The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 9

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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 9
Episode 9
Three titles obtained in a single moment.
『Dungeon Hunter』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to successfully clear a dungeon
→Gain random stat increases upon clearing a dungeon
『Solitary Wolf』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to clear a dungeon solo
→Generate additional rewards upon solo clearing a dungeon
『Soaring Bird』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to reach level 10
→All stats +10%
Dungeon Hunter and Solitary Wolf.
Both are exceptional First Titles.
Random stat increases upon clearing a dungeon.
And additional rewards upon solo clearing a dungeon.
‘Heh.’
I can only marvel at this.
But the main prize is something else entirely!
The First Title I’d been yearning for most!
Soaring Bird, that is.
This one right here.
Originally, there were only two percentage stat increases available at level 10.
Title Hunter and Soaring Bird, those two.
I’d only anticipated those two.
But with the addition of Blessed by the Void, that makes three total.
All of them offering +10% increases.
In other words, a total of 30% increase, that’s what I’m saying!
‘This is insane.’
All stats increased by 30% at level 10.
According to my original plan, percentage increases would be difficult to obtain for quite some time after this.
I’d need to reach at least level 100 or higher.
I was prepared to settle for a 20% increase.
But 30% instead.
My plans had already deviated favorably, but I recalled the strategy I’d formulated once more.
Acquiring other things would accelerate dramatically.
‘Let me review this.’
First, let me check my status window.
[Jin-woo]
*Level: 10
*Titles: 『Title Hunter』 and 18 others
*Strength – 26 (20+6)
*Stamina – 35.1 (27+8.1)
*Agility – 19.5 (15+4.5)
*Mana – 19.5 (15+4.5)
*Unallocated Points – 52
Wow.
These stats are solid—rock solid, even.
To think I’ve already reached this level.
Nine levels gained, yielding +45 unallocated points, plus another +7 from the Title Hunter title.
All told, I’ve accumulated 52 unallocated points.
It’s more than enough for now.
I could manage without allocating them further.
But then again.
‘Save it up and watch it turn to waste.’
I’ve seen players like that before.
The ones who hoard unallocated points because their stats feel comfortable enough.
I understand the appeal, honestly.
It’s not entirely wrong, after all.
Saving them up and spending them in a pinch does have its merits.
It can become a trump card when you need it most.
But if you die before using them, you lose levels and those precious points vanish.
Who’s going to compensate you for that?
There’s no insurance company out here.
I can’t stomach that kind of outcome.
So it makes sense to use them gradually.
Besides, if I want to acquire a Sword Orb later, I need to balance my stats beforehand.
‘Distribute them evenly.’
With that strategy in mind, I reallocated my points.
[Jin-woo]
*Level: 10
*Titles: 『Title Hunter』 and 18 others
*Strength – 39 (30+9)
*Stamina – 39 (30+9)
*Agility – 39 (30+9)
*Mana – 39 (30+9)
*Unallocated Points – 9
‘Hmm.’
This is a bit bothersome.
39.
Any person would find this unbearable.
Don’t you want to round that final 9 up to 10?
Is it just me?
Anyway.
Inconvenient as it is, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Even if I add 1 more point, the additional 30% increase just results in decimals.
39 as a clean number is better than that.
Ugh, how annoying.
I should sit up properly.
‘Now that I’ve confirmed all the titles, the next thing is….’
Time to check the rewards!
I didn’t come all this way just to earn a title!
Those items that were responsible for the early stages of the Mountain Guild itself!
I immediately pulled the items from my inventory.
Krhehe, look at that shine.
The quality is absolutely killer.
And there are three items!
Is it three because of the triple multiplier?
‘My luck is incredible!’
Even the Mountain Guild laid the foundation for a massive guild with just two set items, but three?
This is practically a gift.
Beyond just becoming stronger, having these means I can progress through the early stages with absolute confidence, that’s what I’m saying.
This is like having a hearty, satisfying meal of a friend.
With a reassured heart, I examined the effects.
As expected, nothing surprising.
And they turned out to be exactly the kinds of things I needed.
