Not A Regressor - Chapter 151

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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 151
First Date (1)
A river of stars flowed through the city as if the night sky had been turned upside down and scattered.
A cool night breeze swept across the Aerial Garden, where brilliant city lights sprawled in all directions.
Lee Shin-hyuk swallowed hard as he watched her hair sway like a quietly burning campfire.
A confession he had held back for three years.
He remembered that moment at the Gate when he first met her—how his body trembled as if struck by lightning.
He had suppressed these feelings until he became a high-ranking awakener, until he could stand confidently before her as a man worthy of protecting her.
But after defeating the Seahorse Faction that had dominated all of Japan not long ago.
He could finally confess these feelings with confidence.
“….”
Ha-eun stared intently at the small box the size of Lee Shin-hyuk’s palm that he held out.
A beautiful necklace visible through the slightly open box.
A soft blue light emanated from the necklace, clearly carved from expensive holy stone.
“Sigh.”
A deep sigh escaped Ha-eun’s lips.
She looked up at the night sky with bitter eyes and spoke quietly.
“My brother said something like that too, actually.”
“…What?”
“He asked if I’d consider dating you since you seem to like me.”
Lee Shin-hyuk’s eyes widened and his fists clenched involuntarily.
Since she rarely spoke about the brother she was looking after, he had vaguely assumed the man disapproved of him.
Had he said something like that without realizing it?
“Then—!”
Lee Shin-hyuk stepped closer to Ha-eun, his eyes bright with hope.
Ha-eun stared at him for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I appreciate the sentiment, but… I can’t date you.”
A rejection as decisive as a falling blade.
Her voice and gaze were frigid, leaving no room for even a glimmer of hope.
“Of course I know you’ve done a lot for me. I plan to repay that debt no matter how long it takes.”
“….”
“But… just because of that doesn’t mean I can date you without any feelings. It wouldn’t be fair to you either.”
“…Noona.”
Each word Ha-eun spoke became a sharp blade that carved into his chest.
Lee Shin-hyuk looked at her with trembling eyes.
No feelings at all, she said.
Were the excitement and flutter he had felt spending time with her all just his own delusion?
“And besides, this isn’t a time for us to be leisurely dating, is it?”
Ha-eun gently stroked Lee Shin-hyuk’s head as if soothing a wounded child.
“The False Star Sect members are acting brazenly these days… and I heard recently that the Owl Faction joined hands with the Toad Faction.”
“That’s….”
“We won’t have many more moments of peace like this.”
“….”
Lee Shin-hyuk pressed his lips firmly together and bowed his head deeply.
The gentle hand stroking his hair, the words offered like comfort.
All of it felt like a crushing weight upon my chest.
“I… can’t give up on my sister.”
“Shin-hyuk?”
Lee Shin-hyuk grasped her hand that had been stroking his hair, gripping it roughly.
He fixed her with a gaze burning like molten fire.
“Even if not now, someday I’ll definitely make my sister fall for me.”
“….”
“Until then, I need you to hold onto this for me.”
Lee Shin-hyuk offered her a box containing a necklace, smiling faintly.
Ha-eun accepted the box with a troubled expression.
“Shin-hyuk, this is….”
“Just accept it. It has protective magic cast on it.”
“….”
“Even if my sister’s feelings never change….”
Determination hardened in his eyes as he tightened his grip.
“I will absolutely protect my sister.”
With those words echoing softly.
-Screeeech!
The world twisted as static-like noise distorted my vision.
“Gasp!”
Kwon O-jin exhaled the breath he’d been holding, his eyes narrowing fiercely.
“That bastard Lee Shin-hyuk, how dare he….”
Wagging his tail at my sister?
The mere fact that he’d confessed to Ha-eun felt intensely repugnant.
Well, she rejected him immediately anyway.
‘Wait, did I really tell my sister that dating Lee Shin-hyuk was a good idea?’
This was the part that made the least sense.
Not someone else—I myself had told Ha-eun to date Lee Shin-hyuk.
‘What the hell happened back then?’
The more I dwelled on my first regression self, the more my head throbbed.
What kind of incomprehensible despair must I have felt to say such things to Ha-eun?
“Go to hell.”
Kwon O-jin cursed harshly, vaguely recalling his past self.
