Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 009
Chapter Title: B-Rank Awakener, Park Jin-ho
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Blessed Skill Enhancement Ticket (Bound) You can permanently remove one penalty from the designated skill. Han Jeong-woo examined the small ticket glowing in his hand, turning it this way and that with a sense of wonder.
"Must be because it's blessed... it's actually shining."
He was pretty sure regular Skill Enhancement Tickets didn't do that.
Without a moment's hesitation, he tore the ticket in his hand.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Blessed Skill Enhancement Ticket used. He only had two skills to his name.
Gravity Control and Gravitational Pull.
A list of removable penalties from both skills scrolled before his eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Select a penalty to remove. 1. [Gravity Control (Lv.2)] - Increased mana consumption 2. [Gravity Control (Lv.2)] - Cannot adjust own gravity 3. [Gravitational Pull] - Increased mana consumption 4. [Gravitational Pull] - Precision control difficulty He carefully scanned the options before him, just like when he'd reviewed the agency contract earlier.
Which penalty's removal would bring him the greatest benefit?
It didn't take long to decide.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Gravity Control (Lv.2) 'Cannot adjust own gravity' penalty selected.] Penalty removal complete. You can now adjust your own gravity. Thump thump. His heart began pounding fiercely.
The other penalties could be overcome eventually.
Low mana? Pump up the stats or grab some mana recovery items.
Precision control on Gravitational Pull? Endless practice and effort would cover that.
But the 'Cannot adjust own gravity' penalty? Even maxing out the skill level might not fix it.
And who knew when—or if—he could overcome it at all.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 75kg As soon as he activated the skill, Han Jeong-woo's body floated lightly into the air like a feather.
"...Oh!"
It felt just like being in space—his body lifted from the toes up until it bumped against the ceiling.
⚔ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚔ Gravitational Pull activated. A black mark etched itself onto the bed below.
"Whoa!"
In an instant, his body clinging to the ceiling was yanked toward the bed by an invisible force.
He flailed his limbs, but against his will, he was inexorably pulled straight to his target.
Once he restored gravity to normal, Han Jeong-woo landed lightly on the bed.
"Hm... can't exactly call this proper flight. Still, it'll be pretty useful in emergencies or combat."
He was satisfied with his choice. Gaining flight ability alone made it worthwhile.
But the real reason he'd made this choice was something else entirely.
⚔ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚔ Increase own gravity by 3x. His body, perfectly fine just moments ago, ballooned to 225kg in an instant.
His breath caught, every inch of him straining toward the floor.
Yet amid the excruciating pain, a broad grin bloomed across Han Jeong-woo's face.
"Kuhuhu... yes! Finally... finally I can do this myself!"
The training method he'd stumbled upon by chance during that sudden quest—one only he could pull off.
The moment had arrived: the completion of the world's most brutal, idiotic regimen befitting his 'Mutant' title.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Huh, that guy..."
Lee Min-joo's steps halted at the agency lobby entrance as she was about to leave the building.
"The staffer holding the puppy earlier."
No doubt about it. She'd personally handed over the gate-stealing criminal to him.
Lee Min-joo hurried toward him.
"E-excuse me!"
Baek Yoon-seok turned at the voice.
"...Huh? Aren't you the Awakener from the gate scene earlier? What was your name...?"
"Lee Min-joo."
"Right, Lee Min-joo. What brings you here...? The gate raid's already wrapped up."
Awakened from the agency rarely came and went from headquarters without official business.
Their jobs were tower climbs and gate subjugations, after all.
"About that gate earlier. It got stolen from me."
Baek Yoon-seok's expression turned icy in an instant.
Lee Min-joo, oblivious to the change, pressed on.
"So, could you give me that guy's contact info? I went to the gate response team, but they said it wasn't their department—"
"...Stop."
Baek Yoon-seok cut her off urgently.
"...Pardon?"
Lee Min-joo blinked in confusion.
"What did you just...?"
"Best to leave it there, Awakener Lee Min-joo."
Baek Yoon-seok glanced around as if sharing a grave secret, lowering his voice.
"I get why you're looking for him, but... personally, I'd advise against pursuing him further."
"What kind of nonsense is that?! I need my money! That jerk stole my gate!"
"Lee Min-joo."
Baek Yoon-seok's tone was firm. He stared straight into her eyes.
"This is personal advice—and a warning as an agency employee. Don't dig any further into him. It's for your own safety. As for the gate compensation... I'll take responsibility and look into it separately."
With that, Baek Yoon-seok turned away coldly, signaling the conversation was over.
Lee Min-joo stared blankly at his retreating back.
"Ha... what the hell? Warning me when all I want is my own money? Who does he think he is?"
She let out a disbelieving scoff, but a nagging unease prevented her from brushing off his warning.
'It's for your own safety.'
Would he say something like that lightly?
Something was definitely up. Something she didn't know about.
Lee Min-joo paused as she started to leave the agency again.
