[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 385

But there was a problem.

“Then what happens to my comrades?”

“All the power they’ve built up until now will disappear. More precisely, they’ll return to the state of power they had at that point in time.”

His mother, Kim Bong-Goo, Jang Hajin, Yeo Sunwoo, and Yeo Min-Ji.

All of them had barely managed to complete up to the 6th stage.

Now he was being told to let that hard-earned effort go to waste...

“If I take this, do I return immediately?”

“No. The return is triggered automatically the moment you stop breathing.”

That was the same as the first time he regressed.

Master…

Still, isn’t it okay? Because we’re connected to the master, we can remain as we are, right?

Mukho and Anima seemed to be wavering.

Even with countless dimensions being destroyed, the divine realm couldn’t handle the Named ones.

That was why they had to send Tenebris and Psyche as spies.

For someone like that, it was virtually impossible for Jeong-Hoon to handle them alone.

Wouldn’t it be better to regress now and create an opportunity for the divine realm to intervene?

“Why is regression necessary for them to intervene? Can’t they step in now?”

“To be exact, you’re not the true master. You only temporarily seized authority from them. That’s why you were isolated — it’s proof.”

“So?”

“To put it simply, their influence has already spread too far. Even if you gain divine energy and reach the level of a demigod, you won’t be able to open the divine realm. Ever since the moment the game became reality, any kind of external intervention became impossible.”

Jeong-Hoon’s expression hardened.

So even after all that effort, he still couldn’t escape their grasp.

Master, let’s just regress at this point.

I don’t like that guy’s offer either… but it’s better than just sitting here and waiting to be taken down.

Mukho and Anima had also died at their hands.

They couldn’t just sit and watch Jeong-Hoon, their master, be taken the same way.

“Yeah. I don’t really have a choice.”

To refuse once more at this point would be nothing but stubbornness and pride.

He felt sorry for those who had made it to the 6th stage, but it was more important to seize this power and go back, to set things right from the beginning.

Jeong-Hoon reached his hand toward the Creation Engine.

The sphere, as if waiting for this moment, burrowed into Jeong-Hoon’s right hand.

A tremendous force began to merge with the Creation Engine within him and soon began swirling violently.

There was a heavy pain near his heart, but it wasn’t unbearable.

[You have completed the quest.]

With the quest notification, his eyes slowly closed.

As his consciousness faded, Uriel smiled gently at Jeong-Hoon.

“That power is now engraved into your soul. So no one will ever notice it.”

* * *

When he came to, the first thing he saw was his mother’s worried face staring at him.

“Mother… ugh!”

He tried to sit up quickly, but a sharp pain shot through his head.

"Hoona, are you okay?!"

Since he had never shown any signs of illness since returning, she was clearly alarmed.

Jeong-hoon quickly used Divine Healing to suppress the headache.

"Hey, you collapsed the moment the quest started. Are you really okay?"

"You scared the hell out of me. Your body suddenly went ice-cold—I thought you were dead."

"Luckily, there was still a faint breath left in you..."

Tenebris and Baal didn’t know Jeong-hoon had just returned from the Divine Realm.

So to them, it looked like he had fallen into a coma.

"I'm okay."

"Phew, do you know how much you scared me? You wouldn't wake up no matter how hard I shook you."

"Actually, I was in the middle of a quest."

"A quest?"

"Yes. My soul had moved, so I think it looked like that to you."

"What kind of quest could cause something like that?"

"A Demigod quest."

Jeong-hoon told his mother the truth about the quest.

At first, she was stunned to hear that her son had regressed once already. But she soon calmed down and listened to the full story.

"So that's how it was..."

Now she finally understood how her son could repeatedly display such monstrous abilities.

There were times she’d been suspicious—but she never imagined he’d already lived through it once.

Lee Na-yeon gave her son, who must have suffered greatly, a warm hug.

Jeong-hoon also held his mother tightly for a long while.

Eventually, pulling away slightly, Jeong-hoon scratched his cheek and said,

"Mom… I’m sorry I kept it hidden from you all this time."

"Well, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?"

"Ahem."

"So… you're going to regress again, aren’t you?"

Tenebris and Baal were also waiting for Jeong-hoon's answer.

"I think so."

"Then I support your decision, no matter what."

Without a second of hesitation, his mother supported his choice to regress.

"If I do, you’ll lose your power as the Sniper of Genesis."

"It’s fine. I can always get that job again later."

"Still…"

"Hoona, I made it this far thanks to you. So it’s okay."

Jeong-hoon nodded.

Afterward, he called in the others one by one and explained everything.

"Shit, I knew it!"

Even after hearing about the regression, Hajin responded as if it was exactly what he’d suspected.

"When did you start noticing?"

"From the moment all your predictions were 100% accurate. I mean, I didn’t actually think it was true, but still..."

"So I’m going to do it again."

"You greedy bastard. You realize that means we won’t even make it to round two, right?"

"I'm planning to."

"That's a shame... I barely made it to the sixth stage, you know."

"I'm sorry."

There was nothing he could say in his defense, no matter how many excuses he might try.

"Hey, it's alright. It's still better than dying."

"Yeah. I'll make sure to save everyone."

"Right. As long as you do that, it's all good."

Next was Bong-Goo.

"Hyungnim… So this is why they call you a monster."

"Well, experience counts for a lot."

"If you go back, you have to make sure I can climb back up to this point again."

"I'll do my best."

"Yes, sir!"

Then came Yeo Min-Ji.

