The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 68

Betrayed by the one I trusted most.

“Ah.”

I was effectively imprisoned in my hospital room.

Sure, I could move around freely, but only technically speaking.

‘Hello?’

The moment I finished asking to be discharged, Kang Arin casually picked up her watch and called someone.

Just as expected from Kang Arin. With a cheat code like her, anything should’ve been—

‘Professor, please run every existing medical test available. Yes, that’s right. And don’t let him out under any circumstances until the results are in. Yes, yes.’

...

I was speechless.

Kang Arin ended the call and looked at me with a relaxed smile.

‘Let’s just finish all of this before you leave, okay?’

There really isn’t a single person in this world worth trusting.

In the end, I was stuck here for the rest of the day.

A few more tests passed, and who knows how much time.

Creak.

The hospital room door opened again.

‘This is a VIP room, right?’

It was starting to feel more like a public plaza than a private ward.

The person who walked through was dressed neatly, with a composed, elegant air.

Short navy hair, a white hairband, and a graceful silhouette that stood out at a glance.

It was Cheon Yeoul.

She quietly stepped inside, closed the door behind her,

glanced around the room once, then met my eyes.

“This hospital really sucks.”

Cheon Yeoul smiled faintly and perched lightly on the edge of the bed.

“I tried to have you transferred to Arcadia’s infirmary... but no luck.”

She looked at me again, and her gaze softened.

“...I’m glad you’re awake.”

Her tone wasn’t any different from usual, but something in the way she said it felt a bit more heartfelt.

“Thanks to you.”

I answered with genuine gratitude.

If not for the Order’s support, I probably wouldn’t have made it.

Then, the faintly smiling Cheon Yeoul slowly began to approach me.

At first quietly, lightly—like a cat.

Before I realized it, the distance between us had almost vanished.

Once she was right next to me, she opened her arms slightly, without hesitation.

As if to say: You can come here if you want.

“...”

And without a word, she just looked at me.

I stared back at her in silence.

“What are you doing?”

I broke the silence first.

Cheon Yeoul’s brow twitched slightly.

“I was going to say that. I’ve heard some things too, you know.”

Her voice carried a slight pout.

“Isn’t there something you should be doing??”

She even flapped her open arms slightly, making her dissatisfaction clear with her whole body.

Her exaggerated gestures made me chuckle.

“Ha.”

With a sigh, Cheon Yeoul folded her arms.

A slightly sulky expression, her lips pouted just a little, and her half-lidded eyes glared up at me.

I looked at her for a moment, then said with a small smile,

“Thanks for the Moon Spirit Water.”

At my quiet words, Cheon Yeoul flinched slightly.

“I heard how rare it is.”

Her lashes fluttered briefly at my comment.

Even though I said it casually, her expression shifted just a bit.

“Not really.”

A short reply—not the one I expected.

“You were supposed to drink it someday anyway. I just drank it for you.”

I responded with a hint of guilt.

But Cheon Yeoul let out a soft laugh.

“Drank it for you? Who did?”

She tilted her head slightly, looking up at me.

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“An elixir’s only worth drinking if you’re alive to drink it, right?”

She said it teasingly, but her gaze was filled with certainty.

“They say I was only saved thanks to you.”

With a slight shrug, Cheon Yeoul leaned a little closer to me.

Casual, but full of her own quiet sincerity.

And just as nonchalantly, she added,

“So of course I should’ve given it to you.”

As if it had been her plan from the beginning.

She sat there confidently, like she was expecting praise.

“...”

I stared at her quietly for a moment.

—Squeeze.

Then reached out and gently pinched her cheeks with both hands.

“Eh?”

Her eyes widened at the sudden touch.

Without saying a word, I slowly kneaded her cheeks up and down.

“Mmmm...”

Her lips parted slightly. Her lashes trembled faintly.

Her shoulders gradually relaxed.

She didn’t resist.

If anything, she seemed to unconsciously melt into me.

Why is she so damn endearing?

