Artifact-Devouring Player

Chapter 197: Toward a Broader Stage - (1)

Since that day.

Through Han Hyunjeong, Sanghyun began accelerating his overseas advancement schedule.

Truthfully, there were still matters he had intended to handle within Korea, but they no longer felt like a priority.

First, he received the settlement for the Artifact he had acquired by killing Ma Dongho.

Even after deducting the commission fee paid to Han Hyunjeong, he had earned 350 billion won.

He gave a word of thanks to Ma Dongho, who had given generously.

For Sanghyun, the Death Match had been a profitable business.

After that, he took a brief pause from the ties he had made domestically.

He met directly with Do Kyunghye and Ham Jiyeon to talk about various things.

They spoke about the memories they'd shared and also exchanged some advice and requests.

Though both of them were saddened by the thought of growing distant from Sanghyun for a while, they gave him their heartfelt support.

As for Shin Yoonhyuk, Sanghyun gave him a task that would allow enough time for training over the coming months.

He condensed the training process and trial-and-error he had gone through for over a decade into this assignment.

He also gave guidance on what type of dungeon and what kind of concept he should challenge with.

In addition, he corrected a few unrefined and raw sword techniques.

He also finished a call with Kim Miso.

Her growth had been far more dazzling than Sanghyun had expected.

He even thought, “If I had known this, I would've told her to go abroad much earlier instead of staying in Korea.”

Clearly, there was a great merit to challenging dungeons abroad.

It wasn't that Korea was bad—rather, there were more challenging and difficult dungeons overseas, which offered far greater rewards.

Moreover, there were many Gates that hadn't been raided for a long time, so their rewards and experience were practically overflowing.

“How much time do I have left?”

The Great Rift at Jamsil Station carried significant meaning for Sanghyun.

Everyone else merely recognized it as a rift that had appeared in the middle of the city.

After all, rifts had always appeared suddenly like that from the start.

People had grown so accustomed to it that civilian casualties were considered inevitable.

But for Sanghyun, who knew of issues from his past life, it was an incredibly significant event.

Because something that should never have happened had occurred.

When something first starts to go awry, it never seems obvious at first.

But as time passes, it can grow so distant that it's no longer within reach.

Sanghyun believed that this Great Rift at Jamsil Station would mark the beginning of a future completely different from the one he knew.

Of course, he wasn’t lonely.

The Goddess of Luck, Lee Siyeon, who always gave him strength, was at his side.

Even more, the God of Storms was there as a steadfast Constellation in support. And there were other Constellations backing him as well.

He also believed that, eventually, he would come into contact with the Late Bloomer Model Student Constellation.

If that Constellation had really been the one to send him back to the past, then surely it could provide some direction. Or perhaps, a definite breakthrough.

“Two days left.”

Sanghyun reconfirmed his departure schedule, now just two days away.

Han Hyunjeong had already set the entire stage.

The first destination was the United States.

A mercenary contract had already been signed with the Nobility Guild, one of the top three guilds in the U.S.

The Nobility Guild's flaw was that it had only half the manpower compared to the other top two guilds.

But it more than made up for that with overwhelming capital, dungeons, and Gate infrastructure, making its strength formidable.

In particular, almost all of the special and unique Gates within the U.S. were essentially owned by the Nobility Guild.

From the start, the Guild Master, Frederick Villain, possessed immense power.

He was on equal footing with Jerron Decay, a globally renowned named Player.

“As expected of Han Hyunjeong.”

Sanghyun showed a satisfied expression.

The Nobility Guild was a place all Players admired, but one that was nearly impossible to form ties with.

Countless guilds and Players had requested collaborations or mercenary activities, only to be rejected.

They even said it was hard to get hired as a janitor in one of Nobility Guild’s buildings.

That they had managed to land a mercenary contract with such a place first was proof of Han Hyunjeong’s excellent negotiating skills.

“One mistake and it's the perfect route to the abyss, though.”

Of course, such a place was cold and ruthless when it came to mistakes. There was never a second chance. The first was the last.

“Is this a battle between humans and gods?”

Sanghyun muttered as he turned his gaze outside the window, toward somewhere high in the sky.

The new humanity, Players, had long surpassed the limits of ordinary humans.

And the absolute beings who had brought about the birth of such Players.

Although the two had been considered completely separate, an intersection between them had appeared.

Lee Siyeon's words had made that certain. The clear boundary no longer existed.

The end of the spectating era for Constellations and Thrones now meant direct or indirect intervention.

“I’ve got no choice but to devour even harder.”

Showing interest in unknown worlds beyond the dimensions was meaningless.

No matter what was happening within the dimensional stratum, Sanghyun had no way of knowing.

All he could do was become stronger—nothing more.

Because power doesn’t lie.

Even if one knew everything, without power, death was inevitable.

And even if one knew nothing, with power, survival was still possible.

“I guess I need some fresh air.”

His mind had become unnecessarily cluttered.

If he challenged himself in an entirely new environment, he wouldn’t even have the space to be overwhelmed by thoughts.

Time passed in an instant.

