The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 127

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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 127
127. The Actors
There are moments when a person suddenly gains clarity.
Wait… this doesn’t feel right.
Have I somehow ended up in the wrong place?
That was exactly what Seo A-rin felt now.
Thump-thump-thump—
Dragged along by a fellow actor, I had arrived at a Club that was pitch-dark despite the daylight outside.
The heavy bass reverberated through the building, yet not a single dancer was visible.
“Where exactly are we going? Why did we come to a Club?”
“Stop asking questions and just follow me. I’m going to introduce you to someone great.”
Something felt off, but I had no choice but to follow Hong Sun-ah.
It could have been just a feeling, and if things went south, I could always escape—that was the thought running through my mind.
‘I have more than enough power to handle myself.’
It was the kind of confidence a Level 37 Summoner could afford.
“Here we are.”
Hong Sun-ah led me to a VVIP-exclusive Private Room.
As the door opened, thick smoke made me grimace.
“Guys, I brought her.”
“Huh? Who’s this? Isn’t that the famous Seo A-rin?”
“Wow, you really brought her?”
“Man, she’s even prettier in person than on screen!”
Empty liquor bottles scattered about, filthy tables.
People lying down smoking, drunk individuals sprawled on the floor.
They say when someone is shocked, words fail them.
That was exactly my state right now.
‘I followed Sun-ah here without thinking, but…’
I had no idea such a mess awaited me.
But what was most shocking of all—
‘I recognize every single face here.’
All six people in the room were fairly well-known celebrities.
Whoosh—
“Who just arrived?”
At that moment, a male actor emerged from the Restroom, and our eyes met.
“G-Gu Yeon-seung… senior?”
That made seven.
One more had been added.
“It’s A-rin! I heard you were coming, and here you are?”
“I said I’d bring her, didn’t I, Senior Gu?”
Behind me, Hong Sun-ah wore a meaningful smile.
“Do you think Jang Bok-chul would like this?”
“Where is Jang Bok-chul?”
“He went to the Restroom saying he needed to use it.”
Seo A-rin, who had been standing there like a sack of grain, wondered what kind of situation this was.
“Sit down. Since you’re here, we should have a drink.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Even though the place was dark, it was broad daylight outside—drinking seemed absurd.
More than that, Seo A-rin sensed something off and drew the line.
“Sun-ah, have fun. I’m sorry, but I’m leaving first.”
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Come on, A-rin. You came all this way—have a drink with us. Or do you want to smoke some cannabis?”
“What?”
Seo A-rin was taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure.
“No, I can’t smoke.”
“This isn’t tobacco. Or maybe just a drink—”
“I can’t drink either.”
“Damn it, you crazy bitch. When Senior Gu offers you something, at least pretend to drink it.”
For a moment, Seo A-rin doubted her own ears.
‘What did she just call me?’
Hong Sun-ah’s language had always been rough, but Seo A-rin had never heard her curse like this.
But Hong Sun-ah was different now.
As if all her previous expressions had been lies, she smiled at Seo A-rin with a sneer.
No, “smile” was too beautiful a word for this.
This was unmistakable mockery.
“You thought I was so nice when I smiled at you, didn’t you? What a fool you are.”
Instead of answering, Seo A-rin instinctively turned around.
The Players who had been crawling on the floor had regained consciousness and now blocked the exit.
“What are you doing? Right now?”
“Can’t you see? We’re blocking you from leaving.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Ha, everyone who comes here says the same thing. You don’t even know you’ve fallen into a trap. Ah, is my acting really that good?”
A moment ago she had been uncertain, but Hong Sun-ah’s attitude made it clear.
She had fallen into a trap.
Seo A-rin glanced at the other actors around her.
Their expressions and eyes radiated malice.
‘They’re all in on this together.’
Seo A-rin’s gaze naturally shifted to Gu Yeon-seung.
As the oldest and most senior among them, if this was a trap, he was likely orchestrating it.
Sure enough.
“Hehe, A-rin. That look won’t help you. As you’ve figured out, we’re all in this together.”
He mistook her gaze for a distress signal and spoke of his own accord.
In that moment, a way to escape this crisis flashed through Seo A-rin’s mind.
‘Ah, perhaps….’
It might work, but she had to try.
Seo A-rin’s expression swiftly transformed into that of a frightened puppy.
“W-why are you doing this to me?”
Gu Yeon-seung laughed as if her appearance was endearing.
“There’s no personal animosity. It’s simply a survival strategy I naturally acquired through necessity, you could say?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Players die by half each round, don’t they? Perhaps even more than that. But haven’t you ever thought about it?”
Gu Yeon-seung grinned wickedly.
“How wasteful it is that the items of vanished players simply disappear.”
“….”
“Don’t you think so? I find it terribly wasteful. All the gold and items they’ve accumulated, it all just vanishes into nothing. Even dung becomes fertilizer, yet their items become nothing and simply evaporate. Wouldn’t it be better if, like fertilizer, they were used for other players instead?”
