novelraw Chapter 232 : Endless Dungeon (4)
Chapter 232 : Endless Dungeon (4)
Chapter 232: Endless Dungeon (4)
At that moment, a call came in.
It was from Alain, who had been tracking Sanghyun in Korea. He was a subordinate under direct orders from Luca.
"Alain."
[We’ve lost track of Shin Sanghyun. He suddenly left the country.]
"Abroad? Didn’t we just get a report that he returned to Korea not long ago?"
[Yes. I looked into it through other informants, and it seems he went to the United States. He visited the Nobility Guild and there are signs he entered the Endless Dungeon.]
"What……?"
The sudden turn of events startled Luca, making him question again.
It wasn’t unusual for Players to travel domestically or internationally, especially if they frequently raided dungeons.
Even Luca was constantly traveling around the world, so going to America wasn’t that strange.
And even the part about visiting the Nobility Guild was understandable—he knew Sanghyun had caught their attention.
But he was given a chance to enter the Endless Dungeon? At this exact time?
According to all previous investigations, it was true Sanghyun was talented and gaining a lot of attention.
But he wasn’t yet complete enough as a Player to casually challenge the Endless Dungeon.
Moreover, the Endless Dungeon was a place where if you failed the raid even once, you were forced to sit out for an entire year.
It was a dungeon where it made perfect sense to be cautious and enter as late as possible, and yet Sanghyun entered too quickly.
As if he were being chased by something, as if he had a reason to grow stronger as fast as possible.
Luca asked,
"Alain. Are you sure he really entered the Endless Dungeon? Are you certain?"
[He left in a car driven personally by Frederick Villain, heading in the direction of the Endless Dungeon.
You know how secluded the location of the Endless Dungeon under Frederick Villain’s control is.]
"There’s no room for doubt."
[Correct. What should we do?]
"Stay put for now. I’ll contact you if there are any further instructions."
[Yes, understood.]
Call ended.
Luca’s eyes sparkled.
Sanghyun being allowed into the Endless Dungeon was probably thanks to Frederick’s consideration.
Or rather than consideration, it was clear there had been some kind of prearranged deal or emotional connection.
If that were the case, then Sanghyun must’ve been told about the unique nature of the Endless Dungeon.
And yet, knowing that, Sanghyun still rushed in……
‘Don’t tell me, that guy…?’
A strong suspicion began to grow—that Sanghyun might be the Player who had formed a contract with the Constellation of Storms.
Even the Constellation that Luca served, the Eye of Calamity, had told Luca to prepare, saying things had taken a turn.
At that moment, the Eye of Calamity, which had briefly gone silent, resumed its message.
[Within the deep void of the Dimensional Sphere, I was able to confirm information about the contractor who formed a pact with the God of Storms. ‘The Void’ is a forbidden domain, but with no mediator present now, it’s not something to worry about. Find him. He is the dog who obediently follows the will of the God of Storms, and the one you must kill. To him, you are the key. And to you, he is the key. Kill this one.]
What the Eye of Calamity showed through the message window was unmistakably Sanghyun’s face.
He’d heard that even Constellations and God Thrones were forbidden from approaching the ‘Void,’ which could disrupt the balance and order of the Dimensional Sphere.
The fact that the Eye of Calamity ignored all that to act showed just how urgent it had become for him too.
As a loyal contractor, it was only natural to read his master’s heart and respond to his expectations.
"So this is how the puzzle comes together. The instinct of gluttony I felt when I thought of him—it must have been destiny."
Luca licked his lips with the tip of his tongue as he spoke.
When he first got to know Sanghyun, he merely thought of him as a tasty prey for a Constellation Devourer.
But now, looking back, the relationship between him and Sanghyun was one of inevitable mutual consumption.
[I’m looking forward to it.]
"Yes. There’s nothing more to think about now. I only regret not realizing it sooner."
Luca rolled up his sleeves.
He now knew that Sanghyun was the contractor of the God of Storms, and that he had links to the Constellation that tormented the Eye of Calamity.
All that remained was to kill him.
[Once this contractor is eliminated, the scale of good and evil that has maintained the balance of the Dimensional Sphere will crumble. Then those waiting outside the Dimensional Sphere to become my loyal subordinates will be granted the status of Constellation. From that point on, everything will belong to me and you. That day is not far off.]
"I shall faithfully execute the traitor."
Luca bowed his head.
And immediately after, he booked a flight to America.
The plan from here on was simple.
Find Sanghyun, and kill him.
That’s all.
Time passed.
"Grrrgh……."
And just now, the boss monster on the 10th floor of the Endless Dungeon, who had just lost its life to Sanghyun, collapsed.
