CH 8

02 – My Master’s Grace is like the Heavens (4)

[Choose an effect to apply to the ‘Studded Gloves (C)’]

. Unlike before, when I pressed on each enchant effect, an additional explanatory window appeared.

The additional explanatory window informed me, through pop-ups, the various additional ramifications of each option and provided the expected circuitry shape. The circuit changed shape according to the different ‘effects’ chosen. The information given was a bit rough–basically, XX or YY stat increases slightly.

Still, this was more than nothing! Only now did I finally feel like I had received an S-rank skill.

“Gaho Unni, do you have much left to do? The safe zone will be lifted soon!”

“It’s almost over!” I answered Cha Taeyang’s question with my eyes still fixed on the system.

Among the ‘nature’ effects, there was nothing that would correct her magic levels, but all of the ‘nurture’ options had a magic-boosting effect.

I guess that’s due to the staff.

My conflict between choosing ‘Blaze’ and ‘Sage’ deepened.

The A-class enchant, ‘Sage,’ increased magic greatly–more so than ‘Blaze,’ but in return, the option ran the risk of also inflicting a slight decrease in stamina and agility.

I soon reached a conclusion.

I had no idea how much each stat would increase or decrease but I couldn’t afford to be risky. It would be a huge catastrophe if the magic increase wasn’t enough.

Although other stats may be slightly reduced, I selected to greatly increase the magic power instead. Accompanying that, I chose a ‘nature’ effect that strengthened her physical strength…

“Applying the enchant, ‘Sage of Steel.'”

“Concentrate.” Mini Carlos landed on my head and took the lead by moving his magic around. His magic painted, sometimes delicately sometimes boldly, the lines of these circuits.

I busied myself in simply trying to follow his movements; before I knew it, a mana circuit that wrapped around these two pieces of equipment had been crafted.

The resulting design was more sophisticated and perfect than I could ever have imagined. Goosebumps raised up my spine; somehow, only the advantages of these two items were extracted.

“Master, you’re truly a genius.”

“Cut the useless flattery,” Mini-Carlos responded curtly before disappearing without a courtesy farewell. Simultaneously, a brilliant light poured forth from the magic circle that surrounded my workspace.

When I opened my eyes, the long-awaited, much-desired success message was waiting for me.

[Enchant Success!]

– ‘Steely’ (C) : Stamina +5, Magic Resistance +3

– ‘Sage’ (A) : Stamina -6, Magic +21, Agility -3, Accuracy +7

[The Sage of Steel, Studded Gloves (C)]

– Stamina: 5 (-1)

– Strength: 7

– Magic: 0 (+21)

– Agility: 3 (-3)

– Magic Resistance: 0 (+3)

– Accuracy: 0 (+7)

[Unlock condition achieved! Additional skills for ‘Everlasting, Immortal Blessing (S)’ have been unlocked.]

I finally succeeded!

I wanted to check what additional skills I received but now was not the time.

I approached Cha Taeyang and handed her the enchanted gloves.

While Cha Taeyang checked the added options on her gloves, Seo Youngwoon told us the plan. “Just before the Monster Wave begins, we’ll scatter and gather the monsters located throughout the mansion into one location. Hunter Yoon Gaho, please travel with Hunter Cha Taeyang.”

“Where’s our destination?”

“The glass greenhouse–the open space right in front of it, to be precise.”

His judgment was sound; we needed a large, open space since we needed to gather all of the monsters from both within and outside the building. The location was a bit far from the mansion, but, with A-class Hunters, it should be feasible.

“You two will focus on the undead near the greenhouse…”

“Unni! What on earth did you do? This is a totally different item.”

“I wanna see it too!” After checking the gloves, Cho Sung-hyun’s eyes opened wide. He approached Seo Young-woon and shoved the gloves into Seo Young-woon’s hands. Then, as if he couldn’t believe me, the young cadet began to interrogate, “What is that skill? I thought that Hunter Yoon Gaho was C-class!”

