476 – Reverse Suicide and Live
“Do you want to destroy the world?” How should one respond to such a question? Naturally, you would deny it. If you’re in your right mind, you wouldn’t want to break a perfectly fine world.
But what if you’re not in your right mind? If you truly want to destroy the world? Even then, thinking rationally, you should probably deny it at first. Revealing such intentions prematurely might earn you a beating from the heroic warriors trying to protect the world.
Confessing willingly that you’ve truly gone mad and would willingly destroy the world? Someone with that level of intelligence is already dead. It’s just not possible.
So, my answer is already decided.
That’s why I shouldn’t give that answer right away.
“Miss Shea, before that, let me ask one thing.”
“I asked first. Unless you’re trying to avoid answering again.”
“Listen for a moment. It’s not just you who has doubts.”
Annoyed, I looked at the time traveler and asked, “What’s the connection with Saint Cheong?”
“What? What do you mean?”
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“Searching for the king of evil, warning of the world’s destruction, and holding various treasures, including the sword of heaven? It’s obvious, isn’t it? Everyone knows that Shea has a close relationship with Saint Cheong.”
“Woof!”
Azi nodded as if responding, not understanding the meaning of the words. Let me correct that. Apparently, even dogs don’t know.
In other words, everyone knows except for dogs. Even Jisun, Tir, and Hilde suspected the connection between the time traveler and Saint Cheong as soon as they saw them. To be honest, they practically said everything except for the details.
“Then the next question is, how ‘close’ is the relationship with Saint Cheong? What kind of weakness did you find in Saint Cheong that you gave her treasures, not even withholding them from the saint?”
In response to the sharp question, the time traveler muttered as if stung.
“I thought I’d be exposed someday… But in the end, you caught on.”
Yeah, a bit late for acknowledgment… Wait a minute. What? Someday? In the end?
I tried to have a serious conversation, but unable to contain myself, I shouted at the time traveler.
“Someone’s bound to find out someday! Just admit it openly, okay?!”
“What? How?”
“I told you! Look at your arrogance! A celestial aura, a pocket full, eyes sparkling in seven colors! Are you hoping to conceal the magician related to the sky, space, and light, slathered in magic, so it won’t be noticed?! Are you some kind of pheasant? Does it not exist in the world if it’s not visible to your own eyes?”
Not delving into the excuses made so far, no one truly believed it! Even Tirma, at the very least, was the same!
‘Sure, if you scrutinize each and every detail, it might seem suspicious. Just knowing that right away? Does that make you a genius as the king of humans?’
Genius, my foot. Did it sound like a proverb that even a passing dog knows? If you scrutinize each and every detail? Just one of them is already strange!
The regressor who was unaware of how suspicious he was spoke with feigned indifference.
“You seem to know those things well. Many people just consider them rare treasures. Is it because you’re truly the king of humans?”
“Indeed, the king of humans. I knew it from the beginning. Suspicious from the first encounter, you were! From head to toe, a bundle of suspicion!”
In reality, most of it was discovered through clever methods. The regressor who didn’t know about it was quite surprised.
‘You noticed it from the beginning? During that long time in No-Zero? I had no idea at all…!’
Well, you were… sigh. Let’s not talk about it. At that time, the regressor claimed to be training alone, and I even set off smoke, so it’s understandable.
I sharply asked, “Honestly, I’ll answer honestly too. Who are you really?”
In truth, it wasn’t a strange question for the regressor.
Young age. Overflowing power to a bizarre extent. Talents, whether innate or supernatural. The regressor always faced such suspicions. The background and narrative of the power she accumulated would be reset in the next iteration, so it couldn’t be helped.
I know through clever methods how that power came about, but… still, I have to ask.
That way, she’ll bother me less.
The regressor bit her lip and tilted her head a bit. However, concocting a perfect lie to handle this entire situation with that head of hers is impossible. She quickly gave up and answered honestly.
“It has nothing to do with anything.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Absolutely. I have no personal relationship with them right now. This is something ‘given’ to me. I don’t consider myself indebted to them, nor will I repay anything.”
‘Grateful, but that’s all. It’s a mutually exploitative relationship.’
A proper answer doesn’t exist unless the premise of ‘regression’ is mentioned. However, in the given situation, it was the most honest response.
Believing in such an answer is foolish. But since it’s already been read through shrewdness, let’s respond with a bit of restraint. I replied with a slightly softened voice.
