307 - Regression Is Too Much

Chapter 307 – The Battle of the Returner (26) Cheonma was clearly different from the usual Guntar. Not just different—he was drastically different. "Is that Guntar?" "When did you come back?" "Why do you look like that?" Previously, Guntar would shun others after a battle. Under the cover of the arena's shadows, he'd quietly return to his quarters. Cheonma, however, was different. He walked as if he didn't care at all whether people noticed him or not, or what they said. Simply put, he disregarded others, and worse, he viewed them as mere insects. (Since it was still early upon his return, words like "You scoundrel" were not yet heard.) How long had he walked like that? When he entered a deserted corridor— "Draw your sword." "...What?" "He told me to draw my sword." Cheonma spoke offhandedly while he walked. He seemed extremely calm, but his ears twitched unnaturally. "An angel's personality was embedded in my body. I agreed with it to take charge 'during the battle,' but now it’s threatening to surface again. A proper threat will keep it at bay." "Ah." Right. You said an angel's personality was embedded in your body. That's why others thought 'Guntar has gone mad.' But I think... Cheonma mentioned that he took control because he felt his life was in danger during the fight with the emperor. Now that we weren’t in battle, the original personality was trying to resurface. Well, it seemed I couldn’t kill Cheonma even if I didn’t cooperate now. I obediently drew my sword and aimed it at his neck. Even if I pierced him now, he'd avoid instant death, and if he endured with the water spirit’s vitality and unleashed his magic, I'd be back to square one. It was better to gather information than to embark on a reckless adventure. -Swish. Indeed, as I pointed my sword, Cheonma's hand, which had been attempting to choke himself, halted. Even though his body had been out of control before, Cheonma appeared entirely unbothered. He continued walking. "You don't seem all that surprised." Cheonma remarked casually. Wait, was I too indifferent? Should I act? No. If I considered the lies I would have to craft, it would be more natural to pretend I knew. Let's hold off for now. "…" "We've arrived." I didn't respond, and Cheonma didn't press me further. As we walked and continued, the scenery became a reminiscent landscape in my mind. It was the living quarters prepared for the combatants in the arena. Ah, that dark and empty place. The same went for the remains of food crumbs scattered on the floor. "The beast species are a blessed race, but they lack the desire to truly become stronger. It’s disgraceful that they sacrifice their lives for momentary pleasures." Cheonma said as he pushed aside the food remnants with his foot. Suddenly, driven by curiosity, I asked him. "I heard you wiped out humanity on a planet." "That's correct." "Why did you do that?" "Because I found them repulsive." His tone was casual, as if discussing today's lunch menu. "Why were they repulsive?" "Because they were weak." "Is being weak a sin?" "I'm not blaming physical weakness. Being born weak isn't a sin. However, not striving to become stronger is. The weak have no right to choose. Even with the advent of space exploration and all sorts of laws, this is a truth that remains unchanged. If you’re alive, you should strive to become strong." "There must have been some among them who trained and sought strength." "If such effort was all they could muster, then they were deserving of death." "…" I've felt it before, but the reason Cheonma speaks to me normally… I suppose it’s because he deems me strong enough. It seems he considers weakness a sin. "Then." Cheonma sat down. He got straight to the point. "Are you a climber of the tower?" "...You know about the tower." "Though I hail from thousands of years ago, my consciousness persists. I observed the shape imprinted in that sword. I know that the tower appeared in my world, and that those fools failed." Cheonma spoke as he looked at my sword. "I failed to conquer that tower... My soul was extracted during the process while the world was under the gods' dominion. They said someone like me disrupted the ‘balance’ and needed to be removed. I never knew I'd survive like this." "...Why did you fail?" "Because I was weak." "…" "I failed because I was weak. That's all there is to it. If I had the chance to climb the tower again, I would succeed." The expression on Cheonma's face as he spoke… I'm not sure why. Whether it’s because he’s a beastman and looks different from humans, or perhaps his emotions