Two days later.
After waking up at early dawn and finishing some light training, Ohjin headed towards the Association.
“Then are you saying that you’ll cooperate with the Valhalla guild to investigate the Black Star Organization from now on?” Team Leader Han Joonman asked while placing the coffee he was drinking onto the table.
Tap—
“Yes. The Valhalla guild will be in charge of most of the investigation, though.”
“Well… It isn’t something you can do alone, after all.”
Team Leader Han nodded his head and smiled.
“Things have worked out well.”
“Yes.”
Ohjin having a cooperative relationship with the Valhalla guild was news that the Association would also welcome.
“Haha. The executives that used to scold me every day can no longer say a word lately thanks to you.”
If catching the escaping kidnapper wasn’t enough, Ohjin had also established a cooperative relationship with the Valhalla guild; his accomplishments were something one couldn't have imagined a couple of months ago.
“On that note, there is a favor I would like to request.”
“By all means.”
“I’m planning on getting new equipment.”
“Equipment?”
“Yes. With all of it being custom-made.”
He handed the equipment request form that he had prepared in advance to Team leader Han.
“I need a spear made of silver from the shaft to the blade’s tip, one that has been hardened by mixing starstones.”
The metal with the most electrical conductivity out of all metals; if he could use a weapon made with silver as the base, it would maximize the ‘Thunder & Lightning’ ability he possessed.
“Hmm… I understand. But what is this other than the spear?”
Team Leader Han pointed towards a piece of equipment shaped like a bracelet. The item was shaped too abnormally to simply call it a bracer.
“Well… to put it simply, it’s a device that fires wires like bullets.”
“Is it something like spiderman’s web shooter?”
“It’s similar.”
The only difference was that it didn’t shoot spider webs but wires.
“But the entire wire needs to be made out of electromagnets.”
That way it would stick to metals once electricity flowed through it.
“Ah, that will need to be hardened by mixing starstones as well.”
“Hmm… I don’t think it’s going to be hard to manufacture.”
Although the shape was unusual, the technology itself was simple. All it had to do was have the function to shoot wires and return them.
“But is there a separate reason why you’re going to this extent to design equipment?”
“There’s a limit to utilizing the stigma of Lyra with a spear.”
He was different from Lee Shinhyuk. He had no plans on stubbornly holding onto only the spear to reach the peak of spearmanship.
‘I need equipment that can utilize lightning.’
So what he managed to design in the end was this wire shooter.
If he could make proper use of it, he could use it like an omni-directional mobility gear to freely soar through the skies—or use wires to entangle his foes.
‘And if they get entangled by wires…’
It was the end.
Once he directed electrical currents into the wire, the entangled foe would become an electrical barbeque in an instant.
‘I do think that it’s going to be difficult to use, but I’ll manage somehow with practice.’
“A wire shooter, huh… I think that kid will really like this.”
Team Leader Han chuckled while imagining someone in his head.
“Understood. I’ll put in a request to the equipment manufacturing team.”
“The price…”
Gulp—
After nervously swallowing, Ohjin opened his mouth with caution. He could feel the cold sweat run down his back.
‘It’ll be damn expensive, right?’
A spear made up entirely of silver and an unusual wire shooting device. As you would have to enhance them with starstones from there, the price would be formidable.
As if extinguishing the burning concern—
“Haha. There’s no need to worry about the equipment’s payment,” said Team Leader Han as he smiled brightly.
‘No way.’
Ohjin’s eyes opened wide.
“Haven’t you made a significant contribution in the cooperative operation with the Valhalla guild? Since the upper office is looking into this incident in a good light, the Association will cover the costs of the equipment’s production.”
“Team Leader Joonman…”
No.
“Joonman!”
Whoosh!—
Overwhelmed by feelings, he embraced Team Leader Han.
“U-Uuhh?”
Gorilla, no, Team Leader Han’s eyes opened wide with a panicked expression.
“A-Awakener Ohjin?”
“We don’t need those formal honorifics between us!!”
“What do you mean by between us…”
Team Leader Han sweated buckets.
“K-Khmm. Please calm down.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ohjin calmed down his excitement and sat on the sofa.
“And lastly, this…”
Raising the last form under the equipment request form, Team Leader Han tilted his head.
“Just where do you plan on using this for? I don’t think you would possibly be the one using it,” he asked.
Looking at the item even more unusual than the wire shooter, Team Leader Han scratched his head.
“I’m not the one using it, but it’s something I need one of. There’s no real need to custom-make this one, and you can take your time obtaining it. Ah, in the highest quality like it’s written.”
“Ah, yes. I understand. Then the Association will also…”
“No.”
Ohjin firmly shook his head.
“—I’ll buy this with my own money,”
he said with a steady voice.
“With your money?” Team Leader Han asked like he hadn’t seen it coming.
It was hard to imagine that decision coming from Ohjin, who had continued to act like a cheapskate until now.
“Yes. This… is something I must buy with my own money.”
“Hm, understood. Then we’ll bill you that amount on a later date.”
* * *
He organized the equipment request form and put them in a file folder.
Clap—
While organizing the file folder, he clapped his hands like he had remembered something.
