The Regressor Can Make Them All
Chapter 354

Chapter 354

“Good work.”

“G-Good work...”

Finished with the emergency announcement, Se-Hoon stepped out into the hallway, a faint smile playing on his lips as he recalled the pale faces of the Heroes Association staff.

First Li Kenxie, and now Wurgen... I must look like someone with a serious death wish.

Provoking even one Perfect One was madness to most people, but he had gone after two while practically throwing out the challenges for everyone to see. Even if he had a history of camaraderie with Perfect Ones, such behavior was definitely incomprehensible.

Anyway, the challenge has been issued. Now, it’s his move.

The most natural reaction to an insult to one’s pride in their specialty was fierce resistance. By that logic, telling Wurgen—the greatest necromancer and head of the UD Group—that “your necromancy is so worthless it’s driving your business to ruin” was nothing short of the ultimate way to draw him out.

And to make it worse, the one saying it is someone he once mentored...

Woong-

Just as Se-Hoon had that thought, a sinister energy began seeping out from deep within him.

Detecting the source, Se-Hoon instantly grasped what was happening.

So, this is how you’re going to play, huh...

The sinister energy was coming from a spell Wurgen had engraved into his body personally after the elimination of the Dream Demon. Originally, it was so that Se-Hoon could summon the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx at any time. Now, however, it was functioning in reverse, pulling him into the hole that would lead to Wurgen.

Swish-

A black mist began swirling around his solar plexus, forming a thin vertical line across his chest. Slowly, the line split open, as if an eye was opening.

But at that exact moment...

Metamorphosing Dreams

Se-Hoon ran his left hand across the opening eye.

Swish-

And the eye slowly began closing instead, as though it had been lulled to sleep. Not only that, but the turbulent power inside him had also settled down.

“That was a bit too close...”

Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Se-Hoon let out a sly grin.

He had successfully used Metamorphosing Dreams to stop the spell by manifesting the future where he had resisted the summoning into reality. It was a method that, even if anyone else knew how to use Metamorphosing Dreams, would have been futile because they wouldn’t have the ability to wield the power of Boundaries.

It’s not easy, but it’s doable. As long as I fulfill the needed requirement, I can find solutions to anything using Metamorphosing Dreams.

Of course, had he been even a second slower, he would have been dragged away before he could act. Regardless, he had won—for now, anyway.

Relishing the small victory in the prelude to battle against Wurgen, Se-Hoon noticed a large man wearing black sunglasses approach from across the hallway.

“There you are.”

Gregory, the current president of the Heroes Association, was striding quickly toward him.

“I have a question...”

But just as he was about to cut straight to the point, he suddenly froze when his eyes landed on the now-dormant eye on Se-Hoon’s solar plexus. His entire body then tensed as he asked sharply, “Is that Wurgen Kruger?”

Had Wurgen already taken control over Se-Hoon’s body?

Seeing just how defensive Gregory was being, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“No need to worry. It’s still me, Lee Se-Hoon.”

“...I see.”

Relaxing slightly, Gregory let out a sigh of relief, though his gaze lingered on the eye.

“What exactly happened?”

“Looks like he quite liked the challenge I sent his way. It was to the extent that he even tried to drag me straight to his headquarters, but it was without so much as a phone call, so I refused and told him to come in person instead,” Se-Hoon explained, nonchalantly tapping the closed eye on his chest.

He was being so carefree that Gregory was left staring in disbelief through his sunglasses.

To face a Perfect One’s calling head-on and push back? It was unthinkable for any other hero.

I had my suspicions, but seeing it in person... is just absurd.

Had it been anyone else, even an S-rank necromancer, they would have needed support from their entire team just to put up a fight against Wurgen—and even then, they’d likely have been dragged away.

The gap in power between those who had conquered the Tower of Heroes and those who hadn’t been just that insurmountable. That was why Se-Hoon was an irregular, a being who could wield the Perfect Ones’ powers without being a Perfect One himself. It allowed him to be respected as an equal among Perfect Ones, despite not having conquered the Tower of Heroes himself.

And having confirmed that with his very own eyes, Gregory silently reassessed Se-Hoon’s value.

Woong!

Suddenly, black mist welled up from Se-Hoon’s solar plexus again, but with overwhelming power. The previously dormant eye quivered open, and from within came a chilling voice.

“You insolent...”

The voice, deep and menacing, sounded like a demon clawing its way up from the depths of hell. Even Gregory felt a shiver run through his body.

Yet Se-Hoon was completely unfazed.

“Yes, yes. If you have a complaint, please take it up with customer service.”

“You dare—!”

Swish-

Using Metamorphosing Dreams once again, Se-Hoon shut the eye, silencing the voice abruptly. The eye struggled briefly, but after, everything returned to calm.

