The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 41

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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 41
Episode 41
Lee Yeon stared blankly at the screen.
Other employees had gathered around her as well.
It was perhaps inevitable.
With such a dazzling display of combat, who wouldn’t want to watch?
“Wow, insane.”
“That player—isn’t he the one famous for being incredibly skilled?”
“This is seriously incredible.”
“Did you see that? How he read the pattern and instantly reacted?”
“Crazy.”
“Kyaa! I play games sometimes after work too, and this is seriously amazing.”
Everyone stared at the screen, cheering him on.
Did they think this was a PanTube viewing party?!
The complaint rose to the tip of my tongue, but I said nothing.
Development kept me busy enough.
We needed these breaks too.
Besides.
‘He really is incredible.’
I never imagined a player could be this skilled.
He moves as if he knows every single pattern beforehand.
Is this even possible?
No, it’s impossible.
That’s why Ether calculated such low odds.
Without knowing the patterns, the clear rate should be around 1%.
If that player knew the patterns?
Then it would be 0% from the start.
‘I don’t even know the patterns myself. How could that be possible unless he came from the future?’
Regression?
Don’t talk nonsense.
Seriously.
There’s no way that’s possible.
Lee Yeon, a scientist and believer in science, couldn’t accept that.
Hacking was impossible too.
Not with Ether, the artificial intelligence, around.
She was the most advanced AI in the world.
‘Sigh, this is actually a big problem.’
As if reading my thoughts, the Secretary approached from beside me.
She spoke quietly.
“Isn’t this turning into quite a serious issue?”
“Sigh, so what do we do then? Modify the final boss?”
Lee Yeon spoke while staring at the screen.
Already the eighth boss.
Jin-woo was facing off against the boss without showing a trace of fatigue.
Alternating between his axe and sword, no less.
When he needed to deal damage quickly in an instant, he used his sword.
When recovery became necessary, he switched to his axe.
Even Jin-woo couldn’t reduce damage to zero, after all.
Above all, since he had Berserker, he had to increase his life steal with the axe by any means necessary.
So he used the axe far more often.
A wise and excellent judgment.
Without that, he might have retired long ago.
“If we can change the boss, wouldn’t it be better to do so….”
“No, there’s no way we can do that.”
“Pardon?”
If a player progresses this quickly right now, it creates a serious problem.
It’s not simply a matter of monopolizing content.
If Jin-woo wanted to, he could even use NPCs to build his own faction.
And he could cleanly control the incoming new players.
For instance, new players entering after clearing Marquis Jihokin’s Quest—he could simply say they’re vicious bastards.
Just that one statement would be enough to control the players in no time.
Of course, Ether would naturally handle it if that happened.
But the fact that the frontrunner is advancing this quickly is a serious problem.
Because it could cause various issues.
Yet, he won’t touch the final boss.
The Secretary found that somewhat puzzling.
“No, he’s playing fairly. If he were causing problems or already had, I’d step in, but a player who plays fairly deserves to be treated fairly.”
“Ah….”
In a way, it seemed foolish.
But the Secretary thought it was cool.
“Well, if the content consumption speed picks up, Ether or I can just make more.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Sigh, these employees are cheering for the guy who’ll make them work overtime.”
Just as Lee Yeon said, all the employees were cheering enthusiastically.
Look at them now.
“Wow! Did you see that just now?”
“Damn! How did he dodge that!?”
“Wow! I did that too when I fought Ogre, but seeing someone do it in their youth like that….”
“Hey! The director did that? If so, he should’ve become a gamer instead of a developer.”
“You bastard!”
“That user is handsome and skilled at the game too.”
“Insane.”
“Crazy! He’s twisting his body like that from there?”
“Wow! I thought deploying a magical barrier in midair to evade was an art form, but he’s applying it so creatively on the spot. Insane.”
He evades the pattern using a magical barrier suspended in midair.
It seems he’s not using teleportation to conserve MP.
When everyone marveled at the artistic evasion and the boss fell to the final blow.
“Wooooow!”
“Insane! He finally cleared it!”
“His HP was cutting it close too!?”
“And he did it without even activating Berserker!”
“Wait, he can clear it with barely any Berserker or buffs?”
“It took some time, but considering that user’s stats, it’s definitely possible!”
“Crazy!”
As everyone cheered excitedly, Lee Yeon couldn’t help but smirk.
How could they be so thrilled.
I can already see them working overtime because of this later.
But they don’t know that yet, so I’ll just leave it.
Lee Yeon thought this and turned her attention back to the screen.
The more I watch, the more genuinely impressive his skill is.
‘Excluding pattern analysis and quick decision-making, he seems to be top-tier in pure gaming talent too?’
It’s not just about giving him high marks for pattern analysis.
He just stands out.
Times like these call for Ether!
“Ether, what’s Jin-woo’s synchronization percentage?”
At Lee Yeon’s question, everyone perked up their ears.
