Artifact-Devouring Player Chapter 1

1
“What kind of hardship is this at an age when I’m approaching my 60th birthday!”

Sang-Hyeon was grumbling since morning, looking through the colorful skill book he got from the dungeon yesterday.

[The model student with chronic fatigue says that his heart is pounding as he quickly studies the identity of the skill book.]

“No, this constellation is always so exciting whenever it comes up. Why did someone who loves research so much take so long to realize my abilities?”

[The model student who is always waiting says that it was an answer he didn’t even know he had. He says he is so embarrassed that he doesn’t know where to put himself.]

“That’s fine. Even if I can get the artifact, I don’t think it’s possible for me to get the skill book. Will this work?”

Sang-Hyeon scratched the back of his head.

Eating a skill book.

It was an unknown territory that I had not yet challenged, but also an area that I really wanted to achieve.

This is because eating something and inheriting its stats, skills, and hidden options was Sang-Hyeon’s specialty.

It was also a late awakening, 25 years after the horse’s special ability had been awakened.

Anyway, I put my hand on the skill book like I always do when I eat an artifact and synced my mana to it.

But something was wrong, nothing changed. The reaction was different from when I ate the artifact.

Today was particularly sensitive.

He always had a sense of loss in his heart, having realized his true abilities too late, when he was over 50.

Is that why?

Suddenly, I felt angry.

“Damn it! If I had just regressed, I wouldn’t have spent at least 25 years digging. Why! Unlike the others, I started so late? Huh?”

The words I blurted out because I couldn’t control my anger rang hollow.

Sang-Hyeon’s sense of deprivation, having seen the light of his ‘eating’ ability too late, was an old emotion that had built up over a long time.

at that time.

Phew!

Suddenly, everything surrounding Sang-Hyeon began to melt like cheese in an oven.

“Ugh!”

And as an unbearable headache struck Sang-Hyeon’s head, his consciousness quickly faded away.

[The model student of the waiting room shows you regression using the integers he has been studying… … .]

A mind that had sunk without even having time to examine the constellation’s words that were trying to convey a message to him.

Sang-Hyeon lost consciousness like that.

* * *

“It’s starting to become a little clearer now.”

Three whole days.

It took time for Sang-Hyeon to accept his unexpected regression and make plans for the future.

A return that wasn’t even foreshadowed.

I lost consciousness and when I opened my eyes again, I was suddenly back in time 30 years ago.

The 55-year-old body disappeared, and I began living again as a young 25-year-old in 2021.

“It wasn’t a satisfying life, but I didn’t think I could go back to the past. Is that even possible?”

Before returning to the past, that is, in his previous life, he wasn’t a very good player.

Having spent 30 years of my life focusing solely on swordsmanship, I knew how to handle a sword with ease, but that was all.

The best part of his career was being ranked in the top 50 in the country as a player in the inspection department.

If it was like this in Korea, it was even lower in the rankings worldwide.

This was especially true for the majority of players who were known by modifiers such as Sword Master, Sword God, Sword Ghost, or Sword Tuner.

In fact, I didn’t learn swordsmanship according to the basics, so it was very crude and there was a lot of trial and error.

It was more than 20 years after becoming a player that I finally developed any decent swordsmanship skills!

It was truly a series of hardships.

Of course, it wasn’t without potential.

Because they had the ability to eat artifacts.

It was a special ability that he had since he awakened as a player in 2021.

Even now, just as in his previous life, the same notification was appealing to Sang-Hyeon about the player’s characteristics.

[You have awakened the ability to eat artifacts. You can now eat artifacts.]

“It took me too long to figure out what it meant to eat. Did you know it would take that long? If you had known, you wouldn’t have even started.”

Sang-Hyeon smiled bitterly.

Unfortunately, his past self did not learn the special method of eating artifacts early on.

I spent the first five years studying how to eat.

The challenge of chopping up the artifact and eating it, or boiling it in water and drinking the broth is just the tip of the iceberg.

I tried making it into powder and sprinkling it on food, and looking back, it was just a series of stupid things.

Nothing worked.

There were no players with similar abilities, so there was no route to seek advice.

You’ll know in 5 years.

We’ll find out in 10 years.

You don’t know even after 15 years?

The time that passed while enduring tens of thousands of hardships in this kind of torture of hope was as long as 25 years!

By the time my once young twenty-five-year-old body became a middle-aged fifty-year-old with white hair growing out of it.

I finally figured out the method.

Mana synchronization.

It was also discovered that you had to communicate with completely different values ​​for each artifact grade to be able to eat it as food symbolized in the unconscious world.

“The important thing is not to repeat the same mistakes. Because you won’t fail again!”

That was the reason why I thought positively about the situation even though Sang-Hyeon returned without warning.

However, I couldn’t quite figure out why I was able to return to the past.

Judging from his last memory, it could have been the arrangement of the model student of Daegimanseong, who was his constellation.

Of course, this is just a guess, since I haven’t read the last message he left. The possibilities are endless.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. I came back, and that’s the end of it.”

Anyway, the fact that his head was full of knowledge that others didn’t know about was good enough for Sang-Hyeon.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have taken an interest in stocks! I have virtually no knowledge about this.”

