Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Regressor's Inheritance
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[Rewards will be distributed to top-ranking players in each zone.]
[You have received the 'Zone Ranking 1st Reward Box'.]
[Please check your inventory window.]
The ranking rewards had just appeared and been distributed.
But to Hae-jin right now, these were less important than something else.
That something was the 'hidden trial reward'.
This was the reason why his former leader, Nam Joo-hyuk, had chosen Hae-jin as his companion for regression—and why Hae-jin had no choice but to kill Joo-hyuk after regressing together.
'Now, time to talk about the hidden trial.'
As if reading Hae-jin's thoughts, the electronic billboard displayed text about the hidden trial.
[Announcing the achiever of the First Trial's hidden trial.]
[The hidden trial achiever will be revealed to all zone players.]
The players who saw that message were puzzled.
"What's a hidden trial?"
"I guess it's for achieving some hidden condition?"
"So what is the hidden trial?"
"I don't know either."
In the meantime, the billboard revealed it.
The goal of the hidden trial and who achieved it.
[First Trial's Hidden Trial.]
-Goal: Achieve 1,000+ kills.
-Achiever: Park Hae-jin.
"A thousand kills..."
A condition that could only be met by killing over a thousand people.
Every player who saw it turned to look at Park Hae-jin.
Amid all the players around him staring at Hae-jin with eyes mixed awe and terror, only Hae-jin was presented with the reward options for the 'hidden trial'.
[Hidden trial reward will be distributed.]
[Choose one of the following three rewards:]
1. Rune Evolution Ticket.
2. Rune Exchange Ticket.
3. Rune Decomposition Ticket.
Seeing the hidden trial rewards, Park Hae-jin thought:
'Finally... it begins.'
In truth, Hae-jin had only heard about this hidden trial reward—he'd never seen it with his own eyes like this before.
It was from his leader, Nam Joo-hyuk, whom he'd killed with his own hands.
In his life before this regression cycle, the hidden reward had always gone to the leader Joo-hyuk, so he'd never known its true nature.
Then, Hae-jin recalled the information Joo-hyuk had shared about each hidden trial reward.
'Rune Evolution Ticket—you get it without explanation, right? Runes evolve every 20 levels, final evolution at 100. So the Rune Evolution Ticket lets you use an evolved rune starting from level 20.'
'Rune Exchange Ticket—this can only be obtained from hidden trial rewards... In the First Trial, you can exchange it for runes from the players you killed.'
'And finally, the Rune Decomposition Ticket... well, you're familiar with this. If you get a rune you don't need among the lucky drops, decompose it and you get Divine Stones, materials for God-grade equipment.'
Among these, the reward Hae-jin would use was already decided.
At the end of the previous cycle, the leader Nam Joo-hyuk's dying words to him had been exactly this.
『Hae-jin, I can no longer use the Rune of Regression. I've already wasted all 216 chances. So you... kill me in the First Trial of the next cycle. Use the Rune Exchange Ticket to take my Rune of Regression and end this trial in my place. You can become a far more perfect player than someone like me.』
That was Leader Nam Joo-hyuk's request.
In place of himself, who had used up all 216 regressions and could no longer regress, Hae-jin was to use the hidden trial in the First Trial to take Joo-hyuk's own 'Rune of Regression' via the Rune Exchange Ticket.
And so, bearing Joo-hyuk's legacy, Hae-jin now had to walk the thorny path of 216 cycles once more.
To see the end of this trial and finally achieve the salvation of the world.
That was the heavy burden of the regressor entrusted to the Player Who Killed the Regressor, Hae-jin.
Thus, from the three hidden trial rewards, Park Hae-jin naturally chose the 'Rune Exchange Ticket'.
[You have selected the 'Rune Exchange Ticket' as the hidden trial reward.]
"I'm back."
Those were Hae-jin's words upon returning to reality after completing the First Trial.
As soon as he returned to reality, Hae-jin used a player ability.
'Inventory.'
Players could store their rewards and equipment in their inventory.
-Rusted Greatsword.
-Zone Ranking 1st Reward Box
-Rune Exchange Ticket.
The inventory contained everything Hae-jin had obtained from the First Trial.
Ignoring everything else, Hae-jin focused solely on one item.
The 'Rune Exchange Ticket', containing his comrades' last hope in him.
Hae-jin used it immediately.
A list appeared in his vision.
It was a list of the runes from the players Hae-jin had killed in the First Trial.
The 'Rune Exchange Ticket' could only be exchanged for runes from players he had personally killed.
That was why he had no choice but to kill Joo-hyuk.
From there, Hae-jin searched for only one thing.
Nam Joo-hyuk's rune, the 'Rune of Regression'.
But something was off.
"What? Why isn't the Rune of Regression here?"
Sensing the anomaly, Hae-jin.
He scrolled through the list slowly once more to check.
"Ah, right!"
Hae-jin belatedly remembered what he'd overlooked.
He quickly went back not to the section starting with 'H', but to the one starting with 'Ch'.
The reason was simple.
Recalling it, Hae-jin finally found the rune he wanted.
"Ah, so that's why I couldn't see it."
The Rune of Regression that Hae-jin had mistaken for missing.
