The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 373

There were multiple names given to label the unprecedented disaster caused by Wurgen. Though, in the end, the one that everyone settled on was “Black Tower Incident,” a metaphorical description of the phenomenon that emerged worldwide.

As for the reasons behind it, there were countless unsettling speculations such as Wurgen had tried to turn all of humanity into undead or he had sought global domination.

However, it was all silenced when the Heroes Association released an official statement.

“Our investigation revealed that this incident was orchestrated by Julia Kruger and other executives of the UD Group in collaboration with the Demon Force...”

According to them, the incident was a coup staged by Wurgen’s offspring to seize the UD Group’s authority and resources. While the second son, one of the primary suspects, disappeared without a trace, all the other conspirators were apprehended by the Association—quickly calming public opinion.

After all, the incident itself was shocking, but there were no casualties, which allowed the matter to settle relatively smoothly. Furthermore, Wurgen’s official successor, Richard, had smoothly inherited the UD Group as per Wurgen’s will.

With everything going smoothly, the investigation results were released, and only then did Richard hold a funeral service.

“The deceased devoted his life to humanity’s safety and progress...”

The funeral was held at the Pilgrimage Church branch in Munich, Germany. Inside the enormous cathedral, the ceremony proceeded solemnly as influential figures from around the world watched in attendance.

There were so many they filled the place, but among all the mourners, the ones that drew the most attention were naturally the Perfect Ones. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

A funeral service conducted by the Pilgrim himself... that’s something.

Well, sure, the Emperor of Ascension has allied with Wurgen before, but what’s the Visionary doing here?

Come to think of it, those three were the ones who handled that coup back then.... Maybe there’s some history between them.

As the funeral’s host, Karl maintained a rigid atmosphere; no one dared to utter a word aloud. Instead, they exchanged only silent glances.

However, Ludwig, sitting in the front row, dared to.

“This is quite unexpected.”

“What is? The crowd outside?” Baek-Yeon casually asked, having checked the subtle barrier surrounding their immediate area to block outside interference.

Although the cathedral itself was packed with people, the sight outside was even more striking: a sea of mourners gathered to pay their respects to Wurgen. Looking out, the number of attendees had easily surpassed ten thousand. Given the infamous reputation of the UD Group, it was an unexpected sight.

“Is that really so unexpected? Regardless of his flaws, he was still a hero who saved countless lives.”

“Then what is unexpected to you?”

Ludwig smiled at Baek-Yeon’s sharp retort.

“That fact that you attended this funeral. I didn’t think you would show up.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You’ve never liked Wurgen, have you? Wasn’t there even a time you threatened to shoot him down, saying someone like him shouldn’t become a Perfect One?”

“That’s from a long time ago. Are you seriously bringing that up now?”

Stopping Ludwig before he could delve deeper into the past, Baek-Yeon’s gaze shifted to Wurgen’s coffin at the front. Despite its ceremonial adornment, the coffin was empty.

“I didn’t hate him that much. We had much in common, after all.”

Many believed that when the coup in Europe occurred, the Perfect Ones had coordinated in advance to suppress it. However, that had never been the case.

On the day of the coup, Ludwig, Wurgen, and Baek-Yeon had each acted independently, driven solely by their respective values. There was no prior discussion at all.

“Wurgen did value the preservation of order in our society as well.”

“Of course, it made playing the role of the rich tycoon much easier for him.”

Wurgen had stopped the coup simply because it threatened his ability to run his group.

With the past brought up, Baek-Yeon reminisced about the times she had fought together with Wurgen during the war before organizing her thoughts and changing the subject.

“By the way, there’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“This recent shift in the law of death... was it Lee Se-Hoon’s doing?”

Ludwig remained silent for a moment.

“He doesn’t seem to know much about it himself. It appears to have been a coincidence.”

“Ah, I thought so too...”

If Se-Hoon had been aware of such potential from the start, the world’s trajectory would have changed long ago. Reflecting on the massive upheaval triggered by Wurgen’s death, Baek-Yeon became more somber.

“Then what do you think of this?”

Though it was a bit too late to question whether Se-Hoon’s influence was extraordinary after everything that had happened, the recent developments were far too unprecedented, even by the standards of a Perfect One.

The shift of the once thought unchangeable laws of the world—an act akin to rewriting the past—was something even the Perfect Ones had never been able to achieve.

“Are you asking whether this will be a blessing or a curse for us?”

“...”

