I’M A Max-Level Regressor [EN]: Chapter 68

It was easy to recognize that the man in front of me belonged to the Five Stars Society. He had their mark tattooed on the back of his hand: five black stars. At first glance, it might look like a trendy tattoo, but it was actually a hidden seal, identifying him as a member of the Five Stars Society.

‘Joo Young-saeng.’

I even remembered his name.

I’ve always been drawn to stories about villains.

Partly it’s curiosity about a world so different from ordinary life, and partly it’s the question of how someone becomes so corrupt.

In my past life, I was fascinated by criminal organizations like the Five Stars Society, the Triads, and the Black Society.

‘Later, these three major corrupt forces and Russia’s Prauda [likely a fictional Russian criminal organization] joined forces with Recceto.’

The more I deal with criminal organizations, the more I’ll inevitably think of Recceto.

It was Recceto and its affiliated organizations that relentlessly tormented us Nine Lords in my past life.

From the beginning, their goal was to prevent us from preparing for the Great Disaster and to ensure all of humanity experienced its full horror.

“Who are you?”

I pretended not to know him.

Joo Young-saeng outwardly appeared affable and good-natured.

Of course, he’s an A+ rank Awakened, famous for his ‘poison hand’ technique, which he uses through physical contact.

If Lee Ha-sung’s talent is scanning an opponent’s information through their mana lines, Joo Young-saeng infiltrates those lines, plants poison, and controls the opponent like a puppet.

Being hit by this is incredibly dangerous; you virtually lose control of your body.

Joo Young-saeng continued in fluent Korean.

“Hello? My name is Joo Young-saeng. I’m from the Five Stars Society. You know, the Chinese…”

“The three major corrupt forces?”

“Haha. People always say that, but it’s just jealousy of a capable guild.”

“What do you want?”

Trying to be polite, my tone came out stiff.

‘People keep getting tangled up with me as soon as I get back from vacation. Do they all like me that much?’

I couldn’t help but frown.

I wondered if I should have enjoyed my vacation a little longer.

But I can’t earn a penny just playing around, so I had to come back to work.

I plan to make a lot of money for my retirement, but I still have a long way to go.

“I’m sure you’re aware that many Awakened have recently shown interest in Kang Shin-hwa.”

“……”

“The emergence of a new rookie is always a hot topic. I understand Shin-hwa is annoyed by this.”

I didn’t really want to be understood.

Hearing his sweet words, it seemed he needed something from me.

When I stared blankly at Joo Young-saeng, he added praise.

“It’s no coincidence that an individual, not a research institute full of elites, developed revolutionary items like top-tier mana potions.”

“Hmm.”

“Shin-hwa is a person sent by the heavens. All blessed Awakened become the mainstream of the world. Our Five Stars Society sees that potential in Shin-hwa.”

My fingers were so curled up they were about to break.

Blind praise and flattery are the Five Stars Society’s standard approach.

Many promising talents have fallen for it, becoming henchmen of criminal organizations, or Joo Young-saeng’s puppets – a shackle you can never escape unless you die.

“Enough with the insincere compliments, just tell me what you want.”

“I have two proposals.”

“Let’s hear them.”

“First, sell the top-tier mana potions scheduled for external sale to the Five Stars Society. We’ll pay three times the current auction price, and cover all penalty fees.”

“What’s the other one?”

“Our Vice Chairman, Lee Ja-woong, is ill. He’s suffering from symptoms similar to Jin Bo-mi of Yanghwa Group. We need Kang Shin-hwa’s treatment. You already have experience, don’t you?”

‘Are these crazy bastards just throwing money around?’

It seemed they were trying to intervene, block the potion sales, and monopolize them.

Of course, they weren’t even considering my perspective, the one who was supposed to provide the ‘rice cake’ [Korean idiom for a promised benefit].

Three times the current auction price is an enormous amount – 20 billion won per bottle.

But it depends on who the buyer is. The moment I sell even one potion to the Five Stars Society, I’ll be branded a criminal forever.

It’s like selling weapons to a terrorist organization.

There’s a line you should never cross, no matter how desperate you are for money, and that’s the line Joo Young-saeng proposed today.

“If you treat the Vice Chairman, we’ll reward you handsomely. We guarantee at least 100 billion won.”

Every time they mention an amount, it’s in units of 10 billion or 100 billion.

That’s why you can’t ignore Chinese money.

It wasn’t easy to resist the temptation of so-called Chinese money, or ‘yellow dust money’ [slang for money from China, often implying it’s tainted or ill-gotten].

‘Lee Ja-woong isn’t someone to be saved, but someone who deserves to be killed.’

2025.

As soon as the Nas Continent and Earth are connected, Lee Ja-woong pledges allegiance to Recceto and obtains forbidden power.

Lee Ja-woong later became a notorious villain.

Based on his near-immortal power, he brutally murdered countless Awakened.

Accepting both proposals was the perfect recipe for becoming a complete bastard.

