Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1174. A Secret Visitor (2)

‘It does seem a little too soon...’

However, I expected to receive feedback right away.

I would probably be busy with many things, but I had to do something right way.

The fake Hyun-Sung theory and the mad Hyun-Sung both sounded dangerous.

If I had to give an example, it would be like losing the captain in the middle of the sea.

Naturally, I had no idea who to trust, how to act, or which path I ought to take.

However, the Blue Guild had always been like that.

Whenever Kim Hyun-Sung or I weren’t around, Jo Hye-Jin would take charge, and whenever she wasn’t around, Sun Hee-Young would take charge, but both leaders had such a huge influence, so there were times when they couldn’t manage things properly.

Asking what Kim Hyun-Sung or I would do was an ongoing problem for Jo Hye-Jin, Sun Hee-Young, and all the guild members in this kind of situation.

‘Lee Ki-Young lost his memories.’

Kim Hyun-Sung could be fake, or Lee Ki-Young could be fake... I was sure they had no idea what was going on.

Fortunately, Sun Hee-Young had enough influence and a voice in the matter, so Kim Hyun-Sung would surely accept her words, but it wouldn’t be enough to decide the guild members’ next course of action.

‘I figured they’d follow around like baby birds without their mommy.’

Obviously, what mattered most was whether her words were convincing or not. Even if Sun Hee-Young’s influence in the guild was strong, there would be some hesitation about blindly trusting her.

“Who... are you?” I asked.

I was sure that was the reason why Kim Ye-Ri was standing before me.

‘If it's not going to be Chang-Ryeol, then it will be Park Lian. If it's not them, then it will definitely be her.’

Only those three were capable of moving stealthily enough to slip in unnoticed...

I figured Ye-Ri was probably busy with the northern expedition, so I honestly thought Chang-Ryeol would come here.

Despite being busy, Kim Ye-Ri came all the way here to reveal the truth.

She was sizing me up. I thought her appearance had changed drastically like Sun Hee-Young, but I couldn't really see anything different about her. She probably thought I would be surprised and brought a solution.

It seemed like she had some tricks up her sleeve, like hiding herself or switching her demon form on and off, but Ye-Ri, the kid whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked no different from the way she did before leaving for Rohen.

Perhaps it was just me, but Kim Ye-Ri's gaze seemed to pierce right through me.

‘She’s pretty quick-witted...’

“W-Who are you? You’re...” I paused.

“...”

“I’m going to call someone. If you don’t leave now...” I threatened.

‘No, this isn’t right. This isn’t how the story should go.’

Just then, Kim Ye-Ri’s face was revealed beneath the moonlight.

Despite being an adult, she still looked like a child, so I lowered my guard.

“A child?” I questioned.

My comment was enough to make Kim Ye-Ri mad, but unfortunately, she wasn’t in the position to get mad right now.

“...”

“How did you get in here?” I asked.

‘Why isn’t she saying anything?’

“Did you take a wrong turn?” I asked.

“...”

“Can I ask which familia you’re from? Arhendel? No... I’ve never seen you before...” I said.

“...”

“A survivor of Saint Bell?” I questioned.

Of course, there couldn’t be any civilians in Saint Bell, as the factory was already running, but somehow, it seemed like a plausible setup.

Since I already treated her like a kid, I had to keep treating her that way for now. The idea that Kim Ye-Ri had been hiding in a basement before the Ashen Sunset struck Saint Bell and only came out upon hearing people outside was a good story for her.

‘Right? You think this is good too, right?’

“...”

“...”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded slightly, and I cautiously grabbed her hand.

“Have you been hiding all this time? The adults... t-the other people... are they...” I trailed off. The right thing to do was show that I wanted to comfort her and it wasn’t because her nickname was the Daughter of Blue.

She had a habit of seeing the adults in the Blue Guild as parental figures. Of course, she didn’t show it and acted touchy like a teenage daughter going through puberty, but I knew her true feelings better than anyone.

‘I took care of her pretty well.’

She was quick to overreact to whatever I did, and like a teen dealing with some family drama, she secretly craved love. If she acted like this while she was sane, she would be horrified by her own behavior and smile awkwardly from a distance, but...

‘Why do you look like you’re about to cry? You’re making me feel bad...’

Kim Ye-Ri couldn’t snap at me since I had lost my memories. Perhaps she remembered the time she came to the Blue Guild’s house from the slums, but she suddenly got emotional.

Kim Ye-Ri never really cried in front of people, but she lowered her head and cried.

In my eyes, this was a signal from her asking me to comfort her.

At some point, Kim Ye-Ri became a girl who had lost her parents and friends because of the Ashen Sunset, and I ended up being in a position to comfort her.

‘I should give her a hug.’

“It’s fine,” I said.

“Ugh...”

“Everything will be fine,” I said, comforting her.

“Heuk...” Ye-Ri cried.

“There’s no one here who will hurt you, so don’t worry,” I told her.

“Heuk... heuk...” Kim Ye-Ri sobbed.

