The Regressed EX-Class Martial God Decided to Become a Thousand-Star Hunter - Chapter 35

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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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Chapter 35
35.
Already overwhelmed by Joo Do-gyeom’s piercing gaze, Seon Woo-gyeol’s body flinched involuntarily at those words.
‘Does he know who I am?’
He was caught off guard, yet there was nothing truly surprising about it.
As he’d said, Joo Do-gyeom was an authority in the field.
Anyone with even a passing interest in Magical Engineering—or who simply watched the news with any regularity—would find it difficult not to know his name.
Collecting himself, Seon Woo-gyeol spoke quickly.
“Haha… I’m hardly someone worthy of the VIP’s recognition, but…”
“You are remarkable. I’m grateful to you, Seon Woo-gyeol.”
Joo Do-gyeom rose from his seat and extended his hand.
Seon Woo-gyeol grasped it with an awkward expression, his smile strained.
“Ahaha…! Grateful, you say. If anything, I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, I’ve acquired loads of materials, and I think I’ll be able to upgrade the Training Room considerably.”
“That’s something worth looking forward to in its own way.”
After the handshake, Joo Do-gyeom released his grip and nodded.
He asked, “Where’s the shower room?”
“It should be over there…”
Seon Woo-gyeol turned his gaze toward where the shower room entrance ought to be on one side of the VIP Training Room.
But he couldn’t see it.
It hadn’t vanished—it was simply buried beneath the wreckage of scattered drones.
“Heh…”
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Scratching his cheek, Seon Woo-gyeol picked up his phone and spoke.
“I’ll call the facility manager. Once the cleaning robots get in here, it should be cleared quickly. Just give me a moment.”
“Very well.”
Joo Do-gyeom nodded and leaned against the wall, settling in to rest.
Seon Woo-gyeol considered striking up a conversation but held back, scratching his cheek instead.
‘He’s not an easy person to approach.’
There was definitely something likable about him, yet that peculiar atmosphere made him strangely difficult to be around.
‘Well, I suppose things will feel more natural after we see each other a few more times.’
With a shrug, Seon Woo-gyeol also leaned his back against the wall.
* * *
The facility manager, summoned by Seon Woo-gyeol’s call, arrived at the VIP Training Room and spoke with an expression of shock.
“What… what on earth…”
“I got a bit too excited, I’m afraid. Haha… You can handle this quickly, yes? Starting with the shower room entrance over there.”
Heaps of drone wreckage lay scattered about.
Seeing it, the facility manager passed by Seon Woo-gyeol and fixed his gaze on Joo Do-gyeom, who stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, resting.
‘… Who exactly is this person?’
His confusion was considerable, but he didn’t stare for long.
It was nerve-wracking enough that this was a VIP, and if the creature before him was truly a monster who’d caused this damage, frankly, it was a little terrifying.
Shortly after, the facility manager brought in cleaning robots and staff, who quickly began collecting the debris.
The staff’s reactions weren’t much different from the manager’s.
Thus opened the shower room.
Standing under cool, rushing water in that clean, undamaged space, Joo Do-gyeom gathered his thoughts.
‘Seon Woo-gyeol.’
The future he remembered.
The researcher who built the defense system for the Asian Unified Fortress.
Had he survived to the end, he would have accomplished far more.
‘Instead, he was murdered.’
By Jin Woo-sung.
The master of Cheon-sal-seong.
The one who desired chaos had always ranked Seon Woo-gyeol first among those who obstructed his plans most.
The innovations Woo-gyeol created had given even ordinary people—not just Hunters—the power to fight Monsters with ease.
‘In the past, he was always confined to his lab, so I scarcely spoke with him.’
This life might be different.
An unexpected connection had formed far sooner than before.
And.
‘The reasons to kill Jin Woo-sung are multiplying.’
Of course, Seon Woo-gyeol was also among the talents Joo Do-gyeom had envisioned for the future he sought.

Before that, there was only one task that mattered: Jin Woo-sung’s death.
The order had reversed, but the latter remained equally important.
With such thoughts, he finished his shower.
As Joo Do-gyeom dried his wet body with a towel, something caught his eye once more.
