Not A Regressor - Chapter 9

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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 9
Registration Assessment (1)
The Special Disaster Security Management Association.
It’s a respectable name, but truthfully, no one actually calls it that.
The organization commonly known as the Awakener Association.
Awakeners chosen by the Constellations and granted stigmas can apply to the Association and receive a registration certificate.
Of course.
The ‘registration certificate’ itself held little significance.
When the Gates opened, the nation nearly collapsed, weakening public authority to the point where the certificate’s practical value was virtually nonexistent.
“Damn, it’s packed in here.”
Yet despite this, numerous Awakeners gathered outside the Association’s headquarters in Yeouido, waiting for their registration certificate assessment.
The reason Awakeners from across the nation converged for a meaningless certificate.
The reason was quite simple.
‘You need the registration certificate to get good scout offers from Guilds.’
To put it simply, it was like registering merchandise at an auction house.
Awakeners rated 1 to 2 stars with good assessment results supposedly received lavish scout offers from major Guilds.
As for the opposite—well, that spoke for itself.
‘I don’t particularly intend to join a Guild anyway.’
My real purpose for coming here lay elsewhere.
“Since I’ve got some time before my turn… I should dispose of these Constellation Stones first.”
I headed toward the Constellation Stone buyback shop attached to the side of the Association headquarters building.
I handed two sacks containing Constellation Stones to an employee wearing a business smile.
One was collected while partying with Lee Shin-hyuk, and the other was gathered from yesterday’s Gate.
“Based on the November 8th, 2020 market rate, that’s 1.44 million won. Shall I pay you in cash?”
“Transfer it to my account.”
Receiving cash would feel better, but I was concerned about potentially losing it.
‘That can’t happen.’
Over a million won was a substantial sum.
I absolutely could not lose it.
“That’s 1.152 million won after income tax.”
“Damn it.”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Twenty percent income tax—these bastards were highway robbers.
“Sigh.”
Deep frustration burned through my head, but I suppressed my anger through superhuman restraint.
I wanted to sell through illegal channels that didn’t deduct taxes, but doing so could actually get me killed.
‘Illegal Constellation Stone sales are regulated more strictly than narcotics.’
No matter how much its authority had crumbled, the Association was still the nation’s largest institution.
Getting caught would mean far more than just a tax issue.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and pocketed the receipt.
All that remained in my possession now was a single Stigma harvested from the mutant.
‘I should wait for a better opportunity to sell this.’
Standard Stigmas had fixed international market rates, but mutant Stigmas were different.
It would be more profitable to gather some information first before selling.
“Let’s see… time’s getting close.”
Checking the time, I realized the registration examination was approaching.
I made my way toward the headquarters building.
“Awakener number 57, please.”
“Yes.”
Tap, tap.
I rose from my seat in the waiting room at the sound of my number being called.
“Which Constellation are you affiliated with?”
The bureaucratic employee asked mechanically while filling out documents.
“Lyra.”
“Lyra…?”
The employee tilted their head in confusion and scanned the chart placed beside them.
“…Huh?”
Their eyes widened as they examined the chart.
“W-wait a moment, please. Could you say that again? Which Constellation did you say?”
Bang!
The employee pushed back their chair and stood up, their voice urgent.
As if I’d anticipated this reaction, I opened my mouth with a composed expression.
“Lyra. L-y-r-a.”
“L-Lyra, you mean to say you’re possibly…”
“Yes.”
I chuckled softly and nodded.
“I am Vega’s Apostle.”
“…!!!”
The employee’s mouth fell open in shock.
“P-please wait just a moment!!”
They spun around and rushed off urgently.
Murmur, murmur.
The gazes of those around me converged on me.
“Ha.”
I let out a short, hollow laugh and clicked my tongue.
Though I’d anticipated this reaction, experiencing it directly made me chuckle despite myself.
‘So this is the weight of the North Pole’s name.’
I’d genuinely deliberated over whether to reveal my status as a Lyra Awakener.
Simply being a Constellation of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces was enough to cause considerable upheaval, so I could easily imagine what chaos would ensue if I revealed myself as one of the roughly ten “Apostles of the North Star” across the entire world.
