I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 63

63.

One hour later.

“Is it already over?”

“It doesn’t seem so. There are no monster footprints or traces of movement outside.”

“What are the measurements?”

“10.1. Stage 4, outbreak imminent!”

“What? What happened?”

KSA [Korean Special Ability Association] agents from the Jeju branch urgently arrived at the dungeon where Shin-hwa and Yoon-byeol had entered.

They rushed as quickly as possible, but it was still quite a while after Yoon-byeol’s urgent call.

It was unavoidable.

All the agents of the Jeju branch were deployed to prevent outbreaks in three dungeons.

Just a few hours ago, this dungeon was at alert level 1, so they thought they had some time to spare.

But due to the sudden surge in measurements, an outbreak was imminent.

Song Seong-rim, the head of the KSA Jeju branch, was very worried on the way.

Because a dungeon outbreak involves at least hundreds of monsters, and Yoon-byeol couldn’t possibly stop it alone.

So, on the way, he had already sent out disaster alerts to ensure that all civilians in the surrounding area were aware.

He had scrapped the plan to handle the situation quietly and clearly announced the crisis.

But the scene was quiet.

Song Seong-rim asked his subordinate.

“Are you sure there are no monsters outside? Check properly!”

“No footprints, residual energy, or dimensional gate reactions! It’s certain that not a single monster has come out!”

“Is Team Leader Yoon-byeol holding them off alone? That’s impossible with a C-rank. What about the internal analysis?”

“At this level, the monsters inside are likely to be at least A-rank.”

“This is uncanny. Has support arrived from the Seoul branch or other branches?”

“The Busan branch has urgently dispatched support troops, but they haven’t arrived yet. It will take time.”

“We’re going in! Everyone, prepare for battle! We need to rescue Team Leader Yoon-byeol, who must be trapped inside!”

Under Song Seong-rim’s command, all the agents moved in an orderly fashion.

A total of 90 personnel.

Until now, the Jeju branch had enough manpower to maintain operations.

They were even planning to send about 30 agents to other regions due to the surplus.

With the detection of the outbreak risk, they were all doing real work for the first time in a long time.

“Let’s go!”

With Song Seong-rim’s brave shout, the ‘Rescue Team Leader Yoon-byeol’ operation began.

A few minutes later.

“……What is this?”

“Why are these guys all blown up and dead here?”

What greeted Song Seong-rim and the agents who entered the dungeon was evidence of a battle that had already ended.

“It seems they were caught in a mysterious explosion and blown up one after another.”

“Was it a dimensional stone bomb?”

“No. The dimensional stone bomb only caused a rockfall in the canyon; it didn’t kill the monsters.”

“This isn’t Team Leader Yoon-byeol’s ability, is it?”

“It seems quite a bit of support has arrived?”

“Did they not contact our branch properly because they were in a hurry?”

At first glance, there were over thirty monster corpses scattered around.

Moreover, according to the measurements, the average rank of the monsters inside was A-rank.

Naturally, Yoon-byeol couldn’t handle it alone.

The absence of human corpses meant they had achieved a bloodless victory, which meant…….

“It’s certain that there are at least 30 supporters. Where are they? No matter how fast they were from the southern region, they couldn’t be faster than us, could they?”

That was Song Seong-rim’s question.

Awakened individuals rarely came to Jeju Island unless it was for travel purposes.

Even terrorist organizations like the Namhae Group and the Black Cross Army didn’t come to Jeju Island.

Because there weren’t many dungeons, so there was no profit to be gained.

So, it couldn’t be support from ordinary awakened individuals, and it was impossible for KSA support to arrive in time.

“Just who…… is sweeping through here with Team Leader Yoon-byeol?”

“Branch Manager! This way! There are traces of another battle in this side path!”

“What?”

As soon as Song Seong-rim received the report from his subordinate, he rushed to the scene.

And the next moment.

He could see it with his own eyes.

“These guys, aren’t they magical monsters? They cleanly destroyed even these guys without taking any damage?”

Magical monsters, enhanced Azra, were lying dead all over the side path with their eyes wide open.

Even their heads were left behind, and there was no trace of who had taken their bodies.

Just counting the heads, there were over thirty, which was not a small number.

“Who the hell is it!”

The existence that was sweeping through the dungeon before the Jeju branch’s support arrived.

Song Seong-rim’s shout burst out, thinking without a doubt that it was a ‘group’ of dozens of people.

* * *

Thirty minutes later.

“Byeol, how is it? It’s a bit close, but it’s more manageable than I thought, right?”

“Honestly, I never thought we could do it with just the two of us.”

“They don’t move in an organized manner. In our case, it’s just a matter of taking them down one by one.”

“I’m only in charge of the finishing blows, so my mana consumption isn’t high, but how can Shin-hwa…….”

“Do you use mana like an infinite engine?”

“Yes. You haven’t even drunk a mana potion separately.”

“Well, you can think of it as being strong and long-lasting. Most of my mana recovers with just a little rest.”

