The Ultimate Regressor System

Chapter 44: Bora In the Cathedral

Lucas stood frozen at the edge of the courtyard as the cathedral’s shadow stretched long across the grass.

He had returned... he was back.

The notification floated before him, the now crimson screen burning at the edges with something akin to flame.

[You have encountered the Sovereign of Death.]

[You have been marked by the Grim Reaper.]

He stared at them until his eyes ached, the memory of that throne of skulls and the faceless figure still clawing at the back of his mind.

The scythe’s edge had come too close. And the voice even knew his name.

’Thief.’ It had called him a thief. He stared at the words again.

[You have been marked by the Grim Reaper.]

’What does that even mean?’ he wondered.

"Lucas?" Eleanor’s voice pulled him back. She stood a step away, brow furrowed, and concern laced in her voice.

"You okay?"

He blinked as the notification faded. "Nothing. Just... thinking. I’m fine. Really..."

He forced a smile. "I’m good. Nothing to worry about."

Eleanor frowned. She didn’t look convinced, but she let it drop.

For now....

Lucas turned his attention to the cathedral ahead. He knew what waited inside.

Five Bora....

The fifth one hiding somewhere in their blindside, waiting to strike.

The same beast that killed him in the last round...

He ran through every plan he could think of...

’We could flank them, split them up or gather them together for one finishing blow.’

But he knew it was easier said than done. One Bora wouldn’t be a problem. Maybe even two or three. But they were five. And their powers were barely half of what they were back at The Edge.

He might die again, the system might pull him back again, but it seems [Regression] had cost him way too much. That now crimson window proved it.

’What if we don’t fight?’

At the moment, it seemed like the only solution. The safest one too. One that would guarantee him coming out of this alive more than facing those abominations head on.

He exhaled slowly. "There are beasts inside. Bora, five of them. I don’t think fighting them is a good idea..."

Eleanor’s expression sharpened. "Bora? We can take them."

"Elle, I don’t think we can." He kept his voice low, scanning the courtyard for movement. "Dont you remember? Outside The Edge, facing these beasts would be harder. We need to get in, get the Relic, get out before the beasts notices."

She studied him, head tilted. " And how do you know there are beasts in there? We haven’t moved yet..."

Lucky stayed silent for a moment. Then he answered. "My [Ignition] skill lets me sense heat signatures. It’s fuzzy but it’s there. The rest? Educated guesses."

The suspicion lingered in her gaze, but after a long second she nodded. "Alright then, I’ll trust your judgment. In and out, then. No fighting."

"Alright then. Let’s get moving."

They moved together across the courtyard, boots moving lightly through tall grass. The cathedral doors stood ajar, heavy timber reinforced with rusted iron bands. Lucas pushed one open just enough for them to slip through. The hinges groaned softly but the sound swallowed by the large interior.

Inside, the air was cooler and carried the faint scent of old incense and dust.

The entrance hall stretched forward, vaulted ceilings lost in shadow. Sunlight filtered through narrow stained glass windows high above, painting fractured patterns of deep red and violet across the floor. Pillars lined both sides, thick and riddled with cracks as some looked like it would collapse just by touching it.

Lucas kept close to the wall, motioning Eleanor to do the same. Their footsteps echoed despite their care, each one louder than he liked. Dust particles drifted in the colored light and At the far end of the hall, a wide archway opened into a larger hall. Statues stood between the pillars—saints, and other statues he couldn’t identify.

Lucas looked at Eleanor, then placed a finger on his lips, gesturing to her to stay quiet.

Eleanor nodded, eyes sweeping every shadow as she moved as carefully as she could.

They passed through the archway. The hall opening around them, vast and hollow.

Rows of stone, many broken or overturned, filled the central space. At the far end stood an altar platform.

More stained glass dominated the walls here, taller and more intricate, though many panes were cracked or missing entirely.

"Close," he mouthed.

She gave a tight nod.

They continued. The air grew heavier the closer they came to the altar. A faint red glow leaked from the doorway beyond the altar, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat.

The relic....

Lucas’s mouth went dry. So close.

Above the altar floated the relic: a crimson orb the size of a man’s fist, turning slowly on its own axis. Veins of darker red shifted beneath its surface like living currents.

Light spilled from it, a warm bloody hue emanating from the sides of the orb.

"That’s it," he said quietly. "Grab it and we leave."

Eleanor moved first, circling to the left while Lucas took the right.

No traps sprang. No guardians appeared. Nothing from the dark fantasy novels he used to read that seemed to protect important things like this.

Eleanor reached out, fingers closing around the orb. The moment her hand made contact, the spinning stopped.

The light flared once, then settled into a steady glow. She lifted it and saw that it fit neatly in her palm.

"Got it," she said, a note of triumph in her voice.

[You have claimed the Guard Relic. Return to your faction.]

"Feels... heavy. Heavier than it looks..." she observed.

Lucas allowed himself a small exhale of relief. "Good. Now we—"

**RUMBLE**

The sound cut him off as his heart hammered against his ribs.

They both turned toward the entrance to the chamber.

One of the Bora stood there.

It filled the doorway, shoulders brushing the frame. Thick hide the color of black stretched over powerful muscle. Its eyes glowed faintly amber, set above a maw lined with jagged teeth. Curving horns swept from its skull, different from the straight horns he’d seen at The Edge.

For a moment, heavy agonizing silence stretched across the hall. Then Lucas turned to Eleanor while gritting his teeth.

"Run."