I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 169

As the clear sky gradually became covered with clouds, dusk began to settle.

Shinwa and his group’s rest came to an end.

The dungeon’s scenery resembled early evening, but the team members’ body clocks were closer to morning.

“…….”

While moving along the path to attack Venera, the first mid-boss monster,

Choi Ji-hyuk wore a troubled expression, recalling what Shinwa had said during their earlier camp.

‘Venera’s blood is a good match for you, Hyung [older brother/term of endearment].’

‘Besides, the Bloodshed Ring consumes the power you gain from blood, right?’

So far, it made sense.

In other words, Venera’s blood was perfect for enhancing Choi Ji-hyuk’s own talents and skills.

It had good synergy with him and possessed the potential to be a driving force for growth, so he couldn’t give it up.

‘Absorbing his blood will further strengthen your talents. Duration, debuff range, power. It’s all a positive cycle.’

‘Don’t worry. Either way, no one else will change just by drinking this blood other than you, Hyung.’

The psychological burden was also lessened.

It wasn’t that Shinwa wanted to consume it himself but was forcibly giving it to him.

He said that it was designed to have a synergistic effect only on Choi Ji-hyuk, who had vampire traits.

Besides, Shinwa said he had a way to obtain other forms of byproducts to enhance his other abilities.

The only problem was.

‘There’s one side effect: the flow inside your body might become twisted, causing internal damage.’

‘Soojun can’t heal you at this time. You need a special procedure to inject a high concentration of healing power into your body.’

From this point on, the direction of the conversation felt strange.

So, when he asked what that special procedure was, Shinwa scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression and said.

‘Rapid injection of highly concentrated healing power in a short time, similar to artificial respiration… Um… a kiss.’

Thanks to that last word continuing to linger in his memory, Choi Ji-hyuk’s expression darkened even more.

The perks that could be obtained from Venera’s blood were so tempting that it was pointless to even mention them.

Opportunities for rapid growth don’t come easily.

The problem was the solution in case of an emergency.

A kiss with Shinwa—no, a kiss with a man!

He didn’t even want to think about it; just imagining it made his whole body tremble with a terrible feeling.

‘This isn’t something you do with romantic feelings, right? It just means there’s a means of salvation in the worst-case scenario, so let’s give it a try.’

For now, he agreed with Shinwa.

The solution to the side effects was appalling, but he had no intention of missing the opportunity to become stronger.

Moreover, it was an irresistible temptation for Choi Ji-hyuk, who was always looking for ways to help Shinwa.

‘Hoo, let’s just think about Venera.’

Choi Ji-hyuk shook his head from side to side, trying to clear his mind, which was becoming unnecessarily complicated.

Let’s just think about the best-case scenario!

That was Choi Ji-hyuk’s simple and clear conclusion.

* * *

Some time later.

-Are you ready to feel the overwhelming difference in power?

“Ooh, nice line. I really like that word. Overwhelming. It makes me feel like I can crush my opponent, doesn’t it?”

I smiled as I looked at Venera, who was conveying his will through telepathy as soon as our eyes met.

He looked like a bipedal, muscular giant frog.

There is no more accurate description in the world than this.

SS-Rank boss monster, Venera.

The wide-area sword strikes he unleashes with his heavy greatsword are very threatening.

He may look like a frog, but the swordsmanship he displays is so powerful that it is reminiscent of a master from the Murim [martial arts world] continent.

‘His thin legs are his weakness.’

I stared at Venera’s legs, which were disproportionately thin compared to his burly upper body and bulging biceps.

“I’ll take care of the followers.”

Sreureureuk.

Yoonbyul broke away from the formation.

Around the Garden of Rest, Venera’s base, there were many spider-like monsters, both large and small.

These were the ‘children’ of Krud, the boss monster of this dungeon, and they were characterized by leaping and self-destructing.

Since they would be a major hindrance to the battle, Yoonbyul decided to perfectly mark these guys [designate them as targets].

Anxiety? Worry?

Not at all.

The training she had undergone had clearly focused on this role.

Assassins never move together in team fights.

That’s not what that job is for.

A job that assassinates opponents in the dark and eliminates troublesome opponents before they can approach.

This is how they should be utilized to shine… but many Awakened people don’t know how to use them properly. Even the KSA [Korean Special Ability association].

“Hyung, and Soojun! Support me without rest until you’re exhausted. Got it?”

“Yes, Leader!”

“Don’t you worry about a thing!”

No sooner had I finished instructing my two remaining comrades than I charged forward like a wild horse.

As expected.

Venera, who seemed to have sky-high confidence in his swordsmanship, began to swing his greatsword.

It looks heavy and weighty, but.

Venera can swing the greatsword very lightly with his strength and explosive power.

In other words, you’ll get a bloody nose if you underestimate him. Caution is essential.

“Wilson, let’s use some power?”

Chiing!

As I infused mana into Wilson, whom I had taken out of subspace, and spoke to him, he blazed with enthusiasm.

He was already heated up from the moment before he came out of subspace, perhaps because he was bored.

-Sword! The sword is art!

‘He’s spouting nonsense again.’

The next moment.

Even though I didn’t signal my teammates, everyone lowered their bodies to the ground.

