The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 338

Finished with his business in Washington, Se-Hoon returned to his dormitory in Babel.

“...This is a lot.”

He stared at the mountain of shopping bags in the living room, which has resulted from him absentmindedly agreeing to Eun-Ha’s request to do some shopping before heading back.

Remembering how she had used him like a mannequin, dressing him up in all sorts of clothes, Se-Hoon let out a wry smile.

“No wonder people say late bloomers are a problem...”

Although it had been slightly exhausting, he figured such spending habits wouldn’t last long, so it was better to just go along with it during her phase.

Deciding to leave the task of organizing the clothes for later, Se-Hoon pulled out Eun-Ha’s Fatestone he had secretly extracted from her during their shopping trip.

Whirr-

A crimson colored energy began gathering in his left palm from his chest, condensing into a single point before expanding and transforming into a glowing crimson stone the size of a person’s head.

With its surface shimmering subtly, an inner light swirling like a vortex, and exceptional hardness, it was almost gemlike. However, it had one distinguishing feature.

Swish-

The stone’s inner light began converging toward Se-Hoon’s hand on the surface, soon forming a structured pattern that filled the stone’s interior. And at the moment of its completion, mana rapidly flowing from his fingertips into the core of the stone.

Observing the phenomenon, Se-Hoon became intrigued.

As expected, it’s different from the one before the regression.

Compared to the level four Fatestone from Eun-Ha before regressing, which had simply been strengthened with enhanced properties, the one he held now had developed entirely new functions.

Se-Hoon quickly brought up its information message.

[Fatestone - Crimson Furnace]

[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]

[A gemstone harboring a mysterious flame.

It can absorb minerals it comes into contact with, extracting their cores and generating abilities that reflect their characteristics.

*Devours minerals to create Ore Blood

*Consumes Ore Blood to generate an Ore Core

*If Ore Blood is unavailable, the gemstone’s durability will be permanently consumed to create it]

“Crimson Furnace...”

Not only did the Fatestone generate Ore Blood, but it could also turn that into an Ore Core. Both sparked Se-Hoon’s curiosity, especially since they could help him uncover the secret behind Eun-Ha’s recent powers.

Deciding to test it out, Se-Hoon wasted no time and began rummaging through his void pocket for anything that seemed like it would go along well with the Fatestone.

“Hm. This should do.”

He retrieved a dagger with a blue blade that he had kept as material for Demonic Blood Art weapons. Gripping it in his right hand, Se-Hoon brought the dagger close to the Crimson Furnace.

Hiss!

Upon contact, the tip of the dagger’s blade melted rapidly as it was absorbed. Simultaneously, the glow of the stone intensified, growing even brighter than before.

So, this light on the inside must be Ore Blood.

Having confirmed the identity of the Crimson Furnace’s internal structure, Se-Hoon moved onto creating an Ore Core using the newly formed Ore Blood.

Woong-

The light inside the stone shifted into a different pattern, filling the interior without gaps. And once it had, the power radiating from the Crimson Furnace also changed noticeably.

Carefully observing the transformation, Se-Hoon was soon able to discern the nature of the new Ore Core.

So it retains the synesthetic mindscapes embedded in the consumed weapons or materials?

Unlike how Iron Desire devoured everything regardless of its properties, turning it all into what he now knew as Ore Blood, Crimson Furnace preserved the synesthetic mindscape contained within the material. The Crimson Furnace then used that to imbue the Ore Core with unique effects, creating a power unlike any other.

This explains the attack from before.

He recalled the mysterious flames of the Sin-Eclipsing Blade, which he had used to forge the Primordial Ring. By harnessing the synesthetic mindscape within the blade, Eun-Ha was able to unleash an attack that only harmed enemies.

This might be more powerful than I initially thought...

Techniques that mimicked other powers were not uncommon, but ones that enabled altering the criteria were, and they were also often especially formidable. For instance, it was one thing to copy a skill that attacked only enemies, but entirely another to redefine the concept of “enemy.”

Such a difference could easily have profound implications.

There should be no drawbacks if I can shift the criteria in my favor.

Thinking about the usage, he mused over an exaggerated example: absorbing a spell that targeted only people who dipped sweet-and-sour pork into sauce and modifying it to target those who poured sauce over their sweet-and-sour pork instead.

While it sounded simple in theory, changing the core definition of a spell was akin to crafting an entirely new one.

Yet, the Crimson Furnace made it effortless.

If this can be applied to forging... I might be able to imbue effects into weapons that are impossible by conventional means.

He envisioned generating Ore Cores from incompatible materials with opposing properties and then combining them into a cohesive weapon. If it worked as imagined, he could surpass the limits he faced before regressing by a significant margin.

In that case, this should be the perfect material for forging a hammer.

The timing was impeccable too—his Forgefire Hammer had recently broken.

Sketching out designs in his mind, Se-Hoon was deep in thought until he suddenly felt a faint distortion in the surrounding space.

