Absolute Regression

Chapter 504: The Arm That Defeats the Hundred

After the regression, many things had happened.

I had been surprised many times while going through those events, but had I ever been this shocked?

‘No, Elder, why are you coming out from there?’

Normally, he would’ve cracked a joke like that. But Geom Mugeuk didn’t say a word. Nothing like that came out. First, he had to figure out what was going on.

‘Stay calm.’

The first thing he faced was the gaze of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

It was a colder look than usual, but Geom Mugeuk could tell.

‘It’s really the elder.’

It wasn’t an imposter in disguise or someone under sorcery. You could fake everything else, but that stubborn glint in his eyes was impossible to copy. Even if not from the eyes, Geom Mugeuk’s instincts told him—it was without a doubt the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Jin Hagun looked at Geom Mugeuk. He was someone who knew enough about Geom Mugeuk’s relationship with the Demon Supreme.

He also knew that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon shouldn’t be here.

‘Was the expert you said could kill us all... the Blood Heaven Blade Demon?’

He didn’t send the thought through sound transmission. He could already tell Geom Mugeuk was even more shocked than him. And with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s appearance, one natural suspicion arose.

‘Could it be... the one who annihilated the Great Justice Warrior Sect was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon?’

And then something happened that deepened that suspicion. Yoo Beom pointed directly at him and said this—almost as if he were confirming that the person we must kill was him.

“That man is the Demon-Slaying Brigade leader, Jin Hagun.”

There was no need to tell them; he had already met the Blood Heaven Blade Demon before, so they recognized each other.

Jin Hagun greeted the Blood Heaven Blade Demon calmly.

“It’s been a long time.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon just stared back with a stern gaze. He didn’t return a single greeting.

The martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade tensed up at that reaction. They had greater numbers, but the opponent was a Demon Supreme.

Besides, Yoo Beom’s aura, now that he had revealed his true nature, was anything but ordinary. The martial artists disguised as patients on the beds were also not people to take lightly.

But more than anything, what they feared most was that Geom Mugeuk might side with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. They knew that his relationship with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was just as deep as the one he had with Jin Hagun. No, the arm would surely bend inward.

If Geom Mugeuk didn’t side with them, then Jin Hagun would die here today.

The martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade exchanged glances. The determination to save Jin Hagun, even if they all died, passed between them.

This time, Yoo Beom looked at Geom Mugeuk. He knew that Geom Mugeuk wasn’t a member of the Demon-Slaying Brigade but the Young Cult Leader.

“I didn’t expect the Young Cult Leader to come here as well. He saw right through our plan.”

If it hadn’t been for the Young Cult Leader, the Demon-Slaying Brigade and Jin Hagun would already be lying cold and dead.

“Young Cult Leader.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon walked toward Geom Mugeuk and spoke.

“At some point, I must have told you. This old man has lived his whole life with misfortune, so it’s best not to see me too often.”

Geom Mugeuk silently watched as he approached.

Jin Hagun observed the two of them, tense under the dreadful pressure he felt.

Ssshhk.

The Heaven-Extinguishing Saber was pointed at Geom Mugeuk’s neck. A blade so sharp it felt as if a slight movement could take his head clean off sent a deadly aura down its edge. ŔÃ𐌽ổ𝔟Ε𝘴

His face reflected in the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber.

Geom Mugeuk briefly looked at his own face mirrored on the blade’s surface.

Suddenly, that day came to mind.

The day he first met the Blood Heaven Blade Demon after his regression—on that day, too, this saber had been aimed at his throat just like this.

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze slowly followed the blade’s edge. Past the hand gripping the saber, he arrived at the face of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Looking at that face, Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly.

“I’m truly glad you’re safe.”

A twitch appeared at the corner of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes. His gaze remained cold.

Between the two of them, an unbearable tension filled the air, as if the saber might swing at any moment to sever a neck.

Yet Geom Mugeuk acted no differently than usual when facing him.

“I was really worried!”

Though he hadn’t shown it outwardly, he had genuinely worried about the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Could he have been defeated by someone? Could he have been captured somewhere?

“Still, the one who knows you best is Father. He said, ‘He’s not someone who would get taken down anywhere. There’s no need to worry about that man.’ That’s what he said.”

He mentioned his father on purpose, just to see how the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would react. He didn’t show any response.

“And Elder, isn’t it unfair to scare people like that? The moment you came through that door, I nearly lost my soul!”

Even at a moment like this, Geom Mugeuk was talking as much as ever.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, in contrast, responded with unrelenting coldness.

