Absolute Regression

Why did Father come?

“Obviously, he came to support me.”

I knew well that he wasn’t that kind of person.

Figuring out why Father was here today was just as difficult as understanding why the Fist Demon King had joined the Midnight Training Group.

“Are you sure about that?”

Dan Woo-gang seemed to have some idea about Father’s visit.

As I poured more liquor into his empty glass, I asked, “Then, why do you think he came?”

The Fist Demon King emptied the glass again, his expression unchanging as he drank.

“I think it’s the opposite. He came to support the eldest son.”

The Fist Demon King shook his head.

“Then how do you know what’s on my father’s mind?”

“The fact that he showed up here is the answer. The Cult Leader specifically attended our first drinking session. To congratulate us? Is that the kind of person he is?”

“No, he’s not.”

“Exactly, he isn’t. So why did he come? He came to let us know that he’s watching the situation closely.”

Although Dan Woo-gang couldn’t know everything about my father, he must have had some kind of intuition to speak like that.

“So in the end, you’re saying that my father is on my brother’s side.”

“That’s not something you can definitively conclude.”

“But you just said so earlier, didn’t you?”

“I said he came to support him, but I didn’t say the Cult Leader is on the eldest son’s side.”

With those ambiguous words, the Fist Demon King stood up.

“I’ve been well welcomed today.”

“We’re glad to have you join the group, Fist Demon King.”

“Glad, huh?”

Dan Woo-gang’s doubtful gaze shifted from me to Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee.

I spoke on behalf of the two women, who were frozen stiff.

“Those two might find it difficult and uncomfortable, but I’m sure they’re also happy about it.”

If I knew Lee Ahn, she would want to playfully retort with, “That’s not true!” but she simply nodded with a resolute expression.

“We’re very happy that you’ve joined us, Fist Demon King!”

“Of course. With someone as strong as the Fist Demon King, how could you not be pleased?”

At my joke, Lee Ahn shot me a stern look, but Dan Woo-gang pretended not to hear it. Even if it was a joke or banter, calling someone ‘the best in the world’ and saying they’re in good shape wouldn’t be something that could easily offend. ŕἈΝΟBËȿ

In truth, it was not Lee Ahn, but Cheon So-hee who was most affected by the Fist Demon King’s joining.

With a trembling voice, she spoke to him.

“I know I’ve made many mistakes, so you might not believe me, but… the reason I chose martial arts instead of swordsmanship was because I admired the Fist Demon King. I… want to be like you.”

Whether it was because of the alcohol or her nerves, her face was flushed red. However, she was trying her best to convey her sincerity in her gaze towards Dan Woo-gang.

“I’m truly glad you joined the group, Fist Demon King.”

The Fist Demon King, who had been staring at her for a moment, descended to the first floor without a word.

Cheon So-hee stood there, looking as if she might collapse at any moment. I nodded approvingly at her, then shouted to the Fist Demon King as he was leaving the tavern.

“Next time, you should treat us, Fist Demon King!”

“There won’t be a next time.”

“There might be a welcome party for my father, right?”

Dan Woo-gang stopped at the entrance of the tavern, scoffed, and shook his head.

“The Cult Leader? Don’t even dream about it.” 1

With that, the Fist Demon King left the tavern.

Now, only Lee Ahn, Cheon So-hee, and I remained. Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee collapsed into their seats as if their strength had left them.

“Aah, it’s over.”

Lee Ahn let out a sigh of relief and offered her cup.

“Finally, we can have a proper drink. Let’s have one, Young Master.”

I toasted with her and took a sip.

Cheon So-hee’s hands were trembling.

“I’ll drink in a bit. I can’t even hold my cup.”

While we were all together, she was swept up in the chaos of the moment, but now that both the Heavenly Demon and the Fist Demon King were gone, it all felt like a dream. After all, she had drunk with the Heavenly Demon and told the Fist Demon King directly that she admired him. Such things would have been unthinkable before, yet they all happened today.

“Ah, I was so nervous that my whole body feels stiff.”

“How about it? Do you think you could do it again?”

At my question, Cheon So-hee gave an answer that contradicted her physical state.

“It was really tough… but this tension didn’t feel so bad.”

Lately, since she met me, she had been flustered by all sorts of things, but she was the most resilient woman as the foremost Iron Fist of the Eastern Fist Faction.

“It’s not just that I could do it again—I want to.”

“The thrill of something so intense is definitely exhilarating, isn’t it?”

Cheon So-hee gave a faint smile, agreeing with me.

Now, I turned my gaze to Lee Ahn.

“How do you feel?”

“How do you think I feel?”

