Absolute Regression Chapter 774

Episode 774 Oh my, you jingling swordsmen!

Late one night, Kwak Young, his body heavy as a thousand pounds, was tidying up the iron room. He
wiped the workbench with a damp cloth and swept up the ash and scraps of metal from the floor.

She was the youngest craftsman in the Murim Alliance and was doing odd jobs in the Cheonmasingyo ironworks.

Since arriving here, she has quietly devoted herself to her assigned duties.
Initially, many were displeased with her. They didn’t like her for being from the Murim Alliance or for being a woman.

Silently enduring the neglect and contempt, she didn’t shy away from the hard work. Thanks to this, the way people view her these days has changed significantly.
Those who work with metal are like fire. They hate what they don’t like, but they also have a strong sense of acceptance. Clearly, she worked hard enough to be recognized by everyone.

It was also a time for her to reflect on herself.

‘Yeah, that’s what I felt like when I first started learning ironwork.’

When did it start? As I became a craftsman and, without realizing it, my shoulders began to shrug, I began to realize I’d lost this venom. Could it be that I became the target of those who kidnapped my younger brother, perhaps exploiting that fragile heart?

Just as she was about to leave the iron room for the last time, having wrapped up another arduous day of work, someone called out to her. It was none other than Master Kwak, who had not yet returned to his office.

“Start using fire tomorrow.”

The command to use fire meant to create weapons. With the long-awaited permission granted, Gwak Yeong’s expression brightened.

“thank you.”

Although Master Kwak treated her indifferently, he had been watching her all along.

“There are still people who dislike you.”
“I know.”
“Prove yourself with the sword you made.”
“Yes!”

Kwak Young bowed his head several times to thank Master Kwak as he left the iron room.

Kwak Yeong walked to the unlit brazier.
He could finally forge a sword! How long had he waited for this moment?

She forced herself to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. She couldn’t be weak.
Her younger brother, who had applied for a low-level military position, had begun life as a miner. Just looking at his expression, you could tell how difficult and challenging it was, but her younger brother was holding back and persevering.

‘We can do it.’

After looking around the empty iron cell, she left.
As she closed the door and left, someone spoke to her.

“Congratulations.”

Startled, she turned around to see Geommuyang standing there.
A look of delight crossed her face, but then her face hardened and she asked.

“By any chance?”
“If you’re asking if I asked Master Kwak to make you a sword, then no. If I did, you’ll never be able to work here again.”

It was true. Even though he was a grandson of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Master Kwak, as far as I’d known, wasn’t the type to accept such external pressure. In fact, if he’d made such a request, he’d never be able to craft a sword again.

“I just wanted to say congratulations.”

Yesterday, Master Kwak came to him and said it was time to let Kwak Yang make a sword. That’s why he learned of this and came to see her today.
The reason Geommuyang cares about her is because she came to this distant Cheonmasingyo because of him.

As Geommuyang was about to turn around after saying that, Gwak Yeong spoke.

“Please buy me a drink.”

As Geommuyang turned to her, her old self appeared after a long time.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You know I’m usually this brash, don’t you? I’ve been holding back since I came here. Your Highness, please just tolerate my temper for today. I was on the verge of collapse from the heat.”

She spoke so confidently that Geommuyang couldn’t help but chuckle. At Geommuyang’s favorable response, she continued speaking.

“Today, I want someone to congratulate me. As you know, I’m asking for something because I’m not in a position to receive a proper salary yet. I’ll buy it for myself in a month.”

Geommuyang nodded. I’d been debating whether to offer a congratulatory drink. I turned away, worried it might be a burden, but she spoke first.

Yes, I wanted to congratulate her. She worked really hard. I have no regrets introducing her to Master Kwak.

Someone was watching the two of them walk together from afar. That person was none other than Geommu-geuk. I went to see my brother’s face, but he told me that his subordinate had gone to the iron room.

Hyung hadn’t forgotten Gwak Yeong and was taking care of him.
If he were his normal self, he wouldn’t have even bothered. Seeing his brother’s transformation, Geommu-geuk’s gaze deepened.

“You have to become even cooler in the future, hyung.”

* * *

Geommu-geuk returned straight to his quarters.
During the time he had promised his father, Geommu-geuk practiced his martial arts, using space-time teleportation techniques. His father was probably also practicing this technique at this time. He himself continued to use his Nine-Hwa Demonic Arts.

It wasn’t because he’d unleashed the Sicheon Secret Art that he waited five hours.
The Sicheon Secret Art, which had given him seven times more time, now granted him nine times more. Five hours in reality was forty-five hours to Geommu-geuk, nearly four days.

