Chapter 3: Again … won’t fall … huh!

“What is all this…?”

I looked down at my phone, my mind still hazy with sleep.

Dozens of articles had already flooded in.

Thousands of comments were attached to the YouTube videos.

‘Ah… it seems the Awakener uncle I fought with yesterday filmed it and uploaded it.’

I had thought it would eventually become known anyway.

But to think I would become such a celebrity in just one night.

It just felt unnecessarily burdensome.

It would have been better if I possessed power commensurate with this immense attention.

‘…I’m just an unawakened person who’s decent with a sword.’

It also helped that the opponent was easy.

Goblins are, after all, among the weakest of the demonic beasts.

If it were an Ogre or a Werewolf, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.

‘Ugh, it’ll probably just be noisy for a bit and then die down.’

Even after 10 years, Korea remained a country where trends change quickly.

It would likely flare up as a momentary gossip topic and then fade away.

Until then, I would live quietly.

Thinking so, I got up.

“Ughhh… I had a good sleep for the first time in a while. Huh?”

After stretching leisurely, a large bundle placed by the entrance caught my eye.

Come to think of it, I remembered receiving it as a reward after clearing the gate yesterday.

“Here’s your share.”

“What is this?”

“Hahaha, look at this kid? You don’t even know what this is? It’s magic stones. This is all money.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks for what! We successfully cleared it thanks to you. Seventy percent of the magic stones from this gate are yours.”

“Huh? Seventy percent?”

“That’s even after reducing it. Everyone saw you fighting and said their fighting spirit surged, wanting to give you more, but I stopped them.”

I had received the bundle from the Awakener leader who said that and returned home.

Yesterday, I was too tired to check the contents.

Curious about how valuable it could be, I opened the bundle, and inside it was filled with stones emitting a subtle dark blue light.

‘This is… a mana stone?’

Mana stones, used as a primary energy source in the other world where magic and mana exist.

In this current world, they were found in monsters and gates under the name ‘magic stones’.

‘These ‘monsters,’ did they really come from the other world?’

The magic stones piled before my eyes supported that conjecture.

But since there was no definitive clue yet, an answer was unlikely.

After pondering for a bit, I shook off the thoughts and stood up.

“Anyway, if I sell these, I’ll get money, right?”

****

‘Magic Stone Exchange Center.’

A place that exchanges physical magic stones for cash, just like a gold exchange.

Since the emergence of Awakeners who handle magic stones and mana, the current world had accelerated the development of civilization using mana.

Magic stones, which served as that energy source, were given a value exceeding that of gold in the past.

“Oh my, you look like you’re only in your twenties, but you’ve managed to gather this many magic stones. Hmm hmm!”

The middle-aged man, who seemed to be the owner of the exchange, scanned my face and the bundle I brought, then stroked his chin.

“Haha, I just got lucky.”

“Hmm…? Come to think of it… Aren’t you that person? The unawakened one who supposedly cleared the gate that appeared near here yesterday by himself?”

Had my face already become known?

The owner looked closely at my face, then picked up his phone and compared me to my image in the video to confirm.

“That’s right, that’s right! Oh my, what a surprise, a celebrity visiting our shop~”

He was quite a fussbudget.

I spoke casually, intending to give a vague answer and move on.

“Haha… I didn’t do it alone; it was thanks to the help of other Awakeners.”

“Nonsense! Looking at the video, you were practically soloing it! The Awakeners around you were just deadwood!”

The owner said that as he exchanged the magic stones I brought.

“Let’s see… Here’s 100 million won.”

“Huh…?”

He sorted the magic stones here and there, then suddenly blurted out “100 million won.”

“100 million won, for the magic stones you brought.”

“This amount… is worth that much?”

“Oh? You don’t seem to know the current market price.”

The owner gestured towards ‘Today’s Magic Stone Market Price’.

Calculating based on that standard, it was indeed roughly 100 million won.

‘Crazy… 100 million won just for clearing a D-rank gate?’

Of course, normally, guild members who participated in the clear would receive a distribution based on their contribution.

You couldn’t earn 100 million won at once just by clearing a D-rank gate.

