Had I really spent 50,000 won on an old jewelry box?
I had forgotten all about that a long time ago.
Naturally.
The Mana Stones alone were already valuable.
And after selling the Golden Centipede Carapace, I returned with a reassuringly thick bundle of cash in my hands.
"A whole three million won! Hahaha! Forget jokbal and chicken! Today, we're having beef!"
-Waaah? Waaah?
| [Fire(EX) asks what beef is.] |
| ----------------------------- |
"It's so delicious that chicken and jokbal can't even compare!"
-Waaah!!
| [Fire(EX) shouts, 'Amazing!'] |
| ----------------------------- |
With this much money, ordering delivery would be a waste.
I headed toward Majang-dong.
It was time to finally fill my empty stomach with something rich.
Before that, I sent one million won to my parents.
Two million would be more than enough for everything I needed.
My parents were the ones who needed money more urgently.
The moment I sent it, my phone rang.
"Chanyoung! Where did this money come from?"
It was my mother.
She was probably shocked because this was the first time I had ever given her money instead of asking for some.
She knew my circumstances all too well.
I had barely been scraping by while jumping from one part-time job to another.
I was about to tell her that I had awakened, but stopped myself.
I did not want to make her worry.
I could visit them later and explain everything slowly.
"I got a job at a small company recently. I received my salary."
"Oh, goodness. Things must be hard for you too. You should use it yourself."
"I wanted to spend my first paycheck on the family. I'm a full-time employee now, so I'll be getting paid regularly. Don't worry too much about me. You and Dad have it harder."
Even if my parents never had another child, they already had more than enough family members to take care of.
"All right. Thank you. We'll use it well."
"Nothing's happened at home, right?"
"Nothing special. These little brats have grown up a bit and stopped listening to me."
I thought of my younger siblings who had reached adolescence.
Even after raising several children through puberty, my mother apparently still had not gotten used to it.
"What about Dad? He's healthy, right?"
"Of course. He's as lively as ever. More importantly, when are you coming down? It's already been three years. I'm starting to forget what my eldest son's face looks like. Come visit us."
"All right. I'll come down when I get some time off."
Thankfully, nothing unusual had happened at home.
We chatted about this and that while asking after each other, and eventually the call naturally came to an end.
Not because either of us wanted to hang up.
"That's mine! Why is the pig touching it?! Now it's dirty!"
"You don't even wash your hands after taking a dump, and you dare talk about something being dirty?"
"I-I do wash my hands!"
Yep.
That was my family.
Not a single peaceful day.
"Take care of yourself!"
"You too, Mom."
And with that, the call ended.
After talking for a while, I arrived at Majang-dong before I knew it.
For today, at least, I was going to live like a king when it came to meat.
Since I planned to fill my stomach with beef, I ordered generously.
"Five servings of assorted beef, please."
The table was prepared in no time.
Even the fire was charcoal rather than gas.
Mm.
The finest kind of fire.
Once the grill heated up, I carefully placed the meat on top.
SIZZLE.
"Ahhh, even the sound is incredible."
The taste was even better.
It practically melted in my mouth.
How long had it been since I last ate beef?
This was not food.
It was art.
-Waaah!
| [Fire(EX) asks you to give him some too!] |
| ----------------------------------------- |
"All right. I'll give you some too. Here."
-W-Waaah! Waaah!
| [Fire(EX)'s eyes sparkle brightly.]
| [Fire(EX) falls under the spell of beef.] |
| ----------------------------------------- |
His eyes flew wide open.
It seemed he had realized it too.
There were things in this world even more delicious than jokbal.
Overwhelmingly so.
Judging by the speed and quantity he was eating, five servings would not be nearly enough.
Ordinary food barely filled his Hunger, so there was no real need to feed him this much.
But if he liked it, I might as well let him enjoy himself.
-Waaah! Waaah!
| [Fire(EX) says it's incredibly delicious!]
| [Fire(EX) desperately wants to eat more!] |
| ----------------------------------------- |
"Fine. I'll order more. But you have to stay hidden and let me feed you from inside my clothes, okay?"
-Waaah!
| [Fire(EX) nods as though that is only natural.] |
| ----------------------------------------------- |
"Excuse me! Eight more servings of assorted beef!"
And just like that, he started listening to me properly.
I felt like I was slowly learning how to handle him.
'I heard every Spirit likes different things.'
Fire, apparently, was absolutely obsessed with food.
His eating habits were strange too.
He ate beef together with Mana Stones.
Almost like he was making wraps out of them.
The beef must have suited his tastes particularly well, because he ate it together with the precious C-Rank Mana Stone.
He slowly savored every bite before breaking into a blissful grin.
'I wonder how much Hunger a C-Rank Mana Stone fills.'
Surely it would live up to its higher rank.
| ❰Hunger: (1,340/4,000)❱ |
| ----------------------- |
'It went up by 1,000?'
