Chapter 36
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 036
Chapter Title: Second Skill Enhancement
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Park Ha-jun's workshop.
He drew the final stroke on the [Detection] circuit with the high-grade magic quill.
Infuse mana into the circuit to complete the magic scroll.
"Hoo..."
It had been brutally exhausting.
Even for Park Ha-jun, three straight days and nights glued to a single problem was no small feat.
Not every moment of that time could be filled with interest and joy.
But that's precisely why the thrill of perfectly solving it is beyond words.
Wrapped in anticipation, he infused mana into the parchment.
[Magic Scroll─Detection]
[Detection Range: -]
[Detection Precision: -]
[Mana Consumption: α]
He tamped down his excitement as much as possible and checked the details.
'Just like the Barrier last time, everything's blank.'
In truth, he hadn't been able to explain the scroll to Lee Dong-gyu last time because that bastard Vaskir was wreaking havoc on Earth.
But this time, he needed to provide a detailed breakdown.
After all, beyond the Association's requirements, he'd added effects of his own design.
'It should... prove helpful.'
[Your requested scroll has been created. To use it, continuously infuse mana into the scroll. The detection range will expand gradually from the user as the center, and mana consumption will...]
After sending that email to Lee Dong-gyu, he packaged the [Detection] scroll along with a practice [Float] scroll and shipped them off.
Next, he tidied up the workshop, clearing out the piles of canned coffee and instant ramen cups.
...He didn't forget to text the team, thanking them for their hard work and telling them to rest up for a while.
'They're getting good pay, so they wouldn't overdo it, right?'
About three million won a month. Among Korean graduate math researchers, it was probably unprecedented.
But compared to the Magic Department researchers, it was still laughably low.
'I need to take better care of them...'
There was no reason his kids should earn less than the Magic Department ones.
That said, graduate research stipends couldn't just be raised arbitrarily without solid achievements.
For that, they needed tangible research results.
'But I can't just leave them hanging until those results come in.'
Four hundred million in sponsorship funds. And the billions more that Lee Dong-gyu would send later...
With that money, he planned to replace all the lab equipment with new stuff and hire a few admin staff.
Until now, budget constraints had forced Park Ha-jun and the researchers to handle all the lab chores themselves.
'That was the biggest drain on their time.'
But not anymore. Time to look after his grad students' work-life balance.
'Before that...'
Time for a nap. He'd drop dead otherwise.
Park Ha-jun collapsed onto the bed like a corpse and fell asleep immediately.
And soon after, a sponsorship arrived in his status window.
[Sponsorship Amount: 2,500,000,000 G]
The Association had sent twenty-five billion gold.
The Association's conference room.
They were planning the Elixir of Immortality search operation centered around asd123's scroll.
"...After using the scroll at the ocean's central axis, if we detect an anomaly, teams should move in for further investigation..."
They hashed out team formations, how to breach the venomous sea, how to extract the Elixir of Immortality, and more.
"Finally, if Vaskir from the virtual barrier shows no reaction to the Elixir of Immortality, prepare for emergency evacuation..."
The meeting didn't take long.
It had been steadily progressing even before receiving the scroll from asd123.
"Alright, let's head out. asd123 explained how to use it, but didn't specify the time limit. We need to hurry."
As the Association President left the room, the others rose one by one to follow.
The expedition assembled before Vaskir's corpse: the Association President and thirty top-tier hunters.
The Association President tucked asd123's [Detection] scroll into his pocket and asked,
"Any updates on the Corrupted Awakeners' movements?"
"No suspicious activity. They took heavy losses from the last human sacrifice incident."
"...Still, don't let your guard down. Keep watch until the end. Request emergency aid from allied nations if needed."
Time flowed differently inside and outside the passage. This project might take weeks. They had to keep the Corrupted in check.
"...Understood. Safe travels."
The Association President nodded to Kang Moo-jin.
"Let's go."
Kang Moo-jin lightly punched toward Vaskir's corpse.
As physical damage occurred, Kang Moo-jin and all lifeforms in contact with him vanished.
Confirming the sight, Lee Dong-gyu emailed the Association President.
[Unable to receive mail at this time.]
'...Looks like they made it in safely.'
With that, internal matters were out of Lee Dong-gyu's hands.
All he could do now was monitor the Association President's survival.
"Everyone, I know it's tough, but thank you for your efforts."
Lee Dong-gyu politely greeted the hunters guarding the quarantine facility as he headed back to Association HQ.
He had backlog to clear, including settling the commission fee with asd123.
A somewhat empty milk-white ocean.
Saaaa...
In the space filled only with the sound of fluid flowing, the Association President scanned his surroundings.
An endless horizon and the rippling, alien expanse between—the virtual barrier.
'...The virtual barrier is still holding.'
In this place's time, less than five minutes remained. They had to move fast.
"Proceed as planned."
At his words, the hunters dispersed evenly to the east, west, south, and north.
The Association President stood at what his own [Detection] identified as the center and unfurled asd123's [Detection] scroll.
[Magic Scroll─Detection]
[Detection Range: -]
[Detection Precision: -]
[Mana Consumption: 40 + α]
It was a scroll that offered little intuitive grasp.
But if asd123's explanation held true, finding the Elixir of Immortality in this vast ocean wasn't entirely impossible.
Fortunately, the initial mana cost wasn't as burdensome as last time.
"...Here we go."
Tension evident despite his words, the Association President carefully channeled mana.
The moment he did.
Pong.
A single droplet of blue mana particle shot from the scroll, splashing into the milky ocean and creating ripples.
Mana 40 ejected.
