'Let's give it a try.'
There was nothing to lose by trying.
"Die."
This place was connected to the Gran Seoul Dungeon. They destroyed the 'Gravestone of the Gatekeeper Grave' in the Gran Seoul Dungeon's 'Marvin Cemetery', which brought them here.
In addition, Hyukjin hadn't heard any notices like 'The Gran Seoul Dungeon has been cleared' or 'You have left the Gran Seoul Dungeon'.
[The 'True Ruler of the Gran Seoul Dungeon' title is taking effect.]
But the effect wasn't complete.
[The current field is a field connected to the 'Gran Seoul Dungeon'.]
[The grade of the 'True Ruler of the Gran Seoul Dungeon' authority has decreased.]
The Dewinged Angel Statue stopped moving for a moment. Its red eyes and gems stared down on Hyukjin's party like a hawk eyeing its prey.
[You cannot exterminate the 'Dewinged Angel Statue'.]
But he did confirm something.
'I can influence them, to some extent.'
He immediately adjusted the difficulty.
[Adjusting the difficulty with the 'True Ruler of the Gran Seoul Dungeon' title.]
[Lowering the difficulty to the easiest setting.]
[The current field is a field connected to the 'Gran Seoul Dungeon'.]
His authority was unable to exert its full strength.
[The difficulty has fallen.]
[The prowess of 'Dewinged Angel Statue 1' has partially fallen.]
[The prowess of 'Dewinged Angel Statue 2' has partially fallen.]
He debuffed the statues using his title effect. That alone was a lifesaver. Now that the enemies were debuffed, it was time for their party to be buffed.
[Using the special skill Hunter's March.]
Hunter's March. A skill that shined in a one vs. one battle. The duration was 120 seconds, and the buff target was, of course, Kim Hyukjin.
He immediately used another buff.
[Using the special skill Conductor's Hymn.]
Conductor's Hymn. A skill that shined in a group battle. The duration was, like Hunter's March, 120 seconds. The buff targets were the party members here: Jo Sunghyun, Kim Sunhwa, and Hyun Junghwa.
"Consumable items will have a 30% increased effect. If you have them, use them all now."
As he said those words, Sunhwa's body glowed blue, indicating that she had absorbed something registered in her slots.
"I used a potion that temporarily increases defense."
Sunhwa knew exactly what she had to do even without a detailed explanation from Hyukjin. She had to block that attack, that extremely dangerous beam.
Hyukjin nodded.
"Sorry, Sunhwa."
"Nothing to be sorry about." Sunhwa took out a large, white shield. "Blocking attacks is my job."
The shield gleamed all over. Hyukjin knew about the item.
'Shining with Glory.'
The shield's name was 'Shining with Glory'. The extremely large white shield was especially good at blocking long-ranged attacks. It was clear that Sunhwa had prepared the items she needed, as an excellent tank should, so she could switch as needed.
She held up the shield, her small stature dwarfed by its massive size. Sunhwa didn't appear to find it at all heavy.
"I don't think I can block it all the way."
The difficulty might have been reduced, and the angel statues' prowess was decreased, but what couldn't be done just couldn't be done. Hyukjin was well aware of that, too.
"Set knocking it away as your goal."
These angel statues might even be stronger than the Fire Giants. Blocking an attack from one head-on was impossible.
"When Sunhwa knocks the attack away, Miss Junghwa and Sunghyun should work in tandem."
Sunghyun nodded, realizing what he had to do.
"I will provide support."
"You can do a good job, right? We don't have many chances."
"Yes."
Sunghyun had already comboed many times with Choi Sung-gu. Sung-gu's destructive power was greater, while Sunghyun had the upper hand in precision and speed.
"I've also worked with Miss Junghwa a few times."
Hyukjin yelled, "Get down!"
Everyone instantly dropped. A red beam flashed past.
'The destructive power has definitely gone down.'
Also, it was impossible to get close to them. These statues had a special ability that prevented approach.
"Sunhwa. Just like now, dodge everything you can dodge. I'll give commands from the back."
"Okay."
There was no need to block every single attack.
"The angel statues' attacks will get faster and faster."
No one had told him that; he just knew from seeing them.
"The red gems are their strongest means of attack, as well as their most vulnerable point. That's their weakness."
He read that through Eye of Perception.
Eye of Perception is an eye of 'intuition', meaning the user gains concrete knowledge about objects in the outer world through their sense of intuition. It allows the user to intuit and receive information about the target.
"They get weaker immediately after attacking."
That was what his intuition told him—that directly after firing a red beam, they were at their weakest, and if they could strike the red gems at the exact timing, they could hunt these statues.
"The wind will get stronger and stronger."
Right on cue, the wind blew in.
[]
There were five arrows. It wasn't time yet. He bided his time.
"Fire when there are at least seven arrows and the wind is going upwards, immediately after the red beam is fired."
Junghwa focused on Hyukjin's words, her Sylphid's Wing raised. It was incredibly nice to have someone assessing the situation for her and giving overall orders.
'I just… have to focus on the bow.'
That was what she could do best. She set her mind fully on the bow, and the bow alone. It was obvious at a glance that those angel statues were nearly impossible to hunt by ordinary means. Junghwa understood Hyukjin's words. The wind that went upwards was no ordinary wind. It was an artificial breeze harboring a little mana.
Junghwa focused.
'Let the wind give me strength.'
That wind blowing in would pour strength into her bow. Happily, Sylphid's Wing was an item with very high wind affinity.
'Sunghyun's precise control will bump the damage up even more.'
She had to attack at the exact moment.
"The target is the red gem."
If she released the bowstring the moment Sunhwa knocked away the beam, her arrow would reach the red gem around the time when the red beam was fizzling out.
"Right…"
Hyukjin spoke.
"Now."
The wind blew.
[]
It was a gale.
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
* * *
Sunhwa ran.
"Uryaaaaa!"
And with a loud cry—
"Sturdier than Anything!"
She used her skill 'Sturdier than Anything'. Another large white shield appeared in place over her white shield.
She followed that up with another skill.
"Platinum Shield."
It was a beginner skill, but it was easy and quick to activate and had a good effect. Platinum Shield was stacked on top.
'Slightly lower my body…'
The wind was blowing upwards, which meant it was blowing against the beam. The mana within the wind was clashing against the mana of the beam. Right now, the wind was on their side.
'Lower my center of balance.'
She twisted halfway at the waist, pointing her shoulder forward and bringing 'Shining with Glory' up to the red beam.
Surface to surface, beam to shield, force against buttress.
At exactly the moment when she made contact, she tilted the shield ever so slightly.
'Ngh…!'
Her shoulder felt like it was going to be destroyed. The pain that raced up her shoulder rattled her insides, burning. It was like her whole body was on fire. The savage mana imbued in the red beam swept through Sunhwa's body.
'I can endure it…!'
It was agonizing, but she didn't fear it. She was no longer the girl who was rendered helpless by a Goblin child.
'I can do it!'
The trajectory of the red beam changed and shot into the sky, then turned in the wind like a boomerang, piercing the clouds.
Meanwhile, Hyun Junghwa set her sights on the red gem.
'Focus.'
Only the red gem and she existed in the world. She only saw the red gem. It loomed large in her eyes, and she heard nothing. An intense gale was gusting around her, but that gale could not shake her.
That was because Jo Sunghyun was helping her. The wind magician bolstered by the Tome of the Divine Wind Physique had wind affinity second to none other. He controlled the wind, supporting her.
Fwip!
Junghwa released the bowstring.
Sunghyun's wind gave an added boost. His wind, which usually assisted Choi Sung-gu's Flame Whip, now assisted Hyun Junghwa's arrow.
Sunghyun's magic, Junghwa's arrow, and the powerful mana-charged gust. All three came together into one devastatingly powerful shot.
Bam!
The arrow landed precisely in the middle of the Dewinged Angel Statue's forehead.
Crack–cra-crack–!
Cracks began to spider along the red gem.
Sunghyun rapidly gathered his magic. "Wind Arrow."
It was a simple spell, but the gale was still blustering right now. The spell was as fast as it was simple. Junghwa also drew the bowstring again, using her innate ability, Consecutive Rapidfire.
The three arrows shot off one after another, all of them landing directly on the red gem.
['Dewinged Angel Statue 2' has been destroyed.]
[EXP acquired.]
[700 Coins acquired.]
A considerable amount of EXP and Coins came in. Hunting a level 20 monster normally yielded about just twenty Coins, but they had gotten seven hundred. That meant the statues' levels were extremely high.
'We did it.'
