The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 369

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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 14
14. Ma Gyeong-rok’s Wish
Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes opened the moment he entered the Wish Room.
‘Where am I?’
I have no idea how long I was unconscious.
I’m simply curious about where this place is.
The answer came from the system.
[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 voice. I will answer with utmost sincerity.]
It was only natural that Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes widened.
‘A wish? Now that I think about it….’
There was talk that clearing all of Round 20 would grant a wish.
And the rounds I cleared were….
‘How far did I go…?’
Was it Round 10?
My memory is hazy.
At that moment, the system’s words came to mind.
‘It said I could ask anything I’m curious about, right? Then will it answer this too?’
Ma Gyeong-rok asked the question that troubled him most.
“Did I clear the rounds?”
[Yes. Player ‘Cheon Ma’ cleared beyond Round 20, passed the Final Round, and touched the Wish Stone. That is how you were able to enter the Wish Room.]
‘I cleared the Final Round and came here?’
It seems Black Scythe and his companions ultimately succeeded.
Given that I’ve entered the Wish Room.
‘But why don’t I remember anything? I don’t even recall touching the Wish Stone or whatever it was, let alone the Final Round.’
[The current player appears to be experiencing memory loss due to a system phenomenon.]
“A system phenomenon? Explain it in simpler terms.”
[Upon reviewing the records, traces of the Fascination Rune’s effects were discovered. The point of origin is after Round 10.]
“The Fascination Rune?”
[It is a rune capable of bewitching the opposite sex and permanently dominating their mind. Currently, its effects have been removed due to your entry into the Wish Room.]
Ma Gyeong-rok was shocked upon learning the truth.
‘I… was mentally dominated?’
From what I gathered, some player wielding the Fascination Rune had done this to me without anyone knowing.
“Who did this to me?”
[There are records of you being dominated by a player named ‘Yamtti’.]
Now that I think about it, there was a player named Yamtti among Black Scythe’s companions.
‘She did this to me?’
It seems I was used like a puppet all this time.
‘Ha, this is ridiculous. So that’s why my memories stopped at Round 10?’
Ma Gyeong-rok strained to recall his final memory.
‘That was it… yes, I was at the Company.’
I remembered meeting Ryu Min, the major shareholder.
And then a woman had entered after that.
‘Now I understand. That woman was Yamtti. The one who possessed the Fascination Rune.’
The one who brought that woman was none other than Ryu Min—Black Scythe.
I vaguely recalled the woman addressing Black Scythe as “Master.”
‘Could Black Scythe have betrayed me…?’
I wasn’t certain whether Yamtti acted on her own initiative or not, but one thing was undeniable—Black Scythe was involved.
‘Damn it. I need to take revenge on that bastard…’
[That is impossible.]
The System, which arbitrarily read others’ thoughts, arbitrarily provided an answer.
[Upon entering the Wish Room, the current worldline has become completely separated. The worldline you return to after fulfilling your wish is a new one, so returning to the original worldline to exact revenge is essentially impossible.]
“What are you talking about? I asked you to explain clearly.”
Ma Gyeong-rok soon received an explanation about worldlines.
Once I heard it, it was simple.
When you fulfill your wish, you become trapped in your own worldline.
Like opening a new document window.
‘So in that document window, each person writes their own story where their wish has been granted?’
It wasn’t difficult to understand.
Just difficult to accept.
‘Damn it. Now that I understand everything, I can’t even take revenge on Black Scythe…’
I’d known Black Scythe was cunning, but who could have predicted he’d stab me in the back like this?
[Please state your wish. Then I will create a new worldline with your wish applied.]
At the System’s urging for a wish, Ma Gyeong-rok fell into deep contemplation.
‘A wish? What was my wish?’
It was something I couldn’t help but ponder.
Having achieved wealth and fame, I had almost no wishes left.
‘I won the succession struggle. The Chairman position is already secured.’
So I didn’t need money or fame.
‘I have no desire to reconcile with my brothers now.’
Restoring family relationships was not what I desired.
‘I don’t want to turn Christine’s heart away from Black Scythe, whom she already loves.’
Love was merely an insignificant emotion in my life.
Then what should I wish for?
‘Should I wish to eliminate the malice within me?’
The urge to kill.
If I eliminated that, I wouldn’t have to spend my life committing murders.
I could live without insomnia, ordinarily like everyone else.
But.
I didn’t want to.
I felt no desire to suppress the impulse.
‘Why would I give up something this good?’
Having already tasted the exhilaration of killing, I could find no reason to abandon it.
[Please state your wish.]
At the system’s voice echoing once more, Ma Gyeong-rok made his decision.
“My wish is….”

