Absolute Regression

Episode 97 Why are you obsessed with my mask?

Extreme Soma came to see me again the next day.

“I thought you wouldn’t come now.”

“You are the one who holds the power over my life and death. How can you not come?”

Yesterday, I responded in my own way to the extreme soma’s mockery of my offer to live.

“Please wait a moment. “It’s something that needs to be dealt with quickly.”

“Don’t worry about me, just take your time.”

He could have stopped work for a while, but the momentum made him wait.

Extreme Soma walked to the window and asked.

“I can’t see that flower from yesterday.”

I answered as I stamped the document.

“I guess Inspector Seo went out to give us some water.”

Review the following documents and stamp them again. Take another picture. Take another picture.

Extreme Soma, who was looking out the window, seemed to be tired of waiting and sat down on my desk.

And then you made me wait, so you have to endure this level of rudeness, right? With this feeling, I looked down at my work.

“What makes things so difficult? Just kill them all.”

I smiled and told him.

“Soma lives too easily.”

Extreme Soma laughed at my words. Don’t be fooled by this unassuming appearance. Everyone who is caught off guard by Soma dies, and only those who are nervous about the extreme evil survive.

“It’s done.”

After stamping the last document, I raised my head and said something unexpected.

“Are you really going to save me if I become the heir?”

Of course, you should not be fooled by this statement. Could it be that he came to beg for his life?

He is enjoying this whole process. After interacting like this, I want to see myself collapse one day, which is the heart of a very evil soma. At that time, he is a person who has to laugh and mock me to get rid of his anger.

I took out my dagger and drew a line on the table.

“It saves my life. Instead…”

A vertical line was drawn slightly to the right of the center.

“You have to come here to live.”

Soma gave an interesting look.

“What is this?”

“This is how much I care.”

“Ohh! “Something like this?”

“You have to buy more than half of it. Even if you are a friend, if you don’t have any feelings of liking for it, isn’t it just like anyone else? “Words alone kill a friend.”

“It’s difficult to survive.”

“We’ll have to hand it over somehow.”

“Where are we now?”

I drew a vertical line a little bit past the starting point.

“Is it just there?”

“It’s already here.”

Extreme Soma looked down at Sun, then looked at me again, and then looked down at Sun again.

He has no choice but to fall into this relationship.

Not only is it not enough to treat yourself harshly, but you will also feel a taste of justice and agreement from me that you will never find at our school. That will be a spice that stimulates extreme soma even more.

“What does Gongja Lee think of you?”

The reason he asks is probably because he suspects that I trust my father and am doing this. Or maybe he received a secret mission from his father.

“I don’t think about my father. I just try to feel it at the moment. My father is not someone I can understand with my head. “I’m the only one having a hard time for no reason.”

Extreme Soma laughed, as if he sympathized with my words.

“If you’ve finished what you want to say, please stand up. “It’s time for me to eat.”

“You need to eat. “Let’s go out.”

I left the office with Extreme Soma. As I was leaving the building, the evil Soma followed me.

“Where do you eat?”

“I’m thinking of going out to Maga Village and having a meal today.”

“Let’s go together.”

I asked him as if slightly surprised.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Because he never took off his mask, I never heard of him eating with anyone.

“it’s okay. “I will just sit while you eat.”

“Not Soma, but Magachon. “It’ll be okay, right?”

Only then did he realize that it was a joke telling people not to cause riots or slaughter and laughed out loud.

While Seo Dae-ryong, who was holding a flower pot to his chest, was watching anxiously from the other side, we crossed the training hall and headed outside.

* * *

Just before entering Maga Village, Extreme Evil Soma said.

“You know what? I have never been to Maga Village. “I just passed by whenever I had to go outside, but this is my first time walking here.”

“Isn’t this a fortunate thing for the residents of Magachon?”

He laughed at my joke.

“Can I walk down the street?”

“If you’re worried that people will freak out, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Why?”

