Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Past Strategies and Party Check-Ins
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Before the regression, when Joo-hyuk was discussing post-regression strategies with Hae-jin.
"If the Rune of Absorption goes to you as Leader predicted, we'll have to give you the Job Addition Ticket from the second trial, right?"
Joo-hyuk had told Hae-jin that if he could no longer regress, he should use the 'Rune Exchange Ticket' obtained from the hidden trial in the first Trials' Arena to acquire the Rune of Regression.
In that case, two possibilities arose.
One was that if Hae-jin used the 'Rune Exchange Ticket' to get the Rune of Regression, his existing Rune of Absorption would go to Joo-hyuk. The other was that only Hae-jin's rune would be exchanged, leaving Joo-hyuk with an empty, worthless Rune of Regression.
Either way, the 'Job Addition Ticket' earned from the hidden trial in the second Trials' Arena needed to go to Joo-hyuk.
Joo-hyuk nodded and replied.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Since I'd be stuck with an empty Rune of Regression, I'd need an extra job to back me up."
"Right?"
"Yeah. Our party's frontline is basically you and me holding it together, but neither of us is a pure tank."
"True. We're both more brawlers."
Brawler.
It referred to those who weren't pure tanks but dealt damage while tanking.
In truth, both former Leader Joo-hyuk and Hae-jin leaned more toward dealer roles.
They were forcing themselves into brawler positions through their cheat-like runes and jobs. If classifying their roles strictly, they were dealers.
But what if Joo-hyuk ended up with the worthless Rune of Regression?
Then one of the party's powerful frontline brawlers would weaken.
That's why giving the 'Job Addition Ticket' to Joo-hyuk was the right call.
While discussing this, Leader Joo-hyuk raised another hypothesis.
"You never know."
"Hm?"
"When I pass the Rune of Regression to you, I might disappear."
"What?"
"Just maybe. Just in case."
And that 'just in case' happened.
Joo-hyuk vanished.
To prepare for that, Joo-hyuk had told Hae-jin.
"If I'm not around for the team, give the Job Addition Ticket to Anna so she can take on a tanking job too."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Saintess Anna Fascia.
Joo-hyuk had said to let her dual-class into a tank.
With the Leader gone, the team's frontline would naturally weaken.
Why not just recruit a tank then?
But that would cause a major problem.
'The team's DPS would drop sharply.'
While Archmage Lee Sang and Divine Archer Kwon Na-ye handled much of the DPS, Hae-jin and Joo-hyuk's contributions were also significant.
Replacing their damage would require similar brawlers, but after countless regressions, Joo-hyuk said there were no other viable candidates.
He had experimented extensively, and the Job Addition Ticket worked best in two ways.
First, give it to Sage Raffaello da Vinci to boost his performance.
Second, give it to Saintess Anna for a Holy Knight subclass, maximizing her holy power while allowing her to handle both healing and tanking.
If Joo-hyuk could have stayed on the team, Hae-jin would have given the ticket to Raffaello.
But in this regression cycle, Joo-hyuk was gone.
So the recipient was decided.
'Give it to Anna.'
Even if he handed her the choice, she wouldn't become the main tank.
Hae-jin would handle main tank/brawler duties alone, using Anna as a sub-tank when overwhelmed.
Someone else could sub-tank, right?
But with Joo-hyuk gone, the team's overall specs plummeted.
Especially painful was losing Joo-hyuk, the regressor who had claimed every opportunity and artifact.
Now Hae-jin had to take over as Leader, but who would fill his original sub-healer role?
They absolutely needed a nuker.
That's why he had targeted an assassin-type from the start as Joo-hyuk's replacement.
There would be times when the sub-tank had to step up as main tank, and Anna needed to be there.
The downside: healing might lag while Anna tanked.
'I'll handle sub-healing.'
In the previous cycle, Leader Joo-hyuk had covered sub-healing.
With him gone, Hae-jin had to do it now.
Fortunately, 'Lord of Chaos' allowed it.
'Back then, I thought it was a ridiculously overpowered job.'
Only Joo-hyuk's job could handle DPS, tanking, healing, and buffing—a god-tier monstrosity.
Anyway, Hae-jin decided on Anna for the Job Addition Ticket.
Afterward, he opened the reward box from the second Trials' Arena.
[Item acquired: 'Experience +100% Potion']
With the reward box opened, Hae-jin said.
"Hmm, shall we go check on everyone?"
Hae-jin had already seen Kwon Na-ye, Lee Sang, and Anna, so he could Shadow Blink to them anytime, even from afar.
Raffaello was already on his team and living with him, so no need.
Hae-jin teleported right away.
'First, to Na-ye.'
The closest to Joo-hyuk in the team was Divine Archer Kwon Na-ye.
