I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 265

265

-Elijah, I encountered a very interesting being in the dungeon this time.

“An interesting being?”

-Do you know Akeroth? Akeroth Planks.

“How could I not know him? He’s a confidant of Reccero, whom I deeply respect, and a proud member of the Order.”

Although he spoke politely, Elijah didn’t think highly of Akeroth at all.

From the perspective of a subordinate constantly seeking Reccero’s ‘favor’.

Elijah and Akeroth were in constant competition.

In fact, Reccero used this to keep them in check by alternately empowering Akeroth and Elijah.

In other words, he didn’t create a clear second-in-command in the Reknat Order, but rather two ambiguous third-in-commands.

In any case, Elijah’s eyes deepened when Akeroth’s name came up from Shin-hwa’s mouth.

-I tracked Akeroth.

“What? How did you track him? Are you saying he crossed over from the Nas Continent to Earth?”

-Yes.

“Hmm… Reccero said that would never happen.”

Elijah bit his lip.

Was Reccero lying when he said that he would entrust everything on Earth to the five apostles he had sent ahead?

Judging by the way things were going, it seemed like Reccero had double-crossed him again, as he ‘always’ did.

If Shin-hwa was right, Akeroth would have been sent solely to keep the apostles in check.

But how did Shin-hwa meet such an Akeroth?

-I happened to run into him in the dungeon. The interesting thing is that Akeroth couldn’t get out of the dungeon.

Shin-hwa slowly began to speak.

He didn’t forget to use the honorific ‘nim’ for Akeroth, in line with his position as a follower.

“Can’t get out of the dungeon?”

-Yes. It was as if some kind of restriction was in place. However, every time I felt the powerful force emanating from his body, I felt dizzy.

“Dizzy… Did he perhaps use illusion or soul-snatching magic?”

-I’m not sure about that. It was a high-level black magic that I couldn’t imitate.

Shin-hwa rattled off only lies.

In reality, he was already dead and thrown into the subspace as a cold corpse.

Shin-hwa combined the story he heard from Jang Dong-shik with his past life knowledge to create a plausible story.

Only apostles like Pentanaz could know this much information.

Elijah was accepting Shin-hwa’s words without suspicion, as 100% truth.

Throughout the call with Elijah, Shin-hwa didn’t say anything specific.

He just threw out topics and induced Elijah to imagine on his own.

This was a way of speaking that he used when the other person trusted him, something he had learned from Nicholas in his past life.

A method of making the other person guess and spill secrets while he himself said nothing of substance.

“Reccero said that Akeroth would not be participating in this expedition. That’s why he even gave me the Necklace of Darkness…”

-How would I know the intentions of the higher-ups? I’m just telling you what I saw and heard.”

“So, Akeroth is trapped in the dungeon, and he wants to meet an apostle directly, not you?”

-Yes. However, there was a minor conflict during the initial conversation, and I obtained this.

Shin-hwa showed Akeroth’s prosthetic eye through the video call as if to show off.

It was, in effect, a confirmation kill.

Even if he had doubted all of Shin-hwa’s words until now, he had no choice but to admit it was true now that he had evidence.

“Isn’t that… the prosthetic eye that Akeroth always wore?”

-Yes. He mistook me for an enemy, so I had no choice but to respond, and I obtained it in the process.

“You’re not seriously injured, are you?”

Elijah’s voice, subtly asking, conveyed intentions completely different from his words.

Shin-hwa, who was quick-witted, couldn’t possibly not know this, and he almost burst out laughing during the conversation.

Because all of Elijah’s attention was focused on his lips, as if waiting for him to say, ‘I’m sorry. He was seriously injured.’

-It’s just a minor injury.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

He said it was a relief, but his eyes didn’t look relieved at all.

He could tell that he trusted his words enough.

Shin-hwa immediately brought up the topic.

-Akeroth wants to talk directly to an apostle, not a lower-level follower like me.

Besides, he’s not someone I can easily subdue just because he’s injured. He’s a noble being.

So, I thought it would be best for you, Elijah, to contact him directly, avoiding the eyes of those around you.

“I’ll do that. I need to hurry. Which dungeon is it?”

-It’s in Hawaii…

Shin-hwa threw the last bait.

* * *

After that, 12 hours passed.

Normally, it takes at least two days to request and receive a dungeon license, unless you are a privileged person. Even with privileges, it takes more than a day.

However, Elijah made the most of his group’s power and connections.

He completed the issuance of a license for a WSA-owned [World Security Association] dungeon in Hawaii in just six hours.

Everything was going according to my plan.

My plan had two major premises firmly in place.

First, Elijah doesn’t think I can target him.

Second, Elijah doesn’t think I know everything about the apostles and Reccero.

That was it.

If Elijah had a question mark about even one of these two premises?

He wouldn’t have believed a single word I said.

