The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 357

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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 – Side Story, Episode 2
2. Seo A-rin’s Wish (Part 1)
[Welcome to the Wish Room.]
[Feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about.]
[It doesn’t matter whether you ask through thought or speech. I will answer with utmost sincerity.]
‘So this is the Wish Room.’
A pristine white expanse devoid of anything.
Standing alone in that space, Seo A-rin recalled once more the wish she had been contemplating all along.
‘If I speak this wish… will it be possible?’
[It is possible. This is a wish you can achieve with your current contribution score.]
Seo A-rin’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s in surprise.
It read her thoughts without her speaking them aloud.
‘Right, it said it would answer even if I asked through thought.’
[That is correct. Please ask anything you’re curious about.]
The system’s response was swift, and Seo A-rin asked her question without hesitation.
“What exactly is a contribution score?”
[It refers to the value you contributed during the Final Round converted into points. Your eligibility for a wish is determined through these points.]
“Ah… so not every wish can be granted.”
The magnitude of one’s wish is divided according to their contribution in the final round.
There are limitations.
‘The person ranked first in contribution is naturally Black Scythe.’
Just how much contribution did Black Scythe earn, and what wish did he make?
[I cannot disclose information about others.]
“Ah… I see. I wasn’t really expecting to know anyway.”
The system’s responses, reading her thoughts and answering of its own accord, somehow felt endearing.
‘Being able to smile like this must be because of the relief that my wish can be granted.’
What if her contribution score had been too low to achieve her wish?
Seo A-rin’s mind would have been filled with confusion at such an unexpected turn of events.
“I have a question.”
[Anything is fine. Please ask.]
“What happens to my abilities when I leave the Wish Room?”
[All abilities you currently possess will be reset, and you will return to being an ordinary person. Of course, you could make a wish to retain your abilities, but with your conversion value, it would be difficult to restore everything.]
“So some of it is possible, at least?”
[That is correct.]
What if other players besides her also wished to retain their system abilities?
Wouldn’t that bring chaos to the world once again?
[That is impossible.]
‘Huh? It can’t happen?’
[Only one person per world line can have their wish granted. Once you make your wish, you will be newly placed into the world line where that wish is applied.]
‘World line?’
Unfamiliar terms and theories tumbled forth, leaving me utterly bewildered.
‘What does it mean that only I can fulfill my wish? What about the other players?’
[When other players who entered the Wish Room state their desires, they are transported to their respective worldlines. In those worlds too, only a single player achieves their wish. This measure ensures that wishes do not overlap with one another.]
‘I see.’
With the explanation, understanding began to crystallize.
If too many people fulfilled their wishes, it would create chaos in countless ways.
“Then what happens to the other players when I fulfill my wish? Do they not remember entering the Wish Room?”
[In Seo A-rin’s worldline, that is correct. The surviving players, excluding Seo A-rin, will forget that wishes existed as a reward in the first place. They will have no memory of the Wish Room’s existence whatsoever, perceiving only that they cleared the Survival Game.]
‘Ah… they lose their memories entirely from the beginning.’
[Only memories related to the wish are affected in this manner.]
“Thank you. That cleared up most of my questions. Now….”
Seo A-rin’s expression hardened with resolve.
“Fulfill my wish.”

* * *
Seo A-rin opened her eyes in her room as she always did.
Reality unchanged.
Normally, relief at having survived should have washed over me, followed by anxiety about how to conquer the next round, but….
‘There’s no need for that anymore. The Survival Game has ended.’
I had conquered beyond Round 20 and cleared the Final Round.
Naturally, there could be nothing after that.
Complete peace.
Yet Seo A-rin’s expression would not ease.
It was because of what she had heard in the Wish Room moments before.
‘This is another worldline where only I fulfilled my wish. The others don’t even remember the Wish Room’s existence….’
Then was this world truly the one she knew?
The world she had lived in, the world where she had survived?
What of the comrades who had endured all manner of hardship and adversity?
Could they truly be called her comrades?
‘Ugh, this is so complicated.’
My mind was a tangled mess.
Whether this was the world I knew or not, there was no other path forward now.
Fulfilling the wish simply transported me to the worldline where that wish came true.
Nothing more, nothing less.
‘At least the wish was granted, right…?’
Whether that was true or not, I would discover by checking directly.
Rising from the bed, Seo A-rin moved toward somewhere.
She did not go far.
Her destination was simply the floor below.
Beep beep beep— Ding dong dong—♬
Seo A-rin pressed the doorbell and waited tensely.
After a moment, the door opened and a man appeared.
His expression radiated genuine warmth.
“A-rin! It’s wonderful to see you alive and well.”
“I’m happy to see you too, Ryu Min.”
“Don’t just stand there—come inside.”
“Oh… yes.”
Seo A-rin stepped inside, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Entering the home of someone you care for was an exhilarating experience.
“Where’s Ryu Won?”
“I’m right here, noona. Just a moment—let me bring out some fruit I’ve prepared.”
Ryu Won, as always, emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron and began slicing with practiced precision.
“I learned this from a tutorial online. What do you think?”
“Wow, the plating is absolutely beautiful!”
“His skills improve with each passing day. Our Ryu Won is becoming quite the chef.”
As I marveled at the artfully arranged fruit platter, Ryu Won excused himself from the room.
The moment he left.
“A-rin.”
I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice.
“Do you have time later?”
“Time? What do you mean?”
“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you privately.”
What could he possibly want to talk about?
Curiosity stirred within her, but she knew he wouldn’t reveal it now.
“Oh, I understand.”
“I’ll text you the details later.”
As Ryu Won returned, I straightened up and casually popped a piece of fruit into my mouth, as if nothing had happened.
‘What could he want to discuss… Oh, but I came here to verify something, didn’t I?’
With that thought, Seo A-rin recalled the answer she’d heard in the Wish Room and asked.
“Ryu Min, didn’t you make a wish?”
“A wish? What do you…?”
“The wish you make after clearing the final round.”
Despite her specificity, Ryu Min merely blinked, as if he had no idea what she meant.
‘He truly doesn’t remember. Or perhaps… this is a world where memories have been erased?’
As melancholy crossed her expression, Ryu Min suddenly smiled with understanding.
“Ah, you mean whether I made a wish to commemorate surviving until the end, right?”
“…Yes, something like that.”
“I was so focused on survival that I never got around to thinking about it. What wish did you make, A-rin?”
“I didn’t really have anything specific in mind either…”
Flustered, Seo A-rin fumbled through her lie.
Ever since I developed feelings for Ryu Min, I’ve harbored only one wish in my heart.
“Did your system abilities disappear too, Seo A-rin?”
“Yes… Did yours as well?”
“Yes. After clearing the Final Round, I received a message that all my abilities would vanish. Since my status window won’t open, it seems to be true. I suppose the Game ended, so they revoked my player status.”
“What happened to Chaos…?”
The question tumbled out, born of sudden curiosity.
Whether she still remembered Chaos, who had fought alongside her in the Final Round.
“Whatever happened, it doesn’t matter. We won’t have the chance to meet anyway. The important thing is that he won’t be able to covet our world. Not that he’d have any reason to.”
“Ah…”
‘She does remember.’
Only the memories related to the wish had been erased.

