The 7th-Run Regressor Collects Calamities - Chapter 20

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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 20. USAA (1)
At that same moment, in the VIP terminal of Incheon International Airport.
The cool pre-dawn air lay thinly across the asphalt of the runway.
Park Jeong-ho, the Association chairman, stood before the gate exit with his coat collar drawn tight, flanked by his entourage, security detail, and Association vehicles.
It was an official reception befitting the head of the world’s top-ranked guild, yet Park Jeong-ho’s expression remained oddly composed.
‘I have nothing to be ashamed of. The purpose is plain enough.’
The announcement of the treatment list compiled by Zero Point would go out under the Association’s name. The Association would shoulder all the diplomatic pressure and complaints from around the world.
Park Jeong-ho had voiced his objections just as Song Ji-hu suggested, but the calculations in his mind were already complete.
Whether it was USAA or anyone else—whether they came bearing a blank check or bars of gold—anyone wanting direct access to Song Ji-hu had to go through Park Jeong-ho first.
‘A breakwater and broker, pocketing a commission in the middle.’
It was the role Park Jeong-ho did best.
Boom—
USAA’s private jet, its white fuselage marked with a blue eagle emblem, came to a stop on the runway.
The stairs descended, and the first to emerge were security personnel in black suits, earpieces gleaming.
Then, following in their wake, Rick Wesley appeared.
Early fifties, his blonde hair trimmed short, his face bearing bold, heavy lines.
His physique was lean and muscular in a way that defied his age—almost militaristic—but his bearing was closer to that of a politician than a soldier.
“You’ve had quite a journey, Guild Master Wesley. We’re grateful for your trouble.”
Park Jeong-ho extended his hand, and Rick Wesley grasped it firmly.
“Chairman Park, good to see you again. The air here in Korea is fresher than I expected.”
There was no hint of weakness, and while his confidence was evident, it carried no arrogance—only the ease that comes from both position and proven ability.
An interpreter quickly added the Korean translation, but Park Jeong-ho understood the original before that, and he nodded in acknowledgment.
“Was the flight comfortable?”
“Quite bearable. Though sitting for so long does take a toll on the back.”
Rick Wesley patted his lower back with a laugh, and Park Jeong-ho answered in kind while studying the man’s expression. But that smile vanished in less than three seconds.
Behind Rick Wesley, four agents were hauling down something with visible strain.
Thick Mana Suppression Devices clamped around both wrists and ankles. A specialized restraint covering more than half the face.
A tall man.
Golden-brown hair obscured half his face, and where the loose protective suit fell away from his forearms, dark-crimson veins writhed beneath the skin.
But it was the eyes that were truly troubling.
They rolled unfocused in all directions, accompanied by a constant stream of unintelligible muttering that no one could comprehend.
Clank—clank—
Each movement of the man produced a rattling sound from the restraint apparatus.
……
Park Jeong-ho’s expression hardened abruptly.
“Guild Master Wesley, what in heaven is this?”
His voice dropped low. The diplomatic smile had vanished entirely, replaced by sharp, evident wariness.
“This is a patient who’s come to receive treatment.”
“A patient? That’s Ollie Barclay. An S-rank Hunter from USAA. And with Mental Corruption, no less! Unapproved risk factors are grounds for denial of entry!”
For all his reputation as the strongest Hunter, his current state was closer to that of a condemned man.
“If he loses control and goes berserk, what then?”
As Park Jeong-ho’s voice rose, the tension among his attendants spiked accordingly.
An S-rank rampage was nothing short of catastrophe.
No—natural disasters, at least, can be predicted. But when an S-rank begins to berserk, an entire city reduces to ash in moments.
And yet this being had been brought into Korean territory without prior consultation.
Rick Wesley calmly turned to glance at Ollie Barclay once, then turned back to Park Jeong-ho, his voice dropping to its most measured tone.
“We will maintain control on our end.”
Rick Wesley’s voice carried the calm detachment of someone discussing the weather.
“Even if that’s true—”
“We have complete control in place. The suppression devices are state-of-the-art, and should rampage indicators emerge, we’ve brought personnel capable of immediate restraint. Furthermore, the Korean Hunters Association will receive adequate compensation.”
Rick Wesley’s smile returned, directed at Park Jeong-ho—an unspoken warning not to push the matter further.
A low groan escaped Park Jeong-ho’s lips as he clamped his mouth shut.
Park Jeong-ho fell silent with a sound of frustration.
“By the way, Hunter Song Ji-hu didn’t come with you? Perhaps word of our arrival didn’t reach him?”
That single remark, delivered as Rick Wesley’s eyes swept the space behind Park Jeong-ho, sent a chill down the chairman’s spine.
‘These madmen….’
Internally, resentment toward Song Ji-hu boiled up.
No matter how arrogant, when the Guild Master of USAA arrives, you don’t just ignore it—you don’t even relay the message.
They were essentially America’s government in guild form, and yet he truly prioritized his own schedule.
But Park Jeong-ho was a seasoned politician. Without showing a trace of confusion, he replied coldly.
“Song Ji-hu is currently attending to personal matters.”
The voice was measured, the expression composed. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Zero Point isn’t a subsidiary of the Association—it’s an independent guild.”
“Personal matters?”
Rick Wesley’s eyebrows rose slightly. Not in mockery. If anything, in admiration.
USAA had never received such treatment since its founding.
“Zero Point has scheduled the meeting for 3 p.m., so please rest at your leisure in the meantime.”
“So he’s confident in his abilities. Fine. We’re used to waiting.”
After confirming that Ollie Barclay had been settled into the waiting vehicle, Rick Wesley gave Park Jeong-ho a light nod and climbed into the car himself.
