Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes It All
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Paang───
A faint vibration felt from afar. Sensing that power, Ma Gwang-su turned his head toward the mountain.
“Looks like they handled it somehow.”
He had wondered if it might be a bit much for those two, but it seemed they pulled it off.
Confirming that his one remaining worry was gone, Ma Gwang-su turned his head forward again.
“…….”
His hair was a tangled mess, his body smeared with filth and blood. His right shoulder, where an arm should have been, gaped empty. The dagger he had been swinging moments ago lay broken in half on the ground.
Seeing the old man barely clinging to life, Ma Gwang-su slung the gray sword he had formed in his right hand over his shoulder.
“I want to wrap this up soon too, but besides your right arm, got anything else to swap for a shadow? If you do, make it quick. I’ll chop it right off.”
At Ma Gwang-su’s indifferent urging, the old man’s eyes twitched. He soon muttered with a bitter smile.
“That arrogant streak of yours hasn’t changed. Sword Ghost.”
Sword Ghost.
Hearing that ancient nickname, Ma Gwang-su looked briefly surprised before narrowing his eyes.
‘Knows my old moniker, so he’s got some real experience…….’
Was there someone like him among the foes from back then? Rummaging through his memories for a moment, Ma Gwang-su suddenly recalled a name.
“Yeah, your moves felt familiar…… You’re from ‘Dark Veil.’”
A demon band that appeared only in midnight deserts, ruthlessly hunting heroes.
They were the prime culprits behind turning countless desert regions into danger zones, but the group had been wiped out long ago.
“……You actually remembered. Unexpected.”
“I remember every bastard who was a pain. But how’re you still kicking? Ludwig and I made sure to finish the job back then……”
“Back then, he wasn’t the Ascendant Emperor yet—just ‘Sky Sovereign.’ S-rank or not, humans can be dodged.”
The old man sneered, tossing out Ludwig’s pre-Summit Climber title. Ma Gwang-su’s expression turned peculiar.
‘Even back in the day, that guy wasn’t careless…….’
If anything, those were the days when his power lagged behind now, making him even more meticulous.
Staring at the old man for a long stretch, Ma Gwang-su finally sighed and shook his head.
“Whatever. You don’t look like talking anyway. Let’s just end it here.”
“Ruthless as ever.”
“Pot calling the kettle. Spouting drivel while grabbing kids as hostages.”
“……!”
The old man’s eyes bulged at Ma Gwang-su’s calm remark.
‘He clocked the Red Shadow Squad……?’
He had teleported here after being subdued—how had he spotted the infiltration?
Was it real insight or just mind games to pressure him? As the old man pondered—
Chiring─
With a crystalline chime, dozens of blue swords shot from spots throughout the forest, hurtling toward Ma Gwang-su.
“What……”
Dozens of swords aligned neatly behind Ma Gwang-su.
About sixty centimeters long, elegant as fine craftwork—all identical in form.
Mystical enough on its own, but the old man who grasped the truth stared in horror.
“Sword energy……?”
Swords forged from sword energy.
Any high hero versed in it could manage one or two, but dozens under individual control? That was another level.
‘……I get it. He just never hit Summit Climber…… but his technique kept advancing.’
While he had foolishly stalled, the Red Shadow Squad was already skewered and annihilated by those blue blades.
Dawning on him at last, the old man recalled why Ma Gwang-su’s moniker had shifted from Sword Ghost to Broken Sword.
‘See a broken sword? Run.’
A title ratified by humanity and Myriad Demons’ Mire alike—to spare pointless battles, to save demons blind to their foes’ measure.
Bitter smile at the monster who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the pre-Summit Emperor.
“Gotta show the sword to make ’em run……”
Dozens of blue swords turned toward the old man.
Shallow Charge Sword
Blue Chime
Ching─
With a clear ring, dozens of swords pierced the old man’s body. At Ma Gwang-su’s glance, they dissolved into mana and vanished.
Confirming it, Ma Gwang-su approached and tore away the ragged shirt.
Chiik
Black haze rising from the wounds. Realizing the internals were a ruin, Ma Gwang-su frowned.
“Bomb, poison. Even a curse—packed every trick.”
He had stripped hidden traps the moment breath failed, but their prep outdid his.
Gazing down at the old man’s hollowed husk with a subtle look.
“Only an Alchemist plays this thorough……”
Puppeteer, now Alchemist tangled in. Coincidence or design, no promising talent had crossed two of the Ten Evils so quick.
