The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 254

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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 254
254. Suspicion
Ding—
Ryu Min opened the Cafe door and glanced around.
Spotting Min Ju-ri seated at a table, he gave a subtle wave.
As I sat across from her, I felt a measure of relief seeing Min Ju-ri’s piercing gaze fixed upon me.
‘At least her expression seems fine.’
She wasn’t lowering her head or avoiding my eyes like before.
Instead, her eyes gleamed with determination, as if she intended to tie up loose ends once and for all.
“You ordered my coffee ahead of time? Thanks.”
“No.”
“….”
“….”
Awkwardness still lingered between us.
Though I had rejected her confession and suggested we remain friends, I hadn’t expected this to be easy.
‘If we keep meeting like this, things will gradually improve. Min Ju-ri doesn’t seem to want this awkward dynamic to persist either.’
That’s why she agreed so readily when I called her out, isn’t it?
“Min.”
“Hmm?”
I called her name first, and Min Ju-ri fell silent.
Watching her lips tremble, it seemed she was wrestling with internal conflict.
I waited patiently, and soon she appeared to have reached a decision, opening her mouth to speak.
“You told me before that we should stay friends, right?”
“I did.”
“I was honestly confused back then, but now I’ve made up my mind for certain.”
Min Ju-ri’s eyes gleamed with resolve.
“Let’s be friends. But.”
Seeming somewhat embarrassed, Min Ju-ri lowered her gaze.
“Forget about my previous confession. Can you do that?”
“Of course. Naturally.”
Perhaps because my answer came too quickly—
Min Ju-ri’s eyebrows twitched.
The expression of wounded pride.
Before the misunderstanding could deepen, I spoke.
“I answered too fast—don’t misunderstand. It’s not that your confession means nothing to me. Erasing it from memory would be difficult. But if you wish, I’ll do my best to….”
“No.”
Min Ju-ri’s eyes now blazed with pride.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“What?”
“Don’t forget. Don’t erase it from your memory. I confessed to you and was rejected. That’s the truth, isn’t it?”
A tremor resonated through her voice.
It felt like wounded pride spilling out in an impulsive confession.
“Let me be honest about this. I haven’t given up. I don’t want to lose the chance to be your friend. Think about it—do you really think human feelings fade that easily? I still… like you.”
Even as I spoke, embarrassment crept in, and my gaze dropped at those final words.
“I won’t give up. I’ll make you like me back. So let’s keep being friends. Give me the chance to become more than friends. This is what I truly feel. You can do that much, right?”
“….”
Ryu Min’s lips didn’t open easily.
It wasn’t that I was struggling to find a rejection.
‘Rejection isn’t an option. I can’t afford to lose Buffer.’
I was simply caught off guard by her sincerity.
“Fine.”
“What?”
“Do as you wish.”
“Really?”
“Either way, we’re friends.”
“….”
Though it was a boundary-setting statement, Min Ju-ri didn’t give up.
She recalled Black Scythe’s advice to keep challenging.
“That’s enough for me.”
A smile finally bloomed across Min Ju-ri’s face.
“So we’re good?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Now let me tell you the strategy for Round 16.”
To shift the mood, Ryu Min hurriedly explained the strategy.
During the explanation, Min Ju-ri’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The next round really unfolds that way?”
“Yeah. So we need to be careful to minimize damage. Black Scythe will probably summon the followers soon to explain the strategy.”
“Did you tell Black Scythe about the future?”
“I did.”
“I was actually going to ask if you two share information….”
“We’ve been sharing from the start.”
“Then why does Black Scythe choose next round’s information as a reward? He could just hear prophecies from you.”
“I can’t see the future on a fixed schedule whenever I want. For rounds I haven’t foreseen, Black Scythe uses his rewards to fill in the gaps.”
It was a blatant lie, but Min Ju-ri nodded as if everything finally made sense.
“Thank goodness. I thought you two weren’t on good terms….”
‘Not on good terms? We’re practically one body.’
I still couldn’t reveal to Min Ju-ri that I am Black Scythe.
Right now, revealing it would only be poison.
‘She might shudder at the betrayal of being deceived so completely.’
Since there was nothing to gain, I had to keep it buried.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
Ryu Min tilted his head as Min Ju-ri suddenly apologized.
“Sorry for what?”
“Earlier, I kind of lost control and accelerated without thinking….”
“No, it’s fine. That’s nothing….”
For Ryu Min, it simply felt good to have returned to being friends like before.
‘Strictly speaking, it’s different.’
In reality, it was as if I had given Min Ju-ri another chance and postponed my confession.
“But Min, you did join the Saesin Religion, right?”
“Huh? Yeah, I did. Why do you ask?”
“I haven’t seen you around the Saesin Religion lately.”
“I’m not actively participating. I just have my name registered. If my existence becomes known to others, it would be problematic.”
“Right, if people found out about your Seer class, they’d all swarm you.”
“Exactly.”
As I sipped my coffee and looked at Min Ju-ri, she still had a curious expression.
“If you’re curious about anything, just ask again.”
“Oh, it’s nothing major… Did you also get called out by Black Scythe in Round 15? Your nickname was Lost Yak, right?”
“Huh? Oh yeah. That’s right.”
“But why don’t I remember hearing it?”
‘Because I never called you.’
Ryu Min responded with a composed expression.
“You probably just didn’t hear it. Otherwise, how would I be alive like this?”
“I guess so? You’re right….”
Since Min Ju-ri hadn’t heard all 576 nicknames either, she didn’t suspect anything and let it pass.
“Well, we’ve covered everything, so should we head out?”
“Yeah.”
The two of them stepped outside the Cafe and waved goodbye to each other.
“Thanks for sharing the strategy. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Sure. I’ll stay in touch.”
As Ryu Min smiled and walked down the street, he reflected.
‘I’m glad. Min Ju-ri seems to be doing well.’
She seemed to have taken Black Scythe’s advice from the Other World to heart.
Though it was burdensome that she openly expressed her determination to keep challenging….
‘At least it’s better than things being awkward.’
For Min Ju-ri to navigate the remaining rounds, she needed to be mentally sound.
It wouldn’t do for her to be in a constant low mood because her confession was rejected.
‘Especially in Round 16, I need to keep my wits sharp.’
One wrong move could cause significant damage in that round.
‘After Round 16 ends, the value of players will likely skyrocket even more. People’s perspectives will change too.’
Not only will the Saesin Religion’s reputation grow, but players can also obtain runes in reality.
‘I’ll need to recruit the Saesin Religion soon and teach them the strategy. But first, I should clear up the misunderstanding with Christine.’
I had no doubt that she was under the impression I had deliberately spared John Delgado.
Christine was as crucial a supporter as Min Ju-ri, and I needed to ensure her mental state remained stable.
I picked up Lost Yak’s phone and called Christine.
“Christine.”
-Oh, Black Scythe?
“Let me get straight to the point. I’d like to meet to discuss the next round’s strategy.”
-Ah, um, couldn’t we handle this over the phone?
‘Over the phone?’
I’d always explained strategies in person until now.
“Phone calls pose a security risk, so that won’t work.”
-I see, that makes sense.
“Why? Is there a reason you can’t meet?”
-Oh, no. There isn’t. It’s just that I have plenty of time, but….
“Then I’ll come to you. There’s no better place for a quiet conversation than the Church.”
-No, there’s no need for you to go through the trouble.
“I’ll be flying first class, so don’t worry. I’ll call you again when I arrive.”
I made a point of saying I’d visit her first, thinking it considerate on my part.
Besides, I preferred taking action to simply waiting around.
‘I need to explain this properly when we meet.’
As I pondered what to say, I began looking into flights to the United States.

