Everyone Else is a Regressor

Chapter 19

◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (19)

In a world where everything had a grade, items were no exception.

In the party where Hero KiJun belonged, only the party leader, YeMin, possessed a Unique grade longsword, and even that was by luck—rare grade items were a luxury even among hero parties.

KiJun, being a tanker, received priority distribution for defensive items, yet only his armor top, greaves, and one shield were of Rare grade, with the rest all Uncommon.

Later, the Demon Lord explained that the tutorial stage was designed to focus on skills and titles that would permanently benefit the heroes, rather than items that would mostly vanish once they transitioned to the main stage, Leta. Nonetheless, that was the situation.

"But this tiny thing is Rare, and it can even grow."

"Most growth-type artifacts remain unchanged because their growth mechanisms are unknown, so don't get your hopes too high," the Demon Lord remarked, yet her gaze lingered on the shock absorber, as if wondering how it could possibly be a growth-type item.

The potential of a growth-type item was terrifying—if successful in growth, it could reach at least Unique grade, and possibly even Legendary or beyond.

"It might not look like much, but it definitely has potential... ah, scratch that," the Demon Lord trailed off.

KiJun chuckled and picked up the shock absorber again. "So, it's not cursed, right?"

"Yeah," confirmed the Demon Lord.

Assured, KiJun attached the shock absorber to the heart area inside his heavy armor's cloth armor. Even if the armor was destroyed, the detachable nature of the device meant he now possessed a supplementary piece of armor for life.

"But in reality, that thing's defense is on par with your armor."

"Don't mention it; it makes me sad," KiJun quipped.

He swiftly and precisely extracted the hearts from the hundreds of Lesser Demons on the ground using his Uncommon grade Butchery skill, which frustratingly wouldn't grow past level 99.

"There it is."

"Aha, it was a key-type after all!"

Among the demons, he found one, just one, whose belly contained a key emanating a dark and ominous light.

In a dungeon, the use of a conspicuously suspicious key was obvious.

The Boss Room.

As the Demon Lord said, had they not triggered this trap, they would have never reached the end of the dungeon.

Or they could have smashed through to the Boss Room door.

"Do you want me to pour my mana into it to find the Boss Room, or will you try?"

"Wait, the contractor is concentrating," Lucy chided the Demon Lord, eager to escape the ruins.

While they exchanged words, KiJun channeled his Rare grade mana into the key, observing the reaction. The light attribute of his mana, in stark contrast with the darkness of the dungeon, repelled the key's energy, allowing him to read the flow of mana more clearly.

"I've found it."

"Ah, it's been a long wait. I'm itching to beat down whoever the boss is."

"I need to level up, so please restrain yourself."

The path to the Boss Room, the source of their four years of trouble, was now opening.

Thankfully, the key's embedded power provided a direct route to the Boss Room, bypassing any remaining traps. KiJun, reluctantly leaving behind traps that could have enhanced his skills, raced ahead under the sharp gaze of the Demon Lord and Lucy.

"Here we are."

They soon encountered a door as black as the surrounding walls, made of similarly dark metal.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," KiJun quoted Dante Alighieri, who described the gates of Hell in his "Inferno."

"This means the one trapped inside has no hope left. With Dante by my side, I cannot lose."

"Aren't we about to enter?"

"And Copernicus and Schrödinger are with me, too."

Ignoring the Demon Lord's sarcasm, KiJun fortified his spirit as usual.

Lucy chimed in rhythmically to support him.

"What about Nietzsche?"

"Of course, he's with me in spirit, too."

Next, KiJun checked his physical armor.

His Rare grade shield that was repaired by the Demon Lord countless times, and his Uncommon shield.

His Rare grade chest armor, also repaired countless times, Uncommon cloth armor, and the attached Rare grade shock absorber...

His Rare grade greaves and Uncommon grade gauntlets and boots...

His physical equipment seemed meager compared to his robust mental preparation.

"You've been fighting alongside me with such rubbish equipment, hero..."

"Let's just go," KiJun said, gesturing for the Demon Lord to step back, and he inserted the key into the lock.

Bracing for an attack as he opened the door, he was prepared, but the inside was eerily quiet.

A faint voice whispered...

Alert and ready, KiJun flung the door open, and a gust of wind from beyond assaulted him.

"Contractor!"

"Argh!" KiJun activated his Steelization to block the damage as the shock absorber buzzed slightly from within, functioning correctly.

[Too long.]Thumped a heavy step.

[I waited too long!]

Another slash of wind came, but KiJun's response was timely, matching the rhythm of the assaulting winds and the sharp blades they carried.

[And for what? This isn't worth the wait!]

The door KiJun opened began to close. If it shut, KiJun and Lucy would be left alone in the pitch-black Boss Room without the Demon Lord.

After a moment's hesitation, she decided to prevent the door from closing, but KiJun stopped her with a shake of his head.

"Wait outside!"

"Fine, but if you die, I'll kill you myself!"

The door shut with a final bang, leaving KiJun and Lucy alone with the boss.

Illuminated by their light, they glimpsed the boss's form: huge, with six arms wielding different weapons, and glowing horns.

[You've thrown away your only chance at salvation.]

"What?"

—Demons love posturing. Like the one outside!

The weapons in the demon's six arms launched at KiJun from every direction.

KiJun dodged what he could and deflected the rest with his shields, but the sheer force was overwhelming.

"Even with my strength at Rare..."

[Rare? I am a Demon, inherently unique. You are foolish, human, to try and compare your strength with me!]

"Are you arrogant just because it's unique?"

Another barrage attacked KiJun.

Thankfully, the demon's weapons lacked the enlightenment that KiJun’s had.