Considering the countless annoyances that would follow, I could always live like a protagonist from a generic isekai novel—hiding my power as a loser—but.
‘That would be far too foolish.’
A name’s worth is power itself.
My foundation was far too weak to abandon the immense power that came with being an Apostle of the North Star.
Beyond mere money, I lacked connections, information, and various miscellaneous authorities.
Looking ahead, there was no shortage of what I needed.
‘And to resolve that.’
Power.
I needed a title that no one could ignore—Apostle of the North Star.
“Um… it seems it will take a little time. Could you come over here and wait?”
The employee who had rushed off somewhere approached and asked politely.
The mechanical, businesslike demeanor from before was nowhere to be seen.
‘Yes, this is the power of authority.’
A smirk crossed my face.
I nodded with a slight smile.
“Just follow me, please.”
The employee led the way ahead.
“What?”
“What’s going on?”
I felt the gazes of those around me, murmuring with curiosity, but I ignored them lightly.
-Click.
“Please wait inside here.”
The place the employee guided me to was a waiting room marked “VIP Lounge.”
“Understood.”
I nodded lightly and stepped inside.
“…Hm?”
Inside sat a young man with short blonde hair and a somewhat flashy impression.
“Who is this guy?”
The blonde youth asked the employee as if addressing a servant.
“Ah, Awakener Park Jung-woo has arrived. Um… there was a situation, so we brought him here.”
“What situation?”
“That is….”
The employee glanced at me nervously.
-Ring!
Just then, a bell chimed throughout the room.
“I, I have an urgent matter to attend to!”
“Wait, let me explain….”
-Slam!
The employee shut the door and fled.
“….”
“….”
An awkward silence settled over the room now that we were alone.
‘What’s this guy’s deal now?’
I narrowed my eyes as I studied the blonde young man called Park Jung-woo.
He sat on the sofa as if it were his own living room, staring at me intently.
I considered striking up a conversation, but decided against it.
‘Probably some rookie from a major Guild trying to make a name for himself.’
I’d heard before that Awakeners already affiliated with Guilds sometimes took the registration exam to build their reputation.
Given that he was in the VIP waiting room, he was likely that type.
‘But more importantly…’
My eyes drifted toward a table in the corner of the waiting room.
The table was lined with snacks and cakes like a dessert buffet, along with simple appetizers.
And that wasn’t all—the mini refrigerator beside it was stocked with various beverages and alcohol.
‘Is all of that… free?’
It must have been placed here for us to eat while waiting.
‘A buffet.’
Damn, a buffet.
I’d only ever seen one in pictures—this was my first time seeing one in person.
━A thrill.
A tingling sensation spread down my spine.
‘How much does all this cost?’
The cakes and pastries arranged on the elegant plates looked incredibly expensive at first glance.
‘This is…’
I couldn’t resist.
No,
I shouldn’t resist.
There was no way I could pass up a chance to eat my fill for free.
—Click, click.
I piled cakes and pastries high onto a plate.
Munch, munch.
Not knowing when the staff would return, I hastily shoveled the cakes and pastries onto my plate.
“Heh heh heh. This is amazing.”
I wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, but knowing everything was free made such preferences irrelevant.
“…Ha.”
Park Jung-woo let out a hollow laugh as he watched me greedily empty the plates.
I ignored him.
‘Is there a bag anywhere?’
Having emptied three plates in no time, I glanced around searching for a bag.
‘I need to wrap up everything that’s left and take it with me.’
Wasn’t this food left here for me to eat anyway?
There shouldn’t be any problem taking it.
‘Hehe, our Ha-eun will be delighted again.’
Since I rarely had the chance to eat desserts like this, she would enjoy it even more.
As I imagined Ha-eun’s smile in my mind—
“What the hell are you doing?”
Thud!!
Park Jung-woo, his brow furrowed in displeasure, roughly planted his foot on the table.
….
Oh Jin set down the cake he’d been eating onto his plate and lifted his head.
Watching Park Jung-woo’s sharp gaze pierce toward him, a smirk played at the corners of his mouth.
Hmm.
