Chapter 151
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Reunion
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He activated Blood Moon and unleashed a barrage of Moonlight Strikes.
With every swing, fifty players turned to dust and vanished.
After just five swings, he had wiped out half the enemy forces. Then he gripped the Scythe of the Fallen God's Claws.
Scraaaape-!
The scythe extended like the grip of a giant's hand, sweeping away everything in its path without mercy.
Since it was nighttime, he reaped the full benefits of increased attack speed and Moonlight Strike damage even without activating the skill.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
It felt even easier without his equipment equipped.
To Ryu Min, they were little more than walking bonuses.
“…….”
“…….”
Victor and Yamtti, watching the massacre unfold in real time, were at a complete loss for words.
They felt no pity, yet no joy either.
They simply waited for it to end, like spectators gazing upon an unstoppable force of nature.
By the time he had killed nearly all of them,
A welcome notification appeared before Ryu Min's eyes.
[You have been confirmed as a player who has killed 1,000 players.]
[You have acquired the title 'Massacre'.]
The corner of Ryu Min's mouth twitched upward beneath his mask.
It was the title he had been waiting for.
[Title – Massacre]
-Acquisition Condition: Kill 1,000 players.
-Effect: Damage dealt to players increased by 50%. Inflicts the abnormal status 'Fear' on all players who witness a murder for 3 seconds.
Combining the PleSeBa members he had killed before with this batch brought his total to 1,000.
And just like that, he had earned a title perfect for PvP.
'It boosts my damage to make kills easier, and sprinkles fear on everyone around after each one.'
Sure enough.
With fifty test subjects right in front of him, he immediately swung his scythe to kill one.
Thwack-
As soon as one fell, the others froze like toys with dead batteries.
They had lost the will to fight—and fear gripped them so tightly they couldn't even move.
The Fear status was working perfectly.
'But the duration is only 3 seconds.'
It might sound short, but it was anything but.
As long as it kept getting reapplied.
Slash-! Slash-!
Killing another one triggered Fear again, resetting the timer.
Kill and reset. Kill and reset.
While Ryu Min massacred them, the rest trembled in place, unable to budge.
The Fear status kept chaining.
'No wonder this title is considered broken in PvP, especially against groups.'
The downside? It only worked on players, so its utility was limited.
'Still better than nothing.'
He hadn't even known this title existed in the early rounds.
He only realized it later, thanks to Ma Kyung-rok and Joo Seong-tak.
'Every time I saw those two slaughtering players, I'd get hit with Fear myself. That's when I knew something was up.'
It wasn't until he killed IS that he learned the truth about titles.
'Someone might say, "Those guys aren't murderers—they'd never kill 1,000 people."'
But they would.
It happened in Round 11.
Once countries merged and player numbers swelled, Ma Kyung-rok and Joo Seong-tak went on a rampage.
Slaughtering players from other nations indiscriminately.
All for those damn points.
'They probably snag the Massacre title that way this time too.'
It didn't matter if someone else got it.
Ryu Min just hated the idea of his enemies gaining power against him.
'Getting hit with Fear sucks too.'
Sure, his resistance would shake it off in 0.3 seconds even if it landed.
But he hated even the thought of it.
More importantly, so many deaths would shrink the survivor quota in later rounds.
That's why Ryu Min planned to steal the title from both of them.
'The Massacre title is mine alone.'
As long as he stuck to his plan from the previous regression, it would work.
Round 11 was still a ways off, though.
Shraaa- clank!
Ryu Min retracted the extended scythe to its original form and unequipped his gear.
There were no enemies left standing.
'Foul stench, like garbage.'
He looked up to see heaps of corpses forming hills.
Half had vaporized entirely from damage they couldn't withstand, leaving not even scraps of flesh.
A battle of roughly 500 against 1.
The outcome of this utterly unfair fight was an overwhelming victory for the 1.
Ryu Min wrinkled his nose and erased the bodies to cover his tracks.
With so many, cleanup was a chore in itself.
Only once the gruesome site was cleared did Ryu Min glance sideways.
Items lay scattered everywhere—ones the dead had voluntarily dropped.
'Good thing inventory space is infinite. I can hoard every last one.'
From the Nigerian human traffickers up to tracking down IS and rescuing the alchemist.
He had dominated Al-Baghdadi and forced him to cough up items.
And now he had killed these unequipped players to hit 1,000 and claim the title.
Everything had gone according to plan.
'All that's left is winning over the alchemist.'
He turned to see Victor and Yamtti emerging from the building.
Victor had been shell-shocked by the hundreds-strong massacre, but he pulled himself together and asked Ryu Min.
“It's... all over...?”
“For now, the vermin here are dealt with. One's still left, though.”
Ryu Min's gaze shifted to Al-Baghdadi.
Under Yamtti's control, he stood rigid like a wooden puppet, awaiting orders.
“You made the head of IS betray them...? How in the world...?”
“Thanks to this player called Yamtti. She can dominate minds and turn people into puppets.”
“Ah...”
To think such a terrifying woman had been right beside him.
Victor broke out in chills, his face turning worried.
Wondering if he might end up the same way.
Ryu Min read his thoughts and chuckled beneath his mask.
“No need to worry. It doesn't work on players. Plenty of restrictions too.”
“Ah... I-I see.”
It was a lie, but Victor bought it wholesale.
The only one he could trust right now was Black Scythe, his lifesaver.
