Shining on its own (1), Shining on its own (2) and Shining on its own (3)
‘Isn’t this a coincidence?’
Hyun thought quietly.
Among the hundreds of users who came to Ufia Island, there were not many exploration teams made up of companies.
It wouldn’t be strange if the two of them met by chance and knew each other. Moreover, if it is two people matching suit costumes.
Mina seemed to have a lot of things accumulated by her boss.
As soon as the words started to burst, complaints poured out of her mouth incessantly.
From not having been able to leave work on time for weeks, to manipulating the list of participants or making them do things other than work… .
Obviously, that wasn’t something to tell outsiders, but it might be proof that her dissatisfaction was piled up to the point of exploding.
Hearing Mina’s story, Hyun smiled bitterly.
I’m sorry, but I can’t intervene.
Not only could she not judge by listening to only one side of the story, but this was a problem she had to solve on her own.
‘It’s a surprisingly complicated situation.’
Really?
Even if only half of what Mina said was true, I never wanted to work for that company.
Hyun thought about whether there was something similar in the guild.
If you think about it, you might be working too hard on your guild members for no pay.
It hasn’t been revealed yet, but the complaints that have accumulated knowingly or unknowingly may fester as time goes by.
I’ll have to earn more trust from Salon and Tartar. Also, wouldn’t it be right to treat Genie better than he is now?
Of course, Ain had nothing to say.
“I’m working overtime again today… I won’t do anything today! So, there is no need for the guild leader to worry too much! I’m just going to pass the time and go.”
After pouring out her complaints, Mina gave a refreshing smile.
“The meeting with the guild leader won’t come out if you delete the recording!”
Mina seemed to have lost her will to work.
However, Hyun was still in a situation where her ability as a theologian was needed, so he decided to bring up the matter from this side.
“Even if you don’t work, killing time doesn’t matter, does it?”
“yes? It is, but… .”
“Then can you help me?”
“The guild leader?”
Mina’s eyes widened.
It seems that the other side did not know that the proposal would be made first.
“If you follow me well, you will get points today… ”
While speaking, Hyun paused for a moment.
It was because he remembered Mina’s trivial rebellion when she said she wouldn’t earn points today.
I’m not going to point out a point here.
It was clear that any number of points would sound meaningless to her.
“hmm… Something else would be better than that. Anyway, if you follow me, you won’t regret it.”
“That way… ? but… .”
Looking at the direction Hyun was walking, Mina swallowed a gulp.
“Are you going down… ?”
“yes. Why?”
“If you die by mistake, you will be in big trouble! I heard there are a lot of dangerous monsters downstairs… .”
“It’s not a monster, it’s a monster.”
“So, monsters are more dangerous than monsters!”
‘Not necessarily… .’
The difference between monsters and monsters is the presence or absence of demonic energy. I can’t say for sure which one is more dangerous.
However, it was also true that dangerous monsters appeared as we descended.
“If I die this time, it will be the third time, so I have to write in words… !”
“are you okay. I will protect that much.”
“But there is such a thing as if, if… What if I die?”
“Then I will take responsibility.”
“responsibility… What? Me?!”
“yes. I won’t die anyway.”
“Hyun, what is that statement?!”
At that moment, Ain’s voice was heard.
Since he knew that Ain was with him, Hyun was especially careful with his words.
“what?”
“You’re so unnecessarily kind!”
At Ain’s words, Hyun smiled.
Mina is a user in progress of the Shade Quest.
Thanks to this, the city can be maintained and the guild can survive, so if you treat people like her mercilessly, that behavior will one day return to your own loss.
“You know that there is no special meaning. Because there are fairy tales.”
“still… .”
“Isn’t this tidy? After all, it’s for us. It’s for our future.”
「Ooh, our future?」
In an instant, he felt a slight burning sensation on both his cheeks.
It was a feeling handed down from fairy tales.
“In that case… .”
People want to be respected.
It seems that the reason Mina was low pressure was because she was being forced to live like a slave at the company.
“I… sorry. Please forget everything I said earlier. I think I said something I couldn’t… .”
Mina later regretted it.
Did your head get cold after throwing up your anger once?
