The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 91

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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 91
91. Christine Craig
On the flight back to the United States.
Christine couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Was it because her fiancé’s business partner looked younger than expected?
Or because his true identity turned out to be a prophet?
Or perhaps because her fiancé, whom she’d known for six months, had monopolized information about the next round all by himself?
None of it.
What truly left Christine astounded was the prophet’s statement about danger awaiting her in Round 11.
‘If Father had been there, it would have been a disaster.’
Surely he wouldn’t have spared his anger toward that small Asian man, regardless of his clerical dignity.
Her father, with his fiery temperament, would have done far worse.
‘But he said a lifeline would descend to save me?’
Christine recalled the conversation she’d had with the self-proclaimed prophet.
-A lifeline? What does that mean?
-It means someone will save you.
-Who?
-I cannot tell you that.
Even now, it seemed like an absurd statement.
‘He won’t say who. Is he really a prophet?’
If he’d seen a future where she was saved, he would have confirmed who it was.
There was no reason to deliberately withhold that information.
‘Who could save me? Could it be my fiancé…?’
Christine shook her head as if to dispel her thoughts.
‘How foolish. I’m actually taking this ridiculous prophecy seriously.’
Vague talk about Round 7 information and refusal to name her savior—
It was nothing but a hollow prophecy stripped of substance.
Of course, with resurrection existing, she couldn’t definitively deny the ability to see the future.
‘But I don’t think that Asian man is a prophet.’
She couldn’t shake the feeling that her fiancé was being deceived.
[We will be arriving at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport shortly.]
She looked up to find they’d already landed.
After retrieving her luggage and exiting through the gate, a familiar face was waiting to greet her.
It was Jeffrey Bishop, the young butler.
“Christine. I trust your trip to Korea was pleasant.”
“Oh, Butler Bishop. I didn’t expect you to pick me up at the airport.”
“The Reverend instructed me to bring you straight home without any detours.”
“Sigh. As if I’d expect anything less.”
Christine let out a brief sigh and boarded the black van.
The car pulled away from the airport and came to a stop in front of the mansion.
A sign reading “Shiningwood Hall” comes into view.
It’s a mega-sized congregation with over 100,000 believers, the largest of its kind across the entire United States.
A hall of this magnitude was positioned beyond the reach of even the Texas governor’s influence.
Christine Craig was the daughter of such an influential hall’s clergy.
She was more than suitable for a marriage alliance with a conglomerate family.
Creak—
As I opened the hall’s doors, a vast sanctuary resembling a concert hall came into view.
Thud, thud—
Walking around the sanctuary toward the back, I arrived at the office.
Jeffrey knocked with a tap-tap and spoke.
“Reverend, Christine has arrived.”
“Tell her to come in.”
As I opened the door and stepped aside, Christine entered.
Inside was a middle-aged man whose expression unmistakably conveyed stubborn determination.
Christine’s father—Nathan Craig.
“You’ve come.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Well then, have you met your fiancé from Korea?”
“Of course.”
“What’s your impression of him?”
“He seems neat and decent.”
“Has he been disrespectful to you in any way?”
“Not once. He doesn’t even seem like a bad person. If anything, he treats me with great courtesy.”
“Of course he should be courteous. Whose daughter are you?”
Nathan smiled with satisfaction.
“So what do you think now? Does the man seem decent to you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“There’s been no progress in your relationship?”
“It’s not at that stage yet.”
“You’ve been dating for six months and you’re still at this point?”
Christine suddenly bristled.
“Dating? We’re just exchanging visits without any real feelings for each other. Can you even call that dating?”
“Still, bear with it a little longer. Oseong Group is a world-renowned Korean conglomerate. A marriage alliance with their eldest son can only benefit you—there’s nothing to lose.”
“I understand that, but—!”
Christine, who had been about to cry out, suppressed her anger.
The discussion about the marriage alliance with her father was already settled.
There was no point in asking to back out now.
Wasn’t it clear from his rigid insistence on arranging a strategic marriage in the name of what was best for her?
