The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 377

—————
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 – Side Story Episode 1
1. Graduation Ceremony
“Brother, wake up. You need to go to school.”
“Mmm… just a moment.”
“You said that earlier too. Get up already.”
I opened my eyes, feeling my Younger Brother’s hand shaking my shoulder.
I’d overslept.
‘Even the legendary Black Scythe oversleeps now. Have I truly succumbed to ordinariness?’
Back when I was a Player, I rarely had the luxury of sleeping in.
Every night at midnight, I was dragged into the Other World without fail.
‘When I was in the Other World, my body in reality remained in a sleep-like state, so I never felt exhausted upon returning.’
It’s already been three years living like this.
Ryu Min, who regressed to before my parents passed away by borrowing the power of time from Chronos.
Ever since then, I’ve been living an ordinary life.
With my family.
“You’re awake?”
“Good morning, Mother.”
“Go wash up and come eat. By the way, I still can’t get used to hearing ‘Mother’ no matter how many times I hear it.”
“Doesn’t that just mean our Min has grown up so much? Ha ha, and your school grades are excellent too.”
Father’s laughter as he ate.
The sound of Mother’s knife tapping rhythmically against the cutting board.
Even my Younger Brother pushing me from behind, urging me to wash up quickly.
To me, all of this felt like a dream.
‘But it’s not a dream. It’s utterly real.’
This was an ideal world where Divine Beings, Demon Tribes, and Celestial Tribes did not exist.
The 102nd worldline, as I call it.
A dimension stitched together from the advantages of the 101st worldline, where the Survival Game does not occur.
The 1.8 billion people who had been trapped were living their ordinary lives as always.
‘I made it that way. Me.’
Connecting worldlines is something I shouldn’t have done, but I was greedy enough to want to envision a future where my parents were alive.
“Brother, are you done washing? Hurry and eat, then get ready. You didn’t forget what today is, did you?”
“Of course not. It’s my graduation day.”
Today is my high school graduation ceremony.
An event I’d never experienced since being dragged into the Survival Game.
I cannot express how much I’d anticipated this day.
‘Not just graduation, but every single day is precious.’
For me, every moment spent with my family was like experiencing an event for the first time, so each day was invaluable.
“Will everyone be coming?”
“Why would you even ask? Of course we’re going to our son’s graduation. That’s why Dad took the day off.”
“Should we go together?”
“No, that’s not it. My parents said to come a bit later, so I’ll head out first.”
“Alright. Eat up quickly and get going.”
“Brother, try the miso soup. Mom made it today and it’s really delicious.”
Amid the warm and cheerful atmosphere, I finished my meal with a smile.
It was truly the perfect start to the day.

* * *
“Min, you’re here? You’re a bit late today, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I ended up oversleeping a little.”
“Oversleeping? That’s unusual. Were you nervous about the graduation ceremony?”
“I guess so.”
The moment I stepped into the classroom, the one who greeted me was none other than Min Ju-ri.
My classmate Min Ju-ri has maintained our connection across both this world and that other one.
‘The difference from the other timeline… I suppose it’s that we became acquainted much earlier?’
Before, we’d never exchanged a single word in the classroom, but this time was different.
‘I was the one who approached her first. To become closer.’
Her personality, preferences, favorite foods, family circumstances—everything.
Knowing all of it, we grew close at an astonishing pace.
So much so that other students grew envious.
“Look at that, your boyfriend shows up and your face lights right up.”
“Hey, stop it. Don’t tease me.”
Ham Jung-ah, the class president, teased Min Ju-ri with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Why are you embarrassed? Don’t you know you two are our class’s official couple?”
“W-what are you talking about? C-couple?!”
“You two went to see the New Year’s bell together last time. Just the two of you. What else would that be if not a couple?”
As she deliberately spread the information, whispers rippled through the surrounding students.
“They went to see the New Year’s bell together?”
“Why would they do that if they’re not a couple?”
“Are they really in that kind of relationship?”
Min Ju-ri’s face flushed red as she heard the murmurs.
