The Legendary Regressor Devours the Tower - Chapter 7

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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 7
At the same moment.
Seong-un was leisurely browsing the community.
“The reaction is hotter than I expected.”
If only it were possible to climb quietly.
When a climber recorded an SS-rank or higher achievement in the Tower, or acquired an artifact equivalent to that, it was shared across all climbers through the system.
That was how Seong-un had been able to gather information about artifacts.
“By now, everyone’s going to be scrambling to find me.”
A novice fresh out of the Tutorial.
Most Guilds would tap out their calculators, determine whether recruitment made financial sense, and only then proceed with bringing someone on.
But in Seong-un’s case, he’d finished at EX-rank—as good as proving he possessed that level of potential.
They’d all come at him with sweet offers, trying to win him over, but the truth was Seong-un had no intention of joining any Guild.
The orthodox route was to join a Guild after finishing the Tutorial and accelerate your growth from there.
‘Only if it got in the way of solo climbing.’
Of course, with results like these, he could probably negotiate a special clause to allow solo climbing, but he wasn’t about to have a Guild wrap its fingers around his ankle.
Guilds didn’t cultivate talent as a hobby.
Once they judged you’d grown sufficiently, they’d expect you to prioritize the Guild’s advancement above all else.
He didn’t want to waste time on a Guild when there weren’t enough hours in the day for climbing as it was.
‘But I can’t skip registration entirely.’
Think of it like a resident registration card.
The procedure was simple.
Verify your identity, then take a test confirming your Awakening status and climbing qualification, and registration was complete.
If you wanted to dodge the hassle, you’d skip registration—but unregistered Awakeners were treated the same as terrorists in modern society.
There were plenty of cases where unregistered Awakeners actually did commit acts of terror.
The Awakener Association had been established to prevent exactly these kinds of incidents.
An institution that managed Awakeners who climbed on invitation.
If Guilds pursued profit, the Association focused on maintaining order.
They registered Awakeners, classified their abilities, and set risk levels.
They directly handled crimes committed by Awakeners.
There were countless other tasks the Association took on and resolved.
‘I’ll join the Association.’
Right now, Seong-un possessed only one Skill—Hypersensitivity—but the moment people learned it could grow all the way to SS-rank, attention would absolutely focus on him.
Moreover, if he achieved remarkable results while climbing, notifications would go out to every climber on the planet.
Acting without registration carried considerable risk.
But if he joined the Association, he wouldn’t have to worry about a Guild having him on a leash, he could receive most benefits, and he could even activate the Lock card to gain protection.
‘That way, I can focus on climbing.’
The 80th floor.
It couldn’t end with simply avenging the defeat he’d suffered at those giant bastards.
The 81st floor. The 82nd floor.
With each floor higher, ever more powerful Transcendent beings would await him.
To annihilate those kinds of monsters, he had to grow to a degree incomparable to his previous life.
Seong-un looked down at the book he held in his hand.
[Sword’s Book]
-Type: Skill Book
-Rank: ?
-A tome containing the soul of the Sword.
-Upon use, you randomly acquire a Skill related to Swordsmanship.
*Rank is determined by the user’s proficiency and potential.
Hypersensitivity alone would create shockwaves, but if he acquired a sword Skill from the Sword’s Book on top of it, the ripples would be enormous.
“All the better.”
If he was going to make a splash, he might as well do it thoroughly.
[Will you use the Sword’s Book?]
“Yes.”
The book gleamed for an instant, then vanished.
[You have acquired Sword Mastery (SS).]
* * *
The Association was already bustling with people early in the morning.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted…….”
Lee Gi-chul, standing outside the Association building to start his shift, pressed his throbbing temples and tried to regain control of his emotions.
Why the hell didn’t they just demolish the damn building.
Why should I go to work when I have the qualifications of a Climber?
Ah, right.
I need to earn money.
I didn’t have the talent or the nerve to climb higher tiers, so I gave up and got hired instead.
