RKP 41-50

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Chapter 41


Like Narendra Neru, who could summon two S-rank monsters without much difficulty.


The fact that Taehyun had dealt with two S-rank monsters without much difficulty meant that he also possessed power equivalent to a high-level S-rank player.


If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that it had only been a month since he obtained his player license.


'Was this the skill he was hiding?'


The sense of intimidation was worthy of being called a hidden card.


"Heh heh... I can smell the scent of death."


Narendra Neru let out a mad laugh.


It was a reaction that was hard to believe from someone who was about to face death.


In a short time, the Great Worm and Saber Spider had finished devouring.


Taehyun's hand reached out to Narendra Neru.


Although the control of Devour was done through Taehyun's consciousness.


It was easier to visualize the image this way.


Knowing how great the skill 'Contract with the Devil' was.


'I will definitely devour him.'


Taehyun wanted to make his skill his own.


5 seconds until the magic of Devour reached Narendra Neru.


'I'll devour you over and over again until you spit out the skill.'


Taehyun clenched his fist, reaffirming his resolve.


He thought he had definitely caught him.


But Narendra Neru was not an easy opponent either.


Crack.


An unexpected being was caught in the magic of Devour.


An Orc who hadn't been there until a moment ago.


The low-level monster was caught instead of Narendra Neru.


"Squeak?!"


"Tsk."


Crack!!


The Orc couldn't withstand the Devour and died.


The Orc was not the end, but the beginning.


Taehyun clicked his tongue as he watched the monsters increasingly widening the gap between himself and Narendra Neru.


Narendra Neru had summoned a large number of monsters in preparation for this.


E-rank Orc. D-rank Silver Fang. C-rank Ogre. B-rank Poison Spider.


A total of thirty monsters surrounded Taehyun.


It wasn't enough to reverse a crisis situation, but it was enough to temporarily block his movements.


'Devouring these guys is a waste.'


Taehyun gripped his talisman and slashed through the monsters without delay.


Cutting, breaking, and crushing.


The magic of Devour had to be saved for Narendra Neru, so he didn't use any other skills at all.


Nevertheless, the monsters, feeling fear at the overwhelming difference, gradually retreated.


The fear that overwhelmed their instincts caused a moment of panic.


An S-rank player can easily deal with multiple mid-level monsters with just their physical abilities.


The monsters' reaction was only natural.


Even with Taehyun's ghostly appearance, Narendra Neru was not shaken.


Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on controlling the remaining magic power.


In a battle between players and demons of the same rank, one-sided dominance cannot be predicted.


So.


'I need an overwhelming one.'


Narendra Neru entered a ritual to summon a new monster.


Summoning a monster requires not only sacrifices but also the consumption of one's own magic power.


Especially S-rank monsters are beings contracted with a portion of one's own life force as collateral.


Although he didn't show it, Narendra Neru's body was not normal due to magic power backlash.


'Heh heh heh. If that guy is a player equivalent to an upper-level S-rank, then the only weapon left to me is one.'


There were only about ten demons left around due to the forced warp.


All of them were powerful individuals equivalent to A-rank players, but it was clear that they would be of little help in this state.


'Rather than withering away like that, I'll use your lives for my benefit.'


Without hesitation.


Narendra Neru activated his skill again.


The reason why his skill 'Contract with the Devil' is called the worst and most terrible.


"In the name of God! Give up your lives!!"


Black magic power surged from his body as he shouted.


At the same time.


"Ugh..."


"T, this is...!!"


"N, Narendra Neru-nim...!!"


"S, save me...!!"


One by one.


The demons who had been trying to target Taehyun along with the monsters collapsed, clutching their necks.


Fss.


Their bodies shriveled up like mummies, and their life force drained away.


It was evidence that they had been marked to be used as sacrifices someday.


"Y, you bastard..."


"You marked me...!!"


Narendra Neru didn't care about the gazes that cursed him with bloodshot eyes.


After all, they were all followers who served God.


Then shouldn't they willingly give up their lives to punish that heretic who denied God?


Just as Taehyun, who had finished dealing with all the monsters, rushed towards Narendra Neru.


The magic power of Devour wrapped around his hand looked as if it would devour Narendra Neru this time.


"Divine punishment to the heretic!!!"


Kwang!!!


A powerful magic reaction occurred, and an explosion unlike anything before occurred.


"Crazy."


The situation had changed.


Taehyun cursed as he looked at the being that had appeared before him.


Narendra Neru was enjoying the best feeling.


Because the best monster he had contracted with.


Had been summoned in the best condition by sacrificing the lives of high-level demons.


"Dragon. Erase the enemy of God from this world."


As Narendra Neru commanded, the monster's huge foot took a step towards Taehyun.


"Krrr."


"Damn it."


A monster that only top-tier S-rank players could handle, a Bone Dragon.


With the magic power gathering in its mouth.


Taehyun's complexion darkened rapidly.


Crack!


With a reaction of magic power, a man passed through the warp gate.


Park Seongjin, an S-rank player belonging to the New Korean Player Association.


He looked around.


'A forest?'


Endless rows of trees and unknown plants.


He didn't know exactly where this was.


But he could clearly tell that it was in the middle of a forest.


It was no longer a secret that this auction was held in Japanese territory, and that the warp gate zone had been occupied by demons.


The problem was that the coordinates of the nearest warp gate were quite far from the auction house.


"Damn bastards. If you weren't going to dispatch, you should have sent us earlier."


Park Seongjin swung his beloved sword 'Spiral Chilji' as if annoyed.


Swish. Swish.


Swish. Swish. Swish.


Even though he only swung it twice, dozens of trees were cut down.


When the number exceeded thirty trees.


He finally saw the target, the Westpoint Auction House.


"It's far away."


It was a distance that would take at least 10 minutes even if he ran at full speed.


In addition.


Crack. Crack. Crackle.


Players who came to support him arrived one after another.


'If I move with these guys, it'll take at least 30 minutes.'


The players who arrived, unaware of Park Seongjin's thoughts, each voiced their complaints.


"A forest? Where is this?"


"Why are there trees in front of us..."


"Could that be the auction house over there?"


"Who cut down all these trees?"


"I wonder if we'll be annihilated before we even arrive."


Fifty high-level players from the New Korean top 10 guilds and the association.


Fifty-one players, including Park Seongjin, had all crossed the gate.


"Player Park Seongjin. What should we do?"


"I never thought the gate would be located so far away..."


Although it was a hastily formed party, the person in charge was naturally Park Seongjin.


Fifty players waited for Park Seongjin's command.


"Reorganize into parties of 5. Ten healers from the association will scatter and join each party."


Four attackers and one healer.


Ten plausible parties were created in an instant.


"From now on, disperse and approach the target..."


Kwwaaaa!!!


Before Park Seongjin could finish speaking.


A huge explosion was heard from the auction house in the distance.


"Huh!"


"This magic power!!"


"S-rank?!!"


The players flinched at the lingering scent of magic power that had belatedly arrived.


As they were called high-level players.


They instantly sensed the danger of this mission.


Park Seongjin was the same.


'This isn't just an S-rank. It's at least an upper-level S-rank monster.'


Park Seongjin sighed softly as he looked at the flustered players.


Everyone was a leading figure in New Korea.


But how much help would they be in front of an upper-level S-rank monster?


He didn't need to think for long.


"I'll go first. Follow me on your own."


With a simple and clear command.


Park Seongjin, who had left his seat, began to move.


His figure disappeared from sight in an instant.


"Incredible speed..."


"This is... Ranker Park Seongjin."


Some players made foolish noises for a moment.


The ten parties followed in unison.


And.


A man who was already far ahead of them.


Park Seongjin recalled Taehyun, who had endured his momentum, and increased his speed.


'Kid. It would be a problem if you died in a place like this.'


A clue for him to leap to the top-tier S-rank, who had reached the wall of growth, and a colleague who would support New Korea.


He had many reasons to protect Taehyun.


The area was melting with acidity.


An acidity that could not be compared to that of an Acid Worm made it difficult to even breathe.


All of this was due to the Acid Breath being spewed out by the Bone Dragon.


'This crazy...'


Taehyun gritted his teeth and focused on the widely spread Devour.


It was no longer the time to save magic power.


As soon as he narrowed the range even a little to distribute magic power.


The invading evil spirit would cause those behind him to die.


The magic power of Devour and the acidic breath continued a tense tug-of-war.


'To think he would summon such a guy.'


Bone Dragon.


A Dragon (龍) race, which is usually classified as a high-level entity among ordinary monsters.


Among the Dragon race, the ones called Dragons (Dragon) all possessed strength beyond the norm.


Even a Bone Dragon with only bones left and reduced combat performance.


'The acidic breath means it was definitely made from the corpse of a Green Dragon.'


Taehyun gritted his teeth and rotated his head.


The magic power of Devour that was blocking the Acid Breath was shaking 불안하게.


Throughout his past life and even now after regressing.


Only a few players had taken down a dragon single-handedly.


All of them were now called national power-level individuals.


They were powerhouses that Taehyun had not yet reached.


So it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Bone Dragon in front of him was also comparable to national power-level individuals.


'Why is such a guy popping out here!!'


Chiiik.


Perhaps it was because he had been maintaining the widened range of Devour for a long time.


The breath seeped in through the gap in his reduced magic power and concentration.


'Damn it. I won't last even 5 minutes like this.'


The magic power in the status window was rapidly depleting.


Fortunately, it seemed that Narendra Neru was only able to maintain the summoning of the Bone Dragon.


To the extent that he couldn't launch any other attacks.


He had to make a choice.


Not a choice for greater profit.


But a choice for smaller losses.


Taehyun glanced at those behind him.


'If I withdraw the magic power now, they will all die.'


Jjeojeok.


Cracks appeared in the Devour's barrier.


'Think, Kim Taehyun. A choice that can save everyone and you too.'


Kwajijik.


Jjeojeojeok.


Chiiik.


As Taehyun hesitated and couldn't easily decide on a discard,


[Shall I help you?]


'Something' spoke to him.


Episode 42


My vision blurred from the excessive use of magic.


'Hallucination?'


No sooner did Taehyun think that...


Ding.


[The Unique Skill 'Devour' is temporarily being readjusted.]


'What?'


It was an unexpected message.


I wanted to figure out what was happening to me, but...


There was no time to look away from the breath that felt like it would engulf me at any moment.


During that brief moment, messages kept popping up.


Ding.


[The stats of the Unique Skill 'Devour' have increased. Devour (B) - Devour (A)]


Taehyun's face contorted as he struggled to maintain Devour.


It was a different kind of pain from blocking the acid breath, a pain that suddenly crushed his body.


'Ugh, what... is this?'


Taehyun's outwardly displayed rank was B.


Devour, which allowed him to exert power comparable to an S-rank high-level player even with B-rank power.


As Devour changed to A-rank, his body began to tremble.


He had forcibly reached the power of a national-level force that he hadn't yet obtained.


Crack.


'Ugh... could this be... a rampage...?'


As if punishing him for coveting presumptuous power...


Taehyun's body, maintaining Devour, screamed.


It was different from directly raising and developing his physical stats.


Only Devour's skill rank had increased in a body that couldn't support it.


If it were a normal skill, it simply wouldn't activate and wouldn't affect the skill holder in any way.


But Devour wasn't such a normal skill.


Crack. Crackle.


His bones, muscles, and internal organs began to scream.


'Ugh... this... much...!!'


Taehyun clenched his teeth.


It was to endure the load placed on his body.


Even if he had S-rank physical stats, the balance would have already collapsed if he hadn't trained his body in advance.


In other words, it was thanks to Taehyun's thoroughness in preparing the vessel in advance that he could endure this much of a load.


'It's not unbearable.'


He thought he could endure this much pain.


But...


The readjustment of the rank didn't end there.


A message that made Taehyun himself doubt his eyes.


Such messages appeared in succession.


[The stats of the Unique Skill 'Devour' have increased. Devour (A) - Devour (S)]


The trembling of his body intensified, and at the same time...


Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.


A load that couldn't be compared to the one before pressured his entire body again.


His bones, which could no longer endure, began to twist.


"Ugh... ah..."


Snap. Crack. Snap.


Groans escaped him from the pain of his muscles tearing.


It was unlike Taehyun, who had endured even harsh training.


"Cough... stop..."


The breath in front of him was no longer important.


If he couldn't control this power right now, his body would explode in less than a minute.


'There's no choice.'


That's why Taehyun tried to release Devour's magic power, but...


[The skill cannot be released.]


Contrary to his desperate thoughts, Devour's activation didn't stop.


Rather, a message popped up again.


The message announced that Devour's rank had risen again.


[The stats of the Unique Skill 'Devour' have increased. Devour (S) - Devour (SS)]


BOOM!!!


The body of an S-rank player, said to be unprecedentedly blessed in human history.


