༺ Land That Flows Like A River – 1 ༻

The Regressor showed as much interest in me as Azzy did.

With a hint of subtlety, the Regressor pointed to herself and inquired quietly.

“Azzy. What do you think about me?”

“Woof? You, kinda small!”

Azzy’s gaze intriguingly lingered around the height of the Regressor’s head. The Regressor aimlessly waved her hand above her head as she pondered.

｢She’s talking about influence, isn’t she? She must be, right?｣

“What if, say, I decide to lend him some of my power?”

“Then happy! Woof! The more the merrier!”

Not only did she bring up the word investment, but now, she was also using an idiom. I was utterly dumbfounded. That dog was reciting proverbs! Did she somehow attend school while I was away?

“Woof, but still small. Small plus small is still small.”

Math too? What the… Had I misunderstood dogs all this time? Or is this some perk of being the King of Dogs?

As I stood agape, the Regressor nodded as if she alone had understood.

“Ah, I see. I think I get the gist.”

｢Ah, the kind of influence the Beast Kings seek is the personal influence one can wield. I had equated it to power, but from Azzy’s words, influence isn’t solely power or authority.｣

Lost in thought, the Regressor suddenly grinded her teeth.

｢This kind of influence is a problem. With every regression resetting all relationships, gaining it isn’t easy for me… Power or authority can be seized by force, but that complicates my path. After all, I’m in a position where I need to experiment with various options. Because of that, power is too hefty a burden.｣

After giving me a quick glance, the Regressor’s eyes shone with a similar glint to Azzy’s, scrutinizing me as if I were prey.

｢Then, what if I utilize this guy? If I can somehow increase his influence…!｣

She concluded her thoughts.

Concealing her scheming heart, the Regressor uncharacteristically offered with a gentle smile.

“What do you think? Do you want to wield power like Azzy suggests? I could grant you that.”

“What in the… The more you talk, the less it sounds like a jest. Look at you, talking about power as if it’s something you can just pull out of your pocket.”

“It’s not to that extent, but I can at least introduce you to a suitable position, after all.”

The Regressor’s warm suggestion was quite unfamiliar to me. At this rate, I’d be entangled not just in this round but potentially the next regression as well.

Sure, I would be a different person in the next round…But being harassed by the Regressor throughout every moment of the potential future seemed a bit troublesome, didn’t it? It really would have been a perfect farewell if we had just parted ways after saving each other’s lives in Tantalus.

What should I do? Do I really need to stick with her?

As I mumbled in disbelief, a good idea suddenly struck me. I arrogantly crossed my arms and looked down at the Regressor.

“Oho? Earlier, you mentioned helping me, right? So, does that make you, Mr. Shei, my subordinate?”

“What?”

My provocation seemed to have struck a nerve. So much so, that her reaction made me flinch. What was she? Some gangster? Why was she so quick to anger?

After a brief moment of introspection, the Regressor contemplated.

｢If he gains the qualification, I’ll have to leave all negotiations related to the Beast Kings to him… Well, considering that, I can at least serve as a subordinate.｣

“Though it’s more like a partnership… Alright, I’ll just be your subordinate for now.”

Haha. Let us see, shall we?

Would she continue to say that after seeing this attitude of mine?

I mischievously tapped my feet, fully aware of the upper hand I held in the situation, and immediately used it to my advantage. I spoke with a cocky tone.

“Then from today, you’re on cooking and cleaning duty. I’m tired of single parenting, no, single dog raising, you know?”

“…What? Single?”

Oh oh, ehhh? Look at her glaring those fierce eyes at me. At this rate, she’s gonna bury me, huh.

But too bad for her. I’ve already accepted Azzy’s investment.

“If I say I’m raising her alone then that’s what it is. How dare you talk back to me? Azzy, I can’t handle this anymore. Find another person to invest in.”

“W-Whawoof?! No! Woof!”

