Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Mixture and Possibility
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Bubbling!
The bubbles bursting forth were far from ordinary. The mixture was gradually thickening, to the point where it was becoming hard to stir.
It seemed like now was the time to take it out and let it cool.
"Mini. Could you bring that mold over here?"
Wee!
Mini placed one of the molds that had come sealed with the cauldron—one that roughly resembled a piece of armor—in front of the cauldron.
It looked something like a shin guard... you know, like the ones soccer players wear on their shins. Of course, it probably wasn't originally meant for making those.
"Good. Now step back. It's hot."
Wee!
As Mini moved aside, I started turning the handle attached to the side of the cauldron.
Creak!
With a slightly grating sound of steel rubbing against steel, the cauldron slowly tilted.
And soon after.
"Hot..."
A thick liquid brimming with intense heat began filling the mold.
Kiiing!
If Seolbaek hadn't created a heat shield with mana particles, I might have gotten burned.
No more heat was being supplied, but the bubbles still popped vigorously. The bright red glow was like looking at lava from hell.
It would clearly take a long time for that scorching mixture to cool, and I couldn't wait around forever.
"Seolbaek, could you cool that down a bit?"
This was where Seolbaek's help was needed. It might also help stabilize the mixture in the process.
Kiiing!
Seolbaek turned its tail toward the mold and began shaking it vigorously.
'The amount of particles seems much higher than usual?'
Come to think of it, a small tuft like fur had recently sprouted between its two tails.
Maybe I'd get to see a third tail soon.
Sizzle...!
Cold mana particles seeped into the mixture, producing a fierce hissing sound.
After waiting another ten minutes or so, I checked with the thermometer.
"300 degrees..."
Still high, but it seemed safe enough to take out and inspect now.
"Mini."
Wee!
At my command, Mini flipped the mold over entirely. With a thud, the substance—which was no longer liquid—dropped to the floor.
Poke. Poke.
I prodded the mysterious object with a stick.
"How does it feel? Think it worked?"
"Uh... kinda like a slightly soft slime ball?"
It was exactly as she said.
A squishy elasticity transmitted through the stick.
Where did the golem's hardness go?
Did I mix in too much slime ball?
"Mini, wanna try punching it with your fist?"
Wee!
Mini clenched its fist with confident gusto.
Mini was the one everyone in this building knew for its punches.
It had a flashy record of punching three holes in the rooftop room walls so far.
Plus, the Mini golem itself had good heat resistance, so 300 degrees was no worry.
"Hit it as hard as you can?"
...
At my words to use 100% power, Mini hesitated slightly. Worry about punching a hole in the floor leaked from its round eyes.
"It's fine. I'll take responsibility."
Even if that fist brought the building down, it wouldn't be Mini's fault.
It was all on me anyway.
But there's a reason for the saying that one word can repay a debt of a thousand nyang.
"Just go for it."
Such casual words could provide great encouragement.
Wee!
Mini began gathering its strength. So earnestly that the moonstone in its chest glowed at its limit.
Kiiing!
Finding it amusing, Seolbaek transformed into Mini's form in an instant.
It reached out to Mini's back, pouring in its own mana steadily.
What was this? Some kind of combo technique?
When the hell did they practice something this terrifying...?
...No way the factory's actually collapsing, right?
"Dawn, this is okay, right? It feels like it'll punch a pretty big hole in the floor."
"......"
Should I stop it now?
But we'd come too far for that.
Wee!!!
In the end, Mini's judgment came down.
The thick fist, condensed with every ounce of its power, struck the mixture.
Boom!
Hm. Did a bomb go off or something?
The sound was so explosive it sparked anxious illusions.
"...Oh?"
But the result was surprisingly satisfactory.
The mixture had hardened rigidly, withstanding the impact.
It was different from a regular slime. A normal slime ball would have burst under that force.
Boom!
Mini punched again, and the result was the same.
Like an elastic solid, the mixture took the attack unscathed.
And when Mini pulled back its fist, it slowly wobbled back to its soft state as if nothing had happened.