That was the only regret I had for returning. Of course, stocks aren’t the only way to make money.

* * *

10 minutes later.

Sang-Hyeon was moving to the team gathering place to participate in the dungeon raid scheduled for today.

Today’s players are constantly and relentlessly challenging a world divided into two types.

[Dungeon] is the foundation for player growth and a place to obtain all kinds of byproducts and artifacts.

And it was a [gate] that connected to other dimensions or unidentified areas, stimulating the spirit of exploration and pioneering in players.

Players who kill monsters and explore the interior, and porters who collect byproducts from the killed monsters.

They had a symbiotic relationship like crocodiles and alligators, but their relationship was never horizontal.

Naturally, the porters were treated as inferiors. This was an old story, nothing new.

So when Sang-Hyeon, who had participated as a non-player porter just three days ago, said he would participate as a player, the response was cold.

Until recently, the players were the ones who ignored and looked down on Sang-Hyeon, calling him a porter.

The porters also showed their animosity towards Sang-hyeon, who did not have much experience, and only gave him all kinds of difficult tasks.

Ignorance and contempt.

This was the common gaze of the players and porters looking at Sang-Hyeon. It was a useless death that was well-suited.

Even if you awaken and become a player, it is very rare for someone to be good at fighting from the start.

So, most players would complete a well-structured initial training course and then get into the swing of things.

The place where such educational courses take place is the Player Academy.

Here, I grew up safely under the guidance of instructors up to level 10, and learned and heard a lot.

However, when Sang-Hyeon said he would skip the process and join the team as a player, the reaction was bound to be bad.

‘Let’s eat first.’

Sang-Hyeon took out a dagger from his bosom.

It was an artifact I accidentally obtained in a dungeon a while ago. I remember taking it out from the clutches of an old skeleton.

In my previous life, I didn’t know how to use this dagger, so I used it as a simple weapon for self-defense for quite some time.

And then after 25 years, when I finally figured out mana synchronization and ate the dagger for the first time!

Sang-Hyeon was able to acquire a hidden skill he had never thought of: Demon Bash.

This skill, which causes monsters to suffer the abnormal status of stiffness, has become Sang-Hyeon’s bread and butter.

Usually, the seal is released naturally when the player uses the artifact for a long period of time.

What appears at that time are hidden stats or hidden skills.

Because the period can be as short as one year or as long as 20 years, the existence of hidden stats and skills was usually unknown.

However, Sang-Hyeon’s absorption ability had the privilege of inheriting these hidden elements at random probability.

Kook.

Sang-Hyeon grabbed the dagger.

Then, the information was immediately displayed in the item window. It was a quick link without delay.

“Dagger of Venamos”

■ Artifact Grade: Bronze

■ Artifact Introduction: A dagger for self-defense that is characterized by not becoming dull easily.

■ Agility +10

“hmm.”

As Sang-Hyeon focused more on the dagger and proceeded with mana synchronization, additional information other than item information began to appear.

[Measure absorption rate.]

[The basic stat absorption rate for Bronze grade is 10%.]

[Artifact usage period is applied retroactively, so the final judgment absorption rate is 20%.]

“As expected.”

Sang-Hyeon nodded.

Absorption rate refers to the ratio of stats that will be inherited when eating an artifact.

Since it is an artifact that increases the agility stat by 10, it means that if you finish absorbing it, the agility stat will increase by 2.

Someone might ask:

In that case, wouldn’t it be better to carry around an artifact?

However, artifacts with overlapping parts cannot coexist. Also, you cannot benefit from a dagger when using a greatsword.

In the long run, it is beneficial to eat it.

In particular, there was the advantage of being able to obtain skills such as Demon Bash, which Sang-Hyeon was definitely aiming for.

This was an incredible privilege that could never be obtained now unless you ate the artifact, and it was incomparable to a few stat points.

“I’m going to be using a broadsword for the time being anyway. I don’t think I’ll ever need to use a dagger.”

Without hesitation, Sang-Hyeon prepared to devour Venamos’ dagger.

As I communed with the artifact according to the mana synchronization value, the surrounding environment changed in an instant.

Before he knew it, Sang-Hyeon was sitting at a magnificent golden round table with a well-prepared chicken dish in front of him.

The dagger is shaped like a chicken.

There are many variables in the visualization, so there were cases where bug dishes appeared. Of course, even then, it had to be delicious.

“I wish I could eat artifacts with this taste and texture every time.”

Sang-Hyeon diligently emptied his plate, recalling memories of other meals that had been terrible.

And when I had completely emptied the bowl of chicken dish that was generously filled, down to the last bit of meat.

[The absorption of Venamos’ Dagger has been completed.]

[You have permanently acquired Agility stat +2.]

[You have acquired the hidden skill Demon Bash.]

[The dagger of Venamos, once absorbed, disappears into a handful of ash and disappears forever.]

The artifact ‘Meal’ is finished.

It was a change in stats and skills that occurred along with the disappearance of the dagger that was in my hand.

The newly added Demon Bash skill in the skill window announced its debut with a red flash.

