The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 5

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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 5
“Ahhhhh!”
Han Geon-woo’s scream tore from his throat as he lurched upright, his neck run through.
He clutched at his throat, gasping for air.
The Tutorial had kept him from death, but the agony of that blade piercing his neck was etched bone-deep into his being.
“Han Geon-woo.”
“You’re back quickly.”
The staff members waiting nearby took one look at his ashen complexion and knew something had gone wrong.
‘Poor judgment on this one.’
Yu Jin-seok, team leader of the Cheonha Guild, sized up Han Geon-woo in a glance.
Someone who couldn’t tell right from wrong wasn’t worth recruiting.
If not for that A-Rank Indomitable, he’d have sent him packing without a second thought.
‘Run the test.’
The test was being conducted under the condition that if he finished Tutorial with an evaluation of A or higher, his potential would be recognized and he’d be accepted as a formal member of the Cheonha Guild.
‘But this is too fast.’
How long had it been since he was matched? Already expelled?
At this rate his Clear Evaluation score would be an F.
“Someone… someone killed me.”
“Killed you?”
The staff member’s brow furrowed.
Not by a monster—but losing his life to a fellow Climber?
‘Could he have joined one of the other major guilds?’
If someone had enough skill to snuff out Han Geon-woo—fully equipped with Indomitable capable of growing to A-Rank maximum, plus all his gear—then they had to be seriously formidable.
As far as the staff member knew, the person most likely to be matched with Han Geon-woo in this round was Park Seung-beom of the Balhae Guild.
Rumor had it he’d acquired a skill capable of growing to S-Rank.
“Yes… he had nothing but a Short Dagger, no other equipment…”
Han Geon-woo described the man’s appearance in a trembling voice.
Of course, he left out the part about provoking him first, spinning a tale instead about how the man had suddenly rushed at him and he couldn’t mount a defense.
“Is that really what happened?”
The staff member looked skeptical.
Tutorial Mode only matched those who’d received an invitation and waited seventy-two hours, so the pool was limited.
‘If that’s true, then he doesn’t belong to any guild…’
Anyone capable of taking down Han Geon-woo would have to stand out.
The Cheonha Guild would certainly have heard of it, and they’d have gathered some information—just like the Balhae Guild’s Park Seung-beom.
“Did he use a skill?”
Han Geon-woo nodded at the question.
“Yes! It was an impossible skill!”
Another lie.
Blinded by rage, he hadn’t even properly seen whether the man used a skill at all.
But anyone who could take him down in a single blow while he had Indomitable active must have been using a skill—that much was certain.
“Is that so…?”
Usually when people acquired a skill, they knocked on the doors of the major guilds first thing.
If Han Geon-woo was telling the truth, that was actually good news.
If the Cheonha Guild had no information on this person, it meant the other guilds didn’t either.
By being the first to get eliminated, Han Geon-woo had inadvertently made the Cheonha Guild the first to learn of this mysterious fighter.
‘We absolutely have to recruit him for the Cheonha.’
The problem was they couldn’t identify him.
First, he’d have to file a report.
The staff member quickly dialed Yu Jin-seok’s number.
[Yeah. Already over?]
Through the phone came a voice tinged with displeasure.
“Yes.”
[Sigh.]
A long exhalation followed the news of Han Geon-woo’s early elimination.
“Still, we did get something out of it.”
[Something?]
“Yes. He wasn’t killed by a monster—it was another Awakened One.”
[Balhae?]
“No, sir.”
[No?]
“Yes. It was a man wielding a Short Dagger.”
[……What in the world is he talking about?]
* * *
Endurance.
As Seong-un climbed into Layer 3, a brutal cold descended upon him.
“Hah.”
The cold was so intense it bit into his bones.
Seong-un advanced with measured steps, circulating Mana through his body.
Crunch. Crunch.
With each step through the deep snow, his feet sank, and the chill clawed at his legs.
The reason Layer 3 of the Tutorial was called Endurance was simple.
One had to endure the harsh environment for as long as possible.
Because of this, novice Climbers couldn’t withstand the conditions and surrendered almost immediately, exiting without complaint.
‘Most Climbers don’t last more than ten minutes.’
This cursed cold had a way of driving people half mad.
Awakened Ones supported by major guilds with equipment and consumables managed some resistance, but as the perceived temperature dropped every five minutes, most couldn’t last past an hour.
