The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 52

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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 52
Seong Un’s wooden sword thrust toward Pyo Ji-hun’s neck.
Even protected by Protective Gear, the impact would be considerable.
Crack!
But the wooden sword infused with Vital Point Strike never found its mark on Pyo Ji-hun’s neck.
In a heartbeat, Pyo Ji-hun—despite his balance shattered—recovered and knocked Seong Un’s wooden sword upward.
“Hm?”
I had to admit a grudging respect at that moment.
I’d thought his focus was purely destructive, yet he pivoted to defense when danger struck. Impressive.
“Huff! Huff!”
His eyes had lost their focus, yet they fixed on Seong Un.
His breathing came ragged—his body couldn’t sustain the skill much longer.
Having lowered both his level and stats, the backlash was severe.
Still, Pyo Ji-hun refused to release the skill.
Even unfocused, his eyes blazed with the fire of combat intent.
“So an SSS+ Rank prodigy earned that rating fairly.”
How had such a genius lost his life in the lower levels?
Whoosh!
Pyo Ji-hun moved again.
His balance crumbled once more as he unleashed a pure, force-driven attack aimed at Seong Un.
He swung hard; Seong Un dodged; Pyo Ji-hun immediately reversed direction, as if he’d been waiting for exactly that.
Crack!
Seong Un caught the end of the wooden sword with his left hand, receiving the blow.
Slide—
The defense held, but Seong Un’s body was forced sideways.
At least his weight was anchored in his legs.
Otherwise, he would’ve been knocked flat.
Thud!
Sensing his opening, Pyo Ji-hun drove forward with his legs, pushing Seong Un back.
Scrape—
Seong Un tilted his wooden sword at an angle and arched his back, sliding through Pyo Ji-hun’s attack.
‘This is so infuriating. Just activate Divine Descent already!’
Leonis, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.
‘Finally opening your mouth.’
‘That’s not the point—why aren’t you revealing your full power?’
‘I’m just… a little curious.’
‘Curious?’
A man with such talent shouldn’t have lost his life to a monster.
If he’d stumbled under a Vital Point Strike while off-balance, I’d understand. But this perfect awareness and evasion of danger gave me pause.
‘Someone killed Pyo Ji-hun.’
Pyo Ji-hun is a latecomer.
No matter his potential, break him before he blooms and he’s worthless.
So the one who slew an SSS+ Rank prodigy wasn’t a monster—it was a Climber.
‘Did my presence change things?’
That seemed likely.
Otherwise, a talent of this caliber wouldn’t have perished in the lower levels.
Whoosh—
Pyo Ji-hun thrust at Seong Un’s solar plexus. Seong Un defended with his wooden sword and twisted his body.
Scrape-scrape—
Their wooden swords grated against each other as Seong Un burst into Pyo Ji-hun’s guard in a single motion.
Pyo Ji-hun aimed his free elbow at Seong Un’s face, but Seong Un—reading every move—parried with the pommel of his wooden sword.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
With a dull crack, Pyo Ji-hun’s face twisted in pain.
It must hurt terribly.
For the first time, I’d channeled Mana directly into the pommel.
A shame—there was little point in continuing the match.
The explosive destructive power he’d generated through his skill was already fading, and his movements had grown noticeably sluggish.
As the skill released, focus returned to Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes, and he trembled with pain.
The match had turned.
“You’re betting the Phoenix’s Tear with only that level of skill?”
“Ahhhhh!”
Seong Un’s provocation sent Pyo Ji-hun roaring, his final desperate lunge driving the sword through the air in wild, frenzied swings.
Whoosh—whoosh—
Seong Un retreated step by step, unhurried, slipping past each attack.
The viciousness that had burned moments before had guttered out entirely, and the openings in Pyo Ji-hun’s stance gaped wide.
‘Time to finish this.’
Seong Un triggered the skill again.
The Vital Point Strike. The one that had failed before.
[Vital Point Strike activated.]
This time, his wooden sword drove forward in a blur, targeting Pyo Ji-hun’s solar plexus.
Crack!
The wooden sword buried itself in Pyo Ji-hun’s chest; his spine folded like a hinge, and he flew backward.
“Hngh!”
Even through the protective gear, the impact was severe. Pyo Ji-hun gasped and drooled, body wracked with pain.
“Stop!”
Choi Han-su called the match to a halt with sharp urgency.
“Go on, get him checked out. The boy’s got real talent—make sure you keep him.”
Seong Un’s eyes were on Choi Han-su, but the words were truly meant for Choi Hyuk, seated in the gallery.
“You—you bastard…… Cough! Cough!”