It drives me mad, but I have to work to feed my family.
The problem is the EX-rank that appeared in South Korea.
Finishing the Tutorial at EX-rank and gaining Climber qualifications—he’ll definitely visit the Awakener Association to register.
Word has it that the monstrous rookie hasn’t joined a Guild yet.
‘That’s why they’re all packed in like this.’
The front of the Association was always crowded, but now it was shoulder-to-shoulder—nothing like the usual bustle.
‘It’s been four days already. These lunatics!’
Lee Gi-chul cursed under his breath as he entered the building and took his seat.
His team happened to be the Testing Division.
They conducted assessments using testing equipment powered by the Mana flowing from the Tower, then transmitted the results.
“Deputy Manager, you’re here?”
A subordinate held out a can of coffee to Lee Gi-chul, whose face bore the marks of exhaustion.
It was Hwang Chan-hee, the junior staff member who’d been with the company just over a year.
Lee Gi-chul accepted the can with a long, weary sigh.
“Man, Chan-hee, I’m dead on my feet.”
“Ha, well, it is Monday, after all.”
I took my wife and kids to Gangneung for the weekend.”
“Wow, Gangneung? That drive must’ve been rough.”
“Don’t even mention it. The traffic was absolutely terrible…….”
After a bit of idle chat, 9 a.m. arrived.
Those waiting poured into the building like a flood and grabbed numbered tickets.
Testing would proceed in order of ticket number.
“Deputy Manager, do you think he’ll come today?”
Hwang Chan-hee asked with curiosity brimming in his eyes.
“The monstrous rookie?”
“Yes. Clearing the Tutorial at EX-rank……. What kind of person could he be?”
“Who knows. It’s been over a week and he hasn’t shown up yet. Maybe he’s waiting for things to calm down.”
“That’s strange. I would’ve rushed in for testing immediately.”
Testing is just a formality anyway.
Offers would pour in from countless Guilds.
Proposals at a level they could only dream of.
“Tell me about it. As they say, those with more just get more.”
If he were EX-rank, I’d wish he’d get tested already and thin out the crowd outside.
“Deputy Manager, there he is.”
“Right…….”
Another battle day begins.
* * *
‘Crowded.’
Seong-un, standing on the crosswalk across from the Association building, let out a hollow laugh.
He’d deliberately waited until after the weekend, yet here they were on Monday morning—completely swarming the place.
Those entering the building were Climbers going through registration procedures, while the ones lingering outside were Guild Scouts.
They’d been sent with orders to find the novice who’d somehow finished at EX-rank.
Thud.
As Seong-un stood still, someone bumped his shoulder.
He turned to see a man in his early twenties, startled, stumbling backward.
“I’m so sorry! I was looking at my phone while walking……. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m really sorry.”
Seong-un waved his hand dismissively at the man’s polite apology.
Once the apology was accepted, the man bowed once more with care and crossed the pedestrian crossing toward the Association.
‘The light just turned green.’
He’d been too focused on the Scouts to notice.
Seong-un crossed the pedestrian crossing and arrived at the front of the Association.
‘But his face seemed familiar. Where have I seen him?’
So much time had passed that he couldn’t recall exactly, but the feeling that he’d seen him somewhere before lingered.
“Please accept this.”
At that moment, a scout approached and thrust a business card at him without preamble.
Seong-un gave a vague nod and accepted it.
“Are you perhaps a Skill holder?”
“What’s your rank, if I may ask?”
After that, one by one they pressed their business cards into Seong-un’s hands.
‘So they just scatter them everywhere,’ he thought.
They were handing out business cards to every climber who visited the Awakener Association.
By the time he entered the building, he’d accumulated thirty-two cards.
Seong-un stuffed them carelessly into his pocket.
‘Still less than outside.’
After pulling a number ticket, he saw sixty-five people were waiting.
The waiting room was packed with visitors who’d come to register.
‘Hm? That guy?’
Inside the waiting room, sitting in a chair, was someone familiar.
