Chapter 290
Chapter 290
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 290
Chapter Title: ACT. 58 The Regressor (6)
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“Damn it.”
The moment I arrived in Osaka, I knew something had gone wrong.
One person was indiscriminately slaughtering everyone, a black aura radiating from his body.
The Regressor, with the very sword he'd once raised to protect people, was now at the forefront of the killing.
“What happened?”
“The Disaster of Lore is too strong! We can't damage it, so we can't stop it. Things just spiraled out of control!”
Jun Bo-ra, catching her breath, hurriedly threw several daggers.
A dagger embedded itself right in the back of an oni’s head as it approached the twins from behind.
That seemed to draw their aggro, as I felt the attention of all the oni shift to us at once.
“No time to talk! Just go!”
Jun Bo-ra grabbed my shoulder, and in an instant, we were near the Regressor.
Up close, his transformation was even more apparent.
His appearance had changed so much it was hard to believe he was the same person.
‘And I brought Hwang Yu-jin and Jeong Ha-yeon to prevent this very thing.’
The Regressor’s corruption occurs when several conditions are met.
However, it’s not often that all of them are satisfied.
Even during my time playing EOA, I’d seen it happen less than ten times.
One condition in particular, ‘criticism of a certain intensity,’ is rarely fulfilled unless someone intentionally provokes it.
And yet, this disaster had unfolded.
‘Don't tell me those bastards from the Yamato Guild deliberately induced his corruption, thinking they could control the disaster?’
Not every player knows the full story of the Regressor.
This could have been the result of some trolling by people who only vaguely knew that Kibou was the Regressor.
Damn it. Either way, this is no time to be standing around.
“You guys stop Shuten-doji! I'll handle this one somehow!”
At my words, Han Hyeok-jun, who had been holding back the Regressor, immediately created distance.
They couldn’t damage Shuten-doji until all the preparations were complete, but just managing to tie him down would be enough.
“Lord Kibou…!?”
The Yamato Guild, arriving later than me, was just as bewildered by the situation.
Seeing the Sword Emperor here meant they must have completely taken care of things in Kyoto.
“Why is he attacking people!?”
“His heart has been consumed by darkness.”
“Impossible…! You know better than anyone! How good and kind he is!”
“That's precisely why it had to be this way.”
The Sword Emperor’s gaze remained on Kibou.
“Just as someone who never gets angry is scarier when they finally do, once darkness seeps into a good person's heart, the reversal is uncontrollable.”
“…It seems Kim Se-hyeon will handle the Regressor. We will strike the disaster.”
Soon after, the Yamato Guild converged on Shuten-doji.
It was a logical decision. The Sword Saint had the sword capable of harming Shuten-doji, and considering the contribution points, focusing on the disaster was more profitable.
They’d just dumped a troublesome headache on me—one that was difficult to handle and offered no reward.
*CRASH!*
The moment I faced Kibou, he brought his sword down in a powerful strike, as if to say words were useless.
It was far heavier than even the Sword Saint’s.
This wasn't the kind of power he should have, based on the stats I saw last time. I quickly activated Extreme Eye.
[Character Information]
Name: Nakajima Kibou
Sex: Male (23)
Strength: 73(+18) Stamina: 70(+18) Agility: 75(+18) Magic Power: 70(+18)
Unique Ability: Regressor (EX)
Traits: Blessing of Time (S), Curse of Time (S), Fallen Hero (S+), Twisted Conviction (S), Unyielding (A), Vessel Swallowed by Malice (A), Corruption
Skill: Sword of the One Who Couldn't Protect (S)
Many things about Kibou’s power had changed.
Seeing that and facing his sword again, the new name of his skill resonated all too clearly.
Sword of the One Who Couldn't Protect.
Where his sword was once a defensive tool for protection, it was now a tyrannical and aggressive weapon, meant only to unleash his rage.
‘Is the explosive stat increase an effect of the Corruption?’
All his stats had increased by exactly 10.
