The Gardener in a Hunter World

General stores are not open on Sundays. As long as Ji-ha is a human being, he should rest. He woke up in the morning, took a shower and got dressed. Normally, I would have cooked rice and locked myself in a single room and read d books, but today I had something to do. 

‘Because I asked to look after my sister.’

Here, older sister means Hwang Seon-yeong. If there was no work, there were many times when I would stay at home and immerse myself in old books, not knowing whether I was dead or alive. He didn’t even answer the phone, so that’s what the frustrated Lee Jumi asked to see. Ji-ha made a lunch box with fried rice and side dishes and left the store. District 7 on a Sunday morning is as noisy as usual. Pedestrians moving on the sidewalk, soldiers standing guard, and hunters driving in cars gathered and clamored. Ji-ha hurriedly headed for District 5. District 5 was a residential area for wealthy people famous in Seoul. There Is a house of an executive of a large company that processes and distributes resources and materials from dungeons, and a ranker-level hunter who attacks dungeons. Occasionally, if you take a bus and pass by, you can see that mansions are sparsely built at the foot of the mountain. Of course, not only wealthy people live there, so there are quite a few apartments reminiscent of matchboxes. Seon-yeong lives in one of these apartments. While Ji-ha was walking, he found a mansion at the foot of the mountain. It was a two-story mansion with a splendid appearance that could only come out of a movie. There were several vehicles that easily exceeded 100 million won parked in the high fence and dense forest. 

“That’s great.”

But even though Ji-ha admired it, he wasn’t envious. I took a quick glance and hurried my steps when my eyes met someone running down the trail in a tracksuit. Who is it? The hood was pulled over, so I couldn’t see his face. He was about to pass but he stopped.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

It is Seo Hye-jin’s voice. The hood came off, revealing the ponytail. Sweat beaded on her forehead. There was a slight welcome in her eyes, but Ji-ha didn’t notice. 

“Hello, Hye-jin. Do you live around here?”

“Right here.”

You must be talking about this mansion. 

“Oh, I see.  You are exercising. I am on my way to wake someone up.”

“Who?”

Normally, this conversation would not have been established. Because she is not interested in anyone but one person. But the good-looking young man was quite interesting. Of course, it is not interesting like a crush as a member of the opposite sex.

“The paper magician I worked with in the polar dungeon last time.”

Oh, that person. Hwang Seon-yeong, the only paper magician in Korea. Her nickname was the book ghost, and she was recognized as an eccentric person even among hunters. In a sense, she was a person who was harder to get close to than Hye-jin. Because she is only interested in old books from dungeons. 

‘By the way……’

Hye-jin wanted to ask Ji-ha to go for a cup of coffee, but she felt that her lips couldn’t part. Having been treated with precious fruits twice, shouldn’t this person be treated with the appropriate formality? Joining the party in the Polar Dungeon was her minimum duty as a hunter. However, the words asking to go and have a cup of coffee did not come out. Ji0ha smiled and said hello as she stayed silent. 

“I have work, so I will go first.”

“That……”

Hye-jin couldn’t hold him and sighed lightly. It would be so difficult to say just one word. Still, it wasn’t too difficult to talk to Ji-ha, so I thought I would be ok, but it wasn’t. She blankly looked at the back of Ji-ha as he retreated. 

***

*Ding-Dong*

*Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong*

*beep beep beep – beep beep*

Ji-ha familiarly entered the password and opened the door to go inside. It was a 40-pyeong old-fashioned apartment, but for some reason it was full of a musty smell. It was dark, as if it were a dungeon because there was no lighting. I took off my shoes and entered the hallway, where books were stacked from the floor to the ceiling. From the small room to the living room to the kitchen, it was books, books, books. I don’t know, but I suspect that the bathroom in the master bedroom is also filled with books. 

“You are still like this, sister.”

Ji-ha entered the master bedroom, swinging his hand through the dust of the book. Inside, I could see Seon-yeong, who was wrapped in a blanket and stuck in a corner as if it were some kind of couch. She was reading a book. 

“Wow, it is a raccoon’s oyster.”

Ji-ha opened the blackout curtains casually. When the intense morning sun came in, Seon-yeong who was blankly looking at a book, unconsciously went under the blanket. 

