After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 40

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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 40
Moments after the matchup was confirmed.
A player refreshing the Iron Rookie League spectator list immediately posted a new thread.
[Impossible Left Channel entered the Iron Rookie League!]
[South Korea / Lv.23 / Private]
[Iron Rookie Individual Record: 3 Wins 0 Losses]
[MVP: 3 Consecutive]
[South Korean Random Team]
VS
[China Fixed Team ]
[Match Format: Giant Mecha Proxy Battle]
[Korea/Lv.33] NewbieGuardian: Here it is! Impossible Left’s fourth match is up!
[Korea/Lv.42] SojuWithRice: Wow, of all teams, Bi Yeon Group lol they’re undefeated in five Giant Mecha Proxy Battles.
[Korea/Lv.36] RuleCheckDaily: When Bi Yeon Group locks in an Encirclement Formation, no mecha has ever broken through. A random team coordinating against that is brutal.
[China/Lv.35] DongpaBraisedPork: Finally, a format where solo rampage won’t cut it. Congratulations to Bi Yeon Group on their sixth straight win in advance.
[Korea/Lv.38] ToiletBeforeBoss: Here we go again lol Whenever Impossible Left plays, a new reason they can’t win just appears.
[Korea/Lv.52] OnlyWujiFootage: All the better. If he breaks a Giant Mecha specialist team this time, it’s a clean confirmation again.
As the post spread rapidly, spectators poured in.
Sang Hyuk’s vision was engulfed in light.
Whoosh!
When the light cleared, a colossal circular arena materialized.
Sang Hyuk stood at one end of the arena.
Directly ahead, three War Giant Mechas towering some thirty feet high knelt on one knee.
Their humanoid frames were encased in thick metal armor.
They gripped Long Swords in their right hands and wore Circular Shields—slightly larger than a forearm—on their left arms.
Three identically constructed mechas occupied the opposite side of the arena.
They were identical in size, armament, and basic specifications.
「You have entered the Iron Rookie League.」
[Match Format: Giant Mecha Proxy Battle]
[Battlefield: ]
[Giant Mecha Operation Rules]
– Each player is assigned one War Giant Mecha.
– The mecha moves through Magical Power control by the pilot alone.
– You may register one ability or technique to use through the mecha.
– If the Mecha Core is destroyed, that mecha and its pilot are deemed combat-unable.
[Victory Condition]
– Render all three War Giant Mechas of the opposing team combat-unable.
Two teammates from the South Korean team then appeared.
The first to arrive was a man a full head taller than Sang Hyuk.
With a thick neck, massively broad shoulders, and a fur pelt draped across his frame, he looked far more bear than human.
Strapped across his back was a Two-Handed Axe whose blade alone was as wide as his torso.
[Public Name: Ursine Charge]
[Lv.23]
The other was his complete opposite.
Slight of build and thin as a rail.
His narrow, slitted eyes darted constantly, giving him the bearing of someone sharp and cunning.
A pair of Short Daggers hung from either side of his waist.
[Public Name: Last Hit’s Mine]
[Lv.22]
A black mask—provided by the system—materialized over Sang Hyuk’s face.
His information displayed to both of them as [Lv.23 / Private].
Ursine Charge’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Sang Hyuk.
“Wait—are you Impossible Left?”
Last Hit’s Mine let out a derisive snort.
“Are you kidding? Ever since Impossible Left showed up, how many players have been hiding their public names? You see a black mask practically every match now.”
At that moment, all three mechas blazed with light simultaneously.
「Board your assigned War Giant Mecha.」
The mecha’s chest plate split open to both sides.
Inside were a single chair and a round control core.
There was no control stick to grip, no pedal to press.
As the three of them approached their respective mechas, light lifted their bodies skyward.
Sang Hyuk stepped directly into the mecha’s chest cavity.
Clang!
The breastplate sealed shut, and his vision dimmed for a moment.
The instant Sang Hyuk’s hand touched the control core, the mecha’s sight flooded into his mind.
[Connecting Magical Power with War Giant Mecha.]
[Allied communication activated.]
[Please register one ability or technique to use through the mecha.]
