The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 43

"Choi Gimin?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right. Choi Gimin! Ranked 21st in the Korean Aitel rankings! You know how terrifying he is, right?"

Of course, I knew exactly who that bastard was.

He was also one of the Regressors who came to kill me.

But I had a bad history with him even before that.

【"Choi Gimin… Isn't he that punk with the dreadlocks and flashy clothes?"】

【"The one who caused trouble every day and made your life difficult."】

That's right.

Choi Gimin was like a collection of all the negative stereotypes of a Ranker.

Assaulting civilians, murder, drugs, sexual assault, organizing criminal groups, gambling, smuggling...

Watching that bastard's actions made me feel like the people who claimed Awakened were monsters were right.

It got to the point where, when I was working as the chairman of the Awakened Association, I even briefly considered just going crazy and agreeing to the 'Ranker GPS Mandatory Attachment Law' created by the Awakened Support Agency.

There were countless times when I wanted to just incinerate him with 'Law of Light' in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square.

Considering the public opinion about him at the time, I was confident that even if I burned him to death, I wouldn't be prosecuted, or even if I was, I'd get a suspended sentence or probation.

I didn't go through with it.

Because back then, Cheong Siyeol said—

'I completely agree with the Sun banishing the darkness, but I don't think it's a good idea for the 'Chairman' to set a precedent where they can impose capital punishment-level sanctions on an Awakened.'

Of course, I imposed every sanction the Association could, and I personally beat him up a few times.

He never changed.

Seeing as I still had this kind of guy under me even after regressing, it seems things were the same in the future.

Perhaps thinking my hesitation was fear, Oh Daeho continued excitedly—

"Are you starting to understand the situation now? Do you get who's behind me?"

I responded by raising the Fire Dragon Sword.

"Raise your hands properly before I make it so you can't even do that."

"...Damn it."

The guy whimpered again and raised his left hand.

I looked at his right hand, which was missing a bit below the elbow.

"You need to raise the other one too."

"......!"

Oh Daeho looked at me as if to say, "How can there be such a cruel person in the world?"

I met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I cut it below the elbow so it'd be easier to attach a prosthetic, and you're not happy about it? If you're not happy, I can cut off more."

"Eek!"

He flinched and raised both arms so high his shoulders touched his ears.

It was a pleasant sight.

I pulled a chair over, crossed my legs, and sat down.

"So. Did Choi Gimin tell you to raid this place?"

"Uh."

"Uh?"

"Yes?"

"Yeah. Answer me. Did Choi Gimin tell you to raid this place?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Do you know where this is?"

"Of course I do. It's Baekya’s warehouse."

"You see, after Baekya's supposed death, all his assets were meant to be returned to society, right?"

What nonsense is that when I'm clearly alive and well?

"That's what it said in the will he wrote before every Tower entry. Because of that, Samjeong JY almost lost their mining rights for the 20 floors they were managing. Anyway, that's not important..."

That's the most important thing.

I never wrote any will before entering the Tower.

It seems I was out of the loop for a while because I wasn't watching the news.

There must have been something broadcasted about the Hunter industry that I didn't know about.

Whoever it was, someone tried to steal my inheritance, and I'll have to take care of them as soon as I get back.

"Any assets that haven't been accounted for by the government so far have their ownership released and returned to the original acquirer. Of course, you'll have to pay miscellaneous income tax, similar to winning the lottery."

Oh Daeho looked at me with a disgruntled expression.

"That's... why you're here too, isn't it?"

I didn't answer.

It wasn't worth answering.

He seemed to mistake me for someone like him, but delusions are his freedom.

"Hey, listen to me. As I said, I work under Choi Gimin. He even gave me a Legendary Purification item to sweep this place clean. Of course, it's not free. It's on credit. You know how bad his temper is, right? He'll definitely come looking for me. Not to save my life, but because he hasn't gotten his money."

"...."

"You seem young, but it's not easy to sell things you get from places like this. There's a reason it's called the black market, you know? Let me go. I'll help you properly. If I have a powerful Awakened like you helping me, I can sell everything at its proper price."

It seems he was seriously mistaken.

He had even switched to casual speech at some point.

"Aren't we comrades in the same line of work? This time it's not even illegal. We don't need to fight like this."

It was irritating.

A thief trying to lecture me.

