The 7th-Run Regressor Collects Calamities - Chapter 12

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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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Episode 12. The Association Chairman (4)
Song Jihoo neither grew angry nor seemed flustered. He simply fixed his gaze on Park Jeongho, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“That’s absurd—”
As Eun Seojin started to rise from his seat, Song Jihoo raised a hand to stop him.
“Chairman.”
After all those regressions, watching mankind’s ugliest desires play out again and again, this provocation struck him as nothing but pathetic.
“You seem to have misunderstood. I came to this meeting asking for help because I love Korea and genuinely want to stay—not because I’m worried about what other nations or guilds might do. Or did you think otherwise?”
Song Jihoo sank deeper into his chair and plucked the paper the chairman had offered, flicking it dismissively.
“Looking at the size of this, I’d say you were planning to approve the guild and let it flounder—let every nation and guild come pressure me—then sweep in like a hero, take control of the guild, and shake it however you please. That’s the calculation I’m seeing…”
Song Jihoo tore the paper slowly, his smile widening.
“But the real question is whether you can actually handle what I’m about to do, even if you had that plan.”
“Now wait just a minute, Hunter Song Jihoo! Your tone is—”
“Don’t mistake me. I didn’t come here asking for protection. I came to notify you not to interfere.”
Song Jihoo exhaled and turned to face Park Jeongho directly.
“Let me change the terms.”
His voice had shifted, growing serious in an instant.
“We’ll draw up the list, and the Hunter Association will announce the treatment roster instead. The order, the timing—it all goes out under the Association’s name.”
Park Jeongho’s eyes narrowed.
“In return, the Association will bear all the world’s discontent as well. You can manage that much, can’t you?”
Hadn’t Park Jeongho himself received reports? By last night, the entire global community was in an uproar over the fact that Mental Contamination Healing was possible.
But the Association announcing a list? Without even controlling its creation?
The resentment and diplomatic pressure from the whole world would inevitably crash down on the Association alone.
“If you pulled something like that—”
As Park Jeongho’s voice rose, Song Jihoo cut him off.
“You said you’d manage it. You said you’d handle it without even knowing who I am, so you’re going to handle this too.”
What in heaven’s name was this man? At first, Park Jeongho had assumed he was riding on Eun Seojin’s coattails, utterly bewildered.
No—it was Song Jihoo who held the upper hand all along. And in barely ten minutes of conversation, hadn’t this man already divined his every intention and turned it against him?
“The guild… I’ll approve the guild.”
Park Jeongho ground out the words.
“But the rest of it… I can’t. Absolutely not.”
If the global Hunter Association—no, the World Hunter Association came after him, he wouldn’t live to see old age.
“Absolutely not.”
Instead of answering, Song Jihoo sank even deeper into the sofa.
Then, with deliberate slowness, as if watching something fascinating unfold, he gazed at Park Jeongho’s trembling face.
“And if the Association has no direct influence over you, how am I supposed to stop foreign associations targeting you? I need justification too!”
At Park Jeongho’s desperate cry, Song Jihoo chuckled. A sly old fox, indeed. Even in this situation, the man couldn’t help but squeeze out his own advantage.
“All right, then. We should give you something too. That secretary who came to the hospital—have them join the guild.”
It worked out well enough. Someone like Yoon Youngsoo had administrative prowess in abundance.
“But the moment they join our guild, they’ll follow our rules. And you’ve probably already calculated what you stand to gain from this.”
Song Jihoo gestured dismissively with his fingers as he delivered the notification.
“Well then, I look forward to working with you going forward.”
Song Jihoo rose to his feet. The authority Park Jeongho had desperately clung to crumbled like a sandcastle.
“Oh, and the guild’s name is Zero Point.”
He left the Association Chairman’s Office, Park Jeongho half-dazed in his wake.
Zero Point. The starting point of all things.
And the endpoint of all things.
***
“Are you sure about this?” Eun Seojin asked.
Song Jihoo gave a shrug. “Park Jeongho can’t do anything anyway. If I say I’m defecting to another country, he won’t dare bear that responsibility, even if it kills him.”
Two things moved Park Jeongho: power and connections. When he needed to lower his head, he did so completely.
By now, he was probably already wondering how to use Song Jihoo as a backer to throw his weight around.
“That was quite a shock.”
“Get used to surprises. There’ll be plenty more like this ahead.”
“But… are you sure? The matter of housing hasn’t been resolved yet.”
“What are you talking about? It’s been resolved.”
Eun Seojin recalled the conversation in the Chairman’s Office, but he found no mention of housing anywhere in it.
“Park Jeongho’s more politician than Hunter. By now, he’s calculating what to give me and what to take from me.”
