Artifact Devouring Player-Chapter 44: Destruction - (1)

[Chapter 44]

Half a day later.

As Sanghyun and Kim Miso entered a zone where no more monsters appeared, they let out a sigh of relief.

Then, Kim Miso spoke first.

"Shall we take a short break?"

"Let's do that. This location is good. There's no better place to survey the surroundings."

Sanghyun agreed with Kim Miso's suggestion. After half a day of continuous battles, his body was utterly exhausted.

Having used the Psychedelic skill twice, the fatigue he felt was even greater.

Before he knew it, he had reached level 80.

Compared to formidable players, he was still a novice, but achieving this within less than a month was an incredible feat.

Whoooosh!

A fierce wind gusted from behind, pushing Sanghyun and Kim Miso forward.

The wind was so strong that even taking a single step caused their bodies to move two or three steps forward involuntarily.

"Let's rest here—"

"Wait."

"Huh?"

"Do you see those trees over there?"

"I see them."

"Look to the left. The tree in the middle is particularly rotten. Do you see it?"

"Yes, I see where you're pointing."

"And to the right. There's a tree that's oddly bent, probably from receiving too much sunlight. Do you see it?"

"Yes, I confirmed it."

"There's a monster cleverly camouflaged among the leaves. One in each tree. Two in total."

"...You can really see them?"

"Yeah."

To Sanghyun, who possessed the Necklace of Detection, the hidden monsters appeared as red dots.

If he had relied solely on his eyesight, he would never have detected their camouflage.

It was no surprise, given that the monsters had perfectly concealed themselves among the leaves and branches.

Creak.

Kim Miso immediately drew her bowstring.

She didn't question Sanghyun's words. She simply believed him and followed his lead. It always led to results.

Ping! Piping!

Two arrows, aided by the strong tailwind, flew precisely toward the spots Sanghyun had pointed out.

And a few seconds later.

Screech! Keeek!

With agonized screams, two monsters coughed up blood and plummeted headfirst from the trees.

Their skulls smashed against the ground, snapping their necks instantly, killing them on impact. Even if that hadn't happened, they would have died anyway.

"What kind of ability is that?"

"A skill to detect killing intent?"

"...You had such an ability?"

"Well, I suppose you could call it instinct?"

Sanghyun chuckled.

Even without the Necklace of Detection, he could still sense the killing intent unique to monsters and players.

Hadn't he used that sense in the Jeonju Dungeon to track and eliminate the ones tailing him?

However, the Necklace of Detection made it much more intuitive and precise. Naturally, he had grown accustomed to using this convenient tool.

"I thought I had a decent sense for detecting stealth, but compared to you, I don't even stand a chance."

"Just focus on what you can do best. There's no need to force yourself to gain something you don't have."

"But I feel like you could create any ability you don't have. That's just my opinion."

Although she hadn't meant anything special by her words, they happened to perfectly suit Sanghyun's growth method.

After all, he could gain additional abilities by devouring artifacts.

His potential and versatility were so vast that setting limits on him was meaningless.

"It's safe now. Let's rest here."

"Those monsters... They're Assassin Kobolds, right?"

"Yeah. This is perfect timing. I was just wondering if there was something other than combat rations to eat as a special treat."

"Huh? You're going to eat Kobolds?"

"Haven't you tried it before?"

"How could I eat a Kobold? Just the smell alone is enough to make you vomit."

Kim Miso's reaction was completely natural.

Although it would later become more common, at this time, cooking and eating monsters was still an unfamiliar concept.

So far, only monsters like White Cow and Sugar Bear cooking methods had been developed.

For other monsters, people had yet to find ways to remove their foul stench, leaving them in an unfinished state.

However, Sanghyun already knew how to cook most monsters—and how to eliminate their odor.

When he had bought potions earlier, he had also purchased vitality potions and sweeteners from the marketplace in preparation for this.

'If I could cook and eat a Ghoul, then a Kobold is nothing. This is just basic-level cooking.'

Sanghyun recalled countless cooking techniques.

After the collapse of the world order in 2040, stable supplies of grains and livestock had become unreliable.

Humankind had desperately sought ways to utilize monster meat.

Sanghyun had also devoted himself to this pursuit and had perfected cooking methods that turned Kobold meat into a delicacy.

Seeing the worried look in Kim Miso's eyes as she glanced at the dead Kobold, Sanghyun grinned and reassured her.

"There's no such thing as inedible food—only food we haven't figured out how to eat yet. Also, there's no better source of protein than Kobold meat."

"...I can trust you, right?"

"I never recommend bad food to others."

With that, the matter was settled.

Kim Miso, still full of uncertainty, gazed at the corpse of the Kobold.

Could that thing really be edible?

Thirty minutes later.

Although they worked much faster than usual, the cooking was completed without any issues.

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Sanghyun was already familiar with the taste, but the real test was Kim Miso's reaction to eating it for the first time.

"Wow! Is this really Kobold meat? It tastes like well-prepared lamb without the smell!"

"Is it edible?"

"Not just edible—it's delicious! Did you create this sauce yourself?"

"Yeah, I made it at home."

"Unbelievable. But seriously, this is so good!"

Kim Miso enthusiastically stuffed her mouth with Kobold meat, completely forgetting about the sauce smeared on her lips.

