Chapter 09
The granules of magic that only trembled in place.
*’Fine. Let’s see who wins, you or me!’*
I pushed my magic into the magic stone with even greater force, enveloping the granules.
*’Now, gather!’*
*-Deudeuk.*
The granules began to move, ever so slightly.
When I used my magic, my hands had felt a chill like ice.
But now, that coldness was turning into heat.
*’Move! Faster!’*
Focusing even more on the slowly moving granules, I guided them to one place.
*-Ttuk. Ttuk.*
*-Kkagagak.*
The outer surface of the magic stone began to crumble little by little.
*’Good. Just a little more!’*
My senses faded around me.
As if only I and the magic stone existed.
The cold of the semi-basement room.
The musty, moldy smell.
I couldn’t feel any of it.
Only the surging magic granules existed.
Those that had been scattered
finally gathered in one place.
At the same time, my senses returned.
“Hoo… It’s done.”
*-Pasaak.*
The crushed remnants of the magic stone fell through my fingers.
[Have you finally finished?]
At Cheonhwi’s question, I turned my head,
and sweat dripped into my eyes, blurring my vision.
A stinging pain followed.
“Ugh. Yes. It’s done.”
I wiped the sweat from my eyes and looked at my open hand.
The refined grade 7 magic stone.
Its size was slightly smaller than a grade 9 magic stone,
but its pale purple color had turned into a deep purple.
“The magic felt is definitely different from before.”
After refining a grade 9 magic stone, I could feel a slight presence,
but with this one, after refining,
I could feel a denser magic, if I had to describe it.
[Are you satisfied with just that?]
“Isn’t this pretty good?”
[To take a whole shijin to achieve that much is quite dull-witted.]
“A shijin?”
At Cheonhwi’s words, I quickly checked the time.
[2:24 PM]
I was sure I’d returned home around lunchtime.
“Two hours have passed?!”
To think it took this long just to refine a single magic stone.
It took about ten times longer than refining a grade 9 magic stone.
*’This is too difficult!’*
[I even went to the trouble of piercing your ley line, and it takes you a shijin just to remove the turbid energy from a mere stone? Aish. What a pathetic fool.]
“This is harder than I thought.”
[That is because you are not properly utilizing the ley line.]
I wasn’t utilizing it properly?
After the ley line was pierced, I could definitely feel the magic flowing from my hands during refinement,
and I could control it more easily.
“I think I’m utilizing it well enough. I can even refine magic stones.”
[Tsk. You fool. What you did was just let water flow onto the road – that’s not utilization.]
“Let water flow?”
[Would you just pour water into an open waterway? You must fill that waterway.]
“How am I supposed to fill the waterway?”
[You’ve already done it before.]
Had I?
At that moment, something came to mind.
A time when my hand had been filled to the brim with magic.
“You mean when I caught that Yeti?”
[It seems your eyes aren’t completely useless.]
Cheonhwi’s words gave me a clue.
Utilize the ley line.
Fill the waterway.
*’Now that I think about it, my hand was overflowing with magic back then.’*
Now I knew the method.
If I could use this, refining magic stones would also become faster.
*’Then it’s a real money printer!’*
I immediately held the magic stone in my hand and activated the skill.
“Magic Discharge.”
Magic colder than ice flowed through my veins,
from my hand toward the magic stone.
*-Poljjak.*
*-Pak.*
Cheonhwi suddenly jumped in front of me,
and swung his front paw.
“Ow!”
*-Teolseok.*
“Cheonhwi-nim! Why did you suddenly slap my cheek?!”
[You fool! Have you lost your mind?!]
“What’s wrong?”
[As shabby as this place is, it still has a roof and a place to lie down. Were you planning to blow it away?!]
“Blow it away?”
[Such a foolish one! Have you forgotten when you fought that magical beast?!]
When I fought the Yeti?
At that time, with just a small piece of glass, I cut a street tree in half and
*’pierced the Yeti’s neck…’*
“Ah!”
Remembering that situation, I dropped the magic stone.
