A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 57

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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 57

The gloves themselves weren’t poor in performance.
Since they were an item equipped in an empty slot, they granted unconditional benefits.

[Master Craftsman’s Silent Gloves (Legendary)]
[Defense: 11]
[Agility +3 Wisdom +1 Luck +1]
[Incantation Seal]
[When these gloves touch an opponent, their magical incantation is instantly sealed. Effect persists for 10 seconds.]
[Even plain cloth becomes a legendary masterpiece when touched by a master craftsman’s hand. The deep melancholy and longing of the master are woven within.]

The most striking option was the exclusive ability: Incantation Seal.
An excellent option for suppressing mages, it possessed the overwhelming effect of blocking the opponent’s magical incantation for 10 seconds.
However, for a Legendary-grade item, the performance was somewhat ambiguous.
‘If it only requires touching, wouldn’t striking a mage’s solar plexus also trigger Incantation Seal?’
Close combat between a mage and a warrior was a match with a predetermined outcome.
Therefore, Incantation Seal could be seen as an ability specialized in ambushes or betrayals rather than direct combat.
What troubled me more was the item’s description itself.

[Today was the child’s birthday. The child had carefully prepared their own gift. It was a gloomy day.]

[The child resolved to escape. The hero breathed courage into the child.]

[The child drank water to fill their hungry belly. The nun prayed for the child’s happiness.]

[Today was the child’s birthday. The child had carefully prepared their own gift. It was a gloomy day.]

[The child wishes to become an arrow and fly far away. But the child has no wings.]

[Even plain cloth becomes a legendary masterpiece when touched by a master craftsman’s hand. The deep melancholy and longing of the master are woven within.]

Item descriptions had the characteristic of recording the craftsman’s minor episodes or the item’s history.
And in the Master Craftsman’s puppet I had obtained, the stories were jumbled in order, yet all of them were melancholic tales.

The gloves were no exception.
Beyond their performance, they bore the craftsman’s profound melancholy etched into their very essence.
‘Aira.’
I found myself intrigued by this village’s master artisan.
Perhaps if I tailed the Eccentric Merchant, I might uncover some clue.
“Wow. How much will this legendary item fetch?”
“I’m jealous! Woo!”
I slipped away from the audience’s cheers.
With all the masterpiece dolls and a legendary item secured, there was nothing left to see here.
Besides, drawing any more attention would make it awkward to tail the Eccentric Merchant.
Therefore, it was time to resume my original adventure.

* * *

“Pass through.”
“Thank you for your service.”

A considerable number of guards were stationed at the North Gate.
The reason was easy to deduce.
It was because of the players who constantly transported legendary items with great fanfare.
This was a place where the strong preyed upon the weak.
“Hmm. Quite far.”
The location Sung-chul marked on the map was several dozen kilometers away—a considerable distance.
Under normal circumstances, it would require traveling by carriage.
But that wouldn’t do.
An adventurer’s traces were rewards that would vanish if others’ footsteps interfered with them.
Therefore, I resolved to run.
“Actually, this works out well. This is my first marathon in this playthrough.”
Of course, I didn’t run like in reality.
This was a world within a game.
A world where even extraordinary feats were accepted as ordinary.
Whoosh!
Gale Rush had become a proper noun by now.
By utilizing the momentum gained from an instantaneous dash, rapid movement was possible.
Tap-tap-tap!

[Name: Kael]
[Class: Eternal Adventurer (Hidden)]
[Level: 59]
[Unused Points: 0]
[Strength: 102 Agility: 136 Stamina: 108 Wisdom: 123 Luck: 111]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

Power surged through my entire body.
Every stat had broken into three digits.
At this level, I could surely hold my own against ordinary rankers.
Of course, the vast difference in playtime meant I was somewhat lacking in stats gained through Achievements.
But I had bridged that gap with infinite buffs.
“Tsk-tsk-tsk.”
I hummed as I ran, my breath never faltering.
With my buff window open, the messages were so numerous they obscured my entire field of vision—I was receiving every conceivable enhancement.
Buffs didn’t merely raise stats, after all.
Thud-thud-thud!
“Who is that person?”
“They’re incredibly fast!”
The novice players hunting in the vicinity couldn’t help but turn their attention toward me.
Whoosh!
“Screech!”
Of course, there were drawbacks.
My reckless speed nearly put the beginners in danger.
“You mustn’t take your eyes off the monster in front of you.”
“U-uh?”
“I’ve only stunned it, so finish it off.”
“Thank you so much!”
Boom!
“Argh!”
Naturally, cleanup fell to me.
I continued running, knocking out each mini Cobalt that faced off against the players with nothing but shockwaves from my speed.
Thud-thud-thud!

* * *

I wasn’t exhausted, but rest was necessary.
Hunger was the culprit.
With a healthy body, the pain of hunger was quite intense.
Moreover, from using my body so vigorously, the simple rations I’d stored in my subspace felt woefully insufficient.
“Lucky me.”
Fortunately, a wild boar habitat lay along my path.
I roasted an entire wild boar and sated my hunger.
Though it tasted terrible.
“Next time, I should buy salt and pepper in bulk.”

