◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (16)

Chapter 4. Creating Together (2)

In the darkness, the only source of light was a shining shield.

The three lesser demons, annoyed merely by looking at it and feeling the onset of a headache, used their racial common skill, telepathy, to communicate.

They surged their dark attribute magic power and charged simultaneously to overwhelm their enemy.

Leading the charge was a lesser demon of huge stature wielding a shield and cutlass, followed shortly by another one armed with a spear.

Their tactic was perfect: one to block the enemy with a shield and the other to stab through the opening with the spear and kill.

―Crack!

That is, if the one with the shield didn't get knocked down in one hit.

“Hup!”

Sensing the enemy's surprise attack, KiJun knocked out the lead lesser demon with a shield charged with light magic power and spirit force, then slammed the shield down on the confused face of the second demon, which had halted its spear thrust.

“Kyahk――!”

The third lesser demon, who had been lurking behind, fired an arrow, but...

KiJun, with the shield in his other hand, easily deflected it, and the lesser demon (with the shield) who was just about to get up was struck by the arrow and fell again.

It was pitiful that it couldn't even scream after being hit in a vital spot.

“Don't just stand there dumbfounded, come at me!”

“Keek, keeek!”

The third lesser demon, a pitiful creature that still charged forward despite being mercilessly beaten by the provocation, was now in a sorry state.

But as it closed the distance, wielding a lengthy spear, what use was its weapon when it could not swing it properly?

Trapped in a narrow corridor with its tumbling ally and KiJun's body, the terror-stricken lesser demon (with the spear) faced KiJun's rare-grade battle skill [Double Turtle Fangs] as it breathed fire.

In the short span of a few seconds, the two shields, laden with intense light, struck the demon's body dozens of times, and without managing a proper attack, the demon's head exploded, killing it.

“How long do you plan to lie down?”

“Kiiiaaak!”

Noticing no more arrows flying, it seemed the last one had given up on the fight and fled.

KiJun chuckled, then sharply chopped down with the shield's edge onto the head of the lesser demon (with the shield).

The shield, full of light spirit power, struck down vertically like divine punishment, casting a monster's shadow below it.

“Keeeeeek!”

“Where do you think you're going?”

Pretending to flee, the lesser demon (with the bow) had hidden in the dark and then attacked from behind, but KiJun threw his shield at it.

―Snap!

The shield, enhanced with destructive force and speed from the absorbed light, shot out like a shell and smashed the demon's face.

As the lifeless body of the lesser demon fell with a thud, KiJun stylishly caught the returning shield and composed himself.

The battle was over.

―The skill Flash Throw (R) has reached level 19.

―After successively defeating three overwhelmingly strong enemies, a positive adjustment is provided to the rare-grade title Transcender of Limits.

“It still won't go up.”

KiJun, standing over the limp bodies of the three lesser demons, clucked his tongue in frustration.

Boomerang Throw (Uc), which had grown with the influence of light magic power, had leveled up to Flash Throw (R), but that wasn't what was important right now.

[KiJun]

[Titles ― Discoverer of the Hidden Dungeon (Legendary) +7]

[Degraded Light Person (Uc) Lv58]

[Strength (Uc) ― 93]

[Dexterity (R) ― 5]

[Endurance (R) ― 6]

[Light Magic (Uc) ― 99]

[Charisma (Uc) ― 99]

[Spirit Power (R) ― 99]

[Skills/Spells]

[Uncommon]

[Butchery Lv53, Cooking Lv99]

[Rare]

[Double Turtle Fangs Lv37, Flash Throw Lv19, Wholehearted Taunt Lv43, Light Spirit Magic Lv99]

[Unique]

[Rapid Regeneration Lv39, Steelization Lv34, No Rest for the Wicked Lv31]

[Legendary]

[Unbreakable Internal Clock Lv――]

After neatly butchering only the hearts from the worthless trio of lesser demons.

KiJun sighed as he opened his status window and skill panel, and saw his stats and skills still stuck at 99 against the wall of their limits.

He had thrown his shield with all his might, full of light magic power, spiritual power, and Lucy's spirit force, hoping for a dramatic growth, but it seemed such half-baked methods were in vain.

―Contractor, you're already growing incredibly fast, right? I've never seen anyone adapt to Spirit Magic so quickly, for real.

“I've said it several times already. Mastering a rare-grade skill in just one year and four months is unheard of.”

“Thanks, Lucy, and ma’am. But I can't stand this feeling of being stuck. Maybe it's a Korean trait.”

Despite the comforting words from Lucy and the Demon Lord, KiJun was left with a sour taste.

When he was unaware of the advancement system, hitting 99 in a stat felt like reaching a peak, but now that he knew it was just a qualification for the next stage, he couldn't be satisfied!

―Is every Korean as strong as our contractor?

“I don't know if all Koreans are strong, but the strongest party I fought was definitely made up only of Koreans.”

The Demon Lord replied to Lucy, who muttered in disbelief.

