I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 182

182.

Boss Monster, Dient.

Plant-type boss monsters weren’t rare, but its appearance and name were definitely new to him.

It was larger than the ‘Tree of Transcendence’ he had seen in the dungeon before, and its movements were swift.

-I shall not forgive anyone who disturbs my rest.

“These days, even trees are trying to be emperors? Which country are you the emperor of?”

-Dare you mock me!

Dient’s sharp reaction came.

Judging by the fact that it understood him even though he spoke in Korean, it seemed to have its own translation system.

‘Annoying.’

Shinwha frowned.

The problem with plant-type monsters was that even if you cut off their branches or vines, which they used like hands and feet, it didn’t do much damage.

Moreover, they used their astonishing regenerative abilities to immediately regenerate the severed parts.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The ground shook here and there, and thick vines and roots appeared, indicating that it was no ordinary big guy.

It felt like it would be a prolonged battle.

Shinwha, wanting to prevent the situation from becoming troublesome, offered Dient a negotiation.

“Dient!”

-Dare you speak my name?

“How about making a peace treaty? I’ll quietly gather the plants and leave, and you won’t waste your energy fighting.”

-Do you call that a proposal?

“It’s good because we don’t shed blood and don’t have to fight annoyingly, right?”

He would fight if he had to fight Dient, but in truth, he desperately wanted to rest quietly.

Besides, wasn’t he on vacation now! He wanted to quietly enjoy his time and leave today…….

-Go eat pine nuts, human.

“Wow…… Dient, where did you learn such terrible expressions?”

It was a fairly softened expression, but Shinwha knew the original meaning better.

Dient’s excessive provocation instantly erased any thoughts of peace, and he became instantly enraged.

Negotiations broke down.

If so, he had no choice but to compete with strength as the opponent wished.

-Become my nourishment and the foundation for my growth!

“Great. I was wondering what firewood to use for the fireplace in my villa later, but you’ll be a perfect fit.”

Shinwha loosened his hands.

The weakness of plant-type monsters was the area that could be called their face.

In other words, although they were plant-type, they were designed similarly to humans, so he would aim for the core center where the eyes, mouth, and brain were located.

For plant-type monsters, the face was the core and everything, so it was necessary to relentlessly smash that area.

Hitting other places all day long was meaningless.

Rather, he would only fall into confusion amidst the countless branches and vines that swirled wildly.

‘He’s quite clever.’

Looking at Dient’s entire body, there were indeed several shapes that looked like eyes and mouths.

-I will kill you!

In fact, when Dient spoke, the fake eyes and mouths moved together, showing off their perfect camouflage.

The confirmed locations of the real and fake ones totaled seven.

First of all, it was essential to quickly distinguish the real one.

‘Anyway, I’m only going to focus on one spot!’

Shinwha had no intention of aiming for other parts at all. It was a waste of time, talent, and magic.

“…….”

Shinwha stood in place.

He spread his arms wide and provoked Dient to his heart’s content.

-Die!

Whir! Whir!

Dient, angered by Shinwha’s relaxed appearance, simultaneously stretched out a total of seven thick branches.

Each one was packed with thorns and had a sharp end, making them seem so sharp that even a graze would be fatal.

‘That’s why the Flower of Transcendence is so good.’

Shinwha was relaxed.

He could clearly predict the trajectory of the branches flying towards him.

With the Flower of Transcendence enhancing his calculation ability and adding multi-tracking ability, this much was enough to calculate.

And the moment he judged it was the right time.

“Ha!”

Whoosh!

With a shout, Shinwha kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The branches of Dient, which belatedly corrected their path but ultimately failed to hit Shinwha, struck the ground in vain.

“Nice foothold!”

Shinwha used a few branches stuck in the ground as stepping stones and soared into the air once more.

He intended to aim for Dient’s face ‘candidate’ at the highest point.

Usually, plant-type monsters had an advantage in height over the virtual enemy, ‘Awakened Ones’ [individuals with supernatural abilities].

Therefore, placing the most important part as high as possible could be explained by the logic of survival.

And.

“Face Strike!”

Along with Shinwha’s thunderous voice, a fiery Explosive Fist struck Dient’s face.

Boom!

It was such a huge blow that it sounded like fireworks exploding.

-Kuh-kuk!

“As expected, the common sense of the world hardly deviates from expectations!”

Shinwha grinned.

The Explosive Fist, which he unleashed with a plausible deduction, created a considerable wound on Dient.

Of course, Dient also had a ‘reinforced outer shell,’ which could be said to be the exclusive property of boss monsters.

To be precise, it was a form in which the bark was reinforced with several layers.

However, the reinforced shell could not absorb all the impact.

Unlike the relatively clean appearance of the exterior, the inside had been shaken by the reverberation of the Explosive Fist.

-Yo, you’re quite capable, human!

“Why are you stuttering?”

Dient regained his senses and sent more thorny vines towards Shinwha.

It was a dazzling and rapid attack, to the point where Dient himself couldn’t predict how the thorny vines would attack.

