I’m Not a Regressor - Chapter 238

Chapter 238: A Hero for the Downtrodden (8)

“So…” Ohjin let out a disbelieving laugh and looked around. The trembling civilians behind the barrier had vanished without a trace, and the same went for NT, whom he’d risked his life to rescue.

All that remained was a beautiful woman with dark green hair. It looked… as if several scattered pieces were mashed together to create the existence of ‘Rebecca Bell’.

“Are you saying it was all an act from the beginning?” he asked.

“Hehe. Sorry for fooling you.” Rebecca smiled and stuck out her tongue. Would NT have looked exactly like that in about 10 years? Even though her body had grown, he felt like he could see NT’s face overlapped with hers. “We’d have to be crazy to let ordinary civilians participate, right?”

“…” That was true. He had thought something was off from the beginning—especially when he saw a 10-year-old child participate in a competition to select members of the Seven Stars, who were known as the ‘Hope of Humanity’. “Does the stigma of Gemini allow people to create clones?” he asked.

All he knew was that it gave the power to freely control vegetation, and he thought it was meant to be used with things like tree trunks, roots, and seeds for attack and defense. What was up with the clones?

Rebecca shrugged. “That is my unique skill.”

Ohjin clicked his tongue. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t notice.’ Even if he didn’t know she could create clones, he never thought he’d be dragged around to such an extent. His pride as a professional scammer was a bit hurt.

Allen approached with a wry smile. “We got together and practiced for a few weeks so that the candidates wouldn’t notice.” To hide their participation, the Seven Stars created a sense of urgency and fear.

“Is that why you cut Jason’s arm apart?” Ohjin asked.

“Oh… yes. I admit it was a bit far. Healing specialists should be by his side right now.”

Ohjin laughed and nodded. Though it had been to deceive the participants, cutting someone’s arm off had crossed a line. Well, that’s also why he had never even suspected Allen of being the blue-armored knight.

“We had to,” Rebecca said in a relaxed tone, “so that we could find a ‘jewel’ like you in the mud.” She approached Ohjin and stretched out her hand as she laughed. “Welcome to the Seven Stars.”

He sighed and pulled himself up with her help. “Ugh…” Was it because he’d relaxed? Pain crashed over his body in waves.

“Oh, wait a minute, please.” Rebecca flicked her fingers.

Crrdddddk—

A tree trunk rose from the ground, and something resembling a banana leaf wrapped around him.

“It’s not as effective as an Aquarius’s power,” Rebecca said, “but Geminis also have some healing power.” Green plant sap flowed from the leaves and soaked into his injuries. His pain subsided rapidly, and the wound visibly healed. She’d said it was worse than an Awakener of Aquarius, but his wound healed considerably quickly.

“By the way, are you sure you’re an 8-Star, Uncle?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes. “Your body hasn’t been reconstructed yet, right?”

Ohjin gave a bitter smile as NT’s face flashed through his mind. “I don’t think our age gap is big enough for you to call me an ‘uncle’.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing it.” Rebecca burst into laughter, muttering that it was already a habit. “Should I call you ‘oppa’, then?”

“Aren’t you older?” he asked. She only looked to be in her early 20s, but he remembered that she was older than Ha-eun.

“Awww, Oppa…” She winked at him and said, “How could you say that to a beautiful woman?”

Allen gave her a pitying look. Maybe they seemed so friendly with each other because they were from the same country.

“Oppa… Oppa…” Rebecca repeated. “Well, it doesn’t feel quite right. I like ‘Uncle’ the most!” She reached a decision by herself, lightly tapped Ohjin on the back, and smiled like a little girl.

Ohjin didn’t like her calling him that since she was older than him. ‘I guess it doesn’t matter what she calls me anyway.’ He sighed and pulled himself away from the leaves.

“Oh, you can stay a little longer,” Rebecca said.

“We should go out now.” They couldn’t stay there forever, and he wasn’t too happy about being played for a fool.

“Hehe. Then I’ll lead you outside, Uncle!” She gave him a playful smile and pulled on his arm.

Though he still thought it felt awkward for her to call him that, her true body was so beautiful that he didn’t find her touch very unpleasant.

* * *

“Congratulations.” Olivia bowed to Ohjin as he stepped outside through the warp device. With her thick, horn-rimmed glasses and neatly tied hair, there was such a business-like atmosphere about her that he started to wonder whether she was the same woman who’d been screaming through the silver bracelet earlier.

“Ohjin, you passed the council’s test and have been selected as a member of the Seven Stars,” she said.

“Your acting was great,” Ohjin said.

