Not A Regressor - Chapter 101

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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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I Am Not a Regressor Chapter 101
The Conman’s Path to Victory (3)
The next day.
A meeting with Association President Han Tae-ho had been arranged.
Kwon O-jin headed to the Association with Lee Woo-hyuk.
“Welcome.”
Upon arriving at the Association, Han Manager was waiting to greet them.
“Please come this way.”
I followed Han Manager’s guidance into the Association.
We passed through several security checkpoints and boarded the Elevator.
-Whoosh.
As the Elevator doors opened, a spacious office came into view.
An elderly man seated in the center of the office rose to his feet.
“This is the first time we’ve met in person like this.”
A diminutive, gaunt frame.
The weathered traces of time etched across deeply wrinkled skin.
From his piercing gaze emanated a weighty presence that dominated the room.
“I’m Han Tae-ho. I apologize for being so late with my greetings—I should have sought you out sooner.”
Han Tae-ho bowed respectfully and extended his hand toward Kwon O-jin and Lee Woo-hyuk.
“Thanks to Noe-rang and the Black Star Society, we were able to minimize the damage from this incident. While it’s not yet time to discuss compensation, I promise that the Association will provide a reward befitting your contributions.”
Park Geon-woo had called him an old viper, hadn’t he?
‘Whether he’s venomous or not, I’m not sure.’
But he was certainly the type of man who knew how to handle people.
“The reward isn’t necessary.”
Lee Woo-hyuk shook his head and continued.
“What I want is to catch the criminal who caused this terrible incident and ensure something like this never happens again.”
Was this what a real hero looked like, unlike a conman like myself?
His words drew an involuntary exclamation of admiration.
‘Of course, I’m taking it though.’
If they’re offering, I should accept.
Why wouldn’t I?
“I heard that Noe-rang has information on that front?”
Han Tae-ho turned his gaze toward Kwon O-jin as he took his seat.
“Yes. I arranged this meeting to seek your assistance.”
Kwon O-jin sat in the chair across from him and continued in a measured voice.
“During the Guro-dong attack incident, I spotted a man in a black robe watching the scene from a High-rise Building window.”
“Hmm. He was simply observing the scene from that vantage point?”
“Yes. Suspecting something was amiss, I pursued him and… discovered this.”
Kwon O-jin retrieved a black goblet and placed it on the table.
“What is this?”
“It’s a Sacred Relic that controls demonic beasts.”
“…!!!”
The four of them widened their eyes in shock.
“Is… is that really true?”
“Yes. I’ve actually used it myself. I commanded the demonic beasts to stop moving.”
“Ah… so that’s why the demonic beasts suddenly ceased their movements in the middle of the battle.”
“It was because of my command.”
“…Huh.”
They stood speechless, their jaws hanging open in disbelief.
A Sacred Relic that controls demonic beasts.
It was a Sacred Relic with an ability that had never been recorded in history.
“Then… this demonic beast calamity was deliberately orchestrated by someone.”
Han Tae-ho’s eyes gleamed with sharp insight.
“…The Black Star Society.”
Grit.
Lee Woo-hyuk ground his teeth savagely, as if he could already guess who the culprit was.
“Did you capture that man in the black robe?”
“I did apprehend him, but… before I could subdue him, he took his own life.”
A deep sigh escaped from Kwon O-jin’s lips.
“He likely did it to prevent the true mastermind behind this incident from being exposed.”
“…A mastermind, you say.”
Han Tae-ho’s expression hardened like stone.
“You’re aware that someone connected to the Black Star Society is inside the Association, aren’t you?”
“Surely not….”
His eyes trembled slightly.
“Are you suggesting that Cheon Woo-sung… is the mastermind behind this incident?”
“Is there any reason to think otherwise?”
Han Tae-ho closed his eyes firmly.
“…At least he hasn’t touched the non-Awakened.”
“Precisely—he hadn’t touched them until this very moment.”
Han Tae-ho himself would know better than anyone who had become most vulnerable from this incident and, conversely, who stood to gain the most.
When an incident occurs, the one who profits the most is the culprit.
It’s a deceptively simple logic, but in truth, it fits most situations.
“….”
Han Tae-ho remained silent, his lips sealed shut.
“I understand it’s difficult to believe.”
