Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1285. The Lonely Benigoa (2)

‘I haven't even said anything yet, so how did she know?’

It wasn’t so much a greeting as it was a full-on tackle.

Thud! I went flying backward upon impact.

Benigoa had launched herself at me like an overexcited puppy finally seeing its owner after months apart. The blow to my spine sent a sharp jolt up my back, but her torrent of words hurt more than the impact.

“Lee Ki-Young... kgh... Lee Ki-Yoooung!”

And of course, just like everyone else lately, she had me in a death grip. It felt like being caught in the embrace of a giant python.

“...”

“Why did you take so long?! Lee Ki-Young... kgh... heuk... Do you have any idea how lonely I’ve been?! Why is it so hard to see your face? You said you'd come back soon!” Benigoa complained.

“Hold on, just let me—”

“You never replied to my messages! Do you know how much I've been suffering all this time?! heuuk...” Benigoa cried.

‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to come.’

“Lee Ki-Young... Lee Ki-Young...” Benigoa called out.

Just when I thought she'd go on like this until nightfall, Belial appeared in the corner of my vision. Belial grabbed her by the nape and lifted her away from me.

“Aaah! You filthy demon! Let go of me, now!” Benigoa shouted.

“Have some dignity, would you? You’re not the only one here,” Belial said.

“Eeeek! I finally got to see Lee Ki-Young again, and who cares about the others?! Let go! Let go, rotten demon!” Benigoa yelled.

Staring at Benigoa flailing in midair made me think that she hadn't changed at all. Now I understood why Commander Jin looked so tormented. Belial also looked like someone who wanted nothing to do with Benigoa, but with so many eyes watching, he had no choice but to intervene.

‘There were... way more people now, after all.’

Belial’s loyal subordinates—the members of the 27th Legion—had come with him, but what really caught my attention were the angels with pristine white wings.

There were demons and angels here, and almost all of them were dressed like corporate office workers. They looked neat, professional, and oddly modern as they stared at me with wide eyes.

It was like they were staring at some celebrity or legend in the flesh. Their wide eyes were filled with awe and curiosity.

‘Where did they even find all these people? Did they make new ones? Or steal them from another dimension or something?’

I knew things had grown bigger, but this was far beyond what I imagined, and it happened in such a short period of time at that.

It felt like yesterday when Benigoa and I were still hiding amidst the continent-cum-dungeon incident. Today, this place looked less like a war camp and more like a giant religious temple—no, I could say that it looked like a full-blown corporation.

Massive ornate pillars, towering statues, and situation boards were all over the place. There were also miniature models of the continent. There were so many departments that trying to grasp which one was what made me feel overwhelmed.

I heard that Ji-Hye noona had put in some serious effort behind the scenes, but I never imagined that things had already reached this scale.

“Mr. Bel, how have you been?” I asked.

“To be honest, I can’t say I’ve been doing well. Things have been rather busy,” Belial answered.

“Miss Benigoa, you’ve been well too, right?” I asked.

“Lee Ki-Young... heuk... I missed you so much,” Benigoa sobbed.

“But why has this place changed to smooch? I figured things might become a bit different when I saw the gate inside the temple, but... what the hell did noona do?” I asked.

“Ah... so you were surprised, huh?” Benigoa said.

“...”

“...”

I had no idea why Benigoa was acting so smug, but she definitely had that satisfied look on her face.

‘Wasn’t this all Belial and Noona’s doing?’

“Well... while you weren’t around... we did a little remodeling. It was nice when it was just a few of us working hard and cheering each other on, but now, we’ve grown a bit.

"Gela and Sahaga joined... and we basically own Rohen now, too. You think we could keep working in that tiny backroom?” Benigoa asked.

“Remodeling is putting it lightly. If you were going to go this far, why would you even attach an office to the temple? You could’ve just set up personal offices in each department...” I pointed out.

“W-We still need some level of communication between us, right? Anyway, that’s why... we called in some angels for help. They know they’re running out of time. I mean, your fame alone is huge, but saving Rohen? That sealed the deal.

"Word is, they were really impressed by how you wiped out all the entrenched corruption there. You’d be shocked at how many applicants we got when we put out the job posting for assistants,” Benigoa explained.

“...”

