Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1228. At the Continent (2)

“That’s... true...” I mumbled.

“Hurry up. I’m sure everyone will be happy...” Lee Ji-Hye rushed me.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, so it’s kind of—”

“You must think I’m doing this to tease you. I wish I could monopolize you, but we can’t just hang around here like this. Have you forgotten how you left the guild?” Lee Ji-Hye criticized me.

“...”

"After that idiot Kim Hyun-Sung caused trouble with his drunk behavior, you disappeared into thin air. They rushed over to Rohen, but he had a mental breakdown, and they ended up fighting each other.

"Do you really think that things are normal there right now? The Blue Guild is structured in a way that most of the power is in your hands, isn't it? The fact that no one has called for your removal yet is strange. Actually, I think they already kicked you out," Lee Ji-Hye said.

“To be exact, Kim Hyun-Sung has more power—”

“That’s only how it looks on the surface. You’re the one pulling all the strings, so what are you even talking about? I don’t know everything that’s going on in the guild, but he’s basically a lame duck,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

‘That’s true.’

He was so clueless that he had yet to realize that he had become a lame duck.

Leaving Hye-Jin behind was clearly a huge mistake. He relied on her for almost all his political moves, yet he went out of his way to leave Jo Hye-Jin behind, so no one could justify his actions.

He wasn’t in his right state of mind before I left, so imagine how the rest of the party saw him after my departure. They had to have tried to patch things up on the outside, but there were still definitely some issues brewing in the Blue Guild.

“I’m sure time will take care of it... Things will probably quiet down soon,” I mumbled.

“Anyway, let’s hurry. Let’s go. I’m going to send you to Laves, and I’m going to immediately head to Lindel. Are you okay with that?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Yeah, sounds good,” I answered.

“I’ll see you in Lindel. Good luck with your guild,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

It was funny but...

‘I’m kind of nervous.’

Actually, I was not even sure if that was the right phrase to describe my feelings. I could say that I was kind of excited, as it had been a while since I saw everyone.

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I heard was—

“He’s here! I’m telling you, he’s here! It’s hyung-nim!”

—the pig's screams. That was the first thing I heard. Actually, it was more like everyone else’s voice was drowned out by his scream. He was so loud that my ears were ringing.

“Hyung-nim... It’s hyung-nim! Hyung... nim?” Park Deok-Gu called out.

I saw Park Deok-Gu staring at me with wide eyes.

Well, it was more like all I could see was his big face. I was taken aback when I couldn’t see anyone else’s face. His enormous face had completely blocked my line of sight. To make things worse, he was crying.

The more I looked at his face, the more I felt like slapping those wide, flat cheeks, so I quickly turned my head away.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I said.

“W-Why do you look like a teenager?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“About that—”

“O-O-Oppa!” Jung Ha-Yan yelled, interrupting Park Deok-Gu.

Then, I felt Jung Ha-Yan hugging me tightly.

“O-Oppa... It’s oppa!” she screamed.

“It’s been a while, Ha-Yan,” I greeted her.

It hadn't been that long. I spoke to Ha-Yan occasionally, and I even met her once.

I expected her to be clingy, but I didn’t expect her to hug me this tightly. It was like she was trying to squeeze the air out of me. It felt like I was half-buried in her arms. I never thought I’d feel smaller than Ha-Yan... but I had to have shrunk...

‘Quite a bit...’

“Y-You’ve gotten younger, oppa. A-A-Amazing... y-you...” Jung Ha-Yan stuttered.

“Have you been doing well?” I asked.

“Y-Yes,” Jung Ha-Yan answered.

‘It hurts.’

I wasn't exaggerating here. It was literally painful all the way to my bones.

“Haa... haa... Y-Y-You’ve gotten... y-younger. Oppa...” she muttered. Her breathing was strangely uneven. “Y-You’ve gotten younger. W-What... should I do? What...”

'What... do you mean?’

“H-He’s so cute. He’s so cute. He’s so cute. O-Oppa... o-oppa... hehe... he... hehe... he... he...” Jung Ha-Yan giggled.

