The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 52

—————
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 – Episode 52
52. There Must Be No Secrets Before Me
‘Seo A-rin? Did he call Seo A-rin too?’
Ryu Min’s surprise stemmed from a specific reason.
In previous iterations, even when I’d held gatherings, Seo A-rin had never been present.
‘Perhaps the future changed because she discovered we live in the same Apartment?’
Well, it didn’t matter.
Seo A-rin’s presence wouldn’t fundamentally alter anything here.
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Actress Seo.”
As Ma Gyeong-rok greeted her, Seo A-rin bowed her head.
“I apologize for being slightly late. I was paying respects to a fellow actor.”
“Not at all. Such matters warrant tardiness. But do introduce yourself. This is our company’s major shareholder I mentioned before.”
“Hello. I’m actress Seo A-rin, and I….”
Mid-introduction, Seo A-rin caught sight of my face and froze.
She recognized me.
“Didn’t you two bring over rice cakes when you moved in recently?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So the major shareholder is my neighbor. How wonderful.”
Seo A-rin smiled warmly, yet doubt flickered in her mind.
-He looks younger than me, yet he’s a major shareholder… Could the director be joking?
Inadvertently, I had planted suspicion in Ma Gyeong-rok’s mind.
“Um, uh, hyung.”
“Hm?”
“Is that person really Seo, Seo A-rin?”
As my younger brother whispered into my ear, I opened my mouth in realization.
‘Right, I never mentioned it, did I?’
I leaned toward my brother’s ear and explained briefly.
That Ma Gyeong-rok was Seo A-rin’s sponsor and An Sang-chul was the manager he’d assigned to her.
“Wow….”
Watching my brother’s mouth gape like a fish, I found myself contemplating.
Whether I too should marvel at Seo A-rin as my brother did.
‘Isn’t admiration the natural response to such beauty?’
Compromising by offering only glances rather than audible admiration, I stole repeated looks at Seo A-rin.
As if captivated by her lovely appearance.
Ma Gyeong-rok, catching this, twisted his lips into a satisfied smirk.
‘How naive, how very naive. So even the Seer is just a man? I was right to invite Seo A-rin.’
Pleased with himself, Ma Gyeong-rok addressed the four of us.
“You must be hungry—please, don’t hesitate. Let’s eat.”
Ryu Min, Ryu Won, Ma Gyeong-rok, An Sang-chul, and Seo A-rin.
The five of us filled our plates with food from the Buffet and brought them to the table to eat.
The Banquet Hall was sparsely populated relative to its size, but Ma Gyeong-rok didn’t mind.
Fewer people was actually better.
‘The Prophet will feel burdened by this level of treatment.’
Despite telling him not to feel pressured, Ma Gyeong-rok secretly hoped he would.
“How is the food, Major Shareholder? I made sure to instruct the chefs to pay special attention.”
“Ah, it’s delicious.”
“And your younger brother beside you—does it suit your palate?”
“Huh? Oh, yes! I’ve never tasted anything this delicious in my life.”
“I’m glad it’s to your liking.”
‘All that effort pushing the chefs was worth it.’
Ma Gyeong-rok smiled and cut into his steak.
After chewing and swallowing the meat, he posed a question that had been nagging at him.
“But why did only your brother come? Where are your other family members? Your parents?”
“I only have my brother as family. My parents have passed away….”
“Ah. I see… That’s truly unfortunate.”
Ma Gyeong-rok found it unfortunate as well.
‘Damn it, why did I ask such a stupid question? I’ve completely ruined the mood!’
The steak I’d just eaten threatened to come back up.
Ma Gyeong-rok glanced sideways at Ryu Min.
….
His dejected expression dragged my mood down with it.
‘Hell, damn it! I need to keep my mouth shut until the atmosphere recovers.’
As someone who needed to win the Prophet’s favor, Ma Gyeong-rok had no choice but to read the room carefully.
Clink—clink—
The meal continued in silence.
