The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 241

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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 241
241. The Goddess of Vengeance
The being that appeared was Nemesis, known as the Goddess of Vengeance.
Michael and the other Archangels bowed respectfully.
[We greet the Goddess of Rhamnus, Nemesis.]
It was only natural to show such deference to a divine-tier being.
Yet Nemesis’s expression was far from pleased.
[The Seven Archangels reduced to three? All because of a single human? Don’t you so-called rulers of Heaven feel any shame?]
[We… we are deeply ashamed.]
[Ashamed? Lift your heads. I want to see just how thick your faces truly are.]
[….]
The Archangels raised their heads, but they could not bring themselves to meet her gaze.
[Tsk, tsk. At least your expressions show you possess some conscience.]
Nemesis’s gaze turned toward Michael.
[Michael. You came to me asking me to find someone harboring vengeance against the human called Black Scythe, did you not?]
[Yes, we did.]
[Do you remember what I said then?]
[Of course. You said that since we were using the Demon Archduke’s possession, we must succeed at any cost. Only then would Phlunikthos be satisfied with the caliber of the offering….]
[Exactly. So what has become of it now?]
[…Shamefully, we have failed.]
[Do you know what has happened because of that failure?]
Michael, who had been avoiding her gaze in a posture of contrition, finally met her eyes.
[What has happened?]
[Phlunikthos is demanding that Black Scythe be brought to him—the one who killed his avatar.]
[Black Scythe?]
[He has threatened war if Black Scythe is not delivered before Round 18.]
[Ah….]
The Archangels opened their mouths as if they had all made the same realization.
What had begun as an attempt to capture Black Scythe had spiraled into something far beyond their control.
[He is holding us accountable for the reckless use of the Demon’s Resurrection Scroll. Of course, that is merely the official reason—in truth, he is manufacturing a pretext for war.]
[….]
The Archangels remained silent.
Gabriel, in particular, had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths to speak with.
His own strategy had brought war upon them.
[This incident may very well trigger the Seventh Heavenly Demon War. We were in a ceasefire, and war was inevitable eventually, but now its timing has been accelerated. You have handed him the very justification he needed.]
Nemesis’s frown deepened further.
From her arrival until now, the goddess’s brow had not relaxed for a moment.
[With the Archangels already depleted because of Black Scythe, and now war looming… if we fight now, the Angels’ defeat is certain. Phlunikthos knows this, which is why he is seizing this opportunity.]
[Is… is there truly no way to refuse?]
[When the enemy demands war, how can one refuse?]
[….]
[Well, if he’d used a resurrection scroll to sacrifice Black Scythe’s soul as an offering, Phlunikthos would’ve been satisfied. But he failed, didn’t he? The creature lost its avatar without gaining anything in return. So he’s trying to salvage what he can.]
[Then, if we simply hand over Black Scythe as he wishes, war won’t break out?]
[That’s right. With all the gods watching, how could he break his promise?]
[…At least there’s a way to manage this situation.]
Those were the words Michael spoke, but his heart was burning with anguish.
He might have to destroy his own aspiration to become a god with his own hands.
[The promised deadline is before Round 18. By then, do whatever it takes to subdue Black Scythe and hand him over to Phlunikthos. I’m displeased about surrendering the murderer of the Archangels, but what choice do we have? If we want to delay war, we must comply.]
Nemesis spoke with a sigh, glancing at Gabriel, who stood with his head bowed like a criminal.
[I’ve heard the story. This entire operation was your idea?]
[…Yes.]
[Gabriel, who led the last war to victory and earned the gods’ favor—how did you come to this?]
[I apologize…. It was entirely my oversight.]
[I understand. That’s precisely why you must take responsibility. You know the gods have high expectations for the next war, don’t you? So use this opportunity to prove your worth. Make the epithet “Divine Messenger” truly suit you.]
[I will deliver results that meet your expectations without fail.]
[Don’t disappoint me twice. If you wish to continue receiving my patronage.]
With those words, Nemesis made eye contact with Michael and Raphael once each, then tore open space and vanished.
Those final words weren’t directed at Gabriel alone.
They were a warning to all three angels.
‘Damn… This is serious. I didn’t expect Phlunikthos to accelerate the war using the resurrection scroll as leverage.’
As Nemesis said, fighting now would guarantee defeat.
‘We’d need at least Round 20 to have any chance of victory. So he’s saying if we don’t bring Black Scythe by Round 18, he’ll start the war immediately?’
There was a way to delay the war.
Simply hand over Black Scythe.
But it wasn’t as simple as it sounded, was it?
And what of his own aspiration?
‘Must I postpone my great ambition to become a god once again?’
Unlike Michael, who sighed inwardly, Gabriel’s eyes blazed with determination.
Driven by the mission to subdue Black Scythe by any means necessary.
[Michael. Send me in Round 15.]
[….]
[I will neutralize Black Scythe and bring him to the Heavenly Realm.]
[Gabriel, you can’t go alone. I’m coming with you.]
[Raphael. This isn’t your place to interfere. I’ll handle this myself.]
