Chapter 57: Kaeseong Subjugation Battle - (2)
//s_win
//win_h 『Breath of Gaia』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Among entities that use mana, it reveals the paths traveled by those in a stealth state.
//e_win
The exposed movement paths remain visible for five seconds, and even completely invisible enemies can be detected.
However, Breath of Gaia does not apply to entities whose forms are already visually discernible.
‘Even if presence and sound are concealed, the fundamental mana cannot be hidden. After all, complete invisibility still requires mana to be maintained.’
It was quite a useful skill.
It was a hidden skill acquired from consuming an artifact obtained from an assassin, and its practical value was higher than expected.
For example, with this skill, even Shin Taeri’s complete invisibility could be fully detected through Breath of Gaia.
There was no need to intricately track the flow of mana or calculate whether Isolation was activated or not.
The reason Sanghyun valued this skill even more was because of the upcoming Kaeseong Subjugation Battle.
In the open-type Kaeseong Field, there were quite a few monsters that utilized complete invisibility. They were tricky opponents.
If he could use Breath of Gaia to detect such creatures in advance, it would greatly aid in battle.
“The mana consumption is only around 10, so it’s not a heavy burden.”
Sanghyun’s gaze then shifted to another newly acquired skill—Skill Reset.
//s_win
//win_h 『Skill Reset』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Resets the cooldown of all skills except for itself.
The reset range is within a 9-meter radius, and up to five targets can be designated.
Cooldown time: 1 day.
//e_win
“This is pretty good.”
The synergy was much better than expected.
Generally, the more powerful and efficient a skill was, the longer its cooldown time tended to be.
Given that, the potential impact of Skill Reset was enormous.
In Sanghyun’s case, if he linked Skill Reset with Psychedelic, he could extend its usage up to 480 seconds.
A full eight minutes of rampage would be hell for any opponent facing him.
“Complete invisibility tracking. Skill cooldown reset. The setup is too good. Is this a reward for being virtuous?”
He felt great.
It seemed that diligently nurturing his Luck stat had paid off.
Of course, the Luck stat wasn’t just about probability; it also helped increase the maximum value of critical damage.
For Sanghyun, who put great effort into each strike, maximizing potential was the best scenario.
“Well then, the remaining time…”
Sanghyun turned his attention to ‘skill crafting.’
Before reaching Skill Level 6, which was considered the first major hurdle in skill synthesis—
In other words, raising skills up to Level 5 was what players referred to as skill crafting.
Once a skill reached Level 5, it received a special bonus beyond the usual coefficient increase formula.
The challenging thresholds were at Skill Levels 6, 11, and 16, so skill crafting was done beforehand to prepare for them.
//s_win
//win_h 『Demon Bash』
■ Skill Level: Stage 4 (64.9%)
//e_win
The skill closest to reaching Level 5 was Demon Bash.
With dedicated skill training, completing the skill crafting for Demon Bash seemed achievable.
‘I should always be grateful for this uninterrupted time to focus solely on training.’
Sanghyun thought humbly.
In his past life, he had been too busy making a living to devote himself to skill training like this.
But now, he had the time to systematically plan for the future.
Until the day of the Kaeseong Subjugation Battle, he had the luxury of both skill training and reviewing relevant information.
“This time, I need to make a solid profit in Kaeseong.”
He strengthened his resolve.
The monsters in Kaeseong Field, basking in the fresh air outside the rift, were all abundant sources of experience points.
Moreover, as a first-time conquest, it was highly likely to yield by-products such as magic stones.
Of course, the risk of exposure to danger was a concern, but that was the same for dungeons and gates.
Focus, focus, and more focus!
Until the day of the Kaeseong Subjugation Battle, Sanghyun shut himself in, dedicating himself to skill training and combat preparation.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and soon the day arrived. The first phase of the Kaeseong Subjugation Battle began.
Evening.
In front of Dorasan Station, the subjugation forces bound for Kaeseong had gathered according to their respective affiliations.
The weather was clear, but heavy rain was forecasted for the central-northern region starting at night, making it feel like the calm before the storm.
There was talk of postponing D-Day due to the weather, but the participating guilds opposed it, causing the idea to be scrapped.
If the schedule was rearranged, the composition of participating guilds might change.
Excluding the risk of death, an open-field conquest offered substantial by-products and experience points!
It was an irresistible opportunity, and opposition from guilds with vested interests was expected.
“Oppa, we’ve been seeing each other a lot lately, haven’t we?”
“Yeah. Maybe we should tone it down a bit. Should we restrain ourselves?”
“Haha! What are you talking about? Talented people are always in demand.”
The first to warmly greet Sanghyun was, as expected, Kim Miso.
Not long ago, her hair had been violet, but now it had completely changed to golden blonde.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, her red eyes also seemed noticeably darker than before.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Sanghyun. I heard Taeri had another rough time recently?”
“I merely provided a lesson to be gratefully received. ‘Rough time’ doesn’t sound quite right, Jo Jinho.”
Jo Jinho opened the conversation with a playful remark about Shin Taeri.
Shin Taeri, rather than denying it, simply nodded and extended her hand to Sanghyun.
“Thank you for joining our guild in this subjugation battle. We welcome SH Guild’s participation.”
“Surely not today as well?”
When Sanghyun raised seven fingers with both hands, Shin Taeri chuckled and shook her head.