“A-Anyway! Instead of just Rohen, how about we start working on another dimension, too? There’s this annoying bunch in the neighboring world... Let’s just steamroll them. Some Heavenly Demon or whatever popped up, and now everything’s a mess.

"Even the guys who used to play immortal sage up in the heavens all went into hiding. Now’s our chance, Lee Ki-Young,” Benigoa suggested.

‘What the hell is she even talking about?’

“Growth is all about timing, right? And now is our chance. This is the perfect moment to scale up! If we keep expanding like this, one step at a time, no one will ever be able to look down on us again!” Benigoa shouted.

Was the sweet nectar flowing from Rohen that addictive? She looked like a war-hungry tyrant about to launch a conquest campaign. Even Belial was growling as he stared at her.

Honestly, I found it hard to tell which one of the two was the real demon.

‘How the hell are we even supposed to go there?’

“I’m not planning to expand any further. We're already too damned big, and we’re on the verge of bursting over here. Do you want to start a dimensional war or something?” I questioned.

“What?! N-No! Of course not! Don’t say things like, Lee Ki-Young! You can’t just throw around a term like ‘dimensional war’ like it's nothing!” Benigoa shouted.

“...”

“You know I’m all about peace, right? Come on, Lee Ki-Young. You know me. And anyway, there are other methods. Legal and system-approved methods that don't involve war. Like that thing you’re good at... that conning—I mean, not conning! That clever maneuvering...” Benigoa stuttered.

“Did you not hear what I just said? Things are already a mess here, and we don’t have the bandwidth to worry about other dimensions. When your organization gets too big, problems will come up eventually. We’ve already angered half the dimensions with our whole independence stunt. Do you want to get targeted or something?” I complained.

“B-But still...” Benigoa muttered.

“Even just maintaining what we have is already overwhelming. What’s the point of having all these angels helping us if we don’t even have enough people to actually get things done?” I added.

W-We have backup! Th-There’s Jung... Ha-Yan, the R-Red God of War, and the Sunset Swordsman!” Benigoa exclaimed.

“He doesn’t really like the idea of those people in, Miss Benigoa.” Lee Ji-Hye's voice echoed nearby.

“Huh? Huh?’

“I think he just wants everyone to stay focused on the present world. Jung Ha-Yan is in charge of managing the mana flow across the continent. Do you know how much we had to spend to install that thing in the Magic Tower? And even then, he was constantly fretting over it...” Lee Ji-Hye continued.

“Huh? W-Why? Isn’t coming up here better?” Benigoa asked.

“Because it can create a sense of distance. That's how ordinary people will feel. People living in the real world want others to stay in that same world, too. That’s how Oppa sees it.

"Not everyone agrees to it, of course, but I get where he’s coming from,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“...”

“People might start questioning if life here is the real one, or if that place is the real one. Humans are a lot more fragile than you think, Miss Benigoa.

"In the worst-case scenario, they could end up feeling like their life in the present world doesn’t matter at all. They might come to believe that this place is somehow better than everything else,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“B-But they know about us, at least a little, don’t they? Jung Ha-Yan, too...” Benigoa said.

“They have an idea, and even if they do know, fully accepting it is a whole different matter. For the record, Command Jin, Oppa, and I don’t feel that kind of disconnection, so you don’t have to worry,” Lee Ji-Hye reassured her.

‘There she goes again... saying unnecessary things.’

I had a lot I wanted to say, but I decided to stay quiet. I really didn’t feel like getting into another drawn-out debate about all this. Besides, Belial had placed a hand on my shoulder, clearly gesturing that it was time to move on.

‘I see right through you, Mr. Bel.’

“It’s probably time we get going. I’ll show you the way,” Belial offered.

He was probably trying to flaunt his closeness with me in front of the people here. Belial and Benigoa were obviously locked in a quiet power struggle. There were two factions here—the progressives and the conservatives—and they were constantly clashing over every detail.

Belial wanted to show that he was close to the CEO.

I had no idea whether Benigoa noticed Belial’s plan or not, but she stubbornly locked arms with me and dragged me around.

Meanwhile, Lee Ji-Hye looked at them as if they were pathetic. She didn’t seem too eager to get caught up in this ridiculous show of force, or perhaps she simply had something more important to do. Either way, she slipped out of view, leaving behind just a parting line. “See you later downstairs."

