Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Let's Form a Party
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Form a party with me, just once.
Jang Ha-jin doubted his own ears at what hed just heard.
A party? With me?
Yeah.
No... Im level 159. One-five-nine. What level are you?
41.
Ha-jin felt a throbbing headache at the sight of Jeong Hoon saying it with such a calm face.
Hey... Dont you know that if we party up, New World will penalize us?
New World had measures in place to prevent high-level players from helping low-level ones to a certain extent.
Things like suspensions or trade bans.
They werent overly harsh penalties, but if the level gap exceeded a set threshold, the monsters levels would adjust.
For example, if a level 50 and a level 200 formed a party and entered a level 45 dungeon, the dungeons difficulty would scale to the partys average level.
Meaning a level 45 dungeon would become a level 125 one.
Subjugation EXP would even be fixed at 0.
Items wouldnt drop from monsters at all.
The only drops allowed were in special quest-related cases.
So high-level players almost never helped low-level ones.
I know.
You know and you still want to party?
Yeah.
Their next destination was the Mage Tower in Edenhark.
There was a dungeon there that players cleared after taking a commission from the tower, but it wasnt a quest dungeonit was a hunting ground for regular players to subjugate.
However, it was such a honey pot that the wait times were long; even booking now meant waiting over a week for just one entry.
The item the quest requires can only be obtained after clearing the dungeon twice.
Entry required a party of two or more, so players doing the quest usually teamed up to subjugate it.
Theyd typically reserve through the village NPCs, wait in line, enter when their turn came, and clear it, but the boss monster only dropped two items.
So if three people cleared it, one wouldnt get even one.
The quest requires two of those items, too.
That was why the unwritten rule was to enter with exactly two people.
Spending two weeks to clear one quest was just too wasteful.
But if Ha-jin joined as a party member, one run would be enough.
Ha, hey... Thats really not happening. You think you can hunt level 100 monsters in your current state?
Jeong Hoon was level 41.
Ha-jin was level 159.
If the two partied and entered the dungeon, its difficulty would scale to at least level 100.
For low-level players to complete quests, there was even a condition that they had to fully hunt at least one monster on their own.
In other words, players with a big level gap had every reason not to party up.
Of course, Jeong Hoon was the exception.
Its fine, so please.
Ha... You got some trick up your sleeve?
Yeah. I succeeded in refining and got a really good weapon.
Oh, you used an evolution stone?
Jeong Hoon nodded.
Even so... You cant hunt monsters 60 levels higher, right? You need at least Legendary to ignore levels like that.
No matter how good the weapon, hunting high-level monsters wasnt easy.
Itd be different with a Legendary weapon, though.
Huh? I got a Legendary.
...What?
Capsule room owner Lee Hyun-woo was greeting customers at the desk as usual.
Hyung, wanna eat ramen together!
Three students in their early twenties approached the desk.
Regulars at the capsule room called him hyung or dongsaeng to show their friendliness.
Of course, it was a nickname Lee Hyun-woo had half-forced on them.
I just ate. You guys eat a lot.
Yeah. Any chance drinks are on the house?
Want me to smack you?
Haha, just kidding.
Tch, grab one from the fridge.
Oh! Thanks!
The students hurried off to the restaurant.
Those punks.
Lee Hyun-woo chuckled as he watched them go.
Capsule room fees were pretty expensive.
He ran a restaurant too, kept food quality high, and gave no reason to leave, so sales were booming.
Born with a silver spoon, but the capsule rooms revenue was beyond imagination.
On top of that, he approached customers warmly, threw in service, built goodwillway more customers than competitors.
When theres no worries, eat and enjoy a lot.
It wasnt some calculated strategy.
Lee Hyun-woo was originally an extrovert who loved people and was great at looking after them.
That naturally led to taking care of regulars, which became a huge growth factor for the business.
Thanks to that, hed recently expanded, adding 100 more capsules.
The automatic door slid open.
A familiar face walked in.
Oh? Ha-jins here?
Lee Hyun-woo greeted him warmly.
Yeah.
But Ha-jin looked a bit off from usual.
Lee Hyun-woo tilted his head at the dazed expression and mumbling.
You, something happen?
...Nothing happened.
Bull. Its all over your face.
Ha... Is it? I just feel like lifes so unfair.
Unfair? Well... Im not in a position to comfort you, so Ill spare you the words.
Yeah.
Ha-jin staggered into a capsule.
The shock from what Jeong Hoon told him last night was that huge.
A Legendary job and now a Legendary weapon...
Hed been shocked enough at getting a Legendary job in the first job change.
But thinking about Jeong Hoons feats, it didnt seem impossible.
Jeong Hoon had always been exceptional since he was young.
But a Legendary weapon?
And hed gotten it in Edenhark, the beginner preserve right after Origin Village.
That guys insane... For real.
It went beyond envy to awe.
Honestly, hed be lying if he said he wasnt jealous.
Still, Ha-jin sincerely congratulated Jeong Hoon.
Yeah. Nothing uglier than being jealous of your friends success.
A guy like that didnt deserve to be called a friend.
Ha-jin had no intention of living like that.
