Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: Stalemate
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“F-Fry-, Fryxthra? Destruction. Tsim. Reinstallation. So, reconstruction through destruction and creation. Or repair? Restoration?”
I get the gist, but I’m not sure if I’ve nailed the nuance.
“Forceful imposition, g'nash-interlink, divergent. Hmm... It seems like it forcibly connects things. G'nash? What’s g'nash? A proper noun? Connect this to do what, exactly?”
Blessings from other worlds, blessing the world?
“Bakkhara. Lokam baraka.”
From the context, it looks like it just summons blessings from another world.
“Then I need to revise that earlier interpretation. That’s why we’ve been making weird stuff.”
With a quick gesture, a few notebooks fly over to me.
Notebooks densely packed with bizarre script. Recordings of the ancient tongue inscribed in my body.
“Let’s see, change this section from here to here.”
The writing on the pages shifts on its own, reshaping to fit the new interpretation.
“Good. Once the materials arrive, we’ll run experiments with this version.”
I stand up briefly, stretch with a short yawn, and look around.
The basement is crammed full of junk. Traces of explosions. And a massive swarm of papers and books flying everywhere.
“Ugh... Been at this for a week straight. I’m beat.”
That said, I haven’t been holed up in this basement doing nothing but this for the whole week.
‘If I had, we’d be way further along.’
Every day, I’ve gone out to handle fixer jobs, smashed those tied to the [Mountain Predator], taught Jang Hyun-deok magic to build him up, helped strengthen the Jang Myeong-san barrier by aiding Ggumu-i’s growth, and—and—and—
‘Too much on my plate. Honestly, one body just isn’t cutting it anymore.’
I wish I had more bodies.
Beyond the piles of junk filling the basement...
“Too much crap piled up. Can’t even see it anymore.”
Anyway, past those mountain-like heaps of junk is the tank holding the homunculus.
Right. I could use that to multiply my bodies anytime. I could do it, but should I?
“...”
No. Not until I solve the mental fragmentation issue more. Damn it.
No choice. Delegate what I can to others.
“But Jang Hyun-deok should be here soon.”
I sent him on an errand. Far off, a signal from the Jang Myeong-san barrier. Someone approaching—ah, it’s Jang Hyun-deok.
“Better tidy up before the new stuff arrives.”
* * *
“Mr. Wizard, can I come in?”
Jang Hyun-deok’s voice from the stairs.
“Yeah, come on in.”
“Dol-dol, let’s go.”
Grrr rumble-clunk—
Jang Hyun-deok descending the stairs with Dol-dol.
“How is it?”
“The basement? Total mess.”
“No, not the basement. Did you bring it okay?”
“Oh, yeah. But what are you even making with this stuff?”
“What does it look like I’m making?”
“Trash...?”
“Well, not entirely wrong.”
To be precise, I’m running replication experiments to verify if I’ve properly interpreted this blueprint.
“There’s a curse on this blueprint.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yeah. Anyone who looks at it gets consumed by the urge to build the thing described. But it always turns out wrong.”
“Wrong how?”
“Yeah. So I figured it was like an artifact gacha machine?”
“Gacha... Yeah, that sounds like something you’d think of, Mr. Wizard.”
“Hmph, wouldn’t anyone? Sometimes you get something useful.”
“Hmm, so?”
“But after digging deeper, that’s not it. It’s not a device for making random junk—it’s for making something with a specific purpose.”
It’s just that the reader’s skill is lacking, so it comes out wrong. If I can fully understand this blueprint—something truly meaningful will emerge.
“So that’s why you’ve churned out this mountain of junk? What’s this?”
What Jang Hyun-deok picks up is a big PVC pipe with a few magistones and a handle slapped on, wrapped in wire—honestly, it looks like something an excited elementary kid made in a crafting frenzy.
“What’s it look like?”
“A toy gun?”
“Close, but no. Look closer. If you practiced right, you’d recognize it.”
“Hmm—”
Getting my point, Jang Hyun-deok focuses his eyes, gathering mana to peer at the ‘toy gun.’
And I observe him.
‘He’s gotten pretty good at manipulating mana.’
After a long, thoughtful inspection, Jang Hyun-deok figures out what this ‘toy gun’ really is.
“Ah, got it. Here—amplifies mana here—and converts it to lightning? Something like that? It seems to imbue whatever passes through this pipe with properties?”
“What properties?”
“Ugh, that far? Hmm—hmm? Directional? Spreading? What is this?”
“Directional and spreading, correct. Put metal in that tube, and the mana converted to lightning forms electromagnetic force—shoots the metal at insane speeds, and it explodes on impact.”
“Whoa—so this is, uh—uh? A railgun?!”
“Well, seems you’ve picked up the term somewhere. Anyway, that wasn’t the goal, so failure.”
“Heh, gotcha. If this is a failure... what are you actually trying to make?”
“You’ll see when it’s done. Anyway, your eyesight’s improved nicely. How about the rest?”
“Uh—still struggling.”
Jang Hyun-deok holds up his hand. Faint mana gathered at his fingertips.
“Hmm, stalemate.”
“Sniff—yeah. I’m working my butt off, why no progress?”
“Well...”
Talent issue?
Expecting massive gains in a week was optimistic to begin with.
But thanks to the elixir Seo Cheon-seul force-fed him—Monghyang’s effects—Jang Hyun-deok already has mana to spare.
‘That’s why I figured I’d teach him magic.’
