Artifact-Devouring Player Chapter 186

186
The reason Madongho targeted Sanghyeon was not simply because he seemed easy.

First of all, it was for strategic reasons.

By keeping Sang-Hyeon in check, who had a close relationship with the Eden Guild, he attempted to keep both Sang-Hyeon and the Eden Guild in check at the same time.

It was also meant to be a warning that if you get close to the Eden Guild, you could receive ‘true education’ in this way.

On the one hand, there was a part of me that wanted the Eden Guild to get upset over this issue and rush to the Sun Guild.

In other words, it was a largely intentional conflict provocation. The Sun Guild had the confidence to do so.

The second was also the policy that the Sun Guild was taking on promising players from enemy guilds.

Pulling out the roots before the sprout can be properly cut.

It was also a reflection on the current situation where I was unable to keep Jo Jin-ho and Shin Tae-ri in check in the early days of the player, and ended up like raising a tiger.

Even if you haven’t joined the Eden Guild, if you are close to them and have power, you will definitely be kept in check.

That was also the current belief of the Sun Guild. It was to prevent the emergence of a second Jo Jin-ho or Shin Tae-ri.

In fact, Joo Eun-hye and Ma Dong-ho, who had planned this from the beginning, expected that Sang-hyeon would not receive the invitation.

It is an open secret that there was outside influence involved in the invitation to Mystery.

This is because the matchup was designed from the beginning without any possibility of Sang-Hyeon winning.

In a matchup where eggs beat rocks, would anyone bet on the eggs to win? Absolutely not.

‘F*ck, what is this… … .’

However, as soon as the war broke out, Madongho was greatly embarrassed by Sanghyeon’s all-out attack that was being carried out harshly.

The iron wall.

It was a nickname given by players to describe Madongho’s defensive abilities.

It is so named because it does not get scratched no matter how much you hit or strike it.

But as soon as it started, a dent appeared in the barrier. Sang-Hyeon’s Wind Thunder Slash attack was successful.

The unexpected wind and thunder attack caused Madongho to fall into a state of ‘shock’. A momentary blank.

When all resistance mechanisms were disabled, Sang-Hyeon linked the Abyss Eye skill to Madong-Ho.

Real name revealed in an instant!

When he suddenly lost sight of the front, Madongho panicked and used the artifact to remove the abnormal status.

It was a response that had some credibility, but it was a situation that could have become dangerous if the response had been even slightly delayed.

‘Can you call this an inspection? If it’s like this, it’s not an inspection. It’d be better to call it a magic inspection.’

Madongho is a swordsman who specializes in tanking just like Jinho Jo.

That’s why the process of figuring out whether the damage coming from the opponent was magic-based or physical-based was fast.

Naturally, Madongho came out with a setting to block ‘physical damage’ in the process of dealing with Sanghyeon.

All of the self-buff skills that were poured out during battle were specialized for physical damage defense.

However, skills such as Sang-Hyeon’s Wind Strike and Abyss Eye were strictly based on magic damage.

Even though the initial damage from Wind and Thunder Slash was physical damage, the aftereffects were all magical damage.

Well, it was good anyway.

Among the inspector players, there are some cases where they are particularly specialized in magical damage.

The swordsman So Hyeong-jun, who appeared as a surprise commentary today, is also a swordsman with magic-based damage. He is a mutant.

But the problem is.

‘It hurts more than I thought… … .’

It was an attack by Sang-Hyeon that had enough power to warrant the description of destructive.

There was definitely a reason.

This is because Sang-Hyeon used Werther’s rage skill as soon as the war broke out.

A very risky skill that consumes 50% of stamina for the first change and 50% of mana for the second change.

There was a good reason why I was able to use a skill that instantly wiped out half of my health without any burden.

‘The fatal flaw of a defensive swordsman who specializes in preemptive defense and counterattack is that he doesn’t take risks.’

This was the exact part.

If the opponent is an aggressive-minded inspector, you can detect any noticeable changes and immediately launch a counterattack.

But the defensive nature is different.

Because I don’t take risks.

The very act of switching to the offensive is tantamount to giving up one’s own identity as ‘defense’.

It’s a kind of dilemma, but it’s actually a frame that many players have their own way of thinking.

When people praise and promote you as a prosecutor specializing in offense, you can’t help but be conscious of it.

Sang-Hyeon saw Madong-Ho as that kind of case.

A named player who can even put pressure on Jo Jin-ho when it comes to defense!

The awareness that had been built up over such a long period of time would have made it difficult for him to take risks.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Cough! Ugh! Cough!”

Every time Sang-Hyeon’s nameless sword struck Madong-Ho’s greatsword, his fingertips tingled and his entire body trembled.

Although it was purely skill damage, Werther’s wrath, amplified by 300%, was the ‘beginning’ of Sang-Hyeon’s destructive sword dance.

– Since the start of the battle, Madongho player has been unable to move for over 20 seconds! What do you think of So Hyeongjun’s commentary?

The commentator, who had left the very first part of the battle to the cheers of the crowd and the flow of the reconnaissance, intervened.

A seasoned commentator would have already realized that the exploration phase was over and that the first attack/defense phase had begun.

It was an obvious fact to So Hyeong-jun and Dokgo Yoon, who had much more expertise than the commentator.

– It looks like Shin Sang-hyun has at least two damage amplification skills. It’s quite destructive.

