Absolute Regression

Soma asked what kind of relationship we had.

Finally, the concept of relationships existed in his human interactions.

I walked over to him, looking down at the line he had drawn, and picked up a fallen branch next to it, drawing another line.

The line was much shorter than the one where I had promised to spare his life.

“Here.”

“It’s much shorter than I thought.”

“We’ve been through a lot since we left the cult, but I feel like our relationship has been stagnant. The reason we’ve even come this far is because we had a meal and drank together today. It was the first time we ate and drank together.”

“Just because we had a meal and drank? Then what should we do to get this far?”

“A lot of experiences and memories need to be built up and accumulated between us. And to get this far… shouldn’t we at least save each other’s lives?”

“The score isn’t too harsh. You’re just too harsh in accepting others into your heart.”

The Evil Smiling Demon lay down, perhaps unwilling to continue the conversation.

“All is futile. Others remain others.”

I emptied the remaining drink as I stubbornly stared at his turned back.

Soma, it’s not because they don’t know the futility of it all that people behave this way. It’s because it’s a path they must walk. They live enduring their nature.

I leaned back, half reclining, and looked up at the sky.

Soma, who had turned his back, glanced at me and then also looked up. The countless stars covering the night sky shone equally on both the wicked who thought everything was futile and the tenacious who pretended to be good.

After a long silence, gazing at the stars, the Evil Smiling Demon suddenly spoke.

“We will have to fight one day.”

At times like this, I can’t help but feel a pang of pity.

Even under this beautiful starlight, the bloodstorm in his heart showed no signs of stopping.

“Sure, someday.”

* * *

The next day, we didn’t rush.

We had to travel along the predetermined path and wait until Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon returned from finding the Black Kill Master’s hideout.

Since the Heavenly Communication Pavilion possessed the best intelligence network in the Central Plains, if they set their minds to it, they would surely find it out.

On the third night of traveling alone with the Evil Smiling Demon, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique woke me up.

I sensed someone approaching us from all directions. Judging by the stealthy movements, they were assassins.

I slowly got up and drank water from a bamboo container placed next to the campfire.

As I rose, the Evil Smiling Demon spoke while still lying down.

“As expected, you rise like a ghost when enemies approach.”

“You were already awake, Soma.”

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

Come to think of it, the Evil Smiling Demon rarely slept well at night. Most villains I knew could sleep soundly with both legs stretched out, but he was different.

When we woke up and started talking, the approaching assassins stopped moving, but they didn’t retreat either. It seemed they had orders to kill us no matter what.

The Evil Smiling Demon stood up.

“I’ll handle this.”

His voice was slightly elated, perhaps excited at the thought of seeing blood.

“It’s dark, are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“It’s better this way.”

Soma walked slowly into the darkness.

From where he walked, I heard the sound of the Blood Disaster Finger technique being deployed.

*Whiz!*

At the end of that brisk sound, there was the sound of flesh being pierced.

*Thud!*

That marked the beginning of the real fight.

The sounds of the Frantic Demonic Palm and the Blood Disaster Finger being deployed followed one after another.

Hidden weapons flew toward the Evil Smiling Demon’s location from all directions.

Dozens of hidden weapons sliced through the night air.

I could tell the Evil Smiling Demon was still alive by the sounds of the Blood Disaster Finger and the Frantic Demonic Palm techniques being deployed.

The sounds came from the left and then the right. Each time, unmistakable screams followed.

Sitting down, I imagined how Soma was fighting just from the sounds.

Thanks to the New Eye Technique, I could have seen if I wanted to, but I kept my eyes closed and imagined the movements of the Evil Smiling Demon and the assassins just from the sounds.

The assassins were no ordinary fighters either. They were as skilled as the ones who ambushed us in front of the gambling house.

The sound of daggers cutting through the air, hidden weapons flying, bodies moving between trees using light footwork, flesh tearing, and bones being crushed.

The sounds filled the darkness. I kept my eyes closed and continued to imagine based only on the sounds.

I imagined how I would move, how the Evil Smiling Demon would move. If I were the assassins, how I would move.

