I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 108

108. A Desperate Chase

One trying to close the distance at all costs.

Another trying to keep it open at all costs.

A fierce battle of wits began between two people with opposing tendencies.

Shinwha actively used the Blink Ring he obtained from Park Hyung-san to close the distance with instantaneous movements.

However, perhaps because it was originally Park Hyung-san’s artifact, Ju Cheon-ho seemed to predict the completion point of the teleportation every time.

Shinwha hadn’t fully mastered it yet since he hadn’t used it for long, but Ju Cheon-ho seemed to be able to grasp the destination the moment the teleportation started.

Because of this, Shinwha often allowed counterattacks when trying to close the distance using the Blink Ring.

Even though he had protected his body considerably using Steel Enhancement, he was still hit directly in the chest with an arrow and knocked backward.

‘Is this saying I can’t get anything for free?’

Shinwha scratched the back of his head, finding it not easy to close the distance.

Ju Cheon-ho was indeed Ju Cheon-ho.

He was on a different level in terms of skill compared to Park Hyung-san or Jeilgeon, who had lost their lives at his hands.

Above all, he didn’t let his guard down, befitting his cautious personality. Moreover, there was no unnecessary movement.

However, the more Shinwha realized this, the more actively he charged at Ju Cheon-ho.

He was cautious, but to put it bluntly, he was overly passive.

Ju Cheon-ho didn’t seem to attack aggressively, perhaps because he was careful not to create any openings.

‘In that case.’

He thought a brawl would be better. If they went into a chaotic slugfest, even if they were playing a game of wits, defensive combat would be difficult.

A battle where he would give up what he needed to.

Shinwha, having clearly defined his concept, poured as much magic power as possible into his legs and sprang out like a spring.

Paat!

As expected, upon seeing Shinwha approaching, Ju Cheon-ho leaped towards another building, once again creating distance.

This time, it was a predictable move.

Shinwha immediately summoned Wilson from subspace and threw him in that direction.

He unveiled a secret weapon he hadn’t taken out yet.

Kwaaaang!

Wilson, synergizing with Shinwha’s magic power release, flew towards Ju Cheon-ho with a sonic boom.

At that moment.

Ju Cheon-ho was greatly flustered by the sudden, unidentified ball, and his eyes shook violently.

He had only thought of Shinwha as a close-combat Awakener, so this long-range attack method was unexpected.

It was also the result of Shinwha’s prudence, as he had never publicly announced whether he used Wilson or not.

‘Damn it!’

He had been caught off guard.

Ju Cheon-ho, who was about to draw his bowstring, quickly changed his response, crossing his arms and strengthening his body.

Kuddeudeuk.

Instantly, his skin hardened overall, transforming into a form close to petrification.

Kwang!

“Kuek!”

Ju Cheon-ho felt that the damage from the impact was greater than he had expected.

It wasn’t just the concept of throwing an iron ball, but rather the feeling of increasing the destructive power by loading it with magic power release.

At that moment, Shinwha closed the distance.

It was Shinwha’s move, having predicted the next situation by looking at Ju Cheon-ho’s expression when he threw Wilson.

The enemy’s subtle changes in expression, twitching movements. It was a gap caught by Shinwha’s skill, which could encompass even elements outside of combat.

Unless one was born as a machine, even an EX-rank Awakener couldn’t hide the agitation of emotions.

That was something Shinwha had learned in his past life while working with outstanding colleagues like the Nine Lords.

Even EX-rank Awakeners were not 100% perfect.

Not to mention Ju Cheon-ho, who was SS-rank below that?

Among Awakeners, he was known as the invincible archer, but Shinwha was never intimidated by such titles.

“Got you.”

“Damn it.”

Pook!

“Kueok!”

Shinwha’s right arm, transformed into the shape of a sword, sharply pierced Ju Cheon-ho’s abdomen.

But at that moment, a question mark appeared on Shinwha’s face.

“……?”

The blade stopped going in.

In terms of depth, about 2cm?

He had intended to inflict a fatal wound by digging in deeply, but the depth was shallower than expected.

