Regressed Hero Choi Ryeong

Kill the Cat. The cat possesses physical abilities surpassing those of a tiger.

Difficulty: D+

Time Limit: None

Reward: Unlocking the Level System

Failure Penalty: Death

[You have selected the basic item.]

First Attempt

I gripped the dagger and stood before the cat.

Without hesitation, I swung the blade as soon as it approached.

Whoosh.

The cat was swift, as expected.

However, it seemed startled by my actions and took a moment to recalibrate.

Shlick!

I managed to wound it.

The cat bled as it retreated, and I charged forward, slashing with the dagger.

Swish.

This time, the cat regained its composure, dodged, and got behind me.

I quickly turned to counter, but the motion caused me to collide with the leaping cat and fall.

Crack.

I heard a sickening sound and felt pain in my skull, as if it had shattered.

Then, nothing.

[Your skull has been crushed. Remaining HP: 0/20.]

[The stigma, 'Regression,' has been activated.]

[Your karma is consumed.]

Second Attempt

I opened my eyes again to see the cute cat before me.

[You have selected the basic item.]

I approached slowly and launched a surprise attack.

As expected, the cat dodged effortlessly.

This time, I reduced my movements, making it easier for the cat to think it had an opening.

"Hiss!"

Predictably, the cat lunged at me. I thrust the dagger sharply.

Thud!

[Your rib has been fractured. Remaining HP: 15/20.]

Blood splattered, and the tough smartwatch on my wrist absorbed some of the impact, preventing a critical injury.

[Don't. Do things like this, Dad.]

"Sorry. Just this once. After this, I'll stop."

[Don't like it.]

The cat fled again.

I threw the dagger while chasing it, but the cat evaded it with ease.

"Why won't this hit?"

"HISSS!"

The cat lunged again, leaping high and crashing down on my skull repeatedly.

[Your skull has been crushed. Remaining HP: 0/20.]

[The stigma, 'Regression,' has been activated.]

[Your karma is consumed.]

Fifth Attempt

Back at the beginning.

The cat appeared again.

[You have selected the basic item.]

This time, I feigned an opening from the start.

But the cat wasn't lured in, so I charged at it with the dagger.

The cat also lunged to meet me head-on.

Crack.

[Your right ulna has been fractured. Remaining HP: 13/20.]

My arm broke. Being right-handed, this was a huge problem.

I fought with all I had regardless.

"Meow!"

With a final desperate throw of the dagger, I missed, and the cat pinned me down.

To celebrate its victory, it stomped on my face repeatedly.

[Your brain has stopped. Remaining HP: 0/20.]

[The stigma, 'Regression,' has been activated.]

[Your karma is consumed.]

Tenth Attempt

It took ten deaths for me to realize.

I couldn't win through brute force. To succeed, I needed to use my wits.

Instead of trying to inflict fatal injuries, I focused on analyzing its patterns.

"Meow."

The cat showed no aggression unless I attacked first, even rubbing its head against my hand affectionately.

The display disgusted me to the core.

I waited for an opening, dagger at the ready.

[You have selected the basic item.]

Swish!

The cat dodged, claws bared. As expected, it was fast.

[Dad. Throw the dagger. Against the cat.]

"No way. It's hard to hit."

[Throw it. Many times. One hit matters.]

Ignoring the advice, I kept slashing.

Rip!

My abdomen was torn open, intestines feeling the chill of the air.

[Your abdomen has been torn. Your intestines have ruptured. Remaining HP: 8/20.]

The pain was unbearable.

The sharp claws climbed higher, ripping through flesh.

[Dad. You're dumb.]

"Meow."

A strong impact ended my consciousness.

[Your right atrium has been severed. Remaining HP: 0/20.]

[The stigma, 'Regression,' has been activated.]

[Your karma is consumed.]

Fifteenth Attempt

This time, I tried baiting it with my clothes.

The cat padded onto the laid-out garment, seemingly comfortable.

I waited until it lay still, then attempted to trap it by quickly pulling up the fabric.

"SCREECH!"

It escaped just in time.

Frustrated, I grabbed the dagger again.

[You have selected the basic item.]

"YOWL!"

I aimed for its flank and managed to stab it, but the blade didn't go in deep enough.