They all seemed curious.
Not long after Lee Yeon’s question, Ether responded.
[Player Jin-woo’s synchronization percentage is calculated at 97.8%.]
“Wow!”
“97.8%? Is that even possible?”
“What was the percentage for that beta tester who ranked first?”
“Oh! You mean Kaiser? That user was high too, right?”
“That user was 89.7%, wasn’t it?”
“Ah! Right, he didn’t exceed 90%.”
“Honestly, no one breaks 90% in the first place.”
“So what is Jin-woo then?”
“Not human.”
While the employees were all making a fuss.
Lee Yeon also furrowed her brow with a serious expression.
It was practically the first time I’d seen such a figure.
In the first place, synchronization percentage meant――
The percentage of how well one adapted to virtual reality.
But it reached 97.8%?
I’d thought it was impossible to even exceed 90%.
Yet he’d surpassed that figure by a considerable margin.
Now I finally understood Jin-woo’s exceptional gameplay.
‘At 97.8%, that’s not impossible either.’
The moment he sees a pattern, he grasps and breaks it.
Looking at that percentage, I can only think it’s possible.
My heart ached, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I couldn’t single out just that user for sanctions.
Fair play deserves fair treatment.
That was Lee Yeon’s principle, after all.
However.
“Do we have any disguise potions?”
“I purchased a large quantity yesterday. Shall I give you some now?”
“Good.”
“But Developer――”
“Yes?”
“What happens if that user obtains the Demon God’s Blessing?”
The Secretary’s innocent question.
All the staff members nearby perked up their ears at it.
They must have been quite curious.
Sigh.
Still, I should explain it.
“If he obtains the Demon Sword along with the Demon God’s Blessing…he’ll become incredibly strong. Absurdly so. Plus, the Demon Sword is a growth-type item.”
“I see.”
“Right! And the key to enter the Demon Realm…wait?”
Lee Yeon realized something was off as she spoke up to that point.
“Wait?”
“The Emperor actually goes to the Demon Realm?”
“Shouldn’t the Demon Realm be in real despair, even if the Emperor isn’t?”
Everyone was excited and chattering away.
But Lee Yeon’s mind rapidly calculated in an instant.
If he goes to the Demon Realm now, would there be a problem?
But why do I feel so uneasy?
He enters the Demon Realm through the entrance leading to it.
Up to this point, there’s no problem.
Whether Jin-woo hunts in the Demon Realm itself now or moves to the next area to hunt――
That’s not really the issue.
‘After all, I’m already monopolizing almost everything anyway.’
But why do I feel so uneasy?
There was definitely something.
Let me think this through.
Then it came to me.
‘Ah!’
When I returned from the Demon Realm.
That’s the problem.
‘If I discover a passage to the Demon Realm, I can teleport, right?’
And that would even allow me to access previously blocked areas.
Cross-continental teleportation.
Originally, it was a program designed to prevent users with Demon King-class jobs from being wiped out.
And Jin-woo gets his hands on this?
‘Should I stop it?’
For a moment, Lee Yeon’s resolve wavered.
* * *
No matter how strong Jin-woo was.
Ten raid bosses?
It wasn’t easy.
“Haa, haa, haa.”
My breath came in ragged gasps, my shoulders heaving with each inhalation.
Clear evidence of how heavily I was breathing.
Yet despite this state, I stared at the creature standing before me.
A massive frame.
Thick, grayish skin and wielding a club the size of a tree trunk.
The appearance of something like a goblin wearing tattered rags.
Anyone who’s played a fantasy game would recognize it instantly.
An Ogre.
‘Damn, this thing is seriously strong.’
A raid boss that appears at level 100.
They said raid bosses after level 50.
Until now, all the raid bosses that appeared were in the level 50s.
So the final one is different after all?
I didn’t expect an Ogre to appear.
But I already know all its patterns, don’t I?
‘A level 100 raid boss with no patterns.’
By the way, it’s ranked number one on the most infuriating bosses below level 100.
Not even a named boss, just a generic mob called Ogre.
And it has no particular patterns either.
No phases either.
Just a creature no different from any other monster.
Except it’s a raid boss.
In other words, it’s absurdly powerful.
But look at its body.
Its grotesque, thick gray skin was now painted over with its own blue blood.
All of it flowing from wounds.
Who did it?
Who else.
“Grraaaagh!”
Boom!
As it swung its club, the ground around it trembled violently.
I retreated backward with perfect timing.
As I landed, I dodged the seismic shockwave that followed by channeling it through my magical barrier.
Both my HP and MP were running dangerously low.
Because of that, I couldn’t use Berserker or Asir’s Curse.
And even the small rocks bouncing around were dealing damage to me.
‘An axe over a sword, no question.’
I couldn’t drink recovery potions.
And I’d already used both Blessing of the Earth—which fully restored my HP once per day—and the Alchemist’s Elixir—which fully restored my MP once per day—while fighting this creature.
