Not A Regressor - Chapter 159

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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 159
To Paradise (2)
“The Heavenly Demon…?”
“That’s what they call him.”
Cheon Sang-gil continued, narrowing his eyes.
“I haven’t been able to gather any information about the Heavenly Demon yet, but based on this old man’s conjecture, I believe he’s not human—rather, a transcendent being like a Constellation.”
“….”
Kwon O-jin’s expression hardened as he listened to Cheon Sang-gil’s words, unable to offer any response.
A sensation of my thoughts tangling into a chaotic mess.
The unexpected appearance of the ‘Heavenly Demon’ brought a dull, throbbing headache.
‘What’s going on here?’
It was only natural, but—
The ‘Heavenly Demon’ that the Serpens Queen supposedly followed could not possibly be the master of Heukcheon that Polaris’s prophecy pointed to.
After all, the title ‘Heavenly Demon’ itself was nothing more than a plausible name I’d conjured up on the spot while lying to Vega.
‘So… there really was someone with the title ‘Heavenly Demon’ in the Black Star Society?’
What kind of insane coincidence was this?
It was like a con artist claiming to know the winning lottery numbers, spouting random digits to some fool, only for those exact numbers to actually win first prize.
This was beyond a cow backing up and accidentally stepping on a mouse—this was discovering a gold mine.
‘Wait? What? Now that I think about it… isn’t this incredibly fortunate?’
I had always planned to eventually create a ‘Heavenly Demon’ in the Black Star Society, kill him, and bury my identity forever.
The same method Sosuke had employed.
The best way to avoid capture is to make those hunting you believe the criminal is already dead.
But now I didn’t even need to go through that trouble.
All I had to do was pin this Heavenly Demon as the ‘master of Heukcheon.’
“So you’re saying that Heavenly Demon is the real master of the Black Star Society?”
“That’s what I suspect, but there’s far too little known information to call him the ‘master.’ Besides the Serpens Queen, there’s no one else who follows the Heavenly Demon.”
In other words, it seemed like a figurehead situation.
‘A being that’s genuinely not human… possibly a Constellation.’
There was still too little information to definitively determine the Heavenly Demon’s true identity.
[…Heavenly Demon.]
Vega murmured the name with a grave expression.
In that instant, her gaze turned toward me.
‘What?’
Why was she looking at me now?
I narrowed my eyes, reading the complex emotions swirling in Vega’s gaze.
The moment she heard the word ‘Heavenly Demon,’ why did she look at me?
‘There’s no reason for her to suspect me here.’
Rather, since an actual Heavenly Demon had appeared just as I’d said, shouldn’t she be giving me a look of trust—as if to say, ‘So the regressor’s words were true after all’?
‘Ah, now that I think about it.’
One thing.
There was one difference from what I had told her.
When I first mentioned the Heavenly Demon to her, I said it would appear three years later, but it had shown up in just one year.
‘I’ll need to bring that up separately.’
Kwon O-jin drained the remaining tea in one gulp and opened his mouth.
“So aside from the fact that she fanatically follows this Heavenly Demon and is trying to unite the Black Star Society’s factions, you know nothing else about the Serpens Queen?”
“That’s the case for now.”
For what I had hoped for, the information was certainly too sparse.
“We’ll need to act before all of the Black Star Society’s factions fall into the hands of the snake.”
“Indeed.”
One of the Black Star Society’s greatest weaknesses was that each faction had different purposes and methods of operation.
If all five remaining factions were to unite their strength, it wouldn’t require much thought to see that they would become difficult to contend with.
“I’m already assembling a team specifically to deal with the Black Star Society.”
“A team?”
“It’s called a team, but there are only three members so far. Ah, and there’s someone among them you might know.”
“Who?”
“Black Lion Lee Woo-hyuk.”
“Ah.”
Lee Woo-hyuk was certainly the most suitable talent for the ‘team’ Cheon Sang-gil was assembling.
He was a skilled fighter on the verge of reaching the ninth star, and he burned with a desire for revenge against the Black Star Society, which had kidnapped and killed his brother.
“I heard you have a connection with him.”
“Yes. We’ve fought together several times regarding matters with the Black Star Society.”
