Chapter 41
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes Everything 41
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[Air raid warning. Air raid warning. All visitors in the building, please evacuate to the nearest exit. Once again...]
Smoke billowed out through holes in the charred black ceiling and walls. My head, muddled by the clamor of sirens and screams, suddenly sharpened.
"Cough, cough..."
I sat up and looked around. The opulent room and the piggish thugs with their flabby bellies were nowhere to be seen.
They'd probably turned to dust in the explosion.
'That was way too close...'
If I hadn't layered up with armor just in case, I would've vaporized right along with those pigs, not even leaving a bone fragment behind.
I forcibly peeled off my half-melted armor and walked toward the hole in the wall, peering down at the scene below. Black smoke and flames rose from spots all around.
Not just this building—nearby structures had been hit too, and every one of them belonged to those guys.
"I'll never do business with those bastards again..."
They'd offered rare materials on the cheap, so I'd come just this once, but as expected, you shouldn't even associate with shady types like them.
I was cursing them under my breath while gazing outside when I sensed a presence from above. I looked up.
'That's...'
Dull silver hair down to the shoulders, face hidden by a gas mask. She wore a rider suit topped with a black leather jacket—her curves marked her as a woman.
She looked like some cosplaying thug at first glance.
But standing brazenly in midair above the hellish cityscape? Anyone could see she was the culprit behind this carnage.
"...My luck's rotten."
The situation had gone from messy to a total disaster. As I narrowed my eyes, she trudged down through the air toward me.
Invisible mana formed underfoot with each step—no incantation or casting visible. Wordless magic, and the aura was no joke.
'A-rank... no, higher?'
I backed away, clutching my chest in preparation. She slipped through the broken hole into the room and stared at me without a word.
"What're you looking at?"
With that rude remark, she turned and strode deeper into the building.
That was my first encounter with Louise Valente, the terrorist who had assaulted Manhattan in New York—the Violent Dog.
"...What?"
Louise's eyes twisted in displeasure at the greeting.
She looked frail enough that there'd be no reason to fear her based on appearance alone, but for some reason, her gaze and tone radiated clear intimidation.
Lee Se-hun smoothly brushed off her unchanged intensity—both in his past life and now—as he replied.
"What're you looking at."
"..."
Louise felt bewilderment beyond anger at Se-hun's calm stare.
Most people flinched when she snapped like that, but this guy didn't even blink?
'And somehow... he feels familiar...'
To be more precise, it was like he was familiar with her.
Unable to pinpoint the nagging sensation, she eyed him oddly. Se-hun clicked his tongue.
"You only know how to furrow your brow, not apologize, huh."
"What?"
"My arm's killing me... Tch. Whatever."
Se-hun shook his head and walked past her. Watching his back, Louise finally recalled what she'd done.
She'd burst through the door, charged straight into his chest and injured arm. And her first words had been...
"Ah... shit..."
He'd been prickly too, but she'd started the rudeness first.
Irritated, she tousled her hair and chased after Se-hun, who was walking away.
"Hey! Stop a sec! Wait... damn it..."
He didn't even pretend to hear, just kept going—not even that fast, but with the sedative still lingering, she couldn't catch up.
Desperate not to lose him, she reflexively reached out, drawing mana.
"Tch... urk?!"
Pain pierced her right hand and throat; she collapsed to her knees.
"Fucking... hell..."
The hastily summoned mana had aggravated her wound, wiping out the sedative's effects.
Her whole body prickled. Clutching her bandaged throat, Louise spat curses.
'Can't let them see me like this...'
If caught, forget experiments—she might get bedridden for a week.
Imagining that nightmare, she struggled to stand and head back to her room.
"Ah..."
Her legs buckled, pitching her forward.
No time to catch her balance. As the floor rushed up and she squeezed her eyes shut—
Thud—
Se-hun had returned and caught her.
"If it hurts, stay in bed. Why wander around?"
He looked down, genuinely puzzled. Louise scowled.
"You... you..."
It's all your fault nearly escaped her lips, but she held it back.
She'd started it, and she'd been the one to use magic to grab him.
'Damn it...'
She always made the wrong choices, past and present.
As she berated herself inwardly, Se-hun helped her up with his left arm.
"I'll get you to your room, so hold on and walk."
"No need..."
"Want me to call a nurse?"
"..."
Se-hun supported the silent Louise into the room she'd come from—a clean single about 10 pyeong, more like a personal bedroom with bed, desk, and packed bookshelf.
'This worked out better than expected.'
He'd planned to leave an impression and bail, but her collapse got him inside.
Deciding to lay better groundwork, he escorted her to the bed.
"Need anything?"
"No... Just go already..."
Her sharp glare had more edge from the pain. Se-hun replied evenly.
"If I leave and you crash and something happens, it'd be on me. Kinda nagging, so spit it out."
"Just..."
"Say 'go' again, and I'll call the nurse on my way out."
He looked ready to mash the nurse call button.
No malice, but endlessly annoying. Louise glared, then sighed deeply.
"Second drawer from the left on the desk... cough! Black... case."
"There you go."
Se-hun fetched the black case from the drawer. She stared pointedly.
Silent pressure to leave. He met her gaze unflinchingly.
"I'll go when you're stable—no need to tell me. Hurry up."
"First time meeting... and you're this nosy..."
She grumbled hoarsely, opened the case, and pulled out a silver inhaler. She put it to her mouth, pressed the button, and inhaled deeply.
