novelraw Chapter 240 : Epilogue
Chapter 240 : Epilogue
Chapter 240: Epilogue
After that.
The hidden quest was completed, and the contract with the Eye of Calamity bound itself to Sanghyun.
The Eye of Calamity was dragged to the “Altar of Good and Evil” of the Dimensional Group, regardless of his will.
That was because, whenever a contractor changed or a new one was created, they would be brought to this place.
Had it been the other way around, the God of Storms would have been dragged instead.
Anyway, once forcibly summoned, the Eye of Calamity was disarmed by the Constellations and Thrones, including the God of Storms.
Everything he had planned was completely exposed and returned to nothing.
Even though 99% of the plan had been completed, because he failed to put the final period, the plan of the Eye of Calamity ultimately ended in failure.
They also found and rescued the Late Bloomer Model Student Constellation, who had been chased endlessly.
They rescued the “Mediator” of the Dimensional Group, who had been forcibly confined and confined by the Eye of Calamity.
The traitorous Black Guard was also wiped out by the joint power of the Constellations and Thrones.
No matter how elite the guard was, they were no match for the far greater number of Constellations.
Meanwhile, Sanghyun’s memories ended at the moment he confirmed that Luca was dead.
The obsession to kill Luca.
That obsession alone was enough for him to endure all the pain and hardship, all the torment of his mind.
Because he had demonstrated superhuman will and strength, Sanghyun hadn’t even realized the problem while fighting.
But when the battle ended and the tension was released with the victory, his body finally presented the overdue receipt.
Of course, since everything had already been settled, nothing serious happened to Sanghyun.
Rather, it felt like he had finally gotten a deep, uninterrupted sleep for the first time in a while.
He had a happy, joyful dream, and in that dream, Sanghyun was smiling. The world was bathed in rose-tinted light.
A lot of time passed after that.
The operation of the Predator Network ceased with Luca Viole’s death.
Having lost its most crucial core, the predators of the network became far less active than before.
Some of them acted out in a reckless, individual manner, only to have their identities exposed and be punished.
As they were categorized as the worst of the worst, the World Player Union sentenced them to death.
Several special laws had already been enacted, so there were no procedural issues or public backlash.
Once it became known that the player who tried to kill Sanghyun—Luca Viole—was a Constellation Predator,
The World Player Union launched a worldwide investigation and discovered Luca’s hideout.
All the data from the Predator Network found inside was released to the public without even the chance to be destroyed, causing a global storm.
They began to hunt down the Constellation Predators—mutations created by the system with twisted beliefs.
It was a step in the right direction. No one questioned the World Player Union’s actions.
Hyunjeong Corporation continuously emphasized that Sanghyun had been the starting point of this entire incident.
Thanks to that, the popularity of Hyunjeong Corporation soared daily, and Han Hyunjeong hit the jackpot.
The sponsorship contract with Sanghyun and the money paid for it had been a brilliant investment.
Meanwhile, Sanghyun completely relocated his activities to the United States.
It was because he had received a direct proposal from Frederick Villain.
In short, the offer was to use all the infrastructure of the Nobility Guild and grow there.
That infrastructure naturally included the Endless Dungeon, and he was promised another opportunity to enter it.
For that reason, Sanghyun no longer needed to operate in Korea.
As he spent time working abroad, public interest in Sanghyun’s spot in the Top 5 Swordsmen began to fade.
Interest from high-ranking members of the Korean Player Union, including Yoon Geonchang, also dwindled.
Sanghyun had become a globally recognized figure with the full support of the extraordinary player Frederick.
The Korean Player Union had no way of holding onto someone who had moved to a bigger stage.
Even if they could compete in terms of capital, the problem was the infrastructure. They were no match for the Nobility Guild.
Sanghyun wasn’t an official member of the Nobility Guild, but he continued to grow under Frederick’s support.
Rather, he enjoyed the current state of being forgotten from public memory without any controversy.
On the other hand, together with Frederick, he secretly began the search for “Mystery,” a being of unknown identity and another hidden mastermind.
He believed that Mystery would be an even greater threat to the world of players than Luca Viole. It had been the same in his previous life.
In his past life, that guy’s identity had never been uncovered, so it seemed he would have to invest a great deal of effort this time.
But having already destroyed Luca, Sanghyun no longer feared Mystery. He even looked forward to confronting him.
If he ever caught Mystery’s tail, he intended to crush him completely.
Good triumphs over evil. Evil must always pay the price and receive punishment. That guy would be no exception.
