An Extremely Offensive Disposition
My magical aptitude was extreme. If Yeonhee started walking around with her face fully revealed, quite a few people would recognize her. 'Hmm…'
Why did it feel like something was sinking in my chest? I set my phone down on the floor. '...Let's just make some bombs.'
Crack. Snap. While crafting bombs, I took out the fragments I'd obtained after killing that mutant earlier. The four shards I'd stored in my inventory had fused into one at some point, now forming a tiny bead.
I rolled the pitch-black orb around in my palm, a question rising in my mind. 'It says it can bring the dead back to life… I wonder how it would work on me?'
Given the nature of the System that had ruled this world for decades, there were surely limits to reviving the dead. For example, maybe it required an intact corpse, or at least the head and heart? There might even be a time limit. I considered several conditions and quickly realized I didn't meet a single one of them.
Even if I couldn't be reborn as a human, there was still something worth hoping for. The trait [96 Lives]. At the very least, I could expect it to restore at least one of those numbers.
'When I think about it that way, it doesn't seem like much…'
To gain one extra life out of the ninety-six I had left, I'd have to fight a thousand people who'd turned into mutants? Right now, that didn't stir much emotion in me. If I ever obtained something that valuable, it would be best to keep it safe and save it for an emergency. For someone other than myself, of course. I hoped such a day would never come, but you never know what the future holds.
'I need more information.'
I needed connections with the Association or the Management Bureau. In my previous life, I'd never felt the need for such things, but now it was different. I wanted to know how many people were doing these kinds of dirty deeds, and it would be best if information could be delivered instantly.
'That promotion examiner's name was Maeng Seong-yong, right…? He seemed favorably disposed toward Yeonhee. Hmm…'
If he had enough influence to immediately recruit someone he'd recommended into an organization, he likely had considerable information-gathering power as well.
'Hoo— It would be nice if I could turn human for even a short while and move around freely.'
I'd always felt frustrated by the restriction that kept me from moving too far from Yeonhee, but this was the first time I'd ever wanted to go completely beyond that range. For now, the only method that came to mind was expanding my sensory range. That meant I had no choice but to diligently clear dungeons, but gaining true freedom of movement within this city would take quite a long time.
"Mmm… Huh?"
Yeonhee had slept a full thirteen hours and only woke up at four in the afternoon. Which meant I'd been sitting in the same spot for thirteen hours straight. If I hadn't been a skeleton, that would have been exhausting.
"Huk—!"
The moment she woke up, Yeonhee jolted upright with a start, leaping out of bed. "What the—? Four o'clock?! I must be crazy!"
She immediately checked her phone and spent a long time texting and calling people. Her phone had been vibrating nonstop while she slept, and most of the messages were from the party members she'd gone with.
"No, I'm fine! Yes, yes… I didn't get hurt, really. Yeah."
After proving her safety to everyone who'd contacted her, she immediately began preparing to go out. "Ilwol! Let's go run some tests first. The smithy stays open until late in the evening."
Clack.
One hour later, we headed to a café run by a mage who possessed the [Appraisal] skill. People who made a living using skills outside of dungeons often had unstable income, so many of them ran side businesses like cafés or shops.
After getting off in a busy district, we walked deep into a narrow alley before finally finding the café. I'd assumed it would be empty since the location was practically hidden, but the place was surprisingly full of customers.
"Welcome~!"
A high-pitched employee's voice greeted us first. Yeonhee ordered an iced café latte, then moved to a black-colored seat that stood out distinctly from the other tables. A round buoy-shaped decoration hung above it, and the seat was tucked deeper into the wall than the others.
"Boss~! The reserved guest has arrived!"
The female employee called out toward the space behind the counter after seeing us sit down. About ten minutes after receiving our ordered coffee, a short man with a body that spread out widely to the sides took a seat across from us.
"Heh heh heh, I see. So you have something you'd like me to appraise?"
The man, whose chin had three distinct folds, had such a kindly face that Yeonhee's shoulders, which had been tense for no clear reason, visibly relaxed.
"Yes… but it's not me. It's the summon next to me…"
"Ah, I see. When I received the call from the summoner earlier, I did consider that possibility. So, what does an invisible magic-type summon want to have appraised at this point?"
"Um… well, it's like this…"
Yeonhee gave the man a brief explanation about me. This was because she'd been told in advance that using [Appraisal] required a certain amount of information about the target.
Whoosh. The man grabbed the protruding part of the round decoration hanging above and pulled it down. A cloth unfurled like a tent, creating an independent space separate from the other tables.
"Heh heh heh… Well now… This is my first time with a customer like this…"
After the brief explanation about me ended and I released my stealth to reveal my appearance, the man pulled a handkerchief from his inner pocket and began dabbing at his forehead.
"Not invisible, but a novice mage who just started using Fireball… and yet you also have what appears to be an applied magic skill called Bone Bomb."
"Yes…"
"Very well. I don't know if this will work, but please give me your hand. Does this friend understand speech?"