“Haha! Then this will be easier to discuss!”
Cheon Sang-gil gazed at me with a bright smile.
“Would you be interested in joining this old man’s team… Shou Xing?”
Shou Xing.
A team created solely to eliminate the Black Star Society.
Since it was a team personally assembled by Polaris, a member of the Seven Stars, I would receive substantial support in many ways.
It was an offer I had no reason to refuse, but
“Could you give me some time to think about it?”
“Of course.”
Cheon Sang-gil rose to his feet.
He gathered the empty teacups as he spoke.
“Then I’ll bring more tea, so take your time thinking it over.”
Cheon Sang-gil closed the door and left.
[My child….]
Vega’s voice, barely audible at the end.
She hesitated and glanced at Ha-eun sitting beside me.
A gesture suggesting she wanted to ask something but couldn’t because of Ha-eun’s presence.
“It’s okay. I told her too.”
[You mean the fact that you are a Regressor?]
“Yeah.”
Vega looked at Ha-eun with startled eyes.
“Oh… yes. I, I heard it too.”
Ahahaha.
Ha-eun laughed awkwardly, scratching her head.
Kwon O-jin quickly changed the subject before she could make another mistake.
“I think I was mistaken about something.”
[Mistaken?]
“That the Heavenly Demon would be born three years from now.”
The Heavenly Demon was already dominating the Black Star Society.
“The Heavenly Demon wasn’t born three years from now. He existed before that, but he was hiding his identity and staying concealed.”
[…So that’s how it was.]
Vega nodded, but her gaze toward Kwon O-jin held something complicated.
She bit her lip with an anxious expression, then suddenly shook her head vigorously side to side.
“What’s wrong?”
[Nothing. It’s nothing at all.]
What’s this?
‘Something’s been off since yesterday?’
Kwon O-jin narrowed his eyes as he studied her.
Vega avoided his gaze and answered in a voice that seemed to shrink away.
[I was worried about you.]
“Worried?”
[Didn’t the Heavenly Demon appear sooner than expected? I was concerned that you might become his target.]
“….”
Her eyes held more than just simple “worry.”
But I decided not to press further for now.
“Don’t worry. You said there’s no one in the Black Star Society following the Heavenly Demon except the Serpens Queen, right?”
In other words, it was reasonable to assume that the being called the “Heavenly Demon” was unable to move for some reason.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to set up the Serpens Queen as a proxy to rule the Black Star Society.
[Then we must weaken his forces as much as possible before he begins to move in earnest.]
“Exactly.”
“So you’re thinking of joining Shou Xing or something?”
“For now.”
After all, my strength alone wasn’t enough to bring down the Black Star Society.
If I could find allies, there was no reason to refuse.
“Well, I’m planning to negotiate certain conditions.”
I had no intention of joining if a team meant a rigid military-like hierarchy with strict chains of command.
The clearer the hierarchy, the more restrictions it would place on my actions.
“Then I want to join too.”
“You as well?”
“Yeah. Either way, we’re smashing those Black Star Society bastards, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
As we casually sorted through the conditions to kill time, Cheon Sang-gil arrived with a fresh cup of tea.
“So, have you made your decision?”
“Yes. We would like to participate in Shou Xing as well.”
“Hehehehe! As expected! I believed you would grant this old man’s request!”
“However, there are a few conditions.”
“Conditions?”
Kwon O-jin explained the conditions he had prepared.
That we had no intention of blindly following orders just because we were a team.
That our purpose was ultimately information sharing and mutual cooperation.
“I understand. I will respect your opinions as much as possible.”
“As for Lee Woo-hyuk, that’s one thing, but who are the other two?”
“I’ll let you know once all the team members have been assembled.”
Kwon O-jin nodded.
Just as I was about to stand up, having heard all the information I needed.
“Before you go, there’s one thing I’d like to ask of you.”
“Yes?”
“Ah, let me correct myself. To be precise, it’s not you, but….”
Cheon Sang-gil’s gaze turned toward Ha-eun.
“I’d like to ask Ha-eun a favor.”
“Huh? Me?”
Ha-eun pointed at herself with a startled expression.
Cheon Sang-gil nodded with a warm smile.
