Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Unstoppable Growth - (3)

Rattle, rattle. Clack!

The undead mage pulled something from his pocket and threw a black bottle at Sanghyun.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary water bottle, but of course, it was anything but ordinary.

A backward movement to evade.

By now, this evasive maneuver had become one of Sanghyun's specialties, something he was extremely familiar with.

In the past, using just one or two back steps made his entire body feel as if it were breaking apart in pain.

Now, his body had fully adapted, and the most he felt was a momentary shift in his center of gravity.

If he pushed himself too hard, it only felt like his body was getting heavier. It was manageable.

Boom! Boom!

"As expected."

Just as he had predicted, the bottle thrown by the undead mage was an explosive with incredible flammability.

A cloud of fire soared high into the sky, and an undead archer lurking nearby was instantly incinerated.

The undead mage continued to distance itself from Sanghyun. But all it accomplished was making Sanghyun stronger as he gave chase.

Whether it knew this or not.

The undead mage, having gained some distance, fired a blazing black sphere at Sanghyun.

Tatata! Tat!

Sanghyun charged forward, intending to break through head-on. Once he activated the skill 『Will to Charge』, there was no turning back.

At that moment.

Shooaaah! Boom!

A spell arced through the air and intercepted the black flame before it could reach him.

'Nice support.'

A smile crept onto his lips.

This was teamwork.

Just as Sanghyun had paved the way for Lee Sehwa, Lee Sehwa was now doing the same for him.

The front-line magic that could have hindered his charge was cleared away in an instant.

Roaaaar!

As Sanghyun closed in at an even faster speed, the undead mage panicked and frantically signaled the archers.

Sanghyun invested a generous amount of mana to create a defensive barrier around his body and pressed forward.

Four archers in his path fired mana arrows at him.

Thump! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The arrows struck with dull sounds but failed to leave even a scratch on his skin, dissipating uselessly.

In contrast—

Slash! Swish! Splat! Slash!

Each of the four archers took a single, clean hit from Sanghyun.

Though they weren’t fatal wounds, they were enough to draw blood.

//s_win

//win_h ◎ Weakness Amplification

◎ Four Strikes

//e_win

His Weakness Amplification stat was stacking up nicely.

He had wondered how to build up the four necessary strikes, but the undead archers had helpfully volunteered.

Sanghyun overlaid the Sage’s Whispere onto his Weakness Amplification, ready to amplify his next attack significantly.

Crackle!

The undead mage targeted Sanghyun, unleashing a powerful electric attack straight at him.

However, Sanghyun had been diligently stacking up his 15-second chase duration against the undead mage.

//s_win

//win_h ◎ Valor

◎ Five seconds of absolute invincibility - Target: Undead Mage

//e_win

For 15 seconds, the undead mage had focused only on running from Sanghyun in fear.

Now, it was time for judgment!

The surrounding brush was set ablaze by the powerful electric magic.

Rumble.

Yet, the undead mage's attack couldn't even touch a speck of dust on Sanghyun, who had entered an absolute invincibility state.

Squelch!

Sanghyun’s blade plunged forward, splitting the face of the undead mage caught in a desperate predicament.

Then, he vertically sliced the creature’s gaping mouth apart, rendering it in two.

A perfect bisection.

The undead mage’s face split into two symmetrical halves, marking its gruesome end.

Thud! Thud!

The moment the undead mage collapsed, every creature under its control also crumbled.

Lee Sehwa, who had been fending off the creatures with waves of fire, quickly joined Sanghyun.

He turned to Sanghyun and said,

"I barely supported you at all, but you finished this alone!"

"That one spell you used to block its magic while I charged in was crucial."

"Isn’t that what mage players are supposed to do? It’s just part of the job."

"It was well done."

"Your charge and breakthrough abilities are seriously top-tier. It’s like watching a legendary warrior straight out of Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

"I’m just imitating them. There are surely others who can do it even better."

"At least at our level, I doubt anyone else can perform like you."

Lee Sehwa nodded vigorously. No matter how he looked at it, Sanghyun seemed like he was on another level.

Killing the undead mage in a single blow was proof of that.

Monsters had innate durability, stamina, and defenses to endure attacks.

A regular person stabbing a greatsword into a monster’s face wouldn’t be enough to kill it instantly.

The blade would either barely penetrate or get deflected, as the creature's health and defenses absorbed the blow.

But Sanghyun's finishing moves had the sheer power to vaporize vast amounts of health in an instant.

That was why the undead mage couldn’t even scream before dying.

Mage monsters typically fell after prolonged battles of attrition with players.

Yet, before Sanghyun, they didn’t even last a single hit, their heads splitting apart like watermelons.

"Sanghyun-nim, how about I set the stage this time? Want to go wild?"

"Oh? You’re saying you’ll provide full support from the rear?"

"Why should I be the only one enjoying myself? You should have some fun too. What do you say?"

"Sounds good. Let’s go!"

"Let's dive in!"

Excited, Lee Sehwa spun his hands elegantly, creating flames all over the field.