Vrrr—
Green mana glowed softly in her throat, steadying her tremors.
"Hoo..."
She removed it and breathed slowly.
Stabilized instantly from near-seizure state. Se-hun's eyes narrowed.
'That's...'
In his past life, the Violent Dog had said overdoing rehab as a kid worsened her injury, leading to a 'mana incapacity' diagnosis where she couldn't use mana at all.
That's why she'd contracted with those guys and dropped out of Babel.
But Se-hun had one doubt.
'Does mana crystallization worsening during rehab even make sense?'
Ascus, the world's top hospital and undisputed leader in rehab, wouldn't let that slide.
'She thought she messed up from impatience... but that's fishy too.'
If it was worsening, they'd adjust. For it to hit mana incapacity meant something she didn't know was at play.
Ancient history now, so he couldn't know then. But regressed, he knew the true culprit.
"Hoo... I'm stable now. Get out. How long you gonna watch..."
"What're you doing?"
"...What?"
"I said treat it. Why self-harm?"
Louise gaped at his sudden words.
"What nonsense..."
"No awareness at all. You're wrecking your throat more and don't even know... tch tch."
"..."
Her eyes sharpened at his tongue-clicking.
Sorry for the bump, grateful for the help—but that's that, and this is this.
How much could he know to spout off like that?
'What the hell is this guy...'
Pain eased, mind cleared; anger bubbled at this rude stranger's casual nosiness.
"You little..."
[A bond has been established with target 'Louise Valente'.]
[Cadet Lee Se-hun in the ward, please come to the second-floor nurses' station immediately. Cadet Lee Se-hun in the ward...]
The announcement echoed through the ward. Se-hun glanced at the speaker.
"Been away too long. Gotta go."
"...You're Lee Se-hun?"
Her expression chilled further upon hearing the name.
Beyond wariness—hostility. Se-hun calmly pointed at the inhaler.
"Don't wanna get worse? Stop using it. That's..."
"Get. Out."
Her voice rumbled from deep within. Se-hun flinched involuntarily, then eyed her with interest.
'Not as bad as I thought.'
He'd confirmed the culprit and her condition, laid enough groundwork.
With a rough estimate in hand, he turned for the door without protest. Before closing it...
"Remember. If you don't wanna end up mana-incapable."
He left that nagging line and departed.
"Self-harm, mana-incapable... picks the worst crap to say."
It felt less like a warning, more like a curse.
She wanted to chase him down and beat him, but Louise desperately suppressed her rage.
'Forging Department guy... who knows what tricks they'd pull.'
The top student from the declining Forging Department in ages.
With Michael Valmut as acting vice-head, ties to that side were likely.
'Valmut...'
Over half a year ago, but the scene still burned vivid.
Sudden wand explosion mid-spar. Right hand shredded, metal shards digging into her throat. And...
Crunch—
Pierre Valmut sneering at her.
Boiling fury. She gripped the pillow, trying to stifle it, but her powerlessness twisted her guts worse.
"Ugh... kuh..."
Mana churned, pain flared in hand and throat.
Mana reflux symptoms restarting. She reflexively reached for the inhaler—mana stabilizer.
'If you don't wanna end up mana-incapable.'
Se-hun's words echoed.
Hard to heed, yet ignoring felt off. Sweating coldly in conflict, she gripped the mattress instead.
"Fuck... worthless... blacksmith scum..."
Blacksmiths always rubbed her wrong, past and present.
Vowing not to let him off next time, she seared Se-hun's face in memory and spent ages shredding the mattress on her bed.
The sudden alert floating before his eyes. Surprised by the unexpected message, Se-hun stared.
'What? A bond forms from that?'
He'd just tossed some bait, yet it established a bond outright? His eyes narrowed at the unforeseen reaction.
'Bond's good, but... might get annoying.'
It meant he'd imprinted on her somewhat.
Problem: it wasn't purely positive.
If this bred hostility and the bond leveled up without fixing it, it could turn into a past-life hassle.
'Gotta be careful next time.'
As Se-hun pondered how to handle Louise going forward...
"Hm. No major issues, it seems."
Professor Ahn Jeong-wan, reviewing the chart, smiled and continued.
"Clean break on the bone spared muscle and mana circuits. It'll heal in a week."
"A week..."
"I know it sounds long, but bear with it. Speeding treatment ups side effect risks."
"Discharge after a week, then?"
Professor Ahn nodded gently at Se-hun's question.
"For now. But I'd prefer another week post-heal. Can't predict future breaks."
Short: one week. Long: two. Se-hun's mind raced.
'Close the gap with Louise and ease her mana crystallization in that time.'
And deal with that 'mana stabilizer' inhaler—a mana erosion device in disguise. Only then safe after leaving Ascus.
'Need more contact with her, whatever it takes.'
But she'd have her own rehab schedule. As he brainstormed...
"Professor, do you know Cadet Louise Valente?"
"Hm? The one I'm treating... acquaintance?"
Se-hun feigned worry.
"Saw her in the hall earlier—tried casting, clutched her throat, nearly seized."
"..."
"Told me not to tell, but it seems risky..."
"Got it. You can go."
Professor Ahn's face hardened as he dialed someone. Smiling, Se-hun left.
'Perfect.'
Patient Louise Valente, Room 204, Rehab Ward 2.
The moment she received two weeks' strict bed rest.