After Regressing, I Gained the Power of the Demonic Dragon - Chapter 45

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

Chapter 45
Past midnight, the notification he’d been waiting for appeared.
「Daily Personal Challenge Ticket issued.」
[Personal Trial Floor 30 Now Available]
Sang Hyuk immediately chose to enter Floor 30.
Whoosh!
As the light faded, a long, straight corridor revealed itself.
Black stone walls and floor stretched to the edges of his vision, and a massive iron gate stood about a hundred meters away.
[Distance to Exit: 100m]
On both walls, three black stakes the height of a person were driven into the ground.
Golden lines split from the corridor’s floor and ran along side paths to each stake.
The established clear route marked by the tower.
But the center, stretching straight to the exit, bore no markings at all.
[Floor 30 Personal Trial: <The Endless Corridor>]
[Primary Objective]
– Pass through the exit at the corridor’s end.
[Clear Mechanic]
– Each time you destroy a Spatial Stake, the rate at which the corridor expands decreases.
[Hidden Objective]
– Do not destroy any Spatial Stakes.
– Do not use the established clear route.
– Pass through the exit within 1 minute.
The existing strategy was obvious at a glance.
Enter the side paths, destroy the Spatial Stakes in sequence, slow the corridor’s expansion, then sprint to the exit.
But that method would never achieve the hidden objectives.
Sang Hyuk stepped into the center of the corridor, avoiding the golden lines.
[Trial commencing.]
Whummmmm!
All six Spatial Stakes flared at once.
Sang Hyuk kicked off the ground toward the exit.
Dash!
He sprinted a dozen meters in a heartbeat, yet the iron gate hadn’t come any closer.
[Distance to Exit: 100m]
The faster Sang Hyuk moved, the faster the ground ahead extended.
With each step, the corridor lengthened by that measure.
No matter how hard he ran, the remaining distance wouldn’t shrink.
Sang Hyuk’s pupils deepened to a dark crimson.
‘Demon Dragon’s Eye.’
Mana flowing from the six stakes converged toward the corridor’s floor.
That power traveled along patterns carved into the floor and walls, continuously stretching the entire corridor.
The six stakes were devices supplying mana to the spell formation.
[Active Spell Formation: <Corridor Expansion Spell>]
Now that he understood the spell formation, there was a way to slow the corridor’s expansion without destroying the stakes.
Sang Hyuk focused not on the stakes themselves, but on the spell formation spread across the entire corridor.
‘Decay.’
A Black Stigma was inscribed over the patterns in the floor.
The rapidly moving patterns suddenly shuddered violently.
Whummmmm!
All six stakes blazed brighter, pouring out mana.
Yet the Decay stigma didn’t disappear.
Instead, black light spread through the entire corridor, following the patterns.
[Black Curse <Decay> has been inscribed upon <Corridor Expansion Spell>.]
[Output and execution speed of <Corridor Expansion Spell> reduced by 50%.]
The corridor still continued to expand.
But its pace had noticeably slowed.
Sang Hyuk sprinted forward again.
Dash!
[Distance to Exit: 94m]
For the first time, the number had decreased.
Thud!
Mana from the Apocalypse Dragon’s Heart surged through both legs.
Sang Hyuk raced across the center faster than the expanding Corridor.
[Distance to exit: 81m]
[67m]
[52m]
The remaining distance shrank rapidly.
Then the Corridor floor ahead of Sang Hyuk twisted.
Crack-snap!
Space split open and transparent blades erupted from the fissure.
Dozens more followed, filling the center of the Corridor.
Sang Hyuk did not slow.
Instead, he drew the mana rising from the Apocalypse Dragon’s Heart into his right arm.
Crack-crack-crack!
Black scales surged forth from his right hand to his shoulder.
When the distance between Sang Hyuk and the blades closed to a single stride, he swept his right hand in a semicircle.
‘Just the blades.’
‘Annihilation Strike.’
Screech!
The scales on his right arm blazed crimson.
The Annihilation Strike, empowered by the scales, swept across the space before him in a perfect arc.
The blades barring the center of the Corridor transformed into black sand and scattered at once.
The blocked path opened in an instant.
Sang Hyuk ran straight through the swirling black sand.
[Distance to exit: 33m]
[18m]
[6m]
The iron door was suddenly within arm’s reach.
Sang Hyuk closed the remaining distance in one breath and reached out.
Clang!
The iron door swung open to both sides.
The moment Sang Hyuk crossed the threshold, the endless expanding Corridor ceased.
Hummmmm.
Between the darkened Spatial Stakes, only the footprints Sang Hyuk had left stretched in a straight line.
