I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 278

278

Sometimes, I wonder.

Am I strong, or are my enemies weak…? It’s confusing.

Perhaps it’s because, as a regressor, I have both past and present memories coexisting.

In my past life, I was just a regular porter when the ‘Russian Cataclysm’ happened.

To be honest, I was so busy making a daily living in dungeons that I didn’t pay much attention to outside news.

The Russian Cataclysm was definitely a huge disaster, but it didn’t really affect South Korea.

It was like an indifferent person hearing about a civil war in the Middle East. That’s about how I perceived the news of the Russian Cataclysm.

Of course, even if I had known more, there’s nothing the past me could have done.

Those with power don’t become bystanders. Usually, it’s the powerless who cowardly stand by, using their lack of power as an excuse.

Anyway, in this life, I was easily smashing monsters with quite a few S’s attached to their names.

My face was expressionless as I collected the highest-grade dimension stones from the corpses of the dead monsters.

Just looking at this, I realize how different my life is from my past life.

And it seems I wasn’t the only one thinking the same thing.

“Even if it’s routine, aren’t you happy to get dimension stones worth 1 billion won each?”

“Um… I don’t really feel anything. Money isn’t that important anyway.”

I replied indifferently to Iosif’s question.

Right after regressing, I was very diligent in saving up for retirement funds.

But now, I no longer needed funds. I had already bought the island I would retire to.

After all, my bank balance alone is in the hundreds of billions of won.

The profits from the business rights around Jije Station, which I handed over to Yanghwa Group, are more than enough to live on.

Besides, if I make a lot of products before I retire, that could generate additional income.

Living alone in a deserted resort doesn’t require as much money as you might think.

Also, I planned to be self-sufficient for most of my food.

I’m not planning to stop all basic activities just because I’m retiring.

I just need a space where I can live alone, away from the eyes of the world.

Of course… after a long time has passed since retirement, I might miss the warmth of people.

I might become so lonely that I don’t want to stay on the island anymore.

I can make a decision then. Retirement doesn’t mean ‘death’.

“Shin-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“We’re definitely meeting for the first time, right?”

“If Iosif hasn’t been to Korea, then you could say it’s our first time meeting.”

“Then why do I feel like we’ve been close colleagues for a long time?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Shin-hwa knows my movements and attack patterns too well. You’ve been *matchwoojugo* [harmonizing] to my rhythm from the beginning until now.”

Was I being too obvious?

Well, Iosif’s attack style was the same as before.

In the first place, the style of attack and defense that one has mastered is like their fingerprint. Each person has an unchanging ‘grain’.

In my past life, Iosif said that he had established his own fighting style around 2015.

So it was only natural that the style I experienced in my past life would match the present.

“There are often cases where people have good chemistry even when they meet for the first time. I think it’s a good thing.”

“To be honest, I’ve never seen a colleague who *matchwoojugo* [harmonizing] to my fighting rhythm this well.”

“Did your movements get tangled a lot?”

“Yes. There’s a reason why I got on the wrong side of RSA [a fictional organization]. They say I live in my own world.”

I’m sorry to him, but that’s also true.

Perhaps because he has too much self-love, he tends to become absorbed in his own attack style when fighting.

But he definitely earns his keep.

Knowing that, I actively *matchwoojugo* [harmonize] to the rhythm he creates in battle.

For example, *miri yangnyeom* [seasoning beforehand] the targeted monster to match the flow of the Iron Fist of Annihilation.

“Anyway, thank you for allowing me to accompany you. I’m really indebted to you. I’m so grateful and sorry that I feel like I’m being a nuisance.”

Iosif bowed deeply in front of me, showing his respect.

Even though he looks stubborn, he’s a bright guy. He quickly acknowledges what he needs to acknowledge.

“I’m also enjoying a fun team play after a long time. Of course, the situation isn’t good.”

I nodded with a smile, accepting Iosif’s bow.

But right then.

Tingle-.

I felt a very unpleasant feeling that flashed through my mind.

Nicholas used to call this feeling *yukgam* [sixth sense] in my past life.

It’s a unique sense that you can’t explain in words but can feel instinctively.

‘They’re here.’

So I knew.

That the enemy I had to face was approaching.

“Iosif, step back.”

“Yes?”

“It seems like a boss monster has appeared. Iosif needs to stay out of the fight.”

“But…”

“Have I ever said or done anything unnecessary?”

“I understand. I was being presumptuous.”

Iosif quickly stepped back about ten steps at my cold warning.

Courage and recklessness are two sides of the same coin. Iosif’s involvement in the battle right now is complete recklessness.

