Everyone Else is a Regressor - Chapter 46

◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (46)

Chapter 10. My Miseries (1)

A woman was wailing.

Holding the corpse of a young man who resembled her closely, her cries of ‘why, why’ would tear at the heart of anyone who saw her, even without knowing the details.

“Why did you kill him, why! We were in the same party. I trusted you…!”

While others mourned and raged, the target of the woman’s accusations—a particularly large orc—boldly retorted.

“I did not kill him. I merely failed to save him.”

“Don’t lie! I saw you deliberately luring that monster’s attack…! You’re as good as the killer of my brother!”

“I did not anticipate he would fail to overcome such a crisis. My regrets.”

“What…?”

Surprised by the unexpected response, the woman momentarily forgot her sorrow and stared blankly. The orc, unable to contain his thrill, let out a faint smile filled with unmistakable jealousy and hatred.

“He overtook me in achievements, so naturally, I thought he could withstand that much.”

“So you’re saying… you killed him out of jealousy, just like that?”

“I’ve said it time and again, I did not kill him. Do not tarnish me with such a disgraceful accusation. Even the system doesn’t call me a murderer, how dare you?”

The orc, baring his teeth in a fierce manner, walked towards a greatsword left by the monster they likely faced just before.

“The first claim is mine―yes, now it returns to me. I’ll take this.”

“You!”

“The strong must prove their worth, and the weak should rightfully grovel for the strong’s aid. Your brother… seemed to have misunderstood his place.”

The orc shouldered the greatsword and left the party with a sneer.

“The weak puff themselves up, pretending to be strong, and that’s why they die like that. Learn your lesson and practice crawling on the ground. With a face like yours, it shouldn’t be hard.”

The orc disappeared from view.

The remaining comrades apologized tearfully to the woman for their inability to intervene, but she seemed deaf to their words.

She just kept stroking the already cold cheek of her deceased brother when suddenly she noticed something tightly gripped in his hand.

It was one of the earrings that had been hanging from the ear of the orc who had just left.

When KiJun opened his eyes, several messages appeared before him.

―By repeatedly overcoming your limits in fierce battles and pushing your body and mind to extremes, followed by ample rest, you have embodied a higher realm. Strength (U) increased by 3, Dexterity (L) by 2, Endurance (U) by 4, Light Magic (L) by 1, Spirit Power (L) by 1.

―The entire city hails you as a hero, holding you in high esteem. Though this adoration won’t last forever, it will certainly enhance your charm. Charisma (L) increased by 1.

―You have contacted a high-level spirit and read its profound memories, sympathizing with them. This may provide a turning point in overcoming the fate before you. Spirit Power (L) increased by 1.

Considering the intensity of the struggle, including the time he spent running and fighting during the Overflow, it had been a day-long battle, so it made sense for his stats to increase.

However, he realized the greatly improved stats were of higher grades, yet their actual numbers were still not very high.

On the other hand, Light Magic and Spirit Power had increased rapidly due to various activities outside leveling up, resulting in only a 1 point increase this time.

[KiJun (1st year): Earth’s Representative]

[Titles ― The Last Hero (Legendary) and 10 others]

[Light Man (R) Guide of Light (U) Lv19]

[Strength (U) ― 19+25]

[Dexterity (L) ― 18+20]

[Endurance (U) ― 20+20]

[Light Magic (L) ― 31+22]

[Charisma (L) ― 13+20]

[Spirit Power (L) ― 34+20]
He inspected his status window after a few days.

First to greet him was the message beside his name: Earth’s Representative.

Thinking how difficult it would be to prove his purity in front of others with such a title, he shifted his gaze downwards and saw his job title, which had grown from his last battle with the Demon Lord.

“……Bice.”

Although he was now alive and could exchange messages with her, the memory of Bice, who had willingly sacrificed herself for his growth when he had taken on this job, brought unbearable sadness.

