I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 175

“I didn’t expect the lounge to be completely empty. It feels so awkward with the usually crowded lounge being so quiet.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Isla Blanchette, the team leader of the Korean and Japanese region management team for the Australian Golden Sky Guild.”

“I’m Kang Shin-hwa.”

“We’ve met before, right? Though this is our first time formally introducing ourselves.”

“Indeed. I was quite surprised to receive your sudden invitation. I didn’t expect to meet while I was in Japan.”

“Hehe. Indeed.”

“Hahaha.”

Clearly, both Isla and I were greeting each other with bright smiles. To an outsider, it would seem like a heartwarming formal meeting between two Awakened. At least, on the surface.

However.

‘To think she’s an Apostle…’

My insides were burning black as I stared directly at her.

Grrr. Grrr. Grrr.

The resonance of Dark Energy caused intense internal vibrations.

Of course, the vibration was limited to the finger wearing the ring, but the tremor was unimaginably strong.

Apostle, Isla Blanchette.

This confirmed it.

There was a mole planted by Lecerro among the nine members of our Nine Lords.

Whether it was Lecerro’s intention or not, what was certain was that Isla was a traitor.

‘Nicholas, what did you miss in your past life that I have to face such trials now?’

I pressed the tip of my finger with my nail under the table, where Isla couldn’t see.

I felt blood flowing. It was an expression of unbearable, deep anger, suppressed as quietly as possible.

The only reason Nicholas wasn’t prepared was that it was a problem that occurred after his regression point.

For example, it’s like how I don’t know anything about what happened after 2052, which was my regression point in my past life.

If something happened in 2053 in my past life, there’s no way I could know about it now.

‘The weakness of a regressor is that they only see what they know. That’s why 100% certainty is dangerous.’

I remembered Nicholas saying that in passing.

Of course, he wasn’t being serious. The conclusion always ended with, ‘Regression is still the best!’

‘So, Isla thoroughly hid her identity while working as one of the Nine Lords, and then revealed her true colors after preventing the Great Cataclysm.’

The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

Elijah was the same case.

The Elijah I remembered in my past life was someone who lived for his own ego and had no interest in the greater good.

At the time, I vaguely dismissed it as him being indifferent to everything.

It was revealed not long ago that Elijah was also an Apostle of Lecerro.

“……”

A shiver ran down my spine.

While Nicholas and I were only thinking about saving humanity and the world from the Great Cataclysm.

They were secretly planning what came after.

One was secretly building power while pretending to be indifferent, and the other was gaining trust under the guise of being a comrade.

Nicholas often mentioned the knowledge of a regressor to Isla… How amusing must that have been?

In my past life, Isla was kinder and more angelic than anyone else, comforting her teammates.

Although she had a reputation for being somewhat difficult, her concern for her teammates was genuine.

She even almost sacrificed her life for me – though it was probably an act.

“Kang Shin-hwa?”

Isla called out to me, noticing my sudden silence due to my complicated thoughts.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was momentarily speechless at the sight of a beautiful woman.”

I made an excuse.

There’s no better way to smoothly navigate an awkward situation than complimenting someone’s appearance.

For now, I decided to have a conversation.

We were both wearing rings.

And the total amount of Dark Energy each ring possessed would have determined our hierarchy.

Like Elijah, Isla would probably think of me as one of Belik’s ‘followers.’

Since a follower is a lower concept than an Apostle, the possibility of her being wary of me seemed lower than I thought.

“I’ve wanted to meet you in person for a while. Was it January of this year? Around that time, news of Kang Shin-hwa started to spread.”

“Has time already passed that much? When I think about the past, it feels like a dream.”

“Actually, at first, I just thought you were another promising newcomer. There are plenty of rising stars who suddenly appear and then disappear, right?”

“I’m also one of those rising stars. Hahaha.”

“Hey! You’re too modest. Shin-hwa has proven his abilities not only as an Awakened but also as a producer.”

“I just have a bit of craftsmanship.”

“If that skill is a special talent that others don’t have, then it’s a different story. It’s an irreplaceable production resource.”

Isla’s eyes shone brightly.

Her gaze was full of curiosity and questions.

She seemed to be interested in all the behind-the-scenes stories of how I achieved such rapid growth and what kind of existence I was in the ‘Nas Continent.’

There would also be a sense of camaraderie or belonging as one of the ‘minority’ who came from the Nas Continent.

It’s the same principle as feeling happy when we meet someone of the same nationality in a foreign country.

“First, I’d like to mention an official business request. First of all, I’m sorry. I threw a tantrum. I told Yoon Byul-yi that I really wanted to meet Kang Shin-hwa in person.”

“It’s okay. It’s good for me to have connections in the Australian region. The reputation of the Golden Sky Guild is also great.”

My mouth tasted bitter as I tried to give a compliment that was not from the heart.

When you think about it, Golden Sky is actually a milder version of the Chinese Big Three evils [referring to powerful and corrupt Chinese guilds].

Although there is no concrete evidence, it is also connected to the world criminal organization, the Revengers.

“We would like to be given priority in purchasing the enhancement potions. It’s not just a simple demand.”

