The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 306

An artistic masterpiece—that was what the gothic cathedral with its sharp spire looked like from afar.

But up close, the impression it gave was far from it.

It appeared to have been deserted for decades, with its cracked stained glass and corroded outer walls. And the shroud of black mist serving as its foundation allowed the cathedral to defy the laws of gravity, giving it an ominous look. But aside from that, the cathedral carried little presence.

“What the hell is that?”

“It looks like an illusion.... Is it made from demonic aura?”

The criminals and demons who had taken refuge inside the rainforest gawked at the surreal, grotesque cathedral, frozen in awe. Unlike them, however, the high-ranking heroes moved into action immediately.

“Damn it!”

“Evacuate now!”

The few S-rank heroes left activated emergency spatial teleportation items to escape without hesitation, followed by their subordinates, who fled in confusion. In the blink of an eye, only the ignorant or foolish—those unaware of the floating cathedral’s nature or too brash to retreat—remained in the rainforest.

“Pigritia.”[1]

Dong!

The black bell at the tip of the cathedral spire rang out with a heavy toll from above.

“Uh... what...”

“Wait...”

The sound passed right through their skins and struck at their very souls, shaking them to the core. Simultaneously, the black shroud that covered the sky expanded rapidly, encompassing the entire rainforest—trapping them all inside.

An oppressive weight descended. They could feel it; there was a strange, unrelenting pressure telling them they would never escape.

“I-I have to get out. S-something’s wrong,” stammered one of the criminals trapped inside, their face as pale as a sheet.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re about to give up on everything you’ve done here—”

Crack!

Ignoring his comrades’ jeers, the terrified criminal pulled out a teleportation amulet and shattered it.

“...What?”

But the teleportation spell engraved into it failed to activate. And the next second...

Boom!

A black cross fell from the sky, crushing the man’s body into pulp.

Taken aback, the crushed man’s companions stared in shock, their faces twisting into one of terror seconds later.

“We’re trapped in a high-tier barrier!”

“Run! Get out now!”

It was no enhancement or protective field. In the black shroud, the cathedral’s overwhelming power disrupted the very laws of reality.

Only now did they understand how perilous their situation was. But it was far too late to flee. Their fate was sealed the moment they did so.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Black crosses rained down across the rainforest, smashing escapees into oblivion. The then bell tolled once again, its deep, ominous tone reverberating through the air.

“Gula.”[2]

Thud!

“Argh...”

“You’ve got to be kidding me...”

Some had narrowly avoided the falling crosses, but at the cost of severe injuries. In desperation, they gulped down healing potions.

Squelch!

However, the potions didn’t heal them. The liquid transformed into black spikes inside their bodies, piercing them from within. And once again, agonized screams echoed throughout the rainforest.

Listening to the growing chaos, Se-Hoon raised his gaze to the cathedral—the source of the carnage.

So this is the Cathedral of Penitence.

The barrier imposed laws modeled after the Seven Deadly Sins on all living beings within its bounds. Each had a specific description, which Se-Hoon recalled one by one, remembering what he’d read in the records in the Pilgrimage Church before the regression as well as the explanations given by Karl.

Given how the laws are applied sequentially. Sloth and Gluttony should have just been activated.

Pigritia hunted those attempting to flee, while Gula transformed anything consumed within the domain into a lethal substance. And those were just the most prominent effects. Countless minor conditions existed as well.

“The sanctuary’s laws are ultimately shaped by the caster’s synesthetic mindscape. Don’t get too caught up in the literal names, or you might unwittingly violate the rules.”

Reflecting on Karl’s advice from when he had stayed in Karl’s sanctuary, Se-Hoon fell into thought. But not long later, a sharp noise interrupted him.

Boom!

Down below, Apophis’ head had been obliterated by Eun-Ha’s punch, and its dismembered body had been shredded into mist under Aria’s blade.

“...!”

With the battle ended, Aria turned her gaze toward Se-Hoon, ready to leap after him. Anticipating her reaction, however, Se-Hoon had already brought forth Abgrund, immediately calling on the power of Boundaries.

