The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 155

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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 155
155
Originally, we were supposed to meet tomorrow, but there’s no harm in meeting now, is there?
I’m not even conscious about it anymore.
If anything, this works out better.
As I thought this, I looked at Yu Ji-a.
She startled slightly and looked back at me with the same expression.
I tilted my head with an uncertain feeling.
Is that a sign of interest?
No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t seem that way.
‘If that were a sign of interest, I would have been quite popular back in school.’
I chuckled softly and thought to myself.
And I mentally organized my thoughts, telling myself I was being unnecessarily self-conscious.
I didn’t want to remain uncomfortable due to pointless misunderstandings anymore.
Thanks to that, I could treat her comfortably.
But Yu Ji-a?
She looked at me with quite a conscious gaze.
Seeing how composed I appeared, unlike herself.
Even as she thought that naturally, he wouldn’t be self-conscious about such a thing.
Still, something felt odd.
No, get a grip.
An incident broke out when we’re together like this.
I can’t show a pathetic side by losing focus!
Whoosh!
When Yu Ji-a and I headed toward the alley.
The alley we arrived at was already too late—all we could see was the figure of a Female NPC fading away in ashen gray.
An NPC suddenly died.
And it wasn’t even a Quest.
Yu Ji-a looked at me with a puzzled expression, and I frowned with disappointment.
It seemed we’d missed it.
“The culprit has vanished.”
“Yes… Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“Hmm, it’s still just speculation for now.”
I answered Ji-a’s question immediately.
Hearing my words, Ji-a simply nodded with an “as expected” expression.
The fact that an NPC was killed meant it was either a monster or a Red Player.
Right now, neither of those two possibilities appeared in my sight.
Whether it’s a monster or a Red Player, they can’t escape my perception.
Honestly, I thought it was somewhat possible to some degree.
But this… this is really.
‘The Demon King Player.’
A smirk.
Jin-woo smiled faintly and became certain.
He’d been fairly convinced even before seeing this.
This was essentially a foregone conclusion.
An entity that fled the moment it killed an NPC.
It would need wide-range movement skills like teleportation.
Comparing it against posts he’d seen online, the Demon King Player was undeniable.
It killed the NPC and crossed into the Demon Realm.
‘If I cross into the Demon Realm right here, I can reach wherever that bastard is.’
He probably never expected to be caught.
But I caught him anyway, you fool.
Jin-woo laughed inwardly as he looked at Yu Ji-a.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t go.
But with the Yellow Dragon here, there shouldn’t be a problem.
Still, just to be safe.
“Luna, stay here and play with the Yellow Dragon.”
“Chirp! Chirp!”
Luna responded that way.
Yu Ji-a looked at Jin-woo with surprise.
And Jin-woo, seeing her reaction, smiled faintly and spoke.
“Well then, I’ll be back. Unfortunately, only I can go.”
“Ah, yes then. I’ll hunt with Luna or something while you’re gone.”
“Hmm, no—it shouldn’t take that long.”
At Jin-woo’s words, Yu Ji-a smiled.
It seemed like bragging, but it was amusing that it wasn’t.
He wasn’t speaking with confidence—he was simply stating facts.
Yu Ji-a nodded at that.
The moment she nodded.
Jin-woo vanished from that spot in an instant.
She’d wondered if she should investigate together.
Yu Ji-a looked a bit dejected at the regret.
But thinking there was nothing to be done.
She settled nearby, deciding to wait a moment.
Behind her, the Yellow Dragon and Luna played and frolicked in the air, teasing each other as she watched.
* * *
“This is actually working?”
A man recalling his own deeds, smiling with exhilaration.
His purple horns matched his purple skin—unmistakably the appearance of a demon.
This player’s name was Longinus.
I had taken the name Longinus, which means “the spear of divine death,” because it sounded impressive.
Who could have predicted that I would obtain a demonic spear and become a demon in this way?
Longinus smiled faintly as he observed the enormous experience points flooding in from killing just a single Female NPC.
With this, my entire life could change.
