Episode 28: The Heroines Stole My Regression

Episode 28: Fragment (4)

And so, two days, three days, four days passed.

Time flowed faster than I expected.

Our teamwork also improved little by little.

Faster than anticipated by a day, we completed our conquest of Baekdu Mountain’s Cheonji.

Today was December 30th.

Now, all that was left was to wait until January 1st.

“…Not bad.”

A vast, breathtaking view unfolded before my eyes.

It felt like I had conquered nature itself.

Next to me, Kang Arin stretched her arms high into the air and took a deep breath.

Her fully extended posture accentuated her figure.

‘….’

I didn’t know where to look.

Lately, I found myself becoming increasingly conscious of her.

Ever since that stormy night, she had naturally started falling asleep beside me.

I didn’t even have the chance to refuse. She just settled in as if it were the most natural thing. If I moved, she would simply follow.

Of course, she didn’t cling to me as closely as she had that night, but the distance between us was still close enough.

After spending so many days together, that proximity started feeling familiar.

At first, it was uncomfortable. But now… it just felt natural.

One day, this happened—

Kang Arin went out on an exploration alone.

She left, saying she wanted to collect data on Baekdu Mountain’s ecosystem.

I didn’t stop her; I just let her go.

There were no monsters in the lower regions anyway.

While waiting for her, I tossed another log into the cabin’s campfire.

Just then, a familiar scent carried by the wind tickled my nose.

‘She must be almost back.’

Even without checking, I instinctively knew she was approaching.

Thinking that, I lifted my head.

“…What the fuck?”

I was momentarily taken aback.

Wasn’t this dangerous?

I could feel it—

I was growing used to her, and she to me.

And On top of that, her outfit was becoming more and more… wild.

Well, ‘wild’ was a polite way to put it.

I turned my head and spoke firmly.

“Button up your clothes properly.”

She let out a small sigh, as if disappointed.

“Yes, yes.”

When I looked back at her, Kang Arin simply shrugged and added,

“Now, all that’s left is to wait.”

I nodded.

“On the 31st, we should stay on standby until midnight.”

“Yeah.”

She gave a short reply and smiled.

Leaving Cheonji (Heaven Lake) behind, we descended to the cabin.

That evening, the campfire in the cabin burned quietly.

And we sat there, gazing into the flames.

It was the only daily routine we had.

There was truly nothing else to do in the evenings.

The silence was broken by her.

“By the way, what do you plan to do with the fragment?”

She propped her chin on her hands, resting her elbows on her knees, and looked at me.

“You don’t even know how to use it, do you?”

Then, her expression shifted.

A mischievous, almost devilish smile spread across her face.

“Or am I wrong? Do you, our soon-to-be rookie Glory guild member, know how to use a fragment?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

But the answer was already decided.

“I’m going to use it.”

She suddenly jumped to her feet.

“You? You’re going to use it?”

Her gaze wavered sharply.

I looked at her for a moment before replying calmly.

“What do you care?”

She furrowed her brows at my response.

***

Complete darkness had swallowed the forest and the vast lake.

The night was silent, and not even the sound of breathing could be heard around us.

We waited quietly at the edge of Cheonji (Heaven Lake) without even lighting a fire.

We couldn’t afford to risk being discovered by the monsters.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed.

—Wooong.

Breaking the long silence, the ground let out a low, resonant hum.

The vibrations grew stronger, and soon the sky was dyed in a jade-green hue.

Green beams of light tore through the darkness, streaking toward the center of the lake.

—Boom!

With a tremendous roar, a meteor crashed into the middle of the lake.

For an instant, the surroundings were engulfed in a radiant emerald glow.

It was the Fragment.

“It’s here.” I murmured briefly.

“Wow….”

Kang Arin let out an exclamation as she gazed at the spectacle.

The green meteor shower falling from the sky carried an almost supernatural mystique.

But unlike her, I had no time to admire the scene.

The fragment embedded in the lake radiated an intense light, gradually illuminating the surroundings.

That light pulsed with energy, spreading over the entire mountain like a living entity.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“No.”

—Rumble.

—Rumble, rumble.

The ground trembled once more.

The vibrations grew stronger as if awakening the very earth around the lake.

The energy from the fragment was drawing in the beasts, who now emerged from the depths of the forest and mountains.

Drawn instinctively to the overwhelming energy, they surged toward Cheonji (Heaven Lake).

Recognizing each other as threats, the beasts clashed before they could even reach the fragment, engaging in brutal combat.

And amid the chaos, the energy slowly consumed them.

I took a deep breath and launched myself forward.

“Now.”

Leaving behind a single word, I planted my foot on the slope and slid down.

The snow and dirt beneath me were pushed aside as I picked up speed.

