The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 385

T-That lunatic...!

Kwang-Soo wore a horrified expression, watching Se-Hoon and Jason face off from the side.

Of all people, Se-Hoon had provoked the man who had once earned the nickname Battle Demon for his obsession with fighting. With such a man, fists could start flying again at any moment, making Kwang-Soo tense all the way up.

“...Is that so.”

However, Jason calmly nodded instead.

“You have good instincts.”

“Thank you.”

As if they had agreed in advance, the two of them simultaneously lowered their hands, and the thick tension that had filled the air just moments ago vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Did you gain the power of Perception the same way?”

“Oh, that? No, Ha Baek-Yeon taught me herself.”

“I see. That one would be difficult to master with just instinct alone.”

“If we’re talking about difficulty, yours isn’t exactly easy either. If I didn’t have the power of Perception, I don’t know how I would’ve blocked your attack.”

Jason shook his head. “If you blocked it, that’s enough. Unnecessary humility leads to hesitation—be mindful of that.”

“Ah, yes. That makes sense. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The two of them were conversing casually, like their deadly exchange moments ago had never happened. The dissonance left Kwang-Soo standing there slack-jawed, momentarily forgetting those around him.

What... in the world...?

Unlike those who had only heard rumors about Jason, Kwang-Soo—a first-generation hero—had actually encountered him several times. Back in his younger days, Kwang-Soo had also gained a title, the Sword Demon, for his relentless activity on the battlefield.

It was only natural they had crossed paths.

With the personality he had back then, he would've leapt straight into battle immediately...

The Jason in his memories had been the type to throw a punch for just making eye contact. Why was such a man acting so reserved now?

Kwang-Soo’s thoughts first went to the idea that Jason's personality had simply changed after conquering the Tower of Heroes. But when he considered the incidents that followed, that theory didn’t hold up.

...Maybe that bastard just has a way with Perfect Ones?

If it were just one or two cases, it could be a simple coincidence. From how Se-Hoon kept meeting Perfect Ones and learning their powers, though, there had to be something deeper going on.

His thoughts reaching that point, Kwang-Soo suddenly became curious and his gaze sharpened.

And upon sensing that look, Se-Hoon glanced at him.

That old man is overthinking things again.

Just like before, Kwang-Soo seemed to loosen a few screws in his head whenever he drank.

“Does he bother you?”

Sensing Se-Hoon’s shift in thoughts, which were accompanied by him clicking his tongue internally, Jason had casually asked. But although he appeared indifferent, there was a subtle air about Jason that suggested he would throw Kwang-Soo out the moment Se-Hoon agreed.

Se-Hoon immediately shook his head.

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“I see. You live quite tiresomely.”

“Well, that’s just how life is.”

Seeing Se-Hoon shrugging with a wry smile, Jason stared at him for a moment before slowly opening his mouth once more. “So you want to make that guy stronger?”

“If possible, yes. He’s both my friend and my sponsor.”

“Do you need my help?”

Unlike before, when there had been an undercurrent of killing intent, Jason’s question was pure and direct.

That was why Se-Hoon seriously considered the offer. But a moment later, he shook his head.

“No. I think things are fine as they are right now. I only came to observe your power firsthand after all.”

Not expecting the refusal, Jason’s eyes widened slightly before he nodded in acceptance.

“Alright. Then get some rest for today.”

Jason turned and walked into his house.

And with him now gone, Kwang-Soo let out a deep sigh and finally spoke. “What the hell did you do? I saw you use Baek-Yeon’s power, but...”

He truly had no clue how Se-Hoon had used that power at the very end to snatch Jason’s fist.

“Huh? You weren’t able to catch it?” Se-Hoon looked genuinely surprised.

“...”

“I thought for sure you’d notice...”

His reaction seemed genuine that Kwang-Soo's pride was wounded, making his eyelids twitch with irritation.

And not missing that, Se-Hoon smoothly continued. “Well, it wasn’t anything too special. I just guided his power a bit and tricked it.”

“Guided it?”

“Yes, I intentionally created the gap that Jason targeted earlier.”

The power of Premotion allowed one to strike a gap so minuscule that ordinary people couldn’t even notice. In fact, it only occurred when one attacked that almost imperceptible opening. To counter such a thing, one had to either recognize and react to the gap or prevent any gaps from forming in the first place—both of which were extremely difficult. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

The former required superhuman vision and combat instincts on par with a Perfect One, whereas the latter was nearly impossible against an opponent who possessed the two needed in the former option.

“By choosing to offer the gap myself, I could recognize and respond to it more swiftly.”

