Episode 14
#6 The Arrogant Artifact (4)
Originally, I had no intention of staying in this harsh environment for long, but I decided to settle in the maze and spend a few days.
This maze, with all the traps disarmed, was the perfect training ground to hone my skills without anyone's interference.
It was the perfect place to test my newly acquired abilities.
I sat down on the floor and stretched my arms forward. I tried to shoot magic out of my hands, like Iron Man from Marvel.
But all that came out was some weak smoke, not even good enough for a late-night skit, let alone Iron Man.
━Remember the route I showed you.
Ray's nagging came right on cue. Seriously, he can't keep his mouth shut, can he?
"I'm trying, but it's not exactly a walk in the park."
I get it in my head, but my body's not cooperating. It's like I've walked on two legs my whole life, and suddenly a third one pops out and I'm supposed to do a three-legged race.
Without Ray's assistance, not a single drop of mana was moving.
But if I relied only on Ray's help, my skills wouldn't improve at all. After Ray guided my mana, I tried to move mana on my own, without Ray's help, again and again.
It felt like sailing the open ocean without a compass.
All those mana circuits were just messing me up.
But after doing it over and over, I finally started to get the hang of it.
Maybe because I'd already worn myself out breaking that wall, the mana coming out of my hands was pathetic.
But I could definitely feel it.
What?
The cold.
━Focus on one thing.
"I gotta be ready for anything, since I don't know which attribute I'll need."
Since I've got all these circuits all over my body, it'd be a waste to just let them sit there, right?
I memorized five of the mana circuits that Ray had guided me through.
Fire, ice, and lightning, which seemed pretty cool.
Earth and wood, which didn't really click.
Makes sense, since I couldn't even picture those in my head.
Even though my mana was almost gone, my body's output still sucked.
No wonder all I could do was break a stone wall, even using all my strength.
"Hmm, I can't hunt monsters with this."
━The mana power in your body, your magic power, is pathetic.
Ray's tone was unbelievably arrogant and presumptuous, especially for an artifact talking to its master.
"Well, it should be enough to use against people."
Ray shouted at my words.
━What are you talking about? Against people?
"I mean, for now, I'll be dealing with people more than gates."
Ray cut off all the mana flowing through my circuits. Huh, all my strength just vanished. Seriously, he can do that?
━Didn't you say you would use your power to save this world?
"Wait, wait, just listen to me."
━There's no need to listen! I shouldn't have believed a liar like you in the first place! You're already thinking about harming people!
"Hey, that's really making a liar feel bad, you know."
I spat on the ground. Ray finally shut up after that.
"Didn't I tell you a few days ago? I'm gonna take out the trash that's ruining this country."
Either way, the biggest problem in Korea right now is those guys.
The goal has become a bit bigger, but to protect this world from the invaders, it's important to save even one more valuable Awakened being.
To do that, I have to take down the bad guys.
━So, the trash ruining the country, huh.
"It happens all the time, right? People taking out anyone who gets in their way. Those guys will kill the heroes who could save this world, just because they're in the way."
I heard what Ray said, but I still don't have a clue how to save the world. But one thing I know for sure: if I don't save those people, this world is toast.
That's exactly how it went down last time.
"I can't save the world by myself. It's not that I suck. The world wasn't meant to be saved by just one person."
━There's some truth in those words.
At Ray's words, I smiled as if to say, "See?"
━You're too good at talking your way out of things.
"Haha, that was my job in my past life."
Anyway, there's some truth in Ray's words. If I become stronger, I'll be able to deal with the destruction of this world much better.
"Can't I get strong enough to fight monsters?"
━The mana circuits you're using are only level 1.
"Level 1?"
━Yeah, mana circuits have levels. From basic ones to those you can't even touch until you're way more advanced. You can only use a tiny fraction of the circuits in your body.
If there are level 1 circuits, that means there are level 2 and level 3 ones, too.
━The best you can do right now is level 2.
"And to go higher?"
━Well, I think there was some special training, but I can't remember.
I clicked my tongue. Well, I didn't expect much. Things are never that easy for me.
Still, it's good that I can use stronger techniques. No idea how strong level 2 is, though.
I stood up from my spot.
With Ray's help, I could pretty much use level 1 of five attributes.
Even if I can't raid gates, this is enough to clean up that place I'm thinking of.
My cracked ribs and bruises were healed. Ray boosting my recovery helped, too (he said he'd been using a level 1 recovery effect while I was asleep).
