The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 74

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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 74
74. Business
The day after my return.
Min Ju-ri sat at a cafe table, her nerves on edge.
In a few moments, it would be the time she’d promised to meet Ryu Min.
‘Why did Min ask to see me again? Could it be…?’
Min Ju-ri shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous thought that had crossed her mind.
Suddenly, her heart began to race uncontrollably.
It was a pleasant flutter.
‘Breathe, stay calm, stay calm. I absolutely cannot let it show.’
She didn’t want to burden him unnecessarily, and she certainly didn’t want her unrequited feelings to be discovered.
Just then, the door opened and Ryu Min walked in.
“Oh? You’re already here? Have you been waiting long?”
“No, no. I just got here a moment ago.”
Embarrassed by her earlier imagination, Min Ju-ri hastily rose from her seat.
“I’ll, I’ll order something. What would you like to drink? My treat, so pick whatever you want.”
“Iced Americano. Add an extra shot.”
“Got it, just wait a moment!”
Min Ju-ri returned from the counter with the coffee in hand.
“Enjoy. Ju-ri.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Slurp— silence fell between them as he drank his coffee.
‘Why does this feel so awkward?’
Was it because of that strange imagination from moments ago?
Even a few seconds of silence felt unbearably awkward to Min Ju-ri.
Then Ryu Min broke the silence.
“How was Round 5? Did you meet Black Scythe like I told you?”
It was a brazen question, but for Min Ju-ri, who wanted to break the silence, it felt like a breath of fresh air.
“Yeah, I met him like you said and hunted together. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the number one ranker would stick with me, but once he saw my buffs, he agreed.”
“I told you so. Once Black Scythe sees your buffs, he’ll need you.”
“Thanks to him, hunting was really smooth. I got a lot of help too. I even hit second place in that area for the first time, can you believe it?”
As Min Ju-ri spoke excitedly, Ryu Min chimed in enthusiastically.
“What? Second place? That’s impressive! What kind of reward did you get?”
“I got an intermediate rare necklace that boosts agility. Want to see it?”
When she opened her inventory to show him the necklace, Ryu Min let out an impressed “Ooh.”
Of course, it was just an act.
With an epic necklace in his possession, there was no way this could impress him.
“What do you think? Does it look decent?”
“Yeah, it looks great!”
“Take it.”
“Huh? Why are you giving this to me…?”
“Because you obtained it thanks to your prophecy, it’s only right that you keep it.”
As I moved to hand over the necklace, Ryu Min waved his hand in refusal.
“I can’t accept it. Why would I take a reward you worked so hard to earn…?”
“I didn’t work hard for it. I hunted incredibly easily thanks to Black Scythe’s incredible skill.”
“Then why not just give it to Black Scythe instead…?”
“Would someone at that high level even need such a low-grade necklace?”
‘Of course not.’
Ryu Min silently agreed.
A Regular-grade rare necklace?
For someone at Expert rank, it was utterly worthless.
Besides, with so much gold already, selling it wouldn’t even improve his finances.
‘It’s not even a shop item—it probably wouldn’t sell anyway.’
Ryu Min waved his hand again in refusal.
“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need it. I haven’t even reached Regular rank yet.”
“What? You’re not Regular rank? What’s your level?”
“Level 19. I barely managed to hunt 300 orcs in ten hours by myself.”
“Ah…”
Though she said nothing, Min Ju-ri understood.
‘It makes sense—the Seer class isn’t exactly suited for combat.’
If someone could see the future and also fight well, what more broken class could exist?
Of course, such a person stood right before her, but Min Ju-ri couldn’t even imagine it.
Ryu Min and Black Scythe were completely different in tone and image.
The real-world Ryu Min had such a fragile appearance, after all.
“By the way, Min. How does a Seer fight?”
“Oh, I have magic skills. It’s embarrassing to show, but…”
“Then you wouldn’t need an agility necklace? If you use magic, you’d raise intelligence instead.”
“That’s right.”
That’s what I said, but truthfully, even mages need some agility.
You need some means of defense.
High damage is useless if you can’t land the hit.
‘The attack speed from agility might not be necessary, but movement speed and evasion do help with survival to some degree.’
Of course, this had nothing to do with Ryu Min, who didn’t use magic.
