The Regressed EX-Class Martial God Decided to Become a Thousand-Star Hunter - Chapter 45

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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 45
45.
“As I thought…….”
“Pardon?”
Ju Do-gyeom offered a faint smile and nodded.
“Never mind.”
The Witch of Gluttony.
By the standards of before the regression, she was indeed an object of hatred.
The moment he heard that name, the Cheonsal-seong—which had lain dormant and silent for so long—nearly burst forth of its own accord.
It couldn’t be helped.
Just the night before, his comrades had laughed and talked with him, and she had torn them to shreds with her own hands.
The count exceeded dozens.
Even with regression, those memories did not fade away.
Yet as he had thought many times before—
‘Lee Seo-ah is not the Witch of Gluttony.’
Simply because her class was the Witch of Gluttony did not mean she was reborn as a calamity.
More than anything else,
the moment he saw Lee Seo-ah smiling so brightly,
the Cheonsal-seong that had been straining to break free recoiled in horror and retreated to its proper place.
As though it wanted nothing to do with confronting that smile, it fled at tremendous speed.
It felt like an even more violent reaction than when Ju Do-gyeom’s hand had pressed it down.
No—it was certainly more frightened than that.
Though it did not show outwardly, it meant that the warmth conveyed by Lee Seo-ah’s smile held greater power than the hatred toward the Witch of Gluttony.
In the end, it was the same as with Kim Han-ryul.
The most important thing in maintaining his current heart and composure.
Lee Seo-ah had likewise secured her place there.
Because of this, on the day when the Cheonsal-seong’s madness raged,
she had instinctively earned a spot on the list of people he must protect.
In that subtle feeling,
Ju Do-gyeom gathered his thoughts and spoke.
“If you have the chance, I would recommend visiting the Overgrown Mana Forest Dungeon.”
“The Overgrown Mana Forest Dungeon? Is there such a place?”
“It’s a D-rank Dungeon. The danger is not particularly high relative to its difficulty, and it will be of great help to you, Lee Seo-ah.”
“A dungeon that would greatly help me…….”
“Yes. However, you must be cautious of excessive greed.”
“Caution against excessive greed……. I understand. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“If you manage that well, you should be able to join my team before long.”
“……!!”
Lee Seo-ah’s eyes widened once more.
Joining Ju Do-gyeom’s Team.
The first step toward the minimum qualification she had envisioned—to know the true weight of his presence.
“……I’ll go. Without fail.”
“To be overly cautious, even though the dungeon is easier than its rank, you must prepare thoroughly before entering.”
“Don’t worry about that part. I’ll be there, won’t I?”
Lee Young-sik stepped forward and spoke.
Seeing him, Ju Do-gyeom nodded.
“That worry was unnecessary, then.”
“Heh heh heh—! In any case, I’ll be on my way.”
No matter how well he disguised himself, lingering too long in one place risked exposure.
“We’ve talked for quite a while at the door. I apologize. I was determined to say at least this one thing today…….”
And with good reason.
It wasn’t only Lee Young-sik.
Lee Seo-ah, too, would be unable to meet Ju Do-gyeom for several months to come.
The scrutiny of the outside world would inevitably attach itself to her as well.
That regret and sorrow flooded into Lee Seo-ah’s eyes.
Ju Do-gyeom looked at her and spoke calmly.
“We will meet again.”
“You’ll keep one spot open on your team……until then, won’t you?”
The earnest gaze in Lee Seo-ah’s eyes.
Upon seeing it, Ju Do-gyeom let out a soft laugh and replied.
“I’ll do my best.”
“What!?”
“I’m joking. Let’s head out for real now. We’re imposing on you.”
“Ah… really….”
Lee Seo-ah laughed even as she grumbled.
The fact that Ju Do-gyeom had made a joke for her didn’t feel bad at all.
Lee Young-sik chuckled quietly too, then patted Ju Do-gyeom on the shoulder and spoke.
“Take good care of my daughter.”
“She hasn’t joined my team yet, though….”
“We’ll talk about that later. Later. Hah!”
Only then did father and daughter fully leave Ju Do-gyeom’s home.
They carried with them the lingering regret of not seeing him for some time.
It was a brief parting.
