I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 47

Chapter 47

In my past life, the animosity between Mok Jin-woo and me ran deeper than I thought.

It started when I met Nicholas and began to awaken my talents one by one, transforming myself.

Naturally, they extended an invitation to recruit me.

The problem, according to Nicholas’s knowledge of regression, was that Hongyeon Guild’s master, Mok Jin-woo, was deeply connected to the Three Great Vile Powers of China: the Five Stars Society, the Black Society, and the Triads.

This is a story for later, but.

Those vile powers consistently hindered our efforts to prepare for the future cataclysm.

Especially after the Mugang Continent and the Nas Continent were connected to Earth, they even colluded with villains who crossed dimensions.

For that reason, as a member of the Nine Lords and an Awakened in the Asian region, I constantly clashed with them.

The animosity with Mok Jin-woo deepened over time, and eventually, I was subjected to relentless assassination attempts by the Hongyeon Guild.

If he couldn’t have me, he would kill me.

That was Mok Jin-woo’s simple yet absurd reason from the listener’s perspective.

He rarely revealed his true feelings and was skilled at maintaining a poker face.

Perhaps condoning evil deeds was a form of vicarious satisfaction. It was certainly within his character.

“What if I refuse?”

I replied to Mok Jin-woo with a voice full of edge.

People were recoiling from the cold and sinister aura emanating from Mok Jin-woo.

Especially among the non-Awakened, some were even trembling.

“I humbly ask for your generous forgiveness.”

I could sense the insincerity in Mok Jin-woo as he smiled and bowed, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“So, the master of the Hongyeon Guild generously forgives even those who try to kill him?”

“…….”

Did I hit a nerve?

The corner of Mok Jin-woo’s mouth twitched slightly before returning to its original position.

He probably had nothing to say.

Mok Jin-woo was the type to step forward and trample on anyone who tarnished his reputation.

“As a guild master who must strictly enforce the guild’s order, you’d better keep your mouth shut.”

“Wow!”

The onlookers exclaimed.

It was somewhat fascinating to see someone speaking their mind without hesitation in front of an SS+ rank Awakened.

Usually, people would bend over at a 90-degree angle, showing the top of their heads, and grovel before him.

“Hmm.”

“Since I’ve heard your polite words, I’ll at least spare your life.”

After finishing those words.

I turned towards the boss, who was staggering like laundry hung out to dry on my left hand.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!

I unleashed the second form of the Explosive Fist, the Crushing Fist.

My current state was one of Steel Enhancement, where my entire body was transformed into solid steel.

The opponent must have felt like they were being beaten with an iron club.

“Keheuk.”

The guy, who seemed to have lost more than 90% of his mind, couldn’t even stand properly.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

He immediately released a torrent of urine and feces without regard for front or back. He had soiled himself.

Since he had been acting so arrogant and unruly, I thought he would have some resilience, but he was weaker than I expected.

If he was falling apart at this level, he must be a C-rank at best, and someone who had neglected his physical enhancement training.

‘Or am I just strong?’

Thinking about it the other way around, that thought also occurred to me.

For the current me, C and D-rank Awakeners were practically non-opponents.

At that level, they certainly wouldn’t be able to easily overcome the Steel Enhancement ability.

Gurgle.

Over the urine and filthy secretions that had soaked the floor.

Thud!

I slammed his face down. It’s his own filth, so it shouldn’t be too dirty.

I asked Mok Jin-woo, who was still standing in place.

“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think you can say anything about self-defense.”

“Are you Kang Shin-hwa, by any chance?”

So, the main point was something else?

Mok Jin-woo pretended to know me.

It didn’t seem like he had instigated the actions of the four-man group, and he seemed to have rushed over as soon as he heard the news.

From the start, he didn’t seem interested in the four-man group. Judging by the fact that he didn’t show much change in expression even though his subordinates were being beaten up.

In any case, this was the Hongyeon Guild’s front yard, and his office building, the Hongyeon Building, was right in front of us, so it wasn’t strange.

“And you are?”

Pow!

“Kkeuaek!”

As I answered, I once again stomped on the boss who was wriggling and trying to get up from the side.

I could hear a sound like he was gulping, as if he was drinking something he shouldn’t be drinking.

“If you’re willing, would you like to have a conversation with me at the Hongyeon Building? You received a business card from Team Leader Kim Hyun-joon before, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“I’ve been interested in Kang Shin-hwa since then. Recently, I’ve been hearing even more news about you.”

Mok Jin-woo’s calm demeanor gave off a very gentlemanly impression.

Of course, it was perfect pretense only visible in places with many people.

Mok Jin-woo’s true nature reveals itself when he is in a space completely cut off from the outside world.

Psychopath or sociopath.

His personality is so extreme that these words are enough to define him.

“No, thanks.”

I shook my head.

From the start, I had no interest in Mok Jin-woo or the Hongyeon Guild, and I didn’t particularly want to get involved.

If I were to ever join the Hongyeon Guild, it would be when I was dead and in a coffin.

More than anything, I was disappointed that the drinking session and conversation with the priest, which was just starting to ripen, had been broken.

“It will only take a moment.”

“Do I have to refuse twice? Besides, if I’m going to report these guys who weren’t properly managed by whatever guild they’re from, I don’t think I’ll have time.”

“…….”

