The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 131

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

The Maxed-Out Player’s 100th Return – Episode 131
131. The Police Commissioner
After instructing Yamtti to track the Police Commissioner’s movements, I ended the call.
To push the bill through quickly, I needed the Commissioner’s cooperation.
‘But he won’t do it just because I ask.’
Then I’d simply dominate him and give orders.
It was a simple matter.
The only issue was one of conscience.
‘I’m using innocent civilians, but there’s no helping it. I need to establish the Anti-Player Unit as quickly as possible.’
Somewhere out there, a crazed Player was committing crimes right now.
The sooner I created the unit, the sooner I could ease the public’s anxiety.
At the same time, I’d build my own reputation among ordinary people.
That was all I wanted from the Police Commissioner.
After dominating him, I’d only give orders—nothing more after that.
That way, he could continue his normal life.
Just like the Chairman of Player Cafe.
Dominating someone didn’t turn them into a puppet without free will.
They simply carried out the orders I gave them faithfully.
‘Yamtti’s second slot went to the Police Commissioner.’
The first was Song Jae-gyeom, the eldest son of LC Group.
Since he served as Chairman of Player Cafe, I couldn’t delete him.
‘Once I dominate the Police Commissioner as my second slot, three slots remain.’
One of them would likely be needed in Nigeria after establishing the unit, and if I reserved one more just in case…
‘Only one slot would be left.’
I had fewer slots than I’d anticipated.
‘I should conserve my slots as much as possible, just in case.’
Ma Gyeong-rok, An Sang-chul, Heo Tae-sik, Russell, Jo Yong-ho, and others.
That’s why I hadn’t dominated my close associates.
Not only did I lack the slots for them, but there was no real need to dominate them.
They were already my people in all but name.
‘I’ll need to ask Lee Sung-hyun for help, but there’s no need to dominate him. I’ve already made a strong, positive impression.’
What stronger or better impression could there be than saving someone’s life?
Having organized my thoughts, I grabbed my coat.
Since the topic came up, I should visit Lee Sung-hyun.
His cooperation was necessary for establishing the unit as well.
I headed back outside.
* * *
Lee Sung-hyun, who had worked late at the National Assembly Building, got into his car.
“Where shall I take you, sir?”
“Home, please.”
The bodyguard nodded and started the car.
Typically, experiencing something as traumatic as kidnapping leaves deep psychological scars.
Most would have avoided repeating such actions, yet Lee Sung-hyun hired a bodyguard just as he had before.
Though it was a different agency, the fact remained that they were Player bodyguards.
Seeing this, those close to him expressed their concerns.
-You were betrayed by a bodyguard, and you hired one again?
-Aren’t you afraid of employing a Player?
But each time, Lee Sung-hyun would explain.
-Not all Players are bad. It’s only the ones running rampant now that are the problem.
When he said such things, those who knew Lee Sung-hyun well would react with shock.
Was this really the assemblyman Lee Sung-hyun they knew?
Of course it was.
‘Though I’ve changed somewhat since the kidnapping.’
Somewhat was an understatement.
Compared to how I once proclaimed that all Players were garbage, my perspective had shifted dramatically.
And for good reason—the one who saved me was the very Player I had despised so thoroughly.
‘Black Scythe, if I recall correctly.’
He had shown me enlightenment.
He freed me from prejudice and made me confront reality.
‘Not all Players are the same. There are righteous Players like Black Scythe.’
One cannot simply label everyone who wields a weapon as a potential criminal.
Whether they are good or evil depends on how they choose to use that power.
‘I had been trapped in such narrow-minded thinking all this time.’
My anger over losing my son had caused me to view Players through a lens of convenient prejudice.
‘Now I must change. I must face reality and reshape the world correctly.’
The first step toward that goal was the Anti-Player Unit bill.
Fortunately, the bill had passed, and a specialized unit to eliminate rogue Players would soon be established.
Though it would take some time to implement.
‘I’ve done all I can. Time will resolve the rest.’
I recalled Black Scythe.
I had honored his request to proceed with the bill as planned.
Would this lighten the debt I felt in my heart?
I shook my head.
How could I ever repay the debt of having my life saved?
Even a lifetime of gratitude would likely fall short.
