12 - 17

I Hunt Alone (4)

Yu IlHan liked espionage movies a lot. That was a romance that provoked a man's heart. A cool suit, cool moves, and the agents that don't forget to have leisure. Villians that act cool but get beaten up by the protagonist, and a cool sexy heroine for a finish!

However, he didn't know that there would be a day where he himself would shoot an espionage film. And with a midget angel on his head instead of a heroine.

[If I use magic, then you will not be found out. Don't worry.]

"Tsuup, I believe you." (T/N: Tsuup is like bitter intake of air)

He was about to have a nervous breakdown due to carrying a bag with an enormous sum of 370 million won. (≈320,000 USD).

If I knew that I would be so weak to cash, then I would've robbed some banks rather than training in martial arts when the time on Earth had stopped- he thought.

[You will get used to it soon. If it's you, then there will come a day where you roll around in 1,000, or even 10,000 times the money that you're carrying now.]

"Even if you praise me like that, I won't give you any."

[I don't need it!]

Erta spoke seriously, but Yu IlHan lightly ignored her. He was still underevaluating himself even after he now knew that his strength worked on the monsters. He always did his best, and he even got good rewards, but his general evaluation of himself was still so low?

That was a truly strange personality he had there, but as a result, Yu IlHan would move without resting to improve himself. Whether it was because he would feel lonely if he didn't do something in those 1,000 years, or whether it was because of Rita's strict education, it was not known.

He secretly entered a secluded alley and left all his spoils of war there before looking at the scene where Erta cast magic. He somehow felt lighthearted.

[Then let's depart.]

"No, the class is left."

[...Don't tell me you haven't even acquired 1st class!? And you swung your weapon with that amount of strength and training!?]

It was the first ripple on Erta. While feeling that the distance has closed somewhat, Yu IlHan smiled.

"I scrolled up because there were too many words on my retina last time, can't I scroll down?"

[Reading the record – I should have told you that this is the change that Earth has met. If you will that you want to read the records related to class, then that will suffice.]

Erta's words were vague, but they were somewhat directly felt on the skin. It was also like this during his first mana crafting. Yu IlHan closed his eyes and remembered the record he saw last time.

[All of your records will be materialized into possibilities. You can acquire one of the classes below.]

[1. Lancer]

[2. Grappler]

[3. Swordsman]

[4. Blacksmith]

[5. Shielder]

[6. Hunter]

[...]

[...]

[23. Assassin]

Somehow, they were all names of classes that may appear in RPGs, but there was no time to ponder over that matter. Yu IlHan slowly read over all the 23 classes and fell in to thought.

"First, let's exclude assassin."

Concealment was enough as it was now. If his presence became any fainter, then he feared that his existence would really disappear.

Above all, he currently couldn't use mana. Thanks to that, he couldn't even use the Max level concealment as an active skill, and he could only use it as a passive one. No, actually, he didn't want to use it, but it was constantly activated without using mana and he couldn't cancel it.

And so, he needed a he needed a strong job, but doable without mana.

[23 for the 1st class?]

Meanwhile, Erta paled in fright when she heard that there were 23 jobs for his first class.

[23 within just two days of being in contact with the Akashic Records... If you had more time, then you might have seen 30, or even 40.]

"What's your recommendation?"

[Lancer, or grappler.]

Yu IlHan also agreed with that. He had achieved proficiency in countless techinques and he was confident that he could bring out maximum power with any kind of weapon, but the thing he was most familiar with was spearmanship and martial arts.

The two techniques that Rita recommended to him – the technqiues that he put the most efforts into. They were the techniques that made him remember her, and the technqiues that he was the most confident in.

[Choosing a class means that you become specialized in it. However, that doesn't mean that you're throwing away all the other possibilities. It's possible to choose a sub class in 2nd and 3rd jobs so don't hesitate and choose.]

"There weren't anything like that on the internet, though?"

[The internet is originally a place where incompetent trash boast about what they've heard about. People who've reached level 50 in other worlds wouldn't waste their time on something like internet, right?]

"Do you have a bad memory related to the internet...?"

Erta exercised her right to remain silent. Yu IlHan kept his mouth shut to respect her mentality and decided after pondering for a bit.

"I think Lancer is better."

[Although I'm not curious, shall I hear the reason?]

"The differences in destructive ability due to weapons is big."

[...]

Grapplers could also use weapons if they felt like it. It was the same with the wrist protector that Yu IlHan was using now, and it was also possible to make other offensive equipments. In simple words, sub-weapons.

However, the spear was different. Without needing any supplementative elements, it was a technique that focused all of one's strength onto the sharp weapon to pierce through enemies.

Yu IlHan had the confidence in becoming stronger through his own ability and his technique, as well as using the new materials that he would encounter to create a spear.

And that was an answer he could arrive at due to having perfectly seen through his own ability. Erta also was planning to reommend him the Lancer, but she was satisfied that he arrived at the answer by himself.

If it's this person, wouldn't he have the qualifications to become strong? – She even thought this, albeit briefly.

In contrast, Yu IlHan, who had no interest on what Erta was thinking about, closed his eyes as soon as he decided. However, at that moment, a new job appeared below the 23 jobs.

[24. Bl****d Lancer.] (T/N: I could only do this as the original only put the pronunciation, it's a pun)

"!?"

Yu IlHan's body stiffened as he was dumbfounded. Now that he'd decided on one, a new one had appeared!? Moreover, in front of the name 'Lancer', there was a new descriptive word attached. He took deep breaths to calm down and asked Erta.

"A new job has appeared now. It says 'Bl****d Lancer'."

[A descriptive word...! That's a unique job! To think that you will acquire a unique job from the first job!]

Erta unprecedentedly became excited. Yu IlHan thought that it was vaguely good without knowing exactly, but it wasn't a problem he could accept just with that.

A unique job. That was, in other words, a class that only existed for one existence. A class that appears when his path, achievements and records become one to write a new strike that didn't exist in the world. It was optimized for that existence, so obviously, its performance was exceptional.

[Choose that no matter what! Moreover, Bl****d. the descriptive word looks good too. It must be a job that focuses on destructive ability. No doubt about it!]

Yu IlHan also agreed with her. He already planned to become a lancer anyway so he chose Bl****d lancer without hesitation.

It was sufficient to think in his heart that he wanted to become a Bl****d Lancer. The appropriate class, power, and qualifications for his records he piled up until now was bestowed on him

[You have become a Blurred Lancer. When attacking while concealed, attack power increases by 10%. The power of spearmanship increases by 10%.]

[Concealment skill, Spearmanship skill's evolution conditions become easier.]

[You absorb the piled up records. You have become level 18. 11 Strength, 12 Agiligty, 11 Health, 11 Magic increases.]

[You cannot use mana. You cannot learn active skills.]

"..."

At this moment, Yu IlHan realized his trivial misunderstanding.

He thought of 'Blood', when he saw 'Bl****d Lancer', in other words, a spearman of blood. He honestly thought it was awesome.

However the reality was 'Blurred'. In other words, a faint spearman.

"What the hell is a faint spearman!"

[Oh my gosh... It's too fitting that I can't argue against it...!]

At that moment, when he was about to counter what Erta had said, an electric current flowed down his body.

The growth of his soul (T/N: Check TL notes at the bottom) due to acquiring a class, as well as the rapid changes in his body due to absorbing all the piled up experience and records made Yu IlHan dizzy.

While adapting to the stronger muscles, faster legs, tougher skin and bones, his consciousness became faint for an instant before coming back to reality. It was a strange feeling that couldn't be explained using words.

However, it was not a bad feeling at all.

Yu IlHan became really annoyed, but he decided to accept reality. There was no way that he could not accept it anyway.

"Well, shit. Let's go with this. I did become stronger..."

[Earning 2 unique abilties in the first job is close to a miracle. Moreover, they are abilities that fit your characteristics.]

Concealment attack, spear attack. Stacking, it would be a 20% increase in attack power.

It was really as Erta said – while thinking that, Yu IlHan muttered silently after checking his changed body due to the job advancement.

At that moment, his status automatically renewed itself and appeared on his retina.

[Yu IlHan.]

[Human Blurred Lancer Lv18]

[Title – Pancosmic Loner (Concealment becomes passive)]

[Strength – 96 Agility 102 Health – 98 Magic -21]

[Active Skill – Concealment Lv Max, Mana Crafting Lv 2]

[Passive Skill – Close Quarters Combat Lv Max, Spearmanship Lv Max, Dismantling Lv Max]

There was a time when Yu IlHan thought that a change would occur in his title when he advanced.

However, the reality was cruel. It was because the Pancosmic Loner title was keeping its place as if it declared that it will stay there for all his life.

[Did you earn an active skill?]

"No, I didn't."

[I knew it. Well, you can rest assured since most people don't learn one for their first job. ...Although, looking at your growth rate, I think you won't be able to use mana even by the time you earn your 2nd job.]

