Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: ACT.6 The Result of the Choice (4)
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“Will you be alright by yourself?”
“...Perhaps not. Lee Seon-yul, you're with me.”
“Understood.”
“The rest of you, stay here and guard the area with Kim Ji-hyeon. It won't take long.”
“How long do you think it'll be?”
“An hour should do it. If we're not back by then, assume something's happened.”
Kim Ji-hyeon nodded and leaned against a pillar.
With her strength and charisma, she could easily handle any trouble that might arise. I didn't need to worry too much.
“Wait, hyung. I'll...”
“No.”
My firm refusal made Jo Min-woo's lip jut out.
“I know I'm way weaker than you, but I can at least help with scouting...”
“A smaller team is better for recon. Having more people would be a disadvantage.”
“He's right. You might just get in the way.”
As Jo Min-ah chimed in, Jo Min-woo grumbled, “Whose side are you on?” but backed down.
He looked noticeably crestfallen.
Jo Min-ah gave him an encouraging smile.
You'd never guess who was the older sibling.
Then again, does it matter when they're twins?
“Lee Seon-yul, please check that area. I'll take this side.”
“Yes. Be careful.”
Only after Lee Seon-yul had completely disappeared did I start to move.
There was a need for reconnaissance.
The original game and reality.
I had to figure out how different they were.
They weren't exactly the same.
The people were different, so the environment was bound to be different too.
‘Though 80% of it was just needing a plausible excuse.’
Starting from Chapter 4, the range of activity expanded considerably, allowing for relatively free movement.
Until now, there were too many restrictions, even if I wanted to do something.
Isn't acting swiftly a common and primary strategy for protagonists in regression stories?
From now on, I'd be able to make significant use of that.
‘It should be around here.’
The view was subtly different from what a character in the game would see, making it feel like I was looking at a different path.
Was the character's height 185cm?
...Damn it. That's a 10cm difference.
The thought that it would've been nice if there was a system where your height increased with your stamina stat took root in my mind.
Still, perhaps because I'd been here hundreds of times...
It didn't take long to find the entrance.
*Creeak.*
I forced open the entrance of the dilapidated building.
Contrary to the door, which looked like it was rarely used, the inside was relatively clean.
Past a trap that distinguished between humans and monsters with a flickering light, and down a flight of stairs with blinking lamps, I would meet a certain person.
The numerous firearms hanging on the walls were captivating, making it hard to believe I was in Korea.
It's been a while since I've seen a real gun.
“...A person? A survivor?”
An old man emerged, rustling from the back.
Old Master Wang Chun-bae.
A black market dealer who had been smuggling firearms like these for a long time.
To make future progress even a little bit easier, I needed to build a rapport with him in advance.
“Coming here in a situation like this, what a strange thing. And I've never seen a face like yours before.”
I met Old Master Wang's gaze.
As is the way with black markets, not just anyone could enter this place.
A place where only the recognized could enter and trade.
I had to say one of the few set passwords to pass.
“I heard from the Crow.”
“That fellow? Sounds like him. Well then, what are you looking for?”
I glanced over the display case.
A few grenades and a pistol that was easy to store. Various assault rifles.
There were sniper rifles, but no reason to pick one.
A shotgun... would be effective for a non-player.
But for a player, the performance rankings change.
I picked up a pistol and a few magazines loaded with silver bullets.
If one could refine mana, it could be compressed into the form of a bullet and fired.
In that respect, a pistol was a weapon that could utilize mana and quickly improve one's proficiency in mana manipulation.
Later on, it would be possible to imbue sniper rifles with mana, but that was a long way off.
“Heh heh. Are you off to hunt a vampire or something?”
“That could happen. Vampires are monsters too.”
“True enough. The outside is already crawling with monsters.”
I placed my selections on the counter.
These were all I could choose from the display for now.
The item I truly needed to buy was something else.
“Let's see... These would run you about 300, 400. Can't even use a bank in this situation, so how are you planning to pay?”
Old Master Wang wasn't just a simple black market dealer.
He was also a craftsman who made and sold equipment for players, a well-known figure among the first-generation players.
As if I'd been waiting for it, I gave my prepared answer.
“I won't be paying with money.”
The old man's eyes glinted sharply.
“I don't need money either. What will you give me instead?”
“I will give you black money.”
“...Alright.”
The old man grinned and gestured for me to follow.
Black money referred to coins.
In other words, it meant we would be trading with coins, not cash.
It was a sort of code that identified me as a player.
“This is the place. Some are things I've made, others were sold to me by others. What do you want?”
Going inside, a new display case appeared.
It was a sight you'd expect to see in a weapon shop in a fantasy game.
Armor, helmets, and weapons of various designs were lined up neatly.
In a situation with no decent equipment, wearing anything was better than nothing, but.
[Gray Dust: 10000C]
“...”
The price was still ridiculously high.
Though they were inferior to relics, they were rare enough to cause inflation.
He was one of the few people in the country who could craft 'equipment items'.
“So, what'll it be?”
“...I'll take this.”
I chose something that resembled a grenade and completed the transaction.
I had to use all the coins I had, but it didn't matter since I wouldn't need to use coins until the chapter was cleared anyway.
I had long surpassed the stats required to clear it, and as for the shop, I still had dedicated shop coins left.
Pretending to put my purchases in my bag, I stored them in my inventory and turned around.
I had gotten everything I needed.
The moment I thought that, something caught my eye.
‘What's this?’
Why is that here?
A bracelet, so tattered and filthy it looked like it could no longer be used.
But that was a kind of test from the item itself.
A test from an item that wished to be worn only by someone who knew its true worth.
“Does this catch your eye?”
“Yes. A little.”