“The Rohen sector is on the other side. Want to take a look around?” Belial asked.

“No, I’m here for something more important than Rohen right now... Let’s just head to the meeting room,” I answered.

“Oh? Should I tell Commander Jin to get the performance report ready? He said he’ll do it if you come...” Benigoa asked.

“Pass,” I said.

“Huh? R-Really? He’ll be so disappointed. I mean... he worked really hard on it, you know...” Benigoa mumbled.

‘I don’t even have time to tease him right now.’

“I don’t have time for that,” I said.

“B-But still... Commander Jin...” Benigoa stuttered.

“...”

“He was really looking forward to it... Maybe just a quick look...” Benigoa suggested.

“...”

“...”

“Are you and Commander Jin close now or something?” I questioned.

“Huh?”

“Is that why you keep bringing it up? Because you two are close?” I asked.

“I’ve noticed that too. Benigoa’s been close to him lately,” Belial added casually.

“Is that so, Mr. Bel?” I asked.

“W-What? No! No, of course not! Belial, what the hell are you saying?! That’s not true! Lee Ki-Young! I’m not even close to that annoying guy! Don’t make me laugh! I just... y-you know how it is.

"I was just looking forward to laughing about him with you, Lee Ki-Young... he... hehe,” Benigoa said, giggling awkwardly.

“...”

“You know what he’s like. Acting all smug and arrogant... He barely turned things around after being in the negative and panicking to make it look impressive. It’s funny, right?

"Pfft... hehe. I was just hoping to humble him a bit, that’s all. How could you seriously think I’m close with him? Geez... Lee Ki-Young, you still don’t get me at all,” Benigoa added.

“For someone you’re supposedly not close to, you have been sticking around him quite a bit lately,” Belial said.

“O-Okay, maybe a few times? The guy’s always holed up in his office, all alone without any friends. I just... teased him a bit. But he took it the wrong way because he kept clinging to me like we’re best friends or something. He’s so clueless. He... hehe...” Benigoa giggled.

‘Is she actually a demon?’

Even for Benigoa, I hadn't expected her to throw Commander Jin under the bus that fast. Commander Jin had been taking care of her all this time, but despite that, there wasn’t a shred of guilt on her bright, innocent-looking face.

If anything, she badmouthed him with such enthusiasm that even Belial stepped a little further away, looking fed up. Even Commander Jin would feel hurt if he heard the things she was saying about him right now.

“H-How about this? We announce a performance review in advance, make it sound official... and then on the day of the review, nobody will show up!

"Hehehe... That insufferable guy would totally panic. Let’s secretly reschedule the regular meeting time, too!” Benigoa continued.

‘That’s... a bit harsh...’

“A-Anyway, that’s Commander Jin’s office. Too bad he’s not in. I was actually thinking of pulling a little stunt. I don’t know if he knows or not, but I sometimes throw cupcakes over there. Hehehe... hehe,” Benigoa said, giggling.

“...”

“Down there is the cafeteria. You like winter salmon, right? Want to grab a bite? Or should we come back up with some cupcakes?” Benigoa asked.

“...”

“That area over there is where the angels rest. We designed it so they can avoid the demons as much as possible. Some of them are still a bit old-fashioned,” Benigoa said.

“The facilities are nice,” I commented.

“Right?! It’s not perfect... but it’s surprisingly functional. So, what did you want to ask? Should I call in Elune, Lauren, and Gela too?” Benigoa asked.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Let’s head to the meeting room,” I answered.

“Really? Is this something important?” she asked.

‘Of course it’s important.’

“It’s nothing too big...” I said.

“Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?”

“I think I went to the first life,” I told them.

I expected this reaction, but a brief silence filled the room.

“No, I’m sure I was in the first life. And... I witnessed history with my own eyes. I even got involved... So, is there anything you can tell me about what’s going on?” I asked.

“We’ll need to hear the full story in detail,” Belial said.

“I-Is that true, Lee Ki-Young?” Benigoa asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“...”

“And... I also met Mr. Bel,” I added.

Belial adjusted his glasses with his long finger and revealed a faint smile.