***
***
‘How did the Artemus Legion get here?’
Is it possible for other mid-boss rooms to invade other rooms as well?
Seong Jihan, with a puzzled expression, opened the scoreboard as he observed the Dwarf Legion.
The Artemus Legion, now in second place, just behind the Seong Jihan, still had disclosed information.
He examined the opposing boss’ room invaders.
[Artemus Legion, annihilate the enemy!]
The Dwarf Legion, engaged in battle with the enemies as usual, appeared to have the same numbers as before. The situation didn’t seem like the boss room was under attack.
‘Looks like I’ll have to capture and interrogate them.’
Seong Jihan easily drew his sword across horizontally.
Swish!
Instantly, the Dwarf Legion was split in half. Their hammers, spears, and various weapons were all cleaved in a single strike.
-The Artemus Legion used to be first place… I was expecting something different.’
-The guests this time aren’t very impressive either, are they?’
-Seong Jihan is solidifying his first-place position~’
The viewers are optimistic about the situation when…
Swoosh…
The bodies of the split Dwarf Legion instantly regenerated. Not only the dwarves but also the weapons were restored.
They resumed the battle in the same combat stance, shouting,
[Artemus Legion, annihilate the enemy!]
The Artemus Legion advanced in unison. Their momentum wasn’t exceptionally strong compared to the enemies who had attacked Seong Jihans mid-boss room so far.
Shick!
Even after Seong Jihan’s sword struck them several times, they regenerated and rushed at him again.
‘These guys didn’t earn first place for nothing.’
Players belonging to the same Space 4. They were not to be underestimated.
Seong Jihan used the Total Annihilation Horizontal Sweep while carefully observing the enemy’s regeneration.
Unlike the monstrous regeneration of the elves, these enemies seemed to function differently.
Especially.
‘The weapons are suspicious.’
The restoration order was different from the dwarves; the weapons came first before the dwarves.
Seong Jihan reached out with his hand.
Swoosh…
A small black vortex formed, sucking up all the weapons of the dwarf vanguard.
‘About S-rank in quality.’
Perhaps because dwarves used these weapons, the sizes were like toys. However, the quality itself was not bad.
It couldn’t be compared to Eclipse or Phoenix Flag, but they were reasonably S-rank.
He concentrated on examining the weapons and then lit up his eyes.
‘There’s a peculiar aura hidden inside.’
In terms of attributes, it was close to light. A faint aura was hidden inside the weapon, around the handle area.
Although he had gathered various auras until now, this kind was new, especially for light attributes.
Shuuuu…
A palm-sized black vortex formed, absorbing all the light aura from the weapons.
Then,
[Artemus Legion…]
The dwarves who robustly cheered for the Artemus Legion stopped moving, standing still in place as if the machine had halted its function.
Seong Jihan, facing the vanguard unit in that state, once again swung his sword horizontally.
Swish!
Shwaaak!
The Dwarf Legion, split in half and falling to the ground. Unlike before, these turned into light without showcasing remarkable regeneration, writhing on the ground and disappearing.
‘Indeed, this hidden light aura and regenerative effect were related.’
Well then, let’s delve deeper into this unfamiliar aura.
Seong Jihan wanted to create an even larger Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods, but…
The Artemus Legion that had been charging at him was already retreating towards the entrance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
They might enter on their own accord, but leaving isn’t up to them.
Seong Jihan’s hand moved to obtain the light energy when.
Swoosh…
The weapons and armor of the dwarf legion floated in the air, starting to cluster together wildly.
Clunk! Clunk!
Hundreds, thousands of gears clumped in an instant. What took shape was…
A massive steel giant glistening white with light from various angles.
-A robot?
-Even combined robots are coming out
-Is this the true form of Artemus?
-I felt there was something, but the weapons were the main body…
-We didn’t realize in the public video, but now that it’s in front of Seong Jihan, its true nature is revealed.
