NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 - Going Hunting
[Name: Theory Master’s First Creation]
[Type: Magic Handgun]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Weapon Level: 2-Star S-Rank]
[Equip Requirement: 1-Star (2-1) or higher, usable by all professions]
[Description: The first creation heralding the birth of a Theory Master.
Does not require magic power to use.
Simultaneously usable by all professions.]
[Special Design: Due to advanced design, the required equip level is reduced by 1-Star.]
[※However, requires magic bullets when used.]
Next, he decided to look into the profession he had just obtained.
[Profession: Theory Master]
[Description: One who has mastered magic technology, magic engineering, and all magic theories.
The source of all technology comes from engineering, and the source of all engineering comes from theory.
Who dares call theory mere armchair speculation?
The Theory Master is coming.]
[Theory-Based: All actions where you understand the principles receive positive adjustments.
Including production skills.]
‘Production skills… personally, I really like this.
But why is the description like that?’
Next, he looked at his skills.
[Skill: Material Conversion]
[Branch: Magic Engineering]
[Description: A skill given only to those who have awakened to the principles of magic.]
[Effect: Once a material has been fully analyzed, it can later be substituted with magic stones.
Better materials require higher grades and larger quantities of magic stones.]
[Skill: Magic Handgun Modification and Creation]
[Branch: Magic Engineering]
[Description: Though just a simple magic handgun, it contains the essence of magic engineering.]
[Effect: From now on, when modifying or creating magic handguns, system automation adjustment will be applied.]
“This sounds amazing just from the description…”
While the meaning of “system automation adjustment” mentioned in the latter would need to be experienced directly, the former’s “Material Conversion” was clearly overpowered just from the description.
To summarize, once you’ve obtained a material, you can freely produce it as long as you have magic stones.
For example, even rare monster materials that are hard to find could be mass-produced once you’ve obtained them just once.
Of course, it wasn’t free—you had to pay with magic stones instead.
Having achieved his goal for now, he decided to shower and get a good night’s sleep.
When he went out to the balcony after showering, it was already dark.
He was slowly drying his still-damp hair in the cool night breeze.
That’s when it happened.
A sound that seemed to distort his senses enveloped Han-wol with a woooong.
And soon, in the pitch-black night sky, a massive golden text appeared.
[31 years, 11 months, 29 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds until the Singularity.]
x x x
“This is the morning news.
The massive notification that appeared in the sky at around 3 AM yesterday has become a hot topic worldwide.
The notification is visible from anywhere in the world due to the player system’s influence…”
“Now let’s hear from an expert.”
“Actually, in the past 7 years, this hasn’t been the only occurrence.
Although it hasn’t happened on such a global scale before, similar estimated times appear when ‘Monster Waves’ occur.”
“So you’re saying this is also a Monster Wave?”
“That’s right.
However, since this is on a global scale, countries need to cooperate closely to professionally nurture players…”
-Wow, 32 years lolㅋㅋㅋ If we can’t stop that, is it the end of the world?
-No worries, I’ll be super strong in 32 years.
I’ll handle it all.
-Why 32 years?
Change it to 32 minutes.
I want to die as soon as possible.
-Players will take care of everything anyway.
Just worry about your own lives.
-What if humanity really goes extinct?ㅠㅠ
-The singularity is coming…
People’s reactions varied widely.
People trembling with anxiety, others who seemed unconcerned, players setting their goals and aspiring to be heroes, governments in a state of emergency trying to show their best face to citizens, companies seizing the opportunity to promote player equipment sales, and so on.
But Han-wol’s reaction was quite different.
‘Finally, it has come.’
Han-wol had more or less predicted that something like this would happen soon.
The reason why only he retained his memories after regression, the response from the “entity beyond comprehension” on the hospital rooftop, his memories from before regression, and,
The monsters.
Clues to the incident were everywhere.
But there was one thing he wondered about.
‘So monsters will be born even if my technology isn’t made public?’
