novelraw Chapter 216 : Abnormal Status (5)
Chapter 216 : Abnormal Status (5)
Chapter 216: Abnormal Status (5)
Raid complete.
He raked in the experience points, and his level skyrocketed to 310.
It was rare—no, practically unheard of—for someone in the 300s to gain five levels in one go.
But thanks to the synergy with the "Rapid Growth" title, the experience points were inflated, all to Sanghyun’s benefit.
On top of that, two Legendary-grade Magic Stones dropped, securing a payout of at least 100 billion won.
With that, his expected balance now stood at 252.2 billion won. That was more than enough to buy two Epic-grade Artifacts.
“It’s not like I’m giving anything up, but go ahead and use this too. You really worked hard, Sanghyun.”
What Sophia handed him was a top-grade Magic Stone he hadn’t had a chance to pick up earlier.
It was perfect timing.
It was time to repair the Saiz Armor. And the amount of magic stone required was exactly one top-grade.
So he started the repairs immediately.
When he placed the top-grade Magic Stone on the Saiz Armor, it quickly absorbed the mana and began its restoration process.
It was a fairly fascinating sight, but Sophia didn’t react much, probably used to seeing it often in the guild.
‘Hm?’
Right then.
Sanghyun noticed a new blinking message on his status window.
He had thought the rewards and experience from Beikal’s death were finished. But apparently, there was more.
In fact, there were two messages. He checked the first one.
[With Beikal’s death, the player has received the “Beikal’s Regret” buff.]
‘Just judging from the name, it sounds kind of lame, but let’s see… Oh, this is nice.’
He had assumed the buff would be terrible because of the awkward naming, but it turned out to be extremely useful.
[Beikal’s Regret]
[All level 1 skills are upgraded to level 2. This also applies to all future skills acquired. However, this only increases the skill level and does not affect individual proficiency.]
It was a buff that upgraded all level 1 skills to level 2. A forced upgrade mechanic!
For skills that had low utility or couldn’t be used frequently, just raising them to level 1 could take ages.
This buff drastically shortened that process, offering significant time savings.
Moreover, since it applied to all current and future skills, level 1 skills would no longer exist.
‘First-clear bonuses are really amazing.’
It was a fact he couldn’t deny.
First-clear bonuses were what lower-ranked players resented and envied the most.
They widened the gap between high- and low-rankers and deepened the rich-get-richer effect.
Even in his past life, Sanghyun had longed for a first-clear bonus. He had never experienced one.
But in this life, he was constantly enjoying the benefits. This moment was no different.
“Sanghyun, are you checking a new message? I think individual rewards have been activated.”
“Yes, I’m about to check.”
“That’s so weird. A random message just popped up and I wasn’t sure what it meant.”
“Ah.”
Sanghyun opened his mouth to respond but then stopped. It seemed Sophia hadn’t received the Beikal’s Regret buff.
He didn’t know why there was a difference, but there was no need to tell her and make her feel left out.
He was quite satisfied with the individual reward system.
It naturally prevented conflict among participating players.
If the discussion didn’t go well, players often fought over desirable rewards.
If the number of rewards matched the number of players, they could just split them.
But when they didn’t, it usually required some negotiation—something no longer necessary.
‘Players like Frederick Villain or Jerron Decay must get first-clear bonuses all the time. Same goes for Shin Taeri and Jo Jinho…’
The higher he looked up, the more players he could think of who must’ve enjoyed these benefits.
Those names he’d already thought of were just a fraction—someone like Do Kyungsoo, the Sword Demon, must have scored big in raids too.
That only fueled his ambition further.
The Endless Dungeon was a specialized, personal dungeon, and every reward in it was a first-clear bonus.
The downside was its extreme danger, but the rewards were guaranteed.
[Attribute analysis complete. A tailored reward has been activated for the player.]
[Choose one class: Swordsman or Berserker.]
[Once you choose your class, select a gear slot.]
[The reward Artifact will be of fixed ‘Epic’ grade.]
‘Then it’s gotta be a ring for swordsmen.’
Sanghyun made the decision instantly, no hesitation needed.
Even though he had been leaning toward the Berserker side since equipping the Berserker Helm, his base class was still a Swordsman.
And aside from rings, most of his gear was already set to Epic or higher.
So from the start, a Swordsman’s ring had been the clear choice.
「Ring of Frenzy」
■ Artifact Grade: Epic
■ Artifact Description: A ring that enhances the will and passion of a swordsman.
■ Strength +220
■ Special Option – Randomly gains Frenzy Spirit with each monster kill. When the required amount is filled, the ring’s grade will increase by one tier.
■ Requirement: 0/25000
‘A ring designed for long-term growth… is that it?’
Just looking at the stats, it was a bit disappointing, but that disappointment was instantly offset by the special option.
The next grade after Epic was Legendary. That meant its monetary value would increase fivefold. And the stat options would rise accordingly.
Right at that moment.
While Sanghyun was admiring his Strength, which had risen to 2,046 after equipping the Ring of Frenzy...
[A B-grade title, 【Source of Strength】, has been granted.]
It had been a while since a title activated.
