316 - Regression Is Too Much

Chapter 316 – Confronting the Returnees (35) In a corner of the ballroom, Guntar sat bound to a chair, his head lowered. There were no abrupt movements from him anymore because Cheonma now controlled his body. '... Hmm.' Cheonma contemplated the situation himself. What should he do? Just after the imposter Guntar began convulsing, Cheonma had failed to seize control. That's why Guntar had grabbed Kim Jun-ho's collar, shaking him violently, which was the initial reason the situation spiraled out of control. 'It was too late by the time I took control.' A bewildered Kim Jun-ho had immediately unleashed his magical power, freezing Guntar's body as a result. By the time Cheonma took charge, he couldn't move. If he found himself in a skirmish with other water beings, he’d likely escape or at least provoke a reaction. However, Jun-ho's power was something Cheonma couldn't counter unless he released his own magical force. With his body immobilized, Cheonma had no choice but to accept his restraints obediently. Another misfortune was that Kim Jun-ho's magical power didn't fall under the category of 'wounds.' If he had been injured while subduing Guntar, the magic merely hardened his muscles, preventing any regression. The trigger condition for returning was being harmed by 'someone else.' Now, Cheonma couldn’t return at will. 'Is it worth proceeding further?' Cheonma pondered deeply. The situation had grown extremely complicated. The imposter Guntar had convulsed and was thus detained. If Cheonma acted independently from here, there was a chance he could secure his release. But was it truly efficient to exert so much effort? '... If we started from scratch.' Wouldn't it be more efficient to create a better situation within a more perfectly planned scenario and try again? But that too… didn't suit him. It felt like conceding defeat right then and there. Cheonma detested all those directives, so he continued to worry and fret. "Hah." Meanwhile, Kim Jun-ho sighed, visibly tense. It had been a long while since he'd been this far. He had poured everything into keeping the presence of Choi Ji-won a secret, tirelessly repeating the same things and expressing the same emotions even as the loop continued. Thinking that Cheonma might feel that discomfort, Recording what he had said on paper and memorizing it was fundamental, and he had even rehearsed with Choi Ji-won. Despite this, the level of difficulty was nearly insurmountable, but it seemed he benefited from enhanced intelligence stats thanks to the status window. Now. Now was the first, last, and only chance to kill Cheonma. All his efforts thus far had been to craft this opportunity, this moment. Thanks to his efforts, Cheonma was confident that he would experience regression. He believed that if he were injured, he would return to the past, granting him a second chance. In other words, if he killed Cheonma now and did not regress... Cheonma would truly die. This was the sole opportunity to kill a transcendental powerhouse who seemed immortal no matter what one did. Victory. Victory was within reach. If he just closed his eyes tightly and thrust his sword, the monster called Cheonma would die. Yet, he couldn't revel in his impending triumph. It wasn't over. Not yet. Kim Jun-ho was aware that the current owner of the body wasn't the fake Guntar but Cheonma himself. Though he appeared to act nonchalantly, there was a subtle sharpness that had shifted. The fact that Cheonma could surface now, even outside a combat scenario, indicated he had seized complete control of the body. In other words, Cheonma could unleash his magical powers with little effort. He seemed conscious of the presence of the archangel and refrained from using his powers, but Cheonma could unleash them whenever he wished. And when Cheonma let loose his powers? That would be the end. It wouldn’t matter if he were bound, limbless, or blind. A Cheonma wielding his magical strength was unbeatable. This person was a near-transcendent being, and approaching him even from afar felt like a brush with death. Cheonma releasing his strength was more akin to a natural phenomenon than an enemy. Thus, what Kim Jun-ho had to do was simple but daunting. He had to kill Cheonma while preventing him from unleashing his power. This task was immensely difficult, but not utterly impossible. Kim Jun-ho intended to respect Cheonma from this moment onward. Not by sparing his power in anger, but by ensuring he wouldn't resist when Choi Ji-won plunged the sword. If he failed here, a monster aware of regression would be born. Then, no matter what, there would be no turning back. The act was about to commence. He sincerely hoped the performance would be a success. "Guntar." Kim Jun-ho stepped forward. The slight tremor in his voice wasn’t an act; it was genuine. "No, are you Guntar?" "... I don't know what you're talking about." Guntar—no, Cheonma—responded clearly. "As you know, I've been unwell before. When you... misunderstood me. That's when I hid because I had a mental illness." "Mental illness?" "Yes. Sometimes, my malevolent impulses become uncontrollable." Cheonma had never assumed other personas in his life. He was always Cheonma, no matter where he went, the sovereign wherever he roamed. However, just because he hadn't done it before didn't mean he wasn't adept at it. Geniuses often excel at things the first time they try, and acting was no exception. “…” And to act meant they weren't yet inclined to do anything reckless. Not yet. “Guntar.” “…” “I came here with the suspicion that you might be... Cheonma.” Kim Jun-ho spoke with deliberate caution. "The martial arts you used in the past... are said to resemble the martial arts of Cheonma, who once destroyed a planet." An awkward silence hung in the air. “Guntar, you must be connected to Cheonma. Isn't that right?” “…” Cheonma gave no response. Instead, he was lost in thought. It was likely that Kim Jun-ho was an ascender. The reason was his apparent familiarity with combat, despite lacking natural talent, coupled with his formidable power. (Conversely, he assumed that JW was not an ascender due to her exceptional innate ability.) So, did he gather that information while ascending the tower? Was the target of this floor Cheonma? No, that