Chapter 3: The Regressor Who Carries the Memory of a Destroyed World

Han Joo-ik continued,

"Let's go to a tougher gate tomorrow, one that's even more intense than today. We'll head to the place with the highest magic value among the E-class gates."

"Huh? All of a sudden? It's going to be tough there, right?"

"It has to be tough. If one of the porters dies, it shouldn't seem strange. The association will just pass over the death report inside the gate."

Han Joo-ik slapped the back of Lee Sang-gil's neck.

A red handprint remained on his neck.

"What are you hesitating for, you idiot? I'll take care of that guy, so you just need to play along. If I handle it all by myself, it'll be too obvious—!"

"Just watch me take care of Park Shin-hyuk from the side.

Just make sure to say it was an accident caused by a monster later.

"Joo-joo, kill?"

"Idiot. What's so surprising about someone dying in a gate? Who can tell if he was killed by a monster or a person outside the gate?"

"But... I don't think it's worth going this far..."

Han Joo-ik opened his eyes wide.

"Did you see me as a fool? I told you this because I trust you. Do you think I would have told you for no reason?"

Murder is a crime.

"If you don't follow my words, I'll be in a lot of trouble, right?"

But you want to pretend you didn't hear?

With that fierce gaze, Lee Sang-gil's face alternated between pale and red.

Even the hands that were mining mana stones trembled.

"But, I understand what you're saying..."

After seeing the shining mana stone inside the corpse and Han Joo-ik's fierce gaze.

When he touched the sticky liquid on his neck, Lee Sang-gil's trembling hands steadied.

"Instead, the deposit."

"Deposit?"

His anxious expression soon regained its color.

"Give me the deposit you promised to give him. I've been spending a lot of money lately."

"Ha ha. You idiot, I already told you to stop eating so much. Ha ha."

"What? I earn money to be happy, and I'll spend it on what I want."

"Ha ha ha. That's right. We're doing all this to live well. Anyway, now we can talk."

Han Joo-ik extended his hand to Lee Sang-gil.

"Ha ha. Got it. I handle the finances, so cash is more convenient, right?"

"That's better. It would be weird if Park Shin-hyuk's deposit goes into my account after he dies."

"Got it. If you follow my orders well, I'll withdraw it in cash for you."

"Alright."

Lee Sang-gil shook his hand. Intestines and blood mixed in their hands.

"Then, don't make it obvious. If Park Shin-hyuk takes a sick leave out of fear, the association will have to pay the deposit."

"Ha ha ha ha ha."

This time, Lee Sang-gil laughed loudly.

"Why are you doing that? The deposit is the deposit—"

As if trying to reassure Han Joo-ik.

"Anyway, Park Shin-hyuk has to come out tomorrow to get his salary, right?"

Lee Sang-gil's smile, who would become a convert in ten years, was very similar to Han Joo-ik's smile, who would become a raider in three years.

* * *

-Park Shin-hyuk. First, let's clean up that public team.

For the public team, it's 20 years later.

For me, it's a minute ago.

It was quite coincidental.

"Raider, Han Joo-ik."

Raider.

Those who committed murder to monopolize the rewards from clearing gates, who craved human flesh to fill their starving bellies, who gnawed at humanity.

"Convert, Lee Sang-gil."

Convert.

Those who surrendered to monsters, mortgaging parts of their bodies, and turned the weapons and technologies developed by humanity against humanity.

Han Joo-ik and Lee Sang-gil fit these descriptions.

"Lee Si-hyun, Baesoo-jin..."

Not just them. Judging by the bounties on their necks and the nature of their crimes, the other public team members were no better, if not worse.

"Like attracts like, they say."

Did they recognize each other's tendencies during the recruitment process and get along well?

Or did they, with mediocre abilities but great greed, come together for mutual benefit?

"How did such scoundrels end up together?"

-Their backs are so damn itchy.

"Though I can understand from what they've done so far."

I muttered quietly.

"I have to kill them."

This was a calm resolution.

It didn't stem from mere revenge for the violence just experienced.

It was already decided in the future.

-Pre-judge and punish the raiders and converts before they commit their crimes—

This was the agreement between the final two, me and Kang Yebin, when we regressed.

Since half the responsibility for the world's destruction lies with humanity, specifically with those called raiders and converts.

"Right now, inside the gate, would be good."

I have no intention of waiting. I will exclude any possibility of repentance. If possible, I will kill them on sight.

"The problem is how..."

I checked my status.

◇ Stats (0/6)

Strength: 11

Agility: 9

Stamina: 13

Health: 15

Mana: 96

Current Mana: 9.7

My mind is at the SSS level, but physically, I am no different from an E-class hunter.

The only outstanding attribute is my [Mana] of 96. It means I am only exceptionally skilled in handling mana energy.

"Will it work? Can I do it with just mana?"

I'll find out.

I infused the cheap dagger I bought to dissect the corpse with mana.

Thanks to 20 years of experience in handling mana.

Hum hum hum.

With the mana infused to the point of the sword's name, not a single point of mana was lost.

The clear blue light of the mana soon disappeared.

As the mana in my body was quickly depleted, a sudden feeling of extreme weakness overcame me.