"So put that sword away and let's talk. A good thing is a good thing, right? Huh? We're all just trying to make money, aren't we?"

Oh Daeho lowered his hands slightly and grinned cheekily.

He naturally tried to get up and approach me.

I chuckled.

"Not really."

"Huh?"

I swung the Fire Dragon Sword, aiming for his right hand.

Each of his fingers was cleanly sliced off.

Slice!

Oh Daeho looked down at his right hand with a bewildered expression.

"Aaaargh!"

His mouse-like scream came a beat later.

I got up from the chair and kicked him in the chest.

He sprawled on the floor like a frog, spewing curses.

"Y-Y-You crazy bastard!"

"A thief calling someone else a crazy bastard."

"You came here to steal too, so why are you acting like this?! I said let's make money together! So why are you acting like this?! We're all just trying to make money, aren't we?"

He pointed at me, looking at me as if I were an incomprehensible being.

I kindly denied him once more.

"I told you, it's not about the money."

"What?"

He expressed his confusion through his tear-filled eyes.

I reached for the Ghost Princess's Handkerchief tied around my wrist.

"It's not about making money. It never has been."

That's right. It's not about making money.

I lived for 27 years on Earth, and 15 of those years as an Awakener.

During that time, long or short as it may be, there was never a single moment when money was my goal.

Oh Daeho writhed on the floor in a fit.

His face, smeared with tears and snot, looked pathetic.

"Then what the fuck is it?!"

"I tried to save people. And in doing so, I hoped to one day see the end of the Tower."

All I ever wanted was the stability of this land and the story of the world above the Tower.

"This guy is completely insane!? Does he think he's some kind of High-Ranker!?"

"What if I am a High-Ranker?"

"Bullshit, stop bullshitting!"

"I asked what you'll do if I am."

I untied the handkerchief from my wrist, revealing the halo.

Swoosh—

The light reflecting off the back of my raised hand changed from white to red.

"I've seen things you can't even imagine."

Oh Daeho was terrified.

"Wh-Wha… What?"

"I've seen the fall of an empire that lasted ten thousand years, the flames of a dragon burning the sky, and the resilience of people overcoming all those disasters."

"What! What… No, no, no."

"All those moments almost vanished into nothingness."

"This can't be happening, fuck! This can't be!"

"But I eventually returned, opened my warehouse, and found an insolent thief."

He sat there, folding and unfolding his legs like an inchworm, and scurried towards a cabinet.

He seemed to be in complete panic.

"You said Choi Gimin would come if you died, right?"

"Y-Yes. Yes. Yes! He'll definitely come. Definitely."

"Is that so?"

I raised the Fire Dragon Sword.

The tip of the blade, heated once again, glowed a dazzling orange.

"Let's find out."

Slash.

* * *

Baekya incinerated Oh Daeho's corpse with Law of Light.

Next, he brought the items that had fallen from Oh Daeho's 'Subspace' inventory ring into the warehouse.

Several severed hands tumbled out.

They were a kind of charm that thieves carried.

Judging by the common belief that they had to be cut off personally to be effective, their source was obvious.

'I should have killed him more painfully.'

【"I agree."】

【Your Constellation, 'Sunny', sighs.】

Baekya burned those hands without leaving a trace.

He could only hope that their souls had gone to a better place.

'May they rest in peace.'

Overwhelmed by the thought of what else might appear, he quickly organized the items Oh Daeho had packaged to take.

After all, those were all his belongings.

There was no worry of a human hand suddenly popping out.

【"For a thief, he sure had an eye for expensive things."】

'Indeed.'

Starting with the 'Desire-Reflecting Mirror', he gathered high-priced artifacts that could be sold immediately and high-level potions.

'He managed to recognize all of these.'

【"The guy with the gaudy halo also had good eyes."】

'If he had a Constellation like Lupin, wouldn't his emblem have been shaped differently? Or maybe that Constellation had a high-level disguise skill among its abilities.'

[TL/N: Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created by French writer Maurice Leblanc. He is a popular character in literature and has been adapted into various films and television shows.]

【"That's an interesting thought, but since it's a character from popular media that became famous in modern times, it wouldn't have become a vessel for a god yet."】

Even in this situation, the guy had used wrapping paper with a blocking spell on it.

It was irritatingly meticulous, preventing any curses or side effects that might occur from mere contact.

