The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 226

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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 226
226. Round 13 Results Tallied
★ Round 13 Results Tallied ★
[Integrated Zone CA-EA001]
└1st Place. Black Scythe (Lv92 Reaper) 00:00:00
└2nd Place. Russell Daniel (Lv62 Blacksmith) 04:04:29
└3rd Place. Democracy (Lv62 Buffer) 06:08:06
“Black Scythe took first again.”
“Of course they did.”
“The time gaps between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are pretty significant, huh?”
“But what does 0 seconds mean?”
The murmuring players’ curiosity was soon answered by Angel.
[As you can see, the time listed next to the nickname is when they achieved Very Friendly reputation. Zero seconds means they had already achieved it before the round even started.]
“Ah…”
“So they’d already raised it to Very Friendly beforehand.”
I nodded in understanding, but this wasn’t the time to relax watching others’ scores.
The dreaded moment of elimination was approaching for those ranked lower.
[Nearly 80% of participants have raised their reputation to Very Friendly? How fortunate! Unlike last round, we don’t have any shortfalls. But what really matters is how quickly you achieved it, doesn’t it?]
Unlike Angel’s giggling, the players’ faces were filled with tension.
Since their rankings hadn’t appeared in messages yet, they couldn’t tell if they’d survive or be eliminated.
[Well then, please check your individual ranking messages.]
In sync with Angel’s signal, messages were delivered to everyone.
“Ah! I, I survived!”
“Nice!”
“I’m ranked 4,998?”
“No! Dammiiiiit!”
Joy and sorrow clashed everywhere.
Screams and sighs echoed throughout.
It was only natural—this was the moment heaven and hell were decided.
[The cutoff at 4,997th place has a record of 7 hours 59 minutes 05 seconds. Congratulations! Up to this point is survival, and anything below is elimination. Well then, farewell.]
“N, no!”
“Save me! Give me just one more chance!”
Whoooosh—
As the players’ screams faded, ash scattered into the air.
The already sparse crowd was cut in half, and a sense of emptiness washed over us.
[Now then, it’s time to distribute rewards!]
[Congratulations! You have achieved the Quest as 1st place in this zone!]
[Your current ranking is 1st place in this zone, Black Scythe.]
[As a reward for 1st place ranking in this zone, you receive a ‘Legendary Potion Selection Box’!]
[As a reward for 1st place ranking in this zone, you receive a ‘Special Reward Selection Box’!]
Upon seeing the rewards he had received, Ryu Min immediately used the potion selection box.
[Please touch the potion you desire from the following options.]
└ 1. Potion of Life
└ 2. Elixir of Super Regeneration
└ 3. Potion of Unbreakable Resilience
└ 4. Potion of Memory Erasure
└ 5. Elixir of Immunity
All of them were Legendary grade.
Each one was an excellent potion.
‘If I hadn’t received the elf’s reward in Round 8, or hadn’t cleared the Tower of Trials up to the 99th floor, I would have chosen the Elixir of Super Regeneration to prepare for Round 15. But….’
Ryu Min selected option 4, the Potion of Memory Erasure.
He had no particular need for the others.
He had already grown strong enough.
Soon after selecting the special reward selection box, the options appeared.
[You may select one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. Stats Increase Buff 50% (Limited to Round 14)
└ 2. Temporary Skill – Invincibility (Limited to Round 14)
└ 3. Information about Round 14
Ryu Min was someone who always chose without hesitation when reward selection time came.
But this time, even he could not avoid deliberation.
‘There’s a high likelihood that an Archangel will appear in Round 14 as well.’
As the suspect who had killed four Archangels, they would surely seek revenge by any means necessary.
‘If I’m thinking of facing an Archangel, I should choose option 1.’
By raising my stats, I could amplify the Demon’s Blessing reward even further.
Naturally, choosing option 1 would be the right call, but the other choice weighed on my mind.
‘Option 2, the temporary skill Invincibility. If I have this, I can use it effectively in Round 14. I can also obtain the [Rune of Predation] that I absolutely must acquire.’
Without option 2, obtaining the rune would be impossible.
Since it was a rune I had decided I must obtain no matter what, it weighed even more heavily on my mind.
‘If the Archangels weren’t coming, I would naturally have chosen option 2. But….’
Would those creatures simply stand by and watch?
They would use the opening created by the Other World’s gate to target my life once more in Round 14.
