Regressor Instruction Manual
Chapter 1194. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle (14)

Chapter 1194. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle (14)

‘It’s better...’

It was better than I thought. The concept itself was bad, and I disliked the direction they were taking, but I was pretty satisfied with the structure of the Demon King of Sunset’s Castle.

A horse running without taking any breaks would eventually collapse.

Although the troops were given a few days to rest, it wasn’t enough for them to completely recover from exhaustion. Events like these, which often appeared in dungeons that would take a long time to clear, were huge boons for the expedition team.

They could obtain pieces of information needed to clear the dungeon, and the fact that we could obtain rewards pretty easily from this event meant that we were getting a lucky break.

Moreover, the Armory Manager was the one holding the event, and she was a named being who wouldn't do anything other than give out items, so I was definitely looking forward to this event.

‘I’m sure the rewards will be good,’ I thought, nodding to myself.

Woo Hyo-Yeol said, “Even if that’s the case...”

“...”

“Do you really need to go yourself?” Woo Hyo-Yeol asked.

“Of course. She wanted to talk to the person in charge, right?” I asked back.

“...”

“I haven’t completely let go of my doubts either, but unless something happens, I believe the Armory Manager is speaking the truth,” I added.

“Do you have proof?” Woo Hyo-Yeol asked.

“Sane demons don’t make compromises with humans. Isn’t it pretty clear, just from how the Queen of Succubi has been acting the whole time and treating our expedition team like mere playthings?” I asked.

“...”

“She won't go out of her way to send a message like that just to set up a trap. The Collection Manager and the Black Butler's defeats are probably nothing more than entertainment to them. More importantly...” I trailed off.

“What?”

“It should be fine even if we end up in danger. We have you and the others, after all,” I added.

'I’m right, aren’t I? There’s nothing to be scared of since we have the unstoppable Woo Hyo-Yeol.'

“Am I... wrong?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“I don’t think everything you said is right, but... it won't hurt to hear her out. Thinking about it again, I don’t think they have a reason to do something this ridiculous,” he answered.

“Hidden events and easter eggs are worth taking a risk. Once we’re ready, we should go... It’s better to check it out rather than sit here and do nothing,” I said.

“...”

“Please call the others. And... obviously, I think it’s best if we implement security measures for this. Do you know anyone besides the ranger you mentioned earlier?” I asked.

“I’m sure William has heard the news as well... but I don’t think we need to check,” Woo Hyo-Yeol replied.

Woo Hyo-Yeol turned his attention to where William was located.

‘Is he starting to become like Woo Hyo-Yeol?’

I was sure he expected me to make a move after hearing the news, and obviously, he hadn't come here to stop me. The previous incident made him realize that he couldn't stop the reckless Flower Ki-Young, so he was probably here to join me.

“Ah! Mr. William!” I greeted.

I carefully got up from the bed.

The sensitive Will saw that, and his eyes welled up with tears.

‘I need to stay strong at times like this.’

He looked away, and the sight told me that he had no confidence to look me straight in the eye. He was bothered by the fact that my life was running out, and he had no idea how to treat me.

He acted as if he were never going to bend and compromise, but he looked as if he didn’t want to argue about that right now. Either he had figured out that he wouldn't get the results that he wanted no matter what, or he was looking for another opportunity to convince me.

‘Who would dare try to make me compromise?’

William looked like the recent incident hadn't happened as he said, “I'm here to deliver some news... but it looks like you already heard it."

“Are you talking about the encounter with the Armory Manager?” I asked.

“That's right,” William answered.

“I was actually going to visit her myself,” I told him.

“So in the end...”

“I didn’t want to be the one to say this, but... we might need to negotiate... and it’s not that I don’t trust you or the command center. However...” I trailed off.

‘You guys just aren’t good at negotiating. I’m worried you guys will ruin the situation when things have been going so well.’

“You have a point, but... Mr. Lee Ki-Young... right now—”

“I know what you’re worried about, but I’m fine. I’ve rested enough to stabilize my condition, so I want to start being active again. As you already know...” I trailed off.

‘Trying to stop me won’t work. Let’s not make trouble for no reason at all.’

“I think it’s best if we head to the armory warehouse, Mr. Hyo-Yeol,” I suggested.

“...”

I decided to execute the plan without asking for William’s opinion. As expected, William looked at me with a tinge of uncertainty. In the end, he took a deep breath, and I saw him sending a message to Emilia.

I was sure he was going to form a party to go to the warehouse with me.

Just like that, the key members of this expedition were recruited.

I had no idea what they heard, but the members, including William, looked as if they were ready to put their lives on the line. I was sure they were preparing themselves in case something happened.

Some of the members even ran out to check for any traps or anything

‘I’m sure they’re worried. After all, just because she contacted us first doesn’t mean that we can trust her.'

Unlike me, who was aware that Kim Ye-Ri was controlling the situation from behind the scenes, the allied troops didn’t know anything, so I understood why they were trying to be thorough.

In addition, they had never experienced an event like this, so it was only natural for them to overreact.

“The armory warehouse is located—”

“It’s pretty close to the collection warehouse,” I interrupted.

“Did you encounter any monsters or demons?” William asked.

“There were a few, but I believe the reconnaissance team handled them while clearing the path,” a soldier answered.

‘The reconnaissance team must be better than I expected.’

“I see.”

The armory warehouse wasn’t that far, and it resembled the collection warehouse.

Time went by quickly as I talked to William, Woo Hyo-Yeol, and Emilia about many things.

A few members, including the reconnaissance team, were already inside, but William was being so cautious that he was walking slowly.

