The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 196

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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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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 196

Episode 196: Heavenly Demon Tomb (1)

I wandered from place to place searching for Jangbodo fragments.

【You have obtained 4 ‘Jangbodo Fragments’.】
【You have obtained 3 ‘Jangbodo Fragments’.】

Because the range was so vast, fragments poured in continuously with just a little walking around.
However, I hadn’t been wandering about without any concerns.
-Master! There are Wudang sect martial artists 800 meters ahead!
I had to avoid other martial artists.
Because the fragments suddenly disappeared, the factions of the Martial Arts Realm were on high alert.
“Who on earth stole the Jangbodo!”
“Find it at all costs! The Jangbodo must not fall into the hands of our enemies!”
“You there! Empty your belongings at once!”
“You look suspicious! Reveal your identity!”
It was commonplace for them to seize passing martial artists and forcibly search their possessions.
“Gui Myeong Mun! Hand over the stolen fragments!”
“Have these bastards lost their minds! Why are they harassing us!”
They even went so far as to wage war, suspecting one another.
I watched from a distance and clicked my tongue.
“People are far too quick to suspect others.”
….
….
Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek looked at me with expressions of disbelief.
It was hardly something the person responsible for this situation should be saying.
Regardless.
I opened my Inventory and focused on matching the fragments.
“Oh, I’ve collected them all?”
There were exactly 42 fragments in my Inventory.
The number was far greater than I had anticipated.
‘They really tore it apart meticulously.’
I clicked my tongue, thinking of the ronin who had torn up the Jangbodo and committed suicide.
I couldn’t even begin to fathom how desperately they must have wanted to keep it from being stolen.
I had collected all the Jangbodo fragments, but I couldn’t retrieve them here immediately.
There was no telling what schemes the factions of the Martial Arts Realm might employ.
So Mincheol moved to a secluded place where no one could see him.
Then I retrieved various items from my Inventory.
They were scent suppressants.
When obtaining fragments in the Martial Arts Layer, the greatest thing to be wary of was tracking scent.
Tracking scent referred to a specially blended fragrance designed for pursuit.
Tracking scent did not easily disappear even when washed with water.
That’s why many Murim factions favored using it when storing valuables or pursuing trackers.
In particular, the Thousand-League Tracking Scent made by the Dang Family was famous for its exceptional performance.
Since it was a commonly used item, I couldn’t afford to be unprepared.
Mincheol carefully sprayed scent suppressant all around the area.
It was impossible to completely erase the tracking scent this way.
But it was possible to delay the pursuit.
Pssshhh—
Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek watched Mincheol spray the suppressant with expressions of confusion.
When I felt the time was right, I retrieved all the Jangbodo fragments from my Inventory.
Of course, I didn’t forget to coat them thoroughly with scent suppressant immediately upon retrieval.
Then I began fitting the 42 fragments together like a puzzle.
Since I had already confirmed their shapes before taking them out of the Inventory, it wasn’t particularly difficult.
In less than a minute, all the Jangbodo fragments found their proper places.
It was the moment when Jangbodo was completed for the first time since the Tower appeared on Earth.
But the brief elation was short-lived as bewilderment crossed my face.
“Why is there no marking at all?”
The surface of the Jangbodo only displayed the overall terrain, with no indication of the Heavenly Demon Tomb’s location.
“Would you allow me to try, sir?”
Wi Ji-yeon placed her hand on the Jangbodo and began infusing her inner energy into it.
‘What is this…?’
Mincheol watched with a startled expression.
The inner energy Wi Ji-yeon unleashed was ominous beyond measure.
Dark and sinister.
It was similar to the power used by the mysterious monster sealed within Ramakan before.
‘Is this demonic energy?’
The demonic energy used by those of the Demonic Cult was said to be closer to sorcery than martial arts.
One could rapidly accumulate inner power and advance in realm, but the process was horrifyingly brutal.
In truth, when I had investigated the Demonic Cult, I had wondered how terrible it could be…
‘No wonder the Murim people despise it so…?’
It was while Mincheol harbored such thoughts.
A change occurred in the Jangbodo as it absorbed Wi Ji-yeon’s inner energy.
A new image appeared in the corner of the map.
The drawing skill wasn’t particularly good, but the meaning was clear.
The Heavenly Demon Tomb.
It was the place where the Heavenly Demon Tomb lay dormant.
“We did it!”
Wi Ji-yeon cried out with a bright face. I smiled and spoke as well.
“Well done.”
At my praise, Wi Ji-yeon lowered her head deeply. At the same time, her ears flushed slightly.
I had no time to pay attention to Wi Ji-yeon’s change.
It was because of the message that appeared before my eyes.

