274 - Regression Is Too Much

274 – Proven by the Regressor (14) "I gave the potion to the dragon... "You want to heal it?" "Yes." "Then?" "Let's talk... Find a way. Because this is something I've never done before." "Hmm..." My plan to 'throw the potion' didn't seem appealing to Choi Ji-won, but she agreed that there was no absolute answer. "They say we shouldn't kill... What else can we do? But Junho." "Huh?" "If this also fails... What will you do?" "..." Choi Ji-won didn't add any explanation, but it was clear what she intended to convey. This... Perhaps this is far from the 'correct answer' I was seeking. It's alright not to defeat the dragon; this isn't a fight to save lives, nor a battle for the sake of higher values. I don't want to waste my 'mental strength' any further. "Then, I have to give up." I understood the source of her concern, so I nodded obediently. I had no intention of obsessing over something unfeasible. There were many things to accomplish. That was when Choi Ji-won smiled contentedly and pulled out a small glass bottle from her hand. "Let's try." It was an elixir. ** There wasn't anything particularly special about the idea of throwing the potion directly into its mouth. After all, the dragon was quite foolish; it often opened its mouth to roar and had reached a point where it could be fought and defeated. Investing in the elixir wasn't a significant waste. If there was a setback later, the potion would return. All that was required was watching this one end and then move on. As a regressor, it was all like that, but my only concern was my mental fortitude. Depending on your perspective, it was quite valuable. So, after going through the tiresome process of persuading the players again, convincing the captain, persuading the wizard, and mobilizing the villagers. "Move forward!" We managed to face Bingryong. The power it emanated still sent chills down my spine. How should I describe it? Rather than terrifying... Should I say that I felt an instinctive reluctance? Yes, that was it. I was hesitant. "—!" However, despite the class difference, the dragon devoid of its intelligence and perished was nothing more than a giant monster. A pitiful beast thoughtlessly hunted by humans. I intended to restore your intelligence. "Dodge! Now!" "Yes!" Killing the dragon was difficult due to its tough skin and sharp claws, but throwing the potion into its mouth was much easier. All I had to do was avoid the dragon attempting to bite me while administering the elixir. I tossed the entire glass bottle containing the potion into the dragon's snapping mouth. "Fall back!" "Yes!" Increase the distance for 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds. "... Did it work?" "What is that?" Bingryong's fierce movements eased. A player appeared from the base of the mountain. It seemed as if he had been observing from below and could no longer suppress his curiosity. "…" "…" The dragon's movements halted at certain points. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of its breathing. Its eyes were closed, and the cloud of white powder it emitted began to dissipate. Had its reason returned? Why wasn't it moving? The dragon laid down peacefully on the ground as if it were asleep, maintaining that position until the players who had been waiting in the village arrived. "Is it over?" "What is this?" "It seems so..." -... Just as I was about to explain, I heard something. It was like the sound of a heartbeat or a distant drumbeat. "… Uh huh." You see a large jewel before you. No, it wasn't a jewel. It was a reptilian pupil. The dragon had opened its eyes. 'This place...' The dragon murmured. Just those words felt like they echoed something deep within my heart. It was as if I was standing in front of an enormous speaker. "Did the dragon just say that?" "It... It seems so." Although it didn't speak with a voice, it communicated through some kind of magical wave. The reason the dragon's intellect had returned. The plan had worked. 'No way, this place, ah, ah, uh, no, no...' "What's wrong with it?" However, the dragon's condition was strange. Once it regained consciousness, it raised its claws to clutch its head, staring desperately at the sky. 'No, no, because of me, not until now, ah, ah… aa!!!' "Dragon! Hey!" 'Forgive me, King Seonjo-ryeong, forgive me!!!' Thud! Thud! Boom! The ground shook violently. The dragon slammed its head against the earth. While its reptilian expression was unreadable, its voice was laden with despair, fear, and regret. 'I, I. Because of me, ah.' It continued to speak, but the dragon didn't seem to be listening to us. Or even if it heard us, it ignored us entirely. "As expected." A wizard spoke quietly. "That golden dragon must have consumed something wrong. Losing reason couldn't have been an intended outcome. The strongest dragon consumed by chills, endangering the continent... As a result, the world was drawn into the Tower... It wouldn't be strange to feel guilty." 'Ahhh...' Even after repeatedly bashing its head, no scratches appeared on the dragon's hardy body. Yet, there was a change in its eyes. They became empty, lifeless. 