Chapter 3

EP.3 Regression becomes infuriating after thirteen times

The words conveyed by the golem were unexpectedly surprising.

Do nothing? A militaristic state that forces even ordinary citizens to labor when they are bored, does not issue any tasks?

I knew the militaristic state too well to like it. Whenever it showed an unexpected attitude, one had to read the hidden intentions behind it.

Just as I, sensing the crisis, was about to ask the golem something, the prison gate was violently pushed open with a loud noise. Something burst out with fierce momentum. As it left the courtyard, an alarm signaling the unusual situation sounded, and searchlights began to fiercely track the escapee.

But it was meaningless. The speed at which it ran was so fast that even the searchlights chasing the escapee couldn't catch up. The moment the light tried to illuminate the target, it was already gone.

While the searchlights were floundering, having lost their target, the girl leaped like lightning and landed in front of me. Both the golem and I were speechless at her sudden appearance.

Then, after a moment, the girl lifted her head sharply and wagged her tail, barking.

"Arf! Nice to see you! Nice to see you!"

Triangular ears stood up, a golden tail swayed from her waist. Her large eyes stared at me intently, radiating boundless friendliness. Her luscious hair fluttered.

She was a dog therianthrope, the descendant of the sins committed by humans in the distant past.

The dog therianthrope, crouching on all fours like a real dog, looked up at me from near my feet.

What is this? I awkwardly raised my hand to greet her.

"Um... hello?"

"Hello! Hello! Hello!"

The dog therianthrope jumped up and down, greeting me. There was no intention to attack, and her gestures were friendly. She reacted more like a well-trained dog than a human.

Her innocent and friendly appearance made it impossible for me to feel the caution I should have felt when encountering a stranger.

So, I realized it a bit late.

It was highly unusual for someone to show such friendliness to me out of nowhere.

And as a mind reader, I couldn't read this being's thoughts properly.

"Let's play! Let's play! Let's play!"

"What? Why should I?"

"Arf! Let's play!"

The dog therianthrope pressed her head to the ground, grabbed the hem of my pants with her mouth, and pulled. As I tried to pull away, I suddenly felt a shock as if a rope from a cart had caught my foot.

My legs, which had been supporting the weight of an adult male, gave way helplessly. My body fell, and the dog therianthrope, grabbing me, ran off. I was dragged helplessly. Thud, thud. My body bounced as if I were a skipping stone at an incredible speed, as if I were being dragged by a cart.

Pain followed.

"Ah!"

I had thought I might witness something terrible in the notorious Tantalus, but I never dreamed I would be subjected to such a violent punishment, especially from someone who showed me such friendliness!

It was no use trying to grab onto anything. A greater force just dragged me along. My clothes heated up due to friction, and blood droplets formed and fell from my skin scraped by the concrete.

I'm going to die. I really am going to die. I flailed my arms and shouted desperately.

"Wait, stop!"

"Arf!"

Then something amazing happened.

The dog therianthrope, who had the strength to drag me with her jaw, 'stopped' at my command.

Without a moment's hesitation.

I was dumbfounded.

"Huh? You understand me?"

Even without the ability to read minds, most people who have lived in the world would know that more people dismiss words as dog barks than actually listen to them.

Especially if those words are meant to interfere with someone's actions.

But this girl, when I commanded her to stop, did so without a moment's hesitation, without any hesitation or resistance.

Wait. What? I felt confused and tried to read the girl's thoughts.

I couldn't.

"Stop? Stop! Stop, stop!"

Or rather, I could read them, but I couldn't understand them clearly. It was like reading a book from another country without translation. I could only vaguely grasp the mood and emotions.

Her thoughts, unreadable.

Unbelievable. Is she not human?

'Because I was told to stop' 'I stop.' Without any doubt or hesitation. Like a pure child... no, more like a dog, not even questioning.

Like a loyal dog that obeys humans.

But in appearance, she was a human with a dog's ears and tail, and the strength to drag me exceeded that of a human.

Wait. Unless she's a crazy therianthrope who believes she's a dog, this being is perhaps...

"King of Beasts?"

After bipedal humans took control of the earth, the King of Beasts took on a human form. They spoke like humans and represented their species to express their opinions to humans.

But their essence was the king of a species, a being that represented, spoke for, and acted on behalf of all beasts.

Among them, the dog therianthrope in front of me was the King of Dogs, representing all dogs. 'Puppy.'

"Insane. If the King of Beasts is a divine being, why would they lock it in a prison?"

Especially in Tantalus. Has the militaristic state gone completely mad? Just as I turned to protest to the golem.

'...I can smell the scent of blood.'

A thought came from deep within.

Immediately, the hair on my body stood on end.

The blood droplets from my wounds trembled. Darkness enveloped me. I couldn't turn my head, but I watched with the corner of my eye as my blood droplets moved.

The blood droplets that had seeped into the concrete vibrated roughly, then rolled in one direction. Normally, they should have left a long trail, but the blood droplets in Tantalus defied common sense. They rolled like beads on ice.

I watched the movement of the blood droplets with trembling eyes. They approached a distant, deep, and dark door, then seeped through the gap.

Behind the door, a chilling sense of satisfaction was felt. The fullness of a predator taking a bite of flesh, the satisfaction of a blood drinker quenching their thirst.