In the darkness, I flew through the air as well. Sometimes I sided with the Evil Smiling Demon, and sometimes with the assassins. When I sided with the assassins to attack him, I anticipated how he would react.

Even amidst all this, the assassins continued to die.

The darkness, which had always been on the assassins’ side, betrayed them tonight.

Tonight, the darkness was on the side of the Evil Smiling Demon.

*Whiz!*

Instinctively, I turned my head to the side as the Blood Disaster Finger whizzed past my ear.

A scream erupted from where the Blood Disaster Finger landed.

He didn’t have to attack this way. He was testing me. If I hadn’t dodged, my ear would have been cut off. Such a nasty temperament.

Then, a desperate assassin fell in front of me.

“Are you trying to escape to me? Or are you trying to kill me too?”

Perhaps even he didn’t know.

“Die!”

The assassin charged at me.

How could the darkness only be on the side of the Evil Smiling Demon? The true master of this darkness was me.

*Slash!*

The assassin who charged at me fell, his chest cut to the bone. I closed his wide-open eyes.

The screams that had been coming from all directions gradually decreased and soon, silence fell.

A moment later, the Evil Smiling Demon returned to where I was.

I opened my eyes and offered him a drink.

Instead of taking the drink, the Evil Smiling Demon drank deeply from the bamboo container of water. He no longer hesitated to lift his mask to drink something. The heat emanating from him wasn’t just from the smell of blood on his body. He hadn’t had enough blood yet.

“This time, it seemed like they came to commit suicide.”

I corrected Soma’s words.

“It wasn’t suicide. They were murdered.”

“Murdered? By me?”

“No. By their own leader. No matter how big a hundred thousand nyang might be, once they took the commission to kill a Demon Supreme, they had to be prepared for annihilation. If they succeeded in killing you, they’d fall at the hands of our cult. If they failed, they’d fall at your hands. Why do you think they accepted the commission?”

“Were they threatened?”

“I think the opposite. It means that the person behind the Unorthodox Alliance who commissioned this guaranteed them something other than money. They probably promised high positions within the Unorthodox Alliance.”

The Evil Smiling Demon nodded in agreement with my words.

“Is today’s reckless attack because of that?”

“Yes. the Black Kill Master is currently cleaning up his organization. He’s eliminating all the assassins who know his face so that no one can recognize him. He’s discarding the assassins who have earned money for him and remained loyal for a long time. And he will live under a new identity.”

“He’s more of a villain than I am? That’s rather displeasing.”

“With this choice, he has fallen from a villain to a piece of trash.”

“Young Master, you saw through all of this in one glance.”

I felt a bit sorry for him. It’s because I’ve experienced this before that I know; how could I otherwise grasp the background of such an event at once?

“Young Master, when you become the Heavenly Demon later, please spare my life.”

The Evil Smiling Demon said it jokingly, but I knew that this was the moment I should be tense.

He must have thought this in a split second.

If it’s someone like this, shouldn’t I kill him before he becomes the Heavenly Demon?

That’s right, Soma. If I become your enemy, you should kill me first. To prevent that situation, I’m undertaking this journey together.

I spoke with a voice full of conviction.

“Let’s work together to reach the survival line.”

When we called that line the survival line, Soma found it amusing and laughed heartily.

“The smell of blood is overwhelming. Shall we leave now?”

“Isn’t it a better scent than the fragrance of women?”

“Not to me.”

Just as we had packed up to leave the place, Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon arrived. Lee Ahn was shocked by the corpses scattered around but relieved to see me unharmed.

“We have found the Black Kill Master’s hideout thanks to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.”

Cheong Myeon showed us a piece of paper with the location written on it. It wasn’t far from here.

If we had discovered it even a little later than this point, the Black Kill Master would have hidden in the arms of his mysterious Unorthodox Alliance’s backer.

However, given that the assassination had just failed, there was a possibility that he hadn’t left the hideout yet. He wouldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams that we’d uncover his identity and find his hideout so quickly.

“Let’s have a proper light footwork competition this time.”

