The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 19

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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 19
Episode 19
Argon of Verdant Green.
Quite a formidable boss.
What? I killed it the moment it entered a groggy state—why are you calling it strong?
No manners whatsoever!
Still, you ought to acknowledge its strength!
Though I jested about it that way, objectively speaking, Argon of Verdant Green was indeed a powerful boss.
For an ordinary player, that is.
But given my opponent, it met such a pitiful end.
‘It was a strong boss, certainly.’
The invincibility pattern.
For any other player, it would have taken at least three or more attempts to comprehend this pattern.
Had it not been for that, the five minutes during which the invincibility pattern “Verdant Unbreakable” persisted would have been absolute hell.
To be honest, if I hadn’t discovered it, I probably would have struggled too.
Back then, I thought my eyes would pop right out of my head.
I really had to figure it out the hard way.
Fortunately, I had experience being brutally punished by similar patterns, so I was able to uncover it.
‘The light flashing so brilliantly—it’s meant to draw attention.’
A sense honed through countless hours in Pantheon.
Thanks to that, I was able to grasp it quickly.
There’s a reason experience is so crucial—this is exactly what I mean!
Hehehehe.
In any case, I obtained quite a lot from it.
Multiple titles, stat increases, and above all—the hidden piece “Verdant Unbreakable”!
I could go a month without eating and still feel full.
Well, I’ve already consumed most of what was in Nen Village anyway.
To the point where I wonder if it’s even right to monopolize it all like this.
Who cares! I’m eating it all.
So what now?
Isn’t it obvious?
I need to find food!
Time to move to another region!
Then naturally, I should pay a visit to our friend, shouldn’t I?
‘Krhm, this place is still magnificent even on a return visit.’
The Karan Plains, famous as the scenic wonder of Nen Village.
Originally, this plain had a different name, but it’s called the Karan Plains far more often than that.
There’s only one reason I came here.
To see Orc Karan, of course.
Naturally, I’ve already accepted all the available quests.
Breaking all of these took quite a bit of effort.
It wasn’t difficult, exactly—just tedious, I’d say.
But there’s no helping it.
I can’t venture out without accepting a Quest.
Boom—!
The moment I’m lost in thought, something always has to interrupt me.
A tremendous tremor reverberating through the ground with each footstep.
Only a creature of considerable size could produce such a disturbance.
Sure enough, the massive silhouette visible from quite a distance away was unmistakably enormous.
[Warning! Warning!]
[The boss of the Plains, Regenerating Orc Karan, has set his sights on you.]
[The Plains are Karan’s domain!]
[Regenerating Orc Karan has turned hostile toward you.]
A towering figure of verdant green.
One of those monsters that always appears in fantasy tales.
A creature bearing the visage of an orc came into view.
But it was no ordinary orc.
Its entire body was covered in bumpy, warty skin as though studded with growths.
Moreover, its complexion differed somewhat from that of a typical orc.
The far deeper shade of green skin evoked the image of a troll.
“Graaaaaagh!”
Its roar was louder and more ferocious than any monster I’d encountered.
As it bellowed, the creature tightened its grip on the colossal axe it wielded.
If that brutal weapon were swung, it seemed capable of cleaving anyone in two with a single blow.
And yet.
Regardless of all that.
There I stood, casually picking my nose while observing it.
Not exactly exuding tension, am I?
Well, I suppose I have good reason to be this way.
‘Karan, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.’
I’ve already faced this creature before.
Besides.
I’ve just come from hunting far stronger beasts.
There’s no reason to be intimidated.
Most importantly.
In the future, Karan never managed to defeat Argon of Verdant Green.
But perhaps that’s not the case now?
Its presence seems somewhat diminished as well.
All things considered, it appears weaker than before.
‘Well, I defeated it back then even after losing the Hidden Piece, so this should be comparable.’
The boss of the Beginner Region was still Orc Karan, after all.
Based on the lore, he’d probably be similar to the bosses in other Beginner Regions.
I’d have to account for that when fighting him.
So this time, I’d position myself at a good angle too.
Should I start filming?
Other hunting videos were optional, but boss raids were mandatory.