The problem doesn't end there.

"Weapons? Should I fight with this?"

The only weapon a porter can carry is a cheap dagger. It might break the moment my mana runs out.

"No, it's not enough."

On the other hand, the opponents are all combatants.

Not a porter with just a dagger, but combatants armed with artifacts and protective gear, entering and exiting the gate.

"..."

To deal with them, I need a somewhat special method.

* * *

When I returned to the original place, Park Shin-hyuk was sitting in a chair, even crossing his legs.

'I thought this guy was sulking.'

Seeing his neat appearance, Han Joo-ik's anger boiled. The smell of monster entrails still lingered on his hands, and the sight of Park Shin-hyuk sitting there made it worse.

Crunch.

"Bastard."

Just as he was about to lunge and dunk Park Shin-hyuk's pretty face in the monster entrails,

The public team leader clapped his hands a few times, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone. Good job today. Let's call it a day. Get ready to leave."

"Leaving."

After hearing this word, the other public team members, who had been glaring at Park Shin-hyuk, turned away.

Park Shin-hyuk, who had been standing at a distance, finally ran towards the team.

"Oh~ I'm sorry~ I fell on my way here and ended up falling backwards~"

Park Shin-hyuk, who was making excuses and smiling as usual, but the nuance of his smile was different. His tone was the same, but the servile attitude was gone.

This made his smile even more repulsive.

Han Joo-ik, while organizing the artifacts, indirectly mocked him.

"You don't seem to be hurt?"

But why are you sitting there?

"We mined all the mana stones."

While you were sulking, we, the combatants, did the work.

'You idiot.'

Does he think it's fine just because it went smoothly? Is this the end?

I have to count how many scars will be on that small, pretty face tomorrow to feel satisfied.

"Alright. If you've organized the artifacts, return them and let's go. It's already a bit later than usual."

Some public team members handed their artifacts to Park Shin-hyuk, the porter, as prompted by the team leader.

It was a routine task.

While returning borrowed artifacts is a principle, the task of returning them was always Park Shin-hyuk's.

Of course, there were those who wanted to keep the artifacts themselves, not trusting Park Shin-hyuk, or being cautious because the items were expensive and valuable.

They nagged at Park Shin-hyuk while clutching the artifacts.

"Park Shin-hyuk, you idiot. Move faster."

After mining mana stones and fighting, their gazes towards Park Shin-hyuk were even more menacing than usual.

"You did nothing and are so slow? Since you had so much time to rest, you should move so fast that your legs can't be seen-!"

"I'll do it quickly~ If you're busy, just put it on the floor, and I'll take care of it~"

"Anyway, you only move when someone yells at you. What?"

"I'm sorry for making you wait~ I'll hurry~ I'll distribute the collected mana stones quickly if you wait a little~"

The sight of Park Shin-hyuk picking up the dropped artifacts from the floor was no different from yesterday.

Even the team leader noticed.

"Park Shin-hyuk. Distribute the collected mana stones."

"Yes~"

He handed over all the mana stones collected in the afternoon. The task of counting and distributing them according to the ratio was the responsibility of the lowest-ranking member.

"Everyone is watching, so no funny business."

"Of course, I've never put anything in my pocket~ Ha ha ha ha~"

Just watching Park Shin-hyuk to make sure he doesn't secretly take any.

A moment later.

The public team, having finished their preparations to leave, all turned their gazes towards him.

Once the distribution of the mana stones is over, the day, which was a bit longer than usual due to the mining, will be over.

"How long are you going to count the mana stones? Did you fall backwards and can't do the math?"

"No, I'll start right away."

When everyone submitted the mana stones they had collected—

Park Shin-hyuk gathered dozens of mana stones in one corner and filled both hands.

Unsteadily, as if they might spill.

The mana stones overflowing in his hands.

"Huh?"

The public team members looked at him with puzzled expressions. He could distribute them one by one, so why did he need to take them all out?

"What are you doing, you idiot? If you haven't been hit enough, you'll end up missing a mana stone, and your salary won't be enough to cover it, you know?"

The atmosphere became even more tense as they prepared to leave.

"This guy is doing all sorts of crazy things today?"

"..."

When Park Shin-hyuk erased the smile he had been holding, the tension increased even more.

He recited without any expression.

"But there will be no distribution of mana stones today."

"“““?”””

He omitted the honorifics and respectful language he usually used.

"What do you need the distribution for?"

"What? What are you saying, you idiot?"

His strange behavior didn't stop there.

"Just being here is better for you."

He then shattered the mana stones he held, the ones that should have been distributed.

The mana power emitted from the dozens of mana stones swirled in his hands.

As if S-class hunter Kang Yebin had absorbed the mana from the mana stones to regress.

Whoosh—

SSS-class hunter Park Shin-hyuk absorbed the mana from the mana stones without any loss.

As the mana circulated through his body, he felt as if every cell in his body was awakening.

"How can you act the same way now as you did 20 years later?"

The moment E-class hunter Park Shin-hyuk, who had just surpassed the physical stats of the public team members—

"You scoundrels, raiders, and converts."

Park Shin-hyuk took out the artifacts the public team members had entrusted to him from his [Inventory].