The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 39

I looked back at the man.

"...."

A martial arts uniform in blue with white cloud patterns.

It was once a familiar sight, but now I couldn't help but frown.

It was the uniform of the Azure Sky Sword Sect, the elite guild established by Cheong Siyeol.

Judging by the number of cloud patterns, which exceeded five, he seemed to be an executive.

He spoke to Ryu Haneul in a questioning tone.

"This is a space for the Murim Alliance to replenish its resources and for martial arts Awakened to train. So I'm curious why the Deputy Sect Leader of the Sun-Moon Divine Sect, who should be at the forefront of upholding such rules, has brought an Esper Awakened here."

He was maintaining a bare minimum of courtesy, but that was all.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Sun-Moon Divine Sect Hunters drew their swords, shouting, "How dare you speak to our Deputy Sect Leader like that!"

Besides, I also had titles related to Murim.

The 'Radiant Sword' that heated up my sword was a Murim-related skill, and I also had skills like 'Scorching Sun Divine Art' and 'Red Hand Demon Art'.

I was fiddling with my status window, trying to figure out how to show only that part to him, when...

"Senior, what should we do?"

Ryu Haneul whispered in my ear, leaning close.

"He's right."

I sighed.

Wasn't this guy a Regressor?

Why was he acting like a real 18-year-old?

"Right my foot. He's just asking for it."

I playfully flicked Ryu Haneul's chest.

"You're the Deputy Sect Leader. Use your authority to shut him down. Say something like, 'How dare you question my personnel decisions!'"

Ryu Haneul protested, his eyes wide with indignation.

"But this is Siyeol hyung's guild. He's just looking for an excuse to mess with me. What if I make things worse and you get dragged into it?"

Come to think of it, he had a point.

I lowered my voice so only Ryu Haneul could hear.

"I guess we have to assume that my resurrection is already an established fact among the Regressors, right?"

"Yes. They were already Rankers with extraordinary power, and with Director Lee Baejeong from the Management Bureau involved, they must be tracking us through every possible channel."

"What's the chance of them just barging in here?"

"I think it's low. Even last time, they acted quite rashly. Right now, Cheong Siyeol, Lee Eunwoo, Joo Suhyeok, and the others are under suspicion from other Rankers."

If that was the case, the possibility of a surprise attack was low.

They were probably trying to find some leverage to take down both the Sun-Moon Divine Sect and me.

Thinking that way made the guy in front of me look even more unpleasant.

Of course, Cheong Siyeol wouldn't have told him about the regression.

Competition between guilds was natural.

It was also natural for them to be wary of Ryu Haneul, who had cleared the 50th floor at such a young age.

So it was also natural for me, wearing the Sun-Moon Divine Sect uniform, to get angry here.

I pointed a finger at the executive from the Azure Sky Sword Sect.

"Hey."

I made sure he couldn't pretend not to see or hear me.

"You said that for me to hear, didn't you?"

"What? 'You'?"

He scowled.

The white, ring-shaped halo above his head hummed.

Ryu Haneul tried to grab my shoulder.

"Senior!"

"It's okay."

I gave Ryu Haneul a reassuring smile.

And then I strode towards the man.

"This is a space for the Murim Alliance to replenish its resources and for martial arts Awakened to train. So you're saying I can't be here?"

"Yes."

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"Don't talk nonsense."

"Ha!"

He glared at me.

Hum!

His halo glowed with a low hum, indicating his anger.

The surrounding Hunters murmured.

I heard snippets of their conversation.

"Isn't that Kim Jeongwoo of the Azure Sky Sword Sect?"

"Who's that guy?"

"You know, the one the Heavenly Demon has been hanging around with lately."

"Isn't he a Pyromancer? I guess he joined the Sun-Moon Divine Sect."

"Kim Jeongwoo is right. What's a Pyromancer doing here?"

"He's probably gotten arrogant from sticking by the Heavenly Demon's side. A good beating from Kim Jeongwoo will bring him back to his senses."

'Azure Sky Sword Saint' Kim Jeongwoo, huh.

Judging by how the guild's name was almost directly used as his title, he seemed to be someone Cheong Siyeol personally trained or acknowledged as a strong individual.

If he drew his sword, it wouldn't be an easy fight.

But I would win the battle of logic.

I could guarantee it.

Because this time, I was truly in the right.

"There's no need to worry about resources. I'm not taking any Mana Stones, and I'm giving all the dropped artifacts to Deputy Sect Leader Ryu Haneul."