It was thanks to the guild leader I fought with yesterday, who allocated 70% as my share.

“The payment has been deposited into your account. Check it.”

[Cash has been deposited. Deposit Amount: 99,000,000 Won]

As the owner said, 1% commission was deducted from 100 million won, and the remaining amount was in my account.

“Thank you, Mr. Owner!”

“Thanks for what, those are the magic stones you earned.”

My head bowed involuntarily.

With this money, I wouldn’t need to do manual labor for a while.

If I didn’t spend it recklessly, it was enough money to live off for a few years.

‘How many chickens can I buy with this money? Hehehe.’

I chuckled idly as I walked out of the exchange.

“Then I’ll be going. I’ll come back if I get more magic stones next time.”

“Alright. But don’t overdo it! I know you’re an extraordinary person, but you’re still unawakened.”

“Yes.”

Apparently, there are unawakened people who loiter near gates, hoping to pick up magic stones dropped by Awakeners fighting monsters.

Incidents of them getting caught by monsters and dying are occasionally reported in the news.

The owner must have been worried that I might get too ambitious and die trying to get more.

But that wouldn’t happen.

‘I know my current level best.’

E-rank or D-rank gates were the appropriate level for me to clear right now.

Anything beyond that was too much.

In fact, even yesterday’s D-rank gate was cleared thanks to my immense struggle and the help of other Awakeners.

If I were to challenge it completely alone, I would have to take considerable risks.

Furthermore, the sword I borrowed yesterday was an artifact specifically for monster subjugation, made by extracting mana from magic stones, which is why I was able to fight.

Normally, ordinary weapons can’t even scratch monsters.

‘It’s a shame. If only I could use even 10% of my strength from my hero days.’

Then I’d be smashing through A-rank gates and everything else.

It was somewhat disappointing, but thinking that this much was still good, I dismissed the thought.

For now, since I had a lump sum of money, I should enjoy some leisure.

When I get tired of that, I plan to buy a suitable artifact with the money I earned and try to earn more magic stones by focusing on E and D-rank gate clears.

It’s a bit risky, but what in the world isn’t risky?

Even manual labor carries a high risk of injury.

Clearing gates is no different.

****

On the way back from the exchange, I stopped by a chicken shop.

To celebrate earning 100 million won in one go yesterday, I ordered the most popular menu with plenty of sides and even packed some beer.

“As expected~ home is the best.”

I opened a beer can, took a long gulp, then tore into a chicken leg while turning on the TV.

Just then, the calm voice of an announcer came from the screen.

“Currently, Awakeners from the Mir Guild are confronting a horde of monsters that have crossed the armistice line. Guild Master Han Dae-jin is personally leading the situation…”

And on the switched screen, a video seemingly shot from a helicopter unfolded.

Awakeners in blue armor were facing a monster with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle.

‘Hmm… Is that a Griffin? A tough one. As expected of Korea’s number one guild, they’re different.’

The undisputed number one guild in Korea, ‘Mir’.

I had recently seen news that an operation to clear monsters invading from North Korea was underway.

It seemed to be live broadcasting that very scene.

‘It’s clear at a glance that their level is different from the Awakeners I saw yesterday.’

Even with just a glimpse, one could discern the high level of the Mir Guild’s Awakeners.

Their coordinated movements clearly indicated the presence of a definite command structure.

The individual combat power of each Awakener also seemed considerable.

Among them, the Mir Guild’s Guild Leader, a person named ‘Han Dae-jin’, particularly stood out.

As I watched him and drank beer, a slight tipsiness began to set in.

‘I used to fight like that in that other world too.’

My past as a hero in the other world came to mind.

The more hardships one endured in the past, the more beautifully it tends to be packaged.

It was so difficult back then.

But looking back now, I realized it was also a memory and an experience.

‘…It doesn’t feel real. That I went to such a world. And that I came back.’

Even after living there for 10 years.

And even though it had only been a few months since I returned.

Somehow, it felt like a distant, long-ago event.

The scene of Awakeners on the screen fighting monsters, protecting each other, continued to play before my eyes.