Swoosh-

Focusing on it instinctively, Se-Hoon found a part of the space warping into Whitespace, giving way to a stark white area.

That’s...

Curious, he observed the strange void phenomena which he was seeing for the first time.

“Hmm... it seems your spatial awareness has sharpened since last time.”

Hearing Ludwig’s voice from the void, Se-Hoon frowned slightly. He hadn’t paid much attention to spatial manipulation or Whitespace research recently.

“Is that so?”

I haven’t dug deeper, considering my knowledge of it now.

He hadn’t thought it was necessary, having already mastered the basic spatial abilities to operate without the Ascension Ring. And with the Veil of Whitespace, he could nullify any attacks or traps. All his practical needs were covered, so research into space-related abilities had taken a back seat.

“Once your skill reaches a certain level, getting accustomed to it is what truly matters. It seems you’ve finally become familiar with both space and Whitespace.”

“Hmm... So does that mean I can start using variation techniques now?”

Abilities related to space often had versatile applications, so gaining some of them would always be a welcome development.

Thinking about it, Ludwig only responded after a moment. “With your current understanding, you should be able to substitute the surrounding space with Whitespace.”

“Substitute...?”

“Something like this.”

Swoosh-

White lines traced a cube around Se-Hoon, encasing him. The cube’s walls then shifted like sliding panels, turning completely white. In the blink of an eye, Se-Hoon found himself enveloped in Whitespace, his expression betraying his astonishment.

“Is this... how you forcefully teleported me back then?”

“That’s correct. Can you guess what its advantages are?”

Se-Hoon contemplated it briefly.

“Ordinary spatial abilities can be detected by those aware of space manipulation, but the Whitespace is imperceptible, making teleportation impossible to detect... Is that it?”

“Precisely,” confirmed Ludwig, sounding satisfied. “Those with a certain level of talent and skill perceive space in their own way. For them, spatial manipulation is just another tricky technique.”

However, the Whitespace was different. The Whitespace, a realm existing in the cracks between spaces, could only be perceived by Ludwig and Se-Hoon for now. In other words, that allowed them to use spatial abilities while completely ignoring their opponent’s detection.

Having heard the full explanation, Se-Hoon couldn't help but pull a grim expression.

This is just simply broken...

If Ludwig's words were true, even the most formidable Perfect Ones or Ten Evils could be crushed outright if they were caught off guard, making any resistance rendered futile.

“Of course, the sharp-witted ones might manage to evade, even if they can't resist.”

“I see.... So it’s not indomitable.”

“Think of it as being close to indomitable.”

Despite his modest tone, Ludwig's confidence in his power was unmistakable, prompting a peculiar expression from Se-Hoon. A technique with no gaps in offense, defense, or evasion—if judged solely by combat ability, Ludwig was likely one of the strongest Perfect Ones, perhaps even the strongest.

And yet, he still ended up defeated before the regression...

Se-Hoon’s mind wandered to the Destroyer of Heavens, the entity that had suddenly descended upon Babel and vanquished Ludwig. Beyond its dramatic arrival, little was known about the entity, leaving Se-Hoon deep in thought.

“Ah, looks like it’s about to happen,” Ludwig suddenly said.

“Huh? What is?”

“Lea Claudel, that is.”

Se-Hoon’s eyes widened.

Over a month had passed since Lea had locked herself away in isolated training, sensing the precursor to the awakening of her unique skill. Yet there had been no news, making Se-Hoon wonder if things were going poorly.

And from Ludwig’s words, it seemed she was finally seeing some progress.

“Does this mean she’s awakened her unique skill?”

“Hmm. She has been furiously scribbling schematic after schematic while yelling incoherently for about an hour...”

“Then it’s safe to assume she has.”

Even though Lea was indeed eccentric, for her to act like that for a full hour meant she must have succeeded.

“Good for her, then. I’ll teleport you to the workshop entrance.”

“Thanks. Oh, and about that Whitespace substitution technique you showed earlier—”

But before Se-Hoon could finish, Ludwig chuckled and interrupted. “I’ve already given you a demonstration. Figure it out yourself.”

Whoosh!

Immediately after, Se-Hoon’s surroundings shifted, and he found himself in front of Lea’s workshop. Ludwig’s presence had disappeared, leaving Se-Hoon squinting in mild annoyance.

He could just teach me now...

Ludwig, like Kwang-Soo, consistently exhibited a peculiar reluctance to share his knowledge openly. Grumbling to himself, Se-Hoon’s attention was soon caught by the sound of approaching footsteps from inside the workshop.

And when the footsteps reached the front door—

BAM!

The door slammed open violently, nearly breaking off its hinges. A thick smoke escaped, and from within, a figure emerged.

The figure’s disheveled hair stuck out in every direction, adorned with skewered hairpins and ornaments resembling gravestones. Her complexion was ghostly pale, as if she hadn’t seen sunlight in months, and dark circles spanned all the way up to her temples.

“I have arrived.”

No matter how one tried, her appearance could only be described as that of a complete recluse. Yet, in stark contrast to her disheveled exterior, her eyes shone brightly with a radiant green light, as if she’d just been enlightened.

