The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 12

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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 12
12. Claiming the Prize
Back at home, Ryu Won bit at my fingernails with a tap-tap sound.
It was a habit that emerged whenever I felt anxious and restless.
“Stop that. I told you not to bite your nails.”
“But hyung, I can’t help being anxious.”
“I said don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry? We’re about to throw away 100,000 won.”
Watching me mark only a single number on the lottery ticket, Ryu Won thought to himself.
It was obviously a lost cause.
100,000 won down the drain.
“You should mark multiple numbers to increase your chances of winning. Why on earth—”
“I told you. This is the winning number.”
“How would you know that?”
“I saw it in a dream.”
….
At those words, Ryu Won’s expression turned incredulous.
It was a statement that left one utterly speechless.
But I paid no mind to his skepticism.
‘It doesn’t matter whether my brother believes me or not. The results will speak for themselves.’
Though anxious now, I knew the truth.
Once the drawing happened this evening, my brother’s attitude would shift a complete 180 degrees.
After all, I had experienced this countless times across dozens of returns.
‘There’s no better way to earn quick money than the lottery.’
For someone like me—a returner—matching lottery numbers was easier than slaying goblins.
‘It’s best to secure funds through the lottery before the Players destroy the world.’
Eventually, the Players will paralyze society’s systems.
Even now, with 900 million deaths, the economy is reeling.
‘Before things get worse, I need to secure funds through the lottery and multiply my wealth with cryptocurrency and stocks.’
Money—the more, the better.
Not only can I escape our current impoverished circumstances, but I can also use it to recruit Players.
Later on, Players will trade items and money with each other in reality.
‘Though the gold that Players possess is worth far more than real-world money.’
Knowing the future, I had no worries whatsoever, but Ryu Won, being an ordinary person, could not share my confidence.
His mind had already accepted the lottery loss as inevitable.
“We could’ve at least bought something delicious with 100,000 won….”
Ryu Won muttered with regret.
For us brothers, 100,000 won was a significant sum.
I worked part-time at a Meat Restaurant every weekend, but even that only brought in 400,000 won a month.
We received basic living assistance, but after expenses, there was almost nothing left to save.
At least tuition and meal expenses were being covered for free, which was something to be grateful for.
“Sigh.”
I said nothing as I watched my younger brother sigh once more.
I already knew his attitude would change completely once evening arrived.
And sure enough, it did.
-Welcome. We’re about to begin today’s lottery drawing. Regardless of the order the balls come out, you win if your numbers match. So, shall we see the first number?
When the lottery drawing time came, the brothers picked up their phones.
Without a TV, they had to watch on their phones instead.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
As the balls rolled and the drawing began, Ryu Won clasped his hands tightly together.
‘Please, at least fifth prize….’
Our living expenses depended on this, so his desperation was inevitable.
Meanwhile, I, who already knew the outcome, kept my expression blank.
-The first lucky number is 3!
Ryu Won leaned over the lottery ticket spread out on the table.
“3? I have it!”
Fortunately, one matched.
-The second number is… 18!
“18? I have it!”
The second one matched too.
Just one more match and he’d win fifth prize.
Hope blazed in Ryu Won’s eyes.
‘How much is fifth prize anyway?’
He’d bought one thousand won per game, one hundred games total with the same numbers.
Since each game paid five thousand won for fifth prize, winning would net him five hundred thousand won.
Not only would he break even, but he’d also make four hundred thousand won in profit.
“Please, please, please….”
Was I amused by the sight of my younger brother waiting for the third number with such desperate hope?
I found myself chuckling without realizing it.
“You don’t need to be so nervous.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, the third number was announced.
“Whoa, hyung! Jackpot! I won fifth prize!”
Ryu Won was overjoyed, not knowing what to do with himself.
He must have been quite anxious about losing his initial investment.
“Jackpot! My money quintupled! Hyung, your dream really was something special!”
“I guess so.”
But it was too early to celebrate.
-The fourth number is 38! The fifth number is 21!
With each number called, Ryu Won’s eyes grew wider.
My hands trembled uncontrollably, and my eyes never rested as I cross-referenced each number against the lottery ticket.
