The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 161

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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 161
161. An Extraordinary Reward
I first encountered the Seven Archangels during my 68th return.
‘It was when I overcame the Demon Faction’s Round 15 and slaughtered the Angels in Round 16.’
Unable to contain my rage as I killed the Angels, I found myself speechless when an Angel suddenly appeared.
I was utterly overwhelmed.
This was a being of an entirely different caliber from any combat Angel I’d encountered before.
‘His name was Michael, if I recall correctly.’
I didn’t even dare consider engaging him.
Back then, I was so weak I couldn’t even clear Tower of Trials Floor 99.
‘Well, even after clearing Floor 99, I encountered him several times, but I just let it go. There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.’
But the Angel who appeared today was utterly disappointing.
His strength fell far short of my expectations.
‘Is he the weakest of the Seven? He’s weaker than I anticipated. Or have I simply become too strong?’
Since I needed to establish dominance early, I pressed forward without restraint.
Yet after observing his movements several times, I realized the truth.
Remiel was far slower and weaker than me.
‘It would be wasteful to kill him outright.’
With that thought, I used the Red Moon and Moonlight Island combination to sever his limbs.
I could have killed him, but I deliberately kept him alive.
I wanted to draw out the other Angels.
[Grrrrgh….]
[Kughhhh….]
And this was the result before me now.
Fifty Grade 3 combat Angels lay scattered across the ground.
Their limbs torn apart, most had become corpses rolling across the floor.
Though some still clung to life.
[You have defeated Grade 3 Angel ‘Roichel’!]
[Stat Points +32]
[Gold +327,120]
[Angels Defeated: 100/100]
[You have met the conditions to use ‘Demon’s Blessing’.]
[You may now activate ‘Demon’s Blessing’ by speaking its incantation whenever you wish.]
I had just killed the last Angel still clinging to life.
With only Remiel excepted.
And so I had filled my quota of one hundred Angels and unlocked the ability to use Demon’s Blessing.
‘I should save it for the next time I need to kill Angels.’
I gazed down at Remiel, who remained alone and isolated.
Without his limbs, he looked so pitiful at first glance that one might mistake him for a corpse.
“Well, well. All your subordinates are dead, aren’t they? What will you do now?”
[You bastard….]
Sparks crackled from eyes that glared as if ready to kill.
Despite my deteriorating state, the fire in my gaze remained undiminished.
“Even in a situation like this, your pride knows no bounds. Well, I suppose that’s what happens when you’ve ruled as one of the Seven Archangels for so long.”
[What exactly are you? How do you possess such power? Why doesn’t time manipulation work on you? Why are you killing angels?]
Despite the barrage of questions, Ryu Min merely twisted his lips into a smile.
Why was he killing angels?
The answer was simple.
Because rewards dropped.
‘So even the Seven Archangels don’t know that items drop when you kill angels?’
It was truly amusing.
The angels, whom I had believed to be the architects of The Game, were themselves being manipulated by someone else.
‘Are they being used by the System? If so, whoever created the System is likely the true mastermind.’
Regardless of who that mastermind was, I could only be grateful.
They had made me strong enough to stand against the angels.
“Why am I killing them?”
I stepped toward Remiel.
It seemed more advantageous not to mention the rewards for now.
“After what you angels have done to humanity, you dare ask such a question?”
[….]
“Put yourself in our shoes. Eighteen billion humans were living in peace, and they all died. The survivors are now trapped in a survival game. And the organizers? You angels. Wouldn’t you want to kill us?”
Remiel remained silent, but I knew the truth.
He wasn’t listening to a word I said.
-Damn it. What do I do? The moment he starts chanting a return spell, I’ll have to kill him immediately….
Reading his thoughts, I could see his remaining mind working frantically.
-How do I turn this around? Should I just detonate all my electricity and divine power in a self-destruct as planned? That might reduce the damage…. But then I won’t even get to see this human die. Damn it all.
Here he was, limbless, still scheming for survival.
He clearly despised the thought of dying to a human.
“Why no answer? Do you want to die?”
[…I understand your feelings, you humans. Yes, we must appear as demons in your eyes. But it cannot be helped.]
“It cannot be helped?”
[Humanity is far too numerous. Because of you humans, natural ecosystems are being destroyed and resources are being depleted.]
“So what? Have humans ever harmed you angels? No, we haven’t.”
[Harmed us? Your very existence is repugnant to us angels—you are nothing but pests. As the superior Angel Faction, isn’t it our duty to control your numbers before you multiply further?]
“….”
Remiel’s words were not new to me.
I had heard this before from other angels.
The reason they despised humanity.
It was the same reason humans despised insects.
‘But this is the first time I’ve heard them admit they orchestrated this to reduce human numbers.’
I managed to gather some information.
Though it won’t change anything.
“Not a single plea for mercy this whole time? You must really want to die.”
[Who broke the agreement first? How shameless.]
“If that’s what you think, then so be it. Farewell.”
[Wait, hold on.]
Thunk!
I pierced through the heart.
Angels apparently have hearts in the same place—a deflating sound escaped.
[Cough… hack…!]
Slash!
