A terrible itch comes my from my left hand, enough to drive much, much, lesser men crazy. I look down at the now amputated finger, or is it digit? Though the original was gone, Smiley did stay true to his words and 'regenerated' a finger to make up for the one lost.
It was infant-like, small, dainty, and readily broken. Is that how you use readily? Who knows.
I look away from the finger to my comrades, and the stuff we gained from the Hound. Seok was currently sifting through it while also occasionally looking at his phone, probably calculating the cost.
Seung was speaking to Iseul about makeup. The only one's not doing something was me and Seong-Jin, and Seong-Jin had a glazed look so not even.
I pick Seong-Jin to start a conversation with and head over.
"Hey, Seong-Jin, thank you for the save earlier. That saved my life."
His eyes regain their life and he looks at me. His vibrant blue eyes reflect sage-like knowledge. "That is what a comrade is supposed to do. There is no need for thanks. It is you who I should be thanking, you stood up to something on a Dragon's Level without fear. For as much Pride as I have, I could never do such a thing, for now at least."
"As you said, a comrade shouldn't need thanks... DID YOU SAY SMILEY WAS DRAGON LEVEL!"
My sudden outburst right in front of his face probably caused some amount of pain or discomfort as his face contorts like he just a hangover and sirens suddenly resounded around him.
Seok looks up from his management and financing while Iseul stops her conversation with Seung who both look over. All of our faces are of some level of disbelief.
"Why didn't you say anything! That's a Dragon Level I told off!", my voice coming out as a near shrill screech.
He blinks a a few times before speaking, "The reason I never spoke was that I felt that if I did, we would all die. I'm sure you also felt that when you tried to speak."
"Eugh, aa, yeah, yeah. Sorry."
He brushes it off, "There's no need, I understand why you would think that way. Though I wasn't expecting a D+ Beast to suddenly appear. It also seemed to focus you down, thought that was most likely due to your perceived weakness at the time."
Oh yeah, the Black-Hound, that was terrifying, realizing my Gi was active Good God.
"Yeah, I forgot to activate my Gi. Should probably due that before entering the Labyrinth next time."
Seok interjects that thought, "That would be a bad idea, you'd only waste your Gi. Activate it before a fight happens."
"Uh, okay."
"Listen to Seok, Choehabu, even I don't activate my Gi before entering a Labyrinth, and I have the highest amount here. Not even Seung has as much as me."
"Speaking of Gi, Choehabu," "Yeah?" "Why do you snap seven times? Wouldn't it be easier to just, activate it?"
I give Seung a questioning look, "That is how I activate it."
Her head shakes, "No, not like that, I mean, why don't you activate it normally?"
"There's a normal way to activate it?"
"Well, maybe normal's not the correct word, but we all learn how to activate it near instantly. For example, I think of summer days along the beach. Iseul thinks of the vast city scape and Seok dreams of a better world."
"Why wasn't Seong-Jin in there?"
"Because Mana and magic work off a separate principle compared to Gi, I can explain it if you want, but do know the lecture will be several hours long."
"Thank you, Seong-Jin."
"Always a pleasure."
Iseul tried to reign in the conversation, "Besides the difference in Mana and Gi, everyone usually gets an image or feeling that they associate with opening their Gi. You're one of the few who use an action to activate it. Did your teacher not teach you how to do it, 'normally'?"
I think back to the lessons with Instructor Kim and sparring with Joon Woo. In both instances, there was nothing about controlling Gi, because there was no one who Could use Gi.
"No, not really. Uh, by the way, how do you usually, get or activate Gi for the first time?"
Everyone gives me a funny look. Iseul thinks for a while before Seok takes over.
"We activate our Gi for the first time with our master's help. Or in cases in which the person's Life Force is overflowing, it activates itself. The second is much rarer and as such, much stronger. Gi acquired this way is named Unique Gi, and it has special properties compared to normal Gi.
"From the fact that you're asking, you most likely have Unique Gi."
Wow, that is a lot of information coming at me all at once. "I most likely have Unique Gi then. Does mine have different properties compared to yours, Seok?"
He looks at me contemplative for half a minute before a gray haze surrounds his body. The haze concentrates around Seok's outstretched hand before condensing into a miniscule ball.
"This, is all of my Gi. As you can see, it is a slight dark gray, meaning that I'm halfway to C-Class. Now, show yours, Choehabu."
I give a unsure, "Okay.", and snap seven times, activating my Gi. Immediately the crimson haze surrounds my body and it is rejuvenated, as if I were dipped in the River Styx. Slowly, but surely, I coalesce my Gi into a ball above my outstretched hand.
The ball starts out small, miniscule, before gaining size and weight. It goes from a jellybean to a ping pong ball, to golf, tennis, and baseball sizes, and even beyond that. It reaches to the size of a basketball and only accelerates in gaining size.
Beyond my concentration, I can see everyone's awestruck faces as the Ball grows to the size of a small child, then to a teenager, to an Adult, to a car, before I stop the flow.
My right arm starts to lag due to the perceived weight of such a massive orb. I 'try' to absorb it, but as I don't know how to take the Gi back into me, it does nothing. Next best idea then.
I get into a pitchers position, legs planted, hips set, shoulders squared, and swing my right arm as hard as possible into the sky. Like a bullet, the orb of Gi shoots off into the sky.
A slightly terrified, "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?" from Seok enters my ears. I look down from the sky and see a livid Seok. He walks up to me and grabs my collar with both hands.
"Why would you throw it! Where will it land!? How many are going to get injured!?"
I grab his hands and take them off my collar. Or at least try to take them off, his grip is too strong, "Why are you so upset? I threw it up, like straight up."
His grip tightens, "Do you know what happens to what comes up? It Must Come Down! That orb has enough Gi that even when condensed, it's the size of a car. What will happen when it lands? I don't know and I don't want to find out."
"It's Magical Life Force Energy, why must it follow the laws of Physics?"
"Ie, it could," his grip lessens until his hands are no longer around my collar, "That makes more sense than it should. Sorry for grabbing you so aggressive."
"It only makes sense. Could we cash the Night-Hound in an go home?"
Seok gives a nod of approval, "Yeah, let's do that."