‘...’

Her eyes looked like they were spinning like crazy. And as if that wasn’t enough...

‘What the? What’s wrong with her?’

“Ha-Yan... y-you’re bleeding,” I told her.

“Ah... h-hold on... I’m sowwy...” she mumbled. She was extremely excited, but more blood soon rushed to her head, and she finally took two steps backward and looked up to stop the bleeding.

Han Sora rushed over to Jung Ha-Yan to help, and someone else stepped up before me.

“You’re safe,” Sun Hee-Young said. She then knelt and held my hand.

When our gazes met in midair, she nodded and gave me a gentle hug.

“I was worried, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” Sun Hee-Young said. She sounded calm, but her voice was trembling slightly. “I’m really glad that you’re safe."

“It’s really been a while, Miss Hee-Young. Thank you. My memories of Rohen are a bit hazy, but—”

Sun Hee-Young's grip on my arm suddenly tightened.

“You did well,” she commented.

‘Why is everyone hugging me?’

I wasn't exactly against physical affection, but it seemed that everyone thought that they could hug me thanks to Jung Ha-Yan's example. They stepped up before me and hugged me.

“Hyung-nim!” Park Deok-Gu exclaimed, and the pig actually lifted me into the air.

Like a monkey lifting a lion cub on a cliff, he raised me high and ruffled my hair. Ahn Ki-Mo just went along with it and grabbed my head strongly as if he was feeling overwhelmed by his emotions.

Perhaps I was just imagining it, but it kind of felt like he pinched my cheeks.

Elena was next. She fidgeted nervously and kept looking at me with rosy cheeks.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young!” she exclaimed and picked me up to hug me.

“Oh my,” Hwang Jung-Yeon muttered nonstop.

Even Yoo Ah-Young, who was always mindful of her boundaries, hugged me tightly.

The one who bothered me the most was Kim Ye-Ri.

‘Why is she smiling?’

The corner of her mouth was curled up into a signature smile of superiority, and honestly, she had every reason to feel superior. After all, I had to literally look up at her.

After silently taking a step forward, she tapped my back and stepped back. When I glanced over, the others looked like they wanted to hug me as well, but that was never going to happen.

“Sub Guild Master," said Lee Chang-Ryeol while bowing before me.

The mood immediately turned tense.

“Thank you for your hard work,” he said.

Park Lian, Colonel Smith, Alps, and Belier were the remaining members, but I wasn’t going to keep this hug party going.

Park Lian would probably act the same way as Lee Chang-Ryeol.

She looked a bit flushed, which was unlike her, but it was probably because she was happy to see me. In the end, she ended her greeting with a respectful nod.

For some reason, Belier looked a bit disappointed. Was she really trying to jump onto the hugging bandwagon despite her rank? We were still a bit awkward around each other, but she looked like she found it unfair to be left out of the hug party.

“Congratulations on your safe return, sir," said Black Butler Smith.

“Congratulations, sir," said Alps.

“Woof!’ barked Shiro.

“S-Sir...” muttered Belier. Like the others, she grabbed my hand without asking for any permission and inched closer to me. She looked around nervously, but she was brave enough to take another step forward.

She checked Jung Ha-Yan’s reaction a couple of times, but she ultimately refrained from making a move. Ha-Yan's face already looked like she wanted the newcomers to step back as soon as possible.

“C-Congratulations...” Belier mumbled.

Kim Hyun-Sung was the next one.

“Mr. Ki-Young,” he greeted.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I greeted back.

‘He lost a lot of weight.’

Unlike when he had burst into a peal of maniacal laughter and faced Woo Hyo-Yeol in the final battle, he looked defeated right now. Had he really snapped out of it after that rampage of his? And how come he looked so timid? This guy...

“So... I,” he said.

‘Why is being so self-conscious?’

“I’m really... really... sorry... and...” he trailed off.

“...”

“I’m happy you’re back,” he added and took a step back.

