Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 576



575 – Protect the World from Regression

The original tree is Nebida’s demon and the world tree that inherits the energy of the world tree and possesses the demon’s immense power. As the ancient druid and demon, Nebida can control this magnificent and enormous tree at will. Inside this tree, Nebida is a god-like existence.

Like a god, Nebida created my room in just a few seconds. The room was so wide and comfortable that it was hard to believe it was made by hollowing out a tree. Except for the fact that the location was a bit inconvenient and I couldn’t go outside, it was perfect.

A soft, grass-made bed. A table grown from the tree. The chair made from the tree trunk had a dry, moss-like cushion, and a clothes hanger protruded from the ivy that grew along the wall.

There was even a bathroom, a kitchen, and a food storage room in the room. The sound of clear water flowed from the bamboo pipe above my head. If I removed the cork plug, water would pour out.

In a flower-shaped container, I saw flower petals soaked in plant-based oil. When I touched the attached lighter, sparks flew, and the oil caught fire. The coexistence of fire and plants, which were natural enemies, was reminiscent of the mysteries of nature. When I closed the lacquered wooden lid, the suffocated flames fell back asleep.

A civilization truly made by nature. To think that a home and furniture could be created in an instant—if this isn’t divine, then what is? It’s a temporary house that will eventually disappear, but I can only feel gratitude.

I brought the armless regressor into my room. The regressor, who had barely saved their life thanks to me, expressed their gratitude.

“Just kill me…!”

They didn’t show it.

What on earth is this? I asked in disbelief.

“What’s with the sudden outburst? Are you some kind of captive knight?”

“…Ugh. It’s a similar situation.”

A captive knight wouldn’t typically have their arms ripped off, so they’d likely receive better treatment than a regressor.

The regressor groaned in pain, biting their lip as they looked at their empty shoulder. I had managed the bleeding with qi and first aid, but the blood seeping through their clothes still indicated the dire state they were in.

“I’ve already lost my arms and my weapon. The chances of recovery are slim… and Nebida won’t let me off that easily. There’s nothing I can do now. If I’m going to die anyway, it’s better to die quickly.”

In truth, it wouldn’t be strange for them to contemplate suicide. The fortunate thing is that the regressor didn’t seem to be in utter despair. If a warrior had been defeated and had their arms torn off, they would be expected to feel hopeless and despondent, but what I sensed from the regressor was anger.

‘That’s how you return with a clear mind. Dying in a state of despair is a waste of time… Ugh, maybe it’s because I’ve lost so much blood. My head is buzzing, and I feel like I’m going to lose it.’

Thanks to that, I remained unaffected by their emotions. If the regressor had truly wished for death, I might have ended up helping them with suicide, so it was a relief.

“Don’t be so pessimistic. What would that make my efforts to save Shay? It would make the person who tried to save you feel embarrassed.”

I spoke with comfort and encouragement, but the response I received was one of suspicion from the regressor.

“…You’re after my body, aren’t you?”

“What nonsense is that!”

What? Even when your arms were perfectly intact, I never targeted your body! Let alone now, when you’ve suffered losses and your body is half a wreck—what? Target you? There are better things to aim for!

“Just because I revealed I’m a woman, you want to take me away….”

“What do you mean take you away? I need to treat you! Are you really going to die like this?!”

“What’s the point of healing? You have no arms, and your weapons have been taken. Even if you manage to survive, you’ll just become a test subject for the Great Witch or a hostage for Nebida….”

So, you’ve given Nebida a valid reason to keep you alive! So that neither Nebida nor the Great Witch can kill you at will! What do you think of human effort!

How much have I sacrificed my image for this! This won’t do. I need to hammer in the cold truth…!

‘Huh-? That man is the King of Humans? Why?’

Wait a moment. Let’s stay calm.

I can read someone’s thoughts from outside. My mind clears as if I’ve splashed cold water on my face. I stop what I was about to say and focus on the thoughts flowing from somewhere.

‘Hmm. That’s right. He does bear a resemblance to the one sleeping above…. But appearance alone isn’t a reason. Huh? He found the King of Dogs and is stealing the unique magic? Who said that? That little gear boy’s unique magic…?’

It’s the Great Witch’s thoughts. It seems she’s conversing with Nebida, but Nebida’s thoughts remain flat and unvaried, less clear than the Great Witch’s.

‘But it’s strange…. Setting aside the fact that the Beast King is male, even if he is male, the desire for reproduction in the species is low. Gender is merely a form, and the essence represents both male and female…. The Beast King is a perfect being in itself, like a hermaphrodite, and offspring arise naturally, so there’s no worry of lineage dying out.’

Tch. She’s already sensed something strange. I thought it would take a bit longer.

Nebida is a druid who handles plants and herbs. In contrast, the Great Witch is an authority in the animal kingdom, adept at controlling beasts and knowledgeable about poisons and herbs. It was a natural outcome for the two to form a cooperative relationship.

