The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 84

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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 84
84. Heo Tae-sik
Heo Tae-sik had fallen into despair.
He was bullied for being gloomy, and became the laughingstock of everyone for appearing weak.
While people claimed that ostracism culture had disappeared, silent exclusion still existed.
While people claimed delinquent gangs no longer roamed the halls, those who served as their errand boys still did.
At first, he was shocked and bewildered.
Something he’d only seen on television was happening to him.
‘What… what did I do wrong to these people?’
He tried to find fault in himself and correct it.
But it didn’t take long to grasp the reality.
‘Ah… these bastards are just bullying me because I’m an easy target.’
He believed that someday this torment would end.
‘Just endure until graduation. Just until I finish High School.’
With only that resolve, he bore the harassment from the Delinquent Gang.
But it was an overestimation of himself.
He was far weaker than he’d thought.
“You bastard, are my words not getting through your thick skull? I told you to bring protection money every single day?”
“I’m… I’m sorry. I… I live with my… my Grandmother, and… money is…”
“What? This punk doesn’t even have parents?”
“Oh, so his Grandmother is his mother then?”
“His mother is so damn old, hehehehe.”
“…”
“Still, you better bring money, you bastard. Steal it or whatever. Just get it.”
“Yeah, kid. Because of you, we don’t have money for cigarettes. Should we bury you with your Grandmother when she kicks the bucket?”
“…”
When the delinquents mocked his Grandmother, Heo Tae-sik felt what it meant for reason to snap.
“You… you… you damn bastards!!!”
For the first time, he talked back to the delinquents.
Of course, the result was devastating.
“This crazy bastard wants to die.”
“Hey, hold his forehead down. I’ll burn a cigarette hole in it.”
Sizzzzzzle—
“Aaaahhhhh!”
After that, the bullying intensified.
Day after day, he was dragged around and subjected to beatings, threats, extortion, and torture.
The harassment that followed transcended imagination—even demons might bow before these creatures.
After school became hell itself.
‘I want to die… that would be easier.’
He had felt enough pain that death no longer frightened him.
Suicide was the only escape.
But Heo Tae-sik couldn’t bring himself to do it.
‘If I’m gone… what happens to my Grandmother?’
It would be a betrayal of the Grandmother who had raised him with such care, collecting waste paper to survive.
‘I have to endure. I promised to graduate with flying colors and earn money to give her a comfortable life.’
To keep his promise to himself, Heo Tae-sik persevered.
He endured and endured, driven by the singular purpose of repaying his Grandmother’s kindness.
As a result, Heo Tae-sik felt proud of himself for the first time.
He had survived three years of torment in High School without taking his own life.
‘Finally, graduation. Just get through the break and…’
But in 2022.
A cataclysm arrived with Angel’s appearance.
Every month, he had to participate in life-or-death survival challenges.
To make matters worse, his Grandmother’s health deteriorated.
Then, around the time the second round ended.
“G… Grandmother…?”
Heo Tae-sik’s entire world collapsed.
His Grandmother’s death transformed his life completely.
“Hehehehe, see? I told you this bastard would be devastated if we touched his grandmother.”
“Right. Heo Tae-sik, you pissed? I told you—we’d bury you and your grandmother together.”
“Why would this worthless piece of crap even dare touch us… gaaaaahhh!”
He drove a dagger into the delinquent’s throat before immediately casting a skill.
A black arrow pierced the eye of the delinquent beside him.
“Gasp, you bastard! W-what the hell? You were a class-changer?!”
The delinquents didn’t know.
That Heo Tae-sik had already become a Dark Mage.
The delinquents were mistaken.
They thought someone pathetic in reality would be pathetic in the Other World too.
The delinquents overlooked.
That numbers alone couldn’t guarantee victory against any opponent.
“Huff. Huff. Huff.”
When he came to his senses, the room was filled with corpses drenched in blood.
His Grandmother’s home was defiled by their blood.
“Gr… Grandmother…”
It must have been from that moment.
That his speech became halting.
That he built walls between himself and others.
And.
That he set a new goal.
‘They said any wish would be granted if I clear the final round, right?’
Heo Tae-sik’s wish was simple.
