Absolute Regression

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Ma Bul left the Great Hall.

It was mealtime, so Geom Mugeuk would be waiting at the entrance.

Today marked his fifth day of dining with the Second Young Master.

They hadn’t exchanged many words. Just a few meaningless jokes, and then they ate and parted ways. It was akin to a sparring match where both threw feints, probing each other.

Geom Mugeuk might think that this would gradually bring them closer, but that was far from the truth. Operation Golden Strike ? Why would he use his own gold to let someone else carry out an operation?

‘Sorry, but that operation is mine.’

Sure, they would get closer. So close, in fact, that he would eventually convince Geom Mugeuk to give up his bid for the Heavenly Demon position.

This was the Demonic Buddha’s plan.

If he could manage this, there would be no need to sway the other Demon Supremes. It was the fastest and most certain method.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk wouldn’t give up easily, but Ma Bul saw a glimmer of possibility because of Geom Mugeuk’s personality.

‘The Second Young Master is driven by his moods.’

He was more emotional than anyone he had ever met. That’s probably why the other Demon Supremes had sided with him. And one more thing:

‘He’s someone who always keeps his word.’

And most decisively, he wanted to end this succession battle peacefully.

‘There’s definitely an opportunity here.’

He wasn’t someone who had spent his life reciting Buddhist chants in a temple. Being called power-hungry meant he had been actively meeting people all along. He would use that experience to deal with Geom Mugeuk.

‘I am not like the other Demon Supremes!’

Just as he strengthened his resolve and left the Golden Buddha Temple—

Whoosh.

No one was at the entrance. Geom Mugeuk, who usually waited for him, was nowhere to be seen.

‘Why didn’t he come today?’

From what Ma Bul knew, Geom Mugeuk wasn’t one to give up so easily.

The Demonic Buddha waited for Geom Mugeuk there for a while.

Had he ever waited outside like this for someone before?

But even when all his precious patience was exhausted, Geom Mugeuk did not show up.

Geom Mugeuk didn’t come the next day or the day after that. By the third day, the Demonic Buddha couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to go to Geom Mugeuk’s quarters. ȓάŊο₿Ɛś

‘What’s going on?’

And there, Ma Bul witnessed an unexpected scene.

Geom Mugeuk was sprawled out on a broad stone in the courtyard, looking like a corpse.

Alarmed, the Demonic Buddha rushed over and looked down at Geom Mugeuk. It was only then that Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes. Their gazes met in the air as one looked up and the other looked down.

“You’re here?”

“I thought you were dead.”

“For a moment, that must have pleased you.”

The Demonic Buddha sat on the rock.

“This place is comfortable. The back is cool too. Want to lie down?”

“I’ll pass.”

Geom Mugeuk was definitely not his usual self.

“You were coming every day, but when you didn’t show up, I wondered if something was wrong.”

Geom Mugeuk, who had been staring up at the sky for a moment, spoke softly.

“Three days ago, I was on my way to see you, Demonic Buddha, but I happened to look up at the sky.”

Ma Bul’s gaze naturally followed his, also turning to the sky.

“There wasn’t a single cloud, and a bird was flying across. As I watched that bird, a thought suddenly came to me. I was envious.”

The Demonic Buddha looked at Geom Mugeuk.

“Why would I envy it? With our lightness skill, we can fly like that too. We can even fly higher and faster. That’s when I realized—I’m struggling.”

This plan was indeed a plan, but it was still one that held Geom Mugeuk’s true feelings.

“I’ve been charging forward, always looking ahead.”

Not to mention his life before the regression, even after regressing, he had been running forward without rest. So, what he said now was truly from his heart. 1

Ma Bul couldn’t discern what Geom Mugeuk intended by saying this.

But one thing was clear. If anyone had been charging forward, looking only ahead, it was him.

He was born short and had been mocked for it, and he didn’t want to die like that. He loathed pity or help even more. He had fought tooth and nail to reach his current position.

