Chapter 28. The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs (2)
First, I answered the phone.
“Uh, Yoon Seung-ah. Thanks to you, I got out of there okay yesterday. Me? I’m fine, really. Not a scratch on me.”
Swish. I carefully turned my gaze out the window and started my work cautiously.
“So, I really want to thank you by treating you to a meal…”
My alien neighbor, Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter, innocently took the bait.
“Do you want to come out for a bit? I have something to talk about.”
*
“I’d like an iced Americano.”
What on earth is that thing?
A little later.
Ahn Yoon-seung and I ended up at a nearby franchise café.
Since he insisted that he didn’t need to treat me to an expensive meal, he dragged me here instead.
“I’m fine with just a coffee, really! I’ll enjoy it, Hyung.”
The problem is, just the smell of the coffee here makes this alien’s stomach churn.
“I’ll take the BEST menu item… um, vanilla latte.”
I struggled to choose from the long list of complex names.
Vanilla. That word somewhat came to mind.
“Are you a fan of sweet things?”
Looks like what I just ordered is a sweet drink.
I shook my head lightly while settling the bill.
“Not really; it’s just that I can’t drink coffee.”
“Huh? A vanilla latte has a shot in it, though.”
“What did you just say?”
Wait a minute. Huh?
“That menu item… does include caffeine…”
“Excuse me! Please take the coffee out of what I ordered. Anything that smells like coffee!”
Thud. I grabbed the person about to make the drink and urgently conveyed my message. The barista, looking bewildered, said they understood.
‘Damn it.’
It’s starting off rocky.
But I took a deep breath and sat down. Now it was just a matter of calmly chatting with Yoon-seung.
“By the way, I was shocked yesterday. I heard you were suddenly kidnapped… Is Gi-ryeo Hyung really okay?”
“Uh, yeah.”
As soon as we sat at the table, Yoon-seung asked with a worried expression.
I gladly answered and pondered how to throw in some breadcrumbs.
“I heard the story. You were subduing a Dungeon Break at midnight yesterday, right?”
“Yes. Something happened overnight.”
Let’s start with a little bit of probing.
“I’m really sorry. To be honest, the situation there was quite dire. I genuinely wanted to help, but I had to defer to Seonwoo-yeon Hunter first…”
I brushed aside Ahn Yoon-seung’s apology and took control of the conversation.
“It’s fine. You worked hard until late at night.”
First, let’s lighten the mood with some kind words.
“But Yoon-seung, you’ve been handling Dungeon Breaks a lot these days?”
“Yes?”
“How long has it been since you entered a Gate?”
“That… well…”
“Excluding the times you were with me.”
Ahn Yoon-seung clenched his lips tight.
Observing the reaction of this A-Class Hunter, I continued.
“Is it that you’re still struggling? Because of what happened last time.”
“….”
“So, you’re scared to enter the Gate?”
Rumble, rattle.
As Yoon-seung hesitated, a small vibrating bell rang on the table.
“Stay here. I’ll get it.”
I left briefly to give him time to prepare his response.
When I returned with the finished drink, he finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“Yes. It’s still… difficult for me to return.”
The sudden encounter with a top-tier A-Class monster.
Betrayal from trusted colleagues. The fear of death that had loomed so close.
It was a significant trauma for a college student just over 20 years old. I understand.
“But Yoon Seung-ah.”
Nevertheless, I had to say this.
“That doesn’t mean you can keep following me indefinitely. I’m an F-Class Hunter, you know.”
“Yes…”
“You need to start building your own team again or prepare to work as a solo Hunter. Do you understand this?”
Ahn Yoon-seung nodded listlessly, looking like he was about to pass out at the thought I would abandon him.
Am I a fool?
Why on earth would I abandon him?
“So I’ve been thinking…”
I brought up my main point in as kind and careful a tone as possible, trying not to unsettle Ahn Yoon-seung.
“If you’re okay with it, during this hiatus, I’d like to train you.”
“…! Really?”
“I can help with skill usage or magic power control to some extent. Once you’re corrected, you should become stronger than before.”
“Are you serious?”
Ahn Yoon-seung jumped in surprise, spilling half his coffee.
“Of course, I need your permission.”
“I, I’d love that! It’s not just anyone but you, Hyung, giving me training! But really, can I receive such an extravagant favor?”
“Of course. It’s a deal.”
That’s a catch. He took the bait smoothly; it feels good!
“You need to get stronger, and naturally, your confidence will grow, and you’ll shake off the anxiety about Gates quickly.”
I listed all the reasons to coax Yoon-seung, hammering the final nail.
“Since we’re talking about it, why don’t we check out a suitable Gate nearby?”
“Ah! Got it!”
Ahn Yoon-seung, upon hearing my proposal, immediately started searching for Gates without any hesitation.
He has no idea what schemes I might have up my sleeve while he’s so pleased.
‘Heh heh.’
I took a sip from my mug in celebration of how smoothly things were going.
“Eh? This isn’t bad at all.”
“The shot-less vanilla latte…?”
Even though it had cooled down a bit, it wasn’t bad.
And a few minutes later…
Hehehe, just as planned…
Having successfully fished Ahn Yoon-seung, I immediately headed toward the Gate.
The nearby D-Class Gate. Maximus Temple.
This place is said to share the same scenery as several Gates that appeared in the past.
‘Maybe that’s why there’s a lot of information on the internet.’
This place is infamous for having a terrible drop rate for magic stones, making it unpopular.
Thanks to that, we could almost rent out the temple entirely.
“Let’s see…”
Upon arriving at the outskirts of the temple.
