Chapter 83
Something doesn’t feel completely comfortable, does it?
There’s a stirring somewhere in my chest, and I find myself fidgeting with my hair for no reason.
‘Is it really that?’
After pondering for a moment, I soon came to a conclusion.
It’s because I’m not close enough with Baek Yi-heon yet.
Hmm. It’s indeed not easy to get close to a stoic soldier.
As I was nodding, convinced by this reasoning, the dungeon entrance shone brightly once again.
The next to return from the maze after Baek Yi-heon was Choi Kkang-kang.
Emerging from the faint light, he blinked his eyes adorned with a beauty mark, his brown hair fluttering.
He was always a seductively beautiful person.
However, that impression shattered as soon as his plump lips opened.
“…Crazy.”
I smirked at his excited words.
“What did you get that makes you react like that?”
“T-This…”
With trembling hands, he held out a book bound in old leather.
<A Thousand Item Crafting Methods>
“Oh. It’s an information book about various types of items and how to make them.”
He got a book that really suits him, didn’t he?
Despite his appearance not suggesting it at all, Choi Kkang-kang had a stronger curiosity than anyone else, befitting an artisan-type awakened.
Trembling with joy, he hugged the book tightly and muttered.
“With this… there’s nothing in the world I can’t make…”
I coldly pointed out the facts.
“No, there is. Even if you know the recipe, you can’t make an item if you lack the necessary materials or skills.”
“…At times like this, just sympathize with me.”
Choi Kkang-kang muttered with a fed-up face, but soon shouted again with a happy expression.
“Is there anything you want? I’ll make it all for you!”
“Ah, I actually have one thing.”
I said, holding up my old hip sack I had bought from Lotte Mart some time ago.
“Make me an infinite space inventory. So I can carry lots of magic stones.”
In the last battle, I was in trouble because I didn’t have magic stones even after gaining power.
Then I took out an item from the hip pouch and handed it to him.
“Here, this is the material. Ogre leather should be enough to make it.”
At that, Choi Kkang-kang’s face, which had been itching to make an item right away, lit up.
“Hey! You really…!”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Choi Kkang-kang rushed towards me as if to hug me.
However, that attempt failed.
Because Baek Yi-heon quickly blocked his path.
“Huh? Hyung-nim? What are you doing?”
“…Ah.”
As if his body had moved before he realized it, a look of confusion flashed across Baek Yi-heon’s face for a moment.
But soon returning to his usual expression, he answered gruffly.
“…There was a bug in front of you.”
“Huh? Was there? Where?”
“…It flew away now.”
Choi Kkang-kang looked around curiously for a moment, but soon forgot about the bug and shouted at me.
“Hey! Thanks! I’ll make it for you right away!”
Then, unable to wait any longer, he returned to the camper van first.
He was going to try crafting the item in his workshop right away.
Back in the quiet building where only the two of us remained.
“……”
For some reason, Baek Yi-heon was silent with a self-loathing expression.
‘He’s really acting strange today.’
As I was rolling my eyes, the dungeon entrance shone once again.
The next to escape from the dungeon was Sehun.
“Noona! Long time no see!”
“Huh? What do you mean long time no see…?”
I narrowed my eyes and examined the child at this strange greeting.
Come to think of it, Sehun seemed to have become more mature in that short time.
Did he undergo a new awakening in that brief moment?
‘Avatar Lee Sehun, view profile!’
[(Messenger) Requested character information view.
Matching rate with Guardian Star: 72.3%
List of available powers that passed the causality review: Lie Detection Lv.23, Evil Detection Lv.15, Barrier of Vigilance Lv.43]
My goodness.
His synchronization rate with the Guardian Star has increased tremendously!
And the levels of his other skills, especially his barrier ability, have risen enormously.
“So you got a really good skill book, right?”
As I asked with sparkling eyes, I saw the skill book in Sehun’s hand.
“Huh? But a skill book disappears after being used once?”
That meant Sehun’s level increase wasn’t due to the skill book’s effect.
“Well…”
After hearing what Sehun had experienced inside the maze, my jaw dropped.
‘Oh no! The maze difficulty is set differently for each person!’
It seems Baek Yi-heon and I passed through the maze easily because the information we wanted was minimal compared to our abilities.
Time flows differently for each person inside the maze.
Sehun said he was trapped alone in the maze for two whole weeks.
‘Without us adults around, including me, he grew up even faster…’
I felt strange looking at the child who had matured so early.
“You’ve been through a lot, Sehun-ah.”
As I patted his head, the child who had been wearing an adult-like expression, immediately grinned.
“By the way, what skill book did you get?”
“I got this!”
The child held out the book with both hands.
<Blessing of the Merciful Goddess>
The messenger immediately summarized the contents of the skill book for me.
[(Messenger) Using the intermediate skill ‘Blessing of the Merciful Goddess’ allows you to set up barriers remotely or on specific areas.]
“Hooh…”
It was a skill that could be very useful in many ways if mastered properly.
However, seeing my pleased expression, Sehun muttered dejectedly.
“But the requirements…”
[(Messenger) <Skill Acquisition Qualification Conditions>
– Synchronization rate of 80% or higher with an intermediate or higher-level god
– Three or more unique skills must be at level 30 or higher.]
It’s quite demanding.
But at this rate of growth, he should be able to acquire it soon.
When I said this to comfort him, Sehun smiled brightly, looking relieved of his burden.
“Yes! I’ll practice hard and definitely be of help to you, Noona!”
I stroked the child’s head with a fond smile.
But at this point, there was one person I was worried about.
“Yu’s return is late.”
“Yeah, it is…”
‘What kind of information could Yu be seeking that’s taking so long?’
However, even after a long time, Yu didn’t appear.
The sun was already setting outside, but the dungeon entrance remained quiet.
‘What’s going on? Is she alright?’
Just as I was starting to get anxious.
The empty space between the bookshelves shone once again.
“…Yu!”
I shouted in surprise.
Yu, who appeared in the dim light, was in a mess.
Her judicial robe was worn as if it had endured many years, and her face was full of bruises.
Seeing bruises ranging from blue to yellow, it seemed she had spent quite a long time in the dungeon.
Yu smiled gently at my surprised face and said simply.
“I missed you, Noah.”
“Yu…”
Seeing her worn-out appearance made my heart ache.
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have pushed my companions into the maze myself…
Seeming to notice my expression, Yu said nonchalantly.
“It was a good experience. I feel refreshed after being able to go wild without worrying about hurting anyone.”
“How long were you lost in the maze?”
Yu didn’t answer my question about what she had experienced in there.
Finally, I gave up on that question and asked instead.
“Then, what information did Yu…”
Seeing how much Yu, who was strong, had suffered, she must have obtained incredible information.
In response to my question, Yu pulled out an old piece of paper from her tattered robe.
‘Just a piece of paper…?’
Not a setting book or skill book?
Just as I was about to feel disappointed, Yu continued.
“They called it an item map. Something about the Destruction God’s gloves…”
“Wait.”
Crazy!
My hands trembled with excitement.
I asked in a tone of disbelief.
“No way, no way… It’s not the ‘Gloves of the Slain Destruction God’, is it?”
Then Yu answered brightly.
“Ah, yes. That was the name.”
💎
Thank you for reading! ♡