‘I just need to cut this off.’

However, Shinwha had already finished calculating in his head.

He found only one vine among the chaotic flying vines that would interfere with his movement.

And.

Swoosh!

He easily cut it off with his right arm sword, which had been raised to its limit.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Hooong!

The attacks that followed were all in vain.

It was embarrassing for Dient, who had energetically increased his repertoire of attacks.

The next moment.

“Dient, is it my turn now?”

Dient heard Shinwha’s death sentence, which he could never ignore.

* * *

Some time later.

-Kuh-uck! Woah-uck! Keh-heh-eck!

-It hurts! Aah! It hurts so much!

Since becoming the king of plants.

Dient was experiencing pain, frustration, and despair that he had never felt before.

Shinwha was dodging all the thick vine attacks and relentlessly hitting only Dient’s ‘face’.

At first, Dient endured with evil, grit, and resilience, but now he was dizzy.

He would rather be hit evenly everywhere(?), but Shinwha didn’t seem to care.

He might die.

No, he was gradually dying!

Dient trembled at the fear of death rising from deep within.

It was an emotion that he could instinctively feel even without learning it.

The opponent was too strong.

He didn’t know how an uninvited guest had found his way into this dungeon.

But Dient had been accumulating dimensional energy and becoming stronger while staying here.

So, he had endured the fierce gales, storms, and lightning that lashed the fields.

But even those times of endurance were as meaningless as a handful of ashes in front of Shinwha.

Thud! Thud-thud! Thud!

Every time Dient’s body swayed from side to side, sap, which served as human blood, poured out.

The bark around his face had long been reduced to a thin, shabby shell.

He was really going to die like this……!

It was an undeniable reality, contrary to Dient’s will to endure somehow.

-Sa, sa, save me!

The declaration of surrender finally came.

He sincerely wanted to live.

If he died like this, he could no longer be the king of plants, and he couldn’t feel the serene atmosphere and mood of his home, could he?

“Why should I? And didn’t you tell me to eat pine nuts earlier? I’m trying to eat you because I don’t have any pine nuts to eat, so why?”

-Please save me! I kneel and beg you like this! Please!

“……?”

Shinwha looked at Dient, who was shedding tears and begging with his vines gathered together on his knees.

It was a bit pitiful to see a guy who was supposed to be a king throwing away his dignity and begging for his life like this.

However, there was a reason why he had to kill the boss monster of the dummy dungeon.

It was to obtain the supreme-grade dimensional stone that he possessed.

It was a rare material, and with its increased necessity now, it was a privilege that Shinwha could never give up.

“Tell me why I should save you. And does it make sense to ask to be saved without any compensation?”

-I’ll give you anything! Really! If you leave only the basic dungeon vegetation, I can give up everything else!

“Oh? What do you mean by leaving only the basics? Are you cultivating the plants?”

-Yes! That’s right! Why else would I be the king? That’s why I’m the king!

The king of plants was bowing his head to the one he had ignored as a ‘mere human’ and nodding vigorously!

He was intrigued.

If he didn’t kill the boss monster, the dummy dungeon wouldn’t disappear.

In other words, he could visit again, and if Dient’s words were true.

The Strength Grass he had consumed today would grow lush again when he came back next time.

It was true that the plants here were attractive crafting materials.

But it wasn’t like there were no alternatives at all, and it wouldn’t be a big loss if he couldn’t get them.

Muscle modification was the only variable, but since it was in progress, he didn’t need Strength Grass anymore.

“Plants aren’t a reason for me to save you. I need something more substantial. If I kill you, I can get a stone like this.”

Shinwha showed Dient the supreme-grade dimensional stone he had taken out of his subspace.

Then Dient answered with a surprised expression.

-Are you perhaps talking about that stone in my body?

“You know about dimensional stones?”

-That! It’s been like a foreign substance in my body for a long time! If I give you only that, can I live?

“Hmm……. I can think about it?”

When Shinwha made a slightly teasing and ambiguous expression, Dient cut off one of his branches without hesitation.

Thud.

Dient’s branch, which had fallen weakly to the ground, began to shrivel.

And soon, a dimensional stone with a brilliant color appeared from within the branch, which had decreased in volume.

It was a supreme-grade dimensional stone.

-After all, I can just make the branch grow again.

Dient shook his body with an unconcerned expression and quickly regenerated the branch.

“Oh, so can you create another supreme-grade dimensional stone from the regenerated branch?”

-That’s not the case! But I can cut out the foreign substance in my body like this and give it to you!

Dient shouted with a delighted expression as he saw a way to survive from Shinwha’s clutches.

‘Am I going to be running a farm that I never even thought of?’

Shinwha burst into a hollow laugh.

If he could obtain supreme-grade dimensional stones without removing Dient, there was no need to kill him.

Rather, it was even better because he could periodically collect the unique plants in the dungeon.

But right then.

Dient made a new proposal that Shinwha couldn’t possibly refuse.

It was something he never expected to come out of Dient’s mouth.