Not A Regressor - Chapter 170

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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 170
Interlude – The Goddess’s Atonement (2)
“What are you talking about?”
[Exactly as I have spoken.]
Vega clenched both her fists with unwavering resolve etched across her face.
[One who commits foolish acts must atone accordingly.]
Her gaze burned with such intensity that I could feel the heat radiating from it.
[I must receive punishment from you.]
“Wait, what kind of punishment are you—”
Kwon O-jin’s expression twisted in bewilderment at this unexpected turn of events.
“Um, um, over here!”
Spica approached cautiously, having set down her microphone.
She drew close and grasped both of Kwon O-jin’s hands, her eyes sparkling like stars.
“Would you maybe like to visit my Divine Temple sometime?”
“Pardon?”
What was she saying now?
“Oh, it’s nothing special really~ It’s just that after watching you fight earlier, I got kind of interested, you know?”
She blushed a rosy pink and bounced on her feet.
Though she claimed it was nothing special, the fervent gleam in her eyes—like gazing upon a lavish feast spread across a table—contradicted her words entirely.
Spica was not the only one who had taken an interest in Kwon O-jin.
“If it’s possible, would you consider visiting my Divine Temple as well?”
“Kahahaha!! I’m captivated by your audacity! I grant you permission to enter my Divine Temple!”
The Constellations, who had descended from the Spectator Stands at some point, suddenly surrounded the area and began showering Kwon O-jin with countless requests for handshakes.
“Ugh! I, I called dibs first!”
Spica stomped her feet and cried out.
….
Kwon O-jin gazed at the Constellations gathered around him and suppressed a hollow laugh.
‘I never expected such a heated response.’
It seemed my performance in this proxy battle had left quite an impression on the Constellations.
Well.
At the time, my blood was rushing too fiercely for me to realize it, but looking back now, I had indeed done something rather insane.
‘Still, this reaction is a bit unexpected.’
Honestly, I had expected them to regard me with caution as a madman, or to view me with displeasure—not to show such fervent interest.
[How noisy.]
Vega’s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the Constellations swarming around me.
At the chill in her voice, the heated atmosphere cooled in an instant.
[If you wish to invite my child to your Divine Temple, speak to me directly.]
“…Yes.”
“R-right.”
The Constellations stammered in confusion.
Seeing this display certainly made it clear just how significant the position of the Polaris Constellation held among the Constellations.
[Do you not have one?]
Vega’s eyes turned murderous, as if she would tear apart anyone who answered yes right then and there.
The Constellations who had been approaching with interest in Kwon O-jin retreated with awkward smiles.
[If you do not, then I shall take my leave.]
Vega spun around sharply and dragged Kwon O-jin by the arm.
“Vega, wait….”
[Come quickly.]
She seemed to have no intention of stopping.
Kwon O-jin swallowed a groan and followed after Vega.
“Krrr. You’ve certainly made quite an impression on the Constellations, you little brat.”
“Well, it worked out.”
I had thought I’d made a mistake by getting too heated in the middle of it, but this level of reaction wasn’t bad at all.
“You’re going to have a difficult time ahead.”
“I know.”
Drawing this much attention would certainly bring troublesome matters, whether good or bad.
But it was better than living in silence with my strength carefully hidden away.
“By the way, Vega.”
[What is it?]
“About what you said earlier—that you suspected me. Could you explain it in detail?”
[…Let us speak of that matter once we reach the Divine Temple.]
Kwon O-jin nodded and quickened his pace.
My internal injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, so my body ached in various places and I felt exhausted.
‘I definitely need to know this.’
I needed to confirm where I had made my mistake.
* * *
“…So that’s what happened.”
After arriving at the Divine Temple.
Kwon O-jin heard the explanation from Vega.
The fragment imbued with Heukcheon’s aura that had remained in the room after being freed from the Divine Law’s restraints.
Since only Kwon O-jin and Riak had entered that room in the first place, it was natural to harbor suspicion.
‘Damn it.’
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Kwon O-jin recalled the sound he had heard while using Gae-cheon.
‘I did hear something breaking.’
I never imagined there would be a fragment tainted with Heukcheon’s aura there.
[Do you have any idea what happened?]
“….”
Kwon O-jin closed his eyes tightly.
How could he possibly smooth over this fatal mistake?
There was only one method that came to mind.
“Adam’s Apple.”
[Adam’s Apple? You mean the sacred relic you used when breaking the Divine Law’s shackles?]
“Yes. It seems the Heavenly Demon—or more precisely, ‘The Snake’—has extended their reach there.”
Like forcing mismatched puzzle pieces together.
I was constructing a narrative.
“I obtained this while dealing with the Seahorse Faction this time.”
What Kwon O-jin pulled out was a round token inscribed with an eerie serpent pattern.
[That’s what you showed me back then.]
“Right. The fact that a Black Star Society enforcer possessed this means The Snake’s reach extends to Japan as well.”
[You’re suggesting it may have influenced the sacred relic you recovered?]
“Exactly.”
It was a somewhat flimsy excuse.
Now that the existence of the ‘Heavenly Demon’ within the Black Star Society had been revealed, it wasn’t strange that the Snake Zodiac Queen—his fanatical follower—possessed the aura of Heukcheon.
[I see… so that’s how it was.]
