abcnovels
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
———
Chapter 42
“Hey, let’s head to the snowy mountains.”
“What’s the monster level there?”
“I heard it’s from 53 to 60.”
The Northern Snowy Mountains.
Users who surpassed level 50 usually moved to the Northern Snowy Mountains to start hunting.
Reaching level 55, they would then trigger a surprise event to hit level 57 and move on to the east to continue hunting. This was the standard route in Idenharc.
Ga Jun-seok and Yeon Dae-hoon, having memorized the guidebook through World Com, headed for the Northern Snowy Mountains.
“What’s with the atmosphere here?”
In front of the field leading to the Northern Snowy Mountains, users were gathered, murmuring amongst themselves.
“Ugh, I can’t hunt like this.”
“This is crazy. I want to catch Yetis, but they die in one hit every time they spawn…”
Ga Jun-seok perked up his ears, focusing on their conversation.
As a rogue who had switched to archer, he had sharper senses than Yeon Dae-hoon.
“What are they saying?”
Yeon Dae-hoon, unable to hear their conversation clearly, looked around with a frustrated expression.
Soon, Ga Jun-seok, with a look of understanding, spoke up.
“Looks like someone’s monopolizing the area in front of the snowy mountains.”
“Monopolizing?”
“Yeah. They’re hogging all the Yetis.”
“…Is that even possible?”
Yeon Dae-hoon couldn’t comprehend it.
There were over 100 Yetis roaming the entrance to the snowy mountains.
It was impossible for one person to monopolize them all.
Ah, he got it.
They’re trying to trick us into thinking they’re monopolizing the field.
“How could that be possible? Be realistic.”
Ga Jun-seok, seemingly sharing the same thought, dismissed it as nonsense.
“Then what should we do? There are a lot of them.”
Four users were blocking the entrance.
If a PvP battle broke out, they would be the ones to lose.
“Oh, are you trying to pass through?”
Contrary to their anxious expectations, the users blocking the entrance, apologized politely and stepped aside.
Ga Jun-seok and Yeon Dae-hoon were taken aback by this.
“Huh? That’s strange. Why are they so compliant?”
“I know, right?”
Their question was soon answered.
“Cough!”
As soon as they crossed the snowy mountains, a massive monster collapsed in front of them.
It was a Lv. 53 Yeti.
“Huh?”
“What the…?”
An arrow was lodged in the back of the Yeti’s head.
The pitch-black arrow ignited with black flames before disappearing.
“Hey, this thing died in one hit…?”
The Yeti’s body was clean, without a scratch.
And five seconds later, the Yeti’s corpse glowed momentarily and vanished.
Following that, a series of Yeti screams echoed through the air.
They too met their demise, their heads pierced by the black arrow.
“Was that true…?”
The user was monopolizing the Yetis.
“Where on earth is he shooting from?”
“Hey… It’s coming from over there!”
Yeon Dae-hoon pointed towards the snowy mountain.
The arrow was being shot from the mountainside.
“Damn, he’s hitting from this distance?”
“And the Yetis are panicking, running around…”
Yeon Dae-hoon, an archer himself, felt goosebumps all over.
It was difficult enough to hit a stationary target accurately, but to precisely target and pierce the heads of moving targets from long range…
Just who was this archer hunting?
It certainly wasn’t a user belonging to this level of hunting ground.
Someone much higher… Yes, like Lee Hwa-rang, the Bow Master.
* * *
Jeong-Hoon spent ten days in the snowy mountains, tirelessly focusing on hunting.
[Level up!]
[All stats increased by +1.]
[Bonus stat +1 awarded.]
As a result, he reached level 50.
“Phew, shall we stop here for today?”
Tomorrow was the day he would enter the dungeon he had reserved.
===
[Player Information]
-Nickname: Hoon
-Level: 50
-Class: Martial Emperor 1st Class (Lower Martial Artist 1st Class)
-Titles Held: Complete Beginner (Epic) and 5 others (expand to view)
[Detailed Stats]
-Strength: 60(+6) -> 66
-Agility: 60(+8) -> 68
-Vitality: 60(+8) -> 68
-Defense: 60(+6) -> 66
-Wisdom: 60(+6) -> 66
-Magic Power: 63(+6) -> 69
-Divine Power: 64(+6) -> 70
-Mental Power: 50(+8) -> 58
-Unapplied Stats: 59
Unapplied stats were 59.
