Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 111

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The moment the power enveloping me vanished, I dashed forward.

Barely managing to catch the collapsing Seo Heewon, his limp body crumpled like a marionette with its strings cut.

Carefully, I laid him down and retrieved an elixir from my inventory.

A rare item that only appeared once per cycle—a potion that had previously revived me or my comrades in critical moments.

Holding Seo Heewon’s head steady, I poured the elixir over his wounds.

My hands trembled despite my attempts to stay calm, and I was desperate not to drop the vial.

Could this even be called a wound?

It was barely distinguishable from a decapitation.

For an ordinary person, death would have been instantaneous.

Even a hunter might not survive an injury this severe.

Seo Heewon’s condition was critical.

Why did he go this far?

How could someone so soft-hearted act so ruthlessly?

I couldn’t understand. I didn’t even want to try.

True to its description as a panacea capable of reviving the dead, the elixir caused the torn flesh to bubble and knit together where it touched.

But it didn’t seem enough.

I emptied every precious potion I had onto his wounds.

For once, I was grateful to be a regressor.

Hoarding countless rare items meant I had plenty to treat Seo Heewon’s injuries.

It was a relief—was it?

That word felt entirely out of place in this situation.

“Heewon… Seo Heewon…”

My mind went blank. Initially, I acted without hesitation, ingrained instincts dictating that swift action was best in a crisis.

But after doing all I could, panic set in.

Potions alone weren’t enough.

A healer—I needed a healer, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Seo Heewon’s side.

“…Guild Leader!”

“…!”

“Guild Leader!”

Amid the commotion, I recognized Jung Eunji’s voice.

I turned to her sharply.

She flinched, her gaze falling on Seo Heewon’s blood-soaked body.

“A healer… we need a healer. Right now…”

My voice trembled uncontrollably.

Eunji’s wavering eyes quickly steadied.

“Hold on! I’ll bring one immediately!”

Regaining her composure, she hurriedly called for a healer.

The healer who rushed over recoiled upon seeing Seo Heewon before kneeling beside him.

“Oh my God, the blood…”

The healer began treating Seo Heewon, their face pale with exhaustion even before the healing started.

I pulled out a potion from my inventory and tossed it to them.

“…Is this for me? This is an S-grade potion…”

“Drink it. Now.”

Urged on, the healer gulped it down and continued treating Seo Heewon.

They weren’t particularly skilled, likely no more than B-grade.

Even an S-grade healer might have struggled, but this was all I had.

“The wounds… seem to be mostly healed…”

The healer spoke hesitantly.

Though scars remained, the surface wounds had closed.

Whether his internal injuries had truly healed was anyone’s guess.

I stared at Seo Heewon’s pale face.

He’d never looked this lifeless before, except for the times he’d died.

Fear gripped me.

Gently, I poured another potion into his mouth, but he couldn’t swallow it.

I tipped another into my own mouth and let it flow into his, repeating the process over and over.

But no matter how much I poured, Seo Heewon’s eyes remained closed.

There was so little I could do.

The crushing weight of helplessness overwhelmed me.

Someone gripped my shoulder.

“Leave this to others and deal with the rest.”

It was Jung Eunji’s voice.

I didn’t look at her as I replied.

“Leave it? To who?”

“Ugh… what else can we do? What can you even accomplish by staying here?”

“Shut up.”

“…This is driving me crazy.”

“Call an ambulance. Heewon needs to be moved to a hospital…”

“Fine, I’ll call. But Guild Leader, you have to go. Staying here won’t change anything. Securing the area is the best way to ensure Heewon’s safety.”

“…”

I knew she was right, but I didn’t want to hear it.

Was she really right?

Should I be doing something else while Seo Heewon was like this?

I resented Seo Heewon.

For not trusting me until the end, for not caring about the shock I’d feel, for slitting his throat right in front of me.

“Stay safe?”

Those weren’t words of farewell.

They were a curse.

How could I possibly be safe after what you’ve done?

“…”

No, no. I won’t resent him. Just wake up.

Tell me this injury is nothing because you’re an S-grade hunter.

Wake up with the same confidence you always had.

If you do, I’ll do anything you want.

If you want me gone, I’ll disappear.

If you want me dead, I’ll die.

Just open your eyes.

