The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 222

Splash, splash, splash-

Shooting up into the sky, the water of the Celestial Lake cascaded down like rain from the heavens. The multicolor downpour, the result he created, put Se-Hoon in a slight daze.

“It actually worked...”

All he intended was to impress Baek-Yeon, yet the White Night Bow had still exponentially increased the arrow’s power. It was a strange phenomenon where the result influenced the process.

It was unbelievable to even Se-Hoon, who caused it. Stunned, he just stood there.

“Hmm. I'd give it nine... no, eight seems just right,” Baek-Yeon judged, stroking her chin thoughtfully from where she stood next to him.

While it wasn’t a glowing review, it was still fairly positive.

Finally recovering, Se-Hoon shook off the slight numbness in his right arm and asked, “Where did I lose points?”

“Your stance broke when you released the arrow, so that’s minus one. And the mana balance in your arrow was off, so that’s another minus.”

“Then that means my shooting method itself was correct.”

Instead of confirming, Baek-Yeon looked down at the Celestial Lake, which was still rippling.

“The power of Perception isn’t about being right or wrong. It’s determined by how much you can see.”

Before continuing, Baek-Yeon lightly kicked up a pebble at her feet and caught it skillfully. Then, she asked, “Let me give you an example. What will happen if I throw this pebble into the lake?”

“Hmm...”

Glancing at the White Night Bow, Se-Hoon fell into contemplation.

“I’m not sure,” he eventually answered.

Though it was an ordinary pebble, there was no telling what could happen in the hands of someone like Baek-Yeon.

Baek-Yeon glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“That’s not a very thoughtful answer.”

“Well...”

“But it’s correct.”

Repeatedly tossing the pebble lightly into the air and catching it again, Baek-Yeon continued on to say, “Even when looking at the same scenery, the interpretation can vary depending on one’s knowledge. The same applies to opportunities.”

While a certain opportunity might be perfect for someone, it could also be the worst opportunity for another. So to even find the perfect opportunity, people needed to observe everything around them carefully.

“I’ll ask again. Knowing that with this pebble, I can either evaporate the entire lake or make the surface serene, which do you think will happen?”

Now faced with a more detailed question, Se-Hoon instinctively drew up the power inside the White Night Bow.

Woong-

Feeling the mana flowing through his hand, his vision expanded—the power of Perception. Having experienced it twice now, Se-Hoon answered, “I think...”

Whoosh!

But just as Se-Hoon had begun his answer, Baek-Yeon flicked her wrist and sent the pebble flying. Hitting the edges of Celestial Lake, the pebble skipped toward the opposite side, forming wide ripples in its wake. But then, as if by magic, the surface became completely still.

Seeing that behavior, Se-Hoon responded, “...I was going to say that you were going to make it calm.”

“Of course, you were, provided you observed correctly.”

Lightly dusting off her hands, Baek-Yeon looked at the White Night Bow in Se-Hoon’s hand.

“If everything you’ve said is true, this bow will exert a force equivalent to me personally shooting in a critical moment. Use it wisely, as you only get one shot.”

Se-Hoon looked down at the White Night Bow. Provided he could perceive the right moment to defeat the Dream Demon, it would unleash its full power; otherwise, its power would be minimal.

So it all depends on how well I execute the plan.

While it wasn’t the help he expected to receive from Baek-Yeon, it was good enough.

Se-Hoon bowed to Baek-Yeon.

“Thank you. I’ll use it wisely.”

“Good. I won’t give you a second chance, so don’t go breaking it in the name of research. Got it?”

“...I wouldn’t do something so ungrateful. Haha.”

At Se-Hoon’s shameless laugh, Baek-Yeon looked at Se-Hoon with a peculiar expression.

How did he produce such power...?

Even with his solid foundational knowledge about equipment as a blacksmith, his unique habits and mindset should have inevitably influenced his combat style. And yet, whether it was those he used during previous battles or the shot just now, none of Se-Hoon’s techniques displayed a distinct mindset belonging to him.

A talent in imitating....

With just some slight corrections, Se-Hoon could quickly understand and adapt the powers of the Perfect Ones to his own style, sometimes making them more efficient. It wasn’t a method that would produce the best results, but his talent in it made it easy for him to reach a competent level.

He probably can handle our powers better than others because of that strange talent of his.

The powers of Perfect Ones weren’t something one could imitate just because they were talented. Yet, with just a little help, Se-Hoon had grasped the power of Perception and immediately began using it—an ordinarily impossible feat. To Baek-Yeon, that was likely why Ludwig and Wurgen had taken an interest in Se-Hoon.

