44
After leaving the Crimson Lotus Guild, Baek Woo-jin stopped by the Association as planned and received a simple ability measurement.
Name: Baek Woo-jin
Age: 20 Gender: Male
Strength: 20(D) Stamina: 20(D)
Agility: 20(D) Magic Power: 45(C)
Upon returning, he became able to see his actual current stat values regardless of the measurements recorded by the Association, eliminating the need to periodically undergo the bothersome practical tests like others.
In other words, though he didn't know what numerical values were printed on the current examination sheet, the stat values visible to his eyes were his actual current stats.
'Magic power increased by 6, and the rest by 1 each.'
There was no clear way to know why Strength, Stamina, and Agility had increased, but if he had to guess, it was likely a benefit gained from the Tower raising the growth limit by 2 stages at once.
However, the increase was so minuscule that it wasn't worth delving into deeply. What truly mattered was the magnitude of the increase in magic power.
Even with the same numerical increase, the amount of experience required to go from E-rank to D-rank versus D-rank to C-rank was incomparably vast.
Yet merely from drinking a single cup of tea, his magic power had jumped by 6 from the edge of D-rank to C-rank in one go.
Excluding mages who constantly used magic, magic power was the hardest stat for all Awakeners to increase.
'The effect is probably a one-time thing, right?'
Or perhaps the efficacy would plummet from the second time onward.
There was no guarantee he'd obtain it in the future either, so finding this out left a bitter taste in his mouth for no reason. The fact that such thoughts crossed his mind proved that he too was inevitably a vulgar creature.
"Hunter-nim!"
He had been sitting and resting in the 1st floor lobby since it was unusually empty today, when Heo Sang-min, with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days, came running over like someone who had found a savior, even waving his hand.
"I was wondering when you'd give me news, but I never imagined you'd come visit me in person like this."
"Yes, well."
It was unfortunate for Heo Sang-min, but Baek Woo-jin had completely forgotten about giving him any news.
"Seeing as you're perfectly fine before my eyes, I suppose there's no need to ask about the results."
"Thanks to you, I was promoted smoothly."
"Aw, it's not like I did much."
That's what he said, but even when people speak in empty platitudes, hearing praise inevitably lifts one's mood. And proving this point, the corners of Heo Sang-min's mouth kept twitching as if they were about to shoot upward at any moment.
"You look tired."
"With the shortage of hands and all..."
Heo Sang-min sent him a desperate look, practically begging him to come over to their side, but it had zero effect on Baek Woo-jin.
"I came because there are a few things to discuss, but seeing your condition, it seems better to postpone."
"No!!"
As Baek Woo-jin stood up, Heo Sang-min grabbed him in a panic, and his voice was so loud that everyone working turned their heads toward the two.
"Ahem, ahem! I'm perfectly fine. More importantly, have you eaten?"
"It's past mealtime, but I'm not hungry. Let's just go somewhere quiet."
"This way."
The place Heo Sang-min guided him to was the VIP corridor.
"Haa."
Seeing Heo Sang-min slump the moment he sat in the chair, Baek Woo-jin shook his head.
If it had been before his regression, he would have asked why he was working himself to the bone like this. But now, knowing that everyone had their own non-negotiable reasons, he held his tongue for a moment so that Heo Sang-min could rest.
"Hunter-nim?"
"Have you been resting at all?"
"Ah... Haha, excuse my rudeness."
Heo Sang-min gave an awkward smile and scratched his cheek.
"I'm fine now, so please go ahead."
"I said there were matters to discuss, but they actually all connect to one thing."
Baek Woo-jin told Heo Sang-min everything—leaving out only the attack incident in the Tower—from his experiences in the Tower to what had just happened at Crimson Lotus.
"If the Association can provide support, I'll consider the observation visit with Crimson Lotus as if it never happened. I just came from telling them, so they probably haven't finalized the schedule yet. Well, even without an outsider, it shouldn't be a major issue."
"No. You did well. In the past it might have been different, but with the current shortage of personnel, deploying important human resources into high-risk upper-rank dungeons is impossible. Ah, of course, I want to help you, but I'm saying the upper brass would absolutely never approve it."
Just looking at Heo Sang-min, who seemed ready to work himself to death, was enough to indirectly feel how busy they were, so Baek Woo-jin nodded in understanding.
"Then please put in a good word so there are no misunderstandings regarding my working with Crimson Lotus."
"I fully intend to do so, but honestly, a little misunderstanding won't cause any major disaster, so don't worry too much. It's not an oral contract—you've signed a written agreement, so even if you move to another large guild midway, they won't make an issue of it."
The Association's upper brass had long since given up on recruiting Baek Woo-jin. From their perspective, the only thing that mattered was that Baek Woo-jin reached A-rank regardless of his affiliation. And as long as he handled the dangerous commissions that even large guilds refused, his affiliation didn't matter in the slightest.
"Is there anything else?"
"No."
Having omitted the story of the attack, he had no intention of asking about it right now. It wasn't an issue of trusting Heo Sang-min, but rather a major concern that this pointlessly diligent civil servant might dig into something dangerous and get entangled in trouble.
"At least get some sleep before you work. You're the only person the Association relies on, Manager-nim. It would be problematic if you collapsed."
"Haha... If only I didn't hear that last part, I would have felt much more energized."
"I'm just not good at lying."
Heo Sang-min smiled bitterly and nodded, and Baek Woo-jin lightly patted his shoulder.
"My schedule is busy, so I'll be going now."