“Do you not think that I’ve come here to kill you?”

One man spoke as he always had, and the other remained indifferent—their conversation continued like that.

“Of course not.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not that kind of person.”

“What if I had been lying to you this whole time? What if I were such a person?”

“That’s not possible.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“This.”

Geom Mugeuk slowly reached into his robe and took something out. It was the poetry collection he had received from Seo Daeryong.

“Someone who loves books can’t be an evil person.”

“I could’ve pretended to like books just to deceive you.”

“If that were the case, you liked them far too much.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon let out an open scoff.

“Someone who trusts others as carelessly as you do will eventually be betrayed and killed. That’s the world, and that’s the murim.”

A cold demonic energy surged from the body of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Not only Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade, but even Yoo Beom and his subordinates felt chills run down their spines.

Only Geom Mugeuk remained unaffected, calmly watching the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“It’s fine, even if I’m betrayed by you, Elder.”

“Even if the result is death?”

“You’ve given me enough that I’d be willing to die. With that much affection, I could offer this life.”

Ssshhhk.

The Heaven-Extinguishing Saber moved to slice his neck, and Geom Mugeuk tilted his body slightly to avoid it. It wasn’t a genuine killing attempt—just enough to draw blood from his neck.

“Why did you dodge?”

“Did I dodge? The blade was cold, so I stepped back a little.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon only looked at him with a scornful expression.

Yoo Beom made a request to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“I must finish what I started. Please hold the Young Cult Leader back for a moment.”

He was certain the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would comply with his words.

As soon as he finished speaking, both sides moved simultaneously. The Demon-Slaying Brigade closed in, guarding Jin Hagun from the front and flanks. The situation they had feared was finally unfolding.

The martial artists on the beds also stepped forward, drawing their swords.

Yoo Beom had a confident expression, as if everything was fine as long as the Young Cult Leader didn’t intervene. And that confidence wasn’t born from skill.

Yoo Beom tapped a hidden device on the bed next to him.

Clack.

Several small doors behind Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade opened. From within those openings—

Sssshhhk.

Smoke drifted out. It was the scent of False Life Grass. In case the scent hadn’t spread properly from the bed area, they had installed backup emitters in the rear.

As the two scents mingled, the inner energy flow of Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade martial artists was momentarily severed.

Yoo Beom gave the order.

“Kill them all!”

At the exact moment they all hurled themselves toward the Demon-Slaying Brigade—

Geom Mugeuk drew his sword and pointed it into the air between the two sides. It was a warning not to cross over to the Demon-Slaying Brigade’s side.

“Stay where you are.”

Despite the warning, the martial artists in front rushed toward Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade, confident the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would restrain the Young Cult Leader.

Ssshhhhh!

Slash!

A wave of sword energy burst from Geom Mugeuk’s blade.

The martial artists in front were sliced apart by the sword energy and fell to the ground. Those who had been following immediately froze in place.

The scent of blood rapidly filled the room, and the floor began to flow with it.

Yoo Beom looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with a shocked expression.

“Why didn’t you stop the Young Cult Leader?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon withdrew the saber he had held to Geom Mugeuk’s neck and approached Yoo Beom.

*Smack!*

Yoo Beom’s body flew into a corner after being slapped across the face. Fortunately, no internal energy had been used, so his life was spared.

Yoo Beom stood up and glared at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Though his martial skills were far inferior, he boldly revealed his anger.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at him coldly and spoke.

“He is this cult’s Young Cult Leader. There is only one person who can override his will.”

No matter how unusual the situation, the Young Cult Leader was still the Young Cult Leader.

It was then—

From behind, Geom Mugeuk spoke to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“Even if someone is manipulating you with parasite poison, I don’t care. I’ll fix you. If you secretly have a child who’s now being held hostage, I’ll save them. And even if you’re doing this just because life suddenly became boring, I don’t mind. I’ll visit you every day and make sure you enjoy life.”

At that moment, what Geom Mugeuk had long wished for since this encounter began finally happened.

A sound transmission came from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. And it was in his usual tone.

―You’re giving me a headache, you brat!

That one line was enough. He didn’t need a detailed explanation. It told him everything: that he had no choice but to stand on that side right now, but he was still the same Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

―I knew it all along!

―How?

―Because you trust my father and me. Whatever unavoidable situation brought you here, I knew you believed that Father and I would solve it. Trusting someone is also a kind of intelligence, and you’re the sharpest and most discerning person I know. You’re the only Demon Supreme in the world who reads books, after all.

