Chapter 582
[Notoriety has increased by +3.]
[Notoriety has increased by +33.]
[Notoriety has increased by +15.]
[Notoriety has increased by +6.]
[Notoriety has….]
[…increased.]
Countless notifications filled the status window.
In just three hours since arriving in the Village of the Hermits, Jinhyuk’s notoriety had already increased by 800.
It was the result of repeatedly committing atrocities so terrible that even the average villain couldn’t imagine them.
Tap, tap…
Chun Yoosung brushed dust off his hands.
“This kind of thing… you start getting used to it. I think I’m beginning to understand how you turned so vicious.”
He had gone through great effort researching which pressure points hurt the most, and his hard work had paid off.
“Fufu. I have now become the greatest chef in the Tower.”
“Yup, I think I can manage being the runner-up.”
Alice and Frey had also finally managed to make food that wouldn’t kill someone on the spot.
“Lord, I’ve saved so many lives today.”
Teresa, drenched in sweat after exhausting her divine power, wiped her brow.
Her radiant, kind smile was just a bonus.
“Kehahah! There’s some damn fine steel around here. With free labor at my disposal, quality gear’s rolling out nicely!”
Orun burst out in hearty laughter, clearly satisfied.
Good. Everyone’s lost their minds.
Or maybe… they’ve adapted better than anyone to life in the Village of the Hermits.
Whether they had pent-up stress or were just enjoying themselves, everyone was giggling and fully indulging in their hobbies.
‘By now, the rumors should’ve spread.’
Jinhyuk glanced toward the inner village.
Given how sensitive the hermits were to new information, they were surely paying attention to the unfamiliar outsiders.
Even the big shots deep within the village had to be aware of the Veteran Corporation by now.
That meant…
The bait had been cast—now it was time to wait and see who took it.
—
The massive Village of the Hermits spanned dozens of kilometers.
One of the groups managing the southern region, including the entrance, was the ‘Bounty Hunters,’ whose hermits had been urgently assembled due to a sudden incident.
Inside a dimly lit tavern, the scent of strong liquor and tobacco filled the air.
“Troublemakers, huh?”
A towering woman with her feet on the table opened her mouth.
“Yes, Mother. The ninjas who were going to hunt the newcomers got completely wrecked.”
“Each of the newcomers already has over 800 notoriety, and their leader apparently entered the village with over 1,000 notoriety already.”
Notoriety stat only becomes easier to raise once it unlocks upon entering the village.
Outside the village, however, it was a whole different game.
Reaching 1,000 notoriety without amassing some serious grudges and committing brutal acts was nearly impossible.
To be honest, it sounded unbelievable.
Even the infamous Nero of Rome didn’t break 1,000 when he first came here.
Even demons from the Demon Realm barely reached above 900.
“The ninjas thought it was a system error at first too.”
“Of course. I would’ve thought the same.”
The woman known as Mother downed her rum in one gulp.
Having severed ties with Tower affairs, she didn’t know their identities—but something definitely smelled off.
And the strength they had shown only backed that up.
Even so…
Since they had stirred things up in her territory—the southern region—she couldn’t just sit by and watch.
If she ignored this, the other factions might start looking down on her.
More importantly, if this spiraling chaos ended up angering ‘that person’, it would be far worse.
“They may have been hotshots in the Tower, but let’s teach them how things work around here. Send some boys to bring them in. Pick only the best gunslingers.”
“Understood, Mother.”
“We’ll move immediately.”
Men in black coats tipped their fedoras.
Dudududu!
Riding black horses, they swiftly arrived at the location of the Veteran Corporation.
There, they found a group of men and women conducting what looked like… human experiments.
Just looking at the scene made it hard to breathe.
Even they, criminals themselves, wouldn’t have gone this far.
“So you’re the ones who just arrived in the village?”
“Yup. Just moved in. But I guess you’re mad we didn’t bring any housewarming gifts since you’re picking a fight right off the bat.”
Jinhyuk shrugged, casually justifying everything they had done.
“We only acted in self-defense. If they hadn’t messed with us first, none of that would’ve happened.”
“Well, I get that the other side was at fault. Still, this is our turf, and we’d like to hear the full story. We’d appreciate it if you came with us peacefully.”
“What if we refuse?”
“We were told it’s fine if you lose an arm or a leg—as long as you’re alive. You’d best accept Mother’s mercy before you regret it.”
Slick.
One of the riders placed a hand on the pistol at his hip.
The others began drawing Remingtons and various firearms.
“Ninjas first, now it’s the mafia?”
Chun Yoosung pressed a finger to his temple in disbelief.
He’d expected a criminal haven when he first heard of the village.
But this wasn’t a Hollywood movie set—it was worse.
He hadn’t anticipated enemies of this much variety.
Meanwhile, Jinhyuk grinned with satisfaction.
