The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 251

The Pilgrim, Karl Anderson, was a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties despite actually being fifty-six.

He was someone who had been just an ordinary hero known for his healing magic, even when he reached S-rank. However, upon becoming a Perfect One, he transformed the world by introducing a new type of mana—divine mana—and founded the Pilgrimage Church.

From then on, the Church rapidly expanded by absorbing other existing religious groups, propelling Karl’s status and making him arguably more influential than Wurgen in some respects.

“Hmm...”

To Se-Hoon’s eyes, however, Karl, who was sitting on the ground and caressing the surroundings, looked like a strange cult leader.

“Hmm... Mhm...”

The scene of Karl constantly stoking parts of the Pilgrim’s Path with a serious expression, so concentrated that he looked like he was doing something monumental, was oddly comical.

Wouldn’t his followers be... disillusioned if they saw this?

Then again, looking back, all the archbishops Se-Hoon had met described Karl as both divine and unpretentious. He had always thought they were just saying Karl was humble, and the scene before his eyes made it clear Karl really wasn’t one for formalities.

Well, no matter how odd he looks, he’s still a Perfect One.

Regardless of how the Pilgrim looked, letting down one’s guard around him was still dangerous, especially when considering the Pilgrimage Church’s texts about heresy.

Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon was lost in thought, waiting for Karl to finish his investigation, a woman with bright blonde hair was staring at Se-Hoon intently from where she stood nearby.

“...”

“...”

“...Why are you staring at me like that?” Se-Hoon asked in the end, upon seeing that there were no signs of her ever looking away.

“I was curious how long you’d keep ignoring me.”

“Persistent, aren’t you?”

Aria smirked at the curt response.

“I suppose I can be. But more importantly, what brings you here?”

“I have some business with the Pilgrim. What about you?”

“I’m getting a lesson on Divine Magic.”

Reminded by her words, Se-Hoon remembered the special training opportunity that was given to the year-wide honor students at the end of the previous semester. Aria had chosen the Pilgrim as her mentor, joining him on the Pilgrim’s Path for training.

Come to think of it, didn’t she fight alongside Eun-Ha against Demon’s Edge?

Recalling the title of an article he read in the hospital, he gave Aria a surprised look. In his memories, Aria was someone who neither gave lessons nor learned from anyone. She always wielded her blade in solitude, conquering a Tower of Heroes by herself, and had ended up becoming a Harbinger of Destruction.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, our paths did cross once.

He had only formed a level one bond with her back then, but perhaps it had sparked a butterfly effect?

“Is it really so strange to see me taking lessons from others?” Aria asked, noticing his thoughtful expression.

“Oh, well... I didn’t think you’d be interested in religion.”

“To be honest, I’m not. I’m not particularly intrigued by divine mana either.”

“Then why bother...?”

Even though training under a Perfect One was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was useless if one didn’t get anything out of it.

Aria, however, didn’t seem to mind and just plainly answered, “I wanted to learn how to become a Perfect One.”

“...”

“He refused to share the secret, though, saying it’s not something that can be taught...”—Aria glanced at Se-Hoon with a slight smile—“but after watching him from the side, I can understand why a little.”

Se-Hoon couldn’t help but feel a bit tense. To others, Aria’s newfound power was welcome, but to Se-Hoon, her becoming a Perfect One was a potential prelude to a major threat to humanity.

This could open up opportunities for her to become the Destroyer of Swords.

That is, assuming the conditions for the Destroyer of Swords’s creation were somehow established way earlier than before. Given recent events, though, such as the early emergence of the Destroyer of Fragmentation, Se-Hoon couldn’t afford to rely on the memories of his life before regressing.

Aria’s eyes sparkled; she had noticed his unease.

“You don’t like the idea of me becoming a Perfect One, do you?”

She stared at him, trying to read his thoughts.

Uncomfortable under her gaze, Se-Hoon replied, “I mean, your demands will only become more difficult to meet if you become a Perfect One. It’ll also become more difficult to refuse your requests.”

“Hmm...”

Aria studied him, her eyes unyielding.

But then, Sung-Ha stepped in between them.

“...What now?”

“Stop trying to cling onto him and screw off.”

The air surrounding them seemed to drop several degrees, a testament to the overwhelming presence of Babel’s strongest. However, Sung-Ha met her gaze boldly, without flinching.

“Hmm...?”

Slightly surprised, Aria raised an eyebrow and glanced at Se-Hoon, now behind Sung-Ha.

“He’s changed quite a bit. Is this your work of art?”

“How can a person be compared to a work of art?”

“Come on, given how much he’s changed, you could call it that.”

Moving her gaze back to Sung-Ha, Aria examined him with a curious expression.

“I never imagined this was possible.... I wonder if it would work on Jake, too.”

Scrutinized under her piercing gaze, Sung-Ha scowled.

“I told you to screw off.”

“What if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll just have to force you to.”

Ignoring his limited remaining mana, Sung-Ha challenged her recklessly, prompting Aria to glance at Se-Hoon once more.

“While I don’t really oppose you making him stronger, I think he lost his manners in the process. You should have paid more attention to it.”