They successfully hunted one of them. Junghwa felt certain now that they would be able to hunt the other one as well.
'Huh?'
But somehow…
'The other one…'
Was destroyed.
'What happened?'
She had put every bit of her focus on destroying one red gem, entering a state of extreme concentration where only she and the gem existed, leaving her no presence of mind to pay attention to things happening around her.
Junghwa heard Hyukjin's voice.
"Good work."
Her eyes whipped towards him, noticing there were beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and his fingertips were faintly trembling.
Junghwa wasn't able to hold back her curiosity.
"Mr. Hyukjin. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I was so focused on one red gem that I didn't see anything else."
She was curious. Just what in the world happened to the other one? Was it set so that destroying one would destroy the other?
"I destroyed it."
"What?"
"I'm also good with the bow."
"With… the bow?"
It wasn't impossible. Junghwa herself had pulled it off. But she had done it with Jo Sunghyun's help.
"I have a sovereign ability that can buff me."
"Even so…"
"A non-archer class Player like myself can't do something like this? Is that what you want to say?"
"…"
"You saw it yourself. Ah, you were focusing on the other gem, so you didn't. But the result is as you see."
Both Dewinged Angel Statues were destroyed. Junghwa was burning with curiosity. Kim Hyukjin didn't even have the archer class and wasn't aided by Jo Sunghyun, so how? How did he achieve the same result? Just what did this man have? What did he do, to reach the same result with that sloppy form?
'If I find that out…'
I'll be able to reach another level, too.
"It is presumptuous of me…" It was taboo to ask about another person's secrets or abilities, but just this once, she really had to ask. "But how did you do it? It doesn't seem like you simply fired your bow. I'm certain there was another factor in play."
"Do I have to tell you?"
"You are not obligated to, no." As desperate as she was to know, she still didn't cross the line. "However, if you teach me, I will be sure to repay your kindness."
Hyun Junghwa hated saying this sort of thing. But today, she decided to pull out all the stops.
"I am a second gen chaebol. And I'm the youngest child."
She was convinced that this was an opportunity she could not afford to miss, a chance for her to grow as an archer. Enlightenment seemed within arm's reach.
"…"
"…"
A slight period of silence descended, and Junghwa's face turned bright red.
"Th-That's how earnest I am right now. I want to grow stronger."
Hyukjin grinned. "I'll tell you," he said, thinking that his 'secret' probably didn't have much to do with her growth.
Unaware of what Hyukjin was thinking, Junghwa's heart began to thump.
The broken pieces of the Dewinged Angel Statues were scattered by the wind, breaking down into pebbles and then disappearing as powder.
Hyukjin said, "I have a special skill."
"…"
Junghwa could not pester him for details. Special skills, innate abilities, class skills, etc. Revealing one's hidden cards was a disadvantageous move, something you only did with trustworthy companions or party members you needed to cooperate right at that moment.
But Kim Hyukjin shared such important information very readily.
"It's a skill that determines the opponent's weakness and strikes it, no matter what."
[Sword of Insight]
An advanced innate ability created by combining and pooling the merits of Excellent Strike and Sword Path Tracing in one place. No matter the situation, it will lock onto the enemy's weakness and deliver a powerful attack at the most vulnerable point.
He didn't reveal its name, nor did he say it was actually a 'sword'-related technique. If Hyun Junghwa heard that, it was highly likely she would either not believe him or have a mental breakdown.
'It's actually a sword technique, but I synthesized it into a bow technique using Unique Ability Fusion. It somehow worked when I applied it to the arrow.'
He kept those words to himself, but in any case, he didn't lie.
"I stacked another title effect onto that skill."
"…You have another title other than True Ruler?"
"Yes. Luckily."
Junghwa nodded. Titles were pretty difficult to get, but she could acknowledge it if the title holder was Kim Hyukjin. She believed he had two titles at the very least.
'He might even have three.'
In fact, he had eight, but there was no way Junghwa could have known that.
"That title has a 20% damage buff."
That was the effect of Excellent Player.
"20%?"
Not 2%, but 20%. Junghwa's jaw dropped wide open. A 20% amplification effect. She'd never heard of such a thing.
"But that wasn't quite enough, so I also drew on my sovereign skill, which increases crit chance."
Plus one more thing.
"Arrows are consumable items, right?"
"Technically, yes."
"And what I just did was a 1 vs. 1 fight."
"Right."
"I have a sovereign exclusive ability that amplifies item effects by another 30%."
"…"
Junghwa was silent. The numbers she was hearing weren't 2% or 3%, but 20% and 30%. Kim Hyukjin was a Player on a scale she had never once encountered.
"But didn't you just give that same buff to us?"
"I did. I have a skill to give the same buff to myself."
Having experienced it herself, Junghwa knew how potent it was. She just hadn't expected he could overlap it twice.
"Very well." Junghwa nodded. "I will take it as your title and skills being broken and not that you used some kind of special ability as an archer."
"It'd be best to think of it like that, yes."
Unique Ability Fusion was also a skill, after all. What she said wasn't wrong.
"I guess there was nothing for me to learn."
"Unfortunately."
"But a promise is a promise. Here."
Junghwa handed him an item. It was called 'Angel Statue's Wings'.
"You're giving this to me?"
"You're not going to refuse?"
"I'll gladly take what is offered."
"That kind of makes me want to take it back. Isn't it good form to refuse once out of courtesy?"
"You're the one who wanted to give it to me first."
Junghwa's brows furrowed a little. Somehow, she got the feeling she was getting more entangled with every word.
"But still, this is kinda mean."
Just then, Hyukjin heard a notice.
[The 'Night of Shooting Stars' is deeply awed by your archery.]
The dine-and-dash suspect, the Stage 2 Guardian 'Night of Shooting Stars', appeared again with a message expressing his awe. Finally, after a long time, Hyukjin got a quest clear notification.
['Qualifications of an Outstanding Bowman' has been perfectly cleared.]
[Receiving the reward.]
Which was none other…
[Tome of the Divine Archer Physique acquired.]
…than the Tome of the Divine Archer Physique itself.
'He wasn't… a dine-and-dasher.'
It did take a long time, but he got it in the end. As he expected, you had to kill something on the level of these Dewinged Angel Statues to get a reward of this level.
Senia faithfully fulfilled her duty. Her expression was as flat as a board, but she was doing her best to respond to the massive sponsorship, allowing Hyukjin to focus on his Playing.
Hyukjin smiled.
"Now then. Shall we go inside?"
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
* * *
The inside of the Wind Temple was different from its outside appearance. The ceiling was far higher. It wasn't an ordinary ceiling—it was so high you had to tilt your head all the way back to barely see the top. A fresco was painted on the ceiling in western flair.
'Geometric patterns.'
Between the patterns were nude humans he presumed were 'gods'. Each naked person was laying down, pointing at something.
The rectangular border of the ceiling was glowing with faint purple light.
'Eighteen pillars.'
But there was one difference from when they saw the pillars outside.
'A Central Pillar in the middle.'
The pillar, larger and greater in diameter than the others, went through the ceiling high into the air.
'It's like the Wind Temple from before.'
Before, Jo Sunghyun scaled that pillar and brought down the 'Offering Box'. If this place went by the same schema, there might be something on top of that pillar.
Junghwa fired her bow.
Splurt!
The arrow dispatched its target, a level 22 Bigmouth Lizard. A bunch of them were descending from the Central Pillar.
'There's also a Bigmouth Lizard, same as before.'
It was all too identical.
'Inmyeonjos will probably show up, too.'
Sure enough, an Inmyeonjo appeared. The monster with a human face and bird's body was level 29. Both Bigmouth Lizards and Inmyeonjos were weak monsters.
Junghwa's hand moved without stopping.
[Using the innate ability Consecutive Rapidfire.]
As expected from the future Divine Archer, her aim was true. She hunted a whopping twelve Bigmouth Lizards and Inmyeonjos without Hyukjin having to do a thing. The monsters were no big threat.
"It really is the same as before," said Hyukjin.
"Looks like I'll need to go up. I also have the Wind Shoes."
"I think so, yeah. But let's look around a little longer."
Before, Jo Sunghyun would have been ripped into pieces by the 'mana current' if he slipped up even a little. Getting separated from that Central Pillar meant death.
'But I don't see the mana current this time.'
It appeared to be extremely simple. All they had to do was send Sunghyun up the pillar and bring down whatever was up there, be it the Offering Box or something else. That would bring them closer to the clear.
'Is it really that easy?'
Probably not. They were missing something.
"But Oppa, didn't we smash the pillars before?" asked Sunhwa.
"We did."
That was another difference.
