Not A Regressor - Chapter 57

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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 57
My Home (1)
Ten days had passed since the poisoning incident orchestrated by Pandinius Guild.
I finally rose from that wretched hospital bed and was cleared for discharge.
‘I thought I’d go mad from the suffocation.’
Lying there with an oxygen mask, restless and itching to move—I’d nearly lost my mind.
“Well… at least my control over cerebral electricity improved because of it.”
With nothing else to do while bedridden, I spent all ten days repeatedly training my cerebral electricity manipulation.
My primary focus was learning to control extremely minute quantities of cerebral electricity with precision.
By concentrating on the kind of minimal discharge you’d find in a remote control or portable fan, I discovered an entirely different sensation.
‘It was harder than I expected.’
Like handling a soap bubble that bursts at the slightest touch.
I’d always unleashed cerebral electricity with destructive force, so reducing the output actually made it far more difficult to control.
‘I’ll need to keep training this consistently.’
If I could refine my fine-control over cerebral electricity, there would likely be far more applications than I’d initially imagined.
“You could say this was a blessing in disguise, in a way.”
Had I not been confined to this hospital bed, I might never have thought to develop such precision with my cerebral electricity.
I tidied up the hospital room where I’d spent the last ten days and stepped outside.
The door clicked shut behind me.
“Are you certain you’re well enough to be discharged already?”
A director approached me as I exited.
“Yes. I’ve made a complete recovery.”
….
Han Jun-man bowed deeply, his expression rigid and strained.
“I sincerely apologize, Kwon O-jin. All responsibility for this incident falls on me for failing to adequately protect your safety.”
His massive fist trembled visibly as he clenched it.
I smiled faintly and shook my head.
“How is this your responsibility? The ones who tried to poison me are someone else entirely.”
“But—”
“I should have prioritized my health instead of rushing ahead so carelessly. I bear some fault as well.”
“Kwon O-jin….”
Han Jun-man’s eyes glistened with emotion as his words trailed off.
‘Why is he like this?’
That expression and those eyes were incredibly burdensome to witness.
“More importantly, what happened to those Pandinius bastards?”
“They denied everything to the end, then scattered and fled. Other major guilds are currently pursuing them.”
Wow.
I knew they’d collapse, but to fall apart in just ten days?
‘Reputation is a fascinating thing.’
A massive guild ranking in Korea’s top ten.
I had blown away the apostles of Scorpio, who belonged to the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, with a single con.
‘Well, they had plenty of unsavory rumors about them from the start anyway.’
Even before this incident, the reputation of the Pandinius Guild wasn’t particularly good.
It was as if all the accumulated karma had exploded at once.
“So we’ve become the 9th ranked guild now?”
“Ha ha. No. The vacant 10th guild position was filled by Valhalla Guild. Though they’re at the bottom of the rankings.”
“…That’s impressive for a guild with fewer than twenty members total.”
“It happened because each guild member is exceptionally skilled.”
Certainly, just thinking of Park Chang-hyun, who had worked with us this time, he was quite capable.
And the guild master, Lee Woo-hyuk, went without saying.
“Did anything come up about the Black Star Society this time?”
“Hmm… No. I didn’t hear anything separate about the Black Star Society.”
As expected.
So they had cut ties with the Black Star Society and left immediately.
‘It’s a shame I couldn’t dig deeper into the Black Star Society this time.’
The Black Star Society and the Pandinius Guild.
I hadn’t managed to find out what kind of dealings had occurred between them, or just how close their relationship was.
‘I suppose I should be satisfied with taking care of their collaborators.’
Kwon O-jin clicked his tongue.
“Ah, but separately from this incident, I did hear something about the Black Star Society.”
“Yes?”
They had heard something about the Black Star Society?
“Though it’s not news from South Korea but from abroad. Apparently, a group called the Black Star Society has been expanding their forces at an alarming rate recently in Italy.”
“….”
So these bastards weren’t just local bastards—they were global bastards?
‘Come to think of it, it would be ridiculous for a force of that magnitude to be crammed together in this narrow land.’
It made no sense for people who could flip the world upside down to be confined to South Korea alone.
‘As for overseas… I don’t have the capacity to worry about that right now.’
I couldn’t even put out the fire happening in my own house—this wasn’t the time to worry about the neighbor’s house burning.
“If you hear any more news later, please contact me right away.”
“Yes, understood.”
Director Han Jun-man nodded and turned to leave.
“Are you heading straight home?”
“That’s the plan.”
I need to check in on how my Nae-rang is doing.
When we texted, she spoke as if she knew it was my doing, but still, we hadn’t been apart for ten days.
“Then I’ll see you home.”
“Oh, I’d appreciate that.”
“This way, please.”
Director Han led the way toward the staff-only elevator rather than the general patient elevator.
“Why are we going this way…?”
“There are reporters swarming outside. You’ve only just been discharged from the hospital, Kwon O-jin. Shouldn’t you rest comfortably?”
Han Jun-man grinned and gave a thumbs up.
Damn, that’s cool.
“There’s really no one like you, hyung.”
“Come on, what’s with the formality? Haha!”
“Then uncle?”
“…I’m still in my mid-thirties, you know?”
“Puhaha! That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all year.”
This guy had no shame whatsoever.
He looked clearly in his late forties, yet I’d just knocked off over a decade from his age.
“….”
Han Jun-man’s expression darkened abruptly.
‘Wait, what?’
He was actually in his mid-thirties?
“You’re actually in your mid-thirties?! I thought you were in your twenties like me, hyung!!”
“Ah, well, I suppose so?”
He smiled sheepishly.
A gorilla smiling.
Good grief.
He really was in his mid-thirties.
