The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 26

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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 26
After Han Geon-u left with his resolve steeled, Seong Un—left alone—used a Mana Heart Fragment.
The method was simple enough.
He simply placed the fragment in his mouth and that was that.
The fragment dissolved like cotton candy on his tongue, and within moments it was absorbed into his body.
[Your Magical Power increases by 20.]
Twenty points of magical power gained.
The corners of Seong Un’s mouth lifted.
‘I’ll be able to use One Strike, Two Severs far more reliably now.’
The higher the success rate, the more certain he could strike down even higher-tier monsters.
‘Still, it’s a shame I couldn’t consume the Mana Heart in full.’
With an intact Mana Heart, he would have gained a hundred points, not twenty.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Who could that be?
Judging from the silence on Jang Byung-jun’s end, it was likely Seo Jae-pil or someone from the Association.
He went to the entrance and opened the door to find the trio of employees who’d been struggling on the twelfth floor.
“We’re relieved you were in,” Lee Tae-hun said brightly, holding his shield as he extended a basket.
It was brimming with fruit.

“What’s this?”
“Ah, we realized we never properly thanked you for saving us.”
At the time, Lee Tae-hun and the other employees had evacuated to the first floor under the guidance of security, prepared for the worst.
They’d wanted to express their gratitude to Seong Un afterward, but the arrival of the Association chair had left them watching from a distance.
“That’s not necessary. I wasn’t doing it for thanks.”
Seong Un shook his head.
If the catastrophe had stemmed from the Debuff of misfortune, then it was only right that he bear responsibility for it.
He was simply grateful that there hadn’t been even a single casualty.
“Please, accept it! It’s not a bribe—we really do mean it as a token of our appreciation!”
The fruit basket wasn’t a bribe, that much was true.
After a moment’s deliberation, Seong Un nodded and took the basket.
“All right, then.”
“If you ever need anything, please seek out Unit 1203! We’ll do everything in our power to help!”
“I appreciate that. If something comes up, I’ll certainly reach out.”
“Then we’ll leave you to it!”
The trio departed, and Seong Un summoned Jang Byung-jun, handing him the basket.
“A fruit basket?”
“Yes. The people involved in the twelfth floor incident gave it as compensation. Take a few with you.”
“I’m fine, thank you. But I do have something to discuss with you.”
Even as Jang Byung-jun spoke, he hesitated repeatedly.
“It seems many people have their eyes on me.”
The observation was accurate enough that Jang Byung-jun nodded.
“That’s true, yes. You have sharp instincts.”
“It’s impossible not to notice.”
The tutorial, the first floor, the second floor.
A rookie monster who’d cleared everything at EX+ grade.
There was no reason not to pursue him.
The fact that Seoul remained quiet was proof of how much the Association was exerting itself.
“Ahem. The Association chair has recently held talks with the guild leaders.”
“Because the Association alone doesn’t have sufficient strength?”
“Precisely. Even with the Protection set by the Association, many countries—the United States included—are applying pressure.”
“I expected as much, but it’s happening faster than I thought.”
In terms of raw Awakener strength, the Republic of Korea wasn’t particularly formidable.
In the early days, the disparity hadn’t been so pronounced, but as all the promising young Awakeners were poached away, national power had plummeted dramatically.
For an Irregular to emerge in such a Korea—no neighboring nation would stand idle.
“The guild leaders have agreed, and they’ve committed to playing the role of a protective fence to keep you safe. However, if you wish it, you’re welcome to relocate to the United States.”
Once the Protection period expired, America would make astronomical offers to entice Seong Un.
If America applied genuine pressure, this fence would crumble without even demonstrating real strength.
Association Chair Choi Hyuk had called Jang Byung-jun aside and revealed his true position.
Whatever nation it might be—if they could assist Seong Un in standing atop the Tower’s summit, he would accept it.
It was a sentiment that Jang Byung-jun shared as well.
