Artifact Devouring Player-Chapter 43: Breathing - (3)

[Chapter 43]

Some time later.

After finishing his conversation with Igah Hee and returning home, Sanghyun unconsciously looked out the window again.

Her insight was sharper than expected. Her logic, unbound by common sense, was also astonishing.

Though she didn't grasp the exact background of his rapid growth, she had deduced something close to the truth.

Of course, Sanghyun did not respond.

Whether it was a guess or a misunderstanding, that was her concern. He had no obligation to resolve her curiosity.

"Whether this turns into an interesting connection or a bothersome pursuit, we'll have to wait and see."

Sanghyun muttered as he flipped the business card he received from Igah Hee.

Since they lived in the same town, they would naturally run into each other often. More connections were bound to form.

"I'm exhausted."

Sanghyun collapsed onto his bed.

He had already taken a shower, but his body felt unbearably heavy, as if it weighed a ton.

The calluses deeply embedded in both hands proved how grueling the training had been.

Before parting, Sanghyun had noticed something red on the tip of Kim Miso's fingers. It was unlikely to be his imagination.

He turned his gaze to the TV.

There was nothing particularly interesting on.

It was a travel-related program, a guide for visitors to the Shinjuku area.

"Shinjuku, huh...?"

Now that he had a keyword, his thoughts activated immediately.

The Shinjuku Great Rift.

It was an event that flared up in his memory like a spark.

Two months from now, a great rift would occur in Shinjuku.

In his past life, this event had cost the lives of nearly 10,000 civilians.

The rift was so massive that it earned the name "Great Rift," and the people were caught off guard, completely unprepared.

"The Bupyeong Station Rift appears suddenly, exploding open without warning, but the Shinjuku Great Rift has a break spot."

There are two types of rifts.

The first type happens without any warning, appearing out of nowhere. With no precursor, it's impossible to prepare for.

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The second type is where a dungeon, known as a "break spot," serves as the foundation for the rift.

In other words, just like a gas leak leading to an explosion, there is a dungeon supplying the conditions for the rift.

This dungeon is called a break spot, and clearing it can prevent the rift.

However, the problem is that break spots are not necessarily located near the actual rift locations.

Identifying the cause-and-effect relationship was difficult. Most of the time, people only discovered them after investigating post-rift damage.

"But I know."

His greatest advantage was his knowledge of the future.

Sanghyun knew exactly where the break spot was.

There was an abandoned dungeon that had yet to be cleared.

Its location was deep beneath the Dotonbori River. An unexpected and seemingly irrelevant place to find a break spot.

"I need to remember this clearly."

Sanghyun jotted down notes on the memo pad by his bed.

Dotonbori River. Great Rift. Break Spot. A dungeon optimized more for experience gain than artifacts. And so on.

His notebook was already filled with these bits of information, growing as thick as the width of his thumb.

Of course, many of these dungeons and gates were far beyond his current capabilities. He was simply recording information in advance.

At that moment, a news alert appeared on the broadcast.

[France's promising player, Jean Cluyd, was found dead in the Seine River.]

"That damned Constellation Devourer must have started his activities around this time. Luca Viole... that bastard is truly insane."

The name that surfaced in Sanghyun's mind belonged to a player who would gain infamy as a serial killer for more than a decade.

A madman who had the infamous dictator of Nazi Germany as his Constellation.

His nickname was the Constellation Devourer.

Unlike other players, he could forcibly steal a Constellation contract from the players he killed.

If Luca Viole were to kill Sanghyun, the Goddess of Luck would be forced into a contract with him.

To sever the contract, a Constellation would have to renounce their title, which was akin to a demotion—a choice Constellations disliked.

"I must remember that I could become a target at any time."

Sanghyun massaged his throbbing forehead, turned off the TV, and closed his eyes.

In his past life, he had lived as an ordinary citizen, worrying only about daily survival.

But not anymore.

With an overwhelming rate of growth beyond comparison, he was now making a conspicuous name for himself.

Hoping that others wouldn't notice the glaring light he was emitting was wishful thinking.

Luca Viole might have already heard about him.

The wider his perspective on the world became, the more he had to worry about.

The worries and concerns of a new world that never crossed his mind in his previous life as an ordinary man.

Now, they were essential.

"Your bow looks different."

"It's an Epic-grade artifact bow I borrowed from the Kurokawa Guild yesterday. Cool, right?"

"You had an alliance with Japan's Black Sky Guild?"

"Yes. We often exchange or lease artifacts under mutual agreements like this."

"As expected of the Eden Guild."

"Haha. I don't usually like to brag, but this time, I can't help but emphasize it."

The next day, at the entrance of the Black Gate, Sanghyun met Kim Miso and was surprised by her changed gear.

Not only her weapon but her armor had also changed. Most likely, she had borrowed them from players like Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri.

If mutual trust was strong, lending artifacts wasn't particularly difficult.

"Let's head in. How's your condition?"

"Feeling great! I took a full day off, so I'm refreshed. Though I kept doing image training?"

"You've got your neurotoxic arrows ready?"

"Oppa! I might be clumsy sometimes, but I'm not that unprepared!"

"Just checking."

