I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 48

Chapter 48

“Oh, I wasn’t waiting here. I just happened to be meeting a friend, and we were talking until dawn before I headed home.”

“At this hour?”

“Yes! At this hour. My father didn’t set a curfew or anything!”

Jin Bomi said this with forced vivacity.

However, it was easy to tell that her physical condition and her words weren’t in sync.

Ordinary people might have missed it, but my enhanced senses saw everything.

Her hands and body were stiff from the morning chill, and her body temperature was definitely lower than usual.

Unlike the cozy atmosphere from before, the temperature had dropped sharply.

Perhaps the pressure system or wind flow had changed around dawn.

‘It’s definitely too cold to talk outside right now.’

I was pulling my collar tighter, so there was no way Jin Bomi, who was wearing much thinner clothes, would be okay.

I gestured to her.

“Come this way. Let’s go inside and warm up for a bit. By the way, what brings you here?”

“Ta-da! It’s because of this.”

Jin Bomi forced her fingers, which weren’t bending properly, to move and showed me a file.

‘Compilation of New Safe House Candidates for Affiliated Guild Member Kang Shin-hwa!’

She had written something grand!

Of course, I fully understood the context.

She seemed worried about my Jung-hwa Station residence after the attempted assassination, so she had listed some decent places.

Her concern and consideration were definitely pleasing.

Especially considering her status in the Yanghwa Guild and Group.

However, her thoughtfulness seemed deeper than just concern and consideration for a promising prospect.

You could say it felt like there was personal interest involved.

If I were the naive 20-year-old I used to be, I wouldn’t have noticed it.

But to my eyes, who have lived for 56 years and are now living a new life, I can see everything – the affection hidden in her consideration.

‘She’s just a kid. She’s only twenty.’

Anyway, I was grateful for her effort.

It would be quite a hassle to find a house myself, but Jin Bomi had lessened the burden.

“Let’s go in and have a cup of coffee. It’s just humble instant coffee, though.”

“Hehe, I really like instant coffee. If possible, in a paper cup?”

“I can manage that much sense.”

I smiled and guided her inside.

Even though a young man and woman were in the same house at dawn… I didn’t have any particularly romantic thoughts.

I’m Kang Shin-hwa, a middle-aged man who’s only young on the outside, long past the age of getting excited about this kind of thing.

* * *

Jin Bomi, who had entered Shin-hwa’s house, looked around every corner with a curious expression.

It was a brief exploration while Shin-hwa heated water and prepared snacks to go with the coffee.

“Look at this. There aren’t any CCTVs or security systems! It’s really dangerous like this. Just because it’s a White Zone [an area with low monster activity] doesn’t mean the crime rate is 0%!”

“Don’t scold me so harshly. Isn’t that why I’m looking for a new house?”

The reason I hadn’t installed security equipment was because I thought I could detect most intrusions with magic detection.

Machines aren’t omnipotent.

Because they are machines, they have inherent weaknesses, and unexpected gaps can occur.

There are many variables, such as security signal interference and power outages.

High-level assassins are skilled at breaking through security systems. Relying solely on machines is a good way to end up in the afterlife.

Swish! Swish! Swoosh!

Jin Bomi spread out the papers she had taken from the file in front of me.

They were all photos of the interior and exterior of the candidate houses, and they contained a lot of detailed pictures.

“I’ve listed places that have a similar atmosphere to the house Shin-hwa is living in now. Of course, I’ve removed all security grades below A because they’re not worth considering.”

The letters in the security grade indicate the rank of intruder that can be detected and responded to.

A grade means it can ‘generally’ detect an A-rank Awakened [a person with supernatural abilities], and F grade means it can detect an F-rank Awakened.

So, the files Jin Bomi showed me were filled with only the letters S and SS.

“Um, can I take a closer look for a bit?”

“Of course!”

Jin Bomi nodded with a proud expression.

Shin-hwa’s personality was such that he was very meticulous once he started, even though he was reluctant to begin.

Moreover, considering Jin Bomi’s hard work and effort, I didn’t want to skim through the contents.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

Shin-hwa’s eyes grew more focused.

They were definitely houses that had a similar feel to the one he was living in now, while also being specialized in security.

Of course, all the places on the list were built by Yanghwa Construction, an affiliate of the Yanghwa Group.

‘It’s better that way. Yanghwa Construction definitely has brand power when it comes to safety and security construction.’

Houses built by Yanghwa Construction are so popular that you can’t get them even if you want to because there are no properties available.

That’s because they are built to meet the standards of Awakened, who are the main customer base, so they have a lot of features and are expensive.

‘It’s definitely safer to have realistic preparations in place rather than just relying on my skills.’

I wanted to make money quickly.

But no matter how quickly I made money, if I messed things up and died, it would only be spending money for the afterlife.

As she said, just because it’s a White Zone doesn’t mean it’s a safe place, so I needed to be constantly vigilant.

A number of safe houses would be a definite alternative to alleviate these concerns.

“I’ll go and check them out myself before signing the contract, but I don’t think Bomi’s judgment will be wrong. Let’s go with these five houses.”

“Let’s see. Then it looks like you’ll need about 20 billion won including taxes for all five houses. Are you sure you’ll be okay? If you’re short, you can renew your contract with our guild in advance!”

