Not A Regressor - Chapter 296

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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 296
Sky Mountain Range (2)
Platinum hair fluttering in the wind.
In the blink of an eye, Isabella closed the distance to Poppy and swung a massive scythe made of blood with tremendous force.
“Growl?”
Poppy’s charge toward Kwon O-jin came to an abrupt halt.
As the explosive killing intent radiating from Isabella washed over Poppy, the creature trembled, seized by fear.
‘Exceed!’
Crackle!
Blue lightning erupted across Kwon O-jin’s legs.
He kicked off the ground with force and drew the folding knife from his waist.
Grasping Dantalian, which had instantly transformed into a spear, he positioned himself in front of Isabella.
“Oh, Kwon O-jin?”
Isabella, startled, tried desperately to stop the scythe, but once a weapon of that magnitude was in motion, it couldn’t be halted abruptly.
Boom!
“Cough!”
With a deafening impact, Kwon O-jin’s body was sent flying like a cannonball.
He crashed through five trees and tumbled across the ground, coughing up blood.
“A-are you alright, Kwon O-jin?!”
Isabella rushed toward him, her face drained of color.
Kwon O-jin, already in an unstable physical state due to the aftereffects of the blessing, had just been hit with a full-force swing like a home run—there was no way he could remain conscious.
As Isabella stumbled forward toward the fallen Kwon O-jin with trembling steps.
“Grrrrrrr!”
Poppy, its expression twisted in fury, blocked Isabella’s path.
Standing protectively over Kwon O-jin, the creature clicked its sharp beak menacingly.
“Move aside…!”
Isabella raised her scythe again, preparing to strike Poppy who stood in her way.
“Wait, wait, wait, waaaait!”
Ha-eun rushed in from behind and grabbed Isabella, pulling her back.
“Let go, let go, Elder Sister! That beast is going to—!”
“No, no, Kwon O-jin is fine! All that blood he coughed up before was just an act!”
“…What?”
Isabella turned back with a bewildered expression.
“Ugh.”
Kwon O-jin, who had been lying on the ground, staggered to his feet.
“Grrr….”
Poppy approached Kwon O-jin and extended its tongue, licking his body.
Sticky saliva clung to his skin.
“Hey, stop it. Enough now.”
“Growl, growl.”
“That’s enough.”
I flicked Poppy’s beak as the creature licked its body with a worried expression.
“….”
Isabella stared at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
She narrowed her eyes and shot me a piercing glare.
“What on earth is going on here?”
“Well, you see….”
I explained the tearful spectacle (?) I had put on in front of the First Rift last time.
“…So basically.”
A deep sigh escaped from Isabella’s lips.
“You staged that whole show because you were afraid someone would find out that you returned safely under the escort of that beast, without any danger whatsoever?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Honestly, wasn’t it a bit much?
To put it in perspective, it was like a mother who had been crying tears of joy at the entrance, embracing her son who had skipped night study sessions to play games at an internet café, only to find him lounging casually on Poppy’s back eating potato chips.
I couldn’t have remained so carefree in that emotionally charged atmosphere.
“Sigh. You really are something, Kwon O-jin!”
Unable to contain herself, Isabella smacked my back with a sharp slap.
Smack!
The sting spread across my back with a spicy bite.
“You told Elder Sister everything properly, but you left me out again!”
Smack! Smack!
What could a caught liar say in his defense?
Guilty as charged, I kept my head down and accepted the barrage of back smacks.
“Grrrrr!”
As Isabella continued striking my back, Poppy let out a fierce growl and radiated killing intent.
Isabella let out a hollow laugh and turned to face Poppy.
“By the way, why does that beast follow Kwon O-jin?”
“I’m not sure.”
At first, I had vaguely assumed it followed me because of Cassia’s orders.
But seeing how closely it followed me, there seemed to be another reason.
“Is it because of this?”
I looked down at the spear in my hand.
According to Kim Si-hu’s interpretation of the incantations, Dantalian’s form before becoming an Ego Weapon resembled Poppy.
