SSS Clear and the Giant's Tomb

I'd grown far too used to messages like that by now.

Even so, the reward of a hundred A-class mana stones set my heart pounding.

"Is it not the same as what you have always received?"

"The value's different."

After the Great Cataclysm, the world had entered an age of upheaval. A new energy source had appeared, overwhelmingly more efficient than fossil fuels: mana stones.

Supply problems? Leave a gate alone and a monster break would follow. People had to clear gates just to survive, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and mana stones came out in proportion. Governments and corporations endlessly bought up D- and E-class stones as fuel, so their price brackets barely shifted once they settled.

"You did say the value changes from C-class onward."

"Right."

"Hohoho. Rather different from a certain iron-headed someone, wouldn't you say?"

"Grrrk—!"

From C-class up, mana stones saw far more use as catalysts for magic engineering and research than as mere fuel. I'd heard some spells required them outright. That was why a single B- or C-class stone commanded a price that made D- and E-class look like pocket change.

"The same holds true for A-class stones, I take it."

"W-well, Sir Isra. One A-class mana stone averages around four thousand."

At Seongsu's words my jaw dropped.

"F-f-f-four thousand?"

"Why are you so shocked, hyung-nim?"

"I knew they were expensive, but I never imagined four thousand."

I'd never dreamed a single mana stone could outprice a cheap rare-grade item. So let's see. An SSS-rank clear had just handed me a hundred extra stones. Dump those alone and I'd be looking at four billion?

"Huuuuuh."

Strength drained from both legs. Whew. Nearly sat down hard on the spot. One click of a clear, and four billion had just been photocopied into existence.

And that wasn't even the whole haul. The income from the raid went beyond the rank reward. The Minotaurs and Demon Eyes had dropped thirty-seven more stones between them. From the boss monster, the Minotaur Guard, we'd also managed to snag one item.

A one-shot item that shattered the moment it was spent. Even so, it packed an effect worthy of the Unique grade.

"It's as good as giving the Great Lord a spare life, it is!"

"True enough."

"A pity it only absorbs enough damage to leave one barely breathing."

【Greedy, aren't we, Iron-head. Merely escaping instant death is value enough.】

Right on the heels of Ingrid's jab about the mana stones, Megus chimed in from the Death Blacksmith as well.

"Yah!"

Cornered, Sir Isra poured mana into a full-throated bellow.

"Think you can even blink before I—?!"

【Do you not know that it has no effect on a subspace? Iron-heads truly are the same in every world.】

"G-grrrk—!"

Fellow countrymen, maybe? The two summons' coordinated assault left Sir Isra completely on the back foot.

"A duel, then, mage!"

"I don't indulge in crude contests of strength."

"Are you afraid of me?"

"My, what a thing to say."

Even as she spoke, Ingrid edged discreetly backward. Thanks to a little physical persuasion, the match was finally ruled a draw.

"Anyway, all of you did great."

The Minotaur Guard lay sprawled with its tongue lolling out. Surprisingly, aside from the burns and sword wounds clustered around its vitals, the corpse was barely damaged at all.

"Good work, Rex."

"Kwarururu!"

Perfect power control was still beyond him, but he'd managed to throttle it down to about sixty out of a hundred. When I focused hard on the command, a decent amount of suppression kicked in. The Minotaur Guard's defense far outstripped an ordinary monster's, so even when the Predator—Rex—raked it with his claws while holding back, the hide didn't tear too badly.

While Rex pinned it from the front—

The same spell that had wiped out the Turan mages in a single stroke punched straight through the Minotaur Guard.

"Mmmmuuuuuh!"

The beast endured a wound that should have killed it outright.

【Judge's. Blade.】

Sir Isra's sword, reinforced by a sacred spell, found its mark.

It pierced the exact spot Ingrid's magic had already savaged. The boss monster never even got the chance to attempt whatever it had been winding up for. Match over.

"Hah… hah…"

"Harvesting mana stones is work too."

"When has it ever not been? Be grateful you don't have to clean up the corpses."

The support team wiped sweat and set about extracting the stones. Mana stones generally sat in a monster's heart. They had to carve them out of the Minotaur corpses with as little damage as possible, but the muscle and hide were so tough that only Mana Release made the harvest feasible.

"For the sake of efficiency, I suppose I ought to teach them how to use Aura."

Sir.

Your jokes have gotten a lot better lately.

…That was a joke, right?

After we left the gate, I found myself face-to-face with President Baek, his brows drawn into a sharp inverted V.

"And where, pray tell, is the gentleman who said he was only going in for a look?"

"Well, you see, the monsters practically gave us a free pass and cleared the road."

"Hah. I never believed that 'just a peek' line anyway, but another SSS-rank clear…"

Ugh. Saying you never believed me is a little harsh, isn't it? I gave him my most wounded look, and President Baek clicked his tongue.

"As if anyone who treats records like a matter of life and death would stop at a glance."

"I only go for it when it looks doable."

