Chapter 91: Second Kaeseong Subjugation Battle - (1)
Sanghyun first met Kim Miso at the rendezvous point.
Even if they acted separately during the subjugation battle, they had to travel together.
Sanghyun’s SH Guild, which was practically a one-person guild, didn’t yet have a military truck to traverse dangerous fields.
However, since the Eden Guild had plenty of such trucks, they could make good use of them for transportation.
Whether it was intentional or not, the only person assigned to the truck Sanghyun was on was Kim Miso.
Thanks to that, the two of them sat across from each other in the spacious, secure seats of the military truck, conversing.
"Oppa, the Black Gate sale has been settled."
It was welcome news.
Previously, the Player Union had offered an absurdly low price of 2.5 billion won, causing the negotiations to fall through.
Kim Miso had taken responsibility, promising to get the best price possible. How much had she raised it to?
"What’s the offer?"
"11 billion won!"
"You worked hard. You really did a great job."
This was more than satisfactory.
Of course, no one was losing out.
If the Player Union continued to attack the gate using the strategy, they would reap plenty of rewards.
"The settlement should be completed soon! Then, as we discussed beforehand, I’ll deposit 8.8 billion won. Since we agreed on an 80:20 split!"
"A solid strategy really is a valuable asset."
"Of course. It’s not something that can be easily established, right? It’s an asset worthy of that price."
Sanghyun nodded.
A well-organized strategy allowed later challengers to minimize casualties.
The greatest benefit was significantly reducing fatalities.
The sale price of a strategy was essentially a form of life insurance.
When later challengers attempted the gate, they were paying for the safety measures that would keep them alive.
‘I also need to discuss the gate I conquered with Ham Jiyeon with Igah Hee. I should use this as a reference for pricing.’
A smile naturally formed on his lips.
Just like the Black Gate, the recent gate conquest with Ham Jiyeon had been difficult. He needed to secure a good price for it.
At that moment, Kim Miso brought up another topic.
"Ah, right. Oppa, about that gate we talked about before."
"Yeah."
She was referring to the gate where Sanghyun had expressed his intent to go in order to obtain the Blood-Drinking Sword.
This dungeon had already been cleared, so he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the perks of a first-time conquest.
However, he knew where to find the Blood-Drinking Sword, the greatsword artifact that the Sword Devil, Dokgo Yoon, had acquired in his past life.
That’s why he intended to claim it first.
"Thirty minutes before I met you, the approval came through. You’re next in line after the current raid team finishes."
"That was fast."
"Hehe. I pulled some strings."
"You really put in a lot of effort. Thank you so much. I’ll make sure to compensate you properly."
"What compensation? Like I said before, just seriously consider joining our guild."
Kim Miso cautiously broached the topic.
It was because Sanghyun’s status and reputation were rising by the day.
"I still don’t have any plans to join a guild. But let me make one thing clear."
"What is it?"
"If Eden Guild ever requests cooperation, as long as my schedule isn’t packed, I’ll consider it favorably."
"There are many types of cooperation."
"Dungeon, gate, and rift strategies, right? I don’t want to get involved in faction wars."
Sanghyun calmly conveyed what he had been thinking all along.
His decision wasn’t made out of sentimentality toward Kim Miso or Eden Guild’s goodwill.
It was because Eden Guild’s infrastructure and internal connections had the potential to be highly beneficial to him in the future.
At the same time, by drawing a line against getting involved in faction conflicts, he also made the nature of their cooperation clear.
"Oppa, just hypothetically speaking."
"Yeah?"
"What if our Eden Guild offered you a signing bonus of 100 billion won... no, 200 billion won?"
"I’d be tempted. But I probably wouldn’t sign. Haha."
Sanghyun’s laughter was genuine.
It was a huge sum of money.
But to Sanghyun, it wasn’t an unattainable amount. It was money he could earn if he tried.
In South Korea, guild contracts required a minimum of three years of exclusivity under the standard agreement.
Eden Guild was one of the undisputed top three guilds in the country.
However, it was also a problematic one.
It constantly vied for the number one and two spots, but its relationships with the Sun and Jeongpung Guilds were terrible.
If things progressed as Sanghyun remembered, Eden Guild would continue to face interference from both guilds.
In just a few months, Eden Guild would start losing critical dungeon and gate conquest permits to those two guilds.
This was because the Sun and Jeongpung Guilds would launch a massive lobbying effort with the Player Union to strip Eden Guild of its privileges.
It was the beginning of a guild war—a new Warring States period for countless guilds.
That’s why Sanghyun didn’t want to settle in one place. It was too great a strategic risk.
"You really are something, Oppa. I thought you were extraordinary from the moment we first met, but you’re quite greedy."
"I’ll admit that. I am greedy. But I want you to know this—I’m always grateful to you. Truly."
"Ah!"
Seeing Sanghyun bow his head politely, Kim Miso instinctively reciprocated.
"Thank you for everything."
"Oppa! Why are you suddenly giving me such a deep bow? That’s so embarrassing..."
"Didn’t you know? This is how I usually express my gratitude."
"Forget it! No need for that between us."
"It’s only proper etiquette between collaborators."
