Chapter 104. Reunion
However, the fact that they are not many still means that they do exist.
If it were an expert on the level of the one who had been hiding above the entrance of Nangnang Tavern yesterday, shaking them off or confronting them head-on would be.....
'It might not be easy.'
They possessed concealment technique that perfect. Of course, it was something that could not be known before actually fighting, but the fact that it would not be easy was certain.
On top of that, if the unknown variable Yeon Yeong-ha were added.....
'I need to become stronger.'
To become a hero of the martial world, he needed to become stronger. No, to even pretend to be a "hero," he would need to be a whole dimension stronger than that.
Only then could he become the chief executive of this martial world safari, freely enjoying feasts made solely of predators whenever he wished.
If some of them jumped out of the safari, it would be even more welcome and enjoyable....
Above all else.
It would be even more delicious.
Abusing.
It was not a completely identical concept, but it was probably something similar. Dong Bong-su did not know much about it, but he instinctively understood that what he was aiming for was extremely close to that.
Abusing generally referred to the act of a gamer unfairly gaining benefits by manipulating multiple accounts, such as sub-accounts, aside from their main account.
In this New Murim Online, the only gamer was Dong Bong-su himself. Naturally, sub-accounts could not exist—there might be more, but for now, it was reasonable to assume there were none.
However, countless NPCs existed who moved with will, just like ordinary gamers. And depending on the situation, he could manipulate them as he pleased or induce them into performing certain actions.
If viewed from that perspective...….
An NPC ranch was clearly a form of abusing.
If such a thing were possible in an actual existing game, would it not truly be a revolutionary concept?
Growing NPCs.
And leveling up by hunting those NPCs.......
It was a highly unreasonable system, but to Dong Bong-su, the "lone gamer," it was an overwhelmingly advantageous system—and it had now become his goal.
Abusing, abusing, abusing.......
At that moment, as Dong Bong-su continued to dwell on abusing, the rotation of his brain suddenly began to accelerate.
The word abusing embedded itself deeply into his mind and overlapped with what had happened yesterday.
Hunting, killers, assassins, abusing, unfair profit ...…
Various keywords surfaced and sank throughout Dong Bong-su's mind, gradually forming a single concrete idea.
'I see. That method is possible too.'
Hunting.
Right, did he really have to hunt?
Wouldn't becoming the prey, like yesterday, also be a form of hunting?
'Become the prey, become the prey, become the prey ....'
It was a first in his life, but it did not feel bad.
Moreover, what if he intentionally orchestrated such a situation?
What if he set traps and waited for his enemies instead?
Or what if, without even searching for them, the enemies came on their own and conveniently died for him?
Dong Bong-su's lips parted slightly, his pristine white teeth exposing their wicked nature as they waited emotionlessly.
He.....
Dong Bong-su had discovered a new loophole in New Murim Online.
By using 'this method,' the prey would continuously come to him on their own and die.
They would become experience points, raise his skill proficiency, and on top of that, further solidify the image of a 'fake hero.'
With only a bit of investigation, he would be able to put it into practice.
Click.
Dong Bong-su placed his chopsticks down on the table, signaling the end of his meal.
His review of yesterday's battle ended as well. In the process, he had gained a new realization.
The martial world was becoming.....
More dangerous.
Dong Bong-su pushed the table aside and stood up.
Afterward, as he always did, he began cultivating the Inventory Divine Art.
The items draped over his body rapidly changed.
Sword, blade, axe, spear, shield, iron armor...…
Various weapons and defensive gear appeared and disappeared across his body.
Now, item handling flowed quite naturally, but it was still not completely satisfactory.
He could still only take out or store items whole, and partial handling—taking out or storing only part of an item—was impossible.
It felt like it would work, yet it did not.
If partial handling became possible, he could adopt far more diverse combat styles.
Like drawing a sword from its scabbard, he would be able to draw a sword from anywhere on his body.....
Dong Bong-su continued practicing.
At the same time, his thoughts shifted toward future events and plans.
First.
What kind of variable would his small connection with Eulji Tae bring?
He could not be certain, but it would return as a positive effect.
He had clearly felt goodwill from him.
It was difficult to predict what form that goodwill would take, but it certainly would not be bad.
Next.
What kind of changes would the discovery of Zhong Zhihang, or the encounter with Yeon Yeong-ha, bring about?
As for the former, nothing might happen if he did not involve himself.
