Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 294

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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 294

[Your stats increase as a quest reward.]
[The quest has been updated.]

“What did you do?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you were acting just like Yon would…….”
“You don’t need to say any more.”
“Right.”
“Let’s go now.”
This is what actually happened.
The person who called Seo Jun said he came from a group that was interfering with Seo Jun’s first-place finish, and wanted to demand some of the rewards Seo Jun would obtain from them.
So Seo Jun killed him.
He completed the quest.
“…….”
Thanks to Yon’s quiet restraint—careful not to upset his mood—Seo Jun was able to slowly and carefully read through the newly updated quest before him.

[Hunger for Power 2]
==
The seed of power has germinated.
As this seed grows, it will grant you immense power in the future.
Objective: Eliminate one champion on Day 7 without exposing your identity
Reward: Stat increase
==

‘Day 7, then? I see. One per day.’
It didn’t seem like a major upheaval was coming yet.
The timing is what it is.
‘Should I kill someone the same way tomorrow?’
Hard to say.
For the record, Seo Jun’s stats had increased. His health had gone up noticeably enough that anyone watching closely would catch it.
So he had to make sure that they never exchanged blows in a way that would reveal his health bar.
As long as they didn’t fight, it wouldn’t show.
And there was another problem.
‘There’s another issue too.’
Just now, on a hunch, he’d kept his distance when he killed the man, and that alone had kept his identity hidden.
He’d moved like some mysterious assassin absorbing the power of his target—that kind of motion.
‘Even with justification, if there are too many eyes around, I can’t kill him. Could that be what gives me away?’
Seo Jun—he’s not the type to endure provocation. So if he were to endure it?
Then he could be attacked for being suspicious.
It was absurd, but someone could actually suspect him of holding back.
Especially.
“Come on, let’s split up now. I need to farm.”
Someone like that Yon.
“Right.”
After Yon left, Seo Jun analyzed the situation in more detail.
Currently, it was the assassination and stockpiling phase.
But it could all explode at any moment.
Participants from other areas besides Train could obtain special items, learn his identity, and come to hunt him.
So.
‘I need to finish the Train quest quickly.’
They work together and the shop opens.
Do the assassination quest too.
‘I did do an assassination today, right.’

* * *

Day 6 ended.
The Train quest had progressed to the point where only one more material remained, and consequently the Train participants had shown various behaviors.
First, the faction that the person Seo Jun killed had mentioned—they never approached.
Even though their messenger (?) or friend was dead.
The remaining participants had stepped in to some degree, and seeing the quest nearly complete, they stopped going into the Other Realm to perform quests.
Instead, they began collecting information by going to places like other areas connected to Train.
‘Perhaps in the original plan, Train wouldn’t have been this peaceful.’
Seo Jun may have accelerated the attacker’s entrance, or the assault might have taken a different form.
But it was only speculation. What was certain was that the attacker who should have stirred up an ominous atmosphere again today was dead.
By accident.
“I’ll get a bad reputation.”
Poor thing.
Whoever they are, I hope they hide their identity well.
Anyway.
“The people gathered in Train will scatter, return with information, and reassemble around the time the quest ends tomorrow.”
When should he kill whom?
If it were Yon, he’d just obey well, but even Seo Jun had a conscience about killing Yon.
Rachel seems to be on the same side for now too.
“More could come rushing in once they hear the news.”
At least for tomorrow.
If that’s the case, maybe he just goes to a different area?
“It’d be nice if they kindly came to start a quarrel again, but if not…….”
Another anomaly appearing in the Other Realm would be good too.
But even if there were many lucky situations that could happen, relying on that luck was no different from Prayer Meta.
“Once the quest ends, there’s no reason I can’t expose that I’m the mastermind and hunt openly, right?”
There’d never been such a mastermind before, but Seo Jun wasn’t someone who judged based on what others hadn’t done.
While sipping Cola he’d gotten through room service, preparing for tomorrow, someone knocked on Seo Jun’s door.
Knock, knock, knock.

* * *

Day 7 had begun.
This was the period where the History Book’s preliminary preparation was nearing completion and heading into the real main story.
Seo Jun was fortunate enough to encounter a Mimic.
“Hey, Kael. Please come with me for a moment.”
“We can’t just hand you first place. This level of interference is necessary for the History Book. By the way, it’s two against one.”
A Mimic.
A creature in game dungeons called a treasure chest-shaped monster.
Usually, defeating a monster gives you rare treasures like a treasure chest, so people consider finding a Mimic a windfall.
“Wait, why is the health so high?”
“Did you just take those attacks on purpose? Beat us and then show the health bar?”
Seo Jun had encountered two professional players indistinguishable from a Mimic in the Other Realm from the start.
It was a windfall.
“Thank you for your hard work, both of you.”
Two against one?
That level of fight was child’s play.
Looking at the two professional players with health nearly depleted, Seo Jun activated his Ultimate Skill.
“See? We tried hard.”
“We lose 2 versus 1 to an amateur after collecting materials for three whole days. Our form is crazy.”
Really does seem insane.
Anyway, today’s quest was taken care of.
That group had three members as far as Seo Jun could tell.
Meaning, no more Mimics after this.
The updated quest then.
‘It’s gone?’
It had vanished. They’d said there was no price, but surely there had to be one.
“I guess it’s improvisation from now on.”
Dangerous. He needed to stay sharp.
Seo Jun met Yon again.
“Sigh……. Cooperation, you know what that means?”
Yon reproached him for handling two participants.
“Don’t worry.”
“No, really…….”
“About the mastermind.”
“Yes.”
“I’m really confident about this.”
“About what?”
“Controlling the mastermind.”
“Well, with your skills, you’d naturally be confident…….”
“No, I’m really confident I can do it my way. Isn’t that right, everyone?”
Because he is the mastermind.
He could see the chat.