Because he had his back turned, Geom Mugeuk didn’t see it—but upon hearing that rare praise, the look in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes softened.

―Still, you must’ve been shocked when you saw me.

―You’ll say you were trying to draw a line between us by pretending to be cold in front of them, but I know the truth. You were trying to mess with me, weren’t you? You wanted to enjoy the look on my face when I panicked and got flustered. You’re hooked on teasing me now. The moment an opportunity comes, you just *have* to poke fun at me, right? That won’t work on me. Go tease your disciple instead!

A smile crept onto the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s lips. It was his true self.

But that fleeting smile vanished in an instant. When he turned his head back to Yoo Beom, his expression was colder than ever.

“We’re leaving.”

Yoo Beom flinched.

“We must complete the mission.”

“Then stay here and die.”

Leaving Yoo Beom and the martial artists behind, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon walked toward the door he had entered through.

Geom Mugeuk sent one last sound transmission.

―I’ll act in my own way. I’ll see you again soon, Elder!

With the Blood Heaven Blade Demon gone, Yoo Beom turned to Jin Hagun, caught in conflict.

There were still traps left in this space. This place had been constructed as the grave for Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

But the variable was Geom Mugeuk. His presence had unraveled the entire plan. Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s departure had ultimately been because of this Young Cult Leader.

Yoo Beom’s hesitation didn’t last long. If they were going to leave, they had to follow before the Blood Heaven Blade Demon got too far ahead.

“We’re leaving too!”

Yoo Beom and the martial artists drew their swords and retreated toward the door through which the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had exited.

The temporary effects of the Energy Dispersing Poison had already worn off, so the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade awaited Jin Hagun’s command to attack. With the Blood Heaven Blade Demon gone, striking now might allow them to annihilate the enemy.

But Jin Hagun felt it in his gut—he shouldn’t kill them.

If they were meant to be killed, Geom Mugeuk would have done it already. The only reason he let them go was likely because of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Even in a moment like this, Geom Mugeuk left the final decision to Jin Hagun. They had just tried to kill him and the Demon-Slaying Brigade, so he would follow whatever decision Jin Hagun made. If fighting broke out, Geom Mugeuk would surely take their side.

Feeling that consideration, Jin Hagun made a decision for Geom Mugeuk’s sake.

“Let them go.”

At his command, the Demon-Slaying Brigade withdrew their killing intent. During that brief moment, Yoo Beom and the martial artists fully retreated.

“Thank you.”

Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude to Jin Hagun.

“No need for thanks. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead already.”

They had almost carried those disguised patients out, not realizing they were the enemy.

Even with caution layered upon caution, a crisis like this still occurred. Facing those who bore no honor as martial artists but only deep malice and bloodlust—this was never an easy task.

The Demon-Slaying Brigade standing behind them all bowed with clasped fists to Geom Mugeuk. It was a gesture of gratitude for saving their lives.

Though they hadn’t fought a single battle today, Geom Mugeuk had witnessed the true character of the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

None of them showed the slightest dissatisfaction on their faces. Even though they had just let their would-be killers escape.

Moreover, even though the one in question was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, they showed a clear sense of favor and resentment. This was what set elites apart.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Jin Hagun.

“Even if it weren’t me, the elder wouldn’t have let you die.”

It may have been hard for Jin Hagun to believe, but Geom Mugeuk had no doubt in his conviction.

“If I hadn’t been here, the elder would’ve used any means necessary to save you all. I believe that’s the very reason he was here today.”

“The elder... came for us?”

Could that really be? If he had to give a reason, it might be because Jin Hagun was the likely next Alliance Leader.

But that wasn’t the reason Geom Mugeuk had in mind.

“Because he knows you’re my friend.”

Jin Hagun understood exactly what this moment was.

It was the moment when trust reached its limit.

Geom Mugeuk was showing it now—what it meant to truly believe in someone.

‘Only trust as much as an arm’s length, without burden? You’re a liar.’

The trust Geom Mugeuk had in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon wasn’t a ten—it wasn’t even a hundred. That arm was one that overcame a hundred.

“Now, let’s head out as well.”

Geom Mugeuk took the lead and stepped outside.

In this world, apart from his father, Geom Mugeuk believed that nothing could bind the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

And yet, he had been entangled in something? There must be a reason that forced him to help the enemy, despite it clearly being against his will.

In his life before regression, he never found out the reason. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was the first among the Demon Supremes to die.

‘In this life, I’ll change that fate.’