“Thank you so much, Black Scythe. I honestly doubted we could stand against IS, but you made it happen... I had no hope when they had me captive, but now I do. It's all thanks to you.”
“This is nothing.”
He had definitely won Victor's favor.
Reading his mind revealed awe and heartfelt gratitude.
'But... Victor has no desire to keep fighting.'
Ryu Min could tell, having peered into Victor's heart.
Like an old man yearning to retire to his hometown and live out his days in peace, Victor wanted to let it all go.
'Victor needs to stick with me until Round 20. But with a mindset this fragile, he'll never last.'
That was a problem.
But Ryu Min knew the solution.
That's why he stayed quiet.
“What about the IS leader? You killing him now?”
“No way. IS isn't fully eradicated yet.”
“Then...”
“I'll use him to the end before killing him. Gather the remnants with him and wipe out the last bugs. Don't worry—IS will vanish into history.”
“Aah... That's a relief. You really get the job done. Ah!”
Victor smiled and suddenly opened his inventory.
“Here, take this.”
“The potions you offered earlier?”
“Yes. I've gathered all the types I made. Consider it a token of my gratitude.”
Ryu Min couldn't refuse twice, so he accepted the potions.
“Thank you. I'll put them to good use.”
A glance showed healing potions, stat potions, resistance potions, and more—a real variety.
'Potions from a Level 40 alchemist, huh?'
Not Legendary-grade, but solid enough.
“It's not much for saving my life, but anytime you need potions, come to me. Ah, my home address is...”
Victor gave his address with a grin.
It was time to part ways.
“No need to be shy—come anytime. I'll provide them free to Black Scythe. Even if we meet in another world. Assuming I survive the rounds, of course...”
“Thanks.”
“Alright, I'll be off. Can't wait to see Ricky and the kids. My family too.”
“Go ahead. Take one of those trucks over there.”
“Thank you. Safe travels to you too, Black Scythe and Yamtti. I owe you big time.”
Ryu Min waved him off without regret.
Once Victor was a safe distance away, Yamtti asked.
“You're just letting the alchemist go like that, Master?”
“Yeah. He promised to supply me potions anytime.”
“So mission accomplished?”
“No.”
Ryu Min shook his head, watching Victor's retreating figure.
“What I want is to drag Victor all the way to Round 20. But he has no will for that. He's exhausted. He achieved his goal of seeing his family before dying. Now he doesn't care what happens to the rest of his life.”
Teaming up for Round 20 with a player lacking survival instinct?
Impossible.
And it didn't sit right with Ryu Min.
“So what now?”
“What else? I need to change the alchemist's mind.”
Vroom-
As the truck started up and drove off, Ryu Min gave Yamtti her orders.
“Tell Al-Baghdadi to guide you to where the alchemist stashed his potions. Meanwhile, I'll...”
Ryu Min removed his mask.
“...pick up these items.”
* * *
Marcus was a kindhearted uncle who had been captured by IS alongside Victor.
As a schoolteacher in Lagos, he was the next most trustworthy person after Black Scythe.
“Mr. Marcus!”
“Oh, Victor! You're safe!”
At Marcus's house, he saw them.
Ricky and the kids, running toward him upon spotting him.
“Uncle!”
“Ricky! You okay?”
“You really came!”
“Of course. I said I'd come get you.”
“But what happened? What about IS?”
After sharing a joyful reunion, Victor explained everything to Marcus.
“IS brought five hundred players, but Black Scythe took them all down. You don't have to worry anymore.”
“For real? He beat 500-to-1 odds?”
Reminded of Black Scythe's prowess, Marcus asked Victor.
“What now?”
“What else? Head home.”
“Uncle, already?”
Victor patted Ricky's head as the boy teared up in disappointment.
“Gotta. I came to make sure you were safe.”
“Boo...”
“Don't worry. Marcus's place and mine are close. I'll visit often while you're here. Be good till then.”
“Okay.”
Victor smiled and prepared to leave.
“Mr. Marcus, look after the kids till we find their parents. Let me know if you need help. You remember my address?”
“Yeah. Go on home—your family's waiting.”
“Thanks. See you.”
Victor waved and drove off to his house.
'It's been a full year since I last went home?'
One year ago.
Victor had been kidnapped by IS while living with his parents and five-year-old little sister.
Just because he was a doctor.
'They threatened to kill my family if I didn't treat their wounded. Every damn day.'
Under constant threats, Victor had spent a year as their medic.
What kept him going through all the horrors was one thing: his family.
He endured, dreaming only of this moment.
And it was almost here.
“Phew. Finally.”
Parking near home, Victor walked the rest of the way.
His heart pounded harder with every familiar sight.
And at last.
Creeeak-
Flinging open the front door, Victor reunited.
With the family he had longed for.
“V-V-V-Victor?”
“Mom...”
Tears streamed down unchecked as mother and son embraced.
“Victor? Victor's home?”
Even his stern father emerged from his room, joining the tears upon seeing his son.
Parents and son clung tight, confirming each was alive.
“You're alive. Thank God, really.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“Sniff, I'm fine, Dad, Mom.”
“Enough out here—come in. Tell us everything that happened.”
“Yeah. Where's Sophia?”
Sophia was Victor's little sister.
Naturally curious why she was missing, Victor asked—only for his parents' faces to cloud with unease.
“Ah... Well, about that...”
When Victor heard the story, he was stunned.