“Ah… so, what do you plan to do next?”
But Eun Seojin didn’t press the question further. If Song Jihoo said it was so, then it was so.

“Well….”
Song Jihoo clenched his fists. His body was still far too fragile, desperately frail.
‘Even if skills are the main thing, I need to raise my level.’
No matter how central his abilities were, he couldn’t neglect physical training.
“I need to raise my level.”
“Ah.”
Eun Seojin was struck anew by the fact that Song Jihoo hadn’t awakened long ago.
“You’ll need to regain your practical combat sense too.”
“Yes, sir.”
Song Jihoo recalled an incident that was about to unfold. There was someone he needed to save there.
[March 21st: Incheon C-rank Gate (A-rank Mutation – All Casualties)]
“The goal is to sharpen my practical combat sense as much as possible before March 21st.”
“Understood.”
Eun Seojin didn’t know why March 21st specifically mattered, but if Song Jihoo had planned it that way, his part was simply to follow.
“I’ll apply for the Gate. I need to enter it once under the Association’s supervision anyway.”
***
After Song Jihoo left, the air in the Association Chairman’s Office had grown cold.
Park Jeongho remained sprawled deep into the sofa thirty minutes after Song Jihoo’s departure, his gaze fixed on the teacup sitting on his desk.
The green tea that had been steaming moments ago had long since cooled, and the furrows etched between Park Jeongho’s brows showed no sign of softening.
Tap—tap—tap—
Only the sound of Park Jeongho’s fingers drumming against the armrest cut sharply through the silence.
Knock-knock—
The door opened, and Yoon Youngsoo stepped in cautiously, tablet in hand.
“Chairman, your next meeting is in forty minutes. The Heukcheon Guild side wanted to—”
“Cancel it all.”
At the low, heavily weighted tone, Yoon Youngsoo’s fingers froze over the tablet.
“Sir?”
“Reschedule every appointment today. I’m not seeing anyone.”
When Park Jeongho lifted his head, Yoon Youngsoo swallowed hard.
The deep lines carved between his brows, the rigidly set line of his mouth, and the cold, sunken gleam in his eyes painted a grim picture.
‘What on earth was said between them….’
Yoon Youngsoo swallowed silently. In nearly three years of serving the Chairman, he’d never seen him lose his composure so completely, his expression so dark and menacing.
“…Understood. I’ll adjust the schedule.”
Yoon Youngsoo bowed and began to retreat, but Park Jeongho was already tapping the armrest again, having already forgotten his subordinate’s presence.
‘A C-rank, no less.’
Park Jeongho’s jaw clenched with an audible sound.
The boy had healed his Mental Contamination, and yet remained barely C-rank. Without that single ability, the wretched boy would be buried at the very bottom of this industry—and yet he’d dared confront the head of the Association himself, head-on.
‘He offered conditions, and then he tried to blackmail me in return? With such composure?’
As the rising heat seared his throat, Park Jeongho drained the now-cold tea in one swallow.
“Hah….”
Park Jeongho exhaled roughly, forcing his breathing back under control. Letting emotion rule you—that was what amateurs did.
He was a former A-rank Hunter, a politician who had held the position of Association Chairman for over a decade.
One who used the Chairman’s seat as a stepping stone to reach even higher.
‘Think clearly.’
His drumming slowed. As he closed his eyes, a scale materialized in his mind.
What if Song Jihoo fled overseas? Using Park Jeongho as his excuse, no less?
The very thought sent ice down his spine. The only being capable of healing Mental Contamination, abandoning Korea? Because of conflict with the Chairman?
In that instant, neither his political career nor his physical safety would be guaranteed. And wasn’t the entire world already in turmoil over Hunter defections?
But then, from the opposite angle—
‘What would I gain by standing with Song Jihoo?’
The Association releases a Mental Contamination treatment list. Global resentment and pressure would rain down, yes—but that also meant standing in a position of superiority over the entire world.
‘If I could slip even one name at a time onto that list….’
This was politics, and that cunning bastard would likely agree to a deal if there was something in it for him.
‘That man….’
A twisted smile spread across Park Jeongho’s lips.
‘He’s not a hunting dog I can break to heel.’
He was the kind of man who hadn’t flinched once while facing Park Jeongho’s overwhelming presence.
If there was no way to control a monster like that through any means whatsoever, then there was only one option.
“At the very least, I’ll make sure he eats from within my fence.”
Park Jeongho rose abruptly from his chair, color returning to his withered complexion.
‘Whether that fool thinks of it as a fence or not, people will only see the fence and judge based on that.’
