The Regressor Can Make Them All-Chapter 383

So he’s... Jason Diaz...

Jake instinctively swallowed dryly as he looked at the Latin man in his early thirties, who was staring indifferently in their direction.

While all Perfect Ones were figures of both awe and fear, in Jason’s case, fear far outweighed the awe.

No one really knows much about him.

During the war against the Demon Force, Jason had traveled the world, massacring demons and monsters alike. However, once the cold war began, all traces of him vanished.

Naturally, rumors that he had died circulated, much like some vanished explorers from the past. However, those rumors were quickly debunked.

“Did you hear about the journalist from the NS Times? People claim he disappeared while digging into the Trailblazer.”

“Of course, even a hero who bragged about becoming the Trailblazer’s first disciple went missing in the U.S.”

“No way...”

Journalists who couldn’t suppress their curiosity, heroes who overestimated their abilities, and countless others who had collaborated with them—all disappeared overnight, sending shockwaves through the hero industry.

Perfect Ones, when they acted on their own whims, at least gave warnings to prevent unnecessary conflicts. However...

The Trailblazer has never given any warnings.

He simply watched, staying still until someone crossed the line—then he crushed them like an insect clinging to his skin. That was why, to heroes, Jason was nothing short of a taboo.

Yet now, Jake found himself before that very man—in what felt like a death trap.

“You’re not customers, are you?”

Jake and Kwang-Soo flinched. Although there wasn’t a single trace of mana or killing intent in Jason’s voice, every nerve in their bodies screamed at them to assume a defensive stance immediately.

“This guy is bad news...”

“Damn it... I knew I shouldn’t have come here.”

Before the pressure, which only those who had honed their martial skills among heroes could feel, Jake and Kwang-Soo’s minds were racing—debating whether they should brace themselves—when Se-Hoon cut in.

“We’re here for field training.”

Standing at the front, Se-Hoon didn’t bat an eye.

“...The paperwork?”

“Here. We signed up for the three-day program.”

Reaching out one hand to take the stack of documents Se-Hoon pulled from his void pocket and handed over, Jason skimmed through.

“Lee Se-Hoon. Ma Kwang-Soo. Jake Myers. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Jason nodded, returned the papers, and pointed toward a building inside the orchard.

“The work clothes are in there. Go get changed.”

Then, without another word, Jason turned and walked away.

Once he was gone, Jake felt the tension drain from his still-dazed body as a foolish sigh escaped him.

“I... I’m not dead...”

He still had no idea what happened, but one thing was clear: he had just barely made it through a dangerous encounter. And as if to confirm his thoughts, Kwang-Soo gave Se-Hoon a sharp glare.

“You idiot. Do you have a death wish?”

“Woah, you’re overreacting a bit here. Besides, it turned out fine, didn’t it?”

“This time, yeah. But do you even know what kind of monster he is?”

While the disappearances of those investigating the Trailblazer during the cold war were infamous, Jason had been a notorious troublemaker even before then. To the public, he was known as the Fist Saint. But among heroes? He was called the Battle Demon—a name earned through the sheer number of enemies he had killed.

“He started making a name for himself in his late twenties, and within five years, had matched the kill count of first-generation heroes. You think someone like that is easy to deal with?”

Even high-ranking heroes, with their enhanced physical bodies and synesthetic mindscapes, couldn’t fight all day without stopping. But Jason did.

Until the cold war officially began, he fought continuously, sustaining himself with only the bare minimum of food and sleep. He was, in the truest sense, a madman consumed by the taste of blood.

“It’d be one thing if he only targeted the Demon Force, but he’s fought heroes, too. Guys like that, if you cross them the wrong way—”

“It’s fine.” Se-Hoon calmly cut off Kwang-Soo’s wary warnings. “That was only then.”

“What?”

“If he’s still that obsessed with fighting, why would he be farming here?”

“Hmm...”

“Let’s not overthink it. First, let’s get changed. Let’s go, Jake.”

“Ah, okay.”

The three of them entered the building inside the orchard, changed into work clothes, and stepped outside.

Waiting for them at that point was Jason, who had disappeared earlier.

“Any specific fruit you want to harvest?”

“Cherries.”

“This way.”

Following Jason’s lead, they walked deeper into the orchard until they reached an area with hundreds of cherry trees.

“Just pick the cherries and put them in your baskets. Once they’re full, they’ll be taken to the storage automatically, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Do you mind if we take a few as gifts?”

“I don’t mind. Let’s get started then.”

Saying nothing more, Jason began harvesting cherries. Likewise, Se-Hoon also started inspecting the fruits, picking ones he thought Luize would like.

