NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 - Hosting a Feast
When Han-wol released his focus, the world regained its original colors.
His eyes felt heavy from the sudden influx of colored light.
Simultaneously, he vaguely felt a languid sensation that made his body feel powerless.
It wasn’t severe, but it was slightly unpleasant.
‘So this is what using magic feels like.’
Han-wol silently added a reasonable explanation.
Since he felt something similar during crafting, it was probably correct.
Han-wol then brought up his skill window to properly check the newly acquired skill.
[Skill: Deterministic Worldview]
[Branch: Theoretical Magic Studies]
[Description: In the world of classical magic mechanics, everything is deterministic.
If you know all the information about the present, the equation presents only one solution.
That solution is unique, accurate, and represents a determined future.
Yes.
If you can know everything about the present, the future can be precisely predicted.
In other words, the world is deterministic.]
[Effect: Consumes magic power to replace the visible world with a deterministic worldview.
Allows you to glimpse the immediate future.
The duration and accuracy of the glimpsed events are proportional to the magic power consumed.]
‘Quite accurate? Nothing to fault really.’
As the founder of the theory, he wanted to evaluate how well it was interpreted, and this explanation was quite satisfactory.
Perhaps that’s what you’d expect from an “entity beyond comprehension.”
In any case, Han-wol was very pleased with the skill’s effect.
Of course, the future he could see was only momentary.
But in battle, that very moment is what separates life and death.
‘Since I’ve acquired a new skill, should I hunt more?’
He had intended to return after this, but curiosity about his new skill held him back.
Han-wol took all the materials he wanted, then moved on.
Han-wol had been in the Pig’s Den for several hours now.
He should have been tired by now, but Han-wol was still going strong.
“Kwee-ek!?”
He kills monsters with one shot from his handgun and collects materials.
When he runs out of bullets, he crafts more to reload.
The pigs charged toward Han-wol, while he walked around, merely pulling and releasing his finger.
There was no sign of Han-wol tiring anywhere.
Needless to say, this kind of hunting was only possible because it was Han-wol.
Other players consumed magic power with each attack skill.
So after killing a few white pigs, they would typically be exhausted and panting.
What made it more ironic was that Han-wol was only 1-Star.
In contrast, the white pigs were 2-Star monsters.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Kwee-ek!” “Kwee-ok!” “Kek!”
Of course, Han-wol also consumed magic power when using “Deterministic Worldview.”
But since it was only a supportive skill, he wouldn’t run out of magic power from it.
Originally, Han-wol’s attacks didn’t consume magic power, so there was no reason for him to tire.
But even Han-wol was human, so limits were bound to appear.
Grumble.
‘After killing so many pigs, I’m craving some samgyeopsal (pork belly).’
It seems that even Han-wol couldn’t overcome hunger.
‘Tonight’s dinner is samgyeopsal.’
x x x
Han-wol passed through the portal and exited the Pig’s Den.
“Whoa!”
When Han-wol suddenly emerged, the gatekeeper was startled and almost fell backward.
“W-what… it’s you? Goodness, you took years off my life.
You were gone so long, I was about to go looking for you.”
Looking behind the gatekeeper, other vigilante members were gathered with equipment ready.
Han-wol was inwardly impressed.
In an era where everyone struggles to survive, they were worrying about others.
Was it because they were NPCs?
‘NPCs are actually better than humans.’
This was the moment when positive elements about NPCs were added to Han-wol’s mind.
“So, did you manage to kill any pigs? For someone who was holed up for hours, you look very clean.
Looks like I’m going to enjoy a good round of drinks today.”
The gatekeeper laughed heartily as he bragged to the other vigilante members.
He even reassured Han-wol that he didn’t need to buy drinks for these guys too, so not to worry.
“Well, I tried to kill as many as I could…”
Speaking as if it were nothing while opening his inventory window, Han-wol looked quite wicked.
It was time to toy with the innocent gatekeeper.
x x x
Thud!
A heavy sound came from the ground as if an earthquake had occurred.
Of course, it wasn’t actually an earthquake.
“Let’s see.
424 pieces of white pig samgyeopsal, 614 claws, 771 tusks, 756 bones, and also…”
Each time Han-wol read out an item from his inventory, a periodic thud sound hit the ground.
