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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 55
In the backseat of Ryu Haneul's sedan.
Ryu Haneul and I sat side-by-side, engaged in conversation.
"That's really unfair of you. You're going to meet another Regressor and you're leaving me behind. And it's not even someone reasonable like Jeongwon or Eunwoo, it's the biggest gangster in Korea!"
"You're starting to act like my guardian, aren't you?"
"Senior, you're still an A-rank. Once you get that S back next to your class, I won't interfere with where you go or who you fight. But not now. I don't have the confidence to turn back time twice."
"There was only one person who could tell me what to do, and it's not you."
"I'm a Regressor! In reality, I'm not that much younger than you."
"Don't make me laugh. Should we include the time spent in the Tower in our age?"
The purple halo above Ryu Haneul's head vibrated softly.
"I... I earned the right to spend time with you, Senior! You have to give me a proper reward."
His sincerity was evident.
"In that case, I'm the reward, not the one giving it. Forget it. Let's drop it."
I decided to give in.
To be honest, having an S-rank hunter who listens well and is skilled to accompany me was something to be grateful for.
I was just worried about him.
I turned my body to face him and asked—
"Are you okay?"
"With what?"
"Everything. From the aftermath of the Rank 1 gate to other Regressors targeting you. Plus, come to think of it, I left you in the middle of the monsters at the Rank 1 gate and ran away."
Unlike the other Regressors who were already single-digit rankers, like Cheong Siyeol, Na Jeongwon, Lee Eunwoo, and Joo Suhyeok, this guy, in the original timeline, was just an ordinary person who hadn't even Awakened yet.
Even if he's an S+ rank now, he has to start from level 1 again.
Of course, he'd be on a different level compared to most monsters and hunters, but the hardliner Regressors he'd be up against were not 'most' anything.
"You're finally telling me now."
Ryu Haneul smiled bashfully.
His shoulders, bathed in the backlight streaming through the window, still looked narrower than Cheong Siyeol's.
"I'm a hero now. Didn't you see the news?"
He took out his smartphone and snuggled close to me.
As the scent of orchids filled the air, almost overpowering, he showed me the news articles and YouTube videos he was featured in.
[Heavenly Demon's Advent, Ten Thousand Demons Submit, Both in the Tower and the Gate!]
[Exclusive! The Great Deeds of Sun-Moon Divine Sect's Rookie]
[Let's learn about the 3-man suicide squad!]
Millions of views were the norm, and his solo interview had long surpassed 10 million views.
I looked at him anew.
His triumphant smile was indeed befitting of a Heavenly Demon.
"They can't touch me, you know? It was the same in the future. They may be traitors who would tear each other apart, but they pride themselves on being patriots. They can't touch me as long as I'm a hero."
He continued—
"So… Don't go anywhere without me."
I chuckled and leaned back into the seat.
"I'll think about it."
"Senior!"
"Tell me about that Choi Gimin bastard. What was he like in the future? Did he somehow manage to survive?"
"Well, it wasn't much different. He was always causing trouble, and every time, you'd beat him up. After you fell, he went around China, Japan, and Korea, acting like an international gangster, and then joined the 99th-floor expedition team."
"I guess he turned over a new leaf there?"
"No way. He caused so much trouble even within the expedition team that he almost got kicked out. He'd seduce women with boyfriends or men with girlfriends, act like a savior and collect tributes from people, assault, theft, dine-and-dash... He was a disgrace to all Rankers."
"Did Na Jeongwon or Cheong Siyeol just let that slide? Especially Na Jeongwon, I'd think she would have killed him by now."
Ryu Haneul let out a soft sigh.
"Because even considering all that, he was an incredible debuffer."
I nodded.
"That's true."
It was the same reason I had kept Choi Gimin alive until now.
Choi Gimin's 'Petrification' wasn't really about turning people into stone, but closer to the concept of 'stopping' them.
This skill was useful in combat, but it shined even more in evacuating the wounded.
He could temporarily petrify people who were dying from various injuries and then unpetrify them later in a safe place for treatment.
If any other hunter had lived like that, I would have killed him, no matter what kind of infamy he gained.
But he was an Awakened who could save allies.
I couldn't let go of that lingering hope.
"I heard that on some battlefield, he even stopped an Awakened who was hit by your Law of Light before they dissipated."
"That's really impressive. It's not something to say in this context, but it's enough to hurt my pride."
"Anyway, Senior, you're planning to lure in such a monster. Do you have a countermeasure for petrification?"
An old vinyl greenhouse came into view in the distance.
I fiddled with the 'World-Reflecting Mirror' in my inner pocket and replied.
"Of course I do."
* * *
Vroom.
Choi Gimin parked his sports car in front of the field where Baekya's warehouse was located.
"Ugh, this place stinks every time I come here. What's wrong with building a warehouse in a basement or something?"
He crossed the field towards the greenhouse with a disgusted look on his face.
His gaze was filled with revulsion as he looked at the mud sticking to his shoes.
【Protective magic: 'Oh, there was that promise' is not working.】
The protective magic activated, but it couldn't stop him, who possessed the power of the Gorgon.
"It's for ordinary people. How bold. He must have thought, 'Who would dare touch my warehouse?' That's how arrogant this bastard was."
Choi Gimin opened the door without hesitation and entered the warehouse.
Black water rose shallowly, enough to wet the soles of his shoes, the ceiling heightened, and the space expanded left and right.
In no time, he stood before a white temple rising in the middle of a black world.
"...."
He also felt a sensation of passing through a double-layered membrane.
Such a sensation was common when entering a subspace, so he ignored it.
"Who else but Baekya would light the place with white flames?"
