Chapter 58. Making Money
Pyo Na-gil was a sensitive Awakened.
As an unregistered individual committing crimes to avoid the Association’s eyes, he was adept at hiding his own claws.
With delicate Awakening control backing him up, his ability to detect magic naturally followed.
‘I could only disguise myself as a C-Class in front of him.’
Yet he completely fooled Pyo Na-gil.
‘An F-Class, but not a weakling—an Awakened.’
Su Ye-hwi etched Kim Gi-ryeo’s face into her mind.
Since this was an important time before the impending catastrophic event, it couldn’t hurt to keep an eye on risk factors.
*
I finished my meal and stepped outside.
‘Sometimes buffets are nice~’
During that time, Seonwoo-yeon texted me a lot, but none of the topics were interesting.
It talked about how the terrorists turned out to be followers of a similar religion or how foreign nationals might be involved in a series of incidents.
‘Not my problem.’
I languidly sipped on my plum tea.
“Anyway, these terrorists are stressing me out. They’re scattered everywhere, making it hard to wipe them out. Plus, they’re getting involved in other crimes too…”
“Yeah.”
“Boss stealers have been rampant again lately. They’re probably wanting to get in on the action.”
“Yup.”
“Well, someone like Gi-ryeo probably doesn’t have to worry too much.”
Crinkle.
After finishing my plum tea, I crumpled the paper cup.
Honestly, I hardly heard what Seonwoo-yeon was saying. I was too full and sleepy.
“Well, I’ll be off then.”
“Ah! Sure. Take care.”
Today, I returned safely to the gym.
And the next day, I spent my time lazing around…
It grew boring just lying in a small tent, so I sneaked out to practice magic.
The next day, 7 AM.
“Damn it!”
A refreshing start to the day.
I kicked the corpse lying at my feet and let out some curses.
How could this happen? I had gone through all that trouble to collect samples.
“Ugh!”
After testing out the minotaur’s corpse I painstakingly obtained.
It was a flop. With this trash body like Kim Gi-ryeo, I couldn’t control monsters.
C-Class, D-Class, E-Class, F-Class. I never imagined that the corpse manipulation technique wouldn’t activate in any of those ranges.
In the end, the only things I could handle were pigeons or rats at best.
“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have even stepped into that B-Class Gate. Why did Jeong Ha-seong grab me by the collar in the first place?”
Smack, smack, smack.
I vented on the useless F-Class monster’s corpse. But doing this wouldn’t change anything.
“Phew.”
Let’s calm down.
There are other ways to protect myself.
‘It can’t be helped.’
I’d once looked down on sorcerers who relied on magic tools, but now wasn’t the time to be picky.
‘Guess I really have to rely on equipment for a while…!’
The modified incense burner was destroyed by Jeong Ha-seong.
Thus, acquiring an alternative means of attack became the top priority.
There was one problem here.
‘How much do I have left in my balance?’
I had no money. None at all.
‘Damn you, Kim Gi-ryeo. You should’ve at least had some money if you lacked mana!’
Every time I felt the resource shortage, I couldn’t help but resent the owner of this body. But reincarnation is just spilled water.
‘Thinking about it, there are plenty of places where I need money. I want to change my living quarters, and I’d love to enjoy Earthling pastimes like traveling abroad.’
I pondered over how to earn money for a moment. And the result that popped into my head was…
The face of an A-Class Hunter.
“Hmmm.”
Honestly, it was a morally questionable thought.
But isn’t sucking the life out of that Earthling the easiest and most convenient method?
Working as an external appraiser could be one option.
But honestly, due to the traumatic memory of being kidnapped, I wasn’t keen on gaining notoriety in that line of work.
‘Alright. I’ve made my decision. Let’s fleece Ahn Yoon-seung.’
My resolve hardened.
It might seem like repaying kindness with malice, but I couldn’t care less. The universe’s principle is inherently cruel.
Ring, ring, ring, ring…
Having reached a conclusion, I called Yoon Seung-ah without hesitation.
Despite being in a remote mountain area, the signal went through fairly well.
Hey, hyung! How are you!
“Yeah. Yoon Seung-ah.”