...Or is it due to his strange perspective that seems to see into the future?

If that were the case, the power of Perception that Se-Hoon ended up grasping would likely be different from her own.

Considering the possibilities, Baek-Yeon asked, “Anything else you want to discuss?”

“Hmm... do you know who the Seeker is?”

Initially, Se-Hoon had thought about asking Ludwig, but he later realized that Baek-Yeon, who kept an eye on the world, would likely give a better answer.

“You mean Natalia? Why do you ask?”

It was an unexpectedly aggressive reply. Startled by Baek-Yeon’s stormy expression, Se-Hoon hesitated before replying, “Well, there’s hardly any public information about her, so I thought you might know something...”

“You don’t need to know about that person. And if she ever comes to you, call Ludwig or me immediately. She’s a real hassle to deal with.”

“...Did you two have an incident in the past?”

Could there have been some kind of conflict between Perfect Ones that wasn’t known to the public?

Remembering the past, Baek-Yeon grimaced and replied, “That wrench once followed me around for three months, saying she wanted to create a familiar from my eyes. She even tried to get me to sign a consent form while I was delirious from an injury.”

“...”

“Later, she even brought a donor form.... If I hadn’t become a Perfect One myself, she’d probably still be chasing me around.”

Seeing how exasperated Baek-Yeon was, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He already guessed the Seeker wasn’t normal, considering she was also a Perfect One, but he hadn’t expected her to be this unhinged.

I’ll have to be more careful going forward. I should also check on Akasha frequently.

Worried, Se-Hoon resolved to keep a closer eye on the Seeker. And at that moment, Baek-Yeon eyed him suspiciously.

“You haven’t already met her, have you?”

“Of course not. I was just curious about who she was.”

“Hmm...”

Noticing the doubt in Baek-Yeon’s stare, Se-Hoon made sure to keep his expression neutral. Originally, he had considered mentioning the Seeker’s corpse or what happened when he met the Regions, but after seeing Baek-Yeon’s mood, he decided against it.

She might take Akasha away, claiming it’s for my own good.

For now, it seemed like it was better for Baek-Yeon to not know about the Seeker’s death.

“Well, seeing that there are no traces on you, I guess you haven’t met her yet. But if you ever do, be careful. Got it?”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“And... oh, right. When exactly are you going to carry out your plan?”

Pausing to think, Se-Hoon answered, “Probably within the next two weeks.”

Since he had asked Amir to keep an eye on the Pleasure District, there would likely be an opening for him to exploit soon.

Considering the timing, Baek-Yeon eventually nodded.

“I’ll keep the date in mind. Now, off you go. There are people desperately waiting for you.”

“Pardon?”

Following Baek-Yeon’s gaze, Se-Hoon turned around to see Kwang-Soo and Seon-Woo standing near the stairs. The two, who had likely witnessed the shot he just made, were standing there completely dazed.

Kwang-Soo in particular had a look that made it seem like his world had just crumbled, which made Se-Hoon chuckle.

“I guess I’d better head over, then. I’ll see you next time.”

At Baek-Yeon’s wave, as if urging him to leave, Se-Hoon bowed slightly and walked toward Kwang-Soo.

“Let's head back, Professor.”

“...Alright.”

Lacking energy, Kwang-Soo quietly began trudging down the stairs. Before following, Se-Hoon turned to Seon-Woo, who was still standing there dazed.

“See you later, junior disciple.”

“Ah, yes. Please take care on your way back...”

With the goodbyes said, Se-Hoon followed after Kwang-Soo, and Seon-Woo, who was watching their backs, turned and cautiously approached Baek-Yeon.

“Um... Great-Aunt?”

“What is it?”

Hesitating, Seon-Woo made sure to pose his question as carefully as possible, “...Did you pass on your power to Lee Se-Hoon?”

With the skill Seon-Woo knew Se-Hoon possessed, there was no way he could have shot an arrow with that kind of power. So then, the only plausible explanation was that he had imitated Baek-Yeon’s power of Perception to make the impossible happen.

“I guess it’s more like I lent it to him.”

“Ah, I see...”

“But soon, he’ll be able to use it on his own. He’s that kind of guy.”

The near certainty in Baek-Yeon's voice left Seon-Woo wide-eyed.

According to the Heroes Association’s records, there were only a handful of cases where someone could properly use the power of the Perfect Ones.

Does that mean Lee Se-Hoon has that much talent...?

It was a matter that, as an investigator, Seon-Woo should have reported immediately to the Heroes Association. However, since he wasn’t here in an official capacity, he hesitated.

