Storm Warrior - Chapter 332



Only Noblemtl

#332, Rat Pup

“Of course you’re saying that because you have something in mind… But didn’t those players say that they could immediately tell that you were ‘Tarantor’?”

“That’s right. That’s why I’ve been careful until now.”

“There’s no guarantee that they won’t rush in before you even make a suggestion. If a fight breaks out like that and you miss even one of them, it’ll only reveal that you’re the one who killed the tower.”

Although he expected that I would have already considered such a situation, he was skeptical about Han Seong-jun [Main Character] meeting the players directly.

“I know. I also avoided it because I thought it would be a headache, but those guys are after me and my family right now. So whether I come out in front as Tarantor or hide as Han Seongjun, I’m still their target.”

Joo Ja-heon nodded as if he too was saying the same thing.

“… The only thing I’m worried about is their power. I also thought that no one would dare put Han Seong-jun in danger… , but each and every one of those guys is not powerful enough to be judged by the standards of this world. Even the power of a guy like Jjig-jeong was beyond imagination.”

It is now a widely known secret that the group called 0414 is equally powerful.

I also knew that better than anyone else.

The players were irregulars who had their own training know-how – in our opinion, they were all people who had experienced it at least once.

So I could understand why he was worried about me.

What surprised me was that the guy’s words had the nuance of someone who had experienced them firsthand.

“What… Have you ever met a player before?”

Joo Ja-heon pulled down the collar of his shirt with a bitter smile.

There was a hideous scar of new flesh growing around the boy’s collarbone.

If the wound was completely healed after using the highest grade potion, it was likely that the injury had involved a torn levator scapulae muscle and a broken collarbone and scapula.

“Did you get hit by a bullet?”

“It was my first time being hit by the same shooter. If it weren’t for the advice from my mentor, it would have taken quite a while to recover mentally.”

“Why… No, I told you to just chase information, so why did you risk facing the player directly?”

“I saw an article about a direct transaction for a certain item, and the name of the item sounded like a secret that only they knew. So I just watched the meeting place just in case. It was about 3km away.”

“You noticed me watching you from that distance?”

“I knew it the moment our eyes met. The sight of the guy was superior to mine… I instinctively tried to dive for cover, but he had predicted my path from the beginning and fired his bullet. In any case, I was able to survive because I had some distance.”

In my opinion, Jujaheon had the highest level of traits among the eagle eye lineage traits.

The level of skill has already reached its peak.

‘If there’s a trait that can surpass that, it’s only the Eye of Horus.’

The ultimate trait of the shooter series.

As far as I know, there’s only one player who has publicly revealed that they’ve picked up that trait.

“Tch! … I guess it was him.”

“Do you know him?”

“Just a rough idea of ​​what kind of guy he is.”

It is also a memory from before the inability to forget,

I don’t remember his nickname very well because he was a player who received relatively less attention compared to the best talent/trait players in each category.

At first glance, you might think that a rare-type shooter is a fraud, but in fact, in PVP between players with some defensive artifacts, the long-range magic bullet is not even a stinging weapon.

“Anyway… After looking into the state of the community and thinking about it again, I think I might have been tricked by their bait.”

“That’s not true. They probably don’t know what we’re after while we’re spying on the community. It’s better that you’re safe. And don’t be too discouraged, because he’s the only one with a talent advantage over you.”

Joo Ja-heon pointed to his forehead as if he had long since escaped the state of needing comfort.

“Yeah. It’s not over yet. The first one to get it right is the real winner.”

I chuckled and went back to the words that Joo Ja-heon had first mentioned as a concern.

“The guy you were up against wasn’t a slacker… but when there are thousands or hundreds of players, I can’t help but feel nervous. But still-”

“Wait a minute! Thousands? You’re not saying you’re going to meet them in person… You’re not saying you’re going to gather that many players in one place, are you?”

“That’s right. I’ll have to think of a way to gather them all at once, but I’m thinking of gathering as many as possible. Should I hold some kind of competition?”

“… … .”

Joo Ja-heon looked at me like I was crazy.

“Oh… I know. It’s crazy.”

“It’s not just crazy, it’s self-inviting disaster.”

“That’s right. That’s why I’m trying to hit you in the form of a disaster that can be prevented.”

“What do you mean?”

“If thousands of players joined forces as one, would there be any force on this land that could stand against them?”

“… If each and every one of them is truly a monster as rumored, it would be difficult to defeat them even with the military power of a nation.”

“Yes. Thousands of players gathering in one place was something that had never happened in Loco33. Why? Because there was no need. Most difficulties could be overcome alone, and if you attacked together, there was no need to share rewards. But now, there is a possibility that they will create a public enemy.”

“… This is the opportunity before they perceive you as a real threat. But that doesn’t change the risk of direct confrontation. The place you created could actually be an opportunity for unity.”

“Yes. But the good method I mentioned earlier is the way to prevent the worst case scenario.”

“If that’s what you’re saying, then so be it. But still… … it’s a really thrilling plan.”

Ju Ja-heon was not a person who feared the threat of a strong enemy or death.

Still, the reason he speaks like that is probably because a group of thousands of players feels like a swarm of locusts in a wheat field.

