Chapter 39
The final week before receiving the equipment felt unbelievably long, each day dragging slower than the last, but as each day passed, the anticipation of what equipment would be in their hands only grew.
During the week of hunting monsters, not only did Seonghyun’s and Inhwan’s fundamental abilities increase, but Sang-yeon’s as well, though it was clear there were still definite limits.
They couldn’t confront stronger monsters than the ones they were currently facing until they get their equipment.
However, what had a greater impact was the shift in their mindset from hunting the same monsters every day, different from the initial fervor.
The all-out battles were no longer necessary, and as they began to understand their enemy’s weaknesses and movement patterns, they started to fight more efficiently, conserving their strength.
Of course, this didn’t mean they could just rest, so Seonghyun and the others went out to hunt every single day without fail.
“Finally, it’s today.”
“Indeed. I’m a bit excited.”
Inhwan might have been expected to feel this way, but even Sang-yeon, usually so stoic, had a noticeably excited expression as they moved together.
Today was the day they were to receive the equipment they had commissioned from the academy.
They still needed to check if the equipment was made exactly as they had ordered, but just the thought of receiving gear with their own unique abilities was incredibly thrilling.
“So, what kind of equipment did you guys request? I asked for something to enhance my accuracy.”
Inhwan’s expression was already that of someone who had received exactly what they wanted.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I asked if they could enhance my minimum health needed for berserk mode… something like that?”
“Wow, that’s a hefty request, isn’t it? What about you, Seonghyun? What did you ask for?”
“What else could a healer want? I just hoped for something that would strengthen my healing. That kind of feeling.”
In response to Seonghyun’s cryptic answer, Inhwan and Sang-yeon did not press further and headed towards the equipment workshop.
Soon, the trio entered the workshop, and the craftsman they had met previously came out to greet them.
“Ah, you’ve come just on time.”
They tried to gauge the outcome from the craftsman’s expression, but whether intentionally or not, he didn’t look particularly bright.
“This way.”
Following the craftsman inside, they saw a considerable number of pieces of equipment laid out on the walls and in display cases.
“Don’t get too excited.”
With a cigarette in his mouth, a habit of his, the craftsman sat down and placed each piece of their equipment on the table with an indifferent expression as if it was nothing special.
“You can see this, right? I made them in the form of accessories for easy wearing.”
Two were shaped like rings, and one looked like a bracelet.
“How did mine turn out?”
Inhwan, looking full of anticipation, asked the craftsman, who replied with a slightly arrogant smile.
“You initially requested enhanced accuracy of abilities, right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“Is that all you need? After all, you are a student representing a leading academy of the country.”
“Oh, wow…!”
Although he hadn’t heard the full explanation yet, from the craftsman’s words alone, it seemed that Inhwan had received equipment far superior to what he had initially requested.
“Looking at your records, your power is exceptional, but it consumes a significant amount of energy, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. That’s why it was hard to increase proficiency. I couldn’t use it often.”
Taking the last drag of his cigarette, the craftsman pushed the ring on the far left slightly forward and said,
“I’ve added the accuracy of the ability you talked about, along with a reduction in the magical energy needed to use the ability.”
“Really?!”
Inhwan’s eyes widened as much as they possibly could as he quickly moved closer to the ring.
“Yes, now it’s yours.”
With a reverent attitude, Inhwan carefully picked up the ring with both hands.
“C-Can I try it on?”
“Well, it’s yours now, isn’t it?”
Inhwan slipped the ring onto his left ring finger and spread his hand out, gazing at the ring with an ecstatic expression.
“Huh? It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a ring?”
“What? You didn’t know?”
The craftsman looked at Inhwan with an expression as if he were looking at a country bumpkin and continued his explanation.
“Equipment should feel as if it’s not there at all! Unless you decide to show the ring, it will not reveal itself. So, just like right now, it won’t even feel like you’re wearing a ring.”
“W-Wow, that’s incredible…”
Overwhelmed by the ring’s extraordinary features, Inhwan just stared down at it, his mouth agape.
“How about it, are you satisfied?”
“I-I’m not just satisfied, I mean, this is really the best!”
At Inhwan’s words, the craftsman finally showed a hearty laugh and turned his attention to Sang-yeon.
“Next, let me explain about your equipment.”
Sang-yeon, who hadn’t been expecting much originally, couldn’t help but feel a rising anticipation after witnessing what had just happened with Inhwan.
“Hmm, you wanted to increase the minimum threshold for berserk mode, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The craftsman clicked his tongue with a slightly regretful expression.
“Tsk, unfortunately, I couldn’t incorporate the capability you wanted. Technically, we’re still lacking.”
“Oh…is that so.”
Sang-yeon seemed slightly disappointed, but he didn’t show it too much.
“Instead, I’ve created a device that triggers berserk mode when your health falls below a certain level. I made it on my own accord… not sure if you’ll like it.”
“Any ability would be fine.”
Sang-yeon’s unusually polite demeanor made Inhwan and Seonghyun look on with amused interest.
“As far as I know, the berserk mode also ends once the health exceeds a certain threshold, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Although I don’t know the exact details yet.”
