I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 177

177

The important thing is that no one suspects me yet.

In other words, no one is aware of Regression. Of course, they wouldn’t even be thinking about it.

‘I hate problems that make my hair fall out……’

I frowned deeply and sighed. But I definitely need a plan.

It’s true that you have to cleverly apply poison to kill all the bugs at once. I need to think carefully.

“Hoo-ah!”

‘Fortunately,’ I lay down on my perfectly fine bed and closed my eyes tightly.

Then, I imagined the white sandy beach and emerald sea where I strolled with Jin Bo-mi in front of Krivia Island.

Just imagining it was great.

In that imagination, I saw everything from the luxurious villa built on the island to the numerous facilities.

A wide swimming pool.

A large VR room created for small hobbies.

Top-notch training facilities and high-intensity recovery rooms to maintain the best physical condition.

Boats lined up along the coast and adequate defense facilities in preparation for emergencies.

Everything was perfect.

The space that will become paradise if everything goes according to plan is still being built with the sweat of the workers!

“I should either make this damn retirement a taboo word, or something. Every time I think about retirement, something like this happens.”

I bit my lip tightly.

It’s as if a god looking down on me is showing me the sweet fruit of ‘retirement’ and then snatching it away.

“Ah…… damn it, I can’t even sleep.”

I didn’t want to think about anything, so I tried to lie in bed and sleep, but my eyes were wide open.

Right then.

Toshio contacted me.

“This is Kang Shin-hwa.”

-This is Toshio. Is it a good time to talk?

“Of course.”

-I must apologize regarding the Secret Dungeon matter I mentioned before.

“Is it canceled?”

Toshio might have decided that it was still difficult to trust me.

His change of heart wasn’t pleasant, but as someone managing a private dungeon, I could understand it well enough.

-That’s… the dimensional gate of the Secret Dungeon has been sealed. It has become impossible to access.

“The dimensional gate is closed?”

-To be exact, it’s open, but we can’t enter.

“……”

The Secret Dungeon is also something that stimulates my curiosity considerably.

Unlike existing dungeons, there must be something special there. Whatever it is.

-When it opens next time, may I ask you to participate again then? I’m really sorry.

“No problem. What can we do when the dimensional gate refuses entry? We have to go with the flow. Hahaha.”

-Since we are not far apart, we will keep in close contact. Would that be alright?

“Team Osaka’s contact is always welcome. Thank you.”

-Yes, thank you for your hard work.

The Secret Dungeon raid was thus postponed to the next time.

I thought it was for the best.

Because my mind was so twisted by what happened with Ayla, it seemed like it would affect the battle to some extent.

Of course, I wouldn’t ruin things by being swayed by emotions. I’m not that irresponsible.

However.

I definitely needed a day or two to digest and process the shock she gave me.

“Pentathurz… Elijah and Ayla. Where the hell are the remaining three apostles?”

I closed my eyes again, thinking of the three figures in the question mark that were still veiled.

These guys were the biggest obstacle to my retirement.

* * *

At the same time.

“Dad! Dadddd!”

“So-hee, why are you suddenly like this after waking up?”

“Dream! I had a bad dream! In my dream, men in black cloaks were chasing me!”

“Our daughter had a nightmare. Come here. Daddy will hug you!”

“Okay!”

Jang Dong-shik, who had been painting to get rid of the increasing number of 잡념 [japnyum – stray thoughts], hugged his daughter So-hee tightly.

His daughter, who turned eight this year, was so bright and intelligent that she was already being called a prodigy.

In that respect, she resembled her mother, who was still alive, and her appearance was also very pretty, like her mother.

So, Jang Dong-shik always thought of his dead wife when he saw Jang So-hee.

Although a lot of time had passed.

Still, his wife’s face remained in his head and was never forgotten.

“Dad, what is this?”

Jang So-hee pointed to a painting on the canvas.

The painting, drawn with bold lines using oil paint, was quite impressive.

“This? It’s a painting of Daddy’s dream. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Yeah! What is this statue? It looks so cool!”

“It’s a statue of a hero living in Daddy’s dream country! Isn’t it amazing?”

“Yeah! It looks like a statue from ! It’s so cool!”

“Our So-hee, you’ve been hooked since you watched the movie a while ago?”

“That’s right! It’s so cool!”

Jang So-hee admired the scenery in the painting with a curious expression.

Everything in the painting was a world completely different from modern civilization.

He told his daughter, who didn’t know anything, that it was a dream country.

In fact, the world in Jang Dong-shik’s painting was the world he had felt and experienced with his whole body until 10 years ago.

However, now that there was no way to return, he was just leaving those memories in the painting.

‘Honey, it doesn’t matter to me at all where you came from and what kind of person you were.’

‘But promise me this one thing. That you will be a good father to our So-hee. Whatever you’re thinking… please think of your daughter first. Can you do that?’

‘I’m sorry. I wanted to love you forever, but I don’t know why the sky is in such a hurry….’

Looking at Jang So-hee, the last words left by his deceased wife came to his mind, and his eyes turned red before he knew it.

After sending his wife away like that.

Jang Dong-shik had been living his life focusing solely on his daughter.

