I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 45

Chapter 45

“What a coincidence!”

“Did you take the subway earlier on purpose?”

“Actually, I was planning a trip to Seoul for the first time in a while. Even if I hadn’t seen you, Shin-hwa, I just wanted to get out and clear my head.”

“I see. I came to Jije Station on business and am on my way back.”

“You seem very interested in Jije Station?”

“Very. Very much so.”

Choi Ji-hyuk and Shin-hwa exchanged friendly handshakes and chatted.

It was an unintentional, coincidental meeting, but a welcome one nonetheless.

However, Choi Ji-hyuk suddenly frowned and moved towards a darker corner of the station.

“Shin-hwa, I’m sorry. I don’t really like sunlight.”

“I understand.”

Shin-hwa nodded.

Shin-hwa already knew that Choi Ji-hyuk had a difficult past related to this aversion.

A being who had no choice but to fear sunlight—a vampire.

Choi Ji-hyuk had vampire tendencies, like Jang Seong-young, whom Shin-hwa had fought before.

The Awakened System had granted him a powerful debuff ability [an ability that weakens enemies], but in return, it took away his tolerance for sunlight.

However, vampire tendencies were generally associated with villains.

Choi Ji-hyuk kept his tendencies hidden, revealing them only to a select few close acquaintances.

Preconceptions and prejudices were barriers too high to easily overcome with sincerity and a few words.

“By the way, I’ve been hearing a lot about you, Shin-hwa. It’s been all over the internet news lately.”

“Haha, what kind of articles did you see?”

If it was an article about himself, there was reporter Park Hyun’s ‘exclusive’ piece and the news stories that followed.

Park Hyun only published articles that were carefully edited to Shin-hwa’s liking, so there was nothing to worry about.

“I heard you joined the Yanghwa Guild, and I saw an article about you treating Jin Bo-mi, the daughter of the Yanghwa Group’s chairman, who is also an Awakened.”

“I see.”

“I also saw an article claiming you developed the highest-grade mana potion! Some articles said it was fake news. Is it true?”

Choi Ji-hyuk asked the question Shin-hwa had been expecting.

The public’s reaction and Choi Ji-hyuk’s skepticism were understandable.

This was because the Yanghwa Guild had only announced the exclusive sale and hadn’t yet distributed the highest-grade mana potion on the market.

They claimed to be in behind-the-scenes negotiations.

According to the report Jin Bo-mi had given him, not only domestic guilds but also foreign countries were very interested.

However, since many people doubted its existence, they said they would soon gather relevant experts and conduct a sample test.

It seemed they would use the remaining bottle from the two that Jin Seong-tae had purchased from Shin-hwa to prove its efficacy.

“Yes, that’s right. The production process is confidential.”

“Wow! If that’s true, it will be a huge sensation! Even the intermediate mana potion developed by Arisu Chemical is worth a fortune, you know?”

“However, the daily production is only one bottle, so mass production seems difficult.”

“Even better—scarcity! Many Awakeners will line up to buy it. I envy you.”

“I’m embarrassed, hahaha.”

Shin-hwa smiled awkwardly.

He could have puffed up his chest and arrogantly accepted the compliments.

But listening to Choi Ji-hyuk’s praise, delivered with such kindness and humility, made him feel humble himself.

“You said you were D-rank, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I just entered E+ rank a while ago. Haa, it’s really not easy. I didn’t know it would be this hard to gather mana as an Awakened.”

Choi Ji-hyuk’s deep frustration was palpable as he sighed.

In fact, it was a common concern for many Awakeners.

The rank naturally rises when the total amount of mana increases, but the process is far from easy.

It would be nice if you could just hunt monsters and level up like in a game, increasing your mana accordingly.

The Awakened System placed so much emphasis on innate talent.

If you lacked innate talent,

it created a strange situation where you could remain stuck in place even after working hard for ten years or more.

‘If I work with the Priest, I can increase my current strength by at least twofold.’

In his previous life, Shin-hwa had developed his own user manual for maximizing Choi Ji-hyuk’s potential.

Choi Ji-hyuk’s debuff-related abilities, which significantly lowered a monster’s defense and inflicted various status conditions, were a perfect complement to Shin-hwa’s abilities.

Shin-hwa’s main talent was maximizing damage output, and Choi Ji-hyuk’s debuffs allowed him to reach the peak of that maximization.

‘It’s not right now, but in the long run, I need my own team. An independent force.’

Shin-hwa’s eyes flickered slightly as he watched Choi Ji-hyuk, then his expression returned to normal.

He wasn’t going to stay in the Yanghwa Guild forever, and he wasn’t considering moving to another guild.

Even if he moved to a guild with better benefits, it wouldn’t change the fact that he would still be beholden to someone.

Organizations provide a sense of belonging, but that sense of belonging often holds you back.

Moreover, it was bound to be a burden for Shin-hwa, who dreamed of early retirement, to be tied to an organization for a long time.

There was no reason to do that.

‘It’s easier to move around if I’m an independent entity. It’s also easier to gracefully bow out when I retire later, right?’

Shin-hwa was already counting his chickens before they hatched, envisioning a grand plan.

The key was simple.

