Absolute Regression

Chapter 566: It Wasn’t So Bad Being with You

“Did you say you want to enter this martial hall?”

Seo Jin’s response was an instinctive choice. It came from a sudden judgment that, if she wanted to uncover the truth behind brother Im Hyeon’s death, she would have to come here.

“I wanted to learn martial arts in the place where my brother was.”

Seo Jin let out a sigh.

“But now that brother is dead……”

She spoke as if she were uncertain about what to do.

Right now, she appeared more worried about herself than grieving Im Hyeon’s death.

Though she was saddened by his passing, she made it seem like her own concerns came first—she tried to look like someone for whom that was the limit of their bond.

If she acted too sorrowful or insisted too strongly on joining, it would appear as if she was entering to investigate Im Hyeon’s death.

‘I’m sorry, brother.’

At first, she had been so shocked that her mind had gone blank. But once doubt about Im Hyeon’s death took root, her thoughts began to turn cold and sharp.

“Even if Instructor Im had been here, you’d have had to pass the entrance test.”

“I’m confident I’ll pass the test.”

“Then take the test and enter. Our martial hall gives everyone, at any time, a fair chance.”

Gi Seok spoke as if it didn’t matter whether she joined or not. From that alone, one might think he had nothing to do with Im Hyeon’s death.

“I think I’ll have to think about it. I don’t know if I can stay in a place without brother. I’ll be going now.”

Gi Seok offered her words of comfort as she left the room.

“Don’t be too sad. One who clings to life and death cannot live as a martial artist.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

Seo Jin politely bowed to Gi Seok and left the room.

A short while after she departed, a man entered the room. He was Pyo San, an instructor of Golden Dragon Martial Hall and Gi Seok’s trusted subordinate.

When he entered, Gi Seok was standing by the window, looking down at Seo Jin as she exited the building. Pyo San walked up beside him and said,

“The name Instructor Im listed as an emergency contact was……”

His gaze also turned to Seo Jin walking below.

“It was that very Seo Jin.”

Gi Seok’s eyes sharpened as he stared at her.

“She didn’t seem ordinary. What family is she from?”

“Ghost Clan.”

Gi Seok turned to Pyo San and asked again.

“Ghost Clan?”

“Yes, that young woman is the youngest daughter of the Ghost Clan Leader.”

“This just got troublesome.”

The Ghost Clan’s Ghost Art was notoriously difficult for ordinary martial artists to handle.

He had considered eliminating her if necessary, but the situation changed now that she was a blood relative of the Ghost Clan. If they killed her carelessly, the Ghost Clan would rise for vengeance.

“That little ghost seemed suspicious about Instructor Im’s death. She’ll probably try to investigate from within.”

“I’ll make arrangements to have her fail the test.”

But Gi Seok shook his head.

“If we make her fail despite her skill, she’ll grow even more suspicious. Better to keep her close and monitor her than to let her run wild outside trying to investigate.”

Gi Seok turned to Pyo San and said,

“If she joins, you’ll take charge of her directly.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gi Seok’s gaze once again turned toward Seo Jin, who stood beside the training grounds in the distance.

She had momentarily stopped walking and was watching the martial artists training in the courtyard.

She recalled a particular scene. All the people around her disappeared, and in that vast training ground, Im Hyeon lay collapsed, bleeding alone.

‘...Brother.’

Only after leaving Gi Seok’s office and being alone did the sorrow finally flood in fully.

Growing up, her brother, who only ever followed their father around studying the Great Regression Technique, had always seemed boring. The one who actually played with her was Im Hyeon. When her older brother refused to play, he would come to her next.

—Jin-ah, let’s go catch cicadas!

—I have to study. Father will scold me!

—Study later. Let’s go catch cicadas!

Even when she got older, it was the same.

—Jin-ah, the performance troupe came to the village. Let’s go watch!

—Brother gave me something to do. If I go without finishing, he’ll scold me!

—Even if we get scolded, we won’t regret it! They say it’s a really fun show!

To her, living a life of constant study in the Great Regression Technique felt unbearably suffocating. Im Hyeon wasn’t just a neighborhood brother—he had been like her breath of fresh air.

She once shouted at Seo Gong, arguing over the Great Regression Technique:

—Let’s say it works, just like brother says. If you really go back to the past, then what will you do? Lock yourself up and study all over again? You’ll research reincarnation next, now that you’ve done regression? If not, if you’ve thought of doing something else… then brother, haven’t we been living the wrong life? Isn’t the life we want to live the one we should be living now? Isn’t that what we should do if we go back?

Looking back, it was Im Hyeon who had taught her such a life was even possible. Playing with him, she’d seen the world beyond the lab.

But in recent years, she hadn’t seen much of him. There was a time she turned him down because she was too tired, and another time when she was truly too busy to meet him. She had thought, I can just see him later, like always.