couldn't be it. Kim Jun-ho's level was too low for such a task. If Cheonma was the designated enemy, he would surely be far stronger. Thus, the fact that the ascender came here... wasn't just a coincidence. “Guntar. JW holds a grudge against Cheonma. I don't like Cheonma either.” “…” “Please, answer honestly.” Kim Jun-ho also deduced that Cheonma was aware of the Transcendent's existence. He believed Cheonma had experimented with self-harm, acquiring the knowledge that unleashing his magical power did not trigger regression. (This was also something Kim Jun-ho had concluded.) In other words, there must be another reason why Cheonma restrains his anger and avoids killing, but since he doesn't know that Kim Jun-ho is responsible for the regression, he must believe that a divine being is granting him the regression. This is because his conclusion was that he recognized the presence of such a being and considered eliminating it. Thus, as Kim Jun-ho anticipated. “Who are you?” If he didn't excessively provoke Cheonma, Cheonma wouldn't resort to violence. He was aware of the possibility of a god watching him from somewhere. That That's why Kim Jun-ho always used honorifics now and only spoke from a distance. It was different from before when he overwhelmed provocations with stronger ones. Of course, under no circumstances should Cheonma use violence. “Why do you only talk?” It was a question directed at Cheonma. Unlike the past, where Kim Jun-ho might have been more confrontational, he was now overly deferential. To Cheonma, this was peculiar, and suspicions always arose from such oddities. “I hope you’re not Cheonma.” “… Why?” “If you are Cheonma, my friend JW will try to kill you.” "If I really am Cheonma, then it would be you who’d die, wouldn’t it?" “That doesn’t matter to someone obsessed with vengeance. It's human nature to attack an undefeatable absolute being.” “… Hmm.” An undefeatable absolute being. Wasn't that a wonderfully fitting phrase? “So, just say it. You… aren’t Cheonma.” Now that he looked at it, Kim Jun-ho seemed eager to let Cheonma go. He felt he would be overpowered if they fought. Indeed, he seemed to understand his place. “Move aside!” “Hey, hey! Stop!” At that moment, a commotion arose behind him. Some of the spectators stumbled, and JW, biting her lip tightly, rushed forward. “Hey, I said stop!” “That woman is too strong!” “It was an unavoidable action!” Breathing heavily, JW spoke softly. “… Are you Cheonma?” “Wait a moment, wait!” “Just say it.” The woman, JW, advanced, holding a knife in her hand. It was clearly a lethal move, yet Cheonma could sense hesitation at the edge of the blade. “Just say it! You’re not Cheonma!” Cheonma felt uneasy. Should he admit it? If he simply said, "I'm not Cheonma," he could let it go. However, there was a significant difference between the fake Guntar speaking and Cheonma declaring it himself. A substantial difference. He had lived his entire life as Cheonma. Initially, he had a simple name, but he abandoned it long ago. His titles ranged from Madman to Toogwi, and finally to Cheonma. Cheonma. The Demon of the Sky. He had always loved this title. It affirmed that he was distinct from weak humans and reinforced his essence of always prevailing. Cheonma was always confident. He took pride in himself. He was Cheonma wherever he went. He could easily say he wasn't Cheonma. But. But to deny his very identity with his own lips. “Who am I?” It was impossible for a ruler who once dominated the universe. “I am Cheonma.” As soon as he finished speaking, JW charged. Her black ponytail whipped through the air, and her sword shot towards Cheonma’s neck. Cheonma did not move. The moment was upon them. Yet, Cheonma remained still. The thick fur on his neck was cut away. Cheonma… stayed silent. Finally, the sword and Cheonma’s skin met. Even now, as the blade pierced his skin, if he unleashed his magical power, Cheonma could win. He was Cheonma, the one with power, the one who always triumphed. The Demon of the Sky. No one was above him, and the world lay beneath his feet. Even now. Even now, 0.1 seconds before meeting his end, if Cheonma wished to fight, he could obliterate everyone here in an instant. Yet, Cheonma did not do that. He did not resist and calmly accepted death. This was largely because he had been ensnared in Kim Jun-ho's orchestrated plan of an 'honorable return,' but more so because he had calmed his mind. 'After I return... I must keep away from Kim Jun-ho. I'll kill him when the opportunity arises.' There were many reasons. Firstly, to show the Transcendent that he had changed. Another reason was that even if he slaughtered everyone here and now, it would merely be a transient outburst. Drones had recorded the entire scene, and his identity as Cheonma had been revealed. However, all these were just secondary reasons. More crucially, he believed there would be another time even after his death. He thought time would rewind, and he simply needed not to repeat his minor mistakes the next time. Cheonma chose to restart the entire process rather than deny his own identity. Returning... transformed Cheonma. Had Cheonma lived a life full of struggle, he would never have made such a mistake. Walking the razor's edge, he couldn't tolerate even the slightest error. He was Cheonma, and everyone was out for his head. Cheonma, who was like that. Cheonma, who watched over all living beings. At one point, he came to believe that 'death' was not the 'end.' That was a mistake. That was Cheonma's mistake. The sharp blade cleaved through flesh, and for a moment, reached Cheonma's spine. However, the sword, imbued with magical power, did not stop there and swiftly severed his head from his body. 'What?' As the blade sunk more than halfway through his neck, Cheonma felt an unease. Usually, by this point, he should feel the characteristic sensation of losing consciousness, but all he felt was immense pain, with no signs of regression. 'Impossible.' It seemed improbable, but what if the regression didn't activate this time? Then... In fact, all the regressions Cheonma had experienced until now were... -It was critical. Too late. -Thud. His head slumped to the floor. The wolf's face was contorted as if deep in contemplation. And so, Cheonma finally perished. What a waste.