The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 14

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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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Chapter 14
Association Chairman Choi Hyuk was wrestling with the EX+-grade difficulty.
From the Tutorial through the first floor.
Absurd results—and the world’s attention had fixed firmly on Korea.
“What about the United States?”
“Yes. The United States is currently requesting information about the monster rookie.”
“As expected.”
Choi Hyuk exhaled slowly.
The nation currently holding the most top-ranked Climbers.
Whenever someone showed promise, the United States would make aggressive offers—territorial rights, massive compensation—and gradually the gap had widened until now they dominated so completely it seemed insurmountable.
“It’s not only the United States. China, Japan, Russia, and many others are doing the same.”
Other nations, in the face of that dominance, were striving constantly to narrow the divide.
They would stop at nothing to bring Seong Un to their own country.
Thank goodness the Association had placed a lock on it.
Without that, the contest would have extended from guild-level to nation-level.
“Refuse them.”
A lock was in place; even the United States couldn’t override it.
They would actually welcome the rejection.
The Association had sealed the information with a LOCK—a restriction that prevented anyone but the Chairman from accessing the Climber’s data. Other nations needn’t fear it being poached.
‘The privilege of having what others don’t.’
Tutorial EX-grade, first floor EX+-grade.
Consecutive results that defied human logic—the verification was essentially complete.
The United States was the nation currently challenging uncharted territory.
Because of that, most newly discovered Opportunities fell to American Climbers.
Which meant they could offer treatment befitting those results—extraordinary treatment indeed.
‘If that’s the case, going to the United States might not be a bad option either…….’
What Choi Hyuk sought wasn’t Korea’s prosperity, but reaching the summit of the Tower and preventing its collapse.
“Understood. I’ll handle it immediately. And here are the requirements Climber Seong Un has requested.”
Jang Byung-jun set the note he’d received down carefully on the table.
Eight items were written on it.
“Prepare them at once and send them over.”
“Yes, sir!”
* * *
[So this NPC called Hudin is dead?]
-They say you gotta get the Hood from him. But how do you even get a Hood lol
└EX+-grade came out and suddenly all these fake stories are pouring in. You bastards
└Nah I watched the stream directly? Pretty sure he was wearing a Hood
└But nobody’s giving you that Hood from the NPC
└So it’s just a regular item then?
Seong Un scrolled through the community and let out a quiet laugh.
‘Once an EX-grade appears, it never shows up again.’
Whether it’s the first time or not.
According to the records, once someone reaches EX-grade, no one else can ever earn that grade again.
‘People will figure it out naturally as time goes on.’
There would be more looking at him with awe, yes—but equally, people would emerge trying to hold him back.
So he’d have to climb even higher.
High enough that even jealousy couldn’t touch him.
“Are you really going to keep watching from behind like that?”
He’d asked about gathering some materials on the way out, so the man had handed the note to another staff member and simply followed along.
“Yes. It’s to protect the Climber in case anyone tries to approach you.”
Clearing the first floor with an EX+-grade hadn’t made him an overwhelming force.
To be honest, Seong Un was still barely past the novice stage.
That’s why protection was essential.
“Just don’t get in the way.”
“Of course. Pay me no mind and go about your business.”
But how was he supposed to not be self-conscious when the man was staring at him like that?
Seong Un shook his head and turned toward the alley.
Three men who’d been crouched there smoking suddenly spotted what looked like easy prey and rose to their feet, eyes gleaming.
“Hey. Hold on a sec—kough!”
As one of them stepped toward Seong Un, Jang Byung-jun appeared from a distance and seized the man’s throat.
“Do you want to die?”
The two men approaching froze solid at his menacing voice.
Gripped by terror, their legs trembled like aspen leaves.
“Since you’re not answering, I’ll take that as a yes.”
Crack—
Jang Byung-jun seized the man’s right arm and snapped it without mercy.
“Guaaaaahhhhh!”