“Ahhhhhhhhh… I’m melting……”

“You won’t melt, so come out quickly.”

To Seon-yeong, a child of darkness, this full sunlight seems similar to the flames of hell. Ji-ha reminded her of the promise they made today. 

“Sister, you asked me to go to the wholesale center with you today. Don’t you remember?”

Seon-yeong, who had been wriggling under the blanket saying she would melt, suddenly stopped moving. Then she smiled and crawled out slowly. With her glasses half off. 

“I remember now.”

“Then hurry up and wash up. Let’s eat.”

“Okay, okay. I’m weak, so lift me up.”

“How many days has it been since you last ate?”

“…three days?”

“Ugh. I’m glad you didn’t die.”

“People’s lives are surprisingly tough.”

A funny conversation ensued. When Seon-yeong fell in love with books, there were many times when she would sit all day forgetting to eat. Not eating for two or three days is common for her. Then, when she lost her energy and passed out, she got up again and read a book, and sometimes she was rescued by the people of the guild. Ji-ha had come to this apartment once or twice and woken Seon-yeong from the ground. What keeps her alive is the hunter’s unique tenacious vitality. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was only alive because of this. Anyway, Ji-ha managed to push her into the bathroom. 

“Okay, let’s clean things up.”

To eat, the surroundings must be clean. I was about to clean and mop around the table when Seon-yeong came out and clung to my lunch box. 

“Side dish, what did you bring?”

“Jumi noona gave it to me. And crabmeat fried rice.”

“Oh, fried rice with crabmeat, I like it.”

The two took out their lunch boxes and shared a delicious meal. She tilted her head, saying “I don’t think this crab meat is sold at a mart.”

‘If I told my sister that I made it with sand crabs caught in the sea in my dreams, I’d be treated like a madman.’

Maybe because it is Seon-yeong, she would listen seriously. She stuffed the fried rice in her mouth and chewed. 

“This is so delicious. Ji-ha, are you pretty good at cooking?”

“Anyone can make fried rice, right?”

“Huh? Really? I always eat ramen… By the way, the bookstore guy that we used to go to at the center said that he was going to rest today. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Here, the center means a wholesale center. It is a kind of market located between District 5 and District 7, where hunter goods are widely spread. 

“Is there a good place?”

“Sky Bookstore, I checked out a lot of the old books that came in this time. It’s not cheap, but you can get it for a decent prince. What I’m aiming for this time is about the Imperial Knights……”

Seon-yeong’s mouth splashed rice and talked about the imperial knights. Eyes that had been dying came alive. She used to say that in ancient books, infinite dreams and hopes breathe. 

‘After seeing me, she said that reality is a gutter, so she had no choice but to fall into books……’

Maybe Ji-ha and Seon-yeong are in the same situation. He in a dream, and she in a book. After the meal, the two left the apartment amicably. It’s a short walk to the wholesale center. 

***

In fact, the reason Ji-ha came to the wholesale center was to sell Ether Stone. Ether Sone is an item that goes into a lot of different industries, so licensed large companies handle it, but they couldn’t digest all the quantities. Therefore, small amounts of Ether Stone are often traded at these wholesale centers. What Ji-ha brought with him this time were the two Frost Troll Ether Stones he had obtained earlier. 

‘I should keep what I got from the devil ant.’

It’s not that life is difficult right now. Seon-yeong went to the Sky Bookstore first and he was left alone. He was holding his bag and looking at the appropriate dealer, when a hand tapped him on the shoulder from behind. When someone asked him to turn around, it was a cloaked customer who had come to the store before. 

“That before……”

“You can call me Cheol-heon.”

Alchemist of the Eternal Flame Guild. He stood with a thin physique and a cape, smiling lightly. 

“I really regretted it.”

“What regrets?”

“That yellow fruit. It was called the Sun Apple. Anyway, I should have tried the fruit, but it turned out later that it wasn’t that expensive. I thought it was around 10 million won.”

“Ah, that’s it. It was brought from a dungeon, so I had no intention of selling it for such a high price.”

“Is that so? Who cares because they can’t sell it expensively… Anyway, I was impressed with the sun apples and the winter strawberries that allowed me to clear the polar dungeon. You came to sell Ether Stone, right? Do you have a regular store?”