Visualizing her, Hae-jin activated the skill.
'Shadow Blink.'
Swish-.
Black energy enveloped Hae-jin's body, and he vanished from the spot.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Swish-.
Hae-jin emerged from Kwon Na-ye's shadow, his Shadow Blink target.
But something was off.
'Why's it so humid...'
A warm, steamy space.
And Hae-jin could make out a silhouette through the mist.
Na-ye's silhouette. She was wrapped in a towel, checking the bathtub water temperature.
"Is this about right?"
Right after returning from the second Trials' Arena, she had drawn a bath to shower.
Seeing this, Hae-jin panicked.
'Oh no.'
One wrong move, and he'd be labeled a pervert.
He quickly used the skill again.
'Shadow Blink!'
Swish-!
Hae-jin slipped back into Na-ye's shadow.
Sensing the presence, Na-ye stopped checking the water and turned.
"Who's there?!"
She definitely felt someone behind her.
But no one was there.
Wrapped in a large towel, with a small one on her head, Na-ye tilted her head.
"What? I swear someone was just here."
Hae-jin had narrowly escaped being chased off as a creep.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Swish-.
Hae-jin escaped via Shadow Blink to Lee Sang's shadow.
Poof-.
The landing was incredibly soft.
It had to be.
He was on a bed.
Sitting up on the bed, Hae-jin saw Lee Sang.
Eyes closed, legs crossed in meditation.
Hae-jin chuckled.
'Amazing focus. That's why he became an Archmage.'
Lee Sang was perfect for the mage class.
Incredible concentration, judgment, and calculation speed.
A man born to be a mage.
The bed sinking behind him should have been noticeable.
But he was sorting lessons from the second Trials' Arena in deep meditation, oblivious.
Some might call it dull.
It wasn't.
Hae-jin knew better.
'The state of no-mind.'
Not dullness. Extreme focus blocking everything else.
Sighing, Hae-jin thought.
'Hah, strike out here too.'
No point waking someone meditating so intently.
'Should I go to Anna first?'
By the time he talked to Anna about the Job Addition Ticket and next trial, Na-ye would likely be done showering.
Thinking that, Hae-jin used Shadow Blink again, picturing Na-ye? Wait, no—Anna.
'Anna better not be showering too.'
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Swish-.
Hae-jin arrived at Anna via Shadow Blink.
Fortunately, she wasn't showering.
But another issue: she was with her father, Cardinal Yohan Fascia.
Anna and Yohan were calmly sipping tea and chatting.
Then a man popped out behind Anna, and Yohan shot to his feet.
He rushed to his daughter, hugging her protectively.
"S-Satan?!"
Yohan mistook Hae-jin for Satan.
From his view, a black figure had burst from behind his daughter.
'Even Satan, really.'
Ridiculous.
Anyway, Anna recognized Hae-jin and spoke first.
"Hae-jin?"
Seeing her recognize him, Hae-jin replied.
"Yeah, long time no see?"
Noting Hae-jin's familiarity with his daughter, Yohan reacted.
"Hae-jin? The Player who gave you info on the second Trials' Arena?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Oh."
Yohan released Anna from his hug.
Then, abruptly, he knelt before Hae-jin.
"Hm?"
Hae-jin wondered what was up.
Who was Anna's father, Yohan?
A Cardinal of the Papal Court, no less. One who would later become Pope thanks to Anna.
For him to kneel was bewildering.
The shock grew with Yohan's words.
"Forgive my irreverent display, Messiah."
"Uh?"
Messiah?
Confused, Hae-jin heard Yohan explain.
"Messiah, thank you for saving my daughter."
"What's this about?"
Before Hae-jin could grasp it, Yohan—having called him Satan moments ago—tried to kowtow in atonement.
Hae-jin grabbed Yohan's collar, pulling him back, and glanced at Anna.
"Urk, Anna? Could you rein in your father?"
"...From experience, he won't listen to me. Better if you command him..."
Anna knew he wouldn't heed her now.
Exasperated, Hae-jin said.
"Command...? Hah, Father?"
"Call me Yohan, Messiah."
"Aaagh... Yohan."
No point complicating it when he insisted.
To wrap this up fast, play along.
"Yes, Messiah."
"First, go back to your seat."
"Is this a revelation from the Messiah?"
"It's not that grand... Urgh, yes. A revelation as Messiah."
"Ooh! A revelation from the Messiah himself—I must obey. Understood."
Finally, Yohan returned to his seat.
Belatedly, Hae-jin recalled Joo-hyuk smirking.
『Ah, if you meet Anna's dad instead of me, you'll be shocked. Brace yourself.』
Damn Leader. Should've warned me sooner.