After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 14
Below the notification, newly revealed information unfolded.
[Item Information]
[Name]
[Grade] Heroic
[Classification] Mana Recovery Support Artifact
[Equip Requirement] Level 1 or higher
[Status] Normal
[Effect]
– Absorbs surrounding Mana to aid the wearer’s Mana recovery.
[Growth Characteristic]
– When absorbed Mana exceeds a certain threshold, the item advances one tier.
Sang Hyuk’s gaze lingered on the last two lines.
Before his regression, the Yeongmaek Hwan had earned its reputation partly because of this very growth function.
Once it crossed into Japan, the Yeongmaek Hwan’s recovery power grew stronger the more Mana it accumulated.
After years of failing to break its curse, Tae Sung had classified it as a defective item and handed it over to Sang Hyuk as part of their broken engagement settlement.
The agreement made it clear that even if the Yeongmaek Hwan’s condition or value changed, there could be no demand for its return.
Even if Tae Sung discovered the artifact’s true performance too late, there was no way to reclaim it.
Sang Hyuk had obtained the Heroic-grade Artifact he needed most right now as the price of the broken engagement.
Now came the moment to verify the recovered function firsthand.
Sang Hyuk withdrew the Dragon Eye of Destruction and picked up the silver ring.
Not a trace of the blood-red stains remained.
Even when he brought his hand close, the draining sensation of Mana was no longer present.
Sang Hyuk immediately brought the Yeongmaek Hwan toward his left wrist.
Click.
The interlocked silver ring parted left and right, then wrapped around his wrist.
The loose ring quickly adjusted to fit his wrist.
Hum.
Blue light bloomed from within the ring.
A cool current swept around his wrist and seeped into his body.
[The Yeongmaek Hwan absorbs surrounding Mana.]
[Mana recovery speed increases.]
The Mana he had consumed dispelling the curse moments before began flowing back rapidly.
Sang Hyuk closed his eyes and gauged the recovery rate.
Normally Mana recovered gradually even while resting, but now the speed was different altogether.
In just a few steadied breaths, the depleted Mana refilled noticeably.
The artifact’s true effect would only become clear if he actually used his Mana.
‘Dragon Eye of Destruction.’
Heat flared behind his eyes, and the colors in the room blurred.
He could see the faintly drifting Mana being drawn into the Yeongmaek Hwan at his wrist.
Sang Hyuk opened his right hand.
‘Annihilation.’
Whoosh!
Black energy bloomed across his palm.
As he activated both Authorities simultaneously, the Mana inside his body rapidly depleted.
In response, the blue light of the Yeongmaek Hwan grew brighter still.
Mana from throughout the room flowed toward the silver ring.
As that power entered through his wrist, the rate at which his Mana drained noticeably slowed.
Sang Hyuk poured more Mana into Annihilation.
Hum-hum-hum!
The black energy spread from his palm nearly to his forearm.
The consumption outpaced the recovery, so his internal Mana continued to diminish.
Yet thanks to the Yeongmaek Hwan’s steady replenishment, he could sustain the same output far longer than before.
Sang Hyuk maintained only the Dragon Eye of Destruction and withdrew Annihilation.
As the black energy in his palm vanished, the Mana that had been depleting moments before surged back rapidly.
Exhale.
Sang Hyuk released a long breath.
After several steadied breaths, his Mana had recovered enough to use Annihilation again.
Sang Hyuk immediately opened his right hand.
‘Annihilation.’
Whoosh!
Black energy the same size as before surged forth once more.
Sang Hyuk counted silently while maintaining Annihilation.
During this time, the Yeongmaek Hwan drew in surrounding Mana to replenish what was consumed, and the black energy remained deep and stable throughout.
As Sang Hyuk finished counting and clenched his fist, the black energy vanished.
Having used Authority twice in succession without his breathing becoming ragged, Sang Hyuk recalled the battle on Floor 4.
Back then, facing an endless tide of monsters, he had ultimately drained his Mana reserves.
If he hadn’t sent the mother of the pack crashing into her nest, he would have had to abandon the Complete Clear.
Now, with just brief moments to catch his breath between attacks, he could use Annihilation several more times.
Moreover, the Yeongmaek Hwan was not a consumable item like a Mana recovery potion that worked once and was spent.
As long as there was Mana to draw from the surroundings, it continued to aid recovery.
