Artifact-Devouring Player

Chapter 184: Unmeasurable - (2)

“This is clearly malicious.”

“There’s nothing more to see. The Sun Guild pulled some strings. They deliberately set Madongho up against Sanghyun.”

“I don’t think you should go along with this. Even you find Madongho difficult, don’t you, Oppa?”

“His level and Artifact setup are clearly below mine… but there seemed to be a huge difference in terms of Constellation. Madongho, he’s really a tricky bastard.”

“That Mystery guy is seriously a complete piece of garbage.”

Shin Taeri’s fingertips trembled as she looked at the match announcement posted on Mystery’s official website.

It was because the matchup had clearly been arranged with malicious intent. They had even decided the match type however they pleased.

A Death Match.

The fight only ended when one side died, and no safety measures or protective gear were allowed.

The simplest way to avoid this absurd match was, in truth, to reject it.

It was such an obvious choice that many people wondered why more didn’t take it.

But for a Player whose honor was on the line, it was a difficult choice.

The mere fact of rejection would follow them like a label forever.

“This isn’t even a worthwhile matchup. No one would blame him for turning it down.”

“I think so too.”

Shin Taeri agreed with Jo Jinho’s words.

It was too heavy-handed to claim that Mystery simply held Sanghyun’s skills in high regard—they’d matched him with a real powerhouse.

“What does Sanghyun think?”

Jo Jinho asked.

No matter how much others gave their two cents, what really mattered in the end was the person’s own will.

Earlier, when Taeri had sounded him out, Sanghyun had said he would face whoever was put in front of him.

Of course, Jo Jinho still considered Sanghyun a strong Player—he even thought Sanghyun had grown stronger than before.

But still, right was right, and wrong was wrong. Madongho was an opponent Jo Jinho also found uncomfortable—a true threat.

“He said it doesn’t matter. Just now.”

“What?”

Jo Jinho’s expression darkened at Taeri’s response. It was the one answer he least wanted to hear.

At that time, Sanghyun was in the middle of a meeting with Han Hyunjeong.

The first topic of their discussion was the recent elimination of the trio of Constellation Devourers.

“The Union is conducting a discreet internal investigation and has fully blocked off all information.”

“That’s not something I can really trust. After all, there was already a mole inside the Union to begin with.”

“I think the same. But the Chairman has decided to step in directly, so I’m willing to trust them this time.”

“Hmm, at that level, I suppose we can at least say they’re willing to solve the issue. For now.”

Sanghyun nodded.

Of course, just because they were investigating didn’t mean the fact that those people were Constellation Devourers would come to light.

The very concept of a Devourer wouldn’t become publicly known until much later.

To explain that, they’d need to be caught in the act of devouring a Constellation.

But unless they were complete idiots, there was no way they’d openly display their own murder scenes.

Still, if the investigation was carried out thoroughly, it wouldn’t be hard to detect suspicious details.

It was nearly impossible for a Player with barely any public activity to have such a high level of skill.

“For now, I don’t think you need to tell me more about that. The Union can handle it. Let’s move on.”

Sanghyun shifted the topic.

The issue of Constellation Devourers wasn’t one that could be solved in a flash.

It was something that would fester over a long period like a wound and would have to be dealt with step by step.

Since Han Hyunjeong had nothing more to add either, she nodded and brought up the next topic right away.

“Next is your overseas expansion. The first and second shortlistings are done, and you approved them.”

“Now the final confirmation is the third one, right?”

“That’s right. I noted this earlier, but the evaluation of you overseas is quite good.”

“They rated me as an A. There’s A+, and even higher, right? Honestly, that stung my pride a little.”

“You have to remember, it’s a relative evaluation. When compared to other top-tier name-brand Players, you were given an A.”

“For example?”

“Domestically, someone like Do Kyungsoo would be a top-tier name-brand Player. They use those as benchmarks.”

“So if I were on par with them, I’d be rated A+?”

“Exactly. Being seen as just slightly below that means it’s actually a huge compliment!”

Han Hyunjeong’s words, spoken with visible tension in her neck, were full of conviction.

“Let’s see then…”

Sanghyun looked at the finalized list.

Two countries were written down.

China and the United States.

Each country had its own unique characteristics as a launch point. A strategic decision was needed.

‘China has a huge population, which naturally means more Players, and a lot of genuinely skilled ones.’

China was a solid option.

Setting aside any personal emotions or sentiments about the country, the diversity of its Players was unmatched.

Because of its sheer population.

It was a naturally occurring environment created by the large number of people who had awakened as Players.

‘But the influence of the Union is way too strong there. They interfere even with foreign Players a lot.’

There were clear downsides.

Since they tried to keep everything under the Union’s control, relationships with them became incredibly important.

If the Chinese Player Union treated you favorably, you could even get approval for difficult dungeons and gates.

But once you were blacklisted, they would never approve even the simplest of dungeon runs. It was a true gamble.

“Personally.”

“Let’s go with the United States. Both sides have pros and cons, but for now, the U.S. seems best.”

“I think the same.”

Han Hyunjeong’s recommendation aligned with what Sanghyun had in mind.

