I’m not a Regressor

After exiting the sanctum, Ohjin returned home for the time being.

Ha-eun, who was smoking on the stairs, got up after she saw him.

"Oh, you actually came back soon?"

"Didn't I say so?"

"How could I trust you when lies are the only things that come out of your mouth?"

Ha-eun smirked as she got closer.

"How was Vega doing?"

"Well, similar to you."

He remembered the image from a couple of days ago.

He recalled how she had bawled her eyes out whilst embracing him as soon as he opened his eyes for the first time after three days of unconsciousness.

"F-Fuck off!"

Bam—

Ha-eun's face heated up as she kicked him in the calves.

"Gwek."

"Stop overreacting. Ah, right. A person from the Association came by when you weren’t here. Was it Han Joonman…? The one who looks similar to a gorilla."

It seemed like the General Manager had come by in the meantime.

Well…

He had been coming by every day to check up on Ohjin’s condition lately.

"What did you say?"

"What did I say? I sent him back by saying that your consciousness is still flickering."

"Okay. You did well, Ha-eun."

He was currently avoiding contact with the Association with the excuse that he hadn't completely recovered his consciousness yet.

‘Since there's something I have to do during this time.'

Once the truth that he had regained consciousness was known, he would be flooded with contacts due to his reputation as the person at the center of the subjugation incident.

Currently, the only ones who knew he was fine were Ha-eun and Vega.

‘Ah, there was Riak as well.'

Well, anyway.

Thanks to that, he was able to take care of urgent matters in advance during the four days after regaining consciousness.

"What are you having for lunch?"

"Calorie bar."

"Dude," Ha-eun frowned.

"I'm kidding. I'm thinking of skipping lunch since there's something I have to do today."

"Is that so? Hm… then I guess I should also eat later."

"Why?"

"I have something to do as well," said Ha-eun as she walked past the door and headed outside.

"Where are you going?"

"Secret."

"There's no such thing as secrets between us."

"Is that something you should be saying?"

Ha-eun flipped him off with her middle finger.

"Anyways, I'll be going now, so stay put inside the house."

"Hm."

It wasn't a situation where he could stay put.

"Ah, right. Ha-eun."

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry, even if something happens to me."

"…What are you planning to do again?"

Ha-eun approached him with a stiff expression.

"Huhu. There's something I have to do. I'm telling you in advance in case you get worried."

"What's that ‘something'?"

"Secret."

"This bitch?"

Ha-eun continued to pester him after that, but he didn't budge.

"Sigh. Well, it really isn’t something I should be worried about, right?"

"Yep."

"Then I'll leave my trust in you and go now."

As if she was anxious, Ha-eun looked back a couple of times as she got more distant.

‘She has probably already noticed now that I've said this much.'

It was Ha-eun who knew him better than anyone else. Even if something happened, she wouldn't be worried.

"Well then… before I get started…"

He started to recall the information he organized during the past four days.

‘First of all, the thing that was buried in the middle of Sokcho—'

Ohjin still hadn't found out about the identity of the black vapor that Ha-eun had destroyed. He went searching for it later on, but it had already disappeared without a trace.

‘—Is it connected to the demon beasts that were hiding under Seoul Station?’

Although a demon beast like that of the flesh giant hadn't appeared, they had both secretly been hiding underneath a city.

“…I’m not so sure about this.”

Not only did he have insufficient grounds to connect them, but when he wasn’t even able to confirm what kind of power it was, he couldn’t make rash presumptions.

‘First of all, I’m sure that they’re both connected to the Black Star’s power.’

Naturally, as there were many celestials, it was most likely that there wouldn’t be just one Black Star celestial.

‘Vega also said that the energy she felt under Seoul Station was different from the one in the gate at Mokdong.’

Passing over that for now…

“Next up is…”

Ohjin opened his skill window.

He looked at the three skills he had obtained from the recent subjugation operation.

Exceed, Transformation, and Water Affinity.

‘Exceed… well, I couldn't experiment with that.’

As Vega had said, it wasn’t a skill that should be used recklessly.

‘Transformation is just what I thought it'd be.’

