The Regression of a Challenger-Level Player - Chapter 6

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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 6. This is why I couldn’t quit
‘Five kills, six kills.’
I counted the Kill Count in my head as I threw myself forward.
“What the—?!”
“Seven kills.”
The man, caught off-guard by my sudden approach and forgetting to swing his weapon, took a Club to the skull.
He flew backward helplessly, crashed into the exterior wall of a building, and dissolved into particles of light almost immediately.
“Finally getting warmed up.”
As expected, my commotion drew other players rushing toward this spot.
And I’d just finished processing the four of them as they arrived one after another.
Boom-boom-boom!
I tilted my ear and felt the vibration ripple across my skin from all directions, accompanied by thunderous noise.
Looked like they’d run into each other on their way here and started a full melee.
“Not so fast.”
I couldn’t let them cannibalize each other.
Everyone out there was precious sustenance for me, after all.
Whoosh!
I gathered Mana and concentrated it into my thighs and calves.
Then I leaped skyward in one bound, taking in the surrounding situation at a glance.
‘Four Warriors, three Archers, one Mage.’
My mind worked fast, mapping out the terrain.
The optimal route to sweep them all out at once.
“…There.”
My first target: the two Warriors locked in a blade-on-blade clash.
[Activating Gravity Field (D)!]
[Cannonball
technique)]
My body, now heavy with density, accelerated without pause and crashed down over both fighters.
The ground trembled violently, and a small crater formed where I landed.
“Eight kills.”
One Warrior scattered into light without a trace.
“What… what is that?!”
The other one, quick enough to notice my descent and dodge clear, blinked in shock.
“Not bad awareness. Polish that up and you’d make it to Bronze rank.”
“Haaaah!”
He immediately gave a shout and launched an attack.
Repaying a compliment with steel. How thoughtful.
I felt a moment of sorrow for Korea’s growing sense of bleakness.
Whoosh!
I backsteppedswiftly, dodging the blade.
Then, right on cue, a red aura wrapped around his sword.
[Sword Strike
(D)]
It was the most common D-rank Warrior skill, but that didn’t make it weak.
A swordsman’s fundamental technique—coating the blade in Mana and slashing through enemies with speed and precision.
“Hyaaah!”
My opponent gritted his teeth and drew the red-glowing blade across.
The tactic was obvious: feint once to drop my guard, then activate the skill to strike at an opening.
“Tch.”
It might work against someone at the same level, but not me.
Clang!
I wasn’t foolish enough to meet the skill head-on.
I bounded backward sharply, creating solid distance between us.
Boom!
Using that momentum, I lunged forward in one breath and swung my Club.
He panicked and tried to block with his sword.
“No luck there.”
Equipment tier gap or not, his weapon was a blade—mine was a blunt instrument.
With sufficient acceleration, mass, and the raw physical Stat boost from Strong Bone Constitution, my firepower was assured.
Crack-crackle-snap!
He could smash anything to pieces.
“Ughghk!”
The man bounced backward as if struck by a massive dump truck, tumbling through the air before his face crashed into the ground.
“9 kills.”
He grinned and rushed toward his next target.
***
[The match has ended.]
The match terminated instantly.
‘Survival’ is a mode where the match doesn’t end until only one player remains.
In other words, the fact that I’m seeing this message here means—
[Kill Count: 32]
—every other player is dead.
I’d swept through the surrounding players indiscriminately and slightly exceeded the quest objective.
[An unbelievable performance!]
[You have demonstrated gameplay that far exceeds the average level!]
[Your performance will be reflected in the reward system.]
[Vitality +1]
[Agility +1]
[+3,000C]
“Two stat increases in a row! And two of them again!”
I let out a silent cheer.
The Channel was clearly rating my current performance highly.
Or maybe it was trying to feed me stats quickly and push me into matches at my proper level.
‘Either way, it’s good news for me.’
