Chapter 56: Kaeseong Subjugation Battle - (1)
I was about to check my title.
Just then, the Player Union staff arrived on the scene, responding to Park Jungmin’s report, delaying my confirmation.
There was a separate briefing, and an on-site verification process took place.
Since the gang’s malicious intent was evident from the start, my self-defense was immediately justified.
The chat history I briefly exchanged with Park Jungmin and the entire process leading to the warehouse served as evidence.
And following the unspoken rule of "winner takes all," the Union staff didn’t ask about the whereabouts of the artifacts.
Everyone was amazed by my performance.
While they had some expectations due to the media coverage of my skills,
they never imagined I could achieve a one-sided victory in a one-against-ten battle.
Especially considering that all members of the gang were skilled players, each above level 100.
Despite not having reached level 100 myself, I had overwhelmingly overcome the numerical disadvantage.
Anyway, after finishing the post-battle procedures, I returned home with a bundle of artifacts.
There was also a brief interview with Park Jungmin, which, with my consent, was broadcast on PlayerTube’s "The Player TV."
It was a sensationalized video packed with provocative words Park Jungmin liked to use.
【The Player TV】
【Promising rookie, Shin Sanghyun! Taking down wanted criminals operating around Unseo Station? Who needs the Union?】
Since I trusted that he wasn’t exaggerating falsehoods, I didn’t pay much attention to the content.
Park Jungmin spent a significant amount of time exposing every detail about the players I took down.
Watching the video, I realized they were even worse scumbags than I had thought.
They were a professional crime syndicate that had been exploiting loopholes in the law while traveling across the country.
Moreover, whenever law enforcement closed in, they strategically went into hiding or used fake identities.
But those guys had targeted me, hoping to make a quick fortune, and ended up facing justice!
The audience’s reaction was explosive.
▶ FortuneCookie: Didn't I say I should invest in Shin Sanghyun coin or not?
▶ KyungsooFanboy: Still, no one compares to our Kyungsoo hyung. What's so great about Shin Sanghyun?
▶ HopFast: Hey, even Do Kyungsoo didn’t take down an entire crime syndicate when he was at Shin Sanghyun’s level.
▶ Tanaka: Forget everything else, the real legend is him taking down ten guys in a 1v10. Isn’t this a massacre?
▶ KyungsooFanboy: Okay, that I admit. How the hell did he take out all those skilled guys one by one?
The views and likes skyrocketed as word spread.
Many subscribers had keyword alerts set for my name, and the reactions kept snowballing.
Every player community rushed to spread the news.
Among them, some players raised conspiracy theories, claiming it was all staged by me.
Most of them were Do Kyungsoo’s fans.
After the Gangnam Station video of me and Do Kyungsoo went viral, his fans had been wary of me.
It wasn’t just about their admiration for Do Kyungsoo—
it was also because my growth curve was rising too steeply.
I was progressing and gaining popularity much faster than the data they had collected on Do Kyungsoo.
Naturally, they couldn’t help but see me as a threat to their idol.
“I forgot to ask why Park Jungmin was near Unseo Station.”
I tilted my head at the sudden thought.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to arrive at such perfect timing.
It wasn’t like he was constantly on standby, ready to answer my calls at any moment.
Yet, he arrived on-site within 20 minutes of my call.
That likely meant he was already there for an artifact purchase,
but it wasn’t a particularly pressing question, so I let it go.
“Well, everything worked out anyway.”
I looked at the artifacts sprawled across my living room with satisfaction.
There were a total of 27 artifacts.
Each defeated opponent had yielded two to three artifacts, which I had diligently collected.
Technically, the two buffers who had tried to flee were Park Jungmin’s share, but he gave them all to me.
He said he was already grateful for getting an exclusive scoop.
[The Dark Hunter warns Shin Sanghyun. If you do not reveal the secret behind your origins, he will discuss this issue with his allies.]
[The Goddess of Luck proposes a vote to the constellations connected to the Player System.
The agenda is to expel the rude Dark Hunter from the Player System.
The minimum agreement has been met, and the vote is now officially registered.
The results stand at 62% in favor, 38% against. The Dark Hunter cannot be expelled from the constellations.
A 90% majority is required for expulsion.]
[The Goddess of Luck says that if her contractor wishes, she can use her divine power to block the Dark Hunter’s communication.]
“No need. Blocking just one channel won’t solve the problem. Just leave him be.”
I shook my head.
A persistent constellation like the Dark Hunter would just find another way.
If he had allies who agreed with him, they could easily relay his messages through other routes.
I didn’t want to give such a bothersome entity even more excuses to be annoying.
Letting him babble as much as he wanted was the better option.
“Now, let’s see.”
Finally, after repeatedly missing the right moment, I checked the title I had earned.
A rank A title, the first I had ever obtained!
What kind of ability did it have?
//s_win
//win_h 【State of No-Mind】
■ Title Rank: A-Class
■ Title Description: The owner of this title remembers the time when he was a hero who ruled over the Central Plains.