"Back then, we had to destroy seven pillars for the Central Pillar to appear."
But now, it was already there.
"The more pillars we smashed, the lower the Central Pillar became. In exchange, the monsters became more fierce." Hyukjin came to a conclusion. "That Central Pillar is the key."
He turned to Junghwa. "Do you think you can destroy the Central Pillar?"
"I'll try."
In no time at all, Junghwa found herself faithfully following Hyukjin's orders. She had acknowledged him as a leader without even realizing it.
She changed her weapon to a bow blazing with fire. It was a slow, but powerful fire attribute item called 'Flame Toad'.
[Using the special skill Explosion.]
The arrow she fired hit the pillar.
Babang!
An explosion rocked the temple. After several attacks, the pillar collapsed, leaving a small circular hole through which the sky was visible in the ceiling where it had been.
[1 pillar has been destroyed.]
[The monsters have become fiercer.]
With that, Hyukjin was sure of it.
'There's an order.'
It was similar to the past, but not the same. The details were different.
'We got the first one right.'
It was time for the next.
'If we mess up the order…'
There was a high chance this temple would be sealed off, and the field would cease to exist. If that happened, everyone here would die.
'The former Hyun Junghwa cleared this?'
The angel statues aside, that was unlikely. He was absolutely sure she hadn't managed it on her own. Someone had definitely helped her.
Hyukjin fired a shot with Sylphid's Wing.
"Miss Junghwa, over there."
Junghwa quickly caught on.
[Using the special skill Explosion.]
She began a barrage on the pillar Hyukjin had struck. Sunghyun pitched in as well, and together, the pillar quickly came down.
"Next, this one."
Their party began to take down the eighteen pillars one by one in order. Thinking back to what he learned from the Hill of Blowing Wind, Hyukjin decided to only destroy twelve.
His experience back then clued him in now. They couldn't destroy all eighteen pillars. The temple would come down on them. Smashing twelve and leaving six intact was the most efficient way; Hyukjin was sure of it. He checked the ceiling.
The 'half-naked god' located at the first pillar they destroyed, the central one, was pointing at another pillar. That was the one they took down next. Another 'half-naked god' was there, pointing at another pillar, which they smashed.
The fresco above them wasn't just for show. It was the key to clearing this place. At the end of every finger was a pillar, tracing an order of pillars starting from the central one.
[7 pillars have been destroyed.]
[The true Central Pillar is being generated.]
The collapsed Central Pillar came together again in mere seconds, as if time were being rewound. A massive pillar glowing faintly with golden light and marked with various geometric patterns appeared before them, shooting through the ceiling high into the air.
"Sunghyun, please."
"Yes, Hyung."
"Be careful, the mana current's strong."
"Yes."
Sunghyun was confident. This time, he'd absorbed the Tome of the Divine Wind Physique, and his level was much higher. He could climb the pillar far better than last time.
"We'll support you from below."
Sunghyun began to run, the Wind Shoes equipped. He clambered up the Central Pillar. In the meantime, Hyukjin, Sunhwa, and Junghwa set out to destroy more pillars.
"Here."
Sunhwa and Junghwa faithfully carried out Hyukjin's orders.
[12 pillars have been destroyed.]
[The monsters have become fiercer.]
That was the cue for a new monster's appearance.
'That's…'
Grudge Inmyeonjo LVL 37
It was a level 37 monster. It was similar to an Inmyeonjo, but gave off a purple aura.
'Curse type.'
The Grudge Inmyeonjo was capable of a fairly powerful curse. It spread its wings in flight. Its target appeared to be Sunghyun, who was climbing the Central Pillar.
"Sunhwa, aggro."
Sunhwa responded immediately.
"Taunt!"
Like the genius tank she was, she aggroed it in one shot. The Grudge Inmyeonjo's eyes glowed purple as it let loose an eerie cry at Sunhwa. It folded its wings, dropping into a dive. It had a human face, but its mouth was extremely large and gleamed with the sharp fangs of a savage beast.
Junghwa immediately shot an arrow.
Clink!
But her arrow failed to penetrate the Grudge Inmyeonjo's barrier. This monster had a strong resistance to long-ranged attacks. But there was no time to use the powerful 'Explosion' or another special skill that could punch through its barrier. The Inmyeonjo was approaching too quickly.
Junghwa shouted, "Sunhwa!"
Normally, she would politely say 'Miss Sunhwa', but the honorific fell away in her haste.
'No!'
However, Hyukjin knew what the Grudge Inmyeonjo was trying to do.
'The suicide attack, Bitter Grudge.'
The Grudge Inmyeonjo was the evolved version of an Inmyeonjo. It didn't just have higher stats. It had a powerful one-time-use attack called 'Bitter Grudge', a suicide bombing. Its power was proportionate to the cost.
'It's dangerous, even for Sunhwa.'
That suicide attack came with a potent curse. Even if Sunhwa blocked it somehow, she would be left with an aftermath effect, either disease or permanent paralyzation. At this point in time, there were no advanced priests who could dispel a Grudge Inmyeonjo's Bitter Grudge. It was best to avoid it in the first place.
'She's my sister.'
Of course he wasn't going to let such a shitty attack land. Hyukjin spoke to the panicking Junghwa, looking every bit relaxed.
"Have I told you already?"
The artifact bearing the same name as the Queen of the Sword Forest, the transcendent sword with the stigma of 'cursing her heavenly talent'.
He pulled out Isabel.
"My main weapon isn't the bow, but the sword."
____
____Chapter 213
"My main weapon isn't the bow, but the sword."
He was saying it to Hyun Junghwa, but was actually directing the words to the Guardians.
The Guardians were big suckers for cliché lines like this. That was why he said it, all while feigning more ease to amp up the dramatic tension. Then, he moved at exactly the right time to prevent any danger to Sunhwa.
[The 'Nameless Observer' is observing.]
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' is enjoying your grandiose air.]
[The 'Whispering Devil' is having fun.]
Isabel also happened to wake up.
(Husband! I'm awake! Eh? What's with that mudfish-lookin' thing?)
(A mudfish is flying in the sky?)
Hyukjin used Flash Step.
[Using the special skill Flash Step.]
He instantly got onto the back of the plummeting Grudge Inmyeonjo and swung Isabel.
[Using Isabel's innate ability Beat 'em, Beat 'em, Beat 'em Harder.]
Isabel shrieked. (Husband! I'm a sword! A blade!)
(I'm not a cluuuub!)
But her screams fell on deaf ears. His legs wrapped firmly around the Grudge Inmyeonjo's neck, Hyukjin rained blows on the monster's head.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Loud impacts rang out.
The talent Isabel was granted by the heavens and that ended up forcibly sealed away by her once again shined in all its glory.
[+70% damage]
[+14% attack speed]
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Hyukjin whacked the head over and over, which registered as 'consecutive blows'.
[+7% combo damage by landing consecutive blows.]
[+7% damage]
[+7% damage]
He also scored a lucky hit.
[Critical hit!]
With the crit notification, the Inmyeonjo faltered and fell forward.
Thud!
It fell limply to the ground, or more accurately, flopped down like a deflated balloon.
Isabel was enraged.
(Ha… Husband. Mark my words, vengeance will be mine. You won't get away with this, never.)
Hyukjin grinned. 'I took it down nicely thanks to you.'
Isabel's blade quivered. (I'm asking you to treat me a little more beautifully.)
Hyukjin was getting a little more used to dealing with Isabel. He didn't just ignore her like before. For a sword, she was very sensitive, and as her 'sword bride', Hyukjin accepted that part of her personality. She was still a transcendent sword. He had to cherish her.
'You're beautiful no matter what ability you use. Isn't that right?'
So why do you reject your genius talent? He did his best not to convey that thought. Weirdly enough, Isabel didn't respond.
'But she's not sleeping.'
Her ego was definitely active, but he didn't hear a response. Whatever, it was fine as long as she was quiet. Hyukjin squatted down next to the limp Grudge Inmyeonjo.
"Alrighty, let's pluck the feathers."
Sunhwa squatted down next to him, no questions asked. "Like this?"
Crunch–!
She pulled out a fistful of feathers, leaving a big hole in the Grudge Inmyeonjo's body.
"The feathers aren't rotting away. Try plucking them carefully, one by one."
They were fortunate to acquire these feathers here. But he didn't say that.
"Gotcha. Urgh. Oppa. These things feel weird. It's like they're melting after getting plucked."
"They're probably reacting with your sweat. Mm. Don't hold onto them for too long. I don't think that's good for you."
Junghwa was a little baffled by the sudden transition to plucking feathers.
