It’s An Enormous Amount Of Money (1)

At my question, Yu Neung-hae winked cutely and shrugged her shoulders.

Despite being a spinster close to 40 according to her setting, she suddenly seemed cute…

The power of wealth was truly incredible.

‘She probably has tons of wrinkles, but she covered them all up…’

Indeed, the greatness of <Cosmetic Magic>…

“…Seha? Didn’t you just have an extremely, very, very rude thought?”
“How could I, in front of the Chairman? Anyway, so… you’re not going to close it?”

Yu Neung-hae nodded and replied.

“No~ It’s a waste, isn’t it? If it were just an ordinary <Dungeon>, maybe. But a <Trial>? It’s nonsense to close it. The terrain being too deep here is also a bit of a problem.”

“Terrain?”

“Yeah, I thought it was just a few meters lower… but the size of the <Sea Dragon Temple> is practically that of a small village. What do you think would happen if it suddenly closed?”

“…Oh.”

Hmm, it was easy to imagine.

The underground where the mysterious power of the <Dungeon> disappeared.
Of course, the space that vanished would collapse.
And above the <Sea Dragon Temple> lay the [Gonis Hunter Academy].

This meant…

“Hmm, that’s terrible.”

“Right? It’s not impossible to manage, but there’s no need to go that far.”

Chairman Yu Neung-hae’s proposal was practically this.

To keep it open continuously and use it as a training and constant hunting ground.

The monsters that appear, such as the <Frogmen>, <Lizardmen>, and <Mermen>, were at a reasonable level and had decent resources, making it quite profitable.

Since we caught the <Sea Dragon>, the <Trial> was no longer as dangerous as before.

“By the way, the Association guys were bragging about finding the <Trial>. It would be good to teach them a lesson~”
“…Ahaha…”

The ownership of the <Trial> fell to me, as I had the entitlement.

It was jointly owned with the <Academy>.

Finally, my party members and I could come to hunt on our desired days, but on other days, it was agreed that professors could use it.

It concluded with a mutually beneficial arrangement.

‘Thus, the issue of the <Trial> was resolved…’

Right after everything was settled, Hyeja noona, having no more business, intended to leave the <Academy> immediately.

I promptly stopped her and, under the pretext of a reward, handed her part of the compensation from the <Treasure Room>.

―Hey! I told you, I don’t accept these things!
―Ah, please don’t do this. Come on!

After much insistence, she finally accepted it…

However, what Hyeja noona truly wanted was something else.

“Scales, tendons, and bones?”
“Yeah, from that dungeon boss called <Sea Dragon>. I checked it out myself… Wow, that guy’s something else.”

She said she couldn’t imagine how good the equipment made from it would be.

Well, it’s a descendant of a <Dragon>, after all.
It’s a treasure that would make any blacksmith drool.
What Hyeja noona was particularly concerned about was the condition of our Meowi’s equipment.

“Meow?”
“Let’s see, our Meowi… your armor is pretty worn out.”

The [Beast Armor] that Meowi wore was a good Hero-grade equipment, but everything had its limits.

After enrolling in the [Academy], [Beast Armor] steadfastly protected Meowi from various threats like the [Twin Head Troll] and the [Sea Dragon].

It was natural that it was nearing the end of its lifespan.

The bigger issue, however, was that her shield had been shattered.

―Meow, meow… Meow!” (Meowi wailed while holding the broken [Turtle’s Shield].)

Seeing her grieve over the loss of her precious partner, the shield, was heartbreaking…

As expected, Hyeja, who treated her like a daughter, couldn’t ignore her tears.

“Don’t worry, Meowi! I’ll make you a new shield.”
“Meow! Thank you, unnie.”

Incidentally, she also made an offer to me.

“Seha, little brother. I’ve been meaning to ask for a while… don’t you use armor?”
“Ah, well… I don’t really have anything worth using…”

The gear I currently wore was just the standard training uniform provided by the Academy.

While it wasn’t bad, it was far from ideal.

“Okay! Then, I’ll make one for Seha too.”
“…Oh, are you sure that’s okay?”
“Of course! Whether I make one or two, it’s all the same. Meowi gets plate armor, and you, my brother can have leather armor that emphasizes mobility, right?”
“Anything is appreciated!”
“Good, good. Oh, naturally, I’ll charge for the remaining materials and labor, okay?”
“Of course.”

Ah, here…
There were also some unexpected interruptions.

Moon Bora and Ju Na-young, who were quietly following and watching Yu Seha, were the culprits.

“Excuse me, senior.”
“Yes?”
“Can we also place an order?”
“I think I need a robe too…”

Both knew well that Im Hyeja was a skilled <Blacksmith>.
Now that the SS-grade material called <Sea Dragon> had come in…
It was natural for them to covet the results as hunters.

