“Is that some kind of smell like grass?”
“Tap…”
“I never thought the smell would be this strong…”
“Is there a forest inside it or something?”
“Tap… Tap-tap!”
If Rainy keeps growing like this, it might as well become a forest, so it’s fair to say so.
“Hmm…”
Yeon-hee opened her eyes slightly to look at me, then hurriedly got ready for work.
*Sigh… But why do I have to make excuses?*
I shook my head and thought I should tell her about the changes in the space I’m about to enter.
Swoosh—
I enjoyed the sight of Yeon-hee showering with my senses.
Her slim waist contrasted with her chest and hips, always making my heart race.
Thanks to that, I felt a third leg rising that wasn’t even there.
*What the… how am I feeling this way? I should get my head straight. Shall I try to make a small house out of some interesting stones?*
I decided to try making a stone house big enough for Wang-wang to fit in before Yeon-hee came out.
“Wang-wang?”
How did he know? Wang-wang appeared right next to me like a ghost.
*Just wait a moment. I’ll build your house for you.*
“Wang-wang!”
As I started pulling out stones one by one, Wang-wang stared at them blankly, then as if competing, he began spitting out mana stones from his tail.
*Whoa… High-grade mana stones. This guy keeps increasing in value – wait?*
Among the mana stones being spit out, there was one I had never seen before.
*What is this?*
A mystical stone that changed colors depending on the angle you viewed it.
As I grabbed it, information popped up.
[Low-grade Equipment Enhancement Stone]
– Can enhance equipment (excluding accessories) once.
– As the grade increases, enhancement stats rise.
*… Enhancement Stone?! Really?!*
Equipment enhancement that can only be done using special items like crystals with a skilled blacksmith’s meticulous processing.
But this one stone can do that?
*Well, if it’s the energy stored by eating the corpses of so many monsters, it might be possible. The traces of life are incredible.*
I pulled out the great sword from my space with trembling hands.
=====
Unnamed Kadinite Great Sword
– A work of a blacksmith who has not yet gained fame. By combining rare materials with blooming talents, it was born as a great sword with performance far superior to its mana stone grade.
– Attack Power +55
– Durability: 577/950
– Enhancement Count: 0/2
=====
The description of the great sword now included the term “enhancement count,” which I’d never seen before.
*So I can enhance it twice? Not that many times?*
Just in case, I pulled out the artifact I had obtained from the hidden spot in the Ent Forest dungeon.
=====
Dagger of the Sage Argen for Protection
– A dagger cherished by the sage Argen of the ancient Isilia Kingdom.
– Attack Power +24
– Defense Power +10
– Enhancement Count: 0/5
=====
*Whoa! I can enhance this five times, right?*
Is the artifact genuinely on another tier?
*Hmm… I can’t waste a low-grade enhancement attempt on something I won’t be able to find again. I’ll use it on the great sword since I’ve already requested a new great sword at the forge last time.*
*Oh, wait. I need to ask Yeon-hee for permission first.*
When Yeon-hee came out after her shower, I showed her the enhancement stone, and she nodded, saying I could use it first.
“Oh my, our pretty Wang-wang is a total lucky charm! Nobody in the world knows about this talent~”
“Wang-wang! Crinkle, crackle, Wang!”
I sliced some big boar thigh meat off the bone and gave it to him, and after chewing a few times, he swallowed it whole, then gave me a look asking for the whole big boar.
*… Here you go.*
He produces more than he consumes. No need to hold back.
I even added a Hanjaring on top of the big boar.
“?!”
Then, Wang-wang completely ignored the big boar and started gulping down the Hanjaring feathers.
“Whoa… Wang-wang, at least pull out the feathers first.”
Crunch- Crickle- Crunch-
But defying our concerns, he soon spat out a clump of feathers from his mouth.
“Wow— he’s got everything he needs to eat. Our Wang-wang.”
*What an amazing guy he is.*
I urgently needed to research the monster called Earth Puppy.
*Alright. I’ll use the enhancement stone.*
I couldn’t hold back anymore.
– Enhancing the unnamed Kadinite great sword with the low-grade enhancement stone.
With a message, the enhancement stone melted into liquid, floated in the air, and covered the great sword in a thin layer.
– The unnamed Kadinite great sword has been enhanced!
*It’s proceeding smoothly.*
Due to its low-grade nature, the enhancement process proceeded without any significant effects.
“Looks like there’s not much difference visually, huh?”
“Tap-tap-tap.”
– Attack Power +61 (+6)
– Durability: 1000/1000 (+50)
– Enhancement Count: 1/2
*Whoa… Attack power increased by about 10%, and the durability has completely recovered?*
Considering that it was low-grade, the effect was substantial.
Especially the complete recovery of durability was impressive.
With higher-quality gear, the maintenance costs tend to be the most burdensome.
Thanks to the Dwarf Guild monopolizing the special position of being blacksmiths.
They have been steadily raising repair costs annually, more than double the rate of inflation.
“Wow— it’s better than I thought. Hey, Wang-wang? Can you produce enhancement stones every day?”
“Wang-wang?”
Wang-wang tilted his head as if pondering for a moment before barking energetically.
