The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player

As Ryu Won arrived home, he started nervously nibbling on his fingernails, a habit that surfaced whenever he felt anxious and restless.

“I told you not to bite your nails,” his older brother scolded him.

“But what can I do, Hyung? I’m so worried,” Ryu Won replied, biting harder on his nails.

“Just don’t worry,” his brother reassured him.

“How can I not worry? We just blew 100,000 won,” Ryu Won exclaimed, feeling frustrated.

He watched as his brother marked only one number on their lottery ticket, knowing that it was a futile effort.

“I bet we’ve already lost,” Ryu Won muttered.

“Don’t worry it’s the winning number.”

“How can you possibly know!”

Ryu Min simply replied, “I dreamt of this number.”

Ryu Won rolled his eyes, feeling incredulous. “You dreamed of it? Come on, Hyung.”

Though Ryu Min didn’t care whether his brother believed him or not. He had already seen the future through his repeated regressions.

“In a few hours, when the lottery is drawn, Ryu Won will be a different person,” Ryu Min thought to himself.

He knew from experience that his brother’s attitude would change completely after winning.

“Nothing beats the lottery when it comes to making a quick buck,” he thought.

For Ryu Min, predicting lottery numbers was easier than catching a goblin.

He believed that it was better to secure finances with lottery winnings before the players destroyed the economy.

“Right now, with over 900 million deaths, the economy is already in turmoil. We need to secure our future with lotteries, coins, and stocks,” Ryu Min thought.

He knew that money was the key to everything, from escaping poverty to luring players with his wealth. In the future, players would trade items for money, and he wanted to be prepared.

“Although in-game gold is more valuable than real-life money, it’s still better to have more money than less,” Ryu Min thought.

While Ryu Min had no worries about the future, Ryu Won wasn’t so lucky. In his mind, the lottery was already a lost cause.

“I could have bought something delicious with that 100,000 won,” Ryu Won sighed.

Ryu Won couldn’t understand the meaning behind his brother’s actions.

He knew that 100,000 won was a lot of money for his older brother, who barely had enough money to save after covering his basic needs and expenses.

Despite working part-time at a barbecue restaurant on weekends, his brother could only earn 400,000 won per month, barely enough to make ends meet.

Why would he waste money? It’s not like him!

Ryu Min knew that securing their financial future was vital, and he was determined to make it happen, even if that meant relying on the lottery.

“Sigh.”

Ryu Min said nothing as he watched his younger brother sigh once again.

He knew that by dinner time, his brother’s attitude would have taken a complete turn.

And sure enough…

“Welcome everyone! We will now begin today’s lottery drawing. If your numbers match, you win regardless of the order in which they are drawn. Shall we start with the first number?”

As the lottery drawing began, the brothers pulled out their phones to tune in.

With bated breath, Ryu Won clasped his hands together.

“Please let us at least win fifth place…”

With their livelihood on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Meanwhile, Ryu Min, who already knew the outcome, maintained his usual stoic expression.

“The first lucky number is 3!”

Ryu Won peered at the lottery slip on the dining table.

“3? I have it!”

Thankfully, they had won one number already.

“What will the second number be? It’s 18!”

“18? Got it!”

They had gotten two numbers right.

One more correct number and they would win fifth place.

Ryu Won’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

“What if we win fifth place?”

At 1,000 won per game and 100 games with the same number, a fifth-place win would net them 500,000 won.

Not only would they make back their investment, but they would also gain a profit of 400,000 won.

“Please, please, please…”

Even Ryu Min doesn’t know why, but he finds his brother’s intense concentration a bit amusing.

Unintentionally, he chuckled.

“Don’t worry, there’s no need to be so nervous.”

“Huh?”

Just then, the third number was announced.

“Wow, Hyung! We did it! We won fifth place!”

Ryu Won was overjoyed and at a loss for words.

It seemed as if he had been holding his breath, afraid that they might not even break even.

“This is amazing! We’re getting five times our investment back! Was your dream of winning the lottery really that clear, Hyung?”

“That’s right.”

But they weren’t out of the woods yet.

“The fourth number is 38!”

“The fifth number is 21!”

As each number was called out, Ryu Won’s eyes widened with excitement.

His hands and feet trembled with anticipation, and he could hardly tear his gaze away from the lottery slip.

They hadn’t gotten a single number wrong up until now.

“The lottery drawing is now complete. Today’s winning numbers are 3, 18, 9, 38, 21, and 1. The bonus number for second place is 5. We’ll see you again next week. Thank you!”

The broadcast ended with the final number, but Ryu Won couldn’t take his eyes off his phone.

“Hyung, Hyung…”

“Yeah?”

“Can you pinch my cheek?”

“Why don’t you pinch it yourself?”

“Is this a dream?”

“I wish it was.”

Ryu Won shook his head vigorously. “No, absolutely not!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a dream,” Ryu Min said with a reassuring smile, but Ryu Won couldn’t shake off the surreal feeling that he had a winning lottery ticket in his hands.

“First prize… First prize!” He blinked and examined it again, and there was no mistake.

“Hyung! Hyung! Is this really not a dream?”

“I said it’s not.”

“Hahaha!” Ryu Won ran around their small house in excitement. “Isn’t this great?”

“What am I even saying!!! Of course, it’s great! Hyung, aren’t you happy?”

“I am,” Ryu Min replied with a smile.

When Ryu Min won the lottery for the first time, he shouted in excitement, but after repeating it dozens of times, it became a mandatory process like an annual event.

“A hundred tickets and all first prizes… hahaha!”

“Lower your voice. The neighbors can hear you.”

“Oops! Ah, okay.”

Ryu Won was still in disbelief, staring at the lottery ticket. “First prize… We really won first prize…”

Ryu Won looked up at his brother with a quiet voice like a crawling ant. “Hyung, we marked all the tickets with the same numbers, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how much is this worth?”

“I don’t know. It depends on the number of winners.”

But Ryu Min already knew the results – how many winners there were and how much the prize money was.

“It’s going to be a world-class prize, isn’t it?” Ryu Min thought, even though the world had already turned upside down.

****