Chapter 76
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: The Regressor Made It All
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Borsippa's main headquarters bordered the central district of Babel Academy.
As the central hub overseeing every operation in Borsippa, the building's scale was immense, befitting Babel's grandeur.
A massive ten-story structure bustling with hundreds of administrative staff and drawing tens of thousands of visitors daily for all sorts of business.
The lower floors hummed with the minor noises of daily life, but the department head's office on the top floor was a different world.
Scratch, scratch.
In the room so quiet that even the pen scratching across paperwork rang clear, Ryu Eun-ha was reviewing documents as usual.
Bam!
The door flew open violently.
The middle-aged man with blond hair slicked back—Michael Valmut—strode in without knocking, his face cold as he glared at Ryu Eun-ha.
"Department Head Ryu Eun-ha."
His polite tone belied the raw anger seeping through.
His mana laced the final word, making the entire office tremble faintly, but Ryu Eun-ha didn't lift her eyes from her papers.
"Yes?"
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"No clue. Care to explain?"
Her indifferent tone conveyed zero interest in conversing. Michael's brow furrowed, but he quickly composed himself and pressed on.
"Your biased review video has caused massive damage to the Valmut family."
After Ryu Eun-ha's video went up, the Valmuts received refund requests outnumbering their orders for the first time ever.
Companies and guilds that had been skeptical about the new mass-produced gear had switched en masse the moment her video dropped, as if they'd been waiting for it.
'We could've cleared inventory before it hit the market properly... All because of one damn video...!'
When the video first started gaining traction, the Valmut family had caught wind and responded swiftly.
The materials currently in controversy have not been officially verified. We will respond strongly to any defamation or spread of false information related to this matter.
Valmut put out a statement. Guess we gotta wait and see.
Wait and see? It's Ryu Eun-ha who posted it lol.
Is Ryu Eun-ha above the official association? Don't talk weird.
The top 100 artisans can't even argue gear ratings in front of her, and you're talking about the association? They'd just slap an official cert and call it a day.
30% better performance for 20% less price? This a scam?
Why would an S-rank hero scam anyone?
Could happen. S-rank heroes are human too.
Not everyone's like you.
First time seeing Ryu Eun-ha smile? Am I alone here?
First time for sure. I've seen every video online, never caught her smiling. Thought my heart stopped...
If the woman who ate a hero-grade gear from Seraphim with a straight face is smiling at these mass-produced ones, what the hell are they really made of?
Ryu Eun-ha—an S-rank hero at a young age, with monumental feats in clearing hazard zones and slaying monsters and demons.
Her habit of "eating" gear and her gourmet reputation had spread far online, turning the Valmuts' response into fuel for the fire.
'This is beyond what we can handle internally.'
Challenging the review itself risked backlash since it stuck to bare facts, and legal battles would likely be squashed by an even bigger monster: Academy President Ludwig.
So the Valmut family had only one option left.
"I don't know what you want, but we'll accommodate as much as possible. Please take down the video first and upload a correction..."
"Vice Department Head."
Ryu Eun-ha cut him off mid-pitch, signing off on a document with cool detachment.
"If there's nothing else, please leave. You're disrupting my work."
"..."
She dismissed him outright, no room for negotiation. Michael felt more baffled than angry.
'Not a bargaining ploy... a real attack?'
He'd figured she wasn't the type for such schemes, but that only made it more baffling.
Why would this eccentric—who cared for nothing but buying gear—stir this up?
'Seraphim? No, she seemed genuinely thrown off when she met them.'
If not her long-time sponsor guild Seraphim, then what?
As Michael racked his brain like a boulder had dropped from the sky, a knock.
Knock knock.
"Pardon the interruption."
The mocking voice grated instantly. Michael whipped around to see Lee Se-hun leaning against the doorframe.
"Looks like it's over, so I came in... You're still here?"
Lee Se-hun's puzzled look screamed arrogance. Michael's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Do you even know where you are, you little...?"
"You came."
Ryu Eun-ha's voice from behind.
Michael turned, eyes widening.
The woman who'd ignored him completely now gazed at Lee Se-hun with uncharacteristic warmth.
'No way... All this for him?'
Incredible, but it fit her reaction perfectly. That sparked another nagging doubt.
'Who the hell made those new gear models?'
Their intel said those workshops lacked the skill. Another faction had to be involved—but suddenly, a wild possibility hit Michael.
'Impossible...'
He dismissed it even as he thought it.
Sensing trouble, he turned back to Lee Se-hun in the doorway.
"What? Get out already."
Unlike other cadets who couldn't meet his gaze, Lee Se-hun spoke casually, laced with smug leisure. Michael knew for sure then.
"...It was you."
Absurd, but those new gear screamed Lee Se-hun.
A talent that chilled him now. Michael's face hardened as he stared daggers.
"Don't get too cocky."
He stormed past, leaving the warning. Lee Se-hun smirked at his back, tilting his head.
'Pissed him off good.'
Without witnesses, he'd probably have lashed out. As Lee Se-hun savored the smooth progress,
whoosh.
Ryu Eun-ha sidled up, eyes on Michael's retreating form.
"That killing intent he leaked... Might be risky if we let him walk. Your orders?"
Her deadpan tone matched her murder-filled eyes.
She'd vaporize him on a word. Lee Se-hun waved it off quick.
"I'm good. Got something prepped, so no need."
"...Understood."
She retreated inside, unsatisfied. Lee Se-hun shut the door.
"Any word from the president after the video?"
"Yeah. Said if we're doing it, hire an editor."
"Hm. No objections then."
