Chapter 8

Mimi’s crash course began.

“Choose the sense you want to use, then make the oil the same way you always do.”

“You already know that if you want a certain effect, you need to invest your stat points into the corresponding sense.”

“The higher the quality of the finished oil, the higher the grade of the ability it receives. If the quality is high enough, it may even gain additional traits.”

“You’re wondering how to increase the quality? Put your sincere effort into making it. That’s how your skill works.”

Having graduated from the Hunter Training Academy, I still remembered how skills worked for each awakening type.

I’d studied the theory harder than anyone.

But my class and skill weren’t the kind you’d find in any textbook or research paper.

That’s why I’d persuaded Mimi to teach me how to use them.

Yet, contrary to all my expectations…

The method was ridiculously simple.

“Just make oil the way you normally do. That’s it!”

Everything I’d learned at the academy about controlling mana, focusing it, and directing it…

Had instantly become useless.

“So you’re really saying I should just make it the way I always do?”

“That’s right.”

“So I’m going to sleep.”

Mimi curled up in the sunny corner of the workshop and immediately closed her eyes.

What an irresponsible teacher.

Left alone, I felt like a tiny boat drifting by itself across a vast ocean as I stood before my workbench.

Since Mimi had said to do things normally, I decided to make lavender oil.

It was my favorite and also one of the most common ingredients.

Just in case I failed, I chose the simple steam-distillation method, which produced oil relatively quickly.

First, I filled a round flask with dried lavender flowers.

Their pleasant fragrance filled the air.

“Maybe I should only extract a little, just in case.”

Beneath the flask of lavender, I connected another flask filled with boiling water.

The steam generated below rose upward and passed through the lavender, extracting its fragrant compounds.

The scented steam then traveled upward until it met cold water.

There, it condensed back into liquid.

That liquid would become the base for lavender essential oil.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

As time passed, more and more liquid collected inside the receiving flask.

When I leaned closer…

I noticed the liquid had separated into two layers.

The slightly oily upper layer was lavender essential oil.

The pure water beneath it was floral water.

“Hmm…”

“There’s still only this much.”

Waiting was torture.

I wanted to know as quickly as possible whether my skill had truly been infused into the oil.

But natural extraction simply took time.

“I can’t wait any longer.”

“I’ll just make a tiny amount.”

Unable to contain myself, I removed the flask and placed it on the workbench.

Using a dropper, I carefully drew out only the upper oil layer.

The amount was tiny.

I transferred it into a little brown bottle no bigger than my pinky finger.

“Is this even two milliliters?”

Holding the bottle beneath the light, I chuckled to myself.

“I’d probably collect more tears from one yawn than this…”

The moment I laughed…

A message window appeared.

High-Quality Lavender Essential Oil Completed!

Sight Lv.1: Path of Light

Scans and marks the safest route to a specific target chosen by the user.

Areas containing traps or monsters are highlighted with red warning lights.

Effects:

• Trap avoidance rate +85%
• Movement speed: +20%

Available Forms:

• Standard Essential Oil
• Eye Cream

“Mimi!”

The moment I finished reading, I shouted so loudly that the sleeping cat jumped straight into the air.

“Yaaah!”

“I-Is this really a success?”

“This is the same skill I used inside the Gate, isn’t it?”

I rushed over, holding the tiny bottle right in front of Mimi’s nose.

I didn’t care whether its fur stood on end or not.

“I told you all you had to do was make it normally.”

“What’s with all the excitement?”

“It worked!”

“I really just made it the way I always do!”

Holding the little bottle, which was even smaller than a bottle of nail polish, I smiled so widely my cheeks hurt.

“So now all I have to do is hire an employee, right?!”

Still bursting with excitement, I was met with Mimi’s annoyed voice.

“You’re making such a fuss.”

“A fuss?”

I couldn’t believe it.

“Did you already forget the quest you gave me?”

Time Remaining: 480 hours 5 minutes 24 seconds

Failure: You will lose someone precious to you.

Success:

• 2 Stat Points
• Class Level Up

I deliberately summoned the status window in front of Mimi and read it aloud.

“It literally says I’ll lose someone precious.”

“How am I not supposed to panic?”

I might have lost my family…

And I might not have many friends…

But that didn’t mean there was no one precious to me.

“…I’m tired.”

“Stop talking to me.”

After silently staring at me, clenching my teeth…

The cat simply turned away and went back to sleep.

“Seriously…”

I couldn’t tell whether Mimi was truly on my side.

Sometimes it seemed that way.

After all, it had given me this extraordinary class and skill to help me conquer Gates.

But then…

It also threatened to take away someone precious if I failed.

“I know it’s helping me…”

“But I have no idea what it’s really thinking.”

Its very existence was suspicious to begin with.