‘Now that I think about it……’
He opened the system window and checked his skill list.
One name in particular stood out.
『Yun-ryong Dae-pal-sik (2-star).』
The acquisition of Magical Power and skills was only possible within Dungeons.
Not in the future, but in this era, it was an inviolable rule.
That was what Joo Do-gyeom understood.
Yet.
‘It’s broken.’
What could be the reason?
Because it was a power he originally wielded in his past life?
No—if that were the case, his other skills should have registered the same way.
But it hadn’t been possible.
The Yun-ryong Dae-pal-sik was the first.
‘Is it because I trained beyond my limits?’
No, even thinking that was arrogance.
The System wasn’t that merciful.
Joo Do-gyeom decided to consider the worst-case scenario.
‘Perhaps……’
The world might be changing faster than expected.
“Tsk.”
A clicking sound escaped his lips unbidden.
He picked up his phone and opened his email.
Vivienne hadn’t even read the message he’d sent yet.
‘This is exactly her specialty.’
He sent another email.
It might be pointless, but there was no harm in trying.
* * *
Returning home, Joo Do-gyeom slept for an entire day.
It was something he’d anticipated from the start.
He hadn’t used any sleep-type martial arts, but he had driven his body beyond its limits—and beyond.
The fact that full conditioning returned after merely a day’s rest was, in truth, extraordinary.
‘It must be the power of the Ji-gyeol-gi-gong at 5-star.’
Yesterday, half of the fragments that comprised his true martial art, the Cheon-ji Mu-geuk Shin-gong, had been completed.
What remained was raising the opposing Cheon-gyeol-gi-gong to 5-star.
It was inevitable that the Cheon-gyeol-gi-gong, being the foundational internal cultivation technique, grew slower than the Ji-gyeol-gi-gong.
Just as the explosive early growth had plateaued, the bottleneck had arrived as well.
Every martial art—every skill, rather—became harder to raise in proficiency the further one progressed, and breaking through walls required training like yesterday’s limit-breaking ordeal.
It was a matter of the mind knowing but the body not following.
An imbalance among spirit, Qi, and flesh, as they called it.
Rising from his bed, Joo Do-gyeom tidied the sheets and moved toward the kitchen, lost in thought.
‘There’s no rush.’
The basic requirement to master the Cheon-ji Mu-geuk Shin-gong was achieving 5-star in both Cheon-gyeol-gi-gong and Ji-gyeol-gi-gong.
But even if both reached 5-star, Joo Do-gyeom had no intention of learning the Cheon-ji Mu-geuk Shin-gong immediately.
Because the moment he did, both techniques would merge and cease to exist.
Just as his skills had changed when he advanced to the Sacred All-Things Chef.
Of course, one might argue there was no problem since the transmitted skills preserved their original functions.
‘But every skill gains additional effects once the first wall is broken.’
The first wall.
Skill level 6.
In Kim Han-yul’s case, his Gu-hyeon-sul received doubled stock as a reward for breaking that first wall.
Joo Do-gyeom’s Seom-jeon-bi gained acceleration matching its name and a certain amount of elemental power, while his Cheon-ryeok Bu-beop developed a secret technique.
The Ji-gyeol-gi-gong and Cheon-gyeol-gi-gong were no different.
Upon reaching 6-star, a special function would be granted as a reward for transcending the wall.
In that state, they should be merged into the Cheon-ji Mu-geuk Shin-gong.
‘If I could indulge my greed, I’d raise them both to 10-star to gain the second additional effect before merging……’
It would be more helpful for his growth to evolve it with the Cheon-ji Mu-geuk Shin-gong at an opportune moment, allowing him to advance more quickly.
‘There are other ways to obtain the additional effects available at ten stars anyway…….’
There was no problem with that.
Thinking as much, he opened the refrigerator door.
Inside were the ingredients prepared for the guest he would receive this evening.
It was just as Joo Do-gyeom was taking them out and arranging them on the table.
His phone vibrated.
Opening it, he found a message.
Kim Han-yul – Photo (vicinity of the Red Zone where Joo Do-gyeom used to live).
Joo Do-gyeom – ?
Kim Han-yul – Ended up having some business nearby. You’re not too busy? Could I drop by for a minute?