As Ryu Min insisted he didn’t need it, Min Ju-ri had no choice but to put the necklace away.
“Then take this instead of the necklace.”
Min Ju-ri pulled out a lowest-grade red mana stone from her inventory.
“I got it while hunting. Take at least this. I’m not sure how good it is, but it’s my sincerity, so don’t refuse.”
Ryu Min, knowing she had set it aside for herself, smiled warmly.
“Thank you. You’re thinking of everything for me.”
“Huh?”
It was a casual remark, but it seemed to have flustered Min Ju-ri.
“W-well, it’s not like I was thinking about you specifically… I-it’s just that you keep giving me information, and I felt bad about always being indebted. So….”
Her flustered expression somehow struck me as endearing.
“I see. Thanks. I’ll gladly accept it.”
Ryu Min didn’t refuse and pocketed the mana stone.
Though it was only a low-grade mana stone, accumulating them would eventually aid my growth.
“Since I’ve received something, I should give you something in return, shouldn’t I?”
“Huh? W-what is it?”
“What else? Information about Round 5, of course.”
“Oh….”
She seemed disappointed for a moment, but it was fleeting.
Min Ju-ri broke into a bright smile.
“I’ll listen gratefully!”
“Right. So the Round 5 Quest is….”
As Ryu Min’s explanation continued, Min Ju-ri’s eyes gradually widened.
It was because of the part about teaming up with Black Scythe.
“You’re saying I’ll party with Black Scythe again this time?”
“Yeah. You’ve already proven your value as a buffer in Round 5, so they probably won’t refuse.”
“Oh….”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just didn’t expect we’d be working together again.”
“That’s… a good thing, right?”
“Of course! Black Scythe was so considerate.”
“Considerate?”
“Yeah. Surprisingly thoughtful, and not as scary as I’d imagined? A bit arrogant, maybe, but they’re ranked first, so it’s understandable.”
“Ah… really?”
Ryu Min, having inadvertently heard an evaluation of himself, let out a quiet laugh.
It wasn’t a bad assessment at all.
“And that person seems to have quite sharp insight.”
“Sharp insight?”
“I can’t quite explain it… but how do I put it? They seem to understand people’s hearts well?”
‘That’s because I have the True Heart Rune.’
Since Ryu Min was the one in question, it felt natural to him, but to Min Ju-ri, who didn’t know such a rune existed, Black Scythe seemed nothing short of extraordinary.
Strong skills, sharp insight, charisma, and consideration—like a perfect being.
‘But I’m far from perfect. I failed ninety-nine times, after all.’
Of course, the final round requiring a five-person party had felt different, but failure was still failure.
‘Now there are no more chances. Since this is the last one, I can’t afford to fail.’
I resolved to reach the final round no matter what and crush the boss’s skull, then looked at Min Ju-ri.
‘I absolutely have to bring Min Ju-ri. And the Priest from America as well.’
Two spots were already decided, and I needed to think carefully about the remaining two.
“Min Ju-ri? What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing. Really, nothing.”
“Are you worried about how to get through the next round?”
“Huh? Well… I am a bit worried. I’m not exactly strong, after all.”
It bordered on deception, but Ryu Min had his own reasons for keeping his identity hidden.
“Sigh, if only our zones had been merged. I could’ve helped you then.”
“For free?”
“Of course. I feel bad always receiving help like this. Meanwhile, I’m no help to you at all.”
‘You’re plenty helpful, Ju-ri. Thanks to you, I even defeated the High Orc in one second.’
I’d even received a Unique item selection for that unprecedented record.
“Don’t be discouraged. We’ll meet again in the Other World someday.”
“You think so? Then I have to keep pushing! I’ll do my best too!”
Watching Min Ju-ri pump her fist and cheer, Ryu Min smiled wryly.
‘I wonder what her reaction will be when she finds out I’m Black Scythe later.’
The thought suddenly worried me.
* * *
The day after giving Min Ju-ri information about Round 5.
Ryu Min was heading to the Company Office in a limousine Ma Gyeong-rok had sent.
‘He originally suggested we have lunch together at the Hotel.’
But I declined and asked to meet at the office instead.
It was time to discuss business.
