Can We Meet Right Now?
Unique Ability – Man-gae-hwa (S-rank) has been readjusted in the direction most suitable for House Owner Kang Jinseong.
Thirty minutes. That was how long it took for Man-gae-hwa to be readjusted to fit me.
It was the longest thirty minutes of my twenty-five years of life. Every minute felt like a goddamn hour.
I'd awakened at fifteen and spent ten years as a half-assed hunter without a unique ability. Lately, my mana core had even gotten shattered.
But today, not only had my mana core revived, I'd even gotten my hands on Yoo Seo-ah's Man-gae-hwa.
So yeah, it was only natural that I was this fucking excited.
Would you like to check Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver)?
"Check it! Show me right now!"
I nodded eagerly, clutching my pounding chest at the system alert.
Right away, a new system window detailing the revamped Man-gae-hwa slid up.
'Incentive – Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver)' has been added to the 'House Owner Exclusive Ability (EX-rank)' section.
House Owner Kang Jinseong can now use 'Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver)'.
The vessel for the unique ability 'Man-gae-hwa (S-rank)' has been changed from a sword to a gun.
'Magazine generation' ability has been added to 'Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver)'.
House Owner Kang Jinseong can produce magazines by consuming his own mana.
The produced magazine holds a total of 7 bullets, infused with the power of 'Man-gae-hwa (S-rank)' as ammunition.
The so-called 'Man-gae-hwa Ammo' blooms petals of impact on the struck target.
The info on the newly readjusted Man-gae-hwa floated before my eyes. For this confidently customized version from the Safe House, all I could say was...
"This... is Man-gae-hwa?"
I was one of the people in this world who knew Man-gae-hwa best, second only to Yoo Seo-ah.
Because I'd been right there when she'd first bloomed those slashing petals.
Yoo Seo-ah slashing her brilliantly shining sword diagonally in a moment of crisis. The slashing petals blooming along her sword path.
An ability that could one-shot even a Grim Reaper. That was the S-rank unique ability—Man-gae-hwa.
But what I was seeing now didn't match the Man-gae-hwa I knew, no matter how I looked at it.
"Where the hell are the slashing petals? That's the core of Man-gae-hwa."
Man-gae-hwa was that badass ability where you swing your sword and slashing petals bloom along the path like shalaralak.
But if those petals didn't have slashing properties, what the fuck was this even Man-gae-hwa?
Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver) is an ability that manifests with a gun, not a sword.
Bullets cannot slash targets.
However, it can bloom petals of impact instead.
...Yeah, that made sense. Bullets could pierce or smash a target, but not really slash it.
I nodded at the perfectly logical explanation.
"Alright, so they readjusted it like this 'cause I can't use Man-gae-hwa with a sword. Okay, I get it!"
Honestly, just having a unique ability at all was something I was fucking grateful for.
So what if it didn't bloom slashing petals? I still had a usable power now.
And guns were one of the weapons I was damn confident with.
Without a unique ability, my personal combat sucked, so guns were my only choice.
They guaranteed a solid baseline firepower.
Of course, mana bullets cost a fortune to maintain.
"So how do I make that magazine?"
I stood up and asked the system.
Chant the activation phrase 'Magazine Production' in your mind.
"Oh ho."
Chanting a phrase to make a magazine. I was finally starting to feel like a real unique ability owner.
What, didn't I already have the Safe House ability? A lucky massage parlor and badass Man-gae-hwa are the same?
I brushed off that useless thought and chanted the phrase in my head.
Magazine production.
Vrrr—!
"Guh?!"
Suddenly, mana drained out of my heart's mana core like it was being sucked away, and blue mana particles gathered above my hand.
The clustered particles soon morphed into a black metal magazine and settled in my palm.
"Oh...!"
The 'Man-gae-hwa Magazine' in my hand looked just like the ones I'd used for years.
A magazine for an automatic pistol, holding seven .357 Magnum rounds. Each bullet packed insane power—shooting them was pure bliss.