Meanwhile, as Seon-Woo wrestled with his dilemma, Baek-Yeon, who had been quietly gazing at the now-calm Celestial Lake, suddenly murmured a few words.

“Things are going to get quite chaotic.”

“Sorry?”

“It’s difficult to tell just how noisy it will become.”

Giving no explanation, Baek-Yeon lifted her gaze to the peak of Mount Baekdu and the rest of the world beyond it. She could clearly see it—the fragile peace that had been maintained by the Perfect Ones was starting to show signs of breaking down everywhere. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I wonder what the outcome of this chaos will be...

Closing her eyes, Baek-Yeon tried to glimpse the future, raising her head even higher to look beyond the sky.

“...Let's head down.”

Then, as if she hadn’t seen anything, she turned and started descending the stairs.

***

Rumble-

A massive vibration reverberated through the entire area. At the same time, purple smoke started swirling up from the ground, and the skeletal framework of a massive building shot into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, a huge structure had risen from the barren land. When everything settled, the horned demon overseeing District Twenty clapped his hands to get the attention of the workers.

“Come on, folks! The residents will be moving in tomorrow! Let’s get this done quickly!”

At the foreman's call, the workers, wearing casual clothes hastily covered by work vests, sprang into action and quickly began refining the structures that had been just bare frameworks. The construction was proceeding unnaturally fast.

And watching it all happen was a young man in a sharp suit, Amir, who looked up with a curious expression.

A district large enough to house tens of thousands is being built so easily...

It would only take two days to finish furnishing the building, and once the residents moved in, a small town would be created almost instantly.

Moving his gaze, Amir examined the tools the workers were handling next.

“Make sure to only take one each!”

They were using purple wands with green gemstones at the tip—Dream Tools that allowed them to manipulate the dream mana powering the entirety of the Pleasure District. They were tools that had been newly developed by the Barmuths.

Of course, since they were all exchanged for unofficially, there was no hard evidence to prove that it was really the Barmuths who had sold them to the Pleasure District. Though just seeing Felix, the current family head’s second son, frequently visiting was enough proof.

It seems their family’s focus on alchemy remains strong.

It appeared that the rumors, which said the Barmuths had shifted their focus from the weapons industry back to aggressively advancing in alchemy with the change in successor, were true.

“Is there something you’re concerned about?”

While Amir had been observing the Dream Tools, the foreman who directed the workers had cautiously approached.

Even the foremen, who had received his power from the Dream Demon directly and held significant authority in the Pleasure District, couldn’t easily dismiss personal secretaries.

They were akin to tools directly aligned with the Dream Demon’s will, so any disrespect to them could be seen as defying the Dream Demon.

“I was just inspecting the newly distributed Dream Tools as part of the checklist.”

“Oh, you mean those wands?”

“Yes. What are your opinions on them?”

Looking toward the Dream Tools the workers were using, the foreman thought for a moment before replying, “They seem to perform better than the previous versions. The lag seems to have reduced if that makes sense.”

“Could you describe the improvement more specifically?”

“Hmm... If I were to make a comparison, it would’ve taken at least half a day longer to finish this construction work with the previous tool.”

“That’s quite a significant difference.”

Noting down the foreman’s assessment, Amir glanced around the rapidly progressing construction site.

“I think this concludes the inspection. I’ll be on my way now.”

“Alright. Take care.”

Leaving the foreman, who was openly showing relief, Amir headed to the next construction site with a small frown on his face.

“The pace of the Expansion is accelerating beyond imagination.... Is it really okay to just stand by and watch?”

While he had taken precautions, believing that the signs Se-Hoon had planted in the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices would naturally reveal themselves, no such signs had appeared.

It made Amir grow increasingly anxious, fearful that the Dream Demon’s plan might be completed first.

Rumble-

“...?”

A sudden deep rumbling came from behind him. It was a familiar sound that accompanied the completion of each building, but Amir could feel an odd sensation from it this time, so he turned around.

And what he saw was a clear sky—something not unusual at all, if one didn’t consider the fact that they were in the Pleasure District.

“That’s...”

Shocked, he just stared as the clear sky vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a gloomy purple fog.

Then, upon realizing he was the only one who had seen the abnormality, Amir instinctively lowered his gaze and quickly scanned his surroundings.

...Is it because of my Winter Sky Eyes?

His unique skill allowed him to perceive the emotions and thoughts of others. Yet it had been triggered by something inanimate?

While he couldn’t understand at all, one thing was clear.

Rumble-

Se-Hoon’s plan was steadily progressing deep within the Pleasure District.