novelraw Chapter 160 : Werther - (3)
Chapter 160 : Werther - (3)
Chapter 160: Werther - (3)
“What did he say?”
『Illusion Mediation』
He hadn’t expected it.
But he had a countermeasure ready.
The moment he recognized that Werther was behind him, he immediately used Illusion Mediation. It was an instantaneous reaction.
In hindsight, the problem had been that Werther had spoken.
Thinking he had secured a perfect opportunity for a critical strike, he had let his guard down.
‘A battle isn’t over until it’s truly over.’
But Sanghyun knew very well the most important virtue for someone in combat.
Until the opponent’s breath was completely severed, even if it felt like a win, it wasn’t one.
Fwoosh!
With Illusion Mediation, Sanghyun and his illusion switched places in an instant.
“Ha.”
And like a dog chasing a chicken, staring up at the roof, Werther sliced at empty air with a hollow expression.
The feeling of being toyed with!
Werther couldn’t stand this unpleasant and miserable feeling. It was a matter of pride.
The seventh attack!
Ka-ka-ka-ka-kang!
This time, he had poured a massive amount of mana into his enhanced claws and released it all forward in a burst.
It was, in comparison, similar to Do Kyungsoo’s offensive—an attack resembling sword energy.
A destructive attack that could shred even thick armor into tatters with a mere graze.
『Another World』
But even that failed to land.
Sanghyun, who had just returned from a pocket dimension, effortlessly deflected Werther’s blow.
He blocked the eighth attack with a Counter Veil, and dodged the ninth with Wind Stealth.
And the final attack, he cleanly ended using Complete Invincibility via Sword’s Song.
Thus, Werther failed all ten attacks.
An unprecedented result he simply could not accept.
“Ah, I can’t bear this sadness anymore. Aaaaaaah!”
“Dude, can’t you just shut up and transform quietly? This is like a dis–…”
While Sanghyun muttered complaints, Werther began transforming again, soaring into the air.
It was the third transformation into an adult form. A state of complete frenzy that would self-destruct after one minute.
* * *
While Werther was transforming.
“Hm?”
Sanghyun was looking at an unexpectedly activated title. Apparently, there had been a hidden title recipe.
【Perfect Guardian】
■ Title Grade: S-Rank
■ Title Description: Having perfectly blocked the attacks of a formidable foe, you are worthy of the reward.
Permanently increases Defense stat by 200, and the God of Endurance holds great favor toward you.
“A 200 Defense stat boost? That’s insane. Especially when armor Artifacts get bashed for their low stats.”
This title had a completely different weight compared to other +200 stat boosts.
It was like getting 300 Strength or Stamina.
When Defense is in the double digits, a 10 or 20 point difference isn’t a big deal.
But when it reaches triple or quadruple digits—say, 1,000 versus 1,200—the difference feels massive.
An otherwise fatal attack might result in a minor wound.
And a potentially bloody strike might end with just a scratch.
That’s why defensive swordsmen like Jo Jinho plaster themselves in defensive Artifacts.
Because the difference between 100 and 200 in stats is just that significant. And now that bonus had been given to Sanghyun.
[Skill ‘Werther’s Wrath’ has been transferred to you!]
“A skill transfer too? They’re just giving everything away.”
A smile crept to his lips.
Transfer refers to a phenomenon where a hostile monster's rage reaches its peak, causing some of its skills or abilities to be passed on.
In other words, when they lose control of their emotions, parts of their abilities get unleashed indiscriminately.
And any player nearby may naturally obtain that skill or ability.
『Werther’s Wrath』
■ Skill Level: Phase 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Upon first use, you enter the state of Werther’s Wrath.
Consumes 50% of your health to increase skill damage by 300%. Duration: 1 minute.
Upon second use, you enter the state of Werther’s Hatred.
Consumes 50% of your mana to amplify all movement-related abilities by 300%. Duration: 30 seconds.
There is no cooldown, but if either health or mana is below 40% of their maximum, the skill cannot be used.
“It’s not the same form as what he had, but for me, it’s an extremely useful amplification and awakening ability.”
Two timely upgrades just before the final showdown.
Sanghyun’s burden felt lighter.
* * *
While watching Sanghyun fight the third-phase Werther.
Han Hyunjeong, for a moment, completely forgot the flow of time as if watching an immersive drama.
Of course, the buffs she unconsciously kept active—so familiar they were second nature—never ceased.
‘He’s really versatile.’
The core keyword Han Hyunjeong picked out while watching Sanghyun’s battle was versatility.
Most players—about 99% of them—rely on standardized pattern play.
They simply don’t have enough skills to create many different outcomes.
Besides, pattern play means stability and specialization for the user.
That’s also why players from Hyunjeong Corporation were considered elite—they were stable.
Sanghyun, however, couldn’t be called stable due to his many variables and unpredictability.
But precisely because of that!
Ironically, even in battles that were disadvantageous or seemed hopeless, he was exciting to watch.
Even Han Hyunjeong herself, if she imagined fighting against him, wouldn’t know how to deal with him.
And if someone as sharp-eyed as her felt that way, average players wouldn’t even be able to make sense of him.
Even compared to Hyunjeong Corporation’s elite force, Sanghyun’s skills weren’t inferior at all.
In the third phase.
Unlike phases one and two, Werther was completely caught in Sanghyun’s rhythm.
Sanghyun lost health strategically, and when he was nearly depleted, he went wild and turned the tide.