That body revealed its limits and began to burst.


Full-scale bleeding began through his burst right arm.


"Cough... hack."


Gag.


Taehyun spat out a mouthful of blood.


It wasn't because of the red eyes.


Whether it was because even his capillaries had burst, his vision turned completely red.


It was hard to tell whether the world looked red because of the blood flowing down, or whether the world was red and everything looked like blood.


Among the blood he spat out, he could see fragments of his internal organs mixed in.


Taehyun's body was being destroyed from the inside out by the load that had already exceeded its limits.


'Damn... why suddenly...'


Taehyun knelt down.


He couldn't control or stop Devour.


There was nothing he could do.


In this state, whether Devour swallowed his body or the acid breath melted his entire body.


Eventually, only death would come.


It was certain that neither would leave a single bone behind.


'Damn it.'


He felt empty.


That was because he never expected that Devour, which had always been his trump card, would backstab him in this way.


He just trusted in Devour's power and thought about the lives of others rather than his own safety.


For that, it was...


Too great a price to pay.


'What a ridiculous end.'


Because he had been walking a life of continuous success since his regression.


He thought that things would somehow work out this time as well.


It was only belatedly that he felt pathetic for thinking that way.


'I thought I was going to bloom in life after awakening, you know.'


In the moment of death.


He belatedly awakened, met the King through the skill, regressed, and obtained the skill called Devour.


He devoured countless skills using Devour, and acquired the S-rank player license in less than a year.


Every one of them was an overwhelming battle, and he received corresponding rewards each time.


He thought it was truly power befitting a King.


'Damn King. If you're going to give me power, it would have been better if you also told me about these risks.'


That Devour was a double-edged sword that could even swallow its user.


But it was already too late.


It was something that was bound to happen someday, and it had already happened.


Ding.


[All magic power has been exhausted. The use of skills is restricted.]


[The Unique Skill 'Devour' has been deactivated.]


Devour, which had been moving uncontrollably, finally stopped.


'Damn... you... Devour.'


Thud.


The moment Taehyun collapsed, unable to withstand the load.


The skill achieved its final evolution.


[The stats of the Unique Skill 'Devour' have increased. Devour (SS) - Devour (SSS)]


[Physical stats are insufficient. The increase in the Unique Skill is limited due to insufficient stats.]


[Power is temporarily released.]


[The body cannot withstand the power of Devour. A time limit is given. 30, 29, 28...]


Messages popped up simultaneously.


If Taehyun had seen them, he would have cursed.


But since he had already lost consciousness...


Taehyun couldn't notice the changes that had occurred in his body.


The Bone Dragon was an existence that even surpassed the top S-rank players.


Maintaining the summon consumed not only magic power but also a considerable amount of mental energy.


Even so, Narenda Neru was smiling.


His choice was right.


It was worth taking that much risk.


'As expected, dragons are the strongest.'


Although it wasn't a complete dragon, but a Bone Dragon that someone from the Abyss had raised from a corpse.


The heretic who denied the existence of God. The apostate. The filthy beast.


Kim Taehyun, the player from Shinhan, who was lacking in any words to describe him.


It seemed more than enough to subdue him.


'It's a pity I can't have his corpse.'


Narenda Neru chuckled with a wicked face.


The Abyss was still an unexplored land.


There were also quite a few monsters that players couldn't even dream of hunting.


In that respect, Narenda Neru was confident that he would become one of the world's leading players in the near future.


That was because he himself was one of the very few growth-type awakeners in the world.


'Being chosen by God is exactly like this.'


Until now, there had been no limit to the rank of the monsters that could be contracted with the skill 'Contract with the Devil'.


Even the SS-rank monster Kraken, which pundits considered impossible to hunt.


He would be able to contract with it in the near future.


SS-rank.


An area that no one had yet reached except for 'Him'.


Because even the national-level forces, who were said to be so great, had not entered that area.


Narenda Neru didn't doubt that he would become an SS-rank awakener.


'If only I could use Kim Taehyun's body as a sacrifice...'


Narenda Neru showed his rotten teeth and revealed a greedy gaze.


He offered the corpse of a lower-level S-rank player to contract with the Bone Dragon.


If there was a body that could block the Bone Dragon's breath like that, wouldn't he be able to contract with the Kraken as well?


'No. That's too risky.'


If he tried to capture him carelessly, the plan could go wrong.


It was best to eliminate him in this place right now.


Narenda Neru was once again firm in his thoughts.


'He's held out quite well, but it's time to end it.'


Kwaaaaaa.


Narenda Neru pulled up the magic power that was heading towards the floor.


The Bone Dragon's breath intensified further.


Acidic acid breath.


The surrounding warp gates had long since melted.


'Such things are no longer important.'


The warp gates and auction items, as well as the safety of the hostages, were no longer important to him.


That was because he was planning to release control over the Bone Dragon only after dealing with Taehyun.


The Bone Dragon, freed from control, would instinctively wreak havoc around it.


The support troops from the association would be too busy dealing with the top-level monster that suddenly appeared.


Escaping the terrorist area by taking advantage of that chaos was an easy task for Narenda Neru.


'Hehehe... death to the heretic.'


There was a clear crack in the barrier spread by Devour.


Narenda Neru burst into mad laughter.


His internal organs were also being concussed by summoning the Bone Dragon.


But it couldn't be as much as the heretic Kim Taehyun, who was blocking the acid breath head-on.


At that time.


Something changed in Taehyun's body.


The magic power, which had been gradually weakening, suddenly surged.


In addition.


The magic power, which seemed about to melt, began to slowly push back the acid breath.


'Did he still have more power left?'


Narenda Neru's body trembled.


It was an early symptom of magic power backflow.


But even the backflow wasn't important to him.


Because there was nothing more enjoyable than crushing those who resisted.


"Kim Taehyun!! Kneel before the agent of God!!"


Narenda Neru poured out all the magic power he had left.


The acid breath became even more intense, and at the same time, Taehyun's skill was released.


'It's over.'


Kwaaaaaaa.


Taehyun's body and all.


It should have melted away in an instant without a trace.


No, it should have.


'......!!'


Narenda Neru, who had been bursting into mad laughter until just a moment ago.


He couldn't help but be flustered by what was happening before his eyes.


The heretic, who should have melted away without a trace, was 'absorbing' the acid breath head-on.


Moreover, that presence felt like the only existence that had subdued him.


He felt the same power as 'Him'.


"That can't be!!!"


There couldn't be such power again in this world.


Beyond S-rank, SS-rank.


Believing that only 'Him', who had been chosen by God, and himself, who had been chosen by Him, could reach that realm.


Narenda Neru's sense of betrayal, who had become a demon with faith alone, was beyond description.


Fierce and evil.


Narenda Neru with a distorted expression shouted roughly.


At that time.


Taehyun, with red eyes darker than ever, opened his mouth.


[The insect is noisy.]


'......!!'


Narenda Neru's eyes widened.


What he was hearing through his head.


It was clearly the language of a monster.


[Oh? You understand my words? This is interesting in a different way.]


"Hehehe... Am I crazy? I'm hearing the language of a monster from a heretic."


[The god you're looking for isn't here, insect.]


Magic power of a different level than ever before erupted from Taehyun's body.


In that moment.


"Could it be..."


Narenda Neru, who handled monsters, was able to understand the situation.


The existence before him was no longer 'human'.


And that he was going to die here.


Crack.


Magic power created like a huge maw slowly increased its size.


And then.


Gulp.


In the blink of an eye, the Bone Dragon and Narenda Neru were swallowed by the magic power.


'Ah... this is death...'


That day.


The demon Narenda Neru who made the world roar.


In front of his death, which no one witnessed.


Taehyun's red eyes flashed.


Episode 43


An S-rank high-level player, or arguably an equivalent S-rank high-level demon.


The S-rank supreme monster Bone Dragon summoned by Narendra Naru.


Two beings capable of instantly killing ordinary people with just a glance had vanished into nothingness.


No, to be precise, they were devoured by Taehyun's overwhelming mana.


Ting


[Skill: Contract with the Devil (B) has been registered.]


Taehyun tilted his head as he looked at the message that appeared before him.


It was an uncharacteristic reaction from Taehyun.


But only for a moment.


He smiled as he remembered what the message represented.


[Interesting. So this is what a player's body is like.]


Taehyun, with an uncharacteristic sinister grin, examined his body with interest.


He had forgotten in the excitement of taking over the body, but he noticed his right arm, which had been blown away.


The bleeding had stopped.


Hwaaa.


A crimson and black mana bloomed from his body and enveloped the blown-off area.


Kwaduk. Kwaduk. Kwadududuk.


With eerie sounds, the arm that had been blown away was regenerated.


A skill that only one person in the world was supposed to be able to use.


'Super-speed Regeneration' was it's name.


Taehyun was using such a skill without a second thought.


Kkwak.


Taehyun clenched and unclenched his newly created right hand.


Just like his left hand, it moved naturally according to his will, as if there had been no problem.


The only differences were that the skin of his newly created right arm was as white as a baby's and that the muscles he had built up through training had disappeared.


The muscles hadn't been easily made.


Originally, he would have been jumping up and down in a fuss, but the current Taehyun didn't care.


Instead, he began to touch and feel various parts of his body with a satisfied expression.


It was as if he was appraising someone else's body, not his own.


"I-Is it over?"


"We really lived..."


"Thank you... thank you..."


"Oh, God..."


"Kim Taehyun, was it? I will somehow repay you for what happened today."


Taehyun turned his head towards the rear.


He saw many humans shedding tears.


They were the hostages that Narendra Naru had taken to force negotiations.


Influential people from various countries around the world who had narrowly escaped death, filled with hope.


The humans that Taehyun had hesitated to abandon even when his own life was in danger.


They were shedding tears and expressing their gratitude.


Originally, this was part of Taehyun's plan, an expected reaction, but...


To the current Taehyun, their existence was unwelcome.


[Annoying.]


Chwaaaak.


The crimson and black mana that erupted from his body swept over them once again.


"Wh, what?"


"Hey, what is this?!!"


"W, wait...!!"


Some people shouted in response to the unexpected action, but Taehyun didn't care.


[Disappear. Vermin.]


Chwararararak.


There were no painful screams, no horrible sounds of bones being crushed, as is typical of predation.


Only mana swept over them.


Nevertheless, hundreds of humans disappeared without a trace.


It was a different dimension of predation than the one Taehyun had used against the Bone Dragon.


[Barely a dent.]


Taehyun, who had devoured hundreds of humans in an instant, flicked his fingers as if he was displeased.


Then, a man hiding behind the gate was pulled out as if by an irresistible force.


"K, Kim Taehyun... Player?"


The man had been watching Narendra Naru's and Taehyun's battle from hiding.


Kevin Folant, the gate manager of West Point, asked in a trembling voice.


Taehyun, remembering that he was a gate skill awakener, gave a sinister smile.


[A gate. You seem quite useful.]


Taehyun beckoned to Kevin Folant with his finger.


He grabbed his head and began to scream.


It happened in an instant.


"Kkeuaaaak!!"


[Hold still. As a medium...]


Taehyun, concentrating on controlling his mana while moving his fingers, suddenly frowned.


[Tsk, is this the limit?]


Blood was flowing from Kevin Folant's nose, ears, eyes, and mouth.


The same was true for Taehyun.


[Tsk.]


Taehyun smacked his lips as if he was disappointed.


The current vessel was too fragile to contain such a great power.


If he used any more power, it seemed likely that it would be irreparably damaged.


[Lucky bastard.]


Thud.


As the mana that had been constricting his head completely disappeared, Kevin Folant collapsed to the ground.


Taehyun also collapsed like a doll with its strings cut.


Just then.


A man approached the auction house, which could no longer be called a building.


"Hey, you there! Wake up!!"


The man shouted and reached for the sword at his waist.


Park Sungjin, another S-rank player from Shinhan.


He saw two people collapsed.


'Where's Narendra Naru?'


Until just now, he had felt a huge amount of mana.


And just before arriving.


The vast mana had disappeared.


After briefly guarding his surroundings, he ran towards the two survivors.


The mission that he had received from Ji Jinhee was one.


Secure Kim Taehyun, the S-rank player from Shinhan.


Park Sungjin, who was carrying the collapsed Taehyun, shouted at Kevin Folant.


"Hey! Narendra Naru was here until just now..."


Park Sungjin couldn't finish his sentence and closed his mouth.


"Are you... are you okay?"


Kevin Folant didn't answer Park Sungjin's question, who frowned.


His eyes, staring into space, were shaking without focus, as if he had seen hell.


'What the hell happened here?'


The reaction and explosion of mana that he had felt until just now had disappeared in an instant.


Without a trace.


Park Sungjin couldn't do anything in a situation where even the only witness had become like that.


Unlike what he looked like, Taehyun's body didn't seem to have any problems.