“Shall we hear more?”

“There are quite a few dangerous dungeons in Australia that have been in a long-term un-cleared state. There are also many places where the dimensional energy control is not working because they were abruptly terminated during the clearing process.”

“Isn’t there an Australian Awakened Association or Guild?”

“The number of people is also precarious. Not to mention the Awakened Association, all the guilds are just focusing on dealing with dungeons.”

“Isn’t there a way to request help from foreign Awakened Associations or Guilds?”

“The overall atmosphere tends to be quite exclusive to the influx of foreign Awakened, so…”

“Even though the situation is serious, preferences are prioritized.”

“It’s an embarrassing aspect. Anyway, as a result, they are resorting to publicly banned drugs.”

First of all, half of Isla’s story was a lie.

If they need it, they have enough negotiating power to bring in Awakened belonging to the Revengers to cover it.

It is true that they are having trouble with the number and management of Awakened compared to other countries.

Anyway, it seemed that they were trying to get more potions from me by making an official and plausible excuse.

“We will never ask about the ingredients of the potion composition, and we can allow you to clear the dungeons where the ingredients come from.”

“Are you saying that you will help with ingredient farming and take priority for that amount of potion?”

“That’s right. Of course, we will only ask for a certain amount. Shin-hwa must have something left over too!”

It was a proposal worthy of Isla.

It was tempting.

The dungeons in Australia have abundant dimensional energy, so the growth state of Katra [a type of magical resource] is very good.

Perhaps one Katra obtained here will play 1.5 to 2 times the role of one obtained elsewhere.

“Are you going to look out for my convenience?”

“That’s right. In fact, there is no exclusion or anything in terms of profitable parts.”

“Good. Let’s actively review that part. It would be a great proposal if it’s a win-win for each other.”

“Could you confirm by visiting in person before April 10th? There is really a lot of demand for potions.”

I could feel Isla’s drive to make it certain.

Because both she and I know very well that verbal contracts are meaningless.

“I’ll give you an answer by tomorrow.”

“I hope you will cooperate. In addition, our guild has a deep relationship with Team Osaka. We can be of great help.”

“I understand.”

In this way, I am now connected to quite a few connections abroad.

Of course, the European Awakened Association is still an unknown world to me.

Since there is one ‘major incident’ here that will happen in 2020… I will have to pay attention to it soon.

Because almost the end of March is approaching.

The civil war between the American Awakened Association and the European Awakened Association will take place in late April.

Right then.

Clack!

Isla snapped her fingers.

Then, a purplish aura rose above the fingernails of her left hand, which was heavily styled with black nail art.

It instantly enveloped the area within a 2m radius around the table where we were sitting in a semicircular shape.

It was the talent she often used in her past life, the sound blocking talent.

All conversations within the semicircle will never leak out.

‘Okay, traitor. Let’s hear what you have to say.’

My expression also darkened.

Currently, Isla is an S+ rank.

However, she also has the title of Irregular in a broad category.

This is because her ‘Mana Assassination’ talent, which she uses differently from her rank, is so special that it is possible to overpower.

Just as I often draw out power beyond the limits that exceed imagination, her mana assassination was similar to that.

So, if she sets her mind to it, it is possible to assassinate a much higher-ranked enemy in one blow.

In addition, she also had the talent of accelerating mana recovery, limited to areas with abundant mana.

“Where are you affiliated?”

“I belong to the Klizard Combat Unit.”

Elijah did the same, and this guy is using informal speech from the start.

Perhaps because she confirmed the difference in hierarchy through the degree of resonance of the ring, she had no hesitation in her words.

As she thoroughly follows the hierarchy, she seems to think of me as a ‘lower being.’

Anyway, I answered her question without hesitation and naturally.

I was fully prepared to answer all questions.

Everything I heard, saw, and experienced in my past life is of great help to me now.

I know quite a bit about the landscape and history of the Nas Continent.

“It seems that the growth of a follower who is not an Apostle is quite fast. Was there any special secret?”

“I think I was lucky. Elijah also said something similar.”

“Elijah… He’s a disgusting guy, but he’s quite skilled. He took good care of useful flowers [a metaphor for talented individuals].”

“Isn’t that the same for Isla?”

“Well, wouldn’t it be insignificant compared to an Awakened who is blooming talents like crazy like you?”

Isla narrowed her eyes.

It was a nuance that she seemed to feel a strange sense of inferiority to me.

That’s because I have been growing my abilities by continuing to absorb flowers, buffs, and talents since regression.

Penttuple, Hextuple, and so on.

I gave up classifying the number of talents at some point.

It may be natural for Isla, a dual-type Awakened, to envy me because I have so many different talents.

But right then.

It was a very fleeting moment!

Following the fingertips of her hand placed on the table, I confirmed that there was a subtle fluctuation of small energy.

That was right.

‘Checking whether Dark Energy is compliant.’

It was a test to confirm whether I was definitely an existence from the Nas Continent.

Of course, it was the most dangerous test for me, who has no Dark Energy in my body at all.

A test that could reveal my identity!