“Guild Leader, seriously…”

I barely registered Eunji muttering angrily as she left.

The healer had long since departed, saying they needed to tend to others.

In the now-empty alley, it was just Seo Heewon and me.

I focused all my senses on him.

Even though his wounds were treated, his heartbeat was growing fainter.

I didn’t know why he wasn’t healing.

The ground was too cold to leave him lying there, but I was terrified that moving him might worsen his injuries.

All I could do was cover him with my coat.

I pressed my ear to his chest, held his icy hands to warm them, and stared at the long wound on his neck.

Unable to sit still, I busied myself pointlessly.

“Baekmyeon Sect.”

While pouring yet another potion over Seo Heewon’s wounds, Eunji returned.

“It was Baekmyeon Sect. They ordered their followers to trigger the dungeon break. Are you listening?”

“…”

“Seo Heewon ended up like this because of Baekmyeon Sect. Don’t you want to take down the culprit?”

“…”

“Say something! Damn it… this is insane…”

Eunji cursed and stormed off.

But I had nothing to say.

This wasn’t Baekmyeon Sect’s fault.

It was because of Seo Heewon’s damn trait.

Loss of control?

Was that why he’d been unwell recently?

Why didn’t he tell me?

If he had, I could have done something. Anything.

But Seo Heewon said nothing because of me.

Because I had approached him with impure intentions. Because I lost his trust.

Was this really his trait’s fault?

Since we were young, I had been by Seo Heewon’s side, shaping him into the kind, obedient person I wanted him to be.

He grew up to embody that kindness. And I was satisfied.

I never imagined that his trait might drive him to such an extreme—to plunge a knife into his own neck.

I was a fool. Complacent.

What use is knowing the future if I couldn’t even protect Seo Heewon?

I wanted to strangle myself to death.

“Heewon, please…”

But Seo Heewon’s heartbeat grew slower and slower.

The wounds had clearly healed, so why was his condition only worsening?

His breaths were so faint they seemed ready to stop at any moment.

Just as panic began to set in, something suddenly appeared between Seo Heewon and me.

It was… a pure white system window.

The same system window I was accustomed to seeing.

But this time, it displayed content I had never seen before.

[The world is currently stable. With the global death rate below 1%, the conditions for activating the trait [Regressor] have not been met.

If the world is deemed stable, the trait [Regressor] will automatically disappear.*

To gain a new opportunity, you must forcibly activate the trait [Regressor]. For forced activation of the trait, the death of the trait owner is recommended.]

What the hell was this nonsense?

I didn’t want to understand it.

The very presence of the system window, standing between Seo Heewon and me, irritated me.

I brushed aside the absurd system window.

But another one popped up immediately, displaying different content this time.

[To meet the living Seo Heewon again, it is recommended to activate the trait [Regressor].
While our purpose is to stabilize the world, this is a proposal for you, who have worked so hard.
Seize this final chance.]

“He’s not dead, goddammit…”

I clenched my fists tightly.

To meet the living Seo Heewon again?

What kind of garbage suggestion was this?

If I could kill the system window, I would.

But there was no way to do that.

Who gave them the right to declare Seo Heewon dead?

A suggestion for my benefit?

It sounded like they were offering me some grand favor.

I wanted to tear that condescending system to shreds.

Even if Seo Heewon were to die right now…

Even imagining it made my throat tighten.

Still, fine. Even if Seo Heewon were to die… even if I returned to the past to meet the Seo Heewon of the next loop, it would be meaningless.

He wouldn’t be the same Seo Heewon.

Just like how the “Seo Heewon” of the past and the one here now couldn’t be considered the same person.

He wouldn’t be the Seo Heewon I knew, the Seo Heewon I loved.

He’d be someone entirely different.

The Seo Heewon who had spent over a decade with me, growing alongside me, was the one lying here.

Even if I met a new Seo Heewon, he wouldn’t be my Seo Heewon.

That wouldn’t be meeting him again. It’d just be an eternal goodbye.

Suddenly, I remembered Seo Heewon’s tear-streaked face.

‘If you fail this time too… you’ll just do the same to the me in the next loop, won’t you?’

What had I said to him, looking so sorrowful?

I think I told him I wouldn’t.

But… I couldn’t give him the reassurance he needed.

I hadn’t done a single thing right. How pathetic.

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