The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 177

—————
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 177
177. Labyrinth Forest
“Black Scythe!”
As Ju Sung-tak waved his hand and approached, Ryu Min shot him a warning glance.
“Keep quiet. Even if there’s no one around, don’t be so obvious about recognizing me.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Ju Sung-tak, who always lit up with fervor whenever he saw me, lowered his gaze like a docile puppy.
Reading his thoughts, his mind was filled with absolute obedience to his master.
‘The duel system really is convenient. With consensual duels alone, I can exert influence that’s practically dominion.’
A male slave hadn’t been part of my original plan, but seeing Ju Sung-tak, I thought I’d made the right decision.
At least he didn’t harbor dark intentions toward his master like Yamtti, nor was he clingy.
“Ju Sung-tak.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Follow me carefully without getting lost. From here on, we’re entering the depths of the Labyrinth.”
“The Labyrinth?”
I was currently at the entrance of the Labyrinth Forest.
My plan was to defeat the boss here—a doppelgänger—and obtain the Doppelgänger’s Ring, which would allow me to change my nickname.
‘To do that, I absolutely need Ju Sung-tak’s rune that increases boss-tier drop rates tenfold. Obtaining the Doppelgänger’s Ring isn’t easy otherwise.’
That was why I’d called Ju Sung-tak here.
I needed to borrow his hand to defeat the boss.
“If it’s the Labyrinth, you mean this forest?”
“That’s right. We’re going to defeat the boss here. For that, I need your help.”
“A boss? What kind of boss?”
‘Cancel that thought about the male slave being better.’
After conversing with Ju Sung-tak, I’d discovered a drawback.
He asked far too many questions.
“Just stop talking and follow me.”
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll follow quietly.”
As I entered the forest, I didn’t look back.
Even without looking, I could sense who was following me with my clairvoyance.
* * *
“He went in?”
“Yes, he did. With some man.”
Xi Zikang tilted his head as he watched Black Scythe enter the forest with another man.
“What could be in there that he’d enter without a moment’s hesitation?”
Black Scythe had entered the forest without hesitation the moment his companion appeared—a forest so ominous that anyone would hesitate at least once.
As if he already knew what awaited inside.
“That’s suspicious, isn’t it? Will you follow him?”
“We’ve come this far—turn back now? Of course we’re following. Hey, Ppang-jeu.”
“Yes?”
The Korean player held by the shoulder looked up with a dejected expression.
“Why are you staring blankly? Aren’t you going to guide us?”
“Ah, yes. This way….”
“If you get any funny ideas, you’re dead. Got it?”
“Y-yes….”
As the Korean player led the way with trembling voice, Xi Zikang’s sneer pierced the back of his head.
“A man blubbering like that. Tsk.”
“Um… Xi Zikang. But are you really planning to confront Black Scythe? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Kid. Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? I’m Xi Zikang, third-ranked in the Triad, damn it.”
Originally, I had planned to hide my target of Black Scythe, but bringing a Korean guide along made it impossible to keep secret.
Of course, I concealed the strategy of using my subordinates as bait and mixed truth with lies to some degree.
“If I persuade him well in Korean, he’ll have no choice but to lower his guard. Then I just strike from behind, got it?”
“The plan is sound, but the opponent is the famous Black Scythe, after all….”
“To catch a tiger, you have to enter the tiger’s den. If you never leave the well, you’ll only ever drink stagnant water. In this one life, shouldn’t a man play in the big leagues?”
“You speak the truth.”
“Then shut up and trust only me. If the plan goes right, we’ll make a killing.”
“Understood. I’ll trust only you, Xi Zikang.”
Having convinced his subordinates, Xi Zikang pursued Black Scythe with a bloodthirsty smile.
Unaware that someone was following behind him.
* * *
“Director An. Are we heading in the right direction?”
“Yes. Black Scythe went this way.”
Before Ma Gyeong-rok lay an enormous forest.
It was an uncanny forest—one that reeked of danger, with a damp and ominous aura emanating from within.
“So Black Scythe entered through here.”
“According to the guide, that’s correct.”
“But did you see? It looked like there was another group of people who entered this forest.”
“Yes. It looked like more than ten of them.”
The two watched as a group of players entered the forest.
They couldn’t confirm from a distance whether they were allies or enemies, but one thing was certain—they had hesitated just as we had before entering the forest.
‘Could there be others pursuing Black Scythe as well?’
Given that his face and nickname were widely known, being tracked wasn’t surprising.
The problem was that continuing to pursue might force us to encounter these other people.
‘Are they like me, trying to attach themselves to Black Scythe and get scraps?’
I’d find out more by following closer.
They might even be foreign players.
‘If they’re from another country, I’ll kill them if the situation calls for it.’
To prepare for the possibility of committing murder, Ma Gyeong-rok instructed An Sang-chul.
“Director An. If we encounter foreign players, kill them if you see an opening.”
“Huh? Kill them?”
“Regardless, those guys are probably thinking the same way we are. By the rules, we’re bound to become enemies. Whoever strikes first survives.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“Activate your reconnaissance skill as well. Just in case something unexpected happens.”
“Understood.”
The two of us soon entered the Labyrinth Forest.
Neither of us knowing how difficult it would be to escape.
* * *
The Labyrinth Forest, situated between the Albitz Kingdom and the Braham Kingdom.
It was an unexplored territory that even the kingdoms refused to touch.
No one who entered had ever returned alive.
‘When I first heard the NPC’s explanation, I was genuinely frightened. I wondered if I’d waste an entire loop by venturing in recklessly.’
But even then, Ryu Min, who was growing at an unparalleled rate, managed to escape the Labyrinth Forest safely.
‘Though I did wander through the forest for a solid five hours.’
