The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 38
Chapter 38
“Hah!”
Seo Arin opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.
“I’m back. I survived Round 3.”
But it wasn’t just surviving this time.
She had even acquired the job of a Summoner.
Seizing the opportunity, she decided to use her skills once again.
“Fairy summon.”
A small fairy materialized in a dazzling display of light and fluttered around, exploring its surroundings.
It was a summon that provided a protective shield.
Although it lacked combat abilities, it enabled her to safely overcome the 5th wave.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to bodyguard-nim too for attracting the monsters’ attention from me.”
She made a mental note to express her thanks later.
However, there were other fortunate developments.
She achieved an impressive rank of 3rd place in the area rankings.
“Can you believe I made it to 3rd place in the rankings…”
Even though it was the area rankings, it marked the first appearance of her nickname on the list.
She also received a reward known as the Purple Mastery Stone.
Curiosity piqued, Seo Arin took out the Purple Mastery Stone and examined it from various angles.
“I wonder if Black Scythe would appreciate this gift?”
Though uncertain of its purpose, it held value as a reward.
She carefully stowed the Purple Mastery Stone back in her inventory.
Once she entered Round 4, she planned to seek out Black Scythe and offer it as a token of gratitude.
“He should appreciate it…”
But what if he doesn’t?
What could she give him then?
“I should give him something nonetheless. It would ease my conscience.”
Seo Arin was someone who couldn’t stay in debt, especially if the debt is saving her life.
***
Upon returning to reality, Hwang Yongmin’s first action was to open his status window.
[A penalty is being applied.]
[All stats permanently decrease by 50%.]
His stats had been mercilessly halved, just as he had anticipated.
“Ah… Damn it.”
Regret washed over Hwang Yongmin’s face.
If only he hadn’t commanded the relic to be destroyed.
At that moment, his phone vibrated.
Glancing at the caller ID, it was his close friend.
“Hey, Seunghan.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“What do you mean?]
[Everything went to hell because of you! We’re damned! you know?”
His friend’s voice trembled with anger.
“How could you manipulate your friends like that? Are you even human?”
“Hey! It was an unavoidable situation. If I hadn’t done that, Black Scythe could have killed me.”
“Dying would have been better!”
“What?”
“Instead of causing harm to our friends.”
“Come on! I’m frustrated too, damn it! I received a penalty because I’m the area representative!”
“Do you think you were the only one to receive the penalty alone? We have also received one because of you!!”
“….”
“Would you have preferred it if I had died then, I’m your friend you know?”
“Hey, come on…”
“Stop, don’t you dare to contact me again. Don’t act like you know me whether it’s in reality or the other world. If I see your face, I might get so pissed off that I’ll kill you.”
With that, the call ended abruptly.
His friend seemed infuriated.
“Did I really do something wrong? Damn it, I’m a victim too.”
Although he felt wronged, he had to let go of his anger.
With that in mind, he attempted to contact another friend but received no response.
Checking KakaoTalk, he discovered that he had been expelled from the group chat as well.
“Damn… They’re cutting me off without even listening.”
Despite being abandoned by his friends, he didn’t feel lonely.
On the contrary, his eyes blazed with anger.
“What? They say they might kill me if they see my face?”
Hwang Yongmin made a silent vow.
“Next time we meet. I’ll kill them all.”
He, too, was capable of revenge.
***
“Welcome, Director An. You’ve survived once again.”
Ma Kyung-rok, the owner, greeted with a smile, causing An Sang-cheol to feel a bit flustered and scratch the back of his head.
“I got lucky, haha.”
“Round 3 must have been challenging. How did it go?”
“It was fine. The weakened monsters didn’t pose significant challenges.”
“Do you have a job? What’s your current level?”
“I’m at level 11. I became a Knight.”
“A Knight… That’s an impressive job.”
“By the way, Seo Arin is at the same level as me. Although she chose to become a Summoner.”
“A Summoner?”
Ma Kyung-rok showed an unexpectedly enthusiastic reaction.
“That’s remarkable. It doesn’t seem like an ordinary job.”
“I was surprised too. After changing jobs, she summoned a fairy. It provided a protective shield, allowing us to hunt safely.”
“That’s great. Keep maintaining a close relationship with Seo Arin. If you like her, you can even consider dating.”
“Date? What are you…?”
“I mean, it’s easier to find weaknesses if you get close. I don’t mean it in a serious way.”
“Ah…”
An Sang-cheol didn’t pay much attention to the suggestion of finding weaknesses.
He had already carried out more severe orders.
“Should I… really date her?”
“Hahaha! It’s been a while since I’ve seen Director An flustered. You don’t have to do it if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Ah… Okay.”
An Sang-cheol breathed a sigh of relief.
“And besides, Seo Arin probably doesn’t have any feelings for me.”
“Why? Director An is reliable and has a strong presence.”
“She still addresses me respectfully as ‘Mr. An.’”
“Is that so?”
Ma Kyung-rok chuckled and swirled his glass of whiskey.
Teasing Ahn Sang-cheol was one of his little hobbies.
“Anyway, what’s this urgent matter you wanted to report?”
“Ah…!”
Ahn Sang-cheol suddenly remembered and immediately lowered his head.
“First of all, I apologize.”
“Why?”
“I failed to fulfill the order to assist Black Scythe. I also didn’t deliver the message from the representative.”
“I see. I’m sure there must be a reason.”
Ahn Sang-cheol nodded and gave a detailed report on Black Scythe’s impressive achievements, and how he didn’t require any assistance due to the overwhelming strength he had shown in blocking one of the entrances alone.
The tally showed 3,631 kills, so Ma Kyung-rok wasn’t surprised. He had already anticipated it.
However, when An Sang-cheol mentioned that the relic had shattered and a sub-quest had appeared, even Ma Kyung-rok couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“So, sub-quests appear when the relic shatters? In our area, we protected the relic and received 2,000 gold as a reward.”
“Yes. We had to endure a quest for 30 minutes against a being called the Harbinger of Divine Punishment…”
When An Sang-cheol mentioned that Black Scythe had ended up killing the being, Ma Kyung-rok’s eyes widened.
“You’re saying he managed to kill such a powerful entity?”
“Yes. He defeated it with overwhelming skill as if he knew its strategies.”
“…”
Just by looking at the level tally of 30, it was evident how formidable Black Scythe was.
‘I used to think that obtaining the Black Knight’s rune was an advantage. How foolish of me.’
There were individuals whose very existence was an advantage.
“Black Scythe didn’t need any assistance from the beginning. Even though I examined the situation closely, there hasn’t been any need to help him.”
“I understand.”
Ma Kyung-rok nodded.
If Black Scythe was that strong, there was no opening for An Sang-cheol to intervene.
‘Black Scythe… I’d like to meet him if the opportunity arises.’
It would be great to know his true identity, but there was no way to find out.
He couldn’t even meet in the other realm.
It was a pity that they belonged to different areas.
“As long as there’s a reason, I won’t hold you responsible.”
“I apologize.”
“By the way…”
As Ma Kyung-rok mentioned the truth of their identities, certain individuals came to mind.
“What happened with tracking those troublemakers?”
It was none other than Hwang Yong-min’s group.