“Tsk…… What a hassle……”
He had planned a rough cleanup and bounce, but looked like babysitting till Babel.
Shoving the corpse into his sub-space box, Ma Gwang-su grumbled onward into the woods.
“Hmm……”
Black edging neatly along the red blade’s rim.
Lee Se-hun gave a slight nod of admiration at the Guanil Spear’s pattern—so clean for an accidental etch.
‘To embed the mana circuit in one shot, no less.’
A phenomenon at over ninety percent weapon assimilation.
The stage where it felt like an extension of the body. Yeom Seong-ha hit it first try, stabilizing the shaky spear into a true Guanil Spear.
“Good to go as is. Take it.”
Grabbing the Guanil Spear mid-stride, Yeom Seong-ha eyed the workshop.
“Sure nothing went down?”
“Told you. Relax…… Ah, there it is.”
Clearing the mountain, Park Jin-hwan’s forge came into view. In the yard, two faced off against four undead assassins.
Flame Harmony Sect robes, shoulder patches marking Seven Wheels instructors. Spotting them, Lee Se-hun narrowed his eyes.
“Know ’em?”
“Kang Hyun-un and Jang Pol instructors. Both A-rank—sect leader’s right hands, basically.”
“Kang Hyun-un…… Ah, that clown.”
The fool who came testing Yeom Seong-ha’s chops before, smashed a spear, and bailed. Familiar face piqued Lee Se-hun’s interest.
“Tsk……”
Kang Hyun-un spotted them, gave a short tongue-click, schooled his face, and approached.
“Glad you’re safe. Feared we were too late.”
“Skip the fluff. Sect leader send you?”
Kang Hyun-un’s eyes twitched at Yeom Seong-ha’s bluntness, but he nodded smoothly.
“Yes. Sect leader figured young master Yeom couldn’t handle the Flame Blade Hunters alone—sent me and Instructor Jang Pol for backup.”
Short brown hair, towering over two meters, the westerner Jang Pol bobbed his head in greeting.
“But you’re hurt. You holding up?”
Kang Hyun-un and Jang Pol eyed his state with feigned concern. Catching the ulterior glint, Yeom Seong-ha replied flatly.
“Not dying to you two.”
“……Joke’s in poor taste, young master.”
Kang Hyun-un straightened sternly. Yeom Seong-ha turned indifferently to Lee Se-hun.
“Pull the crescent blade.”
“On it.”
Lee Se-hun fished An Gil-hyun’s crescent blade from his sub-space pocket, brandished it. Kang Hyun-un recognized it, eyes popping.
“That’s……”
“Flame Dragon Blade, from banished ex-instructor An Gil-hyun. Faked being a Flame Blade Hunter to hit the forge. Dealt with him on the way back.”
Kang Hyun-un looked dumbfounded at Yeom Seong-ha’s rundown.
‘An Gil-hyun down……?’
A-rank hero, the sect leader’s traitor-hunting hound—freshly minted instructor took him?
Unbelievable. His gaze flicked to the twin short spears gripped in Yeom Seong-ha’s hands.
‘Never seen those.’
Not ordinary at a glance.
If hero-grade pair, and An Gil-hyun lowballed him…… could’ve ended quick.
‘Park Jin-hwan’s no relic for those. Means…….’
Pinpointing the smith, his eyes shifted naturally to Lee Se-hun with the Flame Dragon Blade.
Arrogant top-student punk at first meet—now Yeom Seong-ha’s backer, fame and skill both.
‘Mission leaks? Both hotter than before.’
Bad spot. Sect leader’s charge surfaced.
‘Chance shows, tidy neat.’
Hesitate, game over. Kang Hyun-un tightened on his spear, scanning anew—
“That look.”
Yeom Seong-ha fixed him coldly.
“Quit rolling it. Unless you fancy it gouged.”
Spear tips dangling low, gaze heavy. The pressure locked Kang Hyun-un rigid; realizing, his eyes flew wide.
‘Me…… cowed head-on?’
Before, rabid mutt at best. Now? Kill-or-die madness.
Days remade him. Locked stares long, Kang Hyun-un sighed.
‘Way underestimated, sect leader.’
Three—no, four instructors could’ve ended it here.
No path to take Yeom Seong-ha. Momentum dropped, head bowed.
“I’ll watch myself. Need proof for sect leader—hand over the Flame Dragon Blade?”
“Fine.”
