Damned 13th Regression - Chapter 1

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

DAMNED 13TH REGRESSION

Chapter 1: We’ll Start after Killing the Boss (2)

"Rearguard, pour down some curses and firepower! It's not working at all!"

"I'm doing my best! You guys need to hold them off at the front! They're getting too close to the rearguard!"

Roaaarrr!

The mythological beast, a Minotaur, charged with its horns leading the way. The vanguards, who had been bravely facing it, panicked and scattered. Seeing this, the rearguards clicked their tongues and ran without looking back.

"Yikes!"

In his second year as a hunter, Joo Gong-hyeok was the most pathetic sight among them, having thrown away even his only weapon, a knife.

'I don't want to die! I want to live!'

As Gong-hyeok, wetting his pants in fear, hurriedly ran away, he tripped over a stone and fell. His palms were badly scraped, and after rolling on the ground several times, he couldn't move for a while.

Drooling, he seemed to have lost consciousness.

Or maybe he was entranced by something.

"What are you standing there dumbfounded for! Move, you idiot!"

Roaarrrrrrrrrrr!

Boom!

Awakened by the sharp cry of another hunter, Gong-hyeok quickly rolled to the side.

The Tutorial Dungeon boss, the Ferocious Minotaur, slammed its heavy rock club into the ground right next to where Gong-hyeok's temple had been.

'I almost died right after regressing.'

He was dazed right after regressing. If he hadn't regained consciousness just in time, his head would have been smashed, leading to another hopeless regression.

Even though it was his 13th regression, each time he regressed was different. Aside from once almost peeing his pants during a dire situation, this was the first time he regressed at such a critical moment.

Crunch Crack

Kind Hunter 1, who had just offered some friendly advice to Gong-hyeok, got hit by the fierce rock club, his abdomen bursting open.

'He's dead. I keep forgetting the name of this Hunter 1 I see once every 20 years.'

Gong-hyeok silently wished him peace and whispered to himself.

'Avatar Observer ON.'

Muttering inwardly, a translucent avatar wearing goggles and displaying multiple screens appeared behind Gong-hyeok.

This was his only avatar at the time, 'Observer'.

A reconnaissance and surveillance-type avatar with the primary ability 'Analyze'.

The Observer eagerly tapped on its calculator and keyboard. Soon, a map appeared in the corner of his vision, showing the Minotaur's weaknesses, information, and the current party status.

The situation was as follows: 8 vanguards (now 7) and 4 rearguards, a total of 12 in the forward party, were tackling the Tutorial Dungeon's boss, 'Ferocious Minotaur'.

It was a boss monster that had regenerated with an 8% chance of gaining a title. Boss monsters like 'Ferocious' or 'Prime' with such titles had higher stats and more diverse attack patterns.

Since the party was initially formed to raid an ordinary Minotaur, they suffered casualties due to the unexpected appearance of the ferocious variant.

[Tutorial Dungeon Boss #598 ‘Ferocious Minotaur’]

Strength: 111[E]. Endurance: 85[F]. Agility: 41[F].

Technique: 22[F]. Mind: 10[F]. Willpower: 46[F]. Mana: 15[F].

Skills: Inept Cry of Victory(F). Inept Maul(F). Incompetent Enrage(F-)

Strengths/Weaknesses: ???

Gong-hyeok saw the Minotaur's strength stat at 111[E].

Stats were rated alphabetically from A, B, C, etc., and increased in steps of 100.

Moreover, as the grade increased, the stats became three times stronger. For example, while a strength of 100[F] could lift 150kg, a strength of 101[E] could lift 450kg.

Scanning the other hunters, he noticed they were average folks with stats in their 20s, including the leader, Bronze Giant Park Jun-tae, except for one.

[Hunter Ha Yeon-si]

Age: 19

Avatar: Princess Bari(SS)

Strength: 14[F]. Endurance: 24[F]. Agility: 19[F]. Technique: 38[F].

Mind: 130[E]. Willpower: 64[F]. Mana: 148[E].

Skills: Nullify Curse - White Laundry(E), Nullify Blessing-Black Laundry(E), Heal-Flower of Growing Flesh(Unique E).

