I Regressed After Getting Tired of Their Obsession – Chapter 43

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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No one thought Kim Seong-ho would lose.

B-rank versus D-rank.

Even if Kim Seong-ho’s strength came solely from items, opportunities, and elixirs, it was inconceivable that he’d lose to a D-rank.

Basking in the cheers of the second and third-years, Kim Seong-ho waved confidently.

“That bastard. I want to punch him so bad.”

“…Me too.”

One minute before the duel was set to begin…

Lee Seong-hyun was nowhere to be seen.

Kim Seong-ho smirked.

“Don’t tell me he chickened out? I thought better of you, Seong-hyun. Disappointing.”

His voice trembled slightly, but the crowd, oblivious, erupted in laughter.

“Haha! With all us upperclassmen watching, how could he not be scared?”

“Seriously. The world’s gone soft. A junior requesting a duel with a senior? Unthinkable back in my day.”

Just as the stands grew rowdy…

“Hey! It’s Seong-hyun!”

Lee Seong-hyun entered the arena.

“But what’s wrong with him…?”

He looked awful.

His body was covered in wounds, more scars than skin.

Kim Seong-ho’s expression hardened.

He knew where those wounds came from.

“You’ve got some nerve. I didn’t think you’d show your face after what you did.”

Lee Seong-hyun just smiled faintly.

His expression remained unchanged.

Like a statue, an emotionless mask.

“Seong-hyun… he can win, right? He’s not going to forfeit just because he’s angry, is he?”

A duel couldn’t be interrupted until one of the participants surrendered.

“I don’t think he’ll forfeit, but I’m not sure about winning…”

It had been a while since she’d seen his status window, but she doubted there’d been any drastic changes.

‘I should be prepared.’

She was already mentally preparing for his defeat.

“Let the public duel begin!”

Beep!

The whistle blew.

And then…

Boom!

“Seong-hyun!”

“Lee Seong-hyun!”

A powerful explosion erupted where he’d been standing.

No skill activation, no warning.

A timed trap.

Knowing Kim Seong-ho’s rogue-like skill set, it was clearly premeditated.

‘That bastard!’

“Haha! This is too easy! I heard Seong-hyun was a big shot among the first-years. Guess not.”

The thrill of landing a blow on Lee Seong-hyun filled Kim Seong-ho with glee.

The crowd roared with approval.

“Nice!”

“That’s what I’m talking about!”

But their cheers died down as the smoke cleared.

“Tsk. Guess that wasn’t enough…”

Lee Seong-hyun was covered in burns.

But his expression, his posture, remained unchanged.

He took a step forward.

Click!

A landmine detonated.

Boom!

Another step.

Snap!

A tripwire.

A dagger lodged itself in his back.

Traps everywhere.

The entire arena was a minefield.

But Lee Seong-hyun didn’t stop.

‘What the hell is he doing?!’

If there were traps, he should find another way.

Blindly walking forward was practically admitting defeat.

Every trap triggered another wave of laughter from the crowd.

But the laughter gradually faded as the pattern repeated.

“Hey… shouldn’t even a tank be down after taking that much damage?”

“Yeah…”

“Wait, didn’t Seong-ho set up traps before the duel?”

“Yeah… teaching him a lesson is one thing, but this is just… pathetic…”

The audience wasn’t the only one who noticed something was wrong.

“That monster…”

He kept advancing, despite the onslaught of traps he’d personally laid.

His body was a wreck, but he kept coming.

Kim Seong-ho’s face twisted in disgust.

He threw two daggers into the air.

“Let’s see you survive this!”

Moebius’ Daggers.

The two daggers multiplied into dozens, raining down on Lee Seong-hyun.

Like a porcupine.

He had over twenty weapons sticking out of him.

But he still took another step.

“…This is insane…”

Kim Seong-ho’s face paled.

His expression remained unchanged, despite the agonizing pain.

His recovery speed was abnormally fast.

One step, two steps.

He was right in front of him.

“…”

“…”

Lee Seong-hyun said nothing.

He just reached out.

A red aura flared, and a sword materialized.

