A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 818 Chapter 815

Side Story - Makli Clan (1) 'Makli Cheon-sa? Makli Hyun-ah?'

Hyun-ah struggles to comprehend what's happening around him.

Yet, one fact stands out clearly to him.

'This person is utterly insane. I need to escape right now.'

But as though sensing his intentions, Makli Cheon-sa gives a soft huff and approaches Hyun-ah, seizing his head firmly.

Clench-

"Kughhhh"

[One thread of my divided soul has been implanted into you. A Ghost Path body can easily fall under the sway of bizarre, overwhelmingly mighty deities, but by pre-filling your form with my divine essence, such events should be prevented. In any case, once the Ascension Gate appears, I must depart for ascension, leaving just this single strand of my split soul behind with you as I leave.]

Hyun-ah's frame shudders from the rush of forceful information flooding his mind.

Details on the group known as [Makli Clan] and the whereabouts of their primary household.

Plus the distant borders of Yanguo, the land where the Makli Clan resides...

Finally, basics like the Yanguo tongue and similar matters burrow roughly into his thoughts.

"You clearly aren't from Yanguo, so I've also crammed the Yanguo language knowledge inside you. You can comprehend my speech now, right? With my seal imprinted on you, head to the main family from here on, present yourself as my adopted daughter... wait, adopted son, and master the Makli Clan's Innate True Method. Ahahaha, I fretted a little that our fragile clan might fade away after my rise to the Upper Realm...yet with a Ghost Path body available, I can still influence the clan from the Upper Realm, leaving me quite pleased!"

Upon concluding her statement, Makli Cheon-sa transforms into a beam of brilliance and soars away into the distance, while Hyun-ah-

Now reborn as 'Makli Hyun-ah', gazes vacantly at the spot where Makli Cheon-sa vanished.

Trailing after Makli Hyun-ah, the members of [Loot Farming Heavenly Lord]—now roused from their stupor—also tilt their heads skyward with mildly stunned faces, watching Makli Cheon-sa recede far off.

"Wh-What in the world was that?"

"Is my vision playing tricks on me...?"

This occurs as they scan their surroundings with bewildered expressions.

"W-Wait a second!"

Suddenly, Lee Seo-ah, her complexion drained of color, whispers urgently and gestures toward a certain direction.

All eyes turn instantly to the spot Lee Seo-ah indicates.

And every face pales in unison.

Where Lee Seo-ah points stands a massive bear.

"B-Bear...!"

"Shh! Keep silent, it hasn't spotted us yet."

"The bear...seems so adorable... I really want to pet it."

While most folks blanch at the bear's presence, Ahn Geum alone fidgets her fingers, eyeing the creature's plush coat longingly.

Witnessing this, Jegal Mikhail shakes his head while observing Ahn Geum.

"You absolutely cannot pet that bear. My uncle once encountered a bear inside a Russian cavern. He remarked how cute it appeared and reached out to stroke it, despite everyone's efforts to halt him. He insisted it was safe and proceeded. He perished right before my eyes that way. It seized him swiftly and hauled him into the depths. His final cry echoes in my memory still. I'll never erase the image of him vanishing into that dark abyss."

Sweat beading coldly on his skin, Mikhail's side-to-side head shake reveals his past brush with a bear.

Hearing Jegal Mikhail's tale, Makli Hyun-ah harbors the impolite notion, 'At that point, isn't it basically suicide?', but he quickly dismisses it.

"Th-Then, what do we do now?"

"It appears the bear remains unaware of us for the moment. Let's retreat as silently as we can. Everyone, hush and move backward slowly..."

Right as Jegal Mikhail guides the group away from the bear in hushed tones.

Park Sung-hyun's eyelid flickers, and he abruptly yelps while flailing his arm frantically.

"Uaaaaagh, damn it! A crane fly latched onto my arm!"

Park Sung-hyun likely just panicked from the crane fly abruptly sticking to his limb...

Yet his outburst causes the enormous bear to swivel its head in their direction.

And before anyone regains composure.

