The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 23

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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 23
Crack!
The axe split the cursed butler’s skull in two.
Thud!
The cursed butler collapsed.
Next came the cursed knight.
Whoosh!
Crack!
The axe infused with ether tore through the armor and cleaved the knight’s chest completely in half.
“Ha ha.”
Laughter escaped me unbidden.
Each time I felt an enemy’s skull split open for the first time, an indescribable exhilaration surged through me.
‘Combat is… exhilarating.’
Though I’d experienced thousands of battles, I was only now discovering what it truly meant to fight as an Awakened One.
In my past life, I’d watched from the sidelines, hidden away, or performed menial tasks.
But now everything was different.
I wielded the spirit blade directly, striking down enemies with my own hands.
Ether absorbed!
Ether absorbed!
Ether absorbed!
I paid no mind to my ether surging upward in steady increments.
What mattered to me now wasn’t rapid growth or anything like that.
It was the ability to fight.
The strength to protect myself and my family—that alone was enough.
* * *
To any outside observer, I was like a fish in water.
Wielding the axe and weaving between enemies, I seemed born for combat itself.
My movements were remarkably simple.
I merely slashed, chopped, and occasionally delivered kicks—movements that were primitive in their directness yet utterly effective.
But they were menacing and efficient.
With each swing of my axe, enemies split into V-shapes, limbs flew, or heads went sailing.
My performance was so overwhelming that even Lim Captain’s unit and Choi Yu-ra had lowered their weapons.
There was simply nothing left for Choi Yu-ra and Lim Captain to do—I was dominating the battlefield entirely.
“Team leader? Is that really a newbie?”
“Hmm.”
Lim Captain paused at his subordinate’s question before responding.
“Perhaps an unregistered Awakened One who awakened long ago.”
“That’s not it.”
Choi Yu-ra cut in decisively.
“I saw it. I watched him awaken.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely. I was right there beside them. If you don’t believe me, you can always read the investigation report from back then.”
“Since Hunter Choi witnessed it firsthand, there’s no real need to review the report. Still, it’s genuinely hard to believe. How much time has passed since their awakening, and yet they display such combat prowess?”
“Must be natural talent.”
“Pardon?”
“They were like that from the first time I met them. Back then, they weren’t even an Awakened.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just that they fight well. Like someone who’s been rolling around battlefields since birth.”
“So it’s hereditary, then.”
“Hereditary?”
“Colonel Cha’s father is a legendary figure in the special operations field. Colonel Cha was also scheduled to enlist as a naval special operations officer not long ago.”
“Then it must be hereditary.”
Choi Yu-ra nodded in understanding.
“Is being half-insane hereditary too?”
“…Colonel Cha is also renowned for having excellent character.”
Lim Captain squeezed his eyes shut.
Honestly, I couldn’t deny Choi Yu-ra’s assessment that Colonel Cha seemed a bit unhinged.
“See? I’m telling you they’re not in their right mind. They’re smiling while crying.”
Choi Yu-ra pointed at Colonel Cha.
Colonel Cha was visibly smiling brightly while sweeping through enemies, yet their eyes were rimmed with red.
It was grotesque—impossible to tell whether they were laughing or weeping.
“Hmm. We might need to request a psychological evaluation.”
“A psychological evaluation? Come on.”
Choi Yu-ra scoffed.
“You know as well as I do how many sane people exist in this field. You’re a career military officer, so maybe you’re a bit better off, but still.”
“Ha ha….”
“But you know what?”
“Yes?”
“I’m genuinely curious—what exactly is their identity?”
“…?”
“I thought they were a supporter at first, but they’re not. Think about it—what kind of supporter could slice through 4-star monsters like that? And the way they absorb spirit swords…”
“I agree. However….”
“You want me to keep my mouth shut?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of spreading this around.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s over.”
Choi Yu-ra retrieved her spirit sword—or rather, the chain.
* * *
Relief washed over me.
For the first time, I swept away enemies, and an inexplicable euphoria washed over me—my excitement refused to settle.
Is this what they call an adrenaline rush, or excessive dopamine secretion?
Perhaps both.
“You look like you’re in a good mood.”
“Not bad.”
“How’s your condition?”
“Peak.”
“That’s all that matters.”
Choi Yu-ra didn’t press me with any particular questions.
Lim Captain and his group seemed considerably startled, but the atmosphere was one of restraint—no one spoke.
They must have had plenty of questions.
Not that I had any intention of answering them, even remotely.
“Let’s continue straight to the 9th Floor.”
“Understood.”
We continued moving toward the 9th Floor where the boss awaited.
Since we’d taken sufficient rest within the Rift, there was no need to stop.
Clang!
Along the way, I didn’t forget to crack open urns here and there, farming Etherium as we went.
We passed through Floor 7 and arrived at the 8th Floor, but not a single monster was visible.
The 9th Floor was the same.
As if the well had run dry, not even a trace of a monster appeared.
“It seems a Raid Party has already entered the boss chamber.”
“Indeed.”
I agreed with Lim Captain’s assessment.
Judging by the traces of combat scattered throughout, another party had clearly passed through before us.
When an Awakening occurs, not all Awakeners return to the starting point.
They simply transfer to Dungeon No. 0 at their current location, so it was hardly surprising that a Raid Party closer to the boss chamber had arrived before us.
They may have already begun the assault.
“Let’s proceed.”
We continued moving toward the boss chamber.