“It’s… hmmm. I’m sorry.” She seemed quite ashamed as she coughed and avoided looking him in the eyes.

Meanwhile, the candidates who’d rushed out of the dungeon after the announcement gathered in the banquet hall to raise their complaints.

“S-scam! This is a scam!”

“If you were going to do this, then what was with the announcement a while ago?!”

Some even seemed to be getting violent.

“Stop.” Allen’s cold voice reverberated through the banquet hall, and everyone seemed to freeze and go silent. “The Council of the Seven Stars does not simply pick based on who can hunt monsters the fastest.

“The Seven Stars are the hope of humanity and the lights that will light the way forward.” Allen’s sharp eyes swept over the banquet hall. “Do you think you can call yourselves the hope of humanity by abandoning the weak?”

“…” The candidates fell silent.

Allen walked past them as if they weren’t worth his attention, and Ohjin quickly followed him out, not wanting to awkwardly stand there longer than he had to.

Allen, who was ahead, looked back at Ohjin and said, “The Baptism of Stars will take place in the sanctuary in a week. Lady Vega and… Deneb will probably also join it.”

“I expected Vega,” Ohjin replied, “but not Deneb.”

“Haha. I apologize for Deneb’s disrespect back then.” Allen let out a short sigh and gave him a slight smile. “Even if he’s a celestial, he still has emotions. I think the stress that’s been accumulating was expressed in a bad way.”

“Well, I heard about the situation,” Ohjin said. Deneb was said to be the weakest of the North Stars and was constantly compared to Vega and Polaris. The celestials even treated him like someone who’d lucked into his position.

Allen continued. “No matter what anyone says, Deneb is a North Star. He doesn’t bring his personal feelings into what he’s supposed to do as a celestial.”

Ohjin nodded. Although Deneb had a childlike personality, he was well aware that the celestial wouldn’t forget his duties.

“Well, then, I’ve learned a lesson. Ohjin, you can spend the next week however you want, whether it be here at the hotel or home.”

“Yes, understood.” Ohjin nodded and headed to the waiting Ha-eun.

“…” Allen watched him leave.

A moment later, Olivia walked up and said, “Allen, there is still one vacancy among the Seven Stars, so shall we convene again soon…?”

Thump—!

Allen suddenly fell sideways and held himself up against the wall.

“A-Allen?”

“Haa, haa!” he took in a few labored breaths and touched his forehead. Although he’d managed to block Ohjin’s last attack, the effect of the impact still lingered.

‘If I hadn’t stopped it with my sword…’ He smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead before gulping at the ominous chill that ran down his spine. “What… monster have you created, Lady Vega?”

“Allen! Are you okay, Allen?!” Olivia shouted when she saw him leaning against the wall and roughly breathing. She turned her head to where Rebecca had been following them. “Rebecca! Please hurry and treat… Huh? Rebecca?”

The other woman had already vanished.

* * *

“Yes! I knew it would be him!” Ha-eun, watching the news from the hotel room, continued to hug the sofa cushion while swinging her legs. “Should his nickname be changed to ‘Something-Something Star’ instead of ‘Lightning Wolf’? Her eyes shone with glee, like she was a wife who’d seen an article about her husband’s promotion.

She stood up and opened the trunk she’d brought. “Let’s see… S-since I said I would give him a special gift once he became a Seven Star…” She carefully took a set of daring lingerie decorated with lace out and looked a bit nervous. “H-he’d be happy to see me wearing this, right?”

Just looking at it was enough to make her blush, but she thought he deserved an amazing reward for his excellent performance and achievement. Her lips curled into a smile as she imagined what would happen later. “Tonight… hehehe. Okay, I’ll show him how seductive I can be!”

She’d been wondering how she could show her sensuality as his senior since he’d been treating her like a child who needed protection. After changing into the lingerie, she paced near the front door and waited for Ohjin to arrive.

Thump, thump—

Familiar footsteps moved down the hallway.

‘He’s here!’ She quickly turned the lights off and set the mood with mood lighting before sensually posing against the wall and trying to look as sexy as possible.

Squeak—

The hotel room’s door slowly swung open.

Ha-eun, excited for the moment he saw her, fully opened her eyes and seductively whispered, “Haha. Is my baby here?” When she turned her head to look at him…

“Huh…?” She locked eyes with a girl who looked to be about 10 years old. “What?”

The girl had green highlights in her hair and stood in shock for a moment at the sight of Ha-eun posing in sexy lace lingerie; then she turned her head and shouted down the hallway. “Uuuunnccclllee! There’s a naked lady in hereeeeee!”

Not even a second later, Ha-eun’s desperate screams rang through the hotel.

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