* * *
Time flew like an arrow.
A week, two weeks, a month, and a little more.
By the time full summer had arrived.
A call came to Lee Young-sik.
—Word from the museum officials. Bond, that item you mentioned should come up for auction around year-end.
The future had shifted.
Ju Do-gyeom had no choice but to nod in understanding.
After all, as long as it was inside the museum, he’d have to wait for the auction unless he stole it.
‘It’s not as though I lack a weapon to use right now, anyway.’
The Daebu purchased in the past.
Beyond that, Ju Do-gyeom had recently acquired another auxiliary weapon to pair with it.
While the weapon’s basic specs weren’t particularly impressive, it was good for creating variables and serviceable enough in battles against multiple enemies—he was using it quite often.
‘Originally, I’d planned to use it for a while and then discard it, swapping it for something better.’
For now, it had become a partner he’d need to keep using.
He accepted it, yet a faint sting of regret blossomed in his chest.
—Oh, Bond. My daughter wants to have a word with you.
Bond was the nickname Lee Young-sik had given to Ju Do-gyeom.
The reason was that it was his favorite spy’s name.
Since it was a famous movie character well enough known even to Ju Do-gyeom, it felt oddly embarrassing, but there was no way to stop it.
Jin U-seong’s encrypted phone blocked eavesdropping and encrypted conversations.
But Lee Young-sik’s phone didn’t.
Besides, eavesdropping was possible through other methods anyway, so taking such precautions was the right call.
Around the time these thoughts crossed his mind.
—Um… Bond?
Lee Seo-ah’s voice came through.
“…Yes, this is Bond.”
—Pffft….
“…Are you laughing?”
—Oh, sorry. It just seemed funny for some reason.
Then, in a voice unusually buoyant, she continued.
—Actually, I think I need to report the results of that investment we discussed before.
“Does a representative normally handle something like that?”
—Of course not. But you’re special, Bond. Consider it a complimentary service.
After their meeting several months ago, Lee Seo-ah had definitely grown closer, and now they traded jokes together.
Her use of “you” instead of his name was a precaution against any possible eavesdropping.
It was something she and Lee Young-sik had already agreed on.
—Give me a moment. Let me catch my breath first. Whew….
“…?”
—Congratulations, by the way. Your gamble paid off. A 10-fold leverage. Total profit margin of 50%.
Which meant 10 billion had become 60 billion.
Ju Do-gyeom’s eyes gleamed.
‘This part is flowing just as I expected it would.’
Perhaps because his influence over this aspect was still limited?
If so, it seemed he could push a little further.
After all, even 10 billion or 60 billion wasn’t real money in a massive capital market.
Ju Do-gyeom spoke.
“Don’t withdraw yet. Let’s hold a bit longer.”
-That’s genuinely risky. Honestly, just getting an upward trend these past two weeks has been lucky enough as it is.
“It’ll rise further. More than it has until now.”
-No, really—where does this confidence come from?
“One week. Just one more week of watching.”
If memory served, Yamato Seiki’s stock would begin to fall exactly twenty-two days from now.
There was nothing remarkable behind it.
It was simply a natural market correction.
-Understood. I have a feeling you wouldn’t listen anyway, so… I’ll sell in a week.
“I’m much obliged.”
It was a comfort to have a trustworthy person to entrust one’s money to.
Ju Do-gyeom smiled and nodded, then asked:
“How are you faring with your Hunter activities?”
-Thank you for asking. I’d have felt a little disappointed if you hadn’t.
After that, Lee Seo-ah chattered away merrily.
She’d delegated most of the company operations to a proxy and was now focused entirely on Hunter work.
Her growth had been steep enough that the Hunters assisting her were apparently quite startled by it.
-Oh, and I visited that Overgrown Mana Forest Dungeon you mentioned yesterday.
“How was it?”
-…I understood at once why you’d recommended it. Even that part about not being greedy.
“I’m confident you’ll do well.”
-…I’ll do my best.
Her voice carried an odd lack of assurance.
Ju Do-gyeom chose not to press her on it.
He trusted that she would manage just fine on her own.
-What about you, Bond?
“Much the same, actually.”
He’d been devoted to Hunter activities alongside Kim Han-ryul.
