Machine God with EX-rank talent (Deus ex machina)

Plasma is very unique. Unlike other substances, it is neither solid, liquid, nor gas but is instead the fourth state of matter, being ionized. At first glance, plasma might seem like a rare and exceptional substance, but from a broader perspective, 99% of the universe is made of plasma. From this viewpoint, Earth, which consists only of solids, liquids, and gases, can be considered a rare state in the universe.

The reason plasma possesses such powerful energy is because it is a highly unstable substance, as if atoms and molecules were forcibly separated. Though common and powerful in the universe, plasma can cause devastation if mishandled. Thus, weaponizing plasma requires advanced scientific technology.

[Of course, the Eosians have been commercializing it for a long time.]

Like light and electricity, plasma also has the property of continuously flowing somewhere. However, the Eosians could hold plasma in place as if it were solid. This allowed it to be fired in bullet shapes or wielded like a lightsaber.

‘The problem is the excessive mana consumption, isn’t it?’

Summoning it for just a brief moment consumed half of the mana he had charged. It was an ultimate move that couldn’t be used lightly. Thankfully, the Gung-gi had approached simultaneously, making it easy to slice them at once. If they had come one after another in a wheel formation, he would likely have been the one lying on the ground.

As his heart, which was pounding from the excitement, began to calm down, a new realization dawned on him.

‘Did I just kill three level 5 monsters by myself?’

And not just any monsters but the notoriously difficult Gung-gi. Although he was lucky, a victory was still a victory. Just the other day, he had been a mere porter.

The father and daughter were even more shocked than Hyeon Su-ho. Jeon Mi-rin clasped her hands tightly and, like a girl seeing a monster for the first time, repeatedly expressed her amazement.

"Wow! Wow! Wow!!"

In truth, Hyeon Su-ho was no different inside. If no one had been watching, he might have made a fuss like her. He pretended to be calm to hide the fact about Nova.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Though not as silly as Mi-rin, Jeon Jung-gu also looked stunned as he stared at the fallen Gung-gi.

"How... how is this possible...?"

With his hands trembling, he clasped them together and bowed his head respectfully before asking.

"Are you perhaps... a ranker? No, a high ranker? I apologize for not recognizing you sooner."

Seeing the misunderstanding, he waved his hands and said.

"No, I’m just an ordinary hunter."

"An... ordinary hunter killed three Gung-gi? And with a single strike each?"

"Well, it just sort of happened..."

As he trailed off, Jeon Jung-gu didn’t press further. Instead, Jeon Mi-rin came running excitedly.

"Brother!!"

Suddenly addressing him familiarly, Jeon Mi-rin spoke in a playful voice.

"Do you have a trading company you’re contracted with, brother?"

"A trading company? No... I don’t have one."

"Oh! That’s great. Then sign a contract with us. We’ll take care of the Gung-gi materials here for you."

Monster carcasses are all valuable. Especially for high-level monsters, they fetch a higher price. But up until now, Hyeon Su-ho had only taken the most valuable mana stones and left the rest. He couldn’t afford to hire porters like other hunters.

‘This isn’t a bad deal.’

While leveling up was the priority, the more money he had, the better. Then Jeon Jung-gu, who had been waiting behind, stepped forward and spoke.

"Mi-rin, you’re overwhelming our benefactor. I apologize, my daughter is still immature..."

"No, it’s fine. It’s a good proposal for me too."

"Is that so...?"

Jeon Jung-gu cautiously gauged his intent.

"As you can see, there’s a limit to what I can carry. If you handle it, I’d be grateful."

"Well then..."

Suddenly, Jeon Jung-gu took out a calculator and switched to merchant mode.

"It’s only natural to deduct the transportation fee, but since you’re our benefactor, we’ll give you 15% more than the market price. Mi-rin, check the state of the mana stones."

"Yes!"

Jeon Mi-rin happily ran over and examined the halved Gung-gi. She then waved her bloody hands and shouted.

"They’re all intact! Even the claws!"

"That’s fortunate. Though the hide would have sold for a high price, we’ll have to settle for what we can get. I’ll calculate the price for the mana stones, claws, and teeth that are still marketable."

After diligently tapping on the calculator, Jeon Jung-gu showed the price.

"47 million won?"

The amount was similar to his annual salary when he was a porter. Surprised, Hyeon Su-ho saw Jeon Jung-gu glance nervously and speak.