Of course, there were limits to how much it could recover.
When both Authorities were used at full power, consumption outpaced recovery, and in places where Mana was scarce, its effectiveness would naturally diminish.
Still, the wait time before using Authority again had definitely grown shorter.
As the Yeongmaek Hwan grew, the limitations now apparent would gradually diminish.
‘Now I won’t have to worry about running dry on Mana like I did on Floor 4.’
That was when Sang Hyuk gazed down at the Yeongmaek Hwan with satisfaction.
The blue light wrapped around his wrist suddenly flared bright.
The Mana drawn in by the Yeongmaek Hwan surged past his wrist and into his chest.
Thump.
The moment that Mana touched his chest, the Apocalypse Dragon’s heart beat heavily.
Sang Hyuk placed his right hand over his chest.
The Mana that had passed through his heart seamlessly mingled with his own and spread throughout his body.
He felt no pain or sense of foreignness.
‘So it accepts externally absorbed Mana as well.’
No new notification appeared.
His heart beat once more, then soon grew quiet as usual.
Sang Hyuk alternated his gaze between the Yeongmaek Hwan on his wrist and his chest.
He could not understand why the Apocalypse Dragon’s heart had reacted to the Mana from the Yeongmaek Hwan.
To learn the precise reason, he needed more clues.
For now, Sang Hyuk decided to preserve the scene of the Yeongmaek Hwan drawing in Mana.
He withdrew an Eye Recording Stone from his inventory and placed his hand over the slate tablet engraved with the symbol of closed eyes.
In his mind, he recalled the moment when surrounding Mana had gathered toward his wrist.
Click.
The closed-eye symbol opened.
The Yeongmaek Hwan, emitting blue light, was rendered clearly on the black slate.
Soon, two lines of text appeared beside it.
[Absorption of Surrounding Mana]
[Wearer’s Mana Recovery]
Faint light gathered around the Yeongmaek Hwan in the slate.
The functioning state he had just observed was being replayed exactly as it had occurred.
It would be sufficient material for Kim Seo Yoon and the research team to examine later.
As Sang Hyuk confirmed the recording, more than half of the Mana expended from the experiment had returned.
After confirming the recovered state, he placed the slate in his inventory.
At that moment, the Yeongmaek Hwan on his wrist flashed briefly, and a new notification appeared.
[Mana necessary for growth accumulates in the Yeongmaek Hwan.]
[Current Growth Progress: 0.01%]
Sang Hyuk’s eyes narrowed.
Even though he had gathered a considerable amount of Mana while testing both Authorities, the Growth Progress was merely 0.01 percent.
At this rate, simply absorbing surrounding Mana in ordinary locations would take far too long to achieve growth.
‘I’ll need a place rich in Mana.’
After a moment, when his Mana had fully recovered, Sang Hyuk rose to his feet.
He had obtained the means to supplement his Mana shortage.
Now it was time to test the actual performance in the Tower.
Sang Hyuk checked the Yeongmaek Hwan secured around his wrist once more, then moved his will.
“Will you enter the Infinite Tower?”
‘Enter.’
Whoosh!
White light surged up from beneath his feet, enveloping Sang Hyuk’s body.
His vision turned pure white, and the sensation of the ground supporting him vanished.
Thump.
A moment later, both feet touched solid ground again.
As the white light faded, the room of reality disappeared and gave way to a pristine circular chamber.
「You have entered Infinite Tower Floor 5.」
「Floor 5 will proceed as a selection-type trial.」
Hum.
The blank wall ahead split into three sections, and three doors appeared side by side.
「Please select a trial to challenge.」
Trial information appeared above each door.
[Trial 1: Destruction]
[Trial 2: Guardian]
[Trial 3: Survival]
All three were standard trials commonly found on lower floors.
For Sang Hyuk now, any trial would pose little difficulty.
Sang Hyuk headed straight for the Destruction trial, which he could complete most quickly.
The moment he stood before the first door and reached out his hand, the Yeongmaek Hwan on his wrist trembled softly.
Hum.
Sang Hyuk stopped and looked down at his wrist.
A faint blue light bloomed from the Yeongmaek Hwan.
At the same time, a new notification appeared above the existing trial information.
「Confirming the player’s special qualifications.」
[Achievements Held]
[One Who Achieved the Impossible]
「Qualification to challenge trials outside the standard path has been verified.」
「Searching among held Artifacts for targets meeting special trial conditions.」
As the search began, the blue light of the Yeongmaek Hwan grew stronger.
