NoveLight ™
2.
The users in Oren Village couldn’t contain their excitement.
It was rare for an event to take place in the second village.
And this one was a large-scale event!
How could they not be excited?
Just heading to the central plaza of the village allowed them to pick up quests.
As usual, the plaza, which was already crowded with users, was bustling without any room to stand.
"Ah! Don’t push!!"
"Let’s stay in line!!"
"I’m joining the event too!"
A crowd of people eager to take part in the event and receive their quests.
"Wow, look how many are gathering! So many people…"
"I’m looking for Team 62!"
"Hey, which team are you in?"
"I’m with Team 39."
The crowd, already having received their quests, looking for their respective teams.
"Heh, it’s rare to see so many outsiders gather like this."
"The village must be receiving a blessing!"
"All thanks to the village chief’s grace, hehe."
The NPCs, who were smiling as they imagined the potential profits from the crowd of users, were looking at the gathering in the central plaza.
From a high mansion, a middle-aged man with a sinister gaze was watching the scene.
He looked like a kind person at first glance, but when he opened his small, narrow eyes wide, it seemed like his malice was plastered beneath them.
The middle-aged man touched his goat-like beard, a habit he had when thinking something sinister.
"Heh heh, they really gathered well."
The middle-aged man, with a sinister laugh, was looking down at the users from the mansion. He was the village chief of Oren Village, Zyle.
Naturally, he was an NPC.
Some users treated NPCs in Eternal World the same as NPCs in other games, but Zyle was far beyond those typical NPCs.
He was a self-aware entity, moving and thinking on his own.
There was a reason why the genius Park Won had named this new world “Eternal World”—it wasn’t for nothing.
Zyle, too, was an exceptional AI, and he was very much like a human.
He wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice others if it meant achieving his desires.
He didn’t shy away from trampling others, though he hid his actions from the outside world.
Had the users known, they would have been shocked at how much like a real person Zyle was.
However, perhaps because he was careful to hide his dark intentions, no one among the users had yet discovered his ugly side.
Even among the villagers, only a few knew of Zyle’s true nature.
‘If I gather these outsiders, I might be able to obtain the treasure hidden in the tomb of that evil Rocks.’
Zyle had learned that the tomb of Baron Rocks was a massive labyrinth.
It was filled with deadly traps and monsters, a perilous place to explore.
As a mere village chief, it wouldn’t be easy to venture into such a place alone.
Even if he knew the way through the labyrinth.
But if these outsiders, like a swarm of bees, charged in?
Then, there would come a moment when the labyrinth would be empty.
Zyle was waiting for that moment, intending to seize the hidden treasure.
While thinking this, Zyle looked around at the gathered users.
‘These outsiders will be the hunting dogs that will find my treasure.’
Then, suddenly, Zyle noticed a user whose eyes shone with a turquoise light.
"Mm?"
The user was staring intently, as if they knew Zyle was here.
The moment their eyes met, Zyle felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.
Though the user had black hair and eyes, just a moment ago, there was a faint, eerie turquoise glow around them.
Shuddering and stepping back, Zyle looked again—but the user had disappeared into the crowd.
"What… What was that?"
Had he imagined it? Was he just seeing things because he felt weak?
No, perhaps...
‘Did someone come to steal my treasure?’
Zyle briefly entertained that thought, but then shook his head in denial.
It couldn’t be.
The map leading to Rocks’ tomb was something he had discovered first.
That was an undeniable fact.
Therefore, Zyle was the only one who knew where the secret treasure of Rocks was hidden.
‘There’s no way they could know.’
With that thought, Zyle calmed himself and reassured himself.
3.
Seong, whose eyes briefly met those of the user glowing with turquoise light, had one simple thought.
"Really seems greedy."
It was the typical face of a scammer, wasn't it?
The impression was that of someone with a lot of desire.
Just like the ghosts had said.
They had claimed that the former village chief was kind and wise.
But his son was surprisingly different.
Seong wasn’t particularly curious about Zyle’s schemes.
He already knew what they were.
For now, the quest was more important.
"Anyway, I’ve already received the quest."
Rocks’ Tomb
→ Rare
The village chief Zyle in Oren Village has been troubled lately.
