The Regressor Can Make Them All
Chapter 356

Chapter 356

Bubble, bubble-

A red liquid boiled intensely inside the transparent container, bubbling violently. Time passed, and the liquid began separating into layers.

Swish-

Now, there were two layers: the upper layer, which remained a deep crimson, and the lower layer, which had lightened gradually until it became so translucent that it was nearly clear.

Continuing to monitor the solution intently, Meirin waited. Then, at the exact moment when all the liquid inside the container recombined and turned a translucent red, Meirin flicked the cigarette in her mouth and pressed a button on the connected machine.

Pshhhk!

The liquid, bubbling and spreading in all directions, flowed through a thin hose attached to the bottom of the container, eventually gathering drop by drop at the tip of the extraction site.

Crack!

The liquid began crystallizing rapidly the moment it emerged, forming a structure reminiscent of an icicle. For a moment, Meirin just silently observed the crystal grow drop by drop until it reached about the size of two finger joints, at which point she carefully removed it with her gloved hand.

“Hmm...”

Scrutinizing the crimson crystal from various angles, Meirin then brought it directly to an undead creature stationed on one side of the laboratory.

And without hesitation, she pressed the crystal against the zombie clad in a thin, black chest plate, around where the sternum was.

Swoosh-

The crystal melted seamlessly through the plate and into its body, quickly burrowing until it embedded itself where the heart should have been. Confirming the position, Meirin withdrew her fingers and stepped back, and only then did the zombie’s chest plate transform.

Crunch!

From the point of entry, red lines spread out across the black armor like blood vessels, affecting the mindless zombie.

Woong-

As an immense amount of mana radiated from its entire body, the zombie’s dull eyes sharpened, beginning to brim with clarity.

Slowly but surely, the zombie—which had never spoken before—completed its transformation and looked directly at Meirin.

“Your command.”

“Hm. Do a handstand.”

“...Understood.”

Though the zombie hesitated briefly, as though reluctant, it quickly obeyed, flipping into a handstand.

Watching her success, Meirin took a puff of her cigarette.

“That’s impressive,” suddenly remarked a hoarse voice from behind her.

“...To think you’d come all the way here. You’re more diligent than you look.”

“I figured I wouldn’t believe it unless I saw it for myself.”

Hearing the source of the voice approach slowly, the sound of polished shoes clicking on the floor, Meirin exhaled a breath of smoke before turning to face them.

The owner of the voice, an elderly woman with neatly groomed white hair and piercing eyes, was in her mid-seventies. Yet, her skin was still smooth and her upright posture showed no signs of frailty. Her body, clad in a tailored dress, carried a dignity untouched by time.

Laura Kruger, the eldest daughter of the prominent Kruger family, stood before Meirin.

“So, what’s your first impression of it?”

At the blunt question, Laura’s gaze shifted to the zombie, still in its handstand position. Observing the creature, which obeyed commands yet displayed subtle hints of autonomy and comprehension, Laura smiled faintly.

“It’s perfect. Exactly as I imagined.”

“Of course it is.”

Meirin was full of confidence, her tone bordering on arrogance. She had every reason to be proud, given the exceptional results of her specialized equipment.

“Our researchers failed countless times, yet you managed a success in such a short time. Your reputation is well-earned, indeed.”

The crimson crystal—a Blood Crystal—focused all of the remaining resentment into a heart-like circulation within the undead. By using such a method, not only did it prevent the corrosion of the zombie’s synesthetic mindscape, but it also decreased the amount of residual resentment by consuming them as fuel for the zombie to maintain its enhanced state.

Successfully completing such a delicate process required incredible precision, which Meirin had flawlessly done.

“Perhaps you want to consider working for us—”

“Not interested. But there’s something I want to ask you.”

Seeing Meirin dismiss the offer without so much as hesitating, Laura slightly frowned but still kept her tone steady. “What is it?”

“The original design for this equipment—where did it come from?”

The specialized equipment wasn’t entirely Meirin’s creation. She had started with the blueprints provided by them, which she then refined and expanded upon to achieve the current result. Of course, Meirin had filled in all the intricate details herself because the blueprint had been vague, offering only a general direction.

“At first, I thought it was just a bunch of empty ideas, but the more I worked on it, the more precise it felt—almost as if whoever drew it had already seen the final product.”

“Is that so? I didn’t realize it was that extraordinary.”

“Oh, it was. In fact, I’m certain your research lab couldn’t have produced something like this even in a hundred years. So...”—Meirin looked at Laura through the smoke curling in the air, her voice growing serious—“who gave you the blueprint?”

