A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 3

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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 3

I confirmed the existence of a beta tester exclusive privilege.
And with it came the realization that this was no mere trinket to honor previous players.
‘Is this even allowed?’
At least one thing I could take pride in.
In the previous game, no other player could have utilized buffs as effectively as I could.

[Eternity: 1]
[A mysterious blessing bestowed upon the hero Kael, who has accumulated great Achievements.]
[You may manage buffs equal to this value.]
[Buffs equal to this value persist permanently.]

Which is why the question arose.
Why had Mason granted me such a privilege?
‘A warning that your character will be deleted the moment you’re caught exploiting the privilege.’
Certainly, that would be enough to quell any controversy quickly.
‘They’re telling me to enjoy it without getting caught.’
I chose to rationalize it.
After all, the privilege wasn’t purely broken, and they’d clearly considered minimum balance, so rationalization was possible.
Gulp.
I scooped some water from the Fountain and drank it for a simple test.

[Eternity increases by 1.]

“Huh?”
A message appeared—Eternity, the stat I’d received from the privilege, had risen unexpectedly.
I hadn’t done anything else.
It was a message that appeared from merely drinking water.

[Active Buffs]

[Deliciously Baked Bread with Hearty Filling (Masterpiece)]
[Strength +5 Stamina +5]
[Wound Recovery Speed Slightly Increased]
[Duration: ∞]

[Liam’s Eternal Spring]
[Stamina Recovery Speed Slightly Increased]
[Duration: ∞]
[Name: Kael]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 10 Agility: 5 Stamina: 10 Wisdom: 5 Luck: 5 Eternity: 2]

The hidden stat I’d hesitated even to anticipate had grown.
Two permanent buffs that would profoundly influence my character’s development would persist indefinitely.
‘Liam’s Eternal Spring. And the Beginner Village.’
The intuitive clues crystallized into immediate understanding.
My growth trajectory had been determined.
‘I’ll need to map out my route based on the Beginner Villages.’
Regardless of nationality, anyone starting this game for the first time spawns at a Beginner Village fountain.
According to Sung-chul, there were a total of 150 Beginner Villages.
Except for certain nations, each had the distinctive feature of spawning players in different Beginner Villages.
For instance, users connecting from South Korea spawned in Liam Village.
‘Next time, I’ll need to investigate Beginner Villages from other nations too.’
My information was insufficient.
Most of what I knew came from Kim Sung-chul and Sung-chul back then.

-Liam is only called a Beginner Village in name, but you can think of it as a city. Just being wedged between China and Japan brings an enormous flow of capital. It’s far more developed than most Beginner Villages.
-Thanks to that, the money I’ve earned in the game has exceeded my salary for a while now. But… I’m staying because of that bastard Manager Park. Just wait a bit longer.