It’s all because of the recently discovered Rocks’ Tomb in Oren Village.
Rocks was a powerful mage who once lived in Oren Village, but despite his exceptional skills, he was a wicked mage at heart.
Because of Rocks’ tomb, the long-time village chief Zyle has been in a state of constant anxiety.
You, the player, are asked to help Oren Village and secure the safety of Rocks’ tomb.
You may even find something valuable within the tomb.
→ Level 50 or below, users who have not completed their second job class advancement.
→ Rewards: 10 gold + items obtained from Rocks’ tomb.
→ This quest requires two players to form a team.
Caution!
The quest was written with quite a bit of detail.
It was rated as rare, and the rewards from Rocks' Tomb were also listed.
It was no wonder the users were losing their minds.
However, for Seong, who knew the truth about this situation, it was nothing more than a shallow trick.
"Really, they’ve written it so transparently."
If Seong hadn’t heard it from the ghosts, he wouldn’t have known either.
Plus, he had even learned where Rocks had hidden his treasures.
This time, Seong’s goal was to obtain Rocks’ hidden treasures before Zyle.
However, the issue was that he had to move with his team.
Just like any other dungeon, Rocks’ Tomb also required a party system.
The fact that the quest needed only two players made things easier for Seong.
It was better than having to search for a party and enter alone.
"Where should I look?"
Quite a few users had already set off.
There weren’t as many left in the plaza as Seong had expected.
Though it was still crowded, it wasn’t overwhelming.
As he scanned the remaining users to see if anyone was from Team 99, he spotted something strange.
A user wearing a large bamboo hat, with long hair resembling a horse’s tail, was chewing on a branch and chuckling.
He was dressed in what resembled traditional Korean clothing and had a long sword strapped to his waist, resting one hand on its hilt.
It looked exactly like the ‘Nameless Swordsman’ from stories.
If you saw him passing by briefly, you’d think he was just another NPC.
However, judging by the user icon above his head, it was clear he was a player.
"Hm, seems like he’s going for a concept."
Seong thought to himself and was about to ignore it.
But then, the user spoke up.
"Hehehe, I am the greatest swordsman of Joseon. Whoever is in my team, step forward!"
"Uh..."
Seong decided it was best to avoid him.
The person seemed a little unhinged.
Just as Seong was about to slip away and find his team member, the self-proclaimed greatest swordsman of Joseon spoke again.
"Hohoho, 99th team members, step forward immediately!"
Startled, Seong turned back, unsure whether to believe it. His eyes met with the strange swordsman’s gaze.
With a weird "Ho?" the self-proclaimed swordsman began walking towards Seong.
Seong shut his eyes tight.
He didn’t want to associate with someone like this, except for his sister, of course.
Actually, he didn’t want to associate with his sister either.
They were family, after all.
As Seong resigned himself to the situation, the self-proclaimed greatest swordsman of Joseon approached and stared at him.
And then, to Seong’s surprise, he realized something.
"She’s... a woman?"
At first, Seong hadn’t noticed from afar, but up close, it was clear.
This person was a woman.
She had tried to make her voice sound deeper and her appearance more masculine, but it was obvious now.
Since the game didn’t allow custom genders, she had likely been cross-dressing.
The moment Seong realized this, he understood.
‘This person is serious.’
It wasn’t just about the title of greatest swordsman of Joseon—this person was truly passionate about it.
It was real madness.
Seong couldn’t help but feel uneasy, but as they were on the same team, he couldn’t avoid her.
"Are you from Team 99 as well?"
"Of course, you must be my team member. Heh, worry not. With me, the greatest swordsman of Joseon, Kim Che-geon, you’ll be just fine."
"..."
Her nickname was Kim Che-geon?
Wasn’t that a real person?
He seemed to be someone often referred to as the greatest swordsman of Joseon in various stories.
For her to use that name as her nickname...
‘This person is crazy.’
Seong couldn’t help but quietly admire her in his mind.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad to stick with her.
After all, she might have something to teach him.
Maybe.
Seong briefly pondered and then asked Kim Che-geon.
"Would it be alright if we filmed something for the guild? We’re asked to record something together."
"Ho! You’re part of Mupa! No wonder you seem impressive! Ah! You have my permission to record, it’s not for anything bad anyway."
