A Regressor's Bucket List

Ch. 44



‘…What an ill-fated encounter .’

Kim Satgat, looking down at U-jin and Einstein from atop Shuten's head, puffed on a long pipe he'd lit at some point and recalled a distant memory.

『Are you really not going to come with me? No matter how I look at it, you're the only one who's caught my eye, Satgat-hyeongssi.』

『…Isaac, I'm not sure where you're asking me to go. But I've already decided where I belong. It's too late to back out now.』

『Hmm. Besides you, hyeongssi, the rest are all just vermin… Well, can't be helped.』

『…….』

『I'll go alone. If you change your mind later, come find me. You'll always be welcome, Satgat-hyeongssi.』

That was the last conversation Kim Satgat had with ‘Isaac Einstein’ during his time as a Hero.

After that conversation, which took place after Isaac was officially ordained as a Hero.

The news he heard of Isaac no longer held the title of ‘Hero’, but unfamiliar ones like ‘Demon King's Army’ or ‘Traitor’.

As they were once the closest of companions, various emotions flickered in Kim Satgat's gaze as he looked at Isaac.

Huuu-

Exhaling his regrets along with a puff of hazy smoke, Kim Satgat then turned to look at U-jin's face to his right.

‘…….’

There was a resemblance.

Top of the Gateway Zone.

The Chosen One.

And.

Swish-

‘I came because he told me to, but…’

His extraordinary path of taking a ‘Vampire, a Titled Demon, and a Demonic Species’ as his companions.

Shake, shake-

“…I can’t tell if we’re looking for a Hero candidate or a traitor candidate.”

The two of them definitely had a resemblance.

‘…I hope he doesn’t walk the same path.’

Perhaps it was the guilt of being unable to stop Isaac's path, despite having been so close to him, that still lingered.

Kim Satgat couldn't quite shake off the resemblance he saw in U-jin.

The thought that U-jin might, like Isaac, walk the path of a heretic kept surfacing.

Of course, his reverie didn't last long.

【Shall we have a go? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?】

Because of the opponent he was facing.

Isaac was not an easy opponent.

No, he wasn't an opponent who could be measured and simply described as ‘not easy.’

Now he was known as the ‘Strategist of the Demon King's Army’ instead of by his name, and his title was often preceded by ‘Traitor’.

But back when he was a Hero candidate and up until his ordination as an official Hero, the modifier attached to Isaac's name had been ‘a genius who appears once in a millennium.’

Even without that, the demonic title of ‘Count’ he possessed was proof of his skill.

‘…This is going to be a tough one.’

Though he usually didn't use his full power for trivial matters due to hiding his true weight class for certain reasons, this time, even Kim Satgat couldn't just gloss over it.

Swish-

Tucking his long pipe back into his sleeve, Kim Satgat began to unravel the pure white bandages wrapped around his left wrist.

And then.

He tapped the floor (the crown of Shuten’s head) and spoke softly.

Tap, tap-

“Hey there, big-headed friend.”

“…….”

“Take that demonic lady and that gloomy-looking bat friend over there and get out of the way.”

“……?”

Hearing Kim Satgat's words, Shuten momentarily frowned and looked up.

The reason was simple.

His body was currently bound by two separate restraints.

Thanks to Isaac Einstein's activated , the Darkwing sigil was still pulsating, binding his body.

And Einstein's Mana Chain, which had been layered over U-jin's crude magic chains, was also restraining him.

Therefore, to Shuten, Kim Satgat’s words telling him to move his body and take care of the two others couldn't help but sound absurd.

It was an impossible task.

…However.

That question was soon answered.

Paaat-

“I’m counting on you.”

Srrrk-

The moment he blinked from his spot, the magic chains enveloping Shuten's body dissolved into particles and vanished.

KWAAANG-!

Because immediately after, an immense wave of mana collided before his eyes, and at the same time, the pulsation of the Darkwing sigil also stopped.

“……!”

Written down as a sentence, it seemed like a very simple task.

To reverse-engineer and dismantle Einstein's skill, ‘Mana Chain’, which had been wrapped around Shuten's body.

And to generate a mana wave so overwhelming that Einstein couldn't handle both it and the Darkwing's Authority of Domination at the same time.

But Shuten knew.

The number of people who could do those two things simultaneously.

‘…….’

…was very few, even in this vast Upper Plane.

* * *

【Khahahaha!】

A laugh filled with joy burst from the corners of Einstein's mouth.

【This is it…! This is a real duel.】

Kim Satgat and Einstein.

The formless mana leaking out from the wills of the two men clashed in the empty space between them, sending countless sparks flying.

A battle of mana itself.

In addition to that, their fists and feet struck at the openings.

Compared to the sparks from the clash of mana, the specific tension created by their physical blows was lesser, but their fight could not be judged by such simple metrics.

A battle of wits that far transcended the basic framework of ‘hit, block, and dodge’ was taking place between them.