━Where are you going?
"Now that I'm pretty much healed, I'm gonna head out. I think I've got a handle on my abilities."
To that place with those real scumbags, the ones who are the first domino to fall in this world's destruction.
━With that little power?
"It's enough."
Those guys are weak as hell. I left Ray's worries behind and got out of that damn cave.
"You cleaned up on that raid, why the long face?"
Kim Myeong-cheol, Guild Master of the Red Dog Guild, slapped Jung Ho-san on the back. His hand tingled. Jung Ho-san was the one who got hit, but it was Kim Myeong-cheol's hand that hurt.
"Damn, your muscles are solid."
Kim Myeong-cheol said, chuckling. Jung Ho-san scratched the back of his neck with an awkward expression.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, what are you apologizing for? I hit you!"
He'd brought Jung Ho-san, an A-rank Hunter who was solid as a rock, into the guild three months ago.
In just three months, Jung Ho-san had become a 5-star Hunter, more than earning the title of Red Dog's rising star.
He's still 5-star because he hasn't done enough yet, but he'll be 6-star soon.
Skills, personality, and a body that'd make any bodybuilder jealous. He's a good-looking guy, too. If I had a daughter, I'd want him as a son-in-law in a heartbeat.
In this gate raid, he showed guts you wouldn't expect from a newbie and played a huge part in taking down the final boss.
He'd even promised to make him armor from the boss monster's leather, but Jung Ho-san still looked down.
"Is something wrong?"
"I can't get in touch with my friend."
"No contact?"
Kim Myeong-cheol's face fell. Before gates, it'd be different, but ever since they showed up, people got nervous about anyone going 'missing'.
Could something have happened to him?
"When was the last time you contacted him?"
"It's been over ten days. I messaged him right after the raid, but no reply."
"Hmm."
Kim Myeong-cheol sighed and stroked his chin as he asked.
"Did you check his place?"
"I went there, but it was empty."
"Anyone else you can hit up?"
"No. He's kinda shy."
The more they talked, the more serious things got. Kim Myeong-cheol thought for a second and said.
"There haven't been any gate incidents lately."
As an Awakened with serious talent, he believed it was his duty to raid gates and protect the people.
So he was sure: Jung Ho-san's friend's disappearance had nothing to do with gates.
"Is the friend you're talking about that one guy? That..."
Kim Myeong-cheol tried to remember his name, but all he could think of were insults like 'shame of Babel' and 'half-wit'.
To Kim Myeong-cheol, Jung Ho-san said.
"Kang Yi-shin. You met him a few times."
"Ah, right. Kang Yi-shin."
Unlike Jung Ho-san, he was scrawny and shifty-eyed, not someone you'd trust. And unlike Jung Ho-san, who joined the guild on his own merit, this guy had no talent, so no guild would take him.
'I even offered to let him join as a grunt, but he was too proud and turned it down.'
He didn't like the guy, but he knew Yi-shin was the only family Jung Ho-san, an orphan, had.
So it made sense he was bummed out. Tsk, Kim Myeong-cheol clicked his tongue. But then, he had a great idea.
A way to finally get Jung Ho-san, who still kept his distance even after all their work together, on his side.
Find his friend. Guys like Jung Ho-san, who just quietly do their job, are suckers for that kind of thing.
Kim Myeong-cheol, always thinking on his feet, asked Jung Ho-san.
"What kind of work did he say he was doing?"
"He said he was doing gate mining."
"Hmm."
At those words, Kim Myeong-cheol nodded. He'd heard that Awakened miners sometimes got tempted into doing shady stuff, and he wondered if that was what happened.
"I'll look into it for you."
"Really?"
Jung Ho-san looked surprised, and Kim Myeong-cheol thumped his chest.
"Ho-san, didn't I tell you? I got your back. It's only natural I'd look into this for you."
"But Guild Master..."
"Hey! I told you, call me hyung."
Kim Myeong-cheol said, patting Jung Ho-san's shoulder.
"So don't worry and hang tight. This hyung has connections. I'll find him."
"Thank you!"
Jung Ho-san bowed his head.
'He's a sucker for friendship.'
He'd offered him a huge signing bonus and even an apartment, but he barely reacted. Now, just saying he'd find his friend, and the guy bows his head.
'To get Ho-san on my side for good, I have to find Kang Yi-shin, no matter what.'
And so, things started moving in a direction Kang Yi-shin definitely didn't want.
