Chapter 27: The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs
‘No matter how big a heart a person has, he almost got sold abroad, and his reaction is just strange!’
Seonwoo-yeon raised her head to examine the man’s face.
A chilling atmosphere where not even a tremor can be found.
When I think about whether that’s the expression a kidnapping victim could make, my head tilts.
“…….”
The organization that had been kidnapping Awakened Ones for months was wiped out in one blow.
Even though it’s good news, Seonwoo-yeon couldn’t help but smile.
‘Could it be…?’
There was the possibility that the man in front of her had deliberately gotten kidnapped and was orchestrating the entire situation.
“Ms. Seonwoo-yeon.”
Whee-oo, whee-oo~ Amid the high-pitched siren, someone swallowed dryly.
Seonwoo-yeon tried hard to hide her tension. The F-Class Hunter looked at her and asked briefly.
“The police are starting to move around. Are you going with them, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon?”
With eyes like a snake coiled in a swamp.
*
A stormy day had passed.
“Dammit, Kang Chang-ho!”
After a grueling night of testimonies, I returned home and collapsed under the blankets.
“Because that guy ran away, I ended up sweating bullets explaining everything! Haa, I almost died.”
First a kidnapping, now a false charge.
There hasn’t been a single good thing since I reincarnated. I grumbled for a while before slowly getting up.
grrrr My stomach roared loudly, probably because I hadn’t eaten.
“Ugh, I’m starving to death.”
Good thing I had bought some bread on the way back.
I sat down, stuffing a sweet red bean bun into my mouth.
‘Well… I did get ‘that’ item from this ordeal, so I guess that’s a gain.’
And at that moment, something caught my eye while I was eating.
A round object shining golden every time sunlight hit it. A form I was pretty familiar with.
‘State abnormality magic tools wouldn’t be bad to have, at least one.’
The incense burner.
That item used by the kidnappers was now placed in one corner of Kim Gi-ryeo’s studio.
And that thing was now mine. How did it happen, you ask?
I recalled my earlier conversation with the police.
– So, you subdued the kidnappers using the incense burner, is that what you’re saying?
– Yes.
– Oh, then I guess this item belongs to you, sir?
– ?
– No wonder we couldn’t find the incense burner on their paperwork. It must’ve fallen next to them, leading us to make a mistake. I suppose you didn’t sleep since it was your own item.
– Uh…
– This is one of those types, right? Ineffective on the owner.
It seemed the tools the criminals had were extremely rare items.
Even the police didn’t know the exact effects of the item, mistaking its owner.
Thus, when the police asked me if the incense burner was mine, I confidently answered.
– Yes!
What a shocking scene it would be for the mountain spirit from the golden and silver axe story!
But what could I do? Each means was precious to me right now.
‘Even if the smoke had run out earlier and I had discarded it temporarily, this is a rechargeable magic tool I can reuse.’
If I got caught lying, I could just return the incense burner then.
Thinking this way, I lightly examined the newly acquired magic tool.
‘Hmm, it seems like it can only be used on humans. It probably wouldn’t work on beasts or monsters.’
This ordeal had been tough, but at least I got a free magic tool.
*
…And then, 24 hours later.
Hoo hoo!
I finally took my historic first step on Earth.
Hahaha!
As of today, the production of the [Magic Power Amplifier] was complete.
And after taking this potion and testing it out, I succeeded. I succeeded!
I regained my magic!
Ah… I truly am a one-in-a-hundred-years genius Great Mage. No doubt about it.
Thanks to the life-threatening kidnapping incident, I had devoted myself to frantically researching, and it paid off.
To produce this potion from poor materials on a remote planet… If the academy finds out, they’d shed tears and give me a standing ovation.
The role of the [Magic Power Amplifier] is simple.
When you take this, you can use magic for a short while. It exceeds the minimum magic power threshold necessary for casting magic.
To put it metaphorically, it supplies initial energy like a lighter’s flint.
Hoo, good. No problem with breathing.
The effect of this amplifier lasts for only about five minutes.
But that’s enough time to complete one spell.
I immediately executed my first magic on Earth.
To record this change in an Alphauri style:
[1.0.0 Changes]
●Restoration of right kneecap and calf muscle damage
●Physical state fixed (Aging paused)
Tap tap tap. I lightly jumped in place. I no longer felt the previous pains.
Kim Gi-ryeo could now finally run!
Ahh, finally!
To have a problem that had bothered me since the moment I reincarnated resolved!
But it was still early to rejoice.
The journey ahead would be a long marathon.
By checking with my own hands, it’s becoming more certain. Kim Gi-ryeo’s magic amount is really… trash!
The F-Class only had a tiny amount of magic power.
Severe damage from excessive smoking.
I couldn’t hope to recreate past glories without solving these issues.
But I…
I still haven’t properly adapted to Earth’s environment. I need to overhaul most of the spells I used back home.
The effect of reincarnation had significantly narrowed the range of magic I could handle.
I could only use very basic spells.
What the heck? Why can I use magic, yet my combat power is still like that of a dung beetle?
Moreover, with Kim Gi-ryeo’s specs, even lightly using low-level magic drained all my magic power.
Since the magic amplifier would become a problem if not drank with a certain gap, even casting one spell a day would put a strain on my body.
No way. A dung beetle would be better than Kim Gi-ryeo.
Somehow, as I grasped the reality, my mood slowly sank.
After all, the most fundamental solution to this situation was to heal my lungs.
At present, due to the decline in organ function, even the meager power of an F-Class couldn’t be smoothly operated.
The mana passing through my damaged lungs had an efficiency of at most 6-13%.
Now, I couldn’t just regain my lost reputation through health alone, but at least I had to fix my respiratory system if I wanted to live like a mage.
