The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 247

Late into the night, Se-Hoon was at his desk staring at the pure white flower in his hand—Amir’s Fatestone.

[Fatestone - White Stained Flower]

[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Average]

[A white ice crystal shaped like a flower.

By infusing mana, it can create new crystals with effects that vary depending on the nature of the mana infused.

*Creates ice crystals that correspond to the nature of the infused mana

*Using no mana to form ice crystals will permanently consume durability]

“Hmm...”

The Fatestone, the first Hero-tier one Se-Hoon obtained after regressing, was definitely larger and more distinct than the other Fatestones he had used so far. What set it apart the most, though, was the synesthetic mindscape embedded within.

Woong-

Sensing the clear synesthetic mindscape within the White Stained Flower, a feature unique to Fatestones that couldn’t be found in ordinary materials, Se-Hoon curled his lips into a subtle smile.

Finally, an actually useful Fatestone.

Unlike the previous Fatestones he used, which were all limited to being just auxiliary tools, the White Stained Flower could be used in countless ways. It could serve as a core ingredient for various pieces of equipment, act as the base ingredient when creating other rare materials, or even help refine rare materials by assisting with the creation of the required special conditions.

If I had this back then, I would’ve consumed it immediately to forge a weapon. It’d be best to look at the long-term usage now, though.

Aside from Amir being the only one with a level four bond, there was no urgent need to forge a new weapon for now. So, with his options open, Se-Hoon contemplated the best way to use the White Stained Flower.

And soon, an idea struck him.

Should I try farming?

Since the White Stained Flower was the product of Amir’s Frost Alchemy and Winter Sky Eyes, if manipulated correctly, it could produce the unique material known as Winterglass.

This Fatestone turned out even more versatile than the Frost Dog’s.... As long as I have the right setup, it should be doable.

With Winterglass, he could forge weapons or trade for other rare materials that were difficult to buy with money.

I can ask Ludwig for the cultivation spot, and Amir can bring the necessary items. As for management...

Getting more into it, Se-Hoon meticulously planned out the farming process. However, it wasn’t long before his focus was broken.

Vrrr-

He glanced at the screen of his phone to read the message.

Lea: You awake?

Although it was just two words, seeing that it was sent at such a late hour, Se-Hoon guessed there was a lot she wanted to say. So, instead of texting her back, he called her.

“Nope, not sleeping yet. What’s up?”

—Oh, um, I heard from Grandma that you were discharged, so I was just checking on you...

“I’m alright now. The Pilgrim thankfully gave me a thorough treatment.”

—Oh, really? That’s good to hear. Haha...

“...”

—...

An awkward silence fell, making Se-Hoon frown. The uncomfortableness was palpable even over the phone.

What’s up with her? he wondered.

Given how well things had gone lately, he had expected her to be giddy, but it appeared to be the opposite. Curious, he was about to ask if something had happened, but then he heard Lea clearing her throat.

—Ahem. Could you come to the workshop now? There’s something I want to show you.

“Hm... Sure. I have something to give you, too.”

—Then I’ll be waiting.

Hearing Lea hang up, Se-Hoon stood up from his seat.

I guess I’ll find out what’s wrong when I meet her.

Putting on his coat, he left his dormitory and headed to Lea’s workshop in Borsippa’s shopping district.

Walking over, he listened to the serenity that reflected the late hour. The world was in an uproar due to the recent elimination of the Dream Demon, but Babel remained unchanged, like a world separate from it all.

It feels like I’m living in another dimension altogether here.

When combining the fact that Babel was on a remote artificial island in the North Pacific with Ludwig’s deterrence, Babel became a place so undisturbed by the outside world. It wasn’t entirely immune to external influence, but any issue was swiftly dealt with under Ludwig’s command, leaving insiders in the dark.

But who knows how it’ll change in the future...

Babel would likely develop and change in his second semester—perhaps inevitably, with the UD Group and the Pilgrimage Church cooperating for Ludwig's secret research of the Tower of Heroes.

Determined to be prepared, he finally arrived at the workshop and rang the doorbell.

“Welcome.”

