Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1497. Extinction (7)

It was a satisfying event, so I was sure it was satisfying for him as well. Things were a bit chaotic, but we had taken time to heal each other’s wounds, hadn’t we? Mikael opened up about what he had been carrying inside for so long, and I was also given a thread of hope.

Given the flow of the story, there was no way my attitude toward Mikael wouldn’t change at least a little.

Before, he had been an enemy and someone to eliminate, but now? He was someone who had stirred indescribable and complicated emotions inside me. Was I supposed to call him a comrade I could rely on? A friend? It was difficult to define him, but I no longer hated him. No, it would be more accurate to say that I couldn’t hate him anymore.

I learned too much about him.

‘Mikael, you bastard. It’s pretty obvious.’

And I could guarantee that it applied even more to him. He never really harbored any hatred toward me, and he had many pieces of information about the God of Sacrifice and Revival. Judging by his attitude, it wouldn’t even be strange to say he held goodwill toward me instead.

Of course, that goodwill was mixed with indebtedness, guilt, perhaps even pity, but he knew more about us than I had expected, and in a fairly favorable way at that.

I had no idea how our story had spread among those up above, but at the very least, Mikael was deeply moved by our story. The problem was that, compared to how much the distance between us had narrowed, the time we had actually spent together was extremely short.

On top of that, pulling him close after all the harsh words I had hurled at him not long ago felt awkward.

Just yesterday, I had been shouting about killing him. I cursed him and screamed at him about his incompetence and irresponsibility with veins bulging in my eyes. How could I suddenly treat him warmly overnight?

Acting as if nothing had happened after a fight was strange. Given the circumstances...

‘We’ve gotten awkward, haven’t we?’

Things felt a little awkward between us. It wasn't just Mikael. My attitude toward him had to be awkward as well.

'But damn it, it really is awkward. Spending the night together in Kim Hyun-Sung’s cabin only made it worse.'

‘Even the process of going into the cabin after the rain stopped...’

“...”

“...”

‘That was painfully awkward.’

Anyone could see we needed rest, but it was hard to even suggest taking a break in that atmosphere. There was always a stiff, uncomfortable aftertaste following an emotional scene like that, but this one was on a whole new level.

It was bad enough that I immediately lay down and pretended to fall asleep.

Honestly, the aftermath was more awkward than delivering those embarrassing lines.

“Are you awake, Mr. Lee Ki-Young?” Mikael asked.

“...”

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young?” he said.

“...”

‘At least this bastard has a thick enough face to power through it.’

'Should I switch to formal speech? Will that make it feel like our relationship has changed, even slightly?'

“Your condition... I mean, are there any further abnormalities with your memories?” he asked.

“...”

“I think... I am... fine...” I answered.

In its own way, this was my gesture of changing my attitude toward him. I was still somewhat ambiguous, but at least it signaled that what had happened yesterday wasn't an entirely negative experience.

The honorifics at the end of my sentences still felt awkward on my tongue, but the important part was that I used them at all.

As expected, I saw a flicker of surprise on his face.

‘Uh... it’s okay, isn't it?’

I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he seemed relieved.

More than the formality itself, he noticed that my voice had gotten a bit softer toward him.

“That’s a relief,” he said.

“Yes, I suppose... you could call it... a relief,” I mumbled.

“You may speak comfortably, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” he said.

“No... for now... this is more comfortable,” I told him.

“...”

“...”

“For now... I think I have calmed down a little,” I added.

“Is that so?” he asked.

“Yes. At first, I was too flustered... Even to myself, I seemed extremely confused. But now... just a little... I believe I can look at what is happening a bit more rationally. In that sense... I suppose I should thank you,” I said.

“That’s not necessary,” he said.

“Of course, there are still many unresolved matters between us, and many things are left unsaid... To be honest, I’m still unsure what attitude I should take toward you, and whether I can truly trust you... but for the tangled issues... Perhaps it’s better to untie them after everything is over,” I suggested.

“Yes, I agree,” he said.

“...”

“...”

“So... what’s the plan from here?” I asked.

“To be frank... It’s difficult to say that I have a proper plan. Originally, I intended to rely on your memories to locate Kim Hyun-Sung, but...” He trailed off.

‘That option is gone...’

“At this point, I believe it will be difficult to find him. Even if Mr. Kim Hyun-Sung remains in this timeline, he won’t stay long,” he said.

‘That makes sense.’

“If he’s acting independently, there’s a high probability that he’s moving through those gates. As you know, they exist to reinforce the outcome of the first life. They carry penalties that require specific circumstances and particular events to resolve.

"In that sense, there’s a strong chance that we may be faster on foot than Kim Hyun-Sung himself,” he explained.

‘So.’

“The Outer Gods War,” he said.

“...”

