Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1365. Friendship on the Run (3)

“What do you mean by that? Of course, we'll bring him back,” I answered.

“...”

“As fast as possible,” I added.

"Hmm... are you thinking of going right now?" Lee Ji-Hye asked.

"Probably. I need to move fast and cover a lot of ground. We still haven’t confirmed at which point in time Kim Hyun-Sung ended up falling into. It’s not just about searching the continent; we have to check every single year, so time’s tight. There’s nothing good about him staying there too long anyway," I answered.

"Before doing that, shouldn’t we check if Kim Hyun-Sung is on this side?" Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

"You handle that, noona. I’ll start by checking if Hyun-Sung is staying in the first life," I answered.

"Hmm..."

"What?" I asked.

"It’s just... like I said earlier, it feels like you’re too certain about your own assumptions, Oppa. There’s not enough evidence to support your theory, but you decided too easily. I can’t shake that feeling," Lee Ji-Hye confessed.

‘Well... it's only natural for her to feel that way.’

It wasn’t like I was rushing into things recklessly, but I understood what she was worried about and what kind of situation she had in mind. Still, it wasn’t as if there was no evidence at all to back up my theory.

The problem was simple.

‘I couldn’t pinpoint that jerk’s location through the Regressor Instruction Manual.’

That was the biggest reason I believed he had gone to the first life. No matter how weak the connection had gotten—so weak that it was barely hanging on—it didn't make sense that I couldn’t feel Kim Hyun-Sung’s presence at all.

Even if he was gritting his teeth, trying not to transmit any information, as long as we were connected, there ought to be at least a faint trace of him.

The fact that I couldn’t sense a thing could only mean one thing—he had gone somewhere where space and time were twisted.

‘That could only be the first life.’

If he had simply gone to another continent or to a warped dimension, our connection would have remained strong. The problem was that he had to have moved to a time period different from ours, a place suspected to be created by the system itself.

Naturally, there was a lot of interference.

'I just have to go there.’

The closer I got to him, the easier it'd be to sense him. At the very least, if he and I existed in the same time frame or in the same location, I would be able to feel his presence.

‘The closer I get to him, the easier it’ll be to sense his presence.’

What really mattered, though, was something else.

“We don’t even know why Kim Hyun-Sung went to the first life,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

‘That’s exactly it.’

“Do you have any guesses at all?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“No. But I think his reason is probably similar to mine. To stabilize things,” I answered.

“If that’s the case, was there any reason for him to go there with those people? Actually, before that, why do you two know so little about each other? You make a fuss every day about your so-called soul connection, but you two don’t actually share what’s important or what’s been building up inside.

"No wonder things turned out like this. Honestly, it would’ve been better if the two of you had just shared some information and come to an agreement from the start,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“I’m saying that’s impossible because of him,” I said.

“You didn’t even try, and now everything’s tangled up. You’re off to find Kim Hyun-Sung, and Kim Hyun-Sung is off doing whatever he wants. And... didn’t you two even use different methods to get to the first life?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“...”

“The gate is like a wound, and your role is like a bandage. The most plausible theory was that the hexagram gate was created to impose narrative consistency on the continent, but you said it’s more likely that Kim Hyun-Sung didn’t use the gate, right?

"In other words, he didn’t go there to be the bandage. Isn’t it natural to think his purpose is different from yours?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“...”

“And the fact that he went with those Six Stars villains bothers me, too. It seems more reasonable to think he went to the first life because of a deal with them, rather than because he had a clear purpose of his own,” Lee Ji-Hye added.

“...”

“Have you ever thought about what their goal might be?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Not really,” I replied.

“Even if we assume it’s not malicious, it’s undeniable that they’re unsettling. Honestly, I think you know that better than anyone. You’re just rushing because you want to move quickly.

"Personally, I think it’s not too late to wait until we’ve gathered more information and can make a rational, level-headed decision. I hate to say this, but right now, you’re acting a bit like Kim Hyun-Sung,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“During the 27 Legion Summoning Incident, he teleported his entire army into the Nest without thinking twice. And the Rohen incident... do you really think he planned that out? No. He did it because he wanted to do so, dragging the entire Blue Guild with him to descend upon Rohen, creating the Demon King of Sunset’s Castle.

"That’s why I’m saying you’re acting just like Kim Hyun-Sung. Of course, I understand the situation is urgent. But you still need to prepare things properly,” Lee Ji-Hye explained.

“It’s only because there’s no other choice, noona. We can't do much here compared to what can be done over there. I get why you’re uneasy, especially after realizing that we’ve been blindsided like this for the first time in a while, but I really don’t think there’s anything else we can prepare from our side.

"Sure, we could dig up a few more clues... maybe a bit more evidence to support our theory, but that’s it. If we waste time trying to be more certain, we might end up with nothing in the end,” I explained.

“...”

“Like you said, we don’t know Kim Hyun-Sung’s goal. We also don't know the goal of that damned Six Stars doctor. That’s exactly why I want to move faster,” I added.

‘Who even knows? Maybe that jerk just went there to see the masked scum with his own eyes.’

Of course, for Kim Hyun-Sung, the first life had already become a meaningless one. As far as I knew, he no longer clung to it, nor did he put any special meaning to the people he had met there.

Even if he were to learn that I was the trash who’d gone there, I doubted that he would hold me responsible or be disappointed in me. Of course, who could really say for sure?

Thinking and predicting that something was meaningless was one thing, but facing it in person was something else entirely. There was nothing good about seeing the First Ki-Young committing a massacre.

