Interest - (2)

[Chapter 10]

"Then should I sign a death consent form? I didn't expect you to interfere with a player's choice."

"If I offended you, I sincerely apologize! Please understand the association's policy of wanting to prevent the loss of valuable players at all costs."

At that moment, a woman who had been watching the situation with interest from behind Sanghyun stepped forward.

"Hey, player, just a moment."

She called out to Sanghyun.

She clasped her hands politely and matched his eye level, displaying proper manners for a first meeting.

"Huh?"

The moment he saw her, a familiar memory surfaced in Sanghyun's mind, and he let out a sound unintentionally.

Bright violet-colored hair, as if freshly dyed, red eyes, and Artifact equipment focused on functionality.

It was archer player Kim Miso, known by the title of Godly Archer of Massacre.

Sanghyun remembered her because, in his previous life, he had made countless team play proposals to her, but she had always politely declined.

The reason had been clear.

– I don't think my style matches with someone who relies heavily on teamwork. Sorry!

Back then, Sanghyun's swordsmanship had, unfortunately, been crude and far below Kim Miso's standards.

It was something Sanghyun had admitted himself. His skills had been utterly lacking, unable to satisfy her expectations.

Anyway, their first meeting had been around the year 2035, but now it was 2021.

Their connection had been pushed forward by 14 years. However, there was nothing particularly special about their bond in his past life.

Regardless, despite her modest and simple attire, Sanghyun felt something unusual from her.

It wasn't the murderous aura that came from someone familiar with death, but rather the unique pressure that could only be sensed from the strong.

On the left side of her chest was a number engraved: 100. She had been extraordinary from the start.

"Wow, isn't that Kim Miso?"

"Who's that guy she's talking to? It's rare for Kim Miso to approach someone first."

"Idiot! That Level 17 scrub is hanging around in the Level 100 zone—she's probably just going to give him a piece of her mind."

Passing players began to turn their heads one by one. It was because of Kim Miso.

She had been consistently praised as a divine archer since the early days of players, and her background was impressive too.

The guild she belonged to, Eden, was one of the top five guilds in the country.

On top of that, Kim Yooncheol, the chairman of Shinseong Biotechnics, a sponsor company of Eden, was her father.

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at her.

Only Sanghyun, the person involved, tilted his head slightly and looked at her curiously.

* * *

'I needed someone because of the minimum player requirement for the quest. He seems like a decent fit for the numbers.'

That was the first thought Kim Miso had when she saw Sanghyun.

Of course, she had no expectations. The level gap was simply too great. No amount of courage could overcome the sheer difference in skill and experience. That was just common sense.

She had seen plenty of players recklessly pushing themselves before. And every time, she had made sure to help them see their limitations clearly.

This time, she thought the same.

Now that it had come to this, she wanted to bring him along and see his skills for herself. If it was just bravado, it would be exposed immediately. If not, her prediction would be pleasantly wrong.

"Hello, I'm Kim Miso."

She introduced herself first.

True to her easygoing and proactive nature, she extended her hand for a handshake and took a humble posture.

Despite thinking Sanghyun's confidence was mere bravado, she didn't forget to be polite—after all, she didn't know anything about him yet.

"Hello. I'm Shin Sanghyun."

"Can I ask why? Isn't it dangerous for you to attempt a quest recommended for Level 100?"

"Because it pays well."

Sanghyun answered simply.

It was exactly as he said.

The quest Sanghyun had his eyes on offered a reward of 500 million won upon success.

The quest details and the reward displayed on the holographic panel had caught Sanghyun's attention from the start.

"That also means the difficulty is very high. Are you prepared to risk your life?"

"Yes, I am."

"Even for me, someone right at the recommended level cutoff, it feels incredibly challenging. As you know, players above the recommended level can't enter, right?"

"I know. I just want a chance to prove I'm capable, but I'm frustrated that I can't even get that opportunity."

"Oh, right. You know solo quests aren't allowed due to the association's official regulations, correct?"

'Ah.'

It hit him.

The solo quest ban wouldn't be lifted until 2025—still four years away.

"Yeah, I knew that."

"You came alone, right? In that case, you'll need at least one more person… Would you like to team up?"

Kim Miso brought up her offer. Their interests aligned—both needed someone to fill the gap—and there was no reason for either to refuse.

Of course, in her mind, she pictured herself taking the lead the moment the quest began.

It was obvious. Sanghyun's level wasn't nearly high enough to handle this quest.

Frankly, it was impossible. At best, it would still be extremely difficult.

'That's a surprisingly proactive offer.'

Meanwhile, Sanghyun was a bit surprised by her proposal.

He was confident about the quest.

He had completed it several times in his past life. And the high reward made it even more tempting.

"Sure, I'm in."

"But you'll have to make one promise."

"What is it?"

"If this turns out to be a pointless partnership, you'll have to pay for your overconfidence. Otherwise, I'll sincerely apologize for my rashness."

The moment she finished speaking, sighs erupted from the onlookers.

She was known for being friendly with journalists who covered players and often accepted interviews.

If she targeted someone, even a few articles could effectively ruin their future.

That included joining a guild, recruiting teammates—any public activity.

'This could be fun.'

Sanghyun grinned.

There was no way he would fail a quest when he already knew all the answers and strategies—as long as he didn't make any careless mistakes.

"Alright."

Sanghyun nodded.

And so, their partnership began.

Five minutes later, after receiving the quest connection from an association employee and pressing the accept button—

Pop!

An orange flash burst forth, and in an instant, the two were transported to the quest area.

As the two disappeared, the remaining association employees and players began murmuring among themselves.

"Do you think he'll succeed?"

"Are you kidding? If a Level 17 player clears a Level 100 quest, players like us stuck at Level 60 or 70 might as well quit out of embarrassment."

