Not A Regressor - Chapter 156

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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 156
Adam’s Apple (3)
“V-Vega…?”
I called her name with a trembling, faltering voice.
[My, my child!]
Watching Kwon O-jin sway as though he might collapse at any moment, Vega rushed forward and caught his body.
Deep, dark circles shadowed his eyes; his face gaunt as though he hadn’t eaten in days.
At the sight of him so utterly worn and tattered, Vega’s heart clenched with anguish.
[What on earth… what has happened?]
She held Kwon O-jin’s body and looked around frantically.
Through the haze of confusion, she rifled through the drawers of her memory.
Ha-eun kidnapped, Kwon O-jin driven to the brink of death by the King of the Owl Faction.
Even the memory of when she herself had manifested to kill the King of the Owl Faction, only to be summoned back before she could sever his life, constrained by the Divine Law.
[That wretch! What became of that vile old creature?!]
Vega asked, her expression pale.
In that desperate situation, what horrors must have befallen Kwon O-jin?
The mere thought of it felt as though my heart would burn to ash.
“Cheon Do-yoon is dead.”
[D-dead, you say?]
Vega’s eyes widened in shock.
In that state, there was no conceivable way Kwon O-jin could have defeated Cheon Do-yoon in combat.
[How did you overcome him?]
“It was thanks to you, Vega.”
[Thanks to me?]
What was he saying?
Though they had succeeded in repelling the Owl Faction’s Constellation, they had failed to sever Cheon Do-yoon’s life thread—the crucial part.
“Noctua was forcibly summoned back, and the shock created an opening for him. That’s when you ascended to the 9th Star.”
[Ha-eun became a 9th Star?]
Vega asked, her eyes wide as saucers.
[But… even if she had just ascended to the 9th Star, she couldn’t possibly….]
“His attention was completely fixated on you. He couldn’t evade your sister’s attack and took the full brunt of it.”
Certainly.
Vega herself knew well how tremendous the power of the ‘Dragon Jade’ that Ha-eun had created truly was.
‘If he took that head-on…’
Even if not instantaneous death, it would have been at least a mortal wound.
“And at that very moment, I ascended to the 7th Star as well.”
Kwon O-jin pulled his shirt down slightly, revealing the constellation mark carved into his left chest to Vega.
Seven distinct strokes etched clearly beside the Lyra Constellation mark.
An exclamation escaped Vega’s lips.
[So you and Ha-eun both ascended in Stars simultaneously?]
“It’s like something out of a shounen manga, but… well, it’s not uncommon for desire to surge during a crisis.”
[I suppose that’s true, but…]
Vega gazed at the stigma inscribed on Kwon O-jin’s left chest with an expression of disbelief.
[A year? Or rather, hasn’t it been less than that?]
Kwon O-jin had awakened as an Awakener for barely a year now.
To be precise, it hadn’t even been a full year.
He’d received the stigma of Lyra Constellation, one of the Polaris constellations, and reached 7-star in just a year?
[You truly are… an incomprehensible existence.]
After the gate connecting to the Demon Realm had opened.
She had spent years searching among humans for someone capable of accepting the stigma of Lyra Constellation.
But no matter how diligently she searched, she couldn’t find a human who could accept the stigma of Lyra Constellation.
Yet Kwon O-jin wasn’t merely capable of accepting Lyra Constellation—he was growing at a speed that astounded her.
[As if…]
Yes, as if.
As though he had been born with the destiny to accept the stigma of Lyra Constellation.
[…]
Vega stared intently at Kwon O-jin with her lips pressed firmly shut.
Now that I thought about it, I had once heard such a story from Spica, the Constellation of Virgo.
That among Awakeners, there were extremely rare cases of those who grew their stigmas as rapidly as if born to destiny.
That among Constellations, there were cases where they accepted such Awakeners as companions, viewing them as beings connected by fate.
[When I first heard that story, I scolded her for speaking such nonsense.]
A Constellation accepting her own apostle as a companion.
