I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Lee Ha-seong is more of a mystery than he appears.

Na Mi-na, the Seoul branch manager, acts as the public face of the KSA more often than Lee Ha-seong, the head of headquarters, does.

This is because she enjoys media contact and has a good rapport with reporters.

In other words, even in my past life, I didn’t have as much contact with Lee Ha-seong as one might expect.

That is, not until 2040, when he died in an unexpected dungeon accident and a new head of headquarters was appointed.

I only met him once.

If I hadn’t met him that one time, I wouldn’t have recognized him now.

“Excuse me, but who… are you?”

I pretended not to know him.

It was clearly our first meeting, and it would be strange to act like I knew him.

“I’m Lee Ha-seong, the head of headquarters. I heard you were visiting today for the license test, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m sorry for bothering you. This is why the KSA sometimes gets called stubborn. Haha.”

Lee Ha-seong, smiling kindly and scratching the back of his head, even gave off the cozy feeling of a friendly neighbor.

He must be thirty-nine this year, but he looked a bit older.

“It’s nothing. I think it’s a natural verification process when attacking a nationally owned dungeon.”

“I really appreciate you thinking that way.”

Just then.

Zing.

The moment I made eye contact with him, I felt a sudden headache starting in my head.

‘He has a search ability [a talent that allows the user to scan and analyze others].’

The opponent is an SSS-rank Awakened [individuals with superhuman abilities]. It was not at all strange for him to have such a talent.

If I hadn’t prepared, Lee Ha-seong would have read my talent and magic power level without me even knowing it.

But for me, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, it was a ‘mental ability’ that I had encountered countless times.

Of course, I knew how to deal with it.

Although it’s a bit difficult to put into practice, the method is simple.

Since the scan of the search ability always starts from the target’s head or point of contact, you can build a thick wall of magic power around the brain and its vicinity.

Of course, this is just an impossible theory for ordinary Awakened who cannot freely send or maintain magic power in the desired location.

“It’s quite cold today, isn’t it?”

Even though the scan attempt from just now had failed due to my quick response, Lee Ha-seong didn’t even flinch.

He was naturally talking about the weather, as if nothing had happened, while adjusting his collar.

‘Well, the head of headquarters isn’t the head of headquarters for nothing.’

We didn’t show it, but in that fleeting moment, our intentions crossed each other.

The one trying to find out and the one trying to block it.

The conclusion was a draw.

“Kang Shin-hwa! This way… Oh? Head of headquarters, hello?”

Yun Byeol, who had arrived, was about to call me but recognized Lee Ha-seong and bowed politely.

“Byeol, you’re working really hard these days. Keep up the good work. Kang Shin-hwa, it was nice meeting you.”

Lee Ha-seong greeted me again and offered a handshake.

That hand is no ordinary hand.

I immediately concentrated all my magic power on my right hand to shake hands and set up another defensive wall.

Soon, following the joined hands, I felt a slight tingling sensation again.

I wonder what he’s so curious about regarding my information! He seems very dedicated.

“It was nice meeting you too.”

Me, responding with a bright smile.

The invisible attack and defense that took place in a short time ended like that.

And.

“Should I follow Byeol?”

I immediately turned my gaze to Yun Byeol.

Now it’s time to quickly resolve the license issue and go absorb the ‘magic power storage talent’ to raise my rank.

* * *

While Shin-hwa was being guided in detail by Yun Byeol and entered the special training room to wear sparring equipment.

There were two people quietly watching him from outside the training room through a translucent wall.

Lee Ha-seong and Na Mi-na.

Inside, it looks like a wall identical to the training room, but outside, it was a structure that allowed a clear view of the inside.

“Head of headquarters, I heard you met him at the entrance earlier?”

“I did.”

“How was it?”

“He was skilled.”

“Did the scan… fail?”

“He knew how to respond.”

Unlike Lee Ha-seong, who spoke calmly, Na Mi-na had a very surprised expression.

This is because Lee Ha-seong’s search ability, if not properly blocked, has the powerful ability to absorb all the opponent’s information, even the memories of when they were born.

The scary thing about this talent is that it can even analyze the strengths and weaknesses in the process of acquiring information.

From Lee Ha-seong’s point of view, when dealing with a target whose information has been grasped, he can relentlessly target weaknesses.

“If you don’t build a wall of magic power in advance at the head or point of contact, you’ll be caught in an instant.”

“That’s right. The response was already over the moment I tried. I didn’t push it too hard because Kang Shin-hwa isn’t a wanted person or a criminal.”

“He’s not an ordinary Awakened after all. Right?”

“Actually, until I met him in person today, I was wondering why you were making such a fuss.”

“A fuss is a bit… Don’t you have a more elegant word? It doesn’t look good if the leader of the Seoul branch is making a fuss or something!”

“Anyway, Kang Shin-hwa definitely has a lot to hide. The porter seems to have been a disguise after all.”

“Right? It seems like he was quietly hiding his talent and started moving when the time came.”

“Attempting to recruit him is good, but.”

“Yes.”

“Refrain from excessively provoking him. Before greed, he is one of our precious Awakened in Korea.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Then, shall we watch for a bit?”

Lee Ha-seong and Na Mi-na took their seats in the dark room with all the lights turned off.

