The Regressor Can Make Them All
Chapter 358

Chapter 358

A heavy silence filled the air.

Wurgen's undead had just... obeyed someone else’s command? The unbelievable scene left everyone slack-jawed, including Gregory, who was present as an observer.

It’s actually possible for someone else to take control over the undead...?

During the early stages of the war with the Demon Force—when Wurgen was still an S-rank hero—the undead were utilized by the Demon Force far more effectively than humanity. However, when Wurgen conquered the Tower of Heroes, that changed entirely.

He had seized control over the undead deployed by the Demon Force in one fell swoop, making them turn on their old masters and inflict tremendous damage back.

That event was a turning point. After that day, the Demon Force gave up using the undead as their primary force and haven’t employed them actively since, even to this day.

Yet the control that was regarded as absolute had just been effortlessly overturned by Se-Hoon. There was no complicated process, no drawn-out battle—it just happened. It was almost as if a natural law of the world had just been broken.

Every single person in the room was too gobsmacked to say anything, only able to exchange uncertain glances.

“...This is all a lie.”

In the end, the first to speak was Werner, who had been staring blankly at the ground with an utterly pale face.

“This can’t be real. It must all be staged...”

“Enough, Werner,” Julia interjected firmly, stopping Werner’s mutters before he could launch more accusations against both Se-Hoon and Wurgen.

However, Julia failed to deter Werner like before, only provoking him further.

“What, am I really the one wrong here?! This must have all been an act! It’s just a show to make Lee Se-Hoon the rightful successor by pretending control over the undead was sto—”

Whoosh!

Before Werner could finish, a black hole appeared beneath his feet and swallowed him into the Netherworld. In the blink of an eye, the room fell silent once more, as if Werner's outburst had never happened.

In the oppressive stillness that remained, Wurgen let out a sigh.

“Pathetic.”

“I deeply apologize—” Julia started, only to be coldly interrupted by Wurgen.

“Enough. Leave now.”

Hearing the icy tone, Julia’s eyes slightly narrowed, but she still bowed silently and left the room.

“Tsk.”

Wurgen’s displeasure was palpable, making the tension so suffocating that it made everyone left feel like they were walking on thin ice.

Even Se-Hoon could only let out a bitter laugh to himself.

On top of being stupidly powerful, he really has no tolerance whatsoever.

Wurgen was clearly already furious about having his control usurped, and Werner's insinuations had only added fuel to the fire. And although Wurgen hadn’t killed him outright—not with Gregory present—it was likely he was employing some undead to give Werner a strict lesson in discipline.

“That skill you used just now... where did you learn it?” Wurgen finally asked, fixing his piercing gaze on Se-Hoon.

“I learned it myself.”

“...Learned it yourself?” Wurgen narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. His look suggested that he was certain it wasn't the whole truth.

Yet it was, so Se-Hoon shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, I did borrow some inspiration from a friend, but the rest I came up with myself.”

“A friend, you say... I see. Inoue, perhaps?”

Se-Hoon’s eyes flickered briefly at the correct guess.

Of course, it wasn’t surprising Wurgen could deduce it, given that it was clearly a spell from the way Se-Hoon controlled his mana, and among his acquaintances, only the Inoue family specialized in spell formulas.

However, there was something about Wurgen’s tone that had struck Se-Hoon as odd.

It sounds less like a deduction and more like... familiarity.

Had Wurgen encountered a similar spell from the Inoues before? Perhaps he had seen it elsewhere, in a way related to them?

Curious, Se-Hoon gazed at Wurgen, deep in thought—which didn’t go unnoticed by Wurgen.

“There you go again, overthinking about something irrelevant.”

“It just sounded like you were familiar with the spell. Have you seen something similar before?”

“I have,” Wurgen admitted.

Taken by surprise, Se-Hoon raised his eyebrow slightly. He had expected Wurgen to dodge the question or change the subject, but instead, he received an immediate, straightforward answer.

“Where did you see it?”

“That’s not something I care to share. Thinking about it only irritates me.”

That was no lie; Wurgen’s tone and visible annoyance made it clear he wasn’t exaggerating, which only piqued Se-Hoon’s curiosity even more.

Someone connected to the Inoue family that Wurgen dislikes...

For someone as powerful as Wurgen to harbor resentment, it had to be an especially troublesome figure—someone Wurgen couldn’t deal with easily.

Running down the list, Se-Hoon thought of a single possibility that made his eyes narrow.

The Seeker.

A fellow Perfect One that was associated with the Inoue family, someone who vexed even Wurgen with their relentless curiosity and meddling. If it was her, it all made sense.

Come to think of it, didn’t the Seeker also say she disliked Wurgen?

Though her reason for disliking Wurgen was absurd, the animosity between the two was undeniable.