“F-friends can go together too!”
“You’re visibly flustered. Something’s suspicious, isn’t it?”
“S-suspicious? Who’s—”
“You actually like Ryu Min, don’t you?”
The class president had struck a nerve, and Min Ju-ri couldn’t find her words.
I pressed my forehead at her honest reaction.
‘Ju-ri, staying silent like that will only make them more suspicious…’
Sure enough, a wicked smile played at the class president’s lips.
“I knew it. It’s unrequited love, isn’t it? How long have you liked him?”
“Ah, stop teasing me already. And cut out the weird talk.”
“I’m just jealous, that’s all.”
The class president spoke in a teasing tone, but I could see through it.
It wasn’t a joke—he meant every word.
-Sigh… I’m envious. Unlike me, whose romantic life is a complete mess, he’s good at dating… and on top of that, his grades are better than mine. He’s got a pretty face too, so he’s popular… Now that I think about it, he’s got everything, doesn’t he? Damn.
The class president was jealous of Min Ju-ri.
I could tell better than anyone because I possessed the rune of true thoughts.
The other students’ inner feelings weren’t much different.
They just didn’t show it.
-Are those two actually dating?
-I’m so jealous, really jealous. Min Ju-ri’s got a pretty face and a great personality…
-Even if they’re not dating, they look so close together. It’s nice to watch. Damn it…
-They’re probably just close friends, right? Nothing to be jealous about.
Everyone envied the friendship between me and Min Ju-ri.
And for good reason—we both boasted grades that competed for first and second place in the class.
And what about our appearances?
Min Ju-ri, with her bright and cute puppy-like charm, unknowingly drew the attention of the boys.
I was quiet and small in stature, but with decent looks and strong academics, I found myself the subject of whispered gossip among the girls.
When word spread that two such people were dating, it was only natural that people felt bitter about it.
Those harboring resentment felt it even more intensely.
-Look at that guy, fooling around with a girl.
-I bet those two have done all sorts of things together.
-That bastard’s got a girlfriend, but when am I gonna get one, dammit.
All those viewing me negatively were Hwang Yong-min’s friends.
And Hwang Yong-min himself went without saying.
-You bastard, Ryu Min. You better believe you’re dying today.
Hwang Yong-min glared at me with sharp eyes.
When our gazes met, he quickly looked away and lowered his tail.
‘He’s plotting something.’
In the previous world, being bullied by Hwang Yong-min and his delinquent gang was routine, but that wasn’t the case here.
Because I didn’t take it lying down like I had before.
‘Did I come on too strong at first? They haven’t even talked to me since I showed them what I’m capable of.’
Hwang Yong-min and his gang had picked a fight with me on the first day simply because I sat near them.
I called them out to the Back Mountain and beat them like a dog on a hot day, imprinting a lesson upon them.
What happens when you mess with me.
Of course, I hadn’t used any Player abilities or items.
I’d simply overpowered them with pure physical strength.
‘To them, I’m probably just a student who’s good at fighting.’
That’s why I occasionally catch glimpses of irritation in their eyes.
‘He’s lowered his tail, but his gaze is full of venom. Even reading his thoughts confirms it.’
It seems the imprinting from that day hadn’t fully taken hold.
He should have beaten him to death.
‘He’s probably hoping for a chance at revenge… but he’s still in the palm of my hand.’
Ryu Min chuckled softly, then followed the teacher’s guidance toward the gymnasium shortly after.
The graduation ceremony would be held soon.

* * *
“Hey, let’s smoke here.”
“Okay. No one around, perfect spot.”
Five men gathered in a secluded corner behind the gymnasium.
It was Hwang Yong-min’s gang, assembled for a cigarette break.
“Hey, but we don’t need to hide like this anymore, right?”
“Yeah. We’re adults now.”
“You idiot, it’s still school grounds. What if some old-timer walking by catches us?”
“Right. We’re not avoiding it because we’re scared of shit—we’re avoiding it because it’s disgusting.”