I thought it was impossible.
[But the original self from my past life… had such a relationship with this child.]
Gulp.
A dry swallow traveled down Vega’s throat.
With her cheeks flushed pink, she stared intently at Kwon O-jin’s face.
“Vega?”
[Ah, it’s nothing at all!]
Vega shook her head vigorously, her expression startled.
“Anyway… Cheon Do-yoon was defeated by me and my sister.”
[So you came straight to the original self after defeating Cheon Do-yoon?]
“No.”
Kwon O-jin smiled bitterly and relayed to her everything that had happened since then.
How Vega had been sealed, bound by the constraints of Divine Law.
How he had defeated the Black Star Society faction controlling Japan and obtained Adam’s Apple by finding the Divine Tree.
As Vega listened to Kwon O-jin’s story, her eyes trembled slightly.
[I wondered why I couldn’t feel the constraints of Divine Law… so it was you who saved me.]
“Well, I wouldn’t call it saving you. In fifty years, the constraints would have dissolved on their own anyway.”
For humans, fifty years was an eternity.
For a Constellation, fifty years was not a particularly long span of time.
[No, it is not.]
Vega shook her head gently at the end, offering a faint smile.
[While bound by the Divine Law, a Constellation’s soul continues to dissipate.]
So there was another penalty like that.
[Perhaps… had fifty years passed, I might no longer have been called ‘Polaris.’]
“Then releasing the restraint quickly was the right answer.”
[Hehehehe. And fifty years hence, would that not be when Heukcheon devoured the world according to the prophecy? Had it not been for you, I would have perished without even knowing when I died. You truly saved me.]
“Well… I suppose that’s true then.”
Speaking of which, this prophecy.
Who in the world made such a prophecy that even a supreme Constellation like Vega believed it without doubt?
“By the way, who was it that spoke of this prophecy?”
[The prophecy of Heukcheon’s resurrection, you mean?]
“Yeah.”
Vega nodded gently and answered briefly.
[It was Polaris.]
Polaris.
One of the Constellations of Polaris, like Vega and Deneb.
Though perhaps not entirely the same.
Polaris’s epithet was ‘the most brilliantly shining star.’
Among the Constellations of Polaris, or rather among all Constellations numbering in the hundreds, Polaris existed at the highest position.
‘But I’ve only heard of it by word of mouth—no one even knows what Polaris’s stigma actually looks like.’
Unlike Vega, whose stigma’s appearance was at least known, Polaris was a Constellation shrouded almost entirely in mystery.
In the first place, Polaris never even attempted to create ‘Awakeners,’ so there could be no information about them.
‘It’s different from Vega.’
In Vega’s case, she simply couldn’t find someone to bestow her stigma upon, whereas Polaris never even considered looking.
There was an enormous difference between ‘couldn’t’ and ‘wouldn’t.’
[Polaris possesses the power to glimpse the future.]
“So that’s how she prophesied Heukcheon’s resurrection?”
Vega nodded.
[But there is one thing even Polaris could not prophesy.]
“What is it?”
A faint smile graced Vega’s lips.
She slowly reached out and gently stroked Kwon O-jin’s hair.
[It is you.]
“…Me?”
[According to Polaris’s prophecy, the star of defiance was never to rise. Yet you appeared, did you not?]
“Ah…”
That’s the thing.
The prophecy itself wasn’t wrong, after all.
[Your very existence is proof that you can overturn a predetermined fate.]
Vega spoke with absolute conviction, her radiant smile unwavering.
‘That’s not true.’
Kwon O-jin matched her smile outwardly while clenching his fists tightly beneath the surface.
The prophecy of Polaris, the most brilliantly shining star.
So far, events had unfolded according to that prophecy.
‘That bastard, the Star of Defiance, was destroyed the moment he appeared.’
Then would he inevitably bring about the world’s destruction as Polaris had prophesied?
‘That can’t be.’
No matter how much I thought about it, I had no reason to destroy the world.
