Ch. 29 - Chapter 29

Golden Core.

A rare and precious item, said to be obtained only when hunting an epic monster of 7 stars (★★★★★★★) or higher, and even then, with an extremely low probability.

Not only guilds, but even the Hunter Association possessed only a few of these rare treasures, and one was right in front of my eyes.

I stared at the Golden Core for a moment, my mouth agape.

They say a good item is distinguished by its appearance.

A dazzling radiance spilled out of the box, flaunting its presence without restraint.

“This is…”

I sat there, entranced, gazing at the Golden Core.

Then I looked at Supervisor Pyo Hyukgyu, my eyes filled with bewilderment.

“It’s the Golden Core, right? The one I saw in the testing room.”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t know how high up you are, Supervisor, but are you really allowed to just bring out a treasure of the Association like this?”

It was an object that was tremendously appealing, but at the same time, there were many things about it that were suspicious.

Whether Pyo Hyukgyu was even in a position to pull off something like this.

And whether the task he was entrusting to me was truly worth the value of a Golden Core.

At most, it was just a precautionary job, clearing out Poison Dungeons one by one.

And yet he was offering a Golden Core as payment for something like that.

I couldn't believe it.

You know what they say.

‘Be wary of someone who buys you beef. The only kindness that comes without a price is pork.’

All the more reason I couldn't blindly trust someone who tossed a Golden Core my way for something this minor.

“Hmm… I suppose I should correct myself.”

Pyo Hyukgyu slowly slid the box forward.

So I could get a better look at the core.

“It ‘was’ a Golden Core. Maybe that’s the better way to put it.”

“…What?”

“Take a closer look. It’s the same Golden Core you saw before, but it’s a little different.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

I leaned in and stared intently at the Golden Core in front of me.

“…Hmm.”

It looked a bit different?

Back then, it had been a perfect golden sphere without a speck of dust, but now, tiny hairline cracks were scattered across its surface.

No.

Rather than mere cracks, it looked more like a familiar dark crimson hue had seeped into various parts of the Golden Core, and this color…..

"Aha."

It resembled the color of Black Aether.

“After we measured Hunter Chun Haesun’s Awakener stats, the Golden Core began to change. The core energy can no longer be detected, and its appearance has changed as well.”

“…What a coincidence.”

It was too early to jump to conclusions, but I had a hunch.

An Awakener’s stat score is determined by the degree of resonance between the Awakener and the Core.

Which means, in some way or another, the Core was affected during the measurement process.

I had drawn out all the poisons from my body before testing the Aether level, but the Golden Core still ended up damaged.

This made me realize just how powerful Black Aether is.

“Do you happen to know anything about this?”

“No, I don’t.”

In a situation like this, I might as well not.

If, by any chance, the Association were to demand compensation on the grounds that I damaged the Golden Core, I might be forced to work as their slave for the rest of my life.

"To be honest, at first I thought it was related to Hunter Chun Haesun."

No, you devil.

“However, considering that Hunter Chun Haesun is a healer-type and that you also healed the poisoned Imperial Tiger, we concluded there’s no special connection.”

Thank goodness. Looks like I won’t be living as a slave.

“The Association decided to dispose of this Golden Core. But it felt like too much of a waste to just throw away.”

“Why? A corrupted core is nothing more than a lump of stone.”

“That’s true. But somehow, it still feels like a shame to just let it go.”

There was something strange in his eyes.

It was a sharper gaze, a little different from the businesslike demeanor of Pyo Hyukgyu I’ve seen until now.

“I had a thought. Maybe, to someone out there, this Core is still a treasure.”

‘This bastard……’

I was doubtful before, but now it was clear.

That man, Pyo Hyukgyu.

He wasn't just a member of the Association.

Even setting aside the fact that I'd disparaged the Association Vice President in our previous conversation, the incident involving the Golden Core was deeply significant.

The fact that he deliberately brought something deemed useless by the Association suggested it was not ‘because of the Association,’ but rather ‘something else.’

