Not A Regressor - Chapter 90

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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 90
Constellations of Antiquity (1)
‘What?’
My head throbbed dully at the incomprehensible situation.
‘Why… is my sister there?’
In the first regression, Ha-eun had traveled alongside Lee Shin-hyuk.
Close enough that she was called “sister” with such familiarity.
The questions remained unanswered as the memories continued to flow.
-Kyieeeeeek!
-Damn it! These bastards are relentless!
Ha-eun watched the vampires rushing after the ship and unwound the eye patch covering her left eye.
Click.
As the bandage came away, a grotesque reptilian eye—utterly at odds with her beautiful face—was revealed.
-Ughh.
Ha-eun let out a pained groan and stretched both arms forward.
Whoooosh!
A violent inferno swept across the vampires charging toward the ship.
-Kyieeeeeek!!
Raging flames consumed them.
The vampires shrieked and plunged into the sea, but the fire clinging to their bodies burned with undiminished intensity in the water, as if it had been soaked in oil.
-Hah, hah!
Ha-eun nodded and collapsed onto the signboard.
Lee Shin-hyuk picked up the fallen eye patch from the ground and offered it to her.
-Here you go.
-Thanks.
-Your eye… are you alright? You used it quite a lot today.
-Yeah. It hurts a bit, but I can manage.
Ha-eun fastened the eye patch back in place.
-Still, this eye you bought me with all that money—I’ve got to make it worth the investment.
She turned to Lee Shin-hyuk and touched the area around her left eye.
-…That’s not why I bought you the Dragon’s Eye.
-Huh? Then why did you buy it?
-Well, that’s…
Lee Shin-hyuk’s cheeks flushed as his words trailed off.
-No. It’s nothing.
-You’re such a dud.
Ha-eun laughed softly and flicked her finger against Lee Shin-hyuk’s forehead.
Tap!
A surprisingly solid sound echoed out.
-Ow! What, what is it, sis?
-Regardless of your intentions when you gave it to me, I’ll repay this debt someday.
-….
-Though it’s difficult right now.
Ha-eun gazed out at the sea with a bitter expression.
-For now… there’s someone I need to take care of.
Pitiful and desolate.
She stared out at the vast expanse of water, her lips trembling, eyes hollow with despair.
Her voice scattered faintly on the sea breeze, fading into silence.
-Ding!
[All lost memories have been successfully recovered.]
Lee Shin-hyuk’s memories cut off.
“….”
Kwon O-jin stood motionless, his eyes vacant as he stared into empty space.
‘Lee Shin-hyuk… bought the Dragon Eye for my sister?’
Then.
What was I doing?
What had I been doing at that time?
“What… how did this even happen?”
In the first cycle.
What in the world had happened to Ha-eun and me?
Was the ‘someone I need to take care of’ she mentioned referring to me?
If Ha-eun had lived.
Why had I destroyed the world?
“…Damn it.”
Kwon O-jin shook his head, a curse escaping his lips as he cut off his thoughts.
‘There’s too little information.’
With only fragmented memories, I couldn’t draw any conclusions.
“For now… I’ll have to raise my Awakening stage further.”
This wasn’t something I could ask anyone else about.
Only Lee Shin-hyuk possessed memories of the first cycle.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and pushed the thoughts away.
Memories stained and scattered across my mind.
The image of Ha-eun with Lee Shin-hyuk surfaced, and a nauseating displeasure churned within me.
-Sister!
His bright smile directed toward Ha-eun.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
Only I could call her ‘sister’ with such familiarity.
It was a privilege only I could enjoy.
It was mine alone.
Because she was.
Her own━
“….”
Kwon O-jin moved forward with his lips pressed firmly shut.
A stained unease clung to him like viscous liquid.
-Click.
He opened the front door.
“Kwon O-jin, you bastard! Why haven’t you called?! I told you to call me often!”
The moment the door swung open, hurried footsteps and a familiar voice reached him.
“I’m home, sis.”
He pulled Ha-eun, who had come to greet him, into a rough embrace.
‘Ah.’
The warm heat felt in his arms.
A coziness like cradling a young bird in the palm of one’s hand.
‘Yes.’
Whatever happened in the first cycle, this warmth I feel now remained unchanged.
“Uh, uh?”
I gently stroked the corner of her left eye as her flustered expression reddened her cheeks.
“Wh-what? Huh, huh~! Did, did you miss your big sister that much?”
Ha-eun asked playfully, raising her chin.
“Yeah.”
I tightened my arms around her.
“I thought I’d go crazy missing you.”
“…Uh, uh?”
The sticky unease that had clung to me vanished as if washed away.
Happiness filled the void left by the departed emotion.
“Ah, um. Th-that is. So.”
Ha-eun trembled, at a loss for words.
A satisfied smile bloomed at the corners of my mouth.
Being able to see her in this lovely state in this world.
Only I could do that.
“What’s gotten into you? Did you eat something bad? Didn’t the Italian food suit your taste?”
Ha-eun asked with a mixture of concern and excitement at my unusual behavior.
“It’s not that. I was just happy to see you after so long.”
“Ahem, ahem! Anyway, you brat. How would you survive without your big sister?”
“….”
Yes.
Just as she said.
“…I couldn’t survive.”
If I lost her.
If she were taken from me.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine how far I would unravel.
‘What happened in the first regression doesn’t matter.’
What matters is now.
The simple fact that she stands beside me.
“…Are you really okay? Did something happen?”
Ha-eun, sensing something amiss, asked with concern in her voice.
“Noona.”
“Huh? What?”
I carefully reached out and brushed my fingers across her cheek.
“Just smile for me once.”
“…You want me to smile?”