‘This skill is too much for a player like me who is only level 1! I think I got it at level 650 before?’

Compared to his previous life, the gap in the time he acquired it was significant. It was a skill that was created 25 years earlier.

『Demon Bash』

■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)

■ Skill Introduction: Causes a 2.0 second stun state to monsters or players exposed to attacks.

However, the duration of the stiffness and the success rate depend on the skill resistance of the target.

“That’s a very good skill!”

When a monster becomes rigid, it literally becomes a target that doesn’t move while standing still!

From the perspective of a teammate, it is a great opportunity to target the enemy without worry.

Currently, the skill is at level 1, so the duration is only 2 seconds, but as the level goes up, the duration will get longer.

I am looking forward to it as there is still a lot of room to fill in the future.

If you diligently use your skills, your dexterity will gradually build up and your skill level will increase.

The 0.0% displayed next to Step 1 is the ductility value.

‘First of all, I must make sure to get all the loot I wanted from today’s dungeon raid. Absolutely.’

Sang-Hyeon’s eyes sparkled.

There was only one reason why I wanted to somehow join the player team today.

This is because useful artifacts appear while clearing dungeons.

It is a type of stone crystal called red gallstone, and can be obtained from the mid-boss monster called Demon Oak.

Among the artifact effects of the gallstones, there is an effect called [Delay], and this was very important to Sang-Hyeon.

When you eat an artifact, you can combine it with a skill of your choice in the process of taking on its inherent effects.

What Sang-Hyeon was aiming for was a structure that linked the delay effect to Demon Bash, extending the stiffness even further.

This is something that only those with special abilities can do, so others cannot imitate or even apply it.

‘It’ll be fun.’

Sang-Hyeon’s two hands gripped the greatsword with all their might.

A life reborn through regression!

It was a life that was still a bit awkward, but that made it even more of a fresh shock.

Since I came back with all my memories, I definitely wanted to reach the highest position and level this time.

A desire and a dream that I had dreamed of countless times before but had to give up.

But now it was no longer an impossible dream.

Perhaps that is why the desire and fighting spirit that had always been deep inside Sang-Hyeon began to burn brightly.

“There will be a lot of work to do in the future.”

Sang-Hyeon looked at the surrounding scenery outside the car window while driving.

The entrances and exits of dungeons and gates with different colors and properties are clearly visible.

And the area around there is always crowded with players and porters, like a crosswalk during rush hour.

“It’s my first time on the job as a player, so I don’t think the response will be very good. I guess I’ll have to accept that, right?”

Boooow!

Sang-Hyeon stepped hard on the accelerator.

You have to grow diligently.

Since his level is still at the lowest level of the player system, Level 1, he still has a long way to go.

* * *

“Brother, why did you accept that guy Shin Sang-hyun? Even if he suddenly became a player, he didn’t even graduate from the academy. He’s just a burden.”

“Well, even if something goes wrong, Sang-Hyeon will die, but we won’t die, right?”

“But I don’t think it would be pleasant to see blood.”

“Don’t overthink it! Let’s just watch that puppy, who even beat the academy, shit itself in fear.”

“Phew! Now that I think about it, that kind of picture wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

“I called because I thought you’d see that. Kill kill.”

At a time when Sang-Hyeon had not yet arrived, the players gathered in front of the dungeon were talking about Sang-Hyeon.

The reaction from the existing team players was unanimous: Sang-Hyeon was arrogant and haughty.

The same thought was shared by the ‘porters’ who had been colleagues in the same profession until just three days ago.

“Chief. Isn’t it the rule that players usually participate as porters before graduating from the academy?”

“That’s right. Tsk.”

Porter leader Shin Ho-young clicked his tongue.

No matter how I think about it, if you just became a player, you’re definitely a novice who can’t even fight a proper battle.

Even the image of Sang-hyeon that Shin Ho-young remembers was that of a guy who would tremble at the sound of a monster’s footsteps.

A guy like that suddenly joins the player and hunts monsters? It was something that made no sense.

It’s like a beginner who doesn’t even know how to fish trying to catch a fish.

“hello!”

Sang-Hyeon greeted all the players and porters on site with a bright smile.

The gaze returning to me was cold, but I wasn’t flustered. It was a reaction I had expected from the beginning.

Yoon Dae-kyung, the leader of the player team, spoke to Sang-hyun with narrowed eyes and a pursed lips.

“What’s with the greatsword all of a sudden? Isn’t the greatsword the most difficult to handle among all swords?”

“Sir, I’ll cover the front, so just let me participate.”

“Are you really sure?”

“I won’t be a nuisance to the team.”

“What’s so urgent that you’re passing the academy and going to the dungeon… … Got it. Let’s go, everyone!”

Yoon Dae-kyung turned his head away as if he couldn’t be bothered to say anything more and shouted at all the members.

How many fools boast about awakening as a player and then cross the Jordan River?

Yoon Dae-kyung was convinced that Sang-hyeon’s arrogance would eventually lead to his suffering in the dungeon.

A player who was born as a porter and was lucky enough to awaken.

The future was obvious even without looking.