The monsters had used both Han-wol’s technology and monster powers.
That’s why humanity couldn’t combat them, and even Han-wol could only destroy the monsters’ stronghold.
He could think of several scenarios.
Perhaps someone else besides Han-wol would discover magic theory and develop magic engineering, or maybe the monsters themselves were cheaters capable of copying others’ technology.
Whatever the case, Han-wol had reached one conclusion.
“So the end will come in some form or another…”
His cousin was the one who responded to Han-wol’s serious mumbling.
“Huh? The end? Surely… we’ll handle it well, like we have so far.”
Despite saying that, his cousin’s expression looked a bit anxious.
Feeling a bit sorry for seemingly stoking her anxiety, he said:
“Of course. People aren’t fools, they wouldn’t have just been playing around all this time, right?”
“Right?”
Han-wol silently nodded and went to the kitchen.
Watching him, his cousin followed and said:
“You look tired, why don’t you just grab something quick to eat outside today?
And today’s the start of your new semester, right?”
“It’s fine. The withdrawal form has already been processed.”
Han-wol said calmly while skillfully flipping eggs.
“Oh, I see. Then that’s… W-what!? Withdrawal? Why on earth?”
His cousin belatedly reacted with shock to Han-wol’s casual response, as if he were just discussing the evening menu.
Then, quickly understanding his intention, she narrowed her eyes with a serious expression.
“Don’t tell me… I told you.
Don’t worry about hospital bills or living expenses.
I’ll take care of all that…”
His cousin continued talking as if angry at Han-wol.
But Han-wol knew better than anyone that her anger stemmed from concern.
So instead, Han-wol smiled warmly at his cousin and placed the completed toast in front of her.
Finally, tired of being angry alone, his cousin decided to ask one question.
“Let me just ask one thing.
What exactly are you planning to do?”
Han-wol answered as if he’d been waiting for this question.
“Become a weapon dealer.”
x x x
After being thoroughly scolded by his cousin, who asked if he was a second-year middle schooler, Han-wol finally managed to get outside.
His destination was a place called ‘Pig’s Den’ near Seoul Village West.
This world, merged with the Savior system, had some differences from before the regression.
One was the existence of “hunting grounds” portals.
Hunting grounds were always located not far from villages where NPCs lived.
There, players hunted to level up.
NPCs also periodically went there to clear out monsters.
Otherwise, if monster populations grew too large, they would respawn outside the hunting grounds and attack the village.
As Han-wol stood in front of the Pig’s Den portal, suddenly a gatekeeper blocked his way.
“Hey. If you go in there with nothing, you’ll be eaten by pigs.”
A vigilante NPC wearing a tightly fastened green hanbok and holding a spear told Han-wol to turn back.
“I have a weapon.”
Han-wol took out a handgun from his inventory.
The vigilante man wasn’t particularly surprised by this.
Instead, he slightly frowned.
“Isn’t that a foreigner’s weapon? Something like a toy gun.
You can’t kill pigs with that.
From the looks of it, you don’t even have a proper profession, so you should first go to the village…”
At that moment, Han-wol grinned.
“Then how about we make a bet?”
“A bet?”
“Whether I can kill pigs or not.”
The vigilante man was momentarily taken aback by Han-wol’s sudden proposal.
It wasn’t the first time foreigners like Han-wol had come with strange objects they’d never seen before, insisting on hunting.
Of course, those foreigners had spent hours just to barely kill one pig.
The result was only natural.
Only weapons imbued with magic power could effectively damage monsters.
Moreover, only “players” who could handle magic power could use magic-imbued weapons.
The vigilante man, thinking he might find some entertainment, gladly accepted.
However, he changed the conditions slightly:
“Fine. But just killing one is too boring, so you’ll need to kill about ten.
The time limit is today.
However, you must use only that toy gun without help from others and do it all by yourself.
If you kill them all, I’ll listen to whatever you say.”
“And if I can’t?”