novelraw Chapter 149 : Acknowledgement of the Sword Demon - (5)
Chapter 149 : Acknowledgement of the Sword Demon - (5)
Chapter 149: Acknowledgement from the Sword Demon - (5)
“I’ve got some spare cash, so I think I could buy an Artifact related to luck. The problem is the rarity.”
Sanghyun frowned slightly as he thought of a shortcut.
There was a reason why the Luck stat was commonly referred to as the Misfortune stat among players.
It was too wasteful to invest the one bonus point given at each level-up.
And even with Artifacts or Titles, the opportunities to increase it were extremely limited.
That’s why Artifacts that raised the Luck stat were outrageously priced.
Even the talisman he had just acquired was Epic-grade, but its actual price easily exceeded double the average transaction price.
“There was a dungeon in Japan where you could obtain a Luck-related Artifact.”
Sanghyun searched his memory.
He had already built connections in Japan through Kosaka Yui, so there wouldn’t be any major obstacles.
Memories from his previous life quickly flashed through his mind.
Whenever he recalled memories like this, Sanghyun always found it amazing.
His memory was even better than he had expected—almost as if someone had carefully implanted them.
‘No way... could it really be that?’
Sanghyun wondered if the Late Bloomer Model Student Constellation had implanted those memories before his regression.
There were just too many detailed elements for them to be considered fragmentary memories.
The countless memo notes stacked on the table were proof of that.
He had written them all immediately after returning, afraid he might forget, but the memories remained vivid.
“Yeah, that place sounds good.”
A few candidates came to mind.
Among them, Sanghyun recalled a dungeon where the Osaka Players Guild had enough influence.
There was a peculiar mid-boss monster there—a Luck monster said to make anything come true.
For example, if someone shouted “Turn into chocolate!” at it, it would actually turn into chocolate on the spot.
What made this guy even trickier was that resistance-type Artifacts against status effects didn’t work on it at all.
It was a bizarre monster no one bothered to strategize against because it could be ignored.
But for Sanghyun, it gave him a clear sense of purpose.
If he killed that monster, he would gain a Luck-related Artifact.
It would give him stats worthy of earning the ‘777’ Title.
“If I ask her to prepare now, it might take some time, so the sooner I call, the better.”
He called Yui.
The sooner the contact, the better.
That way, the other party could also have time to prepare accordingly.
Since the call was going through well, it didn’t seem like she was away.
Soon, a familiar and cheerful voice came through.
One hour later.
“The sound of rain is nice.”
Sanghyun sat by the window, sipping coffee as he listened to the rhythmical sound of pouring rain.
His call with Yui had gone well.
As he had expected, it was within the Osaka Players Guild’s sphere of influence, and she said getting clearance would be smooth.
However, a few teams had already made reservations, so it seemed he would either have to wait or coordinate schedules.
In any case, he had prior plans, so there was no need to rush.
His immediate schedule was to visit the “Labyrinth of Serenity” as part of a sponsorship contract with Hyunjung Corporation.
After that, chronologically speaking, it was highly likely he would go on a two-person gate raid with Do Kyunghye.
“For now, I should save up some money. I’m starting to get greedy for an Almighty.”
Sanghyun had already experienced success with Artifact fusion thanks to the Goddess of Luck.
The result of combining two Epic-grade Artifacts was none other than the Frenzied Demon Sword, which was now proudly displayed at home.
He could combine two Unique-grade Artifacts to create an Epic-grade one at any time.
But to obtain an Almighty-grade Artifact, he would need two Legendary-grade Artifacts.
Even if he counted the Frenzied Demon Sword as one, he would still need a minimum budget of 625 billion won.
Of course, the fusion was guaranteed to succeed, and the base trade value of an Almighty-grade Artifact was over 3 trillion won.
As long as the fusion succeeded, it would be profitable no matter what. There was no doubt about that part.
“I think I understand now why Jerron Decay is constantly getting caught up in assassination attempts.”
Unofficially, Jerron Decay currently possessed two Almighty-grade Artifacts.
And he had another one being sold through Han Hyunjeong, which meant he owned three in total.
He was practically a walking city—no wonder villains constantly targeted him.
“Then, I’ll aim for about 700 billion won. If I’m going to fuse it with a sword, I’ll need another sword.”
He now had a clear financial goal.
Target: 700 billion won!
From this point on, he would focus solely on that number. Until he gathered that amount, he would minimize all expenses.
Swoooosh.
Ssshh. Ssshhh. Sshh.
With the sound of heavier rain as background music, Sanghyun diligently wrote something down on A4 paper.
[Eden Guild – Kim Miso, the Goddess of Slaughter; Jo Jinho, the Iron Wall; Shin Taeri, the Shadow Assassin]
[Union – Lee Sehwa, the Scarlet Flame of Madness]
[HJ – Han Hyunjeong, the Mediator of Wisdom]
[Others – Do Kyungsoo, the Sword Demon; Do Kyunghye, the White Line; Jung Junhyuk, the Perfect Storm]
These were meaningful relationships in this life that he hadn’t even gotten to interact with in his past life.
They were all top-tier players, each capable of helping Sanghyun in many ways going forward.
“So much has changed.”
No matter how much he thought about it, the feeling was overwhelming.
It was like he had been a fan of a celebrity in his previous life but had become that celebrity’s friend in this one.
People who once felt as distant as stars now shone by his side.
He had even outshone Do Kyungsoo in the recent large-scale raid—undeniably so.
“And yet, I still have such a long way to go. Would it sound too weird if I said that makes me happy? Haha!”
