Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character-Chapter 35

"Ugh...!"

Darkness filled everything around me.

In that darkness, I felt something cold and squishy slither up my ankle.

Something thick, coiling around my leg like a snake, climbing upward — it was definitely the black tentacle-like thing I had seen just before being dragged in.

A chill ran down my spine.

In the pitch-black darkness where not even a speck of light shone, I struggled to tear it off, but instead of freeing myself, I found both my arms pinned down by something too.

Whether it was another tentacle or something else, I couldn’t tell — I couldn’t see a thing.

'Why can’t I break free?'

If it were my normal body, maybe.

But right now, I was in an S-rank state after using a Hidden Skill.

And yet, whatever this was, it was completely restraining me.

Even if the darkness filling the office was someone’s skill, and even if the opponent was an S-rank, restraining me this completely should have been impossible.

'Wait, then...'

What about Cha Sahyeon?

If even I, an S-rank, couldn’t get free, there was no way a B-rank like Cha Sahyeon could.

The thought that the kid might be in danger made my heart plummet.

I struggled harder against the restraints and shouted.

"Cha Sahyeon!"

I didn’t know if yelling in this pitch darkness would reach them, but I couldn’t just sit still and do nothing.

I shouted again at the top of my lungs.

"Cha Sahyeon, where are yo—ugh!"

It happened then.

The black tentacle that had been slithering over my body suddenly pulled hard, dragging me helplessly and slamming me down somewhere.

"Ugh..."

I hit something hard — probably the floor — groaning as I rubbed my aching elbow and looked around.

The darkness that had dragged me deeper was starting to thin.

And from within it emerged someone I knew very well.

"Cha Sahyeon?"

The small figure standing right in front of me was unmistakably Cha Sahyeon.

The cool green eyes staring down at me, the tightly sealed lips, the pale skin that almost seemed to glow — everything pointed to Cha Sahyeon.

Seeing the child standing there, unafraid of the surrounding darkness, and noticing how only around them the darkness had receded, I realized it.

'It was Cha Sahyeon’s skill.'

The moment I understood that the darkness swallowing the office was Cha Sahyeon’s doing,

Ding — a system alert popped up.

[User Information: Sahyeon (Villain)]

Age: 22 years old

Main Skill: Living Shadow (B-rank)

Title: The Master of Shadows

Attack Power: B-rank

Attack Speed: B-rank

Movement Speed: B-rank

Agility: B-rank

Special Notes ▼

└ Seed of Catastrophe (Progress 37%)

The skill stats remained B-rank.

Which meant that even with a B-rank skill, Cha Sahyeon’s ability was strong enough to completely restrain an S-rank like me.

'If Cha Sahyeon's skill rank were to rise...'

Cold sweat ran down my cheeks.

Recalling the Catastrophe I saw before regression made my throat go dry.

Of course.

It wasn’t for nothing that Cha Sahyeon carried the Seed of Catastrophe.

Even as a mere B-rank, they were already this powerful.

If, as I feared, the Seed’s progress reached 100% and their skill rank rose— then just like before regression, the world would be destroyed.

It was a fresh reminder of why I had to stop the Seed’s progression no matter what.

"...!"

I was about to call out to Cha Sahyeon again, swallowing dryly, when a sudden crushing sensation hit my abdomen, cutting off my breath.

Reflexively lowering my head, I saw another black tentacle wrap tightly around my waist.

It was Cha Sahyeon — binding me to stop me from running.

Finally, they spoke.

"Where did you go?"

"Kiddo, this is... guh!"

The tentacle squeezed tighter around my waist.

The pain was sharp, and I grabbed at it desperately — but it wouldn’t budge.

"You said you were going to call while I was bathing. So why did you leave?"

"Uh, just... can we, guh..."

"You lied to me? Were you trying to run away?"

"Ugh..."

I couldn’t breathe.

The pressure squeezing my organs blurred my vision.

'You little psycho...'

If I was trying to run, why would I even be here?

I would’ve bolted already.

I had plenty to say, but arguing was meaningless when Cha Sahyeon’s mood had already turned sour.

Barely clinging to consciousness, I fumbled desperately across the floor.

Rustle.

Heaven must have taken pity on me — my hand landed on the paper bag I’d brought.

I had managed to hang onto it even when I was dragged into the darkness.

