Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Persistent Pursuit
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Next to the corpse of Uradon lay two dropped horns.
Jeong Hoon picked up one horn and consumed it.
Once one is eaten, the remaining one turns red and cannot be consumed.
So the other one had to go to another party member.
"Hey, take this."
Having eaten the horn, Ha-jin initiated a trade and handed the other horn to Jeong Hoon.
"Thanks."
With this, the quest requirements were fulfilled.
"Thanks my ass. But didn't it end too quickly?"
The subjugation took only 27 minutes.
For a battle with increased difficulty, it had ended anticlimactically.
"Yeah. Pretty underwhelming after waiting over ten days."
Contrary to his words, Jeong Hoon's face was full of smiles.
During the wait, he'd focused on leveling up and reached 51, so completing the quest also fulfilled the conditions for an opportunity.
His mind was already mapping out plans after entering the Magic Tower.
But those plans went awry before they even began.
Standing in front of the dungeon was a woman in her early twenties, grinning at Jeong Hoon.
Yeo Min-ji had developed a new habit.
Checking Welcom posts every hour.
'I'll definitely find you.'
The reason she was glaring at Welcom like fire in her eyes was all because of that one Martial Artist.
She'd been one step away from tracking him down right on time for his job change quest, only for him to slip away through a portal.
Was that why?
It wasn't just the fist techniqueit left her feeling completely soaked, igniting an unreasonable stubbornness.
She couldn't shake off this nagging feeling unless she found him.
"Huh?"
That's when one post caught her eye.
Saw that Martial Artist who took down the instructor.
Yes! There you are!
Yeo Min-ji hurriedly tapped the post.
-That guy was fucking insane. Shit.
The content was brief, but finding that Martial Artist was what mattered.
She quickly left a comment.
By any chance, where did you see that Martial Artist?
Please ask.
Did her wish reach the poster?
Fortunately, a reply came soon.
It's me, the poster. Saw him in the eastern Edenhark region. No bullshit, believe me.
Eastern Edenhark region?
Yeah, looked like he was doing the Uradon quest.
No cap?
Nah, swear on my parents.
Or your parents disappear from the world, cool?
Look at this punk? Told you no bullshit -_-
He'd gone to Edenhark.
If he was hunting Uradon, his level must be pretty high.
Swearing on parents meant it was at least not a lie.
Yeo Min-ji hurriedly entered her capsule and logged in.
Her avatar appeared in the guild building.
"Huh? Miss, didn't you say you were off today?"
Park In-tae, who was handling work, approached her.
"I found him!"
"Pardon? The Martial Artist?"
Even without a subject, Park In-tae caught on quickly.
After returning from the Hall of Martial Arts, she'd gone mad searching for traces of that Martial Artist.
"Yes. I need to go right now."
Yeo Min-ji rushed off.
Her destination: the 'Barren Flame Lands' in eastern Edenhark.
Fortunately, when she arrived, the dungeon subjugation was still underway.
"Yeo Min-ji...?"
Users who recognized her widened their eyes.
Korea's number one Martial Artist ranking and Hoyoung Guild executive.
It hadn't been long since named players like Lee Hwarang returned, and now another named player appeared.
"Whoa... jackpot."
"But why's she at the dungeon entrance? Did she reserve it?"
"Huh? We're the next reservation?"
Users who had come for the next subjugation tilted their heads.
"Sorry. I'm just waiting for someone briefly."
She quickly apologized and waited near the entrance.
"Waiting for someone?"
"Who?"
As the users' curiosity thickened.
The dungeon entrance opened, signaling the subjugation's end.
And the low-grade Martial Artist Yeo Min-ji had been waiting for poked his head out.
Player Information
-Nickname: Hoon
-Level: 51
-Job: Low-Grade Martial Artist (1st)
Low-Grade Martial Artist. Finally found him.
"Hey? Isn't that Yeo Min-ji?"
Ha-jin, who had checked her info, whispered to Jeong Hoon.
"Yeah."
Jeong Hoon nodded nonchalantly.
At the same time, curiosity stirred.
He knew Yeo Min-ji was looking for him, but how had she timed it perfectly to meet at the dungeon entrance?
'No way it's those guys?'
Four faces flashed through Jeong Hoon's mind.
The gang that had picked a fight with him before entering the dungeon.
Of course, he'd trashed them with Myeongwang Fist Technique and sent them on a forced 24-hour logout train.
If those guys posted on Welcom, it wouldn't be impossible for her to pinpoint the location.
"Um, hello?"
Yeo Min-ji approached Jeong Hoon.
Player Information
-Nickname: Minzi
-Level: 352
-Job: Fist Master (4th)
Fist Master, 4th advancement.
Known for a rare-grade job change at 1st, Yeo Min-ji was currently unique-grade.
Fitting for Korea's top-ranked Martial Artist.
"What's up?"
Jeong Hoon wasn't entirely uninterested in her.
Hoyoung Guild, a named Korean guild hot on the heels of Sword King Sa Jae-hyeok's Shinwa, had crumbled in a short time.
The cause: when New World became reality, its key members all vanished.
Those missing never resurfaced.
What on earth had happened?
"Sorry for showing up out of nowhere. I promise no stalking, so relax."
"......"
No, if this isn't stalking, what is?
