The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 16

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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 16
Episode 16
‘This is really strange, isn’t it?’
I’ve wandered through the forest quite a bit, but I still don’t see any.
Even without this Quest, there were usually plenty of deer carcasses around.
How is it that I can’t find any now?
Something was definitely off about how this was unfolding.
There’s no way things would be this scarce otherwise.
Could it be?
Maybe I came too early, and things are slightly different from how they were later.
After all, the person who first discovered this Quest did so roughly a month after the game’s launch.
‘Originally, the Quest was supposed to be about collecting the deer carcasses that he had eaten.’
The deer in the vicinity had been hunted down to near extinction.
The first person to complete this Quest eventually found a deer carcass lying cold and dead.
If you brought back a deer carcass that something had partially consumed, Hans would sense something amiss and grant a follow-up Quest.
But the fact that I can’t see any such carcasses at all feels odd.
Even if there are many wolves, in Pantheon, deer have a higher level than wolves.
I’m not sure what kind of ecosystem this is.
Well, it’s a game after all.
Anyway, the fact that I can’t see any deer carcasses at all smells suspicious.
‘The timing feels off—this has the stench of a hidden piece all over it.’
It really did.
The story differs between the early and late stages?
This is an opportunity.
Absolutely.
Jin-woo realized it instinctively.
A fairly plausible deduction.
Besides, how long have I been playing Pantheon?
Less than a day since the regression, but it’s obvious! Obvious!
Pantheon is famous for exactly this sort of thing after all.
Quests that transform and change their content if you don’t resolve them early on.
It seems they designed it that way to add a sense of realism.
Which means.
‘Orc Karan hasn’t entered this forest?’
That’s impossible.
Orc Karan’s excellent regenerative ability naturally requires a lot of energy—that’s the setting.
The problem is that he replenishes that energy by eating.
Though Orc Karan is the boss of the Plains, he’s often found in the forest too since there’s more to eat here than in the Plains.
He hasn’t come to the forest?
That doesn’t make sense.
Then there must be another reason?
‘If I think about it logically…’
Even if they entered, they left for some reason.
This seems right.
Ah.
Then that means there’s a reason they can’t come out.
If I think about it a bit more, the answer becomes clear.
No deer corpse, no traces.
Something is protecting the Forest.
That’s my conclusion!
Jin-woo chuckled to himself at that thought.
‘Wait? Then?’
The Hidden Piece that Orc Karan was holding.
It couldn’t have just appeared out of nowhere, right?
Could it be that the entity possessing it is the one protecting the Forest?
Oh!
That’s quite likely.
If that’s actually true?
‘If I defeat the boss protecting the Forest, I’ll obtain a complete Hidden Piece?’
The conclusion is set.
I need to return to the Forest again.
But first, I’ll hunt a deer.
The reason I hadn’t found a deer until now?
Of course it was because I was looking for a deer corpse.
If I were looking for a whole deer, I would have found one long ago.
I need to bring the scraps Orc Karan ate to trigger the linked Quest.
For now, there’s no helping it.
To get that guy to stop.
“Huff… huff…”
Seeing Tensor struggling as if he might collapse, I decided to catch a deer and head back soon.
And right then.
Crack.
“Huh, huh! Isn’t that a deer over there?”
At Tensor’s words, Jin-woo chuckled and immediately moved into action.
Catching just a deer was nothing.
Then shall we quickly resolve the Quest and go hunt our Forest guardian?
This is too good.
A guardian boss, perfect!
* * *
Naturally, catching the deer we found was nothing at all.
Normally, I’d have to keep hunting until deer meat dropped.
But with the Butchering skill, that’s not necessary.
Wow! The Butchering skill is incredibly useful!
I was able to finish so quickly thanks entirely to Jin-woo.
The two of us returned to the Village and spotted Hans welcoming us.
“Oh! You two made it back! Kehehehe! Deer meat, no less! I made the right call trusting you two with this!”
Hans greeted us enthusiastically and seemed delighted.
