Weekend of Absorption: The Birth of a Skill
As I walked toward the gate, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Team Leader, what exactly is a skill?"
"Jihoon, Doyun would probably explain that better than I could."
"A skill is shaping power into a 'form.' It's fixing the flow of mana and imprinting an explosive pattern into it. My Gravity Amplification was created the same way, through repetition."
Oh Jaehoon continued as we walked.
"Skills are like language. They're formulas that combine mana and channel it in a predetermined way. At first, everyone created them through pure sensation, and what we have now as skill books is the organized result of that."
"Skill books?"
"That's right. Every guild has its own skill book system. Combat guilds focus on practical application, while research guilds organize around attribute classification and circuit structure."
"Does the Investigation Bureau have one too?"
"Of course."
"Ours leans more toward analysis than combat. We've standardized things like basic attack patterns, defensive flows, and stable mana circuit structures. You have to reference those and reconstruct them to fit your own abilities."
"So it's not just copying, but each person has to rebuild it themselves."
"Exactly. If you just copy it like a template, it won't last. It only holds if you complete it with your own power."
"Since your senses have stabilized now, Jihoon, it should be fine to start trying soon."
"You should look into it at the Bureau and start practicing too. D-rank is plenty capable. Begin by learning how to bind your mana flow consistently."
"I guess I'll have to create a skill of my own someday."
"Yeah. Make one with your name on it."
"Telekinesis would be cool."
"That's the name of your ability, not a skill."
"Maybe by the next dungeon, we'll see 'Byun Jihoon Skill No. 1'?"
"Could happen."
"Good. Internal cleanup complete. Confirmed entry into stabilization phase."
Moon Tae-hyun, the Gangwon branch officer, let out a deep breath.
"Thanks to you, everything's sorted. I really appreciate it."
"The remaining procedures can be handled by the Gangwon branch, correct?"
"Yes, we'll begin the cleanup process right away."
"Excellent. You've all worked hard today."
We moved toward the dungeon exit, passed through the gate, and climbed into the parked vehicles one by one. As I closed the car door, I spoke first.
"I'll sort out the mana stones and items and exchange them for cash tomorrow morning."
"Got it. All of that belongs to our investigation team, right?"
"Yes. Including everything we collected from the entrance, it should add up to quite a bit."
"Oh, today's turning out to be a pretty good payday."
"It won't go into the official report, so we'll handle the settlement within the team only."
"Understood."
"Jihoon oppa, you were totally in hunter team mode today."
"You did great too, Sorin. Your field instincts are sharp."
"Hmm… Still, I hope the next dungeon is a little less grueling."
By the time we arrived at the northern branch, the sun had nearly set. We unloaded the resonance detector, bomb remnants, sword, and spare batteries from the truck's equipment compartment. After returning to our stations, setting down our gear, and stretching briefly, Yoo Mira looked around and spoke.
"Good work today, everyone."
"I'll compile the report."
"Sounds good. Just make sure it's finished before tomorrow morning's meeting."
"Understood. Would it be all right if I handle the mana stone settlement tomorrow morning after the meeting?"
"That's fine. Just make sure today's report is properly wrapped up."
"Oppa, want some coffee?"
"If I drink it now, I won't make it home tonight."
"Then let's have it together tomorrow."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Kang Doyun stood up from his chair.
"Everyone worked hard today. At this rate, we should give you all a day off instead of just field duty pay."
"Then I'll take that vacation bonus."
A light laugh passed through the room. It had been a long time since we'd finished a day without incident. After everyone left, I was alone in the office. Under the fluorescent lights, the resonance detector's readings flickered faintly. I wrote only four lines on the first page of the report.
Field stabilization complete.
Internal mana residue reading: 4.8.
All cleared sectors accounted for.
Handed over to Gangwon branch.
I pressed the save button. Night lights were coming on outside the window. Leaning back in my chair, I muttered quietly.
"This weekend, I'll absorb the dungeon cores from the Uijeongbu and Chuncheon dungeons."
Strangely, just thinking about it made my heart beat a little faster. No one else heard those words. But in my mind, the decision was already made. Today's work was done, and the next step was set.