The hulking bear charges toward the group with heavy thuds.

"Uh, uhhh...?"

Makli Hyun-ah and the entire guild can merely widen their eyes in shock.

From afar, the tree's shade concealed it, so they hadn't noticed...

But up close, the truth becomes evident.

The bear dons an altered hanbok.

Atop its head rests an antiquated scholar's gat, and from its belt dangles a scroll...

Its attire suggests that, handed the Four Treasures of the Study, it might settle down gracefully to practice brushwork.

[Hmm, what a bother. I sensed the aura of a Grand Perfection Heavenly Being cultivator and strained to act oblivious...but with screams and chaos like that, ignoring it proves impossible, doesn't it?]

"Huu-huaaaagh! Th-The bear is speaking!"

"C-Can I pet it...?"

Park Sung-hyun gapes at the articulate bear, while Ahn Geum flushes, fixated on the beast's abdomen.

Observing their reactions, the bear creases its forehead and emits a low rumble.

[These ill-mannered Human Race youngsters, anyway. Invading my domain and causing such a ruckus. I should simply devour-]

Even before the phrase 'you all' fully escapes the bear's maw.

Park Sung-hyun cries out.

"Run!"

Leading the charge, [ID ChaebolMelon DirectorPOV] Park Sung-hyun, [ID DivineSword PalaceLord] Kim Shin-ju, [ID ILikeCurry] Ahn Gyeong, and the rest bolt wildly in the opposite direction.

For Ahn Gyeong, perhaps due to his kinship with Ahn Geum, he reaches for her hand to flee jointly, but as Ahn Geum advances toward the bear instead, he forfeits the opportunity and dashes off solo.

Makli Hyun-ah and Lee Seo-ah find their limbs paralyzed, unable to flee.

Noticing them, Jegal Mikhail, despite his terror, clutches Makli Hyun-ah and Lee Seo-ah by their arms, attempting a joint escape.

Yet, when sweat causes Lee Seo-ah's wrist to slip free from his hold, Jegal Mikhail, fighting back sobs, flees while grasping only Makli Hyun-ah.

"W-Wait, Mister Mikhail! My sister!!"

"Snap out of it, Rihyunjok! Staying put means death for us all! I-I'm a timid shut-in who fakes being outgoing...but I grasp priorities. Timing reigns supreme, always. Miss the key moment, and nothing works! Pay attention. It just hit me—this landscape matches the concept cafe image the guild leader shared yesterday precisely. And for some reason, I sense the power from that concept cafe form I completed is now within me!"

Jegal Mikhail bulges his eyes, clarifying for Makli Hyun-ah.

The trait and build he selected on the form as his desire was [Complete Hypnosis].

"I-I'm unsure if it's from my habit of spinning wild daydreams...but I know it. This is the real deal now! The guild leader must be some godly entity, and we've obviously tumbled into her scheme, landing in another realm! I-I recognize this from countless novel starts I've read!"

"H-Huh? What on earth are you saying!? That's ridiculous!!"

"Then, hell, does floating in lights and a cursed bear in hanbok chatting make more sense? Anyway, hear me out. You know those isekai tales, yeah? We're smack in the intro of one. No clue on the main character. But the survivor likely is. I'm blabbering, sure, but one truth holds! Survival first! Only then can we figure if you're the lead or not!"

"Quit this bullshit and explain how we'll rescue my sister!!"

"I said survive!! Don't you see!? Timing rules everything! Your sister already lost her window to bolt! Returning for her means that bear devours us! Bears shred folks!! That's what felled my uncle!!"

Still, Makli Hyun-ah ultimately wrenches free from Jegal Mikhail's grip.

"It spoke, didn't it! Negotiation might be possible, so I'm heading back! I won't abandon my sister!"

"You damn fool... Bears maul people! It's perilous! I'm saying we must survive!"

"...Regardless..."

Faced with Jegal Mikhail's yell, Makli Hyun-ah adopts a somber look.

"Regardless...I must rescue my sister."

His sister has always been the family's radiant star.

