Chapter 193: 193

Chapter 193

Lao Yu was the person who revealed the U-Plex Dungeon clear method. He rendered a particularly brilliant contribution to the 1st floor strat. But there was something a little strange about this.

‘China has dungeons for days.’

Why did he bother to fly all the way to Korea to come up with a strategy for the U-Plex Dungeon? He wasn’t even an explorer, but a tamer. Why did he go so far away to tame? Might there have been a reason why that was necessary?

‘No need to limit my thinking to the clue that is the 1st floor.’

I decided to look a little further, to broaden my vision a little. I had to use a broader scope to read the overall situation. Only then could I set myself apart from the others.

“Why did you go to the U-Plex Dungeon?”

“When did I say I went there?”

“I heard you were looking for the first person who tamed Big Black Dogs. That’s the only place in Korea where Big Black Dogs show up.”

“…”

Lao Yu flinched. With this, I was certain. This guy was terrible at arguing. No one said a good tamer had to be good at arguing.

“What’s it to you? Am I not allowed to go to the U-Plex Dungeon?”

“Why are you flustered?”

“I’m not flustered.”

“Why did a famous Chinese tamer like yourself go all the way to Korea’s U-Plex Dungeon? I’m sure there are tons of monsters other than Big Black Dogs to tame in China.”

Did he come here just because of Big Black Dogs? No. Definitely not.

‘U-Plex Dungeon, 4th floor.’

There, I acquired the transcendent item ‘Isabel’, a sword bearing the same name as the ‘Queen of the Sword Forest’.

‘I also heard about the Sword Forest in the Winter Castle.’

The Great Explorer, Jackson.

The Fight King, Vela.

The Master, Pedro.

The Gran Seoul Dungeon that was directly or indirectly connected to them.

‘And.’

Elder Bufafa, who was related to Pedro, was originally from the Sword Forest. I got the transcendent item with the same name as the Queen of the Sword Forest from Noah, the NPC on the 4th floor of the U-Plex Dungeon… the dungeon that was originally supposed to be cleared by the Taming Master, Lao Yu.

Were all these things really coincidence?

‘No.’

It wasn’t a coincidence. These pieces that seemed completely unrelated to one another were connected by the central puzzle piece that was ‘me’.

“Do you know about the Sword Forest?” I probed.

“…”

Another flinch. With this, I was even more certain. Lao Yu was the type of person who shouldn’t get into arguments, the type who got more and more entangled with every word. The words ‘poker face’ didn’t exist in his dictionary.

“There’s no reason to be surprised. I, too, am among the people who have been searching a long time for the Sword Forest.”

“Eh?”

In truth, I had only started searching for the Sword Forest recently. It was only through Elder Bufafa that I found out it was an existing field. Technically, I hadn’t even started looking for it.

Lao Yu jumped right into my snare.

“You as well?”

“Yes. My class is connected to the Sword Forest.”

That wasn’t a complete lie—I was married to a sword with the same name as the Queen of the Sword Forest. It was strange to say I was married, but that was what the item description said.

‘Lao Yu was searching for the Sword Forest…’

It was a completely unknown fact. So why? Why was a tamer looking for the Sword Forest? Did Lao Yu get ‘Isabel’ in the past? Just what in the world was the Sword Forest?

But just then, a PVP field went up around us. I guessed Lao Yu’s invisible Intermediate Administrator issued the field.

‘Looks like the Shepherd Boy instigated it.’

That was very likely. This PVP was triggered by the Shepherd Boy. Either the Shepherd Boy no longer wanted to hear the conversation between Lao Yu and me, or… he didn’t want the conversation to progress any further. It could be that the Shepherd Boy wanted to forcibly end this conversation.

[A PVP zone has been declared.]

[The PVP zone’s settings will be announced.]

The Shepherd Boy was capable of adding a new setting or two. Regardless of his shit temper, his prowess as a Guardian was the real deal.

[Upon defeat, the ‘Thousand Dog Master’ title will be reclaimed.]

This was something I’d been feeling for a while, but a more apt name for him was Gangster Boy, not Shepherd Boy. He cherry picked the settings favorable for him, and him only. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t as foolish as Lao Yu, and I wasn’t unconditionally submissive to the Guardians.

“I think we’ll need to do a PVP for now,” Lao Yu said. “Allow me to introduce myself again formally. I am a tamer, a class that fights using tamed monsters.”

The Shepherd Boy set up a safe zone in consideration of Lao Yu, a tamer.

[Safe Zone Remaining Duration–3:00]

Three minutes of safe zone were given, during which Lao Yu could leisurely summon his monsters and plan a strategy.

“I do not oppose my title being taken away if I lose,” I began.

That was a matter of course. What could I possibly do about a rule determined by a Guardian? I was merely a beginner Player. There wasn’t anything I could do about the rule itself.

“I am in full agreement with the prescribed setting.”

However—

“If such a setting is forcibly registered, then it will only be balanced if there is an opposite setting.”

I wasn’t just saying this to the Shepherd Boy. These words were for the innumerable other Guardians who were watching right now.

“The settings must be fair.”

[The ‘Whispering Devil’ expresses deep sympathy.]

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ nods.]

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ observes.]

It didn’t seem like much since I frequently received five, but getting three messages simultaneously was actually pretty impressive in itself. The fact that I got three messages when I was just talking and not doing anything terribly special meant although they hadn’t personally expressed their opinion, there were countless Guardians who agreed with me.

The Shepherd Boy’s gangster act was unjustified.

‘Though it won’t matter that it’s unjustified if you don’t dispute it.’