The main value of the Tower, Mana Stones and elixirs, came from mining and gathering.

Killing monsters yielded 'cores,' not Mana Stones.

Of course, cores could also be sold for money, but the amount I was taking was too insignificant to be considered hindering the Murim Alliance Hunters' income.

"Then the problem is that I'm not a martial arts Awakened, right? Let's be clear. What exactly is a martial arts Awakened?"

"What?"

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo frowned.

After a brief hesitation, he retorted arrogantly.

"They are Hunters who fight monsters with the power they've cultivated through refining their bodies."

"I think you're wrong."

"What?"

He and the surrounding Hunters were all startled.

Some glared at me as if they wanted to devour me.

"What the hell is that guy saying?"

"That's what a martial arts Awakened is!"

"Don't listen to his bullshit. Move aside. I'll rip his tongue out."

I raised my voice so everyone could hear.

"That's just a description of 80% of Awakened, the physical types! If you're going to call someone a martial arts Awakened, shouldn't they have martial arts-related traits displayed in their title itself?"

I gestured grandly towards Ryu Haneul.

Countless eyes turned to him.

He flinched, and at that moment, the purple halo, symbolizing the Eastern concept of "Heaven is Round, Earth is Square" above his head vibrated once.

Hum!

The Hunters gradually realized what I was talking about.

"...Is that so?"

"He has 'Heavenly Demon' as his class in his status window, but most of us have 'Physical Enhancement Specialist.'"

"So only those who have contracted with those Constellations are true martial arts Awakened, and we're just people who got really strong. Is that what he's saying?"

"Hey, am I the only one who doesn't get it?"

"So the question is how we define a martial arts Awakened. Is it someone who calls themselves that and strives to be one, or is it someone who's chosen by a Constellation of that lineage?"

The murmurs grew louder.

In a world where classes were displayed on status windows, this was a very complex issue.

It was even more so because our social consensus couldn't influence the status window.

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo frowned.

"I disagree."

"You disagree?"

He was more eloquent than I expected.

He was worthy of being chosen by Cheong Siyeol.

"That path is valid, but so is this one. We may not be martial arts Awakened as defined by the status window, but we are martial arts Awakened as defined when we established the Azure Sky Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance."

And I knew he would say that.

Because I was the one who first came up with that logic.

When Cheong Siyeol, Joo Suhyeok, and a few others gathered to create guilds of physical Awakened and even formed the Murim Alliance...

'So we don't know who to consider a true martial artist.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Should we only consider those with martial arts classes in their status windows as martial artists? Or those who have mastered martial arts through their own training?'

'You're worrying about strange things.'

'What?'

'Of course, both are martial artists. Why do you think there has to be only one true definition?'

'Ah...'

'Someone with 'Plum Blossom Sword Saint' in their status window is obviously a martial artist, and someone who can perform the 24 Plum Blossom Sword Techniques without the help of a Constellation is also a martial artist.'

With this logic, we resolved the conflict between those who became martial artists through contracts and those who became martial artists through training.

The martial artists we speak of and the martial artists defined by the status window.

Both are martial artists.

That's why I could confidently say—

"Then I'm also a martial arts Awakened."

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo clicked his tongue.

"If my eyes didn't deceive me, you were breathing fire a moment ago."

"You must be mistaken."

"You've got some nerve."

Even Ryu Haneul looked at me with an expression that said, "What are you thinking?"

I channeled mana into the 'Subspace Ring' and opened my inventory.

I took out the 'Fire Dragon Sword (Heroic)' from within.

Swish.

"If you don't believe me, check it out. Let's spar in the power-leveling zone. I'll show you that I'm a swordsman worthy of calling myself a martial artist, even in front of you."

There was no way he could refuse here.

Because if he said that only those with martial arts classes in their status window were considered martial artists, 95% of the people here, including himself, would no longer be considered martial artists.

Kim Jeongwoo flinched when he saw my sword.

"You..."

But then, his expression turned to indignation.

"Baekya was versatile. He wielded flames like an Archmage and used Yang Energy like someone with the Solar Lord class."

"That's true."

"I've heard that after him, more and more Pyromancers started carrying longswords like him, but I didn't expect anyone to be this brazen."

"I guess so."

"Let's have a kill count competition."

"Alright."

"If I win, hand over that sword. I'll keep it here as a memento of a foolish Pyromancer."

"And if I win?"

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo pondered for a moment before answering.

