Chapter 90: The Sword Demon’s Token - (2)
Large-scale raids provide unimaginable experience points and rewards proportional to the time invested.
This was the most definite reason why Do Kyungsoo and the Sword Demon-Sword God team were growing at such a rapid pace.
Of course, nothing comes for free.
From the very beginning, the raid unfolds as a continuous series of crises.
In a standard raid, a monster horde typically consists of a few dozen to, at most, a hundred enemies.
But in large-scale raids, what is considered a horde starts in the thousands. Ten thousand? That’s not even rare.
‘Still, it’s quite tempting.’
It was an offer that was truly hard to refuse.
Do Kyungsoo making such a proposal first was something to be grateful for, and it made Sanghyun proud, as it acknowledged his skills.
At that moment, Do Kyungsoo took something out from his inner pocket and handed it to Sanghyun.
It was a peculiar dagger, entirely coated in gold.
“What is this?”
“A golden dagger. It’s not just gold-plated. Everything except the blade is made of pure gold.”
“Why are you suddenly giving me this…?”
“It’s proof that you can meet me. You could call it a kind of pass. A sign that you shouldn’t think of me as difficult to approach.”
“That’s quite a significant item.”
“I told you, right? If someone isn’t my enemy, they’re my friend. Consider this a gesture of goodwill towards a friend.”
Perhaps because of the meaning attached to it, the golden dagger looked even more impressive.
Sanghyun wasn’t sure if he would ever need to visit Do Kyungsoo personally, but life was unpredictable.
He carefully placed the dagger into his inner pocket. It was something he absolutely couldn’t afford to lose.
They soon arrived at their destination.
Sanghyun and Do Kyungsoo walked along a path that ran beside a mountain.
The fresh scent of nature, something rarely experienced in the city, was a refreshing change of pace.
“This is a mountain and land I purchased. Feel free to walk around comfortably. No one else will come in.”
“I thought so.”
He had wondered why there were two guards at the entrance—it seemed they were there to keep outsiders away.
Sanghyun also had dreams of buying his own land and creating his ideal space once he earned enough money.
As someone who loved training, his dream was to build a large personal training ground.
Even to replicate the training facilities he had seen in Han Hyunjeong’s office would require at least several hundred billion won.
At that moment, Do Kyungsoo looked at an argon lamp that had just flickered on and continued speaking.
“Where did you learn swordsmanship?”
“I taught myself.”
“Seriously?”
“There’s no reason to hide it.”
Sanghyun’s swordsmanship was, in the truest sense, self-taught.
He had never sought instruction from anyone; he had trained purely by researching and discovering techniques on his own.
That was why people often criticized his swordsmanship in the past, saying it was crude and inefficient.
It wasn’t always concise or refined.
But Sanghyun never cared.
As long as his sword could cut properly, nothing else mattered to him. That belief still held true.
“So your only master was yourself! That’s truly impressive. And you trained your resistance to status effects with that foundation?”
“That’s right.”
“For someone like me, who practices a refined, aristocratic swordsmanship, that’s the most enviable concept. Raw, untamed instinct—that’s what I admire.”
“In reality, it’s just rough and disorderly.”
“That’s precisely what makes it great! It’s unpredictable! There’s nothing scarier than a sword that can’t be anticipated.”
Do Kyungsoo spoke with conviction, and Sanghyun could feel his sincerity.
Do Kyungsoo continued.
“I was taught everything about swordsmanship by my master. You’ve probably heard the name—Park Gwanghyuk. The man I supposedly killed in a duel to the death.”
“Huh? That person… was your master?”
It was unexpected.
According to what Sanghyun knew, Park Gwanghyuk had died in a life-or-death battle against Do Kyungsoo.
Back then, Do Kyungsoo was an unknown player, while Park Gwanghyuk was one of the early star players of the Player Era.
Everyone believed their rivalry had spiraled into a heated competition that ended tragically.
But hearing it from Do Kyungsoo himself was a complete surprise.
“My master had a terminal illness. To pass down his final teachings, he proposed a duel to the death.”
“That’s really unexpected.”
“You can believe it or not—I won’t hold it against you. But my master’s sacrifice made me who I am today.”
Sanghyun wondered why Do Kyungsoo was sharing such deep personal thoughts with him.
But after calming his emotions, he could understand.
Perhaps Do Kyungsoo had no one he could truly open up to.
Most people and players feared him, believing the baseless rumors about him.
But today, the Do Kyungsoo Sanghyun saw was nothing like the image people painted of him.
He was just a man, a brother scolded by his younger sister at home, and now, someone sincerely sharing his thoughts.
Do Kyungsoo didn’t look down on him or underestimate him—he treated him as an equal, a fellow swordsman.
On top of that, he had sincerely extended an offer for Sanghyun to join the large-scale raid as a mercenary, making this meeting all the more remarkable.
Seeing someone he once admired now expressing envy towards him—this was something he had never witnessed in his previous life.
‘I also used to think of Do Kyungsoo as nothing but a ruthless killer. Was I mistaken? At this moment, it certainly seems that way…’
Of course, this could all be an elaborate facade.
But if it were, why would Do Kyungsoo go to such lengths to craft an image just for him?