"Hey, isn't that really dangerous? If everyone wields active skills and I don't..."

[It is dangerous.]

"Then..."

[If you are a normal person.]

Erta's words cut Yu IlHan's counter argument off. When Yu IlHan became quiet, Erta smiled and continued speaking.

[As I said a few minutes ago, there is no wasted record. If you didn't earn a skill in the 1st, and 2nd advancement, then you will earn a strong skill in your 3rd. An ordinary person would have problems in their growth to their 3rd job if that person didn't have an active skill, but well, if it's with your ability, then I think it's quite possible.]

"So you're saying it's the difference between learning a chain of weak attacks and a single strong one, right?"

[You've understood correctly.]

Yu IlHan could rest assured when he heard those words. Of course, it wasn't like he would stop training in mana.

However, there was something that Erta didn't tell Yu IlHan. That was the special characteristics of his situation.

'He learned a unique job so he should have originally acquired two active skills. However, he didn't, and a record will remain and it will pass on. If the same thing repeats in the 2nd advancement, and he reaps the rewards in the 3rd advancement...'

Just what kind of skill would he earn. She shuddered just thinking about it.

Ah, is there another lower existence that is worth watching over like this person? She laughed and pulled at Yu IlHan's hair for no reason.

[Well then, move.]

He hid the items. He advanced successfully. Now all that was left was to do his mission as an Executor.

Yu IlHan sighed shortly with a 'fuu' and asked Erta.

"Where do I go?"

[You will search for one now.]

"What the heck…"

The self-proclaimed almighty monster radar's, Erta's, words were not surprising now. He grinded his teeth and with her on top of his head, waited until she grabbed some of his hair for safety before leaving that place.

[You're not the only Executor. Albeit unreliable, the moment I reported to heaven, they selected Executors to kill the monsters and sent angels. So you can just hunt monsters that are within your capable range.]

"Then that Empress person would also be an Executor, right?"

[Of course... Although, I think that it's quite rare for two exectutors to appear from the same university.]

What was she talking about? Empress is someone who grew in Lanpas, where Sung U's people were sucked into, and Yu IlHan was a loner who matured in the thousand years on Earth. Yu IlHan felt uncomfortable being grouped together with her.

[Anyway, this is a quest from heaven. If your ranking...achievements are higher than the other Executors, then the reward will increase. So do your best.]

"That I like."

Erta's request was like this – Not 'Everybody's in danger so save them' but 'You will be rewarded according to your effort so show your best ability'.

Yu IlHan liked Erta for not speaking words of justice or morality despite being an angel carrying out heaven's decree. Looking at the fact that an angel was like this, wouldn't perhaps the existence known as God be a refreshing existence? Well, looking the scale of how he sent all of humanity as well.

"However, I don't like the fact that I have to run around like this...!"

[You should ride a car, then.]

"I'm faster than a car!"

Yu IlHan searched the internet on his phone while running at his full speed for the first time in a while. As always, it was an action that stemmed from 'It should be better than just runnig blindly, right?' rather than expecting something.

However his actions gave fruit, which was rather rare.

While running without a destination and was feeling the growth of his body to his heart's content, he clicked an article, [Who said that a tiger lived in Bukhansan (mountain)], without thinking.

[F*ck, bears are scarier than tigers. Soldiers are shooting loads but it's not even going through.

Jeongneung's going down T^T]

He could encounter a movie CG-like scene where a huge bear destroyed a store with its paws.

"Destination set."

He raised his head. How could he be so lucky? He was about to arrived near the vicinity of Gireum station (T/N: Basically, 3~4km away). In his full speed, he would arrive in 3 minutes.

[If it's set, then go quickly!]

Erta urged him. Yu IlHan accelerated without turning the direction and asked Erta carefully.

"But I can eat the gallbladder from the bear right?" (T/N: Thought to be healthy in traditinal Asia)

[Of course.]

Erta retorted while smiling brightly.

[If you have the poison resistance skill.]

Author's notes

You have become a faint spearman!

Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines (a song) was famous for various reasons. It's the same 'Blurred'.

This chapter will reach its climax soon!

Then I will come back tomorrow at 6 PM! A continuous release will happen soon when the reading list reaches 20,000…

Translator's notes

Lance = spear in this novel… well, a lance is supposed to be a type of spear anyway. (Lance is a spear that cavalry use)

The same thing happened here… People wanted too cool of a job for first job…(the same thing happened in Munpia) It's just the first job! Why do you think he'll get 'sage' 'executioner' and other cool things… although… Blurred Lancer is… cool(?)

The soul – that's the close translation I could find.… the original word is '격' which literally means the 'class' of his existence (but I can't use class… it's already there). So I'm guessing MC's soul is becoming more refined. Ofc, if you have anything better do feel free to suggest

I Hunt Alone (5)

Yu IlHan drooped his shoulders when he heard that he couldn't eat the bear gallbladder, but his speed didn't change much. He, who ran after changing his direction for a bit after passing the train station, was even faster than a 60km/h car.

[Hm, this is quite fun. I'll hold tight so don't you have any thoughts in somersaulting in mid air?]

"Am I a roller coaster?"

Despite running with a lot of booming noises, whether it was the cars or the motorbikes or the pedestrians on the street, nobody gave a glance towards Yu IlHan.

As he was already used to it, Yu IlHan didn't pay it any mind.

"People are decreasing."

[The police are blocking them.]

The scene became more and more unordinary as he went uphill on Jeongneung street. Empty roads instead of crowded streets, with police cars and military vehicles replacing the people. Soldiers were walkie-talkie messaging somewhere and the civillians were running down the hill.

Looking at the people running down while crying and carrying 007 bags, heavy bags, or etc., this appeared no different from a disaster scene with refugees.

They would probably think that reality is unfair – they had lived in other worlds for 10 years to adapt to situations like this, but as soon as they returned, monsters they can't fight were breaking their houses.

On Earth after the Great Cataclysm, there were no more tutorials. The trial that made people realize that was too cruel. It was to the point that Yu IlHan, who was moving due to the reward promised by the angel, could feel the sorrow.

"Will the government really compensate for that?"

[The morale of the populace becomes the morale of the country, and the morale of the country becomes the power and and unity of the country. If the leaders know that then they wouldn't do nothing.]

Yu IlHan pushed one gear up inside his heart. Whether the government compensated or not, the thing he had to do didn't change. That was destroying monsters as soon as possible!

While he was in the middle of running, there was a bang, like the sound of something exploding. Did the military use a rocket or something!? Yu IlHan thought idiotic things like that but the fact was that they didn't. It was just that a 7m tall brown bear had smashed into a 2-storey building, the sound resulting from its collapse.

[HuuooOOooooo!]

Yu IlHan realized that he had arrived at the scene of destruction.

"Shoot, shoot more!"

A commissioned officer wearing a cool uniform was shouting, and the sounds of machine guns, rifles, and grenade launchers which were emitting fire came from all directions. However, they were too weak to penetrate the skin of the bear that was as big as a two storey building.

"Fuck! It's not working! It's only the 4th day after the Great Cataclysm, but what can we do if these fuckers start appearing already!?"

"Bite on a knife and charge or something!"

"Ability users, aren't ability users here yet! What about the one who expressed cooperation with the government?"

"The bear is changing directions! ...Fuck, scatter!"

There was no other chaos that was like this. When the bear crashed into something, it would collapse, whether it was vehicles, signposts, or buildings. Like that, a whole street had become a mess and buildings were collapsing in real time. Erta clicked her tongue while looking at that scene.

[To think that they break from a monster that just earned its 2nd class, human architecture is really fragile.]

"There are no materials, you know?"

The people were already used to worlds with monsters. However, what did that do? They were lacking in everything whether it was architecture, materials, money, techniques, and even levels, and they only had the knowledge and experience.

If it was another world, then it may have been near impossible for a monster at that level to create chaos, but currently, it was the strongest. If there was no tiger, then one would greet a rabbit as one's master – this proverb really fit in this situation.

The bear was a disaster that had descended on the modern world. Yu IlHan decided to name that state as the 'Fuck, nobdy can stop me' state for convenience's sake.

[What are you doing, not killing it immediately? You aren't scared right? If it's you you can kill 2nd class monsters without pro...]

"Timing."

He cut Erta's urging and retorted as if he was scolding her while taking out his spear and holding it. He could feel the strength of the record that was allowed to him, and the power of the Blurred Lancer that enhanced his physical body as it held the spear.

Ten percent increase in attack power due to concealment, 10% increase in attack power due to using a spear. Someone might say it's only 20%, but to Yu IlHan, who trained his martial arts so that he could bring out the most of his physical strength, it was a big difference.

He felt good. He felt that he might achieve anything like this.

He had experienced a lot of things, so Yu IlHan knew how great his concealment ability was. He felt enormously insulted that his ability was an innate ability and one that he didn't even train in, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't use it.

