Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1167. Crimson Flower (1)

— Oppa... when are you going to tell Will about your so-called terminal illness?

“Later, and that’s not something that should be forced. It should come out naturally,” I answered.

— I don’t think the “Everyone lived happily ever after” ending is going to happen. I feel really bad for him.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

— What? Once things are done here, you won’t have a reason to stay in Rohen anymore. Weren’t you just thinking of this place as a holy power factory?

“You’re not wrong,” I answered.

— That’s why I feel bad. Even if things work out here, it won’t be a happy ending for everyone. I guarantee that once everything here is over, he’s going to become an alcoholic again. Actually, I think he's an alcoholic now.

‘That’s true.’

Of course, it had nothing to do with me. Honestly, if all it took to save Rohen was William ending up an alcoholic, it'd be a pretty good deal.

Unfortunately, he had to overcome this trial.

‘If he dies here, it will all be for nothing.’

The atmosphere was pretty positive..

We had seen time and time again that those who had conquered their fears would never lose. Kim Hyun-Sung was living proof that determination alone could make someone stronger.

Those considered geniuses knew that breaking through mental barriers was more significant than surpassing physical ones. It was especially true for those who were already testing the limits of what humans could achieve.

I couldn't say that consistent self-development, like stamina training or swordsmanship, wasn't helpful, but it couldn't show immediate results.

Those who had reached their limits needed a certain something, and it wasn't daily training. Whatever William needed, it had to be able to help him overcome the wall before him. I was certain nothing beyond that would help him.

‘His rationality is a bit of a problem.’

His obsessive tendencies had proven it to me. He always woke up at the same time, his room always had to be organized, and he disliked deviating from his planned daily routine. Obviously, that side of him was clearly shown on the battlefield as well.

His swordsmanship was so orderly that the nickname “Basic” suited him perfectly. His sword style felt almost too textbook-like.

There was a reason Woo Hyo-Yeol thought that he could beat William.

Unfortunately, William was clearly different from Templar Gen, who stayed true to the basics as well. I felt bad for saying this, but...

‘You’ve had a sheltered upbringing.’

Like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, he seemed like a wealthy young master training in the swordsmanship of a noble family.

He needed to struggle. He needed to realize that he was weak, and he had to roll around in the mud at least once. I needed to make him grit his teeth, roll on the ground, and let go of some of his obsessive tendencies.

He needed sheer determination and the grit to take his opponent’s life, even if it meant losing an arm.

‘Of course...’

His identity had to stay the same.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young, this way,” William instructed.

“Okay.”

‘Being rational is your strength, so I’m not saying you need to throw that part of you away. You must carry that with you. You have to determine the best way to carry that with you.’

“I think it’s best if we move to a location where we can fight our opponent,” William suggested.

“Understood,” I said.

“Do you remember the time we encountered the demon at the goddess’s temple?” William asked.

“Yes, of course,” I replied.

“ I think we should fight in the alleyway next to the temple,” William said.

“What if we head to a place where we can take cover? Fighting in an open area with cover might be more—”

“No. As you know, I’m too weak to fight against that demon. The demon is much stronger than I am,” William argued.

“...”

“Running away won’t help. I need to train so that I can at least react to its attack,” William said.

'That’s right. I like that mindset.'

“If I can at least block its claws with my sword...” William trailed off.

“You can do it,” I encouraged him.

‘Being thorough and sensitive are both your strengths.’

It was rare. At a certain level, people's sensitivity often dropped.

William’s swordsmanship was as precise and as accurate as a machine.

Blocking claws with a sword was as ridiculous as blocking one needle with another, but this villain was specially designed for that. Making the impossible possible was the key point of this plan.

I saw Will facing the demon.

We had decided that this was going to be the first round.

The demon fired its claws, and William stared right at its nails with his eyes wide open.

I was sure he was aware through years of experience that blocking the nails with his sword would break it. He knew that blocking with the surface or on its side wouldn’t work and that the nails could only be blocked using concentrated mana.

He got rid of the mana protecting his body to increase his speed. I saw him concentrating all of his mana on the tip of his sword for a devastating single attack.

As soon the nails were close enough, he swung his sword.

And the first round ended just like that...

The second round's result wasn’t any different from the first round, but he continued to stare at the nails until they pierced his skull. He seemed to be thinking about what went wrong and why he couldn’t see the nails.

The third round began.

William looked anxious, but he didn't run or choose a different way to face the demon.

The fourth round began.

The result was no different.

The fifth round began.

The result was no different from before.

The eleventh round started.

The result hadn't changed at all.

The twenty-third round commenced, but the result was still the same.

The thirty-fifth round started; the result hadn't changed.

The forty-eighth round commenced, and the result remained unchanged.