He glanced at the bag and seemed to have figured out that what was inside was an ether stone. 

“No, it’s my first time selling Ether Stones.”

“Uhh, that……”

In a way, it was a statement that revealed naivety, but it could not be helped. It was only then that Cheol-heon remembered that this young man was a hunter with no skills or characteristics. This must be the first time that you have ever held an Ether Stone. 

“Hmm……”

He thought a little and then said.

“How about doing this? There is a place that exclusively trades with our guild. Let me introduce you to that place. It’s not much, but I can give you a higher rate.”

“As long as I am not a nuisance.”

“What do you mean a nuisance? It is enough that we have been inspired. Now, this way.”

I don’t know what kind of inspiration it was, but somehow Ji-ha got to exchange Ether Stones at a good rate at a shop called Philosopher’s Stone with his introduction. Upon receiving the generous amount of money, Cheol-heon, who was crossing his arms, said in a passing manner. 

“Actually, we looked into it separately…The Sun Apple. There are things that don’t work.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know because I only picked a few.”

“Of course, it is not because of Mr. Ji-ha.”

Cheol-heon stopped talking there. It was not good to put pressure on this young man in such a way as was inevitable if coincidence continued. This is because it can instill negative emotions. Since this young man has nothing, it was impossible for him to put pressure on him with a strong force on his back. It was to be approached gently and naturally… Even if I get nagged by the guild leader. Cheol-heon brought up another story. 

“Oh, you are well versed in alchemy. I have a lot of materials in my lav. There are many old-fashioned instruments, and there are also talented students. It will work well with Mr. Ji-ha.”

“Thank you, I’ll drop by sometime.”

He said this, but neither Ji-ha nor Cheol-heon knew when it would happen. As soon as I put the phone back in my bag, Seon-yeong ran towards Ji-ha carrying a thick book. 

‘She’ll fall down like that.’

*Fluff*

She really fell. Seon-yeong got up from her knees with tears in her eyes. Even though she looks skinny like that, her body was very strong because she is a hunter. 

“Ji-ha, Ji-ha, I found a very strange old book.”

“Oh, aren’t you Seon-yeong?”

“Huh?”

Seon-yeong glanced at Cheol-heon as he greeted her, then nodded and was busy showing off the book to Ji-ha. Cheol-heon, who was suddenly ignored, smiled bitterly and left. 

“Ji-ha, what is this, because I found something interesting?”

“So what’s strange about it?”

“Stay still. Here……”

She takes out a ballpoint pen and draws across the cover. Unfortunately, the line was not drawn. 

“Aren’t you curious? Not even with a ballpoint pen, but with a fountain pen or a water-based pen, I can’t write on it.”

“On the inside too?”

“It’s the same inside. Now look.”

The moment the book opened, Ji-ha felt his vision tremble as if the back of his head had been hit hard. He felt dizzy and put his hand on the table around him. A message popped up in the status window. 

{Obtained the Infinite Spellbook. Thunderbird feathers and various inks are needed to write magic in the book of magic}

{Acquire Ancient Magic Skill LVL 1}

{Acquire LVL 1 for good handwriting}

Ji-ha’s eyes were filled with suspicion. Ancient Magic? Magic, not rune magic?

“Noona, did you get this from the Sky Bookstore?”

“Huh. The boss there complained that this keeps coming back. Aren’t the books old-fashioned? It’s like everything that came out of the dungeon. So I sold them cheaply for decorative purposes, but everyone said they couldn’t keep them and sold them back. Aren’t you curious?”

“I see… It’s kind of weird because there’s no content. I think I should write something.”

“It’s under a spell, but I don’t like books like this!”

 When Seon-yeong pretended to open the book, Ji-ha grabbed the book.

“I would like this.”

“Huh? What are you going to do with no content?”

“I just thought that it would be fine for decoration.”

“Okay then.”

Knowing that he is a formidable old book enthusiast, she handed over the book without thinking too much strangely about it. The owner of Sky Bookstore joked that it would return there again. 

“I guarantee you, this will be back in the store in less than a day or three.”

“Shouldn’t we wait and see?”

“I’ve done that twelve times so far. Unless you have some great talent as a guest… The result will be the same.”

The bookstore owner calmly predicted. Well, if you sold it twelve times and it kept coming back to the bookstore, you might think it was possessed by a ghost. But Ji-ha thought differently. 

