Not A Regressor - Chapter 3

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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 3
The Charlatan (2)
“Haaah!”
Placebo effect, they called it.
Lee Shin-hyuk charged at the monster with nimble movements as if he’d genuinely received a buff.
“Grrrowl!”
What emerged from the brush was a creature that seemed like a hybrid of an ant and a wolf.
While its form leaned more toward wolf-like, its body was covered not in soft fur but in a hard carapace-like shell resembling that of a crustacean.
A 1-star monster: Anthorne.
The most commonly encountered creature in Low-rank Gates.
“Hyaaah!!”
-Crack!
The spear, wielded with fluid grace, pierced sharply between the Anthorne’s hardened shell segments.
“Screech!”
The Anthorne snapped at Lee Shin-hyuk with saw-like jaws, but he evaded the attack with a light backward step as if he’d anticipated it.
“Haha! My body really does feel incredibly light!”
Lee Shin-hyuk cried out with excitement as he continued his assault on the Anthorne.
‘Good, so the skull water tastes that good. How fortunate.’
A natural chuckle escaped Oh Jin’s lips.
From the moment I first saw Lee Shin-hyuk, I thought he’d be easy to exploit, but this exceeded my expectations.
‘Kyaha! Sweet, so sweet!’
The taste of sweetness already spread through my mouth at the thought of having properly caught a fool.
-Crunch!
“Ugh…!”
With a final death cry, the Anthorne’s head separated from its body.
“Phew.”
“That was impressive work.”
“Haha, it’s all thanks to Oh Jin’s buff.”
“No. You would have defeated it easily even without my buff.”
Since I’d never actually cast a buff, it wasn’t a lie.
‘His skills aren’t bad.’
I couldn’t make hasty judgments from just defeating a single 1-star monster, but Lee Shin-hyuk’s movements during that brief combat were superior to most awakeners I’d encountered so far.
Lee Shin-hyuk was skilled.
More precisely, he was a skilled fool.
‘This is excellent.’
Finding talent of this caliber was rare.
“Then, shall we harvest the constellation stone….”
“Ah, I’ll handle the constellation stone extraction.”
“But—”
“My direct combat ability is lacking, so please rest while I handle this, Shin-hyuk.”
“…Thank you.”
Lee Shin-hyuk bowed his head respectfully and took a seat.
Oh Jin chuckled softly as he rummaged through the corpse of the decapitated Anthorn.
Soon, he retrieved a fragment no larger than a fingernail, emanating a bluish glow.
‘A Star Stone.’
A piece of rock infused with the power of the stars.
Star Stones could contain a portion of ‘stigma’ power within them, making them valuable commodities traded at considerable prices and serving as the primary income source for Awakeners.
‘Well, even so.’
A Star Stone from a 1-star monster was inferior in both size and quality, so he couldn’t expect a substantial sum.
‘This should fetch around 20,000 won.’
Splitting the profit in half meant 10,000 won.
For a battle lasting less than a minute, it wasn’t a bad reward.
‘If things go well, I might pocket around 300,000 won today.’
For a gamble with one’s life on the line, the profit margin didn’t feel particularly high, but there was no helping it.
In this absurd world, the fact that an ordinary person without power or connections could earn this much in a day was remarkable in itself.
“…Remarkable, indeed.”
Oh Jin gazed down at the Star Stone in his hand with hollow eyes.
Remarkable.
Yes, for someone whose only asset was a glib tongue, earning this much money was truly remarkable.
But.
To purchase what I desired.
To reach the destination I had set my sights on.
I would need far more money━
“Oh Jin?”
“Ah.”
Pulled from his reverie by the voice, Oh Jin turned his head with a brief exclamation.
Lee Shin-hyuk was watching him with a puzzled expression.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Oh Jin shook his head lightly and approached him.
“Let’s move on.”
Now that I had assessed Lee Shin-hyuk’s abilities, there was no problem venturing deeper.
* * *
“Screech! Crackle!”
“Shriek!”
“Shrieeeek!!!”
Three Anthorns surrounded Lee Shin-hyuk.
Among them was an Elder Anthorn, a 2-star monster.
“Haaah!!!”
Lee Shin-hyuk glided across the ground as if skating, cutting through the swarm of Anthorns without hesitation.
Soon, two Anthrones fell with severed necks, and I faced off against an Elder Anthrone—a creature far more massive than its lesser kin.
“《Blessing of the Lake》!!”
Oh Jin stood behind Lee Shin-hyuk as he fought fiercely, diligently scattering luminescent powder into the air.
The bluish luminescent powder caught the wind and reached Lee Shin-hyuk.
“Hraaaahhh!!”
Lee Shin-hyuk let out a powerful shout and launched himself forward.
-Craaack!!
“Screeeee!! Kyaaahhh!!”
