Chapter 161

161st Episode

New Ventures

161 – New Ventures #1

In a voice that no one could hear,

Very quietly and stealthily,

I spoke to the bits of chicken bones on the plate.

“…Rise….”

Creak, creak-.

In response, the chicken bones began to contort in an eerie manner. What was once nothing more than leftover food scraps now transformed into a grotesque object, its joints and bones awkwardly piecing together to move.

Click.

The sight of the headless skeleton bird filled me with an ominous sinking feeling in my chest.

Something that should not move, moved.

It even flapped its featherless and membraneless bone wings as if reenacting its actions from when it was alive.

Clatter, click.

Fortunately, I had thoroughly stripped the bones clean, or the sight with flesh still attached would have been truly grotesque.

Click, Click!

At the sight of the bird spinning around on the plate, I quickly covered the dish with my arms. There’s no telling what sort of commotion would ensue if anyone were to see this scene.

Neither this creature nor I would come out of this looking good.

“Hey, stop moving and stay still.”

… … …

Whether it understood my words or not, the bird bones ceased their motion on the plate. The thought of commanding a corpse was both fascinating and unsettling.

It felt like being a child playing with something they shouldn’t, though in reality, that’s essentially what was happening.

This was undoubtedly a dark art, a form of necromancy or spirit summoning.

As for why I can perform such feats, I’m not entirely sure how to explain it. Even to myself, it remains unclear.

The day after the fight with the thievery guilds in the underground, while resting at home, I suddenly came to a realization.

If I could seize control of a Super Zombie, then perhaps, as Paranoi had once suggested, I might be able to dabble in necromancy or something akin to it.

Honest curiosity led me to experiment.

So I attempted the same process on some mouse bones leftover from the meals of Kang Kang, the spider residing in a jar. Surprisingly, it worked.

At the time, the shock caused me to immediately crush the remains, but trying again now confirms it.

I can practice necromancy.

But why?

What’s the reason?

Could it be due to Pluto, the King of the Underworld, whose magic is embedded in the necklace I wear? I had assumed it was just an oddly shaped pendant, but it seems it possesses such capabilities.

As I adjusted the sharp cross-shaped pendant around my neck, words appeared before my eyes.

“Pluto’s Eye”

“Protects the wearer from mental contamination and graces of magic spells.”

“Can upgrade Pluto’s Eye to Pluto’s Eye +1 by consuming 100 task points.”

“Enhancement Success Rate + 80%”

Words I had glanced over and disregarded before now started to resonate with importance.

The ability to enhance with task points. Could it be that if further enhanced, this item would allow me to resurrect and control not just the small bones of mice or birds, but perhaps larger creatures?

The necromancer Koma, who handled this necklace, was able to control a bone dragon.

Of course, this is all speculation.

Nevertheless, my speculations lately have been surprisingly accurate, which is somewhat frightening.

Swoosh.

At that moment, sensing a chilly sensation on my neck, I glanced sideways to find Hippolyte approaching from a distance.

Startled, I pulled out a club from my belt and slammed it down with considerable force on the glass plate.

Clang-. Shatter.

The bowl shattered, and along with it, the skeleton bird disintegrated back into scattered bones.

Necromancy is an evil sorcery sought after for extermination in this world. If anyone were to discover me dabbling in this art, I would be executed without a moment to explain.

This truth must remain a secret for now.

“Huh…”

“What’s the matter? Why are you smashing bowls with a club?”

Hippolyte looked perplexed as she alternated her gaze between the shattered dish and my club. Thankfully, it seemed I had not been caught.

“No, there was a spider.”

“A spider? Well, this is an inn, so seeing one isn’t unusual. But do you really need to swing a club for that?”

“I, well… you know. I’m just really scared of spiders.”

“Hmm, well, that could be. Everyone has their weaknesses, after all. Anyway, have you thought about it?”

“About what?”

“About learning aura from me?”

Ah, before leaving, Hippolyte had been talking about learning aura.

Upon mastering aura, they said my level would be assessed as if it were elevated by about +10. That would put me at level 33, easily enough to qualify for a Silver Tier promotion.

There’s nothing to hesitate about.

Just as I was about to answer yes, Hippolyte spoke a little faster.

“However, let me warn you, it will take quite some time. It took me over three years to master it. And if you lack talent, you might never be able to manifest it.”

“Three years…?”

Three years means over a thousand days. Now that I think about it, it does seem quite long. And if I lack talent and fail to manifest aura, would I have wasted those three years?

