I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 223

223

A while later.

‘Is that the Advent of the God of Combat……?’

Jenus couldn’t hide his astonishment at what he had felt during the fierce back-and-forth battle with Shin-hwa.

It was due to Shin-hwa’s defense, which was as unyielding as bamboo, standing firm no matter how hard he tried to push it back.

Moreover, his attacks were unimaginably fast and fierce.

The transition between offense and defense was instantaneous, and both sides were flawless, making it a truly grueling experience for Jenus.

‘He perfectly controls his other human companions as if they were his own limbs. At the same time, he’s severely restricting my movements.’

Jenus clicked his tongue.

The reason was that Jenus had tried to target Yoon-byeol and the other team members in the rear several times himself.

However, all attempts failed because Shin-hwa tenaciously blocked his path.

Magical interference was inevitably limited, and he didn’t allow Jenus to get close enough.

‘Tricky…….’

Jenus’s expression darkened.

He had allowed too many effective hits by falling for Shin-hwa’s strategy of alternating between the ‘Blink Ring’ and the ‘Invisible Ring.’

By repeatedly moving back and forth in front of and behind Jenus using the Blink Ring, he continuously disrupted his vision.

Thanks to the invisibility provided by the Invisible Ring, Jenus often lost track of Shin-hwa’s location.

This was a calculated move, knowing that Jenus relied solely on ‘sight’ to track the enemy’s movements during reconnaissance.

Usually, one would detect hidden enemies through other means such as intuition or smell, in addition to sight.

However, Jenus had a critical weakness in detecting stealth.

Shin-hwa didn’t miss the opportunity and relentlessly exploited Jenus’s weakness, which he had discovered during the battle.

It was infuriating to be on the receiving end, but there was no clever way to change the situation.

Drip. Drip.

The six arms, which had been perfectly fine before the battle started.

But now, thick drops of blood were continuously falling from three of them.

Those were the wounds that Yoon-byeol had inflicted through her surprise attacks from the rear.

All of her dagger attacks had a special effect called ‘Scars of Pain.’

It didn’t prevent regeneration or healing, but it had the effect of delaying hemostasis [stopping of blood flow].

At first, when there were only one or two wounds, it wasn’t a problem.

However, as wounds appeared on his waist and sides, the bleeding became impossible to ignore.

‘I underestimated humans too much. Especially that leader.’

Jenus stared at Shin-hwa and wiped the sweat that was dripping down his forehead.

At first, he had tried to stall for time and defeat Shin-hwa’s group one by one, but his plans didn’t work at all.

Then there was only one way.

To crush Shin-hwa, who seemed to be the center and control tower of these five members, with all his might.

Just as a building cannot stand if the steel frame that serves as its pillar collapses, he decided to destroy the foundation of the team.

-Huuuuh!

Having made his final decision, Jenus put strength into his entire body and attempted a transformation.

Then, the six arms that had been wriggling until just now fell to the floor as if cutting off a lizard’s tail.

And new arms sprouted.

‘It’s starting.’

Shin-hwa nodded inwardly, confirming Jenus’s transformation.

Now, things were starting to go according to the plan he had laid out.

Shin-hwa had been waiting for Jenus to undergo an ‘awakening transformation’ during the entire battle.

When he underwent an awakening transformation, his body’s movements would become dramatically faster as he acquired a new body.

However, his durability and defense would decrease sharply. In other words, there was as much to lose as there was to gain.

“…….”

Shin-hwa quietly turned around.

He made eye contact with Jin Bo-mi, and the signal they had agreed upon earlier was quickly exchanged.

Although it was a part they had only practiced briefly, Shin-hwa trusted the skills that Jin Bo-mi had shown so far.

She was an Awakened who specialized in meticulously studying and supporting the movements of her team members, no less than Han So-joon and Choi Ji-hyeok.

If he were to rate the satisfaction of their teamwork out of 100, he would give her at least 95 points.

Since the opponent had sacrificed defense for attack power, a destructive onslaught was essential to crush their weaknesses.

“Hoo.”

He let everything go.

Shin-hwa also gave up on defending and decided to entrust the recovery of his stamina to Han So-joon.

If he was scratched once by the enemy, he just needed to scratch them twice in return.

“Let’s go!”

He rushed towards Jenus again.

Shin-hwa, sprinting with Transcendental Acceleration maximized, was as fast as lightning.

But right then.

-How amus…….

The moment Jenus perfectly read Shin-hwa’s movements and was about to give a meaningful smile.

Whoosh!

Shin-hwa appeared right in front of him.

It was a surprise attack created in conjunction with Jin Bo-mi’s Distortion Array [a magical formation that manipulates space].

“Receive this!”

Thwack!

-Kuaaaaagh!

Shin-hwa, who completed the words that Jenus had failed to finish, stabbed him with the sharply transformed sword of his right arm.

However, Jenus dodged with agility, so he didn’t pierce his heart, but instead inflicted a 15cm gash on his lower abdomen.

Swish! Swish!

Jenus wasn’t a fool either.

In the meantime, he tried to counterattack Shin-hwa by wielding his sword and spear.

Swoosh!

He quickly retreated to his original position using Distortion Array.

Jenus, who belatedly discovered the barrier, swung his sword towards it.

Whooong!

However, the Distortion Array, which had already closed, disappeared without a trace, piercing only the empty air.

-Tch!

Right then.

Weeeeng!

The Distortion Array opened again.