The max level concealment that was activated as a passive. The concealment that gave him the strongest opportunity of a preemptive strike. The concealment which contained the essence of the insulting title of Pancosmic Loner.

Now came a time where he could use it.

Yu IlHan kicked off the ground, and met the huge face of the brown bear, which had been exposed when it had raised its arms just now.

[Ku-oh?]

Unless Yu IlHan attacked 'first', the bear wouldn't recognize Yu IlHan. While the bear tilted its head in confusion due to having noticed something, Yu IlHan stabbed the spear in its wide open mouth.

[KUuuuuAaaaaAAaaa!]

The brown bear screamed for the first time after appearing in the human world. Was it only that? A huge hole appeared on its tongue and at least several tens of litres of blood was plopping onto the ground.

One of the soldiers, who couldn't avoid the blood, was soaked as he was ran over by the blood. He flailed his arms before being rescued by Yu IlHan, who landed a bit late. And with that, finally, the soldiers recognized the existence of Yu IlHan.

"M*n *n Bl*ck!"

"Sungdaein Bolt...!"

To think that there was a new nickname because one wasn't enough! However, he had no time to get angry at those soldeirs. Unlike the monsters he confronted until now, it was impossible to kill that bear in one shot, and the creature in question was running towards him after becoming angry from allowing a critical hit to land.

Blood flowed like a river from its mouth.

Yu IlHan shouted shortly.

"Run for your lives!"

"That bear will be killed by our 96Tiger plato...!"

"Then stay if you want."

Yu IlHan kicked off the ground again. Immediately after, the bear's thick front paw smashed in to the exact same place and the concrete collasped with a booming sound. When Yu IlHan, who was in mid-air, checked the status of the ground, the 96Tiger platoon was truly courageously running away.

[Kuo-,KuhwaAaaOooooo!]

"Heh."

The front paw of the bear which smashed into the ground was raised like a manekineko that may appear in a Japanese souvenir shop. When it was about to strike Yu IlHan again, he somersaulted backwards and flew down head first, sticking the spear into its front paw.

[Kahacuuuuu!]

"Ho!"

In addition to Yu IlHan's strength, on top the direction of the paw itself, the spear momentarily pierced deep into the front paw.

A violent shock passed through Yu IlHan's body due to rebound, but he instead used that to pull the spear out of its front paw and jump in to the air just like that.

The enormous amount of blood from its front paw scattered in the air to make a rainbow, and Yu IlHan was even higher up in the air, his figure was like a dolphin swimming in the skies.

His grand and fantastic movements, which made one wonder if it was really the movements of a human, made the soldiers who were fighting against the bear dumbfoundedly look in his direction.

[Woohoo! It's really fun as expected!]

"Don't enjoy it!"

The bear, which had a refreshing hole pierced into both its tongue and front paw, couldn't win against the pain and was intimidated. However, Yu IlHan, who jumped high due to the rebound, didn't have any thoughts to let it eat some aspirin. (T/N: Raws literally said 'apply some Fucidin)

The brown bear destroyed buildings as it swung its front paw wildly while roaring. However, due to the extreme pain, it seemed like it had forgotten about Yu IlHan.

It would have been alright even if the passive concealment didn't activate, but this was within his expectations. He was just thankful for it.

Yu IlHan corrected his spear hold when he stopped in the sky.

The spear of steel created by a human who surpassed the peak of technique was holding out well even while clashing with a mid-class monster's leather, muscles, and bones. Yu IlHan believed in his spear.

'It should be able to hold out at this level, right?'

While muttering with a bit of confidence, he held the spear tight with both of this hands, and aimed at the head of the bear which was thrashing around violently.

There was no way a human without wings could fly – his body started dropping.

At that moment, Yu IlHan focused all his body weight into the spear. His body figure was similar to before he was left out, but his muscles, which were condensed and compressed, carried considerable weight.

[KuuuoooOhhooo! Ah-SU-KREEEEEEEEM!]

The bear howled in pain and was thrashing around. However, despite the fact that the bear may go out of his range if he was a bit late, Yu IlHan was calm. It was because he could just attack when he was on the ground as his concealment would remain active.

[It's dangerous to get hit by the attack. You know that, right?]

"It's alright. I won't get done in by a thing like that."

What weak-talk was she saying when she was the one to believe his ability? Yu IlHan kicked Erta's words and tensed his body.

I can do it! Let's remember the first time I succeeded in striking Rita succesfully! – he thought,

'With all my strength...Nooooooow!"

He extended his spear outwards.

The spear which contained all of Yu IlHan's strength and weight struck deep into the brown bear's head.

[Ka!]

The bear screamed a single syllable. And didn't move anymore.

"Kuk...!"

"Don't tell me he..."

Everyone at that place recited revival spells – 'did it die?' – but the bear didn't come back to life.

It had really died from to Yu IlHan's spear strike. (T/N: 'reciting revival spells': You know, when people say 'did it die?' then it never EVER dies…)

[You have earned 154,928 experience.]

[You have become level 23. 8 Strength, 7 Agiligty, 5 Health, 5 Magic increases.]

[You have earned the record of Lv54 Brown Big Bear.]

[You have earned a new title – 'One hit for me, one hit for you'! Critical hit rate increases by 10%.]

[You have learnt the Critical Hit Skill! It increases the probability of succeeding a fatal strike by cultivating your eyes to see the weak points of enemies.]

The large body of the brown bear, which had lost the strength to move, started leaning towards the ground. Yu IlHan became urgent and desperately pulled out the spear embedded in its head jumped before landing on the ground.

Immediately after, with a boom that was similar to the sound of a bomb, the body of the brown bear collapsed.

"Phew."

[I didn't know you would finish it in just three strikes. You did well when you don't even have a skill.]

"Just tell them to prepare the reward."

When Erta praised his achievement while smiling, Yu IlHan retorted while looking over his spear, looking for any damage that might have occurred due to overexertion.

However, it must really have been a great achievement. Otherwise, there was no way that he could have acquired a new title or skill.

He was now sure about it. That skill was related a lot to the 'record' just like mana.

The record that is created from all of Yu IlHan's movements, achievements, and other things that mixed with each other influenced the creation of skill, growth, and change. Critical Hit was just the beginning. He would probably be able to acquire countless other skills according to the way he acted.

After he finished inspecting the spear, Yu IlHan raised his head. The moment he was about to leave for other hunting rounds when he finished dismantling the huge bear in an instant –

"We have arrived. We will take care of the rest!"

"Where is the monster!?"

An offbeat resounded loudly and grandly. (T/N: heroes of justices have come late.)

Author's notes

Thank you people for donating, I will strive my best to bring out better stories!

PS – The Blurred Lancer was strong!!

Translator's notes

The bear's roars(?) were all written in English in the raws. Hence you see capitals in the middle of the onomatopoeia.

I Make Them (1)

[They're Executors.]

"I vaguely expected that."

The 5-person group of men and women shattered the half-frozen situation made by Yu IlHan's fight. The soldiers came to themselves and the leader (who was a major) tapped his cheeks twice lightly and turned his head towards them.

"The monster was exterminated."

"Exterminated? I heard it was a 2nd class monster though... Oh."

The man who looked like the leader of the group retorted while looking around and found Yu IlHan. This was only possible because Yu IlHan was in the middle of dismantling the bear.

"Sungdaein Bolt?"

"It's him! It's the Ir*nm*n mask!"

"Wow, then he really finished that bear alone? No way! Just what kind of arcane magic did he learn to get so strong?" (T/N: 'Vision' last time was actually arcane magic… I think…)

Yu IlHan didn't like the group a lot when he saw that they were whispering to each other while evaluating him, but they were Executors who had the same objectives as him. There was no need to antagonize them for naught.

He ignored the five and started moving again. It would take a lot of time to dismantle the huge bear so there was no need to waste time on useless staring cont...

When he thought to that point, the huge bear corpse started decreasing in size. To Yu IlHan, who was shocked, Erta naturally explained.

[You didn't know? It had a Giantification skill. If its real body was 7m tall, then it would have been much stronger.]

"There are all sorts of skills, eh…?"

Honestly, Yu IlHan was delighted that the size of the bear had decreased as he had nothing to use all that bear leather for anyway. So, he waited silently for its body to decrease, and in the end, he started dismantling the bear that had been reduced to a size slightly less than 3m.

"H, hey. Sungdaein Bolt?"

"You're really strong! Did you really get your 2nd job? Did you perhaps find a dungeon?"

"Hey, if a person's talking to you, then ans..."

To a loner like Yu IlHan, such outgoing and grouped people were people who he was uncomfortable with. Therefore, he perfectly ignored the Executors who approached him and quietly wielded his spear.

"He doesn't seem to have any intentions on confronting us. Give it up."

"Tch, such a disgusting individual."

"Why, isn't he cool? He looks like a solitary gourmet."

"Wow, this woman's preferences are really something, alright!?"