* * *
Ma Gyeong-rok opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
It was a Hotel Room no different from usual.
Immediately after, An Sang-chul, his right hand, burst through the door and rushed toward him.
“Director!”
“Director An.”
“Finally… finally it’s over! We did it!”
“Is that so?”
Ma Gyeong-rok’s expression remained impassive.
But An Sang-chul raised no objections.
He knew the director rarely expressed his emotions openly.
‘He must be delighted.’
Yet contrary to An Sang-chul’s assumptions, Ma Gyeong-rok felt no such joy.
This world was a newly constructed timeline.
In other words, it was false.

* * *
Even in this new world, everything remained perfectly identical to the previous one.
The only difference was that the players had no memory of the Wish Room.
More precisely, they didn’t even know that wishes could be granted.
‘It seems I’m the only strange one here.’
When I sought out the surviving players and brought up the subject of wishes, they all looked at me as if I were speaking nonsense. The feeling was unsettling.
‘Though I suppose I have no right to complain. I can’t remember anything either.’
I had no memories beyond Round 10.
Despite the certainty that I’d endured countless hardships and adversities to reach this point.
‘This is all because of Black Scythe, isn’t it?’
Even as I directed my seething rage toward Black Scythe, he merely stared at me with bewildered eyes.
“Is something the matter, Chairman Ma?”
“No, nothing.”
“But why did you want to see me…?”
“There are a few things I’d like to ask you.”
“What could you possibly want to ask? I’m neither a Seer nor anything else now.”
Black Scythe, who had once commanded the rounds with an iron fist through Round 10, had now devolved into an ordinary person.
Perhaps because of that, the same presence and fear he once commanded were nowhere to be felt.
Only rage toward him remained.
‘Does this bastard remember being controlled by the Fascination Rune?’
This was what Ma Gyeong-rok was curious about.
Only memories of the wish had been erased—surely other memories remained intact?
That’s why I’d summoned him here.
“After Round 10 ended. You came to find me then, didn’t you?”
“Round 10? Well, didn’t you come to find me every time? I was the major shareholder, after all.”
“That’s true. But think carefully. I remember you coming with a certain woman at that time.”
As I spoke, I watched Ryu Min intently.
I needed to determine whether he was lying.
Fortunately, Ryu Min seemed to remember what happened back then.
His shoulders flinched momentarily, which gave it away.
“Ah, you mean that time? I remember. I came with a woman named Kim Ye-dam.”
“Kim Ye-dam?”
“She was a player who was with me. Don’t you remember?”
“Do you mean Yamtti?”
“Oh, you do remember.”
At Ryu Min’s words, I pulled the corners of my mouth upward.
Now it was certain.
‘So the two of them were in cahoots after all.’
It was indeed Ryu Min who had controlled my mind.
“Why did you come to see me back then?”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with. I simply came to introduce a colleague.”
Unaware that everything had been exposed, Ryu Min brazenly continued his lie.
Ma Gyeong-rok could only find it absurd.
‘Don’t make me laugh. Wasn’t she the woman you brought to control my mind?’
He wanted to press the matter, but doing so would change nothing.
There was no evidence anymore, and this was a new worldline copied from the previous one.
He couldn’t be certain that the Ryu Min here was the same as the one from back then.
‘All the players here are fakes. They’re nothing but NPCs spouting predetermined lines. The real ones must be living out their wishes in a new worldline after touching the Wish Stone.’
Further questioning was pointless.
With that conclusion, Ma Gyeong-rok abandoned his revenge and cut ties with Ryu Min.
He had no desire to speak with him any longer.
Ryu Min seemed to feel the same way, for he never came looking for him again after that.

