A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 12

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

Chapter 12

[Deposit]
[100,000,000 won]
[Cha Eun-kyung]

“…Wow.”
An insanely cool advance payment.
It was a message that arrived within a minute of providing my account number.
A hundred million won had actually been deposited.
The woman named Cha Eun-kyung had now become my client.

-Confirmed the deposit. I will do my best to serve you.
-When will you log in?
-I can access early mornings on weekdays, and I’m available all day on weekends.
-Then come now. I’ve arrived in Liam.
-Understood. I’ll log in then. Will you come to the East Forest Entrance? I’ve secured a private tanning station at the Russell Merchant Company, so please come here.

No further messages came.
Having received a hundred million won, sleeping here would be a luxury I could no longer afford—from this moment on, I had to earn every bit of that payment.

* * *

I logged back into the game.
About two days had passed, so I would need more time, but by now the pelts should have dried considerably.
I checked the condition of the furs and opened my status window.

[Golden Fox Fur Drying Perfectly (Unique)]
[Cold Immunity]
[Heat Immunity]
[Effect: Contempt for the Weak]
[Contempt for the Weak]
[Physical attack immunity against targets with Strength stat below 10]
[Magic attack immunity against targets with Wisdom stat below 10]
[Increased level penalty when level difference exceeds 10]
[Physical and magic attack immunity against targets with stat difference of 50 or more]

The mystery was finally revealed.
There wasn’t a single option worth discarding.
Even in my previous playthrough, options of this caliber could rival legendary-grade materials.
“This is incredible.”
Among them, the most noteworthy option had to be immunity.
Armor bearing climate immunity was essentially an end-game option for wilderness exploration.
Moreover, monsters that typically inhabited harsh environments dropped the most valuable and sought-after loot.
Volcanoes, glaciers—that sort of place.
That’s why climate immunity was absolutely essential for end-game armor.
“Contempt for the Weak looks like it’ll be useful too.”
Contempt for the Weak was literally an option for slaughtering weaklings and defenseless players.
It was meaningless in appropriately-leveled hunting grounds, but it was an incredibly powerful option in PvP.
Especially in the Beginner Village I’d be heading to next, it would prove quite useful.
“I absolutely have to craft this into armor.”
Just like in my previous playthrough, crafting fox fur into shoulder armor was the standard approach.
Not only did fox fur have a wonderful texture, but the grain of the fur itself looked best draped across the shoulders.
“What should I do with the leftover parts?”
I could dispose of half of it to raise funds, but since I’d already earned over 100 million, that didn’t appeal to me.
“Hmm.”
High-quality items could also create valuable connections.
There was a wealthy client who frequented this place, and the materials could be used meaningfully to maintain my relationship with Bella.
“I think using it for networking would be best.”
I’d gathered some decent information from my bed and the company.
Like how in-game currency trading was active at the Liam North Gate, equipment was traded at the West Gate, and miscellaneous items at the South Gate.
“I can always make up any shortfall with real money.”
Through Andy’s beginner guide, I’d also learned everything about basic life in Liam.
I was now confident that I’d graduated from Liam and was ready to move on to my next destination.
Thump, thump, thump.
“…!”
I turned my head toward the sound and spotted an unfamiliar woman dumping a pile of rabbit corpses.
What was even more unsettling was that I hadn’t sensed her presence at all.
To make matters worse, I hadn’t even informed the guild guards that a visitor would be arriving while I was examining the fox fur.
This woman was probably Cha Eun-kyung.
“…Hello?”
“Leather knife. Rabbit corpses. Anything else?”
“May I ask your name? An in-game nickname works too. I need to verify it.”
“…Cha Eun-kyung.”
“Understood. Verified.”
She seemed reluctant to reveal her in-game nickname.
Since she was such a straightforward customer, I decided to keep our conversation to only what was necessary.
“Let me first assess the rabbit’s condition.”
Cha Eun-kyung had hunted the rabbit by piercing its head in one swift motion, unlike me who had broken its neck.
Even while doing so, she demonstrated the finesse to preserve the hide’s quality by withdrawing the weapon without fully driving it through.
“This looks sufficient. You’ve drained the blood well too. However, if you’re aiming to maximize hide quality, there’s another method—knocking the rabbit unconscious without wounds and then breaking its neck. For small animals, it’s quite an effective approach. I obtained a hidden class clue using this method.”
Cha Eun-kyung nodded again.
But her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
She seemed to be the prideful type.
I decided to be more careful with feedback like this going forward.
“Of course, piercing a vital point in one strike is also an excellent hunting technique. The precision of targeting the vital spot without penetrating through was excellent as well. It’s a level I couldn’t replicate myself.”
The praise was effective.
I noticed the corners of Cha Eun-kyung’s mouth lift slightly.
Her technique truly was beyond what I could replicate, so the compliment was genuine.
If I was the type of charging combatant who smashed and tore through obstacles, she was closer to an operative following strict pragmatism.
“Why don’t you watch what I do and try to follow along? We’ll each use our own blades.”
Cha Eun-kyung nodded, agreeing with the suggestion.
Now it was my turn to demonstrate my skill.
Swish. Slice.
I removed the rabbit hide with far more care than before.
At this level, wouldn’t I get a perfect rating?
“How was that?”
“…What was that just now?”
“Pardon? I was demonstrating the hide removal process.”
“I missed it. From when you inserted your hand.”
“Hmm?”
I didn’t think my movements were that fast, but a hundred-million-won customer couldn’t be wrong.
I decided to do it more slowly.
Shhhhsst.
“I’ll break down the process. This much is the first step.”
“…Mm.”
Slice.
“Grasping the grain this way is the second step.”
Swish.
“When you pull from this position, the hide comes off in one motion. That’s the third step.”
“…”
Was this still too difficult for her to follow?
I needed to assess Cha Eun-kyung’s actual hide-working skill level and adjust my teaching accordingly.
“Try it yourself. The way you normally do it.”
Thunk.
An accident happened immediately.
She had driven the blade too deep and cut a large gash.
“This might not come out perfect this way. The fewer wounds, the better. Show me the rabbit hide.”
“….”
*Slice.*
“In cases like this, if we handle it this way, we can still achieve near-perfection despite some material loss.”
Cha Eun-kyung began examining the rabbit hide I presented, turning it over in her hands.
This customer’s expressions were subtle, so I had to observe carefully and discern her true intentions.
I needed to read her mood before her brow furrowed.
“I think it would be better if you relaxed your grip a bit. Let’s try again.”
*Thud.*
Her hands moved with practiced precision.
It seemed the same situation as before would unfold again.
“Wait.”
The rabbits were limited in number.
Therefore, I had no choice but to carefully process each one while teaching her.
Because of this, I felt the need to shift to a hands-on instructional approach.
“Pardon me.”
I took Cha Eun-kyung’s hand and guided her through the technique of skinning, demonstrating the proper method.
“Once you get the feel for it, you’ll pick it up quickly.”
“….”
*Slice.*
“Start like this.”
*Swish.*
“Then move in this direction.”
*Slice.*
“Now, pull. Hold it here.”
*Tear.*
With only two hands, the process was slightly clumsy, but the rabbit hide peeled away cleanly.
This was nearly flawless.
“How is it?”
“…My hand first.”
Following her request, I quickly released the grip I’d been maintaining.
“Ah, yes. How does it feel? Think you can do it?”
“Somewhat.”
It wasn’t a lie, certainly.
She seemed to be the type who learned through experience rather than mere observation.
*Swish. Swish.*
“Good. As long as you control your strength when you first insert the blade, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“….”
For some reason, Cha Eun-kyung was looking at me instead of the next rabbit.
When I tilted my head in confusion, she extended her hand toward me.
“Ah.”
It seemed she wanted to pursue this learning path, having seen results from the practical training.
As for me, I welcomed a disciple who learned quickly with open arms.
“Alright. Let me try again.”