“Even if you dislike it, affection grows with time. Perhaps you’ll become inseparable.”
“I doubt it. Honestly, I find such a neat person unsettling. Don’t people like that hide their true intentions behind a facade of perfection?”
“You shouldn’t harbor such suspicions. As a child of the divine, your spiritual discipline is still lacking.”
“Well, I’m your daughter, after all.”
“….”
A brief silence fell between father and daughter.
“So, what is your fiancé up to these days?”
“He’s preparing to launch a business, from what I hear.”
“A business? Even with the mortal world connected to the divine realm, he hasn’t abandoned his worldly desires.”
“That applies to you as well, doesn’t it?”
“…But I am not a chosen vessel of the divine, am I?”
“Do you truly believe this is divine selection and divine power?”
Light radiated from Christine Craig’s hand.
It was a warm and comforting glow just to behold.
It was [Heal], the basic skill of a Priest.
“Ah, truly my daughter. A Priest blessed by the Angels, as expected.”
“….”
Blessed by the Angels?
Christine Craig was so exasperated she found herself at a loss for words.
She had explained the Angels’ malevolence countless times, but her father simply wouldn’t listen.
“So your fiancé is also making good use of the divine gift?”
“Yes….”
“What level is he?”
“Level 29, I believe. He’s been consistently ranking 2nd or 3rd in the All Districts rankings.”
“Quite formidable, it seems. His level surpasses even our Jeffrey.”
Nathan Craig chuckled with evident satisfaction.
“And how is the new business venture progressing?”
“He’s planning to create a social marketplace for Players. The opening is just days away, apparently.”
“Indeed, as befits the son of a Conglomerate, he has a keen eye for items. To conceive of such an idea alone.”
“He’s not alone, actually. He has a business partner. One who is also a Prophet….”
“A Prophet? What do you mean by that?”
When he pressed for details, Christine Craig waved her hand dismissively.
“I’ve forgotten the name, but my partner claims to be of the Prophet class. Says he can see the future? He boasted about giving me information on Round 7, but I’m not sure if it’s trustworthy. It all sounds like utter nonsense.”
“You have such a friend? A Prophet….”
Nathan Craig’s expression grew contemplative.
“In these turbulent times, there’s no ability more attractive than the power to see the future. Why not cultivate a closer relationship with him?”
“Well, it’s difficult. He keeps spouting things I can’t believe—that I’ll die, that I’m in danger, and so on.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
Christine Craig told her father that the Prophet had warned her of danger when Round 11 arrives.
“It’s just a baseless prophecy. There’s no need to take it seriously.”
“….”
But what father could remain unmoved when told his daughter would die?
“I’d like to meet this so-called prophet.”
“There’s no need, sir. Prophecies can’t possibly come true anyway.”
“Ma Gyeong-rok wouldn’t have lied to us, would he?”
“He was just lucky. When you make vague prophecies like that, anyone can get them right.”
“So you’re saying you don’t believe in prophecies?”
“I don’t. There’s no way I could be in danger.”
Christine Craig’s Rune was the [Rune of Life].
An extraordinary Rune that granted experience points and bonus stats whenever she healed the injured or saved lives.
Because of this, Christine had been helping people since she first learned healing magic, allowing her to grow rapidly.
Moreover, players who recognized the value of a Priest had flocked to her side, leaving her with almost no dangerous situations.
In essence, she was surrounded by dozens of what could be called meat shields.
“Don’t let your guard down. Someone among those who follow you could betray you, couldn’t they?”
“Don’t worry, sir. Did you forget I’m the District Representative?”
No one would dare disobey her commands, given her authority over the region.
“Still, having such authority means you could always become a target, doesn’t it?”
“But there are far more people who want to protect me and stand with me than those who would betray me. Please don’t worry about my safety.”
“Very well, if that’s what you believe, then so be it… but always be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You’ve worked hard while away. Go rest now.”
As Christine Craig left the room, Nathan Craig called out to Jeffrey Bishop, who had been waiting at the door.
“Jeffrey.”
“Yes, Priest.”