Geommu-geuk had no intention of revealing to his father the Time-Slowing Secret Art, which allowed him to slow down time within the Time- Spatial-Transfer Art.
He would undoubtedly achieve great success in Time-Spanning Secret Art, and perhaps even attain the true Ultimate Art of Martial Arts. He might
even become a Demon Immortal and ascend to the throne, or he might spend his life immersed in martial arts training, never to be freed from the Time-Spatial-Transfer Art. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I could lose my father.

“I’m sorry, Father. I trust you’ll manage, but this son is a worrier by nature.”

Geommu-geuk was absorbed in the training of the Nine-Hwa Demonic Arts.

‘Break the Ten Great Stars of the Nine Flower Demons and achieve the Twelve Great Stars!’

Having lost the Twelve Zodiac Kings, they now face the threat of a fire weapon appearing at any moment.
However, they intend to fight until the very end. If, despite all their efforts, they still can’t defeat the fire weapon, then they’ll have to admit it like a warrior. Yes, you’ve won.

When I grew tired of training, I’d open the hot spring and soak in it. And when I grew tired of training again, I’d open the island and rest, enjoying the sea breeze.
Throughout my training, I was always curious.

Will my father be able to succeed in time?

Five hours passed like that in reality.

Geommugeuk visited his father again. He was waiting for him at his private training center.
First, he checked his father’s expression.

Did you learn it in time or did you fail?

But I couldn’t tell from my father’s expression whether it was a failure or a success. At times like these, only one thought came to mind.

‘My father really should have been a gambler!’

Because you might have failed in the first place.

“Even if you failed, don’t be too embarrassed. Five hours is absolutely impossible. I don’t like that inhumane father, my son. So speak frankly. Son, five hours is impossible. Give me a little more time.”

One corner of my father’s mouth slightly rose in repentance.

Exactly.

Father snapped his fingers.
Geommugeuk and Geomwoojin stood in a new space. A blank, white space.
It was Father’s space-time teleportation technique.

“You did it!”
Geommugeuk jumped up and down in delight. Geommugeuk was even more delighted than when he had accomplished it himself. Once his father could unleash it, whether he would use it or not was a secondary issue.
That was his father’s choice, and Geommugeuk was more than satisfied with having a last resort to protect his father.

“I’ll make it clear to the leader of the Pungcheon cult. Father said it took five hours.”
“Four hours.”
“What?”
“It was over in four hours.”
“The leader of the Pungcheon cult will probably be shocked and dumbfounded!”

That wouldn’t be the case. He already knew what he’d learned in two hours. It would probably be something like this. Oh my, those squeaky-squeaky swordsmen!

“You are truly wonderful! I respect you, Father.”

Geommu-geuk was beyond amazed by the fact that space could be opened so instantly. He had mastered the art of time-space teleportation in only two hours, half the time his father had.
However, he had trained and practiced for years to be able to open space so quickly. Yet, his father had opened this space in an instant.

Was it because of some special enlightenment gained while achieving the Twelve Great Stars of the Nine-Handed Demonic Arts? Or was this time-space transfer technique itself a martial art perfectly suited to my father? Whatever the reason, it was undoubtedly a truly remarkable result.

A satisfied smile appeared on Geum Woo-jin’s face as he saw his son who was truly happy.

It felt like the dedication and effort I put into mastering the art of time-space teleportation had been fully rewarded. No, my son enjoyed it even more.

There was another reason for the joy of the sword dance.
I knew my father’s bet wasn’t solely motivated by a sense of pride.
He understood his son’s concern and accepted it. I was deeply grateful for that.
Of course, he still wouldn’t have expected a situation where he could escape by using the space-time teleportation technique.

“When you first succeed, you can only create a space like this, empty. But as your time-space transference technique advances, you can create a variety of things. You can even completely recreate places from your memories. I’ll show you a demonstration. I wonder if my time-space transference technique will work within this space.”

It was the first attempt to use space-time transfer within space-time transfer.

Exactly.

The Sword Dancer performed another time-space transfer technique within the space-time transfer technique.
Surprisingly, it also performed within the space-time transfer technique.

Whew.

The two stood together on the top of a snow-covered field. The wind blew, ruffling their clothes and hair.

Geomwoojin touched the snow on the ground. It was truly cold. The ice cliffs across the way shone, reflecting the sunlight.

“Isn’t it great?”

Geommu-geuk snapped his fingers again.
Then, a plum tree sprouted beside them, and a snow plum blossomed in the snowy wind.
With another snap, a small rock appeared beside them.

“You can make anything you want like this. Oh, and you don’t have to snap your fingers. It’s just for fun.”

Then my father said something unexpected.

“Is this what you mean?”

Exactly!

The surroundings changed again.
This time, within the space-time transference technique created by Geommu-geuk, a space for father’s space-time transference technique was created.

