The Heart’s potion drastically boosts my physical abilities. Of course, it also demands a price in return.
No matter how cunning people are, the body never lies—effort always cos with inevitable repercussions.
But who am I? The magician of unpaid debts, a master of postponing paynts or offsetting them with sothing else.
I’ve spent my entire life deceiving others.
Now, it seems I’ve even learned how to deceive my own body.
"Ahh. Feels refreshing."
"Hey! At least put your arm back before saying that! Your shoulder is dislocated!"
Huh?
I took a quick glance and noticed that my right shoulder was hanging half a palm’s length lower than my left.
I tried lifting my arm—
Nope. Didn’t move.
Ah. Completely dislocated.
Oh well. This is a cheap price to pay for using the Heart’s potion.
"This is nothing. With that much exertion, a dislocation is only natural. Just pop it back in."
"Aren’t you using qi? If you just reinforce your shoulder a little, it won’t dislocate!"
"I don’t have enough qi for that. You know I can’t properly use qi, right?"
"Oh, right. You barely have any qi."
‘It just doesn’t make sense. You have so many skills that I assud you’d be able to use qi too. Wait, no—this is actually strange. Gathering qi is a technique in itself. You have every other ability, but sohow no qi?’
How many tis do you have to witness my weaknesses before you stop overestimating ?
This is my full strength—even after surpassing my limits.
Don’t give tasks like this again.
"Well, Jizan saved my life a few tis."
"Woof! Woof woof! I, woof woof woof!"
“...And Azzy helped too."
"Woof!"
Azzy puffed out her chest with a proud expression.
No. No, you don’t get to be proud about this.
You were supposed to fight the wolves, but I had to help you instead—so you should be thanking .
Speaking of which...
"Azzy!"
"Woof?"
The Regressor suddenly called out to her urgently.
Azzy, startled by her na being called, blinked wide-eyed and turned toward her.
Her reaction was completely normal.
But the Regressor hesitated before speaking carefully.
"Azzy, just now... didn’t you beco a little transparent?"
"Woof?"
Azzy tilted her head, looking as clueless as ever.
But the Regressor’s eyes had definitely seen it.
For a brief mont, Azzy had turned translucent.
"Hughes... did you see it?"
"Yeah. I saw it."
"Why is Azzy... disappearing?"
The Regressor already knew the answer.
And yet, she asked anyway—because she wanted to find a reason why Azzy wasn’t disappearing.
"It’s not surprising. The King of Beasts represents an entire species. But Azzy gave up the throne and instead transford the wolves into true dire wolves. Right now, Azzy represents nothing."
"So that ans... she’s disappearing? That doesn’t make sense! She’s been fine until now—why would she vanish just because she passed on her crown?!"
"Let finish. It’s the opposite."
"Huh?"
To be honest, I don’t know either.
But the fact remains—Azzy hasn’t disappeared yet.
Which ans there must be a reason why she isn’t gone.
"If she were truly going to vanish, she would’ve disappeared the mont she gave up her throne. But she’s still here. That ans she’s representing sothing, even if we don’t know what it is."
"Then why did she turn faint just now?"
"Who knows? Maybe she represents sothing... unclear?"
"Sothing unclear? What does that even an?"
"How should I know? Shei, do you have any guesses?"
"I don’t know either. This kind of thing never happened before with Azzy..."
‘Even after helping Azzy kill the Wolf King, she simply remained as the King of Dogs, aiding humans. I have no idea if this is good or bad.
But one thing’s for sure—this never happened in any previous loop.’
Oh?
Regressor?
What do you an by "never happened before"...?
If you keep talking like that, you’re one step away from admitting you’re a Regressor.
Honestly, just spill it already.
I’m tired of pretending not to know while reading your thoughts.
Let’s just get it over with, so I can openly ask you questions instead of playing mind gas!
‘Tsk. But I can’t explain the previous loops. If people don’t believe , that’s a problem. But if they do believe , that’s also a problem.
The mont people learn I’m a Regressor, their focus shifts from the world itself to my regressions.’
But still—I can’t let on that I’ve figured it out.
If she realizes I’m aware, she’ll start guarding her thoughts around .
Fine. Instead of exposing her, I’ll use this mont to build more trust with her.
I had been occupied with my own thoughts.
