The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 58

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 58
So the Administrator had indeed granted authority to Art’s subordinate.
“That should make things easier now.”
With the Controller’s death, the overall difficulty dropped by one level.
‘Easier? Even so, we’re still at the upper limit. It’s still brutal.’
‘The variable’s gone, though.’
Na Han’s stupidity had made the subsequent climb considerably smoother.
Had he not been caught off guard in the second zone, and instead proceeded quietly to the third zone to set his sights on a new variable, the climb would have remained perilous.
‘True enough, but that was just control. The hallucination is still powerful.’
‘Yes. I’m aware.’
Even with the Traces of One Who Endured All Things and Paming-ro, the hallucination wasn’t completely negated.
Which made removing the variable all the more valuable.
“Oh, right—what about the broadcast?”
Unfortunately, the broadcast was still down.
Apparently the aftereffects of the difficulty surge were still lingering.
‘You sure? That’s important.’
‘It’s fine. There’s no helping it.’
Some things can’t be salvaged—you just push forward.
It’s unfortunate not to show a strategy for this section, but that gap can be filled by adding it to the strategy guide already available.
For now, all that matters is hurrying into the fourth zone.
Seong Un examined Na Han’s corpse once more.
‘Right. We need to check thoroughly to see if he had anything on him.’
Leoniss praised Seong Un’s caution.
‘Fortunately, there’s nothing.’
He checked carefully to ensure nothing was overlooked, but Na Han’s corpse yielded nothing at all.
Now it was truly time to move into the third zone.
* * *
At that very moment.
Choi Hyuk was still burning with anxiety.
Though he tried not to let it show, the work that had stopped showed no sign of resuming.
Knock. Knock.
“Chairman, Pyo Ji-hoon is here to see you.”
“…Show him in.”
“Yes.”
With his permission granted, the door to the Association Chairman’s Office opened and Pyo Ji-hoon entered.
“Has there been any contact from Seong Un?”
Seong Un.
To anyone’s eye, Pyo Ji-hoon was the older man, yet since their match he had become junior to Seong Un.
“None.”
Pyo Ji-hoon stared at Choi Hyuk, then spoke.
“He’ll be fine.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Then why are you trembling with such anxiety?”
Just as he said, Choi Hyuk’s leg was bouncing incessantly with worry.
With an irritable edge to his voice besides, he couldn’t help but be caught.
“…My apologies.”
Choi Hyuk offered an apology along with a sigh.
“It’s alright. The fact that there’s been no contact suggests the ascension is still ongoing.”
“Yes. My concern is considerable.”
“Why? You think that Irregular could be killed on level seven?”
“Not merely killed. The seventh level that Seong Un is ascending is completely different from before.”
“Is it?”
Pyo Ji-hoon had not ascended the seventh level.
He was merely a novice, having just completed the first level.
To him, the difficulty of the seventh level seemed considerable, but seeing Choi Hyuk’s reaction, he understood this was not something to be taken lightly.
“Yes. Until now, the broadcast has never gone down even once. The difficulty surges dramatically, and on top of that the broadcast crashes? How could this be a simple matter?”
Having sat in the position of Chairman and witnessed countless things both good and bad, this was his first time facing such a situation.
Especially when the crisis threatened an Irregular—one tasked with the fate of South Korea, indeed of Earth itself.
No matter who he was, Choi Hyuk could not help but worry.
“Hmm, I think he’ll be alright.”
Unlike him, whose composure cracked visibly, Pyo Ji-hoon remained perfectly composed.
“Pardon?”
“Intuition.”
From the standpoint of having crossed swords with him, I can say it with certainty.
A monster incomparable to any human I’ve ever seen.
There’s no way that monster would collapse on mere floor seven.
“…I see. That does give me pause.”
Choi Hyuk let out a soft laugh.
Seong Un was the sole hope—humanity’s one lifeline against what this tower threatened.
As he climbed higher, the trials would only grow more severe and unrelenting.
But he couldn’t afford to tremble in fear simply because difficulty had spiked on floor seven, or because the broadcast had erupted into chaos.