“I have seen.”

Clenching her fist, she raised it to the sky.

“I have understood!!!”

Her triumphant voice echoed so loudly throughout the marketplace that it startled passersby.

Seeing Lea in such a state, flushed with excitement and unbothered by any sense of embarrassment, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’ve worked hard.”

***

“Ugh, you wouldn’t believe how close I was to a breakthrough. I was going insane from stress! I must’ve flipped my workbench over ten times, and cleaning up after that was even worse...”

While she animatedly talked, Lea was shoving bread and milk into her mouth at an alarming pace. Se-Hoon had bought her quite a few snacks, assuming that she hadn’t had a proper meal in months, but it was all disappearing as though it was being sucked into a vacuum cleaner.

She’s eating like a machine...

Even Eun-Ha, with her hearty appetite, would struggle to match her.

All Se-Hoon could do was just watch in awe.

And his gaze didn’t go unnoticed. Embarrassed, Lea coughed lightly and slowed her pace.

“Ahem. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten properly...”

“No, no. Don’t mind me. Here.”

Se-Hoon handed her a piece of salted bread, which she hesitantly took before continuing her story between bites.

“Well.. anyway, I’ve successfully awakened my unique skill, so no need to worry about that.”

“What’s the skill name?”

Se-Hoon’s interest was piqued. He’d known very little about Lea’s unique skill before the regression.

I had a hunch she might’ve had one, but I never confirmed it myself.

If she hadn’t awakened it in the past, then her current skill set could surpass what she’d been capable of before, potentially leading to new opportunities.

Feeling Se-Hoon’s expectant gaze, Lea smiled confidently and declared: “The skill’s name is Phase Manifestation. Its effect lets me temporarily manifest the powers of any object I imagine.”

“That’s... an upgraded version of Ancient Enchantment?”

“You could say it’s a superior variant. Here, let me show you.”

Dusting crumbs off her hands, Lea casually plucked a hairpin from her disheveled hair and flicked it lightly.

“Phase Manifestation.”

Ting!

A wave of mana rippled from the hairpin. Almost immediately after, Lea’s neglected, frizzy hair began to transform. The dry, tangled strands smoothed out, becoming silky and lustrous in mere moments. Her hair then neatly braided itself into a polished style, and the randomly placed hairpins and ornaments shifted to proper positions.

Witnessing the transformation, Se-Hoon’s eyes widened.

“Well? Were you able to figure out how it works?”

Now looking pristine, as though freshly groomed, Lea smirked at Se-Hoon, who took a moment to think.

“You retrieved a memory from the hairpin?”

“Exactly. I manifested the form recorded in the hairpin’s enchantment into reality.”

The hairpin didn’t have any grooming functions—it could only braid hair. Yet, by tapping into its latent image of neatly arranged hair, Lea had applied it in reality, achieving an aesthetic result.

“Turning a fake into reality... this is definitely a superior version of Ancient Enchantments.”

“It’s not all smooth sailing, though. If the imitation isn’t perfect, the results can be disastrous. I nearly blew up the workshop because of that.”

For example, if she tried to imagine a bomb but accidentally visualized an armed bomb in the middle of detonation, it would explode the moment the skill was activated. A single mistake in understanding the enchantment could lead to catastrophic results.

“Well, it shouldn’t be an issue as long as you’re careful.”

“That’s... true.”

Lea briefly considered pointing out just how hard it was to be that careful, but decided against it. With Se-Hoon, he’d probably just dismiss it as trivial anyway. Besides, her recent training had boosted her confidence significantly.

I shouldn’t be too meek anymore.

Se-Hoon had always overshadowed her with his overwhelming talent, skill, and wealth. Now, however, she felt like she could finally stand on equal ground as his sunbae.

“Ahem. So, do you have any requests for me? Whatever it is, just say the word.”

“You’ve worked hard, though. Why not take a little break?”

“Don’t talk weak! Now’s the time to push forward and get things done!”

Grinning at her enthusiasm, Se-Hoon thought for a moment before nodding.

“All right then. I plan to mass-produce Winterglass soon. Could you design an enchantment for creating extreme cold zones?”

“Extreme cold zones? Sure, no problem.”

“I also need help creating new equipment for everyone. It’ll all be Legendary tier, so it shouldn’t be too stressful.”

“Legendary tier... that should be manageable.”

“Lastly, I’m developing a Divine Mana Conversion Device right now. I’ll provide the basic framework, but I need you to refine it so it works with ordinary equipment.”

“...”

“Oh, actually, I’ve also recently pioneered a new tier between Legendary and Mythical—the Aspirant tier. I’d like you to research its enchantment applications...”

Se-Hoon’s requests came pouring out, one after another, never ending. Under the barrage, Lea’s initial confidence faltered rapidly, and soon her eyes glazed over.

“...Can I take a few days off instead? Please?”

At that moment, Lea realized the gap in their skills was wider than she thought.