A Regressor's Bucket List

Chapter 272 : Triumphant Return (1)

The ‘Hunter’ Guild House.

In an open space on one side of the manor, Thomas L. Hardist was watching a group of soldiers training.

No.

In fact, it was somewhat contradictory to define it strictly as ‘training.’

While the image that usually comes to mind when one thinks of ‘training’ is performing uniform movements in time with a command, the soldiers spread out before him were each performing different types of movements.

It was a sort of ‘raw’ display.

That series of unstandardized movements was a crude, unrefined process of ‘wilding’ meant simply to draw out the instincts and physical strength within their bodies.

However, even as he watched such a bizarre form of training, Tom Hardist was nodding his head as if he liked it, rather than shouting in reprimand.

If anyone else had seen it, it wouldn’t have been strange for them to say it was a group of madmen and an even madder instructor, but Tom didn’t seem to feel that way about his actions at all.

“…Now you’re starting to look like something.”

What exactly was worth looking at?

It was a statement no one but himself could empathize with, but satisfaction was clearly evident in his voice.

—Grrr….

—Crunch!

—Swish!

Each performed different movements.

The appearance of every individual was different as well.

However, there was just one thing.

They had one thing in common.

They were all ‘Beastkin.’

Every single person filling the space from one end to the other was, without exception, a Beastkin.

“…How is it, Jerry Junior?”

While U-jin was away participating in the Northern Subjugation Force, the members of the guild ‘Hunter’ hadn’t just been playing around.

They each fulfilled their roles in their respective positions, and this was one of the representative achievements.

They had raised the Beastkin Nation’s unique soldiers as new guild members for ‘Hunter.’

“…Excellent. It couldn’t be better.”

“Hmph. Of course. There is no such thing as ‘halfway’ in my dictionary.”

…Naturally, most of the Beastkin who had arrived at the Guild House were not in a normal state.

Not only was their treatment in the slave prisons poor, but most of the Beastkin had been administered illegal drugs to prevent them from becoming full adults.

It wasn't that their bodies completely remained in their childhood years, but they lacked the natural reinforcement of physical durability gained upon becoming an adult and the unique combat instincts of the Beastkin.

Besides that, they were in a state where various elements that make a Beastkin a Beastkin were missing.

Could it be described as having developed a sort of ‘disability’?

It was a serious condition quite different in nature from simply being malnourished.

Scrawny bones remained where thick lines of muscle should have been, and gloominess resided in place of the Beastkin’s characteristic cheerful atmosphere.

And what Tom Hardist did was draw out those instincts as a Beastkin that seemed to have completely evaporated.

The bizarre acts they were showing before his eyes now were all part of the training to pull those instincts back up.

Since a lot of time had passed and the original culture and bloodline of the Beastkin had thinned significantly, it was actually near impossible to return them to the ideal state they had during the time of the Beastkin Nation.

Yet, he had accomplished that difficult task.

Of course, that achievement didn't depend entirely on Tom Hardist’s individual capability.

No, rather, that was closer to being secondary.

The biggest role in bringing the Beastkin, who had psychological and physical disabilities, back to their original state was, more than anything, Jerry’s recovery drugs.

“…It’s a relief. It seems we’ve made it just in time.”

“…I hate to admit it, but I’ll acknowledge it this once.”

“…….”

“It’s thanks to you. If it weren't for your drugs, it would have been impossible to recover this quickly.”

Surprisingly, every person in the open space was a ‘Hero-class’ individual.

There was some gap in their levels among them, but at the very least, they were far above being compared on the same line as ordinary soldiers.

Being able to achieve such results in a short time was, as Tom said, largely thanks to Jerry.

『…Because growth suppressants are direct-acting drugs that directly affect the endocrine system and Mana Circuit, it is impossible to clear the toxicity of drugs concentrated over several years all at once. If you tried, other abnormalities would likely appear in the body.』

『…….』

『This is simply a drug that enhances the recovery resilience of the endocrine system and Mana Circuit. Its role is to foster the self-healing power to counter the growth suppressants. It has the function of shortening what would normally take 10 years to recover with natural self-healing power down to about 3 years.』

The creation of that drug wasn't just a moment’s wit.

While Tom was in the Darkest Dungeon, Jerry, who had been buying slaves from slave traders across the continent under a disguised identity, had researched the lost nature of the Beastkin. This drug was essentially the essence of those findings.

In the first place, if it were something new he had just started making, it would have taken much longer to verify its stability and efficacy.

It was possible because Jerry had already been experimenting with and directly applying the drug for decades, even before the reconstruction of the Beastkin Nation began.

The efficacy and safety of the drug had already been proven.

“…It’s not me; it’s them who are amazing. Not everyone turned out like this.”

Someone hearing this might say he was being humble, but it was a strict fact.