Ohjin looked in the mirror as he used Transformation.

Crack, crack!—

He could make his body smaller and larger, completely change his face into another person, and even adjust his vocal cords to change his voice.

“This skill is seriously insane.”

Its consumption of mana was quite considerable, but it wasn’t to the degree that it would place a large burden.

If the ability was used well, there would be unlimited ways to utilize it.

‘Especially for me.’

Rather than giving a tiger wings, it seemed more like giving one a jet engine.

It was to the point that he started to think that earning the skill ‘Transformation’ was potentially a better reward than the stigma of Aquarius.

“Wonderful.”

He smiled brightly in satisfaction.

‘And for last—’

Ohjin’s face slightly distorted.

“—This skill is a bit of a pain in the ass.”

Recalling the skill ‘Water Affinity’, he let out a deep sigh.

‘I wondered how such an overpowered skill could exist when reading the explanation, but…’

When he conducted experiments, It was completely different from what he had expected.

As per its explanation, recovering from injuries by absorbing water was true, but…

“You need way… way too much water.”

A deep sigh flowed out.

In order to see the effects of Water Affinity, the amount of water needed was inconceivable.

‘Healing just a scratch takes tens of liters.’

In order to heal a blood wound, over a hundred liters of water was needed.

‘Unsurprisingly, healing by absorbing the moisture in the air or whatever doesn’t work either.’

There was a fairly large range of distance he could use absorption from, but that didn’t mean he could carry hundreds of liters of water around.

‘It’s not like I have an inventory like a game.’

The effects itself were great, but there were too many resources required to see those effects. It would be more efficient to carry around a decent potion rather than carrying hundreds of liters of water around.

“This will be hard to use in real combat if it doesn’t take place next to a river or beach.”

Still, it seemed that it would come in handy for a quick recovery after fights. Most injuries would be recovered once he went to a nearby sauna and submerged in water.

‘Though, even that only heals external wounds.’

His experimentation showed that it wouldn’t heal internal wounds brought about by excessive mana usage.

“Tch… it’s still better than nothing.”

Just having another means to heal external wounds, excluding potions, wasn’t bad at all.

“I think that’s about everything."

* * *

* * *

It was time to take care of matters regarding the Pandinus guild.

“There’s nothing hard about this.”

It was actually something extremely simple and easy.

“Ah, ah.”

Clearing his throat—

Ring, ring—

—he called General Manager Han.

[A-Awakener Ohjin? Have you woken up?!]

He heard an urgency-filled voice.

“…Yes. I’m still a little fuzzy, but… I’ve gotten a lot better.”

[Phew. Seriously, that’s a relief.]

It seemed like he was truly worried, as a deep sense of relief could be felt from his voice.

‘This is honestly a little moving.’

Anyway, that wasn’t what was important.

“I’ve seen some articles after waking up. A lot seems to have happened… during the past week.”

[…Have you heard the news about the Pandinus guild?]

“Yes.”

[I just happened to have a lot of things I wanted to inquire about related to that incident. Could you come to the Association right now?]

“No. Rather than that, there’s something I would like to request.”

[A request?]

Ohjin continued in a sunken voice.

“…Please prepare a press conference. I’m currently in possession of decisive evidence that can testify the relation between the Pandinus guild and Choi Jungchul.”

[W-What did you say?]

A voice filled with shock was heard.

[Awakener Ohjin. Wait… t-those words, are they really true?]

“Yes. Choi Jungchul wasn’t connected with the Starlight Lake guild.”

[Such a thing…]

With his voice lost from shock, Han Joonman slurred the end of his sentence.

If Ohjin’s words were true, it was a huge deal that could completely change the current public opinion.

[I understand. I’ll prepare it right away. Is Yeouido okay for the location?]

“Yes. That place will be appropriate and safe.”

[…Please be careful. If this truth gets across, it’s unknown what kind of things could happen.]

General Manager Han's voice was stiff.

The matter about who Choi Jungchul’s backers were was that big of an issue.

“I'm aware. Ah… with that in mind, could you request some bodyguards for the press conference? My body hasn’t completely recovered yet.”