『Over Psychedelic』
■ Skill Level: Stage 5 (81.0%)
■ Skill Description: Upon activation, instantly restores all health and induces an awakening state for 960 seconds.
(……Omitted)
"Doubling the duration? If I knew it’d be this efficient, I would’ve gone all in on skill training."
Originally, Over Psychedelic had a duration of 480 seconds, but that changed dramatically once it reached level 5.
960 seconds. A full 16 minutes.
Considering its cooldown was 30 minutes, that meant he could use the skill again after just 14 minutes.
『Skill Reset』
■ Skill Level: Stage 5 (82.2%)
■ Skill Description: Resets the cooldowns of all skills except this one.
The reset range is within a 9-meter radius, and five targets can be selected.
There is no cooldown. Once 10,000 mana is infused, it activates immediately.
Skill Reset had also changed.
It used to be a skill that gained a lot of experience per use because its cooldown was a full day.
But after using it twice in the Endless Dungeon, the level jumped to 5.
It used to be that once per day was the limit, but now, as long as he had the mana, he could use it repeatedly.
The 10,000 mana requirement didn’t mean his stat had to be 10,000.
It meant that the skill’s structure activated once he chose to use it, and then he had to fill it up—like pouring fuel into an empty tank.
Think of it as filling the Skill Reset container with mana.
"Whispers of Darkness now causes guaranteed blindness at level 5. Weakness Enhancement is always active. Whisper of the Sage is usable every minute. This is insane. Completely insane."
Thanks to multiple skills hitting level 5 in a row, many of them had drastically increased in value.
"Frenzy. Mortal’s Wrath. Steel Storm…… Every weakness among my skills has been covered, and the good parts got even stronger."
That was the part Sanghyun was truly happy about. It wasn’t just about getting stronger items.
His weaknesses were patched. His strengths reinforced. His traits became more specialized.
Put simply, each skill had become a complete form.
These were already skills people called broken or OP. And now they’d gone even further.
If he were to show his skill list to someone, how many would believe it was real?
Sanghyun was sure—none would. Most would just get jealous.
"Let’s not chalk it up to luck. Being able to absorb things well is a skill too. And if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t have made it to the 10th floor."
Sanghyun encouraged himself.
Even though he’d been growing rapidly, he’d had plenty of chaotic moments along the way.
But this time, at least up to the 10th floor of the Endless Dungeon, he hadn’t faced any significant crises.
And the rewards he got were beyond imagination.
He’d wondered more than once if this place was a bug the system should never have created.
If this were a game, it felt like using cheat codes—every single moment.
Cheat codes are supposed to be for single-player, a private world where only you benefit.
But the Endless Dungeon wasn’t like that. It was a cheat code legally granted to him in a world where countless Players coexisted.
"Level 430…… and all Artifacts are at least Epic grade. The stat gains are too good to even describe, whew……"
He let out a breath of awe.
Right now, he truly felt like the protagonist of a novel.
The kind of hero the world pours its hopes and power into, to fight the final villain.
It was just like the protagonists in the fantasy novels Sanghyun used to love.
They'd stumble into opportunity after opportunity, gather all the luck, and become the strongest in the world.
With his cynical reader’s mind, he used to think it was unfair how the world only helped the main character.
But now that he was experiencing that ‘unfairness’ himself, he couldn’t help but love it. He was thrilled.
He figured this must be what readers felt when they saw the hero win—vicarious satisfaction. He understood it perfectly now.
"I want to rest."
He longed to lie down on the flat floor and take a deep, refreshing nap, but he couldn’t.
Even now, the Constellation Late Bloomer Model Student was probably still being chased.
And the Goddess of Luck, Lee Siyeon, was likely praying for his safe return.
In such circumstances, how could he comfortably sleep? Even if someone pushed him to rest, he wouldn’t be able to.
He’d push himself until he truly collapsed from exhaustion.
Until then, he would keep climbing—step by grueling step.
That was the least he could do for those who believed in and waited for him.
Squeeze.
Sanghyun tightened his grip on the Nameless Sword, took a confident step forward.
Entry into the 11th floor of the Endless Dungeon.
The beginning of a new level.
Around that time.
"He still hasn’t come out? For a first-timer, that’s really impressive."
Frederick expressed his admiration after receiving a report from his subordinate about the Endless Dungeon.
It had been quite some time since Sanghyun entered the Endless Dungeon.
There was a time limit per floor, so you couldn’t stay forever.
If the Player failed or gave up, they would be ‘expelled’ to the entrance.
So if Sanghyun had died or quit, the subordinate would have already seen him at the entrance.
But he still hadn’t shown up. Meaning—he was clearing the dungeon smoothly.
From the very first meeting, Frederick had known Sanghyun was ‘no ordinary guy,’ but this level of skill still amazed him anew.