The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 118

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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 118
118. The Human Merchant Caravan
When Ryu Min arrived at the rendezvous point alone, Angel Ariel was taken aback.
[Did you really survive by yourself?]
“Yes.”
I hadn’t expected the Traitor Group to die so quickly.
[They died without even reaching the Human Merchant Caravan. Utterly useless, the lot of them.]
‘I thought they might last longer and provide some entertainment for the higher-ups.’
Angel Ariel shook her head, concealing her true thoughts.
[Well, what can we do? You’ll have to complete the mission alone. Black Scythe, you understand this is your final chance, yes?]
“I understand.”
[If you fail to complete the Traitor Quest at the Human Merchant Caravan, you will be annihilated without mercy. We don’t extend mercy to even our Rank 1 player.]
‘I know. I understand I’m being moved entirely by the system.’
[By the way, the Human Merchant Caravan has 1,201 members. In other words, it’s a battle between your survival and theirs.]
I already knew that without being told.
Since the Quest objectives were diametrically opposed, one group would inevitably be annihilated.
[If you win, those 1,201 will be annihilated, but what can we do? You must abandon the many and survive alone, yes?]
“….”
[Watching our Rank 1 player disappear would be entertaining too, but I do hope you survive. Abandoning the many seems far more amusing, hehehehe.]
With those words from the Angel, my surroundings shifted.
* * *
Mountains stretched across the distant horizon.
Verdant trees dotted the landscape.
A well-maintained road suitable for carriages wound through the terrain.
Yet what captured Ryu Min’s attention more than any of these was the sheer number of players.
Thousands upon thousands of players milled about in a cacophony of voices.
‘The Human Merchant Caravan really is the most popular.’
The reason was simple.
Humans were easier to face than the races of the Other World.
The familiar seemed more comfortable and manageable than the unknown.
‘But the Human Merchant Caravan is actually the most difficult.’
The Human Merchant Caravan spawned powerful monsters—trolls, gargoyles, skeletons, minotaurs, and more.
‘Roughly one per player, but it won’t be easy. I’m not yet at the level to handle them alone.’
Unless one had surpassed level 50, players in the early-to-mid 30s would struggle against such creatures.
‘Still, with so many heads, we’ll manage somehow. Especially with the Archbishop present.’
Where the Elf Merchant Caravan had a princess, the Human Merchant Caravan had an Archbishop.
‘Though lacking combat ability, the Archbishop will protect the caravan and the players.’
The Archbishop’s wide-range buffs would elevate the players’ combat power and survivability.
Unlike the other caravans, we could proceed with the aid of an Other World inhabitant.
‘That means the difficulty is proportionally higher, but receiving assistance is blessing enough.’
Of course, for Ryu Min, such trivial matters were inconsequential.
My stats had been reduced by 20% twice, leaving me capable of wielding only 64% of my true power, yet I remained confident.
‘Even with diminished strength, every monster that emerges here is nothing but prey for me.’
If they hadn’t even qualified as post-meal exercise until now, would these creatures even make me break a sweat?
And that assessment was based on my strength at 64% capacity.
‘Things would have been easier without this stat debuff.’
While entertaining such thoughts, I turned my head.
Footsteps approached from somewhere.
“Excuse me, are you… Black Scythe?”
As I glanced over, the person gasped in surprise and covered their mouth with their hand.
“Oh my, it really is! It’s Black Scythe!”
“Black Scythe?”
“Black Scythe came to the Human Merchant Group?”
The murmuring grew louder, and soon people began crowding around.
Being gawked at like this felt akin to being a monkey in a zoo.
I made no effort to hide my displeasure.
“Black Scythe! Could I get your autograph?”
“Me too, please! Black Scythe, I’m a true fan!”
“Could we at least shake hands once?”
But there were always those who lacked any sense of the atmosphere.
I drew out my scythe with a resigned sigh.
“Do not approach. You will die.”
The players flinched as I fixed them with a murderous glare.
“Disperse.”
At those words, the players one by one averted their gazes and scattered.
They knew all too well that crossing Black Scythe’s mood would yield nothing good.
“Black Scythe.”
