The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 40

“Haah…”

I gasped for breath, raising my head after unleashing the Radiant Sword.

If I lowered my head, blood would likely gush from my nose.

The mana circuits within my body screamed in protest.

Looking down at my fingertips, I saw my nails were torn, and blood was dripping.

【“Why did you have to make a bet like that?”】

【“I don't want to see you bleed anymore.”】

【Your Constellation, 'Sunny', is furious.】

I pushed myself too far.

I admit that.

But it wasn't a reckless act without thought.

In the distance—

Kim Jeongwoo, the Azure Sky Sword Saint, stared at me with a vacant expression.

“Wasn’t that just now… the Radiant Sword?”

All traces of fighting spirit and anger had vanished from his face.

All that remained was bewilderment, a hint of admiration, and an even greater sense of defeat.

I knew it.

High-ranking Hunters may be arrogant and overbearing, but they know how to acknowledge what they see.

I let the Fire Dragon Sword hang loosely at my side and looked at him with a questioning gaze.

The question was, 'Do you still think I'm just a nobody?'

Kim Jeongwoo, who had just slain his fourth monster, jumped back.

He could probably use a skill like that too.

But his face already held the clear, calm expression of someone who understood everything.

The Hunters watching us from the hill were no different.

“I thought he was all show with that sword, but damn, he's the real deal.”

“Radiant Sword, external qi manifestation. That's the pinnacle of the Scorching Sun Divine Arts' sword techniques. It was popular for a while after Baekya, but everyone gave up because it was too difficult and consumed too much mana. Can't believe someone actually mastered it.”

"Gotta respect that, even if it's just for the showmanship. Hell, even Baekya himself would've given him props if he was still around."

It was a strange kind of recognition, but I decided to take it as a compliment.

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo raised a hand, about to shout something.

“I acknowledge that the guest of Deputy Sect Leader Ryu Haneul is not a nobody….”

But I couldn't hear the rest.

Even though I had created a momentary gap by slaying dozens of monsters with a single skill, we were still within the monsters' attack range.

Thump. Thump!

A Chusin from the forest aimed its spear at Kim Jeongwoo.

[TL/N: In Korean fantasy and mythology, Chusin are often depicted as monstrous beings or deities associated with livestock or animals. They can possess immense strength and supernatural abilities.]

【Mid-Rank Chusin (B+)】

It was nearly 4 meters tall, with a deer's head, six arms, and wore an Eastern-style jacket.

Because of the abnormally dense vegetation, it seemed Kim Jeongwoo couldn't see it properly.

The Chusin lunged forward with incredible speed, with its four red thorn-like spears ready to strike.

Whoosh!

The tips of the four spears gleamed ominously.

I raised my hand, ready to fire Incineration Ray.

At first, I thought it was a good thing.

I could even repay my debt of life.

But my mana dissipated halfway.

Fizzle!

Huh?

【“Didn’t I tell you? Who told you to push yourself like that?”】

I felt bewildered, even dumbfounded.

Me, Baekya, experiencing mana overload?!

Something I hadn't even experienced when I first awakened!

But there was no time to be surprised.

The Chusin was still charging towards Kim Jeongwoo.

I did want to teach him a lesson.

But I didn't want him to die.

He's someone's son, someone's lover, and a Hunter of South Korea.

We couldn't afford to lose a presumed A+ Hunter so senselessly.

I channeled mana into the 'Subspace Ring'.

Being in direct contact with my body, the silver ring somehow absorbed the mana, and I opened my inventory.

I took out the 'World-Reflecting Mirror' from within.

"Watch out!"

I tried to pull only Kim Jeongwoo and me into the mirror world.

But the Chusin was faster than I thought.

Thud!

Three things happened simultaneously.

Kim Jeongwoo turned at my shout and managed to dodge, but the Chusin's thorn-like spear still grazed his side, missing his heart.

In that instant, all three of us— Kim Jeongwoo, the Chusin, and I— were sucked into the mirror world.

"Some kind of... gate?!"

This was the worst possible scenario.

We were trapped, cut off from any potential help from Ryu Haneul and the others on the hill.

* * *

“Keuk!”

