Chapter 196. 5,637 Regrets (2)
'Let's be calm.'
When I'm in an unfamiliar situation, repeating that one phrase like a mantra is a long-standing habit of mine.
It's a seemingly childish habit, but since humans are animals of perception, it actually helps in analyzing and breaking through situations.
<Ah, so small. Humans. Mortals. So very small.>
Having heard the God of War's lines repeated exactly the same for the third time, I was certain.
Time has turned back.
That's right.
Regression.
I'm in a situation where I've fallen into a fantasy world in a game.
There's no law that says I can't regress when facing death.
The point in time is around when my soul was just called up to the God of War's strategy table.
So, in terms of reality, it's while the emperor's clone is starting his speech, Tribus' clone is ambushing in the southern forest, and the main body Ash is hearing the report from William that the artillery is loaded and ready.
<There was a time when I was like you. Yes, I was very small. So small that a slight press, no, even a gust of wind could have scattered me to pieces.>
He shoves his face at me.
Since I have already deployed [Lord's Unyielding Mind], I continued my thoughts without sinking into the same cosmic horror as before.
First, I analyzed the superficial phenomenon.
That I have regressed to a point in time that can be called the beginning of the battle.
If so, the next thing to figure out is the cause.
Personally, I am of the opinion that there is no result without a cause.
If it's a regression phenomenon that ignores even the most basic law of the universe that time flows in one direction, then there must be a supernatural power lurking behind it.
There is a clue.
‘It would be faster to show you.’
Before the regression, in the fleeting moment when time had stopped.
The man who appeared before my eyes had certainly said that.
Yes.
That guy was definitely 'me.'
Height, build, comfortable tracksuit attire, facial features, and even the look in his eyes.
Everything was exactly as I had seen it in the mirror on Earth, a memory that was now fading.
‘He did seem strangely pale. His cheeks were gaunt, too.’
Anyway, the first possibility is that that being, that is, 'me' or 'someone who looks like me,' turned back time.
In such a case, grabbing the person and asking would be the fastest and easiest way, but strangely, that illusion was nowhere to be seen, no matter how hard I looked.
Fortunately, there is a second clue.
The notification window that momentarily popped up before time stopped and the illusion of him appeared.
[[The Warrior's Regret] is deployed.]
The Warrior's Regret.
A special reward obtained by gaining the qualifications of a challenger as 'Nameless Ash.'
However, strangely, this trait did not have even a single line of explanation.
Unlike the other three powers of the Warrior, 'Insight,' 'Binding,' and 'Command,' or the authority to enter the 'God of War's Strategy Table,' even Kkumteuli and the other Sacred Relics seemed to have no idea what 'Regret' was.
<Ah, is that it. It seems to be the same ability as that troublesome emperor fellow. I thought you were just wearing a shell. A pity. I thought I could end your suffering easily.>
Well, it doesn't seem like a problem that will be answered right away.
With the God of War's tut-tutting sound of his tongue, I scattered my thoughts.
The reason is a matter to be considered later.
Whether [The Warrior's Regret] is the power of regression, whether 'I' have such an ability, or both.
In the end, what's important is now.
I have been given one more chance.
Through the vision of my real body and clones, I can see the enemy army approaching.
But now I know.
That what you see is not all there is.
In the southern forest, the Lumer Legion will be using the tunnels dug by the Ratmen, waiting for the right time to ambush the army of the Vampire Archduchy.
Deep beneath the Imperial Capital, the remaining group of Ratmen will be finishing their preparations to self-destruct by collapsing the entire foundation with the Orb of Fire.
And the army of the East, marching through the fog from the east, from the commander to the foot soldiers, all have the seeds of monsters planted in their bodies and are living altars offered as living sacrifices.
“……”
The strategies of the God of War, hidden in the shadow of the expeditionary force of nearly three hundred thousand, to strike me from behind.
All of them are in my head.
If so, there is only one thing to do.
<Well, I trust you have heard from your pawns what this place is for. By taking two of my pawns….>
[[The Warrior's Command] is deployed.]
<…Heh. In just those few months?>
Under the table.
I extended a thread of consciousness to the box containing the Outer Gods.
At the same time, I moved the undead army of the vampires to the eastern front line through Tribus.
While ordering the soldiers to evacuate the citizens, I sent the entire defense force out of the city.
<You, now what. No…?>
It is not strange that a hint of bewilderment appeared on the God of War's face.
The plan is simple.
As long as the city collapses, a siege is a sure defeat.
If so, I just have to settle it with a field battle.
<Oh dear.>
- Master, leave it to us.
The nine Sacred Relics, the five Sacred Relics, and the energy of the divine throne collided in the sky above the map.
I will not leave any regrets this time.
***
<Your life has already run its course.>
A voice echoing in my ears.
A cold floor.
<Clinging to your life thread so wretchedly is not a pretty sight.>
A warm liquid flowing down my cheek.
A body with no strength.
“……”
My mind, hazy from losing too much blood, habitually reviews the past few days.
I fought a desperate battle for several days.
To get straight to the point, I was defeated.
Still, just a little.
I have made that much progress.
‘Your Majesty, what do you mean by that? To abandon the Imperial Capital, which we have fortified with so much effort, and fight a field battle?’