Choi Gimin scoffed, even though there was no one to hear him, and climbed the temple stairs.
At the entrance, white flames burned in two braziers placed on either side, and the 'Desire-Reflecting Mirror' stood tall in the middle.
'When will the Guardians~ come out~?'
Choi Gimin tried to pass by without even glancing at it.
Then he suddenly noticed something strange.
'Wasn't that mirror frame originally decorated with lapis lazuli? Why does it look black?'
"Shit! What's this?"
It was also suspicious that no protective system had activated even though he was already inside the temple.
He turned around to go back down the stairs.
At that moment, an unexpected answer grabbed his shoulder.
"What do you think?"
"....!"
Choi Gimin flinched and turned around.
From behind a large pillar, a flawless-looking man walked out leisurely.
He had jet-black hair that seemed to absorb light and deep eyes that dripped with the charisma unique to high-ranking Awakened.
The Chosen One of the brightest Constellation closest to him.
Choi Gimin recognized him.
"Ah!? Shit!? You… You… you weren't dead? I saw Cheong Siyeol rip out your heart!"
It was an opponent he couldn't mistake.
Baekya clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"My junior in the future only recognized me after using Insight, clashing swords, and all that, and my disciple who's been with me for years couldn't recognize me even after fighting together, but how did you figure it out just by looking at me once?"
With a casual gesture, he untied the handkerchief from his wrist and held it in his hand.
Hum.
The disguise disappeared.
A red halo, like the rising sun on the horizon, and as flamboyant as an Indian mandala, cast a dark backlight over Baekya's face.
Step.
As he descended a step, he asked—
"You're living the same way even after regressing? From the looks of it, you've cut ties with the other Regressors too."
Choi Gimin unconsciously took a step back.
"This bastard..."
And then, realizing that, he gritted his teeth in shame.
His jaw clenched, and his hands reached up to the sunglasses on his face.
Slide.
"Whatever. Shit. If I catch you and gift-wrap you myself, that bastard Lee Baejeong will leave me alone."
The sunglasses came off.
His yellow-green eyes, slit vertically like a snake's, gleamed.
The magic eyes that wielded countless powers, including petrification, were revealed.
"A guy like you, who loves to act all high and mighty, didn't even bother announcing yourself as Hong Baekya! That means you're still a weakling, right? Right? Shit! I knew it!"
Choi Gimin, standing at the bottom of the stairs, looked up at Baekya on the top.
His eyes gleamed with thrill and excitement.
It was a chance to break free from his long oppression and retaliate.
"You know about partial petrification, right? I'll just freeze your limbs. You'll still be able to think and scream."
He felt a rush of blood to his lower body and let out a chilling laugh.
"Looking forward to it?"
And then he used his signature skill, Petrification.
The halo above his head vibrated intensely.
【Petrification】
Flash!
A yellow-green light flashed from his eyes.
The light, radiating in a narrow fan shape, rushed towards Baekya.
Baekya stood there, doing nothing.
He didn't swing his sword or use Law of Light.
Instead, a large mirror, as if 'summoned' from thin air, descended and hovered in mid-air.
"Shit?!"
It reflected Choi Gimin's petrification beam head-on.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
Just as Baekya didn't burn and Ryu Haneul didn't succumb to demonic energy, Choi Gimin wasn't affected by petrification.
However, the shock of being directly hit by mana remained.
He stumbled backward as if kicked hard in the chest and fell to the floor.
"Gah, ugh!"
He landed on his butt and scrambled back, moving his limbs awkwardly.
He couldn't understand what had happened.
Baekya was a pyromancer, not a mage.
There was no way he could use a skill like reflection.
Baekya descended another step and spoke.
"This is a mirror world. Aside from petrification, most projectile-type abilities won't work here."
He shot a flame arrow into the air.
Ping!
The arrow, flying forward, disappeared at some point and flew in from behind the temple.
Baekya, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, calmly caught the arrow, chuckled, and snapped it in half.
"The moment you entered, you already lost."
Choi Gimin felt a chill ran down his spine and asked—
"When did you activate it?"
"From the moment you entered."
"Shit. I walked right into it."
His heart pounded in his chest, and he clenched his fists tightly.
He leaped into the air, lowering his stance.
His eyes gleamed with a light different from when he used skills, and his fists, covering the lower half of his face, were covered in hard, sharp scales.
Tssss!
The more concentrated his mana, the stronger it became.
This was why using a weapon didn't always guarantee an advantage.
Baekya let out a mocking laugh.
"You're going to face me without Petrification?"
Choi Gimin kicked off the ground without hesitation.
"You don't have the Fire Dragon Sword either, you once-dead bastard!"
Thud!
* * *
Baekya faced the charging Choi Gimin and thought.
'I didn't expect things to go so perfectly according to plan.'
This space was formed by the 'Standard's' domain control and the 'Mirror's' reflection.
It was a way to draw out 100% of the mirror world's potential through domain control.
He had been steadily practicing using the two artifacts in conjunction, and he was quite satisfied that he seemed to have achieved excellent results from the start.
Thanks to this, he was able to create the close combat situation he desired the most.
He drew the 'Eternal Cold Steel Dagger' and the '22nd Century Katana.'
Swish. Swish!
He took a stance, holding a dagger and a longsword, extending them to his sides and then raising them.
He aimed the Eternal Cold Steel Dagger forward with his arm fully extended and held the 22nd Century Katana in an upper stance beside his ear.
【You have acquired Dual Wielding (D+).】
A notification popped up on one side of his vision, informing him that his repeated practice of the movements had reached the level of acquiring a new skill.
Immediately after.
Swish!
The duel was decided in a single clash.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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