Not A Regressor - Chapter 173

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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 173
Interlude – Summons (2)
Upon arriving at the Ganghwa Island Special Management Zone—or rather, Paradise—by car, Kwon O-jin made his way directly to Cheon Sang-gil’s Residence.
Passing through the nostalgic countryside landscape, an elderly man emerged to greet Kwon O-jin as he arrived at the meticulously maintained traditional Korean house.
The old man wore a pristinely pressed martial arts robe.
Between his wrinkled eyes gleamed clear pupils brimming with sagacious brilliance, fixed upon Kwon O-jin.
“You’ve arrived.”
Tamrang Star.
One of the seven Awakeners counted among the strongest in the world offered Kwon O-jin a benevolent smile.
“I trust you have been well, sir?”
“Heh heh. An old man’s life remains unchanged as always. Ah, but these days, helping that child with her training makes time fly by.”
There was no need to ask who the “child” Cheon Sang-gil spoke of was.
Kwon O-jin’s eyes brightened as he stepped closer to Cheon Sang-gil.
“How is my sister doing?”
“She’s thriving—healthier than one could imagine. And her achievements… she has accomplished something truly remarkable.”
“Oh.”
In just over a month, Ha-eun had achieved something so significant that even Tamrang Star himself spoke of “truly remarkable” accomplishments.
‘She truly is my sister, after all.’
Ha-eun’s talent was so extraordinary that comparisons to other Awakeners naturally inspired awe.
“Is my sister inside?”
“Hmm. At the moment, Ha-eun is not in a state where she can move about.”
“What?”
Not in a state where she could move about?
A chilling murderous intent crystallized in Kwon O-jin’s eyes.
A presence so sinister that if he were not an Awakener—or even if he were, but possessed a lower Star rank—one would foam at the mouth and collapse merely from meeting his gaze.
A low voice resonated through the air.
“Has something happened to my sister?”
“Haha. It’s nothing of the sort, so calm yourself. Did I not just say she was thriving?”
“Then…”
“Ha-eun is currently undergoing a ‘molt.'”
“What?”
She wasn’t a reptile, so what did that mean?
“You know those eyes Ha-eun possesses, don’t you?”
“You mean the Dragon Eyes?”
“Yes. The power of those Dragon Eyes has newly awakened.”
“…So that’s why she’s molting?”
Cheon Sang-gil nodded.
“Whether it’s because the Dragon Eyes have awakened to a new power, or if it’s a characteristic of Awakeners bearing the stigma of the Dragon Lineage, I cannot say for certain. However, I stake my name on the fact that it causes no harm to her body.”
Kwon O-jin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
A molt, then.
I had never heard of an awakener experiencing such a phenomenon before.
Of course, the number of awakeners bearing the stigma of Canis Major was nearly comparable to those of Polaris, so that might have been a factor.
But since it concerned Ha-eun, worry naturally took precedence.
“If you’re concerned, shall we take a look ourselves?”
“I would appreciate that.”
Kwon O-jin followed Cheon Sang-gil toward a house located near the Mansion.
Or rather, what appeared to be a place that ‘had once been’ a house.
Whoooosh!
An intense heat radiated from the distance.
Where a elegant traditional Korean house had once stood, only charred ashes now drifted and scattered across the empty field.
Among the ashes that fell like snow, I could see Ha-eun with her eyes closed, surrounded by a thin, membrane-like veil of flame.
“This is….”
“It’s been about four days since it started.”
“You mean she’s been in this state for all four days?”
Cheon Sang-gil nodded.
Kwon O-jin stepped closer toward Ha-eun, who was engulfed in flames.
Though wrapped in a blaze that burned fiercely enough to melt the entire world, Ha-eun’s expression with her eyes closed was remarkably serene.
‘Is this why he said it wouldn’t harm her?’
Kwon O-jin activated his Canis Major stigma and examined Ha-eun’s condition.
Just as Cheon Sang-gil had said.
The flames enveloping her body were shedding like a molting process—pushing out the old, withered flames and replacing her form with brilliant new fire.
“How is it?”
“It certainly doesn’t seem to be causing her any harm.”
“Tsk tsk. Didn’t this old man say as much?”
Kwon O-jin offered an awkward smile toward Cheon Sang-gil, who chuckled softly.
“I wasn’t doubting your word.”
“I know. It’s only natural to want to confirm your beloved’s safety with your own eyes.”
Cheon Sang-gil nodded.
“How much longer will she remain in this state?”
“Even this old man couldn’t say.”
Kwon O-jin swallowed hard as he gazed at Ha-eun, her eyes closed in tranquility.
He had been inwardly excited at the prospect of seeing Ha-eun after so long, yet here she was in this condition.
“In any case, now that we’ve confirmed everything, shall we head back to the house? There are some people waiting inside.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
“Tsk tsk. There are some people I’d like to introduce you to.”
“Members of Shou Xing?”
“Yes. There are some new faces this time.”
Cheon Sang-gil turned with a confident expression.
Talented individuals personally selected by Deneb.
Kwon O-jin’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he followed in his footsteps.
—Whoosh.
Of course.
On the way back, I turned to look at Ha-eun engulfed in flames countless times.
* * *
“Come inside, then.”
Following Cheon Sang-gil’s guidance, I entered his residence.
The first thing that caught my eye was a young man with strikingly handsome features that made one’s eyes widen.
With eyes sharp as a beast’s and an aura of solitude about him, the young man approached upon spotting me.
Black Lion Lee Woo-hyuk.
Lee Shin-hyuk’s younger brother and an awakener of the Leo constellation who led Valhalla Guild, one of the top ten guilds.
“It’s been a while, Kwon O-jin.”