But logically, he thought I didn’t fall under these premises, so the credibility of my words increased significantly.

-I’ll call you as soon as I finish things up. Let’s talk about the rest later.

Elijah, who was meticulous, excluded me from entering the dungeon where I ‘falsely’ said Akeroth was.

It was a choice that was like him.

His intention was to cut me off completely, no matter what information he obtained from Akeroth.

I had secured CCTV footage in advance – there was some illegality, but there was no malice – and watched the movements of Elijah’s group.

Elijah moved faster than I expected.

Twelve hours after the call ended, he had already arrived at the dungeon with Belic.

In the screen.

Only two people entered the dungeon.

It was unusual that dozens of awakeners belonging to Elijah’s group were stationed outside the dungeon.

It was also clear evidence that a high-ranking figure had entered the dungeon, as anyone could see.

“I should get going.”

I got up from my seat.

Because the cooldown of the space movement buff, which had been reduced again after killing Vargas, was available again.

The situation was clear.

Elijah and Belic entered the dungeon where I lied that Akeroth was, alone.

And his subordinates are guarding the outside of the dungeon.

But I have invisibility and blink to avoid the eyes of those subordinates and prevent them from sensing my presence.

When entering the dungeon, there is no change in the color of the portal or any other effect.

Even if I sneak in, no one will notice.

Originally, the more perfectly you believe you are prepared, the more lax your vigilance becomes.

Because you believe it’s certain, you don’t feel the need to be more vigilant than that. I aimed for that point.

Wooong. Wooong. Wooong.

After putting on the special suit.

After taking Wilson, who was reborn as a flawless new body (?) after passing through Hwang Seok-cheol and Jang Dong-shik’s hands twice.

I immediately prepared to move.

There is only one goal.

Only Elijah.

Belic was just a small fry next to him, and if I wanted to, it was easy to take his life like a bug.

“Hoo.”

After taking a short deep breath.

I pushed my body hard into the portal. Now it’s time to jump into the heart of the enemy.

* * *

Some time later.

In Elijah’s room, where he should never be heard, according to what was publicly known, the voices of two men were heard.

Unlike Elijah and Belic’s movements, which were known to have entered the dungeon.

It was Elijah and Belic in the office, specifically in the secret area on the top floor of the Elijah Building, as if to show off.

“It’s about time the report came.”

“I always feel that Master is very careful. I thought you would trust Kang Shin-hwa enough.”

“Be careful in everything. That habit made me who I am now. Otherwise, I would have died a long time ago.”

“That’s true, but…”

“And I have never attacked a dungeon without thinking without properly analyzing it.”

Elijah said emphatically.

What he was waiting for was the report from the executive he had sent disguised as himself and Belic.

After changing the feeling of his face appropriately.

After sending him wearing his usual clothes, he looked exactly like himself.

Right then.

Drrrrk.

A call came.

“This is Elijah.”

-Master. First of all, I have finished checking the interior to some extent. However, there is a limit, so I came out in the middle of the attack.

“Was it very difficult?”

-After all, the design itself is an SSS-rank dungeon, so it was impossible with our skills.

“What data has been secured?”

-There was nothing in more than 70% of the dungeon. There were no uninvited guests or traces of intruders other than monsters.

“Were there any traces of prior intrusion or traps?”

-There was nothing at all. I’m sure because I moved while turning on the detector twice.

“I understand. Wait for now.”

-Yes.

The call containing only the key content ended quickly.

Belic, who heard the conversation next to him, continued to speak to Elijah as if complaining slightly.

“Master, aren’t you being too careful? I think Kang Shin-hwa is an ally you can trust. Didn’t he bow down to Master from the beginning?”

“Hmm… I must have been too sensitive. Then I’ll finish the preparations and go meet Akeroth.”

Elijah got up from his seat.

According to Shin-hwa, Akeroth was said to be in the latter half of the dungeon.

It was a section that the executive’s skills could not reach, but he could arrive without any problems with his skills.

Anyway, it was confirmed to be ‘clean’.

He was worried that Shin-hwa might have been playing tricks, even if it was only one in ten million, but it was an unnecessary worry.

“Akeroth… I will find out everything you know and make it mine.”

Elijah clenched his fists.

To be honest, it felt like a pumpkin had rolled in on the vine [unexpected good fortune].

If he handles Akeroth well.

He will be Reccero’s next successor. Elijah had that much confidence.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time.

“Really… gender reassignment is terrible every time I see it.”

A ‘woman’ with thick smoky makeup sighed as she looked at her reflection in the elevator mirror.

This elevator was a special elevator designed to go to the secret area of the Elijah Building.

The tone and actions were undeniably Shin-hwa’s, but the appearance was completely different.

And.

The name tag on the left chest had a completely different person’s name on it.

Keena Robbie.

It was the name of one of the executives of the Elijah Group.