Save his Grandmother and spend the rest of their lives together in happiness.
He had no desire to see the parents who had abandoned him.
All he needed was his Grandmother by his side.
From that point on, Heo Tae-sik threw himself into the game with genuine resolve.
His abilities were more than sufficient, and the Dark Mage class proved far more formidable than he’d anticipated.
‘Black Arrow causes rapid decay in whatever area it wounds. There’s no need to aim for the head specifically.’
Even a grazing hit would cause putrefaction within seconds, rotting and crumbling away—so as long as I land the shot and drag out the battle, victory tilts in my favor.
I invested in agility to capitalize on this advantage.
If I hit enemies with Black Arrow and then flee while time works against them, the upper hand becomes mine.
‘If I play this right, I might be able to handle multiple opponents.’
As predicted, my strategy of hitting monsters with arrows and retreating proved devastatingly effective against groups.
Confidence bloomed within me.
I believed I could grind levels endlessly, and from that moment forward, I never relinquished first place in my district.
But there is always a sky above the sky.
‘Black Scythe? How does this person grow so impossibly fast?’
Every time rankings were tallied, I saw that name holding first place across All Districts, and curiosity stirred within me.
A yearning for strength awakened.
‘I want to meet them once. Just to see how truly powerful they are.’
I merely harbored such thoughts until the districts merged, and I finally witnessed it firsthand.
Just how formidable Black Scythe truly was.
‘Wow… nine opponents in an instant….’
Watching the representative selection match, Heo Tae-sik found himself mesmerized by Black Scythe’s artistry.
Powerful didn’t begin to describe it.
‘If only I were that strong… I wouldn’t have suffered at the hands of those Delinquent Gang thugs….’
Then my Grandmother would still be alive today.
Regret crashed over me.
Regret for all those days spent as the weak.
‘I want to become as strong as Black Scythe.’
The desire to grow stronger kindled an admiration that burned ever brighter for Black Scythe.
‘Should I try speaking to them? No… what would someone like me….’
Compared to me, Black Scythe was almost a god.
I should have been satisfied merely being in the same district as such a being.
And yet.
‘Me… me forming a party with Black Scythe?’
I never imagined such a thing could happen.
Simply standing beside the one I’d admired so deeply felt like a dream.
“No Poe-in No-ge-i.”
“Yes?”
“Now that we’re a party, introduce yourselves to each other.”
“Ah….”
At Black Scythe’s command, Heo Tae-sik hesitantly opened his mouth.
“I, I’m No Poe-in No-ge-i. Level 23, Dark Mage. My skills are Black Arrow and Black Chain….”
Though he stumbled at first, the words soon flowed smoothly.
“Nice to meet you, No Poe-in. I’m a Level 21 Buffer. Looking forward to working with you!”
“Hello, I’m Seo A-rin. I’m a Level 20 Summoner, and my skills are….”
The party members explained themselves in turn, but Heo Tae-sik’s ears weren’t registering their words.
‘What’s happening? I’m not the one who stammers.’
Was it the shock of losing Grandmother?
I always stumbled over my words in front of people, yet somehow my trembling had diminished.
‘Could it be thanks to Black Scythe?’
Was I gaining confidence I never had before him?
Or was my subconscious desire to impress him manifesting without my awareness?
I couldn’t say why, but one thing was certain.
‘I made the right choice teaming up with Black Scythe.’
As Heo Tae-sik smiled to himself, Ryu Min spoke.
“Well, now that introductions are done, let’s head out hunting.”
“Wait a moment. Let me cast buffs first.”
Min Ju-ri cast buffs on each party member individually.
Blessing and Swiftness.
Those who received the buffs couldn’t help but be astonished.
“W-what is this? My stats went up by 60%?”
“My attack speed and movement speed increased by 60%.”
“I-is this a buff?”
Players who’d never experienced buffs before kept their mouths agape, but Ryu Min remained composed.
“So that’s why Black Scythe traveled with Min Ju-ri. Buffer, you’re truly amazing!”
“Ha ha, you’re embarrassing me.”
When An Sung-chul praised her, Min Ju-ri laughed awkwardly.
“….”
Seo A-rin, feeling a twinge of jealousy, spoke as if refusing to lose.
