The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 216

[Ascension Ring]

[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Poor]

A ring personally crafted by 'Ludwig Schubert,' the first to successfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.

It contains the power of the Emperor of Ascension, specifically his spatial-type abilities. And by infusing it with mana, one can utilize that power.

*Allows the use of spatial-type skills by consuming mana

*Enables the use of the skill 'Spatial Manipulation'

*Enables the use of the skill 'Spatial Domination']

Reading the Ascension Ring’s newly updated information message, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow in surprise.

It’s not because of Akasha?

Given the situation, he had assumed that the Seeker’s right arm, which he had stored in his void pocket, had triggered the sudden change. However, it wasn’t mentioned in the information message. Instead, it seemed the use of the Whitespace during the forging process—which displayed his better understanding of spatial magic—had been the main influence.

Even the spells inscribed on it have changed.

Removing the ring from his right ring finger, Se-Hoon examined the inscription Ludwig had engraved along the inside.

Hmm, the original spells were merged into Spatial Manipulation, and a new one, Spatial Domination, was added. Did Ludwig plan this from the start?

Each time Se-Hoon’s understanding of spatial magic deepened, new spells would suddenly be inscribed in the Ascension Ring. With such growth-type equipment, there were usually two main reasons one would forge a piece: to prevent injuries to the user or systematically pass down one’s skills.

I wonder what Ludwig intends with this ring...

Lost in thought, Se-Hoon stared intently at the Ascension Ring, causing Luize, who had been watching from the side, to give him a puzzled look.

“Is something wrong with the ring?”

“Oh, no. It’s just that there are several new functions.”

“So, it's working as it should?”

“For now, yes.”

Having successfully sealed the Seeker's right arm and safely modified Akasha's consciousness, it would be much easier to wield the Seeker’s power of Omniscience than before.

But still, the sight of the encyclopedia, which Se-Hoon was confidently tapping, made Luize frown.

“Ugh... I still don’t like it.”

Even though she was already familiar with the Seeker, whose power had corroded her body long ago, and especially Dawn, she still couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling. Not only had that corrosive mana invaded her throat, but the Seeker had also tried to control Se-Hoon.

No matter how well he sealed it, it just doesn’t feel safe.

Wouldn’t it be better to just get rid of it altogether? Understanding what Luize was feeling through her reaction, which was a mix of cautiousness and disgust, Se-Hoon chucked.

“I have good news for you.”

“What is it?”

Instead of answering, Se-Hoon took her left hand, opened her palm, and placed the Ascension Ring on it.

“This is yours from now on.”

“...?”

“Remember what I told you before? If you want to advance your Incantation Magic, you have to first understand the fundamentals of magic.”

The better Luize understood magic, the stronger her synesthetic mindscape became. And that in turn strengthened the versatility of her Incantation Magic. Therefore, what Luize needed the most right now was a mentor to teach her various types of magic from multiple points of view. To Se-Hoon, the Seeker was the perfect candidate to provide that for her.

“Just ask Akasha about anything as you practice magic. I've made sure it’s securely sealed, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“...”

Luize looked down at the ring resting on her palm with a complicated expression. She wanted to toss it straight into the trash, but she had to admit that Se-Hoon’s reasoning made sense.

If this really gives me access to all of the Seeker's knowledge, it'll probably be a better teacher than most professors at Babel...

Even Luize knew that it was an opportunity other mages would have jumped at, completely ignoring the risks.

Mulling it over, Luize eventually looked at Se-Hoon.

“Don't you also need it, though?”

“I’ve got one inside me.”

Akasha had been forged from the Seeker's right arm only, leaving the corroded mana circuits still within him. With those, he could communicate with the Seeker whenever necessary.

“That’s dangerous, though...”

“It’s fine. I’ve figured out how it works. Besides, I can’t destroy them yet because of Dawn.”

At least until they got rid of the Dream Demon, Se-Hoon needed to maintain the corroded mana circuits in his body.

Falling silent at Se-Hoon’s logical reasoning, Luize stared at Se-Hoon’s face before nodding.

“Alright. I'll give it a try.”

Even though the whole situation made her uneasy, she figured that if she remained cautious, she could use Akasha safely. Resigning, she carefully slipped on the Ascension Ring. But something felt strange.

She looked down at her hand.

“...”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she had slid the ring onto her left ring finger. Blanking out, she quickly swapped it onto her right hand when she recovered a beat later.

