The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 71

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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 71
71. High Orc
[Orc defeated!]
[Experience +0.27%]
[Gold +40]
[Current Kill Count: 2,415/100]
[Massacre Rune effect: All stats increased by 100%.]
[Skull Bone Necklace effect: Attack speed increased by 25%.]
I sliced through the Orc’s body with mechanical precision and checked the time.
[Time remaining until Round 5 ends: 00:30:41]
With roughly thirty minutes left, I sheathed my scythe.
There was no point in hunting more Orcs.
‘It’s time to move. Leveling up seems impossible with the remaining time anyway.’
My current level was 39.
Just one more level would let me learn new skills and become far stronger than I was now, but…
‘Unfortunately, time won’t permit it.’
Still, I had no regrets.
I’d given it my all.
Seven hours of nothing but hunting, slaying over two thousand creatures.
‘Though Min Ju-ri did chase after me the whole time, which was exhausting…’
I’d given her over a hundred kills, so she shouldn’t complain.
Besides, she was the one who wanted to cast the buff in the first place.
‘Thanks to her, I could hunt efficiently. I leveled to 39 and raised nine stat points with the Eternal Pearl.’
I’d defeated nine hundred Orcs while wearing the pearl around my neck.
Since it granted one stat point per hundred kills, I’d gained nine stat points total.
I’d hunted ninety-nine more to fill the stack to [99/100].
One more kill would grant another stat point, but I left it as is, carefully preserved in my inventory.
‘If I hunted one more, the durability would hit zero and the pearl would shatter.’
The pearl’s remaining durability was [1/1000].
To restore its durability and use it again later, I had to stop using it now.
“Black Scythe. Aren’t you hunting anymore?”
“This should be enough.”
“Then are you going to hunt the remaining boss now?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“I’ll have to search for it.”
I glanced at Min Ju-ri for a moment, then suddenly extended my hand.
“Let’s part ways here. Thanks for all the chasing around.”
“Ah… Is it over now?”
Min Ju-ri’s face fell as she took my hand.
As we parted ways, an unexpected wave of melancholy washed over me.
It seemed I had grown attached to her in that brief time.
-Should I ask if she can stay with me until we defeat the final boss? No. Her presence would only be a hindrance. This is the right way to part.
I heard Min Ju-ri’s thoughts—that she wanted to stay until the very end—but I deliberately ignored them.
The final boss, the High Orc, is dangerous.
There’s no need for Min Ju-ri to follow me there.
“Let me cast the buffs one last time.”
As Min Ju-ri reached out her hand, the duration of Bless and Swift reset.
“Now… you’re going, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you again for helping with the hunt. I really would have struggled alone. It’s not much, but this…”
Min Ju-ri pulled out a blue mana stone from her inventory.
“It dropped from one of the elite monsters. I’m not sure if you’ll need it, but I want you to have it.”
“You keep it.”
“No. Experience alone is enough for me.”
Even without reading her thoughts, I could feel the sincerity in her heart.
Her thoughts reached me regardless of my will.
-Two actually dropped, but I need to give one to Ryu Min…
Seeing her try to look after me without realizing we were the same person made me smile slightly.
‘And she thinks she owes Black Scythe a debt.’
That was why Min Ju-ri had been so eager to help until the end.
She believed she had received more help from me than necessary.
“I also received help. So let’s call the emotional debt settled.”
“What?”
My words, as if piercing through her innermost thoughts, caught Min Ju-ri off guard without her realizing it.
In that moment, Ryu Min took the mana stone.
“I’ll gladly accept the gift. Then, if the opportunity comes again, I’ll see you next time.”
Leaving the flustered Min Ju-ri behind, Ryu Min quickened his pace.
Time was of the essence to defeat the High Orc.
* * *
Among the four bosses that appear in Round 5, the High Orc was undoubtedly among the strongest.
So strong that even twenty level-20 players attacking together couldn’t defeat it.
‘Perhaps if a hundred players threw their lives at it relentlessly, it might be different.’
But such a thing had never happened and never would, so there was no point in considering it.
‘That’s precisely why I can be at ease even now, as the round draws to a close. There’s no risk of someone else stealing the kill.’
Throughout all previous cycles, no one had ever defeated the High Orc.
