313 - Regression Is Too Much

**Chapter 313 – Battle of the Restorer (32)** Guntar staggered out of the room. Debris filled the air, and polite yet loud shouts echoed through the hallway. "Come out, you savage butcher, Cheonma!!!" "Just call that cursed bastard Cheonma!!!" "Give us back Guntar!!!" Guntar frowned. His trauma was triggered, but to Suin, it appeared more as an intimidating expression. The flying debris and curses intensified. Yet Guntar did not give in. He lifted his head, bared his teeth, and glared. He spoke in a hoarse voice. "... What did you say?" "Cheonma!!!" "I truly am... Guntar. That's not it." "... What?" "It's just... something bad happened. That's why I took a break. Cheonma, what do you mean?" "Huh?" The leading cat Suin's eyes widened. He was the most fervent in throwing trash just moments ago. "Why, why?" As the other aquatic beings nudged the cat with their elbows, he stammered out. "Y-Your speech..." "Your speech?" "Have you returned to normal?" The reason for the water-based cat's shock was simple. Guntar's speech closely resembled the Guntar he remembered. When they last met, Guntar's speech was stiff and indifferent, unlike his usual demeanor. Now, while the details were slightly off, it was similar enough. Slightly different, but perhaps because time had passed. One might think that water-based feline beings are somewhat naive, but they are inherently so. "What?" "Are you really the real Guntar?" "Are you back to your senses?" The cat's voice was loud enough for the entire crowd to hear, and instantly everyone began to move. This was because the water cat was an old friend of Guntar, and he was the one who supported the claim of the Easterners who brought them here. "When I saw it before... his speech was strange..." "It's been a while, Friend." "Do you, do you remember me?" "Of course." If Guntar had suddenly called the cat by Suin's name, he might have been suspicious. However, like before, in the way he always called him 'friend'... it truly seemed like the Guntar of old had returned. -Trrrr. A single tear dropped. Could it truly be... 'It happened.' Of course, this was all the result of Cheonma's efforts. It was thanks to Cheonma instructing the false Guntar on what to do. Cheonma had spent enough time with the real Guntar to know most of his speech patterns and even their relationships. Not because he had asked out of interest first, but because he remembered the chatty Guntar speaking on his own. In other words, Cheonma's own recollections were not too different from Guntar's. As a result, the false Guntar was able to mimic the real Guntar convincingly. "What if it's the real Guntar..." "Hmm..." The suspicious gazes that were once fixed on Guntar now shifted entirely to the Asian man in their midst. The Oriental, who suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention, did not appear particularly nervous... "Really?" It wasn't an expression of bewilderment. Only a hint of excitement and surprise could be seen on his face. "Is there a way for us to verify this? About the memory?" "I-I will ask..." The cat man stepped forward and posed a question to Guntar. Guntar hesitated briefly but managed to answer normally, and after a few more questions, the cat man grinned broadly. "Truly, truly Guntar! His amnesia has clearly improved!" "Really?" "Is it really Guntar?" "Then... why did you call us here? You said you needed help, so we came..." Once again, dissatisfied glances briefly turned toward the Eastern man. "Didn't I say there was a way to heal Guntar?" "..." "And now, it worked! Look at the results! I fulfilled my promise!" "Really, is that true?" "It seems that way..." "Then why did you ask me to bring a rope and an electric shock device?" "I told you, just in case you might need them! It was only a precaution, but fortunately, I didn’t need them!" "Hmm... Really?" However, any lingering doubts soon gave way under the joy of Guntar's return. The water people are a relatively simple race, easily satisfied. Their manner of speaking and their behavior were somewhat peculiar, which was understandable since they gathered for Guntar. Water people inherently admire courageous individuals, and many of them were fond of Guntar, who had made a name for himself in the arena. They came together because they thought Guntar had changed into someone else, and they wanted to fix him. Was Guntar better now? If so, there was no reason to fight, and no reason to be angry. "I told you from the start! Shock therapy with shouting and anger would be effective!" "I-I guess that's what happened." "So, is Guntar back?" "Shall we disperse?" "Let's eat something! Together! I've only heard about Guntar, but this is my first time seeing him in person!" "Hahahaha! Amazing!" The hallway swiftly transformed into a festive atmosphere. The trash scattered across the floor was quickly cleaned up by androids, and instead of curses, only bright smiles and laughter filled the air. "Ha ha ha..." The fake Guntar laughed. It was because he felt like the real Guntar, and because he sensed he had overcome one of his own traumas. Yes, I am the real Guntar. People acknowledged me. Although this momentary joy was likely to morph into a bigger trauma later, for now, Guntar reveled in the joy. '…' Meanwhile, Cheonma himself watched from within, unaware. -Ssss. Jiwanya had just smiled. It wasn't the usual cruel smile he often displayed, nor was it a smirk at a struggling adversary. It was simply a genuine smile born from the joy of victory. Satisfaction. