The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Maxed-Out Player’s 100th Return – Episode 1
1. The Midnight Bell
Every human possesses the desire to survive.
Ryu Min was no exception.
‘If it were otherwise, I would never have come this far.’
From Round 1 to Round 20.
I had clawed my way through survival, discarding ninety-eight lives in the process.
And now, on my 99th attempt.
I finally glimpsed the end of this accursed survival game.
At last, I had reached the boss chamber of the final Round 20.
And I was the sole survivor.
But things never unfold as planned.
[A minimum of five players is required to open the boss chamber.]
“What?”
The absurdity of it tore the words from my throat.
‘Five players minimum? Are you serious?’
Ryu Min was the only one who had made it to Round 20.
Yet five were required.
Faced with a Quest that was impossible to clear alone, I stood frozen in disbelief.
‘What kind of twisted nightmare is this? If five were needed, why wasn’t I told from the start?’
There had been no warning in the Quest message, no hint before entering the boss chamber.
Blindsided by this cruel condition, I braced myself—but the nightmare was far from over.
[One player has approached the boss chamber.]
[Condition unfulfilled. The player will be annihilated.]
“No—”
There was no time to process the despair.
My body was already disintegrating, molecule by molecule.
Before death claimed me, I uttered a single final curse.
“Damn it.”
[You have died.]
[The conditions of the ‘Rune of Temporal Regression’ have been met.]
[Time will rewind to one round prior.]
[Opportunities used: 100/100]
[All remaining opportunities have been exhausted.]
[The inscribed rune will automatically dissolve.]
As death’s shadow fell upon me, Ryu Min was born anew.
As a Level 1 novice player.
[Your 100th return begins.]
* * *
December 31st, 2021.
In front of Bosingak in Jongno-gu, Seoul, citizens, reporters, and countless others had gathered.
They came to hear the New Year’s bell toll.
“Many citizens are waiting for the bell-ringing ceremony to welcome a hopeful new year.”
“This year’s ceremony will feature Seoul Mayor Ma Dong-won and various prominent figures from different sectors….”
There, with broadcast cameras rolling, I came to my senses.
‘I’ve returned. Back to before I was dragged into this cursed game.’
Looking around, countless people stood with eager faces, waiting for midnight to arrive.
Unaware that their anticipation would soon transform into despair.
‘If only I could stop time.’
But time flows on.
Whether in happiness or boredom, pain or exhaustion, time flows regardless.
No matter how much one rages, it never stops.
‘Though I can return to the past, at least.’
But even that ends now.
I’ve exhausted all my extra chances through death.
‘This is my final opportunity. I will kill the boss of round 20 and survive this insane game.’
Though it was my last chance, hope remained.
Now that I knew the boss room required five people to enter, I could plan accordingly.
‘I need to completely revise my strategy.’
Until now, I had focused solely on my own survival, allies be damned.
Honestly, I had no mental capacity to consider others.
It was a survival game where falling behind meant death.
As a result, I reached round 20 with unparalleled power, but.
‘Absurdly, the final round required five people… If I hadn’t had extra lives, I would have been done for, wouldn’t I?’
It turned out this game couldn’t be cleared alone.
To me, it felt like I’d been toyed with by an intentional trap set by a god.
‘This is the end now. No more returns, they said.’
Before, I had no time to look around, but now it’s different.
Unlike before, I must guide four others besides myself to the final round.
‘Of course, I have no intention of babying them. I’m already struggling just to strengthen myself.’
I simply intend to use them for the final round.
‘Who would be good to have with me? Since it’s a boss battle, it’d be best to fill the slots with capable allies, right?’
Several named players who had died in round 18 came to mind.
Various plans began to form in my head.
Since this was the last chance, I needed to plan more carefully and meticulously.
As I reviewed my plans internally and steeled my resolve.
“It’s finally time. Let’s all count down together!”
With the emcee’s voice, the countdown to death began.
“20! 19! 18!”
The crowd began counting from twenty with hopeful faces.
“…3, 2, 1!”
The Seoul mayor and several celebrities standing before the bell of the New Year’s Eve ceremony pushed the wooden beam and helped ring the bell.
Dong— dong— dong—!
“The new year of 2022 has dawned! Wishing you all a prosperous new year!”
“Wooooooow!”
Smiles bloomed across the faces of those cheering.
But it was only fleeting.
[Kekekeke. How amusing you humans are. Celebrating the new year without even knowing your own predicament.]
A voice transmitted directly into their minds caused the smiles to vanish from everyone’s faces.
“What? What was that sound just now….”
“What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything?”
People glanced around in bewilderment.
Others stared at each other, thinking someone nearby had spoken.
Some tilted their heads, wondering if they’d misheard.
Their reactions varied slightly, but the emotion they all felt was identical.
Confusion.
Yet among them, only Ryu Min remained unflustered.
Everything was unfolding exactly as I knew it would.
‘I’ve already experienced this situation ninety-nine times. There’s no reason to panic.’
After waiting with an impassive gaze, the unpleasant laughter echoed once more.
[Kyohohoho. Your panic resembles caged monkeys perfectly. But it matters little. Humans are creatures of adaptation, after all.]
“What, what is this? Where is this voice coming from?”
“Is the broadcast station playing some kind of prank?”
“Hey, does that make sense? Running a hidden camera stunt at the bell-ringing ceremony?”
“Then what exactly is this voice?”
A maelstrom of chaos.
A mere voice sent the crowd into panic.
