Chapter 41

——————[Translator – Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader – Kyros]

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Chapter 41

“Let’s form a party, just once.”

Ha-jin couldn’t believe his ears.

“A party? You and me?”

“Yes.”

“But… I’m level 159. 159! What level are you?”

“41.”

Jeong-Hoon’s calm demeanor as he spoke gave Ha-jin a headache.

“Dude… Don’t you know New World restricts high-level players from helping low-level players?”

New World had measures in place to prevent high-level users from assisting low-level ones to a certain extent.

Suspensions, trade bans, etc.

While not overly harsh, if the level difference exceeded a certain threshold, the monsters’ levels would adjust.

For example, if a level 50 and a level 200 player formed a party and entered a level 45 dungeon, the dungeon’s difficulty would change to the average level of the party.

Meaning a level 45 dungeon would become a level 125 dungeon.

Moreover, the experience gained from defeating monsters would be fixed at zero.

Not even items would drop from the monsters.

The only exception was in special cases related to quests.

Hence, high-level players rarely helped low-level ones.

“I know.”

“You know, and you still want to party up?”

“Yes.”

The next destination was the Magic Tower in Idenharc.

There was a dungeon quest to be accepted and cleared at the tower, not a quest dungeon, but a hunting ground for regular users.

However, the hunting ground was so lucrative that the wait time was long, and reserving a spot now would mean waiting over a week for just one entry.

‘The item required for that quest can only be obtained by clearing the dungeon twice.’

Since entry required a party of two or more, it was common for users undertaking the quest to team up.

Typically, players would reserve the dungeon through the village NPC and wait for their turn, clearing it when their time came. The boss monster, however, only dropped two items.

So, if there were three people in the party, one person wouldn’t get anything.

‘And the quest requires two of those items.’

Therefore, it had become a rule for users to enter the dungeon in fixed pairs.

Spending two weeks to clear a single quest was too much of a waste of time.

But if Ha-jin joined as a party member, once would be enough.

“Sigh, dude… That’s really not a good idea. Do 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 of them formed a party and entered the dungeon, the dungeon’s difficulty would change to at least level 100 or higher.

For low-level users to complete the quest, there was a condition that they had to hunt at least one monster completely on their own.

In short, it was natural for users with a significant level gap to avoid partying up.

Of course, Jeong-Hoon was an exception.

“It’ll be fine, so please do me this favor.”

“Sigh… Do you have some kind of method?”

“Yes. I succeeded in crafting, and a very good weapon was born.”

“Ah, you used an Evolution Stone?”

Jeong-Hoon nodded.

“Even so… You won’t be able to hunt monsters 60 levels higher, right? You need to be Legendary to ignore level differences to some extent.”

Even with a good weapon, hunting high-level monsters wouldn’t be easy.

If he had a Legendary weapon, it would be a different story.

“Huh? I got a Legendary.”

“…What?”

* * *

Lee Hyun-woo, the owner of the capsule room, was greeting customers at the desk as usual.

“Hyung, let’s eat ramen together!”

Three students in their early twenties approached the desk.

Regular customers who frequented the capsule room often called Lee Hyun-woo “hyung” or “dongsaeng,” expressing their familiarity.

Of course, Lee Hyun-woo had semi-forcibly pushed for these nicknames.

“I just ate. You guys go ahead and eat.”

“Okay. But can we get a free drink?”

“Do you want a smack on the head?”

“Haha, just kidding.”

“Tsk, just grab one from the fridge.”

“Oh! Thank you!”

Students rushed to the dining area.

‘Those rascals.’

Lee Hyun-woo chuckled, watching them leave.

The capsule room’s usage fees were quite expensive.

By also running a restaurant and paying attention to the quality of the food, he eliminated any reason for customers to leave, and sales were booming.

Despite being born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, the capsule room’s revenue was beyond imagination.

Adding to that, he approached the customers with a friendly demeanor and offered services, increasing their goodwill, resulting in significantly more customers than other capsule rooms.

‘Eat and enjoy while you’re worry-free.’