As I sat there thinking about the countless mysteries surrounding the cat…

The shop door suddenly burst open.

I’d forgotten to lock it.

But the shop wasn’t even open yet.

Hurriedly leaving the workshop, I checked the clock.

It was only seven in the morning.

“A customer… at this hour?”

Standing at the entrance was someone I never expected.

A woman with short blonde hair.

She wore a black leather jacket with matching black pants.

Her petite frame and round eyes still didn’t match her tough-looking outfit.

“S-Sister Nara?”

The moment she saw me, her face twisted with emotion.

She rushed over and wrapped me in a tight hug.

“You idiot!”

“You were alive, so why didn’t you answer your messages?!”

“Do you know how worried I was?!”

“Why couldn’t I reach you?!”

“Seriously!”

“I… got pulled into a gate…”

“My phone stopped working…”

“What?”

“You got pulled into a gate?!”

“How?!”

“You’re the one who always notices unexpected gates before they appear!”

“Were you hospitalized?”

“…Wait!”

“What happened to your leg?!”

“Oh.”

Following her gaze, I looked down.

A large scab covered my exposed knee beneath my shorts.

While I hurriedly explained…

Nara cast a healing skill on me.

“Honestly…”

“Why do you always get yourself hurt?”

“I never imagined—even in my dreams—that you’d be pulled into that gate.”

“But then I heard you were saving an old lady…”

“That’s just like you.”

“There.”

“Done.”

My leg was completely healed.

Not even a scar remained.

What more could be said about the abilities of an S-rank healer?

“Wow.”

“You’ve gotten even better.”

“Don’t even mention it.”

“Do you know how many Gates I had to clear just to establish my guild?”

“The requirements were unbelievably strict.”

Looking utterly exhausted, she collapsed onto my sofa.

“Ahhh…”

“Why do I suddenly feel so sleepy?”

“Maybe it’s because I confirmed you’re safe.”

“Yawn…”

Seeing even an S-rank Hunter yawning like that…

It seemed my passive skill,

Relax
(Visitors to the shop feel an inexplicable sense of comfort.)

…was working perfectly.

A passive skill effective even on an S-rank hunter wasn’t exactly common.

“But aren’t you busy?”

“What about Hunter Oh Hyeongtaek?”

“How did you even find time to come here?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“I came because I was worried about you!”

Nara was an S-rank Healer.

One year ago, she had founded the Shinra Guild.

Originally, she’d run an entertainment company that promoted celebrity hunters through television appearances.

More recently, she’d established a Hunter guild as well.

At first…

People hadn’t thought much of the Shinra Guild.

But then…

Against everyone’s expectations…

She successfully recruited one of Korea’s only four S-rank Hunters.

Oh Hyeongtaek.

Thanks to that alone, the Shinra Guild immediately rose into Korea’s top 3 guild rankings.

I’d heard that after recruiting him…

Applications from Hunters had poured in nonstop.

I’d always known Nara was remarkable ever since our academy days.

But I’d never realized she had such incredible business talent.

“Alright.”

“Now that I know you’re okay, I have to go.”

“Already?”

“The whole world’s in chaos.”

“I barely managed to make time to come here.”

“I’ve got to catch a flight later because of Hyeongtaek.”

“…How are things inside the Gate?”

As the guild master, she almost certainly knew information that hadn’t reached the media.

I asked carefully, trying to hide how dry my mouth suddenly felt.

What if…

Because I’d delayed…

Something terrible happened to him?

“It’s unlike any gate we’ve ever seen.”

“Normally, gate entrances close after a certain amount of time, right?”

“But this one is strange.”

“People and supplies can still be sent inside.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s the good news.”

“As long as we keep sending food in…”

“They should be able to survive until someone clears it.”

“That’s why I finally relaxed a little.”

“Otherwise…”

“I would’ve torn the Japanese Prime Minister’s head off by now.”

It really was a strange gate.

Every gate I’d seen before felt as though it existed solely to kill humans.

But this one…

Almost seemed…

Fairer.

“We thought Japan’s Search Skill Hunter would clear it quickly.”

“Yeah, right.”

“And Kang Jinseo?”

“He’s locked himself in his room and won’t come out.”

“I wanted to ask him for help.”

“But he’s ignoring all my calls.”

“Another Korean S-rank Hunter is trapped in there.”

“Shouldn’t he help?”

Even while grinding her teeth in frustration…

Nara kept her voice low.

She was careful not to hurt my sensitive hearing.

“…Hey, Bitna.”

Suddenly…

Her expression completely changed.

Before I could react…

She gently took my hand.

Her eyebrows drooped pitifully.

“Could you do your big sister one favor?”

“…What is it?”

“Please tell Kang Jinseo to clear the Japan Gate first!”

“He always listened to whatever you said back then!”

“Please?”