Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Obtaining Heaven-Slaying Star comes with a price—madness takes root in the mind.
For someone like Joo Do-gyeom, whose greatest strengths are his composure and patience, this could be a poison that erodes those very qualities.
But in exchange, he gains the power to kill even the undying monsters—those relentless abominations that refused to stay dead, dragging battles into endless stalemates.
He knew all of this.
He had regressed with this knowledge.
And so, his choice was inevitable.
[The power of Heaven-Slaying Star has taken root in the user, Joo Do-gyeom.]
The basement.
Red light surged from the densely carved curse engravings covering the walls, flooding into Do-gyeom's body.
The change wasn't immediate.
But—
'Status window.'
[Name: Joo Do-gyeom
Age: 26
Class: Universal Chef
Attributes
Strength: E- | Stamina: E | Agility: E+ (131 sec) | Magic: F-
Traits: Heaven-Slaying Star (Unique)
Skills:
Heaven-Binding Qi Art (2★) | Earth-Binding Qi Art (2★) | Clear Sight Art (1★) | Shadowless Divine Step (2★) | Asura Flame Kick (1★) | Vanishing Shadow (2★) | Lightning Flash Step (2★) | Soaring Roc Wing Art (3★) | Knife Proficiency (Lv. 2) | Chef's Blade Mastery (Lv. 1)]
It was definitely there.
A new line in his status—Traits—where none had existed before.
And within it, three unmistakable characters: Heaven-Slaying Star.
Just as Do-gyeom nodded in confirmation—
[Unique Trait, Heaven-Slaying Star, has been granted.]
[Calculating remaining rewards...]
[Dungeon clear reward: Magic Stones have been significantly increased.]
[Magic Rank increased: F- → F+]
[One randomly selected attribute will receive a substantial boost.]
[Agility Rank increased: F+ → E-]
[Special skill granted as a bonus for the Universal Chef class.]
[Skill acquired: Magic Stone Braising (Lv. 1)]
Dungeon Rule #8—the final commandment.
A dungeon always rewards its players in proportion to their achievements. Exceptional feats yield exponentially greater rewards.
And this was the feast of messages that followed.
Even for a regressor like Do-gyeom, receiving such rewards from his first dungeon was...
'...Unbelievable.'
But honestly?
'...I don't have the luxury to savor this right now.'
Soaring Roc Wing Art—the desperate acceleration technique he had used at the cost of severe internal injuries—was now demanding its toll in real time.
Even Do-gyeom, known for his patience, couldn't help but furrow his brow deeply.
Fortunately, he didn't have to endure it much longer.
[Reward distribution complete.]
[Return to Earth? Y/N]
The messages had concluded just in time.
Do-gyeom answered.
"Return."
His vision flipped.
"But you'll pull through."
"Joo Do-gyeom. If anyone can do it, it's you."
"The man I've watched all this time..."
His eyes snapped open.
The dim fluorescent light of his tiny studio apartment—windowless and cramped—was the first thing that filled his vision.
"Ugh..."
He let out a low groan as he sat up, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
'Seriously? Already?'
It had barely been a month since his regression.
And yet, he was already dreaming of the moments right before it happened.
'...Vivien.'
He picked up his phone and checked his inbox.
As expected, the email remained unread.
He set the phone back down.
"Hah..."
A deep exhale.
Then, he crossed his legs and assessed his condition.
Thanks to Earth-Binding Qi Art—even if it was only at 2★—his body was in better shape than he had feared.
Still, the internal injuries lingered.
Not enough to cripple him permanently, but enough to make the next few days... unpleasant.
'Can't be helped.'
The unexpected events in the Mansion of the Cannibal, combined with obtaining Heaven-Slaying Star, made this a small price to pay.
Frankly?
This was practically routine for the pre-regression Do-gyeom.
No need to dwell on it.
'Time will take care of it.'
Instead, he turned his attention inward.
'The madness.'
It was definitely there.
