The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 394
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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 18
18. Seo A-rin’s World Line
The Survival Game of death that claimed 1.8 billion lives.
A year and six months had passed since then.
Yet the bitter wounds from that time remained unhealed, scattered across the world.
In the form of living witnesses—the Players.
Of course, now that abilities had vanished, one could say the era had become quite peaceful.
[‘Aigo My Fate’ achieves cumulative viewership of 28.9%! Record-breaking ratings!]
[Popular drama ‘Aigo My Fate’ becomes massive hit in Japan!]
[Seo A-rin, who is she? In-depth analysis of the former Player who rose to top actress status!]
Crunch. Crunch.
The man reading the article wore a displeased expression.
One could tell from the way he gnawed at his fingernails that his dissatisfaction ran deep.
“Damn it, if I’d known she’d blow up like this, I should’ve pushed harder back then.”
Actor Song Min-hyuk recalled his past self.
Late at night, pestering Seo A-rin to run lines together.
Of course, he’d had no intention of merely rehearsing dialogue.
He’d wanted to test their chemistry as well.
“I should’ve kept my cool. Even if she’d resisted, I should’ve kept pushing….”
Song Min-hyuk expressed his regret, but there was nothing he could have done at the time.
Seo A-rin had skillfully escaped by using her boyfriend as an excuse.
“I thought she was lying, but who would’ve guessed she actually had a real boyfriend?”
After being rejected by Seo A-rin, he’d harbored resentment and leaked information to a friendly reporter.
That Seo A-rin had voluntarily revealed she had a boyfriend.
The article ran the very next day, and while Seo A-rin’s popularity wavered, the public proved surprisingly forgiving.
Her drama became a massive hit, and her popularity soared to new heights.
“Pathetic viewers. In the old days, news of dating would’ve buried her immediately, but now they fawn over her because she can act a little? Times have really changed, haven’t they? That green junior dares to talk back to her senior. Tsk!”
Though in his thirties, Song Min-hyuk’s career spanned back to his high school years, making him far her senior.
He’d tried to take care of his junior with good intentions, but she’d coldly rejected him, claiming she had a boyfriend?
“I need to completely bury her. Make sure she never sets foot in this industry again.”
But that was merely wishful thinking.
She’d grown too big, discussed both domestically and internationally. What could he do about it now?
All he could do was grind his teeth like this, even if it was just talk.
“Damn it. Why aren’t we moving faster? Seung-tae!”
“I-I’m sorry, hyung. We’re going, but the traffic is just too congested….”
“Don’t give me excuses!”
He was venting his irritation on his manager at the wheel when—
“Huh?”
An article caught his eye that made his mood even worse.
[Exclusive! Top actress Seo A-rin announces marriage! Fiancé is an ordinary citizen who was a former Player!]
└On the 26th, top actress Seo A-rin made an official announcement of her marriage. Below is the full statement posted on Cheonma Production’s website….
“Getting married? Seo A-rin?”
Song Min-hyuk’s eyes widened with surprise, sparks of jealousy flashing within them.
So she was actually going through with marrying that ordinary person she’d been dating back then.
Seeing the two of them doing so well together made his blood boil.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
As Song Min-hyuk kicked the armrest repeatedly, his hapless manager could only wipe away cold sweat.
* * *
[Heard the news! Congratulations, A-rin!]
[When are you sending out the invitations?]
[Have you booked the venue? When’s the date?]
[I’m definitely going, so don’t leave me out!]
[Senior, I really congratulate you!! I’m jealous ㅠㅠ]
Faced with the flood of messages, Seo A-rin smiled.
Contrary to her worries, so many people were congratulating her.
And it wasn’t just from people she knew.
[Total comments: 1,287]
└Wow! Seo A-rin’s getting married?
└Whoa, Seo A-rin’s already getting married?
└Isn’t she still in her mid-twenties? Seems a bit early.
└Congratulations, unnie~~~
└Guess she’s not interested in money lol. Getting married when she should be at her peak.
└Right lol. She should be pretending to be pure and milking her fans’ wallets lol
└Congratulations, Ms. Seo A-rin. I’ve been a fan since way back. Wishing you a happy marriage.
└Ah… Seo A-rin’s marriage ㅠㅠ Should I let her go now… .
└Ah… Seo A-rin was supposed to be mine….
└Why is a celebrity getting married even newsworthy enough to be an article?
└Isn’t Seo A-rin just a bubble who got lucky?
└Doesn’t seem like it. Seo A-rin’s acting lately has been insane.
└There really aren’t many actresses as talented as Seo A-rin.
└She’s probably even better because she’s a Player.
└Isn’t it that she experienced so much as a Player that she conveys emotions better?
└Now that you mention it, her fiancé was also a Player in the past?
└They probably felt a connection and decided to marry? Or maybe they were already flirting.
└Unnie!! I became a total fan after seeing your husband!! Congratulations on the marriage!! May you always walk a path of flowers!!
While there were negative comments, most were congratulating the couple on their marriage.
Seo A-rin felt she’d made the right decision announcing it like this.
“How does it feel? Doesn’t it feel refreshing to come clean like this?”
Her boyfriend—no, her future husband Ryu Min spoke to her from beside her.
An intimate moment with the person I love.
Seo A-rin felt as though she were dreaming.
“Hmm? Why so quiet? You’re thinking something strange again, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re not? Come on—you were thinking about how you regret buying my heart with a wish, or feeling guilty about it, right?”
“No.”
Seo A-rin smiled and linked her arm through Ryu Min’s.
“I was thinking about how right it was to announce the engagement. It feels so refreshing.”
“Exactly. Why should we care what others think? Either way, it’s our life. In a world where we’re too busy thinking about ourselves, why worry about anyone else?”
“You’re right.”
