A Regressor'S Tale of Cultivation

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I am an Earthling from a civilized society.

This was the mantra I repeated whenever I had a moment.

"I am from a civilized society, cough cough!"

If I hadn't kept reminding myself of that, I might have gone mad.

"Oh dear, Mr. Seo. My mother sent this for you."

"Thank you."

"Not at all. Please get well soon and make some more soap!"

The daughter of the Ju family next door places a basket of boiled potatoes beside me and hurries back to her house.

50 years.

It's been 50 years since I fell into this cursed world.

Cough! Cough!

I lie down, coughing.

Yes, it was the day we were going to a company workshop.

I was on my way to the workshop with Director Kim and other company employees.

We were swept away in a landslide, and when we came to our senses, we found ourselves in a strange world.

A fox as big as a house with three tails.

A large red-scaled snake with two heads.

And, beings wielding swords, flying through the sky.

It was a world like the martial arts novels I occasionally read.

Although it was a strange world, we adapted well.

Most of my colleagues probably did quite well.

Except for me.

Director Kim, Chief Oh, Section Chief Jeon, Deputy Manager Kang, Deputy Manager Oh, and Manager Kim, who were in the same car.

Within three days of arriving in this martial world, Section Chief Jeon, Deputy Manager Kang, and Chief Oh caught the eye of the seniors of cultivation sects and became their disciples.

Deputy Manager Oh was taken away by a man from a mysterious background on the fourth day, claiming her as his kin.

And Manager Kim was taken away by an old man riding a giant mechanical puppet on the evening of the fourth day, after he noticed Manager Kim's unique abilities.

Eventually, everyone except for Director Kim and me were chosen by some cultivation sect or cultivators.

But for some reason, Director Kim had a natural talent for martial arts.

He didn't learn cultivation methods, but after working menial jobs with me for six months, he bought a third-rate martial arts technique from a street vendor, and with his tremendous talent, he became a top-notch master and left for the martial world.

Ten years later, I heard he had become one of the top ten martial artists in the world.

Twenty years later, he was known as one of the top three masters in the martial world.

And after thirty years, he became the number one in the world, established the Wulin Alliance, and became its first leader, then disappeared after stabilizing the martial world for ten years.

Rumors say he ascended to a higher realm.

Just like that.

Three of the seven who fell into this world of martial arts became disciples of famous cultivation sects.

One became the kin of a strange man.

One was recognized for her talent by a monster.

And one unleashed his martial arts talent.

Everyone had a happy ending.

Except for me.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

I have no talents, qualities, or special abilities.

'Section Chief Jeon... he was born with a special constitution called 'Heavenly Golden Thunder Body'...

Deputy Manager Kang also awakened a special root called 'Ghostly Yin Transforming Immortal Root'...

And Chief Oh had a body known as 'Unique Holy Body'.'

And on the fourth day, Deputy Manager Oh awakened a strange ability to summon the rain and clouds.

After Deputy Manager Oh left with the man with mysterious origins, Manager Kim also awakened a unique ability to see everything within a ten-mile radius even with her eyes closed.

Director Kim and I were amazed by these fateful encounters and special privileges from another world.

We two were left behind, hoping that something similar would happen to us.

But neither Director Kim nor I gained any special roots or unique abilities.

In the end, without knowing anything about the situation in this world of martial arts, the two of us worked menial jobs in the marketplace for six months.

And on the sixth month.

Director Kim couldn't stand living like that anymore, spent all his savings on a third-rate martial art skill for physical strength, and learned it.

In three months, he mastered the martial art and became a martial artist.

After becoming a martial artist, Director Kim worked at a courier service, learning more advanced martial arts, and quickly became a powerful warrior, leaving for the martial world.

Leaving me behind.

I, too, hoped that maybe I would have some fateful encounter.

Discover hidden talents.

Awaken a unique ability, or develop a special spiritual root.

I lived in this world with that small hope.

But

Ten years passed.

Twenty years passed.

Thirty years passed.

Nothing happened to me.

Forty years passed.

Fifty years passed.

Cough! Cough!

I am just an old man dying of a cold.

"I am, Earth, Earth..."

Now, just so I don't forget that I'm an Earthling.

I babble to the air.

A noisy old man I've become.

"Huff... Huff..."

Why did we come to this world?

Why did they all awaken unique bloodlines, roots, abilities, and talents?

Why didn't I...?

"Did I gain nothing after all?

For 50 years in this world, I learned the language.

Learned to read and write, worked as a laborer, and barely managed to settle down.

Made a living by making soap from lye.

The soap was useful for the people of this world, which wasn't much different from medieval China, but.

After some thieves stole the method of making my soap and started producing their own,

My soap barely sold anymore.

So, in addition to making soap, I had to forage for medicinal herbs, brew liquor, and take on all sorts of odd jobs to survive in this world.

I was overwhelmed.

For some reason, I can't stop the tears from flowing.

'Why... me...'

Was it simply because I wasn't chosen?

No, it wasn't that.

Even though I wasn't chosen,

Even though I wasn't a special human being,

I used everything I could and lived my life to the fullest.

My past life briefly flashes before my eyes.

The difficulty of learning the language of this world.

The struggle to learn to read and write.

The hardship of earning money to buy a small piece of land.

The difficulty of building a house on that land.

Settling down in the village and getting to know the villagers.

Applying my knowledge from Earth to make and sell soap.

Even setting up a small soap shop.

But after a few third-rate martial artists stole my soap-making technique and opened similar shops,

No one but a few regulars came to my shop anymore.

After that, life got harder, and I had to gather herbs and chop wood.

Just when life was stabilizing, bandits raided the village and took all my money.

I spent my days doing all sorts of odd jobs, barely scraping by...

'Why... did I... who worked so hard... have to be robbed...?'

In this world, I did my best.

But this world denied all my efforts.

'What do you want from me...!'

I shed tears of injustice, sniffling softly on my bed.

It's winter today.

I'm sick with a cold.

My body is as weak as it can be.

My eyes are closing.

'If only... I had more opportunities... even just a little...'

In the cold winter.

I lie in bed, sick with a cold, ending my persistent life of 50 years.

That was my first return (regression).

"Cough! Huff!"

I open my eyes and hastily get up.

I can clearly feel it.

The moment I closed my eyes and lay on the bed, slipping into darkness.

The moment when the life in my body grew cold and passed away.

I had died.

But why...

"Am I... alive?"

Startled!

Even as I speak, I'm surprised for a moment.

'This... voice...!'

I slowly look down at my body.

It isn't a hand full of wrinkles and lines.

It's a young hand, full of vitality and life.

I'm wearing something clearly different from the clothes of this world,

The blue shirt and sweatpants I had worn on [Earth].

I look around, trying to grasp the situation.

"Oh my, Du-ya..."

"What's happening?"

"Wh-where am I..."

Director Kim, Chief Oh, Section Chief Jeon, Deputy Manager Kang, Deputy Manager Oh, Manager Kim...

I realize.

'I've returned (regressed)!'

And at the same time, I know.

Shiver!

'I hadn't come to this world without any abilities.'

I have awakened the ability to regress (return)!