「You have completed the 30th Floor Personal Trial.」
[Spatial Stakes destroyed: 0/6]
[Existing clear routes used: 0]
[Clear time: 00:44]
「You have achieved a Hidden Objective.」
[Hidden Objectives completed (cumulative): 15]
[Clear Rating: SSS]
「Your level has increased.」
[Lv.30 → Lv.31]
「Your consecutive record for Flawless Climbing has been updated.」
[Personal climbing SSS rating: 30 consecutive]
[According to accumulated bonuses, you obtain two Hidden Objective rewards.]
[Authority Enhancement Voucher Fragment: 2/3 → 3/3]
[Equipment Option Reforging Voucher Fragment: 2/5 → 3/5]
[You have collected all necessary fragments.]
[You have obtained 1 Authority Enhancement Voucher.]
The settlement did not end there.
Hummmmm!
The final footprint floating below the settlement window brightened.
[Unvisited Footsteps: 9/10 → 10/10]
「The Unvisited Footsteps have been completed.」
「The first Unvisited Battlefield opens before you.」
[Entry records: 0 people]
A battlefield no one had ever entered finally opened before Sang Hyuk.
Yet one more notification remained.
「You are graduating from the Iron Rookie League.」
[Final personal record: 10 wins 0 losses]
[MVP: 10 times in a row]
[You have been granted access to the Regular Channel League.]
Whoosh!
The records from his Personal Trial climbs and the Iron Rookie League appeared side by side on a single screen.
[Personal Trial Floors 1–30: Perfect SSS Rating Across All Floors]
[Iron Rookie League: Undefeated in All Matches]
[MVP in Every Match]
「You have achieved the Hidden Achievement <Iron Rookie League Perfect Conquest>.」
[Hidden Achievement Reward]
[<Authority Factor> x1]
[Current <Authority Factors> in Possession: 1]
[Authority Factors Required to Initiate Candidate Search: 2]
Thirty consecutive SSS ratings in the Personal Trial climbs.
Ten victories and ten MVPs in the Iron Rookie League.
Sang Hyuk had completed both stages without a single failure.
And as a result, he had obtained both an Authority Factor and access to a battlefield no one had yet set foot upon.
A satisfied smile played at the corners of Sang Hyuk’s mouth.
‘The Rookie Bracket should be more than covered now.’
* * *
Sang Hyuk’s record appeared immediately on PlayerNet’s Personal Trial leaderboard.
[South Korea / Lv.31 / Private]
[Personal Trial SSS Clear Rating: 30 Consecutive Clears]
[Perfect SSS Rating from Floor 1 to Floor 30]
[First Time in History]
Below that, a category appeared that no one had ever seen before.
[First <Unvisited Battlefield> Unlocked]
[Entry Records: 0 Players]
A player who spotted the record immediately posted a new thread.
[Impossible Left 30 Consecutive SSS! Unvisited Battlefield Unlocked Too!]
[South Korea/Lv.31] RecordBoardRefresh: Holy crap. 44 seconds on floor 30 for SSS. Really went 1 to 30 all SSS.
[South Korea/Lv.33] NewbieSentinel: 10 wins and 10 MVPs in the Rookie League, plus 30 consecutive SSS in Personal Trials? That’s not graduation—that’s a complete conquest of the entire Rookie Bracket.
[South Korea/Lv.38] BathroomBeforeBoss: Where did all those people go who said you could slip up even after 29 successes?
[South Korea/Lv.30] PeasantCalculator: Beep boop. Entered 30 consecutive SSS and 10 wins 10 MVPs. Calculation complete: Impossible Left is not a rookie—he’s the final boss of the entire Rookie Bracket.
[South Korea/Lv.31] RecordBoardRefresh: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ So the Unvisited Battlefield is a hidden map? The final boss unlocked a hidden map before graduating lol.
The Muggeuk Record Preservation Society, which had refrained from commenting until now, updated the post it managed.
[Impossible Left <Flawless Climbing> Record Preservation]
[Current Record: 30 Consecutive Personal Trial SSS Clears]
[Perfect SSS Rating from Floor 1 to Floor 30]
[Historical Ranking: Sole 1st Place]
[Previous Public Record: Muggeuk (Celestial Seat 2) / 20 Consecutive Clears]
[South Korea/Lv.47] MuggeukRecordPreservation: This post is no longer trailing Muggeuk’s record. We will maintain it as the record set by Impossible Left.
[South Korea/Lv.52] MuggeukVideoOnly: The footwork alone is on a different level. Not only did he surpass Muggeuk’s record, but he unlocked the Unvisited Battlefield too… I have no choice but to accept it.
[South Korea/Lv.35] NightYokanWatcherYokan: Right. Now even if a newcomer pulls off 20 consecutive, they’ll just hear “But Impossible Left did 30 consecutive?” Set the bar way too high lmao
[United States/Lv.61] IronJack: Proved everything that needed proving in the Rookie Bracket. Curious how far he’ll climb in the Regular Channel League, but right now I’m even more curious what he’ll bring back from that Unvisited Battlefield.