Jake and Kwang-Soo, however, just exchanged confused glances.

“...What do we do?”

Jake knew his friend well enough to expect some hidden purpose; he just couldn’t figure it out. Wondering that too, Kwang-Soo glanced at the two already working, then sighed and scratched his head.

“Let’s just finish this first; we’re already dressed for it after all. Just think of this as a little trip.”

“Hmm... alright.”

“But there’s one thing you have to be careful of.”

Kwang-Soo turned to Jake with a serious expression.

“Try not to stare at Jason’s movements too much.”

“His movements...?”

Was he worried about drawing Jason’s suspicion? Jake tilted his head in confusion, wanting to know more, but Kwang-Soo simply glanced at Jason.

“You’ll get dizzy if you watch him too closely.”

“...?”

“I’m too lazy to explain it to you. Just don’t do it. Consider yourself warned.”

Leaving behind that cryptic advice, Kwang-Soo trudged off to pick cherries. And Jake, while still puzzled, followed suit.

Rustle, rustle.

Sunlight filtered gently through the gaps in his straw hat, warming his skin. The sweet scent of ripe cherries tickled his nose. The scene was so peaceful it made him forget it was winter.

This is... surprisingly fun.

All they were doing was picking cherries and filling baskets; and yet, for some reason, he was enjoying himself.

In that tranquility, Jake reflected on himself.

Maybe I was too anxious.

After what happened recently, he had been desperate to grow stronger, never stopping to think about how much he had been pushing himself. If it weren’t for Se-Hoon’s advice earlier, he might even have been much worse off.

Perhaps Se-Hoon brought me here for that...

Was bringing him here Se-Hoon’s way of telling him to clear his mind by staying away from all outside distractions? The thought began filling Jake with a deep sense of gratitude toward his friend—

“Jake.”

Se-Hoon approached him, holding a basket full of cherries.

“Time to start your training.”

“Training?”

“What. You think we came here just to play?”

“...Right.”

Jake sighed as Se-Hoon gestured toward Jason.

“Watch carefully how that guy moves.”

“But Professor Ma said—”

“Oh? You’ll listen to him but not me?”

“...Fine, I’ll focus.”

Turning his gaze, Jake carefully observed Jason, who continued picking cherries without even glancing their way.

Jason was plucking cherries at a steady, almost slow pace, yet his movements were consistent and efficient—like a seasoned farmer at work. In other words, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about him.

What was Professor Ma talking about? How could this be... huh?

Jake frowned. He had noticed something strange. The empty basket that had been beside Jason was already completely full of cherries and being transported to the storage area?

“What the hell...?”

Had he really missed that much in that short span of time?

Startled, Jake focused once more, carefully tracking Jason’s every action. And soon, he figured out what had actually happened.

Pluck- Pluck-

Jason’s motions as he picked cherries and placed them into the basket were neither too slow nor too fast, entirely normal. Yet at some point—as if reality had skipped a few frames—the cherry trees around him had been stripped bare, and his basket was full.

Did he suddenly accelerate? No... that’s impossible.

For something to move too fast for his eyes to perceive, it would have to be faster than most S-rank heroes. Of course, being a Perfect One, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jason moved at such speeds. The problem... was that such movements should have left traces. Yet, there were none.

There should either be footprints on the ground or at least the leaves should rustle.... Something must have changed.

No matter how much Jake sharpened his senses, though, the result remained the same.

As doubt that there might be something wrong with his perception crept in, it abruptly turned into disorientation.

“Ugh...”

Jake averted his gaze, feeling a wave of nausea hit him.

“And this is exactly why I told you not to observe him too carefully. None of you ever listen to me,” Kwang-Soo scolded, looking down at him with an exasperated expression.

He had stepped beside Jake at some point.

“I mean, it is his first time seeing it.”

“You think everyone is a freak like you? Seriously...”

Clicking his tongue, Kwang-Soo summoned a gleaming, mirror-like sword aura and lightly pressed it against Jake’s back.

Celestial Infinity Blade: Serene Lake

Woong-

The sword pulsed, realigning Jake’s twisted senses.

Then, crossing his arms, Kwang-Soo explained. “What you were watching just now is the power of Premotion. You can’t perceive it just by staring.” [1]

“The power of Premotion...”

“Plenty of people have ended up in years of rehab because they tried to steal a glance at it and had their senses thrown out of whack. That’s why I told you not to look.”

Hearing that, Jake hastily looked away from Jason. It was frightening to think that within those simple and routine movements, such a terrifying ability was at play.