It was ironic, after all.
Until now, Cheon Woo-sung’s actions to protect the non-Awakened had been genuine.
‘Though in the end, he trampled over it all while spouting nonsense about noble sacrifice and such.’
In any case.
From Han Tae-ho’s perspective, having watched Cheon Woo-sung so closely all these years, it was difficult to believe that someone who cherished non-Awakened users so dearly could be the mastermind behind this massacre.
“…Honestly, it’s hard to believe.”
A deep sigh.
“Even if he is the mastermind behind this incident, do we have any evidence to prove it?”
“We’ll have to create it now.”
“Create it?”
Han Tae-ho’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The method is simple. Hold a press conference where the Association President can present this directly.”
He extended the black chalice to him.
“━State that you’re currently interrogating the culprit, and that you’ll soon uncover who orchestrated this incident from behind the scenes.”
Like a hunter waiting for prey with a trap already laid.
Kwon O-jin’s gaze turned cold and sharp.
* * *
A dimly lit office.
Only the light from the television flickered like stars in the night sky.
[This is the sacred relic used in the crime.]
On the television, Association President Han Tae-ho was presenting the black chalice before the reporters.
[It’s a sacred relic with the ability to control demonic beasts.]
He walked to one side while holding the black chalice.
-Grrrrr! Roaarrr!
Inside the sturdy iron cage was the demonic beast captured alive from the Guro-dong incident.
[Raise both arms.]
Upon his command to the black chalice, the demonic beast inside the cage instantly raised both arms.
Murmurs rippled through the reporters at the unbelievable sight.
[As you can see, the culprit deliberately massacred citizens by controlling demonic beasts.]
Countless camera flashes.
The murmurs quickly turned into chaos.
[The culprit is currently detained within the Association, and once interrogation is complete, we will reveal who gave the orders from behind the scenes.]
The press conference ended with a declaration filled with firm resolve.
“Damn it!!”
Crash!
Cheon Woo-sung irritably hurled an object at the screen.
“Ha… ha!”
His breathing grew ragged.
‘Park Geon-woo… has been captured.’
It was an unexpected development.
‘How is this possible?’
He had deliberately limited the personnel involved in the operation to Park Geon-woo alone to maintain secrecy, and had selected a location to issue commands to the demonic beasts that could never be discovered.
Moreover, Park Geon-woo was a skilled operative who held the rank of Senior Special Investigator.
He had believed that even if pursued, Park Geon-woo would escape without issue.
—Click.
Defying his expectations, I had foolishly been caught in the Special Investigator’s grasp.
‘If Park Geon-woo doesn’t open his mouth during interrogation, there’s no problem.’
Indeed.
I couldn’t be certain he would remain silent until the end.
“…Damn it.”
I had to do something, no matter what.
Either break Park Geon-woo out or eliminate him.
‘I can’t move directly myself.’
Right now, I was under suspicion of being connected to the Black Star Society.
If I moved directly and was discovered, it would trigger an irreversible catastrophe.
‘Then.’
Someone with no connection whatsoever to the Black Star Society.
I needed to mobilize an influential figure who could access Park Geon-woo, imprisoned within the Association.
“…Where is Director Jung?”
“I’ll have him brought here immediately!”
At Cheon Woo-sung’s command, one of his subordinates moved swiftly.
About five minutes passed.
“Huff! Huff! D-did you call for me!”
A portly man with thinning hair entered the office, breathing heavily.
Jung Seung-man, Director.
A subordinate I had created after infiltrating the Association, completely unaware of my true identity.
‘If it’s this man, there would be no problem even if he’s caught.’
Since he wasn’t part of the Black Star Society, no evidence could possibly emerge no matter how thoroughly he was interrogated.
And he possessed enough authority to access where Park Geon-woo was being held.
‘It would be troublesome if he whined about receiving orders from me.’
But it’s fine.
I could simply deny knowing anything about it.
“Director Jung, could you do me one favor?”
—Smile.
Cheon Woo-sung gazed at him with his characteristic innocent smile.
“What….”
“You know about the criminal we captured this time, right?”
“You… mean the criminal who caused the demonic beast incident?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Kill him. If killing proves difficult, at minimum, help him escape outside.”
“Th-that’s…!”