Strengths/Weaknesses: ???

Ha Yeon-si had two stats, Mind and Mana, in the E stage. Considering the dungeon boss Minotaur's highest stat was 111[E], she was clearly beyond the level of a Tutorial Dungeon.

'Ha Yeon-si, the Princess Bari'

A promising prospect with top-notch talent as a healer, she had been living and struggling together with Joo Gong-hyeok in the same orphanage for two years.

'Well, she's of no immediate help in taking down that brute since she lacks offensive spells and isn't particularly strong in physical attacks.'

Roarrrrr!

Woarrrrrr!

The Minotaur, trampling the shattered body of Hunter 1, roared furiously.

'Noisy bastard.'

Gong-hyeok frowned, then his eyes widened in shock.

Beneath the Minotaur's blood-spattered hooves, the most precious being to him was trembling in terror.

'Why are you there?'

Gong-hyeok's shock was short-lived; there was no time for this. She was in danger!

'I must save her, at all costs!'

Gong-hyeok clenched his teeth and ran. He grabbed the hunter sword he had thrown away while fleeing.

"Gong-hyeok oppa! Come back! Where are you going, you're a rearguard!"

Behind him, Ha Yeon-si, the golden spoon with extraordinary stats, called out to Gong-hyeok.

'That's right. I was a rearguard.'

Gong-hyeok's avatar was an E-class, with modest increases in stats and not combat-oriented but specialized in analysis, a reconnaissance and surveillance-type avatar.

The sword in his hand was a cheap hunter sword bought at a market stall, given to him by Ha Yeon-si so he could at least hold off a monster for 5 seconds if one got past the front lines.

A novice hunter barely clinging to the raid party was naturally intimidated by the glowing brute right in front of him.

That would have been Gong-hyeok just 5 minutes ago.

But now, Gong-hyeok had...

Hmm.

Turned into a complete madman.

"Wait, Gong-hyeok oppa! You'll die! Don't go!"

Ha Yeon-si screamed in terror, but Gong-hyeok didn't look back. Placing the cheap hunter sword on his shoulder, he charged towards the Minotaur.

As Gong-hyeok pushed past the trembling vanguards, he saw the frenzied Minotaur.

And beneath it, his beloved child in peril.

With his current agility, he wouldn't even see the Minotaur's attack coming. Instead of relying on reflexes, he needed to predict the attack.

Thump, thump, thump, one, two, three.

Gong-hyeok timed his rhythm while slightly tossing the sword. One, two, three, one, two, three.

Here it comes.

Roarrrrrrrr!

The Minotaur's Maul(E) skill activated, striking down at Gong-hyeok.

Chunks of flesh burst apart.

COUNTER ATTACK!

Oof! Roarrr!

Swinging the hunter sword over his shoulder, he slashed the Minotaur's hand holding the club, sending its broken fingers flying.

"Pffft!"

He laughed, reminded of the taste of a novice's hand.

'No matter how much you deck out with god-class weapons and rare skills, there's no taste like this.'

The outcome was inevitable, considering the difference in stats.

He had slaughtered these beef steak bastards thousands of times during his 13 regressions. He knew how the attacks would come even with his eyes closed. The rest was just hitting the rhythm, stabbing the predicted spot with the blade.

[A phenomenal counter! ...]

[Agility increased by 1...]

Ignoring the game-like messages only the Observer displayed, he spun around like the Marseille turn and dove under the Minotaur.

There it was.

The ghastly remains of the shattered hunter, a white rectangle timidly revealed in the sea of blood.

A 200-year-old bond between two people.

This Plus*.

*Famous Korean smoking brand famous for it’s vanilla flavor.

-Warning: Smoking causes lung cancer and various diseases...

Tobacco smoke contains carcinogenic substances such as naphthylamine, nickel, benzene, vinyl chloride...

Joo Gong-hyeok swiftly picked up his beloved companion, emblazoned with heartfelt advice, and shouted.

"Hey you, the lighter!"

"What?"

"Give me the lighter! Can't you see we're in danger here!"

Roarrr!

The Minotaur, left with only one hand, swings it at Gong-hyeok between its legs.

Thud

Crunch!

COUNTER ATTACK!

