The place I went to after sending Yoohyun, Yerim, and Peace off was Myeongwoo's forge, instead of going back to the rearing facility. It was a workroom in the building, not the alternate dimension Gold Forge. By the way, hardly any of Myeongwoo's money went into preparing the installation. I think I heard that the Hunters who followed him to go shopping immediately bought anything that his gaze landed on, without being asked to, and offered it to him.
Costly installations like a mana furnace[1] that needed special ordering were apparently prepared for him on a guild level. Haeyeon and Seseong of course, and Breaker, MKC, Hanshin, etc. also shared the costs. The prices didn't need to be divided between giant guilds, but I guess you could call it a type of division of contribution.
"Hello, Lord[2]."
When I entered the forge, a woman in her early thirties welcomed me. It was Suh Dongbaek who had originally been in Seseong's equipment management team. Like Haeyeon equipment team's Lee Minsuk ahjussi over there, she had come over as Myeongwoo's assistant plus apprentice, but.
"…Lord?"
"Ah, it is Landlord. Do Hamin-ssi went around calling you that, so it became a habit."
Do Hamin, this person. He didn't even pay rent, but he was going around making a fuss? Currently, most of the rooms were vacancies and there wasn't even a cent coming in. It was relief at that, that management was entrusted to the contracted guilds, so there wasn't any money going out, if you took out the tax. Should I put a cafe on the 1st floor or something?
The large workroom was still deserted for now. There was another wall for safety, and past that, Myeongwoo was pounding on an unknown red and translucent metal.
Clang, clang
He wasn't using a hammer, but a stubby pickaxe-like thing, and was rolling out the long metal. The metal that was stretching out like a stick of taffy was fascinating. The thick and firm wrist, completely different from when we had first met, rotated as he turned the tool he was holding in the opposite direction, and clang, the metal was cut. As if the burning heat wasn't even hot, he grabbed it with his other bare hand and tossed it into the small mana furnace in front of him.
Along with a sizzling sound, the melted metal floated up like red water drops. In the meantime, Myeongwoo grasped something like a long needle. He wrapped the water drops, which were moved to the workboard, with the needle[3] and then took them off, making red gem-like metal beads one by one.
It was precise work that was continuous like flowing water.
Jareureu-
Myeongwoo, who had put the beads into a round and flat container and gathered them together by shaking it once, turned to look over here. The expert's pose was so intense that I felt an illusion of being blinded.
"It should be too hot here, so let's go outside."
Myeongwoo said, wiping his sweat off with the towel that Suk Dongbaek tossed him.
"What are you making?"
"Arrows."
"Arrows? Are those beads arrowheads before they're shaped?"
"They're arrowheads that are able to change shape. They can change to puncture, explosion, and hook forms. And you can put in mana or attribute power, too."
I had never used a bow properly before, but they seemed great just listening to the explanation. Once we went outside, Myeongwoo gulped down the prepared cold water. And then he looked at me with a regretful gaze.
"If it were up to me, I would've made your equipment first."
"You said integer increases are low in rank. It's not like they don't appear on the market, so it's better for you to just make ratio increase weapons with good performance first. Otherwise it's a waste of your time and materials."
"Still, special skill types should be usable."
"Please do weapons and other equipment first. Are the arrows a commission from Seseong?"
"Yeah. They didn't seem like they would take long, so I was trying out making them."
If they were those kinds of arrows, how much would they be? I asked him to get a large payment. Seseong had a lot of money, so squeeze out a lot.
Maybe because of the fire or as an effect of the skill, Myeongwoo's face became darker, but his expression was really, surely bright. It made the person looking at him feel good.
"When I'm fiddling with metal, it feels like I've gone back to when I was young. The pleasure of living really is something like this. Making money and being respected while doing something you like. It's to the point of feeling like it's undeserved sometimes."
Taking up a lot of wealth and honor at the same time, while doing something you like – it was indeed an example of a successful life.
"It's perfect, if you exclude worrying about you."
