The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 38

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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 38
38. Round 3 Concluded
★ Round 3 Results Compiled ★
[All Zones]
└1st Place. Black Scythe (Lv30 Reaper) 3,631 Defeated
└2nd Place. Shit Idiots (Lv13 Shaman) 982 Defeated
└3rd Place. Heavenly Demon (Lv13 Dark Knight) 963 Defeated
[Zone ESKS45-5]
└1st Place. Black Scythe (Lv30 Reaper) 3,631 Defeated
└2nd Place. An Sang-chul (Lv11 Knight) 687 Defeated
└3rd Place. Seo A-rin (Lv11 Summoner) 576 Defeated
What shocked everyone about the compiled results was unmistakable.
“Black Scythe alone defeated over 3,600 creatures?”
“And 2nd place didn’t even reach 1,000?”
Black Scythe taking first place was naturally expected.
But I never imagined they’d defeated this many.
And on top of that.
“Look at the level. Level 30?”
“Insane…”
“Did they get some kind of experience bonus or something?”
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the overwhelming level gap.
Everyone except Ryu Min, the person in question.
‘I did receive an experience buff. Though I doubt anyone would even know such a thing exists unless they claim first place across all zones.’
First place across all zones receives a special reward selection box.
The triple experience benefit can only be obtained by opening that box.
‘2nd and 3rd place across all zones receive far inferior rewards. And the top three in a single zone? Don’t even mention it.’
Still, placing in the top three to receive additional rewards is far better.
The growth rate is noticeably different.
‘Plus, with higher growth, the chances of placing in the top three next round increase.’
When rewards accumulate, growth snowballs, and eventually one becomes a being of entirely different caliber from other players.
‘That’s why ranking matters so much.’
As expected, Ma Gyeong-rok, the Heavenly Demon, placed in the top three again this time.
Shit Idiots did the same.
‘That bastard Shit Idiots is quite the talented one too.’
Is it easier to rank high if you have psychopathic tendencies?
While pondering such thoughts, a message appeared.
[Congratulations! You have achieved the Quest by placing 1st in Zone ESKS45-5!]
[Congratulations! You have achieved the Quest by placing 1st across all zones!]
[Your current ranking as ‘Black Scythe’ is 1st across all zones and 1st in Zone ESKS45-5.]
[As a reward for 1st place in Zone ESKS45-5, you receive ‘Intermediate Rare Ring Selection’!]
[As the top-ranked player across all zones, you receive a ‘Special Reward Selection Box’!]
‘Intermediate ring selection options have arrived.’
The rewards vary depending on the player’s level.
‘If another player had ranked first, I would have received a lower-tier reward.’
Upon confirming the reward, Ryu Min used it immediately.
[You may select one of the following rare rings.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. Ring of Swift Wind
└ 2. Ring of Azure Mana
└ 3. Ring of Resistance
Ryu Min’s finger moved without hesitation.
‘I choose option 3, the Ring of Resistance.’
[Ring of Resistance]
-Classification: Ring
-Grade: Rare
-Effect: Luck +4, Resistance +35%
-Durability: 450/450
-Usage Restriction: Regular Grade or higher
-Description: A ring that grants resistance to status ailments.
Items granted through selection cannot have their information verified in advance.
‘I can only infer what kind of item it is from the name alone.’
Needless to say, almost no one would choose the Ring of Resistance.
The name alone made it seem weak.
However, resistance was essentially vital for survival.
‘Once you’re afflicted with a status ailment, there’s no way out.’
The system contains countless status ailments.
Stun, bind, sleep, fear, silence, freeze, bleed, burn, blind, slow, weaken, and so on.
‘Some monsters inflict status ailments, and player skills can carry them too.’
I don’t fully understand it yet, but as I progress through rounds, I’ll encounter them more often.
And I will come to realize it.
‘Just how crucial resistance is for survival.’
No matter how high your stats are, once afflicted with a status ailment, you’re as good as dead.
Moreover, resistance cannot be increased through stats alone.
There aren’t many items with such options either.
In other words, it’s difficult to obtain.
‘Even if I don’t use it immediately, it’s better to have it.’
Since it also boosts my Luck stat, I should equip it.
Ryu Min then used the Special Reward Selection Box again.
‘There won’t be a 3x experience buff this time.’
As expected.
[You may choose one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. Stat Increase Buff 50% (Limited to 4 Rounds)
└ 2. 4,000 Gold
└ 3. Information about Round 4
The triple experience buff that was always on the first list is gone.
