The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 38

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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 38
Episode 38
Beep beep beep――! Beep beep beep――!
I jolted awake at the piercing alarm sound.
Sigh, I wanted to sleep more.
Such thoughts welled up, but I forced myself to regain consciousness.
Since I’ve become ten years younger, I wake up quickly now.
They say people in their thirties don’t have it so easy.
Youth really is the best after all.
With such pointless musings, I got up.
I recalled the PanTube video I’d watched yesterday.
The one that had skyrocketed.
‘Surely I didn’t just dream that?’
It wasn’t unreasonable to think such a thing.
It had come so unexpectedly.
Well, I was exhausted too.
I’d only slept four hours.
If you’re not tired, you’re not human.
In the early stages, you have to minimize sleep and keep playing to stay ahead.
Just because I’m already far ahead doesn’t mean I can afford to be complacent.
That’s how you become the tortoise.
The tortoise.
‘Being called the tortoise really puts me in a bad mood.’
Anyway.
That’s not what matters.
Just to be sure, I checked PanTube again.
It didn’t seem to be a dream.
In fact, it had grown much more than before I went to sleep.
Subscribers already at 90,000?
Insane.
I’ll hit 100,000 soon.
The view count had already surpassed 4 million and was heading toward 5 million.
In comparison, the subscriber growth rate was actually quite modest.
Though that’s how it usually works.
‘If things keep going like this, it should be fine?’
With that thought, I was about to dive right in.
But then I shook my head.
I needed to make more videos whenever I had spare time.
Virtual reality has drastically cut my editing time.
Even if I rush through it now, it’ll still take about two hours.
‘What should I upload this time…? Ah, PK! That’ll do nicely.’
Though only a day had passed, one of those hazy memories suddenly surfaced.
Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?
Those two lunatics who attacked first.
That footage would work perfectly.
Sure, it wasn’t exactly a rare item showcase.
But it wouldn’t be bad for the next video.
It happened right after the Hidden Dungeon—the Mine—after all.
‘Should I get started on the editing?’
I’d barely begun when it was already done.
The fight itself had been brief.
The editing time was correspondingly short.
It hadn’t even taken an hour.
Time-saving was nice, but there was a problem.
Should I really upload just a one-minute video?
‘Hmm.’
This was clearly the moment to strike while the iron was hot.
I needed to row the boat now.
But uploading just one video felt a bit thin.
Especially something as short as a minute.
‘I’ll upload this as a short instead.’
There was a dedicated section for videos under a minute, after all.
A content corner that rode the algorithm well and got great promotion.
Uploading there would be ideal.
But shouldn’t I have at least one main video?
I hesitated slightly.
Ah, forget it.
I’ll make another one.
‘The PK was followed by obtaining a Portal, right?’
Checking the footage, that was indeed the case.
It was a Dungeon video where I obtained a Portal.
Hmm, it wasn’t particularly visually striking, though.
And since it was the part where I got an Epic item…
Sigh, what should I do?
It was a gray area.
Especially since the first video was already a Dungeon.
Another Dungeon?
That felt repetitive.
‘Making it boring wouldn’t be good.’
“It would be a bit of a shame to make it boring.”
It felt awkward announcing that I’d obtained an Epic skill transfer from a dungeon.
Should I just upload a modest video of ordinary hunting instead?
‘That’s not terrible.’
I could still showcase my abilities.
And the visual quality wouldn’t be completely lacking.
But it felt insufficient.
Then the mad movie I’d originally planned to create came to mind.
‘Maybe now is the right time!?’
Looking at the comments, everyone was skeptical of Jin-woo’s abilities.
His stats were overwhelmingly superior, after all.
No, his skill was exceptional too.
That’s what they were arguing about.
Then I needed to put that controversy to rest.
A PK video would resolve it to some extent.
But that alone wouldn’t be enough.
A mad movie!
This would silence all the skill controversy!
Yes, let’s do it.
Another brilliant idea struck me.
While the inspiration was fresh, I’d create it immediately.
‘This composition is truly excellent.’
With skillful editing, it would be perfect.
With just a hint of that mad movie aesthetic.
I edited together videos of defeating various monsters.
First rabbits, then wolves.
Overlapping footage as the monsters continuously changed.
I included the Cobolt I’d defeated in the dungeon, and the Trute from the dungeon where I’d obtained the transfer.
Since I’d defeated so many monsters, the video length became quite substantial.
A video that vividly demonstrated Jin-woo’s true abilities.
As the video built toward its climax, the boss Giant Trute appeared, showcasing overwhelming skill.
After the climax concluded, I placed an extraordinary monster at the very end.
A boss monster standing majestically on four legs, adorned with cyan-blue mystical fur and massive horns gleaming with subtle golden light.
The forest’s messenger, gazing down with noble eyes.
