Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Sang-hyeok kept his right hand pressed against the core and poured even more mana into <Erasure>.
Sssssss!
The black energy bored into the blue crystal with even greater force.
The palm-sized hole rapidly widened, and black sand poured out.
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 7%]
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 14%]
VMMMM!
As the damage rose, the core shook violently.
Blue light burst from the widening cracks and coiled around Sang-hyeok's right arm.
Crack!
Ice spread from the back of his hand to his elbow in an instant.
Sang-hyeok's freeze level also spiked sharply.
[Current Freeze Level: 91%]
That was when the newly unlocked <Demonic Dragon’s Bloodflow> reacted.
Thump!
Dark-red energy surged from his heart and spread through the blood vessels of his entire body.
The freeze level kept climbing, but his body was stiffening noticeably more slowly.
In particular, more power gathered in his right arm, the one touching the core.
Strength returned to his stiffening fingers.
Now all that remained was a contest of speed.
He had to drive the core's damage to 100% before his own freeze level reached 100%.
'I'll erase it first.'
The <Erasure> wrapped around his right hand deepened further.
Everywhere the black energy touched, the blue crystal vanished without even a chance to regenerate.
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 23%]
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 38%]
The same numbers appeared before the eyes of his three teammates.
Hongryeon swung her staff without taking her eyes off the damage readout.
Whooosh!
The demonic beasts swarming toward the <Warmth Core> were engulfed in crimson flames.
"He's really breaking the core!"
Instead of answering, Baren raised his shield and took the charging boar's rush head-on.
Boom!
The impact sent his feet sliding far across the snowfield.
Still, the beast failed to reach the <Warmth Core>.
"Let's hold out until Undisclosed breaks the core!"
BlessingsAreNotFree layered another barrier over Baren.
Hongryeon also widened her flames and drove back the wolves slipping in beside the shield.
The three of them no longer looked back toward Sang-hyeok.
Each held their position and blocked the assault to buy him time to destroy the core.
Sang-hyeok endured the cold that intensified as the damage climbed.
[Current Freeze Level: 95%]
The ice covering his arm and shoulder grew heavier.
Even his exhaled breath froze in the air, but the body through which <Demonic Dragon’s Bloodflow> flowed did not completely stiffen.
VMMMM!
The <Spirit Vein Bracelet: Budding> on his left wrist drew in the mana scattered throughout the gorge.
Each time the drawn mana touched the Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon, the <Demonic Dragon’s Bloodflow> churned with even greater vigor.
Even while enduring the cold freezing his body, the <Erasure> in his right hand did not weaken in the slightest.
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 57%]
Crack-crack-crack!
The fissure that had begun at Sang-hyeok's palm now stretched to the very center of the massive core.
The crystal revealed beyond the cracks was already nearly half hollow.
From the moment the fissure reached the core's center, the damage climbed even faster.
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 74%]
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 89%]
As the damage approached 90%, the core erupted with violent blue light.
Boooom!
The cold burst outward like an explosion and swept through the entire gorge.
White frost settled on the bodies of the three guarding the <Warmth Core> as well.
Sang-hyeok, who was closest, took the cold head-on.
[Current Freeze Level: 98%]
Ice spread up his right arm and reached his chest.
The damage needed to reach 100% was just 11%.
The freeze level was only 2% away from 100%.
Even so, Sang-hyeok had no intention of taking his hand off the core.
He poured every last bit of remaining mana into his right hand.
'Disappear.'
Whooosh!
The black energy burst from his palm like an explosion.
The <Erasure> that had burrowed into the core's interior swallowed the remaining blue crystal all at once.
Crackle!
At last, even the core's center was dyed black.
[<Permafrost Core> damage: 100%]
At that moment.
The blue crystal that had towered several times Sang-hyeok's height collapsed from within.
FSSSSSH!!
Even the base that had been driven deep into the ground turned to black sand and spilled across the snowfield.
「The <Permafrost Core> has been destroyed.」
「Freeze generation in the gorge has stopped.」
Whoooosh.
The blizzard that had blanketed the gorge lost its strength.
