Not A Regressor - Chapter 81

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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 81
The Saint of Rome (2)
A city ablaze.
Through the ruins of the streets, monsters with razor-sharp fangs indiscriminately assaulted people, draining their blood with ravenous hunger.
Greedily. Voraciously.
The vampires reveled in their blood feast, their shoulders shaking with glee.
━A scene that resembled the very depths of hell itself.
Standing atop the building rooftop, I gazed down upon the pervasive death and clenched my fists with raw intensity.
-In the end… it came to this.
My voice, thick with regret, resonated low and hollow.
Click.
Just then, the rooftop door swung open as a young man approached me.
A youth with sharp eyes and flawless features.
It was Lee Woo-hyuk, the Black Lion.
-Hyuk. How’s the situation?
-…It’s already too late.
I shook my head, my expression sunken deep with despair.
-The entire city has been completely seized by those False Star Sect bastards.
I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped the spear in my hand with brutal force.
Blue mana erupted savagely across the spear, which bore the emblem of a roaring lion.
-Hyuk. We don’t have much time left…
-I know.
I shook my head, consumed by profound despair.
Whirrrrrr.
Just then, my smartphone rang.
I pulled it from my pocket and answered the call.
-Yeah. Got it, noona. Woo-hyuk and I will head over there.
After ending the call with the woman whose name I didn’t know, I stared down at the smartphone in my hand.
The date displayed on the screen was June 29th, Year 23.
-…Woo-hyuk. That incident happened two years ago on June 30th, right?
-Yeah.
I lifted my head, having stared intently at the screen.
The city engulfed in flames.
I bit my lip as I gazed upon the streets teeming with vampires consumed by madness.
-What if.
Crunch.
I ground my teeth savagely, forcing the words out.
-What if… back then… if I had met Isabella that day… would things be different now?
-…Hyuk.
Lee Woo-hyuk gazed at me with a look of sympathy.
Crash!!
I crumpled the rooftop railing in my grip and shook my head violently.
A single tear streamed down my cheek.
—If only we’d met back then…!!
I cried out as if wailing—
—Bzzzzzzzzt!!!
My vision flickered as if corrupted by static.
—Ding!
[《Compass Spear Technique Lv6》 has risen to 《Compass Spear Technique Lv7》.]
“Gasp!!!”
Ragged breath burst from my lungs as if I’d barely escaped from drowning in deep water.
“Ugh… my head’s about to split open.”
Kwon O-jin grimaced, gripping his throbbing forehead.
‘What in the world happened?’
He recalled the streets of Rome engulfed in flames.
A horrific future where vampires sank their fangs into people’s necks and greedily drained their blood.
It was a ghastly sight that looked like something out of a zombie movie.
“…First, let me organize the information I’ve obtained.”
He sifted through Lee Shin-hyuk’s memories that had flooded his mind, sorting the information piece by piece.
1. In two years, Italy will be destroyed by vampires.
2. The primary culprit behind the destruction is an organization called the False Star Sect.
3. Lee Shin-hyuk regretted that if he had met a woman named Isabella two years ago, he could have prevented Italy’s destruction.
“The False Star Sect, huh….”
Kwon O-jin narrowed his eyes, speaking the unfamiliar name aloud.
‘Where in the world is that?’
So another organization existed separate from the Black Star Society.
“Damn it.”
The Black Star Society alone was a force so massive he could barely handle it, and now these mysterious bastards were getting involved too.
‘Is it an organization led by the Heavenly Demon?’
He had no idea.
He didn’t even know whether the Heavenly Demon existed at that point two years in the future, so there was no way to know.
‘I’ll think about that later.’
For now, he needed to focus on other information.
“…Isabella?”
The name seemed familiar from somewhere, but nothing concrete came to mind.
‘I don’t know what incident occurs on June 30th… but it seems I need to meet Isabella that day to prevent the catastrophe.’
Kwon O-jin turned to check the calendar hanging on the wall.
June 24th.
Less than a week remained before the incident would occur.
“Ugh.”
With less than a week remaining, I didn’t even know who Isabella was.
‘Time is running out.’
I had to meet her on June 30th to prevent the catastrophe that would unfold two years later.
“Hmm.”
To be honest.
The catastrophe itself didn’t concern me much.
What did it matter if Italy fell or hundreds of thousands were slaughtered?
Living for some nameless person—
In a world where even the warmth clutched in one’s hand is difficult to protect.
But.
“If I’m a regressor… I have to stop it.”
As long as I was playing the role of a regressor.
I couldn’t simply ignore a future catastrophe.
For Vega, I had to exist as nothing less than the ‘Star Against Heaven.’
‘And.’
Even setting aside the act itself.
“…I heard the Black Star Society’s influence has been spreading rapidly in Italy recently.”
If that’s connected to the False Star Sect.
If the Black Star Society is hiding behind the destruction of an entire city.
‘Then I have to stop it.’
If I don’t.
The flames that consumed Rome would reach my doorstep in the not-too-distant future.
“Sigh.”
Kwon O-jin exhaled deeply, turned his body, and stepped outside.
‘First, I need to find out who Isabella is.’
Before that.
There was somewhere I needed to visit first.
* * *
“…So this is information about the Black Star Society.”
Lee Woo-hyuk accepted the USB, his eyes gleaming sharply.
The figure who had been lying in a hospital bed counting down his final days not long ago was nowhere to be found.
A ferocious aura like that of a lion suffused the surroundings.
“Guild Master.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
At Kim Sun-young’s call, the murderous intent that had gripped the room dissipated.
“First, I wanted to thank you for taking on such a dangerous task on our behalf.”