“What are you doing, cadet Cho Sung-hyun? This is…”

“How is this possible–what rank is your skill? A-rank? No way–it’s not S-rank is it? It’s totally unbalanced.”

Seo Young-woon, who began to dissuade Cho Sung-hyun, changed his attitude after checking the item. He stood side by side with Cho Sung-hyun and urged me to answer Cho Sung-hyun’s deluge of questions through the gleam in his eyes.

I tried to feign indifference, but, at that time, even Cha Taeyang joined in; the atmosphere felt as if I couldn’t avoid answering.

[In 1 minute, the Monster Wave will begin!]

“Ah, regretfully it seems I can’t answer you all right now. Let’s all move to our positions.”

“You have to answer later!”

“…I’ll see you all in front of the greenhouse.”

“Let’s go, Kim-Seobang!”

‘I guess there are times when I’m thankful for the Monster Wave.’

Seo Young-woon and Cho Sung-hyun persistently gazed upon my back as I exited the room with Cha Taeyang.

After a while, Cha Taeyang lifted me up with one arm and jumped out a hallway window.

As if they were waiting, a group of undead chased after us, but Cha Taeyang wasn’t intimidated. Rather, she shouted, voice echoing loudly through the mansion, “Now–It’s time for a showdown!”

Somehow that belligerence instilled confidence in me; wasn’t her behavior something every Hunter dreamed of?

An optimistic remark–quite unlike me–bubbled up from my throat, “Let’s do it; stage clear.”

“Yes, let’s go!” After placing me in a suitable tree, Cha Taeyang ran around the greenhouse. No–I can’t really call that ‘running.’

“‘After-image!'” 1 After using her skill, Cha Taeyang appeared here and there, almost stepping on air, as she drove the undead to a specific location.

‘She said she could move like a dokkaebi…I wonder if that’s what she meant.’

The dokkaebi on Cha Taeyang’s shoulder also rolled around on the ground, causing pandemonium.

“I can’t sit still either.” Using my skills, I climbed a tall tree near the greenhouse. I could clearly see the surroundings from this vantage point, ‘Nice location!’

“Bow Assistant Activate–Anchor!” My view darkened and then brightened–my perspective was now filtered through a scope

My targets were the monsters that weren’t aggro’d by Cha Taeyang. 2 Since Seo Young-woon would take care of the mansion’s vicinity, I may as well do something about this location.

The population of monsters with bulls-eye targets floating above their heads increased.

“Apply ‘scatter/deploy and spread’ in slot #2.”

A card embossed with the image of dandelion puffs emerged, spinning into existence. I frowned at the system message that simultaneously appeared.

[Your skill, ‘Enchant (S)’ has been activated.

– Slot #2 : Scatter and Deploy (2 remaining)]

[Will you overlap these effects (Maximum 2 times)]

‘Again? What is this?’ The skill’s name had changed from ‘Grant Attribute’ to ‘Enchant.’

“Overlap? I’m not sure what that is, but… Overlap the effects!” When I answered, the number of targets in my line of sight had, unexpectedly, doubled.

Was the overlapping function something that had newly opened after my first successful enchantment? I opened the skill window, but there was no more explanation.

“It seems, though it may just be my own hypothesis, that two effects or properties can be triggered by overlapping them.”

As expected of an S-Class trait! I thought I would only be able to specialize in the crafting industry, but I couldn’t believe that the trait could be used like this! Now, not only the golden road to money, but the rosy flower road to becoming a praised damage-dealer has unfurled for me as well!

With a small smile, I shot an arrow into the air; the arrow, surrounded by magic, divided mid-air.

“Release!” I shouted.

A huge magic circle lit up in the dark sky; following that, a rain of arrows poured down in a large area near the greenhouse.

Confused by the ambush, the monsters stopped in their tracks, trembling. Though the attack power wasn’t that strong, it was enough to cool down the monster’s aggression.

“Nice. Let’s move quickly now.”

