The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 17

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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 17
17. Round 2 Begins
◀ ROUND 2 ▶
【Main Quest】
└Select a Zone Representative in 3 hours
[All Zones]
└Participants: 900,514,645
└Achievers: 0/900,514,645
[Zone ESKS45-5]
└Participants: 5,143
└Achievers: 0/5,143
Those who read the Round 2 mission wore expressions of bewilderment.
“What is this? Select a Zone Representative?”
“I thought they’d tell us to hunt down a few monsters again….”
“We’re not fighting?”
But that wasn’t the only source of confusion.
“Wait, why is the achiever count like this?”
The number of achievers, which should have been half, had reached 100% this time.
“Does this mean everyone can survive this round?”
There were many aspects of the message that couldn’t be understood from the text alone.
Someone’s explanation was needed.
[Khehe, I see you’re all confused, so my explanation is necessary.]
Angel stepped forward with an air of self-importance and spoke.
[This round isn’t about fighting, as you can see. You simply select a Zone Representative and you’re done.]
“A Zone Representative?”
[A Zone Representative is literally the representative of that zone. They have command authority—essentially vast power to forcibly command other humans.]
“Forcibly command…?”
“Wow, that’s incredible?”
Just hearing it, one could understand how immense the Zone Representative’s authority was.
[In 3 hours from now, you’ll all receive voting rights. You simply need to use those to select one person as the Zone Representative. Then it’s over.]
At that moment, someone with courage raised their hand eagerly and spoke.
“Um, is that really all? Nothing more?”
[Yes. Once you vote, you’ll be counted as an achiever and can return home. It’s a sort of breather round, if you will. That’s why the achiever rate is 100%.]
In short, this round’s objective was to determine the king of the herd.
“We pass just by voting….”
“Compared to the last round, this is way too easy.”
“W-we’re alive! We don’t have to fight!”
The murmur of the crowd grew louder.
They’d come prepared for intense combat, but the mission was far easier than expected.
[Well then, I’ll be going. Spend the next 3 hours discussing who you’ll choose as your Zone Representative! Khehehe!]
As Angel disappeared, a message appeared.
[Time remaining until vote: 02:59:59]
“So we’re really counted as survivors just by voting in 3 hours?”
“That’s insanely easy.”
Most players felt relieved at the unexpectedly simple Quest.
But some remained skeptical, their faces etched with unease.
Hwang Yong-min and his friends were among them.
“Something’s off. They said only half survive each round, but they’re giving us such an easy Quest?”
“Angel said this was a rest round.”
“Even so, it doesn’t add up. We came prepared for a real fight, and now they’re telling us to just vote? It’s anticlimactic.”
“Yong-min, just accept it. They’re letting us live if we vote—what more do you want?”
“I’m just frustrated because I’ve been leveling up my strength rune and haven’t gotten to use it properly yet. Tch.”
Ryu Min, who’d been eavesdropping nearby, lifted one corner of his mouth.
‘From the way he’s talking about leveling strength, it looks like the Rune of Might came up again this time.’
Through countless returns, I’d accumulated knowledge about nearly every named player’s information.
There was no way I wouldn’t know about Hwang Yong-min’s rune.
The situation itself was the same.
‘Everything’s unfolding exactly as I remember.’
Some people reassured by the promise that everyone survives with just a vote, others suspicious, and still others disappointed they won’t get to fight monsters.
It was identical to what I’d experienced in the previous cycle.
‘Now they’ll spend the next 3 hours debating among themselves about who to vote for.’
Angel had already mentioned it, but the Zone Representative would be granted Command Authority.
‘An overwhelmingly powerful ability to command anyone within that zone to do anything.’
Fight if ordered to fight, die if ordered to die.
Give up items if asked, become monster bait without hesitation.
They cannot refuse through willpower.
The system forcibly imposes the constraint.
A position to wield truly absolute power.
Essentially a king.
No one would want to hand such a position to just anyone.