Seven minutes.

Even if I exhausted all my mana to the point of depletion, it would only take seven minutes to recover 100%.

Thanks to the unique recovery ability of the mana lungs obtained through modification.

Considering other awakened individuals who can only recover a maximum of 5% per minute even with extreme mana training methods.

The overwhelming gap was correct.

Moreover, to reach that level, one would have had to focus solely on mana training methods for 10 years after the Great Cataclysm [a world-altering event].

Anyway, Yoon-byeol and I continued to advance, eliminating small groups of Azra and Tokra that appeared.

If they weren’t Tokra who died in explosions like at the entrance, all the Tokra corpses were put into the subspace.

However, in the case of Azra, the brain fluid flowing from their heads after death had the effect of promoting decay.

So, we were cutting off their heads separately and leaving them at the scene, putting only their bodies into the subspace.

It was a scene of decapitation as needed, but Yoon-byeol couldn’t look straight at it because it was quite gruesome.

Only I, who had become insensitive to such acts due to numerous battles in my past life, could silently carry out the beheadings(?).

“Huh?”

“Shin-hwa, what’s wrong?”

“Just a moment.”

I casually looked at the judgment grade and confirmed that it had changed to a different alphabet than before.

[Judgment Grade: C-]

I entered C-rank!

Usually, it takes at least a year to go from D- to D, and from D to D+ no matter how fast you are.

And the process of jumping one step from D+ to C- takes an average of at least 4 years.

But I had achieved a dramatic rise in just a few days!

It must have been a dazzling change created by the constant repetition of battles, with all the modified organs, flesh, blood vessels, and mana lines reacting explosively.

This created a virtuous cycle throughout the body.

Now my official rank is the same as Yoon-byeol’s.

It was an achievement made in just 11 days, from January 25th, when I regressed, to today, February 5th!

“It seems like Byeol blocking the canyon entrance at the beginning was a good choice.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Looking at it now, the monsters had already passed through here once before we came. That means they’re lost.”

“Does that mean they don’t know the internal terrain even though they’ve been in this dungeon? Usually, dungeons are monster strongholds, right?”

“Usually…… that’s right.”

I trailed off.

Usually, that’s the case.

But not ‘all’ of them.

Right now, the awakened individuals don’t know that our world will be connected to the Nas Continent and the Mugang Continent in the future.

Some monsters were originally in the dungeon, but others came from other continents.

The reason these guys inside are so lost may be because this dungeon is unfamiliar to them as well.

Step. Step. Step.

But right then.

“…….”

Along with the sound of footsteps coming from the northern forest, I felt an intense killing intent wrapping around my body.

It was on a completely different level from the killing intent I had felt from the Azra or Tokra earlier.

‘Excelsior.’

I could tell without looking.

The owner of this group, who had been wandering aimlessly through the dungeon, had finally revealed himself.

‘The Flower of Acceleration is mine!’

My eyes shone with a determined look full of fighting spirit.

The route of infinite monopolization that I had never missed since my regression.

I couldn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that had come to me.

‘Between S+ and SS-.’

I also estimated the maximum firepower I could produce if I ate the Flower of Acceleration.

“Byeol.”

“Yes?”

“Step back. And let me know if any other monsters enter the area. Got it?”

“What about Shin-hwa?”

“I think I’ll have to fight that guy now. The boss monster has appeared.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll warn you in advance. Even if I look like I’m at a disadvantage, don’t interfere. If our movements get tangled, it’ll only make things harder.”

“……Okay.”

I clearly conveyed my intentions to her.

To prevent a big problem from happening because she might try to help me out of a sense of obligation.

Excelsior is fast.

No matter how good Yoon-byeol is at mobile warfare, there was a 0% chance she could overwhelm him.

Moreover, since she can’t fight at long range at all, the probability of exposing her weaknesses was extremely high.

Saving her and killing the boss monster Excelsior is why I came here.

Furthermore, I can make KSA owe me a debt. Whether it’s a debt of gratitude or any other kind of debt.

‘I really have to fight with my life on the line.’

I’m greedy because the one and only Flower of Acceleration is coming right in front of me, but I can’t be impatient.

The opponent is an SS-rank boss monster.

One mistake could lead to immediate death.

Thud. Thud.

Soon, Excelsior, who had pushed through the trees, revealed himself.

Slightly smaller than me at 180cm [approximately 5’11”], his entire body was covered in white skin.

Moreover, he had a long tail on his butt, and sharp thorns were densely packed on the tail.

‘He looks like an alien.’

That was my first impression of Excelsior.

Especially since his eyes were as big as fists, it felt even more alien.

“Hoo.”

After taking a short breath.

I maximized the mana circulation and prepared to enter the battle immediately.

Right then.

“Is this the right place? Yes, I don’t smell the Nas Continent on you at all.”

I clearly heard Excelsior’s voice speaking in the Nas Continent language.

‘The right place?’

His choice of words.

Something seems wrong.