"Of course, we’ll also pay you for the rescue request separately. Is it too little?"

"Oh, no."

Nova also chimed in.

[Considering the current market prices, it’s actually 15.8% higher. An honest merchant indeed... as rare as the Gung-gi.]

Even though he had caught a Gung-gi, earning nearly 50 million won in a single day was... no wonder people were so eager to become pro hunters.

Moreover, Hyeon Su-ho was still at level 1. Thinking about how much stronger he would become later, he realized he wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.

Since things had come to this, he took out all the mana stones in his bag, and both of them welcomed this as well.

"A gold mine! We'll dispose of these at the same rate. No, from now on, we'll appraise all your goods at higher prices."

This meant that they would buy all his materials at a 15% increase from now on.

"Is that okay? Won’t you be at a loss?"

"Haha! Do you think a merchant would do business at a loss? It's still profitable, so don't worry! While we’re at it, let me give you my contact information."

Jeon Jung-gu and Hyeon Su-ho exchanged numbers through their devices.

"If you catch any monsters in the field, just mark the GPS location and leave. We’ll handle the butchering and processing."

They couldn’t process monsters caught inside a dungeon, but for those caught in the field, they would come by truck and take care of it. Hyeon Su-ho knew that this was something trading companies partnered with large guilds usually did, but personal contracts like this were extremely rare unless you were a ranker.

[He has recognized your potential, Master. He’s quite a perceptive merchant.]

It was a condition that wouldn’t cause him any loss in various ways. He had always felt it was a waste to leave behind monster materials. For example, the Red Crocodile he caught earlier would fetch quite a bit if he skinned it.

Jeon Mi-rin stepped in again.

"Brother, do you need anything? We also handle purchase requests. If you want something, we can get it for you at a low price."

She showed him the items in their truck as if she were on a roll.

"See if there’s anything you need here."

"Ho!"

Hyeon Su-ho looked at the goods with interest. Although there were many items prepared for distribution, the most eye-catching ones were the armors. Thanks to Genocide, his attack power had drastically increased, but his defense was still very vulnerable. He could die from even a goblin's blind poisonous needle.

Hyeon Su-ho picked up a sturdy-looking black leather outfit.

◆Item

Black Rhino

(High-grade)

Defense 25

Health +10

Agility +5

Pierce Resistance +20

Unlike artifacts obtained from dungeons, this appeared as an item, meaning it was crafted by a blacksmith and enchanted. This one had fairly decent enchantments.

Jeon Mi-rin exclaimed.

"It's armor made from Rhino leather. It's almost impervious to most attacks. You have a good eye."

It looked like a decent item, but he was concerned about the price. Such an item would likely exceed the 50 million won he earned today. But for survival, it was necessary.

‘Could I pay in installments?’

As he hesitated, Jeon Mi-rin smiled brightly and said.

"I’ll give it to you as a gift."

"This? But isn't it an expensive item?"

"Oh, this is nothing compared to saving my father and me. Consider it a token to commemorate our first transaction."

Jeon Mi-rin hooked her arm around his, and he felt something large and heavy pressing against it... At that moment, he noticed an unusual item.

Unlike the typical equipment made from monster materials, it looked mechanical—a sword.

"Is that a chainsaw?"

He gently removed Jeon Mi-rin’s arm and picked up the sword.

◆Artifact

Chain Sword

(Common)

Attack 10

It was a very peculiar-looking sword. One side was smooth and sharp like a regular sword, but the other side had a rotating chain like a chainsaw. When he pressed the button on the handle...

Whiiiirrr!!

The chain spun rapidly.

"Wow!"

As Hyeon Su-ho was amazed, Jeon Mi-rin quickly hooked her arm around his again.

"That... we happened to get it by chance, but no one wanted to buy it, so we’ve been keeping it."

Hyeon Su-ho examined the chain sword and asked.

"Why doesn’t anyone want it?"

"As you can see, it's an artifact from a dimensional gate. Though it’s an unusual item, hunters generally found it impractical."

Normally, once an enchantment spell is used on an item, the effect cannot be changed. However, artifacts are special; even if the item isn't enchanted, enchantment spells don't work on them. Thus, this item had no additional options other than attack power.

"It also breaks down frequently and needs constant repairs. Those who used this sword inside the gate said they had to replace the chain regularly."