‘Naturally, they’ll start by discussing who should be the representative.’
And my name would inevitably come up in that discussion.
Sure enough.
Looking around, people kept glancing in my direction.
‘They’re already leaning toward nominating me as representative.’
If they had to choose one person as representative, it made sense that someone strong would be suitable.
It was natural that I, who’d ranked first in the last round, was drawing attention.
But I had no interest in the representative position.
The Zone Representative was a poisoned chalice.
The district representative was a poisoned chalice.
‘If I got seduced by the power of command and became a representative, I’d only suffer losses in many ways.’
It looked like a formidable position, but there was something Angel hadn’t told me.
‘The power of command doesn’t work on people who have a job.’
Once I reach level 10 and change jobs, I can escape the grip of the command power.
In the end, it’s only half-baked authority.
‘Moreover, from Round 3 onward, I’d bear all responsibility simply because I’m the representative.’
Knowing that, I had no intention of becoming a representative.
It was nothing but a burdensome and dangerous position.
‘Of course, regardless of my will, other people could nominate me and vote for me….’
I wasn’t worried.
Through dozens of returns, I knew I wouldn’t become the representative.
‘Right now, representative selection isn’t what matters. The Sub Quest is more important.’
Those with sharp perception might have noticed something different in the Quest message.
Specifically, the word ‘Main’ was now attached before Quest.
‘If there’s a Main Quest, that means there’s a Sub Quest too.’
In other words, this round has another Quest besides voting.
‘Obtaining a job is this round’s Sub Quest and Hidden Quest.’
Anyone can get a job once they reach level 10.
Of course, a job change item is necessary.
‘I already obtained one last round.’
Having killed Angel and acquired the job change item, I had no worries.
I just needed to reach level 10.
‘I don’t have time to discuss for 3 hours. I’ll hunt during that time, reach level 10, and change jobs.’
Then I could escape the Zone representative’s authority as well.
My gaze turned toward a message floating in one corner.
[A 3x experience buff exclusive to Round 2 is currently active.]
[It will automatically deactivate when Round 2 ends.]
Fortunately, thanks to the privilege I received in Round 1, I had a 3x experience buff, so it wouldn’t take long.
Glancing around cautiously, I moved from my seat.
Rustle— rustle—
While people debated, I walked past the Clearing and into the nearby Forest.
I had no interest in the Zone representative and no intention of joining the discussion.
‘Whoever becomes representative is none of my concern.’
My current goal was simply to reach level 10 as soon as possible and change jobs.
That’s why I came to the Forest.
‘Deep in the Forest, hobgoblins appear. Sometimes even ogres show up.’
Both are stronger monsters with better experience than goblins.
Though they’re still just stepping stones for my experience.
‘We weren’t thrown into this environment just to chat amicably.’
The Forest itself was an excellent hunting ground.
Without knowing that fact, discussing it would only waste time and yield nothing.
‘Only those who move their bodies to gain something will discover the existence of Sub Quests.’
Walking through the Forest, I would find monsters, and hunting them would bring me to level 10.
Then the Sub Quest window would naturally appear, and I’d realize that discussion wasn’t the answer.
‘Of course, the Zone ESKS45-5 representative position might look appealing, but it’s a seat where only one out of five thousand is chosen. It’s better to give up early.’
Besides, since it was a poisoned chalice, it was best not to even look at it from the start.
The key to this round was to hunt as quickly as Ryu Min and grow stronger.
“Kee-kee, kee-kee, kee.”
Then a Hobgoblin appeared from behind a tree in Ryu Min’s field of vision.
It was slightly larger than a goblin and held a kukri knife used for hunting in its hand.
It looked quite threatening, but to Ryu Min’s eyes, it was no different from a toy sword.
“Come.”
“Kee-eeek!”
As I flicked my finger, the Hobgoblin charged, its pride wounded.
But it wasn’t the only one that charged.
Whoosh—!
The moment Ryu Min moved, the distance between them shrunk dramatically.