As I pondered this, Hippolyte added offhandedly,

“By the way, the tuition is 1 gold coin per month.”

“Wait, tuition too?”

The astronomical sum of 1 gold coin made my head spin. Every month?! I only possess about 2 gold coins in total. The images of all the hard work I’ve done to earn even that amount flooded back to me.

“It’s too expensive.”

“Expensive? This is actually quite a bargain. If you wanted to learn aura at a knight’s guild or dojo, you’d have to buy all sorts of extras on top of monthly fees.”

“So, learning it from you is cheaper than the market rate?”

“It’s not just cheaper, but also reliable. Even if you lack talent and fail to manifest aura, I’ll ensure you’re well prepared in fundamentals, enough to fend off most adversaries.”

Hearing that, the offer didn’t sound too bad. Certainly, signing up at some unknown academy where the quality is uncertain would be less beneficial than studying with reliable Hippolyte and learning something worthwhile anyway.

I still vividly recalled seeing Hippolyte easily take down silver-tier adventurers like commoners in the underground market. Swear, she was incredibly powerful.

Still, a monthly expense of 1 gold coin is a tremendous expenditure for me.

If I were asked whether I could earn 1 gold coin a month now, I wouldn’t be able to answer with certainty. After all, I’m just a poor guy who shakes at the sight of a few coppers, owning neither land nor a house under my name.

“Others will even borrow money to have a chance like this. What’s there to think about?”

“I don’t have the money for that.”

“Borrow it, if you must, and learn. Once you master aura, you’ll earn enough to fill your pocket with gold coins.”

Hippolyte’s words sounded quite convincing.

Once the guild building’s board is completed, I can create my own advertising slot:

‘Hassan – Equipped with titanium gauntlets and a powerful club. Aura user.’ With that, I’d likely receive countless premium commissions.

Perhaps, I might even amass mountains of gold coins.

Thinking about the wealth of gold coins made me feel rather pleased. As I was inwardly grinning, Hippolyte added subtly, as if reading my hidden thoughts,

“If you lack funds, why don’t you consider buying shares in the Mars Guild? They’re currently priced at only 5 silver coins per share… your activity also contributes to raising the guild’s stock price.”

“I’m not interested.”

Upon reflection, Hippolyte practices aura yet remains poor. It seems mastering aura doesn’t guarantee a pocket full of gold coins.

The Mars Guild building, which I visited after a long time, was almost completed.

I had come partly to renew something or other, but coincidentally spotted a rather ridiculous pink-haired figure swaying within.

Luna was struggling to move large jars into the building.

“Luna, what are you doing over there?”

“Hassan! You came just in time! Could you give me a hand with this!”

So together, Luna and I transported about six large jars and placed them all inside the guild warehouse.

They were surprisingly heavy, which explained Luna’s difficulty, but with my significantly improved strength, they felt relatively light to me.

“Huh, thanks to you, Hassan, I managed not to collapse. I thought I was going to pass out from the weight. The cart driver only brought it this far, and told us to move it ourselves.”

Wiping away the sweat from her forehead, Luna,

I asked her,

“We were supposed to have lunch together, right? Why didn’t you come to the restaurant?”

“I’m too busy! I received an order for five bottles of stamina potion. Each bottle costs 50 silver coins! After deducting the cost of materials, I estimate a profit of about 30 silver coins. Isn’t that amazing?”

Luna was so proud she puffed out her chest.

Indeed, earning 30 silver coins was genuinely remarkable, and for some reason, Luna’s success felt even brighter.

Does she earn more than me?

“Another seven bottles need to be prepared. This is an order from the Alchemist Guild. Honestly, opening a workshop right away and having business flow in like this was unexpected.”

The workshop ‘Sun and Moon’ opened by Luna yesterday.

As a result, the first floor of the humble little hut is filled with grinding ingredients and Paranoi’s screams.

“If the business keeps up like this, I might earn a gold coin a month. Deducting taxes and other expenses, I might even make around 10 gold coins a year. sh*t…! I’m rich!”

“Ten gold coins a year?”

“Big achievement, right?”

Earning 10 gold coins a year in this world is a tremendous accomplishment.

For instance, it’s similar to making 100 million won a year on earth.

It’s practically the textbook example of leading a successful life.

Luna as a successful businesswoman.

Is this really the same Luna who wandered around with me, wielding a stick to hunt goblins and practiced black magic?