Opening the door immediately, Lea, dressed in casual clothes, let Se-Hoon into the workshop.

She cleaned up quite a bit, he observed, scanning the place.

However, while the place looked spotless with no clutter, on a closer look, there were faint signs of things being hastily shoved aside. From those, it was clear Lea had scrambled to clean up when she heard Se-Hoon was coming.

“Anything you want to drink?”

“I’m good.”

“Then let’s sit over there...”

Sitting across a table from each other, the two were quickly enveloped by an awkward silence.

Deciding to make the most of the time, Se-Hoon observed Lea’s behavior.

She’s definitely acting strange.

She kept glancing at him, only to quickly look away when their eyes met. It didn’t seem quite like guilt, but her response was distant. Piecing together the clues, Se-Hoon fell into thought.

And once he got the picture, he broke the silence. “I think I get it.”

“Huh?”

“You were intimidated by the Ten Evils, weren’t you? You’re discouraged, feeling like you can’t be of help in your current state.”

“...”

Clearly struck by Se-Hoon’s words, Lea lowered her gaze.

However, even though Se-Hoon had seemingly guessed right, there was disbelief on his face. “And you were the one who warned me that fighting the Ten Evils wouldn’t be as easy as I think...”

“Well... that was when I was mentally prepared for it, but... it just feels different when you see it personally, you know?”

Though Lea had mentally braced herself before the battle against the Dream Demon, personally seeing the true scale of a battle of S-ranks, especially one involving multiple Single Numbers, had rattled her.

It was the realization, however, that what she saw wasn’t Puppeteer’s full power, that shocked her.

If she fought with all her strength, we could have fought against six... no, maybe even seven Single Numbers.

And if Puppeteer’s techniques were added, who knew what kind of synergy those seven Single Numbers, each as powerful as S-rank heroes, would create? Lea knew that the sheer scale of such a battle would surpass all her expectations, and also... that Se-Hoon would be calm when facing it.

I doubt I can ever be like him...

While she had safely followed his instructions this time, she knew the day would come when she would have to act on her own judgment. She truly questioned if she could handle it then, as fearlessly as Se-Hoon.

“Hm...”

Now understanding that it was a lack of confidence and not a fear of Puppeteer that had deflated Lea, Se-Hoon considered his options before pulling out a void pocket.

“Here. Open it.”

“What’s inside?”

“You’ll know once you see. Just open it.”

Pushed by Se-Hoon’s insistence, Lea curiously opened the void pocket and pulled the contents onto the table.

One by one, the neatly organized parts of the Single Number were laid out on the table. When everything was pulled out, Lea stared at the various pieces of machinery, their original forms almost unrecognizable, in confusion until something abruptly clicked in her head.

“These... these are...”

“Yes, they’re the parts of the Single Numbers we fought recently,” Se-Hoon explained.

Lea looked back down, studying the parts spread across the table. To the untrained eye, they looked like nothing more than scrap metal, but to those of a skilled artisan, remnants of various enchantments were clear as day.

“...There are quite a few pieces that could be linked together.”

“Exactly. You might be able to extract some of their skills from them.”

Though the remnants used to create the Single Numbers were difficult to discern, some careful restoration could reveal insights into Puppeteer’s techniques.

“We could just melt them down for reuse, but I’d rather you extract as much as you can first. Think you can do it?”

“Hm...”

Considering his request, Lea frowned.

“The parts are badly damaged, so it’s tricky... but if I refer to the data I got from Grandma...”

Lea was referring to the research data on Biological Enchantments left behind by her mother at their family home. It was outdated compared to current standards, but it was enough if Lea could grasp the basics.

“I think I can manage some of it.”

“Great. Then focus on this research for the rest of the break. I’ll cover any research expenses you need.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But concentrate on this only. We don’t have much time on our side.”

Actually, there weren’t any urgent tasks, but Se-Hoon believed a tight deadline would keep her busy and prevent overthinking. As a bonus, spending time doing that might help her regain confidence, just as she had when she overcame her last slump.

The only issue is that this is just a temporary fix...