The fiercely raging wind died down, and the ice covering Sang-hyeok's body melted away quickly.
The frozen demonic beasts charging at the <Warmth Core> also halted.
The ice encasing them cracked, and their bodies scattered as blue light.
Rumble.
Once the last beast vanished, silence settled over the battlefield.
[<Warmth Core> durability: 100%]
[<Permafrost Core> status: Destroyed]
[Party Members Eliminated: 0]
[Time remaining: 06:21]
「You have completed the Floor 10 restricted Cooperative Battlefield <Frozen Gorge>.」
「You have satisfied the complete conquest condition.」
「The first complete conquest of <Frozen Gorge> has been achieved.」
[Conquest Rating: SSS]
Flash!
White light enveloped the four people scattered across the battlefield.
When the light receded, Sang-hyeok stood before the <Warmth Core> with his three teammates.
Hongryeon looked back and forth between the unscathed Sang-hyeok and the black sand piled high at the far end of the gorge.
Her lips moved several times before her voice finally emerged.
"You really... you really broke it."
Her widened eyes, as if she couldn't believe it, fixed on Sang-hyeok.
Her eyes now shone with unmistakable admiration.
She had poured flames alongside another fire mage and hadn't even managed to raise the damage by 1%.
Yet Sang-hyeok had erased that core alone, and with his bare hands at that.
Baren also relaxed his stiff expression and lowered his shield onto the snowfield.
A faint smile spread across his lips.
"I was completely mistaken."
Baren's gaze shifted to Sang-hyeok's empty right hand.
"I never imagined Impossible One truly fought bare-handed."
He continued in a voice full of admiration.
"You're incredible. Now I understand how you took down the Indestructible Guardian in the tutorial."
BlessingsAreNotFree also set down his staff and clasped his hands in front of his chest.
His eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at Sang-hyeok.
"To erase a core no one else could even damage, all by yourself... truly remarkable."
His overwhelmed voice trembled slightly.
"Thanks to you, we were able to take part in the complete conquest as well. Thank you, Impossible One."
He smiled brightly.
"Now I understand why everyone calls you Impossible One."
The three of them turned their gazes back to Sang-hyeok.
No one doubted his identity anymore.
Soon, the battlefield achievements appeared before the four of them in turn.
[Battlefield contribution: 1st place]
[Public Name: Undisclosed]
[Affiliated Nation: South Korea]
[Key achievements]
- First damage to <Permafrost Core>
- Solo destruction of <Permafrost Core>
- Complete conquest condition achieved
First place in contribution went to Sang-hyeok without any surprise.
Everyone nodded as if it were only natural.
Soon, the complete conquest reward settlement followed.
「Additional rewards will be granted to all cooperative members who participated in the complete conquest.」
Hongryeon's eyes widened as she saw the newly added rewards in her settlement window.
"We got complete conquest rewards too."
BlessingsAreNotFree also rechecked the reward list he had never seen before several times.
"These are rewards we could never get no matter how hard we tried..."
Sang-hyeok looked at the intact <Warmth Core>.
"You're getting them because you protected that."
If the three of them hadn't held off the assault, the basic objective would have failed before Sang-hyeok could break the core.
Because the three of them had done their part, Sang-hyeok had been able to focus on the core to the very end.
Baren bowed deeply toward Sang-hyeok.
"It would be an honor to be matched with you again."
"Me too."
Hongryeon chimed in with a bright smile.
"If we end up on the same team again, let's go for the complete conquest together then too."
Sang-hyeok looked at the three of them in turn.
They had only just met, but they had trusted his judgment and protected the <Warmth Core> to the end.
Beneath the Black Mask, a faint smile spread across Sang-hyeok's lips as well.
"If we get the chance."
Sang-hyeok nodded lightly.
At that moment, a new notification appeared before Sang-hyeok's eyes.
「Core contribution reward for the complete conquest will be granted.」
[You have acquired 1 Authority Factor.]
[Authority Factors held: 1]
[Acquire 2 more Authority Factors to search for a new Authority candidate.]
Sang-hyeok's gaze lingered on the last line.
<Authority Factor>.
It was a growth resource countless players desperately sought.
