Chapter 440: Regret (Regret)

Grinding.

Kuaaaaaah-!

The sun had set and the moon had revealed itself. In the pitch-darkness where not a single lamp was lit, harsh screams echoed.

Crunch-!

It was the sound of a leg breaking.

One demon rolled on the floor and collapsed.

He grabbed his leg and screamed. It was clearly not a normal situation.

There was a figure watching this situation, with the moonlight behind their back.

“…”

On top of a tall building, Mook-kwon (Silent Fist) had positioned himself and was watching the unfolding situation.

Below, demons were fighting roughly.

It wasn’t particularly surprising. Those with low cultivation or who hadn’t been demons for long often fought because they couldn’t control their madness.

Even if that wasn’t the case, most of those who became demons were from unorthodox paths or didn’t have good pasts.

They often fought like that, unable to control their inherent anger.

Most of them died doing so, though.

Since the Leader didn’t care anyway, it wasn’t a big problem.

However.

-Kuaaaah…!! Stoooop!

-Stop what, you bastard?

The current situation was a bit strange.

Mook-kwon observed the situation with calm eyes.

‘Hmm.’

He confirmed the demons screaming on the floor.

‘Looks like the guys from the Ghost Blade Squad.’

He heard they brought over guys from the Sword Demon’s side to guard the perimeter and handle odd jobs. He’d heard rumors that the demons from that side were particularly ill-behaved. They’re already acting like this on the first day.

If they were demons belonging to the Black Flame Brigade in the first place, they wouldn’t have done such troublesome things.

‘Even out of fear of the Leader.’

Unless they wanted to die burning slowly from their toes up, they wouldn’t have done such unnecessary actions.

Mook-kwon frowned as he watched the situation.

Normally, he would have intervened appropriately and stopped the situation.

‘…That.’

What should I call that?

Mook-kwon was momentarily speechless as he looked at the scene unfolding.

Even if they were just low-ranking members, they were at a cultivation level beyond the peak. They must have been drafted into the Black Flame Brigade because they were considered promising talents who had surpassed the peak.

And those guys….

‘He’s treating them like toys.’

The newcomer who arrived today was casually crushing all three of them.

“You son of a bitch! Do you know who I am!?”

“Kuaaak!”

“…”

Although it looked like a petty fight mixed with various emotions, the movements occasionally displayed were astonishing.

‘He’s controlling his demonic energy perfectly.’

The newcomer brought by the Unit Leader possessed far greater power than Mook-kwon had anticipated.

‘…I think I understand why the Leader told me to watch.’

He vaguely understood why his Leader had given the order to observe the newcomer. She must have seen through this kind of display. The Leader certainly would have.

If there was one slight doubt amidst this.

“Run? Run now? Aren’t you coming here? You’ll die if you get caught, seriously.”

“Hiiik!”

“You made eye contact, didn’t you. Come here.”

“P…Please spare me!”

“…”

It was that the newcomer somehow felt familiar.

“Krrr….”

One guy, unable to bear the pain, foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness.

As it felt like they might actually die like this, Mook-kwon slowly formed the intention to intervene.

‘My prediction was the opposite, but it probably doesn’t matter now.’

Just as Mook-kwon was about to intervene to stop the violence.

“…What are you doing…?”

A voice calling Mook-kwon came from behind.

Immediately, Mook-kwon knelt on one knee. There was only one person here who could speak like that with a presence he couldn’t sense.

Without looking, Mook-kwon spoke to the owner of the voice.

“…I greet the Unit Leader.”

Thump.

As he bowed his head deeply and showed respect, light footsteps were heard beside Mook-kwon.

The spot illuminated by the moon.

Ma-geom-hu, who had approached, stood there and looked down.

Two were crawling on the floor, and one was being held by the young man and beaten like a rat.

“…”

Ma-geom-hu watched the scene silently. Specifically, only one young man.

“…Mook-kwon…”

“Yes, Unit Leader.”

Mook-kwon answered Ma-geom-hu’s call. He still hadn’t lifted his head. Mook-kwon knew. That she disliked making eye contact with anyone other than the Leader.

“…You….”

“Yes.”

