A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 32

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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 32

Just to be sure, I pulled up my status window again.

[Name: Kael]
[Level: 16]
[Unused Points: 1]
[Strength: 34 Agility: 58 Vitality: 35 Wisdom: 39 Luck: 33]
[Eternity: 3 Mana: 1]

My lowest stat was Luck at 33.
By any measure, these were stats no level 16 player should possess.
“Come see the Aurora! Visit the landmark in person and take plenty of photos!”
Apparently, merely witnessing the Aurora granted +30 to Strength, Agility, and Vitality.
It would surely be categorized as a buff, yet there was no explanation of its duration.
But the most suspicious thing about that barker was something else entirely.
If the Aurora he spoke of truly existed, that man would have to possess higher Strength than me.
Base Strength of 5 plus 30 would equal 35.
‘Yet he looks far weaker than me.’
He wore no equipment that seemed remarkable, and even scanning his entire frame revealed not the slightest aura of elevated Strength.
At best, he possessed perhaps a third of my Strength.
I was certain there was something more hidden beneath the Aurora’s surface.
‘It wouldn’t hurt to dig deeper.’
Even if the Aurora truly existed, I had nothing to lose.
The Fountain in Lis Village, unlike the one in Boa Village, flowed with vigorous water.
Even if the Aurora’s duration was merely five minutes, I could simply alter it to infinite duration.
Gulp.

[Eternity increases by 1.]
[Eternity: 4 Mana: 1]

Now my Eternity had increased by one more.

[Lis’s Eternally Flowing Water]
[Vitality Recovery Speed Slightly Increased]
[Duration: ∞]

With my buff slots expanded, I approached the tout without hesitation.
“Excuse me! Is it true that Lis Village has an aurora?”
“Hmm?”
At first, he assessed my appearance.
Soon, joy and greed began to fill his eyes.
“Ah! Of course! I’ll guide Newbie Users and tourists to see the aurora completely free of charge!”
“Sure, I’ll join in.”
“Yes!”
The aurora tour group consisted of myself, one Newbie User, and the Tour Guide—four people in total.
He could have gathered a few more participants, but the Tour Guide seemed eager to depart immediately.
“Since it takes quite a while to reach the tourist site, let’s set off now!”
The faster we moved, the better.
The moment I drank from the Fountain, my business in Lis Village was already complete.
Now I only needed to find transactions worth saving on teleportation costs, or alternatively, secure a means of transport faster than a carriage.
“This is the North Gate of Lis Village. Thanks to Falken Mountain visible over there, the Blacksmith here can provide climbing equipment.”
“Um, do we have to climb the mountain?”
One Newbie User raised their hand with an anxious expression.
Both South Korea and China had a tendency to pack excessive climbing gear, so it wasn’t an unreasonable question.
“No. The view from the mountain peak is certainly beautiful, but it’s a dangerous area for Newbie Users. Monsters appear that are quite troublesome for a Beginner Village. We won’t be climbing.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I just created my character and have no money.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be over once we see it and come back. With 30 Strength and Stamina, you can defeat most monsters. Earning 1 Gold a day isn’t just a dream. Hehe.”
That sounded like a fantasy.
1.5 million won a day was an astronomical sum anywhere in the world.
If one could earn 1 Gold a day in an ordinary Chinese Beginner Village, countless high-level users would be staying here.
Yet Lis Village was sparsely populated compared to Boa Village.
“1 Gold? That’s 7,000 yuan—more than my monthly salary?”
“Exactly. There are plenty of people who’ve reversed their fortunes here and made money in the Major Cities.”
Flaws began to show in his words.
According to the Tour Guide, the aurora’s buff duration would need to last for tens of days or more.
High-level users would have to visit this village periodically.
“That’s great. I was worried because there’s so little information about Lis Village.”
“Indeed. Rare information becomes currency. You’re fortunate. Hehe.”
We exited the village, and several more people joined us.
This time, they were a properly equipped group.
“They’re my acquaintances. From here on, aggressive monsters appear. They’ve joined us to escort you safely.”
“Krkrkr. Pleased to meet you.”
Their eyes looked wrong.
Now they were openly deceiving us.
I think I’ve seen similar incidents on the news.
“Let’s head that way.”
The Tour Guide pointed to an unexpectedly isolated Cabin Complex.
Why would such a settlement exist on the outskirts of the village?
There was only a single entrance, and several users stood guard around it with rigid vigilance.
‘A complex managed by users, not NPCs.’
So far, I detected no overtly threatening users.
We naturally followed the Tour Guide’s lead and entered the Cabin Complex, which was heavily guarded by numerous sentries.
“What are those cabins for?”
“Ah, yes. Before ascending the mountain, we established this complex to conduct thorough preparations. Why don’t you enter one of the suitable cabins and have a meal?”
“Well, I didn’t bring anything in particular.”
“We’ve prepared everything. We have at least some warm gruel to restore your body heat. Please, come inside.”
Considerable security forces were stationed within the complex itself.
With an accomplice at his side, the Tour Guide’s demeanor grew increasingly brazen.
The timing seemed right, so I decided to probe a little.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Then we’ll issue you exploration gear instead. Just go inside for now.”
“You have exploration gear? Well, I’m just a tourist, after all.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The Tour Guide raised his hand high, and the surrounding forces began closing in on us.
“Then set down all your belongings and go inside.”
The Tour Guide revealed his true colors.
I realized that Lis Village, like Boa Village, was rotten to its core.
Though I still didn’t know the source of their income.
“Just to confirm—am I being kidnapped?”
“Yeah. Now hand over all your items.”
Kidnapped in a game, not reality.
And it was laughably amateurish.
They were clearly relying on sheer numbers.
“Well, what happens if I refuse?”
At worst, I’d simply die in the game.
There was no reason not to fight back.
But how did they even expect a kidnapping to succeed?
“Then I suppose I’ll need to take a nap.”
The guards advanced a threatening step closer.
I examined the weapons of the guards stationed within the complex.
Each wielded different arms, but all were coated with a sky-blue liquid.
“Poison?”
“That’s right. Extracted from skyflowers. One of Lis Village’s specialty products. Hehe.”
“Oh. Excellent.”
A worthy training opponent had finally appeared.
They’re even using poison.
It’s a pattern I encountered frequently in my previous playthrough.
Poison was one of the methods ordinary humans used to overcome monsters that outclassed them in raw power.
It meant I couldn’t afford to let even a single attack connect.