Among them was a Heroic-grade artifact that Baekya had thoroughly sealed.

'I'm glad I came.'

【Mantle of the Demon Marquis (Heroic)】

【All Stats +550】

【Special Ability (???)】

【Even after death, the Demon Marquis craves a blood-boiling battle. Using the Skin of the Demon Marquis allows the Demon Marquis to protect the user and help them continue the thrilling fight.】

【*Dual-wear Artifact: Can be combined with separate armor, cloak, etc. Can be worn as everyday clothes normally and transforms into armor during combat.】

'If this had been unsealed, it would have caused chaos.'

At first glance, it looked like a fantastic Heroic-grade artifact.

In the case of Legendary or Mythical artifacts, which are higher than Heroic grade, they often function like a set principle, so in many cases, they don't provide much help in terms of stats themselves.

Therefore, this Mantle, which grants +550 to all stats, can be considered one of the most rewarding stat-boosting equipment in the world.

It could easily fetch hundreds of billions of won in Korea, and in foreign countries where Tower progress is slow and artifacts are even scarcer, it would practically be priceless, commanding any price the seller desired.

However, Baekya had this artifact stashed away in his warehouse.

【"You still haven't gotten rid of that cursed item?"】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' forcibly activates the Special Ability (???) using 'Insight'.】

It was because of a line of text that started to appear in the corner of his vision.

【Special Ability: Hellish Battle Continuation】

【The vengeful spirit of Demon Marquis Sard begins to consume the body.】

【Forcibly patches up all injuries to recover.】

【Status Conditions: Consumption, Erosion, Possession, Demonification, Loss of Self, Irremovable...】

Hellish Battle Continuation.

Once this armor was worn, one could neither die nor live, becoming a puppet of Demon Marquis Sard.

Even if he tried to burn away just that part with Law of Light, it was the core of this armor and couldn't be easily removed.

【"How about just burning it and absorbing the mana? Didn't both the Vatican and the Holy Church say it's impossible to purify it without destroying it?"】

【"Unless a Legendary Purification Scroll appears on the higher floors of the Tower later, it's a meaningless artifact for now. And by the time a Legendary Purification Scroll appears, you won't even look at a Heroic-grade armor, right?"】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' suggests.】

'Yes. You're absolutely right.'

Baekya nodded.

'This armor is a double-edged sword.'

It was too valuable to throw away, but too dangerous to use, leaving him in a dilemma.

For now, he discreetly placed it back inside the cabinet.

It was his habit to keep things he was unsure about discarding.

【"Didn't you just agree with me? Just get rid of it. There's no way a Legendary Purification Scroll will suddenly drop from somewhere, right?"】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' taps her chest.】

Baekya looked away as if trying to ignore the voice ringing in his ears.

Just then, something sparkled and shone from within the pile of luggage Oh Daeho had been carrying.

'Huh?'

He reached out and pulled it out.

It was a luxurious parchment scroll with gold lettering.

Whoosh!

A brilliant light flowed out on its own.

【%#Purification Scroll (Legendary)@)&】

It seemed like something was wrong, but it was definitely a Legendary Purification Scroll.

The voice of his Constellation, tinged with disbelief, echoed in Baekya's mind.

【"There's no way that would appear already?"】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' can't believe her eyes.】

"Is it uncertain even for you, Constellation?"

【"If I knew everything, I would have stopped you from taking Cheong Siyeol as a disciple."】

After some thought, Baekya said—

"I have a guess."

【"What is it?"】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' is genuinely curious about your guess.】

"Earlier, Oh Daeho said he received something from Choi Gimin. Could it be that Choi Gimin brought it from the future? Even if everything disappeared when he traveled back in time, maybe a few things remained?"

In fact, there was a way to avoid tracking magic by putting something inside an inventory artifact, inside another inventory artifact, and so on.

Even the Aitel system has its loopholes.

It wouldn't be strange if Choi Gimin, whether by luck or skill, brought back one or two things from the future.

【"That's an interesting theory. It makes sense."】

【Your Constellation 'Sunny' gifts you 1 point each in Health, Agility, and Strength stats for your wise deduction.】

"Thank you."

Baekya didn't ask how those three stats were related to wisdom.

Because that in itself was wisdom.

"I'll try using it."

He picked up the scroll with the broken text and held it up to the 'Mantle of the Demon Marquis'.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]