Chapter 69

I Am Not a Regressor Chapter 69

Mind, Spirit, Body (2)

“What, what nonsense!!!”

Reak growled, his voice full of anger, as he scratched the floor.

Deep claw marks were etched into the tatami.

“Get your paws off, you bastard.”

What are you doing in this new house?

“Scam!!”

Huh?

“This is a scam!!!”

Reak glared at Oh Jin with a look of utter injustice.

“You scamming son of a—!!”

No.

He is a scammer, but—

At least the ability to use Brain Inflammation is a 100% pure truth, untainted by any falsehood.

“I showed you myself, didn’t I? What scam?”

Oh Jin held out his palm, which was enveloped in a burning blue flame, towards Reak.

Though the blue flame on his palm was smaller and less vivid than the one in Reak’s mouth, it was undeniably Brain Inflammation.

“Grrr.”

Reak brought his nose close to Oh Jin’s palm and sniffed.

“...Huh.”

He soon shook his head, looking exasperated.

“No matter how much you are a star of the heavens, this is just...”

He trailed off, unable to understand.

“Star of the heavens? What’s that?”

Ha Eun tilted her head, looking at Reak.

Startled!

Reak’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“C, cough! That’s what they call a being born with the destiny of a great hero!”

“...A great hero? Oh Jin?”

Ha Eun looked at Oh Jin, her face full of disbelief.

She pulled on his cheek and blew a raspberry.

“Hmph! What makes this guy a great hero?”

“Ah.”

Vega and Ha Eun, both.

Why do they treat his cheeks like a pancake?

“What... So, even if I reach level 10 with Brain Inflammation, I won’t get anything?”

If the reward for reaching level 10 with Brain Inflammation is Brain Inflammation itself—

Since I’ve already received that reward, I won’t get anything, right?

‘That’s a bit disappointing.’

Even without such a reward, I should still train hard, as it’s a core skill of the Lyra constellation.

But it’s hard to shake off the feeling of disappointment.

“Hmm... I don’t know about that.”

Reak narrowed his eyes and continued.

“No one other than you has received the Lyra constellation’s brand. Even if I received the brand from Lady Vega, I can’t compare a spirit to an awakener.”

As he said, it’s impossible to compare a spirit and an awakener on the same level.

“Perhaps.”

Reak stared at Oh Jin with a sharp gaze.

“When you reach level 10 with Brain Inflammation... you might receive a completely different reward.”

“A completely different reward?”

“Yes. You might gain something new that has never existed before. Humans possess infinite possibilities, more than any ‘star’.”

Whether humans are such great beings is another matter.

But the idea that he might gain something new is quite intriguing.

“Well, we’ll see when we get there.”

Even if there’s no reward, it’s a skill that needs to be leveled up.

If Reak’s guess is right, and he gains something new, there’s nothing more to ask for.

“...By the way.”

Reak looked up at Oh Jin, narrowing his eyes.

‘I’m sure when I regressed, I lost the memory of the Lyra constellation’s techniques.’

Of course, even if the memory is lost, there are parts that are subconsciously remembered.

He is the star of the heavens, a hero who traveled back in time to rewrite his destiny.

‘But.’

Even considering that—

‘Where did this monster come from?’

Honestly, at this point, I’m starting to wonder why he couldn’t save the world in his previous life.

“Ha. Isn’t it that you’re actually the Demon of the Heavens?”

“What nonsense.”

Eh.

How did this kid know?

“Hmph. That’s what I mean.”

Reak snorted and turned his head away.

“Demon of the Heavens? What’s that?”

Ha Eun asked, her eyes wide.

“It’s nothing, lizard girl.”

“Hey, I told you not to call me that!”

“Hmph! No one but Lady Vega can command me!”

Reak growled and blew a raspberry.

“This arrogant brat!”

Ha Eun’s eyes flared as she lunged at Reak.

“Grrr! What are you doing, lizard girl!!”

“Tsk!”

She climbed on top of him and tickled his stomach.

“Huh! T, that’s not fair!!”

“Kyahaha! That’s your weak spot!!”

Ha Eun rolled around with Reak, hugging him.

Perhaps because his strength was restrained, or maybe his stomach really was his weak spot.

Reak couldn’t put up much of a fight and lay there, accepting Ha Eun’s touch.

“You two have become quite close.”

Oh Jin watched them rolling on the floor and smiled wryly.

“Ah, right. Vega.”

[What is it?]

“Do you know what the ancient constellations are?”

He recalled the quest he received and asked.

[Where did you hear that term?]

Vega’s eyes widened in surprise.

Oh Jin answered in a low voice so Ha Eun wouldn’t hear.

“I heard it from the Demon of the Heavens before. I had forgotten about it until now.”

[Hmm.]

Vega crossed her arms and pondered.

From her reaction, it seemed she knew what the ancient constellations were.

[How much do you know about the constellations?]

“Constellations?”

Eight... no, nine years ago.

When gates opened all over the world and monsters poured out, transcenders appeared suddenly.

Beings who could grant humans the power of brands, turning them into awakeners.

That’s all Oh Jin knew about constellations.

‘If I were a regressed person, it would be natural to know the true nature of the constellations, right?’

But there’s a limit to pretending to know something you don’t.

Especially when the other party is a constellation itself.

“I don’t know much. In the past, I was too busy fighting every day to have the leisure to learn about such things.”

He tried to play it off.

[Is that so.]

Perhaps because of the deep trust they had built, she didn’t seem suspicious.

[The constellations are beings created by the giants known as Titans, using the power of the stars.]

“Titans?”

[Giants born at the dawn of time. To put it simply, they are akin to ‘creators’.]

“Hmm.”

Suddenly talking about creators.

