I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 261

261

“Crazy, just crazy……”

“Ms. Marina.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you have any fresher compliments? You keep repeating ‘crazy’ every time. Something more dramatic, you know?”

“Like, ‘mind-blowing’?”

“No, that’s not exactly the right word for the situation……”

“It’s truly overwhelming. To be honest, I feel like there isn’t a dungeon in the world we couldn’t conquer with Shin-hwa.”

Shin-hwa awkwardly nodded at Marina’s praise.

Because it was half right and half wrong. It wouldn’t be difficult, it would be easy. Definitely.

The reason Shin-hwa kept clamoring for retirement in his past life but couldn’t was because he was conquering dungeons all over the world with Nicholas.

It was a relentless march with no time even to shout for retirement.

Of course, there was a range setting of S-rank or higher dungeons.

Anyway, he had been to all the top-tier dungeons.

Of course, he hadn’t been to dungeons in the Nine Road Dimension that he didn’t even know existed.

There were often cases where the terrain or shape was different from what he knew because of rapid internal changes over time.

But the basic structure and the boss monster’s patterns were not significantly different.

Unless it was a completely unknown dungeon like a secret dungeon, it was possible to retrace his memories somehow.

After diligently attacking, he finally completed all the points and stood in front of the boss room barrier where the boss Vargas resided.

Until now, countless Awakened [individuals with supernatural abilities] from the WSA [World Superpower Association] or related cooperative guilds had gritted their teeth and attacked this place.

They were all prominent figures in their respective guilds or organizations, and certainly not just anyone.

But no one had ever arrived at the boss barrier without difficulty.

There were frequent dropouts and serious injuries along the way, and many retreated, overwhelmed by the dungeon’s majesty.

But Marina had never been nervous throughout the journey here.

Shin-hwa might have been nervous inside, pretending to be nonchalant, but she wasn’t.

‘I need to reflect. Honestly.’

Marina reproached herself.

To put it nicely, she was ‘riding the bus’ [relying on others], but to put it badly, she had come while causing a lot of ‘nuisance.’

The fact that she didn’t have to fight that hard meant that Shin-hwa had done almost everything.

Of course, Marina had an important role to play against the final boss, Vargas.

Shin-hwa emphasized that several times, but it was still embarrassing.

‘If Kang Shin-hwa really retires as he said, wouldn’t that be a great loss to the Awakened world?’

Marina thought.

Looking at Shin-hwa’s skills now, he seemed to surpass even Lee Ha-sung, the head of the KSA [Korean Superpower Association] headquarters, who is considered the best in Korea.

At least on par or better.

That was Marina’s assessment of Shin-hwa’s skills.

Turning her gaze to Japan, if she were to select the Top 3, her brother Hara Toshio, whose name would definitely be included!

Compared to Shin-hwa, she didn’t think he could surpass Shin-hwa at all.

Even considering the ‘premium’ of family, her brother.

In Marina’s eyes, Toshio was an Awakened with quite a few gaps, but Shin-hwa, frankly, had no gaps to be found.

Unless Shin-hwa was doing nothing and just standing there blankly, she had no confidence in winning with an attack.

‘I should have known from the first time I met him, when he turned my dummy into rags…….’

Marina chuckled as she recalled the day she first met Shin-hwa.

Back then, her own standards were clearly at least above Shin-hwa…….

Now, like a Buddhist who can only look up at a giant Buddha statue from below, she had to lift her head endlessly to look up at Shin-hwa.

“Thanks for consistently assisting me well. The Silk Hand is really versatile, which is why it’s called the Thousand Faces.”

“Ah……. Was I helpful at all?”

“Did you forget? You laid down the Fence of Death with the Silk Hand, and then you brought a horde of ogres and sliced nearly a hundred of them at once.”

“Shin-hwa set up the stage!”

“You can only set up a stage if there’s a foundation. Marina, you don’t necessarily have to lead the battle by using the Silk Hand. Put more weight on support. Like team play.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Marina nodded.

It was something she herself had felt while attacking the dungeon this time.

Instead of always trying to be the main character on the battlefield.

Stepping back and supporting allies could actually multiply the synergy of her talents.

Whether Shin-hwa intended it or not, he had given her a very important lesson, and it was very meaningful.

“Let’s work together with the best teamwork in front of Vargas, just like now. Ready?”

“……Ready.”

Marina swallowed hard. She was honestly very worried because Vargas was someone no one had ever successfully attacked.

“Since there are only two of us, we’ll be much weaker than when they came with 8, 16, or 25 people. Don’t worry.”

Shin-hwa patted Marina on the shoulder and said something to ease her tension.

But she had seen several Awakened turn to dust, so she couldn’t feel at ease.

“I’ll try.”

“Just tie up the baby golems. I’ll mark Vargas.”

Shin-hwa’s strategy was simple.

The reason Vargas is difficult to attack is that ‘baby golems’ start appearing from the factory on the outskirts of the dungeon as time passes.