Losing the ability for rational thought in exchange for greater power was somewhat similar to Madness.
Usually, Madness has a greater penalty than Corruption.
Madness makes you attack everything in sight, led by emotion, while Corruption tends to leave those outside the target of vengeance alone.
But this case was different.
“…None of it matters.”
This Regressor’s rage was directed at everyone.
“I’ll kill… every last one.”
*KRA-KOOM!*
His sword qi tore through the ground.
His intent was to send me flying, but I didn't budge an inch from the spot where I blocked it.
This was only possible because, even with his Corruption, Kibou’s base stats weren’t overwhelming.
Even with his bonus stats, his Magic Power was only 88.
It couldn’t even compare to my 90, and that was without any of my own bonuses.
‘Still, he’s overwhelming against other players.’
Over the Regressor’s shoulder, I checked on Shuten-doji’s situation.
With over ten S-rank players swarming him like leeches, even Shuten-doji couldn't easily break free.
The Sword Emperor’s performance was particularly brilliant.
Whenever a dangerous moment arose, he would unfailingly strike at the core, preventing Shuten-doji from doing anything.
If only they could actually deal damage, they could have defeated Shuten-doji without me.
But they were still missing the necessary preparations.
“Whoa.”
I twisted my body to dodge an attack that flew in without warning.
Kibou, seemingly even more enraged, continued his assault with grotesque movements that seemed impossible for a human body.
*CRASH!*
I held the advantage in all stats.
No matter how furiously Kibou attacked, I could block everything and land a counter.
However, the Corrupted Hero, who was akin to a hidden boss, possessed other strengths to compensate for his relatively low stats.
[You are taking continuous damage from the effect of 'Vessel Swallowed by Malice (A)'.]
‘What a truly annoying combination.’
The secondary effect of Fallen Hero: ‘Hatred for All Things.’
And another trait: ‘Unyielding.’
Because of these two effects, the damage Kibou took was drastically reduced.
On top of that, another trait allowed him to damage his opponent just by continuing the fight.
Even though I hadn't let a single one of Kibou’s attacks hit me, about half of my HP was already gone.
He was strong and didn't go down easy.
But if the battle dragged on, I would get stronger too.
[The effect of 'Hero's Spirit' increases your damage by 48%.]
“If we're talking about a drawn-out, messy fight, I'm no pushover either.”
The lower my health, the more damage I deal.
This piece of equipment had been a great, if subtle, help when facing strong enemies.
It suddenly struck me as funny.
Here I was, using a power related to a hero to fight a hero who had been corrupted by the very people he tried to save.
*KABOOM!!*
The moment Kibou blocked my attack, the ground caved in, and a large crack formed.
He couldn't fully absorb the force of my attack, and it had dispersed into the ground.
*Stumble.*
Perhaps because he hadn't paid attention to that.
For a split second, Kibou’s balance faltered. I didn't miss the opening and landed a kick.
Even if his damage reduction was high, it didn't mean he took no damage at all.
As damage accumulates, HP will eventually run out.
This was even more true against an opponent with a significant stat difference.
*Crack!*
The black crown of thorns floating above Kibou's head cracked and shattered.
At that, some color returned to Kibou’s eyes.
“Kaede… Kaede…!”
Kibou was crying out.
It was then that I felt something was off.
There are several conditions for Corruption to occur, but the outcome depends on the trigger.
As the crown of thorns shattered and a bit of his sanity returned, he began to repeat the trigger, which allowed me to deduce what it was.
I had naturally assumed it wouldn't be related to his lover.
If my arrangements to prevent such a thing had worked, that shouldn't have been the trigger.
‘Kaede died, even with Hwang Yu-jin there?’
Impossible.
I had even secretly placed a special barrier on her that would let her evade death at least once. She couldn't have died.
I briefly withdrew my sword’s magic power and used it to scan the surroundings.
I then felt Hwang Yu-jin’s magic power a short distance away.
