I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 205

205

After That

The exchange was consistently a losing one, taking ten hits and returning eight.

Certainly, VVIP was the most skilled Awakened I had ever faced.

I realized that an Awakened’s rank and social status were not lies.

‘It’s better this way. Now I know what parts I still lack and what gaps I must fill.’

I was strongly motivated, and my sense of purpose became clear.

VVIP greatly stimulated my primal desire for growth.

However, apart from these positive feelings, my physical condition was steadily deteriorating.

It was only natural, as I was increasingly engaging in losing exchanges when I should have been breaking even.

“Haa, haa, haa.”

I could clearly feel the exhaustion of my stamina worsening, along with the heavy breathing I couldn’t help.

It wasn’t the exhaustion from using a large amount of power at once, like with ‘Instant Death Strike,’ where the body and mind are still intact.

It was more like.

A feeling of death’s aura, brought on by accumulated damage, grabbing me and pulling me down.

It was a terrifying fear that if I gave in to that feeling, I wouldn’t just collapse, but die.

‘So, this is the premonitory symptom the body feels when heading towards death.’

This was the first time I had felt death so close.

During the Great Cataclysm in my past life, even though there were many complex battles, I never once thought I would die.

That was because I had prepared thoroughly, and we, the Nine Lords, were unmatched in strength.

“Kang Shin-hwa! You’re pathetic!”

Thwack!

VVIP’s fist, powerfully swung diagonally from the right, strongly shook my skull.

And I realized.

That blow had started a rapid train heading towards death.

“You son of a bitch.”

Thwaack!

“Ugh!”

But I didn’t just take it.

While staggering from the blow, I extended my right leg and struck the underside of VVIP’s jaw.

Of course, it was a clumsy move.

But paradoxically, it worked because it was a ‘desperate’ strike, thinking I didn’t care if I died.

Thwack!

I was countered again.

It had been like this from the start.

Taking two hits and landing one counterpunch.

I was taking a gamble, relying on the ‘Flower of Rebirth,’ but.

VVIP didn’t seem to anticipate such a move at all.

It was a natural reaction.

In 2020, the Flower of Rebirth was not yet known.

The point when the world of Awakened and the flowers in dungeons would be spotlighted was five years from now.

That’s when the exploration and understanding of all dungeons around the world would be completed, and full-scale攻略 [strategy/capture] would begin.

The Flower of Rebirth would also become known around that time, but the problem was that Lecherous already had it in his possession.

“At this rate, you’ll die, Kang Shin-hwa!”

“Then kill me, you crazy bastard.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Eat this.”

Showing the middle finger.

It was childish taunting, but I was more focused on the current situation than ever before.

It was strange.

As I thought death was imminent, my concentration heightened in every aspect, unlike my body, which felt like it was collapsing.

Not just moderate concentration, but enough to warrant the term ‘hyperfocus.’

It was like calmly observing the scene from a transcendent state.

If there were a god, would this be how it feels?

Even though it was clearly a desperate battlefield where blood, sweat, and flesh were mixed and scattered everywhere.

I was watching the battle with an astonishingly third-person perspective.

‘I see it. I clearly see it.’

And I found the subtle gaps that commonly existed in all of VVIP’s offensive movements.

If 100 symbolized perfection, it was the 2 gap I found, excluding the 98 that VVIP showed.

‘Mook-cheol said in my past life that there was a famous saying in the 무강 [Mugang] Continent: ‘Death is enlightenment.’ I didn’t understand the meaning of those words at all back then…….’

Now I felt like I knew.

When I let go of everything, everything became perfectly clear. Thoroughly, without leaving anything out.

[Unyielding Fighting Spirit – Strong Endurance]

[Activated by your will, grants 5 seconds of invincibility.

Completely immune to all damage and harm, and becomes steadfast against any interference.

Cooldown: One week]

I saved this trump card.

It was the biggest trick to use immediately after being resurrected by the Flower of Rebirth.

There was data from experiments in my past life.

That is, if someone really died, the buff would transfer to the target.

However, if an Awakened possessing the Flower of Rebirth died, the buff would not transfer.

The buff transfer was put on ‘hold,’ and resurrection would automatically occur in the meantime.

‘If I’m going to die anyway, Instant Death Strike would be effective in terms of cost-effectiveness. Heh heh.’

I chuckled inwardly and prepared the strike to unleash on VVIP.

Regardless of the stamina and mana I had before use, the maximum firepower was the same.

That was the strength of Instant Death Strike. It was also a loophole in the Awakened system.

“Feel the difference in power!”

Soon, to deliver a sure blow to my staggering form, VVIP condensed a crimson sphere.

It was a talent I had been watching from the start, creating a sphere that flew towards the opponent like a magnet.

The problem was that the sphere was as hard as a huge lump of iron, and you would scream the moment you were hit.

Moreover, since he didn’t have to make direct contact, the returning risk was low.

“Haaap!”

I rushed towards VVIP with a shout. I was going to die anyway. I had to land the Instant Death Strike.

“Farewell.”