‘I regret that we parted without properly repaying him.’
Driven by that regret, I had looked into Black Scythe.
Though unknown to ordinary people, among Players he was extraordinarily renowned.
‘A top-ranked player who has never relinquished first place, and the only one to reach level 80….’
I heard he had achieved first place again in this eighth round.
That meant he was still alive.
‘If only we could meet again….’
When police and reporters asked Black Scythe’s appearance, Lee Sung-hyun lied and said he had only heard his voice.
He knew what he looked like but didn’t reveal it to anyone around him.
It seemed like the right thing to do for Black Scythe.
“We’ve arrived, Congressman.”
Lee Sung-hyun stepped out of the car and entered the elevator with his bodyguard.
Until that moment, Lee Sung-hyun had no particular thoughts, but when he reached the entrance of his home, he couldn’t help but be startled.
‘That person…!’
A tall man with bronzed skin.
Black Scythe, who had saved him, was waiting at the entrance of his home.
The bodyguard’s eyes filled with caution at Lee Sung-hyun’s surprised reaction.
“Do you know him?”
“Ah, yes. He’s an acquaintance of mine. Don’t worry and head home.”
“Are you sure it’s alright?”
“Yes. It’s fine.”
Only after dismissing the bodyguard did the man with bronzed skin speak.
“I apologize, Congressman. I came by so suddenly—I must have startled you quite a bit.”
“Ah, w-well, not too much, just a little surprised.”
Though it was obvious to anyone that he was quite startled, Ryu Min didn’t press the point.
“There’s something I need to discuss quietly. Would it be alright to talk inside?”
“Of course. Come in.”
Lee Sung-hyun opened the door with his card key and let Ryu Min inside.
For a house where a congressman lived, it was remarkably ordinary—the kind of home you’d see in any typical family—but Ryu Min knew the truth.
It was a home filled with precious memories of a man who had lost his family.
“Have a seat here.”
As Ryu Min sat on the sofa, Lee Sung-hyun sat across from him.
“I never thought I’d see my lifesaver again like this. You left as if we’d never meet again.”
“I have a favor to ask of you, Congressman.”
“A favor?”
Lee Sung-hyun’s eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled and spoke.
“Well, an opportunity to repay my lifesaver has come. Tell me—what’s the favor?”
“I’ll be direct. The police are planning to establish the Anti-Player Unit, aren’t they?”
“That’s right.”
“Please recommend me as the commander of that unit.”
“What?”
Lee Sung-hyun’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head in shock.
‘Recommend me as commander?’
He had assumed the favor would be something simple like money, but this was completely unexpected.
That’s why he was curious.
“What’s your reason?”
Why I want the position of unit commander.
“Is it a hunger for power?”
Lee Sung-hyun’s unfiltered question.
A sort of test.
‘If he harbored dark intentions, he’d show signs of panic here.’
But the man before me—Black Scythe—didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
That meant an entirely different conviction was firmly rooted within him.
‘Is he driven by conviction rather than personal greed?’
As I entertained that thought, Ryu Min opened his mouth.
“Power, you say. That’s not entirely without merit.”
“Hm?”
Lee Sung-hyun was caught off guard by the unexpected answer, but Ryu Min wasn’t finished.
“However, I’d say I want this position more for my own personal desires.”
“Personal desires?”
Ryu Min paused deliberately, controlling the atmosphere.
“I’d say it’s the same reason you proposed that legislation, Representative.”
“….”
“Like you, I despise criminal Players. I won’t elaborate on why—it would only dampen the mood.”
As I lowered my gaze as if burdened by some sorrowful tale, Lee Sung-hyun understood.
Why Black Scythe had saved him without hesitation.
‘Whatever happened, he despises criminal Players just as I do. That’s why he wouldn’t accept my gratitude—he was already satisfied having dealt with the criminals!’
Now Black Scythe’s actions finally made sense.
“Will you help me?”
“Hmm… I can recommend you, but don’t get your hopes up. Since we’re pulling police Players, the authority to select unit members rests with the Police Commissioner….”
“You mean I could be rejected?”
“That’s right. Still, I’ll do my best to appeal on your behalf. You saved me once, and you’re an incredibly famous figure among Players, so you’re certainly qualified to be unit commander. But I can’t guarantee it’ll happen. If the Police Commissioner insists on staffing with only police officers and ignores ability, there’s nothing I can do about it….”