Just imagining what kind of smooth-talking nonsense that quack was using to sway Kim Hyun-Sung, or why Kim Hyun-Sung had decided to take his hand, was enough to make my head ache.

Of course, deep down, I still believed he wouldn’t turn his back on us, but considering what that jerk had been doing lately, blind faith wasn't exactly an option here.

If he went there to avoid playing the role of a bandage, then the situation was even more serious.

We had no way of predicting what kind of butterfly effect his actions in the first life could cause. One man was desperately trying to apply the bandage, while the other could be trying to tear it off.

“Anyway, the top priority right now is to restore things as quickly as possible, noona. Otherwise, this place could really turn into a disaster,” I said.

“Haa... fine. I think I get the gist of what you’re saying. What about the team?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Not sure yet,” I answered.

“Can you take Jung Ha-Yan with you?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“No. I can’t take her,” I answered.

“What about Cha Hee-Ra?” Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

“She can’t come either. I can’t bring people I can’t control. In Ha-Yan’s case, I don’t even want to bring her. There’s nothing good that can come from her knowing about the first life,” I told her.

“What about Rafael?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

‘That bastard’s not an option either. Damn it.’

Since this was about finding Kim Hyun-Sung, excluding that gray pigeon was the only reasonable choice to make here. If it hadn’t been for his reckless outburst, none of this would have happened in the first place.

“...”

“Are you feeling that uneasy?” I asked.

“Of course, I’m uneasy. How could I not be? I’m worried you might just die out there. If this were just an ordinary first life, maybe things would work out somehow, but this time’s different.

"Where are you even planning to open the gate? No, wait, in what era do you think Kim Hyun-Sung went to? You wrapped things up right before the Outer Gods War, didn’t you? Did Kim Hyun-Sung go there, too? If that’s true, shouldn’t you use the northern gate?” Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

The Everia Kingdom and the gate inside Lindel were both viable options. Everia was one of the last places to hold out against the enemy alongside the World Tree, and Lindel was said to be one of humanity’s final strongholds.

If he had chosen to head for Everia, getting Elena’s help wouldn’t be a bad idea either. And if that wasn’t possible, Elias could work as well, as the elves of the first life were likely even more isolated than the elves of the second life.

‘But would that bastard really have gone there just to fight the Outer Gods?’

Too much time had already passed, after all.

“...”

“...”

If I were Kim Hyun-Sung... and if he simply wanted to closely examine the first life, he’d probably go to see the masked scum. Otherwise, he would probably want to observe the situation right before his regression.

‘There’s also the possibility that he headed for the Temple of Altanus.’

He was human, too, after all. He could be curious about what kind of story was tied to his own regression. Even if he was moving under a contract with those Six Stars bastards, it wouldn’t change that possibility.

‘A branching point.’

It was highly likely that First Hyun-Sung and First Ki-Young were going to encounter each other. The narrative of this continent wasn’t built by one person alone. The system had designated both Kim Hyun-Sung and me as the legitimate administrators of this world.

It was only natural to think that this incident was inevitable. There was also the possibility that perhaps the system realized that I couldn’t sustain the story by myself, so it sought help from the Six Stars.

‘The death of First Hye-Jin already happened once.’

And that was just one example. There were countless wars and battles in which First Ki-Young and First Hyun-Sung were inevitably intertwined.

“Have you decided where you’re going and who you’re taking?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“I’m still thinking about it. But I think it’s best to take the gate from the Union first,” I answered.

“Because there’s a chance he warped somewhere nearby?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Yeah. And it’s not like nothing’s happened within the Union either,” I replied.

“What kind of thing?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Probably... the Continental War,” I told her.

“...”

“...”

“Then I’ll form the team,” Lee Ji-Hye offered.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ll feel better that way,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

‘She’s twice as cautious now after what happened.’’

“First, take Lee Chang-Ryeol and Yeon-Soo,” Lee Ji-Hye instructed.

“...”

“...”

‘Not bad.’

Since the main goal was to bring Kim Hyun-Sung back, it'd be great to add excellent trackers.

“Someone from your guild would be good, too. Maybe the rookies,” Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

“Wait, Alps and Belier?” I asked.

“Yeah. They specialize in different things, but they’re also good at tracking, especially Shiro,” Lee Ji-Hye replied.

‘I think I get what she’s aiming for.’

She wanted to form a team who were light on their feet—a group suited for pursuit and retreat if things were to go wrong. We needed to move fast and act faster, so she picked assassins like Lee Chang-Ryeol and Ha Yeon-Soo, Alps for her buffs, and Belier because she was agile. Slow tanks or heavy mages were completely ruled out.

“Sun Hee-Young,” Lee Ji-Hye added.

‘Well, I should be able to handle her. We’ll need a priest anyway.’

For someone who confidently said that she’d handle the team formation, the squad felt a bit weak. I half-expected her to throw in someone like Park Yeon-Joo from Black Swan, but...

‘It feels like it’s missing one big hitter.’

Someone like Rafael, for example. The current team wasn’t bad. Lee Chang-Ryeol and Ha Yeon-Soo were both capable assassins. And besides...

‘Even if she’s not a combat type, we’ve got Sun Hee-Young.’

I nodded.

Lee Ji-Hye said, “You can check the rest yourself.”

A short while later, I found myself frowning as I faced a bastard standing before the hexagram.

“Keep... your promise.”

“...”

“...”

“Damn it... I’ve gotten myself dragged into another pointless mess.”

Just seeing his arrogant face made my stomach twist in irritation.