Chapter 71

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Translator: MJK

Chapter: 71

Chapter Title: Amazing! Replica Gorani Statue

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A few days later, I headed through the dimensional gate to check out the new building I'd bought.

It was right across from the main entrance of St. Mary's International School.
A five-story corner building positioned at the busiest crosswalk, teeming with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠foot traffic.
Prime real estate with killer views—a total gem of a property.

'But why is the whole place empty?'

When I'd first seen the building, I'd been puzzled by how such a great spot was completely vacant.

'It used to be a medical building with pediatric clinics, dentists, and general practices all under one roof. But when they all relocated to a bigger facility together, that's when the crisis hit me.'

According to the previous owner, it had housed various clinics until recently. They'd all moved out at once, leaving it empty.

"Makes sense why the building and interiors are in such pristine condition."

I slowly toured the empty interior, mentally estimating costs and brainstorming how to fill the space.

'First floor... maybe a café would be perfect.'

A spot where students could drop in and relax during school commutes would be ideal.
The second and third floors had plenty of room too—I could figure those out gradually.

Ding-

I took the elevator up to the fourth floor.
The fourth and fifth floors were connected by internal stairs, designed to be used as a single unit.

"The vibe changes completely up here."

While the lower floors felt bright and open like standard retail spaces, these had minimized windows and thick soundproofed walls.
They must have been used as VIP patient rooms or secure document storage by the previous clinics.

Decision made.
I'd turn the fourth and fifth floors into a no-entry zone for outsiders.
Of course, with the shared elevator, security was vulnerable right now.
Restricting floor access was simple enough, but it wouldn't cut it alone.

The fourth and fifth floors, plus the rooftop.
To protect them perfectly from any physical or magical threats from outside, I'd need something truly special.

Screech-

Back at my countryside home, I pondered the best options.

Purrr...

I spotted Gorani snoozing lazily in the barn.

'Of course. There's only one place for something like that.'

The [Illusion Butterfly Brooch] hanging around Gorani's neck.
I was curious about how those siblings were doing anyway.

Deep in the black market, there was a man known as the Beast.
He was a hulking, muscular middle-aged brute.
His body was covered in scars etched by a brutal life, exuding an overwhelming presence that dominated the area just by sitting there.

The Beast had once been an enforcer for Cosa Nostra, Europe's most notorious crime syndicate.
But after being betrayed by his own organization and losing everything, he'd washed up in Korea's black market, quietly running a rundown shop.

Unlike the other black market merchants, the Beast was different.
He didn't cheat the weak or resort to underhanded tricks for profit.
He simply moved by his own code, steadfast and silent.

"Hey, that kid over there supposedly hit it big lately. Mind if I take him for half?"

A hyena-like merchant pointed at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kim Se-jin's stall and asked.
Instead of answering, the Beast picked up his sledgehammer and slammed it down on the steel plate on his workbench.

Bam!

"Don't make a racket in front of my shop."

"Eek!"

The merchant tucked tail and scampered off.
The Beast never directly helped the Kim siblings, but he ensured no one messed with them in his territory.
Anything more would only poison them.
In this black market, the weak had to learn to survive on their own or get weeded out.

"Pardon the intrusion."

The Beast ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyed the young man walking into his shop.

"......"

He didn't acknowledge him, but he knew.
This was the reason guys threatening or looking down on that little boy had suddenly thinned out.

"I heard you have some good stuff for sale."

Kim Se-jin, who'd been hesitating out front, spotted the Beast, bowed quickly, and scurried back to his stall.
Unless you were a black market regular, reaching this deepest corner was impossible.
The Beast's shop was the real hidden gem, known only to those in the know.

'His mana presence is faint... no, practically nonexistent.'

The Beast had sharp instincts.
Even though the young man perfectly concealed his energy, he could tell the power slumbering within was no joke.

'Could he be a master who hides his presence this flawlessly?'

Masking his quiet surprise, the Beast cleared his throat and spoke.

"......What are you looking for?"

