The 7th-Run Regressor Collects Calamities - Chapter 72
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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 72. The Mana Concentration Phenomenon (1)
Then, with a blare of sirens, the Hunter Association’s specialized measurement team vehicle pulled up to the entrance of the Zero Point Guild Property.
“This is private property. Unauthorized entry without the Guild Master’s permission is strictly prohibited.”
But the security personnel that Yoon Young-su had stationed at the fence cut them off without hesitation.
“Wait, we’re from the Association. The Association!”
“Even the Association cannot approach private property without cause, unless a Gate has opened.”
“Come on! We’re just taking measurements, we’re not enforcing anything!”
“Still no. I’ve already contacted my superiors. You can come in once we get approval.”
Faced with the security team’s unexpected stubbornness, the measurement crew could only shift nervously on the other side of the fence.
Whiiiiiiiii—!
The Measurement Device they’d brought wailed frantically from outside the fence.
The needle on the gauge thrashed about as if ready to shatter past the upper limit. If the reading from outside the fence was this severe, what could the readings be at the center?
“Contact the Association right away! Do whatever it takes to get us inside! And tell them to send a proper Measurement Device along with the Simple Measurement Device!”
“Yes, understood!”
Every face on the measurement team had gone deathly pale. They were standing at the threshold of a moment when history itself was shifting.
The report reached the Association Headquarters immediately.
“In Korea… a Mana Concentration Phenomenon… this is insane, absolutely insane.”
***
At that same moment, in the Association President’s office.
“What?! A Mana Concentration Phenomenon?! Where the hell did that break out?!”
“Um… at the Zero Point Guild Property….”
Park Jung-ho snapped at his secretary, who was trying to deliver the report even as calls poured in.
“Zero… Point? That bastard’s land? Damn it—!”
The strength drained from Park Jung-ho’s legs, and he collapsed into his chair.
“And the reaction readings… apparently exceed the measurement capacity of the Simple Measurement Device. We’ll need to send a proper one.”
“What? What do you mean the readings are what?”
“Even measuring from the outer edge of the reaction zone, it exceeded the upper limit of the Simple Measurement Device.”
Park Jung-ho was on the verge of fainting outright. His facial muscles twisted grotesquely as his mind raced through calculations of how to profit from this impossible situation.
“It seems the news is about to start broadcasting this.”
“Hah….”
Since a Mana Concentration Phenomenon wasn’t something that could be stopped, Park Jung-ho ended the call and immediately switched on the news.
[Exclusive: Fourth “Mana Concentration Phenomenon” in History Emerges in the Outskirts of Seoul]
[Experts Warn: “Inevitable National-Level Negotiations and Competition… Unprecedented Shift in Power Predicted”]
The news that had broken domestically spread to Japan, the United States, and across the entire world, and at the same time, communities worldwide erupted.
“Try calling Yoon Young-su. Ask if we can bring the measurement team inside. Send the additional measurement equipment right away.”
“Understood!”
After his secretary left, Park Jung-ho clutched at his hair.
“Why, why, why! Can’t anything ever just pass quietly?! Argh! Song Ji-hu!!!”
And as successive follow-up reports poured in, Park Jung-ho felt as though he might lose consciousness.
[Breaking News: Fourth Mana Concentration Phenomenon Measurements Far Exceed the Three Previous Sites.]
[The Entire Land Where the Fourth Mana Concentration Phenomenon Occurred is 100% Owned by a Single Guild.]
[The Property Owner is Zero Point Guild, Which Has Formed an Alliance with USAA]
The fact that a location more powerful than any previously manifested concentration phenomenon belonged to a single guild sent the entire world reeling.
“How is it possible? Of all things, an Apostle just happened to buy that exact land?”
Unable to make sense of the situation, Park Jung-ho pointed at the map on the wall, marking the Zero Point Guild Property with his finger.
“Typically… a Mana Concentration Phenomenon affects a radius of 300 meters… so it covers everything… damn it.”
