Chapter 119
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Last Time Regressor
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The general group quest was to escort them to the destination.
The traitor group quest was to obstruct the escort to the destination.
The two quests were complete opposites, so only one group could survive.
‘It’s a battle of whether 1,201 people die, or I die.’
That's what one would normally think.
But Ryu Min knew a way for both groups to survive.
A way for everyone to succeed in the quest so that no one would be annihilated.
‘It’s not a difficult method. It’s simple if I use a loophole in the system.’
Therefore, Ryu Min wasn't particularly worried.
He had already cleared it this way several times before.
‘I can’t kill all 1,201 people just for me to live.’
Among the 1,201, most importantly, was Jo Yong-ho.
It wouldn't matter if Ahn Sang-chul died, but Jo Yong-ho needed to become a source of strength for him later as the Mercenary King.
‘He’s too valuable a talent to kill.’
So he planned to use the method where everyone survives.
‘I don’t have to worry about being annihilated. The problem is whether I can obtain the Rune of Foresight.’
If everything went according to plan, obtaining the rune was a foregone conclusion.
But variables always exist.
‘There’s a chance the archbishop might not acknowledge me, after all.’
If he couldn't create a situation so overwhelming that the archbishop's eyes would pop out, he wouldn't be able to earn his favor.
If he failed to gain his favor, a private meeting with him would be impossible, and the reward would be out of the question.
‘For now, I’ll have to wait until the boss appears.’
Soon after, the convoy began to move, and the escort quest officially started.
A massive group of 1,202 players walked, guarding the carriage.
Ryu Min positioned himself next to the carriage the archbishop was in.
‘It’s better to stand out, even now if possible.’
After all, wouldn't fighting next to the archbishop make him more memorable?
As he walked with that thought, monsters appeared.
Countless gargoyles filled the sky.
“F-Flying monsters?”
“Shit. How are we supposed to catch those?”
The players were flustered from the start, but after seeing the Black Scythe fight, they understood.
Just because they had wings didn't mean they couldn't be caught.
“Just kill them when they come down, like the Black Scythe is doing!”
“Kill them! The bird bastards!”
They looked more like demons than birds, but the players were too out of it to notice.
The gargoyles’ hit-and-run attacks were enough to make them lose their minds.
“Th-These bastards are tougher than I thought!”
“They don’t die in one hit!”
Since they didn't die in one hit, they would quickly flee even after being attacked.
“They have wings, so we can’t even chase them. This is driving me crazy!”
The battle dragged on longer than expected, but not for one person.
*Slice—!*
A head fell off in a single strike, and with a follow-up attack, a nearby gargoyle was split in half.
‘Night of Death.’
Ryu Min, who had darkened the area, moved about, lopping off gargoyles' heads with an even faster attack speed.
Whenever he saw one trying to escape, he used a skill without hesitation.
‘Moonlight Flash.’
With a brilliant flash, three gargoyles were torn to pieces.
It was an overwhelming display, hard to believe he had a stat debuff.
Watching the Black Scythe put on what was essentially a one-man show, the players were left speechless.
“Wow, look at the Black Scythe.”
“Damn, he’s so freaking strong.”
“How is everything he slices a one-shot kill?”
It reached a point where some people were just watching, mesmerized.
It wasn't just the players watching Ryu Min's performance.
When he glanced over, the archbishop was looking this way through the carriage window.
He couldn't read his thoughts, but the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off him suggested he had caught his interest.
‘I’m sure I’ve made a strong first impression.’
After slaughtering all the gargoyles, a short break followed, and then the second wave began immediately.
“What are these things now?”
“They look like trolls from a fantasy story.”
‘That’s right, trolls.’
Ryu Min silently agreed and raised his scythe.
Trolls were 2.5 meters tall, not particularly large for monsters, but were characterized by their rapid regeneration.
‘But they only regenerate minor wounds. If I cut them down in a single blow, it's not a problem.’
Of course, for other players to cut them in one blow, the trolls' skin was too thick.
But to Ryu Min, it was as soft as tofu.
