The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 306

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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 306
306. Marbas’s Specialty
Three harpies each seized the women and soared into the sky.
‘That lion-clawed demon. We’re nowhere near his level.’
Watching Seo A-rin’s summons get wiped out by a single lion’s roar, Yamtti understood.
They were not at a level to face him in combat.
It was exactly as he said—throwing eggs at stone.
‘We can’t die meaninglessly. So then….’
Yamtti’s judgment was to flee with all their might.
Her strategy was to escape skyward while a wall of monsters blocked his line of sight.
‘Given his speed, fleeing on the ground is impossible. So flying into the sky is our best option.’
Since no wings were visible on his back, she could only hope he couldn’t fly.
The reason she split them into three was also to save at least one more person in case he gave chase.
Of course, this plan hadn’t been discussed with Min Ju-ri or Seo A-rin.
There simply hadn’t been time.
Because of that, bewilderment was written all over their faces.
“Yamtti! What are you doing?”
“Did you order this? To fly into the sky and escape?”
“Yes! So stop asking questions and pray we survive! This is the best we can do right now!”
Their confusion quickly turned to acceptance.
Yamtti’s judgment was the best option available.
There was no way to defeat that lion demon.
‘Please let him be unable to fly…!’
But the three women’s hope soon transformed into despair.
[Hehehehe, what an amusing strategy you’ve devised. Surely you didn’t think I couldn’t fly?]
Was this what it meant to have wings grafted onto a lion’s back?
Massive bat wings that hadn’t been visible before now fluttered across Marbas’s back.
[Relying on mere monsters to escape? How pathetic you humans are.]
‘Tear them apart!’
Sensing the danger, Yamtti commanded the harpies.
She held onto the hope that if they scattered, at least one might survive.
But.
Splurt!
Marbas seized a harpy’s head in one hand and crushed it, the motion executed with terrifying speed.
Fast enough to kill all three harpies nearly simultaneously.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
The three women plummeted ten meters below.
Thud!
Since none of them were ordinary humans, they sustained no serious injuries.
At least I could be grateful we hadn’t fallen from an even greater height.
Yet the situation was far from hopeful.
“Ugh….”
Whether from a twisted ankle or something worse, all three of us struggled to move.
As we groaned in pain, Marbas landed gracefully beside us.
[Pathetic prey indeed. Did you truly believe such clumsy escape would work?]
“….”
[Well then, you won’t be running anymore. So what else will you show me? Try everything you can. I’ll give you the chance.]
Marbas folded his arms and adopted a leisurely posture, but there was nothing the three of us could do.
Seo A-rin still had cooldown remaining, and Min Ju-ri possessed no combat techniques.
Yamtti had already summoned every stored monster she had.
[Nothing left? You have nothing more to show me? Then I suppose I can begin now?]
I didn’t want to ask—nor did I wish to know—what he meant by “begin.”
I could guess well enough.
[Now then, whose limbs shall I tear off first?]
The lion’s gaze turned toward Min Ju-ri.
[I considered tearing you apart earlier, but you didn’t even scream as you fell. It seems you bear pain rather well.]
Finding that uninteresting, Marbas shifted his gaze to Seo A-rin.
[Yes. Your voice should be quite delightful. Let’s start with you.]
Marbas’s massive hand seized Seo A-rin’s arm.
As she trembled like an aspen leaf in terror, an unexpected voice rang out.
“W-wait, please!”
It was Min Ju-ri’s voice.
“You chose me first. Why are you changing to someone else?”
[Hoho.]
Marbas turned his head, regarding Min Ju-ri with intrigue.
[I have slain countless humans throughout my existence, yet never have I encountered one like you. Requesting that I tear off your own limbs first?]
“If-if you decided I was the first target, you shouldn’t change your mind.”
[But your screams seemed unlikely to be entertaining.]
“I-I can make it entertaining for you?”
[Hmm?]
