I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 50

50. The Same Time

At the same time.

Lee Ha-sung’s eyes sparkled as he watched the sparring match.

Na Mi-na didn’t seem to grasp what kind of attack Hwang Jun-hyung had suffered, but Lee Ha-sung saw it clearly.

“Chief, did Agent Hwang sustain internal injuries from that last attack?”

“No. He used that steel ball to strike the outer part of the protective gear. The problem is…”

“The problem?”

“The inner side of the dented protective gear hit the ‘mana line’ precisely. The mana circulation is disrupted. A backflow is occurring.”

“A coincidence, perhaps?”

“No, he aimed for it. If he wanted a more certain hit, he would have targeted an area without protection.”

Mana Line.

It refers to the path through which mana circulates, like blood vessels in the body. [Mana is a form of energy used by awakened individuals.]

It is also known by other names such as Mana Road, Magic Road, and Heart Line.

Lee Ha-sung sensed from the moment Shin-hwa threw the Magic Ball that he was targeting the mana line.

The starting point of the mana line, located about a thumb’s length above the heart.

That was precisely the target.

If the mana line is blocked, the circulation of mana is momentarily cut off.

It’s like blocking the fuel supply in a car. It can’t function properly.

“It’ll end here.”

Lee Ha-sung rose from his seat.

Considering Shin-hwa’s calculated moves from the start, he wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

As expected.

-Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

Inside the training room, where sounds were transmitted without filtering, only Hwang Jun-hyung’s one-sided screams echoed.

Hwang Jun-hyung, unable to utilize any of his talents, was merely an ordinary person wearing protective gear.

Shin-hwa was showing a display of concentrating all his firepower without holding back.

Lee Ha-sung took in all of those movements.

Thwack! Thwack!

The fist of his right hand, burning hot, fiercely struck Hwang Jun-hyung’s chest.

Bang! Bang!

The high-density mana discharged from his left hand struck his abdomen with a loud noise, as if a cannonball was being fired.

That wasn’t all.

Shin-hwa’s offensive wasn’t limited to both hands; he even spun his body in a dazzling display and launched a kick.

All attacks were focused on the areas covered by protective gear, but despite that, Hwang Jun-hyung was gradually faltering.

‘It’s not just a matter of how many talents he has. It’s more surprising that he skillfully applies martial arts like Kwonbeop [Korean martial art focusing on striking] and Gakbeop [Korean wrestling technique].’

Na Mi-na and Yoon Byeol-i had only focused on the fact that Shin-hwa was an Awakened with multiple talents.

But his thoughts were different.

The attacks Shin-hwa unleashed against Hwang Jun-hyung weren’t just brute force.

They were stylish and precise.

Flashy, yet substantial. The consecutive attacks just now were all effective hits.

From Hwang Jun-hyung’s perspective, each of Shin-hwa’s attacks must have felt like a tremendous shock shaking his body.

It was fortunate he had protective gear; otherwise, all his ribs would have been broken.

‘Considering his mana emission ability and his skill in using that ball, he’s not just a simple close-range Awakened.’

That was what surprised Lee Ha-sung about Shin-hwa.

Even for Awakened individuals, it is very difficult to handle two or more talents with high proficiency.

Lee Ha-sung himself had spent nearly five years in hellish training to barely elevate his own talents after awakening.

Even now, he dedicated more than five hours a day solely to training.

Yet, everything Shin-hwa showed in combat demonstrated very high proficiency.

That meant that, like himself, he had invested a lot of time in training after awakening to improve his skills.

Or, he had exceptional innate talent and senses, allowing him to grow explosively.

Either way, it was remarkable.

‘Despite all that, his rank is D+, huh?’

At the entrance of the training room, Shin-hwa’s rank, measured before the sparring match, was clearly displayed: D+.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if he were an A. The measuring device’s indication is meaningless.’

That’s what Lee Ha-sung thought.

Na Mi-na’s fussiness was now understandable.

An irregular that was hard to find had appeared. And not in another country, but right here in South Korea!

‘Is he a disciple of an unknown master? Or a natural genius? Or did he acquire memories and experiences through a special method?’

Lee Ha-sung, who could usually see through the talents and development processes of most Awakened, was at a loss this time.

He couldn’t figure it out.

Deep wrinkles formed between his eyebrows, but paradoxically, a smile lingered on his lips.

For the first time in a while, he was intrigued by a young Awakened.

* * *

Beep- Beep- Beep-.

The alarm sounded.

Because the protective gear was so durable, it took time purely to wear down its durability.

“Ugh…”

Hwang Jun-hyung had long lost his will to fight and was slumped like a waterlogged rag.

“The backflow will be resolved soon. It’s just a temporary suppression, so there’s nothing to worry about,” I said.

I carefully shook Hwang Jun-hyung, whose eyes were already unfocused, and then got up.

The fight went as expected.

It went so smoothly without any variables that I felt a bit deflated.

‘Awakened individuals who neglect to understand their strengths and weaknesses and rely solely on their talents have meaningless ranks.’

That was the immutable truth I believed in.

Constantly researching oneself, enhancing strengths, compensating for weaknesses, and not allowing even the slightest gap.

That was my life as an Awakened in my previous life, reaching the pinnacle of talent.

I always thought and pondered.

I rationally examined myself and even looked for ways to break myself down to the extreme.

Thanks to that, I received praise from my Nine Lords colleagues as a stagnant water and a max level character. [Nine Lords refers to a group of highly skilled individuals.]