Oh Jin leaned back leisurely against the sofa and crossed his legs.
“Quite the bold fellow, aren’t you?”
Shifting his tone,
he opened his mouth with a solemn voice.
“Young people these days have such vigor—it’s refreshing to see.”
It wasn’t just his voice.
As if flipping a switch, Oh Jin’s expression, gestures, and the very aura he emanated transformed in an instant.
The ravenous way he’d emptied his plate moments before now seemed like a mirage, replaced by the mysterious presence of a reclusive master.
“What nonsense…”
“Do you know who I am?”
Flinch.
Park Jung-woo’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“…Who are you?”
“Heh. I suppose this is what happens when one doesn’t stay active.”
Tsk tsk tsk.
He chuckled like an old man and folded his arms with ease.
“Even so, being guided to a VIP room should have been enough for you to recognize me.”
….
Park Jung-woo clenched his fists with an anxious expression, his lips pressed firmly shut.
‘Who is he?’
Given how confidently he carried himself, he seemed like a famous figure whose face was well-known, yet no one came to mind.
‘From the way he speaks, he sounds like some old man….’
Now that he thought about it, he’d heard something like this before.
When an Awakener surpasses the 9th Star, their physical body sometimes becomes younger.
‘Sh, shit.’
Gulp.
Park Jung-woo, sensing something had gone terribly wrong, clenched his fists with a tense expression.
Come to think of it, this man had also been guided to the ‘VIP room’ just like him.
That meant he was no ordinary Awakener.
“Which Guild do you belong to?”
“I, I am….”
“Speak.”
“…Huh?”
“Your words have been rather sparse since earlier.”
Tsk, tsk.
A warm smile played across my lips as I opened my eyes to narrow slits.
“…!!”
A chill raced down Park Jung-woo’s spine, spreading across his entire body.
Catching sight of the eerie glint that shone between those narrowed eyes, Park Jung-woo found himself instinctively rising from his seat in an awkward half-crouch.
‘What, what is this.’
A vast emptiness, as if gazing into an endless expanse of black sky.
How could a single glance transform a person so completely?
He couldn’t even be certain this was the same person who had been greedily devouring cake moments ago.
“I, I am… from the Pandinus Guild.”
“Pandinus, you say.”
A Guild formed by Awakeners bearing the Scorpio Constellation.
It was famous enough to rank among Korea’s top ten Guilds.
‘The Guild Master’s name was Kang Chan-hyuk, wasn’t it.’
Thousand Poison Kang Chan-hyuk.
One of Korea’s representative Awakeners—though calling him that might be a stretch—but he was still quite renowned.
If I had to rank him, he’d barely crack the top thirty.
Considering that Korea alone had tens of thousands of Awakeners, there was no denying his considerable skill.
“Ah, so it was Chan-hyuk’s Guild.”
I nodded, gazing into empty space with a nostalgic expression.
“…Do, do you know the Guild Master?”
No.
I didn’t know him.
“Back in the day, we’d grab meals together, hit the sauna, all sorts of things!”
“The, the sauna…?”
“Tsk, tsk. That fresh-faced kid became a proper Guild Master before I knew it.”
As I continued speaking, Park Jung-woo’s expression grew increasingly pale.
“I should grab a drink with him soon. Oh, could you pass along a message to Chan-hyuk for me? Tell him it’s from ‘Kwon Jin-o’—he’ll know.”
“That, that is. I, um….”
He trembled violently, his face drained of all color.
-Thud!!
He dropped to his knees roughly, bowing his head.
“I, I beg your pardon for not recognizing your esteemed presence and committing such rudeness!!!!”
“Tsk, tsk. Don’t worry about it. Even a young friend can make mistakes.”
Oh Jin smiled warmly and gave Park Jung-woo’s shoulder a light pat.
“No, no!!! I made a terrible mistake…!”
“Well then, could you do me just one favor?”
“Just say the word, sir!!!”
Park Jung-woo bowed respectfully and shouted with a resonant voice.
“Then.”
Oh Jin swiftly extended his hand, pointing to the table still laden with cake and pastries.
“Bring me some bags and pack up everything that’s left over there.”
….

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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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