Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 533: The Puppy That Doesn’t Fear the Tiger

There is nothing more meaningless than confronting absurdity with common sense. If it could be reasoned with, it wouldn't be absurdity in the first place. No choice is the right answer, and conversely, doing nothing is not necessarily the wrong one either.

The regressor had done nothing while watching people die, but in the end, that was the correct decision.

Because the regressor was still alive.

For now.

‘Fight? Don’t fight? Tch. What should I do?’

If it was just about survival, running away while the Mountain Lord slaughtered the Black Tiger Army... Even that option made her hesitate. Despite the urgency of the situation, the regressor coldly analyzed her circumstances.

‘If I run alone, I’ll just get hunted down and killed. If I want even a slim chance of survival, I need to make sure everyone scatters in different directions. Otherwise, all I can do is lie flat and pray the tiger spares me... Damn it! That still means leaving my life to the whims of a tiger!’

I was the same. Without being able to read the Mountain Lord’s thoughts, I couldn’t be sure if turning my back and running was the right decision when dealing with a beast.

‘I can survive. But...!’

The regressor was an almost absurd existence herself. Having gathered countless means at her disposal, she had ways to overcome this predicament. But that only applied to her.

‘What about Hughes? What about Ende? And Azzy, who lost her crown? Should I just abandon them to be killed by the Mountain Lord and run?’

The regressor could escape. She had the ability to momentarily flee from this absurdity, observe the situation, and alter events upon her return.

But she chose not to.

Even if she died, she would use this experience as nourishment and start over. She wanted to see what happened next.

‘No! I’ve come this far...! If I run away now, this round is over! I need to know what happens to Azzy after losing her crown, how the Wolf King with a complete crown differs from the last time, and what changes Hughes' intervention brought! If I run, I won’t know anything!’

In the regressor’s eyes, seven-colored light flickered. The hues of the Seven-Colored Eyes merged into one, revealing what lay beyond the light. The cursed eyes, once called Thousand-Wheel Heavenly Eyes, Eyes of Fate, gleamed, reflecting an impossible past.

A state she had once reached. A time when, instead of grasping an unattainable truth, she had trained in magic to learn her Innate Arcane Arts. She had ultimately failed, but that failure had allowed her to understand the power of relics more deeply.

And within the Eyes of Fate, the past self of Shei, devoted to magic, was reflected.

Mana from a nonexistent future surged forth. A present deviating from the observed fate. To bridge that gap, the regressor drew in mana from all things around her. Her subspace, Rene’s Pocket, opened on its own. Magic from countless treasures and artifacts she had collected poured out, assisting her.

‘I don’t need to win! As long as I drive him away! As long as I can make him waver, that’s enough! There’s no plan... but the Mountain Lord was never the kind of being that needed one!’

If she had to fight, using Qi Arts would be better. The regressor was only half-competent when it came to Innate Arcane Arts.

But this wasn’t a battle—it was intimidation. She had to swell her presence, make noise, and threaten the Mountain Lord. What she needed wasn’t a sword—it was a bell.

The regressor focused her raging mana into Tianying. Using the blade that swallowed the sky and lightning as a catalyst, she drew out the ultimate forms of Wind and Thunder Magic. freewёbnoνel.com

The Mountain Lord, who had wiped out the Black Tiger Army and slain the Marquis, turned his head. His whiskers twitched.

The regressor struck with all her might.

“Sky Sword Technique, Storm Eagle!”

The atmosphere twisted, forming a massive storm that flapped its wings. The wind rampaged chaotically, pulling everything around it into its current. Sand and dust spread wide, wailing like a flock of birds. Air and earth clashed, generating static electricity despite the absence of any divine authority.

This was no mere wind. Even a fierce waterfall wouldn’t compare to this force. Caught within the swirling torrent, ordinary humans writhed in agony from mere exposure. Beastfolk screamed as the wind threatened to rip their fur from their bodies.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Run!”

“No, stay low!”

The belief that even boulders could withstand a storm was only true for weak storms. The Storm Eagle’s wings crushed the ground, causing the earth to collapse and rocks to roll like pebbles. Fortunately, the debris didn’t simply crash into people—it lodged against obstacles, forming imperfect shelters from the storm.

“We’re alive...!”

“Toeeeeeeeng!”

“Ugh, shut up already!”

If it weren’t for Kito, dozens would have died just from the aftermath. But the regressor had no time to care.

If she didn’t drive away the Mountain Lord, they were all dead.

“Get out!”

