The 7th-Run Regressor Collects Calamities - Chapter 63

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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 63. The Spy (2)
“You need to listen carefully.”
Song Ji-hu’s ash-gray eyes swept slowly across the room.
“Because this is about the real enemy we’re facing.”
Everyone tensed, watching Song Ji-hu intently as his voice dropped lower than usual.
“What do you all think Mental Corruption is?”
At the sudden question, Yoon Young-su ventured carefully, “Isn’t it… a side effect from exposure to a dungeon’s toxic miasma? Like the price of living as a hunter?”
“That’s what the world believes. An unavoidable natural phenomenon, an occupational hazard of being a hunter. The risk paid in exchange for power.”
Song Ji-hu tapped the table lightly.
“All of it is wrong.”
At the word “wrong” rather than “different,” everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
How could theories that countless scientists worldwide had received directly from hunters and demonstrated through experimentation possibly be wrong?
“More precisely, Mental Corruption isn’t a natural phenomenon at all. It’s a virus deliberately spread by someone. A system like a breeding farm—accelerating the corruption of infected people and harvesting their souls when the time is right.”
“Har… harvest…?” Ryu Jin swallowed hard and repeated the question, but Song Ji-hu didn’t answer. Instead, he unfolded his fingers one by one.
“Six. There are six of them in total driving this operation.”
First. Song Ji-hu folded one finger.
“The Shepherd. The one who plants fragments of Mental Corruption into hunters’ souls and accelerates them.”
Second.
“The Gardener. The one who manipulates gates and dungeons from behind the scenes. Making stable dungeons undergo mutations, directly managing certain gimmick dungeons—that sort of thing.”
Everyone’s face had gone pale. Yoon Young-su’s legs trembled as he gripped them hard.
As someone from the Hunter Association, he had seen countless horrifying reports of parties annihilated by unexplained dungeon rampages.
Third.
“The Spider. I think you’d know this one better, Haruka. The one who sows discord in human society, isolates people. Spreads false information, plants lies in the minds of unsuspecting people.”
Song Ji-hu’s gaze rested briefly on Ayase Haruka.
Crack—
A pen snapped in half in Matsumoto Leo’s grip.
Fourth.
“The Priest. The one who manipulates the Abyss Guild from behind the scenes.”
“The Abyss…? You mean that multinational guild? They do so much good work,” Yoon Young-su objected.
They were one of the most respected guilds in the world, providing aid to hunters suffering from Mental Corruption, and officially recognized as the Hunter Association’s rehabilitation partner.
“On the surface, yes. Rehabilitation, international conferences, hope for hunters. A face of sacrifice for everyone.”
Song Ji-hu smiled coldly.
“Underneath, it’s indistinguishable from a pseudo-religious cult and a decentralized terrorist organization. A massive parasite that has burrowed into every country’s politics, finance, media, and even the Hunter Association itself.”
Fifth. The final finger folded.
“The Butcher. The one who physically eliminates people who get in the way. And the last one…”
Song Ji-hu met the eyes of Eun Seo-jin and Lim Jae-hyuk.
“The Collector—but we’ve already disposed of that one.”
“Ah, you mean the one you killed at that gate back then…!”
“Wait, you’ve already killed one?”
As Song Ji-hu gave a small nod, Yoon Young-su nearly bolted from his chair.
Recalling the state of the group that had escaped from that gate, he shook his head vigorously. It hadn’t been just a difficult dungeon.
“And these six—well, five now—are essentially one body. The Gardener manipulates dungeons to create trauma, the Shepherd plants fragments, the Spider severs surrounding relationships to isolate, the Priest extends a hand, and the Butcher crushes them with physical force into despair.”
A single system, its gears interlocking like clockwork to drive one person into hopelessness.
“So they’re all… part of one organization.”
The smile vanished entirely from Lim Jae-hyuk’s usually amiable face.
A sense of bewilderment that shook the very foundations of the world they had believed to be true.