No matter how angry he was, he seemed to realize that blaming his company didn’t look good on the surface.
However, Hyun understood Mina’s feelings.
If anything becomes compulsory, they lose interest.
Maybe she didn’t have a chance to enjoy Asrian like the other users.
‘It would be nice to have a little fun.’
Aren’t games supposed to be fun?
Hyun thought it would be nice if Mina didn’t regard Asrian as labor.
“Then are you helping me?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t die… !”
“You won’t have to worry about that.”
While going down the stairs passing by the users, Hyeon exchanged stories with Ain and sometimes with Mina.
“Where are you… ?”
“The 10th floor. From here on, the dungeon structure has changed a little.”
“The 10th floor?! However, the information recorded in the quest was only up to the 8th floor… .”
Mina couldn’t easily believe Hyun’s words.
It was because it hadn’t been long since he had just started moving, and the monsters he encountered during that time were almost dying in one shot.
“furthermore… None of this information has been recorded yet?!”
Also, while looking at the record window of the quest, he asked again.
Hyun nodded as if he understood Mina’s question and explained.
“I turned off the ‘auto report’ function of the exploration quest.”
“clear… ? why… .”
“hmm. You don’t have to take other people’s share, do you?”
“… ?”
Mina’s doubts increased.
I only knew that he was the head of a large guild, but could he be a ranker?
Mina has never met a ranker in person.
However, I was told that one ranker was incomparable to the abilities of most high-ranking users.
If you’re a ranker, you might not need points. It should be possible to reach the 10th floor.
In a situation where he is kind to himself. If you use that favor. perhaps… .
“If you want to record it, you can ignore me.”
“… no.”
Mina shook her head and shook off the momentary temptation.
Are you too tired from work? What kind of useless thoughts come to mind?
“are you okay. I have no intention of working today either.”
[Turn off the ‘auto report’ feature!]
Mina smiled like a child as she changed the record setting along with the strings.
If you get a lot of points, you’ll have to submit today’s recording as evidence, right?
Then, it is obvious that you will be forced to contact the guild leader. Better not to do that.
Mina didn’t want to bother the only person who cared about her little self anymore.
“I’m off work on my own right now!”
“I go to work on my own… ?”
“Because I can’t close the connection. It’s called ding-tin!”
Mina also once enjoyed Assrian.
before joining the company. The proof is that he had a level 80 account.
I didn’t have any friends to play with, so I was looking for tips on the Internet and simple hunting, but it was fun just talking to NPCs.
As Assrian became part of the work, it turned into a boring workplace.
It’s been a while since I’ve been in the middle of a long time, and I’m going to go to the middle of the day.
I was going down the dungeon for a while.
Hyun raised his hand and stopped Mina.
“wait for a sec.”
“yes… ?”
“Wait here. There is something dangerous ahead.”
End of the 11th floor.
As soon as I came down the stairs, sharp teeth attacked Hyun.
Hyun dodged the attack and raised his head, and the guy he saw before was there.
animal in mythology. A three-headed monster modeled after Cerberus.
It’s a normal monster, but as soon as users arrive on the 11th floor, it attacks, so ordinary users could be killed by this guy without knowing why.
Of course, if you’re anticipating it, it’s just an easy prey.
Fu-wook!
As Hyun drove Prosia’s ice sword into his heart, the limp, limp boy soon scattered into the light.
It only took a few seconds for the hunt to be over.
“and… .”
Mina, who was watching from behind, opened her mouth.
“Is he dead?”
I had felt it before, but I had never seen anyone move so neatly.
I don’t know what level the monster I just caught is, but it looked pretty strong. You really must be a ranker.
Maybe it’s one of the top rankers that I’ve only heard of?
Mina guessed various things by herself, but because of her lack of knowledge about Asrian, she couldn’t come up with the name Hyun.
‘It’s a magic stone.’
and finished. Hyun looked at the floor and his eyes twinkled.
Where the monster disappeared, a blue glossy jewel remained.
The probability of a magic stone dropping from a monster that is neither named nor elite is very low.
“Ah, that… !”
Soon after, Mina also held her breath.
Mina, who was interested in magic stones in the first place, was able to identify the identity of the dropped item at a glance.