Valmut pressure was ignorable, but Ludwig's was another beast.
Her department head status complicated things, and Ludwig—as a Summit Climber—held overwhelming sway.
'He wouldn't step in personality-wise... but stay vigilant.'
Past-life intel was gold, but blind faith was suicide.
With the biggest hurdle cleared, Lee Se-hun sighed in relief—
bzzz.
Her phone vibrated on the desk. She glanced and rejected it flat.
Lee Se-hun cocked his head curiously.
"Who gets the instant no?"
"Video went up, now everyone's pitching offers. Ignore them."
S-rank heroes usually joined guilds or signed corp deals early.
Ryu Eun-ha skipped most, cherry-picking contracts, so solicitations were rare.
'Video reset that.'
To outsiders, it looked like she'd softened; even if not, its impact was clear—they'd hound her relentlessly.
'That's a headache... Feel kinda bad.'
Her phone buzzed again. Lee Se-hun grimaced sheepishly.
"Sorry for the hassle."
"Don't worry. They vanish if ignored."
"Nah. Deals gotta be square."
She seemed aloof, but Ryu Eun-ha was razor-sharp on favors.
Dismiss her "fine" at your peril—you'd regret it later.
"If you ever need help, department head, hit me up anytime. I'll return the favor."
Nothing she'd need his current level for, but sincerity mattered.
She stared, then nodded.
"Noted."
Satisfied, he pivoted.
"Prof. Kim In-cheol said other workshops joined, so production's solid. Upload the rest sequentially."
Yesterday's was a teaser.
Now, 76 Valmut mass-pro models would get shredded against his prepped ones.
Ryu Eun-ha pondered.
"Workshops okay? Too many to guard even with escorts."
"All good."
He grinned at her valid point.
"Told you, reliable guy's on it."
The darkened cityscape.
A small voice echoed from the shadows of a pitch-black alley, streetlights long extinguished.
"Right wall: 38-year-old woman, 12-year-old boy, 9-year-old girl. Handle them, then tidy from nearby homes."
A shadow blob detached, scaling the wall. The rest rippled, teleporting to a distant apartment stairwell corner.
"1802: 68-year-old woman. Same drill."
Another blob peeled off, climbing. The core rippled away again.
Darting citywide, dispersing shadows. A-rank demon "Lurking Shadow Ghost" recalled his commission.
'Target families instead of workshops. Smart play.'
Raiding guarded shops was high-risk, low-gain suspicion magnet.
Client Valmut family pivoted: pick kin of involved parties and assassinate.
'Nothing beats instilling fear.'
Quick kills today; later, staged accidents, one by one, slow burn.
Others chalk it to chance; targets get the message, bail in terror.
'No need for ten years. Scare 'em off quick.'
He'd love a full wipe, but it'd draw heat, tank his Pleasure Quarter rep. Restraint it was.
As he prepped another dispatch, annoyed—
Thuk.
A blue arrow pierced his heart.
"Gah...!"
The stabbed shadow thrashed, then a man's corpse flopped out.
Subordinate, instant death—curse swapped for him. Lurking Shadow Ghost judged fast.
'Minimum S-rank. Run!'
Sniper who spotted and struck unseen in the city? No fight possible.
He triggered "Shadow Sacrifice" instantly.
Whoosh!
Ten subs inside dissolved to black blood, splashing a magic circle. Twenty more fueled activation.
Fwoom!
Scenery flipped in a blink.
Dozens of kilometers away in woods, he chained skills, no rest.
'Unknown powers—escape clean.'
Rebuilding minions sucked, but dawdle against S-rank? Dead.
Another "Shadow Sacrifice"—linked subs melted, coating him in gore.
Vrrr!
Soul Conceal, Mana Neutralize, Nature Assimilate—stacked stealth. He shadow-hopped hundreds of kilometers.
Sub-lives as fodder. Worked before on S-ranks. Confidence, but unease nagged.
'Enough?'
Sniper precision pre-strike undetected.
That heart-pierce chill... He tore his emergency scroll.
Shhh—
Purple demon energy surged, blurring his edges, melting gooey.
As his form scattered traceless—
Thud!
Lurking Shadow Ghost slammed into an abandoned building, purple haze shed.
"Hah... hah..."
Too drained for shadows, he wheezed face-down. Fellow demons gathered.
"What? Shadow punk?"
"Fucked up bad. S-rank hero smackdown?"
Assassin peers, infamous, using this "Dream Haven."
'Safe here...'
Owner: Pleasure Quarter lord, one of Ten Evils—"Dream Demon." No S-rank tracks him.
He relaxed.
"Sniped, bolted. Burned all subs... Didn't even break even. Shit."
"Sniped? Who nails you?"
His ilk eyed him odd.
He was top stealth here.
"Dunno. Arrow hit, I split—no face."
"...Arrow?"
Ominous word hung. Faces hardened—
Boom.
One demon's head exploded clean off.
"..."
"..."
Air froze.
Normally, they'd dodge next—but they stared, transfixed, at the weapon impaling their comrade.
Shhh.
Blue arrow lodged firm.
Steel-like, but tip crumbled to mana—pure magic construct.
'Archer. Invisible snipe. Sees through Dream Haven. Mana arrow.'
Pieces clicked. One name surfaced.
Monster atop world's tallest peak, solo-hunting Africa's tainted monsters. Casually sniping "visible" demons for fun.
"Ape-Eyed Archer..."
Realizing they'd been spotted by Ha Baek-yeon, demons paled, then despaired.
"Fuck..."
Rat-tat-tat!
A hail of arrows shredded every head and heart in Dream Haven, ending them all.