The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 8

My current stats are in the 200s.

I've escaped the abyss, but I'm not yet at a level to be considered a Hunter.

"Get him!"

"Break his legs first!"

"How dare he cause a ruckus here!"

"Hey, grab that guy and make him kneel!"

Many of these guys probably have better stats than me.

But none of them have fought as much as I have.

Their voices, their curses, echo in my ears, slowing down endlessly.

Ding

【Trait: 'Battlefield Commander' activated.】

【Cognitive abilities are greatly enhanced while Battlefield Commander is active.】

Thud!

I leap forward, dodging the metal pipes and hatchets flying at me from all directions.

'Hot Blood' and countless other agility-related traits grant me a speed that far surpasses my stats.

Swish!

I duck, letting a small sledgehammer with a hammerhead pass over my head.

"Like a damn rat..."

"A rat?"

I thrust my palm forward.

Crack!

"Better than a gangster, at least."

My flame-infused palm accurately strikes the man's solar plexus.

Traits like Slayer of Humans and Battle Master amplify my attack power, armor penetration, and critical hit chance.

Crash!

The thug flew over 10 meters, crashing through the window and falling to the ground below.

【Your constellation 'Sunny' rejoices at your feat.】

【"First kill!"】

【They shouts, clenching their fists.】

I didn't kill him.

I controlled my strength.

...It's not my fault he died from the fall.

"This bastard!"

Two guys on my right lunge at me simultaneously with sashimi knives.

Swish!

One guy on my left is holding a metal pipe.

I jump high on the spot, dodging the sashimi knives.

I step on the shoulder of one of the knife-wielding guys to maintain my balance.

Whack!

Then I kick upwards, landing a solid blow on the left guy's jaw.

It's quite satisfying to see his cheek wobble, teeth fly out, and eyes roll back into his head.

【"Double kill!"】

It's not a kill, I’m telling you.

"Damn it!"

The guy who lunged with the sashimi knife reached out to grab my calf.

Excellent choice.

If he grabs and stabs, even I can't dodge that.

Before he can swing his knife, I aim my left palm at his face.

【Heat Ray】

Woo Woo Woo Wooong—

The dim CEO's office is illuminated by the bright light, and the guy's expression freezes.

"Aaaaagh!"

A short, intense orange heat ray, fiercer than a torch's flame, shoots out briefly, sizzling and burning his face.

"He's an esper!"

"Kill him!"

Having confirmed my ability, their attacks become even more ferocious.

The encirclement I disrupted with my initial charge has long been restored.

I took down three, but ten more took their place.

"Let's see if you can still run wild after getting a knife in your neck, you bastard!"

Whoosh!

Hatchets and sashimi knives rain down from all directions.

I can't dodge this time.

I frown, gauging my remaining mana.

Even though I've been conserving it, it's already running low.

Considering the CEO as well, it might be a bit tight.

But winter must pass for spring to come.

【Form of Fire】

Fwoosh!

Flames erupt from my eyes, spreading throughout my entire body in the blink of an eye.

For a moment, my consciousness fades, and the world turns black and white.

Whenever I use this technique, laughter involuntarily escapes my lips.

【Trait 'Sun-like Laughter' activated.】

"Ha, hahahahaha-!"

Clack! Slash! Clack!

Hatchets, sashimi knives, metal pipes, all swung through empty air.

You can't cut flames.

I could see the thugs faltering and backing away— their expressions filled with fear.

"Boss! That guy's at least C-rank!"

"We can't beat him!"

"Why is someone like him..."

Even the CEO, who had been so smug since they entered, jumped to his feet and looked me up and down.

Form of Fire.

A skill typically usable by C-rank Pyromancers and above, it was the signature move of a Pyromancer.

Of course, I didn't think this alone would make them back down.

【Explosive Regeneration】

Woo Woo Woo Wooong—

My body— transformed into flames.

The base color is red, but the places where their weapons grazed me, white flames burn like scars.

Fwoosh!

Fierce crimson flames burst out, tearing through those white flames.

The erupting crimson flames spread out in a spherical shape, blasting the surrounding thugs against the wall.

At the same time, my body returns to its original form.

【Your constellation 'Sunny' pats your head in delight at your performance.】

【It swings its arms around in joy.】

At that moment, only three people were left standing in the CEO's office, including me.

* * *

CEO Dae couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

He had shrugged it off when the first thug flew out the window, and even when the guy flitted around, knocking down a few others.

'Huh?'

But the moment he saw the heat ray, he thought something might be wrong.

'If this goes on, it's game over.'

Seeing the Form of Fire confirmed his suspicions.

C-rank.

The rank that separates 'Hunters' from mere Awakened.

Hunters, who raid Gates and climb Towers, receive excellent social treatment.

