Chapter 202 Ashutaros – (2)
Kuaaaah!
A fireball released from the black magician's hand flew toward Sanghyeon.
It was a spell that appeared to possess extraordinary power at a glance. It looked like it would inflict damage even if blocked.
He timed his move.
Counter Barrier is a skill that can neutralize an opponent's ultimate attack depending on how well it is used.
It has the downsides of consuming 100 HP and lasting only 0.4 seconds.
However, once the counterattack is successful, it guarantees sending back 'one' projectile.
Furthermore, it takes absolutely no damage. It is not a concept of taking a portion; the damage is zero.
"Phew."
He concentrated his mind with a short breath. It is the ultimate skill if countered well, but a failure would be a major disaster. Sanghyeon
is quite an expert at timing thanks to his experience from his past life.
Still, since the assumption of 100% certainty in every situation cannot hold true, he raised his tension to the maximum.
'Look at that guy.'
Meanwhile, the Black Mage was preparing his next spell, presumably intending to unleash a barrage of attacks.
He seemed to be preparing under the assumption that Sanghyeon would fall victim to his fire magic.
From a defender's perspective, it was a irritating provocation that only stirred up more malice.
'Then!'
Sanghyeon charged forward.
While this made the timing process more difficult, the return on success was greater.
The enemy was already assuming success and confidently planning his next move; he did not want to let things go according to plan.
Whoa!
Just as the heat sent ahead by the approaching fireball began to envelop Sanghyeon's entire face!
With a split-second timing, he extended his Nameless Sword and immediately unfurled a counterattack barrier.
Bang!
He felt it simultaneously.
The flames striking the sword were not engulfing him, but springing back like a spring.
It was a clean success!
Without the slightest transfer of energy, Sanghyeon's body shot forward as if nothing had happened.
On the other hand, the black mage, having received the very magic he had cast back, turned ashen.
“F**k…”
Although his face clearly resembled that of a foreigner, it felt as though he was about to swear in Korean.
The black mage was caught up in the flames before he could even find a way to counter the returning magic.
This was because he had already formed the hand seal for the next spell.
The speed of the returning magic was too fast to interrupt the casting just to re-form the seal. He had been caught completely off guard.
Whoosh!
“Aargh!”
The black mage, engulfed in flames, screamed.
Naturally, the spell he was about to cast was nowhere to be found. It
was a situation where he had been caught in his own fire, a scene of creative suicide where he could not blame anyone. A quick death combo of
『Whisper of the Sage』,
『Sword of Doom』,
and 『Mortal's Wrath』 was executed immediately. Crack! The black mage's head exploded after taking a single blow from the reinforced Sword of Doom and a follow-up strike from Mortal's Wrath. He was defeated by Sanghyeon, who had gotten too close, leaving him no time to block or dodge. It was the end of the black mage who hadn't factored in the possibility of being countered by magic when facing Sanghyeon. “Level 296, right away?” Sanghyeon grinned. Defeating a fairly formidable mage in a one-on-one fight yielded a substantial amount of experience points. It was a shame not to obtain a separate artifact from him, but the experience gain was more than satisfactory. Meanwhile, the three members of the party joined them belatedly. They had struggled to locate Sanghyeon because he had suddenly disappeared. They had come after finding the uninvited guest that Kyle had sensed from the rear, but the situation was already over. “Did you… already catch him?” “He’s actually quite tricky.” Kyle and Raphelen tilted their heads. Although this black mage wasn't classified as a boss monster, he was quite specialized in fire, making him difficult to deal with. Since his magic casting was slow, the standard strategy was considered to be avoiding him or keeping one's distance upon encountering him. However, Sanghyeon appeared to have finished it off with a head-on confrontation. Judging by the situation, it didn't seem like there had been multiple exchanges, yet it was cleanly concluded. As the three had not witnessed the Counterattack Barrier in action firsthand, they couldn't help but be puzzled. “Well, I didn't really exert much force, you know? I just flicked it a few times, and it was gone in a flash.” “…….” The three realized just how much Sanghyeon’s words encapsulated. He was a swordsman with truly diverse skills. It seemed he possessed a skill set that exceeded anything one could have imagined. The Ashtaros Dungeon, which they had entered together for exploration or to assess their skills.
However, the current situation looked less like an evaluation and more like them diligently following him around and clapping.
To be honest, it was anticlimactic. It felt like a player like this should be elevated to a higher level.
The world is wide, and there are many skilled players.
Sarah, Kyle, and Raphelen admired Sanghyun's exceptional ability rather than feeling a sense of loss or deprivation.
On the other hand, they were deeply disappointed that he was not a member of the Nobility Guild.
“Shall we wrap this up?”
“Since we can’t go beyond the Red Line anyway, I think we should wrap it up here. Good job everyone.”
The atmosphere was one of disbandment.
Since everything had been agreed upon in advance and Sanghyun was aware of the situation, they weren't flustered.
However, the aftertaste was a bit unsatisfying. It felt like they could have done more but couldn't. Like being stopped in the middle of pooping?
Sanghyun said,
“If I were to advance further personally, would that cause any problems under the contract?”
They already knew there wouldn't be any issues, but Sanghyun asked once more for confirmation.
At that, the three of them paused for a moment, tilted their heads slightly, and looked at Sanghyun.
It meant, "Surely you aren't going to cross the Red Line here, which is tantamount to suicide?"
"There is no problem, but… I'd like to discourage you. More than ten casualties have already fallen within the guild,"
Raphelen replied.
Sarah was making an X shape with her arms to strongly signal that it was unacceptable.
