The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 227

—————
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 227
227. Divine-Grade Weapon
The moment Ryu Min opened his eyes after Round 13 ended, his first action was to find his younger brother.
“Were you eating breakfast?”
“Huh? Hyung! You made it through safely again. Thank goodness. I was worried since you weren’t waking up even though I waited.”
It was past 10 AM, and since Ryu Won hadn’t woken up, he’d gotten hungry and belatedly prepared himself an early breakfast.
“I told you there’s no need to wait.”
“But how can I not worry? When I wake up and you’re not awake, I keep refreshing the Player Gallery to see if other players have woken up yet.”
The Player Gallery was an anonymous community where posts about players were shared.
For ordinary people to obtain information about players, there was no better place than here.
“So that’s how you get your information? You check whether it’s time for me to return or not.”
“Yeah. We ordinary people can’t know when each round ends.”
‘It makes sense. Since the end time differs for each round, ordinary people have no choice but to wait indefinitely.’
Though Ryu Min understood his brother’s predicament, he couldn’t tell him when the next round would end.
If he wasn’t careful, the existence of The Seer might be revealed to the world through his younger brother.
“You’re not posting anything about me on that community, right?”
“Of course not. I’ve never even written a comment.”
Watching his younger brother speak as if wronged, Ryu Min felt reassured.
“Then that’s good. Anyway, don’t worry about me. Does it even make sense that The Seer would fail to clear a round?”
“Still, you fight monsters a lot, so I can’t help but worry.”
“Did you forget? A year ago, I took care of that delinquent Bang Tae-gyu with my bare fists.”
“But he’s an ordinary person. From what I saw posted on the community, monsters are incomparably stronger?”
“I’m pretty strong myself.”
“By the way, has it already been a year since that incident?”
Ryu Won suddenly felt something strange.
Back then, when 1.8 billion people were taken away, the whole world was in chaos, yet now everyone was adapting as if nothing had happened.
He was the same way.
At first, he’d stayed up all night with worry about his brother, but now he slept and ate normally.
Though he was still concerned about him getting hurt.
‘Who’s worrying about whom here.’
Having read his younger brother’s thoughts, Ryu Min let out a quiet chuckle before his expression turned serious and he extended his hand.
“Wait a moment. Don’t be startled.”
“Huh? What is it?”
Light emanated from Ryu Min’s hand, then was absorbed into his younger brother’s body as if being pulled in.
“What did you do?”
“A kind of protective measure.”
Specifically, he’d cast Hero’s Protection on his younger brother.
With this, even if his younger brother were ambushed by some assailant, a 10-second invincibility would activate and an alarm would sound for him, so he could rest easy.
‘I’ll need to rebuild my Hero’s Rune stacks. There’ll be an opportunity in Round 16, so there’s no rush.’
Smiling, Ryu Min sat down at the dining table.
“Get me a meal too. Let’s eat together.”
“Sure.”
After finishing the meal with my Younger Brother, I returned to my room.
I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling while organizing my plans for the future.
‘I’ve raised the Mercenary Group rank to Master. That means I’m ready to hunt the dragon.’
In the time remaining after killing the Archangel, I continued with subjugation quests.
As a result, I was able to raise it to Master rank, but there wasn’t enough time to hunt the dragon, so I had no choice but to postpone it.
‘Since I can go to the Fantasy World at Round 17, I’ll have to hunt the dragon then.’
I then thought about what else I had to do in reality.
The first thing that came to mind was crafting a God-tier weapon combination.
‘Since I’m thinking about it, let me start right away.’
I opened the crafting window and added the materials one by one.
[Primary Material]
-Fallen God’s Sickle Scythe
[Secondary Materials]
-Condensed Ether
-Condensed Ether
-Black Iron Powder
-Adamantium Plate
-Mana Core
‘I’m glad I bought God-tier weapon materials from Hammer in advance.’
Conveniently, two Archangels appeared, so I even had the ether I needed.
‘Can things really work out this smoothly?’
I chuckled softly and pressed the combine button.
[Combining God-tier item in progress.]
