A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 21

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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 21

Fifteen people had gathered before me.
Behind them, users I hadn’t bothered to stop began clustering together as well.
Those who had tormented them continuously would seem all the more terrifying now.
Especially since it appeared the situation had extended into reality itself.
“Hmm. Excellent.”
There are many varieties of chaos.
You could sow discord by suddenly drawing a blade during a melee, or you could build it up gradually like now.
“Who holds the highest position here?”
The question triggered a battle of wits.
At some point, all eyes turned toward one figure.
A user who had deliberately carved scars into his own body and refused proper treatment to make them permanent.
‘So he’s the representative, at least.’
If I wanted to extract information, keeping only that user alive would suffice.
But if my goal was chaos, the calculus changed entirely.
“…It is I.”
Whoosh!
Crack!
The head of the representative Chinese User Leader shattered.
Unfortunately, I didn’t gain a level this time.
“The highest among you can’t even block a single strike? How pathetic.”
I blended the logic of a false dilemma into my chaos.
If there was a representative, I’d kill the representative. If there wasn’t, I’d sow discord instead.
Of course, this logic only worked if I had the defensive card that I was the strongest.
“I’ll ask again. Who holds the highest position here?”
They’d shed their novice appearance by now—they wouldn’t flee even as someone beside them died, though they’d certainly be shaken.
The representative users instead stared desperately, fighting for survival.
And the man with the most greedy expression found his courage.
“Y-you are the supreme leader of the Black Dragon Faction standing before us!”
I heard gasps scattered throughout the crowd.
Clearly, the Black Dragon Faction was no easy opponent.
They had the reputation befitting China’s premier ranked Guild.
“We pay homage to the supreme leader of the Black Dragon Faction!”
“We pay homage to the supreme leader of the Black Dragon Faction!”
And the flattery that followed in waves.
At this rate, rumors would spread quickly that a high-ranking Black Dragon Faction executive had visited Boa Village.
Of course, this too was part of building the chaos.
“Only half right. To speak the name of the Black Dragon Faction’s supreme leader so carelessly.”
In truth, those before me might have spoken the correct answer.
I simply don’t know their way of expressing things.
But I was the one who set this problem.
There is no one here to refute my evaluation.
Crack!
“This time, I mercifully broke only half. Yet they still perish. How pathetic.”

[Your level has increased!]

High-level hunting truly yields exceptional efficiency.
Especially when hunting high-level opponents who don’t even strike first and merely suffer passively.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Please spare us!”
Crunch! Snap!
The thought that I alone was truly playing this game filled me with deeper displeasure.
Not a single user dared to challenge me despite failing to properly assess my capabilities.
At this rate, rather than a test of contempt for the weak, this would become nothing but one-sided slaughter.
They were not enjoying the game as a game.
“What exactly are you apologizing for, and who are you asking to spare? You won’t die. You’ll simply log out.”
“I have children, sir!”
“….”
I, who appeared younger than anyone here, was now being called “sir” by the Bearded User, clearly my elder.
It was a title I had no desire to hear from those who so ruthlessly exploited others.
Crack.
“Then wouldn’t it be simpler to go to your children’s side?”
This should have been enough to provoke rebellion, yet it seemed my assessment had been miscalculated.
Despite being an entirely different world, I came to understand that this place was China.
A concrete strategy for upheaval had taken shape.
I realized these people needed a new revolution.
“You are all useless. So be it. There are still many others in this place.”
I need not monopolize all the experience.
There was another method—using this as material to strengthen other users.
“I won’t repeat myself. Everyone, pick up stones.”
In the previous iteration, stones had countless applications.
And stone attacks ranged in power from 1 to 5 and beyond.
Larger rocks dealt even greater damage.
Combined with a user’s strength and technique, one could amplify the attack power further.
“S-stones!”
“Ugh! Too late! I must gather them quickly!”
Fortunately, the exploited users responded to me immediately.
They were so panicked at the thought of not finding a single stone that they nearly lost their minds.
I decided to wait patiently for now.
“It seems you’ve gathered everything. There’s no need to search far and wide just to pick up one more stone.”
At my single word, the users froze in their tracks.
I’d risen two levels just from killing six users, and now I had hundreds of soldiers at my command.
“Now, throw your stones with all your might at the vermin before your eyes.”
They should have learned their lesson by now.
There was no need to convey that I wouldn’t repeat myself, and no reason to employ any further schemes.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Thud! Thud thud thud thud!
With the targets clustered so tightly together and the physical enhancements that came with being a game character, anyone could hit them with stones thrown from close range.
Whoooosh!
Of course, stones flew toward me as well.
When debuffs that affected physical condition stacked, it was well within the range of what I could understand.
I decided to participate in the training willingly, both to loosen up my body and for other reasons.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
I farmed experience points while striking the target alongside them.
“P-please stop!”
Snap!
I continued breaking their will to resist.
Open your mouth, and I’d kill you.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Scream, and I’d kill you too.
If they were so determined to follow an absolute being, then I would gladly become that absolute being and build my tyrannical reputation accordingly.

