I’m not a Regressor - Chapter 216: Snake’s Head (9)

“I apologize, I apologize, I apologize!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!—

The woman repeatedly banged her forehead on the floor as she continued to apologize.

Ohjin looked down at Kasia apologizing and trembling to an extent that even he frowned and gulped.

‘The Queen of Snakes was said to be fanatically devoted to Heavenly Demon.’

If that was the case, was she really mistaking him for the Heavenly Demon?

‘Why?’

Even if he could be mistaken for such in his previous life, he had neither accumulated power worthy of the grand title of ‘Heavenly Demon’ nor behaved in a manner fitting of it.

According to Isabella, the Heavenly Demon was a transcendent being who gave birth to the celestials of the Black Stars.

She must have also seen him almost lose to a Star Spirit that inherited a portion of a celestial’s soul; why would she make such an absurd assumption?

‘Could it be…?’

Ohjin placed his hand over the left side of his chest.

The Black Heaven was slumbering beneath his thin skin.

Was that what made her mistake him for the Heavenly Demon?

‘No, that doesn’t make sense.’

If she mistook him for the Heavenly Demon because of the Black Heaven, it would mean that the being called the Heavenly Demon who gave birth to the Black Stars also possessed the Black Heaven like him.

‘Then… does it mean that there are two Black Heavens?’

What the hell was going on?

Ohjin silently bit his lip as he continued trying to figure things out.

Could it be that the Black Heaven he possessed was not complete and the other half belonged to the Heavenly Demon?

Could it be that he was something like the reincarnation of the Heavenly Demon?

Could it be that the one who brought about the destruction of the world in his past life was actually not him, but the real Heavenly Demon?

‘No.’ Ohjin shook his head. Any further conjectures were nothing but baseless speculation. ‘Don’t think about it.’

Making baseless speculations could make you believe that the most ‘plausible’ conjecture was the truth. He had seen countless instances in his life where a baseless assumption turned into conviction, causing people to not even consider other possibilities.

‘That isn’t important right now.’

Ohjin’s gaze shifted to Kasia, who was lying flat on the ground with her head pressed down. She had continued to bang her head on the floor while he was lost in deep thought.

‘In any case, she believes I’m the Heavenly Demon,’ he thought as a smirk formed on his face.

The memory of when he first met Vega resurfaced in his head.

“Lift your head,” he said in a curt voice as he looked down at the Queen of Snakes still prostrating herself on the floor.

“Yes, Heavenly Demon,” Kasia replied and lifted her head, which had been pounding the ground like a hammer on a nail.

Despite the forceful banging, not even a bruise could be seen on her fair forehead.

“Ah, Heavenly Demon…”

Kasia’s eyes trembled as they met Ohjin’s. The emotion filling her emerald green eyes was neither affection nor loyalty—it was a fanatical faith that knew no bounds.

She was looking up at him with complete awe, as if he were a god.

“How did you find me?”

“The first clue was found at the dock,” she replied.

A short exclamation escaped Ohjin’s lips.

‘Right… The Living Armor.’

Had the energy of the Black Heaven leaked out in the process of eliminating her demonic beast?

“At first, I wasn’t sure, but now I’m certain.” Kasia crawled toward Ohjin, still on her hands and knees. “You are the one… the Heavenly Demon I’ve been desperately searching for.”

With a bright smile on her face, she kissed his shoe.

The soft sensation he felt through the padding on his shoe made him gulp, and a cold sweat ran down his back.

‘Shit.’ The situation itself was similar to Vega’s, but the difficulty was on another level. ‘I think there’s something wrong with her head.’

He had often heard people call others crazy, but he never imagined there was someone crazy to such an extent.

The situation was too awkward and uncomfortable for him to just do nothing.

Ohjin spoke in a chilly voice while looking down at Kasia, who was kissing his shoe.

“When did I say you could touch me?”

“Ah, I-I apologize!” Kasia said, immediately looking up and back down as she nervously bit her nails.

She looked like a soldier who had accidentally shredded confidential documents.

‘W-Was I too harsh?’ he thought.

When he saw that she was so anxious that it seemed she was about to explode, Ohjin gulped again.

Maybe she was calling him the ‘Heavenly Demon’, but she probably knew better than anyone that he was several hundred times weaker than her.

‘I need to do something,’ he thought.

Ohjin opened his mouth and spoke with all the caution of someone defusing a ticking time bomb. “Stand up.”

“Y-Yes!”

Kasia immediately stood up. Compared to her slender build, she wasn’t that short.

Ohjin slowly extended his hand toward her.

“Mh!” she mumbled as she tightly closed her eyes.

Did she think he was going to slap her?

Instead, Ohjin brushed off the dirt on her forehead.

“…Ah.”

“Stay still,” he said. Then she brushed off the dirt on her knees as well.

“Ahh… H-Heavenly Demon, for you to touch this lowly servant’s body…”

Kasia shivered with delight, kneeling down and banging her forehead on the ground again.

“I cannot express my gratitude in words!” she shouted.