Jin-woo grinned as he prepared the camera.
‘This is definitely going to blow up.’
Honestly, I was excited too.
What kind of footage would I get?
The shoot was filled with anticipation and excitement.
Of course, I’d already decided on a concept before filming.
PanTube videos are always more fun when you nail the concept—that’s just how it is!
Usually I’m a bit goofy and playful on camera, but this time would be different!
I was going to film myself looking cool!
You know how action montages only collect the truly awesome scenes, right?
I was going to film with a concept like that.
Heh! The composition would look amazing, wouldn’t it?
I couldn’t wait.
“GRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!”
Orc Karan roared thunderously, gripping his axe.
Yes! That’s it, you beast!
The opening scene was intense.
Now, here comes my grand entrance!
Jin-woo recalled the script he’d mentally prepared and approached the creature with an expressionless face.
A swordsman standing on the Plains, facing down a colossal orc.
The orc, meanwhile, gripped his enormous double-bladed axe and watched Jin-woo warily.
It was like a scene straight out of a film.
It looked so cool.
Now, let’s make this fight look absolutely spectacular!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Orc Karan moved first.
Despite his massive frame, his running was remarkably agile.
He pounded the ground with such force.
With each step he took, the earth itself caved inward.
His speed was equally impressive.
Of course, to Jin-woo, it was laughably slow.
Watching the creature charge, Jin-woo activated a buff internally.
‘All-Rounder—Strength.’
[All attack power increases by 200% for the next 10 minutes.]
[Cooldown applied to Allrounder.]
[Available for use again after 60 minutes.]
A crimson aura enveloped my body, beginning to glow with a soft luminescence.
A sensation of overwhelming power surged through me.
Watching Orc Karan close in within striking distance, I activated a skill.
A skill embedded in the Cobolt Warrior’s blade.
A skill that warrior-class jobs found exceptionally useful.
‘Charge.’
The moment I activated the skill, my body rocketed forward with explosive speed.
In the next instant, I collided with Orc Karan as he charged toward me.
Upon impact, a tremendous sound of tearing air erupted across the battlefield.
Boom—crash!
The collision sent us both hurtling backward, repelled by the sheer force.
But that’s when the true effect of Charge triggered.
“Grrk!?”
Orc Karan froze in place after the collision.
That momentary paralysis was the stun effect of Charge.
But the window was brief.
Barely half a second.
In everyday life, that’s nothing—but in combat, it’s an eternity.
‘Rapid Fire, Power Strike.’
I unleashed the combo without hesitation.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets tore through the air at blinding speed.
Every single round was wrapped in the white aura of Power Strike.
And on top of that, they were all enhanced by Allrounder’s strength boost.
Take this, you beast!
This is going to sting!
With the stun active, there’s no way to dodge.
If this lands cleanly, we move to the next phase.
‘Once his health drops below a certain threshold, he’ll enter phase two.’
Phase one is manageable enough.
The real problem comes after.
When Regeneration activates, he’ll attempt to recover all the damage he’s taken.
That’s the critical moment.
If I can prevent him from healing, the fight won’t drag on.
There’s only one way to stop Regeneration.
Tedious as it is, I’ll just have to attack relentlessly.
But I’m confident about this.
I have Consecutive Strike—that’s my trump card!
‘The machine gun fire is about to hit—I need to blink.’
I activated Blink before the machine gun rounds could even reach the creature.
In an instant, I teleported directly above its head.
The scenery shifted so abruptly it should have made me dizzy, but I held it together.
This is where everything hinges on my decisions.
I couldn’t afford to be careless.
Rata-tat-tat-tat-tat-BOOM!
The machine gun erupted in a torrent of fire.
Damn, the sound alone is vicious.
And it’s not just vicious—it’s absolutely brutal.
If I’m being honest, each round looks like a bomb, or maybe even a missile.
But who cares! More power is always better!
From my position falling above the creature’s head, I could see it clearly.
Its entire body was turning crimson red.
I knew exactly what that meant.
‘Phase Two!’
This was my moment.
I had to attack relentlessly and not give it a chance to recover.
Let’s do this!
Take my enhanced consecutive strikes!
