The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 374

Inside the small cafe near the cathedral, which was devoid of both customers and the owner, Se-Hoon gazed at Gregory.

Sitting across from Se-Hoon, Gregory took off his sunglasses and sipped his jet-black coffee with a weary expression. He looked more mentally drained than physically exhausted.

“It seems you have been quite busy,” Se-Hoon said, beginning the conversation.

“I didn’t really have much choice with a case like this at hand. Looks like I’ll be pulling all-nighters for the next few days.”

Seeing the bitter smile on Gregory’s face, Se-Hoon gave him a sympathetic look.

As a former S-rank hero, Gregory could easily go without sleep for weeks. However, that didn’t mean he was immune to fatigue. Moreover, considering that the cases he handled didn’t just concern the Heroes Association but also had global ramifications, the stress he would need to endure was bound to accumulate.

“Hmm... if a brilliant student were to lend a hand...”

“I’m sorry.”

“...Well, yeah. I wouldn’t have accepted it either if I were you.”

Gregory took another sip of coffee, his expression laced with bitterness.

Seeing that, Se-Hoon awkwardly changed the subject.

“Thank you for handling this case smoothly.”

The Heroes Association had officially identified the culprits behind the incident as the Demon Force and Wurgen’s offspring. However, in actuality, Wurgen himself should have been included.

Thanks to Tuner and Julia, he wasn’t, but in truth, Wurgen had indeed created the replicas of himself, intending to seize control of the entire world.

“It wasn’t really intentional.... The conclusion was simply drawn that way due to a lack of concrete evidence.”

“Still, you could have raised your own suspicions. But you chose not to, didn’t you?”

Though Wurgen’s influence lingered, it wasn’t as untouchable as when he was alive. If the Association truly wanted to act, they could have taken down not only Wurgen’s legacy but also the UD Group.

Yet, Gregory had opted to let the truth remain concealed rather than expose it.

“We must never let a Perfect One become humanity’s enemy.”

Humanity had never lost hope—despite losing a third of the earth to contamination and battling the Demon Force for decades—because the Perfect Ones were there as their last line of insurance.

If the people learned that those very beings they placed their trust in harbored the power to annihilate humanity at will? That revelation could be even more dangerous than the death of a Perfect One.

He has a point.

Se-Hoon recalled when Aria had turned into the Destroyer of Light. The impact of that transformation had been even greater than the previous deaths of the Perfect Ones.

Suicide rates had surged, and many had defected to the Demon Force. Given that, Gregory’s judgment was undeniably correct.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask you about that.”

“Go ahead.”

“About the change in the Netherworld—or rather, the change in the very definition of death. Can you explain what happened?”

At the climax of the Black Tower Incident, the dead had returned to life. It was an unprecedented phenomenon that captured the attention of the Association and global leadership alike.

And the only person who knew the truth behind it was Se-Hoon.

I need to fully understand how it happened, Gregory thought, becoming serious.

Thankfully, it had worked in humanity’s favor. Next time, however, there was no telling what might happen.

A moment of silence passed as Se-Hoon fell into contemplation.

Then, awkwardly scratching his head, Se-Hoon admitted, “Honestly... I’m not sure either.”

“...Are you serious?”

“Yes. It was a complete fluke.”

Of course, he had his suspicions.

The restructured Tower of Heroes. Wurgen’s lingering remnants within it. Bond Recreate which had been triggered using those remnants. And even Wurgen’s unique situation, where only his power of Boundaries had spiraled out of control.

There were too many variables to pinpoint a definitive cause.

“To put it simply, Wurgen ceased to be a Perfect One briefly. In that window, there was a change to his synesthetic mindscape, which triggered the phenomenon.”

“Hmm... So you’re saying you don’t know why it happened?”

“That’s right.”

Back then, he had an inexplicable certainty that things would work out. But now, after the matter? He couldn’t even begin to explain why he had felt that way.

It was nothing short of a miracle, meaning he couldn’t say for sure if the same thing could happen to other Perfect Ones.

“I see...”

Gregory fell into deep thought, letting out a long sigh a pause later.

“Maybe it’s for the best.”

Though relieved, he still looked troubled, which Se-Hoon picked up on immediately.

“Is there hostility being built up around the Perfect Ones?”

“Not hostility... more like unease.”

Throughout history, there had always been those who feared the power of the Perfect Ones. It was just that no one had dared to voice it outright.

After all, expressing such concerns wouldn’t change anything. Unlike ordinary heroes, they couldn’t be restrained or sanctioned.

“In the past, the incidents involving Perfect Ones were within acceptable bounds. But this time, it’s different.”

“...”

“Now that people have been reminded that a single whim from a Perfect One could wipe out humanity, who wouldn’t be afraid?”

For decades, peace had remained unbroken—and now it had shattered. Though it was the first such incident, its sheer scale had inevitably sown fear toward the Perfect Ones.

And naturally, discussions on coming up with countermeasures against them started surfacing in various places.

“It makes sense for people to be uneasy.”

“I apologize. That must have been a bit uncomfortable for you to hear.”

“No, I understand completely.”

If anything, Se-Hoon was more wary of the Perfect Ones than anyone else. Unlike those who judged them solely by observing their powers, he had experienced them firsthand—however imperfectly—and knew their true natures.

“Unfortunately, such countermeasures will be meaningless.”