"But still, Kim Miso showed interest first. That's not something you see every day!" 

"Hey, over fifty players have had their skills exposed and been humiliated by Kim Miso. You think this guy will be any different?"

"Yeah, that's true. Looks like he just got unlucky running into her."

"His life's over. He got cocky and now he's going to be crushed by Kim Miso. He's finished."

"Pfft, Shin Sanghyun, huh? He looks decent at least, but his player career ends today."

"People with delusions of grandeur are the real problem. Those guys deserve to crash and burn. They need to fail!"

Everyone predicted a bleak future for Sanghyun. Like night follows day, it seemed inevitable.

But inside the quest area, Sanghyun's thoughts couldn't have been more different.

'I'll show them. Just how terrifying the determined steps of someone who knows exactly where they're going can be.'

'Every word carries responsibility.'

With Sanghyun fueled by fierce determination, and Kim Miso eager to shatter what she thought was baseless arrogance, the quest began.

* * *

The role distribution was quickly settled.

First, they agreed that Kim Miso would focus strictly on support, and she accepted a reward share of just 5%.

In other words, out of the 500 million won success reward, she would only take 25 million won.

She also promised not to fire a single arrow unless specifically requested—this was Sanghyun's firm demand.

Kim Miso agreed so easily because she thought the scenario was impossible.

It was an absurd request, but she played along as if humoring him.

Like promising to split a lottery jackpot with a friend—it was an empty gesture.

Sanghyun, on the other hand, was genuinely thankful that she had allowed him to form a team and enter the quest smoothly.

Giving up 5%? It didn't feel like a loss at all. If anything, he was grateful.

"If the Silver Wolf Defense isn't going well, I'll step in immediately."

"What's the line?"

"The backline, where your greatsword can no longer reach. If a Silver Wolf passes that point, I'll draw my bow."

"Sounds good. If a Silver Wolf breaks through and destroys the core, the quest will fail anyway—so that's a smart choice."

Sanghyun nodded.

This was a defense quest.

The player had to eliminate the Silver Wolves charging toward the Guardian Tower and protect the tower's core.

If the core was destroyed, the quest would fail, and any forced exit attempt would also result in failure.

The only real strategy was to eliminate every single wolf-type monster that appeared.

"As we agreed, for every one you let through, my share goes up by 1%. You understand, right? If 95 get past, you'll walk away with nothing."

"Understood."

"No take-backs."

"Of course. I have no talent for deceiving others with empty bravado. It's neither fun nor rewarding. You can just judge me by what you see."

"Alright."

Kim Miso settled atop a tree, overlooking the iron bridge where the defense would take place.

Sanghyun stood at the center of the bridge.

The bridge was about 5 meters wide, with a length of around 100 meters connecting both sides.

'Yeah. This feels just like before.'

Sanghyun felt a sense of solemn determination, like Zhang Fei holding the pass at Changban in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Now, he had to hunt down a total of 300 wolves.

■ Wolf-Type Monster Elimination Quest.

■ Monsters Eliminated: 000.

■ Monster Target: 300.

The simplified quest window reminded him of his objective.

That count included not only the regular Silver Wolves but also the mid-tier commanders, Black Wolves, and the boss monster, Wolf Lord.

It was doable—but that didn't mean he could let his guard down for even a moment.

'Will he be okay when the Black Wolves howl and cause Stiffness?'

That was Kim Miso's biggest concern as she watched Sanghyun.

Of course, she had a solution for that. She possessed an Artifact that resisted all status effects.

It was an Epic-grade Artifact, the third-highest rank out of nine total tiers.

It was a priceless item, with a current market value surpassing 150 billion won.

And it wasn't even from corporate sponsorship—she had earned it herself as loot from clearing a gate, with a bit of luck on her side.

Then—

Kyahoo! Kyahoo!

Suddenly, five Silver Wolves emerged from the bushes, drooling as they revealed their murderous intent.

Their razor-sharp fangs looked ready to tear Sanghyun apart from head to toe.

"..."

From behind, Sanghyun didn't move an inch. His stance was far too stable for someone supposedly frozen in fear.

'That's the golden ratio Jinho oppa always talks about. A stance perfectly balanced for rapid transitions between offense and defense.'

Kim Miso was quietly impressed by Sanghyun's unexpected form.

A true expert could gauge someone's skill just from their preparatory stance before battle.

And she definitely had the eyes for it, thanks to talented guildmates, superior officers, and even mentors.

Especially the person she referred to as Jinho oppa—a highly skilled swordsman with a solid reputation within the Eden guild.

'Just from his stance… he's fully formed.'

She was suddenly convinced. She had never been wrong in her evaluations before.

Just then—

Grrraaahhh!

All five Silver Wolves launched themselves toward Sanghyun, propelling off their hind legs simultaneously.

It was a crisis right from the start.

If even one of those powerful beasts slipped past, Sanghyun would end up nothing more than shredded meat.

Kim Miso, reacting to a sudden wave of doubt, instinctively reached for her bowstring.

"Haa!"

Swish!

With a fierce battle cry, Sanghyun swung his greatsword in a single arc—a fluid, decisive motion from the weapon that had been resting on the ground.

The sweeping curve of the blade left a clear afterimage, too refined to be ordinary.

In that instant, a sharp metallic clang echoed as the wolves froze midair and fell helplessly to the ground.

The five Silver Wolves collapsed limply, like puppies sedated with tranquilizers.

'Was that… Stiffness?'

Thud!

"Ow!"

Startled, Kim Miso forgot she was in a tree and accidentally bumped her head against a branch as she tried to get up.

She was completely thrown off.

A Level 17 player… possessing a skill capable of forcing multiple enemies into Stiffness?

It was completely unbelievable.