‘Young Master, you don’t really know what it means to keep your eyes fixed straight ahead.’

This rock was currently carrying two men who had been running, eyes fixed forward.

“Since that day, I’ve just been rolling around like this for three or four days. I apologize for not informing you.”

To the Demonic Buddha, Geom Mugeuk didn’t seem like he was up to some new trick. There was nothing to gain from lying around here like a slacker; what could he possibly achieve by doing that?

‘Well, given how much he’s accomplished at such a young age, I suppose it must be exhausting.’

It crossed Ma Bul’s mind that if he could leverage this fatigue, he might be able to get Geom Mugeuk to give up his position as successor more easily than he thought.

The Demonic Buddha gently suggested, “Why don’t you take this opportunity to rest for a while? Put aside the burden of thinking you have to become the successor.”

Inwardly, the Demonic Buddha prayed for a certain answer.

―Sure, maybe I should just give up on being the successor or whatever.

However, instead of answering, Geom Mugeuk suddenly asked him, “Aren’t you tired, Ma Bul?”

Despite the unexpected question, the Demonic Buddha didn’t reveal any of his true feelings.

“I’m tired because of you. If you would just step down from the successor competition, I’d feel completely energized.”

Geom Mugeuk let out a faint smile and then suddenly shouted.

“Oh! There it is. That’s the bird that ruined our meal!”

A small bird was flitting about, flying here and there.

“How do you know it’s the same bird?”

“It looks just like that guy. Look over there—doesn’t it seem like it’s saying, ‘Aren’t I free? Aren’t you envious?’”

“To my eyes... it just looks like it’s saying, ‘Flying straight ahead has made my wings hurt, and I’m weary.’”

Geom Mugeuk glanced at the Demonic Buddha.

Ma Bul continued to watch the bird. He spoke as if joking, but he was sincere. He wasn’t envious of that bird at all.

Watching it flapping its wings tirelessly as it flew forward felt like looking at himself. He was always busy—moving alongside the Eldest Young Master, meeting people, managing the Mad Monks, training in martial arts, and chanting sutras to Budha.

It was hard because he was weak. He used to say that only those whose minds were rotten found life difficult. He lived with those words on his lips. Meanwhile, time passed by so quickly, making him more anxious. And so, his life became even busier.

‘So, what’s left for me...?’

Lost in thought for a long while, the Demonic Buddha turned to look at Geom Mugeuk.

At some point, Geom Mugeuk had fallen asleep beside him. Seeing him sleep so comfortably beside him surprised Ma Bul inwardly.

‘He trusts me this much?’

He thought it was an act. After all, the Second Young Master was crafty, likely pretending to trust him this much just to deceive him.

‘That won’t work on me, Young Master.’

The Demonic Buddha rose from the rock without making a sound. 2

‘It won’t work on me...’

As Ma Bul walked far from the house, Geom Mugeuk, with his eyes still closed, spoke softly.

“Demonic Buddha, let’s just give up on the successor thing. Let’s take a break.”

Slowly pulling, so slowly be pulled along.

* * *

The next day, Geom Mugeuk didn’t show up again.

Ma Bul naturally made his way to Geom Mugeuk’s quarters.

Geom Mugeuk wasn’t home, but just then, a servant came out of the building.

“Where did the Second Young Master go?”

“He received a message from the Thousand Poisons Forest and went there.”

“The Thousand Poisons Forest?”

The Demonic Buddha, who had been about to return to his own residence, changed direction and headed toward the Thousand Poisons Forest.

Though considered to be on the Eldest Young Master’s side, the Poison King hadn’t officially declared his support for him yet.

The fact that the Poison King had called for Geom Mugeuk intrigued him, so Ma Bul decided to go see what was going on, curious about their conversation and how they were getting along.

His steps quickened toward the Thousand Poisons Forest.

* * *

It had been a while since he had last visited this place.

