The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 26

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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 26
Episode 26
It didn’t take Parson long to reach the Suspicious Cave.
After all, the hunched posture of an elderly man was merely a disguise.
The cane was no different.
It had been less than two hours since Jin-woo ventured into the cave.
Faster than Parson had anticipated.
Had I moved too hastily?
“Hmm, I arrived sooner than expected.”
I pondered briefly, but it hardly mattered.
In fact, it was preferable.
Even if they were experimental specimens, losing significant combat strength was hardly pleasant for me.
Preserving my full power was ideal.
It would prove useful when dealing with the higher-ups.
Once I capture that specimen, I can complete it.
The body of my dreams!
“Kekeke! Shall I go?”
Delighted at the prospect of finally realizing my dream, I entered the cave’s depths.
Sure enough, there were signs of fierce combat from the very entrance.
Traces of brutal battle scattered throughout.
Handled cleanly, though.
Still, that specimen showed promise.
It must have progressed partway through.
Perhaps it was currently facing the cave’s boss—the Six-armed Chimera Warrior.
‘The Chimera Warrior is one I invested considerable effort into.’
Come to think of it, that specimen alone would suffice.
The Warrior was formidable enough.
An existence on an entirely different level from the other six-armed chimeras.
After all, its brain came from a retired mercenary.
Its combat capabilities are exceptional.
That’s precisely why I made it the cave’s boss.
‘Still, compared to my masterpiece, it falls short.’
The Six-armed Chimera Warrior was indeed a fine specimen among my creations, but this one is different.
The Twin-head Chimera.
This one is genuine.
My greatest masterpiece!
The specimen with supreme performance.
That one cannot be defeated.
Of course not.
‘I implanted both a mage’s brain and a warrior’s brain into it.’
A creature wielding both magic and blade simultaneously—truly a terrifying specimen.
Though it possessed only four arms rather than six like the other chimeras.
Its combat prowess transcended imagination entirely.
By the numbers alone, it possessed the fighting strength to face three Six-armed Chimera Warriors simultaneously.
So there was no cause for concern.
No!
It wouldn’t even reach that creature.
There simply wasn’t enough time for that.
‘The Chimera Warrior must be giving it a hard time.’
I could afford to take my time.
With that thought, Parson advanced deeper into the Cave.
Yet with each step forward, Parson’s expression began to shift.
“What… what is this?”
At first, the battle traces had been clean and orderly.
Jin-woo certainly appeared quite formidable, but he hadn’t exuded an overwhelming presence.
But what in the world was this?
Parson trembled as he witnessed the carnage sprawled before him.
An absolute massacre.
Chimeras torn to shreds as though savaged by a wild beast.
Could this truly be the aftermath of combat wrought by a human?
I couldn’t believe it.
“That… that being with such a noble aura would display such brutality?”
Those aristocrats always carried themselves with such haughty superiority.
That creature had emanated an aura much like theirs.
That was precisely why I’d marked it as a target!
But what in the world was this?
Even I, who created these chimeras, felt nausea welling up at the sight.
How could it be…?
“No! This can’t be!”
Who was I shouting at?
Parson’s voice trembled as he cried out.
Yet the trembling wouldn’t subside.
If anything, it only intensified.
Was I afraid?
No, I was merely reacting to the revulsion of what I’d witnessed.
I hadn’t been frightened by some mere whelp reeking of aristocratic pretense!
With such self-reassurance, I resumed my advance.
Each step heavier than the last.
Thud, thud.
The horrific traces only grew more severe with each passing moment.
Could a sane human truly leave such traces?
No.
Absolutely not.
This is a demon!
“Kekeke, kekekeke!”
Parson, who had been walking, suddenly burst into mad laughter at whatever amused him.
With a powerhouse of this caliber, it was possible.
He might even be able to defeat the boss, the Six-armed Chimera Warrior.
But look at this scene.
There was not a shred of reason visible anywhere.
“That means! He’s grown stronger, but he’s activated a skill that strips away his sanity! That’s it!”
Parson’s deduction was sound.
It was absolutely impossible with the power of Jin-woo that he had witnessed.
Then there could be only one conclusion.
Exactly that.
A skill that grants strength at the cost of reason!
A perfectly rational and logical inference.
But even with that, his masterpiece couldn’t be defeated.
“My masterpiece that wields magic! The Twin-head Chimera will not fall!”
Yes, at first he had been terrified.
But thinking it through rationally again, it seemed manageable.
Not all his anxiety had dissipated, of course.
Witnessing such carnage, anxiety was inevitable.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to believe his masterpiece, the Twin-head Chimera, had lost.
Yes, then perhaps the two were still fighting.
I should hurry and join them to aid my masterpiece.
My hasty arrival has turned out to be fortunate after all!
Parson quickened his pace.
“Kekekekek! Soon I’ll kill him with my own hands!”
Parson laughed like a madman, as if seized by mania.
He abandoned all pretense and began running frantically.
As he moved swiftly deeper into the cave, the carnage gradually diminished.
Well, he was human after all.
