Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Holy Aura
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The underground of the temple was littered with monster corpses, leaving no room to even set foot.
Goblins, kobolds, and even golems.
It was packed with the bodies of every kind of monster Kang Jin-hyuk had encountered up to now.
Normally, he would have been lighting up with greed to stuff them all into his inventory, but Kang Jin-hyuk had no such leeway right now.
With his face smashed into the cold stone floor, he lay there panting raggedly, like a man on the brink of death.
"More... I can't do any more. Just kill me..."
"This guy, really. Anyone hearing you would think you've been tortured."
"If this isn't torture, what is? Three straight days without a wink of sleep, just swinging a club over and over."
"It's all for your sake, you know."
"Fuck..."
The curse slipped out reflexively, but he couldn't entirely deny Lucia's words.
Kang Jin-hyuk's skill list was proof of the fruits from this grueling training.
[Holly Power Application – Stage 3]
[Precise Strike]
[Indomitable]
He had gained two new passive skills, and his existing Holy Power Application had grown a whopping two stages.
And after three days of relentless effort, Kang Jin-hyuk had finally obtained it.
An active skill that allowed him to wield an aura.
[Holy Aura]
Manifests the power of faith as an aura.
Current skill level: F
[Skill Effect]
Grants an aura to strengthen the body or a weapon.
Damage from the aura cannot be offset except by the same aura.
Even if his body felt like it weighed a thousand tons, reading this skill description made the pain all worthwhile.
The effect of this new skill was more powerful than Kang Jin-hyuk had imagined.
The fact that only the same aura could defend against its damage made it true damage that ignored all defenses.
Its power might be low due to the skill level, but with this effect, it was plenty overpowered.
Kang Jin-hyuk was satisfied with this achievement alone.
But Lucia apparently wasn't.
Now that he had learned to wield an aura, she insisted on growing that power, refusing to stop the whipping.
This brutal guidance that dangled no carrot, only the stick, was shredding Kang Jin-hyuk's body and mind.
Unable to endure any longer, he went on strike, lying flat on the floor.
"Forget it. I can't move anymore, so kill me or let me live, do whatever you want."
"Hmm~ Playing hardball, are we?"
With a meaningful smile, Lucia nocked an arrow to her bowstring.
He thought it was a threat, but the bow wasn't aimed at him.
She loosed the arrow toward the end of the corridor, where nothing was visible to the naked eye.
Soon after the sound of it slicing through the air, a monster's cry echoed back.
It wasn't a scream of pain, but a roar of rage at a sudden ambush.
"I deliberately grazed it, so it'll come charging in here full of fury any minute now."
"You're a demon..."
Lucia's words boiled down to: move if you want to live.
How could a person be so wicked?
As he marveled in disbelief—not admiration—an orc pack had already closed in, clubs in hand.
"What's with this place that even orcs are showing up?"
"We took down the boss monster, and the barrier broke. That's why monsters are swarming from everywhere."
"What's the point of grinding here..."
Kang Jin-hyuk had no idea the monsters were drawn by the temple's mana.
To him, they just looked like idiots crawling in to make his life hell.
"Fuck."
With deep irritation, Kang Jin-hyuk hauled himself up.
This woman wouldn't let him rest until he was dead.
* * *
Lately, business had been booming for Lee Joon-chul, leaving him all smiles.
The one who had thrown a lifeline to his declining organization was none other than Kang Jin-hyuk.
The monster corpses he supplied regularly were of higher quality than what ordinary hunters sold.
Why he sold such prime goods through back-channel deals to the organization instead of the association was a mystery.
Sure, there was something a bit shady about it, but considering the volume and profits, it was a risk worth taking.
"Who cares? As long as the money rolls in, that's what matters."
In this line of work, morality wasn't what built trust.
Keeping contracts and making money—that was the ultimate reliability.
Lee Joon-chul waited for Kang Jin-hyuk in the VIP lounge reserved for special guests.
As he flipped through documents reviewing the meeting agenda during the short wait, he stood when the door opened.
"Welcome... Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing much."
For someone brushing it off so casually, Kang Jin-hyuk looked absolutely dreadful.
Eyes steeped in exhaustion, hair a disheveled mess.
He looked like he'd just staggered back from weeks in the wilderness.
Kang Jin-hyuk slumped onto the sofa, exuding a precarious vibe like he might topple over at a touch.
"If you're not feeling well, we can reschedule for tomorrow."
"It's my money on the line—I can't put it off."
Letting out a heavy breath, Kang Jin-hyuk placed a pouch-shaped inventory on the table.
"I've brought only the monster corpses separately, so check them out."
"Coming from you, Mr. Kang, I don't think I need to bother verifying."
Lee Joon-chul spoke as if with absolute trust, but that wasn't true.
He planned to thoroughly check the quantity and condition out of sight.
