Date
The next place Kayla and I headed was a complex packed with every kind of suit product imaginable.
Flagship models from the great houses of the suit industry were on display all around us.
The moment we stepped inside, Kayla’s eyes lit up completely.
She read the specs posted beside one of the suits and, without anyone asking, launched straight into an explanation.
“This one… cancels external impacts with a powerful magnetic field generated by Magic Stones. At this level it could take an ogre’s attack head-on and still hold. It would burn through a ton of Magic Stones, of course. But the fact that something like this is possible without magic…”
“You can do that with a magnetic field?”
“Mm… not the way you’re picturing it. It’s not some spherical blue barrier like in sci-fi novels. They make the suit double-layered and run an intense magnetic field between the layers. That way the field can absorb the force of an external hit. You know how it takes real effort to push two magnets together? Same principle.”
An explanation perfectly tailored to my level of understanding.
I’d imagined a glowing blue force field the second she said “magnetic field,” but apparently that wasn’t it at all.
Still… how did she know modern science better than an actual modern person like me?
“They’re all made of shape-memory alloy as a base, so they can repair themselves when damaged. Using Mithril makes the recovery even faster. Mithril shape-memory alloy used to be something only dwarves could forge, but science can recreate it now, huh.”
…I decided it was safer just to stay quiet.
I’d simply stand beside her and watch those sparkling eyes of hers.
After she’d toured every single shop in the complex, she grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the next one.
“Next up—weapons!”
Her energy didn’t drop one bit even inside the armory.
“Hypervibration blade. You had no idea these were actually real until recently, right?”
“Yeah—wait, this is real? I thought that stuff only showed up in comics.”
“Magic Stones make it possible. Think of a Magic Stone as basically Iron Man’s arc reactor. That means most of the things people used to only dream about can now be made practical.”
She even dove into a deep technical conversation with the clerk.
“Take a look at this gun. It’s essentially a railgun powered by Magic Stone energy.”
“…Isn’t the barrel a little short?”
“It was designed that way so it can deliver maximum output in an instant.”
“What about the materials? Can it handle the heat? Is it capable of full-auto?”
“We mixed in a trace amount of Ttanttani, so overheating isn’t a concern. Full-auto is possible as well.”
“Then it must be ridiculously expensive.”
“Unfortunately yes, but for a customer like you we’ll do our best to offer a special price.”
We weren’t going to buy anything, yet the clerk answered with more sincerity than anyone else on the floor.
Of course they did.
Kayla had taken off her mask because it felt stuffy, but even the sunglasses couldn’t hide her beauty. One look at that mysterious blue hair and people were already KO’d. And those long, smooth legs stretching out from under her skirt stole every eye in the room just by standing still.
This was the first time I’d ever seen her in heels, and I never imagined the difference would be this dramatic.
I’d always thought Kayla was on the cute side except when we were having sex. Turns out that was only because she never wore heels.
Right now she was pure sex appeal.
And that woman was spouting the kind of technical talk only male military otaku usually love?
It was only a matter of time before the clerk fell completely under her spell.
I glared daggers from behind her with every light in the shop blazing, but I still couldn’t erase the hearts floating in the clerk’s eyes.
At this rate they were going to confess.
I stepped up beside Kayla, slipped an arm around her waist, and pulled her firmly against me.
“Ah—what?”
“We’re moving on. We’ve been here long enough.”
The clerk shot me a look that screamed, Who the hell are you to interrupt my happy time?
“Tch. We’ve got plenty of time, don’t we?”
Kayla wrapped her arm around my waist in return.
I clearly saw the despair flood the clerk’s eyes the moment they spotted that hand.
Who am I? Her boyfriend, that’s who.
“We’ve still got plans tonight, so we need to keep moving.”
“…Fine. Thanks for the explanation, Sujin.”
Kayla bowed while still clinging to me, forcing me to bow along with her toward the clerk.
“Ah… y-yes. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
For the record, the clerk was a woman.
Kayla’s charm didn’t discriminate by gender.
“Only the artifacts left now.”
We’d covered every corner of Shinyongsan Artisan Street except the workshops of the actual craftsmen—the real heart of the place. We’d examined Keeper gear piece by piece and snacked our way through every delicious treat from across the country.
Kayla had been every bit as delighted as I’d hoped, and that made me genuinely proud.
Everywhere we went people gushed that she must be a celebrity, so my pride soared past the atmosphere and punched straight through the stratosphere.
Of course, standing next to her still made me look like a dried squid, but there was no helping that.
“…What a waste of a woman. Must be loaded.”
“Probably great in bed… damn, I don’t even want to imagine a night with a goddess like that.”
“Honestly the guy isn’t bad-looking either… but the gap is just too huge.”
Yeah, I’m decent enough.
At least I’m not ugly!
And lately I’d been working out hard enough that even I thought my body looked good. Honestly, this was peak Jungmin.
If Kayla and Elena hadn’t been standing right beside me, it wouldn’t have been strange for women to approach me.
Of course, even if they lined up a whole truckload of those women, I’d still pick Kayla every time.
“Yeah, let’s go check them out.”
But then the tension that mattered most—Kayla’s—suddenly plummeted.
“…Tired?”
“Hm? No. I’ve seen plenty of artifacts in my own world, so I’m just not that interested.”
“Ah…”
I was about to suggest we head back when Kayla beat me to it.
“You wanted to see them, didn’t you? Then we should go. I already had more than enough fun today, so from here on you can do whatever you want.”
