The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 38

I caressed the surface of the pocket mirror.

Its smooth surface rippled as if it were shattering.

Crack!

In the next moment, the mirror world dissolved, and light returned to the stained glass windows.

But the light didn't return to our faces.

We came here to find the Ghost Princess's handkerchief, but the handkerchief was nowhere to be found. Instead, we only got a tiara and a scepter.

I forced myself to stay positive.

"Let's consider this a success. We closed the gate, after all."

The swordsman replied with a smile, though it was clear he was forcing it too.

"Yes, let's."

The ownerless castle began to shake.

Rumble rumble rumble...!

The throne crumbled, revealing the core of the castle.

A green core, about the size of two fists combined, spewed out a frenzy of fog.

With gates like this one, where the core's energy release had already begun, there was a chance it could create a new princess on its own.

Without hesitation, I fired off a heat ray.

It was a good skill that absorbed mana without looking like it was incinerating anything.

Ziiiing!

The green sphere was pierced by the white heat ray.

Fizzle!

A considerable amount of mana flowed into my body.

It wasn't enough to remove the "-" attached to my A rank, but it was a massive amount of mana, worthy of a large gate's core.

An Aitel notification popped up.

【Finale Story: 'Ghost Princess's Castle' Cleared】

I had seen another ending.

The castle began to collapse.

Stained glass windows shattered, and the floor of the audience chamber caved in.

We each grabbed an artifact and jumped out the window.

Crash!

The castle completely collapsed.

Countless bricks evaporated into steam.

The fog lifted, and sunlight poured in.

Had it been 10 minutes?

The reservoir in Seongnam City returned to its peaceful scenery, as if it had never been consumed by the gate.

We stood at the edge of the reservoir, gazing at the sight.

It was a sight that was always beautiful to behold.

I looked down at the jewel-encrusted scepter and gave a bitter, but definite, smile.

Even though we failed to retrieve the handkerchief, we conquered the gate.

No one would acknowledge it right now, but that was okay.

I had never done any of this for recognition.

I was simply proud to have removed a source of trouble from Seongnam City.

It was a shame we couldn't get another handkerchief, but the one I was using wasn't broken, so it wasn't an immediate problem.

I could ask Ryu Haneul to find a craftsman Hunter in the shadows who was skilled at restoring the durability of artifacts.

I gave the swordsman an awkward farewell.

"Swordsman, thank you. We were able to win thanks to you."

The swordsman also gave an awkward greeting to Baekya.

"No, if it weren't for the Pyromancer, we would have been in big trouble in the audience chamber."

"It seems like neither of us found what we were looking for... That's a shame."

"It can't be helped. But still, this is a hero-grade artifact, so we can get some money if we sell it somewhere, right?"

"Right. Then shall we just take it as it is?"

"Yes, let's. We're the same rank, so why bother splitting hairs?"

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We awkwardly parted ways until the very end.

The Awakened at the watchtower must be in an uproar by now, so we had to get out of there quickly.

We passed the Artificial Samdocheon and the Eight Trigrams Formation and came out to the national highway.

Once we were back in the civilized world of paved roads and could breathe a sigh of relief, the Constellation spoke to us.

【"Let me see the scepter."】

"Yes."

I took the scepter out of my inventory.

It was a silver, sparkling wand with a wing pattern and a green jewel embedded at the tip.

【Scepter of the Ghost Princess (Hero)】

【The scepter used by the princess to command the ghosts. Grants partial control over spirits.】

【* Use 'Insight' to unlock additional information.】

This was the skill the Star gave me earlier.

I immediately used Insight.

The text in the artifact description box blurred and then returned to normal, with additional content.

【A scepter that symbolized royal authority. The people of the Lake Kingdom obey the authority of the scepter even after death.】

【Allows the user to command ghost-type monsters.】

I narrowed my eyes at the description.

Command?

【"Aren't you happy?"】

【"You now have subordinates who will never betray you."】

I held the scepter and infused it with mana.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted, reaching nearly 2 meters high.