“Right. Do plenty of reflecting, and do me a favor as well.”
“A favor?”
“I’m about to begin climbing floor two. Of course, I’ll be going in alone.”
Floor two ascension.
Just as Seong Un had chosen solo climbing, so too did Pyo Ji-hoon embrace the same path.
“Are supplies insufficient?”
The Association had promised full respect for his choice and unstinting material support.
“No, that’s not it. I’d like you to investigate one of the executives from the Jingeom Guild.”
“Investigate?”
“Yes.”
Of all things, asking to investigate a person.
And that person was Pyo Byung-kwon from the Jingeom Guild.
Unlike Sword Saint Yu Chang-hyuk, who earned his executive position through martial prowess, Pyo Byung-kwon had gained his seat through connections—a fact well-known throughout the guild.
Yet his eye for talent was exceptional; he’d cultivated numerous skilled individuals and proven his own worth, silencing the doubters through results, and was now unquestionably the Jingeom Guild’s finest talent scout.
“Something about him doesn’t sit right.”
“Doesn’t sit right?”
“My awakening was delayed because of that bastard.”
“I’m sorry?”
Choi Hyuk’s ears perked up at this revelation.
Son of Sword Saint Pyo Byung-woo.
Pyo Ji-hoon, the one standing before him now, had been assessed as possessing talent bestowed by the heavens itself—a name that lived up to such a title.
He’d naturally assumed there would be those within the guild harboring envy and jealousy, but he’d never imagined one of them might be Pyo Byung-kwon himself.
Of course, he couldn’t judge based solely on Pyo Ji-hoon’s account, yet the possibility didn’t seem far-fetched at all.
“You can do that for me, yes?”
“Hmm, investigating an executive of the Jingeom Guild won’t be simple.”
“My father is a Sword Saint. Given that I’m the one requesting it, you’ll find a way, won’t you?”
“Understood. I’ll do my best to look into it.”
“And one more thing. I’m going to start my ascension right here.”
“Here?”
“Home has too many watching eyes.”
Choi Hyuk narrowed his eyes.
“Is it connected to the person you asked me to investigate?”
“Your instincts are sharp. I like that.”
“…Very well. You’ll begin your ascension from the Association Chairman’s Office itself.”
“Thank you.”
At his consent, Pyo Ji-hoon began his climb without hesitation.
Left alone, Choi Hyuk picked up his smartphone and made a call to someone.
* * *
The third zone passed; now came the fourth.
Despite the agonizing hallucinations that continued relentlessly, Seong Un succeeded in powering through them all with indomitable willpower.
‘Is there no way to eliminate the hallucinations?’
Leoniss murmured softly.
Just as he said—the first zone had allowed them to dispel the hallucinations, but the remaining zones did not.
They’d managed to break through the second zone’s illusions, but from the third onward, as difficulty approached its upper limit, they could no longer dispel the hallucinations.
Because of this, finding the antidote Chirnoel had hidden away was the only path to freedom from the hallucinations.
‘Still, we’re almost there now.’
It was fortunate they’d been able to eliminate the variable.
The third and fourth zones were no cities—they were cemeteries teeming with the corpses of the Philatia Race.
Countless Philatia wraiths caught sight of Seong Un and rushed at him with bloodlust blazing in their eyes.
Fortunately, just as with the first zone, I was able to make active use of Paming-ro and slip through via Ming Jing Zhi Shui, and Chirnoel’s Research Laboratory lay directly ahead.
‘Why would she set up a laboratory in a place like this? Her tastes are quite peculiar.’
‘Perhaps she envied it.’
‘Envied?’
‘Yes. Unlike herself, who cannot die, the Philatia race here faced death everywhere.’
‘Then what does it matter? Their souls remain bound, unable to depart.’
‘True enough.’
Seong Un exchanged light banter with Leoniss as he withdrew the Finger Model.
Beside the entrance sat a machine that could read fingerprints. I brought the tip of the finger slowly to the scanner.
Ding—
[Door is now unlocking.]
