I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 6

Episode 6

9 AM.

“KSA [Korean Special Ability association] is recommending we halt the dungeon raid? It’s just a recommendation, isn’t it?”

“Team Leader Kim, you know KSA doesn’t make recommendations lightly, right? It means the situation inside is unstable.”

“Ha… this is a complete bust. Does that mean we don’t get paid today either?”

“What can we do? It’s better than dying like dogs trying to force a raid. The porters feel the same way, right?”

As expected, the Awakened [people with supernatural abilities] arrived late and simply informed everyone of the decisions, just as Shin-hwa had predicted.

It was an order, not a discussion.

The relationship between the Awakened and the porters was strictly hierarchical.

“Aish.”

The porters all looked disappointed.

The dungeon they were supposed to raid today was a D-rank dungeon, which paid the porters 500,000 won [approximately $400 USD] per day.

They had made all their preparations and schedules accordingly, so they couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the KSA’s recommendation to cancel.

“That’s a shame. I understand. We’ll have to withdraw then.”

Team Leader Kim, Kim Cheol-geun, clicked his tongue and nodded.

He was disappointed, but not enough to push for the raid.

Porters couldn’t raid on their own, and the fear of death was even greater for them.

As Kim Cheol-geun gestured to prepare for withdrawal, So Jung-hyun, the leader of the Awakened team, added,

“Alright, we’ll return the K-848 dungeon raid license to the KSA. We don’t need it anymore.”

“Wait a minute.”

Just as So Jung-hyun finished speaking, a man raised his hand and cautiously spoke up.

It was Kang Shin-hwa, an F-rank porter.

“Kang Shin-hwa, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

Kim Cheol-geun looked at Shin-hwa with an uneasy expression. He had said something nonsensical yesterday, so he was worried.

“Team Leader, aren’t we free to raid as long as the license is valid?”

“Yes, so what?”

“It’s not like another raid team will be arranged if we return the license now. The KSA has to conduct an internal investigation anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“Then, can I take a personal look around the dungeon? I want to see the inside.”

“Who? You? Pfft.”

Kim Cheol-geun snorted, his eyes filled with contempt and disregard.

The K-848 dungeon was a D-rank dungeon.

This meant that at least four D-rank Awakened were needed to attempt a raid.

However, due to the imbalance of dimensional energy, a recommendation to halt the raid had been issued, which likely meant the difficulty of raiding the interior had increased.

Usually, abnormally amplified dimensional energy seeps into monsters, causing their combat abilities to skyrocket.

“I’m just disappointed to leave like this! If it’s okay, I’d like to take a look inside. It’s my first time here, and I want to record it!”

Shin-hwa made up a plausible reason like a sly fox. Of course, it wasn’t his first time there.

He had been there more than once in his past life; in fact, he knew the detailed map by heart.

“Hey, Kang Shin-hwa! Are you crazy? What’s an F-rank like you going to do dungeon exploring? Even a D-rank Black Cow [a type of monster] would crush you instantly!”

“That guy, does he not know his place? Why is he acting up when he’s just an F-rank? Is he trying to commit suicide?”

“Hehe! He’ll probably come out with his pants full of poop.”

Before the Awakened could say anything, the porter colleagues pointed fingers and mocked Shin-hwa.

It was the reaction he had expected.

In his past life, Shin-hwa had always considered the job of a porter his calling. He had never been ashamed.

However, there was an unusually strong sense of defeatism among the porters.

They saw themselves as a third type of being, Awakened but not quite Awakened.

They believed that the key to a long career was to find a capable Awakened team to attach themselves to.

The reactions of his colleagues were an extension of that defeatism.

A thorough inferiority complex that dismissed even the smallest, purest curiosity as pathetic.

“Hey! If you want to die, just jump off the Mapo Bridge [a famous bridge in Seoul]! Why are you trying to die in such a complicated way?”

“Haha, you’re right. I guess so?”

Shin-hwa smiled amiably.

He didn’t want to explain his reasons for wanting to enter the dungeon to them.

It would be a waste of breath.

More than anything, he had no desire to share the benefits of his regression with them.

‘In my past life, I made concessions and showed consideration out of goodwill… but all I got in return was indifference. No one knew how to be grateful. They acted as if my kindness was a right.’

This was one of the lessons Shin-hwa had learned in his 52 years of life.

If you can take it all for yourself, it’s best to monopolize it!

This was a major premise that had been clearly proven through countless mistakes in the past.

Unlike the mocking atmosphere of the porter colleagues, the Awakened didn’t show any particular reaction.

So Jung-hyun, the team leader, carefully added an explanation.

“You’re right, there’s no need to rush the license return. But remember, the team is not responsible for any personal problems that arise from entering despite the recommendation.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Are you really that curious?”

“Yes. It’s not easy to get a raid license for this dungeon, right? It’ll take at least three months.”

“How do you know it’s hard to get a license?”

“Oh, I just overheard it.”

Shin-hwa made a vague excuse.

Dungeons around Sindorim Station were popular among the Awakened, so many teams were waiting to raid them.

However, So Jung-hyun was intrigued to hear those words from Shin-hwa, not from himself directly.

“Remember, no one will take responsibility for your life. We have no obligation to do so.”