Of course, if I failed to protect Ha-eun and all my loved ones perished, I couldn’t guarantee I’d remain sane.
‘That’s a problem I can prevent.’
Kwon O-jin nodded, organizing his turbulent thoughts.
“Yeah. You’re right, Vega.”
[Hehe. With you, I’m certain you can change your destined fate.]
Vega smiled warmly and gently pulled Kwon O-jin into an embrace.
[You look quite exhausted, though.]
“I am pretty tired.”
Over the past two weeks, I hadn’t slept properly, and I’d even used the Heavenly Demon technique.
I was doing my best to appear fine in front of Vega, but the truth was I could collapse at any moment from exhaustion.
[Then go inside and rest.]
“What about you, Vega?”
[I too am tired, having just had my seal released. I’ll rest for a while and come find you tomorrow.]
“Is that so?”
I’d accomplished what I came here for, so it was fine to rest now.
“Then I’ll head back first.”
[Get plenty of rest.]
Vega gently cupped Kwon O-jin’s chin with both hands and placed a light kiss on his forehead.
Kwon O-jin smiled awkwardly, touching his forehead with his hand.
“See you tomorrow.”
Kwon O-jin left.
[Sigh.]
Alone, Vega took a deep breath to calm her trembling heart.
‘A bond between a Constellation and a human, she said.’
Spica’s words continued to circle through her mind.
[No! This is not the time to think of such things!]
Kwon O-jin was training relentlessly every day to stop the Heavenly Demon.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted by meaningless emotions when I should be helping him.
“V-Vega!”
Shortly after Kwon O-jin left.
Riak rushed into the room like a man possessed.
“My, you’ve truly broken free from the Divine Law’s constraints!”
[Hehe. Were you worried about me?]
Vega smiled gently and stroked Riak’s fur with affection.
“I was concerned the ritual might have gone wrong….”
[A ritual? What ritual are you talking about?]
“To use the Apple of Adam, a special ritual was required, so I was told to wait outside.”
A ritual, she said.
‘What ritual could she possibly mean?’
When I first opened my eyes, there was nothing around me that suggested any ritual had been performed.
No ceremonial incantations, no other tools whatsoever.
[━Wait.]
Then.
A single fact brushed across her mind.
‘Didn’t Kwon O-jin say he used something called the Apple of Adam to free me from my bindings?’
If that were the case…
Gulp.
Vega carefully asked Riak.
[Riak. This Apple of Adam you speak of… what did it look like?]
“It was an apple that shone with brilliant golden light.”
[…!]
Vega’s eyes widened dramatically.
If the Apple of Adam truly took the form of an actual apple…
‘Could this “ritual” possibly be…?’
Had he placed the apple directly into her sealed mouth?
Since she likely couldn’t chew it, perhaps he’d chewed it finely so she could swallow it.
And…
[W-with his m-mouth…. Ahhhhhhh!!]
Vega covered both cheeks with her hands and kicked her legs frantically.
[W-what an indecent thought!!]
“Vega?”
[A. C-cough!]
Vega, who had been writhing as if bitten by an insect, straightened up with an awkward cough.
[I’m quite exhausted. I shall rest for a while, so leave me be.]
“Understood!”
Riak quickly closed the door and left.
[Sigh.]
Alone now, Vega squirmed her legs as she pondered what exactly Riak meant by that “ritual.”
[I shouldn’t be entertaining such indecent thoughts… hm?]
As she lay on the bed writhing, something brushed against her side.
‘What is this?’
A fragment of light, brutally shattered and crushed.
Clinging to the edge of that fragment.
An aura impossibly dark.
Infinitely shadowed.
Endlessly suffocating.
[Why in the world…?]
It was distinctly different from the aura emanating from those of the Black Star Constellation.
An aura incomparable to theirs—one that struck terror even into Polaris himself.
Yes.
This was, without question.
[Heukcheon’s aura… how, how could it possibly linger here?]
A fragment of the catastrophe Polaris had prophesied—one destined to devour the world.

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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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