Kang Arin was supposed to clear a path behind me.

I turned slightly to check on her movements.

But—

“Huh…?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Kang Arin wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

She had already passed me.

No, to be precise, she was moving even faster than I was.

And she hadn’t even been sliding down the slope like me.

She was charging straight toward the lake without hesitation.

“Crazy….”

I stared at her back in shock.

It was already too late. She was rapidly closing in on the Fragment.

Without hesitation, I released my mana for her.

By channeling my mana, I cleared a path through the water, securing her way forward.

The light illuminating the lake suddenly vanished.

Not long after, Kang Arin emerged from the lake.

Then, she extended her hand toward me.

“Here.”

With a satisfied expression, she handed me an ordinary-looking rock.

“You said you wanted it, right?”

I instantly recognized it for what it was—the Fragment.

***

Complete darkness enveloped us, and the surrounding space was gradually shattering like fragments of glass.

Starting from Cheonji, cracks began spreading outward.

“…Why the hell did you do that?”

The Fragment—the temporal axis that upheld this worldline—had disappeared, and the rupture was now unstoppable.

Before long, even the mountain cabin would collapse, and we would be forced back to our original time.

“Because it’s fun, isn’t it?”

Her impulsive action had caught me off guard.

Yet she simply smiled innocently and casually placed the Fragment in my hand.

We made our way toward the cabin as the world around us crumbled.

Stepping inside, we waited for our return to the present.

I sat down and gazed at the Fragment, which looked like an ordinary rock.

Its jade-green surface bore the unmistakable markings of the System.

There was no doubt—it was the real Fragment.

‘Got it.’

I nodded.

In the end, as long as I got what I wanted, it didn’t matter how.

Meanwhile, Kang Arin wandered around the cabin.

She ran her fingers along the walls and furniture, as if reluctant to leave.

“I don’t want to go back~”

“…Why?”

She turned to me with a playful smile.

“I don’t know~ It was just so peaceful and nice here.”

I chuckled.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

Since Kang Yuseong’s death, she had taken on most of his responsibilities.

Lately, she had been incredibly busy—it was obvious.

Then, as if a thought suddenly struck her, her eyes sparkled, and she stepped closer to me.

“But seriously, are you not going to tell me how to use it?”

I hesitated for a moment.

She would have to use a Fragment herself eventually.

Of course, the one currently hidden deep beneath the Pentagon in the U.S. was securely sealed away… but one day.

She might have to activate it on her own.

Teaching her how now wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Watch carefully.”

I held up the Fragment, showing it to her.

“Grip it tightly in your left hand.”

The left hand was closer to the heart.

I demonstrated as I spoke, clenching the Fragment firmly.

“Then, close your eyes and call upon the System. You know what I mean, right?”

By summoning the System—or rather, the Status Window—one could see a list of their available Authorities.

I activated the System myself.

[Authority: ]

‘Tch.’

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

With my Regression upon Death ability gone, my ability slot was now completely empty.

“After that, just say it in your mind. ‘I accept the system’—like that.”

“Then, the Fragment will burst into light.”

I kept my gaze fixed on her as I finished explaining.

Her face lit up with excitement.

“Wow… just like that?”

“Yeah, just like this.”

‘…?’

Just like this?

I quickly turned my head.

At that moment, an intense vibration surged through my hand holding the Fragment.

Jade-green light seeped through my fingers, radiating a powerful glow.

‘What the fuck?!’

Instinctively, I tried to let go of the fragment.

But right then, Kang Arin placed her hand over mine.

—Tightly.

Kang Arin placed her hand over mine, gripping it tightly,

Her fingers interlocking with mine as if to ensure I couldn’t escape.

“Hmm~ So this is how it works.”

This was no longer a joke.

It was the perfect precursor to complete absorption. My mind was thrown into chaos.

“Hey, let go… of this!”

I shouted in confusion, but she paid no attention.

I gathered all my mana, trying to shake her off.

But Kang Arin fiercely drew upon her own mana, resisting me with equal force.

And then—

—Clench.

She wrapped both her legs around my body, locking my arms and waist in place.

No matter how much I twisted, her grip was unrelenting.

I couldn’t move.

She lifted her head slightly, meeting my eyes.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Her gaze burned deep and intense.

“The Fragment is yours, but….”

Her voice, smooth as silk, drifted through the air.

“From now on, you’re mine too.”

A quick glance outside the window told me that the collapsing world had nearly reached the cabin.

Time was running out.

With an alluring smile, she leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear.

“You know what?”

A soft, low whisper tickled my skin.

“The truth is… I’m yours, too.”

The moment her whisper ended, the air trembled.

A clear sign of impending time travel.

At the same time, the Fragment erupted with radiant light.

And once again, my vision was consumed by white.

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