Chapter 152

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 152

Kukri, who had been dragged away by the tenant farmers, was being beaten with clubs.

Although he hardly took any damage due to his low level, he felt like dying from the humiliation.

He had never been beaten by someone weaker than him in his entire life.

"Get out of the way. It's my turn now."

"Won't he die if we keep this up...?"

"Damn it, I'm about to starve to death because this bastard ruined my fields!"

"Here, take this."

Damn bastards.

If he wanted to, he could wipe them all out.

But then the boss would kill him.

He was afraid of that, so he couldn't bring himself to attack them.

"You damn bastard!"

A tenant farmer, holding a club, was about to strike the cowering Kukri.

That's when it happened.

"Wouldn't it be better to stop now...?"

Sors, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward for the first time.

"Stop? You're telling me to forgive this damn bastard?"

"Then are you saying you'll kill him?"

"That's..."

As much as he hated Kukri enough to kill him, he didn't actually intend to kill him.

"Look at him! Does that look like the eyes of someone who's remorseful!"

One of the tenant farmers pointed at Kukri.

He was apologizing, but it was forced.

He wasn't truly repenting for his wrongdoing.

"That's why I'm suggesting a different approach."

A different approach?

All the tenant farmers gathered there showed interest in Sors's words.

"What is it?" Sёarᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"I'll listen and then decide."

Sors nodded and added,

"How about using him as a laborer to cultivate the crops?"

"A laborer?"

"Yes. With our benefactor here, he won't be able to do anything."

Jeong-hoon had brought him here personally, and he had been docile in front of him.

He was surely afraid of him.

"W-wait a minute...! I'm sorry! Just keep hitting me!"

Kukri, sensing that things were going in a strange direction, shouted urgently.

Perhaps his true feelings were evident on his face?

The tenant farmers nodded with an "aha" expression.

"We'll definitely need a lot of hands to restore the crops."

"I heard there are many other bandits besides him. If we mobilize them all, wouldn't that be more than enough?"

"That sounds like a good idea."

Sors grinned at the positive response.

"Then give me back that club. You know that hitting him will only dirty our hands."

"...Alright."

The tenant farmer holding the club hesitated for a moment but then returned it to Sors.

Kukri's face contorted in despair.

* * *

A day passed, and then the second day came.

Jeong-hoon dug in the field without logging out.

[Shouldn't you take a break...? You'll really collapse at this rate.]

Mukho was surprisingly concerned.

"Are you worried about me?"

Jeong-hoon asked without stopping his digging.

[Of course. If you collapse, I won't be able to restore you.]

So that was it.

Jeong-hoon chuckled.

"Don't worry, that won't happen."

He was aware that he was putting a lot of strain on his physical body in the capsule, but he couldn't afford to relax.

Time was more precious than gold to Jeong-hoon.

He had to get stronger, even if it was just a little bit.

Tick!

As Jeong-hoon's shovel plunged into the soil, he felt something catch on the tip.

It was a distinctly different feeling from hitting a rock.

'Found it.'

Jeong-hoon's hands moved faster.

In the spot where the soil had been cleared away, a wooden box identical to the one Kukri had found was buried.

'Oh, is this it?'

Anima's voice, which had been bored, now sounded lively.

"Yeah, it probably is."

Jeong-hoon pulled the box out.

And slowly opened the lid.

[Fragment of the Ancient Warrior's Emblem]

Inside the box was a familiar fragment, and there were two of them, not just one.

Jeong-hoon immediately took the two fragments.

[You have acquired a Fragment of the Ancient Warrior's Emblem.]

[You currently have '4' fragments.]

'Alright. Now I have four.'

Only three were left.

One that Verd had, and two that his master had.

Once he gathered those, he would be able to obtain the complete Warrior's Emblem.

'And since I've gained Verd's recognition, I should be able to complete other quests smoothly as well.'

There's a saying that New World truly begins at the 3rd class change.

That's because from then on, you can significantly increase your specs through various content.

Of course, to explosively increase those specs, you'd need to reach level 500, but that problem could be solved by shortening the time required.

'I wonder if they've found him yet?'

He had sent the bandits to the most likely locations, so finding Liandor was only a matter of time.