They tried to converse with Yu IlHan a few more times, but after they found out that he had no intentions on conversing, they clicked their tongues and turned away.

"It doesn't seem like there is anything we can do here. Let's go."

"There was a request for support in other regions, can we request...?"

"Of course!"

It was a truly amazing communication ability. If it was Yu IlHan, he would've failed at the greeting stage, because his counterpart wouldn't be able to find him.

However, whether they went or not, another line flew towards Yu IlHan, who was dismantling the bear. It was the leader who went 'Sungdaein Bolt?' in surprise when he first saw him.

"My name is Do WooJun. Looking at that bear, it looks like I will lose to you in the 'first quest' , but I will show you that I will surpass you. You should remember my name."

"...What will you do after surpassing me?"

From an outsider's basic mentality, he didn't want to mix words with insiders when possible, but as Yu IlHan didn't understand what Do WooJun was saying, he ended up speaking that line.

Do WooJun momentarily stood still as he was surprised that Yu IlHan had replied, but eventually, he spoke while looking at him.

"The living and breathing world is urging me. Akashic Record, the record of power of all existences! Our strengths are expressed in levels, and we can grow however much we want on the condition that we put effort in. Meaning that the strongest will be revealed clearly! So I will stand on a higher place than anyone in the future."

"..."

It was a more childish reason than he thought so Yu IlHan lost his motivation to even reply. How could such a futile and foolish resolve exist?

However, as Yu IlHan knew very well that he had to respect others to receive respect, he tried his best to not to tackle him. As a result, he ended up just going back to dismantling.

"How could you ask and just ignore me... Well, fine. We'll see each other soon."

Do WooJun licked his lips as if disappointed, but he lead his group and left that place.

It seemed that his sense of rivalry was boiling up after he saw Yu IlHan defeating the bear alone, but honestly, boiling something like that next to him just made Yu IlHan hot and annoyed.

In the first place, Yu IlHan didn't like the word 'rivalry'. Just how could one compete with another person shoulder to shoulder!? No, before that, how could Yu IlHan stand shoulder to shoulder with another person when there was no person to do that with in the first place?

Is a rival really necessary for improvement? That was called 'lack of tenacity'. Wasn't it enough to just quietly put effort alone if you wanted to improve yourself!?

Whether it was studying alone at home, or practicing Vale Tudo with a sandbag like Yu IlHan, it was all possible, but why would you drag another person in and embarrass yourself!?

If one couldn't improve oneself just because there was no one to compete with, then would you be able call it your 'own ability' even when it's an ability you improved just because of the existence of a rival? What meaning is there to an ability that only improves and is measured when compared!?

What is the purpose of an ability that only has meaning when it surpasses another person!?

How dare he compare with others when he didn't even win against his own physical body? If he wanted to surpass something, wouldn't he have to think about surpassing his own self first!?

How could he neglect something so much when even Yu IlHan could not say that he did it even with 1000 years of effort? And what? He will become the strongest? He will stand on a higher place than anyone? It was all laughable!

Like that, Yu IlHan spouted out the rage of a loner in an unfair and twisted way. Only inside his mind though.

[...Yu IlHan? Aren't you a bit too excited?]

"No, I'm extremly calm."

Erta's call returned Yu IlHan back to reality. He pouted his lips as he retorted at Erta and finished dismantling the body.

Disappointingly, the brown bear didn't have a magic stone, but the quality of its leather was great. If it was processed well, then he would be able to make an armor that could withstand machine guns easily.

"Excuse me… Sir Sungdaein Bolt...?"

"I'm not selling."

He was now used to preventing the approach of the 'strong friends'. However, as if he had heard the matter between Yu IlHan and second lieutenant Han YeoRang, and other military platoons, the government, and the major slowly and carefully approached Yu IlHan.

"I heard you were looking for strong monsters to hunt, no? If so, then we can give you the information."

"Just the information?"

"Yes."

Just where did his figure saying 'bite on a knife and charge' disappear to… the major offered him a proposal with a truly amiable voice.

"We want to get over this predicament with the least amount of damage possible. Of course it would be a lie to say that we don't want the body, but I'm saying that the lives of the people are more important. So if you want, I would like to share the positions of the appearances of the monsters..."

"...."

"Although the government is spouting bullshit about wanting to gather ability users to make a group or something, I'm honestly skeptical about it. They aren't even hiding their intentions to control other people. Personally, I understand that you don't want to get mixed with the government and the military. And so, I'm proposing this to you....How is it?"

It was a reasonable proposal. The country was drawing a large and unrealistic picture, but this major was speaking to him with the realistic thought of having to get over this predicament as the basis.

Yu IlHan hesitated, but honestly, it wasn't something he should hesitate about. Anyway, there would be soldiers where monsters are rampaging around, so if that was true, wouldn't it be better to earn information from them and go directly rather than wasting time searching the internet?

"Tell me."

"Fuu. Thank you for helping."

The major, Yun DaeHan sighed in relief from the bottom of his heart and bowed his head to Yu IlHan.

He had eyes.

A person that attacked and killed a 2nd classs monster in just 3 strikes despite the fact that it hadn't been many days since the Great Cataclysm. Currently, Yu IlHan was a person who he couldn't touch with personal arms. Would he really just stop at there? No way. He didn't know, but he guessed that Yu IlHan would probably grow up to be an ability user that represents Korea.

Yun DaeHan had learnt a lot of things while he was in another world. He saw the scene where individual power surpassed that of a country's and saw a scene where a single monster destroyed a country.

These told him the fact that existing logic could not lead the military, country, and society after the Great Cataclysm. It was also because of this that he proposed such an offer to Yu IlHan despite having to go against orders which told him to be forceful.

Trying to control a dangerous power may result in mutual destruction. Just why is there a need to clutch at them in their palms and control them? If the opponent was someone who could be talked to, then you should look for a way to profit mutually. Like now.

While he may have been a bit violent towards his subordinate, he was a wise soldier. Due to his actions, Yu IlHan didn't have to antagonize the military, and there was room for conversation.

Yun DaeHan did more than enough by setting up a positive relationship with Yu IlHan, who would grow into an exceptional ability user in the future.

Despite the fact that Yu IlHan had read all of his inner thoughts.

"For the current military, stopping them is the best we can do. Before more people go through suffering... Please."

"Ok."

Yu IlHan skillfully wrapped the bear bones in the bear leather and hugged it. Then he lightly ignored the gazes of the soldiers mixed with admiration, envy, fear, and etc., and left that place. The fact that he didn't need to use the flash app made him feel complicated.

[That human will live for a long time.]

"I don't want to see him frequently. That person values me too highly."

[Just what can be done towards that self-depreciation... Anyway, let's go to the next place! Run faster!]

Thanks to the military's cooperation, Yu IlHan was able to exterminate three more hordes of monsters that day. Amongst them, there weren't any that were stronger than the Direwolf, much less the brown bear, and thanks to that, he only levelled up once, becoming level 24.

Instead, he made a lot of profit. He had sold all the monster byproducts to military personnel in cash, except the magic stone, as he was sufficient with just the byproducts from the wolf horde and the bear.

As a result, a slightly shocking amount of money was now in his hands. In words, it was a sum close to 1 billion won (≈ 8.7 million USD).

"I will have enough left over after making a workshop! Shall we go sign a contract right away!?"

[It's not wise to use such an enormous amount cash just after you've earned it. What are you planning to do if you get traced?]

"Ah..."

[…..So I will use magic to erase the contractor's memories for you as a special service just this time. If I use this, it will be done in one go.]

"Good!"

As expected, an angel's magic was the world's best.

Although he was scolded by his mother who said 'where did you go when it's so dangerous' when he went back home at night, everything else went smoothly. Yu IlHan went to sleep while thinking that everything will turn out well starting tomorrow.

And when the sun rose the next day.

The same text could be seen on all of humanity's eyes after they woke up.

[The severed connetion with the other world will be restored! From now, you'll be able to take quests and receive suitable rewards in the other world you were summoned to!]

Like that, Yu IlHan became a loner again.

Author's notes

There are returnees who think like that (Do WooJun)

And there are people who think tlike that (Yun DaeHan)

And there is a dropout who think like that – was what I was trying to show you in this chapter.

For your refrence, you can't accept Yu IlHan's soliloquy so seriously! It's an extremly personal thought which contains IlHan's resentment of not being able to find a rival as other people didn't recognize him! T^T

The start of a new chapter! Humanity (excluding Yu IlHan) has received a fast-growth quest. The thing that God does is like a game developer trying to make game full of bugs normal by continuous patches! Don't tell me there are other problems from this….? T, Tree of… @#%!!

Anyway, what will happen to the dropout Yu IlHan!? Will he just eat popcorn at home!?

Translator's notes

LOL, loner life begins again…

Was ToS really full of bugs at the start? Maybe it's just the Korean version… (I don't play it)

I Make Them (2)

"Well then, please give me an excuse that I can accept."