With no conversation, only the sound of utensils clinking against plates could be heard.
‘Someone needs to lighten the mood….’
Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes drifted toward Seo A-rin.
If anyone could lift the atmosphere, it had to be her.
‘Actress Seo, look over here, Actress Seo!’
Ma Gyeong-rok tried to signal her with his eyes, but Seo A-rin remained oblivious, focused entirely on eating.
It was inevitable that Ma Gyeong-rok’s brow furrowed.
‘This damn woman….’
The silence felt suffocating.
But the meal that seemed eternal eventually wound down after several courses were cleared away.
When the five of them gathered for tea time, Ma Gyeong-rok finally opened his mouth.
“Could I speak with you privately for a moment? Actress Seo?”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
Seo A-rin followed Ma Gyeong-rok with a puzzled expression on her face.
Ma Gyeong-rok stopped at an appropriate distance and lowered his voice.
“Listen here, Seo.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Was the meal to your liking?”
“Oh, it was absolutely delicious.”
“Did you think I invited you here just to eat? Did you really think that?”
“I… I beg your pardon?”
“If you’re a female entertainer, you should entertain accordingly. That’s what you’re here for.”
“….”
His blunt words drained the color from Seo A-rin’s face.
“Isn’t it your job to salvage the atmosphere when it falters? Did I invite you here just to waste food? Did I?”
“I… I apologize. I thought you had simply invited me to a party….”
“How do you expect to survive as an entertainer with such poor social awareness? Actually, that doesn’t matter anymore. If you can’t survive the next round, your profession means nothing.”
Seo A-rin bowed her head like a junior employee being scolded by her department head.
“I’m terribly sorry….”
“Didn’t An tell you who this person is?”
“Isn’t he… a major shareholder?”
“He’s a major shareholder and a Seer.”
“A… a Seer?”
Seo A-rin’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s.
“That’s right. A Seer. A unique class that can literally glimpse the future.”
“I see….”
“Now do you understand why you need to entertain him? If we could learn about the next round in advance, how invaluable would that be?”
Ma Gyeong-rok suddenly reached toward Seo A-rin’s cheek.
She flinched at the cold touch.
“You have such a beautiful face that could captivate men, yet you just sit there passively? Why don’t you try to charm him—with witty banter, with flirtatious glances, with anything?”
Ma Gyeong-rok’s hand tapped her face repeatedly.
For Seo A-rin, it was a humiliating gesture.
“If you make your living with your face as an entertainer, then use your talents actively, as an entertainer should.”
“With all due respect… I am an actress. Not merely a pretty face….”
“An actress? Hah.”
Ma Gyeong-rok let out an involuntary scoff.
“I’ll admit you act well. But it seems you’ve risen to fame purely through your acting, doesn’t it?”
“….”
“People value first impressions. And appearance naturally dominates that first impression. You maintain your current popularity precisely because of your looks. If you weren’t attractive, would I have given you a second glance?”
His words, sharp as a blade, turned Seo A-rin’s expression to stone.
Her eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill at any moment.
“Don’t cry. It’s repulsive to play the victim when I’ve said nothing but the truth.”
“….”
Struck by his words, Seo A-rin fell silent.
The tears that had welled up vanished as quickly as they came.
“Shall I guess what you’re thinking right now? You must feel wronged and hurt. It’s probably shocking to hear such harsh words for the first time in your life.”
“….”
“Still, bear with it. Since I, as the representative, opened doors for you to succeed as an actress, shouldn’t you repay that debt? No matter how dire the world becomes, accounts must be settled cleanly.”
“….”
“So let’s end this conversation here. If we drag it out too long, people outside will find it suspicious.”
Ma Gyeong-rok tapped her cheek once more.
“Act properly, understand? Whether you seduce him with that pretty face of yours or lift your skirt and tempt him with your body—use any means necessary to wrap Ryu Min, the major shareholder, around your finger.”