On his way, he encountered several Poison Fangs. After the bet with the Poison King in the martial arts grounds, the looks they gave him varied. From ‘We fully support you, Young Master’, to ‘How dare you turn our Poison King into a dog!’ 3

When he arrived at the quarters, the Poison King was in the middle of concocting something. As I approached, I noticed it wasn’t the usual poison he was making.

“This seems like something out of the ordinary.”

The Poison King was so engrossed in his poison-making that he didn’t even respond.

It was a comforting sight, seeing him lost in his own world after such a long time.

I took a moment to look around the room.

Everything was just as it used to be before we went to kill Yarhuyan. The furniture, the medicine bottles, and the tools—all were exactly where they had been.

Then, something caught my eye.

“What the—! This!”

Startled, I exclaimed, and the Poison King lifted his head.

“It’s something I left unfinished from when I was eating.”

It had been left there exactly as it was for an entire month. 4

Instead of scolding him with a "Please clean up after yourself!", I chose to wrap his laziness in a nice package.

“The more dangerous the materials you handle, the more everything needs to remain exactly where it belongs, right?”

The Poison King, still focused on his concoction, replied without looking up.

“No. I just didn’t have time to clean up since I came back and started making this. But next time someone complains about the mess, I’ll use that excuse.”

In the past, not even the high-ranking aides dared to enter this space without permission. The Poison King cleaned it himself. Thinking back, it was a privilege to be allowed into this space that was solely his.

While I hastily tidied up the mess, Poison King finished the elixir.

“It’s done!”

Seeing the look of joy flash across his face, it was clear that this poison hadn’t been easy to make.

The concoction was colorful and vivid, like a flower.

“It looks potent. Who are you planning to kill with this? The Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance? The leader of the Unorthodox Alliance?”

The Poison King suddenly thrust it towards me.

“Eat it.”

“You’re just going to openly poison the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Second Young Master like this?”

“Why not?”

“Then I guess my brother must be hiding behind that curtain over there.”

Even as I said that, I accepted the elixir.

“What exactly is this?”

“It’s a Heavenly Qi Pill.”

At the mention of a Heavenly Qi Pill, I was taken aback.

The Heavenly Qi Pill was one of the top three rare poisons and, at the same time, a miraculous medicine among those who dealt with poisons. Though it was a miracle medicine, it wasn’t something that increased internal energy.

“I found a Qi Spirit Herb in the depths of the cave. Nobody recognized its value.”

“Ah! Investigator Seo told me about it. He said you dug through the entire place.”

“I was looking for the Fire Spirit Snake that should be nearby. Where there’s a Qi Spirit Herb, there’s bound to be a Fire Spirit Snake. Heavenly Qi Pill is made by combining the fruit of the Qi Spirit Herb and the inner core of the Fire Spirit Snake.”

“Why are you giving me something so terrifying?”

“You should be asking why I’m giving you something so valuable.”

The Poison King proudly spoke of the elixir’s effects.

“Taking the Heavenly Qi Pill will change your constitution so that you can withstand any extreme heat or cold. Even without internal energy, you could survive being thrown naked into a desert or a snowy mountain.And that’s not all, it also gives you a significant advantage when facing martial arts techniques that use extreme yang or extreme yin energy."

“But the problem is that it’s highly toxic. Wouldn’t consuming it kill you?”

“That’s right. Many have melted away trying to endure the effects of the Heavenly Qi Pill out of greed.”

The Poison King stared directly into my eyes and asked further.

“But you can survive it, can’t you?” 5

“!”

A moment of silence passed.

I could tell from his expression and gaze.

“You knew.”

“Yes. I already knew that you possess the Complete Poison Immunity. We’ve been together for so long, did you think I wouldn’t know?”

The Poison King was truly the Poison King.

“That’s a shame. I was planning to reveal this fact at a dramatic moment someday.”

“I, too, intended to dramatically reveal that I knew.”

“You succeeded. You really surprised me.”

Even though the Poison King knew about my Complete Poison Immunity, he didn’t seem as displeased as I had expected.