"What is there to gain from plucking these?"
"You get items. From what I can see, these feathers should fetch a pretty penny."
"You can get items like this? They normally disappear if you collect them like this."
That was because they weren't formally 'dropped' items.
"Mm, somehow I think we can just pluck this one."
"…"
Hyukjin continued. "You have sharp eyes, right, Miss Junghwa?"
She was a long-ranged DPS. Of course her eyes had to be keen. She also had a special ability related to eyesight.
"Please keep checking to see if anything has happened to Sunghyun."
"…Yes. I've been watching him."
Junghwa turned her attention to following Sunghyun's path up the Central Pillar. Before long, the Grudge Inmyeonjo was as bald as an egg.
Sunhwa got up, dusting her butt. "Kim Darong. I was faster, right?"
A [?] mark appeared over Darongi's head. He was wearing a haughty expression that clearly rejected her claim.
[?]
Darongi pulled out a massive heap of feathers from his Inventory. The genius thief was far more skilled at collection/gathering than the genius tank.
Sunhwa's hands curled into fists. She had no choice but to acknowledge her defeat before the obvious proof.
"Aw, man."
Music notes danced above Darongi's head.
Hyukjin swung Isabel at the fully plucked Grudge Inmyeonjo, finishing it off with the clean, swift strike Isabel wanted. Junghwa watched.
'For sure.'
His swordsmanship looked more sophisticated than his archery.
"Mr. Hyukjin. Earlier… you moved in a special way."
"Yes, I have sword skills."
Flash Step was the original Sword Empress' bread and butter technique. Hyukjin continued with a smile. "Swords don't have much reach, so it's hard to fight monsters or Players without a special foot technique."
"That's true, but…"
She really couldn't tell what his real class was.
'That rush just now wasn't a simple foot technique.'
It was nearly instantaneous teleportation. How in the world was he able to take down a bird-type monster plummeting straight down with such ease? The more she saw, the more he revealed, the more fascinating his Playstyle became to her. Those movements, she hadn't seen anything close to that from any other swordsmen.
'Is that just how the sovereign class is?'
Junghwa checked her Inventory.
"Just like you said, the feathers aren't disappearing."
"Yes, we're lucky."
Luck?
'Can this be called luck?'
She had killed many monsters up until now, but this was her first time collecting(?) items before the monster died. Hyukjin had gone through the hassle of plucking the feathers one by one, knowing they wouldn't disappear.
Junghwa nodded.
"…Luck, you say… So it was luck."
"Yes. I just had a hunch."
Hyukjin didn't offer a detailed explanation. This was actually common knowledge ten years in the future, but he couldn't very well say that. Junghwa also didn't dig further. They had killed the Grudge Inmyeonjo, but that didn't mean they cleared the Wind Temple. There was still a long way to go.
Just then, Junghwa's 'Hawkeye' caught sight of something.
The Central Pillar was tall. It soared high up through the clouds. Junghwa peered through the lofty clouds all the way from the ground.
"Something is forming."
Hyukjin also peered into the sky.
'What is it?'
He couldn't see it. At least in this aspect, Hyun Junghwa had the upper hand in being able to see further away.
'But I can see the mana is moving.'
He didn't know what was forming, but he had a feeling.
"I think a monster is spawning."
There was no Offering Box in the place where it should be. Instead, a monster spawned with an explosive burst of mana.
Junghwa rapidly took out her bow.
"Mr. Hyukjin. That buff earlier, could you apply it again?"
"Of course."
Conductor's Hymn had a cooldown of 360 seconds. It could be used again.
[Using the special skill Conductor's Hymn.]
Junghwa downed a 'Focus Potion' at the same time. She didn't have many of them, but she decided not to be stingy. She could see via Hawkeye that Sunghyun was in danger.
[Using the skill Penetration.]
Junghwa hurriedly fired an arrow.
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
* * *
Ten seconds before Hyun Junghwa fired her bow.
Jo Sunghyun saw something, something large and red. The red area was rimmed with ivory white things that looked like teeth. Not even one second later, he could tell.
'They're teeth.'
In other words, that large red thing was the mouth of some creature. This mysterious creature was opening its maw and descending from further up along the Central Pillar.
'Dammit.'
In the blink of an eye, that 'red mouth' came much, much closer. That was how it felt to Sunghyun.
He hastily mustered his mana.
'Wind Arrow!'
The spell was basic and simple, which also meant it could be used on the fly.
'Ngh!'
He was struck with the sensation of being swallowed in something's maw. It felt like his hastily cast magic was unable to deal any damage to that 'mouth'.
Just then—
There was a splurt, followed by a low-pitched scream.
Gwaaaar–!
And then, Sunghyun's word brightened.
'What was that?' He quickly realized. 'It was an illusion.'
He wasn't actually trapped in its mouth, but was given the illusion that he was, making him freeze and hindering his ability to react. Thankfully, that illusion was broken by his arrow.
'I can't fight properly here.'
He quickly made a decision. When the illusion shattered, he immediately began to descend the Central Pillar again. A constant stream of arrows was coming from below.
Sunghyun bit his lips.
'I… won't use any magic.'
He decided to focus solely on descending the pillar, to trust the arrows that were covering him. He had two reliable long-ranged DPSes on his side, and both of them were the most skilled people Sunghyun knew. He decided to leave his back completely to them.
His faith was rewarded in full. Sunghyun safely reached the ground.
"Hah, hah, hah."
Hyukjin and Junghwa fired arrow after arrow. They were busy and couldn't pay much attention to Sunghyun. He wasn't saddened by that and quickly retreated behind Sunhwa, who was standing strong at the front.
She summoned her large white shield.
"Oppa, your strongest magic."
"Got it."
Sunghyun closed his eyes, drawing forth all his mana. The biggest spell he could currently use was 'Blue Whirlwind'. It had the disadvantages of a very long cast time and high mana consumption, but if it landed, it would cause a great deal of destruction.
He began to recite the magic incantation.
[Wedow Le-lavica-ta]
Hyukjin fired Sylphid's Wing as he waited for it to arrive. He knew what the descending monster with the huge mouth was.
'Hundred-Year Imoogi.'
Its level was in the late 40s, early 50s.
'To appear now, it's probably a boss monster.'
If so, it would get a boss monster buff, making it stronger than a normal Hundred-Year Imoogi. Sure enough—
[The boss monster zone of the boss monster 'Hundred-Year Imoogi' has been declared.]
The Wind Temple changed to a 'boss monster raid zone'. The Hundred-Year Imoogi took the form of an extremely large serpent, extending a good twenty meters in length.
After reaching the ground, the Hundred-Year Imoogi coiled itself up, staring at the humans with its head held high. Trailing from its head were two very unsnake-like whiskers. As big as the beast was, its whiskers were also quite thick.
'First the Dewinged Angel Statues, now this?'
Gwaaaar–!
It opened its mouth in a booming cry.
[The boss monster Hundred-Year Imoogi will begin attacking in 60 seconds.]
Hyukjin switched items while staring at the massive python, going from the bow to his transcendent sword.
'Nothing about this place is easy.'
How had Hyun Junghwa cleared this place?
'The difficulty rose dramatically because we destroyed the Dewinged Angel Statues.'
The difficulty was changed by an order of magnitude. If this was the difficulty greatly reduced by his True Ruler title, then just how impossibly hard was it originally?
Hyukjin glanced behind him.
"Sunghyun, cancel your spell."
The wind magician stopped his incantation.
"We'll handle this guy, so you go back up. There'll be a hint to the clear there."
"We're not killing the boss?"
"We can't kill that thing. We have no way to penetrate its skin."
Sunghyun didn't quibble for long. "I'll trust you, Hyung."
He ran towards the Central Pillar without delay.
"Sunhwa, pull back."
"Why?"
Forty seconds left.
"You can't block that attack anyway."
Even Sunhwa would be done for if she was constricted by the Hundred-Year Imoogi. Every bone in her body would be crushed into a pulp.
"Give up on blocking its attack. Instead…"
He whispered something into Sunhwa's ear, purposefully preventing the Guardians from hearing. Sunhwa responded to acknowledge the order.
Hyukjin raised his voice again. "Miss Junghwa, please support Sunghyun."
It was possible there was something else at the top of the pillar.
Now.
Thirty seconds left.
Junghwa spoke quickly. "How do you plan on blocking an attack Miss Sunhwa can't block? If this is a monster we can't kill, shouldn't we start by looking for a way to escape somehow?"
"That's why I sent Sunghyun up."
"But it's going to attack in twenty seconds now."
"I know."
"You're going to deal with it on your own? Without the main tank?"