“It’s okay. Can I go in and take a look, even if I die?”

“You’re okay with dying? Do as you please. Who can stop a young man’s vigor?”

So Jung-hyun nodded.

He had clearly notified them of the recommendation to halt the raid and had given individual warnings again.

He was making it clear that he was not responsible for anything that happened to Shin-hwa from now on.

“Then I’ll go take a look at the dungeon! I’ll be back!”

Shin-hwa entered the dungeon through the dimensional gate with energetic steps as soon as he finished speaking.

“Tsk, tsk, if you’re going to die, you should die peacefully.”

“It’ll be fun to see him come out with poop and pee in his pants later, right?”

The porters giggled.

Kim Cheol-geun, the leader of the porters, didn’t think much differently.

“Alright. Since everything’s canceled, should we all have a drink? I brought some soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] just in case.”

“Ooh! Really?”

“Team Leader, if you don’t have any plans, how about a drink? I brought quite a bit of Black Cow jerky as an appetizer!”

“Hoo! That expensive jerky? That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

The raid was canceled, and they didn’t have the time to look for another dungeon right away, so everyone had free time.

Perhaps that’s why.

The Awakened and porters began to gather at Kim Cheol-geun’s unexpected offer of daytime drinking, or rather, morning drinking.

They were planning to meet the KSA representative who would arrive soon.

At that time, they were scheduled to receive the raid license for another dungeon to replace today’s.

While everyone was having a drunken party at the end of the holiday season.

Shin-hwa, who had entered the dungeon alone, was obliterating the enemies he saw from the entrance.

* * *

At that moment.

“Kuwek!”

“Kkeueeek!”

“Why? Do I look as light as a piece of paper because I came in without proper equipment?”

Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

I was creating violent explosions from my fingertips, relentlessly beating down the monsters.

As expected of a D-rank dungeon, monsters with D-rank ratings appeared from the entrance.

Usually, at least two Awakened of the same rank are needed to hunt a single monster effectively.

The enemies blocking my path were ‘Cold Wind Saw Mantises,’ classified as D-rank.

Awakened usually called them Saw Mantises because their legs were sharp and powerful like saws.

They were a source of fear because they could cut through the bodies of Awakened wearing enhanced suits if they crossed their legs with full force.

Many Awakened were distracted by the ‘saws’ of the Saw Mantises, becoming frightened or passively engaging in combat.

One wrong move could result in their neck or some other body part being cut off.

However, I knew their weaknesses well.

All that was needed was a bold decision and destructive power. Nothing else was necessary.

“Kshishit. Kshishit.”

Although two of its kin had already been blown away by my fists, one Saw Mantis, devoid of fear, blocked my path.

“Enhance.”

I first condensed mana throughout both fists.

Then, I felt the surrounding muscles rapidly strengthening as a blue light appeared.

Next.

“Change.”

I changed the nature of the mana, inducing the power of an attribute specialized for attacking Saw Mantises.

Whirrleee!

Flames began to rise from both hands.

“Fire Fist.”

In my past life, seeing this, my Nine Lords comrades unanimously gave me the name Fire Fist Kang Shin-hwa.

Water Fist, Stone Fist, Earth Fist, etc.!

The types of transformations were endless and diverse, but the Fire Fist seemed to be particularly impressive.

“Keeeek!”

Unable to just watch my transformation, the Saw Mantis shrieked and charged at me.

As befitting a D-rank monster, its movements were fast, and above all, the bulging muscles throughout its body were impressive.

At this level, an ordinary F-rank porter would be instantly cut in half if caught by it.

Even D-rank Awakened affiliated with a team had to be very careful to safely catch it.

“I see it.”

Thanks to the greatly enhanced vision from the modification, I could see every detail of the Saw Mantis’s face.

Its weakness is the area corresponding to the right cheekbone in humans.

If you accurately strike upwards diagonally from here, its endoskeleton will shatter, and the inside of its head will be completely destroyed like mashed potatoes.

“Kihet!”

The Saw Mantis, filled with venom, leaped high using its hind legs, reaching its peak.

Then, it fell in a posture that seemed to strike down with all its might.

Woong! Woong!

I infused additional mana into my blazing fists and completed another round of enhancement.

Then, the fists that had only been burning with flames until now turned as hard as rocks.

And.

“Hap!”

With a shout.

With a clear aim, I accurately struck upwards at the lower right side of the Saw Mantis’s face.

The next moment.

Thwack…!

“…”

I was able to see a more spectacular sight than I had expected.

It was a sight that was difficult to shatter even with two or three Awakened of the same rank.

The Saw Mantis’s face exploded and disappeared like fireworks in front of me.

There was no mercy in the enhanced fist.

The Saw Mantis, in an even more gruesome state than its kin who had left earlier, collapsed in front of me.

“Yes! I should have lived like this from the start!”

A thrilling pleasure that was beyond words brought a smile to my face.

In my past life, I was busy carrying around the stench-filled corpses of monsters.

Such monster hunting was just the exclusive domain of the capable Awakened, someone else’s business!

But not anymore.

“It’s different. Many things will be different from now on.”

Along with the unexpected gift of regression! My splendid second act of life was beginning like this.