‘Song Ji-hu.’
For just a moment—the briefest flicker—desperation crossed his eyes: the fear of losing a comrade.
‘If even half the rumors are true, I can save Ollie.’
***
Once Rick Wesley’s vehicle had disappeared from sight, Park Jeong-ho yanked his necktie loose with a sharp pull.
“Hell. What nerve. Let’s go.”
Park Jeong-ho’s car split off in the opposite direction from Rick Wesley’s motorcade.
Tap. Tap.
Had Song Ji-hu deliberately stayed away? Or was he genuinely too occupied with something more pressing?
Thinking about it, both were possible.
“I knew the bastard was out of his mind from the start, but….”
If Song Ji-hu had shown up himself, whoever greeted him would have been in the weaker position.
But by not appearing—
‘You want to meet me. I don’t want to meet you.’
Without a word, he’d sent the message and solidified the hierarchy. Whether intentional or accidental, Park Jeong-ho couldn’t say.
“And I’m the one who filled that void.”
A twist of satisfaction played across Park Jeong-ho’s mouth. The first person Rick Wesley met in Korea would not be Song Ji-hu, but Park Jeong-ho himself.
“Even a gift comes back to haunt you, it seems.”
This fact would soon spread across the globe, and it would cement in everyone’s mind that any approach to Song Ji-hu in Korea had to go through Park Jeong-ho first.
‘Vicious bastard. Never gives an inch.’
Every time Song Ji-hu retreated a step, Park Jeong-ho found himself forced to advance one step forward.
And each advance brought him both advantage and burden in equal measure.
***
2 p.m. Song Ji-hu’s Apartment.
Song Ji-hu sat by the window reviewing his skills, while Eun Seo-jin quietly maintained her sword.
“USAA should arrive at the Association Headquarters around 2:30. And….”
Yoon Young-soo turned back to Song Ji-hu after hanging up the phone.
“Did Ollie Barclay come as well?”
“Yes, he did come with them… but how did you know?”
“There’s only one reason for Rick Wesley to come personally. I’d guess Ollie’s in the final stages of Mental Corruption.”
“He sounds bad. They say his entire body is wrapped in restraints. And USAA brought a late-stage Mental Corruption hunter without even consulting us….”
At Song Ji-hu’s indifferent reply, Eun Seo-jin’s hands stilled.
“How did you know? USAA is keeping Barclay’s condition under tight wraps, isn’t it?”
“They fabricated the story. With Emilia Jones present, people would believe it. America is a country of heroes, after all.”
Song Ji-hu sifted through the memories of his past lives.
In the grip of Mental Corruption, Ollie had rampaged and erased a mid-sized American city from the map. That tragedy became the beginning of USAA’s downfall and the catalyst for tightened Hunter regulations worldwide.
‘And because of that, the Abyss Lord got even more reckless.’
The problem was that in his previous lives, there had been no way to prevent it.
But this time was different.
“Is there anything else I should know about the negotiations?”
To Yoon Young-soo’s question, Song Ji-hu shook his head.
“No. I’ll handle it directly.”
Song Ji-hu touched the Brass Compass tucked against his chest.
“It’s time. Let’s go.”
Yoon Young-soo rose from his seat, his expression taut with tension.
“It’ll likely be quite chaotic.”
“Of course. It’s Rick Wesley, after all.”
Not to mention that he himself would be there. Wasn’t this the meeting of the greatest guild and the smallest?
***
The roads leading to the Association Headquarters were already in chaos from the outset.
Countless reporters gathered in front of the Association Headquarters chanted Song Ji-hu’s name while their camera flashes exploded.
“Song Ji-hu, hunter!”
“Is it true that you can heal Mental Corruption?”
“Just give us a statement!”
Once the fact spread through the community, numerous media outlets requested interviews, but Song Ji-hu declined them all, citing a busy schedule.
Song Ji-hu merely waved his hand lightly, his expression unchanged, and passed through them to board the Association’s elevator.
“USAA’s delegation has already arrived, we’re told.”
About ten minutes remained until three in the afternoon.
“They seem rather eager indeed.”
The conference room door opened, and inside sat Rick Wesley and the other USAA representatives.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Song Ji-hu.”
Rick Wesley rose slowly from his seat as Song Ji-hu entered and extended his hand.
“The pleasure is mine, Rick Wesley.”
Song Ji-hu shook his hand with fluent English, then slowly surveyed the people in the conference room.
“He didn’t come with you, then.”
“Of course not. This is strictly confidential.”
Rick Wesley maintained his smile as he settled into his chair.
“In any case, shouldn’t we discuss terms first?”
“Terms, you say…”
Ollie Barclay’s healing was undoubtedly crucial, but he couldn’t simply hand USAA’s leash over to the other party’s grasp in exchange for it.
“What do you want in exchange for the healing? One hundred million dollars? One billion? Name your price.”
If money could solve this, that would be ideal. The trouble was, problems always arose from the things money couldn’t buy.
Rick Wesley looked at Song Ji-hu as if urging him to state his conditions.
“Hmm… One billion dollars, you say…”
USAA was prepared to agree even if Song Ji-hu demanded ten billion dollars. The benefit gained from treating Ollie Barclay would far exceed ten billion in value.
Song Ji-hu maintained his silence, staring intently into Rick Wesley’s eyes before slowly opening his mouth.
“I don’t need the money.”
The Seventh Return: A Collector of Calamities
Author
: Song Tan
Production Date
: July 13, 2026
Publisher
: ACES Media Co., Ltd.
Editor
: ACES Media Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work has been published by ACES Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder,
and its content may not be used in any form or manner without permission from the company and author.
This e-book is protected under copyright law, and unauthorized reproduction or copying may result in legal liability.
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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