The man’s eyes reddened with burst capillaries, tears streaming down his face as his throat constricted and cut off his words.
He thrashed, trying to wrench himself free from Jang Byung-jun’s grip, but the hand didn’t budge an inch.
“Last chance. Do you want to die?”
His eyes turned toward the two men.
“Eeeek!”
Loyalty meant nothing to them—they wheeled around and bolted, their tails between their legs.
Seong Un watched their pathetic flight with disdain, then shifted his gaze to Jang Byung-jun.
“You can let him go now.”
“Yes.”
Jang Byung-jun’s fierce gaze softened in an instant, and he released the tension in his hand.
The man, choking on the edge of asphyxiation, gasped and sobbed, his nose running freely.
“Hack! Hack! P-please… save me…….”
Terror had eaten away at him so thoroughly that his words came out broken and slurred.
‘I didn’t even need to step in.’
Because he’d only just started climbing, there was certainly a noticeable gap in raw stats, but his wealth of experience could bridge that chasm—or so he knew.
Still, letting someone else handle it meant less work for him, which was convenient enough.
Seong Un moved forward.
Jang Byung-jun, who had been staring intently at the man, withdrew his gaze and followed in Seong Un’s wake.
* * *
At that same moment.
Han Geon-woo was waiting in the shadows, gauging the eyes of those around him.
“Ugh, seriously…… Why’d he have to call me to a place like this?”
The location Seong Un had summoned him to was Alchemy Street.
The visionaries who had elevated Korea into an alchemy superpower plied their craft in grand surroundings, treated with the utmost respect.
But this place?
It was where alchemists discarded by the side effects of failed Synthesis had taken root.
“Damn it…….”
Just then, Han Geon-woo spotted a man stumbling toward him and stepped aside.
“Blearrgh!”
The man braced himself against the wall where Han Geon-woo had been standing moments before and vomited everything in his stomach.
Han Geon-woo grimaced at the unsightly spectacle.
“This is making me lose my mind.”
Mercifully, the ordeal ended there.
“You’ve been waiting?”
Seong Un, who had summoned him, had arrived.
“Ugh, why are you so late, sir?”
Han Geon-woo had sworn to devote himself utterly, and had decided to treat him as a brother.
Tutorial EX-grade.
The fact that the same man had also achieved EX+-grade on the first floor—well, who else could it be but Seong Un?
There was no reason not to show him that respect.
Of course, his own attitude remained somewhat crooked, but Seong Un didn’t mind.
If he ever overstepped, a beating would teach him obedience soon enough.
“Is something bothering you?”
Han Geon-woo flinched.
“Oh, no sir. It’s nothing like that.”
“Good. Then follow me.”
“Where are we going, sir?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Seong Un led the way, and Han Geon-woo followed at his heels.
They arrived at an old, dilapidated building.
It was a three-story structure, its entrance sealed off with iron bars to prevent entry.
“What is this place, sir?”
Han Geon-woo asked, his face betraying unease.
Black bags were piled high beside the building, and from them wafted a stench that was impossible to ignore.
Liquid that looked like blood dripped steadily, conjuring an unsettling dread.
The important thing was the man following behind.
A sturdy man in a suit stood watching without a word.
‘Who the hell is that guy?’
He stared so openly that asking directly was out of the question, so he sent several meaningful glances toward Seong Un, but Seong Un simply ignored him.
“Well, shall we go in?”
Seong Un stepped aside.
If they were going in, why was he stepping to the side?
“Pardon? I thought you said we were going in?”
As Han Geon-woo’s face filled with confusion, Seong Un shook his head with obvious exasperation.
“Break it down.”
“B-break it down?”
“That’s right.”
“……Understood.”
He wondered if this might cause trouble later, but that wasn’t his concern—this man would handle it.
There was one problem, however.
When he’d been expelled from the Cheonha Guild, they’d seized every piece of equipment he owned.