As Choi Han-su moved to leave, Pyo Ji-hun forced himself upright, groaning through the effort.
“That has to hurt. Just rest where you are.”
“No, no need to worry. The match isn’t over yet…….”
Both his legs trembled uncontrollably.
Yet the fire in Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes refused to dim.
‘Talent and willpower both—impressive. I like him.’
Leonis’s pleased voice cut through.
He’d been watching Pyo Ji-hun the whole time and clearly approved.
“No. Ji-hun has already reached his limit. The match ends here.”
Choi Han-su was ready to stop it at once.
“No I haven’t!”
Pyo Ji-hun glared at Choi Han-su as though he wanted to kill him, his shout raw and harsh.
“This bastard…”
The murderous look in Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes made Choi Han-su flare up in turn, and he took a step forward.
Seong Un blocked his path.
“Let’s continue. He hasn’t conceded yet, so stopping here doesn’t seem right.”
“Hmm……”
Choi Han-su looked silently toward the gallery.
Choi Hyuk, seated there, nodded.
Permission granted—the match could resume.
At that approval, Choi Han-su stepped back.
With only the two of them left on the floor, Seong Un studied Pyo Ji-hun, barely upright, with something like curiosity.
“Your body’s a wreck and your mana’s nearly gone—you’re still planning to keep fighting?”
“I wagered the Phoenix’s Tear and barely got this opening—I’m not throwing it away for something like this.”
Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes burned with fierce determination.
“So you mean to use the Phoenix’s Tear, then?”
Seong Un glanced at the ring on Pyo Ji-hun’s ring finger—the Phoenix’s Tear.
“Hell no. I won’t stoop to that.”
Pyo Ji-hun’s teeth clenched hard.
Who did he think he was, casting him as the cowardly type with a comment like that?
“So you mean to attack in that condition?”
“Of course. Come on, then.”
The man really was something else.
Pyo Ji-hun swallowed a curse under his breath.
He knew it.
He knew this match was unwinnable.
Even after burning through Annihilation early, pouring everything into those opening moves, he’d managed not a single solid blow. In all but name, he was already beaten.
But if he surrendered now, he might never get another chance to face the Irregular again.
Somehow, some way, he’d land at least one hit on this bastard.
Gripping the wooden sword with trembling hands, he steadied his stance.
The recoil from Annihilation had left his stamina drained, and when he took a Vital Point Strike on top of that, his body screamed in pain—his grip on the wooden sword weakened.
“All right, then I’ll do the same.”
Pleased by Pyo Ji-hun’s attitude, Seong Un decided to draw a card.
“Do the same?”
Damn it, you bastard.
For a moment, he nearly dropped the wooden sword from the shock of it.
Doing the same meant he hadn’t been fighting with his full strength until now.
Still, at least he’d forced the man to pull out his real power—so there was something to show for this sparring match.
A soft shimmer—
In that instant, a change rippled across Seong Un’s blade.
Choi Han-su’s eyes widened at the sight, and both Choi Hyuk and Jang Byung-jun, seated in the viewing stands, gasped with their mouths agape.
“Sword Qi!”
Someone shouted it aloud.
Sword Qi.
A skill said to be usable only by swordsmen who had reached a certain level.
One typically needed to reach at least the fifteenth floor to manifest Sword Qi, yet here was Seong Un, who had climbed only six floors, manifesting it.
Though imperfect and quite faint, it was unmistakably formed Sword Qi.
“Ha…….”
Pyo Ji-hun let out a hollow laugh.
Is this what true talent looks like?
The relative deprivation is hitting hard.
“Go get some air.”
With those words, Seong Un raised his blade and brought it down in a wide arc.
The Sword Qi lodged in the wooden sword spun rapidly as it flew toward Pyo Ji-hun, creating a spiraling maelstrom of wind.
Shwaaaack!
The sharp sound of air being rent made Pyo Ji-hun close his eyes.
“Danger!”
Fortunately, Choi Han-su had already moved in front of Pyo Ji-hun and deflected the Sword Qi with his blade.
Crack! Snap—
The deflected Sword Qi embedded itself in the barrier wall made of special material, spinning violently before shattering into sparks and dissipating.
‘That’s stronger than I thought?’
Seong Un marveled quietly to himself.
Despite still being E Rank, its destructive power was considerable.
If this skill developed well, it would become a formidable weapon.
“Seong Un! That was too much! Sword Qi against an opponent with no strength left to fight?!”
Choi Han-su rebuked him with a serious expression.
It had been perfectly realized Sword Qi.
Had he been a moment slower, Pyo Ji-hun could have been in real danger.
“I had to show him something like that or he wouldn’t give up.”