Swish-

Lines raced through the air, forming a cube that sealed off Aria and Eun-Ha from their surroundings, shielding them from the cathedral’s laws. Seeing that they were safely inside, Se-Hoon gestured at Aria, mouthing a few words: Stay put. Fighting alone is better here.

Visibly displeased, Aria narrowed her eyes, but she refrained from arguing. Ignoring her, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to the cathedral.

Eun-Ha can fill her in on the details. I need to focus on Apostate and the sanctuary now.

Focusing, Se-Hoon propelled himself toward the floating cathedral, using the power of Boundaries to form footholds. Just then, the black bell rang again, as though waiting for his arrival.

“Luxuria.”[3]

Luxuria was a law designed to distort one’s synesthetic mindscape to its extreme. And for those wounded or vulnerable, such a thing could prove devastating. But for now, Se-Hoon felt unaffected.

Or so he thought.

Upon channeling his mana to shatter the cracked stained glass, a surge of pain suddenly wracked his body.

Splurt.

Black blood spilled from his mouth.

“...?!”

Se-Hoon’s eyes widened in shock. His mana and internal organs were thrashing uncontrollably as if possessed by a monstrous force, tearing his body apart from within.

The pain was unbearable.

Crash!

Losing control over his movements, Se-Hoon crashed straight through the stained glass, the shards embedding themselves into his flesh as he tumbled onto the cathedral’s floor. Struggling in pain, Se-Hoon heard a solemn voice echo through the dark chamber.

“Ira.”[4]

From the cathedral's depths came Apostate’s declaration, something that hadn’t been audible outside.

The toll of the bell intensified, amplifying the pressure crushing Se-Hoon’s body. Ira was pushing his body’s physical and mana rampages to their peak, threatening to tear his body apart from within.

Acting instinctively, Se-Hoon roused his earth mana, Divine Power, and wrapped it around his body like a protective coat.

Woong-

Immediately, the Divine Power weakened the effects of the sanctuary’s laws, giving Se-Hoon a moment of respite. With it, he activated Pilgrim’s Prayer to mend his shredded body in an instant.

Fwoosh!

Able to take a breath now that his body was fully restored, Se-Hoon steadied his breathing and looked down at himself in disbelief.

How did I fall under Lust’s law?

Before he could figure it out, though, Apostate’s voice pierced through the darkness, his voice echoing throughout the dim and foreboding cathedral. “What... was that just now?”

Regaining his focus, Se-Hoon turned his gaze toward the source of the sound. Like the exterior of the cathedral, everything inside was upside down. It painted a disorienting scene, making Se-Hoon question whether it was he, himself, who was inverted.

And within that alien landscape stood the source of the voice—Apostate.

Clad in black priestly robes with his face obscured by a veil, Apostate stood before a peculiar statue that loomed above him, standing approximately four meters tall.

The statue, a man bound in a crucifix pose within a split black ring, was broken in places and stained with dark blotches; it was clearly in a state of decay. And yet... the power surging within it was anything but weak.

That must be the core that’s sustaining the sanctuary.

To dismantle the sanctuary, either the statue had to be destroyed or... Apostate had to be subdued. His mind racing, Se-Hoon was analyzing his surroundings when his thoughts were cut through by Apostate’s enraged voice.

“TELL ME!!”

Boom!

Apostate’s mana swept across the cathedral, pressing down like an unrelenting weight. Simultaneously, the laws of the Seven Deadly Sins intensified as well.

However, Se-Hoon just gathered more Divine Power to resist. Then, with deliberate mockery, he taunted, “You already know, don’t you? Or are you just hoping I’ll deny it for you?”

The oozing sarcasm made Apostate flinch, his body trembling.

“You... you truly wield the power of Grace...?” The voice was tinged with disbelief.

“That reason would be why I, out of everyone, was chosen as Grand Archbishop, wouldn’t it?”

Zing!

