<Chapter 68: The God of Martial Arts Regresses to Level 2>
Suddenly, a linked quest at this point.
Seong Jihan recalled the linked quest he received when he was a Bronze Rigger.
[Stop the advance of the Flash Golem created by the Apostle of Destruction, 'Black Hand.' You can narrow the power gap using the Blessing of Crystal!]
'This linked quest... It’s a continuation of the one I completed during the defense.'
It was the quest where he had cleared the Flash Golem that appeared in the Defense Map, the Tower of Ten, with the Taesan Yopjeong technique.
Seong Jihan examined the content of the linked quest.
[Linked Quest - Apostle's Trace (1)]
- In a certain place in the Valley of the End, there is a being that does not belong to either light or darkness, hidden away.
- You must lure it out of hiding.
- Inflict damage on the Archangel's Sword at the Angel camp and the Reaper's Sickle at the Demon camp to obtain fragments of the divine artifacts.
- Reward: 20,000 achievement points
- Note: Fragments of the divine artifacts can only be obtained when you are in the opposing camp.
* Upon completion, the quest will continue to Apostle's Trace (2).
The Archangel's Sword and the Reaper's Sickle.
These two were symbols planted in front of the enemy's main building, the ultimate goal of the Valley map.
However, these symbols had the property of reflecting any attack directly, so players usually avoided attacking the main building from the direction of the symbols.
I don’t know what the connection is between these two and revealing the Apostle’s existence...
'Obtaining fragments of the divine artifacts won’t be easy.' Even though Seong Jihan was much stronger than the average Silvers, hitting the divine artifacts was a different matter.
'From the note, it seems I can’t touch my own camp’s divine artifact.'
Currently, he was in the Demon camp, so it was impossible to hit the Reaper's Sickle.
'I need to gather full buffs first.'
In the Valley map, there was a limit to the buffs.
There was a 20% overall stat boost given by the God, and the stat enhancement buff from killing jungle monsters could stack up to 200%.
'There was also a 25% stat boost for every 5 kills.'
Since it took time for jungle monsters to respawn, the easiest way to get buffs now was to rack up kills.
Seong Jihan immediately transformed into lightning and dashed to the mid lane.
* * *
"Ice Field!"
"Arrow Rain!"
In the mid lane, a mage and an archer player were engaged in a fierce soul battle.
'This guy, he really hits hard!'
'Indeed, his control is no joke!'
Amid the intense battle between the minions, the two players were firing off their skills and spells at each other.
Their duel was not a reckless exchange of attacks, but a calculated battle.
While calculating the damage and range of the opponent's skills, they were also timing their next moves in real-time, engaging in an invisible battle of wits.
Swoosh!
"Impossible!"
By a hair's breadth.
Boom!
"Where are you going?!"
Again, he narrowly avoided the skill by a hair's breadth.
The two had been long-time rivals, facing each other countless times in the Silver League.
And since the senior players who reached level 50 were preparing for their promotion matches, the mid laners of Gangnam 1 Silver were the strongest.
They recognized each other's skills.
They believed this rivalry would continue even after moving to the Gold League.
The intense battle that didn’t easily end continued for a while.
When the minions were depleted, and they were carefully observing each other’s movements, it happened.
"Excuse me."
From the northern stream.
Suddenly.
Seong Jihan, wielding the Phoenix Blade, appeared.
Both players showed signs of surprise on their faces.
Why are you here?
"I’m taking a kill."
"Eh...?"
Thud!
Seong Jihan’s figure disappeared in an instant, and he instantly pierced the head of the Angel camp’s archer player.
"......?!"
"I’ll take the bounty too."
Seong Jihan’s Phoenix Blade targeted the minions.
Unnamed Divine Art
Three Talents Supreme Art
Sweeping Thousand Armies
With one swing, ten newly respawned Angel minions were sent back to heaven.
The mid lane was quickly pacified.
"Wh... What...?"
The leader of the Rationality Guild looked at Seong Jihan with a bewildered expression.
Facing each other in the mid lane, engaging in intense battles, admiring each other’s control, and thinking they would be the most annoying rivals until graduating from the Silver League...
Such an opponent was taken down in one hit.
'...Level 30, right?'
Seong Jihan was known to be incredibly strong, but...
Watching him on a stream and seeing him in person were definitely different...
'No! Is this even a game?!'
Despite everything, it felt like everything he had built up was crumbling.
The leader of the Rationality Guild felt a 'wall' for the first time in his life.
"Good luck."
Seong Jihan waved to the Rationality Guild leader and disappeared.
A few minutes later.
[Player Seong Jihan is wreaking havoc!]
[Player Seong Jihan is unstoppable!]
[Player Seong Jihan is blessed by the God!]
Messages appeared one after another as he achieved consecutive 4 and 5 kills.
He must have already arrived at the bot lane and swept through it.
"...He’s really on a roll."
It was a bit embarrassing to have a team of four helping a level 30, but...
It was only for a moment.
The leader of the Rationality Guild decided to accept the victory now in front of him.
Wishing desperately not to meet him as an enemy in the next game.
* * *
40 minutes into the game.
The Angel camp was already pushed back to just in front of their main base.
All the towers in the top, mid, and bot lanes were destroyed, and the game was heading towards its end.
The Valley of the End, a map where the average game time was over 3 hours, was already coming to an end due to a single player.
- Silver is too easy?
- Haha, with full buffs, he’s flying solo lol
- The other team doesn’t even come out of the well -_-;
The viewers couldn’t hide their frustration.
No one expected him to dominate the game like this from the first match.
There’s such a level difference!
And it’s his first time on the Valley map, right?
Despite this, Seong Jihan was rampaging and destroying all the lanes.
When he reached 20 kills, the opposing players gave up and sent messages to surrender.
