REAPER SCANS
Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan
[Translator – Mr.Ghost]
[Proofreader – Harley]
Chapter 80 - Joint Disciple (5)
Hilda smiled, enjoying the taste of her wine.
“You mean regressors are relics of the primordial dragon?” Theo asked, a tinge of desperation in his voice.
Lodbrok had said that Theo had a total of four relics. However, he could only think of three: the dungeon, the White-Moonlight Blade, and Amon.
He did suspect that the final one was whatever that had caused his regression.
“No. It’s not the regression,” Hilda said while shaking her head.
Theo’s eyes widened. “Then what is it…?”
“It’s the blessed body that is passed down only within the Ragnar Clan. That’s the relic.”
“......!”
“Contrary to the legends, we Ragnars are not actual blood descendants of Lodbrok. We may share ‘Dragon Blood’ through a pact, but it’s been over a thousand years. That blood should have been watered down through the many generations. As a regressor and a chosen one, you know this much, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“So, how is it that this trait continues to be passed down? Could it be that Sir Sigurd’s blood is highly inheritable? That wouldn’t make any sense. Not to mention, this trait has never exhibited itself in collateral lines or descendants born into other clans. After all, there have been many political marriages throughout our clan’s history.”
“Are you saying this is a result of the relic?”
“That’s exactly it. A blessing only given to the <Ragnar Clan>. A blood factor that only exhibits within the direct line. That is the relic.”
“......!”
The relic of the primordial dragon is a type of <Mythic>. Though it’s called a relic, it can take on a variety of forms, from a simple object to some sort of phenomenon.
“Also,” Hilda continued.
There was more? Theo felt himself engrossed in Hilda’s explanation.
“There are cases in which the blood factor exhibits much more noticeably. They are—”
“The chosen ones… The regression ability,” Theo muttered.
“Bingo.”
Hilda explained while filling her glass with wine again, “I don’t know the conditions for awakening the chosen one and regressor abilities within our genes, nor do I know how many times one can regress. If we knew, the Ragnar Clan would have already conquered the world.”
Theo nodded his head. He finally felt like he could make sense of things.
‘So, when one awakens as a chosen one, they gain the ability to regress and the right to meet Lodbrok… However, the requirements and details are still unknown.’
Two questions came to Theo’s mind.
First, how many times would he be able to regress?
Second, why hadn’t Hilda mentioned anything about the <Messages>?
‘She speaks as if the blood factor is only limited to the blessed body and regression…’
Theo decided to fish out an answer.
“So it’s entirely possible that one can only regress once.”
“Most definitely. There was indeed a case like that in the past. Why? Do you want to know how many cycles you have?” Hilda smiled mischievously, swirling her wine glass.
Theo nodded with a bitter smile, “I can’t deny that.”
“Ufufu. I understand. Every cycle is a valuable opportunity, so it’s unavoidable that you’d want to know.”
“Is there any way for me to know?”
Hilda shook her head, “I don’t know. However, there is a ‘feeling’ one gets. Feelings like ‘I still have more cycles’ or ‘I don’t have much left’.”
“A feeling… So it’s nothing concrete.”
“That’s correct. But that alone is amazing, isn’t it?”
As Theo silently nodded his head, he felt like his suspicions had been confirmed.
‘The messages must be an ability only I have. I’m sure of it.’
Or at the very least, Hilda didn’t have them.
As proof, she had said yes to it not being ‘concrete’. At the very least, Theo had information related to it pop up, like when he first regressed.
‘It’s not just the messages. Status window, inventory, shop… She hasn’t mentioned anything related to <Authority>.’
Ba-thump, ba-thump!
Theo had to hold his heart back from beating faster in excitement.
Having an exclusive ability among various chosen ones was a boon, an ace in the sleeve.
He felt a need to hide it, even from Hilda.
Ding!
[Congratulations! By uncovering the history and secrets of your clan, you have successfully completed Tutorial Quest #18.
Evaluation: A+
You have obtained 1 Coin as a reward.]
[As a bonus reward based on your evaluation, all your stats have increased by 5.]
[All tutorials have been completed.]
[Graduating from beginner status. All beginner bonuses will now expire.]
[You may now progress with the scenario.]
Seeing all the messages pop up in front of him, he internally shouted with joy. He had a total of thirty stat increases. It was a change similar to when he went through the Body Cleansing Purification.
‘But what’s this scenario? It sounds like it’s the next stage after the tutorial.’
As Theo asked that question…
[The Scenario is the story that uncovers the various secrets of this firmly-shut world and heads to ■■.]
[When solved, you can receive a reward and a small amount of causality.]
[May fortune be with you.]
‘Causality?’
Once again, the messages weren’t very clear in their explanation. However, it was obvious that this was related to the secrets of the clan he had yet to uncover and the other relics of the primordial dragon.
Theo also suspected that whatever ‘■■’ was, it would be the core of the scenario.
[Starting the main scenario.]
[Quest received.]
[Scenario Quest #1
Maintain neutrality amidst the threats and temptations offered by the many who desire your talents.
· Difficulty: A
· Reward: 2 coins
· Penalty: Death
*An important junction will be created depending on the results of this quest.]
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Mr.Ghost]
[Proofreader – Harley]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
After reading the contents of the quest, Theo straightened up.
‘Remain neutral amidst threats and temptations?’
There was only one reason such a quest would appear at this moment.
‘Shoot.’