"Why am I coming up now?"
"Did you think you wouldn't?"
Myeongwoo wrinkled his eyebrows, which were darker than before. My track record was… hm.
"Things like that can happen as you live. You were about to stamp a slave contract and be sold away, too."
"Suddenly I'm losing the words I was going to say."
This was something like a human trafficking victim gathering. The world was quite menacing. If the both of us exposed all of our skills and combined our worth, wouldn't you be able to buy a small country with that?
After talking with Myeongwoo for a bit, I stopped by the Suk Hayan team before looking for Noah, who had gone up to the roof like usual. The computers were whirring as they worked under the wind of the A/C. There was a dungeon gate model on one side. The price of that was no joke.
"Ahh, Lord. There's Chirpie, too. Hiii, Chirpie."
-Chirp.
Suk Hayan, who was flopped down between piles of files, saw me and greeted me like a zombie. The other people were also in a half-dead state overall. If I came in during the day, they were like this nearly all the time. Something like, their heads worked especially well before daybreak. There's no helping that you're night owls[4], but if you've stayed up the night, go sleep. Your house is good, right? I feel like I've become an evil employer, okay?
"Loooooord, please look at this."
Zombie number 3 passed Suk Hayan and waddled over. They pushed over data crammed with some numbers and English and graphs, but even if I saw it, what could I understand? I wasn't well acquainted with math, nor with English.
"A gate's mana fluctuates in a set curve. And here, right after passing through this point, it changes into a temporary concrete form. At that time, substituting the nearby mana distribution chart for the numbers according to the gate's rank-"
They were kindly explaining something but I didn't get a single thing.
"It means we can theoretically measure a gate's saturation state accurately! In addition, investigating gate locations will be possible, too."
Suk Hayan lifted only her head and shouted with half-closed eyes.
"Theoretically?"
"The experimental data is still lacking… We also need more magic stones. Please give us magic stones."
"It would also be great if we had about five more mana measuring devices. The more we have, the higher the accuracy is."
"Apparently new mana samples came out in the U.S., but could you get them, Jesus[5]?"
At one point, they had said it was okay with supplying just data, but the zombies twittered like baby birds hoping for food here and there. Still, results were already starting to appear, so was there anything else I could do? I should bring it over and offer it to them.
After telling the zombies to go back and sleep, I went to the roof. When I went to the side of the rooftop where the rearing facility was visible, the back of a pale-blond youth standing dangerously on top of the thin railing came into view. He was as sparkling as ever. He lightly moved only the tips of his feet and turned to me, smiling.
Even while knowing nothing would happen even if he fell, I unconsciously thought 'you shouldn't do that'. Since, he was outwardly just a person.
"Hello, Yoojin-ssi."
Noah greeted, jumping down lightly from the railing. It wasn't a foreign language, but Korean. Perhaps he was thinking of completely settling down in Korea, because he was studying diligently. Matching his effort, he was fast in learning – it was praiseworthy.
"There is not any shade – isn't it hot? Lately, the temperature has become hotter."
"Not at all. The sunlight is nice to warm myself in."
Nice to warm himself in, he said. Was the reason why he came up to the roof a lot because he was sunbathing? Because he was half reptile? Then, was he very sensitive to cold?
We chatted about this and that, and then I turned my head toward the rearing facility and looked down.
"If I had a flight skill as well, it would be convenient. I would be able to go straight down."
Myeongwoo made a flight item for Chirpie, but that was possible because the recipient was small and light. He said that materials proportional to the weight of the object for flight were used, so wouldn't the small anklet become a tire?
"There is me, instead."
"Sorry?"
"I will take you."
And then, I was a little taken aback at the hand that immediately picked me up, but well, it was routine. It was about time I got used to going around while being carried. Then, Noah jumped up into the air lightly. I heard wings flap once and a smooth descent started.
Soon, my feet landed on the rooftop garden's grass. It really was convenient. At my thanks, Noah was bashful as he shook his head. He became a lot better than in the beginning, but he still seemed a little awkward at words of praise or thanks.