* * *

How much time had passed?
I had exhausted all the rabbits I’d brought.
It was time to wrap up the lesson.
“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s call it a day here.”
“…Why? I can just catch more rabbits.”
“I have to go to work tomorrow, you see?”
“Where do you work?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear? The company Sung-chul (Elder) works at.”
“Who is Sung-chul (Elder)?”
“….”
I must have found the right person.
I had revealed my name as Cha Eun-kyung, and it was certain that this person was my customer.
She simply didn’t know about Sung-chul (Elder).
“Ah. The person who introduced us.”
“I don’t know much about that.”
The conversation about Sung-chul (Elder) didn’t seem to be going anywhere.
In that case, it would be right to answer her original question about where I work.
“Well. I’m just an ordinary office worker.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
The conversation kept missing its mark.
What was it that Cha Eun-kyung truly wanted to know?
“You don’t have to work at a company.”
“…Right. Yes.”
A company. And resignation.
It wasn’t something I could decide on so easily yet.
It hadn’t even been a week since I started the game.
“I didn’t think it was worth quitting my job over.”
The inconsistency of a professional gamer’s income was a major factor.
Even though I’d made substantial money in a short time, luck had played a significant role.
And teaching leather processing exclusively didn’t seem to have particularly bright prospects either.
The salary I currently received wasn’t exactly meager.
“How much would it take?”
“Pardon?”
“Annual salary.”
“…Pardon?”
A scouting offer had arrived—the kind I’d only seen in melodramatic television dramas.
The unreality of it all made my mind grow even colder.
“Do I look poor to you?”
“…”
Only then did Cha Eun-kyung’s appearance truly register with me.
I couldn’t say how extensively she’d customized her character, but she embodied the archetypal cold beauty of a woman in her late twenties.
“Not at all. Absolutely not.”
“Then?”
The armor she wore was equally extraordinary.
I’d heard from Sung-chul that such modern-styled armor bore the unmistakable touch of a master craftsman of the highest caliber.
“I’ve never doubted your financial standing, Eun-kyung. If I were to leave the company, I intend to walk my own path without belonging to any organization, and that’s why I cannot accept.”
“…”
Cha Eun-kyung’s expression sharpened.
It was unmistakably one of displeasure.
I decided to change the subject.
“Of course, I feel only gratitude toward you, Eun-kyung. I’d like to create something as a token of my appreciation—how does that sound?”
“…A gift?”
Fortunately, it worked.
I pressed forward with my pitch.
“The material is this: unique-grade Golden Fox fur. Would you like to see the options?”
“…”
She silently examined the options of the fox fur.
Her eyes widened considerably.
“…What is this? How much?”
Having encountered countless luxury goods, she would easily grasp the item’s value.
All the more reason to appeal strongly.
“It’s free for you, Eun-kyung.”
I’d calculated that offering a favor would yield greater returns than becoming a mere employee of a wealthy patron.

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