* * *
Ma Gyeong-rok was the sole heir to the Oseong Group.
He was the only one within the group to survive beyond Round 20 and make it to the Final Round.
‘My brothers are dead.’
I had thought they were alive, but I was wrong.
I couldn’t remember what happened after Round 10, but their deaths were certain.
They had already held funerals for them, after all.
‘That’s fine. They were useless anyway. And it seems my wish has been granted because of it.’
After much deliberation, the wish I had conceived was simple.
To receive recognition from Ma Dae-chul, the group representative and my father.
Even becoming the heir wouldn’t guarantee that recognition, so I made it my wish to be certain.
There was nothing else I particularly desired.
‘I pride myself on having lived diligently to not betray Father’s expectations. And now.’
Whether I had lived up to those expectations, Ma Dae-chul was smiling brightly.
Looking at me with eyes that said he was immensely proud.
For a father of such a stoic nature, it was truly a remarkable change.
And most surprising of all.
“Gyeong-rok.”
“…!”
He had called me by my name in this formal company setting.
“Now that there is no Gyeong-sang or Gyeong-su, you are the sole bloodline of this family. The sole heir as well.”
“The heir, you say?”
“Yes. I have not been unaware of your efforts all this time. I simply pretended not to know so you would grow stronger. After all, is it not true that weeds weathering wind and rain develop deeper roots than hothouse flowers? I wanted you to become stronger. And I hoped you would prove yourself worthy of the heir’s position with confidence.”
Rising from his chair—no, my father—approached me and suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
“You have proven yourself admirably. Now I can entrust the group to you with peace of mind.”
“Are you truly giving it to me?”
“Of course. You are my only son—who else would I give it to?”
My chest swelled with emotion.
Was this what it felt like to receive Father’s acknowledgment?
A profound smile bloomed across Ma Gyeong-rok’s lips as his wish came true.

* * *
Recognized as the group’s successor, Ma Gyeong-rok withdrew from Cheonma Consulting from that point onward.
He began inheriting the group’s shares in earnest and took his hand to its management.
“I told you to do it this way here. Does my word not even sound like words to you?”
“I-I’m terribly sorry, Director Ma.”
As a director, Ma Gyeong-rok played the role of a difficult superior and seized control of the company.
He knew from experience that this was the only way to manage the company without being looked down upon.
‘Handling the subordinates solves the company’s problems, but….’
The urge to kill could never be satisfied.
‘Did I wish for the wrong thing? I can’t endure this any longer.’
Three months had passed since his last murder.
Day after day of relentless insomnia and exhaustion.
Ma Gyeong-rok could bear it no longer.
‘This won’t do. I’ll act today.’
Unable to suppress his urges, Ma Gyeong-rok called his right hand.

* * *
“Director An.”
“Yes.”
“Are you ready?”
“A… yes.”
An Sang-chul’s response lacked conviction.
Something felt off.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no sir.”
“Who is today’s prey? A violent criminal or a petty offender?”
“…You’ll understand once you see for yourself.”
An Sang-chul said this and led Ma Gyeong-rok to the warehouse.
Deep in the early morning hours.
The moment the warehouse door opened, moonlight seeped through without hesitation.
As Ma Gyeong-rok caught sight of the criminal’s silhouette, his hand moved to draw his blade.
‘Huh?’
The criminal he expected to find bound was sitting in a chair instead.
Then suddenly, he stood and approached—was he really approaching?
“Director An. Why didn’t you restrain….”
“Gyeong-rok.”
At the deep, resonant voice, Ma Gyeong-rok flinched in surprise.
“Ah, Father?”
The person before him was not a criminal, but his father, Ma Dae-chul.
Confusion flooded Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes.
‘Did An Sang-chul betray me?’
With that thought, he shot a glare at An Sang-chul, but his father’s words came faster.
“There’s no reason to blame Sang-chul. He arranged all this for your sake.”
“Father. There’s been some misunderstanding….”
“No need for excuses. I’ve already heard everything.”
Ma Dae-chul placed a hand on Ma Gyeong-rok’s shoulder as he spoke.
“You must have suffered greatly.”
“….”
Those words from his father pierced Ma Gyeong-rok’s heart.
He felt the malice he had been concealing all this time beginning to fade.
“I’m sorry for not understanding sooner. As a father, I didn’t even know my own son harbored such an affliction….”
Ma Dae-chul sighed, offering a sincere apology.
“If such desires arise again, let us face them together from now on. Hide nothing more. I will help you.”
“Ah, Father….”
In that moment, Ma Gyeong-rok realized something.
His true wish had finally come to pass.

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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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