Jeong-hoon buried the empty box back in the field and left.

"Did you examine the field well?"

When he returned to the shelter, he met Luras, the owner of the field.

Jeong-hoon nodded.

"Yes. As promised, I'll sell the field back to you at the original price."

"So soon?"

"Because I'm done with my business."

Was there some treasure buried or something?

Jeong-hoon was covered in dirt, so much so that Luras wanted to ask that question.

He must have dug up the field.

Curiosity arose, but Luras decided not to ask.

Whatever it was, he had bought the field for three times the market price and sold it back at the original price within two days, so he had made a huge profit.

That was enough.

"Thank you. Instead of just standing here, why don't you come to my house for a meal?"

"No, thank you. I'm a bit in a hurry. By the way, where's Kukri?"

Kukri, who had been taken away by the tenant farmers.

His pride must have been shattered to the core.

He didn't expect Kukri, who was the leader after all, to truly reflect on his actions.

Kukri was just a means to buy time.

But then, Luras said something a bit unexpected.

"Ah, are you talking about the bandit leader? If it's him, he's probably weeding the fields."

"Weeding the fields?"

"Yes. The clubbing wasn't enough to quench their thirst for revenge."

Jeong-hoon quickly realized why he had brought it up.

It was revenge they wouldn't have dared to dream of, but with Jeong-hoon by their side, they put it into action.

At the same time, with the extra hands, farming would become much easier.

He didn't know who came up with the idea, but he thought it was a pretty decent form of revenge.

"I'll send the rest of them to the fields too."

"Excuse me...? Can you really do that?"

"Yes. Wouldn't things go more smoothly if I stepped in?"

"That's true, but..."

"Then don't worry too much."

Jeong-hoon gave him a reassuring smile and returned to the bandits' hideout.

Rob's group had already arrived at the hideout.

"Boss! You're back?"

Rob quickly ran over as soon as he saw Jeong-hoon.

"Did you find him?"

"Yes! He was there, just as you said."

Fortunately, Liandor was in the place where James Marcus had found him.

"Good. Where is he now?"

"He's resting inside right now."

"Good work."

Jeong-hoon patted his shoulder.

"Thank you!"

Now that he had received praise, he could finally rest.

He had been beaten up by Jeong-hoon, received healing, and immediately carried out his orders.

So he was both physically and mentally exhausted.

He was confident he could pass out the moment he lay down.

"Next order. Take the guys and go down to the fields where the tenant farmers are."

"The tenant farmers? Why there...?"

"Go and apologize by helping them with their work."

"What?!"

Rob and the bandits behind him couldn't hide their bewildered expressions.

"What's so surprising? Is it wrong to tell you to go apologize to the tenant farmers you've been plundering?"

"That's not it, but... Can't we rest a bit before we go?"

"Do you want to die?"

Suddenly, a thick murderous intent flowed from Jeong-hoon's eyes.

Rob and the other bandits froze in place.

"W-well, that is..."

"I'll give you another chance to answer. What will you do?"

"We'll leave right away!"

"That's the spirit."

The murderous intent disappeared from Jeong-hoon's eyes at the satisfactory answer.

"Then we'll be on our way!"

Rob hurriedly led the bandits down to the tenant farmers' fields.

With this, only Jeong-hoon and Liandor were left at the hideout.

As Jeong-hoon entered the cabin, a hearty laugh echoed from within.

"Hahaha! That was quite an amusing sight."

Jeong-hoon slowly approached the source of the laughter.

There, an old man who looked to be in his early 80s was sitting.

===

[NPC Information]

-Nickname: Liandor

-Level: 375

-Occupation: Former Head of the City of Warriors

===

The former head and Verd's master.

And the one who possessed two fragments of the Ancient Warrior's Emblem.

"I'm glad you found it amusing."

Jeong-hoon grinned.

At his relaxed demeanor, Liandor stopped laughing and slowly rose from his seat.

"So, how did you know where I was?"

"That's a secret."

"A secret? You're an interesting one. Then, what's the reason you sought me out?"

"Hand over the two fragments of the Ancient Warrior's Emblem you have to me."

"...Fragments?"

"Yes."

Liandor let out a dumbfounded laugh at Jeong-hoon's bold attitude.