"Kim Taehyun. You're a guy who makes me worry in many ways."


Park Sungjin left the out-of-his-mind Kevin Folant behind.


He began running back towards the warp gate he had come from.


It was quite a while later that the players from Shinhan arrived.


Taehyun opened his eyes 24 hours after Park Sungjin secured his safety.


And now, another 24 hours later.


Taehyun was resting in a player-designated hospital in Okinawa.


Two days had already passed since the terrorist attack at the West Point Auction House.


"Okinawa..."


Sitting on the hospital bed, Taehyun was scrolling through the news from the past two days on his tablet.


Because it was a place where outside access was strictly controlled, it was quiet even though it was midday.


[West Point Auction House Terrorist Attack by Demons. Location: Okinawa?]


[Location Secretive West Point Auction House. Auction House Seeks Understanding from Japanese Government.]


[Terrorist Identified as S-Rank Demon Narendra Naru. Indian Government Expresses Regret.]


[Head of Escort, Isaka Ryohei. Fact That He Received a Huge Amount of Money from a Demon Revealed. Japanese Archipelago in Shock.]


[West Point Auction House Gate Manager and Survivor Kevin Folant. Suffers from Mental Disorder Due to Shock.]


[Shinhan Player Arrives First to Help Japan in Crisis. Will This Be an Opportunity to Positively Change Relations Between the Two Countries?]


[Shinhan S-Rank Player Park Sungjin. "All Incidents Were Resolved When I Arrived."]


[It Has Been Determined That Another S-Rank Player From Shinhan, Kim Taehyun, Was Also at the Auction House.]


[Saintess. I Want to Meet Someone Named Kim Taehyun.]


[A Man the Saintess Is Interested In. Who Is Kim Taehyun?]


"They've been writing a lot in the past two days."


Taehyun clicked his tongue and sighed.


Just skimming the headlines was enough to guess how things were progressing.


'Isaka Ryohei. He's not going to be able to make a comeback.'


Their own S-rank player colluded with a demon.


The Japanese archipelago was in shock at the unavoidable fact.


Isaka Ryohei was also likely to be quietly disposed of.


'Not bad.'


It was different from what he had expected, but...


For Taehyun, who had achieved his goal, it didn't matter what happened.


Park Sungjin came in with a knock.


"I thought you'd be here sooner, but you're late."


Taehyun said with an expression as if he was tired of waiting.


It was Park Sungjin who had kept him from leaving the hospital, saying that it was necessary for the investigation of the incident.


"I made you wait a long time."


Park Sungjin grinned as he handed over a set of takoyaki as a gift.


"Well, I'll enjoy it."


Taehyun put one of the takoyaki in his mouth without a word.


To receive a get-well gift from someone who he would have had a hard time even talking to in his past life.


It made him realize once again that you never know what life will bring.


"I apologize again for being late. This isn't Shinhan, you know."


Taehyun nodded as if he understood.


Since Park Sungjin was a player dispatched as the representative of Shinhan, each of his words and actions would represent the association and Shinhan.


Taehyun also stopped complaining.


Above all, he had a mountain of things to ask him.


"Well, then. Can you explain what happened that day?"


Park Sungjin put a takoyaki in his mouth and mumbled.


gulp.


He shrugged his shoulders after swallowing one completely.


As if he was asking the wrong person.


"That's what I want to ask. What the hell happened that day?"


Taehyun and Park Sungjin's conversation ended two hours later.


The information gathered was as follows.


While fighting the Bone Dragon summoned by Narendra Naru, devouring went on a rampage and Taehyun passed out.


The association has not yet figured out what happened to the main culprit of the terror, Narendra Naru, and the Bone Dragon, and when Park Sungjin arrived, only Taehyun and Kevin Folant were at the scene.


'Kevin Folant. Did he get hit by a skill or something?'


Hundreds of hostages disappeared without a trace, and all the other players who had been saved by Taehyun were hiding in other buildings.


Kevin Folant was the only survivor among those who watched Taehyun fight at the scene.


The problem was that he was out of his mind.


"His mind is already quite broken, so they couldn't even read his memories with skills. He's currently hospitalized in this hospital with you."


'His mind is broken... Did Narendra Naru do it?'


He was definitely fine even when Taehyun was stopping the Bone Dragon's breath.


"Don't you have anything in mind?"


Taehyun nodded at Park Sungjin's question.


He had no choice but to say that he had no memory.


Of course, about devouring as well.


Park Sungjin didn't doubt it because there was no reason for Taehyun to lie.


"Well, since this incident involves many international figures. The Japanese government also seems to be willing to thoroughly investigate the truth."


"Isaka Ryohei. What happened to that guy?"


"Some of the guys you saved testified. There was a monetary transaction in exchange for calling off the auction house escort. Japan can't easily cover it up because the international community is watching."


Park Sungjin, who had heard everything he wanted to hear, got up from his seat.


"Kim Taehyun. The association president is very worried."


"I'm sure he is. He even sent support to Japan to save his所属 player."


"The association president doesn't do that for everyone. Of course, neither do I."


"......?"


When Taehyun gave an expression that he didn't understand, Park Sungjin waved his hand and headed towards the entrance.


"It seems that the World Player Association will award you a commendation. Take your time to rest and return by then."


"Wait a minute. Narendra Naru. Don't you have any information about that guy?"


"Narendra Naru. That guy seems to have killed all the hostages and ran away. There's no further news."


"...I understand. I'll see you in Seoul next time."


"Then."


Park Sungjin left, and the hospital room became quiet again.


Even after talking to him, the questions still remained unsolved.


'Narendra Naru. That guy killed the hostages and ran away...'


He couldn't prove it, but he was sure.


That Narendra Naru wouldn't be okay.


Taehyun opened the status window.


A skill that had made him struggle even with the power of predation.


'Contract with the Devil' was registered.


There was definitely something more that he didn't remember and that Park Sungjin didn't know.


Something that made his blown-off arm regenerate.


Even so.


'What the hell happened?'


Taehyun couldn't even guess what had happened to him.


Episode 44


Seoul, the capital of Shinhan Republic.


A place where countless buildings form a forest.


In one of the offices there, a man was listening to a report.


"Narendra Nehru has gone missing, huh? What's the possibility of him being dead?"


"It cannot be ruled out."


"I knew the guy's skills were high-level S-rank. He wasn't affiliated with the guild, but we've lost a valuable asset."


"What should we do? Given the nature of the matter, we should report it to the guild leader right away..."


At the subordinate's words, the vice guild leader of the Malignant Guild, commonly known as Shadow, clicked his tongue and flicked his fingers.


"Tsk tsk. No, no. If I met the guild leader for something like this, I'd definitely get scolded."


"What are you planning to do?"


When the subordinate asked again, Shadow pointed to the Go board on the desk.


"The answer has already been decided."


Shadow swept all the mixed white and black stones off the board.


And then.


He placed several black stones around a single white stone.


"Fortunately, there are more evil guys than good guys in the world. It's truly a great world for us to live in."


At Shadow's laughter, the subordinate flinched.


For a moment, he forgot that the person in front of him was 'Shadow,' and cold sweat ran down his back.


"Leak the information to Taesan Electronics CEO Lee Jeong-soo. He will definitely make a move."


"Understood."


As the subordinate left, Shadow got up from his seat and lit a candle.


As the candle illuminated the darkness, shadows were created around it.


"You heard, right?"


At 'Shadow's' question, a black-shaped man crawled out from within his shadow.


"Yes. As you command."


"Where is the guild leader currently?"


"Deep in the Abyss. He has arrived at Duke Orgal's mansion."


"How long do you think he will stay?"


"It seems impossible to contact him for at least a month."


"I see. A month, huh."


Shadow smiled at the man.


"That doesn't mean our Malignant Guild can just sit idly by. You may return now. Continue to report on the guild leader's whereabouts."


"Yes."


With those words, the man was sucked back into the shadow.


"Kim Tae-hyun, huh. We need to take action quickly before he grows any bigger."


The Malignant Guild, which is gradually extending its reach in the underworld of Shinhan Republic.


Some informants thought the Malignant Guild was simply a guild with deep ties to the Mindo, but only a few knew the reality.


"The time of destruction is approaching."


Shadow, who looked into his future in the candlelight, began to laugh.


It was as if he had found an interesting toy.


"Welcome, Tae-hyun."


As soon as he entered the association building, Chairman Ji Jin-hee, who had been waiting, clasped his hands together.


To those around them, it looked like a grandfather checking to see if his grandson had been hurt.


'Meeting the chairman is harder than meeting the president, huh.'


Tae-hyun, who had thought it might be a rumor, bowed his head.


"I'm sorry for causing you concern. I'm fine."


At Tae-hyun's words, Ji Jin-hee laughed heartily.


He had already received a report from Park Seong-jin that there were no significant injuries.


Nevertheless, the reason he was so concerned was not just as the chairman of the association, but also as a senior in the industry.


"Even if you're young, you shouldn't push your body too hard. You may be the twelfth S-rank player in Shinhan Republic, but there are quite a few strong players in the world."


It was a roundabout way of criticizing him for going up against Narendra Nehru.


Tae-hyun also knew what it meant.


The price for facing an S-rank Mindo with uncertain information had already been paid dearly.


Even thinking about it now, his arm, which had been blown away, seemed to throb.


"Chairman, let's talk about the details inside."


Go Tae-wook, who was next to Ji Jin-hee, said quietly.


As he said, there were reporters and association employees waiting nearby.


They were all filled with curiosity as they watched Tae-hyun and Ji Jin-hee's meeting.


"Haha. The old man was being nosy. To keep a patient standing like this. Let's go up to my office."


Tae-hyun, who had his hand taken by Ji Jin-hee, was taken to the elevator leading to the chairman's office.


'This really feels like a grandson visiting his grandfather's house.'


Go Tae-wook chuckled at Tae-hyun's bewildered expression.


"It's already been over a month since Tae-hyun acquired his player license. Time really flies."


"Has it already been that long?"


When Tae-hyun feigned ignorance, Ji Jin-hee handed him tea that he had personally brewed.


"Here, it's hot, so drink it slowly. It's Dive Tea, a gift from the Alchemist Guild. It has the effect of reducing fatigue and recovering mana."


As Ji Jin-hee said, the fatigue level seemed to drop even after taking just one sip.


Seeing Tae-hyun's admiration, Ji Jin-hee had a 'that's right' expression.


His face was full of smiles.


But Tae-hyun didn't have much time.


"I would like to know why the chairman wanted to see me."


He asked the question directly.


Who would dare to act so boldly towards him?


Ji Jin-hee was someone that even the president and the speaker of the National Assembly found difficult.


'His spirit is different.'


Ji Jin-hee could see it in Tae-hyun's eyes.


That Tae-hyun had grown more than when he had received his license before.


His caliber itself was different from ordinary S-rank players.


"Then, as you wish, I will speak directly. Won't you represent Shinhan Republic in the upcoming Asian Player Friendship Games?"


"......!!"


Tae-hyun was momentarily speechless at the unexpected invitation.


"Excuse me, but may I ask why you are making such an offer?"


Ji Jin-hee handed over the documents he had received from Go Tae-wook, as if he had been waiting for the question.


"This is..."


"It's a collection of the 'achievements' Tae-hyun has made as a player so far."


As he said, it was.


The documents contained a record of all the activities Tae-hyun had undertaken as a player since he received his S-rank license.


"The five dungeons that had not been cleared for over 10 years. And Tae-hyun was the first to step forward and deal with each time an undiscovered dungeon was found. As the chairman of the association, I am truly grateful for that."


Conquering a dungeon is like risking one's life for a player.


In particular, the dungeons that remained in the country were especially reluctant to conquer because of the high-level traps and tricky monsters.


Most of the top players were too busy exploring the Abyss.


The association only checked the status periodically and even waited for a break.


For over ten years.


Tae-hyun had conquered such a dungeon alone in the past month.


Tae-hyun was not satisfied there and constantly searched for undiscovered dungeons.


Before the association even formed a party, he volunteered to conquer them regardless of rank.


'Looking at it all together like this, I look like a crazy dungeon conqueror.'


He laughed without realizing it.


Devouring monsters to increase physical stats.


There was a reason for running around like crazy.


Looking back now, that behavior seemed to be quite embellished.


Tae-hyun didn't bother to explain that point.


'There's no need to talk about devouring.'


Ji Jin-hee also knew that Tae-hyun was hiding something, but didn't pry.


Respecting each other and getting what they wanted.


There was no agreement, but the two men's thoughts were perfectly aligned.


"Thanks to you, our Shinhan Republic has become the only dungeon-free country in the world."


"You flatter me."


"And I've heard about your activities at the Westpoint Auction House through several players."


Tae-hyun nodded as if he knew.


He had dealt with dozens of Mindo before facing Narendra Nehru.


