A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 108

The remaining items weren’t limited to just these either.
Since I wouldn’t be using them directly, there was no need to compare options one by one—I simply had to classify them by item grade.
In any case, two complete sets of magic-use items.
Discounts available when purchasing by the set.
That’s how I’d sell them.
Since these belonged to a noble, their quality was already verified.
I’d distinguish the primary attributes as a bonus.
First, I’d sell them at market price, and if they didn’t move after about a week, I’d apply a modest discount then.
“How much is all of this worth?”
I had already obtained something invaluable.
Not only a method to elevate my primary attribute, but also absurdly high stats to boot.
I’d leveled up nine times, but the practical gain was equivalent to leveling up eighty or more times.
“At this rate, I wouldn’t mind participating in a war.”
The method of acquiring stats through shamanic rituals was shockingly revolutionary.
Perhaps it could even rival permanent sustained buffs.
Moreover, since I seemed to gain golden primary attribute upon confronting Bailys, I judged this method to have value comparable to a mana stone dungeon when converted to currency.
Of course, the premise of being the Eternal Adventurer made the transaction itself impossible.
I’d disposed of the corpse and stored all items in subspace.
Now I simply needed to hide appropriately and wait for Tuuram.
Crash—boom—crack!
In the distance, Tuuram’s destruction beam continued to ravage the world.
Thanks to cutting off the mages, it proceeded smoothly without interference.
The Back Alley was now completely empty.
Ordinary residents kept their windows tightly shut and remained barricaded indoors, while all soldiers capable of combat had rushed out to pursue Tuuram.
I could comfortably perch on a suitable rooftop and tear into jerky without a care.

[Friend List]
[Online: Eun-nyang E]
[Online: Bella]
[Online: Nyx]
[Online: Eden]
[Online: Unnamed Guest]
[Online: Chung-geom]
[Online: Apotos]

I chewed on some jerky while checking my friends list, confirming that all of them were online.

[Kael: Elder, are you busy?]
[Nyx: Huh? I’m swamped right now. The guild called an emergency meeting.]

It seemed Seo-gwang was also preparing for the war.
Since I was at the center of it all, I could provide information freely.

[Kael: In short, Count Ponsen declared war on the Royal Court. Liam isn’t safe either.]
[Nyx: What? Is that information real? Is that why you’re having the meeting?]
[Kael: Probably. I’ll have it passed along through Eun-nyang E, but it would be great if Seo-gwang could check Kraha. Could you make the case for it?]
[Nyx: Hmm? Kraha is a port city, right? It should have better defenses than other towns. Can we actually pull this off?]
[Kael: That’s also probably. I’m currently causing chaos in Muren and Bexon. What I just told you is confidential.]
[Nyx: What? Already? Are you aiming for war merit rewards?]

That was information I didn’t have.
But this was Elder Sung-chul’s strength.
He always predicted what would come next from small clues and suggested directions that would be helpful.

[Kael: Huh? There’s something like that?]
[Nyx: Ah, you didn’t know? When you participate in a war, you get differential rewards based on your contribution. Since the Royal Court is involved in this war, wouldn’t the rewards be the highest in history?]
[Kael: Were there wars before?]
[Nyx: Yeah. There are small territorial or localized conflicts here and there. I participated frequently as a mercenary before joining Seo-gwang. Wars are basically knights and mages playing around anyway. You just do some guerrilla tactics or reconnaissance, so it’s safe too.]

I got much more valuable information than I’d expected.
The key point was that if we sided with the Royal Court in this war, we’d get the highest rewards in history.
Besides, there was no reason to side with Count Ponsen, so there was only one choice.
An NPC that devoured players was certainly novel.

[Kael: Then Elder, you absolutely must participate on the Royal Court’s side. Don’t side with Count Ponsen.]
[Nyx: Hmm. Count Ponsen is a Royal Knight, so it won’t be easy, right? The only other Royal Knights are the Three Great Dukes and the Marquis of the Borderlands, and they’re not exactly loyal to the Royal Court either.]
[Kael: Still, there’s no choice. Count Ponsen is indefinitely imprisoning visitors to Muren and driving them to suicide, then extracting their hearts.]
[Nyx: What? Why would he do something so insane?]
[Kael: User hearts are materials for elixirs. He’s probably massively inflating his stats with some kind of boss modifier.]
[Nyx: Insane. Really? Then not participating in the war would be something to seriously consider, right? There are quite a few Belhard Faction members in the guild.]
[Kael: That’s true, but Count Ponsen’s primary target is likely Liam. If that happens, domestic public opinion will turn extremely negative too.]

I knew all too well how extreme this game company could be.
After all, the previous iteration had dealt countless absurd deaths right from the starting region.
Once the board was overturned, escape became the only answer.
There was no operator intervention to rely on.

