Chapter 69: The Trial of the Divine Throne - (2)
Time flew by like an arrow.
The information about the Gapyong Station Rift, naturally instilled by the Divine Throne, was still valid.
The exact time had also been specified.
Today at 6 PM.
So, until 3 PM, Sanghyun devoted himself to training and did not neglect his preparations.
"It's not easy."
The process of creating mastery skills related to strength and stamina was not progressing as quickly as he had hoped.
Even if one wanted it and trained for a few days, creating a skill was never an easy task.
Instead, there was another gain.
//s_win
//win_h 『Recovery』
■ Skill Level: Stage 4 (58.3%)
//e_win
//s_win
//win_h 『Full Charge』
■ Skill Level: Stage 4 (39.4%)
//e_win
Thanks to repeated training, both the Recovery and Full Charge skills had reached the middle of Stage 4.
Following Demon Bash, which had recently completed skill crafting, these became the next candidates for reaching Level 5.
Since these were skills that Sanghyun frequently used, reaching Level 5 would provide great synergy.
Two hours later.
While parking his car at Gapyong Station, Sanghyun fell into thought.
"The more Rift opportunities I can monopolize, the better."
Rifts came in various types.
Some provided abundant experience points, while others offered unimaginable artifact rewards.
There were even rifts that abnormally accelerated skill synthesis.
Unless a rift appeared unexpectedly, such rifts were usually secured by the Player Union in advance.
Unless it was a situation like the one at Bupyeong Station, where Sanghyun had immediately entered the Rift, benefiting from such rifts was difficult.
"I’m naturally becoming greedy."
Before living his current life as a regressor, he hadn't felt envious when others profited from rifts.
Since he didn't know the future anyway, he would simply think those players were lucky.
But now, things were different.
Knowing the future, he couldn't accept missing out on the privileges and special benefits he could have enjoyed.
Just as he finished parking and was about to get out of the car.
"……?"
Sanghyun came across an unexpected face.
Sword Devil Dokgo Yoon.
He was at Gapyong Station.
Since he was alone and carrying a small travel bag, it seemed like he was here for a trip.
Of course, he still had a sword strapped to his waist.
No matter how casual a trip, players always carried their weapons. One never knew what might happen.
‘Right, at this point, Dokgo Yoon hadn’t acquired the Blood-Drinking Sword yet.’
If his memory was correct, Dokgo Yoon would obtain the greatsword artifact that established his signature concept of a life-stealing sword in about a month.
It was an incident that occurred while attacking an otherwise unremarkable Gate.
The Blood-Drinking Sword, abbreviated as the Bloodsword, restored 2 HP every time a monster was slain.
//s_win
//win_h 【Clever Hunter】
■ Title Grade: C
■ Title Effect: Recovers 1 HP by consuming blood every time a medium-sized or larger monster is slain.
//e_win
It was an artifact twice as effective as Sanghyun’s Clever Hunter title.
Moreover, there was no condition of requiring a medium-sized or larger monster—he could regain health even by killing tiny insects.
‘If I get my hands on it, combining it with my title effect could restore up to 3 HP. That would be insane.’
His desire grew.
However, securing exclusive permission to attack that Gate alone wouldn’t be easy. He would need to think of a way.
Perhaps he could use the Eden Guild’s help, or subtly curry favor with the Player Union.
‘Back then, I had no connections at all.’
Sanghyun felt that his current life, where he was forming relationships with powerful figures, was far more prosperous.
Could he have ever imagined such things in the past? Of course not.
No matter how much he wanted to enter a dungeon or Gate, without connections, all he could do was sit back and watch.
But now, he had options. And they were highly favorable.
Swoosh.
Dokgo Yoon walked right past Sanghyun. He reeked of an overwhelmingly strong perfume.
Though he was about 10 cm shorter than Sanghyun, his solid physique radiated confidence and a certain killing intent.
Sanghyun wondered if Dokgo Yoon would recognize him, but even after making eye contact, there was no reaction.
‘Well, he might be pretending not to know me. He was always an arrogant guy.’
Dokgo Yoon had a distinct personality—so much so that “a complete pain in the ass” was a perfect description.
Regardless, thanks to seeing Dokgo Yoon, Sanghyun was reminded of the Bloodsword.
In this lifetime, he would ensure its ownership changed hands.
Sanghyun was certain he could utilize it far better than Dokgo Yoon. He had no intention of giving it up.
Meanwhile.
At the special training facility of the Player Union, located at Seoul Station, Lee Sehwa was sweating profusely.
Watching her, his close friend and Union colleague, Kim Mincheol, tilted his head and asked,
"Sehwa, why are you training so hard? I thought you usually took it easy to manage your stamina?"
"That was when I was satisfied with my skills. Now, I feel lacking."
"Lacking in what?"
"I feel like I’m too slow."
"For a mage, you’re practically Usain Bolt. Who told you you’re slow?"
"No one. I just realized it when I teamed up with a swordsman player named Shin Sanghyun during the Beast Raid."
"I know about that."
"Fighting alongside him on the battlefield made me realize that, despite thinking I was fast, I struggled to keep up with his pace."
"Explain in simpler terms."
