Even after Shin-hyeok reached the center of the map, the viewers thought he would fail to get through this wave and die.
-He definitely seems skilled, but he is arrogant.
-Yeah; he is a frog in a well who does not know how wide the world is.
-I hope this defeat makes him more humble from now on.
Since the center was where hundreds of enemies appeared, that reaction was inevitable.
But when the enemies appeared afterward, everyone learned that nothing in the world was one hundred percent certain.
-……What is that?
-Is it a Class ability? A Trait? A Skill?
After Shin-hyeok spoke the words Heaven-Shattering, World-Destroying Style, he unleashed Heaven-Annihilating Roc Fist.
The viewers could not hide their astonishment as a fist containing the form of a massive roc that annihilated the heavens swept away dozens of Orcs at once.
They only argued briefly about whether it was a Class ability, a Trait, or a Skill.
“Rise.”
At Shin-hyeok’s short command, dozens of Orc corpses were reborn as undead.
“Predation.”
CRUNCH!
Of course, he did not forget to consume the remaining corpses.
There were not many corpses, and his stats had just increased, so there was no further stat increase. Still, Shin-hyeok was satisfied as his spent Mana rapidly recovered.
-Wow, what was that ability that just ate the corpses?
-First the fist technique, then an ability that eats corpses.
-What is even more surprising is that he has a lot of abilities beyond those.
-Seriously. He handles all kinds of weapons well, uses Necromancy and magic, and now he has insane fist techniques and can eat corpses too?
But the viewers who had watched everything were not satisfied at all.
The abilities Shin-hyeok had shown so far were already enough to make him worthy of being called a super rookie.
But the two abilities he had shown this time were on an entirely different level from those before.
A fist technique that turned dozens of Orcs into pulp in an instant.
Then Predation, which devoured those Orcs.
Of course, the viewers did not know what effect Predation had. But its appearance alone was overwhelming enough that it did not matter.
From then on, things went smoothly.
THUD— THUMP— THUD— THUMP!
Every enemy that poured out of the black gate was smashed apart by the undead army Shin-hyeok controlled.
Of course, not all the Orcs were like that.
-SNORT!
Among them were Orcs who broke through the undead army and targeted Shin-hyeok, the caster.
SWISH— THUD!
-……Snort!
But that was all they could do.
The moment they escaped the undead army, an arrow flying toward them pierced their foreheads precisely, forcing them to meet their end.
Orcs fell one after another.
They could only choose one of two fates: rise again as undead, or be devoured by Shin-hyeok’s Predation.
Naturally, Shin-hyeok, not the Orcs, was the one who chose.
[Wave 4 has ended.]
[Enemies currently slain: 852]
“Not bad.”
Having cleared Wave 4 in the center of the map without incident, Shin-hyeok smiled at the kill count, which was clearly different from Wave 3.
Having killed more than three hundred enemies, it was no exaggeration to say that quest success was guaranteed if he finished Wave 5.
Five thousand Achievement Points.
It was not an overwhelmingly large amount, but their value was still tremendous because they could not be obtained even with money.
“Now, only Wave 5 remains.”
-Oh, no…… My new S5……!
-Seeing this, does success in Wave 5 not seem certain too?
-Yeah. That fist technique he used at the beginning? If he can use that again, it seems likely.
-Wow, I was so afraid I would wet myself that I already came wearing a diaper.
-Disgusting;;
The viewers instinctively sensed from Shin-hyeok’s relaxed appearance that he was confident he could clear Wave 5.
And that soon became reality.
“Heaven-Shattering, World-Destroying Style—Heaven-Annihilating Roc Fist.”
[The Martial God suppresses a groan.]
[The Pinnacle of All Evil takes interest in your strength.]
Once more, the Martial God’s technique unfolded from Shin-hyeok’s hand.
“Predation. Rise.”
Shin-hyeok used Predation to replenish his spent Mana and Vitality, then raised the remaining corpses once more.
An undead army that had already grown beyond a hundred into the hundreds moved to finish the final fifth wave.
[Wave 5 has ended.]