The scale was so vast, it was hard to grasp.

“So, the creators made the constellations?”

[That’s correct.]

Vega nodded and continued.

[The Titans created the constellations to manage multiple worlds simultaneously. The Law is a mechanism to prevent the constellations, as managers, from exerting undue influence on the worlds.]

If we compare it to a game, the Titans are the developers, and the constellations are the operators.

[However... in the distant past, there was a time when all the constellations were destroyed.]

“All the constellations were destroyed?”

[That’s correct.]

What could have destroyed the creators’ managers of the world?

‘...Wait a moment.’

Could it be?

[Hehe. You seem to have a rough idea.]

Vega smiled faintly and continued.

[The darkness born at the dawn of time—Black Heaven—devoured all the stars in the night sky.]

In other words.

The world had already been destroyed by Black Heaven in the past.

[The ancient constellations refer to the constellations that were devoured by Black Heaven at that time.]

“...”

So, that’s how it was.

‘The reason the quest’s reward is an ancient constellation is because of that.’

In the distant past.

The meaning of taking one of the constellations devoured by Black Heaven and giving it to me.

“Then the current constellations...”

[After all the stars were devoured by Black Heaven, new stars were born.]

“...”

Oh Jin pressed his forehead, his mouth tightly shut.

His head throbbed.

‘So, that’s why Vega said Black Heaven has the power to destroy the world.’

Since the world has already been destroyed by Black Heaven once, it makes sense for her to say that.

‘This is going to be a mess.’

Even if I say I have no intention of destroying the world.

Just by possessing Black Heaven, I will be treated as a criminal.

‘And in the first cycle, I did destroy the world.’

I don’t remember it, but—

Considering all the circumstances, the identity of the Demon of the Heavens is none other than me.

[Do you understand what the ancient constellations are now?]

“Ah, yes. Thanks.”

He smiled, trying to act as if it was no big deal, while sorting out his thoughts.

‘I’ll just focus on what I can do and what I need to do now.’

The destruction of the world and Black Heaven.

It’s meaningless to wrack my brain over it.

‘The future has already started to change.’

Since Shin Hyuk died.

Since I became a regressed person.

A completely different future from the first cycle has already begun.

What’s important is how I move in this new future.

‘That’s already decided.’

Oh Jin’s eyes gleamed sharply.

He turned his head to look around.

The new house.

Ha Eun, giggling.

Vega, sitting on his shoulder, and Reak, lying on the floor, panting.

The warm sensation seeping into his skin.

‘I won’t let go.’

Even if it means deceiving the entire world.

I won’t lose this warmth in my hands.

“Alright. I’ll just go and stretch a bit...”

[No, you can’t.]

“Absolutely not.”

Vega and Ha Eun pressed down on Oh Jin’s shoulders, forcing him to lie back on the bed.

[Don’t you know what condition your body is in?]

“After lying down for four days, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“E, um.”

The two women’s momentum was too strong.

Oh Jin looked at Reak, his eyes pleading for help.

“Ha.”

Reak sighed deeply and approached.

“Even though Lady Vega and the lizard girl are overprotecting you...”

He narrowed his eyes and continued.

“This time, just stay put.”

“Grr.”

Oh Jin swallowed.

‘I have a lot to do.’

I don’t have the luxury to rest.

I need to get stronger as quickly as possible—

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

Reak clicked his tongue and looked down at Oh Jin.

“Have you heard of ‘Mind, Spirit, Body’?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

It’s a term that often appears in martial arts novels, isn’t it?

“In your case, the balance of these three is completely off.”

“The balance is off?”

Reak nodded.

“First, ‘Mind (心)’. This is...”

He shook his head, looking exasperated.

“To be honest, calling you crazy is an understatement. I’ve lived a long life, but I’ve never seen anyone as twisted as you.”

What’s this?

Is he challenging me?

“At least, in the realm of ‘Mind (心)’, there’s no one in the world who can match you. Not even the constellations and the monsters of the Demon Realm.”

“E, um.”

Is it really that bad?

“The second is ‘Spirit (技)’. There’s no need to explain this. You’re a monster.”

“Is this a compliment or a challenge?”

“Both.”

Hmph.

Reak blew a raspberry.

“The problem is ‘Body (體)’. Compared to your ‘Mind’ and ‘Spirit’, your physical body is in the worst condition. It’s a shame to even call it the worst.”

“Eh? That bad?”

Oh Jin looked down at his body, tilting his head.

“I’ve trained pretty hard, though.”

He had never neglected basic physical training even before awakening.

After awakening, it goes without saying.

“...Are you really that clueless?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ha.”

Reak sighed deeply, looking disappointed.

Then, he turned to Ha Eun.

“Lizard girl.”

“Eh?”

“Take off his clothes.”

“...What?”

Ha Eun’s eyes widened.

“T, take off Oh Jin’s clothes?”

“It’s necessary. Do it quickly.”

“...”

She swallowed hard.

Her lips began to curl into a smile.

“N, no, wait!”

“I’m just following orders.”

Ha Eun grinned and lunged at Oh Jin.

[Hmm! I’ll help too!!]

Somehow, Vega joined in as well.

“Aah!! W, wait!! What are you doing!!!”

Oh Jin screamed and writhed, but—

Perhaps because his internal injuries hadn’t fully healed, he couldn’t muster the strength.

“Come on!!! Hurry up!!! Take them off, you brat!!!”

“Kyaah!”

Ha Eun burst into laughter as she started to take off his clothes.

“There’s no need to take off the pants.”

“Kyahaha!! The back!! Let’s see the back!!”

“There’s no need to take off the underwear.”

[Oh! A fine specimen indeed!]

“No.”

Reak’s voice no longer reached the two women.