Judging from the shape, it was unmistakably a 12th grade magic stone.
‘Did the magic stone drop?’
As the level of users improved, the value of magic stones gradually decreased, but high-grade magic stones still had an enormous value because demand still exceeded supply.
However, Mina only thought that she was mistaken for a moment because Hyeon put magic stones in her inventory.
why is the reaction like that?
It was just a japtem, did I get it wrong?
“just now… Wasn’t it magic stone?”
“that’s right. It’s not even a labyrinth, but I’m lucky.”
“that… Judging by the color, I think it was level 12… .”
Mina, who continued talking, soon closed her mouth.
I was afraid it would look like I was interested in other people’s things.
“Wow, do you know the grade just by looking at it?”
However, rather than being awkward, Hyun showed a sense of admiration for Mina’s words, as if he was interested.
“It’s amazing, it would be hard to tell them apart because they all look similar after 10th grade.”
“That, right? Right? I know a little about magic stones because I’ve seen them a lot!”
“Oh, you said you were a jeweler?”
“that’s right… ! I am a jewelry designer!”
When the topic of a familiar field started, Mina started talking excitedly as if it was like that.
Mina was confident that she knew most of the magic stones.
He hadn’t dealt with high-grade magic stones, but he had studied related information for later.
“… Then you can also process magic stones, right?”
When Hyeon opened his mouth slightly, Mina began pouring out the knowledge she knew.
“that’s right! It’s very similar to, but different from, real-life jewelcrafting! Depending on the processing method, the color can be changed… You can also make it self-luminous! Isn’t that great?”
“hmm… .”
“It’s not just that. A person named Jane Kashmar says that she adds ‘options’ to accessories just by crafting!”
During the long talk, there was also a topic that Hyun could be interested in.
The identity of the person saying “Jane” is said to be a jewelry designer who first grafted the knowledge of reality into Assrian.
“To the item… Options?”
“yes. I haven’t gotten there yet, and it’s just to the extent that it causes a light emission phenomenon… One day, I am aiming to reach a similar level!”
It was new information to Hyeon that there were users who made accessories with options even though they did not have a ‘craftsman’ job.
Still, it seems that they can’t pull out better options than Assrian’s ‘real jewelers’.
In the first place, people who are named designers will not hang on to the options of items.
Because the jewelry they make will target users who value the beauty of the jewelry itself.
The reason why various job groups are created in Assrian is because someone’s demand is supported.
Mina’s story was a bit unfamiliar to Hyun, who was not interested in anything other than item options.
‘It’s a jewel.’
Hyun listened to Mina’s story for a while.
Recently, she said, she had learned something called “luminescence technique.”
A skill that makes magic stones shine on their own.
In other words, real-life jewelry designers are beginning to understand the characteristics of Asrian’s mana.
Mina’s voice was mixed with subtle pride.
It seemed that in order to master this skill, you had to study a lot and at the same time, you had to be very good with your hands.
‘that’s interesting.’
Hyun didn’t know anything about that field, but he had a way to pretend he did.
He told Mina the story of the jewel he found in Interloop.
“The magic stone’s ‘luminescence phenomenon’ occurs when the opposite types of mana rub against each other.”
“yes… ?”
The moment Hyun suddenly muttered, Mina’s words stopped.
“… said Lapisay.”
“that is… Who are you?”
“A jeweler from 500 years ago. Most of the present craftsmanship was established by this person. According to the record, it is easy to induce friction if you make an asymmetrical shape… ”
Hyun took out the magic stone he had just obtained from his inventory.
Looking back at the method written in the interloop and what Mina just said. The moment you sharpen the magic stone with your pocket knife.
Blasphemy!
What went wrong, the magic stone cracked and shattered in vain.
It was an instant for the condensed mana crystals to scatter in the air.
“iced coffee… !”
Wasn’t it just level 12?!
Mina let out a sigh at the sight of the magic stone breaking, which was not her own.
Because things worth several times his annual salary flew away in vain.
Handwork is not a piece… If you carve a gem like that, it’s only natural that it will break right away… !
“Neither can I.”
‘… ?’