* * *
“Thanks for the meal, Won.”
“Noona, come visit again. Oh, and congratulations on surviving!”
“Thanks. You should come over to my place sometime too. I can whip up some simple home cooking.”
“Really? Yes! Hyung, did you hear? A chance to see a celebrity’s house!”
“What’s there to see? It’s probably not much different from ours.”
“Come on, you secretly like it too!”
Though Ryu Min spoke indifferently, Seo A-rin saw it.
The slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.
“Then, I’ll see you next time.”
“Yes. Take care, Seo A-rin.”
After closing the door, I pressed the elevator button.
It wasn’t far—just a few floors up.
But not long after, my phone vibrated.
Bzzt!
‘What is it?’
I checked my phone and found a text message.
[Ryu Min: Let’s meet at the Underground Parking Lot in 5 minutes.]
[Seo A-rin: Oh, okay.]
After sending my reply, the elevator arrived just in time, and I went down ahead.
After waiting a few minutes, I saw Ryu Min emerge, impeccably dressed.
He’d changed clothes in the meantime.
“Seo A-rin. Have you been waiting long?”
“Oh, no.”
“Let’s take my car.”
“Okay.”
As Seo A-rin climbed into the Lamborghini, Ryu Min started the engine and pulled away.
Without a word.
“W-where are we going?”
“Somewhere conducive to conversation.”
With that, I drove for quite some time toward our destination.
Without uttering a single word during the journey, I navigated the highway until we arrived at none other than the Beach.
“This place…”
“Shall we take a walk?”
“Oh, yes.”
The dead of early morning.
We walked along the Sandy Beach beneath the night sky.
I could guess why he’d brought me here, but I had no way of knowing what he intended to say.
As we continued treading through the sand for some time.
A cool breeze swept through my hair.
“A-rin.”
Ryu Min opened his mouth with a serious expression, as though it was finally time to broach the main subject.
“I really like you.”
“…”
“I haven’t shown it, but… I genuinely care for you.”
Seo A-rin’s footsteps halted.
She covered her own mouth.
She couldn’t trust herself to close the mouth that had fallen open in shock.
‘My wish… it really came true.’
Making Ryu Min fall for her.
That was the wish Seo A-rin had desired.
How long had she waited for this day?
“A-rin. Would you like to date me seriously?”
“…”
After hesitating briefly, Seo A-rin nodded.
“…Yes.”
The moment I heard those words, my expression brightened considerably.
Just then, light spread across the horizon.
As if blessing the two of us who had become lovers.
“So from today, day one?”
“…Yes.”
“Now that we’re dating, let’s drop the formalities. Or should I call you noona?”
At my bold suggestion, Seo A-rin’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit before she let out a soft laugh.
“Fine, I’ll drop the formalities. But don’t call me noona.”
“Why?”
“It makes me sound old.”
“You look beautiful to me, though.”
With that, I naturally took her hand.
Seo A-rin was startled by his bold display of affection, but only for a moment.
‘This is it. The wish I’ve always longed for.’
To savor the reality she desired, I interlaced my fingers more deeply with hers.
“The sun is truly beautiful.”
“It really is.”
The two lovers’ gazes were captivated by the sun, its crimson crown breaking through the horizon.
It was the beginning of a day filled with anticipation.

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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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