Chapter 11

Chapter 11

11. Special Grade (2)

He focused on the grandfather’s lecture.

Perhaps because he runs an artifact junk shop.

Just listening to what he said, it felt quite high-level.

“Artifacts are like babies. Because they don’t know what they can do, the wearer has to awaken that for them.”

Swoosh.

The grandfather pointed at the engraving carved on his gloves and spoke.

“This thing called engraving is also a signal that it has been awakened. But unfortunately, besides one, nothing has been awakened. Even though three more abilities can still be used.”

“Three besides [Mana Robbery]?”

“Yeah, right. Would the grade be Special Grade for nothing.”

···It was amazing.

How did that guy obtain something like this?

He briefly recalled the guy whose legs had burst.

“···That aside. Anyway, the important thing is that knowing from now on is important. If you’re a mage doing request work, learning about artifacts won’t be bad at all.”

After that, the grandfather’s explanation continued.

The method of distinguishing the grade of artifacts using mana.

Awakening various engravings that have not yet been opened.

The method of finding out what is good and what is bad.

“······.”

Well, he understands in words.

But that’s only theory.

It was unreasonable for him to use it in actual combat right away.

“Hehehe. It would be complicated. It’s not something easily learned either. But what did I say? Anytime is fine, if you stop by here I’ll continue to tell you.”

“···You’ll continue to tell me?”

“Right. Isn’t all this fate too? Hehehe.”

As expected, one must do good deeds···.

That aside.

So what are the other engravings on these gloves?

“Then how should I use the other engravings carved here?”

“Don’t worry about that. I opened them all a little while ago.”

“···Yes?”

“Now, first the first is [Mana Robbery]. You know well what it is. Next is [Mana Circulation]. An engraving that momentarily rapidly recovers your mana. Of course, it’s temporary but··· next, [Mana Shield]. If you activate this engraving, when you are attacked by someone, mana recovers by that amount of power.”

Oh, what.

All mana-related?

‘So momentary mana recovery [Mana Circulation]. Converting hit damage into mana [Mana Shield]. Perfect, very.’

To think he wasn’t using such good things.

It’s fortunate he knows even now.

Ah, but didn’t he say three?

“Then what is one?”

“Ah, one was sealed.”

“···Sealed?”

“Right. Occasionally among artifacts there are engravings like this. Engravings that open only when certain conditions are met. Usually these are mostly quite high-grade level engravings.”

Unfortunately one was sealed.

Fortunately, things like this are mostly not ordinary.

“Now, then how about trying to use the newly opened engravings? I’ll help so try once.”

From lecture to actual combat.

It was good that he pushed the cart.

“Grandfather, by any chance what food do you like? I’ll buy and bring it next time I come!”

He has no sense of how much this lecture is worth.

Then one thought suddenly came to mind.

‘Come to think of it, if you’re at this level it would be easy to earn money anywhere, so why are you here?’

It contrasted too much with the current appearance.

Anyway.

‘Shall I try using [Mana Circulation].’

Currently remaining mana is about 20%.

What would happen if he uses [Mana Circulation] here.

Swoosh.

He put on the gloves he had given to the grandfather again.

And newly used the opened engraving.

Wooong—!!

Mana filling as if doped in an instant.

Similar to when he used a mana stone, but faster than that, and shorter.

Whoooong.

“······.”

It was really a very brief moment.

About 2 seconds? 3 seconds?

But what filled···.

‘It seems a bit over half?’

Not a lot.

But it definitely filled more than before.

It looks perfect for urgent use.

“How is it? At that level it would be quite usable no matter which mage uses it.”

“Ah, yes. It is.”

Next, he also tried [Mana Shield].

Then.

Wooong—.

In an instant a faint blue membrane of light surrounding the body.

It stuck tightly to his body like wearing clothes.

‘If attacked with this, mana fills by the amount of power?’

He doesn’t know how much mana it will absorb, but the good point of this is that it basically also defends.