He had also uncovered the corruption of Isaka Ryohei, so his contribution was not small.


"Especially buying time against Narendra Nehru. No one there could have done that except you. As a result, Shinhan Republic's national image has risen by more than 100 points. And that's not all. Global companies around the world are clamoring to sponsor you."


When Tae-hyun looked confused, Go Tae-wook explained with a kind smile.


"There are many who want to sponsor you, but typically... have you heard of Dynasoft? The chairman there owes you his life and has volunteered to sponsor you. Not on an individual level, but on a corporate level."


Corporate sponsorship. In other words, a sponsor.


That was another indicator of the value of the players.


Of course, such sponsorships came with contracts, so he was going to reject all sponsorship offers...


"There are no special conditions attached here. They just want to give you unilateral support. That's all."


Tae-hyun cheered inwardly at the condition that was like a blank check.


"Well, let's talk about that later. Chief Go, what's Tae-hyun's player ranking now?"


"The Westpoint Auction House incident has been reflected, and it's 30th."


It was a jump of 95 places from 125th.


"Well, how is it? That's why I want to send you to the upcoming Friendship Games. The Mindo will be targeting Tae-hyun even more because of this incident. But that's why I want to show them without hiding. That Shinhan Republic is not a place that Mindo can covet."


"I see."


"Of course, we will take even more precautions for the safety of Tae-hyun's associates, so you don't have to worry."


Tae-hyun, who understood Chairman Ji Jin-hee's thoughts, nodded slightly.


But.


"Chairman, I appreciate your words, but I will decline."


"Tae-hyun, the chairman has his own thoughts..."


"Chief Go. Let's hear Tae-hyun's story too."


Go Tae-wook stopped talking at Ji Jin-hee's gesture.


'Is he being reckless? Or is he thoughtful?'


Since he was the one who sent the invitation to the player test.


Go Tae-wook felt some responsibility for the work and actions that Tae-hyun did as a player.


Of course, Tae-hyun himself didn't seem to know it at all.


Following Go Tae-wook, Ji Jin-hee also asked back, not hiding his disappointed expression.


"Tae-hyun. To be honest, I'm a little taken aback by your unexpected answer. May I ask why?"


Tae-hyun, who had been thinking for a moment at Ji Jin-hee's question, opened his mouth.


"It's because this kind of method is not like the chairman I know. Others will think the same way."


"......!!"


"I don't want to hear that I acquired the representative qualification by borrowing the chairman's power."


In fact, he had thought about using the Ji Jin-hee connection for a very brief moment.


But he quickly gave up on it for the reason he just mentioned.


But so what?


'Chairman, I think you're moved.'


Tae-hyun drove a wedge into Ji Jin-hee, who was getting teary-eyed in front of him.


"Until the remaining time. I will raise the contribution ranking to within the top 5."


Ji Jin-hee burst into hearty laughter at Tae-hyun's appearance, who was speaking as if he was making a declaration.


He finally calmed down after shaking his shoulders several times.


"I'll look forward to it, Tae-hyun."


"I won't disappoint you."


He had spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital without a plan.


Recalling the plans he had been thinking about during that time.


Tae-hyun once again foreshadowed a turbulent incident.


Episode 45


"The chairman seems unusually talkative today, doesn't he?"


Ko Tae-wook casually asked as they left the chairman Ji Jin-hee's office and headed out of the building.


Tae-hyun readily agreed.


It was a stark contrast to the image he knew from his past life.


"I heard he was like a tiger. Even the other S-rank players found him difficult to approach."


Ko Tae-wook chuckled at Tae-hyun's assessment.


It was all true.


"It's true that he's like a tiger, and that S-rank players find him difficult. And it's also true that he cherishes you like a grandson."


Tae-hyun tilted his head at Ko Tae-wook's words.


He knew he was being treated specially, but he had never heard that he was being cherished like a grandson.


"You know the chairman never married, right?"


"Yes. I heard he spent most of his youth in the Abyss…"


Ji Jin-hee, the first S-rank player in New Korea.


Back when he was active, the world was at war with monsters.


It was due to the gates that opened almost every day.


The level of players was lower than it is now, and the equipment wasn't as good either.


News and newspapers were filled with reports of numerous casualties every day.


It was during this time that Ji Jin-hee took responsibility as the first and only S-rank player and hunted monsters.


He single-handedly prevented gate breaks and roamed around New Korea to conquer places that had already become dungeons.


Perhaps it was because they rallied around him.


New Korea managed to drive out most of the monsters and even advanced into the Abyss.


It's an event that is often mentioned in parental generations or modern history classes, so anyone in New Korea would know about him, a living legend.


And that person was thinking of him as a grandson.


"He must see his younger self in your actions."


"Huh?"


"Well, the way you charge into dungeons and fight against the Mahr without hesitation, it does look similar to me, too."


Slap.


Ko Tae-wook grinned and slapped Tae-hyun on the back.


"So, don't feel burdened even if the chairman is being a little nosy. He recommended the Asian Player Friendship Match for that reason."


"Well, if I had known there was such a reason, I would have accepted it without hesitation."


"Are you really confident in raising your rank to 5th place in the remaining time? If you're pushing yourself too hard…"


Tae-hyun smiled at Ko Tae-wook's concern.


"Deputy Chief Ko, you don't think of me as a 'younger brother,' do you?"


"Ha, this kid…"


"Haha. I'll head out first. I have an appointment with Alchemist."


Tae-hyun lightly bowed his head and left the association building.


The deputy chief, watching him leave, scratched his head.


Considering the age difference, it was natural to feel like Tae-hyun was a younger brother, but every time they spoke, he felt like he was dealing with someone of a similar age.


"Well, he'll do well on his own."


Ko Tae-wook tried to deny the feeling and turned away.


After parting ways with Ko Tae-wook, Tae-hyun immediately got into another car that was waiting for him.


It was because Seo Sang-ik, the guild leader of Alchemist, had expressed his desire to meet him personally regarding the auction.


"I heard you got promoted. What brings you here?"


Tae-hyun asked, looking at Chief Choi Chang-shik sitting in the passenger seat.


Chief Choi Chang-shik.


He had been promoted to director for his contribution to scouting New Korea's twelfth S-rank player.


Tae-hyun knew that a director of one of the four major guilds wouldn't be free enough to wait for someone in the passenger seat.


"It's been a while since your promotion. I'm glad you look healthy."


Director Choi Chang-shik greeted Tae-hyun with a friendly smile.


"It must mean the guild leader is very concerned about you. He told me to pick you up personally."


"I'm sorry to bother you."


"Haha, no problem. It'll take 20 minutes to get to the guild building, so please rest comfortably until then."


Tae-hyun nodded at Choi Chang-shik's consideration.


As he leaned back into the limousine's plush cushions, comfort washed over him.


And as if it were a habit, he opened his status window.


Name: Kim Tae-hyun


Age: 19


Rank: B


Strength: 101 Stamina: 120 Speed: 100 Mana: 180 Charm: 30


Fatigue: 15%


Remaining Mana: 180/180


[Skills]


Devour (B) - Can devour the desired target. Requires: 40 Mahr Power


Stone Skin (B) - Can strengthen the body. Requires: 30 Mahr Power


Stealth (B) - Can conceal the body. Requires: 25 Mahr Power


Paralysis (B) - Restricts the target's body. Requires: 20 Mahr Power


Lord's Heart (B) - Increases the stats of party members. Requires: 30 Mahr Power


King Knight's Aura (B) - Overwhelms the opponent with aura. Requires: 35 Mahr Power


Chains of Binding (B) - Binds the target. Skill tracking and cancellation are possible. Requires: 27 Mahr Power


Contract with the Devil (B) - Can open a gate to the Abyss. Requires: 200 Mahr Power (1/1)


It was the same status window he had checked dozens of times in the hospital.


The strength, stamina, and speed stats had dropped significantly.


'Is it a drop caused by regenerating my right arm?'


The numbers had dropped quite a bit, but it wasn't worth trading for one right arm.


In fact, he thought it was fortunate that it was only this much.


Other than that, the only change was 'Contract with the Devil', presumably Narenda Neru's skill.


'I don't remember devouring him.'


The unique skill 'Devour' had gone out of control, and his right arm had been completely regenerated. The skill 'Contract with the Devil' meant that he had devoured Narenda Neru.


Clearly, all of these things were related.


Tae-hyun tried to activate the skill again.


[Mana is insufficient. This skill cannot be activated.]


The message he had seen dozens of times in the hospital appeared before his eyes.


'200 Mana isn't a joke.'


Tae-hyun's mana, which had increased after drinking the Phoenix Potion, was 180.


Even with a mana stat that was high among magic-type S-rank players, he couldn't activate the skill.


Suddenly, a thesis came to Tae-hyun's mind.


In his past life, a thesis that researched the physical abilities of S-rank players had caused a stir in the world.


The four major stats that Awakened Ones fundamentally possess.


Strength, Stamina, Speed, Mana.


The author of the thesis had unofficially measured these four stats for a large number of S-rank players.


They all had one thing in common: one of the four major stats had a stat point of over 100.


It meant that if you became strong enough to obtain an S-rank player license, at least one of the four stats would have a value of 100 or more, regardless of your type.


It was nothing special for Tae-hyun, who was B-rank and had all four major stats over 100, but…


'If the mana stat is 200, you'd have to be an SS-rank player… there's no way Narenda Neru had already reached that level…'


Even National Level players, who were called the best among players, had not reached the SS-rank.


It was only natural that Tae-hyun was questioning it.


'After all, the nature of the skill must have changed in the process of devouring…'


No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember what happened when he collapsed.


It was a problem that had no answer.


'Well, I'll know when I use it.'


There was no problem using buffs or amplification stones to activate the skill.


But what Tae-hyun wanted wasn't just a simple skill activation.


If it required 200 mana, it would be difficult to handle even if he used it with his current skills.


'I have to match Mahr Power with pure skill.'


That also meant that he would surpass the National Level sooner or later.


'There's also the possibility that Devour will go out of control again.'


He had confirmed that Devour, which was currently B-rank, could grow to SS-rank, so it wasn't a meaningless rampage.


He still vividly remembered the burden he had to endure as Devour grew through A-rank, S-rank, and SS-rank.


It was an experience he didn't want to go through again.


That's why he needed to move up his plans and find out as soon as possible if 'Contract with the Devil' was a useful skill.


'I can't ask Narenda Neru, but…'


Unlike the auction he had accidentally participated in.


According to the plans he had made in the hospital, he would be able to easily exceed 200 mana soon.


Just like Ji Jin-hee of the Player Association.


When Tae-hyun entered the Alchemist guild building, Seo Sang-ik greeted him warmly.


"I was so surprised to find out that Tae-hyun-nim had gone to the auction."


"I'm sorry for causing you worry."


Tae-hyun politely bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.


If it weren't for him, Ji Jin-hee wouldn't have actively moved, and Park Sung-jin wouldn't have arrived at the auction in time.


"Are you feeling better? Our Alchemist medical team is always on standby, so please feel free to visit us anytime."


"Yes. Thank you."


Tae-hyun's rank at Alchemist was SVIP.


But the treatment was more than VVIP.


It was because they knew that Tae-hyun had exclusive rights to trade Mahr Stones when he advanced into the Abyss.


Tae-hyun didn't bow his head too much.


After all, this was also part of a business transaction in a relationship of equals.


About an hour passed.


After a friendly conversation, Tae-hyun got up from his seat.


"Well, I look forward to working with you in the future. Player Kim Tae-hyun-nim."


"I look forward to working with you too."


Tae-hyun shook Seo Sang-ik's hand and left the guild building with a friendly smile.


Who would have known that his actions to stop a terrorist attack to build up his achievements would lead to this?


There wasn't much time left until the representative selection.


He had a mountain of things to do, so he really wanted to go home and rest.


Ding.


[Unique skill Devour has been activated. Targeting user 'Kim Tae-hyun'.]


As the message window appeared, dark red Mahr Power enveloped Tae-hyun.


Crack. Crack.


As with many Mahr and Demons, Tae-hyun screamed in pain as his bones were crushed.


"Ugh… Stop!!"


As if 'Stone Skin', which had tightly wrapped around his S-rank body, was a joke.


Devour's Mahr Power did not stop and infiltrated him.


"Stop!!!"


The skills no longer moved according to Tae-hyun's will.


[Using skill Paralysis (B). Targeting user 'Kim Tae-hyun'.]


[Using skill King Knight's Aura (B). Targeting user 'Kim Tae-hyun'.]


[Using skill Chains of Binding (B). Targeting user 'Kim Tae-hyun'.]


The three skills that were activated in succession shackled Tae-hyun.


It felt like his body would be crushed at any moment.


The pain dominated his mind, and groans leaked out from between his tightly clenched teeth.


At that time.


Someone spoke.


[This is the power you wanted, right?]