And I still hadn’t brought it down.
It really was absurdly powerful.
But could I give up?
Absolutely not.
I still had options left.
“Guard Corps’ Vitality.”
I could feel my HP recovery speed increasing.
And naturally, there was also.
‘Berserker.’
Normally, I would have used an axe for the life drain.
It had decent attack power and high life drain, so whenever I used Berserker, I always wielded an axe.
But the sword was ultimately stronger.
The problem was that Berserker consumed HP so rapidly that I had no choice but to use the axe for life drain.
But now that wasn’t an option.
‘Coagulation.’
[For 10 seconds, bleeding damage is negated.]
I didn’t feel Berserker’s consumption anymore.
My MP would run out after just a few more skills.
I wasn’t in a position to use Asir’s Curse.
The skill I chose at this moment was none other than.
“Rapid fire.”
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat.
Ten rounds struck the creature directly.
No tremendous explosion followed.
It only seemed to inflame its rage further.
“Graaaagh!”
But the consecutive hit stacks were accumulating—that was the point.
Feeling my attack speed increase, I dashed forward and unleashed my final skill.
‘Cleave.’
It’s less efficient than the new power strike I’d recently acquired.
But when it comes to raw damage, it’s unmatched.
The synergy with my blade is considerable, or so they say.
Shing!
I cut straight through the Ogre and pressed onward.
The creature thrashed about in such fury, swinging its fists and club wildly.
“Grraaaaaaagh!”
The force was tremendous.
A wind pressure so violent it seemed as though a tornado had spawned—one careless moment and I’d be sent flying.
In that maelstrom, I evaded every attack while slashing with my blade.
Shing! Shing!
“Haaaaaah!”
Swinging my sword until the very end, I moved with the fury of a tempest myself.
One hit here and it’s over.
I’d be dead.
With that thought driving me, I wielded my blade.
The creature trembled without realizing it.
A warrior wreathed in crimson vapor, swinging his blade like a madman.
Truly, wasn’t I a berserker?
The Ogre tried to dislodge me by raking its claws across the ground.
Boom-crash-bang!
Attempting to throw me back with the shockwave.
But I endured it, held my ground, and continued my assault.
Normally I would have dodged or retreated.
This time, I accepted the damage and kept swinging.
Bounding in all directions, I danced my blade.
Arms, back, torso, and finally—its neck.
Shing!
“Kuh-huurgh!”
When I cut through its neck at last,
even the Ogre had no choice but to drop to its knees.
Thud.
The massive weight crashed down with a thunderous boom, and the creature finally dropped to one knee.
Jin-woo looked down at the kneeling beast.
Jin-woo didn’t stop there.
He swung his blade again.
He couldn’t afford to break the Consecutive Strike stack.
Another tempest of slashes descended upon the creature.
“Guh, guuuaaahhh!”
With a final agonized shriek, the Ogre collapsed.
Exhausted, Jin-woo himself dropped to the ground, sitting heavily.
Thump.
“Huff, huff.”
My HP was barely clinging to 1.5%.
Had I been even a moment slower, it would have been me lying defeated, not the Ogre.
Jin-woo gazed at the fallen Ogre.
A message materialized as if offering commendation.
[You have defeated all weakened Raid Bosses.]
[Accumulated rewards are granted.]
[You have acquired an enormous amount of experience points.]
[Level Up!]×6
[Additional experience points acquired.]×6
[You have reached Level 40!]
[A skill has been created.]
[You are on the verge of a class advancement!]
[You acquire an additional job-related skill as a Level 40 reward.]
[Additional skills will be granted upon class advancement.]
[Hidden Boss Killer: You acquire an additional 10 stat points.]
[You have hunted a Raid Boss for the first time!]
[You acquire the First Title ‘Raid Boss Killer’.]
[You achieve victory in the Legendary Colosseum for the first time.]
[You acquire the First Title ‘Legendary Warrior’.]
[You have successfully hunted 10 bosses consecutively for the first time.]
[You acquire the First Title ‘Reaper of Tyrants’.]
[You have hunted an Ogre for the first time.]
[You acquire the First Title ‘Giant Killer’.]
[You have acquired a First Title.]
[Title Hunter effect: You acquire an additional 4 stat points.]
[Hidden Class Quest ‘Path to the God of Combat (3)’ cleared.]
[You advance to the Hidden Class ‘God of Combat’.]
[The advancement will take some time to complete.]
[Please wait a moment.]
Countless messages flooded in.
Jin-woo closed his eyes for a moment, taking them all in.
This wasn’t something to brush off as mere luck.
This was the reward I’d carved out through fierce struggle.
I wanted to savor it.
This moment.
Jin-woo closed his eyes and let out a cry.
“Yesssssss!”
Thump.
Lying flat on the ground, Jin-woo broke into a grin.
I savored the most meaningful moment since my return.
‘This feels amazing.’

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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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