Chapter 82
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The Bug City Beneath the Cliff
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Your level has increased.
All stats have increased by 1.
A bonus stat 1 has been granted.
Kim Bong-gu's lips curved up all the way to his ears at the welcome message.
It had been ages since he'd last seen a level-up message.
With this, his level had reached 142.
Now it's finally over!
Even better was the fact that the vicious monster wouldn't come after him anymore now that the event was done.
He'd worked his ass off doing everything the event demanded, so it must have granted him forgiveness.
Player Information
-Nickname: Aemiya Gugi Jjada
-Level: 142
-Job: Ambusher (2nd Class)
On top of that, his job grade had risen from Rare to Epic as an event reward.
Thanks to it, he'd learned skills that were a clear upgrade over Assassin, making monster hunts far easier.
He'd even scored an Epic-grade weapon from a boss monster.
See? People really should live right!
The moment he quit his bad habits, good fortune started rolling in nonstop.
Hey, you fucking bastard!
Just then, a familiar voice smacked into Kim Bong-gu's ears.
Kim Bong-gu whipped his head around.
There, four eyes were glaring at him like they wanted to kill him.
What? Outta nowhere?
They were the rotten crew that used to run with Hong Hyun-woo back in the day.
Unlike Rare-grade Hong Hyun-woo, these guys were plain Normal grade.
Kim Bong-gu had gotten to know them through Hong Hyun-woo and they'd stuck together with him at the center ever since.
So when he fell out with Hong Hyun-woo, he'd naturally cut ties with them too.
He never imagined he'd run into them here.
Outta nowhere? Hyun-woo told us. You betrayed him and went crawling to that bastard, right?
Fuck, you thought we were your only friends? How the hell do you backstab like that?
Kim Bong-gu tilted his head.
Backstab? I have no idea what you guys think I did to you to call it a backstab.
What? You denying it? You totally latched onto that bastard!
Whatever. No business here, so fuck off.
They weren't even worth his time.
You little shit...!
He couldn't finish his sentence.
Kim Bong-gu's aura had shifted in an instant.
Fuck, what the hell?
Ambusher? That's Epic grade, right?
Only then did they notice Kim Bong-gu's job.
The last time they'd seen him, it had been Assassin.
With the massive gap between Rare and Normal, they'd figured they had no shot one-on-one and showed up as a pair.
But now Kim Bong-gu was Epic.
Wanna go? Want me to get you a one-month ban like I did Hong Hyun-woo?
......Fuck!
Fucking gross. Next time we meet, you're dead for real!
They spat the words and bolted like their asses were on fire.
Kim Bong-gu snorted in disdain and withdrew his aura.
Ha... I've been living like such a fucking waste.
The thought of spending every day glued to trash like that made him sick.
WhisperHoon - Aemiya Gugi Jjada: Come to Autobahn.
A whisper that made his heart sink arrived.
Kim Bong-gu's face went white as a sheet in an instant.
Why again...
Hadn't the event put an end to it?
WhisperHoon - Aemiya Gugi Jjada: Not answering?
He froze, and another whisper followed.
Kim Bong-gu jumped in shock and hammered away at his keys in a panic.
WhisperAemiya Gugi Jjada - Hoon: On my way now! Square okay?
WhisperHoon - Aemiya Gugi Jjada: Sending location.
Jeong Hoon's next stop was a cliff at the far western edge.
Hoon, you said you were in Autobahn, right?
Yeah.
Ho, you know about the western edge then?
The western edge?
The spot blocked off by a cliff!
No. Never had a reason to go there.
Heh, then let me drop a fun fact on you. Everyone probably thinks it's totally sealed off, but there's actually a bug city down there.
His comradeand eventual betrayerMaximus Perion.
He'd been a Martial Artist like Jeong Hoon, practically a mentor figure.
Of course, Jeong Hoon had eventually surpassed him, but that didn't change the mentor bond.
In the end, though, Maximus Perion had colluded with the other betrayers to drive Jeong Hoon to his death.
About time he stumbles on it.
Maximus was a player who'd entered the game pretty late.
The hidden opportunity at Autobahn's western cliff edge hadn't been found yet, but give it a few days and he'd snag it.
That's why Jeong Hoon had timed his arrival perfectly.
The bottom of the cliff was shrouded in such deep darkness that the naked eye couldn't make out a thing.
What, you planning to jump and die here? Hell yeah! Does this mean I'm free of my master now?!
Muk-ho piped up.
The guy had a real talent for getting under people's skin.
But this much didn't even faze Jeong Hoon.
Won't happen, so relax.
No way. I'll pray super hard for it to happen!
Do whatever.
Jeong Hoon chuckled and summoned Michael.
You called?!
Michael snapped to attention with a face full of military discipline.
What's with that rotten milk-looking fucker?
Muk-ho wasted no time dissing him.
Unlike with anima, Michael couldn't hear Muk-ho and showed zero reaction.
Hey? Deaf? Your eardrums rot off too or what?
How would he hear when you don't even have a mouth, you moron.
Jeong Hoon shot back mentally at Muk-ho and pointed to the cliff.
Yeah. Not something elsewe're heading down there today.
......Here?
Michael reacted with a reluctant look.
Yeah. Once you go down, a portal will auto-connect.
......Can't see the bottom, though? You'll die going down!
Michael pointed at the pitch-black depths below the cliff and shook his head on reflex.
Don't worry. You won't die.
After joining Hoyoung, Jeong Hoon could now get support items for growth.
