Misunderstanding (2)
At Du-ho’s unexpected reaction, Department Head Na Yong-seok looked plainly flustered.
But Du-ho ignored it and let his dissatisfaction spill out.
“Just a little while ago, too. You were asking about the relationship between Moru Workshop and me like you were interrogating me, and then you tell me I have to show you my ability and even repair a magic sword. That isn’t even my job.”
He wasn’t wrong about any of it.
Besides, from Du-ho’s perspective, this situation was genuinely unwelcome.
It looked as if the Bureau was trying to use him as a bridge to get to Master Jang Mun-seo.
And even if he succeeded in the quest, there was nothing in it for him.
Still, Du-ho had already accepted the quest.
If there was no reward, then he’d just collect one somewhere else.
So.
Shall I get started?
Du-ho rose from his seat and headed for the door.
Startled, Manager Na sprang up too.
“W-wait!”
“My workday’s over, so I’m heading out.”
“Mr. Im Du-ho! Hear me out!”
Manager Na seized Du-ho’s arm in panic and immediately came down from his high horse.
“Sit down. Ah—just sit down for a moment. I’ll explain everything.”
Du-ho returned to his seat as if conceding the point.
Manager Na wiped his face once with a dry hand, then studied Du-ho’s expression before speaking.
“I’m sorry. Higher up, they made a huge fuss when they saw ‘Moru Workshop’ written on the competition paperwork. They wanted me to work you over and bring Master Jang Mun-seo in.”
Manager Na continued with a bitter look.
“But after seeing you in person, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve never heard of anyone who can make weapons like you do without forging them.”
At that, Du-ho scratched his cheek.
They think I’m a production-type. That’s actually pretty good.
He could keep his identity hidden, still be treated properly as an awakened hunter, and even hold his head up in front of his family.
Production-type awakeners almost never had to go into the Abyss.
Then Manager Na sighed and said,
“Congratulations again on winning the grand prize.”
“Huh? Ah… yes.”
“But even so, no matter how brilliant a technician is, if they make an android, it’s just a hunk of scrap in the Abyss or a Rift, isn’t it? And our organization is built around awakeners first and foremost.”
So he was asking Du-ho to understand the rudeness.
But Du-ho’s mind was making a racket.
Scrap?!
-Du-ho nim! Is that human just looking down on me? This is outrageous!
-Mechromancer-nim, I want to show that ignorant fool my magnificence right this instant!
On behalf of those two, Du-ho tossed out a pointed joke.
“Someday, someone might build a mechanic that works in the Abyss.”
Ha-ha.
Manager Na laughed loudly.
“If anyone made something like that, the whole world would be fighting over them. No, they’d probably go to war just to claim that person.”
-Oh! As expected, the road to world conquest is open, hamda!
-I agree. It would be a chance to show the greatness of robots.
The two of them looked ready to burst out at any moment.
As proof, the air behind Manager Na rippled.
Du-ho nearly jumped out of his skin and cried inwardly.
Come on now!!
I can’t reveal anything because of you two!
-Huh? Huh?
-Hmm?
As the pair quieted down, Du-ho fell into thought.
He hadn’t expected the Bureau to take an interest in his master.
Given the Master’s personality, though, that would only backfire.
Du-ho glanced again at the quest reward.
Might as well see if I can focus that interest entirely on me. And as planned, I’ll collect the reward the Bureau doesn’t even have from them instead.
His gaze settled on the Frost Magic Sword lying on the table.
The moment Manager Na tried to speak again,
“So, if I show you how I repair this sword….”
Du-ho cut him off, lifting the blade.
“Just a second.”
Uuung—
Nanobots poured from his fingertips and wrapped around the blade.
In an instant, the fine cracks in the sword were sealed, and the notched, damaged edge began to recover smoothly.
Manager Na’s eyes went wide.
“My word…!”
When the repair was about halfway done—
Clink.
Du-ho pulled the nanobots back and set the sword down on the table with a light tap.
Manager Na asked, bewildered, “Why did you stop?”
“You asked to see me repair it. You didn’t say I had to finish fixing it.”
“No, I mean, since you’re already at it, you might as well finish….”
