Chapter 202: Ashtaroth - (2)
Kuaaa!
A fireball, released from the Black Mage’s hand, flew toward Sanghyun.
It was obvious at a glance that this spell wasn’t of ordinary power. Even if he blocked it, it would likely cause damage.
He tid it.
Counter Veil was a skill that, depending on how well it was used, could even neutralize an opponent’s ultimate move.
It consud 100 stamina and had the drawback of lasting only 0.4 seconds.
However, if the counter succeeded, he could unconditionally return a single projectile.
And he would take no damage at all. Not a partial block—completely zero damage.
“Hoo.”
With a short breath, he focused his mind. It was the best skill when used right, but a major blunder if it failed.
Thanks to his experience in his previous life, Sanghyun had a knack for timing.
Still, assuming 100% success in every situation wasn’t realistic, so he heightened his concentration to the max.
‘Look at that bastard?’
In the anti, the Black Mage was preparing his next spell, seemingly intending to follow up with a barrage.
It looked like he was assuming Sanghyun would get hit by his fire magic and was already setting up for what ca next.
From the defender’s perspective, it was irritating—a provocation that stoked his fighting spirit even more.
‘In that case!’
Sanghyun dashed forward.
Doing so made it harder to ti the counter, but the payoff would be bigger if he succeeded.
He didn’t want to let things play out exactly as the enemy, who had already assud success, had planned.
Fwaaa!
As the fireball neared and its heat wrapped around Sanghyun’s entire face—
With a quarter-beat’s feel, he extended his Naless Sword and activated Counter Veil.
Taang!
He felt it at the sa ti.
Instead of the flas slamming into him, they bounced off like a spring.
It was a clean success!
Without transmitting even a trace of energy, Sanghyun’s body lunged forward as if nothing had happened.
anwhile, the Black Mage’s expression turned ashen upon receiving his own spell back.
“Sh—…”
Though his face looked quite foreign, for so reason it seed like he was about to curse in Korean.
Before he could think of a way to deal with the returning spell, the Black Mage was caught in it.
He had already ford the seals for the next spell.
But canceling the cast and re-forming new seals would’ve taken too long—the returning fireball was too fast.
He was completely caught off guard.
Fwoooosh!
“Graaah!”
The Black Mage scread, engulfed in flas.
The spell he was about to cast vanished without a trace.
It was a creative suicide—caught in his own flas, with no one else to bla.
『Whisper of the Sage』
『Sword of Ruin』
『Mortal’s Wrath』
An improvised execution combo struck imdiately.
Crunch!
Hit by the enhanced Sword of Ruin and then an extra blow from Mortal’s Wrath, the Black Mage’s head burst open.
There was no ti to block or dodge—Sanghyun had gotten too close.
The Black Mage had never factored in the possibility of his magic being countered by Sanghyun. That was his end.
“Level 296, huh? Just like that?”
Sanghyun grinned.
Taking out a rather high-level mage one-on-one made for a great experience point haul.
Though it was a bit disappointing that he didn’t get an Artifact from the guy, the EXP made up for it.
anwhile, the other three party mbers finally caught up.
They had struggled to find Sanghyun’s location after he suddenly vanished.
Kyle had tracked the unwanted guest from the rear, but by the ti they arrived, the fight was already over.
“You already… dealt with it?”
“He should’ve been pretty tricky to handle.”
Kyle and Laphern tilted their heads in doubt.
This Black Mage wasn’t considered a boss monster, but his specialization in fla magic made him a handful.
Because his casting was slow, the standard tactic was to dodge or keep distance.
But Sanghyun had seemingly ended it with a straight-up duel.
Judging by the scene, it didn’t look like there had even been multiple exchanges—just a clean finish.
Not having witnessed the impact of Counter Veil themselves, the three couldn’t help but raise so question marks.
“Well, I didn’t really go all out? I just kinda swiped, and poof—he was gone.”
“……”
The three realized just how much Sanghyun’s words had condensed.
He was a swordsman with a truly diverse set of skills.
Whatever they imagined, his skill set seed to go beyond that.
They had entered the Ashtaroth Dungeon for exploration or perhaps to evaluate his abilities.
But at this point, it felt more like they were just tagging along and clapping in admiration.
To be honest, it was a bit disheartening. This kind of Player needed a bigger pond to play in.
The world was wide, and there were many skilled Players.
Rather than feeling disheartened or deprived, Sarah, Kyle, and Laphern were amazed at Sanghyun’s exceptional ability.
At the sa ti, they couldn’t help but feel regret that he wasn’t a Player of the Nobility Guild.
“Shall we wrap it up?”
“We can’t go beyond the Red Line anyway, so I think we can call it here. Good work, everyone.”
It was a dispersing mood.
It had been pre-discussed and agreed upon by everyone, and Sanghyun also understood the situation, so it wasn’t surprising.
Still, it left a bitter aftertaste.
It felt like he was stopping when he could do more.
Like being interrupted mid-bowel movent?
Sanghyun asked.
“Would it cause any contractual issues if I were to advance further on my own?”
He already knew it wouldn’t, but he asked once more to be sure.
At that, the three paused, slightly tilting their heads as they looked at Sanghyun.
As if to say, “You’re not seriously going beyond the Red Line, right?”
That would be practically suicide.
“There’s no issue, but… I’d really advise against it. The guild already suffered over ten casualties.”