[Bodyguards… I understand. Believe in me.]

General Manager Han said it with his voice filled with confidence.

[There’s someone here that’s incredibly famous for guarding.]

Ohjin already knew.

That person was famous to the point of being picked as one of the top three Awakeners within the Association, after all.

“Okay. Then I’ll believe in you and wait for contact.”

[I’ll call you back within an hour.]

The call ended.

“Well, then. Shall I begin my preparations as well?”

There wasn’t much to prepare anyways.

Owooong!!—

A different Light poured out of the stigma engraved in Ohjin’s left chest.

* * *

“Hello, I’m one of the Association’s Special Officers, Choi Woojin.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Before entering the press conference, Ohjin shared greetings with Choi Woojin.

He was a sharp-eyed man that gave off a cold impression.

‘The Hound (畋犬), Choi Woojin.’

He was an Awakener famous for tracking incidents he caught scent of to the end.

“It’s a bit comical that a Special Officer is guarding another Special Officer, but… oh well, let’s brush past it, as the matter calls for it.”

Choi Woojin sent a cold gaze at Ohjin as if he wasn’t to his liking.

Well…

In his perspective, Ohjin became a Special Officer using methods barely any different from connections.

‘There’s no way he would see me in a good light.’

It didn’t matter.

He wasn’t someone who would neglect his duties just because the client wasn’t to his liking.

“This way.”

Receiving Choi Woojin’s escort, Ohjin entered the press conference.

Click! Click! Click!!!—

Camera bulbs flashed and flickered.

“Mr. Ohjin! Please, a word about the situation back then!!”

“Are the stories about you having been awakened for only half a year really true?!”

“You are currently being revered as the national hero from this incident. Could we please get your words of resolve?!!”

Ignoring the surging questions, he got up on the platform.

Ohjin took a glance around the crowded reporters and opened his mouth.

“Hello. I am Special Officer Gwon Ohjin from the Association.”

He deeply bowed his head.

“I will not take any personal questions today.”

“…Yes? You won’t take any questions?”

The reporters looked at Ohjin with a shocked expression.

What was the reason for opening a press conference if he wasn’t going to take in questions?

“The reason I’ve come to this spot today is because there is a truth all of you must know.”

With a calm and composed voice—

“When I fought Choi Jungchul, who turned into a demon beast, I found out a very significant truth about him.”

—he connected his words.

“What is the important truth?!”

“Choi Jungchul… is not a member of the Starlight Lake guild, but the Pandinus guild.”

“Gasp!”

“I-Is that the truth?!”

The press conference became rowdy from Ohjin’s explosive statement.

“D-Do you have evidence that can prove their relations?!”

Evidence?

Naturally—

“Of cour— Kugh! Kuk! Cough!”

—there was no way he had any.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”

“B-Blood!!!”

“H-Huh!!! What’s going on!!!”

Screams erupted.

“Cough! Cough!! Kugh!! Kugk!!!”

Dark-red clots of blood gushed out of Ohjin’s mouth.

Collapsing on the spot, his eyes flipped upside down while his body shook as if having a seizure.

“Damn it!!!”

Choi Woojin urgently rushed over.

Rumble!!—

Powerful pressure explosively spread out.

“Wh-What’s going on? What situation is this?!”

“H-He didn’t die, right?”

“Quick, take photos!”

The reporters continued to flash their camera bulbs in the chaos.

“Mr. Ohjin!! Are you okay, Mr. Ohjin?!?!”

“Kugk… Cough! Cough!”

“Damn it! Emergency team!! Call the emergency team!”

Choi Woojin fiercely shouted out as he observed Ohjin’s body that had fallen down.

Blood poured all over the ground.

After Choi Woojin dipped his finger in the blood, he placed it on his tongue. Choi Woojin’s expression roughly distorted.

“…This is.”

Twe!—

He spat out the blood and said out in a sunken voice.

“…He’s poisoned.”

He looked back at the nearby Association members with a stiff face.

“Block the entrance.”

His eyes shone sharply.

“From now on, everyone here is a suspect.”

His cold gaze headed towards the reporters.