-Kyaaoo!
Blue, who flew over as soon as we landed in the garden, noticed me, and then head-butted toward Noah. It seemed like she thought of Noah, who was durable and knew how to fly, as a friend. Since they also practiced flight together a lot.
'Maybe because Comet felt that he was also a dragon type, it followed him well, too.'
He was popular. Even though it was in a different way, rather than as a person. Kang Soyoung and Moon Hyuna were like that, too.
"What about going a lap with Blue? The law has also changed now."
The revision of the special law related to monster rearing was passed yesterday. All this time, it hadn't passed so the progress was slow, but with this opportunity, I said a couple words about how it was troublesome that the law revision was slow, and it was quickly handled.
Now, if a Hunter capable of subduing the monster accompanied it, it could go anywhere without permission, except for some locations like hospitals or facilities for the elderly and infirm. Not only that, in the case of a monster that had gotten authorization from the Association, it didn't need the Hunter accompaniment either. Though normally, it wasn't easy to get authorization.
Currently, Peace, Chirpie, and Blue, as well as Noah, had been authorized. Noah wasn't a monster, but complaints came in about him flying around downtown while completely transformed into a dragon, and there wasn't a related law yet, so for now, he got authorization as a safe monster at least.
"I cannot. Peace is not here either, so I was asked to not go far from Yoojin-ssi's side."
Noah said firmly. Who was it? Was it Yerim or Yoohyun?
"Noah-ssi is being held back because of me. Then, is there something else you would like to do?"
"Then… please watch over me studying Korean."
He was too much of a model student. I nodded, saying that was good anytime.
A few more of the Association people that I threatened, no persuaded, contacted until the evening. There were people who meekly accepted the proposal, and there were people who added conditions like mentioning them in a good light. At any rate, all of the people who contacted me said that they would give out the explanation of taking responsibility for this incident and step down.
"Thanks to that, you will have to stay confined inside for at least a week."
Song Taewon said through my cell phone, while I was in front of the TV that was still dominated by my story.
"I do not particularly have anywhere to go, at any rate. I did not get my driver's license because I was being kidnapped. I had even paid all the exam fees. Apparently, starting from mid rank Hunters, there is a separate exam location and the cost of the practical is as much as five million won."
[It is because it is a license suited to Hunters. It is a little different from an ordinary driving license.]
"Chief Song should have gotten his license before Awakening – then did you take the test again?"
[Yes. It has not been long since the regulation changed, so I took the exam again at the beginning of last year.]
"Is the practical very difficult?"
[You will not be able to pass the test for high rank Hunters.]
I was curious about how it was like. Sitting leaning against the sofa, I passed idle chatter with him. Song Taewon was a better conversation partner than I would've thought. He listened sincerely and answered sincerely. If the conversation topic was normal, then his accepting attitude was good, in a normal way.
'In times like this, you can't tell at all that he's twisted.'
Rather, compared to other S-Rank Hunters, he was perfectly respectable. It seemed like if I said, 'If we cannot block the dungeons, the world will collapse; your help is needed,' then he would reply, 'Yes, I will help with a happy heart.'
But I didn't know how it would be in actuality. Because, I wondered if he would actually want to meet a normal end within an impartial destruction. Wouldn't that be a route where he was liable to become an enemy? No, he didn't seem like he would become an enemy – something that would stand out – either, but still, it would probably be better to be a little more cautious about disclosing the inside story.
Beeeep-
It was just then. As a warning sound rang from my cell phone, a breaking news came up on the TV at the same time.
[A high rank dungeon break presumed to be A-Rank has occurred!]
It was around Gangseo-gu. But there had been no instance of a dungeon break occurring in Seoul around this time. With a feeling of suspicion, I spoke to Song Taewon.
"Where are you? If you are close by, please come here. That will be the fastest."