Even if the police arrived on time, there was no guarantee they would side with CEO Dae.

He had to kill him.

"Deputy Manager Lee, Manager Oh."

"Yes."

"Kill him."

Step.

The massive Deputy Manager Lee stepped forward with his katana.

The long blade gradually turned blue, then shone brightly, illuminating the darkness.

The skinny Manager Oh looked at the Pyromancer.

Three ice spears materialized above his shoulders.

The Pyromancer brushed off his suit and picked up two sashimi knives from the floor.

"Phew. This is tough."

The sashimi knives in both his hands glowed the color of molten steel in a furnace.

He tilted his head back and muttered nonchalantly,

"When am I ever going to raise my mana?"

"Ha!"

Deputy Manager Lee, swift as the wind, swung his katana.

Whoosh!

It was the same strike that had once split a dump truck in half, from the windshield to the end of the cargo bed, when a debtor had charged at him.

The Pyromancer blocked it by swinging both sashimi knives in the same direction.

Clang!

The molten blades clashed with the blue blade, sending a shower of sparks flying.

Screech!

"Why is someone like you doing gangster work?"

The Pyromancer twisted his entire upper body, deflecting Deputy Manager Lee's katana to the side.

He pressed the hilt and blade of his sashimi knife— the point where he could exert the most force, against the tip of the katana— where it had the least leverage.

The moment the katana was deflected.

Slash!

"Gah!"

The diagonally swung sashimi knife precisely sliced between Deputy Manager Lee's shoulder and neck.

It was a strike that avoided the protective range of the monster hide armor worn under his suit.

"Take a break for a while."

It wasn't a deep cut, so it wouldn't be fatal, but with his shoulder slashed, he wouldn't be able to swing his sword until it healed.

Manager Oh didn't miss the opportunity.

"Release."

One sashimi knife was still pressing down on the katana and the other held high after the slash.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three ice spears shot towards the Pyromancer.

'Got him.'

Both CEO Dae and Manager Oh were certain of victory.

Even a graze would cause the immense cold to freeze his blood like slush, turning his entire body into mush.

But the Pyromancer blocked the ice spears in an unexpected way.

Thud!

Without hesitation, he reversed his grip on the sashimi knife in his right hand, hooking it around Deputy Manager Lee's neck and pulling him forward as a shield.

Thwack!

The ice spears pierced Deputy Manager Lee's broad back.

Crack!

His suit was punctured, and the monster hide armor beneath it froze solid.

"See? I told you he'd shoot at you too."

The Pyromancer muttered playfully and then pounced like a cat.

"Wh-what?"

Manager Oh, who had fired all three ice spears at once, was flustered.

The Pyromancer threw one of the sashimi knives he was holding.

Swish!

The sashimi knife, flying through the air like a comb's teeth, pierced Manager Oh's shoulder and lodged itself in the wall.

"Aaargh!"

Manager Oh's body twitched like a pinned insect before he fainted.

"Anyone else you want to call?"

The Pyromancer walked back to the desk and asked.

His chest heaved up and down as he breathed heavily.

CEO Dae trembled, unable to utter a word.

'It's only been this long?'

He glanced at the clock. Only 1 minute and 2 seconds had passed since he pressed the emergency button.

Including the time it took for his men to arrive, it meant that the guy had defeated a dozen Awakened thugs and even taken down Deputy Manager Lee and Manager Oh in less than 40 seconds.

CEO Dae hesitated for a moment, then reached for his waist.

Whoosh!

In the chaos following the advent of the Aitel System, many weapons had flooded the black market.

Anyone who called themselves a CEO usually had at least one pistol.

As he gripped the handle and released the safety.

Slash!

A molten blade flashed before his eyes.

"What?"

The barrel of the gun, sliced in half, clattered to the floor.

Thud

At the same time, the Pyromancer's sashimi knife also snapped in half.

"Cheap steel doesn't last long, after all."

The Pyromancer shrugged and jumped onto the desk.

Thump, thump!

He playfully kicked CEO Dae's nameplate, computer monitor, and other office supplies, sending them tumbling to the floor.

"Well, it's not like I can't do this barehanded."

His fists glowed a faint red.

CEO Dae felt his breath hitch.

'What is this guy?'

There was no hesitation in the Pyromancer's eyes.

'He's really, really going to kill me.'

His demeanor was so matter-of-fact, it was as if he had done this countless times before.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know who my boss is?"

"Who?"

"He's a C+ rank Hunter!"

"...!"

"Y-yeah! You're also C-rank, so you should know, right? From C-rank onwards, the gap between people of the same rank widens."

The Pyromancer withdrew his hand.

CEO Dae, thinking he had gotten through, continued.

"Okay, I was wrong! I'll never do this kind of business again, not to you, not to your family. Let's forget this ever happened. Just go."