-This crazy manㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Yeah, you’re the mastermind so you’re rightㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But you’re not gonna control it anyway, you real bastard mastermindㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

“Why are you suddenly communicating? God, I’m losing it. Seriously.”
Seo Jun let out a laugh and tapped Yon’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry and go.”
I’ll kill you last.
Seo Jun did have a conscience.
Probably.

* * *

Train’s shared quest was finally completed.
Cresit’s apprentice nailed it shut by announcing he wouldn’t accept any more materials.
“You don’t need any other materials, right?”
“No.”
“But why won’t it open? What are we supposed to do this round?”
“That’s something we don’t know either.”
“Hmm, I came all this way deliberately out of curiosity, but this is disappointing. Should I head back?”
Cresit hadn’t come out since entering his workshop.
Confused murmurs echoed across the Plaza.
“Three people died? An attacker? Is the Other Realm active again?”
“Wait, that Kael…….”
“Ah……. That Kael…….”
Some image had taken root.
Seo Jun, sitting on a chair in the Plaza, felt the urge to stand up immediately and approach to change that image of him.
“So there really was an attacker like that? But if they only appeared one day and haven’t shown up until today, isn’t it just a temporary event?”
“The attack could be just a taste test. Either way, it’s good to know, Bernard.”
“That’s true. Thanks, friend.”
“Shut up.”
“So that’s why you followed along like an attendant?”
“Shut it.”
Friendly banter was also heard.
So what was he supposed to do?
“Haru?”
“Yes? Older brother?”
“A quest just popped up. Says I can enter tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah! I got one too. The workshop doors will open in two days, but what about me?”
“Oh.”
Seo Jun’s expression showed sudden realization.
In an instant, all the participants’ eyes in the Plaza turned toward Seo Jun.
It was natural—he’d just announced the first-place reward.

[Cresit’s Request]
==
Cresit grants the one who brought the most materials the opportunity to purchase items from the new workshop first.
Objective: Visit the workshop the next day
Reward: Shop access
==

“Is there anyone else who can enter the shop tomorrow? Second or third place?”
“They could be hiding it. Who’d reveal it?”
“So the person who submitted the most gets a special reward.”
“Hmm.”
With three hours still remaining, cautious and ambiguous looks were fixed on Seo Jun.
The reason: Seo Jun had revealed the benefit.
Even if no one knew exactly how going one day early would matter, there was clearly a reason the reward was given that way.
If Seo Jun hadn’t announced it, they might not have interfered, uncertain about what the first-place reward actually was, but he’d revealed it.
A rookie mistake.
“Is cooperation the real deal? Really?”
“The odds of it not being that just went up.”
“If that’s the case…….”
But.
‘I did it on purpose.’
Seo Jun recalled the conversation he’d had with the Team Leader who’d visited the day before.
‘So you’ve become the mastermind.’
‘Seems that way.’
‘Was it intentional?’
‘No. How could it be.’
‘It seems like something you’d have intended, Sir Seo Jun.’
‘……What do you take me for?’
‘A Destroyer King.’
‘…….’
‘Anyway, since you’ve become the mastermind, there’s no avoiding it now.’
‘What is it?’
‘You’ll face moments harder than fighting monsters in the Other Realm.’
‘That would be true.’
‘The fact that it’s you who became the mastermind is causing quite the stir among the Team Leaders. If the mastermind loses because of forced shutdown and the History Book ends that way…….’
‘That would be a disaster indeed. Worse than the attacker dying.’
‘Exactly. I personally think the History Book ending that way is unavoidable, but others will see it differently. We need to think about this carefully. Actually, dying before that happens could be a way out.’
As a result of becoming the mastermind, Seo Jun would likely face high-intensity battles demanding significant focus.
Where before he could afford not to think too carefully, now he needed to prepare in advance.
The solution this Team Leader had mentioned was simply to intentionally lose before getting cornered.
Because even if Seo Jun explained his circumstances to the public, if he bungled the ending, people would ask why he even showed up if that was the case, and curse him for the inconvenience.
‘There’s no helping it.’
So he had to find a method.
Intentionally losing didn’t suit Seo Jun’s nature.
And after much thought, Seo Jun found his own method.
Seo Jun stood up from his seat.
About twenty participants focused on him, and instead of leaving the situation, Seo Jun opened his mouth.
To execute his method.
The method was simple.
“Participants here in the Plaza.”
Simply continue inputting as much combat data as possible to develop his AI.
“Would you like to have a sparring match with me? If you lose, I won’t enter the shop tomorrow.”
Train it to reach a level as close as possible to his own.

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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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