Kim Jeongwoo clutched his side and rolled on the ground.

Thump!

He kicked the Chusin hard in the chest, sending it stumbling back a few steps.

“Nodohaksamcheungsamgyesasingou…!”

He had only been caught off guard, but Kim Jeongwoo was an A-Rank Hunter.

“Damn it. How embarrassing.”

Even a B+ Rank Chusin was something he could usually kill barehanded.

But the wound was in a bad spot.

‘Of all places.’

His breath hitched; it felt like air was leaking from his lungs.

He didn’t expect any help from the Baekya cosplayer.

He was grateful the guy had warned him in time.

The external manifestation of Radiant Sword energy was truly impressive, but now the cosplayer was clearly struggling, gasping for breath from the aftereffects.

Kim Jeongwoo's acknowledgment hadn't been given lightly.

Radiant Sword was that demanding a skill.

‘It doesn’t matter. If I can just hold out for a few seconds, the others will… huh?’

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo, his body not in optimal condition, tried to buy time.

But something was strange about his surroundings.

The trees and the sky were all a dull, monochrome gray.

The only splashes of color in this bleak landscape were Kim Jeongwoo himself, the Baekya cosplayer standing some distance away, a few scattered corpses, and the menacing Chusin right in front of him.

It seemed like some kind of barrier had sprung up around them, trapping them in what felt like a pocket dimension, cut off from the rest of the world.

It seemed the cosplayer had tried to rescue him with an artifact, but they had ended up trapped together.

“Hey! Release this!”

Kim Jeongwoo shouted at the Baekya cosplayer.

‘That bastard’s got a few screws loose too. Well, I guess that's true for all those who imitate famous Rankers.’

The Baekya cosplayer waved his hands in the air, looking troubled.

And when the guy started waving around what looked like a silver magic wand, Kim Jeongwoo revised his assessment.

‘No. He doesn’t just have a few screws loose. I doubt he has even a couple of screws left.’

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo staggered to his feet, clutching his right side with his left hand.

His left hand firmly covered the wound, while his right hand raised his sword in front of him.

The Chusin, back on its feet, glared at him, spinning three thorn-like spears.

[“Nodohaksamcheungsamgyesasingou!”]

The Chusin’s gray antlers glowed white and began to grow like plants.

‘All I have to do is hold out until that idiot deactivates this subspace.’

Like his master, Cheong Siyeol, he would never retreat.

He vowed to see both the enemy and his own end with a single sword.

“Huh?”

The next moment.

As if in cruel mockery of his determination, Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo's sword slipped from his grasp.

Clang.

The lifeless forms of Chusin, Jisin, and Mokin alike began to stir, rising to their feet.

"---, ---!"

Their entire bodies burned and sizzled like demons from the underworld.

Engulfed in flames, they swung their four to eight arms, resembling demonic monsters.

“Shit! What the hell is that?”

Kim Jeongwoo instinctively used Analyze.

Aitel notifications filled his vision.

【Chusin's Corpse (Status Effect: Possession)】

【Mokin's Corpse (Status Effect: Possession)】

【Jisin's Corpse (Status Effect: Possession)】

‘Was this guy a Necromancer instead of a Pyromancer?’

Kim Jeongwoo stared at the Baekya cosplayer.

He was wielding the silver wand like an orchestra conductor.

With each wave of the wand, another corpse ignited and rose.

The 'possessed corpses', now numbering eight instead of four, charged towards the mid-rank Chusin.

[“Nodohaksamcheungsamgyesasingou!”]

[---, ---!]

The psychic energy of the living and the dead clashed violently.

In terms of physical strength, the mid-rank Chusin was overwhelmingly superior.

But the burning corpses felt no pain, had a numerical advantage, and used their own heat to inflict debuffs.

[“Nodohaksamcheungsamgyesasingo, go, gouuuu!”]

It took only a few minutes for the mid-rank Chusin to be torn to shreds with a scream.

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo stared at the scene in a daze.

‘What kind of necromancy is this?’

He himself was undoubtedly higher in rank.

The Aitel rankings hadn't shifted significantly, after all.