I was about to move after triggering ‘Cat Walk,’ but suddenly my view went dark. I wobbled, nearly falling out of the tree.

In the distance, I could sense Cha Taeyang looking my way anxiously.

Leaning on the tree trunk, I checked the status window. “What? Mana Exhaustion?”

Mana Exhaustion was a condition that occurred when the amount of mana stored in your body was less than 5% of your max. I wasn’t a beginner–and I always was careful to calculate the mana amount consumed…

My body became cold, and my lips trembled. Hurriedly, I drank the highest-ranked Mana Potion in my possession.

There was nothing different from usual, but what was this? “No way… was this because of the ‘overlap?'”

It seemed that using the overlapping function consumed larger amounts of mana than usual–about three times as much.

My body trembled as I swore; several undead clung to the tree and shook it.

“Geez–I was too hasty.” I threw the potion bottle onto the floor and reactivated my skill.

I didn’t particularly have a large amount of stamina; furthermore, I didn’t have the ability or attack power to clear through a large group of undead. In this sort of situation–where I had attracted the aggro of all sorts of monsters–I’m finished if I fall to the ground.

I crossed tree tops, nerves on edge.

When I looked back, there was a giant cloud of dust. In its midst, I could see Cho Sung-hyun and Seo Young-woon. It looked as if they were nearly finished over there!

“‘Master Hunter,’ activate!” I jumped onto the roof of the greenhouse by utilizing a skill that transformed my arrows into hooks.

Although I was determined to pull all the monsters into the specified location, when I looked down from above chills ran up my spine.

If Cha Taeyang failed, then… No–Cha Taeyang will definitely succeed. There’s no need to fearmonger.

“Unni, Unni! I brought over all the guys from outside!”

“Kim-Seobang! I did my best too!”

Chae Taeyang, blue flames wrapped all over her body, moved forward without hesitation. On the opposite side, the dokkaebi, leading another group of undead from its direction, ignored the laws of physics and rolled up to the greenhouse roof.

The monsters reached out their hands to the greenhouse roof, but they could neither climb nor break the walls. It felt as if the monsters acted under very specific commands.

Cha Taeyang moved diligently and also left behind the undead by climbing up the walls; I also fired my bow to keep the flying monsters at bay.

“Haah, I thought I was going to die.”

“Don’t exaggerate.”

“No–Sunbae-nim, it’s because you didn’t see the state of the basement.”

“An A-class Hunter won’t die that easily.”

Two arguing people covered in dust jumped onto the greenhouse as well. When the men joined, the vacant lot in front of the building was completely filled.

From those with rotten flesh still on their frame, to those that had become just a skeleton, to still yet another that had bandages covering its face; all sorts of various, lurid monsters had gathered. With such a large density, the smell was utterly terrible.

“I think, for the next few months, I’ll even hate the sight of the ‘u’ in ‘undead.'”

“Same. I think my nose is going to fall off.”

Seo Young-woon, after fending off his group with a shield, handed something to Cha Taeyang.

“T-This is… An A-rank potion…!” she exclaimed.

“Hunter Cha Taeyang, take it.”

“Can I drink it now?” Cha Taeyang glanced down at the gold-flecked, cobalt-colored liquid.

‘Well, to be honest, even I felt dubious about the potion’s supposed edible aspect when I first laid eyes on it.’

Cha Taeyang closed her eyes and drank the potion in one gulp, “Ugh–it tastes awful. Like herbal medicine.”

“Do you know how much that cost?” To be worth its price, a high-grade potion could affect skills immediately after ingestion. Cho Sung-hyun, unable to believe the gall of Cha Taeyang who didn’t understand how precious these potions were, shook her vigorously.

“I was calling it as it is–if it tastes awful, then it tastes awful.” Cha Taeyang shuddered. It seems as if her mana stores were recovered though, as she looked more refreshed than before.

The groans and cries of the monsters filled the area.

“I’ll get started.” Cha Taeyang released a large breath. Feeling the tension in the atmosphere, everyone stared at her.