It was just lip service to stroke the other's ego.
"As we discussed beforehand: 21 goblin corpses, 21 kobold corpses, and 6 orc corpses, right?"
"Yes. And I'd like an appraisal on this, too."
What Kang Jin-hyuk pulled out next was a lump of metal gleaming with a subtle blue sheen.
Mithril he had secretly held back instead of handing it all over to the dwarf.
"This... I've never seen anything like it."
"Could you check how much it's worth?"
"I'll get an expert on it right away."
Lee Joon-chul could tell at a glance that the metal Kang Jin-hyuk brought wasn't ordinary.
Strange waves leaked from it, like those from high-end magic stones.
He didn't know it was the flow of mana, but he could sense its extraordinary power.
"I'd like to handle the deal on this metal once the price is set."
"Understood. I'll contact you as soon as the appraisal's done."
Lee Joon-chul carefully placed the mithril into a case he had brought for valuables.
Then he handed Kang Jin-hyuk the documents from the table.
The simple one- or two-page summary listed basic profiles of mid-level executives from sizable companies.
"What's this?"
"The list of people I gifted that liquor you provided for promotional purposes last time."
"Why show this to me?"
"You're the supplier, so shouldn't you know how things are progressing?"
Lee Joon-chul explained that to build a premium brand image, he'd targeted high-ranking officials for entertainment gifts.
The image he was pushing was 'traditional soju crafted obstinately by a master artisan using ancient methods.'
"...So, how'd it go over?"
"Extremely positive. I can confidently say it's bound for success."
Not only did the soju Kang Jin-hyuk brought taste superior with a perfect alcohol content, but it was infused with abundant mana, aiding stamina recovery tremendously.
Even those who claimed they didn't care about taste as long as it was booze were blown away after one sip.
"Plenty want to buy it outright at full price."
"If orders flood in, matching supply could be tough."
"Don't worry. I already laid the groundwork, emphasizing it's handmade by a single artisan with limited stock."
"You're quick on the uptake."
"Hahaha, I hear that a lot."
Truth be told, he hadn't done it out of consideration for Kang Jin-hyuk's situation.
Even if he could supply more, heightening rarity to sell at premium prices benefited the organization more.
In the end, it lined their pockets while accommodating him—win-win. Lee Joon-chul justified his actions to himself.
"How much do you think is fair per bottle?"
At Kang Jin-hyuk's question, Lee Joon-chul thought: here it comes.
He could lowball the price to Kang, then sell higher for huge profits.
Deep down, that's what he wanted.
But greed had a way of backfiring eventually.
Lee Joon-chul saw carrying a time bomb for short-term gains as foolish.
To secure future deals, he swallowed his greed and gave an honest figure.
"I'm thinking around 150,000 won per bottle."
"Isn't that too steep?"
Even compared to Andong soju prices, it was exorbitant.
But Lee Joon-chul was confident he could sell out at that rate.
"Don't worry. It'll fly off the shelves."
"How can I trust that?"
"I've gained certainty from the promotions. If it doesn't sell, I'll compensate you at that price myself."
With such a guarantee, Kang Jin-hyuk had nothing to lose.
'Convenience store soju under 2,000 won sells for 150,000 after a day in the barrel.'
The margins were insane the more he thought about it.
He could quit hunting altogether and live richly just selling booze.
"Sounds good. I'll trust you with it."
At Kang Jin-hyuk's agreement, Lee Joon-chul bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
* * *
After formally signing the contract with Lee Joon-chul, Kang Jin-hyuk stepped outside with a bright face.
Funny how a heavier wallet lightened the heart.
Even though Lucia had held him for over a week, leaving him on the verge of collapse.
Thinking of the money piling up in his account gave him a surge of energy.
"Time to head home and crash..."
Kang Jin-hyuk stretched his aching limbs and let out a massive yawn.
He'd offloaded the monster corpses, mithril, and soju—what was left but resting his weary body?
But human affairs never went as planned.
[Actual situation! Actual situation! Citizens on the streets, please evacuate immediately!]
The blaring siren and evacuation broadcast snapped Kang Jin-hyuk awake.
For a split second, he thought war had broken out, but spotting wyverns streaking across the sky clued him in.
"No way... When I was broke and scraping by, these bastards were nowhere to be found even after combing every inch. Why are they rampaging in the streets now?"
Not just one or two.
He could count over ten with the naked eye.
"Did some accident blow up somewhere?"
This many monsters running wild was no ordinary matter.
Sensing the gravity, Kang Jin-hyuk pulled a baseball bat from his inventory.
"No way it's today..."
Checking the disaster alert on his smartphone confirmed his hunch.
Good luck or bad?
Of all days, today was the once-a-month monster mass invasion.
"Why's something that usually hits at month's end happening now?"