Im Hyeja showed a slightly perplexed expression at the request.
Even handling two was actually overwhelming.
Adding that request would make it a total of four…

No, if you include shields and other things, the workload becomes too much.

Even though they were juniors from the same <Academy>, it was a bit much to take care of two people she barely knew.

Sensing her hesitation, Moon Bora and Ju Na-young whispered to each other, then pulled up holographic accounts and showed them to Im Hyeja.

“…?!!”

Im Hyeja’s mouth gaped open.
The number of zeros was overwhelming…
Oh, anyway, at the sight of a large sum of money, she felt a bit intimidated.

Being next to Yu Seha had hidden it, but both of them were, in truth, incredibly wealthy young ladies.

In terms of social status, they were extraordinary golden spoons and cherished treasures.

Moreover, they were not just ordinary nouveau riche, but the second daughter of the once-great hunter family, <Moon Family>.

And the other was Ju Na-young, the only daughter and official heir of the still-prosperous Four Great Clans, <Dragon Sword Mir>.

“Uuuuugh!”

Of course, Im Hyeja also had her pride.

Walking the path of a master for a long time as <Blacksmith>, she was someone who wouldn’t succumb to money.

“You cheeky little juniors! Are you trying to buy me with money?!

That was what she wanted to say.
But it was just… too much money.

The final blow came when Ju Na-young spoke sweetly.

Im Hyeja’s eyes widened.

As if she couldn’t believe it, she looked at Ju Na-young and asked again.

“I-Iron Blood Workshop?! R-Really? You’re saying I can use it? Whenever I want…?”
“Yes, well… I can open it anytime if I say so.”

[Iron Blood Workshop***].***

For [Production] classes, several facilities were considered dream locations.

For <Alchemists>, it was [Muriel’s Garden].
For <Scholars>, it was [Mage Amelia’s Library], and so on.

They were places that one dreams of stepping into at least once in a lifetime.

Among them, all <Blacksmith> classes universally dreamed of entering the [Iron Blood Workshop].

The undisputed best <Workshop> in South Korea.

No, a workshop with facilities that ranked among the best in the world.

The most notable feature of this place was undoubtedly the purity of its ‘fire’.

It was the one and only place that handled the flames of the <Red Dragon> as its core.

Im Hyeja knew well that her famous seniors who had been there all produced outstanding <Masterpieces>.

Therefore, it was hard to believe.

As far as Im Hyeja knew, “The Iron Blood Workshop” was a place akin to a treasure of the Four Great Clans <Dragon Sword Mir>.

It was a precious place where even team leader-level hunters with long-standing loyalty could barely enter.

‘That, such a place…’

And yet, this dainty, busty junior, barely thirty years old, was offering it freely?

“……”

Im Hyeja felt a creeping sense of fear approaching.

Of course, the thought ‘Yu Seha, you seduced a pretty girl with your looks…’ collapsed entirely.

It seemed she wasn’t just a pretty girl.

She cautiously asked, stealing glances.

“Excuse me, but… what do you… do, miss?”

Ju Na-young was about to answer the question.
She glanced at Yu Seha.

Seeing him tilt his head, she moved to the corner and whispered secretly.

“…Whoa?!”

Im Hyeja was so shocked she fainted.
Neither gold nor diamond…
It was a titanium spoon!

‘…Ha.’

Soon, Im Hyeja’s gaze turned to the oblivious Meowi, who was purring on Yu Seha’s lap.

Meowi…
This is going to be tough…
The opponent is too strong.

“Um, senior, please keep this a secret…”
“Well, of course, it’s personal, so I wouldn’t speak of it carelessly.”
“Thank you! And… you’ll make it, right?”
“Of course! I’ll take full responsibility and make it for everyone.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”

“Meow~ Rich~~!”

Of course, it wasn’t my voice.

Meowi shouted with a ‘meow’ smile.

She lifted the jewels brimming in both hands.

The bothersome cleanup was all finished, and what remained was the sweet reward distribution.

An enormous amount of gold coins, jewels, and mana stones were gathered in one place to be disposed of later.

According to Moon Bora, it would be at least two billion won.

‘…If I handle this well, I might actually be able to buy a building.’

Not a joke, in the near future.
It seemed possible to buy a large cat tower and a cat wheel for our Meowi.

“You guys pick first.”
“…Hey, hey, Yu Seha. You worked the hardest, though.”
“That’s right. It was Seha who cut the lifeline of the <Sea Dragon>.”

Ju Na-young and Moon Bora’s words made me shake my head.

‘I do have a conscience…’

In my case, though unintended…

I had already consumed the enormous elixir, [Dragon Heart].

In fact, I had obtained the most expensive item, so taking priority here didn’t seem right no matter how much I thought about it.

‘Ah, but…’

I asked them to set aside one item in advance.

‘The whetstone.’