Before he knew it, two days had gone by, and Sanghyun was boarding a flight to the United States alongside Han Hyunjeong.

Thanks to her consideration, Sanghyun was able to travel by private jet. He didn’t even need to interact with anyone else.

Inside the spacious private jet.

Aside from the flight attendants, the only ones aboard were Sanghyun, Han Hyunjeong, and Lee Yeon.

Once they reached a suitable altitude and conditions for a smooth flight were met, the conversation began.

“Yeon will support you in areas where I can’t be meticulous enough while we’re in the U.S.”

“I’m fine with that, but will Miss Lee Yeon be okay with it?”

At Han Hyunjeong’s words, Sanghyun glanced over at Lee Yeon, who politely bowed her head.

To her, Han Hyunjeong’s orders were absolute—personal feelings were irrelevant.

Moreover, she had cleanly accepted her defeat to Sanghyun, so there was no lingering resentment.

“I’ll provide support with all my strength. I’m fine with it. So please feel free to make use of me.”

“I’ll be in your care.”

“Yeon will also be joining as an apprentice mercenary. Of course, her main role is to protect you, Sanghyun.”

He wondered who was protecting whom, but since it was a gesture of goodwill from Han Hyunjeong, he didn’t express any objection.

From the beginning, Sanghyun and Lee Yeon hadn’t seen eye-to-eye, and now, he was on an entirely different level as a Player. Truthfully, her protection was hardly necessary.

Sanghyun shifted the topic.

“Is there anything I should be careful about?”

“The elite members of the Nobility Guild take enormous pride in themselves and their guild.”

“Territorial behavior?”

“That’s a given.”

He had expected as much.

Especially as he was entering as a mercenary, the gazes from existing guild members wouldn’t be friendly.

After all, a mercenary wasn’t someone who joined through camaraderie or bonds.

They were evaluated purely by skill and constantly doubted for their intentions.

If they showed even a hint of cutting corners, they’d be trapped in the stereotype of “typical mercenary.”

“So I should also prepare for unkindness. They’re probably all perfectly in sync with each other.”

“Exactly. You’ll be given briefing materials on the Gate or dungeon, but don’t expect anything more.”

They considered even that unkindness to be a test and rite of passage for mercenaries.

Until one’s skill was unmistakably acknowledged, you weren’t just competing against the dungeon monsters—you were competing against them too.

If you were evaluated as having average skills or lacking talent, your mercenary career would end there.

“Well, it’s not like the dungeons or Gates have infinite variations. I can adapt well enough.”

Sanghyun nodded.

He had experienced countless dungeons, Gates, and Rifts in his previous life, each of various types.

Even if there were unexpected elements, they were likely to be fragments of something he had already encountered.

“The first dungeon you’ll go to will be the hardest. Have you heard of the Ishtaros Dungeon?”

He hadn’t just heard of it—he had experienced it.

Of course, in his past life, Sanghyun hadn’t been as strong as he was now.

Back then, he had participated as a reserve unit in the rear.

They called it the “reserve,” but in truth, he was little more than a porter. He had been classified as non-combat personnel.

Sanghyun understood why Han Hyunjeong was preemptively warning him that this dungeon would be the hardest.

“A dungeon where you lose 1 stamina every second. A dungeon where mana recovery is suppressed. A dungeon where you can only recover mana by killing monsters.”

It was a place where the most essential aspects of a Player’s strategy—stamina and mana—were relentlessly suppressed.

No matter how excellent your mana recovery ability was, the amount recovered would be forcibly reduced to zero.

Moreover, you would lose 1 stamina every second, and there was no way to prevent this stamina drain in any form.

“No, I haven’t heard of it. Just from the name, it sounds pretty intimidating.”

Sanghyun purposely feigned concern. There was no need to overly reassure her of his abilities.

He would earn recognition with his skills, and then she could handle the networking afterward.

Not with expectations, but with results. That would be far more effective in business.

“Over 90% of the Players who’ve entered that dungeon as mercenaries have dropped out. That fact alone tells you everything.”

“So it’s like starting with hell class from the first period.”

“It’s the harshest dungeon, which makes it the perfect place to assess a Player’s adaptability and skill.”

“That makes sense.”

“If you earn recognition there, your status will change dramatically.”

Starting hard was better.

Sanghyun had already formed his own strategy in his head.

He would enter under the guise of a team player, but in reality, it would be close to a solo strategy.

Because it was a kind of test.

No one else could take the test for you. And there wouldn’t be any cheat sheets either.

“Could you tell me how dramatically things would change? I get the feeling you’ve already hinted at it.”

When Sanghyun narrowed his eyes, Han Hyunjeong flinched slightly, then let out a soft laugh.

Just as he thought.

Someone with her connections wouldn’t just have arranged the test—she would have already negotiated what benefits would follow after passing.

At that moment, as if she had been waiting for it, Han Hyunjeong pulled something from her bag.

At a glance, it looked like an enlarged photograph.

Swoosh!

When she spread out the picture, a dungeon that Sanghyun found very familiar appeared.

“The Endless Dungeon?”

One of only two in the entire world—a rare dungeon. The photo showed the entrance to that dungeon.