Chapter 438: Regret (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 438: Regret (4)
A full day had passed.
I remained trapped in this damned illusion, and I spent my time diligently recording all the information I could gather about this world.
First and foremost, this place was indeed a perfect replica of my past life. I recognized it the moment I arrived.
Damned world.
Crack.
I ground my teeth at the thought. I felt like I finally understood what Tang Jaemoon had meant by ‘Regret’.
She had sent me back to the time I experienced the greatest regret of my life.
If that was truly the case, then this was an exceptionally cruel test. Being forced to relive a time I desperately wanted to forget, a period I never wished to experience again, was a hell in itself.
I knew I hadn't actually been sent back to the past. This was only an illusion. A part of me held onto a faint, pointless hope that the future might change if I altered something here, but I knew that was impossible.
That powerlessness was what made this world hell. All I could do was watch, utterly incapable of changing anything. That was more than enough to constitute hell.
What does she want me to realize from this?
I wondered, idly stirring the water with my hand. I couldn't fathom Tang Jaemoon's intentions. What was the purpose of this test? What ‘decision’ did she mean?
I had no answers. All I could do was stare at the river.
My reflection stared back, but the face was utterly unfamiliar. It wasn't my face. I reached up and touched my cheek. The disconnect between the reflection I saw and the sensation under my fingers was deeply strange.
My face may have changed, but it feels like my face when I touch it.
It was as if my real face was wrapped in an illusion. Or, to put it differently, it felt like I was wearing a mask of another person.
They seem… around the same age as me.
I now had the face of a young man.
Is that why she didn’t know who I was?
This explained why the Demonic Sword hadn't recognized me. My usual fierce expression and sharp eyes were gone, replaced by an innocent-looking face. We looked completely opposite.
However it happened, having this face felt incredibly awkward. Pushing the thought aside, I surveyed my surroundings. I seemed to be somewhere in Sichuan, but the specific location was unfamiliar.
What time zone am I in?
That was the most critical question. I needed to pinpoint my current point in the timeline, but it was proving very difficult.
First… I learned that the Demonic Sword is alive, and Sichuan has fallen.
That meant the Poison Queen was already dead by this point.
“…”
I bit my lip at the thought. Sichuan had fallen into the hands of the Demonic Humans, and the Murim Alliance was likely mustering its forces to retake the region. But their mission was doomed to fail.
…It’s because I’m currently here.
It sounded arrogant, but it was the truth. The Heavenly Venerable had probably come to Sichuan with the reinforcement force, but he couldn't venture deep into the territory. The Heavenly Demon would make her move if he appeared.
The Heavenly Demon had issued a clear warning. She would graciously allow the Poison King and the Tang Clan's blood relatives to escape to Shaolin, but she would intervene personally if one of the Three Venerables showed up.
Funnily enough, this threat worked. They were fully aware of the Heavenly Demon's power and knew she wasn't bluffing.
Moreover…
The Demonic Cult hasn’t properly made their move yet.
They were more than capable of taking over Henan and crushing the Orthodox Faction, but for some reason, the Heavenly Demon had ordered the cult to wait after seizing Sichuan.
How long was the waiting period again?
It was around one to two years.
Something like that. My memory was hazy; I hadn't been in a mental state to keep track of time back then.
I wonder how long it has been at this point in time.
I needed to figure out how much time had passed since the Heavenly Demon gave that order. Because when the waiting period ended…
The Demonic Sword will die…
That would mark the true beginning of the war, and it was also when the Demonic Sword would meet her end.
I turned my gaze to the Demonic Sword, who was staring vacantly at the river. She wasn't really looking at anything. The reason was simple…
“…Demonic Sword Queen, I believe we went the wrong way.”
“…”
We were lost.
I had forgotten. The Demonic Sword had an abysmal sense of direction. I should have realized the moment she took the lead.
…I can’t believe I forgot about this.
She mistook left for right, went back when she should go forward, and occasionally wandered off to the side. I knew all this, yet I'd followed her without a second thought.
What do I do?
I was currently trailing behind her as we moved away from the river. She was leaping at a fast pace, but I could keep up—likely because she was deliberately slowing down for me.
But aren’t we going in the opposite direction right now?