This much? Hardly worth mentioning.
It had been far too easy.
Normally, a follow-up Quest should have appeared here.
Of course, nothing of the sort happened.
“Hehe! Hans, aren’t we all neighbors? We help each other out, that’s what matters.”
“Aha, haha… You’re absolutely right, Jin-woo.”
Unlike Jin-woo, who spoke cheerfully, Tensor—utterly exhausted—answered with an awkward smile.
Regardless, Hans chuckled and spoke.
“Still, I’m truly grateful! The Village Chief has been wanting deer meat anyway, and we needed it urgently! Thank you, really!”
[Quest completed.]
[Reward acquired.]
[You obtain 20 Gold and experience points.]
Up to this point, everything was routine.
But then something unexpected occurred.
[Level Up!]
[Additional stat points acquired.]
Huh? Already?
Well, I did gain quite a bit of experience after clearing the dungeon.
Still, a level-up this quickly was surprising.
I’m fortunate.
And on top of that—
[You have reached Level 15.]
[You acquire the skill ‘Rapid Fire’.]
‘Rapid Fire?’
Wasn’t that a Rare skill?
My memory’s a bit hazy on that.
Even as Jin-woo, I didn’t know every skill that existed.
I checked immediately to confirm.
『Rapid Fire』
*Grade: Rare
*Level: 1
→Instantly fires 10 mana projectiles forward.
→MP Cost: 100
→ Cooldown: 20 seconds
A straightforward skill.
Rare grade, so just respectable performance.
Wait a moment.
Hold on?
Now that I think about it, Rapid Fire shoots ten mana bullets incredibly fast, doesn’t it?
I remember it being a skill that mages used quite frequently.
A skill that fires ten shots rapidly.
It was so fast that it seemed like all ten shots were fired simultaneously, right?
And if even one shot hits, you essentially take all ten hits.
But I have Consecutive Strike, right?
‘If I use Rapid Fire, I start with 10 stacks immediately?’
The synergy is too good!
I’m really pleased with this.
Moreover.
‘Rapid Fire could be combined with other skills, right?’
It can even chain with Power Strike.
This… this?
My overall power suddenly feels like it’s skyrocketing?
As Jin-woo was delighting in this realization, Hans spoke up.
Hans watched Jin-woo with satisfaction and said.
“Haha, thanks for bringing the deer this time. But I can’t rest easy because, as I mentioned before, the Village Chief loves venison so much. So if you happen to figure out what’s causing the deer population to decrease, could you let me know?”
Hans tells Jin-woo something he could have told Tensor as well.
This is naturally because of level!
So he didn’t tell Tensor, who wasn’t at the right level yet.
Once you find even a trace leading to the next Quest, a chain Quest triggers.
The rewards are substantial.
I like it.
“Of course, Hans! You can count on me!”
“Kahahaha! Jin-woo, I’ll trust only you! Tensor, I’m sorry, but for now it seems best to ask only Jin-woo. So don’t feel too disappointed.”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
Tensor also believed this was happening because Jin-woo had a higher level.
After all, it’s a game.
Besides, I already know well enough.
That person is the real deal.
Incredibly strong.
To a degree that makes me incomparable.
The gap was so overwhelming that jealousy didn’t even arise.
“Well then, I’ll be going. The party was fun.”
With those words, Jin-woo departs.
Tensor clenched his fists as he watched Jin-woo’s retreating figure.
Conversing with the villagers while completing Quests had been enjoyable, certainly.
Since it was fun, I kept doing it.
But ultimately, a game is only truly enjoyable when you’re strong.
I realized that this time.
And…
‘I’ll become as strong as that person!’
Tensor made this quiet vow to himself.
Passing by Tensor and Hans, Jin-woo headed back toward the Forest, when suddenly he exclaimed, “Ah!”
At first, hearing only the name Tensor, I hadn’t made the connection.
Now it came back to me.
Tensor, the errand boy.
He wasn’t famous enough for the name to spring to mind immediately.
‘Still, he’s someone who climbed to the lower ranks.’