Theo noticed that Hilda was staring at him eerily as she twirled her wine glass. It was the gaze of a dragon staring at their prey.
The madness that she had been suppressing was starting to surface.
“I’ve answered all your questions. It’s now time for you to answer mine.”
“…Yes. What is it that you wish to know? Though the years I’ve lived are short, I will answer the best I can.”
“There’s no need for that,” Hilda smiled.
Her fang, visible between her smile, suddenly looked extra sharp.
“There’s a better method,” she said.
“A better method?”
“Become my disciple.”
“......!”
“I shall bestow you with my swordsmanship, forged over hundreds of years. I know you’ll find it tempting. Even your father dare not cut me down because of my swordsmanship.”
“......”
“And…”
Ba-thump! Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
Theo’s heart raced.
Purely in terms of stage, Hilda’s swordsmanship was said to be higher than Kyle’s. That very swordsmanship was now in front of his eyes.
Reading Theo’s mind, Hilda smirked as she laid down something on the table.
Thud!
It was a wooden chest.
“As a gift, I shall also give you this.”
“What is it?”
“Open it,” Hilda said, pushing the chest toward him.
The wooden chest slid across the table, stopping right in front of Theo.
Click!
When Theo opened the chest, his eyes widened.
There was a red heart, the size of a human head, beating inside.
Ba-thump, ba-thump, ba-thump!
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
Reacting to it, Theo’s heart started beating in rhythm to it.
“I see that you know what this is. I assume it’s part of your future knowledge.”
Theo couldn’t deny it, “Is this not the Heart of Garuda…?”
“Correct.”
Theo gulped.
He had wanted this from the moment he saw Hilda at the Awakening Ceremony, but seeing it in person made his hands shake.
Garuda was a legendary divine bird said to only eat the hearts of dragons. Along with the Dragon Slayer Sword, it was one of the few natural enemies of dragons.
The power and divinity from the heart of such a creature would contribute greatly to his growth.
‘It would make it so that I no longer have a natural enemy.’
If he became her disciple, she would not only bestow him with her swordsmanship but also give him such a valuable elixir. It was an exceptional offer.
“Since you know the value of this object, that makes this easier. I’m different from Kyle. I don’t do something as pointless as forcing heirs to compete with each other. I handpick a single disciple and offer them my full support.”
“......”
“Come to me, Theo, and I will help you obtain powers that no other regressor has managed to obtain.”
Theo silently stared at the heart of Garuda.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
The heart in the chest still beat loudly as if it were alive. He had heard that it was a creature that transcended life and death. Its life force had yet to extinguish.
However…
Thunk!
With a heavy heart, Theo closed the chest and lowered his head.
Hilda, who had looked so confident, suddenly froze.
“I’m sorry,” said Theo.
“What’s wrong? Is my offer not enough?”
“No, that’s not it. If anything, I don’t know if I’m worthy of all this.”
“Then what is it?”
Theo raised his lowered head and looked at Hilda head-on. “I don’t want to be a pawn in the political war between you and Father.”
Hilda tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what he meant. “Political war? What do you mean by that? As you are aware, it’s been decades since I stepped down from the seat of clan head. It’s already Kyle’s era. How could I possibly intervene in that?”
“Yes. Even if you were to make yourself prominent again, it would be difficult for you to regain the throne.”
“Then why—?!”
“But you can always stand in the shadows as the mastermind.”
Theo didn’t miss the emotion slowly fading away from Hilda’s face. In its place, madness surfaced.
“If you put me on the throne after taking me on as your disciple, the entirety of Ragnar would fall within the palm of your hands.”
Hilda still has a strong attachment to political power. That was the conclusion Theo came to between the illusions he saw outside the castle, their conversation, and Hilda’s past actions.
Though he didn’t know why she stepped down from the throne only to seek power once again, there was a common thread.
Greed.
Just as the Mad Dragon Emperor used his regression ability and the Ragnar Clan for personal gain, Hilda also used her abilities for that same reason.
‘Maybe this is the limit that Father saw in regressors.’
Soon enough, Hilda and Kyle would start engaging in political warfare. Though he hadn’t seen it in his past life, the two could have very much clashed multiple times in the shadows.
“Kyle doesn’t leave regressors alive. Right now, he is being fickle, keeping you alive. However, his sword will come for your neck one day. You can only be safe under my umbrella.”
Hilda had given up on feigning ignorance, actively showing her desire to fight Kyle.
Theo shook his head. “I intend on seizing the throne. I don’t need Father’s consideration or your protection. I will stand on my own two feet.”
“…Is that so? I now see why Kyle decided to only observe you for now,” Hilda smiled bitterly, seeing the strong will within Theo’s eyes.
It wasn’t something she could bend through verbal coercion.
“I guess it can’t be helped,” Hilda’s eyes instantly filled with madness.
Theo instinctively tried to get away from the table, but Hilda’s hand first knocked on the table.
Tap!
Fwoooo!
The world around Theo changed, enveloped fully by darkness.
Within the pitch-black darkness, there was no table, no Heart of Garuda, or Hida.
Even Theo himself was no longer present. Every sense was drowned out by darkness, erasing his own presence.
It was Hilda’s Isolation Zone.
「I have not once failed to obtain that which I desire. No matter how many tries it took, even if it required me to break my target, I obtained it.」
Hilda’s sound telepathy rang from all directions like an echo.
「You think you’ll be any different?」
Hilda was declaring that she would keep him jailed here until he changed his mind.
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