*-Tuk.*
If that small piece of glass could produce that much destructive power,
what would happen if a magic stone the size of a fist flew like that?
*’This place would be reduced to dust…’*
I could lose my only home.
Realizing Cheonhwi’s intention, I bowed my head to him.
“I’m sorry. I thought if I just used Magic Discharge like that, it would be refined.”
[Such a pathetic fool. What this Venerable One told you was to fully utilize the ley line.]
The refinement I’d been doing wasn’t utilization,
and the way I used Magic Discharge was wrong.
“How exactly am I supposed to utilize it?”
At my question, Cheonhwi shook his head and sighed.
“Aish. Just focus on your training.”
Training.
Well, it wasn’t going to be easy.
“I suppose I do need to train.”
[If you understand, then go outside and train. Don’t damage the house.]
Well, I had activated a skill that could take down a monster in an instant right at home.
I had no excuse for getting slapped.
So, where should I train?
It had to be somewhere secluded.
And I couldn’t cause any property damage.
I didn’t have the money to pay for it.
*’There’s one perfect place.’*
I immediately pulled out my smartphone and opened an app.
Seeing me, Cheonhwi asked.
[I told you to go out and train, yet you’re looking at that small piece of metal?]
“I’m looking for a Gate.”
[A Gate? You mean that place where magical beasts appear?]
“Yes. At a Gate, I can gain practical experience, and most importantly, I don’t have to pay for anything I blow up.”
[Not a bad idea. There’s no training like the real thing. But can you find one with that small piece of metal?]
“It’s an app called Gate On that recruits Gate subjugation parties. I’m using it to find nearby Gates.”
[App? Explain it so this Venerable One can understand.]
“Hmm… Like a Gate notice? Or a ledger? Just think of it as something that tells you about nearby Gates.”
[A notice… That tells you where magical beasts appear?]
“Yes. You can think of it that way.”
After finishing my explanation, I immediately scanned the listed entries.
One in particular caught my eye.
[Location: Hwaseong City F-class Gate]
[Date & Time: February 12th, 08:30 AM]
“This is it!”
The location was Hwaseong, not far away,
and the date was tomorrow.
[Have you found one?]
“Yes. There’s one tomorrow morning.”
[Now you can finally engage in proper training.]
I’d almost forgotten.
That to make my talents bloom, I needed to train.
*’I need to do it right, starting now.’*
If I honed this ley line, I could pierce the next meridian.
And as I kept piercing meridians,
*’I’ll be able to prove my true worth.’*
As I picked up the magic stone I’d dropped earlier,
Cheonhwi, who was heading for the blanket, spoke as if angry.
[You fool! This Venerable One clearly told you not to do it in the house! Do you think my words are a joke?!]
“No. I heard you clearly.”
[Then why are you holding that stone again?]
“I have to earn money. Even if it takes a long time, I need to refine it. Otherwise, I won’t even be able to pay the rent.”
At my words, he went under the blanket and curled up.
*’And as I keep refining, it might get a little faster, right?’*
“Refine.”
Magic traveled from my hand and seeped into the magic stone.
—
*-Deureureuk. Tak.*
The door opened, and I got off the bus with Cheonhwi in my arms.
[Is this the place where the magical beasts appear?]
“No. This is the Association branch where I’m selling the potions I made last night.”
[You’re not going near your dwelling?]
“The Gate I’m going to today is near here.”
[Hurry up and sell them, then guide me to this ‘Gate’ where the beasts appear.]
“Yes.”
*-Seureureuk.*
The door slid open smoothly.
Even though it was almost opening time,
the building’s interior was quiet.
There were fewer people waiting at the Association branch than I expected.
*’Well, the faster, the better.’*
I immediately took a number ticket.
[5]
After sitting on a chair for a few minutes,
an alarm sounded, and the counter began operating.
*-Ddingdong. Ddingdong.*
“Customer number 5, please come to counter 3.”
When my number was called, I headed to the counter.
“How may I help you?”
“I’d like to sell some potions.”
