The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player TL

7. Backstab

"What did that person just say?"

"I think he asked for a better reward?"

"Daring to negotiate with the angel...?"

"Is he crazy?"

"He must have a death wish."

People murmured, but the angel heard nothing.

She just doubted her ears.

[What did you just say, human?]

"I said I don't like the reward, so give me a better one."

[...]

She asked thinking she might have misheard, but she hadn't.

The human before her was demanding with eyes wide open.

As if it were his natural right.

'This damn human dares to...?'

Angel Briel's beautiful face crumpled mercilessly.

'Should I just gouge out his eyeballs?'

She glared threateningly, but the human still stared back boldly.

It even made her laugh mockingly.

'I was watching with interest since he performed well from the start, but to spout such nonsense like a lunatic.'

Does he look down on her just because he killed some goblins?

She wanted to burst his head right away out of disbelief, but she couldn't.

She had already used up her one-time visual kill authority.

'Arrogant human bastard. I can't even kill him outright... Wait a moment.'

Suddenly, as she continued her train of thought, Briel smiled faintly.

'What's stopping me from killing him? If I want to kill him, I can just do it.'

Having come up with a good idea, Briel spoke to Ryumin.

[You said you want a better reward, right?]

The barrier surrounding Ryumin disappeared in an instant.

[I'll grant it, so follow me. The rest of you humans wait here until I return.]

People nodded at those words.

They were trapped in pillars and couldn't move anyway.

"She's giving a better reward?"

"Is she really going along with what that Black Scythe guy said?"

"I can't believe negotiating with an angel actually worked."

"Should I try asking too? To change my reward."

"It probably only works if you rank first?"

"If she's really changing the reward, I'm jealous."

People muttered and looked enviously at Ryumin following the angel.

Ryumin inwardly clicked his tongue at those gazes, but.

'There's nothing to be envious about. If they knew what the angel was planning to do.'

The angel wasn't really taking him to give a reward.

'If it were a reward, she could give it here. Why move to a different location?'

There was only one reason the angel was changing locations.

'She plans to lure me to a quiet place and kill me.'

Ryumin was certain.

Why was he so certain?

Because he had experienced it directly.

He had been killed by an angel before.

'Was it the 12th regression? The first time I was backstabbed by an angel was truly terrifying.'

In his 12th regression, Ryumin massacred goblins based on his accumulated experience and skills.

As a result, he ranked first overall for the first time.

'I had high expectations then. Wondering what great reward first place would receive.'

But were his expectations too high?

Seeing the special reward selection box given for first place, what Ryumin said was...

-The reward is less than I expected.

It was an unconscious complaint.

Of course, he could complain.

The problem was that the angel heard that complaint.

'I didn't know then. That I'd be targeted by the angel just for complaining a little.'

The price of being targeted by the angel was steep.

The angel who lured him saying she'd give a better reward struck Ryumin from behind.

He died just for offending her mood.

This was why Ryumin could never view angels favorably.

He suffered an unjust death, but the angel wouldn't care about such things.

'To angels, humans are nothing but inferior insects. It doesn't matter if they die.'

Though she's serving as a guide now, she'd probably like to kill all the humans if she could.

But there was a reason she couldn't.

Angels aren't as strong as people think.

'Because of the strong initial impact, people think they shouldn't oppose angels. That their heads will explode if they do.'

But this was largely an intentional situation.

It was what the angel wanted.

Bursting someone's head was nothing more than a performance to effectively control humans.

'The head-bursting ability is just a one-time power. It's an angel's privilege given while serving as a guide, usable on only one person.'

It's an ability called visual kill, information Ryumin learned from torturing angels in past regressions.

'She used that privilege early on.'

So the angel could no longer burst heads.

This was why Ryumin wasn't afraid.

'There's no reason to fear an angel without visual kill.'

Everyone's scared of their abilities, but angels are weaker than people think.

They have wings and can do a few tricks, but that's all.

Their physical abilities aren't much different from humans.

They're actually weak and fragile, with no muscles.

'Angels are just humans with wings.'

Ryumin, who died by an angel's hand, immediately sought revenge in the next regression.

In that process, he learned some things.

That angels are weaker than expected.

And that killing an angel yields a hidden reward.

'I can't miss out on the hidden reward. Especially an item that allows changing to the unique Reaper class.'

Killing an angel drops an item needed to change to the Reaper class.

After learning this fact, Ryumin kept killing angels.

In the next regression, and the one after that.

He deliberately performed well from Round 1 to catch the angel's eye, then attempted negotiation.

'It was like throwing bait. For her to bite.'

Each time, the angel tried to stab Ryumin with a dagger hidden in her wings.

But it was always the angel who ended up getting killed.

'Getting backstabbed once in the 12th regression was enough.'

This time too, he'll strike first before getting backstabbed and receive the reward.

As he was thinking this, the angel turned her head back as if her nape felt itchy.