[Hidden Boss Argon of Verdant Green watches you.]
“Kh! This is it!”
Once I finished the final sequence, it looked quite impressive.
No, impressive didn’t even begin to describe it.
Even I had to admit this was a masterpiece.
The visual quality was exceptional.
Anyone watching would recognize it as professionally crafted.
Ugh, this really ate up quite a bit of time.
Still, I’m satisfied with how it turned out.
It took roughly three hours, I’d say.
‘Now let me upload this and log into Pantheon right away.’
Speaking of which, what should the title be?
Looking at the comments, Korean viewers seem to have adapted to the clickbait approach, though they don’t particularly enjoy it.
What about foreigners?
Well, it’s much the same.
They’re complaining about where the Emperor appears and why the Demon Realm hasn’t shown up yet.
This time, let me try a different angle for the clickbait.
Hmm, oh! Something just came to me.
[Teaching a Malicious Beta Tester a Lesson—Who Attacks First!]
I crafted that one pretty well.
But the main video is the problem.
It’s such a good video that slapping a ridiculous title on it feels wrong.
Then again, a title that’s too serious doesn’t work either.
Is there anything better?
While I was thinking alone.
A rather fitting title came to mind.
[The Guardian of the Forest Appears!]
This is perfect.
The clickbait is just right, and it’s not too playful.
I love it!
Let me upload it like this.
Once I’ve decided, I act faster than anyone!
‘Upload complete!’
It took a while to process.
The lengthy “The Guardian of the Forest Appears!” video took roughly ten minutes.
The PK video uploaded fairly quickly though.
Well, it’s out of my hands now.
Should I log in right away?
I need to create more content to film anyway.
I’m logging in right now to clear a Quest!
‘I need to advance to Transcendent quickly too.’
So busy, so busy.
* * *
Meanwhile, as Jin-woo logged into Pantheon and headed toward the Felsia Common Cemetery to clear a Quest.
The video he had uploaded was being processed on PanTube.
Naturally, the first video to go live was the teaching-a-lesson footage!
A satisfying video of him blocking the beta testers’ movements with a magical barrier, then swinging his sword to cut down two of them.
Just! Two strikes!
And how did the viewers react to that?
It was painfully predictable.
The controversy from earlier was still raging.
-Insane! Look at this. It’s just stat advantage, I’m telling you?
-What control are you talking about!
-No, I mean, look at the decision-making. Using the magic barrier from the equipment’s skill to freeze movement and attacking in that window—that’s not a decision you can make no matter how good your stats are;;;
-The decision-making is seriously insane.
-Fast judgment combined with such clean attack patterns. That’s not something stats alone can achieve.
Hahaha judgment stat is trash but just pure ability stats! Lol. Wait, what kind of game has intelligence? If you raise intelligence does it make you smarter and judgment goes up too? Lmaooo I’m going to Seoul National University, Mom!
Lol, X is really getting roasted.
-Ugh, whatever. I hate this. He monopolized everything because he was a beta tester anyway.
The controversy was intensifying.
Everyone assumed Jin-woo was a beta tester.
But some people noticed something odd.
After all, the video title was “Teaching Beta Testers a Lesson,” wasn’t it?
But then.
-Hey! Now that I think about it, this person’s video is in the beginner hunting grounds, but there’s nobody else there?
└Yeah, the jerks in the video must be beta testers too.
└But wait, if they’re both beta testers, how can there be such a huge difference?
└Huh?
└Wait?
└That’s true! What the—!
-So he’s a beta tester teaching other beta testers a lesson, but the difference is overwhelming?
-What? Did he skip the tutorial?
└The tutorial rewards are insane though? There’s no way he skipped it.
└Yeah, if he skipped the tutorial, he wouldn’t be this strong in the first place.
└I know a beta tester, and they said if you’re a beta tester, you definitely do it because the tutorial rewards are so good.
-So that means this guy is overwhelmingly superior even among beta testers?
-Wait! Doesn’t that mean his skill is insanely good?
└Yeah;;; it does;;;
Unexpectedly, the controversy was beginning to settle down with the teaching video.
Standing out among other beta testers!
Everyone was thrilled by this display.
Naturally, the guilds created by various corporations felt the same way.
They’d sent emails but received no reply, and he hadn’t even read them.
How could anyone not be anxious in this situation?
Most guilds went into emergency mode.
“We absolutely have to recruit that user!”
“He’s overwhelmingly superior even among beta testers!”
“T-Team Lead! We’ve never seen anyone like that among the beta testers we recruited?”
“Damn it! Does that beta tester know everyone in the world? Just find him no matter what!”
The guilds were in complete chaos.
Then someone discovered a comment on the video.
-Wait? Isn’t this Nen Village? Nen Village in the Deron Kingdom.
└Are you sure?
