Chapter 76: Chapter 76

As I drew closer, I could see the battlefield unfold before me.

SSA’s griefer squad had already initiated combat from the moment Myeol-gong killed the priestess. They could choose when to start the fight, but they wouldn’t have the freedom to end it as they pleased.

While the regular party put up a fierce resistance, I began my own assault on the battlefield. The distance closed rapidly. Just as I cut off the breath of a fleeing cleric, a whispered message popped up, filled with typos, indicating just how frantic the sender was.

[Whisper from Dongjak Agent]

Hey

Hey

Let’s not do thjis

Whjat the hll

Are we really doing this to each other?

“Sorry. I’m a bit busy right now. I actually wanted to talk to you, but how about we chat again in four hours?”

(Dongjak Agent is typing a message...)

“Let me know when you’re online later!”

[You are ignoring messages from Dongjak Agent.]

No matter how skilled I am, I only have one body. Being good at fighting and making a profit in the New World were entirely different matters. A shift in mindset was necessary to increase efficiency.

So, it’s all part of a food chain of sorts. Each guild’s griefer squads hunted regular players for gold. Then, I would hunt those griefer squads and collect all the money at once.

Ahead of me, a paladin wielding a shield blocked my path. Despite wielding holy light, he was SSA’s core combatant—the leader of their griefer squad, Dongjak Agent.

“Hey there. Long time no see?”

“You crazy woman! Do we really have to do this?”

“You’re spitting in the face of a smiling person. How uncivilized.”

He used to specialize in swords, but it seemed he had switched weapons. He must have upgraded his gear for the New World. It’s impossible to count how many people he must have robbed to afford this. Now that I knew he was financially comfortable, I felt much lighter.

I drove a dagger into his wrist as he tried to crush my shoulder. I couldn’t quite reach his artery, but I managed to sap the strength from his arm. The dagger came out with a satisfying tear.

“Ugh! I swear, one day…”

“One day? One day what? Tell me quickly; I’m dying to know.”

“I’ll kill you for sure!”

“Pfft.”

Oh, I didn’t mean to laugh, but I couldn’t hold back my natural reaction.

“With your skills? Better bring plenty of friends.”

“You…!”

If he wanted to kill me, he’d first have to do something about that short, heavy hammer. It was like trying to hit an assassin with a gunlance. Impossible to land a hit if the assassin knows what they’re doing.

How could he not know this? Dodging those slow hammer swings was child’s play.

I pushed his shield down with my hand and slashed at his neck. I drew some blood, but it wasn’t deep. Considering a paladin’s vitality, it wasn’t a fatal wound.

But there was no need to end him right now. I kicked his kite shield away and took a step back.

Dongjak Agent’s body curled inward. He was hiding behind his shield, preparing for my next attack. As expected from a seasoned fighter, he knew how to handle a strong opponent.

My next move was... to leap past him. Am I an idiot? Knowing there were still DPS alive behind him, did he think I’d stick around and play with him? Just giving him the time I had was already a huge loss.

The reason I had bothered to weaken Dongjak Agent was simple: survivors from the party he had attacked were still alive.

“Thank you!”

“Ka-Wol, I’m a fan!”

“Since when?”

“Starting today!”

“Heh. I’ll let it slide this time.”

They would keep him busy, though I didn’t expect them to win.

Dongjak Agent was a well-known expert in this line of work, while my new fan was just an ordinary player. There was an insurmountable wall between them. Their burning desire for revenge might help me, but it wouldn’t save them.

Anyway, it was time for me to hunt freely.

I tread on branches, moving quickly. I tracked the magical residue and footprints left in the mist as I pursued my target.

If this had been a paved city, it might have been different, but we were in the wilderness, with nothing but dirt roads. Escape routes were limited, so it didn’t take long to locate my target. I threw a rope dagger at a suitable tree and closed the distance without hesitation.

“Well, we meet again.”

“Yes, we’ve met a few times. Congratulations on the win, ma’am!”@@novelbin@@

The mage I found was a bald old man with a distinctive eyepatch. What was his nickname again? Was it Village Chief One-Eye?

That sounded right. He’d been the one I’d dealt with when selling Dragon’s Tear.

Despite our cordial conversation, neither of us stopped attacking. A barrage of ice spikes rained down at my feet.

“Thanks, but… isn’t ‘ma’am’ a bit much given my age?”

“In the game, anyone who’s skilled is a big bro or sis.”

“Well, fair enough.”

