The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 6

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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 6
Episode 6
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Running all over the village had taken its toll.
My stamina had nearly bottomed out.
That said it all.
Yet the smile on my lips showed no sign of fading.
Why, you ask?
Hehehehe.
It’s obvious.
Because I’ve gained so much!
After meeting Gruen, I had acquired a total of 7 First Titles.
That alone was remarkable.
But then I went on to obtain 5 more.
『The Highest Climber』
→ First Title
→ Awarded to the first user to reach the highest point in the village
→ Vision +30%
『Smooth Talker』
→ First Title
→ Awarded to the first user to succeed at haggling
→ Haggling Success Rate +30%
『Tale Weaver』
→ First Title
→ Awarded to the first user to complete 10 NPC requests
→ Quest Acquisition Rate +10%
『Born Merchant』
→ First Title
→ Awarded to the first user to transport large quantities of cargo in a short time
→ Strength +5, Stamina +10
『Title Hunter』
→ First Title
→ Awarded to the first user to obtain 10 or more First Titles
→ Gain an additional stat point upon acquiring a Title
→ All Stats +10%
From minor effects like expanded vision.
To genuinely powerful stat boosts!
But most importantly, look at that ‘Title Hunter’.
Gain an additional stat point upon acquiring a Title.
This effect alone was truly extraordinary.
It applies not just to the First Title, but to all regular titles as well.
Obtaining just five of them is practically equivalent to leveling up.
But that’s not all.
‘These aren’t just ordinary stat points—they’re bonus stats.’
Freely allocable stats aren’t easy to come by.
And you’re telling me I gain one of these every time I acquire a title?
Among all the titles I’ll obtain in the future, this ranks among the very best.
Especially considering the countless titles I’ll earn ahead.
When you think about it that way?
Nothing could be better than this.
In the long term, it’s absolutely unparalleled.
That’s precisely what “unparalleled” means.
But this isn’t even the end of it.
On top of that, a 10% increase to all stats?
Now that’s a truly overpowered title.
Right, if it’s a First Title, it should be at least this good.
Look at that grin spreading across my face even while sitting still.
If anyone else saw this, they’d point and accuse me of fraud, maybe even spit at me.
But I don’t care.
I’d even welcome the spit at this point.
That’s how good I feel!
‘Hehehehe.’
If just looking at something can make you feel full, then this crosses the line into gluttony.
Ugh.
I’m going to burst from happiness!
The only downside is that acquiring titles comes after obtaining the Title Hunter title?
Actually, that’s not even a downside.
I can generously overlook that much.
It’s a shameless thought, but there’s no one around to hear it.
How fortunate.
No one will ever see this.
[Jin-woo]
*Level: 1
*Titles: 『Title Hunter』 and 11 others
*Strength – 24 (20+4)
*Stamina – 32.4 (27+5.4)
*Agility – 18 (15+3)
*Mana – 18 (15+3)
*Bonus Stats – 0
‘Wow.’
How am I supposed to describe this?
Normally, I’d be thrilled about stats this high.
But this is absolutely overwhelming.
These are not stats a Level 1 character should possess.
My total ability points exceed 90.
It’s insane.
Even accounting for hoarding everything, this is extraordinary.
I’ve already surpassed my planned stat thresholds.
‘It’s all thanks to Gruen’s Blessing and the Blessing of Nothingness.’
Without those two, my stats wouldn’t have skyrocketed to such broken levels.
At this point, I’ve completed virtually all the preparations available in the village.
Soon, other players will be finishing their tutorials as well.
So what’s next?
It’s obvious, isn’t it?
“Hehehehe, hunting, of course!”
No more first-time titles to earn in the village?
Then I’ll simply earn them while hunting instead!
It’s a bit like saying eat cake if you have no bread, but what choice do I have?
And the best part is, it’s actually possible.
Should I head out right now?
‘The Northern Hunting Ground is close to the Mine, right?’
I pulled up the map to be sure, and yes, I was correct.
According to my knowledge, there’s a Hidden Dungeon near that Mine!
The Deron Kingdom, specifically Nen Village, was an incredibly popular starting location.
It was always teeming with players because of it.
