Chapter 33
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 033
Chapter Title: Sea of Milk
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Park Ha-jun's workshop.
Park Ha-jun placed a sheet of mid-grade parchment on his workbench and fell deep into thought.
'...The floating circuit is about defining a space that defies gravity.'
It was only natural that the circuits grew more difficult with each advancing circle.
If 0-circle was simply about drawing two-dimensional shapes without errors,
1-circle took it a step further with three-dimensional forms,
and by 2-circle, the main challenge seemed to be how to define and express 'space' itself.
The difficulty had ramped up, sure.
'But it's fun...'
The higher the challenge, the more intrigued Park Ha-jun became.
Through the mystical medium of mana, he could express even more ideal spaces.
Mana and scrolls made it possible to boldly realize hypotheses that science's limits had left unproven.
As a mathematician, how could he not feel profound interest?
Beyond that curiosity, though, he had ample reason to perfect the [Float] circuit.
He needed the trait-exclusive quest reward: the 'Skill Grade Enhancement Ticket.'
Just the other day, while discussing the [Barrier] circuit with Kang Eun-ho, hadn't he sensed a kind of limit?
—Incorporating homotopy concepts like this could create a special barrier...
Despite his best explanation, Kang Eun-ho had just stared blankly.
—...Pardon?
He'd tried a few more times since then.
—Professor, I'm sorry... I kinda get the direction, but these formulas don't make sense to me, so I can't manifest it with imagery...
Kang Eun-ho, still unfamiliar with mathematics, ultimately failed to implement the formula.
Once mathematical understanding was layered in, even his exceptional intuition fell short.
In this situation, could Park Ha-jun's planned research and lectures hold any practical value?
Would mages and scroll makers alike embrace content infused with geometry...?
To resolve this fatal flaw, he needed to use the enhancement ticket on [Geometric Interpretation].
Whatever new ability emerged, it promised something intriguing.
Anyway, as he analyzed the [Float] circuit,
an email arrived from Lee Dong-gyu. It was the reply to his morning request for a 'detailed report.'
From: Urgent Item Buyer
Thank you for your enthusiastic participation! As requested, here's a detailed breakdown of the Association's plans...
To sum up the lengthy email:
1. Basqui's corpse is brimming with dimensional energy.
2. It seems to function as a sort of 'passage,' so swift destruction is needed to mitigate additional risks.
3. That said, it's a huge opportunity for intel gathering, so an exploration team has been dispatched.
4. I'll report back tomorrow with the team's findings.
Park Ha-jun set down his quill for a moment upon grasping the contents.
'The Association lives up to its name... They already sent in an exploration team amid all the chaos.'
He felt a bit relieved.
But this was reassurance in the Association's handling, not the situation itself.
'...Depending on the investigation results, I'll put the float circuit on hold for now.'
He wouldn't approach this merely as a merchant. If the Association needed scrolls, he'd make them—easy or hard—with all his effort.
Still,
after reading the email, Park Ha-jun couldn't shake a slight unease.
'...No word on the cooperative quest rewards.'
Well, it was a sensitive topic.
He'd have to broach it carefully later.
For now, analyzing the [Float] circuit while awaiting the report seemed best.
With that lingering unease, Park Ha-jun resumed his analysis of the [Float] circuit.
The Association's isolation facility.
There, where Basqui's corpse was contained and stored, Lee Dong-gyu was speaking with the Association President.
"Basqui's corpse looks like some kind of item. A portal, perhaps."
Inflicting physical damage on the corpse teleports hunters somewhere.
As such, four top-tier hunters had been assembled as the exploration team.
Their goals: gather intel and rescue the hunters who'd entered unintentionally.
But with no word after an hour, the weary president had come in person.
"It registers as a kind of gate. Sending [Mail] just says they're unreachable."
"Yes... But the fact that it shows that message means they're still alive, right?"
Awakener nicknames vanish immediately upon death.
"...Indeed."
In the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Lee Dong-gyu cleared his throat and asked cautiously.
"That aside, are you alright? asd123 took first place in the cooperative quest rewards. Won't that hinder your growth...?"
The president chuckled.
"Why worry about my growth?"
"The Association revolves entirely around you. With the system publicly announcing this, it could shake things up."
Contrary to Lee Dong-gyu's concern, the president seemed unperturbed.
"I'll just prove myself again."
Though asd123's scrolls lingered in his mind that day, breeding helplessness,
he would never yield.
And in truth, he already knew the 'first-place reward.'
He'd slain Basqui in all eight previous regressions. Every time, the reward had been an 'Item Enhancement Ticket.'
But,
'In early rounds, maybe, but it's useless to me now.'
The president, having reached 6-circle, used few items.
Knowing the enhancement outcomes already, he figured handing it to asd123 was better.
asd123 was aiding the Association, after all.
But the sharp president caught the deeper intent behind the question—not just worry.
"...Don't fret. I'm not harboring any ill will over something like this."
Lee Dong-gyu had been concerned about the president's relationship with asd123.
Catching on, Lee Dong-gyu bowed hastily.
