The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - RMLP Chapter 83: Party Formation (Part 1)

The quest from the Angel may seem straightforward, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. 

It’s a quest with a singular objective—defeat a boss, and you’re done. No sub-quests, no elaborate twists. But, despite its apparent simplicity, players had learned not to take the Angel’s words at face value. 

“Easy quest, my foot! This boss is going to be a real pain, mark my words.”

The curses and doubts flowed freely as the Angel vanished into thin air. Everyone knew by now that curses hurled in the Angel’s absence fell on deaf ears. The Angel only appeared at the start and end of the quest, a fact well-known to all.

The timer on the progress window began ticking, announcing the commencement of the quest.

[Time Remaining Until Round End: 05:59:53]

Within the time limit, the party had to form and defeat the boss, or else they would meet a grim fate.

At that moment, a message popped up, demanding action.

[Form a 5-member party starting now.]

[To create a party, hold hands with five people and memorize the ‘Party Formation’ command simultaneously.]

[Remember, defeating the boss won’t count unless you form a party, so keep that in mind.]

The message explained the party formation process. 

“We should definitely form a party, right?”

“Yeah, they say defeating the boss doesn’t count without one.”

“Hey, would you like to join my party?”

“What’s your level?”

“I’m a level 20 warrior! Anyone want to team up with me?”

People raised their hands, searching for potential party members. The scene turned into a bustling marketplace in no time.

Amidst the chaos, An Sang-cheol pondered Ryu Min’s prophecy.

‘It’s all unfolding just as the prophet foretold. The 6th round requires a 5-member party.’

An Sang-cheol cast a glance at Black Scythe by his side. He knew it was a wise choice to stick with him after hearing the prophecy.

“Mr Black Scythe, we should…”

“Wait. Since it’s a 5-member party, we need to find more people.”

Forming a party required all five members to hold hands simultaneously. At present, Ryu Min, Seo Arin, An Sang-cheol, and Min Juri make up four of the party members. They were one member short of forming a complete party.

“Well, who should we choose for the last spot?”

“Let’s leave it to Mr Black Scythe, the strongest among us.”

Nodding in agreement, the others turned their attention to Ryu Min.

“Hmm…”

Ryu Min pretended to ponder, but he already had a candidate in mind, someone he wished to include in the party. Someone who had to be nearby so that Ryu Min could smoothly invite them.

As Ryu Min looked around, some players found the courage to speak up.

“Hello, Mr Black Scythe.”

“Would you, by any chance, consider joining our party?”

“No, get lost.”

“Uh… Okay.”

Dejected by the firm rejection, the players retreated with downcast faces.

“He didn’t even hesitate to reject us. How embarrassing.”

“Damn, I was trying to get on Black Scythe’s good side.”

“Whoever gets to party with Black Scythe must be living the dream.”

Such thoughts circulated, but Ryu Min had no interest in these indecisive individuals. He already had a candidate in mind.

‘It’s not about finding party members for this quest.’

‘Rather, it’s about selecting the right people to fill the slots for the last round.’

These were connections that didn’t exist in previous rounds.

Originally, at this point, Ryu Min had never interacted with anyone.

Not Min Juri, not Seo Arin, not An Sang-cheol.

He came to know them personally in this regression.

‘So, back then, I would’ve accepted anyone to fill the slots.’

‘But now, plans have changed.’

Because he needed to find people that would grow together with him.

‘That said, whether back then or now, pests always find a way to bug you.’

As before, when forming a party, Black Scythe was always popular.

No matter how strong he appeared, he attracted people like a magnet.

Players who dared to seek the favor of the enigmatic Black Scythe were in for a treat, all in pursuit of obtaining the coveted Blue Chip. The prospect of joining forces with the Black Scythe was, in essence, a guarantee of survival in this treacherous quest.

“Mr Black Scythe…”

“Get lost.”

“Wait, please listen…”

“I’ve got no interest. Move along.”

One by one, those who suggested forming a party were swiftly brushed aside. As word spread that the Black Scythe was declining all party invitations, the number of hopeful players diminished.

“Damn, won’t he just accept anyone?”

“He’s being way too choosy! At least hear them out before saying no!”

“Disgusting, really. I’ll find a better party myself!”

“But aren’t those guys next to him already in his party? They’ve pretty much secured their survival.”

Disheartened players distanced themselves from the Black Scythe. Those who had witnessed the rejections didn’t dare to try their luck and retreated voluntarily.

At this point, Ryu Min’s party members became curious.

‘Who would he possibly choose for that last spot?’

While An Sang-cheol was curious, he also felt a tinge of regret.

‘It would have been great if Master Ma was here in this section…’

If they were in the same zone, he would have actively recommended him without hesitation.

Min Juri shared a similar sentiment.

‘If only Ryu Min were here, I would have passionately advocated for him to take the last spot…’

They each had someone in mind for that last spot, but the different zones made it impossible.

Then, a group approached Ryu Min.

His party members thought they were just more random players, but they were mistaken.

“Mr Black Scythe, it’s a pleasure to meet you again.”

With a warm greeting, he extended his hand, revealing a familiar face.

‘Jo Yong-ho’

Ryu Min lightly shook Jo Yong-ho’s hand, recognizing him.

“I’m pleasantly surprised to see you here. I thought you might not make it past the 5th round.”

“Really? Haha, aren’t you underestimating me a bit too much? Dealing with around 300 orcs was a walk in the park.”

It wasn’t an empty boast. Jo Yong-ho had safely passed the quest, ranking 125th among the 1,211 participants who reached the 5th round.

“I was inspired by your battles back then, which motivated me to finish the hunt quickly.”

“Is that so?”

“Either way, thank you. Thanks to you, my friend here also survived without a scratch.”

One of the players who had benefited from the Black Scythe’s emergency treatment, Mangi, stepped forward.

“Mr Black Scythe! I’m grateful for your help with my shoulder back then! Thanks to you, I could extend my lifespan like this!”

“You managed to take down 300 with that body of yours.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Mr Black Scythe. I’m truly grateful. You’re my savior!”

Mangi bowed repeatedly, his gratitude was sincere.

With a friendly gaze, Jo Yong-ho turned to Ryu Min.

“Are you looking for party members?”

“That’s right.”

“You have four members now. Just one more, and you’ll be set, right?”

Ryu Min nodded.

From his tone, it didn’t seem like he was seeking someone to join their party. But, as fate would have it…

“Oh, please don’t misunderstand, I’m not here to ask you to join our party. We’ve already completed our formation.”

“I wasn’t.”

He already knew that their party formation was complete. Golden chains on Jo Yong-ho and his mercenaries’ wrists served as proof.

“It seems you’ve formed a party of five since you all have the correct number of members.”

In that case, what was the reason for Jo Yong-ho’s visit?

Ryu Min asked straightforwardly.

“If you’re not here to join our party, why did you seek me out?”

“Well, out of goodwill, I wanted to greet you and make a suggestion.”

“A suggestion?”

“Our party and Black Scythe’s party. How about forming an alliance together?”

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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