Kim Che-geon gave her approval.
At that moment, a message appeared in front of Seong.
[User "Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Che-geon" has agreed to film.]
Seong was momentarily stunned by the nickname.
Not just Kim Che-geon, but Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Che-geon?
Who would’ve imagined someone would have that as a nickname?
‘This person really is crazy.’
Seong briefly sent her an internal compliment and then asked,
"Shall we go then?"
"Hehehe, of course."
Her strange way of speaking was off-putting, but still...
‘Well, based on her stride, she seems to be skilled.’
It reminded him of the training he had received from Apik, both the former instructor and the hunter Apik, as well as the mercenary group’s memories.
Her movements clearly indicated she had martial training.
At least she seemed to have some real skill.
‘Is that a good thing?’
That thought crossed his mind briefly, but he dismissed it and headed to the location marked as Rocks’ Tomb.
Naturally, he formed a party.
[You have formed a party with "Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Che-geon."]
[The party window will be activated, excluding your class.]
『Seong - Lv. 34 - (????)』
『Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Che-geon - Lv. 36 - (????)』
Just like Seong, Kim Che-geon had her class hidden.
‘What’s going on here?’
4.
The path to Rocks’ Tomb wasn’t exactly smooth.
It was quite far, and the journey was treacherous.
“Kiak! Kii-haak!”
“Keruk! Kereuk!”
Annoying goblins appeared.
But Seong and Kim Che-geon strolled along leisurely, as if they were out for a walk, completely unfazed.
Whenever a goblin showed up, they simply cut it down and moved on.
During this, Seong had the chance to observe Kim Che-geon’s skills.
With a posture that seemed about to collapse, Kim Che-geon pushed off with her toes and, in an instant, her explosive speed surged. Using that speed, she slid across the ground and drew her sword.
A thin line appeared across the goblin’s neck.
Then, with a quick roll, the goblin’s head fell off.
Thud, it rolled away.
[Party member has hunted and gained experience.]
“Keruk!?”
The other goblins, startled, tried to flee, but Seong casually walked forward and blocked their escape, swinging his sword.
Seong, too, swung the sword of the apprentice warrior Hindel, cutting through the goblin’s body in one strike.
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of "One Strike!" is activated!]
[Experience gained.]
With a single strike, the two goblins were taken down.
Neither of them broke a sweat or even seemed winded.
For them, this was just a warm-up.
‘She’s better than I thought.’
The movement she showed didn’t even seem like a skill—she was simply using her stats to move.
When comparing her to Manhoo, whom Seong had partied with before, it was clear that Kim Che-geon was far superior.
Seong didn’t know much, but Manhoo was also a decent fighter.
But compared to him, Kim Che-geon was overwhelmingly stronger.
Kim Che-geon herself was equally impressed.
‘To strike like that, using only that kind of movement.’
She was a skilled user who could fully utilize her stats.
There was no reason she would claim to be the greatest swordsman of Joseon if she didn’t have the ability.
She was confident in her skills.
But when she saw Seong’s ability, she realized he wasn’t beneath her.
But there was one thing that puzzled her.
“Sorry to ask, but may I ask you something?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Are you not a swordsman?”
It was a question about whether Seong’s class was swordsman.
It was a rude question since she had hidden her class, but Seong answered without hesitation, as he didn’t mind.
“No, I’m not a swordsman.”
“...!!”
Kim Che-geon’s eyes widened in surprise at his answer.
She then lowered her large bamboo hat slightly, bowing her head in appreciation.
“Thank you for answering.”
“It was nothing.”
Kim Che-geon couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
‘Not a swordsman, really?’
She had thought he must be using his stats far better than her, and so she had asked. But to think he wasn’t a swordsman—she was stunned.
The world was wide, and there were many experts.
She had thought few could rival her in swordsmanship.
Kim Che-geon was now even more determined to improve, burning with resolve as she looked at Seong.
‘Why is he looking at me like that?’
Of course, Seong, noticing Kim Che-geon’s gaze, felt a bit uneasy.
But with a small commotion, they soon arrived at the enormous cave entrance, filled with users.
[Event Dungeon - Rocks' Tomb]
Warning: Upon entry, all participants will start at different locations.