Joo Do-gyeom – Ah, now that I think about it, I never mentioned it. I moved.
Kim Han-yul – ……? You moved?
Joo Do-gyeom – Photo (kitchen view), Photo (living room view), Photo (view outside window).
Kim Han-yul – Wow, what? You went somewhere really nice? Did you get rich or something? Did you go to another Dungeon without me?
Joo Do-gyeom – It was a gift.
Kim Han-yul – ……?
Joo Do-gyeom – Anyway, I’m busy. Let’s talk later. I have a guest coming over this evening.
He set the phone down.
Several more vibrations followed, but he ignored them.
Now he understood.
The battle in the kitchen was just as demanding as fighting on the battlefield.
Joo Do-gyeom approached the cooking with reverence, gripping the kitchen knife.
Just as when he held an axe, his mind grew peaceful.
‘……I keep losing my focus.’
What was the problem?
In fact, this issue had been ongoing for some time.
Joo Do-gyeom searched through the kitchen.
Among the kitchen tools Lee Seo-ah had brought him were various blades.
From the ordinary kitchen knives he usually favored, to sashimi knives for slicing raw fish, to a heavy Chinese Cleaver with its rectangular blade and substantial weight.
‘The Chinese Cleaver?’
Joo Do-gyeom’s eyes sparkled.
He set aside the kitchen knife he’d originally intended to use and lifted the Chinese Cleaver.
Cool to the touch, yet weighty, it settled into his hand with perfect fit.
A smile played at the corner of his mouth.
“I found it.”
Though its form was rough-hewn, it felt like something he could do anything with if he set his mind to it.
In the kitchen, Joo Do-gyeom’s hands began to dance.
* * *
Multiple messages sent in succession went unanswered.
Whether they hadn’t been read at all, the unread notification lingering in the message thread refused to disappear.
Kim Han-yul puffed out his lower lip and spoke.
“Really…… this is ridiculous. He could’ve at least told me he was moving. Here I am, making time, and now I just look stupid.”
Then he started the engine.
Vroooom!
When the sports car, uncommon in the Red Zone, let out a loud exhaust roar, gazes lingered for a moment before quickly turning away.
It wasn’t because Kim Han-yul was fairly famous even among the rookies.
That was simply how it was.
Something uncommon to this district meant someone who didn’t belong here had arrived.
It was rare to get off lucky if you got caught up in the wrong thing.
Under such watchful eyes.
Kim Han-yul pressed the accelerator firmly.
Voooom!
The car moved forward.
As the scenery of the road shifted, a stream of grumbling continued to spill from his mouth.
“I was thinking we’d just go for a drive, and now he’s all excited showing off his nice new place. Could’ve at least given me the address. And next time he says he’ll cook me a meal?”
And.
“Someone gave him a house?”
Who on earth?
Was he out of his mind?
Just looking at the landscape spreading outside, it’s not the Red Zone.
The Blue Zone—more precisely, the highest tier district bordering on the Green Zone itself.
Moreover, it was a gleaming new building, vast and impeccably maintained.
‘Ten billion won for the price?’
No, that wasn’t even close to the real figure.
It had to cost far more than that.
The ceilings soared high, and the square footage looked astronomical.
“Ugh—! Never mind. Why should I care?”
Kim Han-yul pressed harder on the accelerator with an irritated grunt, turning his head away.
Forget it.
It’s not his problem anyway.
Whatever Joo Do-gyeom did with his money—all that mattered was that they worked in sync when they went to Dungeons together.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing wrong. Just turn off your curiosity, Han-yul.”
A murmur to himself, nothing more.
And at the end of it, a question surfaced unbidden.
“……But who is this person?”
The guest who’d given him a house.
“Now I’m really curious. Damn.”
A soft smacking sound escaped his lips.
* * *
Evening.
When Joo Do-gyeom saw the table laden with an abundance of dishes, he nodded in satisfaction.
‘I’m finally becoming a proper chef.’
Before, there had been a frustrating limitation—he could only work with predetermined ingredients and fixed recipes—but now that constraint had dissolved, leaving him with a deep sense of relief.
Though.
‘Did I make too much?’
