Chapter 47
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes It All
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Aqar Quf's Martial Hall.
Usually quiet at the start of the semester since cadets rarely sparred there, today it was buzzing with energy as over a thousand students had gathered.
"Think she'll really show?"
"She straight-up provoked him publicly. No way she backs out now."
"Maybe she's just causing a scene before getting expelled. With that mana crystallization, she can't become a hero anyway."
They'd come out of curiosity about what might happen, but few truly believed Louise would actually step up for the duel.
Not only did overcoming mana crystallization sound utterly ridiculous, but her opponent was Gerwin—someone she couldn't easily touch.
"It's just bait to drag that incident from half a year ago back into the spotlight."
"I heard rumors she's already fled overseas."
"If it's a bust, let's grab some food."
Weekend strollers who'd shown up with light hearts.
Lee Se-hun, watching their reactions from a bench, finished off his half-eaten triangle rice ball and spoke up.
"See? They don't expect much from you."
"Shut up."
Louise snapped back curtly, popping her own triangle rice ball into her mouth. She pressed down her slightly crooked hat and adjusted the sunglasses perched on her nose.
Lee Se-hun stared at her bizarre disguise—which screamed suspicious—with utter disbelief before letting out a deep sigh.
"How do you expect to duel looking like that..."
"Ugh, shut it!"
"Yeah, yeah, got it."
What could he do? If hiding like that eased her mind, fine. Seeing her so tense, he silently sat beside her and tore open a fresh triangle rice ball.
'30 minutes till the duel...'
They should head to the waiting room inside by now, but Louise showed no sign of getting up.
Her first duel after half a year of rehab. Against the man who'd crushed her. With over a thousand spectators watching.
Anyone not nervous at this point would be the real issue.
"Like I said before, you can't let yourself get intimidated, no matter the situation."
But instead of understanding, Lee Se-hun pushed harder.
"Word magic loses power when your self-confidence cracks. If you choke on a simple duel like this, you won't even bring half your real strength to a real fight."
A true word mage is defined by how they fare against stronger foes. It was something the Violent Dog always said before his regression—and the key factor indeed.
No matter how brilliant you were in practice, it meant nothing if you couldn't perform in the heat of battle.
"I know. Quit nagging..."
Grousing, Louise stuffed the last of her rice ball in her mouth and pulled up the mask hanging under her chin.
She chewed for a long while, then bowed her head slightly.
"You said I'd win, right?"
"Of course. No reason you wouldn't."
"...Okay."
No reason to lose. Muttering that into her mask, Louise slowly stood.
"I'm going."
"Alright. I'll head to the waiting room before it starts."
"Don't. You'll break my focus."
With another curt reply, Louise headed into the Martial Hall. Watching her back, Lee Se-hun wore an ambiguous expression.
"Hmm..."
Purely on skill, Louise had no chance of losing this duel.
Her own talent, the Varg he'd crafted for her, and the matchup against her opponent—it was unbeatable.
'The issue is whether she can perform...'
Considering the Violent Dog he knew, she'd be tense now but go berserk once battle started, blood rushing to her head.
But this Louise was no battle-hardened veteran; she was still green.
In this stacked scenario, mistakes were possible.
'Maybe I should encourage her more.'
The Violent Dog would've told him to fuck off, but Louise might secretly appreciate it despite grumbling.
A bit embarrassing, but since he'd decided to reform her, Lee Se-hun stood.
"Fine. I'll do it."
Before regression, she'd chewed him out for empty praise countless times, but sincere words? She'd get it.
The moment he stepped into the Martial Hall—
[Acquired skill 'Awakening Dream (C)']
—a faint, eerie ringing pierced his ears.
So subtle he'd miss it without focus, yet Lee Se-hun felt every sense sharpen.
'What the...?'
His physical stats were bottom-tier even at Babel. Others around had better hearing, yet none reacted.
The disconnect bugged him. Pretending not to hear, he walked naturally.
'Not an ear issue. It's keyed to specific conditions—only those who meet them hear it.'
He wouldn't be this alert normally, but today was Louise's duel.
And Dawn wouldn't want her winning and overcoming trauma.
Deciding to trace the source, he circulated mana to heighten his hearing.
Beee—
Ambient sounds sharpened, but the ringing grew quieter. His eyes narrowed.
'This...'
A possibility flashed. He quelled his mana and activated spirit-link magic.
Shrrrr—
Temporary channels opened in his body. Unsettled mana voids formed—and the ringing surged clearer.
Beeeee—
Infinitely sharper now. Something probed the voids.
He realized the ringing's trigger.
'Mana erosion!'
The green mana remnants rooted in him thrashed in response.
No time for thought—Lee Se-hun bolted toward the source.
'Whatever it is, stop it fast.'
He'd used the erosion device on Louise secretly a few times, purging with Crimson Flame each time.
If his faint remnants reacted this much, hers—longer exposed—would be worse.
Unknown effect, but eliminate the source and check her ASAP.
'This pattern means near the waiting room or arena.'
Louise's waiting room was on the third floor.
Bounding up stairs, he forced mana into the Ink Spider Ring on his limbs, accelerating the erosion.
Beeeeeee—!
The ring now clawed at his ears. Direction locked.
Whoosh!
Grabbing the Black Flame Hammer from Jake via subspace pocket, he swung full-force at a dim warehouse door in the third-floor corridor corner.
BOOM!
The locked door shattered. Inside: neatly stored gear.
Scanning quickly, his eyes fixed on a large cardboard box.
'That's it.'
The ringing's source.
Gripping the hammer to approach—
"You're one persistent dreamer."