After all, it was the day she received martial arts instruction from Geom Woojin, the Heavenly Demon himself.

“It wasn’t just that I was happy because the Cult Leader taught me martial arts.”

“Then?”

“The fact that he taught me martial arts means he officially acknowledged me, doesn’t it?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, but my father had acknowledged her as someone as close as blood by personally teaching her the Soaring Sword Art. After all, the Soaring Sword Art was a martial technique passed down only to blood relatives. 2

“This will be a day I’ll never forget. Thank you, Young Master.”

“What did I even do?”

“You told the Cult Leader, didn’t you? That while it might just be one drinking session for him, it could be a life-changing moment for me. If not for those words, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Lee Ahn had remembered exactly what I had said to my father.

“Today, I felt like I was truly welcomed.”

I smiled broadly and patted her on the shoulder. Welcome, Lee Ahn.

And with that, the drinking session at the Flowing Wind Tavern came to an end.

* * *

Though the welcome party was over, my day wasn’t.

When I returned to my quarters, someone I hadn’t expected was waiting for me.

Standing in my courtyard, gazing up at the moon in the night sky, was my older brother, Geom Muyang.

“When did you get here?”

“Just a little while ago.”

Judging by my gut feeling, it seemed he’d been waiting for quite some time. I wondered what thoughts had crossed his mind during that long, lonely wait.

“I had a drink with the Fist Demon King. If I had known, I would’ve invited you to join us.”

Geom Muyang silently continued to look at the moon.

I stood beside him.

“You look tired.”

At my words, Geom Muyang’s gaze shifted from the moon to me.

“Do I? I’ve had a lot on my plate lately. How about you?”

He seemed softer than usual. I could sense it—Geom Muyang was struggling. The more cornered he felt, the harder he fought.

In a way, I felt sorry for my brother. My regression had made his life more difficult. From the start, this was a battle with a predetermined outcome. A young man in his twenties couldn’t compete against me. Especially since I’d been growing stronger ever since my regression.

But still, brother, we can’t live the same life. If we continue as we were, all that awaits us is death.

“Does it bother you that I’m meeting with Dan Woo-gang?”

“It would be a lie to say it doesn’t.”

“I’ve been deeply immersed in martial arts lately. You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Do you think I’d believe you?”

“You should relax and meet the Demon Supremes, too. Have a chat about books with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, drink with the Great Drunken Demon. I’m fine with it.”

“Are you saying you’re confident? That they’re already on your side? As your brother, let me give you a piece of advice: don’t underestimate the Demon Supremes. Just because they’re smiling in front of you now, don’t assume they’re on your side. In the end, they’ll always choose what benefits them most in the final moment.”

I looked at him and smiled.

“Are you mocking me?”

“No. I was just thinking about when was the last time you gave me any advice or counsel. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?” 3

Geom Muyang turned his head to look at the shadow of the moon cast on the wall. Between us, there stood a wall much higher and thicker than the one before us.

“The Fist Demon King told me that he supports you. He said that’s what Father would want too.”

For a moment, Geom Muyang flinched in surprise.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Brother, this is just the kind of person I am. I’m not the type to push back when someone approaches me with goodwill.”

For the first time in a long while, I revealed my true feelings to him.

“Do you know why I told the Demon Supremes that I’d compete for the successor position without spilling blood with you?”

“Why?”

Geom Muyang looked genuinely curious.

“When we were young, you did some unforgivable things to me. You instilled a fear of the martial world in me, breaking me down psychologically. Back then, even the mere thought of the martial world made me shrink and terrified.”

It was the first time I’d brought this up with him. Geom Muyang’s eyes trembled. He probably thought I didn’t know. After all, from his perspective, he had feigned concern for me while telling me all sorts of things.

He didn’t deny it.

“Then you should take revenge. Why say there’s no need to shed blood?”

“You were only bad up to that point.”

“!”

“If you were truly a scumbag, you would’ve found some way to kill me. Maybe by destroying my core or using some other cruel tactic. But you weren’t someone who wanted to become the successor so badly that you’d harm your own brother. You were bad to the extent that I could understand and tolerate. So, with my generous heart, I’ve decided to forgive you up to that point. After all, you were young back then, too.” 4

Of course, the fact that Father wanted this was also a significant reason.

“You crazy bastard, talking nonsense.”

A curse, something he didn’t usually do, slipped out. Geom Muyang was clearly flustered. Perhaps, in this moment, he was being bombarded with questions from deep within his own heart.

‘If you weren’t confident in becoming the successor, what would you have done? Would you have still left your brother alone? Or did you stop there because you were confident that you would be the successor?’