[If you ate it, you have to pay it back.]


"What nonsense…"


He hadn't even finished speaking.


Devour's Mahr Power.


The dark red Mahr Power had already begun to devour his face.


Crack. Crack. Crack.


Crunch!!


Before he could even scream.


His vision went dark.


"Haa… Haa… What… what a nightmare…"


Tae-hyun gasped for breath and checked the time.


It wasn't even 10 pm yet.


A nightmare.


It was a cliche that every player experienced at least once, where their skills went out of control and devoured their body.


"How pathetic."


Tae-hyun got out of bed and opened the refrigerator.


He took out a bottle of water and gulped it down.


He had heard about skill rampages a few times.


'But I've never heard of a skill having a self and devouring its user.'


Tae-hyun sighed.


Then.


Beep- Beep-


[A guest has arrived. A guest has arrived.]


The neat voice of the installed AI echoed throughout the house.


'At this hour?'


When he manipulated the screen, the face of the visitor appeared.


"……."


Tae-hyun's expression changed strangely when he saw the late-night visitor.


Outside the door.


Im A-young was standing.


Episode 46


It felt like déjà vu from the Player License exam.


Taehyun opened the door, and there stood Im Ah-young, looking at him with a strange expression.


The only difference was that their statuses had changed from examinees to official players.


"What's up?"


"I heard at the Association that you returned to Seoul. I'm the class president, so..."


'She's a terrible liar.'


Despite speaking casually, she couldn't even make eye contact.


Taehyun chuckled.


"Well, I have to treat my guest. Want to come in?"


"If you insist."


As if she had been waiting, Im Ah-young entered Taehyun's house.


'Come to think of it, this is the first guest since I received the house from the Association.'


The personal residence granted when Taehyun received his S-rank license.


It was called a personal residence, but he had spent most of the past month in dungeons.


Since he only used the house to sleep, it was only natural that basic items for hosting guests weren't prepared.


"Sorry. I don't have anything to offer."


"It's okay. Here. You must have a knife to cut fruit, right?"


Im Ah-young asked, holding out a basket of apples.


"...I don't."


Seeing Taehyun instinctively reaching for a Talisman.


Im Ah-young sighed.


Slicing. Slicing.


The sound of fruit being cut by Im Ah-young's hands.


A pleasant sound echoed throughout the quiet house.


"Amazing. To be able to control Ice Age this precisely."


Taehyun said to Im Ah-young, who was cutting fruit with an ice knife.


It wasn't flattery but genuine admiration.


It's easy to unleash great power, but it's not easy to compress that power.


Im Ah-young was casually doing something that even A-rank players would find difficult.


"Hearing that from you doesn't make me happy at all."


Unlike her words, her face turned red as she handed him a piece of fruit.


"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."


Taehyun took a bite of the apple.


Come to think of it, this was the first time he had eaten fruit since moving out of his aunt's house.


"How's your player activity? I know you submitted a leave of absence to school."


Taehyun brought up a common topic to prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward.


Numerous S-rank awakeners had failed the exam or received temporary licenses because of Taehyun.


Ah-young, who should have been the top scorer, ended up with a B-rank license.


'In my past life, I think I started at A-rank.'


She got off to a bad start because she became his sacrifice.


He felt a pang of guilt.


Taehyun gave her a kind smile and handed her a piece of fruit.


"...What are you up to?"


"What do you mean? I just suddenly wanted to take care of you."


"......"


She accepted the apple slice, still not letting go of her suspicious gaze.


"So. How is your player activity going?"


"Nothing special. I'm just going back and forth to the entrance of the Abyss for now. This kind of life will continue until I graduate."


"Already the Abyss... Amazing."


"......"


Ah-young looked disappointed when Taehyun reacted as if he was hearing it for the first time.


It was because articles about her were being written almost every day.


[S-rank awakener and this year's Player License runner-up, Im Ah-young. Hunts down dozens of B-rank monsters.]


[If Japan has a saint, New Korea has Im Ah-young. Can she become New Korea's thirteenth?]


Like that.


'Kim Taehyun. So, I'm nothing to you after all.'


Was it inferiority?


Ah-young unknowingly tightened her grip on the fruit.


Crack. Crack.


The knife, which had momentarily lost control, lengthened like a longsword.


Startled, Taehyun avoided the Ice Age that had come right in front of his Adam's apple.


"Why are you suddenly doing this?"


"...Sorry. It was a mistake."


Taehyun was dumbfounded by Im Ah-young's dry apology.


'If you make two mistakes, you'll kill someone.'


Taehyun subtly moved away from where she was sitting.


"Well, I'm glad it seems like you've settled in well. Congratulations."


Even though it was the entrance, entering the Abyss at the age of ten was definitely a huge deal.


Taehyun sincerely congratulated her.


The entrance of the Abyss had a Player Zone created as an advance base for exploration.


Since it was created by chasing away the monsters that lived there, monster attacks were constant.


A talented person like Ah-young would be a great help.


'I still remember it vividly.'


Taehyun had also frequented the place for more than a decade in his past life.


Even though he hadn't been there once since his regression, he vividly remembered the geography of the place.


"Kim Taehyun. Why aren't you entering the Abyss?"


"It's still too much for me."


"Liar."


"You. You seem to have too little trust in me."


Im Ah-young's expression hardened at his nonchalant attitude.


And.


"Don't get cocky just because you're an S-rank player. I'll catch up soon."


Tsuzuuzuzuzu.


She deactivated 'Ice Age' and got up from her seat.


"As if you could."


Taehyun laughed off her fighting spirit.


A future SS-rank player was grinding her teeth to surpass him.


Taehyun, who was just a porter in his past life, couldn't help but laugh.


'Come to think of it.'


Taehyun checked the date on the calendar on the wall.


'The day the first SS-rank awakener is announced is not far off.'


The first SS-rank awakener. The first SS-rank player.


He remembered Ah-young's figure, gracefully crossing the increasingly fierce player front line.


'Well, it's okay to give her some stimulation.'


"Im Ah-young."


Taehyun called out to her as she was about to leave, grabbing her clothes.


And.


"Try to keep up. The gap will only widen."


"Kim Taehyun..."


Looking at her trembling.


Taehyun laughed once again.


'Kim Taehyun. He's still a worrying guy.'


Im Ah-young sighed as she recalled Taehyun's house she had just visited.


'I'll catch up soon, just you wait.' Like that.


Even though she said it grandly, the energy she felt from Taehyun just now was unusual.


'What kind of skill did he awaken?'


Taehyun's power was more refined than during the player exam before.


The Association belatedly announced that he had awakened the B-rank skills 'Stone Skin', 'Invisibility', 'Paralysis', and 'Knight King's Haki', but.


'Something's missing.'


Ah-young was sure that wasn't all.


Above all, Taehyun was a growth-type awakener, who was one of the very few in the world.


As Ah-young, who had the best talent, could not help but strengthen her resolve.


'As soon as I get home, I'm going straight to training.'


After acquiring the player license, she had been frequenting the Abyss like her own home for the past month.


She was already being talked about renewing her A-rank license, but.


'Compared to the fame he's building, it's just a drop in the bucket.'


The reaction Taehyun showed was also a considerable wound to her.


Ah-young sighed again.


Then, someone blocked her path.


Ah-young looked up.


"Oh my, who is this?"


"Sister...?"


Yoo Ah-young, the guild leader of Nightwalker and New Korea's S-rank player.


She was looking at Im Ah-young with her arms crossed.


"I told you not to call me that, didn't I?"


Yoo Ah-young looked at her half-sister Im Ah-young with cold eyes.


She would have shrunk back before, but.


Im Ah-young was now a full-fledged player.


There was no reason to avoid her gaze.


"I can call you whatever I want. What are you doing here, sister?"


Yoo Ah-young's eyebrows twitched slightly at her sister's attitude, who did not give in.


"Didn't I ask you first? What would you be doing here..."


In an instant, Yoo Ah-young's expression changed as a thought flashed through her mind.


"Aha. You came to see our Taehyun?"


"Our... Taehyun...?"


It was as Yoo Ah-young expected.


Im Ah-young's expression changed to one of embarrassment at the unexpected choice of words.


Yoo Ah-young's lips curled up.


This half-sister, who didn't listen to her anymore now that she had grown up quite a bit.


It was because she seemed to have found a new weakness for such a sister.


"Yes. Our Taehyun. That's strange. I'm sure I heard that we didn't have a separate appointment today?"


Yoo Ah-young nonchalantly made up Taehyun's schedule.


It wasn't wrong.


Because it was already a fact that she had her subordinates find out.


"What's the relationship... between Kim Taehyun and you?"


Im Ah-young asked back with a hardened expression.


"Two S-rank players meeting at night. What kind of relationship would it be?"


"What are you...!"


"Shut your mouth and don't let me see you again. Otherwise, I'll trample on that name so you can never use it again."


"......"


Leaving Im Ah-young silent.


Yoo Ah-young brushed past her.


"...Sister."


The meaning of the name Ah-young felt heavier than ever today.


Meanwhile.


"Hello?"


When Taehyun opened the door, this time Yoo Ah-young was smiling brightly.


"Huh... How did you get here..."


Following Im Ah-young, this time it was Yoo Ah-young.


It was a series of unexpected visitors.


But the reaction of absurdity was only temporary.


'No. If they come on their own, I'm grateful.'


Taehyun's head began to spin quickly.


Because Yoo Ah-young's help was also needed in the next plan.


He couldn't treat her with disdain like before.


After organizing his thoughts, Taehyun smiled brightly.


"Oh, that's unexpected?"


"What do you mean?"


"I thought you would be cold again like last time."


"Well, I'll treat you as an industry senior now."


Yoo Ah-young stared intently at Taehyun's face at the quick change of attitude.


"Hmm. You don't have any other intentions, do you?"


"Isn't that what you have?"


Taehyun pointed to her hand.


There was a familiar plant in her hand.


'It's the elixir of immortality.'


Yoo Ah-young handed over the elixir of immortality packaged in a pot.


"It's the elixir of immortality. Players like us never know when we're going to die, right? It's never bad to show off to the first national-level player in New Korea. To someone who shows that potential."


Taehyun indifferently accepted the elixir of immortality she handed over while speaking nonchalantly.


"I'll take good care of it."


Thump.


Yoo Ah-young grabbed one of Taehyun's arms that had received the elixir of immortality.


"Then, 'Honey' seems to want something from me too?"


Taehyun sighed in relief at Yoo Ah-young's attitude, which came in suddenly.


Yoo Ah-young, the ranker of New Korea and the leader of the four major guilds, Nightwalker.


It was well known that she didn't hesitate to use the expression 'Honey' to her people.


'Still, it's a relief that it's not Baby.'


Baby is the nickname she uses for the man she targets.


Because he knew how harsh the nickname was, he could accept the expression Honey as a joke.


"Since you say that, can I ask you for a favor?"


"Tell me. I'll do anything I can do for you."


Yoo Ah-young showed her confidence by hitting her chest.


It felt like she was saying that there was nothing she couldn't do in this New Korea.


"The double dungeon that Nightwalker recently discovered. I'd like you to hand over the rights to attack it to me."


Yoo Ah-young's expression went blank at the words double dungeon.


"You, how did you..."


"What are you going to do?"


Taehyun urged her to answer.


He was trying to drive her into a corner without giving her time to think and lead her to a favorable contract.


Yoo Ah-young was a smarter woman than Taehyun thought.


It didn't take her long to organize her thoughts.


Thud.


With an attractive smile, she put her hand on Taehyun's shoulder.


'Hmm?'


"Our cute Baby. Is it because of the contribution points?"


Moment.


Taehyun's back was covered in goosebumps.


47th Episode


"Public enemy... well, you could say that."


Taehyun said, touching his arm, which was suddenly covered in goosebumps.


Ayoung continued, as if Taehyun's reaction was unimportant.


"How interesting. It was supposed to be confidential information. I won't ask how our 'baby' knows that information."


Taehyun shuddered again at the word "baby."


It seemed he had to accept the fact that he had been targeted by Yoo Ayoung.


"So, are you handing over the right to attack it to me? Of course, I will try to match the mana stone distribution as much as possible."


Unlike gate breaks, undiscovered dungeons are like time bombs that could explode at any time.


Nevertheless, the guild that discovers it first has priority in attacking because the profits earned from attacking are enormous.


Unlike Taehyun, who only cares about mana stones, most guilds always include porters in their attack teams.


The monster corpses were handed over to production guilds, creating secondary profits.


For an A-grade dungeon, the profit would be roughly 10 billion won.


From Taehyun's perspective, raising his stats was more important, so he chose to devour them, but for large guilds, it was an amount they couldn't afford to miss.


"As you know, unlike a normal attack team that needs to form a party, I am confident that I can attack it alone. There's no need for the guild to take unnecessary risks."


