Episode 222 Amsa Station (4)
* * *
Around that time.
“Phew. Phew.”
A man was devoting himself to training, sweating profusely.
The floor of the training ground was completely covered in sweat. It wasn’t just a light drizzle; it was soaked as if water had been poured over it.
The numerous empty water bottles scattered all around gave an idea of the amount of sweat this man had shed.
The clock on the right displayed the message: “25 hours, 35 minutes, and 12 seconds elapsed since the start.”
The “start” mentioned there referred to the beginning of the training, indicating that a full day had passed since it began.
Sleep? Of course, he hadn’t slept.
If he had slept, the clock counting down would have stopped.
“It seems my pride was really hurt. I thought I was fine, but I guess not.”
The man, Do Kyung-soo, muttered irritably as he wiped the sweat running down his forehead.
The memory that kept surfacing whenever he was about to forget it was none other than the raid he had tackled with Sang-hyun.
That strategy where Sanghyun was the de facto protagonist, and thus, one had no choice but to acknowledge him.
Back then, I thought I had coolly acknowledged and accepted his skills, but it was painful whenever the memory kept coming back.
That is precisely why I am currently devoting myself to such intense training. It is because the memory keeps resurfacing.
It was absolutely not that my pride was hurt or that I felt bad about having benefited from Sanghyun.
I was furious at myself because I felt like I had shown such a pathetic side of myself at that moment.
I felt like I needed to constantly whip myself to vent my anger, and this very moment felt like a form of self-punishment.
However, after taking a brief rest and cooling down the rising heat with cold water, my agitated mood subsided.
After all, my current state is due to my own shortcomings, not because of Sanghyun.
The roles were reversed, and the rational thought that I should not resent Sanghyun took firm root.
Then, the thought that had been lingering in my mind lately returned to square one and knocked on Do Kyung-soo's door.
"The possibility of full-scale scrutiny has definitely increased."
I had been closely monitoring Sanghyun’s recent moves through multiple sources, noting that they were quite unusual.
I had also received news that he had left for the United States and worked as a mercenary for the Nobility Guild.
Furthermore, I learned that he had a very good reputation within the guild and had even caught the attention of the Master, Frederic Villain. It
was less like obtaining classified information and more like acquiring a tip-off from the Nobility Guild.
It could be seen as a highly strategic leak of information.
It must mean that the Nobility Guild was just as fond of Sanghyun.
That is why they were subtly publicizing their relationship to prevent other guilds from taking an interest.
The fact that such rumors were spreading by word of mouth was good news for someone like Do Kyung-soo, who was friendly toward Sanghyun.
Ever since he took a liking to Sanghyun, Do Kyung-soo had hoped that he would truly spread his wings. He
sincerely wanted to help Sanghyun grow and, if necessary, act as a bridge for him.
It was by no means a simple gesture of repayment for the help he had received during the last raid.
It was the affectionate heart of a senior who recognized talent as player to player. It was a very pure emotion.
The problem was that just as many players viewed Sang-hyun favorably, the number of those who did not was also increasing.
“Dokgo Yoon and So Hyung-jun—those guys aren't worth looking at. They'll find a way to find fault with him no matter what, just as they did to me.”
Sword Demon Dokgo Yoon, Sword God So Hyung-jun.
Just recalling their names and faces made Do Kyung-soo’s expression contort.
It was fine that they lived for their own self-importance, but their downside was that they were jealous of others’ growth.
Dokgo Yoon was the type to openly display hostility, while So Hyung-jun tended to rely primarily on the power of the media. So Hyung-
jun, who was particularly active in broadcasting, was adept at mass-producing fake information by using reporters close to him.
Among the malicious rumors still hovering around Do Kyung-soo were allegations of a same-sex relationship and incest.
While the same-sex relationship rumor could be overlooked, the incest rumor was an incident that left a deep wound in Do Kyung-hye’s heart.
For that reason, Do Kyung-hye still refuses to give interviews to any media outlet.
He conducts interviews exclusively with just one place: the PR team run by Do Kyung-soo’s Sword Demon-Sword God team.
“Jung Hee-sun—she’s definitely an opportunist, so she’ll likely follow the direction Dokgo Yoon and So Hyung-jun are heading.” Do
Kyung-soo gritted his teeth.
They are supposed to represent Korea and are big names known as the best swordsmen players.
Yet, none of them seem to possess the dignity befitting that status.
Perhaps the only candidate is Kang Bo-ah, the Regulator of the Sword, who hasn’t even crossed Do Kyung-soo’s mind yet.
However, since she is such an unpredictable player, he feels more uncertain about Kang Bo-ah than certain.
“There is no way Shin Sang-hyun would join the Sword Demon-Sword God team. This isn’t a good offer either. In that case…”
Do Kyung-soo pondered seriously. He
wanted to protect Sang-hyun.
He wanted to be his background and his shield. Do Kyung-soo was convinced that
if Shin Sang-hyun grew, it would not only change the landscape of domestic swordsman players, but
he could also grow into a player representing Korea .
No, he thought that Sang-hyun might already have reached that level.
“I don’t want him to go through the same hardships I did…”
Just then. *
Ring! *
The phone rang.
Looking at the name, it was a very familiar one, but at this point, a somewhat unexpected one.
It was Frederic Villain.
It was a call from the Master of the Nobility Guild.