What kind of person is my brother, really?

To be honest, even I don’t know the answer to that. After all, it’s something that never happened, and when someone is desperate, no one can predict what choice they’ll make in that moment.

“But don’t let your guard down. Both you and I are still being tested. I said I’d compete for the successor position without spilling blood, but if I were to kill you and become the Cult Leader, none of the Demon Supremes would truly follow me. The same goes for you. If you suppress me with some half-baked scheme and take the Cult Leader’s seat, the Demon Supremes will never truly be loyal to you. Don’t forget—though it may not seem like it, the Demon Supremes are always watching us.”

Geom Muyang, who had been silently watching me, suddenly spoke.

“Why have you become so talkative? You weren’t like this when you were young.”

“Maybe all my internal energy is going to my mouth.” 5

“That’s not funny at all.”

I wondered if the words I’d just said had managed to knock out even a single brick from the thick wall between us. Hoping that it did, I continued with my lecture. With my brother, there was no choice but to unleash my powerful nagging technique.

“Since I’ve already become a chatterbox, let me say one last thing. Who says there’s no coexistence between brothers in a power struggle? That it always ends with one killing the other? Who decided that? Why should we be swayed by the precedents and doubts of pathetic idiots who can’t even control their own desires?”

I stepped in front of Geom Muyang, meeting his gaze.

“So don’t even think about being swayed by such ideas. If you ever feel anxious that I might kill you, come see me. Just looking at me will make those thoughts disappear. And don’t think that I’m belittling you today! Don’t think you’ve lost. Just think, ‘Oh, my younger brother sure talks a lot and well,’ and leave it at that. Don’t get all worked up! Don’t make any rash decisions!” 6

As soon as I finished, Geom Muyang burst out.

“You little bastard! I thought my ears were going to bleed. You said you’d say one thing, but was that one thing? If you feel like killing me, come find me! You’re the one who should stop lecturing like a brat!”

Geom Muyang stormed off with heavy strides.

You know what, brother? Just as you find me difficult, I feel the same way about you. To me, you’re harder to deal with than Father, harder than even the Eight Demon Supremes.

For a moment, I stood in the courtyard, looking up at the moon that my brother had been gazing at. It was a night that brought to mind the words of Gu Cheonpa : “Family is the greatest enemy.”

* * *

The next day and the day after that, we trained diligently.

We worked hard during the day and worked hard at night. It was a continuous cycle of training.

Several days passed like this, and today we were deep into another midnight training session.

Just like every other day, I was practicing my stances in the exact same way as the Fist Demon King.

Whoosh!

Dan Woo-gang’s fist came flying toward me.

It looked like a mistake, but it wasn’t.

Bang!

My fist collided with the Fist Demon King’s fist in mid-air.

The explosive sound startled Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee, making them look over at us.

We were both in the same stance, with our fists thrust out, meeting in the air.

“My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“It happens.”

“So, how about it? Since we’ve already put some strength into this, why don’t we have a sparring match?”

“The offer is tempting, but I’ll have to decline.”

Finally, the Fist Demon King was beginning to pull some not-so-subtle tricks. As much as I wanted to learn his martial arts, he was ten times more eager to fight me.

“If you’re declining, why are you still staring at me like that?”

It was probably a strange experience for him. He wasn’t used to someone looking at him this intently.

Now, I wanted to truly see the Fist Demon King. I had only seen his fists before, but now, I intended to look at him—without any preconceptions, straight on.

“The more I look at your face, the less scary you seem.”

Dan Woo-gang shook his head with an exasperated expression, then began putting on his clothes as if to signal that today’s training was over.

As he left, Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee came to stand on either side of me.

“Liar!”

“The more I look, the scarier he gets.”

Their playful, yet sincere comments made me smile faintly.

My gaze followed the Fist Demon King as he walked off into the distance. With his large, broad back turned, he walked alone into the darkness.

What kept drawing my eyes wasn’t his face. From that lonely figure walking away, I saw… my former self from before my regression. 7

1 : You’ll see the result soon ^^

2 : Father-in-law blessing ^^

3 : The deep chasm in their relationship is sad… Muyang works so hard because he’s terrified, it’s painful to watch him struggle against a MC and regressor.

4 : True, the fact that he only deterred him psychologically from the competition and didn’t try to harm him further, whether by driving him to suicide or kill him prove that he doesn’t really want to fight Mugeuk. A true Jafar would have used more nefarious means long ago.

5 : It’s quite possible yes XDXDXD

6 : Good job at trying to knock off misunderstanding and flags, the only unknown is if he’ll listen to it.

7 : Offering the helping hand that you always refused back then.

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