We'd already wasted a full day being lost. We hadn't slept, wandering around all night.
I’m going insane.
I didn't know our exact location, but I knew the way to the headquarters. Yet, I kept my mouth shut, fearing it would be rude to correct her.
But if I let her lead… we might circle around for a week.
Part of me was okay with that since I didn't want to go to the headquarters, but letting the situation continue was also a problem.
Then what should I do?
Maybe I should suggest taking a turn? But even that wasn't an easy choice.
…She might cut my head off if I act out of my place.
This wasn't Namgung Bi-ah. I had to be extremely cautious around the Demonic Sword, careful with every word. She despised humans to the extreme, and she held a special resentment toward men. The only reason she was taking me to headquarters was our shared connection to the Black Flame Army, not because I was a Demonic Human.
The Demonic Sword wouldn't hesitate to kill other Demonic Humans. Remembering that, I made sure to maintain a safe distance.
Then…
“…!”
The Demonic Sword suddenly looked in one direction, as if she'd found something.
Zap.
“What?”
With a short burst of Lightning Qi, she vanished.
Shit.
I couldn't follow her movement at all. Even though she'd been right in front of me, I lost her completely. I'd thought I'd become relatively strong after reaching the Fusion Realm, but this was a stark reminder of how far I still had to go. I couldn't even sense what she had detected.
Where did she go?
I stopped and tried to look for her. Then, with a zap-!, the Demonic Sword reappeared in front of me, dragging someone by their collar.
“Huff… Huff…”
Surprisingly, it was another Demonic Human. That wasn't strange, as Sichuan was under Demonic Cult control.
But… why did she capture him?
“Huff… Hgh…!”
Judging by the man's expression, it didn't seem like a friendly encounter. He looked utterly horrified at the sight of his captor.
“D-Demonic Sword Queen…!”
The Demonic Sword looked down at him with a brutally cold expression.
“…Main base… show… direction.”
Even from her terse words, I understood.
She really brought him here just to ask for directions?
That seemed to be the case. The man hesitated for a brief moment after her sudden command, then answered immediately.
“T-The headquarters is to the west- …Agh!?”
The Demonic Sword threw him aside as soon as she got her answer. The man screamed as he was sent flying.
Did she really go to all that trouble just for that?
“…”
What the hell was this situation? I watched, dumbfounded, as the Demonic Sword wiped her hand hard on her outfit, as if she'd touched something filthy.
Then, she looked at me and spoke.
“…West. Let’s go…”
“…Ah, of course.”
We were about to start moving again now that we had a direction, but I spoke up.
“Wait.”
“…?”
The Demonic Sword paused and stared at me. I had stopped her for one reason only.
“You are looking east, My Sword Queen. West is this way.”
“…Hm.”
“That’s north…”
After correcting her direction twice, the Demonic Sword stared at me with an emotionless expression. I could read what she wanted from her eyes.
“…You are telling me to lead the way, right?”
“…”
She gave no verbal response, but her silence spoke volumes. I slowly started heading west.
Is this really the right thing to do?
I wondered as I walked. Should I really be going to the headquarters? The Demonic Sword wouldn't notice if I veered slightly east.
But even as I considered it, my feet kept moving. There was something I needed to check. More than anything else,
I have to learn how to escape this damned illusion.
I had to figure out how to end this test and why I was sent to this specific point in time. Given that I'd run into the Demonic Sword immediately after arriving, I had a feeling I needed to stay by her side for now.
That was the conclusion I'd reached.
With that thought, I glanced back at the Demonic Sword.
But…
“Demonic Sword Queen… Where are you going?”
“Ah… mistake…”
She had almost wandered off to the side again, so she paused and corrected her course.
“…”
I nodded to myself. This wasn't going to be easy at all.
We ran westward for a long time. It took us another full day, meaning two days had passed since I was thrown into this illusion of my past.
I now stood before a massive building, one I hadn't seen in a long time.
…We finally arrived.
I can't begin to describe the hassle it took to get here. I had to constantly keep an eye on the Demonic Sword, who would disappear periodically, and I had to speak to her in the most careful tone imaginable, terrified of annoying her.