"Some security-related artifacts."

The man calmly explained what he needed.
Door guardians to block intruders and defensive items for emergencies.
The Beast pondered briefly, then hauled out two dusty boxes from storage and a pair of weathered parchment scrolls.

"......They all look perfect."

The issue was the price.

"Gonna be pricey, huh?"

"300 billion for both."

"Cheaper than I expected. I'll take them."

"......?"

The Beast was thrown by the man's unflinching reaction.
Even in the black market, few bought hundred-billion-won items without batting an eye.
Sure, flashy top-rankers threw money around, but who was this guy?

"You seem to have even better stuff than this."

"......What?"

The man's gaze drifted past the Beast to a shabby parchment scroll buried in a pile of dust.

'Someone who recognizes this item's true value?'

Reluctantly, he fetched the worn scroll from the back of his shop.

"This one's 700 billion. But price isn't the only issue."

And one more thing.
Even if you could afford these high-end artifacts, maintaining them required chomping through tens of billions in top-grade magistones every month.
Even major guilds struggled with that.

"Hmm, I see."

The man examined the item after hearing the explanation, then nodded.

"I'll take this one too."

Total: 1,000 billion won.
He transferred the massive sum without a flicker and vanished.

"......Huh."

Left alone, the Beast sank into thought for a long while.
A sudden rich kid? No.
His eye for items was too sharp and deliberate.
And above all, when the man inspected the magic circle, the Beast had seen it.
That faint energy leaking from his fingertips.

It was purer and more pristine than any mana—something incomparable.
For the first time in ages, the Beast felt his heart race, wondering if this man wielded power beyond his wildest guesses.

I pulled out the items I'd bought from the black market one by one.
The first to catch my eye was the pair of [Sleeping Lion Statues].

'Destroying everything could be a problem.'

Stopping intruders was great, but wrecking the building wasn't.
Examining the statues, I found a small slot on the back for a magistone.

'Powered by this, huh.'

I'd forgotten to grab magistones and was heading back to the rooftop when...

"Kkiot?"

Gorani had snuck up beside me somehow.
Must've followed through the dimensional gate.

"When did you tag along?"

Gorani sniffed curiously at the statue, wondering what I was doing.

"Right, this'll do."

The magistone necklace around Gorani's neck.
I'd given it for self-defense in emergencies, but the beast had grown so strong it never needed it.
I plucked off the largest, shiniest one.

"Just one for now."

But the power pulsing from it in my hand was no joke.
Having been worn by Gorani must've infused it.
What was once ordinary had absorbed Gorani's aura, brimming with energy far beyond before.
I carefully slotted it into the lion statue's groove.

Rumble rumble rumble!

In that instant, the statue erupted in blinding light.
When it faded, what stood before me wasn't a lion statue anymore.

Poof!

"......No way, Gorani?"

The statue had transformed into an exact replica of Gorani standing beside me.
Sharp fangs, majestic eyes, even three black bean nostrils.
A perfect copy.

Everything from rank to description had changed.
Subdue instead of destroy—perfect for installing in a building.

"Kkiyooooot?!"

Gorani discovered its identical statue and freaked out like it'd seen a mirror, hopping around in shock.
It circled the statue, sniffing and pawing at it with its front hooves.

"Thanks to you, it turned out like this."

I stroked Gorani's head.
Just from hanging around its neck, an ordinary magistone had worked this miracle.
All credit to Gorani.

"Like it?"

"Kkiot! Kkiot!"

Thrilled, Gorani bounded around the empty fourth floor with its new twin in tow.

That night.
On the fourth floor of the Seoul building, silent as everyone slept.
In the quiet darkness, the two Gorani statues faced each other.

Whirr-

In the empty space, their stone eyes began to glow faintly.
It wasn't the cold light of mana, but the fierce, living gleam only a predator's eyes could hold in the dark.

Thump, thump.

Gorani's pure, absolute loyalty.
That intense emotion seeped through the magistone into the cold stone, forging something new into existence that had never been before.