‘So he climbed to the position of vice-director of the Association in his mid-thirties?’
Han Jun-man certainly seemed to possess exceptional abilities.
Of course, the decisive factor was probably recruiting the Apostle of Zhinu to the Association.
“People do tell me I look young for my age! Haha!”
The muscular frame of the laughing director seemed ready to burst through his shirt.
Pop!
A button from his strained chest popped off and rolled across the floor.
Well.
I could understand the sentiment of whoever had complimented his youthful appearance.
“Get in.”
“Yes.”
After exiting through the staff elevator, I got into the director’s vehicle.
It was a jeep befitting his massive frame.
-Vroom!
The car pulled away with a smoothness entirely at odds with his appearance.
It took about forty minutes to reach my home.
“I’ll contact you later then.”
“Yes. You get some rest too, Han Jun-man.”
After parting ways with the director, I entered my home.
Creak.
The familiar musty smell assaulted my nostrils.
“I’m home~!”
I called out to Ha-eun, who should have been waiting inside, as I stepped through the door.
“Huh?”
The house was completely empty.
Not that Ha-eun had simply stepped out.
Literally everything—furniture, groceries, all of it—had vanished.
“What… what is this?”
I stood frozen, my gaze sweeping across the barren space.
‘Did someone break in?’
That made no sense.
What could anyone possibly steal from this crumbling hovel?
“If it wasn’t a robbery….”
My expression hardened as I dialed Ha-eun’s number.
An ominous chill crawled down my spine.
—Bzzzzzz.
“Damn it!”
The call wouldn’t go through.
I bit my lip anxiously, my jaw tightening.
Then.
“…Hm?”
A small scrap of paper lay in the center of the empty room.
‘What’s this?’
I picked up the paper.
[Come to Exit 9 of Hapjeong Station immediately upon reading this.]
It was written in Ha-eun’s handwriting.
“Phew.”
At least nothing had happened to her.
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
I sent her a text message, my brow furrowed.
She’d read it, but there was no reply.
“Ugh.”
I had no choice but to go there myself.
“What kind of dog-and-pony show is this?”
I’d just spent an hour driving from Yeouido to get home, and now she wanted me back in Seoul?
I heaved a heavy sigh and headed back out.
Fortunately, the Association had provided me with a vehicle, so getting there wasn’t difficult.
After another hour of driving, I finally arrived at Hapjeong Station.
“You came?”
I spotted Ha-eun waiting in front of Exit 9.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Hehe. I just wanted to mess with you a bit. Why?”
Ha-eun lifted her chin with a brazen expression.
Kwon O-jin let out a hollow laugh as he looked at her.
Mess with me? What’s there to mess with?
“Stop talking and follow me, you punk.”
Ha-eun grabbed my arm and pulled.
“…?”
I had no idea what was going on.
‘I’ll find out once I follow her.’
I followed behind Ha-eun.
She led me to a mixed-use apartment complex located near Hapjeong Station.
It was clearly an expensive apartment, as upscale restaurants lined the surroundings.
“…Don’t tell me.”
By this point, I could begin to guess what Ha-eun was up to.
An empty house with not a single piece of furniture.
Dragging me to a luxury apartment with that smug expression on her face meant only one thing.
“Sister, you mentioned you had something to do last time.”
“Shh. Keep quiet.”
“….”
Standing at the apartment entrance, Ha-eun held up her card key.
Beep.
The door opened with an electronic chime.
We took the elevator up to the seventh floor.
“The floor level is a bit low, but.”
Creak.
Ha-eun smiled as she opened the entrance.
“Wow.”
A short exclamation escaped my lips.
The space was probably around 200 square meters.
For such an expensive apartment, it wasn’t particularly spacious, but compared to my original place of less than 80 square meters, this was practically a palace.
Most importantly, there was no mold. The walls weren’t cracked, and no mysterious fungi were growing anywhere.
“W-what is this?”
I looked at her with a bewildered expression.
“Kyahahaha! Surprised?”
Ha-eun poked my ribs.
“Well… you helped with some of the cost. It felt wrong to keep receiving from my younger brother without giving anything back.”
She smiled sheepishly while touching the eye patch covering her right eye with her hand.
“…Where did the money come from?”
“I told you. I wasn’t just idling away these past three months.”
She shrugged and continued.
“This time the reward money came in nicely… and I pulled some loans to buy it. Those bank bastards wouldn’t even look at me five years ago, but now that they’ve recovered their strength, they’re practically tearing open their vaults to lend to me.”
Despite her words, it was clear she’d stretched herself quite thin to afford it.
“Well, money’s something we can earn going forward.”
Ha-eun laughed brightly and slapped Kwon O-jin on the back.
“Anyway.”
A grin spread across her face.
Her smile radiant.
“This is our home now!”
She stood in the middle of the spacious living room with her arms spread wide.
“…Sister.”
My voice trembled.
An indescribable surge of emotion welled up from the depths of my chest.
Of course, I’d thought that once I became an Apostle of the Weaver Star, I’d be able to move into a new place soon enough.
But I never imagined it would happen like this.
“Hahahaha! Look at this view—it’s insane, right? The Association is close by and the Star Palace is nearby too, so it’s so much more convenient to get around! And in the neighborhood….”
“Sister! Sister! Siiiiister!!!”
“Kyaaaah!”
I pulled her into an embrace.
“W-what? What is it?”
How could I possibly express this overwhelming emotion?
A burning passion.
Endorphins flooded my nervous system in a wild rush.
━I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I surrendered myself to the torrent of emotions pouring out.
“O-Kwon O-jin, wait, calm down….”
I pulled her waist closer.
“Mmph?!”
Our lips met.
“Huh?!”
Their lips touched.

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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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