I'd crushed D-rank beasts with this thing.
Of course, C-rank and up were a no-go...
Anyway, seeing the magazine I'd made myself filled my chest with emotion.
I finally had a real unique ability. No more half-assed hunter bullshit.
Especially being able to make my own magazines—that rocked.
"Mana bullets were so fucking expensive, my wallet cried every shot. No more of that!"
Total lucky break! With all these windfalls piling up, it felt like my birthday.
So I did a little birthday dance clutching the Man-gae-hwa Magazine, then asked the system the most important question.
"Okay, so where's the gun to load this into?"
You can use the automatic pistol you used previously.
Aha. Got it. I could use the hunter automatic pistol I'd had before.
Super simple.
I crossed my arms, nodded, and told the system,
"I sold that when I retired from hunting."
After retiring, I'd sold all my hunter gear. Holding onto it would've just bred regrets.
The system paused like it was flustered for a sec, then replied.
You must purchase a hunter automatic pistol compatible with the magazine.
"...Yeah, figured as much?"
I could make magazines, but not the pistol itself. I'd hoped for a free gun, but nah—not that OP.
I hopped on a hunter gear sales site and bought the same automatic pistol model I'd used before.
※
"It's finally here!"
It took a full three days for the ordered automatic pistol to arrive at my house.
The longest three days of my life. Waiting was pure agony.
But those three days let me figure out some details about Man-gae-hwa (Custom.ver).
With my current mana, one magazine was my limit. And the produced magazine vanished after ten minutes.
I'd thought I'd get infinite free ammo, but it had restrictions.
"Eh, that'll go away once I grow stronger!"
Ever since getting the unique ability Man-gae-hwa, my life story had switched genres to a growth tale.
No more hitting growth limits like before.
That fact alone put my mind at ease—no petty restriction could faze me.
If anything, knowing it'd vanish with growth fired me up.
"All set. Ready to roll!"
I timed my outing prep so I could head out the second the pistol arrived.
Click.
I holstered the hunter automatic pistol with the one I'd ordered together and stood up.
"Alright, let's hit the dungeon!"
Just as I stepped toward the door, a system window popped up.
You can use the Safe House Customization System on the newly acquired 'Hunter Automatic Pistol'.
Engrave a new name on the 'Hunter Automatic Pistol', and the customization system will activate with a matching appearance.
Vrrr—!
The customization window appeared right after, and my pocket phone buzzed briefly.
"Shit always happens when I'm about to head out."
My heart was racing to finally use Man-gae-hwa, and now this was holding me back.
"But customizing my main weapon's look? Can't resist that!"
I pondered what name to give my shiny new hunter automatic pistol while checking my phone.
The text was from Yoo Seo-ah.
Wasn't the raid supposed to take a week? Done in three days?
"Damn, that's insanely fast..."
Just swapping the unit commander from Vice Captain Park Bong-su to Captain Kim Seo-hee made this big a difference?
Amazed by Cheongmyeong Guild's 1st Unit skills, I called Yoo Seo-ah.
Beep!
It connected before even one ring. A-rank hunter reflexes, huh? Well, she called right after texting, so yeah.
As I thought that, her voice came through the speaker.
[Jinseong-ssi.]
"Yes, Seo-ah-ssi."
[Um... I saw the text you sent me.]
"Text?"
What text...? Oh. Right.
I pulled the phone from my ear and checked my sent messages.
The message I'd sent her the morning after drunkenly registering her as a member.
I'd been so desperate writing it that I'd thought, 'Even if it's cringy, fuck it!' But looking now... this wasn't just cringy.
This shit was pathetic. Like a drunk ex texting their girlfriend, dripping with desperation!
Hold up—she saw this and called me?
Was she creeped out and about to ghost me...?
The sudden worry made me tremble like a leaf, and then her voice came through.
[Jinseong-ssi, can we meet right now?]
Fuck, I'm screwed.