“They say you can make an asymmetric crystal, but I don’t know how.”
However, since the owner who broke the magic stone was calm, Mina felt bewildered.
I even heard this thought.
Am I overreacting?
I don’t know if I’ve become too sensitive to mistakes because I’ve only been beaten in a limited environment.
“Ah, come to think of it, did the jewel on the 12th floor also glow?”
It was at a certain moment while talking with Mina that Hyeon recalled the memory.
The reason that Asrian’s enclosed space is not dark is because the ubiquitous magical lanterns light up the darkness.
However, on the 12th and 13th floors of this dungeon, not a single magic lamp existed.
That’s why the 13th floor was as dark as darkness.
On the other hand, the 12th floor did not feel dark at all, because the decorated objects were shining brightly all over the walls.
“It just went well. Do you like jewelry?”
It was when the group arrived on the twelfth floor that Mina’s mouth opened.
“here is… .”
“Are you curious? now i get it The environment here must have been created using the magic stone’s luminescence.”
The scenery on the 12th floor was very different from the previous floors.
Corridors and pillars decorated with colorful jewels, like a palace in an old story.
Various jewels were emitting their own light in the dark.
When Hyeondo and Ain first came here, they were immersed in sentimentality for a long time.
For Mina, a jewelry designer, it was natural that this place would feel more special.
“It’s a bit unfortunate, but I can’t take the thing off the wall. It shattered the moment it fell.”
“fantasy… .”
“yes? haha, right? It’s like a fantasy, right?”
Hyun did not urge Mina, who had stopped abruptly.
It was a situation where she was asking for one-sidedly, and Mina seemed to be enjoying Assrian as a game rather than a job, so I was quite proud.
Mina, who was overwhelmed by the light of the jewel, did not even notice that the monsters were swarming, so Hyeon quietly dealt with the surrounding enemies.
It had been a while since Mina came to her senses.
Just in time for that moment, Hyun quietly spoke.
“How is it, do you like it?”
“yes… ? yes very… you are pretty. It’s cool too! however… .”
Suddenly, Mina’s chest tickled.
I looked back at the man in front of me.
User unknown.
Because she didn’t tell her first, Mina was deliberately avoiding questions about personal information.
“Later, when your level is high, try visiting a place called the Ice Thorn Dungeon.”
“ice… Dungeon?”
“Ice Thorn Dungeon. It’s a pretty famous place, so if you type it on the Internet, it will come out right away. It’s not as flashy as here, but it’s grand instead. The crystals there are probably also luminescent.”
A man with a soft smile.
Suddenly, I thought that he looked so free.
What were you thinking?
Mina let the words out of her mouth.
“I. Can you take me with you?”
After saying that, I was taken aback 3 seconds later.
It was because he felt that what he had just said could be misunderstood depending on the direction he was being heard.
However, Hyun’s reaction was calm.
“I think that would be a bit difficult.”
“Oh no, I mean… !”
“It’s a pity that your area of expertise is so different from the direction our guild pursues, but I think joining the guild will be difficult.”
Mina thought she was lucky.
He didn’t seem to interpret the meaning of asking to be taken away strangely.
With this, you can get past the embarrassing situation.
“Oh, no… Unbeknownst to me, the wrong words came out! Just doesn’t mean anything! haha… !”
Mina smiles shyly alone.
Ain stared at Mina like that.
Because I had a bad feeling for a while.
I was shocked when Hyun said he would accept her as a guild member, but… It didn’t seem like that would happen.
“Huh, I’m glad.”
‘… ?’
And Hyun was startled by the sudden cool feeling.
“I don’t like it a little… I’ll see you this time.”
As he moved his steps again, Ain muttered that.
If you think about it, you don’t have to worry about this, do you?
You already know it as a fairy tale.
Because there is no one other than herself that Hyun has special feelings for.
A little while ago, I was about to get permission to listen to anything in the game.
different from reality Because I’m stronger here… You really can do anything… ?!
“What are you looking at?”
“… well.”
Hyun sensed something and Ain answered with a suspicious smile.
“just. I was thinking about what to do later.”
“… ?”
I couldn’t read the details of a fairy tale that could tell the other person’s mood.
