Episode 208 Berserk Charm – (2)
“You will be accompanied by a player named Sophia. She is a player specialized in mental aspects.”
“It seems the Gate has many elements related to the mind.”
“That is correct. In fact, you could say it is impossible to clear without Sophia. Of course, clearing it is impossible even with Sophia alone.”
Since it is a Gate that requires a two-person team, who the partner is was of great importance.
Places with player limits usually include combat-oriented players, but Frederick did not do so.
Although Sanghyeon had never entered this Gate before, he could gauge its composition.
There must be monsters moved by spiritual energy, or monsters existing entirely in the form of ghosts.
These types of monsters cannot be inflicted with even the slightest damage using only physical attack characteristics.
A player who can manipulate the spirit world is essential. That must be the reason Sophia became absolutely necessary.
“Who is Lady Sophia?”
“To explain our relationship, she is my younger cousin. That is why I will be even more nervous.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Given that his older brother was such a big shot, the implication was that he wouldn't just ride on his coattails; instead, he would be on edge and work even harder.
For Sang-hyun, this was the first time he was working with a player of the mental type, so he was looking forward to it. What kind of player would he be?
“I will contact Sophia. I will be visiting soon, so please speak with her.”
“Understood.”
“Then… shall we head back now? Let’s discuss the details after we conquer the Gate. I will have Sophia sign and send the agreement document regarding the Endless Dungeon.”
“Thank you. It seems we exchanged a lot, even if it was just for a short time.”
“That’s just how business is.”
Frederick smiled.
Sang-hyun felt at ease because the look in Frederick’s eyes seemed to be grounded in friendly sentiment.
He had laid the groundwork by acting as if he wouldn't bring up recruitment, but the essence of the matter was clearly about hiring him.
However, since Sang-hyun held the upper hand, he had no intention of rushing.
Raising a player's value was his own responsibility.
And if a player is skilled, people are bound to gravitate toward them, whether they want to or not.
This was exactly that kind of situation.
Slowly, as slowly as possible… That was the plan. The more I did so, the higher the value rose, and rose again.
* * *
Around evening, I received a call from Han Hyun-jung.
She told me that a chartered plane had been dispatched and was just departing Incheon Airport.
The estimated arrival time was tomorrow morning. With no other specific schedule, Sang-hyun took some more comfortable rest. Finding
nothing particularly interesting to watch on TV, he opened his smartphone and went into Plutube.
Since Plutube features many issues regarding the Player, it was perfect for catching up on the latest news.
The only problem was that there was just as much unverified fake news.
However, as long as one subscribed to channels created by credible media, there was no need to worry about the reliability of the information.
For instance, there was a place like *The Player G*. It was also the place where Park Jung-min used to work.
Rumor had it that after Park Jung-min's identity was revealed, those who had worked closely with him internally were shocked. It
was said that quite a few colleagues among them were undergoing counseling due to the severe psychological trauma.
While browsing here and there, guided by the algorithm, one piece of news caught Sang-hyun's eye.
He played the content.
"As you know, the international criminal organization Inferno has recently been targeting East Africa. They
are raiding African players who are left vulnerable amidst unstable security, stealing artifacts.
The World Player Association has issued a stern warning to Inferno to cease their criminal activities.
However, Inferno has displayed extreme defiance by posting videos of players being beheaded."
"Hmm…"
Inferno is also a criminal organization that becomes a headache as time goes by.
It has been only two years since the Age of Players began.
Human civilization has achieved dazzling advancements in science and medicine within a new order and system.
It was a kind of Fourth Industrial Revolution that began with the products obtained by players conquering dungeons.
The problem is that just as there is darkness where there is light, the Age of Players also had a flip side to the coin.
That side was the criminal organizations.
Criminals who had acquired powers surpassing those of humans never used that power for the right purposes.
It was a foreseen outcome. After all, not every being in the world lives a good and just life.
However, the emergence of international criminal organizations occurred sooner than many experts had predicted.
Inferno is one of them.
They even had so many instances of hijacking warships that it was fair to consider them a navy of their own. They
did not even require separate fuel supplies, as their warships had been fully modified and were operated using magic stones.
Since they were capable of self-sufficiency, economic sanctions such as refusing to sell oil had absolutely no effect.
“The more well-known you become, the more inevitably you become a perfect target for guys like that.”
It is the dilemma of growth.
To reach higher levels, one must raise their level, but the more they do so, the higher their fame rises.
The threat to one's life, a fate also inherent to named players.
For Sang-hyun, who has been experiencing rapid growth recently, this was no longer just someone else’s story.
Just the fact that he has come into contact with Frederick is enough. The majority of players have been unable to meet him even if they wanted to.
If this news were to leak out as a rumor, many players would surely take notice of Sang-hyun.
“Constellation Predators. Predation Network.”
The first thing that comes to Sang-hyun’s mind as a threat is, of course, the Constellation Predators, with whom he has been entangled before.