Money is a priority, but not so urgent that I have to grab it without looking back.

From the beginning, being deeply involved with the Five Stars Society is like declaring myself an enemy of the Awakened world.

It was a proposal not worth considering. I just felt unpleasant after hearing it.

“I refuse. I have no intention of violating commercial ethics, and I have no intention of treating just anyone.”

“Not just anyone… but Vice Chairman Lee Ja-woong. If you treat him, all members of the Five Stars Society will praise Kang Shin-hwa. Wealth and fame are needless to say.”

“The decision isn’t yours, but mine. I said I don’t like it, so there’s no need to talk about this anymore.”

“Hmm! As expected, Kang Shin-hwa has great ambitions! Are you saying our Five Stars Society isn’t good enough for you?”

It sounded more like mockery than praise.

The slight furrow in his brow suggested he was seething inside.

“Don’t come back. No matter what you propose, I won’t accept it.”

“Okay. I understand. If fate allows, we’ll meet again. I hope you stay safe until then.”

Joo Young-saeng naturally reached out his hand to shake mine.

That’s the poison hand.

It’s the ‘devil’s hand’ that sends many Awakened to hell after they let their guard down and shake it.

The ability scan and mechanism of Lee Ha-sung are similar.

However, the difference is that Lee Ha-sung’s technique can’t be countered, but Joo Young-saeng’s poison hand can be.

Of course, he doesn’t know that.

‘I’ll return your poison hand to you. I’ll shatter your mana line.’

I had no intention of being taken advantage of by such an obvious trick.

In fact, this was good.

If I deal with Joo Young-saeng here, the Five Stars Society won’t be able to touch me carelessly.

Joo Young-saeng is usually sent as a specialist when someone needs to be recruited or manipulated.

If I subdue him, their alertness towards me will naturally increase.

“Then please leave.”

I shook Joo Young-saeng’s hand.

The next moment.

Whoosh!

A hot, burning sensation entered my right arm along the mana line, following Joo Young-saeng’s hand.

Instantly, I lost control of my right hand, and then my elbow and shoulder fell under Joo Young-saeng’s control.

‘It’s okay to purify the mana line contaminated with poison later.’

I was relaxed.

It’s difficult for ordinary Awakened to restore a contaminated mana line; it’s already been taken over.

But I can change the nature of mana in my body as much as I want.

If I refill my cleanly purified mana in about a minute, the contamination will be gone.

“Kehaha! As expected, you’re just a naive kid. Kang Shin-hwa, if you cooperate with our Five Stars Society now, I’ll end it by only taking your right side!”

Joo Young-saeng seemed happy, even shaking his shoulders as if he thought the game was over.

How can he be showing such a trademark of a foolish villain! Anyone who sees it would think it’s a novel.

I thought it would be strange if I acted too calmly, so I had to do some bad acting.

It’s more fun to watch the opponent get tricked when you match their rhythm.

“Ah, ah! What are you trying to do to me! My right arm! I can’t control it!”

The acting difficulty was very high as I tried to act ‘like’ I was being taken advantage of, with an agitated voice in a panic.

I was a little worried it might be clumsy, but Joo Young-saeng’s face was full of smiles.

He raised his voice triumphantly.

“That’s why you should have listened to me!”

The next moment.

Joo Young-saeng’s forearms began to bulge, and there were signs his poison hand would be strengthened again.

‘Now is the time.’

The moment when the opponent steps on the accelerator without looking back is the best time to counter.

When you turn it back on them, it’s also the best time for the internal injuries to be more deeply embedded.

I raised the output of my heart to the maximum.

The altered discharge capacity of my heart has already been verified.

The mana discharge capacity of a normal Awakened is about 10 when expressed numerically.

I’m at the level of 100, ten times that.

Joo Young-saeng also specializes in mana discharge that ‘pushes in’ the poison hand, so his discharge capacity was higher than 10.

But at best, it’s about 20.

Compared to my ability, it was like a young elementary school student arm-wrestling with a fully grown adult.

Whoosh!

Soon, Joo Young-saeng’s poison hand entered deep into my right arm again, following my hand.

‘It’s at the perfect level to return it.’

I could feel that he used quite a bit of strength.

Action and reaction are directly proportional.

The more force you increase, the more exponentially the damage will increase if you get it back.

“Gasp!”

I started to discharge mana with all my strength, along with a shout.

It was an attack that mobilized all mana, leaving only the minimum required amount.

“Ah…?”

At that moment, Joo Young-saeng’s eyes were filled with question marks.

He must have been flustered when he felt his poison hand unable to push into me anymore.

If I give him time, the panic will soon lead to judgment and response.

I pushed him hard.

Then, Joo Young-saeng’s poison hand weakly pushed back, and instantly, it dug into his arm in reverse.

Time of destruction!

All the tides had turned.

I smiled at Joo Young-saeng and said in a relaxed voice, just like he did to me.

“That’s why you should have listened to me when I told you to leave.”