“…” Ohjin didn’t know what to say.

‘What is she doing? I just brushed the dirt off.’

Finally, he said, “…Stand up.”

“Yes!”

Kasia stood up once again, her emerald eyes sparkling as she looked his way.

Her gaze was filled with anticipation.

That time, Ohjin spoke without brushing off the dirt. “You haven’t forgotten our purpose, have you?”

“Ah, of course not, Heavenly Demon.”

‘Is that so? Well, I have.’

“Repeat it.”

“Our purpose is to swallow up all the stars arrogantly shining in the night sky and turn it pitch black. That… is the Heavenly Demon’s grand plan.”

‘So that’s it. This is my first time hearing this. Well, not exactly my first time.’

He had wondered why they were speaking in such convoluted terms when he first heard of it, but he finally understood.

‘Their plan is to devour the celestials.’

If the Heavenly Demon truly possessed the same Black Heaven he did, he could understand why they set such a goal. The ecstasy and thrill he felt when absorbing a portion of a celestial’s soul were unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

‘To put it simply, the Heavenly Demon’s goal is to use the Black Star Organization to devour all the celestials.’

Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

For a group with such a grand goal, none of the Black Star Organization’s factions he faced expressed any intentions of fighting a celestial.

‘Fighting a celestial is nonsensical in the first place.’

But if the aim of the Heavenly Demon, the creator of the Black Star Organization, was to fight the celestials, wasn’t it odd for the factions to act separately, each with a different objective and course of action?

* * *

* * *

Ohjin turned to Kasia and spoke in a cold voice.

“Despite knowing the goal so well, you haven’t actually acted on it.”

“Th-That’s…!”

“Is your loyalty merely expressed in words?”

“N-Not at all!” Kasia lowered her head with a pale face. “During your absence… many have dared to doubt your existence. There have even been some who disrespectfully claimed to be the Heavenly Demon.”

Was she talking about Huan Sukhothai?

“I executed those who went against the Heavenly Demon’s will so I could restore the separated factions to their proper form.”

Kasia’s eyes glowed like she was a dog hoping to receive praise.

“Of course, we’re not finished yet. There are still the cats, flies, and… ah, the leeches.”

She put on a creepy smile, and an ominous aura filled the air as she said, “Do not worry, my god. I shall soon offer you the heads of those blasphemous beings who have forgotten the Heavenly Demon’s will.”

“Hold on,” he said. ‘Wait a sec, you crazy woman.’

He continued to speak. “Exclude the leeches.”

“…Eh?”

“That child is currently assisting me.”

“Ah.” Kasia’s eyes widened. “Is that so?” she asked in a sullen voice.

‘It looks like I have a grip on the situation now.’

Someone named the Heavenly Demon founded the Black Star Organization and then mysteriously disappeared, resulting in its current state.

‘Not even the Queen of Snakes knows the Heavenly Demon’s whereabouts.’

If she had, she wouldn’t have mistaken him for the Heavenly Demon.

‘If I can leverage this situation…’

He thought he might be able to pull her to his side like he had Isabella.

“I shall follow the Heavenly Demon’s will,” Kasia said, bowing deeply to Ohjin. Her expression wasn’t exactly one of contentment, but she seemed willing to obey without question.

‘Maybe I can really turn her into an ally.’

Of course, he’d have to keep the fact that she called him the Heavenly Demon and the existence of the Black Heaven a secret.

‘If I can just get the Queen of Snakes on my side…’

A sly smile appeared on his face.

He recalled how Kasia made a Star Spirit with a portion of a celestial’s soul kill itself with only a few words.

If he could somehow gain her as an ally, she’d be a massive asset against the Black Star Organization and even the real Heavenly Demon.

‘She does look like she’s missing a few screws right now, but…’

Wasn’t it the same when he first met Isabella?

‘Who knows, Kasia could be a kind-hearted person like Isabella.’

If he could persuade her somehow before it was too late, then may—

“Ah, I also have a gift for the great Heavenly Demon!”

“A gift?” he asked.

“Yes!”

Kasia, who had been sullen, suddenly lifted her head as if she’d thought of something good.

As she extended her arm sideways, a green snake that was holding something in its mouth slithered out of her shadow and placed the ‘gift’ on her hand.

“Hehe. This is the gift this humble servant has prepared,” she said as she respectfully extended the gift to Ohjin with both hands.

“…”

Ohjin’s expression stiffened when he saw the ‘gift’.

“Please enjoy, Heavenly Demon.”

With a face full of anticipation, Kasia extended her long, snake-like tongue.

Drip, drip—

Red blood dripped between her slender fingers.

“It is the heart of the First Star,” she explained.

Thump, thump—

Holding the pulsating heart towards Ohjin, she laughed loudly.

Ohjin looked at the heart in Kasia’s hand and nearly chuckled at the absurdity.

‘Was I just thinking I could turn her to myself?’

He scoffed coldly at himself.

‘It’s too late for her.’

Unlike Isabella, the Queen of the Snakes… was too far gone to be saved.