And the reason was simple.
The nearby Mine contained numerous dungeons.
‘That’s why I started in Nen Village back then.’
Not now.
Before my regression.
With so many dungeons, hunting spots were plentiful and leveling was rapid—a beginner’s paradise unlike any other.
It was genuinely difficult to find a starter zone that good.
But there was one event that amplified its popularity even further.
The Hidden Dungeon incident.
‘It was absolute chaos.’
Who would have ever thought a Hidden Dungeon lurked among all those countless mines?
Well, actually, plenty of people suspected it.
Hidden piece enthusiasts were everywhere, after all.
Time passed without any discovery, so I assumed it didn’t exist—until it was finally found.
The Hidden Dungeon.
What gamer wouldn’t salivate at the prospect of such a place?
Naturally, the video uploaded by the party that discovered the dungeon first went viral.
Massively viral.
‘That’s how the Mountain Guild was born.’
One of the mega-guilds that became famous before my regression.
They grew to that scale by stumbling upon a dungeon early on by sheer luck.
Not only did the video explode in popularity, but the hidden pieces they obtained from the dungeon were substantial as well.
It was a win-win-win situation—profit from every angle, every possible benefit rolled into one.
This is one of my grand schemes!
I’ll film a video of this and make it go viral!
And I’ll rake in the items too!
‘Plus, I’ll snag the first-clear title!’
The Mountain Guild never managed to secure the first-clear title.
By the time they found it—a month or two after launch—someone else had apparently already opened a Hidden Dungeon.
But if it’s me?
Guaranteed.
How many benefits am I getting? The video, the items, the first-clear title?
Three birds with one stone?
Killing three birds with a single throw?
I’m a sharpshooter, a real sharpshooter.
‘My Pantheon channel will grow far beyond what it was before my regression. The foundation is the hardest part, but this is already a proven viral video.’
Of course, I’m not planning to upload it immediately after filming.
I’ll let it age like kimchi, then serve it up perfectly.
The Mountain Guild uploaded theirs when Nen Village’s popularity was at its peak, after all.
At least a month later?
Yeah.
That should do it.
This is how I’ll pave the way for my Pantheon channel’s success.
‘Making money from gaming alone isn’t easy.’
I can’t rely solely on item drops for income.
I need to hedge my bets.
Before my regression, I streamed Pantheon gameplay too.
A Pantheon channel is incredibly reliable.
More reliable than a bowl of hearty soup.
I can say that with confidence.
These are the words of a veteran with ten years under his belt.
Take it to heart.
But I won’t enter the dungeon just yet.
Why not?
‘I need to level up first.’
Dungeons require level 5 to enter.
Of course, I’ll reach that soon enough.
Why, you ask?
Because I have two separate 20% experience gain increases up to level 10—that’s the point!
A total of 40%!
Some might dismiss it as merely 40%.
But that’s what people say when they’ve never actually played the game.
Do you have any idea how significant 40% is?
‘In gaming, people stake their lives on even 1% advantages.’
Lost in thought, I arrived faster than expected.
When I first rushed from the Fountain to the Training Grounds, it felt so far away.
Yet this longer distance passed by in a flash.
Daydreaming is the best.
Or perhaps my stats have improved?
Either way, what matters is that I’ve arrived.
As I reached the North Gate and tried to step outside, the Guard Soldiers stationed there blocked my path.
All NPCs are the same, aren’t they?
“I haven’t seen your face before.”
“What business do you have going out?”
How is it their dialogue never changes?
Do they hand out scripts or something?
That must be it.
There’s no other explanation.
Sigh.
I’ll have to make something up again.
“Well…”
“Hm? Say, what’s your relationship with the Captain?”
“Pardon?”
“Gasp! Now that I think about it, I sense the Captain’s aura!”
“W-what do you mean, sir?”
Suddenly speaking so formally…
Ah, Gruen.
Looking at Gruen’s appearance alone, I understand their reaction.
Of course.
Having received Gruen’s blessing, it’s natural they’d sense his presence.
The aura of a Master, no less!
Ahem, make way!
“W-what are you doing? Q-quickly, let’s clear the path for them.”