Hyeon felt a bit ominous in Ain’s smile.
While chatting like that, the party continued to descend the dungeon.
After passing the 12th floor, to the 13th floor.
The 13th floor is a shabby and narrow place compared to the previous floors.
The dreary atmosphere was also in stark contrast to the splendid atmosphere on the twelfth floor.
The biggest obstacle is pitch-black darkness.
Since the Holy Fire skill was not activated in this place, he had no choice but to rely on Ain’s flame to advance.
While going down the stairs to the 13th floor, Hyun asked Mina.
“Do you know how to use light magic?”
Wizards and priests are magic that anyone can learn, but Mina doesn’t seem to have that skill.
“There isn’t, but it can have a similar effect!”
“how?”
“That luminous work from earlier! As long as there is a magic stone to use as a material… ah!”
As he continued to speak, he burst into a sigh.
It was because there was no magic stone, the most important material.
“Was it as bright as light magic?”
Hyun’s voice was heard at that moment.
Embarrassed, Mina hurriedly explained.
“You can adjust the brightness depending on the processing method! Even if you make it as bright as possible, it won’t be as good as the light… .”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s as bright as a candle.”
There are no lights or magic tools to illuminate the light.
Now that he had to rely solely on Ain’s magic, anything that could replace the light was welcome.
“in fact… that… It’s a little darker than a candle.”
“is it so?”
“Yeah, it’s just a little bit shiny… .”
“hmm.”
Hyun was in trouble.
Being able to suppress Ain’s mana consumption was a huge advantage, but if you couldn’t see, there was no meaning in ‘light emission’.
Wouldn’t it be better to try it beforehand to see how bright it is?
“Are there any special problems with the luminous work? For example, it takes a lot of time.”
“It only takes a few minutes, but the magic stone to use as a material… .”
“Let’s try it.”
Mina caught her breath when she saw the blue crystal that Hyeon had pushed out.
hearthstone. That’s 10th grade.
It is true that the supply of magic stones increased and the market price plummeted.
Still, the 10th grade magic stone, which had a very high price at the beginning, was still being traded at a price similar to that of ordinary office workers.
“Ouch… !”
Mina accidentally accepted the magic stone.
Guessing the intention of the person who handed over the item, he muttered in a low voice.
“I might fail… .”
The success rate of the Luminescent Technique is less than half.
That was the result of practicing with cheap, low-grade magic stones.
There was no guarantee that the same success rate would be applied to 10th grade magic stones.
“It doesn’t take long. If you fail, you can do it again.”
Mina glanced at Hyun’s relaxed words.
Really?
It was natural for Mina to be tempted.
It was because there were few opportunities to handle magic stones higher than level 10.
‘It won’t be a big deal if you really break it… ? Unless it’s something I have to ask.’
It had been a while since Mina, who had been groaning alone, started moving.
***
Mina’s expression was turning pale in real time.
I didn’t consider the characteristics that change minutely depending on the grade of the magic stone.
The level 10 magic stone work was much more difficult than she thought.
Even his voice trembled with tears when he broke the string magic stone three times in a row.
“I, I’m sorry!”
“Well, is this a failure again…? ?”
“At the final stage, the calculation was slightly off… ! sorry!”
“No, it doesn’t matter, so why is that? In the first place, I want you to make things I need to use.”
If Hyun hadn’t pushed her back, Mina would have given up.
“Still, there are fewer and fewer mistakes. You will succeed soon.”
“Ha, but… .”
“Don’t worry about the ingredients.”
Hyun tried to tell me that there were about 2,000 of the same item left in his inventory, but gave up.
Humans lose their concentration when they find out that there is insurance behind them.
To what extent did that intention work?
Mina fixed her eyes on the magic stone with sad eyes as if she would not make any more mistakes.
“… … .”
There are two main things required for light-emitting work.
First is knowledge.
All magics change properties right before they are manifested.
For example, fire magic requires fire mana, and ice magic requires cold mana.
In order to infuse attributes into non-attribute mana, he had to be aware of the various characteristics of each part and the keen eye to distinguish the core from the outer part of the magic stone.
And the second thing you need is dexterity.