If humanity wanted to plan for any potential rampages of the Perfect Ones, they needed to draw closer to them, not push them away. Wurgen had only been vulnerable to him and Tuner precisely because they had studied and understood his power.

“...”

Gregory fell silent, deep in thought.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he finally spoke. “The truth is, I’ve been wary of the Perfect Ones for quite a while..”

“Since when?”

“Since the moment I became the president of the Heroes Association.”

Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had heard from Richard that Gregory had his own views on the Perfect Ones, but he hadn’t expected it to go back so far.

“I always thought you respected them.”

“I just have no choice but to respect them. If they regard the Association as their enemy, they could destroy us with a single snap.”

The only reason the Heroes Association continued to exist was because the Perfect Ones allowed it to. If they changed their minds, the Association—even humanity’s entire power structure—could crumble overnight.

“Have you heard about the time I resigned, and a new president took over, only to be removed three years later?”

“Yes, I have.”

“People say he was ousted for his harsh policies—mandatory service, penal battalions, and the like—but the truth is different.”

On the surface, the policies alone were enough to warrant removal. However, if he had the Perfect Ones’ support, he could have remained in power.

But the new president had made a fatal mistake.

“He demanded funding—no, let’s call it what it was: a bribe—from the UD Group, the Pilgrimage Church, and even Babel. He said he deserved compensation for his hard work.”

“...That’s quite the bold move.”

To say such a thing to the Perfect Ones made him, in a way, even more daring than Gregory.

“Within two days after that, he was removed from his position, and I was reinstated. That whole situation...”

“Was orchestrated by you to remind people of the Perfect Ones’ authority,” Se-Hoon cut in, finishing for Gregory.

“...Precisely.”

As the president of the Heroes Association, Gregory faced long-standing criticism. His sudden resignation had always seemed suspicious, and many had speculated internal conflict or a forced retirement.

But it turned out that it had been tied to the Perfect Ones’ decision all along.

“In the eyes of the Perfect Ones, the Association isn’t really a necessity. If they perceive it as an obstacle, what do you think will happen?”

“The Association would cease to exist right from there.”

“Exactly. And as we saw with Wurgen, it could escalate into a global crisis.”

Though an extreme scenario, it was not an entirely implausible one, given the recent incident.

Se-Hoon faced Gregory, finally understanding what he was aiming for.

“You’re looking for a way to ease people’s concerns.”

“I’ve already found the solution. The question is... can we—no, you—carry it out?”

Gregory revealed his plan.

“There’s talk within the Association about launching an expedition into one of the Six Great Demon Realms—either the Silent Volcano or the Forest of Repetition.”

“The Six Great Demon Realms?”

“They think we have a chance of clearing either after this incident. They’re quite serious about it.”

Expeditions into the Six Great Demon Realms were a frequent topic within the Association. However, they were rarely executed due to the extreme conditions—not just those within the realm but also in the contaminated lands beyond the Pilgrimage Path.

It’s not a place where humans can survive, and monsters appear endlessly.

There was also the appearance of the Ten Evils, which made the area beyond even more dangerous.

But recently, everything changed.

Through the Six Gates of the Netherworld that Se-Hoon and Wurgen had created, the undead army constantly pushed forward, creating an opening for humanity to exploit.

“If we get even one Perfect One to join the expedition, it could help quell the current unease.”

While it wouldn’t completely quell the fear, it was better than doing nothing.

Having finished his explanation, Gregory looked at Se-Hoon expectantly.

“What do you think?”

In thought, Se-Hoon nodded only after a pause.

“Let’s do it.”

“...Are you sure?”

Gregory had expected hesitation, considering the potential conflict with the Perfect Ones. But Se-Hoon had barely considered it.

“I was already planning to clear the Silent Volcano sometime soon. Might as well do it now.”

“I see...”

Had anyone else said that, Gregory would have been skeptical. With Se-Hoon, though, who had already cleared the City of Nightmares, it was entirely believable.

For the first time, Gregory felt a glimmer of hope. But just as he started to relax... he had to tense up once again.

“You’d better be prepared, though.”

A cryptic remark.

“Prepared... for what?”

“What is an opportunity for us... is a crisis for them.”

Se-Hoon’s gaze sharpened as he thought about the movements of those beyond the Pilgrimage Path.

“The Demon Force will be preparing for us as well.”

***

In a tiny puppet theater, five finger-sized dolls, connected by translucent strings, slowly rose to their feet.

“What about Tuner and Beast King?”

It was the doll who resembled Doppelganger that posed the question.

To it, the doll resembling Puppeteer indifferently answered, “Tuner is missing, and Beast King is recovering. All five of his hearts were destroyed, so he won’t be fighting anytime soon.”

“A mess, huh.... What about you, Puppeteer?”

“I have my own plans. The preparations are nearly complete.”

Doppelganger scanned the stage.

Only three of the Ten Evils were present. And of Watchers, only Offering and Transcendence had attended.

Compared to their former strength, they were in shambles. And yet...

“Not terrible at all.”

Doppelganger actually found their current situation preferable. In the past, Dream Demon and, more recently, Tuner had acted as their restraints. But with them gone, only those who shared its goals remained.

It was finally its time to shine, so Doppelganger turned to one figure.

“Demon’s Edge.”

“...”

A stitched-up puppet looked back.

Gazing at the ragged form, Doppelganger spoke as if declaring a prophecy.

“You... will become the next Harbinger of Destruction.”

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