“We’ll just get lectured if we get caught for nothing. Hssss… exhale…”
Hwang Yong-min and his friends exhaled smoke in thick plumes.
They’d taken this cigarette break because there was still time before the graduation ceremony started.
“Ahh, this is good…”
“Finally adults.”
“No more wearing these damn uniforms…”
“I’m going to nap as much as I want from today on. No one’s going to wake me up for class anymore.”
“Why would they bother waking you up if you weren’t going to listen anyway?”
“Exactly.”
“Everyone remembers, right? After the graduation ceremony today, we’re throwing a proper drinking party?”
“Now we can confidently walk into those establishments. Hehehehe.”
Everyone was elated by graduation and couldn’t hide their smiles, but one person wore a serious expression.
“Yong-min. Why do you look so grim?”
“Yeah. Your expression’s off.”
“Did something happen at home?”
Hwang Yong-min, who had been smoking in silence, spat roughly onto the ground.
“Ptui! That bastard. He smirked at me earlier, didn’t he? I’m sure of it.”
“Who are you talking about? Don’t tell me it’s Ryu Min?”
“Hey, just try to forget about him.”
“It wasn’t just you who got hit. We all got beaten too.”
His friends understood well why Hwang Yong-min was furious.
They’d called the quiet kid to the back mountain intending to teach him a lesson, but who could have known he was actually a skilled fighter hiding in plain sight?
‘Yong-min took the most hits out of all of us, so it makes sense he’s this angry.’
Of course, the friends who’d taken several blows themselves harbored no small amount of resentment toward Ryu Min.
“Who would’ve thought that bastard could fight like that?”
“Right. If he just couldn’t fight, we’d have him running errands for us by now.”
“Lucky bastard. Since you’re graduating, there’s nothing we can do. Guess we have to let you go.”
“Who the hell said you could let me go?”
Hwang Yong-min’s voice turned cold as his eyes gleamed with intensity.
“I didn’t tell you guys, but I’m planning to take care of that bastard today.”
“What?”
“Take care of him? What, are you pickling him like kimchi?”
“I’m not joking, you idiots.”
Hwang Yong-min’s friends stiffened when they saw the venom in his eyes.
‘Is this guy serious…?’
‘That lunatic again. What kind of trouble is he trying to cause now…’
‘Well, he said he’d become a gangster, so nothing he does would be surprising…’
‘Surely he’s not planning to stab someone? That would be way too much, seriously.’
Sensing something ominous in the word “take care of,” his friends cautiously asked.
“So… what are you planning to do?”
“You remember when I said I’d become a gangster, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, we remember.”
“Well, I actually went and found those famous gangster bosses in Seoul like I said.”
“What? You met actual gangsters?”
“Yeah. There’s this organization called the Jung-sik Faction—incredibly famous.”
“Jung-sik Faction? Never heard of it.”
Hwang Yong-min’s expression darkened.
“Well, you wouldn’t know! Anyway, they’re an extremely powerful organization around here. They’re my role models too! Since I was planning to join them anyway, I made up my mind and went looking for them. I had to dig through all kinds of establishments before I finally found them, seriously.”
“So… what happened?”
“I got on my knees and begged those hyungs to accept me. I even went through some kind of test to become part of the family, but that’s not the important part… Anyway, I’ve decided to join that organization.”
“Holy shit…”
“Insane! You already decided to join an organization?”
“So you’re actually a gangster now?”
“I’m still in the probation period, but it’s basically the same as being a gangster. Heh heh.”
Hwang Yong-min boasted as if he’d just passed an interview at a major conglomerate.
“And I asked the hyungs for a favor. I said there’s this bastard I really want to beat up, and he’s good at fighting. I asked if they could come on graduation day and beat him up for me.”
“Don’t tell me that bastard you want to beat up is…”
“Yeah. Ryu Min.”
Hwang Yong-min’s lips curled into a sinister smile.
“That bastard Ryu Min is as good as dead now. The hyungs promised they’d come.”
All his friends thought the same thing simultaneously.
This crazy bastard had finally done it.

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