The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 105

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

#Episode 105
Whoosh, whoosh!
The axe tore through the air relentlessly.
“Ugh!”
Baek Yu-jin continued retreating, focused solely on evading the onslaught.
A wise choice.
What would happen if the rapier—now reduced to a dagger—clashed with the axe was as predictable as watching fire burn.
But truthfully, the real reason was far simpler: she lacked the courage to engage.
The rapier.
The moment I lost the blade I’d trained with my entire life, I ceased to be a genius swordmaster and an Olympic fencing gold medalist.
My distinctive footwork for measuring distance and my animal-like reflexes remained intact, but I had no means of attack.
Being an Olympic fencing gold medalist didn’t mean I could wield a dagger with equal proficiency.
“Hgh!”
Baek Yu-jin’s expression twisted gradually.
The balance of power had already shifted.
The formidable opponent who’d been pressing Eun-sung was gone.
Only a weakling who’d lost her composure along with her blade remained.
Whoosh!
The axe grazed dangerously close to her face.
In that instant, Eun-sung thrust his leg between hers.
Thud—ankles collided, and she lost her balance.
A leg sweep executed with perfect timing and subtle precision.
Crash!
Baek Yu-jin fell.
“…!”
Her eyes widened as Eun-sung descended upon her.
‘I… I need to counterattack.’
Baek Yu-jin desperately tried to swing what she held, but Eun-sung was faster.
Crack!
Eun-sung’s kick swept her wrist away.
“Ugh!”
Whoosh!
The broken rapier flew through the air with her cry of pain.
That was decisive.
Crunch!
Eun-sung pinned her below the collarbone with his knee while raising the axe high.
Perfect restraint.
“…!”
Fear bloomed in Baek Yu-jin’s eyes.
It was primal terror—the terror of death itself.
Fear dominated her—the dread that her skull might split open or her neck might be severed.
I’m going to die.
Trembling, trembling, trembling!
Baek Yu-jin’s body quivered like an aspen leaf in the wind.
In truth, if she’d thought about it even briefly, she needn’t have feared death at all.
The Arena’s [Aura of Mercy] would protect her life.
Yet in this moment, her mind held nothing but terror of death itself.
She couldn’t even summon the thought that she didn’t need to fear dying.
“H….”
Eun-sung slowly parted his lips.
Baek Yu-jin’s breath caught in her throat; she couldn’t properly hear what Eun-sung was saying.
“…do you?”
“I’m sorry…?”
“Won’t you surrender?”
“Oh.”
Only then did Baek Yu-jin grasp his meaning, and her racing heart began to settle.
Her strength drained away completely.
Had she been standing, she was certain she would have collapsed to the ground.
“Y-yes, I surrender.”
Baek Yu-jin declared her surrender.
Eun-sung rose to his feet first and extended his hand toward her.
“What do you mean by that?”
Baek Yu-jin asked Eun-sung.
“Respect.”
“Respect…?”
“Respect for someone of exceptional skill—nothing more, nothing less.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Baek Yu-jin grasped Eun-sung’s hand.
With a sharp pull, he drew her up to her feet with considerable strength.
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
The spectators chanted Eun-sung’s name.
The jeers that had initially rained down upon him had transformed into fervent cheers.
It was only natural.
The Arena loved the strong, loved warriors.
In the eyes of the crowd, Eun-sung was a warrior.
It wasn’t often that someone would drive their opponent to the brink while fighting with a blade embedded in their own body.
And it was rarer still to see someone show respect for their opponent in the final moment.
Moreover, Eun-sung had already set a new record.
24 consecutive wins.
I’d shattered the record that Lee Hyun had previously set.
“Wow! Royal Road!”
“24 consecutive wins! This madman!”
“He’s actually doing it!”
The roar of the crowd intensified with each passing moment.
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
The spectators held their breath in anticipation.
Today.
They awaited the birth of the first to achieve the Royal Road.
* * *
“That’s it! Exactly that! Yes! I knew it!”
Wi Tae-woong.
Among tens of thousands of spectators, he was the sole man who had predicted Eun-sung’s victory, and he pumped his fist in exultation.
“Ha! I told you! That’s what a beast looks like!”
“….”
Lee Hyun merely trembled with his fists clenched, offering no response whatsoever.
His pride had already been shattered beyond repair.
The world forever remembers only the champion.
Now that Eun-sung had achieved 24 consecutive wins, Lee Hyun’s record had become utterly worthless.
Of course, 23 consecutive wins was still an impressive feat, but what use was it now?
From this moment forward, everyone would remember only Eun-sung’s record.
“Hey, Lim Lieutenant Colonel.”
“…Yes.”
“See? I was right, wasn’t I?”
“You were correct.”
“So remember this well.”
Wi Tae-woong approached Lim Lieutenant Colonel and jabbed his shoulder repeatedly as he spoke.
“Never again in front of me….”
Wi Tae-woong whispered into Lim Lieutenant Colonel’s ear.
“…underestimate Cha Eun-sung. It makes me want to kill you.”
A chill ran down his spine.
Goosebumps erupted across Lim Lieutenant Colonel’s arms.
His body had reacted to that eerie madness.
“Do you understand, or not?”
“…I will keep it in mind.”
Lim Lieutenant Colonel gritted his teeth as he ground out his response.
Wi Tae-woong made no issue of Lim Lieutenant Colonel’s attitude.
Grinning from ear to ear.