It spread like ink, etching a grid across the ocean surface. The range expanded at a maddening speed.
But it wasn't just drawing a grid.
As the range widened, computations raced across the grid points at incredible speeds.
Checking 'density,' 'composition,' and 'mana flow' at each point.
If the values matched the surroundings, the computation shut off like a light.
Thanks to that, even as the range ballooned wildly, the Association President's mana only traded minor blows between consumption and recovery.
No heart-clenching burden like before.
'...He's advanced even further.'
Further advancement... The Association President struggled to comprehend.
How could one person's intent craft such intricate structures?
This complex, exquisite circuit forged in mere days—and yet not his limit?
Why hide such skill, making scrolls in secrecy? What... was his goal...?
On one hand, a peculiar thought arose.
'...If asd123 operated more openly, the status of magic scroll makers might surpass mages.'
If he published analyses of his circuits or took disciples to teach the secrets.
But asd123 showed no such inclination.
He was researching magic fusion, but from what the President had read, it was still child's play.
'He doesn't find it engaging...'
A pity. If the current pitiful makers' skills rose across the board...
Korea's subjugation system would stabilize beyond any other nation.
Domestic hunters could freely tackle overseas gates, boosting gold income.
'Enough. asd123 fulfilling commissions is role enough.'
Snapping from his reverie, shouts came from the eastern hunters.
"Anomaly detected!"
The first singularity had been found.
Meanwhile, a day had passed on Earth.
Waking from sleep, Park Ha-jun stared blankly at his gold holdings.
Roughly thirty billion in cash value.
It had been just over three weeks since awakening.
What Awakener could touch three billion gold in under a month?
Park Ha-jun felt like he was dreaming.
What snapped him back to reality was a single item.
One hundred billion gold. He'd come this far—might as well see it through.
'...I can afford it.'
Though lately, he'd focused solely on analyzing new circuits, neglecting gold farming.
Hmm... asd123's only uploading like 10 scrolls a day lately.
Yeah, but he's not slinging random junk anyway lol.
Fair. He's swamped with high-end scroll commissions from the Association and big guilds. 10 a day is a blessing.
Thing is, even those 10 are all 2-circle lately. Low-rank hunters can't even dream of affording them.
Why would low-rank hunters use asd123's stuff lol? Stick to the Auction House trash that matches your level.
That trash only works in super specific setups cuz the performance sucks...
asd123 scroll buyers were everywhere across Korea.
[Unread Mail: 99+]
Guilds lining up to commission him never stopped.
With the 3-circle [Detection] foundation solidified, he could just churn out and sell existing scrolls at top speed.
'While wrapping up department work, I'll grind hard in my spare time.'
But first.
Waking to see twenty-nine billion gold had his head spinning.
Not just the researchers—even Park Ha-jun needed some financial therapy.
Before heading to campus, he sat in the workshop and began drawing the [Float] circuit.
Astonishing completion! Final efficiency increased by 100%!
Smiling at the message he'd focused on in ages, Park Ha-jun checked the follow-up.
Trait Exclusive Quest: 'Achieve Level 1 Standard for Three Circles' Completed!
🎁 Reward:Skill Enhancement Ticket (Bound)
He picked up the 'Skill Enhancement Ticket' that appeared at his feet and placed it beside the 'Item Enhancement Ticket.'
'...So I can enhance the Skill Enhancement Ticket itself?'
Before trying, he cautiously consulted the expert, Lee Dong-gyu.
Asking if he had any items worth using the Item Enhancement Ticket on.
The reply came swiftly.
[Sender: Urgent Item Buyer]
[...Here's my judgment. Enhancing defensive items won't even match your Barrier, so I recommend using it on mana-related gear! Additional stats or buffs you need...]
'Hmm... mana-related item.'
Indeed, befitting F-rank, Park Ha-jun's mana pool was pathetic.
But the mana cost of his frequent [Barrier] could be optimized going forward.
He rarely used anything else besides scrolls anyway. Why bother?
Just equip a decent high-grade item and call it a day.
They exchanged more emails, but no must-have items with perfect effects turned up.
'...Even if there were, skill enhancement takes priority now.'
Park Ha-jun's goal wasn't just raking in cash.
A world that shunned mathematics.
Even with Awakeners, it shouldn't be dismissed like this.
Park Ha-jun himself was living proof.
This misguided trend needed correcting. But his current abilities fell short.
This path would only elevate asd123's status.
He needed a broader perspective.
Not just drawing circuits well, but the ability to clearly convey the mathematical essence fused into them.
Kang Eun-ho's intuition enabled transcendent translation.
But for most, communication barriers persisted.
...Thus, Park Ha-jun enhanced the [Skill Enhancement Ticket].
[Skill Enhancement Ticket (Bound) Upgraded]
Slightly enhances the user's skill and grants related additional effects.
It had upgraded. The '[Slight Enhancement]' phrasing was new, born from the upgrade.
'...No selecting additional effects, huh.'
Disappointing, but that would've been too overpowered.
Slight enhancement sounded plenty fun. What changes would the boosted Geometric Interpretation and intuition bring...?
'...Wonder what extra effect it'll grant this time.'
With that, he tore the Skill Enhancement Ticket.
As expected, golden light filled the room.
Geometric Interpretation slightly enhanced!
Additional effect granted to Geometric Interpretation!
And the newly added effect.
With trembling hands, Park Ha-jun read the line at the bottom.
Converting geometric concepts contained in intent into sensory information comprehensible to others...
"...!"
Seeing it, Park Ha-jun texted Kim A-hyun.
Miss A-hyun, can you come to work a bit earlier today?