The Regression of a Challenger-Level Player - Chapter 26

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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 26. Because It’s Me, I Can Do It (1)
A flood of memories played across my mind like a video.
Wandering through the ruins of a dead city with Iris, searching for survivors.
Finding people, only to realize their bodies were broken or their spirits too shattered to fight—and standing beside her as she grieved.
Strangers rushing at us, and me beating them down without mercy.
The two of us keeping watch through the night, trading shifts until dawn.
[Day Two of the Scenario has begun.]
I opened my eyes back in Iris’s secret outpost.
Subjectively, only hours had passed. But in terms of the Scenario, an entire day was gone.
‘I’ll never get used to this feeling.’
In a game, you can skip a cutscene and move on. But when time flows within a Scenario, everything that happened in between is automatically fed into your memory.
For instance, how yesterday Iris nearly tripped over rubble while walking, and how she burned her tongue gulping down soup too quickly, making her words slur in embarrassment.
“Haaah~ Good morning….”
“Yes. Your speech is clear today?”
“U-ugh! T-that is…….”
She hung her head down low.
-The world really is rosy-colored right now, isn’t it?
-Jealous… jealous… jealous… jealous…
-Seriously jealous of Iris for being able to eat meals face-to-face with Jaeha
-?
Replaying yesterday’s events, one thing became clear: searching for more people to fight alongside us was pointless.
Almost all the late teens—those with the most stamina left—died in the first Manifestation. The rest either died or were wounded in the second.
Those few whose limbs were still intact were thoroughly enjoying this lawless new world.
Which is why they’d turned to banditry.
The precious few who kept their bodies intact and hadn’t turned to crime? They’d been scarred so deeply by the two previous catastrophes that merely speaking of them caused them to collapse, let alone stand and fight.
“Iris.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s stop searching for more people.”
“Ah…….”
She didn’t look particularly surprised.
She’d probably known it deep down.
That searching for more allies was a futile pursuit.
‘The third Manifestation is tomorrow.’
I couldn’t waste even our last remaining day on a cute date before the Apocalypse.
It was the only time I had to devise a way to stand against this Scenario’s ‘boss.’
“Instead, tell me everything you know about that creature.”
A memory surfaced in my mind—something Iris had said.
That she possessed all the information gleaned from the two Manifestations and their defeats.
“I’ll face it alone.”
“But…!”
“So tell me everything you know. Every detail that might raise my chances of winning by even one percent.”
“…….”
Iris’s eyes began to glisten.
But she held back the tears, straightened up from her seat.
“…All right. I’ll tell you. Every piece of information the Royal Family bought with their lives.”
.
.
.
[You spent the entire day learning information about ‘■■’ from Iris.]
[The second day comes to an end.]
[Notification! There is 1 important scene.]
***
Because I’d eliminated all the strangers without leaving loose ends on the first day, nothing special happened on the second.
So it seemed only the information about the giant was fed into my head before moving forward.
‘But I can’t skip an important scene—I have to play through it directly.’
The sun had already set, and the Milky Way hung thick and bright across the night sky.
Iris, sitting right beside me, let out a cry of wonder.
“The night sky over the Royal Capital is always beautiful. Once, it was said to be one of the Kingdom’s greatest treasures.”
“It certainly is beautiful.”
It’s a sky you absolutely could never see in Seoul.
“They say a clear and boundless sky is a gift that God bestows upon a just ruler. But seeing it now, after the world has come to this, it feels like nothing but nonsense!”
She’d grown clever enough to weave humor into her words.
“Perhaps it isn’t complete nonsense. If the Royal Family still lives somewhere, they must be the ruler of this age. And if somewhere they’re struggling to protect the world, then it makes sense that God would continue to grant such a sky.”
Iris fell silent, her mouth closing softly.
Then she smiled, bitter and rueful.
“…That could be true.”
She had a genuine gift for words.
Thanks to her, detailed information about the boss settled clearly into my mind.
‘Asking her was definitely the right call.’
A Scenario I’d never played before.
The boss that would appear was almost certainly someone I’d never fought, an enemy type I’d never encountered.
The difference between having advance intelligence and having none was stark.
‘The appearance matches the records—a giant’s form, but….’
Only the basic shape conformed to that description.
The way a cat and a dog share a similar form doesn’t mean you’d call a Golden Retriever a cat.
The truth was, this ‘giant’s’ appearance….
‘Resembled the creatures from the Outside.’
It bore a striking similarity to the monsters that manifested in dimensions where the influence of the Channel weakened.
Especially when I saw the rough sketch of its form, I couldn’t suppress the chill that ran through me.
‘That giant is definitely connected to the Outside.’
The mysterious quest that appeared to me: Return to Challenger.
And this giant, bearing the likeness of Outside entities.
Everything was undoubtedly connected as one.
“…Jaeha?”
In the midst of my thoughts, Iris tilted her head toward me.
“Are you all right? You’ve been quiet for a while….”
“Ah, my apologies. I was thinking about tomorrow’s battle.”
“It’s only natural you’d feel uneasy facing something like this. I wish I could put your mind at ease, but….”
The irony of hearing this from Iris made me want to laugh.
Here she was, trembling more than anyone.
Even now, her fingertips shook visibly.
‘Of course she’s afraid.’
I understood her heart well enough.
Enduring day after day in a world destined for Apocalypse.
It seemed simpler in theory than it was—and far more terrible in practice.
“I’ll fight alongside you.”
“No. My attacks have such a wide range that you’d be caught in them. I wouldn’t be able to fight properly.”
“Then I’ll find another way to help. I won’t get in the way!”
“I won’t stop you from trying.”
Crack!
The firewood burned with a gentle glow.
The night before the final confrontation.