Though B-grade wasn’t particularly high, titles were always beneficial. The more, the better.
【Source of Strength】
■ Title Grade: B-grade
■ Title Description: Triples recovery from fatigue. You’ll feel refreshed more quickly and get tired less easily.
It didn’t offer a dramatic effect, but it was still better than having nothing. Sanghyun nodded in satisfaction.
Strength in the 2,000s.
How long had that taken in his past life? He remembered it had taken an incredibly long time.
Unlike now, where it happened in a matter of months after regression.
Back then, it must’ve taken at least ten years. No—maybe that memory was softened, and it had taken even longer.
Then, Sophia, who had just finished activating and equipping her reward like Sanghyun, expressed her gratitude once more.
“Really, Sanghyun, it’s thanks to you that we were able to clear the gate from start to finish so perfectly. Thank you so much.”
“From what I see, the two of us were the key players in this gate. Replacing us wouldn’t be easy.”
“Honestly… I agree! But if we’re talking about who contributed more, it’s overwhelmingly you, Sanghyun.”
The warmth in Sophia’s touch as she gently held Sanghyun’s hand was unmistakable.
It wasn’t a flirtatious or romantic gesture, but rather one filled with sincere gratitude and respect.
It was like she was saying, “It’s all thanks to you!” Her expression and gaze conveyed the same sentiment.
Sophia continued speaking.
“I didn’t expect the core keyword of the boss strategy to be ‘Silence.’ You’re completely immune to it, right?”
“That’s right. Thanks to that, I was able to fight without any accidents.”
“I realized I really need to refine and strengthen my mental capabilities. I tried to cover intermittent blindness, but I couldn’t help with Silence.”
“No, it’s not normal for a single player to take responsibility for everything in a raid. That was an ability I should’ve had.”
“Really… I’m just amazed at the abnormal status resistances you have, Sanghyun. You’re amazing. Seriously amazing.”
“My fingers are going stiff from all the praise. Haha.”
They say praise makes even whales dance, and with the amount he’d been receiving, Sanghyun was starting to feel a little embarrassed.
Of course, it still felt good. Especially since the praise was coming from someone reputed to be extremely strict—it made his shoulders square with pride.
But then—
“Ah…?”
Suddenly, Sophia’s eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, and her body slumped to the side.
He’d been worried something might be wrong with her earlier, and it seemed he had been right. She had clearly been hiding it.
After that.
When Sophia opened her eyes again, she was no longer by Sanghyun’s side but in a hospital room.
The first thing she saw was her cousin, Frederick. Turns out she was at Nobility Medical Center.
It was one of the most renowned medical facilities in the United States and also run by the Nobility Guild.
“What happened, Oppa?”
“What do you mean what happened? You collapsed in the gate, and Shin Sanghyun brought you here. He even waited until you were lying comfortably before leaving.”
“Ah… I really messed it all up at the end. I should’ve left a better impression. Totally ruined it.”
“What do you mean ruined? Mental-type players collapsing or fainting is nothing unusual. Sanghyun said he was expecting it.”
“Still…”
“That’s enough self-blame. So, how was it?”
Frederick changed the subject.
Since Sophia had tackled the entire gate with Sanghyun, she surely had plenty to say.
Come to think of it, Sanghyun had said something during the raid.
– If you want to talk to Frederick about our gameplay later, feel free to.
The more he knew, the more Sanghyun’s value would rise. For Sanghyun, it was a huge gain.
Now that she thought about it, that was true.
So she didn’t feel guilty as if she were secretly leaking information by telling Frederick now.
Rather, with added gratitude toward Sanghyun, she felt she should advocate for him more actively.
Sophia began to talk rapidly, pouring out everything that had happened with Sanghyun.
From the beginning to the end, the entire story was filled with praise and acknowledgment of Sanghyun’s abnormal status resistance abilities.
And not just that—she also complimented his fundamental swordsmanship skills.
Frederick listened intently.
It wasn’t just because she was his cousin that he trusted her. It was because she was an objective player whose insights were sharp and judgment keen.
If someone like her spoke so highly of Sanghyun, then there was only one conclusion.
‘A gifted player is gifted, no doubt about it.’
It meant that Sanghyun’s abilities were exceptional—strong enough to overwhelm other players in the same level range with ease.
‘Maybe I should take a look at his skills myself. With this much praise going around, I can’t help but be curious.’
Frederick’s eyebrows twitched with interest.
From the reports he had received so far, Sanghyun was a flawless player.
But nothing beat seeing with your own eyes, rather than relying on someone else’s evaluation.
Especially when it came to skilled players, witnessing their power firsthand could be extremely helpful.
After that.
Frederick stepped out, giving Sophia space to rest, and immediately called Sanghyun.
It was highly unusual for him to schedule a meeting personally rather than through an assistant.
But this time, whether unusual or not didn’t matter—he wanted to meet Sanghyun.
Hearing about Sanghyun and listening to the evaluations reminded him of his own past.
Before his explosive growth, back when his potential and talent erupted uncontrollably—Sanghyun now looked just like his younger self.
Overflowing with talent.