From the very moment I said the Apostles were coming, she mobilized the entire force without being told.

She even sent Moon Spirit Water. Every little thing she did had been nothing but admirable.

How far are you going to take this?

I let out a quiet laugh and gave her cheek one last tug before releasing it.

Her skin, released from my fingers, slowly returned to its original shape.

Cheon Yeoul rubbed her cheek and looked up at me.

My fingertips had left a faint mark against her pale skin, now gradually fading.

A soft blush hovered over it.

Her gaze slightly damp, lips slightly parted, as she quietly steadied her breath.

All the confidence she had just moments ago now seemed slightly undone.

Something about the way she looked triggered both my sadistic and protective instincts at once.

Okay.

I made up my mind.

I’d pour even more opportunities into her than the Moon Spirit Water she gave up.

I was going to anyway—but now, even more so.

Not just for her, but for every group that supported me with elixirs and aid.

I never intended to just take.

If someone gives, then at the very least, I’ll return the same in kind.

That’s what a truly mutual relationship looks like.

***

That evening.

I was getting dressed, preparing for discharge.

The test results came back faster than expected—before dinner, even.

Despite what she said, Kang Arin must’ve worked behind the scenes to speed everything up.

“You’re really okay?”

Sion asked, worry written all over her face.

The old man had returned in the evening, as promised, with her in tow.

Honestly, I wanted to ask her that instead.

From what I’d heard, Sion had been the most severely injured of the four.

‘She does seem okay.’

At least on the outside, her face looked perfectly fine.

A bit tired, maybe, but the bandages were already gone.

“Yeah, I’m totally fine.”

I shrugged as if it were nothing.

Sion looked me over with suspicious eyes.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

I rotated my arms a few times, exaggerating the motion, and only then did she let out a breath.

That’s when the old man quietly spoke.

“Before dinner, we need to stop by the Association.”

Sion blinked in surprise.

“The Association?”

“Yes.”

I let out a short laugh and asked the old man,

“The Association—did they say anything?”

By now, the Association had to be sweating bullets.

They’d billed the operation as a “routine mission” and even deployed Vanquisher-level elites to keep things safe.

And yet, the result turned out completely opposite of expectations.

A massive variable had occurred, and we had come this close to total annihilation.

In effect, the Association had sent Vanquisher into a death trap.

Of course, it wasn’t intentional—it was practically a natural disaster-level anomaly—but they still had to take responsibility.

“They're groveling.”

“The chairman?”

“Yeah.”

I grinned and nodded.

The chairman of the Hero Association was not someone who bowed his head first.

If even he was being that submissive, it meant they were treating this as a far more serious incident than expected.

Can’t blame them.

Naturally, I asked the next question.

“So, what are they giving us?”

This was the Association.

The Korean Hero Association.

They were the best cash cows on the planet if you knew how to squeeze them right.

Just the thought was enough to make my interest spark.

But the old man paused oddly before continuing.

“...That’s why we’re going now. The compensation itself is a bit unusual.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Unusual, huh?”

What could be so unusual about a reward?

What kind of criteria are they using?

Considering the circumstances, I doubt they’re messing around.

Then the old man added quietly,

“Also, the Association is the one holding onto that ominous thing.”

“Of course they are. They’re the only ones who could.”

The Evil God’s remnant.

There was no place other than the Association that could handle and store something like that.

And so, we left the hospital and got into the car the old man was driving.

I headed for the passenger seat, but—

—Thunk.

“In the back.”

A detached command.

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Before I could even turn my head, my arm was lightly grabbed.

The grip, strangely firm, didn’t give me a chance to resist. I was dragged to the back without a fight.

The door opened, and the next moment, I was seated in the backseat.

Next to Sion.

The car started moving smoothly.

The engine hummed in a steady rhythm, and the city lights sped past outside the window.

The drive to the Association didn’t take long.

Traffic was light, so we arrived earlier than expected.

—Screech.

The car came to a smooth stop.

As the door opened, a familiar voice greeted us.