How could he resolve Lea's lack of confidence in the long run? As he pondered over a solution, Lea, who had been deep in thought herself, pulled out a large blueprint and handed it to him.

“What’s this?”

“It’s what I wanted to show you. Take a look first.”

Listening to her for now, Se-Hoon examined the blueprint. Its basic outline was the Sphere, designed by Lea’s father, with numerous additional and enhanced features. It was clear from the complexity that it wasn’t conceived in just a day or two.

It’s a bit unorganized, but... the overall structure isn’t bad.

The design maximized the Sphere and Lea’s capabilities, making it usable in both combat and various other scenarios. More intriguingly, though, all its functions were optimized to counter Puppeteer.

So, her spirit hadn’t been entirely defeated.

Done with his review, he looked up at the nervous Lea.

“You said you lack confidence, yet you brought me something with quite a lot of spirit.”

“Well... I’ve always been aware of the skill gap. Sure, I was surprised, but it wasn’t big news for me.”

She may have been a bit shaken, but she wasn’t the type to give up. If she had been, she wouldn't have involved others in the first place.

“When I successfully took temporary control of her puppets, it gave me confidence that she can actually be defeated. So I began planning to exploit her weakness to its fullest.”

As Se-Hoon listened, he took another look at the blueprint and made a thoughtful expression.

“You know implementing all these features will require a highly skilled user, right? And as it stands, your brain would turn to mush trying to use it.”

“I’ll work on fixing that, too. It’s going to be tough, but... I’ll somehow manage.”

Se-Hoon smirked. Despite understanding the difficulty, she was firm about not giving up—she had finally matured.

Looks like working her to the bone all those times was worth it.

Accepting that he’d underestimated her a bit, Se-Hoon returned the blueprint.

“The design itself isn’t bad. But once you finish studying Puppeteer’s techniques, you’ll find a lot of areas that need readjustment, so let’s start work on this after.”

“Okay, that makes sense.”

“Also, if you need anything—potions, materials, equipment—don’t hesitate to purchase it.”

Lea stared blankly in shock. Allowing her to buy personal items like potions and equipment with his money was beyond generous.

“Really? Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious. You still don’t trust me, do you?”

“I do, it’s just that...”

Seeing her hesitation, Se-Hoon decided to give her a sincere explanation.

“We’re in the same boat now. I will gladly pay any sum as long as you’re together with me.”

Of course, he was viewing her as a worthwhile investment, intending to recoup his support eventually, but there was no need to spoil the mood by mentioning that now.

“...”

Lea’s eyes widened before quickly shutting tightly, and she bit her lip.

“Uh... Are you crying right now?”

“No...” Lea denied, wiping her eyes. “I just think I might accidentally fall for you. I’m trying to control my feelings.”

“...Seriously?”

Giving her a bewildered look, Se-Hoon shook his head while chuckling. Her lighthearted banter was a good sign; she seemed more at ease now.

“Well, if you run into trouble with the potions or the research, let me know. I’ll help.”

“Huh? Are you sure? You seem pretty busy nowadays.”

“I’ve got some free time for now.”

Se-Hoon still had the invitation from the Myers family and a promise to meet with Erika, but since neither contacted him yet, he decided to relax and wait.

It’s better to stay put since acting rashly could backfire.

Given how much everything had changed since regressing, it was safer to move cautiously for now.

“Hm...”

Noticing Lea giving him a peculiar look, Se-Hoon questioned her.

“What now?”

“Nothing. I just have a feeling that trouble will find you on its own.”

“Even if it does, I’ll ignore it as much as possible. I deserve some rest, too.”

There were only about three weeks left of the break. After that exhausting journey to the Dream Demon’s elimination, he believed he deserved to take it easy for a bit. Relaxing, Se-Hoon began thinking about how to enjoy the time.

Vrrr-

Feeling his phone vibrating again, Se-Hoon pulled it out from his pocket and saw a familiar name on the screen.

[Sung-Ha]

A call from Sung-Ha...?

Knowing that he wasn’t someone who would call without a valid reason, Se-Hoon immediately picked up.

—...My master has collapsed.

Sung-Ha’s somber voice echoed through the phone.