Shun POV:
[Equipment Name: Destructive Fire Gauntlet (Enhanced +10)
Durability: 90/100
Description: A destructive gauntlet made from the shell of a Bone King Turtle, the blade of an Imminence Reaver, the axe of a Bloodborne Orc and the skin of a Goblin King. It has been enhanced to the absolute limit with Warhog Fur, Ultimate Fishnin Skin and a Reaver’s Cloak, multiplying its defensive properties by 6x and its offensive properties by 8x.
• There is a chance of a Bone Turtle Shield being deployed.
• Movement Speed and Accuracy are increased noticeably due to the blade of an Imminence Reaver.
• Movement Speed is increased noticeably due to the special fibres within an Imminence Reaver’s Cloak.
• Movement Speed is noticeably increased, sweat production reduced and purified due to the Ultimate Fishnin skin reaching the Ultimate Level.
• It is a bona fide masterpiece created by Shun, the Expert Blacksmith. High understanding of all materials has allowed him to bring out the specialities within.]
“Keuk...”
Blood gushed out of my nose like an endless stream. The sound of popping caused a hazy filter to dye the world around me a new colour. Pounding pain bounced off the walls of my mind, growing in force with every second that passed by.
My Ki was deviating.
It had spiralled out of control.
“Ugh...”
Fingers flickered across my body, barely allowing the Ki to stabilise in time. I ignored the scarlet clouds altering my vision and looked up at Katherine.
“Thanks.”
She stared at me in silence. Tears caused her pure blue eyes to shimmer before she stepped back. Katherine’s gaze swept over my body, and her eyebrows fell with it.
“Please refrain from using the Codex. Stick to Original until you are at least ready to sort yourself out.”
“...I’ll be fine.”
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. The more powerful an ability was, the more conditions were applied to it. It wasn’t possible to create an ability with the sole purpose of killing a single individual in one shot; this was reality, not a damn game.
The Codex verified that hypothesis.
I had flexibility, but it came at a cost. However, I didn’t care because those shortcomings were already in the process of being ironed out.
I turned away from Katherine when a thick towel entered my view. The slight tremble of her hands was noticeable as I took it from her and muttered my thanks.
“...”
The immense amount of pain rippling over my body didn’t ease up. It made the simple task of wiping my face difficult due to the quakes it caused, but I focused on adding this new information into the appropriate categories.
“I miss my master.”
Katherine let out a soft sigh before exiting the Smithy. I contemplated on if it was possible to use Ki Deviation as a last resort to take Chloe Ravendawn out, or if the implosion wouldn’t have much of an effect on the surrounding area.
“W-what is this?!”
My thoughts were cut short by Kibo, examining the gauntlets through a black monocle. Several smaller eyeglasses could be brought forward and adjusted to enhance clarity as well as see a wider array of Enhanced Equipment effects.
“You more than quadrupled the equipment’s effects and even added four bonus traits to it! How is this possible?!”
Kibo’s intense gaze never left me. He waited for a reply while I hung the bloodied towel around my neck, still sweating from the recoil of Ki Deviation.
“I... just got lucky this time.”
“Shun, don’t treat me like an idiot.”
A deep sigh escaped my mouth. The less people knew about the extent of my ability, the better.
“...Kibo, cut me some slack.”
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He folded his arms and peered down at me for some time before walking off. As I explained earlier, Kibo respected people’s privacy. Even if he had developed an amicable relationship with the person, he wouldn’t pry, nor would he ask again after receiving an evasive reply.
Kibo placed a glass of water on a small table beside the stool, tapped me on the back, and went back to work.
“Thanks.”
The corners of my mouth rose as everything went according to what I had expected. My creations would be enough to cause an uproar in Chunhae, which would spread to other cities in Sharir and reach Chloe’s ears.
This was another reason I chose Kibo’s Smithy.
Water ran down my burning throat, making me gasp for air from the stinging sensations. I took small sips at a time till the empty glass rested back on the table.
‘Good. Very good.’
The towel draped over my head as my lips curved upwards at today’s results.
I threw the equipment into the inventory before approaching the Smithy’s exit when my feet came to a stop. I glanced back at Kibo, instructing some novice blacksmiths, and opened my mouth.
“Kibo, can you teach me how to become a blacksmith?”
***
“What do you want?”
I peered down at Phoebe from the open doorway in my black vest. Her party chose to stay on the 3rd floor of Yeongyeol while Katherine lived on the 5th, but there was no reason for Phoebe to be outside my damn door as much as she was.
“R-right. U-um... We’re discussing what dungeons to clear next.”
I ruffled my hair, annoyed by this woman’s constant attempts to close the distance between us.
“Phoebe.”