“I don't get it. Kid, did you check the item information? To be honest, I put it on display, but I never thought anyone would buy it. Is that it? A player's intuition?”
“Let's just say it is.”
Old Master Wang made a dumbfounded expression, then burst into hearty laughter.
He had a cheerful personality, but I didn't think he was one to laugh so easily.
“Hahaha! This is one interesting fellow. Knowing about this place, picking out what you need without hesitation. And now you can see the true value of an item? I have a feeling you're going to grow into something great.”
“If that's a compliment, I'll take it.”
“Of course, it's a compliment. A big one.”
Old Master Wang came over and patted my back lightly.
It didn't seem like he put much force into it, but the pain spread more than I expected.
“...That hurts.”
“Did it? My apologies. All these years of blacksmithing have packed on a lot of muscle.”
Indeed, the muscles on his arms, visible past his sleeveless shirt, were not what you'd expect from an old man.
I should get that bracelet.
The fact that I didn't have a single coin left stung.
Even if I did, something that looked so shabby would still cost at least 1000 coins... Damn it. If I come back right after finishing up at Sinseol-dong Station, can I get it before someone else snatches it?
“Just take it.”
“...Pardon?”
“It's a gift.”
I stared blankly at Old Master Wang's face.
He grinned back at me and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Well, if it really bothers you, you can just come back and repay me when you've made it big, right?”
“Then, I will gratefully accept without refusal.”
“Yep. That's the spirit.”
I bowed my head to the nodding Old Master Wang.
At an angle where he couldn't see, a broad smile spread across my face.
“Go on now! And be careful!”
Leaving Old Master Wang's farewell behind, I stepped out of the building.
The scenery, which felt more like being in a forest than a ruined city, was still unfamiliar.
I tucked the grenade and gun away, then took out a white stone.
It was the seed of white flame I had created when I saved Han Hyeok-jun.
*Fwoosh!*
The white flame had the power to burn away all impurities.
The bracelet was engulfed in the white flame, and as the filth disappeared, it took on a clean, white luster.
Success.
[Purified Hwarang's Bracelet]
All Stats +3
Upon equipping, acquire the trait 'Pungwol (B)'.
※This trait cannot be ranked up using coins.
[Character Information]
Name: Kim Se-hyeon
Gender: Male (26)
Strength: 34(+12) Stamina: 30(+12) Agility: 40(+12) Mana: 20(+12)
Unique Ability: ???(EX)
Traits: One Who Started from the End (S), Accustomed to Battle (C), Pungwol (B)
Skills: Extreme Eye (S)
Everything was going smoothly.
So smoothly, in fact, that it was starting to make me uneasy.
Items that raised stats were, of course, the more the merrier.
There were also items that could only be obtained in specific chapters, so I had to get as many of them as possible as I progressed.
As a result, my Strength and Agility had now surpassed a total of 40.
This was more than enough to clear out the Sinseol-dong Station underground by myself.
‘Once I'm done with Sinseol-dong Station, that's when it really begins.’
I steeled myself and headed for the point where I was supposed to meet up with Lee Seon-yul.
The grass, which now reached my knees, was getting annoying.
***
[Character Kim Ji-hyeon uses the skill, 'Seven Flashes'.]
It began with a surprise attack from Kim Ji-hyeon and Lee Seon-yul.
*Sh-sh-sh-shink!*
The goblins guarding the station entrance died without so much as a scream. Lee Seon-yul leaped through the gap, and like an assassin, singled out and beheaded only those who tried to alert the other goblins.
Having two strong allies is reassuring.
‘Normally, this would have to be done solely by the second-generation players without their help.’
Jeon Do-jin, who was supposed to be the ruler of Dongdaemun in the original story, would accept the clearly helpful Kim Ji-hyeon and Lee Seon-yul, but would tell everyone else, including the players, to go and build up their achievements.
It was a kind of test.
The goblins in the Sinseol-dong Station underground.
Even though they were E-rank monsters, it wasn't a place that a group of fewer than ten E-rank players could normally handle.
This place was a goblin nest, home to countless goblins.
In that respect, the difficulty had certainly been lowered.
‘I can't just stand around either.’
I drew my sword and leaped into another group of goblins.
I had to move diligently and kill monsters for the tally at midnight.
*Kieek!*
With each swing of my sword, two or three goblins fell away.
Unable to even follow my movements, they collapsed helplessly like rotten logs.
E-rank monsters were no longer an obstacle for me.
“That crazy bastard... How long has it been since he awakened? How does he move like that already?”
Behind a dumbfounded Kim Ji-hyeon, Jo Min-woo cheered, “That's my hyung for you!”
The twins were also skillfully dispatching monsters.
At first, they were scared to even kill a single Death Bite, but now they seemed to have grown accustomed to killing goblins, which had a somewhat human-like appearance.
Jo Min-ah's dark expression weighed on my mind, but I forced myself to ignore it.
Kill or be killed. That's the kind of world this was.
They had to get more than used to killing monsters.
‘That aside.’
I looked at the now-cleared surroundings and narrowed my eyes.
The sense of unease I'd felt throughout the fight coiled in my gut.
‘Something's strange.’
Even though we tried to keep the noise down, a commotion is a commotion.
The goblins on the first basement floor, relatively close to the entrance, should have come for support, but not a single one appeared.
No, more than that.
The goblins we were fighting refused to retreat into the station, even when they knew they were outmatched.
‘Don't tell me.’
What if they weren't guarding the area around the station?
What if they were wandering around outside, confused and unsure what to do because something had happened inside?
What if someone else, besides me, came here to get that trait?
‘I can't let that happen.’
I absolutely have to get that trait.
Especially for the 'conquest' that's happening very soon.
“I'm going in first! Clean up here and follow me!”