“….”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Ah, I understand…”
“Good. Now let’s go back and have a drinking party. While you’re pouring drinks beside him, try to seduce Ryu Min, the major shareholder. I’ll be watching to see if you do it properly. If you really can’t bring yourself to do it, just think of it as acting.”
“Yes…”
“Let’s go.”
Ma Gyeong-rok and Seo A-rin returned to their seats.
An Sang-chul and the Ryu brothers sat awkwardly, staring at their empty teacups.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. We had a lot to discuss.”
“What were you discussing?”
Ma Gyeong-rok answered Ryu Min’s question without hesitation.
“We were talking about business matters. As you know, Actress Seo is an actress I’ve cultivated.”
The word “cultivated” grated on me, but I said nothing.
After all, I could discern what they discussed by probing their true intentions.
“Well, it seems dinner is finished. Shall we move to another location? We need to move on to the second round. Haha.”
Ma Gyeong-rok smiled and gave Seo A-rin a meaningful look.
As they moved to another place, Seo A-rin subtly drew closer to Ryu Min’s side.
But she only hesitated, unable to speak first.
‘I told her to make a move, so why is she hesitating?’
Dissatisfaction flickered across Ma Gyeong-rok’s face.
Then Ryu Won, his younger brother beside him, gathered his courage first.
“Um, you’re Actress Seo A-rin, right?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“I’m a fan. You’re m-much more beautiful in person than in photos.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“W-would it be alright if we took a photo together later when you have time…?”
“Oh, of course.”
Seo A-rin smiled sweetly.
Ryu Won’s expression became entranced, as if struck by Cupid’s arrow.
‘The younger brother is more eager than the older one?’
Watching this, Ma Gyeong-rok changed his strategy.
Tap tap tap—
He quickly sent a text to Seo A-rin as they moved.
At the sudden notification sound, Seo A-rin picked up her phone.
[Ma Gyeong-rok: Change of plans. First, get close to the younger brother.]
So she had to manipulate a fan who’d approached her with genuine intentions.
A shadow fell across Seo A-rin’s face.
‘If I soften up the younger brother first, the older one will naturally fall into line. And I’ll easily get information about the next round.’
One corner of Ma Gyeong-rok’s mouth curved upward.
Since she claimed to be Seo A-rin’s fan, she’d be easier to manipulate than her brother.
Moments later, the five of them arrived at a dimly lit room.
“This is a Private Room we’ve prepared to entertain our VVIP guests. You can order songs, alcohol, and appetizers without limit.”
It looked exactly like a karaoke bar.
“Um… alcohol? But I’m still in middle school…”
As Ryu Won spoke hesitantly, Ma Gyeong-rok waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. Your younger brother can just have some soda. Manager An.”
“Yes.”
“Order our VVIP premium course. Add brandy and whiskey too. Oh, and soda as well.”
“Understood.”
While Manager An left to place the order, Ryu Won’s expression grew increasingly uneasy.
He never expected to be thrust into the adult drinking culture like this.
Unable to watch any longer, Ryu Min sighed and spoke.
“Representative Ma Gyeong-rok.”
“Yes, Major Shareholder.”
“I can’t drink. And my younger brother certainly can’t either.”
“Ah… is that so? You must have spent your school days very wholesome. Haha, but you’re of legal age now, so perhaps this would be a good opportunity to experience it…”
“Actress Seo A-rin.”
“Yes?”
Ryu Min, cutting in mid-sentence, pushed his younger brother’s back.
“Would you take a photo with my younger brother outside?”
“Oh, of course.”
Once the two left, only Ryu Min and Ma Gyeong-rok remained in the room.
“Representative.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think I’m easy to handle?”
“What do you mean all of a sudden…”
“Have you forgotten that my profession is a Prophet? Do you think I wouldn’t know about the conversation you had with Actress Seo A-rin?”
“…”
“How can we do business together like this?”
Ryu Min spoke with displeasure etched across his face.
“Representative. You must have no secrets before me.”

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