Only the brief pauses between their exchanged words proved the profound level of their battle.

【…Over here, it's all just guys who fight by stupidly taking hits or guys who try to crush you with their stupid amount of mana, so I lost interest in duels a long time ago.】

Paaat-

“You haven't changed either…”

【…As I thought, my only rival is you, Satgat-hyeongssi.】

“…….”

【I wasn't wrong about you… As expected, those vermin from The Order have no eye for talent. You, Satgat-hyeongssi… are not someone who should be stuck in the East doing menial chores…】

“…Thanks for the compliment.”

【How about coming over to our side now? If it's you, Satgat-hyeongssi… I could even set you up in a pretty decent position.】

Paaak-!

An especially large spark flared, and the magic chains binding U-jin’s limbs wavered for a moment.

“I'm sorry… but my answer is the same as it was back then.”

【…….】

“I’ve already decided where I belong. Once a man has set his mind to something, shouldn't he see it through to the end? Hahaha.”

Psst-

【…I really don't get you. I heard you're in the Beggars' Sect village now.】

“…….”

【All you're doing there is probably changing the diapers of some Murim imperial family brat. Hiding such great skill…】

Shaking his head and muttering, Einstein suddenly raised both his hands.

And then.

【Give up.】

At the same time, the sparks that had embroidered the air subsided, and Einstein's magic chains binding U-jin and Shuten began to fade.

Shrug-

【…Then and now.】

“…….”

【I can't beat you when it comes to playing around with mana, hyeongssi.】

As Einstein shrugged his shoulders and admitted defeat, Kim Satgat let out a hearty laugh and muttered.

“Hahaha… Can't beat me? Isn't that thing of yours not even your real body?”

【…….】

“Even so, it wouldn't do to lose to a mere clone that's just an empty shell. I have my pride to think of, you know. If I talk a big game and then lose, I'd lose face in front of our friend over there, wouldn't I?”

Shrug-

【…If I’d known I was going to meet you, hyeongssi, I would have prepared properly. I never imagined I'd run short on mana just playing around with one has-been.】

…That was right.

The Einstein who had appeared here was, in fact, not his complete, original self, but merely a clone created with a portion of his main body's power.

This was also why The Order's Allied Forces hadn't been able to confirm anything specific, despite a strategist who could be called one of the real powers of the Demon King's Army having crossed the border.

By using a clone to exquisitely reduce his pie of power and applying various magical treatments, he had been able to enter the Kunlun zone without any problems.

…Of course, the moment Kim Satgat intervened, all those efforts became futile.

Smiiirk-

But surprisingly.

The expression on Einstein's face as he scattered into particles wasn't disappointment or annoyance, but a smile.

【…Well, it's a bit of a shame to just leave my junior here behind.】

The reason was simple.

By chance.

He had discovered something far more interesting than dealing with a discarded pawn like Shuten.

【…So you really did have a backer.】

“…….”

【Junior.】

For the first time in a long time.

…for the first time in a very long time, he was satisfied that something had appeared to stimulate his own curiosity.

‘The Chosen One’ from The Order, just like himself.

The one who tamed a Succubus in the Gateway Zone.

The planner of the ‘Demon King Hunt’.

The one with the Trait of the Vampire clan.

And.

Pfft-

“…Well now. To call this man a backer, he seems to have stepped forward a bit too openly.”

The fact that he was connected to ‘Kim Satgat’.

Every facet that made up U-jin was adorned with interesting things.

For Einstein, who had been stuck in a rut, doing nothing for a while due to the sluggish and incoherent developments of the War against Demons, there could be no better news.

Einstein, who had been silently staring at U-jin, asked as if to confirm.

【You said Demon King Hunt earlier, right?】

“…….”

U-jin didn't bother to answer the question, but Einstein, shrugging and nodding as he pleased, turned his fading body and left a final farewell.

【…I'll be looking forward to it, junior. Let's meet again.】

…Of course, from U-jin’s perspective, that farewell was hardly welcome.

With those last words, Einstein's fading form completely vanished without a trace.

Swaaa-

‘…….’

A wave had passed, and silence fell upon the surroundings.

A situation where they had barely escaped with their lives from Einstein's clutches.

It was a situation that could truly be called a narrow escape from death, where it wouldn't have been strange for anyone to let out a sigh of relief.

Jerry.

Shuten.

And even U-jin could not breathe a sigh of relief.

The reason was simple.

‘…Can I do it?’

They all knew.

It was true that the wave had passed, but the one that had just brushed past, wetting the collars of their clothes, was merely a prelude to the coming storm.

That an immeasurably great danger was lurking before them with its jaws wide open.

They knew it instinctively.

Swish-

Kim Satgat, who had been observing their faces, broke the silence that had held the area for a long while.

“For now…”

“…….”

“It seems we need to sort things out.”


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