Sanghyun burst out laughing for the first time in a while.
The fact that he still had room to grow made his heart race and filled him with adrenaline.
He was still full of blanks.
Sanghyun wanted to fill those blanks completely and become a perfect being.
That way, his special regression would hold even more meaning—at least, that’s what he believed.
“Yawn. Now it’s time to think about how to attack the Labyrinth of Serenity. I hope Han Hyunjeong doesn’t repeat any pointless sacrifices.”
Looking at the worsening weather, Sanghyun stared somewhere outside the window with concern in his eyes.
Labyrinth.
A place as confusing as its name suggested.
It was definitely not a pleasant place for a player—but the rewards were just as real.
Past midnight.
At a time when most would normally be asleep, Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri were having a conversation with a special guest.
It was none other than Kim Yooncheol.
He was the chairman of the company that sponsored the Eden Guild—and also Kim Miso’s father.
Normally, Kim Yooncheol didn’t personally summon the two of them often, but today was different.
He needed to talk about Sanghyun, who had dominated the headlines in player-related news all day.
“I just can’t understand it.”
“What part don’t you understand, sir?”
“The investigation into Shin Sanghyun is complete. No matter how I look at it, he wasn’t born with talent.”
“Not all players stand out before their awakening. I didn’t either.”
Kim Yooncheol nodded slightly.
An orphan who lost his parents at a young age.
A student who led an unremarkable life with only a few limited friendships.
After the player era began, he scraped by on the edge every day doing porter work.
That was the result of Kim Yooncheol’s investigation into Sanghyun. There were no traces of talent anywhere.
And yet, Sanghyun had been the star of every piece of player-related media all day long. It wasn’t a one-time fluke.
Sanghyun’s rise to attention hadn’t started just today—it had been building up for some time.
Had he suddenly become a special name player who constantly renewed his career after some great epiphany?
Kim Yooncheol couldn’t shake the feeling that something crucial in the middle had gone missing.
At that moment, Shin Taeri, who had been silently listening, opened her mouth to speak.
“Chairman, may I offer a thought, if I may be so bold?”
Perhaps because she was in front of a sponsor, Shin Taeri was showing cautious restraint.
Though she was trying to speak without pressure, per Kim Yooncheol’s request to be informal.
Ultimately, Kim Yooncheol wasn’t just a strong pillar for the Eden Guild—he was also the person who had her back.
Even if he said to speak casually, one couldn’t just treat him without formality.
“Go ahead. Let’s hear it.”
“I believe your approach is flawed, Chairman. How he became strong doesn’t matter.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the very existence of players isn’t born through a normal process. I too was just a barista at a franchise café before I became a player.”
“Hmm...”
“It was only upon awakening as a player that my hidden talent bloomed. That’s all there is to it. Is there any point in seeking a reason behind that?”
There was strength behind Shin Taeri’s calm and precise words.
She continued speaking.
“We just need to look at Shin Sanghyun as he is now. While we’ve been watching, he has rapidly grown and become the man we see today.”
“Look at the result, not the process. You’re saying not to question how it happened.”
“That’s right. The growth process of a player is often beyond understanding.”
“This is frustrating. When I think about the money I’ve invested in Miso, it feels like Shin Sanghyun grew up far too cheaply.”
“That’s the difference in potential. To be blunt. Of course, I’m not saying Miso is lacking in skill.”
Hearing Shin Taeri distill the point so directly helped untangle the knot in Kim Yooncheol’s chest.
The truth was, he had mixed feelings because it was he who had put Shin Sanghyun’s recruitment on hold.
He’d always thought he’d done a good job picking out true talent through cold and rational judgment.
But Shin Sanghyun had been the only case that slipped through.
Kim Yooncheol had underestimated Sanghyun’s potential—but he was totally wrong. Maybe it was because his personal bias had gotten in the way.
“I’ll have to admit that my judgment of Shin Sanghyun was wrong.”
“And with that, you must also accept that you no longer hold the initiative in recruiting him. It’s impossible now.”
Shin Taeri’s plain statement struck Kim Yooncheol like a death sentence.
He had hoped, deep down, that bringing the two of them in might reveal another breakthrough—but the conclusion came too quickly.
“Jinho, what’s your opinion?”
“Whether Do Kyungsoo did it intentionally or not this time, he clearly left an impression, didn’t he?”
“He did.”
“Every player that Do Kyungsoo has acknowledged up until now has become a notable name. Jeong Heeseon, Kang Boah—they all did.”
“That’s true.”
“He even mentioned owing Shin Sanghyun a debt four times during the official raid briefing. That’s as close as you can get to publicly endorsing someone without saying it outright.”
Acknowledgement of the Sword Demon.
Its value was greater than people thought. Its ripple effect was tremendous.
Even Do Kyungsoo’s fans didn’t react with jealousy or resentment toward the rise of a new rival.
Instead, they viewed it with hopeful eyes.
As a result, player community forums were overflowing with posts about Sanghyun.
Especially that video where Do Kyungsoo and Sanghyun shared a smile while passing each other in front of Gangnam Station!
It had gone viral, now being reinterpreted as the fated encounter between two men who recognized each other from the start.
“Sigh... I should’ve listened to my daughter.”
Kim Yooncheol let out a deep sigh.
This time, he truly couldn’t wash away his regret over missing out on such a promising talent because of his poor judgment.
It felt like something he would regret for a long time.
But it was already too late.
Sanghyun was now rapidly moving beyond his reach.