‘If I had known… I would’ve seen him then.’

A wave of guilt surged within her, and tears welled up in her eyes. But she forced herself not to cry. Now wasn’t the time for tears.

‘If someone killed brother and covered it up… I will uncover the truth myself.’

He wasn’t the only victim in this.

She, and her brother Seo Gong, who would later hear of this, were victims too. They would live with the pain and regret for the rest of their lives.

She was more worried about her brother.

She had lost the only friend she had. And the one who had rejected his affection more and more in the name of researching the Great Regression Technique had been her big brother.

The next day, Seo Jin took the entrance examination.

And the result was just as expected.

“Pass!”

From the demonstration of forms, to the internal energy test, and finally the sparring match with an instructor—Seo Jin passed all stages without issue. Though she had primarily trained in Ghost Art, she still possessed martial ability sufficient for admission into Golden Dragon Martial Hall.

“Congratulations.”

The person who sparred with her in the demonstration was Pyo San, Gi Seok’s trusted subordinate.

“Thank you.”

Pyo San briefly explained the structure of Golden Dragon Martial Hall.

“New recruits begin in the White Dragon Class. After passing through that, they move to the Blue Dragon Class, then to the Black Dragon Class, and finally to the Golden Dragon Class. Only upon completing the Golden Dragon Class can one be considered a full-fledged graduate of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall.”

“How long does it usually take to reach the Golden Dragon Class?”

“Those with exceptional talent can do it within a year. Those without it may fail to reach it even after twenty.”

Now that she was inside, she saw that there were truly a lot of members.

In just the White Dragon Class, which she would be joining, there were already hundreds of students, and as many as thirty instructors teaching them.

She couldn’t help but think about the kind of revenue they must generate. With graduation being so difficult, how many people were likely just paying monthly fees without any real progress?

In any case, her vague hope that she might discover something simply by joining the martial hall was just that—a vague hope. It wouldn't be easy to find anyone who had known Im Hyeon.

“Alright, follow me.”

Normally, an attendant from the school would guide her, but Pyo San personally took her around the martial hall. He explained which building was which, and what each area was for.

Among them, he showed her the places every new student needed to know: where to wash, where to change clothes, and where to eat.

Finally, they arrived at one corner of the training grounds.

“This is where your training will begin tomorrow. Don’t be late!”

“Understood.”

Pyo San was about to turn and leave when Seo Jin suddenly asked,

“Instructor, did you know Instructor Im?”

“I did.”

“Then do you also know how he died?”

Pyo San turned back to look at her.

“What was your relationship to Instructor Im that you’re asking me that?”

“He was a brother I was close to from my hometown. The reason I even came here was because of him.”

Pyo San seemed to fall into brief thought.

“Instructor Im died during a sparring match with a student.”

Seo Jin was startled by the unexpected answer.

“In such cases, we keep the cause of death confidential, out of respect for the instructor’s honor.”

“Who was he fighting when he died?”

Pyo San’s expression grew cold.

“What would you do if you knew? Go take revenge? He died in a fair sparring match.”

“No, sir.”

“Then why do you want to know?”

Without waiting for a response, Pyo San strode away, leaving Seo Jin behind in silence.

Seo Jin’s eyes, fixed on his retreating back, sank coldly.

Because he had answered without hesitation, unlike Gi Seok who had tried to hide things, his words sounded all the more credible. But Seo Jin did not believe him.

He had made a single mistake.

When she first arrived here, a martial artist guiding her had mentioned that there were many instructors with the surname Im and asked which one she was looking for.

But just now, when she asked Pyo San if he knew Instructor Im, he immediately said yes. If things were normal, he should’ve asked, “Which Instructor Im?”

‘There’s only one reason he knew which one I meant.’

He had already spoken with Gi Seok.

What were the chances that, in a place with so many instructors, the one assigned to oversee her test just happened to be someone who’d discussed her with Gi Seok? The conclusion was clear—those two were working together.

‘What exactly are you all trying so hard to hide?’

*         *         *

From afar, the chirping of insects echoed through the quiet.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn were cultivating internal energy in the forest.

They were speeding toward Golden Dragon Martial Hall using lightness techniques. With her internal energy now strengthened, Lee Ahn could run for long stretches without rest. Her speed far surpassed that of a galloping horse.

Run, and run again. When her internal energy depleted, she replenished it through regulated breathing, then resumed running once more.

It was a journey without room for proper conversation or even a proper meal, yet Lee Ahn found it enjoyable.

It was the first time she had ever run so freely with Geom Mugeuk.

Having completed her breathing cycle, Lee Ahn opened her eyes.

Geom Mugeuk should have finished his cycle already, but instead, he remained seated with eyes closed, deep in thought. His expression was so grave she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Geom Mugeuk was recalling the events of that day.