Even if we were to compare ourselves to farmers, once those guys went wild, the wheat fields would definitely disappear.

“I don’t know much about games either… but what they want is something special that only they can obtain, something that others cannot easily obtain. But is there a proposal that will satisfy thousands of players?”

“Well, not all of them. Probably half of them would be tempted to attack right away when they see the name Tarantor in red. But I think… those who are after Han Seong-jun right now want something else. … They want to go back to their world.”

“…Do you see yourself as the only key to ending this game-like reality?”

“That’s right. Not all of the guys who did Loco33 lived a life like Gu Chang-soo.”

“Guchangsu?”

“Ah… there’s that guy. That guy who likes it here.”

“I know who it is. Anyway… you’re suggesting a way for them to return to their original world.”

“Those who truly want it will cooperate, and those who don’t… we’ll try to appease them with something else. If that doesn’t work, we’ll just wipe them out.”

Joo Ja-heon said, shaking his head.

“So… I was wondering if even you could do it. Now that there is a way, let’s stop worrying unnecessarily.”

“Aren’t you going to ask how it is done?”

“I don’t have the confidence to truly understand what you’re saying. I’ll be there anyway, so I’ll know.”

What he meant was that he would follow me into the pit regardless of whether there was a plan or not.

“Oh my. Thanks to you, I’m starting the morning with a bowl of delicious food.”

Joo Ja-heon chuckled at my words and checked his watch.

And then I looked towards the entrance.

Sunlight streamed in through the wooden door frame.

Suddenly, Aaron’s words that he would come when the sun rose came to mind.

“Aaron will come soon and say he wants to do something… I plan to ask you to do it.”

“What…? What, what is that…?”

“I’m telling you this in advance so that you won’t be as surprised as you are now when I say it.”

“I have already received more than enough from you, my lord. I hope you won’t embarrass me by talking nonsense. I am speaking sincerely.”

“When I first heard that you were being mentored by Aaron, I was a little curious as to how you, a marksman, and Aaron, a blind inspector, could help you so much in prayer. But after thinking about it more, I understand why.”

“… … !”

Joo Ja-heon looked startled. Perhaps he himself was surprised by that part and was curious about it.

“Your marksmanship has already reached its peak. Your crazy eyesight, your ability to gather magic bullets, your sense of the wind. There’s no room for improvement. Your talents are limited to that.”

“… … .”

“Ah. That’s what ‘talent’ means. It doesn’t mean that the path beyond that is blocked. So… I’m saying that you’ve achieved great success in everything you’ve been able to bring up yourself. In other words, what you need now is the senses and qualities that you’ve neglected so far.”

“… … !”

“You must have felt that it was a sense that was unrelated to the shooter. Aaron, who cannot see, is the master of all those senses. A distance that the shooter should never give up. Aaron is the master of digging into that distance.”

“Even though I was taught, I didn’t know that the lessons I received would be organized for that reason.”

“And the two of them are a good match.”

“But what would be more troublesome to your Majesty-”

“This isn’t some petty request that’s just going to make you uncomfortable. It’s because I need the two of you to become stronger. Aaron might not admit it, but if you become stronger, Aaron will become stronger too. When we say that we’re good together, it doesn’t mean that it’s only good for you.”

“… Don’t tell the old man about that story.”

“Well, you’ll find out eventually… Hmm, these guys are more diligent than I thought.”

As I stood up from my chair without saying a word, Ju Ja-heon looked up at the ceiling and said.

“Isn’t it rather late for rats to be out and about?”

“No, not that rat.”

I turned my back on the main building where my mother was and focused my magic energy towards the farm below.

Within, nine magical silhouettes in human form appear in my mind.

Ju Ja-heon, who felt the flow of magical power, immediately understood the meaning of the words and picked up the rifle.

“… There’s no need for you to go out too.”

Of the nine silhouettes, the one moving quickly was Aaron’s.

“… A total of eight of them. Looking at them, they don’t seem to have the power to do anything, but rather seem to be just spying.”

“Are you players?”

“I don’t know just by detection. Judging by the level, it’s highly unlikely.”

While they were talking, Aaron’s silhouette brushed past one of them and fell down.

A figure, not included in the number because it was not human, hovered around another silhouette in the distance.

That’s Eastern Europe.

‘You can ask, just don’t eat it.’

Another silhouette quickly fell down.

“Then maybe it’s those damned deep-rooted guys.”

“It would have been natural for you to target me, but… I’m really angry that you’ve already done something so dirty, and that you’ve come all the way here.”

Even if I kill all the intruders, the fact that my house was exposed won’t change as long as they are behind it.

Of course, I couldn’t let my mother stay here any longer.

“Come to think of it, if I’m not going to stay here and guard you, I guess I’ll have to leave for a while. Is there any chance… that the plan I mentioned earlier will change?”

Joo Ja-heon knew how comfortable I was here, so he asked me cautiously, as if he was talking about a bomb.

In fact, I hadn’t even made a concrete plan yet, so I was asking whether I was going to respond with violence, whether it was a plan or not.

“Whew… No. We have to do it exactly as planned. That would be more hell for them.”

I gritted my teeth and spoke in a gruff voice, but I thought I could hear Lucifer laughing behind me.