His strength must be depleted and exhaustion setting in.
I’ll simply catch up and finish him quickly.
The vast cavern he arrived at.
Where the Six-armed Chimera Warrior should have been.
Only a grotesque corpse remained.
“Huh.”
“Huh.”
I thought he would have struggled against that creature, but it seems the battle was entirely one-sided.
Completely one-sided, in fact.
Five of the Six-armed Chimera Warrior’s six arms had been severed, and its head was split clean in half.
It must have been a brutal engagement.
Parson turned away from the Six-armed Chimera Warrior—one of his masterpieces—and looked toward the other direction.
An entire wall stood wide open.
That was Parson’s Secret Laboratory.
“Kekeke! So he finally met his end!”
He had actually opened the door himself and entered.
How could he be so foolish?
Though I suppose it makes sense if he used a skill that stripped away his reason.
But there’s no sound coming from inside.
Excellent!
He must already be dead.
Truly, my masterpiece!
How splendid.
Thinking such thoughts, I made my way slowly toward the laboratory.
And as I stepped inside.
“…I-impossible….”
The interior of the laboratory was already in complete disarray.
I had naturally expected as much from the battle, so that was acceptable.
It was already within my expectations.
What I hadn’t expected?
There was only one thing.
A chimera with a massive body, two heads, and four arms.
My masterpiece, the Twin-head Chimera, lay defeated.
And sitting atop that masterpiece, exhaling crimson vapor with a bored expression, was a young man.
“Shhhhh, haaaaaah.”
“….”
My breath caught in my throat.
That’s a demon.
There’s no other explanation possible.
How could someone at that level possess such power?
I couldn’t comprehend it.
But that wasn’t what mattered now.
He was staring directly at me.
“Well, you’ve arrived.”
His tone was oddly rustic.
Yet his hollow voice was deeply unsettling.
Like someone who commanded the underworld itself.
Was this truly the figure that had emanated such noble presence when visiting his own shop?
Gulp.
Parson swallowed hard without realizing it.
I had to escape from this creature somehow.
But was that even possible?
Impossible.
If the Twin-head Chimera had fallen to it, then I was clearly no match for this opponent.
However.
There was one possibility.
‘If I use this drug….’
But would he give me time to use it?
Him?
Parson watched Jin-woo with maximum vigilance.
He wasn’t doing anything.
What is this?
Is he waiting?
Naturally, Parson, unaware of the forced event, saw this as an opportunity.
It was simply that Jin-woo couldn’t move due to the system.
Well, what did it matter!
An opening to use the drug had appeared!
“Kekekek! You should have stopped me then! Now I’ll show you despair!”
With those words, Parson downed all the drugs he’d been hiding in his bosom.
Gulp! Gulp! The sound of swallowing came clearly, but Parson’s condition was anything but normal.
“Ugh! Gahhh! Kack!”
Veins bulged across his entire body, and the tattered robe began to tear apart.
The hunched figure of an old man vanished without a trace.
A body rippling with muscle.
But it was not a human body.
Patches of green skin and crimson flesh visible here and there suggested more than just one or two monsters had been grafted into him.
Most of all.
Crack! Crackcrackcrack!
Something new began sprouting from the wing bones on his back.
None other than arms.
Newly formed arms.
The back skin tore from the arms erupting from his spine, but it didn’t matter.
The torn flesh regenerated instantly through his regenerative power.
Ah, what fullness.
Behold this power surging through my entire being.
At this level, the Twin-head Chimera is nothing but a crude sketch!
Yes, I am the masterpiece!
“A masterpiece!”
With this, I can more than handle that bastard!
Behold! The form of this masterpiece!
“Kekekeke! How do you like this appearance?!”
“N-no, that’s not—!”
Just as expected, I could see the creature’s shock even as it belched crimson vapor.
It’s over.
I’ll torment that thing to my heart’s content.
Parson stepped forward with that conviction.
The battle had begun.
Parson genuinely believed this.
“I-is that m-madness… r-real?”
Jin-woo was trembling in fear, or so it seemed.
But the reality was entirely different.
‘Why does it only have four arms? Wasn’t it supposed to have six?’
From Jin-woo’s perspective, there was every reason to be shocked.
He’d thought it originally had six arms, yet two were missing.
Wait, wasn’t the reason it was so troublesome to fight because it had six arms and could unleash three spells consecutively?
And he’d already captured the Twin-head Chimera.
Normally, the chimeras would be summoned first.
Among those summoned chimeras, the Twin-head Chimera would naturally appear.
But what’s this?
He’d already captured it.
The Twin-head Chimera, that is.
‘Is it really okay for it to be this weakened?’
Trembling in fear?
That’s the truth.
He was terrified the rewards might be reduced!
Wait, even weakened like this, would he still get the Fallen Alchemist’s Ring as a reward?
He was grateful Parson had arrived just as he’d defeated the Twin-head Chimera and was about to claim his rewards.
Ah, if this falls through, that would be seriously frustrating.
As Jin-woo was thinking this.