"Do you really think of me as just a collaborator?"
"Well, isn’t that what we are?"
"Maybe... maybe not? Wait a second, I just got a work message."
At Sanghyun's question, Kim Miso hesitated, blushing, and turned her gaze to her smartphone.
Sanghyun felt like he knew what the 'other thing' Kim Miso was referring to. No, he was sure of it.
He wasn't oblivious, nor was he unaware of the weight and depth of the time they had spent together.
However, deepening their relationship beyond a professional one and into an emotional one was a completely different matter.
Right now, he only wanted to focus on his growth. Although he had grown rapidly, his level had only barely surpassed 100.
He still had a long way to go.
If he wanted to resolve the regrets of his past life, he at least had to become the number one ranked swordsman player in the country.
Even then, he wouldn't be completely satisfied!
With the five renowned swordsmen still standing strong, he had no intention of settling for his current position.
Some time later.
When Sanghyun and Kim Miso arrived at the base camp, which would be the starting point for the second subjugation battle, they were greeted by Lee Sehwa.
Having heard that Sanghyun was coming, she had personally visited Eden Guild's waiting area.
As soon as she saw Sanghyun, she ran over and eagerly extended her hand for a handshake, speaking warmly.
"It's a shame! I wanted to fight alongside you from the very first battle, but I heard you were assigned a separate personal route?"
"That's how it turned out."
"But after we gather at the first checkpoint, you'll be with us, right?"
"Of course. If I didn't, I feel like you would chase me all the way to hell."
"That's right! I joined this subjugation battle under the assumption that you would be participating. Hahaha!"
Lee Sehwa's shoulders shook with both excitement and anticipation.
Sanghyun didn't dislike that about her. He felt the same anticipation.
However, Kim Miso, who was awkwardly watching the situation, didn't look pleased.
The attention from the association was certainly burdensome. They had enough influence to persuade Sanghyun by controlling access to dungeons and gate clearances.
In fact, the reason why Do Kyungsoo's Sword Demon-Sword God team maintained a close relationship with the association was precisely because of this.
They quickly granted the team clearance to raid any dungeon or gate they desired.
Though Do Kyungsoo hadn't officially joined the association, many experts still considered him part of their faction.
"Well then, I'll see you later! The weather is nice! Seems like a perfect day to burn with passion!"
"See you at the checkpoint."
While Sanghyun and Lee Sehwa exchanged friendly farewells,
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri, watching from a distance, were reading a newly published article on Player News.
【Shin Sanghyun! A secret emergency meeting with Do Kyungsoo of the Sword Demon-Sword God team! Is team recruitment imminent?】
【Japan's S Guild joins the fight for Shin Sanghyun? At least 50 billion yen locked and loaded?】
It wasn't from The Player’s Journal but rather from a tabloid notorious for spreading rumors, so the credibility was questionable.
The problem was the photo taken by the paparazzi, which clearly showed Sanghyun and Do Kyungsoo together.
There was no fabrication—the image was unmistakable. It showed the two of them walking along a trail, engaged in conversation.
Just then, having finished his conversation with Lee Sehwa, Sanghyun was walking toward them with Kim Miso.
Jo Jinho gestured to stop Shin Taeri, but she couldn't hold back her curiosity and spoke first.
"Sanghyun."
"Yes?"
"Have you decided to join the Sword Demon-Sword God team?"
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"An article just came out."
Sanghyun glanced at Shin Taeri's smartphone and, after reading the photo and article, let out a small laugh.
Considering Do Kyungsoo's status, it was obvious that paparazzi would follow him 24/7.
He had never expected their meeting to remain a secret.
Baseless rumors and exposés were the fate of the famous. It didn’t even faze him.
"Do Kyungsoo’s younger sister. She lives in the apartment right below mine in the Jamsil Player Town Gold complex. We just happened to run into each other in the elevator."
"And that led to a conversation?"
"It turned out that way. I didn't expect to talk with him that deeply either."
Sanghyun spoke casually, but Shin Taeri’s eyes wavered as she listened.
Do Kyungsoo wasn’t someone who would secretly engage in a conversation out of mere curiosity.
She knew him—maybe not entirely, but enough to be certain of that.
‘He’s not the same Sanghyun I first met. How can someone’s standing change so drastically in just a few days?’
Shin Taeri was confused.
She was also considered a named player, but her growth process had been long and arduous.
At least a year.
More than a year of grueling challenges and trials of growth had finally allowed her to rise above the rest.
But Sanghyun?
It had barely been a month since he had truly made a name for himself.
This level of rapid growth was something neither Shin Taeri, Jo Jinho, nor even Do Kyungsoo had ever achieved.
"……"
A heavy silence fell.
Shin Taeri, Jo Jinho, and Kim Miso—all three of them found it difficult to respond to Sanghyun’s composed reaction.
In the past, Sanghyun had only been noticed by a few close acquaintances.
But now that Do Kyungsoo’s name had been mentioned!
Sanghyun’s value had skyrocketed with that alone. His competition was elevating to a whole new level.
"Aren’t we heading out?"
Whether he knew how complicated their feelings were or not, Sanghyun nonchalantly urged them to move on to their next mission.