Such one-sided acts could be disputed no problem as long as you approached them with a reasonable method that could convince the Guardians. I was the one armed with the justification—this was a lawful objection from the justified party. Knowledge is power.

* * *

Translator – Lei

Proofreader – Ash

* *

A message came in immediately, like the sender had been waiting for me to say those words.

[The ‘White Hunter’ temporarily strengthens a title.]

It was extremely fast, almost as if the White Hunter was lying in wait to sponsor me. He had calculated the timing in advance. His rival, the Conductor of Sound, was probably blowing a gasket right now.

[To make the settings fair, the System acknowledges the White Hunter’s adjustment.]

With that, my title changed once again from Hunter’s March to (Courageous) Hunter’s March.

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‘Nice.’

I had experienced the upgraded effects before. There was a big difference between not having experienced something and having experienced it once. It was the difference between 0 or not 0.

[Favor Granted by the White Hunter]

Type: Special skill

Name: (Courageous) Hunter’s March

Effect:

High chance to cure abnormal statuses in a solo battle (duration: 120 seconds)

+12% crit chance in a solo battle (duration: 120 seconds)

+40% increase in effect of consumable items in a solo battle

Increased effectiveness of a ‘direct attack’ ability of the caster when used in combination with Hunter’s March (limited to innate abilities).

Can use the special ability ‘Hunter’s Step’.

Cooldown: 360 seconds

Proficiency: [1]

The really good thing about this title was ‘Hunter’s Step’. I was in a 1 vs. 1 PVP right now, with less than one minute left before the safe zone expired.

Many monsters appeared on both sides of Lao Yu.

‘Troll Soldiers and regular Trolls.’

Those guys would be the tanks, so to speak.

‘With Shadow Soldiers mixed in between.’

They were shadow monsters holding daggers. These China-exclusive monsters could be regarded as assassins/DPS. They were extremely skilled at stealth, but not enough to fool my Eye of Perception, so they weren’t much of a threat to me.

‘That’s… a Stone Golem?’

It was a monster around level 30 with great physical prowess.

‘He’s even got a Shadow Archer?’

Shadow Archers were one rank higher than Shadow Soldiers. Their long-range attack, ‘Shadow Arrow’, was extremely sneaky and tipped with strong poison, making them tricky monsters to face.

‘And that one’s an Orc Shaman.’

It was my first time seeing an Orc Shaman in an ordinary field.

‘Judging by its white nose ring, it’s a healer/buff shaman.’

Lao Yu’s monster squad had quite a diverse composition. My opponent was full of confidence.

“These monsters have never been seen in Korea, right?”

“…”

“There’s no reason to be surprised. There are lots of monsters like these in China.”

When it came to monster diversity, China was definitely one step above Korea. But unfortunately for Lao Yu, I was already very familiar with those monsters.

‘I don’t see any monsters that can deal a single powerful blow.’

That left only one conclusion.

‘Lao Yu himself is the one who can deal such a blow.’

From his monster lineup, I figured out that my opponent had an ultimate move he would use when the time was right. There was nothing easier than a PVP against an opponent you knew inside out.

Ten seconds remaining.

“There are certainly many monsters I’ve never seen before.”

“Heh.” Lao Yu’s shoulders straightened with pride.

“But I don’t see how that matters.”

The White Hunter, a Guardian who loved 1 vs. 1 PVP, was watching. He had granted me a favor, so I had to give him an appropriate show.

“When will you summon the Big Black Dog?” Lao Yu asked.

I laughed. It was just as I thought. Since I was related to the Sword Forest and tamed a Big Black Dog, it wasn’t strange that he would think I was a tamer. He probably intended on a tamer vs. tamer showdown.

“Why would I summon a Big Black Dog?”

Only five seconds were left before the safe zone expired.

“Do you not need it?”

I couldn’t summon a Big Black Dog, and I didn’t want to, either. Why would I bother summoning something to fight for me, when I could fight plenty well on my own?

[Equipping Sylphid’s Wing.]

That moment, Lao Yu’s eyes widened.

“Archer?”

[The Safe Zone has expired.]

The Safe Zone disappeared, and Lao Yu was clearly taken aback. However, he didn’t forget about the battle.

“Troll Soldiers. Advance.”

The Troll Soldiers started advancing, their shields raised.

‘Sorry, but…’

Troll Soldiers might be good at tanking, but they were slow. They couldn’t catch an archer with such sluggish movements. Lao Yu quietly gave orders to his troops.

‘I don’t need to hear it to know.’

The flow of the battle was clear to me.

‘He’s probably readying the Shadow Soldiers to attack me.’

He thought I was an archer. He undoubtedly thought that I would increase the distance between us and fire my bow. After all, that was how a long-ranged DPS normally fought.

‘I’ll pretend to increase the distance.’

I took two steps backwards and saw Lao Yu’s eyes gleam. He might have outstanding talent as a tamer, but he was green in the ways of 1 vs. 1. That was my assessment of him.

[Using the special ability Hunter’s Step.]

I narrowed the gap in the blink of an eye.

[+21% movement speed]

[+26% jumping power]

[+33% acceleration]

[+31% maximum speed]

And then, I pulled out Isabel.

“Wh-What?”

Lao Yu panicked, and I didn’t miss the opening his panic provided.

Using Flash Step, I cut a straight line up to Lao Yu. It was a very small opening, but that tiny opening allowed me to approach a man surrounded by a monster army with extreme ease.

“I never said I was an archer.”

I swung the transcendent item Isabel.

____

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