are dulled having emerged from thousands of years past. "The owner of this body, Guntar… was initially the one who acquired the sword containing my soul. I taught him various martial arts, and while he wasn’t particularly adept, he gave it his all." "The angels said Guntar died from toxic gas poisoning." "Does that sound believable to you? In an era where interplanetary travel technology has developed, wouldn’t there be measures against gas? Guntar died during his attempt to climb the tower. The current world's perspective is merely that of a 'pre-tower emergence world.'" So, from Cheonma's perspective, his disciple, that fool Bisreum, died climbing the tower. Does this mean Cheonma's soul was extracted and placed into his disciple's body? He must have been treated like a mere plaything, which explains his deep resentment towards the angels. "Now it's your turn." "My turn for what?" "Tell me. What's your connection with the angels? What do you know about me?" "Ah." Of course, you can't side with the angels. The Heavenly Demon despises them. However, if you go too far, the current situation makes no sense. The only way to gather information about the Heavenly Demon is through the angels. You’re in a somewhat awkward position, but you can still extract information from the angels. If you think logically... "I'm being threatened by the angels." "Threatened?" "Yes. They threatened to destroy the 28th floor if I didn’t cooperate." "Hmm." As I've felt before, the Heavenly Demon’s senses are incredibly sharp. You shouldn’t fabricate outright lies. Mixing truth with falsehoods is the key to success. It is true that the angel threatened me. They said if I didn’t stop the Heavenly Demon, all players who reached the 28th floor would perish. They also asked for my assistance. Well, they omitted the part where the Archangel would descend to settle matters. They weren’t lying. "So, the balance on the 28th floor crumbled, so they sent you in. Unexpectedly, your personality still lingered. They said they had no choice but to kill you. You asked for my help, claiming the 28th floor would become hell if you were there." "I see… that’s what happened." Cheonma nodded and suddenly gazed up at the sky. "It seems the archangel who cast me out is absent." "...Suddenly?" "You, a climber, might not know, but an archangel can intervene with me. They're that powerful. Yet, they haven’t appeared despite our talk of the tower and angels. You've given me time. If you were a puppet of the angels, they would have heeded this conversation by now." So, was that talk about the tower a bait to test me? It seems he was also trying to ascertain whether I was deceiving him. "I felt uneasy, but I suppose I can be a bit more at ease. I’ve given them ample time." Apparently, the reason Cheonma seemed restless was due to the archangel. He licked his lips, never taking his eyes off the tip of my sword. "Are you afraid I’ll kill all the climbers?" "...Yes." "I'm planning to escape the tower. So the situation you're worried about won’t occur. Cooperate with me." "...?" This was the first time I'd heard of it. It was a concept I’d never encountered before. Escape the tower? Flee? Does that even make sense? "I can do it. If I can fully regain my strength, I can do it." "...How will you regain your strength?" "Currently, most of my soul is sealed. I'm able to converse with you now because your sword is pointed at me; however, if things become stable, that false persona may resurface at any moment." Cheonma tapped his sword. "That's why, to maintain control and regain the strength of my soul, I must fight. I need to face strong opponents and battle repeatedly to enhance my soul's occupancy rate and simultaneously remove the shackles binding me." Restraints. The word I dreaded surfaced, but I nodded without showing it. "If you cooperate, I won't harm the climbers. However, you must not stop me from killing the angels." "How do I cooperate?" "As I mentioned before. The more I fight, the stronger I become. But openly slaughtering people in the arena is likely to attract unwanted attention. There's also a chance that the archangel could return. Initially, I planned to only eliminate the repugnant... no, just the weak. Since the angels already know, I nearly made a pointless move." He chuckled. His long claws pointed towards me. "Instead. Spar with me. Just enough to not expose our true feelings, while keeping things in check. Keep fighting. In a secluded place where no one can see." At that moment, I had an inkling. "Until I fully regain my strength." This person is truly clever.