Chapter 107

Chapter 107: The Blood-Drinking Sword - (2)

But wasn’t there an existence even greater than a Constellation waiting for him? A Divine Throne.

Of course, he couldn't yet be sure whether the Divine Throne, the God of Storms, would agree to a contract with him.

Though he had temporarily gained the Crushing Airflow skill through the god’s favor, he couldn’t be swayed by just that.

"Ah, our goddess is the best. Thank you for always supporting me. Sincerely."

Sanghyun still considered it a stroke of luck that he had met the Goddess of Luck.

The benefits she provided as a Constellation were beyond imagination.

It was clear now why Hashimoto, the Japanese player who contracted with her in his previous life, had grown so rapidly.

"Huh?"

At that moment, a private channel opened.

A channel that could only be used when a secret conversation was needed, one that neither Constellations nor Divine Thrones could overhear.

However, since maintaining it consumed a tremendous amount of divine power, it was rarely opened.

Even in his past life, the Late Bloomer Model Student had only opened it twice in decades.

The characteristic of a private channel was that the messages were not relayed through the system in text form.

Instead, the voice of the Constellation or Divine Throne could be heard directly.

Sanghyun's communication temporarily transformed from spoken words into a more telepathic, consciousness-driven dialogue.

Sanghyun flinched.

From her past interactions, he had imagined her as a mischievous and lively goddess.

But now, as they actually spoke, her voice carried a composed and restrained dignity.

Clearly, hearing a voice and reading messages were two very different experiences.

With a meaningful chuckle, the private channel closed.

Yet, even with just a brief conversation, the implications were profound.

'Perhaps named figures like Jerron D.K. already knew this and had formed contracts accordingly.'

That thought crossed his mind.

But such an important and heavy truth had likely been kept completely secret.

'Looks like I need to be more proactive.'

Now that it had come to this, appealing to the Divine Throne of Storms, who had shown interest in him, became even more crucial.

If he could win his favor, the god might grant him a spot, just like the Goddess of Luck had.

'No matter how much I learn about the world of Constellations, there’s always more to uncover…'

Sanghyun shook his head in disbelief. He thought he knew a lot, but there was still so much more to learn.

After a deep sleep, Sanghyun headed straight to Ham Jiyeon’s orphanage in the morning, as planned.

6 a.m.

It was quite early, yet when he arrived, Ham Jiyeon was already fully dressed, even with full makeup applied.

If someone saw her, they might think she was heading to a blind date—her outfit was strikingly bold.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?"

"Where?"

"To meet you, Sanghyun."

"I didn't come here to have a long conversation."

"I’m joking! After talking to you, I have a meeting with some stakeholders. I also have some business in Seoul."

She usually dressed casually, at most applying some basic makeup.

But seeing her fully dolled up like this was a refreshing change.

Especially with her naturally thick double eyelids, her dark eyeliner gave her a strikingly seductive look.

"I’ll get straight to the point. And don’t take this as a request, but as a notice. Make sure you understand that."

"Wow, scary."

Sanghyun quickly explained the plan for the pizza restaurant he intended to build next to the orphanage, as well as the financial support he would provide.

He had already calculated everything, from the estimated budget to the ongoing maintenance costs.

"Thank you, Sanghyun."

"I just want to contribute to someone as dedicated to the children as you are."

"One billion won isn’t a small amount. And it’s money I initially refused to accept."

"That’s why I’m ‘donating’ it. However, this is an unconditional donation—no option to refuse, haha."

Sanghyun laughed awkwardly.

Some people liked to flaunt their generosity even with small acts of kindness, making a big deal out of it.

But that didn’t suit him.

Even when making a significant contribution, he preferred to do so quietly, without expecting grand displays of gratitude.

"Sanghyun, you seem to have everything—good looks, a kind heart, and you’re a complete powerhouse as a player."

"Jiyeon, you really have a passive skill for compliments."

"I admit it! But I don’t say things I don’t mean. If I compliment you, it’s because I genuinely feel that way."

"Anyway, let’s move forward with this. Discuss the restaurant name with the assistant director."

"Got it! Thanks so much!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ham Jiyeon naturally pulled Sanghyun into a hug.

It wasn’t a romantic embrace but one filled with genuine gratitude.

"A firm handshake or a simple thank you didn’t feel enough. The kids at the orphanage love giving hugs."

Her explanation eased any awkwardness from the hug.

Sanghyun returned the embrace briefly, silently hoping that some of his warmth would reach the children as well.

That day, at noon.

Arriving at the gate, Sanghyun took a deep breath.

"He really came alone?"

"I’m jealous. How does he have the guts to enter a gate solo? I’d be terrified."

The association staff guarding the gate watched him with amazement.

Solo expeditions were rare.

It made sense—whether it was a dungeon, a gate, or a rift, these areas were unpredictable battle zones where anything could happen.