[Converting to an item befitting your current class.]
[Combination successful!]
[You have created ‘Thanatos’s Black Scythe’.]
[Thanatos’s Black Scythe]
-Classification: Weapon
-Tier: God
-Attack Power: 4,444
-Effect: The scythe’s width can be increased up to 5 times, and its length up to 20 times maximum. However, damage is distributed equally among all targets within range. Additionally, the weapon gains magical damage equal to 100% of Intelligence.
-Durability: 20,000/20,000
-Usage Restriction: Master rank or higher
-Description: A weapon created using the divinity of Thanatos, the God of Death. Grants additional effects when equipped as a set item.
It felt like a significant upgrade from the sickle scythe I’d been using before.
‘This is far better. The old one only had 666 attack power and could only expand to 5 times its size.’
This time, the attack power is incredibly high at 4,444.
Since the scythe can expand up to 20 times and assuming a scythe length of 2.5 meters, I could now pierce and kill enemies up to 50 meters away.
Making the scythe’s surface area wider was also good for sweeping away multiple enemies at once.
‘The damage will be dispersed, but that’s actually fine. I’ve become absurdly strong at this point.’
I had grown incomparably stronger compared to my previous rounds.
My growth curve had skyrocketed ever since I killed Archangel Remiel.
Because of that, I felt a twinge of regret.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have killed the Archangels long ago.’
This was my first time killing an Archangel in this round.
I hadn’t known that the Demon’s Blessing could accumulate this much benefit.
‘Back then, my goal was just to clear the round. I didn’t have the luxury to challenge an Archangel.’
Above all, the first Archangel I’d met was likely the current number one, Michael.
It was natural that I hadn’t dared to challenge him.
But when Remiel appeared as an unexpected variable, I had no choice but to kill him.
‘It’s already spilled milk. I can’t avoid fighting the Archangels. But I can’t act recklessly either.’
Since this was my last chance, I had to be cautious in every action.
-Thanatos’s Garment Set Effect (5/5)
-2-Set Effect: Resistance +20%
-3-Set Effect: Skill Damage +10%
-4-Set Effect: Damage Taken Reduced 30%
-5-Set Effect: All Set Equipment Options +10%
I let out a satisfied laugh as I confirmed the 5-set option effect.
Just like the equipment Russell had given me, the options had improved by 10%.
‘What if I receive Russell’s equipment refinement on top of this?’
With multiplicative calculations, the enhanced options alone would reach 32%.
These numbers would be a significant help.
‘With this, I’ve obtained all the God-tier equipment. I can gather the God-tier accessories by hunting bosses gradually… So the urgent task in reality is rune work?’
There were a total of 5 runes obtainable in reality.
I’d already secured 3 of them, and I just needed to get the remaining 2.
‘That’s something I can do in Round 16, but what’s urgent right now is rallying the players?’
Even with the reduced number of players, approximately 5,000 remained worldwide.
Among them, there were still human garbage who intimidated ordinary people.
‘There are definitely countries where trash act as if they’re kings, seizing military control through force and enslaving ordinary people.’
If I suppressed the trash in those countries and restored freedom to the nations?
I could gain not only international support but also the hearts of my own people, and raise the prestige of the Black Scythe name.
‘That way, I can bring uncontrollable players under my command. Once controlled, I can save as many people as possible in Round 15.’
Moreover, if I act under the name of the Death God Cult, I can spread its status far and wide.
‘This time, unlike the IS situation before, I won’t move in silence. I’ll announce that I’m helping countries in need, receive reports, and then act.’
This was the foundation I’d laid for that purpose.
As a captain of the Counter Player Force, as the righteous judge who punished IS.
Now it was time to move openly.
‘I’ll need the President’s cooperation.’
Ryu Min chuckled and rifled through Lost Yak’s phone to find the number.
It was the Blue House’s number—the one he had rejected the presidential commendation from not long ago.
* * *
[Where is Michael?]
[He entered the Akashic Record to gather information. He said to wait a moment.]
Gabriel nodded at Raphael’s words.