Jerry was not the type of person to give empty compliments.

There were many who had been injected with Jerry’s special drug to dilute the growth suppressants, but not many had followed Tom’s training to pull out the Beastkin’s nature to this extent.

The ones before their eyes were all of them, without needing further explanation.

It was a kind of special force made by selecting those with particularly fast growth rates and good recovery resilience.

Tom also nodded, showing no particular opposing opinion, as if he agreed with Jerry’s words.

“…Besides, we didn't fill the ranks only with them. In short, it’s a fallacy to say it’s solely thanks to me.”

The number filling the open space was by no means small.

Roughly a little over 100 people.

Of course, by the standards of ordinary soldiers, it was a small enough number to elicit a "Is that all?", but the important thing was that every single one of them was a Hero-class power.

That was a number of personnel that exceeded the royal guards of most small kingdoms belonging to the Order Territory by about twofold.

If one thought simply quantitatively, it might be disappointing, but considering the ‘qualitative’ aspect, it was a force that could never be ignored.

Even then, not all of them were 1-star rank.

Among them, a few with exceptional combat power were 2-star, and some with 3-star martial power were even hidden within.

It was difficult to say that raising such a force in a short time was solely thanks to Jerry’s drugs.

No matter how good the recovery power was, those capable of fully drawing out the abilities of the Beastkin this early were only a tiny number of the Chosen One even among those born with talent.

And that meant.

It was the same as saying that not everyone before them was ‘from a slave prison.’

“…There certainly were more than expected.”

“…….”

“I didn't know there would be this many whose eyes were still alive. I thought they were all just fellows who had lost their spirit.”

Just as Tom Hardist had thrown his body into the Darkest Dungeon, and Jerry had survived under a disguised identity to avoid various gazes.

There were those who had hidden their claws of wildness while concealing their identities from people.

Due to matters of capability, they couldn't engage in active operations like Tom and Valencia had—such as directly raiding the Beastkin’s base prisons.

However, as if they knew such a day would eventually come, those who heard the rumors of the Reconstruction of the Beastkin Nation came to join.

It was because there were those who had been grinding their teeth while moving from one rugged land to another, out of people’s sight, that such a meaningful special force could be created in a short time.

Almost all of the particularly strong individuals exceeding 1-star Hero-class fell into that category.

“…It seems we should start moving soon.”

Jerry, who was looking down at his wristwatch, suddenly spoke up.

He didn't include a precise subject or object regarding what exactly he was talking about, but perhaps because they were picturing the same thing in their minds.

Tom nodded while keeping his gaze fixed forward.

Then, staring ahead, he asked Jerry.

“Is everything ready on your end?”

“…Talks with the Order side are already finished. It seems the partner pulled some strings in advance; the conversation was quick.”

In fact, it could be a bit dangerous for the guild ‘Hunter’ to operate a military force directly.

As it carried the title of being authorized by the Order for the first time in 100 years, eyes from all directions were focused here.

And rather than saying the Beastkin traditionally ‘belonged to the Order,’ they had maintained neutrality.

In other words, since they were treated as a kind of ‘outside force,’ the results of that troop deployment could bring a great ripple effect to the Order’s side.

If done wrong, it could be like buttoning the first button incorrectly.

However, ironically, the one who directly ordered this troop deployment was none other than U-jin.

It was something he had specifically told Jerry and Tom to do while he was participating in the Northern Subjugation Force.

At first, they couldn't guess his intention, but as time passed, Tom and Jerry could roughly figure out U-jin’s aim.

[The Veil of the Black Sea unfolds for the first time in 100 years; Northern Subjugation Force isolated.]

[Will the Order’s army draft support troops?]

[In some circles, there is talk of whether this is the price for executing the Saintess….]

The instruction to create a force meant there was a place to use that force, and even Tom Hardist, who could be considered ignorant of the political situation, could see that the current situation was flowing somewhat according to U-jin’s expectations.

And if his thoughts were correct, this was a kind of ‘testing ground.’

A testing ground where the guild ‘Hunter,’ established for the first time in 100 years, and the Beastkin Nation would prove themselves to the Order.

The fact that attention was focused could have a negative meaning, but if used well, interest was a more powerful weapon than anything else.

It wasn't simply a matter of an external dimension.

Perhaps.

They could overturn the perception of the Beastkin, who had been suffering while tied to the keyword ‘slave,’ in one fell swoop.

That would lead to the pride of the Beastkin and increase the cohesion of the newly reconstructed Beastkin Nation.

Tom Hardist couldn't guess exactly how far U-jin had looked ahead, but he had now given up on thinking about it.

It was meaningless anyway, and he couldn't know.

He was always looking much further ahead.

Therefore, for himself.

“…We are going to the battlefield.”

He only needed to follow those words.