Since there’s no replacement chain on Earth, it requires frequent repairs. Even so, its ambiguous attack power led hunters to use it out of curiosity a few times before selling it due to its impracticality.

It wasn’t a good item, but for some reason, he liked it.

"How much is this?"

"Do you like this sort of thing? With a lightsaber, why would you want to use this...?"

"I don't know. I'm just drawn to it."

With his repair skill, frequent breakdowns wouldn’t be an issue. The mediocre performance was a problem, but he could change that with his upgrade skill. Besides, he needed a melee weapon anyway.

‘Wouldn’t it be efficient if I embedded a mana circuit in this?’

[If it’s simply for rotational acceleration, the mana consumption would be minimal. But since it’s a non-enchanted weapon, I recommend replacing it later.]

‘That’s a matter for later.’

Seeing Hyeon Su-ho’s interest, Jeon Mi-rin responded as if it were no big deal.

"Then I'll throw this in as a bonus. Nobody wanted to buy it anyway, so it’s just been a burden."

Even though she was giving away two items, Jeon Jung-gu didn’t seem to object. He must have felt that level of discretion was acceptable. Hyeon Su-ho didn’t refuse.

"Thank you."

Originally, he had planned to sell the mana stones to buy armor. But getting such valuable items for free... Meeting them had solved his initial financial difficulties. This was a win-win situation.

With a much brighter smile, Hyeon

Su-ho said to Jeon Jung-gu,

"You're heading to Seoul, right? I’ll escort you there since I’m heading home too."

"In that case, we’d be grateful. We’ll pay you generously for the escort service."

"No need, I can't take a fee after receiving these items."

Then Jeon Mi-rin chimed in again.

"In that case..."

She pointed at the fallen Crazy Dogs by the roadside.

"Let's collect the mana stones from those too."

* * *

Finally, they arrived back in Seoul.

Having grown closer during the truck ride, the three of them exchanged fond farewells.

"Ha ha, Su-ho, thank you so much today. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact me."

"Thank you, Mr. Jung-gu. I’ll be sure to."

"Brother! Goodbye! Feel free to contact me anytime, even if you don’t need anything."

"Ha ha! Sure, take care."

As soon as Hyeon Su-ho disappeared, Jeon Mi-rin crossed her arms and glared fiercely at Jeon Jung-gu.

"Dad! Are you out of your mind?!"

"What? Why again?"

"A permanent 15% discount?!"

"Why? It’s a necessary step to make him a regular. You saw Su-ho's incredible skills, didn't you?"

"That's not the point! Why only 15%? It should have been at least 30%!"

Jeon Mi-rin beat her chest in frustration.

"At that age, with those skills. Moreover, unlike other hunters, he's humble and kind. He's like a golden goose that walked right into our lap!"

Sometimes, a merchant needs to be bold and aggressive. That’s why they handed over leather armor worth tens of millions of won and a chain sword that cost even more.

"He's someone immune to my charms!"

"...I saw you trying hard too."

"We need to secure him as our client before other traders catch on."

"Shall I contact him right away and change it to 30%?"

"We can't make it that obvious. Let’s gradually increase the discount rate as transactions accumulate, like mileage points. And offer excellent service."

"Let’s do that."

Jeon Mi-rin glanced in the direction where Hyeon Su-ho had disappeared.

"I'm sure of it. Su-ho will become a huge figure."

* * *

Whirrr!!

Rrrrr!!

[Kyaaaak!!]

A giant mantis monster screamed and collapsed, shredded by the chain sword.

Fortunately, the chain sword's attack power was decent. As Jeon Mi-rin mentioned, it broke down frequently, but his repair skill took care of that quickly. Although using Genocide from a distance was still more efficient, having a close-range weapon was essential.

A week after parting ways with the father-daughter duo from Mir Trading Company, Hyeon Su-ho finally reached level 2.

[Level up.]

"Finally!"

The giant mantis’s level was 2.

With his current attack power, he could handle monsters much higher in level than himself.

For instance, a monster like a Gung-gi was a typical case.

However, the level scaling system meant that if there was too much of a level difference, he would receive very little experience. That’s why Nova chose the most efficient hunting grounds for him.

"What did I get?"

He eagerly checked his newly acquired skill.

And there it was...

◆Skill

Body Modification

(Passive)

Allows the body to be modified and enhanced with other parts.

"Huh?!"

He couldn't believe his eyes.