As for Han Seo-hyeon’s cart…
What the hell. It’s perfect! From small items needed for the base to daily necessities we didn’t even know were running out, he had everything, and even picked up furniture pamphlets. Not only that, but he had also pre-checked the items I needed to buy after examining the pamphlets.
All I had to do was pay for the decent furniture among those Han Seo-hyeon had checked.
It was incomparable to me, who had only picked up strange things with my attention diverted elsewhere.
“H-how did you do all this?”
At my words, Han Seo-hyeon sighed and said:
“Anyway, Boss’s life skills are too low!”
“Hmm.”
You see, despite my appearance, I was raised pampered. I’m not good at household chores and such.
—Weren’t you in an orphanage?
‘Is there a law that orphanage kids must be good at household chores?’
—Still, shouldn’t you be able to do most things on your own?
‘Well, when I was at the orphanage, Ho-san usually did most of my share too…’
—What about in the dormitory?
‘I shared a room with Ho-san then too.’
—And after that?
‘Even Seol Rok-jin would make me kill but not do housework.’
—Good grief. Wait, kill? I feel like something strange just passed by.
Yeah, I was unexpectedly raised gently. Compared to that, Han Seo-hyeon? He’s a prepared worker. Housekeeping skills honed through years of household chores!
Look at that, unlike Kim Jae-ho who’s obsessed with dolls that are completely useless for housekeeping, everything Han Seo-hyeon put in the cart was all substantial.
—By the way, do you want to make that child do the housework instead! You trash!
‘I tried to do the work at first too. But what can I do when he gets angry the more I try to help?’
I recalled the scoldings I had received from Han Seo-hyeon so far.
-Get away, go! Just stay tucked away in a corner!
That’s what he said while pushing me away whenever I tried to help. He even locked me in my room once saying I was in the way when cleaning!
—How much of a hindrance must you have been for him to do that.
Ray, who had seen what I’d been doing so far, subtly took Han Seo-hyeon’s side. Despite being in my head, it seems he’s rarely on my side.
I examined the furniture Han Seo-hyeon had selected. The design and price were good enough to buy everything as is. Damn, even his eye for goods is better than mine.
Bed, drawers, wardrobe for Han Seo-hyeon’s room. And chair and desk too. Though I was worried if we could carry it all, they were all necessary items.
I realized that our base had really been empty like a ruin until now.
We managed to live like that for a few months somehow.
Though there was no problem since essential items were installed as artifacts, we endured well in an environment with almost nothing to the point where it’s strange no complaints came out.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“No.”
I bought everything as is.
Ah, we decided to use the chair I made as a decoration stand instead of Han Seo-hyeon using it. Honestly, it looked too unsightly even to use as a decoration stand, but it was still an artifact. Moreover, it was an object imbued with human Kang Yi-sin’s effort. I have no intention of throwing it away.
Today’s shopping didn’t even make a dent in our financial situation, which had become abundant after visiting the black market recently.
—It’s also much cheaper compared to the black market side.
‘Anything that comes out of Gates is incredibly expensive. It’s enough to distort economic concepts.’
Though prices have risen, it’s incomparable to the items in the black market.
We crammed the furniture into our carts.
Since we mostly bought assembly-type furniture, there were lots of boxes.
Kim Jae-ho played a big role in moving these. I wanted to call Han Seo-hyeon’s skeletons too, but I refrained as I didn’t want to be dragged to the police while shopping.
After moving the furniture to a secluded corner with few people, we looked around.
It’s better to have as few witnesses as possible.
Han Seo-hyeon, who came to a place without people, quietly took out the staff he had hidden in subspace.
“The staff goes into subspace too?”
At my surprised expression, Han Seo-hyeon explained:
“The subspace size has grown, so this is possible now.”
I could certainly feel that he was growing as a necromancer. The skeletons he summoned last time moved much more nimbly than before.
Even though it’s subspace dependent on summons, being able to handle subspace was a huge advantage. It was thanks to that subspace that we could take items from the auction without any problems.
‘I should experiment again soon.’
As I was thinking that while looking at Han Seo-hyeon, the appearance of the staff in Han Seo-hyeon’s hand was different from what I remembered.
Yebrica’s mana stone, which was originally yellow, had turned black.
“Did it get dirty?”
At my words, Han Seo-hyeon became serious.
“You think it’s dirt?”
“Ahem. It’s a joke, a joke.”
Certainly, this mana stone was a clear yellow even when we were in ‘Serena’s Ice Palace’. So this change didn’t take long.
“When did it become like this?”
“About a week ago? At first, I thought something was strange too, so I examined it, but there was no problem with the mana flow. Only the color changed, but there’s no issue using it, so…”
While saying that, Han Seo-hyeon watched my reaction.
I narrowed my eyes and examined the mana stone.
“Hmm.”
Did it change all of Yebrica’s magic power that was dwelling here into black magic power? Well, if there’s no problem using it, I guess it’s fine. I took the staff from Han Seo-hyeon and examined it.
Not only had its appearance changed, but the item’s name and description had changed too.
=====
Black Cloud Mana Stone / A-Grade
—–
Material · Mana Stone
A magic stone heated at ultra-high temperatures to remove impurities.
It contained Yebrica’s magic power but was influenced by the user’s magic power to take on black magic power.