I'd definitely seen that behavior somewhere before.
Yeah, in those short-form videos I binged before bed...
"...Non-Newtonian fluid?"
The words Hayeong had muttered absentmindedly—it was exactly that name.
The mixture was similar to a non-Newtonian fluid, but slightly different.
When there was no impact like now, it existed like a soft slime.
Boom!
The moment impact hit, it hardened and resisted.
"...It could work well enough as protective gear?"
I couldn't judge exact durability yet, but the potential was there.
Still, it was purely potential for now.
Boom!
...Crack!
"...Ah."
The mixture couldn't withstand Mini's fourth full-power punch and split apart.
Wee!
Leaving Mini jumping around in victory, I approached the shattered fragments.
No more heat emanated from the fragments. I picked up one that had fully cooled.
Squish.
It was destroyed, but it hadn't lost its inherent properties.
The characteristic softness was there, and when I gripped it, it hardened in resistance.
Zing...
I infused it with mana.
Some high-end armor used the user's mana as a power source.
It achieved higher defense through mana.
Shlorp...!
The mixture made a weird noise and began moving like a living slime.
"Ugh...!"
It felt like some sticky liquid horror. Devouring the mana, it stretched out and wrapped around my hand.
Thus forming a gauntlet. Maybe.
"Not bad?"
It was a deep black that seemed to absorb all light, but beneath the surface, my mana flowed like veins.
A custom gauntlet perfectly fitted to my hand's size and shape. I felt an organic texture, like tiny tendons flexing with each clench and release of my fingers.
The fit was... like slightly loose stockings. Not too clingy, which was satisfying.
How do I know what stockings feel like?
Nothing impressive—just simple curiosity. Really.
Hum.
Even cutting off the mana supply didn't change much. The once-fixed shape maintained itself persistently.
Crack.
However, the defense was slightly lower than the original state.
Probably because it was spread thin.
"What do you think?"
I asked Hayeong, who was testing another fragment. It wrapped around her index finger.
"I like it quite a bit. With this, I won't have to worry about hurting my hands anymore."
As she said, Hayeong's hands were covered in miscellaneous scratches. Marks of life inevitable for an artisan.
For her sake, who always worked hard for me, I needed to finish the product soon.
"Okay. If I just tweak the formula a bit from here, something pretty good should come out."
"Yeah? I'll look forward to it."
I'd definitely confirmed the potential.
Improving it was right up my alley.
**
"Ugh... I'm exhausted to death."
My eyes hurt, my throat was scratchy, and my head felt heavy.
[07:45]
About three hours of sleep?
This past week, I'd pulled all-nighters researching armor.
Just as I was starting to worry about my health, perfect timing—a new task came up.
Without it, I'd probably have kept going like a zombie.
'Now that I think about it... it's been a while since I went out.'
Time to refresh a bit.
Development often sparks new ideas in these spur-of-the-moment situations.
"Up!"
I jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
In the mirror, I saw dark circles teetering on the edge under my eyes.
"Ugh...!"
Hating the sight, I downed a mana tonic in one go.
I usually avoided it, but no choice today. Couldn't show this face to others.
With surging energy, I washed up thoroughly, dressed neatly, and left the rooftop room.
"You got here quick? Didn't sleep last night either?"
Hayeong was waiting on the first floor.
The car scratches were still there.
What was it? Scars of experience? Marks of growth? Something like that—she refused to fix them for similar reasons.
Click!
I opened the car door and got in the passenger seat. A faint lavender scent from new air freshener greeted me.
"...Yeah. Around... 3 or 4 a.m., I guess?"
"Dawn, you'll get sick like that? Even Awakeners have limits to endurance."
"Haha... I'll take it easy from now on."
"So, where are we headed? I'm kinda looking forward to it."
By the way, today was Saturday.
A day off for everyone at Molrangmol.
Just looking at Hayeong's outfit, I could tell she'd come expecting an outing.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of outing she hoped for.
On a fine day like this, time to work. Work!
"Dawn?"
"White Night Citadel."
"...Where?"
"To White Night Citadel, please."