37. Wakin's Request (2)
“So, anyway, I’ve got a favor to ask.”
Procure Supplies for the Wakin Sisters
Required Items: 50 high-quality mana stones. 1 monster core.
Reward: Sisters' traits activated
A status window popped up in midair at Melani Wakin's words.
Hidden quest, huh…
The reward being "sisters' traits activated" probably meant only one of the Wakin sisters could be dominated by attributes so far. Jeonghyeon nodded thoughtfully to himself.
“Fifty high-quality mana stones and one monster core… Yeah, that’s doable.”
Melani's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, having caught his near-mumbled words.
“How’d you know?”
“Oh, uh… just a hunch?”
“Ooh, good instincts! Come with me.”
Melani led Jeonghyeon to an open clearing.
“You’re here.”
As they arrived, her sister Adel, who’d been hauling metal equipment around, greeted him.
“Long time no see.”
“Speak casually. It’s easier for both of us.”
Thud! She dropped the gear on the ground, denting the soft dirt.
“That’s what happens when you go casual?”
“Haha! Nah, we’re in the middle of research right now.”
“Research? What kind?”
Instead of answering, Melani thrust a mana stone weapon into his hands.
“Strength test! Take it!”
“Oh, sure.”
Jeonghyeon took the mana stone weapon without protest. Shaped like a standard sword, its blade glowed a deep blue and radiated chill that made his hand stiffen the moment he gripped it.
The fact that she’d been swinging this around earlier made him think the sisters were tougher than your average hunter.
“Hard to hold, right? It’s not fully finished yet.”
“So, what do you need me to do?”
Melani pointed to the center of the clearing.
“Mind swinging that sword over there?”
“Sure.”
It was a failed prototype anyway. Jeonghyeon adjusted his grip and aimed at the center.
Before that… Attribute Disruption.
He activated it just to be safe, even though it had been ages. The familiar pain spread through his Demon King's Eye.
Failed Sword
Attribute: Mana Stone Weapon
Traits: ???
Rank: ???
Attribute Liberation: 0% (Cannot be liberated.)
Sword Master's perk activated. Proficiency with handheld weapons increases twice as fast.
Unfamiliar user for mana stone weapon. Proficiency gain is very low.
Current Mana Stone Weapon (Sword) Proficiency: 0%
Successfully performed Attribute Disruption on 'Mana Stone Weapon' grade for the first time.
Chance to identify mana stone weapons at a glance greatly increased.
Chance to discern mana stone weapon ranks greatly increased.
It was blatantly labeled "Failed Sword," but it was still classified as a mana stone weapon. That was enough.
Finally, a mana stone weapon had appeared before Jeonghyeon's eyes.
So this is a mana stone weapon.
Even though it was unusable, he felt a thrill like he’d already half-defeated the Demon King. Turn this into an Epic Weapon, and victory was within reach.
“What’re you waiting for? Swing it anywhere. Fire a sword beam if you want. Neither of us are swordsmen.”
“Right.”
Caught up in the euphoria of discovery, Jeonghyeon channeled mana into the blade.
“Hoo.”
He faced the Han River and swung with all his might.
Shing-!
***
The swing barely made a sound—just the whoosh of air. But the mana stone weapon unleashed terrifying power beyond expectations.
“Whoa…”
The sword beam carved a vertical gash deep into the clearing’s ground, slicing straight across the Han River, briefly parting the waters to expose the riverbed far downstream.
Boom!!
He hadn’t even poured much mana into it, yet it packed this punch.
If I’d had something like this back then…
He couldn’t help resenting the sisters a bit for never providing him one in his past life, despite their value.
But an unfinished product was still unfinished.
Crack!
The mana-infused sword crumbled to powder and shattered completely, scattering into the air.
“Uh… sorry about that. I didn’t hold back or anything… But a weapon’s gotta withstand some swinging, y’know…”
Melani just grinned innocently at the flustered Jeonghyeon.
“It’s fine. We’ve already broken over ten.”
“Make that eleven.”
Already ten…?
Adel’s blunt addition had Melani taking back the hilt and the sisters poking at it while muttering.
“Definitely different when a real swordsman uses it. We could swing it three or four times.”
“Even for a consumable weapon, this is useless. What’s missing?”
“Finishing might be the issue… Maybe increase mana stone content gradually…”
Jeonghyeon felt like a humanities major stuck between engineers—speechless in this unfamiliar field, standing awkwardly like a rice straw dummy as they chatted.
