Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The First Test
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No matter how much he thought about it, Ian couldn't imagine these cat-like creatures doing any harm.
Of course, he didn't trust them completely, but it was true that the idea of them pulling some nasty stunt on their owner made him tilt his head in doubt.
If anything, it felt like the relationship between a parasite and its host. Except this parasite needed the host to survive, and the host got something out of it too—a symbiotic bond.
In the end, Madness was the real issue. If he could free himself from Madness like with the Hand of Recreation, he wouldn't need to worry about the rest.
Ian pulled his hand away from stroking the Grimoire and peered back into the community screen.
[Thanks for the concern. But what can I do? Gotta get used to it since I've already got two.]
[Yeah]
Anything special going on lately? I've got plenty of cash from clearing that library request.
[Recommendations 0][Disrecommendations 0]
[Comments]
-Hey shit, did you take that library gig? It was prime shit, I was gonna do it.
ㄴYeah: lol
ㄴDon't laugh, you bastard.
ㄴYeah: ㅗㅗ
ㄴ?
-Deep Sea Angler: Nothing special. Same old peaceful South Korea.
ㄴEar Bug: Not entirely. Some vampire noble showed up recently, laying eggs all over the place. Out here in the sticks, I saw a ghoul and a vampire while hunting bugs in the mountains.
ㄴDeep Sea Angler: For real?
ㄴEar Bug: Yeah, and fuck, these goddamn elf bastards are at it again. Yelling at me not to hunt bugs and shit, so I just killed them all.
"Elves?"
Ian furrowed his brow at the sudden mention of the race in the comments.
Elves. The long-eared, beautiful race from typical fantasy worlds.
He'd assumed they didn't exist in reality, but apparently that wasn't the case.
ㄴYeah: Elves exist?
ㄴEar Bug: Yeah, you run into them rarely wandering mountains or forests. They're so gross-looking at first you wonder if it's the elves you know, but surprisingly, it is.
ㄴEar Bug: Easy to deal with. If you don't wanna fight, just kiss a leaf and walk away. Otherwise, kill 'em physically. But watch out—if you get hit by their arrows, you turn into a tree.
"Hmm...."
Ian tapped the desk as he read the comments.
They seemed confined to forests and mountains, so encounters wouldn't be common, but it was good to know. You never knew when something might come up.
From the description, they seemed less like fairies or communicative beings and more like primitives. No need to bother trying to talk.
Ian left a thanks-for-the-info reply, then skimmed the other posts.
Nothing substantial. He hit recommend on a few amusing ones, plugged in his phone to charge, and fired up a game for a quick round after ages.
And got utterly wrecked.
[Holy shit]
[Playing like shit fml newbie]
[Fuck off]
As the game ended, Ian stretched while his teammates kept bickering behind him.
Even after so long away, the familiar, hearty stench welcoming him back was disgustingly nostalgic. No wonder he'd quit.
'Still, I did pretty good.'
Ian nodded in satisfaction at his 3 kills, 15 deaths, 12 assists on the scoreboard.
Of course. A model jungler sacrificing for the team. See? Not one teammate blaming him?
[sg]
Ian tossed one last jab at the still-raging teammates and stood up.
Grabbed a quick bite, played some games. The cards should be ready soon, so he'd grab a drink from the nearby cafe and head out.
Luckily, the cafe was close. Less than five minutes on foot.
Ian smoked a cigarette before leaving the PC bang, strolled down the street, and stepped into the cafe. He was about to order his usual iced Americano when Han Yu-na popped into his head, so he got a strawberry yogurt smoothie instead.
'Let's see how good this is.'
Moments later, the drink was ready. He took a sip—sweet with a slight tang.
"Ugh, too much."
Objectively not bad, but not his taste. He messaged Han Yu-na that the strawberry yogurt sucked, slurped it through the straw, and walked to the animal hospital.
The place was packed with pets and owners now that business hours had started. Dogs, cats, even a few hamsters and birds.
No way through the front door. He adjusted his bag, stood by the back entrance, and glanced up at the sky.
Then his phone buzzed. Checking it, he saw a message that the card issuance was complete.
Ian immediately opened the back door and descended to the animal hospital basement. The nurse from before was still there.
"Ah. You're here. Were you right upstairs?"
"Yeah. The card?"
"Right here."
The nurse slid a black card toward him.
Nothing special about the look. Just an unusually long expiration date set it apart from a regular one.
"You can use the card anywhere. Here's the bankbook and seal too. I'll put them in a small case for you."
"What happens when it expires?"
"Come back to our branch for renewal, or just tell any Indemnitas staff. That department only hires experts in every field. They'll handle anything you ask."
Ian nodded, took the case with the bankbook and seal, and stowed it in his bag.
"That it? Nothing else?"
"Yes. Check the balance through the Cartel app."
"Cool. Thanks for the trouble."
"No problem. Take care."
Ian left the bowing nurse behind and exited the animal hospital.
He launched the app, linked the account. Balance: 150 million won.
No more worrying about living expenses for a while. Save up more, buy stuff, prep for a move.
First time handling over 100 million, but it didn't feel as euphoric or real as expected. Probably sink in once he started spending and it still piled up.
Not bad either way. Ian smiled faintly, sat in the parking lot smoking area, and lit a cigarette. One last loose end.
"Whew...."
He stubbed out the finished smoke in the ashtray and tossed it.
Stepped out, checked the time.
Just past noon.
No big plans, so heading back meant reading the Grimoire, lurking communities, hunting creepy docs. That kinda thing.
Necessary stuff, but no rush to start now. Could handle one task first.
No time to waste, so find something fitting.
'What to do?'
Ian pondered while walking, then spotted fish trapped in a sashimi shop tank and decided.
'Gonna test some Deep Sea Chronicles magic.'
Like using Hand of Recreation alchemy right after becoming a mage, time to try the second Grimoire's powers.
Deep Sea Chronicles' main magic: summoning. Creatures directly created by Outer Gods, commanded at will. Not as versatile as Hand of Recreation, but specialized in killing and slaughter.
'Can't summon strong ones first. No Anomaly organs or stored blood.'
Cost for summoning: monster flesh and summoner's blood. Big summons need heaps of both. Ian had none prepped.
So, start with the weakest.
Not bad though.
'Check the baseline, gauge the rest. Better than risking a powerhouse summon gone wrong.'
No clue how strong the strong ones were. But Outer God creations? Far from ordinary.
No need to gamble testing now. Weak ones first.
Decision made, Ian slipped into the parking lot bench area, launched the Cartel app, and hunted simple nearby requests.
A few good ones. Low pay, but fine for now.
Clicked one.
[Kill 3 Ghouls.]
[Location: small cave in the back mountains. Hikers turned ghouls after vampires drained them. Kill and bring back their blood.]
[Reward: 3 million won.]
3 Ghouls.
Could rip apart most humans whole, but Ian could rip them apart instead. Tell them to split in half and die, they'd obey.
Anyway.
Perfect for basic summoning test. Ghouls don't move daytime, stuck in cave—easy find.
Plus, with the enchanted coat, instinct-driven ghouls blind to him. They'd hunt by smell and sound; plenty time to react.
"Alright, let's go."
No hesitation once decided. Ian quietly summoned the Grimoire, slipped it into the Grimoire pocket he'd made inside the coat.
The black-covered Deep Sea Chronicles vibrated happily, snuggling against him.
[......Wooong.]
The other Grimoire in his bag grumbled, but Ian ignored it.