Saturday morning, my eyes opened before the alarm. Sunlight beyond the window cast a thin rectangle on the wall. When I sat up, my arms, back, and calves ached dully. Even though yesterday had ended safely, the fatigue didn't fade easily. I'd finished the report late last night, yet my mind felt clear. On the desk sat a half-empty paper cup and my dry bag, untouched. I quietly changed into workout clothes and tightened my shoelaces.
Physical conditioning is the problem.
I'd grown used to handling mana inside dungeons, but my body still couldn't keep up. If my wrists shake first, the sword shakes, and if the sword shakes, the entire battlefield shakes with it.
I typed "Uijeongbu martial arts dojo" into the search bar. A few small dots appeared on the map. One of them, an old signboard, caught my eye.
Cheollyugwan — Director Han Do-hyun / Former A-rank Hunter Association member
The reviews were short and blunt.
"Skills are real, but he's picky."
"The director's intense. Only people who are serious stay."
"Nice."
I smiled briefly and clicked the address. The dojo was on the second floor. The stairs were old, but the air was clean. When I opened the door, the smell of sweat mixed with heated rubber mats rose to greet me.
"Who is it?"
A man wearing an apron walked out. He wasn't tall, but his shoulders were solid, and his arms still bore traces of battle. This was the director, Han Do-hyun.
"I'm here to register."
"Are you a hunter?"
"Yes. I'm with the Investigation Bureau."
"So, combat side or investigation side?"
"I work in the investigation team."
"Hmm… Think you can keep up with our training?"
"Yes! I'll follow with everything I've got."
"Good. Let's start with the entrance test first."
"Understood."
Director Han Do-hyun raised his hand and swept it through the air. The air rippled faintly, and my shoulders tensed on their own. It was only a moment, but the density of power was unmistakable.
"Have you learned swordsmanship or body techniques before?"
"A little, a long time ago."
"As expected, the feel is still there."
"It'll take a long time to learn both swordsmanship and body techniques."
"I plan to learn for a long time."
"Good. Let's see your body first, then."
The training was short and clear. Barehanded, straightforward, no excuses.
Two hundred push-ups.
Ten minutes of footwork drills.
Four hundred wrist-strengthening swings with a wooden sword.
Ten minutes of basic breathing.
"Mana comes later. The foundation is the body."
"Yes."
"If your body shakes, the sword shakes. If the sword shakes, you shake, Jihoon."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Even when my breathing grew ragged, my footwork never stopped. Left foot, right foot, back to center. Ankle, knee, and hip moved in perfect rhythm. My muscles screamed, but my core grew steadier.
When the final stretch ended, Han Do-hyun wiped his sweat with a towel and spoke.
"Try lasting a month."
"Yes."
"As a working hunter, you'll probably come in the evenings."
"Yes. There may be times I can't make it due to overtime or deployments."
"That's fine. If you miss a day, do double the next."
"I expected as much."
"Good. Your form isn't bad."
He draped the towel over his shoulder and continued.
"From now on, let's speak comfortably. I'm older and a senior hunter, so I'll use informal speech. That all right?"
"Yes. Do as you like."
"Good. But I won't go easy on training."
"I'm prepared."
"Perfect. Then today's the real beginning."
After leaving the dojo, I leaned against the parking lot railing for a moment. Heat rose from my arms and back. I headed to the rental office, borrowed a truck, and drove to the hunter department store. I picked up my repaired mana sword and carefully loaded it into the truck. Back home, I packed my dagger set, armor set, spare batteries, and two mana stone bombs, securing the equipment bag tightly. I took only what was necessary, nothing more. Today's goal wasn't "hunting"—it was "core absorption."
"Slip in quietly and finish it."
Uijeongbu E-13 Dungeon — external surveillance blind spot. Stabilization reading 4.9, residual mana 2.1. On the boundary line, still within the active zone.
8:10 p.m. The blue gate brightened and dimmed faintly, as if breathing. I drew a long breath and exhaled once. Then I quietly stepped through the gate.
