The 163,417,413th Soulslike Hero 69

Chapter 69 – Who Killed Park Jeong-yong

‘Ugh… the residual sentiment is too far away.’

As soon as I regained sentiment, I activated Izanami’s heart.

The direction is towards the plains heading from Kern to the capital. However, the lantern’s light is too weak, and there’s no pulse. This means the distance is quite far.

Based on my experience so far, I estimate it will take half a day just to recover.

‘… Did I rush towards the capital? Or did I die after a long time?’

At least if the reason for my death was an unexpected threat in Kern, the possibility of dying after a long time is low.

As I was lost in thought, the Demon King slowly approached and grabbed my collar.

“Hey hero. Another regression has occurred, right? What happened?”

I looked at the Demon King. Her face showed she didn’t understand why she had returned to Kern again.

Right. Come to think of it, she was here. I finally remembered Lucy and asked her.

“Hey Lucy.”

“What?”

“How many days did you survive in the previous life?”

“One day. I went to sleep and woke up to find myself back here.”

“Wh-what, just one day…?”

The conclusion was clear.

I had indeed died while hastily trying to escape Kern.

“Well, I understand. I’m thinking, so just play by yourself for a moment.”

“What the hell… Hmm. Anyway! What happened this time! I was sleeping and didn’t know what was happening!”

“Are you making fun of me?”

Right now, that’s the most curious thing in the world to me.

As always, I stretched out the Demon King’s cheek, and while staring at her face, I suddenly remembered something and quickly asked,

“Come to think of it, you know. Where was the last place I went in my previous life?”

“Ah! It hurts! Stop it, you’re pulling!”

“What are you saying?”

“It hurts! Stop pulling!!”

Oops. I was still holding her cheek while asking. It was so natural, like breathing, that I didn’t even realize I was still holding on.

I let go of Lucy’s cheek, and she rubbed her reddened cheek and spoke curtly,

“Even if you ask where, it was just the middle of the plains. How would I know the exact location!”

“Hmm… Do you remember how long you walked?”

“Of course. I walked all day and fell asleep like I was fainting!”

“A-all day…?”

I must have departed quite urgently.

Something is definitely happening here.

But since I don’t know what it is, I can’t deal with it. This is driving me crazy.

“A threat….”

What could be a potential threat?

Thinking carefully from my current perspective, I reached this conclusion.

‘Events that occurred at the point of regression.’

Three times.

It’s been three times that the regression point has been updated since entering this city.

The first was when I encountered the stalker Jermi Balkin from an unknown group called ‘Casas’.

The second was when Seolbaek pulled out an unknown ring called the ‘Forewarning of Isgrad’ through gacha.

And the third is now, when I encountered the red-haired vagrant.

While regression points aren’t so rare that you can count them, they also don’t typically update three times in a single day.

This frequency is definitely strange. At least one of these three is evidence of danger.

‘But the stalker is dead… I can’t get any information about Seolbaek’s ring… and the red-haired vagrant has escaped….’

That’s the problem.

All three are in areas I currently can’t do anything about. Even if I want to handle something, there’s nothing to handle.

No. In the first place, it’s not even clear what needs to be handled.

‘Right now, what I can do is….’

The unidentified ring Seolbaek pulled out. I need to take that first.

Even if I don’t know about other things, I should take immediate action.

I nodded and immediately looked at Seolbaek.

“Seolbaek. Can you give me back the ring you bought earlier?”

“… Yes? Why?”

Seolbaek looked at me with an incredibly strange expression as I suddenly demanded the ring.

She subtly moved her hand to hide her left hand from me, like a child reluctant to give up a toy.

“Well… that is.”

I was a bit surprised by her reaction.

She’s refusing quite firmly. Wasn’t she disappointed when she got a dud earlier?

This is different from what I expected. I thought it would be easy, but it seems complications are about to bloom.

“It’s not even that good. I’ll buy you a new one later, so just give it to me for now.”

“Oh, that… that’s a bit.”

As expected, Seolbaek refused my hand. I expected it, but now that it’s happening, it’s frustratingly unclear.

I flicked my eyebrows and began to persuade her.

“Why? Weren’t you really disappointed when you first pulled it?”