She brought it up so naturally that I felt an even more suspicious ulterior motive.

It was a good attempt.

But it was a trick that wouldn’t work on Shin-hwa!

‘After deducting the land purchase price for Jije Station, do I have about 5 billion won left? That’s not enough. I can make magic potions every day, and I need to hurry up with the next production.’

I was short about 15 billion won, but it was money I could make in about ten days.

If necessary, instead of renewing the contract in advance, I could pre-contract the supply of top-grade magic potions.

Since I have things I can adjust from a favorable position, there was no need to rush.

“Let’s just put down the deposit for now. We’ll pay the intermediate payment and the balance with a time difference, but move in as soon as the money is ready.”

“Will that be possible?”

“You don’t have to worry about money. Well, is it like showing off in front of an expert?”

It’s true that I’m making money quickly right now, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the Yanghwa Group, which has a market capitalization of 30 trillion won.

Jin Seong-tae and Jin Bomi are just unusually easygoing and get along with many people without feeling like they’re from an owner’s family.

“Then shall we proceed?”

“I’d appreciate it if you would. You’ve suddenly become a broker for me, Bomi.”

“Hehe, don’t you remember what I said before? I’m Shin-hwa’s 담당자 [personal manager] for the time being.”

“That’s thanks enough. You don’t need to be more 신경 써 [attentive] than necessary.”

“Well, that’s! I’ll think about it. Oh, right! The schedule for the license test has been confirmed. I almost forgot.”

The paper Jin Bomi handed to Shin-hwa stated the location and time as the KSA [Korean Supernatural Association] Seoul Branch at 3 PM today.

‘They’re calling me directly to the branch? How grandly are they going to watch me that they’re calling me all the way to the branch?’

Shin-hwa chuckled.

It seemed I was receiving quite a bit of attention from the KSA.

They usually don’t let outsiders in, but the stage was grand for a test.

Usually, when there is such a test, it is conducted in the form of renting an external facility.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“What hard work? It’s 당연히 [natural/obvious] what I have to do! By the way, it’s warm, and my body is getting tired.”

“Go in before it gets too late.”

Shin-hwa grabbed Jin Bomi’s hand and stood her up.

She gave Shin-hwa a strange look, with eyes that seemed to be regretful.

Shin-hwa smiled and naturally guided her out of the house.

She is not alone.

She is also the youngest daughter who is loved by the entire Jin Seong-tae family and is the core of the guild.

I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary scandals.

After a while.

Vroom!

Shin-hwa stood still for a long time, then belatedly saw off Jin Bomi’s car as it departed.

Jin Bomi. She had many cute aspects and was a very attractive person as a woman.

That’s why I was more careful.

‘Love… huh.’

Love, that is.

To Shin-hwa, who had lost someone he truly loved in his past life and had unspeakable wounds,

It was a feeling that was hot but also wanted to be kept at a distance.

* * *

That afternoon.

“If there’s one thing I like about the KSA, it’s that they built the Seoul branch in a traditional Korean-style house with a sense of style.”

I had arrived in front of the Seoul branch building.

The symbolism of the Seoul branch as a building representing the nation and the Awakened was very significant.

Perhaps that’s why the security check procedure from the entrance was very 까다로웠다 [strict].

It was also a good place to be a target of terrorism if outsiders were allowed in.

Is that why?

I told the guard at the front gate the reason for my visit, but he just scoffed, saying he hadn’t heard anything about it.

It was annoying, but I had no choice but to call Yoon Byeol, who I could contact directly.

She answered the phone as soon as it rang.

-Kang Shin-hwa 씨 [Mr.]?

“What am I supposed to do if you call me and then block me at the entrance?”

-Ah, I’m sorry. It’s a matter that hasn’t been announced externally.

“…….”

-I’ll go out right away. Please wait a moment.

Yoon Byeol was thoroughly humble.

License issuance.

In some ways, it was a part where I should be more eager and 기대야 [dependent], but.

Judging from Yoon Byeol’s attitude, it was clear that today’s meeting was not just a test for license issuance.

If she had a poker face or was good at disguising, she could have 적당히 강짜를 부려도 [acted stubborn], but she didn’t.

Given Yoon Byeol’s personality, she is not good at lying or 능청 [acting nonchalant]. She is also a 원리원칙주의자 [principled person].

So, she seemed to be 맞춰 내게 비위를 [catering to me] in advance because they are treating me like an important guest.

“Hmm.”

I 살폈다 [surveyed] the 모습 [appearance] of the Seoul branch with my arms crossed.

I also saw special vehicles carrying criminals rushing inside from here and there.

The Seoul branch aims to track down and arrest all Awakened with bounties on their heads.

Joo Cheon-ho, who I spoke with before, is also the number one priority for arrest by the KSA Seoul branch.

But right then.

“Kang Shin-hwa 씨?”

A man who was passing by in ordinary office worker clothes, whom I hadn’t paid any attention to, called out to me.

The moment I saw him.

“……!”

After 회귀 [regression/reincarnation], I felt such a strong 위압감 [pressure/aura] that my whole body from head to toe was 꼿꼿이 굳을 [stiffened] for the first time.

SSS-rank Awakened.

The head of the KSA headquarters.

‘It’s Lee Ha-seong?’

He was watching me.