Absolute Regression

Jin Haryeong’s sword continuously unleashed rapid techniques.

Her dazzling swordsmanship overwhelmed her opponent, who eventually admitted defeat.

“I lost.”

As the sword that had been aimed at the opponent’s neck was withdrawn, Jin Haryeong raised her hand triumphantly to the crowd.

A thunderous cheer erupted.

“Jin Haryeong is the best!”

“Amazing, Jin Haryeong!”

“The winner is Jin Haryeong!”

“The Most Beautiful of Hubei, Jin Haryeong!”

However, the words she had been waiting for were not mixed in today. She scanned the heroes around her, but Geom Yeon was nowhere to be seen.

‘Could he be more seriously injured than I thought?’

She had heard that the young master whom Geom Yeon served was injured during the Eight Rivers Battle. Though she knew this was likely the reason for his absence, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She had hoped he might at least stop by briefly during her match.

‘If the young master is badly hurt, I suppose that’s impossible.’

While feeling regretful and descending from the arena, she found an unexpected person waiting for her.

“Congratulations on your victory.”

It was Jo Sohyeop. Normally, she would have frowned at the sight of him, but today, for some reason, she greeted him gently.

“Thank you.”

“If Miss Jin wins, I shall host a separate celebration in your honor.”

“Your words alone are enough gratitude. Now, I must prepare for my next match.”

Jin Haryeong lightly cupped her fists in salute and left the arena.

Jo Sohyeop sensed that she was treating him more kindly than usual today.

‘Was that guy right?’

He always claimed to understand women well, and it seemed like just one congratulatory word had changed her demeanor.

‘This guy is more useful than he looks.’

But that was just his misconception.

Jin Haryeong had softened because, during a walk with her grandfather yesterday, she had received confirmation that there would be no arranged marriage.

Knowing that, she no longer needed to remain at odds with Jo Sohyeop or endure uncomfortable interactions. Once the Soaring Dragon Tournament was over, she wouldn’t have to see his face again. She planned to join the elite ranks of the Martial Alliance and start a new chapter of her life.

‘My friend, I hope the young master recovers soon.’

That way, she could hear the voice she eagerly awaited amidst the cheering.

* * *

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk was taking his young master somewhere.

“Aaahhhh! It’s too fast!”

Geom Mugeuk was running with Seo Daeryong on his back, using his lightness. Seo Daeryong, clinging to his back, was screaming nonstop. 1

It was too fast, even by lightness standards. The speed at which Geom Mugeuk was running while carrying him was shocking.

Seo Daeryong couldn’t even open his eyes. When he managed to crack them open, everything around him was zooming past, making him dizzy. What on earth was he seeing to run like this? The fear of crashing into a tree or rock at any moment made him feel like he might faint.

The most surprising part was that, despite everything, his body felt completely at ease. Psychologically, he was scared and anxious, but his injured body was shielded by Geom Mugeuk’s energy, keeping him steady even while running.

‘Is this even possible? Running this fast and still protecting me?’

Had he not experienced it firsthand, Seo Daeryong would never have believed it. He had been amazed by Geom Mugeuk many times before, but he was still surprised that there were more things left to astonish him. No, there was yet another surprising thing: Geom Mugeuk didn’t even take a break while running. Just how much internal energy did he have?

‘Maybe this is a dream. Did I faint in the arena and am now dreaming? Gasp! Could I be dead?’

While clinging to Geom Mugeuk’s back and entertaining all kinds of wild thoughts, they eventually reached their destination—a small, remote village far from the Martial Alliance.

“Aaah! Is this paradise?”

Seo Daeryong staggered as he got off Geom Mugeuk’s back, eventually collapsing on the spot. He truly felt like he was going to die from the dizziness. He took a deep breath.

“Ah! I feel alive again. This is indeed paradise. Humans need to be on solid ground.” 2

Seo Daeryong brushed his disheveled hair back and looked around. He was inwardly tense. He had embarked on this path, enduring grueling training, and when Geom Mugeuk said they were heading to paradise, he was brought to this remote village.

“Let’s rest over there for a while.”

There was a bench at the village entrance where a child lay reading a book.

Seo Daeryong felt something strange. After rushing here so quickly, why take a break on such a simple bench? And why here, of all places, where a child was reading a book at the village entrance?

Then something even stranger happened. Geom Mugeuk spoke to the child lying on the bench.

“Kid, go fetch a bottle of the liquor made from bugs.”

The child, who had been reading with his head down, yawned and asked, “Who referred you here?”

From this conversation, Seo Daeryong realized that Geom Mugeuk’s earlier words were some kind of code.

“I come from the Divine Cult.”

When Geom Mugeuk revealed his association with the Demonic Sect, Seo Daeryong was stunned. Since the beginning of this mission, Geom Mugeuk had never once revealed his identity willingly.

In contrast, the child seemed completely unfazed, as if he had no idea what the Divine Cult was.

“Since it’s not an official matter and we’re here on personal business, you can handle it as usual.”

“Alright. Please wait.”