With Erta in his palms, Yu IlHan tried his best to surpress his rage as he spoke. Erta seemed to be pricked by something as she didn't receive Yu IlHan's gaze straight on, and retorted in a small gaze whilst turning her head away.

[It's because it was the solution that uses the least amount of energy...Probably...]

"Energy?"

[Connecting to other words was something that had already been done before, and it's not hard to revive the severed connection. What's left is touching up on the small details and setting for the quest-and-reward system. Now, if the Earthlings receive quests that are suitable for themselves and pile up their experience and records, then they'll be able to grow their anti-monster capabilities faster.]

"And so, you're saying that it's the most reasonable method?"

[That's so.]

Erta, who had regained a bit of confidence after seeing Yu IlHan's positive attitude, retorted as such while looking at him.

Yu IlHan waited for this opportunity before asking with the saddest expression that he could muster.

"Then what about me?"

[...]

Erta was at a lost for words.

"IF everyone else is going to and fro from those other worlds, then me? What about me?"

[You were a loner anyways, so there probably won't be a lot that changes though?

"Even so! You know? Even so!"

He had never felt such a violent rage in all of his thousand years.

He was angry at the overall situation, but most of all, he was angry at Erta's words, that couldn't be said to be that wrong.

"How should I answer when my mom asks me why I didn't go to another world!?"

[Answer that you have nothing to learn about anything that can help with your life in such a place!]

"Am I some middle schooler who doesn't want to go to school!?"

[Although I think it's very pitiful, it's useless to talk to me about it as this wasn't my decision.]

Erta, who had reached her limit, eventually had to present a suitable argument like a coward as she pretended not to know anything.

Yu IlHan, who had lost the energy to retort, was mindless for a moment. With a sigh, he sat up on the bed.

"Yeah, well, I can't do anything even if I complain to you. So in the end, I can't go to another world."

[If you become a higher existence, then who knows.]

"And how many years would that take?"

[It should be less than the time that you've lived up until now.]

"Well, that's so comforting, hey!"

When he woke up and went to the kitchen, his mother and father were conversing with each other with serious faces-. On the lit TV, people were talking about the notice that had been sent to all of humanity, but it was accompanied by another shocking story as well.

"A state of emergency?"

While he was shocked and mumbling at the news that he was seeing for the first time, his mother noticed him and spoke.

(T/N: his parents may refer to themselves as 'mother' and 'father')

"You also know about it, don't you son? Right now, the outside is dangerous. Whether it's school or work, everything has stopped. Meanwhile, the military is conducting a large scale monster extermination. I heard they won't allow the monsters to appear on the roads where people live, at least."

It seemed that the government had also realized that they couldn't have people go through their daily lives anymore. Perhaps, the other world quest notice might have sped up their decisions.

In truth, this was something that had occured in every other country that possessed a proper government.

Everybody had realized that they needed to maintain the survival of the people first before being able to strive for a normal everyday life in the changed world, and so, under the majority of the countries' decisions, it had been decided that they would stop the flow of history for a bit.

Meanwhile, in that time, people would receive strength from other worlds. Not a power that would disappear like bubbles, like it had four days ago, but a power that would remain with them even in the future.

At that moment, Yu IlHan felt hope. Those upper echelons were only putting up temporary measures, like paying a card debt back with another card, but the humans on Earth were seriously considering the change they had to meet while they were moving.

Humanity will be able to adapt to the levelled-up Earth. As they always did. Excluding me. As they always did. – He thought.

"Mom, dad. Have a safe trip."

"But this father hasn't even gotten a 2nd class in all the 10 years that I was over there."

"Just because the military is clearing up the monsters doesn't mean that they won't appear on the streets."

"But the other world isn't safe anymore as well."

While time was stopped on Earth, there wasn't a case where a human would die or get injured while in another world. However, from now on, it would be different. As the price for being able to acquire a strength that wouldn't disappear, humanity now had to accept the danger that came with it. Even so.

"Even so, it should be less dangerous than staying here on Earth."

"...That's true."

"Father, do everything you can do to not feel regret afterwards. You shouldn't but your life on the line, but on this changed Earth, you can only live by accepting danger."

Doing everything that was possible, doing everything that was impossible until it was possible – this was one of the beliefs that supported Yu IlHan's foundation.

Perhaps his words, which contained his honest intentions, had moved his mother and father as they smiled bitterly while standing up.

"Yes, then I'll go. You too, son. Don't give up just because you can't use mana and put your efforts into it."

After saying that, his father was the one to disappear first. He had gone to another world in an instant.

However, his mother didn't do the same. Instead, she looked at Yu IlHan with a worried face.

"Son, mother's thinking is a bit different to your father's. Although effort is important, you can't overexert yourself."

"What overexertion?"

"Isn't it you who's going around and hunting monsters with a mask?"

"..."

He was found out!? At this unexpected situation, Yu IlHan froze just like that. He was aware that his figure, which had been fighting against monsters, would be broadcasted publically, and he had also meticulously prepared for that, but even then...!

"Did you perhaps think that mother wouldn't even recognize my own son? Even if you wear a mask and different clothes, I can notice you instantly. How could I not know my son?"

The power of blood was truly amazing – Yu IlHan muttered in his heart when he heard his mother's words, which caused him to raise both of his hands and feet in defeat.

To think that the concealment which could fool the world, and even God, was unable to completely fool his mother…

"Mother doesn't know how you became so strong. I'm proud, but also worried. But son, you know how scary those monsters are, right? Nobody knows what may happen in what place. So always keep your guard up and move with room to spare."

"I understand."

His mother's nitpicking only sounded affectionate when he heard it after such a long time. His mother finally seemed relieved after Yu IlHan nodded repeatedly. Then, she added on after putting a serious face back on again.

"But, the ones you have to be the most careful about are humans. From now on, there will be a lot of people who will be stronger and more evil than the monsters."

"Okay."

"If you know, then it's okay. My proud son. Mother will go to Ya-umin again, okay?"

"Okay. Don't do anything dangerous."

"Alright."

Perhaps due to the conversation with his mother, Yu IlHan, who had calmed down quite a bit slapped his cheeks and muttered to himself as if he was making a resolve.

"I should do my own work."

[I'll be going back to heaven for a bit. I should bring back the reward for the Executor quest as well.]

"Buy me an ice cream on the way back."

As he had been too immersed in the excitement that had come from the profit that the Direwolf and the Brown Bear had given him, he had forgotten about the existence of the quest. Well, they said that they would give him something, so he had no reason to refuse. He happily sent Erta off without forgetting to tell her to buy ice cream, which he had a sudden craving for.

After he did that, he was really alone.

"Somehow, I'm reminded of my dropout days…"

As he complained in a small voice, he left his home. His destination was the nearby storage facility that he had bought with his money at a speed that was like grilling beans with lightning.

How foolish was it to acquire a storage building at night to use the next day!? However, he didn't need anything. With cash, everything was solved. The Republic of Korea was a good place to live for those who had a lot of money. Although, he didn't know that until now, since he hadn't had any money before!

Yu IlHan arrived at the storage, which would be his workshop from now on. He had only prepared the basic equipment like a fireplace and an anvil due to the urgency. There were many lacking aspects, but as he didn't even need to do any proper work in the foreseeable future, it was alright.

Well, that was because the only materials he currently had were bones and leather. In other words, things that he didn't need to temper. He was itching to hammer some metal, but the situation didn't allow him to.

Of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't do anything at all. Raw leather would rot if left like that, and it was the same for the bones that was dotted with impurities and full of oil! The reason he came to the workshop was to process them before it became too late.

Yu IlHan fully mobilized all the knowledge that he had piled up over a thousand years, and began to process the leather and bones in the best way that he knew. After the things that could pollute the precious materials, such as blood and flesh, were removed perfectly, the leather would go through an additional tanning process. He had already sold all the materials aside from the ones that he needed, so he could avoid working all day.

Even while processing all that leather, Yu IlHan didn't sweat a single drop. It was only possible because, in the first place, he had a different base strength when compared to others, and it had further increased when he had levelled up to 24.

All the work was finished. He would be able to create something with the bones right now, but the leather was the problem. Just the tanning process itself would take several more days, and when he thought about the hardening process, which would come after, he might have to forget about wearing an armor that could cover his entire body.

"At this rate, when the armor is finished, wouldn't it have no meaning, since my level would be too high at that point?"

If it was like that, he would kill stronger monsters to earn its leather, and when he created an armor with that, then his level would... there was nothing more of a wast of time than this.

[You can process them with magic.]

"Oh, you're back? Even if you say that, I can't use mag..."

Yu IlHan's words trailed off midway after he confirmed Erta's appearance. It wasn't because she hadn't bought him ice cream.

It was because the Erta before him had a similar stature to Yu IlHan.

He first doubted whether or not it was really Erta, but after he had confirmed that it was really her, who, he didn't want to admit, had a truly beautiful face, he fell into thought, realizing the cause soon after.