“M-my apologies for not recognizing you sooner.”
“No, no. It’s understandable.”
Jin-woo managed to slip out with such a simple farewell.
It shouldn’t be troublesome from here on out.
This sort of thing is common in beginner villages, after all.
Annoying as it is, this is precisely what makes the game enjoyable.
As I stepped beyond the North Gate, a rather rugged mountainous terrain sprawled before me.
One could certainly say it was a place befitting the abundance of mines.
The monsters roaming the surroundings were predominantly beast-type creatures.
Rabbits and squirrels—the sort of beginner-friendly monsters one would expect at the starting stages.
But their numbers were quite substantial.
No, rather considerable.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The beginner hunting grounds before any users had arrived.
A sight I’d never witnessed even before my return.
Normally, there should be more users than monsters here.
But now it seems there are far more monsters than trees or grass.
Is this even possible?
And with so many rabbits about, why are the grasses so lush?
Are these phantom rabbits or something?
‘Either way, this works in my favor.’
Abundant hunting grounds meant I could level up faster and reach the Hidden Dungeon sooner.
Should I start by hunting rabbits?
Rabbits are the basics, after all.
What?
Everyone says that?
That’s nonsense.
‘When you first start Pantheon, even catching rabbits isn’t easy.’
They call rabbits the beginner’s threshing machine for a reason.
The claim of perfect virtual reality is no exaggeration.
Unlike other games, the monsters’ movements are far more dynamic.
A beginner who hasn’t adapted to that?
They’d easily fall to rabbits.
For creatures like rabbits or squirrels with biologically small frames, attacking them is quite challenging.
Because they’re so small, you have to attack by striking the ground beneath them.
And as I mentioned, the movements are dynamic unlike other games.
An ordinary person actually attacking and catching a living rabbit?
It’s an extraordinarily difficult task.
This is why so many beginners ended up being killed by rabbits.
But for Jin-woo?
Not a chance!
“Here we go!”
Thud!
I drove the crude sword I’d received as a basic weapon precisely between the rabbit’s eyes.
A thrust with not a millimeter of deviation!
Elementary swordsmanship helped, certainly, but if my own skill were lacking, it would all be for nothing.
It’s impossible unless I read the rabbit’s movements and thrust my blade along its trajectory.
And on top of that, Jin-woo’s absurd stats are added into the mix?
What else could the poor creature do but perish?
As expected.
A message appeared confirming the rabbit’s death.
But it wasn’t just one.
Ding!
[You have struck a weak point. A critical hit has occurred.]
[You have landed your first critical hit.]
[You obtain the First Title ‘The Lethal One’.]
[You have defeated the rabbit in a single strike!]
[You gain experience points.]
[You have defeated a monster in a single strike for the first time.]
[You obtain the First Title ‘One Hit Wonder’.]
[You have obtained a First Title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you gain an additional 2 stat points.]
『The Lethal One』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to land a critical hit
→Critical damage +50%
『One Hit Wonder』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to achieve a one-hit kill
→+30% damage on first attack
A dizzying cascade of messages!
This is why I hunt!
Experience points and two First Titles to boot!
Plus an additional 2 stat points from obtaining a First Title!
‘This is incredible!’
And it’s a permanent increase, no less.
Who knows what the future holds, but for now…
Though I do wish there had been an item drop.
But to ask for that would be pure greed.
Not that my conscience hasn’t already shattered.
Both are excellent First Titles.
This is the caliber a First Title should have!
Of course, this wasn’t the end of it.
I approached the rabbit’s corpse and opened my inventory.
And out came the butchering tools!
Worried you don’t have the right items?
Don’t fret!
You can extract them yourself!
“Butcher!”
Ding!
[Butchering successful.]
[As a first-time butchering bonus, you obtain a perfect rabbit hide, rabbit meat, and rabbit bones.]
I couldn’t help but smile.
Even the items were flawless.
Of course, there was a message to make it even more perfect!
Ding!
[You have successfully butchered for the first time.]
[You obtain the first title ‘Self-Sufficient’.]
[You have obtained a first title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you gain an additional stat point.]
‘Ah, this is sweet, so sweet.’

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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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