He, a total flop and shattered mess, lingers as the least regarded among the household adults.

Whether from his status as a bastard or his inherently dismissible demeanor?

No one in the home, father included, ever spared Makli Hyun-ah a thought.

Except his sister, Lee Seo-ah, who always watched over him.

'Compared to trash like me...my sister must survive!'

Bears may rip apart prey, but since it utters human speech, perhaps a human soul inhabits it?

Yes, that has to be the case.

'We'll make it—we'll surely survive!'

With such resolve, he pivots from Jegal Mikhail, intending to return to the bear's location.

However, ultimately unable to bear the sight, Jegal Mikhail shoves Makli Hyun-ah backward and strides toward

the bear on his own.

"...Alright, step aside. If that's your stance, I'll manage to retrieve your sister as well."

"Y-Yes...?"

"What could a skinny fellow like you accomplish...? I'll hoist your sister onto my back and dash back here somehow... Spot me heading your way, then you sprint too! Understood? If I'm not back in two minutes, you flee as far as possible."

"M-Mikhail..."

ID EnricoEmporio.

Real name: Jegal Mikhail.

"I-I'm actually a J*J* enthusiast. I particularly admire a figure named En**co Pucci and another called Emporio

Al**no. I'm even among those who championed the idea they're secretly father and son. So last month, in a fan forum...around May, I posted a theory wondering if Emporio might truly be Pucci's offspring. But that's beside the point... Pucci's the antagonist, Emporio embodies righteousness... The key is, if they're kin, then a 'heart of justice' isn't innate but forged and validated through one's deeds...that's my view."

'What the hell is this nerd spouting solo...?'

Makli Hyun-ah inwardly tuts his tongue.

Though he himself is a reclusive gamer, he fails to follow Mikhail's drivel, filled with obscure references only he grasps.

"After the bear claimed my uncle, the trauma turned me into a worthless wretch. But...if I don't evolve now, how can I continue?"

Jegal Mikhail glances back at Makli Hyun-ah and grins.

"...Your bold move to save kin despite the bear stirred my shame. Thank you. You've given me bravery. Rest easy, I'll fetch your sister and return!"

"...Mister Mikhail..."

Makli Hyun-ah grasps none of the words, yet he fathoms the outcome.

Through his peculiar reasoning, Jegal Mikhail has conquered dread and vows to retrieve Hyun-ah's sister!

Hyun-ah once pegged him as somewhat pathetic, but...

In Makli Hyun-ah's current gaze, Jegal Mikhail's silhouette appears sturdier and more dependable than any other.

Were he female, he might even develop feelings.

The instant after, Jegal Mikhail sprints toward the bear's position.

And after two minutes pass,

Huuuuung!

"Uh...?"

Makli Hyun-ah senses an intense invisible power seizing and yanking him, hauling him toward the bear's area.

Seconds later, Makli Hyun-ah gawks speechlessly at the spectacle before him.

[Chomp chomp, gulp...That was satisfying.]

[Such odd tastes. They're revolting, each one foul. Yet their unique builds aid in restoring my vigor somewhat.]

"Uh, uhh..."

A cauldron.

Right before Makli Hyun-ah looms a vast cauldron, perched above flames, bubbling vigorously.

The hanbok-clad bear ladles broth from the cauldron and slurps it eagerly, chuckling to itself.

And...

Before Makli Hyun-ah's view lie three skulls.

[Oi, Human Race kid. Is this woman kin to you?]

Makli Hyun-ah eyes Ahn Geum and Lee Seo-ah, securely restrained near the bear.

He nods dazedly, prompting the bear to tsk and loosen Lee Seo-ah's bonds.

[Tch, meddling with family of a kid marked by a Heavenly Being senior feels excessive. Take her and go!

I'll free this one.]

Having witnessed something nightmarish, Lee Seo-ah, face ashen and vacant, stumbles unsteadily toward Makli Hyun-ah.

"Hyun-ah, Hyun-ah... Mister Jegal...Mikhail..."

