Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 58B1 - Regressed?

They were sent to Arc’s prison, a small structure in the Familia’s basement with a handful of cells. However, none were occupied—until David and Zachariah arrived.

David was pulled into one of the identical cells with a cold stone floor, plain stone walls, and an ordinary iron gate. It looked exactly like he’d imagined a prison in the late Middle Ages, with its stark and unwelcoming design.

“I’m Zachariah,” the man opposite him said, leaning against the iron gate with a smile.

“I know. I heard the dwarf captain,” David replied with a sigh, glancing around. “You cleared the other Common Rift, didn’t you?”

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He looked at Zachariah and noticed his smile widening.

Bastard.

Since the dwarf captain had known Zachariah and recognized him immediately, it was likely Zachariah had already been in Arc and had accomplished something significant. But he hadn’t been present to clear the Demon Rift, leaving only the other Common Rift, which must have been dealt with before the Horde arrived.

He’s certainly strong enough to beat the Rift Boss of a Common Rift.

Recalling the sheer power behind Zachariah’s attacks, David smiled wryly. The man was undeniably powerful.

“How did you save Arc? It should have been—...” Zachariah tilted his head, his tone shifting subtly. “I didn’t expect it to still be standing after I heard about the Demon Rift.”

You’re lying. You look like you were 100% certain Arc wouldn’t still be here.

But why did he look like that? Something in Zachariah’s gaze deeply unsettled David.

“Arc hasn’t been destroyed.”

“I have eyes, you know,” Zachariah replied snidely.

“Why did you call me a Regressor?” There was no point in beating around the bush. That would only waste time.

David stared intently at Zachariah, whose expression finally shifted. It was subtle, but he stiffened.

That was enough to get a reaction? David narrowed his eyes as a sudden, unsettling thought crossed his mind.

“You’re not trying to tell me you are a Regressor, right?” That didn’t make any sense. Something like that shouldn’t be possible… right? Then again, Asmodeus had easily slowed time to instigate his First Advancement Ritual. And he wasn’t even a god with powers related to time. Asmodeus’ domain was tied to blood. Meanwhile, Bereth was the lord of the Cycle of Life and Death. Could they manipulate time like that? David… couldn’t be certain.

Maybe it was possible to rewind time… somehow? The idea was incredibly hard to grasp, but after everything he’d experienced in the past few weeks, could he truly dismiss it as impossible? He couldn’t. Perhaps it wasn’t feasible to rewind time across the entire universe, but what if it were limited to a smaller area, like their planetary system? It couldn’t be easy; it should be near impossible. But for transcendent beings who called themselves gods?

Doubts crept into his mind.

“If I were to tell you that an Aetherless planet transforms into one of the most aether-dense planets integrated into the Pantheon in the next decade, you wouldn’t believe me. Then again, you wouldn’t understand what that means—not unless you’re a Regressor. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

David’s eyes narrowed. Was he actually right? That… His mind reeled, countless questions erupting in his thoughts.

What the hell?

“And you don’t know me?”

Zachariah’s look was explanatory enough. If everything he’d said was true, it could only mean one thing. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but David faced it head-on.

He… never made it this far into the future. He was likely dead.

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“That’s why you attacked me.” He glanced at his left arm and summoned the Obsidian Blade. “You don’t know me, but here I am with a relic and a soulbound weapon.”

“And the Law of Blood,” Zachariah added, his expression bemused. “How did you convince Asmodeus to become your Patron? That man is crazy.”

He knew Asmodeus? Of course, he did.

“I didn’t. I don’t know why he’s interested in me. He just appeared when we were defending against the Demon Horde. Maybe he would’ve convinced me to side with him, but Bereth showed up just in time. I didn’t have to sign anything to advance my class.”

Zachariah’s expression shifted again. His face paled ever so slightly.

“Bereth? Are you fucking serious right now?”

David nodded. He didn’t think it was necessary to hide much. If anything, Zachariah might help him understand a few more things.