I’m lucky to have met Luna.

If Luna earns well, surely there’ll be some leftovers for me too, I hope.

Now that things are like this, I might consider Luna running businesses outside while I handle household chores inside. I’m much better at household work, after all.

Living a life of domestic support in a wealthy woman’s house.

Isn’t it the ideal life that most men dream of?

“Luna, meeting you was truly great.”

“Wha, whaaa… What’s with this sudden embarrassing talk.”

My unintentional words made Luna flustered enough to turn her head away repeatedly. Looking back, I also felt rather awkward about what I had said.

Still, it seemed Luna liked it, which was good.

Anyway, Luna and I finally sat down in front of Daphne after a long time.

“The weather is really hot. I hope the guild building is completed soon.”

In the makeshift guild counter inside the tent, Daphne was continuously fanning herself.

It’s definitely true, sitting inside a tent with poor ventilation in the middle of summer feels like a steambath.

“Mr. Hassan, Ms. Luna, it’s great to see you both thriving which makes life easier for us registration clerks! I hear the adventurers from Kolkata fled from the Hydra job, didn’t they?”

Daphne seems to have heard about the Hydra extermination mission. It appears the news that Elpride and her companions abandoned the mission has also spread.

“This will further enhance the reputation of the Mars Guild. Anyway, is it time for the one-month renewal of your numbers? Considering all the tasks you’ve accomplished, your total stats might increase by 2 to 3 points!”

Luna went first for the renewal.

The last time, she threw a tantrum for a while because she didn’t want to prick her finger with a needle. But today, she calmly pricked her finger with the sharp tip of the pen and drew bl**d.

This must be due to her inner growth over that short period.

Square, square-.

Indeed, not just internally, but Luna had grown in various aspects. For some reason, I even thought she had grown taller.

“Wow, Ms. Luna, you’re amazing! Your karma points have increased again!”

Last time when Luna checked her level, it was either 7 or 8, but her renewed level now looks like this:

‘Name: Luna Noxdotty

Strength: 4

Agility: 10

Stamina: 3’

“Llook at those numbers, Hassan! How much if we add them all up…?”

Luna also seemed shocked at those high numbers and couldn’t find the words, continuously counting on her fingers. But Daphne’s abacus was faster.

“Your overall points have reached 17. That’s exactly a 10-point difference from last time.”

“F*k! I have a karma level of 17? I’ve become incredibly strong!”

Smack, smack.

Luna beat my arm with tremendous speed. When girls get excited or surprised, they have a habit of hitting their companion’s arm—Luna was exactly that way.

The problem was, it was quite painful.

Indeed, a level 17 hand slap does hurt.

“Hassan, does this mean I’ll hit Gold Tier before you? What if I’ve become ridiculously strong without realizing it? Could I be the Daughter of God, or something like that?”

“It does happen occasionally. People who grow this quickly. However, they often encounter stagnation early on, so caution is necessary!”

Daphne seemed genuinely concerned for the adventurers she oversees.

I heard that while it’s smooth sailing until level 20, many encounter difficulties after that.

So, most adventurers probably trip and fall just before reaching the Silver Tier threshold.

“Ms. Luna, your agility score has now reached double digits! It’s said to enter superhuman territory from double digits. Do you have any special training methods? It would be great if you could share to help train future generations.”

“I don’t know either! Why are my numbers so high! I’ve been feeling unusually light recently! Is it because I’ve been eating wild berries?”

“T, that makes sense… wild berries…”

Anyway, Luna’s number update went through smoothly. Now, it’s my turn.

Since I’ve also leveled up significantly since then, I’m both excited and anxious to see Daphne’s reaction.

What if a new job category appears with something like Necromancer listed next to it? That would be disastrous.

Thinking about this, I was pretty tense when Luna spoke beside me.

“Hassan, what if you’re weaker than me? What if I’ve become stronger than Hassan?”

But that’s unlikely to happen. I already know my level. Of course, Luna wouldn’t know, so she’s worried.

Square, square-.

‘Name: Hassan Zigress

Strength: 12

Agility: 4

Stamina: 6

Grace: The Shining Hand’

Thunk, roll.

Daphne dropped the fountain pen she was using to write.

“Did I write something wrong…?”

[Author’s Note]

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Many of you have sent in manuscript coupons as well… ㅠㅠ…

Therefore, I’ll soon hold another popularity vote with some illustrations…

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