...And the fact that it was my blood filled me with fear.

'...It's bad. I've never thought my taste was picky, but this blood is simply inedible.'

He says it's inedible even though he hasn't tasted it. Even in captivity, he's picky.

But I couldn't express such complaints freely.

Because, I didn't need mind reading to realize what existed beyond that door.

Beyond it was a vampire. A queen of blood who had lived for a thousand years and would live forever unless she died.

The first vampire, Tirkanjaka.

The oldest darkness, who locked herself in the abyss to avoid conflict with humans.

"Insane..."

No matter how many heinous criminals they brought, they couldn't compare to these two. The King of Dogs is a divine being, and the vampire is a monstrous entity that defies the gods. Ordinary people wouldn't even encounter them, let alone dare to face them.

I felt fear at the scale beyond my reach, yet I was secretly relieved.

Fortunately, these two are either indifferent to or friendly towards humans. The King of Dogs shows affection for humans, and the vampire will keep me alive to obtain blood. As long as I don't seriously offend them, I won't die at their hands.

Perhaps, I could even manipulate these two to be on my side...

Then.

"Fly."

A sharp, cold voice rang out. It was a beautiful voice that would make anyone passing by turn their head, but it was filled with cold hostility and a blade-like killing intent.

I immediately moved away from the golem upon reading it. Immediately after.

"Thousand Anchors."

A crack appeared in space.

A land of light and darkness. The space itself seemed to be cut, distorting light and darkness. A diagonal layer formed in the darkness. Sparks flew from the sliced air, and lightning struck the dark abyss. An invisible blade cleanly split the golem in two.

The golem instantly lost its light. The essence of magical engineering, the precisely designed mechanical devices, the circuits, and mana inside it all...

were split in two with a single stroke.

Half of the golem slowly slid to the ground. With a simple crack, the golem's body collapsed.

The cut was so clean, it was as if I was looking at a cross-section. It was so neat that it might function if reassembled.

But the golem's crystal ball never regained its light. The remote control for the golem stopped working. The microphone crackled and then went silent.

Instead, a sharp, cold voice rang out.

"Are there any spare golems left? You're not a cockroach, and it's getting tiresome. Surely there aren't any more, right?"

A girl with short black hair and loose pants slowly walked over. She grabbed a transparent sword floating in the air and glared at the golem as if it were an enemy.

Her eyes, which had briefly lingered on the golem, then turned to me.

"Now, who are you?"

Instinct sounded the alarm. It shouted that I would die if I didn't do something immediately.

I reflexively used mind reading to read her, as thoroughly as possible.

She was not special at all.

An ordinary extra, raised in an orphanage, living in back alleys, suffering from crime, disease, and violence, and dying in a way that was too common to be a story.

She learned some swordsmanship and was beheaded by a wandering swordsman. She studied magic and was burned alive by a mercenary mage. She lacked the talent to succeed in anything and the ability to turn opportunities into success.

The only difference was that she had an infinite number of opportunities.

...Huh? What does that mean? Did I read it correctly? I don't understand.

She wielded a sword during five deaths and gained the skill to match a sword saint.

During seven other deaths, she learned magic directly and indirectly and obtained the magic power to face a demon king.

She had earned the right to stand before them, but if she fought them head-on, she would be defeated miserably.

And it didn't end there.

"Answer."

The girl retracted her legendary sword, Thousand Anchors, obtainable only from the highest mountains, a sword that resembled the sky and could only be obtained if one knew the future. She raised Thousand Anchors again and pointed it at me.

A being who, beyond thirteen deaths, repeatedly attempted to prevent the world's destruction.

The regressed Shai, holding a sword, looked at me.

"If you don't answer... I'll kill you."

To become stronger. To prevent the world's destruction. To end the regression and obtain eternal rest.

The regressed one, who wandered in search of a turning point and reached the abyss.

She was seriously considering my life. Whether to kill or spare me. Which choice would be right for this 'regression cycle.'

If I didn't meet her criteria, she intended to kill me to eliminate a 'variable.'

"..."

Running at a speed that even searchlights couldn't catch.

Exerting dominion over blood from hundreds of meters away.

A monster that could destroy a military-grade magical golem in one stroke.

But I felt relieved and waved my hands, greeting her warmly.

"Nice to meet you, everyone!"

Yes. The ones left here are incredibly strong. If ten thousand petty criminals like me were here, they would be massacred in seconds. They have the ability to do so.

But when have I ever survived because I was strong?

The back alleys where I lived for over ten years. Even in those narrow alleys, there were many stronger than me.

But in the end, I was the one who survived.

A man with the strength to shatter rocks with his bare hands was beheaded by a swordsman who could cut steel. The swordsman was burned alive by a trap set by a wandering mage. The mage, demanding a reward, drank a poisoned drink and turned into a puddle of blood.

Only I, the one who could read minds, could please the swordsman, avoid the mage's trap, and accurately choose the poisoned cup to save my life.

It's the same here.

No matter how monstrous the opponent, as long as I can read their thoughts.

If I can please these absolute beings, avoid the thorns in their hearts, and build a relationship with them.

Why would there be a reason to kill me, or for me to die?

I've lived my life as a back alley con artist. No one is better at pleasing others and drawing attention.

I spread my arms and shouted loudly.