“You will know when you go.”

So we entered Magachon. Even as we walked down the street, everyone passed by without paying attention. A few people recognized me and bowed their heads in greeting, but no one was scared when they saw the evil soma next to them.

“Why is no one afraid of me?”

“That’s because no one thinks it’s an evil soma.”

“If you look at this mask, you should know it’s me, right?”

“Look over there.”

I pointed to a vendor across the street. The stall was selling all kinds of items related to the Heavenly Demon Church.

“There’s Soma’s mask over there too.”

“!”

Extreme Soma was surprised.

There were masks worn by truly maskless people. In addition to white masks, there were even colored or painted masks.

“These!”

When Extreme Soma raised his hand as if he wanted to blow it all away, I pulled on his sleeve.

“I think I need these hands over there.”

At that moment, a child passing by wearing a mask of an unknown person holding his father’s hand on the other side of the street was waving enthusiastically at the evil soma wearing the same mask.

“It doesn’t cost any money, so please wave your hand.”

When I slightly waved my sleeve, Extreme Soma waved his hand as if he couldn’t win.

The child passed us by, perhaps not realizing that he was the only person to whom Extreme Soma had waved.

“Don’t be too surprised. “Because that is also possible.”

The vendor next to it was selling wooden dolls, not only dolls modeled after Palmazon, but also dolls modeled after Cheonma.

When he saw the Heavenly Demon doll, Extreme Evil Soma was truly surprised.

“Is it really okay to do this?”

“If we don’t sell these items in villages near the Heavenly Demon Church, where can we sell them? “You can’t sell it in front of the Murim Alliance, right?”

“Even if I sell it in front of the Murim Alliance, I can’t sell it here.”

“It’s because my father is generous. He gave permission to make and sell as much as he wanted. Since that day, products related to fathers and mazons have been pouring out. “I feel uncomfortable and might not be able to make it, but the power of making money is great.”

“This is really funny.”

Now, Extreme Soma laughed out loud. Passers-by glanced at him, but no one thought he was a diabolical soma and passed by.

“When Soma and I come out here, of course we seem to be the main characters, but this is a world where those people are the main characters. When they recognize us, they get scared and bow their heads, but what matters to them is not us, but their own lives. To make a living every day, you have to earn money, meet people, and raise children. “Magachon is like this.”

“Interesting. How does Gongja Lee know so well?”

“Ever since I was young, I used to sneak out of school and wander around the village. “This Magachon was my world.”

This is what I said to him: I wouldn’t believe it if I had traveled far around the world, but it would have been plausible in Magachon.

Extreme Evil Soma’s gaze again turned to the vendors selling masks and Heavenly Demon Spirit dolls.

Without hesitation, he unleashed his poisonous demonic spirit, Small Evil Mind. The peddlers who were selling the goods frowned and touched their chests as if they were feeling stuffy.

“Soon, the author will put on the mask he sold and stab the person next to him to death. If they die, it will be because of Lee Gongja. “The person who brought me here is Lee Gongja.”

“Don’t be pushy. The person who came along to eat was Soma. The person who kills is also Soma. And there is one thing you must know.”

“What is that?”

“If you commit murder in front of the Nether Pole, you will be beheaded. Please try changing it somewhere. Their lives and Soma’s life.”

I added, taking the first step.

“Even if you touch my father’s doll over there, you don’t touch the people who make a living.”

I could feel the evil Soma withdrawing my evil spirit from behind me. He was just trying to see my reaction and didn’t start with the intention of killing me.

He has fun playing with me now. The more you give up, the more you will expect that the more thrilling pleasure will be waiting for you when you kill me.

The place I arrived at was Pungryu Bar.

“Now this is my regular place.”

“It’s shabby. “Why are you here?”

“It’s boring because it’s a place to meet, but I like the owner. “He is the only person who knows that Soma-sama is the real Soma-sama.”