“The world’s still the same. Yeah, that’s how it should be. It’s just that one bad guy died. I hope that’s all anyone thinks of it.”
Sanghyun stood in front of the dungeon, waiting for the person who would be accompanying him today.
Not just a raid partner, but someone who would now be by his side as a comrade—and a lover.
While waiting for that person, Sanghyun once again recalled the people he had shared connections with.
Do Kyungsoo and Do Kyunghye.
The siblings were still doing well, bickering with each other as always.
He kept in regular monthly contact with Do Kyungsoo, and they agreed to tackle dungeons together whenever needed.
Do Kyunghye had also become someone he exchanged updates and encouraged each other with.
Shin Yoonhyuk still called Sanghyun at the beginning of every month or came to him directly for guidance.
Each time, Sanghyun was surprised by Shin Yoonhyuk’s progress, yet he trained him even harder.
That was because, even from a teacher’s standpoint, Yoonhyuk’s improvement was impressive enough to stir ambition.
Once he grew strong enough, Sanghyun was considering going into dungeons with him. The guy was worth it.
In his previous life, Sanghyun had never taught anyone anything.
But in this life, things had changed, and he became someone’s mentor—and that fact gave him immense pride.
He donated the most expensive Artifact he had acquired from killing Luca to Ham Jiyeon’s orphanage.
The amount was confidential. But it wasn’t a secret that the orphanage had expanded dozens of times in size because of it.
Sanghyun promised to continue supporting them in the future. As long as he lived the life of a Player, the children at Ham Jiyeon’s orphanage would always be able to smile.
Kim Miso was still working up a sweat, determined to surpass Sanghyun.
She had grown at an unbelievable pace, but because Sanghyun’s growth was something beyond imagination, she had fallen behind in relative comparison.
Still, if she continued growing like this, Sanghyun was convinced that she’d soon rise to the level of a recognized name, or even higher.
Since she was firmly building her own power base outside of the Eden Guild, Sanghyun looked forward to seeing an even more mature and improved version of her.
Han Hyunjeong was constantly begging Sanghyun almost every day to sign a new sponsorship contract.
Of course, Sanghyun didn’t agree.
That was because he no longer had any attachment to money.
If he set his mind to it, making money was always possible. It was as if he could just print cash whenever he wanted.
So he didn’t feel any greed over the money he could gain through sponsorship. Rather, he just felt a sense of responsibility.
Still, even at this very moment, messages kept coming from Han Hyunjeong.
Every day, she would write a heartfelt handwritten letter, take a picture of it, and send it to him.
Of course, he wasn’t planning to sign a contract with any other company. If he ever did, it would be Hyunjeong Corporation.
Seeing her unwavering sincerity made him consider it, but then again, he felt the hassle wasn't worth it.
At any rate, because he only had good memories with her, he thought there was room to consider it positively in the future.
And right beside him now—
“You’re late, right? I’m sorry.”
The person who would enter the dungeon with Sanghyun had arrived.
They were slightly late for the scheduled time. Perhaps that’s why they bowed their head with an apologetic expression.
“It’s fine. The fresh air felt nice for a while. You’re all set, right?”
“Yeah. I’m ready.”
“Let’s push it harder today. We’ve done this dungeon plenty of times, so let’s set a time limit. What do you think? Sound good?”
“Yeah, sure. As long as I’m with you, I think I’ll be happy no matter what we do.”
“Same here. As long as I’m with you, anytime...”
Sanghyun firmly held her hand.
Originally, they had spoken to each other in honorifics, but after becoming lovers, they agreed to speak casually.
It was still a bit awkward, and sometimes they slipped back into old habits, but everything felt good as long as they were together.
Sanghyun entered the dungeon with her.
Shin Taeri.
She was the one who had become Sanghyun’s companion in entering the dungeon.
As always, today they would conquer the dungeon, gain loot, evaluate the results, and grow stronger.
Sanghyun wished that this precious bond beside him would always remain with him in peace—today, tomorrow, and forever.
And for that, growth was essential!
Today seemed like it would be just another day, not too different from yesterday. Tomorrow would likely be the same.
Sanghyun recalled the line he had written in his morning journal before setting out for today’s dungeon conquest.
I am strong.
I’ve grown strong beyond what anyone can easily fathom, and I will only continue to grow.
And just like always, I will devour Artifacts to my heart’s content.
Until there are no more Artifacts left to devour.
Until the day I can no longer grow—I will devour them all.
Because I am... the Artifact-Devouring Player.
That’s who I am. Because I am Shin Sanghyun.