"Clack clack clack!!"
"Hiiiik!! You startled me."
"It means he understands…"
"I-I see. Heh heh…"
I immediately extended my hand to the man, and he took it with eyes full of curiosity.
Squish, squish. '...Is he supposed to be groping it like this?'
It didn't feel great, but I decided to endure it for now.
"Hmm… That's strange… Nothing is coming to me from your hand. Usually, the hand is the body's largest mana discharge channel, so something should appear. No matter how much I touch it, there's nothing. Nothing at all. Hmm—"
Yeonhee and I looked at each other and gave small nods. Since we'd already considered this possibility, we weren't too disappointed. But the man didn't seem willing to end things there.
He asked Yeonhee for permission, then placed his hand on my head and closed his eyes again. "A skeleton soldier has a core in its head. If it's here, I should be able to sense something. Ahem—"
After sweating profusely for about three minutes, the man suddenly opened his eyes wide, then began coughing and wheezing in pain.
"Huh?! Hey, are you okay?!"
"Keheheheek— *cough* I-I'm fine, I'm fine. *Cough cough* Haa…"
The man rushed outside and gulped down water. After resting for a few minutes, he staggered back toward us. Sweat poured down his face like rain, soaking the handkerchief he used to wipe it until it was drenched.
"...... You said this is… a summon, correct?"
"Yes, yes… Is there some kind of problem?"
"No… It's just that I've never seen such a pitch-black inner world before. Ahem… Hmm…"
"Pitch-black…?"
"Yes. Most humans have inner worlds of various colors. But perhaps because it's a summon, there was only pitch-black darkness."
"Ah… I see…"
Yeonhee looked like she might cry at the man's words. It was as if she thought she hadn't taken good care of me and that was why my heart had become so dark.
"Yes… And at the very end…"
"What about the end?"
"Hmm, it's nothing. Haha—"
The man moistened his throat again and continued. "As you probably already know, let me say it once more. What I can discern isn't very detailed."
"Yes, yes. That's fine."
"Alright— First of all, this summon named Ilwol is indeed a mage."
"Ah… As expected."
"But astonishingly, he also possesses the qualities of a swordsman. This is an extremely, extremely, extremely rare occurrence. I've only ever read about it in books. They say some of the early Awakened were like this, but there have been no reported cases in recent years."
'Is it really that rare? So it's not that I can't remember—it really was uncommon for magic swordsmen to exist.'
"The early Awakened were exposed to the vast mana released when gates first burst, which created such irregulars. But this friend here… I really can't say. Since the summoner class is still new, there will be plenty of room for research."
"Wow… Really…"
"I can't determine his talent as a swordsman, but that's how it is."
"Oh… As expected of our Ilwol. Hehe…"
'...I already knew all this. Why act so surprised now?'
I gently placed my hand over Yeonhee's left hand under the table and focused on the man's words again.
"As for his magical disposition… it is extremely offensive. I determine disposition by the colors I see, and the redder it is, the more offensive the type. But I've never seen such an intensely red aura before. I've appraised over five hundred hunters, and I've never seen red of this saturation. You can probably guess how extreme it is."
"Ah! Yes, I understand."
"But you mustn't misunderstand. When I say extremely offensive, it means that defensive or support-type magic will be extremely inefficient for him."
"...So he's specialized in offensive magic, but that doesn't reflect his overall talent as a mage…"
"Exactly. I don't have the ability to read potential, after all. Fortunately, he has Fireball, so training in that direction should work."
The man drank water as if he might choke, then scratched his head and said, "And as for the summon's elemental affinities… Ah, I feel like a merchant every time I say something like this."
'...Well, you kind of are a merchant, aren't you?'
"I identify affinities by the patterns drawn on the surface of glowing particles. This summon showed patterns for every element except light. Fire, water, wind, death, nature—even illusion magic particles were visible. In short, it means he can awaken, use, and even reach the pinnacle of every type of magic except light. Of course, that's only in theory."
"Whoa…!!"
The moment Yeonhee heard those words, she grabbed my hand and shook it up and down, jumping with joy.
Ahem. Well, it didn't feel bad at all.
"Um, what about other mages usually…?"
Yeonhee unusually tried to compare me with others. She seemed to want to confirm just how outstanding I was… This was a little embarrassing.
"Hmm… Ordinary mages only have one elemental affinity. People with two are considered talented in magic. If someone shows potential in three or more, they receive significant bonus points when applying to major guilds, and their signing bonuses start several tiers higher. Having potential in many elements doesn't automatically make someone an outstanding mage, but if you look at the mages playing at the very top of the sky, none of them only have a single affinity. So there does seem to be a connection."
"I see, yes, yes. By any chance, is Ilwol more specialized in fire magic or anything like that?"
"Well, I didn't sense anything like that…"
"Ah, I see… So he can handle all magic evenly…"
The man stared intently at Yeonhee and moved his lips. After seeming to ponder for a moment, he added one final thing.