Grom's Masterpiece: The Abyss Tuner Set

Gangnam's underbelly, where the shadows of glittering skyscrapers stretched long over a back alley. At its end stood a black market hidden in the guise of a rundown antique shop, just as Kang Geom had described. Out front, it was crammed with dust-caked pottery and ancient tomes of unknown origin, but pushing open the heavy iron door inside revealed a thick, lingering aura of mana that stung the nostrils.

"Kang Geom sent me. Take a look at these."

I casually pulled a few high-purity mana stones from my subspace and set them on the counter. The pawnshop owner, a grizzled man with a menacing scowl, peered through his magnifying glass, then blanched and bowed at a sharp ninety degrees.

"Th-this is insane... These aren't ordinary mana stones. Purity over 99%? You'd be lucky to find these in an A-rank dungeon. Young master, I won't ask where you got them... that's the rule of this trade."

His hands trembled faintly. What would've taken a week of paperwork and provenance checks at an official exchange wrapped up in mere minutes. My smartphone buzzed sharply, and the number flashing on the screen blew past my expectations.

Clean ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fifty-two-point-four billion won, no taxes deducted. I grabbed the black leather bag stuffed with the one hundred million won in cash I'd requested and stepped out of the shop. With the crushing weight of poverty swapped for that staggering figure, my vision sharpened like never before. At last, I had the minimum ammo for my revenge.

I punched in the black market's special cargo coordinates and headed straight for the sealed training annex.

*

Rumble...

The deep mechanical hum of a massive lift descending into the training annex basement shattered the silence. Grom, who had been slumped blankly in front of the empty forge, sprang up like a coiled spring.

Aboard the lift loomed the Supreme-Grade Mana Stone Forge, emanating a subtle blue mana glow, and the Black Star Iron Anvil, its pitch-black surface so dense it seemed to devour light itself.

"Master! Th-this is...!"

Grom caressed the anvil's smooth surface with trembling hands, as if in a dream. Thirty billion won had vanished in an instant, but seeing the dwarf's eyes well up with tears made it feel like money well spent.

"The tools you asked for. Ready to start hammering?"

"Hahaha! As expected of my master—such generosity! With this setup, this 'Grom' can forge anything! Light the fire, now!"

Grom infused mana into the mana stone forge, and the entire annex began to heat up to three thousand degrees Celsius. I left the smelting to him, grabbed the bag of cash, and headed out. Now it was time to look after the comrades who would stand by my side.

*

Near the academy's main gate, on a weathered bench in a deserted park, Jin-ah sat staring blankly. Rumors of her falling out with her family had stripped away her usual haughtiness; her hunched shoulders trembled faintly. The frayed cuffs of her luxury coat hinted at the hardships she'd endured these past few days.

I sat beside her without a word and set down the bag. Then I shrugged off my jacket and draped it roughly over her shoulders.

"Wh-what? Do Jae-hyun? Why are you here? You think I'm some pity case?"

Jin-ah startled, glaring at me. Her reddened eyes made her look like an abandoned puppy, but I kept my expression neutral and nodded at the bag.

"It's cold out here. Your face'll get ruined."

"Pfft, who said I'm cold? I was meditating!"

She bristled with pride, snapping back, but subtly relaxed her shoulders under the warmth of my jacket. I unzipped the bag, revealing the stacks of one hundred million won in cash.

"...What's this? You think I have nowhere to go, so you're pitying me? Jae-hyun, I didn't stick by you for handouts."

She shoved the bag away, her flushed nose contrasting the sharp pride in her eyes. But I met her gaze steadily and pushed the bag closer.

"Not pity. It's rightful payment for our team's strategist. Jin-ah, I can't stand seeing my people down and out. This is just my way of saying thanks."

Her eyes shook violently. For a moment, tears welled up. I recalled her past words, gripping my hand tight: If you need me, I'll stay by your side forever—to atone for my family's sins. These weren't tears of fear for her clan. It was relief that, even stripped of everything, I still saw her as a precious partner, as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Do Jae-hyun's person.

She glanced between the money and me, then flushed crimson and whipped her head away.

"...My info network's not what it used to be. You still want me along?"

"Doesn't matter. You've still got the intel that scares them most locked in your head. I need that brain of yours, Jin-ah. Come with me."

As I stood, her trembling voice followed from behind.

"Ugh, seriously... Do Jae-hyun, you can't do anything without me, huh? Fine! I'll go! But this is just this once! Not because I'm grateful or anything!"

Grumbling all the while, she clutched my jacket hem tight. The boy she'd chosen over her massive family clan was now her sole world, her sanctuary.

*

We headed together to Baek Seol-ha's Home-Style Restaurant. The savory aroma of doenjang jjigae tickled our noses the moment we stepped in. Seol-ha, apron on and clearing tables, widened her eyes at us.

"Jae-hyun! And Jin-ah... what brings you here?"