“I’ll scream as loudly as possible and show you how much it hurts, won’t I?”
Marbas’s lips curled upward to his ears.
[Kekeke, well then, what more could I ask for? Though it seems you have some condition in mind.]
“I’ll make it entertaining for you. In exchange….”
Min Ju-ri glanced once at Seo A-rin and once at Yamtti.
“Promise you’ll let the others go.”
“Min Ju-ri….”
[Kekeke, is this what humans call sacrifice? How touching indeed.]
Though he spoke of being moved, a sneer twisted across Marbas’s face.
[I acknowledge your spirit of sacrifice for others. Truly, I do. However.]
The smile faded from his face, replaced by a sharp, piercing gaze.
[You don’t seem to understand your place, human woman.]
Marbas flicked his fingers.
In that instant, with a soft pop, Min Ju-ri’s body transformed into a sheep.
“Baaaa.”
She was an actual sheep.
At that surreal sight, Seo A-rin and Yamtti’s eyes widened in shock.
[You dare make proposals to me when you should be begging for your very life?]
“M-Min Ju-ri!”
“W-What did you do to Min Ju-ri?”
To the alarmed women’s questions, Marbas let out a smug chuckle, his expression dripping with arrogance.
[Can’t you see? Your companion has become a sheep.]
“A… a sheep?”
[Transformation is my specialty, after all. I’m simply making worthless humans into something at least somewhat useful.]
“Baaaa!”
The sheep that was once Min Ju-ri cried out, but a sheep was merely a sheep.
[What? Screaming so entertainingly? How pathetic. Since you wish to become a clown, I’ll simply oblige.]
“P-Please give Min Ju-ri back!”
This time, Seo A-rin found her courage.
But she didn’t realize the thin line between courage and recklessness.
[If I undo the transformation? Will the situation change? Or perhaps.]
Crack—
Marbas seized Seo A-rin’s arm once more.
[Now you’re making proposals to me too? Asking me to release your companions?]
“Ahhh!”
As he tightened his grip, pain shot through her arm as if it might shatter.
[Kehehehe, listen to that. Your screams are quite beautiful, aren’t they? My choice was indeed correct.]
Marbas laughed with delight, then suddenly twisted his expression into something savage.
[I could never release prey I’ve finally caught.]
“No, stop!”
Ignoring Yamtti’s scream, Marbas grinned wickedly and applied force.
He tore off Seo A-rin’s arm that he’d been holding.
Crunch!
A horrifying sound erupted, followed by a scream—but the voice didn’t belong to Seo A-rin.
[Gaaaaaahhhhh!]
Marbas clutched his own shoulder, screaming as if he might lose consciousness.
It wasn’t Seo A-rin’s arm that had been severed.
“That was close.”
Seo A-rin looked up at the man now standing before her.
The man who appeared had Hwang Yong-min’s face.
For a moment I flinched, but Seo A-rin recognized his true identity.
“Y-you’re… Black Scythe…?”
Before she could finish speaking, Hwang Yong-min’s form shimmered and transformed into Black Scythe.
Tears nearly spilled from my eyes at the sight of that familiar face, yet I didn’t spare him a glance.
I simply stared at the lion-faced demon writhing in agony with a terrifying gaze.
[Grraaaaahhh, huff, huff, who the hell…!]
Marbas trembled as he belatedly identified his opponent.
‘Black Scythe?’
The number one dangerous individual Phlunikthos had so earnestly warned him about—the one he said to flee from without question upon sight.
And he stood less than five meters away.
‘I was monitoring my surroundings reasonably well, but when did he…?’
Marbas swallowed hard, his lion’s throat convulsing.
‘C-can I escape?’
The distance was far too close to flee.
Warping, as the Demon Archduke had advised, was the only answer.
Watching with blazing eyes, he quietly began chanting the warp incantation.
Ten seconds of time.
That was all he needed.