A sword as white as a swan’s wing.

“Seong-ho.”

“…”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Boom!

“Ugh!”

With a single swing, Kim Seong-ho went flying.

His defensive artifacts protected him from serious injury, but the impact was still jarring.

“Damn it!”

He scrambled to retrieve his daggers, but…

Clang!

“Gah!”

He was sent flying again.

‘He’s even faster than he was at the workshop!’

Almost B-rank speed.

Maybe even faster.

His attacks didn’t look fast, but…

“Ugh… as expected of a tank. Can’t penetrate his defenses.”

Item-based strength.

Five defensive artifacts protected Kim Seong-ho.

He retreated to a corner and took a defensive stance.

Clang! Clang!

Lee Seong-hyun swung his sword relentlessly.

But the multiple barriers held firm.

“Haa…”

Lee Seong-hyun took a deep breath.

His face was that of a defeated man.

“This is so fucked up.”

“What?”

The ground darkened, and storm clouds gathered.

Raindrops began to fall.

The heated atmosphere cooled.

“Nothing… nothing ever goes my way.”

The rain poured down.

A cool summer shower.

And then, the atmosphere shifted.

The aura surrounding Lee Seong-hyun…

Crackle!

A red energy enveloped him.

The white sword began to change.

A pure white sword… transformed into a blood-red demon blade.

The gruesome sight silenced the crowd.

There was no trace of white left.

Only a feast of blood.

Lee Seong-hyun swung the sword at the barrier, his eyes distant, lost in memories.

“No matter how hard I try.”

Bang!

“No matter how much I plan.”

Boom!

“Shitty things always happen.”

Crack!

The barrier cracked.

“So, I decided.”

He raised his sword high.

“To laugh.”

“What…?”

“Just laugh. That’s all I have to do.”

“…”

The mask, the facade he’d maintained, crumbled.

And beneath it…

“Everything will be alright.”

…a broken man wept.

The sword sliced through the air.

Boom!

“N-no way! This is cheating! Ugh!”

The magnificent barrier shattered, revealing the ant hiding within.

Lee Seong-hyun punched him.

“If I beat you half to death…”

Thwack!

“…they’ll change their minds.”

“Ugh!”

Teeth flew, blood splattered.

But Lee Seong-hyun didn’t stop.

Crack!

An arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

“Aaaaagh! You bastard!”

“Three left.”

“Ugh…! You think I’ll surrender?! You’re wrong…! Agh!”

Both legs twisted.

“Aaaaagh! My legs! Damn it! My legs!”

His remaining arm snapped.

“Aaaaagh…!”

He gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”

“Heh… you think you’ll get away with this?! The Baekho Guild is waiting for you! They’ll… ugh!”

“Getting away with it? You’re the one who’s screwed.”

“What…?”

Lee Seong-hyun gestured towards the audience.

They were whispering, looking at their phones.

A message had been sent to the entire Academy.

[Former student Kim Seong-ho has been confirmed to have orchestrated sexual assaults and human trafficking. If you have been a victim, please contact the counseling center…]

“Is this real…?”

“No way… How could Seong-ho…?”

“Dude, it’s on the news. The Baekho Guild Leader has been arrested for sexual assault.”

“Whoa. If the Association’s involved, it’s basically a done deal.”

Their gazes changed.

The second-years, who had admired and cheered for their senior, now looked at him with disgust.

The third-years clicked their tongues in disappointment.

From student council president to criminal.

Kim Seong-ho couldn’t take it anymore.

“No! This is a rumor spread by Lee Seong-hyun! You guys believe me, right?!”

“…”

Silence. No one answered.

“I’m innocent! I swear! Se-chan! You know I’m not that kind of person!”

“…I… I’m sorry.”

The student council secretary turned away.

Kim Seong-ho’s face went white.

Everything crumbled.

Everything he’d built, his social standing, his relationships, all gone.

“No… this can’t be happening…!”

His desperate cries echoed through the arena.

He muttered denials, refusing to accept reality.

Just one week.

It had taken just one week to destroy everything he’d spent over a decade building.

Snap!

Something broke inside him.