‘The King of Humans might be a bit different… he could be. If he’s been split in two, then he would also be incomplete. Hmm, I understand.’

Thus, she had a better grasp of beasts and the Beast King. After finishing the conversation, the Great Witch thought to herself.

‘But there might be other schemes at play. Nebida won’t keep an eye on him. That would be sacrilegious. But I don’t care. After all, voyeurism is a witch’s specialty…. I can’t miss the opportunity to observe the ecology of the King of Humans.’

Don’t make the witch a voyeur on her own terms! She already has a bad image, and acting like that will only lead to witch hunts!

However, the Great Witch forcibly turned nearby insects into her familiars. Normally, she would have to nurture and bond with them to make them familiars, but as a witch with the blood of a vampire, she far surpassed such limitations.

Twenty insects that slipped in found their places throughout the room. They are the eyes and ears of the voyeuristic witch. The signals sent by the twenty insects, which an ordinary human could never interpret…. Merged with blood magic, these insect familiars would become the Great Witch’s eyes and ears.

Surveillance, huh? I won’t be able to relax at all. I’ve hardly ever been able to relax anyway.

It can’t be helped. Ugh, it’s really humiliating.

“No. Shei won’t become a test subject for the Great Witch or a hostage for Nebida.”

“…How do you know?”

“Because Ms. Shay has to become my girlfriend.”

“W-what?”

“So stop being stubborn and just attach your arms. Are you trying to die?”

‘W-what, suddenly, what are you saying?’

I roughly pulled the bewildered regressor and sat them in a chair. The confused regressor moved without any resistance, following my lead.

Ah, my pride is hurt. I’ve had many people confess to me in my life, but I’ve never confessed to anyone.

But in life, you can’t only do what you want. If I want to protect the regressor’s life under the watchful eyes of Nebida and the great witch…

No, that’s not it.

If I want to protect this world from the regressor’s life, this is the only way!

“I have a normal aesthetic sense, so I don’t want to be around someone who’s bleeding and writhing without arms, you know? Look. It’s smelly and dirty. It’s disgusting.”

“…I can’t help it! My arms… ugh. They were torn off…!”

“That’s why I’m trying to put Ms. Shay back to normal. Now, let’s get to work. I’ll try to restore you as the goddess of Tir, so hold the connected parts steady with your qi.”

I lifted the two arms I had carefully brought along. They were the very arms the regressor had lost. If they were this badly damaged, I should be worried that the body might die before I could even reattach them, but that’s up to the individual.

The regressor’s blood circulation was minimizing blood loss by redirecting the flow towards the arms, even in the worst-case scenario of having lost them. It was a precise response, as if they had experienced losing an arm before.

“Here, look. These are Ms. Shay’s lost left and right arms that I brought. Please wave your hand to say hello. Oh, but Ms. Shay doesn’t have a hand to greet with, does she?”

“While I’m left to die, you’re making jokes…!”

“Making the atmosphere heavy in a serious situation will only make it heavier. Let’s think positively.

I held the two arms that had been torn off by Nebida in both hands and waved them. The bones were twisted, and the severed muscles flopped around, but they were still alive. All thanks to my relentless effort to keep the blood circulating.

The regressor saw a glimmer of hope in the relatively intact arms, but soon shook their head.

“…Even if I attach it, it will take months to regain strength. Even after recovery, I won’t be able to exert as much power as before.”

“Then it’s fine to recover for a few months. There’s more life ahead; what’s a few months of recovery?”

‘…That’s true. Hughes wouldn’t understand. The fact that I can regress… It’s better to die and start over than to struggle for months trying to reattach a lost arm.’

It’s not for you, but for me. I’ve managed to get through this round quite well, and if things go right, I might regain my full strength, but I can’t reset just yet.

“Don’t you think of this as training? Living for a few months without an arm might help me develop a different level of skill?”

“Does that even make sense?”

“So, if my arm is gone, I should just say I’ll die~? Especially when I could potentially get it back. What you’re saying is an insult to all the armless people in the world. It’s something you shouldn’t say to me either.”

‘But from Hughes’ perspective, who doesn’t know about regression, I must seem strange for wanting to give up on life. Ugh. Right. There’s still a lot to gain this time around. Starting over is a hassle, so let’s see it through to the end. …And, also. I’m concerned about what Hughes said.’

The regressor leaned back in the chair, nodding in place of the hand that had vanished.

“…There’s a potion in my pocket. If you process it as I instruct, it will help in reattaching your arm. It will require a lot of energy to connect each muscle.”

“Alright. I have a lot to say, but let’s prioritize reattaching the arm first.”

“Ugh, okay.”

The regressor was tense, not simply because of the upcoming treatment.

…Ah. It’s been a while since I felt that sensation of catering to a customer at a host bar. How about it, great witch? Are you satisfied?

‘Hmm. So this is the feeling… It’s not bad…’

Reading the thoughts of the audience watching me, I cautiously continued my actions.