Regressor Versus Hero
The dust cloud finally lifted. A strange silence settled over the plaza. Bewilderment etched itself across every face in the crowd.
“What the hell? It’s just some kid...”
“That... that’s the mid-boss?”
“He’s smaller than I expected...!!!”
Hundreds of eyes converged on a single point. The dwarf hero, Clock, didn’t move a muscle. With his massive battle axe resting on one shoulder, he simply stood there, gazing blankly across the plaza.
Then his lips parted.
“Karak, tur... baran.”
An unknown tongue from another world spilled into the air. His voice wasn’t loud—just a quiet murmur. I narrowed my eyes and studied him closely.
Target: Dwarf Hero Clock (Last Hero of the Ruined Irina)
State: Sorrow, Resignation
Is this it...? In the end, is this the only way...?
My brow tightened. Too many things were bothering me at once.
Irina?
The last hero of a ruined Irina. What exactly did that mean here? And the thoughts that followed—there was no way this was a simple monster. He was hesitating to fight us.
What is this...?
“What are you staring at so intently?”
Lee Seolah’s voice came from beside me. I shook my head.
“Nothing. Just wondering what the hell he is.”
“...Same here,” Park Dongbae added. “Still, he doesn’t look all that scary.”
The hammer in his grip slowly lowered. But the silence didn’t last.
“What are you all doing?! The enemy is preparing a wide-area spell!”
Choi Kangmin, standing on the raised platform, began to shout. Desperate to correct a completely derailed script, he screamed at the top of his lungs, veins bulging.
“Maintain formation and push forward! Interrupt the spell with a preemptive strike! Attack!”
His frantic cry echoed across the plaza. The frozen survivors in the front line snapped back to their senses. Shaking off their fear with wild roars, they raised their weapons and charged.
“Uaaaaah!!”
“Kill it! Hit it before it finishes the spell!”
“We can win! Let’s go!!!”
Dozens of humans rushing forward in a single wave. Even against that overwhelming sight, Clock didn’t retreat. Instead, he slowly adjusted his grip on the battle axe he carried.
“Huu...”
A long sigh escaped his lips.
State: Resolve
Yeah… it was always going to end up like this.
Once again the alien words rang across the plaza.
“Baran, tur karak.”
Unintelligible syllables. Choi Kangmin’s voice cracked with urgency.
“Hurry up and hit it!! It’s chanting again!!!”
But I was different. Through Spoiler, his true will flowed into me without filter.
I’m sorry, people of another world. But I didn’t choose to become this.
Die. For our sake.
In that instant, Clock’s small frame twisted like a drawn bowstring. The massive axe cleaved through the air.
— CRAAAAAASH!!
“Kuaaaaagh!!”
“Gaaahk!”
A single swing. The brutal arc, small in origin but devastating in reach, swept the survivors away like straw. The plaza transformed into a slaughterhouse in the blink of an eye. Shields, steel plates, even human flesh—nothing could stop it.
The battle that followed was completely one-sided. Barely three minutes passed before the entire first line collapsed, and the stench of blood swallowed the plaza. Monstrous strength. No—raw power alone couldn’t explain such overwhelming violence.
I glanced up at Choi Kangmin on the platform. The relaxed smile he’d worn earlier had vanished completely. His face was bloodless, frozen solid.
Spoiler.
Target: Choi Kangmin (2nd-Turn Regressor)
State: Bewilderment, Doubt
What the hell is this guy...? So many have died but the pattern hasn’t changed...? It’s different. Something’s off. In the first round there was never anyone like this...
His inner thoughts lay completely exposed. The situation was flowing in a direction he had never anticipated. The pattern refused to change. Clock simply shook the blood from his axe and took another step forward.
“Kgh...”
With a short groan, Choi Kangmin placed his hand on the longsword at his waist.
“Everyone, fall back!!!”
His roar shook the plaza. He drew his blade and leaped down from the platform.
“No more meaningless sacrifices! All survivors, retreat and reform your ranks!”
At the same time, two figures burst forward from below the platform.
“Captain! This thing’s momentum is no joke!”
To Choi Kangmin’s right stood a giant bigger than most orcs. He slammed a tower shield the size of his own body into the ground, blocking the way. On the left—
“It’s attacking the formation’s weak points. This one thinks. It’s not some mindless beast.”
