Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1168. Crimson Flower (2)

‘It’s done.’

This was better than I thought.

'I knew you could do it. I believed in you, Will.'

The world shrouded by an ashen sunset cracked open like a mirror.

The world that I had created was collapsing.

The mise en scene felt kind of awkward, but there was an issue with the funds, so it couldn’t be helped. It seemed trivial in the eyes of a professional, but that wasn’t the case for William.

As expected, I saw him quietly looking at the collapsing world.

He seemed to be feeling a mix of emotions, but a sense of achievement seemed to be what he was feeling the most. However, from his point of view, it wasn’t as simple as describing it as a sense of achievement.

This was a dream world, but this was basically another world.

This was the 501st round, but in addition to the rounds before the reset, he had spent more than just 501 rounds.

The fear he felt in the beginning and the joy he felt in the final moments...

He cried, laughed, and felt sad.

He also felt angry and happy.

William died and grew stronger here.

He had abandoned himself here and had found himself here.

He could no longer easily abandon the place that made him feel every single emotion out there.

“It’s over,” I said.

“No, not exactly. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning,” William said.

“Yes, you’re right. Saying this is only the beginning is a more fitting description,” I agreed.

“There are still many enemies we must fight both here and in the real world,” William said as he looked up at the sky quietly.

As the world crumbled in an almost unreal way, a huge black shadow appeared on the other side. It was trying to extend its hand out slowly. In the lore, that shadow... was a being slumbering within the Saint of Flower and Fertility.

It was the one that started this tragedy and ended the world.

Luckily, the being was unable to spread its influence in the collapsing world.

Ultimately, this event served to show that by defeating the demon, William had reduced its influence.

The being that emitted an overwhelming sense of dominance, even though we were simply looking at it, moved once again to the edge of the dream, but its presence was still there.

The phantom of the Great Ancient Demon, a manifestation of sheer madness, malice, and terror, danced before my eyes.

“So... that’s the being that’s sealed inside you,” William said.

“That’s right,” I said.

“We can’t defeat it,” William said.

“...”

“At least not now,” William added.

‘Look at him acting all confident.’

“That being will probably keep testing you. Like how it created this dream, it will approach you again. It will drill a hole in your heart... and will keep gnawing away at your heart,” he warned.

“When that time comes... we can probably defeat it. Back then, I'm uncertain, but now, I feel like something has changed. I’m embarrassed to say this since you’re the one who worked the hardest...” I told him.

“That’s not true. I believe you fought the demon in your own way, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. If you hadn't been here, I would have crumbled down instead of this dream world,” William said.

“Excuse me? I did? But I—”

“No matter how I explain it, you probably won’t understand, and I simply don’t have the words to explain it. However, I want you to know that I was able to overcome it because of you,” William interrupted me.

'Yeah, yeah. I know how you feel.'

However, I had to show that I was curious and had no idea what he was talking about.

'You’re the one who fought and claimed victory, so why are you saying it was thanks to me?'

I showed him that kind of expression because Flower Ki-Young was innocent when it came to that kind of stuff. After spouting nonsense like a Zen riddle, he smiled quietly as he looked at my face.

“The light... doesn’t just shine by itself.”

‘So you’re saying that you’re shining as well because I’m shining.’

I questioned why he couldn’t just say that, but I realized why he said that. The slow-witted twenty-three-year-old Flower Ki-Young needed time to realize that he was the light in that sentence, so William likely decided it was better to end it like this.

‘Not bad.’

It was good to have many conversations, but a concise ending like this wasn’t so bad, either.

I had set up plenty of hints for the next villain, and the ending, which served as a reminder that the fight was far from over with the giant enemy on the horizon, felt just right.

It was a message that there were many more battles to come and that constantly growing stronger was essential. Of course, I needed to find a way to escape Rohen before fighting that being, but honestly, I just wanted him to stay focused during this war.

“Thank you again,” William said.

“Me too,” I said.

“And... it’s a good morning,” William said.

“Yes, it is a good morning,” I said.

With that, I quietly opened my eyes and greeted the morning.

“...”

‘I’m really exhausted.’

It felt like I hadn't gotten enough sleep.

I looked outside the window and saw William quietly watching the enemies from on top of the wall. It wasn’t the shattered dream world, but the one where there were still things left to protect. He quietly looked up at the sky.

‘He must’ve woken up before me.’

His face showed a subtle change in his mood, and it caught my attention.

Actually, it felt like he had changed overnight. Of course, it was a natural change. He experienced death over five hundred times, so it’d be strange if he hadn't changed.

He spoke less, and his gaze had changed slightly.

Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

‘He seems kind of awkward, right?’

The members of the Flower and Fertility Familia probably felt that something was out of place, but they couldn’t quite point it out.

They had spent more time with him than I had, so I was sure they felt that something about William had changed. It made them feel estranged from William. After all, William's aura and energy had changed.

“Mr. William, did you...” someone trailed off.

“Please continue,” William said.

“No, it’s nothing,” they said.

That was the kind of conversation I heard...

‘I’m sure Will doesn’t even know how he changed.’

I looked away and continued with my usual routine. I washed up, picked out my clothes, and went outside. Then, I saw a Saint Bell that was quieter than usual.

‘It started.’

It was like the calm before the storm. It was a feeling that I couldn’t quite put into words—it was both familiar and unfamiliar. It had been announced, but I was sure they still couldn't quite accept the reality.

It was a war with no retreat.

Everyone had their own way of preparing for the war.

Some were checking their armor for the last time while others were writing their will.

Friends gathered and talked, while some laughed and chatted without thinking much about the upcoming war. Some also talked about the things that would happen after this.

There were also people praying fervently.

The commanders had no intention of stopping those who were hanging out together.

They respected everyone’s way of spending their final moments, and rather than disciplining them, they were being considerate.

The situation was kind of different from when we took back Saint Bell.

Unlike the time when people were very hopeful, the soldiers feared that they could die in this war, and they weren’t wrong to think that way.

I was sure everyone who saw the beings that Sun Hee-Young had abandoned a week ago all thought that it was impossible to win and that Saint Bell could probably be mankind's final battlefield.

It wasn’t just the ordinary soldiers who felt this way. The leaders of the familias and the command center were also aware of the difference in strength and were hoping for a miracle.

‘That’s why I brought it. The miracle.’

Speak of the devil. William immediately made an appearance...

‘You’re the miracle, Will.’

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” William greeted.

“Ah! Mr. William. How are you feeling?” I asked.

“All the matters that were brought up have been taken care of. I’m kind of worried about the soldiers’ morale, but... we received word from Arhendel as well, so I think we should expect to receive good news,” William answered.

“Whoo, that’s a relief,” I said.

“Yes. It felt really short but long at the same time. Don’t you agree?” William asked.

“You’re right. I can’t believe it’s already been a week since we retook Saint Bell. I’m kind of surprised,” I replied.

“That’s true.”

“...”

“...”

“Do you think we’ll win?” William asked.

“Yes, we must,” I answered.

The enemies were showing up on the horizon.

The pitch-black, undead monsters were getting closer and closer.

Was I just imagining things, or were there more compared to the last time we saw them? I even felt like there were more varieties of them. The sight of those creatures rising from the black swamp triggered a feeling of disgust within me.

“No, we’ll win,” I said.

There were so many of them that I wouldn’t be surprised if people felt like vomiting at the sight of them, just like when we first saw them.

[The price for betraying his kindness is death.]

Sun Hee-Young’s echoed voice along with a shrill cry.

[The price for betraying his kindness is death. Death.]

“...” Sun Hee-Young's voice reverberated throughout the skies.

I glanced over at William again.

‘He had grown pretty strong. Not bad. He learned a finishing move, and more importantly, he managed to improve his skills.’

We could handle this fight.

I wasn't the only one who thought that way because William raised his sword and roared, “Raise your swords! Sons and daughters of Rohen!”

William's voice was overflowing with determination.

[Die while resenting your own ignorance and wickedness, insects of Rohen.]

‘Hee-Young?’

[We won’t let you die peacefully. We will grant you eternal suffering until you speak of the sins you committed.]

‘Her choice of words is kind of harsh...’

[The price for betraying his kindness is death.]

A massive bone dragon rose from the swamp of pitch-black holy power.

“Roooooooooooooooooooooar!”

A violent tremor ran across everything as if there were a powerful earthquake.

“Prepare for battle!”

“Prepare for battle!”

“Prepare for battle!”

The messengers ran across the wall while waving flags.

The ones who were unconsciously repeating the words, “Prepare for battle,” were now staring at the sky with faces full of despair.

A clump of black energy gathered on the bone dragon’s mouth as it flapped its massive wings and looked down at Saint Bell.

The clump of energy was powerful enough to destroy the walls of Saint Bell, but before it could be unleashed, eight crimson flowers manifested and adorned the skies.

“Aaaah!”

“What the... What... is thiiiiis...”

What do you mean?

‘The hero is making his grand entrance.’

Perhaps he still hadn't gotten used to it, as he looked a bit awkward. However, he managed to land gracefully on the ground, and I saw him nodding to himself.