That meant, in other words, there would be no need to hunt monsters.
And indeed, that was the case.
‘Round 4 isn’t about hunting monsters as the objective.’
That said, I didn’t need the stat increase buff as a substitute either.
Ryu Min moved his finger without hesitation.
‘I choose option 2—the gold.’
The moment I selected, 4,000 gold came into my possession.
There was no other choice, really.
[Well then, humans? You’ve all confirmed your rankings in your messages, yes? The cutoff is rank 1,225.]
“W-wait, Angel! Just a moment! Something’s wrong here!”
“The system seems to have miscalculated! Please check again!”
“That’s right. I hunted so many—there’s no way my rank could be this low….”
Players who failed to make the ranking protested.
[Then I shall proceed to eliminate the insects who didn’t even make rank 1,225.]
Olive carried out the elimination without mercy.
A wicked smile adorning her face, utterly at odds with her appearance.
Fwooosh—
Half of the 2,400 survivors from the wave vanished.
◀ ROUND 3 COMPLETE ▶
[All Zones]
└Survivors: 214,007,550
[Zone ESKS45-5]
└Survivors: 1,225
[Your soul will soon transfer to your original dimension’s body.]
[Round 4 begins at midnight on April 1st, 2022. We shall meet again in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
* * *
“Gasp!”
Seo A-rin’s eyes opened as she checked her surroundings.
‘I’m back. I survived Round 3.’
Mere survival wasn’t all.
I’d even obtained the Summoner class.
While the thought was fresh, I activated the skill once more.
‘Fairy Summon.’
A tiny fairy materialized in a shimmer of light, glimmering as it drifted about the surroundings.
It was a summoned creature that cast protective barriers.
Though it lacked combat ability, thanks to it, I safely cleared the 5th Wave.
‘The bodyguard drawing attention from the side was a huge help too.’
I’d have to thank them later.
The good news didn’t end there.
I achieved a record that exceeded expectations—3rd place in the Zone ranking.
‘I actually made it into the top 3 ranking….’
Though it was only a Zone ranking, my nickname was registered for the first time.
I also received a purple Magic Stone as a reward.
Seo A-rin examined the Magic Stone with curiosity, turning it over in her hands.
‘Would Black Scythe be happy if I gave him this?’
Even if I didn’t know what it was used for, since I received it as a reward, it had to be useful.
I carefully placed the Magic Stone back into my inventory.
When Round 4 came, I planned to find Black Scythe and give it to him as repayment.
‘He’d better like it….’
What if he didn’t like it?
What else could I give him then?
‘I should give him something. That way my conscience will be at ease.’
Seo A-rin was someone who could give even more to the benefactor who saved her life.
* * *
The moment Hwang Yong-min returned to reality, the first thing he did was open his status window.
[A penalty is being applied.]
[All stats are permanently reduced by 50%.]
As expected, my stats were cut in half.
‘Damn it….’
Regret washed over Hwang Yong-min’s face.
If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have ordered the relic destroyed.
Then his phone vibrated.
The caller was a friend from the Delinquent Gang.
“Hey, Seung-han.”
-Dude, are you insane?
“What are you talking about out of nowhere?”
-You’re playing dumb? Because of you, we all got screwed. You know that, right?
His friend’s voice trembled with rage.
-How could you control your friends with Command? Are you even human?
“Hey! It was unavoidable. If I hadn’t done that, Black Scythe might have killed me.”
-You should’ve just died then.
“What?”
-Rather than hurt your friends, you should’ve sacrificed yourself.
“Hey! I’m upset too, damn it! My stats dropped because I’m the Zone representative!”
—You’re the only one who fell? We even got used by a friend.
“….”
—If you hadn’t been so greedy about becoming Zone ESKS45-5 representative in the first place, none of this would’ve happened, you traitorous bastard.
Hwang Yong-min, at a loss for words, maintained his silence.
—You son of a bitch. You’re not even a real friend.
“Hey….”
—Don’t contact me anymore. Whether it’s in reality or the Other World, don’t even pretend to know me. If I see your face again, I might get so pissed I’ll kill you.
With those words, the call ended.
He must have been furious.
‘Did I really do something that wrong? Damn it, I’m the victim here too.’
Though I felt wronged, I supposed I should let them cool off.
With that thought, I tried calling another friend, but they didn’t pick up.
Looking at Cocoa Talk, I’d been kicked out of the group chat too.
