Not A Regressor - Chapter 397

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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 397
Fate-Reversing Star (10)
“That’s… what do you mean?”
Cassia’s expression hardened visibly.
The Heavenly Demon.
The mere thought of the entity that had manipulated her like a puppet for the past decade sent an icy chill cascading down my spine.
“Wait, are you saying the Heavenly Demon is currently in this vicinity?”
“No, I’m sensing it from within your stigma, Cassia.”
Had the Heavenly Demon’s aura been detectable in the surrounding area, Vega would have noticed it before I did.
“…My stigma?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t difficult to deduce why the Heavenly Demon’s aura suddenly emanated from within the Serpens Constellation stigma.
‘After all, the Black Star Constellation’s stigma inherently carries Heukcheon’s power.’
The very Constellation that had granted her the stigma had accepted the Heavenly Demon’s power, so it was only natural that her stigma would radiate its aura.
‘That’s why she’s lived as the Heavenly Demon’s puppet for the past decade.’
The moment Kwon O-jin heard the word “Heavenly Demon,” he watched Cassia’s anxious expression as she quietly gripped her collar, and offered a bitter smile.
“What do you mean by sensing the Heavenly Demon’s aura from my stigma?”
“There’s no need to be so frightened. You already know the Black Star Constellation’s stigma carries the Heavenly Demon’s power, don’t you, Cassia?”
Having lived as the Heavenly Demon’s puppet for over a decade, she would know better than anyone.
“Ah, yes. I do know that….”
Cassia tilted her head with a look that questioned why he was suddenly asking about something obvious.
Wasn’t it already an established fact that a portion of the Heavenly Demon’s power dwelled within the Serpens Constellation stigma?
Kwon O-jin carefully traced her stigma with his gaze and spoke.
“Until now, I couldn’t sense the Heavenly Demon’s aura.”
“Pardon?”
“Even though the Heavenly Demon’s power dwells within it, it’s only an infinitesimal fraction, isn’t it?”
Following the lineage—Heavenly Demon → Constellation → stigma—the power transmitted through each step meant that the Heukcheon power residing in awakeners like Cassia and Isabella was merely a trace amount.
Of course, even that meager amount was sufficient for Heukcheon’s “dominion” to take effect.
In any case, until now it hadn’t reached a level I could detect.
But now.
‘I can feel it.’
I could perceive it.
I could sense it.
The Heukcheon aura dwelling within the Serpens Constellation stigma carved upon her chest.
‘It’s not something that suddenly appeared.’
It had likely been there from the very moment Mobius first bestowed the stigma upon her.
Only.
Until now, I simply hadn’t reached a level of power capable of perceiving it.
In other words.
“So when you say you’re now sensing an aura you couldn’t sense before, that means….”
“Yeah. Now we’re finally on a similar level.”
He meant that he had caught up to the very heels of the Heavenly Demon’s realm.
‘I’m not entirely sure if catching up to his heels is something I should be proud of, honestly.’
Still, clinging to the cliff’s edge with my fingertips was far more encouraging than endlessly gazing up at an unreachable precipice.
“That’s… that’s amazing, Kwon O-jin!”
Cassia’s emerald eyes sparkled brilliantly as she cried out in admiration.
Having witnessed the Heavenly Demon’s wondrous realm more intimately than anyone else present, she couldn’t help but feel genuine awe.
“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”
At Cassia’s excited voice, Kwon O-jin let out an embarrassed cough.
It wasn’t as if he’d actually reached the Heavenly Demon’s level—he’d merely grasped the hem of his robe. Hearing such praise felt awkward.
“No! Do you understand how incredible that is!”
“I said don’t.”
He shook his head and sighed.
“Anyway, there’s something I want to test.”
“Something you want to test?”
“Just stay still for a moment.”
Kwon O-jin placed his hand on Cassia’s stigma and slowly drew forth Heukcheon’s power.
Kurrrr.
Black miasma poured from his fingertips, flowing into the Serpens Constellation’s stigma.
“Ugh…!”
Cassia’s body trembled.
Kwon O-jin closed his eyes firmly, concentrating his consciousness.
‘I can feel it.’
The constellation rising in the night sky.
Within the brilliantly shining starlight, I could see the black miasma concealing itself.
Kwon O-jin slowly extended his power toward the Heavenly Demon’s Heukcheon hidden within the Serpens Constellation stigma.
He seized the black miasma that had parasitically rooted itself within the stigma and forcibly tore it out.
“Ahhh! U-ugh…!”
Cassia’s body convulsed violently, her limbs thrashing as if seized by a fit.
The sensation of Heukcheon’s power being uprooted from her stigma—power that had been rooted there all this time—felt like a piece of her soul was being carved away, shaking her entire being with agony.
“Just endure it a little longer.”
“Haa… yes, K-Kwon O-jin.”
Amid the searing pain that felt like her mind was burning white-hot, Cassia heard his warm voice and bit her lip firmly.
Kwon O-jin carefully removed the Heavenly Demon’s power that had taken root within the Serpens Constellation stigma.
But.
‘The magical power is too unstable.’
As Heukcheon’s power vanished, the stigma’s magical energy surged violently, ravaging her entire body.
It was like the ground beneath her feet suddenly collapsing, leaving her flailing helplessly.