One might worry about complications from attacking mid-air, but that’s unnecessary.
I can dodge instantly with my magical barrier.
Everything is proceeding according to plan.
It couldn’t be more perfect than this.
Just as I was about to unleash my attack—
“Kwargh!”
Thud———
“Huh?”
What?
Why did it collapse?
Did it develop a new pattern I don’t know about?
No, wait—this is the past.
Ah! Is the pattern strange because I didn’t defeat Argon of Verdant Green?
This is problematic.
What pattern is it using?
Caught off guard, I fell while frantically trying to figure out my next move.
Then, an unexpected message appeared before my eyes.
Not just one or two—countless messages flooded my vision.
[You have defeated the Plains Boss, Regenerating Orc Karan.]
[You have acquired vast experience points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points.]
[Through the effect of the First Title ‘Hidden Boss Killer’, you have acquired an additional stat point.]
[You have reached Level 20.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Stockpile’.]
[You have fulfilled the completion condition for the Quest ‘Terror of the Plains’.]
[Upon completing the Quest, the next region, the Free City Felsia, will be unlocked.]
What… what?
Is it dead?
No, it died from just one barrage?
I’m bewildered.
The boss dies from a single skill chain?
Really?
Seriously…
“…It’s too weak.”
Oh, we were recording this, weren’t we?
Well, I got a cool shot out of it.
No, why is it already dead?
I thought there’d be a second phase.
It didn’t even regenerate before dying.
It didn’t even live up to its name.
Sigh.
‘Well, I can roughly guess the reason.’
The All-Rounder’s Strength amplifying my attack power, plus the increased boss damage from the First Title ‘Boss Killer’.
Of course, my abnormal stat points played a role too.
The result of combining all of these was exactly this.
Sigh.
I was hoping to capture an amazing video.
But ending this quickly just makes it feel anticlimactic.
Still, since I’ve already recorded it, I should upload it.
At least I’ve set an overwhelming record, so that’s something.
“Tsk.”
It’s disappointing, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Well, I’ve already completed my original goal of unlocking the Free City Felsia.
That was all I needed to achieve.
Before I leave, let me check out the newly acquired skill.
Of course, I could tell what it was just from the name.
『Stockpile』
*Grade: Normal
*Level: 1
→Stores stamina.
→Stores 5% of maximum stamina.
→As skill level increases, the amount of stamina that can be stored increases.
A Normal skill.
At first glance, it looks like a trash skill.
That’s right.
It’s a trash skill.
Just kidding—looking at the effect alone, it’s actually quite useful.
But the ratio is low.
That’s why it’s a disappointing skill.
Of course, that’s only for now!
Naturally, every skill has its purpose!
Normally, this skill can only store 5% of maximum stamina.
As the skill level rises, you can store a bit more, but it’s still just a Normal skill.
Even at max level, it caps out at 10%.
So how do you use a skill like this?
‘This storage and life drain have synergy with each other.’
None other than life drain!
This storage skill has a hidden effect.
When you recover life force through life drain, it prioritizes restoring this storage first.
The interesting part is that when you restore the storage this way, what normally stores only 5% of maximum stamina can expand up to 10%.
In other words, you can fill your stamina up to double the storage effect.
Even so, it’s only about Rare-tier efficiency at best for a Normal skill.
What’s the principle behind it?
I don’t know.
Even before regression, the cause was unknown.
All that was known was that the Vampire King Valen discovered it first.
However, very few people could actually do it.
‘Life drain options aren’t exactly common.’
But Jin-woo has it, that’s the thing.
And through a title, no less.
‘This is too good.’
I’ve collected all the rewards.
Now I just need to return to the village, claim the Quest reward, and I can move on to the next area.
Orc Karan ended rather anticlimactically, but that’s actually better.
I even obtained a decent skill.
So should I hurry back to the village, claim the reward, and move on to the next one?
Just as Jin-woo was about to head back to the village, a message appeared.
Another reward?
But unfortunately, that wasn’t it.
[Play time has ended. Forcing shutdown.]
‘Ah.’
Now that I think about it, I feel like I saw a warning earlier?
Damn.
Still, it was a rewarding first day of gameplay.

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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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