The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 28

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 28
Episode 28
[‘You must clear a Quest to advance to the Hidden Class “God of Combat”.’]
[Will you begin the advancement Quest for the Hidden Class “God of Combat”?]
What in the world am I looking at right now?
Pardon me, but where is the Sword Master?
Jin-woo blinked, his mind momentarily slipping from the shock of the situation.
Is what I’m seeing actually real?
This isn’t some strange dream like something out of a bizarre novel, is it?
It can’t be.
Based on my heartbeat and the tangible sensations I’m experiencing, it’s absolutely real.
The regression itself isn’t a dream, and I’m certainly not lying in some hospital bed somewhere.
So why am I seeing something so strange?
‘But this is from the God Series, isn’t it.’
The God Series.
I already knew about it before the regression.
There are exactly three known classes in the God Series.
God of Swords, God of Bows, God of Magic.
Naturally, all of them were held by the highest-ranked players.
Especially the God of Swords.
After all, Kaiser, who held the number one ranking, was the God of Swords.
‘They all had their specialties.’
It was far more than just a specialty.
Each represented the pinnacle of their respective fields.
The God of Swords was the ultimate sword-wielding class, true to its name.
The God of Bows was the ultimate archery-based class.
The God of Magic represented the pinnacle of magic, not a superior version of the Demon King class.
And now one of these God Series classes appears before me?
So suddenly like this?
But then, if this is from the God Series, why was I trying to obtain the Sword Master instead?
I don’t know how I could have obtained it…
‘The God Series classes—nobody ever revealed their conditions.’
That’s why, despite being the most powerful among Hidden Classes, no one sought them out.
After all, how could anyone pursue what they didn’t know?
Without knowing the conditions, how could one advance?
So I had decided to pursue the Sword Master instead, the best option among what I could actually obtain…
And yet I’m obtaining this instead?
But wait a moment.
Why is it the God of Combat?
‘No, the God of Combat? The Sword Master means master of swords, so why is it the God of Combat instead of the God of Swords?’
I don’t understand the reason.
Unable to determine the cause, I switched to detailed view to check the message.
Why wasn’t there a message saying I’d met the conditions earlier?
If I switch to detailed view there, it should tell me—that’s it.
After opening it.
Only then could I make sense of it.
[You have satisfied all conditions for the Hidden Class ‘God of Combat’.]
→Level 50 or below (Complete)
→All stats uniformly 100 or higher (Complete)
→Unadvanced state (Complete)
Looking only at this much, the conditions for Sword Lord I knew were correct.
Just this alone is quite high difficulty.
But there was one additional condition.
→Defeat five bosses including Hidden without taking damage (Complete)
‘Wow.’
How am I supposed to clear that?
Wait, hold on! I cleared it?
The difficulty is absolutely insane.
Looking at it, I genuinely wondered if it was meant to be cleared.
It’s a harsh condition even for someone who regressed.
For someone who didn’t?
The difficulty is beyond words.
Though if it’s a God series, this much is acceptable.
So God of Combat didn’t exist before regression.
‘Not Sword Lord, but God of Combat….’
But I was certain.
If the conditions were similar, God of Combat would be the superior version!
I already knew Pantheon worked that way.
Heh, so should I accept the Quest right away?
Originally, Sword Lord was about hunting with ten different swords, right?
What will God of Combat offer?
[Creating the advancement Quest for Hidden Class ‘God of Combat’.]
[Quest ‘The Path to the God of Combat (1)’ has been created.]
‘Something feels… uneasy?’
Why does the name start with ‘The Path to the God of Combat (1)’?
Is it what I’m thinking?
No, no way.
S-surely not.
But they say suspicion is what gets people caught.
[The Path to the God of Combat (1)]
*Class Change Quest (Hidden)
*Description: A god of battle who fights better than any other deity.
The path to becoming such a god is far more treacherous and difficult than any other.
*Objective: Defeat 1,000 monsters.
*Reward: Class Change Quest (Hidden) – Path to the God of Battle (2)
“Ugh!”