KiJun spoke up, looking askance at the two as they chattered happily.

“Hey, Korean isn't a race.”

“Let's just say it is. They were too different from the others.”

A pure Korean party, consisting of three men and two women.

The Demon Lord had rated only KiJun highly from that party, but that was only because her standards were too strict. In truth, she considered that they were the only ones who had performed reasonably well out of all the raid teams that had come at her.

Especially the assassin, an astonishing owner of stealth skills that almost deceived even her vigilant eyes.

If he had managed to completely deceive her and succeed in a surprise attack, she would have rated him next to KiJun.

“So, what are you going to do, hero? Shall we go further?”

As the Demon Lord reminisced about the last battle of the first round and munched on the beef jerky KiJun had made, he glanced down the dark corridor leading further into the dungeon and clicked his tongue, saying,

“I suppose we can't know how much of the dungeon is left, can we?”

“I know we're not even halfway through. This place is unbelievably vast. At this rate, it would be hard to find even in Leta.”

―Contractor, let's go out. I want to say hello to the sunlight, okay?

Just as he was wavering, Lucy cutely pleaded with him, and KiJun finally nodded in agreement.

"Right, let's go out and train. Then the answer will come."

"Good thinking!"

―Hooray!

A year ago, when he had just completed his racial grade advancement and entered the dungeon, KiJun had been determined not to leave until he had conquered them. But things seldom go as planned.

The dungeon, which he had suspected was like a secret space opened only after clearing the final boss of an RPG, was indeed vast beyond belief, befitting of a hidden dungeon. The deeper he delved, the more painful traps gnawed at him, fostering the growth of his defense and regeneration skills up to the unique grade.

Now, he spent more time unraveling the headache-inducing mazes and searching for monsters than actually hunting them.

Even this had only been possible with the help of the Demon Lord and Lucy, indicating the formidable difficulty of the dungeon.

'I wonder if a mage naturally talented in magic power or a rogue brilliant at detecting traps could make quicker progress than our brute-force hero.'

On the day KiJun nearly split his spine in a trap, he marveled at the effect of Rapid Regeneration, which repaired even irreparable wounds, and the Demon Lord had casually remarked on it.

There were people KiJun thought of upon hearing that, but they were in places he couldn't reach for a while.

And the chances of a new party member who could handle spirit power joining their party to clear the dungeon were nil...

No, but the important thing right now wasn't his former comrades earnestly running their second round.

It was his stats and skills, stuck at the wall of 99.

He had been pleased to see his stats rise with every level increase after becoming a Degraded Light Person...

'Charisma, let's say I leave that aside since I have no clue what causes it to grow.'

He was surprised enough when it grew from common to uncommon, so frankly, he wouldn't mind if charisma never grew again in his life.

But Light Magic (Uc), which had been stuck at 99 for over a month, and Spirit Power (R) and Light Spirit Magic (R), which had reached 99 a week ago...

"Am I being too impatient?"

―I think the contractor's ambition is admirable!

Lucy cheerfully responded to KiJun's muttering as he gazed up at the unchanging sun after exiting the dungeon.

―It's just that you're floundering because up until now, the growth was too fast.

"Dexterity and endurance grew to rare grade without any problem. You're only worrying because that seemed easy. You're taking the grade up for granted."

"It wasn't easy. You wrung me out like a wet rag for days."

And as a bonus, he had even destroyed a few traps in the Demon Lord's castle.

In any case, those two stats were 'physical' stats, which KiJun was inherently specialized in, and the Demon Lord had guided him according to her wisdom, making the journey somewhat smoother.

If only his strength reached 99, the Demon Lord would surely pull it up to rare grade, somehow.

But the rest needed his own enlightenment to back it up, making it tricky.

"...Anyway, now that we're out, let's take a break today."

―Party time!

"Right, it's party time!"

As the two women rejoiced, chanting "party" and looking happy, KiJun squinted at them and soon cracked a smile.

"Sure, let's have a party."

"Good idea. When things don't work out, you eat something tasty, and then..."

The Demon Lord, hesitating for a moment, coughed and lifted her hand in a peculiar gesture, twisting her wrist as if turning a wine glass.

"Easing your stress with a drink might just relax your mind."

"…Yeah."

At her words, at her gesture, someone came to mind.

Suppressing his longing so as not to let the tears well up, KiJun teased the Demon Lord with a light chuckle.

"You never mentioned drinking before."

"That's because until now, you weren't worthy of toasting with me."

She retorted, loaded with meaning, and he laughed outright again.

They didn't share drinks lightly with others.

It was also a rule among the Earth's heroes.

In a world full of danger, where a stab in the back could come at any moment, there was an unspoken agreement to only share drinks with those you trusted.

Thus, offering a drink to someone had two opposing meanings.

You don't offer drinks unless you take the other person seriously.

And you don't offer drinks unless you trust the other person substantially.

"So, I've earned it now?"

"Special, very special?"