If it absorbs as much as it can absorb it will break, but until then it absorbs all damage, they said.

‘Perfect for my current situation.’

Defense was weak as it was.

Thanks to the grandfather he obtained something good.

* * *

Sillim-dong, outskirts.

“Why aren’t those two guys visible?”

Special Business Department secretary position, Kim Cheolho asked.

Because two of the guys he sent for work weren’t visible.

“It seems they haven’t finished the work yet.”

“Damn··· first send those guys to me as soon as they come. You guys, didn’t you find out anything?”

“······.”

“······.”

Silence continued.

Hoo, not even one?

He needs to find some clue.

“···Anyway there is more time so as soon as the day brightens thoroughly search the neighborhood and check if there is something to find out.”

As expected not easy.

Well, these guys have to be a bit closed.

From the start he didn’t think it would be easy.

It’s not for nothing that he was sent here.

Cheolho took out the cigarette from his bosom and put it in his mouth.

“Sigh, bachelor. Stop smoking a bit. Your lungs will rot!”

“······.”

At that time, the supermarket grandmother came out and nagged.

This grandmother really···.

“Grandmother. Have you lived here long?”

“Of course, lived long.”

“You know well about here?”

“Right. Know well. Why?”

“By any chance a little while ago a guy died in the alley. With his legs burst. Do you know anything about that?”

“What, is an incident like that one or two here. There are so many I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“······.”

As expected like that.

Supermarket grandmother, Sunim naturally went inside.

‘Why are those guys digging around about the work bachelor Dojin did?’

A contact had come from Mr. Park.

Some guys threatened so he processed them.

But that guy is also like that?

Fortunately, it seemed the guys still don’t know about himself.

Of course, even if they knew there is no information to hand over.

‘Trust is important. Yeah.’

Customer management must be done properly.

* * *

The next day.

He headed to Mr. Park’s shop.

There is one usable request.

Rattle—.

“Oh, came?”

“Yes. There is a request?”

“Yeah right. Last time you said you want a bigger mana stone as reward. If you process this request I can give a bigger mana stone. The compensation these people offered is quite high.”

“What is it that it’s like that?”

“Ten lowest-grade mana stones that you always received, plus one lower-grade mana stone. You know well too. Among clients, cases of matching mana stones as compensation are not common. Why would I recommend this request to you?”

Oh, considerable?

But large compensation means?

“But what kind of request is it that the compensation is this good?”

“It’s a request that came from a small-medium enterprise, a request to catch one monster. The details are something the request related person wants to explain by meeting directly. If you’re okay I’ll set a meeting schedule, how about it?”

The related person directly?

A bit of a peculiar case.

“Yes. Good. When should I see them?”

“Yeah. First wait. These people are quite urgent so they said if the person to process is caught they want to see right away. I’ll try calling so wait a moment?”

They seem very urgent.

Mr. Park immediately called someone.

“The related person says they’ll come right away. They said they’ll come to the cafe below so go and wait and they’ll come right away.”

“Should I go and wait now? But if I go like this they won’t know who I am···.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. There are no people at that cafe, right? Probably you’ll be alone. I don’t know why they don’t close the door there. No people either.”

Ah···!

That’s true.

“First if you wait there they said they’ll come within ten minutes. I’ll also separately receive and check the detailed request content so don’t worry. What kind of relationship are we?”

“A relationship where trust is building.”

“That’s it, that. You also know in advance. Cases of wanting to deliver directly like this are two. Either truly very important so careful, or something shady. Noticing that shady thing during the meeting process is also experience so try meeting once.”

There is something shady.

Hmm, it smells.

“Yes, then I’ll go for now.”

“Ah! And also···.”

Just as he was about to go out like that.

The uncle stopped him.

“Actually yesterday guys who were digging around about the request you processed came.”

“···The request I processed?”

“Yeah. That, you know. The alley.”

Ah, that.

But why?

