The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 45

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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 45
Episode 45
Lake of Bone Eater.
A Hunting Ground primarily frequented by those in their 60s to 70s in level.
Naturally, at Jin-woo’s current level, it would be a death trap.
But Jin-woo was different, you see.
[Jin-woo]
*Level: 42
*Class: War God
*Title: 『Irregular』 and 46 others
*Strength—160 (100+60)
*Stamina—160 (100+60)
*Agility—160 (100+60)
*Mana—160 (100+60)
*Additional Stat Points—8
Look at these stats inflated through various stat bonuses.
‘Even I have to admit these stats are crossing the line.’
The stats were absurd by any standard.
At this level, I’d be comparable to a mid-tier level 70s user at minimum.
And I’d achieved this at merely level 42.
It was frankly nonsensical.
Yet Jin-woo’s expression remained impassive.
I’m slightly anxious, though.
Will this be enough to clear it?
‘It’ll be close, won’t it?’
Worried despite possessing such stats?
Of course.
Hunting at Lake of Bone Eater itself was feasible.
It might be somewhat challenging, but the hunting itself wouldn’t be a problem.
I wasn’t one to be intimidated by that.
But the boss was a different matter entirely.
Jin-woo’s thoughts turned to the boss.
Ron, swallowed by the Demonic Sword.
Not just any boss—a Hidden Boss, no less!
An entity operating on an entirely different level from any Hidden Boss I’d faced before.
Yet my current combat power was significantly diminished in comparison.
‘Because of the War God class change quest, all recovery-type skills are on cooldown.’
Blessing of the Earth and the Alchemist’s Elixir.
Both were on cooldown.
Skills whose cooldowns wouldn’t end until tomorrow.
Then why go now?
There’s no benefit in dragging this out any longer.
Besides, if I finish quickly, I might earn additional rewards.
It would be strange not to try.
Of course, I had confidence backing this decision.
Without it, I would have ruled out the fast approach from the start.
What’s this trump card of mine?
‘I never would have considered this if Eternal Unbreakable’s cooldown hadn’t reset.’
The ultimate invincibility skill in existence!
An invincibility skill that lasts a full five minutes.
I’m betting everything on this one skill.
It’s powerful enough to turn the tide in my favor.
That was the reason for my reckless charge.
Five minutes is quite a long duration, certainly.
But in the midst of combat, it becomes a fleeting span.
Especially before a formidable Hidden boss.
‘I’ve arrived.’
The terrain resembled a gloomy swampland.
A Hunting Ground reeking of moisture and decay.
Even before my return, this wasn’t a particularly popular hunting ground.
The ground was nothing but mud, draining stamina with every step.
It’s been ages since I’ve been here.
Lost in brief reverie, I pressed forward without hesitation toward the center.
My destination lay there—the lake.
‘Shadow of the Dark Night.’
I activated stealth to evade the lesser monsters and conserve stamina.
Quite an effective concealment skill.
As long as I didn’t strike first, it would remain active.
Thanks to it, I reached the lake without incident.
The surroundings were nothing but muddy swamp, yet the lake itself gleamed with clarity.
A surface like gazing into a mirror.
I dove straight into it.
Splash!
The lake’s surface rippled as I sank beneath the water, and then—
The terrain suddenly transformed into something entirely different.
As if falling through a cavern hidden behind a waterfall, I plummeted into a vast underground chasm.
Thud.
I landed naturally on the floor and surveyed my surroundings.
A single passage through the immense cavern.
I couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.
‘Who could have possibly found this place?’
I was lost in thought, chuckling to myself.
A message appeared—one that no longer felt novel.
[You have discovered the Hidden Dungeon ‘Underground Cavern Beneath Lake of Bone Eater’.]
[As a first-time discovery bonus, experience and drop rates increase by 2x upon clearing.]
[You have discovered a Hidden Dungeon.]
[The effect of the First Title ‘Capable Explorer’ activates.]
[First-time rewards increase by 50%.]
[Upon clearing, experience and drop rates change to 3x.]
[You are not currently in a party.]
[Upon clearing, the effect of the First Title ‘Lone Wolf’ applies.]
[The effect of the First Title ‘Hidden Collector’ applies.]
[Hidden Dungeon rewards increase.]
Wow, look at all those lengthy messages.
To put it simply: clear it and strike gold.
And of course I’ll clear it.
It’s giving me a Demonic Sword—I have to do this.
Assuming it’s even possible, that is.
With that thought, I moved toward the only path visible before me.
In that instant, another message flashed.
[Warning! Warning!]
[The recommended level for this dungeon differs significantly from your current level.]
[This dungeon’s difficulty is considerably higher than others.]
[Your probability of death is extremely high.]
[Do you truly wish to enter?]
