〈 Chapter 230 〉 Foreboding
*
After the inauguration ceremony.
As soon as they stepped down from the podium, I saw the first-year candidates who had fled being carried away on stretchers, along with their supporters.
They were all clutching their wounds and crying out in pain, but honestly, I felt not a shred of sympathy.
Their actions were just a form of suicide.
[Natural disasters should be avoided. I guess the other seniors didn’t bother to warn those kids at all.]
‘After all, they’ll all be competitors in society. Reducing the number by even one is a gain.’
Hyeji spat and opened her mouth, clearly disgusted as she watched them.
“Shinwoo, let’s hurry up. If I keep watching, I’m going to really kill those bastards.”
“Wait a minute, Hyeji! Let’s just rob their wallets and go!”
“Now that it’s come to this, I’ll register all of them on the blacklist.”
“Maybe I should squeeze some compensation out of them for donations.”
“Then let’s hurry up and do it.”
We actively accepted the heroines’ opinions and started picking the pockets of the students who hadn’t been transported yet.
Of course, the medical staff urgently tried to stop us.
“What are you doing! They’re patients!”
“I’ll share some of the money I found with you.”
“From now on, you guys are temporary guardians!”
Thanks to a dramatic negotiation, there was no further objection.
Rather, they even helped us secure the limbs to make it easier to rob.
As a temporary alliance, we were surprisingly in sync.
[Isn’t this just medical malpractice!!!]
‘What are you talking about? This is a type of treatment.’
[What the f*ck is this nonsense treatment!]
‘Financial treatment.’
There were plenty of first-year students, but we, being well-practiced, cleaned them up without leaving a single one behind.
Just as we were about to leave after handing some of the money to the medical staff.
“Ugh… why can’t we suddenly go back?”
There was something off about the words I heard, something that couldn’t just be ignored.
At the same time, the eerie feeling struck me.
Why didn’t they regress to before they messed with Hyeji?
Gradually, that unease turned into a question.
The first-years could clearly regress.
There had been a number above the candidates’ heads at the polling station, after all.
But more than that, the numbers were clearly displayed above their heads.
Yet, when they had approached our group earlier, none of them had their numbers go up.
Even though there were quite a few first-years.
When I unknowingly stopped in my tracks at that puzzlement.
Some of the first-year students, having regained their senses, began to yell at each other.
Completely ignoring our presence around them.
“You b*tch! Why did you pick a fight with them over there!”
“No, I was going to go back if it got dangerous, but now I can’t! And the rest of the bastards still could but didn’t!”
“I didn’t expect it would end up like this! I came back to my senses and got hit again!”
“Fck! How can you think about going back when your dck just got blown off by bullets! It hurts like hell!”
“I’ve been unable to go back since last week! There’s no fault on my part! Honestly, the guy who picked a fight is the one at fault!”
“I couldn’t go back since today suddenly!!!”
The keyword they mentioned, ‘going back,’ was probably related to regression.
In other words, it became more certain that some among them had already regressed.
Now, for some reason, they were completely unable to regress.
‘…Is it possible to lose the ability to regress?’
[It should be impossible normally. I have no idea.]
However, it was also difficult to seek answers from them.
The medical staff were busy carrying them.
The very nature of regression was something so sensitive that it could only be discussed with trusted individuals.
Even if I approached them cooperatively from the start, if I brought up the keyword ‘regression,’ I would surely be suspected.
However, our current relationship with them was the worst.
Instead of cooperation, they would likely respond with hostility.
Seeing my serious expression, the heroines each spoke up.
“Shinwoo, are you okay? You don’t look normal with that expression.”
“Husband! You can’t be hurt! It’s not your time to die yet!”
“You, making such a serious expression, it feels like an omen that the world will end.”
“I’ll receive some baptism. If it’s now, I’ll give you a discount for friends.”
“First, let’s all go back to the dormitory quickly.”
I led everyone back to the dormitory.
Keeping an eye out for any eavesdroppers, I waited a bit and then spoke to Hyeji and Ayeon.
“Hyeji, Ayeon. Can you two check if you can regress?”
“How long?”
“I can’t handle it too long even if it’s just my main body.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just a short bit is fine.”
“Got it.”
“Wait a moment.”
Soon, a number went up above both of their heads, each gaining one.
Then they tilted their heads and calmly stated.
“It works fine.”
“Me too.”