“I thought you’d be quite upset to learn this.”

“Why would I be upset? I’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time.”

“For my immunity to all poisons?”

The Poison King’s eyes sparkled.

“I can test various poisons on you! Now, start by consuming this and tell me everything. How does it taste? How potent is it? What else should I add?” 6

I playfully took a few steps back.

“I’m the Second Young Master. The one who will become the Heavenly Demon. I’ve barked in the training grounds with you like a hellhound. I’m not a test subject.”

The Poison King laughed at my playful retort. It took living a second life to realize that the assumption that the Poison King would naturally dislike a poison-immune person was just a prejudice and preconception.

“Then, I’ll take it.”

I sat down cross-legged and took the Heavenly Qi Pill. It was indeed an extreme poison. If I didn’t have the Complete Poison Immunity, I wouldn’t have been able to fully dissolve its intense energy before it dissolved me.

The taste was also more bitter and toxic than any other miracle medicine I had ever taken. It set a new record for bitterness and toxicity.

“You made it this bitter just to mess with me, didn’t you?” 7

I couldn’t help but voice my complaint.

I managed to fully dissolve the energy of the Heavenly Qi Pill. Unlike other elixirs, the energy of the Heavenly Qi Pill didn’t just settle in my dantian but spread throughout the meridians all over my body. 8

Now, even if I fell into ice-cold water, I wouldn’t die from the cold. Now, I could treat any ordinary flames like the warmth of a campfire.

I bowed deeply to the Poison King.

“I will never forget the grace of granting me such a precious elixir.”

“Forget the gratitude. Can you answer one question for me?”

“Ask a hundred if you wish.”

“Who is it that you’re trying to face?”

The Poison King sensed it. He realized that there was a powerful goal driving me forward without end.

“If I find another Qi Spirit Herb, you’ll be the first to know.”

That was my roundabout way of saying I couldn’t tell him. But even that was half an answer. It wasn’t ‘There is no such person.’

The Poison King’s gaze deepened as he looked at me. Just as he was about to say something, his attendant arrived with a report.

“The Demonic Buddha has arrived.”

“Why is Ma Bul here?”

Startled, the Poison King glared at me.

“Of all things, you brought the Demonic Buddha to the Thousand Poisons Forest. What did you do to pull this off?”

It seemed that Ma Bul had never visited before.

“If I had done something, he wouldn’t have come. It’s because I did nothing that he’s here now.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

The Poison King quickly tried to slip out through the back door.

“Tell him I’m not here. I find dealing with him too uncomfortable.”

I quickly stepped in front of him.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Another time.”

“If you grant my request, I’ll come running whenever you need a poison test subject.” 9

The Poison King let out a sigh and then ordered his attendant to bring the Demonic Buddha in.

“If I don’t grant it, you’ll just pretend to be busy that day, or run out the back door.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that.”

“That’s why I’m agreeing. So, what’s the favor? You want me to persuade the Demonic Buddha to abandon the Eldest Young Master and join your side? Or should I poison him quietly and bury him here in the Thousand Poisons Forest?”

“It might be even harder than that.”

My request was something the Poison King never expected.

“Just for today, please play with us.”

1 : A deep part of him wants to be free. Free of his burden, free of politics. It resonates so much with him that even his Intent reflects that, the cloudless sky we want to reach with our hand.

2 : Lol, he says he won’t be tricked, but he’s still considerate to not wake him up, so cute ^ ^

3 : Lol, how dare he indeed XDXDXD He even barked with him !!! The nerve !!!

4 : Whoa, gross.

5 : He knows. And now, he knows that you know that he knows.

6 : The perfect test subject. Run Mugeuk, ruuuunnnn !!!

7 : I hope it’s true, it would be petty…. And funny XDXDXD

8 : Good ol’ body tempering.

9 : Reminds me of another novel where those too powerful need to spice their alcohol with poison to get a kick out of it. Wonder if Mugeuk will end up forced to such extremities eventually.

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