NoveLight ™
The chaos in the New Continent was finally quelled only after emergency maintenance began.
The developers had attempted some kind of change, but when does life ever go according to plan?
In the end, they reverted to the same methods used on the main continent.
However, even in chaos, someone is always looking for an opportunity.
As I cleared out the area, I managed to secure quite a hefty share.
The sweet gold rush didn’t last long.
Even if you stole some cash by PKing, you couldn’t touch the gold stored in the village banks.
Once players realized how dangerous the New Continent's fields were, they stopped carrying much gold around.
So, there wasn’t much profit to be made from killing players near the village.
Some might argue that this defeated the purpose of the New Continent, but these issues would soon resolve themselves.
After all, the best hunting grounds are always far from the village.
Hunting in Infinity Blood requires a lot of consumables.
If you have to go back to the village for supplies every time, efficiency plummets.
To keep stocked up on consumables from nearby merchants, players will need to carry enough gold with them.
The idea is to avoid preying on weaker players and encourage stronger ones to fight each other.
[Do you want to deposit 80,000,000 Gold? Y/N]
[Deposit complete.]
For now, it’s true that there’s less incentive to hunt other players.
That means it’s time to seriously explore the New Continent.
Not much information about the New Continent had been revealed.
While a lot of teasers were released to build excitement, players ultimately had to discover the important stuff themselves.
Only amateurs rely solely on community sites in times like this.
If you want a monopoly on valuable information—what we call a “goldmine”—you need to go out and find it yourself.
Naturally, this kind of work is more efficient with a group than alone.
“You’re not streaming right now, are you? If you are, turn it off. We’ll blow the whole goldmine.”
“C’mon, you think I don’t know that? But I’m recording it. I’ll edit and upload it later. That cool?”
“Only if you let me review it before you post.”
“Of course. What, do you think I’m some kind of punk?”
A warrior with a massive greatsword slung over his back.
Sulbbang shrugged his shoulders.
…He was the only person I could call on at the moment.
What choice did I have?
I can’t help it if I don’t have many contacts.
There aren’t many people in this field I could bring along as an ally.
Especially with the siege guild dynamics shifting rapidly, finding an unaffiliated top-tier player is no easy feat.
Surprisingly, Sulbbang met these conditions.
He’d only ever worked as a mercenary, and he had a decent level of skill and equipment.
He could even take the front lines for me, making our two-person party a viable setup.
I had considered asking Traveler, but he’s preparing for the league now.
He would’ve turned me down without a second thought.
Along with the New Continent patch, the pro leagues are starting.
The first match is against Luce, so everyone’s going to be on edge.
Luce has probably prepared thoroughly, which makes it all the more exciting.
The Luce I saw in the arena was even stronger than before.
Ah, I can’t wait to watch the match.
“Ser… er, um, is Elderin not coming?”
“Unlikely. She’s more into customization. She’ll probably join us after she’s done reviewing the new stuff. Dolgul will be on tomorrow.”
“Sansae said she won’t log in until tomorrow either. Oh well, I guess it’s just the two of us today.”
I guess it’s become quite a habit now.
The word “unnie” is starting to come naturally.
I know there’s no point worrying about it, but still, it’s weird.
Words that didn’t feel right before now come out more easily.
Are humans really animals that adapt to their environment?
Even physical contact was becoming more comfortable.
When I sat on Sansae’s lap at karaoke, I felt an odd sense of calm.
Not that I had any ulterior motives.
It was simply cozy. I think I’m beginning to understand why girls hold hands so often.
‘Warm and soft… no, no, that’s not it.’
Anyway, compared to before when just brushing against someone would irritate me, this is a huge change.
I haven’t tested it with men yet, and I’m not about to try that now.
Am I more easygoing than I thought? I was starting to feel a bit uneasy.
While I was lost in thought, Sulbbang opened the map.
The unexplored parts of the New Continent were still shrouded in mist.
You could make out the general silhouette, though.
Sulbbang pointed straight at the center of the fog.
“Most people seem to want to break through the center, especially here.”
“That’s where the siege guilds will head. They probably think the best rewards are there.”
“So, are you heading to the center too?”
“No. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not about to risk it there.”
Any treasure you can’t keep isn’t yours to begin with.
Messing with the siege guilds could make things messy real quick.
They don’t call the siege field dirty for nothing.
These guys band together solely for self-interest.
Just like reason and logic are pointless in front of a starving beast, these players are no different.
Strong yet greedy carnivores.
Predators who, driven by instinct, hunt weaker prey.
That’s what I think of siege guilds.
It’s more rational to go elsewhere.
I had a spot in mind—a canyon on the map’s edge.
It looked like one of the hardest and most challenging areas on this continent.
“Let’s go here.”
“...Really?”
“What, you scared?”
A grin crept across my face.
Sulbbang gritted his teeth.
“No, I’m just excited! Let’s go!”
The taste of blood was thick in my mouth.
Hot, sticky, and metallic, filling my mouth with the tang of iron.
I spat it out on the ground, the lingering taste making me rinse my mouth with water.
Annoyed, I kicked the fallen monster’s head.
The pain shot through my foot, but I pretended it was nothing.
It seemed like all the monsters around here were minotaurs.
Humanoid bodies with bull heads. I didn’t particularly like them—they were tough to kill and messy with blood.
These beast-type monsters easily dirtied my gear.
“Ugh, I can still taste the blood.”
“Want some more water?”
“Yeah.”
The monsters in this area had high stats.
That minotaur I just hunted was stronger than anything on the main continent’s top-tier hunting grounds.
When we first entered, I saw a few other players, but now there was no one in sight.
Most of them either died or ran away.
Even with my equipment, they were tough to deal with.
Ordinary players wouldn’t stand a chance.
Plus, the narrow canyon made it difficult to move in large groups.
So, I was even more confident.
This was the right path.
“Do you think we’ll find anything if we keep going?”
“I’ve got a good feeling.”
I chose this place for two reasons.
First, it would be tough for a large siege guild to infiltrate here.
The narrow terrain and powerful monsters made it easy for ambushes.
It wasn’t a place that numbers could easily conquer.
The second reason was similar.
This canyon is most efficiently traversed with a small, elite team.
But players with my level of specs are usually tied to a guild.
With most big guilds focusing on the center, this place was probably the quietest spot on the New Continent.
The difficulty of each monster was also a good sign.
It meant that while it was challenging, it wasn’t impossible.
If this weren’t a standard route, I wouldn’t be able to handle the monsters here.
So, we should press on.
Infinity Blood is a game, and therefore it’s governed by rules.
In games, hard work is always rewarded.
Unlike in reality.
“Hey, what should we do with the loot?”
“Hold on to it for now. We’ll divvy it up later.”
“Feels good to know you trust me like that.”
“...Yeah, something like that.”
I’m actually pretty grateful to Sulbbang.
After all the times I’d killed him, he could have easily held a grudge, but he never showed it.
And now, he’d even willingly extended a hand to me.
Even I won’t repay kindness with hostility.
Not that it’s eliminated any lingering jealousy… that might come back someday.
But when those feelings arise, I know he’s the type who can handle it.
“Let’s go. We’ve rested long enough. Let’s keep moving and see what we find.”
“Got it.”
“‘Got it’?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Hah…”
With mixed feelings, we set off again on our journey.
It wasn’t so bad traveling with someone by my side.