“That’s sufficient. You officially recommend me, and the Police Commissioner accepts your recommendation and appoints me unit commander. If it proceeds that way, I’ll be satisfied.”
“But I’m telling you the Commissioner might reject it?”
“Then there’s nothing to be done about it. Still, I’d appreciate your recommendation for certain.”
“Alright, I’ll do what I can.”
Ryu Min stood as if our business was concluded.
“Already leaving? How about a drink….”
“No. It’s improper to overstay at someone else’s home. I’ll see you next time then. Oh.”
Ryu Min, about to turn, remembered something and pivoted back.
“Just tell me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Is the Police Commissioner male or female?”
* * *
The Police Commissioner—the highest rank in the police hierarchy.
South Korea has only two national police commissioners.
The Police Commissioner and the Coast Guard Commissioner.
Lee Chung-ryong, one of them and the Police Commissioner, threw documents onto his desk with a sigh.
“Damn those National Assembly members. They keep proposing useless bills and bothering people. Tsk.”
What he’d thrown was the Anti-Player Unit establishment bill that Lee Sung-hyun had proposed.
This bill, which would conscript police Players aged twenty-nine and under to form the unit, had already received approval from both the President and the Police Commissioner.
But it was approval given only out of deference to public opinion.
Lee Chung-ryong’s true feelings were filled with negative sentiment.
‘Summary execution in twenty-first century South Korea? Does that even make sense?’
The bill’s contents stated that only Players could be subject to summary execution in urgent situations where civilians’ lives were at stake.
In other words, it meant criminal Players could be killed without legal consequences—a nonsensical law to implement in a country that had abolished capital punishment.
‘Did this bastard treat the law like garbage and come up with this? Ignoring judicial procedures and killing people isn’t murder? Tsk!’
That wasn’t the only absurdity.
‘Gathering police Players under twenty-nine to form an Anti-Player Unit? Most officers under twenty-nine are just rookies. Even seasoned veteran detectives stumble against criminal Players, and they want to catch them with inexperienced greenhorns with no experience?’
Without a doubt, it would invite ridicule from veteran non-Player detectives.
Complaints might even arise about only the juniors getting promoted.
‘If you ask me, this is completely half-baked. It’s nothing but a waste of effort.’
Moreover, who would they appoint as the unit commander?
They’d all be rookies without a single arrest under their belts.
“Sigh.”
Just as he was sighing.
“Why don’t you pick me?”
Lee Chung-ryong jumped at the voice coming from thin air.
“What the—! What is this?!”
He turned his head, and a figure emerged smoothly from the empty space where only a wall had been.
A man with bronze-toned skin was staring at him.
“A… a Player!”
Such an impossible ability could only belong to a Player.
Lee Chung-ryong reached for the pistol he kept for security purposes.
He tried to shoot immediately, but the man closed the distance in an instant and disarmed him before he could fire.
“That’s harsh. Infiltrating the Police Commissioner’s office isn’t a capital offense, is it?”
“You… you monster! Do you know where you are…!”
“Monster? That’s too much for a law-abiding citizen.”
“Who are you! What do you want!!”
“Calling for help won’t do you any good. I’ve already taken care of everyone outside.”
“What?”
Click—
The door to the Police Commissioner’s office opened, and a woman entered.
“Yamtti. Did you handle the staff?”
“Yes. I’ve made sure everything that happened here is treated as if no one saw anything.”
“W-what are you trying to do? Surely you don’t mean…!”
“Come now, Commissioner. You seem to be thinking of torture, but would we do something so inhumane?”
“Then what….”
“Simply follow a few orders. Yamtti.”
As Yamtti stepped forward, a pink hue swirled in the Police Commissioner’s pupils.
The moment their eyes met, it was over.
Enchantment took hold in an instant.
“Yamtti, relay my words to the Police Commissioner exactly as I say them.”
“Understood, Master.”
“Use your influence to establish the Anti-Player Unit as quickly as possible and ensure it becomes operational. And….”
Ryu Min smiled coldly as he spoke.
“Appoint Black Scythe as the commander of the Anti-Player Unit.”

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