“No, let’s save that strength.”
As Sanghyun greeted the three consecutively, the other members of the Eden Guild began to view him differently.
Jo Jinho, Shin Taeri, Kim Miso.
All three were key figures in the Eden Guild, individuals who weren’t easy to approach.
Though Kim Miso had a lower level than the other two, she was a promising player with immense potential.
Moreover, under her father’s comprehensive support, she was rapidly growing as a ‘capitalism-driven’ player.
Seeing these renowned players treating Sanghyun so warmly naturally drew envious gazes.
“Hello, Shin Sanghyun? I’m Song Taejung from the Eden Guild. I’ve heard so much about you, but seeing you in person, you really are handsome!”
“Hello, nice to meet you.”
Song Taejung.
The name vaguely rang a bell.
Unlike Jo Jinho or Shin Taeri, he wasn’t ranked among the top three professions in the Eden Guild.
However, he was still considered one of the top ten.
He was also the younger brother of Song Gyujung, known as a superior swordsman even compared to Jo Jinho.
In truth, Sanghyun wasn’t even meeting the absolute top members of the Eden Guild.
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri each had two skilled individuals above them, but they had yet to meet them.
"These days, there's even a saying in our guild that if you don’t know Shin Sanghyun, you must be a spy. Can we expect something great from this subjugation?"
Song Taejung’s words carried a nuance that hinted at subtle jealousy rather than mere expectation.
There was no way Sanghyun would fail to notice his expression and tone. The problem was that it was too obvious.
"I won’t be a burden."
"Hah. You’d better not be. Even if you're here as a collaborator, it’s still our guild’s title at stake."
"Hey, Song Taejung!"
"I’m just saying what you found hard to say. Don’t pretend to be all noble. You think the same way, don’t you?"
Despite Kim Miso’s rebuke, Song Taejung continued speaking with an inexplicable smile.
For Sanghyun, this wasn’t anything new.
Large guilds always had factions. Naturally, there was also a distinction between the mainstream and the non-mainstream.
Shin Taeri and Jo Jinho were players far removed from those factions, making them part of the non-mainstream.
Kim Miso, being close to those two, was also considered closer to the non-mainstream in the grand scheme of things.
Just then—
"Oh? Is this the guy? Nice to meet you! You’re Shin Sanghyun, right?"
An unexpected person suddenly appeared from behind and extended a handshake.
‘The Crimson Blaze of Madness, Lee Sehwa.’
Sanghyun recognized him immediately.
Though she held no official rank or position in the Player Union, she was considered one of their elite in battle.
‘If my memory is correct, next year, she’ll participate in an overseas dungeon raid and go missing. Later, Luca Viole will end up wielding a power similar to Lee Sehwa’s.’
Things he had overlooked in the past.
Upon closer examination, Lee Sehwa had been a talented individual sacrificed to the Constellation Devourer.
Considering her current potential, it would be a huge loss not only for the Union but also for South Korean players.
"I’m Shin Sanghyun. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard of your esteemed name often. It’s an honor."
"Aw, you don’t need to flatter me like that. I always make sure to check out the news about you, Sanghyun. Believe it or not, I’m even a member of your fan club!"
"Thank you."
"You have such a unique and diverse set of abilities, so I’ve always been very interested. I hope you can teach me a thing or two someday."
"I’d be happy to…"
Just as Sanghyun was exchanging greetings with Lee Sehwa—
"Alright, time’s up! Let’s get moving!"
Song Taejung deliberately interrupted the conversation, raising his voice to address the others.
It was indeed time to depart, but because of that, the once friendly atmosphere quickly cooled down.
‘So young, so young.’
Sanghyun smirked.
Rather than being annoyed, he found it amusing to see the pure jealousy of a younger guy.
The group traveled along an open road toward Kaeseong.
The highway leading to Kaeseong was in better condition than expected.
Of course, while the road itself was decent, everything else was in complete disarray.
For one, the corpses of monsters were scattered everywhere, creating an unimaginably strong stench.
Even Sanghyun, who had a strong stomach, occasionally felt nauseous.
Except for the well-paved road, everything else along the way was wilderness.
There wasn’t a single resident in sight, making the place feel like a glimpse into the primordial world.
Weeds and reeds grew uncontrollably high, and swarms of flying insects filled the sky endlessly.
Krur. Krurrrr.
At that moment, a sizable group of monsters appeared around the road.
The military truck carrying the Player Union members who had gone ahead was allowed to pass through without issue.
However, the moment Eden Guild’s players, led by Sanghyun, approached, the monsters revealed their fangs.
It was a strategic move to let the larger force pass while ambushing the smaller group following behind.
By staggering the timing and spacing of each guild and alliance’s movement, the monsters had found an opening to exploit.
Jo Jinho shouted.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! There’s no need to let them trail us like a nuisance. We’ll take care of them here!"
It was an obvious and strategically sound decision.
However, the moment Jo Jinho finished speaking, Sanghyun casually suggested.
"If it’s alright with you, may I handle this alone?"
"What? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri tilted their heads at Sanghyun’s confident words.
"Ah, oppa. Don’t tell me…"
Kim Miso, understanding his intention, looked around and asked.
Krurrrr!
That’s right.
The creatures that had appeared were a large pack of wolves and wild dog monsters.
For Sanghyun, they were nothing more than helpless little pups.