The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 55

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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 55
Episode 55
I was afraid those innocent villagers would try to stop me.
So I slipped out of the Village discreetly.
What kind of Demon Realm villagers were so guileless and kindhearted?
Was it because this place was rural?
No, rural areas often tended to be insular and suspicious.
But here, they didn’t harbor a shred of doubt whatsoever.
They welcomed me with such enthusiasm, as if a guest hadn’t visited in ages.
That’s why I’d used a secret technique to hover in the sky, making it seem like I’d arrived quietly.
Now then, where exactly was the Lightning Gorge?
Earlier, it was too far away to see.
But from above the Village, it was perfectly visible.
Especially the Lightning Gorge?
That was even clearer.
A place where brilliant lightning bolts raged relentlessly.
The interior of the gorge was damp and pitch-black, as if completely filled with dark storm clouds.
This looks considerably dangerous.
Could I withstand the lightning?
Dodging it seemed absolutely impossible.
Let me go check it out anyway.
Whoosh!
I used teleportation to move to the vicinity of the Lightning Gorge.
Then—
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Crack!
Ouch.
The lightning welcomed me the moment I drew near.
It was completely different from the Village.
Most of all—
This is incredibly dangerous.
The lightning didn’t strike in a continuous barrage.
But it was far beyond my ability to react and dodge.
What was I supposed to do about this?
If it were a powerful monster, I could just defeat it and move on.
But this was lightning—it had no eyes.
So how could I evade it, and how could I fight it?
It was futile.
Could I see anything from above?
I gazed down directly into the Lightning Gorge from above—a vantage point that would normally make a conventional approach far too difficult.
To find a place where dark clouds didn’t gather.
If such a spot existed, could I teleport through it?
I’d be able to avoid the lightning that way.
In situations like this, this is how I usually break through.
If I hadn’t possessed King-class Teleportation, I would’ve had to climb the cliffs of Lightning Gorge with my bare hands and look down from above.
Otherwise, I’d need a flying mount.
Neither option is particularly easy.
‘Anyway, let’s head up.’
Normally, this distance would’ve taken me several hours to walk.
But I’d covered it in a single teleport.
Jin-woo, who had teleported directly above Lightning Gorge, carefully surveyed the area below.
I’d worried that dark clouds might fill every corner of the gorge.
But this approach seemed to have been the right call.
I managed to find an empty space.
A region free of both dark clouds and lightning.
However, it was packed with creatures that gleamed and looked ferocious.
‘What are those things?’
Looking closely, they were genuinely fascinating.
They seemed to be demons.
But they certainly didn’t look weak.
Most of them didn’t appear to be mid-tier.
Among the lower-tier demons, these were remarkably powerful specimens.
They wrapped lightning around themselves.
And there were those that controlled dark clouds.
I wondered if they might be mid-tier, but none of them had individual names.
‘All mid-tier demons have names, I was told.’
Of course, there were mid-tier demons present.
Two creatures that commanded the others.
[Mid-tier Demon – Shiminen, the Lightning Devourer]
[Mid-tier Demon – Tapin, the Thunder Cloud Summoner]
So they were Shiminen and Tapin.
They looked considerably powerful.
I wouldn’t only have to face those two.
All the other lower-tier demons appeared to be subordinates of those two creatures.
Which meant I’d have to break through all of them.
This is insane.
Is it even possible?
No, of course it’s impossible.
It’s far too difficult right now.
‘I’m still only level 44, so it’s naturally impossible.’
Intermediate-tier demons are at least level 100 or higher.
Two of those creatures right from the entrance.
And they’re commanding dozens of lower-tier demons.
This would require a party of at least level 120 to clear, minimum.
Intermediate-tier demons are far stronger than lower-tier ones, even at the same level.
It’s like the difference between a mid-boss and a final boss.
Right now, I’m facing two powerful bosses above level 100.
And they have dozens of mid-tier bosses under their command?
By any measure, this seemed impossible at the moment.
But if I back down now, I wouldn’t be Jin-woo.
‘Should I use Stealth?’
If I use Stealth to approach that area and eliminate the two intermediate demons?
Dozens of lower-tier demons?
It would be tough, but still manageable.
Yes, I’ll take the challenge.
But not right now.
The conditions are too unfavorable at this moment.
I don’t have enough cards in my hand.