‘Sigh, this is a tough choice.’
After careful deliberation before making his selection, Ryu Min finally moved his finger.
[You have selected option 2.]
[When Round 14 begins, the temporary skill ‘Invincibility’ will be granted.]
I had decided to forgo the stats buff and prioritize obtaining the rune.
‘Having Invincibility won’t hurt. If necessary, I can even use it against an Archangel.’
What if the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranked Archangels appeared simultaneously?
Even with stats as high as mine, I couldn’t guarantee victory.
In a situation like this, invincibility that decides the outcome might be more effective than a 50% stat buff.
‘I wish they hadn’t come if possible. Since I chose option 2, the Archangel will only be a hindrance.’
◀ ROUND 13 ENDED ▶
[Integrated Zone CA-EA001]
└Survivors: 4,997
[Your soul will transfer to your original dimension’s body shortly.]
[Round 14 will begin at midnight on February 1st, 2023. See you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
* * *
Three men in the cabin wore grave expressions.
They were the remaining members of the 12 Apostles, now few in number.
“Let him come, you bastard. I’ll put a bullet right through his skull.”
“Even if you’re upset, you should at least hear what he has to say. Yang Chui-wen. Who knows if he has his reasons?”
“Reasons my ass! We agreed to meet in Round 13, and the bastard stood us up without a word. What am I supposed to listen to?”
“….”
“I never liked that son of a bitch from the start. He should’ve died like that curry bastard.”
“Still, he contacted us saying he’s coming this way, so we should at least hear him out.”
Despite Spaniard’s persuasion, Yang Chui-wen only snorted dismissively.
“Damn it. Hey, Dark Soul.”
“Yes?”
“Get ready to snipe from in front of the door. When that bastard opens it and comes in, shoot him in the head and kill him——.”
That was when it happened.
Creak—
The cabin door opened, and the person at the center of this commotion walked in.
None other than John Delgado.
“You bastard!”
“Whoa! Why are you like this? Please calm down.”
John, who had been watching the agitated Yang Chui-wen and the restraining Spaniard with indifferent eyes, sat down as usual.
“Look at that carefree expression on his face? It’s infuriating.”
“Why are you so angry?”
“What?”
At John’s expression as if asking what the matter was, Yang Chui-wen was left speechless, beyond exasperation.
His flushed face looked ready to explode at any moment.
Before the situation could worsen, Spaniard quickly stepped in.
“John Delgado. Why did you do that in Round 13?”
“What do you mean?”
“Surely you haven’t forgotten? Didn’t we agree to meet in the Other World and track down Jeffrey? You’re the only one who knows Jeffrey’s face.”
“Ah, you mean that.”
“Why didn’t you show up at the meeting place? You said you’d meet at the closest spot where Angel appears….”
“I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“For…got?”
Spaniard let out a sigh at the anticlimactic reason.
Yang Chui-wen finally snapped, his composure cracking entirely.
“There’s something else to remember, and you forgot that? Are you telling us to go to hell? You bastard!”
“No wonder you’re a punk—your mouth is filthy.”
“What did you just say!?”
“Stop, stop! We didn’t gather here to fight, did we? Right?”
When Spaniard and Dark Soul intervened, the situation didn’t escalate further.
Still, the murderous glint in Yang Chui-wen and John’s eyes suggested they wanted to kill each other.
“P-people can forget things too. Right?”
“Forget my ass! That bastard’s lying. He’s deliberately trying to screw us over!”
“That’s enough, that’s enough. Today isn’t the only day, is it? We can meet again in Round 14 and track Jeffrey then. John, you won’t forget this time, will you?”
John Delgado nodded and spoke.
“We’ll proceed with tracking Jeffrey in Round 14.”
“Tch, we could’ve finished this in Round 13…”
Leaving the grumbling Yang Chui-wen behind, Spaniard rose from his seat.
“Well, the atmosphere isn’t great, so we should end today’s meeting here. John, I apologize for cutting this short when you just arrived. Let’s head down the mountain.”
“What a wasted trip.”
As John opened the cabin door first, Spaniard quickly spoke up.
“Oh, my mind. I forgot we had things to organize. We’ll head down later. You go first. See you next time.”
John left without responding.
Only after John had completely left the range of their detection did Spaniard cautiously open his mouth.
