The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player

[Refined Aether]

Category: Item

Description: Aether of the highest purity, capable of crafting items beyond the God-grade tier. Emits a rainbow-colored radiance depending on the angle of light.

The part that astonished Ryu Min wasn’t the rarity or purity itself.

‘Capable of crafting items beyond God-grade?’

Until now, Ryu Min had believed that the God-grade was the highest possible tier.

But there’s something even higher than that?

‘Does that mean God-grade isn’t the ultimate level?’

He was so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh nearly escaped him.

Despite having gone through 99 regressions and proudly knowing all the strategies and information for every round…

‘An item I didn’t know existed has appeared.’

The methods for combining it weren’t clear either. He could attempt a trial-and-error approach, but he simply didn’t have the luxury of time for that.

‘If only I had a blueprint…’

It was a pity, but regardless, this was still a gain. After all, he’d discovered the existence of an item he hadn’t known before.

And this was all thanks to defeating a Third-Rank Archangel or higher.

‘If I take down the First-Rank, what would I get then?’

The thought intrigued him, but right now, protecting his younger brother was the top priority.

‘I’ll have to meet Heo Tae-seok later.’

To stack Hero’s Rune again like before, he would need Heo Tae-seok’s demon-summoning skill.

When Ryu Min walked into the living room, his younger brother, Ryu Won, eagerly waved him over.

“Hyung, this tastes amazing! You have to try it.”

“Really?”

As Ryu Min took a bite, he mulled over the taste.

“It really is good.”

While eating in front of the TV, Ryu Won finished first, leaned back, and patted his belly.

“Ahh, that hit the spot.”

Then, looking at Ryu Min, he grinned bashfully.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Ha ha, it’s just… I still can’t believe it. My brother is the famous Black Scythe…”

“Don’t believe me? Should I pull out the scythe and show you?”

“No, no, I believe you!”

There was no need to pull out the eerie scythe. Ryu Won already believed it. How could he not believe it after witnessing his brother effortlessly slaughter Archangels with his own eyes?

“I used to think you were weak because you were just a Prophet.”

“That’s prejudice talking.”

“You’re right. I did have a prejudice about it.”

The sight of his younger brother humbly admitting this was a little strange.

Could it be that learning about the Black Scythe had sparked a newfound respect in him?

‘Come to think of it, he’s sitting a lot more upright now.’

On the surface, Ryu Won pretended to be calm, but internally, he was as nervous as a new recruit on their first day in the military.

“Relax, Won-ah.”

“Huh? Was it obvious?”

“We’re family. Why are you so tense? Whether I’m the Black Scythe or the Prophet, I’m still your brother.”

At Ryu Min’s warm smile and reassurance, Ryu Won finally allowed himself to relax, his previously rigid body becoming noticeably looser.

“Sorry, I didn’t even realize I was tense.”

“Anyway, didn’t we say we’d talk about the things we didn’t get to before? Ask me anything you’re curious about.”

Ryu Won had been waiting for this, and he immediately threw out a question.

“When you went overseas all those times, was it to punish bad guys, not because you had a girlfriend?”

“Of course. What girlfriend? I’ve never even been near Japan.”

“So you just used that as an excuse because you didn’t feel like explaining?”

“Exactly.”

“Whoa…”

The Black Scythe’s exploits were well-known to the public. Defeating KF forces in Nigeria, founding the CPF Unit, restoring domestic peace, and helping countries in need—these were all monumental achievements.

But for Ryu Won, discovering that his brother had used “a Japanese girlfriend” as a flimsy excuse was mind-blowing.

“You’re the one who jumped to conclusions. I figured it was a convenient excuse, so I ran with it.”

“Then what about the Prophet class? Was that a lie too? You’re the only one with the Grim Reaper class, right?”

“How do you even know my class is unique?”

“There’s this thing called Player Gallery. You can look it up, you know. There are posts summarizing every mission ever completed.”

Ryu Min’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I didn’t realize information was being exchanged so freely.”

Civilians weren’t completely clueless about Players, as he’d assumed.

“As far as I know, I’ve never heard of a Prophet class except from you. So, was that a lie too?”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ryu Min nodded honestly.

“Yeah. The Prophet class doesn’t exist.”

“What? Then was all that stuff about seeing the future fake too?”

“Yeah. I just needed a cover for my Grim Reaper class.”

“Then how did you predict the lottery numbers?”

“Well, that’s…”

At this unexpected line of questioning, Ryu Min found himself stumped.

Should he tell his brother the most crucial truth?

‘Do I tell him? Or not?’

He hesitated, but his deliberation didn’t last long. At this point, revealing the truth wouldn’t be an issue.

“Do you want to know the truth?”

“Yes.”

“It might shock you. Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

“There’s nothing left to shock me now.”

Ryu Won confidently answered, chuckling, but his expression froze the moment Ryu Min spoke again.

“I’m a regressor.”

“What?”

The bombshell revelation left Ryu Won stunned.

“Wait… what did you just say? A regressor?”

“To be precise, you could say I’m from the future. Or for me, it’s technically the past.”

“What are you talking about? Regression? That kind of thing can’t possibly exist…”

“There’s something called the Rune of Time Reversal. It lets you regress up to 100 times.”

“…”

“With it, I’ve been repeating countless rounds. I made plenty of mistakes and had many failures along the way. I didn’t have any talent or special abilities back then.”

Ryu Won could only stare, dumbfounded, as his brother’s confession unfolded.

“When I died, I’d return to 10 minutes before the game began. I repeated that over and over, defeating the same monsters, clearing the same rounds, teaming up with the same people…”

As Ryu Min reflected on his past, Ryu Won held his breath.

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