The Pyromancer glanced behind him for a moment.

"Is your boss this person, by any chance?"

A large paper bag sat on the sofa.

'What's that?'

CEO Dae remembered the guy tossing something down when he first entered.

The Pyromancer flicked his finger.

Snap

The paper bag caught fire, revealing its contents.

"B-Boss?"

CEO Dae wanted to faint.

This was absurd.

He was a fool for falling for such a petty scam.

He was an idiot who couldn't even tell the difference between an artifact and a hunting device.

There's no way his boss could have been killed by someone like that.

He could no longer contain the emotions he had been trying to suppress.

His breath quickened, and his vision blurred.

Filled with terror, CEO Dae asked.

"Wh-who are you?"

The Pyromancer shrugged.

"You don't recognize me?"

He continued, standing on the desk.

"I'm Baekya."

"Baekya?"

"The Cataclysm, when Gates first erupted. The Transitional Period, when Awakened and non-Awakened clashed. I'm Baekya, who ended those two eras and ushered in the age of great Hunters."

Only then did CEO Dae notice that the halo glowing above his head had changed shape.

'When?'

It had definitely been a white ring when he first entered, but now it was a radiant red mandala.

'Was it a disguise? But that's...?!'

That halo was also the symbol of one person known to the entire nation— No, the entire world.

"Baekya? The Sun, Hong Baekya? But you were dead!"

The Pyromancer smiled, as if confirming the answer.

"I told you clearly. Don't scam the porters. If I catch you, I'll kill you."

CEO Dae felt like he was going crazy— caught between the news that had been buzzing around the world for days and the fact that the man in front of him was alive and well.

Memories of running away from crackdowns during Hong Baekya's time as the chairman of the Awakened Association flooded back.

'This can't be happening.'

CEO Dae wished he could cut off his own hand, the one he hadn't been able to keep clean back then.

"So why didn't you listen?"

The Pyromancer— No, Baekya's hand slowly approached.

"Neither I nor my star likes these petty stories."

* * *

Million Loans, notorious for its aggressive investments and various scams.

The incident where Million Loans' building and loan documents were burned down, and the CEO and key members were all wiped out, naturally caught the police's attention.

However, the investigation was sluggish.

"Any leads?"

"Nope, nothing yet."

"Didn't you say the CCTV was working?"

"Yeah, that CCTV, you wanna take a look?"

"...This is insane."

The CCTV footage looked like a scene from a documentary about high-rankers.

An intruder, not captured by the entrance or rooftop cameras, suddenly 'appeared' in front of the CEO's office.

He entered the office, followed by the thugs, then BOOM!

And that was it.

"You said CEO Dae is alive, right?"

"Yeah, but he's completely lost it. They say he's just screaming 'Baekya, Baekya' over and over."

"Baekya?"

"The culprit must be a Pyromancer."

"That's obvious just from the footage. This instantaneous movement with flames is 'Descent from the Crimson Flame.'"

"You even know the skill name?"

"I'm a Baekya fan, you know. He put a lot of effort into helping espers systematize their skills."

"Right. So, Mr. Baekya fan, what level do you think this Pyromancer is?"

The officer reviewing the footage frowned.

"This is truly unbelievable."

"You think so too, huh?"

"The reason his face and halo aren't showing isn't a quality issue. This is the 'Veil of Light.'"

"Veil of Light?"

"It's a technique that high-ranking Awakened who don't like media attention use to cloak themselves. It distorts light, so while it's active, they either don't appear in photos or only their silhouette shows up."

"There are all sorts of skills, huh."

"Both Descent from the Crimson Flame and Veil of Light consume quite a bit of mana."

"What rank are those skills?"

"A-rank?"

"Damn."

The two officers chuckled wryly.

Even though Korea was a leading nation in the Aitel System era, A-rank meant a 'Ranker,' someone within the top 100 of the national rankings.

Rankers were closely tied to power, with each one having a dedicated 5th-grade civil servant from the Awakened Support Agency.

They could throw the Million Loan Sharks and everyone else in jail with a single phone call, so why would they come in person?

"Hey, let's bury this."

"What?"

"You know what the higher-ups are like right now, right?"

"...They said the guilds are practically on a war footing."

"The whole country is in chaos. If we make a fuss about a Ranker here, we'll just get yelled at for causing trouble. If a Ranker really got pissed and came to take care of things themselves, what can we do about it?"

"There are no civilian casualties, so... the higher-ups will probably stay quiet."

"Exactly. It's best to just wrap this up quickly and quietly."

"But I'm really curious who it is. Judging by their height and build, it's a man..."

"Hey, hey! I said let's bury it!"

"I'm just trying to figure it out personally. I'm curious, okay? How hard can it be to find a male Pyromancer or fire mage of that height among the top 100 Rankers?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]