=====
Like the changed name of the mana stone, the staff’s name had changed too. To Black Cloud Staff.
Black cloud. If we’re being precise, it should be black sand, but recalling the movements of the sand Han Seo-hyeon handles, it wasn’t an unreasonable name.
It did look like black clouds gathering.
By the way, to think it changed enough for the system to record this change.
Yebrica’s magic power that dwelled in this mana stone was completely subordinate to Han Seo-hyeon now. Artifacts that resonate with the user’s magic power and change state like this are rare.
“Did it become strange?”
Han Seo-hyeon asked worriedly as I quietly looked at the staff.
“No, it means it’s become exclusively yours now.”
Since black magic power has seeped in, it’s become an artifact unsuitable for people who can’t handle black magic power.
“Doesn’t that make it troublesome to sell later?”
I looked at Han Seo-hyeon with a dumbfounded face.
“That’s yours. Why are you thinking about selling it?”
“Huh? B-but that’s expensive.”
“Until I find you something better, no, even after I find you something better, it’s yours until you say you want to sell it.”
I returned the staff to Han Seo-hyeon.
“It’s not just yours because I gave it to you, but because it was influenced by your magic power and became your staff on its own. So refrain from saying such things. If I were that staff, I’d be hurt.”
“It’s just an artifact, how can it be hurt?”
Well, there are artifacts that can be hurt in this world too. I swallowed those words internally and patted Han Seo-hyeon’s back.
Han Seo-hyeon, who was gripping the staff tightly, gently brought it to the ground and closed his eyes. The mana stone and Han Seo-hyeon’s magic power began to resonate.
Sand that slowly revealed itself eventually created the form of a huge whale.
We quickly threw the items we bought into the whale’s mouth.
“Hurry, put them in before people notice!”
It’s not very cool, but it would be a big problem if witnesses appeared. We hurriedly put all the luggage into the whale’s mouth. After loading was finished, the whale closed its mouth.
“Can this really float?”
I looked at the whale worriedly. Han Seo-hyeon’s eyes shone at my worry and he said:
“I’ve been practicing with things at home. Roughly, I think it’ll work.”
For now, we have no choice but to trust him.
I, Han Seo-hyeon, and Kim Jae-ho got on the whale’s back. When we got on, seats appeared on the whale’s back.
Thanks to that, we sat very comfortably, but can we really go home riding this?
Han Seo-hyeon burst out laughing at my anxious appearance.
“There’s no need to be so tense. I’ll catch you somehow before you fall.”
“What’s that! You should make it so we don’t fall in the first place.”
To think I’d end up riding a whale made of sand through the night sky in my lifetime.
—Haven’t you ridden an eagle made of sand?
‘Well, that was unavoidable in a combat situation. I didn’t expect this to become a means of transportation.’
I swallowed hard. With Han Seo-hyeon’s hand gesture, the black whale slowly rose. The cool night breeze brushed past our cheeks. No, this is more than just cool.
“It’s freezing cold!”
We had to shiver, riding on the whale’s back in February, ignoring the cold wave of midwinter. Though Han Seo-hyeon belatedly made a roof with sand to cover us, it was insufficient to block the wind that somehow leaked in.
We barely arrived at the base, half-frozen.
“N-next time, let’s go when the weather is good.”
I carefully assembled the furniture we brought after that ordeal. Actually, Han Seo-hyeon did most of this assembly too. I just nagged from behind, telling him what to do.
The base filled with furniture made after such hardship.
=====
Haunted House / B+ Grade
—–
Residence · Multi-family Housing
Owned by Kang Yi-sin
A multi-family housing made of bricks baked from mud and mana stones.
Though its grade was lowered due to poor finishing skills, its functionality as a house was increased by placing appropriate furniture.
Using the Red Flame Mana Stone as its core, it constantly activates concealment, hiding, and confusion.
Those registered as cohabitants of the owner are exempt from these effects.
It’s not easily destroyed, and if more than 60% of the house remains, it repairs itself using the magic power of the mana stones.
Water and electricity are installed.
It consists of 5 rooms / 1 kitchen / 1 living room / 3 bathrooms.
=====
As if mocking my struggles so far, the grade went up. Though it only became B+ and couldn’t rise to A-grade just by filling it with furniture.
The words ‘finished with poor skills’ still remained!
It was incredibly annoying.
—You’re probably the only one in the whole world fighting with the system.
“Somehow it feels like it’s mocking me.”
Especially about my handiwork. I wanted to make it well too! Who wants to be so shoddy?
It was unfair to the point of being infuriating.
Now we’re mostly done filling the base.
I headed to the workshop.
It was time to examine that Butcher’s sword I had stashed away. Actually, I had asked Ray to examine that demonic energy during spare moments, but it was no ordinary tough guy so it took more time.
But with 3 strokes opened, I roughly had an idea of what to do.
Just as I was about to unseal it and examine the sword.
Han Seo-hyeon opened the workshop door and came in.
“Oh, Boss. That friend you told me to watch.”
At those words, I blinked.
“Friend, who?”
Surely he’s not calling Yoo Seon-je my friend. That guy and I are not friends at all.
However, at Han Seo-hyeon’s next words, all composure disappeared from my face.
“I mean Jeong Ho-san.”
Jeong Ho-san.
At that name, my face hardened.