"His ability to predict the trajectory of magic skills and set the stage accordingly was amazing. While efficiently gathering monsters, he still managed to move ahead of me."
"I heard the Union is considering recruiting him. Is he really worth it?"
At Kim Mincheol’s question, Lee Sehwa recalled the battle she had with Sanghyun and nodded.
Since joining the Union, this was the first time Lee Sehwa had felt as though someone had set the battlefield up for her.
It was like having a perfectly prepared meal (monster gathering) where all she had to do was pick up her spoon (magic) and eat.
It was incredibly comfortable and satisfying.
The key was that Sanghyun's understanding of battlefields and monsters was so high that Lee Sehwa felt at ease.
For someone who had only recently become a player, his combat instincts were far beyond normal.
"Yeah. Definitely. If I feel challenged by him now, he’ll be even more incredible once he grows."
Lee Sehwa’s eyes gleamed with certainty. Sanghyun was already a promising talent, shining like gold-plated leaves.
“We’ll see him at the association soon.”
At Kim Mincheol’s words, Lee Sehwa shook her head.
Lee Sehwa usually agreed with her close friend’s words, but this time, she did not.
“Would a player who even Eden Guild couldn’t hold onto really come to our association? He’s not some naive rookie.”
Lee Sehwa saw Shin Sanghyun’s potential on a broader scale.
Though she was an association employee, she was paradoxically convinced because of that.
The association was excessively systematic and structured, making it an unsuitable vessel for Sanghyun.
Talents like him shouldn’t be confined to a government institution for no reason.
She believed one sacrifice, herself, who had been lured by money into signing an exclusive contract, was enough.
‘I hope time passes quickly.’
Lee Sehwa eagerly awaited the second subjugation battle, where she would once again fight alongside Sanghyun.
Time felt unbearably slow.
6 PM.
As per the information received from the Unknown Divine Throne, a rift appeared near a sparsely populated mountain by Gapyeong Station exactly at six.
The rift formed without any flashy effects, in complete silence, and remained still in place.
【The Unknown Divine Throne reiterates that you just need to enter that rift.】
‘I know. I know already. I’m going in.’
Sanghyun immediately stepped inside.
As if waiting for him, monsters revealed themselves.
Armor Ogres.
Sanghyun swiftly began slaughtering them.
The vanguard of the Armor Ogres, gathered at the rift’s exit, was wiped out in an instant without even knowing why. It was a complete massacre.
“Monsters evaluated below level 100 are practically just paper dolls now.”
For Sanghyun, who constantly assessed his combat abilities, the level of monsters was crucial.
This time was no different.
Armor Ogres, known to be in the level 90 range, were no longer a threat to him.
In other words, even if he entered another dungeon, the outcome against similar monsters wouldn’t change significantly.
Creating objective benchmarks to measure his level was extremely important.
It prevented arrogance and complacency, helping him maintain humility and caution.
Hiek!
Seeing its subordinates annihilated in an instant, the Ogre Lord, which had been standing confidently in the back, turned and fled.
It was a primal, animalistic response of a monster instinctively sensing the overwhelming difference in strength.
Sanghyun considered chasing it but soon shook his head and targeted the Ogre Lord from behind in a different manner.
『Acceleration』
『Full Charge』
By adding Full Charge to Acceleration, he increased his forward leap power and then hurled his greatsword with all his might.
It wasn’t a frequently used move, but when attacking distant enemies, Sanghyun sometimes used his sword like a thrown spear.
Pang!
With great force, Sanghyun propelled himself forward, and naturally, his thrown greatsword gained extra momentum.
The sword sliced through the air and pierced the back of the fleeing Ogre Lord’s head.
Puseok!
The greatsword of his battle spirit penetrated precisely through the center of the Ogre Lord’s skull, splitting half of its face cleanly apart.
『Telekinesis』
Then, with the use of Telekinesis, he retrieved his weapon cleanly. The post-battle cleanup was flawless.
“The experience points are pretty good.”
Seeing his experience increase significantly, Sanghyun smiled. The first-time bonus was proving to be quite generous.
Right at that moment.
【The Unknown Divine Throne warns that an irreversible situation is about to unfold, so be on high alert.】
【The Unknown Divine Throne begins a five-second countdown. Five...】
“What?”
A teacher doesn’t give out test answers beforehand. The Divine Throne only gave a vague warning about the test.
Sanghyun quickly drank a Vitality Potion and surveyed his surroundings. No signs of anything yet.
【Four, three, two, one...】
As the countdown reached one, Sanghyun tensed up.
Kugugugung!
The ground trembled violently.
It was a massive quake, shaking the earth like a full-blown earthquake.
Sanghyun turned his head.
“This is insane.”
In that instant, Sanghyun saw it.
As if a sinkhole were swallowing the surroundings, the ground behind him collapsed rapidly, creating a giant pit!
Without a second thought, he started running.
Hesitating even slightly meant being swallowed by the sinkhole and disappearing without a trace.
He had wondered what kind of test the Divine Throne had in store, but it was far harsher than expected.
This wasn’t a fight against an enemy.
It was about surviving the catastrophe created by the Divine Throne by any means necessary.
That was the first task the Divine Throne had given to Sanghyun.
And so began his frantic sprint, where he could never look back.