A sigh escaped me at the sight of this quest.
Just 1,000 monsters and they’re making a big deal out of it?
Are you blind?
Don’t you see the (2) right there?
Sigh.
This is it.
A chain of endless grinding.
It’s obvious they want me to keep hunting monsters until I complete the class change.
The real problem is not knowing when this will end.
It could end at (2), or maybe it continues to (3).
That’s what truly frightens me.
“Sigh.”
At least there are no other restrictions, which is a blessing.
That’s genuinely fortunate.
Some quests have them, you know.
Quests that force you to maintain a certain level cap.
This one doesn’t, so that’s something.
Yes, let me think positively about this.
It’s not difficult—just tedious. I should be grateful for that.
Still, does this change my plans?
No, it shouldn’t.
‘Wasn’t the next thing after Parson supposed to be another quest?’
Is this one a hidden quest too?
No, it isn’t.
At least, it’s not a hidden quest.
But the reward is on that level, I assure you!
What’s the reward, you ask?
A skill book, no less.
‘My skill book efficiency is quite excellent right now.’
Thanks to several First titles, my efficiency when acquiring skill books is substantial.
‘Sole Existence’ and ‘First Epic’ both increase the odds of unique and epic rarities.
‘Master of Skills’ amplifies the effects of skills acquired through skill books.
Regardless, skill books are always a priority acquisition for me.
Even if this isn’t a hidden quest, it’s still a first-time quest, after all.
It’s the only Quest available exclusively to first-time users.
More importantly.
‘It’s also the first step toward obtaining the Demon Blade.’
This is a Quest I absolutely must complete.
To obtain the Demon Blade, I need to build a relationship with the Mayor of Felsia.
That’s the real difficulty right here.
In a fantasy setting, all mayors are nobles.
Building a relationship with a noble?
Of course it would be difficult.
That’s why this Quest is necessary.
It’s a Quest from the Guard Corps, after all.
The Mayor and the Guard Corps are inseparable.
It’s crucial to break the ice with this Quest first.
Of course, there are other methods besides this Quest.
But I didn’t want to think about those.
‘If I miss this, I’ll really be in trouble.’
It was a Quest that would let me build rapport with the Mayor much faster.
Plus, whether by coincidence or not, it also happens to help with the Apostle’s job advancement Quest.
The Quest itself is about subjugating a dark mage.
Specifically, a Necromancer who relies on overwhelming numbers.
It’s the perfect Quest, isn’t it?
‘And since I’m already acquainted with Guard Captain Parkin.’
Receiving Gruen’s blessing early on was truly a masterstroke.
Though I didn’t intend it that way.
There’s nothing more to gain here.
‘So, shall I go?’
* * *
There are two ways to obtain a Quest in the Pantheon.
One is, naturally, what everyone knows—legwork.
Just as I’ve been doing until now.
And the other method is….
‘The Request Board!’
Every village or city has a Guard Corps without exception.
Though they protect the village, they can’t handle everything alone.
There are limits to their manpower.
That’s why requests were created.
That’s exactly how it works.
They issue requests to adventurers.
Users gain rewards and experience, while the Guard Corps solves their problems.
Now that’s a win-win situation!
Thanks to that, any village or Guard Station was always teeming with users.
Well, except here.
‘Without users, it really feels desolate.’
Then again, I’m the only user in Felsia.
As Jin-woo glanced around the Guard Station, someone recognized him.
“Whoooosh—salute!”
What, what’s this?
Suddenly caught off guard.
Do people usually go this far?
I doubt they’d do this even for their own superior.
Jin-woo hesitated, clearly flustered.
The guard who recognized him saluted and spoke.
“Right away! I’ll bring Captain Parkin immediately! Please wait a moment!”
“Ah, no!”
“I’ll fetch him at once!”
He left without even listening further.
No, really.
It’s not a bad thing.
Building rapport like this can only be beneficial.
Actually, it’s quite good.
Cultivating a connection with a city’s Guard Captain?
That’s no easy opportunity.