That all their suffering had been a script written by someone from the beginning.
“Then… all the hunters who’ve died from corruption so far were…”
Lim Jae-hyuk’s voice came low and rumbling, not with his usual levity but with suppressed fury.
“Toyed with. From start to finish.”
Then Eun Seo-jin spoke quietly.
“What’s their ultimate objective?”
Song Ji-hu fell silent for a moment. Should he speak of the Abyss Lord now? Was he burdening them with too much weight?
Or there was also the thought—whether he intended it or not—that the Apostles must not discover that he knew of the Abyss Lord’s existence.
“Well… what I can say for certain is this.”
Song Ji-hu met Eun Seo-jin’s eyes.
“That Dead World we visited not long ago.”
The shoulders of both Eun Seo-jin and Lim Jae-hyuk stiffened simultaneously. How could they forget that world, so much like a tomb?

“Their goal is to make this place identical to that one.”
Yoon Young-su wiped his face dry. He hadn’t seen it firsthand, but that fleeting glimpse beyond the Gate of the ruined kingdom was not the sort of image that faded easily from memory.
“Then… is only the Collector dead right now?”
“No. The Gardener took a wound at the Incheon Gate, the Shepherd got his hands patched up while healing Ollie, and the Spider… probably came through without major damage.”
Song Ji-hu reported the situation with measured composure, his fingers curling into a tight fist.
“My objective is straightforward: capture and kill all five remaining Apostles.”
And beyond that, the Abyss Lord himself.
A long silence fell, even though Song Ji-hu had finished speaking.
No one asked how he’d learned all this. They felt instinctively that even if they did, an answer wouldn’t come.
Only Matsumoto Leo was making different calculations in his mind.
Information is currency. And what Song Ji-hu had just laid bare for free was information of incalculable worth.
‘No… it wasn’t free.’
The moment Kage knew of this, they could no longer extract themselves.
To turn their back after learning of the Apostles’ existence? When those creatures who’d stalked Haruka were still alive and breathing? Impossible.
‘Clever bastard.’
Yet strangely, he didn’t feel bad about it. To be treated not merely as an information conduit, but as a partner standing beside him on the battlefield—that meant something.
“…These Apostles or whatever the hell they are.”
Matsumoto Leo’s voice rumbled with suppressed killing intent.
From the Spider who’d broken Ayase Haruka to that extent, all the way to the Priest of the Abyss who’d planted a spy within Kage.
Learning they were all connected made his hands tremble with rage.
“Leave me enough to tear them apart piece by piece with my own hands.”
“I’ll do my best. Either way, we need Kage’s help.”
That’s precisely why he’d called them both here. Ayase Haruka already favored him greatly, and the information network of Kage—operating in shadow—was essential.
“Well, that’s good news indeed.”
Song Ji-hu shrugged and brought the main discussion to a close.
“So, this recruitment interview is critical.”
Scattered attention converged back on Song Ji-hu.
“We’ve intercepted three of their Offerings in succession. The Collector is dead, and two others are wounded. And by now, they’re starting to piece together my existence.”
Song Ji-hu tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
“In this situation, there’s only one move: plant our own people. And as it happens, we’re throwing our doors wide open and hiring.”
Ah, a sigh escaped Yoon Young-su’s lips. The mountain of thousands of résumés piling up in real time suddenly looked like a minefield.
“The Abyss’s spy will come. It might not be just one.”
Yet Song Ji-hu’s tone remained composed. No tremor of fear crossed any face in the conference room. If anything, Lim Jae-hyuk clenched his fists with determination, and Eun Seo-jin’s eyes blazed with intensity.
There’s a world of difference between being caught off guard and waiting with foreknowledge. And their guild master always chose the latter.
‘How many moves ahead is this man looking?’
Familiar chills ran down Yoon Young-su’s spine. It occurred to him that perhaps the entire board had been laid from the beginning for this very picture.