“The point in time where Mr. Kim Hyun-Sung is most likely to remain the longest is during the Outer Gods War. The regression occurred long after the Outer Gods War began, and imposing an ending would consume a considerable amount of time as well.

"If we can’t precisely pinpoint Mr. Kim Hyun-Sung’s location, then entering the point in time where he’s most likely to remain the longest and waiting for him there is...” he said, trailing off.

‘It’s just the obvious answer.’

“It appears to be the option with the highest chance of success,” he added.

It was such a textbook answer that it almost made me yawn. It was an honest, straightforward solution anyone could come up with. Of course, from his perspective, it was true that there were not many alternatives.

Naturally, I hadn’t expected anything particularly creative from him. The sight of him alone easily told me the kind of individual he was. He seemed like someone who lived his entire life avoiding extreme or unconventional ideas.

In a way, it explained Mikael's true identity. He was the type to search for the correct path rather than trying to go around it. The type who would relentlessly push forward until he made a breakthrough.

I wouldn't say I disliked that style. In fact, it was usually the kind of approach I preferred. With him, however, it felt excessive. It was almost as if he were incapable of thinking sideways. He looked like the kind of person who had never jaywalked once in his life.

If I were to live with someone like him, I'd suffocate within a month. Still, this wasn’t the moment to oppose his plan. This was the moment to nod at his plan. Moving to the period of the Outer Gods War was something...

‘...I agreed with anyway.’

If things became messy, the chances of meeting First Lee Ki-Young would increase.

“I... agree.”

“...”

“I may have forgotten what happened in Heren, but I haven’t completely forgotten the flow of the first life. The System permitted regression only as a necessary choice to restore the continent. The moment the continent was judged to have suffered irreparable damage due to the Outer Gods War was probably when Hyun-Sung took Altanus’ place.

"Of course, there may have been other methods, but I think Hyun-Sung’s options were limited,” I explained.

“Then...”

“Yes. It would be best to enter the Outer Gods War. We’ll have to think carefully about what comes after that, of course,” I said.

“Okay.”

There was no need for any more words. Things were still too awkward between us that I couldn't say, “let’s do our best” or “we’ll reach a better future,” as it wouldn't be natural at all.

Instead, I saw him extending his hand toward me. Naturally, I accepted it. We had been in a similar situation, but this time was different. Unlike before, when I felt nothing at all, there was trust between us. The scenery changed as soon as I grabbed his hand.

“We’ll continue moving until we reach the Outer Gods War,” Mikael said.

It wasn't something that could drop us neatly at the exact moment we wanted, so it'd take some time, but it wasn't really problematic.

It felt like we were indeed traveling through time as we slipped through dimensions one after another. Countless scenes flashed past my eyes. We were moving too quickly for me to describe each one, but if I were to exaggerate things, I would say that we were stepping back into the wuthering waves of the first life once again.

“There are places where my past self and the Sunset once stayed together, but...” he said.

“The probability is too low. If we were to find that point and encounter the past Mikael and Hyun-Sung, then the past Mikael would remember. I can’t be certain how actions that alter the future would be modified, but in our current situation, that kind of gamble feels meaningless,” I explained.

"Understood. Then we’ll keep moving,” he said.

When I unconsciously nodded at his words.

‘Uh...’

I see a figure that wasn't supposed to be here. It was only for an instant. We were moving so fast that I doubted whether I truly saw him, but the figure that brushed past my sight was unmistakably staring back at me with the same startled face.

I wanted to say something, but the scenery changed once again.

‘Kasugano Yuno and...’

“...”

‘...Wasn’t that the pig?’

“Aaaaaagh!”

“Help! Aaaagh! RUN!!!”

Just then, golden swords raining from the sky filled my vision.

“Aaaaaagh!”

“Aaaaaagh!”

The golden swords falling like rain and that nauseating color made it clear to me that we reached the Outer Gods War.

***

“Is it true that hyung-nim needs my help? You dragged me along without any explanation, and I followed, but shouldn’t you at least tell me what’s going on?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“...”

“More importantly, where are we? What is this—” He abruptly paused.

“Huh?”

“...”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?!”

“...”

“Wuaaahhh! M-Miss Shaman! I-I think I just saw hyung-nim!” he shouted.

“Is that so?” Kasugano Yuno asked.

“...”

“...”

“No, I’m sure I saw him! He suddenly popped out of thin air with some blond bastard, and then he popped right back out again! It was like a ghost playing tricks! It wasn’t even like teleportation! I can’t explain it properly, but anyway, they just popped in and popped out!” he shouted.

“...”

“I’m pretty sure we even made eye contact! I think... I think I just saw hyung-nim get kidnapped...” he said.

“...”

“I think hyung-nim just got kidnapped!” he exclaimed.