The Regressor Can Make Them All - Chapter 541

Chapter 541

Far from the bustling city center of Paris, two people were walking slowly down a quiet street in the suburbs.

“Hmm…”

“…”

“Mm…”

“…”

“Grgh…”

Lea fidgeted non-stop with her single braided hair, deep in thought, while Se-Hoon just walked silently beside her. Given Se-Hoon’s notoriety, the two should’ve drawn attention long ago no matter where, regardless of Lea’s odd behavior. Yet not even a passerby paid them any mind.

Of course, without Se-Hoon’s perception interference magic that subtly blurred their presence from the world around them, that would have never been the case.

Swish-

Observing how everyone still naturally made way all the while unaware, Se-Hoon made an intrigued expression.

Hmm… what would happen if I used this on the entire world?

Back when he was at the Inoue family estate, the spell had only worked if he projected a decoy. With the application of Dream Manifestation, though, such a thing was no longer needed; in fact, perhaps he could do even more.

…No, never mind. I definitely shouldn’t try it out now, when there’s so much chaos.

Carelessly disturbing the world right now, when the Law of Repentance had altered the world in an unknown way, would almost certainly backfire—perhaps something like the moment Doppelganger’s power spiraled out of control.

Looks like I have to figure out how that Law works no matter what.

Thinking such, Se-Hoon flicked his gaze toward their destination: the meeting point with Puppeteer. If not for recent events, if he heard a demon was offering to exchange information about a Law—something akin to the powers of the Perfect Ones—he would’ve dismissed it outright as nonsense.

During the fight with Heaven Eye… she definitely entered the Netherworld.

Although the two worlds had been linked by Lea’s Sphere, Puppeteer had still entered. And as far as Se-Hoon knew, the one and only way for a demon like her to do so was to use an object imbued with the power of Boundaries like one of Wurgen’s body parts.

I thought she used a method similar to Tuner’s… but maybe it’s something else.

If her offer was legitimate and not a trap, then it might mean there was truly another loophole—in other words, a way to use powers with a demon’s body. For that information, Se-Hoon weighed the risks of dealing with Puppeteer.

“…Se-Hoon.” Ending her incoherent grumbling finally, Lea turned and asked, “Are we really doing the right thing here?”

Naturally, she was skeptical of the entire deal. Not just because of her past with Puppeteer, but because everything about it screamed trap.

“No matter how you look at it, this is like ninety-nine percent a setup…”

“And that means there’s still a one percent chance.”

“Ugh…”

His calm reply made a part of her want to protest and call it all out as total lunacy, but… knowing that madman, it was entirely possible that she had actually discovered a clue about the Law of Repentance through repeated human experimentation.

Despite trying, she just couldn’t bring herself to oppose outright. And that brought her to now, following Se-Hoon to the rendezvous point.

If it’s true… there’s no way she would just hand it over.

What kind of trade did she have in mind to approach them so boldly? Lea’s thoughts spiraled, unable to figure it out.

“That must be it.”

Snapping out of it at Se-Hoon’s voice, Lea looked up to see a quaint little store styled with vintage decor. Through the glass window, they could see shelves lined with dolls of all kinds.

Lea instinctively looked up at the sign above the entrance: “Puppet Theater: Théâtre de Marionnettes.”

The name of the building was as simple as it was direct. Lea’s fists clenched tightly without her even realizing, while Se-Hoon simply pulled out his phone to check the map.

This is supposed to be a cafe, but it’s been completely transformed.

Had Puppeteer repurposed an old hideout to receive them? Everything screamed trap once again, so Se-Hoon hesitated—

“Let’s go in.”

“Huh?”

“This isn’t a trap.”

Her tone was clipped, almost as though she were spitting out the words.

“She’s just mocking me.”

Before he could even process it, Lea was already marching ahead into the store.

“…”

Se-Hoon followed her in.

Ding~

The moment the small chime on the door announced their arrival, the dozens of dolls arranged around the store began stirring.

Whoosh-

Hundreds of dolls bowed their heads in perfect unison, their movements so precise that even Se-Hoon raised an intrigued brow.

Lea, however, just grimaced and growled through clenched teeth.

“Cut the crap and just take us to her.”

The dolls turned to look at one another, then one of them—dressed like a butler—stepped forward, shaking its head.

Click-

With the sound of gears turning, the butler doll gestured deeper into the store before leading the way.

“Let’s go.”

Still scowling, Lea followed with Se-Hoon trailing behind.

This is more like a real theater than a doll shop.

Scanning the interior, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but think the interior resembled a miniature opera house, scaled down to the size of dolls. In every detail, Puppeteer’s taste was apparent.

“…”

Se-Hoon glanced at Lea quietly due to the thought, still seeing the disturbed look she had on since they had arrived.

There must be a reason… maybe something tied to her past?

Considering she’d said the place was mocking her, was it connected to memories of Puppeteer—of her mother Reina? Unfortunately, it felt too delicate for him to ask outright.

“I used to play like this as a kid.”

Lea slowed her pace, sighing.

“As a kid…?”

“My dad was sick, so he couldn’t go outside much. Therefore, we used to put on shows together… like family puppet plays.”

Her father built the stage, her mother bought the dolls, and together they would enchant them to reenact scenes from fairy tales and original stories. The production value was low, of course, but to young Lea, they were irreplaceable memories.

“I never wanted to see them again like this, though.”

The perfect recreation of her childhood joy—through bloodstained craftsmanship—twisted her expression.