"Are you worrying about me right now?"
"I-I'm not worrying about you! I'm just saying what a party member should naturally say."
Hyukjin smiled. "Frankly, it's easiest for me to do this alone."
Even the impressive Hyun Junghwa and Kim Sunhwa were baggage right now. That was his cool-headed judgment. This situation was best suited for soloing. He was already familiar with the Hundred-Year Imoogi.
"If it's just me, I can tie that snake up."
Ten seconds left.
"But if we work together, someone will die."
"…"
"There can be no deaths in my party."
Hyukjin took a deep breath.
The Hundred-Year Imoogi's pupils narrowed into vertical slits, brimming with bloodthirst. Eye of Perception picked up the pulsating murderous intent of such an electrifyingly powerful lifeform.
Five seconds left.
Hyukjin began to mumble something, showing Junghwa something new. A completely new realm.
"Illusions and apparitions."
The seconds counted down.
The Will Incantation trailed from Hyukjin's lips. As Junghwa listened to the words, she found goosebumps rising on her arms for some reason.
"Distortions and lies, cannot covet me."
"No matter what ravine of evil in this world I must traverse."
Golden energy began to rise from Hyukjin's body.
____
Hundred-Year Imoogi.
Hyukjin was very familiar with this monster. It was also detailed in Playpedia.
–The Hundred-Year Imoogi takes the form of a huge snake. According to eyewitness reports, it's closer to a python than a snake, but to the untrained eye, it's just a massive snake. Small ones are twenty meters, while big ones can reach lengths of fifty meters.
But this monster wasn't simply an 'animal-type' monster.
–Though it looks like a snake, we classify this monster as a 'spirit-type'.
That was why Jo Sunghyun saw the hallucination of being swallowed alive. After freezing its prey in that manner, it slowly constricted the prey with its massive body, either crushing or suffocating its victim.
Creatures hunt their prey using hallucinations, aka illusions.
Their natural enemy was none other than Kim Hyukjin.
'Though there's a big level difference between us.'
But it wasn't an insurmountable level difference, ten at most. He also killed a Lycanthrope right after he awakened.
'As long as you're familiar with the strat…'
And as long as you had the courage and skills to carry it out, and you could mitigate the level and stat gap with the help of a 'Will Incantation'…
'You can get out alive.'
Hyukjin focused. He uttered the remaining words of the incantation, looking the Hundred-Year Imoogi straight in the eye. He felt strong bloodlust from those vertical slits, but he wasn't afraid.
"Such is the power of intuition."
Hyukjin had the ability to smash through hallucinations and illusions hidden within bloodlust.
"The Eye of Insight that sees the true nature of things."
Hyukjin recited the last words.
[May all lies.]
[Be shattered.]
The illusion broke. Hyukjin's vision shattered like a window, clearing. The 'Hundred-Year Imoogi' staring at him with its head held high was a fake.
'The real body has come closer to me.'
The raid had already begun. The unmoving 'Hundred-Year Imoogi' simply staring at him with eyes oozing bloodthirst was an illusion. The one that had come quite close was the real boss.
'It's come pretty close.'
It was already drawing near in order to hunt him. It wasn't moving all that fast.
Ssssss–
The hiss of its scales sliding along the ground was chilling.
Whoosh–!
The wind happened to blow just then.
He caught the monster's smell in the wind—a fishy, ozone odor that wafted from its skin.
Hyukjin instantly whipped out Sylphid's Wing, moving Isabel into his Inventory in one swift motion.
It was the switching technique Vela was exceptional at; Hyukjin had learned it from him. He couldn't use Observer Eye's 'Action Replication', but he could still somewhat replicate what he saw. That was Hyukjin's eye of observation.
[Using the weapon effect Create Distance.]
Hyukjin's body instantly moved backwards, as if someone had yanked him from behind. It looked as if his body were getting sucked back like a magnet.
Junghwa was straining her eyes in order to catch every movement Hyukjin made, while still paying attention to the Central Pillar Sunghyun had clambered up.
'He just used Create Distance.'
Junghwa didn't use it often. Create Distance was good for simply getting more distance away from your opponent, but it left you at a dead end—using it made you lose your balance.
But not for Kim Hyukjin. She saw that he was slightly lowering his body and putting strength in his legs.
'He hasn't… lost balance at all.'
He was ridiculously steady on his feet. The next moment, he disappeared.
[Using the special skill Flash Step.]
He moved around with a combination of Sylphid's Wing's effect and the special skill Flash Step. Junghwa could see that Kim Hyukjin had no intent of directly attacking the Hundred-Year Imoogi.
'It feels like he's focusing purely on getting around.'
Why?
'No way.'
After some time passed, she thought she knew the reason. Hyukjin wasn't trying to 'hunt' the boss right now. He was buying time.
Hyukjin's body moved rapidly. He deftly approached the Hundred-Year Imoogi, got onto its body, and ran up. After moving along the monster's body a few times, he even got onto its head.
Hyukjin leapt high in the air, whipping out a dagger. He plunged it into the monster's neck.
Clang!
A metallic clash rang out.
Hyukjin already knew this dagger was incapable of penetrating the monster's skin. That wasn't his goal. Hyukjin dropped off the side. The Hundred-Year Imoogi had its head raised about ten meters off the ground.
Sparks came off the spot Hyukjin had struck with his dagger. Hyukjin dragged his dagger along the Hundred-Year Imoogi's neck as he fell to reduce the speed of his descent.
Crrrrrrrkkkk!
Sparks went flying.
The Hundred-Year Imoogi's tail swept just past him as if it had a life of its own. If he hadn't controlled his speed, he might have gotten grabbed by the tail. Junghwa gulped as she watched.
'No. He would have gotten grabbed for sure.'
Freedom of movement was absolutely imperative here. If Hyukjin had gotten caught, it would have been over.
'Hyukjin is moving quickly…'
He weaved in and out, changing directions on a dime.
'…while making the boss tie itself up.'
The Hundred-Year Imoogi's body was extremely long. It was a huge string. That string was getting tangled, so stealthily that the boss itself didn't realize. And it was done via provocation.
Hyukjin repeated the process of drawing near, then jumping back. It became a little easier.
'I can see its movements.'
It was game over if he was caught by the serpent. In other words, all he had to do was avoid getting caught. He was dancing on a knife's edge, but the Hundred-Year Imoogi was very slow. Hyukjin captured its every movement with Eye of Perception.
And when things got a little dicey—
[Activating the power Future Sight.]
He foresaw the future with Future Sight. Though the ability put a great burden on the body because of its high mana and mental power consumption, now wasn't the time to be picky. As a result, he was able to tie up the Hundred-Year Imoogi while slipping through its whip-like snare.
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
* * *
Hyukjin took some distance.
"Sunhwa."
"Roger."
Sunhwa took out what she had readied at Hyukjin's whispered request.
–Give up on blocking its attack. Instead, put the Grudge Inmyeonjo's feathers in water. You've got water, right?
Water was a crucial item for Players. Everyone kept plenty of water on them for raids. That was especially true for very physical classes like Sunhwa's. The girl went as far as to keep a massive tub of water in her Inventory.
Hyukjin brought out a 'Rusted Iron Sword' instead of Isabel. He plunged the weapon in Sunhwa's tub, which was filled to the brim with milky white water.
[Using the special skill Flash Step.]
He closed in again, smearing the Rusted Iron Sword dripping with cloudy water on the knotted serpent.
Hyun Junghwa couldn't figure out what Hyukjin intended.
'What's he doing?'
Hyukjin repeated the process a few times. Some time later, the Hundred-Year Imoogi tilted off balance, falling onto its side with a thud. It looked like a knotted ball of yarn. Upon closer inspection, it was perfectly still.
"No wonder a Grudge Inmyeonjo showed up here."
"…What?"
Junghwa could tell that even though Hyukjin was pretending to talk to her, he was actually talking to the Guardians.
'I see.'
A new world opened up to her.
'So this is how you do it.'
She got the feeling she had just gotten a valuable lesson. She decided to play along.
"If you dissolve its feathers in water, you can produce an extremely powerful adhesive."
"I see."
Junghwa didn't ask how he knew that. After all, she wasn't the one he was talking to right now.
"With sufficient time, its tangled body will return to normal."
"So you glued it together in order to keep it from detangling?"
Junghwa thought back to earlier.
–They're probably reacting with your sweat. Mm. Don't hold onto them for too long. I don't think that's good for you.
She was honestly curious. Did he know about the Grudge Inmyeonjo's feathers from the start, or did he figure out this strategy based on the fact that it reacted with sweat?
