noveltune Chapter 1: Regression
Chapter 1: Regression
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 1: Regression
Seoul was ablaze.
Crimson flames dancing ceaselessly atop the concrete ruins.
Amidst countless corpses, a flag bearing a two-headed black eagle fluttered in the wind.
The symbol of the Romanov clan, one of the seven great clans of the world and a magical powerhouse that dominated Eurasia.
"Damn the Romanovs."
Yoojin growled, glaring at the fluttering flag.
His right arm was gone. Blood gushed like a waterfall from a gaping hole in his abdomen. A fatal wound that would lead to immediate death if he lost consciousness.
Gritting his teeth, he strained to maintain his fading awareness.
"Tsk, tsk. Why bother struggling when you could just lie down comfortably?"
An old man perched on the concrete rubble chuckled, looking down at Yoojin.
"Whether it's futile or not, I won't know until I try, Dmitri."
"My name is Dmitri Andreyevich Romanov. Show some respect, won't you?"
"Bullshit. How can anyone remember such a long name?"
"Then call me the Mage King."
The incarnation of Odin, the King of Gods in Asgard.
The head of the Romanov clan.
Also, like Yoojin, a Transcendent who has reached the 9th Star Rank.
'The one who turned Seoul into hell.'
Yoojin spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You became the eighth Transcendent, but your wings were clipped before you could even spread them."
"And who was it that broke those wings?"
"Hahaha. What can you do? The seven great clans, including our Romanov clan, do not wish for the existing order to crumble. Immortal King."
A title bestowed by the system upon reaching the 9th Star Rank.
Immortal King was Yoojin's epithet, bestowed upon him by the system.
"At least you call me King."
"Because you deserve it."
A sneer curled Dmitri's lips.
"Honestly, I'm relieved. If you had received the blessings of a constellation, our clan would have suffered great losses."
"You know those lofty beings turned their backs on me, don't you?"
"Of course I do. You are a Necromancer, one who defies the natural order."
[Necromancer]
A class that raises the dead to serve as their minions.
Yoojin was the first and strongest Necromancer to ever exist.
The only problem was...
The great beings, whose names were etched upon the stars, did not bestow their blessings upon those who defied the natural order.
"That is the difference between you and this old man."
A golden haze enveloped Dmitri. An aura that manifested when one became the 〔Incarnation〕 of a god, drawing upon the full power of their patron deity.
'A fraudulent ability that reduces the destructive power of all magic-based attacks by over 95%.'
Even a dragon's breath.
Even a Death Knight's dark aura.
Even curses and dark magic honed to their ultimate levels become ineffective.
He was being completely overwhelmed.
Yoojin sighed and straightened his back.
Tap, Tap, Tap...
Blood poured from the gaping hole in his chest like a waterfall. Unless he transformed into a lich, his body was too far gone to avoid death.
"Do you think it's over now?"
"A Necromancer without minions is nothing more than a sitting duck."
"I'll show you why I've been listening to your nonsense all this time."
[Dark Magic Regeneration]
[Lunar Eclipse Spell]
[Transcendent Skill - Death Field]
The bones scattered across the battlefield rattled.
The lingering resentment of fallen wraiths gathered, forming an ash-gray vortex.
A magic circle was added, amplifying the already intensified power of the shadow dimension...
An immense wave of Yin energy surged, so powerful that even a Hunter who had reached the pinnacle of magic would feel a chill.
"A Transcendent Skill that uses the soul as collateral."
Dmitri felt a shiver down his spine at Yoojin's final gambit. The sight of the surging ash-gray vortex made it hard to breathe. An unsettling feeling made his hair stand on the back of his neck.
It was a power capable of shaking the very order of the world.
'Aura alone won't be enough to counter this. I have no choice but to prepare my most powerful magic.'
Flash—!
The Eye of Odin.
A symbol of divine power granted to Dmitri when he became an 〔Incarnation〕.
The rune inscription that appeared on his retina drew in magic, forcibly elevating it beyond its inherent rank.
Category: Relic
Durability: 1/10
A relic left behind in various dimensions by the ancient constellation who governed time.
Two cannot exist in the same world.
As a consequence of enacting a miracle, time cannot be reversed again at this juncture.
A large crack etched on the surface. A fissure that wasn't there before the regression.
'No second chances, huh.'
Yoojin carefully places the broken watch on the table.
Regression.
The message was clear: the miracle of turning back time to return to the past could not be repeated.
Nevertheless.
Yoojin didn't throw away Kronos' Pocket Watch.
'Parents, huh?'
Yoojin had almost no memories from before he was left at the orphanage.
Except for one.
For some reason, the fact that he was holding the artifact [Kronos' Pocket Watch] was etched in his mind.
'I didn't realize it was an artifact until much later.'
It was only after he reached the 9th Star Rank, the realm called transcendence, that he recognized the true value of [Kronos' Pocket Watch].
Although it became useless after the regression.
He didn't bother throwing it away.
'Well, I have other uses for it.'
He put the pocket watch in his pocket and grabbed his phone.
〈 40 years after the Great Cataclysm. How has the world changed? 〉
〈 Korea's No. 1 Guild, Arahan, forms an alliance with the Romanov clan, one of the world's seven great clans... 〉
〈 The birth of the first Hunter clan on the Korean Peninsula? 〉
40 years since Gates, monsters, and Hunters appeared on Earth.
The world's flow had been reorganized around Hunters.
The national power of each country was determined by the military strength of Hunter clans and guilds.
And the seven great clans, as they were called, grew into supernatural organizations that wielded absolute power and wealth, surpassing even nations.
'That's why the Mage King targeted me.'
A 9 Star ranker suddenly appears in Korea, a small country in the Far East?
If Yoojin were to establish a Hunter clan, it might emerge as a powerful force threatening the existing order.
'Even though I had no intention of doing that.'
Crack—.
Dmitri, and the Romanov clan. I'll make you regret touching me.
Yoojin suppressed his fury and muttered,
"Status window."
Name - Cheon Yoojin
Gender - Male
Level - 1 (1 Star)
◎ Stats
* Strength: 7
* Agility: 6
* Health: 7
* Endurance: 5
* Mana: 10
◎ Traits
Clear Mind [Unique]
Your mind remains unshaken in any situation. Immune to all mental attacks.
▷ You have not yet chosen a class.
▷ There are 3 class categories you can choose from based on your unique traits.
Martial / Magic / Priest
These three classes are the basic classes available to Hunters, and they also serve as the basis for classifying combat styles.
'I chose the magic category in the past.'
About 10% of Hunters have magic-related traits.
Priests also have a low percentage, but he didn't choose it because it didn't suit his personality.
'There aren't only basic classes.'
As your rank increases, you can strengthen your class to specialize in specific skills or equipment.
There are also classes you can change to by meeting certain conditions in specific Gates.
Like Alchemist, Summoner, Martial Artist, or even Necromancer.
'Let's get a head start.'
There's no need to go back down a path he already knows.
He already has the knowledge of how to become a Necromancer.
Yoojin recalled the opportunities he'd seized before his regression and prepared to go out.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]