“Well... It’s not like he’d listen to me, anyway.”

In truth, Se-Hoon kind of liked that Sung-Ha had somewhat shielded him from confronting her. Still, he found his brash attitude odd.

He wasn’t this hostile to her before.

Although he had lost about four hundred sparring matches against Aria, Sung-Ha’s pride would’ve normally prevented him from being confrontational. And then it hit him—his behavior was likely influenced by the Mad Dog’s residual synesthetic mindscape.

Realizing the number of issues piling up with Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon squinted.

I’ll have to address this synesthetic mindscape mix-up problem soon.

Amir seemed fine, so Se-Hoon hadn’t expected much trouble, but it turned out that it was because the Frost Dog’s synesthetic mindscape was the calmest of the Three Dogs’. Mulling over how to manage the situation for now, Se-Hoon fell into thought.

“Lee Se-Hoon.”

Having finally finished his inspection, Karl approached the three and addressed Se-Hoon directly, interrupting his thoughts.

“Could we speak privately for a moment?”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

“Follow me, then.”

Following behind Karl, Se-Hoon glanced at Sung-Ha when he passed by.

“Try not to get too cocky. You can’t beat her right now.”

At those words, Sung-Ha immediately scowled, while Aria, who had heard as well, made a more complex expression.

Right now, huh?

Ignoring their reactions, Se-Hoon followed Karl until Karl turned to face him a short distance away.

“If you will excuse me for a moment.”

Whoosh!

A golden barrier surrounded the two, blocking out the sounds of waves and any other noises.

“Miss Aria has quite sharp ears, so I’ve blocked sound and sight for the moment. It has no other functions, so please feel free to speak openly.”

“Got it.”

“First... could you explain what happened here?”

Asked by Karl, Se-Hoon briefly summarized the recent events, focusing on the destruction of the Pilgrim’s Path.

“I was thinking about what the qualifications you were asking for could be, and I remembered hearing that you were busy with repairs to the Pilgrim’s Path. So, I decided to demonstrate a technique that might be useful for that. Though, it unfortunately meant destroying part of the path in the process.”

Although Se-Hoon wanted to place the blame on the reckless madman who had actually done it, he couldn't afford to incite hostility against Sung-Ha when Jin-Hyun's treatment was still needed.

“So, it was Yeom Sung-Ha who destroyed the path?”

“Yes, I ordered him to do it.”

“Oh... It seems you've accomplished so much at such a young age.”

Realizing Karl was genuinely impressed, Se-Hoon sighed inwardly in relief.

Looks like he doesn’t care too much about the path being destroyed.

Since what was destroyed wasn’t his own creation in the first place, it seemed Karl wasn’t particularly bothered by the damage.

“Well, it was supposed to be a test of your ability to handle divine mana, but it seems I inadvertently set you a far more difficult task.”

“It seems I misunderstood your request, having compared it to the other Perfect Ones’.”

Karl nodded in understanding.

“So, can you now create the Divine Mana Conversion Device?”

Having seen Se-Hoon’s potential, albeit unintentionally, Karl had become more eager, showing more interest than when discussing Sung-Ha.

“I’ve only figured out the general method; as of now, coming up with the whole thing will take some time. Plus, that whole ‘faith’ aspect is still quite complex to me...”

“Hmm. Yes, it’s certainly a difficult area.”

Karl nodded in understanding, his eyes gleaming with a knowing look.

Wait, he already knows about faith?

Before the regression, the archbishops seemed unaware of the concept of faith until later. What could have changed? As Se-Hoon looked at Karl with a perplexed expression, Karl changed the topic.

“Let’s discuss this matter later. For now, I have something to say regarding the restoration of the Pilgrim’s Path.”

Se-Hoon tensed slightly. Considering Karl, the founder of divine mana, had spent several minutes examining the Pilgrim’s Path, something unusual must have caught his attention. Preparing himself for whatever question might come, Se-Hoon braced himself.

“Lee Se-Hoon, do you fully understand how you restored this section of the Pilgrim’s Path?”

Taken by surprise, Se-Hoon hesitated before shaking his head.

“I just used the Incense Burner you gave; I don’t know the specifics. It was an urgent situation, so all I was thinking was that I needed to restore the path.”

For once, Se-Hoon wasn’t bluffing; he genuinely didn’t know. The urgency of the moment had overshadowed any deeper understanding of the process.

“Hmm... I’m not sure how to explain this...” Karl, pondering deeply, eventually seemed to have found a way. “You somehow reversed time.”

“Pardon?”

“Yes, and I’m not using a metaphor to describe how perfectly you restored the path,” Karl said, glancing at the restored Pilgrim’s Path, devoid of any signs of damage. “You literally went back in time and restored the Pilgrim's Path to its pre-disaster state.”

“Is that... even possible?”

“No.”

Karl shook his head and then looked Se-Hoon directly in the eyes.

“It’s impossible even for me.”

Se-Hoon’s face contorted in disbelief. However, while it seemed impossible, Se-Hoon had one theory in mind.

Could it be because I regressed...?