Dire warnings, all of them.
But when had I ever hesitated at such things?
Never.
No guts, no glory.
Besides, I resurrect even if I die.
I can challenge it again.
Though I’ll lose the first-time bonus, of course.
‘I will absolutely clear this.’
There was no reason I couldn’t.
I had the five-minute invincibility of the Emerald Indestructible Blade, and I already knew the strategy.
So I’m going in!
With that resolve, I stepped forward.
A message appeared.
[You have entered the Hidden Dungeon ‘Underground Cavern Beneath Lake of Bone Eater’.]
A message like any other.
But something was different.
There were no monsters around at all.
Yet Jin-woo wasn’t alarmed.
I’d known this from the start.
Unlike other dungeons, there were no ordinary monsters here.
Only a single boss.
And a hidden boss at that.
Phew, this is a bit nerve-wracking.
I walked forward with slight tension coursing through me.
As I continued, an enormous space came into view at the end of the passage.
It was even vaster than the cavern I’d fallen into beneath the lake.
And standing in the center was a single man.
His condition was far from good.
Tentacles erupting from the sword gripped in his right hand coiled around his body.
He looked as though he’d been consumed by a cursed blade.
However,
‘What is this?’
Something felt off.
He didn’t look quite like I remembered.
Weren’t those tentacles supposed to cover his entire body?
Had my memory failed me?
No.
I was certain—he hadn’t looked like this.
I remembered it distinctly because he’d resembled something like “Venom” from the movies.
But this appearance now was, no matter how I looked at it,
‘Less consumed than I thought?’
The number of tentacles coiling around Ron was noticeably fewer.
And most importantly, his name was different.
[Ron, Controlled by the Cursed Blade]
Originally, he was Ron who’d been devoured by the cursed blade?
Could it be…?
Gulp.
The original quest had Ron—already consumed by the cursed blade and dead—moving about.
He was nothing but the cursed blade itself.
But judging by his current name and condition,
it was certain.
‘He’s still alive!?’
As I realized the anomaly and continued observing,
Ron opened his mouth.
“…Who are you?”
It can actually speak?
Originally, all it said was “Graaagh, grrr, kwaaaaack!” — nothing else.
We can have a conversation?
Then could it be…?
“Um, yes? I’ve come to retrieve Ron. Shall we return together?”
“Kha! You say such things even seeing me like this? You’ve lost your mind.”
My identity had been seen through in an instant.
This one is no ordinary foe.
Regardless.
Jin-woo felt a twinge of regret watching this unfold.
It had been an opportunity to win without effort.
But the fact that things were easier than originally anticipated still held true.
“To tell you to flee… it’s already too late. The Demonic Sword has already sensed you. I’m sorry. That’s why I was hiding deliberately…”
Ron’s expression turned sorrowful.
He seemed to believe I would be the one suffering.
Well, on the surface I appeared low-leveled and light in bearing, after all.
Regardless, I smiled faintly and spoke.
“Haha, no. I’ll save you shortly.”
“What a dream-like tale. The Demonic Sword now… Krrghhhk!”
The tentacles began writhing with increasing intensity.
Ron’s once-clear eyes gradually began to fade.
“Graaaaaagh!”
Consciousness had vanished, it seemed.
Now it was no longer Ron — purely the Demonic Sword’s consciousness.
Yet it still didn’t match the form from my memories.
Moreover.
Whoosh!
The Demonic Sword closed the considerable distance between us.
Fast.
But.
‘Slower than its original speed, though?’
I dodged it lightly and smirked.
At this level?
I could clear this without any strategy guide!
The Demonic Sword swung itself at me in a straightforward attack.
Such honest blade strikes.
There’s no reason I should take such pathetic attacks.
I simply leaned my torso back to evade.
And if I merely dodge, that wouldn’t be me.
Clang! Clang!
I crossed the sword and axe like scissors, striking the Demonic Sword directly.
A remarkably intense attack.
I hadn’t used any skills, but my stats alone already surpassed the power of most skills.
As expected.
Kiiieeeee!
“Krraaagh!”
The sword itself began to wail and recoil.
At the same time, Ron suffered as well.
There was no helping it.
Who told him to pick up and wield a Demonic Sword in the first place?
Whoosh!
The Demonic Sword charged at me again in fury.
It rushed forward without reason, but its speed was noticeably slower than what I remembered.
Even its strength was weak.
Well, this was practically a free victory.
Smiling faintly, I activated my skills in sequence.
Berserker, All-Rounder—Agility, Guard Corps Strength, Guard Corps Swiftness, Guard Corps Vitality.
And finally, Asir’s Curse.
Red vapor and an ominous dark-red aura enveloped me.
Wrapping around my entire body.