The reason being that not a single number had been wrong so far.
-The drawing has concluded. Today’s winning lottery numbers are as follows: 3, 18, 9, 38, 21, 1. The bonus number for second prize is 5. We’ll see you again next week. Thank you!
The broadcast ended with the final number.
Yet Ryu Won’s eyes remained glued to his phone.
“H-hey… hyung…”
“Yeah.”
“Could you pinch my cheek for me?”
“Pinch it yourself.”
“This… this isn’t a dream, right?”
“Would you prefer it to be a dream?”
Ryu Won’s head shook vigorously.
“No, absolutely not!”
“Don’t worry. It’s not a dream.”
Ryu Min laughed reassuringly, but Ryu Won couldn’t hide his bewildered emotions for some time.
Because right before his eyes lay numerous first-prize winning tickets.
“First prize… first prize…”
Even after rubbing my eyes and examining them carefully, they were unmistakably first-prize winners.
“Hyung! Hyung! This really isn’t a dream, right?”
“I told you it’s not.”
“Hahahaha!”
Ryu Won bounced excitedly around the cramped home.
“You’re that happy?”
“Of course! Aren’t you happy, hyung?”
“I am.”
When I first won the lottery, I used to shout with excitement too.
But after repeating it dozens of times, it had become an obligatory ritual, like an annual event.
“All 100 games are first prizes… hahaha!”
“Keep your voice down. The neighbors will hear.”
“Oh! Right, got it.”
Ryu Won, now silent, still couldn’t believe it as he stared at the lottery winning ticket.
“First prize… I really won first prize…”
Ryu Won murmured in a voice barely audible, then looked at his brother.
“Hyung, you did pick all the same numbers, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So how much is this exactly?”
“Well, since it’s divided among all winners, it probably depends on how many people won.”
But I already knew the answer.
How many winners there were.
How much the prize money was.
‘The world will probably turn upside down from an unprecedented jackpot.’
Though it’s already begun turning upside down.

* * *
“Brother, have a safe trip!”
“Got it. Stay put at home while I’m gone.”
“Where would I even go? And I’m not a kid anymore.”
‘You’re a kid to me. Far younger than I am.’
On the surface, there was only a four-year age gap, but when I factored in all the years I’d lived through my returns, I was well over 110 years old.
To my eyes, my younger brother could only appear as a child.
“I’m worried because of what that Bang Tae-gyu did to you. If anyone comes looking, don’t open the door.”
“If you’re that worried, take me with you.”
“Can’t do it. Lottery winnings have to be claimed alone—that’s the rule.”
“But I want to go too….”
“I’m going.”
I waved my hand and moved forward.
The bus took me to none other than the Nonghyup Bank headquarters.
To claim my lottery winnings.
‘It was hard to wait until Monday.’
Ever since learning of the winning ticket on Saturday, my brother and I had thrown a modest celebration.
We’d grilled pork belly at a restaurant and eaten out for the first time in our lives.
‘We didn’t have enough money to even consider Korean beef.’
Though it was only once, the impact on our finances was significant.
We were left with barely enough for bus fare, our living expenses stretched to the breaking point.
‘Still, I managed to get by on instant noodles until Monday.’
Lottery winnings could only be claimed on weekdays when the bank was open.
So as long as I had bus fare, there were no financial concerns whatsoever.
Once I reached the bank, hundreds of millions would be deposited into my account.
-This stop is Seodaemun Station Intersection Nonghyup Central Branch.
I stepped off the bus and walked down the street.
Soon, a tall building came into view ahead.
It was the Nonghyup Bank headquarters, where first-prize winnings were distributed.
Normally, one would feel nervous before entering….
‘Since I’ve claimed first-prize winnings dozens of times, I feel no nervousness at all.’
Without hesitation, I entered the bank with composure.
Being Monday, the bank was bustling with many people coming and going.
Of course, they were ordinary customers, not winners.
I approached the employee at the lobby desk in the new building, as I had done countless times before.
“I’m here to claim my first-prize lottery winnings.”
“Ah, is that so? Congratulations. Lucky customer.”
The bank employee wasn’t particularly surprised.
