Adaptation - (3)

[Chapter 3]

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"Hey, Shin Sanghyun! Even if you could catch it—which you probably can't—why would that artifact belong to you?"

Greedy teammates raised their voices over an artifact that hadn't even appeared yet.

Then Yoon Daekyung continued.

"This guy won't even get staggered easily. He was never going to be an easy opponent from the start!"

"What if I catch it?"

"That's not going to happen, idiot! If we can't catch it, then you can go ahead and try on your own. How's that? Sounds fair enough now?"

"Then should I sit out of the Demon Orc raid?"

"If we want to avoid a muddy fight over shares later, we have to do it this way."

Yoon Daekyung tried to sound reasonable, but his true intention was clear—he planned to monopolize whatever dropped.

In reality, Yoon Daekyung's team revolved entirely around him.

It was true that Sanghyun had made some contributions, but in their eyes, he was still just a slightly exceptional porter-turned-player.

"Fine. If the leader and the seniors can't take it down, I'll handle it myself."

"Hmph, suit yourself. Of course, that'll never happen! Everyone, start hunting the Demon Orc!"

Yoon Daekyung sneered as he led the other team members into the Demon Orc hunt.

A short while later.

Sanghyun stood with his arms crossed, watching Yoon Daekyung and his five teammates engage in battle.

The sheer might of the Demon Orc, whose biceps and triceps looked large enough to fit two basketballs, was truly overwhelming.

Each time the Demon Orc swung its massive axe, players collapsed or were sent flying with a gasp.

They never stood a chance from the beginning.

Yoon Daekyung and his team didn't even try to figure out the orc's weaknesses—they just tried to overpower it with brute force.

In a situation where precision strikes on weak points were barely enough, reckless charges had no chance of success.

Two years had barely passed since the era of players began in 2019.

Without fully established strategies, brute-force tactics were still the mainstream approach. Pitiful.

"Argh!"

"How the hell is this thing a mid-boss? Does it even have any weak spots? What are six of us even doing right now?"

Cries of pain echoed through the air.

Yoon Daekyung, pale-faced, staggered backward.

There was no way to win through sheer force.

He couldn't understand at all why Sanghyun, of all people, dared to covet the loot from something this strong.

Given Sanghyun's skill level, he'd probably lose his head the moment the battle began.

Unlike him and the others, who had only suffered minor injuries and retreated, Sanghyun would likely be annihilated.

Yoon Daekyung waved his hands frantically and shouted.

"That's enough! Everyone, fall back to the safe zone! It's not like we absolutely need to kill this mid-boss anyway!"

"Its strength is insane! There's no way we can handle it. Honestly, it's normal that we can't beat this thing."

"Sometimes mid-bosses are tougher than the final boss anyway, right? Let's not cling to this."

The discouraged teammates brightened at Yoon Daekyung's words, quickly retreating to the safe zone and shaking their heads in disbelief.

They didn't forget to console each other with half-hearted words of consolation.

From Sanghyun's perspective, it was a pathetic sight.

Losers should keep their mouths shut, but instead, they were working hard to justify their failure.

Sanghyun relaxed his legs and stepped forward. Up to this point, everything had gone just as he remembered—but now, things would change.

"I'll go."

"No, not you alone. It's quick on its feet. The problem isn't just danger—you could die out there."

"What if I don't care about dying?"

"Go then. How do you stop a madman? Just don't blame me if you die. I warned you."

Yoon Daekyung waved dismissively and collapsed onto the dirt, breathing heavily.

How could a single player finish off a monster that six people couldn't even make kneel?

But the man in question seemed unfazed, sprinting forward with light, confident steps.

KROOOOAR!

The Demon Orc let out a fierce growl, twirling its giant axe menacingly as its crimson eyes burned intensely.

'Infinite Stagger. To achieve the perfect combo I dream of, I will take you down today!'

Sanghyun's determination ignited.

If he consumed the Crimson Stone, he wouldn't just gain Delay ability—he could absorb the stats attached to it as well.

His heart pounded with excitement.

BOOM!

The Demon Orc let out a terrifying roar and launched a devastating first attack toward Sanghyun.

It was a reckless strike aimed at splitting his head clean in two.

"Shin Sanghyun! It's dangerous!"

Yoon Daekyung's panicked shout echoed from behind, but Sanghyun didn't care. He was confident.

As a swordsman, the easiest opponent to face was one who relied solely on brute strength and charged in blindly.

When their attack was blocked, they revealed a fatal weakness.

CLANG!

Sanghyun shifted his body slightly to the side and instinctively swung his greatsword.

The Demon Orc's axe narrowly grazed the side of Sanghyun's blade, sending up a shower of sparks.

The shock numbed his fingertips, but it was bearable. At the same time, he noticed the orc's center of gravity had leaned dangerously forward.

'This is why brute-force monsters are easy to handle.'

Without hesitation, the Demon Orc's weakness became clear to Sanghyun.

Of course, those low-level players dumbly watching from behind wouldn't be able to see it.

『Demon Bash』

He immediately activated his skill.

Now that he had found the weakness, it was time to relentlessly exploit it.

THWACK!

KWAARGH!

Sanghyun's Demon Bash struck the Demon Orc's critical weak point—its side—with immense force.

"The mid-boss Demon Orc actually staggered? Is this some kind of cheat? How is this even possible?"

"This is... This is totally broken!"

"It stopped moving!"

"The axe! The Demon Orc dropped its axe!"

The watching teammates couldn't hide their shock.

The Demon Orc, which had rampaged uncontrollably even against six players, was now completely incapacitated.

GRRR... GRRR...

Even the Demon Orc itself was stunned, suddenly reduced to a helpless target.

An overwhelming sense of pressure crushed its body.

