Not A Regressor - Chapter 189

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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 189
A Roman Holiday (5)
“I-I’m so sorry!”
Roberto rubbed his shin where the blow had landed, bowing his head urgently.
Isabella snorted dismissively and crossed her arms.
“Anyway, there’s nothing unusual happening in Rome, correct?”
“Actually, there is one matter I need to report.”
“What is it?”
Isabella’s eyes narrowed as she asked.
“Demian Salvatore has appeared in Italy.”
“…Demian?”
Demian Salvatore, the Celestial Ship Star.
He was one of the Seven Stars, counted among the world’s strongest, and a high-ranking awakener of the Libra constellation.
Despite possessing formidable power, he was known for operating alone without establishing any faction, but what made him most famous was the epithet bestowed upon him.
‘The Blade of Justice’.
True to his title, he roamed the world like a secret inspector, meting out judgment to hundreds and thousands of evildoers in his quest to punish the wicked.
And from the perspective of the Blade of Justice, creatures like ‘vampires’ who prolonged their existence by drinking human blood were—
“…This has become troublesome.”
Undoubtedly ‘evil’ deserving of judgment.
“Why did he suddenly come to Italy?”
“We haven’t been able to determine his purpose yet.”
“Hmm.”
Isabella frowned with clear displeasure.
The existence of the Leech Faction was thoroughly concealed under Colgrand’s name, and unlike other Black Star Society factions, they had only helped people rather than caused harm, so there was no reason for their activities to be exposed.
Still, she couldn’t shake an ominous feeling at this sudden visit from the ‘Blade of Justice’.
“Monitor Demian’s movements carefully. Find out what purpose brought him to Italy.”
“Yes, understood.”
Roberto bowed deeply.
Whoosh.
His form dissolved into the darkness as if melting away.
“Sigh.”
A heavy sigh escaped Isabella’s lips.
She had been so excited about this opportunity to completely seduce Kwon O-jin.
‘Zamiwon’s curse and the Blade of Justice too… there are too many obstacles.’
Isabella bit her lip and dragged the edge of her sandal across the ground.
She tilted her head upward, gazing at the brilliant sun beating down overhead.
“I’ll have to keep a low profile until nightfall.”
The curse of Zamiwon that tormented her would lose its effect once darkness fell, even as the stigma consumed her.
Isabella decided to restrain herself until sunset and walked toward the van parked on the road.
* * *
“….”
A desolate alley devoid of any human presence.
While eavesdropping on Isabella and Roberto’s conversation using Dark Veil, Kwon O-jin watched Isabella’s retreating figure as she walked toward the van parked on the road, his eyes narrowing slightly.
‘So the curse still remained.’
No wonder she had suddenly clutched her chest and cried out in pain—there was a reason for it after all.
“And the Sword of Justice, no less….”
Demian Salvatore, the Celestial Star.
I had already heard plenty of rumors about him.
‘I hope Isabella doesn’t get entangled with him.’
One more thing became certain as I listened to Roberto and Isabella’s conversation.
Isabella harbored feelings for me that went beyond mere goodwill.
Well, it wasn’t difficult to guess from her actions up until now.
Still, hearing those feelings confirmed directly from the real Isabella—not the one playing the ‘Saint of Rome’—felt different.
-W-What if you get dumped then?!
“Pfft! Hahaha!”
That cry naturally surfaced in my mind, and laughter burst out involuntarily.
Not the Saint of Rome, not the Leech Queen.
It felt like I had truly glimpsed the genuine heart of Isabella Colgrande for the first time.
‘She’s still an unfathomable woman, that much hasn’t changed.’
But still.
Perhaps I could let my guard down around her a little.
Perhaps I could approach her as Kwon O-jin, setting aside the Apostle of Polaris and Noe-rang.
‘I should probably head back before Isabella notices I’m gone.’
If I kept disappearing, Ha-eun searching for me might end up running into Isabella.
If that happened, there would be chaos again.
“Whoosh.”
I moved to a blind spot where the van Isabella had entered was no longer visible and returned to the beach.
“Grrr! Cough!”
“Argh! You damn mutt!”
“Hehe! A warrior never backs down from a challenge they’ve walked into!”
On the beach, Ha-eun and Riak were splashing about and playing.
Rumble!
Splash!
Whether columns of water shooting up several meters high could truly be classified as ‘playing’ was debatable.
In any case, Ha-eun and Riak seemed to be having quite an enjoyable time bickering with each other.
[Where did you go?]
Splash splash.
Vega, lounging leisurely on a donut-sized tube and enjoying the sun, paddled toward me with her feet.
I submerged myself in the warm seawater and met her gaze at eye level.
“Isabella wasn’t feeling well, so I gave her a ride back.”
[Hmm. Does she have some hidden agenda?]
Vega asked with concern etched across her features.
Well.
She knew Isabella’s true identity as well, so she had every reason to be worried.
“I don’t think we need to be that cautious.”
I recalled the conversation I’d overheard in the alley and shrugged my shoulders.
Vega’s eyes narrowed.
My sudden change in demeanor bothered her.
[…Huh!]
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Vega’s eyes widened dramatically.
[Her chest! That’s it!]
“What?”
[My boy has been bewitched by that seductress’s allure!]
