The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 53

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

#Episode 53
The moment the monsters swarmed forward in a tidal wave.
– Use my power.
An unfamiliar voice echoed in my mind.
It was cool and hushed, carrying an otherworldly weight.
‘Red Moon?’
The [Red Moon] card slipped from my deck and materialized before my eyes, hovering ethereally.
– You won’t be able to harness even half of it in your current state, but that should suffice.
The arrogant tone grated on me, but this was hardly the moment to quibble over such things.
I seized the card.
Shhhhh!
Whooooom!
As the card resonated with my ether, crimson crescent-shaped blades materialized around me in a dizzying spiral.
Blades slightly longer than an average dagger.
At first glance, they seemed designed not for grasping and swinging, but for hurling.
‘What am I supposed to do with these?’
There were over twenty blades.
Surrounded by countless enemies as I was, grabbing and throwing them one by one would be as futile as striking a boulder with an egg—
‘Ah.’
Suddenly, understanding crystallized within me, and I nodded.
How to use a card?
Without instruction, without study, the knowledge bloomed naturally.
‘…No need to throw them.’
Craaash!
“Kwaboom―!”
The instant the realization took hold, I swung my axe and brought it crashing down upon the Mudflats Lord’s back.
“Kyaaaaaaagh!”
“Keheeeek!”
The monsters closed in, their forms nearly upon me.
I paid them no mind.
Crack, crash!
“Kwaboom―!”
Regardless of their attacks, I swung my axe with singular focus.
And my choice proved correct.
Whiiiiiish!
The crimson crescents erupted around me in a maelstrom of devastation.
Shhhhwaaaack!
“Guaaaagh!”
The zombie that had lunged at me first was torn asunder, reduced to scattered fragments.
That was merely the beginning.
Whoooosh—!
Crescent-shaped blades traced crimson arcs around me.
Like the blades of a blender moving at speeds invisible to the eye, I literally “ground” everything that approached into oblivion.
‘Faster!’
At my command, the blades spun even more rapidly.
Tracking them with my eyes had become meaningless.
Whoooosh—!
“Shrieeeeek—!”
Monsters swarming from all directions were shredded and scattered into fragments.
The pulverized flesh accumulated around me like ground meat.
Then, at some point.
“…Hm?”
Noticing the sudden silence, I glanced around.
“Grrr, grrrowl!”
“Kyaaaah….”
Nearly thousands of monsters surrounded the Mudflats Lord and me, frozen in place.
‘So even you creatures know fear?’
The answer was terror.
Even beings driven solely by slaughter and destruction instinctively felt fear watching their companions fall.
“Clack-clack-clack-clack—!”
The Mudflats Lord clicked its gills, calling to them.
Flinch!
Yet the monsters couldn’t move easily.
Command and fear.
They were clearly torn between the two.
Vroom-vroom-vroom—!
Dozens of military ATVs came rushing from the distance.
“Hold on! We’re almost there!”
“I swear I’m going to kill you!”
“Brother! Be careful!”
The shouts of my comrades on the ATVs reached my ears.
Whiiiine—!
Boom—!
Our drones detonated in the densely packed monster formations.
‘Perfect.’
A smile spread across my face naturally.
The situation was favorable.
At this rate, we had more than enough to eliminate the Mudflats Lord and end this.
Crack!
I gripped the axe and brought it down with all my strength.
Crack!
At last, the Mudflats Lord’s carapace split completely, exposing pale flesh beneath.
“Screeeeeeeech!”
The colossal body thrashed violently.
* * *
Chaos erupted across the battlefield.
“Kill it!”
“Screeeech!”
“Damn it!”
“Growwwl!”
Across the mudflats, hunters and monsters clashed in a blood-soaked melee.
Boom, crash!
“Screeeech!”
Above, flying monsters and suicide bombers collided relentlessly, detonating in explosions.
Thud!
Crack!
Amidst the chaos, I remained atop the Mudflats Lord’s back, swinging my axe with unwavering focus.
Thunk!
The blade struck something hard and unyielding.
‘Almost there.’
If I sever the spine, even the Mudflats Lord won’t be able to thrash anymore.
‘Just a bit further.’
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Helicopters approached in the distance.
‘Who the hell would be insane enough to— ah.’
With flying monsters still rampaging, I wondered what lunatics would deploy helicopters. But these weren’t ordinary fools.
The logo emblazoned on the helicopter was unmistakable.
‘Abyss Clan.’
Those bastards who hadn’t shown their faces until now—what wind brought them here?
What possessed them to drag their heavy asses out here?
‘Money to burn.’
Watching the helicopter’s exterior shimmer strangely, I let out a scoff.
The entire aircraft appeared to be coated in a special paint made from refined Etherium.
Thanks to that, the flying monsters didn’t approach the Abyss Clan’s helicopter.
Even when they tried, they’d retreat as if terrified—the paint must have been designed to instill fear in monsters.
Such paint costs over a billion won per liter; coating an entire helicopter would require hundreds of billions of won.
‘Late to the party, trying to grab a spoon now? Sorry, but it’s already over. Should’ve shown up from the start.’
I smiled coldly and concentrated Ether into my axe.
– I’ll lend you my strength.
Red Moon’s voice resonated, and the crimson crescents orbiting nearby flowed into the axe.
The axe blade gleamed like the Red Moon.
Shhwaaaack!
I swung the axe.
Whoooooooooosh!
A crescent-shaped crimson aether erupted from the axe, severing the Mudflats Lord’s spine and cleaving its massive body in half.
Screeeeeech!
Scarlet blood gushed forth, transforming the mudflats into a sea of crimson.
“What… what was that?”