Even with the chairman included, three people seemed like it might be more than enough.
It was around that thought when—
the front door chime rang.
Joo Do-gyeom unlocked it via the central system.
“Wow……! What is that smell?”
Lee Seo-ah’s voice drifted in, thick with wonder.
Joo Do-gyeom adjusted the carefully plated table once more, then stepped into the living room to greet her.
“Since you received the gift so graciously, I thought I should repay the kindness somehow.”
Even as he spoke, doubt flickered in the back of his mind.
It emerged in a question he couldn’t quite suppress.
“But the chairman—he’s not coming, is he?”
“Oh, my dad—I mean, Father said he’s too swamped today, and asked me to apologize on his behalf.”
“I see.”
“He asked me to take this instead, though…….”
“Flowers?”
More precisely: a bouquet.
Lee Seo-ah, whose ears had flushed crimson for some reason, spoke up.
“You have a vase on your dining table, right? He thought they’d look pretty in it……! He gave them to me to bring.”
“Does the chairman know there’s a vase on our dining table?”
“W-well, I mentioned it to him……?”
“Hmm…….”
“…….”
Joo Do-gyeom harbored the suspicion for a moment, but then nodded.
“That’s possible. Come in then. I prepared quite a lot, thinking there’d be three of us…….”
“That’s fine! I really do eat a lot!”
Doubt flickered across Joo Do-gyeom’s face once more.
Lee Seo-ah’s frame was small, almost delicate-looking.
By any measure, she didn’t seem like she’d be a big eater.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
If there was anything left over, he could always finish it himself.
Joo Do-gyeom nodded.
* * *
Red Zone District 8.
A middle-aged woman, blood streaming down her face, was hurled to the ground by someone’s hand and rolled across the floor.
Cool, piercing eyes looking down at him.
A man with a mischievous expression that contrasted strangely with those pure, almost innocent eyes spoke.
“Oh, so this is the one? The fearless madman who stole what’s mine?”
“No, sir. She is merely a Necromancer.”
The one who answered stood just behind the man who had thrown the middle-aged woman—an old man.
It was the Prophet, a deep gray hood pulled low over his head.
Jin Woo-sung tilted his head and asked.
“A Necromancer? What does she have to do with my Cheon-sal-seong?”
“That is…….”
The Prophet looks toward the Necromancer.
The middle-aged woman, trembling uncontrollably, slowly lifts her head and glances around nervously.
Immediately after.
“Aaagh—!”
A scream ripped out.
Crack—!
O Hae-sung, the man who had thrown her to the ground, pressed his foot down hard on her ankle.
A cold voice pierced the Necromancer’s ears.
“The commander asked you a question. Answer. Necromancer. Or else, starting with you and on through your family…….”
He hadn’t even finished speaking.
The Necromancer, eyes squeezed shut, cried out.
“The, the Red Eye! I saw the Red Eye!”
“The Red Eye?”
“The killing eye that slaughters anything. He began his massacre from the land of the dead. Brothers consumed by vengeance came to find me and asked about him……!”
Thud—!
“Ugh—!”
“Cut to the point.”
The Necromancer, struck in the abdomen, rolls across the floor, then rises, spitting blood.
At that same moment.
Boom—!
The head of O Hae-sung, who had kicked her in the belly, exploded.
Like a watermelon being crushed.
The Necromancer’s eyes went wide with shock.
Without sparing him a glance, Jin Woo-sung, who had caved in his subordinate’s skull with a single punch, grinned and crouched down in front of her.
“My men are a little rough, aren’t they? I apologize. So, you said you’re a Necromancer? That means you know who the thief is—the one who stole my fate—right?”
“Y, yes, that’s right. But I don’t know their name or where they live…….”
“You only know their face?”
The Necromancer’s head nodded repeatedly.
Jin Woo-sung, smiling slightly as he watched her, takes her hand with his own, caked with the blood of what had moments before been his subordinate.
He holds her gaze for a moment, then looks down at the floor.
He asked.
“You can draw them, right? In detail. Make sure I’ll recognize them. Hmm?”
The Necromancer nodded frantically.
“O, of course! I’ll do my very best!”
Her blood-stained hand began to move quickly.

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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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