Regression: Reclaiming the End-Chapter 36: The New Plan

The crimson light dimmed behind us as we crossed the boundary of the Rift.

One step—and we were back under the blazing heat of Davao’s coastal sun. The roar of the wind across the cliffs was nothing compared to the system notification that echoed just moments before.

[World Announcement: The Fifth Floor Boss — The Lich of the Fifth Vein — has been Defeated.]

[Challenger Noel Bora registered as First-Time Clearer.]

[Synchronized Challenger: ???]

Noel stared at the message, stunned. His name—his name—flashed across the world feed in gold.

He barely had time to react before the real-world chaos hit us.

A wall of reporters and media personnel surged past the checkpoint barriers. Drones hovered like insects, cameras flashing. Microphones were shoved toward our faces as a crowd formed within seconds, hungry for answers.

"Was it you who cleared it!?"

"Are you the new rising star of Davao!?"

"Are you Vassaled under the Rift Reaper?! Is this a new Guild alliance!?"

"Was the Rift Reaper present inside with you!?"

I didn’t even flinch. Calmly, I raised a hand—and pointed straight at Noel.

"He did it."

The reporters froze for half a beat. All attention shifted.

And Noel?

"W-Wait, what—?"

His face contorted somewhere between panic and pure disbelief.

I could feel his brain buffering.

"H-Hold on, that’s not—!"

But it was already too late.

The crowd erupted, rushing him with renewed energy. Questions flew like bullets, and the cameras locked on to his expression—bewildered, stunned, incomprehensibly flattered.

I moved aside, letting him take the center stage.

And he looked at me once—eyes wide with understanding.

’So that’s what you’re doing, huh...’

He didn’t say it aloud, but I caught it in his expression.

He got it.

This wasn’t just about making him look good.

This was about painting a new target. A new narrative.

Letting the world turn its attention away from me—even if just for a while.

After the crowd thinned and Noel was dragged into an impromptu interview marathon he couldn’t escape from, I slipped away—back into the shadows, where I worked best.

By the time I returned to my apartment, the sun had dipped past the skyline, and the notifications hadn’t stopped pinging.

Mentions. Tags. Friend requests. DMs.

All of them screaming one thing.

[Possible Sighting]: User "Blank" may have re-entered the Crimson Rift.

[Unconfirmed Report]: Fifth Floor Boss defeated again. Was "Blank" involved?

[Rumor Spreading]: "Blank" allegedly seen near the Davao Rift site.

They were already connecting the dots. Too fast.

I leaned back in my chair, opened the Astral Community interface, and typed in the post I’d prepared days ago—clean, no fluff, just raw tactical information.

@Blank📌 Floor 3 and 4 Tips

— Entry route and safest paths.

— Enemy types and their behavior cycles.

— Key locations for rest and regen.

— Which relics to look for and what to avoid.

— Final phase triggers and how to force transitions.

[Posted publicly to all followers.]

[Pinned.]

-

The Astral Community buzzed like a hive stirred from sleep.

Thread after thread popped up in quick succession—speculation layered on top of rumor, all orbiting one name:

Blank.

The timing alone made the community explode.

[TOPIC: Fifth Floor Cleared Again!?]

Poster: AstralWatch77

So the Lich went down again just this morning. That’s two clears in a row? Not normal. Word is "Blank" was seen near the Rift just hours before it happened.

[RE: Blank Helped a Rookie?]

Poster: VoidSpectre

If this is true, it’s a big deal. Blank’s never partied with anyone. Not once. Who’s the other guy?

[Mod Edit]

Merged threads. Keep it on-topic. No fake screenshots please.

I scrolled through them, eyes flicking past conspiracy posts and theorycrafting threads.

’Let them talk. I didn’t need recognition. Noel needed this win more than I ever would. He’d earned the clear. And I’d made sure he survived it.’

-

Buried beneath the flood of comments and reposts on my latest guide, something made me pause.

A username I hadn’t seen in years. One I’d hoped I’d never have to see again.

@CrownThorns

My eyes narrowed.

He hadn’t posted anything flashy. No threats. No edgy declarations. Just a simple reply to my Floor 4 tip list:

"Nice map. Would’ve helped those poor twins. :)"

I felt it instantly—like bile rising in my throat.

That mocking smile. That signature punctuation. That sick sense of humor wrapped in lowercase cruelty. It was him.

Even through a screen, I could feel the rot behind the words. The same rot I saw in his eyes as he killed Noel in the last timeline. Casual. Amused. Bored of it all.

He was watching.

Not just me—but everything. And now he wanted me to know it. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

I clenched my jaw, hovering over the reply button. My fingers itched to strike back.

But I didn’t.

A knock came at the door. Not sharp and eager like this morning — more like the desperate tapping of a man on the brink of collapse.

I got up and opened it.

Noel stumbled in like a man just released from the jaws of war. His jacket was half-unzipped, his hair a mess, and he looked like he’d just run a full marathon with a crowd of paparazzi nipping at his heels.

"Bro," he panted, stepping inside and immediately collapsing face-first onto my couch. "You set me up."

I raised an eyebrow. "I pointed at the man who killed the Lich."

He groaned dramatically, muffled by the cushions. "You pointed at me like I was the damn second coming! I haven’t even processed what just happened, and suddenly I’ve got six mic booms in my face asking if I’m the next Blank. One dude tried to take a selfie while crying."

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. Loud.

"That’s what you get for landing the final blow."

"Final blow, my ass," he muttered, turning his head just enough to glare at me. "You nullified a death spell like it was a mosquito. I just screamed and swung."

"You looked cool."

"That’s not the point!"

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and tossed it to him. He caught it with a tired grunt.

"They’re not going to stop, you know," I said. "Not after today."

He sighed, cracking the bottle open and downing half of it in one go. "Yeah, yeah. I figured. This... this was a boss floor, after all."

A moment passed. Quiet. Tension unwinding from the room like steam.

Then he looked up at me with a lazy grin. "Still. That was fun."

I nodded. "It was."