With those words, Se-Hoon swung his Celestial Infinity Blade, sending White Light and Golden Aura slicing through the air, tearing into Apostate’s head and chest without resistance.

Splatter!

Black blood sprayed, splashing onto the corrupted statue behind Apostate.

Yet Apostate didn’t falter or even flinch. He didn’t seem like an illusion, and Se-Hoon was sure the blow had struck Apostate’s true form.

“This can’t... this can’t be real... it’s impossible... absolutely impossible...”

Apostate stood there frozen, mumbling incoherently—right now, he looked like a grotesque figure muttering to himself in madness.

Unnerved, Se-Hoon decided to strike again, harder. Gathering the power of Boundaries, he drew upon the limitless darkness mana of the Netherworld. Currently, he lacked the expertise to summon the Einherjars, but the sheer raw power of the Netherworld was a weapon unto itself.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

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Thousands of spectral weapons forged from darkness mana rained down on Apostate like artillery shells. They tore apart the inverted cathedral floor, obliterating Apostate’s body with devastating force.

The destructive power was immense, enough to overwhelm even S-rank heroes.

And yet, amidst the wreckage, Apostate neither defended himself nor attempted to evade, just allowing the explosions to engulf him.

“...I see now.”

Suddenly, Apostate’s voice resounded from the chaos, as grim as the shadows surrounding him.

“These are all lies.”

Dong!

The bell's sound echoed from below, disrupting all forces within the cathedral.

“Invidia.”[5]

Apostate's voice filled the void once more.

Fwoosh!

White Light, Golden Aura, and the weapons made from the Netherworld’s darkness mana vanished without a trace. At the same time, both the cathedral, which had been partially destroyed, and Apostate’s body were restored to their original state.

Then, Apostate’s black divine mana roused, recreating and hurling back every single attack Se-Hoon had launched just moments ago with overwhelming force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was the effect of Invidia, which enabled Apostate to reflect all hostile actions directed at him.

Seeing the storm of counterattacks surging toward him, Se-Hoon quickly enveloped himself with the Veil of Whitespace, deflecting the attacks away.

Damn, this is brutal...

Though he had thought his attacks were trivial when he was on the offensive earlier, having to deal with them himself made him realize that even a single hit from any of his own attacks would have left him gravely injured.

Struggling to dodge the barrage, Se-Hoon simultaneously mentally tallied the Seven Deadly Sins that had already been invoked.

That was the fifth one... which leaves two.

Other than Luxuria, the other activated ones had posed no immediate threat to him. However, Se-Hoon’s divine mana wasn’t limitless. He needed to act before his strength was drained.

He began preparing a counterattack while hiding his hostile intent, hoping to bait the final two laws.

“Why aren’t you using the power of Grace?”

Apostate’s voice cut through the tension, the corners of his lips curling upward mockingly beneath the veil over his face.

“If that power you used earlier was truly the power of Grace, you should be able to twist these laws with ease. You could even just form your own sanctuary to counter mine entirely.”

“...”

“Ah. I see, now. Do you have too many other useful abilities to choose from? In that case, let me help you.”

Extending his hand, Apostate roused a dark wave of power that rippled out from the core of the colossal statue behind him, causing it to tremble. Then... the black bell tolled once again.

Dong-

“Avaritia.”[6]

Instantly, all of Se-Hoon’s mana types and powers were forcibly restricted, preventing him from using more than one at a time.

Quickly reacting, Se-Hoon focused his remaining strength solely on activating Pilgrim’s Prayer, forming a gray barrier around himself.

Boom!

Cannon-like bursts of magic rained down, accompanied by Apostate’s enhanced Divine Magic, all seeking to shatter the protective shield.

Crack!

Yet, each time it fractured, Se-Hoon’s barrier just repaired itself. However, Se-Hoon was all too aware that such an approach wouldn’t last. He could feel his strength rapidly depleting, and once it had, Luxuria would prey upon his exhaustion.

He made a snap decision. Stopping the barrier’s source of divine mana, he instead activated Dream Storage.

Shatter!