“Oh right! Sorry! Your data’s valuable.”
Melani finally noticed his awkward stance and gave an sheepish smile.
“So, those materials you mentioned earlier would help.”
“Fifty high-quality mana stones, one monster core?”
“Yeah. We’d have to dial back the mana stone content a bit… But can you get them?”
“What’s the problem?”
Jeonghyeon shrugged like it was nothing.
“Then we’re counting on you. Mana stones need to be B-rank or higher, and the core…”
“Don’t worry about procurement. I know where to get them.”
Melani sighed in relief.
“Really? Whew, that’s great!”
Jeonghyeon stepped into their tent to discuss progress. Unlike the shabby exterior, inside was packed with high-end refining gear and cutting-edge devices.
“By the way, how’d you snag land like this? Even if gates pop up a lot here and it’s cheap… Were the mana stones I gave worth that much?”
“Pfft. Overestimating yourself much? ‘Worth that much’? No way.”
Adel burst out laughing.
“Then?”
“We’re rich. Our dad runs the Jangseong Group.”
“Huh?”
The bombshell came out of nowhere. He knew little about the sisters, but loaded from the start?
Makes sense—they could afford prime Han River land.
Well, as long as he got mana stone weapons, details didn’t matter.
“Anyway, I’ll head out now.”
“Oh yeah. You’re a porter, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Then expand your inventory while you’re at it.”
“Possible?”
“Hypothesis on our end, but mana stones leak mana just sitting there. A full sub-space pouch means embedded mana, which could influence growth…”
“TL;DR?”
Adel frowned slightly, sighed, and summed it up.
“Inventory has mana. That mana can grow the inventory.”
“No other porter got as strong as you.”
Melani handed him a fragment.
A small, white-glowing scale-like piece.
“What’s this?”
“Put it in your inventory. Boosts mana absorption.”
“Thanks.”
Jeonghyeon shook her hand gratefully.
Melani took it with her small hand.
Then, he infused mana into his Demon King's Eye.
Attribute Domination.
Kiiing-!
A heavy pain surged through his optic nerve, and a status window appeared.
Current Attribute Domination Slots: (2/3)
Melani Wakin
Grade: S-rank Blacksmith
Command Grade: Subordinate Grade
Awakener: None
Class: Blacksmith
Suitable Weapon: Forge Hammer
Current Skills: None
Potential: One who enables dragon-slaying.
Utility: Blacksmith, top collaborator
Loyalty: Loyalty Level 2/10 (Mutual benefit relationship)
Different from Philip’s window.
Oho.
S-rank blacksmith. Impressive. No skills yet, but utility stood out.
"One who enables dragon-slaying." Makes weapons capable of killing dragons?
The Demon King Malekith was dragon-tier, so yeah. Good thing he fixed the failed domination on Serin.
“See you next time!”
Melani slipped her hand free without further ado and ducked back into the tent, no goodbye.
Both got what they wanted. Jeonghyeon turned away, heading to the subway to clear the new hidden quest.
***
Back on the subway to Seoul Northern Field, Jeonghyeon closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Materials… Where to get them?
High-quality mana stones would come endlessly from tower climbs. Just pick the best.
Told them not to worry, but…
The monster core nagged at him.
Not mana stones from kills—these rare cores from golems like the one with Serin’s Kingdom Guild. Only from magic constructs without egos.
Used to create monsters.
But Serin wouldn’t hand over that golem core.
It dropped, but asking now would be greedy.
Jeonghyeon shook his head.
Already building favor—no need to push.
She hated losing her stuff more than death.
Then, a young hunter next to him, lost in thought, started a call.
“Ugh, Yoonwoo, you really gotta climb the tower?”
Oh. Climbing the tower?
“You sure? We’re fine without it. Hey, I’m worried.”
Tearful voice, furrowed brow. Worried about his awakened girlfriend?
Perfect timing.
Jeonghyeon glanced at him, recalling friends crumbling under war memorials. Hope they’re living normally this time—no tower, no mess with me.
Gazing at the woman, memories flooded: a long-lost friend who died on the tower’s 20th floor to the Chimera boss.
“Huh…?”
Chimera?
Chimeras were fictional lifeforms by the alchemist monster "Baron Ras Ghoul," right?
Meaning they definitely had monster cores implanted.
“Yeah, just climb the tower, right?”
The train hit his stop. Jeonghyeon bolted out.