The golden tower I had built with such effort disappeared with regression, but it was being rebuilt in this life.

Yoon Byeol-i said.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Is it over? What about the license issuance?”

“…It will be processed.”

Seeing Hwang Jun-hyung lying there so pathetically, Yoon Byeol-i’s face turned dark.

‘Yoon Byeol-i also reached SSS-rank in her previous life, but it was too late. KSA was a case of hindering the growth of talent.’

My memories of her are also vivid.

She sacrificed herself in the final battle to prepare for the Great Cataclysm. If she had been EX-rank at that time, she wouldn’t have died.

‘She’s skilled and excellent at handling tasks.’

When I thought about it, her talent also had a very high potential for development, depending on how it was awakened, just like Father Choi.

The Shadow Witch, the Empress of Assassination.

Considering the epithets that symbolized Yoon Byeol-i, she was an Awakened as rare as the priest.

However, right now, she was being pushed around by KSA’s practical affairs, so the development of her own talent was very slow.

‘I’m getting too heated up.’

Thanks to the interest in my colleagues that started with the priest, I seemed to be thinking too deeply about her.

I shook off the thought.

Early retirement is good, and rapid growth using colleagues is good, but connections aren’t created just by forcing them.

“Jun-hyung, are you okay?”

“I’m, I’m okay. Just… I’ll lie down for a bit.”

“Kang Shin-hwa, please follow me. I’ll proceed with the license issuance right away.”

“Sure. Oh, and Agent Hwang Jun-hyung, thank you for the wonderful sparring match.”

“Kuh…”

I gave the fallen Hwang Jun-hyung one last confirmation shot and left the training room, following Yoon Byeol-i.

* * *

The greetings between Shin-hwa, Lee Ha-sung, and Na Mi-na after leaving the training room ended shorter than expected.

Lee Ha-sung left a short review, saying he had witnessed a wonderful match, and Na Mi-na tried to bring up “Scouting…” but was stopped by Lee Ha-sung’s interruption.

Lee Ha-sung had already made a firm decision about Shin-hwa after seeing today’s sparring match.

Since Na Mi-na had strongly pushed for the scouting matter before, they now needed a conversation between themselves.

Soon, Shin-hwa received a license for the Cheolwon K-9183 dungeon, guided by Yoon Byeol-i.

‘Black Hook Boar, I’m coming to see you now! Let’s smash through D-rank and climb up!’

Shin-hwa wore a satisfied expression.

The permission date for the raid was February 13th, dawn.

It wasn’t far off.

The schedule was set for a good day.

Yoon Byeol-i guided Shin-hwa out of the Seoul branch, remained silent for a while, and then carefully opened her mouth.

“Shin-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve seen countless sparring matches, but there’s never been anyone who has unilaterally defeated Agent Hwang like you did today.”

“I just exploited the openings well.”

“It’s been a series of surprises from the beginning, but now I really have to admit it. Shin-hwa, you’re an irregular.”

“The word ‘irregular’ sounds good. It means I’m different from others, right?”

“That’s right. I don’t think the branch manager is interested in you for no reason. The headquarters chief seems interested as well.”

“I appreciate the interest.”

“Do you still have no intention of joining KSA? We could really pass on a lot of experience and know-how to you.”

“No, I have no intention.”

Shin-hwa rejected her offer outright.

Why do they all place so much importance on affiliation?

Shin-hwa couldn’t understand.

Just because you don’t belong to an organization doesn’t mean you can’t cooperate.

But both Yanghwa Guild, KSA, and Hongyeon Guild were trying to embrace him somehow.

It was an awkward feeling for Shin-hwa, who had lived freely without belonging under the banner of the Nine Lords in his previous life.

“Byeol-i.”

“Yes?”

Shin-hwa spoke first.

Yoon Byeol-i’s eyes sparkled as Shin-hwa, who had been passively receiving words, spoke in reverse.

“Isn’t KSA a bit different from what you thought?”

“What do you mean?”

“How should I put it? Your eyes are full of a sense of duty and belonging, but it seems like you don’t have any joy as an Awakened.”

“…”

“This is just my personal opinion, but KSA is a narrower place than you think to pursue your dreams.”

It was sincere.

Yoon Byeol-i’s talent is one that will greatly blossom only by constantly raiding dungeons and steadily increasing her proficiency.

Moving mainly with practical affairs like now and occasionally raiding dungeons will only maintain the title of a late bloomer for decades.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Okay. It was nice meeting you.”

The conversation ended awkwardly.

Shin-hwa finished the conversation with her without much thought and left the Seoul branch exit.

“…”

Yoon Byeol-i stared blankly at Shin-hwa’s back for a long time, feeling a mix of emotions.

Because Shin-hwa’s casual words felt like they were sharply piercing somewhere deep in her heart.

A fierce wave was rising on the calm lake.

That evening.

As soon as he got home, Shin-hwa left the house and rented a basement warehouse in a building near his Jungwha Station home.

It was to start producing ‘Stimulus,’ also known as enhancement potions or enhancers. [Stimulus is a potion that enhances abilities.]

Extracting and removing fluids and organs from baby Madillos required a large space.

“Let’s work hard and sweep up a lot of money again!”

Shin-hwa’s determined eyes shone.

Toward a splendid retirement where he could play and eat forever, he ironically had to live hard in this moment.

The time had come to take out his second hidden card.