Yet despite Meirin’s seriousness, Laura didn’t even break eye contact.

“Am I obligated to disclose that information?”

“...”

“We provide the blueprints and compensation. You complete the work. That was our agreement, wasn’t it?”

Leaving no room in her words, Laura smiled gently but firmly.

“If you want to know more, we’d have to draft a new contract.”

“...”

Meirin held her gaze for a moment before smirking wryly.

“No thanks.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Laura checked her wristwatch.

“It’s time for me to leave. See you on the agreed date.”

“Sure.”

Not seeing Laura off, Meirin crushed her spent cigarette and moved to light a new one. Just as she brought the flame to the tip, however, Laura turned back.

“Don’t be too disappointed.”

She flicked her fingers, and the end of Meirin’s cigarette ignited on its own.

“We’ll come with more requests for you in the future.”

Leaving behind those words, Laura disappeared through the door.

So... this is the preparation the Watchers mentioned, huh? Meirin thought to herself, staring at the smoke rising from her cigarette.

She had only been told about the goal of dealing with Wurgen, but it seemed her suspicions were correct—she had now played a part in the plan to kill the Perfect One.

Feeling a strange mix of emotions, Meirin muttered, “...This tastes awful.”

With a scowl, she crushed the cigarette Laura had lit and replaced it with a fresh one.

Then, upon lighting it herself, she let out a lazy exhale.

“Let’s see how this all turns out...”

***

“Respect inanimate objects!”

“Where and... who am I...”

“I’d rather be eaten than live in this form.”

Watching the small crystalline creatures flapping their icy wings and chatter incessantly on the workbench, Se-Hoon and Eun-Ha exchanged glances.

“This is... fascinating.”

“...It really is.”

When the Winterglass imbued with Erika’s spells came to life with its own consciousness, Se-Hoon immediately suspected that it was due to an accidental interplay between her spells and the lingering resentment within the crystals. So, to verify his suspicions, he used two more of the ten crystals Erika had crafted.

And the result was all three were now awakened, moving autonomously with sentience.

They’re still alive even after ten minutes.... Could they have turned into something akin to shikigami?

Se-Hoon fell into deep thought, pondering how Erika’s spells could even bring such entities to life.

Growl!

A loud stomach growl abruptly echoed through the workshop, catching everyone’s attention, including the sentient crystals on the workbench. Turning to the source, all heads faced Eun-Ha, who blushed slightly; her embarrassment was written all over her face.

“...Excuse me.”

Smirking at her flushed cheeks and awkward demeanor, Se-Hoon pushed some of the non-Erika-made crystals toward her.

“Eat some of these and jot down your impressions here. I’ll check on some other things.”

“Ahem. Understood.”

Crunch!

With Se-Hoon’s permission, Eun-Ha immediately grabbed one of the crystals with her left hand, took a bite, and chewed on it. In an instant, her eyes began sparkling and the corners of her lips curled into a satisfied grin as she scribbled down her thoughts with the pen in her right hand.

Seeing how cheery she had become, Se-Hoon chuckled softly before turning his attention to Erika’s crystals.

“Eek... We’re going to be eaten alive!”

“Yeah... that’s what we were born for.”

“You’ve finally realized our purpose, haven’t you?”

Observing how each crystal reacted to Eun-Ha’s actions—eerily similar to how living beings would—Se-Hoon hesitated before calling them over.

“You three, come over here for a moment.”

“Why should we? You’re just—”

“If you don’t come over here right now, I’ll let her eat you alive.”

“Understood! Coming right away!”

Shutting up, the loudly protesting crystal scampered over instantly, followed by the others reluctantly.

“Let’s see...”

Picking up the loud one, the first to arrive, Se-Ho examined it closely. He examined it from every angle, carefully observing its features.

It has wings and legs, but they’re all just mimicry.

Rather than actual living organisms, the crystals felt more like animated sculptures. Completing the brief inspection, Se-Hoon then used Shadow Thread to check inside the crystal.

“Ugh... Something’s entering my body...”

“Stop complaining.”

“Understood.”

Having already confirmed earlier that the crystals didn’t have a sense of pain, Se-Hoon just ignored the whining and shut the crystal’s mouth before delving deeper into its inner structure.

Is this... a spell?

Inside the crystal, intricate spell formations had been densely engraved. Naturally, he suspected Erika had been the one to inscribe them, so Se-Hoon retrieved an unaltered crystal also by Erika—one still untouched by the mana of the Netherworld.

