Chapter 37
Lee Dae-soo rushed out of the office and returned shortly with guild manager Jo Hwan-woo in tow.
"Hey! What's the big idea! At least explain things before dragging me here!"
Hwan-woo appeared to have been hauled over without understanding the situation.
"Look at this. Mountain Cleaver. The Mountain Cleaver I've been desperate to obtain!"
Dae-soo excitedly jabbed his finger at the skill card on the table. Hwan-woo inspected it with widened eyes.
"Mountain Cleaver? Huh! It's genuine?"
"Right. Jun-hyeok acquired it and brought it to sell to me. I must buy this. Help me out here."
Dae-soo stared at Hwan-woo with pleading eyes - clearly unable to afford it alone.
Hwan-woo turned to Jun-hyeok: "What's your asking price?"
"Force Life appraised it at approximately 4 billion won."
"Accurate. But auctioning it could net you tens of billions more - potentially over 5 billion. Yet you're selling at 4 billion? Simply because you're a fan?"
Mountain Cleaver was a skill every tanker coveted. Auction bids would easily surpass the base valuation. Direct sales only made sense if...
"People have different values," Jun-hyeok countered. "Ultimately, it's the seller's prerogative. I'd prefer someone I know masters it rather than a stranger. Who knows? They might assist me someday."
Hwan-woo sighed. "Fair point. Dae-soo, your available funds?"
"2 billion won - my entire net worth," Dae-soo blurted instantly. "I'll be penniless afterward, but money can be re-earned."
"Exactly half... Very well. Must payment be cash? We could arrange an in-kind trade otherwise."
Jun-hyeok tilted his head at the unexpected offer.
"In-kind meaning gear?"
"Real estate, specifically. Our guild owns several investment properties - there's a 15-story building in Hapjeong-dong valued at 4.2 billion. Interested?"
The underground-3/ground-15 structure sounded promising, though Jun-hyeok insisted on inspection first. "I'll decide after seeing it."
As discussions concluded, Jun-hyeok suddenly requested: "Hunter Lee Dae-soo, might I ask a favor? Would you learn the skill now? I wish to witness this historic moment of you mastering Mountain Cleaver."
Dae-soo hesitated - the property deal remained pending - but accepted the card with trembling hands. "Seriously... learn it now?"
At Jun-hyeok's nod, Dae-soo inhaled deeply and activated the card: "Skill Acquisition: Mountain Cleaver!"
A mechanical chime echoed in his ears:
[Successfully learned skill. Access skill details via Skill Window.]
Dae-soo's face flushed with exhilaration. "I did it! HA! Finally!"
Hwan-woo congratulated him: "You and China's Wang Weiqing are now Asia's only tanks wielding Mountain Cleaver - your regional rank should skyrocket."
(Though Korea's #1 tanker, Dae-soo barely held Asia's #10 position.)
When Dae-soo demanded Jun-hyeok call him "hyung," the younger man respectfully countered: "How about 'Hyung-nim'? Hyung-nim! Might this junior shake your legendary hand?"
Their clasped hands triggered Jun-hyeok's silent command: 'Copy!'
Thus Jun-hyeok potentially gained both a 4.2-billion-won property and Mountain Cleaver simultaneously.
The Hapjeong-dong building proved nearly new, constructed right before the Cataclysm. The Taebaek Guild's legal team vacated the pristine 15th floor for Jun-hyeok's exclusive use.
Mountain Cleaver (Universal Skill) [Active] [Lv.1]
+500% weapon damage
+30% aggro generation
Ignores target defense
+20% damage per skill level
Universal skill (equippable in any deck)
Instant cast / 30-minute cooldown / 2000 Force cost
The skill synergized perfectly with Jun-hyeok's S-rank Force Weapon mastery. "With this, I could hunt E-ranks without waiting for Second Awakening," he mused, having previously limited himself to F-ranks for safety.
His accelerated Second Awakening timeline - compressed from years to six months through relentless hunting (7 monsters daily versus others' 2) - now seemed even more achievable.
"Kukuku... Who'd have thought I'd become a landlord?" Jun-hyeok chuckled, savoring his new status until -
Trrring!
An unknown number flashed on his phone.
"Yes? Hello?"
"This is Kang Ji-eun of Genesis Guild. Are you available to meet?"
The call from Korea's top damage-dealer guild leader made Jun-hyeok's lips curl. 'Perfect timing. Now I can copy those skills I missed last time... Maybe sell them Kaelan's Blessing too.'
"Of course. I'll depart immediately.”