Then he could slip free from this crisis as easily as flipping his palm.
Marbas chanted the spell in secret while keeping his gaze fixed on Black Scythe.
Then, in the instant he blinked without thinking.
Rrriiiiip—
[Graaaaaahhhhh!]
Excruciating pain flooded from his opposite shoulder.
His remaining arm was torn away.
The incantation was cancelled.
Marbas lacked the mental fortitude to maintain the spell while enduring such unbearable agony.
No—no one would possess such strength.
“Where do you think you’re running? You’re my prey.”
[Hrrgh, hhh…]
Blood and sweat poured from Marbas’s body like rain.
He hadn’t even seen when or how his opponent moved.
Moreover, he’d heard the opponent’s primary weapon was a scythe, yet it remained undrawn.
He had simply torn away Marbas’s arm through pure strength alone.
Marbas stared with eyes drenched in terror, finally comprehending the difference in power.
[W-wait, Black Scythe, l-let’s t-talk about this.]
“Talk about what.”
[I-I mean…]
I drew my scythe without waiting for his response.
In a blur of motion too fast to perceive, I drove my scythe directly through Marbas’s eye socket.
Squelch—!
[Ah, ahhhhh!]
“And what would I have to say to someone who tried to tear off my ally’s arm?”
My scythe flicked, and I burst the other eye as well.
[Screeeeeech!]
Blood tears streamed from both of Marbas’s eye sockets.
“And what would I have to say to someone who turned my ally into a sheep?”
Though he couldn’t see ahead, Marbas spoke with his brow furrowed.
[Gasp, gasp. You, you’re making a mistake. If you kill me, your ally’s transformation can never be undone… Screeeeeech!]
This time, one of his legs was severed.
Thud—
Marbas’s body collapsed in a grotesque heap.
“You’re going to die anyway. The only question is whether you’ll die in agony or in peace.”
[Ah, I understand! I understand!]
Marbas released the transformation.
Poof—!
Min Ju-ri’s body had already returned to normal.
“Black Scythe!”
I silently scanned her restored form, then gazed down at the lion lying there with all four limbs severed.
Marbas, completely drenched in terror, spoke in a trembling voice.
[I, is this enough now? P-please kill me quickly…]
“I can’t kill my prey so easily after catching it.”
My scythe came down on his remaining leg.
[Ahhhhh! Ah, I understand! I, I’ll give you information!]
“Information?”
[W-who I came to the Other World with, how many of us there are, what our purpose is!]
A sneer played at the corner of my mouth.
“Not necessary.”
I had already read his thoughts and grasped everything.
Squelch!
My scythe pierced through his skull.
Marbas’s body went limp like a deflated balloon.
‘So they don’t recognize me when I transform into Hwang Yong-min’s form.’
Because I had transformed into Hwang Yong-min rather than Black Scythe, I was able to pull off the ambush successfully.
“Is everyone alright?”
At my question, the three of them nodded with tear-stained faces.
And they offered their thanks sincerely.
“Thank you for saving us, Black Scythe.”
Had I been even a moment later, they would have crossed the river of no return.
Ryu Min was acutely aware of this fact, and he couldn’t suppress the gravity etched across his face.
‘Phlunikthos is slaughtering Players alongside eight Demon Nobles.’
They had scattered in all directions, and with no way to identify them by sight, tracking each one individually was a futile endeavor.
‘What do I do? If this continues, the casualties will spiral beyond control….’
Yamtti approached Ryu Min’s side as he wore that grave expression.
“We only saw four Demons. The others are probably suffering the same fate right now.”
“That’s likely.”
“What should we do?”
Ryu Min lifted his head, his resolve crystallizing.
“You all head to the Gorge—our original destination. I’ll handle the Demons.”
“But they’re scattered everywhere. How do you plan to find them….”
“I have a way.”
After all, Ryu Min possessed a rune that allowed him to circle Earth more than twenty times in just three seconds.

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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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