His eyes widened in surprise. Despite being handled by Erika, the unenchanted crystal bore no signs of the spellwork.

I see...

Piecing things together, Se-Hoon began an experiment and infused the unaltered crystal with the Netherworld’s mana while keeping Shadow Thread active to observe the changes in real time.

Woong-

Watching the mana—and resentment within it—seep into the crystal, Se-Hoon discovered that incomplete and enigmatic spell formations only then started manifesting. They drew in the mana and resentment toward them, causing the formations to expand rapidly throughout the entire crystal.

Soon after, wings and legs emerged, just like the previous ones.

“Thank you for giving me life, Boss.”

Observing the newly awakened crystal flapping its wings politely, expressing gratitude, Se-Hoon’s eyes glinted sharply.

So this is Erika’s trait as an artificial lifeform.

The resentment—fleeting remnants of the dead’s emotions—was inherently unstable. Without a vessel, they normally dissipated quickly, and even with one, they couldn’t persist long without mana.

However, when that resentment came into contact with Erika’s trait—how her spellwork mimicked a soul—they transformed into sturdy impressions, capable of lasting far longer.

I knew her abilities were unique, but this surpasses all expectations.

Until now, he had believed the purpose of Erika’s creation was to control the Heaven’s Well, the Mythical-tier artifact of the Seeker. But his new discovery now hinted at ambitions far greater than just that. It made Se-Hoon recall Ryuuma Inoue, head of the Inoue family, and his plan to create a Perfect One using the Heaven’s Well and Erika.

Mulling over it, he soon shook his head.

I’ll think about this later.

For now, the priority was the specialized equipment for the undead and how Erika’s trait could be used for it. With his thoughts now organized, Se-Hoon recalled the incomplete spell formulas that had appeared when the resentment first entered the crystals.

Come to think of it, that formula... I’ve seen it somewhere before.

He searched through his memory, and soon, a spell formula Erika had once taught him came to mind—a design layered so intricately it had seemed indecipherable.

So that’s what it was for.

Now that he finally understood its purpose—mimicking a soul—he could also see through the overlapping layers of spell formula. A wave of realization washed over him, just like when he had suppressed the Heaven Well’s rampage.

Bit by bit, he grasped the core structure of the spell formula, save for a few incomplete sections, and a notification message immediately appeared before him.

[Skill ‘Shadow Thread (B+)’ has been absorbed by ‘Spirit Weaver (S)’.]

[Spirit Weaver]『S』

[A barrier created by unraveling the structure of a soul.

Able to corrode the target and mimic the traits of their soul, it can be connected to the user or others to exert influence.

If the barrier is not completely removed, it will merge with the target’s soul, lie dormant, and reactivate under specific conditions.

*Mimics and reproduces the traits of the target’s soul

*Allows different souls to be connected with each other, but if control of the barrier is stolen or one side is destroyed, the barrier collapses

*If the barrier’s root isn’t eliminated completely, the connection can be reactivated by supplying mana]

It seems like Shadow Thread’s scope has expanded to include the soul.

Depending on how it was used, Spirit Weaver could render a target mindless or even enable complex status abnormality like mind control. Its performance was as menacing as one would expect for an S-rank skill.

“But that’s not the point...” Se-Hoon muttered to himself in realization.

Rather than how menacing it was, what was key was whether it could be used for the specialized equipment that had to be capable of processing the resentment. With clear ideas running through his mind, Se-Hoon began drafting the framework for his specialized equipment.

Before he started, though, he turned to the crystals to check something.

“Say ‘Wurgen is an idiot.’”

“I’d rather be eaten!”

“Long live Lord Wurgen, the venerable ruler of the Netherworld!”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Boss, that’s a bit too much.”

All four crystalline creatures flatly refused, as if it wasn’t even worth considering. It was natural. Undead—creatures born of the Netherworld—were inherently loyal to Wurgen. While they could follow commands to attack him, their loyalty couldn’t be altered.

If I can sever that loyalty...

But if he could, it would mean independence from the Netherworld’s influence and Wurgen’s control.

With a clear goal in mind, Se-Hoon smiled and tested the use of Spirit Weaver to construct the foundation of his new equipment.

“Wait... don’t you guys think Wurgen is kind of... off?”

“He’s too petty to be called a ruler.”

“The guy demanded souls to make kids for his great-great-grandson. What a creepy old man.”

“He really is a piece of work.”

And once he was done, artificial lifeforms that had severed their ties with their creator had come to life.