Then I targeted Asir’s Curse.
Not at Ron, but at the Demonic Sword in his right hand.
That was the strategy.
‘The true body wasn’t Ron—it was the Demonic Sword.’
At first, I didn’t know that and only attacked Ron.
I nearly wiped out before finally clearing it by attacking the Demonic Sword.
So this time, I would target the Demonic Sword from the start!
Look at that.
As expected, the Demonic Sword writhed in agony.
Kiiieeeeeek!
“Kugh…ugh.”
All the consumption from Berserker was being redirected to the Demonic Sword through Asir’s Curse.
I wished it would die from just this.
But that wouldn’t happen.
And it certainly wouldn’t stay still.
Bang!
Perhaps growing desperate.
It became even faster than before.
The Demonic Sword and Ron rushed toward me, tearing through the air.
It was definitely faster, but still…
‘Slower than the video.’
I had prepared for this beforehand.
But this won’t do.
It’s far too easy!
After evading the Demon Sword’s attack, I wielded my axe in a downward slash, bringing it crashing down.
The axe, brimming with tremendous force, came down directly upon the Demon Sword.
Claaaaaang!
Kyieeeeeek!
With each blow, it cried out in agony.
We’re far from finished, you wretch!
I attempted another strike, but the creature sensed it perfectly and retreated backward.
My axe cut through empty air.
The moment an opening appeared, the Demon Sword lunged forward again.
I swung, but I wasn’t relying on just the axe!
Clang clang clang!
I blocked the Demon Sword’s blade with my sword, and the impact sent me stumbling backward rapidly.
However, the opening I’d created was too large, and the creature closed the distance immediately.
An awkward stance with no time to prepare.
I gripped my sword again for defense.
Certainly, since the sword was its true body, there were parts that were difficult to attack.
If I struck Ron, Ron would be the one who died.
The Demon Sword would simply resurrect or regenerate the corpse to move it.
So I had to target only the Demon Sword.
The difficulty increased exponentially.
Look at this very moment.
‘Rapid fire.’
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Though I fired directly at the Demon Sword, it simply adjusted its blade and evaded with ease.
Instead.
Crash crash crash crash!
“Ugh!”
Only Ron took the damage.
This is quite troublesome.
But as always, there’s always a way.
The moment the Demon Sword, having evaded my rapid fire, closed the distance to attack me.
A faint smile played across my lips.
The Demon Sword realized something was wrong and tried to evade.
But it was too late.
Boom! Whoooosh!
Kyieeeeeee!
A fireball materialized directly before Jin-woo, striking the Demonic Sword’s blade with perfect timing.
The precision transcended mere coincidence—it bordered on the uncanny.
The Demonic Sword staggered, momentarily disoriented by the impact.
An opening.
I couldn’t afford to waste this.
I blended a cutting strike with crushing force, twisted my hips, and spun back around.
Then, wringing my entire body with rotational momentum, I swung the axe down with devastating power.
CRAAAAAASH!
“…!”
The Demonic Sword didn’t even cry out—a sign the impact was catastrophic.
The eye embedded in its hilt trembled violently, confirming the severity of the blow.
This was my moment.
Rapid-fire strikes again.
This time, I wove Transition into the barrage differently.
KABOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Deafening explosions erupted from the Demonic Sword!
And Asir’s Curse continued pouring in relentlessly.
It was a near-perfect strategy.
However,
‘Asir’s Curse won’t last much longer.’
My MP was running dangerously low.
Despite my composed appearance, I was far from having the luxury of choice.
I needed to deactivate Asir’s Curse soon.
But would that be wise?
Asir’s Curse was the best skill for consistent damage output.
Yet its MP consumption was astronomical.
If only I had an alchemist’s elixir capable of full restoration.
Without it, Asir’s Curse was a double-edged sword.
I wished I could sustain the pressure longer.
But I’d truly reached my limit.
Once Asir’s Curse deactivated?
‘Berserk won’t last long either.’
I needed to land more hits to trigger Bloodsucking.
That wouldn’t be easy.
‘Perhaps it’s time to use Verdant Unbreakable.’
As I pondered this, I struck the creature again with my axe.
Then something changed.
CRACK.
SHRIEEEEEEK!
A scream pierced the air, accompanied by the sound of something shattering.
Huh?
What’s this?
The Demonic Sword Gram trembled with increasing vibrations, shedding its outer shell like a molting creature.
Once freed from its cocoon, Gram’s new form gleamed with a pale violet hue.
Not the murky purple from before, but a luminous, delicate violet.
And at the same time, it appeared far sharper than before.
Kieeeee!
Watching the Demonic Sword roar and tremble, Jin-woo found himself smiling without realizing it.
Already Phase 2.
‘I can see the end!’

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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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