Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 504: What He Wants (2)

“That’s why you’re in denial.”

“I’m not. You may not know it yet, but… no human being is truly alive. If you go out tomorrow, you’ll probably see it with your own eyes. This is happening not only in Lindel, but also in Celia, the Republic, and the United Kingdom… You probably won’t even be able to find the other races.”

“And you’re telling me that…?”

“I understand that you had just come to your senses, so there are many parts that are difficult to understand in many ways, but…. I can explain everything. Actually, it’s something I had to explain a long time ago, but.. for now… yes, I will be able to tell you everything step by step, but also as fast as possible. Let’s take a little rest for now.”

“So…”

“It may be difficult, but for the moment, be at ease…”

‘Be at ease, my ass, you master of escape from reality.’

It was in that instant that I realized that whatever I said wouldn’t work.

I felt like he had decided to accept the current situation as it was. It was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh.

It felt embarrassing to think about living sincerely on a perished continent where there were just the two of us. It seemed that he was not even concerned with the current situation.

He thought that those ruins were better than what he was going to face.

‘What is he so scared of, this bastard…?’

It didn’t make sense for him to try to deceive himself while doing that. To be honest, it was a little creepy.

If Hyunsung were aware that the space we were in was the unconscious he created, it would’ve had a high probability that he was aware that he created me as well. He seemed to think that this was a one-man show.

I thought he might have known that I had infiltrated, but according to Ronove, it would be hard to notice.

Had he known that I wasn’t an illusion he made in that place, but that I was really Lee Kiyoung, he wouldn’t have tried to confine himself in such a form and in such a way that turned himself away from the truth.

‘Do you have to go this far, Hyunsung’?

I thought I had given him enough time to rest, but it seemed he still wanted to rest some more.

No, at that moment, he was currently leaving everything to fate. I knew his situation was serious, but not to this extent.

I even thought if it would be right to swing a fist right at that moment.

However, it was still unpredictable how he would react because of his unstable mental state.

One thing was certain. I had to remind him once again that what he was seeing was not real.

It didn’t matter if he knew about it or not. Once more, I had to convey it through someone else’s mouth.

‘How much time do I have left?’

Three days in that realm was an hour in reality.

Of course, I didn’t intend to use up all three days. I was anxious about what kind of shit an agitated Park Deokgu had been planning to do.

For the time being, it wouldn’t be bad to play along with him.

I didn’t know if he actually could taste the drink, but when he drank a glass without saying anything, the way he talked was unlike him. Most of them were useless and empty stories.

It was all about his past. However, it was also fun to listen to.

“Do you remember… when we first met?”

“Yes. In fact, when I think about that time, I don’t think of the present Hyunsung. I thought you were a bit colder… Honestly, until a few years ago, I never thought I would see you smile.”

“That’s embarrassing.”

“…”

“I didn’t think I could change this much, so it’s probably not too much to feel that way. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have changed like this. Basically, I was a little clumsy when communicating…”

“I didn’t feel that way.”

“Is that true?”

‘No, it was awfully awkward, you bastard.’

“Yes. However, if Hyunsung were really feeling that way, I would not have been the only one who had an influence. All of the Blue Guild members…”

“Yes, right. You’re right.”

The story of the first time we met…

“I was surprised when I received a griffon as a gift.”

“Oh, it was when I just got back from the capital. I was worried if you would like it, honestly. At that time, I didn’t know that Hyunsung would like griffons that much. I never thought you would enjoy related goods or festivals. I honestly thought it was fortunate. At that time, because of Hyejin, I was a bit…”

“Hahaha. Is that true?”

“You don’t know how absurd it was when you said that she was suddenly appointed as the secretary’s office.”

“I-I’m sorry for that.”

We talked about the story of the griffon as a gift, the story of Cho Hyejin, the dinner party after the expedition, and all the other big events.

There were many subjects. It was stories that both Hyunsung and I could laugh at.

It wasn’t that long, but we had a great time together. Surprisingly, there were many things we agreed on.

As I was conversing to find out his approximate condition, morning soon came, and the following day soon began.

Probably, around that time, I also started watching him in a state of half-surrender.

To be precise, it would be appropriate to say that I just nodded half-heartedly.

‘Okay, just do what you want then, you bastard.’

It wasn’t clear if there were fishes, but we went fishing together and wandered around the ruined Lindel in the name of finding a survivor.

Of course, there could be no survivors because that was the unconscious world he created. I, too, took a closer look at Lindel’s end, but I noticed the places that were certainly disastrously collapsed.

It was the world of the first round.

A world where Jung Hayan hanged herself, Yuno Kasugano died, and almost all living things that existed on the continent, including Sun Hee-young and Cha Heera, had disappeared.

