Episode 6. A New Hunting Style (3)
“Uwaaah! F*ck!”
Bang!
Chalsu threw down the report.
Because the conquest of Count Sauron’s territory, into which he had invested nearly a billion won over several months, had become uncertain.
‘Just what kind of NPC is it? Why the f*ck did it have to pop up at a time like this?!’
Even if they carried out the siege as planned, capturing the Count’s territory wouldn’t be easy.
But to think there would be an event-grade ultra-high-level NPC near a normal hunting ground?
If the Moonlight Hunter Roan couldn’t win, no one in Partyuk could. The opponent was estimated to be above level 650. They said it crushed Roan in an instant, so if they were unlucky, it could be in the 700s.
‘Damn it all….’
A level 700 NPC. That was the level of a fairly large guild master. A level where one was treated as the absolute strongest wherever they went.
Every 100 levels, the trajectory of strength changed. Especially past level 500, the benefits gained every 100 levels increased exponentially.
In this situation, even
‘Damn. I bought it by selling my house and car.’
The level 499 Named Boss,
The countless undead legions and large-scale black magic he led would have devastated the Count’s territory.
But reality was not so kind. If the place was guarded by an NPC of at least the 650s, then no matter how much he had invested 500 million won in
‘Is this the end for me? Do I have to go back to those days of making an ass of myself in front of my viewers, acting like a goddamn r*tard?’
Just as Chalsu was feeling bitter and about to give up on everything.
A voice call came to his account.
—“Hello. Are you by any chance Chalsu of Partyuk?”
It was an unexpected salvation that came to the despairing Chalsu.
“Yes, this is Chalsu. Who is this?”
—“This is the guild Great Japanese Empire… We heard that, regrettably, a snag has occurred in Partyuk’s plans, so we are contacting you.”
A very slow manner of speaking. Vocabulary that subtly conveyed experience.
However, it was a tone that felt subtly foreign. Meaning it had been translated from a foreign language.
‘Guild Great Japanese Empire? Why the hell are those Japs calling me…’
Chalsu knew that guild name.
It was the internal Face Chronicle guild of Minamoto Heavy Industries, the largest heavy industry company in Japan.
Moreover, though it couldn’t enter the world’s top seven guilds, it was one of the next twelve guilds.
“What is it? State your business.”
—“Do you know about us?”
Of course he did.
A guild that had recently succeeded in and occupied several territorial battles. The guild master, Minamoto, had even received the title of duke in the Pixie Kingdom.
There was no way Chalsu wouldn’t know of that famous incident.
—“I will speak bluntly. That plan which was said to have been thwarted. We will help you.”
Gulp.
The moment he heard those words, Chalsu’s heart pounded.
The rumor that the Great Japanese Empire guild was eyeing the Caron Kingdom was something those in the know were aware of. Because of that, there was also talk that they had deliberately swallowed up peripheral territories of the Pixie Kingdom adjacent to the Caron Kingdom.
“What is the reason you’re making this proposal to me?”
—“Hmm… It is nothing grand, but…”
However, the Great Japanese Empire official on the call attached some conditions after those words.
Chalsu’s expression grew serious hearing that.
‘Can I really do this… but I have no choice.’
The conditions were extremely unpleasant. However, it was better than all of this he had prepared by selling his house and car going to waste.
Chalsu, who had been looking at the situation calculatingly for a moment, let out a sigh.
“Hoo. Very well. I will sign a contract with the Great Japanese Empire guild.”
—“Very well. We will send someone soon… Thank you. This will surely have a positive effect on both our sides….”
Chalsu, who had ended the voice call, clenched his fist tightly.
And he neatly gathered the reports he had thrown onto the desk.
* * *
“Oh my, the goblins are shooting guns.”
“Is it some kind of new trick?”
Even as they saw the changed attitude of the goblins, they couldn’t feel any tension at all.
Bang—!
“Ugh….”
Not until a female wizard user died instantly from a single bullet.
Over the past few days. The crime score that had exceeded 5,000 because of users he had killed inevitably, or by mistake.
It began to rise again.
However, Ted didn’t stop Ilkkigi and Dukkigi.
“Shit… f*ck! What the hell is going on, they’re just goblins!
“Is it a bug?
The users finally faced reality and tried to fight using their respective skills.
Their levels were around the 200s.
Tatatata—
They couldn’t block the bullets of Ilkkigi and Dukkigi, which already surpassed level 350 attack power.
“Cough! 40% of my HP was cut in one hit. Does this make sense?”
“Aack!”
Under the bullets pouring out like a machine gun, the remaining three users also died in an instant.
And the items dropped by the users as they died.
Whether the goblins’ anger hadn’t subsided, they fired their muskets even at the dropped junk items.
“Stop. That’s enough.”
Ted stroked the heads of the excited Ilkkigi and Dukkigi.
Only then did the goblins stop shooting.
* * *
Every time a 100-unit mark changes, one must level up through boss hunting.
After Ted hunted the boss monster
‘It’s finally over!’
Ted sat down, exhausted.
Achievement: [Survival Expert] Acquired! >
—HP Bonus: 5%
—Passive Skill Created! [Survival Consumption]
Regardless of what plant is consumed, it partially restores satiety and HP.
‘Even this. It’s definitely done.’
The HP-boosting title [Survival Expert] that had been in the plan was acquired.
The passive skill was practically one of the meaningless skills.
‘But, it will be useful in the Netherworld.’
Ted would go to the Netherworld later too. Because there, while one couldn’t earn money and experience, one could indiscriminately stack achievements and titles.
If preparing for that time, it was a decent skill.
