The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 7

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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 7
7. The Backstab
“Wait, what did that person just say?”
“Did he just ask for a better reward?”
“How dare he negotiate with Angel…?”
“Is he insane?”
“He must have a death wish.”
The crowd murmured among themselves, but Angel’s ears registered nothing.
She simply doubted her own hearing.
[What did you just say, human?]
“The reward doesn’t suit me. I’d like you to change it for something better.”
[….]
She asked again, thinking she’d misheard. But she hadn’t.
The human before her stared directly ahead with wide eyes, making his demand.
As if it were his natural right.
‘This damned bastard dares speak to me like this?’
Briel’s delicate features twisted mercilessly.
‘Should I just gouge out his eyes?’
She glared at him menacingly, but the human continued to meet her gaze with unwavering confidence.
The sight drew a hollow laugh from her.
‘I was actually paying attention because he showed some promise early on, and now he spouts this delusional nonsense.’
Did he think killing a few goblins made him worthy of her respect?
She wanted nothing more than to crush his skull on the spot, but she couldn’t.
Her authority over Deathgaze—a one-time ability—had been spent long ago.
‘Insolent wretch. I can’t just kill him… wait. Hold on.’
Briel’s thoughts paused, and a faint smile crossed her face.
‘What’s stopping me from killing him? If I want him dead, I’ll make it happen.’
With this pleasant thought, Briel spoke to Ryu Min.
[So you want a better reward?]
The barrier that had surrounded Ryu Min vanished in an instant.
[I’ll grant it. Follow me. The rest of you will wait here until I return.]
The crowd nodded at her words.
Not that they could move anyway, trapped as they were against the pillars.
“She’s actually giving him a better reward?”
“So she’s really going along with what that scythe-wielder said?”
“I never thought negotiation would work on an angel.”
“Should I try asking for a reward change too?”
“Probably only works if you rank first, right?”
“If she’s really changing rewards, I’m jealous.”
The crowd whispered among themselves, watching Ryu Min follow Angel with envious eyes.
Ryu Min clicked his tongue inwardly at the envious gazes directed at him.
‘There’s nothing to envy. If they knew what Angel intended to do with me.’
Angel wasn’t actually taking him away to grant a reward.
‘If it were a reward, she could give it here. Why move locations?’
There was only one reason Angel would change venues.
‘She’s luring me to a quiet place to kill me.’
Ryu Min was certain of it.
Why was he so certain?
Because I’d experienced it firsthand.
Because I’d been killed by Angel before.
‘Was it the 12th cycle? The first time she caught me off guard was truly dizzying.’
During the 12th cycle, I had slaughtered goblins based on my accumulated experience and skills.
As a result, I achieved first place across the entire zone for the first time.
‘I had such high expectations back then. I wondered how generous the reward for first place would be.’
But perhaps my expectations were too inflated?
Upon seeing the special reward selection box given for first place, what I said was….
-The reward is less impressive than I thought.
It was a complaint I muttered without thinking.
Of course, complaints are permissible.
The problem was that Angel overheard it.
‘I didn’t know back then. I didn’t realize that a simple complaint would make Angel mark me.’
The price of being marked by Angel was steep.
Angel lured me in by offering to exchange it for a better reward, then struck the back of my head.
I died simply because I had displeased her.
This was why I could never view Angel favorably.
Though I suffered an unjust death, Angel wouldn’t care about such things.
‘To Angel, humans are nothing but lowly insects. Their deaths mean nothing.’
Though she now serves as a guide, she would likely want to slaughter all humans if she could.
But there was a reason she couldn’t.
Angel wasn’t as strong as people thought.
‘Because of her strong initial impact, people will assume you shouldn’t stand against Angel. They’ll think their heads will explode if they do.’
But this was entirely intentional.
It was the situation Angel desired.
Exploding heads was merely a performance to effectively control the humans.
‘Exploding heads is ultimately a one-time ability. It’s a special privilege Angel received upon becoming a guide—usable only on a single person.’
Information I had extracted through torture in past cycles using the Torture skill.
‘She used that privilege early on.’
Therefore, Angel could no longer explode heads.
This was why I felt no fear.
‘Without Torture, there’s no reason to fear Angel.’
Everyone’s intimidated by her abilities, but Angel is weaker than she appears.
She has wings and knows a few tricks, but that’s all there is to it.
Her physical capabilities aren’t much different from a human’s.
She has no muscle and is as fragile as she looks.
‘Angel is just a human with wings, nothing more.’
After dying to Angel, Ryu Min sought revenge in the very next cycle.
Through that process, I learned certain things.
That Angel was weaker than expected.
And that killing Angel yielded a hidden reward.
‘I can’t miss out on a hidden reward. Especially not an item that lets me advance to the Reaper class, a unique class.’
Killing Angel drops an item needed for the Reaper advancement.
After discovering that fact, I killed Angel repeatedly.
In the next cycle, and the one after that.
I deliberately excelled from Round 1 to catch Angel’s attention, then attempted negotiations.
‘It was a kind of bait. An invitation for her to strike.’
Each time, Angel tried to stab me with a hidden dagger concealed in her wings.
But it was always Angel who ended up on the losing end.
‘Getting backstabbed once in the 12th cycle was enough.’
This time, I’ll backstab her first before she can backstab me, and claim the reward.
Just as I was thinking that, Angel turned her head back as if her neck itched.