Its overwhelming presence had discouraged anyone from even attempting it.
‘No one but me.’
Even Ryu Min hadn’t been capable of defeating the High Orc at first.
I had set out thinking I’d complete a few sub-quests, but I died to the High Orc four times.
But having learned through repeated failures, I discovered the strategy to overcome it and came to understand the time attack rules.
‘Since then, I’ve conquered the High Orc without dying even once.’
With each subsequent run, my clear time shortened, and I even set a new record of 43 seconds.
‘This time, I’m going to break that record.’
Ryu Min’s feet pushed powerfully against the ground.
Thanks to Swift, I could cover 100 meters in just 7 seconds.
As I ran, my gaze locked onto a single point.
[You have located the target ‘High Orc’.]
[It is currently 1,121 meters away.]
Fundamentally, the High Orc is a boss that roams the field.
Since it has no fixed lair, I didn’t know its exact location.
Not until I used the Tracking skill.
‘Tracking doesn’t only work on players. Monsters are no exception.’
Of course, the conditions are the same.
I must remember its face and name.
Does that mean it’s only useful for finding bosses? No.
I can use it to find regular monsters too.
If I recall any random Orc and use Tracking, it finds the closest one to me.
This is the secret—if there is one—behind all my fast hunts.
‘If Tracking is still working, it means the High Orc hasn’t been defeated yet.’
Besides, who else could possibly defeat the High Orc besides me?
And the players who fought desperately in the previous round certainly wouldn’t unite now.
[It is currently 585 meters away.]
[It is currently 321 meters away.]
[It is currently 160 meters away.]
…
…
When the distance to the High Orc closed and it finally came into view, I felt relieved.
‘Thank goodness. Since it hasn’t been defeated yet, if I just handle it quickly….’
But an unexpected situation forced me to slow my pace.
The High Orc was already engaged in combat with other players.
* * *
Any player who has faced an Orc knows this.
It’s nearly impossible to hunt 300 of them alone.
You have no choice but to form a party.
“The Orcs travel in groups too, so why shouldn’t we? Let’s hunt together!”
It was a hastily formed party for that very reason.
Against Orcs that formed settlements and moved like a Gangster Organization, there was simply no other way.
“Let’s introduce ourselves! You can see the nicknames, right? I’m Um Jun-seok. Level 12, Warrior class.”
“We’re the same level. Nice to meet you. I’m Brady Pitt. My class is Assassin.”
“A level 13 Martial Artist—Byuk Byuk Byup Byup. The pronunciation’s a bit tricky, isn’t it? I just made it up on the spot when I panicked….”
The five of them completed their introductions in a warm atmosphere.
Since it was a hastily assembled party, naturally they were unfamiliar faces to one another.
They had simply joined hands temporarily for mutual benefit.
Yet despite that, the atmosphere was surprisingly good.
Not a single crude word passed between them, and their coordination was reasonably well-matched.
“Um Jun-seok! Could you draw their aggression, please!”
“Right, here I go! Hey! You ugly orc bastard, uglier than my own wife, look over here!”
“Brady Pitt! Now’s the moment! Sever that arm!”
“Byuk Byuk! Watch your back!”
The five of them moved against the Orcs like a team that had coordinated for years.
Perhaps because they’d all experienced defeat at the hands of Orcs before, they remained vigilant and methodically dispatched them one by one.
“Phew. Facing six simultaneously is pretty grueling.”
“Still, with five of us together, it’s manageable, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. Alone, it would’ve been impossible.”
After two hours of synchronized effort, clearing a small Orc Settlement became routine.
“Should we try challenging somewhere bigger now?”
“No, let’s not take unnecessary risks.”
“Right. I noticed what looked like a watchtower at the Entrance.”
“A watchtower means they have some level of organization. The Orcs there would be on an entirely different level from what we’ve been facing.”
“Then let’s play it safe and raid some easier Villages.”
Because they understood their own limits well, they meticulously avoided dangerous situations.
After more than six hours of continuous hunting.
“We’ve hit 300 kills!”
“Me too!”
“Congratulations! You’ve all survived!”
I wasn’t sure if we’d placed in the rankings, but at least we’d lifted one burden.