[Why are you following so far behind? Are you going to keep making me turn my head? Can't you follow closer?]

"Ah, yes."

Ryumin approached with quick steps, but the angel still looked displeased.

'Humans always have to be yelled at to listen. Tsk.'

They can't understand words and are so greedy.

Humans were a species impossible to like even if you wanted to.

'If you're a bug, just accept what you're given like a bug. How dare you demand rewards? Fine, I'll show you the price of your greed. Kekeke.'

Briel's lips curled in a sneer, as if the mere thought amused her.

She had no intention of changing Ryumin's reward from the start.

She didn't even have that ability.

'How could I change rewards set by the system?'

She merely lured him with sweet words.

To kill the human before her in a place with no witnesses.

'There's no rule saying I can't kill players.'

Didn't she already kill one early on with visual kill?

Though it was one-time use and no longer available.

'But I can't kill openly. Who knows what I'd hear from above if I did.'

There's no rule saying you can't kill players, but there's also no rule saying you can.

Rather, killing a player for personal reasons is likely to cause problems.

What if players later rebel citing unfairness?

It would ruin the game they prepared.

At that time, Briel wouldn't be able to avoid responsibility either.

'So killing without leaving witnesses is the cleanest and best way.'

Briel couldn't let go of the human who angered her.

Her pride wouldn't allow just leaving it be.

'Other humans listen well, scared, but this first-place human negotiates rewards and offends me.'

He must have gotten greedy after ranking first.

'Stupid human. If you had just stayed quiet, you could have made it to the middle.'

Though walking behind, the more she thought about it, the more vexing the human was.

'I'll kill you right after passing that point.'

The angel stopped walking after moving far enough that people couldn't be seen.

This seemed like a good spot to do the deed.

[Now, you said you wanted a reward? Let's see what kind of reward...]

The moment she turned around, the angel couldn't help but be surprised.

She saw a fist covering her eyes.

Bam-!

[Kyahak!]

The angel staggered and sat down, shaking her head once.

More than pain, she couldn't come to her senses from the shock.

'What? Did that human really hit me?'

Soon realizing what had happened to her, her beautiful forehead wrinkled mercilessly.

[You damn human!]

She raised her head, but the human wasn't in front of her.

But she could quickly tell where he was.

She felt a sensation on her back.

Ryumin was none other than grabbing her wing joints.

[W-wait! What are you trying to...]

Crack-!

Along with a chilling sound, the angel's mouth opened wide.

[Kyaaaaaah!]

"Don't exaggerate."

Pushing aside the limp wing, Ryumin grabbed the other wing.

He intended to break the other side too so she couldn't escape.

Crack-!

[Kiyaaaaaaah!]

"Does it hurt?"

The angel screamed but then shouted in disbelief.

[O-of course it does!]

"In 5 minutes, you would have asked that obvious question. While making that uniquely annoying laugh of yours, 'Kyohohoho'."

[Have you lost your mind, human! What on earth are you saying...]

"You were going to kill me with the dagger hidden in your wings, right?"

[...]

Seeing the angel fall silent like a mute who ate honey, Ryumin smiled.

"I knew it."

[K-kill you? I never thought of such...]

"No need to lie. It's written all over your face. Briel."

The angel's eyes widened.

[H-how does a mere human know my name...]

"That's none of your business."

Ryumin raised his hand.

A dagger was now in his hand.

It was the Stiletto he had chosen as the first-place reward.

[Wh-what are you doing! Why suddenly a weapon...]

"Can't you tell by looking?"

Briel closed her mouth at Ryumin's cold gaze.

She didn't answer, but she could tell.

The fact that she was about to die here.

For a moment, fear flashed in Briel's eyes, but her pride didn't break.

[H-have you gone mad wanting your head to explode, human!]

"You don't have the visual kill ability anymore."

[...]

Struck at her core, she was momentarily speechless.

Confusion seeped into the angel's voice.

[D-do you think you'll be safe doing this! Surely my comrades won't stand by!]

"What comrades? Don't you think I know angels are selfish beings who don't care about others? They won't care whether you live or die."

[H-how do you even know such things. Just how...]

"I told you it's none of your business. Now go."

As he raised the dagger, urgency appeared on the angel's face.

[W-wait! This won't benefit you at all!]

"It will. You just don't know."

[You'll regret killing me! You won't be able to go home!]

"I can. The system automatically returns you after settlement is complete."

[H-how do you even know that. What don't you know?]

"Who knows."

[I'll tell you any information you want! Give me one more chance!]

"I don't need information. I've already squeezed out everything."

[What? When...]

The angel could no longer continue speaking.

Because Ryumin's dagger had pierced her heart.

[Kuhurk!]

The angel's eyes widened as her body jerked once, then went limp.

Golden blood flowed from the angel's torn chest.

Regardless, Ryumin's gaze turned to the message that appeared.

It was a message about the hidden reward.