[Active Buffs]
[Crudely Roasted Wild Boar (Common)]
[Strength +2 Stamina +1]
[Duration: ∞]

The modest meal buff was a bonus.
Either way, it beat the Fountain water buff.
“I’ve got plenty of meat stocked, so let me head out again….”
Crack.
The moment I tried to stand, the sound of a branch snapping reached my ears.
Soon after, I sensed multiple presences approaching.
“Tsk. That Kellison bastard’s causing trouble again.”
“Still, he does have strength. Doesn’t he, boss?”
Based on the name, they appeared to be an NPC group.
Their attire had the look of a rather prosperous Bandit Organization.
“Hey. Who are you to roast wild boar in our territory?”
They were bandits collecting protection money, it seemed.
The boar cost was obviously just an excuse to extort more money.
“What’s this? Do you have some backing?”
As I pondered, the leader of the bandit group began to rage.
“Are you seriously muttering to yourself right in front of us?”
“Insolent bastard. Let’s break his arm first.”
“Hey. Kellison. Go show him.”
The bandit named Kellison was an NPC with a massive frame.
It was questionable how someone with that build could approach me silently.
Since I’d ventured far from Beginner Village, they clearly had some level of skill.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
“Hmm.”
In this remote Mountain Valley, I was the only user present.
This was the perfect stage to debut my mythic weapon.

[Sumoq That Has Not Reached Truth (Mythic)]
[Attack Power: 137~201]
[Durability: Indestructible]
[That Has Not Reached Truth: ??? (Locked)]
[Summon of the Ancients: You can summon a powerful ancient being for 15 minutes. (Cooldown: 1 hour)]
[The description cannot be displayed as the conditions are not met.]

Sumoq, which had slumbered in the subspace, revealed itself.
“Huh? A subspace?”
The rogues were momentarily taken aback by the sudden appearance of the subspace, but they soon began to snicker as they realized the weapon that had emerged was nothing more than a thick wooden club.
“Ha! A weapon pulled from a subspace is just a club? This is ridiculous.”
I casually dismissed the rogues’ remarks and infused mana into Sumoq.

[The ancient being answers your summons.]

Anticipation began to surge through me at the message alone.
Simultaneously, a rugged yet majestic gate materialized before my eyes, befitting my expectations.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!

[The ancient being inherits a portion of your status.]

“Hm?”
The message that followed granted me an even greater rush of dopamine.
A summoned creature that inherits a portion of my status.
With just this, the matter was essentially settled.
‘Wait. Does the Eternal Adventurer inherit it too?’
The door had opened, but the Ancient One had yet to appear.
It seemed the summoning would take a moment.
Resolving to summon my creature beforehand in the future, I swung Sumoq at the bulky figure called Kellison.
The purpose was to loosen up my body while waiting for the Ancient One to emerge.
Crash!
Kellison had certainly blocked my Sumoq.
His reaction was surprisingly swift for someone of his massive build.
However, Sumoq’s attack power corresponded to three digits, just like my status.
At maximum, the attack power reached the 200s.
Even if blocked, it meant critical injury.
“Guaaaaaaagh!”
With a tremendous shockwave, Kellison flew far away.
Moreover, he plummeted off a cliff, so death was inevitable.
“Mythic-grade truly is different.”
“W-what is that thing!”
Since the basic attack test had concluded successfully, I decided to leave the rest to the Ancient One.
“Flee and you die.”
“Ugh!”
“Resist and you die.”
The Bandit Organization’s morale plummeted sharply.
Indeed, in a many-versus-one battle, performance was crucial to establishing superiority.
“Elder! What do we do?”
“Damn it! What do you mean what! Just do whatever he says!”
As expected, the bandits adopted a cooperative stance.
Survival of the fittest applied to NPCs as well.
Of course, I had no intention of letting them live.
I needed to level up, after all.

[The Ancient One reveals itself!]

At last, a heavily built Ancient One emerged from beyond the door.
Its physique was far larger than the bulky bandit I had just sent flying.
And simultaneously, a message appeared.

[Magnificent Achievement!]
[You have encountered an Ancient One from the legends of mythology!]
[Strength increases by 5!]
[Luck increases by 12!]

[Strength: 109 Agility: 136 Stamina: 109 Wisdom: 123 Luck: 123]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

True to its nature as a mythical weapon, merely using the weapon’s abilities was enough to unlock this Achievement.
This meant that all the upper echelons of Seoguang had already achieved this very same milestone.

“Uuuuuuuuuh!”
The Ancient One that materialized let out a ghastly shriek.
As befitted an Ancient One summoned through Sumoq, it wielded a weapon bearing a striking resemblance to Sumoq itself.
“Uuuuuuuuuuh!”
The Ancient One that had revealed itself immediately began its charge with an ominous momentum.
With the considerable problem that its target was me.

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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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