【Hidden Quest ‘Legacy of the Heavenly Demon’ has occurred!】
【You have fulfilled the conditions for a Hidden Quest occurrence. You acquire the reward!】
【All stats increase by ’30’ each.】
【You acquire ’20’ Lucky Coins.】
【Uncover the secrets of the Heavenly Demon Tomb!】

My eyes sparkled.
‘They’re giving rewards just for a Quest occurring?’
This was the first time something like this had happened.
Then what kind of reward could I obtain when I actually completed the Quest?
My heart raced just imagining it.
‘I was right to bring her along.’
Without Wi Ji-yeon, I would have collected all the Jangbodo fragments only to be left standing around helplessly.
‘But wait, is this really the right difficulty level?’
Collecting all the Jangbodo fragments was already difficult enough.
And on top of that, I had to find and protect the descendants of the Demonic Cult?
It was truly excessive.
‘And the harder the Quest, the better the reward…’
Conversely, the better the reward, the more difficult the Quest would be.
Given that they were offering such generous rewards from the start, this didn’t seem like an ordinary Quest.
“We move toward the Heavenly Demon Tomb now.”
At my words, the two nodded.
“Before that, take this.”
I threw a deodorant spray to the two of them.
“Why are you giving this to us?”
“Keep spraying it continuously as we travel.”
“Pardon?”
Wi Ji-yeon’s expression showed complete bewilderment.
But she didn’t ask further questions.
She was the one who had mistaken me for the incarnation of the Heavenly Demon.
At this point, she would believe me even if I said I was making soybean paste out of red beans.

* * *

Finding the location marked on the Heavenly Demon Tomb was not particularly difficult.
-Master, if you continue heading north, you’ll come across the mountain range marked on the Heavenly Demon Tomb.
This was thanks to having already mapped out the terrain through Bokdol-i.
The three of us ran without sparing our inner energy.
‘She’s keeping up well.’
I glanced at Wi Ji-yeon and thought to myself.
My stats were exceptionally high, and Moon Yu-baek’s cultivation was profound enough that this pace wouldn’t tire him out.
But I hadn’t expected Wi Ji-yeon, the weakest of the three, to endure for this long.
‘She seems to have mastered an excellent inner energy cultivation technique.’
As a descendant of Cheon-ma, she apparently had some foundation.
But eventually, her limits arrived.
“Huff, huff.”
As the sun began to set, Wi Ji-yeon stopped, gasping for breath.
“Let’s rest here.”
“No, no! I can run further!”
Wi Ji-yeon spoke while wiping away the sweat streaming down her face.
I shook my head. No matter how I looked at it, she wasn’t in any condition to continue.
“We’re resting.”
“But we don’t know when the pursuers will catch up….”
“The sun is setting soon. Running through forest paths in the dark is dangerous. And as you said, since we don’t know when the pursuers will appear, we need to maintain our full strength.”
The pursuers were bound to appear eventually.
The Martial Arts Realm resembled ancient China only in its lifestyle, but was technologically highly advanced.
Even tracking scent alone was something difficult to replicate with modern technology.
I had been diligently spraying deodorant along the way, but the scent would eventually become detectable as time passed.
“The master’s words are correct. Let’s rest while we have the chance.”
With even Moon Yu-baek saying this, Wi Ji-yeon had no choice but to yield.
While she caught her breath, Moon Yu-baek and I gathered branches from around us and made a campfire.
It was to warm our sweat-soaked bodies.
“I’ll go catch a Rabbit or two for food.”
Moon Yu-baek spoke while scattering leaves onto the campfire.
“No need. I’ve already prepared something.”
I spoke while pulling out a lunch box from my Inventory.
These were things I had bought in advance to prepare for the chase.
As I pulled the lunch box from thin air, both of their eyes widened in astonishment.
“W-what on earth is this?”
“I’ve never seen food like this before….”
I grabbed the cord protruding from the bottom of the lunch box and pulled it.
Instantly, steam burst forth, and the lunch box heated up in moments.
At that sight, the two of them gasped once more in astonishment.
“Go ahead, eat.”
The two hesitated before using chopsticks to pick up the food from the bento box.
The moment the food entered their mouths, their eyes widened.
“This, this flavor…!”
“Such a delicacy exists in this world…!”
The two began devouring the bento box with reckless abandon.
I watched their expressions with quiet satisfaction.
‘I’m glad I prepared the expensive ones.’
Food from Earth couldn’t be brought into the Tower.
Only food made from Tower materials could be brought in.
The problem was that food made from Tower materials was extremely expensive.
Even common energy bars from Earth cost tens of thousands of won each.
This time, I had brought a bento box made by a renowned company.
Made from rare ingredients, it was both nutritious and exquisitely flavored.
Though a single bento box cost over a million won.
With Auto Looting, such expenses were no burden to me whatsoever.
“Um, um…”
Then Wi Ji-yeon hesitantly asked me a question.
The bento box had already been emptied.
“There’s plenty more, so feel free to eat more.”
I said, pulling out another bento box.
Wi Ji-yeon and Moon Yu-baek’s faces brightened.

