The Regressor Can Make Them All - Chapter 549

Chapter 549

When ordinary civilians witnessed a battle between high-ranked heroes, their reactions could usually be grouped into two.

“There was a flash and a boom—then it was just over.”

“They stared at each other for a moment before one suddenly dropped.”

With high-ranking heroes, especially those stronger than the typical S-rank, possessing physical capabilities and techniques that far exceed human limits, the realm between them and others couldn’t be described as anything short of dimensional.

Because of that, their battles couldn’t be properly perceived by the vast majority.

RUMBLE-

Then, what would it be like to witness a battle between such high-ranking heroes and a being even further beyond? Between them and the Perfect Ones who have conquered the Tower of Heroes?

BOOM!!

Terra could only perceive such a thing as the ultimate demise of the world.

“Aaagh!”

A crimson comet slammed endlessly into its target, tearing through the sky and earth alike. Every collision sent up towering flame pillars, painting the heavens red; and from the epicenter of it all, an endless tsunami of flames surged outward to consume the land.

Facing that single streaking comet that was strong enough to shatter mountains, cleave seas, and destroy planets, Terra fled with all her might. That crimson comet, Eun-Ha, was absolutely an apocalypse.

“How is this supposed to be a spar?!!!” screamed Terra.

Even using the Warhound’s abilities, the force was barely containable. No matter how Terra looked at it, it was more like they were trying to annihilate the world than spar.

And yet, despite that… nothing was destroyed.

“A little warm, don’t you think?”

The moment that soft voice echoed from within the inferno, the hellscape threatening to consume the world blurred.

Whoosh!

Next, the crimson flames scorching the heaven and earth vanished without a trace. Like nothing ever happened, clear blue skies and wind-swept fields replaced them. The change was so seamless that one would seriously question whether the destruction just moments ago had been a dream.

Left in utter disbelief, one of those very people, Terra, turned to the source of the voice.

Woong-

Ludwig stood there, clutching a crimson cube in his right hand, unscathed. Despite Eun-Ha’s relentless assault, he bore not even a scorch mark.

What…

What kind of manipulation of space could make something like that even possible? Completely flabbergasted, Terra stared blankly, forgetting to keep running.

“He simply retracted the spatial barrier he’d prepared earlier,” Eun-Ha explained, who landed beside her and casually brushed off her hands.

“…What?”

“Think of it like a tablecloth. It’s easier to understand that way.”

Just like laying down a cloth to catch spills during a meal, Ludwig had deployed a spatial barrier over the entire area in advance. And once the ‘meal’—Eun-Ha’s attacks—was over, he simply cleaned up the aftermath by retracting the barrier.

“That’s absurd…”

Terra’s face twisted in disbelief once again. Although the barrage Eun-Ha had unleashed moments ago couldn’t quite be described as impactful as the Perfect Ones’ powers, its destructive force had definitely come dangerously close.

Yet Ludwig had cleaned up the destruction with a single spatial barrier? Even if he was the Emperor of Ascension, such a thing was challenging to accept.

“There’s no reason it shouldn’t be possible.” Hearing Terra’s comment, Ludwig commented while spinning the crimson cube in his hand. “Those who’ve overcome their challenges and those who haven’t… even if this could be considered a tiny difference, their worldviews are entirely different.”

Those who have reached the summit of the Towers of Heroes and those who haven’t. Those acknowledged by the Golden Ring and those who weren’t. That divide seemed small—yet it was infinitely wide. Such a chasm could never be overcome through ordinary means.

“If that explanation still doesn’t help…”

Ludwig calmly eyed Terra.

“Then try looking inward.”

“…”

Terra’s face stiffened. Whether it was the unlimited knowledge of the Seeker or the Warhound’s stored power from Se-Hoon, she couldn’t properly use either.

She clenched her fists tightly. Only now did she begin to understand the insurmountable gap Ludwig spoke of.

“You…”

Terra knew he didn’t mean any of it maliciously. She also knew it was sound advice, cutting right through to her core. Still, despite knowing all that, Terra couldn’t stop herself from becoming angry. It was just too humiliating, too frustrating.

Right now, Terra felt like she would collapse if she didn’t somehow let her frustrations out.

“Seems like you were already aware of it.”

Noticing her emotions, Ludwig closed his grip around the cube. Compressed further and further, the fist-sized cube shrank even more until only a glowing red dot remained in his hand.

“So come. Throw everything you have at me.”

Spatial Shearing: Supernova

The moment Ludwig opened his hand,the death of a star exploded forth. Everything in Terra’s sight vanished in blinding light and fire. Thankfully, moments later, shapes began returning through the searing heat.

Fwoosh!

Flames of every color engulfed the world. Having barely dodged the blast with the Warhound’s power of Boundaries, Terra felt her heart pounding violently in her chest.

He’s completely insane…

It clearly wasn’t a full-power attack, considering he had merely reprocessed the same power Eun-Ha sent and returned it. However, even that was enough to nearly overwhelm her power of Boundaries. Had she been just a moment slower, she and the Warhound would’ve been completely erased.