“You’ve all probably noticed, but I deliberately excluded John Delgado. There’s something urgent I need to discuss.”
“What is it?”
Spaniard laid bare his honest thoughts.
“From what I can see, John Delgado appears to be in league with Black Scythe.”
“In league?”
“Honestly, it’s not even a difficult operation, so forgetting it doesn’t make sense, does it? Unless he has dementia.”
“That’s certainly an inexcusable excuse.”
“That’s why I suspect it. The possibility that Jeffrey, Black Scythe, and John Delgado are all working together.”
Bang—!
Yang Chui-wen slammed the table, his face flushed with fury as he seethed.
“Damn it, I knew it would come to this. That traitorous bastard.”
“It’s probably not a voluntary betrayal.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Have you forgotten? That Black Scythe possesses dominion.”
“Ah…”
“Probably in Round 12, when he went to find Black Scythe, his scheme was exposed, and he was turned around and dominated instead. Made into a subordinate.”
It was a plausible theory, and Yang Chui-wen and Dark Soul fell silent in agreement.
“Wait, then we’re in danger, aren’t we? Our information must have been exposed to Black Scythe.”
“Probably so. John likely revealed a great deal.”
The three of them didn’t realize their information had already been compromised, and their faces grew grave.
“W-what do we do? We shouldn’t be taking it easy like this—we need to scatter right now, don’t we?”
“Idiot. You think scattering will stop him from tracking us? That bastard lackey has seen all our faces. He’ll probably guide us to Black Scythe one by one like a navigation system.”
“In other words, we’re as good as dead!”
Dark Soul trembled with fear, but Spaniard remained composed.
“There is one way to survive.”
“Bow your head to Black Scythe? If that’s what you mean, I’ll pass. Damn it, a man has his pride.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what?”
Yang Chui-wen and Dark Soul fixed their attention on Spaniard’s lips.
“We strike first instead.”
“Are you insane? What can the three of us possibly do?”
“That’s reckless. You know what kind of monster Black Scythe is….”
“Dark Soul. Your confidence has diminished considerably since the beginning.”
Dark Soul flinched, struck by the truth.
“Where did that unwavering confidence in your sniping go?”
“I-I still have confidence in that. No matter how monstrous Black Scythe is, he dies if his head explodes, doesn’t he? But that only applies if he actually comes to the sniping location….”
“Exactly. We lure Black Scythe to the sniping location. Of course, Yang Chui-wen and I will do the luring.”
“What? You want me to be the bait?”
“Isn’t there no other way? If we can’t escape, we have no choice but to confront.”
Spaniard’s words carried conviction.
If we just sat here doing nothing, we’d be assassinated by Black Scythe at any moment.
“They say even a cornered rat will bite a cat. We have no choice but to make the first move.”
“Do you have a strategy in mind?”
“First, let’s contact Black Scythe through John Delgado, saying we want to meet. We’ll propose meeting on friendly terms. We choose the location. Once Black Scythe arrives at the sniping location, what then?”
“We blow his brains out?”
Spaniard nodded at Dark Soul’s words.
“Yes. Yang Chui-wen and I will personally draw his attention so the target can let his guard down.”
“No, two isn’t enough. Can we bring in one more person?”
“Of course. Yang Chui-wen, do you have someone who can help?”
“I have Jang So-wi under me—a player ranked second in the Triad. He’d be useful.”
“Good. The three of you will serve as bait, and Dark Soul will handle the sniping. You’re confident, yes?”
“If you draw his attention, I can blow anyone’s head apart.”
Confidence had returned to Dark Soul’s face, replacing the fear that had been there moments before.
Hitting a moving target is difficult, but if they draw his attention and he enters the sniping location, the situation changes entirely.
“Really? You’re absolutely certain you can kill Black Scythe?”
“Yang Chui-wen, don’t worry. Black Scythe is human too. Of course I can kill him.”
“Can you? Say it with certainty. If you fail, we all die.”
“I won’t fail. Just draw his attention properly. I’m thinking I’ll grab the zone representative position while I’m at it.”
Whether killing someone in reality would actually make him representative was questionable, but one thing was certain—Dark Soul was brimming with confidence.
“But what about John Delgado?”
“We’ll deal with him later. Once Black Scythe is dead, he’ll be easy enough to eliminate anyway.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Let’s execute the plan immediately.”
The three Apostles who had devised the scheme shared a sinister laugh.

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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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