It was because it was a very difficult task to infuse properties into minute parts at the right timing.
In particular, since ‘luminous handiwork’ uses mana of various types, it was impossible to imitate unless you were a skilled person.
“done… !”
Therefore, Mina, who was able to luminescently craft a level 10 magic stone she had never handled before, had done a very surprising job.
It would have been an impossible feat if I hadn’t practiced watching online videos every day and studied alone.
“That’s Okay! It is shining!”
Mina was happy to jump.
Brilliant, transparent crystals radiated light in all directions.
It is undoubtedly a luminous phenomenon.
A jewel that emits a soft blue light is a type of object that cannot be seen in reality.
For the first time ever, Mina felt that the jewelry she had made was mesmerizingly beautiful.
“It’s a lot darker than I thought… .”
However, Hyun’s impression was lukewarm.
“Can’t it be a little brighter?”
“yes… ? It’s my first time making something this bright… .”
Mina looked at the magic stone she had crafted.
I’ve practiced it hundreds, maybe thousands, of times, but none of them have had this much luminosity.
The grade of the magic stone used as the material may have affected the brightness.
“Still, it’s a lot darker than I thought.”
Hyun was not very satisfied because it still did not reach the brightness of a candle.
Ain’s flame, inferior to the sacred fire, was incomparably brighter than a candle.
It would be ambiguous to use a magic stone of this brightness as a flashlight.
“Let’s try a few more times. Can I ask for more?”
“yes? yes Sure!”
Even Mina had no reason to refuse Hyun’s request.
I realized the problems I hadn’t known about until just by working on a 10th grade magic stone for a while.
The dividing line between the core and the periphery of high-grade magic stones was also vague, and the crystallinity of each area was more subdivided.
When, if not now, will I have the opportunity to practice with such expensive materials?
“thank you. then.”
From then on, Hyun handed over the ingredients to Mina until a satisfactory result came out.
Magic stones that were not used were piled up in the inventory overflowing.
10th grade. Grade 11 Grade 12… It wasn’t long before I realized that the luminous intensity of the magic stone that caused the luminescence increased as the grade went up.
“… … .”
Mina, who was burdened with expensive ingredients, suddenly turned serious.
With a soft smile on his face.
Handling jewelry was something Mina was most confident about and liked.
A person who is immersed in such a thing can’t care about other things.
At some point, the atmosphere of an expert was blooming in Mina.
Even when he spoke to Hyun, his intimidation completely disappeared.
“To create asymmetry. I think I know what you mean.”
The words that Hyeon had muttered to himself earlier came out of Mina’s mouth again.
Information written in the interloop.
It was a sentence that Hyeon himself, who found it, could not understand what it meant, but Mina seemed to have gained some kind of realization.
“If you mix mana of the opposite attribute in the border area, the luminescence tends to become stronger.”
“is it so?”
“yes. What I thought was a mistake at first turned out not to be a mistake!”
Hyun quietly watched Mina’s work.
I found out that jewelry design is more complicated than I thought.
‘Are all jewelry designers doing this?’
Of course, I don’t know anything about this field, so I just guessed based on feeling.
‘I don’t think so.’
It felt like her immersed in work overlapped with Ginny’s for some reason.
Yes, Mina was the type of person who likes her job and works tirelessly, just like Genie.
If you see that he understands and applies the advice he gave you, you will not be without talent.
Even though the company couldn’t even start magic stone work.
“see! Well, this time it’s a great success!”
At one point, Mina clapped her hands and shouted.
It was the moment when dozens of manastone craftsmanship was over.
“I turned the luminance up to max! It would be hard to call it a jewel any more when it’s this bright, but… ah… !”
And belatedly, he realized that the magic stone he crafted was 14th grade.
What I just touched… Is it the thing I’ve only seen in pictures?
“… … .”
And Hyun stared at Mina, who was engrossed in concentration, from beginning to end.
Again, I looked at the crafted magic stone.
Even though it is said that it is enough to cause a luminescence phenomenon, the jewel is shining brilliantly without a spot.
This is probably because a jewelry designer is a person who prioritizes beauty above all else.
Even an outsider could tell at a glance that the jewel was not ordinary.
