The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 242

Why does it have to be him...?

Se-Hoon frowned.

Like Puppeteer, Tuner never hesitated to use living beings even as mere test subjects, ranking him high among the most-wanted Ten Evils list. He had racked up a notorious record, having collaborated with Watchers to create the Destroyer of Swords.

And because of that, Tuner was one of Se-Hoon's most feared demons.

Whenever he showed up, it always meant disaster.

Unlike Puppeteer, who simply acted without fear of failure, Tuner only ever appeared if he was basically certain of his success—making the fact that he had revealed himself first a clear sign the situation was already heading south.

And seeing how Wurgen isn’t here...

Se-Hoon’s mind raced as he tried to assess the situation. Meanwhile, Tuner, who had been observing him, began showing a flicker of interest.

“You’re calmly assessing the situation instead of panicking... that’s something only the seasoned ones do.”

Stroking the chin of his mask, Tuner appeared to be pondering something. Then, when his hand stopped, he seriously asked, “Did you undergo brain surgery?”

“...”

“No? But that kind of attitude isn’t something you can acquire just by studying.... You’re quite a peculiar guy.”

Seeing Tuner casually tilt his head, completely relaxed, Se-Hoon frowned again.

Looks like getting Wurgen’s help is out of the question.

Given how at ease Tuner seemed, it was obvious he had somehow neutralized Wurgen.

“What you’re thinking is right. He won’t be back for at least an hour... maybe thirty minutes if he’s lucky,” Tuner suddenly said with a faint smile, having guessed what Se-Hoon was thinking.

“...What did you do to him?”

Se-Hoon tried his best to remain calm. Right now, what he needed the most was information he could utilize.

“It’s nothing impressive.”

Creak-

Seemingly in a cooperative mood, Tuner did something and something underneath his robe began creaking. Moments later, an arm—a grotesque creation of various body parts stitched together—emerged from his back. The arm, though thin, was as long as Tuner was tall. However, what stood out the most were the bones that were exposed.

Aren’t those bones...

Recognizing the magic formulas inscribed all over the bones, Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed.

Noticing his reaction, Tuner chuckled. “All I did was pick up something that old man clumsily dropped. How does it look? It’s pretty well-made, right?”

Smirking, Tuner playfully wiggled the artificial arm crafted using Wurgen’s bones.

He tampered with Wurgen’s power of boundary and banished Wurgen to another realm.

With the information he now knew, Se-Hoon quickly pieced together that it was a similar method to what he had done recently when he used the Dream Demon’s Eye to bring down the Pleasure District.

Realizing how dire the situation was, Se-Hoon looked grimly at Tuner.

“...It doesn’t seem like you made that in just a day or two.”

“Of course not; it took ages. Not sure if you know this, but a Perfect One’s body part is far more troublesome than you’d think. Every time I tried to modify it, it resisted so much that I ended up wasting a ton of materials...”

From how Tuner eagerly responded, it almost seemed like he was genuinely excited to share the processes he had gone through to create this artificial arm. But why?

What is he really trying to do here?

Even if he had thirty minutes to spare, there was no reason for Tuner to waste time like he was. Raising his guard even further due to the oddity, Se-Hoon suddenly felt an odd pulse reverberate from his heart.

Thump-

His whole body flinched. Realizing his blood flow had been disrupted, Se-Hoon looked at Tuner, meeting his intent gaze directly.

“I see... time’s not exactly on my side, is it?”

Remembering he had invoked Amir's powers and memories to defeat the Dream Demon, Se-Hoon figured out that they were beginning to spiral out of control.

“You seem to know about your body well.”

“Of course. It’s my body, after all. I’m more familiar with it than anyone,” Se-Hoon retorted bluntly.

He rapidly assessed his condition. He had about five minutes left, two if he were to engage in a fight. However, could he even defeat Tuner, who now also wielded Wurgen's boundary power, in such a short time?

Filled to the brim with doubts, Se-Hoon racked his brain for a solution. Watching him quietly, Tuner suddenly made an offer.

“How about becoming my assistant?”

It was a completely unexpected proposal.

“...What?”

Unable to believe his ears, Se-Hoon looked at Tuner in shock.

Tuner, however, looked completely serious. “I don’t usually make offers like this, but you seem promising. You’ve got talent, and you even have the brains to defeat the Dream Demon and a Harbinger of Destruction.”

To Tuner, it didn’t matter whether one received help from others or exploited the weakness of their opponents as long as they managed to accomplish their goal. And he considered Se-Hoon to be someone who could accomplish any goal he set his mind to.