Unable to repair itself, the barrier was pierced through by a lance made of black divine mana, scattering its remnants all around.

But despite that, Apostate continued to just observe the destruction silently, seemingly unfazed.

Zing!

Shooting out of the debris, a golden spear streaked toward him all of a sudden, radiant and swift.

“...!”

Reacting without delay, Apostate summoned massive giants formed of black divine mana, which then raised their shields to intercept the spear.

BOOM!

Uninhibited, the golden spear tore through the shields and into the giants, cleaving all of them apart before stopping just shy of Apostate’s veil.

And upon seeing it stopped right before him, Apostate extended a finger to touch the spear’s edge.

Fwoosh!

Golden flames raced up his arm.

“Ah...”

Yet Apostate’s expression remained eerily calm, just watching the holy fire consume his left arm.

“The Spear of Purification...”

Apostate’s voice was filled with bitter nostalgia as he observed the golden flames that had once been his own. Once upon a time, the spear, a Holy Artifact of unmatched destructive power, had been wielded by Apostate himself.

Smirking, he shook off the flames, allowing his burned arm to regenerate. Now neither the spear nor the giants remained, vanishing into nothingness, with no trace left behind.

Turning his gaze to Se-Hoon, who was now clutching a pristine white censer, Apostate spoke again. “So that’s what you’ve been using, the Pilgrim’s Incense Burner.”

Now it made sense to him. In the end, it was impossible for one to use a Perfect One’s power without the help of equipment that had their powers imbued in it.

Staring at the censer in Se-Hoon’s hands, another piece of equipment he himself had used in the past, Apostate let out a faint, mocking laugh.

“A clever ploy, pretending you could wield the power of Grace to lure me in. But I wonder...”

“...?”

“You should have accounted for who I used to be. Did you really think that I wouldn’t recognize the difference between the real power of Grace and a mere tool trying to mimic it?”

Apostate sneered, the initial confusion in his expression now gone and replaced by a sharp gaze.

And at that moment, Apostate suddenly recalled the ability Se-Hoon had used earlier.

“Gray divine mana... it seems you’ve realized it,” he remarked.

“Realized what?”

Apostate extended his hand once again, and black divine mana began writhing menacingly on top of it.

“Divine mana is a gift of God, shaped by the prayers you offer. Its effects depend entirely on your intent...” Apostate paused, only resuming a beat later, his voice deeper, laced with a sinister edge. “But the divine mana sought by the Pilgrimage Church... comes from a false idol. A power that is itself a sin, serving only to empower a vile, unworthy existence.”

Se-Hoon remained silent, his expression unreadable. And upon seeing him like that, Apostate continued. “Unconvinced? Then let me explain in terms of the Oracle Cards.”

Woong!

Apostate’s black divine mana split into fragments, forming twelve ominous cards that arranged themselves in a clockwise circle.

“In the world of Divine Magic, prophecy exists. The Church claims it reveals the future through divine insight given by a sacred being who created all worlds. But is that truly the case?”

Flick!

The first card flipped over, revealing the image of a man with his head severed.

“If they can truly foresee the future, why can’t they avoid their own death? Is it because the vision is unclear? Or perhaps they misinterpreted it?”

One by one, the cards continued to flip, each depicting a different death—a soldier falling to arrows, a noble poisoned at his feast, a mage consumed by flames.

Then, when all twelve cards had flipped, Apostate spoke again. “The truth is simple. It’s because they worship a false idol.” His voice had darkened once more.

Apostate’s eyes gleamed with malevolence beneath his veil.

“The golden ring they revere is nothing more than a machine. A mindless entity scattering blessings and curses indiscriminately, ignorant of morality, plunging this world into chaos. THAT... is the so-called God you guys serve!”

His voice reverberated through the cathedral, carrying with it a chilling frost.

“Why would you entrust your lives to a being that cannot distinguish good from evil? A being whose indiscriminate actions cause your pain, your suffering, your deaths? AND YET, YOU STILL PLACE THE SWORD IN ITS HANDS!”

