Translator: rainbowturtle
Editor: LD & Jyazen
âI think there is only a little bit more left until the level-up...â
There was a reason why Hyeonu had Tang-E fight the orc. It was to get Tang-E to level up. Now he wasnât far from level 300. Tang-E was currently level 299, and his third awakening was just around the corner. It might be different when dealing with NPCs. However, during times when they were exploring like earlier, Hyeonu could leave the battle to Tang-E.
âIt isnât because I am too lazy.â
Unlike Hyeonuâs inner thoughts, his instincts were honest. His head was moving up and down lazily.
âTang-E, how much is left?â Hyeonu asked when he saw Tang-E brush the dirt off his body.
âWhat do you mean, Master dude?â Tang-E complained in a discontented manner. He was only thinking about how Hyeonu had thrown him toward the orc, and his act had long since disappeared.
âThe third awakening. Isnât it almost time? Donât you feel it?â
Hearing Hyeonuâs words, Tang-Eâs facial expression changed. His mouth dropped open, and both his eyes widened. Then he ran toward Hyeonu.
âAre you looking out for me, Master dude?âTang-Eâs upset mood disappeared, and he was filled with gratitude.
âOf course, didnât you see me taking care of you? So... letâs reach the third awakening.âHyeonu stroked Tang-Eâs head and smiled.
It seemed like the third awakening would proceed smoothly. Hyeonuâs expectations soon became a reality as Tang-Eâs attitude changed in the battles that followed.
âTang-E is motivated.â
Tang-E was wonderfully more active in battle than usual. He cast magic even if Hyeonu didnât mention it. Moreover, the timing of his casting was appropriate. He used magic whenever a monster targeted Hyeonu and wielded its weapon or when Hyeonuâs attacks caused the monster to show a gap in its defense. Tang-Eâs magic always flew out at precisely the right time.
âThen why isnât he leveling up?â
However, Tang-Eâs level wasnât rising. Obviously, they were hunting monsters without a break as there were too many monsters in the Red Marsh. If they hunted one, another one would appear. If they hunted two, two more would appear. Tang-Eâs level still hadnât changed even under such conditions, so Hyeonu started to worry.
âTang-Eâs level is important, but... the quest is also important.â
Hyeonu had just felt like Tang-E would level up soon. Hiding his feelings of urgency, Hyeonu asked Tang-E carefully, âTang-E, is it still far away?â
âI donât know. The feeling isnât coming out well this time. I canât say when it will happen.âTang-E shook his head. This time was different from before. He really didnât feel anything. No, it was just that he didnât know what this feeling meant exactly.
âSometimes I feel like it will happen soon. Then after a while, I donât feel it anymore. Iâm sorry, Master.â Tang-E covered his head with his paws.
He sat on the floor with his head between his knees, looking like he was blaming himself. Seeing this scene, Hyeonu felt bad. âSigh... Why am I urging him now?â
He blamed himself and reflected on whether he was urging Tang-E forcefully. Even if this wasnât his intention, it was obviously his fault if Tang-E thought about it this way.
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to... Just don't think about it. You are precious regardless of whether you awaken or not.â
Hyeonu went to Tang-E, whose head was currently lowered, and hugged him. He didnât force Tang-Eâs head up or take any other action. He just held Tang-E in his arms.
âMaster dude is naive... It is a surprise gift.â
Tang-Eâs face couldnât be seen by Hyeonu, so there was an amused look on Tang-Eâs face. He was now preparing to give a gift to Hyeonu called the third awakening.
Tang-E smiled while answering naturally, âNo, Master. I will try harder.â
***
âIs there nothing in the Red Marsh?â
Hyeonuâs eyes narrowed. He had already spent nearly a day here. However, the only things he encountered in the Red Marsh were monsters. He didnât even see any players. Not a single strand of hair could be seen. There were only monsters.
âI should be satisfied with increasing Tang-Eâs experience...â
Hyeonu just felt it was a pity. Just as he was looking at the sky and clicking his tongue disappointedly, he received a whisper from someone.
-From Gang Junggu:Are you busy now?
Gang Junggu, who was in the East Continent with Kim Seokjung, contacted Hyeonu.
âWhatâs going on?â Hyeonu wondered.
-To Gang Junggu:Yes, itâs fine.Whatâs going on, Hyung-nim?
Hyeonu cocked his head as he answered the whisper.
-From Gang Junggu:Another merchant group has been attacked again.Iâm chasing after them, but there are problems. I need your help.
Gang Jungguâs words were unexpected. The man who was supposed to be in the East Continent was currently chasing the raiders through the Balder Mountains.
-To Gang Junggu:Hyung-nim, why are you chasing them?If it is because I asked...
-From Gang Junggu:That isnât the reason.Our side got a quest fromChen Long.He told us to punish them.
Things turned out well. Gang JungguâNew World, to be exact, was in the Balder Mountains on their own quest.
âItâs lucky.â
-To Gang Junggu:Great.So what can I do to help you, Hyung-nim?
