Proper Discipline - (2)

[Chapter 18]

"Interesting. Can you see it?"

"His gaze has changed, unnie."

"Yeah. It looks like he has an awakening skill. I don't know the exact effect, but at least one thing is certain."

"What is it?"

"It's a skill that simultaneously boosts both physical and mental abilities. He's become a completely different person just now."

Through the experienced eyes of Shin Taeri, it was clear how Sanghyun had managed to draw out his power once more.

Psychedelic.

In his awakened state, Sanghyun relentlessly struck Choi Youngcheol with bloodshot eyes.

It seemed even the greatsword had become cumbersome, as he tossed it aside and thoroughly crushed Choi Youngcheol with his bare fists.

Even though the damage was significantly reduced due to being in training mode, the power behind his fists felt just as real.

In other words, if this had been an actual fight, each punch might have felt like it was shattering bones.

During that time, Choi Youngcheol twisted his body and bent his hands desperately to use skills, but it was all in vain.

With his reaction speed maximized by the Psychedelic skill, Sanghyun didn't allow a single attack to land.

"Hyungnim… Youngcheol hyungnim…"

Jo Seongho, Choi Youngcheol's eternal lackey, stared at him in disbelief.

By this point, Choi Youngcheol, who had been pinned down for quite some time, couldn't even lift his body properly.

The surroundings were already drenched in the blood pouring from Youngcheol's mouth and nose. It was a miracle he wasn't dead.

The real-time chat on Choi Youngcheol TV was flooded with mockery as Sanghyun delivered a one-sided lesson, while messages praising Sanghyun gradually took over.

▶ Hopfast: I knew Choi Youngcheol would get his proper punishment one day! But from Shin Sanghyun? Damn, that's insane. The level difference didn't matter, he just crushed him?

▶ Outdex: Anyone watching from the start knows. Keep an eye on Shin Sanghyun. He's a terrifying player.

▶ GukbapShopFirstSon: Watching Choi Youngcheol's antics made me wonder if anyone would ever deal with him… And now it's a player who's not even level 30 yet. This is insane!

▶ Hopfast: Will Choi Youngcheol even be able to walk around with his head held high after this?

Most comments were filled with admiration for Sanghyun's skill in overcoming such an absurd level gap.

Since Choi Youngcheol was already treated like a villain, no one stepped forward to defend him.

"Hoo."

Sanghyun's gaze returned to normal after having pushed his body and mind to their limits using the Psychedelic skill.

Usually, when the effects of Psychedelic end, one falls into exhaustion, but this time was different.

He hadn't received any notable counterattacks from Choi Youngcheol while the effect lasted.

Normally, accumulated damage would surge in like a tidal wave after the skill ended, weighing down both body and mind—but this was an exception.

Since he hadn't allowed a single hit, there was no backlash damage to deal with.

"Your style was obvious. You must've had fun until now, huh? Toying with people using that complete freeze skill must've been entertaining for you."

"Ughhh…"

Half-broken, Choi Youngcheol couldn't even understand Sanghyun's words and let out nothing but groans.

The fight was already over.

It was clear to anyone that Sanghyun had won, and there was only one person who might disagree—Jo Seongho.

"I'll take my payment step by step. But a promise is a promise, right? Let me give you a refreshing massage."

Sanghyun gathered Youngcheol's limp arms neatly and folded them over his head.

But Choi Youngcheol didn't even realize his body was being manipulated by Sanghyun.

"Last time I got a massage, they pressed down with their feet—it felt great, you know?"

"Urgh…"

"I'll press down with love, using my combat boots, so enjoy it. Don't hold back. Now, turning off training mode."

Sanghyun looked directly at the camera Jo Seongho was holding and made a clear announcement before disabling training mode.

Now, the pressure and strength would no longer be weakened—it would all be real.

Press. Press. Preeeess.

"Uaaaagh!"

As Sanghyun gradually shifted his weight with precise balance, a scream erupted from Choi Youngcheol.

Sanghyun didn't flinch. He then climbed onto Youngcheol's wrist as if performing acrobatics.

With his greatsword standing beside him like a pillar, he began to channel all his strength into his legs.

A nasty, bone-crunching sound made everyone watching grimace.