To the orc, Sanghyun's sudden appearance and effortless dominance made him seem like the grim reaper himself.

But the Demon Orc soon rallied, drawing on its physical resilience to break free from the lingering effects of the stagger.

Its self-healing ability.

An unpredictable factor that disrupted any calculated strategy. That's why it was a mid-boss monster.

"The stagger wore off!"

Someone shouted.

"Tch, not bad."

Sanghyun tightened his grip on his greatsword.

After experiencing a stagger once, there was a temporary period during which the same stagger effect couldn't be applied again.

The interval lasted about 15 seconds. Until then, a straightforward fight without any variables was necessary.

'This is why Delay is essential.'

The Delay effect of the Crimson Stone allowed him to extend the same status effect before the stagger ended.

That was exactly why he had to defeat the Demon Orc—because of the incredible synergy with Demon Bash.

'That thing always attacks by throwing its weight forward. In other words, I just need to lure it in and strike.'

He had already analyzed the Demon Orc's tendencies, thanks to the clumsy attempts of the six-man team earlier.

KAAOO!

The Demon Orc, enraged by the humiliation of nearly being killed, charged forward, radiating murderous intent.

THUD!

"Ah!"

SWISH!

"Ugh!"

Each time the axe cut through the air with the power to split the world in two, the watching players gasped.

They knew that if it had been them, those strikes would have surely meant instant death.

The Demon Orc was moving much faster than it had during the earlier battle with the six players.

But Sanghyun narrowly dodged each blow, never allowing a direct hit.

At first, they thought he was just lucky, but as he repeatedly evaded the attacks, they had no choice but to recognize his skill.

After all, no amount of luck could allow someone to dodge perfectly ten or twenty times in a row.

Just as the Demon Orc's relentless assault was reaching its peak—

'Now!'

Patiently enduring and waiting for his chance, Sanghyun finally spotted the Demon Orc's opening.

THWACK!

Without hesitation, Sanghyun drove his greatsword forward with all his strength, piercing straight through the helpless Demon Orc's heart.

It was a single strike—but a precise, deadly blow aimed directly at the creature's weak point.

At that moment, everyone watching was stunned.

The once-invincible Demon Orc was now gushing hot, crimson blood—a clear symbol of death.

KURGH!

Without even closing its eyes, the Demon Orc collapsed as its breath ceased. It was an instant kill.

"What... What the hell?"

"Did he just... defeat the Demon Orc alone?"

Yoon Daekyung and his group, who had thrown everything they had into the previous fight only to retreat, now stood speechless—mere bystanders.

An unbelievable turn of events had just unfolded.

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have acquired the E-rank title: [Demon Hunter].]

'So this is the power of solo play?'

With two levels gained in an instant and a new title to match, Sanghyun couldn't help but smile.

In his previous life, titles had always been out of reach.

Even after becoming a player, his slow growth stemmed from lacking any notable skills or techniques.

Titles weren't given to those with average abilities—they were special rewards reserved for the exceptional.

Considering the average player might earn one title every 100 levels, Sanghyun had already obtained enough titles to rival someone at level 200.

He invested all his bonus points into his Luck stat, bringing it up to 14.

While it didn't cause any immediate dramatic changes, he could feel that the future was shifting toward greater possibilities.

[Demon Hunter]

■ Title Rank: E 

■ Title Effect: When facing mid-boss level monsters or stronger, stamina recovery increases fivefold under certain conditions.

'A title meant for the elites.'

Stamina recovery was crucial.

In prolonged battles, stamina would deplete quickly, often dragging down both focus and endurance with it.

The Demon Hunter title was a powerful tool to prevent such exhaustion.

THUD!

Soon, from the corpse of the fallen Demon Orc, a Crimson Stone rose and fell to the ground.

It was a crystal so beautifully radiant that it didn't resemble a gallstone in the slightest.

"Ahem."

When Sanghyun glanced back, Yoon Daekyung let out a forced cough and scratched the back of his head.

Given the earlier bold promise, there was no way he could even dream of claiming the Crimson Stone now.

In truth, Yoon Daekyung was half-stunned by the dazzling swordsmanship Sanghyun had displayed.

His evasions, counters, and ability to induce stagger against the Demon Orc were nothing short of masterful.

Judging purely from the combat alone—without prior information—he could easily be mistaken for a player of at least level 150.

"Everyone, if you're done resting, prepare for the boss monster hunt! No dwelling on the past! Porters, collect the Demon Orc's body without delay!"

Yoon Daekyung shouted.

Though the one clinging to regret was clearly himself, he seemed too embarrassed to admit it openly.

"Heh."

Sanghyun let out a light chuckle and immediately turned his attention back to inspecting the Crimson Stone he had obtained.

「Crimson Stone」

■ Artifact Grade: Silver 

■ Artifact Description: A rare crystal obtained from a Demon Orc, infused with immense strength, endurance, and willpower.

■ Strength +10 

■ Stamina +10 

■ Special Effect - Delay

'Since it's a silver-grade artifact, the absorption rate should be higher. And since it just dropped, there won't be any bonus absorption.'

Sanghyun nodded as he quickly checked the absorption rate.

[The basic stat absorption rate for Silver-grade artifacts is 20%.]

As expected—20%.

This meant he could permanently inherit 2 points each in Strength and Stamina.

The special effect, Delay, which he had intended to link with Demon Bash, would also be inherited for sure.

He began the absorption process immediately.

Just like when he consumed the Venamoth's Dagger, the Crimson Stone materialized as a dish for him to "consume."

It took the form of bibim-naengmyeon—a cold, spicy noodle dish bursting with a sweet and tangy aroma, one of Sanghyun's personal favorites.

'Looks like things are going my way.'

With that thought, Sanghyun's hands moved swiftly, picking up his chopsticks from the table.