“…”

Mook-kwon waited silently for what Ma-geom-hu would say next, but no further question came. Just as Mook-kwon was about to lift his head slightly, wondering what was going on.

“…No. It’s nothing…”

Ma-geom-hu uttered those words and disappeared again. Mook-kwon was somewhat flustered by the strange situation, but… He didn’t show it.

“Huh? Hey. Snap out of it. Breathe, breathe! Breathe… Ah, damn it.”

Mook-kwon straightened up at the voice from below. Oops, it seemed something happened during his moment of hesitation. Mook-kwon hurriedly went down.

Ma-geom-hu stood there and silently recalled last night’s events.

Around the time she was wandering lost. Ma-geom-hu had her senses fully extended. She didn’t trust others in the first place. Even if the Cult Leader was mentioned, Ma-geom-hu didn’t trust humans. Especially young men of that age. Ma-geom-hu’s senses could cover the entire vast forest if she wished. It meant she didn’t miss even the smallest sounds.

Therefore.

-You still like the moon.

She must have heard the voice of the young man who spoke to her as she blinked, looking at the full moon.

‘…’

Ma-geom-hu slowly walked, remembering the voice from back then. Although the sadness, longing, and inexplicable pity contained in the voice bothered her a little. More than that now.

‘I have to go see him.’

It was more important for Ma-geom-hu to go see the Leader.

---

A day passed, and it became daytime. Perhaps thanks to the fight filled with romance and friendship(?) last night, my quarters were quiet, so I could sleep comfortably. Was it because I almost killed one guy in the middle of it? The way the demons looked at me was unusual.

‘It might have been a little dangerous if Mook-kwon hadn’t intervened.’

My irritation built up over several days exploded, and I misjudged the control. I put a little more force into beating him, and he lost his mind. Even if he wakes up, he won’t be able to walk for a while.

‘What can I do about it.’

That was really all my sentiment was. I’ve really calmed down a lot. Normally, I would have had to rip something out right there to feel satisfied.

‘It probably wouldn’t have mattered if I killed them….’

I suppose so. It was something I realized while beating those guys yesterday. It seemed those guys weren’t part of the Black Flame Brigade. Judging by the feel, they seemed like the Sword Demon’s subordinates. You can tell if you beat them. These bastards were clearly swordsmen, but their fingertips were brimming with killing intent.

‘Those guys were always like that.’

Perhaps because the Leader was a lunatic obsessed with slaughter and madness, most of his subordinates felt the same way. There’s a reason I beat the Sword Demon guys like I’m catching rats.

‘Honestly, I just beat them because I didn’t like them…’

This is just a passing memory from the past, so let’s move on…

I rolled my eyes and looked around. They were all gathered in the main hall where I came last night, but the demons standing in a perfect line showed no movement. It was because they were filled with extreme tension.

‘Why are they so scared?’

I just looked at it with a puzzled expression. Then, I suddenly looked at the clothes I was wearing and let out a deep sigh.

‘…To think I’d have to wear this again.’

The black martial uniform called the cult uniform of the Demonic Cult. It was a martial uniform bearing the symbol of belonging to the Black Flame Brigade. To think the day would come when I’d wear this damn thing again.

‘I can only sigh.’

Every time I woke up, I hoped maybe I had returned to the original timeline. If this situation had persisted for three days, I had to start giving up. It was like this back when I regressed too. It took about three days for me to accept reality.

Damn it.

‘…If I want to go back, I ultimately have to do something.’

My priority would then be to realize that ‘something.’ Nothing significant came to mind yet.

‘I need to find an opportunity to gather information.’

It was sad that I had to roll around here too, but there was no helping it. If things had already turned out this way, experiencing it and finding another way would be the faster course of action.

Screeeech.

I stiffened at the sound of the door.

Boom.

As the door opened, a heavy presence instantly filled the main hall. It felt like I would collapse if I relaxed my tension.

‘Ah… is that why?’

Feeling that, I understood why the guys inside were reacting that way. If they didn’t do this, they would lose consciousness, which is why they were so tense.

‘That crazy bastard.’