‘Cold-weather gear alone won’t suffice.’
They relied on protective items thinking they needed to last as long as possible, but according to the records, a proper Clear Evaluation required clearing without wearing items or using consumables.
Only sheer willpower would do.
Whoooosh—
Each gust of wind made his entire body shudder more violently.
The relentless cold tormented him, but he circulated his Mana and fought to keep consciousness from slipping away.
‘Twenty minutes in this place……. She’s truly remarkable.’
Rosalein had endured twenty minutes here.
From what Seong-un recalled, she had faced the brutal cold without a single item or skill, and after holding on for twenty minutes, the bonus points were tallied, earning her first place.
Still, that wasn’t enough to reach EX Rank.
‘The Insignia.’
The Insignia hidden somewhere in this place.
Layer 3 wasn’t merely about enduring the cold.
A single Insignia existed somewhere in this vast expanse.
Finding that Insignia was the true objective of Layer 3.
‘I think they said a cave was discovered somewhere.’
A cave that even Rosalein, who had earned S Rank, never found.
Though he was overshadowed by Rosalein’s fame with an S Rank rating, there was a man who had caused the Layer 3 strategy guide to be updated anew.
Lee Seong-hwan.
A Climber who had ascended the Tower two years before Seong-un, reaching as high as Layer 61—a master of his craft.
Though he had lost his life early on Layer 62, he was a spear expert whom even Seong-un respected.
‘Then perhaps I should seek some guidance.’
Unlike Rosalein, Lee Seong-hwan possessed both cold-weather gear and environmental resistance skills, which allowed him to discover the cave.
If he had found the Insignia without anything, just as Rosalein had, wouldn’t he have earned S Rank or better?
Seong-un pushed forward, moving his frost-numbed legs with determination.
* * *
[Layer 2 results are being compiled.]
[2nd Place – 32 minutes 12 seconds 83]
After the monster who had cleared the maze in ten minutes, Park Seung-beom arrived in second place.
His time: thirty-two minutes.
Second place.
It was a respectable record, and clearing the maze under an hour meant he could expect an S Rank on Layer 2 alone.
Yet Park Seung-beom’s expression remained grim.
Layer 1 had been the same. Layer 2 as well.
He had been overwhelmingly outpaced.
“Who is that monster?”
Park Seung-beom was certain the first-place finisher on Layers 1 and 2 was the same person.
There was no other Awakened One who surpassed him on Layer 1.
“Let’s head up.”
More than twenty minutes had passed since the first-place finisher climbed to Layer 3.
The gap had widened considerably.
He needed to climb faster and close the distance.
“Hah.”
Park Seung-beom withdrew a Hand Warmer from his pocket.
Holding this Hand Warmer helped maintain body heat even in the biting cold.
The Robe he wore also boasted excellent thermal insulation, so he could endure for at least thirty minutes or more.
“He must have withdrawn.”
The man who had entered without a single item, unlike himself who had taken every precaution against the cold.
No matter how exceptional his abilities, surviving this bitter freeze would be impossible.
Park Seung-beom felt confident he would not lose on Layer 3.
At minimum, thirty minutes.
If he could hold on that long, he could even aim for an S Rank final evaluation.
[A portal to the final layer has been generated.]
[Only the first-place finisher may enter. Climbers outside the ranking will be automatically expelled.]
Just then, a message appeared before Park Seung-beom’s eyes.
“What……?”
A portal to the final layer had been generated?
But how on earth……?
Before doubt could even take hold, darkness swallowed Park Seung-beom’s vision.
* * *
His body had no sensation.
No matter how hard he circulated his Mana, feeling refused to return.
‘I pushed too hard.’
The cave had been farther than expected.
It had taken nearly twenty minutes of walking to reach it.
Along the way, there were countless moments when he nearly lost consciousness to the extreme cold, but by sheer force of will, he entered the cave itself and seized the Insignia.
The Insignia was shaped like a ring, and when he grasped the ring in his hand, a portal appeared before him.
[Tallying results from all layers.]
[You have recorded first place.]
[You are now qualified to challenge Layer 4, the final layer.]
Success.
He had achieved first place—something he’d never managed in his previous life—and could now challenge Layer 4, the final layer.
[All Climber stamina has been fully restored.]
Having successfully climbed through Layer 3, his stamina recovered to one hundred percent.