This is because it’s a kind of starting word or warning that Venera utters before unleashing a wide-area sword strike.

For a monster whose job is to kill Awakened people, he’s so kind. I felt like I was watching a martial arts novel where they say the name of the technique before using it. Venera was just like that.

Psseusesseu!

At the same time as lowering my body, I slid across the sandy floor, using the momentum I had gained from accelerating.

To be exact, it was a slightly embarrassing sight as I burrowed between Venera’s legs.

-Ah?

The sound of air escaping from him could be heard, making his previous talk about the sword being art seem insignificant.

He must have thought, ‘Ah, crap.’

The human who had been rushing towards him with such vigor avoided a head-on confrontation and immediately aimed for a low blow.

‘99% of monsters that resemble humans have this as their fatal weak point. I guess God’s gift can’t be helped.’

I flicked Wilson, who was filled with mana and ready to fly away at any moment, with my fingertip.

The next moment.

My gaze was directly on Venera’s crotch.

At the same time, Wilson rose vertically from that spot at the speed of a runaway train. It was an incredible speed.

Bbeoeok!

-Kkeua!

Wilson accurately struck between Venera’s legs.

It was clean.

Wilson’s destructive power was considerable, to the point where the flesh was pushed heavily inward before coming out.

Huoong!

Apart from that, the wide-area sword strike that Venera unleashed created a whirlwind around him.

However, my teammates, who had lowered their posture early on, suffered no damage at all.

“Indeed, you see as much as you know!”

The priest’s voice, celebrating his perfect evasion with a triumphant expression, was refreshing to hear.

“If you just follow Shinwa Hyung’s words, you’ll get lucky even while sleeping!”

Han Soojun didn’t miss out either.

Those two have great reactions.

“Good.”

Except for Yoonbyul, who doesn’t talk much.

Anyway, all the plans worked.

-Keo! Eoeoeo!

Venera twisted his legs as if crossing them in an X shape and barely aimed his sword forward.

In his own way, he was trying to keep in check the priest, who was using Bloody Rain, and Han Soojun, who was disrupting his vision by moving from side to side.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know that I was the main force of this team, responsible for 99% of the damage.

Tatatat!

I changed direction towards Venera and increased my speed with Transcendental Acceleration.

‘I’m going to relentlessly target his lower body!’

The goal was simple.

To relentlessly exploit the weak point of this guy, whose lower body is very weak.

The beginning of that was the Achilles tendon, which could be said to be the most important part of the leg.

Shiiing!

The blade of my right arm, which had been strengthened to the maximum, made a crying sound, ready to smell blood at any time.

And.

-Poong!

Venera, who recognized my presence, swung his greatsword, drawing a semi-circular arc in the air.

Kkwang!

Venera’s greatsword, which collided with the ground, created a sharp whirlwind befitting the modifier ‘Poong [onomatopoeia for wind sound].’

It looks like wind to the eye, but it’s a mistake to be mistaken.

Hidden within the wind is a brutal blade of carnage.

“Heutcha!”

I didn’t stop moving.

Instead, I threw my body up with all my might and did a somersault above it.

This is because it’s an attack that flies in the form of a circular shockwave, so you won’t be hit unless you touch the horizontal line.

-……No?

Venera seemed quite embarrassed.

Because I didn’t change my expression at all.

I easily avoided his attack as if I were practicing, so calmly.

If the suit were to touch that sword wind, its durability would be reduced by at least half. It’s by no means light.

He must have been surprised enough that I was avoiding such a powerful attack without any damage.

“Now it’s my turn, XX [expletive]!”

I immediately positioned myself below the lower part of his body and struck both Achilles tendons without hesitation.

Swak! Swaaaak!

-Euaaaa!

If both Achilles tendons are severed, it becomes difficult to even stand.

Therefore, quasi-human or humanoid monsters must defend themselves according to the skeletal structure designed for the human body.

However, Venera’s consideration did not reach that far, and he immediately exposed his weakness to the plan.

-Keuheo!

The knees of his two legs, which could not support his 5m massive body, buckled.

Kuoong!

Venera, whose eye level had been lowered considerably, forcibly turned his body and tried to inflict another sword strike on me.

Each of his attacks is destructive. Therefore, responding in a way other than ‘evasion’ was dangerous.

‘A variation.’

At that time, I came up with a good plan.

In fact, I had been thinking of slowly killing him by consistently attacking Venera’s lower body.

However, there were some troublesome aspects, such as the wide-area sword strikes he deployed with his greatsword.

Then, what if I used my strength, which was enough to not be inferior to him?

Swaaaaa.

Just in time, the blood-colored rain created by the priest was drenching Venera’s entire body.

Moreover, Han Soojun was providing healing power even from a considerable distance, even though he had plenty of stamina.

‘Yeah. In this situation, it’s okay to trust my comrades and take a big gamble!’

Either way, there are many mountains to climb even if I catch Venera. I didn’t want to waste too much energy here.

“Then!”

The next moment.

In a state where I had transformed my entire body into a solid state with Steel Enhancement.

Cheoeok!

I grabbed Venera’s greatsword, which had just reached its peak.

Venera was trying to aim at me with a vertical sword strike this time.

“You said the sword is art, right? Let’s see you die beautifully by the sword.”

I was going to give it back to him as it was.