novelraw Chapter 211 : Berserk Charm (5)
Chapter 211 : Berserk Charm (5)
Chapter 211: Berserk Charm (5)
Judging by the condition of “not having lost its warmth,” it seemed to refer to almost the exact moment of death.
In other words, it meant that there was now a way to immediately recover health after killing a monster on the battlefield.
The more one killed, the more health one could recover, so it was a skill that was advantageous when facing many enemies.
“It's just not literally sucking blood, but at this point, I might as well be a vampire swordsman……”
He now had a reliable means of recovering health.
As expected of a Legendary Artifact! Even the first skill was efficient.
There were still two more skills remaining.
//win_h
『Radiance』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: When maintaining 100% health, you gain complete immunity to all mental attacks.
A passive skill.
“Oh!”
A genuine exclamation came out.
Mental attacks were tricky no matter what skill they came from.
Interference that prevented one from functioning as oneself—no need to explain how terrifying that was.
While it might not be useful during combat, it seemed incredibly handy outside of battle.
Usually, monsters that disturbed the mind would target players stealthily rather than during fights.
Many players got caught off guard, but with the Radiance skill, a primary layer of defense became possible.
『Frenzy』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Instantly teleport within a 100-meter radius.
Consumes 100 mana for the first move, and mana consumption doubles with each consecutive use within 10 seconds.
“Even teleportation?”
The setup was really good.
Considering Sanghyun’s current mana reserves, he calculated that he could cast it consecutively up to four times.
In other words, he could instantly close or widen a 400-meter gap toward or away from the enemy.
“Life steal. Immunity. Spatial movement. Got everything. Now I just need to quickly boost my Agility stat?”
The Versatile title was within reach.
Sanghyun first integrated all the talismans he had been wearing into the Berserk Talisman.
Then, he felt as if a lingering chronic headache had vanished, leaving his mind refreshed.
He hadn’t realized it before due to familiarity, but having multiple talismans must’ve been causing considerable strain.
The relief was quite noticeable.
After parting ways with Han Hyunjeong, they promised to meet again next time.
The purpose of meeting her—purchasing the Berserk Talisman—had been successfully completed.
She also had a schedule in the United States. Sanghyun had to go to the Gate with Sophia in the afternoon.
After parting ways with Han Hyunjeong—
Sanghyun stopped by a nearby market and bought a small talisman that increased Agility by 15.
It was a Bronze-grade talisman that he normally wouldn’t give a second look, but he needed it now.
With just this much, he could earn the Versatile title. He didn’t need any more stats.
And so, the moment came when his Agility stat finally crossed the 1,000 threshold upon equipping the talisman.
[You have acquired the SSS-grade title, 【Versatile】.]
[From now on, your name will be automatically registered on the Dimension Group’s list of Recommended Players.]
[The Lion King is deeply impressed by your achievement. He admires his own foresight for recognizing you early on.]
[The Dark Hunter warns that you are indeed an anomaly in this world and is now investigating your birth secret.]
[The owner of Torn Lips sheds tears of emotion.]
[A passerby who saw your newly registered name shows deep interest.]
[The Queen of Blood immediately adds you to her list of players of interest and plans to observe you with utmost priority.]
“Wow…… this is overwhelming.”
A flood of Constellation messages came pouring in.
[The God of Storms urges you not to be satisfied with your current achievement and to push forward even more.]
Divine advice from the gods followed as well.
“Of course. I will.”
Sanghyun nodded.
The messages from the Constellations scrolled up so fast, he couldn’t even read them all.
Although the title itself didn’t boost his stats or grant new powers, Sanghyun actually liked this setup better.
Receiving more attention from Constellations meant a higher chance of attracting top-tier Constellations or divine entities.
In a way, it felt like he had passed the first step to becoming a named Player.
All-stats 1,000 was not an easy realm to reach.
Anyone who had lived as a Player knew how difficult it was to grow all-around.
For instance, a magician might excel in mana growth but lag in strength and agility.
A swordsman might be specialized in strength and stamina but often fell short in mana growth.
But Sanghyun had overcome those handicaps through Artifact absorption.
This proved he could grow across the board and not be defined by a single class.
Squeeze.
Sanghyun tightly gripped the Berserk Talisman.
Money doesn’t lie, and a useful Artifact always brings benefit to a Player.
He was grateful for the talisman that gave momentum to the direction he was pursuing.
And he set one more goal.
Once again! He wanted to purchase and equip another Legendary Artifact. When it comes to upgrading specs, the more the better.
Rumble rumble. Whoooosh.
Thunder and rainstorms raged through the grand mansion.
The mansion was so vast that one couldn't even guess where it ended, yet very few people actually lived in it.
Inside the largest room were two men—one old, one young.
The well-dressed old man looked unmistakably like the owner of the house, while the young man in plain clothes seemed to be a servant.
But in reality, it was the opposite.