Well, since Dantalian had died long ago and been turned into a weapon, Poppy couldn’t possibly be Dantalian.
“…Could it be Dantalian’s offspring?”
Seeing how it followed me like a parent, that seemed plausible.
“Either way, this works out well.”
I stroked Poppy’s neck and smiled.
I had been worried about my slow movement speed, but with Poppy around, that problem could be solved.
“You’re not planning to ride on it, are you?”
“Yeah. Since it’s so big, there should be plenty of room for everyone.”
Its back was broad and covered in plush fur, making for a surprisingly comfortable ride.
“Purrrr!”
Poppy let out a contented rumble and lowered its body so I could mount easily.
Ha-eun’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, what? This thing understands human speech?”
“Apparently so.”
Like the Named Beasts called by that title on Earth, Poppy possessed remarkably keen intelligence.
“…So creatures like this get classified as Named Beasts when they come to Earth.”
Ha-eun approached Poppy with evident fascination.
She reached out cautiously and stroked Poppy, a soft gasp escaping her lips.
“Wow. Look how soft this fur is.”
The texture felt as luxurious as touching the finest carpet.
“Purr?”
Poppy tilted its head and glanced back at me.
Its expression seemed to ask if it was alright to let her keep petting it.
I nodded, and Poppy lowered itself further as I climbed onto its back.
“Come on up, Elder Sister.”
“Okay, just a second.”
With a graceful motion—
Ha-eun mounted Poppy’s back and wrapped her arms around my waist like she was sitting on the back of a motorcycle.
“Oh, this is actually pretty nice.”
“Right?”
A mischievous smile played at Ha-eun’s lips as she held me close.
“We can have fun with this whenever we’re bored.”
Her hands, wrapped around my waist, began to creep downward toward my thighs.
“…Poppy.”
“Purrrr!”
“Aaaah!”
With a deft twist of its body, Poppy bucked Ha-eun right off its back.
“Damn it… getting all petty over a little teasing. It’s not like your fur’s gonna wear out.”
“It won’t wear out, but it will get bigger.”
And if that happens right now, it would be very inconvenient.
“May I take a ride as well, Kwon O-jin?”
Isabella approached Poppy.
The moment she reached out cautiously, Poppy’s eyes narrowed sharply and it recoiled from her touch.
It seemed Poppy was wary of Isabella because of her attack on me earlier.
“It’s okay, Poppy.”
“Purr…”
Poppy hesitated before cautiously approaching Isabella.
Isabella let out a chuckle, stroking Poppy’s fur.
“It’s rather cute, isn’t it?”
“Right?”
“Did you give Poppy that name, Kwon O-jin?”
“Yeah. It suits her, doesn’t it?”
“Hehe. I’ll have to make sure not to ask you for naming advice when I have children later.”
Why not?
What’s wrong with Poppy?
[It’s fascinating how a demonic beast follows a human so faithfully…]
Vega circled around Poppy with evident interest.
[Are you planning to ride this child to travel?]
“Yeah. Our Poppy’s got stamina for days.”
With Poppy, I could move quickly while preserving the group’s energy.
“Grrrrrowl!”
Pleased by the praise, Poppy clicked her beak and gave a light jump.
Boom!
The heavy tremor shook the ground.
“Shall we head out then?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take the back seat!”
“Oh my, then I’ll sit in front of you, Kwon O-jin.”
“Oh.”
Before Ha-eun could protest, Isabella swiftly climbed onto Poppy and claimed the front seat.
“…Sneaky woman.”
Ha-eun sat behind me, shooting Isabella a slight glare.
Despite three of us being mounted, Poppy’s massive frame meant we didn’t feel cramped at all.
“Riak, aren’t you riding?”
“No thanks. I’ll walk on my own two feet.”
Riak, looking up at me, Ha-eun, and Isabella huddled together on Poppy, shook his head as if the sight was unbearable.
