I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 98

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#98. Expanding Personnel (1)

Soleil, the Family Head of the Mörsolt Family, rushed over and threw open the door.

“Featherback!”

Featherback was lying on the bed.

The bandages wrapped around his entire body gave off a pungent smell of medicinal herbs.

“Wh-what is this! How could an assassin get into Mörsolt’s main castle…!”

“The Descendants of the New Moon made their last desperate struggle. Since the organization’s leader is dead, there shouldn’t be any more trouble.”

Seeing Featherback answer so calmly, Soleil opened his mouth in disbelief.

Just then.

Thud—

Hounded and Skullsage, who were standing nearby, dropped to their knees.

“Please kill us!”

“Not only did we fail to protect the Young Master, but we even held him back at the crucial moment! This sin can only be washed away with death!”

The two young knights were shedding tears of blood.

If only they hadn’t neglected their training, this wouldn’t have happened.

They couldn’t lift their heads due to their belated regret.

However, Soleil took their hands and helped them up.

“I heard that you threw yourselves forward at the last moment to protect my son.”

“We only held him back instead.”

“But I cannot help but acknowledge that spirit. Enough, stand up now.”

Soleil looked at Featherback.

Featherback nodded his head.

“They were quite helpful. If they hadn’t drawn attention at the moment the assassin self-destructed at the end, my injuries would have been much worse.”

“Hueuk! Young Master!”

At Featherback’s defense, Hounded and Skullsage burst into tears.

Just then.

…Bang!

The door burst open roughly once again.

A woman entered the room, breathing heavily.

“Featherback! What happened! Are you badly hurt!?”

Quinbits.

She rushed toward Featherback’s bed.

Featherback spoke calmly.

“I sowed discord between the Descendants of the New Moon, an assassination organization in the Imperial Capital, and their employer, Marquis Berserker. As a result, the Mountain Elder, the leader of the Descendants of the New Moon, came to find me in a mutated form. Similar to Shedyoldis, Habu, or Baron Thoroughbred of the Purosange Family.”

This flow of cause and effect was exactly as Featherback had planned.

“I thought something sinister would come looking for me soon, but I didn’t expect them to send a top-tier 4-Star assassin, especially for self-destruction. That’s all.”

“Son. Didn’t your realm just reach the entrance of 4-Star? So how could you handle a top-tier 4-Star…”

Soleil’s question was reasonable.

Featherback’s answer to this was simple and clear.

“I was lucky.”

That was the truth.

For the past few days, Featherback had been handling paperwork without proper eating or sleeping, and he hadn’t skipped physical training either.

Fighting a top-tier 4-Star assassin in such a condition could well have put him in danger.

“There were two factors that allowed me to save my life. The opponent was an assassin, not a knight. When an assassin’s ambush is discovered, it’s no different from having half their combat power cut away. And the other factor is…”

Featherback’s gaze turned toward one corner of the room.

Everyone followed Featherback’s gaze and looked in that direction.

Inside the crates, wrapped in a blanket, they could see a blood-red egg.

The egg, which had originally been a pale pink color, had somehow turned such a deep red.

“That’s… a Fire Dragon’s egg. What? Where did it come from? Why haven’t I seen it until now? If something like this existed, you should have told me too!”

The mage’s characteristic curiosity was triggered.

She began touching and observing the egg.

“An oval sphere slightly larger than a human head, the temperature is quite hot. You could boil water with this. The color seems to be getting progressively darker – is it shy? Let me peel off a bit of the shell to check the inside…”

“Ahem, Mage Quinbits. I’d appreciate it if you could focus on examining my son’s condition right now.”

When Soleil cleared his throat, Quinbits turned her head as if realizing her mistake.

“Right, I’m sorry, Family Head. I’ll examine him right away.”

Quinbits tried to place her hands on Featherback’s body.

But Featherback waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s not necessary. Once the external wounds on my skin heal, I’ll be able to move right away.”

“Huh? But your internal injuries must be quite severe.”

“I’ll take care of it myself, so go ahead. If you have time to visit the sick, continue with Garmelda’s research instead.”

“Hmm… Then by any chance, could you lend me the Fire Dragon’s egg? I’m curious about what’s inside.”

“No.”

Meanwhile, Soleil spoke with a worried tone.

“Son, it seems like your workload has been quite heavy lately. I’ll handle the paperwork, so you just focus on recovering.”

“Thank you.”

Featherback had actually been thinking about hiring additional personnel to manage the territory anyway.

The names of countless talented individuals I remembered from before my regression flash through my mind.

Those stellar figures who handled administration and supply management right up until the final offensive against the Demon King.

I plan to recruit them a bit earlier, as they’re probably wandering around without any particular dreams or hopes at this point in time.

‘If they join early, I’ll be able to use time much more efficiently.’

Especially since Rorschach has been complaining about manpower shortages lately.

There was a need to hurry in many ways.

* * *

After that, Soleil went on nagging about health for quite a while before finally leaving.

Quinbits kept staring at the Fire Dragon’s Egg until the very last moment before leaving the room, then reluctantly withdrew with a regretful expression.

Hounded and Skullsage are standing guard outside the door after hearing the Family Head’s strict orders to absolutely not let Featherback leave the room.

Meanwhile.

Tssssssss…

Left alone in the room, Featherback drew up all the mana in his body.

‘As expected, mana only seeps in deeply when you tear your body apart.’

Just as muscles must be torn to heal and become bigger and stronger in the healing process, mana works the same way.

‘I’ve now reached a complete 4-Star level. Soon I’ll be able to knock on the door of 5-Star as well.’