“Ever since we first met, I’ve been hearing a ‘sound.'”
“What kind of sound….”
“A sound like a dragon roaring.”
Cheon Sang-gil’s gaze fixed on Ha-eun’s left eye, hidden behind her eye patch.
“You’re still not skilled at controlling your own power, are you?”
“….”
Ha-eun, struck by his words, closed her mouth like someone who had eaten honey.
“Hehe. This old man is quite meddlesome, you see. Whether it’s Sakaki or awakeners like you who emit ‘noise,’ I find myself wanting to step in and teach them something.”
“Noise… you say?”
“It’s a sound that awakeners with immense power but unable to properly use it tend to emit. Well, it’s one of the few skills this old man possesses.”
Now that I think about it, I had heard about this from Sakaki before.
That Cheon Sang-gil could use his ability to grant ‘enlightenment’ to other awakeners.
“I’d like to teach Ha-eun directly with these old hands of mine.”
A sudden proposal.
Kwon O-jin and Vega’s gazes turned toward Ha-eun.
“Possessing immense power but unable to use it properly….”
Ha-eun murmured softly to herself, her fingers tracing the edge of her left eye.
The moment of deliberation was brief.
“I want to learn.”
Her right eye, unobstructed by the eye patch, blazed with fierce determination.
Reading the passionate fervor burning in her gaze, Cheon Sang-gil’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“The process won’t be easy, you understand?”
“I don’t care.”
Ha-eun clenched her fists with unwavering resolve.
An opportunity to receive instruction from one of the Seven Stars themselves—such a chance was invaluable.
Ever since she’d ascended to the ninth constellation by accepting the Dragon’s Heart, she’d struggled to properly harness that power. For her, no opportunity could be more precious than this.
“Then I shall provide you with suitable quarters. You’ll stay there while you train.”
“I see.”
Of course, it was only natural.
Training couldn’t be completed in a single day.
To receive Cheon Sang-gil’s instruction, she would have to be apart from Kwon O-jin.
That reality gave her pause.
“Um… while I’m receiving instruction, couldn’t Kwon O-jin come along too?”
“There’s nothing this old man can teach Kwon O-jin.”
Cheon Sang-gil shook his head, his voice firm and decisive.
His gaze turned toward Kwon O-jin.
“Because… no sound whatsoever emanates from him.”
Like a starless night.
The silence radiating from Kwon O-jin was absolute and complete.
‘In all my years, I’ve never encountered an awakened one so utterly devoid of sound.’
Even the most exceptional awakened ones emit some trace of noise.
But Kwon O-jin was like a sealed chamber shrouded in darkness—not a single sound escaped from him.
“Understood. I’ll go home, gather what I need, and return.”
Ha-eun turned to Kwon O-jin with a reluctant sigh, smacking her lips softly.
“Will you be alright, little brother?”
“It’s unavoidable. Being apart doesn’t mean we can’t see each other.”
Ganghwa Island and Seoul weren’t impossibly far from one another, after all.
Ha-eun, who had been downcast at the prospect of being separated from Kwon O-jin for a time, soon brightened and poked him playfully in the ribs.
“Don’t cry just because your sister won’t be sleeping beside you, alright?”
“Ha!”
“Ha!”
Ha-eun stepped closer and placed a light kiss on Kwon O-jin’s cheek.
“I’ll come back stronger, so just wait for me, okay?”
Hadn’t she only ever received from him until now?
To repay even a fraction of what he’d given her, she had to become stronger.
‘Otherwise, Kwon O-jin will drift further and further away.’
Given Kwon O-jin’s absurd growth rate, there wasn’t much time left to help him.
After Ha-eun decided to receive instruction from Cheon Sang-gil.
“So then… what should I call you? Cheon Sang-gil? Tamrang Star?”
“Heh heh. There’s no need to be so formal with this old man. Just treat me comfortably, comfortably.”
“Got it, Grandpa!! I’m looking forward to learning from you!!!”
“G-Grandpa?”
Ha-eun seized Cheon Sang-gil’s hand and shook it vigorously up and down.
“…Sister.”
Kwon O-jin pressed his forehead as though his head ached.

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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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