I’d also received 3,000 Credit.
It looked like they calculated about 1,000 per 10 kills.
“Well… it’s tasty enough, sure.”
But the main course hadn’t arrived yet.
[You have completed the Quest: Outlaw Hunt!]
[
“Remarkable skill indeed! Here is the promised compensation. If Hellaim ever finds itself in danger again, do reach out. Next time, I’ll reward you far more handsomely! You have my word.”
]
[<Title: Peacemaker> has been acquired.]
[+10,000C]
[Stat Point +3]
The flashing messages made my lips curve into a smile.
Ten thousand Credit went without saying, and I’d gained three stat points to boot.
That was equivalent to three level-ups by straight calculation.
‘And this.’
[Title: Peacemaker (D)]
▶A title bestowed upon the mercenary who protected the capital Hellaim with supreme skill.
▶Vitality +1, Agility +1, Luck +2
A title.
An alias granted for completing quests or achieving special feats.
It wasn’t merely a name—it was a type of ‘Player System’ that provided additional stat bonuses or effects when equipped.
“They aren’t easy to get, so it’s good to claim every one you can.”
I was glad I hadn’t forgotten about the hidden quest lurking in this place.
Satisfied, I exited the Channel and checked my status window again.
And I’d only played two Ranked Matches.
▶Name: Shin Jae-ha
▶Level: 6
▶Rank: Under
▶Constitution: Strong Bone (B)
-Receive a modifier to physical stats.
▶Class: None
▶Title: Peacemaker (D)
▶Position: Warrior
▶Strength: 8
▶Vitality: 7(+1)
▶Agility: 6(+1)
▶Mana: 7
▶Luck: 5(+2)
[Stat Point: 4]
▶Owned Skills
-[Gravity Field](D)
▶Owned Credit: 16,700
The growth was already noticeable.
The leap forward from those two matches alone surpassed everything I’d gained during my entire time as a Sky Epic trainee.
“…Heh!”
A laugh burst out before I could stop it.
The joy of growing stronger — I hadn’t felt it in so long.
Mana flickering beneath my sternum, a body still fragile and unfinished, Stats nowhere near what they’d been before the Regression.
Every bit of it felt intoxicating.
“Right. That’s why I could never quit being a player.”
Most people would’ve hung it up the moment their Mana Circuit shattered and looked for something else to do.
But I’d clawed and scraped my way back, never once putting down my hammer.
The reason was simple.
‘Because it was fun.’
Growing stronger, pushing forward, fighting — it all thrilled me.
Only when I logged into the Channel did I truly feel alive.
And from now on, it would only get better.
Because now I had more stages to prove myself on.
Just thinking about it made my chest soar, and I couldn’t contain it anymore.
“Let’s go to the next match, fast!”
I was about to rush into my third Ranked Match when —
Beep-beep-beep-beep! Ring!
The door lock activated and someone pushed their way in.
“Hmm, hmm, hmm~.”
A loosened Necktie and a coat draped over one shoulder.
Just over one hundred eighty centimeters tall.
“Hm-hm… Whoa! You scared me!”
Su Hyeok humming as he came through the door spotted me and flinched in surprise.
“What? Why are you here now? Shouldn’t you be at practice?”
He blinked away his shock, regarding me with confusion.
Unlike the future version of him, he hadn’t gained weight yet — instead of a belly, he had proper muscle definition, and his jawline was sharp and defined.
And… and….
“Your hair is so thick!”
Dark, dense hair that hadn’t started falling out yet!
Seeing him in his prime like this — actually, truly seeing it — tears of emotion spilled over.
“Ugh! Let me touch your hair! This isn’t a wig, is it?!”
“What are you suddenly rambling about… Ow, ow, ow! Let go! Let go, Shin Jae-ha! Aaaagh!”
Only after I’d verified that every single strand was properly rooted at the follicle did I finally release my grip on his head.