However, unlike before, he hadn’t ventured into high-risk, high-reward dungeons for some time.
The reason was straightforward.
It was simply that kind of period.
A time to prepare for the next leap forward.
A process of embodying in flesh what had been so rapidly accumulated in recent months.
Of course, that didn’t mean there had been no growth at all.
Over the past few months, quite a variety of martial arts had progressed.
For instance:
The Unryong Daepai-sik, Muyeong Tanji, Hoche Ongki-gong, Bunsim Yi-gong, and Yeoui Gumgang-gi had all advanced—some by two ranks, others by three.
There were also several new martial arts he’d taken up.
The Cheonra-sae, Byeokgong-jang, and Bakryong-su, among others.
Of these, the Cheonra-sae had shown the most striking growth.
Despite having learned it only a fortnight prior, he’d already reached the third rank.
‘It’s likely because I use the Yusseong-chu as a secondary weapon so frequently.’
The Yusseong-chu was a weapon of the meteor-bead type, with a weight suspended from the end of an iron chain.
The Cheonra-sae, which governed its use, not only compensated for the weaknesses of the Daebu that Ju Do-gyeom had identified, but proved remarkably useful in bolstering the Cheonsal-seong—his most formidable ability.
What’s more, the Witch of Gluttony, which embodied the Cheonsal-seong itself, had taken a liking to this Yusseong-chu weapon.
As much as to the Daebu.
It was only natural that his hands gravitated toward it so often.
Beyond this, the most significant martial arts breakthrough was that the Cheongyeol Ki-gong had finally reached the fifth rank.
This meant the foundation was now in place to advance directly into the Cheonji Muguk Singong should he choose.
Of course, as mentioned, he wouldn’t proceed until after breaking through the first threshold and claiming its bonus—barring unforeseen circumstances.
‘Even this alone carries deep significance.’
The cultivation during the Cheongyeol Ki-gong’s ascent to the fifth rank.
And the food he’d steadily consumed on Earth.
The Mana Stone Cuisine, the Chef’s Mindset—their continuous synergy had borne fruit.
His mana had surged from D-rank all the way to D+ rank.
And it wasn’t just any D+ rank.
He’d felt the sensation.
The first threshold of ability stats.
C-rank was now in sight, in the final stretch.
As for Agility, which had lagged behind in tandem, it had reached C-rank even faster—about a week prior.
This too was thanks to Ju Do-gyeom’s deliberate choice to fight with agility at the forefront.
‘If my Mana reaches C-rank here…….’
A clear C-rank Hunter that the Korean Hunters Association would recognize immediately upon registration.
At this point, by this era’s standards, he’d rank in the top ten percent of the entire Hunter industry on pure ability stats alone.
For progress made in just a few months, it was genuinely absurd.
Even knowing he still had a thousand miles to go, he couldn’t help but smile.
Ju Do-gyeom relayed this story to Lee Seo-ah—stripping away the lengthy backstory and sharing only the broad strokes.
Lee Seo-ah laughed.
-So you’re saying you’re steadily moving forward?
“That’s right.”
-I never expected you to stand still, but you really are something. Spending all those months alone with that teammate…….
“……Lee Seo-ah?”
It seemed like a joke, yet somehow it didn’t.
As Ju Do-gyeom tilted his head at the subtle shift in her voice,
-Of course it was a joke! How was my acting? Pretty good, right? Hehe…….
“Acting……it was.”
-I feel good about it. Like I’ve grown in some way. Well, I should end the call here. You must be busy too.
“Yes. I’ll be waiting for your next update.”
The call disconnected.
Ju Do-gyeom stared at the Encrypted Phone in his hand for a moment.
The one that had belonged to the dead Jin U-seong—infused with Vivian’s magic.
“Good.”
Even in circumstances like this, being able to contact others without worry.
But still.
‘Why hasn’t Vivian herself sent any mail?’
All he could do was laugh hollowly.
* * *
Korean Hunters Association situation room.
A man with headphones on, eyes wide, listening intently, flinches.
Right in front of him.
Noh Beom-seok, standing with a sinister glint in his eyes, spoke.
“Anything come up?”
Slowly, the man removed his headphones and replied with an uneasy expression.