Taking Baek-Yeon’s silence as confirmation, Ludwig, noticing the cautious look in her eyes, couldn’t help but smile. The fact that even someone as far-sighted as Baek-Yeon was feeling uneasy meant that the butterfly effect Se-Hoon was creating was undeniably profound.

“If even you can’t predict it, how would I know?”

“Damn it...”

“Besides, what does it matter which it is?” Turning his gaze back to Wurgen’s coffin, Ludwig continued calmly. “Blessings are to be embraced, and curses are to be overcome. The key is to keep moving forward, regardless of the changes we face.”

Indeed, Wurgen had moved forward until the very end and successfully changed the world according to his vision. If Se-Hoon could bring about such transformations, wasn’t that enough?

“...”

Baek-Yeon frowned at Ludwig’s philosophy-laden response before eventually letting out a sigh.

“Your subordinates must have it rough.”

“Don’t worry. I make sure they’re rewarded for the results.”

“Tsk...”

With nothing more to say, Baek-Yeon clicked her tongue and continued her thoughts about Se-Hoon.

In the end, it’s not about what we think... but about how he perceives this situation.

All the changes happening now stemmed from Se-Hoon. Therefore, his intentions would ultimately be the most decisive variable. And although the shift in the law of death was purely coincidental, it was entirely possible Se-Hoon could cause such changes to the laws of the world again and again.

...This is going to be a headache.

Letting out another sigh, Baek-Yeon suddenly sensed something strange. She immediately expanded her vision, scanning her surroundings.

“Hm? Where did that guy go?”

Unlike others, who would need to learn an entirely new skill or sharpen their senses to perceive their surroundings as well as Baek-Yeon, she just naturally saw everything within the area. That was why, even though Se-Hoon had briefly stepped away earlier, he’d still been visible—until now, that is.

Just as Baek-Yeon was about to expand her field of vision further, suspecting he might’ve hidden somewhere discreet, she heard Ludwig’s voice.

“He’s probably gone to the Netherworld.”

“The Netherworld? Why would he go there all of a sudden?”

“It’s the day of the funeral, isn’t it? He might’ve thought someone could be there today.”

In the past, such a statement would have been dismissed as nonsense. However, knowing how the Netherworld had changed recently, Baek-Yeon quickly understood.

And she could only let out a bitter laugh because of it.

“What a strange world this has become.”

***

Swoosh-

Gentle, dark waves rolled in from beyond the horizon. Looking at the sea would usually bring back unpleasant memories of the time before his regression, but today, the sky was blue, softening the ominous feeling considerably.

“...”

The dark waves surged forward once more, washing over the white sandy beach before retreating again.

Silently watching and listening, Se-Hoon stood there quietly, when suddenly, an unexpected event occurred.

“Ugh...! Cough, cough!”

A man, pushed ashore by the waves, emerged coughing and spluttering. He staggered to his feet, looking around with a bewildered expression.

“Wh—What? How am I...?”

The man clearly remembered falling off a cliff after losing his footing. So why was he now standing on a coastline?

Struggling to make sense of the situation, the man soon noticed Se-Hoon approaching.

His eyes widened in shock, recognizing Se-Hoon.

“Lee Se-Hoon?”

Although they’d never met in person, Se-Hoon’s face was impossible not to recognize, considering his image frequently appeared in the news and papers.

“Yes, that’s me,” Se-Hoon replied casually.

“Why am I here...? No, more importantly, where is this place...?”

“This is the Netherworld. I assume you’ve just died,” Se-Hoon replied indifferently.

The man’s jaw dropped. He had sensed that something was wrong when he fell, but the revelation that he had actually died was beyond his comprehension.

Everything around him felt too vivid for it to be a dream.

“Th-This can’t be...”

“Look over there. Do you really think you’ll see anything like that in the real world?”

Following the direction Se-Hoon was pointing, the man turned his gaze and saw a towering black pillar stretching into the heavens. It looked strikingly similar to the photographs of the Black Tower Incident he’d seen in the news.

But, because the Heroes Association had declared the incident resolved, the place he was in clearly wasn’t part of the normal world.

“I... I really did die...”

Accepting he had indeed died, the man’s face twisted in despair. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about what would happen to his family now that he was gone.

“Hm? Why are you crying?”

Se-Hoon looked genuinely confused.

“Why...? Because I’m dead, obviously...”

“Oh? Ah, you haven’t heard the news yet. Hmm... I guess we need to publicize this a bit more.”

Se-Hoon was being so calm that the man, wallowing in sorrow, only felt more and more indignant.