"Giantification magic!"

[Instead, my previous appearance was caused by shrinking magic. Just what did you think I was?]

Erta sighed as she held out her hand.

[Hold this hand. I'll transfer the rewards to you now.]

Yu IlHan, who was slightly overwhelmed due to the holiness that he somehow felt coming from her, which wasn't present while she was palm-sized, obediently held out his hand and grabbed hers.

The moment after, he felt an extremely cold, but a bit soft, and horrifyingly delicate, touch as a few strings of words popped up in his view.

[Heavenly Quest 001. Executor mission completed!]

[All stats have increased by 1.]

[You are the one who has most successfully completed the quest amongst quest applicants. A special reward has been added.]

[You have acquired Eternal Flame.]

"Eternal Flame?"

While he urgently let go of her hand, thinking that he would start to feel strange if he continued to hold it, Yu IlHan looked towards Erta's face with an expression that seemed to say, 'I don't remember receiving something like that though?' Then, Erta gave a small smile as she raised her other hand.

[Look.]

"Oh."

In the fireplace that he had prepared, a bright red flame was burning despite the fact that he hadn't put down any fuel.

[An inextinguishable and living flame that can continuously grow. It's a precious flame from heaven. If it wasn't for the fact that you're in the initial stages of the Great Cataclysm, it would be absolutely impossible to receive this reward with a quest of that level, so please realize the value of this flame.]

"Wow."

Just with Erta's explanation, he had more than realized the flame's value. The Eternal Flame burning inside the fireplace was acting cute while it changed its appearance, as if it knew who its master was. The word 'living' wasn't at all exaggerated when used to describe it.

"It's a truly fitting reward for me...."

[I knew you would say that. Rita insisted strongly.]

"Rita did..."

Yu IlHan was no longer listening to Erta's words. To think that it was an inextinguishable and living flame. Various thoughts came to mind. This would help a lot when he had to process large amounts of metal in the future!

[And...Rejoice. For you, who can't go to another world, heaven has prepared a second quest.]

And so, he had to take a lot of time to listen to and understand Erta's following words.

[From now, you have to install dungeons on Earth.]

Author's notes

Mom: Why are you so stubborn about not going to another world! Even next door Johnny is going obediently!

The quest rewards won't be experience, but status, item, skills, and such.

If you are curious about MC's feelings, then click this. (T/N: subtitle says "I've never felt such a violent rage until now!")

Answer, there was a special quest for the MC!

Just because he's creating dungeons, the novel won't turn into a dungeon-management novel, so don't worry…

Translator's notes

I keep thinking that the mother is no one ordinary. She can see through his ability, and even see through his concealment.

I Make Them (3)

"...I make what?"

[Dungeons.]

He asked just in case he heard wrong, but he didn't hear wrong. Yu IlHan asked Erta with worried eyes.

"Are you okay? ...I can cook if it's porridge, shall I?"

[I'm extremely normal! On heaven's orders! I'm giving you! A quest to help with the creation of dungeons!]

Yu IlHan sofly sighed. Then he asked while sharply raising his eyes.

"This quest, it's not for me but for you guys, isn't it?"

[...I, it's for Earth too, so it's for you as well?]

"Acting cute now won't deceive me."

Didn't he hear the full story from her yesterday already? That the traps, in other words, dungeons, that God scattered before was unsuccessful in luring monsters.

"How can I do what even God can't?"

[We're thinking that the reason why the dungeons aren't successfully functional is because the majority of the monsters were swept by God's power when Lord God stopped the time on Earth. So, the monsters, which have gained immunity to God's power, won't approach the dungeons where God's power is dwelling strongly.]

"You are keep going to saying that it's because the time stopped, aren't you!?"

[Yes!]

She was so shameless that he was about to fall for her!

[In contrast, you have polished all sorts of techniques in the 1000 years of stopped time despite being an Earthling. In conclusion, your blacksmithing skills have reached a level of marvel that even us, as higher existences, have a hard time believing. Your only fault is that you cannot use mana, but the mana crafting skill will solve that. ...The only existence on Earth who can create dungeons in our place is you.]

At the praise baptism that poured all over him to the point that he became itchy, Yu IlHan narrowed his eyes more. His instincts as a loner which reacted extremely sensitively to intentions that were trying to use him, was warning him.

That this woman will dump him with a huge piece of work!

"Now you're just directly dumping me work, eh?"

[It's in everyone's interests. We do our mission, and you receive a quest befitting of your ability and even earn a suitable reward!]

"You can talk well. Even though you're a scammer."

However, did the fact that Yu IlHan wanted to do it because of all that make Yu IlHan a pervert?

Was it a perverted mind which can be coated with the words 'challenging mind', and 'confidence'?

Wait, doesn't this make him a pervert anyway?

Yu IlHan asked her lightly.

"What happens if I don't do it?"

[Heaven will create another set of dungeons. Of course, as God's power will dwell in it, it has a higher chance of failing, and as a result, humanity will have to survive in a slightly more wild evironment.]

"If I make it, will the monsters really fall for it?"

[At least, with a much higher chance than the one made by heaven, yes. They will.]

"...This is the most important question, though."

He looked at his body, which didn't look anything special, and the workshop, which only had basic equipment.

And turned back to see the angel who was unprecedentedly glowing her eyes.

"I can make dungeons?"

[Of course. If you have the blueprint and the necessary materials. And those, we have.]

Yu IlHan smiled.

"Good, I'll do it."

[Let's begin right away.]

Erta poured out huge piles of metal from nowhere inside the workshop.

She took out chunks of refined metal, 'Harkanium', which emitted a wondrous black light; chunks of another metal, 'Fecinom', from which one could feel a red and rough energy; following that, a bottle containing the liquid, 'El Hazra', which emitted faint blue light; and finally, equipments such as a hammer, chisel, anvil and the like, which looked plain but not unpleasant.

[These three metals are materials in higher system worlds. If the current Earth levels up 2 more times, then these will also appear on Earth in extremely small amounts.]

"So this liquid is metal as well? Then I can just think that it's similar to mercury, right?"

[....It seems you didn't listen to me at all.]

Continuing on, she poured out countless numbers of magic stones that would become the ingredients for mana crafting, but they were incomparably bigger and emitted incomparably more brilliant light than the Direwolf's one.

Weren't these perhaps the magic stones from the 'higher existences' that Erta likes so much? Yu IlHan asked with a careful voice.

"The will of the craftsman is important though in mana crafting, is it not? I don't have any experience in making dungeons, and I don't even know how to make them. Are you fine with me handling all these precious-looking magic stones?"

[In the applying process, angels will help you. Did you perhaps think that you will do everything from start to finish?]

"Yes."

Loners always worked alone from start to finish as they hated communicating with other people and hated working together! Yu IlHan was also planning to do everything alone so he was a little bit surprised when Erta implied working together.

[Other than the used materials, they are all for rent, so you have to give them back. For the reward, we will prepare something else.]

"For the reward, can't you give me that 4 dimensional pocket you were using?"

[Inventory is magic.]

"Fuck..."

This was the moment he was the most frustrated after the time he heard that beds were science. (T/N: ACE, a company that makes beds, said that beds weren't furniture but science in their commercial, and this saying became famous in Korea.)

However, his switch flipped automatically while he was clearing away the existing anvil (it was extremely light) and fixed the anvil that Erta brought (It was extremely heavy). A master may not dwell on his tools, but Yu IlHan did.

Whether it was the hammer, or the anvil, and even the tongs, were all in a different dimension to the one he had used until now. He resolved that he would definitely procure tools that wouldn't lose out to these in the future.

[The basic processing is already done, so what we're asking of you should be the form creation and the inlaying. We're not thoughtless to the point that we'll make you make a dungeon from start to finish.]

"With the materials here, just how can I make a dungeon in this workshop? You're not telling me to make pottery but a dungeon, right??"

Yu IlHan spat out the question he had the moment he saw the materials. This was reasonable, as inlaying meant etching the surface and filling it with another material.

Amongst them, as an intricate and beautiful technique which ran at the peak of metalworking, metal inlaying was just basically a very very difficult and annoying work.

Creating a dungeon with a technique that's used in accessories – just how? Did they make some magic which can make goblins pop out if he drew a goblin with inlaying?

[A dungeon is a huge space. There's no way that we'll directly make them, is there? Specifically, the thing you have to make is a magic tool that would attract the monsters and change the surrounding environment to make a dungeon. This is called the Trap of Destruction.]

"Tell me that from the beginning! Then is that inlaying perhaps..."

[It can be called a type of a magic array.]

Erta held out a paper which was made from unordinary materials. After he had a look at it, he paled in fright. After he heard that it was a magic array, he thought that the form creation wouldn't be very difficult, but that was his misunderstanding.

With one cube at the center, countless metal rings were enwrapping it, and not only on the cube itself, there were indecipherable letters everywhere on each and every one of those rings.