It seemed Wurgen tried the same tactic repeatedly out of pride, but Metamorphosing Dream only grew more effective with each use, making his attempts increasingly futile.

Eventually, the eye just vanished entirely without a trace—Wurgen had given up. Confirming it was truly gone, Se-Hoon turned to the still-stunned Gregory.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Ah, yes, ahem.” With an awkward cough, Gregory continued. “I wanted to ask about the dangers you mentioned during the announcement about the Void Space Terminals.”

Even though the Heroes Association’s role in the exchange between Se-Hoon and Wurgen was mainly that of a mediator, if there actually happened to be risks to the Void Space Terminals—no matter how minor—they needed to coordinate with Babel immediately for a response plan.

“Oh, there’s no danger at the moment.”

“...What?”

Gregory blinked in confusion at Se-Hoon’s nonchalance.

Se-Hoon had literally just declared during the emergency announcement that there was a danger of losing control over the undead, sparking widespread concern. Yet he was saying there was no risk at all?

Dumbfounded, Gregory just stood there, staring.

“Well, to be precise, I have some suspicions, but I don’t have concrete proof of them yet. It’s all circumstantial at this point,” Se-Hoon added.

“What were you thinking...?”

Had Se-Hoon really confronted a Perfect One based on such flimsy grounds? As Gregory wondered if he needed to reevaluate Se-Hoon entirely, Se-Hoon caught on to his thoughts and grinned.

“Don’t worry about it. If I was completely off the mark, Wurgen wouldn’t have let me off the hook so easily.”

“You mean to say...”

“It is thanks to their premature panic that I could confirm my suspicions.”

Se-Hoon had grown certain that the special equipment development project contained gaps he could exploit—most likely the vulnerabilities he had hypothesized. It was still a gamble, but once one discerned the cards in their opponent’s hand, the game changed completely.

It gave him confidence, which he basked in.

RUMBLE-

Just then, a massive vibration shook the entire branch building. Feeling the overwhelming wave of mana that had simultaneously begun stirring above them, Se-Hoon and Gregory exchanged glances before sprinting to the rooftop.

Whoosh!

They scaled the emergency stairwell in an instant, reaching the rooftop. Slamming open the door, they looked up at the urban skyline, where a large black void had suddenly materialized.

It had so abruptly appeared that people on streets all over the city had stopped to stare. Even those sitting inside their vehicles had rolled down their windows and craned their necks to look upward. And a moment later, they all saw a figure emerge from the darkness.

Swish-

The figure, cloaked in robes woven from the darkness of the Netherworld, revealed nothing—not a glimpse of their face, not even their fingertips. Yet the sheer weight of their presence crushed everyone who beheld them.

“Is that the Eternal Nocturne...?”

“What’s he doing here? Wait, don’t tell me—!”

Those who recalled the Heroes Association’s emergency announcement paled and bolted for cover. That sight, in turn, spread the panic further, and soon, others joined in the chaotic exodus.

“Wurgen is attacking the Association!!!”

“Run for your lives!”

As if a testament to the overwhelming might held by the title of Perfect One, the once peaceful streets immediately plunged into pandemonium. Watching the chaos unfold below, Gregory felt a bitter sense of helplessness.

Not a single person believed the Association could stop Wurgen, let alone contain him.

This feeling of emptiness... I’ll never get used to it.

Meanwhile, as Gregory was lost in thought, Se-Hoon’s eyes remained fixed on Wurgen, who had appeared from beyond the void.

Hmm... He’s calmed down a lot.

Although the crowd below might have believed a battle was imminent, Se-Hoon was certain that wasn’t the case. If Wurgen truly intended to launch an assault on the Association, he would have destroyed the building or sent Einherjars immediately upon arrival.

He’s putting on a show to avoid being underestimated. A calculated display of force.

He had been prepared for a fight, but Wurgen seemed to have acknowledged the earlier power struggle, at least to some degree. So, Se-Hoon made a quick judgment and waited calmly on the rooftop.

That, however, just infuriated Wurgen, whose skeletal gaze narrowed as he descended from the void.

Insolent brat...

The relaxed composure Se-Hoon exuded, as if he had already seen every move in advance, grated on Wurgen’s nerves. But Wurgen held back.

If Se-Hoon had been dragged into the Netherworld at the start, Wurgen would have called it a day after tearing him apart a few times over as a punishment and a warning to never denounce his skills publicly again. However, Se-Hoon had resisted every single summoning attempt, eventually even sealing off the connection entirely.

Wurgen needed nothing else to realize that the young man before him was far more dangerous than he had initially believed.

He’s no longer the brat I once knew. I guess that’s what he’s trying to say.

The time where forcing him into submission through raw power being a one-sided lesson was no more. Now, it was a battle that could inflict damage on both sides.