“W-well, that’s…”

“I’ll keep it for now and later buy you a nice, expensive one. I promise.”

“But… but!”

She continued to trail off and hesitate.

Pulling out the ‘But still’ card here? That’s cheating. Fine, let’s hear it. Just why exactly can’t you hand that ring over to me?

When I looked at Seolbaek with a heated gaze, she slightly averted her eyes and continued her answer.

“This… this is the first gift Jeong-yong nim gave me.”

“… What?”

“I don’t care about the shape or price. Since it’s the first gift from Jeong-yong nim… I want to keep it.”

“… Oh, I see….”

She responds with a face blushing and overflowing with girlish sentiment.

I don’t know how to react to this. Damn it.

Does she even like me or something? They’re making me flustered. A forever single virgin like me could get the wrong idea.

‘… No, it won’t do. No matter what, this is a matter of my life.’

I gathered my heart that was trying to weaken.

And I stretched out my hand to her a bit more stubbornly.

“Just give it to me quickly. I don’t have time to be doing this right now.”

“Why, why are you suddenly doing this?”

“Why… is the reason important?”

“Of course it’s important! I’ll give it to you if the reason sounds reasonable.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words and just stared at the ground.

That firm gaze. It wasn’t the appearance of someone stubbornly refusing to give up a gift they just received.

‘I’m being suspected.’

To be precise, I’m being worried about.

My appearance has been strange since earlier. She’s doing this because she wants to know the reason.

I want to tell her about time regression.

The impulse surged up, but I soon shook my head.

There’s no reason to reveal the truth and drag her into this troublesome relationship. This secret should be mine alone.

“Jeong-yong nim, do you still… find me unreliable?”

“Hmm?”

Then, Seolbaek suddenly said such words.

I quickly raised my head. Seolbaek murmured with a deflated face.

“You’ve been really strange since earlier. At first, I thought maybe you were excited because it was your first time in another country… But what are you so afraid of? Why do you want this ring back suddenly?”

“…….”

“Please tell me. Shouldn’t I know? We’re… teammates, right? Right?”

Was I showing my anxiety so openly? To be honest, it’s quite shocking.

Now and always, I’m not good at making excuses. Even if my intelligence rises, only my magic increases, not my actual intelligence.

I’ve never felt so annoyed by my own stupidity.

“… Just something feels ominous.”

In the end, what I spat out was nothing more than a pathetic excuse that couldn’t even qualify as an excuse.

Seolbaek hesitated for a while, then brought her face closer to me and said,

“Of course, I’m not as great as Jeong-yong nim. I don’t have the insight like when you subjugated the Eldritch at Halcenberg Castle.”

“Hey. That’s…”

No. That wasn’t because I had good insight that I could catch it.

Try dying and waking up twenty times. You’ll definitely work hard if you don’t want to die more.

I wanted to say that, but I just kept my mouth shut and continued my vow of silence.

“Can’t I… help reduce Jeong-yong nim’s burden?”

Seolbaek’s eyes, looking at me earnestly, shook my heart.

Eventually, I slowly opened my mouth. The words I’d been holding back began to pour out.

“Then okay. Listen well. Actually, I…”

“Stop with this melodrama and just hand it over, you damn woman.”

A single phrase that completely destroyed the mood of our deep bond invaded the conversation.

Both Seolbaek and I turned our heads simultaneously. There stood the Demon King, who had been silent until now, with a deeply displeased expression.

Lucy raised her finger with a clearly disgusted look.

“Stop talking nonsense and hand it over. I need it urgently for something.”

“Ugh…!”

Seolbaek bit her lip at Lucy’s impudent attitude.

Although Seolbaek usually tried to be considerate of Lucy, she was now rarely showing open resistance.

“Uh, uh. Does Lucy ssi know why Jeong-yong nim wants this ring back?”

“Of course. I know. That’s why I’m telling you to hand it over.”

“What…?”

Seolbaek’s raised eyes flashed and turned towards me.

Damn it. The Demon King probably intervened because she dislikes conversations becoming too complicated, but this was the worst timing.

“You, Jeong-yong nim! Why does Lucy ssi know, but I’m not allowed to know? Why is it okay for her but not for me? Right?”