"I'd love to hold you back, but..."
Heo Sang-min subtly pulled out his smartphone, which was vibrating incessantly, and let out a small sigh.
"I should probably get back inside too."
"Next time, I'll bring something good for your health."
"T-then, rather than something good, I'd prefer something that causes numbness or stomach trouble."
"...I'll seriously consider it."
Seeing as his face showed absolutely no sign of joking, Baek Woo-jin took that as his final word and parted ways with Heo Sang-min, leaving the Association.
**
Having left Busan, Baek Woo-jin didn't head to Seoul but instead moved to Daejeon.
The reason was, of course, to visit the guild that Hong Ik-hyun had introduced him to.
"Is this the place?"
After taking a taxi deep into what seemed like the middle of nowhere, an enormous two-story building appeared. And as he got closer to the building, the sound of hammering pierced through the closed taxi windows.
'So there's a reason it's in this remote location.'
The moment he stepped out of the taxi, the noise was at a level that ordinary people would struggle to endure, enough to make him involuntarily frown.
There must be magic that suppressed noise, so if this level of sound was still present even with such magic inscribed throughout the workshop, that in itself was quite remarkable.
'They told me to contact them before coming in.'
Baek Woo-jin sent a text to the number Hong Ik-hyun had provided.
"Kah, ptoo!"
Not long after, a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard kicked open the workshop door and came outside.
"Work───there."
The middle-aged man held out a headset and said something, but the sound from the workshop was so loud that he couldn't hear it properly. However, as if accustomed to this, the man simply placed the headset directly onto Baek Woo-jin's head.
"Are you Baek Woo-jin?"
As soon as he put on the headset, the deafening hammering sound reduced to the level of light rain tapping against a window, and the previously inaudible voice came through at a normal conversational level.
"Yes. I'm Baek Woo-jin."
"Hmm..."
The middle-aged man scanned Baek Woo-jin from head to toe with a gaze that seemed to be appraising something.
"You don't look particularly exceptional."
It wasn't a wrong statement, so he didn't feel any particular emotion about it.
Just that the middle-aged man before him was remarkably frank.
"I just paid off a debt, so I suppose it doesn't matter to me, but come inside for now."
Following the middle-aged man, who hadn't even bothered to introduce himself, inside, Baek Woo-jin was able to take in quite a rare sight he hadn't seen before.
'Given who introduced me, I expected something different, but not to this extent.'
The interior of the workshop was divided into sections of uniform size, and in each section, people who appeared to be artisans were at work. The tools assigned to each artisan's section were all different.
Among them, the most astonishing was an artisan who drew something like minerals into thin threads and then dyed them to weave clothing.
In a typical guild, only two or three exceptional artisans would take private commissions while the rest mass-produced mediocre weapons. But in this place, there were no artisans making mass-produced goods.
Every single artisan was a highly skilled individual who crafted weapons exclusively for clients.
Furthermore, the 2nd floor was a completely different world from the 1st.
Designed with a distinctly medieval atmosphere, the 2nd floor was decorated like a very high-end salon or boutique.
"Let's take your measurements first."
The middle-aged man began meticulously recording measurements with a fitting tape he'd brought from somewhere, from chest circumference to arm and leg lengths.
"Any particular color you want?"
"No."
"Then let's go with black. It's good—doesn't show blood stains well."
Armor just needed to block attacks well enough, so Baek Woo-jin simply nodded.
"What weapon do you use?"
"I figured it'd be better to show you directly, so I brought it."
"Brought it?"
"Item Box."
Baek Woo-jin reached into the box visible only to the qualified and drew out his halberd.
"Hah..."
The middle-aged man blinked repeatedly as if he'd seen a ghost.
"For reference, showing this to an outsider is a first."
"Crazy bastard."
Regaining his senses, the middle-aged man made an expression of disbelief before snorting and snatching the halberd from Baek Woo-jin's hands.
"Do you want me to make something as similar to this as possible?"
"I'd like the weight to be a bit heavier."
"How much?"
At the middle-aged man's question, Baek Woo-jin pondered for a moment.
It was an issue he'd been considering on the way here.
Thinking about future growth, doubling the weight would be appropriate, but if he intended to use it immediately instead of his current weapon, 1.5 times would be the compromise.
"What's your rank?"
"Magic power is C. The rest are D."
"Will the rest reach C-rank too?"
"Yes."
The middle-aged man placed the halberd back in Baek Woo-jin's hands.
"Swing it around a bit."
Since it was the instruction of the artisan who would be crafting his weapon, Baek Woo-jin diligently swung the halberd through the air without complaint.
"Good enough. I'd usually prefer to accommodate the one using it, but given the nature of the request, I'll make it myself at least for the materials going into it."
"Understood."
"I like your straightforward answers. Wait a moment. I'll take a mold and return it."
The middle-aged man disappeared below with the halberd and returned only after roughly 30 minutes had passed.
"It'll take about 2 weeks to complete. And our workshop doesn't do deliveries."
"Understood."
"Then get going."
Baek Woo-jin bowed politely to the middle-aged man who was waving him off.
"Um..."
Having stored the halberd and come halfway down the stairs, Baek Woo-jin paused briefly and looked at the middle-aged man.
"...I need to collect the headset, so let's go together."
It was obvious to anyone that this wasn't what he had originally intended to say, but Baek Woo-jin, who roughly understood what he had been trying to say, simply pretended not to notice and left the workshop together with the middle-aged man.