It was currently in the 'Ch' list.
-Transcendent Rune of Regression.
Runes had grades.
A player's max level was 100.
Basic runes gained grades every 20 levels.
Low-grade at 20, Mid-grade at 40, High-grade at 60, Top-grade at 80, and Transcendent at max level 100.
So the regressor Joo-hyuk must start with the 'Transcendent Rune of Regression' even after regressing.
But seeing it, Hae-jin tilted his head.
'Did Joo-hyuk really always start with the Transcendent Rune of Regression after regressing?'
Thinking about it, it was strange.
Because among the info Hae-jin had heard from Joo-hyuk, there was no such ability.
Puzzled but not dwelling deeply, Hae-jin decided.
'Exchange first, worry later.'
Hae-jin selected the 'Transcendent Rune of Regression' from the Rune Exchange Ticket list.
A message appeared before his eyes.
[Exchange 'Rune of Absorption' for 'Transcendent Rune of Regression'? Y/N.]
"Of course."
Hae-jin accepted, and new messages appeared.
[The 'Rune of Absorption' has been deleted.]
[You have acquired the 'Transcendent Rune of Regression'.]
[Title! Acquired 'Player Who Killed the Regressor'.]
[You are the first to acquire a 'Transcendent Rune'.]
[Title! Acquired 'Rune Master'.]
Having exchanged his Rune of Absorption for the Transcendent Rune of Regression.
Hae-jin checked the status of the Transcendent Rune of Regression, and a curse slipped from his mouth unbidden.
"Fuck... what the hell is this?"
Content: Allows the owner and 5 chosen others to regress to the past a set number of times. However, the number of uses decreases based on the number of people.
Option: Regression.
Regression uses possible: 0/216.
In an instant, Hae-jin's face went pale.
What was the plan he and Leader Joo-hyuk had made?
Hae-jin starts with boosted stats via the Rune of Absorption.
He kills Joo-hyuk in the First Trial, obtains the Rune of Regression with the Rune Exchange Ticket, and gains another chance to regress.
That way, even if the leader Joo-hyuk was gone, a new regressor with 216 Survival Game regressions would be born.
But like this... it was completely different.
"......"
Hae-jin was speechless as he stared.
-Regression uses possible: 0/216.
No regression uses possible.
Zero.
Seeing it, his face pale, Hae-jin soon let out a hollow laugh.
"Haha......"
Then what was the point of killing Leader Joo-hyuk?
What Joo-hyuk wanted was simply for another player to gain regression chances via his Rune of Regression and see the end of the Survival Game.
But he was left with a worthless transcendent rune that had zero uses?
Did Joo-hyuk die for something this pathetic?
In that moment, Hae-jin felt like he was going insane.
'Why did I kill the leader?'
But at that instant.
More rewards appeared before his eyes.
Content: The first among players to acquire a Transcendent Rune.
Options: All rune stats +100%, rune-exclusive skill effects +100%, rune-exclusive skill duration +100%, rune-exclusive skill cooldown -50%. All stats +100%.
The title 'Rune Master', obtained by being the first player to reach level 100 and evolve an existing rune into Transcendent grade.
And another one.
『Title! Acquired 'Player Who Killed the Regressor'.』
Another title appeared for Hae-jin.
One neither he nor Joo-hyuk had anticipated.
Content: Title granted when killing a player with the 'Rune of Regression' and obtaining it as your own rune. Allows inheritance of everything the regressor possessed.
Option: Inheritance.
"What the......"
The title 'Player Who Killed the Regressor', something Hae-jin was seeing and hearing for the first time in his life.
But no sooner had he seen it than immense pain began wracking Hae-jin.
[Inheritance system activated.]
[Loading regressor's information.]
[Inheriting regressor's information.]
As inheritance began, Hae-jin writhed in agony.
"Urk!"
Having experience in the Survival Game as a regressor's companion, Hae-jin was inured to most pains.
But the pain he felt now was on another level entirely.
Veins throughout his body swelled as if about to burst.
Along with it came a violent headache.
And amid that headache, Hae-jin could feel someone else's memories flooding endlessly into his mind.
'This is... the leader's knowledge and memories...!'
Not just Leader Joo-hyuk's 210 cycles of Survival Game info and power from mere stories—they were being fully inherited, including all his thoughts and knowledge.
If Hae-jin didn't have a steel will, the overwhelming ego of the regressor would have eroded his sense of self.
Hae-jin suffered like that for a long while.
He staggered to his feet.
The inheritance was finishing, and his body was gradually returning to normal.
Then, a message window appeared before Hae-jin's eyes.
[Regressor's information has been inherited.]
The message that inheritance was complete.
Afterward, Hae-jin could feel it.
The sensation that everything about him had become vastly stronger.
And he could see it.
A black sword and a white sword gripped in his hands.
Not only that, but a black leather coat draped over his body.
And even a hood obscuring his vision.
Confirming his changed state, Hae-jin looked at the mirror inside his studio apartment.
And he could see.
"This is......"
His current attire.
It was none other than the equipment Leader Joo-hyuk had worn in the final trial before his last regression.
Not just stats and skills— even the last equipped gear had been fully inherited.