The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 187

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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 187
187
“Huff, huff.”
Demoros’s declaration of defeat.
After that, it was Demoros whose arms were severed, yet it was Jin-woo who collapsed instead.
Utterly exhausted.
Since it was a game, I wasn’t physically drained.
Of course, my avatar being fatigued played a part, but the mental exhaustion was far greater.
Why was he so absurdly strong?
I nearly lost.
No—I was on the very brink of defeat.
‘That was too close.’
I meant it sincerely.
On the verge of defeat, I’d improvised by mimicking and learning all of Demoros’s techniques on the fly.
Only then could I barely avoid losing.
And Demoros showed me no mercy.
I could only defeat him through pure skill.
And at the critical moment, I unleashed a lethal technique using spatial rifts combined with fusion combat.
That’s what resulted in severing both his arms.
Actually, it was more surprising that using that skill only severed both arms rather than achieving complete victory, but thinking about it—I’d single-handedly severed both arms of the Abyss Knight. That was extraordinary.
Jin-woo caught his breath with these thoughts.
‘If I fought him again from the start, I wouldn’t be pushed back like this.’
The early snowball effect would be much better.
Then I could win with far more composure, not by such a narrow margin as now.
In other words, what does that mean?
I believed I could defeat Marquis Kawen with considerable ease.
Of course, since Marquis Kawen was called the Empire’s greatest swordsman, I did consider he might be stronger than Demoros, who’d only just become an Abyss Knight.
Jin-woo shook his head.
‘No way that’s possible.’
On par with that monster?
The war was one where defeat was inevitable without the Abyss Knight.
That didn’t seem to be the case.
If he really were comparable—
I’d already defeated the Abyss Knight.
What would I have to fear?
There was only one thing that gave me pause.
“Marquis Kawen is a genuine Sword Master.”
A figure of entirely different caliber from Demoros, who’d transcended upon becoming an Abyss Knight.
Demoros, too, had risen considerably in technical prowess upon becoming an Abyss Knight.
But ultimately, it was a hastily acquired elevation.
There were still many insights I hadn’t fully grasped.
Marquis Kawen, on the other hand, was already a Sword Master who had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
There was bound to be a difference compared to Demoros.
But I wasn’t overly concerned.
‘It doesn’t matter if he’s stronger than me.’
Because I wasn’t alone.
As I turned my head while thinking that way—
The two arms that had been severed by a lethal technique combining Space Severance and Dimensional Confinement were growing back vigorously.
I’d honestly been worried it would take quite a while to recover, or whether I’d need to infuse new energy into it myself.
Was it just growing back on its own?
No, that couldn’t be right.
A body severed by Space Severance doesn’t regenerate.
That’s the law of the skill.
In other words, what this meant was—
‘He’s creating new arms.’
The Abyss Knight was accomplishing the impossible so naturally.
How could I possibly worry when fighting alongside such a being?
Rather, I feared there might be no tension at all.
In any case, with this, I had confirmed all my cards.
I’d confirmed how strong the Abyss Knight and Demoros were, and I’d confirmed my own full strength.
Having confirmed my two best cards—
Now it was time to examine the next one.
That’s right. In other words—
‘I need to check out the other rankers.’
There were many rankers who had joined my faction now.
And many on the opposing side as well.
But what really mattered wasn’t the newly participating ones.
They weren’t a major problem.
Ultimately, this battle depended on how well the main force performed.
Though Count Zapin was sending considerable reinforcements, we were still at a disadvantage.
In other words, I needed to strengthen the rankers among those who had participated from the beginning.
The Imperial Palace Knights in the main force were the biggest problem.
I needed to make it so we could at least handle them.
Though they’d be somewhat weakened since it was a game event, it wouldn’t be easy.
If I helped them with control and things like that, they’d improve significantly.
Especially since there were those with potential, weren’t there?
‘First, I should definitely help Kong Yuna and Barmon, who were the Three Deities before regression.’
They were the ones with high potential to increase our combat power immediately.
And there was one more person I couldn’t overlook.
‘Lin is no pushover either.’
At first, I thought their potential was far inferior to Yuna’s, Barmon’s, and Kaiser’s, but that was no longer the case.
That was true by regression standards, but looking at their current possibilities, both Yuna and Barmon had already reached a level where I could surpass them with control alone.
If I invested more in them?
Wouldn’t they eventually surpass even Kaiser’s level?
That was my expectation.
In any case, were these all the people I needed to mentor?
No, they weren’t.
Barmon’s party and Yuna’s party would be fine if Barmon and Yuna respectively guided them.
But there were exactly two people who couldn’t progress that way.
Two people who would grow further with my direct guidance.
They were none other than Ren and Kan.
Kan with a Demon Lord-class job and Ren with a Hero-class job.
If I cultivated those two, they would become considerable assets.
Hadn’t they already been verified as not being spies?
They had genuinely joined this Guild.
Well, if that’s the case.
I should take them seriously.
And provide them with proper training.
Hadn’t my training of Jin-woo already shown results?
Gia had demonstrated her abilities well.
Whether I was teaching well or Gia simply had excellent potential remained uncertain.
But either way, wouldn’t Gia perform admirably?
Having just entered the early stages of romance, I found myself thinking favorably of everything.
Anyway.
“Shall we begin?”
Thus, the final preparations for war were commencing.
* * *
Ren and Kan were twins.