Mok Jin-woo’s lips trembled slightly as I poured out fact bombs and words close to humiliation.

It was probably the first time in a long time that he had been ignored in a place with so many people.

I know Mok Jin-woo’s talents well.

Of course, I’m not confident that I can surpass him, who is an SS+ rank, with my current skills.

However, I had a way to protect myself and the priest before any trouble broke out.

His weakness is that he’s a slow starter. However, there are few people who accurately know his true nature.

“Then, I hope you’ll at least give me a chance to meet you again.”

A golden business card was handed to me, following Mok Jin-woo’s gesture, who seemed to be suppressing his emotions.

Gold Ticket.

Awakeners used the term Gold Ticket instead of business card, because it was a free pass to meet Mok Jin-woo immediately.

Without this business card, you would have to go through a complicated procedure and several rounds of verification to meet him.

“I’ll think about it.”

I carelessly crumpled the business card into my pocket and headed towards the priest.

“That person! He received a Gold Ticket from Hongyeon Guild Master Mok Jin-woo!”

“He must be a very promising prospect? I guess they’re trying to recruit him!”

“But he’s so cool? It feels like Mok Jin-woo has become a clingy gum!”

Leaving behind the envy of the people and Mok Jin-woo’s strange gaze.

I headed towards the KSA [Korean Special Ability association] agent who seemed to have just arrived at the scene.

It was time to clean up the mess.

* * *

Two hours later.

Shin-hwa, who had finished the investigation and hearing of statements, abandoned his plan to go to a bar.

Following Choi Ji-hyuk’s suggestion, he moved to an empty lot.

The weather was pleasantly warm.

It was a perfect day to sit on a bench, soak in the serene night atmosphere, and have a can of beer.

“I heard that the master of the Hongyeon Guild personally compensated for the damage to the bar. Was his name Mok Jin-woo?”

Choi Ji-hyuk, who was always engrossed in developing his talents, was particularly ignorant of Awakened news.

Even Mok Jin-woo, whose name he would have memorized like a textbook if he were an Awakened, was someone he was learning about for the first time today.

“I see. Since it was the mess caused by Mok Jin-woo’s guild members, he must have cleaned it up before it became more embarrassing.”

“That battle just now! It was really amazing! It was really fast and incredibly powerful for the movements of a D-rank Awakened!”

“You flatter me. I just moved as my body and mind led me.”

“The ability to turn your body into steel! Is that also a talent?”

“Yes, I got it through a flower.”

“You ate a flower that’s even harder to find than wild ginseng! Wow! I’m so jealous!”

“I was lucky.”

“Well, it seems right that a flower should be given to someone who can use it well. If someone like me ate it, I probably wouldn’t be able to use even 10% of its power.”

Shin-hwa looked at Choi Ji-hyuk, who was envying him like a child, and thought of a few flowers that would suit him.

Future knowledge was packed in his head, and he could just pull it out as needed.

‘Kindness is best when it’s appropriate.’

However, he thought coldly.

The lingering feelings for him were only in Shin-hwa’s memories from his past life, not in Choi Ji-hyuk’s emotions.

“Priest.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve been talking about it all along, in the subway and at the bar, right?”

“Team… are you talking about?”

“That’s right. I’m thinking of creating a team. Your abilities are essential for that team.”

In Shin-hwa’s judgment, Choi Ji-hyuk’s debuff ability was valuable in and of itself.

If he linked the debuff with his firepower, he could unleash maximum firepower from S+ to SS-.

To be precise, it was the power of the attack that the opponent felt, but anyway.

Because the resistance ability decreased with the debuff, that much more impact energy went in.

“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but I’m just an E-rank Awakened. A combatant with no self-sufficiency.”

From Choi Ji-hyuk’s words, exhaled with a deep sigh, Shin-hwa could feel the years he had lived being ignored countless times.

‘The reason this problem arises is because they don’t know how to use and nurture debuffers. But in the future, there will be no Awakened with as much scarcity as the priest.’

Shin-hwa was certain.

Choi Ji-hyuk was someone he could never give to anyone else.

His future value was more than just a simple colleague to Shin-hwa.

With his meticulous personality, he would be able to handle the team’s practical affairs and troublesome tasks wonderfully.

He was the opposite of Shin-hwa, who hated troublesome and complicated things.

“I think I can tell you about a small shortcut that will clear up the priest’s blocked areas.”

“Huh? What is that?”

When Shin-hwa hinted slightly, Choi Ji-hyuk eagerly asked.

The development of his talent had stopped.

It was a concern that made Choi Ji-hyuk frustrated, as he had been circling in place for years without progress, and he desperately needed an answer.

“When using your talent, don’t immediately raise the circulation of mana, but keep the mana circulation going even if there’s a feeling of constant discharge.”

“How did you know that? I’ve been doing that as a last resort because I have so little mana…”

“Habits are scary. Just practice that way for a week. When you use up all your mana, just wait until it recovers.”

“Somehow.”

“It feels like it’ll work, right?”

Shin-hwa smiled.

Was this the fun of revealing secrets of heaven?

However, he didn’t rush.

It was true that Choi Ji-hyuk would be a great help if he was by his side, but it wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t.

The center was himself.

In the end, colleagues are just colleagues.

Thus, the two people’s eventful night came to an end, and they parted ways, promising to meet again.

And some time later.