Next came a telekinetically controlled rock. A skill clearly intended to block my approach. He had good aim and cut off my line of sight.

But how many mages had died by my hand before? Plenty had tried similar tricks.

[You are under the ‘Ashen Moon’s Blessing.’]

[For up to 10 seconds, you can melt into the shadows within 10 meters of another player…]

I swung through the air, tugging on the rope, and activated stealth the moment I emerged from the rocks.

He was ready with a second attack, wasn’t he? Invisible to him, I saw multiple fiery spears flying in my direction. Good decision. He must have noticed the tension in the rope I’d set.

Since it wasn’t accurately aimed, the spread was like a shotgun blast. This meant I didn’t need to dodge sideways. I ducked and charged straight ahead, slipping through the intense heat just as it barely missed me.

Being small for once had its advantages.

As soon as I got within range, I sliced at his wrist, cutting through his tendons. Then I forced my blade into his mouth, starting a Ka-Wol-style negotiation.

“I think there was one more with you. Dead already?”

“Well… I wouldn’t sell out a fellow guild member.”

“Even if I promised to spare you?”

“He ran in the opposite direction. Likely heading towards town.”

Of course. The one who ran was likely an archer class, much more agile than a mage. I couldn’t be sure I’d catch him even if I gave chase now.

“That’s too far.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me go?”

His hopeful eyes glimmered. But my answer was negative.

“No. You haven’t provided any useful information.”

“Oh… would you accept a bribe?”

“I’m here for the bounty. It’s a big one; you okay with that?”

“That’s a problem. Just take the kill. Just keep it quiet that I sold out a guildmate.”

“I’m good at keeping secrets.”

He resigned himself, closing his eyes. I drove the dagger into his head, and his body quickly crumpled. That made it three kills.

[You have forcibly killed the adventurer Village Chief One-Eye.]

[You have looted 6,082,625 Gold from the enemy.]

[WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: You have collected a bounty of 14,200,000 Gold.]

Since I couldn’t catch the one that got away, I returned to deal with Dongjak Agent. The surviving party members were no longer survivors.

“I guess I’ll have to avenge Fan #3.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“I just thought of it. I figured they didn’t make it.”

Dongjak Agent, now covered in blood, glared at me. His gaze was full of hostility, but as his shield and hammer glowed with holy light, he quickly lost his strength.

It seemed he had resigned himself to the fight. A wise choice. With his skill, he wouldn’t stand a chance against me, no matter how many times we fought.

At least now I could take a moment to honor Fan #3. I scribbled some words next to his sprawled corpse. Maybe English would make it sound more respectable?

Rest In P... hmm.

“Hey, Dongjak. You know the phrase ‘Rest in Peace,’ right?”

“Of course. It means ‘rest peacefully.’”

“What’s the spelling for ‘peace’ again?”

“...”

He gave me a sharp look, frowning a few times before answering cautiously.

“Pieces.”

“Thanks. I didn’t know you were so good at English.”

“It’s just common knowledge. You should study more instead of gaming all the time.”

“Shut up.”

I said that, but maybe I should buy a book. I never thought Dongjak Agent would know more than me. The shock made my hand tremble as I finished writing.

Rest In Pieces.

For Fan #3.

With that, it was time to finish what I came here to do. I grabbed my dagger, and as soon as I stood up, Dongjak Agent spoke in a pitiful tone.

“Ka-Wol… if you kill me, it’ll be 12 hours.”

"Twelve hours? For what?"

“Connection penalty. If I die with a bounty, I can’t log back in for 12 hours.”

“Well, that’s a new one. Guess you’ll have to log back in 12 hours later, then.”

A professional doesn’t compromise easily.

Our relationship had always been just like this. A connection where we could kill or be killed whenever necessary. If the situation were reversed, he wouldn’t hesitate to stab me either.

So I was about to end him on the spot, but I stopped my dagger as it neared his throat.

“Hey.”

“What? If you’re going to kill me, just do it and quit messing around.”

“No, I mean… if I let you live this time, how far are you willing to go for me?”

“...?”

System messages that usually went unnoticed were now flooding my screen with alerts.

[Guild ‘Cross’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]

[Guild war will begin in 15 minutes.]

[Guild ‘Venetia’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]

[Guild ‘Ministry of Defense’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]

[Guild ‘Mask’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]

[Guild ‘Venom’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]

[Guild ‘Foreign Legion’ has declared war on Guild ‘Gampbang’.]