I couldn’t quite understand human aesthetic sensibilities.
But judging solely by the reactions of the men around us when we arrived at the beach, I could easily infer just how formidable a weapon Isabella carried on her person.
[Get out of my boy’s head this instant, you temptress!]
“Ow, ow, ow.”
Vega came fluttering over frantically and smacked my forehead repeatedly.
I chuckled softly and shook my head.
“It’s not like that, so don’t worry.”
[Hmm… are you really not bewitched by that seductress?]
“Well.”
To be honest.
I mean.
My gaze did wander a little.
[Aha! Y-you really are!]
I barely managed to stop Vega, who was puffing out her cheeks and about to manifest in her true form, as I slowly waded into deeper waters until the sea reached my shoulders.
“Phew.”
As I took a long, deep breath and submerged myself in the seawater, I felt a warm sensation seeping into my damaged mana circuits.
[Does it seem to be effective for treating internal injuries?]
“Yeah. It’s like a refreshing yet warm sensation, if that makes sense.”
It was probably what immersing oneself in carbonated hot springs—supposedly good for health—would feel like.
The mana mixed within the seawater tickled across my skin as it passed by, and gently seeped through the pores of my entire body, warmly healing my damaged mana circuits.
“This feels surprisingly amazing.”
The efficacy of the Sacred Oil Site was so remarkable that I could instantly understand why only a select few wielders of power monopolized this place in secret.
[Is that so?]
Vega smiled with satisfaction, as if relieved.
“If I spend a few days immersed here and rest properly, my internal injuries should heal completely.”
[Hehe. How fortunate. Take this opportunity to rest without any worries or concerns.]
Splash.
Vega bounced off the inflatable donut tube and landed on top of Kwon O-jin’s head.
With a gentle smile, she brushed the seawater-dampened strands of his hair and continued speaking.
[Weighed down by the name of the Regressor Star… you’ve always pushed yourself too hard, haven’t you?]
It had been exactly one year since I first met Kwon O-jin.
For a Constellation, it was merely a fleeting moment.
During that time, Kwon O-jin had grown at an astonishing pace, leveraging the knowledge and experience of a Regressor.
[No. It wasn’t simply that which made him stronger.]
She could tell, having watched over him all this while.
Just how desperately he had struggled, how miserably he had pushed forward to reach this level of strength.
Even she, merely observing from his side, had trembled with anxiety—how much more must he have suffered?
[Impressive.]
Vega stroked Kwon O-jin’s forehead with evident pride.
Kwon O-jin felt her touch tickling his forehead and smiled wryly.
“Should we venture deeper in?”
[Let us do so.]
Kwon O-jin swam toward deeper waters with Vega perched upon his head.
As they moved farther from the shore, the water temperature gradually rose until the seawater grew hot enough to flush his skin crimson.
“Hmm?”
Continuing to swim, he spotted a buoy floating on the surface with warning text inscribed upon it.
[Is this where that Gate is located?]
Kwon O-jin dove beneath the surface with curiosity, surveying the surroundings.
The Gate was apparently at some distance, as it wasn’t visible to the naked eye.
[Perhaps… a dragon vein might be flowing through here.]
“A dragon vein?”
Swimming back to the surface, Kwon O-jin’s eyes widened at Vega’s sudden remark.
[Haven’t the sea and climate of this entire region changed? If a place has been so heavily influenced by a star’s magical power to this degree, it wouldn’t be strange for a dragon vein to flow through it.]
A dragon vein referred to a location where a star’s magical power flowed abnormally thick.
As she said, if the Sacred Oil Site had undergone such widespread climatic changes, there was a possibility that a dragon vein flowed through it.
[If that’s the case…]
My eyes gleamed.
If a dragon vein truly flowed here, I could absorb its power using Heukcheon.
[Not now, though.]
My internal injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, and with Vega at my side, I couldn’t use Heukcheon anyway.
[I’ll come back to investigate later.]
With that thought, I turned my body back toward the shore.
“Let’s head back to where your sister and Riak are.”
[Hmm. I had hoped to spend a bit more leisurely time with you.]
“Haha. We can come back together tomorrow.”
I was already planning to return here several more times to investigate the dragon vein anyway.
[Very well. Let us return.]
I hoisted Vega back onto my head and continued swimming.
Whoooosh!
I surged forward with the speed of someone riding a water ski.
By the time I reached the vicinity of the beach.
“H-help! Someone’s fallen in the water!”
An urgent voice pierced the air.
I turned my head to survey the area.
A figure thrashed about in the sea, struggling desperately.
‘No lifeguards… apparently.’
It seemed they’d deliberately avoided posting safety personnel, likely to keep the existence of the Sacred Oil Site as hidden as possible.
[My child!]
At the urgent tugging of my hair by Vega’s frantic hands, I clicked my tongue.
I swam rapidly toward the struggling figure.
Splash, splash!!
The woman’s body swayed back and forth like an inflatable dummy standing in front of a newly opened shop.
I seized her arm and pulled, swimming toward the beach.
“Are you alright?”
There was no response.
‘Hm?’
I furrowed my brow and looked back at the woman I was holding.
Her lower body, melted away below the navel.
Spilled entrails bobbed on the water’s surface like buoys.
“What the hell?”
What in the world was this now.

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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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