A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 33
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 33
Recalling the Training Instructor Krag from Boa Village, equipment naturally came to mind.
And with it, the Broad Slash technique.
It was perfect timing—the narrow exit was blocked.
Boom!
“Oh, here they come!”
Instant Strike was an excellent skill.
Ever since it became a skill, I could simply swing my blade while visualizing the technique in my mind, and it would activate automatically.
There wasn’t even a cooldown sensation anymore—depending on my focus, I could use it consecutively.
Slash!
With a precise adjustment of my wrist, I struck their napes with perfect accuracy, instantly killing those caught in the Gale Rush.
After that, I maximized my agility to block the exit.
It was repetition.
“Damn it! All the ranged dealers are wiped out!”
“What do we do now! We don’t even need to stun him—just kill him!”
With the enemy’s morale completely shattered, combat was no longer possible.
It was a one-sided massacre.
Clang! Clang clang!
“The blade won’t pierce!”
“Someone cast Disarm!”
Contempt for the weak activated at 100%.
No one here was stronger than me.
I had deliberately eliminated only those users wielding offensive skills, so this situation was inevitable.
“You still can’t read the situation. Any of you.”
“Ugh! Where did you send this guy from! Did you think we didn’t know someone was behind us!”
“Someone’s behind us?”
“That is… well…”
Without a doubt, the Six Heavens were behind this.
The organization the Belhard Kingdom had been monitoring recently.
But now, even the Six Heavens didn’t seem like a threat.
Because behind me stood the Belhard Kingdom and the Meriam Kingdom.
Even now, users could never defeat the true masters of this world—the NPCs.
And indirectly, I could even count Seoguang as part of my backing.
If it weren’t for Cha Eun-kyung, who had relatively few connections, then Sung-chul would certainly stand by my side.
“The Six Heavens? So what? You’re all criminals anyway.”
“A Chinese person dares speak that name so carelessly!”
I was irritated by the remark about being Chinese, but I endured it.
Instead, I prepared a different counterattack.
“Those people trapped in that cabin. Aren’t they Chinese like you?”
“Ugh!”
“Don’t pull strange tricks on a newbie. Let’s play this game fairly.”
Crack!
Whether it was the direct mention of Six Heavens or something else, my opponent completely lost their will to fight.
The initiative had shifted entirely to my side.
“…By any chance, are you from Heaven Beyond Heaven?”
“….”
Now it wasn’t the Black Dragon Faction anymore—Heaven Beyond Heaven was being mentioned.
When they spoke of Heaven Beyond Heaven, they meant the Chinese government.
“I have nothing more to say. Hand over your head. I’ve come this far personally for exactly that.”
“Ugh….”
Just a hint of the Black Dragon Faction’s aura was enough for my opponent to understand and comply.
Thanks to that, a real experience farming session had begun.
Splat!
[Name: Kael]
[Level: 20]
[Unused Points: 5]
[Strength: 34 Agility: 58 Stamina: 35 Wisdom: 39 Luck: 33]
[Eternity: 4 Mana: 1]
I had completely cleared out the Cabin Complex crime den in Lis Village.
Additionally, I had leveled up four times, reaching level 20.
All the novices who had been with me perished in the combat, but it must have been a valuable experience for them as well.
At the very least, they would have learned what happens when you thoughtlessly follow others.
“Hmm. Except for a few, they’re all broke.”
The additional income came to barely 3 gold.
While this was an enormous sum, it fell considerably short for the amount that should have come from a crime den of this scale.
I was certain there had to be a safe somewhere.
“Let me start by checking every door.”
Click.
An ordinary locked wooden door.
The locks I had seen in Boa Village were nowhere to be found.
It appeared they had relied on security personnel instead of locks.
Crack.
With just a moderate amount of force, the door tore open.
And inside the cabin was—
“P-please spare us!”
Novices with shackles around their ankles sat in place, continuously crafting something.
“I won’t kill you. I’ve come to rescue you.”
“Uh, u-um….”
Had they been subjected to similar pranks by the vicious users here?
They hesitated, unable to trust easily.
In times like this, proving it through action was best.
“Extend your foot.”
“Y-yes….”
Snap.
The advantage of Instant Strike was demonstrated once again.
The precise technique that targeted only vital points could accurately shatter the joints of the shackles.
“…Gasp. You broke the shackle in one strike.”
“How long have you been trapped here?”
“About three months, I think.”
“Why not just log out and report it?”
“…It’s the same. The authorities turn a blind eye, and the people here actually tracked down my real address and beat me senseless. They took everything of value I had.”
“….”
Just hearing about it made me dizzy.
We were fellow modern people, yet human rights could be so completely trampled like this.
“What level are you?”
“Level 2…. I only gained one level from an Achievement called Skilled Craftsmanship.”
“Sigh….”
I examined the object the man had been crafting.
[Wooden Sword (Advanced)]
[Attack Power: 8~12]
[Durability: 50]
[A fine-quality wooden sword crafted from coniferous trees of Falken Mountain.]
“Did you make this wooden sword yourself?”
“Yes. The people here showed me a wooden sword and ordered me to make an identical one. Fortunately, I have some manual dexterity, so I’ve managed to survive this long.”