Damn it all. If this were Namgung Bi-ah, I would've given her ten knuckle sandwiches by now. It was a damn shame I couldn't. If I tried that with the Demonic Sword, she'd sever my arms and head in an instant.
On the journey to the headquarters, I also witnessed the dire state of the region.
Everywhere is filled with the smell of blood.
Traces of war were everywhere. The half-rotten corpses we occasionally passed emitted a horrible stench, and I even saw bodies floating in the rivers.
…
All I could do was bite my lip at the sight.
No matter how much I think about it…
It was a disgusting memory. I forced my emotions down and kept walking.
A short distance from the center of Sichuan stood a market building that used to specialize in local goods. The Demonic Cult had repurposed it with a few modifications.
The headquarters. That's what we called it.
As we approached, a guard bowed his head.
“I greet the Vice Captain.”
He was addressing the Demonic Sword. Vice Captain. That was her position within the Black Flame Army.
The Demonic Sword looked at the guard with cloudy eyes and spoke.
“…Where’s Captain…?”
“The Captain is waiting inside.”
The Demonic Sword nodded. Then, the guard looked at me with a strange expression, but the Demonic Sword spoke for me.
“…Newcomer.”
“Ah, a newcomer, is it?”
The guard broke into a sudden grin. “A cute fellow joined us, huh? Yes, I’ll see you later, newcomer.”
“…”
His grin was filled with both amusement and a twisted sense of enjoyment.
What was this bastard’s name again?
I wracked my memory but came up empty. Without responding, I followed the Demonic Sword inside.
Even then, I wondered. Could I really do this? Was walking willingly into the Demonic Humans' base the right move? If the Heavenly Demon discovered me, it would all be over.
…But do I have any other choice?
If the purpose of this test was truly to revisit my regrets, then there must be something significant about this specific point in my past life, which undoubtedly involved the Demonic Sword.
…There is also a way for me to visit the Celestial Sword.
I'm sure a whole different story was unfolding there, but my instincts were strangely pulling me in this direction.
Step.
As I walked silently down the hallway, a giant door came into view. The moment I took another step closer…
“…Ugh…!”
An involuntary groan escaped my lips. An overwhelming wave of Combat Qi and killing intent poured from the other side of the door.
I broke out in a cold sweat. My heart hammered in my chest with fear, and my Qi instinctively surged to protect my body, but it wasn't enough to block the pressure.
Zaaap.
Just as I started to struggle for breath, a surge of Qi wrapped around me. It was the Demonic Sword's Lightning Qi.
“Huff…?”
Immediately, I could breathe again, and my heart rate began to calm. She had erected a protective barrier around me.
…But why?
I stared at her, perplexed. The Demonic Sword wasn't the type to show such courtesy to a stranger she'd met only days ago.
Oblivious to my confusion, she continued forward until we stood right before the door.
Creeeaaak-!
The door began to open automatically as the Demonic Sword approached. When it creaked open just a crack, I was shocked by the Demonic Qi that rushed out.
It was vile. The Demonic Qi felt nasty, and the atmosphere inside was even worse. The large room was saturated with Demonic Qi. Rows of people knelt on both sides, and the Demonic Qi radiating from each one was impressive; not a single one looked weak.
As I frowned against the oppressive energy in the air, a heavy voice rang out from the central seat.
“You are late.”
I gulped nervously, feeling the dense killing intent contained within that voice. The Demonic Qi filling the room grew even more turbulent. I struggled to block the energy that threatened to choke me, forcing my stiff neck to lift so I could see the speaker.
A man with purple pupils gazed directly at me.
It was the same face I remembered. I scoffed internally at the sight.
Killing intent poured from his body, and his eyes looked exhausted. He possessed so much Demonic Qi that it warped the space around him. The other Demonic Humans couldn't even lift their heads under the combined pressure of his Combat Qi and presence.
To them, he was a figure of immense importance.
What a retarded appearance you have right now.
But in my eyes, he was worthless filth. A coward who ran away because he couldn't win against anyone.
That bastard was right in front of me.
A thought crossed my mind as I looked at him.
It’s been a while.
In just two days since being sent back to my past life,
You dumb bastard.
I had come face to face with the Black Flame Demon Emperor.