It was the sound of Han-wol taking items out, and the quantity was so vast that it made the ground shake.
The gatekeeper just stood with his mouth wide open, seeing the enormous amount of materials Han-wol had collected.
“I have about 2,972 magic stones in total, but I’ve used some…”
“Okay, I get it! That’s enough, that’s enough!”
The gatekeeper gestured that Han-wol didn’t need to show any more.
The other vigilante members beside him also seemed unable to come to their senses.
Han-wol thought about teasing the gatekeeper more but decided this was sufficient.
“So about the bet?”
“Sigh… yes, I lost. You won.”
[Hidden Quest ‘Bet with the Pig’s Den Gatekeeper’ cleared!]
[Quest exceeded requirements!]
[Title ‘Pig Slaughterer’ acquired!]
[Experience points increased.]
[Experience points increased.]
………….
[Level up.]
[Currently 1-Star A-Rank.]
“Since I won, you’ll listen to whatever I say, right?”
Han-wol asked the gatekeeper with a wicked expression.
The gatekeeper, sweating profusely, answered awkwardly:
“Haha… o-of course! A promise between men is worth more than gold!”
Though the gatekeeper spoke boldly with his shoulders straight, his expression wasn’t looking good.
But Han-wol’s next request was unexpected and even bizarre.
“After killing so many pigs, I suddenly have a craving for samgyeopsal.”
The gatekeeper tilted his head, not quite following Han-wol’s words.
“And we have an abundance of pork too.”
Han-wol licked his lips and looked at the gatekeeper with narrowed eyes.
“S-so what are you trying to say?”
The gatekeeper stammered a bit under an inexplicable pressure.
“Call all your vigilante friends.
Let’s have a feast. You prepare the alcohol.”
“Huh? R-really? You’re not going to demand our women or something like that?”
“What kind of person do you take me for?
I’m hungry. Let’s go now.”
“Y-you…!”
The gatekeeper looked up at Han-wol with a touched expression, on the verge of tears.
Then he shouted to his friends behind him:
“Hey! Tonight is a feast!”
[Overall favorability with Seoul Village West Vigilante Corps has increased.]
[Overall favorability with Seoul Village West Vigilante Corps has increased.]
………….
[You can now access the Seoul Village West Vigilante Office.]
‘As expected.’
x x x
“Really, suddenly saying dinner is outside… and the location is Seoul Village West? Why is he there?”
Han-wol’s cousin, An Hye-jin, got off the bus while complaining about Han-wol’s inexplicable text message.
Han-wol had been acting very strange lately.
It was the same with his sudden announcement this morning about dropping out of school.
Moreover, his reason was to become a weapon dealer—at first, she thought the world had turned upside down.
It was so absurd that she had started hitting Han-wol’s back furiously.
“From now on, I’ll be active as a player.”
Han-wol said, blocking Hye-jin’s hands.
“W-what?”
It was a moment when anger instantly transformed into worry.
Hye-jin continued with a voice that had grown cold:
“Stop joking.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Are you determined to die? It’s on the news all the time.
More than dozens of people die every day thinking just like you.”
Hye-jin looked straight at Han-wol and continued:
“I told you not to worry about your sister’s hospital bills.
It’s a bit awkward to say myself, but I earn quite well compared to others.
I have no plans to get married or start a family.
No, I already have a family. So…”
“Thank you.”
Han-wol forcibly cut off Hye-jin’s words.
His eyes were genuinely warm like a brazier and very clear.
He was sincere.
Han-wol turned around and walked out the front door.
“Let’s have dinner together. Don’t eat out without me.”
“Hey! Lee Han-wol! Wait…!”
When Hye-jin reopened the front door, Han-wol had already disappeared.
“Really, what’s going on these days…”
Hye-jin repeated the same words she had said at the front door this morning.
Seol-ha, who was supposed to recover after just treating external wounds, was suddenly diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Just when they were getting used to it, strange numbers appeared in the sky, and the whole world was in chaos.
And now Han-wol, as if going through delayed puberty, was saying he would quit school that he had been attending just fine.
Of course, it wasn’t that she couldn’t understand Han-wol’s feelings at all.
Clearly, he made such an extreme choice out of consideration for her.