Moments later, Michael appeared in the conference room with a flash of light.
[You’ve arrived, Michael.]
[Have you been waiting long?]
[No. More importantly, the news is….]
Michael shook his head, feigning a sorrowful expression.
That gesture alone was enough to shock Gabriel and Raphael.
They had never entertained the possibility that the assassination would fail.
[Even Raguel and Uriel have failed….]
[W-wait, are you certain, Michael? Could there be some mistake….]
[I am certain. I came directly from viewing the records in the Akashic Record of how Raguel and Uriel died. They fought an evenly matched battle, but ultimately lost.]
The claim of an evenly matched battle was a lie.
‘In truth, I was overwhelmingly defeated. It was a level of combat power I hadn’t anticipated.’
Black Scythe was stronger than expected.
Yet I concealed the fact that the Archangels had been overwhelmingly beaten.
If I mentioned it carelessly, they might insist that I take action myself, which would be troublesome.
‘It’s better to say it was evenly matched. If I step forward, I’ll have no choice but to kill Black Scythe.’
It was preferable that I not intervene if possible.
I had no intention of slitting open the belly of the goose that laid the golden egg.
Michael continued speaking with a sorrowful expression.
[Not only those two, but two hundred fifth-rank Angels also perished.]
[Fifth-rank Angels? Did Uriel and Raguel bring soldiers with them?]
[It seems they intended to resolve it amongst themselves without our knowledge. In the end, they were completely annihilated.]
[Black Scythe proved to be unexpectedly formidable.]
Gabriel, having said this, fell into deep contemplation.
Likely scheming to devise a countermeasure.
‘This is troublesome. Gabriel’s strategies are unparalleled.’
No matter how overwhelmingly Black Scythe had defeated the Archangels, if Gabriel truly committed himself, it would be perilous.
It was Gabriel’s brilliant tactics that had led to victory in the Fifth Cheon Ma War two hundred years ago.
‘Though I contributed greatly, one could argue that Gabriel was the true architect of that war.’
The higher-ups were watching for Gabriel to distinguish himself in the upcoming Seventh Cheon Ma War.
As someone receiving such expectations, if he truly committed himself, I might no longer be able to protect Black Scythe.
‘I never imagined Gabriel would step forward. Black Scythe eliminated the Archangels far faster than anticipated.’
I needed to devise a strategy.
Another way to prevent Gabriel from intervening.
At that moment, Raphael broke the silence and spoke.
[Michael. This won’t do. I believe it’s time for us to step in.]
[It does seem that way.]
[Why don’t we all descend to the Human World at once and kill Black Scythe without further delay?]
[Even me?]
[Yes.]
At Raphael’s suggestion, Michael deliberately wore an expression of displeasure.
[Should I, the Heaven above Heaven itself, personally step in to crush a mere insect? How absurd.]
[But I fear that Gabriel and I alone may not be sufficient….]
[Nol, is it? The second and third-ranked Archangels trembling before a single human.]
[It is not fear, but rather a desire to ensure we tie up this matter conclusively.]
[Yet my pride will not permit me to descend for such a task.]
[But….]
[Enough, Raphael.]
Gabriel, having finished his deliberation, cut off Raphael’s words.
[Michael need not descend. Nor do we two need to step in.]
[What do you mean, Gabriel? You won’t step in?]
As Michael asked with startled eyes, Gabriel explained the stratagem he had devised.
Upon hearing the plan, Michael had to carefully manage his expression to conceal his maximum astonishment.
It was that effective—and that lethal for Black Scythe.
‘This is grave. If they truly execute this operation, Black Scythe will….’
The grand finale might well conclude after Round 14.
[What do you think, Michael? Shall we commence the operation immediately?]
[Hmm, it’s not a bad plan.]
[I shall proceed with the understanding that you’ve accepted it.]
[Very well. I’ll speak to Nemesis about this.]
[Thank you.]
‘Sigh… This is troublesome. This time, it may truly be dangerous, Black Scythe.’
The other Archangels did not witness Michael’s troubled expression.

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