Last time, I had stolen little bits carefully, not wanting to upset Yoon-seung’s mood.
But now that I realized there’s a chance for the Association employee to catch on to my wrongdoings.
From now on, I was out for a big score.
“What are you doing? Have you eaten yet?”
I opened with a friendly greeting.
*
Of course, I’m not entirely a bad guy myself.
I thought it might be time to gently nudge Ahn Yoon-seung back to his duties.
‘But first, let’s have a little victory lap, shall we?’
That A-Class Hunter wouldn’t know.
The emotions bubbling just under the surface of Kim Gi-ryeo’s dull face.
“Huh! Did you have to wait long?”
“No.”
“You’re always quick to be out here.”
Seeing Ahn Yoon-seung show up at the meeting spot, I carefully chose my words. Now, on to the main topic.
“Like I said in our earlier call, I’m thinking of entering the gate today…”
“Yes!”
“But before that, I have something to tell you. You might panic if you go in without knowing.”
Panic?
Ahn Yoon-seung blinked in response. The pierced head didn’t look very innocent, despite that.
“The place we’re entering is the A-Class Gate called ‘Golden Fragrance.’ Normal monsters, specifically Golem Patrols, will appear there.”
Finally, I got the expected reaction from Ahn Yoon-seung. His face stiffened in an instant.
“Golem…?”
But I didn’t falter and continued laying out the plan.
“Just a heads up, don’t expect too much help from me. You’re the one going to be the attacker here.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want you to clear this gate solo.”
At that, he blurted out loudly.
“How can someone like me, a novice, handle a gate of the same level?!”
It was rare for Ahn Yoon-seung to talk back.
“Plus, it’s a Golem. Golem. You know that Golems are especially hard to deal with even among monsters of the same rank!”
I waited until he finished spilling out all his protests and finally spoke when he paused for breath.
“But, how do you expect to rid yourself of the trauma if you don’t experience such a strong event?”
Kim Gi-ryeo’s body had plenty of faults.
Lungs were damaged, and mana was scarce.
So the only appealing factor left was that one.
“Ahn Yoon-seung, be honest. If a Golem stood in front of you right now, could you handle it?”
Kim Gi-ryeo’s voice had a persuasive quality.
Sound was crucial. I wished Earthlings had echolocation skills.
“Are you afraid of Golems?”
Ahn Yoon-seung quietly swallowed.
Looking at his pale complexion, it seemed he was recalling previous incidents.
“Perhaps repetitive exposure to Golems in a controlled safe space could help you slowly overcome that fear.”
“Hyung.”
“I’m not an expert in this field, and honestly, I didn’t want to resort to such extreme measures.”
Urk. My throat felt dry, perhaps due to the dry wind.
“You’re a Hunter.”
“…!”
“By profession, you’re always exposed to monsters. Just think, what if a Dungeon Break causes Golems to start appearing?”
Do you think you wouldn’t panic?
I asked him like that. Ahn Yoon-seung couldn’t easily reply.
“Distorted perceptions need correcting.”
A young sorcerer overwhelmed by fear, unable to unleash his abilities. How unfortunate.
“I’ll help you.”
That was today’s plan.
Ahn Yoon-seung would overcome his Golem trauma while I collected materials from an A-Class monster.
“Any Golem can be defeated if you know the strategy. It’s easy.”
“Strategy?”
“Right.”
Ahn Yoon-seung’s eyes widened in surprise. That was enough to pique interest.
“Do you want to give it a try?”
“Hmm.”
“If you’re unsure, you can just take down one near the entrance and leave if it gets too much.”
I gently dangled the bait. It was extremely effective.
“Huh, if you say so, hyung…”
Soon enough, the A-Class Hunter got hooked.
Before he changed his mind, I quickly said.
“Alright! Let’s apply for entrance to the gate right away!”
Yoon Seung-ah took out his phone, dazed from my urging. All he had to do now was open the Association app and get the clearance.
But then.
“W-Wait a moment.”
As Ahn Yoon-seung hesitated while manipulating his phone, he suddenly froze. Then he asked.
“But for an A-Class gate, wouldn’t you not be able to accompany me…?”