Once he reached 60, he would achieve the next milestone.
And additional archery skills had also blossomed.
[Archery]
-Arrow (Rare)
-Archery Mastery (Rare)
-Calm Breathing (Rare)
-Hawk’s Eye (Rare)
Archery Mastery and Calm Breathing.
Archery Mastery was a skill that increased archery proficiency, attack power, and critical hit chance.
And Calm Breathing.
This was also a support skill that helped maintain steady breathing even in urgent situations, allowing for precise aiming at targets.
Lastly, Hawk’s Eye was a skill that provided a wider field of vision, enabling hunting of targets farther away.
Of course, it had the drawback of only activating when holding a bow and drawing the string, making it difficult to use otherwise.
‘For now, this should be enough.’
He had acquired the essentials for archery.
The rest was simply to upgrade through repeated practice.
“…Amazing. How can you hunt for 22 hours a day?”
For ten days, except for two hours a day, he had devoted himself entirely to hunting.
“I need to level up.”
“I see…”
Anima didn’t say anything more.
As an ancient dragon, he had observed countless creatures.
In the process, there were those who were extraordinary.
And Jeong-Hoon was one of them.
“Let’s get to 51.”
He needed one more bonus stat to reach the next achievement.
With the determination to achieve the milestone through today’s hunting, he drew the bowstring.
* * *
The next day.
Jeong-Hoon met Ha-jin in the village.
“Whoa… What? You’re already over level 50?”
Ha-jin’s eyes widened.
The last time he saw Jeong-Hoon, about ten days ago, he was level 41.
He was surprised that Jeong-Hoon had raised his level by 10 in such a short time.
“I worked hard on leveling up.”
“How on earth can you raise it by 10 in such a short period?”
Even Ha-jin, who was obsessed with New World at the time, took nearly two months to go from level 40 to 50.
Although he spent over 12 hours a day hunting.
But Jeong-Hoon had gone from 41 to 51 in just 10 days.
“It works if you hunt efficiently.”
Jeong-Hoon had already rubbed shoulders with top-rankers and accumulated a wealth of experience.
He was adept at understanding terrain and maximizing efficiency, allowing him to shorten the leveling time.
“…Are you even human?”
“What are you talking about after knowing me for so long?”
“That’s true, but… This is just unbelievable.”
“Alright, let’s get ready.”
Jeong-Hoon checked the reservation through the NPC.
There were two teams ahead of them.
They would be able to enter the dungeon within 4 to 8 hours at the earliest.
The eastern region was where users above Lv. 57 stayed until they reached Lv. 80.
It was notably the shortest period in the leveling process, and the reason lay in the experience points gained from monsters.
[You have entered the 1.5x experience buff zone.]
The experience gained from hunting monsters was a whopping 1.5 times higher.
Therefore, most users staying in Idenharc stayed in this eastern region.
“So Idenharc’s hot spot is the eastern region.”
Ha-jin leveled up in Eichen, not Idenharc.
Eichen was the highest rated among the 122 starting villages.
Even in Eichen, there was a hot spot where players could get a 1.6x experience boost.
That’s why many people actively recommended Eichen.
Of course, Jeong-Hoon didn’t even consider Eichen.
The reason being, there were no hidden opportunities there.
“Accept the party invite.”
“Ah, before that, can I quickly use the restroom?”
“Hurry back.”
“Okay!”
Ha-jin logged out in a hurry, as if he urgently needed the restroom.
Jeong-Hoon, left alone, looked at the dungeon entrance.
The dungeon they would clear today was ‘Lv. 59 Barren Land of Flames.’
This was the dungeon where Uradons lurked.
Not only was it a honey quest for the Magic Tower quest, but it was also the only dungeon where Uradons appeared, making it the hottest of hot spots.
“Excuse me.”
While preparing to enter the dungeon, a male user approached Jeong-Hoon.