Junghwa came to her own conclusion.
'Don't hold onto them for too long. I don't think that's good for you… is what he said.'
That must be when he figured it out. He instantly realized the feathers were an adhesive from the way they reacted to sweat.
'He realized it on the spot. From that one fact alone.'
Could this truly be called 'insight'? Was that all it was? Junghwa felt goosebumps for a moment. She looked at this man named Kim Hyukjin anew, and her curiosity towards him grew.
"That's right. But I imagine even this won't be enough. Its strength is unimaginable."
Junghwa spurred the conversation along.
"Then what should we do?"
"Cut off its power source."
"…"
"I think its strength is coming from those whiskers. If we constrain them somehow, either by cutting off those whiskers or tying them up, it'll get weaker."
"How do you know that?"
Hyukjin was honestly thankful. Junghwa wasn't a talkative person, but she was chipping in with the questions he needed. You could see this as Hyukjin using Junghwa. But despite knowing that, she was still cooperating nicely.
"Didn't you hear my incantation?"
Oh, so that amazing ability is called an incantation. Junghwa nodded a little. This was give and take. In exchange for playing along, Junghwa got to learn about incantations for the first time.
"I did." One part stuck out in her memory. "Such is the power of intuition. The Eye of Insight that sees the true nature of things. I remember that part."
"Right."
"Then I suppose you're saying you figured it out by seeing it."
Hyukjin nodded. This much acting was more than enough to achieve the picture the Guardians wanted. Their questions should be fully answered by now.
'So now.'
In consideration for his main sponsor, the Nameless Observer, he added one more line.
"It's the power of observation."
With that, Hyukjin approached the Hundred-Year Imoogi again. He tried cutting off its whiskers, but even his transcendent sword was incapable of the feat. Hyukjin had no other choice but to tie the two whiskers together.
Hyukjin remembered the Hundred-Year Imoogi strat word for word.
–After preventing the Hundred-Year Imoogi from moving, tying up the whiskers will make hunting it extremely easy. Simply tying up the whiskers cuts off most of the Hundred-Year Imoogi's abilities.
Junghwa said, "Its aura has definitely weakened a lot. What should we do?"
Due to its super high defense, it wouldn't be easy to kill. Hyukjin recognized what Junghwa meant by the question.
"I don't think we can kill it."
There was no way to kill it. The means of attack available to them right now were incapable of dispatching this boss monster.
Hyukjin grinned. "But do you think the System truly made this monster to be killed?"
"It's a boss monster."
"I don't think so. It wasn't spawned to be killed."
Much of this field overlapped with the Hill of Blowing Wind they had cleared in the past. The field would not be cleared just by killing the boss monster. It wasn't a clear condition.
Everything was happening too coincidentally and artificially here. The way Hyukjin saw it, there was definitely a hidden catch.
"I get the feeling that we would have failed to clear this place if we had tried to kill this guy."
It was true that they couldn't kill it, and a Grudge Inmyeonjo appearing here was no coincidence. Hyukjin was sure of it.
"There's something more to this."
Just then, Jo Sunghyun quickly descended, drenched in sweat.
"I've brought the Offering Box."
Just like before, there was an Offering Box here.
____
Hyukjin remembered exactly how they cleared the Hill of Blowing Wind in the past. He didn't try to memorize it; it just happened.
In the past, when the Offering Box appeared—
'It asserted its influence and calmed the wind.'
[The 'Offering Box' holy relic is beginning to assert its influence.]
[The 'Offering Box' holy relic calms the wind blowing in the 'Wind Temple'.]
It was exactly the same now. The schema was the same.
'Hyun Junghwa wasn't at the Hill of Blowing Wind then.'
She hadn't been one of the Players present there. Which meant, Hyun Junghwa couldn't have cleared the Wind Temple on her own.
'So that has to mean the angel statues we broke are the deciding factors after all.'
The content of the field had changed a great deal because of the Dewinged Angel Statues. One thing was for sure—the itinerary might be the same, but the difficulty had been cranked way up.
'Which means the rewards will also be boosted.'
Hyukjin took the Offering Box Sunghyun brought.
[Offering Box of the Wind Temple]
A small box for collecting offerings. Those who come to the Temple of Wind must show their sincerity to this Offering Box. When the Offering Box is full, the Blessing of the Wind Temple will be granted.
Back then, the quest they received was 'Donate 100k Coins!' With the increased difficulty, what kind of quest would this Offering Box give this time?
[You have received the quest 'Offer a Living Sacrifice!']
[Quest reward: Wind Temple clear, Complete Sylphid's Wings]
Hyukjin read what was left unsaid in the notice.
'The grade of the rewards has been boosted, I'm sure of it.'
But the reward was still the 'Complete Sylphid's Wings'. And the clear was a given.
'Even though a Hundred-Year Imoogi boss monster that can't be caught without the strat appeared.'
But the reward amounted to just this? It actually made Hyukjin a little happier.
'That has to mean the Angel Statue's Wings item I got is that important.'
That was the only way he could interpret this result. He didn't know how and where it would be useful, but it would definitely come into play.
'And I also got the Tome of the Divine Archer Physique.'
The rewards were by no means bad. He had gained a ton from this clear.
Hyun Junghwa waited quietly for Hyukjin to speak. Normally, she was more of the type to take action rather than sit around, but she had no choice but to stay put right now. She couldn't interrupt Hyukjin, who was thinking hard about something.
That was because she also saw the Offering Box and the quest it gave.
[You have received the quest 'Offer a Living Sacrifice!']
Junghwa wasn't stupid.
'If we had killed the Hundred-Year Imoogi…'
Then in order to clear this place, they would have had to sacrifice someone. Only by throwing someone into that Offering Box's clutches would they be able to clear and leave this field. Did this really boil down to simply 'good luck'?
'It wasn't just good luck.'
No, it was made to be good luck. By the person in front of her.
Sunghwa beamed. "Oppa, I'll pick that Imoogi as the sacrifice then."
"Yeah."
Sunhwa put her hand on the Offering Box. It flashed, and everyone heard notices.
[The living sacrifice will be decided by a majority vote.]
[Please designate the living sacrifice.]
You could just look at your choice with your eyes. Every Player here—Kim Hyukjin, Kim Sunhwa, Jo Sunghyun, and Hyun Junghwa—designated the Hundred-Year Imoogi as the target.
[4 votes for the designated target. 1 vote against.]
The vote against was, of course, from the Hundred-Year Imoogi.
[The vote has exceeded the majority.]
[The target has been decided.]
The Hundred-Year Imoogi began to get sucked into the Offering Box. Almost like a black hole, the enormous serpent was sucked little by little into the Offering Box's depths.
Sunhwa stared in fascination.
"Wow…"
How was such a big snake going into such a small box?
"Amazing."
She wasn't that scared, just fascinated. Hyukjin thought that was a good thing. It would definitely be problematic if a tofu brain like Sunhwa got squeamish about each and every little Play. It was way better for her to just move on with nonchalant fascination.
[The Offering Box has received its living sacrifice.]
[The Blessing of the Wind Temple will be granted to the Players who have come here.]
A warm, blue breeze blew in, nestling around the Players. After snaking a few times around their bodies, the wind faded.
[The right to possess the 'Angel Statue's Wings' has been granted.]
That instant, everyone realized that if they had gone out without the Blessing of the Wind Temple, this item would have been destroyed.
Hyukjin's mood lifted even more.
'The fact that it's regulated so thoroughly means it's just that important.'
It was very good. It seemed he really had to contact Pietro after leaving the dungeon. They had shared contact details.
[Your wind affinity has increased.]
In the end, the Wind Temple was cleared. Hyukjin's party left the field and returned to Marvin Cemetery.
[Entering Marvin Cemetery.]
Then, they were able to find the Clear Crystal without difficulty, clear the Marvin Cemetery, and leave the Gran Seoul Dungeon.
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
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* * *
After leaving the dungeon, Hyun Junghwa got into Hyukjin's car with him.
"Where would you like to go?" asked the chauffeur.
"To the office, please."
The two of them went to Giantgod's office for one reason, and that was to discuss the issue of how to distribute the Complete Sylphid's Wings Hyukjin had acquired.
Inside the elevator, Hyukjin thought to himself.
'Sylphid's Wings… is the bow Hyun Junghwa herself acknowledged as the item that made her who she is.'
That was how important it was to her. Even the current Junghwa was well aware of this item's value.
'I'm sure she also knows the MVP in the Wind Temple clear is me.'
It was natural. Even the System had acknowledged that—the Complete Sylphid's Wings was put in Hyukjin's inventory as an 'individual reward'.
