The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player Novel - Chapter 350
Chapter 350 – New Soul Binding Mission
Ryu Min quietly followed the Dragon Emperor.
The Dragon Emperor looked back occasionally, but he didn’t seem particularly concerned and turned his head forward.
But that was a mistake by the Dragon Emperor.
Srrr-
The “Scythe that Cuts Darkness” suddenly appeared in Ryu Min’s right hand and rested on the Dragon Emperor’s neck.
The Dragon Emperor, his steps halted, turned with a fierce look.
[What are you doing?]
“Tell me. What are you plotting?”
[What?]
The Dragon Emperor was utterly perplexed.
Ignoring the threat to his life and suddenly asking what he was plotting was absurd.
[Plotting? What nonsense are you spouting?]
“I know everything, so don’t play dumb.”
The Dragon Emperor still wore an expression of astonishment, but Ryu Min didn’t let it slide.
In an instant, he saw hesitation in his eyes.
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
[You’re crazy, Gaia’s vessel. While I was taking you to where Terra is, you suddenly threaten me with death. Does Gaia know about this?]
“Yes, she knows. It’s Gaia who ordered me to kill you.”
[Gaia ordered you to kill me? Ha, ha, ha, ha!]
The Dragon Emperor burst into laughter.
As if it was impossible.
[If you’re going to lie, at least do it convincingly, human. You’re mocking the Dragon King.]
‘Tch, it didn’t work.’
In reality, Ryu Min didn’t trust Gaia.
He had already been betrayed, and the idea that there might be something else at play wouldn’t leave his mind.
Therefore, he couldn’t trust the Dragon Emperor before him.
That was why he was threatening his life to get information.
‘If only I had a Rune of True Feelings.’
He tried to pretend that he had received an order from Gaia, but he didn’t fall for the trick.
‘At least, now I know one thing.’
The Dragon Emperor’s faith in Gaia was firm.
Like that of a loyal servant.
“If you’re not going to give me information, I have no other choice.”
Ryu Min, realizing he wouldn’t get information, slowly moved the scythe.
Was it because he seemed genuinely willing to kill him?
The Dragon Emperor’s nature, seen through the eyes of insight, changed from benevolent to malevolent.
In a way, it was a natural outcome.
He couldn’t remain kind to someone trying to kill him.
But Ryu Min had another intention.
‘Good. Now I can use the Time of Ruin.’
Moros’ skill that controls the mind of an evil opponent.
With this, he could extract all the information he wanted from the Dragon Emperor.
[He is a high-rank opponent.]
[The skill is canceled.]
‘What? It doesn’t work?’
Since he wasn’t a common entity, it had no effect.
Although he seemed to have something in mind, he couldn’t make him talk.
Was he not afraid of death?
Even with a sword at his neck, the Dragon Emperor threatened with a smile.
[You will regret killing me, human.]
“I don’t know. We’ll see once I kill you.”
[I don’t understand why you’re doing this.]
“If you want to live, tell the truth.”
[What you see is the truth.]
“What I see……”
Ryu Min murmured as he looked at the system window.
The Dragon Emperor, thinking he was distracted, flashed his eyes.
He planned to transform into a dragon and counterattack.
But the scythe on his neck moved faster.
Swish-!
Thud!
With a single stroke, the Dragon Emperor died.
Since it was an eternal item of excellent performance, even with low stats, it was enough to kill.
The red blood spread around the Dragon Emperor’s corpse.
“…….”
If there had been a spectator, they probably would have screamed and pointed fingers.
To others, it would have seemed he unjustly killed the Dragon Emperor, accusing him of plotting something.
But he didn’t kill him without reason.
He was just fulfilling a mission.
—————
When the second deification was completed.
Ryu Min had to open his eyes wide at the new mission.
[There is a new soul-binding mission.]
‘What? Another mission? I heard killing God was the last one.’
According to Gaia, there were no more soul-binding missions.
So why was there another one?
He looked at the mission curiously and was surprised.
<Soul Binding Mission>
Do not trust Gaia
Kill the Dragon Emperor Karmithris (0/1)
Success Reward ▶ ?????
‘What kind of mission is this? Is it a joke?’
It was a system created by Gaia, but it said not to trust Gaia.
And on top of that, kill the Dragon Emperor?