It was his last shred of sanity.

“Kill…”

“Kill?”

“It’s over… it’s all over…”

The death of his lover, his own social death… he couldn’t take it anymore.
Lee Seong-hyun’s lips curled into a smile.

“I don’t think so.”

“What?”

“You’re not getting off that easy.”

He grabbed Kim Seong-ho by the hair and pulled his head up.

“Eighty years. That’s your sentence.”

“…”

“Reflect on your sins as your body slowly decays, year after year.”

Terror filled Kim Seong-ho’s eyes.

Not anger, not rage.

Just pure, unadulterated terror at the calm, matter-of-fact tone.

“Let’s start with this, shall we?”

He reached out and touched his eyeball.

“W-what are you… Aaaaagh!”

His left eye popped out.

Kim Seong-ho screamed in agony, trying to surrender.

“S-sur… mph!”

But a horrifying texture filled his mouth.

Nerve endings, a squishy lens, coated his tongue.

“Ugh! Blegh!”

“Spit it out, and I’ll take the other one.”

A calm voice.

All the more terrifying because of its calmness.

He sounded like he meant it.

But to surrender, he had to spit it out.

It was a dilemma.

His eyes darted back and forth.

“Alright. Let’s save the right eye for next year.”

Lee Seong-hyun’s hand gently caressed his remaining eye.

Kim Seong-ho’s body trembled.

“Any regrets?”

He nodded.

“Good. Regret it for the rest of your life. Until your last breath.”

Lee Seong-hyun’s fingers entered the empty socket.

He felt something foreign invading the bloody cavity.

Kim Seong-ho begged, his head bowed.

Please, spare him.

But Lee Seong-hyun just smiled reassuringly.

“This is quite effective. Gives a nice boost to my stats.”

Cryptic words.

And then…

Crackle!

“Aaaaagh!”

Lightning God surged through the damaged nerves and reached his brain.

“Ugh…”

Electricity coursed through his body.

Sizzle!

His flesh burned.

Kim Seong-ho collapsed, writhing in agony, foam bubbling at his lips.

Lee Seong-hyun looked down at him indifferently, then glanced around.

Silence.

Some were vomiting, others covering their eyes and ears in horror.

A variety of reactions.

But one thing was certain.

Everyone in the Academy now knew Lee Seong-hyun.

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In the infirmary…

A man entered.

Battered and bruised.

His body was a wreck.

He stood before Shin Su-yeon’s bed.

Her limbs were encased in bandages.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

As if glued shut.

He smiled sadly and gently stroked her arm.

She stirred awake.

“Seong-hyun…?”

Her voice was weak.

“S-Seong-hyun… when did you…? What happened to you…?”

She saw his injuries and tried to sit up, despite her pain.

“W-we need to treat that… wait! Nurse! Nurse? Are they not here?”

Her arms and legs were in casts.

She couldn’t move.

Lee Seong-hyun just smiled faintly and continued stroking her arm.

“S-Seong-hyun…?”

He didn’t answer, his expression unchanging, like a broken doll.

Despite his strange behavior, which would normally be frightening, Shin Su-yeon struggled to sit up and embraced him.

“Don’t cry. People will think I’m dead.”

“…”

“The nurse took good care of me, and you look like you’ve been through a lot. Let’s just forget about it.”

Like a mother comforting her child, she gently stroked his hair.

“It’s not your fault, Seong-hyun-ssi. Don’t blame yourself…”

His body trembled slightly.

She held him tighter, as if to reassure him.

“Who could have tormented our Seong-hyun like this…?”

“…”

“You’re the kindest, most gentle person I know…”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Why… why would anyone hurt you…?”

Her words were laden with emotion, as if she’d been holding back for so long.

They held each other for a long time.

After about ten minutes, his trembling subsided. Shin Su-yeon smiled, wiping away her tears.

“Hehe. If you laugh after crying, you’ll grow hair on your butt…”

“…”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be by your side, no matter what. So…”

She smiled and took his hand.

“Let’s stop crying now, okay?”

He nodded.

And smiled.

Brighter than ever before.

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