An Unrepairable Item

"There are too many eyes watching us if we talk here. You and your group must be tired too, Daesung Resources owner. Let's head to our Roijir Guild headquarters first. I've got a car waiting."

The ones who flinched at her words were the scouts from the other major guilds who'd been eyeing Kim Taesoo hungrily. But with Baek Hayeon—a powerhouse nearing S-rank—personally escorting us, no one had the guts to step in front and shove a business card our way.

"Let's go."

The vehicle we boarded under Baek Hayeon's guidance was a hulking bulletproof limousine fit for the president himself. The interior boasted top-grade leather seats and even a champagne fridge.

Whoa... this is insane. Guess guild masters really live different.

Kim Taesoo hyung stroked the limo’s plush seats, letting out exclamations of awe.

"This car's real nice. Right, Daesung?"

"Don't be so tacky."

"Why? Can't I just say something good is good? Can I drink this? Should I ask?"

"Hyung, you ask!"

The charismatic hero who'd taken down an A-rank boss was gone, replaced by the neighborhood uncle mode again.

Baek Hayeon, watching from the opposite seat with her legs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crossed, gave a soft smile.

"Hunter Kim Taesoo. It looks like you've undergone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a second awakening? Did you take down that A-rank boss monster all by yourself?"

"Nah, not alone, Guild Master. It was all thanks to our Dae—mmph!"

As Kim Taesoo hyung reflexively tried to hype me up out of habit, I quickly shoved a snack from the car's stock into his mouth to shut him up.

"Hyung, just eat this."

"Hehe. So humble too... From Roijir's perspective, it's the best news possible. Ayoung, no injuries?"

"None, Guild Master!"

Baek Hayeon smiled warmly at Ayoung's spirited reply.

"I'm so glad everyone's safe."

Amid ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the cheerful chatter, we arrived at Roijir Guild headquarters before we knew it.

Roijir Guild headquarters, top floor—guild master's office.

With a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window overlooking downtown Seoul as the backdrop, we settled into the premium leather sofas prepared for the meeting.

In the office sat me, Baek Hayeon, and Kim Taesoo hyung. Seo Ayoung had gone off to see her sister.

Clink—

Baek Hayeon took a sip of the warm black tea her secretary had brought in, then set aside her friendly smile and fixed me with a serious gaze.

"Kwon Daesung, owner of Daesung Resources. I'll get straight to the point."

"Sure. I've been wondering why someone as busy as you came all the way to the gate to pick me up."

As I leaned back casually against the headrest, Baek Hayeon opened a desk drawer and carefully pulled out a heavy ebony wood box, sliding it toward me.

"I heard from Vice Guild Master Seo Ara. You're not a blacksmith by profession—you're a repairman, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Her eyes trembled faintly at my answer.

"In that case... there are no restrictions on what you can repair?"

I tilted my head but answered honestly.

"As far as I know, not yet."

Baek Hayeon nodded and placed the small ebony box on the table.

"Then... could you repair something like this?"

Click—

The box's lock sprang open, revealing an interior lined with red velvet. At its center sat a black stone about the size of an adult fist.

But something felt off. A sinister aura, the kind that soured your mood just looking at it, was seeping from the stone's surface.

"......What is this?"

"My exclusive artifact, the Spirit Communication Resonance Stone."

Spirit Communication Resonance Stone. What the hell?

As I made that face, Baek Hayeon continued her explanation.

"You could call it my exclusive artifact. It's the core item that lets me wield my power."

"Wait... you don't mean...?"

"A skill medium. Exactly."

Among the countless artifacts hunters use, some—like Kim Taesoo hyung's sword—amplify the user's abilities. Others, like Baek Hayeon's, are mediums without which the hunter can't use their powers at all. They come with the initial awakening.

For a spirit summoner like her, this Resonance Stone wasn't just gear. It was the one-and-only translator bridging the spirit realm and our world.

Baek Hayeon spoke with a bitter expression.

"It was four months ago. I pushed too hard trying to break into S-rank, tackling an S-rank gate solo with the guild. That's when... a monster's mana enveloped me, and instead of letting it take my life, the Resonance Stone absorbed the curse whole and corrupted."

Self-reproach laced her voice.

"As you can see, it's not shattered or cracked. But that weird aura has completely blocked my communion with it. Without this stone, I can't even summon a low-grade spirit."

