The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 591: It Seems to Be Helping Me (1)
BOOM!
‘This place...’
It was different from the last dream. This time, the dream continued.
The person who appeared to be Julien and the one called the Adversary had begun their fierce battle in earnest.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the two clashed, all the armies withdrew to maintain a safe distance. Even the Rift creatures, devoid of intelligence and driven solely by instinct, spread out widely as if commanded.
This meant that the Adversary had the ability to control the movements of the Rift creatures.
Thanks to this, the two combatants could unleash their full power on each other. Meanwhile, the Allied Human Forces engaged the Rift creatures and the priests of the Salvation Order.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“Hurrah!”
“Drive them back!”
“The hero is fighting alongside us!”
The soldiers cheered endlessly, their morale higher than ever.
The Hero—a legendary figure that had only existed in tales and storybooks.
His presence was changing the tide of a previously hopeless battle.
BOOM!
The Adversary, colliding with the Hero’s sword, sneered.
“A Hero... What a childish title, though admittedly, it does suit you.”
“Then wouldn’t the title of Demon King suit you better than Adversary?”
“If that’s what the people desire, I’ll gladly accept it.”
BOOM!
After a brief exchange, the two resumed their intense battle.
Ghislain, observing the scene closely, couldn’t help but marvel.
‘Incredible.’
He had already felt how powerful the Adversary was during the previous dream. But now, having reached a higher level of understanding, he could grasp the true extent of the Adversary’s strength—it was beyond imagination.
Whoosh!
The very flow of the world seemed to twist unnaturally. It was a transformation that defied all natural laws.
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“This is the power granted by the divine.”
The Adversary ignored the laws of the world.
He bent and controlled the world to his will, wielding power as «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» if no rules or boundaries existed.
It was different from magic. The Adversary didn’t merely manipulate existing rules—he outright denied their existence and created an entirely new order.
As a result, everything around him twisted into unnatural and grotesque forms.
This power, reaching the realms of chaos and the incomprehensible, was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
The sight of the Adversary’s power shook Ghislain to his core.
‘How is this possible...?’
It resembled Julien’s abilities. Julien could defy space and impose impossible laws through sheer will.
Although the Adversary was significantly stronger, the essence of their powers was similar.
BOOM!
Yet, even against such immense power, the Hero stood firm.
Amidst a storm where the world twisted and time and space became a chaotic mess, the Hero precisely grasped the flow and restored it to its original order.
The Adversary’s attacks were now confined within the boundaries of natural laws and thus existed within the balance of the world.
WHOOSH!
The Hero’s sword descended toward the Adversary. Unlike the chaos unleashed by the Adversary, the Hero’s attacks embodied a completely different aspect.
SWISH!
The flow of the world followed the path of the sword. It felt as if the world itself moved in harmony with the Hero’s intent, aligning to his movements.
The Hero’s power encapsulated the fundamental harmony of the world.
Thus, his sword maintained balance as it cut through the waves of chaos.
Ghislain trembled once more as he witnessed the scene.
‘That power...’
It was the very realm he had stepped into. The Hero was demonstrating what it would look like when that power reached its pinnacle.
BOOM!
The clash between a force that sought to destroy the world and one that aligned with it continued. The battle surpassed anything Ghislain had ever seen or experienced.
He tried his best not to miss a single moment of their movements.
Whether this dream was real or not no longer mattered.
‘This is the path I must aim for.’
What was important was that both of these figures were far stronger than he currently was. Just watching them provided him with invaluable insights.
BOOM!
The intensity of the battle escalated. The surrounding combatants retreated further to avoid the destructive shockwaves.
CRAAASH!
Rift creatures that couldn’t escape in time exploded into pieces, and even the Salvation Order’s priests were forced to withdraw, unable to withstand the two’s overwhelming power.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Hero was one with the world’s providence. Even the spirits aided him.
The wind encircled him, lightening his movements. The earth became a massive shield, protecting him.
Water healed his wounds, while fire strengthened his attacks.
Light illuminated his path, and darkness concealed him from danger.
Beyond these, countless forces of the world stood by the Hero. His power was essentially one with the world itself.
The entire world seemed to breathe in unison with the Hero, moving as one to realize his will.
BOOM!
The Adversary, on the other hand, was chaos incarnate. He denied providence and disregarded the laws of the world.
Every time he unleashed his power, the world screamed as it was torn apart, and its balance crumbled.
Fire froze, water burned and evaporated, the earth floated into the sky, and the wind solidified into falling stones.
His power defied the essence of creation, embodying ultimate destruction.
His very existence disrupted the foundations of the world, shattering all order and harmony wherever he stood.
The Adversary was a being who denied the world itself.
The thunderous battle seemed endless.
Even so, Ghislain couldn’t look away, utterly immersed in the spectacle.
BOOM!
‘I think I understand.’
The more he observed the battle, the deeper Ghislain’s understanding grew.
The Hero’s combat style pointed toward one clear direction.
It showed him how to develop his strength further and how to best utilize his abilities.
BOOM!
That wasn’t all.
Through the battle against the Adversary, he was also learning how to counter the power of chaos.
It was nothing short of a miraculous opportunity.
Thanks to the Saintess’s necklace, this dream was driving Ghislain toward growth.
He wanted to see more. He desperately wanted to know how this battle would conclude.
But—
Creak, creak...
Both the Hero and the Adversary began to slow down. No, it wasn’t just them. The entire world seemed to slow down.
And just like before, the world started losing its colors, fading into black and white.