-From Gang Junggu:They are moving in three directions.We want to share them, but their levels arenât low, and the number on our side is too small.
The attackers are well aware that there are only three places where they can be.Therefore, they never move in a united manner. They divide into several groups every time.
The response to this was simple. The chasers had to split up like the attackers. However, that method wasnât possible for the New World Guild. There were many enemies, and they didnât know where the reinforcements were hiding. In order to keep a minimal level of safety, the New World Guild could only divide their number in half.
-To Gang Junggu:Great.Iâm in the Red Marsh right now.
Gang Junggu was very happy to hear that Hyeonu was in the Red Marsh. It was the result of the conversation they had previously.
-From Gang Junggu:Really?Then please handle that area.We will be responsible for the other two places.
This was a relationship of give and take. Hyeonu had also made progress due to the contact from Gang Junggu after all.
-To Gang Junggu:I understand.I will definitely deal with the Red Marsh.
***
Since being contacted by Gang Junggu, Hyeonu moved diligently. His destination was the northern end of the Red Marsh. Based on Gang Jungguâs words, some attackers would appear there soon.
âThese guys.â Hyeonuâs guess was correct. Not long after Hyeonu sat down in a tree with Tang-E, he saw some attackers appear.
âTang-E, you have to be quiet now. Got it?â
Hyeonu was carrying Tang-E on his back. They could move separately, but it was more comfortable for him to carry Tang-E. This was so there were fewer things he needed to pay attention to.
âUnderstood, Master dude.â Tang-E nodded as though he understood.
Approximately 30 attackers appeared, and they were moving quickly. They seemed very familiar with the terrain of the Red Marsh and didnât hesitate at all. Hyeonu was watching all of this. They were soon about to leave his field of view.
âHang on tight. If you let go, you will fly away,â Hyeonu told Tang-E before moving. He ran between the trees like he was running on the ground but in a very secretive manner. Hyeonu made no sounds. Even the small sound of branches breaking wasnât tolerated.
âWhere are they going?â He wondered.
The attackers slipped through the Red Marsh. They avoided combat with monsters and moved as fast as possible. If it was necessary to fight, they killed the monsters as swiftly as possible using accurate target selection. Seeing this scene, Hyeonu exclaimed inwardly, âThey seem a bit skilled?!â
It was unbelievable that NPCs were involved. At first glance, they could be mistaken as professional gamers. The attackers didnât know about Hyeonuâs admiration for them and continued to move. Suddenly, their movements slowed down a bit. They had arrived at their destination. The place they stopped at wasnât the Red Marsh, but neither was it the Ant Garden nor Corrupted Elemental Forest. These two places werenât adjacent to the Red Marsh.
âI didnât expect it to be here...â
Hyeonu figured out his current location and thought it was absurd. The hideout of the attackers was located in a completely unexpected place.
âLet's watch a bit more.â
It was important to wipe them out straight away, but there was a possibility that this could be a trick. He couldnât act rashly as long as there was a small possibility. Just then, all the paused attackers turned their heads and looked around. Maybe they didnât feel at ease, so they started to observe their surroundings personally.
A long time passed before the attackers gathered again in front of a huge rock. The attacker in the lead lightly placed his right hand on it. Surprisingly, the rock cracked suddenly opened, revealing a path inside. The attackers quickly concealed themselves as they made their way into the path. While watching this scene, Hyeonu murmured to himself, âUm...â
The path was too dark even with the oil lamps.
âCruise Mountain...â
On the boundary between the Balder Mountains and Mount Cheon, this was the mountain where the stone tablet used to be. So the attackersâ base was on Cruise Mountain. After finding out about this, Hyeonu immediately contacted Gang Junggu.
-To Gang Junggu:Hyung-nim, what is happening on your side?
There was no answer from Gang Junggu. A long time passed before Hyeonu received an answer.
-From Gang Junggu:Sorry, the battle just ended.
-To Gang Junggu:Battle?Were you discovered?
-From Gang Junggu:It couldnât be helped.Something happened in the middle.
-To Gang Junggu:What was the damage?Are you okay?
-From Gang Junggu:A few people were logged out, but it was okay.We still killed them all.However, there were no NPCs.They were all players.
âAll players?â A question appeared in Hyeonuâs mind. It didnât make sense that there werenât any NPCs. Players alone couldnât do this.
-To Gang Junggu:What happened to the other place?Didnât you chase both groups?
-From Gang Junggu:There was a chase and a battle.Only a few New World executives barely survived, but the opponents were all players.It seemed to be one of the guilds participating in the alliance.
âWere they cards to be thrown away in the first place?â
This didnât make sense. It was impossible to know which group would be chased and which group wouldnât be chased.
âWere the ones I followed players?â
Hyeonu didnât know. There was no way to check from a distance whether they were players. Then right when Hyeonu was questioning the situation, the huge rock moved once again. Some people emerged from the open door. They were faces that Hyeonu knew well.