He managed to fend off the attacks, supported by the shock absorber's aid.

[I have mastered all weapons during my confinement! As the Demon Weapon Master, I shall slay you and conquer the world!]

The relentless battle raged.

Lucy targeted the demon's weak spots with spears of light she crafted from spirit power.

[It doesn't even itch!]

—You seem bothered!"

[Damn spirit, meddling again!]

"Ha!"

During a brief lapse in the demon's focus, KiJun unleashed a full-powered Shield Bash, glowing with spirit power. The attack pushed the demon back, but it wasn't lethal.

[Was that supposed to hurt?]

The demon, cocking his head with a sneer, mocked KiJun.

Lucy shouted in response.

―He’s just embarrassed from being pushed back and pretends like nothing happened!

The demon was greatly agitated by Lucy's side comments, which seemed to read his mind and mock him with every word. KiJun thought to himself that Lucy was actually much better at taunting than he was as he gripped his shields again.

Since the start of the battle, KiJun’s body had maintained a seemingly fine condition, thanks to the continuous effects of his Rapid Regeneration and No Rest for the Wicked skills.

"Anyways, we're causing damage. That's good enough."

[Do you really think such trivial wounds will kill me――!]

The demon discarded one weapon from his hand and swung down a massive scimitar with all his might, generating a blade of wind aimed to slice KiJun in half―which was deflected by KiJun’s vigorous shield block.

"Haah...!"

The shrill noise indicated that the shock absorber was nearing its limit. But it had held up well so far. KiJun gritted his teeth to maintain the strength in his trembling arms and raised his shields again.

Compared to the overwhelming feeling when he first faced off against the Demon Lord, this situation hardly qualified as a crisis.

[You’re persistent!]

―Hang in there, contractor!

"I’m fine."

I could do this all day.

Spitting out a mix of blood and saliva, KiJun once again fiercely gripped his shields, feeling his strength slowly return thanks to Rapid Regeneration and No Rest for the Wicked.

―Let’s sharpen the spirit power a bit more, contractor.

It was then that Lucy suggested a strategy.

―The shields are a bit blunt and small for taking on that giant. I'll compensate for the lack of cutting power with my strength.

"So it’s not even a wielding skill now."

―So what. We’re just putting real teeth on the turtle, right?

That's right.

Originally, the skill known as Double Turtle Fangs, or rather dual shield technique, was cultivated without considering spirits—strictly as a defensive weapon skill.

Now that it had a new name and the aid of a spirit, there was no need to be bound by identity.

Just fight well.

A very simple thing to do.

―You’ve done it several times already, a shift in thinking is all you need. You can do it, contractor.

"Alright..."

[What are you whispering about!]

KiJun dodged the oncoming wind blades and adjusted his posture.

Holding the shields more aggressively, he poured out the overflowing spirit power and mana.

Lucy infused the shields with an almost infinite supply of Light Spirit power, dazzling like two small suns in KiJun's hands. The demon, never escaping the darkness in its lifetime, scowled at the blinding light.

[You're annoying, far too annoying!]

The distance allowed the demon to shoot wind blades like a sniper. The incessant rumbling when close, and the barrage from the six-armed weapons assault when nearer.

Meanwhile, the demon's horns continuously drew in the surrounding darkness, storing up power for what seemed to be a significant attack.

"Let's do this."

Facing such a beast head-on, KiJun glared and swung his shields.

A brief suggestion from Lucy had expanded the shield's realm beyond its usual scope, now possessing its own shape of light that parried the enemy's wind blades and weapons.

Of course, the downside was significant mana and spirit power consumption, but if power ran out, he could endure with his body while waiting for it to replenish.

[Now, die!]

The moment soon arrived.

The accumulated dark magic in the demon's horn was vomited in a straight line of energy through its mouth.

KiJun, sensitive to the attack, leaped out of its trajectory, but the demon twisted its head to launch it again.

"Kuh!"

―It's okay, I can block it!

When the two shields came together, they formed one massive shield with the help of Lucy's intervention.

He instinctively maneuvered the shield as he envisioned, his training not in vain.

The laser, aimed to shred him, reflected off the Light Shield and―astonishingly―struck the demon's face directly!

[AAAAARGH!]

―Contractor!

Lucy's voice was clearer and sharper than ever.

KiJun, with the speed of a comet racing across the ground, surged forward, even as the demon writhed in pain.

As the demon, still reeling from pain, attempted to bring down its weapons on KiJun, he frantically swung his separated shields, radiating light while slicing through the air, his movements as sharp as fangs.

To maintain KiJun’s peak concentration, Lucy exhausted the last of her spirit power to forge spears of light, blocking attacks KiJun couldn't fend off himself.

[GRAAAAGH!]

"HHRRRAAAH!"

And then KiJun...

Ascending the demon's body with the Light Shield as if skewering it, he delivered a giant fang of light to its face, created by combining two shields.

[GUUUAAARGH!]

The devil, revealing a vulnerability as it failed to recover from the blow, rolled on the ground in agony after being precisely bitten at its vital spot.

KiJun pressed on, but soon after, the light from the shields faded.

―We're out of mana and spirit power, contractor.

"That's okay."

Regaining his composure, KiJun retreated, shielding himself flawlessly.

As he breathed calmly, he could feel the slow but sure resurgence of energy within him.

Was it his innate large spirit power, or had it been the transformation into light mana that seemed to quicken the recovery?

"Let’s finish this quickly."

―Impressive...!

Lucy whispered softly.

Twenty minutes later, the fang of light pulled from KiJun’s forehead tore the proud horn right off the demon.

It was the moment KiJun conquered the dungeon.

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