It was a common first-prize win that occurred every week.
The employee merely glanced sideways at Ryu Min.
‘He looks quite young, but he won first prize?’
While there were winners in their twenties, the young man before him looked young enough to pass for a high school student.
Since it could have been a lie or a mistake, the employee needed to verify.
“If you don’t mind, could you tell me where you purchased the ticket?”
“GS24 Yeonhui Branch.”
“What? Ah…!”
The employee let out a sound without thinking.
A conversation with his supervisor before taking his position at the desk came to mind.
-This round has a whopping 115 first-prize winners.
-What? 115 games? That many?
-Yeah, compared to the usual 10 or so winners, it’s record-breaking. But here’s the crazy part—100 of them came from a single location.
-What? A single location? Could it be that one person bought all of them…?
-Exactly. Someone picked the same numbers for 100 games, and all of them won first prize.
-Wow… that’s incredible. Most people would be thrilled with just one win, but 100 games…!
-I checked, and the prize money is astronomical. Anyway, they might come to claim the winnings this week, so be prepared. If anyone says they purchased from GS24 Yeonhui Branch, absolutely call the bank manager. They’re an ultra-premium VVIP customer.
The employee, recalling his supervisor’s words, snapped to attention.
“Excuse me, but would you mind waiting just a moment?”
“Of course.”
After asking for understanding, the employee stood and returned shortly with someone else.
“Thank you so much for waiting. I’m Kwon Jun-ho, the manager of Nonghyup Bank.”
“Hello, I’m Ryu Min.”
Ryu Min shook the manager’s extended hand lightly with a composed expression.
“Congratulations on winning first prize. You’re truly fortunate.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s not do this here. I’ll personally escort you.”
Ryu Min rode the elevator with the manager up to the third floor.
Throughout, the manager glanced at Ryu Min.
‘Look at that—the young fellow shows no signs of nervousness?’
Not only had he won first prize, but the manager himself had come down personally.
Naturally, the young man should have been nervous, yet his expression remained unchanged.
Rather than anxious, he wore an expression of such composure that it bordered on boredom—something the manager found remarkable.
“This way, please.”
The manager guided Ryu Min to the Lottery Operations Team.
Along the way, I could see other customers waiting to claim their winnings, but we simply passed them by.
There was no way Ryu Min, who had won on 100 games, could wait alongside them.
“Oh, Manager, you’ve arrived?”
The employee bowed while stealing a sideways glance at Ryu Min.
‘Who is this person? The bank manager’s son?’
Before I could ponder further, the bank manager introduced him first.
“Ah, a VVIP fortunate customer here to claim their winnings. Please assist them with the utmost care and attention.”
‘VVIP?’
Only then did the employee realize who the bank manager had brought along.
‘The GS24 Yeonhui Branch 100-game winner?’
As I was processing this, the bank manager exchanged greetings with Ryu Min.
“This employee here will assist you with claiming your winnings. Please proceed at your leisure.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
The bank manager withdrew with a warm smile, and the employee stepped forward.
“Welcome, fortunate customer. Please, have a seat here.”
The employee smiled warmly at Ryu Min, who had settled into the plush sofa.
“You must be thirsty, yes? Would you like something to drink? Coffee, juice, green tea, or perhaps…?”
“That’s not necessary. I’d like to claim my winnings and head home as soon as possible.”
“Ah, I see. Understood. Then, may I see the winning lottery tickets first?”
Ryu Min produced twenty lottery tickets from his pocket.
The employee’s expression shifted to one of astonishment as he examined them.
All 100 games bore the identical numbers, and they were undoubtedly first-prize winners.
‘To pick the exact same numbers for all of them. Does this person know the future or something?’
The employee suppressed his envy and spoke with a practiced smile.
“Verification complete. All 100 games are indeed first-prize winners. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. How much is the total prize?”
“The first-prize amount for this drawing is approximately 25.8 billion won. With 115 winning games total, and you having won 100 of them….”
The employee swallowed hard before continuing his calculation.
“Your total winnings come to approximately 22.4 billion won.”
After the 33% tax deduction, that meant 15 billion won would be deposited into the account.

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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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