Usually, the Empire’s darlings who are called geniuses barely step on the threshold of 2-Star at fifteen.

Even the current Empire’s strongest, ‘Sword Saint Vincent,’ who is considered a superhuman who will remain in human history forever, only reached the 3-Star Level at fifteen.

‘There are plenty of enemies I need to slaughter ahead. I should push myself a bit harder.’

Memories from before my regression come to mind.

No matter how much one had risen to the ranks of superhumans, swinging a sword for a full three years without sleeping even a single day was too much.

When exhaustion sets in and the body reaches its limits, one tends to doze off even while Sword Swinging.

Nevertheless, his body moved by habit, swinging his sword and enduring the grueling forced march of dozing and waking while drenched in the blood of slain demons.

A hellish year where both body and mind were gradually worn away.

Featherback’s mental fortitude, having endured that period, had already transcended the realm of humanity by far.

Featherback reached out his hand.

A brazier filled with hot coals.

Featherback embraced it.

Hissssssss…

A bitter scent spread as the hot metal burned the bandages and herbs.

Even though the bandages and herbs had turned to ash, Featherback did not let go of the brazier.

Tssssssss…

White cold energy emanating from his body resisted the heat of the brazier.

‘Northern Cold Energy has settled in my body. If I mix this with mana, the effects will increase several times over.’

Featherback mixed several fuels into his mana.

Dragon Energy extracted from within Ice Dragon Adara’s body.

Poison Energy extracted from the Nightmare Spider Zva Poppy.

Beast Vitality extracted from the hearts of countless Yate and Sasquatches.

Negative Energy extracted from the Inner Core of the Centipede Matriarch that dwelt in Mörsolt’s Secret Archive.

.

.

Various energies forcibly stolen from monsters mixed with the Northern Frigid Energy.

Hot and cold energies from Featherback’s body transformed into the shapes of dragons, centipedes, spiders, and snow people.

…Crack!

The sound of thin ice breaking rang out.

The wall that had stood tall before him crumbled, revealing stairs leading beyond.

Featherback climbed the stairs without hesitation.

At the bottom of the stairs, in the depths of the bottomless pit, countless skeletons burn alongside massive pillars of fire.

A world destroyed by the Demon King’s invasion.

Featherback walks alone from that place, ascending upward.

[…Save us!]

[…Don’t leave us behind!]

[…Come back! You’re one of us too!]

Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of burning skeletons reach their hands toward Featherback.

But Featherback paid no heed to their resentful cries.

‘They’re just lingering attachments and anxieties left in a corner of my unconscious anyway.’

If he had the energy to look back, he should use it to climb even a little higher.

Featherback stepped forward, mercilessly turning away from the countless hands reaching toward him.

…The wagon wheel moves forward.

Crushing the tiny things beneath it.

…The bird flies to a new world.

After shattering the eggshell that had protected it all this time.

Featherback climbed the stairs.

The stairs made of ice gradually melt, becoming narrow and precarious.

Eventually, Featherback stopped in the middle.

From here on, the stairs become too narrow and thin to continue.

‘Is this the limit?’

Before his eyes, he can see the massive door leading to 5-Star.

But as things stand now, he would fall before even reaching that door.

Featherback nodded his head.

‘It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing I can do. This is as far as I go today.’

Tonight he had tried to cross the threshold to 5-Star, but it was still beyond his reach.

Featherback opened his eyes.

The highest level of 4-Star.

A realm where the door blocking the 5-Star domain had come within arm’s reach.

Featherback had already reached a distance where he could touch the gateway to 5-Star with his hand.

Considering he had only recently reached the 4-Star Realm, it was an unbelievable growth rate.

If all the fifteen-year-old sword prodigies training in the Empire learned of Featherback’s realm, they would all throw down their swords.

“I can’t just wait around training until I become 5-Star… I need to save some time.”

There was only one way to handle business and improve his skills at the same time.

Real combat.

If he moved around and took action directly, everything would improve naturally.

Featherback looked down at the furnace.

The furnace that had burned all the bandages and medicinal herbs had already cooled completely, even developing frost.

Clang—

Featherback set down the furnace and stood up.

The skin that had been disfigured by burns and oozing pus had already returned to its original white and smooth appearance.

“Let’s see how this moves.”

To test his body that had become even more resilient and solid, there was nothing better than experiencing the cutting winds of the Northern Region.

Featherback opened the window.

Outside the door, guard knights stood watch like an iron wall, following the Family Head’s orders.

Rather than disobeying his father’s command to rest and breaking through the guard knights, going out through the window would be much faster.

Featherback was about to throw himself out the window into the howling blizzard.

“Featherback sir, where are you going?”

If it weren’t for Rorschach’s voice coming from the upper level, he surely would have done so.

“…?”

When Featherback looked up, he could see Rorschach opening the window of the room directly above and looking down at him.

“What are you doing there?”

“I was monitoring Featherback sir. You’ll surely go wandering outside again, and it seemed likely you’d go out through the window.”

“I’m fully recovered. Rather than lying around meaninglessly, it’s better to handle external business.”

“I’m going to tell the Family Head. Hurry up and go back to bed and rest.”

“External business includes hiring additional administration personnel as well.”

“Hmm. This deal is pretty strong.”

Rorschach tilted his head and continued speaking.

“Are you really fully recovered?”

“As you can see.”

“Then please take me along too. I’ll check if you’re really okay.”

“….”

At Rorschach’s request, Featherback slightly furrowed his brow.

Somehow he had a feeling that troublesome baggage was going to tag along.

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