“What do you say? It’s not every day you get scouted by someone like me.”

It was an absurd offer, so Se-Hoon frowned. But at that moment, Tuner looked like he had just come up with a great idea.

“Here’s the deal. If you become my assistant, I’ll let your friends live. I’m not really interested in them, anyway.”

“...”

“But if you refuse, I'll use all of them as test subjects. And guess who will be in charge of their experiments? That’s right—you, after I rewire your brain.”

Sacrifice himself to save everyone or face the worst outcome with them? Actually contemplating Tuner’s offer, Se-Hoon’s mind churned.

Is following him really the best option?

Knowing Tuner’s propensity for body modification, becoming his assistant likely meant also being “enhanced” in some horrific way. But refusing now would only force a battle he wasn’t confident he could win. In that case, perhaps it was better to go along with Tuner’s offer and wait for an opportunity to exploit a weakness later.

But then the question is: will he show any weaknesses?

Rerouting his train of thought to the current circumstances and what Tuner’s true motives actually were, Se-Hoon soon came up with an idea.

“...I have one question.”

“Hurry up and ask. Your condition is not looking too great, and I’d hate to waste such fine material.”

Having gained permission, Se-Hoon hesitated no longer.

“Why did you show up only after everything was over?”

“Huh? Of course, that’s because—”

“Wurgen was too strong, so you waited to strike until he was exhausted after fighting the Dream Demon?”

Cutting Tuner off mid-sentence with his own guess, Se-Hoon sharpened his gaze.

“While that’s a plausible explanation, it’s also strange. An undead with near-infinite mana wouldn’t weaken just because of a single fight.”

If Tuner wanted to exploit a moment of weakness, striking during the battle was the only way it would have made more sense. So then, why did he show up only after it was over?

“Sure, it would've been better if I struck while you guys were fighting. But I wasn’t exactly slacking off. Do you have any idea who was keeping the Emperor of Ascension tied up...”

Tuner’s mouth froze. He had tried to be as casual as possible, but upon meeting Se-Hoon’s piercing gaze, he immediately realized he was just like a child caught with a poor excuse.

“...Did that geezer already tell you he couldn’t help?

“Yes. He apologized for not being able to assist this time.”

Tuner sighed. “That old fool... he should’ve just kept to his kind act,” he muttered bitterly.

“With coming here late because of Ludwig off the list, the only explanation left is... well, I’ll just cut to the chase since I’m running out of time.”

Straightening his posture, Se-Hoon locked eyes with Tuner.

“You want the Harbinger Shard that enabled the creation of the Destroyer of Fragmentation and the rebirth of the Dream Demon, right?”

The Ten Evils were notorious for their lack of cooperation, and even the Six Harbingers of Destruction only just began working together after the full-scale war against humanity had already erupted. Back then, when Tuner was always active in the war, it wasn't because of camaraderie.

“If the Dream Demon won, it would’ve benefited the Demon Force. And if they perished, you could have still used their corpse as research material. Either way, you would have come out ahead, right?”

“...”

“Am I wrong? I guess this is useless then.”

Shrugging, Se-Hoon raised his hand and prepared to crush the Dream Demon’s frozen heart.

“Wait, wait! Okay, I surrender.”

But upon seeing that, Tuner rapidly raised his three arms in a panic.

“You're right! Everything you said is true! Just, please, don’t destroy that. I’m begging you!”

The relaxed demeanor from before was completely gone, replaced by a desperate one. The sudden shift in his attitude was almost comical, but Se-Hoon knew better than to let his guard down.

“If you destroy that, I might actually lose it and tear you apart on the spot. You wouldn't want that, right? As reasonable members of society, let’s talk it out peacefully.”

Though Se-Hoon had uncovered Tuner’s true objective, the situation still hadn’t turned in his favor. He needed to be cautious.

Considering the time I have left...

Feeling the aftermath of Bond Recreate growing stronger, Se-Hoon focused his gaze on Tuner and made a counter-offer. “Here’s the deal. I’ll give you both the Dream Demon’s heart and the core of the Harbinger Shard, but you’ll let me and my friends go.”

“That should be—”

“And you’re going to hand over the arm made from Wurgen’s bones.”

Unlike before, Tuner showed a hint of displeasure at the added demand.

“Don’t you think you’re asking for a bit too much?”

“Not at all. Unless you give me that arm, I don’t actually have a chance to escape from you.”

In a world where even normal human beings couldn’t trust one another’s words, how could he trust the words of a demon? Knowing very well that there was no room for negotiation on that point, Se-Hoon remained firm.