“It’s too much trouble.”
But Seong Un’s answer defied expectation.
Jang Byung-jun tilted his head, visibly caught off guard.
“Too much trouble?”
“Yes. Why else would I have bypassed a guild to join the Association?”
“……Because it’s troublesome?”
“Yes.”
Seong Un offered no further explanation, but Jang Byung-jun, quick to read between the lines, seemed satisfied enough—the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
* * *
At that very moment.
Washington D.C.
The American Association was also holding a meeting.
But unlike the Korean Association, the atmosphere was considerably tense.
“What about the Irregular from Korea?”
A man with a towering frame—nearly two meters tall—with golden hair gathered neatly to his shoulders and clear blue eyes so pristine they seemed to reflect a lake, possessed a face of striking beauty. He posed his question with decisive brevity.
America’s undisputed number one, the guild master of Olympus.
James Zeus Reid.
Samuel King, seated as Association chairman, drummed his fingers slowly against the armrest of his chair before speaking deliberately.
“For now, we observe.”
“What?”
Displeased with the answer, James’s brow furrowed.
Sparks began crackling from the pristine suit he wore.
“James, what are you proposing?”
There were more than two people present.
Maria Hernandez, seated to the right by protocol, interjected at a perfectly timed moment.
The guild master leading Iron Will.
While Olympus held the top position, the guild led by her—known as the Iron Empress—Iron Will ranked at number two, posing a constant threat to Olympus’s supremacy.
“A little pressure would solve this. Why drag it out?”
She understood that a Lock had been placed.
But if America applied pressure, extracting information would be nothing.
They could lay the groundwork now and time the recruitment for when the Lock broke—simple as that.
So why all this delay?
“I understand the impulse, but Korea is actively blocking us.”
There was a reason America didn’t coerce Korea despite the disparity in power.
It came down to Alchemy.
The artifacts and equipment manufactured in Korea, renowned for its high-end Alchemy, were absolutely essential to America.
‘If you come at us hard, we have no choice but to draw our blades.’
And so Samuel found himself forced to retreat a step.
“How dare they!”
Crack—
Sparks erupted around James.
America makes a move, and they deliberately block? Preposterous.
“There have to be ways to break them down. Alchemy, for instance.”
Jackson Blake Lee, both guild master of Neon Knight and an Asian American, offered his suggestion.
Breaking through a defensive wall was child’s play.
Rather than raw force, economic pressure was another route.
Though Korea excelled at Alchemy, several resources essential to its production were nearly monopolized by America.
If they deliberately slowed supply, a reaction would come inevitably.
“That won’t work. The Lock isn’t enough—Korean guilds have united in their resistance. Moving now would be foolish.”
Robert Steel, guild master of Pentagon, voiced his opposition.
“I agree. For now, we simply observe. The Lock will break eventually.”
“And then we launch our recruitment operation.”
“We promise him the best treatment so he has no choice but to come to us.”
Save for James and Jackson, the other guild masters sided with the opposition, and Samuel, as Association chairman, nodded along with their sentiment.
“Then by majority vote, we’ve decided to observe. I will tolerate no reckless action.”
This was precisely why Samuel had called the meeting.
Not to discuss how to recruit the Irregular, but to prevent anyone’s eyes from going wild and attacking Korea.
“Tch, fine. Since you’re taking that stance, I’ll go along. But understand—Olympus will be the ones bringing in the Irregular.”
James bared his teeth at the other guild masters seated around him.
It was a sort of warning: if they dared harbor greed, he would not let them off lightly.
“Are you afraid your first-place ranking will be stolen?”
Maria Hernandez, the Steel Empress, smiled as she taunted him.
“Maria, why don’t you shut that mouth of yours before I tear it to shreds?”
James snapped his fingers, and sparks erupted wildly around him.
Despite the tension hanging in the air, the guild masters remained composed.
Having run their guilds and interacted frequently with James, they had long since formed a clear picture of the man.