When Du-ho looked unconvinced, Manager Na waved both hands quickly.
“I’m not forcing you! It’s just that… if you do fix it, it might help with the deepest-floor strategy in the Abyss….”
Manager Na was babbling in his flustered state.
Du-ho asked Isto, who was in the Garage, to check the sword’s information.
Isto, look up information on this magic sword.
-I’ll do it, hamda!
A moment later—
-The current Abyss Floor 80 is a lava zone, so a cold-element weapon is needed. This magic sword is of high grade, with a current value of 50 million coins. If the quest succeeds, it will become a rare-grade item, and a premium in the hundreds of millions is expected, hamda.
Hoguai added,
-For reference, item grades are General, High, Rare, Heroic, Legendary, Mythic, and Unique.
So that’s how it is.
The blade only needed a little more work to clear the quest.
The one snag was this.
I’d rather handle machines than weapons….
So.
He’d have to make good use of the authority he had now.
Du-ho opened his mouth.
“Manager Na.”
“Go on.”
“What if I raise this magic sword’s grade one step higher?”
“W-what?!”
Du-ho had seen countless scholars leave the Machine Upcycling department after boosting their worth.
Wasn’t I supposed to maximize my own value?
He left himself room in case things went sideways.
“It’s not something I can do anytime. I’m in a great condition today, so I think I can manage it.”
He dressed the quest reward up as his own skill.
Manager Na’s face lit up at once.
“Is that true?!”
“Call an item appraiser first.”
Manager Na shot to his feet and contacted someone immediately.
* * *
Bang.
The door to the small conference room flew open, and a middle-aged man rushed in breathlessly.
“What is it, sir?”
Manager Na pointed at the magic sword on the table.
“Appraise this for me.”
The appraiser picked up the sword, then frowned.
“Hmm…?”
“This is the Frost Sword I once declared impossible to repair, isn’t it?”
He carefully traced a finger over the cracked section.
Tsk tsk.
“Looks like someone already tried to work on it. Don’t waste your effort.”
As the item appraiser set the Frost Sword back on the table, Du-ho lifted it again.
“You heard him, right, Manager?”
Manager Na shrugged.
“I called him, so there’s no need to double-check.”
The appraiser, still in the dark, looked back and forth between them.
As Du-ho took hold of the Frost Sword and prepared to focus,
“W-wait a second!”
“What is this about?”
“You can step outside and come back when I call you….”
“No, Manager Na. That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? I’m not some street-corner appraiser.”
At that, Manager Na summoned a hologram and brought up a confidentiality document.
“Then sign here.”
While the item appraiser read through the document, Manager Na asked,
“Would it be all right to film Mr. Im Du-ho? I need to report this upward.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Filming him wouldn’t let anyone imitate his ability anyway.
Du-ho steadied his breathing.
Then nanobots began flowing from his fingertips.
“W-what is tha….”
Shh!
Manager Na shook his head at the appraiser.
The nanobots ran along the sword blade.
Faster than before, the remaining cracks were sealed in an instant.
Proficiency has increased.
Soon the damaged edge was restored to a smooth finish.
“It, it can do that?!”
The shocked appraiser grabbed his own head.
Manager Na, who had already witnessed this once, was now filming with trembling hands.
Even seeing it with my own eyes, it’s hard to believe.
The sword’s restoration was complete, but Du-ho was still thinking.
I think I could use a mana circuit here….
A magic sword fed on an awakened hunter’s mana.
In a sense, a mana circuit was the same.
So….
What if I engraved a mana circuit related to amplification?
It was a blade that had originally been unusable anyway,
and even if he failed, it wouldn’t matter much.
They won’t make me do this sort of thing again.
So there was nothing to lose.
He boldly extended his hand.
A pattern began to sketch itself in the air.
Gasp!
Manager Na, still filming, jerked his head on instinct. The appraiser had lost his composure completely as well.
The two of them stared up at the mysterious design being embroidered into the air, utterly dazed.
Understanding of Mana Circuit has increased.
Mana Circuit unders…
A skill that grew more polished with every attempt.
Sweat beaded on Du-ho’s forehead and slid down his cheek.
At last, the completed mana circuit hovered in the air.
It was a simple design built solely for amplification.