It wasn’t a strategic move.

Lee Hyun-woo was naturally outgoing and enjoyed meeting people. He was also good at taking care of others.

As a result, he ended up looking after his regular customers, which greatly contributed to the growth of the capsule room.

Thanks to this, he had recently expanded the capsule room, adding 100 more capsules.

Slide.

The automatic door opened, and a familiar face entered.

“Oh? Ha-jin, you’re here?”

Lee Hyun-woo greeted Ha-jin warmly.

“Yes.”

But Ha-jin seemed a bit different than usual.

His vacant expression and muttering made Lee Hyun-woo tilt his head in confusion.

“Did something happen?”

“…Nothing happened.”

“No way. Your face says it all.”

“Sigh… Is it that obvious? I just feel like life is so unfair.”

“Unfair? Well… I’m not in a position to console you, so I’ll hold back.”

“Yes.”

Ha-jin stumbled into a capsule.

The shock of what Jeong-Hoon had told him last night was too great.

‘A Legendary class with a Legendary weapon…’

Even when Jeong-Hoon mentioned obtaining a Legendary class in the first stage, Ha-jin was utterly surprised.

However, considering Jeong-Hoon’s performance, he couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility.

Jeong-Hoon had always been exceptional since childhood.

But a Legendary weapon?

And he acquired it in Idenharc, the beginner zone right after the starting village.

‘That guy is insane… Truly.’

It was beyond envy, bordering on awe.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t jealous.

Nevertheless, Ha-jin congratulated Jeong-Hoon sincerely.

‘Yeah, what’s more pathetic than being jealous of a friend’s success?’

Such a person doesn’t deserve to be called a friend.

Ha-jin had no intention of living that way.

Jeong-Hoon was the only friend who reached out to him when he was bullied in elementary school.

He didn’t want to do anything that would tarnish their precious friendship.

* * *

Jeong-Hoon checked the dungeon waiting list through the village NPC.

As expected, the line was long.

Currently, 103 teams are ahead of him.

He had to wait for everyone to enter the dungeon before his turn came.

Even assuming 10 teams entered per day, it would take 10 days.

Usually, 10 teams would be the fastest.

If it took longer, only 5-6 teams might enter per day, meaning it could take over 10 days.

‘That’s fine. I have enough time to prepare.’

After applying, Jeong-Hoon headed to the tower located in Idenharc.

There were towers for each class.

And even for the same tower, there were additional ones in some villages. This was because New World wasn’t a single world, but a vast universe made up of numerous connected dimensions.

The tower Jeong-Hoon was heading to was the Magic Tower, accessible to mages.

This Magic Tower was a must-visit course for users who chose the mage class.

The reason for visiting this course was simple.

There was a hidden opportunity remaining in this Magic Tower.

An opportunity yet to be discovered, but one that would be found by a novice mage in the near future.

‘That mage is a future comrade and a traitor.’

Not as significant as Saintess Amelie, but Lewis Verdant, who rose to the position of High Priest.

Despite entering New World late due to his young age, he was a figure who made countless contributions as a comrade when the world underwent upheaval.

He was also one of those who, consumed by power and fearing loss, played a part in Jeong-Hoon’s death.

‘No matter what you become, I will end this game with my own hands.’

Jeong-Hoon, having reaffirmed his resolve, arrived at the entrance of the Magic Tower.

“Halt! This is a sacred Magic Tower that cannot be entered without the qualifications of a mage!”

Then, the magic circle below glowed, and a mage wearing a robe appeared.

===

[NPC Information]

-Nickname: Rune

-Level: 45

-Class: Lower Mage (1st class)

===

Lower Mage Rune.

The corners of Rune’s mouth, not fully concealed by the robe, twitched slightly.

His stiff posture suggested he was a newcomer to the Magic Tower.

A question mark appeared above his head.

[General Quest: Idenharc Magic Tower]

-Restriction: All users except mages

-Reward: Magic Tower entry

-Description: Only mages can enter the Magic Tower. However, kind users who help the Magic Tower will be allowed entry.