But the meeting—or confrontation—with Yeon Yeong-ha would continue, whether he liked it or not—though in truth, he did not dislike it that much.
It had only been a single encounter, but their instincts had told them both that they were mutually intolerable existences.
'Either I die.'
Or she dies.
For it to end, one of the two had to disappear from this Central Plains.
Two hunters in a single hunting ground was troublesome.
Especially if each regarded the other as the ultimate prey.
To capture him, she would inevitably reveal herself here, at the Martial Alliance.
He had threatened her not to test him recklessly, but it was certain she would eventually try to hunt him.
Perhaps that moment would be... the final day when he would have to end New Murim Online.
Thus, her next move was obvious.
'The All-Under-Heaven Youth Martial Arts Tournament.'
There was a high chance she had appeared here from the beginning to participate in it.
If not for that, she was the type of monster that would not have appeared here at all—that animal named Yeon Yeong-ha.
Moreover, after yesterday, she would cling to the All-Under-Heaven Youth Martial Arts Tournament even more desperately.
She had seen the Martial Alliance badge pinned to Dong Bong-su's chest.
'She must be convinced that I will participate in the tournament.'
At that tournament, she would attempt to hunt him by any means necessary.
Pabababak!
Dong Bong-su expelled more than ten different weapons from his body at once as he continued his thoughts.
'If she can mobilize assassins of the level that attacked me yesterday.....'
Then the force standing behind her would not be insignificant either.
However, that force was almost certainly not affiliated with the Martial Alliance.
Because if they were affiliated with the Martial Alliance, there would be no reason for them to spend the night in a place like a tavern.
If a monster of that type had the opportunity to search for other prey within the Martial Alliance, there would be no reason to waste it.
Dong Bong-su methodically analyzed Yeon Yeong-ha one step at a time.
She was clearly another type of non-human, different even from himself, yet he continued to compare her actions to his own.
From yesterday's events, he had also gained some understanding of how her type differed from his.
She... had given her name for no particular reason, and even provided the unusual hint that it was their "third meeting."
That alone showed how vastly different she was from him.
For Dong Bong-su, hunting was an important hobby.
But for her, it seemed the exhilaration felt during the process mattered far more than the hunt itself.
Otherwise, there would have been no need to say such things.
It was presumed that she regarded everything that occurred during that process as some kind of game.
From a single brief yet intense encounter, Dong Bong-su had grasped many things about Yeon Yeong-ha.
This small difference might later become a crucial factor in determining the outcome of the contest between them.
No one yet knew how it would turn out.....
In any case, the staring contest—or battle of wits—with the monster called Yeon Yeong-ha had begun.
Until one of them died, neither could escape nor avoid it.
When predators lock eyes, the one who looks away first falls to become prey.
Without averting his gaze, he had to search for the other predator's opening.
If there was no opening, he would have to create one and kill the opposing predator to move on to what came next.
There were other methods as well, but for now, it did not seem necessary to consider them.
Dong Bong-su concluded his thoughts there and set aside thoughts of Yeon Yeong-ha for the moment.
He also stopped training the inventory technique.
Before he knew it, the clothes he had originally been wearing were once again draped over his body.
[The activation conditions for spiritual vision have been met. Spiritual vision is automatically cast.]
[An enemy with a level difference of 10 or more has approached within 20 meters of you. 19, 18, 17 ..... ]
Tiring-tiring-tiring, tiriririring.....
It was because an unknown expert was approaching near his room.
The distance continued to shrink, and soon, a shadow flickered just outside his door.
Naturally, Dong Bong-su was not surprised at all.
After all, it was obvious who the expert visiting his room at this hour would be.
The possibilities were one of two.
'Either Eulji Tae.'
Or.
Creaaak.
The door opened.
A middle-aged man with shaggy long hair and a thick beard, cut so roughly one could not tell when it had been done, walked in.
His steps were rough and crude, yet somehow seemed light.
As expected.
A familiar face.
However, unlike before, he was wearing clean blue robes instead of filthy clothes.
His face looked freshly washed, and instead of the usual metallic stench, a faint sweet flag fragrance clung to him.
That alone had been outside Dong Bong-su's expectations.
"Yo, so we finally meet again. Since you didn't come looking for me for so long, I figured that divine metal was mine by now."
Weapon Monster.
It was the man who had brought a new weapon.
[Read more chapters on my website: https://revengernovel.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/reaper87 ]