Gong-hyeok swiftly props up a spear from a fallen hunter. The Minotaur's descending hand impales itself on the spear.

While savagely stabbing the Minotaur's heel with the hunter sword, Gong-hyeok yells, "Hurry up with the lighter! Are you deaf?"

"Alright, alright."

'Why on earth at this moment?' Puzzled by the bizarre situation, a hunter throws a plastic lighter. Amidst its pain, the Minotaur wails and dances tap, as Gong-hyeok dodges its threatening steps and catches the lighter.

Flick-

Swiftly lighting a cigarette and taking a drag, Gong-hyeok fills his pure 20-year-old body with smoke.

"Ah, nothing like a regression hit to really feel like a regression."

Whoosh!

The Minotaur's hand barely grazes Gong-hyeok's head.

"Ah, you bastard. What kind of upbringing did you have? Interrupting an elder during a smoke break is a death sentence, didn't you know?"

After taking a puff, Gong-hyeok extinguishes the cigarette on the Minotaur's bloodied heel, revealing its vulnerable hamstring.

Slashing the hamstring and elastic tendon with the blunted hunter sword, Gong-hyeok exposes the blood-soaked beef leg.

Scream!

The Minotaur screams again and drops to its knees.

The first strike splintered its fingers, the second crippled its hamstring, forcing it to kneel—a premeditated combination. The timing was off due to enjoying the regression hit in the middle, but that was fine.

The third strike was, of course, directed at the Minotaur's head.

Having lost its ferocity, the Minotaur wept like a calf looking for its mother, tears and mucus mixing in its eyes.

'It's practically begging to be stabbed.'

Dodging its wildly flailing arms, Gong-hyeok thrusts the sword deep into the Minotaur's open mouth.

'The red color is perfect. Top-grade beef tongue.'

Gong-hyeok splits the soft red tongue and thrusts the sword deeper into its throat, causing the Minotaur's innocent eyes to bulge in full-body convulsions.

CRITICAL HIT!

[A critical blow has been dealt to the boss monster! 50% of the clear rewards shall be given to you!]

A fountain of blood spurts from the Minotaur's mouth.

The surrounding hunters stare in awe at Gong-hyeok, shocked by the rapid events of the last 7-8 seconds.

Ideally, the raid would be over now, but...

Cough, cough.

The dying beef steak monster's muscular hand grabs Gong-hyeok's leg.

"Phew, damn. I’m out of breath. Pushed myself too hard."

The final beef tongue split was shallow. He moved too much while enjoying his smoke. It was too much to handle with agility and stamina under 20. He covered it with skill and experience, but it wasn't enough to instantly kill a boss monster with over 80 endurance.

Gong-hyeok's leg grotesquely twisted in the monster's grip.

'Alright. You're not going down easy, are you?'

Gong-hyeok, his eyes bloodshot with pain, stared back at the Minotaur. The Minotaur, spewing blood, glared back malevolently.

To the onlookers, it was a horrific scene from hell.

Gong-hyeok, using his remaining strength, twisted the sword embedded in the monster's neck and drived his hand into the Minotaur's eye.

The Minotaur's convulsions werere now almost like a vibrating massage. Gong-hyeok felt his hand tear through tough nerves and solid muscles, reaching the protective layer around the brain.

"Stop struggling and die, you bastard. I'll be sending plenty of your kind to accompany you. Are the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings enough for you?"

Bubbling.

Foam and vomit surged out as the eyes rolled back in a satisfying way. Having scrambled the brain, the boss monster, no matter its endurance, had no chance of survival.

[Hunter ‘Joo Gong-hyeok’ has dealt the final blow to the dungeon boss ‘Ferocious Minotaur’!]

[Raid Contribution 1st Place 82% Joo Gong-hyeok, 2nd Place 6% Park Jun-tae, 3rd Place 5% Ha Yeon-si...]

[48 Violet Coins have been dropped!]

[You alone have dealt over 80% of the damage to a minotaur-type boss...]

[You have received the title ‘Horn Breaker’.]

[Achievement ‘Fight of Destiny (1)’ 1/3 fulfilled!]

[‘Maul’ skill coin is dropped!]

