Chapter 45. Slime (4)
The idea of storing Nus in his inventory had come from the Wakin sisters' stories.
'We can make use of the inventory.'
He couldn't recall the exact words, but something about the inventory having its own level or rank.
Jeonghyeon, awakened as a lowly porter, saw it as his one shot at real growth and was always turning it over in his mind.
But even with his overflowing knowledge of monsters, he was basically clueless about inventories, so he had no choice but to consult the Wakin sisters, who knew a thing or two.
And so, he, Philip... and Nus tucked away in the inventory headed for the Han River.
"...This is a first."
Those were the words from the younger Wakin sister the moment she poked her head out and spotted Nus peeking from the inventory's entrance.
"Yeah. Everyone assumes you take stuff out of the tower and bring it back to the outside world... but who knew you could haul a monster like this?"
"Insolent human scum! How dare you lump this noble being in with some common monster!"
"Kyaaah?! It talks!?"
The older Wakin sister freaked out at the talking slime and leaped toward her sibling.
"What the hell is this?! It speaks!"
"Uh... yeah. Turns out it does."
"'Turns out'? If this body deigns to speak—! Don't close it! Hey! I said don't close it!"
Thud.
Jeonghyeon sealed the inventory shut tight before Nus could kick up more fuss.
"It's a long story..."
And with that, Jeonghyeon recounted everything about Nus from the tower.
"...So, this guy's an ethereal slime, seems super useful, so I grabbed him on the way out, but I have no clue what to do with him now?"
"Bingo."
"Why ask us?"
The Wakin sisters' response was straightforward. Fair enough—no point asking a doctor about carpentry just because they're smart.
"Good point."
Still, Jeonghyeon switched gears, hoping they knew something about inventories.
"Fine, then what was that potential you saw in inventories?"
"Mm... same as before. Everything that goes in and out of the tower is infused with mana. Even the clothes you're wearing."
The sisters began easing into it, invoking the tower and mana.
"But while we were gathering and testing all sorts of items, we found something wild."
They led Jeonghyeon and Philip into their tent.
"Whoa... nothing like the outside. Total different world in here."
Philip, seeing the Wakin sisters' upgraded base for the first time, gawked nonstop. The ragged tent exterior hid a cutting-edge lab packed with high-tech gear.
"Check this out."
One sister showed them two X-ray-like photos.
"This is a standard hunter's inventory."
Inside the plain pouch-shaped inventory, faint outlines of mana stones and a sword were etched clearly enough.
"Mana stone X-ray. And this one's a porter's inventory."
It looked like any other pouch, but the image was night and day.
"Oh..."
The harvesting knives porters carried and piles of mana stones showed up crystal clear—sharp enough to gauge quality at a glance.
But the biggest difference stood out even more.
"Mana's visible in the inventory itself?"
"Yup. For reference, the first one's owner is a C-rank hunter. The porter's? Some nobody who's never left an F-rank field, let alone climbed the tower."
"And the porter's has more mana."
Jeonghyeon's head was starting to throb.
'Theory's not my wheelhouse.'
He wanted to cut to the chase, but he couldn't bring himself to interrupt the two science-obsessed sisters in their excited ramble.
"So, bottom line: play your cards right with your ability, and you might rank up the inventory itself!"
"...!"
'Why didn't I think of that?'
If the inventory evolved like an epic weapon, the possibilities would explode—what it could hold, how much, all of it.
Even just more capacity would open endless doors.
"Yeah. Of course. That's it."
Muttering to himself, Jeonghyeon triggered Attribute Disruption on the inventory.
Disrupting an undefined existence.
Inventory (Containing Ethereal Slime)
Attribute: Inventory + Ethereal
Feature: Infused with the ethereal slime's mana, amplifying the inventory's power.
Rank: ???
Attribute Liberation: 85%
Current Items: Blood Dissector
'It works!'
Jeonghyeon whooped inwardly. It even had an Attribute Liberation gauge. He'd been using it a while, and at 85%, that meant it'd still pack a punch even post-liberation. Porter-class gear became permanent epics anyway—no disposables here.
But...
"Hold up. Why's the only item listed Blood Dissector?"
A bad feeling slithered through his mind.
'No way. Nah.'