-I smell a coward.

-No. It smells like delicious food.

“As expected.”

Two beings finally revealed themselves in the forest to the northwest.

Fire Sword, Paiola.

Ice Sword, Isla.

The two, boasting a height of 3m, were perfectly identical twins.

Their whole bodies were muscular, and their hair *sotguchyeo haneullo machi gokkal-eul ssiwo noeun geotcheoreom* [spiked up to the sky as if wearing a cone].

It *ssoa itneunde, songgotcheoreom ppyojokhada* [stuck out, sharp like an awl] like they had applied a lot of gel so that the shape would not *heuteureojiji* [fall apart].

Attribute-type monsters.

As you can tell from their appearance, they have near-perfect immunity to the attribute they represent.

In other words, no matter how much you pour fire attacks on Paiola, it won’t do any damage.

Rather, it absorbs the flames and grows stronger. It’s similar to Elijah, whom I faced before.

Moreover, they also have a barrier that halves physical damage, making them even more difficult.

So, in my past life, we considered ‘attribute-types’ to be the most troublesome of the monsters.

The number of possible strategies is significantly reduced.

‘But this time, in this life, I equipped the potential to be an all-rounder earlier than I thought.’

I smiled and immediately transformed the shapes of both hands into attribute fists.

It’s the pattern I had fun with in the battle with Elijah earlier.

I’m going to use a cold fist on Paiola and a fire fist on Isla.

The biggest weakness of attribute-type monsters is that they are *jinachida sipeul jeongdoro* [to an excessive degree] weak to the opposite attribute.

At times like this, I’m *jeongmal gamsahage neukkyeojil jeongdoda* [I really feel grateful] that Nicholas *bokseubeul sikyeo jwotdeon geot* [made me review] *is sageon sago-reul hana씩 eulpeo gamyeo* [reciting each incident one by one].

I used to *neureonoeatneunde punyameul wae naega ireon yaegireul deureoya haneunyago keuge ha품 hamyeonseo* [complain, yawning loudly, asking why I had to listen to such stories].

It seems he had it all planned from the start.

Of course, when I see myself *yeolsimhi oeun geot-eul sikineun daero* [diligently doing as he told me], I also think he’s *nannom(?)* [a remarkable guy].

“Wow, what kind of fist is that?”

I heard Iosif’s voice *yeonshin gamtansareul yeonbalhaneun* [repeatedly exclaiming in admiration] as he watched me from behind.

Yeah, it’s your first time seeing attribute fists, right?

It will be *saengsohal geosida* [unfamiliar] to him.

-Let’s chew them up.

-No, we have to tear them apart and eat them.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The two *hwidureumyeo hogiroge geom-eul geu kkeut-eul naege gyeonwotda* [brandished their swords ambitiously, pointing the tips at me].

The two swords are very threatening. But paradoxically, that’s why there’s no need to look at the swords.

The more time I waste here, the more likely I am to expose or be exploited.

Flash!

Without thinking any further, I *nallyeotda mom-eul apeuro* [threw my body forward].

The battle with those guys is a speed battle.

The moment I think about something, the battle becomes unfavorable to me. Because of the numerical inferiority of 1:2.

Moreover, they had *norimsureul* [intentions] enough to *geukdanjeogeuro* [extremely] make their inferiority their advantage.

-Die!

It was Paiola who *ppumeonaen salgireul naege nunbicheul buralimyeo* [emitted murderous intent, glaring at me].

It’s more advantageous for me to deal with Paiola first right now. Because the temperature here is very low.

Because of the *isang hanpa* [abnormal cold wave] and the cold *kalbaram* [bitter wind], Paiola’s heat *hwaksilhi neukkyeojyeotda natge* [was definitely felt low].

Whoosh!

Paiola’s *hwidureun hwayeom-ui geom-i jinagatda seuchimyeo wireul meori nae aseuraseulhage* [brandished flame sword passed, grazing just above my head].

There was no problem at all because I was wearing a special suit and had my hair covered.

카드득! [Kaddeuk! – sound of ice cracking]

Isla’s *binggyeol-ui geom-i naradeureotjiman, siganchareul dugo,* [ice sword flew in, but with a time difference] I *sonswipge gonggyeogeul pihae naetda* [easily avoided the attack].

This is their disadvantage.

It’s right to show *giminhan umjigim-eul* [agile movements] against the enemy, but they *gumtteojindaneun* [become sluggish] if there is an ‘ally’ in their path.

