291 - Regression Is Too Much

**Episode 291 – The Returner's Battle (10)** I had rented out a small café. It was just me and the cat Suin there. (By the way, Choi Jiwon gave up her seat. And for the record, the cat Suin is male.) "Ah... Is that so..." Even after coming all this way, the cat Suin still seemed hesitant. He looked like a traitor on the verge of revealing information he perhaps shouldn't. "It's okay." I smiled gently at him, trying to ease his tension. "Haven't you noticed that Mr. Guntar hasn't been doing well lately? What's the deal with his behavior? He's been indiscriminately killing humans. Isn't that right?" As you can see from other Suins showing kindness towards me, there’s a bit of racial antipathy… but his overt hatred and indiscriminate killing are not normal. I could dislike him, but killing is quite excessive. "Ouch..." Judging by the fact that he’s willing to talk with me, this Suin is not an extreme racist but a very reasonable being with common sense. This means he agrees that Guntar's current state isn't normal. "And about Guntar?" "Oh, isn't the arena name registered as Guntar? The werewolf." "Guntar. Guntar. Oh. Right. That’s the alias he's using." "Do you know his real name?" "... I do, but I can't tell you. Only his family can call him by his real name." "Oh, I see." Then why did you bring it up? I wanted to ask but held back. Perhaps I should mention the person who came to his aid instead? "When we left our home planet, we were given new names. We believe names hold power, so we must keep our real names hidden." The cat Suin spoke with a trembling voice. "However, new names are given based on characteristic traits... so some prefer their new names. Guntar... is one of them." "You mean Guntar was playful?" "Exactly. He was mischievous since he was a child... Why such a clever person would indulge in so much mischief... If I were to tell you about his childhood on our planet..." The trembling in the cat Suin’s voice gradually subsided. Perhaps he relaxed a little as he began sharing stories that weren't even asked for. "He had a love for anything new… new knowledge, new information, new jokes... new friends. He always had a mischievous grin on his face, and he'd make up strange stories..." "Oh, yes." "Some people are like that. Don’t you think the saying about risking your life for a friend is just a metaphor? But Guntar did it… Most smart people are afraid to risk their lives, but Guntar is different..." "Hmm..." "Are you bored with my story?" "No, no. I'm not someone who reacts well..." "Ah... That's quite fortunate... But if I must finish the story I was telling... Guntar might not be the strongest, but he is definitely the bravest and the wisest. A bookworm who delved deep into science, yet he excelled at taking care of his friends..." Oh, no. The tension within the feline man had significantly eased. I had to listen to the cat Suin's tales of the past for another three hours. Most of the stories revolved around Guntar's intelligence and bravery. "Isn't it amazing? Even though we haven't met for a long time, his mischievous smile is always in my heart... I heard Guntar was active in the arena about 1,000 days ago... He left... I could only see him once a year..." "…" "But recently... I met Guntar again after so long..." "…" "It was a brief meeting..." "... No, wait a moment. You met?" "Oh, yes." I cleared my chaotic thoughts. Finally. Finally, we were getting to the heart of the matter. "The encounter was brief, but quite shocking." The cat Suin returned to his very cautious tone. "I greeted him warmly, as usual. We... are close friends." "Impossible." "Yes." Silence reigned for a moment. Then, a shocking revelation emerged. "Guntar... didn't recognize me at all." "I-I don't doubt you, but are you the Guntar I was close with when I was young?" "Yes, indeed. Yet, he asked 'Who are you?' as if I were a stranger..." The cat Suin lowered his head. "Guntar... doesn't hate humans. He isn't someone with species prejudice. His current demeanor... clearly strange. He seemed like a different person... Guntar isn't a murderer..." "Hmm..." "I've heard about a lunatic who's been indiscriminately killing his kind... But Guntar isn't the kind of fool who would blame an entire species for one mistake... Why is such a smart person…?" "Stay strong." As I patted the crying Suin’s back, I got lost in my thoughts. 