[Why are you following from so far away? Are you trying to make me keep turning around? Can’t you stick closer?]
“Ah, yes.”
Ryu Min approached with quick steps, but Angel’s expression remained full of displeasure.
‘Humans really do need to be shouted at before they listen. Tsk.’
They can’t understand simple instructions and are greedy besides.
Humans were a species impossible to like, no matter how one tried.
‘If they’re insects, they should accept what’s given to them. How dare they demand rewards? That’s right, I’ll show them exactly what the price of greed is. Hehehehe.’
Briel’s lips curled into a sneer at the mere thought.
She had never intended to change the reward for Ryu Min.
She didn’t have the ability to do so anyway.
‘How could I change a reward set by the system?’
She had merely lured him with sweet words.
To kill the human before her in a place with no witnesses.
‘There’s no rule against killing a player, after all.’
Hadn’t she already killed one player early on through Assassination?
Though it was a one-time skill and couldn’t be used anymore.
‘But I can’t kill them openly. If I did, who knows what I’d hear from above.’
There’s no rule saying players can’t be killed, but there’s no rule saying they can be killed either.
If anything, killing a player for personal reasons would likely cause problems.
What if the players later objected on grounds of fairness and rebelled?
It would ruin the game I’ve so carefully prepared.
When that time comes, Briel won’t be able to escape responsibility either.
‘So it’s cleanest and best to kill without leaving any witnesses.’
Briel couldn’t overlook the human who had irritated her.
Her pride wouldn’t allow her to simply let it go.
‘The other humans are obedient out of fear, but this human ranked first has the audacity to haggle over rewards and get on my nerves.’
Now that she’s reached first place, greed seems to have clouded her judgment.
‘Stupid human. If you’d just stayed quiet, you could’ve at least made it to the middle.’
Though walking behind him, the more I thought about it, the more insufferable he became.
‘Once we pass this point, I’ll kill you right away.’
Angel, who had walked far enough that people were no longer visible, came to a stop.
This seemed like a good spot to take care of business.
[So, you wanted a reward, didn’t you? What kind of reward could I possibly….]
The moment she turned around, Angel couldn’t help but be shocked.
A fist filled her entire vision.
Crack!
[Ugh!]
Staggering backward and collapsing to the ground, Angel shook her head once.
The shock overwhelmed any sense of pain.
‘What? Did that bastard just hit me?’
Realizing what had happened to her, her delicate forehead crumpled without mercy.
[You damn human!]
She lifted her head, but the human was nowhere in sight.
Yet she quickly knew where he was.
She felt a sensation at her back.
Ryu Min was gripping her wing joint.
[Wait! Just a moment! What are you trying to…!]
Crack!
With that bone-chilling sound, Angel’s mouth fell open involuntarily.
[Kyaaaaaaagh!]
“Stop whining.”
Ryu Min brushed aside the limp wing and grabbed the other one.
He intended to break that one too so she couldn’t escape.
Crunch!
[Kiiiiiiagh!]
“Does it hurt?”
Angel screamed, then became so dumbfounded she cried out.
[O-Of course it does!]
“In five minutes, you’ll be asking me that same obvious question. While making that distinctive, irritating laughing sound of yours—kyohohoho.”
[Have you lost your mind, human! What in the world are you talking about….]
“You were trying to kill me with a hidden blade in your wings, weren’t you?”
[….]
Watching Briel clamp her mouth shut like someone who had swallowed honey, Ryu Min smiled.
“I thought as much.”
[M-Master, kill? I never had such thoughts….]
“No need to bother lying. It’s written all over your face. Briel.”
Briel’s eyes widened in shock.
[H-How does this mere human know my name…?]
“That’s irrelevant.”
Ryu Min raised his hand.
A dagger now gleamed in his grip.
The stiletto he had chosen as his first-place reward.
[W-What are you doing! Why suddenly draw a weapon…!]
“Can’t you tell?”
Faced with Ryu Min’s piercing gaze, Briel fell silent.
She offered no response, yet the truth was unmistakable.
She would die here, and soon.
Fear flickered across Briel’s eyes for a moment, but her pride remained unbroken.
[Are you insane, human! Do you want your head split open!]
“You don’t have your assassination ability anymore.”
[….]
The words struck home, and her voice faltered.
Panic seeped into her tone.
[D-Don’t think you’ll escape unscathed! My allies will never stand for this!]
“Allies? Please. The Angels are selfish beings indifferent to others’ affairs. Whether you live or die means nothing to them.”
[Y-You even know that much. How on earth…?]
“Doesn’t matter. Now go.”
As Ryu Min raised the dagger, desperation flooded Briel’s expression.
[W-Wait! You gain nothing from this!]
“I do. You just don’t know it.”
[You’ll regret killing me! You won’t be able to return home!]
“I will. The system automatically sends us back once the settlement concludes.”
[H-How do you know even that! What don’t you know!]
“Who knows.”
[I’ll give you any information you want! Just give me one chance!]
“I don’t need information. I’ve already extracted everything useful.”
[What? When….]
Briel could say nothing more.
Ryu Min’s dagger had pierced straight through her heart.
[Gack…!]
Angel’s eyes widened as her body convulsed once before going limp.
Golden blood streamed from the gash across her chest.
Indifferent to her fate, Ryu Min’s gaze shifted toward the message that had materialized before him.
It was a message concerning the hidden reward.

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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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