Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1433. Continental War (13)

The guy quietly sat up and muttered such words upon Oksana's departure. I wouldn’t say it was relieving, but at least he didn't look as insane as he did a few hours ago.

There was at least some payoff to spreading holy power even to the point of wrecking myself.

Of course, he had only barely avoided the worst case, which was the total collapse of his mind. Even now, the Holy Sword Hero, Sung Ji-Hoon, was still in the process of accepting that this place was reality.

Perhaps I ought to be glad that he didn’t say things like everything was a dream, or even worse, he could have started denying reality. It was better than acting as if nothing had happened again, but even so, the pathetic sight made me feel uncomfortable.

‘No, don’t get too upset. Hold it in, Ki-Young. Endure it.’

"..."

"..."

‘Yeah... he’s still a minor... This is the normal reaction.’

From his point of view, stopping a war or whatever didn't feel important right now. He clearly felt nothing from the conversation Oksana and I just had, and I wished he would at least realize something, but the only thing I could see on the idiot’s face was the desire to escape this situation.

Sure enough, fear, terror, guilt, and all kinds of negative emotions swirled on Sung Ji-Hoon’s face. In his current state, it was impossible for him to think about taking responsibility for what he had done or paying for his sins.

He probably just wanted to run away and get away from this whole thing. He probably wanted to call for his grandpa and avoid this situation. What was in front of me right now wasn't the confident Holy Sword Hero but a teenager who needed help.

"Heuk... we have to run away fast," Sung Ji-Hoon said.

"..."

"If we stay here, something bad will happen... We can’t stay here," he added.

"..."

"T-that place... is really a good place. Jin Yoo, you would definitely like it too. The lake is pretty... and monsters really don’t come out in the forest. I-I saved it for when I get a girlfriend later, so nobody knows about it. It’s far from the war... Anyway, it’s a good place. It is way better than here," he added.

“...”

"Do you not hear me? Heuk... it’s war—war! I’m telling you a war is happening right now. People are actually dying and getting hurt; they’re killing each other and everything. It’s obvious we shouldn’t be here. That is only natural. We can’t just stay in a place like this. Y-you might die, too. This shouldn’t be happening," he said.

‘Ah, this idiot is spitting everywhere.’

"Yes, this shouldn’t be happening," I said in agreement.

"R-right? So let’s hurry and—"

"That’s why we have to stop it," I interrupted him.

"What?"

"So that this never happens again, we have to stop the war," I told him.

"N-no, that’s not... heuk... That isn’t what I meant..." he mumbled.

‘Stop crying already. And damn it, what do you mean that’s not it? This is it.’

The guy looked more and more anxious.

In the end, he cried with tears and snot running down his face. He kept mumbling, but I couldn’t really hear what he was saying. He was just rambling about going back, saying "let’s go back together" and stuff like that.

From Jin Yoo’s point of view, it was only right for him to feel confused. The confident Holy Sword Hero had turned into this...

It was natural for him to show that he couldn’t understand what was going on. On the surface, it could be because he had confirmed the deaths of Charlie and the others, but unless one were an idiot, one would know that wasn’t the only reason.

Unbeknownst to Jin Yoo and the others, there was a reason behind Sung Ji-Hoon's drastic change.

“This isn’t like some novel... I’m saying this is a real war. Heuk...” Sung Ji-Hoon said.

“Yes, this is actually happening,” I said.

“It’s not like we’re playing some game...” he added.

“Yes, it’s not a game,” I said in agreement.

“People are really dying... heuk...” he mumbled.

Jin Yoo felt like he could somewhat tell how the Holy Sword Hero, Sung Ji-Hoon, had been seeing this place all this time. He finally realized that he had been treating this place as entertainment.

“Yes, people really are dying,” I said.

“...”

“Innocent people are dying by the thousands every single day. There are so many kids younger than me who go out to the battlefield and die. There are so many of them that you can’t even count them anymore. Just like you said, things that should absolutely never happen are happening,” I continued.

“So what?! What are you trying to do?! Stop the war?! Really?! Do you seriously think that’s possible?! Do you really think you can stop the war? You think it’s possible with just the people here? It’s impossible. Absolutely impossible.

"Reality is not a comic or a novel... That’s why I said we should run together. Everyone is going to die. We have to run away before that happens,” he rambled on.

“This is reality. That’s why we don’t run,” I said.

‘Ah, if you want to run that badly, then just run by yourself.’

'But you can’t do that, can you? You’re scared to run away alone, right?'

“I don’t know how this place looks to you, but to me, all of this is reality. That’s why I can’t run away. I know it’s impossible. Of course, I know it sounds like a dream. So... that is exactly why I can’t run away. That’s why Oksana noona and the others back there aren’t running either.

"Because all of this is reality, we can’t run. Who would want to stay here otherwise? Who would want to die? Who would want to keep staying in a hell like this?” I explained.

“Y-you’re acting like you’re something special!” he yelled.

“...”

“...”

"Those people who don’t know anything keep calling you 'saint' or whatever, but do you really think you're some saint? No, even if you really were a saint chosen by the gods, what exactly do you think you can possibly do in this situation? What?! Are you feeling some pathetic sense of responsibility?" he questioned me.

"Whether I’m a saint or not doesn’t matter," I told him.

"..."

"That has nothing to do with anything. I don’t even really know whether I’m a saint or whatever. To be honest, it doesn’t really feel real. You think?! You think I’m not scared?!" I yelled at him.