Taehyun was confident that she would be tempted by his proposal. That's why he kept pushing relentlessly.


If a guild determined that it could not handle a dungeon, it would give up the right to attack it, and then the association would take over and form an attack party.


If the dungeon was owned by the association, Taehyun, who was unregistered, would be free to attack it.


'But if the guild that discovered it is Knightwalker, one of the four major guilds, the story changes.'


Knightwalker has a significant number of high-level players, and the guild leader, Yoo Ayoung, is an S-grade player.


Considering that Taehyun attacked the double dungeon before receiving his S-grade license, if they prepared thoroughly, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be able to attack it as well.


'In my past life, Yoo Ayoung succeeded in attacking it.'


Of course, it was a victory achieved with great sacrifice, but he had no intention of belittling even that victory.


"Leaving aside the source of the information. You're being too proactive, aren't you? Is there something there that I don't know about?"


As the head of an information guild, Yoo Ayoung didn't easily take the bait.


"How would I know something that Knightwalker doesn't?"


"You're good at answering, anyway. But I can't just hand it over because we haven't finished investigating it yet. It's a bit risky to hand it over without knowing what's inside."


She winked and examined Taehyun's expression.


"You said to just ask earlier."


"Oh my. I know how to distinguish between public and private matters, you know?"


Taehyun couldn't hide his disappointment at her attitude.


'If I open up the information a little, it wouldn't be difficult to persuade her...'


Taehyun grabbed Ayoung's hand on his shoulder and pulled it down.


Even at this moment, countless dungeons were being created and attacked.


'Phoenix Temple' wasn't the only way to increase magic power in a short period of time.


"I understand. Then, let's forget about it."


"Huh?"


Ayoung reacted with surprise at Taehyun's quick surrender.


From her point of view, she was trying to make Taehyun anxious and shift the balance of the deal to her side.


Taehyun read Ayoung's thoughts and shrugged.


"I'm not one for pushing and pulling. If you want to distinguish between public and private matters, there's nothing I can do. I hope you succeed in attacking it."


Ayoung stared intently at Taehyun's face.


'Is this guy serious?'


She had dealt with countless people who wanted her information and approached her.


Sweet words. Determined eyes. Solid contracts, etc.


Those who approached her, hiding their true intentions with various things.


Their end wasn't very good.


She prided herself on having a good eye for people.


But.


'Is he really serious?'


Ayoung's eyes narrowed as she met Taehyun's eyes.


"......"


It was difficult to grasp his true intentions.


The intuition that had been flashing just a moment ago when he was trying to ask her for a favor was now calm.


'This is... if this happens, I have to give in.'


The twelfth S-grade player in Shinhan, and a promising rookie expected to grow into national power in the future.


Because he had been active alone without forming a party, little was known about Taehyun's skills or hunting methods.


At best, the only thing that had been shown was his performance in the player license test.


'And that wouldn't be his full power...'


It was difficult to see that he had used his full power, so it wasn't helpful information.


That's why she wanted to know more.


Where does Taehyun's confidence come from?


And.


'Is he really a man worth investing in?'


Ayoung's 고민 wasn't long.


"Okay. I'll hand over the right to attack it."


Smirk.


Taehyun smiled as if he had been waiting for it.


"Thank you. I won't disappoint you..."


"But."


"......?"


"I'm going with you."


"......"


Yoo Ayoung was convinced that she had thrown the right bait at Taehyun's reaction, who was trying hard to maintain a poker face.


"Give up if you don't like it."


Her eyes sparkled.


It was because she was confident that the balance of the deal had tilted in her favor.


But.


"That's very kind of you."


"What...?"


With a smile as if nothing could be better, Taehyun offered a handshake.


Ayoung's body flinched as she unknowingly grabbed his hand.


Taehyun's rising lips looked particularly wicked.


The next day in the afternoon.


Taehyun visited Knightwalker's building.


"Welcome. I've been waiting for you."


Yoo Ayoung greeted Taehyun and immediately led him to the item warehouse.


"This is our guild's rental shop. Pick whatever you need."


"Of course, it's temporary until we attack the dungeon, right?"


"Do you like something? I'll give you everything if you join our guild. How about it?"


Taehyun shook his head at Yoo Ayoung's sparkling eyes.


"Well, no thanks. There's nothing better than a weapon you're used to."


"Really? You're different from the kids these days who are obsessed with item grades."


Beyond the rental shop, a large hall appeared.


It seemed like an entire floor of the guild building was connected, a space that could easily accommodate thousands of people.


"What's this place?"


"It's a place where you can test the items you saw earlier. It's equipped with shock absorption devices and an emergency barrier system."


"Skill tests in such a high-rise building. Isn't that dangerous?"


"Hehe. It's designed to withstand skills at the level of a high-level S-grade player, so you don't have to worry. Well, that's as long as you don't intentionally try to break it."


Taehyun nodded.


It seemed to be designed to match the skills of Yoo Ayoung, who was evaluated as a mid-to-high-level S-grade player.


A man approached the two who were looking around at various things.


It was a man in his 30s with a scarred face and toned muscles.


"Introduce yourself. This is Jeon Panho, the leader of our guild's Attack Team 2. Leader Jeon. This is Kim Taehyun, the player who will be entering the dungeon with me tomorrow."


"Nice to meet you. My name is Jeon Panho. I've heard a lot about you."


Jeon Panho extended his hand to Taehyun.


'I'm meeting him here. Jeon Panho.'


Taehyun smiled bitterly and shook Jeon Panho's hand.


A-grade ranker Jeon Panho.


He was a talented player, but his personality, which was inversely proportional to his skills, was famous in the industry.


In his past life, he not only looked at Taehyun, who was working as a porter without even awakening, with unkind eyes.


'He was a crazy bastard who would break the arms of people he didn't like for no reason. Was he a member of Knightwalker at this time?'


Ayoung, unaware of Taehyun's thoughts, gave him brief information about him.


"Leader Jeon is active in various fields, ranking 20th in the contribution ranking. He may be the first A-grade Awakener in Shinhan to receive an S-grade license."


Jeon Panho smiled and waved his hand at Yoo Ayoung's praise.


"You flatter me. It's all thanks to the guild leader for taking me in."


Jeon Panho's eyes were unusual as he said that.


'Sneaky bastard.'


Because Taehyun knew that he was interested in women, his gaze towards Yoo Ayoung didn't look very good.


In any case, it wasn't something Taehyun should care about.


That's why he praised him once again.


"An S-grade license. That's amazing."


"Haha. Right? I'm lucky to have good people around me."


Then Ayoung's hand naturally went to Taehyun.


Clench.


A handsome man and a beautiful woman with their arms linked.


They looked like a friendly couple.


"......"


"......"


Taehyun and Jeon Panho's expressions changed.


Taehyun felt burdened, and Jeon Panho felt jealous.


"How about it? Would you like to have a light sparring match with me here?"


"Is there any need for that? What if you get hurt before you even enter the dungeon?"


"Really? That's a shame."


Ayoung's hand went down as she said that.


"......"


"......"


She pulled Taehyun's clasped hand and headed to the potion room.


No, at the moment she was about to head there.


"If you don't mind, how about me as your opponent?"


Jeon Panho asked with sparkling eyes.


When Taehyun turned around, Jeon Panho was making an uncharacteristic, kind-looking expression.


'This bastard...'


"Isn't it fate that we met like this? If you don't mind, please teach our Attack Team 2."


"Aren't rumors exaggerated?"


Jeon Panho didn't back down despite Taehyun's refusal.


Rather, he gathered the members who were scattered around checking items.


As if he wouldn't accept any further refusals.


At that sight, Yoo Ayoung whispered softly in Taehyun's ear.


"What should we do? It seems like Leader Jeon wants to learn a thing or two from you?"


It's said that a sister-in-law who tries to stop you is more hateful than a mother-in-law who scolds you.


Taehyun burst into laughter at Yoo Ayoung's transparent behavior.


"Leader Jeon Panho. As an experienced person, I'm telling you. You could lose your life because of a reckless act."


"It won't be a reckless act. And you're the only survivor of a double dungeon. If I were to lose my life, it would be an honor."


It was a strange nuance.


When Taehyun expressed doubt, Ayoung approached again and whispered.


"Ah, Taehyun. By the way, Leader Jeon was best friends with a magic engineering player."


'You're telling me now. I thought their personalities seemed similar. The saying that birds of a feather flock together fits perfectly?'


Taehyun clicked his tongue and took out the talisman that was tied to his waist.


If he was going to do it, he might as well do it right.


When he lightly placed his finger on the sharply honed talisman.


Drip. Drip.


Blood droplets fell between the cut skin.


"Being a player is a sad job where you never know when you're going to die. In that sense, the magic engineering player met a death that suited his level."


"......!!"


It was a blatant provocation.


Jeon Panho's face turned red.


"Do you still want to spar with me?"


Whoosh.


Taehyun, who had infused the talisman with dark red magic power, looked at Jeon Panho.


He hoped that he would recognize the emotion that was mixed with purity and malice, and handed over the final choice to him.


Unfortunately, Jeon Panho wasn't smart enough to understand Taehyun's true intentions.


"Kim Taehyun! I challenge you to a duel with the honor of a player at stake!!"


A duel with the honor of a player at stake.


Like the oath of an Awakener, the meaning of that word is by no means light.


It was natural for the surroundings to become noisy at Jeon Panho's roar.


But Yoo Ayoung, who was responsible for all of this.


"Oh my. A fight broke out."


She simply smiled innocently, as if watching a fire.


Episode 48


'A duel with a player's honor at stake, huh? You've devised something quite interesting?'


This happened less than an hour after Taehyun entered the Nightwalker Guild building.


It was too contrived to dismiss as a coincidence, yet too excessive to be someone's scheme.


Putting a player's honor on the line means wagering their license.


The loser's license is revoked according to international conventions, with no excuses accepted.


"You'll regret this."


Taehyun sneered at Jeon Pan-ho.


An A-rank player challenging an S-rank player is an absurd act at first glance.


'He must have acquired an enhanced skill around this time.'


Knowing what Jeon Pan-ho was relying on, Taehyun also had nothing to lose in this duel.


"Guild Master, what do you think? If we duel, I don't intend to hold back."


Taehyun glanced at Yoo Ah-young as he spoke.


He didn't care what happened to Jeon Pan-ho.


But as an executive of Nightwalker, he wanted to check with her first.


To get her opinion on whether he could dispose of him like this.


Reading his thoughts, she nodded with a smiling gaze.


"Come now, former Unit Leader. I understand you're excited, but I, as the Guild Master, cannot allow it. A light spar, perhaps."


A light spar.


Taehyun chuckled at those words.


After all, she had no intention of stopping the fight.


He was beginning to sense what this whole stage was designed for.


Yoo Ah-young subtly approached and whispered into Taehyun's ear, now more naturally.


"Someone like the former Unit Leader wouldn't be out of place owning a unique item, right?"


As she said.


Taehyun let out a hollow laugh, confirming the ring sparkling on Jeon Pan-ho's hand.


She was nonchalantly orchestrating an event that might result in some loss of combat power in order to gain the information she wanted.


'There's a reason why she's leading one of the four major guilds.'


A leadership that appropriately uses carrots and sticks.


This was another side of Yoo Ah-young, known in the world as the 'cunning fox'.


However.


Taehyun had no intention of playing along with her plan.


"Well, fine. But I don't think I can satisfy the former Unit Leader with just that."


"Huh?"


"I'll wager my S-rank license. I wouldn't feel comfortable otherwise."


"Oh my, Player Kim Taehyun, there's really no need to..."


"Of course. If the Guild Master doesn't wager anything either, the duel will lack weight. The ring on your hand, Master. It looks quite expensive. What do you say?"


Jeon Pan-ho's expression twitched at Taehyun's suggestion.


"You seem to know what this is."


"Yes. I didn't expect such a valuable item to be in the former Unit Leader's possession."


"Hmph. This is something you like..."


"I was just looking for a ring that suited my hand."


Cutting off Jeon Pan-ho's words, Taehyun raised a hand.


Swish.


From that hand, a ring hidden using a stealth skill was revealed.


A unique item obtained from the Magician's corpse.


The Ring of the Sage.


"Could that be...!!"


Jeon Pan-ho's face crumpled.


It was known to have been made together with the 'Ring of the Warrior' in his hand, and it was a unique item that disappeared with the death of the Magician, who was both a friend and comrade.


The item, little different from a memento, was being worn by the brat he couldn't even bear to see alive.


Jeon Pan-ho's body began to tremble.


Taehyun, unconcerned, presented the remaining conditions.


"I'll wager this ring. If you wish, I'll only use one skill. Ah, should I seal both my hands as well?"


"Player Kim Taehyun, that's..."


"This much of a handicap is necessary when facing a 'lower-ranked' player. What do you say? It seems doable with these conditions."