Create a team with colleagues who had perfect synergy with him in his previous life and utilize them to his advantage.

Then, he could handle dungeon raids and other tasks without being constrained by a guild or organization.

He would also need someone to coordinate with the outside world, filtering or managing annoying requests in advance.

Instead of Shin-hwa handling all the discussions and preparations himself, he would have a kind of agent.

This would greatly reduce the workload and allow him to focus solely on what he wanted to do.

‘Someday, when Nicholas returns, he’ll probably say that he needs me again, mentioning the Nine Lords or something? There’s no such thing in this life. Tell them to do it with the Eight Lords or whatever, and let them fight among themselves.’

Shin-hwa looked far into the future and organized his thoughts.

It seemed like a good idea to start building his own team, beginning with Choi Ji-hyuk.

“Priest.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have an affiliated party, guild, or other organization that you are currently working with?”

That’s how Shin-hwa began.

* * *

Sinchon Station—they had arrived before they knew it.

They headed to a bar that the Priest had researched in advance and continued their conversation.

As expected, the Priest didn’t have a team. He said he was currently working alone.

He had been trying to join a guild or find a party, but hadn’t had much success.

Awakeners who didn’t understand how to utilize a Priest didn’t like him, as he had no combat ability of his own.

In addition, the fact that the Priest’s debuff ability had a short duration and was difficult to use consistently was also a major drawback.

‘That’s only a problem if you think from their perspective. It’s not a problem for me.’

He had worked with the Priest for a considerable amount of time in his previous life.

Their teamwork was so seamless that they were even rumored to be dating.

He knew very well how to maximize his power when working with him.

He could say for sure:

He was the one who could utilize him best.

Meanwhile, he was greatly surprised by the Hongyeon Guild’s presence that dominated the streets of Sinchon Station as they walked.

All the pillars erected every few steps had the Hongyeon Guild’s flags fluttering.

“Our Hongyeon Guild provides the best treatment to Awakeners in Korea and beyond!”

“Korea’s pride, the Awakener’s dream! Realize your ambitions at the Hongyeon Guild!”

In addition, the Hongyeon Guild’s promotional video was constantly playing on a huge screen installed in the middle of the street.

The people appearing in the video were all popular celebrities or idols—people with significant influence.

“It’s Hongyeon, after all.”

The Priest looked around with his mouth wide open.

Most of the buildings in Sinchon Station had the Hongyeon Guild’s flag hanging on them.

In other words, they were buildings used by the guild’s Awakeners.

There weren’t just one or two such buildings; they were springing up like mushrooms across several blocks.

‘There are not one but two of these corrupt guilds. It’s definitely going to be a headache in the future…….’

Shin-hwa made a bitter expression.

Hongyeon and Cheongyeon.

Three months from now, the two guilds would unite and surprise the Hyehwa Guild, the third-ranked guild.

As a result,

the tense three-way power balance would collapse, and the two guilds would merge to create a massive force.

Organizations surpassing the power of the KSA [Korean Special Ability Association], such as the Chinese Triads, Wuxinghui, and Black Society, would emerge.

It was also the starting point for the dark ages of the Korean Awakener world.

‘Well, I can’t really do anything about it.’

Nicholas would have advised him to change this future somehow.

He still didn’t know.

He didn’t know if he needed to change this future.

He wasn’t particularly interested in world peace, justice, or maintaining order.

If Hongyeon or Cheongyeon didn’t bother him, he didn’t want to be on bad terms with them.

He would be grateful if he could sell his products at a high price and secure his retirement funds.

* * *

Pouring. Pouring.

Soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] filled the glass perfectly.

Choi Ji-hyuk insisted on treating him to expensive alcohol, but Shin-hwa coolly ordered soju.

Shin-hwa had been quite interested in luxurious wines and liquors when he made a lot of money in his previous life, but eventually returned to soju.

Shin-hwa couldn’t give up the unique, intense taste of soju. You could say he was an inevitable Korean.

Cheers.

Soon after toasting,

as soon as he took the first sip, Choi Ji-hyuk started the conversation.

“If you go to Mosangol Cathedral, there is a Priest Awakener like me named Kim Hwan-deok.”

“Ah, you have another colleague?”

“Yes, that’s right. Kim Priest is a C-rank, much higher than me. He is good at detoxification, so other Awakeners really seek him out when going to toxic dungeons.”

“Detoxification is also an essential element in dungeon raids. I think it’s an indispensable ability.”

Unless you are immune to poison like Shin-hwa, detoxification ability is really important.

Dungeons are home to all kinds of monsters, and the types of poison they use are beyond imagination.

“That friend was impressed after seeing you heal my wound from the paralysis poison after you saved me that day.”

“Impressed?”

“Yes. He said it was a unique healing ability that he had never seen before…….”

Just as Choi Ji-hyuk was sharing his colleague’s story and having a pleasant conversation,

“Hey.”

One of a group of four men who were loitering around the bar tapped Shin-hwa on the shoulder, interrupting his conversation.

“……?”

“We came to have a drink for the first time in a while, but it’s full? You look like a stranger, so can you move so my brothers can have a drink?”

Shin-hwa glanced at the man’s shoulder and saw the Hongyeon Guild’s epaulette proudly displayed.