"My apologies... But I was curious. Why did asd123, who didn't fight directly, get such high contribution?"
Bluntly: why did a scroll maker count toward contributions? Figuring that out could open future uses.
That was why this exploration team had gone without asd123's scrolls.
To monopolize any potential quest rewards.
Recalling that, the president clicked his tongue.
"...Normally, contribution in subjugation quests is based solely on 'damage dealt.'
Damage to the monster determines contribution.
"But... the system isn't inherently mana-friendly, is it?"
Closely tied to why fire attacks didn't faze monsters.
Swordsmen via swordsmanship, mages via magic, archers via archery...
In short, the system deems only attacks using one's own awakening ability as valid.
"So initially, no one got any contribution."
Lee Dong-gyu nodded, recalling the system message.
[Final Contributor: -]
Yes, followed by [Recalculating method...]
It made sense. Only asd123's scrolls had burst Basqui's head.
"It might've ended with no rewards. If the system allowed oversights."
But the calculation method was readjusted.
The president ground his teeth inwardly before continuing.
"Probably, 'no rewards' wasn't the outcome it wanted. It widened the criteria bit by bit to give someone something..."
Including not just damage, but mana usage and such.
Yet no one satisfied the overarching condition: 'using one's own ability...'
To define what ability caused damage or mana drain...
It had no choice but to broaden 'awakening ability' scope, including asd123's scrolls—the root cause.
Truthfully, if even one person had dealt valid damage to Basqui, this wouldn't have happened.
"But didn't Basqui's true body appear, and the Sword Saint land a strike?"
"...Do you think that hurt Basqui?"
"Ah."
Indeed, Basqui hadn't even registered it.
"...So the system intended the reward for asd123?"
Perhaps first place went to its favored one.
The president murmured bitterly.
"...Maybe."
He knew otherwise. Likely, the system meant it for him.
But those fifteen scrolls used in the subjugation...
Especially the massive [Barrier] scrolls from asd123's awakening ability outstripped the president's mana expenditure in contribution.
Digging deeper only fueled impotence.
This should've been the perfect regression: slaying Basqui flawlessly, as he'd longed.
'...Is this truly the best future?'
He questioned his regressor's purpose.
Why give him this power with asd123 around?
Was a puny worm outshining genius the ending they desired?
Chewing on it, the president calmed and concluded.
"Anyway... rushing into exploration blinded by greed. Pathetic fools."
Contribution quests were rare, born of our own inadequacies—do they truly not grasp that...?
Lee Dong-gyu smiled awkwardly at the president's words.
"Haha... They're all stubborn types."
Still, he hoped they'd return safely.
Greed-blinded or not, venturing into unknown dimensions deserved support.
Meanwhile, the exploration team had just entered the unfamiliar dimension via Basqui.
Splashhh—
An endless horizon.
But filling it wasn't ordinary seawater.
It was a sticky, soft milky-white liquid: a sea of milk.
No sound, no ripples on the surface...
Seo Ji-ah of Fire Spirit Guild tore a note she'd brought and tossed it in.
Then,
Fooshhh—
The milk sea bubbled and boiled. The paper lost form and vanished.
"...Using float magic right away was a smart call."
Councilor Shin snorted at Seo Ji-ah's mutter.
"Don't dismiss a mage's instinct."
But her confident expression didn't last.
"...With this vastness, forget exploration—we can't even find the first hunters before float wears off."
As they moved to step forward, Kang Moo-jin suddenly halted them.
"Hold."
Index finger to lips, eyes closed. He'd faintly heard a weird noise.
......Keeeh—
"...Incoming."
Simultaneously, system text appeared before them.
Appease Basqui's Wrath
Calm Basqui, enraged by Kali of Chaos's false contract!
🎁 Reward: Fragment of the Story
Of course, the team had no time to read it closely.
Chill—
An overwhelming presence.
Basqui's true body emerged from the horizon, parting the milk sea.
"...We should retreat."
Councilor Shin spun around urgently.
Planning to return to Earth via the portal.
But Seo Ji-ah stopped him.
"Wait! Can't that thing follow through the portal?"
Councilor Shin snapped irritably.
"Even if it can, what can we do against it?"
"Just stall it for a second. I'll trap it in a virtual barrier."
"Have you lost your mind...? Don't waste time—follow me. Once I cross, your float magic will end."
Suddenly, the Sword Saint grabbed Councilor Shin's nape.
"Then we won't cross."
"Are you insane...? It can cancel the magic any time..."
The Sword Saint flashed a chilling smile.
"Can it handle my weight?"
Two days later.
A formal commission arrived for Park Ha-jun.
From: Urgent Item Buyer
Hello, Maker! Based on the investigation I mentioned, we need [Float] and [Detection] scrolls...
Not just 2-circle Float, but even 3-circle Detection.
Park Ha-jun scratched his cheek reading it.
'3-circle... Hmm...'
Did the kids clock out...?
Harboring a scary thought, but this time the situation differed.
He now had a way to give his research assistants 'bonuses.' Cash.