From the moment Seong Un manifested the Sword Qi, Choi Han-su had been ready to intervene.
Seeing that, Seong Un had felt assured enough to unleash the blade.
He was certain the Sword Qi wouldn’t land on Pyo Ji-hun.
“Still…….”
“Now I can finally end this.”
Seong Un looked at Pyo Ji-hun and smiled faintly.
His stamina exhausted, Pyo Ji-hun was already unconscious, using the wooden sword to support his body.
“Get him treated, now!”
Choi Han-su urgently signaled the healer waiting outside, who hurried into the Training Ground to treat Pyo Ji-hun, and with that, the sparring match came to an end.
* * *
Though the sparring was over, Seong Un had yet to begin climbing the seventh floor.
He was now in the Association Chairman’s Office.
Before he could even leave the Training Ground, Choi Hyuk had caught him because of the Sword Qi he’d displayed.
“Seong Un! Did you obtain a Sword Qi manifestation skill?”
“I told you—it’s still incomplete.”
“Incomplete?! How is that incomplete?! It was perfect Sword Qi!”
His voice was trembling with excitement.
Seong Un had manifested Sword Qi after climbing only six floors.
It must be a skill he’d acquired through some extraordinary achievement!
To acquire a skill normally obtainable only at the fifteenth floor while still in the lower levels—that held profound significance for him.
Because if Seong Un, who was consistently setting remarkable records, had reached the fifteenth floor, he would surely surpass Sword Qi itself.
Knock, knock.
“Chairman, Pyo Ji-hun is here to see you.”
They’d been deep in conversation when an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Hmm… Will you be accepting the Artifact, Seong Un?”
Choi Hyuk felt uneasy about the visit.
Before the match, Pyo Byung-woo had agreed to hand over his Artifact to Seong Un if he lost.
The troubling part was that it was virtually impossible Pyo Byung-woo had given the Phoenix’s Tear to Pyo Ji-hun.
If Seong Un accepted it and problems arose, it would be nothing but a headache.
“Let him in.”
“Yes.”
With Seong Un’s permission, Choi Hyuk granted Pyo Ji-hun entry.
“Ahem.”
Pyo Ji-hun stepped into the Association Chairman’s Office with an awkward expression and set the Phoenix’s Tear on the desk.
He’d come to honor the agreement, as expected.
But Seong Un didn’t reach for the ring. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Pyo Ji-hun and spoke.
“I can’t accept it.”
“Why not?”
Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes filled with bewilderment.
“Because I can’t use it.”
“What?”
Blinking at the confusion in his expression, Seong Un elaborated.
“That Phoenix’s Tear can’t be used unless you’re its owner.”
“Seong Un, what are you talking about?”
“In short, the Phoenix’s Tear becomes unusable by anyone else once the original discoverer registers as its owner.”
“I see…”
Choi Hyuk’s expression showed he was hearing this for the first time.
Information about Artifacts remained largely unknown.
But how did Seong Un know this?
In the case of the Phoenix’s Tear, only someone designated as its owner could wield it.
This was confirmed information that Pyo Byung-woo had revealed directly later.
“Wait a minute! I did use it. Does that make sense?”
Pyo Ji-hun had used the Phoenix’s Tear while Climbing the first floor.
It was no exaggeration to say that obtaining an SSS+ Rank was thanks to the Phoenix’s Tear.
But it couldn’t be used without being the owner?
“I learned about Artifacts found in the lower floors when I received my EX Rank.”
“That’s strange. Are you certain about that information?”
“Well, if it’s hard to believe, why not go ask directly?”
“…Then why did you accept the match in the first place?”
Pyo Ji-hun’s eyes trembled.
“I was curious. How you managed to achieve an SSS+ Rank.”
……
“It was a good match, so feel free to take this back with you.”
Seong Un pushed the Phoenix’s Tear forward.
Since he couldn’t use the item anyway, there was no reason to covet it.
Besides, unlike in his past life, brilliant potential no longer got crushed before it could bloom.
This alone was satisfaction enough.
“Man, you really know how to irritate someone.”
At the warm gesture, Pyo Ji-hun scratched his head and let out a sigh.
“Hmm?”
“If what you’re saying is true, then substitute something else.”
“Substitute?”
“That way the accounts balance. I can’t stand owing anyone.”
Seong Un tilted his head at the remark.
“Yes. Of course. When did I ever say I’d let it slide?”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask for something that matches the value.”
An SSS+ Rank Returnee Devours the Tower (Ongoing Serialization)
Author | Yeon Yi-yo
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyung
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yeon I Yo 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder. No part of this work may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this provision may result in criminal and civil 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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