The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 12

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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 12
Episode 12
The creature stands roughly five meters tall.
I hope no one makes the mistake of thinking something that massive would be slow.
If that were the case, Pantheon would be nothing more than an ordinary game.
Just watch what happens now.
The distance from the Boss Room entrance to the creature is approximately fifty meters.
I react instantly and charge forward, but the creature’s response time is equally impressive.
See how it reacts and moves just as quickly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Tree roots surge across the ground in a devastating rush.
Root tendrils tear through the floor as they rapidly advance toward me.
From the way they split, there are three strands.
As expected, more tree roots erupt from the ground.
I twist my body to evade the first strike.
For the next one hurtling toward me, I draw my sword and attack.
The first strike, naturally…
‘Power Strike.’
My blade wraps in white light as Power Strike activates, striking the root directly.
The damage is greater than expected—the root is cleanly severed.
But that doesn’t stop it; the root simply grows back immediately.
Facing the danger of being struck, I sweep it away with my leg.
Then the effect of Consecutive Strike activates.
So kicks count as attacks here too! Excellent!
I kick the root away and leap into the air once more.
But there’s still one root remaining.
It lunges to pierce through me, but no chance! Not happening!
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
I cut through the growing roots four times in succession.
The Consecutive Strike stacks accumulate beautifully.
Already at six stacks.
Feeling the three percent increase to my attack power and speed, I continue swinging my blade.
Shwishwishwishwishwishwishwish!
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve struck.
The roots are being reduced to powder.
Every attack counts as a Consecutive Strike, building the stack higher.
Heh, this is it.
Consecutive Strike is truly remarkable.
There may be differences depending on the user, but it’s an exceptionally useful skill.
From what I can tell, the stacks have accumulated to around thirteen or fourteen layers.
This should be enough.
I set up a magical barrier in mid-air and launched myself upward with tremendous force.
I kicked off hard!
Crash!
The magical barrier shattered with a single powerful kick.
With that momentum, I flew toward Giant Trute.
“Grraaahhhhh!”
It roared in fury, but its roots hadn’t fully regenerated yet.
I’d already calculated for this.
The creature could only control three roots at once.
And once those roots were destroyed, it took roughly 10 seconds for them to regenerate.
Since I’d just pulverized them, about 7 seconds remained now.
And,
“I’m right in front of it now.”
“Grraaahhhhh!”
My Consecutive Strike stack remained intact as I closed the distance.
Which meant?
Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!
‘I still have time to keep stacking!’
Dozens of blade strikes unleashed in rapid succession.
Each individual hit dealt modest damage.
The attack prioritized speed over power.
But that was only at the beginning.
“Grraaahhhhh-kwaaahhh!”
The consecutive strikes continued.
As the stack accumulated, each blow became a force that couldn’t be ignored.
By the time all my time elapsed and its roots regenerated, I’d already created distance.
This is how you fight!
And my skill cooldowns had refreshed as well.
This is kiting.
The creature glowed as if enraged, but the pattern remained similar afterward.
Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!
Whenever it attempted a ranged attack with its roots, I dodged while attacking, building my Consecutive Strike stack.
Then I destroyed all the roots and rushed back in for relentless attacks!
Consecutive strikes for the sake of consecutive strikes!
Ah, this is exhilarating!
The creature was nearly reduced to tatters.
But I couldn’t afford to be careless.
“Kwaaahhhhh!”
Its entire body flushed crimson, burning with indignation.
Predictable.
Phase two.
Of course, I already know everything about it.
A phase triggered when health drops low.
All the branches ignite in flames….
‘The roots increase to five.’
The roots burst into flame and their numbers increase too?
Other users might struggle.
They’d be in considerable trouble.
Well, what can you expect.
It deals not just impact damage but also inflicts burn status.
Damage over time applies as well, in other words.
But that’s only relevant to novice users.
To me, it’s nothing but a meaningless death throes.
So what’s the solution?
Predictable.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Charge in?
No, the opposite.
“Gwuarrgh?”
Giant Trute stares at me with obvious confusion.
Look at that vacant expression.
It’s actually hilarious.
Rather than charging forward, Jin-woo simply stands at a distance, watching calmly, and Giant Trute’s face shows nothing but bewilderment.
It’s exactly like this.
You think I can go all out against you! So I unleash a life-draining skill, only for my opponent to create distance and assume a defensive stance!
Anyone would call such an opponent cowardly and vicious, but if that opponent is me?
Well, winning is all that matters~!
“Kwuarrrrgh!”
Genuinely enraged, it thrashes its roots about wildly.
But the distance is too great—the roots can’t reach me easily.
Even if they try, I just dodge~.
Giant Trute grows so frustrated and anguished that tears stream down its face.
I suppose it does look somewhat pitiful like that.
But that’s not my concern.
I maintain my distance, dodging smoothly with each lunge—whoosh, whoosh—waiting patiently where the roots cannot reach.
Giant Trute is a boss monster fixed in place due to its massive size and power.
Therefore, there was no way for it to reach Jin-woo, who remained safely behind.
None whatsoever.
Unfortunately for it….
“Grraaagh… ugh.”
It sounded like some kind of curse, but I didn’t care.
Either way, I’m the one who won~.
Jin-woo grinned with exactly that thought in mind.
Then a message appeared.
No need for a finishing blow!
[You have cleared the Hidden Dungeon ‘Deep Mine of Green Forest’!]
[Rewards are being granted!]
[As the first discoverer, experience and drop rates are tripled.]
[You have obtained a massive amount of experience.]
[Level Up!]
[You have obtained additional stat points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have obtained additional stat points.]
[You have cleared the dungeon.]