‘This is what you have suffered to come to me. Come with me to my house.’

Infinite Magic Book. I don’t know what it is, but isn’t that a great name? Ji-ha liked the mysteries shrouded in fog. So even when I read old books, I used to think deeply about the real meanings and metaphors hidden in the sentences. Most of it didn’t mean much, but this one seemed different. That feeling came. After shopping, the two went back to their respective homes. JKi-ha tried to write letters with all sorts of pens on the inside of the magic book, but ended up in vain. 

“It really doesn’t mark.”

At this point, I wonder if there is some real magic going on. I picked it up quickly, but where do I get the thunderbird’s feathers and ink?

‘Thunderbird… I’ve heard of it somewhere.’

When I searched on HunterNet, one article of information came up. 

{Thunderbird: A mysterious bird that rarely appears in various dungeons except polar regions, deserts, and oceans. It is a very large bird with a wingspan of about 25m, and there was a movement to capture it, but it was not possible due to factors such as time restrictions. #15-16563 According to the battle report, we found its nest and eggs however.} 

“Huh?”

Embarrassingly, this was the end of the information. Did I not finish something properly? Well, most of the hunters’ interests were focused on monsters, so they had relatively little interest in the fauna and flora in the dungeon. At most, zoologists were interested in it, but very few people wanted to enter the dungeon and study it. 

‘Because there is nothing to study in the first place, well.’

Ji-ha turned off HunterNet and paid attention to the ancient magic skills and good writing skills proudly engraved on the status window. It is an ancient magic skill. It’s now awkward like alchemy, but the problem is……

‘Is good writing a trait?’

The characteristics of Hunters were like passive skills. Park Seong-ho’s stone skin, Seo Hye-jin’s swordsmanship, and Hwang Seon-yeong’s paper arts were very effective in combat. There were over 40 classes with hundreds of traits, but none of them seemed unimportant. But good writing skills. 

‘Is it just that I can write well?’

Ji-ha scratched his head, put away the magic book, and started writing in his notebook.

*Scratch scratch*

The pen went back and forth on the paper, embroidering neat letters. Originally, the writing of Ji-ha was only good to look at, but the writing on the notebook now was quite pretty. If someone sees it, they will mistake it as printed text. He put down the pen for a moment and admired his handwriting. 

‘It’s pretty, but… What are you going to use this for?’

It was unknown. He looked at the text for a while, then smiled slightly. Yeah, what does it have to mean? It is enough to give a little joy to life. Ji-ha practiced calligraphy for a while. The skill level of good writing has risen to 2, and now there is almost no difference between the written text and printed text. And the dungeon opened. 

***

“It opens here.”

Originally when the dungeon opens, the surrounding ether shakes. The wavelength is large enough to be noticed not only by Hunters, but also by those who are sensitive to ether too. Suddenly, as if an earthquake had occurred, Ji-ha looked around the store. The gate was spread out in an alleyway where no one came. 

“Category 0 or something……”

I couldn’t be sure before entering, but judging from my experience, there was a high probability that there were no monsters in a dungeon in a corner like this. Didn’t Ji-ha claim the dream forest was a dungeon like this?

‘Let’s go in.’

I put my backpack on and set foot inside.

{Difficulty: Category 0

Type: Grassland, Valley

Goal: Thunderbird’s Feather

Time Limit: 1 Hour

Target Limit: Worker}

‘Huh? Weird?’

This is the first time that I have seen a quest window like this. Ji-ha looked at the window in a daze because it was absurd. It was normal for category 0 dungeons to have goals and time limits. And target restrictions didn’t even exist until now. 

‘What are the feathers of the thunderbird?’

Isn’t it like a dungeon tailored for him? It’s like I am being invited to come into this dungeon and pick up the Thunderbird’s feather……

‘I think someone opened the dungeon.’

That someone might have something to do with the dream forest. Ji-ha made up his mind and stepped inside. There was a high valley in a wide field literally called a meadow or valley. What is unusual is that the huge tree roots seen in the Polar Dungeon are also here. It was so out of the blue that I doubted if this was what should be here. 

“How big must you be to have tree roots all over the place?”

