As the distance closed, the situation on the battlefield became clear.
Since the moment the Mage killed the Shaman, the SSA’s group had already started the fight.
They could start the fight at their whim, but ending it wasn’t their choice.
While the ordinary party fiercely resisted, I began my incursion into the battlefield.
Swiftly closing the distance, just as I ended the fleeing Priest’s breath, whispers flew into my ears.
I could tell how urgent it was from the typos.
[Dongjak Station Agent’s Whisper]
– Hey
– Hey
– Don’t say that
– You’re dead
– Are we really doing this?
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit busy right now. I had something to say too, can we talk again in four hours?”
(Dongjak Station Agent is writing a message…)
“When you log in later, let me know!”
[Ignoring Dongjak Station Agent’s message.]
No matter how skilled I was, I only had one body.
Being good at fighting and making a profit on the New Continent were two separate matters.
To increase efficiency, I needed a shift in mindset.
So, it was a kind of food chain.
Each guild’s groups hunted ordinary users to accumulate wealth.
So, I decided to hunt those groups and sweep up the loot myself.
In front of me, a Paladin holding a shield blocked my path.
Uncharacteristically, he was pouring out holy light, a key force of the SSA.
It was none other than Dongjak Station Agent, the leader of the group.
“Hey, long time no see?”
“You crazy woman! Do you really have to do this?”
“You spit on a smiling face. How uncouth.”
He used to focus on his sword but seemed to have switched weapons.
Looks like he upgraded his specs on the New Continent. At this rate, I couldn’t even count how much he’d scammed from others.
Since he seemed to have some spare cash now, my mood lightened.
I plunged my dagger into the wrist trying to crush my shoulder.
I didn’t cut the artery, but the arm strength would do just fine.
A feeling of something being severed came as I withdrew the dagger.
“Gah! Someday I’ll…”
“Someday? What will you do? Hurry up and tell me. I’m so curious.”
“I’ll definitely kill you!”
“Pfft.”
Ah, I wasn’t planning to laugh, but I couldn’t help it.
“With your skill? You’ll need to bring a lot of friends.”
“You…!”
To kill me, you’d have to do something about that short, heavy hammer first.
The same logic applied to the spear Rime held.
In the end, an Assassin wouldn’t land a hit.
Why wouldn’t he know that?
How could he not dodge that slow hammer swing?
I pressed down the shield with my hand and slashed his neck.
I caused bleeding, but it was a bit shallow.
Considering the Paladin’s life force, it wasn’t enough to be fatal.
But there was no need to end it right now.
Pushing the wide Kite Shield with my foot, I took a step back.
Dongjak’s body curled inward.
Hiding behind the shield meant he was preparing for my attack.
As expected of a seasoned guy, he knew how to deal with formidable opponents.
My next choice was… to leap over Dongjak Station.
Am I stupid? I know the damage dealers are still alive behind me, why would I play around with you?
It was already a big loss to give him time in the first place.
Yet, the reason I drained Dongjak’s energy was one.
There were survivors left from the attacked party.
“Thank you!”
“Gawol, I’m a fan!”
“Since when?”
“Since today!”
“Hehe. I’ll let you fool me this once.”
They’d hold Dongjak Station down for me.
Well, the odds didn’t seem great.
Dongjak was quite a skilled player, well-known in this industry.
Compared to that, my fan number three was just an ordinary person. There was an insurmountable wall between them.
Burning Vengeance would help me, but it wouldn’t save itself.
Anyway, it was time for me to hunt with ease.
Crushing branches beneath my feet, I sped up.
Chasing the enemy based on the magical traces and footprints scattered like fog.
Unless it was a paved urban path, this place was just a primitive dirt ground.
The escape routes were obvious, making it easy to locate my target.
As I boldly narrowed the distance, I stuck a rope dagger into a suitable tree.
“Hey, we know each other, right?”
“Yes. We’ve met a few times. Congratulations on your win, ma’am!”
The discovered Mage was an impressive bald old man wearing an eye patch.
What was his nickname again? Was it One-eyed Village Chief?
That should be it. He was the one who struck a deal when I sold Dragon’s Tears.
While we had a friendly chat, the attacks didn’t stop.
Countless icy spears poured down at my feet.
“I appreciate it, but… calling me ‘ma’am’ feels a bit much.”
“If you play well, everyone’s either brother or sister.”
“Well, I guess that’s true.”
Next was a rock controlled by telekinesis.
A skill so intent on blocking my approach.
It obscured my view with precise aim.