If it was true that the Golden Core was affected because of me, then more than anyone else, I was very likely to make use of the Core.

Since I'm absorbing Black Cores extracted from monsters, there was no way a slightly damaged Golden Core would be impossible to use, right?

The problem is that Pyo Hyukgyu shared the same thoughts I had.

“What do you say? It might just be a simple lump of stone, as you said. Will you comply with the Association’s request?”

‘This bastard…..’

This was a fool's errand.

Accepting this offer would make me look like a weirdo who accepts trash as payment, and rejecting it would mean giving up the Golden Core.

If I accepted this offer, Pyo Hyukgyu would probably become certain of whatever this ‘something’ he had been thinking.

Would Pyo Hyukgyu outside the Association be a detriment to me?

An enemy or ally.

That remained to be seen.

But one thing was clear, Pyo Hyukgyu’s true nature lay somewhere beyond the Association.

Fuck.

Even a well-fed ghost looks good, might as well accept it.

“You secretly took out something that could be useful to me. Aren’t you worried about any trouble afterward?”

“That level of risk is something a partner in crime has to bear.”

I let out a small laugh at Pyo Hyukgyu’s words.

Partner in crime.

How blatant.

In any case, I had nothing to lose.

The Association didn’t know about this, so even if trouble came up later, I could just deny it. And besides, I was planning to frequent the Poison Dungeons anyway.

Pyo Hyukgyu’s true intentions could be revealed later.

Sparkle.

And.

Honestly.

Putting everything else aside.

I really wanted that thing…!!

“I’ll accept your offer.”

* * *

“Oh my…….”

Most women like shiny things.

The same goes for my sister.

When I took out the Golden Core in the living room, my sister approached with sparkling eyes.

“You said you met someone from the Association and received this gift?”

“Yeah. It’s a gift. A very precious one.”

“Is this gold? The color is so beautiful.”

“It’s a bit different. You can think of it like a monster’s heart.”

“A-A heart?”

“Yeah. When hunters kill a monster, they cut open its belly and take things like this out. It’s used as an energy source.”

“Ugh. That’s terrifying.”

My sister, seemingly imagining the process of pulling the core out from inside the entrails, shuddered and went back to the kitchen.

I let out a small laugh, then steadied my breathing and held the Golden Core with both hands.

Billions?

No, this precious item is believed to be worth more than hundreds of billions on the market.

If I could absorb this thing, just how much power would I gain?

Just imagining it made my heart race.

Srrrk.

I activated the energy of Black Aether in my hand.

Whether it’s a regular core or a Black Core, usually when you infuse it with energy like this, it turns into a liquid state within a few seconds.

“…….”

Huh.

Nothing was happening?

I wrestled with the Golden Core for over ten minutes, but the thing didn’t budge.

“No… there is a change.”

Upon closer inspection, I saw that the Black Aether, which had been embedded in the Golden Core like veins of gold, was gradually expanding its influence.

However, the growth rate was so slow that it was unnoticeable.

I called V1 and scanned the Golden Core's status.

[Golden Core: A Mythic-grade core obtained by defeating an 8-star (★★★★★★★★) monster, Sneaky Griffin. When utilized as a weapon, it grants the Critical Strike attribute. When infused with Aether by the user, it significantly enhances physical attack. 

Warning: Status Anomaly - The core's composition is currently damaged. Only extremely limited types are compatible with this core's energy.]

Sneaky Griffin.

A legendary monster which is said to have slaughtered five A-rank knights with a single swipe of its claws.

A notorious boss mob known for its ferocious temperament, truly fitting additional traits it has.

By the way, was it even possible for me to absorb this thing?

[It's possible. However, given the user's current growth state, absorbing the Golden Core right away is impossible.]

In short, I was not ready yet.

[If the user injects Black Aether into the Golden Core to turn it into a Black Core, absorption becomes possible. Achievement rate: 99.9%.]

So, what was the current percentage?

[It's 2%.]