“Ah, you’re here.”

Heh.

Who else could it be?

The Association’s ever-reliable workhorse—Mr. Kim Gilgyu.

But despite the polite smile on his face, his forehead was beaded with sweat.

“The vice-chairman is waiting inside. Please, this way.”

Kim Gilgyu quickly turned and began leading the way.

Hmm...

After collecting my thoughts for a moment, I spoke up.

“Would it be possible to see the byproduct first?”

It was important to check it out in person first, to set the direction for the negotiations.

“Ah...”

Kim Gilgyu hesitated briefly.

He glanced over at the old man.

The old man closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.

A simple motion, but it was clear.

Do as he says.

“Understood. I’ll guide you to the bottom level.”

And so we entered the Association building.

Despite the late hour, the interior was still bustling.

An embargo was still in place, so there would be tons to process—press releases, internal reports, everything.

Instead of using the employee elevators, we headed toward a more heavily secured zone.

Beep.

The moment the key card was scanned, the elevator began to move.

Then, with a heavy mechanical noise, the doors slid open.

As we stepped inside, Kim Gilgyu spoke in a low voice.

“To be honest, we’re not exactly sure what it is, either.”

He added softly,

“But the energy it’s giving off... the aura it holds... it’s definitely not ordinary.”

Then let out a short sigh.

“That’s why we had no choice but to lock it down on the lowest level.”

A wise call.

No good could come from prolonged exposure to something like that.

When the doors opened, we were greeted by a massive glass barrier.

And beyond it, in the center—

A black jewel sat alone.

“If you need anything, just call.”

Giving us space, Kim Gilgyu returned to the elevator.

The old man, Sion, and I slowly approached the glass.

Hummmm...

The space ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) itself seemed to vibrate subtly, like it was breathing.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the air felt thick, almost gelatinous.

Then, the old man spoke quietly.

“...What a filthy energy.”

That was his assessment.

I couldn’t argue.

I’d hoped that seeing it in person might help me analyze it with Perceptive Insight, but—

The wavelength’s a bit off.

I probably needed someone with a focus on magical theory to make sense of this.

“So how did you know something like this would come out of an Apostle?”

the old man asked.

I paused briefly, then replied calmly,

“I read it in a book.”

“A book?”

He gave me a strange look.

I shrugged.

“It said that when the Hero before last defeated an Apostle, something similar appeared.”

The old man nodded slightly at my words.

“They barely managed to stop another Apostle from reclaiming it back then... guess we got lucky this time.”

I smiled calmly.

We really did get lucky.

This thing had infinite potential—the Evil God’s remnant.

“You planning to take it?”

the old man asked in a low voice.

I laughed.

“Me? Absolutely not. I’m leaving it here for a long time.”

Until I could analyze and repurpose it, the jewel was essentially a ticking time bomb.

In its current state, it was dangerous and useless.

Mr. Kim Gilgyu would probably make a face if he heard that, but oh well.

The burden of maintaining it would fall entirely on the Association, but it was a necessary investment for what came next.

“...So what are you planning to do with it?”

the old man asked again.

His eyes were fixed on the jewel beyond the glass.

I had already been briefed during the car ride.

Regardless of the other rewards the Association was preparing—

Ownership of the Apostle’s byproduct was officially mine, since I’d landed the final blow.

There were no objections within the Association, or from any other factions.

Meaning, it was mine—legally, too.

So?

I had already made up my mind before even arriving here.

This substance had never once been studied on Earth.

Even my Perceptive Insight couldn’t analyze it. The magical characteristics were just that intense.

But I knew one person.

Someone who, if I handed this over to, wouldn’t just be happy—she’d probably pass out from excitement.

At that moment—

Sion quickly turned her head toward me.

Her eyes widened slightly, scanning my face as if trying to read it.

I didn’t say anything.

I kept my eyes on the black jewel behind the glass.

Yoon Chaeha.

I whispered her name silently in my mind.

Finally.

Finally, it was time to make use of her.