Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character-Chapter 18

“New Rank 1 {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Appears?! The Shocking Defeat of Kwon Taehyuk...”

“Ranking Overturned! What’s Next for Yesung Guild’s Stock?”

“Who Is This Mystery Hunter... How Long Can They Keep the Top Spot?”

“Face and Background a Secret? The New Rank 1 Hunter Shrouded in Mystery!”

“‘Cover’ Craze Sweeps Online... A Meteoric Rise!”

For the first time in three years, the Rank 1 spot has changed hands—so who exactly is the hunter known only as ‘Cover’?

(Image)

▲ Two hunters moments before the ranking match (Image Source: Hunter-Roun TV)

On the night of October 31, a ranking match took place in the arena to determine the number one spot.

The match featured then–Rank 1 Hunter and head of Yesung Guild, Kwon Taehyuk, against an unknown challenger.

After a grueling battle that lasted over an hour, the match concluded with one of them collapsing.

To everyone’s surprise, the one who fell was Kwon Taehyuk.

Shock over Kwon Taehyuk’s loss was quickly replaced by wild cheers for the rise of a new Rank 1.

(Image)

▲ The new Rank 1 hunter holding the unconscious Kwon Taehyuk (Image Source: Hunter-Roun TV)

No one saw this coming.

The new top-ranked hunter even showed courtesy by helping Kwon Taehyuk off the field.

Right after the match ended, reporters rushed in for interviews—but the anonymous hunter declined every request and calmly walked away.

With no name, no face, and no known guild affiliation, the media has been scrambling to uncover the identity of this unprecedented Rank 1 hunter—but so far, there are no leads.

Netizens have dubbed the mysterious hunter “Cover,” based on the lettering printed on the back of their denim jacket.

Yesung Guild has yet to release any official response to the loss of the Rank 1 position.

KHS News – Reporter Park Jeonghwan

Comments

(Anon 1) What is that second picture? LOL is that really Kwon Taehyuk?

└ Princess carry lmaoooooo

└ He looks so pitiful lololol

└ You can just tell this is gonna be a meme for the rest of time

(Anon 2) He had a good run—bout time he gave up the throne tbh

(Anon 3) When an edgy kid turns out to actually be strong

(Anon 4) Ok but like... what’s up with the mask?

(Anon 5) Clickbait title smh so what’s the identity, you hack journalist?

(Anon 6) Being called “Cover” is actually kinda badass...

└ Yeah imagine if it said like BBANG or something, they’d be called “Bread Boy” lol

└ Gotta be intentional, no way that jacket wasn’t picked on purpose

(Anon 7) Wait, is this even allowed? Can you join a ranking match anonymously?

└ Pretty sure that’s not allowed

└ It goes through the Association, right? If they approved it, guess it’s fine

└ Then the Association must know who the hunter is

└ If they did, it would’ve leaked by now. Media’s clearly digging

└ So the Association doesn’t know either? Then how’d the application even go through?

(Anon 8) Not gonna lie, that second pic is comedy gold

└ They kinda look good together though. Just date already

└ Enemies to lovers arc, let’s go

(Anon 9) Kwon Taehyuk Princess-nim ♥

(Anon 10) What do you think Kwon Taehyuk feels about that photo? His cold stoic rep is dead lmao

(Anon 11) Seriously though, who is this person? I heard they’re S-rank?

(Anon 12) ☆★Cover Fan Cafe Now Open★☆ Come join us@@@@ (link)

└ ???

└ How are y’all already making fan cafes lol

└ Won’t stay #1 for long anyway lol

(Anon 13) I watched the match—it really did seem like a fluke...

└ Yeah, KTH was dominating the whole time then suddenly lost?

└ There should be a rematch, in an actual official arena

└ Agree

(Anon 14) Think Kwon Taehyuk’s really gonna accept that result?

└ What’s he gonna do, cry about it? He got wrecked

└ “Wrecked”? Did you even watch the match?

└ I did, and he lost. End of story. Talk trash when you win

└ Kwon Taehyuk hasn’t even said a word about it...

└ If even Yesung Guild’s staying quiet days later, then clearly they’re accepting it. Why are you the one whining lol

(Anon 15) If there really was a problem, Kwon Taehyuk would’ve challenged it. The fact that it’s still quiet means he accepted the loss.

