Chapter 22
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Trace of the Fist King
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In the end, Yeo Min-ji returned to the guild headquarters.
She couldn't keep ignoring the mounting pile of work any longer, and with an Epic-grade Saber appearing in the event that Hoyoung had observed, the guild was in an uproar.
Since Hoyoung was the only named guild making a move, they had a real shot at recruiting the Saber.
Amid all that, a report came in that Yeo Min-ji was at the Hall of Martial Arts.
Go to the Hall of Martial Arts in my place.
Miss
Im begging you!
Understood.
At her desperate plea, Park In-tae had no choice but to head to the Hall of Martial Arts.
Hmm? You dont have the qualifications. Why are you trying to enter here?
The instructor guarding the main entrance blocked his path.
Only Martial Artists could enter the Hall of Martial Arts.
Of course, to bypass that rule, one had to complete a quest from the instructor to lift the entry restriction.
Im here for the quest.
Who would have thought hed be doing a beginner zone quest at this level.
Really? Then, could I ask you to do a bit of cleaning?
Yes.
Beginner zone quests were mostly tedious chores like cleaning.
Only after accepting the quest could Park In-tae enter the hall.
Ill keep an eye on things while cleaning.
Park In-tae pulled a mop from the cleaning supply closet and began wiping the floor.
Player Information
-Nickname: In-tae
-Level: 269
-Job: Magician of Insight (3rd Advancement)
Whoa whats this? Whys a level 269 here?
Isnt that a magician?
Insight type means its Epic, right?!
The players training there went wild at the sight of Park In-tae cleaning.
And who could blame them? A level 269 was cleaning the hall where they trained.
Ha, the instructor beats up players now?
Yeah, favoritism wasnt enough, huh.
As he cleaned diligently, the inner door opened, and two players emerged.
They were Martial Artists who had reached level 30 and completed their first job advancement.
Hm?
Park In-tae perked up his ears.
The instructor beats up players?
Was it a spar?
From the looks of it, the instructor had been sparring with players.
Excuse me, could I ask what happened in there?
To hear the details, Park In-tae approached the players coming out after their advancement.
The player flinched at Park In-taes sudden appearance but soon chattered away about what had gone on inside.
Jackpot!
The reward has been greatly increased.
You can advance to 1st Job Advancement (Epic).
A smile crept onto Jeong Hoons lips.
He could now achieve the Epic job advancement hed aimed for.
This would let him reach All Master even faster.
But something was off.
Below the list of rewards he could claim was an option to refuse.
In New World, job advancement was mandatory, not optional.
So once you took the test, you had to accept the given result.
Yet right now, Jeong Hoon had the choice to refuse.
Thats weird. Refusals shouldnt be possible.
There was a small exclamation mark icon next to the refusal option.
Jeong Hoon lightly tapped it.
If you wish for a higher grade job advancement, press refuse.
Jeong Hoons eyes widened slightly.
Higher grade?
Did that mean he could get something beyond Epic?
Kwon Hyun-je had recognized the Myeongwang Fist Technique.
Was it because of the Myeongwang Fist Technique?
Kwon Hyun-je lived in the same era as Dokgo Jun I never imagined it would change like this.
Unlike Dokgo Jun, who had chosen nirvana of his own will, Kwon Hyun-je had remained in the Hall of Martial Arts, testing challengers.
I have never given anyone the chance to take a grade higher than Epic. But you are qualified. If you want it, Ill grant you that opportunity. However, you might end up with a lower grade than Epic, so choose wisely.
Kwon Hyun-jes face and voice were grave.
He was certain the technique shown in the test was Myeongwang Dokgo Juns.
That was why hed boosted the reward massively.
All or nothing. This is an incredible opportunity.
Yeo Min-ji of Hoyoung had gotten a Rare-grade advancement, and later, a Martial Artist in Argentina would achieve Epic.
What Jeong Hoon had targeted from the start was an Epic-grade job advancement.
The condition: Perfectly defeat Martial Artist: A.
With the condition that more than 50 health remained.
The plan was to jump two whole steps above a standard first advancement, accelerating his path to All Master.
But it looked like hed have to scrap that plan entirely.
His heart pounded.
If he got a Unique-grade advancement, it would mean standing on the same level as James Marcus, the Paladin whod been Unique from his first advancement.
I refuse.
Jeong Hoon chose refusal.
Good. But I wont grant you the job advancement power myself.
Kwon Hyun-jes words were unexpected, though.
You wont grant it?
The highest grade I can grant is Epic.
For anything higher, hed need to seek another soul.
Then?
Ill connect you. The grade will depend on your choice.
At that moment, a red question mark appeared over Kwon Hyun-jes head.
Hidden Job Advancement Quest (12): Azure Flame Kwon Hyun-je
-Restriction: Martial Artist recognized by Azure Flame Kwon Hyun-je
-Reward: Hidden Job Advancement Quest (22)
-Description: You have earned Azure Flame Kwon Hyun-jes recognition. Discover the trace of the Fist King beyond the portal.