They entered the office and took seats on the sofa. Hyukjin spoke first.
"I'll get straight to the point."
"Yes."
Junghwa also preferred skipping the formalities and going straight to the matter at hand. She was also feeling quite the urgency.
"The Complete Sylphid's Wings was acknowledged by the System as my property."
"I know."
Junghwa wasn't so brazen as to throw a tantrum demanding him to give it to her. But she also wasn't so clueless that she couldn't read Hyukjin's inner thoughts.
"But the fact that you brought me here means you are inclined to concede that item to me."
"That's right. I fully acknowledge your contribution in the raid, and believe the Complete Sylphid's Wings will shine more radiantly in your hands than mine."
"…"
If she was being honest, Junghwa wanted to refute that statement. Even with his sloppy form and breathing, Kim Hyukjin was an archer of the same or greater skill than her.
His talent was in a class of its own. Junghwa fully accepted that.
'You're wrong. I think it'll shine more in your hands.'
But she didn't say that. She also wanted the Complete Sylphid's Wings.
"For the Complete Sylphid's Wings, two Sylphid's Wing bows are necessary."
"…"
"So I would have no choice but to give you my Sylphid's Wing."
"I will compensate you in full."
"This item was gifted to me with heartfelt feelings by my close friend in Italy, Pedro."
They weren't actually friends, but he decided that they were bosom buddies right now.
"…Is he a very close friend?"
"Yes. Enough that I put my life on the line to clear with him."
It wasn't a lie. He really thought he would die in front of the Sacred Flame, Athenae. One misstep, and he would have burned into a crisp.
"Despite that, as you said before, I intend on conceding this bow to you because I think it would suit you very well."
"…Thank you for saying that."
Hyukjin continued.
"For now, it's my opinion that each Sylphid's Wing has a value of about $500k."
"…"
The Italian Ranker Salvatore had gone dizzy at half that amount. That was because this was still the beginner period. $500k was far from a small sum. Even Hyun Junghwa thought it was excessive.
'But—'
Junghwa thought she didn't have the right to say that right now. Hyukjin was making such a big concession, so she had to respond in kind. That was what trading was. It couldn't just be one side reaping profit and the other side losing out, so she decided to accept the hefty price tag.
"And the value of the Complete Sylphid's Wings… can't actually be measured at this point in time. In terms of money."
"…"
Then just what did this man want? Junghwa looked into Hyukjin's eyes in silence.
'I can't read his thoughts at all.'
She couldn't at all distinguish what was going through his mind, what his end-game was. She knew he was 20, but it was like he had a 100-year-old sage inside him.
'Just what kind of environment do you have to grow up in to become like that?'
Hyukjin's next words completely shattered her composure.
"I'll give it to you. For free."
"…What?"
"Since its value cannot be measured in money."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly how it sounds. I'll just give it to you."
Junghwa shook her head.
"That will not do."
Words spilled out of her. "Your contribution in the Wind Temple clear was monumental. Both the System and I acknowledge that. How could I take an item you earned fairly without giving anything in return?"
Junghwa's expression was incredibly serious. "I am deeply thankful for your offer and goodwill…"
"…"
"But saying those words is treating me as less than an equal, a fellow Player."
Hyukjin made a small smile. Junghwa didn't know at all, but this was what Hyukjin had been aiming for.
'I knew she'd say that.'
He knew she would say something along the lines of 'You're insulting me right now'. But with the situation the way it was, Junghwa had very much dulled the edge in her words.
Hyukjin waited for a moment. It was about time for Hyun Junghwa to say the magic words.
"Please make it so I can pay an appropriate price."
Bingo. How much you could sell the same object for was up to the seller's skill. Even better for the seller if they could manipulate the buyer into thinking they were getting a good deal.
Senia, who was watching in transparent mode, thought to herself, 'You weren't thinking about giving it away for free anyway.'
Her wings were trembling without her knowing. Strangely, very strangely, she was cheering Kim Hyukjin on, a fact that shocked her when she realized it.
'Why am I… getting happy about such a scammy trade?'
What was this?
'Why am I thinking of something good happening to Player Kim Hyukjin as something good happening to me?'
She thought about it and came to a conclusion.
'It's because Player Kim Hyukjin needs to Play well for things to work out for me. That's what it is.'
Hyukjin nodded.
"I see, my goodwill can be construed as an insult to you, Miss Junghwa. I apologize."
"No, it wasn't that severe. Thank you for understanding."
Understanding? He did all this while rolling her in the palm of his hand. Hyukjin gave another easy smile.
"Then allow me to make a proposal first."
This was what he had been aiming for in the first place.
[The 'Merchant of Venice' is very happy.]
[The 'Merchant of Venice' has begun to watch you more closely.]
"There are two things I would like to ask from you. You can listen first and then decide whether you will proceed or not."
He revealed the two conditions.
"First, I would like a total of $1 million."
"I accept."
The answer came immediately. Hyun Junghwa was clearly driven by the determination to 'pay an appropriate price, no matter what'. Earlier, she was feeling iffy about $500k, but now, even $1 million was chump change. With just a few words, her mentality had taken a complete 180.
"Second, I would like to buy your skill."
"What does that mean?"
He had run all this way for this moment. This was the real thing he wanted.
"I intend on clearing two dungeons in the near future. One is in the Singapore server, and the other is in the Korean server. I would like your help with them. However, I want all items and byproducts gained from those dungeons to belong to me."
Hyun Junghwa took the bait very nicely.
"I accept."
She, too, was pleased by the prospect. There was much she could gain and learn by Playing with Kim Hyukjin.
"Would it be alright… if I asked what the dungeons are called?"
"Would it be alright… if I asked what the dungeons are called?"
Hyukjin answered her like it wasn't a big deal.
"The one that'll appear in Singapore is the Gardens by the Beach Dungeon."
"Ah."
Junghwa knew the place. It was a widely beloved and famous tourist highlight of Singapore that held a flashy lights and music show called the 'Supertree Show' every night. She herself had visited it as a tourist.
Junghwa didn't ask how he knew this information.
"And the other one?"
"The Sangam World Cup Stadium Dungeon."
"In the vicinity, hm."
Giantgod's office was in the DMC, so the World Cup Stadium was just one subway stop away, less than ten minutes by car.
"Yes. It's the place that got so worked up in 2002."
TN: Korea went up to the semi-finals in the 2002 World Cup hosted jointly by Korea and Japan. Red Devils is the name for fans of the Korean national soccer team.
It would also become the dungeon that would spawn 2,002 'Red Devils'.
Junghwa asked, "Do you know when it will appear?"
"I don't know the exact date, but I think it'll happen soon."
The archer nodded. "Understood. The Gardens by the Beach Dungeon and the Sangam World Cup Stadium Dungeon. I will make my cooperation in clearing those two places with the Guildmaster my top priority."
"And all the products that come from them?"
"I will concede them all."
"Excellent."
The deal was settled. $1 million, plus two Hyun Junghwa "vouchers".
'Nice.'
Very nice.
'She's quietly accepting this deal because she has no idea what that place has in store.'
Hyukjin felt his mood soar. On his way home, he bought three fried chickens. There were three firm proponents of the '1 chicken per person' motto at home: his older sister, his little sister, and Kim Darong.
A scramble for drumsticks broke out when he got home.
Just before Sunhwa could catch him, Darongi gulped down the drumstick, bone and all. It was truly amazing how he managed to swallow a drumstick bigger than his whole body in one fell swoop.
Crunch, munch.
Meanwhile, Hyukjin's older sister Kim Ahyoung ate her chicken very quietly. Apparently, she was far removed from the war raging between Sunhwa and Darongi—even the cheeky squirrel didn't dare go for her chicken.
Hyukjin grinned.
'Guess Noona is rank 1.'
Come to think of it—
'Rank 2 is Darongi.'
Which left…
'Sunhwa is rank 3.'
Somehow, Sunhwa seemed to be the weakest one here. Outside, she was a genius tank, but inside, she was only rank 3. Of course, the one at the top of this household was Mom.
"Where's Mom?" asked Hyukjin.
Ahyoung answered curtly, "Went out to see friends."
"Again?"
"It's everyday lately."
"Really?"
"Ya."
Their conversation ended with that. Ahyoung got up.
"I'm full." She stared at Darongi and his rounded belly. "Make sure you clean up well."
[;;;] marks appeared over Darongi's head. Ahyoung stared at the squirrel.
"Don't wanna?"
[;;]
There was one less sweat emoji.
"I asked, don't wanna?" she said again.