In response to KiJun's loaded question, the Demon Lord replied with equally loaded meaning.

That's when Lucy interjected.

―Funny, as if you haven't been looking forward to it all this time――!

"Spirit, don't make things up, or the hero will misunderstand, okay――?!"

―Kyaaaak! Save me, contractor! The demon is chasing me!

The chase between the Demon Lord and Lucy began, but KiJun could only laugh.

Eyeing for this? Perhaps the Demon Lord had acknowledged him long before.

Indeed, she was a good person.

For her expectations not to be in vain, he would have to train hard.

...But taking a break for just today would be okay.

'Right, Uncle Soo?'

* * *

Under the moonlit night, a handsome man with a scruffy beard sighed deeply as he emptied his glass.

"It just doesn't taste the same without KiJun."

As he sighed and was about to refill his glass, someone snatched the bottle away.

Turning around, there stood his party member, JiHye, whom he hadn't seen in weeks.

"You shouldn't drink alone, Uncle Soo."

"Should I drink with a young one like you then? The kids will talk, they'll talk."

Uncle Soo should drink with another uncle, JiHye thought, recalling how he always dragged KiJun along forcibly, and she snickered.

It's funny that a man just over thirty constantly refers to himself as an "uncle."

"So, was KiJun oppa an uncle?"

"Well, he's discharged from the military, so yeah, an uncle."

"It's funny to differentiate like that. We've all been rolling in the battlefield for 15 years since being summoned here. By that logic, aren't we all aunts and uncles?"

"Still, kid, people may not think that way. Eh?"

The man who snatched the liquor bottle from JiHye's hand... the assassin poured himself a drink, scoffing dismissively.

"You go drink with that young’un, EunShin."

"EunShin is still a minor."

"Look at you, enjoying this? You forgot what you just said that fast?"

"Yum yum."

JiHye attempted a clumsy flirtation, which made EunShin chuckle as he emptied his glass again, waving his hand dismissively.

"Has YeMin come back?"

"Not yet. She must've been quite shocked... I didn't expect she wouldn't be here either. I thought she'd joined up with you, uncle."

"Yeah, well... I also thought I'd be with you kids, not alone like this."

The man sighed more heavily this time.

Shaking the bottle to check the remaining liquor, EunShin began to drink straight from it.

"Ah, uncle! Tell him! That's not okay, really!"

JiHye exclaimed in alarm, but there was little she could do against the naturally strong assassin, despite her being a mage.

"―Ugh, just let me drink today. I won't be able to rest starting from tomorrow, just today."

Maybe that would ease his mind a bit.

About to make that excuse, EunShin mumbled and sighed deeply.

No matter how much he drank, it wouldn't ease the situation.

"In fact, I sometimes wonder if this is what he wanted."

"Huh?"

"I mean, KiJun. I wonder if he couldn't do what he wanted because of us."

He only spoke about this to JiHye, who he thought wouldn't get angry hearing it, and continued,

"He was talented. Everyone ranks YeMin the highest, but I always thought KiJun was ahead. But to think such a talented guy made so many sacrifices... He wouldn't say it's because of us, but he's always been the one with the shield from the start, right?"

"That's true. But maybe it was KiJun oppa's personality problem?"

"You're always ahead with your cool analysis."

"What?! No, no!"

JiHye was startled by EunShin's casual praise and waved her head frantically.

"I didn't hate KiJun oppa or take his sacrifices for granted!"

"It's okay, it's okay. I know that's not what you meant. You're just a rational kid, so I thought you'd take even this kind of talk from me."

"That makes me sound heartless... I have feelings, you know...?"

"I know, I know... It was a slip of the tongue. Sorry."

As usual, mistakes happen when drunk.

EunShin sighed and rubbed his face.

The impact of not being able to join up with KiJun must have been significant.

To blurt out potentially hurtful things to a kid without thinking...

"So, you're saying...?"

Thankfully, JiHye didn't press him further.

"You're saying that KiJun oppa has finally started to do what he wants?"

"It's possible. It wouldn't be strange for him to start anew with a fresh mind... I'd rather prefer that."

"It'll be fine. Like uncle said, he's talented. He wouldn't get tricked by weirdos."

"Right, he's probably doing well."

EunShin nodded vehemently, wanting to believe JiHye's words, and exhaled a liquor-laden sigh, setting down the empty bottle.

"Comfort YeMin a bit, will you? If not us... there's no one to defeat the Demon Lord. We can't afford to escape reality."

"Leave it to me. I'm the best at persuading her."

"Good, I trust you."

"Yes!"

EunShin cleaned up after his drink and stood up first.

JiHye sat still for a moment where she had been, then let out a heavy sigh as if the worries were contagious.

"What are we going to do about this mood, KiJun oppa..."

But now wasn't the time to think about someone who wasn't here.

She needed to find words to get the rampaging YeMin back on track, no matter whether it was a lie or a hasty guess.

YeMin had to be pushed forward.

Because the hero must kill the Demon Lord.

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