Jung Seung-man’s mouth fell open at the thunderbolt of a request.
No matter how much power he wielded as a director, releasing the criminal responsible for the demonic beast incident and the massacre of citizens would mean his complete burial.
“You’ll help me with my request, won’t you?”
Cheon Woo-sung’s eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.
“H-hic!”
Jung Seung-man hiccupped, his face drained of all color.
Trembling as cold sweat poured down like a waterfall, he managed to nod with difficulty.
“Y-yes, I understand!”
He bowed his head obsequiously and left the room.
“Sigh.”
Cheon Woo-sung exhaled shortly and sat back down.
‘…Mother.’
He gazed out the window, biting his lip with an anxious expression.
“…”
Growing tired of waiting idly, Cheon Woo-sung rose from his seat and retrieved a communication orb secretly stored in his office safe.
A direct line to his father, Cheon Do-yoon.
Cheon Woo-sung stared down at the orb in his hand, his expression conflicted.
‘Should I report the situation to Father?’
A brief moment of hesitation crossed his mind.
“…No.”
This was a task Cheon Do-yoon had entrusted to him with his trust.
I had to resolve it with my own strength, no matter what.
‘Father is very busy right now.’
I didn’t know exactly what he was planning.
But I knew well enough that he was occupied to the point where communications barely went through.
“Sigh.”
Cheon Woo-sung exhaled deeply and sat back down.
How many hours had I waited like this?
-Bzzzzzz!
The communication orb vibrated.
-S-success, sir!
The face reflected in the orb was Jung Seung-man’s, drenched in sweat.
Cheon Woo-sung’s eyes gleamed.
“Did you kill him?”
-N-no, sir. I couldn’t kill him, but… I… I secretly unlocked the restraint device and let him escape!
Beep!!! Beeeeeep!!
A loud alarm blared throughout the entire Association, confirming that Park Geon-woo had indeed escaped.
‘Perfect!’
Clench.
Cheon Woo-sung clenched his fist.
Now that Park Geon-woo had escaped, I had only one task left.
“Owls, listen up.”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!
Black feathers scattered as dozens of owls converged.
“Let’s go find Park Geon-woo.”
Before Park Geon-woo could be captured again.
I had to deal with him myself first.
-Click.
Cheon Woo-sung opened the office door and stepped outside.
* * *
“I-I secretly unlocked the restraint device and let him escape!”
Hair partially receding.
A portly man with sagging flesh clutched a communication crystal and shouted urgently.
Beep, beeeeeep!!
Soon a loud alarm blared throughout the Association.
-Click.
The communication cut off.
“Ugh!! Uhhh! Ugh!!”
Suppressed groans echoed faintly once the communication ended.
“Old man, didn’t you hear me say to keep quiet?”
Jung Seung-man twisted his expression savagely and spun around.
Beneath him lay Jung Seung-man, bound tightly with wire.
Two Jung Seung-mans.
The unbound Jung Seung-man grabbed and tore away the tape covering the bound Jung Seung-man’s mouth.
-Rip!
“Phew!”
Jung Seung-man exhaled roughly, trembling with a terrified expression.
“I-I only did what I was told!”
“Yeah, yeah. While pocketing everything you could, right?”
Director Jung Seung-man’s abuse of power was notorious even within the Association.
‘Wasn’t it said he forcibly harassed three secretaries?’
It was misconduct that deserved immediate dismissal.
But thanks to Cheon Woo-sung’s influence, he managed to keep his position.
“Th-that’s…”
Drip, drip.
Cold sweat trickled down his plump cheeks.
“S-save me!! Pl-please! I’ll do whatever you ask!!”
“Hmm. I’d like to, but keeping a loose-lipped guy alive is a bit risky, you see.”
The bizarre figure wearing Jung Seung-man’s face shrugged.
“B-but I don’t even know your real face anyway!! There’s no way my identity will be exposed!!”
True to his words.
Jung Seung-man had no idea who the bizarre figure that attacked him was.
I only saw him flawlessly disguise himself with my face—I never caught sight of what ability he actually used.
“Ah, is that so?”
Squelch.
The grotesque figure wearing Jung Seung-man’s face began to melt and drip away.
The melting face transformed into Kwon O-jin’s visage.
“Now you’ve seen it?”

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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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