Well, he didn't actually take a step back by himself.

Jung Ha-Yan clung to me again, and Sun Hee-Young casually switched the topic. To make matters worse, it was like everyone was trying to stop Kim Hyun-Sung from doing something. It looked like Jung Ha-Yan clung to me unknowingly, but even Park Deok-Gu had discreetly stepped in front of Kim Hyun-Sung.

Sun Hee-Young instantly switched topics as soon as Park Deok-Gu made that step. It was such a well-timed move that I wouldn't believe it if someone were to say that they hadn't planned to do this.

The seasoned members looked as relaxed as ever, showing no signs of unease, but Alps and Belier looked a little too tense. It was like they were preparing for some kind of unexpected disaster.

“Sub Guild Master, your appearance...” Elena trailed off.

“It’s nothing serious. I think something happened while I was crossing dimensions, but it’s nothing to worry about. I won’t stay in this form forever. I’ll probably return to my normal self in about a year or maybe in six months,” I reassured them.

“Ah... I see. Can I examine your body?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said.

Sun Hee-Young and Elena exchanged glances before examining me as usual. In the middle of it, I had a feeling that they were unnecessarily messing with my hair or pinching my cheeks, but I decided to let it slide.

It would be awkward to make a big deal out of it.

After a while, they realized that I wasn’t seriously hurt and let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Still, I think it would be best to monitor your condition for a while, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. There’s a chance that symptoms might appear later, so if possible—no, actually, I think it’s essential to run a check-up at least once a day.

"Today’s check-up was relatively quick, but... this isn’t something we should take lightly,” Elena suggested.

“I agree with Miss Elena, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” Sun Hee-Young said.

“I’m really okay...” I mumbled.

“Letting your guard down is dangerous. There are documented cases of rapid growth having unexpected effects on the body. It won't hurt to be cautious, so even if it’s inconvenient, I’d really appreciate your full cooperation,” Elena explained.

“Well, since you said it like that... I suppose I have no choice. But... have you contacted the guild yet? What about Miss Hye-Jin and the others?” I asked.

“I did contact them, but they seem to be running late. Ah...” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

‘He’s not exactly innocent either.’

Jo Hye-Jin came rushing over, and there was a hint of urgency in her movement. Her disheveled appearance suggested that she rushed over immediately upon hearing the news.

It was easy to see how much she had been struggling all this time. They left on an expedition without her, so of course, she wasn’t able to stay calm and composed.

Some had to remain on the continent, and she probably stayed behind out of a sense of duty, but I could say with confidence that every single day had to have been difficult for her.

She wasn't at the center of it all, but honestly, she was probably one of the ones who suffered a lot.

“Are you really back?” Jo Hye-Jin asked while running toward me.

“Sub Guild Master?” she said.

“...”

“Sub Guild Master!” Jo Hye-Jin shouted.

‘She's panicking.’

It seemed that she was indeed missing me. Eventually, she pushed aside the guild members around me and stood right in front of me.

“Huh?”

Jo Hye-Jin looked surprised. It seemed like she was in such a hurry that she couldn't even afford the luxury of time to tie her hair up. Her eyes were darting all over me, and it was clear that she couldn't quite understand what was going on.

She had to have been thinking about all sorts of things on her way here, so of course, it wasn't strange that she was confused.

“Mr... Lee Ki-Young?” she said.

I never really liked teasing Jo Hye-Jin while everyone was around, but for some reason, I just couldn’t help myself.

“What a pretty... lady,” I said.

“What?”

“Who... are you... noona?” I asked.

“...” “...”

“Do you know me? Noona...”

The Park-Ki-Ri siblings reacted first.

“Oh no... hyung-nim! Heuk... Oh no!” Park Deok-Gu cried out.

“Sub Guild Master!” Ahn Ki-Mo shouted.

“Mister... Ki-Young! Heuk...” Kim Ye-Ri cried as well.

With a loud thud, I saw Jo Hye-Jin falling to her knees.

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