Not only his class but also Dexterity and Light Magic, and even his skill Moonlight Blood Fang had broken their limits thanks to her…

Recalling how he had been unnecessarily moody back then, KiJun cleared his throat and rechecked his job effects.

[Guide of Light (U): All offensive and defensive abilities using Light Spirit Magic increase in effect by 50%.]

When it was of Rare grade, this increase was only 30%, marking a truly overwhelming growth.

The problem was that his race, magic, and job were all set to align with the Light Spirit Summoner, and now he had formed a new contract with the Flame Spirit…

“Considering I might contract with other spirits in the future, it’s certain I need to improve my class, regardless of my race.”

Opportunities would come, if not immediately.

Moreover, his core combat skill, Moonlight Blood Fang, was based on Light Spirit Magic, so there was no immediate problem with his current power.

Even during yesterday’s battle on the walls, in critical moments, he had boldly used Light Spirit Magic.

He prioritized lives and achievements over revealing his identity, but fortunately, he wasn’t discovered.

In fact, the effort to remain undiscovered helped him develop the technique of blending light and fire spirit power.

“Stats… have indeed improved considerably. Light Magic and Spirit Power alone are already in the 30s for pure stats.”

The bonus of +20 to all stats was thanks to the effect of his title The Last Hero.

Additionally, with the stat bonus from the King of the Well, Unique grade Strength received a bonus of 5, while Legendary grade Light Magic increased by only 2, completing his current status.

“So far, it’s been… smooth. All good.”

―You’re progressing at lightning speed. Seems the contractor is under some delusion; it hasn’t even been a week since we crossed into Reta.

“Ah, Lucy. You’re awake.”

―Ki?

“Ur too. Slept well?”

Woken by the rustling of KiJun, Lucy and Ur, who had been sleeping at the head of his bed, seemed to be awake now.

KiJun rubbed his eyes and hugged Ur, who had snuggled into his arms, then got out of bed.

He then paused, realizing the room’s atmosphere was unusually luxurious.

How did I end up sleeping in this room yesterday…?

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

―Excuse me, Mage. Are you awake?

“Ah―yes, I’m awake.”

Almost responding with polite language before realizing he was still wearing his mask, KiJun hastily corrected himself as the door cautiously opened, and a maid-clad woman entered.

KiJun then remembered he had been guided by soldiers to a guest room in the mansion where a small town’s lord resided.

Having collapsed on the bed before hearing anything detailed, he had no memory of what followed.

“I brought some light food, thinking you might be hungry. Shall I serve you?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll eat.”

“……Understood.”

To KiJun, the maid seemed disappointed she couldn’t serve him directly.

Feeling out of place in this new experience, he took the tray containing salad, cheese, bread, and a stewed meat dish from her, as Lucy whispered in his ear.

―Certainly, she’s probably going to brag to the other maids about serving the contractor. The whole small city is buzzing with talks about the contractor right now.

“Ah, no way. As if that’s something to brag about.”

KiJun chuckled and sat back on the bed to start his meal, noticing the maid still standing there with her head bowed.

“Is there something else?”

“May I speak while you’re eating?”

“Go ahead.”

The maid, once again bowing respectfully, informed him that there would be a reward ceremony hosted by the lord later in the morning.

“The city’s defense owes much to your remarkable contributions, Mage. Your attendance is requested.”

“I participated as a mere mercenary.”

“It’s not just any mercenary’s contribution,” she continued calmly.

“You’ll be treated according to your deeds. Please don’t take offense. Moreover… though your position is different, all mercenaries who participated in the defense will also attend the ceremony.”

“Then, alright. I’ll graciously accept. When and where should I go?”

“In two hours, at the public stage in front of the lord’s mansion.”

“Understood.”

“If there’s anything else you wish…”

“No, that’s all.”

The maid left, visibly disappointed, making KiJun feel awkward and uncomfortable. He realized he was far from being a true Übermensch.

―I wanted to try the meat stew too.

“The taste wasn’t great. I’ll make you some later.”

―Love you, contractor!