If someone saw the finished magic tool created according to this blueprint, then that person would shout 'This artifact looks like it may appear on the last volume of a fantasy novel!'.

This was definitely an object with a higher difficulty in creation than any of the things he had created before. Rather than blacksmithing, it seemed like his worksmanship would play a bigger role too... He sighed before he even started.

Yu IlHan clenched his teeth and muttered.

"The quest reward...It should be good, right...?"

[I promise. I will prepare something that you will be surprised about. According to the level of achievement in the quest, you will be given the most suitable reward.]

Erta, who knew the difficulty of this work, confirmed with her most serious voice.

Then it was okay. Didn't he know that the reward of this quest from heaven was unordinary just by looking at the Eternal Flame? In this way, they were trustable.

Yu IlHan recognized that the work he thought to be difficult surpassed his imagination in a direction that he didn't think about, and accepted it.

He wore a cloth that could absorb sweat well on his forehead, and he picked up the metal tong which looked plain but its hardness could be well-felt from it. Then, he picked up a chunk of the black colored metal, Harkanium, and pushed it inside the fireplace and muttered as if he resolved himself.

"Let's begin."

This was the first joint work of the Eternal Flame and Yu IlHan.

Erta had alook at the steel spear that Yu Ilhan made before so she knew how amazing his techniques were. However, she had never seen him working on the metallurgy process directly with her own eyes.

However, his figure, focusing on the flame and the metal after his switch was completely flipped, made her a bit surprised.

"...The flame is still a bit weak. Does it get stronger if you feed it magic stones?"

[Yes.]

"Hm...Good. this is sufficient."

He should have only worked with the ores that existed on Earth before the Great Cataclysm. Also, even materials like titanium were difficult to be worked on inside a small work shop, so there should have been a clear limit to the number of ores he had actually worked on. As proof, his master piece, the steel spear, was in the end, just 'steel'.

However.

However, just how was he showing movements like a master smith who had handled harkanium for about 100 years?

"Fuu...Hap!"

When harkanium was sufficiently heated up by the Eternal Flame, whose temperature increased exponentially after absorbing a magic stone, he started welding with a serious face.

He knew of the metal's hardness at the melting point, so he hammered down with all his strength from the beginning. The moment the hammer and the harkanium produced a violent clash, he felt it.

'I can probably do this.'

His original strength would have been insufficient, but it seemed like this hammer had the ability to increase its user's strength temporarily. Yu IlHan, who got used to the feeling after striking a few more times, hammered the harkanium with sufficient strength.

Clang, clang, clang, claaaang.

Harkanium tried its best to resist the change, but in this small workshop, there was everything prepared to handle that. The flame of eternity, anvil, hammer, and lastly, an exceptinal smith.

In the end, it slowly, but surely collapsed.

The metal was changing. Yu IlHan, who perfectly memorized the blueprint after seeing it once, changed the position of the tong, as he heated the metal and struck with the hammer continuously.

A contradicting movement – intricate but strong, unrestrained but controlled – that was impossible for a even for a machine. From some time, harkanium was being played around as Yu IlHan willed.

Just who would believe when told that this was harkanium? Did the Eternal Flame make this? The hammer?, The anvil?

No, tools cannot make miracles. It was the human. That human was calling for a miracle that did not happen in the past, and wouldn't happen again in the future, right now.

Erta looked at that scene breathlessly.

'Did I perhaps make a mistake? Shouldn't this human have become a blacksmith instead of a lancer? Then… he might have made something that could challenge against God… Yes, something that can challenge God.'

Just why do all the angels become blasphemous after coming into contact with Yu IlHan. Right now, Erta acknowledged that Yu IlHan had the potential to suprass God. And in technique and not fighting power.

The form creation was finished after not a long period of time. After having finished shaping the the central cube, and the countless metal rings connected with a thin metallic line, Yu IlHan picked up the small chisel, also prepared by Erta. Now it was time to do the inlaying.

Despite thinking that he was sufficiently resolved, when he was about to go into the process, he sighed subconsciously.

"Fuck. I don't know if I fail."

[If you fail, then you can just melt it down and make it again from scratch. Of course, it will take an extremely long period of time.]

While completely ignoring Erta's words, he put the knife against the 'Trap of Destruction' which now had its form.

This was the moment where an overwhelming 'record' which could not be expressed in experience, was engraved in the world.

Author's notes

The tanning, the processing of the leather and bones, processing the metals, metallurgy, and the like is from the author's research. There may be unavoidable flaws or errors. I will fix what I can, but please overlook some of those that I may not be able to fix.

Dungeon management won't happen whether it's soon or later! No, I clearly told you that I won't do it righ!? This novel is about Yu IlHan, who became OP in various fields, adapt to the changed world! It's not dungeon management!

Erta pulls the date where Yu IlHan can use mana, just by existing! And her quest is a win-win! It definitely helps Yu IlHan!! The angels aren't just scammers!

Translator's notes.

….Thank you for reading...

I Make Them (4)

Engraving on the artifact, which had its form created with harkanium, and filling it with the liquid metal El Hazra, during the inlaying process it was a more difficult and tiring process than he had thought. It was because one mistake would lead to an overall failure.

However, Yu IlHan perfectly tuned the strength of his arms, which were trained from his many years of practice, and proceeded with the work. As is, he didn't even consider failure and was giving life to the artifact without a moment of rest.

Yu IlHan's figure as he worked with intricate hand movements that were neither overflowing nor insufficient, was truly reverable – purer than anything and beautiful.

Rita probably had monopolized this side of Yu IlHan for 1000 years. She alone must have kept watching the figure of this lower existence concentrating in one type of work and in the end, surpass his limits.

[Aah. I think I can understand it a little bit.]

Erta understood just a tiny bit, about why Rita, who was treated nobly even amongst higher existences, fell for a lower existence, who had nothing special about him. Just a tiny bit!

At that moment Yu IlHan put down his tools. The tiny metallic sound returned Erta back to reality as two sentences came up on Yu IlHan's retina

[You have awakened Blacksmithing Lv Max.]

[You have earned the title – 'Creator of Myths'. All effectiveness of productive activities increase by 20%.]

The sentence, which appeared like a declaration that there was no further realm to pursue, like dismantling, and the title which would be a huge help to Yu IlHan in the future.

Just with these, Yu IlHan thought that picking up the hammer was worthwhile. He had succeeded.

While carefully placing the Trap of Destruction, he spoke to Erta.

"I'm done."

[...What!? You mean already?]

"What do you mean already?...Let's see, five hours have passed though?"

Yu IlHan would also lose the flow of time while working, so he could only tell her after looking at the clock.

After she realized that he wasn't wrong, Erta reddened her face. This was because that meant that she had watched him working while forgetting the flow of time for 5 hours.

[Even if it's 5 hours, it's way too fast. Did you really complete it according to the blueprint?]

"Don't be like a mother-in-law and check it yourself."

She confirmed. It was perfect. It was to the point that she was dumbfounded.

Just who would believe that this was made by a human? She could only be dumbfounded.

However, like Rita, Erta also couldn't praise other people obediently. (T/N: Tsundere alert.)

[Khm, I guess this counts as a pass. However, there's still the mana crafting process with the fecinom and the magic stone.]

"I was waiting for that."

[Th, that's true. The angels were going to help with that, weren't they.]

Yu IlHan also looked forward to how the artifact, which possessed a high level of magic that he couldn't understand despite having made it himself, would be completed.

When he looked at Erta with shiny eyes, she kept coughing awkwardly in order to forget the figure of Yu IlHan working, and continued speaking.

[Please wait for a moment. I will call my colleagues right away.]

"How about Rita?"

[She won't be coming.]

After Erta cold-heartedly cut apart Yu IlHan's question, which was full of hope, she did a truly unbelievable action. She had caused a shiny yellow ring to appear above her head!

"That's the fluorescent light that only existed when I was young!"

[It's an angel's ring!]

After retorting against the tackle that she was expecting, what Erta did was none other than communication. She had sent messages to her colleague angels who were on standby in heaven.

The angel's ring was a symbol of an absolute bond that surpassed the constraints of time and space, as well as that of the world. It was an exclusive ability to angels that could transfer one's own emotions, intentions, and will to one's colleagues who have the same angel's ring.

Soon, four to five people who emitted brilliant light like Erta appeared inside Yu IlHan's workshop. There were both men and women, but their common points were that they were all handsome men and beautiful women.

[Erta, is it true?]

[Check with your own eyes, Fashta. The evidence is here.]

[To think that a human made a Trap of Destruction, I can't believe it.]

[However, this doesn't smell like it's from heaven. This is indeed an object created purely with a human's power on Earth.]

Erta clapped and called the angels, who were starting to express bits of disbelief, exclamation, fear, and such feelings.

[There's not much time! We need to get to work immediately!]

[That is true.]

[Yes, that is true.]