Ji-ha squatted in front of the root of the tree and stroked the bark. Maybe this tree is supporting the whole world. 

‘Wait, a huge tree came out of that book.’

The mythology of each race was intertwined with the giant tree, so I remembered reading it quite interestingly. I fell into the dream forest while reading it.

‘Then this tree called me here?’

The tree did not answer, so it was unknown. After staring at the tree for a while, a large bird flew in and landed on the tip of the tree root.

{Thunderbird}

‘You are the thunderbird.’

It was so big that I couldn’t tell if it was a bird or a monster. It is a category 0 dungeon, so it is probably an animal. 

The guy tilted his head at the sight of Ji-ha, then spread his wings and let out a scream. An intense shockwave spread around and Ji-ha covered his ears and crouched down. 

‘This is why it’s a thunderbird.’

The thunderbird is said to be the same as thunder. As he crouched down for a while, a few feathers quietly landed beside him. The thunderbird flew away, perhaps losing interest in Ji-ha. 

“…What is this?”

The series of situations of obtaining the magic book, opening the dungeon, and throwing feathers from the thunderbird felt very contrived. When I entered the forest tonight, I was confident that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Theradrons brought ink. 

‘Are you trying to let me know that I am helping you?’

How crazy would you be to even imagine something like this? After all, what has already happened has happened. Ji-ha looked into the dungeon and came out with the Thunderbird’s feather. A hunter who was hovering around him under Kim Hyung-seok’s instructions urgently reported. 

“Yes, chief. Yes. I checked now. It seems to be a category 0 dungeon. I went in with my backpack, but it was not confirmed what I brought out. Let’s go in now.”

He reports that he tried to enter the gate from which JI-ha came out, but was pushed back by a strange force. Hearing the report, Hyung-seok tilted his head. 

“Is there a dungeon that hides people? Are you telling me to believe that? What force seems to be pushing it? I get it. Let’s watch a little longer.”

He put down his phone and crossed his arms. It seemed clear that luck had come to the young man named Ji-ha. 

“They say he is a hunter with no skills or traits… Isn’t that a characteristic?”

A property that frequently opens dungeons around it. Isn’t that a nice feature? Hyung-seok judged that the dungeon opened around Ji-ha as a characteristic. There are all kinds of characteristics, but who can guarantee that there are no such characteristics?

‘It’s ambiguous.’

It was ambiguous to keep paying attention, or even to turn it off. Certainly the potion he created was great, but he hadn’t made it since. Is it because the fruit has fallen off?

‘I have no choice but to watch a little more.’

Hyung-seok sat down and took out the documents from the safe. A report came from an alliance guild in Busan. It was a bizarre story about the discovery of the giants. I couldn’t believe it, but he claimed that it was the giants who killed the monsters in the Devil Ant Dungeon. The proof is a huge handprint. The head of the Busan Seagull Guild desperately tried to cover it up, but the information was leaked as dozens of people participated. 

‘They’re giants… Was there a mythical grade monster I didn’t know about?’

*Tap tap*

Kim Hyung-seok’s fingers tapped the keyboard. HunterNet, an information site favored by hunters. This site has a secret that normal hunters don’t know. Single numbers, descendants of the first nine Awoken. Except for Han Seung-hyuk, who is missing, the 2nd to 9th ranks are given access to specific bulletin boards. People called this bulletin board Miriwiki. The species name and danger level of the monster were posted, but there was no way to post or edit them separately. Even who created this HunterNet in the first place was a mystery. They say they don’t even know where the server’s data is sent. For a while, Hyung-seok searched for information about the giants by searching for information on mythical monsters. 

‘It couldn’t have been renewed.’

Information on Miriwiki has not changed since its inception. Going back to square one, if two or more of you are saying that, you’ll have to assume that there’s something going on. 

‘Is it just a new monster?’

Isn’t it too big for a new monster? Judging by the size of the palm print, it is said that it is almost the size of a building. It was common knowledge that the bigger the monster, the stronger it was. In order to reach that size, you must exceed the level of extinction. 

‘There is something like the claw monsters found in the polar dungeons.’

Hyeong-seok’s troubles deepened. 

***

“Ancient magic…we are here.”

Ji-ha re-read the book about the giant tree. According to the contents, a huge tree passed on magic to the first races. However, since this magic is so convoluted and difficult to learn, he has developed a kind of trick to make it easier to use. 