He'd requested a few in preparation for today and received them in under a day.
What he pulled from his inventory was an infinite rope.
A special rope that never snapped no matter whatunlimited length, Rare grade.
It had special magic so no anchoring was needed; you could brake it by hand, and it auto-adjusted for loads up to 10 tons.
No. No. I'll die of a heart attack. This is insane!
Michael bellowed.
He really hated the idea of going down.
Yeah? Guess I'll send Kim Bong-gu first then.
Jeong Hoon had whispered Kim Bong-gu before starting today's work.
To uncover the opportunity below this cliff, you needed at least two players in a party.
Michael counted as a tamed monster, so he needed another player.
That's when he'd thought of Kim Bong-gu.
Ha-jins got a raid.
Jang Ha-jin was swamped running raids for his guild.
With his own personal capsule now and a job upgrade to Aura Knight, his workload had exploded.
You called?
Kim Bong-gu arrived soon after.
Hm? Leveled up to Epic?
Kim Bong-gu had evolved from Assassin into an Epic-grade Ambusher.
Heh heh, kicking the right legs got me the job grade-up.
Epic was the max for job grades.
For someone who'd been Rare like Kim Bong-gu, there was no reason not to pick the upgrade option.
Nice. Shall we get started?
Jeong Hoon sent Kim Bong-gu a party invite.
Kim Bong-gu accepted, forming a two-man party.
Yes! So what do I do?
Michael, go tie it around his waist.
Jeong Hoon jerked his chin, and Michael darted over to wrap the rope tight around Kim Bong-gu's waist.
Hold still. It's not tying right.
Michael's annoyed voice made Kim Bong-gu's face twist in panic.
W-what are you doing?!
What else? Sending you down that cliff.
What?! W-wait a sec!
Kim Bong-gu thrashed desperately.
Who the fuck would try climbing down this cliff?!
Oh, rightthat crazy fucker standing right there.
Better hold still while it ties.
At Jeong Hoon's words, Kim Bong-gu stopped struggling and resigned himself.
Whatever happened, he was the one going down.
......It won't come untied, right?
Kim Bong-gu asked in a desperate voice.
He was hoping against hope for reassurance that it wouldn't come loose, with a dash of optimism mixed in.
Fortunately, Jeong Hoon answered straight without teasing.
No chance. It's custom-made.
Descending a cliff this high relying on one rope wasn't easy.
Not with the crushing fear bearing down on you.
T-then that's a relief.
Don't sweat it. If there's trouble, I'll cut it off before it happens.
......How?
Don't ask for details.
Yes......
Jeong Hoon gripped the rope in his hand.
Alright, head down.
......Huh? You're not tying it to a tree?
It's a rope you brake with your hands.
The hand-brake mention turned Kim Bong-gu's face deathly pale.
If he fell, it was 100 death.
Even if he relogged, he had no confidence climbing back up this monster of a cliff.
Kim Bong-gu dropped to his knees in front of Jeong Hoon and begged like mad.
P-please spare me! Didn't I say I'd do anything you ask?!
Yeah. Anything, right?
Not kill me...... Huwaaaang......
Kim Bong-gu was thoroughly convinced Jeong Hoon planned to drop him to the bottom of this cliff and lock him away.
Jeong Hoon let out a sigh at the sight of him even bursting into tears.
Looks like there's a misunderstanding. It's a hand-brake rope. I'm not trying to kill you.
That's a lie......
Wow, this guy's got a salted fish head and he's scared shitless.
Muk-ho griped at Kim Bong-gu in an irritated tone.
Spot on for once?
It was like having an itchy back scratched.
Go run sideways.
R-run?
Yeah.
Kim Bong-gu got up and bolted sideways.
Jeong Hoon clenched his fist tight on the rope, locking it tautand Kim Bong-gu, who'd been running, faceplanted right there.
Keep the rope tied and release the brake. Then I'll send Michael down instead.
R-really?
Yeah.
......Understood!
Kim Bong-gu's eyes lit up as he shouted.
But his shout fell flatKim Bong-gu was the one heading down the cliff.
Confirmed?
Yes......
The brake held solid.
Kim Bong-gu descended the cliff slowly, body trembling like a leaf.
But he hadn't gone far when his foot slipped, and he started flailing wildly in midair.
......What the hell are you doing?
I-I need to go up! I lost my balance!
Kim Bong-gu screamed for someone to save him.
Fuu, this is gonna take forever. Sorry, bear with it a sec.
Yes?
Jeong Hoon loosened his grip on the rope.
The brake released, and Kim Bong-gu plummeted toward the cliff bottom.
Uwaaaack!
By the time the scream faded into the distance, Jeong Hoon tightened his grip.
The rope braked like magic.
Not even a scrape on the skin.
Damn good rope.
Jeong Hoon gently loosened and tightened his grip repeatedly, guiding Kim Bong-gu to a safe landing.
Only after confirming the rope wouldn't slip even without the brake did he fully let go.
You have discovered an unknown area.
You have acquired 10,000 achievement points.
Along with the message, a portal spawned in front of Jeong Hoon.
A portal linking to the bottom of the cliff.
Lv.?? Shall you proceed to the entrance of the imperfectly implemented city?
Imperfectly implemented city.
New World was a world built by slicing apart and stitching together countless other worlds.
In that stitching process, some dimensions hadn't meshed rightand this city was one of them.
A glitch, basically.
And yet New World had never patched it out.
They left it as an opportunity for players to exploit.
Jeong Hoon planned to exploit that glitch to the absolute fullest.