The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 170

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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 170
170
Lee Yeon stared at Jin-woo’s screen with a bewildered expression.
The Divine Blade and Typhoon’s Isis were swords she already knew, so those didn’t matter, but the other blade was one Lee Yeon was seeing for the first time.
It was strange to think that Lee Yeon, who could be called the founder of the Pantheon, wouldn’t know of a sword’s existence.
Yet even as the founder, Lee Yeon couldn’t possibly know everything about the Pantheon.
The artificial intelligence Ether was handling much of that responsibility.
That’s why she couldn’t help but be bewildered upon seeing this unfamiliar blade.
But a silent myth that no one knows of?
What in the world was that supposed to mean?
While it was true that Lee Yeon couldn’t know everything, she still remembered most things that mattered.
After all, there were certain matters she needed to at least understand to respond appropriately.
But this—this had no place in her memory whatsoever.
“What is this?”
The short words that escaped her lips unbidden were filled with her emotions.
Bewilderment.
Meanwhile, Jin-woo immediately headed toward the territory, seemingly intent on testing the blade right away.
It appeared he was looking for raid monsters.
More than Jin-woo, Lee Yeon tilted her head while looking at the sword, trying to recall something from her memory.
The Dragon God Bahamut—she already knew well of him.
The god of dragons, the being who rules over all dragonkind.
That existence had suddenly intervened for Jin-woo, who wasn’t even a dragon.
It was a situation that made no sense whatsoever.
“Bahamut’s involvement is somewhat unexpected, but it seems he used materials from the Ancient Dragon’s components for this reason.”
“And the Irregular, those who reached mythology, and various First-Tier beings must have influenced it as well.”
“Did the God of War influence it too?”
“Likely so. The Dragon God and the God of War have always had good relations according to the lore.”
She had some grasp of it.
But still, this didn’t sit right with her.
The problem was that she couldn’t exactly take it back either.
It wasn’t like some manga scene where a god grants power and then retrieves it.
She had to leave it as is, but looking at the options made her shake her head.
She thought it nearly impossible for Jin-woo, whose level was merely in the 120s, to shake the Empire.
Considering Jin-woo’s stats, it would be better to think of him as at least level 200, not 120.
Even so, he wasn’t yet a world-class powerhouse.
One needed to be level 300 or higher to achieve the caliber of a hero like Gruen or Wirun.
However, at a point where the game had only been live for nearly four months, he possessed the power of level 200.
Above all, considering those weapons he possessed.
He might be even stronger than that.
At this point, could anyone among the NPCs, let alone the players, actually stop Jin-woo?
Lee Yeon shook her head without realizing it.
It seemed impossible unless one possessed the very essence of a hero.
If we’re speaking of the Empire, only those of Imperial Knight Order caliber could hope to stop Jin-woo.
“I don’t know anymore either~.”
“That’s probably the most comfortable way to think about it.”
The game was clearly spiraling into chaos.
* * *
While Lee Yeon grappled with the world’s foundations being shaken.
Jin-woo swiftly made his way toward Garn Territory.
It was the closest territory to the Abandoned Dragon’s Nest, and the nearest location where he knew a raid boss existed.
I had obtained new weapons.
Extraordinarily powerful ones at that.
If I didn’t test these, I’d be a disgrace as a gamer.
Jin-woo gazed at the two swords hanging from his waist and chuckled to himself.
Just looking at them filled me with satisfaction.
Was this what a father felt?
Or perhaps something different?
Either way, it didn’t matter!
What mattered was that just looking at them filled me with joy!
With that thought, Jin-woo broke into a full smile and accelerated his pace.
Bounding off the ground with each stride, his speed surpassed that of even the fastest supercars.
Only Jin-woo could move at such velocity while simultaneously evading every obstacle in his path.
It was a feat that transcended mere stat optimization.
Soon, I ventured deep into Garn Territory.
A rocky mountain came into view.
There it was.
The location of the raid boss I was targeting.
A single monster dwelling within the massive rocky mountain.
A creature with the appearance of an ape, its fur the color of ash.
Its size was not particularly large.
For a raid monster, its frame was remarkably diminutive.
Barely taller than a human, perhaps only slightly so.
Roughly two meters at the start.
Similar in height to an exceptionally tall person.
Yet despite its modest stature, the ashen aura rippling around it made abundantly clear that this creature was far from ordinary.
A savage and ferocious presence radiated outward, causing the surrounding stones to tremble.
From this alone, one could gauge the immense power of its aura.
The creature’s crimson eyes blazed as it fixed its gaze upon Jin-woo.
Jin-woo found himself trembling involuntarily, seized by a thrill of anticipation.
To think I would face a legendary creature like this.
Who could have possibly imagined it?
Yet with an expression surprisingly elevated, Jin-woo cried out.
“Hey! Long time no see, King!”
King.
A raid boss that users before the regression had called the “King”.
Gokun of Volcanic Ash.
A raid monster said to have been modeled after Sun Wukong from Journey to the West.
Among level 100+ raid bosses, it was the one that stood at the apex.
It possessed overwhelmingly greater power than Barkal, whom Jin-woo had faced before.
When first attempting to bring down this creature, an entire massive guild threw itself at it, only to suffer a devastating defeat.
Even when multiple massive guilds united and charged forward afterward, they met the same brutal fate.
Thanks to this, the nickname “King” stuck more than the name Gokun, and for a time, no one dared challenge it.
Then Yuna’s guild, the Han-sung Guild, launched a massive campaign, and it was the only time the creature ever knelt.