– Oh! So Hyeong-jun is known for his conservative judgments! But you still give him a destructive evaluation?

– Player Madongho is someone who has a solid defensive line. However, you can tell by the fact that the line has already been modified three times.

– Okay! Then, what do you think of Dokgo Yoon’s commentary?

With the commentator’s appropriate intervention, all people’s attention was focused on Dokgo Yoon.

If So Hyeong-jun is famous for making conservative judgments, Dokgo Yoon is someone who never says anything good.

“… … .”

Dokgo Yoon didn’t speak right away.

Of course, the judgment was already made.

20 seconds of battle.

Some may ask what can be judged in such a short time… … .

Dokgo Yoon’s thoughts were different.

When it comes to great athletes, you can predict their potential and future just by watching their warm-up movements.

The same goes for players.

If you look at the starting process, it is not difficult to predict the future. Especially if it is in the same series.

– The game is over.

– Huh?

A bewildered reaction came from the commentator, who is rarely surprised.

Of course, it wasn’t said whose game was over.

It may have been a reference to the fact that Sang-Hyeon’s game was over, as expected by the world. It was so obvious.

– 5 minutes. If Madongho can hold out for 5 minutes, he will win.

– And if not?

– Of course he’ll die. What other outcome could there be? That means Madongho player has about 4 minutes left.

There was not a single bit of hesitation in Dokgo Yoon’s words, which he spoke with certainty.

The room was in an uproar.

So Hyeong-jun also nodded his head in agreement after hearing Dokgo Yoon’s words, which made it even more so.

Why do they view this battle, which is obviously a fight between a tiger and a dog, differently?

– The line was pushed back! Commentator Dokgo Yoon seems to be thinking that player Madongho was pushed back! Commentator So Hyeongjun, do you have anything to add?

– You all know, right? How did the player named Shin Sang-hyun appeal to us?

So Hyeong-jun opened his eyes narrowly.

The part he pointed out was the part that reminded us again of Sang-Hyeon’s ‘abnormal state’.

This is because the specialty of causing abnormal status effects has not even started yet.

However, the fact that Madongho was already showing signs of being pushed back was evidence that a variable had arisen.

Are you intentionally pretending to be weak in order to make Sang-Hyeon let his guard down? It seems like that…

“Whew! Haa! Hah!”

Madongho’s reaction, who was breathing heavily, was not ordinary.

fast.

It’s strong.

It’s unexpected.

These were the three key words that ate away at Madongho’s mind as he faced Sanghyeon.

Madongho wasn’t stupid.

While observing the level of Sang-Hyeon’s offensive, he also attempted a strategic counterattack.

Extreme stabbing!

A one-hit, fatal move that instantly causes damage equivalent to 1,500% of your strength!

In most cases, he uses his finishing move, that is, his ultimate attack, early.

but.

Thud!

The moment the extreme thrust he had thrown with great force was blocked without even piercing Sang-Hyeon’s stomach, Madong-Ho felt frustrated.

It’s blocked by the Sacrifice.

‘A skill that converts all damage to a specific part of the designated body into healing power. All. Damage.’

Sang-Hyeon laughed as he recalled the skill tooltip related to Sacrifice. Honestly, it’s a scam.

This is because the number of attacks prepared by the opponent as a decisive blow is countered by a skill that does not consume much mana.

Even the cooldown is 30 seconds.

If you can use it with the right timing and direction, enemy attacks will be ‘unconditionally’ neutralized once every 30 seconds.

‘A ridiculous being. That’s me. I’m Shin Sang-hyun.’

I looked back on the value of my existence.

Incredible, ridiculous.

Haven’t these adjectives always followed you around? It’s still the same now.

Right then.

“Kuaaaah!”

Madongho’s whole body turned red as his fever rose, and he soon rushed at Sanghyeon like a runaway train.

It was the emergence of a new variable that was so fast that even Sang-Hyeon had no time to react.

Kuung!

“Ugh!”

As expected, it was Madongho.

A tremendous amount of power was transmitted to Sang-Hyeon through the collision, and it was stronger than expected.

I felt my entire body shake as I was hit hard in the stomach with my elbow.

It was a strength that made me grateful that my internal organs had not ruptured.

Phew!

A strong wind blew and Sang-Hyeon’s body was pushed backwards.

A natural knockback effect caused by the collision! Just before Madongho’s terrifying combo began.

but.

『Recovery』

Sang-Hyeon gave a variation.

The part that took damage from Madongho’s attack was considered unavoidable. Time cannot be turned back.

But I had no intention of allowing a knockback.

In fact, I expected it to be pushed back due to pure shock, but contrary to expectations, it was a skill that rushed in.

And it was Madongho’s abnormal status skill that had a knockback effect like Sang-Hyeon’s knockback burst.

Rather, this was poison to Madongho, because there was a way to remove the knockback effect.

Recovery, a skill that can ‘instantly’ remove all status abnormalities from yourself or a target.

This caused Sang-Hyeon’s movement, which had been pushed back, to stop. It was as if there was a wall behind him!

Because of that, Madongho’s calculations got messed up.

When the path of the greatsword that Sang-Hyeon had been swinging with all his might, calculating that it would push him back, was halfway there.

“F*ck… … .”

Madongho could already see Sanghyeon’s nameless sword that was under his chin.

It was a fatal weakness that was bound to occur because the calculations regarding Sang-Hyeon were completely off from start to finish!