Before the startled Hobgoblin could even react.
Thud—!
Ryu Min’s stiletto pierced through the Hobgoblin’s throat.
[You have defeated a Hobgoblin!]
[3x Experience Buff is active.]
[Experience +9%]
[Gold +15]
[Current Kill Count: 1/100]
[All stats increase by 1% due to the Rune of Slaughter effect.]
A 3x experience buff and the Rune of Slaughter effect on top of that.
Messages scrolled past, but there was no time to check them.
‘Where there’s one goblin, there’s always another.’
Ryu Min, who had dispatched it instantly, immediately scanned the surroundings.
As expected.
“Kee-eeek!?”
There was another Hobgoblin nearby.
Hobgoblins never traveled alone.
Ryu Min grinned wickedly and charged toward the goblin with gleaming eyes.
* * *
[You have defeated a Hobgoblin!]
[3x Experience Buff is active.]
[Experience +7.2%]
[Gold +15]
[Current Kills: 50/100]
[All stats increase by 50% due to the Rune of Slaughter’s effect.]
[Level up!]
The experience points gained diminished with each passing moment.
It was only natural—as levels increased, so did the experience required.
I didn’t need to count how many creatures I’d slain.
The Rune of Slaughter displayed my current kill count.
[Time remaining until vote: 02:29:24]
‘Thirty minutes have passed.’
In just thirty minutes, Ryu Min’s level had climbed from 5 to 9.
Soon, just one more level and I could advance my class.
Ryu Min surveyed the surroundings cautiously before allocating stat points.
‘Agility, as always.’
For the early levels up to 10, nothing surpassed agility.
Only by evading enemy attacks and surviving could counterattack opportunities arise.
Unless one was a fool, everyone would eventually grasp agility’s importance.
‘If I’d inscribed a Rune of Strength like Hwang Yong-min, investing in strength would be more efficient.’
Yet stubbornly prioritizing strength alone would make survival difficult.
No matter how powerful, a blade through the heart meant the end.
Eventually, the moment comes when agility must also be developed.
‘Not just agility. All stats follow this principle.’
Players possessed four stats.
Strength, Intelligence, Agility, Luck.
Strength increased physical damage, health, and durability across the board.
Intelligence increased magical damage, mental fortitude, and cognitive processing.
Agility increased attack speed, movement speed, and evasion rate.
Luck raised critical hit chance, item drop rate, bonus gold probability, and more.
‘There’s not a single stat worth discarding.’
Among the four, no stat was truly expendable.
Balanced development was paramount.
‘Especially for the Reaper. It’s a hybrid class, after all.’
While most classes divided into physical and magical damage dealers, the Reaper wielded both.
Damage increased not only from strength but also from intelligence.
‘Raising all stats evenly is simply the most optimal approach.’
This conclusion came from dozens of test runs—it couldn’t be wrong.
And if I obtained the [Rune of Balance], which granted bonus effects when stats were developed equally?
It would be like adding wings to a tiger.
‘Like the Rune of True Heart, the Rune of Balance is essential to acquire.’
For now, clearing the sub-quest quickly took priority.
First-time completion granted additional rewards, after all.
Since I moved first and have an experience buff, that won’t be difficult.
I was about to resume hunting when—
Rustle.
‘Hmm?’
I stopped moving.
The rustling sound stopped in tandem with my halt.
‘What’s this? Someone’s following me?’
They could have followed me from the Clearing, or they might have spotted the monster corpses scattered about and trailed after me.
‘I was so focused on hunting I didn’t notice a tail?’
In all my previous returns, I’d never been followed, so my expression darkened.
As a returner, there was no way I could accept the future changing like this.
“Whoever you are, come out.”
My voice dropped to a low, dangerous pitch.
“Show yourself and reveal your purpose. Otherwise….”
I pointed my blood-stained dagger toward the source of the sound.
“You’d better be prepared to die right now.”
Did the murderous threat actually work?
Rustle.
The follower emerged from behind a tree.

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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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