I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 75

Chapter 75

After the last incident, Yoonbyeol wanted to clear her complicated mind, so she called Sinhwa.

“Aaaaaah…! Mr. Sinhwa! Mr. Sinhwa! Ah…!”

Yoonbyeol screamed shrilly.

Not just any appearance, but a live suicide broadcast? She couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

Thud!

Soon, a crashing sound followed.

Yoonbyeol couldn’t bring herself to look at the screen.

Even for an Awakened, it’s rare to be unharmed after falling from the 25th floor.

Unless they have a flying ability, at the very least, a full-body fracture wouldn’t be surprising.

-Wow, if I had loosened my weight shift even a little, my knees would have been shattered. Whew! Can you see me, Byeol-ssi?

“……Yes?”

-I landed safely. I was about to go out to buy a can of cola, but I didn’t want to take the elevator. So, I took a shortcut.

The location Sinhwa pointed to on the screen indeed had a 24-hour convenience store sign.

“You jumped… down because you didn’t want to take the elevator?”

-Yes, as you can see.

Sinhwa turned the camera to show his penthouse above.

“You scared me! What Awakened person jumps from the 25th floor because they’re too lazy to take the elevator?”

-This one. Haha, how do you feel?

“Mr. Sinhwa almost died, how do you think I feel?”

Yoonbyeol snapped back.

She had called him wanting to have a serious conversation, but instead, she ended up watching a horror movie.

On one hand, she felt relieved.

She had a lot to talk about with Sinhwa, and at least it wouldn’t be hearing his last words.

Beep. Beep beep.

In the meantime, Sinhwa bought a can of cola and a few bags of snacks and was already coming out after paying.

-So, what’s up?

“It’s nothing. I’ll call you next time. My heart is still racing.”

-Sorry. I was about to jump when Byeol-ssi’s video call came in.

The words ‘about to jump’ still sent shivers down her spine. Yoonbyeol shuddered.

But as soon as she was about to hang up, she felt like her thoughts would become complicated again, so she wanted to talk more.

“You told me last time, Mr. Sinhwa, whether the KSA [Korean Special Ability Association] is the right place for my capabilities and thoughts.”

-Yes, I did.

“Why did you say that?”

-What exactly do you mean by ‘why’? Be more specific.

“Then, do you think there is an organization that suits my capabilities and thoughts?”

-There is.

Yoonbyeol didn’t expect Sinhwa to answer immediately.

But without a moment’s hesitation, the answer came out as soon as she asked. As if he had been thinking about it all along.

“Tell me.”

-Someone who knows how to utilize Byeol-ssi better than anyone else. Someone who can maximize your efficiency.

“A criminal organization? Or the Hongyeon or Cheongyeon Guilds? I have no idea.”

-I can.

“Sinhwa-ssi… you mean you?”

-We already confirmed our chemistry in the Jeju Island dungeon. Has anyone ever defined your role as clearly as I have?

“……No.”

Sinhwa’s words were true.

Not just coming to help.

The dungeon raid with Sinhwa was very comfortable and stable.

If she hadn’t collapsed due to injury, Sinhwa could have continued the internal raid further.

-Ah, I guess I’m too old for phone calls. Byeol-ssi, where do you live? Let’s have a beer nearby.

“Yes……?”

-Let’s talk face to face. I don’t like having serious conversations remotely.

It was absurd that a young man who was only twenty-four years old was talking about being old.

But Yoonbyeol agreed that meeting in person would allow for a deeper conversation.

And more than anything, although she didn’t show it, she also wanted to see Sinhwa again.

After the Jeju Island incident, her thoughts about Sinhwa had changed a lot.

She wanted to observe more closely what kind of Awakened he was and where his limits were.

It clearly started as pure curiosity as an Awakened, but it was also a feeling of goodwill towards the person who saved her life.

-Just tell me the nearby location. I’m not going to your house.

“It’s…….”

Was that why?

In response to Sinhwa’s question about the meeting place, Yoonbyeol blurted out the address as if possessed.

-I’m going. Get ready and come out.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sinhwa seemed to enter the address into his smartphone navigation.

Whoosh!

He leaped with all his might and landed instantly on the rooftop of the building next door.

And whether he forgot or did it on purpose, he started sprinting while maintaining the video call.

In the middle of the night.

It was an unusual sight to see him sprinting and leaping between buildings and apartments at full speed.

* * *

A little later.

I was able to meet Yoonbyeol at a small pub run by a kind-hearted middle-aged woman.

The woman, bringing out beer and snacks, thoughtfully turned up the volume of the internal speakers.

As if promised, Yoonbyeol and I appeared wearing hooded zip-up jackets and pulling our hats down low, with serious expressions on our faces as we began to talk.

She seemed to think that young people had met to have a serious conversation.

“I’d love to drink draft beer to my heart’s content, but I have a dungeon raid scheduled for midnight.”

“Which dungeon is it?”

“The K-2027 dungeon in Ansan Station. It’s an E-rank dungeon that I own.”

“You even bought a dungeon? Even an E-rank dungeon wouldn’t be cheap…….”

I could see the bewildered look in Yoonbyeol’s eyes.

She was right.

