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"By any chance, is there a problem with the stuff made by diluting the slime?"
Seojun thought of the anti-kaeyi equipment specialized for kaeyi. Even diluted, it was made with the slime, so worry gnawed at him. If an issue arose now, after delivery was already complete, it could spiral into an uncontrollable disaster.
Haran set the Seven Star Sword down on the workbench as she replied.
[Diluted stuff isn't enough to sprout anything. At best, it'll just give off a stronger kaeyi aura.]
Seojun sighed in relief, having dodged the worst-case scenario. But Haran's gaze lingered on the Seven Star Sword. She ran her finger along the scabbard.
[But this is different. You made the vessel yourself, master, and fed it pure slime. Half-baked or not, a kaeyi is still a kaeyi.]
She turned her head toward Seojun and continued.
[Don't keep something this ominous in the forge. It could resonate with you and cause another incident like before. Sell it to someone quick, or seal it away.]
Seojun nodded without argument. He hadn't made it for himself anyway. He'd pass it to a suitable owner when one showed up.
"Haran."
[Yeah?]
"Do you know anything about outer gods?"
Seojun asked as he tidied the disarrayed forge. He picked up scattered tools from the floor and swept out the furnace ash.
Haran perched on the anvil, swinging her legs, then froze at the question.
[How could I not?]
"Then about Baegbaekgyo too...?"
[No idea how those nobodies pried open the void. But I knew what they were up to.]
Seojun paused his sweeping and looked at Haran. If she'd known about Baegbaekgyo early on, he wondered why she hadn't stepped in.
[Don't look at me like that. Our physiology's different from humans', and especially half-human half-kaeyi think like humans, so who knows what they're up to.]
Haran made excuses, but Seojun wasn't blaming her.
"Just curious."
[Oh?]
"So can outer gods cross over from the void?"
[An existence like an outer god couldn't easily cross the void. The world has its rules, and we're no pushovers either.]
To the native kaeyi, foreign entities were intruders disrupting the order—unwelcome guests. Rashly breaking rules or crossing lines would invite a fitting response. It was the pride of those who'd guarded the land for ages.
"They say faceless kaeyi appear in the void."
Seojun cautiously shared info on the Gapyeong S-rank Dungeon, hoping for clues since it resembled egg ghost antics.
[That's why Hahoe Mask sent me.]
Haran fell silent a moment, then replied in a bitter tone—or at least, it felt bitter.
"Sent you?"
[Yeah. Called me out of penance, told me to check it out. Said fake egg ghosts were stirring trouble.]
"Then Baegbaekgyo's reason for summoning them..."
[Probably because of the White Face.]
"What kind of kaeyi is that?"
[Not sure. Just know it was called White Face for painting its face white even as a human.]
"It called itself a god, so maybe..."
[No way. If White Face is a god, Hahoe Mask is god-god-god.]
Thanks to Haran, Seojun glimpsed Baegbaekgyo and White Face's true nature. It wasn't much compared to total ignorance, but the hopelessness eased a bit.
[I'd love to dive into the void and sweep those fakes away... but too many humans are swarming around it now.]
Countless hunters had mobilized for the S-rank dungeon raid. No kaeyi, however skilled, could evade that scrutiny—especially with S-rank hunters mixed in.
"Then... do you know about the exiled king?"
Seojun asked something that occurred to him in the silence. A native kaeyi the Hunter Management Bureau had contacted.
[Can't talk about that.]
"Taboo?"
Haran shook her head and pointed at the ceiling. Not literally the ceiling—it felt like caution against someone watching from above.
[You're still close to human, master. Better not to know kaeyi physiology.]
Seojun nodded silently as he listened, to avoid loose talk sparking disaster. The conversation lapsed briefly.
"Everything alright while you were away?"
He asked belatedly to break the quiet.
Haran tilted her head amusedly.
[Asking now?]
She pretended to sulk playfully, but delight colored her voice. She hopped off the anvil and wandered the forge.
[Don't ask. Hahoe Mask was too much—locked me in a cramped cell to write reflections. What'd I do so wrong?]
Haran grumbled, then froze. Her gaze fixed on a corner of the forge floor. She approached, bent down, and picked something from the dust.
[This is...]
Standing, she revealed a single strand of stark white fur in her hand. The mood chilled instantly. She scanned around intently—under the workbench, window frames, machine crevices. Everywhere inconspicuous hid more white fur, like deliberate traces left behind.
[Did the fur beast stop by?]
"Fur beast... oh, Jangsanbeom came by."
[Ha!]
Haran barked a hollow laugh and crumbled the fur in her hand—not to powder, but near annihilation.
[Filthy fur beast, marking territory like a creep.]
Seojun cleaned meticulously, yet hadn't noticed. Or rather, hadn't recognized it.
[Master, be wary of approaching ones.]
"I'm plenty wary. Got the unkillable blade, and I've gotten the knack now."
[Not that. Ones with impure motives...]
Haran trailed off mid-scold, then turned to peer outside—toward where the S-rank dungeon had spawned.
[Master, be careful.]
She left those loaded words and vanished from the forge, traceless as a ghost. Seojun could only stare in that direction.
"What?"
It happened too fast to grasp. No anomaly seemed to stir at the S-rank dungeon. What had she sensed to flee so urgently?
"...Probably nothing."
No answers came from pondering. Better to act than dwell.
"Anyway..."
Seojun eyed the Seven Star Sword on the workbench. The Big Dipper's aura suppressed it into dormancy. Bare the blade, though, and things might change.
"Who do I even sell this to?"
He couldn't handle it himself. Could anyone else? Even S-rank hunters felt iffy.
"Only kaeyi after all?"
That limited candidates severely. Would a kaeyi even want the Seven Star Sword?
"Ugh, whatever."
Pondering yielded no answers. As he cleaned more and tinkered with the forging machine—
Screeech—
It dragged without extra force.
"Huh?"
Perplexed, Seojun applied force again.
Screeech—
Again, minimal effort moved it. A machine too heavy for average men or even strong hunters.
"No way..."
He checked his condition. Closed his eyes, looked inward. No whispers of erosion.
"If not that..."
His Monster Affinity must have risen—from 10% to 11%.
"That was it."
Trembling, he hefted the Ugeum hammer. It felt lighter, like shedding flesh—roughly 10%.
"Just 1% up, and..."
Physical prowess had jumped 10%. A massive shift.
But not a positive one.
"This is kaeyi..."
Seojun gazed at his hands. Still the rough blacksmith's paws outwardly. Inside, power no ordinary human could claim simmered.
Surpassing human limits, stepping into kaeyi territory. Strength grew, but his human identity faded.
"And the path of the monster craftsman."
His only choice: seize opportunity amid despair and press on.