The Labyrinth Forest lived up to its reputation—a place of bewildering difficulty.
At first glance it seemed like a single path, but like a Rubik’s cube, the corridors shifted every five minutes, and they diverged depending on where you walked.
In other words, the Labyrinth Forest was a place that separated intruders through countless permutations and patterns.
‘Even someone you’re following right in front of you will vanish in an instant once five minutes pass.’
That’s why I instructed Ju Sung-tak to stay close.
“Don’t come to my side—just follow directly behind me. Keep no more than five meters between us.”
“Understood, Master.”
Since I knew the path, as long as Ju Sung-tak followed closely, we wouldn’t become separated.
‘Escaping should take no more than fifteen minutes.’
The escape that initially took five hours had grown progressively shorter with each loop, reaching my current level of mastery.
I had memorized every path and pattern of the Labyrinth after twenty-five attempts.
‘So how could these greenhorns who just entered for the first time possibly escape the Labyrinth?’
I smirked as I watched the group following behind me.
Getting in was easy, but getting out was another matter entirely.
‘They’ll probably need at least five hours, just like I did.’
If they were unlucky, they could be trapped for a full twenty-four hours.
If it came to that, all I could do was pray that their team had accumulated plenty of points while trapped in the Labyrinth.
‘I understand why they followed me. The Chinese and Ma Gyeong-rok’s group.’
But I had no intention of letting them leave easily.
‘You’re not the kind of people who should be allowed out of the Labyrinth.’
The Chinese and Ma Gyeong-rok viewed players as walking point dispensers.
If I released them from the Labyrinth, they’d run rampant like unbroken colts, committing murders left and right.
‘That’s precisely why I lured them into the Labyrinth intentionally.’
It might appear as though they followed me, but in reality, I was the one who drew them in.
‘I told Min Ju-ri as well. Keep Black Scythe at a distance during this round.’
There was a reason for that prophecy.
I couldn’t allow Min Ju-ri to become entangled in this.
I couldn’t let them get lost in the Labyrinth Forest.
‘Come on and chase me if you dare. I’m not sure you’ll be able to find me in this maze.’
Ryu Min’s lips curved upward as I ventured deeper into the forest.
* * *
The Triad members advanced into the Labyrinth Forest under Xi Zikang’s leadership.
Even as they delved deeper into the forest, they moved with confidence because they had Xi Zikang, a dependable senior they could trust.
But that trust wouldn’t last long.
Five minutes after entering the forest, the Korean leading the way suddenly stopped.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong, Ppang-jeu?”
“I-it’s just… t-tracking seems off.”
“What are you talking about? Off how?”
“Tracking… it says it’s impossible.”
“What?”
Xi Zikang’s expression twisted into something sinister.
“What kind of nonsense are you pulling right now?”
“I-I’m serious. Please, believe me!”
The Korean player stammered as he spoke.
It was far too genuine to be an act.
He didn’t even seem to have the nerve to lie at this point.
‘Is it real?’
Just like Xi Zikang, doubt crept into the minds of his subordinates.
“What’s the matter, Xi Zikang? Is there a problem?”
“Ah, well…”
In that fleeting moment, Xi Zikang deliberated whether to tell the truth or not.
The deliberation didn’t last long.
“This crazy bastard is saying we should rest a bit before moving on.”
“What?”
“Ppang-jeu’s gone completely insane.”
“And he has the audacity to say such things while captured?”
“His nerve is so swollen we could cut open his belly and pull it out right now.”
The subordinates glared at the Korean player with raised voices.
Since the language barrier prevented him from understanding, he could only shrink back as the atmosphere grew hostile.
‘If I told them the truth, my pride would be shattered for suggesting we follow Black Scythe. I made the right call lying.’
Xi Zikang, smiling inwardly, barked at him in Korean.
“Just go!”
“Yes?”
“Even if you can’t track, just lead the way!”
“Ah, understood.”
A message of tracking failure appeared on one side, but the Korean player simply walked forward aimlessly.
What choice do I have when told to leave?
If ordered to strip, I strip.
‘Damn it, what’s going on? Why can’t I track them all of a sudden?’
Xi Zikang decided to try his tracking ability on someone else just in case.
[Signal not detected. Tracking unavailable.]
The person Xi Zikang thought of was a subordinate standing right beside him.
‘Tracking is impossible even though he’s right next to me?’
Just to be safe, he even activated his surrounding detection skill.
[Signal not detected. Detection unavailable.]
‘What the hell?’
Somehow his skills had become completely useless.
These were skills that had been working perfectly just moments ago.
‘Damn it. I shouldn’t have set foot in this godforsaken place….’
Following Black Scythe had led him to this strange location where tracking and detection didn’t work.
Could it be that they had fallen into a trap?
‘Surely not.’
It was mere speculation.
How could Black Scythe have known in advance that they would follow?
They were maintaining a distance of over 500 meters to avoid being detected by his surrounding detection.
‘The situation is bad, but there’s nothing to worry about. Fortunately, it’s a single path, so if I keep going, I’ll eventually meet Black Scythe.’
But Xi Zikang’s thoughts were erased within just five minutes.
“Huh? What the—!”
The Korean who had been five meters ahead suddenly vanished without a trace.
Xi Zikang quickly rushed forward to follow, but there was nothing.
“What? Where the hell did this bastard go!?”
“Xi Zikang sir. Where did that Ppang-jeu go?”
‘That’s what I’d like to know, damn it!’
Since he couldn’t sense any presence either, he was about to lose his mind.
Meanwhile, his subordinates exchanged uneasy glances at Xi Zikang.
Having followed him into this place on faith alone, their discontent was inevitable.
“Shit, this is ridiculous.”
A sigh escaped Xi Zikang’s lips.
The Chinese had lost their way while trying to track Black Scythe.

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