Kim Sun-young bowed respectfully toward Kwon O-jin.
“It’s fine. We’re cooperating with each other, after all.”
“Based on the information in this USB, we’ll continue tracking the Black Star Society.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Though it was swept away so helplessly by Cheon Do-yoon’s hand.
Still, Valhalla Guild was a powerful organization that had recently been incorporated into the top ten guilds.
To fight the Black Star Society, I needed their help.
“Then should I provide the compensation in the form of essence stones as you mentioned just now?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate it if you could provide essence stones from monsters of 7-star grade or higher.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Lee Woo-hyuk answered with a confident voice.
‘I like how straightforward he is.’
I’d felt it before when he casually offered three billion won, but Lee Woo-hyuk had quite a refreshing personality despite his appearance.
‘Unlike his older brother.’
I let out a quiet chuckle and turned my gaze toward Lee Woo-hyuk.
“Oh right. Apart from the Black Star Society, there are a few things I’d like to ask about.”
“Please go ahead. I’ll answer if I can.”
“Have you ever heard of an organization called the False Star Sect?”
“The False Star Sect…?”
Lee Woo-hyuk narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.
He glanced toward Kim Sun-young with a questioning look.
“No. It’s the first time I’ve heard of that organization too.”
Kim Sun-young shook her head while adjusting her glasses slightly.
“Hmm… If Sun-young doesn’t know, it seems like an organization that’s hiding its information quite thoroughly. Is it related to the Black Star Society?”
“That… I’m not sure.”
I still didn’t have enough information to know whether the False Star Sect and the Black Star Society were actually connected.
“We’ll look into it on our end as well. Sun-young, find out what you can about the False Star Sect.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After giving Kim Sun-young a brief order, Lee Woo-hyuk turned his head toward me.
“Sun-young has quite extensive connections when it comes to information. You should be able to hear good news soon.”
“Ha. Thank you.”
For a small, elite guild, Valhalla Guild certainly seemed well-informed.
It must have been thanks to Kim Sun-young.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“One more thing… Have you ever heard the name Isabella? She’s probably Italian.”
Since the incident occurred in Rome.
There was a high probability she was Italian.
“If it’s an Italian named Isabella… Are you perhaps referring to the Saint of Rome?”
The Saint of Rome?
“Isabella Colgrande. Her name hasn’t become widely known domestically yet, but overseas she’s an awakener who’s just as famous as you, Kwon O-jin.”
“Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d heard that name in passing on the news before.
“I have a photo… Ah, here it is.”
Kim Sun-young lightly manipulated the tablet in her hand.
A hologram materialized in the empty air as if shot forth from a beam projector.
“Oh….”
An exclamation escaped my lips unbidden.
Was this what a princess from a fairy tale would look like?
Platinum blonde hair cascading to her shoulders, skin as pristine white as fresh snow, and eyes gleaming with crystalline blue clarity.
Even Kwon O-jin, whose standards for feminine beauty had been considerably elevated after meeting Ha-eun and Vega, couldn’t help but gasp at the sheer radiance of her appearance.
“She’s one of the world-renowned Super Rookies, just like Kwon O-jin. I heard she reached 6-Star just one year after awakening.”
6-Star in just one year after awakening.
That was certainly a growth rate worthy of the title Super Rookie.
“Well… compared to Kwon O-jin, it might not be that impressive.”
Kim Sun-young offered a wry smile and shrugged her shoulders.
“Anyway. You want to know more about her, right?”
“Yes. As detailed as possible.”
“One moment.”
Kim Sun-young adjusted her glasses and tapped on her tablet.
“First, her stigma is from Aries—a constellation belonging to the Zodiac Twelve Palaces.”
I’d anticipated that much.
If she hadn’t been part of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, she wouldn’t have earned the title of Super Rookie in the first place.
“Similar to Aquarius, it’s a support-type constellation, but that doesn’t mean she lacks combat ability. In fact, she’s quite formidable in that regard.”
An awakener of Aries.
I’d heard of it before, but I’d never actually met one.
“But is there a particular reason she’s called the Saint of Rome?”
“Of course. First, she’s an extraordinary philanthropist. She operates dozens of centers caring for children and the elderly who lost their guardians in Gate incidents.”
“Dozens?”
No matter how much she’s lauded as a Super Rookie, could one person really operate dozens of such centers?
Even if I tried, it wouldn’t be easy.
“The Colgrande Family has an enormous fortune.”
Kim Sun-young formed an O with her thumb and forefinger.
“Beyond that, she provides free medical treatment to vagrants living in areas where healthcare has collapsed… and honestly, her appearance has also contributed significantly to her fame.”
“That’s certainly true.”
What could have greater impact on fame than a beautiful appearance?
Add to that the stigma of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces and the miraculous talent of reaching 6-Star in just one year?
‘…It’s only natural that such a grand title as Saint would be attached to her.’
I even found myself wondering if Isabella might be more famous overseas than I am as an Apostle of Polaris.
“And….”
Kim Sun-young, who had been explaining Isabella, trailed off.
“We haven’t been able to secure solid evidence for this yet.”
A short sigh escaped my lips.
I continued speaking.
“Recently, there have been several assassination attempts on Isabella.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I’ve heard about this on the news.”
In fact, the first time I’d ever heard the name Isabella Colgrande was from that very news report.
Since I’d only caught it in passing, I hadn’t remembered it until just moments ago.
“Yes. And.”
Kim Sun-young’s eyes gleamed sharply behind her glasses.
“We suspect the perpetrator is connected to the Black Star Society.”
“…What?”
Not you bastards again.

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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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