Chapter 106

Chapter 106: The Blood-Drinking Sword - (1)

At that moment.

A man's spoon stopped as he was enjoying the ox bone soup his younger sister, Do Kyunghye, had made at her house.

It was her older brother, Do Kyungsoo.

Contrary to the public's mistaken perception that he would be heartless even to his own flesh and blood,

Do Kyungsoo was a rare kind of real-life older brother who not only cared for his younger sister but also kindly looked after her.

Of course, a major factor behind this was that they had lost their parents at a young age and grown up together.

"Kyunghye, enlarge the screen."

"Ah, oppa, you do it."

"Then I'd have to get up from the dining table and go all the way to the computer. Just enlarge the screen. The keyword is Shin Sanghyun."

Do Kyungsoo's eyes sparkled.

For Do Kyungsoo, who regularly subscribed to journalist Park Jungmin's articles, Park Jungmin's exclusives were very important news.

And the content of the article was that Sanghyun had signed a sponsorship contract with Han Hyunjung's Hyunjung Corporation.

The contract was short-term but involved a significantly large sum—a typical contract for someone of great value.

"Oh my. Oppa, what is this?"

"Shin Sanghyun. I thought he was just an innocent bear, but he’s a fox sharper than anyone. Hmph."

Do Kyungsoo burst into laughter.

Rather than feeling betrayed, he was somewhat impressed by Sanghyun’s business acumen.

Do Kyungsoo did not believe that a player's value was determined by their level.

"Of course, a player’s value is determined by money. Anything everyone wants is bound to be expensive."

Professional athletes, celebrities, and players—all the same. Money is the clearest and most intuitive measure.

Of course, there is always the risk of becoming an infamous "eat-and-run" case. But that’s something to judge after the results.

"105 billion won for three months..."

Do Kyunghye counted the numbers and then let out a choking sound.

She was a fairly skilled player herself, but she had never received a sponsorship offer valuing her that highly.

Even her own brother, Do Kyungsoo, was ruthless in assessing her market value.

"Shin Sanghyun knows how to increase his own worth. He doesn’t act impulsively. He has a clear direction and systematically builds himself up."

"How are you so sure? It’s not like you’ve been inside his head."

"You don’t need to be inside someone’s head to figure things out. Just looking at his actions since his awakening as a player makes everything clear."

Do Kyungsoo licked his lips with the tip of his tongue. It was a habit that always surfaced when he was deep in thought.

After his last meeting with Sanghyun,

Do Kyungsoo had researched more about him and meticulously analyzed his actions.

And what he noticed was that every time Sanghyun returned from a dungeon, his abilities changed noticeably.

What exactly he was hiding was unknown. It was likely his trade secret.

But one thing was certain.

He knew what actions were most beneficial to his growth, and he obsessively stuck to that path!

Do Kyungsoo saw it.

That’s why this sponsorship contract with Han Hyunjung didn’t seem like an impulsive decision made out of greed for money.

He would actively utilize Han Hyunjung’s broad network and social influence.

"If you put it that way, Shin Sanghyun is quite the sly one."

"Or you could say he’s someone who knows his position and worth very well. A smart person."

"That’s not like you, oppa. You usually dislike those calculating types of players."

"That’s only when they chase unrealistic dreams that don’t match their value. Shin Sanghyun is different."

Do Kyungsoo spoke with certainty.

At this point,

he felt that he needed to pay closer attention to Sanghyun in their upcoming large-scale raid together.

Even if it was a short-term contract, Han Hyunjung was backing him as a sponsor. A careless attitude would only lead to unnecessary controversy.

"Let’s see what you’ve got, huhuhu."

With eyes full of anticipation, Do Kyungsoo smiled as he looked at the picture of Sanghyun in the article.

It looked interesting.

So, he was excited.

Just how amazing would Sanghyun turn out to be? Hopefully, he will be a well-ripened fruit.

Due to the huge stir caused by his sponsorship contract, Sanghyun’s smartphone was practically on fire.

So, he decided to move up his meeting with Igah Hee, which he had planned for the next day. There would be no time to contact her later.

Sanghyun met Igah Hee in a deserted open space near Player Town.

Both were dressed in plain training clothes, but since it wasn’t a formal meeting, neither of them minded.

Nickname: Orphanage Gate.

Regarding the Orphanage Gate that Sanghyun and Ham Jiyeon had raided together, they had negotiated boldly and secured 10 billion won for it.

It was a strategy guide sale that both Sanghyun and Igah Hee were satisfied with.

Now, the Player Association would begin their internal strategies based on the guide Sanghyun provided.

By continuously rotating their players in and out whenever the gate reset, the Association would send their members inside.

That was the Association's strength.

They controlled multiple dungeons, gates, and rifts, allowing them to cultivate talent within them.

This was why Sanghyun sometimes considered joining the Association.

"As soon as I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll meet Ham Jiyeon and proceed with the promised pizza shop deal."

The promise with Ham Jiyeon to open a pizza place for the children.

It was never an empty word.

This was because Sanghyun had felt many things while watching the bright children at the orphanage.

He couldn’t be a parental shelter for those innocent children, but he wanted to give them happiness in their daily lives.

The 1 billion won he originally intended to set aside for Ham Jiyeon.