A woman's voice from behind. Familiar, yet impossible here—his body froze.
"How long you gonna keep up this childish prank? Embarrassing to even watch."
"..."
"Don't you think it's ridiculous? That junk dagger sent you back in time."
Lee Se-hun replied calmly to the sneering question.
"Maybe."
"No. Impossible. You always stir shit in hopeless spots."
The voice neared; surroundings blurred. Then, a familiar sound.
Shwaaa—
Black waves rolled in afar, sweeping the scene. His regressed young body crumbled before them.
Bloody, broken form. Three slumped backs ahead. The world's end replayed.
"Dreams are like that. Endless while dreaming, fleeting upon waking."
"..."
"Waves incoming. Gonna cling pathetically?"
The voice tickled his ear from behind, gently gripping his hammer handle.
Smash your head before the waves swallow you. Urged by it, he slowly raised his hand.
"One correction."
He addressed the hallucination of his master behind him.
"You never beat around the bush with 'fuck off.'"
Whoosh!
Mana-charged hammer flew forward, shredding the vision.
BOOM!!
Pulped cardboard amid the roar. Ringing gone—everything vanished. Lee Se-hun steadied his breath.
"Hoo..."
Mana-infused ring pulled at his limbs; mana-drained body felt like wet cotton—proof this was real.
Maybe even that was fake, but he cut the thought.
'Whatever. It's real now.'
Confirmed this morning—no need for more doubt. Green mana fully dissolved.
A new, unfamiliar skill acquired.
'This...?'
Unseen even pre-regression. Puzzled, he shook his head, realizing his state.
'Later.'
Body fine, he stowed the crumpled hammer and inspected inside.
Crackle—
Mangled machinery beyond recognition. Reaching to examine—
Whoosh!
It ignited, burning to ash without trace. Evidence gone—frustrating, but his eyes gleamed.
'Dawn bastards, confirmed.'
Special incantment to prevent tracking—Dawn's trick. He'd seen it pre-regression.
'Missed proof, but solid intel on the shadows. Not bad.'
Checked time.
'10 minutes till duel.'
Ringing stimulated trauma in erosion victims to self-harm. Even accelerated, if he endured...
'No... She'll be fine.'
Two weeks of growth—she could hold. Believing that, he dragged his weary body out.
"Hoo..."
In the waiting room, Louise sat staring into the mirror.
Her face calm despite a racing mind. The stability eased her tension.
'I'm good.'
Body primed, mind clear. No reason to lose. Staring at her reflection, she murmured.
"I can do this."
Even if not, a word mage believed it was. Recalling Lee Se-hun's advice, she self-induced.
Beeee—
Faint ear-ringing. Irritating despite volume—she scowled, scanning around.
'That?'
Ceiling speaker. Duel soon—maybe a test glitch.
They'd fix it. Plugging ears, she refocused.
Beeee—
Didn't stop. Grew louder, stomach churning.
"Damn it..."
Can't focus. She bolted up irritably to leave—
"...Huh?"
Ringing vanished.
Silence returned. Bizarre expression at the speaker.
"What the hell...?"
Fixed, yet uneasy.
Shaking it off, she released the doorknob and turned.
"..."
Her bandaged neck stared back.
Never removed for baths or sleep. Now like skin—yet suffocating.
'Healed, but still wrapped?'
No one would believe her healed like this. Hesitating, she decided.
'...Fine.'
Not the old her who couldn't change alone.
Slowly peeling tape, unwinding layers.
Pale skin emerged.
Shhk—
Scar crossing half her neck gleamed in the mirror.
Only seen in exam photos—never fully, just described.
'Fine...'
Healed wound. Harmless.
Repeating that, her body trembled.
"Hah... Hah..."
Breath ragged, chills wracking, vision shaky. Nausea rose, but eyes glued to the scar.
"Hngh... Gah..."
Breath worsening, sweat pouring, headache splitting, guts twisting.
Reflexively, she strangled her neck with the bandage.
"Guhk..."
It dug in, but hands didn't stop. Bandage gone—she lifted her head to the mirror.
"..."
Mussed hair, sweat-soaked face. Neck rebound tighter. Pathetic sight—her resolve wavered.
'I...'
Nothing changed.
Lee Se-hun's mystic word magic, the skyrocketing Varg—none transformed her.
A doubt bloomed.
'Am I really okay?'
Could she beat Gerwin Krueger now?
Alone, maybe. But behind him: Bier Valmut. And her mentor, Professor Charles.
"..."
Tricks in the arena? Or here, secretly?
Doubt and fear gnawed. Arena view warped.
Her gaze drifted to her neck.
Crunch—
Bandage soaked red.
"Guhk..."
Healed wound shouldn't reopen.
Knew it was hallucinated frenzy—yet hands clamped her neck.
Squeeze—
Pressing to staunch, blood seeped through fingers.
All illusion. No blood. But her reflection paled bloodlessly.
'No...'
Couldn't trust sight or senses.
What if real? Ambush reopened it—not hallucination? Couldn't deny.
'Stop the bleeding... Something...'
Spotting towel by mirror, she lunged right hand—
Crack—
Shredded hand; neck half-torn reflected.
"—!!"
Vomit or blood spewed; collapsing, she curled, eyes shut, ears plugged.
'No.'
This was the trauma Lee Se-hun said to overcome.
The hurdle—here now. But she turned away.
'Don't want to fail.'
Unchanged her couldn't surpass it. Failure meant misery again.
'Don't want to disappoint.'
Would he help after failure?
He valued her talent. If worthless?
Thoughts sank into mire, chaining endlessly. Consciousness fading—
BOOM!
Door exploded open, snapping her reverie.