[Through the First Title ‘Dungeon Hunter’ effect, you obtain 1 additional stat point.]
[You have cleared the dungeon solo.]
[The effect of the First Title ‘Solitary Wolf’ is applied.]
These were all messages I’d anticipated.
Though I didn’t expect to level up twice.
Three levels total, including the one I gained in the dungeon?
Anyway, that’s not what matters.
It’s the message that came after.
[Rewards are significantly increased through multiple title effects.]
[The grade of the item ‘Teleportation Skill Book (Unique)’ to be awarded as a reward is upgraded.]
‘What does that mean?’
Wait a second?
Not Unique?
Upgraded?
Then… does that mean?
[Congratulations! You have obtained the item ‘Teleportation Skill Book (Epic)’ as a reward.]
[You have obtained an Epic item for the first time.]
[You have obtained the First Title ‘The First Epic’.]
『Teleportation Skill Book』
*Grade: Epic
→A skill book that allows you to learn teleportation skills.
→No usage restrictions
『The First Epic』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to obtain an Epic-grade skill or item
→All stats +10%
→Epic probability +5% from random item skill books
[You have obtained a First Title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you gain an additional stat point.]
“Huh?”
What is this?
Until now, I’d only felt joy whenever I received good rewards.
But this expression is different.
Is it… genuine fear?
Well, it can’t be helped, can it?
Epic! An Epic!
I’d always thought Unique was the highest tier since Epics were practically impossible to obtain.
And now an Epic suddenly appears?
How is that even possible!?
‘No, wait—yes, it must be.’
Look at how quickly he changes his tune when it’s his own gain.
In any case, his ability to shift gears is unmatched.
But seriously, this is incredible.
An Epic, no less.
This First Title for the first Epic is no ordinary reward.
All stats increased by 10% plus Epic probability boost?
I’m losing my mind.
Truly.
This is almost too good to be true.
‘Alright, let me calm down. So what do my stats look like now?’
In moments like this, checking my stats is the best course of action.
I leveled up once from dungeon hunting and twice from clearing.
[Jin-woo]
*Level: 14
*Titles: 『Title Hunter』 and 23 others
*Strength—42 (30+12)
*Stamina—42 (30+12)
*Agility—42 (30+12)
*Magic Power—42 (30+12)
*Additional stat points—29
Wow, these are the stats of a top-ranked hunter, aren’t they?
They’re genuinely impressive.
No, this isn’t a joke—it’s absolutely insane.
Is this what happens when you get roughly a +40% boost to all stats?
And it’s a percentage increase, no less.
‘The higher my level and stats climb, the better the efficiency becomes.’
Honestly, the efficiency right now isn’t great.
My stats are too low.
But as I progress further, they’ll only get better.
It’s truly incredible.
And on top of that.
An Epic skill book.
Sell it?
Not a chance.
No, this is an item I’d still be using ten years from now, not selling.
With this, I’d already be a rising star worthy of recognition in the Pantheon, which has long since stagnated.
‘This is absolutely insane.’
Why wait any longer?
There’s no reason to wait, and I can’t afford to hesitate.
I’m opening it right now!
[Will you use the item ‘Transfer Skill Book (Epic)’?]
“Yes!”
The moment I answered, a brilliant violet light spread in all directions.
The radiant violet light spreading around Jin-woo transformed into countless magical circles.
Countless violet magic circles inscribed with geometric patterns.
Jin-woo stood at their center.
As the magic circles activated, they began spinning violently around me.
When those violet magic circles moved, the world resonated as if trembling.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
And as all the light was drawn into Jin-woo.
A message appeared.
[Congratulations! You have acquired the Epic-grade skill ‘Transfer’.]
Did I really just obtain an Epic-grade skill in my lifetime?
I never imagined it.
Even if I had imagined it, I never thought it would be this soon.
To think I’d acquire this already.
‘All the title effects stacked together, combined with the first-time reward—that’s how this happened.’
It was a reward befitting the Pantheon, where greater hardship yields greater gains.
Without hesitation, I opened my skill window.
A radiant skill greeted me.
『Transfer』
*Grade: Epic
*Level: 1
→You can transfer anything you’ve touched to any location you desire.
→Consumes 1000 MP
→No cooldown
‘This is absolutely insane.’
I can teleport anything I touch, and there’s no cooldown?
This skill is definitely broken.
Why, you ask?
The only weakness of the Teleportation Mage Waygen was the cooldown in the first place.
And now that doesn’t exist?
Of course it’s broken.
‘This is basically just Waygen’s skill without the cooldown.’
Well, of course Waygen didn’t become famous just for teleportation alone.
Wasn’t it because he finished various skill combinations with teleportation?
Right now I can’t showcase those combos because I don’t have other skills?
Even looking at the skill description?
You really think that?
If that were true, it’d be ridiculous.
Come on, look more carefully.
There’s one clear difference between this teleportation and Waygen’s teleportation.
Namely.
‘Waygen’s teleportation could only move things he acknowledged as his own.’
Of course, even that alone is broken.
If a skill flying at you suddenly moves behind you?
You’d be bewildered, no question.
Moreover, since teleportation even worked through barriers, it was called broken.
But the fatal weakness was the cooldown.
And now that’s gone.
Am I really this lucky?
‘Seriously, am I going to get hit by a car or something?’
I’m suddenly getting scared.
I absolutely shouldn’t go outside today.
I might actually die in some freak accident.
Well, I’ll think about that when the time comes.
Right now I need to focus on something else!
‘With this, I can definitely just hunt field bosses.’
So should I go catch one of them?
Wait.
Now that I think about it, what was the minimum level for a beginner zone boss?
Am I setting a new record?

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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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