Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Hoyoung
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Hoyoung.
It had been ages since he'd last heard that name.
A named guild in Korea that had been hot on the heels of Sword King Sa Jae-hyeok's Shinwa Guilduntil it suddenly collapsed.
The guild master and executives all vanished without a trace, turning it into a lingering mystery.
"Just one peek at the comments."
"Here."
Jang Ha-jin held out his phone, open to the New World community site, Welcom.
The video of Jeong Hoon sparring with the instructor had racked up 2,700 views.
Comments were piled up below it.
Forty-one in total.
A Martial Artist? A Martial Artist took down the instructor?
lololol Is that the Origin Village instructor? The level 30 NPC.
Yeah lolol I was wondering what the big deal was.
Check the title. A level 11 Martial Artist beat a level 30 instructor
Yeah, I hit level 10 and crushed the instructor.
Don't lie That level 11 is even real? Probably same level anyway.
Did he work out or something? Moves are no joke.
But why pick Martial Artist... Even at same level, it's weaker than other jobs. Gonna suffer in raids later lolol
Martial Artists were shunned just for being underpowered compared to other jobs.
Proof was in the lukewarm reactions, even to a level 11 beating a level 30 instructor.
Low levels and it being a Martial Artist squabble probably shaped the vibe.
Jeong Hoon didn't care about those comments.
He scrolled down, eyeing nicknames with official guild marks.
Horizon Guild here, a new guild! Mind if we ask about this player?
Rafaya Guild, a new guild. We'll offer the highest compensation among new guilds. If the player in the video sees this, please send a 1:1 chat request!
As expected, the love calls came from new guilds.
They spam invites to anyone halfway decentpass.
The reason Ha-jin was making such a fuss was right below.
Yeo Min-ji from Hoyoung. If the player in the video is watching, could you send a 1:1 chat request?
Huh? For real, Min-ji?
Duh, official mark. Min-ji herself showed up lolol That Martial Artist hit the jackpot...
They're recruiting a fellow Martial Artist? Guild master, need a total scrub? I went ham in that training hall
Yeo Min-ji herself had commented.
She was an executive in Hoyoung Guild and the daughter of guild master Yeo Sun-woo.
Her dropping a comment? Wild.
'She spotted the fist technique.'
In his spar with Instructor Altio, Jeong Hoon had crushed him with Myeongwang Fist Technique.
As Korea's highest-level Martial Artist, she'd know that wasn't ordinary.
"Just ignore it."
"Ignore it?"
"Yeah."
She'd grill him about the fist technique, no doubt.
Jeong Hoon had come out purely to rest.
Once rested, back to New World for the next plan.
No time to dance to Yeo Min-ji's tune.
"Whoa... This is huge. Why ignore? It's Hoyoung. Hoyoung!"
"I know."
"Then why ignore?"
"Not a real recruit."
"Huh? Why not? You won without taking a single hit. They have to see the potential!"
"Those guys are level 200-300 big shots. Low-level players go through insane tests to join. You think they'd recruit over one level 30 instructor takedown?"
"Yeah, I guess... but still..."
"Anyway, ignore it. I'm heading home."
"Let's go. I was about to head home too."
Same time.
"No contact yet?"
"No..."
Yeo Min-ji was so baffled she couldn't even laugh.
"Doesn't check Welcom?"
She tilted her head, and Team Leader Park In-tae nodded knowingly.
"Seems like it. Who ignores a love call from Hoyoung, not some other guild? No beginner does that."
"Right... Hmm, should we camp at the Hall of Martial Arts then?"
She was ready to wait days for that player.
"Is there a reason it has to be this much?"
Park In-tae was losing it.
Why obsess over some beginner?
Sure, a lowbie beating the instructor 1:1 shocked him too.
Without taking a single clean hit.
But did they need to hunt down a player like that?
Impressive technically, surebut raw power? Nowhere near the NPC instructor's toe.
Hoyoung had plenty of technically gifted players: Olympic bronze medalists, Asian Games golds, etc.
No need to recruit a fresh newbie just starting out.
"Yes. Can't say details, but there's a solid reason."
But Yeo Min-ji, Hoyoung executive, thought differently.