It was one of the rewards from the <Treasure Room>, and it looked like an ordinary whetstone on the outside.
When used to sharpen a sword, it was a Rare-grade artifact that enhanced preservation effects.

Last night, I had gifted it to her.

“I can’t accept this, Cadet Yu Seha.”

The one refusing with a troubled face was none other than Peng Jin-ah.

She didn’t say much, but she had followed us out of concern.

“Please accept it. It’s from a disciple’s heart, Master.”
“…M-Master?! D-Disciple’s heart…?”

By the way, what I recently found out was…

Peng Jin-ah was really easy to sway with just the word ‘Master.’

I had no intention of abusing it, but this kind of goodwill should be fine to use.

Peng Jin-ah blushed at my words.
She cleared her throat several times and cautiously accepted it.

“Th-thank you. I will use it well.”

A little later.
Everyone in the group chose the rewards they wanted.

Ju Na-young chose the Hero-grade [Flame Guardian’s Greaves], which increases [Strength] and [Flame Attribute Attack Power] while continuously restoring health.

Moon Bora chose the Hero-grade [Sage’s Grimoire], a growth-type artifact that adds +1 to magic power every day for ten days.

In the case of Meowi, not knowing what to choose, I chose for her.

“How is it? Does it suit you?”
“Meow…”

Meowi, looking at herself in the mirror, wagged her tail happily as she examined the cape draped over her body.

“Thank you, Seha.”
“It’s nothing; I just chose it.”

The cloak I covered Meowi with was an item of Hero grade called [Sigel’s Blessing].

This cloak, restricted to the <Tanker> class only, had the function of automatically deploying a shield when receiving a magic attack.

It wasn’t an endgame item, but it was certainly useful.

Thus, unintentionally but inevitably, the last remaining item was left behind.

The last remaining item, however, was an odd one—an old, fraying string that looked like it could snap at any moment.

Strangely, it couldn’t be appraised at all, so no one knew what it was used for.

Naturally, this item came into my possession, and its information was as follows:

Nothing showed up in the information window.
But I knew the true name of this.

‘[Julius’s Reins].’

A name I had heard once before.
It was the name of the legendary <Summoner> who created the [Slasla] that I now wear on my hand.

That’s right.
This was also part of the same series.

Surprisingly, as I grasped this with [Slasla], the string automatically merged into the glove as if it had always been that way.

Then, an information window appeared.

A total of 6 required items.
I managed to obtain 3 of them by sheer luck.
Absorbing the [Dragon Heart] from the [Sea Dragon] seemed to count as the concept of a heart.

As an aside, I already knew what the [Final Reward] of this was.

‘[Shackle of Scales].’

An item of Myth grade.

The highest grade revealed in the game so far.

Its effect is probably…

‘It allows the handling of any fierce mythical beast, and the one bound by the shackle awakens an ancient hidden bloodline.’

Essentially, it was the ultimate endgame item for the [Summoner] class.

‘At the same time…’

It was an item that would drop only after killing ‘Tang Seo-ran,’ the clan master of the criminal organization [Tartarus].

I had mentioned it once before.

Tang Seo-ran was a dragon mage who handled the power of dragons by forcibly contracting with the [Dead Serpent].

However, the ‘Supervisors’ only knew of her strength.

I knew nothing about her background, actions, or anything else.

It wasn’t detailed in the story in the first place.

‘If I were to speculate, Tang Seo-ran probably got hold of <Julius>’s legacy first and became a Dragon Mage.’

Thanks to this, I was reassured once again.

‘…Starting from the <Sticky Sewers> to the <Sea Dragon Temple>.’

All were fortunes of <Tartarus>.
My party members and I had taken them all.

With this, Tang Seo-ran would be much weaker than I knew.

‘Of course, even considering that, she’s still a strong opponent compared to someone like me.’

Anyway, well, sure.
It’s a good thing, but…
Thanks to it, one problem arose.

“…What are the remaining three materials?”

[Shackles of Scale] was a kind of stage clear reward.

From the beginning, these were not items meant to be combined by ‘Supervisors’.

Originally, Tang Seo-ran would’ve put it together and used it, but now the pieces—and the recipe—were in my hands.

I had to make it myself to use it.

“…Ugh.”

With a headache coming on, I stopped thinking and rolled onto the bed.

For now, I decided to be satisfied with weakening <Tartarus>.

Though I wish I could just sleep soundly like this, I couldn’t.

‘Sigh…’

A <Golden Information Window> swirled before my eyes.

A lump the size of a heaping bowl of rice was greeting me.

This time, the [Eyes of Reversed Heaven] became even stronger after <Awakening>.

‘…What Rank 1 said…’

The character ‘Yu Seha’ soared high, surpassing all characters in ‘GAL’.

The driving force that allowed him to reach the highest <Peak>.

The power to soar as a true <S-rank Munchkin>.

The time to face it was approaching.