Since she refused to take it, he was returning it to the children!

"I’m tired."

Kuung!

Unconsciously, Sanghyun set down the Greatsword of Fighting Spirit, which he had been carrying on his back, near the bed.

Keeping a weapon by his bedside or nearby while sleeping had long been a habit of his.

By the time he reached 2040, an era known for its chaos and turbulence, he had been exposed to constant danger, and this habit had formed naturally.

If you couldn’t fight the moment he opened his eyes, it was common to meet an untimely death at the hands of an enemy.

That enemy could be fellow players, monsters, or even an unidentified entity.

About 20 years.

A long time, yet also a span that could pass quickly if one was not careful.

Just then.

His phone rang—it was a call from Kim Miso.

The phone had been ringing for a while already.

But her number had a certain magic to it, making it recognizable even from a distance.

"Oh, Miso."

< Oppa, your smartphone is on fire right now, isn’t it? You were about to just ignore it and sleep with an annoyed look on your face, right? >

"Did you install a camera in my house?"

Sanghyun flinched at Kim Miso’s eerily accurate guess, as if she were watching him from right beside him.

< I'll get straight to the point. The gate you requested last time—it's been approved, and it's your turn. >

"Really? When can I go in?"

Sanghyun’s voice, which had been sluggish with fatigue, suddenly gained energy.

The Blood-Drinking Sword.

He had just received notice that he could now enter the gate where he could obtain that weapon.

Nicknamed Blood-Drinking, it was an Epic-grade sword, far superior to his current Greatsword of Fighting Spirit.

< From noon tomorrow. Can you make it? >

"Even if I couldn’t, I’d have to."

< Then I’ll notify them that you'll be entering on time. Oppa, you didn’t forget our four-man strategy, right? >

"Of course not."

Sanghyun nodded.

He remembered the planned four-man strategy with Kang Juhee and Park Taeseok, who were also part of the Free Team alongside Kim Miso.

It had been delayed multiple times, and he had started to wonder when they would actually go, but now it seemed a date had finally been set.

< There's been a change. The original four-man strategy has been scrapped. It’ll just be you and me now. >

"Why?"

< Taeseok oppa and Juhee joined the Jeongpung Guild. It looks like they're being stopped from joining us. >

"The Jeongpung Guild?"

It wasn’t an unfamiliar name.

It was a guild that stood in direct opposition to the Eden Guild, which Kim Miso belonged to.

They had an alliance with the Sun Guild.

In the future, the Jeongpung Guild and the Sun Guild would persistently hinder the Eden Guild.

Knowing that the Eden Guild was destined to decline because of this, Sanghyun felt a sense of bitterness about what was to come.

In any case, two of their teammates had joined an enemy guild.

It was likely not out of personal spite toward Kim Miso, but rather because Jeongpung Guild had made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Perhaps it was an amount too large to turn down—the reason was obvious.

< It’s their choice, so I don’t really care. Anyway, the Yeoncheon County Dungeon—just the two of us. What do you think? >

"When you sent me the preliminary data before, it seemed like it was possible with just two people. Honestly, I could probably solo it."

< I’ll be fully equipped with capitalist firepower, so let’s go all out! >

"Got it. Let me know the exact date and time as soon as it's set."

< Yes! Then, be careful on your gate raid! Don’t get hurt! >

"Don’t worry. Miso, you take care of yourself too."

< Oppa! >

"Hmm?"

< Ah, never mind. I had something to say, but I forgot! Sorry. Anyway, I’m hanging up! >

And with that, the call ended.

It seemed like she had something serious to say but had cut herself off midway.

Sanghyun didn’t dwell on it.

"So, tomorrow morning, I’ll meet Ham Jiyeon for a brief talk. Then, I’ll get the Blood-Drinking Sword. After that, a short rest before heading to Yeoncheon."

At this point, he was practically a dungeon-crawling machine.

But his satisfaction was high.

For someone like Sanghyun, who grew stronger and gained skills by consuming artifacts, dungeons were like treasure troves.

There was no reason to refuse the chance to scratch a high-probability lottery ticket.

Just then.

As his stiff body stretched out into a deep yawn, and he was about to merge with his bed—

A message from the Goddess of Luck had arrived.

An unexpected issue was being brought to his attention.

"Enforcers?"

He had vaguely heard of them in his past life, but he had never fully grasped their meaning.

"Is he really being chased?"

"……"

A crease formed between his brows.

Since forming a contract with the 'Late-Blooming Model Student' in his past life, how many conversations had he shared with him?

But he had never heard of him being chased by dimensional enforcers.

It was the kind of story one might expect to hear as an epic tale.

"Because he knows an inconvenient truth?"

The Goddess of Luck was merely a messenger of information.

Not wanting to put her in an awkward position, Sanghyun held his tongue.

‘Is there really something going on?’

From the very beginning, his regression had been strange.

Hadn’t he been sent thirty years back into the past without so much as a hint or warning from any divine being?

Sure, he was living a smooth, successful life without failures in his younger body.

But he had always been curious about the fundamental reason behind his regression.

Every time he was about to forget, that curiosity would resurface.

She was steering the conversation in a different direction before it got too serious.

"Other Constellations, huh..."

It was about time he started thinking about it.