Her blush thickened, and her pupils dilated.
“Y-yes?”
“Don’t knock on my door to remind me about your damn meetings every night. Pick your dungeons, get Byeol to scout them out, and then you come find me.”
This damn woman had interrupted my process of refining thousands of iterations to my plan multiple times. I already had to wait around for this slow party to decide on their dungeons, and now I had to deal with Phoebe.
“...You’re so hot.”
“...”
She covered her mouth, and her cheeks darkened further. A silence, befitting the slight awkwardness of the situation, flowed between us before I pushed it to the side.
“...Make sure the dungeons are no lower than Rank B.”
“Alright then. You enjoy your rest.”
Phoebe stood there with a confident smile. Her vibrant amber eyes stared right into mine, but rather than leaving me alone after receiving my answer, she chose to be an annoying statue.
“What?”
”Uhh... you’re not going to slam the door shut in my face this time?"
The corners of my mouth rose. Phoebe’s persistence was irritating, but it was never unbearable.
“Just go.”
She let out a soft chuckle and made her way down the corridor. Her pink ponytail swayed side to side before she spun around to shoot me a wink.
‘...’
Once she left the 5th floor, I closed the door behind me. Most women would rather show their interest through subtle hints in body language or choice of words. This was done in order to let the man make the effort to confirm the status of their relationship.
However, Phoebe wasn’t like most women. She was more than comfortable with making the effort to close the gap between us. This stemmed from her self-confidence, not only in her looks but in her personality. She was positive that the more I got to know her, the more I would fall for how genuine she was.
But she was wrong.
She didn’t need to get to know me, and I had no interest in her.
[The Mission Log has been updated.]
[Mission: Go on a date with Phoe—
I dispelled the floating window with a swipe of my hand before sitting back down on the bed. B Rank dungeons were sufficient for now, but that wouldn’t last for long.
“Title Windo—“
*Knock, Knock*
My eyes swivelled toward the door. The veins on the side of my head popped as I struggled to stay calm. I flickered in front of the door handle and ripped it open, only to see Byeol standing on the other side.
“Experienced Scout By—“
“What do you want?”
A few droplets of sweat rolled down the side of her forehead. She lowered her hand while her cheeks rose into a bright smile.
“Mister Shun, I think you have a beautiful smile.”
“...What?”
Byeol’s light laughter brightened the corridor, dulling the need for any additional illumination.
“I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure you have one! Everyone... Everyone has one.”
Her light yellow eyes darkened from the density of sadness that flashed through them. Byeol’s smile returned less than a second later, leaving no trace of what troubled her behind.
“I don’t care about your backstory. Why did you knock on my door?”
She scratched the back of her head before parting her lips.
“...I’ve deposited the loot, including dozens of Ki Artifacts, in your secure storage unit at the Guild.”
“...”
The little patience I had left was being consumed at a rapid rate. If this simpleton had really knocked on my door just to tell me that she completed her damn job, I—
“Can I come in?”
I rested a hand over my face and let out a deep sigh in an effort to regain my composure; I still needed this damn party. Byeol’s eyebrows fell, followed by the slight tension of muscles around her mouth.
“I’m curious about your solo experiences in dungeons.”
I remained silent, observing the change in her mannerisms and demeanour. It was rare for this air of seriousness to be associated with Byeol’s character.
“Go on.”
“How many titles do you have?”
“...”
‘Had she heard my voice from outside the room?’
It was plausible. Scouts needed to have sharp senses and be able to pay attention to details. Byeol’s introduction of herself wasn’t an exaggeration either; she was experienced.
However, it was also possible that this is what Byeol wanted to discuss. Based on her personality, she wasn’t a nosey individual, nor did she like confrontation or any form of aggression.
I didn’t need to worry about Byeol getting in my way.
“75.”
“WHAT?!!”
She covered her mouth with both hands, looking around to see if she had disturbed anyone on the floor. Her reaction proved an earlier hypothesis I had regarding how fast I was obtaining titles. I linked this strange occurrence to the effects of my own system rather than the Dungeon System.
This was further supported by the word ‘suppression.’ It meant that the system was still active; it wasn’t completely removed from the equation.
“It’s rare to even have 10...”
Only a handful of those titles were useful anyway. I didn’t need unnatural increases to my physical attributes. So I couldn't care less whether it was the Dungeon System or The System’s doing.
“Recently, some of the dungeons have spiked in difficulty. Please don’t solo any more. Phoebe...”
Byeol’s eyes shifted to the end of the corridor before she leaned forward and parted her lips.
“Phoebe likes you!”
“...”
I slammed the door shut in her face and sat down on the bed.
“Should I become a Monster Hunter instead?”