The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 108 (Part 2)
Chapter 108: Round 8 Begins (Part 2)
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Tap Tap Tap-
Heo Taeseok rarely used his phone, only having a Sudoku puzzle game on it. Since becoming a player, he hadn’t even considered playing or deleting it.
But now, he was absorbed in his phone like never before.
└The Black Scythe has emerged? Wow, incredible!
His fingers flew across the screen, commenting on every article about the Black Scythe.
Then he saw a derogatory comment.
└Who’s even this Black Scythe, are you his fanboy?
He instantly responded to the disparaging remarks.
└Ignorance at its finest. Not knowing the great Black Scythe. Every player knows him, tsk tsk.
└What does that matter, kid? To the average person, he’s just a nobody.
└You don’t know how great he is, you fool.
└Haha, resorting to insults when logic fails? Pathetic haha.
“Ah, this is maddening.”
He was now embroiled in his fifth keyboard war.
He was on the brink of fury.
“The fools don’t understand the Black Scythe’s greatness…”
Though he clicked his tongue in frustration, Heo Taeseok knew deep down that to the common people, the Black Scythe was just a character in a lesser-known game.
“What to do? How can I make them understand…”
He was troubled, yet the answer seemed evident.
Wasn’t he the visionary behind the idea of creating a cult devoted to the Black Scythe?
“To make this a reality, I’ll need to gather followers.”
Building a cult single-handedly was a daunting task. He required allies, individuals who would echo his voice. Financial issues aside for the moment,
“I must seek out those eager to establish a gathering in honor of the Black Scythe.”
But where to begin this quest? The solution was already forming in his mind.
“To catch fish, one must go to the river.”
To attract players, he logically needed to venture where they were most abundant.
* * *
Time marched on to August 1st. A crowd of approximately 2,000 players had convened.
The 8th round was underway.
The air buzzed with whispers –
“Where is this?”
“This doesn’t look like any meadow.”
Previous rounds had typically commenced in meadows or forests. However, this time, the players stood in an expanse of stark, uncolored space, their faces etched with the tension of the unknown.
“Black Scythe-nim!”
Min Juri approached Ryu Min.
“You’ve found me quickly.”
“Indeed. With the tracking skill, it was a breeze…”
Min Juri halted, suddenly aware of her slip-up.
“But the tracking skill wasn’t included in the set I advised you to learn, was it?”
“Haha…”
Min Juri was unable to confess that she had acquired the tracking skill specifically to meet the Black Scythe. Interestingly, Heo Taeseok had learned it for a similar reason.
“Hello, Lord Black Scythe.”
Heo Taeseok approached Ryu Min with a cautious air.
‘Did he, too?’
Ryu Min’s eyebrows arched slightly. Everyone seemed to be investing in silly skills instead of the practical ones he had suggested.
Ryu Min recalled something about Heo Taeseok at that moment.
‘He’s a recent applicant to Player Haven, right?’
It appeared he had joined as part of his campaign to build a cult for Black Scythe. His recent membership distinguished him from the others who had passed the murder test.
‘It seems I need to categorize the members by their grades.’
Ryu Min contemplated downgrading the grades of the existing members, giving preferential treatment to the newer ones.
‘The old members might revolt, but it’s irrelevant. They’re destined for the janitor anyway.’
Ryu Min, smirking at his plan, was greeted by Min Juri’s cheerful demeanor.
“Oh, Black Scythe-nim, did you catch the news? You were the hero who rescued Congressman Lee Seong-hyun, weren’t you?”
“Oh, yes, that.”
“I saw that too, Lord Black Scythe! I was so excited that I left supportive comments on every article about you. Hehe.”
“……”
Observing Heo Taeseok’s unusually bright smile, Ryu Min couldn’t bring himself to scold him for his seemingly useless efforts.
“But really, it’s incredible! The articles mentioned the criminals invited you to conspire with them, right?”
“Yes, they did.”
“How could they dare to make such an offer? And what were they thinking, challenging the Black Scythe?”
“They didn’t know it was me.”
Technically, Yamti was aware, but being Ryu Min’s slave, it hardly mattered.
At that moment, both Heo Taeseok and Min Juri shared a thought.
-I wish I knew (Lord) Black Scythe’s true identity.
Hearing their thoughts, Ryu Min inwardly shook his head and then looked upward.
Suddenly, a figure shimmered into view above them, radiant like an angel.
[Welcome, everyone. I’m Ariel, newly assigned to supervise the C2-ESKA003 zone. No applause is necessary.]
“……”
When the crowd remained silent, not clapping, Ariel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
[I thought at least one of you would clap. That’s quite disappointing.]
Clap- Clap Clap-
‘This isn’t exactly a red carpet welcome.’
As a few claps broke the silence, Ariel’s expression softened into a smile.
[Thank you for the welcome! Now, shall we dive into the quest for the 8th round?]
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