Despite my dismissal, a voice called out to me, and I turned my head irritably.
But there stood a familiar face.
“An Sang-chul?”
“Ah, so you really are Black Scythe. I never imagined you’d choose the same merchant group. It’s good to see you.”
“Right.”
An Sang-chul spoke with a smile, but I could not reciprocate his warmth.
The memory of him striking the back of my head in Round 7 remained vivid.
Even if it had been an illusion.
I asked knowingly.
“What brings you here alone?”
“Seo A-rin went to the Dwarf Merchant Caravan. She said it looked easier…”
I knew it wasn’t just that it looked easier—it actually was—but An Sang-chul said nothing more.
He still believed the prophecy could not be revealed.
‘In the fantasy, he didn’t hesitate to reveal everything. But perhaps fantasy is merely fantasy?’
I felt some of my worry ease.
Unless An Sang-chul had lost his mind, he wouldn’t betray me.
He would need my foresight until the final round.
‘If he does betray me, it would be Ma Gyeong-rok’s doing. He’s not the type to act on his own initiative.’
Yet for some reason, he had split from Seo A-rin and chosen the Human Merchant Caravan.
Despite knowing it had the highest difficulty.
To understand his reasoning, I delved into An Sang-chul’s true thoughts.
‘Ha. So that was it?’
His reason was to grow stronger.
But his desire for strength wasn’t for his own sake.
‘He was trying to grow stronger so I wouldn’t become Ma Gyeong-rok’s enemy.’
There cannot be two kings beneath the heavens.
An Sang-chul, who wished to establish Ma Gyeong-rok as king, was already considering whether Black Scythe might become an obstacle in the future.
He wanted to grow stronger himself so he could stand by his lord’s side when that time came.
‘I didn’t know he was keeping me in check.’
His determination to catch up to me seemed almost laughable, but I decided to observe.
To see how far he would grow.
Then another person I was acquainted with approached me.
“Oh? Black Scythe?”
It was Jo Yong-ho, the Mercenary King.
“You were in the Human Merchant Caravan too.”
“Yes. I thought more people would gather here.”
Around Jo Yong-ho were more people than before.
Their number was roughly twenty.
‘Last time there were five. He’s expanded his mercenaries.’
Mercenaries who contract with the Mercenary King receive bonus stats.
They had no reason not to follow Jo Yong-ho.
“Do you remember what I said before? That I would help if you needed it.”
“I remember.”
“Is there anything you need now…?”
“Not now. Let’s save it for next time.”
“Haha, understood.”
There wasn’t a trace of wariness in Jo Yong-ho’s laughter.
‘Here is where An Sang-chul and Jo Yong-ho’s character diverges.’
One harbors suspicion of Black Scythe in his heart, while the other sees me as a perfect ally.
Despite both having received my assistance, their thoughts are worlds apart.
“Well then, I have matters to attend to. It was good seeing you.”
“Take care.”
Jo Yong-ho disappeared into the crowd with his group.
Observing him approach various people, it seemed he was searching for players with the Mercenary job.
‘With the Human Merchant Group having such large numbers, he’ll be able to expand his forces quickly.’
Then, as if on cue, a message appeared before everyone’s eyes.
[Escort the Human Merchant Group]
└Safely escort the Human Merchant Group to their Destination.
└Upon successful escort, all participants receive experience rewards.
└The one individual who contributes most significantly to eliminating Traitors receives a Sub Quest reward.
└If all Traitors are eliminated without exception, all participants receive additional rewards.
[Current Personnel Status]
└Participants: 1,202
└Traitors: 1
The players examining the personnel status voiced complaints.
“Only one Traitor?”
“I thought there’d be several.”
“How are we supposed to find one person among 1,202?”
Faced with a mission as impossible as finding a needle in a desert, the players lost their motivation.
“Still, since finding them is worthwhile, should we attack each other to root out the Traitor?”
“Let’s do it!”
As they had done before, the players attempted to identify the Traitor by attacking one another.
But none of them dared to touch Black Scythe.
Except for An Sang-chul, who had some connection to him.
“Black Scythe, sir. Forgive my intrusion.”
“Are you trying to stab me?”