[Your level has increased!]

Before long, the stone-throwing ended, and the Southern Forest was filled only with those who panted with excitement.
I’d instilled courage; now it was time to instill sustenance.
“You’ve all worked hard, so you must be hungry. Set fire to the corpses.”
“Yes!”
Meat lay scattered everywhere.
This place had always been where the animal carcasses hunted from the Southern Forest accumulated.
All I had to do here was butcher them.
“Take these. Each of you should consume at least one. Of course, you’re welcome to take any leftover meat with you.”
“Th-thank you so much!”
Sizzle.

[Well-Roasted Fatty Venison (Common)]
[Strength +1 Stamina +2]
[Cold Resistance Slightly Increased]
[Duration: 15 minutes]

Indeed, being a deer from a cold region, the fat layer was quite thick.
Similar to beef, yet with a cleaner, more refined taste.
The buffs applied were quite decent for a common-grade item.
Next came the matter of securing drinking water.
The makeshift warehouse had a reasonable stockpile of water and alcohol, so there were no immediate concerns.
However, for a proper uprising, these people couldn’t be tainted by the existing users.
I needed to establish a proper encampment in the Southern Forest for an extended campaign.
“Alcohol is forbidden. Drink only the water in the warehouse, and use it sparingly.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then I’ll step away for a moment.”
“Safe travels, sir!”
Indeed, people needed to eat.
The users’ eyes gleamed not with worry, but with satisfaction.
When dopamine clouds one’s vision, perhaps that’s the look they get.
“Phew. It’s been a while since I’ve acted like this—it’s not easy. Now I need to solve the next problem.”
The fundamental issue plaguing Boa Village stemmed from drinking water.
Therefore, resolving the water problem was equally critical.
“If I head this way, I should reach the river.”
According to the map, a river flowed near the Southern Forest.
One would expect a natural path to form, yet there were almost no signs of human passage.
“Either the river is so polluted that even boiling the water won’t help, or there’s a troublesome monster spawning there.”
I arrived at the river.
At first glance, it appeared ordinary.
I even spotted a deer drinking from the river, which bolted away the moment it sensed my presence.
“At least animals can drink from it. So why do they rely on the Fountain’s water?”

[Name: Kael]
[Level: 14]
[Unused Points: 3]
[Strength: 22 Agility: 45 Stamina: 24 Wisdom: 18 Luck: 19]
[Eternity: 2]

My stamina was already at maximum.
If worst came to worst, I could always dump all my unused points into stamina as a contingency measure.
For now, I decided to try drinking a modest amount of water from the River.

[Thought’s River]
[Movement Speed Slightly Decreased]
[Wisdom +1]
[Stamina Recovery Speed Marginally Increased]
[Duration: 2 hours]

“Huh?”
I’d been prepared to leverage my experience from my previous life to craft a filtration device if needed, but this option made that unnecessary.
Since all the water in the simple storage shed was boiled water and consumed resources, perhaps only specific users were permitted to drink it.
“Just because of a two-hour movement speed penalty? That’s why they banned it? Water that wizards would pay good money for?”
The more I thought about it, the more the system of this vast nation made my head spin.
My walking speed had only decreased by the most negligible margin.
By my current stats, it was hardly a significant penalty at all.
If anything, the debuff from starvation seemed far more lethal.
“Still, I should verify this thoroughly to the end.”
I built a fire in a suitable location and boiled River water in a waterskin.
And this time, I drank a reasonable amount again.

[Boiled Thought’s River]
[Wisdom –1]
[Stamina Recovery Speed Moderately Increased]
[Duration: 1 hour]

When I boiled it, the duration was cut in half and my Wisdom decreased.
In exchange, my HP recovery speed increased.
I actually think it’s a good option for beginners.
Since I have to replenish fluids constantly whenever I exert myself anyway.
“Is this right?”
At this point, everything seemed suspicious.
Could a water shortage in Boa Village really be caused by just this?
A stream of this magnitude should be more than enough to sustain the entire village, which made it all the more doubtful.
“No. It’s a more complex problem. Probably.”
By now, the area around the stream was shrouded in an eerie silence.
I couldn’t hear the footsteps of animals rustling through the grass, nor even the common sound of insects.
And I had experienced this situation several times in my previous playthrough.
“…Something’s here.”
Usually, it’s a precursor to a boss monster’s appearance.
But even as I scanned my surroundings, I didn’t feel anything approaching.
Then, in that moment.
“Something’s coming.”
Ku-gu-gu-gu…!
The ground trembled.
It wasn’t the sound of a large monster approaching—it was literally the sensation of the earth shaking.
I suspected it was some kind of mechanic related to the stream.
While maintaining tension and vigilance, an unbelievable sight began to unfold.
-Grrr….
A pack of translucent wolves erupted from the ground.
These were spectral-type monsters that rarely appeared even in my previous playthrough.

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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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