Yet, even though he had now learned that the Seeker was likely connected to the enigmatic sorcery taught to him by Erika, Se-Hoon wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, it seemed to fit naturally with everything else.

If the spell truly originates from the Seeker, it’s not surprising Wurgen recognizes it.

Recalling the mysterious spell Erika had shown him once again, Se-Hoon quickly decided not to dwell on it further and composed himself.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Go ahead.”

With Se-Hoon’s descent from the stage, the attention naturally shifted to the next contender from the traditionalists.

“Meilin, it’s your turn,” Laura said softly.

But despite the call, Meirin, who had been smoking silently, scratched her cheek with visible reluctance instead.

“Can’t we just skip my turn? We’ve already lost, haven’t we?”

Her reluctant tone made Laura frown, while Daniel, the third child of Wurgen, scowled deeply.

“How dare you defy your employer’s orders? Get up there immediately!”

Shouted at, Meirin turned her gaze toward Daniel, her expression unchanging.

And, upon meeting her eyes, Daniel felt a cold chill run down his spine.

What the...?

Though their eyes had clearly met, Daniel felt as though Meirin wasn’t truly looking at him—as though he were an insignificant presence, unworthy of focus.

But before he could recover and shout again, Meirin flicked the burnt cigarette butt aside.

“Fine. A deal’s a deal.”

With a reluctant mutter, she stepped onto the stage and retrieved a piece of equipment from her void pocket—a black breastplate inlaid with a crimson crystal.

She then tossed it to a nearby zombie and began dispassionately explaining. “This armor will circulate the lingering resentment throughout the undead’s body, preventing berserk states while simultaneously boosting the zombie’s strength. It also improves its intelligence as a bonus, though a complete idiot will only become slightly less idiotic.”

Tapping the zombie’s head, she smirked upon seeing the creature glare back at her—a sign of heightened intelligence.

“What about its resistance to external influences?” Wurgen asked, intrigued.

“The core crystal contains a robust maintenance function to repel any external interference. But...”—Meirin glanced at Se-Hoon and shrugged—“it’s probably useless.”

It was a very blunt remark that drew frowns from some, but others understood her point.

“...Neutralize it,” Wurgen prompted.

“Understood.”

Stepping back onto the stage, Se-Hoon fixed his gaze on the zombie enhanced by Meirin’s equipment.

The undead, lifeless forms animated by the mana of the Netherworld, were a marvel of necromancy. They were beings that moved with only souls and mana as their fuel, and were often divided into two categories by necromancers.

Reanimated dead creatures and the lifeless things mimicking the dead, huh...

While many sub-classifications existed as well, the most heated debates centered on whether undead should be acknowledged as living beings. It was a topic argued over endlessly, without a definitive conclusion ever reached.

Necromancers had even sought advice from Wurgen, the most powerful necromancer and a being who had reached the pinnacle of necromancy, for an answer.

However, all he gave them was a disinterested response.

“Think whatever you like.”

Yet the statement spurred rampant speculation. Some believed Wurgen had lost interest in necromancy, while others thought he considered both perspectives equally valid. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon had reached his own simple interpretation while researching countermeasures for Wurgen’s abilities.

It’s just a matter of perception.

Alive yet dead; dead yet alive. It was an absurd contradiction, but when factoring in Wurgen’s own state, that was no longer the case.

Wurgen, upon conquering a Tower of Heroes, had been reduced to a skeletal form, with less than twenty percent of his original physical self remaining.

Could such a being still be called “Wurgen,” or even a living creature?

Wurgen still insists he’s Wurgen himself.

A paradoxical existence caught between life and death—that, in Se-Hoon’s mind, defined not just the undead, but Wurgen as well. And if that was indeed true, then the solution to Wurgen’s abilities was straightforward.

Wurgen’s absolute control over the undead stems from his presence on the same boundary between life and death. If so...

By inserting himself onto that boundary, Se-Hoon theoretically should be able to trick the undead into perceiving his commands as those of Wurgen.

Hisss

With a soft, hissing sound, Se-Hoon’s Spirit Weaver once again infiltrated the zombie’s soul. Then, by mimicking the unique state of the boundary between life and death, he distorted its perception. He even tied off the threads to complete the process, ensuring the soul would no longer respond to external interference—including Wurgen’s.

“Release it.”

“Under...stood.”

Obeying Se-Hoon’s command, the zombie began removing the specialized equipment mounted on its chest.

Click-

The equipment detached smoothly, without resistance. Supposedly, the crystal core would have fiercely resisted any external forces. However, perceiving the command as Wurgen’s, it released itself without hesitation.

“As expected,” Meirin muttered with a wry smile.

While she had considered the possibility of someone nullifying the command, she had never thought about control being seized at such a fundamental level.

Though I didn’t underestimate his skill... he still far exceeded my imagination.