The U.S. didn’t distinguish between domestic and foreign Players—they evaluated purely based on ability.

If China competed through Player numbers and diversity,

The U.S. competed with specialized expertise and elite one-man-army capabilities.

When their eyes met briefly, Han Hyunjeong immediately continued as if waiting for that moment.

“I’ve already reached out to the guilds and Union contacts over there. But they seem very interested in this recent issue. Said they absolutely must watch it.”

“You mean the invitation.”

“Yes. That invitation I still want to tell you not to accept. Sanghyun, do you really have to go?”

“I need to end bad blood before moving forward.”

Sanghyun smiled.

Madongho.

Of course, for Sanghyun, who had lived two lives including his previous one, it was a name he was very familiar with.

Just as public evaluations claimed, Madongho was a swordsman-type tank so tricky that even comparing him to Jo Jinho was hard.

People around Sanghyun, including Han Hyunjeong, thought he accepted the invitation out of competitive spirit.

But Sanghyun’s thoughts were different.

‘It’s doable. Actually, it’s simpler.’

In fact, Sanghyun found Jo Jinho—who was a fully rounded, hexagonal-type tank—far more difficult, contrary to public opinion.

Madongho was a Player who leaned to the extreme side of defense.

He’d relentlessly focus on defense, lure the opponent in, and then counterattack.

His methods were obvious, which made it easier for Sanghyun to strategize against him.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“I can’t guarantee 100%, but I have a plan. Let’s make it a proper stage.”

“Sorry?”

“Either way, whether I join a local guild or go with co-op raids or become a mercenary, I’ll need to negotiate my worth.”

Sanghyun gently touched his nameless sword.

Once he went overseas, he’d start encountering Players of Madongho’s caliber as a baseline.

That’s the level of Player he would be expected to partner with.

So if he couldn’t surpass Madongho, there wouldn’t be much point in expanding abroad.

“I don’t know what you’re really thinking, Sanghyun.”

“Don’t worry. No one knows better than me that I’m the most valuable product of Hyunjung Corporation.”

After that, while preparations progressed smoothly,

Sanghyun took a short break to say his own goodbyes to the connections he had built up so far.

Kim Miso was happy to hear the news.

That’s because she was currently active and training in the United States.

And the American guild that wanted contact with Sanghyun was also under the influence of Kim Miso and the Eden Guild.

On the other hand, Ham Jiyeon was quite disappointed. Since she had clearly expressed her interest in Sanghyun, it was natural.

You could travel there in just over a day if you had a flight, couldn’t you?

Her reaction, as if they were parting forever, felt a little strange to Sanghyun, but understandable.

Do Kyunghye told him to call her any time he needed a buffer.

Since she had often worked abroad as a mercenary before meeting Sanghyun, it was a natural response.

And then there was Shin Yoonhyuk, who had been contacting him more often lately—they met in person for an in-depth conversation.

Just as Sanghyun expected, Shin Yoonhyuk’s growth was remarkable.

Even without direct guidance, he had grown this much—Sanghyun couldn’t even imagine how far he’d go with proper instruction.

Sanghyun carefully assessed Shin Yoonhyuk’s current capabilities and gave him enough homework to keep him busy for a full month.

By the time he finished it, Sanghyun would likely have returned from his first round of overseas activity.

And so, the brief goodbyes with his key connections came to an end.

All that remained was to resolve one last issue before leaving the country.

“Is it today?”

The day marked on the invitation had arrived.

A day when Korea’s top prospects and elite Players would gather in one place—thanks to someone’s twisted hobby.

As expected, numerous Player communities exploded with criticism toward those who didn’t attend.

Panty-runner. Coward. Spineless.

Dark history archive. Certified moron, etc.

They trampled over every aspect of the no-shows with insulting language.

Some of the Players who refused to attend released official statements, saying they wouldn’t dance to Mystery’s tune.

But at that point, with “non-attendee = coward” already branded onto them, no statement or appeal mattered.

Because this had become the biggest spectacle in an otherwise boring daily life, people became manically obsessed.

The event location was the Mystery Hall. That’s right—it was a massive facility built under the name of Mystery.

Each country had at least one of these halls, and they always served as the stage for invited Players.

The site was packed with reporters and cameramen, and among them was Park Jungmin.

And then, Sanghyun’s eyes met two people who were undoubtedly among the culprits behind this setup.

‘It was you bastards, wasn’t it. I expected it, but that just makes this even better.’

They were none other than the third and fourth ranked members of the Sun Guild: Joo Eunhye and Madongho.

Madongho, upon making eye contact, walked straight over to Sanghyun and casually held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Madongho. It’s unfortunate that we have to fight like this, but I’ll be in your care. If it’s too much for you, I don’t mind if you back out.”

Listening to Madongho spout empty pleasantries made Sanghyun’s stomach churn.

Maybe that’s why—

“Eat this, bastard.”

Sanghyun coolly raised his middle finger toward Madongho.

And just in time, countless reporters’ cameras turned their lenses toward the two of them.

It was the clearest possible declaration of war.