‘Where is the Dragon Emperor?’
Although the mission content wasn’t complicated, Ryu Min was confused.
Was it really a mission created by Gaia?
‘Should I ask Gaia when I see her?’
Ryu Min slowly shook his head.
According to the mission, he shouldn’t trust Gaia.
‘For now, let’s stick to the plan.’
He put the mission aside and focused on conquering Chaos.
Eventually, following Rubuahi’s second option, he came face to face with Gaia, but the problem was that he discovered the truth.
Gaia’s behavior in changing the boss room’s setup and trying to annihilate him.
From then on.
Ryu Min decided not to trust Gaia.
He decided to trust the soul-binding mission.
—————–
‘I have killed the Dragon Emperor according to the mission.’
It wasn’t a decision based solely on the mission content.
When he interrogated him, it was clear he was hiding something.
‘Besides, his nature changed to malevolent, and he planned to counterattack.’
Perhaps he had killed an innocent being.
But Ryu Min decided to trust the mission.
After all, wasn’t it accurate when it told him not to trust Gaia?
‘There is no turning back now.’
He betrayed Gaia, which meant he lost an ally to face Chaos, but he decided to trust his intuition.
[You have completed the soul-binding mission.]
[As a reward for the soul-binding mission, you have received a ‘Paradise Warp’.]
‘What is this? Paradise Warp?’
Paradise.
Could it be the place Gaia had talked about?
He thought about postponing its use, but at that moment.
[According to the settings, the Paradise Warp will be used immediately.]
‘What?’
A bright light appeared, covering Ryu Min’s sight, without giving him a choice.
—————-
‘This is…….’
As soon as he opened his eyes, Ryu Min wondered if he was seeing an illusion.
‘Is this my home?’
It was a regular house.
With such a cozy atmosphere, it seemed like a dream.
A home that made his heart feel warm and lowered his defenses.
[You have finally arrived.]
At that moment, a voice behind him made Ryu Min turn abruptly.
[Ah, no need to be on guard. I don’t have any special powers.]
A young man wearing an apron in the kitchen smiled kindly.
‘…Could it be the God of Slaughter?’
Though his voice carried divine power, he didn’t seem threatening.
‘Maybe not…’
At that moment, he shouted towards the second floor.
[There’s a guest!]
[Yes, I’m coming down!]
Clearly, I was mistaken.
The man coming down must be the real God of Slaughter.
[So you’ve made it here.]
He was an ordinary-looking Asian man.
Ryu Min knew immediately who he was.
The energy emanating from his body wasn’t normal.
“You are the famous Min Do-jun, known as the God of Slaughter?”
[That’s right. I see Gaia has informed you.]
“Yes.”
[You must have many questions, but first, sit down.]
Min Do-jun offered him a seat on the sofa and asked the woman, who seemed to be his wife, to bring two cups of tea.
Toc-
[Here.]
Ryu Min looked at the tea with distrust.
“What is this?”
[It’s just chamomile tea. It has calming effects. Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.]
“I’m fine, thanks.”
[Considering what will happen soon, I doubt you can refuse it.]
Why would he scare me in advance about what’s going to happen?
Ryu Min continued observing him warily, while Min Do-jun smiled.
[Alright. Let’s start by clearing up your doubts. As you suspect, the mission to kill the Dragon Emperor was set by me. It’s not a mission designed by Gaia.]
“To bring me here?”
[Exactly.]
“Why?”
[Because Gaia is not someone you can trust.]
Ryu Min looked at him, still confused, and Min Do-jun smiled again.
[Do you know why Gaia sent you to the Dragon Emperor?]
“To find the enormous amount of Terra buried in Drakania.”
[That’s only the surface reason. It’s not the truth.]
“So then?”
[In reality, she planned to sacrifice you to locate Cronos.]
Ryu Min wasn’t surprised.
Instead, he had more questions.
“But I heard Gaia had already found Cronos.”
[She found him, but recently lost him again. Cronos escaped.]
“Escaped? Why?”
[Because he discovered his mother planned to kill him and absorb his power.]
Gaia wanted to kill Cronos?
The same Gaia who had planned all this for her son?
It was shocking, but Ryu Min wasn’t surprised this time.
He couldn’t be sure Min Do-jun’s words were true.