“Yeah.”
“What the—”
Ha-eun looked up at me with an expression of disbelief, then let out a long sigh and lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.
“Is… is this enough?”
It was an awkward smile, nothing more.
“…Yeah.”
It wasn’t the sorrowful smile I’d seen in Lee Shin-hyuk’s memories.
“That’s enough.”
With just this.
I could go on living.
“….”
Ha-eun gazed at me with eyes full of pity.
“Geez.”
She scratched at her reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail.
“I said I’d scold you when you came back. But now I can’t even do that.”
I didn’t know what had happened.
But Kwon O-jin’s current state was far from his usual self.
“Heh. Sorry. Work’s been hectic, so I couldn’t reach out.”
I kept the matter of Isabella hidden for now.
Telling her would only multiply her worries needlessly.
‘Besides, we won’t be seeing each other for a while anyway.’
Isabella was in Italy, playing the role of a ‘saint’.
She ran dozens of charitable organizations.
She even personally participated in volunteer work.
‘And on top of that, she’s managing the Black Star Society too.’
Unless she had dozens of bodies, such a murderous schedule would make it impossible for her to leave Italy easily.
‘That’s probably why she asked when I’d be able to return when we parted.’
If she had the freedom to visit South Korea whenever she wished, there would be no reason to ask such a question in the first place.
‘In other words.’
Unless I went to Italy to find her myself.
There was virtually no chance our paths would cross.
And of course, I had absolutely no intention of returning to Italy.
‘Not until I’m confident I can at least protect myself.’
In any case, I wouldn’t be running into Isabella anytime soon.
I’d explain the situation regarding her later.
“Heh. Sounds like the excuse of some husband caught cheating on a business trip.”
“You think of me as your husband, sister?”
“Oho? Look who’s getting cheeky.”
Ha-eun giggled and playfully pinched my side.
“Well, I’d say you’re at least a candidate.”
“I’m honored, sister.”
“Heh, if you know that, then pay more attention to your sister.”
Ha-eun smiled brightly and gently linked her arm through mine.
While not quite matching Isabella’s presence, there was a certain soft warmth that wrapped around my arm.
“What’s this?”
Ha-eun, who had been resting her head on my shoulder while holding my arm, pointed to the bag in Kwon O-jin’s hand.
“Brought hamburgers.”
“Wow, hamburgers? How long has it been?”
“Hehe. It’s been so long, you’re craving them again?”
“I was just thinking about getting some, you punk. See, you really do know your sister’s heart.”
She sat on the living room couch and unpacked the hamburgers she’d brought.
“Mmm, mmm. Ahh! No matter what they say about Guinness or whatever, the original is always the best!”
Ha-eun took a big bite of her hamburger and shivered with delight.
After polishing off two sets of Whoppers together, I leaned back against the sofa comfortably.
“Come on, let me use your lap so I can watch TV comfortably.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not! I’ve been giving in to all your whims today!”
“Well…”
Now that I thought about it, that was true.
“Since you’re already indulging me, today I want to rest my head on your lap instead.”
Time to go into baby mode.
“Kwon O-jin, you… do you want to wear out your sister’s one good leg?”
“No.”
Should I use a cheat code here?
“Ugh. Fine, fine. It’s gross but whatever.”
“Hehehehe! Yes!”
Ha-eun burst into giggles and rested her head on my lap.
“My, our Kwon O-jin’s thighs have gotten quite firm.”
A soft chuckle.
Kwon O-jin gently stroked Ha-eun’s hair as she lay with her head resting on his lap.
That unsettling feeling from earlier.
I could barely remember it now.
‘That’s right.’
To feel this warmth for as long as possible.
‘I need to grow stronger.’
Strong enough that no one could ever touch her.
Strong enough that no one would dare even think of opposing me.
‘For now, I should focus on clearing Quests.’
I’d already asked Valhalla Guild to secure Holy Stones for me.
But I had no intention of sitting idle and waiting in the meantime.
‘There’s no telling if it might not be enough.’
Since I couldn’t know how many Holy Stones would be needed to clear the Quest, it was best to secure as many as possible.
“Hey, do you have anything going on tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“I need to go to the Association. Want to come with me?”
“The Association?”
Why the Association?
“It’s because of Junman. He suggested to me that maybe you’d be interested in joining the Association without the daily commute requirement, like your sister.”
When did Junman contact Ha-eun?
‘Well, I suppose.’
Ha-eun had just advanced to become an 8-Star Awakened User.
It would be strange if they didn’t attempt to recruit her.
“They’re offering free salary, so there’s no reason not to go. Besides… well, you’re already part of the Association anyway.”
“Really? Then should we go together tomorrow?”
I’d been meaning to check on how the internal factional issues were developing anyway.
“Hehe. Now we even share the same workplace.”
Ha-eun seemed delighted, resting her head on my lap with a radiant smile.
“…You’re something else.”
Kwon O-jin chuckled helplessly.
Suddenly.
A question came to mind.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think you owe me a debt?”
“A debt? Well…”
Ha-eun pursed her lips thoughtfully.
“I used to think so, but not really anymore.”
She smiled softly.
Ha-eun, who had been lying with her thigh as my pillow, rolled over and looked up at me.
“Isn’t the debt already settled just by having such a beautiful and sexy woman like me by your side?”
Kya-ha-ha!
I shrugged my shoulders with a boastful air.
“…Really?”
“Ugh. What? If you brush it off like that here, it’s embarrassing, you know.”
“It’s fine.”
“What’s fine about it?”
“Just… everything.”
Kwon O-jin smiled faintly at the corners of my mouth and stroked her hair.
Endlessly.
As if caressing an infinitely precious treasure.

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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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