Rather than reacting to an unpredictable opening found by Jason, Se-Hoon deliberately exposed a gap to guide his opponent’s attack.

And Kwang-Soo understood that, partially, but he was still skeptical.

“What if he doesn’t take the bait?”

“If the bait is tailored to a specific situation, there’s absolutely no way that it wouldn’t.”

While Jason would likely ignore a poorly presented gap, if the opening was one that could ensure a kill, there was no other choice but to take it. Unlike other heroes that might hesitate, questioning whether they could truly capitalize on the opening, Jason was the type that would always take the chance—no matter what.

“That’s just the nature of the Trailblazer.”

It was a conclusion only someone who had met every Perfect One could reach.

Of course, it was an incredibly dangerous approach, but Kwang-Soo didn’t bother pointing that out.

Instead, he asked another question. “Fine, that makes sense. But what about the next part?”

“I realized that while recognizing the gap is one thing, reacting to Jason’s attack is another issue entirely. So, I skipped the process and altered the result.”

“Altered the result...?”

Kwang-Soo recalled the earlier exchange—the eerie moment when Se-Hoon, upon activating the power of Perception, had suddenly caught Jason’s fist, as if skipping all the steps in between.

And that was when he realized the answer.

“You mean... alteration of reality?”

“That’s right.”

Even if he pushed his slow body to the limit, it would never be enough to match someone like Jason, who had become a Perfect One through sheer combat ability. To compensate, Se-Hoon used Metamorphosing Dreams to project the dream of himself catching Jason’s fist into reality.

Well, it still wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

Metamorphosing Dreams was a skill that essentially ran simulations of situations and projected the most plausible outcome into reality. However, fundamentally, it was impossible to manifest a dream where he skewered all Ten Evils with a single sword strike.

By the same token, catching Jason’s fist should have been just as impossible.

Even if I somehow catch his fist in a dream, the actual outcome still depends on how my opponent reacts in reality.

For Metamorphosing Dreams to be effective in combat, reducing variables was crucial. And that was where the power of Perception came in. By using it to grasp the path with the least variables and then altering reality with Metamorphosing Dreams, he created that shocking scene of catching Jason’s fist head-on.

The synergy turned out to be better than I expected.

In theory, as long as it activated properly, it was a combination capable of blocking anything. It was just that its activation wasn’t easy, and it was also vulnerable to external interference. But Se-Hoon chose not to dwell on those weaknesses.

As Jason had said earlier, the only thing that mattered was whether he could block the attack. Everything else was just a matter of execution.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“...”

Kwang-Soo looked at Se-Hoon with a strange expression. Despite accomplishing something ridiculous, Se-Hoon was speaking as if it were nothing?

What exactly is he trying to become?

While being multi-talented wasn’t necessarily bad, things were different when it came to heroes.

A hero’s skills and techniques reflected their mindset, potential, and overall direction. That was the reason behind how experienced heroes could gauge a person’s synesthetic mindscape just by watching them fight.

However, in Se-Hoon’s case, the stronger he became, the more incomprehensible he seemed.

If he’s aiming to become a Perfect One, then fine. But if not...

The more he thought about it, the less he could make out Se-Hoon’s future. Mulling over it, Kwang-Soo was about to fall deep into thought when a voice interrupted him.

“Uh...” Jake, who had been silently observing, sounded hesitant. “Se-Hoon, I get how you countered Jason’s attack, but... isn’t that way too difficult for me to pull off?”

If it were just a matter of effort, he would have been fired up to give it a try. But no matter how he looked at it, this was impossible.

How was he supposed to block an attack that even Se-Hoon had to use the power of Perception and alter reality to stop?

“Phew...”

“...”

Hearing Se-Hoon’s deep sigh, Jake lowered his gaze in guilt. Here he was, whining about how he couldn’t do it, even after his friend had risked his life to spar with a Perfect One for his sake.

Once again, Jake was drowning in self-doubt, frustrated with himself for failing to seize the opportunity.

At least, until Se-Hoon spoke up. “Do you not remember what I told you earlier today?”

“Huh?”

“Think back to the training I assigned you.”

Jake replayed the conversation from earlier that day.

“So what the hell kind of training were you planning to do?”

“Nothing much. Just... having Jake pick the cherry before that guy does.”

Se-Hoon had told him to pick the fruit before Jason. However, Jason was using the power of Premotion to pick the cherries, so what made that different from asking him to stop his fist?

Trying to figure it out, Jake suddenly recalled how the power of Premotion worked.

He said it activates naturally when he strikes at a visible gap.