I handed Seol-ha's parents an envelope with fifty million won to cover back meals and rent, plus a high-purity mana stone. Her mother teared up, refusing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠profusely, but I clasped her rough hands gently.

"Mom, this isn't payback for favors. It's my promise to become family. Let Seol-ha focus on training with me—no worries about practice fees or potions. I'll take responsibility for her."

Overwhelmed by my earnest resolve, her mother wiped her tears and nodded. Her father, eyes misty, retreated to the kitchen. Seol-ha, cheeks pink, punched my arm lightly.

"What, Jae-hyun... so cheesy. But thanks. I'll grit my teeth and get stronger. Strong enough to protect anyone."

Jin-ah, watching from the side, cleared her throat and cut in.

"Hmph, I won't lose either. Anyway, I'm starving. Jae-hyun, doenjjigae for me!"

"Got it. Guess I'll eat too. Seol-ha, one bulgogi set meal and one doenjang jjigae set, please."

"Sure, just a sec."

We chattered boisterously through the meal, then I led Seol-ha and Jin-ah back to the sealed annex. The moment we shoved open the rusty iron door, an overwhelming heat unlike before engulfed us.

Roooar—! Boom—!

The heavy, rhythmic hammering shook the earth itself. It wasn't mere strikes—it was the pulse of life, like a giant's heartbeat vibrating the entire annex, forged by a legendary blacksmith.

"...What the hell? Jae-hyun, what did you do here?"

Seol-ha gaped down into the basement. The dusty void was gone. Now, the supreme-grade mana stone forge blazed with violet flames, and the black star iron anvil stood imposingly beside it.

Jin-ah narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"...Supreme-grade mana stone forge and black star iron anvil? Jae-hyun, are you insane? This setup rivals Seongjin Group's main workshop, not the academy. Where'd you get the cash...?"

"Don't worry. It's like an inheritance from my parents."

I smiled wryly and descended to the basement forge. There, Grom—bare-chested, slick with sweat and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soot—swung his hammer. Each flex of his bulging muscles sent violet sparks flying from the anvil into the air.

"You're here, master! And with new family too!"

Grom paused his hammer, panting roughly in greeting. His eyes gleamed brighter than ever.

"It's done... finally done! With the Heart of the Abyss you brought and my soul poured in—a treasure without equal in the world!"

Grom carefully tonged something from the forge, pulsing with inky black light, and set it on the anvil. It was no sword or spear.

The Abyss Tuner Set.

Bracers of jet-black leather veined with intricate purple space mana like pulsing veins, centered by a pendant with the Heart of the Abyss throbbing at its core.

"...What is that? Jewelry? But that mana pressure..."

Jin-ah instinctively stepped back. Even her intel couldn't match an artifact radiating such bizarre, overwhelming menace. Seol-ha clutched my hem, chilled by the instinctive dread from the mana-infused trinket.

"Master, equip it. It's the vessel for your fearsome space magic!"

As I fastened the bracers and pendant per Grom's urging, a vibration like my veins might burst surged through me.

Whirr—! Whirrr—!

Space warped around me. The sweltering heat chilled instantly, violet mana swirling in a vortex centered on me.

"...This!"

My vision flashed. If my space magic had been a double-edged sword before, now it felt like gloved hands wielding it safely. The anxiety of holding an unstable bomb barehanded vanished. The bracers delicately reined in my rampaging mana, while the pendant anchored my existence in space, replenishing mana in real-time. A mere flick, and dimensional walls felt paper-thin. Now I could slash when I wanted, stop when I chose.

"...Not just amplification."

Grom bellowed a laugh at my murmur, nodding vigorously.

"Hahaha! How is it, master? That's my masterpiece!"

His booming laughter filled the annex.

"It refines your Space Cut's power precisely and amplifies it at least fivefold. Mana cost? No worry—the Heart of the Abyss draws ambient mana to recharge itself!"

Grom explained the artifact's abilities carefully. I gawked at the status window before my eyes.

Chills ran down my spine just reading it. As Grom finished, Seol-ha and Jin-ah's faces shifted from shock to awe.

"...Impossible. 5x output boost with auto-mana recharge? That's sage or emperor-level gear from legends."

Jin-ah stared at me in admiration, her eyes alight with faith in me and anticipation for the storm we'd unleash on Seongjin Group. Seol-ha punched my shoulder reassuringly.

"Jae-hyun, you've really sharpened your blade. With gear like this, even Seongjin won't rush in lightly."

I clenched my fist. Purple sparks crackled from my fingertips, crackling space itself. The ancient tome from my parents, legendary blacksmith Grom, strategist Jin-ah, steadfast supporter Seol-ha. The gears of vengeance meshed perfectly, grinding with a roar. Seongjin Group's executive Lee Kang-jin—preparations to tighten the noose around his neck were falling into place. I caressed the finished artifact and smiled coldly.