Arte's Aspiration (3)

Kim Tae-seok, team leader, visited the office of CEO Lee Se-jin.

"What? Another Another Story has triggered?"

Se-jin was surprised.

The virtual reality game Ares featured a "new story" system.

These new stories were exclusive rewards for players who cleared content far better than others.

They sometimes activated as bonuses when clear rates were exceptionally high.

And these new stories were divided into ranks.

Rank 7: standard new stories.

Rank 6: Your Story and Another Story.

Another Story typically triggered linked quests, but it held even more special secrets.

"So it can keep rising in rank."

Another Story could climb even higher in rank.

A Rank 6 could step up to Rank 5, then 4, then 3, in a ladder-like progression.

"A quest linked to Demon Grout..."

Because it involved the demon Grout, even Lee Se-jin couldn't predict how far it might go.

"If Another Story triggers and rises one rank, the story rate will start applying."

"That's correct."

The story rate kicked in with each rank increase or new Another Story branch.

It built up like stages, rising with each clear.

And with astonishing feats—miraculous achievements—it skyrocketed, culminating in massive compounded rewards upon full completion.

"If it triggers again and he clears it... can he even do that?"

Lee Se-jin posed the question to himself.

His common sense couldn't judge it. This was a quest tied to Demon Grout, after all.

"I don't know either."

Tae-seok felt the same.

Then Se-jin flashed an intrigued smile.

"If he clears it, what will he gain?"

What rewards would rain down at the story's end?

It all hinged on what Player Hyun-soo could achieve.

Grout laughed.

An arrow loosed by a mere human blacksmith.

To Grout, who toyed with humans like insects, it was laughable.

Demons.

Among the battle-hardened demon race, they stood at the pinnacle, nobility ruling all demons.

Grout ranked at the bottom of those demons.

But even so, he was strong.

His full-powered true body wielded level 700s might.

A bizarre level never seen in Ares.

Of course, Ares balanced everything meticulously.

The level 700s true body Grout couldn't descend recklessly.

Even attempting it posed massive risk to him.

So Grout manifested using a fragment of his power.

In fragment form, he couldn't even muster 50% of his usual strength.

Yet he still held over level 400 power.

Thus, a single arrow from a puny insect was utterly ridiculous to him.

Then.

Grout's senses detected an enormous force.

"...?"

It moved at freakishly high speed.

Instinctively, Grout formed a pentagonal shield.

That instant.

The arrow, flying at light speed, collided with the shield.

Most shields' durability scaled with the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠user's total defense.

Demon Grout's defense lay in realms humans couldn't fathom.

Even weakened by over 50%.

Yet.

The arrow pierced the shield and embedded in Grout's chest.

Grout's body was shoved backward.

"Krhaaaak!"

Flying back some 15 meters, Grout panicked.

'Th-this...?'

He realized soon enough.

The arrow's power could've pierced him clean through.

Yet it stuck in his chest.

Gazing down at it with grim foreboding, he saw it glowing red-hot.

The genius blacksmith had prepared for contingencies.

Even as he forged that single arrow, he'd judged it might not shatter even the fragment.

So he'd infused one power.

A probabilistic force now manifesting like his will.

Four Arrows.

It piled on the initial damage four times over.

Once.

"Krhaaaaaak!"

Twice.

"Kuhuk!"

Thrice.

"Kyahaak!"

Four times.

"Kruup!"

Grout's current HP wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even half his normal.

That less-than-half total filled his HP bar to 100%, and this one arrow shaved off around 60%.

Grout hadn't felt such agony in centuries.

The sheer intensity even knocked him out midair briefly.

Regaining his senses, his noble face twisted.

"I'll kill youuuuuu!"

A mere insect.

Grout vowed to repay this humiliation from such a worm.

Then.

As Grout tried flying toward the Sage's Tower, he sensed a chill at his back.

Turning, he was stunned. Hyun-soo stood there, treating the sky like solid ground.

The arrow Hyun-soo had just loosed ranked among Ares' top one-shot damages.

Top high-rankers hovered at levels 360 to 370.