The child disappeared somewhere, and finally, Seo Daeryong asked Geom Mugeuk.

“Where is this place?”

“It’s the entrance to paradise.”

“It doesn’t look like paradise at all.”

“What kind of paradise are you imagining?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Just now, you imagined yourself in a room full of beauties, feasting and drinking, didn’t you?”

Seo Daeryong flinched in surprise.

“No, I didn’t.” 3

His face flushed red as he denied it. It seemed he was actually imagining an even more indulgent version of paradise.

“Hear me, mortals! Most places that look like paradise in this world are actually hell. Hahaha.”

“Oh, esteemed monk, enough of the lectures. Please go inside and call our pavilion master. By the way, where exactly are we?”

“You’ll know once we get there.”

Shortly after, the child returned.

“They asked me to bring you in. Please follow me.”

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong followed the child.

The winding path was filled with an intricate formation. Without knowing the precise location of the exit, one would wander endlessly, only to end up somewhere else.

After passing through the formation, they reached a grand manor.

The sign hanging on it read:

**Geukrakwon (極樂願).**

Rather than using the character for “manor” (園), it used the character for “wish” (願), meaning a wish to be reborn in paradise.

“This really is paradise, isn’t it?”

“Didn’t I tell you we were going to paradise?”

Inside, where they followed the child, stood an elderly woman.

Even at a glance, her aura was extraordinary. Her posture was so upright that the term “old woman” didn’t suit her at all. However, she seemed to have sustained several injuries, with bandages wrapped around her head and arm.

“You said you’re from the Divine Cult?”

“That’s correct.”

“What proof do you have?”

Geom Mugeuk emitted demonic energy. It was enough of a presence to make her believe him.

“Stop it! Why are you spewing such unpleasant energy? Ptooey! Ptooey!”

The old woman took some salt and sprinkled it over herself. She showed no sign of fear towards the Demonic Sect.

“Your cultivation is remarkably deep for your age.”

“Thank you.”

“Why did you reveal your identity?”

“No matter how much I tried to hide it, you would have found out anyway.”

“So, you know enough about me. That makes things easier. What do you want?”

Geom Mugeuk glanced at Seo Daeryong before speaking.

“Please ensure that this friend of mine wins the Soaring Dragon Tournament.”

Seo Daeryong looked at Geom Mugeuk in shock.

“If you ask for me to win, can I really win?”

“Probably?”

“What?”

The old woman limped over to the wide-eyed Seo Daeryong, her leg apparently injured as well.

She extended her hand toward Seo Daeryong.

“Hand!”

She reached out with her left arm, as her right arm was injured.

“Oh, my left arm is injured, you see.”

“So, should this old woman offer her injured arm instead?”

“No, I mean, I was just wondering if we could skip the handshake.”

But the old woman still held out her hand. Reluctantly, Seo Daeryong grabbed her arm.

The old woman suddenly yanked Seo Daeryong’s injured arm upwards.

“Aaagh!”

Despite Seo Daeryong’s screams, the old woman kept twisting his arm this and that way.

“Your arm’s attached well enough.”

“Aaahhhh! I’m going to die!”

“Stop exaggerating!”

“I thought I was going to die from the pain!”

“You’ve got the kind of face that looks like it complains a lot.” 4

Seo Daeryong pouted and glanced at Geom Mugeuk. His expression seemed to ask who this wretched old woman was, but Geom Mugeuk just kept smiling.

“Swing your saber once.”

“I don’t want to.”

The old woman swiftly approached Seo Daeryong again, grabbed his arm, and flailed it around like a rag doll. Her movements were so fast that Seo Daeryong couldn’t react in time.

“Still don’t want to? How about now?”

“Aaahhhh! No, it’s fine! Please let me go! I’ll do it!”

Only then did the old woman release his arm.

Wiping away the tears that had streamed down from the pain, Seo Daeryong drew his saber.

The old woman watched Seo Daeryong’s form for a moment before shaking her head.

“It’s going to be tough. You can’t beat Jin Haryeong like this.”

She was well aware of the current state of the Soaring Dragon Tournament. She knew precisely how skilled the leading contender, Jin Haryeong, was, and by observing Seo Daeryong’s saber techniques, she gauged his abilities.

“That’s why we came to you. Aren’t you the one who makes the impossible possible?”

“Well, it depends on how much money you’re willing to pay. How much can you offer?”

Geom Mugeuk did not haggle.

He handed over five hundred thousand nyang to the old woman.

“Five hundred thousand nyang.”

Seo Daeryong was stunned.

“Wait a minute! You didn’t retrieve that money just to spend it on me, did you?”

“I did.”

“No, you can’t. No way!”

Seo Daeryong had expected Geom Mugeuk to use the money for him when he went to retrieve it, but he never thought he’d spend all of it.

“It’s my money. Why are you saying no?”

“I don’t care. I’m giving up on the path I wanted to take. It was all nonsense anyway. I’m happier as I am. Five hundred thousand nyang?”

Seo Daeryong sent a whisper through sound transmission.