Crunch. Crack. Crunnch.

"Aaaaaaagh!"

Choi Youngcheol's scream echoed in all directions, as if the world itself was collapsing.

Despite already suffering from multiple fractures, Sanghyun didn't stop pressing.

"You should be thankful I'm showing some restraint—only breaking your bones into pieces instead of grinding them into dust."

Crunch. Crackle. Crunch.

"Argh! Aaaaargh! Aaaaargh!"

Sanghyun shifted his weight forward and backward, driving it down hard, raising the pitch of Youngcheol's screams even higher.

It was a lesson in agony, delivered with precision—knowing exactly how to inflict the most pain.

If he didn't imprint the fear of pain now, Youngcheol might repeat the same behavior later.

Trauma arises from helpless submission under overwhelming force—just like this.

Snap. Crack. Snap.

Under the combat boots, something as hard as stone crumbled into fragments.

It was likely a wrist bone that couldn't withstand the weight and shattered like a brittle cracker.

"Grrrkk…"

Now, without even the willpower to endure, Choi Youngcheol foamed at the mouth and passed out.

At the same time, his loosened sphincter and bladder released with an embarrassing noise.

It was the worst outcome for Youngcheol, especially since he had dressed in ivory-colored clothes that day.

This humiliating scene was broadcasted through Jo Seongho's camera, streaming live on YouTube.

Naturally, it was witnessed by over 50,000 viewers who had gathered as the news spread.

At that moment, a group of players suddenly appeared from among the crowd.

"Excuse me, are you Shin Sanghyun?"

Sanghyun examined the group pushing through the crowd. On their left chests, their name tags clearly displayed their guild affiliation.

[Utopia Guild]

It was Choi Youngcheol's guild.

They had likely rushed to the scene after watching the live broadcast. The result, however, was far from what they expected.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want?"

Sanghyun replied coldly.

There was no reason to look kindly upon anyone associated with Choi Youngcheol's guild.

"We apologize for not preventing this unfortunate situation in advance. We've come to swiftly handle the matter and provide the promised compensation."

"At least tell me your affiliation and name."

"Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. I'm Moon Baekhyun, the regional manager for the Gangdong area of the Utopia Guild."

Asking for their affiliation and name was a calculated move by Sanghyun.

Even without Jo Seongho, there were plenty of other players recording the scene.

Once captured like this, it would become valuable evidence for later. After all, videos don't lie.

"We will take strict action regarding the excessive provocation and conduct of this guild member and make an official announcement."

"Is that so?"

Sanghyun replied with an indifferent expression, fully aware that their actions weren't driven by any sense of justice.

They were merely pretending to handle the situation quickly because Choi Youngcheol had suffered a bad ending.

Had the situation been reversed, videos of Sanghyun would have already spread across countless player communities by now.

Those videos would have been manipulated and accompanied by fabricated conversations. Utopia was that kind of thug guild.

"The amount disclosed during the broadcast will be compensated by us first. Later, we'll recover it directly from the player who caused this incident."

"Do as you wish."

"Would you mind providing your account details?"

Sanghyun pulled out his smartphone and casually showed his account information. Almost immediately, 500 million won was deposited. The transaction was swift, like lightning.

"Payment has been completed."

"Good luck. Don't bother trying to patch him up poorly—just take him to an expensive healer."

Sanghyun pointed lazily at the still-unconscious Choi Youngcheol.

The players from the Utopia Guild, who had approached to help him up, all covered their noses in disgust.

It seemed whatever Youngcheol had eaten earlier was now creating quite a mess—what he had released was no joke.

Sanghyun ignored the flashing cameras and praise being directed at him, burying it all behind him.

Click. Clack. Vroom.

He immediately got into his car and drove swiftly down the road inside the complex, heading toward Bronze Building.

Only after arriving at a secluded underground parking lot did his previously expressionless face finally relax.

"Whew, this is a feeling I'm not used to."

The life of a popular figure—an experience he had never known before. Constant attention from others seemed to bring a sense of responsibility and pressure.

Of course, he didn't dislike it.

Knowing that someone admired and watched over him meant that he was special in some way.

"Until I head to the Chunui Station Gate exploration, I should stay low and focus on refining my skills."