“It feels a shame to part ways now. Should we hunt a bit longer?”
“Yeah. I want to reach level 20 myself.”
Um Jun-seok’s group resumed hunting.
Since they’d already completed the main Quest, they felt mentally at ease.
They dispatched the Orcs with far greater confidence than before.
“I’ve reached level 20!”
“Me too!”
“Congratulations!”
“I learned a new skill—did you all get one too?”
“I did as well.”
“It looks like a combination function. What are we supposed to combine?”
“Who knows? We’ll figure it out as we go.”
Existing skills had been enhanced, and they’d gained one additional skill.
My rank had increased, allowing me to purchase stronger equipment from the shop.
“Should we continue crushing those Orc bastards’ skulls?”
“Let’s do it. I’ve been wanting to test out some of the skills I just learned anyway.”
The party stayed together and continued hunting until time ran out.
“Screeeech!”
“Shrieeeek!”
The Orcs were dying noticeably faster now.
By my estimation, we’d become roughly 1.5 times stronger.
“These Orc bastards are basically dog food now, aren’t they?”
“Heh, it’s ridiculous how I used to struggle against these pigs.”
“Tell me about it.”
Reaching level 20 had sent my confidence through the roof.
I felt ready to venture into larger settlements now.
“How about we make one final attempt at a major settlement….”
“Huh? Wait a moment. What is that?”
In the direction Um Jun-seok pointed, an Orc unlike any we’d seen before was shambling about.
Charcoal-dark skin, a height exceeding three meters, muscles bulging as if about to burst.
At first glance, it looked formidable, yet it carried no weapon.
“What is that thing? It looks like an Orc, but….”
“I’ve never seen one like that before.”
“Could it be a boss?”
“A boss?”
In the past, hearing the word “boss” would have filled me with dread.
But our party’s confidence was at an all-time high.
Without any real basis, I felt certain we could handle it.
“Want to try taking that one down? With five of us, I think we can manage it.”
“You think so?”
“If it’s a boss, the rewards should be substantial, right?”
“If we get rewards, we split them equally five ways, correct?”
“Okay, I’m in!”
Did the creature hear our confident declaration?
“Grrrrrgh?”
The High Orc turned its head toward us.
“…!”
The moment our eyes met those eerie yellow orbs, we instinctively understood.
This was no mere prey—it was death incarnate.
“Shreeeeeeeek!”
The High Orc let out a grotesque cry and leaped into the air.
The creature soared eight meters high before crashing down with a thunderous boom directly in front of us.
Crash—!
I merely threw a punch, yet one person’s head burst like a balloon.
Pop—!
A single kick folded another person’s spine like paper, killing them instantly.
Two dead in an instant.
The remaining three were gripped by terror, unable to even think of using their skills.
Crack—! Thud!
Brady Pitt and Byuk Byuk Byup Byup died in succession.
Both fell with mouths agape in shock, their chests pierced through.
Clatter clatter clatter clatter—
Um Jun-seok’s teeth chattered as if broken, clicking against each other.
‘I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die!’
His mind was consumed entirely by the terror of death.
There was no room for escape or counterattack.
“Squeak-squeak! Squeak-squeak!”
The High Orc let out a sound, gazing at the last remaining prey.
The corners of its mouth curled upward in what was unmistakably a sneer.
To be mocked by a monster.
It was humiliating, but for Um Jun-seok, even that was a luxury.
‘Please spare me, Orc, please spare me, I beg you….’
If he could, he wanted to prostrate himself and plead, pride be damned.
His body simply wouldn’t obey.
“Squirk.”
The High Orc let out a contemptuous laugh at such pathetic weakness and raised its fist.
It intended to bring it down and pulverize the human before it.
“Squeak?”
The High Orc could not swing its fist as intended.
Suddenly it saw sky, then earth, then its own body.
Boom—!
Its body collapsed before its head could even touch the ground.
Then, with a bouncing sound, the High Orc’s head flew off.
“Phew.”
Ryu Min exhaled sharply, having appeared from nowhere.
The scythe he had swung with full force from behind had cleanly severed the High Orc’s neck.
‘I thought it might happen, but to die in just one strike.’
The time it took to kill the High Orc was 1 second.
A new record.

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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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