‘This… It’s a wonderful piece.’
Hyun has never had a social life, so he doesn’t know how the company works.
However, the virtue of a superior is to assign subordinates to the right place according to their abilities.
It was hard to believe that Mina, who was full of motivation and seemed full of talent, had been doing chores up until now.
How could she have never had practical experience before?
Because you’re an employee? Or because you’re out of line?
Either way, from the point of view of the guild leader, it was a slightly angry result.
What kind of system is the company that goes back to this situation is directed. Why is Mina’s talent so tied up in such a place… .
Hyeon, who was thinking deeply, opened his mouth.
“Why are you still working for the company?”
“yes… ?”
Mina’s eyes widened.
I never expected to be asked this question.
“haha… What is it!”
“I think I could just quit.”
While planning the entire city and laying the groundwork for the Shade Guild, Hyun experienced various things.
I felt a lot.
Asrian now is the land of opportunity. A time when new things emerge every time you wake up.
It was a time when anyone could try anything they wanted, regardless of individual or group.
Of course, organizations such as companies are more systematic than individuals, but there is no law that individuals cannot fail to catch up with them.
“The company says they can’t even do handicrafts yet.”
Is it irresponsible to say this without knowing anything?
Of course, it would not be that he fully grasped the person named Mina.
However, even a brief glimpse of her passion and talent for her dream could be seen.
“Or, if I quit right away, will I starve to death?”
“Oh, that can’t be! In this day and age… .”
“You have enough passion and talent, so wouldn’t it be much better to just do it all by yourself?”
It may be difficult in real life.
But this is Assrian. It is a world where things beyond common sense are possible, and in fact, such things happen several times a day.
Hyun thought from the perspective of a user with the most ‘first’ achievements in Asrian.
If Mina becomes independent. Her process may be difficult, but I couldn’t imagine her failing until the end.
“If I quit that company, will the guild leader accept me?”
“yes? It’s not… .”
“Whoa, I was joking too!
“Um… .”
“Yes, I also want to leave the company like a chimney, but life is inevitable. Even so, comforting me gives me a little strength. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard such a compliment from anyone!”
Mina replied with a smile.
It was clear that he thought Hyun’s words were a joke.
“okay.”
Hyun did not dig deeply into the same topic.
Because you can’t say this or that as a raw man.
I couldn’t say which one was correct.
No one can see the future. No one knows whose judgment is right.
It was just a little sad.
If Mina was digging into something other than jewelry… She thought he might have tried to have her as a member of her Shade Guild.
***
Finally arrived on the 13th floor.
As the glowing magic stone lit up the darkness, the surrounding scenery was revealed.
A place where it is not strange even if a ghost pops out at any time.
Immediately from the statue at the entrance, the pupils that felt alive were wide open.
Sensing the spooky atmosphere, Mina asked in a cautious voice.
“It’s not dangerous… Wouldn’t it?”
“Isn’t the atmosphere a bit like that here?”
At first, Hyun was also startled by the haunted statue.
What if Mina says she can’t go any further because she’s scared?
Fortunately, those worries were unfounded.
“I can’t die anymore… .”
Mina was just concerned about what might happen if a powerful monster popped out, but she showed no sign of fear.
It may be because the boss’s reprimand is more frightening than the ghost.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Because there doesn’t seem to be a single monster here.”
“Ah, then I won’t die!”
“Are there any other problems? Scary or something… .”
“It’s okay, I enjoy watching horror movies!”
“Oh, that’s nice. different from anyone.”
Hyun thought of Ain and smiled.
Ain went into a state of rest immediately after a few strange phenomena occurred.
Although I am not running away yet.
“Hyun, who is that?”
「Uh, uh… ?」
Then suddenly a voice came.
Hyun was momentarily taken aback.
It was because I forgot for a moment that Ain secretly hates scary things and doesn’t admit that fact.
「Huh. It’s kind of a shame that you’ve been thinking that way all this time. Okay, something scary for Hyun today… 」
Ain blurted out his words, but for some reason Hyun was able to anticipate what was going on behind the scenes.
Shall I tell you what is scary? is that what you meant to say?