* * *
Meanwhile, the three unidentified monsters at the top of the iron tower fell to the ground by the time Sang-hyun and his party arrived.
Two of them seemed physically capable of withstanding the fall, settling down immediately.
One of them had wings on its back, and it completed a stable landing by flapping its wings. The
three had distinct characteristics. There was
the hulking, brute-type;
the muscular, crocodile-type;
and the small, agile-looking fox-type.
All three possessed the bipedal trait characteristic of humanoid monsters, and they exuded an extraordinary aura.
Above all, what simultaneously aroused the curiosity and worry of the three, including Sang-hyun, was their names.
Their names were displayed as '???'.
This did not mean their names were question marks, but rather that the information was something even the system had not grasped.
Although not a common occurrence, this mark is displayed when an unidentified monster appears inside a dungeon.
It is a phenomenon caused by an error—an inevitable product of the system itself—rather than being intentional.
When an entity not found in the system's database appears in this manner, the display method is always '???'.
"Since the numbers match, I think a one-on-one fight would be best. I will take the crocodile."
Sang-hyun pointed at the one in front, who looked the most intimidating of the three and simultaneously appeared to be the leader.
Jo Jin-ho flinched.
It must have been because he had the feeling that Sang-hyun was volunteering to endure the hardship. So, Sang-hyun added,
“I think the hulking guy on the left would be a tougher opponent for me to handle. Please, Mr. Jo Jin-ho.”
Sang-hyun chose to elevate Jo Jin-ho’s value while concealing his true self behind humility.
“I’ll take the fox.”
The remaining monster was naturally distributed to Shin Tae-ri as well. She was the perfect fit, as the enemy looked fast.
“I’ll provide support from a distance with status ailments or crowd control skills. Let’s time it well.”
At Sang-hyun’s words, Jo Jin-ho and Shin Tae-ri nodded with reassured expressions.
A swordsman player capable of long-range support? It was a destruction of common sense that was generally hard to accept.
“Urajirrazrat!”
“Jogatnosrat!”
The three of them were spouting incomprehensible words. Hearing them, Sang-hyun frowned, feeling a strange sense of unease.
“It’s just my imagination that sounds like swearing, right?”
He gripped the Nameless Sword tightly.
We must fight against creatures with no information and unknown characteristics. Letting our guard down is forbidden.
“Krooo!”
Soon, the crocodile roared.
An intimidating roar armed with a status effect that induces intimidation!
【Before the Wine Cools】
■ Title Grade: C-Class
■ Title Introduction: (……[omitted])
After entering the dungeon, all players, including yourself, will be immune to intimidation for 2 hours.
However, thanks to the “Before the Wine Cools” title Sanghyeon possessed, all three of them were completely unaffected.
“Oh.”
“Wow.”
Short but meaningful exclamations burst from the mouths of Jo Jin-ho and Shin Tae-ri.
Of course, the two did have skills to counter intimidation. They were similar in form to the recovery skill Sanghyeon used.
However, due to the long cooldown and high mana cost, they were skills they wanted to refrain from using as much as possible.
Thanks to Sanghyeon’s title, there was no longer any need to counter the intimidating roar.
The title effect was also displayed to them. He would remain impervious to intimidation for at least another hour and a half.
“Haa!”
Sanghyeon let out a powerful yell and immediately unleashed his Over Psychedelic skill the moment the battle began.
If the enemy were predictable, he wouldn’t have started with his Awakening skill activated.
But now, he was fighting an opponent whose level and skill were completely unfathomable.
To conserve his strength here, thinking of a trump card or a secret weapon, would have been far too complacent.
Just then.
“Lukarat!”
The crocodile spun its body around, and silver bullet-like projectiles of unknown power poured out.
It was as if it had been concealing a large number of bullets inside.
It felt as though it was using its rotational force as power to inflict a penetrating wound on the enemy.
"Defensive Sword,"
he immediately used the skill.
It was not merely to protect himself, but to safeguard Shin Tae-ri and Jo Jin-ho as well.
'No. Be more offensive.'
Sang-hyun changed his mind. He
had considered approaching it purely defensively, but decided that taking a more aggressive offensive would be better.
"Defensive Sword – Perfect Shield,"
he used the Perfect Skill, which grants one second of invincibility. They shouted in unison ,
"Invincible!"
Even without adding further details, the two, having been through thick and thin, would understand immediately.
Sure enough, as soon as Sang-hyun spoke, Jo Jin-ho and Shin Tae-ri increased their charge speed.
They had read the unspoken meaning behind his words: since they had invincibility, they should trust in it and launch a full-scale offensive.
At that moment, the bullet fired by the crocodile struck the three of them simultaneously, but nothing happened.
The bullet hit the Perfect Shield, creating only a vivid wave on the surface before falling limply to the ground.
“Mahirat…?”
Instantly, the crocodile’s expression turned
blank, like that of someone who had lost their mind. It was like seeing the look on someone's face when they confidently used a finishing move only to have it blocked futilely.
In other words,
it meant that they were that unprepared for the counterattack that would follow when their finishing move was blocked.
『Knockback Burst』
“My turn.”
A smile spread across Upper Moon’s lips as he had already decided which skill to use for the counterattack.
Having taken one turn, it was now time to return one. And while he was at it, he intended to show them hell.