The existing three sites were under the management of either national governments or massive guild consortiums, so on the surface they seemed to operate smoothly.
The vast areas couldn’t be controlled by a single entity, and even near the cores, guilds were running businesses where they charged other Hunters for access.
“But… if an individual owns all of that land… what exactly happens?”
Since there was no precedent, there would naturally be no relevant laws in place.
“And yet… we can’t forcibly seize that land either… and it had to be Zero Point of all things….”
Actually, it was possible. But the fallout would be uncontrollable.
“Damn it….”
Park Jung-ho confirmed the phone number and name displayed on his mobile, let out a heavy sigh, hesitated for a long moment, then pressed the call button.
“Yes! Mr. President! This is Park Jung-ho, President of the Hunter Association! Yes, yes… No, sir. I’ll head there right away!”
He couldn’t understand why the entire world seemed to gang up on him alone like this.
***
Emergency protocols were activated in hunter-related departments across the globe, and the conference rooms of the world’s leading guilds blazed with light all through the night.
And all of it continued to be broadcast as news updates, leaving Yoon Young-su overwhelmed trying to aggregate the flood of information.
“They’ll try to establish a line any way they can.”
“I’m sure you will. You won’t be particular about your methods.”
Yoon Young-su reviewed the information, then suddenly recalled things Song Ji-hu had said in the past.
“Everything within a five-hundred-meter radius inside the fence belongs to the Guild.”
“Get the road acquisition processed. Move forward with the decommissioning paperwork.”
“The abandoned buildings will sort themselves out within a month.”
The scattered fragments of memory clicked together all at once, and goosebumps crawled up the back of Yoon Young-su’s neck.
‘Did the Guild Master… know about all of this from the beginning? That the Mana Concentration Phenomenon would occur here?’
There was simply no other way to explain it.
“Director? Director?”
The employee in front of him was calling, but Yoon Young-su, lost in thought, didn’t hear. He shook his head sharply and pushed himself up from his desk, gripping its edge.
“Send me the compiled information. I need to get into a meeting right away.”
“Yes, understood.”
Yoon Young-su grabbed the tablet and headed for the conference room.
‘He said twenty people was overkill. To manage this land going forward, twenty won’t nearly be enough.’
In all his years working at the Hunter Association, he’d never seen so many question marks turn to exclamation points in a single moment.
‘Wait… this land… my property is mixed in here too….’
The plot size he’d once thought excessive now seemed almost cramped. As he opened the conference room door, Yoon Young-su’s legs nearly gave out beneath him.
“You’re here?”
Contrary to what Yoon Young-su expected—that Song Ji-hu would be thrilled by news of this magnitude—his expression was utterly bored.
“Guild Master….”
“The phones should start smoking pretty soon.”
Yoon Young-su, barely settled into his chair, pulled out his mobile and placed it on the table.
He had a mountain of questions. How did you know? How could you possibly know? What did you see to choose this land?
“Just a good eye for things. And intuition. I’m sensitive to these matters, you see.”
Song Ji-hu spoke with a knowing smile, as if reading Yoon Young-su’s very thoughts.
“So… what should we do about how to respond?”
Rather than answer, Yoon Young-su decided to focus on what he needed to do.
“The Hunter Association’s measurement team has left. They said they’d like to conduct a detailed measurement later, and I told them we’d see.”
The mobile on the desk vibrated incessantly, even now giving no respite.
“We should cooperate with that much. After all, their measurements are essentially just promoting us.”
“At this rate, it’d be faster to find places where the phone isn’t ringing.”
Domestic mega-guilds, major corporations, the Hunter Association, government ministries, and overseas guilds too.
The requests varied wildly. Inquiries about land leasing, offers to buy the abandoned buildings, requests for training ground access rights—even talk of outright guild mergers.
But every last one of them was waving blank checks, naming their price.