…She was an angel.
Kayla was a genuine angel.
I wasn’t as obsessed with modern tech as she was, but I still had a solid interest in artifacts. I’d always liked them, and after the Succubus incident I’d felt their usefulness on my own skin.
I was still wearing The Last Shot.
I’d said I’d put it up for auction, but it looked like I was going to have to buy it myself.
“Thanks. Let’s go, then.”
“Okay.”
I opened my arm a little and Kayla slipped hers through, linking elbows with me.
Her soft chest pressed against me naturally.
Wow… completely different.
My ex never had anything like this.
In a past life I must have rowed the turtle ships or something.
“…Not much here.”
There was almost nothing to see in the crafting Keepers’ workshops.
A moment’s thought made the reason obvious.
Most Keeper equipment was extremely expensive and almost always custom-ordered. Artifacts even more so. Every piece was handmade, and anything decent sold immediately. They belonged to a completely different product category from suits, which were essentially consumables.
So the workshops had almost nothing on display—just descriptions of pieces the craftsmen had made before, or failed artifacts that never became practical.
“Disappointed?”
“A little. Now I get why you weren’t that interested.”
“My world is pretty similar. Looks like it’s the same here.”
“If I’d known, I would’ve spent more time looking at the suits.”
Kayla shook her head.
“I already saw so many suits I got tired of them, so it’s fine. Next time let’s come with the goal of actually commissioning an artifact. How about it?”
“Commissioning? Is that even possible?”
Ordering an artifact basically required bringing at least a billion won. And even then there was no guarantee you’d get something decent.
“You could do it. Money’s something you can earn whenever you feel like it now, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
A billion won.
Not a small sum, but it no longer felt enormous either. Just money I could make if I had the time.
The times really had changed.
At the beginning of this very year I could barely afford a 500 ml cola from a convenience store. Now I’d quit cola entirely because it seemed unhealthy.
The only reason I could quit was because Kayla and Elena filled me up completely. I no longer needed to lean on something as pointless as cola to relieve stress—because stress itself never even built up.
“Alright. Next time we come, we’re commissioning something.”
“So that means we’re coming again?”
“…What? Was that the real goal?”
Kayla grinned.
She’d taken off the sunglasses, so I could see both eyes crinkling with that bashful smile.
My breath caught, and I kissed her.
“Hey, sudde—mmph.”
Kayla thumped my chest once, then stopped.
Churp, chuuup.
We were in a blind spot between the shops; no one could see us. There was a CCTV camera in the corner, but that was fine.
“Haah, Jungmin… hnn…”
The kiss grew rougher.
I pulled her waist in tight and she climbed onto me.
At that point I felt the surrounding mana begin to stir.
Kayla was casting magic on her own—probably invisibility and sound-dampening spells.
…Should we just do it?
She seemed to want it too.
Honestly I’d wanted to from the start. Her outfit wasn’t exactly slutty, but it felt completely different from usual. Doing it outside would be fresh, and with magic we didn’t have to worry about sound or scent.
Magic forever!
Chup, chup, chup.
I lifted her hair and kissed her neck.
It was so sweet it might as well have been coated in honey. All that remained was to actually go through with it.
“…Jungmin, wait.”
But Kayla pushed me away.
“Huh?”
She stood up and even straightened her clothes.
Then she looked to the left—not at the wall itself, but at something beyond it. Her expression was serious.
“…What? What’s going on?”
“Just now, mana surged hard over there.”
“Magic?”
“No idea. Could be a Keeper.”
Right then the public address system switched from guidance to full emergency warning.
Gate outbreak has occurred in Complex C!
All personnel, please evacuate immediately!
I repeat: Gate outbreak has occurred in Complex C! All personnel, please evacuate immediately!
Complex C was right next door.
“Let’s go. I’ll take point.”
A Gate outbreak was an emergency, and every Keeper had a duty to respond. Even if it hadn’t been mandatory, I would have gone. Having power and just sitting on my hands wasn’t my style.
“Okay. I’ll give you directions.”
We headed toward the place where Kayla had felt the mana surge.
Pushing against the flood of people pouring down the corridor in the opposite direction felt strangely surreal.
A little farther on, the hallway emptied out. Most people had already evacuated.
“Jungmin, over there!”
But someone still hadn’t made it out.
“H-help me!”
A man lay sprawled on the ground, reaching toward us. Behind him an orc was already swinging a greatsword down at him.
I sprinted with everything I had.
Kayla’s magic reached first, knocking the orc’s greatsword aside. The opening was wide open; I slammed into the orc’s torso with a full-speed body check.
“Gyaaaak!”
I ripped the greatsword from the fallen orc. It was a piece of junk, but better than nothing.
I brought the blade down; the orc rolled desperately out of the way—straight into the magic Kayla already had waiting.
Pshhk!
A massive ice spear punched clean through the orc’s gut. Instant death, no need for a second look.
“…Are you alright?”
“Y-yes, thank you. Thank you so much.”
I helped him to his feet. He was limping.
“Head that way. We’ll hold this side, so don’t worry. Do you know if anyone else is still trapped up ahead?”
“Ugh… as far as I know, no. Thank you—please take care of it.”
The man limped off in the direction we’d come from. I wanted to escort him all the way, but there was no time.
“Gyaaaak!”
Three more orcs charged from the far end of the corridor.
“Jungmin, ready?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
I raised the orc’s greatsword.
Alright. Come on.