Chapter 58: Kaeseong Subjugation Battle - (3)
Shin Taeri and Jo Jinho still didn’t know the traits of Sanghyun that only Kim Miso was aware of.
The same went for the Eden Guild members.
//s_win
//win_h ■ Special Effect - Hour of the Dog and Wolf
//e_win
At that moment, the moon in the sky helped Sanghyun activate his special effect smoothly.
Even though they were outside a dungeon, the effect was applied as long as the opponent was a monster, regardless of location.
Step. Step. Step.
The guild members were dumbfounded as they watched Sanghyun walk forward so confidently, their gazes fixed on him.
Everyone was in a combat stance, ready to assist Sanghyun if necessary.
"Miso, what is it, exactly?"
"You'll see."
"Just wait. You'll understand once you watch."
Kim Miso shrugged with a smile at Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri, who were filled with curiosity.
For someone who had truly experienced Sanghyun’s uniqueness, this was an exciting anticipation.
Everyone held their breath.
Would Sanghyun's reckless action of stepping out of the military truck alone turn out to be madness, or did he have something up his sleeve?
Uncertain speculations soon turned into concrete reality.
Grrrr.
As Sanghyun stepped within a certain distance, the wolves and wild dogs lowered their heads.
Even their previously blood-red eyes filled with madness dimmed, turning as docile as lambs.
"What the hell is that?"
"Submission? What kind of stance switch is this?"
"Are those ferocious creatures really turning into tame puppies?"
"Is it an artifact effect?"
Everyone watching had expressions of disbelief.
The pack of nearly fifty wolves and wild dogs showed not even a hint of hostility toward Sanghyun.
Swish. Swish.
As Sanghyun gestured, the monsters gathered like obedient dogs following their master.
Then, entering an accelerated state, he swiftly cut them down with his greatsword.
Whimper! Whimper!
Even as their kin were killed right beside them, and despite their own lives being in danger, none resisted.
It was as if they accepted it as fate, bowing their heads in resignation.
"This is insane, that ability..."
"Is it a title? It seems like a title."
"What kind of title in the world can make monsters submit like that?"
"You don’t know, but high-ranked titles often have effects like this. It’s probably at least a B-rank title."
"And Shin Sanghyun has such a title?"
"Why not? He already crushes us with his skills alone."
The Eden Guild members, watching with their mouths agape, marveled at the sheer dominance of Sanghyun’s one-sided slaughter.
"It’s a title. He’s obtained a rare title."
"Miso, have you seen this before?"
"Yes. I’ve seen it before. Wolves and wild dogs couldn’t do anything at all."
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri wore shocked expressions.
The only one looking sour was Song Taejung.
Sanghyun was receiving more envious stares than Taejung had ever gotten in the Eden Guild.
He desperately wanted to find a way to undermine him, but there was none. He had no similar ability.
Whimper!
Finally, as the last wild dog lost its life, the creatures that had terrorized the area were wiped out.
Perhaps due to the first-clear bonus, Sanghyun’s experience points skyrocketed, and his level increased by one instantly. It was an unexpected growth.
"Why are you all just watching? The porters assigned to Shin Sanghyun should start collecting immediately!"
Jo Jinho shouted.
Eden Guild was meticulous about distributing loot. There were no half-hearted claims.
No one could take credit for what Sanghyun had accomplished alone.
Roar!
A wolf’s fierce roar echoed from somewhere.
In that instant, the players caught in its range experienced stiffness, their bodies momentarily paralyzed.
【No Fear!】
However, thanks to the effect of his No Fear! title, Sanghyun overcame the roar without even flinching.
Shin Taeri, observing this process carefully, deepened her gaze.
Sanghyun certainly possessed an impressive number of skills and titles that he could use appropriately in any situation.
Just what kind of growth had he gone through to have such an arsenal despite being below level 100?
'Could he have made a contract with a Constellation?'
Shin Taeri couldn’t help but entertain the rational suspicion of a Constellation contract.
If one assumed he had contracted with a Constellation, all doubts would be resolved.
After all, only one hundred players worldwide could form contracts with Constellations, and the power they granted was immense.
'Even I...'
Shin Taeri was the same.
Seventy percent of her growth was thanks to a Constellation’s power. Yet here was Sanghyun, making her feel despair.
'How much more is he hiding?'
As she watched Sanghyun, who was calmly organizing the situation, her curiosity about him only grew.
It wasn’t something she could easily let go of.
Until they reached the outskirts of Kaeseong, they encountered continuous battles, both big and small.
The entire area, including Kaeseong, was overrun with monsters.
However, there were no major incidents.
Moreover, lighting facilities like streetlights were well maintained, making visibility not too difficult.
Thanks to the Player Union’s gradual efforts to restore roads and lighting, navigation was manageable.
'Now, the real hell begins.'
[Welcome to Kaeseong.]
A worn-out sign greeted the group.
It must have been bright and clear when it was first made, but now, it was stained with blood.
A quick glance around revealed scattered remains and desecrated graves on the hills.
Monsters had likely dug up the corpses inside to feed themselves.
Sanghyun asked Jo Jinho.
"Are we taking Route 4?"
"That’s right. The Player Union is handling Routes 1 to 3, while we take Route 4. Route 4 has many branching paths, making it quite tricky."