I was startled by the overwhelming power.
To bisect such a colossal body—nearly four meters thick—in a single strike.
– It’s Red Moon Slash.
The spirit of the Red Moon card spoke.
“Red Moon Slash…?”
– You’ll understand in time. It’s a secret technique beyond your current level.
I didn’t need to ask what it meant; I already understood.
Shudder, shudder!
My legs began trembling like aspen leaves.
Rattle, rattle, rattle!
Every muscle in my body screamed.
“Ugh.”
A sudden wave of dizziness crashed over me, blurring my vision.
‘Yes, there’s always a price to pay.’
I accepted the aftereffects of Red Moon Slash humbly.
At my current level, bisecting the Mudflats Lord in a single strike would have been impossible otherwise.
“Croak, croak, croak…”
The Mudflats Lord let out a feeble cry before falling silent.
Whoooosh!
Soon, the aether that composed the Mudflats Lord seeped into me.
[Aether absorbed!]
A substantial amount of aether flooded in.
[Rank increased!]
My rank rose from 3-star to 4-star.
In truth, defeating the Mudflats Lord alone shouldn’t have caused a rank increase.
Ranks don’t rise so easily.
The aether I’d accumulated throughout this journey must have finally triggered the breakthrough.
The aether absorbed from the Mudflats Lord merely served as the catalyst.
“Phew.”
Thanks to the blessing of aether from the rank increase, I managed to gather my strength and stand.
Before me, an item floated gently into view.
There were typically three things to expect from a boss monster.
Runes, Etherium, and items.
Runes are stones imbued with abilities—skills, in other words.
Etherium is a gemstone used for enhancing stats or fortifying items.
And finally, items are tools that grant specific effects.
“Huh?”
I gasped in genuine surprise upon examining the item.
[Bone Sovereign’s Decree]
Equipment (Mask)
★★★★★
Disruption, Intimidation, Terror
A pristine white skull mask… even I had never encountered such an item before.
Whoosh!
[Acquisition] triggered automatically, collecting the [Bone Sovereign’s Decree] in the blink of an eye.
[You have obtained the Bone Sovereign’s Decree!]
The moment the item collection concluded.
“Kehehehehek!”
“Kyaaaaaaak!”
The monsters began collapsing one by one.
The King of the Mudflats.
With the Mudflats Lord dead, the monsters too began to dissipate.
* * *
“Cha Eun-sung!”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Brother!”
Kim Sang-eung, Choi Yu-ra, and Ra Si-hyun rushed toward me, shouting.
“Cha Eun-sung!”
“Are you alright?”
The Hunters from the Defense Strategy Department’s Special Task Force also gathered around, checking my condition.
“I’m fine. Thank you all for your hard work.”
As I turned to acknowledge my comrades—no, my brothers-in-arms who had rushed to my side the moment the battle ended.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
A helicopter coated with Etherium paint.
Someone descended rapidly down a rope from the Abyss Clan’s helicopter.
“Well, well. I’m a step too late, it seems.”
A man in his early forties with a slick, cunning expression opened his mouth with an awkward smile.
Wi Tae-woong.
The Master of the Abyss Clan.
“I came as fast as I could, but the situation’s already wrapped up. Still, I’m relieved everyone’s safe.”
Ugh.
I nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity.
I can confidently say I know Wi Tae-woong’s personality better than anyone.
Lee Hyun.
Just like Ra Si-hyun, the man who died by my hand had Wi Tae-woong—standing right before me now—as his spiritual mentor.
I glanced upward and saw Lee Hyun dangling his legs from where he sat perched on the helicopter, looking down at me.
My insides twisted.
Watching the younger version of the man I’d killed with my own hands just before returning to the past—the feeling was indescribable.
It was the same when I reunited with Ra Si-hyun.
“So you’re Cha Eun-sung? I’m Wi Tae-woong. Master of the Abyss Clan.”
Wi Tae-woong approached me and spoke.
“Don’t answer.”
“Yeah, don’t answer him.”
Choi Yu-ra and Kim Young-nam offered me their advice.
“Heh.”
Wi Tae-woong laughed dismissively at Choi Yu-ra and Kim Young-nam.
“What, did you two become his representatives or something?”
The atmosphere was about to turn hostile when Instructor Kim Sang-eung interjected at just the right moment.
“I am Kim Sang-eung, an instructor at the Special Armed Forces Training Institute. The individual in question is currently undergoing training at the Special Armed Forces Training Institute, and contact from third parties outside the Defense Strategy Department is strictly prohibited.”
“Third-party contact is prohibited, you say? How amusing.”
“What do you find amusing, sir?”
“Isn’t it laughable? You can’t even properly protect talent like that, yet you speak of contact restrictions.”
“Regardless of how successful a clan leader may be, it’s problematic to speak carelessly.”
“Oh.”
Wi Tae-woong responded with an air of impressed nonchalance.
“So that’s why—a man who used to butcher people for a living has some backbone. I’ve heard rumors of a renowned swordsman from the Navy Special Forces.”
“….”
Instructor Kim Sang-eung’s face hardened visibly.
Wi Tae-woong’s remark touched on classified information—secrets not known to just anyone.
Which meant Wi Tae-woong had access to highly sensitive intelligence.
“You’d better watch that mouth of yours….”
Instructor Kim Sang-eung took a step toward Wi Tae-woong.
“How about you give me your business card.”
I stepped forward and spoke to Wi Tae-woong.
“Hey! Are you insane?!”
“Hey, little brother. You can’t just do that with anyone.”
“Eun-sung!”
I ignored the reactions around me.
I had my own reasons for this.

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