Three people, to be exact.
Hwang Yu-jin, Jeong Ha-yeon, and presumably the Regressor’s lover, Kaede.
‘That explains it.’
I hadn't seen Hwang Yu-jin or Jeong Ha-yeon since I arrived.
I was wondering why, but this explained it perfectly.
“Snap out of it. Your lover isn't dead yet.”
It was true she had been on the verge of death.
Her faint magical presence, so weak it was barely perceptible, was a testament to that.
But Hwang Yu-jin was here.
“Kaede…”
The black aura blooming around Kibou’s body began to subside.
But just as quickly, it flared up again, even larger than before.
“You’re lying.”
“See for yourself whether I’m lying or not.”
“You think I didn’t check! Her lungs were crushed. She couldn't even breathe.”
“You just mistakenly assumed she was dead.”
“She was as good as dead! Unless a miracle happened, there was no way Kaede could have survived…!”
“There was a miracle.”
A short distance away, a white pillar of light suffused with radiance descended.
Kibou’s gaze turned toward it.
Someone was running this way, practically flying.
It was Hwang Yu-jin and Kaede, the latter half-embraced in Jeong Ha-yeon’s arms.
“Se-hyeon-ssi!”
Hwang Yu-jin waved with a weary smile.
I gave her a thumbs-up in return.
‘When on earth did she make a contract with a Seraphim?’
Herald of the Seraphim.
That was Hwang Yu-jin’s current unique ability.
Not only had she gained divine power, but she also possessed an incredibly valuable skill.
It wasn't a unique skill, but one that was extremely difficult to acquire: Miracle.
And Hwang Yu-jin had it.
“Kibou…! Snap out of it! *Cough!*”
“…!”
“Kaede-ssi, you shouldn't push yourself yet!”
It was just one phrase, but it clearly reached him.
A crack in his psyche, formed by Kaede’s action of speaking while coughing up blood, her body not yet fully healed.
Now that it had come to this, I could fix this distortion.
I immediately rushed Kibou, knocked him down, and disarmed him.
“This isn't what you really wanted. Don't forget your vow. Don't forget what you sought to protect.”
“What I sought to protect…?”
Kibou muttered blankly.
“…I don't know. What was I trying to protect?”
“It probably wasn't something so grand.”
Jeong Ha-yeon’s shadow fell over him.
I took a small step back.
In Kibou’s lightless eyes, Jeong Ha-yeon’s own, brighter than ever, were reflected.
“Did you set out to save people because you wanted something grand?”
“…”
That wasn’t it.
Kibou’s eyes gazed somewhere far away.
‘Thank you for saving me!’
The child's smile, like a flower in full bloom.
The way they tried to express their gratitude, despite not yet being able to speak properly.
‘Ah.’
Only then did the hero remember.
He remembered why he had worked so hard to save people.
He had never wanted much.
He simply wanted to see people smile.
No matter how many corrupt people there were.
No matter how many beings who couldn't even be called human existed.
As long as there were still good people, he would return time and again to protect them all.
“…Thank you. It feels as if my closed eyes have finally opened.”
Kibou managed a faint smile.
In a flash, the dark energy that had enveloped him was gone without a trace.
Jeong Ha-yeon met my gaze as if to say, ‘That should do it, right?’ and stepped back.
Thanks to her, dispelling the Corruption was relatively easy.
Hwang Yu-jin and Jeong Ha-yeon. Both had done their parts perfectly.
‘With that, only Shuten-doji is left.’
*CRASH!*
With an explosion, someone was sent flying and crashed nearby.
“Himura… and the Sword Saint?”
They were in such a sorry state that you could say they were lucky to be alive.
They could do little more than groan, finding it difficult to even push themselves up.
If those two were in this condition, it meant things were not going well for the ones holding back Shuten-doji.
*RUMBLE!*
I reflexively swung my sword forward, and a deafening roar echoed.
[How dare you interrupt my rare amusement, you.]