Viewing this, the audience recalled the image of a combined robot.
Unlike the typical steel giant, this one was decorated rather elegantly.
[In Space 4, a super rookie has appeared.]
“Are you Artemus?”
[Yes.]
Zzzing…
A burst of white light erupted from Artemus’s chest, and all the dwarves were instantly sucked into it.
Then, the body of Artemus sparkled even more.
‘Quite a force.’
Even as the Seong Jihan, he felt a formidable power that couldn’t be ignored. With this level of opponent, it wouldn’t be easy to eliminate them in one blow.
Zzzt…
As the Seong Jihan properly prepared for the battle against Artemus, raising his power.
[Wait. I have no intention of fighting.]
Clank!
The amalgamated steel giant spread its palm, indicating that it had no intention to fight.
“I do.”
With that, Seong Jihan intensified his aura even further.
The light aura possessed by the giant was something he had never seen before, sparking his curiosity.
Zzzzzing…
As red currents emanated from Seong Jihan’s body, he felt the urge to collect this unfamiliar energy.
Zzzzzing…
As Seong Jihan prepared for battle, raising his power, Artemus shook its hands, signaling a lack of intent to fight.
[Not battle! Negotiate. I want to negotiate, Hideout player.]
“Negotiation?”
[Yes. In the 1st place reward of this special dungeon, if Hellfire Crystals come out, sell them to me.]
“Sell them? I don’t need GP.”
[No need for GP… must be nice to have money. Fine then.]
Swoosh!
Artemus pointed at the Phoenix Flag in Seong Jihan’s hand with his finger and blinked.
[Then, instead of GP, I will upgrade your weapon.]
* * *
-He seems desperate not to fight, even though he looks like a giant monster ready to battle.
LOL, maybe he got scared.
-What’s this about weapon upgrade? Isn’t the Phoenix Flag SSS-grade?
-Exactly lolol
While viewers mocked Artemus for desperately avoiding combat, others expressed surprise.
-Artemus is not only revealing its true form but also offering a weapon upgrade…
-Upgrade weapon?
-What’s the Hellfire Crystal, and why does Artemus want it?
The extraterrestrial race remaining in Seong Jihan’s channel reacted with great astonishment.
Seong Jihan glanced at the chat and eased his momentum.
“If it’s SSS-rank, will you make it into EX?”
[No. Even if I were the best blacksmith in the universe, that would be impossible. But I can enhance it.]
“Hmm.”
[That spear, you attached an intangible weapon to it, right?]
“You’ve got a keen eye. That’s correct.”
[In my view, it’s not completely harmonized yet. With a little touch, its performance will greatly improve.]
The upgraded Phoenix Flag combined with the Divine thunder. Recognizing it at a glance, it didn’t seem like the work of an amateur.
[Hellfire Crystal is what I need as the best blacksmith. It won’t be useful for you. Isn’t this a good deal for you?]
“Well, whether it’s useful for me or not, I’ll have to try it out after receiving the item.”
[Hmm… then, I’ll give you two more Artemus’s Blacksmith Workshop vouchers for the upgrade.]
-Blacksmith Workshop vouchers too?
-Artemus… is that serious about the crystal!
-Our race doesn’t have any crystals… too bad!
The extraterrestrial race chatted excitedly about Artemus’s earnestness.
-What are these aliens talking about? LOL.
-Let’s learn a bit from them -_-.
-They’re just having fun among themselves. LOL.
-Is Artemus some kind of a skilled blacksmith?
Viewers were able to guess Artemus’s standing as a craftsman from their reactions.
“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”
[Don’t think too much… the crystal will be useless for you! How about cooperating with a fellow small race?]
“A small race?”
[Yes! I watched your channel, and you seem to be of human origin. You know, a lower-tier race compared to our Dwarves?]
“You were a Dwarf?”
[That’s right.]
-They were Dwarves, these guys?
-Fantasy races are all coming out.
-But why do these guys always call us the lowest of the low?