Twung
Yeom Seong-ha half-spun the Guanil Spear, shaft-smacked the Flame Dragon Blade skyward.
Whoosh!
Blade airborne. Half-spin redux, eyes agleam, full-force swing.
Slash!
Flame Dragon Blade’s blade and shaft parted clean.
“Take it.”
Tung!
Shaft dropped; Yeom Seong-ha’s kick lofted it. Kang Hyun-un snatched, face twisting.
“What the hell……”
“An Gil-hyun chummy with sect leader—shaft’s enough ID.”
“…….”
Laden double meaning. Kang Hyun-un glared ages, eyed Jang Pol.
“We’re out.”
No goodbye—time sink. Yeom Seong-ha watched blank, spoke slow.
“Tell him.”
“…….”
They halted. Yeom Seong-ha continued, calm steel resolve.
“Even if Master’s taken hostage…… and killed…… his will lives in my spear.”
Yeom Jin-hyeon snared or slain, no retreat.
Kang Hyun-un matched tone even.
“No regrets.”
They resumed. Watching, Yeom Seong-ha eyed Lee Se-hun.
“You keep the blade.”
“What……”
Hero-grade Flame Dragon Blade’s blade offered—Lee Se-hun startled, caught on, chuckled.
“Payment too, huh?”
No green anymore. Yeom Seong-ha shot absurd glare.
“Fought side-by-side, split spoils. Basic manners?”
“…….”
Off-script. Lee Se-hun stiffened, breathed deep, smiled.
“Yeah…… Appreciate it.”
Scooped the dropped blade, quick status peek.
‘Near shatter…… but salvageable.’
Blend later. Pocketed, eyed Yeom Seong-ha.
“Plans now?”
“Neutral faction hostage play blocked by alliance. Sect leader can’t pull this often, reckless or not.”
“Missions still dicey.”
“Regular monster hunts rack merits. Decline at will then.”
“Monster hunts……”
Flame Harmony fringe dweller—takers trustworthy? Sure, but agendas hidden.
‘Needs solid creds, Yi Won-ryong-proof.’
Racking minds, one clicked.
“You know Professor Kasar?”
“No Aqar Quf cadet doesn’t.”
“I’ll vouch. Join via him—safer than Flame Harmony pipeline.”
“…….”
Yeom Seong-ha eyed odd. Linked to that veteran blade too?
‘Network sharp…….’
Hate admitting, but non-combat edge his. First straight nod to unrelated merit, eyed Lee Se-hun.
‘Spears included…… tally’s swelled.’
These especially—triple-pay pledged, debt avalanche.
Yet no take-back vibe irked Yeom Seong-ha faintly.
‘Transaction for real……?’
One-way drag? Pondering—
“Rare monster drops there? Straight to me.”
Lee Se-hun appended flat.
“Good ones, swap for pay. Clear?”
“…….”
Pure deal hammer—no aid, no pity. Yeom Seong-ha stared mute, smirked.
“Don’t sweat. Prime picks incoming.”
A trade has been established with target ‘Yeom Seong-ha’.
A Bond Stone has been generated for target ‘Yeom Seong-ha’.
All settled, refugees returned. Park Jin-hwan alone eyed his forge.
“……This place done too, huh.”
Clung here for focus, but lousy for learning.
‘Flame Harmony return? Eye-sore…… Meister instead?’
Small artisan hub, good exchange—and Pilgrimage Church-backed, sect leader hands off.
‘Gaudy elder, but they’ll take me.’
Destination set, mid-pack—
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Shadow at the door.
“Heard the owner’s ace at fire-attribute gear…… Commissions open?”
Chest-long hair, stubble-shadowed jaw, gloomy mid-aged man.
Cloak hid patched light armor; red-sheathed dao at hip—stance screamed pro.
“Sorry. Shuttered as of today.”
“Shame. Hero-grade talent’s rare.”
Regret tinged, Park Jin-hwan bitter-grinned, waved off.
“Glory days. Now? Half-year grind for maybe.”
Sincere words; man eyed quiet, nodded.
“Fair enough. Next chance, I’ll ask.”
Left with courtesy. Resuming pack, stray thought hit Park Jin-hwan.
‘That dao at his hip…… hero-grade vibe.’
Fleeting hunch. Shook it off quick.
‘Jumps at shadows.’
True Flame Blade Hunter? Why seek spear-only smith?
Thus dismissed, packed normal.
“Another bust……”
The watcher melted into dark.