A woman with sharp, snake-like eyes. She held a pair of crescent blades, murmuring coldly. Their equipment looked well above D-grade. Most likely elites Choi Kangmin had recruited using his memories of the first round.
“Tae-su, focus solely on defense! Jiyoon, slip into the left blind spot! I’ll draw its attention!”
“Understood!”
“Everyone, protective formation!”
Choi Kangmin stepped forward, blue mana coiling around his longsword. The sight was heroic. Fresh light returned to the eyes of the survivors who had been ready to flee.
“Choi Kangmin is stepping up...!”
“He’s blocking it himself! Everyone get back so you don’t get in the way!”
The crowd gazed at his back with reverence. I snorted at the sight. I wondered what their faces would look like if they knew what he was really thinking right now.
I’ll hold it for now. If everyone dies here the losses will be too heavy. There are still plenty of sections ahead I need to use them for...
That was when Clock opened his mouth toward the three charging at him.
“Tur karak, baran.”
Still the same incomprehensible, alien voice. But the text floating before my eyes conveyed his true heart.
State: Fighting Spirit
Are you the heroes of this world?
Then fight. The one who wins protects their own world.
A bitter smile spread across my lips. Heroes, he called them. What a title to give a bastard who threw other people into the jaws of death just to save his own skin.
…This is the mid-boss?
It felt too three-dimensional. Far too emotional. Weren’t monsters supposed to be simple, mindless beasts? I didn’t have time to finish the thought.
— KWAAAAANG!!
The giant axe collided head-on with the tower shield.
“Ughhh…! What insane strength…!”
The giant holding the shield was pushed back nearly a meter, gouging up dirt. In that instant, the woman with the crescent blades flowed in elegantly from the left. Choi Kangmin also thrust from the right, radiating sword energy.
— Clang!Clang-clang!
Sparks flew in every direction as a breathless exchange unfolded. Especially—
…As expected.
Choi Kangmin’s movements at the center were nothing short of breathtaking. His longsword gracefully deflected Clock’s brutal axe strikes, then slipped into the blind spots with perfect timing to leave shallow wounds. Flawless, continuous attacks without a single wasted motion. Experienced footwork that seemed to see straight through the opponent’s intentions.
He really is strong.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. He wasn’t some clumsy con artist. No wonder he carried the title of 2nd-turn regressor. His sword trajectory, his command of mana—everything was on par with or better than mine.
“Ooh…!”
“He’s holding it! He’s not getting pushed by the monster!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Their voices grew louder.
“Siwoo, aren’t those people blocking it for us?” Park Dongbae asked, swallowing dryly.
“Yeah…! They’re actually fighting pretty well…!? Win! Win! The winning side is our side!” Lee Seolah shouted, eyes wide.
“Hmm…”
I watched them with my arms crossed. On the surface it looked like a close, even match. If anything, Choi Kangmin’s party seemed to be landing the effective blows. But the reality my eyes saw was different.
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “It won’t last long.”
“What? What do you—”
My gaze turned toward Clock. Every time Choi Kangmin’s longsword or Jiyoon’s blades grazed him and drew blood, a red haze rose from his body. Then a translucent system window appeared.
Will of the Ruined Country
As his health decreases (the more wounds he takes), his defense and attack speed rise dramatically. He displays zombie-like vitality that refuses to fall no matter how close he comes to collapsing.
…It’s starting now.
Choi Kangmin held the advantage, true. But he wasn’t landing any fatal blows. All he was doing was feeding the enemy’s trait. The more minor wounds Clock accumulated, the stronger he would become. A dwarf hero who grew more ferocious with every injury. The real fight was only beginning.
— Clang-clang-clang!Clang!
The battle continued in the same pattern. Strikes flew without pause. Choi Kangmin’s longsword danced across Clock’s armor. Blood sprayed. Sharp metallic ringing filled the plaza.
“Just a little more! Push!”
Choi Kangmin shouted as he drew up more mana. His swordplay remained fierce. The support from the other two was flawless. The giant blocked vision, the woman stabbed at blind spots, and Choi Kangmin landed the solid hits. The survivors watched in rapture and cheered.