‘I’ve sufficiently proven myself as a prophet by now, so there shouldn’t be any issues.’
I hadn’t told Ma Gyeong-rok what business I intended to pursue yet.
But whatever I decided, he would trust and follow me.
He was the type to do anything if it meant growing the company.
‘And I’ve clearly demonstrated my abilities as a prophet in the meantime.’
Now that I had his trust, it was time to show results.
Of course, this wasn’t merely about making money.
‘Using Ma Gyeong-rok’s Company, I can obtain any item I want whenever I need it.’
Money was merely a means to acquire items.
‘My own growth is the ultimate goal.’
Moreover, by expanding the company, I could deepen my relationship with Ma Gyeong-rok.
‘That way, I can make contact with the Priest through his connections.’
The financial gains from this process were merely a bonus.
“We’ve arrived. Please wait a moment.”
The driver hurriedly got out and opened the door in front of the Commercial Building.
“This way, please. I’ll guide you to the office.”
The driver led the way with formal courtesy.
It seemed he’d been instructed to treat me well.
I followed the driver into the elevator.
Ding—
The office on the eighth floor was not particularly spacious.
It made sense for a company that had started with minimal capital.
“Oh! Welcome, Major Shareholder!”
The moment I stepped into the office, I could see Ma Gyeong-rok greeting me enthusiastically.
“Please, have a seat over here. An Sang-chul? Bring two cups of chamomile tea.”
“Yes, sir.”
As An Sang-chul disappeared into the break room, Ma Gyeong-rok let out a laugh.
It was an artificial smile meant to impress others.
“Major Shareholder, or rather, Prophet. Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“Trouble? Not at all. The journey was quite comfortable. Your driver was very kind.”
“Ha ha, is that so? I’m glad to hear it. If anyone gives you any trouble, please let me know. I’ll take appropriate measures immediately.”
“Ah, yes…”
Ma Gyeong-rok, who commits murder on criminals every week, would certainly take appropriate measures.
Unless I held a personal grudge against someone, it was best not to mention anything.
“Have you eaten? I wish we could have dined together.”
“There’s something more important than food.”
“Are you here to tell me about the next round?”
I had to suppress my laughter internally.
‘He’s desperate to learn about Round 6 from me.’
That’s why Ma Gyeong-rok deliberately mentioned it aloud.
Hoping I might share the information.
“Of course, I should share the Round 6 information with you.”
“Have you seen the future?”
“I have.”
At that moment, An Sang-chul approached and set down the teacups.
Though he didn’t show it, An Sang-chul was also listening intently.
“I’ll give you the Round 6 information.”
“Really? I’m always so grateful…”
“In exchange, I’d like to hold an emergency shareholders’ meeting.”
“An emergency shareholders’ meeting?”
“We need to discuss the business direction. We’ll need to change the industry and the company name as well.”
Ma Gyeong-rok’s expression became serious at the mention of business.
The real-world business was just as important as information about the next round.
“What can I do to help?”
“At the shareholders’ meeting, please support the business proposal I present. Even though I hold 31% of the shares and have practical management authority, special resolutions require 67% approval to pass, so I can’t push through alone.”
Changing the company name and industry was a significant matter.
There was no way I could control everything alone without the consent of shareholders who had already invested their money.
Of course, I didn’t need the other shareholders.
I just needed Ma Gyeong-rok to be on my side.
Ma Gyeong-rok nodded, understanding the implication.
“Then with my 40% stake, if we join forces, we’ll have 71%. Essentially, we can push through any proposal without difficulty.”
“Yes. But as I mentioned before, we need to avoid unnecessary complications. It means we’ll need to persuade the other shareholders.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure the other shareholders don’t cause trouble.”
“Thank you.”
“But… the fact that you’re telling me this in advance suggests the shareholders might oppose the industry change?”
“Yes. When I looked into the future, they didn’t seem pleased. Especially the shareholders in their thirties and above.”
“What kind of business could it possibly be….”
Ma Gyeong-rok’s expression showed intense curiosity.
An Sang-chul, listening beside him, was no different.
‘It’s understandable to be curious. I did claim that simply changing industries would guarantee success.’
Ryu Min spoke with a smile.
“The business I’m planning to launch is….”

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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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