Without waiting for my response, Soma leaped forward.

“This time, I’m starting first.”

Cheong Myeon was surprised by the sight of him dashing off without hesitation. Normally, the Evil Smiling Demon would leisurely let me go first, but seeing him rush off, even using tricks, surprised him. What would be even more surprising was my composure.

I even exchanged greetings with Lee Ahn.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes. It was incredibly busy. I went here and there. I learned a lot this time.”

She looked at Cheong Myeon and bowed her head to greet him. Cheong Myeon also greeted her politely. I could sense that their relationship was gradually progressing.

“Aren’t you going? It looks like you’re having a light footwork competition.”

“I should go.”

I needed to win again to tease him.

“You two pack up and follow us slowly.”

In a flash, my figure disappeared from that place.

* * *

The Black Kill Master was burning everything in his yard, where no one else was present.

All the secret documents related to his contracts, clothes, and other items. He burned everything related to himself.

All the assassins who knew his face were dead. No, he had killed them all himself.

Now, he could leave with a clear conscience. Abandoning the assassin that everyone pointed fingers at, he would now live a life of dignity in front of others. He would enjoy wealth and fame in broad daylight. Now, it was the beginning of a new life.

As he was about to leave the hideout, he glanced at the wall and was startled.

Someone wearing a white mask was perched on the wall. What startled him was that he didn’t know when the person had arrived.

“Evil Smiling Demon?”

His voice trembled. If it was the Evil Smiling Demon, he was as good as dead.

“No. I am the victor of the duel.”

The person raised the mask over his head and grinned. It was none other than Geom Mugeuk.

The Black Kill Master didn’t understand what nonsense he was spouting, but at least he felt somewhat relieved that his opponent was a young man.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to him.

“You could have just left.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you wanted a fresh start, you didn’t have to go to such lengths. You could have simply entrusted the Black Kill organization to a reliable successor and lived anywhere with your skills. Even without that million nyang, you’ve already made a lot of money, haven’t you?”

When I accurately pinpointed his situation, the Black Kill Master flinched in surprise.

“Why would the assassins be so diligent as to reveal the secrets of their old leader who’s trying to make a fresh start? They’re all too busy trying to survive themselves.”

Geom Mugeuk sensed a hidden murderous intent from the Black Kill Master. He realized that the Black Kill Master was planning to ambush him, but he pretended not to notice and continued talking.

“But you couldn’t do that, could you? Every time you closed your eyes, you probably envisioned your subordinates betraying you. You couldn’t live with that anxiety. Do you know why? Because you’re that kind of person. If it were you, you would have blackmailed or killed your leader to take everything.”

Although the Black Kill Master seemed to be listening calmly, his mind was entirely focused on his sleeve. The hidden poison blade, Wind Wheel, slipped down into his hand, and the moment it did, the Black Kill Master smiled with satisfaction. At this distance, it was a sure kill.

“Are you done with your nonsense?”

“I’m done, but be careful. Losing the duel has made you quite angry.”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

Just as the Black Kill Master was about to launch the Wind Wheel!

Peeing! Puh-uck!

A gust of wind pierced through the Black Kill Master’s shoulder like a flash. It was too fast to dodge.

Immediately after, someone descended from the sky, slamming into the Black Kill Master.

Bang!

A horrific scream burst from the Black Kill Master’s mouth.

“Aaaaargh!”

Standing with his foot on the Black Kill Master’s gaping shoulder was none other than the Evil Smiling Demon.

He took out his frustration on the Black Kill Master instead of Geom Mugeuk. The walls around him were riddled with holes from his Blood Disaster Finger.

“Why are you so fast! Why!”

The pain from his crushed shoulder was so intense that the Black Kill Master could only scream. Overwhelmed by the opponent’s momentum, he couldn’t even think of counterattacking and begged for mercy.

“Ow! It hurts! Please! It hurts! Aaaargh!”

Finally, the cold gaze from the white mask looked down at the Black Kill Master.

“Is it you? The one going around doing more villainous deeds than me?”

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