Taehyun confirmed the prey's intentions.


"Bullshit!!"


Jeon Pan-ho's curse signaled the acceptance of the conditions.


"Guild Master, this situation is taking a strange turn, isn't it?"


Sung Ki-hyun, the 2nd Raid Unit Leader, cautiously asked, watching Ah-young's expression.


He knew that she had deliberately created this situation, even though she hadn't explicitly stated it.


Jeon Pan-ho had been looking at Ah-young with lecherous eyes for some time.


His skills were outstanding, so she gave him the position of 2nd Raid Unit Leader, but the guild needed to maintain order.


As Jeon Pan-ho's rude attitude had worsened recently, there had been increasing complaints, and then Taehyun visited the guild.


And coincidentally, he found the only space within the guild where duels were possible, at the perfect moment when Jeon Pan-ho was there.


And with Taehyun, who didn't look favorably on the death of the Magician.


Gulp.


'Is this what they call killing with a borrowed knife?'


Sung Ki-hyun swallowed hard at Ah-young's diplomacy, which could not be considered accidental.


"How long has it been since the former Unit Leader enhanced his skills?"


She fixed her gaze on Taehyun, whose arms were bound, and asked back.


"It's been a little over half a year. People say its power is already comparable to an S-rank."


"Two skills with the power of an S-rank..."


There were countless walls between an A-rank player and an S-rank player.


Therefore, even if a skill was enhanced to the point of reaching the power of an S-rank, there was a limit to narrowing the innate gap.


'But.'


Ah-young considered the possibilities.


If Taehyun, with his arms sealed, had to use only one skill?


Would he still be able to easily defeat Jeon Pan-ho?


If someone asked her that question, Ah-young wasn't confident she could answer definitively.


"Player Kim Taehyun's skills, as far as we know, are four. Of those, three excluding 'King Knight's Aura' are close-combat skills."


In other words.


Since he agreed to use only one skill, Taehyun's choice would inevitably be 'King Knight's Aura'.


Sung Ki-hyun offered a reasonable analysis, and Ah-young agreed with his thoughts.


'Or is he hiding another skill that we don't know about?'


Nightwalker was an information guild.


As the head of such a guild.


Ah-young wanted to know more about Taehyun.


If she could confirm Taehyun's hidden power by using Jeon Pan-ho as bait, it wouldn't be a bad deal at all.


"I hope the former Unit Leader does his best."


Ah-young smiled slyly and watched the start of the duel.


A wide hall equipped with shock-absorbing devices and an emergency barrier system.


Two men stood facing each other in the middle of the hall.


A guild member who would serve as the judge for the duel entered between them.


"The duel rules basically follow the international rules, but former Unit Leader Jeon Pan-ho has requested a deathmatch. Player Kim Taehyun, do you agree?"


Deathmatch.


A reckless rule where the referee could not intervene until the duelists gave up.


Jeon Pan-ho had requested a rule mainly used in fight clubs.


"I agree."


His attitude was as casual as ordering a meal.


Jeon Pan-ho took a deep breath.


"Kim Taehyun. You must think even my life looks trivial after getting an S-rank license through 'luck'. You must have forgotten who I am."


As if he no longer needed respect.


Jeon Pan-ho revealed his true nature.


"Jeon Pan-ho, the 2nd Raid Unit Leader of Nightwalker and an A-rank player. His characteristic is that he is fond of women. Is there anything else I need to know?"


Taehyun's provocations were relentless.


Twitch.


Jeon Pan-ho's face, which couldn't be contorted any further, twisted harshly.


"Do you think my contribution ranking of 20th was achieved just by luck?"


"I certainly have to acknowledge that part."


Currently, Taehyun is ranked 30th even with the accumulated contribution points from the Westpoint Auction House.


So, the ranking of 20th was not something to be taken lightly.


However.


"With that confidence, you should have properly seen the hidden side of my ranking."


"It's obvious that you're just someone who accumulated contribution points with the association president's backing and media play."


Just like the Magician.


Jeon Pan-ho, who was said to be close to him, also failed to recognize Taehyun's true worth.


All the achievements he had accumulated as a player so far.


He dismissed all of it as mere exaggerated luck.


"Such patheticness, not even properly grasping the opponent's capabilities despite the ranking. It seems like you're all talk."


That was the last provocation.


The referee, who had been watching the two players, announced the start of the duel.


Ding.


[Skill usage detected. Enhanced Beast Heart (S) is exerting its influence. Resisting with a mysterious power. Resistance succeeded.]


[Skill usage detected. Enhanced Bloodlust Emission (S) is penetrating. Resisting with a mysterious power. Resistance succeeded.]


He had enhanced two A-rank skills to be re-evaluated as S-rank.


'Even at its best, it's only around the lower level of S-rank.'


Taehyun had grown into an upper-level S-rank player due to the auction house incident.


This was no longer a threat.


"Kneel."


Ding.


[Skill King Knight's Aura (B) has been activated. Identifying the target. Limiting output.]


Thud.


At Taehyun's single word, Jeon Pan-ho knelt down powerlessly.


"You little bastard!!"


Jeon Pan-ho tried to get up at this absurd situation.


But.


Creak.


"Ugh..."


He couldn't possibly straighten his knees due to the force pressing down on his entire body.


'What is this...'


An absurd gap.


Moreover, his head was gradually being lowered to the floor as the force pressing down on his body intensified.


"A... Ugh... Aaaa!!!"


Jeon Pan-ho squeezed out every ounce of strength he had left and activated his skills once more.


[Skill usage detected. Enhanced Beast Heart (S) is exerting its influence. Resisting with a mysterious power. Resistance succeeded.]


[Skill usage detected. Enhanced Bloodlust Emission (S) is penetrating. Resisting with a mysterious power. Resistance succeeded.]


In contrast to Jeon Pan-ho, who was screaming.


"How unfortunate."


Taehyun ignored the messages appearing before his eyes and simply increased the intensity of his skill little by little.


Crack. Crack.


A gruesome sound and Jeon Pan-ho's screams echoed throughout the hall.


[Output 50%... 55%... 60%...]


Creak.


As the power gradually increased, cracks began to appear on the barrier that was said to be able to withstand the level of an upper-level S-rank player.


"Kim Taehyun, stop!!"


Ah-young shouted at the force that exceeded expectations, but Taehyun didn't budge.


Rather, as if mocking her words, the power of the skill increased further.


[Output 75%... 80%... 85%...]


'Damn... I didn't think it would be this level.'


The Nightwalker building began to shake as if an earthquake had struck due to the magic power that kept rising without end.


At this rate, the guild building would be shattered to pieces.


Unavoidably, Ah-young shouted urgently.


"Unique item!! I'll give you one too, so stop the skill, Kim Taehyun!!"


It was when Ah-young was about to activate a skill in case Taehyun didn't stop.


Creak. Creak.


The shaking building miraculously stopped vibrating.


And.


"Promises are important."


At Taehyun's indifferent words.


"......"


Ah-young was speechless.


49화


"Congratulations. You've been forced to take a vacation for about two months."


Taehyun said as he took the 'Warrior's Ring' from the fallen Jeon Pan-ho.


"Ugh...ugh..."


He had focused the 'Aura of the Knight King,' which had become incomparably stronger than a month ago, on only one person.


It was natural that the bones of his entire body were broken or dislocated, so Jeon Pan-ho could only groan while Taehyun took the ring from his hand.


[Strength stat increases by 20.]


[Stamina stat increases by 20.]


A message appeared in front of him as soon as he put on the ring.


Unlike the 'Sage's Ring,' which increased Strength, Stamina, Speed, and Mana by 10 each, this was an item made exclusively for warrior-type awakeners.


Taehyun, who had regenerated his right arm and partially recovered the Strength and Stamina he had lost, smiled contentedly.


Now, if he could restore his emaciated arm to its original state, his Strength stat would be even higher than before.


"Then, shall we receive the guild leader's gift as well?"


Ah-young sighed at Taehyun's sly smile.


She was about to give away two unique items without even getting proper information about the skill.


The loss was significant, but a promise was a promise.


She couldn't just gloss over it in a place where so many guild members were watching.


"Follow me. It's already at the next location."


After giving a look of disdain at the groaning Jeon Pan-ho, she took the lead to the place where the item was.


The Knightwalker Guild's Potion Room was a place to store potions for guild members participating in dungeon raids and abyss explorations.


It wasn't as good as the Alchemist Guild, which had a large number of production-type awakeners, but a considerable number of potions were displayed on both sides.


Those wearing research gowns glanced at Taehyun and Ah-young at the appearance of an unfamiliar guest.


Then, the woman in charge of the Potion Room approached the two.


"Guild Leader. What brings you here?"


"Ah, Director Yoo. Sorry to bother you when you're busy. There's something I suddenly need to pick up. I'd like to see 'that'."


As Ah-young said with a wry smile, Director Yoo ordered two of her subordinates.


The two were guided to the potion test room.


"Didn't you say it was a unique item?"


"An item doesn't necessarily have to be equipment, does it?"


Taehyun had barely expressed his doubts.


Director Yoo returned with a special case she had received from her subordinates.


"Guild Leader. What are you going to use 'Dragon's Tear' for...?"


At Director Yoo's question, Ah-young looked at Taehyun.


"Don't tell me..."


"That's right. 'Dragon's Tear'. I'm thinking of giving that to this player, Kim Taehyun."


"Dragon's Tear?"


"Open it."


Taehyun unlocked the special case.


Inside was a red potion.


'This is... a unique item?'


At Taehyun's question, Ah-young nodded.


"Even though it looks like that, it's not an ordinary potion. Have you heard of Phoenix Potion? The one that was taken from the Mins at the Westpoint auction this time."


Taehyun was taken aback by her words, but he didn't show it and nodded.


Ah-young's explanation continued.


"Nightwalker paid a large sum to Professor Bill Camp, who created the Phoenix Potion, to commission the best materials. It can be said to be the result. It's called Dragon's Tear."


"Isn't that too much of a name for a potion? I can understand if it's Phoenix Potion."


Taehyun was experiencing the effect firsthand.


If it was a Phoenix Potion that increased the Mana and Stamina stats by 20 each, it would be worthy of being called a unique item.


But it was difficult to understand the potion in front of him, which was called by a grand name compared to its appearance or capacity.


"Hehe. Phoenix Potion? If it was something that didn't have any restrictions, I would have already drunk it."


Ah-young looked closely at the potion and licked her lips as if she was disappointed.


"It sounds like there's a problem?"


Ah-young wiggled her finger at Taehyun, who was muttering if it was poisonous.


"I said 'Dragon's Tear', right? This is made by diluting the tears of a Red Dragon."


"……!!"


This time, Taehyun couldn't hide his surprised expression.


An existence with more overflowing mana than any other monster.


Dragon.


As the existence itself was special.


The dragon's heart was separated and called 'Dragon Heart' instead of Magic Stone.


Among the various colored dragons, the Red Dragon, whose personality was so violent that even the Black Dragon gave way.


To capture the tears of such a Red Dragon.


He had recently fought a Bone Dragon made from a dragon's corpse.


Taehyun was more curious about which crazy player had obtained the Dragon's Tear than the existence of the tears themselves.


"What is the effect?"


"The best expert in this field guaranteed it. I don't know for sure, but he said that the physical stats will increase by at least 50 or more. Even if an S-class player drinks it."


"Give it to me..."


As Taehyun hurriedly reached out his hand, Ah-young slightly backed away with the potion.


"Wait. Don't be too hasty."


"What is it? Don't tell me you're thinking of adding another contract here?"


If it was Yoo Ah-young in front of him, she was capable of doing so.


But even so, 'Dragon's Tear' was an attractive item to the point that it could be endured.


"Ahaha. What a disappointing thing to say. I'm Yoo Ah-young. The Guild Leader of Knightwalker."


"What do you want to say?"


"I guarantee the effect. But not just anyone can use it."


"……?"


Ah-young added an explanation.


"Professor Bill Camp said that even though it was diluted, the mana was too strong. He said that at least one of the mana and stamina stats must be over 250 to digest it. He said that unless it's a body of that level, the dragon's mana will burst out."


'250!!'


Taehyun was surprised once again at the absurd number.


Ah-young smiled as if she knew it would happen.


"You know why we've been neglecting it in the guild until now, right? I guarantee the effect."


"It's no wonder it didn't even come out at auction."


The Phoenix Potion, which raised a total of 40 stats, was sold for 100 billion.


If the stats could be increased by about 50 regardless of grade, then even hundreds of billions would not have been enough.


"So, why don't we keep it until you can digest this potion? There are still a few things we need to research."


It wasn't a bad suggestion.


"It sounds like you're going to watch my growth right next to me."


"Oh my, did it sound like that? Hehe. Think of it as a bribe. Mr. Future National Power."