Hotheaded though he might be, he was no fool.
This was mere theater.
A warning not to harbor thoughts of confronting Olympus, which stood at the pinnacle of all guilds.
“James, don’t get cocky. I’m barely restraining myself from tearing your limbs off.”
Of course, Maria Hernandez had no intention of heeding that warning.
Iron Will, eyeing Olympus’s position with hungry eyes.
She would bring down that arrogant nose by recruiting an Irregular—no matter what it took.
* * *
[User Information]
-Name: Seong Un
-Level: 21
[Detailed Statistics]
-Strength: 88
-Agility: 28
-Stamina: 28
-Perception: 28
-Magical Power: 48
Preparation was complete.
“Now everything hinges on my capabilities.”
Depending on what he did next, his future would fork in different directions.
Seong Un lifted his head, steeling his resolve.
[Do you wish to enter Floor 3 of the Tower of Apocalypse?]
He confirmed his intention to enter Floor 3 of the Tower of Apocalypse.
[Do you wish to use the ‘Skip 3 Floors’ Special Privilege?]
The system asked whether he wanted to use the privilege.
Without hesitation, Seong Un selected ‘Yes’.
[Using the ‘Skip 3 Floors’ Special Privilege.]
[Floor 3 of the Tower of Apocalypse will be changed to Floor 1 of the Tower of Miracles.]
Not the Tower of Apocalypse, but the Tower of Miracles.
When using the privilege, the ascent automatically shifted to climbing the Tower of Miracles instead.
[Sponsored broadcast cannot be started.]
Moreover, unlike the Tower of Apocalypse, the Tower of Miracles could not be broadcast at all.
Likewise, no notifications of Seong Un’s results would reach other climbers.
‘There will be no results announced from floors three through five. I’ll be using the privilege.’
‘A privilege?’
‘Yes.’
The condition Association Chairman Choi Hyuk had set forth.
Clear all floors from 1 to 10 with an SS-grade rating or higher.
If he skipped three floors by using the privilege, he would fail to meet that condition.
So he had separately informed Choi Hyuk about the privilege.
‘I’ll need to borrow an Opportunity from the Association.’
If not for the Opportunity, he would never have mentioned the privilege to Choi Hyuk.
Seong Un glanced around his surroundings.
Floor 1 of the Tower of Miracles bore many similarities to Floor 1 of the Tower of Apocalypse.
There was a village.
And residents lived their lives here.
“Found you! What are you doing standing around here?”
The difference was that the residents did not recognize Seong Un as a climber.
They regarded him as part of the village, and made little effort to hide their bewilderment at his vacant stare.
“I just had some things on my mind.”
This was different from the Tower of Miracles he had entered in his past life.
‘Back then, there were zero survivors, so I had to face the higher races alone.’
What the Tower of Miracles demanded was for him to demonstrate an actual ‘miracle’ with his own hands.
And that miracle was achieving victory alone against an entire species.
But Seong Un had been defeated by them.
Utterly and completely.
The only reason he survived was that the Tower of Miracles expelled him before his life could be claimed.
“In any case, there’s no time! Don’t even think about running—just follow me, quickly!”
The resident, stressed by the urgency, began dragging Seong Un somewhere.
‘What kind of miracle will I need to show here?’
That question was answered not long after.
[EP. 1 The Selection]
As Seong Un squeezed in among the huddled residents, the scene shifted, and he found himself the sudden focus of every eye in the room.
“This is the offering chosen this time!”
At the booming voice, Seong Un’s eyes narrowed.
An Unparalleled Returnee Devours the Tower (Serialized)
Author │ Yeon Yi-yo
Publisher │ Kim Joo-hyung
Published by │ JPlus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ Room 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th)
Email │ [email protected]
Homepage │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yeon Yi-yo 2026
※This work has been published by JPlus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder. No part of this content may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation of this will result in civil and criminal legal responsibility.

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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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