Divine Magic, after all, was about channeling divine mana deep inside their synesthetic mindscape and wishing for a miracle. But like any other technique, it didn’t manifest just because one wished for it. A powerful belief and conviction—a synesthetic mindscape—had to support the miracle.

Possessing such an absurd synesthetic mindscape sounds unbelievable though... no, not if I experienced it firsthand.

Just like how it had awakened a talent for dream mana, regressing had manifested an effect that reversed time.

Finding himself now having to deal with the reveal of the unexpected information, Se-Hoon carefully considered what Karl would do.

He doesn’t seem like the person who would resort to abduction...

Unlike the Seeker, Karl wasn’t the type to act against others out of curiosity. And it was also unlikely that he would immediately connect time manipulation with regressing.

So, deciding to just pull the innocence card, Se-Hoon innocently met Karl’s gaze and asked, “Does this mean I passed?”

“Passed...?”

“It’s amazing that I’ve somehow turned back time, but what I need right now is your acknowledgement and assistance. Time is of the essence, so I’d appreciate it if we could get to that part first.”

“Aren’t you amazed by this ability to control time?” Karl asked in surprise.

“It’s astonishing, sure, but I don’t know how useful it is yet. And...” Briefly hesitating over whether to say more, Se-Hoon decided to double down. “Honestly, I’ve been blessed with so much innate talent. Strange things like this happen often enough that I’ve just gotten used to it.”

Hearing the earnestness in Se-Hoon’s tone, Karl’s eyes widened before quickly returning to normal, as if something had clicked.

“Hmm... I see. It does make sense for you to say that.”

Not only was Se-Hoon’s talent in blacksmithing extraordinary, but he could skillfully handle divine mana and the powers of other Perfect Ones. And when adding that he’d defeated the Dream Demon and a Harbinger of Destruction, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to be confident in his abilities.

“You truly possess remarkable talent. Calling you a treasure of humanity wouldn’t be an overstatement.”

“Ahem! There’s no need to flatter me so much. More importantly, about the results...”

“How could I possibly deny such a radiant gift from the divine? You’ve certainly met the qualifications.”

“Th-thank you...”

Flustered by the praise, Se-Hoon was trying to maintain his composure when Karl suddenly calmed and eyed him curiously.

“So, what is it you need from me?”

“Ah, right...”

Managing to recover, Se-Hoon explained Jin-Hyun’s condition, and Karl, who had listened carefully, pondered something momentarily before saying, “I understand the situation now. Yeom Sung-Ha should hear this as well, so let’s discuss it together.”

“Understood.”

Wasting no time, Se-Hoon leaned out of the barrier and called for Sung-Ha, who entered and stood by his side to face Karl.

“Based on what I heard, it is certainly possible to treat Yeom Jin-Hyun. He should be able to live at least ten more years, if not longer.”

Sung-Ha’s eyes widened in disbelief. Extending the life of someone on the verge of death by over a decade seemed miraculous.

But before he could make a plea, Karl continued. “However, there are two conditions for the treatment.”

Karl looked at both of them with a calm expression.

“Firstly, the patient needs to give consent themself. Hypothetically speaking, if he refuses, I won’t proceed with the treatment. It’s his right to choose death.”

Respecting Jin-Hyun’s choice could lead to not-the-best news, but Sung-Ha still nodded.

“That’s understandable.”

From the start, Sung-Ha hadn’t come intending to save Jin-Hyun no matter what. He simply wanted to offer the option of living comfortably, rather than suffering or dying.

If Master truly wishes for death... then I must accept that as well.

Sung-Ha wasn’t foolish enough to impose his selfish desires on his mentor.

“I’m glad you understand.”

“What’s the second condition?”

If the condition involved costs or cooperation with the Pilgrimage Church, Se-Hoon was willing to help if it was within reason.

“God must permit it.”

“...?”

Both men looked at Karl with puzzlement. While Karl’s words sounded like something a devout believer would say, Se-Hoon had never heard of the Pilgrimage Church needing such direct divine approval.

...Wait.

Something sparked in Se-Hoon’s mind.

“Are... you referring to the Oracle Cards?”

“Precisely.”

It was the same prophecy magic Se-Hoon had used to reveal the Dream Demon’s plans during the first semester exams. But even though Se-Hoon ended up acknowledging its usefulness, he still thought basing a decision about someone’s life on a card reading was absurd.

This is the guy who couldn’t even predict his own death before I regressed...

The whole situation felt ridiculous.

“If you’re willing to accept whatever the outcome may be, then I’ll help. What’s your decision?”

“I accept.”

Though Sung-Ha also found the idea of an unknown god deciding his master’s fate unsettling, he understood it wasn’t the time to be picky.

Having gained Sung-Ha’s approval, Karl nodded.

“Then let’s proceed,” he declared softly.

The current sight of Karl, who appeared almost delighted to leave the decision of life and death to the will of his god, only reinforced what Se-Hoon already felt about him.

He’s definitely a fanatic.

Just as Se-Hoon had suspected, there wasn’t a single Perfect One who was completely sane.