At this level, with a few basic tips, he should at least reach mid-tier fixer capability, even if not full wizard.
I thought he’d convert mana to strength or awaken a decent ability.
I didn’t start with huge expectations for Jang Hyun-deok.
Just two things.
One: Eyesight to detect threats early.
‘Already achieved.’
Two: Response power to flee from threats. Never expected defense or counterattacks.
Being able to form eyesight means he can now control his own mana.
And it’s not like he lacks mana.
Yet Jang Hyun-deok still can’t manifest any abilities.
“What’s the issue? Hyun-deok, hold out your hand?”
“Sure? Here.”
I grasp his right hand and push in my mana.
“Wha-wha—?”
Squeeee—
“Feel that?”
“S-something hot flowing into my body—uh—ugh? Moving around?”
“That’s my mana.”
“Feels so weird—uuuugh?”
“Relax. Breathe slow.”
What’s this?
His internals are bizarre.
Jang Hyun-deok’s insides—his spiritual form and mana channels—are off.
‘No, not off so much as...’
The mana pathways are excessively wide.
“Ah, got it. I know the problem now.”
Should’ve looked sooner.
Clogged channels are common for poor magic handling, but Jang Hyun-deok is the opposite.
All channels and circuits fully open.
‘Because of the [Living Canvas] trait?’
That’s why he accepts even trivial spirits without resistance.
But relative to his mana volume, these pathways are too vast.
If mana’s like blood, it’s pathways too wide for the blood volume—can’t generate circulation pressure.
“Figured it out.”
I withdraw the mana I pushed in and explain what I found. Softened the possession bit, but included the risks.
“S-so how do I fix it? Narrow the veins or something?”
“No. Others spend lifetimes widening theirs. No need to narrow yours.”
“Then—?”
“Just get a ton more mana. Problem solved.”
“Aha, got it!”
“Got what?”
“Drink more Monghyang!”
“No, you’ve hit the limit on gains from that anyway...”
“Pout. Can’t I just drink it anyway?”
“No. Stop drinking it.”
I was gonna lecture more while I had him, but—
Riiiing.
Phone rings.
What now? Check the smartphone—familiar name. Gotta take this.
“Anyway, I’ll find another way. Talk later.”
“Got it.”
* * *
—Mr. Kim Shin-hwa. Big trouble.
Awkward Korean accent. Park Kwang-rim.
“Big trouble?”
—The Hunter Guild put a bounty on you.
“Huh, didn’t you know?”
Figured he’d hear first, so I didn’t mention—Park Kwang-rim responds with a slightly annoyed tone.
—I’m traveling the country. How am I supposed to track that? Anyway, nearly died.
“Hmm, tell me slowly what happened. Wait, where are you now?”
—Mokpo.
“Right, you said Jeolla before.”
—Yes. Was handling stuff near Mokpo Port when...
Park Kwang-rim’s been roaming the country with the spirit golem I gave him, handling various tasks.
But ran into Manse Ilwon Church in Mokpo of all places.
“Manse Ilwon Church? Right, Dokgo Gyeom’s still at large. What were they up to?”
—Smuggling something weird.
“Smuggling?”
—Yes. Didn’t confirm details, but seemed from Egypt.
Egypt...
“And?”
Then, of all times.
A Hunter Guild bounty hunter nutjob shows up before Park Kwang-rim.
Mistook Park Kwang-rim—who’d been cashing in on my name—for me.
“But how’d you escape alive? Who was it?”
—Kid. Kid the Gunman.
Oof, big bounty draws the heavy hitters.
—That’s not the problem.
“Already oversaturated with problems from what I heard. What else?”
—Kid’s commotion blew up Mokpo Port, and Manse Ilwon got dragged in. So...
Park Kwang-rim’s dazed voice suggests total chaos.
Mokpo Port reduced to rubble, Manse Ilwon’s smuggling exposed to the world—and Kim Shin-hwa supposedly there—
Then Dokgo Gyeom pops up out of nowhere—
“Sheesh... Kwang-rim, how’d you escape?”
Knew he was capable, but this is next-level.
—Your gifted friend got totally wrecked.
“Hmm. Recover it?”
—Yes. Only 60%, though.
“Eh, that’s fine. Don’t stay in Mokpo—head back. I’ll fix it right up.”
—Want to, but Mokpo’s fully locked down. If my info’s right, Yang Seo-ho brought a whole army.
“Oof. Hang in there, Kwang-rim. Big bonus waiting.”
—If it’s not big, I’ll be offended.
“Promise it won’t disappoint. Hang on...”
I fiddle with my smartphone, send Park Kwang-rim a sum with nine zeros.
“There, consolation prize. Bonus separate.”
—Mr. Kim. You didn’t have to, but it helps.
Park Kwang-rim says he’ll take a detour and head back slow, then hangs up.
Anyway, Park Kwang-rim’s role is diversion—drawing heat and attention from me. We make money on the side, but that’s secondary.
And this time, he delivered big.
“With Park Kwang-rim handling that, the Hunter Guild won’t show up for now.”
Lucky coincidence, even got Yang Seo-ho out of Paju again.
So—for a bit, I can stir up more chaos in Paju safely.
I glance at the scattered papers and junk, a new plan forming.
“Time to grant Yeom Geum-ja’s wish.”
She said she needed a weapon before?
I pick up the ‘toy gun’ Jang Hyun-deok was fiddling with.