Episode 228: The Late Bloomer Model Student (3)
[Hidden Quest]
[Eliminate the player contracted with the Divine Throne 'Eye of Calamity' and bind the 'Eye of Calamity' to yourself.]
[Limited to one time, you can teleport to a random location within a 100m radius of the player contracted with the 'Eye of Calamity'.]
'The hidden quest is still active. If I use this one-time opportunity, I can even move next to the contractor.'
If he set his mind to it, he could start a battle right now.
However, he couldn't guess who the opponent was, and Sanghyeon didn't think his full power was at its peak yet.
In other words, he had to move only after all preparations were complete. He had to finish it in one go. There was no next time.
'When the hidden quest first appeared, I never thought it was related to these facts…'
Sanghyeon recalled his past memories.
At that time, he simply understood that the Divine Throne of Calamity was at odds with the God of Storms, and that the quest was triggered by that.
He had viewed it as a scenario where the Contractor Player was being drawn into the personal vendetta of the Divine Throne.
However, looking at it now, it was essentially a quest to eliminate the scum that had caused the imbalance in the Dimensional Rift.
'Time is running out. I am still not confident in the power I possess… … In that case, there is only one best card I can play.'
What Sanghyeon thought of was the opportunity to conquer the Endless Dungeon, which he had secured through Frederic Villain.
It was a single opportunity, definitively promised through documentation.
If he could steadily climb floor by floor in the Endless Dungeon, explosive level-ups were guaranteed.
Usually, people often fail on the lower floors during their first attempt.
Frederic Villain had done so, and Zeron Decay had also mentioned suffering quite a bitter defeat on his first attempt in his previous life.
Judging by this, it was not a dungeon that Sanghyeon needed to rush into either.
According to his original plan, he intended to go after sufficiently raising his level and acquiring more skills.
This was because there was no need to rush the Endless Dungeon conquest. After all, the opportunity remains indefinitely.
However, for now, it seemed I absolutely had to head to the Endless Dungeon first.
Considering the time remaining, it was the last dungeon I could visit before encountering the Contractor of the Eye of Calamity.
I had to maximize my stats in the Endless Dungeon, whether it was level, skills, or artifacts.
'Good grief…'
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I wondered what was going on.
Just a short while ago, I was obsessed solely with which artifact to acquire to grow.
Now, I was agonizing over how to prevent my future from being swept up in the impending tragedy.
It was a dilemma that Sanghyeon was grappling with alone among the players. Even
if I were to tell someone about this, they wouldn't be able to offer any help.
'Right. I always suspected my destiny wouldn't be ordinary. I also assumed there was naturally a reason for the regression.'
Looking back, it wasn't an unexpected future. I had clearly realized it from the moment I experienced the impossible regression.
'I am already living the best life, one that is incomparably better than my past life. So what is there that I can't do?' "After all, he's just one of a kind."
Sang
-hyun clenched his fist tightly.
In his past life, there was only one life he had always dreamed of: to live a life of value to many.
Although he had almost no memory of living as a valuable player in his wretched past life,
this life seemed different.
As long as he finished this matter well.
Even if the world didn't know, he would be able to live the rest of his life feeling proud of the value he had created to change his future.
"Let's go. To the Endless Dungeon."
His resolve was complete. Now was the time to focus all his capabilities on growth.
The levels he had steadily raised, the skills he had gathered, and even the power of countless constellations and the abilities of his artifacts.
Sang-hyun intended to pour everything into the Endless Dungeon without reservation. It was the only place where rapid growth was possible.
* * *
Immediately contacting Frederic Villain, Sang-hyun requested to conquer the Endless Dungeon.
Frederic, who had promised to create an opportunity as quickly as possible whenever he made a request.
Perhaps that is why, as soon as Frederick heard Sang-hyun, he immediately told him to take a flight to the United States. He told
him to hurry, saying he would coordinate all the procedures and processes while Sang-hyun was on his way.
So, Sang-hyun booked a flight right away. It was expensive, but now was not the time to think about money.
Lee Si-yeon also moved along.
She had to stay by his side so that he could have a secure conversation with the Model Student at any time.
Although they were still out of contact, they had to remain on standby since there was no telling when they might be able to reach each other again.
However,
she said that at some point, she would also need to release the possession and return to the Chawondan.
Because she had to return to convey this news to the Constellations in the Dimensional Order.
Right now, all she could do was maintain a connection with the late-blooming, model student Constellation in Lee Si-yeon's body.
To deliver the news directly to the Dimensional Order, returning to her spiritual form was essential. It was not an option.
On the way to the United States.
Inside the airplane, where he had to wait for time to pass no matter how much he wanted to do or how anxious he felt,
Sang-hyun composed himself one last time.
Once he entered the Endless Dungeon, he would have to run forward, looking only ahead, as if the accelerator were floored.
The only moment he could step on the brakes would be after killing the contractor of the Eye of Calamity. Until then, he could not stop.
