The Regressed EX-Class Martial God Decided to Become a Thousand-Star Hunter - Chapter 5

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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 5
5.
Ju Do-gyeom exhaled a sharp breath.
“Hmm…….”
His alarm was far less than he might have expected.
He knew Jin U-seong well enough that he’d remained vigilant to the very end, never letting his guard slip.
Still, separate from that, the situation was undeniably difficult.
‘Transformation…….’
The Cannibal Demon, strengthened even as the Tutorial Debuff’s effect plummeted.
Before, he could have overwhelmed it easily enough, but——
Kee-kee, kee-kee, kee-kee-kee—!
The moment he saw the demon regenerate its severed arm, its body swelling to several times its previous size as it surged with magical energy, he could be certain of one thing.
‘This will be difficult.’
A cold assessment.
Fighting that Cannibal Demon in his current state and coming out victorious——it wouldn’t be easy.
The problem was that escape routes had already been cut off.
His judgment was swift.
First, he sought out the darkest corner of the Cavern, where blue flames blazed in abundance, and masked his presence.
『Skill Sanhua-yeong has been promoted to 2-Star.』
It was around then.
Kraaaaaaagh—!
The Cannibal Demon, having completed its Transformation, released a roar that bore no comparison to before and let out a triumphant cry.
Thud, thud—!
It then shifted its massive weight, descending the steps toward the Altar below.
Its pitch-black eyes swept across the surroundings.
It seemed not to have noticed Ju Do-gyeom yet.
Nevertheless, it split its mouth wide in a grin.
Because it knew.
This place was a prison with no way out, and Ju Do-gyeom was already trapped inside it.
‘Treating me like a rat in a jar.’
The Cannibal Demon, which had paused for a moment, began to move again.
Thud—!
First, it took a step forward.
Whoosh—!
Then it swept its thickened, lengthened arm in a wide arc.
And another step.
Another swing of the arm.
Given how vast the Cavern was, it would take time, but for a Cannibal Demon now vastly larger in stature, this was a sound strategy.
It was a conclusion that even Ju Do-gyeom, watching intently, couldn’t help but reach.
‘Has its intelligence improved as well?’
Separate from that, there was another misfortune.
A wide, circular Cavern.
The massive Cannibal Demon happened to begin moving precisely in the direction where Ju Do-gyeom was hiding.
Even so, he kept his mind sharp, turning over possibilities.
First: somehow putting distance between himself and the approaching creature to buy more time.
That option was off the table.
Unlike the kitchen, there was no food here, and no place to rest comfortably.
More than anything.
If the Cannibal Demon had been as it was before, perhaps——but now that it had Transformed, judging by the keenness of its intellect, its other senses had likely grown sharper as well.
‘At the level of 2-Star Sanhua-yeong, the moment I move, my position will likely be exposed.’
So the maximum time he could hold out was until just before the creature’s flailing arm reached him.
Recognizing this, Ju Do-gyeom surveyed the situation with steady eyes.
‘There’s a high probability a separate strategy exists.’
The reason for this conclusion was simple.
First, one of the major characteristics of the Cannibal Demon’s Mansion.
‘This Dungeon has no fixed appropriate Rank.’
The Cannibal Demon’s strength varies greatly depending on the level of the Hunter or team entering it.
Of course, no matter how low-ranked a Hunter who enters, it cannot be subjected to something as powerful as the Tutorial Debuff.
But the Cannibal Demon’s Transformation.
This possessed an effect so strong it could shake off even the Tutorial Debuff’s weakening power.
I don’t know exactly when Jin U-seong acquired Cheonsal-seong, but one thing is certain: no matter when it happened, he must have faced difficulties comparable to what Ju Do-gyeom was experiencing now.
Yet he was undoubtedly a wielder of Cheonsal-seong.
In short, he had killed the massive transformed Cannibal Demon.
It would have been a lower difficulty than a newly entered Hunter freed from the Tutorial Debuff, but it was impossible he hadn’t faced some struggle in the process.
‘I need to find that method.’
Give credit where it’s due.
Truth was, Jin U-seong’s cunning ran deeper than Ju Do-gyeom’s.
That’s why tracking him had been such an ordeal.
But in the end, Ju Do-gyeom emerged victorious.
Just as Jin U-seong took pride in his gift for creating chaos and his sharpness, Ju Do-gyeom possessed advantages uniquely his own—advantages that were undeniable.
Thud, whoosh—!
Thud, whoosh—!
The massive Cannibal Demon drew steadily closer.
Even as the wind from its fists grazed his hair, Ju Do-gyeom didn’t so much as blink.
He widened his field of vision.
Along with the creature’s movements, he continued to read the environment.
If a strategy existed, he was certain it lay somewhere within this space.
In that silence.
Thud—!
An unusually heavy footfall struck his ears.
The distance had closed that much further.
Whoosh—!
The creature’s fist whistled past the very tip of his nose.
It was right then.
‘……!!’
Ju Do-gyeom saw something.