‘Just as I thought. I might be able to get my hands on a proper gun here.’
He had the Annihilator’s Bullet obtained from hunting Zeus.
If there was any place that might have a compatible firearm, it was here.
The only question was how difficult it would be to obtain one…
A few potential candidates flashed through his mind.
Just then—
“How dare you order me around. Contractor. Say the word. I’ll wipe them all out.”
Alice began gathering blood drops.
RUMBLEEEE!
At this rate, she could wipe out half the village.
“No, it’s fine, Alice. Let’s go with them for now.”
“Are you serious?”
“We can’t start a fight on day one. Besides, those guys probably know a lot about this place.”
“Tch. I’ll let it slide just this once, for the contractor’s sake.”
Alice dispersed her gathered mana.
Just like that—
The powder keg that was about to explode was barely defused.
—
The southern faction: Bounty Hunters.
Assassinations, large-scale arson, information manipulation—they were responsible for countless crimes in the Tower.
Some even started the Trojan War or assassinated one of the archangels.
In other words, the group was made up of elite criminals.
A heavy silence filled the tavern.
“I’m Chloe, leader of the Bounty Hunters. Around here, they call me Mother.”
The massive woman introduced herself first.
Chloe “Mother.”
A former ranker known on the 34th floor of the Tower, with the nickname “Chloe the Rapidfire.”
Exactly the kind of big fish Jinhyuk had been hoping would take the bait.
“I’m Kang Jinhyuk. I recently formed a pirate crew, and I’m aiming to become the Pirate King.”
“You’ve got some real skill. How about it? Interested in joining me? I’ll make sure you’re treated well.”
“Wow. What an honor to receive an offer from the leader of such a powerful faction.”
Jinhyuk rubbed his palms together.
Mother’s lips curled up at the unexpectedly friendly response.
Who wouldn’t enjoy being praised?
But then—
“Well then, could I have that revolver on your thick waist as a signing bonus?”
That line crossed the line from provocation to full-blown insult.
“W-What? Are you… are you seriously saying that to me?”
She was so stunned she even started to stutter.
And who could blame her?
She was the apex predator among a village full of the worst criminals.
Yet someone dared to insult her to her face?
There was only one explanation: this guy was insane.
“You cocky bastard…!”
A mafia thug next to Mother drew his pistol like lightning.
[Lv40 ‘0.3-Second Counter’ activates!]
A flash of light tore through the air.
It was an incredibly fast preemptive strike.
But even with a slight delay, Jinhyuk was already holding a pistol in his hand.
He had swiped it from one of the guards on his way into the tavern.
BANG!
The bullets collided midair.
Before the echo faded, more gunfire erupted all around.
They were enchanted bullets inscribed with runes and imbued with various attributes.
But—
Thud!
CLANG!
Jinhyuk shot down every single bullet flying his way.
“N-No way. That’s not possible…”
“Is he reading the bullets’ movements?”
Cries of disbelief echoed around the room.
Even seasoned gunslingers like them wouldn’t dare attempt such a stunt.
“No, it’s beyond that.”
Even Mother instinctively swallowed hard.
Reacting purely by sight was already the domain of someone who had endured countless gunfights.
But Jinhyuk went beyond that—he could read the micro-movements of the muscles ‘before’ a shot was fired, and predict the most optimized attack paths.
Speed and precision? He had mastered those long ago.
Spin—
Jinhyuk smoothly twirled the revolver.
That should be enough of a demonstration.
As seasoning goes, this was top-tier.
Now then…
Time to start the con job.
‘Ahem!’
Jinhyuk cleared his throat.
“The reason I want a gun isn’t just out of personal greed.”
He had to emphasize that it wasn’t selfish.
“In truth, I came here to save all the hermits in this village. I apologize if I seemed rude, but it was all to prove my sincerity.”
He emphasized the greater cause.
And the most sacred thing to the hermits—life itself.
He had to make it sound as altruistic as possible.
“What… are you talking about?”
Mother asked.
“Yeah, what the hell is he talking about?”
“I’ve never heard anything like that.”
“Neither have I.”
“Mogii mogii.”
Even his party members looked completely lost.
Jinhyuk quickly pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head.
It was only then that they caught on and jumped into the impromptu act.
“Oh right! He did say something like that before.”
“Yeah, I remember him saying we had to save those poor souls.”
“Mogii mogii!”
“Kehaha! Our captain’s only flaw is having too kind a heart.”
The acting was a bit clumsy, but it didn’t matter.
If he could show them the evidence Rick had shared—
About the ‘Apocalypse’—
Then he could bring one of the largest factions in the Village of the Hermits over to his side.
‘Since the Apocalypse is actually going to happen, saying I’m saving lives isn’t a complete lie.’
He really would be their savior, in a way.
Of course—
In exchange for that alliance, he fully intended to suck them dry.