“It seems there’s no hostility between you and the Prosperous Green.”
“Yeah. I’ll join hands with anyone if it means saving the world. If there’s anyone trustworthy in this world, it’s Prosperous Green, trying to establish justice.”
“Yet, Prosperous Green is the one who ousted the human king. From the perspective of a human king, both Prosperous Green and you aren’t very trustworthy, right?”
“That’s why I’m asking you!”
The Regressionist clenched the celestial whip. The celestial whip on my right shoulder trembled. I hadn’t thought about descending yet, but who knows. The Regressionist was a being who could do what needed to be done.
“The sinful king who will bring about the destruction of the world. That’s the fallen human king! And you’re also a human king! So, tell the truth. What are you determined to do with the world!”
Now, I’m ready to listen. Having finished the buildup, I carefully chose my words.
How should one respond to a question where the answer is already decided? Well, that’s obvious.
It’s not a question for me. It’s what I want to believe. So, I demand belief.
“You’re just like Shay.”
“Me?”
Then make me believe.
“I’m the same. I don’t care who you’re on the side of, what your true identity is. Just like when Shay fought with Jisun, I didn’t take sides and just let it pass. I have no intention of killing you in advance if there’s a problem or if it’s suspicious. I don’t have the ability to do that.”
The Regressionist is moody. Because it’s okay to throw away this life with capriciousness. It’s okay to make mistakes, and, conversely, there’s room to delve deeper than the compulsive Prosperous Green.
In other words, no matter how well I do, my throat could be cut with a caprice. Thinking that way, cold sweat breaks out on my back.
So I asked the Regressionist in order to evoke empathy for being in the same position of suspicion.
“It doesn’t matter… You’re right. What’s important is not who I am, but what I will do. And I don’t think Hughes is conspiring for the destruction of the world. Compared to the King of Sin, he is weak like a vulture.”
Hmm. Yes, yes. I understand well.
If you want to persuade someone, you shouldn’t fight from an opposing position. That’s just a fight. True persuasion comes from starting in the same place and compromising. Indeed, when highlighting the common ground between oneself and the other, they look at me and call me weak like a vulture…
What? Vulture? Hey, isn’t it strange to be called the King of Sin? I am perfectly ordinary! The King of perfectly ordinary humans!
“But, you are the King of Humans. The King of Humans is dangerous. Even if you don’t have power now, the power that humans possess will soon be the power that the King of Humans possesses. If we continue to face each other with swords and spears, pouring out trained malice, someday the King of Humans will reach the King of Sin and perish.”
As I bravely muttered to myself, I suddenly questioned the thought that came to mind.
What? Do you know the story of the birth of the King of Sin? I don’t even know how that happens!
I can’t completely trust the Regressionist’s thoughts. It is knowledge gained from the background of past regressions that I cannot read, and even that knowledge could have been told to someone else. When knowledge is engraved in a brain as pure and white as a blank piece of paper, it will be believed as the truth. Certainty is forbidden.
But that’s not important.
Even though you know that, why haven’t you shown any signs until now?
Did you simply forget about it? Or did you unconsciously not think of the King of Sin?
Either way, it’s really impressive. When I secretly admired, the Regressionist finally asked the last question.
“If… if humans wish for their own destruction? If ordinary humans believe that it would be better if they were dead?”
If humans wish for their own destruction? What a stupid thing to say. I immediately answered the incredibly foolish question.
“I don’t really know right now because the representative nature of the King of Humans has been lost… but when that time comes, it won’t be a problem of the King of Humans anymore, right?”
“…Tsk.”
It was a very accurate statement. The Regressionist, who had no words to respond, retracted the silk thread that he had extended. The silk thread, which could have easily bitten off my right arm, obediently hid its fangs.
The Regressionist stepped back with his chubby face and asked me.
“The reason the King of Humans came to the Muzheogang was to find the Jimosin, right?”
“Coming this far, there’s no need to hide anymore. Yes, well, that’s right.”
‘My instincts were correct. Hues also hid the trickster and infiltrated Tartaros! Well… it’s not my place to say, as I descended to find Jizan. But my suspicion was justified!’
Yeah. But I don’t regret lying. If I had revealed my identity back then, my right arm might have been severed from the start.
“The reason for searching for Masin?”
“I don’t have an obligation to answer, but I’ll be honest with you.”
With a touch of nonchalance, and adding a bit more mystery to the conversation, I revealed my true purpose.
“To catch up with humans.”