Seeing the utter disgust in her expression, Se-Hoon sighed.

So she’s been provoking her from the very start…

Perhaps the whole meeting really was just a setup, all for the sake of breaking Lea mentally under the pretense of negotiation. Raising his guard, Se-Hoon quietly followed the butler doll.

Click-

Stopping in front of the door at the end of the hall, the butler doll stepped aside and put one hand over its chest, politely inviting them to enter. But Lea just glared at it.

BANG!

Her mana-infused leg shattered the wooden door into splinters, revealing what lay beyond: an auditorium decorated in gold and red with rows of miniature seats that were filled with a doll each. It was a tiny theater scaled for dolls, mirroring the one they had just walked through.

Creak-

At the center of the stage, a wooden puppet slowly lifted its head to look at them. From its crude construction and adult-human size, it seemed like a giant taking over a tiny world.

Seeing it, Se-Hoon immediately narrowed his eyes.

That doesn’t look pleasant.

Like seeing a cameraman’s hand suddenly pop into frame during an immersive movie, it was completely out of place. Just it alone broke the seamless, immersive world created by the dolls.

“…”

“…”

Feeling a powerful sense of oppression radiating from the puppet despite it having no power, Se-Hoon and Lea silently braced for what was about to—

Creaaaak-

“This is the Law of Repentance. Being able to overlay your own law within a designated range through the Golden Ring. In simple terms, it’s a way to imitate a Perfect One.”

“…What?”

Lea blinked in confusion. Puppeteer had called the meeting to exchange information, yet just gave it away?

Is she feeding us fake intel? But if she is, she could’ve made it sound more convincing. Why is she being so suspicious?

Lea’s thoughts raced, trying to make sense of it. She didn’t know how to respond.

“You’re saying you’re actively using the Law of Repentance now?”

Thankfully, Se-Hoon cut in bluntly at that moment.

“You could say that I am… or not.”

“A roundabout method, then. Judging from the lack of other people, you must be using us as part of it…” Se-Hoon trailed off, thinking.

The intricately crafted space, built to mimic reality, was now marred by Puppeteer’s showmanship. Focusing on the dissonance, Se-Hoon soon felt something click.

“Ah. So you used the puppet theater to stimulate the unconscious.”

Even considering that both he and Lea possessed the insight to spot flaws even in Legendary-tier equipment, the puppet theater had been perfect—unrealistically so. Thus, that very perfection triggered a subconscious suspicion: Could this place be some kind of illusion?

Adding their distrust of Puppeteer, the idea took an even firmer root in their minds.

“This puppet theater is a false world.”

A law hastily formed because of unease, one that turned the eerily lifelike theater into an actual illusion. Empowered by the Golden Ring, Puppeteer had created a new law—power—that rooted its strength in the fear and focus of its victims.

“…What a ridiculous guy.”

Puppeteer was dumbfounded by how quickly Se-Hoon had grasped it. But it was less about his brilliance and more about how it seemed like he was recalling something he already knew. To her, it felt like uncanny intuition.

The sensation of having everything she’d built stripped away from that made Puppeteer recall Tuner’s warning.

“Be careful of what you say in front of him. Blink once and he’ll strip you bare.”

She’d thought it an exaggeration. But now, facing him herself, she realized just how foolish she’d been.

With her assessment of Se-Hoon rising sharply, Puppeteer immediately grew more cautious.

“Anyway, that’s the Law of Repentance. You’ll have to figure out the rest yourselves.”

As though she had nothing else to say, the puppet seemed ready to disconnect.

“…You’re leaving already?”

“Of course. Anything beyond this is beyond what a demon’s body can research.”

“Then—”

“What’s your angle?” Lea interjected, sharply glaring at Puppeteer. “What bullshit are you planning this time?”

Whereas Se-Hoon tried to read into words and nuance, Lea didn’t bother. She knew the woman before her too well. She was the one who had murdered her beloved husband and abandoned their daughter.

She may be able to fool others, but not me.

That paradoxical creature—rational yet emotional, emotional yet calculating—was someone Lea could see right through.

“…No, I get it now.”

Her voice darkened.

“You didn’t think this through at all, did you?”

“…”

“It’s not about the Law of Repentance. You wanted us to move first—because you had no opening otherwise.”

Step. Step.

Lea walked past the seats to the stage, staring up at the crude puppet from below.

“You’re lashing out like this because you’re out of time. Either by your own doing… or someone else’s.”

Was it madness from obsessive experiments? Or had someone else in the Demon Force begun a plan to destroy the world? She didn’t know. But her path was clear, regardless.

Slam!

Stepping onto the stage, Lea leaned in. Face-to-face with the puppet, she stared into the eye sockets with her eyes ablaze.

“Reyna Claudel. I will kill you.”

“…”

Her murderous vow hung in the air. The puppet was still—it abruptly leaned in.

“I look forward to it.”

Thunk.

With that whisper, the puppet went limp. Following suit, all traces of life vanished from the theater as the other dolls simultaneously collapsed, lifeless, on the floor.

“…Phew.”

Confirming Puppeteer had severed all links, Lea turned to Se-Hoon. She didn’t question why he had let her say all that.

She looked into his steady gaze as he stood there quietly, waiting, unwavering in his support.

“Se-Hoon.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to help me out on this one?”

She’d already asked once. Now, she needed to ask again.

Sensing her unease and hope, Se-Hoon gave her a warm smile.

“No. I won’t.”

“…Huh?”

It was a firm reply that left her speechless.