The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 88

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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 88
88. Round 6 Concludes
Hermes’ Feathered Cap possesses an option called invisibility.
Literally, an ability that renders the caster’s form transparent.
‘For an assassin, it’s an invaluable technique.’
Assassins learn the invisibility skill once they reach level 20.
But this item can be used by anyone, regardless of their class.
And there’s no difference in performance either.
‘It grants anyone the ability to use invisibility. That’s this item’s greatest advantage.’
Right now, I needed utility skills like this more than raw damage increases.
‘With invisibility, I can accomplish so many things.’
I could evade CCTV surveillance, and it’s incredibly useful for ambushing enemies.
Hearing this much, invisibility might seem like a ridiculously broken skill, but….
‘The drawback is that it can be detected by presence-sensing. Only my form becomes invisible; I can’t silence my footsteps.’
Presence-sensing is a universal skill.
Ultimately, anyone who learns presence-sensing can see through invisibility.
Moreover, invisibility breaks the moment I attack or take damage.
The cooldown is long too, making it clearly disadvantageous for combat use.
Yet I valued invisibility highly for a different reason.
‘If I obtain a rune that conceals my presence, invisibility becomes nearly invincible.’
Among the runes obtainable in round 9, there’s one called the [Rune of Stealth].
It evades presence-sensing detection, and upon successful ambush, it removes the cooldown from invisibility—a ridiculously overpowered rune.
It’s on the essential rune acquisition list.
‘I was planning to purchase an item with invisibility capability after obtaining the Rune of Stealth….’
For now, I’ve secured one of the two.
Once round 9 arrives and I obtain the Rune of Stealth….
‘I’ll wield perfect invisibility that even the Maxed-Out Player won’t detect.’
As I equip the feathered cap from my inventory, a message appears.
[You have equipped Hermes’ Feathered Cap.]
[You can now use the ‘Invisibility’ skill as an option.]
[Temporary Skill – Invisibility]
-Effect: You can perfectly conceal your form from others. However, only your appearance is hidden; sound cannot be suppressed.
Duration is 30 minutes. It automatically deactivates if you attack or take damage. You can deactivate it at will, and it carries a 30-minute cooldown.
A temporary skill called [Invisibility] now appears in my skill list.
Once I unequip the feathered cap, it will disappear immediately.
‘Even if better equipment comes along later, I should keep the feathered cap. Invisibility is a skill that helps in so many ways.’
There’s no need to keep it equipped constantly.
I can simply equip it whenever I need it and use the skill.
If I ever need to sell it, I could fetch a high price.
‘Items with skills attached as options are popular regardless of their grade.’
Ryu Min activated the special reward selection box this time.
[You may select one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. Material Item Selection Right
└ 2. 14,000 Gold
└ 3. Information on Round 7
Originally, the first option was either an experience buff or a stat buff.
But the fact that it was neither…
‘Means Round 7 will have a Quest where neither is necessary.’
If another player were choosing, I would have recommended option 3 without hesitation.
Among all the rounds so far, nothing had been as important as Round 7 information.
‘Someone might be tempted by the unusually high gold amount and choose 2. But.’
There was no choice that could compete with option 3.
Information was that valuable.
‘Especially for this Round 7.’
But my greatest weapon was the experience and knowledge from ninety-nine previous runs.
‘Of course, I discard option 3 and choose option 1.’
The material item selection right came into my possession.
Without hesitation, I used it immediately.
[Please choose one of the following materials.]
└ 1. Broken Iron Tree Branch
└ 2. Bubbling Solution
└ 3. Solid Mana Shell
…
…
└ 10. Angel’s Golden Dust
There were ten options in total.
For someone who didn’t know the uses of material items, it wouldn’t matter what they chose.
‘But for me, who knows every single use…’
The choice was already decided.
‘I choose option 10.’
Once I received the item, information appeared.
[Angel’s Golden Dust]
-Classification: Possession
-Description: Dust that scatters from an angel’s hair. It is not dandruff.
Among the ten options, it was the only item used as a god-tier material.
‘Now I just need to gather one more material to create a god-tier item.’
The remaining materials wouldn’t be found until after Round 8, so there was no point in expecting them for now.