I had the strength to come to the City, but I was still slightly behind the prominent rankers currently rising to prominence.
But this is different!
“Kuhahahaha! Now that I possess the demonic spear, this world is mine!”
I had only captured one for the test, but now everything was different.
I had realized I could enter and exit the Demon Realm whenever I wished.
I would slaughter the City without restraint.
There was a restriction that I couldn’t access the Demon Realm during combat.
But that was something I could work around.
If I consumed one entire City in this manner?
I could gain tremendous experience points and level up rapidly.
If that happened, none of those other fools would dare even look at me.
Not a single one!
But contrary to my excitement,
Longinus spoke with considerable composure.
“Kuhehe, let’s conduct more experiments and proceed step by step.”
There might be capabilities I hadn’t yet discovered.
I had obtained the infinite power of the demonic spear and could even advance to the Demon King class.
Yet I was still in danger from high-level rankers.
If I had already achieved invincibility, it would be different, but for now, I needed to grow cautiously and carefully.
Longinus smiled wickedly as he entertained these thoughts.
If I proceeded with caution, no one could ever capture me.
Besides, who would care if a few users or NPCs died?
By the time this became a major incident and they began to pay attention?
“I would have already become someone no one could ever catch!”
It was arrogant and foolish-sounding, yet remarkably logical.
The plan had solid structure, and its feasibility was more than sufficient.
Without a precise perspective to grasp the situation accurately, it would have been impossible.
Of course, having such capability was how I obtained the demonic spear in the first place.
Certainly, it was an excellent plan.
If executed as planned, I could grow to rival Kaiser, Yuna of the Han-sung Guild, and Barmon—currently the most advanced.
Perhaps even surpass them.
Of course, only if the plan proceeded as intended.
“Oh, a demon, how delightful~”
A voice dripping with playfulness.
Longinus felt a chill run down his spine at that moment.
This place was the Demon Realm.
A Demon Realm where no player could enter except me.
I had even obtained the first Demon Spear and earned the First Owner title as its master.
Who on earth was speaking to me here?
Unease crept over me as I turned my head.
There sat a man crouched down, staring at me.
A man swaying slightly, gripping a spear just like mine.
A face I had never seen before.
But I couldn’t let my guard down.
The mere fact that he existed here meant I couldn’t afford to be careless.
“…Who are you?”
“Hmm. The situation isn’t easy to grasp, is it?”
The man—no, Jin-woo—smiled at the situation as he looked at Longinus.
He was indeed cautious.
As I thought this, I recalled that future version of him.
The first Demon King player.
And Longinus, whom I had heard was the strongest among the Demon Kings.
He was also called Longinus of the Demon Spear.
His notoriety was considerable.
A being who had obtained a Demon King-class job so formidable that he had slaughtered three heroes single-handedly.
It seemed
that cautious nature of his hadn’t changed.
‘Normally, he’d attack immediately if his identity was exposed.’
Yet here he was, trying to assess the situation and analyze my combat strength.
But what could I do about it?
“Well, you can figure it out from the situation, but I came to kill you, so we just fight.”
“….”
I had expected it, but for him to be so blunt about it.
Longinus immediately summoned his Demon Spear upon hearing those words.
The ominous purple aura enveloped it, spreading in all directions.
Watching it, Jin-woo smiled faintly.
Was it only about the level of Gram at best?
No, did “at best” even fit?
Still, it should be Epic-grade.
An Epic-grade Demon Spear.
This was quite desirable.
“Hmm, according to the lore, when masters of magical artifacts fight each other, the victor inherits that weapon?”
“…What?”
“But then I wonder why the Demon King players didn’t fight each other like madmen? Anyway, I’m curious, so let’s fight.”
At Jin-woo’s words, Longinus narrowed his eyes.
I had suspected it from the start—him being in the Demon Realm.
The author was also the master of a magical artifact.
And I’m hearing this setting for the first time as well.
He felt it too.
That setting was probably true.
Jin-woo seemed certain of it.
Longinus quickly grasped the situation and fixed his gaze on Jin-woo.
He would have preferred to talk things out, but with a setting like that, everything changed.