Then Azzy leaped up and clung to the Regressor with her large, pleading eyes. The Regressor, who had been glaring at me, now seemed at a loss for words, faced with Azzy’s desperate attitude.

“Woof, just hang in there! If you rush out now, it’ll be trouble!”

“Keuk.”

｢He always does these bizarre things whenever things turn even slightly for the better. Is he teasing me? Should I actually handle him right from the start for my next regression round?｣

Right as I was on the verge of successfully managing the favorability levels…

Suddenly, a massive wave of hostility surged, not from the Regressor but from outside the container. As soon as I felt it, Azzy sprang into action.

Azzy swiftly turned her head, her ears flinching instantly. Her hair, unable to keep pace, smacked her in the face a moment later. Regardless, she charged towards me without hesitation.

“Woof! Danger!”

Azzy grabbed my collar with her teeth and tugged. Feeling the impending threat, I instinctively followed her lead, allowing myself to be pulled along. The difference in our strengths meant I couldn’t have resisted even if I wanted to, though.

Anyway, thanks to it, I was offered some respite from the relentless gunfire.

Bangbangbangbangbangbangbang.

Gunfire filled the air, reminiscent of a torrential rain. With a Whoosh, its continuous roar was overwhelming.

Bullets poured down like raindrops, hammering against the container’s walls, creating a cacophony far surpassing any drumbeat, tormenting us with its intensity.

Sensing the ambush, the Regressor rose to her feet, summoning Chun-aeng and Jizan, ready to confront the assault.

“A surprise attack? I didn’t see anything when I went out just now, though?”

“It’s not the front. It’s from the side!”

“Were they lying in ambush? Tch. I was too focused on checking the terminal ahead and neglected the sides.”

As the Regressor clicked her tongue in frustration, Tyr’s voice reached us. A deep, resonant echo, as if created by the trembling darkness itself, filled the container, reverberating through the coffin.

[It is quite noisy outside. Shall I intervene?]

“No, it’s fine. After all, their goal is probably to wake you up.”

[If that is the case, I shall stay a bit longer. Call me if necessary.]

Tyr’s voice faded as she seemed to go back into a dormant state. It was more an act of conserving energy or preparing for future activity than actual sleep, a concept difficult to find a parallel for in human terms.

Anyway, with Tyr resting, the Regressor turned her attention outside the container. The relentless gunfire seemed like a test of the container’s resilience.

I covered my head and called out to the Regressor, who still seemed far too leisurely for this situation.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and take care of it!”

“You said you didn’t want to raise a dog alone. Well, I’ll play my part, so you should handle the outside. Isn’t that right?”

“Is that really the time for this? I get it, I was wrong, so…!”

Pleased with my apology, the Regressor tapped on the container wall with a smile.

“Relax. This container has been strengthened by Tyrkanzyaka with the Sanguine Mark and further reinforced by me with Barrier Magic. It’s impervious to mere bullets.”

“That sounds a bit ominous.”

“Ominous, my foot. They’ve been pouring bullets onto us since earlier, but they haven’t attempted to breach or board the container. Using guns indicates that they are ordinary soldiers, not officers. Deploying expendable ordinary soldiers as a vanguard is a strategy to fray our nerves. Paying attention to it is essentially losing.”

The Regressor’s analysis wasn’t wrong.

High-level alchemic steel could not be wasted on expendable bullets; it was not cost-effective and if the enemy looted and used them, that alone would be an enormous loss.

Contrastingly, armor that protected one’s life often employed legendary metals or high-level alchemic steel in abundance. The rationale needed no explanation.

Even in the absence of Qi Deflection, the historical limitations of projectile weapons were evident due to the imbalance in the value of metals.

They served, at best, as deterrence or expendable assets.

The Military State, peculiarly enough, exhibited a war-obsessed approach by equipping ordinary soldiers with hard-to-manufacture firearms. Nonetheless, their combat doctrine remained more rational than most.

However…

｢I hear sounds. By tracing back from the noise of bullets striking metal, I’ll reconstruct the schematic of what’s inside.｣

From my Mind Reading, a thought that was slightly different from mere foot soldiers emerged.