"Huh, how did you know I had the fragments?"

"The current head of the city told me."

"Verd, that rascal...?"

Liandor muttered in disbelief.

A red question mark blinked above his head.

[Hidden Quest: Liandor]

-Restriction: Mentioning the fragments to Liandor

-Reward: Fragment of the Ancient Warrior's Emblem x2

-Description: Gain Liandor's recognition and acquire the fragments.

Jeong-hoon immediately accepted the quest.

"Yes. I need those fragments."

"Interesting. Can you even restore it?"

Liandor scoffed and mentioned the possibility of restoration.

"Yes."

Jeong-hoon nodded confidently.

Liandor's eyes trembled slightly.

"What...? You can restore it?"

"Yes. I can restore it. Perfectly, too."

"Huh, you're an interesting one. Just how many fragments do you have to be so confident?"

The restoration method required gathering a certain number of fragments.

Liandor had a total of three, including the one he gave to his disciple, Verd.

To even attempt a restoration, albeit imperfect, he needed at least three more fragments. How could a foreigner have three?

But Jeong-hoon's answer completely shattered his expectations.

"Four."

"What?!"

Liandor's eyes widened.

How could a foreigner have found four fragments when he himself had only found three in his entire lifetime?

This meant that if he handed over his fragments, restoration was possible.

"Hand them over."

"...Do you have a sword?"

Liandor wasn't going to hand them over easily.

"Yes, I do."

"Then draw your sword. If you can prove to me that you are a true warrior, I will give you these fragments."

The foreigner in front of him was clearly a martial artist.

There was no way he could be a true warrior.

"Alright."

Jeong-hoon nodded and drew Leviathan.

[Combat with Liandor begins.]

[Survive for 5 minutes.]

With that message, Liandor's aura changed.

In his hand was now a pure white sword.

[Liandor uses 'Footwork'.]

He used footwork to close the distance with Jeong-hoon.

As expected of the former head, his movements were extraordinary.

However, to Jeong-hoon, who had faced stronger opponents, it didn't seem that impressive.

Liandor raised his sword and slashed diagonally towards Jeong-hoon's neck.

Clang!

Jeong-hoon blocked Liandor's attack with Leviathan.

Liandor was slightly surprised that he had blocked the attack so effortlessly.

He had intended to kill him with one strike, but Jeong-hoon, whose level was much lower than his, had blocked it without any trouble.

[Blackfield activates.]

[All stats are increased by 1.5 times.]

[Due to the effect of Blackfield, all stats of monsters within the area are decreased by 10%.]

The ground turned black.

"You use an interesting ability."

Liandor stared at the ground with interest.

"Here I come."

[1st Form: Initiation activates.]

The Sword of Extinction, which had also been upgraded to Unique.

Jeong-hoon's fierce sword strikes rushed towards Liandor.

"Hah!"

Clang! Clang!

Liandor raised his sword and blocked all of the first form of the Sword of Destruction.

'Hmm.'

Jeong-hoon was also impressed by his swordsmanship.

Even though he was long past his prime, his movements were still sharp.

[2nd Form: Devouring activates.]

He transitioned to the second form, changing his sword path.

Liandor's eyes gleamed slightly at the completely different sword path.

He swung his sword, meeting the sword path head-on.

Clang! Clang!

This time, it was also perfectly blocked.

The corners of Jeong-hoon's mouth lifted.

It had been a while since he had encountered someone with such skillful swordsmanship, regardless of level.

Originally, the quest was to survive for 5 minutes, but he wanted to decisively defeat him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clashing sounds of swords continued to erupt.

It seemed like an evenly matched fight, but the reality was different.

The advantage had already tilted towards Jeong-hoon.

As the battle progressed, Liandor's stamina gradually decreased.

On the other hand, Jeong-hoon's sword strikes remained firm and sharp.

This was because he healed himself with healing magic whenever his health decreased.

Clang!

"Ugh."

As their swords clashed once again, Liandor momentarily lost his balance.

Jeong-hoon's eyes gleamed as he saw the opening.

[3rd Form: Destruction activates.]

With the activation of Destruction, his Leviathan pierced through Liandor's abdomen in an instant.

'It's over.'

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]