Chapter 89

Chapter 89: The Sword Demon’s Token - (1)

Sword Demon Do Kyungsoo.

The one who boarded the elevator with him was his younger sister, Do Kyunghye.

Unlike her popular older brother, Do Kyunghye, a buffer player, was the quiet type.

She did not engage in social media or media interviews at all, to the extent that very few people knew Do Kyungsoo even had a younger sister.

'I realized that siblings could look so different when I saw the Do siblings.'

Sanghyun had once seen the two from afar.

They were certainly different.

Unlike Do Kyungsoo, who had pale white skin and strikingly red lips in contrast,

Do Kyunghye had tanned skin and did not wear any makeup, giving her a much healthier appearance.

That remained true even now.

Their preferences were so different that, if they did not speak, they could be mistaken for strangers.

"……"

Do Kyunghye remained silent.

She recognized Sanghyun but simply opened her smartphone and averted her gaze.

The one who actively acknowledged him was Do Kyungsoo.

"Shin Sanghyun, you were a resident of Town Gold Dong?"

"I never expected your younger sister to become my next-door neighbor. It’s nice to meet you."

Sanghyun greeted Do Kyungsoo. He did not take issue with Do Kyungsoo’s informal tone.

Compared to Sanghyun, who was twenty-five this year, Do Kyungsoo was ten years older. He must have been aware of the age gap himself.

Vroooom.

The elevator descended toward the fifth basement floor without stopping once.

Sanghyun intended to press the first-floor button, but he got caught up in the conversation with Do Kyungsoo and missed the timing.

"It's the first time we're speaking directly, but it doesn’t feel like it, probably because of what happened at Gangnam Station, right?"

"I think so."

"The video came out spectacularly. My younger sister replayed it multiple times."

"Oppa!"

"I wasn’t lying."

"You’re always unnecessarily honest……."

Do Kyunghye blushed and completely turned away. It seemed her brother’s revelation had embarrassed her.

Do Kyungsoo asked,

"Do you have time?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Who else would I be asking besides my younger sister?"

Sanghyun, who usually answered immediately, hesitated this time.

He never imagined he would get to see Do Kyungsoo up close like this.

Of course, he had met many named players before.

Jo Jinho, Shin Taeri, Han Hyunjeong, Song Gyujung, and others.

They were all impressive individuals, but none were people Sanghyun particularly idolized.

However, Do Kyungsoo was different.

Even now, and in the past, he had always been one of the named swordsmen Sanghyun wanted to emulate.

Do Kyungsoo’s personality, manners, and skill had no flaws. He was the future Sanghyun aspired to.

That made him nervous.

At the same time, he was curious to learn more about the man he had always observed from a distance.

"I was just heading out for a walk, so I have plenty of time."

"A walk! That's a great hobby. Then how about taking a drive to the outskirts in my car?"

"Just the two of us, as men?"

"Hahaha! Why not?"

Sanghyun couldn’t help but laugh at Do Kyungsoo’s hearty response.

Even now and in the past, Sanghyun had always preferred moving alone.

He rarely found himself alone with someone in a car or having a deep conversation.

While they were talking, the elevator reached its destination, and the doors opened.

"Kyunghye, there’s nothing else you need to say, right?"

"Oppa, are you really okay?"

"If I weren’t okay, I wouldn’t have come to see you. Mom is sending kimchi tomorrow, so make sure to receive the package."

"You’re always nagging……."

"I’m leaving. Make sure to greet our upstairs neighbor properly next time."

"See you again, Shin Sanghyun."

Do Kyunghye hesitated, then quickly bowed with her hair in a messy apple bun before hurriedly closing the door and going back up.

She seemed shy, the complete opposite of her brother, who easily spoke to strangers.

—

Some time later.

Following Do Kyungsoo’s guidance, Sanghyun took the passenger seat, and their unexpected drive began.

Sanghyun had expected Do Kyungsoo to drive an expensive sports car, but reality was different.

His car was a small, practical compact car, perfect for everyday use. Its modest size even made it look cute.

It was nice to see.

Spending money extravagantly did not necessarily prove one’s worth.

"The car’s a bit beaten up, isn’t it?"

"Not at all. It actually makes you seem frugal, which is admirable."

"Spending money on cars feels like a waste. That money could be used to upgrade myself or my Sword Demon Sword God team’s specs."

It was a thought process befitting Do Kyungsoo.

Sanghyun wholeheartedly agreed.

However, from his side view, Do Kyungsoo looked even paler than before.

Rumors claimed that Do Kyungsoo was a vampire who thirsted for human blood.

Of course, since he had never confirmed or denied it, the truth remained a mystery.

‘He must have the Psychedelic skill too.’

The Psychedelic skill Sanghyun possessed was also something Do Kyungsoo had.

Of course, compared to Sanghyun's skill, which had changed to Over Psychedelic thanks to skill enhancement, it was an artifact of the past.

At least in terms of Psychedelic, Sanghyun was more than a step ahead of Do Kyungsoo.

"I've heard a lot of rumors, and I've gathered plenty of direct information. You have a very enviable ability as a swordsman."

"I merely have quite a few tricks. The depth of my swordsmanship is still shallow and insignificant. I have a long way to go."

As soon as Sanghyun finished speaking, Do Kyungsoo stepped on the accelerator, increasing the speed of the car heading toward the outskirts.

