A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 36

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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 36

How in the world had this happened?
Cha Eun-kyung’s movements contained too many inexplicable elements to dismiss as mere coincidence.
Conversely, the probability that she had tracked my every movement was nearly 100%.
For just a moment, Eden crossed my mind.
But even that—we had only met in Boa Village.
She couldn’t have known when I crossed from Lis to Liam.
“Interrogation specialist, exclusive authority. Village entry and exit records confirmation.”
“Ah.”
Fortunately, Cha Eun-kyung provided a clear answer.
The entry records were transferred the moment I returned to Liam.
I had no idea why an interrogation specialist possessed such authority, but the more I learned, the more terrifying the truth seemed to become—I couldn’t bring myself to ask further.
“…That’s quite remarkable authority.”
“All thanks to you.”
…
It was difficult to continue the conversation.
Everyone in the crowd was focused on us.
They whispered quietly, but I could roughly guess what they were saying.
Most of their curiosity centered on who this man was that someone as influential as Cha Eun-kyung would seek out personally.
“Hmm…”
Perhaps sensing my discomfort.
Cha Eun-kyung gestured, and men in black semi-formal attire appeared from somewhere.
There was only one person in this place capable of implementing and coordinating such a semi-formal design.
“I would appreciate it if everyone would please leave.”
A statement that might have sounded somewhat rude.
Yet no one dared to object.
She was no mere wealthy patron.
“Now we can talk freely.”
“…Thank you for your consideration.”
Cha Eun-kyung’s gaze fixed sharply upon me.
Eyes that were somewhere between a scout’s and a predator’s.
My instincts screamed that I should at least avoid any future where I became prey.
“Are you using the fur I gave you well?”
“Yes. Here.”
Cha Eun-kyung showed me the piece of fur at her waist.
It had been crafted like a keychain, displaying a rather cute design.
“Does the fur’s performance apply fully? Like contempt for the weak?”
The eye patch I had made in Boa Village was too small, so the Contempt for the Weak effect had worn off.
That’s why I was somewhat concerned about this part.
She was high-level, after all.
“Of course.”
“Can I touch it?”
“…You, I suppose.”

[Golden Fox Fur Ornament (Unique)]
[Charm +3]
[Durability: 50]
[Cold Immunity]
[Heat Immunity]
[Contempt for the Weak]
[Physical Attack Immunity from targets with Strength stat below 10]
[Magic Attack Immunity from targets with Wisdom stat below 10]
[Increased level penalty when level difference exceeds 10]
[Physical and Magic Attack Immunity against targets with stat difference of 50 or more]
[An ornament made by compressing Golden Fox fur through a special process. It provides no defense, but precise magical treatment has greatly increased its durability.]

Her words were true.
The fur wasn’t simply cut into small pieces—it had undergone a special compression process.
Even a new stat called Charm was attached to it.
“How is it? Pretty?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
The corners of Cha Eun-kyung’s mouth lifted slightly.
It meant she was very satisfied.
“The rest of the fur is here.”
“Pardon?”
Cha Eun-kyung produced an unusually designed briefcase.
It looked quite light and sturdy, yet the bag was designed with aesthetic sensibility as well.
“Ah, you’ve been storing it well.”
“It’s a dedicated bag.”
“I’m sorry?”
Now that I thought about it, Cha Eun-kyung had a subspace.
Yet she still carried a separate bag.
I didn’t know the reason, but I was grateful she hadn’t disposed of it.
“A torturer’s exclusive bag. The back compartment holds torture tools.”
“Huh?”
In any case, she seemed to be storing it with great care.
The bag might even have the Contempt for the Weak effect attached to it.
“Now, let’s get to the main point.”
“Yes.”
“….”
Thinking about it, Cha Eun-kyung held all the cards in our relationship.
Therefore, I was the one who needed to speak first.
“I visited the Chinese Beginner Villages.”
“Why?”
There was no way I could reveal the infinite sustained buff.
But lying felt equally awkward.
Moreover, keeping it secret risked damaging our relationship significantly.
Besides, she had become a professional at extracting the truth.
A master interrogator, in essence.
“Because of a class change clue.”
This was the truth.
Since an adventurer’s footprints were volatile rewards, only the first discoverer could claim them.
Liam, with its countless adventurer class change cases, didn’t qualify as an adequate exploration site.
“What class did you change to?”
“Eternal Adventurer.”
While Adventurer might be known, Eternal Adventurer was likely a class that didn’t exist in her unique information network.
It appeared to be a class requiring the prerequisite of being a beta tester.
“Eternal Adventurer is something you’re hearing about for the first time too, right?”
“Yeah.”
“By the way, it was an extremely important secret. I’d really appreciate it if only you knew about it, Eun-kyung.”
“…Yeah.”
Cha Eun-kyung’s lips curved upward again.
The fact that her eyebrows rose simultaneously indicated complete satisfaction.
At this point, asking about the subspace shouldn’t be a problem.
“I stopped by Liam briefly to purchase a subspace. I also wanted to earn a large sum and exchange it.”
“Give me the gold first.”
“Pardon?”
“Gold.”
It seemed immediate exchange was possible.
“Ah. I stored the gold in the room safe. I can’t withdraw it right away.”
“Lead the way.”
“No, no. I was planning to buy the subspace first and then exchange the remaining money.”
“I’ll buy it for you.”
“Oh.”
Her scale of generosity once again exceeded imagination.
She was saying she’d cover not just the exchange, but the subspace cost as well in one go.
“Wait, wait. Sung-chul is coming too.”
“…Who?”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t know Sung-chul’s game nickname.
Conversely, Cha Eun-kyung would only know Sung-chul’s nickname.
“He decided to come too. He was the one who introduced me to Eun-kyung.”
“Ah.”
She didn’t seem to know.
More precisely, she knew who he was, but couldn’t quite remember his nickname.
“Let’s wait and go together.”
“…Tsk.”
Fortunately, the atmosphere that had been growing cold began to thaw somewhat thanks to the flower tea I’d ordered earlier.
“Ah, the order arrived. What would you like, Eun-kyung?”
“Kael first.”
“Hmm.”
It was difficult to choose just one.
Especially since the Buff World Cup was the main event.
It seemed best to be honest this time.
“In your opinion, which tea looks good? I have a hobby of checking out the buffs, you see.”
“Buffs?”
“Yes. This is my first time with flower tea.”
Unlike Sung-chul, she seemed knowledgeable about tea.
If she regularly drank premium tea, she likely had her preferences.
“Flower tea is about aroma, not taste. There’s no bad tea here.”
Cha Eun-kyung spoke at length for the first time.
But interpretation was still necessary.
It meant all the teas that arrived were of decent quality.
“Drink it all.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll drink with you.”
In other words, she was saying she’d drink what I left behind.
It wouldn’t be an immediate problem, but if someone saw this, there was a non-negligible chance an assassin would be dispatched.
“….”
Looking around, I saw no one besides the existing guests in the tea house.
But I caught a faint presence.
It was probably the bodyguards from before.
While it was safe for Cha Eun-kyung, it wasn’t a safe situation for me.
“That won’t do.”
“Here.”
But Cha Eun-kyung’s teaspoon came first.
At invisible speed, she scooped the tea and poured it precisely into my mouth.