All that mattered was making them believe he was the one protecting it.
He turned his head toward Yoon Youngsoo.
“Bring me everything on Song Jihoo. Right now.”
Yoon Youngsoo startled at the abrupt command, but quickly pulled up Song Jihoo’s file on the Tablet.
“Where is he living currently?”
“It’s right here. His current residence is….”
Park Jeongho scanned the screen, his expression darkening.
“…What is this? How are we supposed to keep talent safe in a hovel like this? Move him immediately.”
A shabby one-room apartment complex. A slum district on the Seoul Outskirts. A photo of a dilapidated building that looked as though mold bloomed across its walls filled the screen.
“I’m sorry, where to….”
Park Jeongho rubbed his chin, murmuring.
“You know those S-rank Exclusive Apartments the government provides? Check if there are any vacant units.”
“S-rank Exclusive, sir? But Song Jihoo’s rank is….”
“Ah… rank, rank. How long are you going to keep throwing that obsolete standard at me? The man is C-rank and yet he possesses the absurd ability of Mental Contamination Healing. More than that, we can’t give—”
Yoon Youngsoo’s eyes widened. S-rank Exclusive Apartments were premium residences worth tens of billions in market value. To issue one to a C-rank Hunter?
“And since Eun Seojin has also returned, put him in the unit next door.”
Park Jeongho’s expression was grave.
‘Give it all, and give it decisively.’
This was Park Jeongho’s method.
Extend generosity that cannot be refused, creating debt. Hide your teeth, but keep yourself close enough to bite whenever the opportunity presents itself.
“And.”
Park Jeongho fixed Yoon Youngsoo with a direct gaze.
“You personally oversee the guild establishment procedures. Make it as fast as possible. The name is Zero Point.”
“Understood, sir. I’ll get right on it.”
Yoon Youngsoo finished his notes swiftly, treating it as a routine task directive and preparing to leave the Association Chairman’s Office as quickly as possible.
“And you’re going in as a supervisor.”
“…I’m sorry?”
“Didn’t you hear? You’re to join the Zero Point Guild as a dispatched representative from the Association.”
His heart sank with a thud. At the same moment, the Tablet slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.
‘Is this… a demotion?’
Yoon Youngsoo hurriedly picked up the fallen Tablet, his eyes fixed on Park Jeongho.
His mind went blank. Was he being kicked out of his secretary position? What had he done wrong? Had he made some mistake when dealing with Song Jihoo’s group earlier? A torrent of thoughts rushed through his head.
The Association Chairman’s secretary office was the express train to promotion. Being pushed out from here meant the end.
“Sir, Chairman… did I perhaps commit some discourtesy….”
“I know what you’re worried about.”
Park Jeongho stepped closer and placed a firm hand on Yoon Youngsoo’s shoulder. It was undoubtedly a benevolent smile. His eyes were not smiling.
“But it’s nothing like what you’re thinking.”
“What do you mean….”
“Song Jihoo is a unique existence in the entire world. Shouldn’t the Association’s core personnel be by such a person’s side?”
Park Jeongho’s voice was calm and resolute.
“Who could be better suited for that role? You, who have assisted me for nearly a decade and understand every operation the Association conducts.”
Yoon Youngsoo’s heart wavered. Was this not a demotion but a critical assignment?
“To stand watch over the most important figure in Korean Hunter history—no, in global Hunter history—and maintain good relations between him and the Association. What could be a more vital mission than this?”
“…I understand, sir.”
A corner of reason sent him a warning, but the Chairman’s overwhelming presence swept his doubts far away.
“If you say so, Chairman, I will do my very best.”
“Yes, I’m counting on you.”
Yoon Youngsoo bowed with a stiffened expression. The moment he turned toward the door, Park Jeongho’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
‘Good. This should be sufficient.’
He’d called it supervision, but Yoon Youngsoo had no power to control Song Jihoo.
What mattered was that, outwardly, Song Jihoo’s guild would have an Association representative. One who was none other than the Association Chairman’s secretary.
Moreover, information was power. If he could grasp in real time who Song Jihoo met and what he was doing, that alone held immense value.
“Move forward as quickly as possible.”
“Understood, sir.”
Yoon Youngsoo departed, and Park Jeongho sank deep into his chair once more.
“Zero Point….”
With the murmur, his lips twisted into a smile.
‘Zero Point… starting with empty hands, is he? Well, let’s see how far those empty hands can go.’
The seventh-time Regressor collects catastrophes.
Author
: Song Tan
Production Date
: July 13, 2026
Publisher
: ACESMEDIA Corporation
Editor
: ACESMEDIA Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
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cannot be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and the author.
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UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260709064

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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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