The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 341
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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 341
341. The 101st Cycle (5)
‘What? 1,000?’
According to Rubahi, upon achieving Secondary Deification, I would be reborn as a complete Divine Being.
With that transformation, I would naturally sense Terra Energy and come to understand how to use it.
‘Yet the energy I’m sensing is merely 1,000.’
No, 1,001.
It just increased by one.
‘Does it accumulate naturally?’
Starting from 1,000 and accumulating naturally—the path ahead seemed daunting.
The future felt uncertain.
‘Well, opening an account doesn’t mean it comes with money already in it.’
Perhaps I should be grateful that there’s at least 1,000 to begin with?
As I grumbled about my misplaced expectations, another message materialized before me.
[A new Soul Bond Quest is available.]
‘Huh? Another Quest? I thought killing a god was supposed to be the last one?’
Ryu Min examined the details with a bewildered expression, unable to hide his shock.
‘What kind of Quest is this? Surely it’s not a joke?’
I had always acted according to the System Messages, but this time I couldn’t help but hesitate.
The directive was so absurd that it made me doubt my own eyes.
Then another message appeared on my retina.
[Due to completion of Secondary Deification, the function of the Eye of Insight has been unlocked.]
[You can now identify the weaknesses of all targets using the Eye of Insight.]
‘Fortunately, weakness detection has returned.’
Amid my disappointment over the meager Terra Energy, this news felt like rain after a drought.
The good news didn’t end there.
[From now on, you can absorb Terra Energy by killing Divine Beings.]
[However, you cannot absorb energy even if you kill the Primordial God.]
‘As expected. Rubahi wasn’t lying.’
By killing Divine Beings, I could absorb all the Terra they possessed.
That was the advantage of Secondary Deification, as Rubahi had explained.
Of course, this didn’t apply to other Divine Beings.
Only my spiritual form was designed to absorb energy this way.
This way, I could devour Divine Beings and grow stronger to stand against Chaos.
This was the method to confront Chaos.
‘I was flustered by how little Terra I have, but it’s not a problem. I can obtain more by killing Divine Beings.’
That said, I had no intention of killing indiscriminately.
I would only kill Divine Beings responsible for the slaughter of humans.
‘First, should I try killing Erebus, who serves under Chaos?’
I don’t know Erebus’s location, but it’s not as though I have no means of finding him.
I can simply threaten Nyx, who is bound by her soul.
* * *
Somewhere deep within the Underground Prison of Tartarus.
At first glance, with its roiling furnaces and various tools, it resembled a Blacksmith Shop, but it was not.
There would be no need for weapons or equipment in a prison.
This place was nothing other than a torture chamber where prisoners were bound and tormented.
[My son. Observe.]
Erebus pierced a human prisoner’s body with the iron skewer he held in his hand.
Squelch—squelch—!
[Surely you feel pain, yet you won’t even open your mouth, will you?]
[Indeed. Like an insect, it merely twitches.]
[But look here.]
Erebus dipped the skewer into the flowing lava, withdrew it, and turned toward the prisoner.
[When I bring a skewer heated in lava to human flesh like this….]
Sizzzzzzle—
“Gaaaaaahhhhh!”
[It inflicts far greater agony than a simple piercing. Look. Can you see the bone melting away?]
[Truly! Haha! This is so much fun. May I try once as well?]
[Of course. Go ahead, try.]
As Erebus handed over the skewer, his son Aether eagerly followed suit.
Sizzzzle—sizzzzle—!
“Gaaah! Gaaaaaaahhhhh!”
[Look at this human. Even as death approaches, he refuses to scream. Does he actually possess pride?]
[That’s precisely what makes this human special. There’s a certain thrill in conquest, wouldn’t you say? Kekeke.]
[Indeed, it’s no fun if it’s too easy. Hehehehe.]
The father and son, chuckling before the prisoner on the verge of unconsciousness, resumed their torture.
The prisoner would surely wish for death, but this was the Hell Prison where souls were confined.
Death was impossible, no matter how desperately one desired it.
“Gaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
[Hahaha! Let’s see how much longer you can endure, you pathetic insect!]
‘The boy’s enjoying himself.’
Erebus, who had been watching his son’s torture with satisfaction, turned his head.
‘Hmm? This signal is…?’
A signal reached him—someone had been caught in the iron cage he had set.
[My son. I’ll be back shortly. It seems someone has triggered my trap….]
[You brat, let’s see if this one can endure it too, shall we?]
Erebus shook his head with a wry smile, observing his son lost in the frenzy of torture, oblivious to his words.
‘I wonder what sort of soul has fallen into my trap?’
Occasionally, such souls did appear.
A foolish soul breaking into a prison to free a captive.
Usually, they were lovers in life, family members, or something of that nature.
‘Ignorant wandering spirits. Nothing is as precious as one’s own life.’
To stop such intruders, traps were set throughout the place.
Once a certain zone was crossed, iron bars would descend to trap the intruder.
That trap had just been triggered.
‘Hehe, let me see what foolish soul has entered this time….’
Erebus, who had approached the iron bars, had no choice but to stop in shock.
[What? A living human?]
Human souls were something I saw frequently.
The one I was torturing now was human too.
But a living human—this was my first time seeing one.
After all, this was a realm where only the dead could enter.
[How did a living human get here….]
“So you came willingly?”
The imprisoned human, Ryu Min, greeted him with a smile.
There was no need to search—he had simply rolled in on his own.
“Are you Erebus?”
[How do you know my name… More importantly, how can you understand my words? Could it be?]
Erebus’s eyes widened.