So, to summarize—
"F-Rank gives 10, E-Rank gives 20, D-Rank gives 100, and C-Rank gives 1,000! Is that right? And higher-ranked Mana Stones give even more?"
-That is correct. The higher the rank, the more Hunger it restores.
That settled it.
Quantity was good, but I needed to feed him higher-ranked Mana Stones.
That way, he would grow faster and be more satisfied.
Reaching Level 5 should not take long at all.
-Waaah! Waaah!
| [Fire(EX) tells you to hurry up and give him more.]
| [Fire(EX) says you must not interrupt the flow.] |
| ------------------------------------------------ |
"You want more beef? I already grilled some. Just take it yourself and... Huh? Where did it all go?"
I had barely eaten a few bites myself.
Yet in the blink of an eye, every piece of beef I had grilled was gone.
I looked at Fire's mouth.
His lips were glistening with beef fat.
While I had been looking at his Status Window, the bastard had devoured all eight servings.
What kind of pig was this?!
"No. That's enough. I need to eat too. I know I told you to eat, but how could you devour all of it by yourself?"
WHACK!
"Agh! That hurts! Why did you hit me?!"
This was one thing I could not tolerate.
I did not care that the people around me were staring at me strangely.
I would defend my beef with my life.
To give the conclusion first—
"Fine. Eat as much as you want."
-Waaah~.
| [Fire(EX) smiles innocently.] |
| ----------------------------- |
"Sigh."
I lost.
What else could I do when he threatened not to help me anymore?
I had merely chosen to let him win.
Yes.
That was definitely it.
I let him win.
Damn it!
And so, the next day—
It seemed leveling him up would not be nearly as easy as I had thought.
| [Hunger has reached 4,000!]
| [Fire(EX)'s Level increases by 1!] |
| ---------------------------------- |
| ❰Fire(EX) Lv. 4❱
❰Possessed Skill: Hellfire(EX)❱
❰Hunger: (0/8,000)❱
……A new skill will be unlocked upon reaching Lv. 5
| ……Lee Chanyoung will unlock a new skill upon reaching 8,000 Hunger |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
"...It doubled again."
So much for reaching Level 5 quickly!
Even all the Mana Stones I had obtained from clearing the jewelry box's trial were not enough to reach 8,000.
There was nothing more to think about.
"I'll have to enter Gates."
I could not simply enter them whenever I wanted.
First, I had to prove that I was Awakened and obtain a Gate Access Pass.
But before that, I checked my new skill.
| [Successfully reached 4,000 Hunger.]
| [Skill, 'Veil of Darkness(C),' acquired!] |
| ----------------------------------------- |
| <Veil of Darkness(C)>
| Description: A Dark Spirit thoroughly conceals your power. No one can easily expose what lies hidden. |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
It was not invisibility.
It was a Passive Skill that I could turn on and off whenever I wanted, and it blurred my very presence.
Even if someone noticed me, they would not be able to immediately discern my power.
"Oh! This is pretty good."
I decided to test its capabilities later and headed up the Trial Tower first.
It was another opportunity to obtain Mana Stones and monster byproducts.
Only an idiot would pass that up.
The 2nd Floor was the same.
Another monster-hunting trial.
The only difference was that Goblins had been replaced by Hobgoblins.
It did not matter.
One attack was enough.
| [Fire(EX)'s possessed skill, 'Hellfire(EX),' activates.] |
| -------------------------------------------------------- |
KABOOOOOOOM!
ROOOOAR!
| [You have cleared the 2nd Floor of the Trial Tower!]
[Hobgoblin: 1,000/10]
| [Hobgoblin Shaman: 1/1] |
| ----------------------- |
| [You have completely annihilated the entire Hobgoblin Settlement on the 2nd Floor of the Trial Tower!]
[A new record has been achieved!]
[The Trial Tower 2nd Floor World Ranking has been updated to Rank 1!]
| [Clear Time: 1 second] |
| ---------------------- |
| [You have succeeded in overwhelmingly clearing the 2nd Floor of the Trial Tower!]
[Hobgoblin Claw × 33 has been awarded!]
[Hobgoblin Hide × 45 has been awarded!]
[Hobgoblin Heart × 11 has been awarded!]
[Hobgoblin Shaman's Staff × 1 has been awarded!]
[Lowest-Rank Mana Stone(F) × 65 acquired!]
[Low-Rank Mana Stone(E) × 41 acquired!]
| [Lower-Intermediate-Rank Mana Stone(D) × 6 acquired!] |
| ----------------------------------------------------- |
The number of Mana Stones had decreased, but their ranks had risen.
Once I visited some Gates as well, that should be enough.
I had already gathered all the information I needed from the internet.
"Let's go."
-Waaah!
| [Fire(EX) asks when you're going to give him something delicious.] |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
"I'll give you something delicious after we're completely done. Deal?"
-Waaah.
| [Fire(EX) nods and extends his fist.] |
| ------------------------------------- |
His tiny fist met mine.