The inside of the dungeon was cold, the air thick with the smell of metal and moisture. Faint traces of mana that had flowed and hardened long ago remained scattered across the walls. I traced the uneven floor with my toes and slowly moved deeper into the passage.
That was when I heard the sound of metal striking metal from the passage ahead. A short, dry scraping noise followed—clack, clatter—and the sound of something being dragged grew closer. Rough breathing mixed in. Four shadows emerged from the darkness.
Little orcs. The same ones the report claimed had already been cleared.
"Whoever wrote that report half-assed it again."
A short curse slipped out. I raised my fingertips, and the air pushed back thinly. As pressure gathered, the weight around me lightened slightly, and one dagger floated up, spinning gently in the air.
"Flow fixed."
The moment I twisted my wrist, the dagger traced a smooth arc and flew forward. The first orc's head was cleanly severed and slammed into the wall. Blood sprayed belatedly, staining the air. I caught my breath and muttered under it.
"This smell… I really can't get used to it."
The remaining three charged at once. I pointed my fingertips, and the daggers crossed in midair. One pierced the left orc's abdomen, then changed direction and buried itself deep in the right orc's eye. A short vibration traveled through the blades, and both collapsed almost simultaneously. Only one remained. I pressed my palm forward, injecting pressure, and my body lifted lightly for an instant. In that gap, I threw the dagger and slit its throat. The sound of metal striking echoed through the passage as blood ran slowly down the wall.
Ten seconds of maintenance. This is manageable.
I recovered the daggers while catching my breath, then flipped over the two fallen bodies. A quick slash across the abdomen parted the flesh, revealing a blue glow. Two reddish-yellow mana stones emerged from the blood. I dropped them into my backpack and muttered.
"Two pieces secured as compensation."
At that moment, a heavy pressure pushed up from beneath my feet. I held my breath and listened. The air current shifted ever so slightly. At the end of the passage, beyond the darkness, I clearly sensed a flow of residual mana being pulled downward.
Gripping the dagger, I slowly stepped deeper. The floor rumbled faintly and shook, sending up a thin cloud of dust. I scratched the floor briefly with the tip of my dagger. As stone powder fell away, a subtle warmth rose from below. Though nothing appeared on the surface, a faint pulse reached my fingertips at regular intervals.
I knelt and planted the dagger tip into the floor. Following the layers of soil and stone, I pressed downward at a steady depth, carefully controlling my strength. Then, at one point, the dagger tip caught on something hard, almost metallic, and stopped.
"…It's here. Dungeon core reaction confirmed."
A faint blue energy rose from where the dagger touched. The dungeon core had been buried deep within the stone layer.
"Augh… Next time I should bring a pickaxe or shovel."
My wrist ached heavily. Digging with a dagger took far more effort than expected.
"This is actual labor."
I carefully cleared the surrounding area and brushed away the soil until a cold, smooth surface met my fingertips.
Found it.
I gathered pressure at my fingertips, and the weight of the floor shifted slightly. The buried core slowly rose. It had already lost its light, but it still held a faint warmth. The moment I lifted it onto my palm, a vibration seeped beneath my skin. My heartbeat answered with a matching pulse. My joints resonated from within, and I felt my scattered muscles settling back into place.
"Ha… This is today's real harvest."
I unconsciously unclenched my teeth. At the same time, blue cracks spread across the core's surface. With a short cracking sound, the exterior collapsed. Heat sank unhesitatingly into my palm. A brief afterglow flashed across my vision before fading. The pressure beneath my skin settled, my body's balance realigned, and only the faintest tremor remained at my fingertips like an echo.
I caught my breath, then gathered my equipment. I cleaned up the fragments, stored the mana stones in my backpack, and secured the remaining bomb cases in their empty slots. After exiting the gate, I loaded the gear into the trunk, brushed off the dust, and headed straight for the driver's seat. The engine rumbled low as I started the truck, and only the quiet sound of the radio flowed over the empty road.
Back home, I washed up briefly and stretched. After preparing to move to Chuncheon tomorrow, I lay down on the bed. Today's work ended here.