[Nyx: This is troublesome. Then it’s a problem with a predetermined answer. We’ve never had a raid event like this before.]

It wouldn’t be an event at all.
In the previous iteration, there were no events conducted under Mason’s direction either.
Only rewards based on Achievements were given.
Just as benefits had been distributed to the Lumiere Guild and all users alike.

[Kael: Eun-gyeong will inevitably fight on the Royal Court’s side anyway. If Koreans don’t protect Liam, who will? I’d really like to see Seo-gwang actively participate in this war.]

Lost in thought, Sung-chul (Elder) stopped responding.
But I didn’t think his deliberation would take long.
At least, if I were Seo-gwang, I would have fought on the Royal Court’s side.
To protect the honor of South Korea’s Four Major Guilds and South Korea’s representative.
And for the greater glory that would return in the future.

[Nyx: Okay. I’ve decided.]
[Kael: Oh. What will you do?]
[Nyx: I’m siding with the Royal Court.]
[Kael: An excellent choice, Elder.]

Sung-chul (Elder) had declared his participation as well.
For me, it was reassuring.
Now we were on the same side.
It meant we could share all information without reservation.
I shared the intelligence about setting fire to the Muren granary and the ongoing destruction of Bexon’s granaries.
And while I was at it, the elimination of the mage under Count Ponsen’s command as well.

[Nyx: Really? You can do that?]
[Kael: Yes. I obtained many excellent skills. They were rewards from a hidden dungeon. I’ve also acquired quite a few other good opportunities besides that.]
[Nyx: Insane. Seo-gwang really should have gone in first.]
[Kael: It’s fine. I was going to take an independent path anyway.]
[Nyx: Anyway, I heard you well. Now I really need to join the actual meeting. See you later.]
[Kael: Okay.]

I finished my whispered conversation with Sung-chul (Elder).
With this, Seo-gwang’s participation had become highly likely.
Having laid so many schemes from the very start, the war would now proceed under far more favorable circumstances.
Still, Count Ponsen’s own combat prowess remained a variable.
“It’s winding down now.”
Boom!
The frequency of explosions had gradually begun to decrease.
Even a cursory glance revealed it was difficult to find any intact areas.
Smoke rose from all directions, leaving only the grotesque scars of destruction in its wake.
Tuuram’s destructive ray was certainly an absurd ability.
The sheer firepower it could unleash was comparable to modern aerial bombardment.
Far in the distance, high in the sky, Tuuram’s form began to enlarge.
He was returning now.
The soldiers pursuing Tuuram were still far enough away that there was no risk of discovery, so I moved toward Loren Fortress, my next destination, to meet him upon arrival.
Whoooosh!
Tuuram began his dive.
Whether he’d honed his flying proficiency through this destructive operation or not, Tuuram’s flight had become remarkably refined.
I never thought I’d be so delighted by the growth of this rough-hewn ancient creature.
Boom!
His landing still generated considerable noise.
But there was no one here strong enough to stop us now.
Every soldier had been drawn to the granary region, their eyes fixed only on the sky.
“You did well, Tuuram.”
“Huff. It felt good to stretch after so long.”
“Your eyes are quite bloodshot. Are you alright?”
Tuuram’s eyes were severely bloodshot.
Perhaps from overexerting himself with the destructive ray.
Chae Rim had mentioned that adjusting Sumoq required time, so there was nothing I could do about it.
“I’m fine. The Shaman handles treatment well.”
He didn’t seem entirely fine, though.
Still, it was fortunate that recovery methods existed.
“Rest seems necessary. Go back and recover for now.”
“Understood.”
I unsummoned Tuuram and immediately transformed into a wolf, dashing toward Loren Fortress.
The eagle, being the fastest means, was out of the question.
Drawing unnecessary attention would only bring pursuit, and that would be my loss.

* * *

The distance between Liam and the Eastern Forest wasn’t quite as vast, but the path here was open enough that I dropped my transformation midway and naturally rejoined the group with an adventurer’s demeanor.
Since the road was sparsely traveled, the only noteworthy encounter was a merchant caravan traveling between Loren Fortress and Bexon.
Clop! Clop!
“Make way! We are messengers of Bexon!”
My brief moment of peace had come to an end.
The sound of rough hoofbeats echoed from behind.
Moreover, they proclaimed themselves as Bexon’s messengers.
These were not opponents I could simply yield the road to.
‘This is the perfect opportunity to test out my new skill.’
I had just acquired a skill of exceptional performance.
Though technically, it was an evolution of my existing skill.

[Active Buffs]
[Thunder Response (Masterpiece)]
[Strength +1 Agility +3 Wisdom +22]
[You can now use Thunder Response Strike.]
[Thunder Response Strike: A shamanic entity infused with heat and lightning is released alongside your kick.]
[Duration: ?]

The skill I was about to test was Thunder Response.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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