It didn’t matter what despair my past self had endured.
That miserable future would be rewritten by my own hands—the hands of the ‘Star Against Heaven’.
‘To do that.’
I focused my mind while observing the dark clouds seeping into my body.
As the clouds fully permeated my form, a clear chiming sound resonated in my ears.
-Ding!
[A portion of Awakener Lee Shin-hyuk’s memories has been successfully inherited!]
[Insufficient understanding of ‘Compass Spear Technique’ prevents skill level advancement!]
Ah.
A regretful exclamation escaped my lips.
‘Just as Riak said, it seems I can’t simply raise the spear technique to level 10.’
While my style wasn’t solely dependent on spear mastery, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed—I’d genuinely wondered what would change once it reached level 10.
‘Still, achieving the sixth awakening should bring something different.’
Setting aside the regret, I checked the next message that appeared.
[Black Heaven has reached ‘Sixth Star Transformation.’]
[A portion of the sealed Lyra Constellation stigma’s power and dragon vein mana is released.]
Along with the anticipated notification, I felt a sensation of power that had been knotted within my heart spreading throughout my entire body.
Before I could even savor the electric thrill, another message cascaded forth.
[Black Heaven’s traits are enhanced.]
[‘Transformation’ is enhanced. Detached body parts can now use Transformation even while separated.]
[‘Black Veil’ is enhanced. Now capable of converting not just Black Heaven’s aura, but transforming it into the aura of other stigmas.]
“What the hell is this?”
An involuntary exclamation burst from my lips as I read the message window before me.
Literally a ‘broken’ effect.
It felt like an ability designed explicitly to deceive the world without restraint.
‘I can use Transformation on detached body parts, and on top of that, freely convert auras?’
To verify, I lightly pricked my fingertip and let blood drip onto the floor.
Blood was part of my body, so according to the effect description, Transformation should work on it.
-Whoosh!!!
The moment I used Transformation on the blood pooling on the floor, the droplets morphed into sharp awl-like shapes and shot upward.
“This could be useful in combat too?”
Recalling the demonic beast I’d fought when I first acquired Transformation, it was clear the skill was meant for combat, not merely for disguise.
Making a mental note to practice using Transformation in combat eventually, I tested the ‘Black Veil’ effect next.
“Seahorse Faction stigma.”
Whooooom!
As I activated the Seahorse Faction stigma, a viscous and ominous black mana flowed forth.
The aura that commonly emanated when using Black Star stigmas.
I applied ‘Black Veil’ to that aura.
-Rumble.
“Damn, this actually works.”
The viscous and ominous mana that had clung like a sweat-soaked shirt in summer transformed into a clear, refreshing aura.
The mana’s essence flickered—shifting to a savage aura like an enraged beast, then to a chilling aura like a winter blizzard.
‘This will have plenty of opportunities for use.’
Kwon O-jin gazed at the clear water droplet hovering above his palm and nodded with satisfaction.
“Let’s see… I think I’ve gotten everything I can from the Black Heaven.”
Whether I can use Heaven’s Opening with the liberated dragon vein’s mana is difficult to verify right now.
But.
‘I need to check if I can create water affinity with the Seahorse Faction stigma.’
In truth, this was the part I’d been most anticipating when I obtained the Seahorse Faction stigma this time.
Since it was a stigma that allowed me to create and manipulate water freely, it seemed like it would have tremendous synergy with the water affinity skill.
—Shlick!
Kwon O-jin drew his spear and sliced a long gash across his forearm.
I pressed a massive water mass created by the Seahorse Faction stigma against the forearm where flesh had split open and blood was pouring out.
The wound gradually regenerated as it absorbed the water.
“It works!”
Kwon O-jin’s eyes gleamed.
‘Damn, this is completely broken!’
My heart soared at the thought that using the Seahorse Faction stigma would allow me to heal even the most severe trauma in an instant.
“Hmm… but.”
As I watched the wound gradually heal, my eyes narrowed.
‘Why is the regeneration so damn slow?’
Just moments ago, I could regenerate wounds instantly like some reincarnated slime, but now the speed was noticeably slower.
‘Is it because the surroundings aren’t saturated with water essence?’
Or perhaps there was some penalty where regeneration efficiency dropped when using self-created water.