Even though she was hailed as a genius, her assumptions had been flawed. As she reevaluated Se-Hoon, the zombie carefully offered the detached equipment to her.

“With a little refinement, these should still be usable.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Meirin replied, smiling faintly as she retrieved her equipment and stepped off the stage.

Remaining on the stage, Se-Hoon then turned his attention to Wurgen.

“Shall we get to the main event?”

“You arrogant brat... tsk, go ahead.”

Officially prompted, Se-Hoon retrieved a small object from his void pocket: a black brooch embedded with a dark blue crystal. The design was simple, but the shimmering crystal and frosty finish gave it an air of opulence, making it seem more like a luxury item than specialized equipment.

“Now, when you attach it here...”

When Se-Hoon placed the brooch on the zombie’s chest, the crystal darkened and the mana of the Netherworld began surging through its body.

Woong!

The mana enveloped the zombie’s entire body like armor. And when it finally covered its face, the transformation made it appear like a different undead entirely.

Then, from the hollow eye sockets, brilliant blue flames flared to life.

“How do you feel?”Se-Hoon asked.

“Perfect.”

Hearing the crystal-clear response from the zombie, its speech precise and articulate, the audience was left in awe by the dramatic change.

“Incredible,” Laura murmured, staring blankly at the equipment.

Similarly mesmerized, Daniel also gazed at it in awe until he snapped back to his senses and scowled.

Damn it.... What the hell are we doing?

After all those confident boasts about victory, their side had not only lost miserably but was now admiring their opponent’s work.

Frustrated, Daniel was just about to voice his frustration when Wurgen spoke first. “You certainly know how to impress others.”

Even Wurgen, who rarely gave praise, acknowledged the equipment’s effectiveness. In fact, the enhanced zombie seemed to have exceeded even his expectations.

“Aren’t you going to explain it?”

“The equipment strengthens the soul, allowing it to withstand the weight of resentment. As for the specifics... I’ll explain once it has proven itself.”

At the challenge, Wurgen’s icy gaze lingered on Se-Hoon for a moment.

“Then let’s test it.”

With a hum, black mist seeped from Wurgen’s skull, spreading rapidly and plunging the area into darkness.

Is he... going all out? thought Richard, letting out a strained laugh as Wurgen manifested his spectral form from the darkness. His skeletal figure, cloaked in black robes, the embodiment of death itself, had arrived.

Wurgen then extended his bony finger, drawing a single line across the zombie’s body.

Swish-

The line split open, forming an eye in the zombie’s soul as waves of mana rippled through the creature.

The Eye of the Nether, one of Wurgen’s signature skills, allowed him to observe, think, and act through proxies. But he wasn’t merely commanding the zombie—he was unifying it with his will.

The zombie trembled as its form adjusted, its energy sharpening into a weapon aimed at Se-Hoon’s equipment on its chest. Wurgen’s power of Boundaries, which had once overwhelmed an entire undead army, seemed poised to prevail again.

However, just as he prepared to conclude the test...

Snip-

His field of vision through the Eye of the Nether abruptly narrowed.

Startled, Wurgen focused his attention on the zombie, finding white threads stitching through the eye, sealing it shut.

That thing again?

Recognizing Spirit Weaver, which had been used earlier, Wurgen looked toward Se-Hoon. If he was interfering mid-process, it was cheating.

However, Se-Hoon casually raised his hands to show his non-interference.

“I’m not doing anything right now.”

Indeed, there was no trace of Se-Hoon’s mana reaching the zombie. Then, where had the white threads come from?

“I... am...” The zombie suddenly spoke unprompted, staring directly at Wurgen. “...That I am!”

Snap!

With its declaration, the white threads tightened, forcing the Eye of the Nether shut.

Impossible... Did he actually complete the soul of the undead? thought Wurgen in disbelief.

The specialized equipment Se-Hoon had forged, Soul Frame, acted like a mold to stabilize and complete the soul. It fortified the resentment within the zombie with Erika’s Winterglass and bound it with Spirit Weaver, temporarily creating a fully completed soul within the undead.

Undead only obey Wurgen because they share his liminal existence. But if you can pull them even slightly off that boundary...

Boom!

Resistance to Wurgen’s control became possible.

“Whose orders do you prioritize?” Se-Hoon asked calmly, seeing the Eye snap shut.

“I prioritize the orders of Master Lee Se-Hoon.”

Seeing the zombie bowing its head, Se-Hoon turned to Wurgen.

“Care to continue?”

Meeting his gaze in silence, Wurgen withdrew the darkness of the Netherworld that had engulfed the area.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the room returned to normal.

And with a sigh, Wurgen’s skull tilted slightly, his glowing eyes filled with complex emotions.

“So be it. Have it all your way.”

Wurgen admitted defeat.

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