[‘Minotaur Horn’ is dropped...]

[‘Minotaur············.]

[Seoul’s 8th Raid Party has cleared the 598th Tutorial Dungeon.]

Everyone in the boss room rushed over.

"Hey, what happened to you! Are you okay?"

"Look at his leg. It's wrecked. Let's get him out of here!"

"What happened here? Hurry and deal with those bodies!"

Multiple people worked together to remove the Minotaur and speak to Gong-hyeok, but he remained unresponsive, slumped over.

He had rushed in, thinking he wouldn't get hit, and executed a clean butchering combination. Embarrassed that he ended up in a brutal dogfight due to running out of breath towards the end, Gong-hyeok pretended to be unconscious.

‘Ah, that was fucking embarrassing at the end. Damn it.’

"Rearguard healer, what are you doing! Heal your party member, quick!"

As the raid leader shouted at the frozen Ha Yeon-si, she approached with trembling legs and collapsed beside Gong-hyeok.

"Gong-hyeok oppa, why did you collapse here! What about the kids!"

Gong-hyeok and Yeon-si were the eldest at the orphanage. After awakening as hunters, they ran the orphanage and dedicatedly cared for the children with their earnings.

Gong-hyeok was a less reliable brother with an unremarkable avatar, but he was the only comrade who always accompanied her on the fearsome raids.

With the orphanage director taken to Babel, only the forsaken children remained. Yeon-si couldn’t leave Gong-hyeok, who tried his best to act as their big brother, to die.

With a pale face and trembling hands, Yeon-si repeatedly chanted a spell.

"Fl-Flower of Growing Flesh, hurry up!"

Dozens of flesh-colored flowers emerged from Yeon-si's hands and wrapped around Gong-hyeok's leg.

The flowers glowed, healing flesh and realigning broken bones.

Although it would take 12 hours for a complete recovery due to the low rank, the extent of healing was remarkable, even for a unique skill, considering how it fixed the severely shattered leg bones with a few chants.

"Gong-hyeok oppa, wake up, please wake up!"

Tears dripped onto Gong-hyeok's face as Yeon-si sobbed, clutching her chest.

Gong-hyeok sat up, resting his head on his hand against his chest.

"Don't cry, Yeon-si."

Yeon-si still buried her face in Gong-hyeok's chest, not wanting to show her tear and snot-streaked face.

As Gong-hyeok gently stroked Yeon-si, the raid leader, Park Jun-tae, approached them.

"Let's leave the romance for home, shall we?"

Clap, clap, clap

Raid leader Park Jun-tae clapped his hands to lighten the mood.

"We’ve finished dealing with the casualties and bodies, so let's start distributing the loot. This is your promised share."

Park Jun-tae pushed about 40% of the piled coins and materials towards them.

82 violet coins and various materials.

About 50 coins and materials obtained from the boss fight were distributed according to the contribution system, so they couldn’t be taken arbitrarily. The rest were rewards from defeating dungeon mobs.

However, Gong-hyeok saw one issue.

"You. You forgot the skill coin."

Skill coins and items weren't subject to forced distribution. It was as if they were meant to be fought over.

The atmosphere suddenly tensed.

Everyone knew that skill coins were more important than coins and materials.

That's why even though Gong-hyeok took most of the boss rewards, he was being fairly compensated, signaling that they would take or sell the skill coin without complaints.

Maul, although the lowest-grade attack skill, was worth at least 150 violet coins.

If the remaining nine shared it, each would get about 15 coins. It might sound trivial, but considering one can increase a stat by 1 for 10 coins, it held significant value.

"Even so, you're taking too much. You were carried here to the boss room, and when we were all exhausted, you swooped in and took everything."

"His skills are unknown, but he sure has a good avatar. Too bad his personality sucks."

The surrounding hunters grumbled, implying he should take his share and leave.

"Enough. The kid did play a major role. It's fair for him to claim ownership of the boss loot."

Park Jun-tae coughed and looked at Gong-hyeok.

"I'll push 10% more coins your way. As for the skill coin, it would be better if our Bronze Giant Raid Party handles the sale. Youngsters like you holding onto it is just dangerous."