Just as he was about to explode in frustration, though, Se-Hoon’s next words left him speechless.

“You do know that you can come back to life after you die, right?”

“...What?”

“There are certain conditions that need to be met, but... hm, when are these bastards going to show up?”

Se-Hoon glanced around, and soon, a skeleton riding a skeletal horse galloped toward them from a distance, stopping right next to the two of them.

“Apologies for being late!”

“Never mind that. Take care of this person first.”

“Understood!”

The skeleton, clearly nervous, turned to the man and materialized a black document from thin air.

“Let’s see here... are you Mr. Rudolf Lager?”

“Yes... that’s me.”

“Your cause of death is falling from a cliff. Occupation: accountant. Hmm, you weren’t completely talentless, so why didn’t you exercise more?”

“I-I’m sorry...?”

Still unable to grasp the situation, Rudolf stammered, apologizing out of sheer confusion.

“From now on, you’ll undergo the training in the Netherworld before undergoing the Eternal Nocturne’s Trials. You can give up midway, but you will most likely face complete death at that point, so keep it in mind.”

Rudolf was about to ask why he needed to go through such trials, but the next words of the skeleton silenced him.

“If you successfully complete the trials, you’ll be immediately resurrected in the living world.”

“...?!”

“Details about visitation rights or sponsorship programs will be explained once you arrive at the training camp. Now, let’s get going.”

Having finished its explanation, the skeleton helped Rudolf onto the skeletal horse.

Still dazed, Rudolf glanced back at Se-Hoon. Even though he had more or less understood, the abruptness of it all left him reeling.

That was why Se-Hoon offered a brief explanation upon noticing. “Think of it as a bonus life. It’s a system created by Sir Wurgen. Try to give it your all for the sake of your family.”

“Th—Thank you so much!”

Realizing he had been given another chance at life, Rudolf’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude. He shouted his thanks as the skeleton carried him inland on its skeletal horse.

And once they disappeared from view, Se-Hoon turned his gaze back to the sea where Rudolf had appeared.

“Some of this was due to my influence... but it really has changed a lot.”

The old Netherworld had been a complete mess, unfit to serve as an afterlife. Souls that died could be temporarily preserved as undead, but if they lingered too long, they would dissolve into darkness, losing their sense of self entirely. It had been a system more horrifying than simple death, which was why Wurgen had deeply regretted its existence.

However, during the brief instant when he had broken free from the shackles of his synesthetic mindscape, Wurgen had finally gained the chance to restructure the Netherworld entirely, guided by his newfound vision.

Now, those who have reached the end of their lifespan can find peace in the sea of the Netherworld, while those with lingering regrets are given another chance.

The exact criteria remained unclear, but Wurgen’s final emotions suggested that any death outside of natural causes would likely qualify.

While there are still those that die inside the Tower of Heroes... Ludwig’s research should solve that issue.

For humanity, death—except from natural causes—had now transformed into a trial that could be overcome. Even natural deaths might change as well, especially when considering how heroes’ extended lifespans and physical resilience were advancing.

It was entirely possible the average human lifespan would skyrocket to several centuries.

I guess this isn’t the time to be worrying about butterfly effects.

Se-Hoon reflected on the system he had helped Wurgen create. Was it a blessing for humanity? Or a curse? Though it was controversial, he came to a simple answer: As long as people can live without regrets, that’s enough.

Just as Rudolf had been given, many more would also be given second chances under the newly devised system. Protecting the outside world so those second chances wouldn’t go to waste—that was enough for now.

Swoosh-

The sound of the waves filled the air again, and Se-Hoon noticed several others making their way inland from the sea. Some had died long ago but still managed to appear, though it seemed they no longer had lingering attachments.

“Perhaps waking them right after they’ve finally come to rest is a bit harsh...”

Realizing the funeral must have ended by now, Se-Hoon closed the barrier and returned to reality.

The cathedral was much quieter now, with most of the attendees having left. Likewise, Se-Hoon, too, began heading outside. He considered checking on Richard but decided to wait until later, when the workload had lessened.

Now then, what should I do first...

As Se-Hoon mulled over his tasks while walking out, a familiar voice called out from behind him.

“Lee Se-Hoon.”

Turning around, he saw Heroes Association President Gregory approaching.

“Do you have a moment to talk?”

“What is it?”

A moment of silence ensued. Then, Gregory got down to business in a grave tone.

“I want to discuss the matter of the Perfect Ones.”

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