Artifact Devouring Player-Chapter 45: Destruction - (2)

[Chapter 45]

The battle continued.

Perhaps having learned fear from witnessing their fallen comrades, the newly appeared Shadow Defenders immediately attempted to create barriers.

"Not happening!"

Sanghyun hurled the Greatsword of Fighting Spirit with full force. The sword cut through the air and collided with the Shadow Defender.

Taaanng!

Knockback Burst was activated.

The knockback effect sent the Shadow Defender flying backward, breaking its concentration.

Tatata-tat!

In the meantime, Sanghyun closed the distance between them.

『Telekinesis』

Using his Telekinesis skill, he retrieved the Greatsword of Fighting Spirit.

The recognized sword flew straight back into Sanghyun's hands, fitting into his grip perfectly.

"...."

Kim Miso's eyes wavered as she witnessed the scene in real time.

She had already thought it was incredible how he could throw his sword like a spear to attack monsters.

But now, he could even retrieve his weapon freely, making her astonishment double.

Professions that utilized psychokinesis were usually mages. It wasn't something that complemented a swordsman's style.

However, Sanghyun had already integrated such a skill.

Like an endless spring, he always seemed to have the right skills for the right moment.

Where exactly was he getting all these additional skills?

Skill books? That was unlikely.

Even Kim Miso had given up on using skill books because of how costly they were.

She started to think that even calling it "Constellation power" no longer made sense.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

No matter how powerful a Constellation—no, even a Divine Throne—it was impossible to acquire skills so evenly distributed.

Kim Miso knew players who had contracts with Divine Thrones.

But even they couldn't accumulate skills as Sanghyun did. That was said to be an impossibility.

Piiing!

She immediately shot an arrow.

Sanghyun was already showering the staggered Shadow Defender with relentless basic attacks.

What made his basic attacks terrifying wasn't just the greatsword. It was the silence effect imbued in his strikes.

Kim Miso found it amazing that Sanghyun, whose level hadn't even reached three digits, had become such a versatile swordsman.

If he wasn't working toward a specific strategic purpose, he was more than capable of soloing on his own.

In fact, ever since they had tackled the last dungeon together, it seemed like Sanghyun had continued to solo.

Thwack!

"Urgh!"

This time, her arrow pierced straight through the center of the Shadow Defender's forehead, ensuring its death.

"Hah, I'm really just riding along here."

Kim Miso let out a chuckle. She felt like she was only landing the finishing blow on the battlefield Sanghyun had set up.

This moment also reaffirmed how terrifying the silence effect was.

Because of their unique shield projection ability, Shadow Defenders were classified as "Extremely Difficult" in pre-exploration reports.

[The Shadow Defender, which deploys a frontal shield within three seconds of an attack, is a monster specialized in defense. If you can't focus damage within a short time, you must approach it with a persistent, long-term strategy.]

That report now felt meaningless.

The Shadow Defenders that encountered Sanghyun never lasted those critical three seconds, all perishing in rapid succession.

Moreover, if there was some distance preventing an immediate attack, he would simply throw his greatsword to create an opening.

This triggered knockback, buying time, which was invaluable for an attacker.

'No way... will Oppa gain another status effect option? That would be outright broken.'

Sanghyun's growth was so remarkable that she found herself repeatedly thinking it was unfair.

Status effects were considered rare and valuable among players.

Yet in front of Sanghyun, who possessed five—Stiffness, Intimidation, Freeze, Silence, and Knockback—they felt commonplace.

Naturally, her standards had risen. It was as if all swordsmen should at least have these kinds of options.

Creak. Creak. Creeeak.

Kim Miso, lost in thought, loosed another arrow toward Sanghyun as he tore through the Shadow Defenders.

From any onlooker's perspective, it seemed like she was attacking him.

But as always, her arrows only resulted in the deaths of Shadow Defenders.

A perfect synergy.

For the first time since becoming a player, Kim Miso felt that Sanghyun truly knew how to utilize her at 100% efficiency.

And she liked it.

Just having faith in him was enough! That realization alone was reassuring beyond words. True teamwork wasn't something distant.

"The other advantage of Shadow Defenders is that they provide a rehearsal before facing that guy."

"We're already at the mid-boss?"

"Time flies, huh? We've been inside the Black Gate for 14 hours now."

"That long? I thought it had only been around six hours."

"When you're immersed in combat, you lose track of time. That's why people often forget to eat during long battles."

Sanghyun wiped the sweat off his forehead and pointed forward.

The "that guy" he had just mentioned stood about 100 meters ahead.

The Defender King.

A defense-specialized, swordsman-type monster.

Its appearance alone resembled a medieval knight, and in fact, it was human—though not quite a human.

"Its build and defensive stance really resemble Jinho Oppa. It's practically a carbon copy."

"The Defender King's status effects don't last long. If we can't concentrate damage in a short time, taking it down will be tough."

"I've been holding back my high-damage skills for this. I still haven't gone full power either."

"Then we'll go for a speed battle."

"By the way, how do you know about this monster when even our guild's elite exploration team couldn't gather any intel on it?"