Jeong Hoon was the only friend whod come to him back in elementary school when he was being bullied.
He didnt want to crack their irreplaceable friendship.
Jeong Hoon checked the dungeon waitlist through the village NPC.
As expected, the line was long.
103 parties ahead.
They all had to enter before his turn.
Even assuming 10 parties per day, that was 10 days.
And that was if they finished quickly; if it dragged, only 5-6 per day, over 10 days.
Good. Plenty of time to prepare.
After applying, Jeong Hoon headed to the tower in Edenhark.
Towers existed for each job.
Some villages even had extras for the same tower because New World wasnt one worldit was a massive worldview connecting countless dimensions.
The tower Jeong Hoon was heading to was the Mage Tower for mages.
It was a must-visit spot for mage job players.
For one reason only.
A hidden opportunity remained in this Mage Tower.
One not yet discovered, but soon to be found by a beginner mage in the near future.
That mage is a future comrade... and a betrayer.
Not as much as Saintess Amelie, but Louis Bverdant, who rose to High Priest.
Despite entering New World late due to his youth, he shone as a comrade when the world changed.
And like the others, he grew drunk on power, feared loss, and helped kill him.
No matter what youve become, Ill end this game with my own hands.
Steeling himself inwardly, Jeong Hoon reached the Mage Tower entrance.
Halt! This is the sacred Mage Towerentry is forbidden without a mages qualifications!
The magic circle below lit up, and a robed mage appeared.
NPC Info
-Nickname: Rune
-Level: 45
-Job: Junior Mage (1st)
Junior Mage Rune.
The corner of his mouth twitched under the robe.
His stiff posture suggested a newbie whod just entered the tower.
A question mark floated over his head.
Common Quest: Edenhark Mage Tower
-Restriction: All players except mages
-Reward: Mage Tower entry
-Description: The Mage Tower is for mages only. However, kind players who fulfill the towers request will be granted entry.
Mage Towers request.
Jeong Hoon accepted the quest.
Youll really help our Mage Tower?
Yes.
Hmm... Could you wait a moment?
Rune entered the tower with a dubious look.
Soon after, he returned with another mage.
NPC Info
-Nickname: Jayko
-Level: 75
-Job: Explorer (1st)
He was far higher-ranked than Rune.
I heard from Rune. Youve come to help our Mage Tower?
Yes.
Jayko stroked his goatee.
The towers current situation was peaceful.
This outsider probably just wanted entry and offered help.
No reason to block him.
The tower master had set the entry conditions that way for outsiders.
Then, could you fetch two Uradon horns?
Uradon horns came from the boss monster in a dungeon in the eastern region.
The area was swarming with players, subjugated nonstop day and night.
Got it.
Then return with the horns.
Jayko entered the tower after that.
Left alone, Rune glanced at Jeong Hoon nervously.
Um... Bring the horns, and you can enter...
Yeah.
Ten days ahead.
Jeong Hoon decided to focus on leveling during that time.
Entering the Mage Tower was fine, but to claim the opportunity after, he needed level 50.
Leveling was essential no matter what.
Shall we start?
Hed arrived at the northern snowy mountains.
The area hed visited before to subjugate a dungeon, but perfect for leveling.
More terrain features than other fields, ideal for setting up and hunting.
Perched on a mid-mountain rock ledge, Jeong Hoon drew the Dragon Anima Bone Bow.
As the eerie-glowing bow filled his hand, a small lizard phantom appeared, circling him.
You intend to use me?
Yeah.
Users level is currently 41.
Dragon Anima Bone Bows attack power set to 205.
Unenhanced, 5 attack per level.
This was why Legendary weapons were broken.
Not fixed attack power, but level-scaling.
And that wasnt all.
Upgrading added even more abilities.
Grant Dragon Anima Bone Bows special ability (3)?
Ancient dragon power will be randomly granted.
Ancient dragon power meant abilities the anima wielded.
Jeong Hoon accepted, and the text vanished, replaced by red letters.
Passive: Black Flame activates at random chance (0.1).
Passive Black Flame.
Black Flame
-Type: Passive
-0.1 chance to activate Black Flame at 30 of attack power.
-Activated Black Flame lasts 60 seconds, dealing damage every 1 second.
Black Flame at 30 attack power.
Lasts 60 seconds, damage every second.
60 total hitsa cheat ability.
Of course, the trigger was brutal.
0.1 meant it practically never activated.
But this would upgrade to even more broken on weapon enhancement.
Do you know how to shoot a bow?
At the animas question, Jeong Hoon drew the string.
Watch.
Drawing the string formed a pitch-black arrow.
Target: Lv.53 Yeti.
Perfectly aimed, Jeong Hoon finally released.
The black arrow arced and pierced the Yetis head precisely.
Kyak!
One Yeti fell, and the others panicked, scanning around.
But they didnt spot Jeong Hoon on the mid-mountain ledge.
This was ranged huntings advantage.
Jeong Hoon repeated drawing and releasing.
Each shot downed a Yeti.
The anima watched beside him, awestruck by his archery.
Such wondrous skill.
To think a human had such archery.
It felt like facing the divine archer from his dragon days.