novelraw Chapter 228 : Late Bloomer Model Student (3)
Chapter 228 : Late Bloomer Model Student (3)
Chapter 228: Late Bloomer Model Student (3)
[Hidden Quest]
[Eliminate the Player who made a contract with the Constellation ‘Eye of Calamity’, and bind the ‘Eye of Calamity’ to yourself.]
[One-time only: You can teleport to any location within a 100-meter radius of the Player contracted with the ‘Eye of Calamity’.]
‘The Hidden Quest is still active. If I use that one-time opportunity, I can move right next to the contractor.’
The battle could begin right now if he wished.
But he had no idea who the opponent was, and Sanghyun didn’t believe his power had reached its peak yet.
In other words, once all preparations were complete, he had to end it in a single move. There would be no second chance.
‘When I first saw the Hidden Quest, I never thought it was related to something like this…….’
Sanghyun recalled his past memories.
At the time, he simply thought that the ‘Eye of Calamity’ was a Constellation in conflict with the God of Storms, and that the quest stemmed from that.
He believed it was just a picture of a contracted Player getting caught up in a personal grudge between Constellations.
But now he saw it clearly—it was a quest to eliminate trash that had caused dimensional imbalance.
‘Time is tight. I’m still not sure about the strength I possess……. Then there’s only one card I can play.’
What Sanghyun thought of was the opportunity to raid the Endless Dungeon that he had secured through Frederick Villain.
A single opportunity guaranteed through documentation.
If he could steadily progress floor by floor in the Endless Dungeon, a massive level-up was guaranteed.
Usually, most people fail on the lower floors on their first attempt.
That had happened with Frederick Villain, and even Jerron Decay had admitted to bitter failure in his first try in his past life.
Given that, it wasn’t the kind of dungeon Sanghyun needed to rush into.
According to his original plan, he would raise his level sufficiently, secure more skills, and then enter.
There was no need to rush into the Endless Dungeon. The opportunity remained permanently available.
But now, it seemed like he had no choice but to go there first.
Considering the time left, it would be the last dungeon he could enter before facing the contractor of the Eye of Calamity.
Whether level, skills, or Artifact—he had to push his specs to the maximum in the Endless Dungeon.
‘Seriously…….’
A hollow laugh escaped him.
What kind of situation was this?
Not long ago, he had been obsessing over which Artifact to consume to grow.
Now, he was worried about how to prevent the future from being swallowed up by an impending tragedy.
And he was the only Player carrying such concerns.
Even if he told someone about it, they wouldn’t be able to help in any way.
‘Yeah. I always believed my fate wouldn’t be ordinary. I always thought there must be a reason I regressed.’
Looking back, this wasn’t an unexpected future. From the moment he experienced that impossible regression, he had understood it.
‘I’m already living a life far more amazing than my past one. So what can’t I do? It’s just one guy I need to deal with anyway.’
Clench.
Sanghyun tightened his fist.
In his past life, he had only one dream—to live a life of value recognized by many.
Although he had barely lived a meaningful life as a Player back then.
This life felt different.
If he could wrap this up well.
Even if the world didn’t know it, he could live the rest of his life proud of the value he created by changing the future.
‘Let’s go. To the Endless Dungeon.’
His resolve was firm. Now was the time to focus all his strength on growth.
All the levels he had steadily built up, the skills he had collected, and the powers of numerous Constellations and Artifacts.
Sanghyun planned to pour it all into the Endless Dungeon. That place was the only one where explosive growth was possible.
Sanghyun immediately contacted Frederick Villain and requested to challenge the Endless Dungeon.
Frederick had promised to prepare the opportunity as quickly as possible, whenever Sanghyun requested it.
As soon as he heard Sanghyun’s request, he told him to hop on a plane to America.
He would arrange all procedures and preparations while Sanghyun was en route, urging him to hurry without wasting even a second.
So Sanghyun quickly booked a flight. It was expensive, but now wasn’t the time to worry about money.
Lee Siyeon accompanied him.
She had to stay by his side to have secure conversations with the Model Student whenever needed.
Although there had been no recent contact, they couldn’t know when it might reconnect, so she needed to stay on standby.
However—
At some point, she said she would need to release the possession state and return to the Dimension Corps.
Because only by returning could she inform the Constellations in the Dimension Corps of the current situation.
For now, maintaining the connection to the Model Student through Lee Siyeon’s body was all she could do.
To deliver the message directly to the Dimension Corps, a return to her spiritual form was mandatory. Not optional.
On the way to America.
On the plane, where he could do nothing but wait, no matter how urgent his heart felt.
Sanghyun collected his thoughts one last time.