[That’s not true. Didn’t you hear what Nemesis said? This concerns all of us.]
When Raphael said “all of us,” Michael couldn’t back away either.
[Hmm, we still have time before Round 18. There’s no need to rush.]
[But Michael.]
[Listen to me this time. I don’t want to see things go wrong again.]
Gabriel’s eyebrows twitched slightly before he closed his mouth.
A sinner had no right to speak.
[We must approach this carefully. Don’t you know what happened to the other Archangels when they underestimated Black Scythe? You experienced it yourself this time.]
[If the three of us attack simultaneously, wouldn’t we be able to suppress him for certain?]
[That’s true. But arrogance is poison. Haven’t we failed repeatedly because of it? I’m beginning to think that rather than a direct assault, perhaps a different approach might work.]
[Do you have a method in mind, sir?]
[I’ll have to think about it now.]
[….]
The Archangels fell silent.
Unaware that Michael was merely stalling for time with this transparent ploy.
* * *
Ryu Min, who had been resting at home, received a call from John.
Charitably called a report, though it was essentially tattling.
-Master. The Despair Cult is preparing to strike the Saesin Religion.
“Why?”
-They claim the Saesin Religion is obstructing their recruitment efforts. They say the cult has stolen their prospective followers.
“Well, they’re not wrong. But what gives those fools the confidence to come after me?”
-Their plan is to kidnap Christine and use her as leverage for coercion. It seems they believe Christine is Black Scythe’s weakness.
‘She is a weakness, that much is true.’
Christine is crucial to Round 15.
With her area-of-effect healing, many people can be saved in Round 15.
‘Though it’s not impossible to clear Round 15 without her.’
Instead, the cost would be far greater in casualties.
It was the same in my previous run.
Over two thousand challengers participated, yet fewer than fifty survived.
Because Christine died early.
‘To bring as many people through as possible, I need to protect Christine.’
After pondering for a while, John’s cautious voice comes through the phone.
-What should we do? I told them we’d review it for now, but….
“Keep stalling like that. Don’t proceed under any circumstances.”
-Understood.
“And there might be variables, so I’ll head there myself.”
-You’re coming to the United States?
“Yes. I’ll meet with Christine while I’m at it.”
-Ah, understood. Please contact me when you arrive. I’ll pick you up at the airport.
“That won’t be necessary. I’m meeting Christine first anyway. Don’t raise suspicion—act normally. If I need to give instructions, I’ll call again.”
-Understood, Master.
After hanging up, I switched phones.
I’m about to call Christine as The Seer, not as Black Scythe.
“Ah, Christine? This is Ryu Min.”
-The Seer! It’s been so long. I was actually thinking about calling you.
“To me?”
-Yes. I’ve received so much help from you over the years. Learning about Round 15’s strategy, discovering Black Scythe because of you… I thought I should visit Korea and express my gratitude in person.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll come to you instead.”
-What? You’re coming to Dallas?
“I have something to tell you in person. It’s a prophecy regarding Round 15. Would you have time for me?”
-Of course. I have plenty of time.
“Then I’ll see you in two days. I’ll call you again with the details.”
-Sounds good. We should grab a meal when you arrive. My treat.
“Ha, sounds perfect.”
Ryu Min ended the call with a chuckle and tapped away on his phone to book a ticket.
After reserving the earliest available flight, he headed to the living room.
‘I should let Won know about this.’
My younger brother was lounging on the couch, watching TV.
The screen displayed news coverage about Black Scythe.
“Hyung, isn’t Black Scythe seriously amazing?”
“In what way?”
“He took down all those bad guys and saved so many people. And in Round 14, he apparently killed the final boss in a single strike, preventing any casualties—everyone’s praising him for it. Did that really happen?”
“How did you find out about that?”
“I got some info from Player Gallery. Right now both ordinary people and players are going crazy over Black Scythe.”
“Is that so?”
Despite the commotion, I didn’t feel particularly moved by it.
I rarely spent time online, and unlike a celebrity, nobody recognized me.
‘That’s only natural since I’ve kept my identity hidden.’
I let out a quiet laugh, and my younger brother looked at me curiously.
“Hyung, why are you just standing there? Do you have something to tell me?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going on a trip?”
“How did you know?”
“You’ve been going overseas a lot lately. It must be because of your girlfriend in Japan.”
I don’t have a girlfriend, but letting him misunderstand seemed easier than making excuses.
“Anyway, I’ll be staying out for a bit this time. I’ll be back within a week.”
“Got it. Have a safe trip. Don’t worry about me. The world’s gotten better thanks to Black Scythe anyway.”
Does he have any idea?
That the Black Scythe he speaks of so highly is standing right in front of him?
“Right. I’ll go with peace of mind. And don’t just order jjajangmyeon again because you’re lazy—cook something at home.”
“Come on, do you think I’m a kid? I’m a high school student now.”
“A high school student who doesn’t even attend school.”
“Ugh! I really want to go to school again!”
Leaving my younger brother to his insincere words, I moved to another room.
‘In my eyes, you’ll always be a kid.’
A faint smile played at the corners of my lips.

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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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