//e_win
He recalls the battlefields where he wielded the crescent blade and fought against tens of thousands of enemies all alone.
Just as he became one with the crescent blade, the memories of his trance-like battles have formed the foundation of this title and have been passed down through the generations.
//s_win
//win_h ■ Evasion +200
■ Special Effect - Trance
//e_win
"Evasion 200? That's insane."
An increase of 200 in the evasion stat meant that his chance to dodge skills had risen by at least 10%.
If combined with defense, the synergy effect would be even greater, but even just evasion alone was enough to increase the probability.
For players, distributing bonus points among the four main stats—strength, agility, stamina, and mana—was already challenging.
The evasion stat, which was often neglected, had suddenly increased by 200 points, making this a major advantage.
On top of that, there was also the special effect, Trance.
//s_win
//win_h ■ Special Effect - Trance
■ Increases skill resistance by 75% against a designated status ailment category.
//e_win
"So this is the main effect. The evasion stat was just a secondary bonus."
Sanghyun's mouth slightly opened.
Interpreting the description, it meant that he could raise his resistance against skills that caused a specific type of status ailment.
The most troublesome status ailment for Sanghyun was silence.
Although Recovery could dispel it, the duration was short, and many variables could arise during that brief moment.
Being unable to use any skills even for an instant could be fatal, especially for someone like Sanghyun, who relied heavily on counterattacks.
"I should link it to silence. Other status ailments can be dealt with, but silence is an immediate problem."
//s_win
//win_h ■ The status ailment for entering Trance has been designated. The selected status ailment is ‘Silence.’
//e_win
"Good. Done."
He felt a surge of strength in his shoulders!
Every time he obtained a title, a sense of satisfaction filled him. At the same time, it made him crave more. A primal desire to possess even more.
On average, players earned one title per 100 levels.
Considering that, having twelve titles made it laughable to even compare himself to the average.
Even just looking at his previous life, before his regression, Sanghyun had a total of eleven titles.
He had already surpassed his past self by 30 years. From this point onward, obtaining new titles would be like forging an entirely new path.
"I heard that named players secretly exchange title recipes among themselves."
Sanghyun remained vigilant.
At this very moment, named players like Do Kyungsoo in Korea and Jerron Decay overseas were also growing stronger.
They had their own secret networks and shared information about shortcuts for rapid growth.
So, whatever Sanghyun gained, it was only fair to assume that they were acquiring similar advantages as well.
Rather, he needed to accelerate his growth even further, pushing himself to farm more titles and artifacts.
"Now, it's time for the feast."
Sanghyun stood before the artifacts.
He had washed them as best as he could, yet some still bore traces of battle.
Faint remnants of flesh, bloodstains, and even lingering scents. Of course, these would soon disappear.
He scanned through all the artifacts, confirming their absorption rates, which ranged from 20% to 40%.
It seemed that most of them hadn't been used for long.
‘In the end, what I’m aiming for through this is the hidden stats or hidden skills that might be inherited along with the base stats.’
It felt like scratching a lottery ticket with a fairly high probability of winning.
What Sanghyun wanted was a hidden skill like Demon Bash—something that would unlock and be inherited as a unique skill.
If he got one, great. If not, he could still be satisfied with upgrading his stats.
He ate. And ate. And ate some more.
Usually, the artifacts took the form of food that their previous owners had enjoyed, so he was curious to see what would appear.
From bizarre, never-before-seen dishes made of intestines to an assortment of meats—there was everything.
Judging by the selection, their previous owners must have frequently traveled through Southeast Asia, as some of the dishes made him question if they were even edible.
Fortunately, Sanghyun wasn’t picky when it came to meat, so aside from a few moments of gagging, he managed to endure the feast.
Thirty minutes later.
After consuming a total of twenty-seven artifacts, Sanghyun immediately checked his increased stats.
//s_win
//win_h [Stat Increase Summary]
[Time Frame: Last Hour]
[Strength +75 / Stamina +64 / Agility +39 / Mana +34 / Luck +00 / Evasion +12 / Defense +12]
//e_win
"If I look at the total stat increase, it's 236 points? The gains are so significant that it's not even worth comparing to leveling up normally."
Just calculating the total increase in his stats made him feel full.
This was a stark reminder of how terrifying it was to be able to consume artifacts.
If he had tried to equip all twenty-seven artifacts instead, he would have had to give up on many due to overlapping slots.
Being able to convert them into permanent stats based on their absorption rate was an overwhelmingly powerful advantage.
As time passed and the number of artifacts he consumed increased, the gap between him and others would only widen.
"But the real main dish is this."
Sanghyun’s satisfied gaze moved past his stat window and landed on the newly acquired skills from his latest large-scale feast.
A hidden skill had appeared!
『Gaia’s Breath』
『Skill Reset』
Through the process of consuming artifacts, and influenced by his luck stat, he had received an unexpected but delightful gift.
Even just from their names, these two skills felt anything but ordinary.
They were waiting eagerly for Sanghyun’s attention and his touch.