The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 125 (Part 1)
Chapter 125: The Prophet’s Request (Part 1)
Before going to the warehouse.
Ma Kyung-rok was walking down the street at night.
It was because of Ryu Min’s call, asking him to come out to a secluded alley because he had something secret to say.
‘What does he want to talk about in the middle of the night?’
Couldn’t he just say it over the phone instead of calling someone out like this?
And at such a late hour?
Ma Kyung-rok found the Prophet’s behavior, uncharacteristic of his usual demeanor, puzzling.
His puzzlement continued even after meeting Ryu Min.
“Ah, Prophet. You’re here.”
“……”
“So, you said you had something to tell me?”
“……”
Ryu Min didn’t respond.
‘What’s so important that he’s setting such a mood?’
His expression was as grave as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Mr. Chairman. It’s a bit out of the blue, but I have a confession to make.”
“A confession?”
At the word “confession,” Ma Kyung-rok thought of various things.
‘Surely not.’
The worst assumptions came to mind but were quickly dismissed.
Such a development would only happen in a melodrama.
“In fact, I know your secret.”
“……Secret?”
Suspicion immediately arose in Ma Kyung-rok’s eyes.
“As you know, I am a prophet. In doing so, I inadvertently saw your future. That’s when I saw the secret.”
A long sigh escaped from Ryu Min’s mouth.
Ma Kyung-rok did not know that it was a meticulously calculated act.
“In reality… you’ve been hunting, haven’t you?”
“……”
“I know. You choose only criminals to hunt. That’s why I don’t think badly of you. Of course, I don’t consider you an enemy either. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been in business together until now, right?”
“……”
“However, I haven’t considered you a complete ally either. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t on guard, knowing you murder as a hobby at night.”
Ma Kyung-rok understood what Ryu Min meant.
Regardless of who the victim is, a murderer is a murderer.
From the perspective of an observer, it could only be repelling.
That’s the normal reaction.
In fact, Ma Kyung-rok had anticipated this moment.
He didn’t expect such a direct confession, though.
“Prophet. Have you ever killed a bug?”
“……”
“Of course, you have. Maybe not recently, but as a child, you might have torn off the limbs of bugs. Out of curiosity, a child who doesn’t understand the pain it causes might commit such cruel acts without knowing it’s cruel.”
“……”
“I did that. I killed countless bugs when I was young. They were disgusting. There was a belief ingrained in me that disgusting and unpleasant things needed to be crushed. That belief persisted even as I grew up. To my eyes, many appeared not as people but as repulsive bugs swarming around.”
This time, Ryu Min was silent.
“I decided to start cleaning up these bugs during high school. There was this leech-like guy who clung to me because he knew I was from a wealthy family. I was so disgusted by him. I couldn’t resist the impulse and just got rid of him. It was easy. There was nothing money couldn’t solve.”
“……”
“That was the beginning. It was then I started actively eliminating bugs. It might sound psychotic, but honestly, it felt exhilarating.”
“……”
“I haven’t counted how many I’ve killed since then. Just know it’s more than fingers and toes can count.”
Ryu Min didn’t know what face to make as he looked at Ma Kyung-rok.
As if he still had more to say Ma Kyung-rok continued to speak
“Should I be called a psychopath? Whether that’s accurate, I’m not sure. But one thing is for sure; I don’t touch innocent people. Only those who emit a disgusting stench are what I deal with, as you well know.”
“……”
“Prophet. When I first saw you, I somewhat expected this. If you could see the future, perhaps you could see my hobby too? If so, why have you left me alone until now? Why?”
“……”
“I had my doubts but never asked. I didn’t want to tarnish my image by exposing my own flaws. But I never thought you’d speak about it so frankly like this.”
Ma Kyung-rok’s face was more serious than ever as he spoke softly.
“You knew I was a murderer and overlooked it, right? Why? Why didn’t you report me to the police?”
“I’ll be honest.”
Ryu Min said with a feigned tense expression.
“I was not confident. Not confident in fighting you and winning, nor in bearing the consequences that would follow.”
“……”
“Besides, there’s no remaining evidence, is there? Would the police believe me based on the future? Even if they did, could it serve as evidence?”
“Then why are you telling me this now?”
It was time to get to the point, and Ryu Min’s expression became more serious.
“I wanted to ask Mr. Ma to clean up more trash.”
“What do you mean? Could it be……?”