The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 74 (Part 1)

Chapter 74: Business (Part 1)

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The day after their return, Min Juri found herself seated at a cafe table, her heart racing with anticipation. She was about to meet Ryu Min, and the appointed time was drawing near.

“Why does Min want to meet again? Could it be?” Juri pondered, her thoughts veering into the realm of speculation. She shook her head, deeming her musings somewhat outlandish.

Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and a delightful rush of anticipation surged through her. ‘Woah! Okay, calm down, stay cool. I can’t afford to let it show,’ she reminded herself sternly. She didn’t want to burden herself with unnecessary anxiety or, even worse, reveal her one-sided affection.

Just then, the cafe’s door swung open, and Ryu Min entered.

“Hey, you’re here already? Have you been waiting long?” Ryu Min inquired with a friendly smile.

“Oh, no, not at all. I arrived just a little while ago,” Juri replied, rising from her seat hastily, feeling a tad self-conscious about her earlier fanciful thoughts.

“I’ll go place our orders. What would you like to drink? It’s on me, so feel free to choose,” Ryu Min offered.

“Iced Americano with an extra shot, please,” Juri requested.

“Got it. I’ll be right back,” Ryu Min said before heading to the counter. A short while later, he returned with the coffee.

“Enjoy your coffee, Juri.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Juri nodded as she took a sip. During this time, an awkward silence settled between them.

‘Why does it feel so awkward?’ Juri wondered. Was it because of her earlier, somewhat bizarre daydreams? Even the briefest moments of silence seemed strangely uncomfortable to her.

Breaking the silence, Ryu Min finally spoke, “So, how was round 5? Did you meet the Black Scythe, like I said?”

It was a rather blunt question, but Juri, eager to steer the conversation, welcomed the opportunity to discuss it. “Yes, just like you said, we met and hunted together. To be honest, I had doubts that the top-ranked player would join me, but when I showed him my abilities, he agreed.”

“I told you so. If he sees your buffs, the Black Scythe will want you on his team.”

“Thanks to that, I had a really comfortable hunting experience. I even managed to secure second place in the area for the first time,” Juri added with enthusiasm.

“Second place? Impressive. What was the reward?”

“I received a mid-tier rare necklace that boosts agility. Would you like to see it?”

Juri opened her inventory and displayed the necklace to Ryu Min, who responded with an impressed “Wow.”

Of course, it was a mere display of admiration. In a world filled with epic necklaces, regular ones hardly caught anyone’s attention.

“What do you think? Does it look good?”

Ryu Min replied, “Uh, it looks great!”

“You can have it.”

“Huh? Why would you give it to me…”

“It’s thanks to your prophecy that I obtained it, so it’s only right for you to have it,” Juri insisted, attempting to pass it over.

However, Ryu Min gently declined, pushing her hand away. “I’m fine. Why would you give me the reward you worked hard for…”

“It wasn’t all that difficult to obtain. Thanks to the Black Scythe, I had a very comfortable hunt.”

“In that case, why not give it to the Black Scythe instead…”

“Do you really think a high-level player like him needs a low-level necklace like this?”

‘Well, it’s not needed,’ Ryu Min agreed; A regular-grade rare necklace? For someone of his level, it was a rather useless item. With plenty of gold to his name, even selling it wouldn’t make a significant difference in his finances.

Ryu Min waved his hand to politely decline once more.

“Thank you, but I don’t need it. I haven’t even reached the regular grade yet.”

“What? You’re not even a regular grade? What’s your level?”

“I’m level 19. I barely managed to defeat 300 orcs on my own in 10 hours,” Ryu Min admitted with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“O-ow…”

Although unspoken, Juri’s frustration was evident. ‘Well, a prophet isn’t exactly suited for combat…’ she mused.

Having the ability to see the future, combined with strong combat skills, was just too powerful, that would just break the system.

Of course, such an individual stood before her now, but it was a concept Juri couldn’t even fathom. Ryu Min’s demeanor, tone, and image were worlds apart from Black Scythe.

“By the way, Min. How does the Prophet fight?”

“Ah, I have magic skills. I’m embarrassed to show it, but….”

“Then you don’t need the agility necklace? Ah, I get it, since you’re using magic, you need to increase your Intelligence.”

“Yes.”

He said so, but in fact, even those classes that use magic need a certain level of agility.

Because you have to have a means of defense.

‘You may not need the attack speed that increases with agility, but movement speed and evasion are somewhat helpful for survival.’

Of course, this had nothing to do with Ryu Min, who does not use magic.

And so, when Ryu Min insisted that he didn’t need it, Min Juri found herself with no other option but to tuck the necklace away.

“Well then, how about this instead?” Juri suggested, retrieving the lowest-grade red mana stone from her inventory. “I found this during one of our hunts. I can’t vouch for its quality, but it’s a token of my appreciation, so please, don’t decline.”

Ryu Min, aware that Juri had prepared this with him in her mind, smiled with genuine warmth. “Thank you. For thinking of me.”

“Huh?” It was an offhand remark, but it seemed to catch Juri off guard.

“I mean, I didn’t do it with you specifically in mind… I just noticed you’ve been helping me with information all along, and I thought I should show my gratitude. So…”

Seeing Juri’s flustered response, Ryu Min found it rather endearing.

“I get it now. Thanks. I’ll accept it gratefully.”

Without further protest, Ryu Min stowed the mana stone away. Although it was the lowest grade, collecting these could undoubtedly aid in his growth.

“Since you’ve given me something, I feel like I should give you something too, you know?”

“Huh? Like what?”

“Well, naturally, it’s information about Round 6.”

“O-oh…”

For a moment, she seemed disappointed, but it was a fleeting emotion. Juri brightened up with a wide smile.

“If you tell me, I’ll be more than thankful!”

“Sure thing. So, about the quest in Round 6…”

As Ryu Min’s prophecy unfolded, Juri’s eyes gradually widened. It was all due to the mention of the Black Scythe and the directive to cooperate with him.

“So, I should team up with the Black Scythe again this round?”

“Yes, considering that your buffs proved their worth in Round 5, he probably won’t decline.”

“Oh… Why’s that?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I just didn’t expect to team up with him again.”

“Well, isn’t that… a good thing?”

“Well, I guess so! Black Scythe was so good to me.”

“He was good to you?”

“Yeah, surprisingly considerate and not as intimidating as I had imagined. A bit cocky, sure, but that’s par for the course when you’re the top-ranked player.”

“Ah… Is that so?”

It was an unintentional self-evaluation, but Ryu Min couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected compliment. It was quite a positive assessment.

“He also seems quite insightful too.”

“Insightful?”

“It’s hard to put into words… What can I say? It feels like he really understands people’s hearts.”

‘Well, I do have the Rune of Inner Thoughts.’

For Ryu Min, it was a given, but Juri, unaware of such a rune’s existence, found Black Scythe incredibly impressive.

He possessed skills, insight, charisma, and thoughtfulness – a near-perfect existence, really.

‘But I’m far from perfect. After all, I failed 99 times.’

Despite the sense of urgency he felt for the final round, where a 5-person party was required, failure was simply not an option. ‘I can’t afford to fail, especially when it’s my last chance.’

He gazed at Juri with determination, knowing that he needed to bring her along. ‘Juri must join me, and so must the American priest.’

With two positions now secured, there were still two more to consider.

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