This is suicide. It’s not even a spar…

For a moment, she had thought that with the Warhound’s power and Eun-Ha’s help, she could manage somehow—a naive and arrogant thought. Shaking with fear, Terra gathered the last of her strength to flee with the Warhound’s remaining power.

If I don’t escape now—

Eun-Ha grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from escaping to the Netherworld.

“The Chairman isn’t trying to kill us. Calm down.”

“But-but you saw that! If I hadn’t reacted in time, we’d both be…!”

“Even if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have died. He would’ve intercepted it himself.”

Terra blinked repeatedly.

“You think… he’d stop that?”

“Look over there.”

She followed Eun-Ha’s pointing finger, finding a tranquil blue sky and grassy field beyond the multicolored flames.

“That spatial barrier separates Babel from the rest. It protects both the inside and us.”

“…”

“Usually, it’s split like now. But if we’re unable to defend, he’ll retract the barrier like before and wipe out the blast entirely.”

Thanks to Eun-Ha’s calm words, Terra finally understood. Even if she hadn’t blocked it, Ludwig really would’ve handled everything. And with that, she finally relaxed.

Thud!

She immediately collapsed to her knees, not from fear but complete exhaustion and powerlessness.

“I… I can’t do this anymore…”

“…”

“How could someone like me… a defect… even hope to fight a Perfect One…. It’s just not possible…”

Even with the Seeker’s knowledge, even with access to the stored powers in the Warhound, there simply was no way she could fight against a Perfect One.

“Just… let me go. I don’t want to think about this anymore…”

She didn’t want to think about what ascension was or what her wish might be anymore. Giving up completely, Terra begged for freedom.

“Then just open the way for me.”

But instead, Eun-Ha pointed at the outermost layer of the spatial barriers surrounding Ludwig. Unable to comprehend what she wanted, though, Terra stared in confusion.

“Just break one outer wall. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Just one…”

Breaking a single layer out of the many Ludwig had deployed sounded simple—but of course it wasn’t.

There’s no way I could break that either…

Maybe if she were the Seeker, with her power granted by the Golden Ring, or the Administrator with strength rivaling it, she could’ve done it. She, however… was just a defective imitation that was unable to accomplish anything, even with all the power and knowledge others desired.

“I…”

Her body trembled pitifully. Now at her lowest, Terra couldn’t stop her unstable mind from wavering even more. If she wasn’t careful, her entire synesthetic mindscape would collapse.

“…”

Silently watching, Eun-Ha then opened her mouth. “Do you have a wish?”

“What?”

“Anything. Any wish that comes first to your mind right now.”

“I… I don’t know.”

Terra could only weakly respond, overwhelmed by the gaze piercing through her.

“Then your wish… is to find your wish.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you want to find one?”

Her eyes widened at those words, but she quickly shook her head.

“I mean… it’d be nice if I could, but…”

“Then that’s enough. Let that be your wish. Move forward with that.”

Eun-Ha’s tone, which sounded like her words would resolve everything, made Terra feel nauseous.

Why…

How could she say that so easily? Did her struggles, her pain, really look that trivial? The feelings inside her churned, bubbling violently, and before she could stop them, they popped.

“Do you think it’s that easy?!”

If she could center herself with such shallow thinking, why would she have suffered so much?

“I tried! You know?! I begged in that dark barrier, hunted day and night by freakish crows, desperate for enlightenment!”

“…”

“But no matter how I cried or clawed, I understood nothing. I thought things would change once I escaped… but NOTHING DID!”

When her main body died and she first gained self-awareness, her wish was simple: freedom. She thought if she could just escape the planet’s core, she could break free of being the Seeker’s clone.

The reality, however, was that the only thing that changed was her location. Just like that, her one and only wish had been trampled—and she was forced to face a brutal truth.

This world… doesn’t acknowledge me.

No matter how she struggled or worked, she was still just an imitation made by the Seeker’s power and magic. She was just like a shadow that could never be human.

Despairing, Terra realized her mind was in sharp focus.

So that’s it… I’ve already reached enlightenment.

She had already known she could never be human, never anything more than a clone. It was just… too painful, so she’d denied it—until now. That was why she couldn’t even wield the Seeker’s knowledge properly anymore.

If it’s now…

Now that she had accepted the despairing truth, surely she could stand against Ludwig, complete the Planetary Reinforcement Project, and awaken the Administrator, right? Terra reached for the path—

“Do you really think finding a wish is that hard?”

Eun-Ha’s calm voice rang out.

“Do you really think it’s that impossible? Even with help, even after risking death?”

“Are you serio—”

“Answer me.”

“…”

Unable to read Eun-Ha’s expression, Terra exhaled a deep breath.

“Yes. That’s what I think. Happy now?”

“I see.”

Seeing Eun-Ha nodding in understanding, Terra felt her rage rising again—

“Then doesn’t that make it all the more worthy of being your wish?”