Seo A-rin belatedly grasped their true purpose.
“So… you’re saying that since these players will disappear anyway, you might as well extort their items? Is that it?”
“Ooh, did you invest some points in intelligence? You caught on quickly. Other actors don’t understand even when we explain it like this.”
“Other actors? You’ve done this to other actors besides me?”
“Of course. Unfortunately, you’re merely our thirty-third victim. Thirty-two senior and junior colleagues have already given us their items.”
She hadn’t known.
Seo A-rin collapsed onto the sofa, her expression feigning shock.
“Y-you mean you killed your fellow actors…?”
“That’s right. We killed them all. Don’t worry. You’ll follow them soon enough.”
“Ah….”
With a devastated expression, Seo A-rin covered her face and hunched her body.
Meanwhile, she secretly summoned two fairies beneath the table.
The actors present, completely oblivious to the situation, chuckled among themselves.
“If you simply hand over your items, we’ll send you off painlessly. But if you’re uncooperative, we’ll have no choice but to resort to force.”
“W-why are you doing this? Why kill fellow actors…?”
“Why, you ask? There are many reasons. First, it’s easy to backstab fellow entertainers in the same profession. Second, having good items increases our survival probability in the next round. Third, as I mentioned, it’s a waste to let items disappear. Fourth, I’ve realized that survival means we can’t afford to be choosy about methods. Fifth, it’s surprisingly entertaining.”
“….”
“When else would we ever get to threaten and kill people? We’ve always lived conscious of our fans’ eyes and opinions—how could we ever have done something so thrilling?”
“But they were colleagues… not strangers, but fellow actors, seniors, and juniors we worked with….”
“Ah, so you’ve been privileged from the start and don’t understand? What it feels like to claw your way up from nothing.”
The smile vanished from Gu Yeon-seung’s face.
“You don’t know what it’s like to live as a struggling theater actor with nothing. You don’t know what it’s like to be an aspiring actor, living in a cesspool of reality while clinging to an uncertain future. I know. I’ve experienced it all, and I’m one of the rare cases who made it through sheer effort.”
“….”
“But what if the dream you barely achieved shattered in an instant? What is the life of an actor who can’t even dream of long-term projects like dramas or films, forced to perform in variety shows or live off advertisements like a clown? What if you became someone with a limited lifespan, worried about surviving the next round? It would be truly despairing and hollow, wouldn’t it?”
“….”
“Everyone here is like that. People who lost the jobs they barely secured. People who were sincere about acting but betrayed by their efforts. What can we do? All that’s left is the struggle for survival. Trampling others to survive is the only strategy left for those of us still playing.”
“….”
“And how convenient—a perfect stage has been set for trampling others underfoot, wouldn’t you say? I can even learn that fraud skill, Erasing Traces. How could I possibly kill you? Reducing fellow actors increases the rarity of celebrities, naturally driving up our market value. Our real-world worth rises, we secure items for the Other World, and where else could we find such a win-win? Kekeke.”
“….”
Seo A-rin had plenty to say in rebuttal, but she remained silent and focused on her performance.
She trembled visibly, as though terrified and afraid.
Drawing upon every technique she’d learned, she poured her entire being into this moment of acting.
“So… you’re going to steal my items and kill me?”
“Of course.”
Seo A-rin let out a laugh of resignation.
“W-wait, is this a hidden camera? Some new variety show? Or YouTube? Someone please tell me this is a joke.”
“Hehe, this girl still hasn’t come to her senses?”
Hong Sun-ah sneered and approached Seo A-rin.
Crack—
Blood sprayed as her head snapped to the side from the immediate slap.
The force behind that palm strike made it clear this was no jest.
“Hey, you damn bitch. Do you think we’re playing around? Should we cut off a finger so you finally understand the situation?”
“Nah, fingers are boring. There’s a much better way.”
As the men around them flashed sinister smiles, Hong Sun-ah made a face of disgust.
“Men are all the same—the moment someone’s face is halfway decent, that’s all you think about. It’s all plastic surgery anyway.”
“Does everyone get plastic surgery? You need good raw material first.”
“And what if it is plastic surgery? Kekeke, as long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters.”
Even amid their mocking laughter, Seo A-rin cowered and endured.
She acted out shame, indignation, and fear all at once, waiting for her moment.
Gu Yeon-seung let out a soft whistle, silencing the crowd.
“You lot. Why are you scaring her already? Seo A-rin? Don’t worry. Just hand over all your items, and I’ll give you a clean death. I’ll make sure those guys don’t lay a finger on you.”
“….”
“What? Your expression says you don’t like that? Isn’t a clean death after handing over your items better than being treated like a rag and dying?”
“…Really? If I give you the items, you’ll let me die peacefully?”
“Yes. Oh, but there’s something I forgot to mention.”
“What is it…?”
“You know Jang Bok-chul? He’s absolutely crazy about you. He’s even told the media you’re his ideal type. So when he heard you were coming, he was incredibly excited.”
