Seong Jihan was taken aback by the sudden emergence of a linked quest. He recalled the linked quest he had received during his time in the Bronze League.
[Prevent the attack of the Flesh Golem created by the Apostle of Destruction, 'Black Hand'. If you use the Blessing of the Crystal, you can narrow the gap of power!]
'So this linked quest was a continuation of that defense challenge,' he thought, recalling the time he defeated the Flesh Golem.
He examined the new quest:
[Linked Quest – Traces of the Apostle(1)]
– In a certain location of the Valley of the End, a being neither of light nor darkness is hiding. You must lure this hidden being out.
– Deal a blow to the Archangel's Sword in the Angel Faction's main camp and the Reaper's Scythe in the Demon Faction's main camp to obtain fragments of both relics.
– Reward: 20,000 Achievement Points
Note: Divine Fragments can only be obtained from the opposing base. Upon completion, the quest continues to Traces of the Apostle (2).
The Archangel's sword and the Grim Reaper's scythe were symbols planted at the heart of each base. Players typically avoided these symbols due to their reflective properties. The connection between these symbols and revealing the Apostle's presence was unclear, but obtaining the fragments would not be easy. Especially since he couldn't strike his own base's divine relic.
'I need to gather full buffs,' Seong Jihan decided, understanding the buffs' cumulative effect in the Ravine map.
With that, he transformed into lightning and dashed towards the mid lane.
Mid Lane
The mid lane was alight with a fierce duel between a mage and an archer.
'He's quite skilled!'
'Indeed, controlling him isn't easy!'
Amidst the minions' battles, the two players unleashed a barrage of skills and magic. They anticipated each other's moves, dodging and countering with precision. Their rivalry was legendary, having faced off countless times in the Silver League. Both acknowledged each other's skills, believing this rivalry would persist even in the Gold League.
Their intense battle paused momentarily as they both sized each other up. That's when an unexpected voice interrupted, "Excuse me."
From the northern creek, Seong Jihan, wielding the Phoenix Spear, appeared. The two players were clearly startled, wondering why he was there.
"I'll be taking a kill," Seong Jihan casually remarked.
"What…?" Before they could react, Seong Jihan's shadow pierced the head of the Angel side's archer.
"?!"
The mage looked in shock.
"I'll also take the team reward," Seong Jihan added nonchalantly.
With a single swipe of the Phoenix Spear, Seong Jihan effortlessly vanquished ten angel minions that were advancing. In a matter of moments, the mid-lane was cleared.
The leader of the guild, Lee Sung, stared at Seong Jihan in disbelief. He had been fiercely battling against the opposing mid-laner, each acknowledging the other's skills. Yet, with just one move from Seong Jihan, his opponent was eradicated.
'Is he really just level 30?' Although Lee Sung knew Seong Jihan was incredibly powerful, seeing him in action was entirely different. 'This is no ordinary game,' he thought, feeling like all his efforts had been effortlessly crushed. For the first time, he felt like he was facing an insurmountable wall.
"Good day then," Seong Jihan waved at the stunned Lee Sung and disappeared. Moments later, notifications flooded the screen, announcing Seong Jihan's relentless rampage across the battlefield. It seemed he had moved on to the bot lane.
"Looks like he's riding the momentum," one player commented. Despite the brief moment of embarrassment, they soon accepted the inevitable victory that lay ahead. Hoping they wouldn't face him as an opponent in the next game.
* * *
40 minutes into the game, the Angel faction found themselves backed into a corner, their defenses shattered. For a map like the Valley of the End, which typically had an average game time of over 3 hours, it was astonishing to see it nearing its end so quickly because of one player.
The viewers found the game to be too easy for Seong Jihan. They never expected him to dominate so decisively right from the start. The level difference was astounding! Even if this was his first time on this map, his performance was unparalleled.
As he reached 20 kills, the opposing players gave up, flooding the chat with their frustrations and pleas for the game to end quickly. The viewers were amused by the players' reactions, empathizing with their feelings of helplessness against such a formidable opponent.
– This game is so messed up!
– I wouldn't want to play either. Getting taken down by a summoned creature two at a time.
– LOL!! The Dark Elf's eyes keep getting bigger, so cute…
– Those dark eyes make her look like a ghost.
– But she's still pretty, so she passes!
Only two defense towers stood in front of the Angel faction's main base. At the center of the base, Seong Jihan met Ariel, the Dark Elf. The once tiny elf had grown significantly, now reaching Seong Jihan's shoulder. She looked almost identical to her appearance in the Survival map.