Lee Woo-hyuk approached me and gave a light bow of his head.
“Yes, it has been a while.”
“I heard you’ve been active in Japan during this time.”
“The awakeners there were far more active than I was.”
“Ah, was it Sakaki? The awakener who defeated the Black Star Society’s executive this time?”
“That’s correct.”
I smiled faintly and nodded.
In reality, it was I who had defeated the Black Star Society’s executive, not Sakaki.
To avoid drawing the Black Star Society’s attention, it was publicly announced that Sakaki had defeated their executive.
“Still, that’s impressive. To go abroad and fight the Black Star Society….”
Lee Woo-hyuk let out a deep sigh with a self-deprecating smile.
“Compared to you, I feel like I’ve just been talking about avenging my brother without actually doing anything.”
“You’re a busy man leading a guild. There’s nothing to be done about that.”
In truth, he was the leader of an entire guild.
Unlike me, he couldn’t simply hear rumors of the Black Star Society’s activity and immediately travel abroad to fight them.
“…Thank you.”
My words of comfort seemed to resonate with him, as Lee Woo-hyuk offered a faint smile.
‘That face is truly unfair.’
I had never seen such handsome features except for Allen Oskal, one of Deneb’s 12 Apostles.
I myself had never heard anyone say I was unattractive.
Yet standing before Lee Woo-hyuk, I felt like some sort of squid.
“Haha. There’s no need to introduce Woo-hyuk.”
Cheon Sang-gil glanced between Lee Woo-hyuk and me with a light chuckle before moving forward.
Lee Woo-hyuk and I followed Cheon Sang-gil into the modest house.
“Wow, Noe-rang really came?”
“Hmph, what? He looks way more frail than the rumors suggested?”
“Um… on a first meeting, such words are a bit….”
As we opened the sliding door and entered, I saw two women and a boy.
“Let me introduce them.”
Cheon Sang-gil began introducing them one by one, much like a talk show host introducing guests.
“First, this beautiful lady here is Jegal So-young. She’s an awakener of the Phoenix Constellation, famous for her title ‘Black Rose.’ Have you heard of her?”
“Yes, of course.”
Black Rose Jegal So-young.
A skilled awakener of mixed Chinese and Korean heritage, she was active in both South Korea and China.
“Nice to meet you? I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
Jegal So-young, with her silken black hair, flashed a smile at Kwon O-jin and waved her hand lightly.
She examined him from head to toe with an expression full of intrigue, then a suggestive smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“I actually wanted to meet you after seeing you on broadcast before. What a fortunate opportunity this turned out to be.”
Jegal So-young rose from her seat and approached Kwon O-jin, extending her hand.
It was a beautiful hand painted with pink nail polish.
Kwon O-jin grasped her hand lightly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kwon O-jin.”
“You can speak more casually, you know.”
“Let’s save that for after we know each other better.”
Kwon O-jin drew an appropriate boundary with a captivating smile, keeping her at arm’s length as she tried to draw closer.
“Really? What if we got closer right now?”
As if boundaries meant nothing to her, Jegal So-young gently tickled his palm with her fingers while their hands remained clasped.
It was such a blatant seduction that it was almost laughable.
“I have matters to attend to, so let’s save that for next time.”
Kwon O-jin released her hand with a coldness that felt almost sharp in its decisiveness.
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Jegal So-young’s eyes narrowed.
She examined him from top to bottom like a beast stalking its prey, then gave a light shrug of her shoulders and returned to her seat.
“Next is Choi Yu-mi, an awakener of the Phoenix Constellation.”
A woman with short orange hair cut close to her ears—Choi Yu-mi—rested her chin on the table and looked up at Kwon O-jin.
Unlike Jegal So-young, who had approached quite favorably, Choi Yu-mi’s eyes as she observed Kwon O-jin were filled with irritation and distrust.
“Just as I thought—totally pathetic. The aura he gives off is nothing special either. Is this guy really the Polaris Constellation?”
She examined him skeptically from every angle, then suddenly jumped to her feet.
“I think I need to test him out.”
“P-please, stop that, Yu-mi.”
A boy with tousled brown hair grabbed at Choi Yu-mi’s sleeve, trying to stop her.
Was he about the same age as Kim Si-hu?
Unlike Deneb, this boy gave off an impression of fragility and delicacy.
“Finally, this is Oh Hyun-bin, an awakener of the Aquarius Constellation.”
“Ah, hello! I’m Oh Hyun-bin! I… I’m so sorry that our guild member caused you great offense before!”
Oh Hyun-bin bowed deeply to Kwon O-jin, nearly at a ninety-degree angle.
The guild member who had caused great offense was likely referring to Choi Jong-chul.
“So there are five of you in total?”
Ideally, Ha-eun should have been here as well, but she was currently undergoing the “shedding” process and couldn’t participate in this operation.
“No, there’s still one person left.”
Cheon Sang-gil shook his head and checked the clock hanging on the wall.
“Though it seems about time for them to arrive anyway….”
Knock, knock.
Perhaps the last remaining person wouldn’t be so punctual.
A soft knocking sound echoed against the sliding door.
“Ah, they’ve arrived. Come in.”
Creak.
As the sliding door opened, platinum-blonde hair that shimmered like molten gold swayed gently.
“Huh?”
My eyes widened at the sight of the woman who entered through the door.
The woman smiled brightly at me and offered a respectful bow to those gathered inside.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m Isabella Colgrande, newly admitted to Shou Xing.”
Her courtesy was as precise as a painting.
….
Shou Xing, where the master of Heukcheon and the third-ranked enforcer of the Black Star Society belonged.
‘The lineup is getting ridiculous.’
I pressed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

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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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