“I’ll cast buffs with my summons too.”
As she cast the skill, two fairy-like creatures the size of gnats appeared, trailing golden dust.
Then, with a soft rustling sound, earth gathered to form a human-sized golem.
“Wow, what are those cute fairies?”
“They’re called Fairies, summons that cast protective barriers. Originally they had no combat ability, but when I reached Level 20, they multiplied to two and gained offensive magic.”
“Wow, and that stone summon?”
“That’s a Golem I learned at Level 20. It doesn’t provide buffs, but it draws monster aggro, so I summoned it in advance.”
“Wow…. A tank and a supporter too. You’re really amazing, unnie.”
Min Ju-ri kept marveling, but Seo A-rin’s eyes were fixed on Black Scythe.
‘What do you think, Black Scythe? I’m quite helpful too, aren’t I?’
She cast a look seeking acknowledgment, but Ryu Min wasn’t paying attention—his gaze was fixed elsewhere.
“Let’s depart now.”
As Ryu Min took the lead, everyone nodded and followed.
‘A Buffer, a Summoner… they’re all impressive. I need to be useful too.’
Heo Tae-sik followed along with a tense expression.
But as he noticed the rather leisurely pace, a sudden doubt crept in.
‘Why is the atmosphere so relaxed?’
Of course, with a time limit of six hours, there was plenty of time.
All they needed to do was defeat one of the 101 bosses in the Field to pass safely, so the leisurely pace made sense.
‘But wouldn’t defeating a boss quickly secure first place? Why isn’t anyone trying to find one faster?’
Doubt lingered, but Heo Tae-sik, who hadn’t heard the prophecy, couldn’t possibly know.
That there was no benefit to defeating one quickly.
Just then, a shout came from somewhere.
“There’s a boss over there!”
Turning his gaze toward the sound, a massive monster came into view.
Standing 3.5 meters tall, with a human upper body and horse lower body—a centaur.
A Centaur.
“We need to claim first place!”
“Let’s strike immediately!”
One party, showing no fear, rushed toward the Centaur.
“Roooaaarrr!”
As the Centaur swung a massive double-bladed axe in resistance, the players struggled.
“Ugh, this bastard is incredibly strong!”
“Spread out and attack!”
“Let’s surround it in a circle!”
Five players encircled the Centaur.
“Target its rear! Its rear!”
Following someone’s shout thoughtlessly, one player approached from behind, and Ryu Min clicked his tongue as he watched.
‘Targeting the rear of a horse. How foolish.’
As expected.
Thwack!
The player behind was struck by a hind kick, flew ten meters through the air, crashed into the ground, and rolled another three meters.
“P-Pink Gondu!”
He was twitching, so fortunately he wasn’t dead.
But continuing the fight seemed impossible for him.
“You bastard!”
“We’ll have our revenge!”
The remaining players unleashed a coordinated assault, activating their skills.
“Kyaaahhh!”
As the Centaur collapsed with its legs severed, swords immediately pierced through its neck.
Thud, thud, thud—
As the Centaur finally breathed its last, its tongue lolling from its mouth, the opposing team erupted in triumphant cheers.
“We won!”
“We’re first place!”
“We finally cleared the Quest in first!”
“This is easier than expected?”
Watching the opposing team’s jubilation, Heo Tae-sik felt a pang of regret.
‘Damn it, we lost first place.’
Heo Tae-sik’s gaze naturally drifted toward Black Scythe.
He, who had always maintained the top ranking, would surely be more disappointed than anyone.
‘Huh?’
Yet Ryu Min’s expression was utterly composed.
Not a trace of disappointment lingered on his face.
Just as Heo Tae-sik found this strange, the opposing team’s cheers began to fade with time.
“What… what is this?”
“Why isn’t the Quest completion showing up?”
“No… could it be?”
Watching the players’ belated dismay, Ryu Min let out a quiet chuckle.
‘They’ve finally realized it. That what they killed wasn’t the boss.’
Regrettable as it might be, the Centaur was no boss.
‘I said I released 101 bosses—I never said there were no regular monsters.’
This was why I had watched so calmly all along.
The Centaur was merely a regular monster, nothing more.

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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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