Lee Shin-hyuk, having jumped high into the air, descended like a meteor with his spear gripped tightly in both hands.
The Elder Anthrone, its head pierced through by the spear, let out a final agonized shriek and collapsed limply.
“Haa, haa.”
After dispatching the Elder Anthrone, I sank to the ground, breathing heavily.
Four hours of intense hunting.
Even for an Awakened with monstrous stamina, it was enough to exhaust anyone.
“Phew… Are you alright?”
Oh Jin also exhaled heavily, his expression full of fatigue.
Of course, since he’d only watched from behind, he wasn’t actually tired, but he needed to feign exhaustion to avoid suspicion.
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
Lee Shin-hyuk nodded, catching his breath.
‘Time to wrap this up.’
Oh Jin, who had been waiting for the right moment, approached him casually.
“Shall we call it a day?”
He asked while lifting the pouch of Constellation Stones, which had grown quite heavy.
‘If I sell these, I should get around 500,000 to 600,000 won.’
Split fifty-fifty with Lee Shin-hyuk, that’s about 300,000 won—today’s goal was achieved.
“We should head back since we need to divide the Constellation Stones.”
“Yes, understood.”
Lee Shin-hyuk nodded and got to his feet.
“Do you have time tomorrow?”
“Of course!”
“Haha. Then let’s come back tomorrow.”
“Yes! With you, I have nothing to fear!”
Oh Jin smiled thinly as he watched Lee Shin-hyuk shout with enthusiasm.
‘I’ve really found a perfect mark.’
The thought of sticking with Lee Shin-hyuk and draining his money made his smile impossible to suppress.
-Rustle.
Then, the sound of rustling vegetation tickled his ears.
“Hmm?”
Oh Jin turned his head toward the source of the sound.
“It seems another Anthrone has come.”
Lee Shin-hyuk gripped his spear and lowered his stance.
Oh Jin nodded and concealed himself behind Lee Shin-hyuk.
-Rustle, rustle, rustle.
The sound of grass brushing against the undergrowth.
Not from one location, but from multiple directions simultaneously.
“…It’s not just one.”
Lee Shin-hyuk gripped his spear with a slightly tense expression.
Anthrons weren’t creatures that typically hunted in packs, but occasionally three or four would roam together like this.
In those cases, an ‘Elder’ was almost always among them, so caution was necessary.
-Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle!!
“…What?”
Oh Jin’s expression hardened.
The rustling grew progressively louder.
An ominous sensation crawled down my spine, spreading throughout my entire body.
‘Something.’
Something was wrong—
–Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle!!!!
The sound of rustling echoed from all directions.
Not three or four creatures.
The sound of at least twenty—no, over thirty monsters moving.
“━Damn it.”
A low curse escaped Oh Jin’s lips.
Something had gone wrong.
Badly wrong.
“S-Shin-hyuk. Th-this….”
Lee Shin-hyuk trembled violently, turning back to look at me.
“W-why are there s-so many Anthrons?”
Lee Shin-hyuk’s stammering words came out like a broken machine.
-Smack!!!
Oh Jin, his face drained of color, roughly struck the back of Lee Shin-hyuk’s head as he trembled.
“What are you freezing up for, you bastard!!”
Crude words naturally burst forth in the urgent situation.
“Run!!!!!”
Lee Shin-hyuk, struck on the back of the head, looked up with a bewildered expression.
Startled by the sudden barrage of curses.
“Move it, you thick-headed idiot!!”
Oh Jin grabbed Lee Shin-hyuk’s shoulder and dragged him forward, cursing again.
Watching him fumble about without grasping the situation filled me with frustration.
“Y-yes, understood!”
Lee Shin-hyuk, flustered and glancing around nervously, nodded urgently.
Now I finally understood the situation.
“This way, Jin-oh!”
True to bearing the ‘Compass Stigma’, he chose the exact direction where the Anthrone swarm hadn’t yet completed their encirclement and pushed forward.
“Haa, haa!”
Jin-oh desperately chased after Lee Shin-hyuk.
Thanks to his consistent physical training, he managed to keep pace with Lee Shin-hyuk.
But.
‘Damn it!’
He cursed silently under his breath and turned his head.
“Grrrrgh!!”
“Crack! Crackle-crackle-crack!”
Dozens of Anthromes burst through the dense undergrowth, pursuing them relentlessly.
Among them were no fewer than five ‘Elders’.
‘What the hell is this?!’
Despite spending years in the Low-rank Gate, I had never witnessed dozens of Anthromes swarming together like this.
“Jin-oh, faster!”
“I’m running as fast as I can!!!”
The taste of blood rose in my mouth.
My heart felt like it would burst from my throat.
“Grrrrr!”
The Anthromes began encircling us from all sides.
“Damn!”