The traffic would be controlled immediately, so the roads would be completely jammed. It was the evening, so it would be even more crowded. They would probably send a helicopter from the Association, but that would also take some time.
I ended the call and immediately went outside. It was an unscheduled break. Did a new dungeon that wasn't found appear, or… did someone deliberately burst it open?
I wondered if it might possibly be the latter, but a 'possibly' could catch someone off guard anytime.
***
Not long passed before Song Taewon arrived, and Noah turned into a dragon. After contacting Suk Simyeong and asking for the direction to go, we flew up to the dim night.
"Did you receive a report on exactly what dungeon it is?"
"The boss monster has not appeared yet, and looking at the ordinary monsters, it seemed to be A-Rank."
Song Taewon answered. That was a relief at least. Even if it was an S-Rank, two S-Rank Hunters were going, so it wouldn't be unmanageable, but the important thing was the surrounding damage. It was okay to run wild as much as you wanted inside a dungeon, but there were people living outside. You had to be careful even when using skills.
"Noah-ssi, you should use the poison as little as possible."
-Yes.
Noah's poison causing secondary damage was a big concern. It was a skill that was hard to use outside of dungeons, especially near residential areas.
"Isn't there no need for Han Yoojin-ssi to come?"
"It is just in case. And I am wondering if this is actually deliberate. Isn't the timing too good?"
Most of the S-Rank Hunters had gone into dungeons. In particular, there wasn't a single S-Rank that had a wide range attribute skill that could handle many of the normal monsters in one blow. In other words, that meant it was perfect for damage to spread.
"Since you can push back a dungeon break by putting Hunters inside."
Yoohyun and Yerim's dungeon attack had been scheduled since a few days ago. Wouldn't they have waited for that and then burst it open? It was merely a guess, but it was suspicious that this situation happened as soon as the two of them left.
At my words, Song Taewon's expression stiffened. It was because you didn't have to think that long to figure out who would get the most profit from bursting open a dungeon right now.
Soon, we saw a barricade's red warning light a bit away. The dungeon gate thankfully seemed to be located near the mountain, but the residential area wasn't far. There was an elementary school right nearby. If it wasn't the evening, it really would've been a huge problem.
"Should we write a contract ahead of time?"
I took out a contract and a pen from my inventory and held them out to Song Taewon. A gaze asking what this was came back.
"It is not much, but the contents are not using attack skills on fellow Hunters while the skill is shared. Of course, excluding when you are being attacked first."
I was uneasy, so I couldn't just share it easily anymore.
"…Exactly what skill is it?"
Song Taewon, who had gone over the contents, asked. What else?
"Doubling attack skill effects."
His eyes thinned slightly, but he signed the contract. Let's quickly handle it before the damage increases.
[1] I accidentally tl'd this as 'mana line' back in ch 39. But I'm p sure it's supposed to be something like this – it's a made up word consisting of 'mana' and probably 열(熱)/heat and 로(爐)/brazier, given context.
[2] yj is being called 주님 (from 'owner 주(主)' + '-nim'), which is usually used to refer to Jesus or the Christian/Catholic God. However, as it is explained a few sentences down, it's because it's shortened from 건물주님 (landlord-nim, i.e. 'building' + 'owner' + '-nim'). So I thought using 'lord' would make sense, bc it fits with 'landlord' and that's also a term of address for god.
[3] yeah it says 'wrap the water drops WITH the needle', not the other way around, so given context I guess the author means something like the winding motion of moving the needle through (around?) multiple drops, instead of actually bending and wrapping a needle around a singular drop
[4] lit. 'dawn-type human' (as opposed to 'night-type' which would normally be 'night owl') so I guess it means they're people who stay up even later than normal night owls I guess? The krn dict actually says this word means sb who wakes up extremely early and sleeps early, like an extreme morning person/early bird, but based on the context here (they stayed up the night), I think yj means 'night owl'.
[5] they lit. said 'Jesus', so I think it's a ref to them calling yj 'Lord' (see footnote 2)
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