Lee Seo-ah quivers as she points at one of the three skulls.

"A-And Mr. Park Sung-hyun...and Mister Kim Shin-ju too..."

As though scarred by a trauma-inducing horror, she collapses against Makli Hyun-ah's shoulder, voice trembling as she gasps.

"Th-They all...in mere thirty seconds, that bear snagged them, dragged them over, and swiftly stripped bone from meat...tossed them into the cauldron...and devoured them..."

Makli Hyun-ah blankly fixes on Jegal Mikhail's skull, then shifts to the bear.

"Wh-Why...why...?"

[Hm? Why what? You lot intruded my woods without a hint of respect, shrieked like you'd beheld a monster, and fled, so I indulged in a modest restorative feast. The sole one displaying faint decorum was this young one here.]

The bear pats the head of bound Ahn Geum beside it while explaining.

[Thus, I recaptured and consumed three of the four runners. By blood ties, they aren't your relatives, so down they went. Any issue?]

"Ah..."

[I attempted to snag the Human Race sharing this kid's lineage too, but he stepped solo into a space tear from the Ascension Gate and plummeted to a distant spot ten thousand li off, beyond my reach. Tsk... In any event, I'm sated now, and you're marked by a Heavenly Being senior, so you'll live. This human offered me respect, so she'll become my pet. If nothing else here, scram. I can't slay you, but gnawing off an arm or leg poses no trouble.]

At that moment,

Kurung, kurururung!

Distant thunder rolls, and colossal presences begin drawing near.

The bear, spotting them, wears a frightful grimace, unrolls the dual scrolls from its waist, packs away the cauldron used for stewing and consuming the guild folk, then scoops Ahn Geum underarm and hastily readies to bolt.

[Tsk, more Heavenly Being seniors traversing. You, quick, conceal yourself or whatever. Even marked by a Heavenly Being senior, another of the same rank might slay you indifferently!]

The bear scrambles to flee elsewhere, but a thunderstrike plummets from above, zapping it and causing Ahn Geum to tumble free.

[Kuaaaagh! I, I'll release it! I'll drop her and flee, so please, spare my demon core!]

The bear abandons Ahn Geum close by, then panics away on all fours.

Still tied, Ahn Geum idly toys with clinging bear fur on her palms, face tinged with reluctance.

After a while, multiple humans descend from the heavens amid glowing lights.

[Heh, remarkable. That's an Extreme Ghost Path Body, isn't it? Makli Cheon-sa marked it already, but...I crave it...]

[The Extreme Ghost Path Body isn't the focus. See that? That's unmistakably the [Wind-Painting Sword Sea Impermanence Body ()]! A fabled trait of the Candle Dragon Race!]

A man deploys a luminous array.

Kwarurururung!

A light ribbon descends from above and envelops Lee Seo-ah.

Lee Seo-ah shrieks, but the ribbon pierces her form, morphs into keen sword qi, and erupts outward.

Makli Hyun-ah perceives the razor-sharp vibe from Lee Seo-ah, barring any approach.

[And that kid? Doesn't she possess the [Ghost-Face Killing Heaven Body (AZ)]?]

Kugugugugu!

As a black-robed woman strums her pipa, myriad shadowy visages materialize around Ahn Geum, glaring fiercely.

The pipa's notes sever her bindings, and Ahn Geum, intrigued, prods the faces' eyes or jabs fingers into their nose or ear openings.

[I desire the Extreme Ghost Path Body child too.....]

[Drop it; don't you know Makli Cheon-sa's nature? See, she's embedded her split soul within the Ghost Path Body. Tampering invites her assaults via that conduit.]

[Tsk tsk, such a shame...]

The aerial conversers, after some exchange, alight upon the earth.

[Young one, I am the ex-Martial Alliance Leader from the Jin Clan, Jin Young-hoon. I've attained Grand Perfection Heavenly Being and prepare to ascend. Join me in rising to the Purple Gold Realm. Word is, they've enacted a Candle Dragon Race favoritism initiative there lately, granting you vast privileges.]

"W-Wa