I swung the scythe and severed the head in one motion.
Reading the thoughts before death, the angel seemed frustrated at being unable to self-destruct.
‘No need to regret. A self-destruct like that won’t kill me.’
I possessed a title that reduced damage from holy-attribute attacks by 80%.
I also had a title that nullified mental-type damage.
Half of their holy-power attacks consisted of mental-type damage, so I could reduce the damage taken even further.
‘And even if I somehow died, I have a title that grants resurrection.’
Moments later, my gaze turned toward the message floating in the air.
[You have defeated Remiel, one of the Seven Archangels!]
[Stat Points +817]
[Gold +8,178,000]
The stat points and gold were incomparable to those from ordinary angels.
This was all thanks to the Demon’s Blessing.
‘The maximum stat points were supposed to be 10%, but I only got 2%? Gold can go up to 1,000 times, but I only got 200 times.’
For me, who had expected the maximum, it was disappointing.
They said Remiel was the lowest-ranked among the Archangels, so it seemed the power gap was proportional.
‘Still, thanks to this, I’ve accumulated an enormous amount of stats and gold.’
From defeating 100 Combat Angels and an Archangel, I gained 3,049 stat points and over 30 million gold.
In terms of levels, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’d gained roughly 1,500 levels worth of stats.
But that wasn’t all.
[As a reward for slaying Archangel Remiel, ‘Condensed Ether’ has been obtained.]
[As a reward for slaying Archangel Remiel, ‘Lightning Rune’ has been obtained.]
[The acquired rune is automatically engraved into the player’s body!]
A god-grade material and a rune reward had dropped.
[Lightning Rune]
-Effect: Summon lightning from your hands and utilize it in various ways. Magic damage scales with Intelligence.
└ Discharge ▶ Fire like a laser, dealing 1,200% magic damage based on Intelligence.
└ Charge ▶ Deal 800% magic damage and push enemies back 15m or more.
└ Area Burst ▶ Release electrical current in a 30m radius, dealing 400% area damage.
└ Amplify ▶ Channels electrical current through the body, increasing attack speed and movement speed by 100%.
└ Self-Destruct ▶ Releases all electrical current within a 100m radius, dealing 3,600% area damage. This damage applies to the user as well.
It was a rune that reflected Remiel’s abilities.
Naturally, it was also a rune I had never seen before.
‘The effects alone are incredible?’
I was pleased with the damage output, but the auxiliary effects were even more appealing.
‘I can use electrical current to knock enemies back or boost my attack and movement speed.’
These were things I lacked.
‘Since it’s magical damage, it must scale with intelligence.’
I opened my status window.
-Name: Ryu Min
-Nickname: Black Scythe
-Rank: Master
-Titles: Last Time Reverser (Public), First Angel Slayer (Hidden), Defiant Against Divine Punishment (Hidden), Forerunner (Hidden), Supreme Being (Hidden), Slaughterer (Hidden)
-Level: 89
-Class: Grim Reaper
-Strength: 5,743, Intelligence: 6,022
-Agility: 4,435, Luck: 4,244
-Common Skills: Tracking, Presence Detection, Trace Erasure, First Aid, Surrounding Survey, Enhanced Dynamic Vision, Basic Resistance, Dexterity
-Exclusive Skills: Mark of Death, Night of Death, Moonlight Island, Crimson Moon
-Runes: Rune of Slaughter, Rune of the Reaper, Rune of Radiance, Rune of True Intent, Rune of Doppelgänger, Rune of Balance, Rune of Mental Barrier, Rune of Durability, Rune of Future Sight, Rune of Stealth, Rune of Demons, Rune of Lightning
-Gold Held: 32,687,000
-Remaining Stat Points: 3,049
Intelligence was already my highest stat.
Despite not investing much into it.
‘If scythe work becomes tedious, I could fight like a mage without any issues?’
My intelligence was overwhelmingly high relative to my level.
I could electrocute most high-level monsters without breaking a sweat.
I had received more messages.
[Your reputation with the Demon Faction has increased significantly.]
[Black Scythe’s reputation with demons has risen from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Favorable’.]
Upon killing Remiel, my reputation soared, and I instantly became favorable to them.
‘It feels strange to think about being treated favorably by the Demon Faction.’
Naturally, since angels existed in this world, demons did as well.
I had even met them directly.
‘Round 18 was a Quest to fight demons.’
That’s when I first realized it.
Demons weren’t as evil as media portrayed them to be.
‘They’re simply a different race.’
They merely had different appearances and ideologies, just like humans.
There was hardly any difference between them and humans.
That was when my prejudices about Angels and Demons shattered.
‘From what I understand, the Demon Faction ranks their hierarchy up to the 72nd position….’
Beyond that, I had no information.
I felt no need to gather intelligence on the Demon Faction.
After all, Ryu Min’s true adversary was not Demons, but Angels.
‘Stats, Gold, God-grade materials, Runes, and even Reputation.’
I had gained so much.
‘Is this the end of the rewards?’
That was when it happened.
[There is a hidden Soul Bond Quest!]
‘A Soul Bond Quest?’
A Quest message I had never seen before appeared.

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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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