72 – The Era of Great Gacha (3)
The word “s*x” is surprisingly a term Kim Hyunwoo has heard quite often in his daily life.
Not only in the world of Arteil but even outside, words like “s*x appeal” or various others were casually used in the community. One of his friends always acted like an annoying cicada, constantly talking about s*x whenever they met, making people uncomfortable.
In other words, just mentioning the word “s*x” didn’t make Kim Hyunwoo feel embarrassed or anything.
However, that was only when it came to internet communities or friends casually talking about it like a cicada. It could be easily brushed off as white noise.
“….????”
But if the one uttering that word is not a friend or a community member, but Adria, who is considered extremely beautiful even by Kim Hyunwoo, then the story takes a different turn.
Kim Hyunwoo stared at Adria with an expression full of endless questions.
Countless answers flooded his mind in an instant, but naturally, he couldn’t choose the right one.
No, rather, the more he tried to find an answer, the more he couldn’t help but think if there even existed an answer to this question in Kim Hyunwoo’s mind.
“Th… Yes?? Wh…what did you say…?”
So Kim Hyunwoo asked.
Perhaps he misheard what he heard? With that thought in mind, he gave Adriah one last chance, and fortunately, Adriah, who was conscious of Kim Hyunwoo’s intention, caught on to it.
Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that. This topic is quite embarrassing for me, so can we talk about something else? Adriah understood his intention.
Grateful for Kim Hyunwoo’s consideration, Adriah tried to immediately change the subject and respond to his words, but…
“Uh, uh, uh, uh??”
The real problem was the red salamander controlling Adriah.
Naturally, she was fully aware that her response was absurd.
No, not being aware of it in the first place is absurd.
But even though she was clearly aware, instinctively, she involuntarily blurted out a devastating response to Kim Hyunwoo’s question.
“T…that, you like…s*x…?”
Releasing a sigh of disbelief, Kim Hyunwoo and Adriah, along with the belated realization and the moment when Yong’s face turned pale.
“I, I, I mean to clarify, it, it wasn’t in that sense, it was purely about adult products!”
“A-adult products?”
“Yes. Anyway, in Lartania, there are a lot of mercenaries, right? In places with many mercenaries, those kinds of products sell well. I-I made a mistake due to my wandering thoughts…!! S-sorry!”
“Ah…”
In a fleeting moment, thanks to Adriana’s spectacular 28 consecutive mid-air somersault drift skill, she regained consciousness from the dragon. Kim Hyun-woo, awkwardly smiling belatedly, spoke.
“Ah, w-was that what it was?”
“Yes. Y-yes! That’s right, hahahahaha. I’m sorry. I misspoke.”
“No, I think that’s possible. hahahahaha… You seem a bit tired these days.”
“W-well, I guess I’ve been quite tired lately…hahahaha.”
Adriana smoothly transitioned the topic with incredible agility, avoiding awkwardness, and soon began talking about business.
Finally, with a relieved expression, Kim Hyun-woo engaged in various conversations with Adriana.
“Ah, so, are you giving me the recovery items you mentioned next month?”
“Yes, next month, we will provide not only the recovery items but also another item together.”
Having smoothly concluded the business talk with Adriana as she always did, she said, “Well, then, I’ll withdraw for today. Actually, my visit today was just a brief stop.”
“I see. Well, I hope to see you again next time.”
Clearly, faster than the usual pace, she said her goodbyes with a swift turn and opened the office door.
“Oh.”
“Hello, Lady Sondam.”
“Hello, Elena.”
She soon encountered Elena.
Elena, wearing a faint smile, her eyes not reflecting any joy.
Sshh-!
Adriana, awkwardly chuckling, unintentionally glanced down at the sharp sound that followed. Soon, she could see the axe that Elena was holding in both hands.
How sharply it had been honed, a hand axe lightly scraping the outer wall of the office, the sound of metal grating echoing, along with the axe carving into the door frame of the office.
As Adrià’s gaze turned toward the axe, Elena subtly hid it.
“Oh, excuse me. I was training at the training ground and came in a hurry, so I didn’t put down the axe.”
“Ah, well, did you have urgent business?”
“Yes, I thought it was more urgent than it actually was… Now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem that way.”
Elena nodded her head while speaking, then subtly shifted her body to the side.
“Well then, I’ll see you next time.”
“Ah…yes.”
With Elena’s slightly chilling gaze lingering, Adrià was able to leave the mansion.
And then,
“Milord, I’ll go back to practice.”
“Didn’t you say you had something important?”
“Ah, that? It seems to have disappeared now. I’ll go back to practice then.”
Bowing slightly, Elena said her farewell and disappeared with the paired axes.
“…What on earth.”
Kim Hyunwoo found himself muttering involuntarily in the aftermath of the situation that had passed like a storm.
