Not A Regressor - Chapter 208

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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 208
The Serpent’s Head (1)
“Haaah.”
Drawing in a deep breath.
I focused my consciousness on my left chest.
Thump, thump.
The rhythmic pulse of my heart echoed through my ears.
What I imagined was a black sky.
Moonlight vanished, not even starlight remaining.
A sky shrouded in thick, dark clouds.
Boom, boom.
The faint heartbeat that had been reverberating grew as loud as a drum.
As if entranced, my consciousness gradually rose through the dark clouds.
‘So it’s still there, just as before.’
A pristine white light hiding its form like a turtle among the thick clouds.
It was the magical power of the stigma I had absorbed from Demian not long ago.
Uuuuuung!
As I reached toward the light that shone with noble brilliance like a star in the Night Sky, my fingertips burned with fierce rejection.
The stigma’s magical power resisted violently, as stubborn as if it were seeing its own master—refusing to surrender willingly.
‘Tsk.’
I frowned and withdrew my hand from the brilliantly burning light.
Like the dragon vein’s magical power, it was a force I couldn’t handle at my current level.
‘If I could just absorb that magical power, I’d probably reach the 9th Star in no time.’
But was it because Heukcheon’s stage was still low, or was it because the magical power—stamped with Demian’s personality itself—something special?
Demian’s magical power rejected me like a hedgehog with its spines raised.
‘Well, that’s how it is.’
I drew up the vast stigma’s magical power sleeping within Heukcheon and circulated it throughout my entire body.
The stigma’s magical power flowing majestically along the magical pathways that had now become incomparably wider than before.
Like a stone being worn smooth by a river, an infinitesimal portion of the pristine white light that had been curled up dissolved into the magical power.
The magical power that departed from my heart circulated through the pathways and returned to my heart once more.
Similar to what martial arts novels commonly called the Microcosmic Orbit.
With each Microcosmic Orbit, I could absorb Demian’s magical power bit by bit.
Given enough time, I could eventually dissolve all of Demian’s magical power into Heukcheon.
‘The problem is that time.’
Since the amount of magical power I could dissolve at once was so minuscule, I couldn’t keep clinging to just this one thing.
“Phew.”
I slowly exhaled the breath I had drawn in deeply and opened my eyes.
The interior of the spacious personal training room—the size of three basketball courts joined together—came into view.
Having finished the Microcosmic Orbit that had now become routine, I loosened my body lightly and tensed my muscles.
‘The Libra stigma.’
Luminous light coalesced into form.
The phantom that materialized was Cheon Do-yoon.
Once the King of the Owl Faction who had driven me to the brink of death.
“Set the timer for… ten minutes, or maybe fifteen.”
Kwon O-jin pulled out his smartphone and set the timer.
‘Right then.’
I steadied my breathing and cleared my mind of distractions.
Staring intently at Cheon Do-yoon’s phantom, I spoke a ‘lie’.
“What stands before me is no phantom.”
Not some mere illusion.
Something real, something tangible.
My true ‘enemy’.
“The real Cheon Do-yoon.”
Like hypnotizing myself.
Again and again.
I repeated the lie.
And then.
“Hehehehe. It’s been quite some time.”
The phantom wrought of light—no, Cheon Do-yoon—released a grotesque laugh as he stroked his beard.
“Even now, I find it truly regrettable.”
Cheon Do-yoon’s lips curled into a cruel smile.
“Had you not existed—”
Hundreds of black feathers swirled around him.
“That child’s eyes would be in this old man’s grasp.”
“Shut your damn mouth, you bastard.”
Heat surged through my head as fury erupted within me.
The image of Ha-eun, trapped in Cheon Do-yoon’s grip and weeping pitifully, flashed before my eyes.
Back then, I could only suffer helplessly.
Crackle!
Blue lightning coiled around both my legs.
I launched forward with terrifying speed, like an arrow loosed from a bow.
“Hehehehe.”
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The black feathers hovering around Cheon Do-yoon converged on me.
Blazing with blue lightning, I leaped acrobatically into the air.
A spear of absolute darkness crashed down like thunder upon Cheon Do-yoon’s crown.
“You lack the strength to face this old man.”
Clang!
Black wings materialized from Cheon Do-yoon’s shoulder blades, deflecting the spear.
A dizzying impact transmitted through my hands.
Losing my grip on the spear, I was hurled backward.
As massive black wings unfurled, a torrent of obsidian feathers descended upon me as I flew back.
Hiss.
Skin grazed by the black feathers flushed crimson, the flesh beneath withering to necrosis.
“Well then.”
I twisted my mouth into a grin, reaching toward the spear tumbling across the floor as I recoiled.
Crackle!
A strand of azure lightning connected, and the spear rose into the air.
“Seems I’m finally capable of handling this.”
“Gahhk!”
Thud!
The spear that had been hurled back pierced through Cheon Do-yoon’s back and erupted from the other side.
A cascade of crimson blood spilled forth.
Cheon Do-yoon’s wrinkled mouth gaped open as he dropped to one knee.
“Tsk tsk. That old man’s mouth just won’t stay quiet.”
“Shrieeeeek!”
As Cheon Do-yoon collapsed, an irritable-looking youth and a demonic beast clad in black armor emerged.
Sosuke, the seventh-ranked executor of the Black Star Society, and Living Armor.
The two pressed in on me from both sides as though they had trained together for years.
“Huff, huff.”
My breathing had grown somewhat ragged.
Yet before I could catch my breath, blue-black flames and water masses flew at me from both directions.