[Active Buffs]
[Magnolia Tea (Superior)]
[Agility +1 Wisdom +4 Mana +1]
[Mana Efficiency Greatly Enhanced]
[Mana Recovery Slightly Increased]
[Duration: 5 minutes]

I confirmed that even a small amount granted the buff.
However, the duration was quite short.
It seemed I needed to consume the entire tea for a normal duration to form.
“How is it?”
“Well, the flavor is quite good, not just the aroma.”
“Our family’s magnolia tea is better.”
A natural thing to say.
Someone like Cha Eun-kyung would certainly have access to magnolia tea in reality that was at least a masterpiece.
What mattered more was the buff’s content.
My mana, which had been merely 1, became 2.
Since this was my first time encountering a buff that increased mana—a special stat like Cha Eun-kyung’s keyring—the feeling was all the more profound.
For now, I quickly converted it to permanent duration.
“It feels different from combat buffs. This is quite nice too.”
“Come to our home.”
“…That’s a bit much.”
“Tsk.”
Just as an awkward situation was about to unfold, fortunately a small commotion erupted outside.
Along with a familiar voice.
“No! I really have a prior appointment and need to go in! Ugh!”
“Even if you’re with Seoguang, it’s not possible right now! Please leave!”
For me, this was nothing but fortunate.
If it was Sung-chul, he could share the pressure I was under right now.
Since he even held the position of an intermediary, Cha Eun-kyung wouldn’t be able to treat him carelessly.
“Just a moment. It sounds like Sung-chul. I called for him, so I’ll bring him in.”
“Let him through.”
There was no need for me to step in.
The situation resolved with a single word from Cha Eun-kyung.
“Yes, Miss.”
In an instant, the inn door opened, and I could finally see Sung-chul wearing an exhausted expression.
“Sung-chul.”
“…Sigh. So what’s this situation?”
“Right?”
Thus, a three-way confrontation unfolded.
“It’s my first time meeting you in person. I’m Nyx, also affiliated with Seoguang. My class is Grim Blader.”
Grim Blader.
It was Sung-chul’s hidden class.
A powerful swordsman class befitting its name.
Its defining characteristic was exceptional prowess in mid-range combat thanks to the class-exclusive sword aura.
But Cha Eun-kyung’s interest lay elsewhere.
“Are you two close?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean. Are you close with Kael?”
Cha Eun-kyung’s distinctive manner of speech seemed challenging even for Sung-chul.
I decided to step in at this point.
“Yes. We’re quite close. Nyx here was my supervisor at work.”
“Right. Nyx.”
She’d actually remembered his name.
Sung-chul didn’t seem to notice, but I could always explain it to him later.
Either way, all’s well that ends well.
“Please call me Kael here too.”
“Got it. But what’s all this about?”
“Ah. The moment I arrived in Liam, Eun-kyung recognized me.”
“I see.”
The brief pleasantries ended there.
With the situation becoming complicated, the flower tea World Cup would have to be postponed.
“Elder, about what we discussed on the phone—I’d like to find a subspace the size of a beginner’s backpack for under 100 gold. Would that be possible?”
“Sure.”
Cha Eun-kyung answered instead.

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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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