“Let’s go, Poppy. You know which way the Sky Mountain Range is, right?”
“Grrrowl!”
Poppy nodded vigorously and kicked off the ground.

* * *
“Should we set up camp here for the night?”
Even riding Poppy all day, I hadn’t managed to reach the Sky Mountain Range in a single day.
As I passed through the forest and spotted the Stream Bank, I brought Poppy to a halt.
The sun was already beginning to set, so it was best to prepare camp quickly.
“Ugh. Another night sleeping outdoors.”
Ha-eun shook her head with obvious frustration.
Though I’d brought the finest camping equipment from Earth, it still couldn’t compare to sleeping in a proper bed.
“Then I’ll prepare the ground first.”
The area beside the Stream Bank was filled with large gravel and vegetation, leaving no suitable spot for a tent.
But if there was no suitable place, I would simply create one.
Isabella drew her fingernail lightly across her palm, drawing blood.
“Bloom.”
Whoooosh!
The drops of blood that fell to the ground spread out like blooming flowers, cleanly sweeping away the surrounding gravel and vegetation.
In an instant, a vast clearing spanning roughly thirty meters had been created.
“All set!”
Isabella, who had obliterated everything within the thirty-meter radius, turned around with a radiant smile.
Witnessing such terrifying power once again, I couldn’t help but whistle in awe.
“I’ll get the tents.”
I pulled out two tents from my backpack and began setting them up.
One was for me, and the other was for Ha-eun and Isabella to share.
Riak and Vega didn’t need separate tents since they would return to the Sanctuary once evening fell.
“…You could always sleep with us, you know.”
Isabella licked her lips with obvious disappointment.
Though the temptation was alluring, this wasn’t a pleasure trip, and I couldn’t share a tent outdoors.
‘It would become unbearable, after all.’
Whether for me or for Isabella and Ha-eun.
What would happen if we shared a tent was as clear as day.
[Then I shall take my leave.]
“I’m going too, youngster.”
“Sure. See you tomorrow.”
Vega and Riak’s forms glowed and scattered like light into the empty air.
“Phew.”
After finishing setting up all the tents, I shared a simple dinner with Ha-eun and Isabella.
“Then I’ll see you in the morning, Kwon O-jin.”
“We’re heading to bed first~”
“Yeah, sleep well.”
Ha-eun and Isabella entered their tent.
In the darkened forest, only the quiet chirping of insects echoed through the night.
“Not at all.”
After finishing my cleanup, I pushed myself to my feet.
The lingering aftereffects of Vega’s blessing hadn’t fully subsided, and my joints creaked like an unlubricated machine with each movement.
‘Still, I can’t afford to just rest.’
Hadn’t my battle with Kalike made painfully clear just how far short my strength still fell?
I settled into an empty field far from the tent.
“Haaa…”
I closed my eyes, breathing slowly and deliberately.
With my eyes shut, I conjured Kalike’s image in my mind.
That sickening makeup caked thick as sludge, that grating, fractured voice.
I etched every detail into my consciousness.
“I am fighting Kalike right now.”
With absolute focus, I whispered a ‘lie’ to myself.
And then.
“Hehehehe! I only lost before because I was careless, you see?”
Kalike’s voice echoed from the darkness.
A chill ran down my spine.
The repugnant voice ringing in my ears, the image of Kalike before my eyes—
All of it was a phantom I had conjured myself.
“…Kalike.”
Yet through the power of my ‘lie’ and self-hypnosis, every illusion felt utterly real to me.
“Huff.”
I exhaled sharply and gripped my spear tighter.
This time, there was no blessing from Vega to protect me.
The moment my concentration wavered even slightly, it would be my chest that was pierced through.
“Hngh!”
Crash!
My clash with the phantom Kalike had begun.
While everyone else slept, I remained alone, pushing forward with a life-or-death training regimen.
[…My child.]
Beneath the night sky draped in darkness.
Unaware that a pair of golden eyes watched over me from the shadows.

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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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