The blue flame blazing above the ritual furnace used for ceremonies.
One of them—it was dimming just moments ago.
After checking again, it was no illusion or hallucination.
Understanding crystallized instantly.
‘As time passes, the furnace flames extinguish.’
And when all the flames went out.
Thud—!
The massive Cannibal Demon took a heavy step.
Its Transformation would end.
Right after.
Whoosh—!
The creature’s fist plummeted just above his head.
Ju Do-gyeom ducked.
Simultaneously, he surged with violent Ki, launching his body straight forward.
『You have acquired the skill Seomjeon-bi (1-Star).』
Ju Do-gyeom’s form slipped beneath the arm he had just swung.
The massive Cannibal Demon, catching sight of him, let out a shriek.
Kraaaagh—!
A cry of exhilaration.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—!
It charged toward Ju Do-gyeom.
Ju Do-gyeom paid it no mind.
If he looked back, it would only slow his pace.
He ran forward at full speed.
Then he swung his blade toward another blue flame flickering above a different furnace.
Whoosh—!
‘Did it go out?’
The answer came immediately.
Crackle—!
The flames flared back to life.
‘……This approach won’t work?’
In the midst of his deliberation.
The instinct that had kept him alive even in the most extreme of battlefields screamed within him.
Duck.
Ju Do-gyeom crouched low without a moment’s hesitation.
At the same instant.
Bang!
The massive Cannibal Demon’s arm smashed through the Ritual Furnace.
A flicker of recognition crossed Ju Do-gyeom’s eyes.
‘Just as I thought……’
His feet struck the ground again.
A roar tore from the pursuing Cannibal Demon’s throat.
Its arm swung in pursuit, hurtling through the air.
He felt it coming.
Only two of the flames had been extinguished, yet.
‘It’s slowing down.’
Thud!
He twisted his body and slipped past a fist large enough to pulverize the air itself.
In the same breath, teeth rained down before his eyes.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
Ju Do-gyeom swept the creature aside with his Kitchen Knife at an angle.
The moment he stepped before yet another Ritual Furnace.
A roar.
The massive Cannibal Demon, now visibly agitated, hurled itself through the air and crashed to the ground.
Crash!
Part of the floor crumbled, and another Ritual Furnace shattered.
‘Three down.’
Ju Do-gyeom’s composed gaze tallied the remaining Ritual Furnaces.
‘Twelve left.’
His body moved.
A Ritual Furnace broke.
The pursuing Cannibal Demon’s rage intensified further.
Roaarrr!
It sounded almost like speech.
Stop running, it seemed to bellow.
By the time he’d extinguished three more of the Ritual Furnaces.
Huff—huff!
The massive Cannibal Demon came to a halt, breathing hard.
Its bearing suggested something like confusion.
Ju Do-gyeom sensed it too and stopped, regarding the creature.
Eyes black and repulsive, deep and empty.
He tilted his head, studying them.
“Tired already?”
Roar?
“You’re not quite what I expected……”
A smirk.
Deliberately crafted mockery.
“Disappointing, really.”
In truth, this behavior was unlike Ju Do-gyeom.
How would Jin U-seong have navigated this predicament?
As he mulled it over, the answer surfaced unbidden—an echo of Jin U-seong’s own manner.
If anything, it was Jin U-seong’s way.
Though Jin U-seong, in his place, would have been far more reckless.
Either way, the effect was undeniable.
Roooarrr!
The Cannibal Demon, reignited with fury, lunged and obliterated the next Ritual Furnace.
Furnaces remaining.
‘Eight.’
Seven.
‘Six.’
And then five.
Bang!
The Cannibal Demon, now visibly diminished in size, exhaled in ragged gasps.

Screech-!
Even its thick, coarse voice had grown comparatively higher and thinner.
That was the moment.
The creature had truly stopped moving.
Ju Do-gyeom started to provoke it again, then thought better of it.
‘No point pressing further, I think.’
The change was obvious to the eye.
Even for a Cannibal Demon of lesser intellect, it had figured it out.
That the Ritual Furnace it kept destroying was the creature’s lifeline.
Shriek, shriek, shrieeeek-!
The creature pointed at Ju Do-gyeom with a trembling finger.
As if calling him a coward.
Ju Do-gyeom paid no mind.
He was simply running the numbers.
Back when all fifteen flames of the Ritual Furnace were still burning.
The massive Cannibal Demon had determined coldly that it could not manage.
Then what of now?
‘Still going to be difficult.’
Of course, it was nowhere near the caliber of when all fifteen flames were alive.
But even now, a direct confrontation was hardly the wisest choice.
Time was his ally, after all.
‘The flames of the Ritual Furnace don’t need to be destroyed—they’ll extinguish themselves in time.’
Once that number dropped to four, or even just three.
‘I can finish it for certain.’
But what was the rush?
It no longer mattered if the Cannibal Demon refused to engage.
Ju Do-gyeom kept his grip tight on the Kitchen Knife, his attention fixed solely on the creature’s movements.