Moreover, embarrassment and strange anticipation are conveyed through fairy tales at the same time, so I was able to guess the meaning.
「Didn’t you say that it doesn’t matter if you do anything in Asrian? good. If I increase the force by about three times, the strings will completely… .”
“Hey, wait a minute, what are you talking about in front of other people!”
“Ah, I can’t hear you, so it doesn’t matter!”
Ain sometimes goes out of his way without thinking.
Hyeon quickly blocked Ain’s mouth, not knowing that something big might happen if he left it alone.
I don’t care about anything else, but I had to stop trolling for useless reasons.
Fortunately, Ain was fine despite the spooky atmosphere on the 13th floor.
“What can I do?”
Mina muttered as she looked around the hallway.
It seemed to be true that he was immune to fear, seeing that he was okay with looking at the grotesque objects.
Hyun stopped sweating at Ain and answered Mina’s question.
“Please use Detect Divinity. I’m going to go through the entire 13th floor.”
“All the way… ?”
“You don’t have to worry. Because the map is not wide.”
The structure of the 13th floor consisted of a lobby, hallway, and one room.
Even if you search all over, you should be able to see all the places in 20 minutes.
‘It’s still creepy.’
Hyeon moved forward slowly, relying on the light of the glowing magic stone.
After the exploration began, the voice stopped.
It was because Mina was concentrating on magic and Ain was nervous, so the conversation disappeared.
At some point, only the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
‘huh?!’
Sensing the sudden presence, Hyun turned his head away.
Surprised, Ain stuttered.
“Muh, uh, what’s going on… !”
“I just heard footsteps.”
I used the magic stone as a lamp to illuminate the path I had passed.
Did you feel like you could hear footsteps behind you?
However, when Hyun looked behind him, not a single person was there, not a single monster or monster.
‘Was it an illusion?’
In the stillness, Hyun was lost in thought.
When I came here before, this strange phenomenon happened on the 13th floor.
No matter how fantasy Asrian is, there is a distinction between what can happen and what cannot happen.
A monster that only makes sounds without a shape. A statue whose expression changes every time you see it. Such strange things were not recorded in the memory, nor in the interloop.
okay. like… It feels like I have entered a different world, neither real nor Assrian.
“Is there any reaction to the divine power detection?”
Hyun asked after going around all the places on the 13th floor.
Mina answered with a slight frown.
“hmm… There are two places where there is a response.”
“Where are you?”
“The first was the statue at the entrance earlier.”
‘also.’
Hyungwon nodded quietly.
To some extent, he expected that the statue was not an ordinary object.
Its expression changed from time to time as if possessed by a ghost, and even though it was eventually broken by Ain’s hand, it was eventually restored to its original state as if nothing had happened.
Shall we go back to the entrance? I might be missing something.
The moment Hyun thought so, Mina added.
“But there are objects that are much more reactive than statues. That’s it.”
A room at the end of a long hallway.
Mina pointed to an object placed in a corner.
A full-length mirror large enough to capture the entire party.
“A mirror… ?”
“yes.”
Hyun had doubts and slowly approached the mirror.
It was an ordinary mirror with no decorations or special aura.
“There is nothing suspicious about it… .”
I looked at the items in the room one by one before, but there was nothing special.
While carefully stroking the mirror, Ain suddenly opened his mouth.
“Should I break it down?”
Hyeon laughed for a moment at Ain’s accident, saying let’s break the mirror.
“okay. That would be nice.”
There was no reaction even after stroking it, so Hyun decided to accept Ain’s opinion this time.
Caang!
Immediately, Hyun’s eyebrows twitched.
Because the mirror was intact without a single scratch despite being hit hard with Prosia’s ice sword.
Mina’s eyes widened as she shrugged her shoulders, thinking that it would of course be shattered.
“Isn’t it broken?!”
“It certainly seems to be something special.”
It was at that moment that the strange phenomenon occurred.
‘huh?’
Hyun blinked his eyes.
The shapes of himself and Mina reflected in the mirror were slowly distorting.
Deed Deuk. At the same time, an unpleasant sound engulfs the room. Hyun and Mina saw their backs in the mirror.
It was because the back had turned 180 degrees.