I’d seen Marquis Raphaeno’s army arrive, but since I had already heard about it, I didn’t pay much attention.
So when the conflict erupted, I reacted a little late.
"Wait, what? What the hell is that lunatic doing?!"
At the commotion, I turned to see—
Grull was fighting Marquis Raphaeno, while Duke Erectus was running toward us, carrying his wounded hound.
I didn’t know exactly what had happened, but there was no doubt—a fight had broken out.
The Regressor reached out a hand.
"Hughes! Jizan!"
"Here."
"Good—Kyaaah! Why are you throwing it?!"
"You asked for it. You even reached out like you were ready to catch it."
She had been so confident that I would throw it, and that she would catch it, that I just went along with it.
Unfortunately for her—Jizan still hadn’t forgiven her.
It refused to let her grip it properly.
"Ugh. Fine, just hold onto Jizan! I’ll handle this with Tianying!"
"Hold on. My right arm still isn’t working, so I’ll grab it with my left."
"Your shoulder is still dislocated?! What have you been doing?!"
"There was no ti to fix it! You do it!"
"Fine! Stay still!"
"Wait. You’re going to do it? Yeah, no, I’ll do it myself."
"What’s that supposed to an?! I can handle a dislocated shoulder!"
‘...Wait. Have I ever actually set a dislocated shoulder before?
I don’t think anyone around has ever had one.
But it can’t be that hard, right?
Just... push it back into place, right?’
"...Probably?"
"NOPE. Not happening."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
As I argued with the Regressor, Azzy suddenly tapped my injured shoulder.
She had perfectly chosen the injured side.
I groaned in pain and turned to glare at her.
"Azzy, that’s my bad shoulder. Be careful—"
"Woof."
"AAAAAAGH!"
Azzy grabbed my shoulder and twisted it back into place.
The sickening pop of my bones realigning echoed through my body.
I shrieked like a little girl and instinctively shoved Azzy away with my right arm.
"HEY! THAT HURT! What the hell?!"
"Fixing!"
"Since when do dogs know how to—wait."
I moved my arm.
Huh?
It worked?
Azzy had reset my shoulder?
...Since when could dogs do that?
The Regressor, watching my now-functional arm, muttered in disappointnt.
"I could’ve done it."
‘It would’ve been a good experience, too...’
I'm not so kind of experience point farm!
"Enough. Let’s hurry up and go over there!"
Grull and Marquis Raphaeno were still fighting.
At a glance, it looked like Grull was aggressively pressing the Marquis with his superior speed.
But in reality, the battle was completely one-sided—in the Marquis’s favor.
His slashes remained suspended in space, making him the worst possible opponent for soone who relied on fast movent like Grull.
Raphaeno was slowly seizing control of the battlefield, cornering him with calculated precision.
If it were just the Marquis alone, the Regressor’s intervention might have tipped the scales.
But the real problem was what lay beyond him.
"Hold on. Shei, do you see that army over there?"
The Regressor’s eyes briefly turned a shade of orange before flickering back.
Seven-Colored Eyes.
With a single glance, she estimated their numbers and clicked her tongue.
"Five hundred soldiers. Every single one of them is trained in Qi techniques!"
"What do we do? Do we fight?"
"First, we have to stop them! We’ll think about the consequences later—wait, what?"
At that mont—
Duke Erectus ca rushing toward us, carrying his injured hound in his arms.
Blood dripped from behind him as he ran, his face twisted in desperation.
The Regressor’s expression froze in shock.
"Damn it! Hey! Adventurer! Save Welsh!"
"What?"
"There’s no ti! Welsh is dying! You must have so way to save her!"
Of course, the Regressor had the ans to do so.
But because of Erectus’s reputation, she hesitated—skeptical, rather than eager to help.
"You’re the one who brought the Marquis’s army here."
"No! You stopped ! Damn it, there’s no ti for this! Hurry—!"
His voice cracked, almost pleading.
The Regressor had no reason to help Welsh.
The battle against the wolves had already left many beastkin dead or injured.
Even she couldn’t save everyone.
At most, she could brew a large batch of healing dicine and distribute it among the wounded.
More importantly—she had to stop Raphaeno.
That was the only way to prevent {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} even greater casualties.
"Please... I beg you...!"
