Episode 216 Status Ailment (5)
* * *
Walkthrough Ended.
Having swept up experience points, his level skyrocketed to a whopping 310.
It was rare to gain 5 levels at once from the 300s. In fact, it would be safe to say it never happened.
However, thanks to the synergy of the Rapid Growth title, his experience points were inflated, and that went entirely to Sang-hyun's benefit.
On top of that, two Legendary Magic Stones dropped, securing a settlement of at least 100 billion won.
With this, his expected balance reaches 252.2 billion won. That means he could easily buy two Epic-grade artifacts.
“It’s not really a concession, but please feel free to use this. You worked really hard, Sang-hyun.”
The item Sophia handed Sang-hyun was a Top-tier Magic Stone that he had failed to check and pick up.
He thought it was perfect timing.
It was time to repair the Seize Armor. The amount of Magic Stone required was exactly what Top-tier Magic Stones could handle.
So, repairs began immediately.
When a top-tier magic stone was placed against the Seize Armor, it rapidly absorbed mana and went through the restoration process.
It was quite a fascinating sight, but perhaps because Sophia had seen it often within the guild, she passed it by without much reaction.
'Hmm?'
Just then,
Sanghyun noticed a new message blinking on his status screen.
He had thought the experience points and rewards gained following Beikal's death were over, so what else could there be?
There wasn't just one message, but two. He checked them one by one, starting with the first one.
[Upon Beikal's death, the player is granted the Beikal's Regret buff.]
'Looking at the name alone, it seems like it would be pretty lame, but let's take a look… … Oh, this is good?'
He had assumed it wouldn't be very good because he didn't like the name at all, but an incredibly useful buff had been added.
[Beikal's Regret]
[All skills at Level 1 will grow to Level 2. This applies equally to all skills acquired in the future.
[However, this only increases the skill level and operates independently of personal proficiency.]
It was a buff that raised all Level 1 skills to Level 2. It was a concept of forced progression!
For skills with low utility or those that couldn't be used frequently, raising them to Level 1 used to take forever. Since
this process was drastically shortened by the buff, it was an undeniable time saving.
Furthermore, it applied to all skills, including those to be acquired in the future, so Level 1 skills no longer exist.
'First-print bonuses really are good.'
It is an undeniable fact.
First-print bonuses are precisely the element that lower-tier players resent and envy the most. They are
the main culprits that create an extreme gap between top-tier and bottom-tier players and intensify the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon. Sanghyeon
in his previous life also envied first-print bonuses immensely. Because he had never experienced them before.
But in this life, he is living while frequently savoring that sweetness. It is the same now.
“Mr. Sanghyeon, are you looking at new messages? It looks like the individual rewards have been activated.”
“Yes, I’m about to check.”
“That’s fascinating. A message suddenly popped up, and I wondered what it was.”
“Ah.”
Sanghyun was about to say something but closed his mouth. It seemed Sophia wasn’t affected by Beikal’s lingering attachment buff.
He didn’t know why the difference occurred, but there was no need to go out of his way to tell her and make her feel deprived.
He liked the individual rewards.
That is because they naturally prevent fights between participating players.
Usually, when things don’t go well, conflicts often arise over rewards that are appealing.
If the number of rewards matches the number of participants, the matter usually ends with them dividing it up accordingly.
However, if that doesn’t happen, it escalates to the point where adjustments are needed, but now there was no reason for that.
'Players like Frederic Villain or Jeron Decay probably get these first-run bonuses frequently. Shin Taeri and Jo Jinho are likely similar…'
The more he looked up, the more he thought of the countless players who must have enjoyed this benefit.
The figures he had just thought of were only a tiny fraction of the whole, and even a player close to him, like Do Kyungsoo, must have had quite a bit of fun in the raid.
So, he became even more greedy.
Since the Endless Dungeon is an exclusive dungeon specialized for individual players, every reward is a first-time bonus.
The problem is that the risk is high, but it is also a place where the rewards are certain.
[Attribute analysis is complete. Customized rewards for the corresponding player have been activated.]
[Please select one from the Swordsman or Berserker class categories.]
[Once you have finished selecting a class, please select a piece of equipment.]
[The grade of the reward artifact is fixed as 'Epic'.]
'In that case, it has to be a Swordsman ring.'
Sanghyeon finished his selection immediately without hesitation.
Although he had oriented himself in that direction by wearing the Berserker Charm, his fundamental roots as a Swordsman remained unchanged.
Furthermore, most of the other gear slots, excluding the ring, were already set up as Epic or higher.
The conclusion was that it was decided from the start that this would be a ring for a swordsman.
"Ring of Rampage"
■ Artifact Grade: Epic
■ Artifact Description: A ring that boosts a swordsman's fighting spirit and passion.
■ Strength +220
■ Special Option – Randomly acquires Rampage Spirit Energy whenever a monster is killed; the ring grade increases by one level when the requirement is met.
■ Requirement 0/25,000
'A ring to cultivate with a long-term perspective… Is this it?'
Looking solely at the stats, there was a slightly disappointing aspect, but the special option immediately offset that disappointment.
After Epic comes Legendary. That means its monetary value jumps fivefold. The stat options would surely increase accordingly.
Just then.
Around the time Sanghyeon was wearing the Ring of Rampage and feeling satisfied as he looked at his Strength, which had reached 2,046.