— And that old woman is strange, isn’t she? She looks like a quack pretending to be mysterious. She’s so injured herself—how’s she supposed to heal anyone? Shouldn’t she take care of her own body first… Gah! Did she just eat a bug?!

The old woman, now seated on a rock, was massaging her limbs while chewing on something vigorously.

“Investigator Seo, you can always earn more money, but an opportunity like this won’t come again.”

“I don’t want this. Please don’t spend such a huge amount on me. Even five hundred thousand nyang is too much.”

“It’s money well spent. It’s the cost for a man to become a true martial artist.”

“It’s not five hundred thousand nyang but willpower and courage that a man needs to become a martial artist.”

“Don’t feel burdened. Just focus on your job as an investigator. And if a time ever comes when you need to save our Cult from a crisis, then do so. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s the definition of a burden!”

“Life is hard if you think too much. Just live by following your heart when the time comes. You said you wanted to win, right? I want to make you win. If our intentions align, then that’s all that matters.”

At that moment, the old woman, who had approached without notice, snatched the voucher from Geom Mugeuk’s hand.

“I’ve accepted the fee.”

“No, you can’t!”

Seo Daeryong moved forward to take the voucher back from her, but he hesitated and stopped.

The old woman merely glanced at him, but the sharpness in her gaze made his body freeze.

“This whiner, how many days until your next match?”

“Seven days left.”

“Seven days, huh. Time is tight. Let’s start right away.”

The old woman limped her way into the building.

With only the two of them left, Seo Daeryong quickly asked.

“Who on earth is she? Please tell her to treat her own injuries first!”

“How’s your arm feeling?”

“How is it supposed to feel? Worse… Huh?”

Seo Daeryong moved his injured arm. It moved more easily than when he had first arrived. It turned out that the old woman hadn’t just been flailing his arm around carelessly.

“Oh? It hurts less.”

Then Geom Mugeuk mentioned a surprising name.

“She’s none other than the Insect Doctor.”

Seo Daeryong was stunned. He had heard the name before.

“She’s real?”

“Yes.”

There were legendary rumors circulating in the martial world. They spoke of a divine healer who mastered the use of insects to cure all kinds of ailments and could even revive the dead with their exceptional medical skills.

There were even rumors that she was more skilled than the Demon Doctor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the Divine Healer of the Martial Alliance. Though these claims weren’t proven, one thing was certain: the Insect Doctor, being a master at the peak, had a deeper understanding of martial artists’ bodies than either of the other two.

“But isn’t she known as the ‘money bug’ because of her obsession with money?”

“She’s the only one who can heal you in such a short time.”

“How did you even know about her? Never mind, it’s too expensive.”

“To be precise, not all of that money is being spent on you, so don’t worry about it.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Just then, the door of the building swung open, and the Insect Doctor shouted.

“What are you standing around for? Time is money, money!”

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong hurried inside the building.

As soon as Seo Daeryong stepped inside, he couldn’t help but frown. The room was filled with jars containing various insects, and the walls were lined with all kinds of insect specimens. The stench was so overwhelming that he had to pinch his nose.

Seo Daeryong had no choice but to drink the medicine given to him, not knowing what ingredients were inside.

“What if it’s poison? No, this has to be poison, definitely poison!”

He refused to drink, looking desperate.

“Then you’ll die the most extravagantly, paying the highest price in the world. It would be a death worth noting in the history of the martial world.”

The Insect Doctor washed off the golden wound ointment that had previously been applied and put on a new salve. No doubt, it was a concoction extracted from all sorts of insects.

She then wrapped his arm with a fresh bandage, one that was completely different from the previous methods.

Afterward, she placed him on a heated stone bed.

“Get a good rest.”

Whether it was because of the medicinal effects or the hot bed, Seo Daeryong couldn’t resist the drowsiness that overwhelmed him.

“No, this isn’t right… it’s not… Pavilion Lord, we’ve been deceived…”

With those last words, Seo Daeryong drifted off into a trance-like sleep.

While the treatment continued, Geom Mugeuk wandered into the backyard, where he examined the countless insects that were being bred. Hundreds of containers were stacked around, each filled with various bizarre and creepy insects.

The Insect Doctor came to stand beside Geom Mugeuk, looking at one of the insects in front of them, and said.

“That creature may not look like much, but one bite can kill within half a breath with its venom. I’ve developed a resistance to poisons, so I’m fine, but you’d be at risk.”

Despite the danger, the Insect Doctor opened the box and took out the venomous insect. The poisonous creature flapped its wings quickly, as if ready to escape. Holding the venomous insect right in front of Geom Mugeuk’s face, she asked coldly.

“If you knew about me, you should have had a rough idea of the costs, so why did you pay such a generous price?” 5

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1 : The famous scream from afar that pass you too fast for you to see XDXDXD

2 : “Ground I love you !!! Let’s never separate again !!! *sobbing face*” XDXDXD

3 : *Pat him silently in the back while snickering* Of course we believe you ^^

4 : Hahaha, she have a good eye XDXDXD

5 : Probably a new power up, or the start of recruitment.

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