Not answering immediately and only increasing speed made it feel like he could not agree with that statement.

"Humility is your passive skill, huh."

"It’s not incorrect."

Because he was in front of Do Kyungsoo, Sanghyun was more cautious with his words.

At the same time, he could feel that Do Kyungsoo viewed him as special, which made him even more polite.

"Do you know what the most important factor was when I formed the Sword Demon-Sword God team?"

"I heard it was whether one possessed status ailment skills."

"That's right. Dungeons and gates have all kinds of monsters. What do you think is the most effective way to attack these creatures? Overpowering them with damage?"

Sanghyun shook his head.

Then, Do Kyungsoo continued speaking.

"That's right, it’s not. When considering the increasing level of monsters, there’s a clear limit to the strategy of simply overpowering them with specs."

"I agree."

"I believed that tormenting monsters with various status ailments was the answer, and my prediction wasn’t wrong."

"Hmm."

"But possessing skills that induce status ailments is not so easy. And even if one does have them, their duration is often too short."

Sanghyun quietly smiled as he reviewed his own skills, which had long-lasting durations.

Each one was certainly a skill with a strong impact.

Take Demon Bash, for example—it induced stiffness for 3.0 seconds. And on top of that, it had a 100% chance of extending that duration by another 3.0 seconds.

Do Kyungsoo added more to his words.

"But you, not just for me but even within our team, possess an abundance of rare status ailment options. To put it simply, you handle the role of several of our elite team members by yourself."

"A single exceptional resource capable of replacing multiple people. That’s how you see it."

"Exactly. That’s what makes you special. You gather multiple roles into one person—that’s you."

"Thank you."

"To be honest, I'm envious. I don’t have a single skill like that. No matter how much effort I put in, some things just can't be obtained."

It could have been a rather bitter remark, but instead, Do Kyungsoo wore an amused expression.

It seemed like he considered such handicaps necessary to stimulate his desire as a player.

"For me, I envy Do Kyungsoo-nim’s refined swordsmanship the most."

"That’s putting it nicely. To put it another way, it's old-fashioned. Everything has its pros and cons."

Just like Sanghyun, who was never satisfied with the present, Do Kyungsoo seemed to share a similar mindset.

Before they knew it, the two had entered a road far removed from civilization, embraced by the scent of nature.

A pleasant grassy aroma drifted in through the slightly opened window. It was the wind blowing from the mountains.

Do Kyungsoo glanced at Sanghyun, smiled, and continued speaking.

"I'm someone who knows only the sword, so I truly like people who wield the sword. As long as they’re not enemies, I consider them all comrades."

"Then I must be a comrade."

"That’s right. You haven’t become an enemy yet, after all."

While he believed that dividing things in such a binary manner wasn’t necessarily good, there was a certain romance to Do Kyungsoo’s way of thinking.

"Haha. I’ll have to be careful not to become an enemy. I wouldn’t want to go against the nation’s most elite player team."

"A sword does not lie. A blade that strikes aimlessly can kill no one—not even a fly. It is honest."

"I agree."

Magic could cause massive destruction even when cast aimlessly, but a sword was much simpler than that.

"You’ve only used swords, right?"

"Yes. Ever since I awakened as a player, I’ve walked the path of swordsmanship."

To others, Sanghyun's swordsmanship career was only two years old—the exact length of the player era.

However, including his past life, it was actually 32 years. Of course, this was a secret he could never tell anyone.

"Only two years, then. It’s barely enough time to grip the sword’s hilt properly. It’s like a baby taking its first steps, isn’t it?"

"That’s right."

"Haha! I’m joking, joking. I think you have plenty of potential. No, you already have it."

Since he knew it was a joke, he played along, and Do Kyungsoo quickly turned it into a compliment instead.

It seemed he wasn’t the type to carelessly hurt others with his words.

"I always strive to improve. I also make sure to stay vigilant against complacency."

"Good, I like that. I’ve talked long enough. There's something I want to ask."

"Ask away."

"Would you be interested in joining our Sword Demon-Sword God team for a large-scale raid?"

"Are there any conditions?"

"None at all. You don’t need to join our team, and you don’t have to pay any participation fees. You’d simply be taking part as a mercenary. And one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"We promise to respect and treat you as a mercenary. You’ll receive the same full support as our team."

"You mean in terms of equipment and artifact loans."

"Exactly. Simply put, we won’t impose any shackles that might inconvenience you."

It was a significant offer!

Do Kyungsoo’s team wasn’t one that anyone could join just because they wanted to.

If they deemed someone unnecessary, even well-known figures like Jo Jinho or Shin Taeri couldn’t get in.

Yet now, the team’s leader himself was personally offering Sanghyun a chance to participate as a mercenary.

It was a decision that could only be made if Do Kyungsoo had absolute confidence in Sanghyun.

"What kind of dungeon is it?"

"There are many candidates. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that it will be a large-scale raid."

A large-scale raid.

It was completely different from any dungeon or gate Sanghyun had tackled so far.

Once entered, it would be an enormous project requiring at least one to two weeks of dedicated effort.

Even the number of porters alone would exceed 2.5 times the total number of players.

‘A truly great opportunity has come.’

He absolutely didn’t want to miss it.

Clenching his fist tightly, Sanghyun expressed his desire more actively than ever before to Do Kyungsoo.

"I definitely want to participate."