"You’re raising a dog in your gut, huh? Why does bullshit keep spilling from your mouth, old man?"

Gong-hyeok casually picked his ear as one of the hunters cursed.

"This brat has been speaking rudely all this time! Is Bronze Giant Jun-tae hyung your friend? I should just smack your head..."

"Haha, Mr. Jang, calm down. I'm fine. You're brave, confronting a guy who just butchered a Minotaur..."

"No matter what, that bloodied kid is being too disrespectful..."

What does age matter? After turning 200, Gong-hyeok had lost track of his own age.

Being called 'ahjussi' instead of 'worthless trash' was a sign of the social skills he barely managed to develop after several regressions.

By his third regression, he grew so indifferent that he blurted out titles and foul language, leading to several conflicts. Since then, he had been making a minimal effort.

Observing the situation, Yeon-si quietly whispered in Gong-hyeok's ear.

‘Oppa, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?’

‘It's nothing. Just watch.’

‘...Oppa?’

Yeon-si felt uneasy due to Gong-hyeok's uncharacteristically different response.

“Ahem, sorry about that, youngsters. I got a bit greedy there. The temptation of gain... Here's the skill coin.”

Park Jun-tae handed over the skill coin compliantly, and Yeon-si gracefully accepted it into her inventory. Gong-hyeok was organizing the rest of the loot in his inventory when a skinny man with a sour expression burst from a corner.

"Hey, Park Jun-tae. Who gave you the right to hand it over? Just because a few of your raid members are mixed in here, you think this is your raid party?"

"Ah! Sang-min. Calm down, let's call these kids tomorrow and run it again. It’s safer to raid the dungeon multiple times, don't you think? Right, Yeon-si?"

"Uh? Oh yes. Maybe..."

Shh spit!

Despite Yeon-si's response, Sang-min, dissatisfied, spat and glowered.

"Park Jun-tae, you've been mentioning the Bronze Giant taking care of things, but you could get a pickaxe in the back of your head doing that.

And you kids, don’t underestimate this world. You never know when or where you might end up dead. Such petty greed, over an item or a coin. News of bodies floating in the Han River the next day is damn common."

With Sang-min's grim words, the problematic distribution finally concluded.

The hunters disbanded their raid party at Seoul Station and left the dungeon.

"Tch, those two golden spoon avatars, sticking together. How can they even show their faces?"

"Even if they go to the Final Dungeon, they'll just keep everything to themselves."

Hearing the backbiting, Yeon-si sighed.

"Oppa, what are you going to do from tomorrow? This will spread bad rumors."

"It's okay. We won't need to raid with others anymore. Just the two of us is enough."

"Even though Oppa just took down the Minotaur..."

Gong-hyeok didn't even finish listening and entered a nearby supermarket to buy a pack of Camel cigarettes.

Click─ Click click─

‘Nothing compares to this. Not even those hastily made cigarettes in Babel. Unless they're made by alchemy.’

Yeon-si watched Gong-hyeok taking a puff, her face a picture of incomprehension.

"Oppa, you didn’t smoke before? Since when did you start...?"

"… Yeon-si."

Gong-hyeok exhaled the cigarette smoke into the sky and approached Yeon-si.

"We only need the two of us for raids. Ignore those trash bragging about being hunters. They're just scum who haven't even reached the Final Dungeon yet."

He crouched to match Yeon-si's eye level and spoke blandly.

"And don't be scared of monsters. It’s the monsters who are hunted by those scumbags. Ever seen a butcher cry because he's scared to handle meat?"

"Yes, ye-yes…"

Yeon-si shrank back, sensing fear from Gong-hyeok's hollow eyes and emotionless tone.

"Good. You’re still a good kid this time."

"This time?"

Confused by Gong-hyeok's odd remark, Yeon-si questioned him. Gong-hyeok, stroking her soft hair, replied.

"It means even if you were reborn ten times, you’d still be just as lovely."

"Ah, oppa, isn’t this too sudden? What are you talking about!"

Flushing, Yeon-si backed away as Gong-hyeok pondered.

‘When should I kill her this time?’

He killed her too early last time and struggled in the later stages. It seemed better to adjust the timing of her death.