Accepting the quest made a new portal appear behind Kwon Hyun-je.
Opportunity means nothing if you cant seize it.
An utterly precious opportunity had arrived.
He had to grab it, no matter what.
Steel ing his resolve, Jeong Hoon stepped into the portal.
Good luck.
Kwon Hyun-je quietly stared at the portal where Jeong Hoon had vanished.
His role was over.
The rest was up to that Martial Artist.
Earth Korea User Management Team.
The staff stared at the monitor in stunned disbelief.
What? Hes doing a job advancement quest, but why another portal?
Its a hidden job advancement quest?
What the?
Theyd been at Earth Korea for a while, watching all sorts of players.
And they were players of New World themselves.
But theyd never seen a player pushing the limits this extremely.
He was scooping up every conceivable opportunity, and now even his job advancement was making waves.
That thought hit the mark.
Hed passed the souls test so perfectly that hed locked in at least Rare-grade, maybe higher.
Fine, they could accept that much.
But what? Whys the NPC giving a new quest?
Oh Jin-su couldnt hide his confusion.
What conditions had he met to trigger a hidden job advancement quest?
Team leader what job do you think that player will get?
No idea.
The highest job advancement in Korea so far was Epic.
Worldwide, only James Marcus, the level 540 Paladin, had uniquely achieved Unique-grade on his first advancement.
Even James Marcus hadnt done a hidden job quest, as far as they knew.
Just what was this player?
Whoa this is actually fun.
Watching is more fun than playing, right?
That guy could make a killing streaming.
Hed rake in the cash.
The staff had forgotten work entirely, engrossed in the players play.
Then Oh Jin-su intervened, adjusting the real-time monitoring program to shift to the players location.
The staff looked at him in confusion.
Enough of that player for now. Weve got reports on a few suspicious ones. Check them first.
Only twenty minutes!
The staff sighed in disappointment.
That was a key moment
Arent you curious whats in that portal?
What grade will he get?
Oh Jin-su wanted to keep watching more than anyone.
But with headquarters handling most tasksearning them the salary Lupin nicknamehe couldnt slack off on reported issues.
Hes definitely getting something huge. Dying to know.
He was dying to know what lay beyond the portal and what job hed get.
Beyond the portal stood the grand main gate of a mansion.
The gate was barred shut, and Jeong Hoon stood before it.
You are qualified.
The gate opens.
The tightly shut door slid aside, revealing the inner garden.
What should have been a garden was a total wreck, with no trace left. The central fountain was badly damaged, barely hinting at its former presence through faint remnants.
Is this really where the Fist King lived?
The mansion exuded a gloomy aura that ill suited the name Fist King.
Jeong Hoon passed through the garden and entered the mansion.
Id believe it if you told me it was haunted
The interior was even worse than the garden.
Windows were cracked and shattered, floors and walls rotten, bugs crawling everywhere.
The chandelier that should have hung from the ceiling lay smashed on the floor, thick dust proving ages had passed since the ruin.
It felt chillier than any abandoned house, like centuries without a human footstep.
The trace of the Fist King, right?
Jeong Hoon searched every room, starting from the reception hall.
But he found nothing.
No trace whatsoever.
Hed assumed it was some item the Fist King had used in life.
But the mansion had been looted bare after its fall; not a single usable object remained.
Still, he was certain it was somewhere in the mansion.
New World always delivered rewards for quests faithfully.
This job advancement quest was no different.
A quest meant a trace existed somewhere in this mansion.
No luck on the first floor.
Jeong Hoon climbed the central staircase to the second floor.
You are qualified.
The bedroom door opens.
At that instant, a rickety inner door creaked open.
There it is.
If it was going to open, why not do it smoothly.
The automatic opening of the old door thickened the eerie atmosphere.
Jeong Hoon stepped into the bedroom.
And there he found it.
Youve come.
The soul of an old man in his late 80s, lounging in the bedroom.
His well-trained body, belying his age, had no excess fat.
He rose from his seat.
His height was just over 2 meters.
Jeong Hoon, at 183cm, had to look up.
Are you the Fist King?
The old man shook his head.
Not anymore.
Not anymore?
Look around. Its all fallen to ruin ages ago, hasnt it?
The old man gazed at the bedroom with a bitter expression.
For some reason, it seemed the Fist King had died and the mansion ruined.
There was no such lore in New World.
Hed thought it was just finding an item, never dreaming the Fist Kings soul awaited.
I came searching for your trace.
The old man nodded.
And you found it.
Huh?
Its me.
With those words, an exclamation mark appeared over the old mans head.
You have completed Hidden Job Advancement Quest (12).
You can now undertake Hidden Job Advancement Quest (22).
Tapping the exclamation mark brought up a new question mark.
Hidden Job Advancement Quest (22): Fragment of the Soul
-Restriction: Martial Artist who found the Fist Kings trace
-Reward: 1st Job Advancement (Hidden)
-Description: You have found the Fist Kings trace. You are qualifiedinherit the power.
And then the reward was revealed.
Hidden?!
Jeong Hoons pupils dilated.