Sang Hyuk chose without hesitation.
‘Decay.’
This battlefield was perfect for testing his newly acquired Decay skill.
[Registering Black Magic Decay with War Giant Mecha.]
[The registered Black Magic can be used through the mecha’s Magical Power circuits.]
[Preparation time: 00:00:30]
Last Hit’s Mine’s voice crackled through the allied communication.
“Wait. I didn’t get a good look when we got in, but now I see it—are those guys from Bi Yeon Group?”
He asked urgently.
“Has anyone here piloted a mecha before?”
“No.”
As Sang Hyuk answered, a brief silence fell.
“Your first time?”
Last Hit’s Mine’s voice grew heavier.
“What about you, Ursine Charge?”
“I’ve piloted one before, once.”
Ursine Charge continued hesitantly.
“But I’m quite poor at it, I’m afraid.”
“How poor?”
“It would be faster if you saw it directly.”
Ursine Charge’s mecha planted both hands on the ground and pushed itself up.
Up to that point, it looked fine.
But the moment he stepped forward with his right foot, the massive body tilted sharply to the left.
He desperately poured Magical Power into the opposite leg, and this time his upper body jerked backward.
“Uh—uh, what?”
The mecha lurched forward, then staggered back, repeating the cycle.
Both arms flailed wildly in an attempt to maintain balance, and the Long Sword and Circular Shield clashed against empty air in rapid succession.
Bang! Clang! Bang!
Finally, both legs tangled together.
Crash!
Ursine Charge’s mecha fell backward onto its back.
He thrashed his limbs trying to get up, but only his upper body heaved a few times.
Last Hit’s Mine let out a long sigh.
“Ah…… we’re done for.”
His mecha set down its Long Sword and Circular Shield on the ground.
Then he simply folded his legs and sat there.
“Team luck is really something else. Fine, I’m just going to concede.”
“I apologize! Please wait just a moment!”
Ursine Charge continued to flail helplessly on the ground.
[South Korea/Lv.42] Rice-Bowl-With-Soju: Wow, is the team luck real? ㅋㅋㅋ One mecha did a spasmodic dance and fell over, the other one sat down before it even started.
[China/Lv.35] Braised-Pork-Belly-Perfected: Bi Yeon Group gets six wins. A freebie victory has never looked this much like a freebie.
[South Korea/Lv.38] Bathroom-Before-Boss-Room: I don’t think those two even realize the Impossible Left is on their team ㅋㅋㅋ
[South Korea/Lv.33] Newbie-Protector: Wait, so the Impossible Left has to fight all three of Bi Yeon Group alone?
At that moment, across the arena, three of Bi Yeon Group’s mechas rose to their feet simultaneously.
From the moment they drew their Long Swords to the height at which they raised their Circular Shields, every motion was perfectly synchronized.
The three mechas instantly formed a Triangular Formation, and a voice laced with laughter came from the center mecha.
“Two mechas are already out before we even begin.”
“Let’s finish off the last one quickly.”
Sang Hyuk let their words pass over him as he channeled Magical Power into the control core.
He moved the fingers of his right hand one by one.
The mecha’s fingers followed in the same sequence.
He rotated his wrist and raised his arm.
As expected, there was not a moment’s hesitation.
This time, he stepped forward with his right foot.
The ten-meter frame moved with perfect precision, utterly steady, advancing by exactly one stride.
The Magical Power flowing from the Apocalypse Dragon Heart coursed smoothly through countless circuits within the mecha.
There was no tangling or leakage as the power distributed itself to each distinct joint.
The mecha moved in perfect synchrony with his thought.
It was as though his own limbs had simply enlarged to ten meters.
What most called Synchronization Rate was nearly at MAX for Sang Hyuk.
This was entirely thanks to the Apocalypse Dragon Heart’s unique characteristic—an inborn Magical Power control second to none.
Even in an identical frame, Sang Hyuk’s mecha had to be faster and stronger.
Sang Hyuk’s mecha drew the Long Sword and raised the Circular Shield.
“This should be enough.”
Last Hit’s Mine spoke as if flabbergasted.