In the dungeon, his condition had been too poor to confirm it before checking his status, but now—he could feel it clearly.
Something foreign had taken root in his mind.
But perhaps because it was still fresh?
It was... quieter than he expected.
No overwhelming confusion. No twisting of his emotions.
Still, he couldn't let his guard down.
He had seen firsthand what happened to the previous wielder of Heaven-Slaying Star—Jin Woo-seong—and the monster he became.
'I won't forget.'
He was now the master of Heaven-Slaying Star.
He would remind himself. Over and over. Stay vigilant.
Muttering the words aloud to cement them in his mind, Do-gyeom opened his eyes again.
His gaze, now calm and steady, turned back to his status window.
First, the boosted stats.
For a hunter who had only cleared a single dungeon, these numbers were absurd.
Impressive—but Do-gyeom dismissed them without much thought.
As a regressor, this much was only natural.
Heaven-Slaying Star, too, had already been confirmed through introspection, so he skimmed past it.
Instead, his focus settled on the last line of his skills.
A new addition.
[Skill: Magic Stone Braising (Lv. 1)]
As previously mentioned, when a skill is acquired, the knowledge of how to use it naturally flows into the user's mind.
This was no exception.
'So... I literally braise magic stones in a pan?'
To be precise—melting a magic stone over heat turns it into a braising sauce.
Mix it with other ingredients and consume it.
The important part?
Eating the completed dish permanently increases magic power.
With luck, depending on the type of magic stone used, additional traits or skills could even be acquired.
(Though the upper limit was determined by the grade of the magic stone.)
"This is incredible."
Even for Do-gyeom—who had seen and experienced all manner of hunter-related abilities in his past life—this skill was worthy of genuine awe.
'Universal Chef.'
A class that lived up to its name—capable of cooking anything.
Honestly, when he first acquired it post-regression, he hadn't expected it to be this useful for his plans.
'This might be... a far greater stroke of luck than I thought.'
A smile crept onto his lips.
With a skill this good, there was no reason to delay.
And in Do-gyeom's small system inventory—still only ten slots wide and two rows deep—sat 19 ordinary low-grade magic stones and one slightly unusual crimson magic stone.
A quick system check on the latter revealed:
[Cannibal's Magic Stone (Special)]
A special-grade magic stone.
Though it lacked a formal ranking, it was rarer than most high-grade stones.
And considering its source—the Cannibal, a monster explicitly designed to be unhuntable—its value was beyond question.
Selling it would net him billions.
But was money the priority?
Do-gyeom shook his head.
Instead, a different question arose.
'What happens if I eat this?'
The system couldn't predict the outcome.
Not until he tried.
So he prepared to start braising immediately—only for his thoughts to screech to a halt.
The reason was simple.
'...I can't just braise the magic stone and eat it straight.'
His class was Universal Chef.
Meaning—he had to cook a proper dish.
In fact, the completion level of the dish affected both the absorption efficiency of the magic stone and the chance of acquiring special abilities.
This new information settled it.
"I need to go shopping."
A little internal injury wasn't going to stop him.
Do-gyeom's footsteps carried him out of the studio.
Clack-clack, clack-clack.
The subway train rattled along the tracks, the rhythmic noise filling the cabin as time passed.
An announcement played overhead.
"Next stop: Red Zone, District 1. Passengers continuing to the Blue Zone, please transfer to the Blue Zone exclusive line at this station. This station is—"
"Warning: Recent incidents of robbery have been reported in the Red-Blue Zone transfer areas. Exercise caution. The City Transit Authority assumes no responsibility for criminal activities—"
Gray cityscapes.
The view outside the window could only be described as bleak.
A raindrop splattered against the glass in front of Do-gyeom.
Then another.
Within moments, the window was streaked with rain.
Patter-patter—!
The sound of heavy rain hammering against the glass.
Frowning slightly, Do-gyeom made a mental note to buy an umbrella before turning away.
His gaze landed on an advertisement.