For now, it seemed Hyeji and Ayeon had not lost their regression abilities.
Next, I asked Elcia and Caressy if they were able.
“Elcia, Caressy. Can you two do it?”
The two silently looked at each other before turning back to me with guilty expressions.
Elcia hung her head, and Caressy scratched her head.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t completed my waiting period yet.”
“Same here. Especially for me, the waiting time is ridiculously long since I regress from a remote point.”
“Got it. Thank you for checking.”
I somewhat expected this part.
Both of them could revert to a distant point, but the waiting time was long.
Then the heroines began to express their worries toward me.
“Shinwoo, why suddenly regress? Is it possible now?”
“Is there something strange? Is your mind the strange one?”
“Husband? Is that really you? Please return my husband!”
“You really look like you’re in pain. This time, the first baptism comes free.”
“……F*ck, why is my evaluation like this?”
I calmed everyone down and spoke my purpose.
It was certain that the first years had been able to regress.
We had seen numbers rising at the polling station, and, above all, they still had numbers above their heads.
Finally, that some among them had lost the ability to regress now.
Everyone fell into a stunned silence.
No, saying they couldn’t speak was more accurate.
It was about the sudden disappearance of what had been an almost ubiquitous ability.
“Are you all okay?”
“”””…….””””
An uncomfortable silence ensued.
Soon, it was Hyeji who broke that silence.
And from Hyeji, the other heroines started to speak one by one.
“It doesn’t matter. Whether this thing exists or not, as long as I have you.”
“I’m the same! As long as I have my husband, I don’t need that nonsense!”
“Me too. If I had to weigh regression against you, I would choose you without a moment’s hesitation.”
“I’ve only experienced it a few times, so I’m rather lucky. It was a precious opportunity.”
[I have only ever had it once in this body.]
‘Hey, you dog. That’s a dangerous line.’
[Ah.]
Almost stumbled into an awkward situation there.
I couldn’t help but tremble my hands.
Anyway, it was a relief.
Humans eventually grow accustomed to what is given to them.
Be it money, relationships, or even an infinitely granted regression like now.
And when they lose what they had taken for granted, that is when they truly despair.
However, the heroines did not.
They didn’t despair, they didn’t wander, nor did they feel disappointment.
They simply cherished the moment even more.
I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
Just then, Hyeji opened her axe-eyed gaze and smacked my back.
Slap!!!
“Did you think we’d be gloomy just because we lost this little thing? Do you still not know what kind of girls your girlfriends are?”
“……That was a nice line, but my back hurts like hell.”
Anyway, that was how our conversation wrapped up.
In a relatively positive way.
That night.
Due to extreme fatigue, before falling asleep, I tried to sort out my thoughts while still awake.
In that moment, Peace gently spoke to me.
[Are you still bothered by it?]
‘If I say no, that would be a lie.’
Regression falls under the domain of gods.
However, unlike other novels, it wasn’t something only a specific individual had.
Not ‘just me,’ or ‘gluttony.’
The existence of a creator had granted everyone the divine ability.
With no waiting times whatsoever, and usable as many times as needed.
That was, until a point of reference that was me existed.
But now, some people were starting to lose that ability of regression all of a sudden.
Without any signs, suddenly.
And likely randomly among individuals.
[Do you really think it’s random?]
‘I can’t be certain, but I think it probably is.’
Some among all the first-years could do it, and some couldn’t.
Perhaps others besides them had also lost that ability.
It’s just that they weren’t showing it outwardly.
That’s understandable since regression is essentially a form of foresight into the future.
Nobody would dare claim that they lost their abilities when no one registered regression.
It would simply backfire, leading to being treated like a mentally ill jerk.
Or worse, suspicion of concealed abilities could land them in trouble.
‘Do you have any guesses, Peace?’
[Not yet. I have no idea how this could happen.]
‘Got it.’
Even Peace seemed quite bewildered by the current situation.
There was no point in probing further, so I decided to sleep.
Before long, darkness engulfed my sight.
Dark.
Even darker.
*
A black mass appears.
I can’t tell who it is or what it is.
A mass of black darker than pitch.
That ominous black mass seemed to be swallowing the surrounding darkness.
It’s laughable to say this, but strangely enough, the black mass was moving its head side to side.
As if searching for something.
Its form was uncertain.
And I didn’t even know if it had vocal cords.
『■■■■?■■■■?』
It kept mumbling incomprehensible phrases.
*
