I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 124

124

A while later.

Lee Haseong and Namina arrived at the Jije Station site and could clearly see it with their own eyes.

The Jije Station area, which had been teeming with black fog until February 29th, was now clear and clean.

Even the streetlights, which had silently shone in the fog for ten years, were sparkling.

The light itself was faint due to the passage of time, but what that light signified was significant.

“It’s really completely gone.”

“Indeed. Not even the slightest trace remains. Without the instant-death fog, there’s no need to designate this area as a Black Zone.”

“At this point, wouldn’t it be possible to lift the existing Black Zone designation and designate the entire area as a Red Zone?”

“With an emergency review, it would be possible within minutes.”

Lee Haseong nodded at Namina’s words.

He had known it before coming, but seeing it with his own eyes made it even more real.

The increase in dungeons was, in any case, a benefit. It meant more battlefields where Awakeners could grow stronger.

Of course, since the rank of the dungeon had not yet been confirmed, it was impossible to know who would own it.

If the dungeon was D-rank or higher, it would be owned by the state – KSA [Korean Special Ability Association] – according to the Awakener Special Act, and if it was E-rank or lower, it would belong to the owner of the land.

“The problem is that, regardless of the dungeon’s rating, the surrounding land is entirely owned by Kang Sinhwa.”

“If it’s an E-rank or lower dungeon and he owns it, he can just leave it as is. The problem is if it’s D-rank or higher.”

“It’s ambiguous. Looking at it earlier, it seemed like he had bought all the land around the dungeon.”

“How did he know? Was it just an investment for a possible future? Or, as you said, Mina, is it future sight?”

Lee Haseong was very curious.

It was too much of a coincidence that so many gears meshed so perfectly.

Moreover, it wasn’t like Sinhwa had bought the land and forgotten about it.

As soon as the changes occurred in the Jije Station area, he contacted them as if he had been waiting for it. As if he knew everything.

“Can’t you scan it?”

“I told you, it doesn’t work… I told you I failed before. It wasn’t an ordinary force.”

“If the head of the branch, who is called the strongest in Korea, can’t see it, who can?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Lee Haseong shook his head and headed towards Sinhwa, who was visible in the distance, with Namina.

Sinhwa, who was leisurely folding his arms, naturally offered a handshake as the two approached.

Haseong activated his search ability with a hopeful thought.

“…….”

As before, he couldn’t penetrate even a tiny bit of magical power, as if blocked by a huge wall.

Rather, Lee Haseong thought that if Sinhwa had the same ‘search ability’ as him.

He might have been defeated by Sinhwa’s power.

“I haven’t touched anything. No one has entered the dungeon, and of course, there’s no one around.”

“Branch Manager Namina, please measure the dungeon core energy with the detection device.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At Lee Haseong’s instruction, Namina moved quickly. As it became an official occasion, her speech changed to formal.

Meanwhile, Sinhwa looked at the device with a surprised expression and asked.

“Did you bring that? I heard it’s a very expensive piece of equipment.”

“It’s most important to quickly determine the rank of a new dungeon. Even if it’s expensive, we have to use it when we need to. Haha.”

Lee Haseong answered with a smile.

At first glance, it was a device about the size of a small handbag, but the price of the device was a whopping 200 billion won [approximately $150 million USD].

It contained a large amount of top-grade dimension stones, as well as rare materials in the micro-process.

It was also an expensive piece of equipment that would be a big problem if lost.

Silence flowed for a while as Namina quickly took measurements.

Sinhwa had already organized all his words and thoughts.

Lee Haseong was in a situation where he had to start racking his brain.

Just then.

Namina, who had finished checking through the device, shouted.

“All three are D-rank dungeons!”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure! I triple-checked!”

“I’m not interested in dungeon ownership. I’m glad it became state-owned.”

Sinhwa answered with a smile.

The reason he could give up without entering the dungeon was that he knew what was inside.

It was an ordinary D-rank dungeon with nothing particularly special. There were no flowers or special materials.

Since it was a ‘fresh’ dungeon that had not been around for long, there was a slight possibility that the dimension stone drop rate would be slightly higher.

“You bought all the surrounding land.”

“Yes. In slang, they call it ‘존버 (Jonber) [a Korean slang term for holding onto an investment with the expectation of future gains],’ right? I bought it because the price didn’t seem too expensive anyway.”

Too conspicuous a nonchalance.

Lee Haseong felt that it was a deliberate act by Sinhwa.

‘I already knew everything, and I have land around these newly created dungeons. What answer will the KSA give?’

It felt like he was asking back.

“The KSA will manage the dungeon. Would you consider selling the land altogether?”

Lee Haseong suggested cautiously.

If these dungeons were only created in a place with poor surrounding conditions, he would have thought differently.

But the conditions were good.

If you go down a little further south, there are two C-rank dungeons.

Until now, they were dungeons that had not been greatly activated, because they were too close to the instant-death fog zone.

But now that the great danger has disappeared, the value of the dungeon was likely to rise as well.

In other words, the possibility of Awakeners flocking to the area was very high.

Dungeons are not always created in downtown areas or densely populated areas.