[Daily Insurance Co. cares for your health! On-site treatment support within 3 minutes! Emergency MAC (Magitech Air Car) transport to major hospitals! Trust Daily Insurance for a safer urban life!]
A handsome middle-aged actor smiled from the poster.
Do-gyeom's lips twitched—not at the ad itself, but at the barely legible fine print at the bottom.
[Benefits vary by membership tier. Please review terms before enrollment.]
In the past, he would've scoffed at that.
'And yet, in the end, I missed even these kinds of ads.'
Still.
'Once I earn a bit more, I should move deeper into the Blue Zone.'
Not because the Red Zone was dangerous.
As a regressor—once called the Martial God—most threats in the Red Zone barely registered to him.
The real issue was the time wasted traveling back and forth for hunter supplies.
The Yongsan Dungeon Place Market—colloquially known as Yong Dun—was located in Blue Zone 1, the area that had once been "Yongsan" in the old world.
Of course, the price gap between Red and Blue Zones was astronomical.
For a rookie hunter, even considering it would be laughable.
But for the current Do-gyeom?
'A month at most. Maybe even two weeks.'
And that was assuming he relied solely on hunting income.
If he factored in the growing investments he had quietly set in motion?
Frankly, he could even push into the Green Zone if he wanted.
(Not that he had any intention of going that far.)
Either way—
Using the shared kitchen in his studio for Universal Chef cooking would get old fast. Moving was inevitable.
As these thoughts crossed his mind—
The train arrived at the transfer station.
The downpour had eased into a drizzle.
Do-gyeom stepped out, his pace brisk.
The reason Do-gyeom had gone all the way to Yong Dun—despite the distance—was simple.
According to the Universal Chef skill info imprinted in his mind—
Using dungeon-bred ingredients increased the dish's effects compared to ordinary Earth-grown ones.
This wasn't surprising.
Even regular civilians consumed dungeon-bred products for their benefits.
Anti-aging creams that genuinely reversed skin deterioration.
Beverages that actively reduced bodily inflammation.
From what Do-gyeom recalled, in a few more years, even rejuvenation potions—capable of rolling back the body's biological age—would hit the market.
(Though their rarity and exorbitant prices made them inaccessible to most.)
In any case—
Today's chosen ingredient was Steel Fish.
A common catch in oceanic dungeons, roughly the size of a mackerel.
Price? Around 1 million won per fish.
Expensive for a "common" monster, but after selling over half of his magic stones (10 out of 19), Do-gyeom could afford it.
(For reference, low-grade magic stones sold for about 1.5 million won each.)
Most hunters only earned 1-3 stones after clearing the tutorial.
Do-gyeom's haul of 19—no, 20, counting the Cannibal's stone—was an anomaly.
After purchasing the Steel Fish (packed in a black bag), he boarded the train back to Red Zone 5, where he lived.
Then, he stopped by a supermarket for a few more fish.
'Since the dish's completion affects the results...'
He'd practice with regular fish first.
Carrying two bags of fish, Do-gyeom headed back to his studio—
When he let out a quiet sigh.
"Hmm..."
He had noticed it earlier.
'I'm being followed.'
Or rather—watched.
Multiple sets of eyes.
This wasn't unusual in the Red Zone.
A place where most CCTV cameras were either broken or removed, where streetlights flickered out by nightfall.
Even before becoming a hunter, back when he was just training, Do-gyeom had often felt these lingering gazes.
But they rarely escalated.
Because he never carried anything worth stealing.
Today was different.
He was holding something purchased from Yong Dun.
The scavengers lurking in the Red Zone might not know what it was—
But they clearly thought it was worth taking.
Predictable.
Do-gyeom deliberately slowed his pace.
Whether they saw this as an opportunity or simply decided the growing darkness was cover enough—
The presences behind him closed in rapidly.
Do-gyeom mused.
'How convenient.'
Money spent on shopping, and now pocket change was coming to him.
He waited quietly.
This was familiar territory.
'But why...'
Why did he feel so excited?
"..."
Hm.