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Cheonma felt a sense of satisfaction. Until now, winning had always been a given for him. Even losing to the Supreme Angel was an extraordinary circumstance. For Cheonma, winning was a prerequisite, and the 'how' of his victory was far more crucial. But now it was different. He had been defeated. He had been forced to retreat several times and had to humble himself to secure victory. He had sacrificed his pride. Yet, he finally triumphed. He had finally managed to alter the future. At least for now, he did not despise the weaklings or the fake Guntar who meddled in everything. The joy he experienced was brilliantly pure. But did Cheonma realize? The fact that the trigger known as 'intense emotions' was inactive this time because he was genuinely happy. As a result, Cheonma's memory was not preserved, leaving one of the regressors utterly confused. And consequently... the regressor made a significant decision. "I’m so glad my madness has been cured! Master Guntar!" – Crack! It felt like a heavy blow to the back, enough to pierce through layers. The essence of Cheonma, still lingering with a smile, swiftly twisted in confusion. He had been intoxicated with a strong sense of achievement, and because control of his body had been handed over to the fake Guntar, he couldn't react. Again. That crazy Asian had just struck Cheonma’s back with full force. Was it intentional? Unknown. It was a movement teetering between jest and sincerity. It was the Maginot Line bestowed upon ‘the rough arena fighters’. His expression was as usual. It seemed as though he hadn’t caused a setback for Cheonma. So... was it just a joke? Due to the simple mischief of that man, now, Cheonma had to lower his pride for the first time, and now, face a setback? Really? A burning rage. A deep murderous intent. Because of that maniac, how dare he, now... Of course, the context was wrong. He hadn't regressed after being hit on the back, but time had regressed after that strike. Cheonma wasn't aware. His consciousness blurred. His awareness was dimmed, yet Cheonma's fury simmered heavily in his chest. That man... would be killed no matter what. *** Despite his rage against the Asian, Cheonma repeated the same behavior afterward. Lowering his pride was not fitting for ‘Cheonma’, but he acknowledged that the situation was extraordinary enough that he couldn’t maintain his dignity. After careful consideration, he realized that if he did it again, everything would unravel. He didn't know how long this power would bind him, but it seemed unlikely to dissipate immediately. Cheonma did not return for three days. He had been wounded by the peculiar people in the hallway, and regression did not occur. Known as one of the strongest players in the arena, he was respected by other beastmen. However, not all problems were resolved. The erratic Oriental man insisted that he must always have another beastman accompany him, in case he went mad again. As a result, Cheonma constantly had to train the fake Guntar. Another issue was the limited ways to regain his strength. Cheonma could only reclaim his power through combat, but he had the challenge of maintaining the façade of Guntar, even in battle. He could cease the act once he regained sufficient strength, but that wouldn't happen immediately. There was a time when he regressed because he fought too much like ‘Cheonma’. But it was fine. Slowly, he seemed to have found a way to adapt to this chaotic situation. He played the role of Guntar accurately, restored his strength, and escaped from the tower. Cheonma saw the solution. The solution to escaping from the tower. "If what you want is nonviolence, I will gladly join you." Of course, Cheonma was under the mistaken belief that this was the angels' intent. Naturally, the fact that he was mistaken wasn't crucial. Intellects like him typically make mistakes. What’s important here is... the fact that Cheonma had grown accustomed to regression. He had come to accept regression more ‘naturally’ and had begun to ponder ways to leverage it. "It seems Cheonma has started gathering information." "I suppose a regressor should gather information, right? It’s not strange." Things were unfolding according to the ‘actual’ regressor’s plans.