"I guess I need to learn the art of patience..."

I smacked my lips and stood up.

As much as I wanted to devour the thing right then and there, since it was such a precious item, perfectly absorbing it was more important than anything.

Besides, I was still in my probation period, so I didn’t particularly need any special power.

“Ah. Come to think of it, tomorrow is the day.”

An entirely unrelated appointment to the Hunter Association was looming ahead.

I guess I should stretch a lot today before going to bed.

* * *

"Gasp. Gasp."

Fuck.

I was getting so pissed.

Good thing I’d seen it once before, otherwise, my own fist might’ve smashed my nose to pieces.

"Do not stop moving."

Oh Jiho.

The man known as the Phantom Strike in the black market.

Today was the first day of learning martial arts from him.

"Ugh!”

I wildly swung Exa in the state of ‘White Dream’ and chased Oh Jiho.

But whether it was the blade of Exa or my fists, they only ever ended up drawing closer to me, never even grazing Oh Jiho in the slightest.

That B-ranker who was rendered half-crippled by Oh Jiho must’ve felt exactly like this.

As if being possessed by a ghost, every attack was nullified, and instead, my own extended arm ended up attacking me. It was an unbelievable experience.

Since it was the first day, Oh Jiho told me to throw everything I had at him.

But really, it was not like I had much in the way of ‘attack’.

Since a brush with Exa's blade would mean death anyway, when killing a monster, I simply scraped its body as best I could.

So I swung Exa at Oh Jiho the same way I always had, and his expression gradually grew colder and colder.

“You’re basic is even more lacking than I expected.”

“Huff. Huff. Thanks, I had wished to hear nothing but criticism today.”

What more do you want from a ‘Poisoner’ who awakened less than a year ago?

Oh Jiho continued, running his hand through his rough, white beard.

“With combat skills like this, I honestly wonder how you managed to retrieve a rare-grade herb. At this level, I’d believe it if you said you mined the Silver Bloom with your body split in half.”

Oh Jiho maintained a blunt, expressionless demeanor throughout the entire training.

He seemed to be that way by nature, and not because Yaksha had forced him to do it.

But I had to learn, even if it was by force.

Even if I had to unlock the skills Kiril had taught me.

“From now on, things will be a bit different.”

"?"

Just as Oh Jiho said, with my current movements, it was impossible to gather rare herbs.

If it weren’t for ‘that skill’ I always showed whenever facing boss mobs, I probably wouldn’t even be here right now.

In terms of mobility alone, it was a skill far superior even to ‘B’ ranker Kim Gwantae, who got wrecked by before.

I cast ‘Poison Steps’.

Whoosh!

".....!!"

Even if the amount is small, Aether is still Aether.

Maybe thanks to the Aether I absorbed during the training period, my footwork felt a bit lighter.

As always, I swiftly slipped behind Oh Jiho and raised the blade of Exa.

Shu-ak!

Exa’s blade aimed diagonally toward Oh Jiho’s back.

He still didn’t seem to have any idea where I was.

Alright.

It was a little unfair that I even used the 'Poison Steps', but he was the one who told me to attack with all my might, so don't blame me.

Whoosh.

But just as the blade seemed about to touch his body, Oh Jiho’s body shifted in a strange direction.

Worse, the blade of White Dream was now coming straight toward my nose.

"Fuck!!"

Whoosh.

I barely managed to tilt my head to the side and dodge the blade.

But the blade grazed my cheek, causing a drop of blood to run down it.

"This can't be.....!"

A wave of shock washed over me.

This was definitely the strike I was sure would land.

In fact, Oh Jiho did momentarily lose track of my movements.

But the tip of Exa’s blade didn’t reach his back but rather my own face.

This was cheating.

A downright dirty kind of cheating.

Instinctively, I realized anew there was something special about Oh Jiho’s martial arts.

“I see..... so that was it. You used this technique when you fought the hyena.”

Staring at the drops of blood falling, Oh Jiho gave a faint smile.

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