‘To evacuate all the citizens of the Imperial Capital? They are already in the shelters, are they not? What? Outside the city?’
‘Th-that's an undead army! To fight alongside such things is to blaspheme the divine!’
First, I emptied the city.
The trained soldiers to the east, which would become the battlefield.
The citizens of the Imperial Capital, who were hiding in the underground shelters, were sent out to the north and west, the escape routes.
There was some resistance, but the Iron-Blooded Emperor's command was absolute.
When even Count Ash agreed with the Emperor's opinion, the majority of the defense force hesitantly took up positions on the east side of the city.
The number was roughly 90%.
Outside the range of the ground collapse that the Ratmen would cause with the Orb of Fire, the allied forces prepared for a field battle against the approaching Eastern expeditionary force.
Along with the reinforcements from the Vampire Archduchy coming up from the south.
And.
‘Retreat! Retr… keok!’
‘Aaaah! Aaaaaah!’
We were miserably defeated.
It's not a matter of numbers.
The exchange ratio itself was the problem.
On this side, humans and demi-humans with only one life.
On that side, a monster army where, when the basic human form dies, the seed planted inside germinates and they pupate into monstrous creatures with extra lives.
‘Priests! Where are the priests!’
‘They were assigned to the citizen evacuation work with the paladins!’
The only weaknesses are fire and holy power.
Even so, since the monster that emerged from the Curse Spirit Grandmaster, Hwayoung, sucked up all the fire, the most effective blades against that monster army were the paladins and priests.
However, the Church army showed reluctance from before the start of the battle at the mention of operating with the undead.
As a result, most of them were assigned to the task of evacuating the citizens and moved to the rear.
‘Th-the city…!’
Well, even that sank with the city before long.
Realistically, it was impossible to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from a vast, fortified city in a few hours.
A significant number of citizens who could not evacuate, along with the Church army leading the evacuation, disappeared into the ground with the city.
The number of citizens who evacuated safely was only about 20% of the entire population of Wolfskrig.
‘Count Ash. It seems some of those monsters are chasing the refugees.’
Among them, only a handful would have escaped alive.
In the end, it's a similar ending.
Tribus' clone was killed by the Lumer Legion.
The emperor's clone was burned by the Curse Spirit Grandmaster, Hwayoung.
Only the main body survived and fought against the monster army with a few comrades, including Randal, but in the end, he collapsed on the cold earth.
And now.
<Unexpected. I thought you had the disposition to obediently accept victory or defeat. It will only prolong your suffering.>
In front of the God of War, who is repeating the same lines as before the regression, I writhe like a worm and dwell on the same emotion.
Regret.
“Damn… keuk.”
Feeling helpless, I review the cause of my defeat.
I should have deployed more troops for the evacuation.
It was right to bring the Church army to the battlefield, even if it meant delaying the support from the vampires.
Once we entered a field battle, we should have been more offensive rather than defensive with a focus on artillery and spells.
<Well, if that's the case, I will personally relieve your suffering. It was a foregone conclusion from the beginning, but it was quite fun nonetheless.>
Once again.
He opens his palm.
A hand the size of an empire's territory falls.
I watch that death with my writhing body and think.
I was given one more chance as I had wished.
But I don't feel any relief.
No, my regret has only deepened.
Because I saw a glimmer of hope, however faint.
If I were given just one more chance, I could do a little better.
And….
[[The Warrior's Regret] is deployed.]
“……”
And time stopped again.
It didn't stop. It's just one of the possibilities.
That voice again.
A voice like my own thoughts, echoing in my head.
Before long, a man with 'my' face approached me.
It is me. Not just the same face.
Who are you?
Yes. Since it's the second time, the conversation is faster than before. I'll have some leeway.
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
Then, I felt a cool sensation as the noisy energy that had been seeping into my head drained away.
Only then did I realize.
That until just now, his thoughts and mine had been precisely overlapping.
“Yes. It's more comfortable to speak with your mouth. I'm used to many people talking in my head since I handle about a hundred clones, but you're not at that level.”
‘……?’
“Come to think of it, sharing the same consciousness with a being outside my control is not a familiar experience for me either.”
‘Who are you….’
“I am you.”
He said.
And suddenly, he laughed.
After chuckling for quite a long time, he finally put his hand to his forehead and shook his head.
“Sorry. For laughing. I've been waiting for this day for millions of years, and now that it's here, I can't help but let out a hollow laugh.”
What is this.
A psychopath?
A psychopath who can read minds is a step above the emperor and Archduke Gabir combined.
“Emperor Ricardo. You really compare me to such a friend. Anyway, I don't like to beat around the bush. After living for so long, that's changed.”
‘?’
“To get to the point, I am you. More precisely, a future that has branched off from your past. So, like this….”
He drew a horizontal line in the air with his fingertip.
The space distorted according to his gesture, and a gray line was drawn.
Soon, like branches growing from a stem, branching straight lines began to extend one by one from the gray horizontal line.
He pointed to the first, the branching straight line closest to the starting point, and said.
“...If this is our timeline, then this is me.”
‘What is this, the Ma X multiverse?’
“Uh……. Something like that. And one more thing.”
He took a deep breath and continued.
“I am the Warrior. The creator of the Sacred Relics and their true bodies, the Outer Gods. And the original of the hero you chose, 'Nameless Ash.'”