"I'll give you this armor."

He took out a full set of armor from his inventory.

The armor had a mix of Eastern and Western styles, giving it a unique look.

【Haneol Swordsmith's Armor (Master)】

【Armor crafted by Haneol Swordsmith, a crafting guild in the South Korea Regional Server. It is exceptionally sturdy.】

I inwardly let out a gasp.

No, he didn't have to go this far...

Of course, just because artifacts were of a similar grade didn't mean they had the same value.

For the same grade, special artifacts like inventory items or those with debuff effects were more expensive than offensive ones.

And defensive artifacts were even more expensive than special ones.

The drop rate was low, and they were difficult to craft, so the supply was far less than the demand.

Even in my prime, I couldn't acquire armor that met my standards.

Even if the Fire Dragon Sword was a Heroic-grade artifact, if I could trade it for this armor, I would be making a huge profit.

"Don't go back on your word later."

I switched to a more respectful tone, indicating my agreement to his terms.

* * *

At the power-leveling zone on the outskirts of the field.

Many Hunters had followed us.

Ryu Haneul looked at me with anxious eyes.

I went down the hill with Kim Jeongwoo and agreed on the rules.

"You won't use any ranged attacks as a Pyromancer. Do you agree?"

"I agree. If either of us inflicts physical harm on the other, it will result in immediate disqualification and loss. Do you agree?"

"I agree. The one with the higher kill count at the end of one hour will be the winner. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

The moment the last word was spoken...

Monsters emerged from the forest.

Thud. Thud!

If I remember correctly, the 33rd floor was where monsters appeared that seemed like a bizarre mix of several Eastern religions.

“Venerable Imjo, the Ancient Spirit, Eternal Lord, and Battle Immortal!”

"Raging Crane of the Three Realms and Three Worlds, Guardian of the Four Directions, Ancient Bull!"

"Manifestation of the Three Realms and Three Worlds, the Immortal Bull!"

As if to confirm my memory, the monsters that rushed out were all dressed in Eastern-style clothing and adorned with accessories like prayer beads.

Of course, they were still grotesque, with heights of at least 3 meters, four or more arms, and fish or deer heads growing from their necks.

Aitel notifications appeared in my vision.

【Earth Deity (B) has appeared!】

【Wooden Guardian (B) has appeared!】

【Ox Deity (B) has appeared!】

Kim Jeongwoo and I simultaneously leaped towards the monsters.

Thump!

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo displayed swordsmanship worthy of his grand title.

【Azure Sky Sword Technique, Chapter 1 Verse 1 - Azure Sky, Meteor Strike】

【A single star rises in the azure sky.】

Fwaaaaaah—!

He extended his sword outwards, then swung it upwards in a wide arc, as if thrusting and slashing at the same time.

Thwack!

The monster, with a frog's head, six arms, and thick prayer beads around its neck, was sliced apart in an instant.

A B-Rank monster was on par with a Crystal Golem in terms of power.

He had cut down a monster that would require several Hunters to risk their lives with a single strike.

A member of the Azure Sky Sword Sect shouted from atop the hill.

"One!"

A grotesque monster lunged, its gaping maw releasing a psychic wave.

A wave of incomprehensible thoughts washed over me, threatening to overwhelm my mind, but...

"Azure Sky Sword Technique!"

【Dark Heaven Sword Qi: External Release】

Swish!

Azure Sky Sword Saint Kim Jeongwoo unleashed a crescent-shaped aura, cleaving a pot-bellied monster in two.

"Two!"

I admit it.

He was quite skilled.

I channeled mana into the Fire Dragon Sword and raised my chin.

A crimson aura flickered on the heated sword.

【Traits: Supreme Yang Body, Embodiment of the Sun, Demon Slayer, Heavenly Sword Master... activated.】

There's a saying, "All paths lead to the same destination."

It means that any path, when pursued to its extreme, leads to a similar state of mastery.

As I thrust the sword forward, I twisted it at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, altering its trajectory.

Fwaaaaaah—!

A brilliant light erupted from the sword, spiraling outwards in an ever-widening arc.

The sword glowed so intensely, it was like a miniature sun.

Countless sword beams, like a laser bombardment, ravaged the ground.

An Earth Deity was split in half, a Wooden Guardian was set ablaze, and an Ox Deity turned tail and fled.

From behind, Ryu Haneul shouted—

"Twenty-five!"

His voice was cheerful, as if he had expected this.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]