===
[Player Information]
-Nickname: Akira
-Level: 73
-Class: Lower Assassin (1st class)
===
He was a user who had chosen the rogue class and then specialized as an assassin.
From his nickname to his customization, he had a slightly Japanese style.
“Hmm? Can I help you with something?”
Jeong-Hoon tilted his head in question.
“It’s nothing much… Are you next in line?”
The users who had entered the dungeon hadn’t come out yet.
Jeong-Hoon, who was indeed next, nodded.
“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
“Would you be willing to transfer this dungeon to me?”
“Transfer?”
“Yes! Of course, I won’t ask for it for free. I’ll pay a fair price!”
Akira sent a trade request.
Jeong-Hoon declined the request.
“No thanks.”
This was a common occurrence when reserving popular dungeons.
The reservations were full, so waiting was difficult.
That’s why some tried to buy that time with money.
Of course, Jeong-Hoon had no intention of selling the dungeon entry.
“Well, please take a look at the amount first.”
Akira, momentarily flustered, took out 10 gold coins from his inventory.
Jeong-Hoon laughed inwardly upon seeing the gold.
The price for transferring a hot spot dungeon entry was 50 gold.
500,000 won in Korean currency.
The amount wasn’t small, but as the dungeon provided essential materials for quests and had a waiting time of 7-10 days, the price of the transfer ticket inevitably soared.
In other words, he was offering a ridiculously low amount.
“Yes, I saw it.”
“Then, are we making a deal?”
Jeong-Hoon poured cold water on Akira’s brightening face.
“No, I’m not making a deal.”
“What…? Didn’t you just say you saw it?”
“Yes, I saw the gold with my eyes. Isn’t that the end of it?”
“No… Are you messing with me right now?”
“Do I look like I’m messing around?”
“Ha, I was trying to take the easy way out, but it seems like that won’t work.”
Suddenly, Akira’s face turned cold.
Simultaneously, three users who had been hiding in the bushes emerged.
They were all on par with Akira.
‘As expected, they were a group.’
Jeong-Hoon had known they were ambushing him from the start.
He had experienced this sickening feeling countless times before his regression.
“Will you hand over the dungeon for 10 gold? Or would you rather log out for 24 hours?”
“Why not just kill him? If this bastard can’t enter the dungeon, we can go in instead.”
They were openly threatening him.
But Jeong-Hoon knew.
They couldn’t do anything to him.
Since the dungeon reservation was made with the NPC, they couldn’t steal the entry.
In other words, they were trying to intimidate him into handing over the entry ticket for a mere 10 gold.
“If you leave now, I’ll let you go quietly. Otherwise, you die here.”
Jeong-Hoon took out a knuckle from his inventory and put it on his fist.
This was a field.
Attacks were allowed even without initiating PvP.
“What? Are you trying to take us all on?”
“Kekeke, this guy is interesting.”
The warning was over.
Jeong-Hoon’s eyes narrowed.
He took a step, utilizing his movement technique.
Surprise flickered across the faces of the group at his movement.
‘That guy first.’
Jeong-Hoon’s fist aimed for Akira.
Underworld Kings Fist Technique 1st Form.
As he extended his fist, Akira hurriedly stepped back to dodge.
“You crazy bastard!”
He desperately tried to draw his dagger, but it was too late.
Jeong-Hoon’s fist followed up, accurately striking his jaw.
‘Underworld Kings Fist Technique 2nd Form.’
Then, with the 2nd Form of Underworld Kings Fist Technique, he struck upwards towards Akira’s solar plexus.
“Cough!”
Blood spurted from Akira’s mouth as he collapsed.
Jeong-Hoon proceeded to twist his neck, killing him instantly.
With the instant death verdict, Akira’s body glowed and disappeared.
The remaining three stared blankly at the scene that unfolded in an instant.
“Hey… Fuck, haven’t we seen that before?”
“Could it be him? The martial artist who took down the instructor in World Com?”
“That’s right… It seems like it!”
Oh no.
Had they seen World Com?
A cruel smile crept across Jeong-Hoon’s face.
“In that case, I definitely can’t let you leave alive.”
———