Laphern replied.
Sarah went as far as to form an X with her arms, a strong sign of disapproval.
Sanghyun wasn’t acting on vague ambition.
The reason he was tempted was the considerable reward for killing Ashtaroth, the dungeon’s nasake and boss monster.
Though the drop was random, there was a chance of obtaining Ashtaroth’s Necklace—an Epic-grade Artifact.
It provided a massive boost in mana and wasn’t even comparable to his current Cold Necklace.
And with even lower odds, there was also the chance of obtaining a spirit called Ashuneri.
Just like how Jung Junhyuk, who once fought alongside Kang Hu, handled Cindy, the Spirit of Thunder.
“If there’s no reason I can’t go, then I plan to. The three of you can go about your business.”
“Ah, I really want to stop you though.”
Sarah’s expression turned grim.
She must have had a traumatic incident.
Maybe she lost a beloved teammate here.
That only made Sanghyun want it more.
Part of it was that he rembered the attack route and tactics from his past life.
Kyle added,
“Our Guild Master only raided this dungeon twice. And the rewards weren’t particularly great.”
There was no need to look far to see why Frederick had only raided it twice.
The existing debuffs were already brutal, and they intensified after passing the Red Line.
‘I’ve got the Undying one. I’ve got my stashed level 20 skill upgrade. Plus, I’ve got the Full Recovery Potion.’
Sanghyun had things he could rely on.
He had a few options that could help in crisis situations. So he didn’t want to back off.
“I’ll be going. I’ll open the exit myself and et you outside. No need to follow or worry.”
“You’re going… even if we try to stop you?”
Sarah asked again, eyes full of concern, at Sanghyun’s firm response.
He truly appreciated her concern.
But her eyes didn’t steal his curiosity or resolve.
Sanghyun answered with a smile.
“Yes. I’ll go see this through to the end.”
While Sanghyun was setting out to raid the Ashtaroth Dungeon in earnest—
‘Why does he want to see ?’
Han Hyunjeong had received a sudden call from the Korean Player Union and arrived at their headquarters.
A eting had been scheduled, and the person she was to et wasn’t just any mid-level official.
She was to et none other than Yoon Geonchang, the man referred to as the Union’s VIP and its president.
It was baffling.
He rarely engaged in outside activities, yet now he wanted to et her.
Even Han Hyunjeong, who often interacted with people in high places, had never t Yoon Geonchang before in her Player career.
It wasn’t an exclusive eting.
Before her, Yoon Geonchang had already t with nurous Player entrepreneurs and guild executives.
So it wasn’t like she was receiving special treatnt.
The eting began right away.
Just like the rumors said, Yoon Geonchang wore a mask that covered his entire face and even had a fake beard.
He was clearly serious about facial anonymity.
In fact, to this day, no one had reportedly seen Yoon Geonchang’s face.
Not even the Union’s Vice President.
That’s why conspiracy lovers had floated the theory that the VP and Yoon Geonchang were the sa person.
The so-called “double role” theory.
The early part of their conversation, like all of Han Hyunjeong’s etings, focused on business.
They mainly talked about mana coffee.
But since Han Hyunjeong had no intention of sharing the core recipe for mana coffee, she kept her words minimal.
After a round of superficial probing, Yoon Geonchang was the first to bring up the real topic.
“What’s your internal evaluation of Player Shin Sanghyun, who is sponsored by Hyunjeong Corporation?”
“Isn’t that a bit too deep of a question? You’re asking for internal intel.”
“I’m planning to make a move myself. He’s been under observation by Scout Team 4 for quite so ti now.”
“……”
Han Hyunjeong’s expression hardened.
This wasn’t the team leader, or even soone above them. This was the man at the very top—making a move?
It was true that Han Hyunjeong’s resources could easily overwhelm most well-known Players.
But if the Korean Player Union—especially its president—joined the fray, it would be a different story altogether.
‘F***, who the hell is this guy?’
Han Hyunjeong cursed in her mind with full sincerity.
With those few words, Yoon Geonchang had essentially acknowledged and confird Sanghyun’s worth.
It ant he intended to seriously recruit Sanghyun. For Han Hyunjeong, this was a declaration of war.
Her face flushed red.
Sanghyun was soone she absolutely did not want to lose.
He wasn’t just on a slow rise—he was like a stock destined for a sharp spike. A proven blue-chip.
As she remained silent, just staring at Yoon Geonchang, he continued.
“There are factions with impure intentions targeting Mr. Shin Sanghyun. Are you aware of this?”
“Even if I were, I couldn’t say.”
There were so suspicions, but no hard evidence. Why was Yoon Geonchang throwing this out there?
The reason was simple.
It all stemd from the fact that Sanghyun’s sponsorship contract was short—only three months. If it had been long-term, this wouldn’t be happening.
“……”
Han Hyunjeong’s mind was already with Sanghyun, who was raiding a dungeon in the U.S. as they spoke.
If the Union began full-scale support operations, she would lose out in every aspect, including financially.
She had to stake her claim now!
She needed to offer Sanghyun an unbeatable deal—sothing he couldn’t refuse—and quickly extend the contract.
Normally, she wasn’t the type to be flustered by outside interference.
But today was different.
A major player had entered the ga.
This was the mont she truly, deeply realized how high Sanghyun’s value had risen.
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