Absolute Regression

Chapter 543: This Weak and Young Me

"You… you're alive."

Geom Mugeuk recognized the man despite his significantly changed appearance.

He was none other than the Battle King who had returned alive from the underworld.

Only now did Geom Mugeuk understand—why the man had gone ahead with today’s banquet despite knowing he was present.

Why the movements behind this event felt different from before, and why it was so violent…

It was all because of this man—because of the Battle King’s thirst for revenge.

It became clear why the one used in the trap set by the Sky Flower Pavilion Lord was Bih Sa-in. It was because the one who had driven him to the brink of death was the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.

The Battle King slowly stepped down from the palanquin.

Clang, clang.

Chains, glowing with a bluish light, were tightly coiled around his chest. The cold, blue-lit chains weren’t ordinary metal. It gave the impression that they possessed far more power than the protective gear or bracers he had worn in the past.

A woman’s voice came from within the palanquin.

"When I saved this man using the Dark Path Return Technique, the poison had already spread throughout his body to the point where not even a Great Immortal could have saved him. The poison of your Poison King is truly terrifying."

Indeed, traces of poison still leaked from the Battle King's breath, unable to be fully purged.

If the Poison King found out about this, he would be absolutely furious. It had just become a perfect reason to tease him.

"But we decided to save him. It required tremendous effort and an enormous investment. He had to undergo two major grand arts and six procedures."

The Battle King’s face twisted as if remembering those times. It was a pain so unbearable that one would beg to be killed instead.

He had endured all that pain for this moment today.

"As you can see, it was worth the investment."

The Battle King’s presence was overwhelming.

He radiated a sense of power greater than any enemy encountered before. If the previous Battle King had felt like a ‘mere’ brawler, now he seemed to have transcended that stage entirely.

It was as if a Battle King who had gone beyond victory and defeat—beyond life and death—was standing there.

Death dwelled in his eyes.

There was a white outline in his pupils. Even Geom Mugeuk knew what that meant.

'He even mastered the Dark Heaven Night God Art!'

The Battle King had always been strong, but after receiving various grand arts and mastering the Dark Heaven Night God Art, he had clearly become far more powerful than before.

On top of that, he was now emitting the Poison King’s toxic aura.

While Geom Mugeuk was immune to all poisons and wouldn't be affected, if Bih Sa-in or Jin Hagun were to fight him, they wouldn't be able to withstand even the poison, let alone the man himself. It was, in essence, the equivalent of being attacked by both the Battle King and the Poison King at once.

The Battle King exuded the confidence of someone capable of destroying everyone here single-handedly.

"Just how strong have you become?"

"As much as I’ve devoted my life."

He had mastered the Dark Heaven Night God Art—meaning he could no longer be exposed to sunlight.

All for this one revenge.

The Battle King slowly took a step forward. Every pair of eyes focused on each of his steps. The fighting spirit he exuded was strong enough to face everyone present and still remain unshaken.

He had been looking around as if seeing the world for the first time.

Swaaaaaaak!

Thud-thud-thud!

With a single wave of his hand, all the martial artists of the Baekgye Trading Company who had gathered were torn apart, their torsos exploding on the spot.

There wasn’t even a moment to consider defending or reacting. That one move alone revealed just how strong he had become. It was blindingly fast and overwhelmingly powerful.

The person who screamed at the sight was none other than Deputy Division Leader Pyeong Wi. When all the men he had brought were killed in a single instant, he was struck with horror.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to him quietly.

“You didn’t think it would turn out like this?”

Of course, Pyeong Wi had come ready to die. But he hadn’t imagined that they would kill his men first. If they were going to kill them, they should’ve done it at the end—after letting them witness the revenge.

“You were deceived by them. It wasn’t the Unorthodox Alliance. It was them who used you. Just to make this gathering happen today.”

“Don’t make me laugh!”

With his subordinates dead, Pyeong Wi was even less willing to believe it. Like a man possessed, he hurled himself forward and prostrated before the palanquin.

“Kill them like you promised!”

To the man who had come running into their arms, the Dark King was merciless.

“The Young Cult Leader was right. You were used by us.”

In that instant, Pyeong Wi’s face froze. In shock and confusion, the truth was revealed to him.

“To be precise, it was the Division Leader’s wife who used you.”

At that moment, Pyeong Wi’s eyes bulged wide. The suspicion he had dreaded had now become reality.

And as he came to realize the truth—

“Aaaaaargh!”

He let out a horrendous scream. At some point, the Battle King had appeared behind him and seized his neck.