“Hey, Masked One. Don’t hold back on us. Just sit tight. When those guys come, it’s over in ten seconds flat.”
With those words, the countdown began.
[3]
[2]
[1]
《The match begins.》
Three mechas from the Bi Yeon Group moved in unison.
One took the lead while the other two spread to left and right.
It was the Encirclement Formation that had secured five victories.
But it was Sang Hyuk who cut across the arena center first.
Boom!
The enormous foot struck the ground.
The massive body shot forward at a speed that seemed impossible to believe.
“What?”
Last Hit’s Mine’s mecha, which had been sitting with its legs folded, unconsciously straightened its upper body.
Sang Hyuk aimed for the mecha leading the charge.
The Bi Yeon Group’s mecha raised its shield and brought its Long Sword down.
Whoosh!
Sang Hyuk angled his Circular Shield, letting the blade slide off to the side.
Following through on the momentum of the deflection, he drove his shoulder into the opponent’s shield.
Crash!
The Bi Yeon Group’s mecha was driven backward, shield and all.
It stumbled back three full steps before regaining its balance.
“Is that their first move?”
Last Hit’s Mine’s muttering came through clearly on the team channel.
But Bi Yeon was also a Fixed Team, winners of five straight matches.
The two mechas that had spread left and right instantly claimed positions at Sang Hyuk’s flanks and rear.
The one that had been driven back charged in again, covering the third direction.
“Encircle him!”
Three Long Swords came at Sang Hyuk from different angles.
Though surrounded, Sang Hyuk showed no sign of panic.
Instead, he deployed the Black Magic registered through the mecha’s Magical Power circuit.
‘Decay.’
Spark!
A brand seared itself into the chest of the mecha charging from the left.
[Decay has been imprinted on the Bi Yeon Group’s War Giant Mecha.]
[Operational speed and Magical Power output decrease by 50%.]
The left mecha’s movements suddenly became sluggish.
Its Long Sword descended far more slowly than the other two.
A wide gap opened between the three mechas that had been closing in.
Sang Hyuk darted away while the weakened mecha couldn’t keep pace, charging toward the undamaged one on the opposite side.
The Bi Yeon Group’s mecha hurriedly raised its shield.
Sang Hyuk began to bring his Long Sword down, then twisted at the waist, changing its trajectory.
The blade, having slipped past the shield’s edge, drove deep into the opponent’s right elbow joint.
Crunch!
The arm holding the Long Sword was severed below the elbow.
“What kind of speed is that?!”
The opponent let out a gasp of horror.
At the same moment, the Bi Yeon Group leader’s Long Sword came flying from behind.
Sang Hyuk ducked and spun his body in one fluid motion.
The Long Sword that grazed overhead came down hard on the Circular Shield of the mecha that had just lost an arm.
Clang!!
In the instant both mechas lost their balance from the collision.
Sang Hyuk’s Circular Shield rocketed upward, catching the leader’s mecha square in the jaw.
Crash!
The massive head snapped back.
The Decay target, arriving a fraction too late, thrust its Long Sword from the side.
Sang Hyuk twisted his torso to slip the blade, then drove his boot straight into the mecha’s chest.
Boom!
With its Magical Power output cut in half, the mecha couldn’t absorb the impact.
It stumbled backward several steps before crashing to the ground.
[South Korea/Lv.33] Newbie Guardian: What? What? A mecha can move that fast?
[South Korea/Lv.42] Soju with Rice Soup: Whoa, what the—is he seriously pushing back three mechas solo? And that destructive power?
[China/Lv.35] Braised Pork Belly: Wait, what kind of control is that?
[South Korea/Lv.36] Rules Expert Every Spring: The mecha’s barely lagging behind the movements. He’s piloting it like it’s his own body.
[South Korea/Lv.38] Bathroom Before Boss: Did you see the left mecha just now? The second that dark aura appeared, its speed and power tanked. Is that a new ability?
[South Korea/Lv.52] Martial Arts Film Only: Right. He’s picked up a new power. So someone claiming their first Giant Mecha Proxy Battle just solo crushed an undefeated five-win team?
Then a shout suddenly erupted through their team comms.