That person, Cho Chun-bae, came out and greeted us warmly as always.

“Welcome, Mr. Gakju.”

His gaze turned towards the evil Soma.

For a moment, Cho Chun-bae was startled and looked fearful.

“This person really knows who I am.”

“Because you came with me. “Knowing that the real thing has arrived.”

I said to Cho Chun-bae with a smile.

“He who thinks is right. Luckily, I’m the only one eating, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“yes!”

Nevertheless, the pressure from Extreme Soma seemed to be greater than that of his father. The evil Soma in the rumor was a villain who killed people for no reason.

“Of all the guests I’ve served, I think I’m the most afraid of Soma. “More than my father.”

“Is the leader here too?”

“yes.”

“That’s unexpected.”

“There is a first time for everyone.”

“Everyone starts with a scientist.”

I smiled lightly and he habitually laughed along.

This time I asked.

“Have you ever eaten at a bar like this?”

“I was there when I was young.”

“Who did you eat with?”

He didn’t answer.

But I knew who it was. He said that before he became Soma’s disciple, he once ate at a restaurant with his father. It was a memory that remained like a picture in his memory.

I suddenly thought of that image. A little boy who entered the bar holding his father’s hand.

Extreme Soma said that he was born with a tendency to kill from a young age, but was that really true? Were the eyes of the kid who entered the bar full of sorrow?

Meanwhile, the meal came out.

Cho Chun-bae was even careful about his breathing, as if he thought he could die if he made a mistake.

This was the look in his eyes as he left the dish safely behind. Thanks to you, I have achieved great success as a bar owner today.

I said with my eyes. You don’t know that, owner. What other positions will be created?

I raised my chopsticks and asked Geukaksoma out of courtesy.

“Would you like to eat together?”

“Is there any way to eat food without a mouth opening through the mask?”

“How about lifting the mask slightly and eating downwards?”

“It looks like it’s not there, right?”

“Then there is no way.”

“I’m not hungry, so don’t worry, just eat.”

“Okay then, I’ll eat first.”

Actually, I ate alone. Extreme Soma just watched. Some people would say it was crazy, but I was accomplishing the difficult task of eating alone in the presence of a very evil soma.

“Isn’t it difficult to keep wearing the mask?”

“It must be harder for a scientist than me.”

“Me?”

“Because you don’t have a mask, you have to make different facial expressions every day, right?”

“Oh, that could be possible.”

Starting with that story, I told him several stories.

We talked about how Hyeolcheon Doma and Ilhwa Sword Zone Mabul came here, we talked about the weather, and we also said that if we sell white masks in front of the Murim Alliance, they will sell well. He just listened to my story in silence.

After finishing my meal, I put down my chopsticks and Geukaksoma said something unexpected.

“I have a favor to ask, Master Lee.”

“Please tell me.”

“Please tell the religious leader to lift my ban.”

I looked shocked. But when the word favor came up, I expected to be asked this favor. Originally, this was a request I would have made to my older brother, but now his and my fate have changed, so he is asking me to do it.

“It’s not easy.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to do it. “For some reason, I think a person with a science degree might be able to solve it.”

“What will you do if I release the ban?”

“Just say the word. What do you want? Do you want my full support?”

My brother wanted it. But I was drawing a bigger picture.

“no.”

“You don’t want my support?”

“I don’t want forced support. It will only break the unity of those who support me.”

“Then what do you want?”

I said, staring into the eyes inside the mask.

“Please take off your mask even when you are alone with me.”

“!”

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

“Why on earth are you obsessed with my mask?”

“I’m not obsessed with the mask.”

“sure?”

“If we can become friends, I want to become real friends.”

“!”

Extreme Soma, who was silent for a moment, asked coldly.

“Can you handle me without the mask?”

I calmly asked back as I stared into his eyes, which were shining with raw evil intent in the gaping hole.

“Can you handle me without that mask?”