Regression: Reclaiming the End-Chapter 38: Laws Before

He looked suspicious. "And this doesn’t involve some shady NPC in a trench coat selling relics in a back alley?"

"Noel," I deadpanned. "This isn’t a game."

He snorted. "Feels like one sometimes."

Noel shrugged, still half-skeptical, and then spoke the command aloud.

"Open Market."

A soft chime echoed through the air, followed by the telltale flicker of blue light. A translucent screen bloomed in front of him, hovering just past his fingertips. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned it, lips parting in silent awe.

"Holy sh—okay, yeah. It actually popped up."

He reached out and began scrolling through the floating display.

"Let’s see... Categories: Weapons, Armor, Healing Potions, Rift Provisions, Recording Equipment... Whoa, there’s a lot more than I expected."

I leaned against the wall, watching him explore like a kid seeing the inside of a candy store for the first time.

"You never scrolled past the sword section, did you?"

"I mean—do you blame me?" he said, gesturing to the Weapons tab with a grin. "This place has mythic-tier blades just hanging out in plain sight."

"Yeah, for the low, low price of three million Rift Credits and a piece of your soul."

"Worth it."

I chuckled as he flicked over to the Recording Equipment tab, his eyes narrowing again with genuine curiosity.

"Alright, here it is," he muttered. "Rift-Stabilized Observation Node... yep, just like you said. Records up to one combat instance, comes with memory shard compatibility, anti-tamper locking... whoa. This thing’s basically a black box."

Noel turned to me again, his expression thoughtful now, brow furrowed beneath the soft glow of the system interface. "Wait... how do you even know this stuff?"

He wasn’t asking to doubt me. He was asking because he trusted me—and because the gears in his head were starting to turn.

I flipped the orb once more in my hand, the reflective surface catching a sliver of ceiling light before I gripped it firmly. "Because this tech—these recording orbs, the hidden store categories, the observation-grade filters—they all get revealed by the System after the Tenth Floor is cleared. It becomes part of the default kit for high-tier Guilds and Raid teams."

"But this orb can be given as rewards as well" I added.

Noel blinked, caught somewhere between understanding and realization. "...So you’re telling me it’s not supposed to be available right now?"

I gave him a slight nod. "Not officially. But the Market’s always been there, people just don’t look hard enough."

He leaned back, whistling low. "And of course you do."

"I don’t rely on public announcements," I said. "I act on what I know is coming."

Noel’s eyes lingered on the recording orb again, the weight of it—of everything—slowly sinking in. "So this whole thing... you’re planning to smoke the PK King out before the system even knows he exists."

"Exactly," I replied. "Before the world starts scrambling. Before he starts stacking bodies. I’m not waiting for him to become a legend."

I glanced toward the darkened window, the faint shimmer of the Rift pulsing in the far distance.

"I’m going to end him while he’s still just a shadow."

Noel gave a long breath through his nose, and for once, didn’t have a quip or comeback.

Instead, he nodded slowly, seriously, and whispered, "Then let’s record everything then."

-

Noel closed the system interface with a flick of his fingers, the translucent display dissolving into faint particles of light. He exhaled, stretching his arms behind his head as he leaned back on my couch, eyes still lingering on the spot where the market interface hovered seconds ago.

"I just hope," he muttered, "the government sets up an official market near here soon. Somewhere we can actually sell."

I glanced at him, then leaned back against the wall with my arms crossed.

"They will," I said casually.

Noel turned to look at me.

"There was a system-wide announcement a while back," I continued. "Said something about regional Rift economies stabilizing soon. That includes regulated exchange hubs and licensed buyers popping up near Rift zones. They’re probably laying the groundwork as we speak."

"Seriously?"

I nodded. "The government’s slow, but not blind. Too much money is floating around. Too many unregistered artifacts and stones being sold off-grid. They want control, taxes, structure. The usual."

Noel gave a tired grin. "Guess that means no more sketchy dudes selling potions out of vans."

"Don’t count on it," I smirked. "The vans just get fancier."

He chuckled, then let silence settle between us for a beat.

-

Noel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes narrowing with that same curiosity he always had when the conversation turned toward before.

"So... what was it like?" he asked quietly. "Earth, I mean. Before you regressed. After everything went to hell."

I let out a slow breath, eyes drifting toward the window where the faint red hue of the Crimson Rift bled into the sky like a wound that never closed.

"It was... nice," I said, almost wistfully. "At first."

Noel tilted his head.

"People adapted fast. The world built itself around the Rifts. Cities restructured. Guilds rose. Magic became a commodity, and every major government scrambled to figure out how to profit off the system."

He nodded slowly, as if picturing it in his mind.

"But it wasn’t sustainable," I continued, my voice darkening. "Because then the laws came. Not by Astrals... but by the government itself."

Noel’s brow furrowed. "What laws?"

"The Vassal Protocols came into effect the moment you formed a bond with your Astral Patron. That power wasn’t just yours — it had to be accounted for. The Guilds, backed by the government, enforced strict registration. You had to report, log your contract, and get branded into the system. At first, it made sense. Knowing that no one could act outside the Guild’s will brought a sense of order. But what if someone didn’t register? That’s when it got dangerous. Scanners — those with detection abilities — would track you down. And if they confirmed your unregistered bond, the punishment was swift and absolute. No warnings. Just judgment."

"That sounds like slavery." Noel muttered.

"So why did the PK King exist if that kind of system was in place?" He added

I gave a humorless smile. "He was registered, yeah — but not with any government guild. He belonged to the PK Guild. A rogue syndicate, blacklisted across all official channels. Technically, it counted as a guild... just not the kind you want existing. They weren’t bound by order or law — they were a collective of killers, deserters, and monsters. And the PK King? He wasn’t just a member. He was the one who founded it. The head. The architect of chaos."

"It was. Dressed up in celestial words and divine blessings. People cheered when they were chosen... not realizing they were walking into chains after that." I added

He looked at me then, his expression unreadable. "You were a Vassal too, right?"

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Eventually. I had no choice."

Noel’s voice was low. "And now?"

"Now," I met his gaze, "I have power without the leash. And I’ll do my best to get rid of that system. I won’t let that system place on us again.

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Just nodded, slowly, like he understood more than he let on.