"Let's go! The raid permission time starts right now."

After double-checking their weapons and artifacts, Sanghyun and Kim Miso stepped into the gate.

The Black Gate.

Even from the dark portal's exterior, its ominous presence was evident. As expected, the inside was pitch black.

Though the full moon illuminated the ground, it couldn't dispel the eerie gloom of the night.

■ Special Effect - Hour of the Dog and Wolf

The effect of the Hour of the Dog and Wolf activated immediately. He could feel his enhanced recovery. The effect never lied.

Kukuku.

At that moment, a massive goblin, standing at least 250 cm tall, appeared ahead.

It was a Big Goblin, a strengthened version of the lowest-tier monster, the goblin.

If a regular goblin was akin to a child, a Big Goblin was like a fully grown adult warrior.

Kkiririk.

From behind, Kim Miso had already drawn her bowstring.

The whistling sound of the wind indicated that the bowstring had been pulled to its maximum.

"Here I go!"

An immediate charge followed.

In an instant, Sanghyun closed the distance with the Big Goblin and aimed his Greatsword of Fighting Spirit at its shoulder.

Kuhuhu.

The Big Goblin's reaction was nonchalant.

As if wounds were of no concern, it didn't even take a defensive stance and swung its spiked club at Sanghyun.

It was a well-founded confidence.

Being born as a warrior designed for battle, the Big Goblin possessed a buff called 'Warrior's Protection.'

This ability reinforced its outer skin whenever it sustained an injury.

The wound would heal instantly, and its outer skin would harden, making it difficult to injure again.

Swoosh!

Kuhuh!

Though it felt pain, the Big Goblin remained unfazed.

With its seemingly invincible body, it would quickly heal its wounds and make the frail human taste hell.

That was what the Big Goblin believed.

After all, every human who had entered this gate either met their end or ran away.

At that moment—

Thud!

Kuuugh?

Something unbelievable happened.

Before Warrior's Protection could activate, Kim Miso's arrow struck precisely at the wound Sanghyun had created.

Moreover, the arrow was coated with a potent neurotoxin, which immediately seeped into the bloodstream.

Huek?

Warrior's Protection failed to activate. The Big Goblin was utterly shocked.

It was like expecting an impenetrable shield, only to realize it was made of paper.

The defensive mechanism that was supposed to protect its body was, for some reason, not working.

"Is something not going right?"

Sanghyun smirked.

Absolute trust in one's abilities.

Whether player or monster, it was the most dangerous thing to have.

Because when that trust was broken, if there was no backup plan, one could receive a fatal blow.

Unfortunately for the Big Goblin, that was exactly the reality it was facing.

"Where are you looking?"

Slash!

The Big Goblin, staring blankly at Sanghyun, lost its head in an instant.

Kukuku. Kuku.

"They're finally showing up."

Sanghyun grinned as he watched the Big Goblins reveal themselves.

They all had smug expressions, filled with absolute confidence as if nothing in the world could scare them.

That was how much faith they had in Warrior's Protection.

Tatata!

With Sanghyun's charge—

Whoosh!

Kim Miso's attack followed.

The strategy was to embed neurotoxin-coated arrows into wounds created by the greatsword before Warrior's Protection could activate.

It was a seamless teamwork that Sanghyun and Kim Miso had perfected through relentless training, even sacrificing their rest at the training grounds.

Slash! Thud!

Swoosh! Puck!

Their attacks were executed with flawless precision, as if performed by a single person.

'As expected of Kim Miso.'

'As long as I follow Oppa's instructions, I never miss. Oppa is always right.'

Though they didn't voice their thoughts aloud, their brief eye contact conveyed an unshakable trust.

Kuuuuuh!

The Big Goblins, who had confidently emerged, started to panic.

In mere moments, ten of them had already fallen to the impeccable coordination of Sanghyun and Kim Miso.

They had placed their absolute trust in Warrior's Protection, but now, with the buff failing to activate, they couldn't hide their growing fear.

Although Sanghyun was the only one engaging them in close combat, their fighting spirit had already crumbled.

"I told you to come at me."

Sanghyun provoked them as he lunged forward, but the Big Goblins were too busy fleeing.

From this moment on, it became a one-sided massacre.

Kim Miso meticulously shot neurotoxin arrows into the backs of the fleeing Big Goblins, turning them into little more than moving targets.

Meanwhile, Sanghyun leapt onto their backs, climbed over their shoulders, and drove his greatsword downward.

A precise strike from the hollow, vulnerable area between the collarbones, diagonally piercing straight into the heart.

Even with their hardened outer skin, they couldn't withstand such a fatal blow—it was instant death.

Kuaaaagh!

Every time Sanghyun drove his greatsword into them and leaped off using their shoulders as a foothold,

hot blood erupted in all directions, staining the dark ground.

'The Big Goblins were rumored to be tough enemies, but as expected, Oppa is incredible.'

It was different.

Truly different.

The battlefield, where a massive monster was being one-sidedly slaughtered as it fled, was a scene of utter domination.

As Kim Miso watched Sanghyun's fearless figure from behind, her eyes shone with admiration.

Her judgment had been correct all along.