As soon as they entered the room, their roles flipped from what they seemed outside.
The young man tossed his coat carelessly and sprawled on the sofa, while the old man quietly picked it up.
The old man even maintained a slightly bowed posture toward the young man, clearly indicating their hierarchical relationship.
The young man muttered.
“Nietzsche, Tory, Kay, Jay, Roel. Those five died in succession, right? And all by one guy.”
“That’s correct.”
“I told you to report if anything unusual happened in the Predation Network, Brandon. Why didn’t you report this?”
“I didn’t think those five predators were all that exceptional to begin with. I apologize.”
“So why are you the one making that judgment? Whether we act or not, it’s my decision. Got it?”
“I’ll correct that. I’m sorry.”
“If your brain’s too old to work, you should at least conduct yourself properly, no? Old people, really…”
The man who scolded Brandon, the old man, without a shred of guilt or restraint depending on his mood—his name was Luca Viole.
Luca kept furrowing his brows, seemingly unable to understand the deaths of the predators who had targeted Sanghyun.
“When a beast chases prey, it’s because it believes it can catch it. That’s how it works.”
“That’s true.”
“Same with the predators. They must have calculated that they could devour him, so they went after him, right?”
“That seems likely.”
“I can accept Nietzsche and Tory. Those two acted separately and didn’t join forces, so dying was on them.”
“……”
“But Kay, Jay, and Roel going in together and still all dying? That doesn’t make sense. That means their calculations were wrong.”
Even if the Constellation Predators were hot-blooded, they were the cautious type when choosing prey.
And for good reason—if they failed the hunt, they’d get devoured instead.
That meant death, and all their accumulated efforts would go down the drain.
But all three of them had attacked together, and they still got killed? That just didn’t add up.
Luca continued.
“If their calculation was wrong, it means Shin Sanghyun was way stronger than expected. Right?”
“Yes.”
Brandon only nodded to everything Luca said.
His own opinion didn’t matter. What mattered was unconditional agreement with Luca.
Many previous attendants had failed to do this and ended up dead. Brandon didn’t want to follow their fate.
“With guys like this, you have to investigate thoroughly, no excuses. Just test the waters, at the very least.”
“Whom should I contact?”
“Isn’t Alaine in Korea right now?”
“Yes, I believe she’s staying in Jeju Island. On vacation.”
“Tell Alaine to investigate everything about Shin Sanghyun’s abilities. And whether he has any reliable backing.”
“Understood.”
Luca Viole—the administrator and pinnacle of the Predation Network.
His attention had now turned to Sanghyun.
That afternoon, Sanghyun met Sophia at their agreed location and entered the Gate with her.
Because the location was classified, they politely asked Sanghyun for his understanding and blindfolded him.
Ashuneri, who had been perched on his shoulder, was also wrapped completely in a small handkerchief, just for a moment.
Sanghyun thought this level of caution from the Nobility Guild was only natural.
Kindness and gullibility were two different things.
It made sense not to share information about a Gate that was managed in such secrecy with outsiders.
Once inside the Gate, the cutting cold wind made Ashuneri shrink back.
‘You're cold, huh? It’s probably dangerous up front—come behind my neck. It’ll be warmer there.’
‘You got that exactly right.’
After confirming that Ashuneri had moved behind him, Sanghyun gripped his nameless sword once more.
Sophia, standing beside him, looked at Ashuneri with a curious expression, but soon turned her gaze away.
Spirits were indeed rare, but not entirely unheard of.
She figured Sanghyun must have obtained one in some dungeon somewhere.
Though typically, magician-type players summoned spirits.
It was unusual for a swordsman like Sanghyun to control one.
Well, to be fair, Sanghyun had plenty of unusual traits—this spirit was hardly the whole story.
Just then—
With a sensation like all the fine hairs on their bodies standing on end, both Sanghyun and Sophia were hit by a debuff at the same time.
It was a Gate-wide debuff they had been briefed on beforehand.
[Intermittent Blindness – A condition where your vision completely blacks out for one second without warning.]
[Abnormal Seizure – A condition in which your body convulses for unknown reasons, drastically reducing health.]
“Perfect debuffs to startle and disorient you.”
Sanghyun gave a bitter smile.
There were no warning signs before blindness, nor could you tell before a seizure began.
In short, he wouldn’t be able to predict when either effect might strike.
It might not be an issue outside of combat, but if it happened during a fight, it could lead straight to death.
“I can take care of the blindness on my end.”
Just then, Sophia reached toward Sanghyun and enveloped his entire body in a soft pink energy.
Then a special buff—something Sanghyun had never seen before—activated.
[Obscure Interference Block – Thoroughly nullifies one debuff. Prevents its manifestation in any form.]
“Oh.”
Complete debuff negation.
The kind of “complete” option often reserved for named figures—Sophia had it too.
As expected, she wasn’t ordinary either.