“That’s right, now that I think of it, the appraisal results for the star relic you gave us one week ago have come out.”
Team Leader Han lent out a tablet. Ohjin could see a picture of the blue drinking glass the Black Star Organization had replaced on the tablet.
“Rated as 3-Star. The star relic’s effects came out to be increasing the speed of mana recovery.”
“Did you say, 3-Star…?”
Ohjin’s eyes opened wide. He had predicted it to be no more than 1~2-Star, but it had come out to be 3-Star.
‘Damn, they really don’t stop giving!’
It was to the extent that he couldn’t get a grasp on how much he earned using the Black Star Organization alone.
“What do you plan to do with this star relic? Will you use it personally?”
“No. Please take care of it along with the starstone.”
He wouldn’t be so sure if it had another effect, but mana recovery was an effect that was useless for him.
‘Since my overwhelming amounts of mana leave mana recovery pointless.’
It was better to exchange it for money.
“Okay, I’ll note that down.”
“Ah, could you take care of these for me while you’re at it?”
He also handed over the two high-grade starstones he earned from Yujin.
“Wow… these starstones are also quite high quality.”
“Hm. Including all the things given before, it’ll come out to around $1.7M? Up to $1.8M if we get good prices.”
“……”
‘Oh my fucking god. Then… have I made around $5M including the money I received from Lee Woohyuk?’
Clench—
The clenched fist shook.
‘Now— there’s not much left.’
An exhilarating thrill spread from his spine.
If he combined all the money he had been saving up for the past years, it was an amount just barely enough to obtain the item he wanted.
‘It’s not enough yet.’
$10,000,000.
In order to get his hands on the item with certainty, he needed exactly $10M.
‘And.’
He had already decided where he would get the rest of the money.
“Team Leader. Would it be okay if I request one last favor from you?”
“Of course.”
Team Leader Han nodded his head in delight.
“Seoul Station. I need a map of the sewers located under it.”
“…What?”
Team Leader Han looked at Ohjin with a dumbfounded expression.
A map of the Seoul Station’s sewers. Just who on earth would need something like that.
“I plan on doing some treasure hunting,” Ohjin answered with a smile.
“…Even put in that way, I still have no idea what you’re thinking of.”
“Hahaha. There’s something like that.”
Fuu—
Team Leader Han let out a short sigh.
‘He’s still someone that leaves me clueless as to whatever goes around in his head.’
There wasn’t another oddity like him.
“I understand. I’ll try to obtain that as well.”
It wouldn’t be all that hard to obtain when they were an organization directly under the government.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Ohjin got up from his spot with a satisfied smile.
Once he exited the Association, the fresh sunlight shined down.
‘Three million more from here on out.’
If he could obtain the massive starstone he had seen on the flesh monster’s forehead in Lee Shinhyuk’s memories when he had gone through his third awakening…
The so desired and longed for
’Paradise’ could be attained.
* * *
One week after requesting custom-made equipment from the Association.
Ohjin, who had come up to the rooftop in the early dawn like usual, performed acrobatic movements regular humans couldn’t dare to attempt, striving his utmost in training.
“Huu, huu!”
The sound of coarse breathing.
Positioned in a one-handed handstand, he spread apart his legs. 30kg lumps of metal were tied on each ankle.
“Hmpf!”
He jumped into the air using only his left hand that was propping his whole body while simultaneously bringing together his widely spread apart legs.
Just like that, from left hand to right hand.
Bang!—
As he moved the arm that maintained the handstand, his center of gravity was slightly disordered.
The sweat formed on his forehead dripped down.
Tap!—
After alternating his left and right hands 20 times, he did a clean backflip back onto his feet.
The cold air of December cooled down his heated-up body.
“Next up…”
When he grasped the spear to train his stigma—
Owooong!—
—light poured out of the silver necklace.
“Huh?”
Ohjin held up the necklace around his neck with round eyes.
His question was momentary.
He could understand what the rays of light meant without much difficulty.
‘She’s finally back.’
The long-awaited noble goddess.
Dazzle—
The rays of light pouring out of the necklace condensed into a small goddess sized around 30cm.
A dress that scattered radiant light and long silver hair.
The golden eyes headed towards him.
Ohjin’s mouth gently perked up.
“I have been waiting for you, Lady Vega.”
[Oho.]
Vega, who had crossed her arms, stared at Ohjin with a solemn expression.
[Didn’t this lady tell you to speak comfortably?]
“Ah.”
Now that he thought of it, she had said those words before they parted. He had momentarily forgotten about it as too many chaotic incidents had occurred during that time.
“Haha, sorry.”
Letting out a light laugh, he lent out his hand towards Vega who was floating in the air.
“—Welcome back, Vega.”
[Fufufu.]
Vega, who had floated through the air onto his palm, elegantly crossed her legs.
Hmpf!—
Heavy breaths filled with excitement pushed out from her nose.
Straightening her back upright, she shouted with an elated voice.
[This lady has returned!]
It was the first reunion in three weeks.
T/n: Yes, the omni-directional mobility gear (ODM gear) is an Attack on Titan reference. :^ )