Wiping away the previous look of pity, the craftsman then gave Sang-yeon a look similar to the one he had given Inhwan and said,
“Let me explain simply. After receiving your request and the reports on your abilities, here’s what I thought…”
The craftsman looked back and forth between Seonghyun and Sang-yeon as he spoke.
“I was wondering why you two were always together. One of you is a healer, and the other has the berserker mode that ends once his health is above a certain level.”
“…”
Since this very reason had nearly brought their relationship to the brink of disaster, neither of them responded but just continued to look at the craftsman.
“Koo Sang-yeon, right? It might be a bit of a loss for you, but I’ve incorporated a capability that prevents berserk mode from disengaging even if your health is restored.”
“I-Is that even possible?”
“If you don’t believe it, try it out yourself later.”
The craftsman smirked confidently and watched Sang-yeon, who was visibly moved.
“I thought you were selfish, but that’s not the case, huh? I didn’t expect you to be pleased.”
“As long as Kim Seonghyun is not around, it’s still a great piece of equipment.”
“I appreciate you saying that. Still, the conditions for entering berserk mode haven’t changed, so be careful.”
Unlike Inhwan, who reverently donned his ring, Sang-yeon’s face was filled with an indecipherable expression, as if even he wasn’t sure what he was feeling.
“And lastly, Kim Seonghyun.”
“Ah, yes.”
The craftsman’s gaze upon Seonghyun felt a bit sharp.
“Sigh… I just… because of you…”
“Uh… sorry.”
Feeling somewhat compelled to apologize, Seonghyun awkwardly bowed his head, and the craftsman waved his hand dismissively and gently pushed the bracelet that had been in the middle of the table forward.
“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I was able to put my craftsmanship to good use. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I slacked off on the others’ equipment.”
Holding the bracelet in his hand, the craftsman handed it over to Seonghyun as he explained.
“The equipment for the other two was completed quite quickly, but Kim Seonghyun, your equipment took particularly more time.”
The craftsman leaned in close to Seonghyun and asked cautiously.
“…You’re wearing a ring, aren’t you?”
“A ring?”
Seonghyun looked at his fingers.
There was nothing that resembled a ring.
‘…Huh? Didn’t I receive a ring from the association back when I was supported?’
“…What? No?”
Seonghyun certainly seemed to be radiating the aura of a hunter wearing equipment, but even he looked confused, prompting the craftsman to tilt his head in wonder.
“May I take a look at it for a moment?”
“Yes, please, whatever you find convenient…”
The craftsman took Seonghyun’s hands and began to examine them carefully.
“…”
Initially, he touched the wrist, then each finger, and even tried interlocking them, which started to feel oddly uncomfortable.
“Hmm, no, it seems I was mistaken. Anyway, unfortunately, I failed to enhance the capability you requested.”
“Failed?”
Failure could be expected with an unreasonable request, but Seonghyun was particularly startled by the word “failed” because the request he made to the workshop was supposed to be foolproof.
‘Failed to enhance my abilities a little…?’
“Yes, for some reason, the capability wouldn’t grant itself as if it knew who was supposed to wear it, so we had to assign it arbitrarily. It should still be of some help to you.”
The craftsman took Seonghyun’s hand again and placed the bracelet on it.
“Since you’re a healer after all.”
“That’s… right?”
“A healer needs to survive in any situation.”
“That makes sense.”
Seonghyun slipped on the bracelet in response, and the craftsman, after lighting another cigarette, sat down and continued explaining.
“This bracelet will block an attack that you don’t see coming just once.”
“An attack I don’t see coming?”
“Yes, I considered embedding an offensive capability, but its power isn’t very high and it wouldn’t be used many times. I didn’t want you to rely on it, so I deliberately made it defensive.”
While the sight of him smoking might not inspire the most trust, it was clear he had painstakingly crafted each item with the students’ needs in mind.
“It won’t activate against attacks you can perceive or react to. It’s designed to protect you from something you can’t react to at all… like assassination, for example.”
The craftsman knew very well the importance and position of Seonghyun, which is why he put all his effort into creating the equipment.
“Of course, it won’t be able to block attacks from the world’s top hunters, but it can easily deflect those from any ordinary thugs. The only downside is that it can be used just once.”
“So, if I improve to the point where I can react to attacks that I currently can’t, it won’t activate anymore?”
“Exactly. You’ve got it. In a way, it’s like the equipment grows along with its owner, huh? Ha ha.”
Seonghyun carefully wore the bracelet, and like the other two rings, it gradually became transparent until it was no longer visible.
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. Go on.”
Inhwan and Sang-yeon left the workshop first, and as Seonghyun was about to leave, the craftsman spoke in a voice low enough only for him to hear.
“You must survive, no matter what.”
“…Yes.”
Unaccustomed to such concern, Seonghyun awkwardly bowed his head and closed the door.
“Now that we’ve got the new equipment… are we going to request from the association?”
Inhwan looked eager to set out on a hunt right away.
“Yes. Let’s gather the other two members and submit our request for a hunt as soon as possible.”
The trio headed towards the familiar open gate to test out their newly received equipment.
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