The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 37

Because I’d beaten up the Hero a little too roughly, I figured the crowd would boo rather than cheer.

He was famous, after all. And popular too.

–WAAAAAAAH!!

But contrary to my expectations, the crowd roared.

Maybe it was because a guy without even a ranking had just taken down the number two. It wasn’t the match they’d expected, sure—but it was definitely entertaining.

Seeing Johan being carried off on a stretcher instead of walking out on his own, the sharp edge of my emotions began to settle.

What was that...?

I furrowed my brow and opened my hand slightly.

The intense sensation I’d just been clenching disappeared into a faint memory.

Something felt off.

Like it was definitely my emotion, but there was something foreign mixed in. As if someone were whispering at my ear, egging me on...

I turned to leave the arena.

And then—it happened.

I instinctively snapped my head up.

To protect the audience from attacks during matches, there was supposed to be a strong barrier surrounding the arena.

A corner of that barrier... had shattered.

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A chilling intent crept down the back of my neck. I immediately jumped three steps back without hesitation.

–BOOM!

In the very spot I had just been standing, something massive slammed down.

The ground trembled. Shards flew everywhere, and a shockwave rippled out.

Had I been a step slower, I would’ve been crushed.

A white figure.

It was a man.

He was gripping the end of a massive mace that was buried deep into the floor, his gaze locked on me.

A modified weapon made for combat—standard issue for the Holy Order’s Paladin Division.

Without saying a word, he raised the mace again. Its heavy weight was obvious.

I instantly knew who he was.

The one who stood beside the Hero, guarding and fighting alongside him.

A Crusader.

Not the little playmate Johan had been dragging around at Gaon—but a real Crusader. The kind that slaughtered Demons on the front lines.

A group that exists for the Hero, by the Hero—and whose loyalty knows no limit.

They serve only the God and the Hero. Laws, morals, public perception—none of it matters to them.

Only then did I slowly open my mouth.

“...That’s a pretty dramatic entrance.”

The man silently stared at me.

Then he looked toward Johan, who was still being carried away, and slowly lowered his head in that direction.

Turning back to me, he spoke.

“I’ll return the favor.”

His voice was deep and heavy. And at the same time, the massive figure vanished.

In that instant, the same bloodlust from before tore through my body.

I reached instinctively for my waist—but there was no spear. That left only one option.

I dropped low, curling my body into a guarded stance.

–BOOM!

The mace slammed down.

Shockwaves blasted outward. But something was wrong.

I was... fine. The mace hadn’t hit me.

“...?”

In front of me stood the figure of a man. A man wearing no armor or equipment whatsoever.

He had raised one hand—and blocked the incoming mace with his bare palm.

–WOOOOOOOOOOH!!

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The Paladin’s expression wavered.

He quickly retrieved his weapon and stepped back a few paces.

Meanwhile, the man who had blocked the mace casually brushed off his arm like it was nothing.

Then he spoke.

“A sparring match should stay a sparring match, don’t you think?”

His voice was playful, easygoing.

The Paladin muttered the man’s name under his breath.

“Park Gwangcheol...?”

Park Gwangcheol let out a light laugh.

“Looks kinda lame if you barge in, doesn’t it?”

The Paladin frowned at his words.

Comparing the Crusader’s armor and size to Park Gwangcheol’s frame, the difference was ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) easily more than double.

And yet, it was Park Gwangcheol’s presence that was gradually overtaking the arena.

“This isn’t something Vanquisher should interfere with. If you get involved any further, it’ll be considered a declaration of war against the Church—”

“Why wouldn’t we interfere?”

Park Gwangcheol chuckled as he stepped back. Then he placed a hand lightly on my shoulder.

“We’re taking him with us.”

At his words, the Paladin’s face twisted.

“Vanquisher is...?”

Park Gwangcheol smiled again.

“A declaration of war, huh...”

He gently nudged my shoulder to move me aside, then stepped forward toward the Paladin.

“You sure about that?”

His voice was low and lazy—but the weight behind it was unmistakable.

“...”

The arena fell so silent you could hear someone swallow. At that moment, the Paladin’s fingertips trembled ever so slightly.

Park Gwangcheol smiled and patted the man’s shoulder.

“Kidding.”

Then he turned back to me.

“Let’s go.”

I looked at Park Gwangcheol.

“To get something to eat.”

There was a playful glint in his eyes.

***

Vanquisher stood on the front line and directly confronted the Holy Order to take me with them.

That wasn’t just an open declaration of opposition to the Order—it was also a public statement that they intended to protect me.