The core determinant of a player's strength was ultimately <Authority>.
Even with similar levels and equipment, combat power varied greatly depending on which Authority one possessed.
An <Authority Factor> was a resource that opened the possibility of another Authority like that.
It wasn't easy to obtain, either.
As a player’s level rose, opportunities to obtain them dropped sharply, so the standard practice was to stockpile as many as possible whenever the chance arose.
That precious resource had come out as a complete conquest reward.
'Excellent.'
For Sang-hyeok, who bore the <Heart of the Apocalypse Demonic Dragon>, its value was even greater.
<Erasure> had erased without a trace both an existence said to be indestructible and the <Permafrost Core>, which no one had managed to scratch.
The newly unlocked <Demonic Dragon’s Bloodflow> was the same.
From Stage 1, it reduced the effects of all status conditions by 30%.
Thanks to that, he had been able to keep moving and destroy the core even as his freeze level spiked to 98%.
On top of that, it had opened a path to learning black arts of the demonic dragon lineage.
Every Authority he had unlocked so far defied common sense.
What kind of power would reveal itself next?
To confirm the answer, he only needed to collect 2 more Authority Factors.
'I'll have to obtain them wherever I can from now on.'
At that moment, the Authority Factor notification was pushed upward as a new achievement notification appeared.
「You have achieved the world achievement <One Who Ended the Permafrost>.」
「This achievement will be announced across all Eastern and Western channels.」
[Achiever’s Public Name: Undisclosed]
[Affiliated Nation: South Korea]
[South Korea Achievement Points +30,000]
[South Korea’s Projected Deficit Points for This Quarter: 0]
[Current Estimate: Outside Rift Occurrence Range]
At last, the projected deficit points for this quarter had reached 0.
It wasn't confirmed yet, since the quarterly settlement hadn't occurred.
Still, if the current projections held, not even a small rift would open in South Korea this quarter.
Sang-hyeok gazed at the final figure for a moment.
A South Korea without a single rift had gone from a distant goal to a concrete figure right before his eyes.
While Sang-hyeok looked at the screen, Hongryeon quietly caught her breath.
The world achievement announcement had appeared before the three teammates' eyes as well.
"You achieved another world achievement?"
Baren looked back and forth between the +30,000 and the 0 beneath it.
"To fill 30,000 points in a single conquest and bring Korea's deficit points down to 0..."
BlessingsAreNotFree also asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
"So no rifts will open in Korea at all this quarter?"
"It's not confirmed yet, since the settlement hasn't happened."
"But right now, it's outside the rift occurrence range."
Hongryeon looked at Sang-hyeok with an expression still full of admiration.
"Seriously... how far do you intend to go, Impossible One?"
Sang-hyeok looked at Hongryeon for a moment, then lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.
"Still a long way off."
At that moment, the return notice appeared.
「You will return to the Cooperative Battlefield waiting area in 30 seconds.」
After checking the remaining time, Baren asked cautiously.
"Would it be best not to speak of what we saw here outside?"
The conquest results would be made public anyway.
Still, he had no intention of revealing what kind of power had broken the core.
Sang-hyeok nodded.
"Please do."
"Understood. I won't say a word beyond what's posted on the public record board."
Hongryeon and BlessingsAreNotFree also nodded with serious expressions.
White light bloomed beneath the four people's feet.
Until the moment they vanished into the light, the three of them couldn't take their eyes off Sang-hyeok.
* * *
A short while later.
A new entry appeared on the public record board for the 10th-floor restricted Cooperative Battlefield.
[Battlefield: <Frozen Gorge>]
[Achieved Record: First Complete Conquest]
[<Warmth Core> durability: 100%]
[<Permafrost Core> status: Destroyed]
[Conquest Rating: SSS]
[Battlefield contribution: 1st place]
[Public Name: Undisclosed]
[Affiliated Nation: South Korea]
The moment the public record went up, the world achievement announcement also spread across all Eastern and Western channels.
First complete conquest.
Another world achievement.
South Korea's projected deficit points for this quarter: 0.
The instant the three pieces of news were revealed all at once.
PlayerNet erupted.