About a week. Sanghyun organized his thoughts on what he needed to do while resting at home.

He figured he needed to work on his swordsmanship skills.

Not two-handed, but one-handed sword techniques. And a skill that could be used both for movement and attack simultaneously.

These two skills felt essential to prepare before diving into the exploration.

For Sanghyun, who knew everything about the Chunui Station Gate, these preparations couldn't be overlooked.

* * *

During the following week—

The entire online player community was dominated by the video of Choi Youngcheol being utterly humiliated by Sanghyun.

It caught fire, spreading like wildfire.

Many players were curious about Sanghyun, who wasn't well-known, but information about him was scarce.

The only available article was from The Player's Journal, released once through Kim Miso and Park Jungmin.

Because of this, countless attempts to contact Sanghyun flooded in, but he barely answered as he focused on training.

He only responded twice.

One was to coordinate a schedule with Kim Miso, and the other was to arrange an interview with reporter Park Jungmin.

'I need to squeeze out everything I can from the Chunui Station Gate exploration. It's a bit disappointing that the number of participants must be exactly four.'

Sanghyun didn't want to miss out on the opportunity that Kim Miso had practically handed him on a silver platter.

The dungeon itself was enticing, but there were countless unexplored gates in the world that remained unknown.

At least within Korea, Sanghyun was well-versed in the locations of many gates. Given the chance, he could reel in some major catches.

His deep interest in gate exploration from his previous life was now paying off, having studied countless strategies and cases.

Of course, he had a reason for his research back then as well.

When participating in gate explorations, it was essential to have ample prior knowledge to handle the various unpredictable variables inside.

That's why understanding the characteristics of gates that earlier expeditions had cleared was a necessary process.

If unexpected situations arose, having this knowledge allowed him to respond swiftly and effectively.

"Yeah, devouring artifacts is the way to go! Thanks to Captain Yoon Daekyung, I've gathered quite a few high-absorption artifacts."

Sanghyun leaned back on the sofa, enjoying a sense of satisfaction from his recent feast.

Yesterday, he had purchased 400 million won worth of artifacts from a player introduced by Yoon Daekyung.

[Stat Increase Overview]

[Time Frame: Last 1 Hour]

[Strength +23 / Stamina +19 / Agility +5 / Mana +11 / Luck +0 / Evasion +0 / Defense +13]

"It's great buying artifacts from a swordsman player—they're already set up in the way I need them."

Since they shared the same class type, the stat development aligned with his needs, focusing on the right attributes.

Although the absorption rate was slightly lower than Yoon Daekyung's, the seller's artifacts were well worth the money.

"Now that I'm going all-in, the chances of unlocking hidden skills have also increased. That's just how the gacha works, though."

Sanghyun checked the additional effects with a pleased expression.

This time, instead of using it as a separate skill, it seemed better to link it with a skill or artifact like Delay or Lighten, so he decided on that direction.

[You can combine the effect of Fortitude obtained through absorption into a skill.]

'Combine with Psychedelic.'

[Fortitude effect has been added to Psychedelic.]

[From now on, even after Psychedelic's duration ends, you will no longer fall into an instant exhaustion state due to accumulated damage.]

[Instead, stamina will gradually decrease over 100 seconds, limiting physical decline by up to 80%.]

"Now I can prevent myself from becoming completely defenseless after using Psychedelic."

It was satisfying to cover a weakness. While enhancing strengths was important, eliminating weaknesses was just as crucial.

For Sanghyun, who constantly had to think about various combinations, an awakening skill like Psychedelic was extremely valuable.

The main issue had always been the exhaustion caused by excessive damage accumulation—but now, that problem was solved.

It was a solid improvement.

"On top of that, there are the skills I spent all week crafting."

Sanghyun smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the two skills forged after a week of intense training.

『One-Handed Sword Training』

■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)

■ Skill Description: Enhances adaptability for daggers and one-handed swords.

『Full Charge』

■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)

■ Skill Description: Condenses powerful force and dashes forward in a single burst, striking the enemy.

The longer the charge builds, the greater the damage and the farther the dash distance. However, movement is completely restricted during the charge.

"Movement skills are essential."

This was a skill that would fill the gap Sanghyun had always felt lacking in during battles.