『Cobolt Warrior’s Sword』
*Grade: Rare
*Attack Power: 21
*Durability: 26/30
→Skill ‘Charge’ usable
→Set option unlocked when full set is equipped
『Cobolt Shaman’s Pendant』
*Grade: Rare
*Durability: 12/20
→Mana Recovery Speed +10%
→Total Mana +5%
→Set option unlocked when wearing the complete set
『Cobolt Shaman’s Robe』
*Grade: Rare
*Defense: 16
*Durability: 8/20
→Skill ‘Magical Barrier’ now usable
→Set option unlocked when wearing the complete set
A sword, a pendant, and finally a robe.
Each item alone was quite impressive.
Though I had to admit, they felt slightly underwhelming for Rare-grade equipment.
But that’s where the set options came in!
And not just any set—a three-piece one!
I could expect some decent effects from that.
What was there to hesitate about?
I’d simply equip them right away.
Besides, I was curious about the set options.
And there was something else I’d gain in the process.
Ding!
[You have equipped a set item for the first time.]
[You have acquired the First Title ‘Collector’.]
[You have acquired a First Title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you have gained an additional stat point.]
『Cobolt Set』
*Grade: Rare
→2-piece equipped: All stats +5
→3-piece equipped: Attack power +10% against normal monsters
→4-piece equipped: Shamanic skill ‘Cobolt’s Flame’ now usable
→5-piece equipped: Quest ‘Legacy of the Great Cobolt’ acquired
*Effects apply proportionally to the number of pieces equipped.
*Currently equipped: 3 pieces
『Collector』
→First Title
→A title granted to the first user to equip 2 or more pieces of a set item
→All items of Unique grade or lower become usable
*However, level restrictions cannot be bypassed
With three pieces equipped, I gained all stats +5 and a boost to attack power against normal monsters.
It was a shame it didn’t apply to bosses.
But this alone was incredible.
And on top of that, the First Title ‘Collector’!
Heh.
Just looking at it makes me feel satisfied.
This is the First Title that made Tae-san, the master of the Mountain Guild famous as a Weapon Master, who he is today.
This is genuinely incredible.
The effect itself seems unremarkable, but removing equipment restrictions in a game is an enormous advantage.
Sure, there’s the downside that level restrictions can’t be ignored, but honestly, that’s fine.
If it didn’t have that, it would be completely broken.
‘Now that I’m already level 10.’
I should probably head back to the village soon.
I’ve accumulated quite a bit of materials.
Selling all this should fetch a decent amount of money.
Come to think of it, there was also a title you could get by selling items in bulk, right?
I’ll be the first to claim that one too!
But there’s something I need to be careful about.
Other players will start arriving soon.
‘I should head back carefully then.’
Time is money, after all.
Wasting time is absolutely forbidden!
* * *
Beta testers.
At first glance, one might think they have a massive advantage over other players.
That’s not entirely wrong, actually.
There’s quite a significant difference between having experienced the game and not having done so.
Because of that, there was a corresponding penalty.
Beta testers must clear the tutorial without fail.
Yet the advantage remains undeniable.
How much experience you’ve accumulated matters quite a lot.
Kale and Paulo were examples of this.
They were among the lower-tier beta testers.
They were among those who couldn’t leave the beginner area when most beta testers did.
In short, you could call them the unlucky types.
Still, even these unlucky types had a clear and undeniable difference compared to players experiencing the game for the first time.
‘Absolute monsters.’
Kale and Paulo.
The two, who were acquaintances in reality, felt it keenly.
The limits of their talent.
What good is experience anyway?
When you lack the talent to utilize it.
The other beta testers.
They were truly monsters.
There were far too many individuals possessing talent on an entirely different level.
No matter how hard they struggled, they could never surpass them.
It was frustrating and agonizing, but that was the reality.
“But we can’t just accept this.”
“You’re right.”
Paulo nodded in agreement at Kale’s words.
Could they really just accept defeat like this?
Passively taking it wasn’t in their nature.
Somehow, they would claw their way up!
There was one method they’d thought of.