‘That’s rune magic, rune word.’

Rune words are also usefully used by modern hunters. Process Ether Stone to make a Rune Stone, write a rune word on it, and place it on a staff. A magician holding this runestone wand could unleash firepower beyond imagination. Would you call them ‘nukers’? If you take a magician to a decent dungeon, it will be solved neatly. Recently, when clearing dungeons has become more important, the importance of magicians who can clear monsters in a wide area cannot be overstated. But that rune magic is just an expedient of ancient magic?

“Creation…Harmony…Change…Destruction”

As I read further, I found that ancient magic is divided into four types. It is said that the magic of creation is not for mortals to touch, and at least the magic of harmony, change, and destruction can be used. 

“Hmm…Magic is the law that changes the world, and magic is just the art of destruction.”

If magic is the sea, it would be more accurate to say that magic is the ocean current within it. However, it was not stated how to learn the magic. It would be nice if something like a rune word was given as an example. Ji-ha looked at the book for a while and then fell asleep. When he opened his eyes, an unexpected situation awaited him. 

“Sometimes like this……”

A branch stuck in the ground grew into a full-fledged tree. The letters engraved on the stem glowed green. The rune word engraved on the stem pointed to a single word or sentence. 

{Destruction. Your flame will burn everything.}

The green light disappeared and the rune word faded. 

“Oh, I should write that down.”

Unknowingly, Ji-ha took out the infinite magic book and picked up a feather pen, realizing that there was no ink and feeling embarrassed. However, at just the right time, several Theradrons came with leaf plates on their heads. It contained sticky green ink. 

{Green herb extract}

“Where did you guys get this from?”

Even if you ask like that, there is no way the answer will come back. The guys put down the ink plate and ran away. Ji-ha looked at   Warrior and discovered that he had eyes. Under the pincers were two bright black eyes. 

‘These are pretty eyes.’

It felt like those eyes were saying this “Use this ink to write the rune word in the magic book” before disappearing. 

“Okay.”

He spread the large book between his knees and wrote down the Rune Words with a quill pen. 

*Scratch scratch*

The rune word was written on the inside, which could not be written with any pen. Rune Word destruction is complete. The Theradron Warrior then returned to the hole in the ground as if satisfied. 

{Scroll of Change: The destructive power of Destruction Rune Magic increases.}

‘This is the magic scroll of change. Can I tear it up?’

It was a pity to tear the inside of this antique book. The thickness of the book is no joke, but the inside is quite thick, so there are about 100 pages. 

‘It’s 98, 99, 100 sheets.’

Seeing that it is named Infinite Magic Book, it seems like it will still be 100 pages even if the inlay is torn off?

‘It can’t be.’

Ji-ha laughed inwardly and tore off the inside. It was quite plausible to roll the scroll with the stem of the herb that the Theradron Warrior was biting.

“It’s fine.”

There was no significant difference from the scrolls found in dungeons. The question is, does this really work? I unwrapped the stems of the herbs and cut them in half with strength in the inlay. Then, the rune word lit up and the inside of it burned. Up to this point, it is the same as a normal rune magic scroll. 

“……”

But nothing magical happened. The status window didn’t change. 

“…Is that it?”

I am a little disappointed. I expected a little bit because it was the magic of change, but nothing happened.

‘Wait, since the rune magic increases its destructive power, maybe a magician should use it.’

 However, even in that case, there should be a change in the status window. In such a way that temporary properties are formed and then disappear. Does it really have no effect?

‘It doesn’t matter.’

I thought it would be okay if I put a few in a jar and display them as finding scrolls is quite plausible. What if I can’t use the ancient magic that I have been looking forward to? Ji-ha opened the book and began to write the straight rune word on the inside. 

*Scratch scratch*

The handwriting was straight, and it oozes of antiquity, as if a wizard from another world carved a real rune word. After I made a few scrolls, I counted the inner pages, and it was exactly 100 pages. 

“It’s the Infinite Magic Book.”

Ji-ha smiled and covered the old book. All that remains……

“Has there been a typhoon?”

The forest was a mess. He rolled up his sleeves and pants and began to clean up. Trees and Theradrons were watching him as he worked for the forest. 