“What happens if you can’t make one?”
“They beat you half to death and drag you to another workshop. The worse you perform, the harsher the treatment becomes.”
“…Good heavens. Come out of here at once.”
The man before me didn’t look well either, but it appeared there were considerably more newcomers in far worse circumstances.
Creak.
“This is a dining hall, I see. First, fill your bellies, and please make sure to feed the people coming out.”
“Ah, understood.”
I had heard enough of their stories.
Deceived by the game, some were clinging to life through forced labor, their very existence threatened in reality itself.
Now I resolved to begin the earnest work of liberation.
Crack! Clang!
“Thank you!”
“We can finally escape!”
Most of what was produced at this Cabin Complex was fashioned from timber.
There was good reason the Cabin Complex had been established near Falken Mountain, where forests were abundant.
The goods produced here were supplied to Lis Village, and some were sold to other villages through merchant guilds.
Boa Village, rich in animal resources, earned coin through hunting, while Lis Village, abundant in forest resources, profited through handcrafted goods.
“Truly, the schemes never end.”
Before long, nearly a hundred people had been rescued from the Cabin Complex.
Far more than the garrison forces stationed within.
Yet not a single one exceeded level 5.
“Please, kill me. I beg you.”
“Ugh… it hurts so much…”
Among them were those who could barely walk, and even some whose severed limbs could only be restored through death.
“…At last, I can die.”
“Be more careful next time.”
“Yes.”
Snap.
I granted such souls a painless, merciful release.
Hoping that upon resurrection, they might enjoy the game as true newcomers once more.
“Many of you are suffering from malnutrition. Please go eat first.”
“Sob! Thank you so much!”
I had completely stripped the doors off the dilapidated cabins.
The only remaining structure in decent condition was a brick building.
It appeared to be equipped with various facilities, including quarters for the guards.
“I wonder how much I can earn this time.”
This was the moment I’d been anticipating most.
There was only one reason to walk willingly into such an blatantly criminal compound.
The door wasn’t even locked.
The oil-lubricated hinges swung open smoothly.
“Wow. This place is even better.”
There was a gambling den like the one I’d seen in Boa Village, but this one had far more advanced gambling facilities scattered throughout.
In fact, bundles of gambling money and silver coins were strewn everywhere, as if they’d fled in a panic because of me.
But there was a main attraction.
“An exchange counter too? This is seriously professional.”
Crash!
I easily smashed through the wooden partition and reached the openly exposed safe.
And inside the safe was—
“Insane. How many gold coins is all this?”
Nearly a hundred gold coins gleamed with brilliant radiance.
“…Did I touch something I shouldn’t have? The amount is way too large.”
The more I counted the gold coins one by one, the more the game felt like reality.
“Ninety-nine, one hundred, one hundred one, one hundred two.”
I’d surpassed one hundred gold.
And one hundred gold equaled a staggering 150 million won.
The amount I’d counted here was—
“One hundred eleven.”
A whopping 111 gold coins.
I’d earned 165.5 million won in a single haul.
And the gold coins weren’t only in the exchange counter.
“…I’m losing it. I’m seriously losing it.”
In what appeared to be an executive’s quarters, I discovered a box containing exactly 500 gold coins.
It was presumably meant to be presented to the Six Heavens, but it seemed they hadn’t been able to deliver it due to the Belhard Kingdom’s surveillance of the Six Heavens.
“This operation runs on a different scale entirely.”
My hands began to tremble.
My earnings had already surpassed 900 million won.
This wasn’t reality, yet it was reality.
It corresponded to the incident where I’d stolen money from a Chinese criminal organization actively intervening in the real world.
“…I’ll need more insurance.”
There were several other items worth taking, but now the backpack’s capacity was the issue.
Even with just the gold coins, my backpack was heavy and completely full.
“For now, I should just take the money and get out of here quickly.”
I returned to the restaurant where the meal was still in progress.
Ironically, the restaurant’s inventory was equally overflowing.
While the ingredients weren’t all exceptional, there was more than enough to feed everyone here until they were satisfied.
“Benefactor! Please have some of this!”
“Thank you.”
I joined the meal to calm my trembling hands.
[Active Buffs]
[Savory Falken Bear Berry Stew (Common)]
[Strength +2 Stamina +2]
[Presence grows faint.]
[Duration: 30 minutes]
Thanks to the stew, I received a decent buff.
Fortunately, a buff slot had just opened up, so I applied it immediately.
Whatever buff I received would be superior to the Fountain buff anyway.
[Lis Village’s Eternally Flowing Water]
[Stamina recovery speed slightly increased]
[Duration: ∞]
I manipulated my status window to swap the durations.
Next came the task of escorting the novices.
“Has everyone finished eating?”
“Yes!”
“We will now return to the village. Logging out here is dangerous, so I would appreciate it if you would join me in the return. After that, you are all free.”
“Yaaaaaaay!”
“Finally!”
The restaurant was engulfed in a sea of emotion.
Most were weeping as overwhelming feelings surged through them.
“Then let’s depart.”
The destination was Lis Village City Hall.
A warm wind of normalization was about to blow even into the frigid northern regions.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————