If I wanted to raise this pig, I was going to have to make a lot of money from Gates.
I arrived at the Association Headquarters.
Before I even entered, my mouth fell open at the sight of the building before me.
"This place is enormous."
The building alone was forty stories tall.
It had another eight floors underground, and its sheer size was equally ridiculous.
Each floor looked large enough to swallow several athletic fields whole.
The place was packed with Awakened wearing all kinds of equipment.
Hunters and Climbers alike.
It seemed every kind of Awakened in South Korea gathered here.
Seeing it in person felt completely different from only looking at it online.
That was enough sightseeing.
I needed to get inside.
I planned to visit several Gates today.
One Gate alone would not be enough to level up this pig.
-Waaah?
| [Fire(EX) asks whether you just said something.] |
| ------------------------------------------------ |
"What? I didn't say anything."
-...Waaah.
| [Fire(EX) narrows his eyes and stares at you suspiciously.] |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- |
I casually ignored him and entered the Association Headquarters.
Based on what I had researched, I would not even need to handle each procedure myself.
"What is the purpose of your visit?"
"Ah, I recently awakened, so I'm here to get my Awakened ID and a Gate Access Pass."
"Please take a number for the Awakening Assessment Counter and wait until your number is called. Once you get there, simply tell them that you've awakened."
The staff stationed there handled everything for me.
I had worried for nothing.
Perhaps there were not many newly Awakened people that day, because my number was called within minutes.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
It was exactly as I had read.
I presented my ID and officially registered my awakening.
The staff explained several precautions and also introduced a curriculum designed for beginners.
I had no need for that.
Just as everything was nearly finished, however, one thing differed from what I had expected.
"Can I go now?"
"Ah, one moment. We need to measure your potential as well. Could you hold out your arm?"
"What? I thought you didn't normally do that."
The process was supposed to end after confirming whether someone had awakened.
There was not supposed to be any additional testing afterward.
At least, that was what I had definitely read.
"You've seen the person who took first place in the Tutorial, 1st Floor, and 2nd Floor world rankings over the last few days, right? The one who cleared them in one second?"
"Ah, did the procedure change because of that?"
"Yes. I apologize for the inconvenience. Because of that person, higher-ups decided that we should start checking potential as well. You don't need to worry. We're not trying to identify your Trait or talents. We're only measuring your potential."
I cautiously held out my arm.
I had no intention of exposing myself.
That would only make my life troublesome.
If people discovered what I could really do, I would have far too many things to worry about.
It could even become dangerous.
Fortunately, I had a skill I could rely on now.
Just as I expected—
The Potential Measuring Device displayed:
| [C] |
| --- |
An ordinary grade.
Because I possessed Veil of Darkness, I could tell.
The skill was the reason the result appeared this way.
"You're quite fortunate. With C-Rank potential, you'll be able to live comfortably no matter where you go."
"Haha, thank you. That's everything now, right?"
"Yes. You may begin entering Gates starting today, although only low-ranked ones. Please remember that you'll need to fulfill certain objectives before you're allowed to enter higher-ranked Gates."
"Yes, understood! Thank you for your help!"
I grabbed my ID and Gate Access Pass and hurried away.
There was nothing else I needed to do here.
I could head straight to a Gate.
After I disappeared—
"It could be dangerous for him to enter one immediately after awakening. I wonder if he'll be all right. Why wouldn't he take the curriculum...?"
"Excuse me. Could I take a look at that man's potential result?"
The employee wondered what kind of ridiculous request that was.
Potential results were immediately discarded so they would not become known to others.
Who would even ask such a thing?
Then she saw who it was.
"T-Team Leader Jin Arin?"
"Haha. It's good to see you."
It was Jin Arin, Team Leader of the Talent Recruitment Team.
Even for a team leader, this was an abuse of authority.
The employee should have refused immediately.
However, things were different when the woman in question had that famous conglomerate family behind her.
She was the youngest daughter of Ain Group, a corporation boasting immense financial power both in South Korea and throughout the world.
It was an open secret that she had been placed directly into a team leader position because of her relationship with the Director.
There was no one here who could afford to cross her.
She reached toward the measuring device.
"Please excuse me for a moment. C-Rank?"
"It's ordinary compared to the very best, but with a rank like this, he'll still be able to live extremely well."
"It's impressive, but... doesn't something feel strange?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Hmm... I thought I saw something."
Jin Arin replayed what had just happened in her mind.
It had been obscured by some unknown darkness, but she was certain she had glimpsed something extraordinary.
The greatest potential she had ever seen.
'I must have imagined it.'
The measuring device had never produced an incorrect result.
She had not been sleeping properly lately.
She must have seen it wrong.
Besides, there was something else she needed to focus on.
The mysterious newcomer currently rising to prominence in South Korea with a series of one-second clears.
The existence of Lee Chanyoung soon disappeared from her thoughts.
Her mind was filled entirely with that newly emerging prodigy.