*Slice— Slice—!*
Seeing Ryu Min dicing up even the trolls, the players were utterly astounded.
“He’s insane, absolutely insane.”
“How is his damage so high?”
“He’s not rank 1 for nothing.”
After somehow managing to take down the trolls and walking a few steps, minotaurs appeared.
“Minotaurs? Is this for real?”
“How are we supposed to kill that monster?”
“There’s really no time to rest.”
The players had experienced how strong the minotaur was back in the 6th round.
This was why they were scared before even fighting.
Seeing this, Ryu Min shook his head.
‘There's no need to be scared. Shouldn't they be happy? At least it's a monster they've fought before.’
Besides, their levels were now more than 10 higher than back then.
It would be tough, but if a few of them worked together, it was manageable.
It didn't take long for the players to realize that fact.
“Nice! We got it!”
“It’s easier than before, isn’t it?”
“This is doable, right?”
Watching the now-confident players, Ryu Min also started carving up the bulls.
“Kuuuh-moooo!”
He butchered dozens of them, but no items dropped.
In the 6th round, it was a boss, so the item drop rate was high, but here it was just treated as a mob.
After 4 hours of desperate hunting, the 25th wave was approaching.
‘It’s finally time for it to appear.’
As Ryu Min was mentally preparing himself, the boss monster he had been waiting for appeared.
*Thud— Thud— Thud—*
“What’s that?”
“What is that sound?”
“The ground is shaking...?”
The reason for the vibration was none other than…
“Kwoooaaargh!”
A monster over 6 meters tall, the strongest on land: the Ogre.
It was the appearance of the 8th round's boss monster.
The creature charged forward with an agility that belied its size and swung its hand as if swatting a fly.
*Crunch—!*
A player who couldn't react in time died, turned to pulp.
“K-Kill it!”
Several players surrounded the ogre.
No, the ogre let itself be surrounded.
From the ogre's perspective, it was better to deal with them all at once than one by one.
*Thwack-thwack-thwack—!*
As it swung a club as thick as a person, players were sent flying without even a chance to dodge.
*Boom—! Crunch—! Crack—!*
Stomping with its feet, smashing with its club, and swatting heads away with its palm.
Every time the ogre attacked, players died in vain.
“Shit! What is that thing!”
“An ogre is that strong?”
“Isn't this a total design flaw?”
A single ogre had already created 30 corpses, and the number was growing.
A thousand people might be able to stop it if they all charged, but there was no telling how much the casualties would increase.
Just then, darkness engulfed the surroundings.
“Who is it?”
“The Black Scythe?”
The players, looking around, saw Ryu Min with his death scythe held out.
He looked calm, as if he had been waiting for this very situation.
It was time to try out his newly learned skill.
‘Red Moon.’
The moment they felt Ryu Min's eyes turn red, a flash of light erupted.
The ogre, confused by the sudden darkness, spotted a single streak of light.
*Slice—!*
“Kwoooaaargh!”
The club was sliced clean through, and a long gash appeared on the ogre's chest.
A second streak of light followed, cutting even deeper into its chest.
“Kwaaaaaaaaak!”
The ogre raised its hand in pain, but a third light sliced its forearm right off.
The fourth flash slit its throat, and the fifth flash cut the falling body one more time.
*Shhhwwwiiing— Thud!*
“...”
“...”
It all happened in just 10 seconds, but the players saw it clearly.
The Black Scythe was an opponent that even thousands of players couldn't defeat if they charged at him.
The curtain of darkness lifted, and Ryu Min turned his head.
The archbishop was staring this way, his mouth half-open.
‘Just as planned.’
He had confirmed the archbishop was watching before slaughtering the ogre.
He must have made a definitive impression.
‘Now that you’ve seen the show, shouldn’t you at least give me your review?’
He was subtly waiting to be called over, but the gazes around him were intense.
-He used that ridiculous skill five times in a row?
-Crazy. What the hell kind of class is that?
-The Black Scythe is a true legend.
Reading their thoughts, it seemed he had properly caught the attention of the other players as well.