“Yay~! Our Wang-wang is the best!”
“Hehe— Wang-wang.”
*Oh… So one enhancement stone gets produced daily…*
Rather than worrying about how many stones I can get from limited gear, raising the grade is urgent.
*I’m already giving him plenty of bones from those I caught from the Frog Folk.*
I’ve been giving him leftover bones from making skeleton bombs, but I should also hand over some core materials like skull bones.
“I’ll go change my clothes.”
Nodding—
I organized my thoughts and infused energy into the stone I had taken out.
Fifteen minutes of using magic and sense to bind the stones together.
“Tap… Tap-tap…!”
*Ugh— I’m dying here. Why is this so hard?*
I could do this pretty easily when I was in the Dark Space, but once I came outside, it felt like it was exactly three times harder.
With the mana expenditure and mental fatigue being overwhelming, I felt that pushing further would disrupt today’s schedule, so I quickly stopped.
*It’s better to prepare structural chunks in that space in advance.*
Still, I managed to build a small house made of walls without a roof in a short amount of time.
Wang-wang started chewing the meat deliciously, showing interest only after the stone house was somewhat completed.
He approached stealthily and began inching his fluffy rear inside.
“Kyiing- Ngk…!”
*It’s small… too tight.*
The small house was too tiny for Wang-wang, who had turned into a pig.
But he wriggled and stuffed his body into the stone house.
“Wang-wang… Wang-wang!!”
Wang-wang barked as if he was very satisfied with the perfectly sized house, looking at me.
*What are you, a cat…?*
Yeon-hee came out after changing her clothes and looked perplexed at the stone house that suddenly appeared in the living room.
“Eh? What’s that? A black brick?”
I explained it was a mix of the fragments I broke on the floor in the Dark Space, and Yeon-hee looked at me curiously rather than the brick.
“Just how far do you plan to go?”
“Tap?”
“Ah, no… being multi-talented is a good thing, right?”
Yeon-hee showed a slight anxious look as she chewed on her nails.
Is it the feeling of a superior seeing a subordinate who’s too capable?
“Hmph! Fine! I’ll work harder too! Let’s go, Il-wol.”
“Tap-tap-tap!”
Now we no longer needed to use public transport.
We arrived in front of the Gate in a flash, where Noh Ha-yoon was already waiting.
*I thought they’d be late, but they showed up early for work again?*
To confirm whether the slightly embarrassing message related to her was what I thought it was, I subtly scanned Noh Ha-yoon’s private area.
*… It’s definitely there. My dagger’s energy is lingering below her.*
How much had I hit her with the bone dagger for my energy to be subtly residing there.
I was even worried that if Yeon-hee caught on to the scent of Rainy, it would cause a stir.
Subtly—
Noh Ha-yoon kept glancing at me, her face turning red.
When our eyes met, she awkwardly looked away and started whistling.
*Information collection at 92%… almost there. It might reach 100% soon!*
Will the duration of [Mimicry] really extend as I expect?
I’ll find out soon enough.
Unexpectedly arriving behind Noh Ha-yoon was the perennial latecomer, Ham Eun-young.
But Hayeon and Eun-young exchanged glances, creating a strange atmosphere. I didn’t want to know what they were up to after work.
*… I don’t care. You two do whatever makes you happy.*
Thinking they’d settled into a satisfactory mutual relationship, I continued producing daggers from my pocket.
Now, over 300 daggers were produced at increased speed.
Unlike skeleton bombs, there’s no storage limit, which is great. Plus, I can recover them if needed.
*I wonder if I could use daggers with the Manhwa Portal?*
If the daggers are released along with the shells, it would be incredibly powerful.
“Alright! Should we give it a shot today?”
With Baek Ah-rin’s enthusiastic signal, we entered the Frog Folk dungeon on the second day.
Surprisingly, the day passed without any notable incidents.
Time moved on, marking the third day since we ventured into the Frog Folk dungeon.
Last night, the Master had not made an appearance in the Dark Space.
*It’s not like he suddenly isn’t showing up, is it?*
I felt a bit anxious.
Thinking about it, what was the Master doing when I wasn’t around?
Even in my stream of consciousness, Yeon-hee’s quest support proceeded smoothly.
I’d probably be able to complete the quest today.
That way, I could summon a creature I had never seen before.
*I’m looking forward to it.*
Even with minimal involvement on my part, our party members were clearing the exploration smoothly enough to feel bored.
Yet, staying in this dungeon for three days was primarily due to Joo-ah and Ah-rin’s desire.
They insisted on staying longer, saying they didn’t have full confidence in overcoming this dungeon, and today they finally showed signs of complete adaptation.
Near the end of the exploration, Ah-rin shouted as if she couldn’t hold it back.
“Aah! We just need to get through today!”
Noh Ha-yoon frowned and clicked her tongue.
“That’s why I said let’s just go to the Dire Wolf dungeon today.”
“No way! Today was clearly essential! We need a little more confidence!”
“There’s no party that only stays in one dungeon for three days… We were insane for jumping after just one day.”
Bae Joo-ah supported Ah-rin’s opinion, and Ha-yoon fell silent.
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