“Wow… These bastards won’t even listen and just discard me without hesitation.”
Friends who couldn’t even understand me.
In that moment, a bitter laugh escaped my lips.
‘Friends? I don’t need that garbage. Life is something you live alone anyway.’
Though abandoned by my friends, I didn’t feel lonely.
Rather, my eyes burned with rage.
‘What? You’ll kill me if you see my face again? You pathetic bastard wants to try me?’
Hwang Yong-min made a silent vow.
‘Fine, just wait until we meet next time. I’ll kill every last one of you.’
I decided I would retaliate against my friends when I saw them.
* * *
“Welcome, Director An. You’ve survived again this time.”
Ma Gyeong-rok, the proprietor, spoke with a smile, and An Sang-chul scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“I was fortunate, haha.”
“The third round must have been somewhat difficult, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Since the monsters were weakened, there were no major hardships.”
“Have you acquired a class? What’s your current level?”
“Level 11. I chose Knight as my class.”
“A Knight… That’s quite an impressive class.”
“By the way, Seo A-rin is at the same level. Though her class is different—she’s a Summoner.”
“A Summoner?”
Ma Gyeong-rok showed a reaction of greater-than-expected interest.
“That’s remarkable. It doesn’t seem like a common class.”
“I was surprised too. When she advanced, she summoned a fairy. It cast a protective barrier for us, so we were able to hunt safely.”
“That worked out well. Continue maintaining a close relationship with Seo A-rin as you have been. If you like her, you could even date her.”
“Date her? What do you mean by that….”
“Dating makes it easier to find leverage, so I’m just saying. I don’t mean for you to date her seriously.”
“Ah….”
An Sang-chul didn’t take the instruction to exploit weaknesses seriously.
He’d carried out far more severe orders before.
“Should I… perhaps ask her out?”
“Haha! It’s been a while since I’ve seen Director An flustered. If it’s troublesome, there’s no need to force yourself.”
“Ah… yes.”
An Sang-chul exhaled in relief.
“Besides, I doubt Seo A-rin has any feelings for me anyway.”
“Why not? Director An is so dependable and manly.”
“Yet she still addresses you as ‘bodyguard’ with formal speech.”
“Is that so?”
Ma Gyeong-rok swirled his whiskey and grinned widely.
Teasing An Sang-chul was one of his minor hobbies.
“Anyway, what was this urgent matter you needed to report?”
“Ah…!”
An Sang-chul, remembering belatedly, bowed his head first.
“Allow me to begin with an apology.”
“Why?”
“I failed to carry out your order to assist Black Scythe. I couldn’t even relay your message.”
“Is that so? There must be a reason?”
An Sang-chul nodded and reported Black Scythe’s accomplishments in detail.
Even when told that he was so overwhelmingly powerful he could seal the Entrance alone and needed no assistance, Ma Gyeong-rok showed no surprise.
He’d already surmised as much from the count of 3,631 creatures.
However, when An Sang-chul mentioned that a Sub Quest had appeared after the relic was destroyed, even Ma Gyeong-rok couldn’t hide his shock.
“A Sub Quest appears when you destroy the relic? In our Zone, we protected the relic and received 2,000 Gold as a reward?”
“Yes. It was a Quest to endure for 30 minutes against an entity called the Divine Punishment Executor….”
When An Sang-chul said that Black Scythe had instead killed the creature, Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes widened.
“He killed it? It sounds like a formidable opponent.”
“Yes. He defeated it with overwhelming skill, as if he knew the strategy beforehand.”
“….”
Just from the assessment of Level 30, one could tell.
The extent of Black Scythe’s power.
‘I must look ridiculous now, having rejoiced at obtaining the Dark Knight’s Rune and calling it broken.’
There existed someone whose very existence was broken.
“Black Scythe was never an entity that needed assistance. Even searching with open eyes, there was nothing to help him with.”
“I understand.”
Ma Gyeong-rok nodded in agreement.
If Black Scythe was that powerful, Director An wouldn’t have had any role to play either.
‘Black Scythe. If the opportunity arose, I’d like to meet him once.’
I wish I could know his true identity, but there was no way to find out.
Even then, I couldn’t see them in the Other World.
It was simply unfortunate that we occupied different zones.
“Since there’s a reason, I won’t hold you accountable.”
“I apologize.”
“That aside….”
When he mentioned the truth of reality, certain people came to mind.
“What happened with tracking those punks?”
None other than Hwang Yong-min’s group.

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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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