‘Hoo… I’m too tired. Let’s go down.’
A large bird flew toward Ted, who was heading to the village.
Wearing a small hat with a blue head on top, the identity of that bird was none other than the
‘So it’s here now.’
Actually, before logging in today, Ted had purchased something at the auction house. Namely, the
For 24 hours, all personal information can be manipulated to lower values only.
—Remaining Uses: 50
In Face Chronicle, there are things called
Like the
Identity concealment was something users with high crime rates like Ted occasionally used.
Of course, the price was extremely expensive. About 300,000 won each. The money Ted spent purchasing 50 was 15 million won.
‘It’s quite a lot of money for me right now… but if not for this, I can’t even enter through the castle gate.’
When he returned to the village, Ted would undertake his 2nd job change.
However, the 2nd job change took place inside the Academy for about 30 days. This was the system, and something no one could bend.
During that time, it was necessary to hide the crime score that had risen from 5,700 to 6,100 due to the goblins’ anger.
‘I just need to finish the 2nd job change quickly and obtain Thief as a dual class.’
The job group
Face Chronicle had a unique job group, and that was
Jobs of the Criminal lineage. For example, Thief, Pirate, Murderer, Swindler, etc., were jobs that were greatly at odds with users.
They had the advantage of not revealing their crime score even after committing crimes. Moreover, each time they committed a crime, they could gain experience and items.
Conversely, the risks were also enormous; as a death penalty, they unconditionally dropped two or more equipment items, and their experience was cut by chunks. Furthermore, depending on the crime score, a bounty could also be placed on them.
So normal users would actively search for users of the Criminal job group.
Therefore, among users, the Criminal job group and other job groups could virtually be seen as hostile to each other.
Occasionally, users who wanted to feel thrills and satisfy their criminal desires chose such jobs, and played the game through justifiable(?) crimes and illegal acts.
‘We’ve arrived.’
Ted arrived at the gate of Count Sauron’s territory.
“Halt! Who goes there!”
“I’m a foreigner.”
Ted tensed up for a moment. Because the moment he was caught, a user couldn’t even die and had to spend a day in prison per 100 crime score.
6,100 meant 61 days.
“Hmm. Indeed. You may enter.”
The guard used the
Ted, who had used the
‘First, I need to sell the junk items and go to Sibori Academy.’
Ted first headed toward a merchant NPC.
And he disposed of all the junk items he had collected over the past month, purchasing bullets, simple first-aid potions, and preserved food.
In the end, the remaining amount was about 500 gold, approximately 5 million won in cash.
Having finished selling, Ted headed to the Sibori Musket Academy.
In that still empty place, Raiden personally greeted Ted.
“You’re already here? I told you to go to Zone 4 and look around before returning, did I not?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, truly fast. Good work.”
—Quest Complete—
Quest Difficulty: E
You have completed the exploration of the stationary cloud in Zone 4 of the Sauron Plains!
Reward: Thief Job Change Instructor Recommendation Letter
“So, what was there?”
Ted briefly told him what he had seen.
“Hmm… so that’s how it is….”
Raiden made a serious expression.
“Very well. I have written the recommendation letter for the Thief instructor here. You should be able to meet him if you go into the basement of the back alley at the
“Very well.”
Normally, job changes for the Criminal job group were complicated from the start.
Because the instructors who handled job changes were all in hiding.
However, Ted had easily obtained the job change recommendation letter through Raiden like this.
“It seems the time for your 2nd job change is approaching.”
“It seems so.”
“Hehe, you are becoming stronger at an astonishingly fast pace. Though my life has not been long, you are the first such genius I have ever seen.”
“I nearly went crazy.”
Ted smiled bitterly. He had really hunted like crazy for the past month.
“So, will you do the job change here?”
“Yes. I’ll start the 2nd job change process from tomorrow.”
“Very well. I shall prepare as well.”
Having finished speaking, Ted left the Academy.
Once the 2nd job change began, the user had to stay at the Academy 12 hours a day for a month. They had to train and live together.
There was a reason Ted deliberately postponed the job change until tomorrow.
‘24 hours isn’t even enough to pick a good D-rank skill ball.’
Because today. He had to obtain a D-rank skill ball with Sauron Coins.
Ted headed to Count Sauron’s commercial district.
Count Sauron’s commercial district was bustling with people. Because if one had even one Sauron Coin, one could purchase something valuable.
However, Ted headed not to the main gate of the commercial district, but behind a wall where no one was. And he found an alien weed among the grass covering the ground.
His developed Eyesight stat showed Ted a grass that felt out of place. Ted pulled it.
Creak—
Soon, a secretly made underground door opened. Ted slipped inside.
‘As expected, it’s still the same?’
There were two main reasons Ted had specifically come to Count Sauron’s domain among many places.
One was obtaining
‘The place above is accessible to anyone. But here is not.’
A secret market managed by the Count’s younger brother, unbeknownst to Count Sauron!
It was an underground market Ted had learned about while performing an A-rank quest in the past.
‘Quiet is good.’
Inside the tunnel illuminated by dim lighting, several undead merchants were sitting. And dozens of people who knew this place’s location were lingering in front of the merchants.
Most were foreigners, and the occasionally seen NPCs also appeared to be of the Criminal job group.
Ted put the corpse of a Transparent Gannet into a vending machine. Then,
Clinkety-clank—!
Eleven Sauron Coins popped out.
‘Now then, shall I look for one?’
Items laid out on mats by numerous undead merchants.
There would be at least one thing Ted was looking for among them.
One that would suit the Yukmangseongjwa.