“You’ve got plenty more of those body parts back at your workshop anyway, don’t you? It’s not like you’re running out of them.”

“You're underestimating the value of a Perfect One’s body parts quite a bit.”

“No, I know exactly what they’re worth. You can swap them out anytime you desire, but you'll never have another opportunity to acquire this heart.”

Staring down Tuner, Se-Hoon tightened his grip on the Dream Demon’s heart with a serious look.

“If you don’t decide in the next ten seconds, I’ll crush this thing, and we can fight to the death. No compromises.”

“...”

Studying Se-Hoon, Tuner reached behind his back without hesitation after a long silence.

Crrrkkk!

The sound of tearing flesh and bone rang out. Holding out the artificial arm, Tuner waited for Se-Hoon to uphold his end.

“Your turn. Take out the Harbinger Shard.”

Seeing that Tuner had accepted the deal, Se-Hoon took a deep breath and placed his hand on his chest.

If he catches on, it’s over.

Tuner still didn’t know that the Harbinger Shard had been destroyed. Or, more accurately, he never even imagined it could be destroyed. But if he somehow found out, then Se-Hoon knew that not only would the deal be off, but Tuner might even decide to pounce immediately.

I need to be extra careful...

Fwoosh-

Opening the Dream Storage, Se-Hoon reached into his chest. At the same time, he triggered the new skill he acquired, Metamorphosing Dreams.

Swish-

However, having just acquired it, he hadn’t had the time to understand the full effects of the skill, but he had a general idea.

Within the Dream Storage, a dream coalesced at his fingertips and rapidly transformed into a cocoon. Then, when it completed its metamorphosis and materialized into reality, Se-Hoon calmly pulled it out of his chest when he felt the familiar texture in his hand.

Woong-

He held a dark crimson gemstone radiating with power. With just his experience before the regression and what he witnessed earlier, Se-Hoon successfully created a convincing fake Harbinger Shard.

“Here, take a look.”

A tense silence hung in the air. Tuner was studying the fake Harbinger Shard carefully, his expression unreadable as if he had detected something was off.

However, Se-Hoon made sure to meet his gaze without blinking.

I won’t let him see through this.

While it wasn’t quite at the level of the original Harbinger Shard, the fake was close enough in terms of power. Having dealt with the real Harbinger Shard numerous times, Se-Hoon was confident in his craftsmanship as a blacksmith to create a flawless replica.

After a long, tense silence, Tuner finally spoke. “How should we handle the exchange?”

Tuner dropped his suspicions—realizing that, Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Extend your arm first, and then I’ll temporarily control it with the power of the boundary. When I’ve secured control, I’ll throw the items.”

“Aren’t you taking this a bit too lightly?”

“You most likely have something hidden in that arm, anyway. There's no perfect way to ensure a clean deal in this situation.”

It was a fact that both of them were trying to tilt the odds in their favor as much as possible.

Tuner faintly smiled. “I like that straightforwardness of yours.”

“Well then, should we?”

Woong-

A condensed line of energy extended from Se-Hoon’s feet toward the Tuner, who was holding out his artificial arm.

Swish-

When the power of the boundary wrapped around the arm, Wurgen’s bones responded naturally from within it and reinforced the boundary.

Checking that the connection had been properly established, Se-Hoon hurled the Dream Demon’s heart and the fake Harbinger Shard high into the air.

Boom!

And just as expected, Tuner immediately charged at Se-Hoon.

Frost Alchemy: Winter Thorn

Crack-crack-crack!

As the ground froze, enormous ice spikes shot up like trees. But Tuner just casually swung his arms, shattering the spikes with ease.

Crash!

With another flick of his wrist, Tuner shattered even more spikes. Of course, Se-Hoon hadn’t intended for the attack to be effective—it was simply a distraction, one to give him the time he needed to control the artificial arm.

Creak! Crack!

Each time Se-Hoon manipulated the power of the boundary wrapping around it, the arm twisted violently and resisted his control. The bones were properly responding; it was the other grafted parts resisting.

“That arm already recognizes itself as part of my body!”

Sneering, Tuner shattered the remaining ice spikes and closed the remaining distance to Se-Hoon.

Abgrund.

Summoned, the pitch-black sword hurled straight toward the Tuner from the boundary behind Se-Hoon that split open.

“?!”

Tuner instinctively crossed his arms to block.

Clang!

Abgrund pierced the bone and muscle of his arms, driving Tuner backward as he attempted to withstand its immense momentum. Continuing its charge, the blade inched toward his head, ready to pierce through. Finally, feeling the danger at that moment, Tuner activated the spells and incantations etched into his arms.