Seolbaek thrust the ring in front of me and raised her voice.

“Ugh.”

Fine. I’m now having too much of a headache to think anymore.

I pressed my forehead and let out a sigh.

“Yeah, yeah. You can take it.”

As I waved my hand and spoke, both Seolbaek and the Demon King opened their eyes wide.

“… Pardon?”

“What’s so strange?”

I waved my hand at the two looking at me questioningly.

“Just take it. It’s weird to snatch it away based on an uncertain intuition. Sorry, Seolbaek. I was too sensitive.”

“No, Hero! You can’t just give up like that…!”

As I stepped forward to walk, the Demon King followed behind me.

She stared at me with a face full of things to say. After a while, the Demon King quietly whispered to me.

“Will it be okay? That ring is clearly not an ordinary ring. Didn’t I explicitly warn you!”

Unlike her usual self, her tone was serious. For a moment, her eyes were burning so intensely that even I felt intimidated.

I just shrugged at her.

“Well, something will work out. Once the cause of regression is clear, we can take it back then, right?”

“… Something will work out?”

“Yeah. I’ve managed somehow until now. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“…… Ha.”

Lucy raised the corner of her mouth as if finding it ridiculous. And stared at me for a while.

Soon she turned her head away. And grumbled to herself.

“Well, do as you wish. For now, I’ll just watch.”

“Okay. Then let’s go collect the residual sentiment first…”

“Do it or don’t. Hmph.”

And so, I, Lucy, and Seolbaek started walking straight towards the direction of the capital where the residual sentiment was located.

Though the Demon King and Seolbaek had somewhat unsettling expressions, I simply ignored them and moved my steps.

‘Yeah. Something will work out.’

That Eldritch situation that seemed to have no answer somehow worked out.

Remembering that time in Halcenberg, I was vaguely having positive thoughts.

…….

….

… And now this moment.

So lazy that it makes me want to throw up. Complacent. This peaceful moment.

Dozens of ‘me’s are buried unjustly without even remembering this moment.

Well, what can I do?

Past life is past life, and current life is current life.

A happening in buried time that the next life’s me won’t even remember.

* * *

[Immortal return point has been updated.]

[Date – Continental Calendar 1108 Year, January 12th, 11:30 AM]

[Location – Marktress. Upper area of the Promise Plains, Kern residential district]

“Wait! Stop right there!!”

Only after the panel appeared belatedly, I opened my eyes wide and chased the red-haired vagrant.

The vagrant glanced back at me and then immediately entered a secluded alley.

I clicked my tongue and was about to directly follow him. However.

“Stop, hero! No, Park Jeong-yong!!”

A white-haired woman who came running like a fury blocked my path. I had to stop.

I held my breath for a moment. As if possessed, I called her name.

“… Lucy? Why suddenly?”

“Why suddenly? That’s what I should be saying, you idiot!!”

Swoosh! Lucy rushed towards me with her white hair fluttering and landed a side kick.

“Kuheok.”

With an ugly scream, I fell right there.

Wait, is she this strong? That thought lasted just a moment.

Lucy climbed on top of me and grabbed my collar. Then she started shaking me wildly in all directions.

“You incompetent guardian! How many times has this been!”

“… Kheuk. Did you eat rat poison? What’s suddenly…”

“Don’t you know how many times you’ve been resurrected here alone!!”

What is she talking about?

Did I die and come back to life? Could it be… A time and space regression just happened?

I desperately thought with my shaking head and countered while blocking her beating.

“A person can die and come back to life too(?)! Why are you going crazy!”

“Not just a day or two, you fool! I’m sick of being on the receiving end! How many times today alone!”

“How many times have you been through this!”

“33 times, you crazy bastard!”

“… What?”

I was momentarily speechless at that enormous number.

Bam, pow. I stared blankly as Lucy’s cotton fists pounded my head.

“Jeong-yong nim, are you okay?! L-Lucy! What are you suddenly doing!”

“Let me go! This guy needs to be beaten more!! He needs to get his head straight!!”

Seolbaek, who barely caught up, mediates between me and Lucy and looks worried.

For a while, I let out stupid exclamations like a person who lost their soul.

‘A new regression record…’

I thought that with a hollow laugh.