The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 45

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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 45
45. Confession
As Min Ju-ri made her way to the meeting place, she couldn’t contain the flutter in her chest.
‘W-what could he possibly want to talk about?’
Her unrequited love had suddenly called to say he had something to tell her.
‘C-could it be…?’
Min Ju-ri’s cheeks flushed at whatever her imagination had conjured, and she fanned herself frantically with her hand.
Then she spotted a sports car parked in front of the Convenience Store.
‘Who is that? What kind of inconsiderate person parks in such a cramped spot…?’
“Ju-ri!”
“Ryu Min?”
The inconsiderate person was none other than Ryu Min himself.
When Min Ju-ri saw him leaning out of the car window, she was taken aback.
“I-is this your car?”
“Yeah. Sorry about parking it in such a tight spot. I’d originally planned to park it elsewhere, but I ended up having to bring it here anyway.”
“….”
“Get in. Let’s take a drive while we talk.”
“O-okay.”
As Min Ju-ri climbed in, the Lamborghini roared to life and tore down the road.
Vroooom—
Despite the thunderous exterior, the interior was relatively quiet and remarkably comfortable.
Experiencing a supercar for the first time, Min Ju-ri gazed around the cabin with wonder.
The interior was just as lavish as the exterior.
“How much does a car like this cost?”
“Not much. Around 900 million won?”
“9-900 million…?!”
Min Ju-ri’s eyes widened in shock.
“I-it’s not that much! With 900 million, you could open several convenience stores!”
“Compared to the money I won from the lottery, it really isn’t much.”
“Ah.”
Min Ju-ri belatedly realized the truth.
The friend sitting beside her was a sudden millionaire with 70 billion won.
She had no idea he’d multiplied it to 300 billion through Bitcoin.
‘A car worth several times more than our entire house…’
Was this when she truly felt how differently they now lived in the world?
Min Ju-ri clamped her lips shut as if sealing them with a zipper.
“….”
“….”
An awkward silence settled between them.
In the quiet, she could hear the rapid beating of her own heart.
‘This feels exactly like we’re on a date, doesn’t it?’
The thought made my face flush again.
And whether it was my imagination or not, I kept feeling Ryu Min’s gaze on me.
Embarrassed, Min Ju-ri couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes and simply stared out the window.
Perhaps because of that.
“There’s something I need to confess….”
“W-what!? A, a confession!?”
At the word “confession,” my head snapped around to face him.
Given that he was wearing a suit, there was no way to avoid misunderstanding.
“Ah… it’s not that kind of confession, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
“W-who’s getting the wrong idea?”
Instead of fanning myself, I turned my head back toward the window.
‘Oh, I wish I could disappear into a mouse hole.’
I was certain my face had turned as red as a radish.
“S-so what kind of confession is it?”
“Remember when I said I learned the lottery numbers from a dream?”
“Yeah.”
“That wasn’t actually true.”
“Huh?”
“It wasn’t a dream—it was information I obtained through a Rune of Future Sight.”
Ryu Min openly revealed to Min Ju-ri that he was a Prophet.
Of course, there were many fabricated details in his confession, but it couldn’t be called entirely false.
The fact that he knew the future was real.
“A Rune of Future Sight….”
“My current class is also Prophet.”
“Prophet…?”
Min Ju-ri blinked her rabbit-like eyes.
Then she clapped her hands together with an expression of admiration.
“That’s amazing! A Prophet! That’s a completely unique class, isn’t it?”
“Huh? W-well, I suppose so?”
“I’m so glad! The Rune of Future Sight sounds incredible too!”
As Min Ju-ri rejoiced as if it were her own achievement, Ryu Min found himself bewildered instead.
It was an unexpected reaction.
“Thank you for being honest with me! Even between friends, something like that would be hard to reveal.”
“Well, you revealed that you’re a Buffer too. This way we’re even.”
“Even? I didn’t mention my Rune, though. Since we’re at it, should I tell you about mine?”
“No, that’s okay….”
“In the first round, I drew the [Rune of Protection]. A thin protective barrier forms on me equal to the number of people within a 10-meter radius. If there are ten people, ten protective barriers stack on me.”
Unaware that Ryu Min already knew this, Min Ju-ri spoke excitedly.
“Now we’re even, right? Since I told someone about my Rune information, it feels refreshing, like I’ve shared a secret?”
“Ha, really?”
“But why would you share such crucial information? It would be better to keep it hidden if possible.”
“I’ve been bothered keeping it secret… and I felt like you wouldn’t believe what I’m about to say unless I came clean about this first.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
I explained the details about the 4th Round to Min Ju-ri.
Far more comprehensively than what I’d told Ma Gyeong-rok.
Of course, I kept the information about rewards as hidden as possible.
“The 4th Round Quest is really like that?”
“Yeah. So Ju-ri, you be careful too. We don’t know how other players will act, so always stay alert.”
“Okay, got it.”
Min Ju-ri nodded, then suddenly broke into a faint smile.
‘Still, I’m grateful you’d tell me this thinking of me…’
At the same time, embarrassment washed over her.
‘He probably just said it because he was worried as a friend, right?’
She wondered if his words came from personal feelings.
‘I wish that were the case…’
Min Ju-ri gazed at me in the driver’s seat and smiled brightly.
It was a smile full of gratitude.
* * *
After the drive, I dropped Min Ju-ri off at the Convenience Store and returned home.
“You’re back?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you look like that? Is something wrong?”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“You look troubled about something.”
“There’s nothing like that.”
I spoke indifferently and went to my room to change clothes.
Though I said there was nothing, I did have something on my mind.
A rather awkward concern at that.
