Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Burning Resolve
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"A familiar ceiling."
When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying in one of the academy infirmary rooms. I'd ended up here countless times over my previous regressions.
Honestly, this line felt lame when I read it in novels, but saying it myself gives off a strangely thrilling vibe.
Why am I dwelling on this nonsense? Because my chest is throbbing like hell right now, and my head feels all fuzzy.
But this sensation feels oddly familiar. It's exactly like the narcotic painkillers they gave me during past treatments.
Something felt off, so I turned my head. There it was: an IV drip connected to a potion bottle with a familiar mark etched on my arm.
"No way... actual narcotic painkillers?"
I tried to sit up and yank out the IV, but my chest had no strength left.
Starting to panic, I decided to check my status window.
"Status window!"
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Arthin Ludwig 🏷️ Title: Academy's Red Madman [Open] 🧬 Race: Human 🎂 Age: 17 📊 Level: Mage Lv.1, Martial Artist Lv.0 (New!) ⭐ Potential: Average – Your potential is the talent born in 9 out of 10 people. 🔮 Traits: Regression [Open], 5th Regression Privilege [Open] ⚠️ Status: Condition debuff due to fractured ribs. Under medication. Third son of the Ludwig Family.
>Due to prolonged bullying from Rexton, you have a gloomy personality. The status is a mess. What kind of spell did he hit me with to shatter my ribs like this?
If I'd seen the casting properly, I could've guessed the magic, but with my 3rd regression spell analysis skill gone, I'm stuck guessing it was at least a Magic Missile.
"Anyway, Mage was my original level, but what's this Martial Artist?"
In this world, you have to be born with talent and traits. No grand slogans about human equality here—it's a system where one genius carries 999 averages.
That's why leveling up a class isn't easy to begin with, especially in a field you're not gifted for. You might invest decades and still not break Lv.3.
No way... did beating Rexton barehanded trigger this?
'In my 4th regression, I went through hell trying to become a Warrior...'
This world has dogshit difficulty, and the system explanations are downright unhelpful.
The original novel skimmed over it or had conflicting lore, so maybe that's why.
"But what's 'Academy's Red Madman'?"
Titles are one of the rare acquired growth elements in this bloodline-favoring novel. Depending on the event, they can grow into absurdly powerful things via regression. So getting one takes serious suffering.
Title: Academy's Red Madman Rumors about your fists dripping with blood are quietly spreading through the academy. Combat power increases according to the quality and quantity of blood on your body. [Close] The moment I read the title description, dizziness hit me hard, blurring my vision.
Rumors spread in just one day after turning someone into a bloody mess on the first day of enrollment?
"Thinking about it, yeah, it was rumor-worthy..."
With my head cooling down, I could see just how fucked the situation was.
This academy was built in the southern seaside island—opposite the north—to protect the continent's future leaders against the Demon King's Army, along with their spare parts.
Of course, with young talents from empires, kingdoms, and republics flooding in, there's plenty of traffic, but it's fundamentally a closed little society.
And I went wild on day one, enough to earn a title?
"This regression is totally screwed."
But I have no regrets. How many times has that bastard Rexton fucked with me?
He was still breathing when I passed out, so he's not dead. But since this regression's toast anyway, my to-do list is clear.
"Before heading to the next regression, I should smash Rexton's head for good."
That thought made the headache I'd been nursing vanish clean away.
I've got this shitty title and a Martial Artist level now anyway. Might as well go full Blood Demon like all those Heavenly Demons in stories this regression.
"Hell, even better. I'll smash heads whenever I feel like it and build a harem out of every girl that catches my eye."
This novel had nothing I liked, but if I had to pick one thing, it's that most major characters are total babes and hunks.
Thanks to that, Arthin Ludwig—gloomy personality and all—isn't some fat hikikomori but a decadent pretty boy.
Despite this prime looks, I never got laid once across four regressions. Hell, I even dated some girls!
But whenever things heated up, Demon King's Army raids would crash the mood, or the protagonist would drag me off for "training" without reading the room.
"I wanna smash the protagonist's head too..."
That thought reignited my irritation.
Truth be told, I wouldn't mind the protagonist spot myself.
Kaiyen Silversword. This novel's hero is your cookie-cutter brave soul: commoner orphan who lost his parents to demons, flees and stumbles into a dragon's underground lair dying from Demon King's Army attacks.
He vows to avenge the dragon by slaying the Demon King, devours its heart and blood to power up, adventures solo as a kid, and gets invited to the academy.
The problem? His bleeding-heart personality that can't ignore evil leads to endless frustrating side plots, making side characters want to die of secondhand embarrassment.
Outside my 1st regression escape, I tried my best every time...
"If he'd just listened, I wouldn't have suffered like that."
In the 2nd, realizing bad ends hit without sticking to him, I played the perfect righteous knight buddy and understanding friend. Snagged some of his fortune crumbs too—grew pretty decent.
But with the Demon King fight barely manageable, his side-quest detours stressed me out so bad I went bald at 22.
'My 2nd regression main title was Bald Knight...'
My teeth grind involuntarily. If that was it, I might not be this pissed.
In the 3rd, I went full shadow boss to make him obey. Ended up smeared as the evil bastard fleecing the good hero by everyone.
Though switching from frontline tank in 2nd to Necromancer-Alchemist might've played a part.
Anyway, I crushed rebellions, purged traitors, wore the infamy... then got dragged by the church, tortured every way imaginable, and burned alive at the end.
Ugh, just thinking about it makes my teeth chatter.
"Still, I can't ditch that half-assed bastard Kaiyen."
That's the harsh lesson from my last, the 4th regression.
Tormented by 3rd regression PTSD, I hogged all his fortunes and hatched a grand plan: "Backdoor to Demon King Castle and Blow the Nexus Operation."
Skip side characters and events, cherry-pick the best fortunes, go straight for the Demon King.
It even worked pretty well. Demon King Army execs awaken or get appointed late 5th year. Early 3rd year, few active ones.
"The issue was... I couldn't save the world solo."
Yeah, that's why I scrapped the 4th—even at Demon King Castle doorstep, success in sight—and wasted the rest, regressing.
"No 'Demon King Adversary' title means zero damage to the Demon King? What kind of bullshit is that?"
In RPG terms, I geared up my fave character, skilled her perfectly, leveled hard... only for final boss to take damage solely from the protagonist.
Truth? Slim odds even without boss protection. But seeing that alert broke me—I chugged the deadly poison I'd packed and fled to this regression.
"But... whatever."
Screw it now. Next regression's always there. Why not try smashing the protagonist's head?
His gaze got creepier the closer we got; half my 2nd regression hair loss was probably that. Made me check if this novel was tagged BL.
"Sure, our talents, titles, and levels are miles apart now... but someday..."
And right there, bedridden in the infirmary, I decided this regression's ending.
At this regression's close. Before the Demon King awakens and humanity falls to demons.
I'll give this novel's protagonist a proper schooling.
I reached toward the ceiling light, clenched my fist tight, and vowed.
"I'll become this world's Blood Punch..."
They call it the Blood Demon Punch.