The real reason Korea's top so-called S-rank-near guild master had gone radio silent for months, hunkering down. It wasn't rest—it was losing her weapon and having her powers sealed.

"Since it wasn't physically broken, even Korea's top artisans and blacksmiths couldn't fix it. Renowned healers and clerics failed too. So..."

Her deep eyes looked up at me with desperation.

"I'm pinning my hopes on you, Repairman Kwon. Can you fix my Resonance Stone? Even if you can't, that's fine. Just tell me how to restore it, and I'll make it happen somehow."

The guild master bowing her head.

A curse, huh...?

"Let me take a quick look first."

"Of course."

I reached out silently and gently caressed the pitch-black stone in the box. My heart's dragon mana instinctively writhed at the foul energy, but I kept a straight face and quietly activated my Repairman skill.

I read the system's dry text, clicking my tongue inwardly.

Yep, cursed. But...

Can't repair it...?

I pulled my hand away from the stone and shook my head at Baek Hayeon, who watched with hopeful eyes.

"Sorry, Guild Master. This one's a no-go."

Her shoulders slumped.

"......I figured as much."

"If it'd been smashed physically, I could've fixed it. But it's cursed, according to the status. If repairmen could lift curses, clerics would all go out of business."

"Even the cleric-types with purification skills said it was impossible..."

As the last embers of hope faded from her eyes after my rejection—the one she'd pinned the most on—it was heartbreaking to see.

"Haha. Sorry for the unreasonable request. Can't force the impossible."

As she forced a wry smile and moved to close the ebony box—

I asked her.

"Those cleric-types with curse-lifting skills—they couldn't do it?"

"Yeah, but they saw some weird system message."

"Weird system message?"

Baek Hayeon looked up, rummaging through her memory.

"Um, something like 'Bond with the divine is too weak to lift this curse'?"

Bond with the divine...?

"Most cleric-types saw that same message."

I mulled her words.

Hmm... no way...

Thud—

Baek Hayeon regretfully closed the box to take it back. That's when I lightly grabbed her wrist.

"Hold on. There might be a way."

Her eyes widened round.

"......Pardon? You just said you couldn't..."

"I know some pretty connected people."

An ID from the Multidimensional Secondhand Market community flashed in my mind.

'Old Priestess.' She said she was a saintess serving a god, right?

Nothing beats a cleric's holy power for curses. If Earth's healers and clerics can't because their divine bond is weak, maybe a real otherworld priestess living as a god's proxy could?

I played it cool.

"Not 100% sure, but there might be a way to restore it. Guild Master, trust me and lend it to me for a few days?"

Her eyes blazed with fierce life again.

"R-Really?! You know someone who can lift this curse?!"

"Yeah. She's super reclusive, so I'll have to go in person and explain."

Baek Hayeon shouted excitedly.

"Owner Kwon! If you restore this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Resonance Stone, name your price—I'll make it happen!!"

Guild master scale was on another level.

But I waved it off with a grin.

"Whoa, it's not fixed yet—we don't even know if it'll work. Let's talk rewards later. And seriously, don't get your hopes up too high? Odds are under fifty percent."

In my life, hype never ended well. Promising now would jinx it. Better play it safe.

"Wherever it is, I'm grateful just for trying!"

Baek Hayeon grabbed my hand with a thrilled voice.

"We can renegotiate the guild join terms then too."

That evening, after wrapping up, I returned to my cozy suite—my beat-up junkyard.

"Whew, what a long day."

Nothing beats home. A bit rundown, but it's where I'm most at ease.

Sprawled on the bed, I pulled out my smartphone and quietly summoned the system into the air.

Time to catch up on community stuff.

The Multidimensional Secondhand Market app opened, unfolding the familiar holographic interface in my vision.

First, I checked my friends list. The cleric 'Old Priestess' was grayed out—offline.

"Gotta leave a message at least."

I took out the Spirit Communication Resonance Stone Baek Hayeon had lent me, snapped a photo, copied the system status text verbatim, and attached them to the 1:1 chat.

I hit send, closed the window, snapped my fingers, and scrolled through the main board categories.

"Alright. Next up: martial arts farming."

There were tons of posts from murim folk: [Buying], [Selling], [Chit-chat].

I typed 'martial arts' into the search bar and hit enter.

Scroll—

Three Talents Divine Skill? Rings a bell...