[Master Craftsman’s Golden Fox Fur Cloak (Unique)]
[Defense: 25]
[Cold Immunity]
[Heat Immunity]
[Contempt for the Weak]
[Physical Attack Immunity against Strength Stats below 10]
[Magic Attack Immunity against Wisdom Stats below 10]
[Increased Level Penalty when Level Difference exceeds 10]
[Physical and Magic Attack Immunity against targets with 50+ Stat Difference]
[A masterwork cloak crafted by an exceptional artisan who poured their soul into it. The unique properties of Golden Fox fur have been preserved. Can also be used as a blanket, and logout is permitted.]

But with the Golden Fox Fur Cloak, things were different.
The Contempt for the Weak effect granted attack immunity, and I could even gain additional immunity effects from stat differences.
Though there was no guarantee poison immunity was included.
“Attack!”
“Haaah!”
Everyone around me except the two Newbie Users I’d been with turned hostile.
But as long as I had Gale Rush, the initiative was mine.
Boom!
I was the first to leap forward.
Now I even had a skill that could unilaterally take my opponent’s life.
‘Instant Severance.’
Splat!
Thanks to the overwhelming stat difference, my opponent’s head burst apart effortlessly.
The existence of Instant Severance, which allowed me to kill an opponent in a single blow without struggle, shone brilliantly in this kind of combat.
Moreover, Instant Severance was a skill I could use freely with minimal power without even channeling mana.
‘Instant Severance. Instant Severance.’
Thwack! Thwack!
Boom! Splat!
The two additional users who rushed at me collapsed on the spot.
Now the other side began to react.
“Damn! They’re high-level!”
“Just a rich tourist! Just poison them!”
At the Tour Guide’s command, attacks began raining down from all directions.
Among them were unusual patterns, suggesting some users were also wielding active skills like myself.
Still, it wasn’t something I couldn’t evade.
“Insects.”
The Black Dragon Faction within me began to surge.
But in the relatively peaceful environment of Lis Village, it wasn’t a card worth playing.
The Black Dragon Faction card had to be reserved for far more dramatic circumstances.
“Everyone, what are you doing?”
“Huh? I don’t know how to fight! I just came to see the aurora!”
“That can’t be right.”
The Newbie Users were useless in combat.
But witnessing such an intense battle would be invaluable experience in itself.
“Then, just keep yourselves safe and watch.”
“Ugh, ugghhhhh!”
I decided not to hold high expectations.
They were probably Newbie Users too.
“Everyone’s responsible for their own survival.”
Truth be told, I wasn’t high-level either.
I had no relevant skills and lacked the capacity to protect anyone.
To avoid taking even a single hit, I had to move ceaselessly.
I had to resolve this situation alone, no matter what.
Whoosh!
“Ahhh!”
A poisoned arrow shot from the blind spot struck a Newbie User.
Since they weren’t dead, it seemed the intent was paralysis rather than lethal force.
With the battle taking on a raid-like progression, I had to keep my feet moving relentlessly from here on.
Boom!
I used Gale Rush on the archers whenever it came off cooldown to neutralize their ranged attacks, and for those who approached for close-range harassment, I simply decapitated them swiftly with instant kills.
Clang! Crack!
“Gack!”
The archers’ counterattacks posed no problem.
Even if they hastily drew daggers to stab, Weak Point Contempt applied to all their attacks, deflecting them entirely.
“Damn it! We’re not a match for this one! Alert the boss!”
“Alert them how?”
Crash!
“Ugh!”
The next target for elimination was the user trying to withdraw from combat.
Even without instant kills, I overwhelmed them with raw attack power.
Since mana awakened within me, my body felt far lighter than before.
“Just poison them somehow!”
“Damn it! They’re too fast!”
The user who had been the Tour Guide shouted desperately, but nothing changed.
Even without Kael Rush, there’s no user faster than me.
With 58 Agility, I could become an absolute force in the Beginner Village.
“Kgh!”
Besides, there’s only one exit out of this Cabin Complex.
“None of you are leaving here.”
I shook the blood clinging to the wooden sword.

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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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