I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 206

206. Regressor

Russell was shocked to hear the word from Shin-hwa, a word from myth.

The word ‘Regressor’ brought even greater shock.

Now, facing his imminent death, there was no reason for Shin-hwa to lie about regression.

‘I have something I’d like to ask.’

‘What is it?’

‘Is it impossible to reverse time? To go back to the past, or something like that?’

‘Impossible. It’s a power of the world that even I dare not aspire to.’

‘Is there any possibility of a variable in Leccetro’s plan?’

‘Controlling time at will is impossible even for me, and ‘He’ whom I serve has said it is impossible.’

‘I see. Then there are no variables.’

‘Unleash your dreams and power to the fullest in the new world. I will eagerly await that fateful day.’

The conversation Russell had with Leccetro flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

Regression was impossible, he had said.

If it were possible, wouldn’t Leccetro have immediately gone back to change many things?

“Kkeuk…….”

He wanted to think more, but.

The flame of life was rapidly extinguishing from his battered body.

With a cool, gaping hole below his chin and above his head, he didn’t think he could last much longer.

“VVIP, don’t worry. After I send you off, I’ll make sure Leccetro follows you later.”

“……”

“If you don’t like this, you should have regressed too. It feels so good to take care of the mastermind I missed in my past life like this!”

Unlike Russell, who wore a look of despair.

Shin-hwa’s expression was truly relieved, as if a decade-long burden had been lifted.

“You apostles are funny. If you come to this world as apostles, shouldn’t you actively cooperate with each other?”

Shin-hwa made a surprisingly insightful point. It was something he hadn’t understood well from the start.

If they came to conquer Earth under Leccetro’s special orders, shouldn’t they have joined forces to prepare?

But looking at their actions so far, it seemed like everyone was acting separately, except for Elijah and Isla.

It didn’t even seem like they were sharing information closely.

If Russell had shared information with Elijah even once, he would have regarded Shin-hwa as a ‘follower.’

“Never mind. Why am I worrying about the apostles? Anyway, you’re finished.”

Poo-ook!

Shin-hwa stabbed Russell in the abdomen again with his sword.

Although he didn’t see it directly, he was enraged when he thought about the innocent Awakened Ones who had been sacrificed to Russell.

During the battle, he had confirmed more than 20 talents from Russell.

Even if he considered four or five of them to be Russell’s unique talents, that meant he had stolen more than a dozen from others.

Just now, when he pretended to be dead, Russell had tried to cut open his chest and eat his heart.

In that case, it was obvious how the previously sacrificed Awakened Ones had died.

“I can’t let you die peacefully.”

In an instant, emotions surged.

Shin-hwa bit his lip tightly.

He began to draw sword strokes with flamboyant movements towards the staggering Russell.

Poo-ook! Poo-ook! Swish! Swack!

Pshoo-shoo! Pshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo!

Following the path of the dancing sword, Russell’s blood splattered in all directions, and his body convulsed.

‘How futile.’

Russell wore a bitter expression as he felt his fate rushing towards death.

A day no different from any other.

His plan to easily subdue his prey and acquire his talent as unearned income had failed.

Even with his death.

‘Do the apostles and Leccetro not know that Kang Shin-hwa is a Regressor at all?’

Judging from the current circumstances, it seemed they didn’t know at all.

If they had known, he wouldn’t have been able to stay alive like that.

Unfortunately, Russell’s worried thoughts could not continue.

Swae-aek!

Russell’s head, separated from his body by Shin-hwa’s strike, flew into the sky. It was a perfect death.

“Be sure to apologize even in death. To the Awakened Ones who were sacrificed to your twisted desires. You filthy XX.”

With Shin-hwa’s coarse curse left behind, Russell breathed his last.

It was the moment when an inflection point occurred that neither Russell nor Leccetro, who sent Russell to this world, had ever anticipated.

* * *

“Wow!”

The moment VVIP died, three orange auras of buffs originating from him instantly entered.

Of course, he thought it was possible that someone of his skill would have one buff, but…….

Three were really unexpected.

[Strategic Disguise – Definite Change]

[You can mimic the face and voice of someone you have met and contacted. Gender transformation is also possible.

Cooldown, 1 day]

“So this was the Mimicry buff.”

It was quite a useful buff.

According to the tooltip, it meant that he could immediately mimic Elijah’s voice and face.

Perhaps VVIP had a lot of fun using this buff.

In particular, he must have done quite a bit of ‘horrific’ disguises, such as pretending to be a woman and seducing male Awakened Ones.

Didn’t he pretend to be a woman named Michelle Straley this time too?

Anyway, the Mimicry buff seemed like it would be useful in many ways. It would be especially useful when disguising.

[Collective Immunity]

[You can immunize up to five designated allies within a 10m radius, including yourself, from mental restraints.

All allies within the radius will not be affected by any form of mental interference for 1 hour.