‘Most of my long-cooldown skills are still on cooldown.’
Verdant Indestructibility, Alchemist’s Elixir, Blessing of the Earth—all of them.
None of their cooldowns have reset yet.
The Alchemist’s Elixir and Blessing of the Earth should return soon enough.
But Verdant Indestructibility, the most crucial one, is still unavailable.
There’s no problem handling them methodically.
This is a field, not a dungeon, after all.
For now, I’ll proceed as I’ve observed, and adjust my approach when dealing with them.
Besides.
I’m almost at level 45.
While waiting for cooldowns to reset, if I hunt?
‘A new skill will unlock.’
Acquiring that would definitely increase my odds.
The more options I have, the better.
Leveling is truly the answer to everything.
I need to hunt diligently.
Looking down from above, I could see hunting grounds nearby.
This entire region appears to be a Hunting Grounds of at least level 100 or higher.
Then I can level up faster than expected.
‘Let’s go.’
After formulating my plan.
I chose a strategic retreat to advance further later.
I hoped the level-up reward would be something worthwhile.
* * *
How difficult was it to face a lower-tier demon beast wreathed in lightning?
How difficult?
It’s a nightmare!
Damn it all!
Even now, Jin-woo swung the Demonic Sword Gram at the creature.
Then—
Crackle!
“Ugh.”
Damage came back whenever I attacked.
As if the beast wore thorned armor.
It was a natural consequence—the creature’s body itself was imbued with lightning attribute.
If it had also inflicted paralysis, I genuinely wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Fortunately, it possessed no such effect.
Slash!
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
The creature resembled a wild cat.
Lower-tier demon beasts often took the form of animals.
Mid-tier ones began to blend human characteristics into their shapes.
For instance, an animal upper body with a human lower body?
Yes, something like a minotaur.
In any case, lower-tier demon beasts were these animal-form monsters.
That made them extraordinarily difficult to face.
They bounded in all directions, moving erratically.
They charged forward, then leaped sideways, shifting direction before attacking again.
All of it happened in an instant.
Even exceptional dynamic vision would struggle to track such movements.
Yet Jin-woo perceived it all, infusing my strikes with overwhelming power and precision as I wielded the Demonic Sword Gram.
Crunch!
“Kyaaaah!
Thud.
The creature collapsed.
This is absolutely maddening.
‘I can’t use Berserker like this.’
Activating Berserker without an invulnerability skill?
Against an opponent that deals damage when I attack?
That would be pure suicide.
Of course, there were ways to mitigate Berserker’s consumption, like Coagulation.
But the duration was too short.
While Jin-woo was lost in thought,
a welcome message materialized before him.
[Level Up!]
[You have acquired additional stat points.]
[You have reached Level 45!]
‘Hm?’
But why didn’t I get a skill?
This sensation of delay felt oddly familiar….
Wait.
Why does this feel so familiar?
Haven’t I experienced something like this before….
As Jin-woo searched his memory,
a fanfare suddenly echoed from nowhere.
Pah-pah-pah-pah!
I’m certain this happened before.
And what comes next is….
Pure white light and feathers like those of angels descend around me.
As if a celestial being were making its grand descent.
Yes, yes, this!
I’ve definitely seen this before!
Ah!
The moment Jin-woo realized it,
another message appeared.
[The effect of the First Title ‘The Sole Existence’ has activated.]
[The probability of obtaining Unique-grade skills increases.]
Yes!
That’s it!
It was exactly the same when I obtained Berserker!
Am I getting another Unique skill here?
Right when I’m facing such a difficult ordeal?
This is truly a blessing!
So, what will it be?
[You have acquired the Unique Skill ‘Bloodline of the Vampire’.]
Huh?
What?
I stared blankly at the message.
As if I had misread something.
What is this?
That was the exact expression on my face.
‘Huh.’
I exhaled a sigh that seemed to say my energy was depleted.
Was I displeased?
Absolutely not.
“This is driving me crazy.”
With this, I doubt I’ll ever see the Vampire King Valen again.
I’ve already taken his primary title, and now I’ve taken his primary skill as well?
This is basically telling me to wrap things up.
Of course, the Vampire King Valen will still have other ways to sustain himself.
I never expected this to drop.
Gulp.
『Bloodline of the Crimson Clan』
*Grade: Unique
*Level: 1
→Upon attack, there is a 10% chance to recover 30% of the damage dealt.