####
After a stormy encounter, three hours later.
As the sun set and painted the world in orange hues, Kim Hyunwoo confirmed that all the materials for making the novice adventurer’s magnifying glass were gathered.
“….There’s a round piece of iron, a circular chunk, magic water, and magic stone powder.”
Kim Hyun-woo checked the blueprint one by one and, satisfied that all the materials were well gathered, he made a contented expression and immediately began making the magnifying glass for the lowest-rank explorer.
“…I never thought I would make this in the first place.”
Of course, Kim Hyun-woo was not particularly skilled with his hands.
However, the reason he could make the magnifying glass was simple.
One reason was that making the magnifying glass was so simple that he could say, “Is this enough?” and be satisfied with it.
The process of making the magnifying glass was extremely simple.
He just needed to put 5ml of mana fluid into the groove in the middle of the stick that would serve as the body of the magnifying glass, sprinkle magic powder, and insert the iron rod in the shape of a magnifying glass. That was it.
“Well, that’s all, but that’s all I need.”
Kim Hyun-woo smiled as he looked at the iron rod in his hand.
The appearance was like a spear, but the iron rod had intricate grooves in the part where the spearhead would be.
“I didn’t buy the blueprint for nothing.”
Kim Hyun-woo had made a lot of explorer’s magnifying glasses in Arteil. In other words, even though he made them with a clinking sound, the method of making the magnifying glass was all in Kim Hyun-woo’s head.
However, the reason he spent 300 coins to buy the blueprint was because of this stick that came with it.
“A stamp that naturally engraves magic circuits when you put it in a wooden stick and turn it.”
In fact, Kim Hyun-woo bought the blueprint for this alone. With just this, he could make an infinite number of magnifying glasses by repeating the simple labor process mentioned above.
As evidence,
[“Explorer’s Magnifying Glass for the Lowest-Rank Explorer” has been created!]
Right away, Kim Hyun-woo was able to make a magnifying glass with just that simple production process.
So it was Kim Hyunwoo, who had been looking at the magnifying glass with a satisfied expression, but soon his expression turned slightly tense, and he immediately began making the magnifying glass.
The reason was the characters written on the magnifying glass blueprint of the lowest-level explorer.
[Remaining blueprint usage count: 9 times]
“As expected.”
Kim Hyunwoo exclaimed, unknowingly tapping his forehead.
Of course, the situation was not unexpected.
Kim Hyunwoo was well aware that Arteil, who was sincerely dedicated to squeezing money from users, had made it impossible to use the blueprint indefinitely.
However, the reason Kim Hyunwoo was calmly making magnifying glasses despite knowing this was because there was something he needed to confirm.
So, as Kim Hyunwoo continued to produce magnifying glasses, precisely when he made 10 of them.
[Remaining blueprint usage count: 0 times]
[The blueprint will disappear.]
Although he confirmed that the blueprint in front of him was engulfed in blue flames and disappeared in an instant.
“…As expected!”
Kim Hyunwoo called out a triumph instead.
In his hands right now, there was still the stamp essential for making magnifying glasses.
“Hu-“
Actually, if it were the original Arteil, once the blueprint disappeared, he could no longer produce magnifying glasses.
The production of magnifying glasses could only be done by pressing the blueprint in any case.
Therefore, even if Arteil’s users had a stamp given with the blueprint in the first round, due to the peculiar setting that the Arteil territory development team, who were ignorant of magic, considered it strange for users to easily craft magical items, they could not make magnifying glasses.
But since making magnifying glasses using the blueprint was just a story within the game, Kim Hyunwoo continued to make magnifying glasses with a tense expression despite calling out a triumph.
A little later.
[‘The Magnifying Glass of the Lowest-tier Explorer’ has been created!]
Kim Hyun-woo felt exhilaration throughout his body as he naturally completed the magnifying glass without a blueprint, and a deep smile formed on his lips.
“Shall we try spreading the gacha in the medieval era?”
His eyes sparkled.
And at that moment.
In the office of Teynus Sanghoi, who had left the Larutania territory.
“You sneaky dragon head! This is cheating!!!”
“You’ve been sneaky for ten years, and now you’re completely out of your mind…! Where did you even get the nerve to do that in front of her!?”
“I think those who watched from outside are even sneakier…!”
“Sneakiness is on your side, not ours!”
“Hmph, are you sneaking around and stealing the snacks left by the owner to eat…!? Your smell gives it all away!”
“!!! What!? Is that true!!?”
“T-that’s just a toxicity check! You sneaky dragon!”
“Checking for toxicity is my expertise!! It’s not for you to do! From now on, I’ll-“
[What on earth is happening…]
Adria looked dizzy as she saw two women and a guardian, who seemed like monsters in their own right, engaging in a catastrophic level of argument that had suddenly erupted.
From Noble mtl dot com