[Damn... This game is shit]
[We’re not playing anymore, so please push quickly T_T]
[Mr. Seong Jihan, please be on our team next time T_T]
[Why are the summons so strong? This game is fucking ridiculous]
The extreme praise from the opposing players who gave up continued.
The viewers fully empathized with them.
- The best praise: "This game is shit" lol
- I wouldn’t want to play either. Losing to summons two at a time;
- Seriously, the summons are too strong lol - Dark Elf’s eyes are getting bigger, so cool... Hee~
- Her eyes are so dark, like a ghost ć„·ć„·
- But she’s pretty, so it’s a pass!
- I still go to the Warrior channel to watch Dark Elf lol
At the Angel camp’s main base.
The barracks for producing troops in the top, mid, and bot lanes were destroyed, and only two defense towers in front of the main temple remained.
Seong Jihan met Ariel, who had been left in the top lane, in front of the main temple.
The small Dark Elf had grown significantly, reaching up to Seong Jihan’s shoulder.
Her appearance was not much different from when he saw her in the survival map.
"You’re here. Lower race."
"The summoning took quite a while."
"Your stats have increased a lot, so the duration has greatly increased."
Sword Shadow stat.
It started at 5 like other stats, but with the effects of two titles, it became +8, and with the gift 'Shadow of the Moon,' it is now 20.
With the in-game buff stacking, it is now 60.
"When your Sword Shadow stat increases, it becomes this useful. So, keep it up."
"Sorry, but there are other more useful abilities."
"What ability is so good?"
"Want to feel it?"
Seong Jihan extended his left hand to Ariel, and she nodded slightly.
Then, the Dark Elf’s body spread out in a dark aura and was reabsorbed into Seong Jihan’s left arm.
Ariel transformed from her summon form into the Shadow Sword Eclipse.
'It’s definitely more comfortable to handle now.'
Thanks to the increased stats, Eclipse was now more stable.
"For now."
Thud. Thud.
Seong Jihan passed through the chaos in front of him to destroy the temple’s towers.
His first target was behind the main temple.
The well where the five Angel camp players, who had given up, were sitting idly.
"Eh?"
"What? What are you doing here?"
"This isn’t the place to destroy."
"If you come any closer, lightning will strike and kill you! Please end the game quickly..."
The idle enemy players warned Seong Jihan not to come closer.
"I’m here to get a pentakill."
Seong Jihan smiled and extended his hand.
"Wh... What?"
"My body...!"
Then, the five players were pulled towards Seong Jihan as if drawn by gravity.
The force was strong enough to pull enemies from the well blessed by the Archangel.
Thanks to the immensely strengthened Force from the blessing.
[The Archangel is enraged by the misconduct at the Angel’s resting place!]
[The Archangel sends a bolt of judgment!]
Rumble!
The Archangel, enraged by the actions at the resting place, sent a bolt of lightning.
But.
Swish. Swish.
The lightning only hit Seong Jihan’s afterimage.
Seong Jihan easily dodged the divine judgment with a light step.
The Archangel’s eyes narrowed.
Sizzle!
[The Archangel strengthens the blessing of the resting place!]
A large white barrier surrounded the well.
Originally, the protection was almost invisible, but it became clearly visible with the strengthened blessing.
Seong Jihan, undeterred, began to channel his inner energy into Eclipse.
Unnamed Divine Art
Three Talents Supreme Art
Sweeping Thousand Armies
The Force opened a space, and the sword energy cut through it.
Sssss!
A black line was drawn on the white barrier.
The barrier, strengthened by the Archangel’s blessing, resisted the attack, but...
Thud. Thud.
The flags and decorations beside the well were split in half and fell.
[...You are strong.]
Ariel, feeling Seong Jihan’s sword energy inside Eclipse, said.
[This is your full power strike.]
[Even though you didn’t break the Archangel’s blessing, leaving a mark is impressive. I commend you.]
"Full power? This is just the basics."
[...?]
Seeing Seong Jihan use Three Talents Supreme Art continuously, Ariel, who thought it was a fatal blow, was shocked.
Taesan Yopjeong, Sweeping Thousand Armies, Seoninjiro.
These three martial arts, with Seong Jihan’s enhanced stats, were as easy as breathing.
The lethal sword energy pouring into the barrier.
Crack!
The collapse of the barrier was becoming more and more certain.
[Crazy... You’re going to keep using this?!]
While Ariel was amazed at Seong Jihan’s effortless use of Three Talents Supreme Art.
Boom!
[The Archangel’s Sword directly protects the resting place!]
The giant Archangel’s Sword, which should have been in front of the main base, came to protect the Angel’s resting place.
Behind the barrier, the sword strengthened the blessing.
Clang!
The Archangel’s Sword was definitely stronger than the barrier and had the property of reflecting attacks.
Seong Jihan’s sword energy was being deflected backward.
[Is this it?]
Seeing the Archangel’s Sword trying to protect the well, Ariel said briefly.
Even with Seong Jihan’s enhanced strength, breaking through that sword would be impossible.
"Is stopping the well kills more important than the main base?"
Seong Jihan wondered, seeing the desperate Archangel.
'But, I like it.'
Since it’s come to this.
I’ll get the fragments of the Archangel’s Sword too.
'To do that, I need to use all my power.'
It was time to use the three divine techniques included in the Unnamed Divine Art.
'I need to use the martial art that suits Eclipse.'
Unnamed Divine Art
Dark Shadow Divine Technique
Dark Soul Vortex
The Shadow Sword Eclipse lost its sword form and began to whirl as a small vortex.
At the same time, a massive dark aura flowed from Seong Jihan.
Feeling the ominous presence, Ariel inside Eclipse was startled.
[This power... It’s the... main body’s...]