I spun around and drew a pistol from my waistband.
A Colt 1911.
A weapon I carried for minimal self-defense.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Screech.”
“Dammit!!”
I fired desperately at the charging Anthrome, but as expected, the bullets bounced off its carapace without penetrating.
Without the power of a ‘Stigma’, weapons couldn’t deal significant damage to monsters.
They could only slow them down slightly.
‘Damn it all!’
I threw the useless pistol aside and ran with every ounce of strength, as if my hair would be torn from my scalp.
‘What the hell is Lee Shin-hyuk doing? Why isn’t he helping?’
I glared at Lee Shin-hyuk’s back as he sprinted ahead.
“Ugh. At this rate….”
Lee Shin-hyuk furrowed his brow and turned around.
His gaze, filled with terror, fixed on me.
‘Surely not….’
An ominous premonition flashed through my mind.
“I… I’m so sorry, Shin-hyuk!”
Why did my ominous premonitions always come true?
Lee Shin-hyuk spun around and shoved me toward the Anthon.
“Ugh!”
I tumbled across the floor, pushed by Lee Shin-hyuk.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!”
Like a broken machine repeating those words, Lee Shin-hyuk retreated further away.
‘This bastard!’
My gentle face twisted into something harsh and ugly.
“Stop messing around!!!”
“W-what?!”
I slid forward with every ounce of strength I had left, barely managing to grab his leg.
“I saved your ass and this is how you repay me?!”
“At this rate, we’ll both die!!!”
“Then let’s die together, you bastard!!!”
I couldn’t afford to die here like a dog.
“Damn it, let go!!!”
Lee Shin-hyuk’s face had gone deathly pale as he kicked wildly.
Crack!
I was hurled backward violently, my grip on his leg torn away.
“Cough!”
I tried desperately to hold on, but there was no way I could match an Awakener’s strength.
“Damn it.”
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
I could see the Anthons drawing closer.
My face drained of all color.
‘Like this.’
I was going to die—
Crackle crackle crackle!!!
Blue sparks erupted violently.
Lee Shin-hyuk’s fleeing body convulsed and thrashed.
And.
‘That’s how it happened.’
Finishing my recollection, I opened my eyes narrowly and gazed at the woman before me.
‘No.’
I understood instinctively.
The word “woman” didn’t suit her at all.
A being who bestows stigmas and creates superhuman Awakeners.
A Constellation.
The woman who had appeared so suddenly was undoubtedly a god born from the stars themselves.
‘Why would a Constellation be here….’
My thoughts tangled in confusion.
‘━Wait.’
Then, a sudden realization flashed through my mind.
I touched the stigma carved into my left chest with my fingertips.
‘She said I possess a stigma that had never been given to anyone else.’
I recalled the words of the Silver-haired Goddess.
The unfamiliar form of stigma now carved into my left chest.
This was,
‘Lee Shin-hyuk’s… stigma.’
I couldn’t understand the reason, but using a power called ‘Black Heaven,’ I had absorbed the stigma that the dead Lee Shin-hyuk possessed.
Not the stigma of Compass, but the stigma of Lyra.
‘Wait, wait, wait.’
A thrilling chill raced down my spine and spread throughout my entire body.
The back of my neck burned hot.
‘Then, could it be.’
My eyes widened.
‘Lee Shin-hyuk… was a Regressor?’
No, that couldn’t be.
‘That dull bastard, a Regressor… ah.’
Just moments ago.
The image of Lee Shin-hyuk suddenly convulsing and burning to death flashed through my mind.
Blue lightning surging from his entire body.
His corpse burning from within, as if the stigma’s mana had run rampant.
‘Damn, this is insane.’
If that moment was when ‘the future Lee Shin-hyuk’ descended into his body.
If the sudden change had caused his death.
Then it was possible to explain why he possessed the stigma of Lyra instead of the stigma of Compass.
‘It was overlaid.’
At that moment, at that point, at that juncture.
Lee Shin-hyuk’s stigma had been ‘switched.’
And━
‘Due to the stigma being switched… Lee Shin-hyuk died.’
A sensation like misaligned puzzle pieces clicking into place.
I trembled slightly and lifted my head.
[Hmm? You’re not a Regressor?]
The goddess gazed down at me, her cold golden eyes gleaming without emotion.
[I certainly felt the ‘Star of Defying Heaven’ rising in this place….]
“That’s correct.”
I cut off her words and nodded.
I cannot comprehend what has transpired.
I cannot even fathom the causality behind it all.
What the Blackened Heaven is, what the Star of Reversed Heaven means, even the name of the goddess before my eyes—none of it.
I know nothing.
There is no way to know.
‘But.’
One thing alone is certain.
“I am a Regressor.”
To survive in this place now, I must become a Regressor.

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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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