I sneaked a glance at his phone and tapped the item for him.
[Please input information.]
[Number of Attackers: 1 ■ 2 □ 3 □ …]
[Transportation: YES □ NO ■]
“Done.”
“Hyung?”
“Submit it.”
“This…”
“Do it.”
Again, Kim Gi-ryeo’s voice contained an undeniable persuasive power.
“What’s the problem?”
“Uh, um, no.”
Perhaps even this cool glint in my eye had a persuasive effect.
Thus, Ahn Yoon-seung and I arrived at a certain gate.
True to its name ‘Golden Fragrance’ there, the scenery beyond the corridor was stunning.
Whoa.
A well-maintained path.
A dark ceiling. A long, sprawling labyrinth.
It was like everything inside the pyramid was covered in gold.
“Could it really be gold?”
“I’m not sure…”
But I didn’t pay much attention to the walls here. Something more valuable was waiting for us.
“Stay still here.”
“Hyung!”
I closed my eyes. Extending my senses.
Following the familiar magic felt within the gate, I turned my head.
What caught my gaze at the end was…
‘Golem Patrol.’
An object I was familiar with.
A self-operating earthen guard powered by mana. No matter how I looked at it, it carried the technology of my hometown!
“Oh ho.”
I had thought it was strange for quite some time.
It wasn’t just the Golem; familiar flora and fauna were often discovered in the space of the gate as well.
Familiar traces of the Alphauri.
Additionally, this otherworldly space included plenty of new materials I knew nothing about.
“It’s a bit more advanced than before.”
The identities of those who created this gate were becoming clearer.
But whether I needed to prove this now or not, it was irrelevant.
“Yoon Seung-ah, are you all set?”
I turned back toward Ahn Yoon-seung at the dungeon entrance.
“Yes. Just in case, I brought a few more potions, and my gear is the usual stuff…”
“What about that?”
“Oh, that. Of course, I borrowed that too.”
Following that, Ahn Yoon-seung handed me something.
“Here you go. It’s a rare item box.”
A square box the size of a palm.
Essentially, it’s a magical bag. It allows carrying a certain amount of substances found in the gate.
“Wow, you really borrowed it. I was skeptical when we talked on the phone, but…”
“I wouldn’t ignore your words for something like this! Feel free to use it however you want!”
Heh heh.
I gripped the box tightly.
This tiny box was nearly equivalent to the price of an apartment, making my hands tremble.
“Oh right, before we enter, one more thing. I’ll take care of the core and magic stones. It’s essential info, but you’ve got no complaints about that, right?”
I confidently revealed my greed. I would make a big score this time and leave this world…
Nah, that wasn’t quite it.
Anyway, I had no intentions of using Ahn Yoon-seung any longer.
“The core and magic stones…? Uh, you’re going to tell me the strategy, and that’s all you’re asking for? Yeah, sure! If you need anything, take whatever you want!”
Even when I asked for the vital parts pivotal to the Golem, he didn’t show a hint of reluctance.
‘Better hurry up and set him free.’
Perfect.
“Follow me.”
“Yes!”
We thus set out to hunt the golem.
Fortunately, the first prey was positioned close to the entrance.
This Golem, referred to as the Patrol, surprisingly served not the military but civilian security. The emergency stop command was.
‘It uses light.’
In my hometown, sound was primarily employed, making it a rare occurrence; thankfully, Earth prioritized light signals.
“I brought this, knowing it would be like this.”
“Yeah?”
I pulled out a hidden tool.
A laser pointer bought from D○S○.
“Do you see that round jewel lodged in the Golem’s head?”
“Oh, yeah. The blue one?”
“Just direct light at it for about 10 seconds. I’m not sure of the exact brightness needed, but since consistency is key, this should be enough.”
For the reference, I’ll bill Yoon-seung later for the 10,950 won spent on that laser pointer.
“Alright, the explanation of the strategy is done, so prepare your defense skills.”
“Excuse me?”
The moment I finished speaking, I stepped forward and pressed the laser pointer’s button.
“I clearly said 10 seconds.”
Voooooom…
Click.
As soon as the light was detected, the Golem, sensing irregularities, began to awaken from its dormant mode.