Jeong Hoon openly made a dumbfounded face, and Yeo Min-ji coughed awkwardly, averting her eyes.
"Uh... You're the Martial Artist from that Welcom video, right? The one who beat Instructor Altio in a spar."
She seemed to have decided to play it thick-skinned.
"What if I say no?"
"Sorry. Let me just confirm real quick."
She apologized outright and stepped forward, throwing a punch straight at Jeong Hoon's face.
"Whoa?!"
Even Ha-jin watching from the side couldn't react to the razor-sharp punch.
But Jeong Hoon twisted his body and easily dodged.
He couldn't see it with his eyes, but he'd predicted the attack from her step path.
A sensation honed through countless real battles.
"As expected......"
0.1
Not entirely sure, she'd thrown the punch to confirm.
Of course, she'd stop short if he didn't react, but she'd looked straight into Jeong Hoon's eyes.
He had pierced her step perfectly.
So she'd gone for the logout punch with resolve, but it whiffed spectacularly.
"Hey! How can you just attack like that out of nowhere?!"
Ha-jin shouted in panic, and she hurriedly bowed.
"Sorry! You seemed like you'd keep denying it..."
She knew it was rude.
But words alone wouldn't progress things, so it was unavoidable.
No better ideas came to mind...
"Whatever. So why'd you come find me?"
Jeong Hoon asked nonchalantly.
He had no strong feelings toward her anyway, so he could let this slide.
"......Please be my master!"
"Pardon?"
Jeong Hoon furrowed his brow at the out-of-left-field request.
He'd expected a Hoyoung recruitment pitch.
"I'm hooked on your fist technique. I won't ask how you got it. Just teach it to me."
Yeo Min-ji was completely obsessed with fist techniques.
Going to the Hall of Martial Arts, scouring Welcom endlessly, barging in like this and being rudeall for that fist technique.
"......I'm only level 51."
"If level 51 pulls off that performance, you're a monster."
Ha-jin muttered unconsciously.
"What's level got to do with it?"
Yeo Min-ji tilted her head.
At her indifference to levels, Jeong Hoon smiled faintly.
'Feels like looking at my past self.'
Before regression, Jeong Hoon had job-changed to Martial Artist, eager to learn anything.
Not purely like her, but to end the damned game.
Still, it echoed that version of himself.
'But she'll never master Myeongwang Fist Technique anyway.'
Even if Unyielding Will triggered, it'd only birth a derivative.
Not for nothing was it legendary-grade.
To recreate Myeongwang Fist Technique, Unyielding Will needed to be at least legendary.
"I refuse."
So the answer was set.
No reason to invest time in Yeo Min-ji.
"I-I'll make the reward worth it!"
"You've probably guessed, but the fist technique I learned came from an opportunity. Means there's a clear limit even with Unyielding Will."
"......"
"So I politely decline your offer. Let's go."
Leaving her standing stunned, Jeong Hoon left the field with Ha-jin.
Yeo Min-ji was tenacious.
Snapping out of it, she tailed Jeong Hoon persistently.
'Wait! At least add me as a friend!'
"......Fine, that much."
Only after he accepted the friend add did she finally relax and leave.
"She really give up?"
Ha-jin tilted his head.
Hard to believe she'd back off after just a friend add, after chasing so doggedly.
"Nah, she'll be back soon."
Jeong Hoon knew her type well.
People obsessed with one fieldonce curiosity hits, they won't rest until satisfied.
She'd try another approach for sure.
"......Anyway, I'm logging out."
"Alright."
Ha-jin logged out, and Jeong Hoon headed to his destination, the Magic Tower.
"Hm? Back already?"
Rune, guarding the Magic Tower, widened her eyes at Jeong Hoon.
Had he already gathered the materials suggested by his senior, Jayco?
"Yes."
"Wa-wait a sec."
Rune pulled out a crystal orb and signaled somewhere.
Soon after, Jayco appeared.
An exclamation mark twinkled above his head.
"You got them already?"
Jayco seemed flustered by the earlier-than-expected return.
"Yes."
Jeong Hoon handed over the two Uradon horns from his inventory.
Jayco nodded upon inspection.
"Correct. I'll engrave the mark here. With this, you can freely enter the Magic Tower."
With that, a tiny diamond mark etched onto the back of Jeong Hoon's hand.
You have completed the quest.
Magic Tower access restrictions lifted.
Done.
Now he could enter the Magic Tower.
For now, only the beginner-zone Magic Tower including the Martial Artist Tower, but this mark would make quests for other Magic Towers smoother later.
"Thank you."
"Yes. Shall we go in now?"
Would you like to start NPC Jayco's guidance?
No.
He had no interest in the Magic Tower interior.
His goal was solely to uncover the hidden opportunity inside.
Jeong Hoon refused without hesitation.
"I'll look around leisurely on my own."
"Hm......"
Jayco pondered briefly.
Was it okay to leave a first-time outsider alone in the Magic Tower?
'Grant maximum freedom to outsiders who meet the conditions.'
If not for the Tower Lord's words, he'd have brushed it off.
"Understood. Feel free to browse."
With that, Jayco's form dispersed and vanished.
"Uh, you may pass."
With Jayco's approval, Rune had no grounds to stop him.
"Yes."
Jeong Hoon entered the Magic Tower at a relaxed pace.