The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 7

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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 7
Episode 7
『Self-Sufficiency』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to successfully engage in gathering and hunting activities
→Success rate +30% when gathering and hunting
→Probability +10% of obtaining higher-quality items when gathering and hunting
“Hehehehe.”
This is absolutely broken.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a title rivaling Title Hunter itself.
Gathering and hunting.
In other games, one might ask why anyone would bother with such tedious work.
Well, that’s not entirely wrong.
The same applies to Pantheon.
In fact, most players don’t bother with it.
But do they have money to spare?
Every single material item like this translates directly into currency.
When I can obtain these myself, why would I?
Pay money to buy them?
‘There’s nothing more wasteful than material items, really.’
Others might think differently, but I have no intention of doing that.
It’s far too wasteful.
Beyond that.
The crafting recipes stored in my mind.
There are dozens of them alone.
If I keep buying materials and crafting, someone could reverse-engineer my methods and discover my recipes.
Ah, surely they wouldn’t go that far in a game, right?
Oh please, this person is underestimating the game.
A single recipe is worth hundreds of millions.
And you’re dismissing that?
That won’t do.
‘It’s best to keep my recipes as hidden as possible.’
That’s precisely what this First Title is for.
Gathering and hunting are that important.
Of course, nothing is more important than hunting itself.
‘Hehe, then shall I sweep everything up?’
After that, everything proceeded at lightning speed.
Armed with stats so formidable that it was hard to believe I was only level 1, my basic swordsmanship was practically a cheat code.
One thrust, one kill.
I was literally sweeping everything clean.
There it is.
Ding!
[You have gained experience!]
[Level up!]
[You have gained additional stats.]
There was no “First” title for achieving my first level up.
I didn’t know it either, but I wondered if there might be one.
There wasn’t.
Well, of course.
Leveling up is easy.
[Level up!]
[You have gained additional stats.]
[Level up!]
[You have gained additional stats.]
Every time I caught a handful of rabbits, my level went up.
I never expected it to be this easy!
“Heh! This feels like I’m playing Pantheon on easy mode.”
Was it always this simple?
No way.
Pantheon is the game where leveling is called hell itself.
What? Then why am I leveling up so easily?
Simple answer.
Because I’m strong.
If you’re frustrated, just become stronger yourself~.
A leveling speed only I could achieve!
It’s only possible because I have multiple First titles.
For other beginners, hunting just ten rabbits takes a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes.
But for me, I just stab ten times and the experience duplicates.
There’s no way it could be difficult.
If anything, butchering takes longer than hunting.
It’s strange how butchering takes more time than the actual hunt.
The irony was undeniable.
And just minutes after that.
The message I’d been waiting for appeared.
[Level up!]
[You have gained additional stats.]
[You have reached Level 5.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Power Strike’.]
『Power Strike』
*Grade: Normal
*Level: 1
→When using this skill, attack with +150% damage based on Attack Power.
→MP Cost: 100
“Finally!”
Was I waiting for a skill?
Not a chance.
I was waiting for the minimum condition to enter the Hidden Dungeon.
With stats like a monster,
there’s no way I’d have waited for just a normal skill.
‘Well, it’s not bad either way.’
The skill was ordinary.
To be precise, it was quite serviceable for a normal skill.
It’s just a step below my First Title.
There was no initial reward at Level 5.
Well, there’s an initial reward at Level 10, so there’s no real need to give one at Level 5.
Anyway, the skill acquisition wasn’t bad.
Normally in the Pantheon, there are three ways to learn skills.
Skill books, continuous practice, and finally, obtaining them by leveling up.
Those are the three methods.
Among these, skills obtained through leveling can be acquired every time you reach a multiple of Level 5.
Additionally, the system measures your actions while leveling and grants skills that match your playstyle.
It seems Jin-woo acquired Strong Strike by one-shotting every monster while leveling up.
‘Better than nothing.’
The downside is the MP consumption is fairly high.
But it deals damage to match.
It’s not bad.
Not that I need it, but using it occasionally should be worthwhile.
There’s something I’ve been waiting for more than the skill anyway.
‘Let’s go.’
At first I thought about clearing out my inventory, but it should be fine.
I have plenty of space since there are several failed butchering attempts taking up slots.
More than anything, the 40% experience boost made a huge difference.
It’s convenient not having to make annoying trips back and forth.
I set out easily enough, but the path itself wasn’t particularly easy.
All paths to the Mine are like that, I suppose.
This one was unusually treacherous.
Enough to make you question if this was really a beginner Hunting Ground.
Then again, it was the same when I first came here before my regression.
At least since it wasn’t my first time, I could progress relatively smoothly.
Monsters like deer and wild dogs occasionally appeared, but I felt no significant difference compared to the rabbits.
Ah, is this the overwhelming difference in power?
I climbed the mountain, acutely aware of the gap between us.
‘I’m claiming the beginning of the Mountain Guild for myself.’
It’s something I never would have dreamed of.
This is all thanks to regression.
Who could have predicted regression would happen?
Could I create a massive guild like the Mountain Guild?
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I shook my head.
‘That’s not stylish at all.’
The truly high-ranked hunters.
Weren’t there some among them?
Those who operated independently without joining any guild.
Did they fall behind the massive guilds because of that?
Not particularly.
If I continue like this, my solo dominance is entirely possible.
Do I really need to create a guild?
Besides, it’s too troublesome.