The flames split into four.

Each divided flame took on the shape of a human.

They looked just like Pyromancers using 'Fire Form'.

The fire ghosts knelt before me.

"We greet the master of the flames."

【Ji-gwi (C+)】

【* The type of ghosts has changed due to the influence of the scepter's owner.】

It seemed that because I was a Pyromancer, the ghosts also embodied flames.

I raised an eyebrow at their rank.

Not bad.

C+ was a decent fighting force.

There were four now, but once I got used to it, I could increase their numbers.

Maybe I could even form an army of fire ghosts.

I could already think of a few ways to use them.

I could use 'Descent' from Hongyeom to change their positions or use 'Fire Form' to hide among them.

Using both at the same time would make it much easier to control the flow of battle.

I wanted to test it out right away, but I held back since we weren't in a tower or a gate.

I swung the scepter to recall the ghosts.

* * *

"..."

The swordsman watched the scene from the road on the other side of the reservoir.

Her eyes, hidden under the wide-brimmed hat, curved like a fox's.

It was a success.

Baekya had once again taken hold of that scepter.

* * *

A few days later.

At the reservoir where the Ghost Princess's Castle once stood.

"The gate was cleared, but we don't know who cleared it?"

"Yes, yes, that's correct."

The Seongnam City gate official couldn't even raise his head in front of Director Lee Baejeong.

"Let's say the mental barrier for civilians was breached, but the Eight Trigrams Formation and the Artificial Samdocheon were also penetrated? Are you sure you received proper items from the Magic Tower and the Cathedral Church?"

"There were no problems when we checked them."

"There's a problem now! Don't you understand that if someone could get in, something could get out?"

Lee Baejeong shouted, her bright, medium-length hair, a mix of gold and mint, ruffled wildly.

The official, with a tearful face, looked towards the 'Ranker' standing at the edge of the reservoir in the distance.

'Please.'

A tall figure with a halo containing countless swords shooting out from a blue circle.

Rank 3, the 'Sword Saint', Cheong Siyeol.

The last and most nurtured disciple of the Red and White Nights.

He too had been in seclusion for a long time after the Red and White Nights' death, but resumed his activities after Ryu Haneul's 50th floor conquest.

If Cheong Siyeol testified that even he couldn't prevent intruders with the level of surveillance here, she could be absolved of responsibility.

A moment later, Cheong Siyeol approached with a hardened expression.

His stride, with his upper body barely moving, was both intimidating and dignified.

Lee Baejeong left the official behind and approached, asking in a low voice,

"Is it true?"

Cheong Siyeol nodded.

Faintly, but clearly.

Lee Baejeong let out a heated sigh.

"I see. Who else could do such a thing but him? And he wasn't alone, was he?"

Cheong Siyeol nodded once more.

The hardliner returnees knew.

Although all nine of them had sworn to kill Baekya, less than four truly wanted to.

Everyone was subtly trying to keep Baekya alive, making various excuses.

Cheong Siyeol spoke, his voice as calm as the ripples on the reservoir.

"Honestly, I understand."

"Is that so?"

"Even I, if there was a 1%, no, 0.1%, no, even the slightest possibility that the Sun could be redeemed..."

As he spoke, a deep blue wave surged in his previously indifferent eyes.

Cheong Siyeol whispered into Lee Baejeong's ear.

"I would kill you right now and return to him."

His voice was like the stirring of a monster lurking beneath a peaceful surface.

"..."

Lee Baejeong was a Hunter who would have tried to kill Baekya even if he hadn't fallen, and Cheong Siyeol was the Hunter who wished for Baekya's redemption more than anyone else in the world.

The reason why these two, who were originally opposed to each other like the two poles of a magnet, came to form the axis of the hardliners was only one.

Even Cheong Siyeol had given up on Baekya's redemption.

Lee Baejeong added one more color, heterogeneity, to her eyes that held a multitude of brilliance.