Help the Magic Tower.

Jeong-Hoon accepted the quest.

“Are you really going to help our Magic Tower?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Then could you please wait a moment?”

Rune, with a dubious expression, entered the Magic Tower.

Soon after, he returned with another mage.

===

[NPC Information]

-Nickname: Jaco

-Level: 75

-Class: Seeker (1st class)

===

He was a mage of a much higher rank than Rune.

“I heard from Rune. You came to help our Magic Tower?”

“Yes.”

Jaco stroked his beard.

The Magic Tower’s current situation was peaceful.

This stranger was most likely offering help just to gain entry.

He had no intention of stopping him.

The Tower Master had set the conditions for entry for strangers.

“Then, could you please fetch two Uradon horns for us?”

Uradon horns could be obtained from the boss monster in a dungeon located in the eastern region.

The dungeons in that area were bustling with strangers, known for being cleared non-stop every day.

“Alright.”

“Then please return with the horns.”

With those words, Jaco returned to the Magic Tower.

Rune, left alone, glanced at Jeong-Hoon and spoke.

“Um… If you bring the horns, you’ll be able to enter…”

“Yes.”

* * *

Ten days ahead.

Jeong-Hoon decided to focus on leveling up during that time.

While entering the Magic Tower was good, he needed to reach level 50 to obtain the hidden opportunity.

Regardless, leveling up was a necessary process.

“Shall we begin?”

He arrived at the snowy mountains in the north.

It was the same area he had visited to clear a dungeon before, and it was the perfect place for leveling up.

The terrain was far superior to other fields, and it was ideal for securing a spot and hunting.

Jeong-Hoon sat on a rock halfway up the mountain and took out the ‘Dragon Anima Bone Bow.’

As the bow, gleaming ominously, settled into his hand, a small lizard appeared as a phantom, circling him.

“Are you going to use me?”

“Yes.”

[Your current level is ’41’.]

[The attack power of Dragon Anima Bone Bow is set to 205.]

The bow, not yet enhanced, had an attack power of 5 per level.

This was precisely why Legendary weapons were so overpowered.

Instead of a fixed attack power, it scaled with the user’s level.

And that wasn’t all.

As the weapon was upgraded, additional abilities were added.

[Do you want to grant Dragon Anima Bone Bow’s special ability (3)?]

[Ancient Dragon’s power will be randomly granted.]

The Ancient Dragon’s power referred to the abilities wielded by Anima.

Jeong-Hoon accepted, and the text disappeared, replaced by new red letters.

[‘Passive: Black Flame’ is triggered randomly (0.1%).]

Passive Black Flame.

[Black Flame]

-Type: Passive

-0.1% chance to trigger Black Flame with 30% attack power.

-Triggered Black Flame lasts 60 seconds and deals damage every second.

Black Flame with 30% attack power.

Lasting 60 seconds, dealing damage every second.

A total of 60 instances of damage, an incredibly powerful ability.

Of course, the trigger condition was absurd.

At 0.1%, it was practically impossible to trigger.

However, this ability would become even more overpowered with each weapon enhancement.

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Jeong-Hoon drew the string in response to Anima’s question.

“Watch and learn.”

As he pulled the string, a pitch-black arrow formed.

The target was a Lv. 53 Yeti.

Jeong-Hoon aimed precisely and released the string.

The black arrow, drawing a parabola, pierced the Yeti’s head accurately.

“Squawk!”

As one Yeti fell, the others panicked and looked around.

However, they couldn’t spot Jeong-Hoon, who had positioned himself halfway up the mountain.

This was the advantage of ranged hunting.

Jeong-Hoon continued to draw and release the string repeatedly.

With each shot, another Yeti fell.

Anima stood beside him, watching Jeong-Hoon’s archery skills with a dazed expression.

“Extraordinary skill.”

To think that a human with such archery prowess existed.

It reminded him of the Divine Archer he had encountered during his dragon days.

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[Translator – Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader – Kyros]

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