His prediction was wrong.

Pook!

“Kwak!”

Rather, Shinwha was counterattacked.

In the meantime, Shinwha was caught off guard because his aim didn’t work perfectly, Ju Cheon-ho stuck an arrow into Shinwha’s forearm.

The power was weaker than an arrow fired by pulling the bowstring, but since it was possible to attack immediately, Shinwha was also caught off guard.

Even though he was wearing a reinforced suit, it was an arrow that tore through the suit.

Just in case, he saw that it was not an ordinary arrowhead, but an arrowhead made of a special mineral called Stellard.

A special mineral that can only be found in dungeons.

It was a mineral with more than three times the strength of ‘Keldia’, which is famous for being far superior to iron.

To respond to Stellard, he would have to make a more expensive and durable suit than he has now. A suit worth at least 10 billion won.

Kkwak!

Shinwha grabbed Ju Cheon-ho’s right hand without panicking.

He had spent some turns to stick an arrow in his forearm, so it was his turn to return the favor.

Kkuuuk!

Ju Cheon-ho stubbornly pushed the arrowhead into Shinwha’s forearm with all his might.

However, Shinwha didn’t let out even a shallow groan and stretched his right leg upwards with explosive power.

Bbaak!

“Keoheok……!”

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Shinwha’s fierce kick, responding to the attack with an attack, struck the underside of Ju Cheon-ho’s chin.

Ju Cheon-ho staggered, spitting out thick saliva at Shinwha’s counterattack, which he thought would falter in pain.

In that state, Shinwha immediately threw Wilson.

It was a position where they could be caught up in the impact of each other because Wilson was thrown at a distance where their noses would touch if they fell over.

Still, he didn’t hesitate.

Bbeoeeeok!

“Kkeuk……!”

Wilson struck Ju Cheon-ho’s abdomen. It was a powerful blow that accurately struck the center of his navel.

But.

Ju Cheon-ho, who was more confident than anyone else in his durability, immediately counterattacked Shinwha.

Pook!

“Kwak!”

Another arrow was stuck in Shinwha’s forearm.

Moreover, it was a blow aimed at maximizing the pain, digging right next to where the arrow had just been stuck.

However, Shinwha did not give in to this.

Peoeok!

He transformed his intact right arm into its original fist and forcefully struck the right side of Ju Cheon-ho’s jawbone.

Ju Cheon-ho did not back down either.

Pook!

“……!”

While spitting out a lump that was hard to tell whether it was blood or saliva, he stuck in another arrowhead.

It was really a desperate brawl.

It had been a long time since they had fought a battle where neither side would back down an inch, a battle with no future, and his heart began to pound.

Following that.

Kkwak!

Ju Cheon-ho grabbed Shinwha’s remaining arm, perhaps to block the movement of Shinwha’s arms.

It was as if they were restricting each other’s movements, like wrestlers grabbing each other’s arms and struggling.

Kuddeudeuk. Kuddeudeuk.

A physical fight began to control each other with strength, with the utilization of the enhanced suit maximized.

A situation where the other side would be greatly pushed back even if the balance shifted to one side only slightly.

But neither Shinwha nor Ju Cheon-ho showed any change in expression, glaring at each other and showing off their strength.

“…….”

No sound came out, but the unspoken battle through the struggle was already an all-out war.

‘Creating a variable.’

Shinwha took out one of his aims.

Ju Cheon-ho’s ‘Physical Enhancement Technique’ was clearly a talent one step above his own.

Of course, its range of use was narrower than his own versatility, which was capable of enhancement, modification, release, and manipulation.

But.

It was an undeniable fact that Ju Cheon-ho was ahead of him in terms of ‘enhancement’ alone. It was a truly cold-hearted judgment.

‘At this rate, I’m really going to modify all my hands and toenails.’

Shinwha chuckled inwardly and focused his magic power on a part that could be modified immediately without being noticeable.

Sensitive and subtle modifications such as brain modification were impossible, but simple modifications were possible with a little concentration.

‘Okay.’

The modification was completed with just a moment of concentration of mind and magic power.