The cat retaliated, knocking the dagger far away and clawing at me viciously.

"Ugh..."

[You have sustained severe internal injuries. Remaining HP: 0/20.]

[The stigma, 'Regression,' has been activated.]

[Your karma is consumed.]

27th Attempt.

My physical abilities were lacking, and tricks didn't work. If I couldn't win by any means, the only thing left to rely on was my hundredth victory—a tactic guaranteed to succeed eventually.

[You have selected the basic item.]

I threw the dagger.

Missed.

The cat leapt at me, ramming its head straight into my heart.

Beep—

My body froze.

I couldn't breathe.

[Your heart has stopped. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

36th Attempt.

To shorten the time needed to achieve my inevitable victory, I decided to cut corners.

From this point forward, I would injure myself right from the start.

[You have selected the basic item.]

The cat skillfully dodged my attacks before charging at me.

I also lunged at the cat, leaving critical injuries on both of us.

But, unfortunately, I collapsed first.

[You lack stamina. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

44th Attempt.

"Cough… Damn, my head hurts."

[Are you okay, Dad?]

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll die a hundred more times if I have to."

The cat lunged.

My finger bones snapped.

I'd misjudged the speed.

[Your finger bones have fractured. Remaining health: 15/20.]

"God, this hurts like hell."

The attacks continued. Blood dripped from my wounds.

[You are in a bleeding state. Health will decrease by 1 per turn. Remaining health: 12/20.]

"Bleeding again? Damn, it stings more every time."

[You'll get used to it, Dad.]

"Big words for someone who's not fighting. Why don't you try and see how well you handle it?"

The fear of death was fading.

I might've been losing my sanity, but I kept fighting.

Dying didn't scare me anymore.

[Your jawbone has been shattered. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

51st Attempt.

I'd finally grasped the cat's patterns.

My skills were improving, too.

"Meow?"

"Dagger."

I blocked the attack.

I had improved.

Countered immediately.

Thud.

The dagger pierced the cat, leaving a deep wound.

Still not enough.

The cat's next blow shattered my skull completely.

[Your skull has been completely destroyed. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

69th Attempt.

I'd almost memorized the patterns.

My skills had sharpened significantly.

"This is insane. How can a cat be this strong?"

Tiger-like strength, berserk fury, and reflexes—this thing was a monster.

Its fighting style was simple, but it was overwhelming.

I was absolutely outclassed physically.

"Before using the dagger: defensive. After using it: offensive. Got it."

I focused on inflicting critical damage to slow its physical movements.

That was my only chance.

"Meow."

"Alright, bring it on."

"Hiss!"

Its predictable attack came at me.

I dodged and searched for its weak spot.

"There!"

I found it.

But its speed made it almost impossible to land a clean hit.

"So the only option is…"

Throwing.

I needed to calculate the perfect distance and timing to end this in one shot.

"Missed again. Next time, you're dead, cat."

"Meow."

[Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

74th Attempt.

The dagger landed perfectly this time.

But it wasn't over.

Thrum, thrum-thrum… thrum…

"What the hell is this?!"

The wound swelled grotesquely.

Its body changed.

The dagger fell out, and the injury healed instantly.

Cold, blue eyes locked onto mine.

A chill ran down my spine.

"Growrr… Grrowl."

Tap, tap-tap.

The cat approached.

My body shook.

"Hey… you're still a cat, right?"

Drip.

Sweat rolled down my forehead.

Its gaze grew sharper.

"Ha… Haha. Damn it…"

[Your upper and lower body have been separated. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

87th Attempt.

A new revelation.

The cat was getting stronger.

Every time I landed a significant hit, it evolved.

"It regenerates and powers up? What the hell, man…"

I couldn't help but envy it—though it was infuriating.

For a mere cat to have this kind of power…

"How's this even fair?"

"Meow."

"God, I hate this so much…"

I glared at the cat.

"Hey, why don't you just give up already?"

"HISSS!!!"

No more hesitation.

We clashed.

[Your head has been torn off. Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

99th Attempt.

I thought it was the beginning again, but this was the end.

[Remaining health: 0/20.]

[The stigma, "Regression," has been activated.]

[Karma is consumed.]

100th Attempt.

It had been the 101st battle with the cat.

Now, with Hundred Wins in hand, I stood on my 100th attempt.