And the Geommu-geuk looked around and was startled. It wasn’t a white space. What he saw were things that were all too familiar.

“No, how?”

The Cheonmajeon was created. While not yet fully recreated, three key elements were present: the Bloody Path, the Stairs, and the Taesaui.

Father had already succeeded in creating the most familiar space.
He ascended the stairs with a victor’s stride and sat down at the Taesa
‘s table. Before his delighted father, Geommu-geuk leaped into the air.

“I can’t live like this, I can’t live like this! Father, what if you sit in the Great Master’s chair while using the space-time transfer technique? I’m teaching you the space-time transfer technique so that you can escape from that Great Master’s chair!”

With a look of “Is that so?”, my father stood up from his seat and snapped his finger!
Then, the newly created Taesaui and everything else disappeared.

Geommugeuk was impressed by his father’s ability to manipulate objects freely, although still limited.

“You are truly amazing. Even without the Heavenly Martial Arts, you can do this. If my father were a Heavenly Martial Arts Master, there would have been chaos.”

He meant it sincerely. It was undoubtedly his father’s innate talent that made him a celestial being.
And his father’s senses felt different from those of the celestial being.

“If you want to make something, you have to make a place like this.”

Exactly!

The next moment, Geommu-geuk and Geomwoojin stood on a pristine white sandy beach with an endless blue sea. The snowfield they’d created earlier had likely vanished, as they couldn’t maintain two spaces simultaneously.

Blue sky and hot sun.
A large, leafy tree stood on the beach, and a comfortable-looking chair sat in the shade beneath it.

It was a place I didn’t want to show to anyone, but I felt like showing it to my father.

“This is my personal space, the space I cherish the most.”

With another snap of his fingers, another comfortable chair appeared beneath a broad-leaved tree.

“Just lie down here.”

Geum Woo-jin lay down on the white sand beach next to his son. Lying in this beautiful place, with warm sunlight and soft sand, felt refreshing. Had he ever laid down on a chair like this on a beach like this before?

“When I lie here and look at that blue sky, all my worries disappear.”
“What worries you so much, young man?”
“Don’t I go around interfering with everything people can think of? And on top of that, I even do the most pointless thing in the world, trying to impress everyone?”
“You know what I mean.”

The two looked up at the sky in silence. The father, who was looking up at the sky, suddenly asked.

“Are you lonely?”

My father knows this too. Loneliness isn’t something you feel when you’re alone, but when you’re surrounded by people.

“Sometimes.”

Then, Geom Woo-jin turned his head and looked at Geom Mu-geuk. Geom Mu-geuk, in turn, looked at his father and spoke as if nothing had happened.

“If you come here and rest and then leave, you’ll feel better soon. Don’t you think your father sometimes wants to be alone? Without Uncle Hwi, without any escorts, just by himself?”
“Even now, if I ask him to leave, I can be alone.”
“That’s different. This space is truly my own. You can curse me like crazy here! You can run around naked!”

My father’s gaze turned to the sky again. No matter how real the clear, blue sky seemed, it wasn’t real to him.

“No matter how difficult reality may be and how comfortable this place may feel, don’t get too lost in fantasy.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

This time, Geommugeuk asked.

“Doesn’t your father ever feel lonely?”
“No.”
“I suppose he has worries, right? What’s your biggest worry?”

Then, Geom Woo-jin turned his head and looked at Geom Mu-geuk.
Geom Mu-geuk laughed loudly and answered.

“Except me.”

I see. A son who blocks his father’s dream! I might be the worst customer he’s ever had.

“Then there isn’t any.”
“When you say it like that, doesn’t it make me sound like a troublemaker?”

Could it be that my father has no worries? Of course not.

When will the day come when Father can freely express all the words that are on his mind? It felt more difficult than achieving the Twelve Great Stars of the Nine-Hwa-Ma-Gong. Still, I will strive until that day, Father.

Still, I’m glad to see that you seem more interested in space-time transfer than I expected.

“I’m looking forward to the space you’ll create for yourself, Father. I wonder where you’ll feel most comfortable. Please show me around later. Oh, and Cheonmajeon Hall is absolutely not allowed! And Taesaido is also not allowed!”

Geumwoojin didn’t respond, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t build one.
What space would his father cherish most? Will the day ever come when he gets to see it?

Geommugeuk glanced at his father.

Is it really that unfamiliar to see you lying comfortably like this? Please rest for a while, Father.

Still, I hope you like it here.

“The sea breeze is really nice.”

Under the chair, the fingers of the swordsman clapped rapidly.
A cool breeze blew, cutting through the heat, and a flock of seagulls flew across the sky. Crabs scurried in a single line next to my father’s chair.

‘Rest in peace here, Father.’