But unlike being twins, their dispositions were completely opposite.
Couldn’t you tell just from the fact that Ren became a Hero-class job holder and Kan became a Demon Lord-class job holder?
Perhaps it was because they were fraternal twins?
That was certainly possible.
Was it because their natures were so different?
The two hadn’t been particularly close since childhood.
Though others often envied them for being twins.
Kan might not have cared, but Ren felt indignation whenever she heard such remarks.
Who would be happy about being twins with such a cowardly wretch?
She was angry, but she didn’t show it.
Kan was lighthearted and glib in all things, while Ren was serious and always striving in all things.
The two had completely opposite dispositions.
Unlike Kan, who achieved excellent grades while playing around carelessly, Ren earned her outstanding results through relentless effort.
While Ren’s grades were slightly better overall,
there was always a sense that she couldn’t compete with Kan’s effortless approach.
So Ren could never view Kan favorably.
How could she appreciate someone who accomplished things so lightly, as if mocking her own constant dedication?
Regardless, Ren always gave her best from wherever she stood.
Setting aside her resentment toward Kan, she couldn’t let such things determine her future.
Above all, she had parents who would always worry and grieve whenever they saw the two of them at odds.
Yet she never acted particularly close to him either.
They simply didn’t fight.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she treated him much like a stranger.
At least, that’s how Ren felt.
When she was accepted to university and set out on her own path,
she was overjoyed at the prospect of never having to see Kan again.
Was it because Kan, true to form, was so carefree?
He was accepted to a university one tier below hers, and finally the moment came when Ren and Kan would be separated.
As adults attending university, the occasions to meet Kan became even rarer.
Then one day, a thought occurred to her.
Despite their incompatible temperaments, weren’t they siblings?
Wasn’t she being too cold and cruel in keeping her distance?
Such thoughts crossed her mind.
Though Kan was cunning and slick, he’d never committed crimes or caused their parents grief.
She often wondered if she was being too harsh.
These realizations only came to her after they’d separated.
Then one day,
Kan said something to her.
He asked if she’d like to play a game together.
Just as Ren had never reached out to Kan, he hadn’t contacted her either.
It was better than forcing contact and fighting.
But now, out of the blue, he was asking to play a game together.
Despite them not being close.
So why did she accept?
Ren accepted his offer, and afterward, they continued to spend time together.
Their temperaments still didn’t match.
You could see it plainly enough—Ren as the Hero, and Kan as the Demon King.
They clashed and bickered constantly.
But somehow, it wasn’t so bad.
Both of them grew somewhat lax in their university studies as they devoted themselves to the game.
Both Ren and Kan.
As they both came to be recognized as formidable players and climbed the rankings,
That was how I met Kaiser.
I’d joined the Kaiser Legion with the intention of defeating Jin-woo and boldly claiming the top Guild position for myself.
How had things come to this?
That Guild had crumbled before a single user who was like a monster.
Kaiser, who bore the very title of the number one Guild.
Ren still hadn’t forgotten the image of that user flying about, radiating dark aura.
Why was I thinking of such things?
It was practically like a lantern show passing before my eyes.
“H-hiek!”
When a sword brimming with dark energy flew before my eyes and stopped right in front of me.
The wind pressure swept through and ground everything behind Ren into dust.
It was truly the destructive power of a sword storm.
Watching that, Ren hiccupped.
Gulp.
And that terrifying user was standing before me.
Moreover, while observing my control.
“That was quite decent just now, but it seems your attacks lack power because you’re not focusing enough on your lower body. It would be better to move your feet with more care. Looking at how you fell just now from lack of strength, I’ll go check on the others, so please practice how to properly support yourself with a stable lower body.”
“Y-yes.”
To Jin-woo’s rapid-fire feedback, Ren could only nod endlessly in response.
Her bearing was rigid with discipline.
Seeing her like that, Kan, who was in equally terrible condition as Ren, approached with a chuckle.
“Where did our elite go~ I can’t tell.”
“…Be quiet.”
“Haha, fine, fine.”
At Ren’s words, Kan raised both hands and shrugged his shoulders with a grin, as if he was helpless.
That sly smile remained unchanged.
Ren shook her head in exasperation and stood up again.
Just as Jin-woo had said, her lower body wasn’t providing proper support, making it difficult to endure.
If she could just fix that, things would improve considerably.
She needed to put in the effort.
Kan watched Ren stand up and shook his head with a laugh.
Was she planning to slack off?
That’s why I don’t like her.
Ren held such thoughts, but didn’t voice them.
She didn’t want to fight unnecessarily.
But then.
Kan’s words reached her ears.
“Still, I’m envious~ that you have more talent than me.”
“…What?”
What did he mean by that?
It had never been me who possessed talent—it had always been Kan.
Unlike me, who’d given my all to achieve results, Kan had always approached everything with a carefree, lighthearted attitude.
But now he was talking about talent?
Was he mocking me again?
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
Kan spoke lightly, with a hint of complaint in his voice.
“I always did my best too, you know~ But since I had no talent, all I ever heard was to make the most of the Demon Sword’s power. I’ve always envied you for having talent. Always.”
“Wait, always?”
“Yeah. Keep working hard~ I need to do some research myself.”
Watching Kan leave, Ren found herself lost in thought without realizing it.
Perhaps it had been she who was mocking him all along?
The realization struck her suddenly.

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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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