The true fight began.

A faint blue aura shimmered around the dagger.

[Exclusive trait, Hundred Wins, has been activated.]

[Magic stat has been unlocked.]

[Health Lv.3], [Strength Lv.3], [Agility Lv.3], [Magic Lv.1][New]

[Status window has been unlocked.]

Confidence surged through me.

The acrid smell I encountered for the hundredth time pierced my senses.

"HISS!"

The cat charged.

But this time, it was different.

I evaded every attack with precision, taunting it as I moved.

"Come on."

It lunged again, aiming for my face.

"Meowww!"

"Haah."

I caught its claws with the dagger, absorbing the impact.

I swung the dagger.

Slash.

The cat's left paw was severed cleanly.

Despite the dagger not being particularly sharp, it cut through effortlessly.

"Took an arm, huh?"

"Meowww!"

The cat leapt back, attempting to regenerate.

Its stump swelled.

I closed the distance quickly.

Sizzle.

Smoke rose from the stump.

Though it managed to regenerate the limb, it wasn't as strong as before.

[Your hand was scratched. Remaining health: 19/20.]

Something was off.

It should've grown stronger, yet it seemed weaker.

Was it because of Hundred Wins?

"No matter. If I can kill you with this, it's good enough."

"Meowww!"

It became more aggressive, moving faster, but it didn't faze me.

There.

Slash!

I deflected its attack and drove the dagger into its side.

The recoil left the cat in agony.

Though I hadn't cut anything critical, the wound was deep.

"Meow… Urgh… Meeoowww…"

The cat started regenerating again.

I aimed for its legs this time.

Slash.

Unfortunately, I only managed to clip its ear.

Blood trickled into my ear, dulling my hearing.

Perfect—no more distractions.

"Next time, I'll do it right."

"HISSS!!!"

Thud.

[You were hit in the torso. Remaining health: 17/20.]

The blow wasn't severe, but repeated hits could prove dangerous.

I steadied myself, waiting for its next move.

"Come at me."

When it charged again, I threw the dagger.

It embedded itself in the cat's waist, making it collapse in spasms.

This was it.

"Now I'll return the favor. Don't blame me."

Rip!

I pulled the dagger free, gripping it tightly.

"Goodbye."

Stab. Rip. Slash.

Thud. Thwack. Stab!

I methodically dismembered its limbs, tearing them apart.

It screeched in pain, but I didn't stop until it lay motionless.

Its brain and heart ceased all activity.

The cat was finally dead.

[You have cleared Trial #1!]

[Level-up system has been unlocked!]

[Level up! All wounds have been healed.]

[A portal has appeared.]

Exhaustion overwhelmed me.

I could no longer move.

"I… did it…"

I collapsed on the ground, fatigue washing over me.

The portal could wait. First, I needed to rest.

A Light-Filled Domain.

Over a thousand candidates for the Hero position had been summoned.

Among them, there were always anomalies—individuals who defied the system.

Regression, possession, reincarnation—powers that introduced chaos into the process.

This time was no different.

[It's holding up better than I expected. I thought it would give up quickly.]

Anomalies were dangerous.

Their unpredictable nature made them hard to control.

The first trial was designed to test their willpower.

Although it usually served to gauge combat potential, for anomalies, the difficulty was subtly adjusted from "Petite Mode" to "Super Easy Mode."

[Angel.]

[Yes, my lord?]

Since the anomaly had passed, measures had to be taken to minimize its impact.

[Deal with it as we've done before.]

[Understood.]

The process of control was simple: impose restrictions if their actions proved problematic.

If restrictions failed, they were eliminated.

If they could be controlled, they were nurtured for as long as they proved useful.

[It's not bad, actually.]

Most anomalies broke under the strain.

They'd repeatedly die until their will was shattered.

But this one was different.

It remained intact, likely thanks to the system assisting it.

Still, the possibility of it snapping remained high.

Control was imperative.

If this one became a Hero, it could pose even greater threats.

[Timekeeper, come here. Let's have a chat.]

In a domain bathed in light, grains of sand swirled.

A young girl with radiant blue and yellow eyes emerged from a temporal rift, bound in self-imposed chains.

[You called?]

She grinned innocently, exuding a terrifying aura.