Even if Longinus wanted dialogue, his opponent wouldn’t oblige.
He had to bring him down by any means necessary.
And he’d obtain a new weapon in the process.
With that thought, Longinus kicked off the ground with explosive force and launched himself upward.
Whoosh!
Considerable speed.
Fast enough to justify the rumors that he ranked among the highest tier of Demon King-class professions.
As Longinus closed the distance and rushed at Jin-woo, he swiftly thrust his spear forward in a probing strike to test his opponent’s abilities.
The first move was both a feint and a measure of the opponent’s skill.
Watching that move, Jin-woo shook his head with a somewhat bored expression.
Then, observing the spearpoint approaching him, he gripped his own spear and executed a slow, deliberate rotation.
Very slowly.
Whoosh.
Jin-woo’s ordinary spear, which seemed to cleave through empty air, coiled around the incoming spear like a serpent and flicked it away.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
He barely maintained his grip on the spear as the tremendous recoil drove him backward.
Just a casual swing of the spear produced this much power?
A player like this existed?
Then why wasn’t he known?
And in that moment, Longinus’s eyes widened as he stared at Jin-woo.
As if he had just realized something.
“Wait… could it be?”
“Hm?”
“Hwang Kyung-ma-jeol?”
“Oh?”
Jin-woo was surprised that he’d actually guessed it, though in hindsight it was rather obvious.
To capture this Demon King-class player now, at minimum a ranker-tier player would need to come.
But if there was someone toying with even Longinus like this?
There was only one person who came to mind.
None other than Jin-woo, also known as Hwang Kyung-ma-jeol.
It took longer than expected to reach this realization.
Honestly, I was impressed by how quickly his mind worked.
“Ah, so that’s why you said he was absurdly strong! Being a Demon Realm Player allowed such growth! Everything makes sense now! Even before the patch, he’d appear suddenly in other cities, and the fact that it was possible at all was suspicious!”
I omitted the part about how I’d just figured this out.
The moment I encountered Jin-woo, I realized there was no chance of victory.
So there was only one option I could think of.
Blackmail.
Right now, there was no other way to survive.
If I exposed his identity, public sentiment wouldn’t be favorable.
Wouldn’t Jin-woo have to spare me to prevent that somehow?
With that desperate hope, the moment I opened my mouth to attempt blackmail.
“If you expose my identity——”
“Go ahead.”
Whoosh!
“Gasp!”
In an instant, a spear blade pierced through me.
He stabbed without any hesitation?
Was that possible?
Longinus stared at the spear that had pierced his abdomen, his expression filled with disbelief.
A sacred spear where blue and gold light intertwined.
It was truly a spear that deserved the title of divine spear.
Brewnack.
As Jin-woo thrust Ru’s spear, he smiled.
“Why didn’t you think that if a Demon Realm Player exists, a Hero would too?”
“Cough… ugh…”
Longinus died in a single blow.
Jin-woo smiled at the sight.
He’s been spreading rumors that he’s a Demon Realm Player?
Then showing this Brewnack alone would end the story.
A divine spear that a Demon Realm Player could never wield.
The controversy would die down immediately.
His blackmail was meaningless.
So I obtained the Demon Spear like this?
Jin-woo thought with anticipation.
As expected.
A message appeared.
Though it was somewhat different from what I’d anticipated.
[You have obtained a new Demon Spear.]
[You have no proficiency with the Demon Spear.]
[The Demon Spear rages against one who is not its master.]
[The energy of the Demon Spear and the Demon Sword clash and run rampant.]
‘Ah.’
Is that why the Demon Lords never fought each other?
If the weapons were the same, it might be manageable, but this is dangerous.
But it was too late to realize it.
What should I do?
I wouldn’t die, that much was certain.
But the situation would become quite troublesome.
Was there any way to handle this?
The moment Jin-woo pondered this.
A new message appeared.
[The power of the God of War suppresses all things.]
[The Demon Spear has been subdued.]
[You have obtained the Demon Spear.]
“Ah.”
A god was truly a god, after all.

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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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