***

“Welcome.”

“Here, here?”

“Oh. this is the place Mr. Cheol-heon told me about.”

“…But it’s very small… Does it look shabby?”

“Shh. He can hear everything.”

“Hey, it’s because you don’t know. What I’ve been drinking before and saw the effect…”

A few hunters snooped in the store. Lately, the number of customers has increased quite a bit in the store. it must have been because information about the sun apples and winter strawberries had leaked out. It was only a matter of time before the information that only ranker-class hunters knew about became known to other hunters. Also, the quality of the potion as a whole was raised. Ji-ha has figured out how to dilute the extract of various fruits in the forest of dreams, and produces as much effect as desired. Before, making a potion with a sun apple unconditionally changed the ether consumption to 0 for 14 seconds, but now it can be reduced to about 5 seconds. Some of the potions occupying a spot on the shelves are not as good as the potions supplied by places like the Hunting Grounds or the Witch’s Cauldron. It may look cheap, but the effect is superior. Word of mouth spreads quickly. A hunter muttered proudly as he picked up a poison resistance potion. 

“This, this. It’s really cheap? But the effect kills me. I could even survive a Spiger from Dokdo.”

“Spiger? That’s a lot of poison resistance. What percentage did it go up?”

“It went up by 20%.”

“K. Cheap. It can handle a Spiger? Then I’ll buy some too.”

At the same time, he looked at the owner. 

“Excuse me, can I buy all of this?”

“One per person.”

One person often swept it all away, so I changed it like this. When Ji-ha said so, the hunter, who gave the first poison resistance potion, whispered.

“What did I say? Didn’t I tell you not to be greedy?”

“Oops. I wish I could buy them all.”

“Buy one, only one. You can use it and come next time.”

The hunters bought each type of potion one by one and then looked around to see what else was available in the store. One said, pointing to the scroll in the jar.

“What is this?”

 “That. It was collected from the ruins. It won’t do much, but you can try tearing them apart one by one.”

“What kind of magic happens when you tear it?”

“Well, I can’t feel it.”

The hunters opened the scroll and admired that the objects coming from the dungeon had an antique look. 

“This rune word is really cool. How did you read this?”

“Destruction… I know, but I don’t know what comes next.”

“Everything I learned at the academy is in vain.”

“Your sparks will burn everything.”

As Ji-ha recited, the hunters were amazed.

“I meant that. There seems to be something.”

“Oh, the handwriting is very straight. Do you think there is a printing press in that world?”

“They talk a lot about the sword they made and the armor they wear, Mr. Hunter.”

“That’s right.”

It seems that he did not think that the main character who wrote this with his handwriting was in front of him. Ji-ha just laughed a little. One tore the scroll, but nothing happened. The scrolls continuously caught fire and disappeared in midair. The hunters stared at the status window, but were a little disappointed to see that there was no change. 

“It’s okay, it’s nothing.”

“I wish I had bought a potion. Let’s go.”

“Boss, we are going.”

“Thank you.”

Before long, a bright red sports car stopped in front of the store. It was a guy with a louder exhaust sound than the car Hye-jin had driven before. 

‘I heard that Seong-ho hyung spills 10,000 won bills on the floor with a car like that.’

Whoever it is, it must be a top ranker. The person who got out of the car was a woman with hair similar to the color of the car. Because her hair color is so intense, Korean hunters know who she is. Cha Hwa-yeon, ranked 5th in the hunter rankings and leading the Eternal Flame Guild. What is the reason why she, who is said to be one of the best in the world for on-shot firepower, came to a shabby general store? Again and again, the sound of high heels tickled the ears of Ji-ha. Hunters rarely wear those uncomfortable shoes, which is a strange thing. Ji-ha greeted her as soon as she entered the store. 

“Welcome.”

“……”

Hwa-yeon did not fully enter and looked around the store lightly. A bit of disappointment and sadness were all over her face. 

“I hear people from our guild often stop by here these days.”

“Hmm…It’s because I don’t differentiate between guests.”

It means you don’t know who it is. She entered the store and circled the shelves with her arms crossed and the sound of her high heels. It was a small shop, so she was back to her starting place within seconds. 

“It doesn’t look like anything special… right?”

“Yes, nothing special.”

“I heard there were sun apples and winter strawberries before. Where are they?”