◀ ROUND 6 COMPLETE ▶
[All Districts]
└Survivors: 8,060,295
[C-ESKS007 District]
└Survivors: 505
[Your soul will transfer to your original dimension’s body shortly.]
[Round 7 begins at midnight on July 1st, 2022. We’ll see you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
* * *
Tap tap tap tap—
The moment An Sang-chul’s eyes opened, he bolted upright.
He rushed straight to the Hotel Room where the director was staying.
Click—click—bang bang bang!
“Director Ma!”
Had it been anyone else, they would have scolded him for such a commotion in the dead of night.
Creak—squeak—
Ma Gyeong-rok opened the door, utterly bewildered.
“Manager An? What’s the matter? You came straight here after returning?”
“I, well, can we talk inside?”
“Of course.”
Ma Gyeong-rok picked up the whiskey glass he’d been drinking from as they entered.
Before he could even offer a seat, An Sang-chul spoke with flushed excitement.
“Director, my level has increased tremendously.”
Ma Gyeong-rok swirled his whiskey glass.
“You leveled up by hunting with Black Scythe? In six hours?”
Since Ma Gyeong-rok had received the same prophecy, he already knew the situation.
“So how much did you level up to come rushing here in such excitement?”
“From level 20 to level 34. I gained fourteen levels!”
“….”
Ma Gyeong-rok’s hand froze mid-air as he reached for his whiskey.
“34? You’re certain?”
“Yes. Wasn’t that an incredible jump?”
“…That’s certainly worth the excitement.”
Ma Gyeong-rok downed his whiskey with a bitter expression before asking.
“You gained fourteen levels in six hours?”
“That’s right. Black Scythe hunted everything. We party members could barely keep up.”
“So in exchange for carrying you, he monopolized all the items.”
“Exactly. But I don’t regret giving up the items at all. I never imagined I’d get power-leveled like this.”
“Neither did I. I never thought you’d surpass my level, Manager An….”
“What level are you at, Director?”
“29.”
“Ah.”
An Sang-chul decided it was best to say nothing more.
No matter what I say, it will only upset the CEO.
“So Seo A-rin is at the same level then?”
An Sang-chul nodded quietly, gauging the mood.
“Ha, so I’ve fallen below Seo A-rin’s level. I need to step up my game, don’t I?”
Ma Gyeong-rok, wearing a bitter smile, poured whiskey into his glass with a soft trickle.
“Tell me, Director An. Does Black Scythe really hunt that quickly?”
“Yes. The Centaur died in a single strike.”
“That explains the speed. Even with five of us together, our team couldn’t achieve that.”
Having heard the prophecy, Ma Gyeong-rok naturally formed a party and hunted the Centaur first.
It took some time to convince his party members, but ultimately the hunt went smoothly, and he was able to claim first place in that district.
“So it really is Black Scythe. The results showed they defeated the Minotaur in just one second… is that true?”
“Yes. They used some kind of gleaming skill and severed its neck in a single slash. It was a skill I’d never seen before.”
“It must be a skill learned at level 40. Given that Director An has never seen it before.”
Ma Gyeong-rok, who ranked 2nd and 3rd and had considerable confidence in his abilities, nevertheless felt something shift.
‘Kill a boss with a single skill? In one second?’
I couldn’t imagine myself defeating a boss that quickly.
‘The gap between me and the number one ranker is this wide…’
It was less astonishing than it was bitter.
‘When I reach level 40, will I be able to become that strong?’
The Dark Knight’s skills are formidable.
I’m satisfied with them.
But.
‘Not like Black Scythe.’
Even if I reach level 40, I’m not sure I could display such overwhelming power.
I can’t be certain.
‘Rather than worry about that, I should focus on leveling up.’
My subordinate is now higher level than I am.
My pride won’t allow me to settle for this.
A drive I hadn’t felt before surged within me.
“I really need to push myself harder.”
“….”
An Sang-chul fell silent, watching Ma Gyeong-rok down the full glass of whiskey in one shot.
What could he possibly say after inadvertently touching the CEO’s pride?
He felt as though he were sitting on a bed of nails.
“I should thank Black Scythe. I’ve been lazy lately, and they’ve given me new motivation.”
“….”
“Plus, they even power-leveled Director An and Seo A-rin. I should express my gratitude when we meet.”
“S-should I also look into personally thanking them?”
