The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 324

—————
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 324
324. Persuasion
Nyx was not the only god who had conspired with Artaros.
‘That bastard is the mastermind. Not Nyx.’
Ryu Min, having discovered who the true architect was, ground his teeth in fury.
It was all the work of that creature—the Primordial God—who had ordered his death and appointed Artaros as the boss of Round 20.
‘Using the promise of lifting the curse if Artaros simply obeyed, that monster tried to eliminate me.’
Rage consumed me, yet there was nothing I could do.
My opponent was the Primordial God, whom even Artaros could not defy.
Though I yearned for vengeance, I first had to escape this immediate crisis.
‘I’ll erase every single combat technique Artaros ever learned.’
Like flipping through the pages of a book, I methodically obliterated every skill Artaros had ever mastered from his memory.
In doing so, I discovered a way to dissolve the Space of Nothingness—and the solution proved far simpler than I expected.
‘The Space of Nothingness is a technique Artaros maintains in real time. If I erase the memory of learning it, the space will naturally collapse.’
I had obtained the information I needed, but one critical question remained unanswered.
How could I pass Round 20?
‘Lifting Artaros’s curse and killing him would be ideal, but that’s impossible.’
According to what I knew, only the one who cast the curse could lift it.
Then the only viable path was to restore the Round 20 boss designation to its original state.
‘If I remove Artaros from the boss position, I should be able to pass Round 20 without difficulty.’
But how could I accomplish that?
Even I had no answer.
No matter how thoroughly I searched Artaros’s memories, I found no viable method.
‘There’s no choice. I’ll have to try persuading Artaros.’
[You have reviewed all memories.]
[Do you wish to end memory deletion? Y/N]
‘End it.’
Time returned to normal as I emerged from the depths of Artaros’s past.