"…Is something like that really possible?"

"Yes. Turns out it is."

"Alright. If you returning is the only way to save Earth, then I support it."

"Thank you."

"It's a bit sad… I’d grown close to your mother. If we go back to that time, I’d be meeting her for the first time again, right?"

"I’ll do my best in that regard. So that we can become close again."

"Hehe, alright. Thank you for saying that."

Jeong-hoon could’ve kept everything to himself and returned quietly, but she was deeply grateful that he had chosen to be honest with everyone.

Lastly, Yeo Sunwoo.

"Are you alright?"

After hearing everything, his first words were to ask if Jeong-hoon was okay.

Jeong-hoon smiled faintly and nodded, knowing that this was his way of offering comfort for everything he was shouldering alone.

"Yes. I’m fine."

"…Thank you for everything you've done. I truly wish you success."

"I will definitely succeed."

* * *

After opening up to everyone with honesty, Jeong-hoon walked along the Han River Park.

After the manifestation occurred and was followed by the renewal, everything had practically collapsed beyond repair.

Now, with the Great Rift erased, it looked as though peace had returned, but if you looked closer, the danger was still lurking.

"My ball!"

As Jeong-hoon was deep in thought, a soccer ball slowly rolled toward him.

It wasn’t an actual soccer ball, but a bouncy ball shaped like one.

Jeong-hoon bent down and picked it up.

A middle-aged man, who seemed to be the boy’s father, came running over in a hurry.

"Oh no, I’m so sorry."

He was a level 900 ice-type mage.

In contrast, the child wasn’t even level 50.

He seemed like someone who had lived each day anxiously in the shelter, and then went through a sudden level-up spree after the monsters weakened.

Jeong-hoon smiled gently and handed the bouncy ball back to him.

"That's alright."

"Wow! Hyung's level is over 10,000!"

The child's eyes sparkled, having apparently read Jeong-hoon's info.

"Gasp!"

The father too was startled, sucking in a breath in surprise.

Jeong-hoon quietly raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to keep it down.

"I don't like drawing attention."

"Ah… right. I’m sorry. Come on, Seung-hyun! Let's go play ball again."

"Okay!"

After the boy and his father walked off, Jeong-hoon sat alone on an empty bench.

'Master, shouldn't we get started soon?'

'Yeah. We're ready whenever you are!'

Even after returning, Mukho and Anima would stay with him—but the problem was Tenebris and Baal.

Huh? What are you looking at me like that for?

Tenebris tilted her head.

"If I return, what happens to you two?"

What do you mean, what happens? We just go back to where we were.

Tenebris would return to the time when she was sealed, and Baal would return to his throne.

"You okay with that?"

…You said yourself this fight has no chance of victory. We’ve got to follow what’s been decided from above.

"Yeah."

But you better unseal me again, no matter what.

"I’ll try when the time is right."

Wow… You better not be serious.

Unlike the unexpectedly lighthearted Tenebris, Baal looked as if he'd just bitten into something bitter.

"What's with that face?"

Are you kidding me right now? Do you know how hard I worked to get here… and now you want me to go crawl under Escanon again?

"You can always betray them again once you're back."

Ha… You think that’s easy? You said the return point is right before New World and Earth merge.

"Yeah."

At that time, I hadn’t even gotten close to you yet!

What Baal feared most was the low possibility of restoring their current relationship.

"If we go on like this, everyone dies."

Ugh, I know that, but…

"Well, when the time comes, I’ll beat the crap out of you and straighten you out again."

…Just don’t hit me too hard.

"If I don’t hit you hard, will you even listen?"

Ahem.

"Alright then."

Jeong-hoon stood up.

You're leaving now?

"Of course."

The destination was clear.

[Would you like to move to the Divine Realm?]

It wasn’t a regression—he had moved to the Divine Realm.

He would have to choose regression in the end, but before that, he felt the urge to spit in their faces at least once. Only then would he feel satisfied.

Heh heh, I thought you'd just go straight to regression. As expected, you're such an amusing human.

Tenebris laughed so hard he clutched his stomach.

“No need to run when I’ve got insurance.”

Jeong-hoon grinned slyly.

* * *

Divine Realm.

Before Round 2 began, the Nameholders were gathered in one place, passing the time.

Suddenly, Beelzebub jumped to his feet.

“He’s here!”

That damned human had crossed over to the Divine Realm.

The others seemed to sense it too. Harmagedon spoke with a smirk on his face.

“Psyche, you okay?”

“……”

Psyche silently glared at Harmagedon.

“What? Not feeling so great now that things didn’t go according to plan?”

“You’ve been spouting nonsense for a while now.”

Countless blades hovered in front of Psyche, all pointed at her.

Blades that would cut and erase anything they touched.

“Still denying it? I thought I gave you plenty of chances.”

“Bullshit.”

“Bullshit, huh… I know everything. You sided with Tenebris, didn’t you?”

The divine relic used by Escanon—

It had been bestowed directly by Harmagedon.

Through the divine relic he had granted, Harmagedon could see and hear everything.

Through that process, he had found out Psyche was aiding the human.

“Is that so? Thanks for the useful intel.”

With a soft smile, Psyche snapped her fingers.

In an instant, the blades aimed at her vanished.

“You’re planning to warn that human? It’s already too late.”

Harmagedon turned his back and departed with Beelzebub in pursuit of the human.

“Psyche, I’ll question you again about this later.”

Logos, too, gave her a deadly glare before following after them.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]