From this point on, it was practically an individual battle disguised as a team operation.
Sanghyun was assigned to Route 4-9 alone.
He had specifically requested it.
As he prepared to leave, Kim Miso spoke.
"Oppa, the Union already cleared the dungeon once before, so you should only need to worry about the field."
"Then we’ll meet again at the mid-point of Route 4."
"Are you really okay with this? No route has ever been assigned to just one player."
"If it gets overwhelming, I’ll call for help. But I don’t want to start by relying on an SOS. I’ll be fine. I’ve already analyzed everything."
“If you need help, you know what to do, right? You have signal flares, so we can provide support from the middle route anytime.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Where does that confidence even come from?”
At Kim Miso’s question, Sanghyun answered with a smile.
In truth, it was closer to greed than confidence.
The monsters here were walking bundles of experience points and rewards.
Hadn’t his level already risen by one just from hunting the packs of wolves and wild dogs?
If he raked in enough experience during this subjugation battle, his level would rise significantly.
This was a different kind of gain from dungeons, gates, and rifts. He absolutely did not want to miss out, nor did he want to share the spoils with anyone.
“Remember, you can report the situation at any time through your earpiece! No idle chatter!”
Jo Jinho lifted the mood with his words.
Sanghyun was also wearing an earpiece just in case.
He thought it was more likely that someone else would need help rather than himself.
And so, the ‘Kaeseong Subjugation Battle,’ hunting the monsters of the Kaeseong Field, began.
‘So this is how my actions, which never existed in the past Player Chronicle, are forming. Stay sharp.’
Encouraging himself, Sanghyun began advancing. A history and future that would change—it was now his to shape.
Some time later.
A monster blocked Sanghyun’s path as he moved along the winding trail of Route 4-9.
“Wood Killer.”
If one were to compare the Wood Killer to a familiar form, it would be best described as a tree-like golem.
It had lower durability than a Stone Golem, but its mobility was overwhelmingly superior.
Additionally, it possessed near-perfect resistance to freezing, rendering ice attacks completely ineffective.
Of course, as its name suggested, it was extremely weak to fire.
『Small Flame』
Using his greatsword as a medium, Sanghyun conjured a small flame, enveloping the entire weapon.
Though it wasn’t a large, blazing fire, it was enough to cover the greatsword.
“Having skills with the right options for the right moments is the best.”
Gripping his greatsword firmly, Sanghyun charged toward the Wood Killer.
It was now the time for not only organic monsters but also inorganic and mechanical ones to start appearing.
Players would be facing new trials ahead.
Two years had passed since the era of players began alongside the rifts. The age of upheaval had already started, and unique monsters like the Wood Killer were just the beginning.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Recognizing Sanghyun, ten Wood Killers charged at full speed, just as he did. They showed no signs of fear.
“You think you stand a chance?”
Slash!
Sanghyun beheaded the first Wood Killer he encountered at the front.
A sword imbued with fire was clearly more effective against the Wood Killers than an ordinary one.
Thud! Thunk! Thunk!
The Wood Killer’s severed head hit the ground.
Its expression was frozen in shock, as if it had miscalculated the situation.
Whoosh!
“Damn.”
Though he had anticipated it, there was still an aspect of the fight that Sanghyun disliked.
Unlike standard humanoid monsters, the Wood Killers did not experience any major disruptions even after losing their heads.
Each part of their body could function independently, so losing a head was no more than losing a single body part.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the meantime, other Wood Killers stepped in to fill the gap left by their fallen comrade and launched their attacks.
Their movements were incredibly swift, likely due to their light bodies.
It was as if he were watching level 200 assassin players in action.
“These guys really make you want to take off the training weights quickly. Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue, Sanghyun immediately activated his Psychedelic skill.
From the moment he chose to fight alone in an area meant for four people, this outcome was inevitable.
Since he had willingly chosen hardship, he had to be ready to endure it with his body.
“…”
In an instant, Sanghyun’s eyes turned red and glowed.
Not to be outdone, the Wood Killers' eyes turned blue.
A silent gaze.
A peculiar skill known for inducing brief silence just by making eye contact.
However—
[Transcendence has activated and successfully resisted the Silent Gaze!]
[Transcendence has activated and successfully resisted the Silent Gaze again!]
[......(Omitted)]
[Having resisted the Silent Gaze five times in a row, your body has adapted and gained immunity for one minute!]
“This is it.”
Sanghyun smirked.
Even as the Wood Killers unleashed their silent gazes, attempting to crush him under their will, it was futile.
The very method they had used to swiftly eliminate countless players who had ventured through this route was now rendered useless.
The nullification of a trusted ability left the monsters in shock.
These monsters had always reaped easy victories, but now they faced an unprecedented trial.
Unfortunately for them, the Wood Killers lacked the intelligence to adapt quickly to such unexpected variables.
“Shall I gather some firewood?”
Sanghyun’s voice, tinged with amusement, sounded like the whisper of the Grim Reaper to the Wood Killers.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
And with his mastery of a flaming sword, he had become their perfect counter!
For the first time ever, fear and terror bloomed within the Wood Killers.
It all started with the confident man standing before them, his eyes filled with nothing but certainty—Sanghyun.