She slashed Tianying with all her strength. The Storm Eagle, dark enough to be seen clearly, lunged at the Mountain Lord, grasping at everything on the ground like a greedy predator.

It had the form of an eagle, but no true substance. Swinging a hand through it would only cause ripples—it wouldn’t dissipate.

The Mountain Lord furrowed his brow and lowered his body. His robes fluttered wildly.

—But he wasn’t pushed back.

Even as the wind clouded his vision, he held his ground. The Mountain Lord’s gleaming eyes pierced through the storm, staring directly at the regressor.

A sight that could drive someone to flee in terror, yet the regressor did not run. Instead, she drew forth more power. Lightning crackled along Tianying.

“Sky Sword Technique, Thunder Howl!”

A brilliant yellow glow flared within the Storm Eagle’s maw. The lightning she had gathered from Claudia’s Thunderfall surged to life.

She didn’t intend to wound him. A mere electric shock wouldn’t faze the Mountain Lord. Instead, she concentrated the power into thunder.

Rumbleeeee!

A deafening roar, as loud as the Mountain Lord’s own, tore through the world.

The thunder shattered the silence of the Enger Plains. Stones and sand leaped from the ground, and even the air trembled visibly.

The regressor bent space with Tianying, directing all of that sound toward the Mountain Lord.

For any beast, such a noise should have ruptured their eardrums, forcing them to flee.

For a brief moment, it felt like the entire world had screamed at once. Then—a deafening silence.

She had used wind, light, and sound—every force that beasts despised.

The regressor lifted her head.

‘...Huh? Where’s the Mountain Lord?’

The Mountain Lord’s presence had vanished.

Her instincts were as keen as any beast’s. With Eyes of Fate active, there was nothing she shouldn’t be able to see.

‘Did he run? Please, tell me he ran! But if he didn’t—!’

Even so, she couldn’t let her guard down.

Tigers are fast, strong, and most of all—silent.

They conceal their presence, creeping upon prey before snapping their necks in a single bite.

For the Mountain Lord, hiding his presence was almost an authority in itself.

Expanding her senses, the regressor searched.

Then—something leaped through the storm, tearing through the darkness.

The Mountain Lord struck like lightning.

“Tianying—!”

She expanded space, released wind, reacted with Heaven-Reversing Art—

But his claws tore through it all.

And the regressor, a mere projectile caught in a storm, was sent flying.

Her small body tore through the storm and dust, soaring like a bullet. The regressor, still clutching Tianying, was swept up by the violent winds, tossed about like a kite before she could even touch the ground.

‘Ugh...!’

But she was still in a better condition than Marquis Raphaeno had been.

The Heaven-Reversing Art, the ultimate Qi Art forged by the Sword Empress, reacted even to the Mountain Lord’s devastating strike. Every ounce of her Qi, mana, muscles, and sheer strength moved in unison, dispersing the overwhelming force of his blow—just enough to spare her life.

No one had fought against overwhelmingly stronger foes as many times as the regressor.

Her countless regressions had built up an experience no other warrior could match. And that experience was the only thing keeping her conscious in the middle of this storm.

‘Don’t collapse! This won’t kill me! No, even if I die, this won’t be the end! Compared to the King of Sins, his intent and strength are nothing!’

Still suspended in midair, she rode the wind’s flow and scanned below.

Thankfully, the Mountain Lord had his [N O V E L I G H T] eyes fixed solely on her.

‘If I hold out in the air, I can buy time! Tigers don’t have wings—he can’t jump this high! If I keep him busy and escape...!’

But no matter how many regressions she had been through, she had never fought the Mountain Lord one-on-one before.

There was no need to shove her head into a tiger’s maw.

The giant tiger burst through the storm. He leapt off the floating debris, kicking off loose stones and gravel mid-air, grabbing onto tree roots and broken planks to propel himself further.

By the time the regressor had snapped back to focus, the Mountain Lord was already upon her.

Too fast. Too strong.

The sheer difference in raw power made the regressor grit her teeth.

‘...Even after all this, it’s still not enough...?!’

Tigers were natural disasters given form.

That was why people called them "hohwan"—beasts beyond human control, a death that no man could resist.

Death itself loomed before her, growling with predatory hunger.

His paw came down faster than her eyes could follow.

Even as despair clutched her, the regressor swung Tianying, riding the momentum of her ascent.

A sharp blade of wind slashed across the Mountain Lord’s paw.

Tough fur split apart. A tiny cut marred his thick skin.

A single, minuscule wound.

And the price she paid for it was horrifying.

BOOOOM!

Like a thunderbolt, her body was hurled downwards.