“That’s different from what I heard. According to my understanding, Gaia did all this to protect Cronos.”
[That was true. When she first came to me, it was evident she wanted to protect her son. But that’s no longer the case.]
“……”
[Since finding Cronos, Gaia has changed. After creating a rune that allowed her to go back in time 100 times, she realized something. Cronos’ power was far greater than she had imagined. Just as Chaos had discovered.]
Slurp-
Min Do-jun took a sip of tea and continued speaking.
[It’s not that Gaia wants to kill Cronos like Chaos would. In any case, she doesn’t have the destructive power to do so. But she discovered how to absorb Cronos’ power. If she succeeds, she could break free from Chaos’ yoke and become an absolute God.]
“And Cronos realized that?”
[Yes. Cronos realized Gaia’s intentions and fled. Now he’s in a situation where he can’t even trust his own mother.]
“…”
The father is trying to commit suicide, and the mother is trying to absorb herself and become an absolute God?
For Cronos, the situation must be desperate.
‘This is like a plot from a totally dysfunctional family drama, isn’t it?’
Sure, assuming all this is true.
[I’m not lying. This is all true.]
“Then why does Gaia need me?”
[As I said before, to locate Cronos, she needs you.]
“Me?”
[You’ve gone back in time 100 times, and traces of Cronos’ power remain in you. Gaia planned to use those traces to locate him.]
In other words, Ryu Min was the key to finding the fugitive Cronos.
“So the land the Dragon Emperor was going to show me didn’t contain Terra, but he was taking me to an altar to kill me?”
[Correct. The dragons are also on Gaia’s side.]
“Why would dragons help Gaia?”
[Gaia promised them that if they helped her become an absolute goddess by finding Cronos, she would grant them immortality and help them defeat Chaos, freeing them from the barren land.]
That’s why the Dragon Emperor showed loyalty towards Gaia. It all made sense now.
“So the enormous amount of Terra buried was a lie?”
[No, it’s not a lie. It really is buried there. But it was just a pretext, bait to lure you.]
“…”
[Gaia has always told the truth. She couldn’t break the spiritual contract. But that doesn’t mean she’s told you everything.]
Ryu Min, deep in thought, remained silent.
Understanding his feelings, Min Do-jun continued talking to give Ryu Min time to organize his thoughts.
[When Gaia came to me and said she would change the boss room’s setup, I could guess her true intentions. Just like Chaos, she didn’t care about human lives. She was only obsessed with her goal of killing Chaos.]
“…”
[So, when you failed your 100th attempt and started the 101st, Cronos realized Gaia’s intentions and escaped. Gaia came back to me for advice. That’s how I knew Gaia was now after Cronos.]
“…”
[Gaia had already discarded you. At first, she saw you as a tool to eliminate Chaos, but after seeing the true power of Cronos, she changed her mind. She decided to absorb her son to kill Chaos.]
“…”
[That’s why I hacked Gaia’s system and added an extra mission. I knew you would be abandoned in Drakania.]
Ryu Min, who had been staring at the ground lost in thought for a long time, finally raised his head.
However, his eyes were full of distrust towards Min Do-jun.
“And what if all this is a lie made up by you?”
Ryu Min’s doubt was understandable. Min Do-jun was a God he had just met, and unlike Gaia, he wasn’t bound by a spiritual contract.
[It’s hard to believe, but I haven’t told a single lie. If you want, we can make a contract. But it’s ridiculous to doubt now. After all, you killed the Dragon Emperor because you also distrusted Gaia, didn’t you?]
“Even so, what you just told me sounds too far-fetched.”
[If you don’t believe me, look at this.]
Suddenly, Min Do-jun moved a finger, and the living room television turned on.
On the screen, dragons were moving the Dragon Emperor’s corpse.
[This is being broadcast in real-time. Do you see that? It’s an altar. They planned to place your body there and perform a ritual to track Cronos.]
Although the altar was visible, that wasn’t enough to convince him.
“With the Akashic Record at her disposal, finding Cronos is just a matter of time. Why perform a ritual then?”
[Because Cronos is in a place where even the Akashic Record can’t find him. Right here.]
“What?”
Min Do-jun stood up from his seat.
[Wait a moment. I’ll bring Cronos.]