Something they’d confirmed back when they were beta testers.
“There’s no one else who would come to this area, right?”
“Of course not. You already know we’ve finished tracking the movements of the other beta testers, don’t you?”
“Huh, I know, but somehow I’m still uneasy.”
“Don’t worry. Those guys don’t have much information anyway, so they’ll scatter everywhere. Unless they gather from the start like we did.”
“That’s true.”
Beta testers gathering together was commonplace.
There were even places recruiting them on a large scale.
Well, it was the Pantheon, after all.
That kind of scale made sense.
Naturally, the two of them were rejected.
Despite being beta testers, they lacked the ability.
The only silver lining was that they could still access the chat room before being kicked out.
Thanks to that, they could roughly understand how the other beta testers were moving.
Of course, they knew that information wasn’t 100% trustworthy.
“Anyway, without the beta testers, slaughtering beginners is a piece of cake.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
What were Kale and Paulo planning to do?
Simple.
Beginner slaughter!
Why do it despite the infamy and various penalties?
Isn’t it obvious?
Because users gave far more experience!
“Those damned Pantheon monsters are too hard to hunt.”
“When there are easy users around, why bother hunting monsters?”
Of course, if they accumulated too much infamy, they’d be hunted by the Guard Corps.
But the experience gained far outweighed such drawbacks.
Just by killing ten level 1 users, they could level up five or more levels.
Hunting monsters would take far longer than that.
Accelerating early growth by hunting users?
Later on, that difference would be far greater than they imagined.
Of course, that’s precisely why the Infamy system exists.
If there’s merit, the demerit has to be equally severe.
You could call it high return, high risk.
Naturally, these two already knew full well how to reduce their Infamy.
That’s why they’d devised such an absurd plan.
“We need to secure this Nen Village first.”
“Who’d come to a village in such a small kingdom anyway?”
“Kekeke, exactly.”
“Let’s start by collecting Titles.”
“Yeah, grab as many as we can before the newbies show up.”
Though their talents were mediocre, they possessed the skill level of beta testers.
They’d cleared the tutorial faster than other users, at least.
But they couldn’t afford to grow complacent.
They’d collected several Titles, but not a single First Title.
The other beta testers had already devoured them all.
Damn bastards.
I wish all the talented ones would just drop dead.
Both of them genuinely thought so.
Never once considering that they should strive to excel through their own effort.
Well, what else would you expect from scum like this?
‘Shouldn’t the newbies be arriving soon?’
‘Looks like it.’
They whispered to each other while quietly preparing.
An ambush near the path leading to the Hunting Grounds—attack any user who appeared.
Even a beta tester would be caught off guard, and a newbie would simply fall.
Besides, there was also the First Kill Title.
That one was quite lucrative.
At this stage, it might even be a First Title.
After all, who else would be hunting users right now besides them?
Infamy was a considerable demerit, after all.
Then.
They sensed someone approaching.
‘Someone’s coming.’
‘Quiet.’
A single figure visible from quite a distance away.
Naturally assuming it was a newbie, they were about to move when—
Kale stopped Paulo.
And for good reason, looking at that one.
They were carrying quite a lot of equipment.
Unmistakably a beta tester.
Damn it.
‘What the hell is this! You said the others weren’t coming!’
‘Shit.’
They muttered under their breath, their faces contorting with frustration.
Should I just push forward with this anyway?
Wait, hold on.
That guy?
‘Paulo, look at that bastard’s gear.’
‘What?’
Looking closer, he was wearing a robe and adorned with accessories.
Could he be a mage?
No, it wasn’t a question—he was clearly a mage.
More precisely, someone being groomed to become a mage.
It was obvious he’d invested heavily in mana.
I checked if there were any other companions, but there weren’t.
A mage traveling alone?
My mouth watered.
And look at that robe and pendant.
They looked quite valuable.
‘This?’
‘It’s definitely doable.’
If we land that first strike?
It’s guaranteed.
The two of them, having assessed the situation,
drooled quietly as they watched the man.
And as they gradually drew closer, they began to move.

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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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