Clutching it tightly, # Nоvеlight # I thrust the paper bag toward them and shouted.

"G-gift!"

Cha Sahyeon blinked, startled by the paper bag suddenly shoved toward them.

Sensing a sliver of hope, I hurriedly added,

"I brought you... a gift, gah..."

"A gift...?"

Cha Sahyeon took the bag with trembling hands, muttering with a dazed expression.

"A gift... for me?"

Unable to speak anymore, I simply nodded.

"You bought it... for me?"

I nodded again.

"......."

Cha Sahyeon alternated glances between the bag and me, groaning in pain on the floor.

Then slowly — their lips curled upward.

Hugging the paper bag tightly, Cha Sahyeon gave a shy little smile.

And at the same time—

Flash!

The black tentacles wrapped around my waist, along with all the darkness filling the office, receded like a tide.

The darkness shrank and vanished, sucked cleanly into Cha Sahyeon’s shadow as if it had never existed.

I stared, dazed, at the unbelievable sight.

Meanwhile, Cha Sahyeon, blushing bright red from cheeks to ears, hesitated and asked,

"Can I open it?"

"...Yeah."

Barely escaping from the pain and pressure, I exhaled heavily and nodded.

Leaving Cha Sahyeon, who was happily unpacking the box from the bag, I pushed myself up and looked around.

The office, now free of darkness, looked like a typhoon had torn through it — furniture thrown everywhere across the floor.

"Haa..."

I wiped my face wearily, swallowing down my tears.

What the hell had happened while I was gone to leave the place like this?

...Though, thinking about it, maybe this was still lucky.

At least the Seed’s progress hadn’t risen.

'When am I supposed to clean all this up?'

Still clutching my aching waist, I could only sigh endlessly.

Then Cha Sahyeon tugged on my sleeve.

"Hyung, what is this?"

Cha Sahyeon looked up at me, their big eyes sparkling.

Their voice was unusually full of cuteness.

'At times like this, you really are just a kid.'

How could their mood, which had been bad enough to unleash a skill, brighten completely over a gift?

It was both ridiculous and funny.

I couldn’t even stay mad.

"It’s a game console. When I was your age, I used to play with one a lot. You've never tried it?"

"Nope."

Cha Sahyeon answered immediately, their face brimming with excitement.

It was impossible to pretend not to notice, so I dragged over a sofa, plopped myself down, and pulled Cha Sahyeon onto my lap.

"Here, look."

I pulled out the handheld console and game chip from the box and turned it on for them.

I even set up a new account and launched the game before handing it over.

Cha Sahyeon, nestled against me, carefully took the device.

"You just press the start button at the top. To move, use these buttons. See the arrows? That’s the direction controls."

Following my instructions, Cha Sahyeon pressed the buttons and started the game.

Watching their intensely focused expression, I could tell — the gift had hit the mark.

I had bought it because a new entry in a childhood RPG series I loved had come out, and it turned out to be a very good decision.

'Ugh, I’m dying...'

It was good that the crisis had passed, but my battered body was screaming in protest.

Unable to hold on anymore, I rested my forehead against Cha Sahyeon’s small shoulder.

The little body in my arms flinched slightly.

Ding, ding, ding!

"...?"

Ding, ding!

The moment I leaned on Cha Sahyeon, the system alert sounds rang out noisily.

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If it had only happened once, I would have ignored it — but it kept going nonstop.

Lifting my heavy head, I frowned.

'What now?'

The moment I looked up, multiple status windows filled my vision.

《The Villain is satisfied!》

《The Villain is happy!》

《Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe progression has changed!》

《The Seed of Catastrophe progression has decreased!》

"Huh?"

I had assumed the progression had risen again — but when I read the windows carefully, I froze in shock.

'The progression... dropped?'

While I was still trying to process the situation, the system kept pouring out messages.

Ding!

《Hidden Quest unlocked!》

《Hidden Quest: Lower the Seed of Catastrophe Progression (L-rank)》

《Hidden Quest: Lower the Seed of Catastrophe Progression (L-rank) cleared!》

《Hidden Quest clear rewards are being distributed.》

《Item Shop unlocked!》

《You can now access the Item Shop.》

Item... what?

Item shop?

Faced with a status window that shattered all my expectations, my jaw dropped open.