***
“Are you going through something hard lately?!”
Su Hyeok cried out in indignation as he tried to smooth down his disheveled hair.
“No… I’m just really happy. You’re not bald.”
“Where’d this baldness talk come from all of a sudden?”
“They say male pattern baldness is trending in your thirties these days. You should take preventive measures.”
“Look, hair loss is about the last thing I’d ever have to worry about.”
…….
That wasn’t going to be true.
Of course, his hair loss was stress-induced.
With Earth’s continued defeats in the Dimension Cup and all the promising players transferring to other dimensions, there was little hope left.
Even if he wasn’t a player himself, as a current coach in the league, he’d have every reason to be furious.
“Why’d you leave work so early?”
“Half day. I’ve been pushing too hard lately, so I thought I’d take it easy.”
“I see.”
Now that I thought about it, the league had only just ended.
This was the downtime period, a chance to rest and prepare for the next season.
‘Perfect timing, actually.’
It gets awkward joining mid-season, but right now there’s plenty of time.
The window is wide open.
“By the way, why are you suddenly here at this hour?”
While I was mapping out the plan in my head, Su Hyeok pulled a canned cola from the fridge and popped it open, asking the question.
“Ha ha ha, did you really end your contract with Sky Epic just like that?”
“Yeah.”
“Right, there’s no way that—huh?”
“I did. Contract ended.”
“…Seriously?”
I turned my head without a word and looked at the box.
The box containing the personal items I’d used at Sky Epic.
“Uh… well….”
Su Hyeok seemed surprised that what he’d meant as a joke was actually true, and the words got stuck in his throat.
“Want to pull out more of your hair…?”
He apparently took my recent outburst as a sign of madness brought on by the contract termination.
I exhaled and shook my head.
“It’s fine. If anything, I left of my own choice anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s right—you made the right call. That place was a total garbage heap.”
Su Hyeok patted my shoulder.
“What good is having a big team if they manage their players like garbage? They couldn’t even recognize your true potential, and all they did was run you through pointless, basic drills day after day!”
……
“No way around it. I’m buying you chicken and beer tonight. We’ll eat, drink, and forget all about it!”
I could see he was trying his best to cheer me up.
Without meaning to, a laugh slipped out of me.
‘Right, this is who he is.’
This hyung who had no connections or friends in Seoul, yet treated me like a true younger brother.
Before the Regression, I can’t tell you how much it bothered me to see Su Hyeok cry.
Back then, I had no way to stop those tears.
‘But not anymore.’
At least to repay what he’s given me.
No—I now had the chance to give even more.
“Su Hyeok.”
“Half fried, half seasoned, right?”
“Would you ever consider being my manager?”
“At the place you always… what?”
Su Hyeok’s face, which had been working the delivery app, filled with question marks.
“Manager? What do you mean all of a sudden….”
“Of course, not right now. I’m still nothing but Unranked garbage at the moment.”
I held up my right hand and spread my index and middle fingers.
“Two years. Exactly two years from now, I’ll ask you again. Give me your answer then. By that time, the weight of my offer will be completely different.”
By my calculations, two years would be enough.
Until I become one of the best players in the KPL.
“…What the hell did this guy eat?”
Su Hyeok tilted his head in bewilderment and finished ordering the chicken.
.
.
.
Meanwhile.
[Real-time Ranked Match—met this crazy bastard.]
[What the hell is this guy?]
[Why is a Warrior flying through the sky?!]
In one corner of the player community, whispers about someone began to quietly spread.
The Regression of a Challenger-Tier Player
Author
: Ki Sa-hon
Production Date
: August 10, 2026
Publisher
: (주)A.C.G Media
Editor
Aces Media Editorial Team
Address
: Urban Bench Building 10F, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work is published by Aces Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with the contract with the copyright holder,
and the content may not be used in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher and author.
This e-book is protected by copyright law, and unauthorized reproduction or copying 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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