Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Hidden Stage Onslaught
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Even up until Choi Shin-hyeok reached the center of the map, the viewers thought he wouldn't survive this wave and would die.
With hundreds of enemies spawning, it seemed inevitable.
But as the enemies appeared, viewers realized there was no such thing as a hundred percent certainty in the world.
Following the words "Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style" came "Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist."
A massive fist infused with the power to annihilate the heavens swept away dozens of orcs in one blow, leaving viewers stunned speechless.
The debate over whether it was a job ability, trait, or skill didn't last long.
"Rise."
At Choi Shin-hyeok's curt command, dozens of orc corpses were reborn as undead.
"Predation."
Predation
Devouring remaining corpses
Kwa-duduk!
Of course, he didn't forget to devour the remaining corpses.
There weren't many left, and with his stats having just increased, there was no additional stat growth, but the rapid recovery of his depleted mana satisfied Choi Shin-hyeok.
But the viewers who had witnessed it all firsthand felt differently.
The abilities Choi Shin-hyeok had shown so far were more than enough to earn him the title of Super Rookie.
Yet these two new ones were on a completely different level from before.
A punch that turned dozens of orcs into pulp in one hit.
And Predation that swallowed them whole.
Of course, they didn't know the exact effects of Predation, but the sight alone was overwhelmingly impressive—no issues there.
After that, things went smoothly.
Puk— Puk— Puk— Puk!
All enemies pouring from the black gate were smashed by the undead army under Choi Shin-hyeok's command.
Not all orcs fell that way, though.
-Chwiik!
Some broke through the undead horde to target the cross-legged Choi Shin-hyeok.
Swae-ak— Puk!
-...Kek!
But that was it.
The moment they escaped the undead, arrows pierced their foreheads precisely, ending them.
Orcs toppled with thuds.
They could either rise again as undead or be devoured by Choi Shin-hyeok's Predation—those were their only choices.
Naturally, it was Choi Shin-hyeok's choice, not theirs.
"Pretty profitable."
In the end, Choi Shin-hyeok cleared Wave 4 in the map's center without incident, smiling at the starkly higher enemy count compared to Wave 3.
With over 300 kills, completing Wave 5 would virtually guarantee quest success.
5,000 Achievement Points.
Not an insane amount, but invaluable—something money couldn't buy.
"Just one more Wave 5 left."
Viewers instinctively sensed his confidence in clearing Wave 5 from his relaxed demeanor with only the final wave left.
And that soon became reality.
"Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style - Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist."
The War God's technique unfolded from Choi Shin-hyeok's hand once more.
"Predation. Rise."
He used Predation to restore his mana and stamina, then raised the remaining corpses.
His undead army, now numbering in the hundreds beyond a hundred, moved to finish the final Wave 5.
"Cleared with time to spare."
The result was as expected.
1,248.
Exceeding the quest goal of 1,000 by a whopping 248, Choi Shin-hyeok smiled in satisfaction.
The viewers watching his stream had no choice but to acknowledge Choi Shin-hyeok with these results.
Especially surviving Wave 5.
In the center of the map, no less—even skeptics had to admit it.
"Waves are done, quest complete, so that's the stream for today. Oh, for the nineteen who bet on Wave 5, I'll draw three winners, so no worries about getting stiffed."
But that regret was fleeting.
With the game over and stream ending, viewers couldn't hide their disappointment.
Especially since, unlike most players, Choi Shin-hyeok wasn't bound by money and acted freely.
Money couldn't hold him.
As the chat became a sea of tears again...
"Thanks for the quest reward."
Choi Shin-hyeok claimed it without hiding his joy.
It was a tough quest, but rewards always tasted sweet.
5,000 Achievement Points.
Like pennies making a mountain, accumulating them like this meant he could eventually buy job enhancements, growth items, or more—doubling his delight.
'Of course, that's still far off.'
Considering the absurd 500,000 and 50 million point milestones, it was distant indeed.
As Choi Shin-hyeok moved to exit the game after claiming the reward...
"...Hidden Stage?"
Choi Shin-hyeok and the viewers alike were taken aback by the sudden message.
Hidden Stages occasionally appeared in Dimension Arena.
But "hidden" meant they were extremely rare—that was the shock.
Yet the real reason people freaked out wasn't just rarity.
It was due to the outstanding rewards befitting the name.
A recent Diamond game had yielded a legendary-grade material from one, fueling the envy.
But that was only the good side of Hidden Stages.
Hidden Stages were infamous for their brutal difficulty, matching the rewards.
Different penalties from standard ones.
Difficulty so absurd it seemed designed for failure.
Like a carnivorous flower luring with sweet nectar, Hidden Stages were traps.
'Well, I'm doing it anyway.'
Choi Shin-hyeok had no intention of backing out.
In his previous life, he had no ties to them and lacked power—but not now.
As he prepared to declare entry...
'...? What's this windfall?'
The two constellations watching hurriedly added rewards, fearing he might skip it.
For Choi Shin-hyeok, it was like free candy falling into his lap.
"With the constellations promising extra rewards, I have to join."
Some viewers grumbled about constellation envy, but most couldn't hide theirs.
Ignoring them, Choi Shin-hyeok quickly declared participation and checked the rewards.
'Nice. Demonic Steel is a unique-grade material, no question. And the War God's reward is the next technique after Chapter 1, Section 1's Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist from my past life. Gotta have this.'
The Apex of All Evil offered Demonic Steel, same grade as Blessed Steel.
The War God offered the follow-up to Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist.
Irresistible for Choi Shin-hyeok. With resolve, he prepared for the Hidden Stage.
"They're serious about this."
Choi Shin-hyeok and viewers let out dry laughs at the messages.
Obviously designed for failure.
But seeing the enemies emerging slowly from the center gate, a smile crept onto Choi Shin-hyeok's lips.
The reason was simple.
"Elves, huh?"
Hidden Wave.
Its main enemies were elves—one of the races that betrayed him before regression.
As the elves took form, Choi Shin-hyeok began gathering surrounding mana.
"Everyone, do you know about Spirit Summoning?"
He tossed the question into chat with a fresh smile.
"I, Choi Shin-hyeok, desire a contract with you now—reveal yourself here. Fire Spirit, Casa. Wind Spirit, Sylph. Earth Spirit, Gnome. Water Spirit, Undine."
Hwaruruk! Whoosh! Kwa-duduk! Puhwaaak!
He didn't forget to summon all four lower spirits right from the start.
Chat flooded with question marks as expected.
Ignoring them, Choi Shin-hyeok charged at the now-formed elves made of black energy alongside his spirits.