[Will the mana crafting go smoothly? I'm curious.]

The angels started gathering while chatting as they all placed their hands on Yu IlHan's shoulders, head, and back respectively.

At that moment, an enormous pressure fell on to his mentality.

[Begin, human.]

[We will lead the direction of the will. You only have to will that you want to finish the Trap of Destruction.]

[Yu IlHan, this is the same as when you first did mana crafting. If you concentrate with the magic stones and fecinom in one hand, and the Trap of Destruction in the other, we will do the rest.]

Was this what higher existences are? Despite the fact that only their hands came in contact, their souls, high wills, and the noble mana weighed Yu IlHan, who was only a lowly human, down.

Despite the fact that they had no hostility towards Yu IlHan, just by confronting them, he automatically received damage. A 4-dimensional wall which couldn't be surpassed existed between them and Yu IlHan.

If he was an ordinary human, he would have lost conscious immediately. He could only endure with the will that didn't corrode even after living for a thousand years.

It wasn't only his fighting power and techniques that he polished over those 1000 years. The will to never give up on his life and the belief to continue forward. The steel-like heart that held him up for countless years allowed him able to stand in that place and retain consciousness.

"Fuu..."

He slowly took deep breaths in order to calm himself and stand firmly.

He held the magic stones and fecinom in his right hand and the Trap of Destruction in his left hand. The angels were chatting as they wanted while looking at that scene. He ignored all of them and quietly closed his eyes.

Then he imagined. The scene where all these fused into one.

He wished. The birth of a dungeon which could imprison all the animals that have evolved after acquiring strength and reason.

[...Focus.]

[Don't show me a scene where you get swept by a human's will. The name of the angel cries.]

[Ha, really, just how did such an interesting human appear? I don't think it's a problem with the 1000 years...]

[I said focus, Ahata.]

The angels also emitted mana and will at the same time. If their power was directly applied, then they will achieve the same results from when it was made in heaven, so all their power and will were displayed through Yu IlHan.

Amongst them, some thought 'Wouldn't the Trap of Destruction perhaps be finished even without us?' for a while when they looked at Yu IlHan's strong will, but after acknowledging that that was throwing away all their pride as higher-existences, they immediately erased that thought from their head.

Yu IlHan's will and the will of the angels interconnected with one another, starting to change the Trap of Destruction. The overwhelming mana activated the magic engraved in the Trap of Destruction, and the power of fecinom transferred inside it. The workshop was filled with bright light.

[More.]

[Just a little bit more.]

[O, human...]

The mana crafting finished not long after. The fecinom and the magic stones in his right hand had disappeared as if washed away, and replacing that, the Trap of Destruction started to emit a faint red light that possessed an unordinary aura.

It was the birth of a truly perfect artifact.

['Meticulous' 'Earthly' Trap of Destruction was completed.]

[Mana Crafting has become Level 7. The quality of the finished artifact increases.]

Yu IlHan also opened his eyes carefully after those lines appeared on his vision.

As he thought that the weight in his palms disappeared, he saw that the completed Trap of Destruction was floating on his palm. Several tens of metallic rings enveloping the cube inside as they spun was a truly wondrous sight.

[Even though I was prepared for about 10 failures.]

[To think that we would succeed immediately...]

The angels appeared dumbfounded. Although Yu IlHan also felt proud, as he felt his effort was acknowledged, the limits of his mentality was approaching, so he carefully distanced himself from the angels.

"First, get away from me. Your consciousnesses are too much of a burden to me."

[That's true. We even forgot that you were a lower existence.]

[Yes. Well done, human. ...No, I think it's rude to treat you as those other humans.]

[His name is Yu IlHan.]

[Yu IlHan, thank you. I half-disbelieved it, but its a truly exceptional skill. If possible, I even want to watch you while you're working on the metallurgy process.]

[We don't even know whether it will work properly.]

At that moment, one of the angels tackled.

[We need to experiment with it.]

[That's very reasonable.]

[Yu IlHan, we shall go together. Perhaps, it will help your mana crafting if you look at the process of the birth of a dungeon.]

When the work was done, the angels started chatting loudly again, but this time, they talked differently. Factions were split into those who felt uncomfortable that he had such a firm will and ability despite being a lowly human, and those who wanted to acknowledge his ability and desired to raise him.

Of course, as they were good existences (as opposed to evil) at the core, there was no one who harbored ill intent towards him.

[My thoughts are the same. Yu IlHan, don't you want to have a look at the scene where the Trap of Destruction activates?]

"No need to talk twice about it. Let's go."

He always welcomed new information and stimulation. There was no reason why Yu IlHan should reject that proposal.

While Yu IlHan was wiping off the sweat on his face with a towel, the angels started confirming that the Trap of Destruction was for real. However, one of the angels, who was exclaming about its aesthetic beauty, suddenly shouted.

[Whoa, this has an alpha option and a beta option!]

[What?]

[Meticulous, Earthly...It's true.]

Yu IlHan perked up his ears while wiping off his sweat. Erta, who noticed that, explained with a sigh.

[We call the additional attribue which gets attached to the product of blacksmithing and mana crafting, 'option'. It appears randomly according to luck, materials, and the ability of the smith. Normally, there are two, alpha and beta, but both appearing in the first creation is unprecendeted. Are you satisfied?]

"You know everything, don't you?"

[Yes, I know everything.]

After confirming the Trap of Destruction, Yu IlHan went out with the angels. As he couldn't fly, two angels grabbed his arms while flying, but honestly, although it looked very uncool, Yu IlHan was joyful just with just the fact that he was flying in the sky.

The streets were still silent. There were the sounds of monsters howling from somewhere, sounds of soldiers desperately shooting guns, and sounds of flying helicopters. He truly felt that the apocalypse had arrived.

[Hey, this human isn't an angel. There is a need to cast invisibility magic on him.]

[There isn't. Unless he attacks first, there is no way he would get found by humans.]

[What? No way...]

Yes way.

[They really can't recognize him?]

[As expected, the sole dropout...!] (T/N: Yu IlHan can mean 'sole'/'unique'; the 'sole' used in this line is literally 'Yu IlHan')

The angels looked at Yu IlHan, who was realizing a miracle with his human body, in shock, and Yu IlHan was annoyed. He resolved that he wouldn't mix with these angels, who looked at him like a monkey in a zoo, after he finished this quest or whatever it was called.

The place they had arrived was at the top of a hill.

In front of Yu IlHan, who looked forward to how the artifact would activate, Erta, who was holding the Trap of Destruction, took a short, deep breath before throwing it.

"Hey!"

[Watch, Yu IlHan.]

While the Trap of Destruction was falling, the metallic ring which were spinning on the outside suddenly expanded in size.

The ring which had a diameter of just 20cm increased to 1m, 3m, 8m, and without restraint before it became thin to the point that it couldn't be seen as it scattered into the air.

No, was it really 'scattered'? While Yu IlHan was in doubt, at that moment, the second and third ring began expanding and scattering in order. While looking at that scene, the angels nodded their heads in satisfaction.

[So until now it's going smoothly.]

"..."

That meant that the phenomenon that happened just now was not a failure. Perhaps, were the metallic rings created with that intention in the first palce?

While Yu IlHan was concentrating his consciousness…

The Earth trembled.

Monsters started gathering towards the hill.

Author's notes

MC's not a pushover… T^T

This is in the end, a 'quest'. Meaning that MC had the choice to reject. MC does what he wants, he's not doing it just because he's told to

Erta did not threaten him. In the first place, Yu IlHan asked a question first and Erta only answered the truth

God is definitely not omnipotent nor omniscient. This is one of the most important reasons why this novel can make sense.

God and angels don't scam humans. The difficulty of the quest is directly proportional to the rerward, and if even this is doubtful… then one cannot trust in anything. T^T

The reason why the reward was not given prior to the quest was because Erta could not judge whether MC will succeed the quest, and if he does, how succesfully, and what would MC need at the end of the quest;; I should add this bit.

MC did not ask about the reward as he already received a satisfying reward (Eternal Flame) for his previous quest. You can take it that he's 'trusting' them

Eternal Flame is a too OP reward. It seems like my descriptions were insufficient. As to how good, it will be revealed as the story goes on so look forward to it!

The prefix option and the postfix option will be changed to alpha and beta. I took this from mabinogi, and as expected, it's no good. Teehee!

Translator's notes

Some of the angels speak in ancient form, (English equivalent would be thou/thy and the like) but I know none of those things, to hell with that.

As seen up there, 'Yu IlHan' can mean 'solitary' or 'unique' (just anything that has to do with being alone)(I guess his name was one of the reasons why he was left out). While his father, 'Yu YongHan' can mean 'useful'. This will come up later

tiny spoiler: […A useful skill.] "Dad skill?"

Ehem, nobody's thinking of Totsuka Saika from Oregairu when they read 'Trap of Destruction' right?

Time to read chapter 65 of EER on Munpia! ❤