└ Kwon Taehyuk’s silent, but his stans are losing their minds

(Anon 16) Around 37:12 in the match video you can see blond hair under the cap. Which S-rank hunters have blond hair?

└ Wait seriously?

└ Blond???

└ 37:12? Checked and I didn’t see anything like that;; sounds fake

└ Could be dyed or a side effect of awakening—who knows

└ Honestly hair color means nothing these days...

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

(Anon 17) Could be a foreign S-rank hunter, right?

└ How would a foreign hunter get into a domestic ranking match

└ The real problem is that they were allowed to apply anonymously in the first place

└ Nah the real issue is Kwon Taehyuk accepting the challenge and losing lol

└ LMAO thought he could win easy huh?

***

“What a mess...”

Lying on the sofa and skimming through online articles, I sighed and tossed my phone onto the table.

It had been four days since the ranking match with Kwon Taehyuk. Since then, all attention had been on me, the newcomer who’d seized the top spot out of nowhere. I’d been expecting it, so I made sure to avoid going out as much as possible.

‘Well, no one would recognize me if I used my real appearance anyway.’

Having two forms really came in handy sometimes.

Still, it wasn’t a bad idea to lay low and not use my hidden skill for a while. Technically, I could just deny everything if someone questioned me since I’d been wearing a mask. But getting dragged into that kind of situation was just a hassle.

What surprised me more was how quiet Yesung Guild and Kwon Taehyuk were being. I expected them to release an official statement if there were any issues with the match—but they hadn’t said a word.

‘By now, he should’ve figured out something was off with how he lost.’

When we faced off, Kwon Taehyuk turned out to be much stronger than I had expected.

From skill usage to physical combat and battle instincts—he completely outclassed me. Looking back, the only reason I even managed to land a hit on his shoulder was because he let me.

Kwon Taehyuk wasn’t focused on winning and keeping the Rank 1 position—he was trying to subdue me and force me to take off the mask. The way he exposed his shoulder to my blade just to grab me by the collar was proof enough.

‘Even accepting such a suspicious challenge in the first place is weird.’

According to Hyun Dowoon, Kwon Taehyuk hadn’t accepted any ranking match requests for the past two months.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

Sure, there’s a rule that forces top hunters to accept incoming challenges after four months to keep their spot—but he still had time left. He could’ve easily declined mine.

Now that I thought about it, his attitude when we met in the arena had been unusually sharp and tense.

At the time, I assumed it was because I showed up with a mask and no identity, which could’ve seemed unsportsmanlike. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt like there was more to it than that.

“This is sketchy.”

Kwon Taehyuk was also the first person to discover the lab where Cha Sahyeon and I had been held. He mobilized his guild and stormed it on his own.

There’s no doubt he was also targeted by the same people who were after me. And there’s no way he wouldn’t be aware of that.

“Hmmm...”

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I picked up my phone again and messaged Hyun Dowoon.

yo

yooyoyoyooooo

Dowoonie~

Hyun Dowoon

?

What the fuck

Are you busy? 😊

Any updates on the stuff I asked you to look into?

Hyun Dowoon

fuck off you piece of shit

I barely sent the message before a profanity-laced reply hit me. Judging by that reaction, he hadn’t found anything useful yet.

I had asked Hyun Dowoon to dig up everything he could on the lab and those connected to it. If Kwon Taehyuk was entangled with those bastards, there was a good chance some clue would pop up in that data.

‘If he’s also been targeted like me...’

Depending on how things go, maybe I could ask him to cooperate.

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to explain Cha Sahyeon’s identity, so I’d have to come up with a different excuse.

The truth was, I couldn’t protect Cha Sahyeon alone. The ranking match against Kwon Taehyuk had made that painfully clear.

Yes, he was incredibly strong. And yes, I still had too many weaknesses. At my current level, I probably couldn’t keep Sahyeon safe if things went south.

There was a limit to how much I could improve in a short time. What I needed was an ally. Someone powerful and well-connected, like Kwon Taehyuk.

‘If only he’d agree to help, that would solve so much.’

I was tempted to try asking, but would he really listen to the guy who stole Rank 1 with a cheap trick? More likely, he’d try to kill me on sight.

Can’t get close to him in my real form. Already got on his bad side in the S-rank one, too. Honestly, everything felt blocked off.

All I could do was sigh.