[Enemies currently slain: 1,248]
“I cleared it easily.”
And the result that followed was as expected.
1,248 enemies.
Shin-hyeok smiled in satisfaction at the result, which exceeded the quest’s goal of one thousand enemies by over two hundred.
-Ah…… In the end…….
-But is this not the first time someone in Silver Tier has cleared Wave 5?
-Hahaha. Is Wave 5 really the problem right now?
-Seriously. He held out in the center of the map from Wave 3 through Wave 5, haha;;
-At this point, is he not truly worthy of being called a super rookie?
-Ahem. Call him Super Rookie, sir.
It was a result that even the viewers watching Shin-hyeok’s broadcast had no choice but to acknowledge.
In particular, Shin-hyeok had endured Wave 5.
And he had endured it in the center of the map, forcing even those who had refused to acknowledge him to do so.
“Now that the waves are over and I have completed the quest, I will end today’s stream here. Ah, I will select three of the nineteen people who bet on Wave 5 through a lottery, so you do not need to worry about me withholding the prize.”
-Ah…….
-Not receiving it is one thing, but it is a shame that the broadcast is ending T_T
-Do not go T_T
-How much will it take? How much do you need?!
-He is a third-generation heir of Shinhwa Group. Will money work?
-Ah.
But that lasted only briefly.
The viewers could not hide their disappointment that the game had ended and the broadcast was ending as well.
That was especially true because, unlike most players, Shin-hyeok was free from the constraints of money.
In other words, he could not be kept around with money either.
As the chat window became a sea of tears once more—
[The quest has been completed.]
[The Pinnacle of All Evil offers a reward with an interested expression.]
[You have acquired 5,000 Achievement Points.]
“Thank you for the quest reward.”
Shin-hyeok received the quest reward and could not hide his happiness.
The quest had certainly been difficult, but rewards were always sweet.
Five thousand Achievement Points.
As the saying went, dust gathered became a mountain. If he could accumulate Achievement Points like these, he could purchase Class Enhancement Tickets, Growth Tickets, and other products as well, making him even happier.
Of course, that is still far in the future.
Considering the absurd costs of five million and fifty million points, it was still a distant prospect.
Shin-hyeok had received the quest reward and was about to leave the game when—
[You have met the conditions to activate a Hidden Stage.]
“……A Hidden Stage?”
-Hidden?
-How do you activate a Hidden Stage in your first game?
-Your luck is fucking insane;;
-It is not luck. If you think about it, it is skill.
-Agreed. What kind of madman would think of going to the center of the map in a Defense Theme during their first game?
-Hahaha. That is true.
Neither Shin-hyeok nor the viewers could hide their bewilderment at the sudden message window.
A Hidden Stage.
It was something players could occasionally encounter while playing Dimension Arena.
Naturally, the word Hidden was the source of their surprise, because it was extremely difficult to encounter.
But the difficulty of finding one was not the only reason people were surprised by the words Hidden Stage.
-Did you hear that the Legendary-Grade material recently posted at the auction house came from a Hidden Stage in a Diamond Tier game?
-Khh…… It might not be that good, but he should still get a decent item, right?
-He could get materials or equipment that are difficult to obtain even with money as rewards. He really struck it rich.
-I am jealous…….
It was because the rewards were excellent enough to suit the name Hidden Stage.
A Legendary-Grade material had recently been obtained as a Hidden Stage reward in a Diamond Tier game, making the viewers even more envious.
But those were only the good aspects of a Hidden Stage.
-Hidden Stages normally jump at least one Tier in difficulty. Can he clear it?
-Seriously. Silver Tier means Gold Tier. It might even reach the difficulty of the lower Platinum Tier…….
-Perhaps he should just rest instead of challenging it, losing, and receiving a one-day penalty…….
-No, no. Sometimes Hidden Stage penalties are different from ordinary penalties, making it even worse.
-Did a Gold Tier player not get excited about getting a Hidden Stage last time, then suffer stat reduction and a three-day suspension?
The brutal difficulty of Hidden Stages was as famous as their rewards.