We halted in a quiet passage where no monsters passed, and I immediately said to Yoon-seung.
“You’ve awakened a defensive attribute, right? Can you show me your main skills?”
“Sure! But, by the way, you mentioned you’d teach me how to use skills—are you also in the defensive category…?”
“Not at all, but just try anything.”
“It’s been a while since I demonstrated a skill, so I’m a bit nervous. Haha.”
Then Ahn Yoon-seung cast his skill.
According to what I found on the Pixiwiki site, this was the name of the magic.
[Shield of Protection (Active)]
[Description: Creates a barrier of magic in front of the user. Larger sizes are achieved with greater mana consumption.]
Now that I think about it, the jargon Hunters use has a lot of similarities to game terminology on Earth…
Well, that’s that.
“Go!”
I took a quick look at the magic Ahn Yoon-seung unleashed.
With a short shout, the magic he released was clearly a defensive spell.
A shining blue shield-like barrier enveloped the front. Those wings drawn on the shield—perhaps a reflection of the caster’s unconscious mind.
“How does it look?”
“I’ll just say one thing.”
I couldn’t help but blurt out a thought upon seeing the barrier.
“Why are you only blocking the front?”
I expected it, but there were too many things to fix…!
“Pardon? Well, because that’s how this skill works, I guess? It’s always activated this way since I first awakened.”
It was like watching chimpanzees clumsily peel bananas with a knife. They’re practically squashing the bananas.
That’s not how you hold it; that’s not how you use it!
I fought down my frustration and continued speaking.
“Yoon-seung, that skill is meant to protect not just the front but the entire area.”
“Eh?”
“Instead of expanding flatly in front, it should wrap your body like a glass dome. After all, the consumption will be similar.”
However, Ahn Yoon-seung tried casting the skill a few more times, then said with confusion.
“I’m sorry, but while I can increase the size, the shape doesn’t change at all… It’s impossible.”
If I were skilled at manipulating my facial muscles, one eyebrow would have raised at this moment.
“What’s so impossible about that easy thing?”
I stepped closer to Yoon-seung and placed my fist on his abdomen.
Then I pressed down on the area known as the solar plexus and offered my advice.
“That’s your prejudice. It can definitely be done. Think of your solar plexus as the center of the skill and spread the magic out evenly like a sphere.”
“Like a sphere?”
“It’s fine if the boundary blurs a bit; just focus on releasing the magic first. Quickly.”
Though a bit forceful, Ahn Yoon-seung seemed momentarily flustered, but I didn’t stop my guidance.
“Keep your waist straight! Exhale. Don’t lose that image in your head. No, not like that! I’m not saying to spill the magic!”
After an extensive 20 minutes of my Sparta-like training, we finally saw results.
“Is this how…? Huh! Did it, did it work? Hyung! This really worked, right?”
Yes. Didn’t I say so?
“But I can’t move even a step, ah! It broke!”
“It’s fine. You’ll improve as you keep practicing.”
This level of correction isn’t too difficult.
Though it’s in an unstable shape, Ahn Yoon-seung successfully changed the skill’s application.
If he continues like this, he’ll soon be able to use a barrier that covers all blind spots.
“Unbelievable. I had no idea such a method was hidden in my skill…”
Ahn Yoon-seung gasped from the sudden mana drain, his face filled with excitement.
I stared at him and slowly spoke.
“Ultimately, skills depend on your mindset.”
Mana is significantly influenced by the caster’s imagination. So, those with a bit of arrogance or confidence have a higher chance of becoming great mages.
I recalled the common sense of my hometown and kept my mouth shut.
“Well, shall we finish up? Let’s practice using it in a real fight this time.”
Returning from my short contemplation, I immediately moved on to the next agenda.
Now I need to focus. This is the highlight of the entire plan.
“Skill proficiency increases the more you use it against monsters.”
Under the pretense of training, I instructed Ahn Yoon-seung to face the monsters in this Gate using his skills.
As a result, he eagerly led the way, taking down the monsters.
“This is easy enough!”
Thud, crack!
The moving monster statues crumbled without resistance. With the overwhelming power difference as expected, his soul soared.
Good. The time has finally come.
“Y-Yoon Seung-ah~ Make sure to watch your surroundings while hunting~ Understood~?”
Quietly.
I approached the corpses of the monsters he had defeated.
And quickly crouched down to start collecting the remains in my previously prepared messenger bag.
‘I was told magic stones and the gems on their heads would fetch a good price, right?’
Basically, I was secretly committing theft of someone else’s loot.
‘There are more magic stones than I expected.’
This was my true intent.
Using the excuse of training his skills to induce him to hunt and collect items dropped by an A-Class!
It’s a genius business plan. Why go through the trouble of directly defeating the monsters?
‘With this, I can last a month.’
Of course, there were more straightforward methods to get cash.
I could just ask for money or tell him to defeat some monsters for me.
But that’s the sort of thinking a reckless gambler would have.
If I honestly asked for money and angered an A-Class, that would be the end for me.
‘I can’t bring up money with Ahn Yoon-seung. I need to collect a modest amount without him noticing.’
You can’t slit the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs.
While that Hunter focused on practicing, I gathered an appropriate amount of magic stones and stood up.
“Ahn Yoon-seung, how are you doing? Are you starting to get the hang of it?”
But right after that, I noticed something strange about Ahn Yoon-seung’s reaction.
I had clearly asked a casual question, but for some reason, he didn’t answer for a long while.
He just looked at me, lost in thought.
With a very serious expression.
“Hmm.”
Something’s off; I feel a tingle in my right foot again.
Is it because I’m a thieving little rat?