It would be strange if one’s curiosity did not arise.

After walking for a long time, looking around everywhere, we came up to the place where I could see all of Lindel from above.

Kim Hyunsung began talking to me as soon as I went out of breath.

“Is your body okay?”

“I think… I’m… a bit tired…”

Even in the unconscious, the lack of stamina grabbed at my ankle. Fuck.

“Oh, then it would be better to take a break here. Or, we can just call it a day for now. We have a lot of time anyway. Maybe there are some wild animals on the forest side. If we’re lucky, we might even find a griffon. How about going there tomorrow?”

‘Wild animals, my ass.’

“I don’t know. Rather, I want to look around this place more… or the Laios side…”

“I think that place is in a direr situation. Here, have some water.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes, thanks. By the way, there really is nothing here. I can’t hear a thing…”

“Yes, it’s pretty quiet.”

“…”

“Kiyoung.”

“Yes?”

“It seems very strange to be human.”

‘Why did you suddenly say that?’

“Everything is ruined, but it looks a bit pretty. It also looks mysterious. The red sunset…”

“You’re definitely lucky. I thought it was completely dark, but to think there’s actually a sun…”

“It has never appeared. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that can be called a light. But every now and then, it seemed like I could see a red glow like that. Oh, and you can see stars outside of a certain area. I didn’t see it yesterday, so it wouldn’t be bad timing to go see it today. You have to walk for about three days, but it will be difficult right now, so if you are tired, we can go to see it next time. We have a lot of time anyway.”

“You seem to know more than I thought. How long have you been alone here?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s been that long.”

‘You’re lying.’

When I looked at him with my Mind’s Eyes, there were things I could see.

Traces made relatively recently were reflected everywhere. These traces had probably and unconsciously being done by him.

It was obvious why such traces had been made.

Kim Hyunsung had been left alone in that world.

I didn’t exactly know whether he was on the verge of regressing or if he was left there for a long time, and yet Kim Hyunsung was certainly there.

I didn’t know how many days or decades it had been, but he was certainly looking at that red sunset from that place, again and again.

He would have been looking at it every day. The only change in the world that could be seen in that dark place would have been that phenomenon.

Almost all of humanity was gone? How did Hyunsung survive?

The most likely hypothesis was that Altanus protected him. Was what I had seen at that moment really before Kim Hyunsung’s regression?

It wasn’t certain, but the probability was looking high.

There were so many different kinds of information in my head.

Honestly, it would be correct to say that he wasn’t ready to accept it yet.

There was a lot of work right in front of me, and the most important thing right at that moment was not the first round. I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but it felt as if the emotions he felt at the time were pouring out all at once.

‘It may be dangerous as Ronove…’

I didn’t know for sure. However, tears were pouring out of my eyes, regardless of my will.

After looking at the red sunset for a long time, the guy looked at me and began to talk slowly.

“K- Kiyoung. Are you okay? Why… why all of a sudden?”

“It’s nothing.”

“…”

“It’s nothing.”

“But now…”

‘Shit! It’s nothing!’

“…”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I’m too…”

“You don’t need to be bothered… because it’s nothing. Really.”

“…”

“…”

“Kiyoung.”

“Yes.”

“I said I had something to say yesterday… so I want to apologize…”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes?”

“I said you don’t have to.”

“What does that…?”

‘I didn’t mean to say it like that, damn it.’

I saw the guy’s face with a tight bite on his lips.

Of course, I thought I knew what he’s trying to say.

He must be trying to say that he had regressed. He was thinking of finishing the ending like that.

It was clear that he was trying to get rid of the baggage that was carried on to the second round.

It was true that I had been thinking about it since back then. What Kim Hyunsung wanted was to avoid everything.

He had avoided responsibility, ran away from failure, away from the truth, and avoided situations in which he might lose a colleague, a friend, or a lover. He wasn’t confident anymore, so he let go of it, and he was trying to let go of the last baggage because of my appearance.

I couldn’t say anything right because my head was sore, but I couldn’t accept that ridiculous apology.

‘I raised you, and you want to run away? You should do the carry and then go.’

I tried to think if the world would avoid becoming a repetition of the first round without him, but there was no way that I’d let him run away so easily.

“You’re not getting out of here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Will you stay here like this? Are you really going to end it like this? You moron! What are you so scared of that you’re doing this here? You know the truth.”

“…”

“The scenery you see right now is all fake.”

“…”

At that moment…

My body had been pushed against the wall with a bang.

When I stumbled in shock for a while, what I saw was Kim Hyunsung’s eyes staring at me.

‘This bastard…’