‘The Heavenly Demon’s power had already become part of the stigma itself.’
If that were the case, mere ‘removal’ alone would be insufficient to restore Cassia’s stigma to its original state.
Even if it were a malignant tumor, as long as it remained part of the body, forcibly excising it would inevitably draw blood.
‘Then.’
I channeled my energy to fill the void left by the Heavenly Demon’s Heukcheon as it tore away.
“Haah, haah!”
As the turbulent magical power subsided, Cassia’s breathing stabilized.
“Phew. It’s over.”
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and stepped back from Cassia.
“From now on, you’ll never be ‘dominated’ by him again.”
When the Heavenly Demon first revealed himself in the Demon Realm, both Cassia and Isabella had collapsed in agony under the influence of his ‘Heukcheon’.
But.
Now that I had completely excised the Heavenly Demon’s power embedded in her stigma and replaced it with my own, she would never again be affected by his ‘domination’.
‘And.’
Even if the Heavenly Demon’s Heukcheon were to vanish entirely, Cassia and Isabella would not perish alongside it.
Every shackle that had bound her was now completely severed.
‘Though those shackles have simply been replaced by me.’
As long as I didn’t use the ‘domination’ ability, they were as good as nonexistent.
“…Ah.”
Cassia’s green eyes widened in perfect circles.
She gently caressed her stigma, her voice trembling as she spoke.
“Then… does that mean the Heavenly Demon’s power has completely vanished from within me?”
“That’s right.”
“….”
A tremor rippled down her spine, spreading through her entire body.
Tears began to well up in Cassia’s eyes.
“What, what is it? Why are you like this?”
“…Sob.”
Seeing my bewilderment, Cassia could no longer hold back her tears.
Did he understand?
How much meaning his casual action held for her?
“I was always… always so anxious.”
About the fact that the Heavenly Demon’s power remained within her.
About the possibility that if the Heavenly Demon wished it, he could turn her into a puppet again at any moment.
And most of all.
“I kept worrying… that I might hurt you again with my own hands.”
“….”
So that’s what she’d been worried about.
I offered a bitter smile and gently patted Cassia’s trembling back.
‘Unlike her usual composed demeanor, her heart is quite tender.’
Both Cassia and Isabella, true to their sisterhood, displayed similar vulnerabilities in such moments.
“It’s alright. You don’t need to worry about that anymore.”
“Sniff… Thank you.”
Cassia leaned her head against my chest and smiled softly.
Just as I was comforting the sniffling Cassia, it happened.
“How much longer are you going to cling to Kwon O-jin?”
Isabella approached and tugged at Cassia’s shoulder.
Cassia narrowed her eyes in clear displeasure and shot Isabella a glare.
“We were having such a nice moment. Why are you interrupting?”
“Hmph. Should I just quietly watch this scene of infidelity unfold?”
“My, anyone listening would think we were already married.”
The two sisters started bickering again.
I sighed and shook my head slowly.
“Both of you, stop fighting.”
“Why? It’s fun.”
Ha-eun crunched on popcorn and burst into giggles.
“…Is now really the time for you to be enjoying this, Elder Sister?”
Shouldn’t Ha-eun be the most uncomfortable with this situation?
“My mental fortitude has been tempered by a certain someone.”
“…Ahem.”
With no rebuttal left, I let out an awkward cough and shook my head.
Isabella approached me.
“Kwon O-jin, can you also erase the Heavenly Demon’s power dwelling within my stigma?”
“Of course.”
Though the types of stigmas we possessed differed, both contained the Heavenly Demon’s power, so replacing it with my Heukcheon wasn’t difficult.
“Then could I ask you to do it?”
Isabella smiled mischievously and pulled my hand to her left chest.
Soft.
An overwhelming presence transmitted through my palm.
For a moment, a hallucination flashed through my mind—as if a massive mountain range blocked my vision.
“….”
“My, what’s wrong?”
Isabella burst into laughter, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Behind her, Cassia’s expression twisted.
“Your reaction seems quite different from when you touched mine.”
“That’s only natural, Elder Sister.”
Isabella wore the smile of a victor, her shoulders held high.
Cassia irritably gnawed at her nails, glaring at Isabella with fierce eyes.
“I need to concentrate now, so stop.”
I drew upon Heukcheon’s power while doing my best to ignore the sensations transmitted through my palm.
Just as I had with Cassia, I uprooted the Heavenly Demon’s power dwelling within Isabella’s stigma and replaced it with my own.
“…Ah.”
A faint gasp escaped between my lips.
Isabella caressed the stigma carved on her left chest and offered a radiant smile.
“It feels like you’ve entered inside me, Kwon O-jin.”
“You mean Heukcheon, right?”
“It’s so warm… and comforting.”
“No.”
Hey, miss.
Why are you acting like this toward me?
As Kwon O-jin pressed his forehead with a pained expression.
“Ugh…! Ahhh!”
Isabella’s expression twisted as crimson magical power erupted violently from within her.
Magical power spreading wide like mist.
Isabella clutched her left chest, releasing anguished moans.
“…This is.”
A sight no Awakened could fail to recognize.
It was the ‘elevation of a stigma’—something Kwon O-jin had experienced not long ago.

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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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