Well, the Regressor might not care.
But I was interested in this guy.
"Shei, go. I’ll handle this."
"Huh? Uh... okay."
The Regressor left without hesitation.
anwhile, I stayed behind to deal with Welsh.
It looked like Erectus had attempted so first aid, wrapping bandages around her wounds—
But it was pointless.
She had lost too much blood—the bandages were already soaked deep red, like silk woven from blood.
A Miracle Physician might be able to help, but Welsh’s survival was beyond my abilities.
Still—
I’d do it anyway.
Because that’s what he wanted.
I forced blood back into Welsh’s body using hemocraft, preparing to stitch her wounds.
Even with her Qi-enhanced vitality, there was no guarantee my crude surgery would be enough.
Honestly—she was closer to death than life.
But Erectus—desperate and unwilling to accept reality—clung to the thinest thread of hope.
"You can save her, right?"
"Honestly? The chances are slim. I'm not a doctor, and even if I were, could any doctor heal a wound inflicted by a Qi Master?"
"Is there any way?"
"There is... but it’s far too valuable to waste on a re beastkin."
Erectus’s face lit up with hope.
"What do you need? I’ll pay any price! Just—save Welsh!"
"It’s too valuable... You’d be better off just getting a new hound."
"Damn it, that’s not the point! I said, save Welsh!"
"Huh? Does it even matter which hound it is?"
"...What?"
"Aren’t beastkin just disposable tools? Born from the womb of nothingness, existing only to serve humans?
Welsh has served enough.
Why not just let her go?"
"How could you say that?! **Welsh and I have lived together for almost twenty years! She’s irreplaceable!"
"Then you should have treated her better while you had the chance."
My words stabbed him like a knife.
Erectus clenched his teeth but didn’t protest—he couldn’t.
Because I was the only one keeping Welsh alive.
"You humiliated her in public, mocked her as useless, whipped her, and even let her die twice in your place—and you never even thanked her.
And now, after all that, you co begging for soone else to save her?
Have you no sha?"
"I know! But—she’s my hound! She belongs to ! And if she’s mine, then I have the right to heal her and protect her!"
Ah.
That’s your best excuse?
So deeply ingrained—this sense of ownership.
But...
"Those bastards an nothing to !"
"Welsh is far more important! I need her!"
At least your emotions are genuine.
I looked at the tears running down his face and spoke.
"Your wish has been granted."
"...What?"
"You always wanted to find soone worthy of recognition, didn’t you?
You never saw beastkin as people—they were too lowly for that.
But now that you’ve lost her, you finally realize how precious she was."
To him, Welsh had never been human.
Just like people don’t care about a dog’s opinion, he had treated beastkin the sa way—as tools, as objects.
That was—until he beca a fugitive himself.
Until he heard Welsh’s thoughts while they were running for their lives.
And now—
Now, he saw her as one of his own.
"You already had what you were looking for.
The recognition you wanted—the person who truly saw you—
Was always right beside you.
Just like a moral lesson straight out of a fairy tale."
"Then...!"
"But now you’ll lose her."
"...What?"
I shook my head.
This was beyond .
Without divine power or a vampire’s healing abilities, there was nothing I could do.
Too bad.
I stood up—my movent carrying more aning than words.
Erectus’s face turned pale with despair.
Nothing could be done.
At least—until...
"Woof."
"Huh?"
As I turned to leave—
Azzy barked.
She was looking between Welsh and Erectus.
"You... want to save her?"
"If I can, should I?"
If I had the ability, sure.
But no human could do such a thing.
No matter how much one wished for it.
"Woof!"
Did she even hear my answer?
Azzy placed her paw on Welsh’s back—
And began licking her wounds.
I understood the sentint, but...
Even a King of Beasts had limited healing abilities—
At most, her saliva was nothing more than a disinfectant.
It might slow the bleeding, but it wouldn’t save her—
"...Oh?"
A miracle occurred.
A soft white glow shimred over Welsh’s body—
And her wounds began to vanish.
"Welsh! Can you hear ?! Welsh!"
"...M-master..."
"Yeah, it’s ! Damn it. Why did you have to get in the way?!"
Not healing.
Restoration.
Azzy, her muzzle stained with blood, simply wagged her tongue—
Still looking as innocent as ever.
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