Once he entered the Endless Dungeon, it would be like flooring the accelerator—he could only rush forward.
The only time he’d be able to hit the brakes would be after killing the Eye of Calamity’s contractor. Until then, he couldn’t stop.
After arriving in the U.S., Sanghyun immediately rode the car Frederick had arranged to go meet him.
Han Hyunjeong had been in a celebratory mood ever since hearing that Sanghyun was going to the Endless Dungeon.
It made sense, since this would be a special raid conducted during their sponsorship contract.
Of course, beyond the commercial value, she genuinely wished for Sanghyun’s growth, so her mood was quite good.
The Endless Dungeon was both a land of opportunity and a land of crisis.
On his way to meet Frederick, Sanghyun thought about past relationships that flickered through his mind like a montage.
It was unlikely—but if the raid failed, he could die.
In that case, he’d have to say eternal goodbyes to the people he’d spent time with. They’d never meet again.
The first to come to mind was Kim Miso. She was probably still sweating through her training.
She must’ve been so inspired by his growth that she came to the U.S. to train even harder.
According to what he heard from Shin Taeri, her skin had tanned well past bronze into a deep black.
Considering the pure-white skin she had when they first met, it was unimaginable.
Thinking of Ham Jiyeon brought to mind the children from the orphanage. He wanted to donate more and build another facility.
Next was Do Kyunghye.
She had a reliable older brother, so there was nothing to worry about. She was a highly capable woman.
Shin Taeri was someone he didn’t need to say much about. Always diligent and strict with herself, she wouldn’t falter.
He had also coached Shin Yoonhyuk one last time before leaving Korea.
With the tips he gave, Yoonhyuk would be fine for at least six months of training, so no worries there.
‘Damn nosy personality. The one I should be most worried about right now… is me.’
Sanghyun laughed despite himself, his shoulders bouncing as he snorted.
Why was he worrying about the ones who would be left behind? He should be worried about the one who might not make it.
That was how precious and happy the new relationships formed after regression had become for Sanghyun.
Players like Do Kyungsoo and Shin Taeri had only been distant figures in his past life.
Now, they stood shoulder to shoulder, recognizing and respecting one another.
Maybe that’s why he kept thinking about them. The thought of never seeing them again was too sad.
Meeting Frederick, Sanghyun immediately followed his lead to the entrance of the Endless Dungeon.
As pre-arranged, he boarded a secure vehicle with an eye mask on during the ride.
Though the existence of the Endless Dungeon was known, the location of its entrance remained top secret.
That’s why Frederick himself drove instead of a hired chauffeur.
Apparently, every Player who had ever visited the Endless Dungeon had been brought by Frederick himself.
Even if someone found out the location, they’d have to navigate a maze at the entrance.
So unless Frederick brought them, the chance of anyone reaching the dungeon was practically zero.
Though he couldn’t see, he could still hear and speak.
Inside the moving car, Sanghyun conversed with Frederick.
“Mister Sanghyun. Just out of personal curiosity, is there a reason you suddenly rushed into challenging the Endless Dungeon?”
“I want to maximize my spec-up while I still have the chance. I’ve been feeling a bit of level thirst lately.”
Sanghyun made up an excuse.
Mentioning regression or the Dimension Corps wouldn’t help anything here.
“I get it. If you build the skeleton in advance, you can always add flesh later.”
Frederick nodded.
Sanghyun, testing the waters, casually asked Frederick a question.
“Have you ever been curious about the Constellation World? I’ve heard the Endless Dungeon isn’t something that can be explained by the system alone.”
“Hmm… Not really. It’s hard enough surviving in the Player’s world. Who has time to care about the world of Constellations?”
As expected, the response came as he predicted.
To Players, Constellations were just beings who gave attention, power, and ability.
Why they existed, what kind of world they lived in, and what was happening there—none of that mattered.
As Frederick said, surviving in the Player world was exhausting enough.
If someone like Frederick thought this way, it was pointless to ask lower-ranked Players.
Even Jerron Decay probably wasn’t thinking deeply about the Dimension Corps right now.
The burden Sanghyun had to carry—he had to bear it alone.
As he felt the car gradually slow down, Sanghyun swallowed a dry gulp.
The time to enter the Endless Dungeon was drawing near.
Right before entry.
Sanghyun had one last call with Lee Siyeon.
Hearing her apologize for the inadequacy of the Constellations and the Constellation Gods, Sanghyun replied that it had only strengthened his resolve.
Wasn’t that the truth?
If he cleared the Endless Dungeon and then defeated the Eye of Calamity’s contractor—
Who knew how much stronger he would become and how open the road ahead would be?
One thing was certain: even at a minimum, he would become a world-class, top-tier Player.