Click!

Feeling the ring fitting snugly around her right ring finger, Luize instinctively glanced at Se-Hoon.

“What? Is the ring too big? It should adjust automatically,” Se-Hoon asked upon noticing her glance.

“...No, it’s nothing.”

If Se-Hoon had teased her about putting the ring on her left ring finger, she would have snapped immediately. Sighing with relief, she examined the ring more closely.

“Is it really okay to give me this? You can’t use spatial magic without this, right?”

“That’s true, but... I’ve got a solution for that.”

Taking a glance out the window at the Tower of Heroes, Se-Hoon continued when he focused on Luize again. “Anyway, if you need anything, come find me. Until then, keep practicing. Try to also get a feel for spatial magic while you’re at it.”

“Hmm... Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”

Looking at her, she seemed to be doubtful whether she could learn it since spatial magic was a notoriously difficult field. But Se-Hoon had confidence in her abilities.

After all, it had been her who, when the Emperor of Ascension had died and the Void Space Terminal had been paralyzed, had managed to reactivate it, albeit imperfectly. Regardless, she had been the one who enabled humanity to travel across the world again.

“You should be able to do it, so don’t doubt yourself. That kind of mindset will only hinder your learning.”

“I never doubted myself!” Luize protested, shooting him a grumpy look.

Snickering at her reaction, Se-Hoon stood up.

“Alright, I’m heading out then. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s about time I’m freed from your nagging.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Luize watched him leave the room with a wry smile.

“...”

Once the door closed, Luize quietly looked down at the ring on her right ring finger again.

I remember him wearing it in the news.

Though the design wasn't particularly unusual, some people might still recognize it as the same ring. Falling into thought, she reached out to touch the ring.

“Oh, right.”

“Ahh!”

Just when she had been about to touch it, Se-Hoon suddenly popped his head back into the room, startling Luize.

“There’s something I forgot to say earlier.”

“What is it?!”

Though her tone was razor sharp, Se-Hoon, who had a mischievous grin on his face, wasn’t fazed at all.

“If you want to wear it on your left ring finger, don’t worry about me—”

Bang!

Luize slammed the door in his face. Trembling with shame, she buried her face in the pillow.

“───!!!”

A string of curses was screamed into the pillow as she flailed around—ones no one else should hear.

***

Walking out of the hospital’s main entrance, Se-Hoon recalled the sight of Luize’s face turning bright red with embarrassment and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

“She dares to act up when she can't even handle it...”

Even prior to regressing, the Three Dogs tended to become overly cocky if they received excessive attention. He had learned back then that it was important to put them in their place when they started getting arrogant.

It's entertaining, too.

However, he also acknowledged that if he had pushed her a bit too far, Luize could have thrown the ring at him. Still, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to tease her one more time, at least.

With a smirk, Se-Hoon began crafting a new plan to tease Luize. And it was at that moment when he heard a familiar voice coming from the seemingly empty space in front of him.

“Have you finished your business?”

But despite the unexpected voice, Se-Hoon wasn’t too startled and calmly answered, “Yes, I’m done.”

Swish.

In an instant, the space in front of him peeled away like a shell to reveal a pure white landscape beyond—a scene of emptiness. Gazing at it, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.

Didn’t Wurgen say he was attacked by three of the Ten Evils in a place called the Whitespace?

Perhaps this was the very same space. Pondering the likelihood, he suddenly sensed something behind him. Previously, he had already sensed a vague presence beyond the white landscape, but now that vague presence had become a distinct gaze watching him. Sensing the location, Se-Hoon instinctively turned his head.

“...Chairman?”

Standing where he felt the gaze, Ludwig was watching him with his hands clasped behind his back. But having expected to have met him in the Chairman’s office, not here, Se-Hoon became confused.

Noticing, Ludwig smiled slightly.

“Impressive.”

“Excuse me?”

Startled again, this time by the sudden praise, Se-Hoon looked at him curiously.

“It’s impressive that you’re still here. If it were before, you would have already been transported to my office by now,” Ludwig began calmly.

Before, Se-Hoon had merely been able to perceive the Whitespace, unable to understand what it was just months ago. But now, from how he was standing there, it was clear he had begun to grasp it.

“I’m curious to know how much you’ve understood. Can you explain to me what you think this Whitespace is?”