Sanghyun was indeed walking the path of a named player, but he was still just a rising star.
If Do Kyungsoo truly needed to shape his image, he would have done so through journalists and media outlets, not with Sanghyun.
After a brief silence, Do Kyungsoo suddenly smirked and looked up at the sky, as if amused by a thought.
“Kyunghye told me not to get close to just anyone… But that’s easier said than done. I like fellow swordsmen. I always want them by my side.”
Sanghyun thought that Do Kyungsoo truly seemed like someone who purely loved the sword.
There was too much sincerity in his actions for it to be mere acting.
Sanghyun, who had quite sharp insight, did not feel any awkward emotions from him.
"You seem pure."
"That's right. By the way, it's been a long time since I've had such a deep conversation with someone like this."
"Is that so?"
"Everyone else always lowers themselves before me and doesn't know what to do when speaking. But you listened and responded at eye level."
"It's not really anything special."
"Maybe so. But that kind of normalcy is oddly not permitted for me. Maybe that's why I talked so much."
"I also enjoyed it a lot."
"If you're okay with it, how about exchanging contact information privately?"
"This is the first time a man has so aggressively asked for my number."
"Take this chance to make a companion—not a boyfriend, no, that sounds weird—a friend to share swordsmanship with when needed."
"That would be an honor for me."
"An honor for me as well. Don't forget. I believe that this meeting today will be a meaningful moment where I had an honest talk with a future named figure."
Even if it was just words, everything Do Kyungsoo said gave Sanghyun strength and joy.
He was happy.
There was nothing more fulfilling than feeling cherished and observed by a skilled person he admired.
The bond formed today, by coincidence in the elevator, felt truly valuable.
Perhaps this was why people say you never know what the future holds.
That night.
After riding Do Kyungsoo’s car back to Player Town, Sanghyun entered his new home in the Gold District.
Seeing Do Kyungsoo’s name newly added to his friends list on his messaging app gave him a new sense of sentimentality.
Kyungsoo had said that if Sanghyun wished, he could even become his swordsmanship mentor. It was an overwhelming kindness.
"I’ve got a lot to do."
The Kaeseong Subjugation War would begin the day after tomorrow.
And a four-player dungeon raid with Kim Miso, Kang Juhee, and Park Taeseok was also scheduled in advance.
On top of that, Do Kyungsoo had proposed a large-scale raid, which Sanghyun had accepted, so the information should arrive soon.
According to Kyungsoo, they would depart within two weeks at the latest, with detailed explanations coming within the week.
"Phew."
As his tense body relaxed, Sanghyun collapsed onto the sofa.
Although he had spoken comfortably with Do Kyungsoo, his body had remained in a state of tension the entire time.
While lying there absentmindedly, he received a call from Ham Jiyeon.
"Yes, Jiyeon."
< Sanghyun! I'm sorry about yesterday! I missed my chance to replenish my nutrition and ended up being a burden on you... >
"It’s fine. In fact, I’m grateful that you supported me until the very end. It was the best strategy."
< I reported the gate, and the official in charge asked if there was a strategy guide. So, I told them about you. >
"Good job. I’ll handle the negotiations. How much do you want?"
< Like I said before, I'm fine with just the Magic Stones. You were the leader of the strategy from start to finish, so I don’t have any greed. >
"Are you sure?"
< If you really want to compensate me, just send me a bunch of pizza vouchers. That way, I can order whenever I feel like it. >
"Alright. If I receive the strategy guide fee, I might as well open a pizza shop next to the orphanage."
< That... actually sounds tempting. >
"Once the negotiations are settled, I’ll inform you right away. Even if we disregard the cash reward, we should still share progress. We were a team."
< Got it. Then get some rest! >
As soon as Ham Jiyeon hung up, Sanghyun received the contact information of the Player Union staff handling the strategy guide registration and sale.
It was Igah Hee.
Although she belonged to the scouting team, she was assigned to this case due to her familiarity with Sanghyun.
He immediately called her, but she didn’t answer. So, he sent a short text stating that he had a strategy guide available.
"Tonight, I'll review the battle and do some long-overdue typing. Strategy handovers must be documented."
Grabbing an iced Americano from the fridge, Sanghyun sat at the table and opened his laptop.
It was time to vigorously tap away at the keyboard of his cute little laptop, rather than swinging a large, heavy greatsword.
Two days later.
The day of the Kaeseong Subjugation War arrived.
Based on the personal numbering he assigned, today marked the second subjugation battle.
'In my past life, I never even got to see the Kaeseong Field. Now, I’m a core member.'
It felt surreal.
Over the past two days, he had cross-verified the data he received from Kim Miso with his past life memories.
He was fully prepared.
His plan was to clear his assigned route solo while also targeting a gate he had set his eyes on for a while.
Then, he would meet up with Lee Sehwa, who had become his enthusiastic fan, at the first rendezvous point and continue the strategy.
"Hmph."
Sanghyun pulled out the golden dagger Do Kyungsoo had given him from his inner pocket and smiled.
A burning desire to one day surpass the ever-mighty Do Kyungsoo!
For that goal—
He planned to give it his all in this subjugation battle, just as he always had.
The land flowing with milk and honey was not so far away.