A change that he had made in a long time.

On the one hand, the fact that there were still many parts to be modified felt like a reassuring asset.

“Do you think you can beat me with a simple physical fight?”

Ju Cheon-ho smiled and pressed Shinwha’s arms down with force.

He was definitely strong enough to admit. But battles cannot be won with strength alone.

The next moment!

Shinwha instantly strengthened the newly modified part and attacked Ju Cheon-ho with a new variable.

“There’s also a battle of wits, you son of a bitch!”

That was.

Kaching! Kaching! Kaching!

A new part that had been transformed into a sharp awl, imbued with magic power.

It was his hair!

* * *

The moment Shinwha’s entire hair visibly changed into a pointed shape in front of his eyes.

‘What kind of nonsense is this…….’

Ju Cheon-ho doubted his own eyes.

He knew that Shinwha could protect his body with Steel Enhancement and transform his right arm into a sword or weapon.

So he wasn’t flustered by Shinwha’s predicted attacks, but he had never expected the change in his hair.

It was closer to a mutation than a ‘talent’ as an Awakener.

When he predicted the attack and enhanced his body, he was able to protect his body quite firmly.

But not now.

He had been completely caught off guard.

The area around his chest that Shinwha was aiming for was not a perfectly prepared area.

Poouuk!

“Kuaaaak!”

Ju Cheon-ho screamed.

Ju Cheon-ho, who had easily blocked Shinwha’s sword with a thin stab, had allowed a gap to be created quite deeply this time.

Psyooshyusyu! Psyusyu!

The price for not predicting the variable was high. Blood flowed from the hole in his chest.

Jureureureuk.

Blood flowed from Shinwha’s hair, which had returned to its original form.

The owner of the blood was none other than Ju Cheon-ho.

Who would have known that the battle of wits Shinwha was talking about was not a battle of brains, but literally a battle of headbutts…….

Recklessness, or perhaps it could be packaged as recklessness, but in fact, it was Shinwha’s strike, which was full of calculations.

It wasn’t a serious injury, but Ju Cheon-ho felt a chill in his heart for a moment.

‘He’s no ordinary madman.’

That was the overall assessment that Ju Cheon-ho made after judging Shinwha.

At that time.

“Leader!”

“Support the leader!”

There were reinforcements who joined in a timely manner. They were the members of the Black Cross Clan led by Ju Cheon-ho.

“Damn it, you don’t like one-on-one?”

As soon as more than twenty people appeared, Shinwha bit his lip and stepped back.

They were Awakeners wearing luxurious artifact equipment and weapons at a glance.

In a situation where one-on-one is evenly matched, if only the opponent unilaterally increases in number, the battle will naturally become difficult.

“He allowed a blow.”

Ju Cheon-ho stepped back, clutching his chest.

He thought about re-entering the battle with Shinwha because he was so angry.

“Leader! It seems that the KSA [Korean Special Ability association] is rapidly moving south along the southeast route!”

“If our retreat is blocked like this, it will become dangerous!”

The situation was not good.

The KSA, which seemed to have stopped advancing after saving Han Seung-taek, was moving again.

The purpose has already been achieved anyway.

He borrowed someone else’s sword to deal with the core executives of Moonlight.

If he naturally absorbs Moonlight, which has lost its control tower, the power of the Black Cross Clan will grow even more.

“Kang Shinwha, let’s meet again.”

“You sly bastard!”

Shinwha spat out profanity and tried to chase after Ju Cheon-ho, who was retreating.

‘……There’s interference.’

It was not possible.

He wondered if he should chase after him with the Blink Ring, but the fluctuations of magic power were shaking violently on the expected route.

That meant that there was someone among the members of the Black Cross Clan on the opposite side who could cause magic interference.

If he forced the blink in this state, he could be moved to the wrong place or suffer internal injuries for no reason.

“Tsk.”

“I will never forget today’s humiliating blow until I kill you.”

Papap! Pat!

Soon, Ju Cheon-ho quickly leaped over the forest of buildings with the members guarding him and moved away.