「A growth-capable Mana Artifact has been identified.」
[Target Artifact: Yeongmaek Hwan]
[Current Status: Normal]
[Current Growth Progress: 0.01%]
‘So the Yeongmaek Hwan is the condition that unlocks the special trial?’
Crack-crack-crack.
At the same time, the wall to the right of the three doors split down the center and slid outward.
Behind it, an ancient stone gate emerged into view.
Its surface bore a pattern of silver rings submerged in dark red mist, carved into the stone.
Soon, information about a fourth trial appeared above the door.
[Trial 4: Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor]
[Classification: Hidden Trial]
[Entry Condition: Possession of the Impossible achievement / Equipping a growth-capable Mana Artifact]
[Complete Clear Reward: Target Artifact advances one stage in growth]
Sang Hyuk’s gaze fixed on the last line.
This was a chance to advance the growth of an artifact by one full stage at once—something that would otherwise take an indeterminate length of time in ordinary locations.
Then, additional warnings appeared.
[The equipped Artifact cannot be removed during the trial.]
[Contaminated Mana from the corridor accumulates on the equipped Artifact.]
[If Contamination Level reaches 100%, the Artifact’s function will cease.]
[After trial completion, you will return to Floor 5’s selection chamber.]
Sang Hyuk reviewed each warning carefully.
If he cleared the Hidden Trial, he could return to the selection chamber on Floor 5.
After that, if he passed the standard trial as well, he could still climb one floor today.
There would be no interference with his goal of ascending one floor per day.
The problem was the Contamination Level.
If the Contamination Level reached one hundred percent, the Yeongmaek Hwan he had just restored would lose its function again.
To play it safe, he could abandon the Hidden Trial and enter a standard trial instead.
Yet Sang Hyuk’s gaze returned to the reward: one stage of growth.
If he was to continue climbing one floor per day, he needed to maximize his Mana recovery ability whenever the opportunity arose.
‘Let’s do it.’
Having made his decision, Sang Hyuk approached the dark red stone gate and raised his palm.
「Entering Hidden Trial: Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor.」
Crack-crack-crack!
The stone door swung inward.
Crimson mist poured from the opening, coiling around Sang Hyuk’s ankles.
A chill seeped through the fabric of his trousers, viscous and clinging as it climbed.
The moment Sang Hyuk raised his right hand to unleash Annihilation, an invisible force from within the doorway seized him, yanking him forward.
Whoosh!
Crimson light flooded his vision as all sensation beneath his feet dissolved.
Thud.
A heartbeat later, both feet struck damp stone.
As the crimson glow faded, a long corridor stretched into view ahead.
The passage was thick with crimson mist, its walls and floor stained with blackened rot that spread like gangrene.
The deeper he looked, the denser the fog became.
[Hidden Trial: Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor]
[Objective: Reach the end of the corridor.]
[Contaminated Mana will continue to accumulate on your equipped Artifacts.]
[If Contamination Level reaches 100%, the trial fails.]
Sang Hyuk took his first step forward.
Hisss.
The crimson mist around him surged violently, converging toward his wrists.
The Yeongmaek Hwan, which absorbed ambient Mana, had drawn in the contaminated essence woven through the fog as well.
Splotches of deep red began to mar the silver ring’s once-lustrous surface.
[Contaminated Mana accumulates in the Yeongmaek Hwan.]
[Current Contamination Level: 1%]
The percentage climbed before he could take a second step.
[Current Contamination Level: 2%]
The corridor stretched on without visible end.
At this pace, the Contamination Level would hit one hundred percent long before he reached the halfway point.
Sang Hyuk studied the crimson stains spreading across the Yeongmaek Hwan.
Even now, the corridor’s mist continued to seep into the ring, widening the blemish.
Within that fog lay a mixture of pure Mana capable of strengthening the Yeongmaek Hwan and corrupted Mana alike.
‘Then…’
A spark lit behind Sang Hyuk’s eyes.
‘If I destroy the contaminated Mana as it enters, only the pure essence will be left.’
That way, only untainted Mana would accumulate within the Yeongmaek Hwan.
Sang Hyuk pressed his right hand over the Yeongmaek Hwan on his left wrist.
‘Annihilation.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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