Even world rank 1 was said to be in the 400s.

Hyun-soo was confident.

If this arrow hit a level 360-370 high ranker, it'd force a job logout or shave 90%+ HP depending on class.

"...That should do it."

The instant he fired, Hyun-soo spoke with Arte.

Conversation done, he stepped on the window sill.

Then.

Hyun-soo was startled. It made no sense.

'I've already accepted the quest, so why again...?'

"...!?"

It was the same alert from before accepting Arte's linked quest: Cage.

New stories generally meant ramped-up difficulty and maximized rewards.

'Two in a row like this... possible?'

Another Story was new to him anyway; hidden mechanics could lurk.

The quest mentioned story rate too.

This revealed Another Story's perks.

'EXP gain and drop rate doubled...?'

Fragment or not, it was boss-tier. Level 400 at that—an insane level.

Double rewards from such a named boss? Unimaginable EXP.

'I've beaten plenty of nameds so far.'

But this fragment outleveled them all, promising far more EXP.

Double that? Beyond comprehension.

"I'm going."

Calamity Leap.

Hyun-soo closed the gap to its back in one bound.

Spotting him, Grout was shocked.

'This one's a blacksmith?'

The blacksmith insects Grout knew hammered artifacts in forges.

Lives lower than soldiers or knights.

It felt off to Grout.

Centuries ago, he'd fought a legend.

For a split second, he sensed that legend's aura from this man.

'But...'

Grout's eyes chilled. That one-shot had blinded him to the truth.

Peering closer, the body was pathetic compared to that legend.

The most insignificant human he'd seen.

Grout laughed.

"Arrogant after one lucky hit."

Grout and Hyun-soo moved.

Grout's blade-sharp arm clashed endlessly with Hyun-soo's sword.

Hyun-soo marveled. Grout's speed overwhelmingly outpaced his.

Its movements felt supernaturally fluid—not trained skill.

'Not learned martial arts or combat technique.'

Born that way.

Blessed genes from birth.

Hyun-soo's face twisted sharply as he took a hit.

Stronger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠damage than any foe he'd faced.

"Know this?"

Grout sneered.

"This isn't even my true power source."

Blood dripped from Hyun-soo's gashes, forming droplets.

They floated around him, morphing into sharp spikes.

And.

Hyun-soo's HP plummeted exponentially. Blood Demon Grout wielded blood as his true weapon.

Combat technique was mere support.

Hyun-soo triggered desperately: Sword King's secret art, Tempest Sword—extra damage on vitals.

That instant.

"...!?"

Hyun-soo panicked.

A single gesture blocked everything.

"Blood Explosion."

Hyun-soo's spilled blood exploded beneath him, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dropping HP below 20% instantly.

"Kuhk!"

Grout entertained a fun idea.

"I'll curse you and drag you to my demonic realm."

Grout's eyes gleamed.

"You'll forge arrows like that one for me and my legions your whole life."

NPCs had insane freedom. Players couldn't break their chains; even Purum Corp couldn't interfere.

Just as they couldn't invade player greatness, nor player downfall.

"I'll cage you too and watch."

"That all you got!? Huh!? Krhahaha!"

Grout was ecstatic. Another toy acquired.

Then Hyun-soo's expression changed.

"That all you got?"

He saw Arte inside the Sage's Tower behind him.

Sage Arte.

He wasn't a mighty warrior.

But he held the power of temporary skill creation.

Before charging Grout, Hyun-soo had said:

Arte, let's return it. The pain you endured.

Arte's temporary creation.

"Grouttttttt!!!"

Grout's eyes trembled. The pathetically weak man until moments ago transformed, rampaging.

It dwelled within.

Sage Arte and Master Craftsman Hyun's collaboration.

Hyun-soo burned with genuine fury.

"Arte must've suffered worse."

Of course, his bond with Arte was fresh and slight.

But empathy held power.

No one could imagine 300 years locked in a tiny room.

Family, lover, home, world—all lost. Arte had screamed endlessly within.

"Suffer too."

Hyun-soo walked Arte's path of torment.

"Ghost Step."

Now Grout would scream.