He didn’t snap the neck. That might have been kinder.

The moment the poisonous energy flowing from the Battle King’s hand seeped into his body, Pyeong Wi writhed in unspeakable agony before dying on the spot.

Thud.

The Battle King tossed his corpse in front of Geom Mugeuk.

And then he pinned the blame for the death on him.

“This is all your fault.”

Of course, Geom Mugeuk wasn’t someone who would accept such words quietly.

“There are too many witnesses here for you to be spouting nonsense.”

“If not for you, I wouldn’t be here. If not for you, this poison wouldn’t be in my body.”

He held Geom Mugeuk responsible for revealing his existence, which had been hidden within the Unorthodox Alliance. It was Geom Mugeuk who had drawn in the Unorthodox Alliance Leader—and the Poison King.

"Why is it my fault? You're the one who chose to sneak into a place you never should have. Why is it my fault? It's because of your petty heart that couldn't let go after using me—couldn’t just say, 'Thanks for your trouble,' and move on."

He had tried to guilt Geom Mugeuk, but not only did he fail—he didn’t even break even.

"And why are you coming after me? You should go find the Unorthodox Alliance Leader or the Poison King if it's revenge you want. What? Are you scared of them? So you pick on someone weak and young like me instead?"

At the words "weak and young," Bih Sa-in and Jin Hagun both gave a wry chuckle. Even in this grim situation, Geom Mugeuk had a way of provoking laughter.

But for the Battle King, those words struck a nerve.

"Shut up!"

Clang.

The sound of metal rang out from the Battle King's clenched fist. His expression stiffened—something unimaginable for someone who hadn’t even blinked in the face of any threat until now.

"The Unorthodox Alliance Leader will die by my hands soon."

The Battle King intended to kill everyone here, then go and kill the Unorthodox Alliance Leader too. He knew—this body, forcefully sustained through grand arts, wouldn’t last much longer. Before dying, he would take them all with him. That’s probably why the organization revived him in the first place.

At that moment, the Dark King spoke from inside the palanquin.

"As expected, the rumor that the Young Cult Leader’s tongue is sharper than his sword was true."

Geom Mugeuk understood—the Dark King had stepped in to calm the agitated Battle King. Without a doubt, the harder opponent to deal with was the Dark King.

"That’s no rumor—it’s nonsense."

Turning to Bih Sa-in, Geom Mugeuk asked,

"Don’t you think my sword is sharper than my tongue?"

Bih Sa-in immediately shook his head firmly.

Geom Mugeuk looked at him in disbelief.

"Why are you trying to be funny in such a serious moment?"

Bih Sa-in's eyes said it all: Isn’t that your specialty?

This time, Geom Mugeuk turned to Jin Hagun.

"I trust you'll speak the truth."

"I don't wish to argue with you."

He said it so calmly that it felt like the truth.

A laugh echoed from within the palanquin. Both Geom Mugeuk and the Dark King still had room for levity.

"Let’s settle it. We’ll see which is truly sharper."

As soon as those words were spoken, the palanquin’s door opened once again.

Chwarureureuk.

A hand parted the beaded curtain. It was a dry, wrinkled hand.

The person who revealed himself was an old man. Given that the Dark King, the Battle King, and now this elder had all been inside, it was now certain that the space within the palanquin was not ordinary.

The old man’s eyes were piercingly sharp.

Strange patterns covered his aged robe, and his opened fan was adorned with indecipherable symbols.

Ominous energy surged from his entire body.

The first to recognize him was Jin Hagun.

"Heavenly Abomination!"

He was a public enemy of the Martial World, known for his mastery of all kinds of sorcery and formations that plunged the martial world into chaos. His sorcery was vile and brutal, leading to the deaths of countless people at his hands.

Only now did it become clear who had created the formation set within the Baekgye Trading Company.

Heavenly Abomination looked at Jin Hagun and spoke.

"You tried so hard to catch me—why not give it a try now?"

The martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade moved in unison, standing before Jin Hagun with swords drawn.

But Heavenly Abomination showed not a shred of fear.

Then, another figure emerged from the palanquin. This time, it wasn’t a person. Something leapt out with a bound.

Grrrrrr...

Astonishingly, what came out was a black dog as large as a grown man. It was no ordinary dog—its body was larger than a wolf’s and its fangs were massive.

From that massive body, a black aura rippled outward like heat waves. It was a true hellhound—worthy of guarding the Gate of Hell itself.

And it wasn’t alone. Dozens of hellhounds poured out one after another. The sight was grotesque, as if the palanquin had become a portal connected directly to hell.