That was when it happened.
Shriek, shriek-shriek, shriek-shriek-shriek, shrieeeek-!
The creature threw back its head in a monstrous laugh and spun around, dashing toward Yukmangsseong at the center of the Altar.
Alarm bells rang in Ju Do-gyeom’s mind.
The severed arm had regenerated.
What’s to say the shattered Ritual Furnace won’t be rebuilt?
‘Nothing.’
He drew every ounce of Inner Power his current state allowed and stomped the ground, propelling himself forward.
Seomjeon-bi gave his movement an added burst of speed.
But he was still far too slow to catch the Cannibal Demon sprinting ahead.
Hunter and prey had switched roles once more.
Ju Do-gyeom consciously split the surging Inner Power coursing through his body into two currents.
And he collided them against each other.
Then.
Boom-!
Something detonated inside him, the shockwave rattling his inner ear.
Pain seized his organs, twisted his muscles.
He paid no attention.
Instead, he channeled even greater Inner Power through the collision and pushed himself faster.
‘Faster.’
『Skill acquired: Bandopoung-ikyeong (1-star).』
『Temporary Agility rank increased: F+ ⇒ E-』
『Duration: 10 minutes.』
Still not enough.
So.
‘Once more.’
Faster still.
Boom-!
『Skill promoted: Bandopoung-ikyeong (2-star).』
『Temporary Agility rank increased: E- ⇒ E』
『Duration: 7 minutes 30 seconds.』
He felt it.
The gap was closing.
Precisely one hair’s breadth.
That’s the exact margin of difference.
With luck, he could now secure victory without recklessly abusing the dangerous trigger strike again—the situation was firmly in his grasp.
His mind, recognizing this, urged him to stop now.
His body was screaming in protest; he needed to rest here for a moment.
It was a familiar pattern.
Before the Regression.
Most of the fights Ju Do-gyeom had endured before followed this same arc.
So this time, too, he ignored it.
‘One more time.’
Faster still.
Whoosh—!
『Skill Bandopoung-ikyeong (3-Star) has been promoted.』
『Temporary Agility Rank increased: E ⇒ E+』
『Duration: 5 minutes.』
Kee-kee-kee—!
The Cannibal Demon that had been laughing and charging forward.
Its pitch-black eyes flew wide open.
Just moments before.
Shrieeee—!
With the sound of wind being split, Ju Do-gyeom—who should have been desperately chasing from behind—had overtaken him and surged ahead.
“……!!”
There, upon the Altar he had reached first.
Ju Do-gyeom came to a halt.
The startled Cannibal Demon was still charging forward.
“Haaah…….”
Drawing a deep breath, Ju Do-gyeom stomped the ground once more.
『Skill Seomjeon-bi (2-Star) has been promoted.』
His body surged forward again.
Toward the Cannibal Demon hurtling at him head-on.
The Cannibal Demon raised its enraged claws.
Sharp nails descended, meant to shred Ju Do-gyeom’s entire body.
The Cannibal Demon howled.
Kieee—!
‘Prey, no matter how fast you become! I am still above you!’
Ju Do-gyeom, his eyes calm and collected, paid no attention to the creature’s noise.
He simply focused his gaze.
Upon the thin line running along the demon’s neck.
Most call it the joint.
The optimal point at which to cut something cleanly.
In a situation accelerated to this degree.
It wasn’t the sort of thing one could cut while adjusting to an opponent thrashing about in motion.
Not under normal circumstances.
But Ju Do-gyeom was no ordinary man.
Though he had lost all that power now and returned to this wretched flesh.
A Martial Master before the Regression.
A man spoken of as having reached the pinnacle of the Martial Way.
Hwoong—!
The claws the Cannibal Demon swung were evaded in that moment of ultra-acceleration by a footwork that left only blurred afterimages.
『Skill Muyeong-sinbo (2-Star) has been promoted.』
The blade of his Kitchen Knife, flowing gently with the air’s currents, aligned perfectly with the joint running along the demon’s nape.
That was enough.
No greater force was needed.
Both locked in high-speed collision.
A blade stroke that traced the exact flow of the joint.
Scritch—!
With that chilling sound.
Thud—!
The Cannibal Demon’s head, eyes wide with disbelief, dropped to the ground.
Ju Do-gyeom stood motionless, then slowly turned his head to regard the demon’s dark, lifeless eyes with an unmoved expression.
Kiiiieeee…….
The Cannibal Demon’s black eyes, which had been crying out, slowly closed.
The corpse of the remaining Cannibal Demon collapsed lifelessly and fell face-down to the floor, then ceased all movement entirely.
A message reached Ju Do-gyeom’s mind.
『User Ju Do-gyeom. You have demonstrated exceptional play within the Dungeon: Cannibal Demon’s Mansion.』
『A powerful reward has been granted.』
『You may acquire the Unique Trait: Cheonsal-seong. Y/N』
Ju Do-gyeom answered without hesitation.
“I’ll take it.”

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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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