* * *
Christine set down her phone and stared blankly into the void for a long moment.
‘Oh, Black Scythe… so he’s finally coming here…’
This wouldn’t be my first time meeting Black Scythe in reality.
That’s why what I feel now isn’t excitement.
Anxiety.
Anxiety was written all over Christine’s face.
The anxiety that Black Scythe might see through me.
‘No, it’ll be fine. I’ve hidden it well for days. I didn’t let anything slip in the Other World either.’
I’d tried my best not to reveal anything, but I knew the truth.
Actually, “knew” was premature language.
It was more accurate to call it a suspicion, a conjecture.
‘The Seer and Black Scythe being the same person…’
It was a dangerous assumption.
An absurd one, even.
‘Who would ever match the seemingly weak Seer with Black Scythe?’
Because their images were so opposite, no one had made the connection.
But Christine had concluded they were the same person.
It wasn’t baseless reasoning.
When The Seer came to the United States recently, I witnessed a murder.
While being carried on The Seer’s back.
‘He killed those vagrants pointing guns at us using his abilities.’
At the time, I was half-asleep and didn’t think much of it.
I thought it was a dream and went back to sleep.
‘When I woke up, I was inside the Church.’
The Seer had vanished without a trace.
Later, I began to wonder if it might not have been a dream, but I had no certainty.
When I returned to the scene, there was no evidence.
‘I couldn’t even connect it to Black Scythe back then.’
But after seeing Black Scythe use shadow-like abilities in the Other World, I reconsidered.
Perhaps… what I saw then wasn’t a dream after all.
Perhaps Black Scythe and The Seer really were the same person.
Of course, this was purely suspicion and conjecture.
There was no evidence anywhere.
“No, that can’t be it. They’re probably just the same ability… their images don’t overlap at all.”
Christine muttered anxiously to herself.
Unaware that someone had entered the range of her perception.
“What can’t be it?”
“Eek!”
At Jeffrey’s silent appearance, Christine’s shoulders jumped.
“Why are you so startled? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Oh… no, it’s nothing.”
“Your expression doesn’t look good. Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? There’s nothing like that.”
Christine drew a firm line, but Jeffrey seemed to find it all the more suspicious.
“Come on, there’s something. What is it? If you have worries, speak freely. I’m happy to listen if you’re troubled.”
“There’s nothing, I’m telling you.”
“Are you still upset with me?”
“Upset? I’m just saying there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Do you think I don’t know? I’ve watched you for over a decade from right beside you. How could I not understand Christine?”
“….”
“Don’t be like that. Tell me. What’s troubling you?”
As Jeffrey pressed relentlessly, Christine had no choice but to sigh.
Thinking she had to give him something, she opened up a little.
“If you discovered that an opponent who seemed weak was actually hiding their strength, what would you do?”
“Hiding their strength? Who?”
“No, I asked first. You should answer….”
“Hmm….”
Jeffrey, who had been pondering, finally spoke.
“I think I would just pretend not to know and stay quiet.”
“Why?”
“If they’re hiding their strength, it means they don’t want to reveal it, doesn’t it? If you respect them, there’s no need to embarrass them by pretending to know.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
Christine’s expression brightened a little.
Knowing someone shared her opinion, the frustration lifted from her shoulders.
“So, who’s this weakling hiding their power?”
“Don’t call them that! Watch your words!”
“Oh? Getting defensive means you’re fairly close to them, aren’t you?”
“That’s enough! I’m not telling you. Stop asking. Problem solved!”
With that, Christine hurried away from her seat.
As if fleeing an awkward situation.
“Hmm….”
Jeffrey watched her go with suspicion, then immediately pulled out his phone and sent a message.
[Yamtti. There’s something unusual to report.]
He had been ordered to report immediately if anything happened.

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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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