But how many Mages have died by my hand up till now?
Countless had attempted similar tricks.
[Receiving effect of ‘Blessing of the Ashen Moon’.]
[For a maximum of 10 seconds, meld with shadows within 10m of a player…]
I pulled the rope, spinning in the air.
As my body slipped free from the rock, I activated stealth.
Was he preparing a second attack?
Numerous fiery spears flew towards me, aiming at my unseen form.
Good judgment. He must have noticed the rope I set.
Since it wasn’t an accurate shot, the spears spread like shotgun pellets.
That way, I didn’t have to retreat sideways.
Curling my body, I dove forward, the intense heat narrowly grazing past me.
It had been a while since my small stature had been helpful.
As soon as the dagger was within range, I targeted his wrist.
Confirming the severance hit, I cut the tendons in his limbs.
Lastly, I forced the blade into his mouth, initiating a Gawol-style negotiation.
“I feel like there was one more. Did he die?”
“No… no matter what, I don’t sell my guild members.”
“Even if I let you live?”
“He ran the opposite way. He’s probably heading toward the village.”
I figured as much. The one who escaped was probably an Archer class.
Way more nimble than a Mage.
Even if I chased after him now, I had no confidence in catching him.
“It’s too far.”
“Am I being spared now?”
Anticipation lit up his eyes.
But my answer was negative.
“No. That information isn’t valid.”
“Ah… can I just offer you money?”
“I came for the bounty. It must be substantial, are you okay with that?”
“That’s troublesome. Just take the kill and keep my guild member’s sale a secret.”
“I’m not exactly one to keep my mouth shut.”
Seeing him resigned, he closed his eyes.
I slid the dagger in towards his head, and his body crumbled quickly.
Well, that made it three kills.
[You forcibly dispatched Adventurer One-eyed Village Chief.]
[You looted 6,082,625 Gold from the defeated enemy.]
[Bounty criminal dispatched! You received a bounty of 14,200,000 Gold.]
*
I couldn’t help missing one, so I reluctantly returned to catch Dongjak Station.
The surviving ordinary party members were no longer survivors.
“I must take revenge for my fan number three.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“I just said it to say it. I thought you were dead.”
Bloodied, Dongjak Station glared at me.
The malice was evident in his gaze. The shield and hammer embraced divinity, but soon became worn out.
It seemed the fight had reached resignation.
Given his condition, it was a wise decision.
With his skill, he’d never beat me, no matter how many times he tried.
So now, I found the leisure to honor my fan number three.
I wrote next to the sprawled corpse.
May you rest. I wonder if writing in English would make it sound more impressive?
Rest In P… hmm.
“Hey, Dongjak. Do you know the phrase ‘Rest in Peace’?”
“I do. May you rest well.”
“What’s the spelling for peace?”
“……”
The piercing stare from him felt a bit stinging.
Dongjak furrowed his brows several times before cautiously replying.
“Pieces.”
“Thanks. I didn’t know you studied English.”
“…It’s common sense. You should study too. Don’t just play games.”
“Shut up.”
I said that, but really, maybe I should buy a book or something.
I can’t believe I knew less than Dongjak.
The shock was significant enough to make my hand tremble as I wrote.
Rest In Pieces.
Fan number three.
Now that I sent off the ones I needed to, it was time to finish my work.
As I stood up with the dagger in hand, Dongjak Station let out a pitiful voice.
“Gawol… If I die, it’s a 12-hour penalty.”
“12 hours? For what?”
“Login penalty. If I die because of a bounty, I can’t log in for 12 hours.”
“Is that a thing now? Well, I guess you can log in after 12 hours then.”
Professionals don’t compromise easily.
Our relationship had always been just like this.
We could kill and be killed whenever needed.
This guy wouldn’t hesitate to stab me in the chest if the situation allowed it.
So I intended to kill him right away.
But I had no choice but to stop the dagger aimed at his neck.
“Hey.”
“What? If you’re gonna kill me, hurry up and do it.”
“It’s not that, but if I let you go this time, how much of my requests will you fulfill?”
“……?”
A system message I wouldn’t usually check.
I had just recently activated notifications, but they were flooding in like crazy.
[The ‘Cross’ guild declared war on the ‘Gamppang’ guild.]
[A guild war starts in 15 minutes.]
[‘Venezia’ guild declared war on the ‘Gamppang’ guild…]
[The ‘Ministry of Defense’ guild…]
[The ‘Mask’ guild…]
[The ‘Venom’ guild…]
[The ‘Foreign Legion’…]
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