“Come on, he just caught his first glimpse of it. Scaring him off already isn’t helping.” Se-Hoon said with a frown, looking at Kwang-Soo.

“You’re the weird one for making him watch something like that without explanation. I should’ve known from the moment you started hanging around those Perfect Ones...”

With a sigh, Kwang-Soo dismissed it and turned his gaze toward Se-Hoon.

“So what the hell kind of training were you planning to do?”

“Nothing much. Just... having Jake pick the cherry before that guy does.”

Finally snapping at that, Kwang-Soo yelled, “You might as well have told him to become a Perfect One, you lunatic!”

Listening by the side, Jake became petrified, his expression twisting in shock.

“You... you want me to pick the fruit before him?”

That meant he had to counteract the power of Premotion and outmaneuver Jason. No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible.

“Tsk... this got messed up.”

Ignoring Kwang-Soo’s rant, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at Jake’s reaction.

Typically, training related to the power of the Perfect Ones was doomed the moment a person believed it was impossible. That was why Se-Hoon intentionally refrained from explaining anything beforehand—he wanted Jake to experience it first.

But Kwang-Soo, being his usual meddlesome self, had unintentionally derailed everything.

He always complains about being bothered, yet picks the worst times to get involved...

From a normal person’s perspective, Kwang-Soo had done the right thing. But any trace of that thought was no longer in Se-Hoon’s mind—he was already adjusting his approach.

With Jake’s mind now fixated on the impossibility of the idea, then no amount of training would work. That meant there was only one thing to do now: I have to show him that the power of Premotion can be countered.

It was a simple yet incredibly difficult condition to meet.

Scratching his head, Se-Hoon shot a glance at Jason.

“Well... worst-case scenario, I die.”

He shrugged, unconcerned.

***

Several hundred kilometers away, on a remote mountain peak, a long-haired man stood with his right hand covering his eyes. A dark tattoo, shaped like an eye, was on the back of his hand, allowing him to peer through it into the distance.

His gaze settled on Jason, who was sitting idly in the orchard’s courtyard after finishing dinner.

Expressionless, Jason radiated no presence—no killing intent, no mana—and was practically invisible.

It was a sight that made the man, Heaven Eye, furrow his brow.

So that’s the Trailblazer...

Just as heroes considered Jason taboo, the Demon Force did, too. But while heroes saw Jason as someone they shouldn’t provoke, the demons outright regarded him as a calamity—something they feared to even mention.

Back in the day, Jason had hunted demons, monsters, and even defectors secretly recruited by the Demon Force. He had been a living nightmare to them all.

He seems like a completely different person now... but that’s impossible.

During the war between humanity and the Demon Force, Heaven Eye had fought every Perfect One at least once. Of them, only two had ever truly unsettled him.

The first was the Seeker, whose true intentions remained unreadable no matter how many times they clashed. And the second... was Jason Diaz.

After that one encounter with Jason, Heaven Eye became certain beyond any doubt—no matter what he did, he could not kill Jason.

He looks harmless now, but that’s just because I’m viewing him through my Cursed Eyes.

If he looked at Jason directly...

At that very thought, a shiver ran down Heaven Eye’s right shoulder—the same spot where Jason had once struck him.

Every instinct screamed danger, and Heaven Eye instantly deactivated his Cursed Eyes, cutting off his sight.

Whoosh-

The cold winter wind rustled through the forest.

Heaven Eye didn’t dare to move, keeping his eyes covered, until someone beside him spoke. “Did he notice?”

Doppelganger had appeared.

“...It seems I avoided it just in time.”

“Good. But try not to risk it again—there won’t be a second chance.”

Assured, Heaven Eye opened his left eye and glared at Doppelganger.

“Are we still continuing this?”

They had at most three days. The plan was to find an opening and eliminate Jason, but with the new additional factors now in play, it seemed impossible.

“Besides, you and I are both a bad match against him—”

“Relax.”

Doppelganger interrupted, gazing toward the orchard.

“We’re not here to kill him.”

“...Then what are we here for?”

“We just need to confirm something. Focus on staying hidden for now.”

Heaven Eye frowned at the vague response but didn’t argue. He would play along, at least for now.

He reactivated his Cursed Eyes.

“Huh?”

Immediately, his voice wavered upon observing the orchard.

“What is it?”

“Lee Se-Hoon and Jason are standing face to face... looks like something’s about to happen.”

A pause.

Heaven Eye’s tone became one of disbelief.

“Lee Se-Hoon’s head... just exploded.”

1. Premotion is not a typo. It is explained later. ☜

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