[B-Rank Title, 【Source of Power】 is granted.]
A title was activated for the first time in a while.
It’s only a B-rank, so you can’t really say it’s that high, but when it comes to titles, the more the merrier. Having one is always helpful.
【Source of Power】
■ Title Grade: B-Rank
■ Title Description: Increases fatigue recovery by 3 times. You feel refreshed quickly and less tired.
It may not have a dramatic effect, but it’s better than nothing. Sang-hyun nodded with a satisfied expression.
Strength in the 2,000s.
How long did it take in his past life? He remembers it taking a really long time.
It wasn't something that happened in just a few months like now after his regression. It
must have taken at least ten years. No, this is just memory distortion, and it might have taken much longer.
Just then, Sophia, who had activated her self-reward just like Sang-hyun and finished equipping it, repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
“Thanks to you, Sang-hyun, I was able to conquer this perfectly from start to finish. Thank you so much.”
“The way I see it, the two of us seem to be the keywords for this gate. It won’t be easy to find a replacement.”
“Actually… I do agree! But if we're talking about dependency, you are overwhelmingly higher, Sang-hyun.”
A warmth could be felt from Sophia's touch as she subtly grasped Sanghyun's hand.
It wasn't the kind of rational seduction you might expect, but rather a touch imbued with sincere gratitude and respect. It was like saying
, "It's all thanks to you!" Her expression and gaze reflected this sentiment as well.
Sophia continued,
"I didn't realize silence would be the key keyword for the boss fight. You're completely immune to it, aren't you?"
"That's right. Thanks to you, we were able to avoid any accidents even while engaging in a chaotic brawl."
"I realized I need to hone my mental skills more. I couldn't respond to the silence because I was trying to cover for the intermittent blindness."
"No. A strategy where a single player takes responsibility for everything isn't normal. It is a skill that I should have had."
"Really… I am amazed by the status effect options you possess, Sanghyun. You're incredible. Truly amazing."
"My fingers are going to freeze. Haha."
They say praise makes even a whale dance, but hearing nothing but compliments made Sanghyun cringe.
Of course, he felt good. Moreover, since she, known for being notoriously picky, gave him a favorable review, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
But then…
“Ah…?”
Suddenly, only the whites of Sophia’s eyes were visible, and her body leaned to the side.
He had been worried for a while if she was okay, and it seemed he was indeed not. She had clearly been hiding it.
* * *
After that.
When Sophia opened her eyes again, she was not by Sang-hyun’s side, but inside a hospital room. The
person who came into her view was her cousin, Frederick. She wondered where she was, and it turned out to be the Nobility Medical Center. It is
considered one of the best medical facilities in the United States and is also a hospital operated by the Nobility Guild.
“What happened, Oppa?”
“What do you mean, what happened? You fainted at the Gate, and Shin Sang-hyun brought you here. He stayed until you were fully rested.”
“Ah… I completely messed up at the end. I should have shown a better side of myself; I failed.”
“Failed? What do you mean failed? Exhaustion and fainting are just part of the daily routine for players with mental abilities. Sang-hyun said he expected it, too.”
“Even so…”
“That’s enough self-blame. How was it?”
Frederic changed the subject.
Since Sophia had spent the entire Gate raid with Sanghyeon, she surely had a lot to say.
In fact, Sanghyeon had mentioned something like this during the raid.
“If you want to talk to me about our play later, Frederic, it’s fine.
After all, the more you get to know me, the higher my value becomes, right? From my perspective, it’s a huge bargain.”
Hearing that, he was right.
So, I didn’t feel the guilt of secretly leaking a secret to Frederic right now.
Rather, coupled with a sense of apology toward Sanghyeon, I felt like I should actively make my point.
Sophia poured out everything that had happened with Sanghyun like a machine gun.
The beginning, middle, and end of her story were all filled with praise and acknowledgment of Sanghyun's status effect abilities.
And beyond just those abilities, she continued to praise his basic swordsmanship skills as well.
Frederic listened attentively to Sophia.
She was a player whose objectivity was solid enough to offer him advice regarding talent recruitment.
He trusted her not just because she was his cousin, but because he believed in her keen eye and judgment.
If Sophia viewed Sanghyun this favorably, there was only one reason.
'He really is a formidable player.'
It meant Sanghyun was skilled—enough to easily crush players of a similar level.
'Shall I take a peek at his skills? I can't resist my curiosity since I keep hearing such positive evaluations.'
Frederic's eyebrows twitched.
According to the reports he had received so far, Sanghyun was a flawless player.
However, nothing was as satisfying as seeing it for oneself, rather than relying on the evaluations or gazes of others.
Moreover, if he were a skilled player, it would be all the more beneficial to witness his abilities firsthand.
Afterward,
Frederick stepped aside to allow Sophia to rest and immediately called Sanghyun.
It was highly unusual for him to schedule a meeting directly rather than through an aide.
However, now was not a matter of being unusual; he simply wanted to meet Sanghyun.
Whenever he heard stories and assessments of Sanghyun, he was naturally reminded of his past self.
He recalled that time before his explosive growth, when he unleashed his uncontrollable potential and abilities like a runaway fire.
Sanghyun resembled his former self so closely that he could be called a carbon copy.
Talent was overflowing.