Se-Hoon’s lips pressed into a thin line, his silence more damning than any argument.

“That is not a god fit for humanity! No... I DECLARE it is not, and it must not be!” Apostate passionately shouted his beliefs, his voice trembling with fanatical certainty.

“We deserve to worship a god more perfect and noble than it!”

His cries echoed like the sobs of a fanatic teetering on the edge of despair, full of madness.

But even despite that, Se-Hoon began piecing together the nature of his faith.

“You must understand,” Apostate pressed. “Even if you don’t fully realize it yet, you must have a sense of what the original sin this world has committed is—those so-called blessings and curses bestowed upon us by that false ring.”

“...The Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons,” Se-Hoon replied, his voice steady.

Decades ago, the Towers of Heroes and Abyss of Demons had emerged simultaneously, reshaping humanity’s destiny. They embodied blessings and curses, respectively, influencing all of humanity equally.

“Exactly.” Apostate smiled faintly. “That’s why your divine mana is gray. You’ve realized that the light it offers isn’t all that pure. You too see that the being you call ‘God’ is unworthy of the title.”

“...”

“But that realization isn’t enough. Until we fully reject its existence, the one true God for humanity... will never appear.”

Even though he had become a demon, Apostate continued to refer to himself as a part of humanity, leaving Se-Hoon momentarily speechless.

Then, at last, Se-Hoon finally spoke, asking, “Are you suggesting I should become like you?”

“That wouldn’t be the worst option.” Apostate admitted it casually. “If you do, you could become the one capable of destroying that accursed ring.”

His tone had now softened, his gaze losing some of its edge as well.

“But I can sense you’re not ready for that yet. So I’ll help free you from the chains that bind you.”

Apostate’s dark divine mana immediately spread through the cathedral once his words ended, pooling at the tip of the spire.

Trembling, the black bell rang once more, its ominous toll unleashed the final law.

Dong!

“Superbia.”[7]

The law of Superbia filled the sanctuary, its insidious power seeping into every corner.

Superbia, Apostate’s most dangerous tool, had corrupted countless worshippers and driven them to their deaths. It amplified the doubts buried deep in the heart, causing them to rampage like wildfire.

And Se-Hoon was now its target. It burrowed into his mind, dark mana flickering across his body.

So, this is how it ends. A sense of awe overtook Apostate at the sight.

To him, watching a person get crushed under the weight of truth and then beholding “God” was always a moment of twisted beauty.

However... Se-Hoon grinned just as Apostate was expecting the moment.

“...I see now.”

Slap!

Without hesitation, Se-Hoon struck himself hard across the face, the sound echoing through the cathedral; the black divine mana flickering across him dissipated instantly.

“Wha—?!”

Apostate froze, staring in disbelief. How could corrupted divine mana revert to its pure form?

Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was rubbing his reddened cheek with a frown on his face. “Ugh... Maybe that was a bit too hard,” he muttered.

Still rubbing his cheek, he glanced at Apostate.

“Earlier, you said humanity deserves a more perfect and noble god. And I agree, but...”—his gaze sharpened, piercing through Apostate’s veil—“who exactly is this god you believe in?”

Apostate fell silent, the weight of the question heavy in the air.

Unlike a true fanatic, who would have answered without hesitation, he hesitated, his posture faltering and his gaze wavering.

But his silence wasn’t one of defiance—it was the hesitation of someone unsure if their god would be accepted, or even acknowledged.

“You can’t answer? Fine, I’ll do it for you.”

“Wha—”

Before Apostate could even react, Se-Hoon flared up the power of Grace with Divine Power.

Woong!

Gray light radiated, surging toward the broken statue behind Apostate. Slowly, the statue repaired itself, its features becoming distinct.

And when Apostate turned to face the statue, his eyes went wide.

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

The statue now bore the unmistakable face of Apostate’s so-called God—the Pilgrim, Karl Anderson.

1. Sloth ☜

2. Gluttony ☜

3. Lust ☜

4. Wrath ☜

5. Envy ☜

6. Greed ☜

7. Pride ☜