Regardless.
It was still a significant gain to have acquired a means to heal wounds without relying on environmental factors.
“I’ll stop here for now.”
To become familiar with my newly acquired abilities, I needed time to research them methodically.
I looked down at Sosuke’s corpse, his head split open.
“…Hm?”
Then.
I saw something round fall from his inner pocket.
‘A horse tablet?’
No.
Engraved on the round token, slightly smaller than my palm, was not a horse, but the sinister pattern of a snake.
‘…Is the snake involved again this time?’
I frowned as I looked down at Sosuke’s corpse.
Whether it was due to the collision with Lee Shin-hyuk’s memories or some other reason, the “transmission” of memories didn’t occur with Sosuke, making it difficult to grasp precise information.
“I should have interrogated him a bit.”
After a moment of deliberation, I shook my head.
Anyway, even if I had tried to interrogate him, there would have been a curse placed on him just like with Cheon Do-yoon.
“A snake…”
Holding the Snake Card in his hand, Kwon O-jin continued to ponder when a booming voice reached his ears.
“Kwon O-jin! Are you there!”
Sakaki came rushing over urgently.
His hands bore crushed wounds as if he’d drawn two Sakura cards, and he caught his breath roughly while surveying his surroundings.
“Where is that bastard Sosuke…!”
“He’s dead.”
“…You took down Sosuke alone?”
Sakaki’s eyes widened in astonishment, his mouth hanging half-open.
Kwon O-jin chuckled softly and nodded.
“I told you I could win on my own.”
“Hmph… I’d heard the Apostle of Polaris was formidable, but I never expected this much.”
Well, in this case, the matchup advantage played a significant role.
There was no need to mention that specifically.
“How are things in Osaka?”
“Osaka’s been completely subdued, and they’re moving toward the last Digestive Facility remaining in Kyoto.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Once that location was dealt with, the Seahorse Faction would be virtually annihilated.
“There’s still some work left to do, but… we’ve made considerable progress.”
Kwon O-jin gazed up at the night sky, a faint smile crossing his face.
Contrary to the derisive epithet of “land abandoned by stars,”
the starlight adorning the night sky shone brilliantly.
* * *
After the last Digestive Facility in Kyoto was destroyed,
a massive public announcement regarding the Seahorse Faction was made under the leadership of the Kuroshi Organization members.
Kwon O-jin asked Sakaki not to mention his name in the announcement.
If word spread that he’d killed both Cheon Do-yoon and Sosuke, it could draw the attention of other Black Star Society factions.
Especially since Cheon Sang-gil had warned him about the “Snake,” it was wise to keep a low profile.
‘He made a fuss about not taking credit that wasn’t his,’
but after several rounds of persuasion, he managed to get Sakaki’s agreement.
-I swear on a man’s honor, I’ll repay this debt!
By escaping the Black Star Society’s notice while also gaining a reliable ally in Sakaki Ryo, it was a win-win situation.
“So… what happened to that Koshiro kid?”
After days of cleanup work came to an end,
while spending leisurely time with Ha-eun for the first time in a while, she suddenly asked.
“Well… it seems they didn’t kill him. The organization decided to expel him.”
“Tsk, I suppose.”
An organization member with a history of betrayal couldn’t be kept around indefinitely, regardless of the circumstances.
Before leaving, Koshiro said he’d “return as a true man this time,” and departed with his sister, whose poison had been cured.
“Still, it would’ve been really unsettling if he’d died. I’m glad it turned out this way.”
“We’ll probably meet again if the opportunity comes up later.”
“Hehe. I hope you and Uncle Sakaki get along again back then. It was pretty fun watching you two act all lovey-dovey.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“O-jin! Are you in there!”
Boom!
At that moment, Sakaki burst into the room, violently smashing through the sliding door.
I was beginning to suspect this man didn’t know how to open doors properly.
“Is something the matter?”
“Not particularly… I suppose I’ve already taken care of all the urgent matters.”
Sakaki suddenly thrust a card toward me and declared boisterously.
“We’ve come all the way to Japan—surely we can’t leave having seen only shameful sights? Money is no object, so why don’t we take a tour of Downtown before we go?”
I had just obtained Sakaki’s black card!

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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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