Crack! Crackle!
A rapid exchange of blows too swift for the eye to follow ensued, and wounds accumulated across my body one by one.
“Shwik, shwack, shwik.”
“Gahhk… cough. Hack!”
Yet it was Living Armor and Sosuke who ultimately collapsed to the ground.
I exhaled the breath that had risen to my throat and turned my body.
“To one stained by darkness.”
There stood Demian, eyes wide open, glaring down at me.
His raised blade blazed with brilliant light.
“Bring light.”
Boom!
A colossal wave of radiance surged forward like a tidal wave.
Just before Demian’s blade would cleave me in two from crown to waist.
Ding.
An alarm I had set on my smartphone chimed.
With that clear bell-like sound, the “lie” I had cast upon myself shattered.
Demian’s phantom blade passed straight through my body and beyond.
“Phew!”
Kwon O-jin exhaled ragged breaths as he gazed down at Demian’s blade passing through his body.
‘So Demian is beyond my reach after all.’
A low groan escaped his lips.
He swallowed hard and examined the wounds across his body.
Despite the battle being against a phantom that possessed no physical force, his body was covered in necrotic wounds where flesh had died away.
“The injuries seem to be getting worse each time.”
When I first conducted image training by lying to myself, the wounds weren’t this severe. Perhaps it’s because the phantoms have become visually more realistic since I gained the ability to create them.
The wounds appearing on my body had grown more similar to actual injuries.
‘Well, I was genuinely furious with Cheon Do-yoon earlier, after all.’
Of course, a corner of my mind still held the thought that all of this was merely a phantom for image training.
If I continued repeating training like this, eventually I might even perfectly deceive myself.
“But that’s still a bit much, isn’t it?”
Kwon O-jin chuckled softly and placed his hand on the necrotic wound.
‘The stigma of Haemajari.’
As I healed my body with hydro-affinity and reviewed the battle with the phantom.
Beep beep, beep, beep beep beep.
The training room door opened with the sound of a password being entered.
“Are you still training, Kwon O-jin?”
“What are you doing trashing the place like this while training alone?”
The ones who entered were Isabella and Ha-eun.
Kwon O-jin turned to look at Ha-eun, who was drenched in sweat just like himself, and asked.
“Did you just finish training too, Elder Sister?”
“Don’t even mention it. I sparred with Isabella for a bit and thought I was actually going to die.”
Ha-eun shook her head with an exasperated expression.
Isabella wrapped her arms around Ha-eun with a gentle smile.
“Oh my, Elder Sister. Calling such a pretty younger sibling a woman? That’s too much.”
“Cut it out. You were attacking like you were about to devour someone!”
“Hehe. It was all for Elder Sister’s sake, you know?”
Isabella let out a small laugh, covering her mouth.
Though she said it was for Ha-eun’s sake, it was likely also an outlet for the jealousy that had accumulated toward her, known or unknown.
“Anyway, what brings you here?”
“We came to have lunch together. Is the timing okay?”
“Oh, perfect. I was just about to rest after finishing a set.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Isabella smiled brightly and held up a lunch box.
“I made it this morning.”
“Ugh, I’m starving. Let’s eat, Kwon O-jin.”
“Sure.”
The three of them sat together in the spacious training room and ate their lunch.
Having the three of them sit together like this in the training room eating lunch had become quite a familiar part of their routine lately.
Zzzzzt.
That moment.
My smartphone, set to vibration mode, buzzed insistently.
I’d assumed it was just another spam message and was about to resume eating, but.
Zzzzzt. Zzzzzt.
“Looks like you’ve got a call.”
“Hold on.”
Kwon O-jin picked up his smartphone.
The name displayed on the screen read ‘Cheon Sang-gil’.
It was a call from Tamrang Star, with whom we’d had no recent contact whatsoever.
“Who’s calling, Kwon O-jin?”
“It’s Cheon Sang-gil.”
“Huh? Grandfather’s calling?”
Ha-eun, who’d been eating mindlessly, widened her eyes and looked up.
Kwon O-jin nodded and switched the call to speakerphone.
-Tsk tsk. It’s been a while since you’ve reached out.
Cheon Sang-gil’s voice echoed through the spacious training room.
“Ah, yes. How have you been doing, sir?”
-This old man’s been running himself ragged chasing The Snake’s tail.
His voice, heavy with exhaustion, spoke volumes about the ordeal he’d endured.
“Have you made any progress?”
-That’s precisely why I’m calling you now.
Cheon Sang-gil continued.
-You’ve been to Sokcho before, haven’t you? Back when that demonic beast incident occurred.
“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
Kwon O-jin searched his memory for events from more than half a year ago.
The incident where aberrant demonic beasts had attacked Sokcho.
The beasts fleeing in the same direction as if lured, and the dark aura that had settled in the City Center.
“Did something happen there? I’m certain Elder Sister burned away all that dark energy back then.”
Kwon O-jin glanced back at Ha-eun as he spoke.
-What burned away then was merely a fraction. Deeper below… another darkness lay dormant.
“Another darkness, you say….”
-The Demon Realm.
At the ominously resonant word, Kwon O-jin’s expression hardened.
-There was a rift leading to the Demon Realm.
“That can’t be….”
Kwon O-jin’s face turned rigid.
Why would a rift to the Demon Realm—which supposedly existed only at the North Pole—suddenly appear in South Korea?
-And we found something there.
Cheon Sang-gil continued, his voice dropping to a grave whisper.
-I speak of the tail of The Snake.

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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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