Places where one constantly faced death.

Being there alone meant that if things went south, no one would be there to help.

A minimum of two people must be present to receive rescue or assistance in case of emergencies.

"It's Shin Sanghyun. He must have thought it through."

"I'm jealous. Over a hundred billion won in three months! How much is my three-month salary again?"

"Are you the same as Shin Sanghyun? If you just swung that greatsword once, your head would fly off like a bundle of straw."

"Don't hit me with facts like that. It really hurts."

"I'm hitting you because I want it to hurt, idiot."

Sanghyun could hear their conversation clearly, but he ignored it and moved straight toward the dungeon.

From now on, being the object of admiration or envious gazes would become an everyday occurrence.

Getting swayed by each of these emotions or responding to them would only lead to exhaustion.

'Blood-Drinking Sword, I must obtain it.'

Reaffirming his resolve, Sanghyun stepped into the gate.

Now was the time to claim his future in a place untouched by Sword Demon Dokgo Yoon.

As soon as he entered, Sanghyun's vision took in two paths: one was a smooth road that anyone would recognize as the main route.

The other, no matter how he looked at it, seemed riddled with traps, swarming with insects and venomous snakes.

Some players intentionally chose the rough path.

They believed that paths designed to be avoided offered equivalent rewards. Sanghyun thought the same.

However, there was no such thing as a route filled only with easy gains. Trials were inevitable.

"I still have to visit Japan's Dotonbori River. At this rate, I'll end up traveling the world."

Striding forward with long steps, Sanghyun suddenly chuckled at the thought.

He had assumed that returning to the past with full knowledge of the future would be the happiest thing in the world.

But experiencing it firsthand, he realized that wasn't the case.

There were too many rewards he didn’t want to yield to others, making him more and more greedy.

With only one body, he had to make choices and focus, as special opportunities and events unfolded simultaneously across different places and times.

The Break Spot Dungeon beneath the surface of the Dotonbori River was one he could never give up.

It was a dungeon where experience point gains were maximized, allowing for dramatic level-ups.

Gaining over ten levels?

That was nothing in that dungeon.

Of course, that was assuming he could obtain the first-clear bonus.

"For now, this is a fairly smooth battle."

Swinging his greatsword with a few powerful rotations, Sanghyun loosened the slight tension in his upper body.

Slowly, he began sensing the presence of monsters hiding behind bushes and trees, waiting to ambush him.

His detection skill visualized the locations of these lurking monsters as red light sources.

Fortunately, their numbers weren’t overwhelming, meaning he could handle them in a head-on clash or even guerrilla warfare if necessary.

"I have no interest in small fry."

Paaat!

With a brave charge skill, Sanghyun sprinted forward.

The initial monsters were nothing more than lightly armed orcs or ogres—hardly worth calling snacks.

Two hours later.

"Level 132. I gained two levels already."

Sanghyun smiled in satisfaction as he looked at his steadily rising experience bar.

He was at a point where even large-scale monster hordes wouldn’t be too much trouble.

But only small squads of four or five kept appearing, making them easy to handle for him.

Each time, he simply concentrated his firepower and crushed them from the start.

"Thanks to that, I leveled up my skills nicely. These were skills I really wanted to push to level 5. Did I use them as punching bags too much?"

At some point, it felt less like fighting and more like practicing to raise his skill levels.

This gate was recommended for level 200 players, yet the general monsters felt completely unthreatening.

//s_win

//win_h 『Two-Handed Sword Training』

■ Skill Level: 5 (0.4%)

■ Skill Description: Grants perfect adaptability to all swords except daggers and one-handed swords.

//e_win

Provides an additional 10% damage on all attacks.

Upon reaching level 5, Two-Handed Sword Training granted a new option that added bonus damage to all attacks.

For Sanghyun, who always landed critical hits thanks to the Goddess of Luck, this was the perfect upgrade.

//s_win

//win_h 『Back Step』

■ Skill Level: 5 (0.3%)

■ Skill Description: Instantly moves 6 meters backward, granting complete immunity to all status effects during the movement.

//e_win

With Back Step reaching level 5, its first milestone was complete, unlocking a new option.

The immunity lasted only for a fleeting moment, but having such an option was incredibly valuable.

A zero percent chance of success and a one hundred percent chance depending on timing were worlds apart.

"This is a nice upgrade to complete before reaching the Blood Lake."

Looking at his upgraded skills, Sanghyun felt pleased.

Level, artifacts, skills—

Constantly growing without stopping in any aspect! Nothing was more enjoyable than that.

"The problem starts now."

Sanghyun frowned as he looked ahead at the vast swamp.

His ultimate goal, the Blood Lake, where the Blood-Drinking Sword awaited.

But before reaching it, he had to overcome the greatest obstacle—the swamp, reeking of filth and danger.