Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Eyes Open
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I headed to the school field again for some experiments.
It was still early dawn. Too early for people to be awake. No need to worry about prying eyes.
I hopped over the familiar fence and pulled up the skill description again.
[Passive Skill: Eyes Open]
[Description: Opens the eyes.]
I blinked.
The description hadn't changed.
I shook my head, denying reality.
No way. It couldn't be a dud. This was my first Platinum-grade skill.
"...The really powerful skills always have short, concise descriptions."
Like drawing two cards,
or hurling a spear to deal physical damage.
Simple explanations like that were proof of the real deal.
This skill had to be insanely powerful. It just had to be.
I pushed down my anxiety and focused my mind.
The skill was already active.
I sensed the third eye opened by Eyes Open.
[The user opens their eyes.]
A shock hit me like my senses were exploding outward.
The world looked different.
The vague flow of mana I'd only sensed faintly before was now visible in clear shapes right in front of me.
It wasn't just visual information. I could feel the mana throughout my body.
I closed my eyes.
I no longer needed my physical eyeballs.
The texture of mana particles floating in the air brushing against my skin.
The massive energy of the earth's ley lines surging up from deep underground like a great river.
And a strange sense of unity connecting it all to me.
Following instinct, I sat cross-legged, breathed in, and out.
I felt the tiny god wriggling inside me shiver.
I drew up the infinite mana flowing through the air and the ground.
I nurtured the god with the gathered mana.
The god, once the size of a finger, grew to the size of a fist.
I half-opened my eyes and stretched my hand forward.
"Sand Totem."
The surroundings darkened.
I slowly raised my head from within the shadows.
A sand giant in my likeness stood there.
"...This won't work."
The three-meter-tall sand giant wasn't wearing any clothes.
Even if it was made of sand, I didn't want to fight with my ass on display.
And definitely not in front of others.
With a sigh, I dispelled the massive sand clone.
The crumbling sand collapsed back to the ground.
I hopped back over the school fence and headed home.
The familiar dawn streets. But with Eyes Open, everything looked new.
"Hm?"
That's when I sensed something small moving under the wall.
A pigeon. A fat one that looked like it couldn't fly, bobbing its head dumbly.
This city seemed to only have cats and pigeons as animals.
"Shoo, shoo."
Sure enough, the damn pigeon didn't budge even when I pretended to kick it.
It didn't even pretend to fly. Infuriating.
Before, I would've just walked past.
But now, my eyes saw something different.
"Is this the flow of mana in a pigeon...?"
Inside the pigeon's body, something like a small, warm candle flame flickered.
Not intense or powerful, just slowly circulating through the pigeon's body.
Instinctively, I understood this was the source that kept life alive and moving.
It was an amazing experience.
I stopped for a moment and locked eyes with the pigeon. I felt like I was being sucked into its dumb eyes.
As if entranced, I reached out my hand.
A small sand bird formed in front of me.
Slowly, very carefully, I manipulated the mana.
I mimicked the natural breathing of the pigeon before me.
Bob.
The bird's head moved just a little.
"A bit more...."
I focused even harder on the living pigeon in front of me. My gut told me I could do it now.
That's when it happened.
Flutter-!
The pigeon suddenly flapped its wings and flew off into the distance.
At the same time, my concentration broke, and the sand bird crumbled.
"Why the hell would a pigeon fly into the sky...."
I stood there blankly, staring at where the pigeon had been.
So frustrating.
I was right on the verge of some realization....
Just in case, I looked around nearby.
Sure enough, another pigeon.
I tried making a sand bird again.
"Damn...."
Failure. No matter how much I focused, the sand bird didn't move.
I let out a deep sigh of disappointment.
Looks like the previous one had just been luck.
"At least I confirmed it's possible."
I decided to think positively.
I stretched and headed into the house.
Time to brag about today's achievements in the gallery.
***
Meanwhile, at that time, in Busan.
Crash-!
The sound of expensive porcelain shattering echoed through the spacious guild master's office.
"You bastards...! Still refusing to cooperate?!"
An enraged woman's voice exploded.
Her name was Jeong Tae-yeon.
Guild master of Hwayeon Guild, one of only nine A-rank Hunters in Korea.
And one of only five mages.
Unlike her flowing golden hair, the left side of her face was covered in horrific burn scars.
....
The vice guild master standing before her just stared at the floor in silence.
"The tower's collapse is less than two weeks away—what the hell do we do?
Drag them by force? Let them taste my flaming fist?!"
"...The most stubborn holdout refusing to go is the healer Jin. No answer there, Guild Master."
"Ha...."
Jeong Tae-yeon rubbed her dry face, swallowing a curse.
Healer. The most crucial position responsible for the party's survival.
With them at the forefront of the strike, resuming raids by force was impossible.
"Those easy-mode chickens, just like I thought.... So, what's the situation with the other towers? Same there?"