[;]
Another sweat emoji less.
"It's fine if you don't want to. I'll clean up."
Kim Darong's [;] turned into a hasty [!]. He shook his head like a rattle, his expression saying, 'I'll do it!'
"You will? I'm heading in for the night then."
Hyukjin laughed, dumbfounded.
'What the heck?'
How was it that Noona could speak so freely with Darongi? She wasn't even a tamer. Hyukjin looked down at the pile of chicken in front of him.
'Again?'
There were three drumsticks. This always happened. Noona snuck them in. Of course, her stealthy actions couldn't escape Hyukjin's 'observation', but he just pretended not to notice.
Sunhwa tore into a wing while asking, "So what're we gonna do next, Oppa? You have, like, a ton to do."
"I'm planning on participating in the auction first."
"Ah. That auction in the US?"
"Yeah. The date was pulled forward a bit."
Technically speaking, it wasn't that the date was changed, but that the chosen among the chosen—the VIPs among the VIPs—were invited to participate in the auction first.
'Even I didn't know that was a thing.'
This was the world he had known nothing about, the world of Rankers. He was learning about these secrets one by one, like peeling an onion.
"What about that… that handsome Italian guy who was gathering archers? You also said you have to do that Dewinged Angel Statue thing or whatever it was called."
He also planned on participating in that.
'It should work out if I contact Pietro after getting back from the auction.'
It seemed Pietro was still recruiting archers for the gate. There was still time, so he decided to push contacting Pietro about the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate until after the auction, and it was possible Pietro would also take part in the auction.
"Yeah. Some people were invited to come participate earlier, and Taeguk Shield was one of them."
"Taeguk Shield? Why?"
Sunhwa tilted her head.
State: Dubious / Curiosity / Doubt
"Even though they're so weak…?"
"They're weak by our standards, but they're not weak by the world's standards."
"No way."
"I'm serious. They're strong, too."
"Really?"
Sunhwa's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah. As unbelievable as it might sound to you, that's how it is."
"I see."
It's just because you're surrounded by such overwhelming world-level Rankers. Hyukjin left that unsaid.
When it came down to it, Taeguk Shield was the representative guild of Korea. With Wings' victory over Lao Yu, Taeguk Shield's status was boosted even further.
"You're tagging along then, Oppa?"
"Yeah."
"But I thought you said you would ask Mr. Kiyeol to do it."
"I was gonna do that, but I changed my mind."
"Why?"
"I think I'll be able to get a lot of good items there."
"You're going because of the items?"
"Why do you ask?"
"There's no other reason, right?"
Hyukjin smirked and tousled Sunhwa's hair.
"There is."
"What is it? Tell me, puh-lease?"
"I want to meet a person named Michelle."
"Michelle? A woman?"
"Yeah."
"Is she pretty?"
"Hm. Probably? I've never seen her in person, so I don't know either."
"I'm told pretty women are dangerous."
"Who says that?"
"Sung-gu."
Choi Sung-gu, this blabbermouth. He sure was feeding a lot of pointless drivel to this child.
"But why?"
"Hm, because I want to check the consequences?"
"What's that?"
"You don't need to know. It's a thing."
Hyukjin got up. Sunhwa muttered under her breath that she also wanted to know, but she didn't press for details.
"Then I'll work on clearing the Gwanghwamun Dungeon a bit more. I think I can hit 40 soon."
With those words from Sunhwa, Hyukjin went into his room.
'The Herdsman of Las Vegas is originally a US Guardian.'
But that very Guardian was frequently in and out of the Korean server. That could only mean he had lost some amount of interest in his original favorite, Michelle.
'What consequences have my changes created?'
He was curious about that, and another thing.
'I also want to see the skills of the world's Rankers with my own eyes.'
The Korean server was a little less skilled in comparison to the past. Hyukjin acknowledged that. He had prevented too many 'disasters'. Although the survival rate greatly increased, it came at the cost of dulling the Korean playerbase.
'I've also slowed Vela's growth.'
The Fight King's Guardian was the White Hunter. But the White Hunter seemed to be making their home in the Korean server.
'He's gotten weaker because of me.'
Then what about the other Players? How strong were the world Rankers who grew independently of Kim Hyukjin's influence? What kind of butterfly effects had ensued?
'Should be fun.'
The auction was a chance to see the world's Rankers in one place. It was also a gathering place for global millionaires. He decided to go join the fun.
* * *
Translator – Lei
Proofreader – Ash
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* * *
Los Angeles, USA.
Hyukjin stood in front of a certain building. Two large men—presumably guards—were standing at the door.
"Please show your invitation."
Hyukjin looked at the two men in amusement.
'They're ordinary people.'
They weren't Players.
'And they have a Translation Marble?'
That was a valuable item. It did show up and get used often around Hyukjin, but in the world, it was indeed a rare item, and not something non-Players could freely get their hands on.
'Is it Michelle's financial power?'
It varied by the list, but Michelle was within the top 10 or 20 of the most wealthy individuals in the US. She was using her financial prowess on even trivial things like this.
"I don't have an invitation. But my party will be arriving shortly."
I waited a little.
'He's here.'
Two men were walking from afar. One of them was very short.
'Guildmaster Song Kiyeol, and… Song Jinchul?'
He saw the young brat Song Jinchul. Apparently, he had followed his brother here. Song Jinchul blatantly drawled, "Hyung, is that the bastard you said you're going into the auction with?"
His voice was loud enough for Hyukjin to hear every word. He didn't get mad. This was just a middle schooler blowing hot air. He decided to keep watching a little longer.
"Song Jinchul!"
Song Kiyeol apologized immediately, bending deep at the waist.
"I apologize. He turned out like this because he's a late child…"
"It's alright."
Hyukjin really wasn't that offended. In fact, the little runt even looked cute.
'But… I heard this kid originally said he didn't wanna become a Player.'
But he had already become a Player. Hyukjin remembered seeing in the news that Song Jinchul had taken his talent plate exam very late, at the same time as Hyukjin. Things had changed.
That change was captured in full by Eye of Perception.
[Player]
Name: Song Jinchul
Age: 14
Level: 27
He had already become a Player. What had influenced the kid?
'His level isn't high. But he's awakened an innate ability.'
Innate ability: Discernment
But just then, Hyukjin's Eye of Perception activated on its own and started to go haywire.
'What's going on?'
The world distorted. A bout of dizziness struck him, and it felt like the distorted world was spinning around him. Everything was spinning except for one thing, Song Jinchul. Only Song Jinchul was not twisted, and only Song Jinchul remained in place.
'What… does this mean?'
The spinning started as soon as he read Song Jinchul's status.
[A factor in a major variable.]
There was no other explanation. That was the only interpretation Eye of Perception could produce, a vague interpretation even Hyukjin could not fully decipher.
'It looks like… there's something about this little brat.'
It wasn't something he could figure out now. He heard Song Kiyeol's voice.
"Guildmaster Kim?"
"Ah. I apologize. I was thinking about something else for a moment."
The world returned to normal like nothing had happened. Hyukjin glanced at Song Jinchul. The kid had taken a step back and was lowering his right hand, his middle finger slightly cocked up.
Hyukjin almost laughed.
'I can't tell whether he's childish or just dumb.'
No matter how much Jinchul disliked Hyukjin, he should be aware that Hyukjin was his older brother's business partner. Was this why people said the teenage years were so scary?
But just then, another person joined the fray.
"The hell is with this rude brat?"
It was a familiar voice, and very, very loud.
"Oi. You good at fighting?"
The speaker came striding over, then raised his bear paw hand and brought it down hard on Song Jinchul's head.
Bam!
A resounding thud rang out.
Song Jinchul was unable to dodge.
"Agh!"
The kid doubled over. His older brother took a step forward.
"What do you mean by this?"
"The little shit was giving my friend the middle finger. I oughta blast the asshole's head off his shoulders."
Vela ditched the honorifics straightaway. He was the same as ever.
"Oi. Answer me. You good at fighting?"
He was of the opinion that there was no such thing as age or gender in Playing. Monsters didn't stop to contemplate whether you were young or old, a woman or a man. They just went straight to tearing you apart. It was Vela's opinion that in front of such creatures, the only thing that mattered was strength.
Yet another person appeared.
"I would like it if you refrained from causing a ruckus in front of my venue."
The Gold Pyramid, Michelle.
The legendary woman who, along with the Wargod Salvatore, was venerated as the peak of the sovereigns. The American top-class Ranker previously sponsored enthusiastically by the Herdsman of Las Vegas had made her appearance.
That moment—
He heard a notice.
[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' proposes a bet.]