“……Nothing, sir. Since Chairman Lee’s residence is such a heavily fortified place, it’s hard to pick up clearly, and there’s nothing that could be called meaningful content…….”
Bang!
Noh Beom-seok’s fist came down on the desk right in front of him.
The table split into two pieces and collapsed.
The enraged Noh Beom-seok’s gaze turned next to the man standing in front of the massive supercomputer.
He too shook his head.
“……I apologize. Nothing is being tracked.”
Snort.
Now Noh Beom-seok laughed.
It was out of sheer exasperation.
‘How many months has it been now?’
He’d spent his own money to surveil Chairman Lee’s household, desperate to find the mysterious Hunter who’d killed Jin U-seong.
And yet, nothing had come of it.
It made no sense.
Chairman Lee Young-sik’s side had always had airtight security, so there was little he expected to gain from there—but the other side should have yielded something, anything.
Instead, that side gave even less information.
After months of effort, he’d finally managed to listen in on some of Chairman Lee’s household calls, even from a distance.
‘What kind of magic is he even using?’
The immortal Jin U-seong, killed in a single stroke.
And since then—not a trace, no sign, playing games with him?
“He’s afraid of me, that’s it. That has to be it. That’s why he won’t show himself. He stole Jin U-seong right out of my hands, made a fool of me. Damn bastard.”
Noh Beom-seok, muttering to himself in a bid for mental victory.
He exhaled roughly and approached the magitech supercomputer, clenching his fist tight.
The vice-chairman hurried forward.
“We can’t, Chairman. This is genuinely national-budget level……!”
“I know!”
Noh Beom-seok shouted and spun around sharply.
His hurried footsteps carried him out of the operations room and toward the exit.
Bang!
The door slammed shut as if it might shatter.
Or rather, it actually did—the frame cracked and embedded itself in the wall.
“My apologies.”
The vice-chairman of the association, bowing deeply to the tracking team who could only watch in stunned silence, hurried after Noh Beom-seok.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
The tracking team leader scratched his head vigorously as he spoke.
“Damn it, we’d need to bring in some British grand sorcerer or something. This is just—there’s no way around it.”
“We don’t have contact information either, do we?”
“That’s just what I’m saying. Ugh…”
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
* * *
The next day.
Ju Do-gyeom sat in one corner of his spacious living room, checking his status window.
『Name: Ju Do-gyeom
Age: 26
Occupation: Sacred All-Things Chef
Title: First Ordeal Bearer
Ability Stats
Strength: C- Stamina: C- Agility: C- Mana: D+
Traits: Cheonsal-seong (Unique), Disdain for the Weak
Skills: Cheongyeol Ki-gong (5-star) Jigyeol Ki-gong (5-star) Ogam-tong Ki-gong (4-star) Bando Bung-ik-gong (3-star) Geumhyeol Jeong-gong (1-star) Sanhwa-yeong (2-star) Pamun Jigak Ki-gong (5-star) Myeongmok-gong (4-star) Muyeong Sinbo (2-star) Sura Yeom-toe (1-star) Cheonlyeok Bubop (6-star) Muyeong Tanji (4-star) Hoche Ongki-gong (4-star) Bunsim Yi-gong (3-star) Sinsu Jamryeok Ki-gong (3-star) Cheongeun Chu Ki-gong (2-star) Yeoui Gumgang-gi (3-star) Tupung Seom-chang (1-star) Seomjeon-bi (6-star) Manli Chupung Sinbeop (3-star) Unryong Daepai-sik (4-star) Cheonra-sae (3-star) Byeokgong-jang (2-star) Bakryong-su (1-star) Sacred Cooking Craft (Level 4) Abundant Sacred Cooking Method (Level 3) Sachae Yoonghap (Level 1)
Special Skill: Fear Technique – Violent Wind Storm
Unique Skill: Death Reprieve (Lv. MAX) All-Things Chef’s Mindset (Lv. MAX)』
After that, he settled into a lotus position and alternated between Cheongyeol Ki-gong and Jigyeol Ki-gong to assess his body’s condition.
Bunsim Yi-gong checked the madness in his mind.
Certainty crystallized within him.
‘It’s sufficient.’
Now was the time to move forward toward the next leap.

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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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