Thanks to that, I nearly got swarmed by reporters’ flashing cameras and relentless questions on my way out.

–“Out of the way!!”

Of course, Park Gwangcheol blocked them all before they could get close.

“But... is this really okay?”

I asked while scooping up a spoonful of hot soup.

–Slurp.

Park Gwangcheol, cradling the hot earthenware bowl in both hands, slurped down the broth.

Setting the bowl down, he twirled his spoon in one hand and said,

“I was originally just gonna watch, you know?”

Then, as if something occurred to him, he let out a small laugh.

“You’re... way too popular, you know that?”

“So I reported it to the Old Man, and he told me to bring you in right away.”

I set my spoon down and nodded.

Thankfully, it wasn’t just him acting on his own.

If the Old Man gave the order, then...

Park Gwangcheol spoke with an easy tone.

“But Haein, seriously—what the hell have you been up to?”

I paused for a moment.

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“The League Master, Arcadia... and now even the Yu family?”

I thought about it for a bit, then gave him a vague answer.

“Just... handled what I needed to.”

Park Gwangcheol chuckled quietly and kept going.

“So, who’s your opponent tomorrow? You only had one match today, right?”

The first day had just one match. Then on day two, matches two and three would take place. That’s when the most people showed up—and when they would start their ambush.

That’s why I hadn’t even looked at the opponent list for tomorrow. I’d planned to forfeit anyway.

“Uh... not sure.”

I turned on my watch to check. The previous one had been destroyed, so I bought a new one just before entering the restaurant.

But something else caught my eye first.

Round One had just ended. It looked like the bidding for students by various organizations had started.

[Bidding Status]

[Crimson Guild] → [Park Soohyeong] Bid: 10,000,000 KRW

[Dominant Guild] → [Wilson] Bid: 14,000 USD

Guilds from all over the world were placing their bids.

And then—

[Arcadia Order] → [Johan] Bid: 500,000,000 KRW

“Whoa, five hundred million?”

Park Gwangcheol whistled as he looked at the watch screen.

“They really know how to keep his pride intact.”

I nodded in agreement. It was a gesture of consideration from the Order.

A move to protect Johan’s pride, and proof that they intended to keep supporting him until the end.

No bids had come in for me yet.

I slowly scrolled through the list of tomorrow’s matchups. None of the names looked familiar. So I gave a vague response.

Park Gwangcheol leaned back in his chair, having finished his meal.

I stood up and said,

“Let’s go.”

There was something I needed to prepare now.

***

Harpe had arrived. I picked up the package left in front of my dorm door and carried it inside.

“Damn, this thing’s heavy.”

When I opened the box, a massive stone object was revealed inside.

“...That’s huge.”

The sickle made of stone was far bigger than I expected. Rough and rugged surface, heavy as a boulder.

Rather than a sickle, it looked more like a broken pillar.

There was no aura, no divinity emanating from it.

I set the stone object down and looked outside.

Before I knew it, the sun had set and the moon had risen.

A gentle night breeze drifted in, carrying the faint scent of grass.

I slung the stone sickle over my shoulder and stepped outside.

I headed straight for the forest. It wasn’t too late yet, so there were still a lot of people around. I needed a more secluded spot.

The forest at night was completely different from the day.

Silent. Not even the wind could be heard.

I walked slowly between the trees and lifted my head to gaze at the sky.

The night sky was filled with countless stars.

What I needed to do now was simple.

Resonate this stone sickle with the Perseus constellation.

That was the key to restoring Harpe’s true form.

Before I came here, I’d struggled quite a bit trying to find the Perseus constellation online.

It’s April now.

Ordinarily, you wouldn’t be able to see Perseus around this time.

But this isn’t the real world—it’s the world inside a game.

If that’s how the setting works, then that becomes the rule.

There it is.

I adjusted my grip on the stone sickle and looked up at the sky.

The Perseus constellation.

Aimed directly at it, I raised the sickle.

My vision aligned perfectly with the constellation.

At that moment, a light descended—a single beam of blue light from the constellation.

The instant it touched the sickle, a tremor spread from my fingertips.

The stone surface of the sickle began to change instantly.

The rough exterior started to crack—like something hidden inside was awakening.

From the fractures, a metallic sheen slowly began to emerge.

Not stone, but a mysterious silver-hued metal.

What had once been a heavy, blunt rock was now a curved blade—a divine weapon.

I gripped Harpe quietly in my hand.

It’s light.

It fit my hand perfectly. So natural it was almost startling.

This relic, descended from myth into reality—

The blade that tears serpents apart.

The blade that would bring judgment to Medusa.