For me, it was a boss battle in a game. For Iris, it was the final struggle upon which the world’s fate hung.
“Let’s get some rest early. For tomorrow’s sake.”
“…I…”
Just as I was about to dampen the embers and prepare for sleep.
Iris spoke quietly, hugging her own knees.
“I’m grateful that I met you in the end.”
“…….”
“When you came to save me… you felt like hope sent from heaven itself.”
In this Scenario world, Mana users were rare.
Those with superhuman Mana were valued at nearly a thousand soldiers per person.
The reason Iris believed that just the two of them could stand against the ‘giant’ was because I could use Mana—a slender thread of hope to cling to.
‘Here I was, one Mana user who couldn’t even save a single person, and I agreed to stand with her.’
It was no wonder I seemed to Iris like ten thousand soldiers.
“Thank you. For coming to me.”
A smile that shone like starlight.
I found something familiar in that smile—that voice.
‘What do they call this feeling… déjà vu?’
Not quite sure, I let out a small laugh and spoke.
“If you really want to repay me, just give me something grand once everything’s over.”
“Something grand?”
“I just have this feeling that you could pull it off, Iris.”
“What… what does that even mean?!”
“I’m going to sleep first~.”
“Wait! Jaeha! What’s that supposed to mean!”
I flopped onto the bed and closed my eyes.
[The second day comes to a close.]
As expected, the second day had ended.
Now only the final day remained.
[The fourth day of the Scenario dawns.]
The day on which the giant’s final Descent was scheduled.
The day of Apocalypse.
***
I never thought I’d face another day of Apocalypse so soon.
“Ahh—stretch.”
I limbered up with a light stretch.
The Apocalypse was scheduled to arrive at exactly noon.
In about ten minutes, the giant would Descend upon this very place—where the old royal castle once stood, according to the records.
“It’s almost… time.”
Iris stepped beside me, her face anxious.
“You need to leave now. If you don’t start running at full speed from here on, you’ll barely make it to a safe distance.”
“But… letting you fight alone….”
“If you get hurt or die, that’s even worse. So go.”
If you die, even if I take down the boss, the Scenario fails.
At my stern tone, she sagged her shoulders dejectedly.
“Understood… but first, this.”
“This?”
“I told you it would help no matter what, didn’t I?”
Iris brought her hands together before her chest and assumed a prayer stance.
Golden light gradually gathered around her.
Whoosh!
A brilliant radiance seeped into my body.
[Blessing of Goddess
(S)
My eyes went wide as saucers in that instant.
‘An S-Rank Buff skill?’
I hurried to check my Buff window.
[Buffs: Recovery Wind (Lv.5), Strength Enhancement (Lv.5), Defense Enhancement (Lv.5), Surging Vitality (Lv.5), Goddess’s Spear (Lv.5), Goddess’s Luck (Lv.7)]
Absurd buffs stacked at absurd levels.
I stared at Iris in a daze, and she thrust her shoulders back proudly.
“Hehe, I have my own skills too, you know.”
“…Why didn’t you use this before?”
“Well… it takes a very long time to accumulate the Mana needed. At least half a year….”
She laughed awkwardly and looked away.
In other words, she’d bet half a year’s worth of accumulated Mana on me.
The corners of my mouth rose of their own accord.
“If I can’t win with this, I’m an idiot.”
I had no intention of losing anyway, but now it was sealed.
I will win.
“Please… come back alive so we can meet again, Jaeha.”
“Don’t worry. Just watch from far away.”
With reluctant eyes that couldn’t tear themselves from me until the very last moment, Iris stepped out of the space.
-He really should pay more taxes
-Life’s rough…
-Why don’t I ever get a Scenario like this…?
-We’d probably react differently if we went in. I’ve noticed that Scenario NPCs act and speak differently depending on what the players look like ㅋㅋㅋㅋ How do I know? I wish I didn’t.
-Lucky bastard.
“You’re all being dramatic. And you already know full well that you’re all better looking than me.”
-?
-Ha… I forgot my own personality, didn’t I?
-I sincerely hope you get crushed by the boss ^^
“Hehehehe.”
I glanced at the chat and slung the Hammer over my shoulder.
And as the time ran out completely.
Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku!
The world shook, and a black fissure tore open in the sky.
“…!”
It was similar to what I’d seen before the Regression, just before the Apocalypse.
Though the scale was far smaller.
That – that – that – that – !
A black hand emerged from within the fissure.
Hundreds of black tentacles writhed together in a vaguely humanoid shape.
Its torso was studded with dozens of eyes, and it released an indescribable, grotesque wail.
[Calamity Giant]
The boss monster of the Apocalypse Princess Scenario.
-Ugh… disgusting…
-How does something like that even…
-Jaeha, I’m sorry. If we have to fight that thing, I’ll just give up on Iris.
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-A boss from an Unranked story? That’s insane?
The repulsive creature fully emerged from the fissure.
That – that – that – !
With two Manifestations, it had already vaporized the Kingdom.
Now it appeared to erase the world entirely.
“Everyone, pay close attention from here on.”
I popped a piece of Candy into my mouth and chewed.
Crack!
A sharp, invigorating sensation coursed through me.
“Starting the world’s first clear-stream of the Apocalypse Princess Scenario!”
One brush with Apocalypse was enough for me.
That’s my assessment.
Challenger-Rank Player’s Return
Author
: Ki Sa-hon
Production Date
: August 10, 2026
Publisher
: ACESMEDIA Co., Ltd.
Editor
: ACESMEDIA Editorial Team
Address
: 10F, Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work is published by ACESMEDIA Co., Ltd. in accordance with the copyright holder’s contract.
Without permission from the company and the author, the content may not be used in any form or by any means.
This e-book is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized reproduction or duplication may result in legal liability.
UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260730114

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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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