‘Min Ju-ri has feelings for me…’
I’d learned the truth through the Rune of Inner Heart.
‘I had no idea Min Ju-ri was interested in me since our school days.’
So that’s why she’d been so kind to me all along…
Though bewildered and flustered, I shook my head to dismiss the thought.
‘It doesn’t change anything that Min Ju-ri likes me. It might actually be better.’
If she had feelings for me, wouldn’t it be easier to bring her to my side?
‘Or is she already on my side?’
I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
This was the first time I’d revealed myself as a Prophet to Min Ju-ri, so I couldn’t predict what would come of it.
‘But it seems like things went better than expected.’
If my opponent is favorably disposed toward me, they’ll readily believe the prophecy.
If I play this right, keeping Min Ju-ri alive until round 20 shouldn’t be difficult.
‘Just three more days, then I’ll buy the Epic item and we’re done.’
There’s nothing particular to do in the real world this month.
‘I wish April would come faster.’
Ryu Min flopped onto his bed.
The next round would be drenched in blood, so he needed rest while he could.
Before long, exhaustion pulled him into sleep.
* * *
Thirty minutes remained until midnight on April 1st.
A crucial day to enter the Other World.
Ryu Min waited in the safety of his room, inspecting his items.
[Shadows of Darkness Gloves]
-Classification: Gloves
-Grade: Epic
-Effect: Strength +5, Agility +4, Weapon Semi-Transparency (applies only at night)
-Durability: 1,000/1,000
-Usage Restriction: Regular Grade or higher
-Description: Gloves concealed by darkness when night falls, rendering them invisible. Any weapon held becomes semi-transparent.
An Epic item purchased today from the item shop for 8,000 Gold.
‘High stats and the weapon semi-transparency option is quite useful.’
Weapon semi-transparency.
Literally, when night falls, the weapon becomes semi-transparent.
‘Since it’s semi-transparent rather than completely invisible….’
Even that much is enough to throw an opponent into confusion.
The dark environment makes it harder to perceive than expected.
‘At first glance, it looks like I’m not holding a weapon at all.’
A surprisingly solid option.
Moreover, it synergizes well with the Night of Death skill.
With no light entering, the semi-transparency is unlikely to be compromised.
Knock, knock—
The door opened with the knock, and my younger brother entered.
“Brother, it’s time.”
Worry was plainly written across my brother’s face.
“Are you confident you can clear it this time too?”
“Won’t know until I try.”
“Brother, you’re a Seer. You said you know something about round 4.”
“Knowing and executing are different things.”
I had revealed to my brother that my class was Seer.
Not before making him solemnly swear never to tell a soul.
‘Jang Seok-hyun is dead, and I have the Rune of True Feelings, so my younger brother won’t be in danger like before.’
In the previous regression, I only mentioned being a Prophet and hid the fact that I was a Returner.
‘Since I didn’t reveal being a Returner, the future shouldn’t diverge.’
Tick, tick—
Looking at the wall clock, it was time.
Soon I would enter the Other World.
“You have to come back alive, hyung.”
“Don’t say unlucky things like that. That’s a death flag.”
Ryu Min patted his younger brother’s shoulder reassuringly.
‘The 4th Round is the deadly round, but….’
There’s no easier round than this anywhere.
* * *
‘It’s started again.’
Hwang Yong-min, summoned to the Other World as expected, opened his status window.
[A penalty is being applied.]
[All stats permanently decrease by 50%.]
I opened it just in case, but as expected.
The curse hadn’t been lifted.
‘Damn it.’
This is the result of betraying Jo Jung-sik, who was my role model.
What I lost wasn’t just stats.
I lost not only ten uses of Command Authority but my friends as well.
This was why Hwang Yong-min remained vigilant like a meerkat.
‘Those bastards blinded by the position of Zone Representative might target me.’
I’ve used up all my Command Authority and have no means to defend myself.
Friends who thought I’d betrayed them might launch a surprise attack as retaliation.
‘But where is this place?’
A White Space where no horizon is visible.
Hwang Yong-min furrowed his brow at an environment different from the blue Grassland or Forest he’d seen before.
‘What kind of Quest is this that we’re starting in such a damn place?’
Everything being white made him feel like a lab rat.
As Hwang Yong-min resumed his vigilant stance, something suddenly caught his eye.
‘Black Scythe!’
The savior who protected me in the last round appears.
At the same time, a devil.
Because of his order to destroy the artifact, I ended up in this state.
‘That demonic bastard. He must have known this would happen!’
Seeing how he used others to destroy the artifact and ruthlessly killed the Divine Punishment Executor, it seems he must have known beforehand.
Though I don’t know how he found out.
‘If I only had the strength, I’d turn that bastard’s face into pulp right now, but….’
There’s no way around it.
To save my life right now, I’d have to grasp even a demon’s hand.
‘Though I still don’t know if he’ll take mine….’
But wasn’t it worth trying?
With that thought, Hwang Yong-min approached Black Scythe.
“Um, Black Scythe.”
“What is it.”
“The contract from the last round is still valid, isn’t it?”
“Contract?”
“You agreed to protect me in exchange for me becoming your subordinate, didn’t you?”
A sneer twisted across Black Scythe’s lips.
“I don’t need a subordinate like you anymore.”
“What?”
“You don’t have command authority anymore, do you? What use is a district representative without command authority?”
“….”
The situation I’d feared had come to pass.
Hwang Yong-min’s complexion grew ashen.
“Besides, most players have already completed their class advancement. Even if you had command authority, it’d be worthless.”
“That, that’s….”
“Your usefulness has ended.”
Black Scythe spoke in a chilling voice.
“You’re just a walking target now.”

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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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