I might see him again someday.
Anyway, let’s go now.
A complete Hidden Piece.
My mouth watered.
I was so excited that I found myself humming!
I’m leaving~. All alone~.
Casting everything aside~.
Lulu, how thrilling!
* * *
Before facing the Forest Guardian, I naturally needed to test the skills I’d just acquired.
Rushing in blindly carried too much risk.
With Orc Karan, I knew every pattern, so that didn’t matter.
But this one was different.
If I didn’t know the patterns, at least I needed to establish my skill combinations beforehand.
With that thought, I ventured deep into the Forest.
There I found a Golem covered in moss.
If there was anything nearby to test my skills on, it had to be this one.
‘The others die before my rapid-fire attacks even land.’
I’d grown far too strong.
Most monsters fell before I could even execute a full combo.
Ah, it was so tedious!
But this one was different.
The Moss Golem.
The elite monster with the highest defense in the entire Forest!
With this one, I could truly test myself.
My full power.
With peculiar thoughts swirling in my mind, I approached the moss golem.
The creature naturally reacted to my presence.
Uuuuung.
A whirring sound echoed out, as if some mechanical apparatus were grinding to life.
Well, it’s a monster powered by mana, after all.
Calling it a machine wouldn’t be far off.
Anyway, that’s not what matters right now.
My first preparation was naturally Rapid Fire.
We were still at a distance, merely observing each other warily.
At that moment, the Rapid Fire casting finished.
And simultaneously, I activated my skill!
Of course, it was Power Strike.
‘Rapid Fire, Power Strike.’
All the mana bullets that should have erupted as blue projectiles were now wrapped in white light.
Each and every one had been imbued with Power Strike.
That’s precisely how Power Strike works.
You might call it a loophole in the skill’s design.
Power Strike increases the damage of a single attack by 150%.
However, the concept of “a single attack” is rather ambiguous.
A skill itself is considered one attack.
So for skills like Rapid Fire that fire multiple rounds, Power Strike applies to every single bullet.
It increases the damage of one “attack” by 150%, after all.
“Grrrrck.”
The creature emitted mechanical sounds as it raised both arms, crossing them to block the white projectiles.
Oh, so it intends to defend sturdily?
If you can’t dodge, that’s the right call.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ten consecutive detonations!
This is the first time I’ve seen its full power unleashed like this.
With Power Strike applied, each individual bullet now packed the force of an entire magic skill.
Incredibly potent.
But this isn’t the end of it.
As all ten bullets struck their mark, a green wind-like aura wrapped around my body.
An effect signaling that stacking had occurred.
A full ten stacks, no less.
In other words, all my attack power and attack speed had increased by 5% each.
But the creature remained considerably wary of me.
Look at it—it’s even deploying a defensive barrier to shield itself.
It’s already abandoned any thought of attacking.
Breaking through that would be quite the challenge, wouldn’t it?
But do I really need to break through it?
Grin.
Jin-woo, wearing a mischievous expression, quietly chanted the skill name.
To activate it.
“Teleport.”
And naturally, the destination was Jin-woo himself.
Jin-woo moved directly inside the barrier.
“Grrrrgh!”
The golem shrieked in shock, and Jin-woo laughed as he spoke to it.
“I don’t like it when the stacks break. How many stacks will you give me?”
Whoooosh-crack-crack!
“Grrgh-grrgh-grrgh!”
Its sword swung in a blur.
And as the stacks accumulated, I pushed my speed even higher!
Faster! Faster! Faster!
The golem, unable to withstand the increasingly violent storm of attacks, crumbled to dust.
Watching it, I muttered to myself.
‘So it goes up to at least 30 stacks.’
I was right to test it out.
Most importantly, testing Teleport was huge.
‘If it’s mine, I can teleport it without even touching it. That’s significant.’
The Teleport performance is solid too.
Even if my level is lacking, I can definitely take down the boss.
What? So should I take it on?
I was planning to do that anyway.
‘Hidden piece—perfect timing.’

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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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