"Come to think of it, you know, don't you? Why Baekya betrayed humanity."

Cheong Siyeol nodded.

"Of course. I was the Sun's most favored disciple."

His gesture and tone were still dripping with pride.

"That's why we need to find him quickly. He can never walk with us."

My idol, my hero, my Sun.

So that your name doesn't become synonymous with disaster.

With my own hands, before you fall completely.

* * *

Vroom.

I was in the car with Ryu Haneul, heading towards the Tower.

As a contract worker but officially a member of the Divine Guild, there was nothing to worry about anymore.

Ryu Haneul turned on the news on her smartphone and showed it to me.

"Senior. This was you, right?"

[Seongnam City's 'Ghost Princess's Castle' Cleared by an Unidentified Hunter?]

I nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

Ryu Haneul looked back at me with eyes like a cat caught in the rain.

"Why didn't you take me with you? Am I not needed?"

Why is she acting like this again when she should know better?

It was both awkward and endearing.

I opened my mouth wide and retorted.

"It was a secret mission! Secret! It's not a place for the Heavenly Demon who was the first in the world to clear the 50th floor! No. Why are you so obsessed?"

"Okay. A useless junior like me will just play the role of a money bag."

"Do you have an affection deficiency or something?!"

"If I've become useless, just put a return sticker on me..."

Maybe she did.

It wasn't uncommon.

Come to think of it, it made sense for her to feel lonely.

She had turned back time just for me, and everyone in this world must seem like colorless supporting characters. And then I went somewhere without her.

I put my finger in front of Ryu Haneul's lips.

"That's enough."

"..."

"I don't know what happened in the future, but you're the disciple chosen by this Baekya. Belittling you is like belittling my own judgment."

Ryu Haneul lowered her eyes demurely.

"Of course, if you were waiting to complain to me about why I chose you but don't pay attention to you, then I can't help it."

As if she had been waiting for it, she continued.

"Next time I go somewhere to fight, I'll at least send you a text. Thanks for worrying about me."

Ryu Haneul's expression was filled with a myriad of emotions.

Her brilliant-cut amethyst eyes lost focus and wavered, eventually spinning in circles.

"You're mean."

"I know."

"Senior, you can read minds, can't you?"

"No?"

"...Na Jungwon says thank you."

"Okay."

He handed me an elixir wrapped in luxurious wrapping paper.

【Ancient Tree Coal (Rare)】

It was an elixir that was good for Pyromancers, fire spirits, or fire-type familiars.

For example, ghosts, or ghosts, or ghosts...

How did he know?

It must be a coincidence.

Or maybe he gave it to me to eat.

I grabbed the elixir.

"Why did I have to hear this news from Jungwon?"

But Ryu Haneul didn't let go of the elixir.

I spat out, as if breathing fire.

"Hey! Are you jealous?!"

"Did you meet anyone else there? You didn't smile at them, did you?"

I burst into laughter at the absurdity.

At the same time, I felt a chill down my spine.

"...I didn't meet anyone! Give it to me. You said it was for me!"

"No!"

"Hey!"

Somehow, I managed to get the coal.

The driver parked the car in the Outer Tower parking lot.

"We've arrived."

We decided to go to the 33rd floor that day.

The 33rd floor wasn't solely owned by the Sun and Moon Divine Guild.

It was owned by the 'Murim Alliance' and shared by all guilds that had joined the alliance.

"This is the first time I've seen everyone gathered like this."

"Even my clothes aren't flashy here."

As expected, most of the gathered Hunters were Awakened from the Murim lineage, and their clothes were all in an Eastern style.

I continued to power level there, burning monsters.

I was still feeling the aftereffects of Descent, so I was planning to rest soon.

Just then, a man who looked like an executive from another guild shouted so that everyone around could hear.

"Heavenly Demon! That Hunter doesn't even seem to be from the Murim lineage, why did you bring him all the way here?"

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]