The celebrities forgot even to ring the bell.
Because a voice heard directly in one’s mind could not be dismissed as a mere trick.
‘That Angel brat should reveal itself already. Enough with the games.’
Though called an Angel, its actions were those of a demon.
Through ninety-nine regressions, I had come to understand this bitter truth.
‘Of course, this isn’t the work of some lowly Angel like that.’
The true orchestrator of this insane game existed elsewhere.
The Angels were merely NPCs meant to explain the game.
‘Though comparing it to a mere game hardly captures how dire the situation truly is.’
Moments later, brilliant light descended from the heavens.
At the sight of the woman who appeared with the light, everyone murmured in unison.
“An…angel?”
A pair of wings, skin as white as jade, beauty that would make celebrities jealous.
The woman who descended from the heavens matched the image of an angel that people knew.
‘But her personality is pure evil.’
Only Ryu Min remained unswayed by the angel’s beautiful appearance.
Soon enough, everyone else would understand.
Just how much Angel despised humanity.
[Pathetic humans. Every last one of you fell for my looks, didn’t you? The way you’re all staring so stupidly is quite amusing.]
“….”
[I’d advise you not to entertain foolish thoughts. I have no intention of mingling with vermin like you.]
Angel’s smile was radiant as she laughed, yet the crowd could not bring themselves to smile back.
How could anyone laugh after being insulted so thoroughly?
[I see you’re all turning serious. So my voice is getting through to you properly. Kekekeke.]
That was when it happened.
A brave young man shouted out the question everyone was dying to ask.
“What are you exactly? Are you an angel? Are you the one talking to me?”
Angel’s gaze fell upon the young man.
Ryu Min watched him with eyes full of pity.
‘May the deceased rest in peace.’
The young man who had offended Angel would die soon.
[How irritating.]
Right now.
Splurt—!
The young man’s head burst open like a watermelon.
As blood sprayed in all directions, people nearby screamed in shock.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Gasp!”
Only Angel’s beautiful brow furrowed with annoyance.
[How dare a lowly human speak to me so casually and disrespectfully. How utterly disgusting.]
Though the young man was already dead and could not hear her, Angel continued to voice her displeasure.
[And who said you were allowed to ask questions? You humans have no right to question me. Don’t be so presumptuous as to treat me as your equal. Unless you want your head to burst like that human did.]
“….”
At her chilling voice, tens of thousands of people held their breath in unison.
Fear gripped the crowd—the terror that a single misspoken word could cause their heads to explode as well.
‘That’s exactly what Angel wants, after all.’
The panicked masses had no room for rational thought.
No one except Ryu Min.
[Are you confused about what’s happening? Don’t understand what I’m saying? Well, what can you expect from inferior humans? I’ll explain it simply for you, one step at a time. It’s my role, after all.]
Angel spoke with a contemptuous gaze.
[On the first day of every month, you humans will fall into a collective sleep. Then your souls will be forcibly transferred, and you’ll open your eyes in a new dimension.]
Soul transfer? A new dimension?
It was absurd, yet no one could refute it.
The very situation of Angel’s appearance defied all logic.
[Your task in that place is simple. Complete the Quest you’re given. Succeed, and you return to reality. With generous rewards, naturally.]
No one rejoiced at the promise of returning home if they succeeded.
Because the implication was clear—failure meant never returning at all.
Yet some dared to hope.
Regardless of what the Quest entailed, survival was possible if they simply succeeded, wasn’t it?
With time and careful strategy, they could surely endure.
But Angel’s next words shattered that fragile hope entirely.
[Not everyone can survive by completing the Quest. Only the fastest half—those who clear it first—will live. So don’t dawdle. Keke.]
“Only… only half of us will survive…?”
In other words, it was a competitive survival game with a fixed quota.
[Once per month on the first day, twenty rounds total. As I said, only half survive each round, and the Quests grow progressively harder.]
“That’s… that’s…”
Twenty rounds. They had to endure twenty rounds to live.
Despair settled across every face.
[Keke, but don’t worry too much. I won’t take everyone. Only humans currently between fifteen and twenty-nine years old will participate in the survival game.]
There was an age restriction.
The impact of those words was profound.
‘Thank goodness…’
‘I’m not included.’
Adults outside that age range felt a wave of relief.
“Wait… I’m included, aren’t I?”
“What do I do! My birthday is January first, so I’m fifteen this year!”
Those in their teens and twenties felt the sky collapse upon them.
‘I can’t complain, really.’
Ryu Min, whose birthday fell on January first, was nineteen this year.
An age that left no room for protest.
‘Though technically, I’ve already passed a hundred.’
Despite his youthful appearance—unmistakably that of a high school student—he had lived through countless years across ninety-nine regressions.
Those days saturated with survival returned to him with crystalline clarity.
‘Of all the rotten luck, to get caught in this damned event on my birthday.’
Could misfortune strike any harder?
A bitter sting of injustice gnawed at him.
[I see some humans feeling wronged, but there’s no need. I’m collecting humans not just from here, but from all across the world.]
No one found Angel beautiful anymore as she laughed.
A demon.
At least, the being before them now seemed far closer to a demon than an angel.
[Let’s see… humans aged fifteen to twenty-nine would be approximately 1,801,029,290 participants. Well, I’ve explained enough. Shall we begin? Kyohohoho.]
The moment those words ended, darkness swallowed everything as if a switch had been flipped.
It was the moment when approximately 1.8 billion people would be thrust into a survival game of death.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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