Moreover, after he’d recklessly thrown himself at Seong Un and died on Floor One, he didn’t have a single Gold to his name.
In other words, he had no equipment whatsoever to climb Floor One.
Watching Seong Un carefully like a dog desperate to relieve itself, he began to fret, until Seong Un seemed to realize the problem and held out a hammer.
“Use this.”
“Ah, thank you.”
A B-grade hammer, no less.
Slightly heavier than a pink dumbbell, it felt remarkably light in hand.
Han Geon-woo brought the hammer down against the iron gate.
Clang!
Whatever this gate was made of, it withstood the B-grade hammer without so much as a dent.
“How is this thing so hard?”
Han Geon-woo kept striking with the hammer.
Clang! Clang!
“Stop that, you bastard!”
Then a man’s voice boomed from inside the building.
* * *
‘Is that Woo Min-chul?’
The alchemist known as an eccentric, who had invented countless Potions and brought hope to innumerable Climbers.
Seong Un himself had made active use of his Potions and owed his survival of countless crises to them.
Yet that alchemist was not Woo Min-chul himself, but rather his disciple, Lee Sang-hyun.
In his previous life, Woo Min-chul had died before Seong Un even began his climb.
The name Woo Min-chul had come to light in the world only because Lee Sang-hyun had confessed to using his master’s recipes.
“Who the hell are you people!”
Woo Min-chul picked up a glass bottle and bellowed.
“Um, what should we do?”
Han Geon-woo, who had been striking the gate with the hammer, asked with a flustered expression.
“We’ve come for some Potions.”
Seong Un delivered his purpose matter-of-factly.
“Potions? Quit your bullshit and get out.”
Woo Min-chul openly displayed his displeasure, raising his middle finger.
“This son of a bitch?”
Angered, Han Geon-woo lifted the hammer and struck the gate.
“You’d better get out of here before I melt you down!”
Woo Min-chul picked up a glass bottle from the table.
“Step back.”
“……Yes.”
Han Geon-woo, who had been about to strike the gate again, wore a sullen expression as he retreated.
“Hah, so unlike that brawny oaf, you’re not completely stupid.”
“As you can see.”
Seong Un let out a faint chuckle, while Han Geon-woo glared at Woo Min-chul with an expression of disbelief.
“Consider this my final warning. Now get out!”
Woo Min-chul stepped closer and threatened them with the red liquid inside the glass bottle.
If he didn’t turn back now, he looked ready to hurl the liquid at her any moment.
“Ten billion won.”
Ten billion won.
At that figure, Woo Min-chul’s expression shifted subtly.
“Ten billion?”
“Yes. I’ll buy it for ten billion won.”
At this point in time, Potions were not well-known.
More precisely, the Potions that Woo Min-chul manufactured.
The fact that he was stationed here on Alchemy Street meant he was shunned by the alchemists.
In such a situation, when someone appeared offering ten billion won, it was impossible not to be tempted.
“……What sort of Potion do you need?”
Along with the Tower came a new form of currency—Gold—but money remained supreme.
In this world, money could buy almost anything.
If something seemed impossible, one should first consider whether one simply didn’t have enough money.
“I need a Potion that can resist poison. And a very potent one at that.”
“Poison, then… Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
Woo Min-chul forced his expression into something resembling a smile.
There was indeed one Potion related to poison.
Tears of Belos.
The problem was that Tears of Belos was a Potion not yet revealed to the world.
It was still incomplete.
“Then you’ll sell it to me?”
But ten billion won was too vast a sum to refuse.
He let out a low groan.
After a long moment of deliberation, Woo Min-chul finally unlocked the iron gate that had been sealed shut.
The Ultimate Returner Devours the Tower (Serialized)
Author │ Yeon I-yo
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J-Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 401, Ace Techno Tower 8, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yeon I-yo 2026
※This work is published by J-Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without the permission of the company and author.
Violation of this will result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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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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