Han Geon-u — the one Seong-un had eliminated in the Tutorial.
Despite his massive frame, he sat slumped in the chair, exhaling a sigh so heavy it seemed to crack the ground beneath him.
His gaunt face spoke volumes about the strain he’d endured.
Seong-un pulled his hood low and entered the waiting room.
Though they’d clashed only briefly, he’d read the man thoroughly.
Given Han Geon-u’s nature, there was no way he’d come here just to register.
He was almost certainly here on the Guild’s orders, searching for an EX-rank rookie.
Quietly, he approached from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“What the hell? Who the—!”
Han Geon-u spun around with an irritated expression, then froze completely.
Seong-un smiled and leaned in close to his ear, whispering softly.
“Long time. Bet you’ve had a rough time looking for me?”
“I f-found you—gasp!”
Han Geon-u scrambled to pull out his phone, but Seong-un snatched it from his hands.
The impossible speed of the movement made Han Geon-u inhale sharply.
“Were you going to report to the Guild?”
“How did you know that……?”
“You’re more of an idiot than I thought. Why are you even loyal to a place like that?”
“Don’t talk shit. What gives you the right to judge Cheonha?”
Han Geon-u growled, but his voice came out thin as a whisper from the depths of a cave.
Was it because he’d once tasted death at Seong-un’s hands?
PTSD had drained him of any desire to fight back.
Seong-un’s lips curved upward as he continued.
“Think about it. If they truly meant to develop you, they wouldn’t treat you like this—they’d have you climbing the Tower to grow stronger. Didn’t they demand you return all the items they gave you?”
……
Han Geon-u’s eyes trembled slightly.
“What kind of Guild treats talent like that?”
The words were sincere, every one of them.
If Cheonha had genuinely wanted to cultivate Han Geon-u, they wouldn’t have left him idle—they would have had him climbing the lower floors to foster growth.
‘They plan to use him to find me, then discard him.’
What good is having a Skill
if you never develop properly? It’s worthless.
“So… you’re saying they’ll throw me away after they find you……?”
“Now you’re starting to understand.”
Haah……
Han Geon-u’s face went blank as his shoulders sagged.
He was quick to accept it.
He must have suspected as much all along.
After all, he’d failed the Tutorial without even completing a proper attempt.
“So I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine is actively climbing with a major Guild. I can help you get in there as a stepping stone to that Guild.”
Seong-un pulled out his phone and opened the gallery.
The business card Seo Jae-pil had sent him—along with instructions to join if he ever received an invitation.
At the sight of the Horus business card, Han Geon-u’s eyes went wide.
“Is that really true?”
“That’s right. You’ll receive far better treatment than you would from Cheonha, where you’re nothing but a tool.”
“……Okay. So what do I need to do?”
“See the main gate up ahead?”
Seong-un pointed toward the entrance visible beyond the window.
Han Geon-u nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Then…….”
Seong-un whispered something low, and Han Geon-u’s pupils trembled violently.
* * *
Once Seong-un left the waiting room, he immediately sent a text to Seo Jae-pil.
A brief message asking forgiveness for selling out the Guild’s name.
‘Looks like there are people who recognize me after all.’
One hundred people had been matched to the Tutorial, including Seong-un.
With all those eyes fixed on him, he’d cut off Han Geon-u’s breath.
So the moment he’d entered the waiting room, he’d caught sight of those who recognized him.
‘Well, I never really expected to hide anyway.’
The moment you decide to reveal your presence, it’s only a matter of time before your identity is exposed.
Starting with charging recklessly, to Han Geon-u desperately searching for him after being tied to Cheonha, he’d merely played a little prank to exact some petty revenge.
No sane person would have accepted that proposal.
Ding—
After waiting nearly two hours, Seong-un’s turn finally came.
Seong-un entered the examination room with his turn number in hand.
The Legendary Returner Crushes 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 Tech 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. under contract with the copyright holder and may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this 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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