“He even gifted me a Tier-2 Skill Rune when I survived a fight with a dozen or so Kobolds. I was Iron III—or was it Iron IV? I’m not sure anymore. Most of that fight is a blur.”

“How did I not know you?” Zachariah asked.

David shrugged. He didn’t know why he died in the future either. Then again, given Zachariah’s reaction, a lot must have changed.

“Too many parties intervened,” Zachariah grumbled. “Everything is changing. How am I supposed to end the—”

Blood suddenly poured from his nose, and his legs buckled beneath him.

David frowned, watching him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah... I’m not supposed to talk so much about the future.”

David nodded slowly. Zachariah struggled to get back on his feet and cursed something he didn’t understand.

“Why didn’t you clear the Demon Rift? The clearance reward would have elevated your power.” He waved Deryadus’ Arm, the Relic he’d obtained as a reward for clearing the Main Rift—a black metallic arm inscribed with black glyphs that stored his power and modified it.

The potency of his Blood increased when stored within the Relic, augmenting the power of Healing-type Skill Runes. It didn’t work on other Skill Runes—the modification appeared to focus on the healing properties within Blood and Aether—but that suited David. It allowed him to survive more dangerous fights as long as [Restore] and [Weave of Life] kept him alive.

That was also why he was relieved his healing rate had reverted to normal. The Serum’s deteriorating effects had finally worn off.

Looking at Deryadus’ Arm, David recalled the day he received the Relic. It hadn’t been long, but it felt like an eternity since then. The Relic functioned like an actual arm, as if he’d never lost his left arm against the Darkai. Nothing felt out of place when he moved. Still, David couldn’t shake the odd feeling of having a metallic arm engraved with vibrant golden glyphs.

Then again, it was pretty cool.

“I had something else to do,” Zachariah’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “I didn’t expect to take this long to solve that other issue, but it was necessary. Too many people would have died if I hadn’t.”

David nodded as though he understood. Then again, it didn’t matter if he believed Zachariah—not really. What mattered was that Zachariah believed it. David could always listen to him and draw his own conclusions. Taking Zachariah’s words with a pinch of salt seemed like the best approach.

“I still feel like punching you for attacking me in the market square and putting me in this situation,” David said, scratching the back of his head. “But I understand where you’re coming from.”

Not really, but he was trying hard to be understanding.

Zachariah looked up at David, who returned his gaze. Their eyes conveyed more than a thousand words could, creating something that felt like a deeper level of understanding between them—or at least, that was how David interpreted it.

“Do you want to stay in Arc?” Zachariah’s gaze didn’t waver.

“That depends. I was told to study a little in the Familia’s library, but I’d much rather focus on getting stronger. Then again, Arc is probably one of the best places for me to heal others. Now that my Class has evolved, I can probably increase my rank by fighting and healing.”

David hadn’t put much thought into his next steps. He had some ideas but needed more power to act on them. The monsters near the System Sanctuary were weaker and easier to hunt, as Protectors and Familia members had long since cleansed the most dangerous threats. The same couldn’t be said for the monsters and undead outside the Sanctuary’s range.

To find his parents, David would have to roam the wilderness, possibly fighting monsters at the Silver Rank. He wanted to face such monsters—the deadlier, the better—but there was a fine line between recklessness and outright stupidity.

“You’re playing it safe. That might be the best decision for you. Studying the Law of Blood, your Relic, and your soulbound weapon will never be a mistake,” Zachariah said with a nod, though his expression remained unsatisfied. If anything, David felt like he was unhappy. “Learn more about your new Class, collect better Skill Runes, and improve them as quickly as you can.”

David cocked an eyebrow.

“What are you doing in the meantime? Will you leave Arc once we’re out of here?”

“I planned to move forward after destroying the Demon Horde,” Zachariah said with another nod. “But now, with Arc standing and someone like you...”

He sighed deeply. “I might have to alter my plans. All of them.”