That’s right, it checks out.
Of course, looking purely at the effect itself, it’s inferior to the Demonic Sword Gram.
But it’s true that I’ve gained one more vampiric skill.
Moreover, while the probability is lower than the Demonic Sword Gram, the recovery value is higher.
However, calling this a primary skill based solely on this is somewhat ambiguous.
The true potential of this skill reveals itself only after reaching maximum level.
‘Once I reach max level, it won’t just be about increasing the numbers—I’ll gain the option to convert the recovery from HP to MP instead.’
It’s a genuinely broken skill.
Of course, maxing it out is proportionally difficult.
Still, having it is something.
Vampirism was already a perfectly fitting option for my current situation.
Besides, the cooldown on Verdant Indestructibility had already reset.
Then I’ll head straight to the Lightning Gorge.
‘I had considered resting a bit.’
My HP and MP were abundant.
So there was no reason to hesitate.
Now was the time to take two steps forward.
Since I was nearby, the moment I rose into the sky, the gorge came into view.
‘They’re still here.’
The number of low-tier and mid-tier demonic beasts was identical to before.
It felt like I’d been hunting continuously for nearly five or six hours.
Then I’ll move immediately.
First, I need to complete all the preparations I can.
I’ve used all the buffs from the Guard Corps.
I haven’t used the Versatile Fighter’s buff yet since it had significant utility.
There might be more challenges ahead, after all.
On top of that, I imbued them with wind attribute.
The blades of both swords grew sharper.
Once I finished most of my preparations, I activated my finishing skills.
I used Stealth and Berserker.
I even used Coagulation to prevent immediate resource depletion.
With all preparations complete, I immediately teleported.
Whoosh!
A faint sound escaped, but the two intermediate demons paid it no mind.
Of course not—I was cloaked in stealth.
So what’s the most powerful skill I can use while hidden?
Undoubtedly, Six-Light Slash—a fusion of slashing and striking force!
I gripped my longsword and Gram, then unleashed Six-Light Slash.
Three natural swings from each hand erupted directly across the backs of both intermediate demons.
“Gahhk!”
“Krrgh!”
Yet nearby, lightning damage coursed through the blades alongside the lesser demons.
I endured as much as I could and pressed my assault forward.
I engaged both creatures simultaneously with both hands.
With my left hand’s longsword, I targeted Shiminen, the lightning-devouring one.
With my right hand’s Gram, I targeted Tapin, the storm-summoning one.
The instant both blades struck!
Crimson light flashed across both swords.
‘Excellent.’
The effect confirmed that Life Drain had succeeded.
This would let me sustain Berserker even longer.
Satisfied by the recovery far greater than expected, I smiled contentedly.
“Krraaagh!”
“Gaaahhh!”
The damage I’d dealt was far more severe than anticipated.
Both creatures let out brief shrieks.
Naturally, I didn’t leave them be.
Just as I was about to follow up with another attack.
Tapin, the storm-summoning one, opened its eyes wide and activated a skill.
“Krrr! Come forth!”
Suddenly, dark clouds materialized in the empty air.
Light flickered within the clouds, and then lightning struck down.
Since I’d anticipated this, I used Wind Step to kick off the empty space.
I instantly created distance between us.
Had I remained there, I would have been struck by the lightning.
These two intermediate demons aren’t easy opponents at all?
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
Lightning struck down.
At the spot where Jin-woo had been?
No, not there—it hit Tapin instead.
‘What the—?’
Friendly fire?
No, that couldn’t be right.
Sensing the ominous turn of events, Jin-woo threw himself out of harm’s way without hesitation.
Then.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crack!
A tempest of lightning swept across the ground, searing past where he had stood.
Had he remained there any longer, the damage would have been catastrophic.
After witnessing that, Jin-woo turned his gaze toward Tapin.
And he recalled what had happened moments before.
When lightning had struck Shiminen.
Shiminen had opened his mouth wide and swallowed the lightning whole, then immediately spat it back out.
And that was the result.
The ground had been utterly ravaged, reduced to tatters.
This wouldn’t be as simple as I’d hoped.
There was one saving grace, at least.
They hadn’t summoned any lesser demons to aid them.
Managing the storm clouds must be a task of considerable importance.
‘All right. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.’

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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
—————