“If you’re not a Traitor, you won’t be harmed, so it’s fine, isn’t it? Or perhaps…?”
An Sang-chul’s perception was sharp.
Ryu Min had deliberately revealed hints, after all.
“Hmm, I suppose I should give up on the Sub Quest. Judging by the difficulty level of this world.”
“That’ll be easier on your mind.”
An Sang-chul, realizing his opponent was Black Scythe, abandoned his pursuit early.
‘He doesn’t betray like he did in the illusion.’
An Sang-chul wasn’t foolish enough to spread rumors that Black Scythe was the Traitor.
He owed him debts, and making the Rank 1 player an enemy would bring nothing but misfortune.
“I will keep your secret. Rest assured.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ryu Min played innocent, but An Sang-chul simply smiled knowingly and said nothing more.
As if he understood everything.
Just then, the caravan carrying the Archbishop began approaching.
“Is that the carriage we’re supposed to escort?”
“Whoa, look at that carriage. Must be someone important riding in it.”
For an ordinary merchant group, the carriage was remarkably luxurious.
The caravan appeared to consist of around fifty carriages, which was quite an impressive scale.
In particular, the carriage that seemed to belong to the Archbishop differed markedly from the others in both size and elegance.
‘Does the Archbishop really need to make himself so conspicuous with that carriage?’
Monsters wouldn’t deliberately target a carriage based on its design, but standing out like that made him an easy target for humans.
‘Not that I mind—I’m part of the Traitor Group, after all.’
The carriage came to a halt, and a man who appeared to be the leader of the Human Merchant Group approached us, clearing his throat.
“Ahem, greetings. Warriors of the Other World. I am Kalos, the escort captain of the Hormos Merchant Alliance.”
His respectful bow gave the impression of someone as formidable as his title of escort captain suggested.
“We are transporting goods at the request of the Holy Empire while simultaneously serving as the escort for Archbishop Raber. However, the journey through the Labteran Mountain Range to the Braham Kingdom proved so treacherous that we had no choice but to seek assistance from the Temple.”
The escort captain’s lengthy explanation fell on deaf ears among the players.
“An Archbishop?”
“So someone important really is riding in one of these?”
“Must be that carriage over there?”
All they needed to know was who they had to protect.
“Before we depart, the Archbishop has something to say.”
The door to the most ornate and luxurious carriage swung open.
An elderly man with white hair spoke with a solemn expression.
“Warriors of the Other World, I am grateful for your willingness to serve as our escort. The journey to our destination will be arduous, but fear not. I pray that light guides your path and bestow upon you my blessing.”
No player bothered to ask what the blessing entailed.
A message appeared shortly after.
[Archbishop Raber bestows the blessing ‘Holy Shield’.]
[A protective barrier is created that blocks one basic enemy attack.]
[Archbishop Raber bestows the blessing ‘Divine Touch’.]
[All stats increase by 5.]
As the buffs took effect, the players’ faces lit up with excitement.
“Wow, the NPC is giving us buffs too?”
“Did you get buffed as well? I got one too.”
“Me too!”
“Did he cast it on everyone here?”
“This Archbishop character is actually pretty useful, huh?”
The players who had never received buffs before were delighted, but their joy was premature.
The Archbishop wouldn’t grant buffs unless there were monsters of considerable difficulty ahead.
‘Trolls and gargoyles—those aren’t real threats. The real danger comes from boss-class monsters.’
At exactly wave twenty-five, a boss monster would appear.
By then, the players would be exhausted, making it far from easy to defeat the boss.
‘And if I step forward and display overwhelming power at that moment?’
The Archbishop would take notice, and I could earn his favor—something he valued greatly.
‘And favor leads to items.’
This was my chance to obtain the rune of foresight.
‘Once I have it, I’ll need to kill them—the Archbishop and the other merchants.’
I need to eliminate the Other World beings and prevent the Merchant Caravan from reaching its Destination.
Only then can Ryu Min of the Traitor Group survive.
Conversely, the 1,201 members of the Regular Group will fail their Quest.
‘But they won’t be annihilated.’
There is a way.
A way for both the 1,201 and Ryu Min to avoid annihilation.

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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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