Yet, there was something about this Baekya cosplayer that transcended mere rankings, something Kim Jeongwoo couldn't quite put his finger on.

'He controls flames freely, is skilled with the sword, and even dabbles in summoning. He's just like the real Baekya, isn't he?'

The aura of someone confident they could climb even higher.

It was the same aura Kim Jeongwoo had seen in all the high-rankers he'd met.

The army of corpses burned out one by one, disappearing completely.

Fireballs emerged from the corpses and returned to the wand.

The Baekya cosplayer raised the World-Reflecting Mirror once more.

Crackle—!

The black and white world shattered, returning to normal.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"You suddenly disappeared."

The area was now filled with Hunters who had rushed down from the hill.

Some were cautiously watching the forest, while most surrounded them.

"Hyung! Your side…!"

"Get a potion! Call a healer!"

The Hunters' eyes sharpened as they saw Kim Jeongwoo's wound.

Some even glared at the Baekya cosplayer.

'No!'

Kim Jeongwoo imagined the Baekya cosplayer cutting them down with his dagger and then raising them as fiery undead.

"Hey, you."

Kim Jeongwoo clutched his side and approached the Baekya cosplayer.

He opened his inventory and took out a Master-grade armor.

Thump.

It was a full-body armor, white with blue patterns, a blend of Eastern and Western styles.

The surrounding Hunters murmured.

"Armor?"

"Why is he taking that out?"

"The fight wasn't over, was it?"

Kim Jeongwoo bowed his head to the Baekya cosplayer.

"Thank you for saving me. You saved my life. It's embarrassing to say this after seeing the Radiant Sword, but I'll say it clearly. You are a true martial artist. You have the right to hunt and train on this floor."

The Baekya cosplayer's pale face lit up.

For a moment, he nodded with a look of joy and pride.

"No, I was too rude earlier."

"So was I. A new martial artist arrived, and instead of guiding him, I tried to bully him. So let's call it even, and forget about the bet—"

"I gratefully accept your gift, senior. I will follow your example and become a Hunter who takes responsibility for his words."

"No, that's not what I meant—"

"I gratefully accept!"

The Baekya cosplayer bowed deeply, opened his inventory, and quickly snatched the armor.

"W-Wait a minute!"

Then he stuck close behind Ryu Haneul and ran off deeper into the hunting grounds.

* * *

"Did you see his face?"

"It was hilarious."

Ryu Haneul and I escaped deeper into the field and burst into laughter, sitting side by side.

Even though we were inside the Tower, the sky was blue, and the wind was cool.

There wasn't a single bug on the grass, and in the distant forest, monsters that would become my experience points were teeming.

Moreover, I had learned that even Hunters these days knew how to admit their mistakes and apologize.

As a first-generation geezer, I couldn't be more satisfied.

I lay down on the grass.

Ryu Haneul stretched his legs and sat down, offering his thigh as a pillow for my neck.

"Want to lie down?"

"Thanks."

"Huh? Really?"

"I don't refuse offers like this."

His thigh was firm yet slender, perfect for supporting my neck.

In my field of vision was a face that blended boyish charm and charisma.

His purple eyes darted around, seemingly flustered.

I don't understand why he acts so childish despite being a Regressor.

"Senior."

"Yeah?"

I was tired, and sleep was beckoning.

"What did you use in the mirror world to create so many burning corpses?"

"How did you even... Ah, you must have figured out I got it before."

"Yes."

“....”

I briefly debated whether to tell him the truth.

This guy was also a Regressor, after all.

He hadn't told me everything, and I couldn't expect to hear everything from him.

Besides, relying too much on knowledge of the future would only lead to being influenced by it.

If I became reliant on him and he betrayed me even once, it would be game over.

But I couldn't keep it a secret forever.

I didn't even think I should hide it.

"I cleared the Ghost Princess's Castle and gained the ability to control Ghosts. I can possess corpses with them and use them like summons."

"Can you please not use that?"

"Why?"

"It overlaps with the image."

"Image?"

"Remember what Cheong Siyeol hyung said?"

"That I'll set the world on fire?"

"Yes. Opening the gate to the underworld and commanding a legion of demons..."

"Ah."

"It's ominous."

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]