└Yeah, looking at it, it’s definitely Nen Village. That’s the Hunting Grounds there. You can even see the entrance to Nen Village at the end of the video.
Unexpected high-quality information!
Nen Village in the Deron Kingdom!
“Hey! We figured it out! It’s Nen Village in the Deron Kingdom!”
“Make contact however you can!”
“If we get that player, we’re guaranteed to be in the top guilds at minimum!”
“We absolutely have to recruit them!”
“That person could monopolize the number one ranking!”
At those words, numerous guilds began converging on Nen Village.
The village became increasingly crowded with everyone rushing in.
As a result, competition at the Hunting Grounds grew fiercer.
A natural consequence when people flood in.
The Central Fountain in the village was no exception.
The fountain at the center of the village was packed with an enormous crowd.
Normally, one would recruit party members in such places.
But Nen Village was different.
“Are you the owner of the Jin-woo TV channel!?”
“Jin-woo! The Hydra Guild would like to sign an exclusive contract with you!”
“Jin-woo! We’ll waive all commissions, so please join the Jesna Guild!”
“Jin-woo!”
“Jin-woo….”
Everyone was searching for Jin-woo.
A new video was uploaded just as the frenzy was reaching its peak.
The controversy had already died down.
But with this additional video, everyone was left speechless.
A video showing him facing monsters one by one.
Swift movements and rapid tactical judgment.
An overwhelming sense of mastery displayed in mere moments.
-Wow.
-What did I just watch?
-And they say it’s just stat advantage?
Haha, those bastards are deleting the comments right now?
-This is genuinely an art form.
To anyone watching, it was unmistakably a display of dazzling talent.
After all, Jin-woo had started more than a year late, yet he’d already climbed into the mid-tier ranker bracket.
Without any special skills or classes, no less.
So while Jin-woo himself remained unaware, his talent was far more exceptional than he realized.
Everyone watching the video had grasped it immediately.
An overwhelmingly spectacular production.
A video that seemed to showcase the absolute pinnacle of cinematic mastery.
Yet the viewers watching had one burning question.
-But why does the Forest Guardian appear?
-Is it because of that tree monster?
-Isn’t it supposed to be stronger than that?
Just as everyone pondered this mystery.
It appeared in the final footage.
A colossal teal-colored stag, radiating noble majesty.
Eyes gleaming with arrogant pride as it gazed down upon all who beheld it.
This could be nothing other than the Forest Guardian itself.
A scene that left every viewer utterly overwhelmed.
And then came the final message.
[Hidden Boss Argon of Verdant Green watches you.]
The video ended right there.
The darkened screen signaled its conclusion.
Yet most viewers remained frozen, staring blankly at the black screen.
There was no helping it.
The impact had been that overwhelming.
Truly, it was a presentation that sent shivers down the spine.
-I… I can’t even find words…
-This is absolutely insane.
-Who ends a video like this?!
-Right! Where’s the next video?!
-Come on, you’re all overreacting. I only changed my underwear twice.
-Dammit, I know it’s greedy, but I want to see more.
Haha me too! You as well? Me too lol
-I can’t believe they actually ended it like that!
-Oh, this creator is a god! An absolute god!
-LOL If this is the case, the real emperor will be astonished and the demon world will despair.
haha that’s right
-Wait, you’ve already discovered a Hidden Boss? You’re a legend.
-I’m losing my mind.
-WTF!
-OMG!
As everyone reeled in shock.
There was one person whose expression hardened upon witnessing the same footage.
None other than the individual commanding an overwhelming first place among all beta testers.
Kaiser.
He frowned as he watched Jin-woo’s video.
Though he said nothing, it was evident his mood had soured considerably.
“….”
“Shall we throw ourselves into recruitment as well?”
His Secretary ventured to speak cautiously from behind him.
But he offered no response.
Was he deliberating?
The Secretary standing behind Kaiser waited quietly, observing his contemplation.
After a moment of thought, Kaiser nodded.
An order to proceed with recruitment.
Just as the Secretary was about to leave with a nod.
“…If he refuses, handle it by any means necessary.”
“…I shall do my utmost.”
The Secretary departed without further concern.
Kaiser rewound the footage once more.
The scene featuring the teal-hued stag.
And even the message declaring it a Hidden Boss.
Tch.
So someone capable of such a gap in performance has already emerged.
This cannot be.
‘First place must belong to me alone.’
With that thought, Kaiser made his way toward the premium capsule situated in his office.
Rest was finished.
It was time to run again.
‘Should he refuse recruitment, all the better.’
I can simply eliminate him.
How foolish to reveal one’s location so carelessly.
‘Let us see who laughs in the end.’
With that resolve, Kaiser entered the capsule.
Unaware that Jin-woo was already in a different region.
Completely oblivious.

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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
—————