He cracked open the inventory entrance. Nus was fuming inside, waiting.
"You filthy human worm! You..."
"You. Spill it. What happened to everything else in here?"
Bad feelings always rang true. That's why they sucked.
"I ate it all? You left it for me to eat, right?"
No exception this time either.
"Don't tell me you scarfed the shards too?"
Jeonghyeon clung to denial.
"Yup! Those were extra tasty."
"Hah. Fuck..."
He let out a deep sigh bubbling up from his dantian.
"Damn. I rushed here to stock you with mana stones, and this happens."
"It's fine. If our slime pal puts it to good use, that's a win. Oh, and there's a dungeon popping nearby—wanna check it out while we're here?"
The older Wakin sister dangled an intriguing offer.
"Dungeons have mana density, even if not tower-level. Good chance to test how much this slime can handle."
"Slime, you say? This body's name is—"
"Nus is fine."
Philip cut in before Nus could unleash its endless title, echoing the younger sister's words.
He handed Jeonghyeon his smartphone from his pocket.
"This one's it."
Hunters got nationwide dungeon alerts like official memos. Pick and raid via the high-tech Hunter Association app.
Jeonghyeon, a porter with no contacts, hadn't owned a phone, so he'd missed it.
"Hm."
He checked the pre-measured mana density and projected unlock date. Who knew non-awakeners and hunters collabed on apps like this? Made him oddly proud.
"Projected B-rank... defense type?"
"Yeah. Like last time, right? Lead the charge, and we can snag mana stones easy."
B-rank defense dungeons scared off even A-rank hunters.
Hordes of B-rank monsters pouring out, boss at least A-rank.
Perfect for Jeonghyeon—level up Attribute Analysis, farm stones on the side.
"Sweet. Tower later. Dungeon first."
"Dungeon? A dungeon here too? Finally, some fresh air!"
Nus perked up, despite playing it cool.
As they geared to head out, the older Wakin sister shot her hand up.
Her tiny frame meant it barely reached Jeonghyeon's chest, but still.
"We're coming too this time!"
"You guys?"
"Yup! Gotta test weapons, and see how you fight to customize gear."
"Oh. Makes sense."
"Not mana stone weapons yet, but we can do armor."
Jackpot. The older sister's mana stone weapon fame overshadowed the younger, but her armor had real rep.
Quality rivaling frost dwarf or lava dwarf gear.
Pair that armor with mana stone weapons...
'Just thinking about it pumps me up.'
But top-tier smiths or not, they were unawakened civilians. Dragging them into a defense dungeon? Risky as hell.
'Risky means...'
Hidden Quest: Clear the dungeon with the Wakin sisters surviving.
Reward: Demon King Shop level up
"Knew it!"
Jeonghyeon pumped his fist at the air, grinning like an idiot.
"Had to be! Rewards make it worth it!"
The Demon King Shop upgrade at this timing? Probably junk, but a reward meant it was doable.
He cackled, giddy as hell.
"...This guy's always like that?"
Nus peeked out, eyeing Jeonghyeon's solo dance party.
"...Dunno."
Even the hyper older Wakin sister looked baffled.
"Yes. Happens sometimes. No big deal."
Only Philip, battle-tested with Jeonghyeon, chuckled it off like always.
After solid rest, dungeon generation day arrived.
"All set?"
Jeonghyeon and Philip had loosened up with light morning exercise.
"Yup! Totally!"
"Leave it to us!"
"..."
The Wakin sisters' getup was straight-up wild.
Thick new-material plate armor layered head to toe, hiding their faces. Massive shields strapped to backs and shoulders like capes. They gripped guns—their only wieldable weapons—and recovery potions dangled everywhere.
"What, off to war? Slay a dragon?"
Nus barked from Jeonghyeon's inventory at his waist. The sisters sheepishly scratched heads, blocked by robot-thick helmets scraping metal—skreeek, skreeek.
"Eh... better than hauling a base camp, I guess. Defense looks solid."
"Right? I- made- it- my-self!"
The younger sister's boast echoed inside her helmet, auto-reverb.
"Yeah... let's roll."
Whatever. Jeonghyeon would tank everything anyway.
"Party up and move out."
With their oddly balanced crew, Jeonghyeon set off for the dungeon in the Han River basin.