Yoo Ah-young reached out her hand.


It wasn't a bad idea to form a partnership with Shinhan's best information agency at this opportunity.


"I'll use it well."


Taehyun shook her hand.


That evening.


Taehyun returned home, opened the book he had bought on the way, and lay down on the bed.


It was a book called 'The Origin of Players and the Birth of Demons'.


[When did the term Awakener and status window appear? Many scholars jumped into research as the abyss was discovered and the phenomenon called awakening appeared... Many hypotheses and studies have been published, but the common result they have come up with is that the possibility of other dimensions exists, and there is a transcendent being that can cross those dimensions... Mana and skills. The explanation of awakening and status window was understood by Earthlings in that way... Humans, like animals optimized for evolution, quickly created laws and systems to create a fence that could restrict their power... The fact of awakening was periodically checked for all citizens, and the skills and grades they possessed were identified... These things were combined with science along with awakening in various fields, so... It developed rapidly in both sunny and dark places.]


"The introduction is long."


Taehyun quickly flipped through the pages.


[The United States was the first to start the player system. At the time, many countries joined the Player Association because of their international status and the use of English... Depending on the policies put forward by each association, players fought to protect their territories from the abyss monsters... For some reason, the invasion of monsters gradually decreased compared to the increasingly stronger awakeners.]


"I'll skip this too."


[The military power of each country, which had expanded to the point of expansion with players as the center, led to a desire for territorial invasion... Citing historical grounds, the Player Association prohibited battles between players from each country. Those who refused to do so recklessly used their power to gain the name of demons, and the demons were treated as public enemies... The demons opposed the world government and established the Demon Association, and there was a great war. The two demon extermination wars. The demons' power was terrifying, but they couldn't stand up to the world's players who gathered under the name of the UN... The ideological verification of the captured demons began... It wasn't a piece of paper like a conversion letter... The discovery was the covenant of the awakened... The new contract law of the modern era made of mana... The demons at the time had no choice but to forcibly convert in that way...]


"It's not here either."


Taehyun closed the book and crept into the blanket as it was.


It was all content learned in modern and contemporary history class, and he couldn't get any hints about 'devouring' and 'king'.


The next day.


Taehyun arrived at the meeting place, an undiscovered A-grade dungeon.


Ah-young had arrived in advance and was waiting.


The Knightwalker guild members who were guarding the dungeon began to buzz as they watched the two people greet each other.


"Is the guild leader going in herself?"


"And she's going in with that player, Kim Taehyun."


"Huh. They're not even forming a party and going in alone? Even if they're full of confidence. I heard that an A-grade and double dungeon were discovered?"


"How would I know what the guild leader is thinking?"


"As expected, an S-grade player... amazing."


Taehyun ignored the gazes of the people around him and stopped right in front of the dungeon.


The backpack on his shoulder was full of potions that Ah-young had packed.


"There are more people guarding it than I thought."


"It's a double dungeon created in an A-grade dungeon. It can't hurt to be careful. More than that, are you sure we can go in alone?"


No matter how many potions he packed.


Who would ever think of raiding an A-grade dungeon alone?


But Taehyun just shrugged his shoulders once.


"You're free to follow me. But I'll leave you behind if you fall behind."


With those words.


Taehyun jumped into the entrance gate of the dungeon.


"Hey. Let's go together!"


Ah-young, carrying a backpack, hurriedly followed him.


Episode 50


Crack.


Ah-yeong's kick instantly killed the approaching ogre.


It was a one-hit kill.


The S-rank physical abilities, enhanced with speed and strength, were too much for a B-rank monster to handle.


'An ogre, huh? It's still only around an A-rank dungeon level.'


She thought as she broke the neck of another ogre coming towards her.


There were mostly E to B-rank monsters, with the occasional A-rank monster appearing.


At this rate, she could get a sense of the level of the boss-level monster.


"For these guys to be here without a break... it's chilling," Tae-hyun said, extracting the magic stone from the dead ogre's corpse.


Then, he put the magic stone into the unique item Ah-yeong brought, the 'Infinite Backpack.'


One of only four Infinite Backpacks in Shinhan, it was an item worth over 500 billion won on the market, with space expansion and weight reduction skills.


It was a masterpiece created with utmost care by the best production skill expert before his death, and she brought it for Tae-hyun to use in the dungeon raid.


'She's a truly absurd woman.'


In the past few days, Tae-hyun had encountered several items that he wouldn't have dared to dream of in his past life.


One of them was even sparkling on his hand, showing off its value.


'Yoo Ah-yeong... she might be a blessing in disguise.'


Tae-hyun glanced at Ah-yeong, who was displaying unexpected strength.


He wondered if there was anything else he could get from her.


Meanwhile, Ah-yeong also glanced at Tae-hyun as she put the extracted magic stone into the backpack.


'Hmm. I guess this isn't enough for him to feel the need to use his skills.'


The skills Tae-hyun used in the player test were 'Stone Skin', 'Stealth', 'Paralysis', and 'Knight King's Aura'.


Creating a confrontational atmosphere with Jeon Pan-ho was partly to embarrass him, but it was also to test Tae-hyun's skills.


As a result, even Jeon Pan-ho, a strong candidate for the next S-rank player, couldn't fully draw out Tae-hyun's power, making it only a partial success.


'I guess I have to go all the way into the dual dungeon.'


The rank of a dual dungeon cannot be known for sure until you enter it.


However, just as the dual dungeon Apocalypto, found in a D-rank dungeon, was S-rank.


Most people speculated that a dual dungeon found in an A-rank dungeon would be even more difficult.


'Until then, I should refrain from using my skills too.'


She had maintained her position in the top 10 of Shinhan's rankings for a long time in the meritocratic world of players.


She didn't want to show a tired appearance to Tae-hyun, who had only obtained his license for less than two months.


Just then, the entrance to their destination appeared before the diligently walking pair.


A red gate with an ominous magic flowing from it.


"I'm looking forward to it?"


"That's not something you should say in front of a dual dungeon."


"If you're so worried, stay close behind me, honey."


"I decline."


Tae-hyun and Ah-yeong smiled at each other, each with different intentions.


The A-rank dungeon was growing in strength to cause a break.


The dual dungeon discovered in that dungeon would later be named the 'Temple of the Phoenix'.


It was mainly inhabited by creatures with fire attributes, and the boss was the S-rank monster Phoenix.


In her past life, Ah-yeong directly organized a large-scale party to raid the dungeon after receiving a report that the dual dungeon had been rediscovered.


In the end, they succeeded in the raid by catching the boss-level monster.


However, since the raid was completed with considerable damage, there were many articles in the media criticizing her leadership.


'The guild could have gone bankrupt because of that damage.'


Nevertheless, Ah-yeong maintained her position among the Big Four guilds, and furthermore, it was the catalyst for her growth into an SS-rank player in the future.


Although the details were not reported, Tae-hyun speculated that there must be something in this dungeon.


'Alright. Let's uncover that secret.'


Unaware that Tae-hyun was looking at her, Ah-yeong was constantly looking around.


"I thought a dual dungeon would be grand, but it's simpler than I thought. Except that it's structured in a tiered (層階形) form."


Ah-yeong said, pointing to the stairs leading from behind the open space.


She looked like a child who had come to an amusement park.


"We can't let our guard down. There might be traps set up," Tae-hyun said, recalling the illusion trap he experienced in Apocalypto.


After the first dual dungeon appeared in Shinhan, they began to appear in various forms worldwide.


As if the past 10 years had been strangely peaceful.


'Come to think of it, I think there were quite a few occurrences in China around this time.'


The Chinese government did not want to show its weakness to the outside world, so Tae-hyun's information was limited.


At that moment, monsters, who could be called the gatekeepers of the dual dungeon, appeared through the stairs leading upwards.


Gigantic Fire Wolves, known to be faster than ordinary wolves and cause burns when bitten.


Similarly, giant Salamanders, giant lizards that breathed fire.


They were all monsters that could be considered bosses of an A-rank dungeon.


"These are the gatekeepers?"


Ah-yeong was also surprised.


They were definitely on a different level from the small fries they had been dealing with so far.


"It seems more difficult than I thought. Should we make a plan?"


"Tae-hyun, you're underestimating me too much," Ah-yeong said, activating her skill.


At the same time, a message appeared in front of Tae-hyun.


Tring.


[Skill Amazoness's Aura (S) has been detected.]


Crack. Crack. Crunch.


The green magic flowing from Ah-yeong's body enveloped the Fire Wolves and Salamanders.


And maybe three seconds passed.


Boom.


Their huge bodies simply exploded.


The monsters didn't even realize what was happening.


'Is this the principle of amplifying magic and exploding it from the inside? It uses less magic power than Knight King's Aura.'


Just as Tae-hyun and Ah-yeong's auras were different, there were various types of aura skills in the world.


'Knight King's Aura' was like suppressing the opponent with pressure.


'Amazoness's Aura' seemed to cause an explosion from the inside through amplification.


'A tricky skill.'


Not everyone had the protection of Predation like Tae-hyun.


Since it was difficult to train the inside of the body, Ah-yeong's skill had tremendous power against people or monsters.


Tae-hyun didn't hide that feeling.


"You're truly amazing."


"I don't have as many skills as you, so I have to apply them appropriately," Ah-yeong said with a casual smile.


'She definitely has the skills to take down the Phoenix without difficulty. Even with a woman like this, there were heavy losses.'


Wondering where she would be in danger, Tae-hyun moved to the next floor.


Seoul. A building somewhere.


"Guild Leader, this exploration was also successful. The magic stones you brought back alone should generate about 100 billion won in profit."


"Ah, don't even mention it. An S-rank monster suddenly popped out, so it was a bit of a struggle. Was there anything else?"


At the man's question, the woman read through the report she had prepared.


The time did not exceed 10 minutes.


"Hooh. The twelfth S-rank, and a teenager at that, a growth-type Awakener?"


"Yes. That's why Chairman Ji Jin-hee cherishes him so much."


At the woman's report, the man shrugged and chuckled.


"That old man, anyway. He's known for his greed for talent. Affiliation? Is he in a guild? Surely he didn't fall for the old man's tricks and join the Association?"


"That's not it. He's been active as a Free agent since obtaining his license."


"That's good. Where is he now? I need to see for myself how good this guy is."


The man fidgeted as if he would go out and find him right away.


At the sight, the woman shook her head.


"Even if you are the Guild Leader, you won't be able to meet him right now. He entered a dungeon with Night Walker's Guild Leader Yoo Ah-yeong a little while ago."


"What? With that fox?"


All the Guild Leaders of the Big Four were those with S-rank licenses.


It was rare for Yoo Ah-yeong and Seo Sang-ik to directly explore dungeons.


"Was an S-rank dungeon discovered? There's no way that fox would move for nothing."


It had been over a dozen years since magic stones emerged as an alternative energy source, replacing natural resources that were running out.


Magic stones were the core and heart of monsters.


It was natural for skilled players to explore the Abyss where monsters were in search of magic stones.


In other words, except for a few tricky dungeons, there was no need to waste time on Earth, where there were almost no monsters left.


Yoo Ah-yeong had been away from the front lines for several years to handle the guild's information and assist the Chairman.


It was natural for the man to express doubt.


"I was going to report separately in detail, but it seems that Night Walker has recently identified a number of undiscovered dungeons. I think there was a dual dungeon among them."


The woman briefly reported on the first discovered dual dungeon, Apocalypto.


"A dual dungeon. So it's about S-rank? Tsk tsk. Many more people will die."


"That... I don't think that's necessarily the case. It seems that only two people entered the dungeon."


"What? Two people?"


The man reacted as if he were talking nonsense.


The woman nodded as if she understood.


Because she had also reacted similarly when she first received the information.


"Yes. Guild Leader Yoo Ah-yeong and player Kim Tae-hyun entered the discovered dual dungeon. Only 'two people'."


"Are they crazy?"


"I think so too."


Monsters in an A-rank dungeon were definitely not very threatening to an S-rank player.


After all, the guys who reigned as bosses were only at the top level of A-rank.


However, if you asked an S-rank player if they would clear a dungeon alone for billions of won, most would firmly shake their heads.


Everything was too uncertain for an individual to handle a dungeon alone.


Not to mention that they couldn't move all the magic stones alone unless they had the 'Infinite Backpack'.


The higher the skill rank, the more extreme the magic power consumption was for S-ranks.


There was no need to risk a life worth more than billions of won for the sake of money.


"But if they really clear the dungeon with just the two of them..."


The man's gaze reached the calendar hanging on the wall.


It was almost time to select the Shinhan representative to participate in the Asian Player Friendship Tournament.


"Haha. This is going to be fun."


The giant man.


The Guild Leader of the Big Four, Onsaemiro, and Shinhan's best tanker, Kwon Kang-hyuk.


He started to laugh as he fidgeted.

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