Du-ho steadied his breathing and raised both hands, compressing the mana circuit smaller and smaller.
As its size shrank, the circuit became sharper and clearer.
The instant the mana circuit Du-ho had drawn settled onto the magic sword resting below—
Scratch, scratch.
The nanobots began engraving it onto the blade, following the settled pattern.
Some time later, the nanobots returned to Du-ho’s fingertips.
Reward: Frost Magic Sword grade increased
Hoo…
He’d done it.
Then, all at once—
A sudden excess-clearance window popped up.
This…
I haven’t seen this since after fixing Isto.
Ooooh!
-Congratulations, hamda! As expected, that’s Du-ho nim!
Hoguai immediately took issue with Isto’s words.
-You foolish blockhead of iron!
-Eh?!
-What is there to congratulate when Mechromancer-nim gains nothing from it!
-Huh? Huh?! Whaaat??
At Isto’s shrill cry, Du-ho snorted with amusement.
Why would he have gained nothing?
If I engrave a mana circuit properly onto a specific item, it can become an amplification item powered by mana.
-…Ah!
And besides, the reward starts now.
-I heard that, Long Legs!
-Iron Blockhead, get out of here!
While the two bickered, Du-ho picked up the magic sword and handed it to the appraiser.
“Please check it.”
The appraiser received the sword with trembling hands.
He looked like someone who had barely escaped a storm called Du-ho.
Carefully, he began examining the magic sword.
Manager Na was still filming.
A moment later, the appraiser lifted his head and looked at Manager Na.
“H-her… h-heroic….”
“What? Don’t tell me it’s unusable again?!”
“No. It’s Heroic grade!”
That was the appraiser’s shout.
Then, in a trembling voice, he looked at Du-ho.
“A production-type awakener raising an existing item’s grade… is, as far as I know, the first time this has ever happened.”
And not just once—by two whole steps!
With those words, Manager Na made up his mind.
If he let Im Du-ho slip away…
I’d have to go out and die!
Manager Na clenched Du-ho’s hand tightly.
Mr. Im Du-ho.
“If there’s anything you want, say it. I’ll see what I can do within reason.”
At last, the reward time had begun.
It seemed to start with a full-time position, then moved on to talk of promotions.
“I’ll also make sure your family welfare is taken care of!”
Manager Na came at him with full force.
Soon he brought up a hologram.
A sleek high-rise apartment complex.
Beneath it, the text read:
Hunter Bureau Rental Housing Complex 3
Move-in available in two weeks
Top-floor 50-pyeong unit(rooftop: 11-pyeong bonus space)
Manager Na enlarged the photo.
A spacious living room.
A huge window with a view of the Han River!
“The surrounding infrastructure is excellent as well!”
He went on explaining for quite a while, as if he’d become a real estate agent….
“What do you think about your family moving in there, Mr. Im Du-ho?”
“Pardon?”
Unlike the shocked Du-ho, Manager Na’s expression was almost tragic.
The truth was, he’d waited three years to move into that rental housing complex himself!
But if he wanted to keep hold of Im Du-ho, he’d eventually pull in Master Jang Mun-seo too.
Collecting himself, Du-ho felt the weight of the offer.
It was true that the heroic grade had happened thanks to luck.
And above all else.
In this world, there was no such thing as free goodwill.
How much are they planning to squeeze out of me?
But then he looked at the apartment, and his resolve wavered.
He could already picture his family living happily there.
Get a grip, Im Du-ho!
Shaking his head once to steady himself, Du-ho answered calmly.
“I think I’ll need to discuss it with my parents….”
“Huh? Why?”
Manager Na’s mind went blank.
Could it be…
…not enough?
Even so, he forced out a smile.
“R-right. Of course you should discuss it. Just don’t think about it too long.”
Grinding his teeth, Manager Na added,
“If you need anything else….”
As if he were about to throw in still more conditions, Du-ho quickly bowed and left the small conference room.
Good grief…
How far are they planning to strip me if they’re offering this much?
* * *
That evening.
Du-ho sat in the master bedroom.
His parents and the twins stared at him blankly.
After a long moment of consideration, Du-ho spoke.
Father. Mother.
“Should we move?”