Her skin split open, her bones twisted under the sheer impact.

Blood burst from her mouth, nose, and ears as she plummeted toward the earth.

She had already been on the brink of death before hitting the ground.

By the time she crashed, it was even worse.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Blood gushed from her lips like a broken dam.

Her body shuddered violently, unable to move under the unbearable pain.

And above her—the Mountain Lord’s footprint loomed over her battered form.

Through her torn clothes, a crimson aura flickered ominously.

‘Ah... P-pain...!’

Even with Tianying and the Heaven-Reversing Art reacting to the fall, the impact was still far too great for her body to handle.

Capillaries burst, and her eyes, instead of shining with the colors of the Seven-Colored Eyes, were dyed red with blood. The mana that had once filled her body scattered in every direction.

And the Mountain Lord—having struck her with such force—was now soaring through the air from the sheer momentum of his own blow.

The moment he hit the ground, it would be over for the regressor.

She would leave for the next round.

"No, the Mountain Lord—."

It didn't matter.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

There was never a "correct" answer to anything.

If the regressor had stalled for time while Azzy escaped, would they have survived?

If she fell this quickly, being hunted down and killed later wouldn't be surprising either.

She hadn't read his thoughts, nor had she seen the future.

But even in this hopeless situation, a slim possibility flickered in her mind.

Wolves. A promise.

The Mountain Lord had made a promise to the wolves. A king’s promise.

Which meant—

"Azzy!"

There was no need to call out.

Azzy, having finished healing, was already rushing toward the Mountain Lord.

But—

"Woof?!"

Her body wavered, her balance suddenly breaking.

She stumbled and fell.

When she tried to get up and run again, her steps looked uncertain, shaky.

It was a long shot.

Azzy wasn’t a wolf—she was a dog. And the crown had already been passed on.

Expecting the Mountain Lord to acknowledge her presence in the promise was pure optimism.

But there was no choice.

The regressor charged toward the falling Mountain Lord.

Even a tiger was still subject to gravity—his robe fluttered as he plummeted.

And yet, his eyes remained locked onto her.

There was no hesitation.

No mercy.

Only the killing intent of a beast sensing a lingering threat.

The regressor shouted at him.

"Tiger!"

What did she even have left?

Cards? No way that would work.

A Demon God? She wasn’t the Demon God herself—using them like tools was pointless.

Damn it, there was nothing left.

All she had now was the hollow title of "King of Humans."

Would that even work?

"I am human! The promise was fulfilled! The wolves are gone! That’s a dog!"

She yelled desperately—but he didn’t even look at her.

Her voice wasn’t too quiet—there was no way the Mountain Lord, with his keen ears, couldn’t hear her.

He simply ignored her.

Because she had no presence.

Because she wasn’t a representative of anything.

Then how about this?

She plunged Jizan into the ground, scooping up dirt and stones like a shovel.

A mound of earth and rock surged upward.

She wasn’t much.

But Jizan wasn’t just anything.

The Mountain Lord finally turned his gaze toward her.

And the moment she had his attention—she shouted.

"Tiger, stop! The one you made a promise to is gone! There’s no reason for you to leave the mountain anymore—"

Before she could finish, the Mountain Lord curled his body inward.

Then—he suddenly stretched out his limbs with force.

His body accelerated toward the ground in an instant.

What?!

What did he even kick off from?!

It looked like he was swimming through the dust clouds.

She had his attention.

That was good, right?

She was a king, after all—surely, he wouldn’t just kill her outright... right?

But the moment she had that thought—

The very instant his feet touched the ground—

He disappeared.

"Ah—!"

And then, in the blink of an eye—

The Mountain Lord was standing right in front of her.

A deep, growling roar rumbled through the air.

Her body froze.

Her limbs refused to move.

Cold sweat drenched her.

Facing the primal fear of a predator, she desperately greeted him.

"Tiger, it’s a pleasur—"

She never finished her sentence.

The Mountain Lord's fist collapsed her chest.

Her ribs caved inward.

Her sternum met her spine.

Her lungs ruptured, forcing blood to gush out.

A single punch, thrown with annoyed contempt, twisted her flesh and bones beyond recognition.

Her retina caught the sight of something bright red spilling from the torn flesh—

Like a dumpling bursting open, its filling spilling out.

The shockwave shattered the air, her clothes ripped apart, and her body—like a person hit by a horse—was sent flying.

Damn it.

She had been mauled.

By a tiger.

This was exactly why she should never have gotten involved with the regressor.

She didn't even have time to feel pain.

Like any ordinary person who had just met a raging tiger, she was crushed beneath its paw.