The amazement that had poured down on 30 consecutive SSS quickly shifted to curiosity about the first <Unvisited Battlefield>.
But no one yet knew what trials awaited there, or what could be obtained.
* * *
At the same moment.
Muggeuk, the Celestial Seat 2, gazed silently at the record hovering before his eyes.
[South Korea / Lv.31 / Private]
[Personal Trial SSS Clear Rating: 30 Consecutive Clears]
[Perfect SSS Rating from Floor 1 to Floor 30]
[First <Unvisited Battlefield> Unlocked]
Muggeuk’s gaze lingered far longer on the final line than on the number thirty.
He too had continued his consecutive SSS streak during his rookie days.
But on floor 21, he had failed to defend against a single demonic beast until the end, and his rating had fallen to SS.
What he lost that day was far more than one SSS rating.
When he failed to meet the Hidden Objective of floor 21, the <Unvisited Footsteps> never revealed itself.
Though it had been long ago, the moment the final demonic beast fell was still vivid in his memory.
And so Muggeuk understood better than anyone the weight carried by that single line: <Unvisited Battlefield>.
At that moment, an attendant standing beside him reported the results of their investigation into Sang Hyuk’s background.
“No guild or Celestial Seat backing Sang Hyuk has been confirmed. There is no trace of his clears thus far being conducted under anyone’s direction.”
“What about China and Russia?”
“Both sides have assigned more personnel to tracking him. Other Celestial Seats are showing increasing interest in Sang Hyuk as well.”
Muggeuk nodded briefly.
With no confirmed backer, Sang Hyuk had climbed this far through nothing but his own strength and judgment.
Despite possessing such talent, he still belonged to no Celestial Seat’s faction.
The attendant asked carefully.
“Should we reach out to him first?”
Muggeuk did not answer immediately.
Long ago, he had once witnessed, by chance, the final moments of a dimension.
It was not a record or footage left by someone.
It was merely a remnant of an already-fallen dimension that had briefly unfolded before his eyes.
In that vision, mighty warriors who had reached the Top 10 Tier were fighting to the bitter end to protect a crumbling world.
But even they could not protect anything, and fell one after another.
Only after witnessing that spectacle did Muggeuk come to understand the true nature of the Dimension League.
The Dimension League was not merely a place where dimensions competed for superiority.
It was a war where defeated worlds lost everything, and all existence within them vanished.
Muggeuk had explained the vision he witnessed to other Celestial Seats, warning them of the Dimension League’s danger.
But he could not show them that vision again, nor could he prove his words.
To the Celestial Seats, a fallen dimension was merely a place that had lost for lack of power.
They believed that once they reached the Top 10 Tier, they could crush any enemy that appeared.
They did not even accept the possibility of their own defeat.
It was not easy to convince Celestial Seats who already had their own factions and objectives.
Only one or two had taken Muggeuk’s warning seriously.
And so what Muggeuk needed was a comrade who understood the weight of the coming war and could be trusted with his back until the very end.
“Not yet.”
The attendant looked at Muggeuk with a puzzled expression.
“All we know right now are the records Sang Hyuk has set. We can’t judge what kind of person he is from those alone.”
“So you intend to observe him for now?”
“Yes.”
Muggeuk’s gaze lingered on the Unvisited Battlefield opening records.
“Let’s observe Sang Hyuk a little longer, see what kind of player he truly is.”
The vision of devastation that Muggeuk had witnessed long ago rose again in his mind.
“There is still time before he confronts the true nature of the Dimension League.”
* * *
Before Sang Hyuk’s eyes, the entry window for his first Unvisited Battlefield lay open.
[First ]
[Entry Record: 0 players]
[Exclusive entry authority is granted to you.]
[Entering will not consume a Daily Personal Challenge Ticket.]
The name of the battlefield, the clear conditions, and the rewards obtainable within were all invisible.
Even in the records from before his regression, there was no information about the Unvisited Battlefield.
It was a place no one’s clear could be referenced.
But Sang Hyuk did not hesitate.
He had climbed all the way to the 30th floor without dropping a single SSS rating to unlock this first Unvisited Battlefield.
In that process, he had completed the Scales of the Apocalypse on both arms and expanded his maximum mana using a Mana Vessel.
He had also completed a second Authority Enhancement Voucher but had not yet used it.
He intended to confirm directly how far the scales covering both his arms could hold, then use it for whichever power proved most necessary.
All the preparations he could make were complete.
Now it was time to see for himself what awaited him inside the Unvisited Battlefield.
‘Enter.’
「You are entering the first .」
Whoosh!
Black light consumed Sang Hyuk’s body.
[First Entry Record]
[0 players → 1 player]

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