“I made all of them into potions. Because the dungeon isn’t open indefinitely.”

“Ah”

Hwa-yeon watched Ji-ha’s face. Indeed, he seemed to know what a good-looking face meant. It didn’t look like he was going to lie and deceive anyone. However, it is very dangerous to judge a person’s character just by looking at their face. 

‘Yes, he had the same stupid face as this person.’

An irregular who seduces her with his sweet looks and voice. Hwa-yeon almost exploded in anger inside the store, but she managed to endure. Actually, the reason I came here was not a big deal. Kim Hyung-seok said, “You can get lucky once or twice, but if it continues, it should be regarded as a characteristic.” It means that the frequent opening of dungeons around him could be his ability. If you think about it, it is beneficial to keep it by your side. She approached Ji-ha with a large book open on her lap and said. 

“You must have had a few conversations with our alchemist. How was it?”

“You mean Mr. Cheol-heon? Hmm… He was a caring person.”

“It is so. Working under someone like that will make you feel comfortable. Our guild has good facilities. Magicians are the most, but there are also quite a few alchemists. It will be helpful if you come in.”

“I like this place.”

“Here? Who did you inherit it from?”

“Similar. It’s a place I’m attached to, so I can’t leave.”

JI-ha had no intention of leaving the place his parents had left him. This won’t work. He felt a donkey’s stubbornness and gave up neatly. 

‘He’s not a great talent anyways.’

Potions can be made as many times as you like in the guild. Moreover, there was a saying that these days the potion with the first grotesque effect did not come out these days. 

The sun apples also seemed to have a low sugar content. Hwayeon glanced at the shelves and ordered several bottles of potion. Still. it is the bare minimum courtesy as a guest. Ji-ha suggested tearing one of the scrolls after checking out. She snorted.

“You’re telling the flame magician to rip the scroll?”

Her idea was that running magic scrolls could never replace magicians. It was like that in real life. Ji-ha smiled and said.

“It’s like a lucky message that doesn’t have much effect.”

“Lucky message… I hope misfortune will not stick to you.”

Her fingers opened the scroll. 

“Your flames will burn everything… Well, I like the sentence.”

I like the writing, but it must have been engraved on a printing press anyway. When the scroll was torn in half and turned into flames, Hwa-yeon brushed off her hands and left the store. 

‘There is no reason to come here anymore.’

*Burrung-*

The bright red sports car started off with a harsh exhaust sound. Ji-ha opened the book again. 

***

After some time, the Eternal Flame Guild was assigned a dungeon. It was a dungeon full of spider-type monsters, Spigers. Like most dangerous monsters, they rush in groups, but since they are vulnerable to flame magic, the Eternal Flame Guild has taken over. Hwa-yeon decided to attack this dungeon herself. Dark and humid jungle. As soon as the magicians set foot on the land, spider webs flew here and there. Spigers like to use a tactic to kill intruders by blowing their webs, tying up intruders, and then spewing venom. However, it was too much in front of magicians who melted monsters with tremendous firepower. The flying spider web is first blocked by barrier magic. 

“Concentrate on one point! 1 o’clock, 25 meters!”

As the clear voice designated the attack point, the magicians’ wands and weapons began to glow at once. The rune word was activated and magic with tremendous firepower rushed out. 

*Kaboom!*

A great explosion occurred and the earth shook. One side of the jungle was completely smashed and trees around were swept away. Hwa-yeon, who tried to lightly sweep away a few spears, was startled and lowered her staff.

“Hey, guild leader, how did this happen……”

“The firepower has increased tremendously!”

“……”

It was impossible. Hwa-yeon unknowingly looked at the staff with the runestone in it. What does the rune word seem to shine brighter than usual? When she used flame magic once more, the embers became bombs and hit the ground.

*Puff! Patter-*

Ordinary fire magic could be this powerful. The guild members who misunderstood that her skills had improved congratulated her. 

“Congratulations, sister!”

“The guild leader is really great.”

“Oh, no, I’m not like this……”

Hwa-yeon had to use inexhaustible efforts to clear up the misunderstanding. An ether of ancient magic enveloped them, but no one noticed. On that day, the Eternal Flame Guild broke the record for the shortest time to clear the Spiger Dungeon.