Clicking his tongue internally, Wurgen descended to the rooftop and faced Se-Hoon, who waited for him with a confident smirk.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I was wrong this time. To think I would offer to teach my power to such an ungrateful brat.”

“Well, hearing that makes me feel a bit sad. I only pointed out the risks in your plans because it seemed like something you overlooked.”

“Be quiet. You’re starting to sound like Ludwig.”

“...”

Truthfully, the ambiguous mix of insult and backhanded compliment had left Se-Hoon momentarily speechless.

“So? How do you plan to prove the alleged danger of my power of Boundaries? If you don’t have any evidence on you, you should prepare to be reprimanded in the most awful way you could think of.”

Wurgen’s frigid tone was not merely a threat—it carried a very lethal edge suggesting he was on the verge of leveling an entire building.

But while Gregory tensed, Se-Hoon didn’t flinch.

“Why are you pretending as if you have no clue?”

“What nonsense are you spewing?”

“During the Dream Demon elimination mission. You remember how Tuner got to you, don’t you?”

Tuner had used Wurgen’s bones, scattered across the world, to forge a weaponized arm imbued with the power of Boundaries. With it, he had interfered with Wurgen’s powers and trapped him in the Netherworld for a whole thirty minutes.

And while the arm had been destroyed afterward, its blueprint could easily be recreated if the materials were obtained. Then, one could steal control over the undead with just that.

“Do you think I haven’t already prepared countermeasures for that?”

“I’m sure you have. But it’s not about you—it’s about the undead themselves. They still have their innate limitations, don’t they? You should know well how those small vulnerabilities could spiral into massive incidents.”

Wurgen fell silent, processing Se-Hoon’s pointed observation. Then, after a pause, he spoke in a measured tone. “And what if I’ve already accounted for those risks?”

“If you can prove your precautions are flawless, we’ll back off. We only raised the issue because it seemed dangerous. Nobody values your undead army more than we do.”

“Hah... you annoying little bastard.”

Clicking his tongue audibly, Wurgen withdrew his imposing presence and stared down at Se-Hoon.

“You’ve probably already decided how you want to handle this, haven’t you? I have no patience for your drawn-out nonsense, so spew it out already.”

“I heard the UD Group is developing specialized equipment for your undead army. Is that the countermeasure you’re referring to?”

Wurgen didn’t bother answering, simply confirming with silence.

“Since that looks like that case, let’s go with this: I’ll attempt to interfere with your control over the undead while they’re equipped with the gear the UD Group has developed.”

“And if you succeed, you’ll demand we halt the project entirely? Bold of you.”

But while Se-Hoon’s proposition was arrogant, his already proven skill left Wurgen with little room to dismiss it outright.

“It’s the only way to verify things objectively. After all, I’m the only one capable of wielding the power of Boundaries other than you.”

“Fine. That’s within the scope of what I expected.”

With Wurgen’s reluctant agreement, the matter was seemingly settled. However, Se-Hoon wasn’t done.

“But.”

Se-Hoon’s sly grin returned.

“Stopping the project outright also seems like a waste. I fear it would rob your undead army of a chance to shine.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Allow me to develop my own specialized equipment as well.”

At the unexpected suggestion, Gregory glanced at Se-Hoon in surprise, while Wurgen silently studied him, allowing him to go on.

“If the UD Group’s equipment fails but mine succeeds, you’ll be able to deploy the undead army immediately onto the battlefield. Not a terrible deal, right?”

“And how will your equipment be verified?”

“Well, I’d have to leave that up to you to verify it. Who better to judge its effectiveness?”

“...”

A heavy silence hung in the air.

The situation... has gone worse than before, Gregory thought, watching from the sidelines.

Se-Hoon’s intention was clear: crush Wurgen’s plan and replace it with his own leash for Wurgen.

The pregnant pause continued to hang in the air until it was finally broken when Wurgen let out a long sigh.

“Whew...”

Wurgen glared at Se-Hoon with his dark, piercing eyes.

“You think you can handle the consequences?”

“I wouldn’t have proposed it otherwise.”

Though no blows were exchanged, the two were already locked in a battle of wills.

And the one who relented in the end was Wurgen.

“You have one week. I’ll send the details of the requirements for the equipment through Richard. I am to hear no complaints about it afterwards, understood?”

“That’s plenty of time.”

Having gained Se-Hoon’s confirmation, Wurgen turned, his form dissolving into the void.

Just before disappearing completely, though, he delivered one last warning: “Don’t think I’ll let this slide as easily as before.”

With that, Wurgen vanished and the black hole in the sky closed, allowing the chaos in the city to subside finally.

“...Are you really sure about this?” Gregory asked, finally breaking his silence. Until now, he had forgotten about his role as an observer.

“Don’t worry. This is my specialty, after all—sticking a knife where it hurts the most for people like him.”

Se-Hoon looked over with a grin.