Triggered by Over Psychedelic, the Overdrive under 10% HP was devastating.
After cornering Werther like that, once Over Psychedelic ended, his health fully recovered.
To think all the effort Werther had put into pressuring Sanghyun resulted in him returning to 100% HP—unbelievable.
And though Han Hyunjeong didn’t know it.
As Sanghyun activated the transferred ‘Werther’s Wrath’ skill, increasing his speed even more.
From that moment on, Werther was no longer a match for him.
It was like playing rock-paper-scissors while only throwing rock and scissors.
From the opponent's perspective, if they only threw rock, at minimum they would guarantee a draw. It was impossible to lose.
Five minutes later.
“I, I am Werther… How miserable. How vexing. And how terribly sad…”
Werther expressed his emotions with dramatic gestures, then vomited blood and died.
It was almost like watching a scene from a musical—quite impressive in its own way.
“Putting on a show till the very end.”
But Sanghyun was unimpressed.
Countless players had lost their lives to this creature.
Considering the souls that died challenging him, Werther deserved to die a hundred times over.
“We finally cleared the labyrinth!”
Han Hyunjeong shouted.
But she couldn’t fully rejoice. The memory of the many players who had been sacrificed weighed on her.
She took a moment to mourn properly.
Sanghyun quietly watched her, understanding her emotions as she closed her eyes and prayed.
Some time passed.
True to the name of the labyrinth, Han Hyunjeong regained a sense of peace and looked gently at Sanghyun.
Before Sanghyun had joined, she had been full of doubt about whether the labyrinth could ever be fully conquered.
But now, she had found the answer.
Shin Sanghyun.
One person was enough.
How long had it taken to arrive at this simple truth, and how much had been sacrificed along the way?
That was what made it painful.
[The title 【Challenger of Riddles】 has activated. Preparing for multiplicative bonus on experience.]
[The dice begins to roll.]
‘Please!’
Just like the phrase "Luck-based hell game," Sanghyun had always been far from lucky.
In his previous life too, his luck had been terrible.
Even skills with a 90% chance of hitting would somehow fail when used by Sanghyun, falling into the 10%.
Now, in this gamble, with a flat 16.6% chance ranging from 1 to 6—
Could he really roll a 6?
He hadn’t even expected it to begin with.
Just then.
[The title's die landed on 6! Boss monster experience has been multiplied by 6 and distributed!]
[Level up!]
[……You are now level 198!]
‘This is god-tier RNG!’
He had gained 3 levels at once.
With the added boost from his rapid growth title, it was an explosion of experience.
At this level bracket, gaining even one level at a time was extremely rare.
It felt like Sanghyun had cleared three or four labyrinth-type dungeons all at once, just from the experience.
Now, only two more levels remained until his next skill enhancement.
At level 100, he had upgraded Psychedelic and had been fully enjoying the benefits of Over Psychedelic ever since.
This time too, since he could upgrade one of his core skills again, he was already happily pondering the options.
[As a reward for clearing the labyrinth, all participants have earned a title!]
[You have acquired the SS-rank title, 【Labyrinth Tracker】.]
“Wow, Sanghyun!”
“You got the title reward too, right?”
“Yeah, the Labyrinth Tracker title!”
“That’s great news.”
Sanghyun smiled.
He had no complaints whatsoever about sharing this reward with Han Hyunjeong.
In clearing the labyrinth, she had earned just as much credit as he had.
Her observational support and constant buffs were things Sanghyun could never replicate.
In fact, this time, the fact that the title wasn’t monopolized but shared made him feel even better. It felt worthwhile.
【Labyrinth Tracker】
■ Title Grade: SS-Rank
■ Title Description: Automatically detects the location of hidden labyrinth dungeons or gates within a 1km radius.
With system guidance in a navigation format, you can precisely find the labyrinth entrance.
Additionally, when facing difficulties in the labyrinth, you may ask the Constellation ‘Labyrinth Architect’ up to three questions.
Once the three questions are used up, the ability to ask disappears, but the detection ability remains permanent.
‘This is a jackpot.’
Labyrinth-type dungeons had a lot of loot.
And if you knew the route clearly, the efficiency gains could be dramatic.
Especially in special labyrinths like the ‘Labyrinth of Training,’ it was possible to farm both skills and titles.
‘It’s unfortunate that our country doesn’t have one yet, but there are plenty in nearby Japan.’
There were still many unexplored labyrinth-type dungeons and gates in Korea that were unknown to the Union or the guilds.
Sanghyun planned to actively use the Labyrinth Tracker title. Han Hyunjeong probably had the same thought.
Afterward.
They checked the additional loot.
The two legendary-grade magic stones that had dropped were shared fairly—one for each of them.
And Werther had dropped a total of five Artifacts! An incredibly generous reward.
All five were of unique grade, which for Sanghyun meant guaranteed ‘skills’ or ‘stat’ bonuses—some of the most valuable types of rewards.
At that moment—
“I’ll yield—”
“Let’s go three-to-two. You’d probably refuse if I said two-to-three, so I’ll be greedy and take one more.”
Sanghyun cut off Han Hyunjeong, who was about to offer to concede, and stated his desired split.
He took one extra item.
He was using this opportunity to build rapport with her.
Planning to make use of her in other ways down the line.
And he figured that two unique-grade Artifacts—worth around 50 billion won—was a deal more than worth making.
At least, according to Sanghyun’s precise calculations, it was.