“So everyone take note and prepare. And once more—”
Song Ji-hu scanned the room and finally fixed his gaze on one person.
“The moment you step outside this room’s threshold, erase every word spoken here from your mind. Absolute secrecy.”
That pointed stare landed directly on Matsumoto Leo.
“…Why are you looking at me?”
“I wonder. Why indeed.”
“Listen. I’m discreet enough myself. I’m from an information guild, after all—”
Before Matsumoto Leo could bristle further, bright laughter erupted from beside him.
“Leave Leo to me.”
Ayase Haruka smiled and brought her index finger to her lips.
“If a single word leaks out, I’ll hear about it first.”
At Ayase Haruka’s words, Matsumoto Leo’s shoulders sagged.
“Damn it….”
“Leo. Your mouth.”
“…Yes.”
A faint smile spread through the conference room for the first time.
***
The morning of the interview.
The waiting room of the Zero Point Guild Building was packed solid with applicants.
The sound of dry swallows, shoes scraping the floor, papers rustling—anxiety hung so thick in the air you could see it.
Cross this threshold and you’d become part of Zero Point, the guild drawing the world’s gaze. That single fact alone wound thousands of applicants tighter.
“I’ve got to get in line no matter what.”
“Yeah. Just entering a dungeon together supposedly lowers corruption.”
“Seriously… whether the salary matters. Just getting in changes your whole life.”
Whispers rippled through the room. Naturally, they all centered on Song Ji-hu.
“Candidate eleven, you’re up.”
“Yes, of course!”
Inside the interview room.
Song Ji-hu sat at the center seat, Yoon Young-su on the left, and Ayase Haruka on the right with her face veiled, all arranged in a line of judgment.
Behind them sat Eun Seo-jin and Matsumoto Leo.
The very setup was a silent pressure—and the moment each applicant stepped through the door, they instinctively grasped where they had applied.
As the eleventh candidate of the day entered, Song Ji-hu glanced over the résumé.
An impressive career path through a major corporation’s finance department, polished self-introduction flowing without hesitation.
“Why did you leave your last position?”
“My previous employer… I left on good terms to strengthen my professional capabilities.”
At that moment, Ayase Haruka’s posture shifted. She drew her fingertips neatly together on her lap and tilted her head ever so slightly.
Each time the candidate spoke, her eyelashes trembled faintly.
“Thank you. We’ll be in touch.”
The moment the candidate closed the door behind them, Haruka spoke quietly.
“Your voice went dull when you talked about leaving.”
She tilted her head, curious.
“Everything else was clear. This person definitely has serious problems in finance.”
No matter how carefully one composed their expression or controlled their tone, there was no deceiving her.
[Recommended resignation due to suspicion of embezzlement of company funds at previous employer.]
Yoon Young-su hastily tapped his tablet to check the background investigation notes.
‘This combination is a fraud case for sure.’
The interviews proceeded at a brisk pace.
Inflated credentials, connections in the media, informants from rival guilds.
None of them escaped Ayase Haruka’s ability.
“Then, this one is rejected as well.”
Yoon Young-su, without further question, drew an X through the name.
“So… that makes twenty-four now?”
Mixed among them were also operatives from the Abyss—but merely ordinary people bought with money.
To Haruka’s ears, they sounded just as dull as any other liar, so she had no way to distinguish them from rival guild informants.
But Song Ji-hu recognized them precisely.
He knew some of their faces, and the moment he confirmed where they’d worked in the past, he was certain. He rejected everyone connected to key positions. Whenever what appeared to be an Abyss operative left, he sent a quiet signal to Matsumoto Leo.
In response, Matsumoto Leo simply nodded and manipulated his phone.
A Seventh-Time Returnee Collects Calamities
Author
: Song Tan
Production Date
: July 31, 2026
Publisher
: Acesmedia Co., Ltd.
Editor-in-Chief
: Acesmedia Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
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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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