A smile bloomed across Seo A-rin’s face, and they shared a gentle kiss.
“I need to get back to work now.”
“Haven’t you been incredibly busy lately?”
“It’s fine. Besides, I’m sorry. I should be the one looking into the venue arrangements…”
“That’s not how it works. Whoever has more time handles it. I’ll take care of all the wedding preparations, so don’t worry and just focus on work. Reporters are going to swarm everywhere you go anyway. You’re already exhausted—I can’t make it worse.”
‘Where else could I find a fiancé like this?’
Seo A-rin felt profoundly grateful to Ryu Min for being so considerate, allowing her to focus entirely on her work.
“You’re not thinking something strange again, are you?”
She’d zoned out for a moment, and Ryu Min was teasing her again.
“I told you no. I’m done thinking like that. From now on, I’m only thinking about my own happiness.”
“Good. I like that mindset. You’ll be late. Go on.”
“Okay. See you later.”
After one more gentle kiss, they parted ways.
With her stock rising day by day, her schedule was mountainous.
“If we’re done here, shall we go? You have an advertising meeting at four.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Seo A-rin, now calling An Sang-chul by his title as manager rather than bodyguard, climbed into his car.
Another day stretched ahead, packed without a moment to breathe.
* * *
Click! Click! Click!
An endless stream of message notifications.
The reason was simple enough.
I had sent mobile invitations to everyone I knew.
[Our A-rin is finally getting married!]
[Wow~ Our A-rin looks absolutely stunning!]
[And her husband is so handsome too!]
[A match made in heaven. I’m so jealous~ Squeee!]
[Congratulations on your wedding! I just need to go to that hotel in a month, right?]
[Where are you planning your honeymoon? I’m curious~]
[Actress Seo! Congratulations on your marriage!]
“They just keep coming, don’t they?”
Having sent invitations to hundreds of people at once, I received hundreds of responses simultaneously.
I couldn’t put my phone down, replying to each one individually.
Seo A-rin’s schedule had been hectic as well.
Between advertisements, filming, overseas schedules, wedding photography, and invitation preparations, there was barely a moment to breathe.
Choosing dresses, fitting suits, arranging the ceremony order—the tasks seemed endless, yet….
‘I was able to prepare everything smoothly thanks to Min’s help.’
Much of the credit for managing my schedule went to Ryu Min.
“Thank you, Min.”
“Huh? Out of nowhere?”
“It’s not out of nowhere. I’m always grateful. For helping me like this, for marrying me.”
These were words I would have been too shy to say before, but my personality had changed.
Now I expressed my feelings openly and no longer denied my life, even if this world was built on a wish.
‘No matter what anyone says, this place, this world is my life. It’s the wish I chose.’
Ryu Min had wished for me to fall in love with him, and this world was the result of that wish coming true.
I couldn’t deny or regret the life and wish I had chosen.
‘So I just have to accept it.’
With that resolve, I accepted Ryu Min’s proposal and arrived at this moment.
A wedding before thousands of people awaited me in just one month.
“Thank you, always.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful. That such a beautiful Angel would marry me.”
“You’re pretty smooth with those lines, aren’t you?”
“Didn’t you know? I was shameless even back when I was Black Scythe.”
In Ryu Min’s playful smile, I could see no trace of his past self.
Nearly two years had passed since the Survival Game ended.
Enough time to leave it all as a memory.
“Let’s finish our wedding beautifully and live happily together.”
“Yeah. Let’s do that.”
The two of them held hands tightly, dreaming of a happy future together.
* * *
Bang!
“Damn it!”
The manager’s expression crumpled as Song Min-hyuk kicked the front seat.
But it smoothed out as if nothing had happened.
He knew better than to show displeasure—the backlash would be merciless.
“It’s the wedding day and she didn’t even invite me?”
Song Min-hyuk had expected at least a message to arrive.
She was his senior, after all.
An actress he’d worked alongside in a drama, playing opposite roles—a colleague, a senior figure!
Yet contrary to his expectations, not a single text came from Seo A-rin.
The wedding invitation everyone else received never reached him.
“Every staff member, director, actor, and extra who worked on set got an invitation—how is it possible that only I didn’t?”
He waited, thinking perhaps it was forgotten, but not a word came even on the wedding day itself.
“So she’s treating me like a stranger now? Ignoring a senior like Heaven itself, someone she worked with?”
Of course, given what he had done, her silence was only natural.
But the current Song Min-hyuk had no capacity to consider anyone else’s feelings.
Only his own emotions mattered.
“Hey, turn the car around.”
“Pardon?”
“We’re going to the wedding venue.”
“No, hyung. We have a schedule right now….”
“Damn it. I said turn the car around. Are my words sounding like gibberish to you?”
The threatening demeanor of the great actor Song Min-hyuk might seem unfamiliar to some, but this was his true nature.
For the manager, who was constantly subjected to abuse, it was as natural as breathing.
“Hyung… please spare me. I’ll get scolded by the director if I miss this schedule.”
“I don’t care if you get scolded. Turn the car around! Damn it, I need to confront that woman Seo A-rin right in front of everyone and demand why she didn’t send me an invitation!”
“Ah, hyung… I’m begging you like this, please….”
That was when it happened.
Thud!
Startled by the sound, the manager slammed on the brakes.
“You idiot! Did you crash into something? Can’t you drive properly?”
“No, I didn’t! That wasn’t me!”
The manager pointed ahead in panic.
Beyond the windshield, the road stretched empty.
At least they hadn’t hit another vehicle.
Instead, the ceiling of the car had caved inward.
“What the hell? Did a rock fall from the sky?”
It was at that very moment that I reached for the car door.
Shhhhwooosh!
“Ahhhhh!”
The black liquid engulfed the manager and Song Min-hyuk.
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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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