But… how delicate an organ the lungs were. If they were as rotten as Kim Gi-ryeo’s, it was already past the repair stage.
Now, the only option left was to completely remove the lungs and replace them with new ones.
But considering doing such a big operation on an F-Class body, I might as well switch bodies completely.
No, but to change my body, I’d have to use high-level magic, which I couldn’t due to the bad lungs…
It’s a never-ending cycle. Problems are chasing each other.
Hahaha.
Right. Let’s just stop thinking.
“I didn’t think just fixing a single leg would leave my magic empty. But whatever. A success is a success.”
I took a celebratory cola out of the fridge.
It was just as I started this self-justification.
Ding dong, ding dong ding dong! Ding dong.
“Hm?”
That sound rang out again after being quiet for a few days.
Doorbell? Is it Seonwoo-yeon?
I stopped my hand that was about to pop the cola can open and went to the front door, cracking it open just a bit.
And the face I saw was of an older man.
“Oh, student! You were home? Thank goodness! I was just about to call you. Aish.”
Some words fluttered through my mind.
“Landlord… Grandpa?”
This man appears in Kim Gi-ryeo’s memories.
Recognizing him, I opened the door wider.
“Yeah. Sorry for popping in like this. Um, but…”
I must be seeing things. He seemed to recognize Kim Gi-ryeo for the first time, which was a bit astonished.
So, I blinked my eyes wide and listened to him, but his next words made my eyelids shoot up.
“I haven’t received this month’s rent yet. Student, are you really having a hard time this month?”
Rent?
“But you know, it’s already been three months since then, so I can’t keep waiting anymore. I’m sorry.”
Three months?!
“And on my way here, the mailbox was so full I had to take it out. But it seems you haven’t paid for the management fee either?”
“Uh, um…”
“Student, this will keep causing me calls. You need to pay quickly.”
The landlord grandpa handed over the envelopes he was holding.
Most of them were documents marked as postal notifications.
“Anyway, I’ll wait until the end of this month, but if you can’t pay the overdue rent, please leave. I’m asking you.”
Fragments of memories flickered in Kim Gi-ryeo’s brain.
Rent, gas bill, electricity bill.
As those words filled my mind, I asked the old man.
“Excuse me, but how much is our rent again?”
Just to note, I currently have 3,320 won in my bank account.
“450,000 won.”
…….
“Ah, okay. I’ll contact you later.”
Thud!
I shut the front door with trembling hands and returned inside.
Then I opened the documents handed over by the landlord and fully processed the situation.
“If I can’t get 1,350,000 won in overdue rent, I’ll be kicked out of this house?”
Rent! Communication fees! Electricity bills!
A new fear washed over me.
After finally compiling the invoices rationally, I realized that the sum I needed to gather was a whopping 2,000,000 won…!
“Only 14 days until the end of this month?”
But realistically, gathering that amount within the deadline seemed difficult.
It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just the rent.
But I had to urgently resolve the electricity and water cut-off; otherwise, I’d be in trouble.
“Damn it!”
Thus, after deep contemplation, I pulled out my trump card.
Bee beep beep.
I took out my mobile phone and selected one number from the blocklist to touch.
[Unblock]
Then I pressed a button and dialed the number.
The wait wasn’t long. After three rings, the call connected.
“Hello?”
Haa…
I really didn’t want to resort to this method.
“Is this Mr. Kang Chang-ho’s number?”
I guess I’d have to ask for the ‘settlement money’ I had been holding back a bit.
*
I didn’t want to get involved with a Hunter named Kang Chang-ho, as much as possible.
That’s why after the traffic accident, I had discreetly blocked him when he reached out for a settlement.
Who would’ve thought I would end up contacting him in this way?
“Hm.”
Of course, there was value to the sacrifice.
In the end, thanks to the settlement money given by Kang Chang-ho, the urgent fire had been extinguished.
300,000 won. I couldn’t help but worry whether asking for this amount seemed odd when the culprit asked me how much I wanted.
‘I wouldn’t even know whether the information I gathered was accurate or not.’
I’m still an alien who’s clueless about Earth’s customs.
All I could do was avoid greed and ask within the range of traffic accident settlements I found online, which I thought wouldn’t be a problem.
“It’s just three months of overdue rent, but the price is insane.”
I paid off my last utility bill and checked my bank balance. There wasn’t much left. After repaying my debts, I was facing an immediate crisis.
‘Damn it, I didn’t expect I’d suddenly need this much money.’
It’s not just about covering my meal expenses.
‘Is there any good way out of this?’
I contemplated ways to make quick cash.
As you know, there are very few creatures that can be killed with a soul-draining potion.
The fire bats I caught last time were a special case. It wouldn’t be easy to use that hunting method again.
So, what can a powerless alien mage do?
Ding ding ding♪ ding ding ding♬
“What now?”
At that moment, my mobile phone rang in the previously quiet room.
I felt a rush of annoyance, thinking it might be another guild scout.
No matter how broke I was, I had no intention of making my own boss.
[Ah Yoon-seung ☎]
But when I looked at my phone’s screen, an unexpected text appeared.
Oh no! I forgot to express my gratitude due to being scattered. It seems I’m contacting you first out of worry.
I reached for the phone to pick up the call, but then I pulled my fist back and paused in the air.
“Wait a second.”
A-Class Hunter Ahn Yoon-seung.
Come to think of it, A-Class Hunters can earn thousands to millions just from one gate raid, making it a high-income profession…?
“…….”
In that instant, an idea flashed through my mind.
Honestly, it might be half a scam, but… Ahn Yoon-seung wouldn’t dislike it too much either.