Sanghyun's greed wasn't due to vague expectations. It was because
the reward for killing Ashtaros, the guild's namer and boss monster, was substantial.
Although it was a random probability, one could obtain the Ashtaros Necklace. It was an Epic-grade artifact.
Since it provided a significant amount of mana, it was incomparable to the Cold Necklace currently being worn.
Furthermore, there was a chance—though lower—to obtain a spirit named Ashneri.
Just as Jung Jun-hyuk, who had previously worked closely with Kang-hoo, had handled the Lightning Spirit Cindy.
"Unless there is a compelling reason to do so, I intend to go. You three may attend to your business."
"Ah, I really want to stop you."
Sarah looked grim.
She must have been involved in a traumatic accident. She might have lost a cherished comrade.
The more she felt this way, the more ambitious Sanghyun became. It was also because he remembered the strategy routes and tactics he had learned in his past life.
Kyle added,
“Even our guild master has cleared this dungeon exactly twice. There weren’t any particularly worthwhile rewards, either.”
There was no need to look far for the reason Frederick had only cleared it twice.
It was tough enough with the existing debuffs alone, but they would intensify once the Red Line was crossed.
‘First off, I have the Undead. I have a chance to level up my skills to level 20 that I’ve been saving. Plus, I have a Full Regeneration Potion.’
Sanghyun had his own reasons for confidence.
He was in a situation where he had a few options to help him overcome the crisis. That is why he did not want to back down.
“I’ll be back. I’ll open the exit myself and see you outside. You don’t need to follow me or worry about me.”
“Even if I try to stop you… you’re still going, right?”
At Sanghyun’s firm words, Sarah asked back with a worried look in her eyes.
I was truly grateful for her concern itself. However, that look did not steal my curiosity or fighting spirit.
Sang-hyun smiled and replied,
“Yes. I will see this through to the end.”
* * *
Around the time Sang-hyun was taking on the challenge of conquering the Ashtaros Dungeon in earnest.
'Why, do they want to see me?'
Han Hyun-jung had arrived at the association headquarters after receiving a sudden call from the Korea Player Association.
A meeting had been scheduled, but the person she was meeting was not just any ordinary executive.
It was a meeting with the man known as the Association’s VIP: the President, Yoon Gun-chang.
Han Hyun-jung was flustered that a gentleman who rarely engaged in public activities had suddenly sought her out.
Even for Han Hyun-jung, who frequently met with high-ranking officials, this was the first time she had met Yoon Gun-chang since the beginning of her career as a player.
It was not a particularly special meeting, however.
Before meeting Han Hyun-jung, Yoon Gun-chang had mentioned that he had already met many player businessmen and guild executives.
This meant that he was not the only one receiving special treatment.
The meeting took place immediately.
As is widely known, Yoon Gun-chang wore a mask covering his entire face and even wore a fake beard.
This implies just how dedicated he is to concealing his identity.
In fact, it is said that no one has ever properly seen Yoon Gun-chang's face.
Even the Vice President of the Player Association is in the same boat.
Consequently, gossip enthusiasts who enjoy conspiracy theories have even suggested the theory that the Vice President is actually the President, Yoon Gun-chang.
It is the so-called "one person playing two roles"
theory. As is typical with everyone meeting Han Hyun-jung, the beginning of the conversation with Yoon Gun-chang revolved around business.
The discussion mainly revolved around Mana Coffee.
However, Han Hyun-jung, having no intention of revealing the core recipe for Mana Coffee, remained silent.
After a superficial exchange, it was Yoon Gun-chang who first brought up the main point.
“What is the internal assessment of Player Shin Sang-hyun, whom Hyun-jung Corporation sponsors?”
“Aren’t you asking too deeply? You are asking for inside information.”
“It is because I am planning to take action myself. I have been watching him for quite a while in Scout Team 4.”
“…….”
Han Hyun-jung’s expression hardened.
Not the Scout Team Leader, not even the higher-ups, but the very top figure making a move?
It is true that Han Hyun-jung’s financial power is sufficient to crush even the most famous players.
However, when the Korea Player Association—and the President at that—sets up a position in the same arena, it is a different story.
'Damn it, who is this bastard?'
Han Hyun-jung cursed inwardly, filling her heart with sincerity. With
what Yoon Gun-chang had just said, all judgment and acknowledgment regarding Sang-hyun had effectively ended.
It meant they intended to embark on the full-scale recruitment of Sang-hyun. For Han Hyun-jung, it amounted to a declaration of war.
Her face turned red.
From Han Hyun-jung's perspective, Sang-hyun was a talent she did not want to lose. He
was like a stock destined for a massive surge, not just a steady upward trend. A proven blue-chip stock, that is.
When Han Hyun-jung remained silent and continued to stare at Yoon Gun-chang, he continued speaking.
“There are forces targeting Mr. Shin Sang-hyun with ulterior motives. Are you aware of them?”
“Even if I were, I cannot tell you.”
She had a hunch, but absolutely no concrete evidence. Why was Yoon Gun-chang throwing out such remarks?
The conclusion was simple. This situation
arose because the sponsorship contract with Sang-hyun was a short-term, three-month deal. If it had been long-term, this wouldn't have happened.
“…….”
Han Hyun-jung’s heart had already set on Sang-hyun, who was likely working hard on dungeon raids across the ocean in the United States.
Once the Association started setting the stage with all-out support, they would be at a disadvantage in every aspect, including money.
She had to secure him in advance! She
needed to extend the contract quickly by offering Sang-hyun the best terms he couldn't refuse.
Although she was not usually swayed by external factors, today was different.
A very generous offer had been made.
It was a moment when she realized once again, once more, the increased value of Sang-hyun.