｢The wall is reinforced and the interior is quite empty. The purpose for it is likely to be habitation. The uneven echoes suggest structures attached to the wall. Then, the peculiar aspect of these sounds is…｣

Next to the Meta Conveyor Belt, on one of the few main roads, three automaton carriages for military use were racing side by side.

The wheels roared over the firmly packed ground, speeding ahead. Outpacing the Meta Conveyor Belt, the automaton carriages let out intense cries as they raced against the land that flowed beneath them.

The ordinary soldiers atop these vehicles obeyed their officer’s commands, discharging their firearms. Bangbangbangbang. Because of the deafening noise, the officer’s commands were drowned out. It was said that even water droplets could eventually pierce a rock, yet the container, faintly illuminated by a red mark, repelled the onslaught of bullets, entirely unscathed.

Seeing as they had swapped magazines twice yet failed to penetrate, their actions seemed futile. However, the ordinary soldiers simply obeyed without question.

After all, everything was for a single entity.

Springing to my feet, I seized the Regressor’s shoulder and exclaimed.

“I’m trying to tell you that Historia is over there!”

Historia, stationed atop the frontmost automaton carriage, was aiming a rifle, its length being akin to a person’s, directly at us. Her braided hair whipped fiercely in the wind and her loosely worn uniform fluttered wildly.

Despite appearing to struggle against the wind, she was actually reading by using her very own method.

The weight of her hair and even the fluttering of her sleeves served as sensory organs for feeling the wind. Click! After calculating the wind direction and speed, Historia positioned the rifle’s sights on a specific section of the container.

She pulled the lever, loading a large bullet into the chamber. Simultaneously, a bright blue energy gathered around both the barrel and the bullet.

｢Right over there.｣

It was unclear as to where Historia was aiming and what the exact location inside this container was. However, the approximate height could be guessed.

｢Huey. Just don’t die after getting shot.｣

The place she was aiming at was around the height where my thigh would be if I were standing. Surely, even if I were hit, it might not be fatal. It could result in severe injury, though…

What is this?! Is it fine as long as I’m not dead?! Huh?! You terrible person!!

At this height, it would target the Regressor’s pelvis. The chances of her missing were high, yet not guaranteed.

Without hesitation, I embraced the Regressor and we tumbled to the ground together.

Ba-ang!

A gunshot resonated extensively, standing out amidst a cacophony reminiscent of crashing waves. This distinct, booming sound was followed by a massive impact that jolted the container.

Creaaaaaaaak. The container, hit squarely on its side, emitted a long groan under the impact.

Creaaaak, clank. The impact was so strong that it caused the container to tremble momentarily. It felt as though the world stayed the same, but gravity briefly wavered before quickly stabilizing again.

In that chaos, the Regressor and I tumbled together. Annoyed, the Regressor shoved me aside and exclaimed.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doi…!”

“Look up before you complain!”

When she raised her head to see, the container’s exterior wall just above us was severely dented. The Sanguine Mark, which had been illuminating from within, now dimmed, leaving behind only a faint red residue.

Light seeped through the frayed edges, indicating partial damage to even the Barrier Magic that once wholly separated the interior from the exterior.

Historia’s shot had challenged the integrity of steel fortified by the Sanguine Mark, thus even puncturing the Barrier Magic itself!

“Gunmaster? She’s caught up to us already?”

“She probably ran on the belt! After all, there’s no rule saying you have to stay put once you’re on!”

With a shout, I flung objects scattered on the ground in every direction. As they collided with the metal, it resounded loudly. Historia, in the midst of reloading, furrowed her brows as distorted sounds echoed off the crumpled container walls.

｢…The noise has become messy. Is it due to the wall crumpling? Or have they already devised a countermeasure?｣

However, the time I gained was all too fleeting. If there was no response from inside, she might just completely blow away the same section of the wall next time.

It was time to devise a countermeasure.