* * *
Time is relative.
To truly feel it, one need only glance at the remaining time in the round.
[Time Remaining Until Round End: 01:47:08]
‘Only three seconds have passed.’
Yet it felt as though I had spent the entire night sifting through memories—only three seconds had elapsed.
To verify this wasn’t a lie, I surveyed my surroundings and spotted my allies huddled behind monsters for cover.
The scene was identical to what I had seen three seconds ago.
“What did Black Scythe feed her?”
“Didn’t he open Angel’s mouth and put something inside?”
While the others voiced their curiosity.
The pure white space dissolved, and the familiar darkness of the Boss Room returned.
The Space of Nothingness had been deactivated.
“Huh? We’re back where we started!”
“The buff lock has been released too!”
“Was it because of the potion Black Scythe fed him?”
Technically, it was because I had erased his memories, but there was no time to explain that to my allies.
Right now, I had questions that only Artaros could answer.
“Artaros. Open your eyes.”
[Mmm….]
Still bound in chains, Artaros opened his drowsy eyes.
[Where is this place?]
“Get your head straight. I only erased your knowledge of how to use your techniques—I didn’t erase your memories of fighting me.”
[You are… Black Scythe?]
Artaros blinked, and his gaze sharpened as understanding dawned on him.
[That’s right. I was fighting you. Then I drank some strange potion and my memories….]
“What you consumed was a potion that erases memories.”
[What?]
“At my discretion, I could have reduced you to a mindless fool incapable of uttering a single word. But….”
Ryu Min spoke as though bestowing a favor.
“I left your memories intact so we could have this conversation.”
[Am I supposed to be grateful? Hah, that’s absurd.]
Artaros snorted derisively, yet curiosity gnawed at him nonetheless.
If he could have been turned into a fool, why had this one preserved his memories to allow conversation?
[I see. You want something from me, don’t you?]
“Just answer a few simple questions.”
[Ridiculous. You expect me to cooperate after I was trying to annihilate you all moments ago?]
“I think you will cooperate.”
[On what grounds do you make such a claim?]
“Because deep down, you actually want to die.”
[….]
Veins bulged across Artaros’s previously pristine forehead.
“You’re tired of living, aren’t you? You want to break free from the curse of immortality. Isn’t that right?”
[How did you know that?]
“I read your past. When I erase memories, I can see everything that person has lived through.”
[…How repugnant.]
Artaros furrowed his brow, displaying anger as an emotion for the first time.
[My entire past laid bare before a mere human. Nothing could be more humiliating.]
“You shouldn’t feel humiliated—you should be grateful. If I hadn’t read your past, would I have ever had the chance to help you?”
[How could someone like you possibly help me?]
“Simple. Take me to the human who cursed you.”
[What?]
“From reading your past, I saw you went to that human on your knees, begging. But they refused to lift the curse.”
[….]
“So I’ll go and ask them myself. Since we’re both human, I should be able to convince them.”
[You’re saying you’ll go find that bastard yourself and ask them to break my curse?]
“That’s what I’m saying.”
I struck my chest confidently as if to say “just leave it to me,” but Artaros only stared at me with skeptical eyes.
[First, free me from these chains, then we’ll talk.]
“Fine. But you have to stay calm.”
[Don’t worry.]
Ryu Min deactivated the runes on the chains and released Artaros.
The onlookers gasped in shock.
“Black Scythe just freed the angel.”
“What’s he trying to do?”
“Those two have been talking this whole time, haven’t they?”
“I can’t hear what they’re saying.”
“Letting him loose like that seems dangerous….”
Though freed from his restraints, Artaros posed no danger, contrary to their concerns.
I had already erased all the techniques he knew from his memory.
Of course, his physical abilities alone couldn’t be dismissed, but as long as I stood in his way, he wouldn’t be able to threaten the other players.
‘There’s no way he could threaten them. He has no choice but to accept my proposal.’
As Ryu Min gazed at him with confidence, Artaros asked.
[Do you even know what kind of human cursed me?]
“I don’t. All I know is that they’re from another dimension.”
[Then how do you plan to convince them?]
“Who knows? I don’t have a concrete plan. But I need to meet them and hear them out first.”
[Hmph, so you have no strategy whatsoever.]
“Still, I’m confident I can convince them. You never know—maybe human words will get through to them.”
[You’re speaking from ignorance. That human isn’t in their right mind.]
“That’s something I’ll have to judge for myself after meeting them directly.”
[Do you truly believe I would allow you to meet that human?]
“Yeah. I think you will.”
[On what grounds?]
“Aren’t you in a position where you’d grasp at straws right now? If there’s even a sliver of possibility to break the curse, wouldn’t you have to try?”
[….]
Artaros fell silent for a long moment, as if lost in thought.
[…It seems what they say about your persuasion skills is true.]
“So, I’ll help you?”
[In exchange, you must want something from me, yes? A way to escape this situation, perhaps?]
“You’re not entirely oblivious.”
A smile played at Ryu Min’s lips.
But it was short-lived.
[I’m sorry, but there is no way.]
At those despairing words, Ryu Min’s smile faded.
“What are you talking about? If you designated yourself as the Round 20 boss, you should know how to undo it.”
[I did not designate myself as the boss. The Primordial God did. Even I cannot alter the system’s rules.]
Ryu Min understood.
I had seen it in Artaros’s memories.
‘I asked just in case, but it’s as I suspected.’
But I couldn’t give up.
“Then just ask that Primordial God to change the settings back. Request it directly.”
[On what pretext would I make such a request? I haven’t even carried out the order to annihilate the humans.]
“You’ll have to come up with an excuse yourself. Don’t you want to break the curse?”
[….]
Artaros hesitated before answering.
It spoke volumes about how desperately he wanted to break the curse.
‘The real reason Artaros moves is because of the Primordial God. He promised to break the curse if he followed orders and killed us.’
But I had cleanly erased that memory.
With that memory intact, he wouldn’t cooperate.
“Request it from the god right now. Ask him to restore the Round 20 boss settings to their original state.”
[…And then?]
“Once we pass Round 20 that way, I’ll meet with the human who cursed you and try to convince them. Of course, since I don’t know how to travel to other dimensions, you’ll have to help me with that.”
[You say that, but you won’t actually help, will you? This isn’t a lie to escape the situation, is it?]
“Do I look like someone who would lie?”
[…Honestly, you do.]
Ryu Min let out an exasperated sigh.
“Either way, you have no choice. If you want to break the curse, you have to trust me.”
[…Will you really keep your promise?]
“I will. To be frank, I’d be thrilled if the curse breaks and you die. You’re the only opponent I can properly face. Do you know how irritating it is to fight an enemy that keeps resurrecting? If there’s a way to break the curse, I’d gladly help. Why wouldn’t I?”
[…You’re right.]
Artaros was completely convinced by Ryu Min’s words.
[I accept your proposal. I will speak to the Primordial God to ensure that you and the humans here do not perish.]
“Good thinking.”
[But you must keep your promise as well.]
“I know. If we can just escape this crisis, I promise to actively cooperate in lifting the curse.”
Artaros nodded.
It was the moment when enemies who had been fighting moments ago joined hands.
“We don’t have time. Move quickly.”
[Yes, understood….]
[Tsk tsk, I knew this would happen.]
At the sudden voice of a third party, both Artaros and Ryu Min froze like statues.
‘That voice….’
Ryu Min lifted his head at the familiar voice he had heard somewhere before.
A colossal eye appeared between the torn fabric of space.
It was the eye I had seen in Artaros’s memories.
‘Chaos, the God of Chaos.’
The Primordial God himself—the source of all calamity—had arrived.

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