'He's lost his memory.' What makes me who I am? If you asked philosophers, they'd give different answers, but I cannot overlook "memory." Memory is the parchment that records everything about my being. But if he has lost his memory, it is as if he has become a different person. In Guntar's case… It seems apt to say he lost his memory and went mad simultaneously. If you only listened to the cat Suin, he seemed like a remarkable person, but now it feels a bit disappointing. Of course, it's disappointing, and I need to analyze it. Why did Guntar end up this way? Something feels odd. Strange. There's something I don't understand. "Guntar wouldn't even meet me now... I wasn't even given a chance to talk... What should I do..." "Don't worry. I'll try to figure it out." "... Thank you for your words..." After seeing off the cat Suin, Jiwon sat down. "...What's this fur?" Choi Jiwon brushed the fur off her clothes. I explained to her the story I had with the cat Suin. The true identity of the murderer was a Suin suffering from amnesia. "So, amnesia?" "Yes." "Hmm." "With this information... Isn't there a way to approach him? I'd like to talk with him." "That's what I was thinking." Choi Jiwon slowly opened her mouth. "Do people change that much just because they lost their memory?" "Hmm." "I don't think I'd become a serial killer who kills at random simply because I lost my memory. Isn't that usually the case?" This was exactly how I felt. Can someone suddenly become a psychopath just because they have amnesia? Can they become speciesist? "Is it the Emperor's power? Or Guntar's own ability?" Memory loss alone doesn't quite explain it. There's something else... missing. "Besides, I know a way." "What way?" "A way to get a chance to meet Guntar." "Really?" Choi Jiwon's eyes widened. "But... you mentioned he even ignores advances from close friends... you said he just locks himself away in his room... how can you do that if he refuses to communicate?" "It's not outright refusal, is it?" Guntar doesn't reject 'all communication.' "He only targets 'humans.' Isn't that right?" You can't distinguish humans just by looking at their registered names. Besides, Guntar targets humans in the upper ranks. "Top ranks can only be seen through the screen hanging in the corridor." "Oh, that's right!" "And how many humans haven't been active lately? They've all moved to the next floor." Guntar's targets are just the top-ranking ones, but he never comes out into the corridor, yet somehow, he has lots of information about the upper ranks. Furthermore, I've never heard of anyone pointing out players who have disappeared. At least, he chooses 'humans that exist.' Refusal is a different story. "So what you're saying, Jun-ho..." "It means the arena is cooperating with Guntar." The arena is friendly with Guntar. What's preventing us from meeting Guntar... could also be the arena itself. "So what I mean is we won't be able to meet Guntar just by being stubborn." "While putting pressure on the arena... there must be a way to meet Guntar?" "But." I took 'it' from my chest. "Since I'm a regressor... I have a cheat key." ** The phrase 'the biggest arena in the universe' carries considerable weight. It means this arena is popular, involves a lot of money, and attracts a lot of attention. There's plenty to talk about. "Ouch...!" So, amidst one of the dozens of buildings, amongst countless creatures, seeing a cat and a mermaid weeping so very sorrowfully... wasn't really a big deal. "Everyone!!! For Guntar! We must deliver this medicine!!!" If only the mermaid enthusiast with the traits of 'Curiosity' and 'Strange Presence' hadn't shouted at the top of his lungs. "This medicine!!! It's called the 'Elixir,' an incredibly potent remedy for healing the mind!!! If only we had this medicine!!! Guntar could return to how he was!!!" "Who is Guntar?" "Yeah, that human killer." "What? Guntar must have... changed a lot." Some ignored it. Some mocked it. Some were intrigued. But because the overall pie was so large, even that 'slice' was actually quite significant. "Isn't that a scam?" "No! If he has this, Guntar will surely be better!" "Ouch…" "He's a huge fan of ships. He's just seeking a ship. It can't be a scam." "Is the target this time a killer?" "Isn't that interesting?" "Can't we record this video?" No matter how big... 'the arena' is a place centered around interest. Just by having many people curious... it should already be enough pressure. Guntar, were you a good person to begin with? What if we give him a magic potion?