Vega exhaled a relieved breath, her hand pressed to her chest.
Though some doubt still lingered in her expression, she didn’t seem entirely unconvinced.
Still, the suspicion directed at me appeared to have been largely resolved.
‘At least I managed to get past that.’
Like barely grasping a tree root while teetering on the edge of a cliff.
[I apologize. I should have told you first.]
Vega gazed at me with an expression full of guilt.
But only for a moment.
She grasped both of my hands with firm resolve.
[Indeed! This child requires proper discipline!]
She’d said the same thing before.
“What do you mean discipline?”
[Did you not doubt and mistrust my child?]
Vega gazed at me with burning eyes.
[Grant me a stern punishment so that I may atone.]
Those brilliant golden irises gleamed with such intensity that I sensed this wouldn’t be easily dismissed.
Kwon O-jin regarded her with an awkward expression.
“…What exactly are you asking me to do?”
Punishing a Constellation.
I couldn’t fathom how to even begin.
[First, strike my cheek firmly!]
“No, that’s—”
Slapping Vega’s cheek.
Well, even if I struck with full force, I wouldn’t leave a mark.
‘But I don’t want to.’
The moment I imagined slapping Vega’s cheek, every cell in my body seemed to erupt in violent rejection.
“The cheek is a bit much.”
[Hmm. Is that so?]
Vega fell into contemplation.
She paced back and forth inside the Divine Temple, continuing her deliberation, when something seemed to occur to her and her eyes widened.
[Then perhaps the bu….]
“The bu?”
[Ah, no. Wait a moment.]
Vega cleared her throat with a soft cough, steadying her ragged breathing.
[R-Riak.]
“Yes, Vega.”
[Leave us.]
“Pardon?”
[I said leave! Did I not?!]
Vega urgently drove Riak out of the Divine Temple.
Riak, bewildered and squealing in protest, was unceremoniously expelled from the temple.
‘What on earth is she planning?’
Kwon O-jin tilted his head, observing Vega’s solemn expression.
Vega scraped her toes across the temple floor and opened her mouth.
[Why… you know, that thing where you spank a child who’s done wrong on the… um, buttocks.]
Vega?
[That… this time I, as a Constellation, failed in my duties and displayed such foolishness… um, surely I can be considered no different from a child, yes?]
The logic seems a bit flawed, Goddess.
“Surely you’re not…?”
[C-Cough!]
Vega’s cheeks flushed crimson as she averted her gaze.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine what kind of ‘punishment’ she was referring to.
‘So basically.’
To summarize the situation.
I was being asked by a transcendent born from the stars—one of the top three among the Constellations of Polaris—to spank my own buttocks with her palm, repeatedly?
‘Oh.’
No, not oh—what the hell?!
“I’m afraid that’s… a bit much.”
[…You refuse me even this chance at atonement?]
Vega gazed at me with sorrowful eyes.
[You would deny me redemption and condemn me to a lifetime of anguish, consumed by guilt?]
No.
[Yes. If that is your wish… I shall accept it with grace.]
Vega clasped her hands together before her chest, her eyes glistening with a forlorn expression.
Kwon O-jin tore at his hair and writhed in torment.
‘What am I supposed to do about this!!’
Spanking Vega’s backside.
My head burned hot at the thought of something I’d never even imagined.
If it had been Ha-eun, I could’ve brushed it off as a joke.
But she was coming at me with such earnest sincerity that it felt awkward to refuse.
‘If I’d known, I should’ve just slapped her cheek instead!!’
I considered changing my answer even now.
But I couldn’t bring myself to strike Vega’s cheek when she wore such a pitiful expression, as though tears might spill at any moment.
[Am I… truly your child?]
Vega gazed at me with cautious eyes.
Her slightly frightened gaze, her flushed cheeks, every hesitant gesture—they all stabbed fiercely at my guilt.
‘Damn it.’
If she had actually committed a crime worthy of punishment, it would be different.
But being asked to administer corporal punishment to someone I was actively deceiving, apologizing for my suspicion—the guilt burning in my mind felt like it would incinerate my brain.
[Really… there’s no other way?]
Whether Vega knew my thoughts or not, she urged me forward with glistening eyes.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Having come this far, there was no other option.
“I… understand.”
The words came out forced, and Vega’s expression brightened considerably.
[Then… I ask of you.]
Vega turned carefully, bracing herself against the Divine Temple wall.
She positioned herself awkwardly, gently presenting her backside.
The beautiful curve of her rear was revealed beneath the silver dress.
“….”
Gulp.
Dry saliva sliding down my throat.
My hand trembled as I carefully raised it.
‘Damn, damn, damn, damn!’
My head burned as though skewered by a hot iron.
Reason and instinct grappled at each other’s throats, scattering my thoughts.
As I stood there in prolonged internal conflict.
[You won’t… strike me?]
Vega, still braced against the wall with her backside presented, gently swayed her hips.
“….”
Snap.
Something snapped in my mind.
I felt my instinct, which had seized reason by the throat, wear a victorious smile.
‘Forget it all, damn it!!!’
I raised my hand high, my resolve hardening.
I tensed my palm and fixed my wide-eyed gaze on Vega’s backside.
‘Time for the silver-haired goddess’s spanking punishment!!!’
I swung my hand while my mind conjured up a string of words so vulgar they could hardly be called human language.

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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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