The test for Shin-hwa was about to begin.

* * *

Same time.

“Shin-hwa, would it be okay to film the entire process of the test?”

Yun Byeol requested permission to film the sparring process with the opponent.

She tilted her head when I only chuckled and said nothing.

“Weren’t you watching from over there anyway? I knew it from the beginning.”

“Yes?”

She pretends not to know, but she doesn’t know how different my eyes are from others.

I excused myself to the sparring partner for a moment and headed towards the wall.

And pointed to Lee Ha-seong and Na Mi-na, who were inside with their arms crossed, staring at me intently.

“You two are clearly visible here. Nice to see you again. Head of headquarters, branch manager.”

When I made eye contact and greeted them accurately, Na Mi-na inside was surprised and jumped up.

Lee Ha-seong was pretending to be nonchalant, but he must have been quite embarrassed inside.

Common sense is scary for this reason.

Because they think it’s a wall that human eyes can never see through.

‘But the altered eyes are different. They make the impossible possible.’

“…….”

Yun Byeol kept her mouth shut.

Because it’s a situation where she can’t admit it or deny it.

I didn’t feel unpleasant that the two were watching.

Because I knew the purpose of calling me here from the beginning.

“Filming that leaves a record is unnecessary. Let’s replace it with the two of you watching the scene. How about it?”

Then Lee Ha-seong nodded from inside. Na Mi-na still had a half-dazed expression.

“Then let’s start now. I really want to get a license.”

Lightly shaking my wrists back and forth, I slowly headed to the center of the special training ground.

On the opposite line, drawn about 20m away, stood today’s sparring partner.

‘Hwang Jun-hyung.’

Today’s opponent.

I didn’t have any prior information disclosed to me, but information about him remained in my old memories.

An A-rank Awakened, a typical long-range dealer type Awakened.

The most annoying position of Awakened who persistently keeps distance and harasses opponents from a distance.

‘It’s a fight of who runs away well and who chases well. I’ll have to vary the movement. He must have had fun with battles that set up the board in the meantime.’

The characteristic of such Awakened is that they always occupy a favorable position because they constantly adjust their position.

In other words, simply chasing his movements will not lead to an answer.

If you try to approach, you will be intensively checked and pushed back.

“As you know, the test will end immediately when the durability of the protective equipment for testing falls below 10% and an alarm sounds. Did you understand?”

“Yes. I understood.”

“Agent Hwang Jun-hyung has a history of attacking the dungeon alone. He will be a good opponent.”

“That’s right. How many opportunities would a D-rank Awakened have to face an A-rank Awakened directly?”

I threw a meaningful joke.

They know it, and I know it.

That the alphabet D, which symbolizes the person Kang Shin-hwa, has no meaning in this place now.

I am trying to show it, and they are trying to confirm it. What is the true alphabet hidden in the outwardly revealed disguise!

“Ready.”

“Hoo.”

All preparations were completed with one deep breath. My body, which had heated up in an instant, was ready to explode at any time.

‘Northwest.’

I saw Hwang Jun-hyung’s hind leg, which was slightly out of balance, and figured out the direction of movement.

What good is A-rank?

Even if you deceive your opponent with your eyes and bluff, if your body can’t deceive, that Awakened is just a novice forever.

And.

“Start!”

With Yun Byeol’s shout.

Paaat!

Without any hesitation, I put all my weight on both legs and propelled my body to the northwest.

At the same time as the leap, I and Hwang Jun-hyung faced each other face to face.

It wasn’t just an appropriate distance.

It was so close that if you just lowered your head slightly, you could kiss right away!

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

How dare!

It was the moment when a D-rank Awakened gave a simple and clear death sentence to an A-rank Awakened.

* * *

1 minute in hell like eternity.

Hwang Jun-hyung was able to realize for the first time what the fear of death was.

Everything from A to Z was seen through by Shin-hwa.

Distance widening using acceleration ability and optimal positioning through instinctive movement.

It was an excellent talent that Hwang Jun-hyung was born with at the same time as awakening, even if he didn’t bother to try.

No matter how much the opponent is a promising player who has been causing a stir recently, he thought that he could not overcome the alphabet ‘D’ after all.

Honestly, his pride was hurt.

He was dumbfounded that he was assigned a D-rank opponent to himself, who felt the alphabet S was closer.

But that pride collapsed like a sandcastle in the face of Shin-hwa’s fierce offensive as soon as the battle began.

Not a single repertoire worked for Shin-hwa.

At the same time as the start, he made eye contact with Shin-hwa and was attacked ten times in a row without even having time to respond.

Nevertheless, Hwang Jun-hyung maintained his composure as much as possible and attempted a counterattack with his specialty, magic.

He was thinking of responding with a hot blow with the power of using a large portion of his magic power.

In this situation, he was determined to end the pride-hurting sparring early by throwing a winning move.

But.

Swoosh!

Pow!

“Keheok!”

In a fleeting moment.

He was hit in the middle of the chest by a magic ball that flashed briefly from Shin-hwa’s fingertips and flew sharply.

To be exact, it was a precise blow that precisely hit the upper part of the heart, which is the starting point of magic power circulation and the source of output.

“Uwoook!”

An unexpected major accident.

Magic power backflow was starting.