That’s probably because of an *gwahan ‘hyeongjeae’* [excessive ‘brotherly love’] that they can’t *taesaengjeogeuro beoseonal su eomneun* [innately escape].

The heart that Paiola and Isla *sojunghage yeogineun seororeul* [cherish each other].

That *aeteuthan* [affectionate] heart is *sasil jeonjang-eseoneun seoroui balmogeul japneun yakjeom-i doeneun sem-ida* [actually a weakness that holds each other back on the battlefield] to the parties involved.

“Anyway, you’re only good with your mouth!”

뻐어억! [Ppeoeok! – sound of a punch]

-으크헉! [Eukeuheok! – sound of a groan]

I *siwonhage kkoja neoeo beoryeotda* [coolly slammed] the fist of cold into the *hanbokpan anmyeon* [middle of the face] of Paiola.

It was a ‘*pabeung-gwon*’ [Cold Smash Fist] that I *nallin* [launched] with all my magic *gaejeon-gwa dongsie* [at the start of the battle]. I didn’t *akkiji maryeogeul* [spare magic power] from the start.

When dealing with guys like these, you have to *saengnyakhaeya tamsaekjeondo* [omit the reconnaissance battle]. Because the *daeung-i ppallajigi ttaemunda jeomjeom* [response becomes faster and faster].

The *sigan-gwa su ssaum-i sojinhaetdeon tamsaekjeon-e cheoeum balmogeul jaba paehaneun ildo heodahago malda natjunge* [time and number game that exhausted the reconnaissance battle often led to defeat later on].

쿵! 쿵! 쿠웅! [Kung! Kung! Kuung! – sounds of impact]

Paiola, who was *gangtadanghan geudaero anmyeon-eul,* [directly hit in the face] *pomulseon-eul geurimyeo naragaseoneun bolssangnapsge jimyeon-eul gulleotda* [flew in a parabola and rolled awkwardly on the ground].

Flash!

I *bakchago jimyeon-eul, geukdaehwahayeo gaseok choweol danseum-e buteotda baro Paiola-ege* [kicked off the ground, maximizing acceleration and instantly stuck right to Paiola].

If you’re *’jikyeobogo-man’* [just ‘watching’] the 모습 of the enemy *naraganeun* [flying away] here, it’s *hasu jung-eseodo hancham hasu* [a very low-level player among low-level players].

The *jungsu-neun ‘saenggak’eul hamyeonseo bomyeonseo moseup-eul jeog-ui naragan,* [intermediate player ‘thinks’ while watching the enemy flying away], the *gosu-neun ‘ttarabuteumyeonseo’ ildan jeogege naraganeun saenggageul handa* [high-level player ‘follows’ and then thinks about flying to the enemy].

There is a difference.

-흡! [Heup! – sound of inhaling]

역시나 날아간 Paiola가 백덤블링으로 몸을 일으키기 위해 넣는 소리가 기합을 나름대로 들렸다. [Yeoksina naragan Paiola-ga baekdeombeulling-euro mom-eul ireukigi wihae neohneun soriga gihab-eul nareumdaero deullyeotda – As expected, the sound of Paiola, who had flown away, trying to get up with a backflip, sounded like he was gathering his energy].

If I had just watched, I would have *meoltungmeoltung bomyeonseo* [blankly watching] this 모습 and given the enemy time to *suseupal* [recover].

But at this point, I was already *jarireul jabgo isseotda* [taking position] on the *heorichum wie* [waist] of Paiola, who was trying to *ireokiryeoneun mom-eul* [get up].

-아니……? [Ani…? – What…?]

Paiola’s *pyojeong-i byeonhaetda heulkbit-euro nareul ollyeodabon* [expression changed to an ashen color as he looked up at me].

Clearly, he is a *bulgil-ui jonjae hwalhwal taoreuneun bitkkal-ro dahongsaek,* [being of fire, with a vividly burning crimson color] but he was not *wihyeopjeogiji jeonhyeo* [threatening at all] to me.

“Let’s get hit a bit.”

콰아아아앙! [Kwaaaaang! – sound of a massive impact]

I *naeryeochyeotda beon deo pabeung-gwoneul geudaero wi쪽eseo ima Paiola-ui* [smashed down another Cold Smash Fist directly from above onto Paiola’s forehead].

And.

우드드득! [Udeudeudeuk! – sound of bones cracking]

I heard a *jebeop guljikhan goljeol sori* [fairly thick fracture sound].

That was the *teugyuhui ppyeo sori* [unique bone sound] that *gyeongchuga euseureojigeona simgakhage biteulril ttae naneun* [is heard when the cervical spine is crushed or severely twisted].