'I'm sorry to everyone.' The dragon said. It seemed almost like it was talking to itself. And then, right after that, its heart ceased to beat. The magical power capable of freezing the world dissipated. Instead of everything freezing over, snow began to fall from the sky. It was a pristine white snow. That was the end. The dragon moved no more. Perhaps, forever. [Impossible Achievement!] [Compensation is being calculated. Please wait a moment.] "…" "…" A cold silence settled over everything. Who could have known? I never expected that once the dragon regained its consciousness, it would refuse to listen and choose to take its own life. And an impossible achievement? It seemed truly unfathomable. Acquiring the potion was one thing, but administering it to a dragon was another story entirely. The whole scenario was utterly incredulous. "Now it's truly over!" Unexpectedly, it was the captain who broke the silence first. "Lift the barrier! Let's check what's outside!" "…" "Well, I failed to ask anything of the dragon! Is that what happened?" "That's correct." The wizard agreed enthusiastically, waving his staff. The transparent barrier gradually vanished. "There it is." Everyone nervously looked towards where the wizard pointed. Right at the edge of where the barrier had been, stood a reasonably large wooden structure. "… Let's go." People moved towards the wooden building in a subdued atmosphere. There was no one inside. "How much?" "Hmm." There were several documents that could shed light on the situation. While the other players were bewildered, not understanding the situation, I picked up one of the scattered papers and read it carefully. "I failed." "…" According to the documents... The plan failed. The apprentice wasn’t as skilled as the master and couldn't seal Bingryong. The document was filled with someone's despair, fear, and anger. 1500 years of a wizard… Ultimately, it was all in vain. He couldn't prevent the catastrophe. "Look!" Only then did the captain exclaim triumphantly. "Your plan failed! We were used by you! You're nothing but trash! You deserve to die! Do you agree?" The captain stabbed at the wizard's chest with his words, venting his fury. However, the wizard completely ignored the captain and looked at me. "Regressor, you were right. I failed." "…" "But I'll admit it. As you said… there might have been a better way. Perhaps by pooling the continent's capabilities… if we pursued healing the dragon. It might not have been destroyed. You're right. My methods weren't the best." The wizard nodded in acknowledgment. He admitted it calmly. His way wasn't the optimal route. "Hey! You fool! You! You should die!" "But I said it from the start. Success and failure have nothing to do with it. I did it for my own satisfaction." Yet, the wizard didn’t seem frustrated in the least. On the contrary, it appeared a different emotion, far from frustration, was emerging. "Artificial life forms lack souls." The wizard spoke slowly. "None of this was contrived. I’m merely a slightly peculiar human." "What are you trying to say!" The wizard's wrinkled face began to change little by little. "My goals were multiple from the start." I narrowed my eyes. "The confession of those who climbed the tower. A struggle to do something meaningful with the last chance given." The jester rose. "And revenge on that damned bastard." It was an expression both eerie and strange, but if I had to define it, it resembled something akin to a 'smile.' "Regressor. I might have deceived you." The wizard looked at me and spoke. "Did I ever mention that a wizard attacked our family? Judging by your expression, it seems I did. The one who invaded was the best among my apprentices. His goal was to destroy my family, take over my body, and start a new life. They said for a body switch, our blood must be connected." "..." "Eventually, I managed to kill him, but the taste was bitter. Indeed, my entire family, including myself, was raised for use by someone. Isn't that incredibly frustrating? Being raised with a purpose set from birth." I heard a strange sound. Was it the noise of air escaping from a balloon? No. It was the sound of laughter. The wizard was smiling. "Yes, you...!" "It was exhilarating." The wizard, laughing amid the gusting wind, patted the back of the 'captain,' who stood frozen, overwhelmed by the atmosphere. "So, I exacted my revenge. I decided to eradicate this cursed lineage from my generation. In the most noble way possible." "Impossible..." "Yes. These people are all my children. They are my lineage. Do you wonder where the genes of these people come from? Do you question where their souls originate? Within this barrier is the last lineage of our clan." The wizard declared. "Failure is bitter. It's painful. Perhaps in the erased timeline, words that suffocate you poured out. Because I'm the sort of person who can't live with defeat. But it's okay. How can one ever achieve half of their success?" "..." "It's hard to trust everything someone like me says, but at the very least, this is sincere. After all, I intended to die. And I'm a terrible person." What happened to the souls offered to the devil? Was the 'mercy' the wizard showed the warrior clan truly mercy? In the spirit world, all he said... Was it true? Just as I've wielded violence to win arguments, I think the wizard also employed violence. "The reason I helped you was simply to see him in despair. That's all." This place... It was a grand tomb, a priest offering his clan to the demon, and the final self-gratification of a wizard. It was the wizard's last step to protect the world and avenge his family. A wizard couldn't simply be labeled a villain. This person... Certainly wasn't a good person. A person cannot be defined with a single word. He had long forgotten that. "So, leave, because you'll meet an untimely death when the time comes. I want to savor this moment." The wizard erupted with light. The captain stared at the wizard with a vacant expression. I could see the villagers approaching from afar. "…" I realized I had no right to interfere any further, so I left silently. I felt I had gone too far in judging someone else's faults.