Seeing VVIP’s arrogant expression as he delivered his last words made me sick.

That was exactly the expression.

An expression of someone who had never lost to anyone and had no idea what a loser felt like.

“……!”

I silently closed my mouth and focused all the destructive power drawn up by Instant Death Strike into my right fist.

Gathering all the mana in my body, it was the last strike that truly pushed even my soul to the extreme.

I must have broken the maximum firepower I had generated in countless battles so far.

The next moment.

Thwaaaack!

“Ugh!”

“Ugh…….”

Groans erupted from both VVIP and me simultaneously.

As the flame of life was extinguished, I captured VVIP’s face in my eyes.

‘He’s disgustingly ugly, you XX [expletive].’

The guy who had his head half-turned from the Instant Death Strike.

He was spitting out blood and thick saliva, waving his hands frantically in the air.

His pupils were shaking violently, and one side of his jaw was crushed, as if he had shattered the lower right jawbone.

‘So, this is the feeling.’

At the same time, I could see my vision flickering like a dying fluorescent light.

They say that when you face death, angels appear, you see loved ones, and the world is filled with light.

But not for me.

Rather, the world was turning reddish, and I couldn’t see anything…….

‘Am I destined for hell?’

I somehow felt like I was far from heaven. It was that dark and gloomy.

‘Well, I’ve laid all the groundwork.’

There was nothing to regret.

The Flower of Rebirth that would disappear was a problem that could be solved by finding it again in another dungeon later.

“Cough!”

I forcefully spat out the surging crimson blood and entrusted everything to my body sinking into the abyss.

Now it was time for a counterattack.

* * *

“Hoo, hoo, hahaha, hahahaha.”

Russell burst into wild laughter as he looked at Shin-hwa’s fallen back.

“I finally got rid of him. Ugh……. The last blow was a bit powerful, but it’s enough that I won.”

The fallen Shin-hwa could no longer get up.

Thinking just in case, he nudged Shin-hwa with his toe and turned him over.

Then, Shin-hwa’s cold corpse, with his face covered in blood and his eyes closed, came into view at a glance.

“Kang Shin-hwa. You were definitely the most troublesome guy as an enemy.”

Russell’s expression, praising Shin-hwa with his arms crossed and even showing 余裕 [yoyu – composure/余裕], was filled with the joy of a victor.

That’s what he truly felt.

Certainly, Shin-hwa rarely exposed weaknesses and had excellent adaptability to various variables.

If he hadn’t been so greedy for Shin-hwa’s ‘talent,’ he would have tried to coax him and keep him under his command.

Like Marina, who was working hard as the person in charge of the Asian region.

“But I couldn’t stand it from the beginning because I wanted your talent too much. That talent must be mine!”

Russell clenched his fists tightly. And he took out a well-honed sword from his chest.

“Looks delicious.”

Russell smacked his lips.

His method of absorbing an Awakened’s talent was to eat their heart.

Of course, there was an absolute time limit for talent absorption, and he had to eat it within 10 minutes to absorb the talent.

Swish.

Russell, kneeling halfway, grabbed Shin-hwa’s chest and prepared to tear it open with the suit and flesh.

He didn’t need any other parts. He only needed to take the still-warm heart.

And just as he pressed down on Shin-hwa’s left chest and was about to stab the sword in!

Thwack!

“……?”

Russell doubted his eyes.

Shin-hwa, who he thought was dead, suddenly stretched out his arm and pierced the underside of his jaw with the sword.

There wasn’t even time to defend.

No, he hadn’t felt the need to take a defensive stance at all. The Shin-hwa in front of him was dead.

But Shin-hwa, whose death he had confirmed with his own eyes, suddenly launched a counterattack.

Moreover, the sword blade that pierced the underside of his jaw without any chance to react passed through the center of his face and overturned his brain.

“Cough…….”

He couldn’t even speak properly.

His body wouldn’t move either.

It was because the sword blade had penetrated the important parts of the brain that were connected to speech and movement.

Moreover, the explosive mana emanating from the sword blade itself was rapidly encroaching on the surrounding areas.

“Keogeogeogeok.”

A dying sound came out.

He couldn’t confirm it directly, but he definitely felt that the sword blade that Shin-hwa had stabbed had pierced through his skull.

The worst fatal wound.

He had definitely been hit, but he couldn’t figure out how Shin-hwa had come back to life.

“It’s because I ate something called the Flower of Rebirth. You don’t know, do you? Don’t 착각 [chakgak – mistake/illusion] that you know everything in the world.”

“Keugeogeogeok!”

Russell, pierced by the sword blade, trembled as Shin-hwa slowly raised his body.

He couldn’t move an inch, like an earthworm hooked on a fishing hook.

“If I had my skills from my prime, I wouldn’t have even used the Flower of Rebirth. Sorry. I’m a bit clumsy because it’s only been two months since my regression?”

Two months since his regression?

Russell couldn’t believe it.

And.

“I’ve caught one of the bug-like Apostle XXs [expletives] for now.”

Shin-hwa’s words, clearly identifying his origin, followed.