She had to find this beginner.
'That body technique... Never seen it before.'
The fist technique flowed like water.
The instructor dodged, but it instantly corrected, hitting precise spots.
Impossible without calculating everything.
Others might miss it, but not her eyes.
Not some lucky find.
Forged from countless experiences.
Nothing else explains those moves.
"Understood..."
Park In-tae backed off.
Back home, Jeong Hoon slept almost the whole day.
Days of grinding had drained him.
Good sleep cleared it up one day off, then back to New World.
"Jeong Hoon, dinner."
"Coming."
In the living room, he sat and gauged his mother's glance.
He'd been busy with New World since returning, skimping on time with her.
Should be prepping for college reinstatement.
Skipping studies to game all day? She wouldn't approve.
"Don't just eat hamveggies too, all balanced. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Reinstate right away?"
Here it comes.
He set down his chopsticks carefully.
"Mom, actually..."
"It's fine. Postpone reinstatement."
Not what he expected.
She waved it off, focusing on her meal.
"Really okay?"
"Yes. After Dad passed, you didn't want to burden mestudied and worked part-time, so hard."
No hobbies, juggling school and work.
No time for any.
Good memory and focus kept top grades despite it all, landing him in a top university.
Mom's pride and joy.
"Thanks."
But knowing the future?
Sorry, Momno time for school or job worries.
"So what've you been up to?"
"Playing New World."
"Oh, that VR game?"
"Yeah."
"Fun?"
She showed interest in New World.
"Yeah... Once you start, hard to quit."
"Makes sense, or you wouldn't play all day. But take care of your health. Okay?"
"Yes. I will."
Huge relief she approved.
He rested, then checked Welcom on his computer.
Welcom: massive New World info hub, over a million concurrent userssuper hot site.
'Views spiked.'
Instructor spar video hit 4,000.
High for a beginner vid.
But 4,000 on Welcom? Meh.
Top 100 real-time posts all over 100k.
'Perfect.'
Welcom had every scrap of New World infousers share discoveries like bragging rights.
It'd saved him tons of time before.
Logging in now? Not for info, but northern dungeon status.
Dungeon Help Offered!
Origin Village progression: training hall, then dungeons.
Instructors give quests for easy southern dungeons.
Northern ones? Too tough for training, no quests.
But not ignored.
Category: Origin Villagesearch.
Posts flooded in.
Lv.21 Red Hob Goblin Village 3-man party help! - 1st job change Lv.41 Warrior
Lv.23 Orc Shaman 3-man party help! - 1st job change Lv.39 Mage
Etc.offers galore.
Northern dungeons higher level, so 1st-jobbers help, take rewards as pay.
Jeong Hoon scrolled fast.
'Not found yet!'
He recalled a clear around nowno posts, not even discovered.
Next destination set.
New World has an official site.
Unlike user-run Welcom, Earth Corp runs it: updates, rankings, events, guideslike any game site.
Official site's the skeleton; Welcom adds the meat.
Not an update, but unusual notice popped on the official site.
New World Hidden Theme Discovered!
-Hello! New World dev team here.
First off, exciting news!
A hidden theme we've tucked away deepfinally found by a player!
Hidden themes aid growth, global first-come-first-serve.
So, special gift for the first finder!
Korea - 000
Server public, nickname hidden.
Dear New World players!
We've hidden tons more growth stuff!
Enjoy your day!
-New World dev team
First hidden theme discoveredever.
Views skyrocketed, 5 million in an hour.
Welcom exploded too.
Yo, see the notice? Hidden theme? What?
-First find Where?
High-level grabbed it, bet.
-Years since launch, undiscoveredmust be new area opener.
It's a Korean who got it.
-Fuck lolol Who? Confess!
My bet: Sa Jae-hyeok or Je Mu-jin.
-Top levels in Korea. Agree?
That's why Korean Welcom was on fire.
A Korean snagged the first New World hidden theme!
Pride swelled, mixed with jealousy and envy.
Kya, that's Koreans for ya!
-But so jealous fml... High level eats it all? Nah.
Same...
Life sucks lololol
They didn't know.
Discovered in Origin Villageby a level 20 Martial Artist.