Since the center of gravity of Jenus was broken because one attack had gone awry.

Next moment.

Woo Woong!

-……!

Jenus couldn’t believe his eyes.

This time, Wilson was flying through the opened barrier.

The problem was that Wilson had flown right in front of him, so close that it seemed too late to see and react.

-Shi…….!

Even Jenus couldn’t help but curse.

Crack!

A sound that clearly indicated bones were being crushed was heard.

Wilson, who collided with Jenus’s face while making an unpleasant whistling sound, completely crushed Jenus’s nose and jawbone.

-Keheok…….

Jenus staggered back, clutching his aching face, drooling with snot and saliva.

Wilson, who had delivered a refreshing blow, returned to his original position through the barrier, making an unpleasant wind sound.

When Jenus struggled to stare ahead, the barrier disappeared again before his eyes.

Even though the distance from Shin-hwa was clearly tens of meters.

He was helplessly attacked by the coordination using Distortion Array.

Right then.

Tap tap tap!

This time, Shin-hwa started rushing straight ahead, choosing to take the orthodox approach.

Although he was full of momentum, Jenus could see enough room to counterattack Shin-hwa.

Wooong! Wooong!

Jenus’s arms, having made a decision, began to move diligently.

The four arms that manifested elemental magic were all aimed at Shin-hwa, greatly condensing magical power.

His plan was to deploy high-powered magic at once to induce Shin-hwa to defend once.

Then, he would slip through the gap and harass him with sword and spear attacks.

He was confident that he could do it with his physical abilities, which had increased with one awakening transformation.

Kwaaaaaa!

The magic flew with a roar.

The size of the giant magic sphere alone showed his will to kill Shin-hwa without fail.

“…….”

Shin-hwa was charging straight at Jenus without any reaction or expression.

‘Arrogant human.’

Jenus thought so.

It would be a big mistake to judge that he would be defeated just because his previous plan had succeeded.

He wasn’t that stupid!

But.

-……?

Jenus’s eyes wavered.

Shin-hwa, who had been running as if there was no turning back, suddenly stopped in his place, and his figure disappeared.

Instead, an oval-shaped barrier appeared in the place where Shin-hwa had been.

It was Distortion Array that Jin Bo-mi had deployed once again.

Shuuuuuk!

Soon, the magic that Jenus had unleashed was neatly sucked into the barrier of Distortion Array.

The worst situation occurred immediately afterward.

Kwakwakwakwang!

-Kuaaaagh!

Before he could even do anything, the magic sphere that had penetrated inside struck the back of Jenus’s head.

Jin Bo-mi had designed the entrance and exit of Distortion Array to be in front of Shin-hwa and behind Jenus’s head, respectively.

And Shin-hwa, who played the role of ‘bait,’ had very deliciously induced Jenus’s attack.

It was a blow that had greatly increased firepower, so the impact on Jenus, who was hit from behind in an defenseless state, was significant.

Thwack!

Yoon-byeol, who had been annoyingly harassing the rear, did not miss the opportunity.

This time, she stabbed a dagger deep into Jenus’s side.

It was a fatal hidden move, as the paralysis effect would remain even if he pulled out the dagger, which was covered in paralysis poison.

The attack did not end here.

As if waiting for it, a series of coordinated attacks followed, taking advantage of Jenus’s bewilderment.

Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzzzzzle.

Boom! Boom! Booooom!

A flame explosion occurred due to ‘Hwasik, Torrential Flames,’ one of Jin Bo-mi’s fire-based spells.

-Keoeoeok!

Flames fell on the back of Jenus, who was already battered from being beaten by his own magic.

An unbearable extreme pain came over him.

The bigger problem was that Shin-hwa had not yet attacked.

Right then.

“You can’t see here.”

The moment Jenus heard Shin-hwa’s chilling words, he sensed that something was wrong.

Thwack!

A sword strike, the origin of which was unknown, pierced Jenus’s crown as it was.

The place where Shin-hwa appeared was not the front or the rear, but right above Jenus’s head.

Jin Bo-mi had once again deployed Distortion Array, causing Shin-hwa to appear in an unexpected location.

This position was difficult to cover even with both arms holding the sword and spear, which were bent for easy frontal attacks.

However, Jenus, with his thick outer skin and bones, only had a part of his scalp pierced, and the inside was unharmed.

So he thought he could quickly recover and counterattack, but…….

“Will I give you that time?”

-Kkeueu! Kkeueu! Kkuaaaaa!

Shin-hwa did not give Jenus a moment’s respite and continued his attack.

He quickly rotated his body around the sword of his right arm that had pierced his crown, deploying Transcendental Acceleration.

To put it in perspective, he had become a living human drill.

As Shin-hwa’s body began to spin like a top.

Heat and smoke were generated, and at the same time, the blade that had penetrated between the scalps pierced deeper and deeper.

Deudeudeuk! Seogeogeok! Seogeok!

Once the limit that could be endured had passed, the bones and flesh that had collapsed in an instant began to be ground away nicely.

His body spun and spun madly, but this was not dizzying at all for Shin-hwa.

“Wow…….”

“It’s like watching a killing machine.”

“……Does an Awakened exist in the world who kills boss monsters in such a brutal and ruthless way?”

Exclamations burst out from the team members.

It was not a tedious siege or an outdated attrition warfare tactic to sluggishly attack the boss monster.

Rather, it was a scene of neatly catching the boss monster with definite aims, lures, and perfect design.