In many cases, they are located in villages or islands that are no different from the outback, or you have to climb to the top of a mountain.

In that respect, having two C-rank dungeons and three D-rank dungeons in close proximity means…

It also meant that it could be developed into a dungeon-dense area by bundling them together.

“I have no intention of selling. There’s no obligation, is there?”

“That’s right. Kang Sinhwa owns the land.”

“In my opinion.”

Sinhwa started to speak.

Lee Haseong waited for Sinhwa to continue, thinking that there was a trick.

Somehow, he felt like he had naturally given Sinhwa the initiative.

It couldn’t be helped.

If the landowner was determined, he could build all kinds of structures to prevent people from entering the dungeon.

This could happen because a dungeon was created on the land he bought, not because he intentionally bought the surrounding land where the dungeon was located.

In other words, Sinhwa had enough grounds to leverage his position with the KSA if he wanted to.

“If we develop this area well, we can make the No. 1 line connecting Byeongjeom Station to Jije Station closer to yellow than red [referring to a positive economic forecast].”

“Does the KSA want to bundle the area with the two C-rank dungeons in the south and develop it into a dungeon-dense area?”

“I’m looking at a virtuous cycle. If the Jije Station area stabilizes quickly, it seems like it will stabilize up and down.”

Sinhwa’s words made perfect sense. Lee Haseong also thought so.

It was exactly the same as what he and Namina had talked about while coming here.

“First of all, I agree that it’s a good idea. Sinhwa, you’re thinking of building convenience facilities and related facilities here.”

“Needless to say.”

Sinhwa nodded.

The most necessary facilities can be built in the form of temporary buildings, and the essential items can be sold first.

Sinhwa can provide the capital, or he can join hands with Yanghwa Group if necessary.

Giving up a seat and doing a monthly rent business is also a possible option.

Awakeners who enter the dungeon usually buy spare reinforced suits, magic power, and recovery potions.

Yanghwa Group has a systematic system for this, so there was enough room for strategic alliances under consultation.

‘This is a great place to make a fixed income even after retirement. I won’t sell the land until dirt gets in my eyes. Who would benefit?’

Sinhwa’s thoughts were firm.

There will be nothing wrong with this area for at least the next 10 years.

Whether it’s a sudden outbreak, or the rise of a criminal organization, or whatever.

‘Things are going smoothly as I thought.’

Stocks and land.

It felt like a foundation was being laid to reliably increase his wealth.

Gorim Chemical’s stock.

The land around the Jije Station dungeon area.

The foundation has been laid.

Now, it seemed like he just needed to steadily invest the bundles of money that would come to him soon.

Right into the beautiful islands of the South Pacific with emerald seas!

* * *

Before I left Jije Station, the agents who arrived at the scene at Lee Haseong’s request began exploring the dungeon.

It was a common occurrence.

Because it was a nationalized dungeon, it was necessary to identify any risk factors in the dungeon in advance.

Lee Haseong told me that he would set up a dedicated team to review and judge the development of this area.

I also said that I would discuss with Yanghwa Group and come up with a development and investment plan as quickly as possible.

Since I, Yanghwa Group, and KSA all had a good relationship, I thought there was a 0% chance that this would not work out.

On the way home, I contacted Jin Bomi and scheduled a meeting with Jin Seongtae soon.

I naturally brought up the land and dungeon I had bought in Jije Station, but Jin Bomi was no longer surprised.

-Sinhwa, please let me know if you can see even a little bit of my future later. I’ll give you a generous amount of money.

Rather, she laughed it off with these words.

It seemed like she had given up on being surprised anymore after being so surprised. Now she seemed to take it for granted.

In the subway on the way home.

It was much more comfortable to sit down for a while and entrust myself to the railroad.

Sometimes it might be okay to travel by public transportation like this, even if it takes time.

Well, if I’m in a hurry, I’ll have to run and fly hard between buildings.

“Hmm…….”

I looked again at Elijah’s montage in my wallet.

I had shown Shami Elijah’s appearance before, but she said she couldn’t recognize him at all.

Shami was not a member of the Lechnat Order, but a princess who survived the kingdom that was sacrificed to them.

So it was not strange that she had no contact with Elijah.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have listened and remembered instead of letting it go in one ear.’

I felt bitter for no reason.

When I was beating Lecherro in my past life, there were quite a few opportunities to hear about their biographies and history.

However, I delegated all strategies, tactics, and in-depth investigations to Nicholas and only did what he told me to do.

I didn’t bother to pay attention.

I just killed when they told me to kill, and caught when they told me to catch.

I never asked why.

It was easy then because I could empty my brain, but now that I’m reasoning, it feels like my head is about to break.

I wanted to leave for the South Pacific right away and bury myself somewhere on Cribia Island.

-One thing I remember for sure. There were more than one or two people who lost their bodies due to curses like me and were exiled from the Nas continent.

-I’ve never met them on the island I used to live on, but maybe there are beings here in a similar situation to me. Cat, dog, whatever.

The words that Shami left behind gave me the idea that it could be a solution in a different sense.

Witnesses are needed.

A new witness to find the four veiled people other than Elijah Lowe.