I gathered my thoughts and laid out a plan for the future.
Naturally, leveling was the top priority.
No matter how permanent the buffs were, they couldn’t match the certainty of character level—the difference in weight class was simply too significant.
Conveniently, near Liam Village, there was a hunting ground beyond the North Gate that I could attempt using knowledge from my previous playthrough.
“Oh, you’ve already eaten it? This bread is most effective when consumed right before hunting. The buff lasts thirty minutes, you see.”
“Hmm?”
The proprietor of Andy TV—the veteran player who’d handed me the bread earlier and had apparently caused a subtle commotion—was taking interest in me again.
“Here, take another loaf with you. Since you subscribed to my channel, consider it a bonus.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Now that you’ve eaten the bread, head straight to the Beginner Training Grounds. If you strike the scarecrow at level 1 with 10 Strength, you’ll unlock a hidden reward.”
“A hidden reward?”
“Yes. The wooden sword the Training Instructor gives you directly is far superior to a standard one. Its durability is incredibly high, so it’ll last you a long time.”
“Ah, thank you. I should head to the training grounds first, then.”
The bread from the veteran player was indeed no ordinary loaf.
It was precisely calibrated to raise my Strength by 5 points, allowing me to unlock the hidden reward—a gift designed entirely for newcomers.
“Once you get the Training Instructor’s special wooden sword, head to the Eastern Forest east of the village and start hunting rabbits. Many players feel hesitant about killing living creatures for the first time, so you’ll need an adjustment period.”
This time, the advice even considered users experiencing virtual reality gaming for the very first time.
“Is it possible to earn money by hunting rabbits?”
“Of course. Near the entrance to the Eastern Forest, specialized merchants are always stationed, purchasing all manner of animal carcasses. If you hunt with the wooden sword and keep the hide intact, you’ll get fair value.”
“I see. Thank you for the information.”
“See that flag over there? That’s where the training grounds are. Go on now.”
After expressing my gratitude once more, I arrived at the Beginner Training Grounds.
At the scarecrow standing in the corner of the training grounds, I encountered another novice player I’d briefly met at the Fountain earlier.
“A newcomer? Follow me.”
After receiving a training wooden sword from the Training Ground Soldier NPC, I was guided to an unoccupied scarecrow.
“The red-painted sections are vital points. Each time you strike with precise force and accurate aim, the color changes. Once all vital points turn white, report to the Training Instructor.”
“Understood.”
Aside from the magical enchantment applied to a mere scarecrow, it was quite an intriguing training dummy.
Especially given that it displayed all the vital points of humans and non-human races I’d faced in my previous playthrough.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Strength isn’t everything! Strike with precision, I told you!”
“Ugh! Damn it!”
The other player had apparently eaten the bread as well.
Information about the hidden wooden sword obtainable at level 1 seemed fairly well-known.
Yet the novice was still struggling to overcome the scarecrow.
‘The grip technique is the same as before. With the weight distribution unbalanced, hitting accurately is naturally difficult.’
I’d completed my own assessment.
Now came the real rehabilitation phase.
The disparity between my previous body—brimming with power—and this one was too vast; I needed time to adapt to my current physique.
I’d also been ground down by years at the company.
“…”
The target remained motionless.
Therefore, I decided to adopt the most powerful striking stance I’d mastered through self-study.
“Huh.”
Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, left foot withdrawn at a forty-five-degree angle.
Weight distributed evenly across both feet, though slightly favoring the front.
Spine erect but not rigid, with tension concentrated in my lower abdomen.
Then I adjusted my distance from the first target.
CRACK!
The scarlet crown of the straw dummy instantly turned white.
“…What kind of sound was that?”
I brought the recoil back to mid-level without resisting it.
My slightly loosened grip quickly tightened as I flowed into a consecutive strike.
CRACK!
The straw dummy’s neck turned pristine white.
That completed one breath cycle.
“Hup!”
I shifted my grip and drove the wooden sword into the scarlet-stained heart of the straw dummy.
THUD!
Then a consecutive strike toward the scarlet-stained solar plexus.
THUD!
“Huh.”
The straw dummy’s heart and solar plexus turned white.
I exhaled and rapidly prepared the next strike.
“That new recruit’s skill is absurd. Is he from a knight background?”
“More than that. He might be one of those special outsiders the Training Instructor used to compare us against during drills. There were a few like that last year too, weren’t there?”
I shifted my grip.
The target was low.
I lowered my waist and twisted to maximize my range of motion, then drew kinetic energy upward starting from my toes.
CRACK!
The straw dummy’s final vital point surrendered.
“…”
I felt acutely aware that my current strength still fell far short.
Normally, the straw dummy should have split in half from the very first strike.
My response to recoil was also inadequate.
Ideally, I should have controlled the wooden sword far more nimbly and delivered strikes with greater precision.
My stamina was the same.
My heart was already pounding as if it might burst after just a few breath cycles.
‘I need to refine my technique further.’
Thanks to the Fountain buff persisting permanently, my stamina recovered at a rapid pace.
My stamina pool had been meager from the start, so it was over in an instant.
“Huff….”
The scarlet dummies remaining numbered well over a hundred by my count.
I judged that if I painted them all snow-white, I might recover at least a modicum of sensation.
“Cease, stranger.”
A solemn voice echoed from behind.
I turned to see the Training Instructor, who’d been seated at a distance, now approaching.
“What’s the matter?”
“You’ve demonstrated your prowess sufficiently. You must have been an absurdly formidable force in your homeland.”
“…Pardon?”
“These dummies exist for the weak. Moreover, they are vital assets of the kingdom.”
In essence, he was telling me not to touch the dummies.
But the Training Instructor harbored a grave misunderstanding.
I needed to clear this up.
“Instructor. I am weak.”
“…You don’t seem to be mocking me.”
I wasn’t certain what expression I wore, but one thing was undeniable—the injustice of the situation stung.
Objectively speaking, Level 1 was classified as a beginner.
And this place was where Level 1 users received rewards through training.
“Look at this pitiful frame. Am I not the same as that person over there?”
I gestured toward another novice user to drive home the facts.
Even with the bread buff bolstering my strength, I remained Level 1 with 10 Strength—identical to any other.
“And an absurdly formidable force? That’s ancient history. I’ve lived as the weak until recently, Instructor.”
My pathetic frame bore not a shred of muscle.
A master of the Training Instructor’s caliber would discern instantly that the body never lies.
“…There’s a story here, it seems. Your words ring true. I apologize for mistaking this for a display of strength.”
“It’s fine. May I resume training?”
“By all means.”
The Training Instructor withdrew, and I was free to continue my rehabilitation training.
CRASH!
BANG! BANG!
“I-Instructor? Are you certain? The dummies are being completely destroyed!”
“…Simply observe. There was a story there. He’s likely venting his grievances. I’ll take responsibility for what comes after.”
CRASH!
CRACK! THUD! THUD! THUD!

* * *

The Training Instructor held the wooden sword—a gift crafted specifically for this peculiar foreigner—turning it over in his hands as doubt gnawed at him.
‘There were plenty of people who produced more decisive results despite operating at the same level.’
There was the foreigner who’d received countless blessings from the priests and obliterated the scarecrow, and the strange foreigner who’d suddenly conjured fire from his palms to incinerate it. Both existed.
The Training Instructor’s response remained constant regardless.
As the king’s command dictated.

-You are indeed a special foreigner. This wooden sword should prove useful on your journey.
-Huh? I destroyed the scarecrow in one hit already. Is there nothing else? I’ve already raised my Strength to over 30 at Level 1.
-That is all I have to give.
-Ugh. I spent over ten million won just on buffs. I don’t need the wooden sword, so I’ll just leave.

CRASH!
This time was different.
To be precise, this foreigner was fundamentally different from the start.

-That’s merely ancient history. I’ve lived as the weak until recently.

The foreigner’s emotionless words continued to echo through my mind.
Thud! Thud! CRASH!
This time, the scarecrow was obliterated entirely.
Yet still, no satisfaction crossed the foreigner’s face.
If anything, an expression tinged with sorrow.
‘A foreigner like that… I could genuinely open up about my own circumstances.’
The Training Instructor’s expression grew bitter as he recalled his own past.

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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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