Chapter 1: The Regressor’s New Profession

A hand landed on Ethan’s shoulder.

"Ethan..."

Ethan’s eyes flew open.

Bang!

His fist slammed into the man’s face.

The young man crashed onto the ground, blood pouring from his nose with an expression of not understanding what had happened.

"You traitor!"

Ethan roared as he pounced on him.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

His fists rose and fell without mercy.

"You still dare appear before me?!"

"I trusted you for eighteen years!"

"I gave you everything!"

The young man desperately raised his arms to protect himself.

"E-Ethan! Stop!"

His pleas only made Ethan’s eyes turn colder.

In Ethan’s eyes, he wasn’t looking at the young man before him.

He was looking at the traitor who had hunted him for an entire year.

The man he had once called his brother and had once known as the corner of the Formidable Triangle.

For eighteen years, they had fought side by side, gradually becoming formidable, and survived dangers that should have killed them all.

Until everything changed.

His best friend betrayed him. The woman he loved stood by his side. Together, they hunted him for an entire year.

The memories overlapped with reality.

Ethan’s hand reached for the dagger at his waist.

"I’ll kill you!"

The blade had barely left its sheath before several people rushed forward.

"Stop him!"

"Are you crazy?!"

Three men threw themselves onto Ethan, forcing him to the ground while another kicked the dagger several meters away.

"Ethan!" someone shouted. "Have you lost your mind?! We’re already in this mess, and now you’re trying to kill someone?"

Ethan struggled violently.

"Let me go!"

"I’ll kill him!"

The three men pinning him down gritted their teeth, barely managing to hold him.

Ethan’s bloodshot eyes remained locked on Lucian.

Lucian...

Something wasn’t right.

His gaze slowly swept across the surroundings.

His pupils contracted.

"...Where are we?"

The three men pinning him to the ground exchanged confused glances.

"What are you talking about?"

Ethan ignored the question and asked again

"What... happened?"

"Where is this?"

"Tell me!"

One of the men frowned.

"Have you gone crazy?"

"You were trying to kill Lucian a second ago!"

Another clicked his tongue.

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"We’ve all just been dragged into this place together! Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten."

The third man tightened his grip on Ethan’s shoulder.

Ethan froze hearing the man’s words because he’s experienced every single detail of what was happening.

His lips trembled.

The hatred that had supported him for an entire year suddenly disappeared.

He wanted to scream.

He wanted to ask why fate had brought him back.

But the pain in his chest was so overwhelming that no sound came out.

Only tears fell onto the grass.

The people around him slowly backed away.

"Has he gone crazy?"

"I think so. He suddenly attacked someone."

"We just got here and he’s already lost his mind."

None of them understood what he was feeling.

How could they?

To them, only a few moments had passed.

To Ethan, Nineteen years had.

Just then, a young woman hurried through the crowd, her face filled with worry.

"Lucian!"

She rushed to the blond-haired young man and carefully helped him to his feet. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and one side of his face was already beginning to swell.

"Are you alright?" She whispered.

Lucian smiled gently and wiped away the blood with the back of his hand.

"I’m fine," he said. "It was only a punch. Ethan must’ve been frightened after suddenly arriving in a place like this."

The young woman frowned.

"But he almost killed you."

Lucian simply shook his head.

"He didn’t know what he was doing. If our positions were reversed, I might not have handled it any better."

Those people looked at each other.

"What a good guy..."

"Yeah. If someone had punched me like that, I’d be furious."

"He almost got stabbed, and he’s still worrying about his friend."

"He really is broad-minded."

Even the people who had restrained Ethan couldn’t help but look at Lucian with admiration.

Lucian slowly walked over and stopped in front of Ethan.

He smiled, the same warm smile he had worn for nearly two decades.

"Ethan," he said softly, "it’s alright. Whatever happened, we’ll face it together, just like we always have."

He reached out and gently placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder.

Smack!

Ethan knocked the hand away.

He slowly raised his head.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Lucian’s face.

That smile, how many times had he trusted it?

How many times had that reassuring smile convinced him everything would be alright?

To think He’d been deceived by that smile for eighteen years.

[Profession Awakening will begin in one minute.]

[Each participant has already been assigned a Profession.]