[A Player?]
Kiiiiing—
Ryu Min prepared Moonlight Island instead of answering.
Seeing this, Erebus let out a scoff.
[Fool. You’re trapped in a prison. Even if you try to break it, it’s impossi….]
Erebus’s eyes went wide as he was about to say it was impossible.
‘Wait, hold on.’
Instinctively sensing danger from the absurd energy, he threw his body to the side.
And in that very instant—
Kuakuakuakuakuabang—!
An explosion erupted.
From the shockwave, Erebus was sent flying back more than ten meters.
[Kueeeek….]
Erebus, lifting his head with pain-stricken eyes, could not help but doubt what he was seeing.
The iron bars, which he had believed would never break, were now mangled beyond recognition.
[I, this can’t be. The iron bars that held strong for 1,800 years….]
He had heard that only Artaros, the God of War, could break them, but it seemed his understanding was wrong.
Thud— Thud—
The monstrous human who had destroyed the iron bars in a single blow was walking toward him.
Normally, he would never fear a mere human, but now the situation was entirely different.
‘I shattered iron bars forged from the divine power of dead gods. It’s impossible unless the same divine power flows through you.’
That statement meant the opponent was a god, regardless of their human appearance.
It also meant they could harm me, a Divine Being.
‘How could a human possibly possess divine power….’
It was hard to believe, but the evidence was undeniable.
Above all, he was glaring at me with murderous intent.
By any measure, he didn’t look like he came here for a conversation.
[Damn it!]
In the end, Erebus had no choice but to swallow his pride.
“Running away?”
Watching Erebus flee into the distance, Ryu Min held back a sneer.
Did he really think he could escape from me?
How absurd.
‘No matter how far he runs, he’s still in the palm of my hand.’
With a tracking skill at my disposal, there was no need to chase urgently.
Though I pursued leisurely, Erebus wasn’t fleeing without a plan.
Clang!
At the sudden sound, Erebus turned his head and smiled wickedly.
‘Got him!’
The human was trapped behind iron bars.
My deliberate lure had worked perfectly.
‘I need to escape before he breaks free again.’
Believing he’d bought himself time, Erebus hurried back to the torture chamber.
[Aether! Aether!]
[Father? What’s wrong?]
Seeing his father’s urgent expression, Aether stopped the torture.
[An intruder just broke in! We need to escape immediately!]
[But we have the iron bars. What’s there to worry about?]
[A monster powerful enough to shatter those bars has appeared!]
[Ugh… I was just getting to the fun part….]
Erebus found his son’s grumbling frustrating.
[This is no time to dawdle! We have to escape….]
“It’s already too late.”
At the voice from behind, Erebus jumped in shock.
[How, how are you already here?]
“I have a skill that allows spatial leaps.”
Being able to use Moonlight Island meant I could use other skills as well.
Escaping via teleportation was easier than taking candy from a baby.
[What is this? He’s human?]
Just then, Aether stepped forward and looked Ryu Min up and down.
[Don’t, don’t come closer!]
[Father. Why are you so frightened? He’s merely a human.]
[Didn’t you hear what I said? That human right now…!]
In that instant, Erebus stopped speaking and reconsidered.
‘He’s a human who can shatter iron bars with a single blow. If I’m caught, I’ll surely die. But….’
If someone blocked him, an opportunity might arise.
‘I can always have another son.’
Erebus, who had been trembling with fear, changed his expression.
[My son! Show that uneducated human what we’re made of!]
[Don’t worry.]
Aether flashed a confident smile toward his father, then furrowed his brow at the human.
[How dare a pathetic insect of a human presume to act so brazenly here….]
“A father-and-son pair of garbage, huh?”
Ryu Min, who had read both Divine Beings’ thoughts long ago, shook his head in disgust.
One was torturing and savoring a human soul, while the other was using his son as a shield to survive.
Aether found Ryu Min’s hollow laugh deeply unsettling, veins bulging across his forehead.
[You deranged bastard. A taste of this iron skewer will teach you some manners… huh?]
Aether, who had been about to lift the iron skewer, suddenly wore a vacant expression.
Strangely, strength wouldn’t flow into his arm.
No—he had no sensation at all.
‘What’s wrong? Why can’t I exert force? I was holding it just moments ago… huh? That’s my skewer, isn’t it?’
A hand holding the skewer was visible on the ground.
An arm was visible too, blood flowing from the severed edge.
And his vision tilted upside down as he struck the floor.
“You sacrificed even your son, and this is all you managed? Couldn’t buy yourself enough time?”
Watching Ryu Min sever both Aether’s arm and neck in a single moment, Erebus was seized with terror.
[This, this….]
He tried to speak, but there was no time for final words.
Ryu Min’s scythe mercilessly severed his neck.
[Experience +6,000,000,000]
[Experience converted to 60,000 stat points.]
[Experience +3,000,000,000]
[Experience converted to 30,000 stat points.]
…
…
[You have reached level 460!]
[Stat gain per level up has increased to 39!]
[Soul’s Gauntlet absorbs the souls of the slain Divine Beings.]
[Soul ‘Aether’ has been stored in the gauntlet.]
[You have learned the new temporary skill ‘Master of the Atmosphere’!]
[The soul ‘Erebus’ has been stored in the gauntlet.]
[You have learned the new temporary skill ‘Hell’s Warden’!]
[You absorb Terra from the spiritual body of the slain Divine Being.]
[You have absorbed 5,012,039 Terra from the soul ‘Aether’.]
[You have absorbed 15,075,323 Terra from the soul ‘Erebus’.]
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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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