The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 200

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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 200
200
I owe this game a tremendous debt of gratitude.
As I’ve mentioned before, I experienced regression while playing Pantheon, and the success and romance I’ve found in this new life are entirely thanks to the game.
But there’s something separate from that.
To be honest now that I think about it.
I’ve grown tired of Pantheon.
Why?
It’s a mundane story.
There’s simply no thrill left anymore.
There aren’t many opportunities to fully display my skills.
Even when I venture into the highest dungeon I can access, my main character feels no excitement, so I suppose it’s natural to say I’ve grown weary of it.
So when I decided to create an alt character and play with Gia, I wasn’t actually expecting much from Pantheon itself.
What I enjoyed was the fact that I was playing the game as a date with Gia.
I had little expectation for Pantheon.
It was a game I’d already seen to completion.
I thought any other game would be the same.
But it seems that wasn’t the case.
This is more fun than I expected, isn’t it?
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at my own thoughts.
I thought I was tired of it.
Yet it’s fun.
It’s almost ridiculous.
It just shows how much affection I have for this game.
‘So this is how enjoyable it is to give your all.’
At first, I thought defeating novice hunters wouldn’t bring much satisfaction.
But this was more fun than expected.
Unlike my main character, who now feels impossibly distant.
This character is just beginning.
At level 2, I defeated characters who appeared to be nearly level 10.
Through skill alone.
It was impressive.
I gave it my absolute best to defeat them.
Gia did the same.
“I was surprised they were stronger than expected, but we managed to take them down.”
“Tell me about it.”
Gia and I spoke casually while laughing together.
Sban, left alone, watched us with a bewildered expression.
Though Sban had been in the thick of battle, he had witnessed the entire situation.
He’d seen Palsia and Hallak attack first, and he’d seen Jin-woo and Gia block them and turn the tables to claim victory.
Jin-woo scratched his head as he watched Sban, unsure what to do.
Sban was a victim too, after all.
He hadn’t suffered any immediate harm either.
I was thinking of just leaving him and heading to the Dungeon, but…
“…Brother, if we just leave him, he’ll die, won’t he?”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
I answered Gia’s whispered words quietly.
If we left him alone, he’d definitely die.
Just moments ago, I had barely managed to defeat a Cobolt in a one-on-one fight.
My control was above average, but my experience was still lacking.
Sban swallowed hard as he watched the two of them.
Surely they weren’t thinking of attacking him as if he were one of the monsters?
He had that thought for a moment, but he knew very well that couldn’t be the case.
It seemed they already understood he was a victim too.
Otherwise, wouldn’t he have died already?
While Sban was thinking that way.
Jin-woo deliberated for a moment, but the conclusion was clear.
I nodded and spoke to Sban.
“Why don’t you come with us to the boss? It’s difficult to leave the Dungeon midway anyway.”
“Huh? Oh, yes! I’d be happy to!”
It wasn’t easy for just Gia and me to clear the Dungeon alone.
It was better to go with Sban to save time.
And so the three of us formed a Party and began exploring the Dungeon again.
* * *
Party hunting.
It was actually unfamiliar to me.
My first Party hunt was with Tensor.
Back then, I only thought of him as a nuisance.
I was already far ahead at that point.
Now?
Now it’s completely different.
“Block them!”
“Got it!”
I decided to focus on dealing damage, while Sban took on the role of dealer and tank.
With Sban tanking in the front, I quickly eliminated the monsters and supported him, and the Party hunt proceeded smoothly.
Gia swept up monsters from behind alongside me, and the Party hunt flowed with ease.
True cooperation in a Party.
This was more fun than I expected.
Definitely, how should I put it?
It was far more enjoyable than doing it alone.
Coordinating with the party was exhilarating, and issuing commands was equally thrilling.
‘Before my return, I rarely had experiences like this.’
Before my return, I was a solitary wolf, operating only as a mercenary.
I never even imagined joining a regular party or having a fixed team.
After all, I was a streamer.
Rather than belonging to any organization, the viewers preferred watching me move around freely as a mercenary.
As a result, I never had a true party or regular team.
I was always in a position receiving orders, treated as a separate unit.
I couldn’t even imagine camaraderie or a sense of belonging.
I was merely a mercenary, after all.
That’s why issuing commands and experiencing the overall dynamics of a party was truly my first time.
An unfamiliar sensation.
An unfamiliar thrill.
I felt a sense of unity fighting as one, and the concept of comrades suddenly became crystal clear.
Now it truly felt like I was playing a real game.
Defeating the boss was the same.
A creature two or three times larger than a regular Cobolt.
The Cobolt Champion, roughly the size of an orc, charged forward with a roar.
“Grrrraaahhh!”
The creature’s movements were remarkably swift as it charged with a canine-like roar.
Assessing that Sban couldn’t stop that charge, I rushed forward and shouted.
“Sban, switch out!”
“Yes!”
I rushed forward shouting, and seeing the greatsword falling toward me, I raised my blade.
By angling my sword to deflect, I made the creature’s greatsword plunge into the ground instead.
Crash!
Whoooosh!
The impact sound was more like pulverizing than slashing.
Crude, certainly.
The force was as if a massive warhammer had been brought down from the blade.
If I or Sban, without tank-related classes or defensive stats, took that blow directly, we’d die instantly.
Cold sweat broke out as I quickly attacked and retreated.