“No. After all, they gave up items in exchange for experience points, didn’t they? And since my subordinate received help, it’s only right that I offer my thanks as the CEO.”
“….”
“When the Prophet arrives later, I should ask when we can meet with Black Scythe.”
“Do you think the Prophet survived?”
“Rather than spend time asking that, it’d be faster to make a confirmation call. That’s part of An Sang-chul’s job anyway.”
“Ah, I wasn’t thinking clearly. My apologies. Let me check right away….”
“No need to apologize. Just let me know as soon as you’ve confirmed. Oh, and did you learn those skills I mentioned before?”
“Yes, I’ve definitely mastered Tracking and Covering Tracks, the two you mentioned previously.”
“Then come out for some cleaning later so we can test those skills too. I’m planning to dispose of some trash anyway.”
“N-now? At this hour? It’s already getting light outside….”
“It’s fine. We won’t be killing anything outside anyway.”
“Understood, Director.”
As An Sang-chul bowed and left, Ma Gyeong-rok gazed out the window.
The hazy weather was perfect for relieving stress.
* * *
Seo A-rin found herself grateful to Black Scythe.
Though she’d given items in exchange, she’d gained far more experience and gold in return.
‘I feel like I’m always indebted to Black Scythe.’
Whether it was the rapid leveling this time or saving my life before.
Compared to the help I’ve received, I haven’t been able to repay much at all.
‘I want to be of great help to Black Scythe too, but it’s not easy….’
At best, all I can do is hand over low-grade magic stones or offer words of gratitude.
‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know what I could help with. They don’t seem to need help….’
Wait, that wasn’t right.
Black Scythe does need help from others.
There’s a woman who continuously provides buffs, isn’t there?
‘Democracy, was it? The woman in a contractual relationship with Black Scythe….’
Comparing avatars and appearances was meaningless, but she had a pretty face and seemed to have an outgoing personality.
‘And buffs that are nothing to scoff at.’
I could understand why Black Scythe kept her around.
Just being together would be a tremendous help.
‘I want to be that helpful too….’
My fairy’s buffs exist, but they’re merely thin protective barriers at best.
There are many shortcomings in helping through the summoner class.
‘I need to think about this.’
Pulling her hat down, Seo A-rin left home and stepped into the elevator.
She was thinking of stopping by the Convenience Store to pick up some simple snacks.
Ding—
The descending elevator stopped at a lower floor.
“Oh? Actress Seo A-rin?”
She ran into Ryu Min, her neighbor and Ma Gyeong-rok’s business associate.
And also the Prophet.
“Oh, hello.”
Seo A-rin bowed politely.
There was another person she needed to thank besides Black Scythe.
“Thanks to the information you provided, Prophet, we were able to safely clear Round 6 as well. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Ryu Min, who had spoken dismissively, fell silent.
Seo A-rin observed him quietly.
‘What a fascinating person. At twenty, he should have no real-world experience, yet he carries himself so confidently in front of Ma Gyeong-rok. And his business acumen too….’
Seo A-rin was intimidated by Ma Gyeong-rok, but this man was different.
Of course, being a Prophet allowed him to conduct himself with such confidence….
‘If I were a Prophet, could I act like him?’
No.
Even with the same abilities, she lacked the nerve for it.
“Where are you headed, Prophet?”
“Oh, I was planning to stop by a convenience store.”
“A convenience store? I’m going there too.”
Then it suddenly occurred to Seo A-rin that she could help with something.
There was nothing she could offer Black Scythe, but the Prophet—she could help him.
“Since I’m heading that way anyway, let me run the errand for you. It’s nearby, so I can bring it when I come back upstairs.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“But you’ve already helped me, so I want to do something in return.”
Ryu Min seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head.
“I can’t ask a celebrity to run errands.”
“But I want to do it….”
“If word gets out that I had you run errands, won’t your fans come after me?”
“Ah….”
Seo A-rin’s head drooped.
Though her face wasn’t visible, I could read her expression in my thoughts.
“If you really want to help, just give me an autograph.”
“An autograph?”
“My younger sibling is a fan of yours.”
‘Ah, he wants to give it to his sibling.’
With that, the Prophet turned his head away.
Seo A-rin was the most popular actress among men in their twenties, but it didn’t work on the man before her.
“O-of course.”
Seo A-rin felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

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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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