I couldn’t help but curse at the owner of the presence. That damn bastard probably doesn’t even know he’s spreading this kind of aura around. Idiot bastard, if you have so much demonic energy, at least try to control it.

Thump.

Heavy footsteps echoed within the hall. At the same time, my past self appeared. Fluttering a dark robe, he scanned the hall with purple eyes. Watching that sent a shiver down my spine. I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.

‘Rather than dying with my vessel broken… I think I’d die of embarrassment faster.’

No matter how I looked at it, this was the truth. He’s striking every cool pose imaginable. Seriously, why is he like that?

Following behind him were six people, including Ma-geom-hu and Mook-kwon. They were the elite of the Black Flame Brigade.

Thump, thump-!

As soon as he appeared, they all knelt down in a row. Not wanting to miss out, I knelt down for now too.

“We greet the Leader!”

The voice echoed resoundingly in the wide, high room. Despite the loud shouts, Ma-je continued walking silently.

Meanwhile.

‘Why is that bastard looking at me.’

I could see Ma-je’s gaze briefly flick towards me. In this era, I only look at people like that in two cases. Either they’re someone who bothers me. Or they’re someone I’m going to kill soon. It was one of these two… but the way I see him looking at me…

‘Both.’

Someone who bothers me and someone I need to kill. It was obvious without even looking. It seems I’ve been targeted. I tried my best to ignore his gaze and buried my head towards the ground.

Click.

Ma-je, taking his gaze off me, went up to the throne and sat down with a thud.

“…A report has come in.”

And what came next was straight to the point. He’s really impatient.

“Cheon-jon, that senile old man is apparently lingering around the vicinity.”

Cheon-jon is near the Sichuan lands. The demons’ demeanor shifted at the sudden statement. This meant that the confrontation, which had been tenuously maintained during the past period, could once again escalate into war. As I listened, my mind raced.

‘Cheon-jon is in the Sichuan lands.’

It was something I heard directly from Ma-geom-hu last time. If I recall when Ma-geom-hu reported this to me…

‘Oh… could it be.’

My eyes widened at the thought that occurred to me. I know about Cheon-jon wandering the Sichuan lands. The reason he specifically appeared here. It was to deliberately display his presence and draw the attention of the demons, ignoring Cheon-ma’s words forbidding the intervention of the Three Venerables.

‘It was around this time.’

As I pieced the situation together, I realized. I finally seemed to know what time period it was. I thought, sending a glance towards Ma-je. The reason Cheon-jon is drawing attention is none other than…

‘…to send that old geezer.’

Cheon-jon’s goal was to make all attention focus on him. And the ultimate objective was to send someone through that opening. The identity of that old geezer here is…

‘Pae-jon (Defeated Venerable).’

It’s Pae-jon. It was a plan to send Pae-jon to the Sichuan lands. This means that right now, it’s just before Pae-jon appears in Sichuan and causes chaos. According to my memory, Pae-jon launched a surprise attack seven days after the report was received.

‘Damn it.’

Why did it have to be then? I couldn’t help but glare, hiding my throbbing head. Is Pae-jon appearing the problem? No. The reason I’m thinking hard about this is something else. I bit my lip, sending a glance towards Ma-je.

‘You already knew, didn’t you.’

I knew Cheon-jon was around here even before Ma-geom-hu reported it to me. Furthermore, I knew Pae-jon would appear. Yet, that stupid bastard is pretending not to know. If my prediction is correct, he’ll say this now.

“I know.”

‘…An order has come down from the main sect.’

“An order has come down from the main sect.”

I shut my eyes tightly at the words, not a single syllable off. “It says we must show our intent to Cheon-jon, who ignored the Cult Leader’s words.” Putting on an indifferent expression, he looked at the demons with his purple eyes. Crushed by that gaze, the demons trembled and swallowed their saliva.

“From now on, we…”

Whether he knew it or not, that damn bastard just kept spitting out his own story.

“Begin the hunt for the old hag.”

“Yes-!”

The demons shouted in response to the Leader’s words. In the midst of it, I had to bite my lip with a frown. As expected. No matter how much I think about it, the conclusion is one. Struggling against memories I cannot escape. In that sense, this world was truly hell for me.