I slashed at its leg while backing away.
The creature, enraged, tried to pounce on me, and at that moment, Sban stepped forward.
“Hyah!”
With a shout, a critical hit erupted from his sword strike.
Thanks to that, the one who drew the creature’s aggro was none other than Sban!
Confirming the aggro was secured, I urgently shouted.
“Dodge! Aji, attack!”
I called out for Sban to evade while issuing an attack command to Aji.
Both of them faithfully carried out the command.
With distance still between us, I sprinted away while the Cobolt Champion rushed toward me.
And Aji unleashed a barrage of magic at the creature!
Boom! Crash-crash-boom! Crash-crash-crash-boom!
A tremendous bombardment erupted, and black clouds billowed upward.
Seeing this, Jin-woo charged in rapidly, and the black clouds instantly dispersed as the creature burst through.
It was far from unscathed.
Soot marks covered its body in numerous places, and it bore many wounds.
And the creature’s gaze was fixed directly on Aji.
Apparently, without a dedicated tank skill available.
The aggro had immediately shifted.
Because of that, its attention turned to Aji, who had dealt the heaviest damage.
From now on, it would relentlessly pursue only Aji.
But Jin-woo had already rushed in to prevent that.
Thrust! Slash! Scrape!
I drove my blade swiftly toward its belly.
Then I withdrew the sword, kicked the spot I’d just pierced with my foot, retreated backward while swinging my blade to deepen the creature’s wounds.
Three consecutive strikes delivered in an instant.
Yet even so, the creature’s eyes never left Aji.
I pulled back, planted my feet firmly on the ground to halt my momentum, then pushed off again and charged forward.
And as I charged, I shouted.
“Sban, attack!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Sban responded fiercely and launched himself at the creature by pushing off the ground.
The creature’s aggro remained fixed on Aji, and it began charging toward her.
But naturally, Jin-woo and Sban were faster.
Scrape! Slash! Scrape! Thrust! Crash!
Scrape! Scrape!
When I landed five consecutive strikes.
Sban managed only two attacks, but that alone was impressive.
In that moment, the aggro shifted back to me, and the creature’s head turned toward me.
The timing was terrible.
The aggro shifted before I could retreat?
I had to rely entirely on evasion.
Seizing that moment, I shouted.
While the creature focused on me, I called out to Sban.
“Fall back!”
As I urgently called out, Sban heard the order and moved swiftly.
The creature, ignoring the retreating Sban, twisted its body away from charging toward Aji and swung its greatsword at me.
Whoosh!
Because the sword was heavy and powerful, the movements had to be broad, and I lowered my stance to evade.
But with my stance lowered, my balance was compromised.
If the creature attacked in this state, I could be seriously injured.
But then.
“Aji!”
“Yes!”
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
Another barrage of magical explosions erupted.
“Screeeech! Screeeech screeeech screeeech!”
The creature’s cries—sounds that hadn’t been heard until moments ago—pierced the air.
I straightened my stance, gripped my sword again, and swung it as I shouted.
“All-out attack!”
The moment I recognized that the creature had taken a massive blow and entered a groggy state, I called out, and Sban and Aji immediately unleashed their final attacks alongside me.
When I drove my sword into the creature’s heart one last time.
[You have cleared the Dungeon ‘Cobolt Champion’s Cave’!]
[Rewards are being distributed!]
[You have acquired vast experience points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points.]
[Dungeon cleared.]
Everyone had leveled up twice, reaching level 4.
That boss was certainly quite formidable.
Even I had thought it was no easy feat.
Sban, overwhelmed by the cascade of messages, collapsed onto the ground as his legs gave out, and both I and Aji watched him with amused smiles.
Even we had to admit it was a tough battle.
He had every right to react that way.
After all, Aji and I were feeling the fatigue too.
But at the same time, we felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
And I spoke quietly to Gia.
“This feels way more fun than my main character, doesn’t it?”
“I think so too. Maybe it’s because we’re free from competition and all that?”
“Yeah, that could be it.”
Could it be that I could now focus more on the game with a peaceful mind?
Above all else.
“Isn’t it because we have companions?”
“Mm.”
Even as I responded that way.
I agreed with her.
To be honest, Sban wasn’t exactly an outstanding companion.
His control wasn’t poor, but he couldn’t be called top-tier talent, and his sense for the game was merely average.
But why was it?
Hunting together with him was quite enjoyable.
Perhaps it was because Sban was genuinely trying his best?
After all, no one dislikes someone who puts in the effort.
With that thought, I approached Sban.
After regression, my life had changed.
I had already achieved massive success through the game.
So I couldn’t obtain any great excitement or sense of accomplishment.
I had even thought I would never feel such things again.
But my perspective had shifted.
Wasn’t there a saying about putting new wine into new wineskins?
Everything changed after I started dating Gia.
Perhaps now was the time to create a new character?
So I made an impulsive decision.
“Sban, would you like to continue being in a Party with us going forward?”
My first official Party invitation.
Sban, hearing these words with a bewildered expression, was momentarily confused.
Soon understanding what I meant, he nodded vigorously.
“Yes! I’d love to!”
I had created a new character and formed my first official Party.
It was a choice befitting someone like me, reborn through regression.
I was prepared to face the Pantheon anew this time.
Together with Gia.
Because games are meant to be enjoyed, not for profit.
-The Regressor Was Too Good at Games Complete.

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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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