“Amazing!!!! You can do it!!!”
“So cool…!! Fighting!!!”
And as their blades continued to clash—
…Any moment now.
The aura surrounding Clock grew thicker.
Will of the Ruined Country
State: Critical Point Breached
“Captain! This bastard’s movements are slowing down!”
The giant shouted as he roughly shoved Clock’s shoulder with his tower shield. Just as he said, the dwarf’s speed had changed. Even the arm holding the axe seemed to tremble faintly. But it wasn’t from exhaustion.
…It’s starting.
He had simply decided not to dodge anymore. I began lightly loosening my body.
“Die!!!”
Thinking he had seized the upper hand, Choi Kangmin didn’t miss the opening. He thrust his longsword forward. Blue mana gathered at the tip, aimed precisely at Clock’s throat.
But—
— Shunk…!
Clock didn’t dodge. Instead he twisted slightly, offering his shoulder rather than his neck.
“Huh…?”
Shock slipped from Choi Kangmin’s mouth. He had seen the opponent’s expression—perfectly calm even after taking the blade.
State: Calm
I give my flesh to take the enemy’s bone.
Clock’s small body twisted. Muscles clamped down on the longsword buried in his shoulder as he swung the massive battle axe with full force.
— SHUUUUUUUUUUU!!!
An explosive speed and destructive power that couldn’t be compared to before.
“Fuck, it’s a trap—”
“Captain!!!!”
At the same time, Park Tae-su slammed his tower shield forward as if throwing it. The best move he could make to protect his leader.
— KWAAAAAAAAANG—!!!!
A roar like a cannon firing. The entire plaza trembled as the shockwave exploded outward.
“K-Kuaaaaagh!!”
The most horrific scream came from Tae-su. The steel tower shield crumpled like paper. The giant’s two arms supporting it bent at grotesque angles.
— Crack. The sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing spread clearly.
“Guhk!”
He spat blood as he was sent flying over ten meters.
“T-Tae-su!!”
The woman who had been trying to flank from the side didn’t escape either. The absurd wind pressure created by the axe slicing through the air sent Jiyoon tumbling across the ground. A single calculated strike. The perfect formation shattered completely.
“W-What the…!”
Choi Kangmin’s pupils shook wildly. His longsword had already been sent flying long ago. A stronger opponent, himself disarmed, Tae-su with both arms ruined, Jiyoon motionless. Now only the dwarf hero stood before him.
“Ah…”
Clock slowly raised his battle axe. Crimson blood dripped from the blade. Choi Kangmin’s face had gone deathly pale. Still, even like this, he was a 2nd-turn regressor. A regressor’s mind didn’t break so easily.
“Kgh…!”
With a short groan, Choi Kangmin kicked off the ground and leaped. His eyes were fixed on his fallen longsword. All he had to do was retrieve the weapon. The opponent was slower than him anyway. Once he had his sword again, he could reset the distance and look for another opening—
State: Calm
That’s as far as you go. Now, hero of a world fated to perish.
The hero from another world refused to allow that future. Especially not with Will of the Ruined Country already active.
— Crunch!
Clock shattered the ground as he leaped. The giant battle axe descended mercilessly toward Choi Kangmin’s back.
“Wh-What!!!”
It definitely hadn’t been this fast before. No matter how much of a regressor he was, the brutal arc was impossible to dodge. Choi Kangmin instinctively curled into a defensive posture.
“Karak.”
Farewell.
In that split second—
— KAAAAAANG—!!!!
A metallic screech that threatened to burst eardrums exploded alongside sparks. A dumbfounded sound slipped from Choi Kangmin’s mouth.
“…Huh?”
The brutal axe blade that should have split him in two had stopped right before his eyes, blocked by a red short sword no longer than a handspan.
“Ugh…”
My wrist nearly snapped. It was only because I had dumped every remaining point into strength that I endured. Otherwise I might have been the one who died first. Clock’s eyes, now close enough to see clearly, widened a fraction.
I looked at him, then spoke to Choi Kangmin.
“What are you doing? Go pick up your weapon.”
“Y-You…!”
“From now on, we’ll fight him together.”
I had confirmed the enemy’s strength. Now it was my turn.