-On BattleNet, it does seem like we are the lowest of the low, but LOL, now it’s like a monster feast in Space League.
-Even the combined robot looks like it will just get beaten if another player tries to fight it, LOL.
‘Calling us the lowest of the low, they don’t seem like monsters like elves, but…’
Still, the Dwarves had their peculiarities.
It seemed like their bodies and weapons would regenerate as if time had reversed.
Considering the weapon was the actual core, and it had even become a combined robot.
‘Wait, is this Artemus’s characteristic?’
As Seong Jihan cautiously observed Artemus, he said,
[Oh, right. Did you also stay on BattleNet to improve your race? In that case, as a senior, I can give you advice. There’s an optimal route for what options to buy for the lowest-tier races.]
Whether out of a sense of kinship due to being from a weaker race, the talkative giant robot seemed somewhat amiable.
However, Seong Jihan caught on to something else in Artemus’s words.
“…You stayed on BattleNet?”
[Yes. I couldn’t give up the benefits.]
“How can you leave?”
[…Don’t they give you the option after winning three times in the Bronze League? You should know if you’ve won at least once.]
-Really?
-Three wins and you’re free?
-Oh… robots are useful.
-He’s revealing so much valuable information.
-But wouldn’t it be regrettable if BattleNet disappeared? We’re living for the thrill of watching this, LOL.
-Oh my? What if dungeons appear in front of our homes?
The chat exploded upon hearing the conditions for liberation from BattleNet.
Seong Jihan was also secretly surprised, but he didn’t show it on his face and casually said,
“I’d have to win to know.”
[You… don’t tell me… a rookie? Impossible. There’s a player from Space 4 who’s a newbie?]
Artemus shook its head in disbelief and then.
Zzzing!
Laser beams shot from the giant robot’s eyes, and a huge screen appeared in the air.
From there, unreadable characters emerged.
[Oh, it’s true. A new race has been added to BattleNet betting… The evaluation says that they will be eliminated.]
“Are you looking at the betting site report?”
[Yes. Hmm… you’re not just a Super Rookie. You are a divine being… destined to shine even more brightly among the constellations…]
Swoosh!
Artemus flicked three fingers.]
[Alright. Then, I’ll give you three blacksmith workshop vouchers! Although it’s regrettable for the Hellfire Crystal, I’ll support the hope of the lower-tier race!]
With an incredibly bitter tone, Artemus spoke, supporting the giant robot’s story.
This deal seemed acceptable.
While Seong Jihan was pondering for a moment.
[Master, may I also inquire if it’s possible for me?]
“Enhancement?”
Ariel, who had been silent in the form of the Shadow Eclipse, spoke.
[Indeed. If the Eclipse is enhanced further, it will produce remarkable results.]
Asking wasn’t difficult.
Seong Jihan showed Artemus the sword and asked, “Can this sword be enhanced?”
[This is the Shadow Sword…]
— Zzzing.
Laser beams scanned the shadow sword after emerging from Artemus’s gaze.
[Such abundant authority of the Shadow is in here. Your sponsor constellation is Shadow Queen, ain’t she?]
“No.”
[Not even from the sponsor constellation, yet you’ve been given so much authority? Odd… Enhancement won’t be easy. Unless you have part of the Shadow Queen herself, perhaps a finger.]
“What do you need a finger or body part for?”
[The Shadow Queen is the essence of shadow. Even a hair would be a good material… Anyway, I need at least one finger to evolve further.]
This was a barbaric method, to put a finger in the weapon’s evolution.
[Even the Queen should be able to do that. She says it’s possible.]
“…You’re giving a finger?”
[If it regenerates, it’s fine, isn’t it?]
Ariel spoke confidently, perhaps hinting towards something more.
‘Could she… actually be the queen?’
Despite Ariel’s assertive attitude regarding the severing of a finger…
Seong Jihan looked at the sword suspiciously.
***
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