The familiar voice echoed across the grassland.

Ethan was about to turn and leave.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Lucian giving elena beside him a slight nod.

It was only a tiny movement, so subtle that no one else seemed to notice.

Ethan did.

His footsteps slowed.

"Ethan."

A familiar voice called out behind him.

"...Are you okay?"

He turned.

Standing a few steps away was Elena. Her beautiful face was filled with concern, and her eyes held the same gentle warmth he had remembered for so many years.

Once, seeing that expression had been enough to put his heart at ease. No matter how difficult the situation was, he believed that as long as she looked at him like that, everything would somehow work out.

Now...

It only made him feel sick.

"I’m fine." He said expressionlessly.

He looked into Elena’s eyes before turning to Lucian..

"Take good care of him."

Without waiting for a reply, Ethan turned and walked away.

Behind him, Lucian watched Ethan’s departing figure before letting out a helpless sigh.

"Give him some time," he said with a faint smile. "I’m sure he’ll cool off."

Elena hesitated before nodding.

"...I hope so."

...

Ethan walked until the voices behind him faded.

He found a lone tree standing at the edge of the grassland and quietly sat beneath it.

One minute.

That was all that remained before everyone awakened their professions.

He looked all around him and according to his memories...

Lucian would awaken an A-Rank Arcane Swordsman.

A profession that fused swordsmanship with arcane magic, allowing its wielder to unleash devastating magical sword techniques.

Elena would awaken an A-Rank Life Priestess.

Her healing and support abilities had saved countless lives over the years.

Together with Lucian...

They became the core of humanity’s strongest team.

As for him...

He had awakened the A-Rank Ancient Pathfinder.

It was a profession with almost no combat ability. Even some F-Rank combat professions could defeat it in a direct fight.

Yet despite that, Ethan still became one of the three pillars of the Formidable Triangle.

Not because he was the strongest.

But because he always knew where to go.

Ancient inheritances.

Hidden treasures.

Forgotten battlefields.

Secret realms.

Where others searched for months, Ethan could often find the answer in days.

Back then, countless people laughed at his profession.

"What good is an A-Rank that can’t fight?"

"He’s nothing more than a guide."

Even Ethan believed them.

So every opportunity he found was given to the people he trusted most.

Lucian became stronger.

Elena became stronger.

Watching them grow had once been enough for him. They were his companions.

Or at least...

That was what he had believed.

He lowered his head.

In the end, he had been the only one who believed it.

Whether he awakened the Ancient Pathfinder again or not no longer mattered.

Those memories still belonged to him.

No one understood this world better than he did.

The familiar voice sounded again.

[Profession assignment is complete.]

[Every participant has been assigned a Profession.]

[You may now access your Profession Panel.]

[Simply say "Panel" or focus your thoughts to view it.]

Ethan let out a slow breath.

This was the moment that would decide everyone’s future.

Without any hesitation, he focused his thoughts.

"Panel."

A translucent screen quietly unfolded before him.

His eyes immediately went to the profession column.

It should have been the Ancient Pathfinder he awakened in his previous life...

Instead...

[Panel]

Name: Ethan

Race: Human

Level: 1

Profession: Legion Summoner (EX)

Innate Talent: One Mind, One Legion

Attributes

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Constitution: 10

Spirit: 10,

Ethan’s eyes widened.

He read the profession once.

Then a second time.

Finally, his gaze stopped on the two letters behind it.

EX.

His heart skipped a beat.

How was this possible?

Over the nineteen years of his previous life, the highest known profession rank had always been SSS.

That was common knowledge.

An A-Rank profession alone was enough to make countless factions compete for its owner. People like Lucian were destined to become famous from the moment they awakened.

S-Rank holders were the true monsters of humanity. Every one of them possessed terrifying strength and stood at the forefront whenever humanity faced a great crisis.

As for SS and SSS...

Ethan had only ever heard their names.

Those people rarely appeared before the public, yet every one of them was a pillar that held humanity together.

But an EX-Rank...

Ethan had never heard of such a thing.

Not in his previous life.

Not even in the oldest inheritances he had discovered.

It was as though this rank had never existed.

Yet now, it was staring back at him from his own panel.