There were penalties different from ordinary penalties.
Then there was difficulty that seemed as though it had been created simply to make players lose.
A Hidden Stage was no different from a trap with sweet nectar, like a carnivorous flower.
Of course, I will participate.
Shin-hyeok had no intention of giving up.
In his previous life, he had not been associated with Hidden Stages, and his ability had also been lacking. But neither was true now.
Just as Shin-hyeok was about to declare his participation in the Hidden Stage—
[The Pinnacle of All Evil adds a participation reward.]
[The Martial God adds a participation reward.]
……What a windfall?
The two Constellations that had been quietly watching the situation hurriedly offered additional rewards, worried that Shin-hyeok might not participate.
From Shin-hyeok’s perspective, it was like having a sweet rice cake placed in his mouth without lifting a finger.
“Since the Constellations have even promised additional rewards, I have no choice but to participate.”
-Wow, the Constellations are even offering additional rewards?
-It is not a one-plus-one event…… I am jealous.
-Jealous my ass. You only get them if you succeed.
-Agreed. If he fails, he gets nothing.
At that, Shin-hyeok immediately declared his participation in the Hidden Stage.
One viewer, sick with envy at the Constellations’ additional rewards, grumbled, but most could not hide their envy.
Regardless, Shin-hyeok immediately checked the rewards offered by the two Constellations.
[Reward: Demonic Iron]
[Reward: Heaven-Shattering, World-Destroying Style—First Form, Second Section]
Good. Demonic Iron goes without saying; it is a Unique Grade material. And Elder Cheok’s reward is the next technique after Heaven-Annihilating Roc Fist, the First Form, First Section that I did not learn in my previous life. I have to obtain this no matter what.
The Pinnacle of All Evil had offered Demonic Iron, a Unique Grade material of the same rank as Consecrated Sacred Iron.
The Martial God had offered the next technique after Heaven-Annihilating Roc Fist, which Shin-hyeok had learned as the First Form, First Section in his previous life.
Each reward was something Shin-hyeok could not give up. As he prepared for the Hidden Stage with a determined expression—
[The Hidden Wave is beginning.]
[All players not located in the center of the map will be eliminated.]
[The Hidden Wave will last for one hour.]
[Enemies will continuously receive reinforcements while the wave is in progress.]
“……They are truly determined.”
-Wow, hahaha. The bastards at Dimension Arena are vicious.
-They are even removing the teammates who remained in the fortress, and what? One hour? Are they joking?
-Hahaha. It took around an hour to survive through Wave 5, and now they are telling him to do it all over again?
-And since it is a Hidden Wave, the enemies will be stronger than the ones that appeared through Wave 5, hahaha.
Shin-hyeok and the viewers let out hollow laughs after checking the messages that followed.
It was clearly a stage designed to make players lose.
But when Shin-hyeok confirmed the enemies slowly appearing from the gate in the center of the map, a smile formed on his lips.
The reason was simple.
“Elves?”
The Hidden Wave.
The main enemies that appeared there were none other than Elves, one of the races that had betrayed Shin-hyeok before his regression.
As Shin-hyeok watched the Elves gradually take shape, he began gathering the Mana spread around him.
“Viewers, do you know Spirit Magic?”
-……Pardon?
-What?
-No, there is no way, right?
Asking the chat that question, Shin-hyeok did not forget to smile brightly before opening his mouth.
“I, Choi Shin-hyeok, now seek a contract with you. Reveal yourselves here and now. Fire Spirit, Kasa. Wind Spirit, Sylph. Earth Spirit, Gnome. Water Spirit, Undine.”
FWOOSH! WHOOOO! RUMBLE! SPLASH!
[You have acquired Skill: Spirit Magic [E].]
He did not forget to summon all four low-grade spirits from the very start.
-???
-All four elements?
-That is too much.
-Too much.
-That is absurd.
-Three strikes of too much.
Naturally, Shin-hyeok’s chat window was covered in question marks.
But unconcerned by the question marks filling his chat window, Shin-hyeok charged at the Elves made of black energy alongside the spirits that had already taken form.