I check whether lying down is safe before I lie down, thank you. I'm not the type who flops over blindly and throws out his back.

"Yes. Of course you do."

Ugh. He clearly didn't believe a word. You can't treat a tender-hearted soul like me this way. It hurts, you know?

"I confess the notion of my lord possessing a tender nature does not spring readily to mind."

"Sir. Want a week-long shift in the Death Blacksmith?"

"Hahah. And leave the First Sword's post vacant, my lord?"

Read the room. Unless you fancy a week welded to the fixed fixtures in there.

【Why not leave the blacksmith to this old man?】

"Then you wouldn't be able to come outside."

【This old man is of no use in battle.】

Alchemist was a profession with almost no combat capability. Stationing him in the blacksmith for research was efficient—though I hadn't expected him to volunteer for it himself.

【Heh heh heh. This Death Blacksmith space is rather intriguing in its own right.】

"Is that so?"

【There is a structure nearing completion I should like to examine, if you have no objection.】

"Suit yourself."

What could go wrong? I granted Megus's request and laid the Minotaur Guard's corpse to rest in the Giant's Tomb. Once that body was fully digested, we'd finally be able to use the building's functions. I was curious what those would turn out to be. I'd find out soon enough.

While sorting out the gate schedule, I stopped by the blacksmith and asked Nam Jinwoo about the Cross Gate.

"It'll take about a month, I expect."

"I figured you'd be heading straight there. That's a surprise."

"We still have to work through the first batch of commissioned arms."

Right. Hanil Blacksmith was a place famous hunters from around the world sought out. I'd forgotten their commissions were backed up by the year.

"Sounds like you'll be staying a good while."

"You can't exactly hop in and out of the Cross Gate whenever you like."

Once they went in this time, they planned to stay at least two weeks. Focusing on items with looming deadlines would make even a month a tight squeeze.

"Understood."

A delayed entry date for the Cross Gate didn't particularly bother me. I had just as much on my plate.

Analyze the Predator—Rex.

Clear A-class gates.

Refine the Death Warrior fabrication method.

Analyze the Lich.

…And that was only the start. The to-do list looked ready to tear itself apart.

The moment I got home after hearing we still had a month until Cross Gate entry—

"Busy though my lord may be, one must not grow lax in training."

Sir Isra insisted firmly that I take part in drills.

"Fine. Fine. I get it."

It was true I'd been neglecting sword practice lately on the excuse of being busy. Not an excuse, either—I really had been run off my feet without a second to spare.

"I shall not call it an excuse."

"Yeah, yeah. I really was busy."

"However, as my lord's skill with the blade grows, so too do the dead grow stronger. I ask only that you take greater care in that regard."

Damn it. When she came right out and said she was recommending it for my sake, I couldn't exactly refuse. Still, drastically expanding the training hours was tough, so we settled on me joining whenever the support team and Yeondu were drilling.

"Sometimes I wonder who's actually the master here."

"Masteeeeer!"

"I'll do magic practice too, so don't worry."

"This maiden had faith in you all along."

Don't lie. Your eyes were spinning, girl.

"Perhaps the Great Lord might also care to learn this humble servant's stealth techniques, hmm?"

"Silence that mouth of yours, you thief."

"How dare a mere thief try to steal away Master's precious time?"

Both summons flared up at once. For the crime of one poorly chosen remark, Zaug was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠immediately squashed into a corner of the Death Blacksmith.

【New. Spell. Engrave.】

Sacred spell engraving was limited to once a week. At first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd held the opportunity in reserve for flexible crisis response, but after expanding our combat power I'd started receiving a new spell every seven days without fail.

"Let's fill all six slots first, then decide."

【Master. Wise.】

The additional sacred spells I engraved that way were as follows.

The name and description sounded grand, but the actual effect was simple: designate a target and force guaranteed stun. Unavoidable. Fail the resistance check and you're locked down cold. The paralysis didn't last long, but in a tight fight it was perfect for creating a fatal opening.

And one more.

A flat, no-questions-asked 20% stat boost! The lack of any penalty when stacked with other sacred spells was an enormous advantage on top of that. Buff-type skills usually lost effectiveness when layered; major guilds carefully calculated buff synergies precisely because you couldn't just inflate specs without limit.

"So even if I cast it together with Liberation of Hatred, the effect stays full."

Liberation of Hatred, the buff that grew stronger the longer you fought. Layer Blessing of the Extreme Night on top and sacred spells alone could push stats up by as much as 70%. Just picture Sir Isra under full Liberation of Hatred with Blessing of the Extreme Night draped over her as well.

"Eheh. Heheheheh."

Just thinking about it gave me chills.

And so the days flew by in a blur of busyness—until:

【Master. The Giant's Tomb has begun to activate.】

Oh. So it had finally finished digesting the Minotaur Guard's corpse.

【However… a slight change has occurred, you see.】

Megus's thought-voice wavered ever so slightly.

Why.

What is it?!