―Kiit, kikit!

Am I a spirit summoner or a spirit chef?

Concealing his thoughts, KiJun got up, checked the door was locked, removed his mask, and used the attached shower to clean himself. Surprisingly, the showerhead, faucets, bathtub, toilet, and even the drain worked similarly to those on modern Earth, only their operating principles were different. Even the shampoo, rinse, body wash, and lotion―likely made with Reta’s alchemy―were of superior quality to Earth’s products.

“It’s practically Earth here… Why make the tutorial so inconvenient?”

Muttering about these strange aspects, KiJun enjoyed the comforts of modern civilization for the first time in 25 years, feeling refreshed. He changed into the clothes provided, then put his mask back on.

Then, he remembered the spoils he had obtained from the recent battle.

First was the black breastplate from the Dullahan.

The blood-tinged Estoc left by a vampire.

…And even the Dullahan’s head.

“Why do I even have this?”

―I don’t know, contractor. Luckily, it seems to be purified by light and flame… Maybe you should check its information?

KiJun, grimacing at the ferocious-looking Dullahan’s head, wanted to smash it, but it wouldn’t budge under normal force. It seemed to have grown stronger after being purified.

Is this really an item? Well, it did go into the inventory.

[Purified Head of the Knight of Extremes (Unique)]

[Durability ― 7,877/10,000]

[Attack (U)/Defense (U) ― 75/99]

[The Dullahan’s head, having undergone a miraculous transformation and gained great power, was purified once more by holy light and flame. Infused with the power of flame and light, it’s incredibly durable and could be a formidable weapon as is, but if properly physically and magically processed, the dormant power within might awaken. A material that could surpass its current grade.]

“Material.”

―Material…

―Kiit?

Material! The Dullahan’s head is a material!

Though unbelievable, the head’s attack and defense stats easily surpassed the King of the Well.

The visual was… repulsive, but feeling like it would be a sin to discard such an item, he reluctantly stored it back in his inventory.

Next was the breastplate from the Dullahan, which, although of Unique grade, was too steeped in dark energy for him to wear.

―I’ll try to purify it continuously, contractor. It might be a bit weaker, but still usable.

“Thanks, Lucy. Now, all that’s left is this Estoc…”

The only item left by the high-ranking boss monster, likely the mastermind behind the Overflow.

Originally wielding two Estocs, the fact that one disappeared probably proved that dual-wielding was indeed a mere show-off’s choice.

[Thorn Blood Sword of the Void (Unique)]

[Durability ― 3,621/4,000]

[Attack (U) ― 95]

[Option 1 ― Increases mana and blood power by 5]

[Option 2 ― The sword’s blood sprouts thorns, amplified by special blood magic.]

[Option 3 ― A single stab delivers 99 simultaneous stabs.]

[Usage Restriction ― ‘Thorn Bloodline’ title holder]

[A stabbing sword given by a powerful and evil vampire to his kin. A symbol and key for the bloodline, only one per kin. Soaked with the vampire’s true blood in its dying moments, its performance was temporarily boosted, though not fully utilized.]

“This bastard, the other one was fake…”

The Estoc’s performance was among the best of Unique items, but it was strictly for vampires under special conditions, making it almost valueless to KiJun. Yet, he had a strong premonition that its significance as a symbol and key for the bloodline might relate to him in the future, so he carefully stored it in his inventory.

“Ah.”

KiJun’s eyes narrowed upon discovering another item in his inventory.

A lone earring.

An earring with a unique, symbolic pattern.

Just seeing it triggered the vivid memory of a dream he had before waking up.

“I shouldn’t judge others based on past events I don’t fully understand.”

He muttered, as if making a promise to himself.

He wasn’t a detective or a hero, after all.

But…

“Unless they provoke me first…”

A strong premonition that he wouldn’t let this go easily dominated his mind.

Soon, the reward ceremony began.

KiJun, too would be in there.

Of course, Tolchi, the lord’s direct knight, also participated in the event.