Along with it, the numbness that had plagued him faded, and his condition returned to normal.
‘Is Layer 4 supposed to be random, if I remember right?’
Layer 4 guides were exceedingly diverse, because each Climber received a different challenge.
It could be a hunt, an escape through a labyrinth, or enduring in a harsh environment like Layer 3.
“Whatever it is, I’ll clear it with the highest score.”
If hunting, flawlessly.
If escape, swiftly.
If endurance, as long as possible.
Whatever comes, I’m ready.
[Eliminate the Wolf Fang.]
And the task given to Seong-un was to hunt a Wolf Fang—two tiers higher than a Goblin.
‘A Wolf Fang in the Tutorial……?’
Seong-un’s brow furrowed.
A Wolf Fang was a Boss Monster that only appeared once a Climber reached Layer 5 at minimum.
Though it was a monster that appeared in the lower layers, it boasted such high defense that without using skills, it was nearly impossible to pierce its skin.
For a Climber with no Tower-climbing experience, it was an exceptionally troublesome foe.
‘Strange. In Tutorial Mode, the strongest enemies should only be Hop Goblins or Goblin Shamans.’
Seong-un had read countless guides.
But there had never been a case where a Wolf Fang appeared.
‘Is this because I’m clearing at EX Rank?’
Seong-un gripped his Short Dagger and moved slowly toward the Wolf Fang.
“Grrrrr!”
The moment Seong-un entered range, the Wolf Fang bared its fangs.
Its golden eyes glowed with killing intent, but Seong-un gazed back with an expression of perfect calm.
To the eyes of someone who had reached Layer 80 in his previous life, the Wolf Fang seemed almost adorable.
Whoosh!
Finding its stare ineffective, the Wolf Fang pushed off the ground and lunged.
The movement was swift enough to lose in a moment’s carelessness, and Seong-un responded by lowering his waist as far as it would go, reversing both his Short Daggers in his grip.
Screech—
The creature’s jaws opened wide as it drove its head forward.
‘Now.’
As he drove his head forward, the creature’s upper body lurched ahead.
Seizing the moment, he pivoted his body to slip past the strike, then drew his Mana-coated Short Dagger upward across Wolf Pang’s neck from below.
Screech—
But the blade barely grazed the creature’s hide.
It dealt no real damage.
This was the same blade that cut through goblin flesh without effort.
Since this was exactly what he’d anticipated, Seong-un didn’t panic. He sidestepped the creature’s sweeping arm and retreated a step.
“Grrrowl!”
The creature snorted in contempt and opened its jaws wide to snap at him again.
Just as before, Seong-un dodged the attack and struck the same wounded spot with surgical precision, slicing deeper.
Screech—
The gash widened, growing deeper.
“Snarl!”
Realizing it had fallen for the same gambit twice, the creature thrashed about in a frenzy. With his Hyper Senses, Seong-un evaded every attack while targeting the neck relentlessly.
Rip—
At last, he succeeded in tearing through Wolf Pang’s hide.
“Shriek!”
Feeling a sharp sting, the creature let out its first cry of pain.
The blade had sunk deep.
Without hesitation, Seong-un drove the Short Dagger down into the gaping wound.
“Screeeeech!”
The creature shrieked and convulsed violently.
Soon after, its body went limp and fell still.
Seong-un pulled the Short Dagger free and wiped the blood from the blade.
[You have defeated Wolf Pang.]
[You have successfully climbed the final layer of the Tutorial!]
[Your Clear Evaluation is being calculated.]
[Clear Score: EX Rank]
[You are the first Climber to complete the Tutorial with an EX Rank evaluation. In recognition of this remarkable achievement, you will receive a ‘very special’ reward.]
[You have been awarded a Title Exchange Token [SS Rank].]
[You have been awarded 420 Gold.]
[Your Level has increased by 3.]
[No additional resources can be obtained.]
[You may now climb the Tower.]
[The Community has been unlocked. You can now receive sponsorship in Gold from other Climbers.]
‘Title Exchange?’
Seong-un tilted his head, puzzled by the special reward.
The Legendary 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 | Suite 401, Acetech Tower 8, 11 Digitalo 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea
Email | [email protected]
Website | www.jayplemedia.com
© Yeon I-yo 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under a contract with the copyright holder and may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation of this notice may 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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