“Seo Jin!”

When he arrived after madly unleashing his lightness technique, Seo Jin was collapsed on the ground. In the distance, he caught sight of a retreating figure—an ominous enemy fleeing at high speed.

The only thing he could clearly make out was the long, flowing white hair trailing behind.

He couldn’t chase the figure. Seo Jin’s condition was critical.

“Hang in there!”

He pressed her acupoints to stop the bleeding. But the wound was too deep. So deep, he thought it a miracle she wasn’t already dead.

“Just a little more!”

He tried to lift her to take her to a physician, but Seo Jin grabbed Geom Mugeuk’s arm and said,

“It’s fine.”

She had already sensed her own death.

Seeing the despair etched into Geom Mugeuk’s face, she forced a smile.

“It’s alright, my friend.”

“I’m not alright.”

Geom Mugeuk let out a deep sigh.

She had been his only friend. A friend—and a source of hope.

If he hadn’t heard about the Great Regression Technique from her, he wouldn’t have fought so desperately to survive. He would have taken his own life or foolishly gone to confront Hwa Moogi, only to meet a pointless death.

“When you meet my brother later, be sure to tell him. That I left this world having lived a life with no regrets.”

Through the clarity of a final burst of awareness, her eyes brightened, and her words came out sharp and steady, as if she were completely unharmed.

“Tell him to live his own life, not one buried in researching the Great Regression Technique.”

“I will. I promise.”

It was Seo Jin who instead tightly held Geom Mugeuk’s hand.

“Even the life of a wanderer wasn’t so bad… because I had you.”

Geom Mugeuk’s heart ached. In all his years as a wanderer, he had never found meaning in anyone’s death. But now, rage welled up so violently inside him, he felt like he might explode.

“If it’s you, I know you’ll be able to go back to the past.”

As her eyes gradually closed, Geom Mugeuk shouted. There was something she had to hear before she died.

“That guy earlier—who was he? Who killed you?!”

Seo Jin looked at Geom Mugeuk and gave him one last smile.

“...Just think about your revenge.”

Seo Jin’s eyes slowly closed.

And the moment they closed completely, Geom Mugeuk opened his own.

She had told him not to seek revenge, but he had found the one responsible and avenged her, with ruthless determination.

Only after that did he go to find Seo Gong, the Spirit Master. Because he couldn’t face him without fulfilling her revenge. Because he couldn’t deliver her final words unless her vengeance had been carried out.

Lee Ahn cautiously asked,

“Why do you look so serious? Did you have a bad dream?”

The weight on Geom Mugeuk’s face slowly lifted as he smiled at Lee Ahn.

“I dreamed I lent you money… and never got it back.”

Lee Ahn gave a faint chuckle. ‘Who did you lose in your dream, Young Master?’

“How much did I borrow? I hope I ran off with a huge sum. To the dream-version of Lee Ahn—may you live well!”

Her teasing brought a lighthearted smile to Geom Mugeuk’s face.

“Been a while… How about a piggyback ride?”

Knowing it meant they’d be moving faster using Star Light Step, Lee Ahn leapt onto Geom Mugeuk’s back with ease.

Lee Ahn whispered into Geom Mugeuk’s ear.

“I wanna borrow some moneeeeyyyyyyy!”

*         *         *

The next day marked the official start of Seo Jin’s life at Golden Dragon Martial Hall.

She trained in martial arts under Pyo San, along with peers who had joined around the same time.

Training lasted six hours per day. The remaining time was her own—to return home or to stay and continue cultivating martial arts as she pleased.

After her first training session ended today, Seo Jin began to explore the martial hall.

Today was her chance. Since it was the first day of training, she could go anywhere she wanted. Even if she entered a restricted area, she could get away with saying she didn’t know.

Like that, she wandered throughout Golden Dragon Martial Hall, drawing a map in her mind.

As she ventured deeper, the color of the martial uniforms began to change. From white to blue, and deeper in, to black. Naturally, the energy radiating from the disciples grew sharper and more powerful.

No one paid attention to her all the way to the Black Dragon Class area, but once she stepped into the area where those in yellow uniforms resided, someone finally stopped her.

“What’s a White Dragon Class doing here?”

From the Golden Dragon Class area onward, there were guards stationed at every entrance. Judging by their yellow uniforms, they, too, appeared to be martial artists from the Golden Dragon Class.

“It’s my first day here. I was just curious and wanted to take a look around.”

The cold expression of the martial artist softened slightly at the mention of her first day.

“This isn’t a place you’re allowed to enter. Leave now.”

Just as the martial artist was about to firmly send her away—

“A newcomer?”

The voice came from behind. Seo Jin turned around.

A man with long, flowing white hair was walking toward her.