Though it is startling.
I can’t let this slip away.
Let me handle this conversation calmly.
But then—
Crash!
The door burst open roughly.
And out came Guard Captain Parkin.
Upon spotting Jin-woo, Parkin rushed toward him urgently.
What, what is this?
Why is he like that?
For a moment, even knowing I’ve done nothing wrong, I feel intimidated.
Are all of Gruen’s disciples like this?
Ah, thinking of Gruen, that might explain it.
“J-Jin-woo! I apologize for not greeting you sooner!”
“Ah, no, it’s fine.”
“Ugh, if I’d known earlier, I would have come faster. I’m sorry for the delay!”
Isn’t this excessive hospitality?
Is it because of the Revered One’s effect?
No, that’s far too much.
Even if Jin-woo is a nobleman, he’s still the Guard Captain, isn’t he?
If he’s the Guard Captain, that means he’s a knight, and I myself am quasi-nobility.
Yet he acts like this?
Something feels off.
What in the world is going on?
I need to calm him down first.
“Ah, no, please, you don’t have to do that.”
“No, sir! If I were to treat someone recognized by my master poorly….”
Parkin trembled as he spoke.
Now Jin-woo finally understood.
He was doing this to avoid displeasing Gruen.
Suddenly it all made sense.
Well, of course.
I’d do the same.
The moment Gruen’s face crossed my mind, I too began to shudder.
Shiver.
“Of course, that’s fine. I’ll make sure to tell Gruen about your kindness.”
“Ah, thank you so much. You’re truly a wonderful person, Jin-woo.”
“Haha, not at all.”
Now that I promised to speak well of him to Gruen, he finally relaxed.
Though he really is terrifying.
Just looking at his face is frightening, and he’s his student?
Ugh, just imagining it makes me shudder.
Anyway.
Once I calmed Parkin down, I finally broached the main topic.
“So, what brings you here? I’ll do my best to accommodate you.”
Ah, this is reassuring.
This is it.
This is proper treatment!
“Actually, I came to see if I could take on a commission.”
“Oh! How wonderful!”
“Haha, not really. I benefit from the bounty as well, so it’s mutually beneficial.”
At my words, Parkin’s expression shifted to one of realization.
Why is he reacting like that?
From his expression, it doesn’t seem bad.
The moment I thought that.
Parkin winked at me.
What’s that about?
Is that a bad sign?
In that moment, as I was thinking such thoughts.
Parkin opened his mouth to speak.
“Ah! I’ll have a word with the Quartermaster on your behalf.”
[Your favorability with Parkin, Guard Captain of Felsia, has increased considerably.]
[Rewards for all Guard Corps commissions undertaken in Felsia will increase.]
‘Oh yes.’
Increased rewards from just a wink?
Too easy.
As Jin-woo expressed considerable satisfaction, Parkin too broke into a full smile and nodded.
As the Guard Captain, this much was certainly within his power.
Excellent.
In any case.
“Might I ask what commission you intend to undertake?”
“Ah, I’m planning to take on the investigation of undead in the Dark Forest.”
“Oho, a fine choice indeed. Your discernment is truly exceptional!”
“Haha, thank you.”
“We suspect it’s connected to a dark sorcerer.”
“It’s difficult to believe the undead arose naturally, after all.”
“Yes, precisely. That’s why the Mayor himself has taken interest in this commission.”
Oh?
This?
The Mayor’s name comes up already?
I already knew well that Felsia’s Mayor despised dark sorcerers.
It was a famous tale even before my regression.
But I didn’t expect it to come up so soon.
If I play this right, could I establish a connection with the Mayor immediately?
“Our Guard Corps finds it quite difficult to venture into the Dark Forest. It borders other villages, you see.”
“Ah, so that’s why you posted it as a commission.”
“Yes, and so… would it be possible for you, Jin-woo, to investigate more thoroughly?”
[The quest ‘Investigation of Undead in the Dark Forest’ has been upgraded.]
[The rewards and commission details have been modified.]
Here it comes!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————