Chapter 132 - Modern World

I decided to head to the training room first and think about what to do with the Karma I'd earned. When I stepped into the living room, Vice Guild Master Han So-young was sprawled on the sofa, eating fruit and watching TV.

A pretty announcer was speaking on the screen. I listened for a moment, then turned to Han So-young.

"Another crack opened?"

"Yeah. One popped open about three hours ago. The guild that was managing that area apparently missed one." She gestured to the coffee table. "I sliced up some apples. Want some?"

"Ah, thanks."

I chewed on the crisp apple slice she fed me.

"Those Hunters from that guild are gonna have a rough time."

"Probably... but honestly, they might ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be happy about it."

"Why?"

There was a hint of envy in her voice.

"They found a mine there."

"Ah."

Now I understood. A mine discovered in a dimensional erosion zone — those were rare. The minerals you dug up there were rift-source materials. Since they could be carried through dimensional rifts, even an ordinary iron mine was a jackpot.

"That's actually not great..."

"Huh? A mine is a huge score, isn't it?"

Most dimensional erosions were dangerous and useless. But every once in a while, a jackpot like this showed up. And when it did, someone always got greedy. It was a story that had played out on Academy Earth too, over and over.

"I'd be relieved if they were satisfied with what they've already got. But I'm worried they'll deliberately trigger a rift break."

"Come on, no way. Dimensional erosions have been dangerous plenty of times before."

Bored with the news, Han So-young switched the channel. A current affairs talk show was airing live. The host and a middle-aged man with glasses were facing each other. The glasses made him look fairly intellectual. A subtitle beneath the screen identified him as a professor of rift studies.

Someone reached for the host's microphone, and the broadcast ended. An ad started playing. I let out a sigh. I thought about how things would unfold, but set it aside for now. I needed to talk to my alchemist, Lee Yeon-hee.

"So-young, could you call Yeon-hee to the training room?"

"Ah... okay."

Han So-young, who had been staring blankly at the screen with her mouth slightly open, nodded dazedly.

As soon as I reached the training room, I checked what I needed to do. The first thing I'd noticed upon returning to the modern world was the heaviness. Compared to my other bodies, this one had the lowest physical level. I immediately connected the magic core. I circulated my Mixed Origin Qi and forged this body into one befitting the Peak realm.

Tududuk.

A satisfying crackling sound came from my bones. The feeling of growing stronger was electrifying every single time.

"Hoo..."

I savored the newly lightened body, then let my eyes gleam.

Just seeing it made me smile. The Karma I'd earned on Academy Earth was substantial. So much so that I briefly wondered where it had all come from. I checked the message log to see how I'd gotten such a large amount. I got a rough idea.

'Combining the decision to raise Pudding on the snowy mountain and killing that vampire... about six thousand?'

More than half came from those two events. I thought about what they had in common. The vampire was obvious enough — he was messing around trying to expand a rift. Pudding was the same.

'Helena did say it was similar to a Calamity of Fire.'

I imagined what would happen if that bastard Sado had stolen the power that Pudding — or rather, the Phoenix — held inside. She'd said Seoul would turn into a sea of flames. If people died on a massive scale, the rift would only grow larger.

'So preventing rifts is favorable for gaining Karma...?'

The broadcast from earlier came to mind. It wasn't really my business, but the information I'd extracted from interrogating the vampire nagged at me.

'Human death expands rifts...'

When people die and rifts grow larger, higher-grade rifts appear. Eventually, when it reaches a level humanity can no longer handle, the rifts become impossible to manage. That was exactly the large-scale rift catastrophe that had happened on Academy Earth. When the threshold was crossed, dimensional erosion increased overwhelmingly. At that point, humanity would have to fight monsters just to survive. Maybe Hunter Earth could end up the same way.

'...Let's just shop first.'

I rubbed my palms together in anticipation. The [Weakness Detection] skill I'd bought last time had been quite useful. Especially when dealing with women — being able to find their erogenous zones like reading an answer key was a nice bonus.

My body flinched. Just from the names alone, neither seemed ordinary. A TS Potion — a sex-change potion. I was curious how it would work if I used it on someone I didn't like, but I didn't want to spend 10,000 Karma on it.

"Crazy..."

A curse slipped out involuntarily. This skill was basically a game-breaking version of the Boy's Gong — stronger than your average martial art. Just looking at it sent chills down my spine.

'Absolutely not buying it.'

Even if it made me the strongest under heaven, if I couldn't enjoy women, that was hell. Especially since my Mixed Origin Qi Art was a sexual cultivation technique. I looked for other items worth buying.

I deliberated between the two. I was a little short of 10,000 Karma, but around 300 Karma could be earned in a few days.

'Hmm... tough choice.'

The description mentioned the Mixed Origin Qi's lower power being somewhat weak, but I'd never really felt lacking in power.

'No, actually, there was one time.'

Thinking it over, the black blade the vampire had swung came to mind.

'Was that a Sword Aura?'

I couldn't be sure exactly what it was, but my sword energy had been sliced through like tofu. I closed my eyes, thought for a moment, then nodded. I'd made up my mind.

'Purchase Mixed Origin Qi Art.'

"Not bad..."

As the higher version of Mixed Origin Qi, there were many subtle differences. First, the overall internal energy efficiency had increased.

"Fast."

I sprinted across the training room. The scenery blurred past me. I was definitely faster than usual.

Bang! Bang!

A light punch sent the air bursting apart. I watched for a moment, then stroked my chin. I wondered what the major difference was. Knowing the formulas ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't mean I understood everything. I savored the verses again, letting them sink into my mind. One particular line stuck with me.

I looked at the training dummy on the practice field. It was made of a special alloy, designed to resist sword energy with its excellent mana repulsion.

"Sharp. Acute."

First, I ignited sword energy using Mixed Origin Qi. I imagined a blade honed to infinite sharpness and swung.

Grgrirk.

With a grinding sound — the dummy was sliced about halfway through, then regenerated. Next, I summoned sword energy according to the formulas of the Mixed Origin Qi Art.

"Ultimate Sharpness."

It was a strange sensation. It felt like all my energy was aligning toward a single purpose. I watched the tip of the blade, where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blue smoke rose above a heat haze, and swung.

Swish.

The sword energy passed through the dummy, but nothing changed. I quietly walked over and tapped it with my finger.

Thud!

Only then did the split half slide off and fall to the floor. The cut surface was so sharp I could see my face in it.

"Eep..!"

Lee Yeon-hee, who had been waiting in the corner so as not to disturb me, let out a cute squeak. Her round eyes were wide like a rabbit's as she clamped her hand over her mouth.