The blazing infernos painted the plains red, resembling miniature suns descending from the sky.

Even before Sanghyun could plunge into the monster horde, those caught in the flames howled in agony.

Burned alive, they had no chance to react to Sanghyun’s approach.

'Might as well replenish my health.'

//s_win

//win_h 【Clever Hunter】

■ Title Grade: C

■ Title Description: Recovers 1 HP by consuming the blood of a slain small or larger monster.

//e_win

Sanghyun checked the title he always found useful on the battlefield once more and began slashing at the monsters.

Thanks to the monsters that died easily, his stamina recovered rapidly, filling him with a thrilling sense of satisfaction!

It felt the same even now.

That was because the amount of stamina he had continuously consumed in the previous battle was quite significant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Boom! Boom!

Amidst the flames and clouds of fire rising in all directions, Sanghyun's sword dance began, supported by Lee Sehwa's assistance.

Recovering stamina, gaining experience, and even collecting loot steadily! It was a battlefield of efficiency.

Was it because he had cut down countless monsters in a place filled with an eerie aura?

Just as Sanghyun and Lee Sehwa wiped away their thick sweat and took deep breaths, a new title was acquired.

//s_win

//win_h 【Unforgiving Inquisitor】

■ Title Rank: A-Rank

■ Title Description: Reduces damage received from monsters by 10%.

//e_win

The title description was simple yet very direct.

A 10% damage reduction from monsters commonly called 'trash mobs' was not a huge issue.

However, if the opponent was a mid-boss or a boss monster, the situation changed entirely.

For them, a 10% damage difference could mean the boundary between life and death or severe injury.

Meanwhile, perhaps due to engaging in battle for three consecutive hours, Sanghyun's level had skyrocketed to 125.

He was not the only one who absorbed experience points like a vacuum cleaner.

Lee Sehwa must have also gained a fair share of experience.

While Sanghyun was enjoying the battle, the Eden Guild had also ventured deep into the plains and had been carrying out their subjugation.

They had gone much deeper than initially planned, yet there were hardly any dangerous situations, which was a unique aspect!

Lee Sehwa attributed the credit to Sanghyun.

"Thanks to Shin Sanghyun, everyone's morale seems to have risen. Since we crushed them psychologically, the monsters of the plains also lost their fighting spirit."

Sanghyun’s aggressive and relentless attack style sometimes appeared reckless.

However, since the outcome was a happy ending, the atmosphere of the battlefield changed in an instant.

The uncertain thoughts of 'Can we do this?' that the players had transformed into 'We can definitely do this!'

As morale rose, they pushed forward even more aggressively, creating a virtuous cycle.

Sanghyun only responded with a grin to Lee Sehwa’s words. He wasn’t shameless enough to take such flattering praise outright.

Instead, he changed the subject.

"Shall we take a break? Wow, my legs are shaking."

"Sure. I also need to drink more potions and replenish my mana."

Sanghyun grabbed his trembling legs and sat on a rock conveniently behind him.

Having rampaged through the Plains of Rest without a second's pause, his arms and legs had taken the worst of it.

Had he not rested immediately, his legs might have given out, causing his knees to buckle on their own.

'Level 125.'

His level had surged.

Before entering the Plains of Rest, when he had spoken with Kim Miso, he had been at level 121.

In less than four hours, his level had increased by four stages.

This rapid growth was a result of splitting an enormous amount of experience between just the two of them.

Was that why?

//s_win

//win_h [S-Rank Title, 【Rapid Growth】 has been granted.]

//e_win

A new title that caught his eye had quietly settled into his title window.

//s_win

//win_h ■ Title Description: Experience gained from boss monsters and mid-boss monsters is tripled.

■ Special Note: The granting of the Rapid Growth title has now been concluded.

//e_win

Players can no longer receive the blessings of rapid growth granted by the Constellation, God of Abundance.

'Wow... I barely caught the last train.'

Seeing the special note, he let out a pleased sigh of relief.

It meant that the Constellation had reached the limit of the titles it could bestow using its divine power.

This was also the first reason why Sanghyun had made it a priority to collect titles after his regression.

The later a player started, the more impossible it became to obtain these titles once their quota was filled.

'With the Rapid Growth title, I need to hunt boss monsters and mid-boss monsters with everything I’ve got.'

His motivation was crystal clear.

If he could take advantage of the Rapid Growth title, even low-level dungeons were worth considering.

The fact that it tripled experience gains was a massive advantage, making it worthwhile even for lower-tier dungeons.

At that moment.

Sssshhhh!

"Huh?"

"What was that?"

Both Sanghyun and Lee Sehwa heard a strange roar rapidly approaching from the sky.

It was the kind of sound one might hear when a bomb was dropped on a battlefield.

Immediately activating Defensive Mode, Sanghyun assumed a defensive stance. Lee Sehwa did the same.

Boom!

However, what had fallen to the ground, creating a thick cloud of smoke, was not a bomb but a monster.

And to make things worse.

"Why is a boss monster here?"

An unexpected final boss had appeared.