“You must’ve been through a lot. I don’t know if my words will comfort you, but you don’t have to worry now,” I said, smiling warmly at her.

“Ah! Are you hungry? Or can you tell me what you need? If I can help you—”

“I’m okay,” Kim Ye-Ri interrupted me.

“It’s fine... no need to feel shy,” I told her.

“...”

“...”

Normally, she’d throw a fit whenever I reached out to pat her head, but now, she was oddly quiet. I knew this was Kim Ye-Ri’s true nature. She was like a cat with hidden claws, but seeing it with my own eyes made me feel even more surprised.

I thought I was hugging her for too long, so I tried to push her away gently, but she held me even tighter, making it difficult to pull away. She was still crying, so I acted confused.

Considering her upbringing, however, it was natural for her to react this way.

It was hard to imagine how heartbreaking all this had to be for her... the person she trusted and followed like her own parents had lost his memories and had even forgotten about her.

Luckily, I heard her mumble, "You can’t be fake...”

‘Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.’

'This warmth is real. A fake can’t imitate this, right?'

“You just can’t be fake...” Kim Ye-Ri repeated.

“Huh? Did you say something?” I asked.

“...”

She pushed me away slightly. After wiping her tears with one hand, she looked at me as if nothing had happened.

I was actually the one feeling anxious at the sight.

Meanwhile, Kim Ye-Ri looked embarrassed by her actions, and she awkwardly tugged her hair before wiping away her tears with one hand.

She had finally returned to her old self.

Just then, she opened her palm, revealing a tiny bead to me.

‘What’s this?’

'Why does she have this?'

‘Isn’t this a Memory Bead fragment?’

Story-wise, this was exactly when a bead fragment was supposed to show up.

It also looked like a Memory Bead fragment, but...

‘You should’ve told me what it looked like, noona.’

It was giving off a subtle, mystical aura while emitting a pulsating light.

The closer I got to it, the faster the pulsating light became.

I had never seen this before, so I was surprised when Kim Ye-Ri suddenly showed it to me. With so many of these fragments scattered everywhere, I was not surprised that Kim Ye-Ri had one, but I never imagined she’d just show it to me like this.

‘Did Ji-Hye noona give her a hint? Or did she just give it to her?’

“What’s this? A gift?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Kim Ye-Ri answered.

‘Maybe she doesn’t think Kim Hyun-Sung is fake. Or maybe she hasn’t reached that conclusion yet.’

It was actually worth questioning, but I assumed the reason she thought that Kim Hyun-Sung found me weird was that I had lost my memories.

That was probably why she just showed me that bead.

‘No way that’s happening.’

It was a strange object, but I naturally extended my hand out toward it like it was mine from the start.

The small bead fragment suddenly erupted into a radiant light that engulfed me. I was kind of surprised because I had never expected this kind of effect to happen, but since Ji-Hye noona was a meticulous individual, I thought it was natural for her to do this.

Rather than being surprised, I accepted it naturally.

“Uh...”

Kim Ye-Ri’s eyes widened at the sight.

Was she trying to sense the change that was happening to me?

‘What do you expect me to remember from this little thing?’

What would I get from a tiny fragment of my memories?

At this point, I had no choice but to wonder what would be a good memory.

Based on the situation, I thought remembering a slightly touching story related to Kim Ye-Ri was good, but I couldn’t let this golden opportunity pass just to make her feel better.

Instead of a small memory I shared with Kim Ye-Ri, I remembered a memory that took place somewhere that was neither our continent nor Rohen.

It was a small memory I came up with on the spot.

I had a memory of someone smiling while lifting Kim Hyun-Sung with one hand.

Our Hyun-Sung was struggling while groaning in pain, but he was being devoured by a pitch-black energy. The laughter of the being shrouded by darkness pervaded the surroundings, and Kim Hyun-Sung was losing consciousness.

‘Hyun-Sung... are you okay?’

Kim Hyun-Sung was bound by the pitch-black energy, and he was hanging in the form of a cross.

The dark being smiled with satisfaction, and then it touched its own face. Its shapeless face transformed, and its body, which resembled a moving shadow, transformed into a familiar one. Chillingly enough, the dark being was mimicking Kim Hyun-Sung.

— What are you going to do...

— Do you really need to know? The only thing you can do is watch from up there...

— You... are you going to do something to Mr. Ki-Young...

‘As expected, you’re worried about me, Hyun-Sung.’

— You bastard!

— Kekeke... Hahahahahaha!

I heard the typical laughter of villains.

It was the memory of a scene I saw through Kim Hyun-Sung’s eyes, thanks to the Regressor Instruction Manual. Despite my situation, the memory I recalled wasn’t about myself but about Kim Hyun-Sung—my best friend.

Kim Ye-Ri clenched her fists and stared at me with eyes full of anticipation.

I had no choice but to say something to her.

Right now, I had no idea who Kim Hyun-Sung was, but there was one thing I was sure of...

“We have to save... Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I said.

“...”

“Hyun-Sung... is in danger," I mumbled with a blank face. Then, I cried and muttered, “Hyun-Sung... is in danger... Someone..."