A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 27

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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 27

“Huh?”
The Shop Owner already held 5 gold coins in his hand.
The result of actively utilizing my high Agility stat.
Naturally, I had no intention of returning it.
That’s why I’d cast Sleight of Hand.
“W-wait? Is… is that really gold?”
“Is it not enough?”
“Oh, no! The roasted venison is only 1 silver, and while the green herb soup isn’t cheap either, it’s merely 20 silver! 5 gold is far too much!”
Looking at his expression, the Shop Owner’s true concern lay elsewhere.
It was something he deliberately avoided mentioning.
“The water supply is the issue?”
“That’s… the water supply provided to the shop is limited. There’s only enough to conduct business, and if anything goes wrong, I face severe penalties.”
It wasn’t something I hadn’t anticipated.
Considering the River’s peculiarity, it was a monopoly system I could easily have deduced.
Given the caliber of those gambling in the Southern Forest, I could certainly suppress even a Nightmare-tier monster.
There were also specialized hunting methods of theirs that I didn’t know about.
“I see.”
In any case, the core problem remained unresolved.
The severe penalties the Shop Owner spoke of would range from water restrictions to all manner of tyranny.
The hint was the locked door I’d sensed earlier—the presence of a padlock.
Unless the Shop Owner was directly involved in crime, the lock was a means to protect his family.
Since it was a shop of considerable size, it could certainly be equipped with a magically enchanted lock.
“What if I made it so they couldn’t impose penalties at all?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
Now it was a race against time.
The green herb soup’s buff had only 7 minutes remaining.
So I decided to use a cheat code for faster progress.
“I’m known as the Black Dragon Faction, so there won’t be any penalties to worry about.”
“B-Black Dragon Faction? Here, they’re known as a vicious foreign group beyond anyone’s reach…”
“Yes. A cruel and powerful guild that no foreigner in this place could ever handle. That’s why there will be no penalties.”
“My apologies. I’ve been terribly rude. I’ll prepare everything right away.”
“Yes.”
Later, the Shop Owner would realize it too.
That I said I was known as the Black Dragon Faction, not that I belonged to it.
But for now, this would suffice.
“I’ll head to the Fountain first. Thank you for the meal.”
“Yes! I’ll see you later!”
The Shop Owner rushed into the kitchen and began issuing orders to his staff.
With that, the water supply problem was solved as well.
Now it was time to make the Nok-hyang Soup buff my own.

* * *

“…So it’s you. The hunting dog sent by Seo-gwang. I never expected you to come of your own volition.”
“Well. This is quite the situation.”
Eden found himself bewildered by the unfolding scene.
I had intended to selectively eliminate the leadership of Boa Village for the VIP, but the situation had resolved itself.
“I’m genuinely curious, but what’s your condition? Why are you like this?”
The person Eden was observing was the Guild Master of the Black Society, a subordinate faction of the Black Dragon Faction.
A high-ranking user in his seventies like Eden, he represented the village’s strongest force.
Being directly entangled with the Black Dragon Faction, he was inevitably positioned against the VIP.
“I was planning to select just a few people, including you, and eliminate them.”
Both Seo-gwang and Cha Eun-kyung possessed their own intelligence networks.
Eden occupied a position where I could access all this information.
This meant every detail about the high-level users staying in Boa Village existed within my mind.
“What I’m asking is why you all killed each other and ended up as the sole survivor.”
They had all been slaughtered by the man before me—the Black Society Guild Master.
Evidence of a considerable battle lay scattered everywhere, with debris and wreckage strewn about.
“Normally, I’d have nothing to say to a hunting dog of Seo-gwang, but seeing your sincerity in coming to offer your own neck, I’ll enlighten you.”
“Much obliged. I’m listening, so speak freely.”
The Black Society Guild Master continued speaking while trembling hands brought a potion to his lips.
“City Hall has become a complete mess, and you’ve caused quite the incident at the South Gate as well? Because of you, a high-ranking member of the Black Dragon Faction has personally arrived.”
“I see.”
The VIP’s smoke screen operation had worked perfectly.
Given the nature of the mission, I had drawn the attention of the local users upon myself.
Fortunately, my improvisation created excellent synergy.
“The Black Dragon Faction does not forgive mistakes. Yet that esteemed one has granted us an opportunity to redeem ourselves. Within the hour, the strongest among us—the final survivor—will take your head and atone for our failure.”
“…Is that so?”
“Kekeke. Truly worthy of the Black Dragon Faction—that esteemed one anticipated your purpose in coming here and visited personally. Since I’ve eliminated all your assassination targets with my own hands, your head now belongs to me by necessity.”
“Ah, well. I must have appeared quite weak.”
“What is Seo-gwang but a collection of notable vermin from a minor nation? As an assassin representing Seo-gwang, you have some skill, but compared to the countless assassins of a great power, you’re merely average. Kekeke.”
“That’s true enough. It’s common knowledge that Chinese rankers are stronger than us.”
“Good that you understand. Then quietly….”
“No. I have no intention of quietly surrendering my head. I simply wanted to impart a lesson—that one only shows what one knows. And I’ll add one counterpoint: I’m not an assassination specialist.”
According to the information I had gathered, Seo-gwang was a guild that deliberately concealed its claws and hid its true strength.
In other words, critical intelligence was strictly compartmentalized, exposing only thirty percent of its actual power to the outside world.
“And the Seoguang Guild—it’s not even affiliated with the Black Dragon Faction. It’s hardly a minor subsidiary worth looking down upon.”
Shuuuuu…!
“I hear there’s someone in the Black Dragon Faction who uses a technique similar to mine?”
Eden coated his blade with his exclusive technique—the Crimson Blood Demonic Energy.
“Compare after you’ve been resurrected. Seems like you’ll be the one bearing responsibility for it.”
Eden brought his blade, saturated with Crimson Blood Demonic Energy, down upon his opponent before him.
Infused heavily with the Asura’s signature technique.
Craaaaaack!
The protective barrier raised by the Black Society Guild Master shattered in an instant.
“So this is the protective technique of a major power. Pathetically weak.”
The Black Society Guild Master had rapidly accumulated experience by slaughtering the village’s strong, but in his current state—far from peak condition—handling the Crimson Blood Demonic Energy was impossible.
“Cough! How is there demonic energy…!”
“Well then, farewell.”
Crack.
I drove the blade into his shoulder blade and tore diagonally across.
The Black Society Guild Master died instantly without any resistance.
“Cough.”
Thud thud.