Soon, the warehouse appeared before my eyes.

‘Wow.’

If the collection warehouse looked like a well-organized library, then the armory warehouse looked like an art gallery.

I saw items piled up in one place, but those were probably not that valuable, so there was no need for me to take a look at them.

To be honest, the massive forgery in the middle of the warehouse caught my attention. Calling this place a large forgery seemed better than calling it a warehouse.

The furnace was still burning, and I saw red molten metal within the furnace. I also saw hammers falling onto the anvil, creating clanking noises, but what bothered me was the temperature of the warehouse.

‘It’s really... hot.’

If this had been an actual battle rather than an event, we would have had to deal with the heat as well. While I was having these silly thoughts, Yoo Ah-Young appeared from behind the large anvil and hammer.

“It’s nice to meet you. So... you’re Miss Yoo Ah-Young...” I greeted.

“Yes, feel free to call me what’s easy for you,” Yoo Ah-Young said.

‘It’s kind of awkward.’

Yoo Ah-Young was covered in full-body armor, so I couldn't recognize her at first. She was also sporting a pair of horns. Moments later, she removed her armor, and I believed it was because she wanted to show that she had no intentions of fighting the expedition team.

It was a pretty good decision since it helped us put our guard down.

“I don’t think this is the time for us to talk leisurely,” Yoo Ah-Young said.

“...”

“I’m sure you're curious about why I sent those messages. I’m sure you’re also wondering if you can really trust me,” Yoo Ah-Young added.

“That’s right,” I answered.

“The fact that you're here means that you trust me a bit, but...” Yoo Ah-Young trailed off.

“...”

“I was actually waiting for people like you to visit me,” she added.

‘I knew they were going to go in that direction.’

I had an idea as to what was going to happen.

‘You were dragged here against your will or something like that, right?’

“I’m actually not part of the 21st Legion,” Yoo Ah-Young said, revealing her lore.

She wasn’t part of the 21st Legion, and she was probably a blacksmith peacefully making weapons somewhere. However, she caught the legion's attention, and from that moment on, she was forced to keep making weapons for them.

She was acknowledged for her skills, which put her in her current position, but a part of her missed her hometown.

“It was a very peaceful place, but...” Yoo Ah-Young trailed off.

Obviously, she couldn’t go back home. It was highly likely that the Demon King of Sunset had already taken over her hometown.

‘Still, shouldn’t she come up with another reason about why she had to stay here?’

I felt like she heard me because she started talking about that.

“I'll get straight to the point, I would like you to rescue my husband. He is currently locked up in the underground prison,” Yoo Ah-Young requested.

‘I was wondering why I still haven't seen Chang-Ryeol. Anyway, you guys aren't married, right?’

Her story and acting fell short compared to the overall setup, and it felt like she was trying too hard to make the puzzle pieces fit. Her voice sounded robotic as if she were reading from a script. Yoo Ah-Young usually wouldn't get nervous, so the fact that she was so nervous before me made me realize that she had no talent for acting.

“If you fulfill my request, I’ll give you a satisfactory reward,” she offered.

“Is there any reason we should go out of our way to fulfill your request?” Woo Hyo-Yeol questioned.

“Mr. Hyo-Yeol,” I said.

“Even if you decide to hunt me, you won’t be able to use the equipment here. The 21st Legion’s items are too dangerous for mortals like you to use... and the only one who can alter those items so that you can equip them... is me.

"That reason should be good enough...” Yoo Ah-Young answered.

“How absurd,” Woo Hyo-Yeol commented.

I felt like I had to help out a bit.

“It’s true, Mr. Hyo-Yeol,” I said.

“What?”

“The items here are cursed, and there are penalties upon using them. You and Mr. William are strong enough to endure the penalty, but that’s not the case for the others,” I told him.

“...”

“...”

“Do you have proof that you’re not lying?” I asked.

“I don’t and it’s up to you whether you want to trust me or not, but... I’m not the type of person to lie about such things. Please...” she begged.

“...”

“Please save my husband,” she requested.

Yoo Ah-Young bowed slowly and then... a heavy silence filled the room. Who could have imagined that a demon would bow willingly toward mere humans?

At this point, I was sure everyone realized that Yoo Ah-Young wasn’t lying, but understanding that and trusting her was a completely different story.

Before considering the pros and cons, trusting a possible enemy in the middle of hostile territory was never an easy decision.

Had I not been here, they would have missed out on this event.

The slightly nervous Armory Manager looked gloomy.

I turned to William and Woo Hyo-Yeol.

“We have to trust her.”

“Why is that?” Woo Hyo-Yeol questioned.

‘What do you mean why? Your weapon was destroyed, and we need to find another weapon for you to use. There’s already a difference in level, so if your equipment is bad, we’re doomed. Do you really think the Regressor Instruction Manual is all-powerful?’

“...”

‘This event is basically free items, and we don’t need to mobilize all our troops to complete it. We just need to form a small squad and save one person from prison... It’s not like we’re fighting a named being...’

At the very least, I wasn’t going to go help them with the event.

I was planning on sprawling out on the bed and watching something with some food.

“I asked why we should trust her, Lee Ki-Young. If it’s because of your pathetic sympathy—”

“I don't want to ignore the truth. That’s all,” I interrupted him.

This was probably not the case for William, but it was difficult for Woo Hyo-Yeol to trust someone for no reason at all. Woo Hyo-Yeol looked stern for some reason, but I remained unfazed as I replied, “I’m—no, it’s because... we’re humans.”