He devoted himself to production in any way possible so that he could do everything his daughter wanted to do and enjoy.

It didn’t matter to him whether the buyer was good or evil. It was all about getting a lot of money.

Thanks to that, Jang So-hee is taking gifted classes under a teacher who specializes in nurturing gifted children.

She had long since finished the content that her peers were learning at school.

Right then.

“Dad! Can I wear this ring?”

Jang So-hee, who was diligently wandering around Jang Dong-shik’s workshop, pointed to the ring worn on the right hand of the full-body statue.

“That ring is something Daddy needs. Don’t touch it, So-hee.”

“Okay, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you suddenly using honorifics awkwardly?”

“Your eyes suddenly changed to be very scary! So, without me even realizing it….”

“Oh my, my daughter. I’m sorry.”

Jang Dong-shik warmly hugged So-hee and put the ring taken from the full-body statue into a golden box that he had made separately.

“……”

For a moment, Jang Dong-shik’s gaze stopped at the appearance of the ring in the box.

Golden trapdoor spider pattern.

It was proof of his origin that he couldn’t hide, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

* * *

The team’s return schedule was set.

Since the Secret Dungeon raid was canceled, there was no reason to stay in Japan any longer.

So, after sleeping in until morning.

I finished booking a flight to return home on a plane around noon from Kansai Airport.

[Everyone, get some rest and see you in the morning!]

Shin-hwa’s message was posted in the Team Mystic group chat, and everyone replied that they would.

Shin-hwa, who came out for a walk, found a team member training without resting, like a 청개구리 [cheonggaeguri – a disobedient person].

It was Yoon-byeol.

“I knew it.”

Since the training room in the hotel also closed in the early morning, Yoon-byeol was out in an empty lot near the hotel.

It was a dark space where the only lights were the streetlights and moonlight in the distance.

She was sweating and focusing on her own training.

“Noona, what are you doing?”

“I had so many regrets in this dungeon raid. I was training with 복기 [bokgi – reviewing/replaying] to make up for it.”

“Why don’t you take a break when you’re resting?”

“I feel a strange joy and pleasure when I push myself to the limit. I feel like I grow more that way.”

“You know that sounds really weird, right?”

“Huhu, I guess I’m definitely the type to volunteer for hardship.”

Yoon-byeol smiled awkwardly and nodded.

Unlike Shin-hwa, who would lie down at every chance and wanted to stay home and rest.

Yoon-byeol was always a workaholic.

She was either holding onto work, or if there was no work to do, she would train or do something to exhaust her body.

She said she didn’t even have a TV at home. It’s because she thought it was more meaningful to do training or work, or something, than to watch TV.

“This is perfect.”

“Huh? What’s perfect? I just came out for a walk. I didn’t come out to watch the training.”

“Instead, watch my movement. It’s a movement that keeps giving variations, and I’m wondering if this is valid enough.”

“Noona, I’m not an assassination expert like you? It wouldn’t make sense for me to watch, would it?”

“I’m sure it’s a hundred times, no, a thousand times better than my eyes. Come here and watch!”

Yoon-byeol’s eyes, even grabbing Shin-hwa’s hand affectionately, were full of 투지 [tuji – fighting spirit] and passion.

She was usually quiet and didn’t talk much, but she felt like she was talking more when she was training.

In fact, she was being humble.

She was sure that she had an eye for it.

Because there was no one in this world who could replace the decades of experience she had accumulated in numerous battlefields before Regression.

“Shin-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“All the advice you’ve given me so far has become my bones and flesh. I mean it. So, every word you say to me is so precious.”

“I didn’t say anything carelessly.”

“Yeah. I want to learn even one more thing when you’re by my side. I don’t want to be a nuisance to the team.”

I could feel Yoon-byeol’s sincerity.

I also liked her determination to do her part in the team.

Even if the battle was successful, she was upset if her contribution was low, and that was her personality.

‘Should I take this opportunity to set Yoon-byeol’s direction in a style similar to that of Eun-ahmin from the Mugang Continent?’

Eun-ahmin.

She was one of the unforgettable relationships that Shin-hwa had made with the people of the Mugang Continent.

Of course, the first priority was Muk-cheol of the Nine Lords, who created the core of his tremendous 괴력 [goe ryeok – brute strength].

Eun-ahmin was not a member of the Nine Lords, but she was one of the helpers who helped us.

One Second – Kill!

Eun-ahmin’s attack, which was enough to take the enemy’s life in one blow, had no turning back.

She put everything into her first attack as if she were really living only for today, no, right now.

“Noona.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to constantly harass your opponent, or do you want to take their head off in one blow?”

Shin-hwa asked her directly. Then Yoon-byeol answered immediately.

“I like the latter. It’s also the goal I dream of.”

“Okay. Then let’s try a new customized training.”

“Should I put on my suit?”

“No. This training requires you to let go of all the defense mechanisms in your subconscious. We’ll train with bare skin.”

“……Like this, in a short-sleeved cotton t-shirt and training pants?”

“Yes. An Awakened who has not felt the fear of death with their whole body can never kill an opponent in one blow.”

Shin-hwa’s answer was simple and clear.