The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 124

The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 124

The vacation had begun, and I made my way to the Vanquisher base for the first time in a while.
I planned to stay there for a few days.
There had been a lot of back-and-forth with the Association regarding the matter with Bugaram.
Since Gaon’s dorm portal didn’t operate 24/7 during vacation like it did during the semester, this was the more logical choice.
Creak.
I opened the door.
The familiar door creaked open slowly.
Old memories seeped through the gap.
This was the room I had used since I was a child. The place where Sion and I would lay out blankets and roll around together.
The room where we studied diligently, side by side.
The room where Sion and I had grown up.
“…Looks like it needs some cleaning.”
I hadn’t stopped by once since the semester began, so dust had no doubt piled up thickly.
I rolled up my sleeves, bracing myself.
But then…
“…?”
The room was bizarrely tidy.
Not a speck of dust on the desk.
The bed sheets were crisply tucked. Two pillows rested neatly at the head of the bed.
It looked like someone had just been living here yesterday.
“What are you doing in my room?”
It was a familiar voice.
Even without turning, I knew who it was.
“Your room?”
I answered with a chuckle.
Sion slowly approached me. A quiet breath, and the familiar scent of her shampoo.
Her frame wasn’t large, but the moment she entered the room, the atmosphere subtly shifted.
I smiled faintly.
“Did you do all this?”
“Of course. Who else would?”
She wasn’t wrong.
No one else in Vanquisher was as meticulous about cleanliness as Sion.
I put my luggage down and looked around the room again.
“There are two pillows?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t it bring back memories?”
Sion tapped the head of the bed with her finger as she spoke.
I paused and let out a small laugh at her words.
“I guess it does… But why are you saying this is your room?”
I asked again.
This was my room.
Sion shrugged.
“Yeah. I’ve decided to stay here for this vacation.”
Apparently, Sion had made this her room for the break.
This was a bit of a problem…
But I had no choice. I’d just have to use another room.
“Then I’ll take a different room.”
Sion looked at me briefly and then shook her head.
“There aren’t any.”
“What?”
“There are none. The seniors all returned after their final raid yesterday. There’s not a single spare room left.”
She tapped the edge of the bed as she looked at me.
I was at a loss for words.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Sion smiled quietly.
“Wanna sleep together like before?”
“That was, like, forever ago…”
That was ten years ago.
Even back then, we only shared a room, not a bed.
Now, of course, that made no sense.
I shook my head and mumbled.
“I’ll just sleep on the floor.”
Sion nodded calmly.
“That works too.”
It was only for a short while, anyway.
It wouldn’t be a big deal.
After unpacking at the base, I headed straight to the Association.
The Association building stood tall as always.
The old man and the others didn’t come along.
They looked exhausted, and this wasn’t something worth bringing anyone else to.
Saturday morning.
Compared to weekdays, it was quiet.
I took the elevator to the top floor.
Ding.
As the elevator arrived, an Association employee was already waiting at the end of the hallway.
“You’re Hero Jeong Haein, correct?”
“Yes.”
After a simple ID check, I was handed a visitor pass.
“The Association President is waiting for you.”
Following the staff member, I walked down the hallway to the reception room.
Upon arriving at the familiar room, the Association President, who had been waiting inside, stood up.
“It’s been a while, Jeong Haein.”
“Yes, hello.”
We exchanged brief greetings.
I had first met the Association President at the previous party.
It was thanks to Kang Arin that it happened at all.
Originally, we had planned to meet during the semester, but I had rescheduled.
I’d asked to postpone it until vacation.
“Before entering Bugaram’s Workshop… there are a few things we need to confirm.”
I quietly nodded.
“It’s just a formality, so please don’t take offense. We intend to proceed entirely on your terms, Haein. If there’s any issue, feel free to speak up.”
“No problem.”
The President quietly unfolded a few documents in front of me.
The contents of the file were simple.
Upon entering Bugaram’s Workshop, a system-wide alert is sent to all heroes.
[Where flames consume blood, and molten metal hammers at the heart—Bugaram’s Workshop now seeks a new master.]
And the Association would reveal the challenger’s identity.
That was what this document covered.
“Regardless of the outcome, the Association intends to officially support you from now on—not merely as a promising talent, but as someone we’re taking full responsibility for and promoting. So don’t feel too pressured—just approach it comfortably.”
There was no reason for me to decline.
The Association’s support meant they would accommodate me in every aspect.
“Thank you.”
I replied quietly.
The President moved to the next set of documents.
This time, it was about the previous attempts at the workshop.