Was it really okay to head straight to that guy's rundown apartment neighborhood?
The staffer's odd reaction lingered in her mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Park Jin-ho, 25-year-old B-rank Awakener with the Korea Awakener Management Agency.
These days, he handled nothing but C-rank gates, but just two years ago, he'd been hailed as a top prospect.
Guilds showered him with offers, and at a young age, he'd commanded a salary in the hundreds of millions, cruising down an expressway to success.
But maybe it was his innate B-rank limit. His growth stalled far sooner than expected.
Floor 30. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't push beyond it.
The guild that once placed infinite faith in him didn't hide their disappointment, and the promising star destined to lead them became a money-sink headache. In the end, he was unceremoniously kicked out.
📰 Breaking News Breaking news: Kim Min-gyu, A-rank Awakener from one of Korea's premier guilds, the Friendship Guild, has finally broken through floor 45— Park Jin-ho hurriedly shut off the TV.
"What kinda bullshit coincidence is this?"
He'd come to Busan on a whim to clear his head.
Lounging in his hotel room, idly flipping channels... and of all things, he hears that name again.
Friendship Guild.
The guild he'd once belonged to.
The place that had exalted his younger self as the best—and the one that treated him like trash and discarded him when his growth stopped.
Two years had passed, but the humiliation and betrayal still burned vividly in his chest.
"Ugh, ruined my mood for no reason. Better just sleep."
He flicked off the lights and closed his eyes.
Just as sleep began to claim him...
His phone buzzed noisily on the bedside table.
"...What the? Why are you calling?"
- Shut up, can you talk?
Lee Min-joo's voice from earlier that day came through the receiver.
"Spit it out quick. I'm trying to sleep."
- Nothing big. Just one favor.
"A favor's always something big."
Park Jin-ho chuckled sarcastically.
- Argh, seriously! Just hear me out! Meet someone for me.
"What? Me? Hey, I'm in Busan right now."
Lee Min-joo barreled on, ignoring him.
- Remember that guy who stole our gate this afternoon? Go see him for me.
The man's face from earlier flashed in Park Jin-ho's mind.
"That guy? Why? Just go yourself."
Lee Min-joo fell silent for a moment on the other end.
After some hesitation, she recounted what happened in the agency lobby.
"...No way. He really said that?"
- Yes! I got warned off, but not you. So pretend you don't know and go meet the bastard. We both deserve that compensation anyway!
"I don't need that money to get by."
Park Jin-ho shrugged.
"And honestly... that Magma Golem? The two of us alone couldn't have taken it without casualties. Gotta admit it. It worked out for the best."
- Shut your trap, you idiot! You know my situation, and you say that crap? Think I want to deal with that asshole? I'd love to grab the cash and wash my hands of him!
"...Your little brother's hospital bills?"
Silence froze the line. He'd hit her sore spot.
"Alright, alright. Big bro's got you this once. Truth is, I was curious about the guy too."
Park Jin-ho ended the call and pulled the covers over himself.
"Looking forward to tomorrow for once."
Anticipating the reunion with the nameless man, he drifted off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Grk...!"
Sweat poured down like rain onto the floor.
Han Jeong-woo endured double gravity—150kg of load—while cranking out push-ups.
He'd reserved just enough mana for minimal tower-climbing needs, pouring the rest into Gravity Training.
'Keep enduring this steady load... my stats will rise for sure.'
Clenching his teeth with that conviction, he pushed on.
Then—
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
"Who's there?"
He hauled his heavy body up from the floor, puzzled.
No one should be visiting at this hour.
The agency staff were a slim possibility, but they wouldn't drop by unannounced.
"Who is it?!"
Dragging his weighted body, he opened the door.
"Yes! Found you!"
A young man in casual clothes stood there. Spotting Han Jeong-woo, he exclaimed happily.
Han Jeong-woo didn't recognize him at all.
"You don't remember me?"
"Who... are you?"
"We raided a gate together yesterday! Well, I just watched."
The man grinned cheekily.
Only then did it click. This was the B-rank Awakener in shiny armor from yesterday.
"Ah...! The one in armor. You look so different out of it. What brings you here...?"
"Nothing major. Just something to discuss. Mind if I come in?"
Han Jeong-woo hesitated at inviting a stranger inside but nodded.
His friendly demeanor yesterday suggested no ill intent.
The moment the man stepped in after removing his shoes—
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 Daily Quest Generated!
Adjust another person's gravity by 10x or more!
Success: Skill Enhancement Ticket x1
Failure: Permanent physical impairment from gravity
Han Jeong-woo reeled inwardly.
'Adjust someone else's gravity by 10x or more? At this timing?'
It was as good as the system ordering him to mess with the guy in front of him.
'But why...?'
The system never issued quests without reason.
So, applying gravity to this man would yield something—
'Wait... no way...?'
In a flash, an absurd thought struck him.