“Whoa! So it really was Impossible Left!”
Last Hit’s Mine’s mecha, which had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, lurched to its feet.
It quickly snatched up the Long Sword and Circular Shield that had been lying on the floor.
He charged straight toward the mecha that Sang Hyuk had kicked down.
“Friend! Leave this one to me!”
Last Hit’s Mine’s mecha climbed onto the fallen opponent.
Then he began relentlessly pounding the Mecha Core cover in the chest with both Long Sword and Circular Shield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sang Hyuk let out a dry laugh at the sudden shift in tactics.
The Bi Yeon Group leader seized the opening.
“Die!”
The leader’s mecha thrust its Long Sword forward and charged at Sang Hyuk.
Sang Hyuk switched the target of Decay.
The stigma vanished from the fallen mecha’s chest.
At the same instant, the same mark appeared on the charging leader’s chest.
Crack!
The leader mecha’s speed halved in a heartbeat.
Sang Hyuk deflected the slowed blade with his Circular Shield and drove forward into close range.
Sang Hyuk’s Long Sword pierced through the gap in the open breastplate.
Shatter!
The Mecha Core inside was run through.
[Opponent mecha enters incapacitated state.]
[Opponent remaining mechas: 2/3]
The mecha that had lost an arm lunged forward, gripping its Circular Shield with its remaining hand.
Sang Hyuk sidestepped and shoved the opponent’s shield away with his own Circular Shield.
The one-armed mecha’s body swayed helplessly to the side.
Sang Hyuk pressed in and swung his Long Sword horizontally.
Crunch!
Breastplate and Mecha Core split asunder together.
[Opponent mecha enters incapacitated state.]
[Opponent remaining mechas: 1/3]
Meanwhile, the final mecha that Last Hit’s Mine had been riding regained its full power output.
The Decay stigma had been transferred to the leader.
The last mecha pushed off the ground and rose to its feet.
“Huh? Wait. Why is my strength suddenly—”
Last Hit’s Mine’s mecha was seized by the opponent’s grip.
The Bi Yeon Group’s final mecha lifted him up, about to slam him back down.
In that instant.
Sang Hyuk drew his Long Sword back and hurled it with all his might.
Screeeech!!
The Long Sword that Sang Hyuk threw pierced straight through the Mecha Core casing that Last Hit’s Mine had pounded into cracks.
Crack! Boom!!
The Mecha Core exploded, and the strength drained from the hands that had been gripping Last Hit’s Mine.
[Opposing Giant Mecha has entered combat incapacity.]
[Opposing remaining Giant Mechas: 0/3]
[South Korea/Lv.42] Soup and Soju: This is crazy lol one mecha’s just lying there and the other he only punched from the midpoint on but he basically took down all three solo.
[South Korea/Lv.33] Newbie Guardians: Is this really your first time piloting a Giant Mecha? Bi Yeon Group couldn’t do anything ㄷㄷㄷ
[South Korea/Lv.38] Restroom Before the Boss Room: That black mark from just now—every time he moves it slows one of their mechas. He completely twisted their entire Encirclement Formation.
[South Korea/Lv.36] Rule Window Every Spring: It’s not that Bi Yeon Group failed. They pulled off the Encirclement, but Impossible Left’s piloting and reaction time was faster than that.
[South Korea/Lv.52] Only Watch Wu-Extreme Imagery: For someone piloting a Giant Mecha for the first time, what else can you say he can’t do?
[China/Lv.35] Dongpo Braised Pork: …….
「South Korea has achieved victory.」
[South Korea remaining Giant Mechas: 3/3]
[China remaining Giant Mechas: 0/3]
The Ursine Charge’s Giant Mecha, which had been flailing on the ground, finally managed to roll onto its side.
“You really were Impossible Left! I’m almost up now myself!”
Last Hit’s Mine’s Giant Mecha threw both arms up as victory was confirmed.
“Ha ha ha! Friend! I believed in you from the start, I swear!”
Sang Hyuk asked.
“What about that bit where you said we were losing?”
A brief silence filled the allied communication channel.
“Ah, that was…… a tactic to catch them off guard.”

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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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