“These are the records of all the heroes who have challenged the workshop so far.”
He handed me the crisp, unfolded file.
I read through it slowly.
My impression… was grim.
Only one attempt had ever been called a success.
And even that felt more like Bugaram had reluctantly allowed it.
– It’s hot. There’s no other way to describe it. (1953.4.19)
– I endured the heat… but failed even to reach the end. (1978.11.19)
– I reached it… but I was not worthy. (2009.9.25)
The last note was left by a former Hero twenty years ago.
Since then, no one had entered the workshop again.
No one had succeeded either.
The President gently closed the file and added a few words.
“There’s no need to be afraid. Whatever the outcome, this challenge will make you stronger. Every hero listed here came out of it more powerful.”
I silently nodded.
Entry to the workshop was scheduled for next Friday.
“Planning to fail?”
Not even slightly.
I had to prepare everything I could in the time I had left.
“I reached it… but I was not worthy.”
I read the former Hero’s final note.
“Worthy.”
I was.
The records shown to me by the Association repeated one thing over and over.
“It’s hot.”
Apparently, the inside of the workshop was unbearably hot.
Not just infernal heat or lava—but an intensity that couldn’t be described by any normal terms.
It was likely beyond just high temperatures… I needed to prepare properly for heat resistance.
[RIN]: Wear that outfit from last time!
Perfect timing—Kang Arin messaged me after I finished handling a favor she had requested.
The auction was starting tonight, she said.
The outfit she mentioned was the suit I had tailored for the previous party.
I got dressed.
“…Why are you staring like that?”
“….”
When I turned around after finishing, Sion was sitting backward on a chair, silently watching me.
A habit she’d had since we were kids.
“I’m heading out.”
After a brief goodbye, I headed to the front entrance of the base.
The moment I opened the door, a sleek black car came into view.
A glossy black sedan.
As I approached, the rear door automatically opened.
“You’re here?”
Inside the car, Kang Arin was already seated.
She greeted me with a familiar smile.
The car immediately departed.
The auction venue was located in the heart of Seoul—but it wasn’t just any ordinary place.
It was the basement of what appeared to be a typical office building.
The secret auction house, Archive, used by the Hero Auction.
Membership only. Invitation only.
Its design ensured that no one outside could tell who entered or exited.
Following a dark corridor with no windows, Arin and I took a private elevator.
The elevator had multiple levels.
Basement floors one through four.
Each designated by color: copper, silver, gold, and black.
Arin pulled out a black card and tapped it on the terminal.
Beep.
The elevator descended directly to the fourth basement floor—the black level.
As the door opened, a corridor filled with subdued lighting and antique interior design unfolded before us.
There wasn’t a single sound.
Standing ahead was a staff member, dressed in a crisp suit.
He wore an animal-shaped mask.
“Welcome to Archive. Black ticket verified.”
He greeted us in a deep, distinctive voice.
“Allow me to escort you to your designated room.”
As we walked down the corridor, he handed us a silver tray.
On it were two masks.
One was a white fox.
The other, a black wolf.
“For security and anonymity, masks must be worn inside the auction hall. Your room tonight is number two: Alexander. We hope you have a pleasant experience.”
I picked up the black wolf mask.
Without hesitation, Arin grabbed the fox mask.
“Cute,” she muttered as she twirled it in her hands.
The staff bowed again as he guided us.
“Enjoy the [N O V E L I G H T] auction.”
We entered the room and sat down.
The interior was dimly lit.
The entire wall was made of dark glass, but it wasn’t transparent—so we couldn’t see outside.
A strange pressure hung in the air, unfamiliar and enclosing.
I wasn’t used to places like this.
Holding the mask in my hand, I hesitated.
“Do we really have to wear these?”
Arin lifted one corner of her mouth into a smile.
Still holding the fox mask, she walked up to the glass.
“We have to.”
As she raised the mask—
The entire black glass wall began to slowly turn transparent.
Shhhhhh.
What unfolded before my eyes was a massive circular structure.
At the center stood a grand marble podium.
Encircling it on every tier were countless windows stacked layer upon layer.
At the very bottom, rooms like ours were arranged in a ring. Above them were gold-tinted rooms, followed by silver ones one level higher, and at the very top, rooms tinged in deep brown.
Through the glow of the lights, I could see people beyond the windows, all wearing masks as they watched from behind the glass.
And every single one of them wore a mask.
I slowly lifted mine and placed it over my face.
Dozens of gazes stretched out past the glass—within them, desire and ambition intertwined.
All of them concealed their greed behind masks.
“What do you think?”
Kang Arin smiled and asked me.
“Everyone looks pretty greedy, right?”
They certainly did.
Even so—I had no intention of letting anything be taken from me.

Chapter 124