The value of a dungeon is virtually permanent, assuming it is continuously raided and reset.

“I received it as compensation for healing Ms. Bomi of the Yanghwa Guild.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Byeol-ssi, I’ll get straight to the point. I’m going to create a team centered around me. And I need your abilities in that team.”

“When you say my abilities, you mean?”

“Specifically, your abilities as an Awakened, including your skills as a practical worker. I’m good at chaotic battles, but I’m not good at meticulous follow-up.”

“I’m weak in chaotic battles, but I’m definitely specialized in finishing things.”

“That’s right. And I’m not good at being friendly or doing business. To be honest, the process is annoying.”

“Hmm…….”

“You’re the only one who can handle two roles in my team.”

“Is that all?”

“Potential. I’m not interested in anyone who doesn’t have the potential to reach EX rank.”

“……Do you think I can reach EX rank, then?”

“If you fully realize how to use your unique talents 100%.”

Yoonbyeol shook her head.

It was a natural reaction.

Not many people would hear that and say, ‘That’s right! I thought so too!’

Looking at Yoonbyeol’s work as a team leader in the KSA, she definitely had a sharp and decisive side.

She clearly distinguished between public and private matters, and more than anything, she learned a lot of experience in a short period of time under Namina, the head of the Seoul branch.

If she played the role of the official ‘window’ for my team, I would be freed from the annoyance of small and large tasks.

These were the things I expected from her in practice, and of course, my expectations were high in the dungeon as well.

As I said before, my combat style is rooted in explosive firepower and one-shot hits.

However, I always raised the difficulty to the limit in each dungeon raid to challenge the opponent’s level, so there were often cases where the damage was 2% lacking.

If Yoonbyeol took charge of finishing those parts, the waste of movement would be dramatically reduced.

It was a new role that didn’t conflict at all with the part where I needed Father Choi as a team member.

“Okay. Let’s assume I join Sinhwa-ssi’s team. It would be a huge benefit for me. I’d have a strong backer.”

Yoonbyeol clearly acknowledged the difference between me and herself.

She had even directly criticized her superior, Namina, for trying to understand my rank based on common sense.

“Are you asking what I would gain?”

“That’s right. The reason why Sinhwa-ssi needs me isn’t clear. If you just need a finisher to finish off monsters, there are plenty of alternatives, right?”

It was a sharp point.

Considering Yoonbyeol’s straightforward personality, it wouldn’t be good to beat around the bush.

“I need someone who can do the work of two people for the salary of one. To put it nicely, it’s multitasking.”

“To put it badly?”

“A handyman.”

Was I being too simplistic?

I bluntly stated the facts.

* * *

Thirty minutes before midnight.

Sinhwa and Yoonbyeol were in front of the K-2027 dungeon in Ansan.

It was well past 퇴근 (toegeun) [quitting time from work] time, so it took less than 30 minutes to get to the site by taxi.

A lot of stories had been exchanged between the two since the evening until now.

And Yoonbyeol was in a state of somewhat understanding the reason why Sinhwa needed her.

‘How can he be so sure of my potential without even seeing me in the future…….’

However, the only question was that Sinhwa was too ‘confident’ about her future.

Except for that, the blueprint that Sinhwa showed was quite specific and had clear goals.

‘His dream is to make a lot of money quickly, retire early, and live on a deserted island in the South Pacific. Heh.’

Although she didn’t show it, she laughed inwardly.

When he was talking about hundreds of millions or trillions of won [Korean currency], she thought he was going to run a large corporation related to Awakened people.

His ultimate goal was to enjoy a well-being life on a deserted island.

It was like listening to the dream of a pure child.

Sinhwa said that he wanted to build a team that would be his hands and feet until then.

At the same time, he wanted to create an elite force that could take responsibility for the future even without him.

He didn’t tell her exactly why he was creating a team for such a grand purpose…….

At least, Yoonbyeol was happy that he honestly explained her usefulness and value.

Sinhwa gave feedback, going over each of Yoonbyeol’s battles for almost an hour.

It was affectionate advice that she had never received since becoming an Awakened due to the Great Change.

‘I will continue to whip Byeol-ssi with this feedback in the future. The faster you grow, the faster my retirement will be.’

Not for the headache-inducing and grand purposes of realizing social justice or the order of the Awakened world.

Sinhwa’s inner thoughts of strategically utilizing his colleagues’ potential for his own wealth and glory shook her heart.

It was so honest, and that’s why it was good. Sinhwa was also the person who saw through her essence better than anyone else.

“Sinhwa-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“It’s Sinhwa-ssi’s private dungeon, so I don’t care about the raid, but is an E-rank dungeon meaningful?”

Yoonbyeol followed Sinhwa here to practice and work together.

But when she thought about it, she wondered if the level gap wouldn’t be too big since it was an E-rank dungeon.

At the E-rank level, Yoonbyeol could raid it alone.

Right then.

Sinhwa gave a subtle smile that was hard to understand and said briefly to Yoonbyeol.

“It will soon turn into a dungeon with enough difficulty for us to raid.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to cast some magic. Magic to change the dungeon’s rank from E to A.”

“Sinhwa-ssi, are you drunk?”

Yoonbyeol dismissed Sinhwa’s comment as nonsense.