“I hear my daughter’s fiancé’s business partner is some sort of prophet. He dared to spout prophecies, claiming my daughter might die or might not. Ridiculous. Investigate his background and determine whether he’s a charlatan or not.”
“I shall carry out your command in God’s name.”
As Jeffrey left, Nathan Craig’s eyes narrowed.
‘Whoever this bastard is, he’s disturbed my daughter with his worthless words?’
I needed to understand his true intentions.
‘If the prophecy proves false?’
I would give that wretch a taste of hell itself.

* * *
After meeting with Christine Craig, Ryu Min provided Russell with the same Round 7 information.
-What? That’s all I need to remember? Don’t succumb to temptation?
-Don’t be seduced by temptation.
Recalling that encounter, I smiled wryly.
‘Why is everyone’s reaction so uniform?’
It wasn’t that I disliked sharing Round 7 information—truly, that alone was sufficient.
‘Anything beyond that shouldn’t be mentioned, mustn’t be mentioned. Otherwise, I’d only sabotage Round 7 itself.’
If they simply remembered the warning about not being seduced by temptation, they could navigate Round 7 without difficulty.
‘A bit premature perhaps, but I’ve already hinted to Christine Craig that I’ll save her in Round 11.’
I’d cast the bait; now I just needed them to bite.
Of course, it wouldn’t be her fiancé who saved Christine Craig—it would be me.
That’s why I hadn’t mentioned who would do the saving.
‘If I said Black Scythe would save her, Ma Gyeong-rok, being her fiancé, would obviously grow jealous.’
So for now, keeping it hidden was the best approach to preserve the relationship between Ma Gyeong-rok and Black Scythe.
Once a knot is severed, it’s difficult to retie.
‘To utilize Ma Gyeong-rok effectively, maintaining the best possible relationship is ideal.’
After that, I remained secluded for some time.
All I did at home was browse today’s items for shopping or combine magic stones.
[You have created a ‘Low-Grade Green Magic Stone’.]
[Combination successful!]
[Hermes’ Feathered Cap gains the ‘Agility +4’ option.]
‘With this, I’ve embedded low-grade magic stones into all my equipment.’
After low-grade comes mid-grade.
The combination method was identical—simply merge two low-grade stones.
Creating high-grade stones followed the same principle.
‘I have one lowest-grade magic stone of each color remaining, but it’s best to keep them.’
Lowest-grade stones aren’t useless.
With enough magic stones, I could combine them repeatedly to upgrade to mid-grade and even high-grade.
‘In a few days, Player Place will open. If things go as expected, people will flood the platform listing not just magic stones but various combination materials for sale.’
When that happens, I can sweep up those magic stones and combine them repeatedly to create high-grade stones.
Perhaps even highest-grade magic stones.
‘And I need to secure the material items I require in advance to craft unique items as well.’
There are various ways to obtain unique items—defeating boss-tier monsters, receiving quest rewards, and so forth.
‘Among them, combination is the easiest.’
Since I had the combination formulas memorized, there was nothing difficult about it.
‘The problem is material supply.’
Once Player Place opens, that issue will be resolved.
‘Of course, people need to use it actively.’
Ma Gyeong-rok has already entrusted an advertising agency to attract traffic, or so I’ve heard.
‘He said he paid off a journalist and had them write an article, but where…’
When Ryu Min typed “Player Place” into the search engine, several articles appeared.
[The First Player Market Opens June 11th!]
[A market for players? The world’s first social market set to launch.]
[Don’t need that item? List and sell it yourself! Player Place opening soon.]
Multiple articles were displayed—he’d clearly hired several journalists.
At this point, the major promotional push was already complete.
‘Now I’ll have to leave the rest to fate.’
But before that, there were still places left to promote.
Since it was Sunday, Ryu Min dressed in casual outdoor clothes.
“I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Got it, hyung.”
After finding a spot without surveillance cameras, I equipped Hermes’ Feathered Cap and cast the skill.
‘Invisibility.’
Whoosh—
My form blended seamlessly with the surroundings and vanished without a trace.

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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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