"Yes. All guilds nationwide have halted raids.
They're even pressuring us to delay as much as possible."
"What?"
"They say Hwayeon Guild joining the strike will give them leverage in negotiations with the government...."
"You sons of...."
Crunch.
Jeong Tae-yeon crushed the armrest of the wooden chair with her bare hand.
"...Get out."
The vice guild master gave a quick nod and hurried out of the office.
Left alone, Jeong Tae-yeon panted roughly, suppressing her emotions.
"Hoo...."
She needed something to calm her mind.
She opened her desk drawer to grab a comic book she'd collected since childhood but hesitated.
When her emotions got out of control, parts of her body sometimes turned to flames against her will.
She couldn't burn a precious out-of-print comic that few copies remained of in the world. That would be a loss for all humanity.
Instead, she turned on her computer and logged into the gallery as usual.
Today's gallery: Hunter Gallery.
She vented her boiling rage in a post.
[Title: Are You All Actually Insane?]
Author: Magic is Firepower
The tower's about to collapse, and you think striking for more rewards makes sense?
If the tower falls and the country goes down, we all die together.
Hunters need a country to exist.
Look at the soldiers saving your asses right now. You think they're risking their lives on the 38th parallel for great rewards?
Just sigh-inducing, really.
Stop the strike and join the raid this time.
Comments poured in right after the long critical post.
ㄴ What's this, some template?
ㄴ (Severe punishment con)
ㄴ Smells like a boomer patriot.
ㄴ If it bothers you, go alone lol. Cowards unite?
"You fucking traitorous anti-patriots...!"
Her rage didn't subside—instead, it erupted like a volcano.
Jeong Tae-yeon opened the Mage Gallery to spew her frustration.
[Title: Ugh, This Strike is Pissing Me Off]
Author: Magic is Firepower
Tower's about to blow, and these idiots are striking over a few bucks. Pathetic.
Because of them, the country's on the brink.
You guys aren't joining the strike too, right?
As soon as she posted, pkkatjju commented like they'd been waiting.
ㄴ pkkatjju: Wrote in Hunter Gal, got flamed, now in Mage Gal. Oink oink~ Save me~~ Pathetic.
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: Hey, harsh words.
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: And if you're an A-rank mage too, get your ass to the front lines and push the tower. What've you been doing holed up for months?
ㄴ pkkatjju: Delusional?
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: Fine. I'll visit Incheon soon.
ㄴ Fridge: Both of you, stop. Seriously. Always fighting;
The gallery fell silent after Fridge's mediation comment.
A gallery with only four members. When two fought, conversation halted, leaving only quiet.
This was the daily life of the Mage Gallery.
Until the newbie arrived recently.
"Hm...? A newbie post?"
Breaking the silence, a new post went up.
The usual post that changed the gallery's mood.
[Title: Newbie Finally Got Platinum-Grade Skillbook]
Author: ?? (F4F.444)
[Cleared floor 6, leveled up, got a skill.
Extreme clear + ranking 1st bonus turned silver to platinum lol jackpot
This skill's a passive called [Eyes Open]
Description's legit just one line: "Opens the eyes." Blown away.
No info online—anyone know?]
ㄴ Fridge: Higher grades have less info. Without internal communities like this, no answers.
Nickname Magic is Firepower—Jeong Tae-yeon stared blankly at the post.
Strangely, her boiling rage subsided like a lie.
Unknowingly, she smiled and typed.
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: Nice pull. Congrats. That's a super rare skill. Bet our S-rank has it too?
ㄴ Dungbeetle: Dude, spilling national secrets like that....
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: Was gonna explain anyway. Right?
ㄴ Dungbeetle: ...True, but I wanted to explain.
ㄴ ??: So what's the effect?
ㄴ Magic is Firepower: Mana increase + MP increase. But the boost is broken.
ㄴ Dungbeetle: Hey, lemme explain. It adds stats continuously. Growth-type skill basically.
ㄴ Dungbeetle: Dunno the exact trigger yet. But felt it spike when fields changed in the tower.
ㄴ ??: Ah, seems like breathing in mana does it. Thx~
ㄴ Dungbeetle: Breathing? What's that?
A newbie who appeared out of nowhere one day, spouting unknown terms.
But likeable.
More enthusiastic about climbing the tower than anyone.
Their hobbies seemed to overlap with hers somehow.
Plus, the difficulty they challenged was Extreme—uncharted territory no one had touched.
By the time they broke floor 20 and registered as an official hunter, they'd surpass most A-ranks easily.
Maybe even surpass her.
"Could be the second S-rank...."
But Jeong Tae-yeon didn't find the fact unpleasant at all.
Her heart raced instead.
To her—no, to Korea—this newbie was needed.
Someone to help her conquer the tower and end this frustrating situation.