“There is an appraisal fee for potions. Is that alright?”
“Yes.”
“Then, please place them on the counter along with your ID.”
Following the employee’s instructions, I placed the potions and my Hunter ID on the counter.
*-Tuk.*
The employee immediately placed the potions on the appraisal device.
*-Jiiing.*
The machine whirred.
A short while later,
the employee’s eyes widened as they checked the appraisal report from the machine.
“Excuse me… Are you sure you want to sell this to the Association?”
They were asking again if I wanted to sell it.
*’Is there a problem?’*
I had definitely made it following Cheonhwi’s instructions from yesterday.
And Cheonhwi hadn’t said anything about the results.
*’Did I just waste my money?’*
“Yes. Is there something wrong with the appraisal?”
“No. It has been appraised as a grade 4 recovery potion.”
*’Phew… My heart dropped for nothing.’*
“Then it’s fine. Please process it quickly. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“Yes. The Association’s purchase price for a grade 4 recovery potion is 850,000 won, and after deducting the 50,000 won appraisal fee, that’s 800,000 won.”
“Cash, please.”
“Yes. One moment.”
The employee prepared the cash and handed it to me.
“Here is 800,000 won.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Taking the cash, I left the Association building.
[You look happy.]
At Cheonhwi’s sudden question,
I smiled brightly and answered.
“Yes. Of course I am. I made money.”
[Wipe that grin off your face and hurry up and train.]
“Yes, yes. I’m going.”
Not long after heading toward the Gate, I arrived.
It was an apartment complex.
[Is this the place where the magical beasts appear? The surroundings are surrounded by these huge boxes.]
“We need to go a little further inside. And those are apartments. They’re houses.”
[All of those are houses? Just who lives in such large structures?]
“It’s not one person. There are probably hundreds of people living in one building.”
[What?! Hundreds?! Are you saying people live in such a place, as if it’s not a prison?]
A prison.
Well, in a way, it was similar.
Since they all lived in the same type of housing.
“But it’s still better than where I live.”
[Your dwelling is so bad even the beggars of the slums would avoid it.]
“Even beggars would avoid it? Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”
[Talk to me after you get rid of that moldy smell. My nose is starting to suffer because of it.]
*-Tok. Tok.*
He touched his moist, small nose with his blunt little front paw.
*’Wow. When he’s like this, he’s really cute.’*
But I couldn’t say what I was thinking.
If I did,
*’he’d probably try to kill me.’*
“Yes. I’ll try my best.”
As we entered deeper into the forest of giant apartments,
a large crowd had gathered at the playground.
“There it is.”
As we drew nearer, hidden by the crowd,
a distorted, unidentified space came into view.
*’That’s a real Gate!’*
Even though I’d awakened and become a Hunter,
I’d never entered a Gate before.
Because I was a production-type, not a combat-type.
[That’s it. It’s emitting an ominous energy.]
“Ominous energy?”
[Don’t be afraid. It’s just turbid energy. And it’s not at a level that’s particularly dangerous for you.]
Not a level that’s dangerous?
Just being this far away,
the magic flowing from the Gate
was enough to make my hair stand on end.
*’Right. It’s just an F-class Gate. I’ve even caught a D-class Yeti. What could be dangerous?’*
“Is that so?”
As I approached the Gate,
one of the people guarding the entrance came up to me.
“This is a restricted area.”
“I volunteered through Gate On.”
“Are you a Hunter?”
“Yes.”
He was about to let me through,
but noticed Cheonhwi in my arms and immediately raised his hand.
“Wait a moment. Is that cat a pet? Pets are quite dangerous at the moment, so the entry process is strict.”
Hearing his words, Cheonhwi immediately bristled and hissed.
[Kyaaak! How dare you treat this Venerable One like a mere insect?!]
“It’s a pet! Situation! It’s trying to rampage!”
[How dare you! Reveal hostility toward this Venerable One!]
Please.
Could you just stay still for a moment?
As the situation escalated, a throbbing headache washed over me.