I looked straight at the childish guy. There was no way he would fail to notice that Jin Yoo was trembling. In fact, this was the natural reaction.

Jin Yoo wasn’t a chosen hero, nor someone with a special secret. For now, he was nothing more than a boy soldier who had somehow ended up taking part in the war.

Of course, I had yet to decide his lore, but for the moment, the accepted reality was that he was just an ordinary boy soldier.

Naturally, he didn’t know a damned thing about whether he was some saint or whatever. On the contrary, all of this felt overwhelming and frightening to Jin Yoo as well. Actually, perhaps the one who really wanted to run away was him.

Unlike Sung Ji-Hoon, who had powers, Jin Yoo had nothing at all. The childish guy stared straight at him. Perhaps he was trying to gauge the difference between himself and me.

In the midst of that, I could see him slowly averting his gaze. He probably couldn’t look straight at me. Right now, Jin Yoo had to have looked like the kind of hero the childish guy kind of wanted to become—the kind of hero he pictured in his head.

"I’m scared and afraid... but there are times when running away solves nothing. I don’t really know why you are saying this to me, Mr. Ji-Hoon—no, I can kind of guess... but you and I are different," I said.

"..."

"I’m someone who belongs here," I added.

"..."

"I’m not an outsider like you," I said.

"..."

"For me, this isn’t a place where things are solved by running away. This is where I’m supposed to be, and I have to go on living here. If we do nothing, nothing will get resolved. Just running away won't change anything. I’m someone who has to keep living on this continent.

"You said it’s a place the war cannot reach. Then what after that? If the influence of the war reaches even that place you mentioned, where will you run next?" I questioned.

"T-then when that happens..." Sung Ji-Hoon mumbled.

"If you wait until then, it will be too late. By then, everyone is already dead. Of course, it’s reckless. Until you asked me what I wanted to do, I also thought it was completely ridiculous. Until Oksana noona trusted me, I really thought it was absurd.

"But that ridiculous and reckless thing is happening right now. Things I thought I could never do are happening right now," I added.

“...”

"You said it yourself. You said the gods led you here. I believe in you, and I believe in what you said. I’m not a fervent believer, and I don’t really think I’m a saint, but I do think the gods have given me some kind of role. I still don’t really know what it is yet..." I said.

"..."

"At the very least, I don’t think that role is to run away. If that’s truly what you want, then... leave," I told him.

"What?"

"No one will resent you or blame you," I added.

"Uh..."

‘I have to say it firmly.’

I had to show him that there was no room for negotiation and that there was no need to talk anymore. Turning around immediately was the obvious next step. I had to act like I didn’t even want to see him anymore. I had to pretend that our connection was going to end here and head out of the tent.

I briefly wondered what he would do if we simply let him go and he ran away, but by then...

‘He had already taken the bait.’

This idiot was more afraid of being alone than staying here.

"Don’t go! Don’t go alone! Heuk, ngh... I said don’t go alone!" Sung Ji-Hoon shouted.

‘Ah, I really want to push him away. Kim Hyun-Sung was an angel compared to him. I actually miss Hyun-Sung, damn it.’

"I said, don’t go by yourself. Don’t leave me. Fine. I won’t go. I won’t run away. Heuk... heuuung..." he cried.

‘Hey, let go of me, you idiot, and do not smear tears and snot all over me.’

"It’s my fault, so don’t go alone. Uwaaah..." he begged.

‘Alright already, damn it, stop clinging.’

He was finally starting to accept the fact that he had ended up all alone in this remote place, so of course, he couldn’t give up on the person he had some connection with.

He had entered a state where logic and melodrama wouldn’t work on him anymore. Honestly, in this state, he was useless. If a fight were to break out, he would run with his tail between his legs.

Obviously, I would get exhausted just trying to console him.

"Alright. I get it, so let go. And stop crying already. You’re supposed to be the hero. Why are you acting like this?" I questioned.

"It’s hard to explain. It is hard, okay! And I’m not going to be a hero anymore. I’m done. Heuk... I’m just going to live normally. I just want to go home. I’m not a hero anymore. I’m not doing it," he said.

"At the very least..." I paused.

"..."

"At the very least, don’t cry in front of other people, Mr. Ji-Hoon," I told him.

"..."

"Then I’ll stay by your side," I said.

"R-really?" he asked.

‘Damn it, how am I supposed to use this guy? I really want to smack him.’

"Yes, really," I answered.

"Okay..." he mumbled.

At this point, the confident version of him actually seemed better. Despite showing off every ounce of arrogance in him and acting so full of himself, it seemed he had not even a shred of pride as well, as he suddenly placed himself in the position of the weak.

The guy who used to talk so big had shrunk to nothing. Was stripping away this idiot’s filter really the right answer? I wondered if things had gone wrong.

"For now, I think it would be best if you got some rest, Mr. Ji-Hoon. You really don’t look well," I suggested.

"Y-yeah, I’m not feeling that great. My condition is bad..." he said in agreement.

‘Maybe I should’ve just used him as he was and tossed him aside. Forget about Altanus or whatever...’

Even so, I had no choice but to say something to him.

Fixing this guy was one thing, but what mattered most to the two of us was still completely unknown.

"By the way, Mr. Ji-Hoon," I said.

"Y-yeah..."

"Where exactly is the Holy Sword?" I asked.

"..."

"..."

At my voice, he nodded and pointed at himself.

"I-it’s inside me," he answered.

"What?"

"I mean it. The Holy Sword is inside me," he added.