"Have you arrived, inferior creature?" Ariel remarked.
"The summon lasts quite long," Seong Jihan observed.
"That's because your stats have greatly increased, extending the summon duration," Ariel explained.
The stat related to the shadow sword, the Sword Shadow Stat, played a significant role. When Seong Jihan first acquired the Sword Shadow Stat, it started at a mere 5. However, with two title effects, it increased by 8, and after receiving the 'Moon's Shadow' gift, it now stood at 20. Given the in-game buff stacking, it had surged to 200%, making the current Sword Shadow Stat a whopping 60.
"You should invest more in the Sword Shadow Stat. It's quite useful," Ariel advised.
"I find other abilities more useful," Seong Jihan replied.
"What ability could be more valuable?" Ariel questioned, intrigued.
"Want to see?" Seong Jihan extended his hand, and Ariel nodded. The Dark Elf's form transformed, melding into Seong Jihan's arm, turning back into the shadow sword, Eclipse. Handling the Eclipse now felt much more stable and seamless than before, all thanks to the increased stats.
As Seong Jihan walked past the battlefield, his target was not the enemy towers but a well behind the main base. Five angel players who had given up on the game were resting by the well, seemingly disconnected from the ongoing chaos.
"Why are you here?" one of them exclaimed, "This isn't a combat zone!"
"If you come any closer, we'll get struck by lightning! Just end the game already…" another one pleaded.
"I'm here for a pentakill," Seong Jihan smiled menacingly, reaching out with his hand. Suddenly, the players felt an irresistible force pulling them towards Seong Jihan.
With the help of his enhanced 'Force' ability, Seong Jihan began dragging them in, despite the sanctuary's divine protection. But the Archangel of the angel faction wasn't pleased with this sacrilege.
[The Archangel is outraged by the deeds done in the Angelic sanctuary!]
[Archangel rains down thunderbolts of judgment!]
Lightning bolts rained down, but Seong Jihan effortlessly dodged them, leaving only afterimages in their wake.
Seeing the audacity of Seong Jihan, the Archangel further fortified the sanctuary's protective barrier. The once almost invisible shield now shimmered brightly, signifying its bolstered defenses.
However, Seong Jihan was undeterred. He started channeling his inner energy into the Eclipse.
With a sweeping strike, he unleashed a potent force against the barrier. Though the shield, reinforced by the Archangel's might, resisted the attack, it was not left unscathed. The protective barrier now bore a dark scar from the Eclipse's force.
"Your strength is commendable," Ariel spoke from within the Eclipse, "Even leaving a mark on the Archangel's protection is no small feat."
"That was just a basic strike," Seong Jihan replied, smirking.
He then demonstrated a series of moves, effortlessly cycling between the Mountain Crusher, Horizontal Army Sweep, and Divine Earth techniques. To Seong Jihan, these were just basic moves, but their devastating power was evident.
The protective barrier, continuously battered by Seong Jihan's relentless assault, started showing signs of weakening. The end seemed imminent.
Astonished, Ariel exclaimed,
[You can continuously unleash this?]
Just as she expressed her awe at Seong Jihan's effortless execution of the triad technique, a massive thud resonated.
Thud!
[The Archangel's sword directly protects the Sanctuary!]
The massive sword, which should have been at the forefront of the main base, now stepped forth to shield the Angel's Sanctuary. Positioned just behind the barrier, the sword fortified the protective shield.
Clang!
The Archangel's sword was not only more resilient than the barrier but also possessed the ability to reflect attacks. Seong Jihan's sword energy was deflected back towards him.
[This might be our limit] Ariel remarked, witnessing the desperate efforts of the Archangel's sword. Even an empowered Seong Jihan would likely find it challenging to penetrate such a defense.
"Is protecting the well kills more critical than the main base?" Seong Jihan pondered, puzzled by the Archangel's desperate measures. However, he thought, 'This might be a blessing in disguise.' Since it had come to this, he might as well obtain fragments of the Archangel's sword. 'But to achieve that, I need to go all out.'
It was time to invoke the three divine techniques within the Ascending Martial Arts of the Nameless Divine Arts.
'I need to employ a technique that perfectly complements the Eclipse.'
Nameless Divine Arts, Dark Shadow Technique: Dark Soul Vortex
The Shadow Sword Eclipse lost its sword form, morphing into a mini whirlwind. As it started swirling, an enormous surge of magical energy emanated from Seong Jihan.
Ariel, who was within the Eclipse, was taken aback by this unprecedented display of power, [This force… It's akin to the main body's…].