Although Se-Hoon was a bit taken aback by Ludwig’s sudden question, he quickly reflected on what he had learned while forging Akasha.

“My understanding is that it's a space between spaces... basically like an invisible void.”

“And?” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“And when these voids connect, I believe they form what we now call the Whitespace.”

Simplified, the Whitespace was like an optical illusion where the contents changed depending on whether one viewed it from the front or the side, and the space itself also changed depending on the viewer’s perspective.

Quietly listening, Ludwig nodded with a smile.

“Your assumption is pretty close. The Whitespace is a collection of unseen voids. It's the third type of space I discovered after becoming a Perfect One.”

When Wurgen became the Eternal Nocturne, he discovered the Netherworld, the final destination for the dead. Ludwig, on the other hand, had found a hidden space within space.

It was a common thread between the two.

Did they discover worlds that didn’t previously exist? No, it’s more fundamental than that.

They both had likely undergone a change at a deeper level when they became Perfect Ones. Wondering what the change could be, Se-Hoon was about to fall into thought when Ludwig stopped him.

“Shall we get to the main point now?”

“Oh, yes. That’s fine.” Se-Hoon responded, cutting his musings short.

“The reason I called you here isn’t just to check your progress. I actually want to confirm something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Are you planning something during this summer break?”

The question was more direct than Se-Hoon had expected. But instead of answering immediately, Se-Hoon locked eyes with Ludwig. Rather than an interrogation, it felt like Ludwig just wanted confirmation of what he already knew.

And it was upon figuring that out that Se-Hoon realized right now was a pivotal moment. He had to decide now whether to involve Ludwig in his plans to uproot the Pleasure District and eliminate the Dream Demon.

Just recently, when he first met Wurgen, he had decided against bringing Ludwig into the fold. But after their conversation just now, the possibility had opened up a bit.

Unlike Ludwig, who only discovered the Whitespace after becoming a Perfect One, Se-Hoon had already grasped it, albeit with some guidance. And that alone was enough to distinguish Se-Hoon from an ordinary person in Ludwig's eyes.

Knowing Ludwig’s personality, he wouldn't want to let someone with such potential wander into danger alone.

This is probably his way of asking if I need his help.

So then what kind of answer was the best to give? Contemplating it for a while, Se-Hoon made his decision.

“No, I’m not.”

While Ludwig’s help would certainly be valuable, it wasn’t the right time to involve him yet.

“Are you sure?” Ludwig asked again, smiling warmly at Se-Hoon’s firm response.

“Yes. There’s really nothing for you to worry about, Chairman.”

Se-Hoon’s message was clear: I don’t need your help.

Finding Se-Hoon’s confidence intriguing, Ludwig, who had already guessed such an outcome, became curious about where Se-Hoon’s self-assurance came from.

...I almost got caught up in this again.

Ludwig had long resolved not to get involved in Se-Hoon’s plans voluntarily, yet here he was, feeling a bit too curious about Se-Hoon’s plans.

He shook off the temptation. “If that’s your judgment, I’ll respect it.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your concern, though.”

Though Se-Hoon felt a slight pang of regret, he reassured himself that he didn’t need Ludwig’s help just yet since things were progressing steadily and he was making headway in the Pleasure District.

“But everyone has different standards.”

Se-Hoon looked at Ludwig. His smile had suddenly taken on an ominous edge.

“And I think your sense of danger might be a little bit too lacking.”

“That’s not—”

“So, as the Chairman of Babel and your sponsor, I’m going to give you a simple test.” Ludwig continued, cutting off Se-Hoon before he could finish.

Realizing something was wrong, Se-Hoon hurriedly tried to speak up, but...

“Try to escape from here.”

Whoosh!

...Ludwig disappeared without a trace first.

“Chairman?”

No response came back, and only a white space stretched out before him. Dumbfounded, Se-Hoon stared blankly into the distance.

Has that old man become senile...?

How could he act so condescending, throwing around terms like sponsor, when it was supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship? Feeling a strong urge to plant a fist in Ludwig’s face, he narrowed his eyes.

“Huh.”

Startling him, a voice, tinged with mild surprise, came from behind. But then, upon realizing the voice sounded familiar, Se-Hoon turned his head.

“Are you the rookie?”

There, sprawled out on the floor, was Manuel Ortega, a second-year honor student and regular customer of Se-Hoon before he had regressed.