* * *

After the meal ended, Moon Yu-baek left to gather firewood branches.
As a result, only Mincheol and Wi Ji-yeon remained around the campfire.
Wi Ji-yeon sat with her knees drawn up, staring blankly at the flames.
“Thank you.”
Then she suddenly spoke to Mincheol.
“Hm?”
“If Cheon-ma hadn’t helped, I would already be dead.”
Mincheol recalled when the two of them were attacked simultaneously by martial artists.
They both held their ground well, but they were gradually reaching their limits.
‘Actually, didn’t the reports say these two people die no matter what?’
According to reports compiled by the Large Guilds, these two were residents who died every time.
Because they possessed Jangbodo fragments.
Because their status as descendants of the Demonic Cult was exposed.
Suddenly, Mincheol became curious.
“Why are you taking such risks to rebuild the Demonic Cult?”
Collecting Jangbodo fragments was impossible.
At their first meeting, Wi Ji-yeon had clearly said so.
Yet knowing it was impossible, she threw herself into the Jangbodo competition.
“It doesn’t seem like I’ve ever been part of the Demonic Cult.”
The war between the Demonic Cult and Murim had occurred decades ago.
No matter how I looked at it, Wi Ji-yeon didn’t seem to be from that generation.
“That’s right. I don’t know what the Demonic Cult was like.”
Wi Ji-yeon spoke with a bitter smile.
“Then why?”
“It was my father’s unfulfilled wish.”
Wi Ji-yeon buried her face in her knees as she spoke.
“Do you know why the Demonic Cult was annihilated?”
“Wasn’t it because of the war with the Righteous Alliance?”
“No.”
Wi Ji-yeon shook her head firmly.
“At that time, the Demonic Cult’s main force possessed the greatest military strength in history. We were so confident that this time we could conquer Murim.”
Yet now the Demonic Cult was so destroyed that no trace of it could be found.
“Then why did we lose?”
“The forces of the Borderlands betrayed us.”
The center of the Martial Arts Realm was called the Central Plains.
But the Central Plains was not the entirety of the Martial Arts Realm.
The frontier.
Powerful forces also existed in the Borderlands.
Originally, the Demonic Cult was also one of the forces in the Borderlands.
“We were originally allied. When attacking the Central Plains, they promised to lend their strength. But they didn’t help the Demonic Cult.”
Wi Ji-yeon’s eyes dimmed.
“Rather, they betrayed us. They attacked the Main Camp while the Demonic Cult’s main forces were away. They slaughtered the disciples and stole the treasures. The main forces heard the news too late and fell into chaos.”
No matter how powerful a faction was, there was no way they could exert their strength in such circumstances.
“The main forces were annihilated, the Main Camp was destroyed. And so the Demonic Cult disappeared. Father experienced that entire catastrophe.”
Wi Ji-yeon sighed.
“Father was a direct descendant of the Cult Leader, but he wasn’t particularly talented. He barely managed to enter the Demonic Arts. When the main forces left the Central Plains, he remained at the Main Camp.”
When the Borderlands forces betrayed the Demonic Cult.
Her father stayed at the Main Camp and witnessed everything.
“He said it was like Hell. Even now, when he closes his eyes, he sees the faces of the Borderlands martial artists laughing like demons as they plundered the Demonic Cult.”
Wi Ji-yeon paused for a moment.