Squeeze!

His arms doubling in size, he gripped the blade tightly and dug his heels into the ground, stopping it just inches from his mask.

What... is this...?

Tuner was thoroughly astonished by the unexpected power of Abgrund. And in that moment of distraction, Se-Hoon seized control of the artificial arm.

Boom!

The arm burst, leaving only Wurgen’s bones which Se-Hoon quickly retrieved. With them now in his hands, Se-Hoon cast necromancy spells on the bones to temporarily prevent them from slipping back into the Netherworld.

Ghoosh!

Gaining a moment of respite, Se-Hoon reached out toward the sky in the direction he threw the Dream Demon’s heart and fake Harbinger Shard.

Woong-

Attaching Shadow Threads to the items, Se-Hoon used them to wrap a Veil of Whitespace around the two objects.

Done...!

With that measure in place, there was no way for Tuner to interfere with the Dream Demon’s heart for now. Retrieving the items, Se-Hoon immediately began preparing to escape by drawing on the power of the boundary.

Snap!

But before he could, an unseen force grabbed the two items.

“What...?”

Se-Hoon’s eyes shot open at the sight of Tuner appearing directly in front of him, seemingly having jumped through space.

Space...?

Unable to react, Se-Hoon was sent flying across the ground by Tuner, who kicked him in the stomach.

“Tsk... What a nuisance,” Tuner said in annoyance, lowering his leg.

With Se-Hoon no longer controlling them, two objects floated back down and Abgrund, embedded in the Tuner’s arms, slid free. Seeing that, Tuner deactivated the spatial manipulation arm on his back and sighed.

That cost me about fifty percent of the arm... the efficiency really is terrible.

Tuner sighed in frustration. He had gone through painstaking effort to gather Ludwig’s power from all over the world. But he quickly regained his composure.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. At least I caught him.”

Though he lost the three who had escaped to the Netherworld and the artificial arm made up of Wurgen’s bones, they were things he could easily replace so it wasn’t too disappointing.

Picking up Abgrund from the ground first, Tuner inspected it with interest before moving his gaze to Se-Hoon.

With this amount of talent... he’ll be quite fun to research.

Tuner made up his mind—he would meticulously dissect every aspect of Se-Hoon, piece by piece. Excited about his new research material, Tuner started walking to Se-Hoon. But just then, a golden light shot up in the sky.

Tuner's attention snapped to the source of the light. It came from a golden ring on Se-Hoon’s right hand, marked with a white line. Staring at the ominously glowing ring, Tuner narrowed his eyes upon recognizing it.

Dong!

Responding to the ring, a massive golden pillar descended from the sky and enveloped Se-Hoon completely.

“Could it be...?”

Realizing what the pillar of light was, Tuner rushed forward. However, before he could reach Se-Hoon, who had been lying motionless like a corpse, Se-Hoon slowly rose to his feet.

And then Tuner froze. He had been startled by Se-Hoon’s gaze, which had locked directly onto him despite Se-Hoon’s eyes being unfocused. A split second later, Tuner decisively came to a decision, having realized it was no time to be spacing out.

Discarding all hesitation, he activated the remaining fifty percent of spatial power, transforming his body and investing all the energy into fleeing.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Tuner vanished over the horizon. But Se-Hoon, unfazed, just calmly retrieved something from the Dream Storage.

Woong-

The White Night Bow trembled in his hand, seemingly having been waiting for the current moment. Se-Hoon slowly drew the bowstring, causing a massive surge of energy to gather at the tip.

Rumble-

The force at the tip was so immense, almost infinite in its intensity, that it shouldn’t have been able to be handled by an ordinary human. But Se-Hoon, effortlessly controlling it, calmly assessed the surroundings and locked onto Tuner, who was fleeing far into the distance.

Tuner was already hundreds of kilometers away, apparently having used every resource at his disposal to run for his life. However, Se-Hoon locked onto him with precision, ignoring the distance.

Creaaak-

Drawing the bowstring tighter, Se-Hoon watched as a single golden arrow formed on the string. Then, when he finally released the string with a calm breath...

Boom!

A golden meteor shot through the dark sky, piercing the heavens as it barreled toward its target.

Sensing something, Tuner, who had been fleeing with all his might, looked back just in time to see the massive golden arrow hurtling toward him with unstoppable might.

“Damn those Perfect Ones...”

BOOM!!!

The entire terrain trembled as the enormous arrow crushed the Tuner into oblivion.