'At least she won't trigger the jinx.'

Sanghyun chuckled internally.

There was an unpleasant jinx he had about his cooking.

In his past life, any companion who found his food unappetizing would end up injured.

Though it never led to severe wounds, it was still an unsettling pattern.

Munch, munch. Chomp, chomp.

Watching Kim Miso eat with more enthusiasm than he did himself filled Sanghyun with satisfaction as a cook.

Kim Miso raised her thumb toward Sanghyun, her voice filled with the joy of devouring.

"Miso, aren't you cooking?"

"I'm infamous for being terrible at it, even in the guild. Even Jinho Oppa, who's known for never getting angry, ate my cooking and got mad."

"Kukuk."

Just imagining that composed man getting angry was too much to bear, and Sanghyun burst into laughter.

"I think I'm finally getting my energy back. The next point is within the area we have prior information about, and it's where the Shadow Defender is, right?"

"Yeah."

"These guys have a skill that creates a barrier, so they're really annoying. Silence is crucial."

"Let's take them down with perfect timing."

"Oppa, there's something I really want you to know."

"What is it?"

"Don't pay attention to what people say. You know how people who love gossip always talk nonsense, right?"

"Ah. You mean the rumors about me being your new boyfriend or your paid servant? Heh, I don't care. Don't worry."

"I was attracted solely to your skills, Oppa. In other words, if I didn't think you were worth it, I wouldn't be moving around with you like this."

"Same here. We're working together because we need each other. Just like any business relationship."

Sanghyun replied matter-of-factly.

Regardless of Kim Miso's true feelings, he was the one drawing the line first.

Affection as a fellow player and attraction as a person were completely different things.

"...That's true."

Kim Miso's response came a beat late, leaving a strange aftertaste. But Sanghyun didn't pay it any mind.

As soon as they finished eating and replenished their fluids, Sanghyun and Kim Miso set out for the next point.

Not every encounter inside a gate was with troublesome monsters, so their progress was smooth.

The section with small goblins and kobold-type monsters, commonly called "trash mobs," was a piece of cake.

"This is where it gets serious."

"We're going with the blind spot strategy, right?"

"Of course. Remember, if you hesitate, I die. If you trust me, the monster dies. Got it?"

"Got it, Oppa."

"Let's go."

Sanghyun gripped his twin-headed axe and charged toward the monsters blocking the narrow passage.

Shadow Defender.

A monster with the size, endurance, and stamina somewhere between an ogre and a troll. Large and bulky.

Unlike regular monsters, the axe-wielding Shadow Defender could use a special skill.

A forward-facing barrier, similar in form to Sanghyun's Defensive Sword.

It was akin to the magic skill Shield.

Ooooh!

The Shadow Defender, locking eyes with Sanghyun, let out a roar.

It wasn't an intimidating roar that caused status effects like a boss monster's, but it was a sign that it was about to create its barrier.

『Acceleration』

『Triple speed for 10 seconds』

Acceleration activated.

By the time the Shadow Defender lost sight of Sanghyun, he was already right in front of it.

Huh?

A glimmer of confusion flickered in the Shadow Defender's eyes. Sanghyun had approached much faster than expected.

However, it didn't panic. All it had to do was deploy its barrier in front.

It was the textbook response and, therefore, the most troublesome approach.

"..."

At that moment, Sanghyun twisted his left hand behind him and sent the agreed-upon hand signal to Kim Miso.

Without hesitation, Kim Miso released the bowstring she had pulled to the max.

Swoosh!

A sharp sound of air being cut.

A poisoned arrow, coated in potent neurotoxin, flew directly toward the back of Sanghyun's head.

Moreover, it was an expensive, specially alloyed arrow, making its impact far stronger than expected.

If the firepower of a standard cheap arrow was 1, this arrow could reach up to 3.

It was pricey but worth every coin.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Meanwhile, Sanghyun continued slashing at the Shadow Defender's body while keeping its attention solely on him.

And then—

◎ Silence

◎ Skills cannot be used. Duration: 0.45 seconds.

Silence landed at just the right moment. Without looking back, Sanghyun sensed that the arrow was almost there.

『Back Step』

Executing the pattern he had practiced hundreds, no, close to a thousand times, Sanghyun swiftly retreated.

His movement was so seamless that it felt like a completely natural evasion attempt.

At that moment, the Shadow Defender was finally able to see what had been hidden behind Sanghyun.

Wooooh!

The arrow was flying straight at its heart.

It was a perfectly coordinated attack by two skilled humans.

Especially the swordsman at the front, who had mesmerized it—his skill was remarkable.

But that was as far as it went.

If it activated its barrier, an arrow like that would be nothing to block.

A good attempt, but unfortunately, there was always someone faster and smarter.

Hmph.

With a smug expression, the Shadow Defender attempted to activate its barrier. Or rather, it tried to.

But—

Huh?

Its body, still under the lingering effect of Silence, couldn't deploy the defensive skill. It had been completely outplayed!

...

At that moment, time seemed to slow, and past memories flashed through the Shadow Defender's mind like a revolving lantern.

It was the instinct of a monster sensing imminent death. And its bad feeling was spot on.

Thwack!

Kim Miso's arrow pierced straight through the center of its hot, beating heart and emerged from its back.

It was an instant kill, without the need for confirmation.