Whirrrr—
As green lettering materialized across the ceiling, the door slid sideways open.
‘So the antidote is here, then?’
‘Yes.’
In truth, Seong Un had already visited this laboratory in his previous life.
The reason was simple.
Many others had come before him.
While there were mechanisms designed to remain essentially undiscoverable on the path to EX-rank, there were also mechanisms deliberately made findable by someone—and the seventh floor fell into the latter category.
Visiting Chirnoel’s Research Laboratory to obtain the antidote.
Once the strategy guides recorded that obtaining the antidote drastically improved clear evaluation, the information spread widely, and everyone and their dog sought out the antidote, finishing their ascent at S-rank or higher.
‘A city of illusions, though they might just as well call it a city of easy pickings.’
Even as difficulty increased, the laboratory’s structure remained unchanged.
Seong Un descended into the basement of the laboratory with practiced ease.
Normally an NPC would explain and guide directly, but since that wasn’t possible now, I opened the basement door alone using the Finger Model.
Ding—
[Door is now unlocking.]
Whirrrr—
As the door opened, countless glass vials appeared within—the entirety of which was antidote.
Seong Un picked up one of the antidotes.
[Mist Flower Dew]
-Type: Consumable
-Grade: S
-Upon consumption, all hallucination states are immediately cleared. (Floor 7 only)
-Duration: 1 hour.
An antidote developed by Chirnoel.
Mist Flower Dew.
Drinking this alone grants freedom from all hallucinations on the seventh floor.
However, since the duration is only one hour, the effect must be extended by consuming another antidote before time expires.
But there would be no need to take an additional dose.
‘If I take more, I can’t get EX-rank.’
To achieve EX-rank, the Mist Flower Dew must be consumed exactly once.
Taking any more causes the clear evaluation to drop substantially, falling below SS-rank.
This is precisely why many players who consumed Mist Flower Dew failed to achieve SS-rank or higher.
How could a first-time entrant clear every zone and complete the ascent in a single hour?
Of course, exceptional cases did exist, but the vast majority of players had to settle for S+.
‘It’s a shame I can’t save it and drink it later.’
The antidote must be consumed immediately upon obtainment to satisfy the EX-rank condition.
The reason is the bonus points.
Seong Un consumed the Mist Flower Dew immediately.
[All hallucinations are cleared. Bonus points are substantially awarded.]
As the hallucinations lifted, bonus points were added in great measure.
‘Ahhh, now I can breathe again.’
The hallucinatory symptoms that had plagued Seong Un even within the laboratory vanished as if washed away.
It was a hallucination that even Paming-ro could not dispel, but now perfectly cleared, my vision sharpened and brightened.
Seong Un left the remaining Mist Flower Dew where it lay and made his exit from the laboratory.
Only one hour permitted.
I had to hurry and complete the ascent.
‘Huh? Hey! Why are you leaving that behind!’
Leoniss, unaware of my deeper intention, cried out in protest.
The Mist Flower Dew lasted only an hour.
To prepare for any unforeseen situation, he should have brought an extra dose—yet the frustration of leaving without it kindled a flame of anger in his chest.
‘I’ll finish before then.’
‘Damn it, you fool. Don’t you know what insurance is? It’s essential no matter what!’
‘Oh, you know about insurance?’
‘Don’t change the subject!’
‘Anyway, we’re running out of time. Let’s talk about it later.’
‘Do it now!’
Leoniss’s curses continued unabated, but Seong Un tuned him out and crossed into the fifth Zone.
With all hallucinations dispelled, he could now roam freely throughout the entire seventh floor during this window.
All that remained was to navigate the maze beginning in the sixth Zone.
Once he cleared every maze from the sixth through the ninth Zones, the seventh floor Ascension would be complete immediately.
Yet Seong Un rushed not toward the sixth Zone, but toward the western edge.
There was still something he needed to do before entering the maze.
An Unparalleled Returnee Devours the Tower (Serialization)
Author | Yeon-i 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 8)
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. No part of this work may 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.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————