[Active Debuff]
[Vital Energy Reversal (Strong)]
[Your vital energy is flowing backward from the powerful shock.]
[Duration: 80 minutes]

Blood poured from my entire body.
From my head, and from the wounds of the man already dead.
I desperately gathered the surging vital energy and bit down on a potion.
“…I really overdid it. I’ll catch an earful from the young lady. Cough!”
I barely managed to contain my vital energy and limped out of the arena.

* * *

I arrived at the Fountain, Boa Village’s symbol of oppression.
For some reason, the lines that should have been filled with users had vanished.
“Hmm.”
Aside from a few Merchant NPCs scattered about, there was no one.
But gathering information could wait.

[Active Buffs]
[Jade Fragrance Soup (Masterpiece)]
[Strength +10 Agility +10 Vitality +10 Wisdom +10 Luck +10]
[Health Recovery Speed Dramatically Increased]
[Physical Attack Resistance (Medium)]
[Mental Attack Magic Resistance (Medium)]
[Duration: 2 minutes]

With the buff’s duration running short, now was the moment to seize my opportunity.
Boom!
I used Gale Rush to leap forward to the Fountain.
And beneath the Fountain I now beheld—
Splish, splish.
Water had begun to pool, however faintly.
Where the users who had been lining up and keeping watch over this water had vanished to, I couldn’t say, but for me, the situation was nothing short of fortunate.
I eagerly extended my hand and drank deeply from the gathered water.

[Eternity increases by 1.]

As expected.
My Eternity had risen.

[Boa’s Eternally Undrying Water]
[Health Recovery Speed Slightly Increased]
[Duration: ∞]

The increased Eternity automatically selected the water’s buff for infinite duration, and I swiftly manipulated my status window to replace the Jade Fragrance Soup buff with infinite sustenance.

[Jade Fragrance Soup (Masterpiece)]
[Strength +10 Agility +10 Vitality +10 Wisdom +10 Luck +10]
[Health Recovery Speed Dramatically Increased]
[Physical Attack Resistance (Medium)]
[Mental Attack Magic Resistance (Medium)]
[Duration: ∞]

The masterpiece Green Fragrance Soup buff had become entirely mine.
That alone secured me +10 to all stats.
Physical and mental resistance were bonuses on top.
“Hmm.”
Yet dissatisfaction lingered.
I hadn’t received only this cooking buff.

[Carefully Crafted Seasoned Venison Stir-fry (Masterpiece)]
[Strength +12 Stamina +7 Agility +7 Luck +1]
[Running speed and angular velocity significantly increased]
[Duration: 14 minutes]
[Seasoned Venison Stir-fry (Common)]
[Strength +6 Stamina +3 Agility +3]
[Running speed and angular velocity increased]
[Duration: 1 minute]

Cooking buffs could be stacked and applied simultaneously across different grades.
Moreover, each had its own duration.
This meant that as long as I had enough buff slots, I’d never suffer from a shortage of buffs.
Layering similar buffs to amplify specific effects was an added benefit.
For instance, by consuming multiple stacked Seasoned Venison Stir-fries, I could maximize angular velocity and running speed simultaneously.
“With this, my initial objective is achieved. But…”
I sensed that something about the situation had shifted.
Originally, the ruling-class players of Boa Village should have gathered before the Fountain, and I would have posed as a dignified Black Dragon Faction executive while conducting an experience-grinding party—that was the original scenario.
“…Something’s gone wrong.”
I approached a nearby Merchant NPC to ask.
“I have a question for you.”
“P-please spare me! I’ll offer whatever money I can scrape together!”
This sort of thing had always been familiar to me.
Starting with Bella, there were always plenty of people jumping to conclusions.
So I decided to continue speaking.
As kindly as possible.
“By any chance, where did all the foreigners who were here go?”
“Ah! The foreigners here were dragged off to the Kwon Gak-sul Guild.”
“The Kwon Gak-sul Guild?”
“Yes. That building over there—it’s been empty ever since the master died.”
Interesting information.
I handed the Merchant NPC 10 Silver.
“Thank you! Actually, I’ve heard something else as well.”
“Oh. What is it?”
“I heard that the Black Society and all the executives were ordered to gather at the Archery Guild. It’s an empty building as well.”

Ten silver coins was a fair assessment.
150,000 won had more than served its purpose as a generous tip.
“Thank you for the valuable information.”
I had obtained crucial intel: the masterless Archery Guild was brimming with precious experience points.

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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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