“Hunters’ training results improve, the quality of products manufactured here gets better, and just by being here there’s an effect that slows Mental Corruption to some degree… it makes sense they’d be interested.”
Song Ji-hu fell silent for a moment before continuing.
“Have everyone wait. Keep accepting proposals, though.”
Not selling, not refusing—just keeping them standing outside like beggars until their blood runs dry.
“Then… how should we… set the price?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Standing the whole world at his door without showing a trace of impatience—such nerve made Yoon Young-su shake his head in disbelief once more.
“Why be in any hurry? The price has always been set by the one who needs it most, hasn’t it?”
Right now, everyone needed Zero Point except Zero Point itself. The longer they waited, the higher the value climbed toward the sky.
“But… could the Hunter Association or the government try something?”
Song Ji-hu let out a soft laugh and shook his head at Yoon Young-su’s worried question.
“No, absolutely not. The moment they attempt forced requisition or other legal measures… well, the consequences would be theirs to handle. Which has greater value—the Mana Concentration Phenomenon or Mental Corruption Healing?”
“Ah… true enough….”
“They may hesitate now, but it won’t be long before they feel fortunate that I’m the one holding it.”
Yoon Young-su considered this, then nodded. Now that he thought about it, wasn’t this a perfectly balanced position where neither option was possible?
Song Ji-hu himself was an even greater strategic asset than the Mana Concentration Phenomenon.
“We’ll need to beef up security first.”
“Should we hire more personnel?”
“No. Recruitment would take too much time as it is.”
This time, Song Ji-hu turned to look at Lim Jae-hyuk.
“Well, what do you need me to do?”
“You know a lot of guilds, don’t you? Smaller ones are fine, as long as they’re decent.”
“Hmm… I know quite a few.”
Lim Jae-hyuk was known for his good character, so his network was correspondingly broad.
“You don’t mean… you’re going to use them as security?”
“Yes. A win-win for everyone, wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, of course. If I just call them, they’ll come without question, though…”
Everyone nodded at Song Ji-hu’s solution.
“Instead of security fees, let them use the training grounds in the back as much as they like—rotating schedules, naturally. Yoon, the healing building has plenty of vacant space, so set aside one entire floor for lodging.”
“Ah! That’s the solution. I’ll get started right away.”
Song Ji-hu had never intended to charge ordinary Hunters or mid-sized guilds heavily for access during the Mana Concentration Phenomenon.
‘Down the line, each of them will have the strength to face an Abyss Lord.’
Besides, this place itself was the finest training ground for cultivating Hunter prowess.
‘The real money comes from the major guilds, corporations, and government anyway.’
Of course, he had no need to distribute it like a charity case right from the start.
“Let me reach out to people. How many do we need?”
“As many as possible. Just exclude anyone connected to the Abyss Guild.”
“Obviously. But won’t that be too obvious? They’ll see right through us trying to block them.”
Lim Jae-hyuk asked worriedly, but Song Ji-hu shook his head.
“The Abyss Guild already has land in China. We can direct them there instead. And USAA is our ally anyway—we can fabricate justification if needed.”
“Right, of course. Hold on.”
As Lim Jae-hyuk picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts, Song Ji-hu thought ahead to what would unfold.
The Mana Concentration Phenomenon in China, which the Abyss Guild controlled, was already nearing its end.
‘Over twenty years is plenty. They’ve likely exhausted that land reviving the Sovereign.’
The reason rumors hadn’t spread was simply that the region was under strict information control—and who held that control? The Abyss Guild itself.
‘They can’t openly admit the phenomenon is ending without creating a crisis. They’ve painted themselves into a corner.’
That was exactly what Song Ji-hu wanted: to erode the Abyss Guild’s image and influence, grain by grain.
The 7th Returnee Collects Calamities
Author
: Song Tan
Creation Date
: August 14, 2026
Publisher
: Acesis Media Co., Ltd.
Editor
: Acesis Media Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
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: [email protected]
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UCI
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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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