Cooldown, 1 hour]

“It’s a solid immunity buff that can protect allies indefinitely if you have the concentration to maintain it steadily.”

It was a solid buff.

There weren’t many times to worry about mental restraints now.

But what if he and his companions had to attack higher-ranked dungeons in the future?

From then on, monsters that forcibly manipulate the minds of intruders – Awakened Ones – would appear in large numbers.

They were very difficult to deal with.

Moreover, the scary thing was that once you were caught up in mental restraint, you would die without much resistance.

In his past life, Nicholas also advised him to be very careful of Awakened Ones who used mental talents.

That’s why the first thing he taught Nine Lord was how to defend against mental restraints and exploration.

Thanks to that, he didn’t allow the ‘scan’ when he first met KSA [Korean Special Abilities Association] Director Lee Ha-sung.

Perhaps because the buff was in a form that could support the team, the faces of his companions naturally came to mind.

Father, Yoon-byeol, Han So-joon.

And even Jin Bo-mi…….

I hope they are all doing well?

Anyway, he would feel very proud if he could use this buff for his companions in the future.

But right then.

“Huh?”

He wore a surprised expression when he saw the last buff.

[Ultra-Precise Mana Condensation]

[Maximizes the degree of adaptation to the energy of nature to further compress mana.

In addition, it precisely fills the vacant space secured through this with additionally condensed mana.]

[The buff is activated immediately!]

[Judgment Grade: S-]

“What is this?”

In an instant, his rank jumped.

At the same time, he could clearly feel the power of mana filling up here and there in his body.

It was exactly as written in the description.

Mana was compressed to a high degree, and its purity and density increased to an extent that could not be compared to what it had been before.

And since mana was further filled into the vacant space secured in that way, the total amount naturally had to increase!

“Jackpot. This is a real jackpot?”

He couldn’t have imagined that VVIP would have such a solid buff.

On the one hand, that was why he could fully understand the confidence that the guy had shown.

“I finally became an S. Wow……. I really didn’t expect this.”

He felt good.

He was also pleased that he had punished the apostle disguised as VVIP and personally practiced rewarding good and punishing evil.

“I need to clean up first.”

He decided to stop enjoying the afterglow here.

He had to quickly clean up the situation here and join Toshio and Marina.

He also decided to take the artifacts.

Now that the owner was dead, wasn’t the right of ownership the one who takes it first?

Since he was the one who tried to kill him, he should take the artifacts as ‘settlement money’ to make it worthwhile.

He searched VVIP’s cooling body and found three additional artifacts.

[Pashkat’s Stamina Recovery Bracelet]

[Judgment Grade: A]

[Greatly increases the regeneration and recovery of stamina by 5 times the original amount. Constant maintenance is possible.]

[Kalais’ Acceleration Boots]

[Judgment Grade: A]

[You can use the boots’ unique buff to enhance instantaneous acceleration ability by up to 2 times.

Can be stacked with other acceleration buffs and talents.]

[Thunder Stroke Ring]

[Judgment Grade: S]

[Can induce the release of high-voltage current in close-range attack strikes.

Consumes 10% of the total amount of mana possessed on a fixed basis, and will not activate if you have less than 30% mana.]

“I don’t think he properly utilized acceleration and high-voltage current in the battle earlier……. To waste good specs like that, tsk.”

He clicked his tongue.

He had buffs and artifacts that could be used more tenaciously and extremely, but he didn’t use them properly.

In addition, he used the talents he killed and stole from someone more clumsily than he thought.

It was a vicious cycle created by one man’s misguided greed. Only the dead people were unfortunate.

He had taken everything he needed to take for now.

He threw VVIP’s corpse (only the shell?) into the subspace.

Using mana release, he pushed all the surrounding soil and bushes in the battlefield where his and his blood were scattered.

As blood-stained soil and grass scattered in all directions, the original spot was paradoxically very clean.

“Is the real attack from now on?”

He was curious.

How to reach the Nas Continent using Agaut’s will.

And what kind of future would unfold for him if he reached it.

It was a future that even he, a Regressor, could not predict, so he was excited and worried at the same time.

“Nicholas, you always had a plan. I believe you have one this time too. I really believe it.”

He clenched his fists and said to the guy who was listening somewhere – would he even be listening?

Retirement!

The feeling that this word, which now felt so faint, was getting farther and farther away from him. But he still hoped it wasn’t.

If there was something Nicholas had arranged!

He must have made a shortcut to solve it quickly.

It had to be!

“Otherwise, I’ll really beat you to death as soon as you regress later. Really until you die.”

Even at this moment, construction would be progressing every minute and second on Krivia Island!

Can I…… really retire?

Suddenly, for no reason, just for a moment, he had such an ominous thought.

‘Prepare for retirement in your next life. Hehehe.’

It was as if he could hear the guy’s voice like a hallucination somewhere.