Her consciousness faded to black.

It felt like she had fallen back-first into warm, soft water.

A floating sensation wrapped around her, leaving her unable to tell if she was rising or sinking.

It was... comfortable.

Like the warmth of a bed on a cold morning, making it impossible to leave.

For a moment—she wanted to keep sinking forever.

But then, she remembered the Mountain Lord.

With a sharp kick, she forced herself back to awareness.

...What?

Everything was dark.

No matter how much she waved her arms, nothing was there.

Her feet touched nothing.

Was this... the afterlife?

No way.

The idea that some "divine realm" actually existed, where souls were judged according to religious morals and given eternal punishment or reward—that was nonsense.

If anything, regression was far more realistic than that.

At least regression made sense.

But—she was just a beast.

If such a divine place did exist, and had dragged her here, then she had no choice but to play along.

Not just pretend—if it was real, then she had to repent and believe immediately.

[Unpleasant thoughts.]

...What?

Who was that?

Who the hell was reading the mind of a telepath?!

If this was God, then she was deeply sorry.

This foolish beast had been too ignorant to believe in anything beyond what she could see.

If her punishment for that sin was being torn apart by the Mountain Lord, then she humbly begged for forgiveness.

[You’re not dead yet. Don’t close your eyes.]

...She wasn’t dead?

No way.

She had no Qi Arts, no holy power, and she wasn’t a vampire.

There was no way she could survive that attack.

[You can. Because I am inside you.]

...Who are you?

[I am you. You are me. I am the one who entered you.]

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Show yourself."

[-Understood.]

And then—

Before her eyes appeared a girl with silver hair, crimson eyes, and skin so pale it was almost white.

The moment she saw that figure, she was stunned.

...What?

She had expected something related to dogs or wolves—something about the King of Humans.

But why—why was it Tyrkanzyaka?

Tyrkanzyaka spoke to me, but her voice was nothing like the Tyr I knew.

[You must not die. You cannot die. You have to live. We must meet again.]

I appreciated the sentiment, but words alone weren’t enough to keep me alive. Survival required more than that.

[Open your eyes. Breathe. Make your heart beat.]

Did she think it was that easy?

[You must do it.]

I told her I had no strength left.

[You do.]

What?

[Strength.]

Something suddenly filled my empty hand.

A Spade 6 card—a Demon God’s card.

It must have contained Tyr’s Demon God.

My body felt sturdier, but even if I understood my body, without Qi Arts, there was no way to make use of it...

[You will not die. You will not change. Just as you gave me your heart, I have given you my god.]

The Demon Gods were never perfect.

They were universal concepts, useful tools, but they didn’t provide flawless assistance to every human.

A vampire’s thirst stripped people of their free will.

The Golden Mirror disintegrated the human body to reconstruct it.

The Demon Gods ignored the differences between individuals, forcing them into one singular flow—and that created harm.

...No.

It wasn’t the Demon Gods that were flawed.

It was humanity.

The principles of the Demon Gods were too vast, too incomprehensible to consider each individual’s minute differences.

That was why humans who wielded them were crushed beneath their weight—why the Demon Gods gained their name.

[Live.]

But Tyr’s Demon God was pulsing inside me.

A vampire? No.

If I had turned into a vampire, Heart’s potion wouldn’t have worked on me.

This wasn’t about preventing me from changing.

It was only keeping me alive.

Ordinarily, being revived like this should have triggered the Homunculus Dilemma—it should have altered me.

Just like the Golden Mirror’s Homunculi or Tyr’s vampires, I should have lost my original self.

I had always resisted that change with everything I had.

[You must remain as you are. We must meet again.]

Innate Arcane Art, Hu.

Tyr’s shadow, wearing her identical face, spoke to me from the darkness.

Just as I had given my heart to Tyr, she had given me her Demon God.

Just as I had engraved the rhythm of her heartbeat into my gift, she had engraved my body into hers and restored it.

I was able to give my heart to Tyr without corruption because I was the King of Humans.

Likewise, Tyr’s Demon God did not corrupt me when bringing me back to life, because I was the King of Humans.

I could read Demon Gods.

I could turn them into my tools.

Because of the Demon God, I had gained regenerative power.

Or perhaps—

Tyr had become a Demon God just so she could give me regeneration.

I wasn’t sure.

But at the very least—I wasn’t going to die from being beaten to death.

As long as I wasn’t torn apart and devoured, I wouldn’t die.

That was enough.

A sensation of rising surged through me—

And as my eyes snapped open—

I came back to life.