Wi Tae-woong was utterly intoxicated by my victory, as if he’d won it himself.
“Look at that. He’s got a blade embedded in his body and doesn’t even pull it out. How does he manage to do such beautiful things?”
Wi Tae-woong pointed at me in the distance with his finger as if to say, see that?
“Hey, you there.”
“Yes?”
“Go grab some beer.”
Ting!
Wi Tae-woong flicked his finger, and a golden secret coin flew toward a Defense Strategy Department hunter.
“Be quick about it.”
“Ah, yes.”
The agent who’d been hesitating rushed toward the tavern the moment Lim Lieutenant Colonel gave his approval.
“I’m really lucky, you know. I happened to come to Jamsil to grab a meal, and now I get to feast my eyes on this too. Heh heh.”
Wi Tae-woong wore a satisfied expression.
“…I’m going to use the restroom for a moment.”
Lee Hyun quietly excused himself.
Wi Tae-woong didn’t even spare him a glance.
“Damn it. It’s all just luck anyway. What’s so special about that?”
Discontent spilled from Lee Hyun’s lips in a bitter murmur.
By now, the qualifying tournament’s winning streak had become sour grapes to him.
* * *
From the moment Eun-sung recorded his 24th consecutive victory, the Korean section of HunterLink’s forums burned even hotter.
[Breaking News] Cha Eun-sung achieves 24-win streak;; (673)
Just beat Baek Yu-jin, a fencing gold medalist OMG
[Anonymous] For real?
[Anonymous] No way;;;;
[Anonymous] How did he win?
└ [Anonymous] Got pushed back the whole time then reversed it in an instant
[Anonymous] 24-win streak???
[Anonymous] Is this a hoax?
└ [Anonymous] It’s real
└ [Anonymous] I saw it too
└ [Anonymous] Your whole life’s a hoax lol
25 consecutive wins.
26 consecutive wins.
And 28 consecutive wins.
With just one victory remaining until the legendary Royal Road achievement.
[Breaking News] Cha Eun-sung 28-win streak!!! (1,438)
This is absolutely insane;;;;;;;
On the verge of collapse yet somehow grinding through to 28 consecutive wins;;;;
[Anonymous] That’s a real monster…
[Anonymous] I saw a post earlier saying he bled a lot???
[Anonymous] Is he even human???
[Anonymous] Wow…
[Anonymous] At this point, he should just win the championship;
[Anonymous] Number 30, just take the loss lol he deserves it
└ [Anonymous] 222222
└ [Anonymous] 33333333
└ [Anonymous] Evan’s so funny lolololol
[Anonymous] He’s just insane…
Eun-sung’s Royal Road challenge had become an unprecedented sensation in an instant, capturing the attention of Korean hunters.
“…I’m dying here.”
Of course, Eun-sung himself, the person in question, was on the verge of losing his mind from exhaustion.
* * *
“Cha Eun-sung! Cha Eun-sung!”
Amid the roaring cheers of the crowd.
“Ugh.”
Eun-sung pressed hard against the wound between his shoulder and upper chest, gritting his teeth.
Blood continued to flow from the wound pierced by Baek Yu-jin’s blade.
That wasn’t all.
Eun-sung was human, after all.
After twenty-eight consecutive battles, claiming he hadn’t suffered a single scratch would be absurd.
Accumulated wounds.
He’d lost no small amount of blood.
It was fair to say he’d reached a dangerous threshold.
‘Ugh.’
Eun-sung clenched his teeth as dizziness suddenly washed over him.
His vision spun.
It seemed to be from the blood loss.
‘Just hold on a little longer.’
I was almost there.
One more victory, and I could claim one of the Dragon King’s Orbs.
“Today’s final participant! Kim Chang-won! Everyone!”
“Booooo―!”
The crowd hurled jeers at the thirtieth participant.
“Forfeit!”
“Get out of here!”
“Can’t you read the room!”
The crowd’s jeers weren’t because they wanted Eun-sung to win.
Of course, there was some desire for that, but the real reason lay elsewhere.
Kim Chang-won’s weapon.
What he brought forth was no close-range arm—not a sword, saber, spear, or mace.
A compact bow.
Sacrificing range and raw power, he’d chosen a ranged weapon that prioritized rapid-fire capability and swift reloading.
“Are you even a man? Show some backbone!”
“Get lost!”
“You’re a coward!”
The spectators craved a brutal clash.
They wanted sweat-drenched, blood-spraying close combat—not this exhausting game of cat and mouse.
With the atmosphere already electric, his choice of a ranged weapon was bound to draw jeers.
Yet Kim Chang-won didn’t so much as blink.
For him, this match was an opportunity to secure another victory and perhaps even claim the championship prize.
He wouldn’t concede or retreat simply because the crowd disapproved.
“Enough!”
Aurelius rose abruptly, raising one hand high.
“Since this is the final match of a warrior challenging a great Achievement, we shall apply a special stage!”
“Ooooooh!”
The spectators erupted in cheers.
“Mages! Reconstruct the battlefield!”
“Yes!”
The mages stationed at the arena lined up in formation, each channeling ether into the crystal orbs before them.
The arena’s environment began to transform through magic.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—!
The entire arena twisted and writhed as if coming alive.
The ground buckled and heaved, birthing hills both large and small, carving out a surprisingly deep stream, and conjuring dense vegetation.
The spectator stands themselves rose skyward, granting the crowd an elevated vantage from which to survey the transformed arena in its entirety.
Throughout the reconfigured battleground stood various objects, and five flags bearing the Jamsil Colosseum’s crest fluttered in the wind.
“Welcome to the Forest of Conquest!”
Aurelius’s voice boomed across the arena through amplification magic.

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