Kim Miso cautiously asked a question that had been on her mind for a while.

Even considering Sanghyun's meticulous preparation and sharp intuition, it didn't quite make sense.

Eden Guild's elite exploration teams specialized in analyzing difficult gates and dungeons like this Black Gate.

They were composed of the best players available within the permitted level range.

Yet even they had struggled to gather information, sometimes having to retreat due to obstacles.

The Defender King, in particular, was a monster their exploration team had never encountered before.

Naturally, Kim Miso had no information on it.

"That's—"

Just as Sanghyun was about to answer, an unexpected message appeared.

[The Goddess of Luck says that she has blocked any Constellation from hearing what you are about to say.]

[The Goddess of Luck emphasizes: The more people know about your uniqueness, the less unique you will become.]

In that instant, his mind sharpened.

And he understood.

The Goddess of Luck's words were not a warning against using future knowledge as a special existence who had regressed.

They were a warning not to recklessly reveal anything that could hint at his regression.

'Does the Goddess of Luck know something? That I have regressed? Is she protecting me because she knows?'

Among the Celestial Order, there are Constellations like the Dark Hunter who constantly suspect the backgrounds and talents of players.

They despise players who grow stronger through exceptional means that others cannot access.

Sanghyun felt that the Goddess of Luck had given this warning to protect him from such threats.

This was a warning he absolutely could not take lightly. His body tensed up with a sense of urgency.

Sanghyun made an excuse to Kim Miso.

"I make sure to thoroughly study information about rifts and gates all over the world. I even pay attention to conspiracy theories and speculative articles."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I also have a contact who shares sensitive information with me. I can't tell you who, though."

Sanghyun spoke so smoothly that he was almost impressed by his own deception. It sounded convincing.

"But you couldn't have specifically pinpointed the Defender King, right?"

"Every dungeon, gate, and rift has a set pattern. A designer's pattern."

"Hmm..."

"Since Shadow Defenders appeared, I naturally expected the next one to be an advanced version."

"The fact that you guessed it right is honestly chilling. Even if it was just a lucky shot, it's still incredible."

"Well, good outcomes are good outcomes, right?"

"So you also guessed that the Defender King's status effects wouldn't last long?"

"Monsters that are clearly defense-specialized tend to have those characteristics. It wasn't a difficult guess."

Sanghyun stepped forward.

Seeing Kim Miso nod in agreement, he figured there would be no need to explain further.

'If I take that thing down, I should be able to make at least 1 to 2 billion won.'

His anticipation grew.

This was a mid-boss monster with first-clear rewards tied to the gate, meaning the loot would be plentiful.

"Hoo!"

Sanghyun let out a rough breath and charged toward the Defender King.

Unlike his previous battles, where he had conserved his stamina, this time was different.

『Psychedelic』

The first skill he activated was Psychedelic.

The terrifying thing about the Defender King was the triple-layered barrier surrounding its entire body.

It was as if it already had defensive buffs applied—like wearing three layers of armor in advance.

Kruuusus.

The Defender King muttered something, but since it was incomprehensible, Sanghyun ignored it.

He used a conveniently protruding rock as a foothold and leaped into the air.

"Haa!"

With a battle cry, the Defender King raised its greatsword in a defensive stance. A textbook reaction.

If this had been a simple contest of strength, Sanghyun would have followed a conventional strategy.

But this time, he had no intention of doing so.

Defense meant stability. While it reduced unpredictability, it also minimized exposure to variables.

Sanghyun didn't want the Defender King to dictate the fight with a predictable defensive rhythm.

So—

『Backstep』

He twisted his body 180 degrees midair and activated the Backstep skill.

Backstep didn't require him to be on the ground; he could move backward even while airborne.

Paah!

Sanghyun disappeared from sight, causing the Defender King to flinch in shock.

It had considered multiple possibilities, but it never expected another swordsman to reposition so suddenly.

The real problem was that this miscalculation exposed a critical opening.

Taanng!

"Urgh!"

Despite being clad in plate armor, the Defender King couldn't block Sanghyun's powerful strike from behind, which slammed into its helmet.

With an impact strong enough to rattle its skull, its neck twisted sideways, and the helmet was knocked off.

Saaaak!

"Ugh!"

At that moment, an arrow from Kim Miso grazed the Defender King's cheek.

The arrow was coated in neurotoxin, meaning the poison could spread and cause additional effects.

Shaaa.

However, the Defender King used a skill similar to healing magic to immediately close the wound on its cheek.

'So it's a type of Holy Knight.'

Sanghyun, now back on the ground, observed the Defender King and nodded in understanding.

Without its helmet, the Defender King revealed short golden hair and blue eyes, resembling a classic knight from the movies.

The kind of image one would naturally associate with medieval European knights.

"...."

The Defender King's gaze wavered violently as it faced Sanghyun.

Its trembling lips betrayed the anger and humiliation of having been outplayed.

"Let's see who has the stronger nerves."

Sanghyun adjusted his grip on his greatsword and took an offensive stance.

Psychedelic's duration wasn't long.

This battle needed to be finished quickly and decisively.