“….”
“So just do what he asks. Once. Surely you can manage that much before you die?”
“What do you mean…?”
“It’s pitiful, really. He went from being an unknown actor to rising to fame as a Player rather than through acting. He named you as his ideal type, and you can’t even grant him that much? You’re going to die anyway—why not fulfill one person’s wish before you go? It benefits everyone, doesn’t it?”
“….”
“If you don’t answer, I’ll take that as a yes. Not that you have a choice anyway.”
“….”
“And don’t think about resisting. Can you see how many of us there are? With Bok-chul, that’s nine. All level 35 or higher. Sun-ah told me you’re level 37, but that won’t help you against us, will it?”
“P-please… spare me. I… I was wrong.”
Seo A-rin’s eyes glistened with tears as she wrung her hands together.
The belated recognition of her dire reality.
A bitter laugh escaped from the actors’ lips.
“They all end up like this, don’t they? Please spare me. I won’t do it again. I was wrong. But if you’re going to beg for your life, shouldn’t you hand over your items first?”
“I’ll give them. I’ll give them.”
Seo A-rin pretended to retrieve items from her inventory while subtly gauging their attention.
The moment had arrived.
Now, while they were off guard—this was her chance.
‘Equip!’
With the command, Seo A-rin’s body was enveloped in her gear.
Whoooosh—
Before anyone could even register the sudden armament, the fairies that had been waiting beneath the table emerged.
The cute little creatures immediately unleashed beams of light directly at Gu Yeon-seung.
Sizzzzle—!
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Gu Yeon-seung shrieked as his skin burned.
Had he not raised his arm to shield himself, his eyes would have been scorched away.
“You damn bitch! Grab her!”
Before Gu Yeon-seung could even finish shouting, the actors were already equipping their gear.
Seo A-rin was inwardly startled by their speed.
‘Their response is quick.’
It seemed they had anticipated her resistance all along.
Hastily summoning her golem, Seo A-rin shoved the male actor standing at the door.
Thud—!
“Ugh!”
The suddenly materialized 1.5-meter golem charged headfirst, slamming the man directly into the wall.
Without hesitation, Seo A-rin seized the doorknob and yanked the door open.
She had never intended to face them head-on.
Her only plan was to find an opening and escape.
‘That’s it, just get out now—!’
But before her foot could cross the threshold.
Clang—!
Black chains wrapped around Seo A-rin’s body.
“You damn bitch, where do you think you’re running?”
The chains’ master was Gu Yeon-seung.
Not a single entertainer had ever escaped his grasp as a dark mage.
“Damn it, you think I haven’t dealt with girls like you before? They all call themselves players and scheme to resist. I thought you’d be different, but damn it, I was fooled by a woman’s tears?”
“Eek!”
Seo A-rin attempted to command her fairies, but upon seeing the impossibility message, she realized too late.
They had already been annihilated by Gu Yeon-seung’s black arrows.
Crash—
The golem, too, had been shattered by the players and reduced to rubble.
‘Damn it. All my summons are dead.’
To resummon them, I had to wait through a ten-minute cooldown.
In a situation where every second mattered, there was no room for such a delay.
“What’s wrong? Try summoning again, will you? Oh, the cooldown won’t let you?”
“….”
“Then I guess I can have all the fun I want now?”
“Hyung, we agreed to let Bok-chul have her.”
“I changed my mind. Who knows when I’ll be able to summon again? I can’t wait around for Bok-chul to show up.”
Gu Yeon-seung’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he barked orders at his companions.
“Get ready, men. Let’s show this bitch what humiliation really means.”
“Heh, sounds good.”
“I’ve been waiting for this.”
The male actors stepped forward with sinister smiles, while Hong Sun-ah retreated with a sneer.
Watching the men seize her limbs, Seo A-rin was consumed by despair.
‘No, not like this….’
Her escape plan had failed miserably.
With no way out, darkness closed in.
That was when it happened.
Thud, thud—
Someone entered through the open door.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
A familiar face—Jang Bok-chul.
“Huh? Bok-chul! Here’s that Seo A-rin you like….”
The actors brightened before their expressions hardened.
Behind him stood a figure in a white mask.
“Who….”
Before anyone could finish asking, Jang Bok-chul’s head drooped lifelessly.
A corpse.
The Masked Stranger had arrived carrying Jang Bok-chul’s dead body.
“This bastard Jang Bok-chul—he’s your friend, right?”
Thump—
The body crumpled to the ground as the grip released.
“Who, who are you?!”
“Seems like it.”
The Masked Stranger waved a hand, and the corpse vanished without a trace.
Evidence disposal.
“I smelled garbage somewhere. So it was gathered here.”
“I’m asking who you are…!”
Gu Yeon-seung swallowed his words in an instant.
The other actors did the same.
Silence fell as if time itself had frozen.
There was no need to ask who it was.
A massive scythe had materialized in the Masked Stranger’s grip.

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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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