These baby golems strengthen Vargas, just like attaching new parts or engines to a robot.

Whether it’s the power of attributes, mobility, or the firepower of the attack itself, it always plays a positive role.

The problem is that these baby golems appear from all directions, making it difficult for one person to block them.

In addition, there was also a mechanism in place where killing a baby golem would enrage the mother Vargas, causing it to go berserk.

Baby golems that are a problem whether you kill them or not.

The only way to tie up these guys with just ‘one person’ was to use Marina’s Silk Hand.

Since there were many pillars and structures around, it was possible to tie and fix the golems from time to time.

“Really…… are you going to be okay?”

“This guy’s difficulty increases according to the number of people. At this level, I can handle it alone. Of course, I shouldn’t let my guard down.”

Shin-hwa dusted off his hands with a spirited look and stood in front of the barrier.

Once he goes in, he will have a showdown with the final boss of this dungeon.

In addition, he can obtain the flower that he has been anticipating and longing for as much as the Flower of Transcendence needed for brain alteration.

The Flower of Attributes.

The final feast to put an end to ability enhancement was right in front of him.

* * *

Shortly after.

“Euratcha!”

Clang!

From the moment I faced Vargas, I started rushing and immediately kicked his abdomen.

It was a blow to test his durability.

As expected, Vargas received my attack too easily.

Vargas, whose whole body was made of steel, looked exactly like the ‘Iron Golem’ I had seen on the Nas Continent.

If they hadn’t given him the unique name Vargas, he would have 100% been given the name of a mass-produced boss monster like ‘Iron Golem King.’

-Human, your greed is truly endless, and you repeat the same mistakes every time.

“Who says I make mistakes?”

-The number of humans who have died in front of me already exceeds four digits. Isn’t that enough?

“Even if you crush a thousand ants to death, a person can suddenly die from being bitten by a mosquito. Do you think you’re any different?”

Thud! Pow! Paaaa!

While responding to Vargas’s words, I diligently threw punches, but the attacks all went to waste.

It wasn’t just a simple concept of steel.

If it were, it would have been dented and smashed here and there by the power-maximizing punches.

But it didn’t dent at all, nor did it push in even a little.

‘I expected it from the beginning, but this dungeon will be a test of endurance and resilience for me.’

I accepted the expected situation. I wondered if I could create a variable, but I soon gave up the idea.

In the first place, Vargas was not a boss monster to be attacked with firepower.

This is also the reason why so many Awakened teams have challenged him, but no one has killed Vargas.

There is only one thing needed to win against Vargas.

‘Endurance.’

The ability to maintain the current situation without getting hurt or dying while sustaining the battle for a long time.

That is the key to a successful attack.

[Vargas’s beloved first component, ‘Apenshur,’ has completed production and is departing.]

‘Here we go.’

A message appeared announcing the departure of the baby golem.

This dungeon is a place where things happen that are reminiscent of the phases and warnings of a dungeon in a game.

Perhaps it is the arrogant Vargas’s indiscretion.

Confidence that he can win even after telling everything. That’s why he’s revealing this information.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

No sooner had the message been displayed than Marina disappeared somewhere on the outskirts of the dungeon.

From now on, Marina must take full responsibility for everything on the outskirts of the dungeon.

I trust her, so I’m not worried, but there is a mission that I must accomplish.

That is right.

Wooong! Wooong!

Blocking Vargas’s ‘attribute cannon’ attack.

The attribute cannon, which opens its muzzle as soon as its own magic power is charged, fires in the form of either flame, ice, lightning, or wind.

If exposed to this attack, not even a special suit, let alone its grandfather, can withstand it.

It goes without saying, but what if this attack were to hit Marina’s rear as she runs without looking back?

It’s only a matter of time before she turns to dust. It’s really just a blink of an eye.

-I’ll kill you!

Vargas smiled bitterly, aiming the muzzles opened above both arms at Marina.

“Do you think I’ll let you?”

Zhiing!

Blocking the straight path to her, I used the Shield Stone to create a frontal shield.

Kwaang!

“Keuk!”

It was tremendous firepower.

At first glance, the two attribute cannon spheres looked to be only about the size of a volleyball.

But when I actually received it, a tremendous shock, as if I had been hit by a truck, was transmitted throughout my body.

If it hadn’t been for the altered body, it would have been a strong blow that could have broken bones one after another, starting from the arm.

Kukung. Kung. Kung!

Pushed back for a long time, I let the shock flow by yielding to the force rather than resisting it.

And immediately went into attack mode.

Vargas’s attack is not as ‘friendly’ as I thought, because there is no pattern of attacking once and then resting.

Unlike other cases where they usually have some time to rest after pouring out an attack as if they had made a promise.

-Are you scared?

“What a load of crap, XXX.”

When I made eye contact with Vargas again.

The head of the guy separated from his body was already flying in front of me, spouting nonsense.

Body separation!

It was one of Vargas’s main techniques and the core of the multi-attack that makes endurance difficult.