“I separately checked, but it seems the guys who commissioned that guy are digging behind. Of course, there is no chance of handing over information about you at all··· just in case know about it.”

Hmm, so that’s it.

His gaze naturally went to the gloves.

Swoosh.

Just in case he should take them off and go around.

After that, he headed to the cafe.

A quite small personally operated cafe.

Only three tables.

···Really no one.

He wondered how long he was there.

Ding.

A woman in a suit came in.

Hair neatly tied and intellectual-looking glasses.

“By any chance··· are you from the laundry shop?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

The woman quietly sat in front of him.

Then took something out from the document bag.

“I’ll talk about the request right away. We want you to catch this guy.”

Swoosh.

She showed him one photo.

A monster with blue skin walking on four legs.

The body also looked quite large, and the sharply protruding claws and fangs stood out.

“There is one experiment our company was progressing, and it’s an experimental subject that escaped in the middle of progress. Fortunately the company is in a remote place so there is no problem right away but··· the more time is delayed, just in case.”

Experiment and escaped experimental subject, and monster.

Sniff sniff, a shady smell.

But he can’t ask this openly.

Requests are originally like that.

He heard that you only decide whether to take it or not, and don’t get involved in the request content.

Ding!

At that time, one message came.

[Mr. Park: Talked separately with the clients. The request content itself seems no particular problem. The rest hope you decide yourself.]

It was Mr. Park.

It seems he also checked separately.

No problem with the request content.

‘Actually if it’s not a big problem···.’

The compensation this place gives was appealing.

As much as ten lowest-grade mana stones and even a lower-grade mana stone.

At this level it’s quite a lot.

That soon connects to level up.

However, still something is uneasy the same.

"Let me ask one. You said this guy was an experimental subject, what kind of guy is it?"

Yeah, let’s at least find this out.

What kind of guy it is.

"This experimental subject is a monster that holds mana. A bit of a peculiar case. The amount was quite a lot so if only the experiment succeeds it was to the extent of being able to make quite a lot."

Huh?

"Thanks to that we were able to experiment, but suddenly mana went wild and an explosion occurred. Due to that aftermath the guy escaped from the laboratory."

"I’ll do it."

"Yes?"

"I’ll do this."

A reason arose that he has to do it.

What does it hold?

It holds mana?

Drool.

"Ah, no why suddenly saliva···."

"Ah I just unconsciously···."

Ah saliva came out.

* * *

Jeong Hana who entrusted the request came out of the cafe.

And immediately reported to the company.

Precisely reported to her uncle who is the president.

“Uncle, he said he would take the request.”

-Yeah? Well, since it was received through that side’s request office there should be no problem but··· how did it look to you? Will it be possible?

Hana briefly held her words.

Actually that was a bit odd.

He suddenly drooled.

Is there a problem somewhere?

“I’m also a bit doubtful, but you know too, uncle? If it’s the Sillim-dong laundry shop request office it’s quite old. Wouldn’t they have introduced a decent person?”

-Hmm, that would be? This has to be careful. Right now the amount of mana that guy is leaking is enormous. Even I who am an ordinary person, if I go nearby the amount absorbed is enormous. Of all things that guy escaped··· anyway if more mana is released from here the surroundings will also start to notice. It has to be finished before that.

The uncle earnestly requested.

The amount of mana the experimental subject is leaking is considerably abnormal. From the start it was a guy being experimented for that purpose.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Hana understood the uncle’s words.

What they were progressing was ‘illegal mana potion experiment’.

That experimental subject was also the most important core in making illegal mana potions.

Because it was a guy with the characteristic of naturally leaking mana.

But if someone notices this?

Then their position becomes difficult.

Because just manufacturing illegal mana potions can be punished.

‘If only the body structure of experimental subject 14 is firmly grasped, making ordinary mana potions would be nothing···.’

Actually it’s not that they’re doing this because they like it.

Because their technology is still insufficient to make mana potions themselves.

Hana who has deep loyalty to the company let out a short sigh and headed to the company.

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