The boss of the Cursed Fortress resides in a place called the Lord’s Hall on the 9th Floor.
As we drew closer to the Lord’s Hall, sounds—both loud and soft—grew more distinct.
Drawing nearer, I could see the boss battle was already in full swing inside.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
“Damn it all!”
“Cough!”
The situation was dire.
Nearly twenty Hunters were being slaughtered.
“The Boramae Clan,” Choi Yu-ra said, recognizing the Hunters engaged in the boss battle.
Choi Yu-ra recognized the hunters fighting the boss and spoke.
Ah, those guys.
Most hunters organize themselves into [Clans] to conduct group hunts together.
Of course, hunters could theoretically form temporary Raid Parties on an ad-hoc basis, but since the profession itself is so inherently dangerous, they naturally gravitate toward trusted comrades they can rely on.
This naturally leads to the formation of groups, and eventually the establishment of Clans where fixed members operate together.
The Boramae Clan falls into that category.
There’s nothing particularly remarkable about them.
The Clan Master is a fairly capable individual, but the Clan itself is quite ordinary.
They have a large number of members, but most are 1 to 3-star hunters, and they’ve never actually formed any significant faction or accomplished anything noteworthy.
That said, they’ve made headlines over various incidents and scandals, though nothing serious.
The reason the Clan is named Boramae is because it was founded during the dimensional rift phenomenon that occurred at Boramae Park in Seoul.
“The Boramae Clan has an agreement with the Defense Strategy Department. We should be able to help them.”
“I absolutely despise those sordid types.”
Unlike Lim Captain, Choi Yu-ra was reluctant about assisting the Boramae Clan.
Her reaction was understandable.
The Boramae Clan had frequently become the subject of scandal due to issues involving the opposite sex.
Senior Clan members constantly bombarded female rookie hunters with confessions of affection.
I recalled them becoming a laughingstock over various incidents, such as male hunters competing over female hunters.
“That’s one thing, but we can’t just let them all die. There are female hunters down there too.”
“That’s true.”
Choi Yu-ra didn’t seem particularly pleased, but once she saw that female hunters were among those trapped, she seemed to make up her mind to help.
“Let’s go.”
The moment we agreed to assist the Boramae Clan, we immediately moved into action.
“This is Lim Mu-sung, Captain of the Defense Strategy Department! Stand down!”
“Get out of the way and stop interfering!”
We stepped forward to allow the Boramae Clan members to retreat, confronting the boss directly.
“How dare you. Do you know where you are?”
An elderly nobleman in a crimson robe revealed his hostility toward us.
His white hair devoid of luster, his skin pale as a corpse, and his eyes and mouth emanated such an unsettling aura—truly grotesque.
[Count]
Boss
★★★★
Master of the Cursed Fortress.
Strengthened by the dungeon’s expansion.
*Smack smack.*
The Count gnawed at human flesh clinging beneath his long fingernails, glaring at us.
“You wretched commoners dare assault my lord’s castle? I shall tear you to shreds, drink your blood, and chew your flesh.”
We ignored everything the Count spouted.
Most of what monsters say is utterly worthless to listen to.
They have ‘no’ awareness of who we are, and they themselves typically ramble incoherently about the situation.
They are simply enemies.
Conversation was pointless with an enemy like this.
Crack!
I gripped [Madness’s Slaughterer] and closed the distance to the Count.
Whoooosh!
Screech!
A chain studded with blade-sharp edges wrapped around the Count.
This is why Choi Yu-ra earned such high praise as a dealer.
Choi Yu-ra was a dealer capable of restraining enemies.
And the fact that she allowed our allies to unleash their firepower without hesitation was an immensely valuable merit.
“Now!”
At Choi Yu-ra’s signal, Lim Captain’s party and I unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Count.
“You… you wretches!”
The more the Count thrashed, the deeper the blades carved into him, and the tighter the chains constricted.
Roooaaarrgh!
A scream of agony erupted from the Count’s mouth.
Boom!
A shockwave emanating from the Count engulfed us.
Ugh!
Lim Captain’s party and I were sent flying over ten meters, crashing into the wall.
Gah!
I wiped the blood trickling from my lips and barely managed to get to my feet.
My internal organs felt thoroughly rattled.
It felt like my liver or pancreas had taken damage—to be reduced to this state by a single shockwave proved that a boss was indeed a boss.
In reality, the Count was no easy prey.
Even 4-star dealers like Choi Yu-ra struggled against this boss.
The Boramae Clan nearly wiped out just now—there was no way he was an easy opponent.
‘My attack power is insufficient.’
Even the 4-star spirit blade [Madness’s Slaughterer] could only inflict superficial wounds against the Count, dealing no significant damage.
“Get up and fight! Hurry!”
True to her 4-star hunter status, Choi Yu-ra hadn’t been pushed back by the shockwave and continued restraining the Count.
‘First, I need to heal.’
Whoosh!
I drew the [Healing] card from the Infinite Deck and used it, then threw cards to Lim Captain’s party.
Shimmer!
As the [Healing] card mended Lim Captain’s party and me.
Slip!
The [Luck] and [Full Moon] cards automatically ejected from my deck and seeped into [Madness’s Slaughterer].
[Luck] Critical hit probability increased by 120%!
[Full Moon] Spirit blade cutting effect increased by 50%!
Huh?
It seems my lacking offensive power has been supplemented?

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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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