A massive guild is essentially running a corporation that goes beyond a small-to-medium enterprise.
But do I really need to do that?
It’s unbearably tedious!
Some high-ranked hunters earn as much as what major guilds make.
Why would I bother with all that hassle?
I’d rather earn less while keeping things simple and comfortable.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the Mine.
It didn’t take long to get there at all.
Indeed, daydreaming is the best way to pass travel time.
Man, this is what ten years of experience gets you!
‘I’ve arrived.’
A mining area riddled with multiple holes.
It resembled a narrow gorge.
Even visiting multiple times before, I would have been confused about which hole was which, but I had no hesitation.
After all, I remembered the entrance.
I’m glad I memorized it beforehand.
‘The name was Cobolt’s Lost Land, right?’
It was a Hidden Dungeon where Cobolts appeared, true to its name.
I smiled, recalling the video of the Mountain Guild’s first clear.
In truth, once I knew the location, the strategy didn’t matter.
With these stats, if I had to think about strategy, I’d have no talent.
Fortunately, I’m not without talent.
It didn’t take long to reach the location I had memorized.
Since there were so many holes, it wasn’t particularly hidden, making it easy to find.
Naturally, I started filming right away.
And then a message appeared.
Ding!
[You have discovered the Hidden Dungeon ‘Cobolt’s Lost Land’!]
[As a first discovery reward, experience and drop rates increase by 2x upon clearing.]
[You have discovered a Hidden Dungeon for the first time.]
[You have obtained the First Title ‘Capable Explorer’.]
[You have obtained a First Title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you gain an additional stat point.]
『Capable Explorer』
→First Title
→A title granted to the user who first discovers a Hidden Dungeon
→First discovery reward for Hidden Dungeons +50%
A First Title!
A whopping 50% increase option!
Normally, this option isn’t particularly meaningful.
It only matters if you discover Hidden Dungeons.
Normally, that is.
For a veteran who regressed after waking up one day with ten years of experience, this doesn’t apply.
I already knew information about over dozens of Hidden Dungeons.
‘Well, shall I go in?’
I tried to enter the dungeon without much excitement anymore.
Then a warning message appeared.
Ding!
[It is recommended to clear this dungeon with a party of 6 or more members, all level 5 or higher.]
[Your current party size does not meet the requirements.]
[Do you still wish to enter?]
‘They’re lenient about this part.’
They enforce level restrictions but not party restrictions.
Well, that’s because this is a beginner area.
Once you reach level 10 and leave the beginner area, level restrictions essentially disappear.
They prevent high-level users from entering low-level dungeons, but they don’t really stop low-level users from entering high-level dungeons.
So they won’t stop suicide?
That could be it.
But with my monstrous stats, that doesn’t apply to me.
“I’m entering.”
As I boldly declared my entry, my body felt weightless for a moment and the scenery shifted.
Some parts feel realistic while others feel like a game.
Well, it’s a system designed to prevent backstabs in dungeons.
I have to praise that restraint.
There’s nothing more irritating than a backstab.
It happens often enough in the field.
Just as my mind wandered for a moment, an alert chimed.
This must be the dungeon conditions.
Ding!
[Cobolt’s Lost Land]
→The Cobolts wish to reclaim their lost homeland.
→However, they are well aware that their meager strength alone cannot accomplish this.
→Having lost their sanctuary to humans, they have decided to make offerings to the gods in a final attempt to reclaim their land.
→Should the Cobolts succeed, the livelihood of the people of Nen Village, who depend on the Mine for survival, will be jeopardized.
→Having foreseen this threat, you have come here to stop the Cobolts.
→Eliminate all Cobolts and destroy their altar.
What is this?
Looking at the setup alone, humans are the ones at fault here.
I’m sorry, Cobolts. Humans are terrible creatures.
But I’m also a helpless human, aren’t I?
After confirming the mission message I’d already seen in videos before, I immediately adjusted my grip on the sword.
Though honestly, there was no real need.
Grrr.
The sound of Cobolts echoing from somewhere nearby.
I burst forward the moment I heard them and thrust my blade out.
Right, I’ve already memorized the positions.
Even though it was from videos I’d watched before, I’d seen them so many times that I remember them well.
The moment I charged out, three of them rushed at me, and my extended blade pierced straight through one’s neck.
“Screech!”
A Cobolt wails at the death of its companion.
And then it goes limp.
Just as expected—one hit is all it takes.
For a Cobolt to withstand stats like mine is simply impossible.
Yeah, that’s right.
But two remain.
The experience gain notification didn’t appear because I was still in combat.
I retrieved my blade and immediately slashed the neck of the nearest one.
“Hah!”
Slice!
This one didn’t even have time to scream before its neck was severed.
The one in the rear, having witnessed its ally’s head fall, hesitated for a fatal moment.
A foolish decision.
I drove my blade toward its heart.
Thwack!
One hit, as expected.
Heh!
Now this is hunting.
I’d dispatched three creatures in a flash and casually dismissed the experience gain notification.
Right, butchering is far more important than experience.
Two successful harvests, one failure.
Not a bad haul.
Shall I sweep through more?
And so Jin-woo’s one-sided slaughter began in earnest.
Screech!
Screeeech!
Screech!
“Hehehehe! Excellent! Marvelous!”
My inventory steadily overflowed with spoils.
This winter, I’d be spending it in absolute comfort.

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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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