Among them, he could see Ahn Sang-chul.
-I was crazy. To think I could ever catch up to a monster like that...
‘You’re only realizing that now?’
Through this incident, Ahn Sang-chul had finally, albeit late, realized his own place.
Ryu Min looked at the message that had appeared to the side.
[You have defeated the Ogre!]
[A 3x experience buff is active.]
[Experience is increased by 1.5x due to a title effect.]
[Experience +16.37%]
[Gold +12,000]
[Additional Gold +6,000]
[You have obtained 'Ogre's Gauntlet'.]
[You have obtained 'Ogre's Heart'.]
Perhaps because it was designated as a boss, items that wouldn't normally drop appeared.
[Ogre's Gauntlet]
-Type: Gloves
-Grade: Unique
-Defense: 180
-Effect: Strength +30, additional Strength +30 when facing ground monsters
-Durability: 3,000/3,000
-Usage Requirement: Expert Grade or higher
-Description: The gauntlet of an Ogre, known as the predator of ground monsters. Provides a ridiculous boost to strength.
Seeing the gauntlet, Ryu Min let out a dry laugh.
‘A Unique item dropped.’
It was Unique, but against ground monsters, it was a crazy item that displayed Legendary-grade options.
It was better than the Shadow Gloves he was currently wearing, so he equipped it immediately.
He also socketed the highest-grade magic stone he had previously used into the Ogre's Gauntlet.
[Ogre's Heart]
-Type: Item
-Description: A hard, dark red stone. Despite its appearance, it is not a real heart, so you can rest assured.
‘Ogre’s Heart is a Legendary-grade material item.’
This was also an item Ryu Min needed.
He stored it safely in his inventory.
‘I’ll have to craft some Legendary items next.’
As he was thinking that, the escort captain approached him.
“Greetings, warrior from another world. I watched the battle just now. To kill that fearsome ogre in an instant... I see now why people hire warriors from another world as escorts. Haha!”
‘You didn’t come here just to say such useless things, did you?’
The words almost came out, but he held them back and spoke.
“What do you want?”
“Ah, where are my manners. It's just that the Archbishop wishes to see you, warrior.”
“Me?”
“Yes. It seems he was quite impressed by your performance in battle.”
“Understood. Where should I go?”
“This way.”
Ryu Min followed the escort captain and stopped in front of the carriage the archbishop was riding in.
“Please, go inside.”
As the door opened, the archbishop gestured for him to enter.
“Sit.”
He sat across from him, and as he looked up, the carriage door closed.
After a brief silence, the archbishop was the first to state his business.
“I'll be direct. I called you here to make an offer.”
“An offer?”
“Due to my high position, I am plagued by various threats, so I am looking for a personal guard to keep by my side for a long time.”
The archbishop said in an arrogant tone.
“What do you say? Will you not become my guard? An opportunity like this doesn't come along every day.”
‘An opportunity like this certainly is rare.’
In this world, an archbishop was a figure on par with the Pope.
Even in the place known as the Holy Empire, the archbishop's influence was second to none.
‘The opportunity to refuse an offer from such a person is truly rare indeed.’
Ryu Min answered quickly.
“I refuse.”
“Yes, I expected as mu—... what?”
A look of bewilderment spread across the archbishop's face, who had naturally expected him to accept.
“I appreciate the offer, but I am not confident in my ability to protect someone. I apologize.”
“...”
To refuse when he should be trying to build a connection with the archbishop.
It was something the usual Ryu Min would never do, but this time, he had to refuse.
To obtain the Rune of Foresight, he couldn't establish the perception that he was beneath the archbishop.
“Huhu, you are different from the others. Most people try to lick even the tips of my boots.”
“...”
“Come to think of it, I haven't heard your name.”
Instead of his name, Ryu Min set his title to public.
[The Last Time Regressor]
He showed the archbishop the title he had never revealed to anyone.
All to obtain the Rune of Foresight.
‘The archbishop is a dead man anyway.’
The archbishop's eyes widened.