“As expected, it’s the Mir Guild. Every single guild member is an A-rank or higher skilled individual…”

The somewhat excited voice of the announcer kept reaching my ears.

Suddenly, I thought of my comrades.

They must all be living well.

In a world without a Demon King or wars.

They must be enjoying peace.

“If only one of them… could come to our world.”

The comrades I had raised over the past 10 years.

By the time we defeated the Demon King, each one had become a skilled individual worthy of being called the strongest on the continent.

I had raised them to the extent that they would earn the title of ‘Hero’ and leave their names in history.

Now, the problem wasn’t that world, but this one.

‘For some reason, I miss them especially today.’

I thought I wouldn’t miss them once I returned to this world.

I thought I could forget everything and start anew.

But somehow, I wanted to see their faces a little.

‘If it were them, North Korean monsters, no, any monster on Earth, they could all sweep them away.’

If that happened, I could sweep up not only peace but also magic stones.

Since I had already decided to hunt monsters and earn money from magic stones.

How great would it be if I could even summon my comrades?

I could comfortably sit back, protect peace, and earn a fortune.

…While I was indulging in such fantasies, tipsy and tearing into my chicken.

Suddenly, a system window appeared before my eyes.

[Congratulations. You have awakened.]

[Mana will now reside in your body.]

“Huh?”

The system window appeared, obscuring my view of the TV.

It stated that I had become an Awakener.

And a strangely familiar sensation enveloped my body.

‘This is… the aura of mana?’

It wasn’t the tipsiness.

This was definitely the sensation of mana that I had used to my heart’s content in the other world.

[Skill Acquired. – Dimensional Summon]

And my only skill, ‘Dimensional Summon’.

My gaze naturally turned towards the skill description.

[Dimensional Summon LV 1]

– Mana Cost: 10

– You can now summon beings from other dimensions through a contract.

– Summoned beings can only act within a 100m radius of the caster.

– Currently summonable beings: 1

‘No, if I had something like this, it would’ve been great if it appeared during yesterday’s fight.’

It was quiet when I was struggling to catch goblins and giant goblins, but now it says I’ve awakened.

The timing of the awakening wasn’t entirely to my liking, but at least I awakened.

Moreover, coincidentally, the skill I obtained was Summon.

For me, who rolled around in another world before returning, it was a skill I couldn’t help but anticipate.

‘This… will it summon my comrades?’

Half expectation, half excitement.

I immediately used the skill.

“Dimensional Summon.”

[Casting skill.]

[Searching for a being from another dimension compatible with the caster.]

[…Activity history in another dimension exists.]

[Recruiting a being connected to the caster from that dimension.]

Messages busily appeared in the system window before my eyes.

If it’s another dimension, is it the other world I was in?

If so, can I really be hopeful?

[…A being from another dimension has accepted the contract.]

[Commencing summon.]

Flash-!!

Along with the last message, the system window glowed.

Instead of the system window, a human silhouette appeared before my eyes.

‘Who is it…? Who came?’

As the light gradually faded, a clear silhouette became visible.

Golden bob hair fluttering in the brilliant sunlight.

Plate armor that seemed not of this world.

Even the famous sword ‘Sovereign Sword’ that I once gifted her.

“Elysia?”

It was Elysia, my first disciple and comrade.

Elysia gradually opened her closed eyes, scanned her surroundings, then found me and opened her mouth.

“You are…?”

For a moment, my body flinched.

What if she didn’t recognize me?

My body in the other world and my body in this current world are different.

Therefore, naturally, my face is also different.

There was a sufficient possibility that Elysia wouldn’t recognize me, but my worries were unfounded.

“Master… right?”

“Uh… yeah. Long time no see, Elysia.”

As soon as my words ended,

Elysia suddenly burst with emotion.

“Masterrr!!! Waaah–!! I… *sniff*… I missed youuu-!!”

Staring intently at my face, Elysia burst into tears and snot.

She immediately threw herself into my arms.

And naturally buried her face in my chest.

“N-Now… *sniff*… I’ll never… *hic*… leave your side againnn…”

Saying that, she tightly gripped my clothes, as if she had no intention of letting go.