“Father devoted his entire life to rebuilding the Demonic Cult. He tried to gather the scattered disciples, searched for the Cult’s treasures… When I was young, his dedication seemed so foolish. I swore I would never live like that.”
Perhaps all those efforts were in vain.
Judging by the fact that she was moving alone with Moon Yu-baek.
“But before Father died, he asked me something. He begged me to rebuild the Demonic Cult. And to take revenge on the Borderlands forces who betrayed us.”
Wi Ji-yeon spoke while gazing at the campfire.
“I’m foolish too… When I saw Father crying, I couldn’t refuse. So even knowing it’s impossible, I came here.”
Mincheol watched her silently.
‘But is rebuilding the Demonic Cult even a good thing?’
The thought suddenly struck him.
Her circumstances were tragic, but the Demonic Cult wasn’t exactly a righteous faction.
As Mincheol was contemplating this.
Suddenly, he sensed an unfamiliar presence. Turning his head, he saw a bird perched on a branch.
Strangely, its feathers came in five different colors.
“A Five-Colored Bird…?”
Wi Ji-yeon muttered in a daze.
Flap.
The Five-Colored Bird soared high into the sky. Then Wi Ji-yeon’s face went pale as she cried out.
“That’s a spirit beast the Dang Family raised to track the Scent of Pursuit! If that’s here…”
The moment she shouted, a message came from Bokdol-i.
-Master! The Dang Family’s martial artists are heading your way!
They had been tracked after all.
And by the Dang Family, one of the pillars of the Orthodox Faction.
‘So the Dang Family caught on first.’
The Thousand-Li Scent of Pursuit produced by the Dang Family was renowned throughout the Central Plains.
Naturally, their technique for tracking the scent was unmatched.
“We need to move.”
“B-but if it’s the Dang Family, running won’t help…”
“It’s fine.”
Mincheol spoke with conviction.
“I have a reliable ally who will tie down the Dang Family for us.”

* * *

In the dark forest.
A dozen martial artists bounded across the branches with preternatural grace.
Despite their undeniable humanity, they left no impression of weight upon the wood.
They moved like ghosts.
The Chuhon Squad.
Cultivated as an elite force by the Dang Family, every member was among the finest martial artists in existence.
Their reputation for brutality was equally formidable. People spoke of the Chuhon Squad as the Dang Family’s blade, and they feared them accordingly.
Their deployment to the most chaotic region of the Central Plains spoke volumes of their prowess.
A flutter of wings.
In the distance, a five-colored bird took flight, ascending into the night.
Moonlight reflected off its iridescent plumage, making it clearly visible even through the darkness.
“There.”
The Chuhon Squad Leader pointed toward the bird.
The distance was considerable, but that posed no obstacle.
With the Chuhon Squad’s lightness technique, they would arrive in moments….
Then it happened.
Something plummeted from the sky, blocking their path.
A streamlined form wrapped in white metal.
It mimicked human shape, yet was no human at all.
The eerie construct’s body blazed with light.
The Chuhon Squad Leader felt ice run down his spine.
“Everyone, fall back….”
He could not finish.
An invisible blade severed every throat in the Chuhon Squad in a single, merciless stroke.

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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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