The 115th round started and—

“Hahahahaha!”

—William succeeded in blocking the demon's attack with his own efforts.

The 116th round began.

Although William had failed in the previous round, he didn't get discouraged. He faced the demon while mumbling something to himself. I believed it was his own way of recalling what he felt during the previous round.

The one hundred and seventeenth round commenced.

William succeeded in blocking the demon’s attack once again. Despite getting hit by the next attack, William’s eyes remained locked on his opponent’s claws. William didn’t close his eyes until the nails pierced his eyes.

The 182nd round began.

William seemed exhausted because he wasn’t making any progress, but the look in his eyes remained the same.

“It will end with ‘Everyone lived happily ever after.’ No matter what,” William said.

“Yes, I have faith in that as well,” I said.

The 210th round commenced.

William drove his sword into the demon’s lung.

I was sure he could feel that he was growing stronger. He could definitely feel that more than anyone. The attack he couldn’t see in the beginning was now visible in his eyes, and he could finally react to the demon’s movements.

William looked like he was growing more and more confident.

He was finally aware that it wasn’t just luck; he knew he could block its attacks.

The 233rd round started.

The stage had changed, but it wasn’t because we were running away.

William thought he needed space to retreat.

For Will, who needed to block ten nails with one attack, it was an unavoidable choice.

While moving seven steps backward, Will blocked the demon’s attacks.

He was smiling. He couldn’t block the remaining three nails, so they pierced his heart, but he was clearly smiling.

It was like he was saying that time was on his side, and it was true.

Time really was on his side.

The 287th round began.

William's style changed, but not in the direction I wanted it to go. After repeatedly confronting death and the goal being so close to him, he had become a bit more aggressive.

The strategy of accepting minor losses to gain a major victory wasn’t a bad idea.

That kind of determination was what I initially expected from him, but what I wanted was his mindset to change rather than his actions.

The curtains to the 329th round opened, and we discussed many things before encountering the demon. We talked about our faith in the Goddess of Flower and Fertility, about life, and the things we were going to do after the war.

We talked a lot about whether we'd become slightly better people after the war and everything. William nodded, and he seemed to be crying a little, but he didn’t make it noticeable.

He stared at his sword, seemingly vowing that he wouldn't change beyond what was necessary.

The 399th round started.

“I think I know,” William said.

“Pardon?”

“I think I finally know why the goddess sent me here. She probably thought that this was another trial I needed to overcome,” William answered.

“...”

“I was really afraid of dying, but I’m no longer scared. The thing I thought was impossible to reach was now reachable. I’m not saying this because I'm arrogant or speaking optimistically about all this, but I think... I think I’m getting stronger, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” William continued.

“I see,” I said.

“Both physically and mentally,” William added.

“I see that as well,” I said.

“I’m getting stronger,” William repeated.

He wasn’t being arrogant or haughty.

The 431st round commenced.

Will's sword managed to pierce the demon’s throat, but his attack wasn’t powerful enough to kill it.

“Aaaaargh!”

I saw him drenched in blood, but the glint of determination was still in his eyes.

At this point, the two had already exchanged more than a hundred moves.

William roared and swung his sword. The two clashed, and I heard something streaking across the skies. He seemed to be thinking that he could win if he just took one step forward, and I felt the same way.

The 444th round started, and there weren’t many changes, but William had become extremely calm.

He looked at his sword quietly and nodded with certainty.

From the 44th round onward, his attacks were landing with increasing frequency. Whenever his attacks weren't working, William would concentrate all of his mana on the tip of his sword and go all out.

I could see that he was starting to realize his core issues.

The 478th round began...

The demon’s attack no longer worked on William, but William simply stared at the demon without saying anything.

The 489th round commenced, and there were no changes.

William was spending more and more time thinking deeply about something. He seemed to be thinking about many different thoughts, so all I did was watch him.

After thinking for quite some time, he turned to me and asked, “Can I try a few more times?"

He seemed certain that he could kill the demon, and I agreed with his request. I wondered if there was any point in continuing this, but William seemed to be thinking that there was more to gain, so I agreed.

“Yes, of course.”

The 491st round started...

William swung his sword. He seemed dissatisfied with something... and then he died.

The 492nd round commenced...

William swung his sword. He seemed dissatisfied with something... and then he died.

The 493rd round began...

William swung his sword. He seemed dissatisfied with something... and then he died.

The 497th round commenced...

William swung his sword. He seemed dissatisfied with something... and then he died.

The 500th round started...

William swung his sword. He nodded... and then he died.

Finally, on the 501st round...

William drew a crimson flower with his sword.

He was looking down at his hand.

I smiled at the sight, and he smiled as well.

William had drawn a crimson flower with his sword.