* * *
Upon arriving in the United States, Sang-hyun traveled in the car provided by Frederick to meet him immediately.
Han Hyun-jung had been in a festive mood since hearing that Sang-hyun was going to the Endless Dungeon.
This was understandable, as it was a special mission taking place during the duration of their sponsorship contract.
Of course, aside from the commercial aspect, she was someone who always wished for Sang-hyun's growth, so she wasn't offended.
The Endless Dungeon is a field of opportunity, yet simultaneously a field of crisis.
Perhaps that is why, on his way to meet Frederick, Sang-hyun thought of the old connections flashing before his eyes like a slideshow.
Of course, it was unlikely to happen!
After all, if the strategy went wrong—by some slim chance, by a million chance—he could die.
If that were to happen, he would have to face an eternal farewell with those he had shared the journey with. Because they would never meet again.
The first person to come to mind was Kim Mi-so. She is probably still training, sweating profusely.
How much motivation must she have been for his own growth to have gone over to America and chosen to face such hardships first?
According to what he heard from Shin Tae-ri, her skin has tanned beyond a bronze color to pitch-black.
It is a picture unimaginable considering the jade-like skin of Kim Mi-so when they first met.
Thinking of Ham Ji-yeon brings to mind the children at the orphanage. He wanted to donate more and build more buildings for them.
Next is Do Kyung-hye.
Since she has a reliable older brother, she will have nothing to worry about in the future. She is also quite a capable woman.
As for Shin Tae-ri, she is someone who needs no introduction. He is always diligent and hard on himself, so he is bound not to lose his composure.
Besides, Shin Yun-hyuk had already been coached one more time before leaving Korea.
With the tips given this time, he shouldn't have any trouble training for over half a year, so there is no need to worry about him for the time being.
'Damn busybody. The one I should be worrying about most right now is me.'
Sang-hyun was so dumbfounded that he burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he stifled his sobs.
Why was he worrying about the person who would be left behind? He should have been worrying about himself, given the possibility that he might not be left behind.
That is how… the new relationships he had formed since his regression were precious and happy to him.
Players like Do Kyung-soo and Shin Tae-ri were people he had only watched from afar in his previous life.
Now, he stood shoulder to shoulder with them, acknowledging and respecting them.
That seemed to be why he kept thinking about them. Because he felt he would be too sad if he were never able to see them again.
* * *
Upon meeting Frederick, Sang-hyun immediately followed his guidance and headed toward the entrance of the Endless Dungeon.
As previously agreed, he rode in a security vehicle while wearing a blindfold for the journey. This was because,
although the existence of the Endless Dungeon was known, the location of the entrance was top secret.
Consequently, Frederick drove himself rather than hiring a chauffeur. It was said that
every player who had visited the Endless Dungeon to date had been personally brought there by Frederick.
Even if they were to discover the location, they would still have to navigate through a maze-like area far from the entrance.
It was safe to say that the probability of anyone finding the Endless Dungeon other than Frederick himself was close to zero. After all
, while he could not see, he could hear and speak.
Inside the vehicle, Sang-hyun continued to converse with Frederick.
“Mr. Sang-hyun, this is just out of personal curiosity. Is there a reason you are suddenly rushing to conquer the Endless Dungeon?”
“For now, I want to upgrade my specs as much as possible while I have the chance. I have a bit of a thirst for leveling up.”
Sang-hyun gave a vague excuse.
It didn't seem like talking about regression or the Dimensional Order here would be of any help.
"I understand. Actually, if you lay out the framework beforehand, you can always add the flesh later."
Frederick nodded.
Just in case, Sanghyun discreetly asked Frederick a question.
"Have you ever been curious about the Constellation World? I heard that even the Endless Dungeon can't be explained by the system alone."
"Well… I'm not particularly interested. Life in the Player World is tough enough, so why would I be interested in the Constellation World?"
As expected, the reaction was exactly what he had anticipated.
To the Player, the Constellations are merely entities that show interest in them and complement their power and abilities.
They have no interest in why they exist, what kind of world they live in, or what is happening.
As Frederick said, they are exhausted just by the Player's world and the competition within it.
If this is the mindset of a named player like Frederick, there is no need to even look at the players below him.
Even the current Zeron Decay is probably not engaging in any meaningful contemplation regarding the Dimensional Order. One way
or another, a burden he must shoulder alone.
Feeling the car's speed gradually decrease, Sanghyun swallowed hard.
The time to enter the Endless Dungeon was approaching.
Just before the final entry,
Sanghyun had his last phone call with Lee Siyeon.
To her apology regarding the shortcomings of the Constellations and Divine Thrones, Sanghyun replied that it actually served as a definite motivation.
Isn't that right?
What if he successfully conquered the Endless Dungeon and then eliminated the contractor of the Eye of Calamity? Even Sanghyun
could not easily fathom how much stronger he would become and how smooth a path would open up for him afterward.
What was certain was that, at the very least, he seemed likely to become a world-class named player.
