The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 100 (Part 1)
Chapter 100: The 7th Round Ends (Part 1)
———
At long last, he has obtained the one thing he desired most.
The ability to use dominion in the realm of reality.
This means having the power to manipulate someone entirely as desired.
‘I’ve already chosen who I’ll use it on.’
A sly grin curled on his lips as the angels eyed him.
The nine angels, defeated in the bet, looked frustrated.
“How could that Black Scythe clinch the top spot again this time?”
“How does that human manage to stay in first place all the time?”
“Is it possible that the missions have been leaked?”
Their disbelief and frustration knew no bounds.
They wanted to pop his head like a balloon right then and there, but regrettably, they had already used their abilities early on.
Perhaps 90% of the angels were now devoid of such powers.
[Hehe, why do you all wear such pouty expressions?]
Priscilla approached with a smile, causing the angels to hunch over like drenched puppies.
[Oh, no, it’s nothing.]
[Does anyone here object to me becoming the king?]
[Well, no. Priscilla is the king now.]
[That’s right. What does our Priscilla want to do now?]
[Who will you entrust with the guidance?]
[Wait, wait, before answering the questions.]
Priscilla’s gaze turned chilly.
[Kneel before me, all of you.]
◀ ROUND 7 Comes to a Close ▶
[Entire Area]
└ Survivors: 3,463,533
[Specific Area C2-ESKA003]
└ Survivors: 2,461
[In a moment, your soul will return to your original dimension.]
[Round 8 will commence at midnight on August 1, 2022. See you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
* * *
“Hoo.”
As soon as he returned, Ma Kyung-rok’s first action was to survey his surroundings.
“Is it the hotel?”
Could this possibly be another illusion?
He thought to himself, pinching his cheeks multiple times while exploring the house.
Just to be safe, he even made a phone call.
“An Team Leader, have you returned safely?”
– Yes, President! Are you safe too?
“Is this the reality right now?”
– Yes? It is reality, President.
“Are you sure?”
-I’m certain. The results are there, and even a congratulatory message for returning.
“But one never knows, right? Even that could be a meticulously crafted illusion.”
-Oh, come on, it can’t be. Oh, wait a minute. What if it truly is?
Listening to the President’s words, An Sang-cheol suddenly felt a sense of unease.
“For now, come to my room.”
– All right.
Ma Kyung-rok consoled himself with his usual glass of whiskey.
Swish-
He raised his whiskey glass and gazed at the scenery outside the hotel.
As he observed the lights scattered in the darkness, it often brought peace to his heart.
‘Have I genuinely returned to reality?’
It didn’t feel like it, perhaps because he had been so deeply immersed in the illusion.
No, should I say it was hard to believe?
He harbored constant doubts.
Ma Kyung-rok had suffered so much mental anguish.
‘Was what I saw merely an illusion?’
The memory of his brothers pressuring him to commit suicide on the rooftop flashed in his mind.
It was an illusion he never wished to experience again.
‘Could it be that I didn’t see an illusion, but rather glimpsed the future?’
Thinking of it as something that would occur in the future made him even more anxious.
He resolved to grow the company quickly and gain his father’s approval.
Knock, knock-
“Come in.”
When An Sang-cheol entered, he bowed respectfully.
“President, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been in the illusion for so long that distinguishing it from reality is a bit challenging for now.”
“What kind of illusion did you see that made you…?”
“….”
Ma Kyung-rok only drank his whiskey in silence.
Realizing his mistake, An Sang-cheol lowered his head again.
“I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary…”
“I’ll just consider it a bad dream.”
Sip-
Ma Kyung-rok turned around and poured another glass of whiskey.
“But Team Leader Ahn, are you okay?”
“Ah… I’m okay…”
“What kind of illusion did you see?”
“Well…”
An Sang-cheol couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“It’s just a dark story…”
“What, well, I suppose everyone feels that way.”
Ma Kyung-rok, who emptied his whiskey in one gulp, frowned.
“It feels dirty to be alive. Ha.”
He suddenly thought of someone.
“Did the Prophet also survive the illusion?”
“Well, I thought you might be curious, so I called while heading this way, and he’s indeed alive,” responded An Sang-cheol.
“Is that so? I mean, the person who was warned not to be ensnared by temptation wouldn’t have died, right?”
Ma Kyung-rok nodded as if it were an obvious point, but suddenly doubt crept in.
“But it’s strange. If they knew that breaking free from temptation was the strategy, shouldn’t the Prophet have secured the 1st position in the entire area?”
“Oh? That makes sense.”
“But there was no nickname resembling the Prophet in the calculation results.”
As always, the Black Scythe claimed the top spot in the entire area. Second was the fiancée, and third was himself. While they didn’t know the Prophet’s nickname, it was clear they weren’t among the top ranks.
“If they were truly the Prophet, they should have resisted temptation immediately… Did they deliberately delay their clear?”
“I don’t understand,” An Sangcheol admitted.
It was a perplexing issue, but they were unaware of a critical fact. If someone recognizes that it’s an illusion, the entire progression becomes impossible, including the notion that the Prophet survived.
“Well, we’ll find out when we meet later,” Ma Kyung-rok decided to leave it for now and encouraged An Sangcheol to rest.
“Rest well, Team Leader An,” he added.
“Thank you, President,” An Sang-cheol replied.
As An Sang-cheol exited, Ma Kyung-rok lay on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling.
“…”
The mental shock was considerable. He desired sleep but found his eyes wide open. That night, Ma Kyung-rok stayed awake, fearing a potential nightmare.
——–