The Han-sung Guild suffered grievous losses, but afterward, they grew even stronger.
Some people claimed it was Yuna’s skill alone that won, not the Han-sung Guild’s.
Regardless, it was a fact that the Han-sung Guild achieved the first successful raid.
After that, no one had ever defeated King again.
Unlike Barkal, who possessed the Typhoon’s Core, Gokun of Volcanic Ash was a creature whose inherent power was exceptional, not because of any special item.
There was a reason Jin-woo had come here.
The strongest boss he could currently fight.
Without an opponent of this caliber, there was no way this experiment with these two would succeed properly.
“….”
“Truly the King.”
Even Jin-woo felt a considerable sense of pressure from the overwhelming aura.
Yet Jin-woo merely smiled instead.
Yes, only something of this magnitude would be a worthy opponent.
Such was the appearance he presented.
And the creature displayed the same demeanor.
Even before falling to the Han-sung Guild, it had been more dignified than any other monster.
The title “King” suited it more than any other creature.
Now was no different.
It gazed down at Jin-woo with noble bearing, its sharp crimson eyes fixed upon him as if to say: if you dare challenge, then try.
“Me, issuing a challenge?”
It was absurd.
Yet yes, it could be so.
“If it’s King, then I acknowledge it.”
With those words, Jin-woo drew forth two blades.
The divine sword Isis, radiating a savage aura, unleashed sharp winds around the Sword God, cutting through the air.
And conversely, the dragon god blade Bahamut was utterly tranquil and serene.
Like a deep lake with not a ripple upon its surface.
Gokun of Volcanic Ash’s eyes shifted as he beheld the two blades.
His gaze deepened with newfound intensity as he fixed it upon me, and as if awakening to something, he immediately adjusted his stance.
He had sensed that I alone was no trivial opponent, but when I drew forth Isis and Bahamut, he felt the overwhelming shift in my momentum.
That provocative demeanor inviting challenge had long since vanished.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
As Gokun of Volcanic Ash lowered his posture before me.
A message announcing the battle materialized.
[Raid Boss, Gokun of Volcanic Ash, has set his sights upon you.]
[Warning! Warning!]
[Your opponent far exceeds your level.]
[Escape is impossible.]
[Combat is not recommended!]
As expected, the anticipated messages appeared, and I dismissed them all.
Gokun moved.
Whoosh.
The sound was remarkably subdued.
The air split as he traversed with the grace of an arrow rather than the violent discharge of a cannon—his speed so extraordinary it seemed like instantaneous teleportation.
Closing the distance between us in a heartbeat, Gokun threw his left fist toward me with blinding speed, as if testing my capabilities.
His left fist shot forth, cleaving the air itself.
Not from sheer velocity, but from the absence of wasted motion—it was utterly silent and concealed.
Had I allowed my attention to waver for even an instant, I would have been struck without warning; instead, I calmly raised my blade to meet it.
Since Gokun threw his left fist, it was my right that would intercept.
As I raised my sword, the Dragon God Blade, Bahamut, instantly dyed its entire blade in deep indigo.
A faint shimmer rippled forth.
Gokun, who had been about to drive his fist forward against the Dragon God Blade, Bahamut, felt his entire body bristle with dread and quickly shifted his weight to retreat.
With those massive legs, he crushed the ground beneath him and, defying the inertia of his near-instantaneous charge, threw himself backward.
Crack!
A sound like shattering bone erupted from both his legs, yet he paid it no mind as he rapidly increased the distance between us.
I watched this unfold, my eyes narrowing slightly as a faint smile crossed my lips.
‘Truly impressive.’
Had he not withdrawn and continued his punch, his left fist would have been cleanly severed by my blade.
Such was the nature of Bahamut’s power—an option that ignored all defense.
He had sensed this and retreated accordingly.
His instincts were exceptional.
That is precisely why he is called a King.
But this time, I would not let him escape so easily.
This time, I moved with explosive speed.
Slash!
The air split with that same thin, cutting sound as I surged forward.
Where Gokun’s leap had been like an arrow cleaving the air, I was like a bullet.
Faster than an arrow.
Though not as stealthily as Gokun of Volcanic Ash.
It didn’t matter anyway.
Jin-woo and Gokun of Volcanic Ash.
Neither took their eyes off the other.
A battle where even a momentary lapse in focus could prove fatal for either combatant.
Whoosh!
The moment I closed the distance with Gokun of Volcanic Ash, I swung my blade.
It was Isis, gripped in my left hand.
The sword still hadn’t reached striking distance.
But the effect of Isis—the wind from the blade shot forth.
Black wind took the shape of a blade and flew toward him.
Gokun of Volcanic Ash recognized immediately that this differed from the Dragon God Sword, Bahamut.
It could be blocked.
That black wind blade was formidable, but not on the level of Bahamut.
Above all, it was far too simple to evade.
Yet he didn’t dodge.
He swiftly batted away the incoming black wind blade with his right hand, his eyes—burning red like molten lava from a volcano—narrowing with intensity.
I smiled with a hint of regret, then extended Bahamut, gripped in my right hand, to its full length and swung it as I closed in.
Had he dodged the black wind blade, there would have been no escaping the Dragon God Sword, Bahamut, that followed.
And if he’d blocked it instead?
Losing a limb would have been the least of his concerns.
Perhaps this was what set a King-tier Raid Monster apart.
Even as Gokun of Volcanic Ash retreated, he never lost sight of me, and I gazed at him with a subtle smile.
The tension stretched taut between us.
How long had it been since I felt this?
“This is exhilarating.”

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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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