A group that targets capable players by activating a secret communication system called the Predation Network. Sang-
hyun has already been entangled with five of them: Tori, Nietzsche, and the trio. You might ask
if they wouldn't be cautious now that all five have been dealt with?
That is a statement made by those who do not understand the madness of the Constellation Predators.
Even in their past lives, the more skillfully a player defeated a Constellation Predator, the more relentlessly they were targeted later on.
“Mystery.”
This is the second threat that comes to mind following the Constellation Predator .
An unpredictable entity, with so much shrouded in mystery.
But one thing is certain: once they take an interest in a player, they do not easily lose it.
And from the moment you are invited to a Death Match, you are already on their radar.
It is a bitter feud that will never end unless one side dies.
“Criminal Organizations.”
And finally, there are numerous criminal organizations led by Inferno.
They kidnap and kill players without a second thought and are deeply involved in drug trafficking.
Furthermore, they were tricky enemies due to internal factions and connections within each country.
“That doesn’t mean I can give up on growing. If that scares you, your only option is to stay indoors.”
I thought that while I needed to be careful, there was no need to be intimidated.
For example.
There is likely no one who refrains from driving or using public transportation out of fear of a traffic accident.
Considering that, is walking truly safe? If bad luck is to befall you, an accident can happen anywhere.
I believed that one must absolutely never lose their burning passion and fighting spirit, allowing fear and terror to take hold.
However, it seemed necessary to acknowledge and feel the pressure associated with the weight of levels and growth.
From now on, many eyes would be focused on his future moves, and among them would inevitably be negative.
Afterwards, Sang-hyun took a break and read a few more interesting news stories. While
there were many issues, what particularly caught Sang-hyun's attention was the phenomenon of player polarization.
The main point was that high-level players grow faster, while low-level players grow just as slowly.
The reason was simple.
Players who took the lead from the start enjoyed more first-time bonuses in terms of clearing dungeons and gates.
In the process, they preempted vested interests and operated dungeons that aided in growth in a closed manner.
Ultimately, player growth is bound to continue trending upwards, regardless of whether the experience point income is small or large.
However, if one preempts a means to gain an advantage, it is only natural that acceleration only builds further.
The emergence of "super-super-named" figures like Jeron Decay and Frederic Villain is due to this very reason.
They surged ahead from the start and cleverly monopolized elements that benefited them.
A prime example is the Endless Dungeon, where Sanghyun negotiated with Frederic today.
“It will only intensify further.”
This phenomenon will accelerate rather than be resolved. It will continue to be raised as a problem, but it will not be solved.
In a player ecosystem driven by the logic of capital and power, meaningless consideration or help does not exist.
Therefore, Sanghyun, too, intended to keep his eyes fixed on the Celestial Realm while striving tirelessly to grow.
He seems to possess everything, but that is precisely why he is not perfect. The road ahead was still long.
* * *
That night,
Sanghyun met Sophia, who had come to his lodgings in person. With
her striking blonde bob and blue eyes, Sophia exuded a different aura from the moment she entered.
It was as if looking into her eyes felt like seeing deep into her very soul.
To put it nicely, it was insight; to put it negatively, it felt like it was tearing apart my very soul.
Since they could converse in English as well, Sang-hyun let her into his home and immediately continued the conversation.
Perhaps because both parties had clear objectives, the air of a business meeting was much stronger.
Through their conversation, it was determined that Sophia's level was 345. The Gate's level limit of 350 was right around the corner.
If she grows any further here, the chances of conquering that gate will drop significantly.
Contrary to the first impression, the conversation began in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Soon, after exchanging names and sharing stats, Sophia began to speak in earnest.
“Before I came, I watched the video of the death match hosted by Mystery, and I saw all the materials regarding Sanghyun.”
“I was actually planning to look up information about you as well, but there was absolutely nothing.”
“That’s probably true. You focused on growing within the guild and hardly engaged in any outside activities.”
There are quite a few cases like that.
The guild raises them as a sort of strategic weapon.
Since information regarding the player must not be exposed, external activities are naturally prohibited.
Even within the guild, only designated players are allowed to interact and work together with that person.
Since Sophia is Frederick’s cousin, he likely assigned only those he could trust to her.
“So, I think I should apologize in advance for having had little prior knowledge of your abilities.”
“Not at all. I can’t even find my own data, so how would you find it, Sang-hyun? I just need to show you now.”
“Are you sure?”
“The ability I’m sharing with you is less than 20% of what I possess. Don’t worry.”
Confidence radiated from her.
There was a subtle resemblance to Sang-hyun in her.
It was as if showing one or two status effect skills didn’t mean she had shown everything.
Just then.
Sophia quietly rose from her seat and walked over to Sang-hyun, who was sitting on the opposite side.
“If you don’t mind, may I place my hand on you for a moment? I think you need a taste of my abilities.”
“Of course.”
Sang-hyun relaxed his body while sitting comfortably. And the very moment Sophia’s hand touched him!
“……!”
Sang-hyun nearly screamed.
A ghost was staring intently at him right in front of his face.
It was like a horror special episode in itself.