Ghislain felt a deep sense of regret. He wanted to watch this fight for a little longer, but it seemed this was all that was allowed.
Yet, amidst the black-and-white world, there was still one figure that retained color.
‘The Saintess.’
Everything else had stopped, but not her.
She had been gazing at the sky with her eyes closed but slowly turned her head to look directly at Ghislain.
Then, she spoke.
“Did you see?”
Ghislain couldn’t respond. He couldn’t move or speak—he was merely a conscious observer.
However, as if she understood, the Saintess smiled and continued speaking.
“Did it help you? I was told it would.”
It helped immensely. He had found a clue to further growth.
Judging by her words, it was clear she had shown him this battle on purpose—through the dream.
Was this the power of the necklace? Did anyone who possessed it have such dreams?
Or was it specifically meant for him?
What did she mean by saying it would help? Who had told her that?
Whether she knew his questions or not, the Saintess spoke again.
“I don’t know you well. But I’ve heard a lot about you from my wizard friend.”
‘Me? How...?’
“From our friend who came from the future.”
‘What...?’
Before Ghislain could process his confusion, the Saintess continued speaking.
“It might be confusing, but don’t doubt it. You must trust us. There’s not much time left.”
Ghislain felt his consciousness grow hazy. His vision began to blur.
Yet, the Saintess’s voice softly lingered in his ears.
“You are the only one who can...”
His awareness faded entirely, as if falling asleep, and darkness enveloped him.
Before it all disappeared, he heard the Saintess’s sorrowful voice one last time.
“...save us.”
***
“Huh...”
Waking up from the dream, Ghislain sat in a daze for a long while. He could no longer dismiss these dreams as meaningless figments of his imagination.
He still didn’t know who those battling figures were or when these events took place, but one thing was certain—they had provided him with practical insights and benefits.
“What is this? Some kind of special training?”
If he told anyone that a necklace was helping him train, they would undoubtedly laugh at him.
But that wasn’t even the strangest part.
“They said they’d heard about me? A friend from the future?”
It wasn’t exactly incorrect. If the dream was truly showing him past events, then it was as if he were traveling from the future to witness the past.
But who was this “wizard friend” the Saintess referred to? How could they know about him well enough to speak of him to her? Who were they?
More than anything, her parting words lingered in his mind.
“Trust us? There’s not much time left?”
What did that mean? What was he supposed to trust, and what exactly was running out of time?
Even after having the necklace for quite a while, there were still so many secrets he didn’t understand.
“Hm, so this is definitely a holy artifact. Impressive.”
After all, even Gatros’s bracelet had exuded divine power along with a sense of will.
The more he thought about it, the more fascinating it became. It was no wonder this artifact was revered as a royal treasure, passed down through generations.
Feeling overwhelmed, Ghislain decided to consult the voice within him—Dark.
“What do you think about all this?”
— Ugh... I told you before, every time I see that dream, it leaves me feeling weird...
“What do you mean by weird?”
— I don’t know... It’s just strange... It makes me feel sad... and depressed... and angry, too. Like I’m losing my mind or something.
“You’re already mentally unstable. People widely agree that you’re insane.”
— That’s not what I meant! Anyway, I’m telling you, it’s weird! Apologize for that rude remark! Apologize to me right now!
Dark, who had been ranting indignantly, suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
— But, about that Hero and the Adversary...
“What about them?”
— Doesn’t it seem like they’re kind of like you and Julien? The Hero looks exactly like Julien, and the Adversary, with all that black energy surrounding him, is eerily similar to you when you’re using me.
“Hm...”
— And then, the Hero uses techniques similar to yours, while the Adversary’s skills are just like Julien’s. It’s like their faces and fighting styles got swapped. Of course, both of them are way better than you two.
Ghislain nodded. The resemblance was uncanny, too much to be mere coincidence. What were the chances?
He began to formulate a hypothesis.
“Maybe it’s just a dream shaped by my own memories.”
— You mean it’s based on how you think?
“Yeah, since Julien and I are the strongest in my mind, the dream simply cast us in those roles.”
Dark let out an exasperated sigh.
— Wow, you’re so full of yourself. I bet if Jerome got involved, both of you would be taken out with one hit. You didn’t get to see his true power, did you? It’s sheer terror and chaos. Even a monster like Gatros couldn’t move a muscle against him.
“...”
— And have you ever actually fought Parniel or Ereneth properly? Those two are insanely strong. Oh, right, didn’t Ereneth completely crush you before?
“...”
Arguing over this would only make things petty. After all, battles between the continent’s Seven Strongest often came down to situational factors or the combatants’ condition that day.
‘Of course, in my past life, everyone considered Julien an afterthought...’
Julien hadn’t yet reached the level he had in their previous lives. He simply hadn’t had enough time. But now? Things might be different.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Ghislain suddenly felt petty, so he changed the subject.
“Whatever. Time will reveal more.”
The dream had clearly been revealing something to him, bit by bit. It wasn’t just techniques—it was also showing him who had been involved in ancient wars.
“If what the Saintess said is true, it seems like they need me for something. They’ll probably show me more next time. I just have to wait.”
“Fine, let’s see this through to the end.”
Ghislain decided to accept the dreams shown by the necklace as reality. That mindset would help him take things seriously.
If he kept doubting and distancing himself, he might miss crucial information.
After what the dream had revealed to him, it was undoubtedly no ordinary fantasy.
The moment Ghislain resolved to take the dreams seriously—
“Huh?”
Whoooosh!
Bright, divine energy burst out from the necklace and began to be absorbed into Ghislain’s body.