The system spoke, as if to reassure him.
[Hidden Boss, the Fallen Alchemist Parson, is awakening.]
[Due to the skipped storyline, the Hidden Boss’s abilities are in a weakened state.]
[The body is not yet complete.]
[The Hidden Quest ‘Felsia’s Eccentric Alchemist Parson’ proceeds normally.]
‘Perfect!’
Proceeding normally!
This is exactly what I wanted!
If you keep that up, I won’t give you any rewards!
Let’s go!
“Kugh kugh! Die!”
Parson said this while beginning to weave hand seals with each of his four arms.
But regardless of that.
Did I look like I’d take a beating from a weakened Hidden Boss?
Not a chance.
“All-rounder—Agility.”
Normally, I would’ve used All-rounder—Magic to dispel the magic.
But that was overkill against a weakened opponent.
Speed was far more efficient.
And a mage without a vanguard?
Wasn’t that basically a punching bag?
Exactly like this.
‘Rapid Fire, Reinforcement, Teleport.’
I activated three skills at once.
But the target was singular.
Rapid Fire.
Tat-tat-tat-tat.
Ten enhanced Rapid Fire shots in a single burst.
Normally, they’d close the distance and fly toward him, but this time was different.
The bullets from Rapid Fire vanished in an instant.
And when they reappeared, they were directly above Parson’s head.
Since all ten shots counted as a single skill, a single Teleport had transported them all.
Then came the deafening explosion!
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-bang!
It was powerful enough to shake the entire Cave.
“Cough!”
Naturally, his hand seal weaving stopped for a moment.
The only shame was that the status ailment ‘Stun’ didn’t activate.
But that was fine.
[Life force absorbed through the effect of Orc Karan’s Regenerating Bloodthirsty Axe.]
[Life force absorbed through the effect of Blood Hunger.]
Lucky me!
Let’s see if you can endure this too.
Teleport activated once more.
The destination was, of course….
Directly above Parson’s head again.
That gleaming crown of his was quite the sight.
I couldn’t resist.
Crack!
“Skull splitter!”
A devastating blow.
The impact crashed through Parson’s entire body like his head was being cleaved in two.
“Ugh!”
I tried to continue weaving the incantation, but at this rate, I could die.
I released one hand and reached out to block Jin-woo, but.
He’d already evaded with a jump.
With the All-rounder—Agility effect, my speed was amplified by a factor of three!
I couldn’t match his velocity.
But foolishly, he was in mid-air.
“I’ll grab you and kill you!”
If I just reach out, seize him, and hurl him down!
The magic will complete, and I can finish him!
With that singular resolve, I reached out to kill him.
That teleportation magic from before that crossed such distance in an instant—surely he can’t use it again.
It wouldn’t make sense if there were no restrictions!
But.
“Yeah, can’t kill me, huh?”
Whoosh!
Jin-woo, who’d repositioned behind me through teleportation, cried out and swung his axe.
“Skull splitter! Skull splitter! Skull splitter! Skull splitter! Skull splitter!”
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Shatter!
On the final blow, a sound like splitting echoed out.
My eyes finally rolled back.
On the brink of death.
But I couldn’t die like this!
“Graaaaahhh!”
My muscles convulsed as my body grew even larger.
Phase two.
Half-delirious, I tried to charge forward, but.
The distance had already widened.
And then.
“Machine gun fire.”
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
“Cough.”
Even with my sanity intact, I couldn’t prevail.
But if I lost my mind?
There was no question.
Meanwhile, Jin-woo remained remarkably rational.
I closed the distance with accelerated speed granted by my Rounded Development skill, bringing my axe down upon the creature’s body.
Crack!
With each movement, crimson vapor trailed from its form, dispersing into the air.
And whenever that red mist appeared, blood erupted like a fountain.
Just as I was preparing to close in despite the danger, Jin-woo called out quietly.
“Machine Gun.”
Another deafening boom echoed through the space.
Parson collapsed, his eyes trembling as he felt the unbridgeable gap in our power.
He had dreamed of avenging himself against the nobility.
Yet here he was, meeting his end at the hands of one who bore the very aura of those nobles.
Frustration, resentment——
Crack!
“Is he dead?”
Crack!
“Gaaahhh!”
An attack while lost in thought.
But its impact was devastating.
[You have defeated the Hidden Boss, the Fallen Alchemist Parson.]
[You have acquired substantial experience points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points.]
[Hidden Piece! You have acquired the Unique-grade ring ‘Ring of the Fallen Alchemist’.]
[You have cleared the Hidden Quest ‘Parson, the Eccentric Alchemist of Felsia’.]
[Rewards have been granted.]
[You have acquired substantial experience points.]
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points!]
[You have reached Level 30!]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Coagulation’.]
‘When am I ever going to finish reading all of this?’
Though my complaint was genuine, something felt different.
My lips were stretching into a grin.
Why, you ask?
Because the moment had finally arrived.
[All conditions have been met.]
[You have obtained the opportunity to advance to a Hidden Class.]
‘It’s here!’

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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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