The last to emerge was someone Bih Sa-in recognized.

"Dog Man!"

He was a supreme expert of the unorthodox faction, known for wielding Dark Sorcery and calling himself a dog merchant. He rarely showed himself in public, but today, he had made an appearance here. The hellhounds he summoned were known to be so ferocious that they could maul even martial arts masters to death.

The hellhounds growled lowly as they stared at one particular place.

It was the rooftop where the Evil Smiling Demon stood.

Evil Smiling Demon silently gazed down at the dozens of hellhounds growling up at him.

The four black-clad figures who had flown in with the palanquin now stepped forward with lanterns in hand, standing opposite Bih Sa-in.

The Thirteen Wolves simultaneously drew their swords and aimed at them. Yet despite being faced with overwhelming strength they couldn’t possibly handle, the four black-clad figures showed no fear whatsoever.

At that moment, Bih Sa-in saw it—their shadows stretched long, connected directly to the palanquin. It was eerie, as though they were part of the palanquin itself.

Heavenly Abomination was facing Jin Hagun.

The Dog Man was confronting Evil Smiling Demon.

The four black-clad figures who guarded the palanquin were assigned to Bih Sa-in.

And the Battle King was after Geom Mugeuk.

The real issue was that the Dark King within the palanquin had yet to make a move. How she would choose to intervene remained unknown.

Jin Haryeong retreated as far back as possible, taking Yeo Jeong with her. This was not a fight she could participate in. If things turned dire, she would have to carry her and run. It was clear.

‘Brother! Be careful!’

At the last moment, the one she looked at was Geom Mugeuk. As always, she asked once more.

‘Please take care of my brother! I will protect the Pavilion Mistress... even if it costs me my life—no, even in death.’

As Geom Mugeuk met her gaze, his eyes turned upward.

On the rooftop stood Evil Smiling Demon. With arms crossed, he was still silently watching the situation unfold below. No one could tell what he was thinking, but of everyone present, the one Geom Mugeuk could trust most in this battle was Evil Smiling Demon.

Their eyes met.

Within the mask, Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes were smiling. From that smile—deep as the abyss—Geom Mugeuk could tell.

He had already become the true Evil Smiling Demon.

That was enough. No need to worry about the rear. All focus now had to be on the Battle King standing in front of him.

The one who moved first was the Battle King.

"Care for a taste of my fist?"

The Battle King thrust his fist forward. A cold blue aura flowed along the chains wrapped around his fist. He exuded absolute confidence and composure.

‘He must know that I’ve learned the Nine Calamities Demon Art.’

Was he saying he could endure it, even if it wasn’t perfected?

"Then let’s have a small taste."

Geom Mugeuk extended his own fist without drawing his sword.

Fist against fist.

It was an invitation to test strength through a direct clash.

Fwooooosh!

The Battle King charged at Geom Mugeuk and hurled his fist.

Rather than evade, Geom Mugeuk countered with his own punch.

To meet the Battle King’s fist, powered by the Chain Wind and Cloud Fist, Geom Mugeuk used the Thunderous Asura Fist taught to him by the Fist Demon King.

The moment their fists collided, a deafening blast rang through the air.

Kwaaaang!

Geom Mugeuk’s fist struck the chains wrapped around the Battle King’s fist.

Even though the strike carried powerful energy, the Battle King didn’t even flinch.

With their fists still locked, Geom Mugeuk and the Battle King glared into each other’s eyes.

Of course, it hadn’t been a full-power blow—but the same was true for the Battle King.

He twisted his body and struck again with his fist.

This second blow was much faster and more powerful than the first.

Their fists collided again. A louder boom than before exploded outward, yet the Battle King's fist and chains remained intact.

Once again, their fists pressed in midair. Geom Mugeuk could feel the cold texture of the chains at the tip of his knuckles. That sensation conveyed a message—I will never break.

A third punch from the Battle King came flying in. Faster and stronger.

Chaeaaeng!

It wasn’t the sound of fists clashing.

Having leapt backward, Geom Mugeuk now held the Black Demon Sword in his hand.

The incomplete Thunderous Asura Fist was not enough to handle the Battle King’s martial arts.

Exchanging blows had made it clear to him—this Battle King was on a completely different level from the man he once knew.

"You’ve become a monster."

Geom Mugeuk turned to Bih Sa-in and said,

"My friend, if I ever told you to just trust me—forget I said that."

Even now, Geom Mugeuk didn’t lose his composure. And he gave his final encouragement to everyone.

"Today, each of us must survive."