

“Will you really not forget about us?”

“...Yes.”

“Hmm... Fine. I’ll take your word for it, since I’m too tired to fight again anyway.”

Although the Blast Dog sounded like she was doing him a favor, Se-Hoon decided to let it slide.

At least she said she’d trust me.

Knowing the Blast Dog’s personality, she had said it from the heart.

By now, the space around them had completely disappeared and only the spot where the four stood was left. Seeing that the end was truly near, the Blast Dog gathered the last of her strength for a final incantation.

“Safe Return.”

A pillar of white light enveloped them, and the four exchanged glances, knowing what was coming.

“Make sure you deal with the Dream Demon outside too.”

“I’m sure he’ll handle it, after all we’ve done.”

“He may be dumb, but he’s not that dumb.”

Even in their final moments, the Three Dogs continued to irritate Se-Hoon. However, Se-Hoon just chuckled at their audacity.

“See you again. Wherever that may be.”

In hell, another dimension, or somewhere else entirely, perhaps there would be a day when they met again, whether in life or death. It was a farewell that made the Three Dogs grin.

“No thanks.”

“Only if I feel like it.”

“We’ll see.”

And with those words, they disappeared for the last time.

***

Boom-!

A massive tremor echoed from the blooming flower, shaking the entire continent. Feeling it as well, the Dream Demon, who was in the middle of battling Wurgen, immediately spun her head toward the source of the vibration.

Crackle-

One by one, the flowers around the bud were withering, and the phenomenon was gradually spreading outward. Seeing the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s power fading, despite it having been radiating strongly just moments ago, the Dream Demon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That can’t be...”

Had those four really defeated the Destroyer of Fragmentation? She had believed it to be impossible, and yet the sight before her made the Dream Demon’s eyes tremble. If the Destroyer of Fragmentation had truly fallen, if its fragments were now forever lost, then who would awaken her?

The Dream Demon prepared to make her move. There was no time since the collapse wasn’t slowing down—it was accelerating, in fact.

Thud!

“Ugh?!”

A black spear pierced both her heart and head. It was an attack that had become so tiresome that the Dream Demon didn’t even bother to regenerate and just turned to face the source.

Gazing at the battlefield, half of the eyes in the sky had already closed and the legions of the dead were being mercilessly slaughtered by the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s forces. And if the battle had continued like that, she knew she could easily kill Wurgen.

“It seems like the time has come.”

But now the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s power was still gone. Realizing her inevitable defeat, the Dream Demon made a quick decision.

I have to escape from here no matter what.

She had discovered how to create a Harbinger of Destruction, so as long as she could gather the necessary materials, she could try again anytime. Reaffirming her resolve, the Dream Demon prepared to flee before the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s power completely vanished from her.

Boom!

The flower bud of the Destroyer of Fragmentation finally exploded, and a pillar of white light shot into the sky. Then, from within the light, four figures slowly ascended. All of them appeared unconscious, their bodies limp.

Scanning them, the Dream Demon’s gaze stopped on one in particular—Se-Hoon. He was unconscious, his face pale, and he was holding a blood-red gemstone in his left hand.

The Harbinger Shard... it’s still intact.

The Dream Demon immediately acted.

Swish!

She appeared in front of the four in an instant. As things currently stood, killing them was pointless since Wurgen would simply revive them. But stealing the fragment and running wasn’t an option either, with the Destroyer of Fragmentation’s power already gone.

I’ll just merge with my eye that’s in Se-Hoon’s right eye.

If she failed, her mind would collapse and she would probably die. But if she succeeded, she would create a self-paradox, potentially truly becoming the Destroyer of Fragmentation herself. It was a slim chance, but considering the high risk of dying either way, it was better to pursue her ambition.

Hesitating no longer, the Dream Demon’s left eye began glowing purple and she reached for the shard in Se-Hoon’s hand.

Whoosh-

Surprising her, the blood-red gem dissolved into a purple mist and vanished in the blink of an eye.

“What the...?”

Then the realization struck her like a bolt of lighting—the shard had been an illusion, crafted from the Dream Demon’s own power. Her eyes widened in shock.

Snap!

Se-Hoon his left hand shot out, grabbing the Dream Demon’s wrist. His eyes then snapped open, revealing the sharp clarity within them. Far from unconscious, Se-Hoon’s eyes were gleaming with cunningness.

Gazing into those eyes, the Dream Demon abruptly realized she had been completely tricked.

“Got you.”

With a grin on his face, Se-Hoon tightened his grip on his captured prey.