In other words, the power of Premotion wasn’t some mysterious force—it was just a polished response to an opening in combat.

In spars, he moved accordingly. And when harvesting fruit...

“He only moves the necessary amount to pick the fruit...!”

The only reason Jake hadn’t been able to perceive Jason’s movements earlier was because he hadn’t recognized the gap Jason had exploited.

But Jason’s speed itself was visible. As long as Jake could see the gaps, he could counter and act with his own strength.

Arriving at that realization, Jake’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’re not about to tell me you can’t outpace a farmer, are you?” Se-Hoon asked, smirking.

From the start, Se-Hoon had never given him an impossible task. He himself had just been convinced it was impossible because it was the power of a Perfect One.

But now, with a full understanding of the situation, Jake’s eyes lit up with determination.

And then he firmly declared his resolve. “I’ll succeed before this field training is over.”

“If you whine one more time, I’ll confiscate your Windchaser Sword.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Newly brimming with motivation, Jake marched into Jason’s house to prepare for the training tomorrow.

“...You're making it sound like seeing the gaps is easy,” Kwang-Soo muttered, watching Jake’s back.

“Well, it should be easier than blocking his fist.”

If he had to compare, the difference was like asking someone to hold up a sword when he was catching a falling one with bare hands. While the potential danger was the same, at least it wasn’t dropping directly onto him.

“Besides, countering the Perfect Ones’ powers is all about mindset. If you tell yourself it’s impossible, you’ll never resist it.”

“That... makes sense, but still.... Well, I suppose you’d know better than me.”

Arguing with Se-Hoon about understanding powers was a fool’s errand. So, with a resigned nod, Kwang-Soo sighed.

A brief lull fell.

“Did you gain anything from this?” Se-Hoon asked, breaking the lull.

The sparring session with Jason wasn’t solely for Jake—it was also meant to guide Kwang-Soo, who had been lost in stagnation for a long time.

It’s about time he sorted himself out.

While they had some breathing room for now, Kwang-Soo had to participate in the Silent Volcano conquest. And if things continued at the current pace, there was a high probability they would meet Doppelganger there.

If Kwang-Soo wanted to exact his revenge, he had to start preparations now.

“...”

Gazing at the dark orchard, Kwang-Soo fell silent.

“I... don’t know what I gained.”

He had gained something. But he hadn’t fully grasped what it was, unable to confront his own inner turmoil.

He was clearly still trapped in his stagnation, making Se-Hoon ponder momentarily. Then, he firmly said, “When the time comes, I’m not going to let Doppelganger go for your sake.”

“...”

“So snap out of it already. I’ll help you in whatever way.”

While resolute, Se-Hoon was still considerate of Kwang-Soo’s struggles.

That was why, after a moment, Kwang-Soo gave him a weak nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“...I’ll head in first.”

Se-Hoon turned and walked into Jason’s house.

Now left alone in the yard, Kwang-Soo stared at the long wooden box in his hands.

Click-

He cracked the lid open slightly, and a faint darkness—like the night sky—seeped out from within. Inside lay Celestial Night, his cherished blade and the treasured sword of his master.

Gazing at it, Kwang-Soo quietly reminisced in solitude before closing the box once more and finally making his way toward Jason’s house—

“...”

Something made him pause.

But all that was under the moonlight was the orchard stretching out in eerie silence.

“Maybe I drank too much...” muttered Kwang-Soo, scratching his chin.

If his senses were acting up, maybe it was time to quit drinking—or at least cut back. With that thought, he shook his head and entered Jason’s house.

Meanwhile...

“That was close.”

From a distant mountain, Heaven Eye observed the scene, covering his normal eyes as he looked at Doppelganger with the eyes on his right cheek.

“We would have been in trouble if the Trailblazer had noticed us.”

At those words, Doppelganger—suppressing all its magical energy—calmly replied, “My mistake. I apologize.”

“...”

It apologized so readily, making Heaven Eye almost question it.

But Doppelganger reacting so strongly to Kwang-Soo’s sword, Celestial Night, was already an answer—it had ties running deep into the past.

So instead, Heaven Eye asked, “Are you really going to go through with this?”

Despite the increased danger, Doppelganger’s answer remained unchanged.

“Yes.”

Heaven Eye frowned.

“But not like this.”

Suddenly, Doppelganger reached into the black vortex of its body and pulled out a small jewel box.

“...!”

Stunned by what lay within, Heaven Eye gasped.

“Maybe becoming a god just once... wouldn’t be so bad.”

Doppelganger gazed into the box.

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